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I shook my head in disbelief. “Vincent, I know you,” I whispered. “You’re…you’re not like that. Whatever you did early on, you did it because you believed it was the right thing. And because you had proof.”
He studied me for a long time before continuing. “I didn’t do it, but I knew my handler would just send someone along who would do the job without question. I helped get the kid and his parents set up in another country with new identities. But doing that painted a target on my back.”
“They came after you,” I said softly as things began to make sense.
“The team they sent found Pierce instead of me that night.”
I swallowed hard as I remembered the gruesome details he’d shared with me about his brother’s murder.
“What did you do?” I asked.
“I became the hunted,” Vincent responded. “So I got smart. It was that or face a lifetime of running.” He settled back against the cushions. “Three years of killing people for the government taught me who the power players were. So, while they played cat and mouse with me, I did the same with them. I convinced those in power that killing me wouldn’t safeguard their precious secrets.”
“That worked?” I asked.
“Not at first. I had to prove that I was in the game until the end. Every team they sent after me I sent back in body bags. And every time they tried to take me down, I leaked some of their secrets. Not enough to bring any one person down, but enough to make them uncomfortable. I became known as The Ghost.” Vincent waved his hand. “I know, it’s a stupid nickname, but I was more interested in what it meant.”
“What did it mean?”
“It meant anyone who came into contact with me should be scared. That I could appear and disappear whenever and however I wanted. That I could take someone down as easily with information as I could with my gun. Eventually the powers that be figured it was safer just to leave me be.”
“But…you still live like this,” I murmured as I motioned to the house.
“Because I’m not foolish enough to believe anything those fuckers tell me. You remember that child’s fable about the scorpion and the frog?”
“Yeah. The frog agrees to give the scorpion a ride across the river in exchange for the scorpion not stinging him, and the scorpion agrees, but then stings him anyway and they both die.”
Vincent nodded. “And the frog asks the scorpion why he did it and he says, ‘Because it’s my nature.’”
He fell silent, so I said, “You think they’ll keep coming after you. That they can’t help themselves.”
“I’ve built up enough relationships that I’ve got most guys running scared who will do their best to ensure I’m left alone, but there will always be that asshole who doesn’t like knowing I’m out there…that with a few words I can take him and everyone around him down. Add in the guys who want revenge for the loved ones I took out over the years, and there’s always someone waiting for that moment when The Ghost exposes a vulnerable spot.”
I nodded as things began to make more sense. “I’m a vulnerable spot,” I murmured.
Vincent’s hand came up to clasp my neck so he could force my eyes up. “Baby, you’re not a spot – you’re my goddamn jugular.”
I wanted to cry, because while his words were proof that he was getting in as deep into this thing as me, he’d also sealed our fate. Being with me would put him at risk. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but there’d come a time when the next guy would come along and use me to get to him.
“When was the last time…that someone tried?” I asked.
“Three years ago.”
“But you’re…you’re out of the business?” I asked.
“I’ve been out for more than ten years. I have good relationships with a few guys that I’ll help out once in a while if they need it.”
“Like who?”
“Director of the FBI. Head of the NSA…that’s on account of Everett.”
“So Everett knows about you?”
“He does. He’s helped get the word out as much as he can that I’m off limits. He also has enough contacts that he can help me out on occasion – like getting your house cleaned up without a lot of questions after we left that night. He also hooked me up with Ronan, who’s the one who asked me to take your case.”
“I thought Beck’s uncle was the one who asked you.”
Vincent shook his head. “Beck’s uncle and his father are friends with Ronan, but I didn’t know that going into all this. I ran into Dom by chance when I was meeting with Ronan and one of his men. Dom told me about Beck. He was the reason I agreed.”
“You didn’t initially want to do it?” I asked.
