Cobra- The Vigilante Box Set 2 Read online

  “I want to see you again. I think we both know that whatever this is has transcended past just fucking,” he said.

  “No, it hasn’t. Are you still fucking your partner?” I asked.

  He blinked as if caught off guard. “How do you know about that?”

  Oh shit! Great, just great. Think on your feet, idiot. I smirked. “Really? I’ve only met him twice, but each time I did, I could tell he hated my guts. He doesn’t even know me. Doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together that you two are fucking.” Nice recovery, if I may say so myself.

  He shrugged. “We are, that’s true. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have something more with you. With him, it’s friends with benefits. We can have the same.”

  “I thought that’s what we were.”

  He shook his head. “Not in my book. At first, yeah, you were just some young buck I fucked. But then we started talking, watching television together, eating together… granted, it’s all been in my apartment, but that means we’ve moved this relationship out of the ‘just fucking’ department. Wouldn’t you agree?”

  Damn, I would. It was one of the reasons why Jordan had been urging me to let him go. He knew about it all because of those damn listening devices. I needed to think this shit through. I might have been in over my head, I’d never felt this way about anyone before, save Jordan.

  “I need time to think about this, okay?” I replied, being honest.

  He removed his hand from the door and took a step back. “Of course. I’m not asking for marriage, Eric. Just a little more of you.”

  I nodded, but didn’t say anything. I felt like I might further incriminate myself. I’d done enough damage. I opened the door and hightailed it out of his apartment with the quickness I possessed. When I was safely in my car, my cell phone started ringing and I answered it.

  “I told you your ass was playing a dangerous game with his ass, Eric. Now he knows your real name,” Jordan scolded.

  “Can I go five minutes without an ‘I told you so’ from you?”

  “Nope, because I did. Why can’t you leave him alone?”

  I hung up because I couldn’t answer that question and I needed a minute for clarity. I was a soldier, a mercenary, and I knew how to do that job to perfection. I was an efficient killer who could take a life and sleep like a baby at night because I knew my mission was just. But in matters of the heart, I didn’t know what the fuck I was doing. I loved Jordan, that much I knew. But I knew we weren’t the perfect match. I couldn’t say the same about Alexi. Maybe that was why I was having such a hard time walking away from him. God, I needed someone to kill. Hopefully, that would be Mr. Tate.

  I’d been doing enough surveillance on his ass, and I was pretty sure he was a major player in the Killing Game. The listening devices I had in his house and car had given me all kinds of goodies, but I still needed more. This was what I needed to focus on and not Alexi’s smile or his masculine arms holding me after the most amazing sex I’d ever had. No, I didn’t need to think about that. Head. In. Game. First, I needed to get home, and I knew Jordan was going to continue chewing out what was left of my ass. I was a big boy, I could take it. Then it was going to be all business.

  Chapter Seven

  I stopped off at the grocery store first, to pick up a few of Jordan’s favorite treats. Yeah, I said I could take his verbal ass chewing, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t soften his bite with something sweet as a distraction. So, I got a few gummy candies, a box of Rice Krispy Treats, and some chips with cheddar dip. That should be good enough to melt his heart. I then drove home, but he didn’t tear into me right away. He was at his computer, monitoring everything going down at Mr. Tate’s location.

  “I picked up a few things for you. I know you mentioned you wanted something to snack on,” I said as I walked over to him, carrying the bag of goodies.

  “Trying to butter me up so I don’t really get on your ass?” he asked without looking away from the screen.

  I snorted. “Fine, yeah… will it work?”

  He took his hand off his mouse and turned to me, giving me his undivided attention, and I wasn’t sure I wanted it. At least, not in this capacity. “You gave that cop, that C.O.P., your real name. What the fuck were you thinking?”

  I sighed. “Just my first.”

  “Oh, just ‘your first’, like he can’t track you down using facial recognition and shit. Isn’t that why you are so cautious in the first place? Because you don’t want those assholes who almost killed you to find out where you are?”

