Wicked Liar by Faith Summers

Chapter Forty-Six

Dominic

Warehouse seventy is the furthest warehouse at the docks. Situated at the end of the pier with the freight containers surrounding it it’s perfect for a secret meeting like this.

Perfect for Jacques because we can’t pull any of the stunts we normally pull in these situations to cover our backs.

Although Aiden and his men are with ours hidden on the grounds, I can’t see any way they’d be able to back us up. Of course, that would have been Jacques' intention.

Massimo, Tristan, and I have just stepped on the roof, each tasked with different responsibilities.

Massimo has the envelope containing the ownership documents for the Syndicate. While he’ll be handing that over, Tristan will look for an opening to take out Jacques. As for me, I'm supposed to focus on Candace.

Jacques is ahead of us with eight bodyguards who are all armed. One of them is holding Candace with a gun pressed to her temple and she looks like she can barely stand.

As we get closer I see why. Her face is covered in black and blue bruises. Her lip is cut and dried blood covers her nose. Fire flares inside me. Jacques fucking beat her and messed her up.

I actually never pegged him to be the kind of man to do this. I don't know why I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I guess though, this is a punishment. Not just for her, for me too.

She is my weakness.

I just hope he didn't rape her. Now that I've seen her like this. I wouldn't put it past him.

I snap my gaze to the bastard and see him smiling at me. He's smiling with satisfaction because I can't do shit to him and it’s just the three of us against all of them. Things do not look good for us.

I wouldn’t normally be so wary. Nine guys who want to fuck with us are nothing, but it places us at a disadvantage when they’re holding a woman they know is important to us.

Jacques smiles wider as we approach and rolls up his sleeves, revealing the tattoo of the dagger with the cobra going around it and the word Eternal on the blade.

That motherfucking dog in his suits and pompous ass. Well dressed?

There was obviously a reason for that. He was one of them.

“Good, now things are finally looking up,” Jacques beams, then he focuses on me. “It’s always about pussy in the end, isn’t it? Hers must have been good to cash out fifteen million dollars.”

“Still jealous?” I throw back.

“You know I actually am. I knew she was up to something the second she told me she was entering that auction. It didn’t make sense. Of course, I knew who she was all along. It wasn’t until you asked about Richard Fenmoir that I realized the whole thing had to be part of the same thing and you suspected something you shouldn’t. The only way you could have done that is if she found out her father worked for him. Now my father is dead.”

“Join the fucking club,” Massimo sneers. “I give you credit, though. You did well. You almost made a believer out of me. Almost and never.”

“Yes, that is right. Almost and never. When my father decided the best route was to take your power and you were opening your doors to membership, he sent men to try to persuade you. You turned them all down. Then I offered myself and I got lucky. I think it was because you thought you were being too picky and rejecting men who could have been powerful alliances. I was the best of the bunch and thanks to my father, the richest. I almost knew you wouldn’t say no to me. It doesn’t matter now though. Not one fucking bit, because I’ll have it all, and I don’t have to share it with anybody. Anybody who would have stopped me or questioned me died on that yacht. Give me the documents.”

“I want her first,” Massimo gestures to Candace.

The plan is to think on our feet. As soon as there’s a shift in movement, we’ll take it as an opportunity to sway things in our direction. The one good thing about this is Jacques didn’t ask us to hand over our weapons. When I look at the group dynamics, though, that would have been asking for trouble. He’s not stupid he knows how skilled we are with our guns.

Jacques smiles and nods to the guard holding Candace to release her.

She walks toward me, her legs shaking, her eyes wide, which then turn to saucers when Jacques grabs her arm and pulls her to his chest. With his gun held to her head now, he laughs.

“You think you people are the boss of me? No fucking way.” When he cocks the hammer, my heart stops beating and I hope he’s not going to pull the trigger.

Candace starts crying and shaking so much I fear she’ll pass out. Her eyes are on me, though. She hasn’t stopped looking at me.

