“You got it.”
Chapter Two
Marcus
We pulled into the underground parking of the building that housed my team and me. I ran my squad from there as well. Matteo had offered me his house when he left the agency, but I did things a little differently than he did. No family was involved in my operation. I had no sister to protect, no one I cared for, and certainly not a wife to watch over. I had no need of a large house, a swimming pool, or any of the other trappings of the cover he showed the outside world. I simply chose to hide from it in plain sight.
When Matteo decided to walk away from this world, I missed his friendship. His guidance. We had worked well as a team, and as his second-in-command, I found taking on the role of leader more difficult than I had thought it would be. I felt the responsibility for my men that rested squarely on my shoulders daunting, and even after years in the role, I was still learning. Still trying to be the leader and boss the way Matteo had been—to lead my team with the same principles, dedication, and determination that he had. He was a hard act to follow.
I’d found this old building and converted it. It was perfect. To the world, it looked like a three-story, converted warehouse, filled with apartments. Cars came and went from the underground garage, lights turned on and off, even the occasional delivery appeared at the door. The business registered in my name was a software development company.
But it was all a façade.
There were apartments on the ground floor. Mine was located on the third level. The second floor was our command center, filled with computers, desks, long walls of open missions and plans, along with hidden compartments of our weapons. Every desk held a set of computer monitors that were constantly updated with security feeds from around the building. Housed in the basement was the most advanced server room possible. Unhackable, untraceable, and invaluable.
Hidden in the back of the basement was the large area where Egan planned and built the demolition packages we used to destroy buildings. He was the best I had ever worked with. He divided his time between the office in the basement and the command center since he was also an amazing hacker and, together with Damien, wrote complex codes that were unbreakable.
I had an elite crew—smaller than Matteo’s had been. Once Vince and Alex left and joined him in a new life, things changed. Julian created more teams, allowing me to handpick my men. Smaller teams that worked and shared information. Unlike Matteo, who was in and out, killing the ringleaders, draining their funds, and freeing as many victims as possible, I took it one step further. I destroyed any building we went into, not leaving the chance someone else would come along and set up shop again. It also sent a message. A very clear one.
Damien pulled up to the elevator and opened the car door. The woman in my arms hadn’t moved once. Hadn’t opened her eyes, and the only sound she’d made was the occasional whimper or sound of pain if the road was rough. I strode to the elevator, managing to press my thumb to the reader, and bent slightly for the retina scan. I looked down, meeting the wide green gaze of the woman in my arms. In the light, her eyes were more gray than green, and they were foggy with pain.
“I have help for you,” I assured her.
On the second floor, Sofia waited, her surprise evident when she saw me carrying someone.
“Who’s hurt?” she asked, hurrying forward.
“I don’t know her name. I found her locked in a cage.”
“Oh my God,” she muttered.
“She’s frozen. I don’t think she can talk.” I met Sofia’s eyes. “I have no idea what she’s been through.”
“Put her on the exam table.”
I nodded.
We had our own clinic in the building. It was well equipped, and most of our injuries could be treated there. Sofia was a cousin to one of my men and had fixed him up once when he was shot. She became our in-house physician, living in one of the apartments and working part time at a local hospital. She was invaluable to us.
I had never brought anyone else here to this private clinic. I shouldn’t have brought this woman. But she needed help, and I was determined she got it. And I refused to let her go.
I set the woman down, frowning when she tried to grip me, obviously frightened.
“You’re safe,” I assured her, covering her hand with mine. Even her fingers were bruised. “Sofia is a doctor. She’s going to look at you. I’ll be right here.”
I stepped to the side, letting Sofia move in. She worked for a few moments, then turned to me.
“I need you to leave, Marcus.”
“No.”
She stepped closer. “I need you to leave. That’s not a request.”
I glared, but she didn’t back down. “I’m going to examine her thoroughly and ask her some questions. I need you to find her some clean clothes and food. Once she’s stable, you can arrange transport.”
“She’s not going anywhere,” I growled.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Where is she going to stay?”
My voice brooked no argument.
“Here. With me.”
Sofia emerged from the room a short while later.
“How is she?”
“I got her core temperature up. Surprisingly, none of her injuries are life-threatening. We need to address the dehydration and malnutrition right away. But she’s been through a lot, Marcus. The trauma to her body is extensive.” She shook her head. “How her mind will cope with it all is unknown.”
“Can she talk?”
She hesitated. “She can—if she wants to. She’s confused, in shock, in dire need of sleep and warmth. Her throat is sore from—” she shook her head “—from screaming and being restrained. You need to be patient.”
I tightened my hands on the clothes I was carrying, the rage running through me hot and bright.
“I can be patient.”
“She did ask about a shower. I don’t think she wants to put on clean clothes until she has one.”
“Is she up for that?”
“I injected her with some pain meds, so she is more comfortable. I cleaned the cuts and put waterproof bandages on them. The abrasions have been cleansed. She would need to be watched.”
I nodded, then met her eyes. “Was she…” The simple words hung in the air.
“She says no.”
I blew out a long breath. “Wow. Okay, that’s something.”
“I’ll come check on her in the morning. Anyone else need me?”
“No. It was a clean in-and-out. All the others were sent to the safe house. They’re being looked after there.”
She lifted one eyebrow. “In, out, and boom?”
I chuckled. “Yes.”
She indicated the room behind her with a tilt of her head. “Why wasn’t she sent to the safe house, Marcus?”
“We found her after they had departed.”
“You could have taken her there. Instead, you brought her here. Why is that?”
I had no clue how to answer. I met her eyes and shrugged. “No idea. I just—I had to.”
“Hmm,” was her only reply. She left after instructing me on the medication to give the woman.