Page 37 of Ruthless Redemption

“I’m not going to ask you again, Ms. Mazzeo.”

My gaze darted from the door to the man sitting rigidly in front of me. I could comply or what? He’d forcibly take it from me? I needed to be smart about this situation and I didn’t have a lot of experience with legal negotiations.

“Can you keep my father and Marco away from me?”

“That depends on you. If you do as I say, then yes. If you fight me every step of the way then maybe, maybe not.”

Dammit. This was too hard. I needed to talk to Houston.

“Can I see Houston?”

“Eventually. But let’s get one thing straight. You’re here because you were interfering with a Federal investigation that involves Homeland Security. I could hold you indefinitely and there’s not a damn thing you could do about it.”

My jaw hardened. I didn’t know who this jerk was, but I didn’t like being threatened. I’d had enough of it from my father over the years and in that moment I well and truly decided I’d had enough.

“Don’t threaten me,” I said. “If there’s one thing I’m over its being told what Ihaveto do.” I didn’t bother adding that from now on I was looking out for myself and that was it. Even with my limited experience I recognized that pushing the authorities was not going to further my cause. Nor would it get me out of here any sooner.

My mother had taught me well enough from a young age that you caught more flies with honey than vinegar and for once, I was going to heed her lesson. God rest her soul.

To my surprise, the edges of Mr. FBI guy’s mouth curved just a tiny bit into a strange smile. “Okay, Ms. Mazzeo. How about I don’t threaten you and you cooperate. Do we have a deal?”

I wanted to relax and go along with this man. There was something about him that seemed so familiar. But I needed to get my head and wits about me. Remember the lessons my father had taught me as well. Trust had to be earned. So I proceeded with a healthy dose of caution.

“I don’t want to not cooperate, but you should know that trust is no longer easy for me. Too much has happened.” FBI guy raised his right eyebrow as I continued, ignoring the obvious questions on his face. We were not going there right now. “But there is something I have to know before I will say anything.”

“What’s that?” he asked, his curiosity obviously piqued.

“What the hell is my father doing here and why the hell is he not in handcuffs?”

Chapter Fifteen

Houston

“You need to give me a gun,” Houston hissed from the back of the vehicle they’d gotten into after the initial shock of his family reunion in the office.

“No, I do not. You shouldn’t even be here. Having a civilian involved in this operation could get my ass fired and then some.”

“I’m hardly a civilian asshole. I’m a God-damned Marine sniper. You need me in this. Not to mention I’myourolder brother.”

Rock scoffed. “Yeah, that’s not helping your case. The last thing I need on the loose tonight is a government trained killer. Brother or not. I’ve been working this case against Marco Scutari for over a year. What happens tonight has to go one hundred percent by the book or we’ve all just wasted our time. Don’t make me regret letting you come along, okay?”

Houston banked the anger simmering inside him. His little brother had no idea what he was dealing with tonight. If not for his years of training and learning to deal with frustration he would be raging at Rock. Although to be honest the only thing keeping him in one piece was the fact that they’d left Izzy behind in the building with the female agent where she would be safe.

He shook his head. It was hard to believe the turn that this situation had taken. All the evidence the MC had gathered on the Turner case had pointed to kidnapping. Not top secret government recruitment.

Jesus.

With their intel turning to shit at every turn, he had a bad feeling the club was walking into a trap and arguing with Rock wasn’t going to get them there any faster.

“ETA two minutes,” the driver of their SUV announced.

“What’s the play here?” Houston asked, his eyes surveying the airport grounds as they neared the private desert runway where Marco was about to board a plane supposedly bound for Venezuela. “Do you have control of the pilot to keep him from taking off?”

“Negative. He’s one of Marco’s international guys. We’ve had our eye on him, but so far we haven’t been able to touch him. Bastard knows how to play the game and flies under the radar.”

Houston ground his back teeth harder. In a way his hands had been tied his entire life. Whether it was the intel he relied on from others, or the instructions he had to follow that he hated, he’d adhered to the checks and balances that kept him in line.

This time however, it was more personal than ever and he didn’t give a shit about the rules. He wanted Marco dead, not in cuffs. Although it was Frank he would settle for. Rock didn’t know it yet, but when the time came he wasn’t going to allow the Mazzeo mobster to live through this raid.

---