Page 55 of Vengeance

We were both right. Not long after Delilah attempted to quietly return to New York, Pray knew she was there and had her men whisk her away to him in Colorado.

“You sure you want to do this?” Revnor asks. “You don’t know what he’s got planned.”

“We already checked for bombs,” Wyan says. “If there was chance that this was a trap to get rid of him once and for all, I wouldn’t allow it.”

“You can’t allow or not allow me to do anything.”

“Adviseit, then.”

“Besides,” I say. “Pray is a vindictive bastard. This is personal for him now. He’s going to get his hands dirty to either kill me or punish me—whichever one he’s chosen,” I add not, even though I already know what Pray has chosen.

Which is why the fucking bastard took Delilah to Pray Drink headquarters. It’s a smart move. Though that’s where all the offices operate out of, no shipments come in and out of it like some of his other bases. That way, in case someone gets involved he doesn’t want to, there will be nothing to find but a dead body and no motive.

Hopefully.

“You going to be able to pull your part off?” Revnor asks Dele.

“When have I ever not been able to do something I put my mind to, Rev,” Dele says.

“Well, you’re the one that just dropped a kid.”

“She’s good,” I declare, and that’s all that needs to be said on that. Because if she wasn’t, and I personally tested to make sure she was fine to do this, she’d be back in Italy right now. Or, at the very least, she wouldn’t have gotten on a plane with me.

“And if she’s not, she’ll have backup,” Wyan assures.

I look along the wall to the six men and women Wyan brought with him. Barely men and women. The child soldiers that were once under Pray’s control but are now under ours. While deprogramming the younger ones seems to be a slow but steady work in progress, the older ones, mostly sixteen or so and above, have been an issue. The only saving grace is that Pray never got around to telling them what theirexactpurpose was. Wyan was quick to give them one on my command. Protect Dele at all costs. Unlike Pray, they know what she looks like, all her quirks, and can spot her through just about any disguise. According to Wyan, they’ve proudly taken to calling themselves Dele’s “Fangs” as Dele with be their bark and they’ll be the bite.

Dele will be going in undercover by herself mostly, but in the event that she gets in trouble, these young men and woman are instructed to get to her by any means necessary.

“Alright. Let’s go,” I say, and everyone mobilizes to take their places.

“Wait,” Dele says.

“What?” I ask turning to her.

She grabs me by the collar and pulls me to her, crushing her lips against mine. We’ve got to get a move on, but I’ve never been able to resist Dele and so return the kiss. I’m ready to drag her to a nook for a quick fuck before this all goes down when she pulls away and says, “Good luck.”

“Something tells me that we’re all going to wish your relationship was still secret by the time all this is over,” Revnor says.

In response, I do something uncharacteristically childish of me and reminiscent of the relationship I used to have with the people in this room. I flip my middle finger on the way out.

25

Viper

Pray gave very specific instructions to go to him alone. I’m certain he has no expectation that I’m actually going to be alone and that I’m not planning something, but I have to appear to be following his directions. I have to appear to be taking every precaution to keep the woman he thinks is Addy safe.

So I go to him alone with my only guard being my driver. Said driver only gets as far as the doorway before they’re stopped, and I’m escorted the rest of the way alone. I’m not concerned about the driver, though. Pray usually likes to take care of the helpafterhe’s taken care of the main target. So long as I’m alive, all my people are alive.

My gun was confiscated when I went through the metal detectors. Yet I’m still crowded by four of his men as they escort me up the elevator wary of any move I might make. Good. They should be. Even though I’m not going to do a thing.

I’m led to a conference room. One of the expensive ones with a glass entryway. glass floor to ceiling windows with the good view, and exits at both ends of the room.

Pray is there at the head of the table, with two of his men behind him and Delilah sitting next to him looking roughed up but no worse for wear. My escorts gesture for me to sit in the seat right next to Pray, but on the opposite side of Delilah. Two of escorts then stand behind me while the other two leave.

First, I make eye contact with Delilah. She looks at Pray, who rolls his eyes and says, “Go ahead. Assure him that you’re okay. That way I can have his full attention during our discussion.”

“I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me,” Delilah assures.

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