  I nodded. “I doubt he’ll be doing anything like that. Besides, if he was going to, he would have by now. Also, he’s not a computer genius like you.”

  “No, but he has access to people whose job it is to track down persons unknown,” Jordan said.

  “Look, J, he was getting more suspicious of me when I was lying about my name. Giving him my first name satisfied his curiosity. He’s good now.” I gave him the bag and he started searching through it for something he wanted and settled on the Swedish Fish.

  He ripped open the bag with his teeth like a caveman and poured out two gummy fish and started munching on them. “You… You need… to let him… go,” he said between chomping.

  Those, of course, were words I wasn’t ready to accept or adhere to. “I like him, J.”

  He finished chewing and looked up at me. “It’s too dangerous, Eric. I know you like him. Hell, I could hear how much you like him. But you’ve turned a simple sex romp into something more meaningful. Do you really think you’ll be able to keep your other self from him? And what about the moment when he wants to know your last name? Hometown? And birthday?”

  I nodded. “Yes, all valid points, J. I get it.”

  Jordan cocked an eyebrow. “Do you? Because from where I’m sitting, it sounds like you’re falling for this guy.”

  I sighed, because something was definitely going down between me and Alexi that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. I licked my lips. “I just need to set up something on the side. He’ll want to know more about me. I’ll need to tell him where I work, he may want to stop by and see me. I just need another life to distract him and keep me off his radar. I know I can’t be secretive and with him at the same time.”

  Jordan shook his head. “Jesus, you really have it bad for this guy. Is the dick that good?”

  Well, ummm, the dick was exceptional, but it was more than that. “It’s not about his cock. Sure, the sex is great and keeps me coming back for more, but it’s really all about him. He blows my mind, J. That’s not something I admit easily. You know how I like to keep my emotions close to the vest. I trust you with my life, that’s why I can be honest with you.”

  Jordan sighed. “I’m certain of it now. You’re falling in love with him. I’d be happy for you if I wasn’t so worried for you.”

  “I’m not sure if falling in love is really what’s happening here. I just know that I’m not ready to walk away from him,” I said, feeling more vulnerable than I ever had in my life.

  “I was in love once. Of course, I was fourteen and thought the world revolved around the boy I was in love with until he dumped me because he couldn’t handle being gay in public. He was all good with doing things with me when we were hidden away somewhere, but our love was supposed to remain forbidden. When I wanted to come out and be able to hold his hand like all of the other straight couples I saw, it was too much. I sunk deeper into myself and stayed in the closet, too afraid to come out. It wasn’t until I got to college and saw the freedom gay couples gave themselves that I decided to set myself free, too.”

  “That was very brave of you, J,” I said.

  He nodded with a shrug. “Of course, I paid a heavy price. My parents disowned me, I was ridiculed for being gay and effeminate by both straight and gay people, and I nearly got my ass killed by some thugs who didn’t like that I was black and a ‘girly fag.’ Point is, I know what it means to feel like you have found something special in your life, be
cause I met you that night. I also know what you’re going through by letting yourself be open to even the possibility of love.”

  I was a pretty tough guy, really, I was. Growing up, I was taught that real men didn’t cry… but hearing J’s words was stroking my sensitivity chord and I felt all warm and fuzzy inside. Being with J had taught me that real men could cry, laugh, love, and even be afraid. Didn’t make them any less manly… unless they ran from their emotions. I was learning to accept my emotions, and that was probably why Alexi had nestled in that spot inside of me that desired being with him. J was right, I was falling in love with the bastard.

  Jordan ate some more of his treats and huffed. “Okay, well, if you’re really going to try to lead a double life with your honey bunny, I guess we need to get your stupid ass a job. A very low profile job, maybe as a janitor or burger flipper. You don’t need to be in the public eye, so no behind the counter, taking orders type of shit. It needs to be a job that has short and flexible hours, so you can be out saving people instead of serving them fatty foods or mopping up their messes.”

