Page 24 of Redemption

“Holy fuck.” I force the door closed behind me. The guard who sprints up the stairs after me bangs on the exit. “What took you so long?”

“Holdup at the airport.” The burly Black man hustles me to the waiting chopper.

“Are you Evander?” I hop into the helicopter, and he follows. Before we’re seated, we’re rising into the midnight sky. The guy who got me out shoves the handle down, locking the door, then buckles himself in.

“Shots fired,” he calls to the pilot.

“Are you buckled? We need to bank,” a female voice responds from the front, her thick Irish accent a surprise. The broad man beside her is focused out the passenger window. A three-person team doesn’t seem like much if shit goes wrong.

“Locked,” my rescuer says.

“Loaded.” I suppress my grin.

With that, we take a hard bank, and my ass slides toward the secured door. Jesus, that was sharp. A chuckle escapes. Elation is a wildfire running through me. I made it out. Carys’s name echoes in my mind, and images of her overlap one after the other.

Us in our twenties, in my bed, with her head on my shoulder and leg slung across my hip as she traced my scars. Then seventeen years later, a Russian hotel, the absolute certainty I’ll never love another woman the way I love her, her tears in the interrogation room when she realized I gave myself up for her.

I peer out the window for a moment, watching Michigan fade into the background. Her plan worked, or Evander’s did. Someone’s plan is so simple yet so effective. Then I realize I don’t have a clue who broke me out. Is the guy next to me Evander? FBI? PLA? He never answered.

“You’re Evander? Why the hell was an alarm going off? You wanted everyone aware I was escaping.”

He narrows his eyes and seems thoughtful. “Probably a distraction. I’m a little fuzzy on the details.”

“Why the fuck would you be fuzzy on the details? Youplannedthe details.” Unless he’s not Evander. He fits the physical description, but bulky Black dude isn’t a detailed list of attributes.

His lips twist, and he faces me. “I’m Noel, not Evander. I’m a junior lieutenant in the PLA. The two people up front are Lachlan and Kim.”

That gets my attention. When I glance at the pilot’s seat, she holds my gaze in the mirror, a hint of amusement in her black depths. Well, fuck me. “Lachlan, you said?” I lean forward, sure I’m right.

The man in the passenger seat shifts himself sideways, and his hazel eyes meet mine. The same eyes I looked into for years while we planned takedowns and business expansions. He’s not Lachlan. He’s Lorcan, my baby brother.

“Aye.” His Irish accent is thick and deep. “You can call me Lachlan.” He extends his hand, and I shake it, squeezing ever so slightly.

His goatee is gone, and they’ve dyed his hair a dark brown. Hardly a disguise for anyone determined to dig. But we were never much for taking pictures, and neither of us owned a single social media account. Hopefully, the FBI hasn’t sent him into this assignment to die.

He drops my hand, which reminds me we don’t know each other in this world. Guess I better keep playing along. Their interception of my return home should be a shock. “I was under the impression Evander Williams and his crew were breaking me out? What’s with the change of plans?”

Noel glances at Kim and Lorcan and seems to be weighing his words. “The PLA has an interest in acquiring your services.”

I chuckle, but it holds no humor. “Too bad I’m not interested in serving them. Any two-bit mobster could accomplish the things I’ve done.” Not true. I’ve done lots of cool and illegal shit during my mafia career. Loran’s lips quirk up at my modesty. He’s never heard me downplay anything before.

“Once we’re finished with you, we’ll make sure you get to Cape Verde.” Noel’s tone is mild, and he raises his eyebrows toward Kim’s reflection in the mirror like I’m an idiot. As though he believes he’s in total control.Not today, you fucker.

In one swift movement, I unclip my buckle and lunge at him, my hands gripping his throat. “They sent a lieutenant?” I spit into his face. “Should have sent the general. I don’t answer to you. Or anyone at the PLA. And if I have to wrest the controls from her fingers, we’ll be going to Cape Verde unless you can give me a good reason to cooperate.”

Lorcan reaches over the seats and tears me off Noel. He’s been working out. I don’t remember him being that strong. Of course, prison has made me weak. Between solitary confinement and fights, I didn’t get much time for the gym.

“Get the hell off him,” Lorcan growls. “Everything will be explained to ya when we get to Ireland.”

“That’s not good enough.” I match his fierce tone.

His annoyed expression speaks volumes. Am I overselling this? If I didn’t know this was how things would go, I’d be livid. I haven’t taken control of the helicopter or shot Noel. Though I do have his gun now—snatched that while Lorcan heaved on me. No one has noticed yet.

Noel rubs his neck and glowers at me. “Christ, settle down. The PLA wants your assistance, and when you’re done helping, you can do whatever you want. If you won’t help us, we don’t have a problem going after the things that matter to you.”

Lorcan tenses in front of me. Did he just threaten Carys? I unbuckle my seat belt and lunge at him again. Kim banks the copter, and I topple forward into Lorcan’s arm instead of wrapping my hands around Noel’s throat again. Boy doesn’t learn. Lorcan bunches the material of my shirt into his fist and glares at me. We stare at each other, neither of us budging. He tosses me into my seat without a word.Message received, brother. Message received.

“You want me to listen to you,” I snarl. “You don’t threaten me or anyone associated with me.” I tug Noel’s gun out of my waistband and point it at him. “Better not bank again there, Kim. My trigger finger is itching for a workout.”

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