3. Rebel

"This iswhy I don't like guarding stars, or as I call them, people who think they were put on this earth for everyone to kiss their feet," I remarked, shooting a glance at Viper.

"At least it was only a week of wasted time, and we were paid full price for it. Now let's check on the girl and see if she needs help," Viper suggested.

My phone beeped, and I glanced at the text. ‘There's been another email. You won't believe who is sending them, plus we found out there is another Reaper out there; he's a mafia guy. I believe the emails are meant for him. They're coming from Evie McDonald's computer. If we found who was sending them, so can Mafia Reaper.'

"Okay, I'll call the rental company and tell them we will keep the vehicle longer. Do we have the address where Evie lives?" Viper asked.

"Yes, I'll google it," I replied, asking Google to get me the address. It was about an hour from the city, which was a relief as I didn't particularly appreciate driving in heavy traffic. We drove over an hour before we were on her street. I parked in front of the house, wondering if she was awake. I glanced at the clock, five-forty-five.

"Do you think they're awake?" Viper asked.

"There's only one way to find out. Let's ring the doorbell." We stepped out of the vehicle, but before we could reach the door, we saw a woman sneaking out of the house, quietly locking the door behind her. I took a step back as she turned around. Damn, what the hell happened to her?

She froze in her tracks, looking as though she might bolt. I raised my hand, and she stopped, looking defeated.

"Are you going to kill me? If so, could we please move away from my parent's home? They couldn't bear to watch their daughter murdered in their front yard," she pleaded.

"We're not here to harm you. We just want to talk," I reassured her, avoiding looking at her closely. This woman had seemed troubled, and I couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the poor woman. Glancing at her, she appeared bruised, battered, and a little lumpy.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Can we come inside?"

"No, my parents have been through a lot lately, and my mother had a heart attack. They can't handle any more stress."

"Are you Evie McDonald?" I inquired.

"Yes, who's asking?"

"I'm Rebel Bellmont, and this is Viper Reed. We're from Delta Force Guardians. We discovered you've been sending emails on the dark web. Initially, we thought they were about my brother Reaper, but we just found out they're about a powerful mafia figure who also goes by the name Reaper," I explained, noticing the fear in her eyes.

"We use our Delta Force names. My brother, Reaper, got his name from making sure the bodies of our fallen soldiers made it home. I'm pretty damn sure the other man got his nickname from how many people he's killed. Now, why are you sending these emails? And where the hell are you going dressed like that?"

She fainted, and I caught her. "I suppose that was too much information at once," I remarked, holding her in my arms. She stirred, and her eyes opened—surprisingly beautiful eyes. I knew she had decided to talk to us; it was evident in her gaze.

"You can put me down. I'm sure our neighbors are watching from their windows. I decided to dress like this because when I go to dangerous areas in the city. I want to appear as unattractive as possible so they won't target me. Lucy, a homeless person I talk to sometimes, told me the cartel leaves her alone because she's too ugly to take. So, I thought more people would leave me alone if I looked unappealing," Evie explained.

I looked away to hide my smile. When I glanced back, Evie held a wig in her hand, a riot of red curls falling around her head. "Come in, please; I'll be right back. Make yourself at home. Go into the kitchen. I have just made a pot of coffee and we have some cinnamon rolls. Help yourself. I have to get this off before my parents wake up," she said.

"Your father is already awake, her Dad said behind her, "What is going on with you?"

"Dad, can you please take care of our guest? I will explain everything when I get back," she said, running down the hall.

"Hello. My name is Rebel, and this is my teammate Viper. We're Delta Force Guardians. We'll be taking over now. Evie's gotten herself into some trouble. We heard about it from the FBI, so she needs to stop what she's doing. We're sorry about your daughter," I introduced us, pouring coffee and handing out cinnamon rolls. I wasn't sure if the man found it odd that we were serving him, but it was a habit of ours to take charge.

"I'm ready to talk now," I turned my head and couldn't catch my breath. Evie McDonald entered the kitchen, and she was beautiful. Not what I would call sexy in a sexy model kind of way; she was just gorgeous. She had freckles, and her eyes were a dark blue. There wasn't anything about her that wasn't stunning, including her body. I blinked to clear my thoughts.

"First, here are the messages I received, which is why I was sending those emails. I didn't know if they knew where Kylie was, and I couldn't take a chance they didn't know. I didn't know who was receiving the emails. I was scared to send them, so I guess that shows I knew I was messing with dangerous people."

"From now on, you will have to stay out of all of this. We don't know if the mafia found out who you are, but we have, so they might, too. We'll go to the mountain and stay just in case."

"What mountain are you talking about?" Adam Russel asked.

"We live in the Appalachian mountains, in a small community. You'll be safe there. All of the Delta Force live there," I explained.

"No," Evie interjected as I set her coffee in front of her.

"Why no?" I asked.

"Because when my sister escapes, she'll come here. If we're gone, then what will she do?"

"Mama and I will stay here. The mafia won't hurt us; if you're not here, they'll stay away," Adam insisted.

"Dad, you know that's not true. They'll kill anyone they see. Why did I send those messages? I knew it was dangerous. But I couldn't not send them in case they had Kylie. What was I supposed to do?" Evie questioned.

"Where is your mother?" I asked.

"She's still sleeping. Martha hasn't been feeling well this week. She had a major heart attack when Kylie was taken. She's improved a lot, but it was Kylie's birthday last week, and it set her back some,"

"I'm sorry. That's all the more reason to come with us. The only way Kylie will break free is if we rescue her. We already have the FBI searching for her. Allison lives with us at the safe house; she's married to Ghost, and he's also with the Delta Force Guardians. He's my cousin." I added.

"How did you all get started with this business?" Adam asked.

"We are former Navy SEALs, and we served together. When we left the SEALS, we decided to start a high-security business," I explained. Adam stood up. I'll pack a bag for Mom and me. Evie, pack a bag. We are going with the Delta Force Guardians."

"Dad, are you sure we should take Mom and just leave?"

"Yes, It's time we let others help us. You can't keep risking your life, going everywhere searching for the cartel so you can rescue Kylie," He said, taking his daughter's hand.

"How did you know I was doing that?"

"Terry from the barber told me. I didn't believe him, but now I know it was true," Adam shook his head. "Let's go pack."

"We have to take Cinder and Alpo, and we can't leave Tater home alone, even if we want to. Kylie will kill us if something happens to her animals." You get Mom ready, and I'll get the animals. We'll need to call the airport," Evie said.

"We have our own plane, and I'll call and get a schedule for today. Do we need any special equipment for your mother?"

"No, so far, my Mom hasn't needed anything special. Dad, can you take her pictures of Kylie that she has in your room? I know she'll want things around her that will make her feel at home."