Merciless (Option Zero 1)

Now if he could just get the message to the woman beside him.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Jules often faced danger without blinking an eye. She hadn’t chosen what had happened to her, but she had made the choice on how to live in the aftermath. There had been circumstances when she felt that if she even twitched, she could be dead. This was one of those times.

The monster before them, enjoying his steak, which Renee cut up and fed to him, was the vilest kind of evil. Every news outlet in the world had covered him, and there had been numerous celebrations at the news of his death. And he should be dead. Three other countries had joined with the US to hunt down this man. They had found him in a warehouse outside of London. Troops had surrounded the building, and they’d been set to go in and capture him when the entire building exploded. Days of searching the debris had finally uncovered Rhinehart’s mangled body. The entire world had breathed a sigh of relief.

So how was it he was sitting across from her now?

She didn’t yet know what Ash planned. If necessary, the two of them could take on Rhinehart and his two companions. The woman’s mild manner didn’t fool her. If she was loyal to this creature, then she was deadly. Three against two weren’t bad odds, but what about Schrader? Omar talked a good game, but she couldn’t see him fighting hand-to-hand. She could, however, imagine he had no problem with shooting anyone. And strolling through the house earlier today, she had spotted at least a dozen guards roaming the grounds.

She would follow Ash’s lead, whatever he chose to do. From the beginning, she had known that working for OZ could cost her everything, including her life. She hadn’t expected it to happen so soon, but she was prepared for whatever came next. Twelve years ago, she had survived against impossible odds. Maybe tonight, for this one event, was the reason.

The meal in front of her was lovely, but sitting across from a mass murderer greatly diminished her appetite. She forced herself to eat anyway. Until she knew Ash’s plan, she couldn’t draw attention to herself.

Fortunately, Ash was seated beside her. When she felt his hand on her thigh, she lowered her gaze in the pretense of concentrating on her meal. When he signed the words, her heart caught in her throat, but she knew she hadn’t misunderstood him. This was as serious as it got. Rhinehart was going to die tonight.

Jules dropped her hand to her lap and signed, “When?”

Ash’s reply came swiftly. “After dinner.” His fingers moved rapidly as he spelled out what he needed her to do.

She had trusted Asher Drake long before she’d met him. Even though he didn’t know it, would never know it, she would follow him anywhere.

Preparing herself, Jules took a silent, deep breath and then threw a polite smile to Omar. “The meal is delicious, Mr. Schrader.”

“Thank you, my dear. I’m glad you’re enjoying it, but please, you must call me Omar. Humphrey and I have been friends for years. It’s only right that his lady love is my friend, too.”

“Thank you, Omar. And please call me Elsa.”

“Delighted to do so.”

They went on to have a trite, frivolous conversation about the weather and wine preferences. Humphrey provided a couple of amusing anecdotes that made Omar laugh. The couple across from them kept out of the conversation. Rhinehart chewed, swallowed, and waited for his next bite from Renee. Though her expression didn’t change from the blank one that seemed frozen on her face, Jules had to wonder how she felt about being a nursemaid. The woman’s own food was getting cold.

By the time the meal was over, a headache pounded and every particle in Jules’s body felt explosive with tension. How the next few minutes played out was anyone’s guess, but one thing was certain: Günter Rhinehart would not leave this house alive.

For the first time since they’d sat down to eat, Rhinehart spoke. “Now that our meal has finished, I would like to begin our talks. We will be leaving within the hour.”

No one mentioned that Renee had not taken more than a couple of bites from her plate. The man was finished with his meal, so apparently that meant Renee was, too.

Omar’s expression was one of both excitement and confusion. “But we have rooms ready for you to stay the night. We—”

“I don’t sleep in anyone else’s home. How do you think I’ve stayed alive all these years?”

“Of course, of course.” Standing, Omar pointed to a door. “Elsa, if you and Ms. Kirkson would head to the front parlor, you’ll find coffee and desserts have been provided. It will—”

“No. Renee does not leave my side.”

“But we’ll be talking business. I’m sure the ladies would prefer to—”

“Renee knows almost as much about my business as I do. She stays with me.”

Humphrey added, “I prefer that Elsa remain with me as well. She’s quite adept at business herself.”

Looking a bit deflated that his plans had been rearranged, Omar shrugged. “Of course. That is not a problem. Let’s proceed to the library.”

With Omar leading the way, the eclectic group headed to the library. It had been obvious from Rhinehart’s demeanor that he was paranoid and trusted no one but Renee and Fredric. This became more apparent when he insisted that Humphrey and Elsa go ahead of he and Renee. The man likely wanted no one behind him other than his bodyguard, who walked several steps behind him.