“Give me the fucking paperwork,” Jacques demands.

Massimo steps forward but I don’t miss the slight shift in his gaze to the left, which tells me to try to take out the guard in front of me. When we fight, it’s as one and we try to pay attention to cues like that.

As Massimo puts his hand out to give Jacques the document, my gaze shifts to the guard. In that split second, I draw my gun and send a bullet to his head. And that is the distraction we needed.

The sound of the gun throws Jacques off-kilter and Massimo rushes him, making him stumble and release Candace.

“Take cover,” I call out to her just as the other guards jump into action.

Tristan races forward, shooting and enabling Candace to run behind a pillar. It’s not going to protect her though. It’s too small and thin. Her only other option would be to try to make it to the stairs, but with bullets flying I hope she doesn’t try. I’m going to do my best to get to her.

I manage to take down another three guards but the rest are skilled and good with their guns. Tristan is fighting with two of them and Massimo is battling one and Jacques. The guard who was taking cover when I shot the other one comes for me and I fire back a series of shots as I bound toward Candace. I miss and he jumps out of the way. I’m almost with her, nearly there when I look around and see Massimo on the fucking ground with the guard he was fighting and Jacques heading my way.

I’ve got two of them on my ass now.

Flipping myself around, I alternate between shooting at Jacques and shooting at his guard.

A bullet from Tristan takes out the guard so that just leaves me with Jacques. Tristan still has his hands tied, and so does Massimo. I can’t expect any more help from them.

I change tactics and move toward Jacques instead of heading to Candace. It surprises him. It seems he thought I was going to run away instead of trying to end his pompous ass.

We clash together, and I knock him to the ground. He jumps back up and lands a fist in my face, then I see red. I still have my gun in my hand and he still has his. We hit at each other, giving blow for blow.

“You won’t win this D’Agostino. Fuck you,” he snarls. “And your girl too.”

When an uncanny smile washes over his face and he looks over at Candace, I know what he means to do.

He points the gun over at her and she runs.

This isn’t going to happen again. Not to her.

“No!” I shout.

“Yes.”

Click- Clack is the sound that thunders in my ears. Fear spirals through me and blind fury propels me forward as he pulls the trigger. I throw my body weight into him to knock him to the ground and thank God and all his angels when the bullet misses Candace by a few millimeters.

A scream of terror rips from her throat and I can just imagine she must have thought she was going to get hit again. I'm just barely able to register that she's safe as Jacques and I land on the hard ground, rolling in a mess of fists and guns.

My luck runs out when he rolls on top of me.

I try to lunge him forward, but our guns are between us. I could shoot him or he could shoot me.

It’s not good, but I have to try to end this or he’ll go after her again. I pull the trigger and the bullet pierces through him. I felt it.

“You won’t win this D’Agostino,” he repeats as blood drains from the corner of his mouth. “And you won’t have her either.” As soon as the words fall from his lips, another bullet echoes, piercing through me. I don’t even know where it got me. I just know it did.

The pain is so terrible I can’t even cry out.

Time slows, and I see Jacques' body go limp. When his eyes close, I take comfort knowing I stopped him.

My name is called several times. Then I see Massimo, Tristan, then her… the angel.

Tears pour from her eyes and she reaches for me, but I just can’t get up.

The angel is always forbidden to the devil, but maybe it’s the other way around. Maybe it’s the angel who tempts the devil. The way this one tempted me.

Two years ago I had my chance with Candace Ricci and I screwed up.

I knew she didn’t belong in the darkness of my world. My stupid mistakes nearly cost her, her life.

For one moment I thought I fixed everything.

For one moment I thought I had the redemption I sought when she forgave me.

For one moment I thought she was truly mine.

The girl I loved.

Almost and never.

I failed.

I want to tell her I love her one last time, but all I can do is move my lips. No sound comes out.

I look at her and hope she knows just from that look that I'll love her always, and even though her father and life tried to take me away from her, I still tried.

I hope she knows because I think this is it for me.