“I taught myself to be a hacker growing up. I spent months searching every trail I could find that mentioned him. I wanted to know who killed him. There was an odd notation in one file. It took me a long time to figure out. I searched and searched and found just enough crumbs to lead me to Hidden Justice. That took me endless hours of effort before I was able to find a crack. But it was all I needed. I slipped in twice before they figured it out, burrowing down layers and encryptions. By the time they were onto me and locked me down, I had what I needed.” He focused on Marcus. “And now I’m going to end you.” He laughed. “All of you. The elite of the righteous Hidden Justice. Zander would be so proud.”
“Let me tell you about Zander,” Marcus said, crossing his arms. “He was a psychotic bastard with ideas of grandeur who liked to beat women and sell them. Nothing about him deserved respect or remembrance.”
“Shut your mouth!” Freddy yelled, furious, his attention entirely on Marcus. I saw movement out of the corner of my eye and knew Damien was ready. I inched forward, preparing myself.
“He was right—we need to choose our families. Breed them and train them. Make them in our own images. We will create perfection—”
Marcus cut Freddy off. “He was a coward and a murderer. Sick in the head. Twisted, insidious, and the world was safer once he was dead. The world has no idea he even existed. It’ll be the same for you.”
Freddy began shaking in his fury. He became distracted, which was what we wanted. He waved his gun, practically panting in his anger. Marcus continued to goad him as I inched closer, Matteo remaining where he was.
“My wife silenced his voice with a knife through his throat. I ended him with a bullet to his head. In the end, he died the same way he lived. Violently and without purpose. He wasn’t so high and mighty when he was drowning in his own tainted blood. He lived in the dark, and he died in the dark. I hope he’s burning in hell.” Marcus’s eyes glittered. “You can say hi when you join him.”
It happened in two seconds. Freddy lost his cool, pushing Tally away, aiming his gun toward Marcus. I lunged, catching my wife before she fell to the floor, dragging her and Julianna away, shielding them with my body. There was a hail of gunshots behind us, the noise deafening. Julianna began to wail, and Tally shook uncontrollably under me. I pressed my lips to her ear. “It’s over, baby. I promise, it’s over.”
I lifted my head. The men who did this were all on the floor, dead. Freddy was on his back in front of Marcus, blood covering his chest, a hole in the middle of his forehead from Damien’s gun. As soon as he’d had a clear shot, he had taken it from his vantage point behind us—just as we planned. Marcus watched as I rose to my feet, helping Tally up, making sure she didn’t see the carnage behind us. Matteo took her other arm, and we headed to the door.
“Don’t look, Tally,” I urged. I didn’t want her to see it—to have the memory of the blood and dead bodies in her head.
She shook so hard, I bent and scooped her and Julianna up in my arms, hurrying out to the van that was waiting. She shut her eyes, turning her face to my chest. In the van, I wrapped her in warm blankets, rocking her and Julianna. Unbidden tears filled my eyes, relief overwhelming me. I had them. They were safe.
I only prayed Tally could move past this. That I hadn’t lost her once and for all.
“Is that how it happens all the time?” Tally asked. She was curled up in the corner of the sofa, a blanket wrapped around her. Sofia had checked her and Julianna out, assuring me they were fine, although Tally’s body temperature was low. She had used all the blankets and her own sweater to make sure Julianna was warm enough. Now I was looking after her. The blankets, hot soup, coffee, and a heating pad around her feet were slowly getting her back to normal. She was shockingly pale, and she trembled a lot. I was certain some of it was residual fear. Julianna was cranky but had finally settled and was asleep in my arms. I couldn’t put her down or move away from Tally. It was impossible. I wasn’t sure when I would be able to do so for a long time.
I shook my head. “Usually, they’re faster. But we didn’t know what we were walking into. We suspected that coward would use you as a shield, and your safety was paramount.”