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The spray from the shower beat my face, and no matter how much I pushed away the pain and tried to close the door on Talya, it was impossible. She was the only one I’d ever let inside my tightly closed heart. She’d managed to break down my walls, but only in bed. When we were alone in the dark, I would let my guard down, never with words, just with action. But the moment the sun came up and broke though that protective dark shield, I immediately pulled back and reminded her she was good for one thing. Sex. The lies I told her repeatedly burned at my soul.
I never thought we’d last this long, but shit, it hurt. I knew I couldn’t allow matters of the heart to intrude on the careful life I’d built here. I pressed my hands against the shower wall and hung my head back and let the water flow into my nose and mouth until my lungs begged me to move. I gasped in a breath and felt the pain flood through me again. This had to stop; it was a maddening loop. I turned the water off and stepped out. I glanced in the mirror and slicked back my hair to try to get a good look at my face.
I swiped the fog from the mirror with the back of my hand and took in my expression. The tormented face that looked back at me gave me a reason to reach for the jar of pain killers in the cabinet. I swallowed them back with some tequila I kept next to the sink. I saw it was nearly empty as I swallowed and tried not to cough at the burn in my throat. The burn went straight down to my stomach. I tossed the bottle in the trash and headed for the closet.
“You look like shit, boss.” Alejandro cringed when I finally emerged from my room. I buttoned up my shirt, rolled my sleeves, and caught the eye of one of my guys. I jabbed my thumb toward my room to let him know to get my place cleaned up. “I told you not to mix the tequila and those pills Filippo brought. That shit messes with your head.” His eyes went wide. “I saw dragons last time I done that.”
“Yeah.” I tuned him out as we headed outside. The heat hit us both like a slap to the face. I never touched any of the product these guys pumped through my party. If I didn’t keep a straight head in this business, I was as good as dead.
“Where we goin’ today, boss?” He fiddled with the climate control and lowered the blast of cool air that was aimed at him.
“Pick up, drop off.” I headed down the driveway and out onto the main road. “Then church.”
Daniel
“Intel has confirmed that the Cartels have started a new movement.” Frank lifted his head slightly and adjusted his glasses. They call themselves ‘Los Débiles.’”
The weak.
“That’s a pathetic play on words. They prey on the weak, but they’re hardly weak,” Keith muttered.
“Agreed.” Frank shook his head. “Los Débiles’ purpose is to grab homeless women and children off American streets using soldiers they’ve hired. They are also targeting the rich, famous, and of course, people like us.”
“Just add it to the friggin’ list.” Mark rubbed his eyes.
I understood his feelings. We were all worn out and tired of the endless fight, and though none of us would ever stop fighting, we needed some fresh blood to join us to help carry the load. All the more reason I knew we needed to recruit some new men.
“The Cartels have made another push into the States and are spreading fast,” Frank continued. “The border patrol is adding new agents, police are doubling their efforts in all their border towns, and now, to follow suit, I think, like we’ve discussed, it’s time we added some new people of our own.” Frank turned his attention to me. “Cole and Daniel, I’ve sent over several files on men I’ve personally hand-picked. Some of them are still on active duty, and some are looking to try something new. I want you two to go through their dossiers, but pay some serious attention to Captain Ty Beckett. I’ve seen what he can do firsthand. I think he should be looked at for team leader.” He nodded at me. “Trust me. Read his file.”
“All right, Frank.” I knew Frank had always been meticulous when vetting anyone, and his suggestions would be seriously close to the mark, so I was very curious to see who he’d recommended.
“The money’s already been approved for the new team’s salary, so just send the list of what you’ll need for supplies, and I’ll handle everything else here.”
“Frank,” Cole spoke up, “has any intel been provided as to possible locations of where the Los Débiles are holding the people they grab?”
“Yes, they have two locations identified.” A map popped up on the screen next to his head, and he circled where they were. “We know there are several more places and one main hub. As we speak, we’re moving some of our inside men around, trying to understand who the ringleader of the operation is and where the other locations might be.”
“Let me guess.” Mike spun a bottlecap between his fingers. “We’re to sit tight until we know all the locations?” A few of the guys groaned, and I knew they hated to sit still for long.
“I’ll make Blackstone a deal.” Frank clicked off the map. “I have Eagle Eye watching the borders. Once we bring in a new team leader, you can go in. But I want him to go with you. We don’t have time to train on friendly ground, so we’ll drop him in the deep end. We’ll build the team from there.”
“And if any high-profile cases come up?” Mike questioned again.
“That’s different,” Frank assured us all. “This hold is merely for Los Débiles. Otherwise, it’s business as usual.” He checked his watch. “That’s all the time I have right now. Daniel, Savannah will provide you with the files. I’ll be in touch.”
The screen went black, and everyone remained quiet, until Mark couldn’t take the silence anymore.
“You know, a little poison in their water supply would take care of this entire mess.” He shrugged.
“Careful, that might just land you a session with Doc.” John chuckled.
“Speaking of that,” Cole tapped his coffee cup, “and in all seriousness,” all smiles faded, “given the situation here in the house, there’s been talk that Doc Roberts will start working with the new team and we’ll get someone new.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Keith shift uncomfortably in his seat.
“What? That’s bullshit,” Mark blurted. “I mean, it’s Doc, he’s our go-to person. Why would they suggest that?” He looked over at me, and I knew the change would be hard. Though Shadows was started by my father, then owned by me, and now my son, a huge amount of our funding came from the U.S. Army. In order for us to work together, we needed to compromise on some aspects of the running of the house. Cole could refuse the change, but he also knew and understood that each decision that was passed down to us had been well thought out and carefully executed. If Frank and the team in Washington believed Doc Roberts should change positions for the time being, then we should be open to the idea.
It wasn’t easy for any of us to let someone new in. Especially in a role like the one Doc Roberts had held in the house.
“I know, and it’s true, but they also think the new team would benefit from Doc Roberts’ expertise and experience. Besides, a fresh new psychologist might be a good change for all of us.” They all knew if it didn’t work out, we could switch back.