  “Well, technically, I do mop up their messes in my other job,” I quipped.

  “You mop up them, there’s a difference.”

  “Smartass.”

  “Dumbass,” Jordan shot back with a wicked grin.

  I grabbed a handful of his afro and pulled his head back so he was looking up at me. “I love you, J.”

  “I know,” he said with a grin.

  Damn, he was sexy in the cutest fucking package. I checked the time on his laptop screen and saw that I had an hour before my shift started with Mr. Tate. Maybe, just maybe, I could squeeze in a quickie.

  I leaned down, kissing him, and he kissed me back. “Wanna join me in the shower?” I asked when I pulled back.

  “You have an hour, and you already busted a nut earlier. That means you’ll be nice and fully charged for a good thirty minutes before you cum again. As much as I would love to be the recipient of that wonderful cock loving, you have a job to do. But, tomorrow is another day, or if you take care of Mr. ‘I’m A Murderous Asshole’ Tate tonight, I’ll be all revved up to go.”

  My dick actually wilted at being turned down. J was right, though. I had amazing stamina, especially when I was topping. Even Alexi had learned that. So, if J and I actually did start fucking in the shower, I could very well go for a full half hour before my balls started tingling for release. I was going to make sure to hit that fat ass of his later. No doubt about it. I kissed him again, then released his fro.

  “Yeah, you’re right. Remember that time I fucked you for over an hour?” I flirted with a smirk.

  He nodded. “My ass was sore for a week, but I did cum four times, so yeah… good memories.”

  I decided to get off the dirty talk and get to business. “Did you learn anything new about Tate?”

  “I’m glad you asked. He’s going to be meeting with someone tonight, a person who’s interested in joining the Killing Game. I think there’s going to be a show tonight and he’s going to try to reel this fish in with it.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, tonight I’ll strike, and I can just go for the kill with the bodyguard and the new prospect. If the guy already knows about it and is making the move to actually see for himself, watching a person getting murdered, well, I’ll give his ass a first-person view when I rip his guts out in front of him. As for Tate, I’ll save him for last. I need answers.”

  “Will you need your suit?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “I’ll do the carving of my logo and all, but I’m going to ride out with the face of his henchman. I’ll kill the other two guards I switch shifts with, making sure they’re out of the way. When Tate and I are all alone, I’m going to get all of the answers out of him that I can. I know he’ll be able to lead me to the owners of this sick-ass fucking website. Plus, by going in as Tanner Jacobs, I might be able to get inside his home easier.”

  “Okay, be safe.”

  “I will, I’m ready to end this shit and see this motherfucker off to the afterlife,” I said. I walked away to change into Tanner, which hurt like hell. After the transformation, I took a quick shower and then got dressed in my suit. Mr. Tate liked for his guards to wear a simple dress suit of black slacks and jacket, a white shirt, no tie, and patent leather shoes. That was our uniform. His personal bodyguard and lover, yeah, I’d caught them kissing on the camera a couple of times, although they never fucked where the cameras were. Anyway, his bodyguard got to wear whatever he wanted. Though, he seemed to prefer his traditional Japanese clothing.

  I’d been surveying Mr. Tate for two weeks now. Jordan and I had gotten a lot of information about his business dealings and associates. We knew how he had information that was secret regarding the murders of Mr. Daring and Mayor Danvers, and it was because he had not only an insider in the police force, but one in the FBI, as well. Of course, he never referred to them by their real names. Codenames only, like Miss Swiss, who could very well be a fucking man for all I knew. The other contact went under the codename of Mr. Black.

  Jordan was having one hell of a time trying to put those pieces together and figure out who was who. The only time Mr. Tate discussed the Killing Game was to reminisce about past murders that had taken place. The ones he thought were “classics.” I did know that their victims came from all over. Some were soldiers, homeless people, children, women, and men from all walks of life. I did know the Killing Game was planning something big like a hunt where some of the big fish were going to gather to hunt down and murder/torture some poor son of a bitch for sport.

