Agent I1: Tristan [01] The D.I.R.E. Agency (20 page)

“None of ours.”

His heart took off like a shot.
Okay, calm down, Jacobs. Rachel doesn’t have a gun
.

Dread sunk in the pit of his stomach. “Monroe, does Ben Adams keep a gun?”

“That tough old coot? Wouldn’t surprise me. He was an Army sharpshooter back in the day.” He stilled. “Oh shit…”

Oh shit, was right.

The other agent cried, “Someone just took out one of the Naylor agents. Who do we have over there?”

Seconds later, rapid gunfire echoed in the air.

“Naylor is hitting the living center-
there goes Dar
.” The agents started firing.

Tristan and Aidan each ran around a side of the truck and came up beside their agents. They all fired as Dar sprinted across the lot and dove into one of the center’s shattered windows.

Rachel
. Tristan made a beeline across the lot.

He heard Aidan yell at him. “Jacobs, you freaking idiot. What are you doing?”

Bullets zinged in front of him and behind as he zigzagged across the lot. He was about to dive through the same window as Naylor when Dar stepped out, holding a gun to Rachel’s head. All gunfire stopped. She cried uncontrollably, hard sobs racking her chest.

Before all was said and done, he would kill Dar Naylor.

“
Hold it
.” Tristan pointed his gun at Dar.

Naylor looked at Tristan, but didn’t lower the gun.

Kate cried, “
No
. Bobby, make him stop.”

“
d’Artagnan
-“

“I’ve had all I’m going to take from you, Kate.” Dar pointed the gun at her.

Shrugging nonchalantly, he fired.

Robert threw her to the ground just as the bullet left the chamber. He hit the pavement at her feet.

“
Bobby
.” Kate fell to her knees beside him.

Dropping Rachel’s arm, Dar ran over to his father and knelt beside his head. “Father,
Father
.”

Holding out his hand to Rachel, Tristan pulled her behind him before rushing over to take the gun from Dar’s limp hand. Blood covered Naylor’s abdomen.

Aidan ran up beside them. “A stretcher’s coming.”

Tristan clutched Rachel by the arms. “Ben?”

She shook her head.

Running back to the center, they climbed through the window, Aidan behind them. Ben lay face up on the floor, his glasses cracked, a clean bullet hole in his chest.

“
Ben
.” Rachel sat on her haunches beside him, Tristan behind her. She took Ben’s hand in hers.

He knew they were too late. Blood pooled on the floor under Ben’s left shoulder, his face white as a sheet.

“Is the boy okay?”

“I’m fine,” Tristan said, his voice catching. “You… you’ve got a helluva shot there, old man.”

A small grin flashed on his face before Ben winced. “The barrels,” he whispered. “It’s in the barrels…” Gasping, he uttered a final breath.

Shaking her head, Rachel cried anew, her face in her hands. Tristan trembled with barely controlled rage as he laid a consoling hand on her back.

He turned her in his arms. “What was he thinking?”

“He was worried about you,” she said. “He said he had to back you up.”

No
. Tristan shook his head. “I didn’t ask for that.”

“I know. There was no stopping him. Believe me, I tried… He loved you.”

He loved me?
If love meant the people closest to him would die
because
of him, Tristan wanted no part of it. Now, he understood Mitchell like never before.

Aidan clapped him on the shoulder. Tristan stood and helped Rachel to her feet. He shook his head, refusing the tears their day. “I’m sorry, baby.”

Rachel hugged him tight. God above, it felt good to hold her. But, he couldn’t do this to her anymore. It would be selfish of him to keep her in his life when pain and danger followed him everywhere.

Dammit, she could’ve died today.

“I need to get out of here.” He held her away from him. “You deserve better than a life surrounded by…
this
.”  He nodded at the chaos that had erupted outside.

Sheriff Andrews and the State Troopers had joined Zach Frederickson and the hospital staff that worked on Robert Naylor.

“So, I get no say in the matter?”

His chest burned. If he gave her a say, she’d stay in danger forever. Like Ben told him, this was one of those situations where he told her the way it was going to be.

Any remaining life fizzled out of Rachel, all color draining from her face. She pulled in her lips over her teeth. “Fine, Tristan. I’m done.” She turned and walked away.

Paralyzed with shock, he couldn’t believe she acquiesced so easily.

