“You want justice for your mother, well guess what?” His Adam’s apple bobbed with a swallow. “I want that, too. But getting yourself killed in the process won’t do a damn thing but let her killer walk away.”
Oh.
That was actually kind of…sweet.
“I’ll meet with my father and the team, but I’m not waiting forever on this, Digger. I will get a confession from that son of a bitch, even if it’s the last thing I do.”
With that, she turned and made her way to the front of the plane. As she disembarked the steep metal staircase and onto the privately owned tarmac below, Shadow didn’t look back to see if he was following in her steps.
She had a feeling that, for as long as she continued on her quest for justice, the tempting man would never be too far away.
* * *
Senator Michael Stantonsat in the back seat of his government-leased Cadillac Escalade, waiting anxiously for the man he was meeting to arrive. The bullet-resistant windows were tinted a deep black, completely concealing him from the outside world.
“He’s here, Senator,” his driver informed him from where the other man sat behind the wheel.
James was a good man and a stellar employee. Most importantly, he was very, very good at keeping secrets.
Michael turned to his right to see the man he’d trusted with a time-sensitive task get out of his piece of shit car and walk their way. On cue, James exited the Escalade and walked around the front bumper to the other side. The back passenger door was opened, and a man Michael had known for damn near thirty years appeared outside.
“You think next time you could pick a more out-of-the-way spot to meet?” Former CIA wet work agent Douglas Easton slid onto the expensive leather, shutting the door once he was fully seated inside.
Doug had been there from the very beginning, but even he was unaware of the many skeletons hidden inside Michael’s closet.
“I’m hoping there won’t be a next time,” Michael told him. “Of course, that all depends on what you’re about to tell me. I saw on the news that a run-down motel in Columbus got shot up last night. Anything you’d like to share?”
“Not much to share, I’m afraid.” The other man’s expression didn’t falter. “Turns out the girl got away.”
The hope he’d been feeling was instantly replaced with anger. “What the fuck do you mean, she got away? You’re a government assassin, for Christ’s sake.”
“No, Iwasa government assassin. And…I wasn’t the one doing the shooting.”
Anger morphed into a boiling fury, making his next words escape through a set of clenched teeth. “Tell me you’re kidding.”
The asshole turned to him with a pointed brow. “You know I never kid about work.”
“What I know is that you said I could count on you to help clean up this mess.You, Douglas. Not some idiot who can’t handle a simple fucking assignment.”
“I’ve used Chuck in the past, and he’s always come through. He was in the area, and most importantly, using him offered another layer of protection between you, me, and the girl you want dead.”
“She’s a barely-thirty, five-foot-nothing woman who, according to you, is in the city all by herself. And yet this Chuck asshole couldn’t handle taking her out in that shitbag motel? And what kind of hired killer shoots up the place like it’s the wild fucking west? Has he not heard of discretion for crying out loud?”
“It was a shit neighborhood where crime runs rampant. He thought making it look like a gang hit or some random drive-by would pose fewer questions than an obvious hit. And I agreed.”
“So you knew his plan and just went along with it?”
“I made a judgment call in bringing him in,” Doug admitted. “Clearly, that was a mistake.”
“Damn right, it was a mistake. What the fuck even happened? The place looked like it had been turned into Swiss cheese. There’s no way she should have been able to escape unscathed.”
The other man was shaking his head before Michael even finished what he was saying.
“You know the drill. No questions, remember? If this is going to work, it’s crucial that you maintain plausible?—”
“Deniability,” Michael cut the man off. “Yes, I know. This isn’t my first rodeo, Doug.”
“I’m well aware. And don’t worry. Next time, I’ll make sure it gets done.”