  It was a big deal, because it was supposed to be the first time some of them would gather together in one place. That really caught my interest, and I was going to pump Mr. Tate for all of the info on it I could get. He, of course, was one of the rich bastards that wanted to go, even though his personal bodyguard wasn’t keen on the idea. That was why so much care was being put into preparations. They wanted to make sure they would all be able to go, have fun killing, and then return to their lives like they weren’t fucked up in the head.

  They wanted this to be an annual event, which was sure to bring in more members. And if it was popular, well, then maybe it could be bi-annual or quarterly. This was all information Jordan and I had gathered through our audio surveillance. Mr. Tate had watched several Killing Game killings in the two weeks I’d been monitoring, but he hadn’t participated in bidding on any of them. He just liked to watch, and that might have been a reason why Jordan was having trouble tracking down his finances.

  He probably paid his annual fee with money orders or bonds or maybe even cash, something untraceable like that. When others had bid on a Killing Game victim, some paid by wiring money. That was how we had caught Mr. Daring, AKA Mr. Jingles. It was also how I had gotten information on two other members who were sure to be getting a visit from Yours Truly very soon. They’d already be dead if they were in the States. But Mr. Do Wrong was in England, and that wasn’t a nickname I gave her or him. That was their Killing Game moniker. The other, Lee Wei Long, was in South Korea. I was sure that wasn’t his or her real name either. I couldn’t take the time away from infiltrating Mr. Tate’s home to take them out, but they were on my to-do list.

  I grabbed my gun with the suppressor, because tonight was the night. I had my goals set and I was determined to finally get all up in Mr. Tate’s flat ass. Yeah, no desirable ass there, but I would bet that didn’t bother Takahashi Anzai. Of course, I was wondering if Tate topped, or did they switch? Couldn’t tell from their aggressive kissing, it could go either way. I came out of the bedroom and looked at J.

  “We all good?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, a Mr. Alexander Foster is the guest of honor today. The guy is coming to check out the Killing Game.”

  “A soon-to-be-dead motherfucker is who he is. By the way, is that one of their jazzy codenames or his real one?”

  Jordan chuckled. “His real one. I’ve already looked into him. He’s a multimi
llionaire CEO of GordanChech Financial Holdings. Has a wife and three kids; two grown—both boys, and the daughter is in high school. He has several properties all around the world, from mansions to apartments. He lives in New York in the Soho district, but flew in today for the special meeting with Richard. He’s expected to arrive within the next hour and an half.”

  “Well, I guess I better get a move on.”

  “What if he changes his mind and doesn’t want anything to do with the Killing Game? Will you still kill him?” Jordan asked me.

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s not innocent. He knows this shit is going down and instead of trying to report it, even if it might not matter, he’s looking into getting involved. He’s intrigued and wants to know more about it. He’s planning on getting his feet wet tonight, and maybe even bid on a victim to choose how they die. To me, that makes him guilty. Even if he sees what happens and realizes it’s too much for him, he’s a part of the problem. Rich people like him, callous assholes who think killing the poor is entertainment, don’t deserve to live.”

  “We know what’s going on and we haven’t reported it?” Jordan pointed out.

  “I know, but we also aren’t trying to get in on the goods.”

  “What if…” he raised his hand to silence me. “What if we bring Alexi in on this, tell him what’s going on. Show him the evidence we have, and we have a lot.”

  I shook my head. “These people are powerful enough to eat Alexi alive. Cecily was a mayor for crying out loud. There’s no telling how deep their pockets go or how powerful these people are. How many strings they can pull or how underhanded they can be. Who they’re willing to kill or pay off to keep silent. If I thought this was something the cops could handle, I would have delivered everything I had on Cecily and Walter to Alexi’s doorstep. But with what we know, he can’t even touch these people and I’m sure he wouldn’t be given the resources or time.”

  “Well, I got my answer. Okay.” Jordan waved at me. “Be careful.”