Episode 106

Episode 106

Cat and Mouse

MADAM ALANA

"What is the meaning behind this?" I asked Angel Salazar, who stood, arms crossed, his chiseled facial expression set to "extreme focus" as he watched his technician place a glittery looking diamond on one of my red painted nails.

"It is a tracker. The highest tech available."

I frowned. "Why do I need a tracker when we're the ones setting the trap?"

Angel's deadly gaze flicked to mine, piercing straight through me like an arrow to the heart. His nostrils flared as he cocked his head to the side. "Plan B. Prepare for anything."

I licked my lips and shifted in my seat, uncomfortable with his intense scrutiny. "Have you…" I cleared my throat. "Have you ever needed the Plan B?"

His eyes flared with an instant fury, the likes of which the Devil himself would cower beneath before he spoke. "Only once," he clipped and then dropped his gaze back to his technician.

Conversation over.

I sat quietly as they made sure the diamond tracker was securely placed. It actually looked rather pretty sitting atop my wedding ring fingernail. Something I might consider under different circumstances, those being the opposite of putting myself up for bait to one of the world's most wanted criminals and his treacherous daughter.

"Here, make your call." Angel handed me a burner cellphone. "Do not provide more information than what is stated here but say it in a manner that Angus and his team will believe it's legit."

"It is real. We're sitting in the hotel as we speak…"

Angel looked at me with a stern, rather terrifying expression that said if I pushed him too far, he'd be the one to take off my head and not Angus.

"Madam, the one thing we have going for us is that Angus has no idea of your connection to us. Our people will not be on his usual suspect list. Our intel has his men scrambling to find you." He handed me the sheet of paper that detailed the exact location I was to give to my most trusted estate employee.

"I understand." I inhaled and let the breath out quickly, putting on a brave face. Celine and I had learned the American phrase, "Fake it until you make it," and that's exactly what I planned to do.

Christophe took my hand, lifted it to his mouth and kissed my palm. "I believe in you, Alana."

With his strength and faith, I could survive this hurdle as I had all the others in our thirty years together.

" Merci, mon amour ." I cupped his cheek, leaned forward and pressed my lips briefly to his.

He placed his hand to my knee and nodded in solidarity.

"I'm ready," I announced with confidence. It was only a phone call. It would be over soon.

The phone started ringing, and I pressed it to my ear.

" La residence Toussaint . Aurélie parle ," Aurelie, the exact person I wanted to speak with answered as expected.

"Aurélie, it is me." I answered.

"Alana! Thank the heavens above. Are you all right. And Christophe?"

"He is well. We both are."

"Where are you? The authorities have been calling nonstop to see if we've heard from you and taking the staff in for questioning. I had to go last night, and it was awful. They told me they believed you could be dead." She sniffed, her tone filled with emotion.

"I'm sorry, my friend. We had to escape to a safe place. Unfortunately, a criminal is after us, the same that kidnapped me and Emily. We've gone into hiding."

"Hiding? Where?"

"You cannot tell a single soul," I cautioned, setting the trap as instructed.

"I would never betray you or Christophe. You are my family," Aurélie gasped. I could almost visualize her placing her hand over her heart.

"We feel the same, chérie . Please keep this information to yourself. Do not inform the authorities of our location at this time. Can you do that?"

" Oui , for you I will take this secret to my grave."

"We are at Chateau Morena, an hour outside of Paris. If you hear anything from my friends and family in the States, please contact me at this number." I rattled off the number Angel's man had given me for another burner.

"Okay, I've written it down and will memorize it before I destroy it," Aurélie claimed. She was such a loyal member of my staff and a dear friend. I hated using her to further Diego and Angel's plan, but I didn't have a choice. People were dying, and my family had been hurt in a way that might not ever be repairable. My thoughts went to Brenden in a coma. He had been such a good boy growing up, the apple in his father's eye. Until Bianca Sokolov and her father's revenge plot changed him. And then there was Giovanni and Julianne's suffering…

I sat up straighter. "Please, stay at the estate and be safe. I will be in touch soon. Thank you for everything, Aurélie."

We hung up, and I handed the phone to Angel. "What's next?"

One side of his mouth lifted as though he was trying to smile, but it mimicked an evil looking snarl. I shivered and looked away.

"On to phase two."

"What happens in phase two?" I reached for Christophe's hand. He held mine with both of his. A solid support I knew I could always count on. Together, we could brave any storm.

"Tonight, you and Christophe have dinner in the hotel restaurant. We anticipate they will attempt to take you as you leave or when you are en route to your room."

"And then what? You swoop in and kidnap them?" I asked, not fully understanding all that being bait to a hardened criminal would entail. "What if they decide to kill me while I'm eating dinner or walking to my room? It would be nothing for one of their expert snipers to take my life in seconds."