Aidan turned him around and got in his face. “You’re a freaking asshole, you know that? She’s lost everything today and now you’re deserting her, too? You selfish bastard.”

“I don’t want her to live like this.”

“Use your head, Jacobs. Who’s her father? Her brothers? She’s in it, whether you want her there or not.” He left Tristan standing in the hallway alone. “Prick.”

Aidan was right. Rachel would live in the thick of this stuff for the rest of her life. She
needed
him around to protect her. He didn’t trust her safety to anyone else.

Tristan slumped his shoulders. Would he ever get this relationship crap right?

He hoped Rachel had the patience and love to forgive him.

#####

Rachel sat in Ben’s chair, clutching his pillow to her chest. She couldn’t believe he was gone. He’d sat here talking to her an hour ago.

“You’re richer than Brewster, now.”

Aidan sat on the edge of Ben’s bed, his hands braced behind him. She’d forbidden him to touch her after what he’d done to her earlier at the house.

“I’d rather be poor and have Ben back.”

“With all of Dad’s medical bills paid off, you wouldn’t have been poor any longer, anyway.”

She turned to stare at her brother. “What are you talking about?”

Aidan sat there with a dear-in-the-headlights look. Oh no, what else?

“Uhhh…”

“I paid them off.”

Her gaze shot to the door. Tristan stood just inside, his hand propped against the doorframe. Why did she feel the overwhelming need to run and throw her arms around him, when he had turned her away?

She lifted her chin. “Why?”

Aidan rose from the bed. “Uh, maybe I’ll step out for-“

“No Aidan, stay.” Right now, she needed to know she wasn’t alone.

Tristan looked at Aidan and tipped back his head. Aidan rushed from the room.

“
Aidan…
”  So much for brotherly support.

Deserting her seemed more along Dar’s speed.

Tristan stepped inside and shut the door. Looking around the room, his eyes bounced off of every item. When his gaze finally landed on her, there were tears in his eyes.

That was her undoing.

“Oh, Tris…” Jumping up, she took his hand. He pulled her to him and crushed her in his embrace. He buried his face in her hair.

The poor man had never known love like this. Ben had probably been more of a father figure to Tristan than Mitchell ever had. Tristan had connected with Ben in a way few people had. They’d talked, laughed and played cards like old friends.

For a man who didn’t want to care, Tristan had racked up quite a list these days between Ben, Glenna, Mark and Ty. After seeing them fight and make up within hours, Aidan, too.

“I’m sorry, baby. I’m no good at this.” He pulled away to stare down into her eyes. “You’ve been through hell today – this week – and I could only think about getting you out of it. It never occurred to me that I just need to be there for you.”

“You’re my anchor, Tris. In all of this madness, you’re the only thing that’s kept me sane.” She caressed his cheek. “I need you.”

He gave her a sweet, slow kiss on the lips. “God, Rachel, I can’t do this without you, either. I love you too much to let you go.”

She couldn’t keep the smile from her face. “I love you too, Tris.”

Staring into her eyes, he kissed her again. “Earlier today, the old man gave me some advice…”

She played with the hair at his nape. “He did?”

“He said that in some situations, I need to let you have your way and in others, I need to tell you how it’s going to be.”

“Oh really?” She gave him a haughty brow. “That sounds like Ben.”

He took a deep breath and let it out. “Well, Rachel, this is one of those situations where I tell you how it’s going to be.”

She gave him a haughty brow. “Do you have these dictator tendencies often?”

Smiling, he said, “No, but they’re growing on me.” Taking her hand in his, he kissed it. “Marry me, Rachel. When all of this chaos is done, let’s go to Dunnattor Castle and get married by the North Sea.”

Despite her horrific day, Rachel’s heart soared. Was it crazy to say yes when she’d only known him a week?  Yet, she felt closer to Tristan than any other person on earth. She didn’t want to live without him.

“
Yes
,
yes
.” She threw her arms around his waist.

Grinning, Tristan kissed her hard on the mouth.

“He didn’t get my permission.” Aidan walked in, a huge grin on his face.

“He doesn’t need it.” Rachel stared into her fiancé’s beautiful blue eyes.

“Ben wanted it, you know,” Tristan said, “I think he had us married last Tuesday.”

With a sad smile, she hugged Tristan tight. “I’m going to miss him so much.”

Tristan kissed her hair. “We all will.”

