Secrets Collide (Bluegrass Brothers) (26 page)

Cy ran his hand through his hair. This was not good. “I can call in the DEA’s office, but it may be the same. What do you want me to do?” Annie asked.

“Cy, I got it. I got a name,” Neely Grace called from where she had stalked off to talk to the judge. The wedding reception quieted down as she hurried toward him. “Liam O’Flannigan.”

“Got him,” Cade said as he punched away on his Smartphone. “He was born in New Jersey and attended public school until he was suddenly admitted to the top private school in the state. When he was sixteen, he dropped out of school. Then reappeared at an Ivy League college where he earned a business degree and an art history degree. It says he owns an art studio in New York City now. No mention of a family with the exception of a mother—Eloise O’Flannigan, who died of a drug overdose when he was just sixteen.”

“Wait. That name sounds familiar,” Marcy Davies said as she snapped her fingers. “She was the Mistress of Politics. It was never proven and the news didn’t make a big deal of it. They discounted it for gossip, if I recall. But when I was a young girl in college, I liked to read those gossip rags. Anyway, there was an article about a woman who had been a mistress to some of the most powerful men in politics. It was rumored she was even the mistress of the vice president.”

“I see it,” Cade said as he read something on his phone. “The magazine was sued and they took down the story and issued an apology. No one credited it as being truthful and the reporter even pled guilty to libel.”

“But if that were true . . .” Kenna said.

“It would explain where he got his connections. Now, what do we do about it?” Cy asked. “My idea is to storm the place.”

“I like that idea. But I was thinking of something with a little more finesse,” Ahmed said as he stepped forward.

*     *     *

Tires squealed, a horn blared, and then the sound of metal hitting metal resonated through the night. The door to the beat-up Chevy Lumina creaked open as Trey Everett stepped out.

“Oh my God, are you okay? Someone call an ambulance! Babe, call an ambulance,” Trey called to Taylor as he rushed to the large white boat-of-a-car with a smashed front end.

The doors opened as Miss Lily and John stepped out on wobbly legs. Miss Lily gently collapsed to the ground as Trey rushed to her side. “Look what you did. You teenagers are all willy-nilly out here like you own the place. You could've killed us.”

“Yo, man. It wasn’t me. You were the one swerving into the lane. You old people need to get your eyes checked. You’re the hazard on the road,” Trey shouted back.

“Hey! What’s going on here?” a man in a suit asked as he walked down the driveway from the gated house.

“I’ll tell you what’s going on. This young whippersnapper and his lady were doing the hanky-panky in the car instead of paying attention to where they were going and crashed right into us.”

“That’s not true,” said the cute woman in shorts so short the perfect globes of her derriere showed when she bent over . . . as she did for the guard. “These old geezers couldn’t see the road in the dark and crossed the line and hit us.” Taylor straightened back up, having picked up her purse from the ground.

“Oh sure, so says the tart,” Miss Lily said prudishly from the ground.

In the distance, another set of car lights rounded the corner. “That ambulance must've gotten here fast,” Taylor said as she ran the tip of her tongue over her bright red lips. “I like fast.” She dropped her voice so only the guard could hear her as Trey and Miss Lily argued. “When the cops come, you’ll say the old man hit us, right?” She ran a hand down his chest and he smiled as she gave him a clear shot of her pushed-up boobs.

“Sure, doll. What do I get for it?” the guard asked before more tires squealed.

“You hussy,” Edna yelled as she hurried from the car. Out poured Miss Daisy and Miss Violet with her. “What are you doing with my man?”

“Your man? It’s not my fault if you can’t hang onto him. Maybe if you got that bunion fixed, he wouldn’t have run off in terror for someone younger.”

Edna gasped along with Miss Daisy and Miss Violet.

“And you called me a tart,” Taylor said with full twang, really getting into her role. “And all the while you’re a man stealer.”

“As if you weren’t just feeling up that young man over there,” Miss Lily shot back.

“Babe?” Trey asked, wounded.

“I was doing no such thing. You’re the home-wrecking hussy, not me.” She slammed her foot down and crossed her arms, shoving her boobs up for the guard to see again.

“That’s right, just because she dresses the part doesn’t mean she’s a slut. You, on the other hand . . .” Miss Violet sneered.

“Hey now, ladies. Calm down.” John smiled and all the women harrumphed.

