Chapter 20
—Whatever doesn’t kill me, better run.—
Skye leaned back in the plush leather seat of Brooks’s private jet as she scanned her tablet. After dropping Barclay off to the DEA, they were making good time on their flight to Miami. “Man, this guy is crazy or stupid. Probably both,” she said to Colt, referring to the man who’d hired contract killers to kidnap Hadley.
Barron Fuller III. A former frat boy with not only a cocaine problem, but a gambling one as well. He’d had everything given to him and amounted to nothing.
“Definitely crazy. Probably because of all the cocaine he’s done,” Colt muttered, scanning his own tablet.
“He should have been thanking Douglas for basically bailing him out. He bought the guy’s company because of the respect he had for his father. Instead this guy took it as some weird slight against his pride. Or I’m guessing that’s what this is. There’s no way he would have been able to sell it for any more. And clearly he couldn’t manage it.”
The guy had been driving his business into the ground, skimming so much off the top that sooner rather than later, the IRS would have caught up with him. So what did the dumbass do? He took out a loan from a vicious, well-known loan shark in Miami. Gage had searched hard on this guy and the info he’d found was pure gold.
“I’m still not sure how we should deal with this guy,” Skye said.
Colt nodded once in agreement.
They’d set Fuller up to meet with Barclay—who was now in custody of Agent Moore. In reality Fuller would be meeting with Colt, who was posing as Barclay. Since the two had never met in person, and Skye was going to be posing as an unconscious Hadley, it would be easy to fool the guy long enough to take him down. But they were also breaking some laws and didn’t want to deal with a trial because there were so many loose ends. Like the fact that two of the hired hitters were dead and their bodies were missing. And the third was now in custody for an outstanding warrant. And there was no way Barclay was going to admit to being involved in this.
“It looks as if he has some outstanding debts with this loan shark,” Colt said.
She let out a low whistle as she saw the number. “This guy really likes his cocaine.”
“He’s likely betting on getting money from Douglas in exchange for Hadley. Even though it seems pretty clear he never planned to turn her over anyway.”
Barclay had admitted as much to them. And he hadn’t cared either. He’d known that he’d be dropping the girl off with Fuller to be raped and tortured before being ransomed. And Barclay said he was pretty certain Fuller never planned to give her back. He was garbage too. She hoped he rotted in prison.
“If the loan shark is looking for him, we can just drop Fuller off on the guy’s doorstep with a bow wrapped around his neck. Let him take care of the problem.” Skye shrugged. It was a tactic they’d used before when they’d been with the CIA—and since starting Redemption Harbor Consulting. That way, they didn’t have to clean up any messes and things basically took care of themselves without any involvement from them.
Her husband lifted a shoulder, his mouth kicking up in a grin. “I kind of like that idea. Then maybe we can spend a couple days in Miami before heading home. I wouldn’t mind a few down days with my very sexy wife.”
She smiled wickedly at him. “That sounds like a plan to me.”
* * *
Skye was slumped over in the trunk of the car they’d rented, her wig covering most of her face as she feigned being unconscious. She’d done something similar before and though she hated remaining still, she could do anything for an op. And she could do just about anything right now because it would bring down an asshole and keep Hadley safe.
Forcing herself not to focus on the discomfort of lying on top of the spare tire, she listened as Colt talked to Fuller, who’d just arrived at the hangar to meet them. Now they simply needed to confirm that yes, Barron Fuller was behind everything.
It was pretty clear that he was, but before they tossed him to the wolves, they’d make sure.
“Did you hurt her?” A man’s voice trailed closer.
“Nah.” Colt. “Just knocked her out using a sedative. She might have gotten a little banged up in the trunk, but she’s fine.”
“You fuck her?”
“I don’t touch the merchandise. Now where’s my money?” Colt’s voice was hard and nearby.
He’d be right at the open trunk now. There was a slight shuffling sound then the sound of a round being chambered. “You’ll get paid when I get paid.”
“That wasn’t the deal,” Colt snarled.
“Yeah, I know, but I’m changing things. I’m not double-crossing you!” The man sniffled. “I just gotta get my ransom and you’ll get your money.”
All right, it was time to “wake up.” Skye whipped her SIG up as she rolled over and pointed it right at the guy’s groin. “Drop your weapon and hands in the air!”
“You’re a narc!” Former frat boy let out a squeal as he dropped the weapon he clearly had no business owning.
“Oh, you’re going to wish we were cops by the time we’re through with you.” Colt’s voice was silky smooth and quiet. A more terrifying sound than if he’d raised his voice.
Skye slid from the trunk and quickly surveyed the interior of the airplane hangar. They’d let the pilot go a while ago and told him they wouldn’t need him for a couple more days. She was glad the guy hadn’t returned unexpectedly because this might have been difficult to explain.
“You work for Douglas?” Fuller sniffled again, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. God, this guy was gross.
Colt motioned toward the ground. “Face down, hands behind your back. Don’t make me ask again.”
She loved it when he started giving out orders. Yeah, the timing was highly inappropriate but she couldn’t help it that her husband turned her on. Always.
“Come on, who do you work for?” Fuller whined even as he complied. At least the drugs hadn’t completely addled his brain.
Colt restrained Fuller’s arms and legs and taped his mouth shut in less than thirty seconds. Seriously, could he get any hotter? Skye didn’t think it was possible.
As Colt tossed the guy into the trunk, he leaned close to a wide-eyed, sniffling Fuller. “You’re going to tell us everything we want to know or we’re dropping you off at Jeremiah Dixon’s place.”
Fuller’s eyes got wide at the mention of the brutal loan shark and he started trembling and attempting to shout against the tape even as Colt shut the trunk door.
“How long should we leave him in there?” she asked, striding over to the cooler where the pilot had left them a couple hoagies for an early lunch. She was starving.
“Twenty minutes should do it.”
“You won’t even need to threaten torture with this one.”
“No shit.”
Once they got what they needed from Fuller, they’d still deliver him to Dixon. Because this guy deserved it. Gage had done an even deeper search on Fuller and it turned out the guy had more than a drug and gambling problem. Seemed as if he didn’t understand that no meant no. Yeah, Skye wouldn’t be losing a moment of sleep for turning him over to another criminal.