Episode 101

Episode 101

Angel of Death

MADAM ALANA

The shower was not hot enough as I pressed my forehead to the cool tile, letting the spray crash over my sore and battered muscles. Being bounced around in the cargo space of one car to another for most of the day yesterday had been murder on my body. Regardless, it wasn't as bad as the heaviness within my heart. Knowing it was my choice thirty years ago that had set this entire mess into motion felt like the weight of the world rested on my weak shoulders. I was no longer built for such strife and sacrifice. I had been born into it, lived a tumultuous life my first eighteen years on this Earth, but not since Christophe purchased me in the auction. Since then, we'd lived a beautiful, rather pampered lifestyle. Something I wouldn't apologize for as both Christo and I worked tirelessly over the years to get to this point.

"I can hear you thinking in there, mon coeur . Care to share?" Christophe's sleepy voice filtered through the sound of the water spray and my turbulent thoughts.

I lifted my head and peered through the steamy glass. Christo stood in a pair of silk pajama pants and nothing else. His bronzed chest with a smattering of greying hair across his pecs still as welcoming and heart-stopping as it was when we first met, if a little softer and less muscular with age.

I turned off the shower and wiped the water out of my eyes, then ran my hands through my hair, squeezing the water out of the longer locks at the end. When I opened the shower door Christophe was there, holding a big fluffy white towel open for me. I went willingly into the center of his arms as he wrapped it around my body and held me locked against his chest. He pressed his face to my wet neck and shoulder.

"You know none of this is your fault, Alana. Living our lives and stopping a monster from hurting more people the way he did Celine was not a bad thing. Think of how many women were saved from a similar horror Celine suffered when that man went to jail."

I nodded against his chest while listening to his words along with the comforting beat of his heart.

"It doesn't change the situation we are in now. Or that of Julianne, Brenden and Giovanni." My voice cracked as the trauma they'd suffered due to Bianca ran rampant through my mind. And to find out she was Angus' daughter the entire time? I winced against the knowledge, rubbing my face against Christo's chest, trying to escape the ugly emotions plaguing my every thought.

"No, it doesn't, but we will get through this as we have gotten through every trial in our lives. Together. Today, we'll sit down with Diego and work through whatever plan he's concocted." He ran his hands over my body, drying and comforting me at the same time.

"And what of his demand?" I whispered, leaning back, needing to look into his steely gaze.

"About finding him a wife?"

I nodded, my heart in my throat.

"It is what you do best, is it not?"

" Oui , but what he wants does not fit into any terms or contracts I've negotiated in the past. He wants a wife for life. Someone who is accepting of the man he is, including but not limited to looking the other way on his criminal activities. Is that not the same as helping a man like Angus?"

"Do you believe Diego would harm a woman you paired him with? Because I get the impression that whoever he chose would be worshipped by him and his men. If the way they respected and adored Deigo's mother was anything to go by, she'd be a queen."

"But what of the danger involved with being connected to a man like him?"

"Full disclosure would be necessary. The woman that might be best for him wouldn't be similar to one of your average candidates. She'd need to be… special . Have a strong constitution. Be able to look the other way on what the man does for a living. Or, alternately, be like him, possibly having had some dalliances of her own with the authorities in the past."

"I wouldn't even know where to start," I admitted.

He rubbed his hands along my bare arms and hugged me tight. "We'll brainstorm it. I have complete faith in your matchmaking abilities. You have a stellar track record, chérie . And you always rise to any challenge."

I nuzzled his warm skin and sighed. " Je t'aime , Christo. Without you and your love, I would be nothing. I'd still be on the streets without a penny to my name and no family to speak of."

He chuckled and squeezed me tighter. "I don't believe that for a second. You are extremely resourceful, intelligent and have a unique ability to understand the true nature of people. This would have taken you far in life regardless of my involvement."

