Hard Core (Onyx Group) (21 page)

“And you’re not thinking straight.”

They faced off across the room, the tension palpable.

Mercer glanced between them. “We could get her a Kevlar
vest, pick a safe location where we can monitor every corner, every way in and
out, have her wired. This could work, Slade.”

Mercer sided with her.
Yes.

Cristian glared at his teammate. But Mercer was immune to
Cristian’s scare tactics and stared back.

“This can’t work. It’s a bad idea.” Cristian shook his head.

“No, it can.” Alana moved closer to where he sat in front of
the fireplace. “We can make it work. But, I need you in.”

Cristian glanced at Mercer. “You’re in?”

Mercer nodded and Alana cast him a grateful look.

“Look, Slade, she’s right. We don’t have the time or
resources to sit around and wait for Ross to make his move. We have contracts
that need filled. Alana volunteered. We can set this up and take him down. It’s
really the only way.”

Contracts
. She shuddered at the word. But wasn’t that
what she asked Cristian to do? Fulfill his contract? Not for money, but for
her. So she could live in peace.

She stopped, staring at Cristian, seeing him for the first
time as a man that could free her. A man willing to kill for her. To protect
her. To rescue her from her promise. A man who had risked his heart once and
lost. A man who would never give it away again because he thought something bad
would happen to that woman if he did.

A man who would never fully give himself to her.

As she stared at him, sitting tall and rigid in his chair,
surrounded by all the sleek grace and beauty of the room, she knew. She wanted
him to give himself to her. Completely. Not just in bed, where he held nothing
back, but in life.

“Come on, Cristian,” she urged. “Do it for me.”

That sealed the deal. His lips thinned into a flat line and
she knew she won. He would do what she asked. Not because he loved her, but
because he was honor-bound to protect her.

“You know, don’t you?” he asked with deadly softness.

She nodded slowly, knowing exactly what he was talking
about. “That my father made you promise to watch over me? Yes. When you told me
he stayed alive for twelve hours, I knew why. That’s the kind of father he
was.” Her voice wavered on the last sentence, but she refused the pain that
accompanied those words.

Mercer cursed quietly. A burden like that couldn’t be taken
lightly. It was a bond for a lifetime.

She hated herself for pulling rank like this, but her life
had to move on. Hanging in limbo like this would get her nowhere except more
apt to rely on Cristian. That didn’t work for her.

“Alana--” Cristian began, but she lifted a hand to stop him.

“No,” she said with a shake of her head. “Don’t. Just tell
me you’ll do this.”

“I’ll do it,” he growled.

“Good. You two do what you have to do to make this work. I’m
going to take a bath.”

Heading for Cristian’s bedroom, she said over her shoulder,
“I don’t want you stalling, Cristian. This needs to be done.” As in finished.
She wanted Gavin Ross out of her life and gone so he couldn’t hurt anyone ever
again.

With that, she closed the door. Sealing Gavin Ross’s fate.

And her own.

Slade stared at the closed bedroom door, wanting to both
strangle and admire the stubborn woman who’d just shut him out. He shouldn’t be
upset that Alana put distance between them, but it gnawed at him. Distance was
exactly what they needed. This would soon be over if his plan worked. Then they
would go their separate ways. Alana would start her life over and he would
continue his. Keeping in mind his promise to always protect her. No matter
where she went or what she did, he would be in the background keeping her safe.

And she would be, once he was out of the picture. She might
not believe it, but there were second chances for people like her. Alana would
blaze trails through the medical world and he would be in the shadows watching
her claim her destiny.

A knife twisted in his chest. What the hell was that? Alana
was better off without him. He didn’t belong in her world any more than she
belonged in his. She would find her place, establish herself once again. When
she did, the last thing she needed was a hired gun destroying her reputation.
Doctors didn’t marry soldiers of fortune. They married fellow physicians or
lawyers or congressmen. Men with similar clout and prestige. Men she could be
seen in public with. Not a man who lived in shadows.

He wanted that life for her. She was destined to do it.
She’d gotten a needle into him. That took guts. Alana had it in spades. All the
tragedy she’d endured hadn’t stolen her spirit. Dampened it, but she would come
out stronger. She was a fighter, and he admired her.

“She’s got mettle.” Mercer interrupted his thoughts.

Slade looked away from the closed door. “I don’t like this
plan.”

“I’m open to suggestions if you have another. Gallagher is
behind us, but there are jobs waiting. Bodley is still in Azbakastan. Fortier
and Sarver are guarding Dave. Ryden has his own to protect. We’re it.”

“How the hell are we supposed to pull this off with only two
of us?”

“I think between a TE and a Ranger we can manage.”

TE.
Tireur d’elite
. The Legion’s version of a sniper.
A marksman, to be exact. The term
sniper
wouldn’t be used within the
French Foreign Legion. As long as a guy hit the target, it didn’t matter what
he was called. Slade always hit his target.

“The odds aren’t on our side. Not with Alana’s life on the
line.” He wouldn’t risk that.

“She volunteered.”

Slade glared at Mercer. “And that makes it right?”