Chapter 16

Tristan held Rachel in his lap on the sofa, her head against his shoulder. Aidan, Kate and Mitchell sat around them in the otherwise deserted waiting room. Rachel wouldn’t look at Kate and frankly, Tristan couldn’t blame her. She’d been through a lot today.

Mitchell hung up his phone. “Tristan, Robinson will be here in the morning to replace your high frequency generator. If more work is needed, we’ll have to fly you back to HQ.”

“Brazil will be a sonovabitch if he can’t get it done here.”

Rachel’s fingers toyed with Tristan’s hand. “Do you think the deal will still go down?”

“Oh yes,” Mitchell said. “Bobby always has a backup plan. And with that much money involved, there is no doubt in my mind it’s going down, one way or the other.”

“Sounds dangerous.” Rachel frowned.

Mitchell glanced at Aidan. “That’s why I’m sending Monroe, too.”

Aidan sat up. “You think I’m ready?”

“Ready or not, you’re going.”

“What’s he going to do?” Rachel gave a small smile. “Run around shocking everybody?”

Mitchell gave her a raised brow. “Rachel, you’d be surprised what he can do.”

The surgeon, Dr. Brentwood, walked into the waiting room, his face grim. Mitchell stood and shook his hand.

“Mr. Naylor survived the surgery. How, I don’t know. The bullet hit an inch or so below his heart. In most cases like this, the trauma is too great for the body to bear, but he survived.” He glanced around at each of them. “The man must have something to live for. He’s in a special ICU unit, just down the hall from your makeshift office.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Mitchell said. “Please keep us posted.”

With a glance and smile at Rachel, he left.

Kate’s hands shook where they lay in her lap. “If he dies, it’ll be my fault.”

“No,” Mitchell said, “It’ll be Dar’s fault. He pulled the trigger.”

Rachel sat up in Tristan’s lap. “Where is Dar?”

“Handcuffed to a toilet in the fourth floor men’s room.” Aidan grinned. “He is
one
pissed off prisoner.”

Tristan said, “What happens to Naylor Interests if Robert dies and Dar is in custody?”

Mitchell shrugged. “I assume Cassandra would take over.”

“Who’s Cassandra?” Aidan sat forward and placed his elbows on his knees.

Kate sniffed. “d’Artagnan’s twin sister.”

Rachel stiffened in his lap. “He has a twin?”

Mitchell nodded with a surefire grin. “If she’s anything like the other two, she’ll be a force to reckon with when she finds out what happened.”

“She deserves to know.” Rachel linked her fingers with Tristan’s and rubbed her thumb along his hand. “Maybe I should go to Dar and find out how to get in touch with her.”

“
No
.” Mitchell, Aidan and Tristan said in unison.

“If I were her, I’d want to know.”

Aidan said, “Rachel, you act like they’re our neighbors. She’s the daughter of one of the biggest crime bosses in the world.”

Rachel’s grasp on Tristan’s hand tightened. “She’s also my sister, Aidan.”

Kate winced, her eyes pleading with Rachel for forgiveness. “Rachel, I never wanted-“

She cut off Kate. “What about their mother? Where is she?”

Kate and Mitchell exchanged a glance.

He said, “She isn’t in the picture anymore.”

“That day in the park, Dar said something about a suicide note.”

Kate cleared her throat. “Yes, that’s what I’d heard.”

Rachel’s voice grew low, glum. “How sad. All the more reason to call.” She turned to Tristan. “Will you take me to see him? Maybe he’ll cooperate since he’s so upset about his father.”

Mitchell sat back in his chair. “Don’t count on it, Rachel. He and Cassandra have been raised to hate us.”

She lifted her chin. “Well, maybe it’s time to put a stop to that.”

Tristan smiled despite the doubt that loomed in his head. Rachel’s good heart is what drew her to him in the first place. He had to support her in this, even if it came to a dead end.

Setting her on the floor, he rose from the sofa. “Let’s go.”

#####

Nodding at the D.I.R.E. agent posted outside the door, Rachel walked inside the men’s restroom, Tristan behind her. Glancing inside each compartment, she found Dar sitting on the toilet in the last stall, one wrist cuffed to the flush stem.

“Mitchell thinks of everything. No need for a bedpan.”

Dar just stared her, his aqua eyes steady.

She sighed. “Dar, your father came through the surgery okay.”

His tense shoulders slumped a moment before he sat up straight. Dar’s gaze bounced off Tristan before refocusing on her.