I rose onto my toes, wrapped my arms around my husband's neck and kissed him. He instantly opened his mouth, allowing me entrance. Our tongues tangoed, a dance we'd shared more times than I could ever count. I put all that I had into that kiss. My broken heart, my undying love for him, and my fear of what was to come. He took it all and gave me back his loyalty, his strength, and endless belief that when we braved things together, we'd be okay.

Once the kiss ended, he pressed his forehead to mine. "I would like to continue this on the bed, alas, we need to meet our host to go over his plan. I want this done and over with as soon as possible. For us, for those we love in New York and California, and for Celine, once and for all. Angus is finally going to get what he is owed, and I, for one, am eager to get the ball rolling."

I pecked his lips once more. "Give me thirty minutes to get ready for the day."

"You shall have it." He gripped my bum cheekily and then winked before letting me go.

"Christo?" I called out when he reached the door to the guestroom we were staying in.

He turned around, and I took in all that was him. Strong shoulders that could weather any storm. Kind eyes that melted just for me. A broad stature and body that had aged over the last thirty years but still got my heart pumping and desire soaring through my veins every time he said my name in that breathy manner I adored. More than all of that, I saw him .

A good man. A loving man. My soulmate. My other half.

"You are more than I could have ever dreamed up for myself. The life you've given me. Our love. It's better than any dream or love story I've ever heard, because it's real, and it's ours."

He smiled and shook his head. "Get ready, Alana, or we're going to be late for our meeting. Something tells me the leader of the Latin Mafia wouldn't take too kindly to that."

I chuckled. "Something tells me he'd make it a point to be crass and tease us endlessly about our not being able to keep our hands off one another."

"This is probably true," he agreed.

"I'll be out in thirty," I said and then shut the bathroom door so I wouldn't be distracted by my favorite person in the entire world.

Today we'd decide how we were going to deal with Angus and Bianca.

* * * *

Apparently, our meeting meant we'd have another meal together, prior to our chat. Once again, Diego's mother was making a feast. My stomach, however, did not agree with the idea of food, which garnered me dirty looks from Mamá along with hand gestures to her curves and the lack of my own. The woman I ended up finding for Diego would have to win over Mamá too. I made a mental note to keep her in mind when I started the process of finding Diego a bride once this was all over.

Provided I was alive when it ended.

For thirty minutes, I snuck food onto Christo's plate when Mamá wasn't looking, hoping to appease her. Christo ate with gusto, even though a worried expression crossed his features when he noticed I was pushing all my food to his plate. Blessedly, he rolled with my quirks as he always did. It was our way. But the look he gave me after said we'd be discussing my lack of appetite in private.

Just like last night, the men thanked the matriarch and cleaned up the dishes as Diego led us back to his study. I was too wired to sit, preferring to stand with my arms crossed over my chest as I leaned against one of the empty chairs in front of his desk.

Diego sat, leaned forward, then pressed a button on his desk. The air changed and Christo and I whirled around to face the long wall of bookcases. Shockingly, a four-foot-wide section popped out about a foot or more and then slid to one side. Behind it was an entire room, with a wall of flatscreen TVs on the other side of it, a long control panel and several other desks and computers. There were four men in front of the wall of screens pressing buttons, their heads moving as though looking from one screen to another. There was yet another man on a computer looking at what seemed to be data or records of some kind. Behind all of them, walking the perimeter of the room, his gaze tracking from the screens to the desktop computers and back was another man, this one oozing authority. I pegged him as the boss in that space.

"I want more detail on that location." He pointed to a screen. "She was seen having dinner with a man matching Angus's description there. Get me everything you know about that restaurant and the camera footage along those streets, whether it be traffic or private businesses. Hack whatever you need to."

"Welcome to my European command center," Diego announced to us. "Angel," he called out, and the man turned around and calmly walked into the study.

