“I don’t think you’ll mind.” He actually had the balls—or the insanity—to brush her hair back. “I think we’re going to get along quite well this time around. This time Beck won’t be between us, and you won’t lie to me about anything.”
“Because you’re going to drug me and turn me into some kind of zombie?”
One side of his mouth kicked up in an arrogant grin. “Not at first. Remember when I said I wasn’t going to torture you? I changed my mind. You kept Ezra Fain from me for years. You hid that fucker when he was mine to deal with.”
“Ezra wasn’t a bad man. He was in trouble and you manipulated him.” It was what Levi did. He saw a weakness and used it to his own advantage.
“He chose to do the things he did, and I need you to understand that I can’t let him live.” He started walking again, his grip tightening. “You won’t mourn him. Like you won’t mourn Beck. Or that brat of a kid. I’m not stupid. I know you’re playing me for time. You’ve run out of it. I’m taking you back to my safe house where I’ll properly punish you for your infractions and then we’ll start our new life. You think I haven’t had to start over again? I’ve done it more than once and I always come out on top, Solo.”
“Don’t call her Solo,” a deep voice said. A familiar voice. A heavenly voice. Beck stepped out from behind a big oak, his SIG in his hand. “She’s not alone.”
Her breath caught as she realized she wasn’t. Beck hadn’t come alone. Somehow they’d moved in behind them. Rob and Tucker. Owen and Jax. Theo. They all moved out of the woods, surrounding Levi and the two mercenaries he’d brought with them.
“Lay it down and walk away.” Theo had his gun trained on the man flanking her right. “You should understand my brother is back at the lake holding his daughter. The only reason I’m letting you go is he’ll kill you, and the last thing he needs is more blood on his hands. You better be fucking happy you used a tranquilizer on her, and I would suggest you watch your back for the rest of your life.”
“And you,” Beck ordered. “My friends will escort you out of here and I better not see your faces again. That was my wife your boss was kidnapping.”
Both the mercenaries dropped their guns and held their hands up.
“Tell Taggart it was a job and we didn’t know it was him.” The man Owen was guarding had gone pale.
“We can tell him. Doesn’t mean he’ll believe it,” Owen replied. “Only reason you’re not going down is it’s harder to bury three bodies than one.”
Levi had pulled her close, putting his gun to her head. “I don’t think you’re burying anyone. Unless you want to put Solo in the ground with me. It would be fitting. You should know that I’ll have her in the afterlife, too, Beck. She was always meant for me.”
She was so sick of one asshole wrecking her life. Maybe she and Beck would have imploded the first time around no matter what happened, but Levi had been the match. Levi Green had decided she belonged to him like she was some piece of property he could occupy. He treated the whole world like it was his and no one else mattered.
She was not going down with him.
She could be Solo one last time. Just once, because Beck was right. She was never going to be alone again.
“Baby, what do you want me to do?” Beck asked, and that was when she noticed the fine tremor in his hold. He wasn’t the cold “Ezra Fain” he’d become when they’d been apart.
They’d played roles for so many years. Maybe the whole time they’d known each other. But it was time to be Beck and Kim. Solo and Ezra—sexy operatives—had been a toxic combination. But she thought maybe Beck and Kim—parents, partners, madly in love—might be able to make it.
But Solo could do one last mission.
“Follow my lead,” she said.
He nodded and no one else moved. Owen and Theo had escorted their guests off, and she heard the squeal of tires as the car left.
“Well, it looks like I’m going to need…” Levi began.
God that fucker could talk. She brought her arm up and back, breaking his hold and forcing the hand with the gun in it to drop. She kicked back, sending him to his ass. In seconds, she had his gun in her hand and she was in the superior position.
He always did underestimate her.
She held the gun on him. “I’m going to suspect Tag wants a word.”
“Yes,” Beck said, moving in beside her. “I would, too.”
That was the moment she noticed Levi had something in his hand.
“You always were magnificent,” Levi said softly. “And you were always fair. I’m going to have to use that against you, my love.” He had a hypodermic needle in his hand, and he plunged it into his own arm. “You won’t get any answers out of me. That was the last of the formula. In a few minutes, I’ll start all over again.”
Kim Solomon shot him without hesitation. She watched as the light faded from Levi’s eyes and he slumped back.
She turned to Beck. “He’s right. I wouldn’t have been able to kill him if the drug took effect. But it hadn’t. He was still the same son of a bitch he’s always been. He doesn’t get to start over.”
Theo Taggart walked up to the body and solemnly put another bullet in him. “Just in case.”
Jax was next. “Can’t be too sure.”
Owen and Tucker took their turns as though they all needed a hand in finally putting down the man who’d caused them so much trouble.
Rob stepped up and another crack sounded. He looked to Beck. “Your turn,
