Ultimate Kill (Book 1 Ultimate CORE Trilogy) (CORE Series) (36 page)

Dante released a sigh, then swore. “Fine. I’ll follow—”

“Wait.” Jake’s cell phone vibrated in his pocket. He quickly pulled it out and read the text from Rachel. “Yes,” he hissed. “Her spider thing worked. She’s got a lock on the signal sent to the last detonator. We have our evidence.”

Dante took the phone from him, the glow from the screen illuminating his face. “She also said to wait for the Feds. They’ll be here in fifteen.”

“The guy they plan to execute won’t be.”

Dante handed the phone over. “I’ll go after them.” He moved toward the door leading to the unfinished part of the warehouse’s third floor. “Promise you won’t go in there until we’ve been given the word.”

“You got it,” Jake lied. He’d stand down and obey orders, but if Hunnicutt touched Naomi one more time, all bets were off. When he’d heard the smack Hunnicutt had delivered to Naomi’s face, Dante practically had to put him in a chokehold to keep him from storming into the room. The threat of rape—Hunnicutt would never have the opportunity to made good on his promises. Even if the FBI wasn’t on its way, he’d never allow Hunnicutt the chance to touch her. No amount of evidence was worth letting a man force himself on a woman. Especially his woman.

“You’re full of shit,” Dante said, opening the door wider. He raised his gun. “Don’t do anything stupid. I’ll call if Hunnicutt’s men come up the stairwell.”

Once Dante slipped from the closet, Jake quickly sent Rachel a text, telling her their location. He then opened the opposite door and went back to his earlier post.
 

“Would you stop your bloody crying,” Hunnicutt roared. “You’re an ugly mess. Vlad, bring Rose some tissues.”

“And you’re a bastard,” she shouted back.

“I told you I don’t like being called names. Do you need another reminder?”

Jake tightened his grip on the gun and braced himself for the sound of another blow. Which was ridiculous. There was no reason he shouldn’t go in there and put an end to Hunnicutt’s bullshit. Deciding he’d do just that, he moved the door slightly, ready to enter.

“No,” she said. “But I’d like to know why.”

“Why Mickey had to die? You have eyes, you saw the man. I did the humane thing.”

“You don’t know how to be humane,” she said, her voice growing stronger. “You’ve killed hundreds of people, you murdered my family—I want to know why. It’s been eight years, why can’t you leave me the hell alone?”

“If you’d stayed with me, none of that would have happened. Your parents could be enjoying retirement. Your brother, his career with the FBI.” Hunnicutt chuckled. “As for today? The burden is on you. Maybe next time you’ll reconsider running from me, not that I’ll allow that to happen.”

“You still haven’t given me a reason. You’re married now and have children. You might be ugly on the inside, but you’re not on the outside. With your wealth, you could have any woman.”

“But I don’t want
any
woman. I want you.”

“Why?” she screamed, the piercing sound sending a chill through Jake, but he remained still. Naomi needed answers and once the FBI blew into the warehouse, she likely wouldn’t have them.
 

“Before you married your wife, I saw pictures of you in magazines with gorgeous models hanging all over you,” Naomi continued. “Compared to them, I’m nothing. I’m not beautiful. I’m not rich or famous. I’m a nobody. Your need to possess me is—”

“Necessary. From the moment I saw you waitressing in that shitty club, I wanted you in my bed. And when you came to my table and I saw your eyes… You’re right, you aren’t as beautiful as the others before or after you. But what you possess is what I need to own. I saw it in your eyes, Rose. I saw something that I haven’t seen in my own eyes since I was a child. Unabashed innocence. Your childlike optimism and faith in the world made me realize the cynicism I carried weighed me down. You, Rose, were the one thing that could make me stronger.”

Jake wasn’t buying any of Hunnicutt’s bullshit, and when Naomi laughed without humor, he assumed she hadn’t either.

“You find that funny?” Hunnicutt asked, a deadly edge to his tone.
 

