Page 74 of Fire for Effect

“I’ll officially read you into my little operation here,” Brett said, wiping the blood from his hands as the flailing Trout lost steam, and his huge thrusting kicks turned into nothing but little flipper swishes. “I’m one of the heads of Paradigm. Our mission is to put a halt to large, organized crime within the United States and abroad, in cooperation with, though not under the jurisdiction of, various government agencies.”

Brett tilted his head, then looked up at Trout who had bled down his shirt. His trousers were soaked with a combo of blood, spit and piss. The liquid pooled at his toes, dripping onto the floor.

And the smell? Lovely.

Brett grabbed the handle of his Ka-bar, his black onyx ring glinting back at us, before he pulled it out to the sound of Trout’s groans. Trout’s head fell back, his mouth unhinged with open cheeks like a gruesome Pez dispenser.

“We are a classified operation, and for the sake of my paperwork, Noam will have you sign NDA’s,” Brett continued to talk as he wiped the blood onto his white sleeve, cleaning off his blade. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Miss Trinity Blaze Guerro. I’m the man your father tasked to keep track of you.”

The hair on the back of my neck prickled as this was the second time in as many weeks where someone who looked like bad guys seemed to know Trinity’s middle name. I placed an arm around her waist, pulling her into me tighter, my free hand itching to find the pistol I knew she kept at her lower back.

“You’re allowed to spend one more night in your current domicile, but as of tomorrow, we will need to secure you. Do you understand?” Brett said, his voice still even.

The gurgling Trout settled into nothing but bubbling groans.

“The fuck I don’t!” Taz said, leaning into my side.

It was a bad time to enjoy the fact that she was turning to me in her moment of need.

A thousand things flew through my head – her father was a spy. Her lover – me – was a spy. She was an operator. And the guy standing in front of me was the head of Paradigm…

Was Mourningkill on top of a vortex or something? Was there something in the water that made this town the swirling epicenter of the underground?

“There are three heads of Paradigm. I am one, though I will be passing the mantle to someone else soon. The other is a highly placed government official.” Brett was talking as if he hadn’t just dropped an electrified nuclear bomb of information in front of us. “The third is an undercover agent who has done more to stop organized crime than any other entire federal organization combined.”

“What the fuck does that have to do with me?” Taz said, her eyes narrowing.

“Well,” Brett shrugged. “You’ve inherited his eyes.”

Brett looked her up and down, but it wasn’t in a sexual way. It was like he was inventorying her like the parts of a weapon.

“You also have his nose, mouth, and chin. Actually, you seem to be built more like him than your own mother,” Brett looked over to Noam, who shook his head as if he was annoyed by the theatrics. “You even have his shoulders.”

What a thoroughly disturbing bit of information to have.

Trinity’s mother was slim, plastic, with a crooked half smile and eyes that sparkled with hidden anger. Every picture was the same. Forced, and perfect. If it wasn’t for the hair color, and the cheeks, I’d say they weren’t related at all.

“So we will be securing you, dear long lost daughter-of-my-brother,” he looked at me like I was nothing. And to him, the son of the Director of the CIA probably didn’t amount to much. “In one of our safe houses.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you,” Taz said, leaning into me for support. Her hand wrapped around my waist, making it clear that she was staying with me. “And I don’t have a father. I never have.”

I could feel her shaking in my arms, though she gave no other sign that she was in turmoil. I just knew her that well.

If the situation hadn’t been so serious, I would have fist pumped, knowing that she was turning to me for support.

We had talked the nights away, where she expressed a wish that her father would come for her. That he’d materialize and give her the love she had fantasized about having as a kid. A dream that she knew was stupid.

It’s why her birthday became so important to me. The day she entered the world deserved to be marked and celebrated. The people who should have lavished her with gifts didn’t, so I took that burden on myself.

“Don’t make me call your Daddy,” Brett said, pointing the knife at her. I immediately stepped between them, because no one was going to point the business end of a blade directly at my woman. “Make no mistake, Miss Geurro, I want to be civil. I take no pleasure in forcing women to do anything, ever. But I also like to keep my balls attached to the rest of my body. As a newlywed, I find they’ve been quite useful over the past year. Your Dad will twist them off my body and shove them down my throat if any harm comes to you.”

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” Noam threw up his hands, as if Brett was finally making his point for him.

“I don’t want to fucking hear it. I’m telling him first thing that you sent his little girl after Trout,” Brett pointed the knife back at the hanging, gurgling mess of a human. “You’re about to be in a world of hurt.”

“He’ll thank me later,” Noam said.

“You were only supposed to keep an eye out, not make her a bounty hunter.” Brett and Noam were squabbling like an old married couple. “What the hell were you thinking?”

---