Chapter 27

Ikeep an eye on the traffic behind us the whole way to Roseboro, looking for anything that could resemble a tail. I take an indirect, circuitous route to be sure, and only then do I pull into the Goldstone building’s garage, parking close to the express elevator that will take us directly to the penthouse he and Mia share.

When the elevator doors open, Mia and Thomas are standing there waiting for us. Mia and Bella instantly launch themselves at each other, screeches and wails of ‘missed you’ and ‘what the hell’ surrounding them as they hug it out like they haven’t seen each other in a lifetime instead of only days.

For Bella, I suspect it does feel like a different lifetime. Before, her life was tough, but simple and safe and predictable. Now, it’s none of those things.

While the girls have their reunion, Thomas and I eye each other. I know who he is, mostly because everyone knows of the wunderkind who climbed the ranks fast and makes a huge difference in Roseboro. I have the slightest advantage there, because while I know him, he has no idea who or what I am.

But one look in his eyes tells me that’s about to change.

It’s an odd feeling to intentionally expose myself after so many years of hiding behind masks, ensuring that no one knew the true me. Everyone only seen the part of me I wanted them to, whether it’s the ice-cold hunter or the congenial boy next door, both equally a part I merely play and the truth somewhere in the middle.

Scarily, part of me even wonders if the masks have become my reality, so pervasive, that I don’t know the difference any longer. Or worse, that this monster I’ve created is all that I am now.

But for Bella, I’ll do whatever I have to. Even if that means exposing my vulnerabilities to the people she trusts.

Because unfortunately, this is a battle being waged on a grand scale. I can handle the smaller moves and strategies, like keeping Bella by my side, safe and sound. But the true threat, Blackwell, can only be handled by working with Goldstone.

I hold my hand out, a peace offering I wouldn’t usually give. “Gabriel Jackson. Thank you for seeing us.”

Thomas shakes my hand, and in his handshake I get another measure of the man. He’s strong and confident enough that he doesn’t have to show it off with a crushing grip. “We’d do anything for Izzy. She simply has to ask.”

I like him already. He’s smooth and direct, warning me and lovingly reminding Bella that she has people, if she’ll just open up.

“I’m afraid that’s why we’re here. Can we sit? The information we need to share is rather involved and upsetting.”

“Tell me about this vacation—” Thomas touches Mia’s shoulder, breaking her interrogation of Bella. “What? Oh, yeah, we can sit down instead of doing this in the foyer, but we’re talking about this, Iz.”

We follow Thomas into the living room, but Mia is continuing to monologue the whole way. “Disappears without a call for a whole weekend. Must be some dick to get her to take off work.”

But when we sit, Mia really looks at Bella’s face and reads that this is bigger than an impromptu vacation, and the scolding jocularity disappears from her voice. “Okay, spill it. What’s going on?”

Bella looks to me, so I begin.

“Like I said, my name is Gabriel Jackson, Gabe. But people call me something else too... The Fallen Angel.”

Thomas’s eyes narrow, and I can see his inner alarm bells going off. Somehow, I’ve actually overestimated and underestimated him at the same time. My research since finding out Blackwell’s true motivation showed Thomas to be relatively clean, but you don’t get to his level of influence without being aware of the murky waters business often entails.

I’d wondered if my professional name would even mean anything to him, but it seems it does. Smart man, but given what I know of him, he’s a good man too and has achieved his success the ‘right’ way.

He’s also incredibly brave, because I can see that he’s willing to fight me, if need be, to protect his woman and Bella too, going so far as pushing Mia behind him in preparation. The man’s got big brass ones, I’ll give him that.

“Izzy.”

He reaches a hand toward Bella, and I growl. But before things can turn overly ugly, Bella reaches over to me and entwines her arm through mine, taking my hand rather than Thomas’.

“Thomas, I know exactly who he is and what he is.”

Mia peeks from behind Thomas, confusion in her voice. “Okay, for those of us not in the know, can someone tell me why some cheesy nickname—no offense there, Gabe—is making my man go all uber-protective caveman?”

I chance taking my eyes off Thomas, the most significant threat in the room, to look at Mia. “I’m a hitman.” She gasps, but I keep the shots going, getting it all out at once. “I was sent to kill Bella but fell for her instead. I was hired by Blackwell.”

Thomas drops back to the couch in shock, but he recovers faster than one would expect and his eyes flare back to life, looking from Bella to me to our locked hands. “Start at the beginning and tell me what the fuck you’re doing here. All of it.”