“No, but it’s all we got. Look, you made a promise, I get
that. But, wouldn’t you rather be on the offensive instead of the defensive?”

“What are you proposing?”

“Find a location with only one route in and out. Put me on
one corner, you in the other. We can’t lose. First sign of Ross and we take him
out. Alana doesn’t get hurt.”

“What about crossfire? Ross won’t come alone.”

“We’ve got weapons for that.”

Slade sighed wearily. “I know a good location.”

“Where do you keep your weapons?” Mercer asked.

It was on. They were going to use Alana for bait.

As he rose from his chair, he wondered when the uneasy
feeling in his gut would go away.

* * * *

The bed dipped, waking Alana. Groggily, she turned into
Cristian’s arms when they slid around her waist and pulled her against him.

“I didn’t think you’d come,” she murmured, nuzzling his
neck.

He kissed her, exploring her mouth with the patience and
tenderness of a man who had all night.

When he pulled away to rest his chin on top of her head, she
whispered, “You understand why I have to do this, right?”

“Yes,” he answered quietly against her hair.

“I knew you would. You would do it too, given the choice.”

“Yes.”

“I need my life back,” she said. “I need you to understand
that.”

“I do.”

“Good, because I trust you to keep me safe.” She tipped her
face up for a kiss, needing to be close to him. They made love with passion
enough to last a lifetime. And afterward, when she lay in Cristian’s arms, a
tear slipped down her cheek. Making love this time felt like goodbye.

* * * *

The phone rang and every nerve in Alana’s body went on
alert. This was it. The call they had been waiting three days for. Glancing at
Cristian, who nodded, she reached for the receiver. “Hello?”

“Alana, darling. So nice to hear your voice,” Gavin said on
the other end.

“How did you find me?”

“It took some doing. Your mercenary has hidden you well.”

“You won’t find me.”

“I already have, darling. And it’s time for you to keep your
promise.”

“You broke that agreement when you murdered my father.” Just
saying the words made her chest ache.

“Business, darling. We’re not finished. You owe me.”

Alana gasped. “I owe you? For what?”

“For costing me a very valuable sale. And for giving you six
months to spend with your precious father. You should be a little more
grateful.”

“Grateful? Are you kidding?” she scoffed. “You murdered
innocent people.”

“They were witnesses,” Gavin snapped. “You are trying my
patience. I don’t have time to argue with you.”

“Then leave me alone.”

He tsked. “Sorry, darling, you are much too valuable for
that. I watched you that night,” he said softly, reverently, sending a chill
down her spine. “You were going to do it, my sweet. You were going to do
exactly what I wanted.”

Alana shuddered, remembering how she had held the scalpel
over Dave’s chest, prepared to take his life in exchange for her father’s. “You
gave me no choice,” she said hoarsely.

“True. But you rose to the challenge. You didn’t let me
down. I knew I made the right choice. You are an extraordinary woman, Alana.”

“No, I’m not. Stop it, Gavin. I’m not the woman you want me
to be. I never was. You only see what you want to see.”

“Ah, such is life. Maybe. It makes no difference. We have a
pact and I intend to hold you to it.”

She knew what she was supposed to say and do, but the words
stuck in her throat. Without her, the plan wouldn’t work. She forced herself to
say, “If you want me, then you do it on my terms.”

“No. No more deals.”

“This isn’t a deal. This is you making a promise and keeping
it. Do that, and I’m yours.”

Silence. “What do you want?”

“You let Dave go and never bother him again. You leave
Cristian and his team out of this and I’ll do whatever you want.”

“I’m not the one who has a contract to fulfill. I didn’t
start this. I was happy where I was.”

“If I get Cristian to drop the contract, will you do it?”

A lengthy pause. “You think you have the authority to call
him off?”

“I do.”

“Are you sleeping with him?” An edge to his voice she knew
all too well.

“Yes,” she admitted and held her breath, waiting for him to
explode.

But he didn’t explode. “This works in our favor,” he said
quietly. “You have the poor sap wrapped around your delicate little finger,
don’t you?”

“I do.” She glanced at Cristian, who had his eyes narrowed on
her. The man would never be wrapped around her finger.

“I believe you. I fear I am also in that same boat,” he
murmured.

“Then you’ll make a deal with me?”

“No.”

“Then I go to the police and news media as soon as I get off
the phone.”

A pause. “I see my pretty young doctor has grown bolder. You
would do that to me?”

“In a heartbeat.”

“I had not expected this from you. I’m impressed. I think
maybe we can work something out.”

Alana looked up to see Cristian watching her intently.
“Leave them alone and I’ll come to you.”

“Deja vu, hmm, darling?” he murmured.

Of the worst kind. “Do you agree?”

Silence. “Yes, I agree. But, know this. If I hear that your
Dave
is sharing knowledge, then I will kill him. And if your mercenary tries to save
you or come after me, I will put a bullet in him too. Are we clear?”

“Yes.”

“Now, on to more important things. I’m on my way to Chicago.
Where shall I meet you?”

Alana rattled off the location Cristian had written on a
piece of paper.