“Don’t get me started on you, you hound dog.” Miss Daisy wagged her finger at him.

“I’m just saying there’s more than enough of me to go around. We can all get along.”

“No, there ain’t. I’m woman enough to keep my man satisfied. And so is my chicken and cheese casserole.” Miss Lily threw down the figurative gloves and the other women gasped.

“You can steal my man, but don’t you dare say your casserole is better than mine,” Edna hissed as she dug around her purse and brought out "Ol’ Magnum.”

“Yeah, this is gate. I have a situation here. I need security—lots of it,” the guard said into his phone as he pulled his gun. “Now, put it down slowly, ma’am.”

“Stay out of it, sonny. This concerns me and the old woman.” Edna pointed the large gun at Miss Lily.

“Who are you calling old? Why, you’re so old you couldn’t shoot me if you tried. You’d break a hip, for crying out loud. With your glaucoma, you’ll probably shoot the tart over there instead of me.”

“I’m not a tart!” Taylor stomped her foot and shouted.

Bam!

*     *     *

Bridget sent the text.
Go
. “Okay, everyone,” she whispered into her microphone. “Be on the lookout. The crew just gave us one hell of a distraction. The gates are opening and I see . . . eight guards rushing out. Move forward now.”

She gave Marko the command and they both moved silently toward the fence surrounding the large mansion. Cole, Dinky, Noodle, Jake, Miles, Marshall, Cade, Pierce, Paige, and Annie were all making their way toward their assigned positions. Jake and Paige were in sniper positions far enough away to be out of immediate danger, but the others were to advance to the fence. They would scale it when they got the signal from Cy.

Marko let out a low growl that Bridget felt on her leg as opposed to hearing it. She froze and Marko did, too. A tree provided her cover as she watched a guard walk the property. She waited until he passed and then grabbed him from behind. Using leverage, she placed him in a chokehold until he passed out. She quickly gagged and tied him to the tree in complete silence.

“One down on my perimeter,” she whispered.

“One down on my side, too,” Cade replied.

“Damn, why don’t I get any fun,” Annie complained. “Never mind. One down on my side,” she said when she came back on a couple minutes later.

“The distraction out front is still working. Where’s Cy?” Paige’s voice asked over Bridget’s earpiece. Good question. It shouldn’t be long.

Cy strapped on the parachute and then checked over Ahmed’s as the plane approached the mansion where Gemma was being held. His phone vibrated and he saw Bridget’s message.

“Mission is a go,” he said to Ahmed who was now checking his parachute.

“We’ll be there in seventy-five seconds.” Ahmed walked over to the open door and looked out into the night. “You love her.”

“More than anything.”

“How do you know?” Ahmed asked.

“I know because I can’t stand the idea of living without her. I love the good and the bad and everything in between. She’s my life. What about you, Ahmed? Ever been in love?”

“Yes,” he answered so softly Cy barely heard.

“Does she know?”

“No, not until Sergei is dead will she ever know. Now jump.” Ahmed disappeared from view and Cy looked out into the darkness. With a calm breath, he jumped out of the plane.

Gemma’s head snapped back as pain blossomed around her cheek. She’d been dragged into the house through the garage and now sat in the middle of a large foyer with Sergei and his boss.

“Where is the evidence? How did you find me?”

“I think it was you who found me. I came to Keeneston first.”

He nodded for Sergei to hit her again. Blood blossomed on her lip as she cringed in pain. “You shouldn’t have gone after my daughter again. When I killed you the first time, they told me you begged for your life. So start begging, bitch. I want all the evidence you have and I want it now,” he yelled, standing in front of her.

Gemma shook, not in pain, but in fright. The man was delusional and Sergei knew it. But it didn’t stop Sergei from hitting her. Gemma refused to beg. She lifted her chin a notch and stared at him straight in the eyes. “Never.” Gemma used all the energy she had left and launched herself at him. Her head connected with his chin and they fell to the floor in a heap. She managed to stay on top and was about to head-butt him when Sergei picked her up and slammed her into the chair.

His boss stood up, blood dripping from where he bit his lip. “Kill her.”

Gemma watched in horror as Sergei pulled out a long knife from behind his back and smiled. She didn’t think she was actually going to die until this moment. Anger had fueled her, but now it seemed death had caught up with her. She closed her eyes and pictured her sister. But it was Cy who was in her heart. A gun fired and Gemma looked to see where she was hit as the knife arced down to finish the job that the gun hadn't.