“I don’t find anything that you’ve done funny at all,” she said. “And I don’t believe a word you’re saying. You talk as if you loved me, when we both know you aren’t capable of loving anyone but yourself. So you wanted to capture my innocence and faith, and do what with it? Bottle it up and on a rainy day drink it in order to reclaim your youth? Ridiculous. Because what you are is a stalker. Plain and simple. I rejected you and your ego couldn’t handle it, so you had to prove a point. Christian Hunnicutt always gets what he wants, when he wants it.”

Jake had never been more proud of Naomi. While he’d prefer if she didn’t stand up to the man and that he could simply waltz in and put a bullet in Hunnicutt’s head, he loved that she spoke her mind and refused to allow the bastard to bully her. He also agreed with her and thought back to what Dante had said about the stalking case he’d worked. Dante had used the term,
rejected and resentful stalker
. Add on obsessed, and they had Hunnicutt.

“Stalker.” Hunnicutt released a dangerous chuckle. “Really, Rose. Now
that
is ridiculous.”

“Is it? You attacked me in my house and told me if I couldn’t have you, no one could. Remember that? Remember how Santiago held a knife to my throat?”

Hunnicutt laughed. “I
do
recall that night. But not as much as the one you spent with Ric and I. Remember, Rose?”

Hunnicutt
and
Ric? She’d already endured so much, a part of him didn’t want to hear anymore. The other part wanted to know in order to decide how much pain he’d inflict on the men before he killed them.

“Let me refresh your memory,” Hunnicutt continued. “I took away your ability to have a child and a future with any other man. I branded you as mine. I sometimes look back on that night and wonder if you grieve for the child that could have been, for the children you’ll never have. Do you, Rose? Do you grieve and when you do, do you think of me?”

“When I think of you, I feel sick inside,” she said, her voice shaking. “That’s what you are. A sickness. I pity your wife and children. At least the child you ripped from my womb will never be tainted by you.”

If Jake hadn’t been leaning against the doorjamb, he might have staggered back.
 

 
The day before I found out my brother was murdered, I’d gotten test results back from my gynecologist…I can’t have children.

 
He hadn’t asked why. The jet had been about to land and he’d wanted to make sure she knew he hadn’t cared that they’d have a childless future, that all he cared about was being with her. He focused on the hatred and need for revenge coursing through him. He’d grieve for the wonderful mother Naomi could have been later. Right now, he had to fight from storming into the room, unsheathing his knife and giving Hunnicutt his version of a vasectomy.
 

“Your words crush me, Rose,” Hunnicutt said with a mocking laugh. “Despite your attempts to offend me, I find myself…aroused. Vlad, come untie Rose from my chair. We need—”

A phone rang. Jake froze and held his breath.
 

“Leave Rose tied and duct tape her mouth. I want no interruptions. Tape Harrison’s mouth, too.”
 

Footsteps fell across the floor and Jake slunk away from the door. He checked the time. Five minutes had passed since Rachel’s text. The Feds should be along soon. But if Hunnicutt’s call was short, and he tried to lay his hands on Naomi, Jake refused to obey orders.
 

There was no way in hell the bastard would ever touch her again.
 

*

 
“Liliana, this is the second time you’ve called,” Christian said to his pain-in-the-ass wife. “Is there a reason you keep bothering me?” He hadn’t wanted to take her call, but would rather deal with her now, than be interrupted later when he was with Rose.

“Christian,” Liliana began, her tone quiet, worried. “The FBI is here at the hotel.”

Tensing, he moved toward his office and out of earshot of Harrison and Rose. He’d expected her call to be about the latest bombing, or for her to request an extension to her spending limit. He hadn’t expected this. “I’m sure they’re there because I’ve not only had a plane targeted, but now one of my trucks. Correct?” They couldn’t know about his connection. He’d been too careful.
 

“I’m sure you’re right.”

“You haven’t spoken to them?”

“No. The front desk just called and said they’re on the way up to my suite.” She let out a small sigh. “I’m sorry I bothered you. You’re probably right. Their visit is likely a formality. I’m sure they’ve done the same for you.”

