JETT
“Are you sure this is going to work?” Cal, one of the new recruits, asked.
“Yes, just make sure you push the C4 into the places I marked on the map.”
He nodded. Four of my men ran off to do what I’d asked of them earlier. York and I waited for the go ahead by the car.
“Why haven’t you told Ebony?”
“She can’t be implicated. I’ll tell her when the dust settles.”
York didn’t say anything, but I knew he didn’t agree with the decision to leave Ebony out of this.
The boys gave me the signal, and I pushed the button on the remote I’d rigged. The side of the prison caved in causing sparks and sirens to commence at the same time. We’d only have a short amount of time before we needed to get out of dodge. I ran to the side where I knew Aubrey’s cell was. He was looking out of the hole, bloodied—obviously from a fresh beating—and bewildered.
“Aubrey, come on.”
“Jesus! Jett, what are you doing?”
“Get out here now,” I said. “If you don’t, they’ll kill you. We can hide you, believe me.”
He hesitated for a moment before running with us back to the car. York hid him under a blanket as I drove toward my cabin in the woods. The others had run off into the woods close by to escape. We’d rendezvous later for a debriefing. The breakout went without a hitch. Now we just needed to keep him out of view until we could concoct a new identity for him and get him the hell out of this city.
Ebony would finally have her father back, and I could hand deliver Adora to her so she could deliver retribution.
Everything was starting to come up roses.
Just as I turned down the road away from the prison, thinking I was home safe, I saw the two headlights coming toward me, and then the telltale siren lights came on.
Shit.
Stopping the car, I got out and headed for the police car. The cop didn’t get out to greet me, which was odd. This could be an ambush. Pushing forward, I came to a stop beside the driver’s window.
The window lowered revealing someone I hadn’t seen in years. “Peter?”
“Need an escort?” He smiled mischievously.
“When did you get out?”
“Couple of weeks ago,” he replied. “Picked this lil’ number up from an old friend.”
I fought back a laugh, “You get us out of here, and I’ll give you a job.”
“Got it, Boss.”
I ran back to my car and followed Peter down the long road into the throng of the city streets. Aubrey was talking to York from under the blanket we’d tossed over him, but I couldn’t hear them. For some reason, that unnerved me. Peter turned into a side street and jumped out of the police car making his way to the Lincoln which I had pulled up outside my building. It was dark enough that I could move Aubrey through the front door without anyone noticing. York took the lead as I spoke with Peter.
“What’s been happening? I’ve heard some pretty bad things about you lately.”
“I bet,” I said. “Heard about Luca or Giordy?”
“I’m guessing that was your handiwork.”
“Not entirely, but I was definitely behind it.”
“Nice, about time someone took them out.”
I motioned for him to join me, but he shook his head. “I got someone I’ve been meaning to see. I’ll call the office if I need you.”
I nodded, remembering he fathered a child not long before he went inside. I also remembered the mother of said child remarried a politician, one I didn’t have on my payroll.
That could be interesting.
Racing up the stairs, I was confronted by the sight of Ebony hugging Aubrey tight.
York stood to the side, glossy eyed.
Was that emotion?
He saw me watching him and quickly got busy running around the apartment. I continued to the bedroom to wait for Ebony to come inside.
✽✽✽
It was a little while until she did come in the room, her hands in her pockets and a sad look on her face.
“Shouldn’t you be happy?”
“He will have to go away, won’t he?”
I sighed. “Yeah, he will.”
“Where to?” She sat next to me on the bed.
“Maybe help me with my business in Italy.”
“Will I be able to visit?”
I took her in my arms, kissing her forehead. “Of course you will, but not for a while. We’ll need to let the dust settle.”
“Okay,” she said. “There’s something I need you to help me with.”
“Anything,” I told her. She stood back up, in front of me, looking down.
“I know who did him in,” she said. “My father… I know who the rat is.”
“And?”
“Did you know?”
I cautiously nodded.
“So you know what I want to do then?”
“Kill her?”
“No, I want her to suffer. Death is an easy out.”
“What do you have in mind?”
This girl was everything I could have hoped for, and more.
Funny, since becoming Jett, I’d long since given up on the idea of love. No one could be as depraved and sick as me, right? Well, Ebony one ups me every damn day. Maybe I should run scared, or maybe, just maybe, I should grow a set and make her mine forever.
“Break her spirit,” she smiled at me. I knew exactly what she meant, and I loved her for it.
“Done! But first, we’ll need to let her heal a bit. The staff is pretty good with no questions. But in her current condition, questions would definitely be asked.”
She chuckled. “What happened to her?”
“She got bloody.”
Ebony closed the distance between us placing her hands on either side of my face as she kissed me.
I took her hands and stood up, suddenly really nervous.
Wow! I laughed at the stories of men telling others about this moment, but it’s true you really do get nervous.
“Eb.”
“Jett.”
“Why don’t we get married?”
Her smile dropped, and she was silent for entirely too long for my liking. “Did you hear me?”
“Yeah, I did.”
“So?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Jesus, who the fuck had taken my balls? I sounded like a whiney fuck.
“We love each other. Sure we don’t need to say it often, but we both fucking know. Why do we need a piece of paper to tell us that? Marriage is an outdated tradition where the woman is given to the male. I ain’t a piece of anything to be given over.”
I felt a chuckle erupt from my throat. “You are mine.”
“Yeah, sure… just you… you’re mine. So what?”
“Maybe I want people to know you’re mine.”
“Do you think anyone in the city doesn’t know by now? You’re not exactly someone to be messed with. Can you imagine what I’d do to anyone who tried to take me away from you?”
I kissed her hard, pushing her back onto the bed. “You’re right. I guess that means the sex doesn’t have to disappear then.”
She screamed as I jumped on top of her ripping her clothes to pieces. I couldn’t get enough of her.
Mine, forever.