Page 10 of Merciless Protector

There were more details, but we were short on time. “So you let a civilian talk you into a bad plan, and you lost her again?”

She waved me off. “She’s not a civilian. She’s a rookie. She’d almost been done with training when she was snatched.”

I mulled that over in my mind, creating a million other questions I didn’t have time to ask.

“So what? You want my help after punishing me for doing the very thing you’re about to ask me to do?”

Hypocrisy, when called out, had a way of shutting people up. She gnashed her teeth before saying, “He’s searching for you.”

That clamped my mouth shut. “One of our techs found a search for you on the dark web. He’s inquiring if you, the Rook, are still in jail or out. He’s trying to make contact. We think because of her.”

There was time for deals to be made, but not now. I had to get her back. “What’s the op?”

7

MATT

There was no fanfare when you got out of prison. Even if you’d been freed due to an error on the part of the government. Earlier that day, I went to court, and the judge threw out the case against me because proper procedure wasn't followed and I hadn’t been given due process. Everything I’d said to my handler had been their way of publicly setting me free without causing suspicion and alerting Ruin, or the kingpin, for that matter. I wouldn’t look like a rat and my cover would still be intact.

I stepped out of prison in the same suit I’d walked in with, sans the jacket. I’d given that to Tayla to cover up with. My wallet, which held little outside of a fake ID and cash, had been returned to me. They also gave me my phone back. But without charge for three months, it was dead. I walked through the gates to the street.

A crappy little car was parked with my handler inside. “Hey babe,” she said, false smile back in place.

Another car parked nearby caught my eye. Especially when the man got out and walked in my direction. Knowing what was coming, I stood still. It wasn’t like I didn’t deserve it.

David Royal didn’t waste time throwing a punch he’d been dreaming about the entire time I’d been in jail. He’d been at the courthouse, too. I expected this.

“You asshole,” he yelled.

I rubbed the ache. “That’s your only freebie,” I warned. “I did what I promised and now we are even.”

“No one told you to fuck her.”

I licked my lips, though I wanted to close my eyes and sigh. He would have tried to hit me again, which was probably his end goal. He wanted me back in jail and he was provoking a fight. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction because I needed to rescue his sister again.

“I’m sure she shared with you why that had to happen. No doubt based on your reaction, she isn’t speaking to you.” It was a calculated guess since it didn’t appear he knew she’d been taken again.

He pointed his finger an inch from my nose. “You touch her again and I’ll kill you. You Kings think you can have whatever you want.”

His feelings for Natalie hadn’t diminished since our last conversation. He was still smarting from losing her to Liam King.

“First of all, I’m not a King.”

“Who knows who the fuck you are? Your name isn’t Shawn. That much, I know. I will find out the rest. You can bank on that.”

I blew out a breath. “David, I’m not your enemy. I did what I had to do to protect your sister. Trust me, the other option was worse,” I said, trying to convince him.

“You should have called the police and told them where she was. You should have called me.”

I shook my head. “There was no way to know if the intel was good. I couldn’t spook the guy who had her by letting the cops swarm without confirmation. You may not like the outcome, but I got her out, just like I promised.”

What I should have done was throw in the fact that I’d paid millions for her return. I should have asked him to repay me. But for reasons I didn’t understand, I kept that to myself.

He stepped back, still pointing that finger at me. “You stay the fuck away from her, or you’ll be on the wrong end of a Royal. Kings be damned.” He stomped off, got back in his car, and pulled off.

I turned toward my handler. She laughed. Seconds later, before I made a move in her direction, a dark sedan pulled up in front of me. “Are you Shawn?” an attractive woman with brown skin and braids asked from the open passenger side window. “I’m the Uber you called.”

I glanced at my phone, and it was still dead. I nodded anyway and got in. That wasn’t the plan my handler and I discussed. But a manilla envelope with the name Griffin scrawled across it sat in the passenger seat.

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