What follows for the next hour is an uncomfortable and awkward exposé on all my sins and faults. It’s painful but necessary as I tell Thomas what Blackwell said about using Bella to hurt him and Mia, revealing the depths and the backstabbing connivery that Blackwell’s willing to go to in his quest for power.

Mia moves to hug Bella several times as we both share the story of the last few weeks, stopping at the point of us running away.

Thomas is understandably furious that someone is watching him from the wings, pulling strings and strategizing threats, both with the corporate saboteur and with Bella. “I had no idea. Fuck, why does he even give a shit about me? That makes no sense. We’re both doing well in Roseboro. Hell, I thought we were doing well for Roseboro. Sure, we weren’t friends, but... is he insane?”

“I’ve noticed that most of my employers are either psychopaths or sociopaths,” I reply, finally smiling grimly. “In Blackwell’s case, he’s a little bit of both, I suspect. Definitely a narcissist.”

While Thomas mulls that over, Mia looks to Bella, gesturing to me with a toss of her head, making her purple hair swing. “You sure about this, about him?”

My breath hitches sharply. It’s a moment of truth for us, because while I am confident in her answer, there’s still that uncertainty, a lack of understanding of why she would choose someone like me when she deserves so much better. “I’m sure. We’re . . . together.”

Bella looks to me, her eyes shining brightly, and though we still haven’t said the words, I can see them in the depths there. I hope she can see the truth in mine too.

I expect there to be arguments, at least a few protests that she’s throwing away her life with a criminal. Or even that this is a ploy at Blackwell’s behest. Something to pull Bella and I apart. It’s what I’ve come to expect in the world, harsh coldness and indifference.

Instead, Thomas and Mia quickly go into analysis and planning mode, and inside my chest, I feel a warmth build. Is this what trust and friendship feel like? I don’t know, but maybe I’m getting more out of this than just a girl and a cat.

“Okay, so we understand why you came to us. We can provide security and more resources—” Mia says, but Bella jumps in.

“We already have a plan. Well, part of one, so Blackwell will think I’m dead. It’ll give us some time, we think.”

Mia’s brows raise so far on her forehead, I think they might disappear into her hairline. “Seriously? Your grand plan is to fake your death?”

She mumbles something in Russian I don’t understand, but the eyeroll and palm-to-forehead smack are pretty clear.

Bella nods, clearly used to these sorts of theatrics. “We already filmed it, and Gabe sent the videos and pictures to Blackwell as we came back into town. Gabe has a meeting with him tomorrow.”

“Show me,” Thomas demands.

I reach into my pocket and pull out my fresh burner phone. I’d already sent the files to Blackwell and to this new phone before yanking the battery and SIM card on the original so that Blackwell couldn’t track us on it.

Thomas and Mia watch the videos and look at the pictures, horror dawning on their faces. “Oh, my God, that’s awful, Izzy. I can’t...” she says, looking away for the part where I roll Bella over the cliff’s edge. Her face’s gone slightly pale green, and I can sympathize with her. Watching it on replay had my own gorge rising. Somehow, the small-screen on the cell makes it look even more realistic, even more horrifying.

Bella gets up and hugs Mia, knowing her friend needs reassurance. “It’s okay, I’m okay.”

But Mia won’t be calmed. She shakes her head, burying her face in her hands. “We got you into this. Fuck, I’m so sorry, Iz. I had no idea.”

Bella pulls her back in, not letting go. “You couldn’t have known. None of us knew what was going on behind the scenes, and I won’t let you beat yourself up for it. I’ll sick Vash on you if I have to.”

Mia huffs a laugh and hugs Bella back. “Nirvash loves me more than you, and we both know it. Martha said she’s fine, by the way.”

Thomas and I lock eyes again, letting the girls have their moment of normalcy because we both know it’s about to end. When I nod, he clears his throat, his voice deep and resonating as he sits forward, his elbows on his knees.

“Okay, so let’s get to work on a plan because it sounds like we need to know our next move when Gabe meets with Blackwell tomorrow.”

I appreciate that he doesn’t try to stop me on this, thinking that he’s going to take over now. There are several things in play, and I know Thomas will have to keep Mia and his business at the top of his mind. But my mind is focused on one thing and one thing only.

My princess.

“Here’s what I know,” I start as I outline the skeleton of a plan I’ve come up with. Soon, we’re bouncing ideas back and forth, each of us contributing and focused on one goal.

Stopping Blackwell.

The only unknown is what ends we’ll have to go to.