"That is not how Angus works. If they'd wanted to kill you in your home, you would already be dead. He's playing with you." Angel's voice lilted with mockery. "You are his prey. He thinks you are the mouse about to be lured into his trap, when in reality, you are the cheese, luring him . He is the mouse in this scenario; he just doesn't know it."

"Then what are you?" I whispered, my voice quaking.

"I am the cat that eats the mouse and all his little friends," he murmured on a low purr, his slightly psychotic snarl/smile combo on full display.

Christophe stood abruptly. "Okay, well the bait has been set. I think it's time Alana gets some rest before we make our move this evening. Come, darling. Let's go to our room."

I stood on wobbly legs. Fear swirled in my gut, but I tamped it down. Diego and Angel were two incredible forces to be reckoned with; I didn't imagine much got past them. Alas, I also knew how crafty and revenge-focused Angus was. He wanted me to feel the pain he felt having missed ten years with his only child. Not to mention that I'd bought the auction right out from under him and was making far more than he ever did with the same product and a new business model. Something actually legally binding.

Christophe left me to my thoughts as he led me out of the hotel room they'd converted into their mini command center. According to Angel, their snipers were not on the roofs of nearby buildings as they assumed Angus would employ such tactics and they didn't want him to get wind of the trap. No, Angel put his snipers in actual rooms, their guns and scopes just barely peeking through the curtains and pointed at every rooftop so no one would be the wiser. According to them, they had twenty men surrounding the small hotel, not including the dozens inside, all in disguise.

Diego informed me they'd rented the entire 20-room hotel out. It was owned by a friend who owed Diego a marker. A very expensive marker, if I had to guess. The phones for the establishment were being redirected to an offsite customer service for future bookings. All of the people onsite were members of Diego's team in some form or another and had been given the necessary training to play their parts by the real staff before they were given a week off. They even had Mama in the industrial restaurant sized kitchen making meals for everyone pretending to have dinner tonight. Since we weren't sure what Angus planned, all precautions were being taken to ensure the best possible outcome, including no blowback to French civilians.

The whole thing was choreographed down to the nth degree. People came in and out of the hotel, carrying packages from local businesses, laughing, pretending to have been seeing the sights and so on. If I didn't know better, I would not have noticed anything out of sorts. Diego was leaving nothing to chance, which I appreciated more than I could ever say or repay. Then again, attempting to find a bride for life—for a criminal leading the Latin Mafia—was quite the challenge. One I still had no idea how to accomplish, but it was also pushed to the back of my brain to deal with when all of this was over. Provided we all came out of it alive.

* * * *

Christophe held my hand as we made our way out of our room, down the elevator, through the lobby and into the restaurant. I tried not to shake like a leaf, using my fear to control my body the way I wanted, instead of allowing it to swallow me whole. Fear could be a powerful motivator, and this situation was no exception.

A man called Javier, who I knew as another of Diego and Angel's "brothers" because he'd been at two of the meals we'd shared, plastered on a wicked smile when we approached the host podium in the restaurant.

He grabbed two menus, for show only, as we already knew the menu this evening was a variety of Mexican-French fusion dishes Mama was trying out. Of course, according to Christo, this was a highlight of our evening.

While the fake host led us to our table, I scanned the busy room. It was unbelievable how normal everything seemed. Those they'd hired or brought in to play the part of regular diners were doing a spectacular job. Everyone was chatting, telling stories, smiling, laughing out loud, or being flirty with one another. A couple seated directly to our right were canoodling in a little booth. When I looked at the beautiful woman, I was shocked to see eyes and a face similar to Diego and his mother. Did Diego have a sister? Diego often talked about his many brothers, but he'd never mentioned a sister. The woman I watched suddenly smirked at me before dipping her head and kissing the man she was with.

The detail in this entire tableau was miraculous. I wouldn't have suspected a thing if I didn't know otherwise.

We sat down, cuddled on one side of a table that sat four, facing most of the restaurant. We had a good view of every door, window, and person in the room. I scanned each one, terrified beyond belief.

I jerked when a male waiter approached with a bottle of wine. "To calm the nerves, Madam." He pointed at my empty glass.

I pushed it forward. " Merci ." I gave a half-hearted smile and then continued to scan the room.

" Mon coeur , if you keep scoping out the room, our targets will know you are being monitored. Why don't you turn to the side and focus on me? Let's pretend we're just out on a nice weekend away and having dinner together." He lifted his wine glass, and I followed his lead.

"To justice, healing, and a bright future," he said.

I was just about to clink our glasses together when a familiar voice interrupted our toast.

"I couldn't agree more. May we join you?"

My entire body shook as I turned my head to find not only Angus, but his daughter, Bianca, as well.

Javier approached, still playing the part of host. "Welcome, new friends. Will you be joining them for dinner? The chef has a Mexican-French fusion cuisine special that is to die for." Javier smiled.