He was younger than Diego and scary handsome. Rather frightening in his serious mannerism, chiseled facial features, and meticulous appearance. More like a handsome devil than an angel. His dark gaze was cool and calculating. He wore all black from head to toe. Tailored slacks and a fitted black dress shirt that he'd buttoned all the way up. The shirt, however, did not take away from the large neck tattoo I spied when he lifted his chin. A phoenix rising from the ashes, its wings stretched out along the sides of his neck as if the bird was still in flight. Everything about him was sharp lines and dark edges with a heavy dose of mystery. He had the same black hair as Diego, only his was cropped tight to the scalp with intricate meticulously cut lines around the face that could only have been done by a barber. His coal black eyes seared straight through me, a chill surfacing at the intense way he assessed me, Christo, and then Diego.

"Brother." He dipped his chin and lowered his gaze with what seemed to be respect.

"Angel is my baby brother, head of my security, my top advisor, and most skilled assassin. Don't let the good looks fool you. If you lay eyes on him, that means you are in the inner circle. Parte de la familia . It also can mean you are about to lose your life as he is known as ángel de la Muerte . The Angel of Death."

I gasped and stepped back. Christophe immediately left his seat and came to stand at my side, slightly in front of me.

"Not to worry. We do not invite outsiders or our enemies into our home to stay and have meals with mi familia . You can relax. Please," Diego gestured to the seat in front of him. My legs felt wobbly as Christo led me to the chair. I sat in it, while he stood behind me, his hands on my shoulders, always there for support and to keep me safe. Christophe might be a lover more than a fighter, but he'd do what he had to in order to protect me. Even risk his own life.

"Update," Diego clipped.

"Bianca has moved away from the location close to the Toussaint estate," Angel stated. "They both have been sighted at a villa in The Gros Caillou, located in the 7th arrondissement . We've scouted the location before. We have had eyes on it for a while now. My men have been able to confirm both Bianca's entrance into the building last night and Angus' earlier that afternoon. We believe they are scrambling to locate Ms. Toussaint's whereabouts."

"What are our next steps?" I interrupted, doing my best to keep my voice from showing any emotion. I was on pins and needles, ready to get my life back.

"The building is well guarded. Two men at every entrance. Several rotating around the entire building. The windows on the lower levels have bars with more guards inside the home. There are also snipers on the neighboring roofs, ready to fire at a moment's notice."

I gritted my teeth. "Then how are we going to get to them? You can't send in your men knowing they'll be slaughtered immediately," I put my hand over my chest, my skin becoming clammy at a visual of the men I'd just had meals with being shot down in cold blood, all because of me. "I won't have it. My life is not worth theirs."

Angel crossed his arms over his chest and gave me what I believed was a smile but looked more like a cold, calculated sneer. "I'm glad you feel that way, Madam . It will make our next request more palatable to you."

"A request? I'll do anything to help get out of this predicament. My godchildren have been blown up and are right now having their people inform the American press they are all dead while going into hiding and healing from their injuries. One is in a coma with over half of his body burnt to a crisp. My niece was kidnapped and is traumatized for life. If you have a plan, I'm happy to participate."

"It will be dangerous." Diego tilted his head. "Are you truly willing to risk your own life to end this war between you and Sokolov?"

"Alana…" Christophe warned, knowing me all too well. I'd jump in with both feet if it meant no additional harm would come to those I loved.

"When do we start? What do I have to do?"

"We know Angus well. He'll need to believe he has the upper hand," Angel shared. "Our plan is to have you call one of your most trusted attendants at your estate and tell them your whereabouts. We know your phones have been tapped not only by the authorities, but most likely by Angus' team. We will cut off the transmissions to the authorities, so they'll be none the wiser, while Angus' team gets the tip and comes to the location we're controlling. That location being a hotel in a small city about an hour drive outside of Paris."

I frowned. "Okay. And then what?"

The Angel of Death did smile that time, the cruel curl of his lips almost beautiful in its brutality.

"Then we offer you up as bait."