Cy and Ahmed landed quietly on the roof. They unhooked their parachutes and slid to the attic window. Ahmed jimmied it loose and pushed it up. Then it was just a matter of finding Gemma. Ahmed took the second floor while Cy headed for the first.

The diversion out front worked; he was able to make his way down the stairs, only having to disable two guards. He heard voices as he rounded his way down the steps. Gemma’s voice sounded strong and he was able to breathe for the first time since she had been taken. But then he heard the order to kill and that relief fled.

Cy rushed down the stairs and into the large foyer. Gemma was sitting in a chair as Sergei had a knife raised above her. Cy didn’t take the time to aim and fired off a shot that barely missed Sergei, but it threw off Sergei's attempt at Gemma’s chest. He had cut her arm instead.

“No. Kill them, kill them!” Liam O’Flannigan screamed to the guards as gunfire erupted outside. It seemed the others had arrived right on time. The guards were forced to divide their numbers.

“You first,” was Ahmed’s cold response from behind them. Sergei turned slowly, forgetting Cy was there, to confront his oldest enemy.

“Ahmed. I’ve been waiting to see you again.”

“Likewise.” Ahmed pulled a large knife from his leg strap and the two started to circle each other. Cy took the opportunity and rushed to Gemma.

“Are you okay? You’re bleeding.” He sliced her restraints free but that was all he could do before two other guards rushed into the room.  Cy turned and shot one before the other grabbed him from behind, sending Cy's gun sliding across the floor.

Gemma shrieked as the man pushed her aside and grabbed Cy from behind. She was about to leap on him when Liam ran from the room. Torn between helping Cy and chasing after the man who ordered her sister's death caused her to freeze in place. But then Cy flipped the man over his back and sent her a wink.

As she ran from the room, she passed a large fireplace and grabbed the poker, then gave chase to a back room. The chaos from the foyer was left behind as she stopped at the door to the study.

“I’m glad you followed. I’ll kill you myself now,” Liam said from behind his desk.

“Who are you that you needed to kill my sister because she found out about you?” Gemma asked as she walked slowly toward the massive desk.

“I am God. I rule the world. I overthrow governments, wage war, surround myself with the wonders of the world—Rembrandt, Klimt, Renoir, Picasso, and jewels bigger than your hand. That’s who I am. Who are you?”

“I’m a woman who loved her sister.” Gemma stalked forward raising the poker. She knew, even with her rage, she couldn’t kill him but she sure could take out a knee or two.

“And did I mention I’m the man with all the guns?” Liam opened the top drawer and pulled out a gun. Gemma stopped in her tracks and swallowed hard.

“Move,” Cy yelled.

Gemma didn’t bother to ask why; she fell to the ground as two shots were fired and prayed that Cy was safe.

“Gemma, you scared me so much.”

Cy’s arms pulled her to him as she was lifted off the ground. She threw her arms around him and sobbed into his neck. She had almost died and he had come to her rescue. He had saved her.

“You came for me,” she whispered.

“Of course I did. I could never leave you. Now let’s get out of here.” Cy scooped her up and held her close to him. Then he put his arm around her and hurried her to the foyer. As they approached, the only sound was the clinking of metal against metal.

Ahmed didn’t notice the sounds of the gunfight quieting down outside. He only saw Sergei and his knife as they thrust and stabbed, trying to disable each other. Both had been militarily trained in the same techniques and therefore were matching move for move.

Ahmed tossed his elbow out as a distraction. When Sergei glanced, Ahmed sliced through the air and connected with the killer's side. The cut wasn’t fatal, but it dropped Sergei’s guard some. Ahmed could finish him off; he knew it. But then he heard the sound of people coming at him. In his peripheral vision, he saw Cy with his arm wrapped around a bruised and bleeding Gemma.

Cy stopped and bent to help Gemma sit down in the chair. He knew without a doubt Cy was coming to help, but then a figure emerged slumped against the wall. He was bleeding from the shoulder and had a trickle of blood streaming down his rounded head. Ahmed blocked a weak attack from Sergei and landed a solid punch to his face. Sergei staggered back. He had the kill shot to finish off his nemesis, but then the man behind Cy raised a gun and aimed it right at the couple.