Angus pulled out one of two chairs across from where we sat. "That sounds wonderful, thank you. Bianca," Angus gestured to the chair, and she removed her coat, her baby bump accentuated by the tight-fitting dress she wore. She put the coat on the back of the chair and sat gracefully, but her cold gaze was that of a viper ready to strike. Angus did not remove his coat, his right hand firmly in his pocket, appearing to be wrapped around what I assumed was a gun.

My mouth went dry as Angus took his seat. Javier was about to hand them the menus when Angus waved his free hand. "We'll both take the special. Now leave us." His voice was curt and straight to the point.

Javier nodded then left. I tried not to tremble—and failed—as I reached for my wine glass. Angus missed nothing, smirking as I dropped my hand to my lap.

"You should be terrified. Both of you. My hackers told me it was actually you, Christophe, who ratted me out to the authorities all those years ago," Angus scowled.

Christophe didn't so much as flinch as he said, "It was. Alana has nothing to do with any of this. Your anger should be directed at me, not her. Let her go and take me."

"No!" I whispered. "It's my fault. All of it. I should have left well enough alone. I was the one that bought your precious auction and promised to keep your involvement quiet. Take me and leave Christophe," I begged.

Bianca laughed heartily and then rubbed her belly. "You're both pathetic. I'm going to enjoy watching you take your last breaths."

"Bianca, settle down. Your bloodthirsty side is showing. Never let them see how eager you are to take their lives. It ruins all the fun." Angus scolded his daughter playfully and smiled in a predatory way that sent chills racing down my spine.

The man was evil incarnate. I'm not sure Angel or Diego planned for any of this—Angus and his daughter sitting down to have dinner with us. Why hadn't they just captured them when they entered? I should have asked more questions.

"It didn't ruin the fun when my beloved Dimitri sabotaged the small charter plane that took down Rachel and Lewis Myers and Valentino and Caterina Falco now did it?" Bianca cooed.

Both Christophe and I gasped in utter horror and shock, neither of us able to form a single word at hearing how our beloved friends had been ruthlessly murdered.

Angus sat back and rubbed his chin. "You are right, my dear, watching that happen was indeed fun."

"Why?" I breathed, tears filling my eyes. "They didn't do anything to you."

He lifted his free hand and wiggled his pointer finger. "Ah, ah, ah, but they did. At least, Lewis and Rachel did. If you recall, Lewis was my client, and Rachel one of my candidates. They were your first big payout from the auction, were they not?"

Dread flooded my veins at the truth he spoke. "They were."

"They were the catalyst to your success. Your first love match that came with a fat paycheck to fuel your business further. I considered that a personal slight. So when I spent ten years in prison, planning your demise, I had a lot of people to add to the list of suffering. When the Myers had children, well, you know how that went, seeing as both are now dead, along with Giovanni Falco. I consider him a bonus." Angus smiled wickedly.

"You planted that bomb." I gulped. "It wasn't an accident," I croaked. I knew Bianca had been responsible for the explosion in the office building, but I also knew that Angel and Diego were clever men. They'd have this place mic'd for sound. If Christo and I ended up dead, I wanted proof of all that Angus and Bianca had done in the hopes this conversation would make it back to the authorities.

"That was easy." Bianca yawned as though bored of this conversation already. "Daddy had me well-trained for the job."

"And you were the one that forged the legal documents for the Myers will and testament?" I asked.

"Guilty." She winked. "Criminals these days don't know how to play the long game. I've been trained to take over their empire since the age of ten. It was nothing to start with Giovanni, whom I knew was close to the Myers. He was a beautiful man and easy to wrap around my little finger." Then her expression contorted into irritation. "Until I realized the asshole was in love with Julianne. The second he introduced me as his girlfriend to Julianne, I knew he had a thing for her. It was in every look he gave her, every smile, every longing glance when she left a room. Which was fine with me, because the man I was after was his best friend, Brenden. Obviously, the money was way better with the Falcos, but that didn't fit into our plan, did it, Daddy?"

Angus pointed to her pregnant belly. "No, it didn't. You needed to be pregnant with the rightful heir to the entire Myers estate for our revenge to be complete."

"So the baby is…"

"Brenden's, as planned," Bianca confirmed, and my body lurched, the pain of knowing she carried my godson's child was all encompassing.

"And you killed him. A man who was completely in love with you. Ruined his friendship with Gio, ruined his relationship with his sister… What kind of monster are you?" I growled, the pain of all she'd done to my chosen family shredding my heart into a million tiny pieces.

"Casualties of war, I'm afraid." Bianca lifted her chin haughtily.

"This isn't war. This is revenge. Against me. Yet you hurt innocent people to achieve what? What is the end goal?"

"Ultimately, I want to see you suffer the way I did," Angus growled, pulled his hand out of his jacket, and pointed a gun at Christophe's head. "But it's not enough. I want to watch you as I destroy the one person you love above any other…"

"No!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as a shot rang out.