“He’s watching us. He’s part of whoever is watching us. He was just too stupid to do it properly.” I answered the question and stared Armand down. He looked to me now. “You, I’ve nearly killed you once before.” I pulled my gun and aimed it at him thinking of all he’d done and facilitated.
Even this, as in what was happening. He’d had some hand in it. He was to blame too.
I pulled the trigger back. It would be so easy to let it go. All I needed to do was recall how he tried to force himself on Jia. It was enough in my head to deserve death. This bastard had done so damn much. Too damn much to be allowed to live.
“Please, no. I was approached by Ethan. He needed someone on the inside watching.”
“So you thought that should be you?” Giovanni spat.
“No, it wasn’t that.”
“Money. It was money wasn’t it?” Giovanni asked the question as if he was innocent when it came to being tempted by money.
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry? And yet you are here,” I pointed out.
I stepped closer, getting up in his face too.
Armand looked like he was going to shit himself. his skin turned pale and his eyes bulged with fright. He knew I’d do it. There would be very little to stop me and there was enough hatred in me to end him.
I hated this guy. I truly hated him and all that he stood for. My finger moved away from the trigger readying to let go.
Jack’s hand on my shoulder however made me look to him. I hadn’t realized that I was shaking.
Jack shook his head.
“Don’t. Don’t do it,” Jack cautioned, his gaze clung to mine.
I grit my teeth and bit down hard. “Jia is being kept in a cage,” I stated. While I kept my gaze trained on him, I noticed Giovanni snap his gaze to me. “This guy helped make that happen. Balthazar Kane is keeping Jia in a Cage. That’s what he does. He takes the women he likes and keeps them there so he can do whatever he wants to them.”
That was what I’d read. It was fucking Ethan that gave me the synopsis. Tales of disgust was more the fitting description of what that was. Balthazar didn’t just rape them and be done with it. it was constant, until they begged for death and even then he would continue and kill them after in the worse possible ways. That was who we were up against. Armand here who was just as bad in my eyes deserved death.
“Xander. It’s not our way. It’s not worth it. Don’t do it boy. I can see the resentment you have for this man. It’s not worth it. His blood on your hands is not worth it. let me deal with him.” Jack promised. “I’ll deal with him in the manner he deserves. Save your energy and strength for what you have ahead. You need a clear mind when dealing with people like Balthazar, and remember its’ not just him. You have the Spades and Ethan. Ra people. This guy isn’t worth it.”
If it was anyone else besides Jack, they might not have been able to reach me. To reach inside me to the person I was and speak to that guy. I hadn’t been him in so long I forgot what it was like.
It wasn’t our way to kill the way I was going to kill Armand. If I killed him now I knew it would be on my mind. I squinted and pulled in a ragged breath then lowered the gun and walked out of the room.
I went outside for some air. I needed it. I just needed to clear my head so I could focus.
Patience wasn’t one of my strong points at all.
I hated having to be patient and I hated having to wait or have obstacles in my fucking way.
Jack followed me out. I looked to him and instantly felt ashamed for the way I was going to kill Armand. Although he would have deserved it.
“You cool?” he asked me.
“I’m trying. I’m trying. Jack I just need to get her back.”
“We’re working on it. You are working on it.”
I nodded. Then I thought of Balthazar.
“Jack, when I see Balthazar, he’s dead. I won’t show the same compassion I just showed Armand.” I just had to let him know.
He agreed. “Son, nobody would stop you from killing that motherfucker. Definitely not me. He killed Claire.”
I drew in a deep breath and moved to go back inside. I had to finish up this plan and get it on the move.
Balthazar’s blood was calling to me.
Chapter Sixty
Xander
We left at nine like I hoped, in a party of two trucks.
Two teams.
One would stay on the outside. The rest was going in for the rescue.
One truck had ten marine recons Jack had commissioned for this black op mission.
He’d gotten the best. Guys would were the best in what they did. We had three snipers, two gunners and the rest were front men. Jack gave them their own specific orders.
My truck carried me, Jack, Giovanni, Frankie and four marines who were going in with us. Wes and Dorian stayed behind as planned to be my eyes.
It was a good team. There were some seriously skilled men here. All put together I would say we had a chance.
I just hated it. All of it.
It all reminded me of the last time. It was too much of a reminder of what happened last time. My thoughts were consumed with the memory for the whole journey. The whole time I went over everything that had happened.
It was most likely down to the fact that last time was when I actually had a battle with the Ra.
I never even got close to Balthazar.
All I did was see him kill Claire and throw the grenade that took me out.
That was it, and previously I never got close either. Not close enough to land a fist in his face, get a good shot, or anything like that.
Of all those times –and they were really terrible times –this felt like the worst.
All those other times he’d never had anyone close to me from the beginning. It was always a surprise attack that knocked me for six.
The first memorable time was when he kidnapped Vlad Hanflick and blew up the orphanage. The next that stood out was of course when he lured my team in by taking one of our own and killed everyone.
This time I’d already experienced the damage. He’d taken Jia and I didn’t know what he could be doing to her or what he could have done.
Frankie nudged me in my side and I looked to him.
I was sitting away from everyone. Closer to the driver. I’d done that on purpose so I could think. Frankie however took it as an invite to sit near me.
Jack was at the far end of the truck going over some stuff with the marines and Giovanni sat by himself.
“I don’t like the quiet,” Frankie stated. “Not when shit’s going down.”
I glanced at him. I preferred quiet especially in those times. I also wasn’t the best person to talk to.
“Sometimes it’s good to reflect,” I answered hoping he’d take the hint that I didn’t want to talk.
He didn’t. I suspected that was on purpose too.
“Sometimes you do too much reflecting. See that’s the difference between mafia guys and the others. We talk it out and act as a unit. That’s us. We know what’s on the other guys mind so we have his back before he can even ask.”
“I’m not like that. And…” my voice trailed off as I glanced over at Giovanni who was just staring over at the wall. In his casual wear he looked so different from what I was used to. His presence was making me worse. I had the prints in my backpack. I’d keep them close to me.