“Two o’clock tomorrow,” Gavin said. “Come alone, darling. No
tricks. I’m not one hundred percent sure I can trust you, so don’t let me
down.”

“I won’t risk their lives,” she said. “I’ll be alone. Keep
your word, Gavin. Once I’m yours, you leave them alone.”

“I give my word.”

“Fine. I have no choice but to believe you. Two o’clock
tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it.”

The line went dead and Alana disconnected, dropping the
phone on the table. Shaking, she looked up at Cristian. “It’s done.”

“You did good,” he said.

She forced a smile. Her idea. But now that it was happening,
she wasn’t ready. The idea of facing the man who’d murdered her father made her
shudder. Just talking to the man on the phone made her break out in a cold
sweat.

Mercer put a hand on her shoulder. “We got your back.” He
pulled out his cellphone to update the boss.

Cristian sat in the chair next to her and put a hand over
hers where it trembled on the tabletop. She looked at him. “Tomorrow.”

He nodded.

She drew in a deep breath. “I’m ready for this.”

Again, Cristian nodded.

“We can do this.”

Cristian’s hand squeezed hers. “You don’t have to go through
with this. It isn’t too late.”

Alana shook her head. “Yes, I do.”

“Ross is here. That’s all I need. You don’t need to be a
part of it.”

“I am part of it. Don’t you see? This isn’t about a contract,
Cristian. It’s about a man who blackmailed me and killed the people I love.
It’s about vengeance.”

“I’ll get him this time, Alana. You can trust that.”

“I trust you.”

His gaze met hers. “Because I’m good at my job?”

She hadn’t expected him to ask that. He didn’t get personal.
But the softly asked question made her wish they had a future. Crazy, wanting
to spend the rest of her life with a mercenary, but she did. The thought of
going on with her life without him scared her even more than facing Gavin
tomorrow. Cristian gave her strength, made her believe in herself. He gave her
confidence back. Knowing he had her back comforted her. She wanted him to have
her back for life.

Pipe dreams, she thought wistfully. Cristian’s heart had
been locked away and not even she had the key.

“No,” she said. “Because you’re a good man.”

He frowned. “Why do you think that?”

She smiled sadly. He truly didn’t know the kind of man he
was. “Just because you’re a mercenary doesn’t make you a bad person. You
protect our country, Cristian. You get rid of criminals who hurt people. What
can be wrong about that?”

“I’m a hired gun.”

“And so is our military.”

“That’s not the same thing. Soldiers serve their country. I
serve myself.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Alana, you’ve never been one to look at the world through
rose-colored glasses.”

“And I’m not now. If you were self-serving, then you
wouldn’t have given your promise to my father and you wouldn’t be helping me
now.”

“Alana--”

She clamped a hand over his mouth to stop him. “I know what
you’re going to say and you’re wrong. Just take the trust I’ve bestowed on you
and hold on to it, all right? Do that for me?”

Slowly, he nodded and she removed her hand. “Now, I ask one
more thing of you before we meet Gavin tomorrow.” She dropped the subject
before he withdrew from her.

His eyes narrowed. “What?”

“You take me to a shooting range and teach me how to shoot a
gun.”

“No.”

“I want to learn.”

“You’re not the gun-owning type.”

“So you won’t teach me?” she argued. “I don’t like guns, but
I can’t live in a fairy tale world forever. Gavin brought violence into my life
and I need to learn to protect myself. You can teach me.”

“No.”

Frustrated, she said, “You won’t always be there to protect
me, Cristian.”

He visibly tensed and she held tighter to his hand. They
both knew she spoke the truth. He traveled the world to do his job. He couldn’t
be in two places at one time.

“I want to know more than to aim and shoot,” she pushed.

“A gun isn’t something to be taken lightly.”

“I’m not a child, Cristian.”

“I didn’t mean it that way. Once you own one, it changes
you.”

“I didn’t say I wanted to own a gun.”

He cocked a brow and she relented. “All right, fine. I
probably will buy one. I know about PTSD and nightmares. I’m living it.”

“I know. I wish I could change that.”

Touched, she leaned in close so their knees were touching.
Mercer stood in front of the windows, with his back to them while he talked on
his cell. “Thank you for that,” she murmured, inhaling his intoxicating
masculine scent, wanting to touch the stubble on his jaw. “A gun will make me
feel safe.”

“Illusions.”

“I’ll take the illusion. I’m going to be living alone. Times
are changing. The streets aren’t as safe as they once were.” Much as she hated
saying those words, they were true. Tomorrow this would all be over and she
would be putting it in her past and moving on. Trying to find a place for
herself in this world she hadn’t been in for a few years.

“You’re not supposed to know that,” he murmured.

“But I do. Gavin opened my eyes to the violent side of life.
Help me deal with it.”

His hand cupped the back of her neck and pulled her head
down so their foreheads were touching. “I hate that you’re thinking this way.”

“So do I. Is that a yes?” The words came out as little more
than a whisper. Without him, she would never make it through what she had to
do. If he turned her down, she would truly be lost.