But they hadn’t. Christian hadn’t spoken with the Director of the FBI since after he’d bombed his own plane. If the FBI was concerned about the safety of his wife and children, they’d most certainly be concerned about him. After all, he owned the damned company.
 

“I spoke with Martin earlier today,” he said, and glanced out the office door to where Harrison sat on the sofa, his mouth duct taped, his eyes narrowed and filled with disdain. Christian’s mind worked quickly. Maybe the smart brother was smarter than he’d thought. Was it possible Harrison had compromised the signals he’d been sending to the detonators? He shifted his gaze to Rose. Or could the little bitch be working with the Feds?

“They’re here,” Liliana gasped. “Christian, this is just awful. The kids…I’m worried. We haven’t left the suite since the bombing in Denver. I don’t want them to know what’s happening. They might see these agents and be scared.”

He didn’t have time for her whining. Since he and Martin were close friends, he’d expect the FBI to contact him before his wife. Because they hadn’t, and because he couldn’t be sure what this meant, he’d have to move to Plan B.
 

“Use your head. If you’re so worried, have the nannies take the kids either out of the suite or into another room.”

“Okay, I will,” she said. “I…are you okay? Are you in a safe place?”

“Liliana, are you actually concerned about me?” he asked, amused. His wife hated him, and rightfully so. “Never mind. I don’t care. But, if you must know, I’m at my warehouse apartment. Today has been trying and I need privacy.”

“Are Ric and your bodyguards with you?”

At that moment, Ric and Santiago entered through the door leading from the part of the warehouse that hadn’t been renovated, and into the kitchen.
 

“Yes, for now.” He moved away from the office. “Attend to the agents. I have to go.” After ending the call, he smiled. “Well, is it done?”

Santiago grinned. “
Finito
. I wish you’d let me do it instead of Ric. You have no idea how many times I wanted to kill Mickey when we were on the road.”

Chuckling, Christian nodded to Ric. “Go into my office. We need to talk.”

Ric set down the bottle of water he’d been drinking onto the counter. “Right away,” he said and walked past him to the refurbished office that stood between the bedroom and the guest room Mickey had been held in throughout the day.

Once Ric had disappeared, Christian called Santiago to his side. The Columbian rushed over. “
Amigo
? What’s wrong?”

“Ric has to go.” Which was a damned shame. Good hired help was difficult to find. “I just found out he’s been fucking me over.”

Santiago narrowed his eyes. “Never liked that
hijo de puta
. What do you need me to do?”

“Slit his throat. Do you have a problem with that?”

The Columbian grinned. “I’ve been itching to do it for fifteen years.”

Christian didn’t doubt Santiago. The Columbian had begun working for him a few months before Christian had met Ric. Because of Ric’s background and education, he’d moved into more prominent positions. Where Ric was his yes man, Santiago was his henchman, and there had always been a not so friendly rivalry between them.

“Good. Come with me.” As he walked passed Vlad, he said, “Watch Rose and Harrison.”

The Russian, whose IQ probably bordered on that of an uneducated fifteen-year-old, nodded. Vlad might not be his brightest employee, but like a well-trained dog, he always obeyed and never bit the hand that fed him.

At the closed office door, Santiago stopped and withdrew the knife hidden in his boot.

“Ready?” Christian asked.

Santiago gave him a single nod.

“Good. Make it quick.” While he wasn’t sure if the FBI had made a connection to him, in case his suspicions were true, he’d have to act fast. Plan B wasn’t his ideal, but it would serve as a brilliant distraction.
 

Christian turned the doorknob. When he entered the room, Ric moved away from the desk and approached them. “I think we should leave. You still have to make your statement regarding the latest bombing, and the laptop needs to be destroyed.”

“Agreed.” Christian nodded to Santiago, who took two steps and, with lightning speed, slashed the knife across Ric’s throat.

The sadist’s eyes bulged with shock and accusation as he clutched his neck. Blood spurted from between his fingertips as he mouthed, “Why?”