The Dom Who Loved Me (Masters and Mercenaries #1)(92)

“McKay-Taggart. They have an office in Dallas.” She hadn’t seen it yet, but she intended to help her fiancé move out of it. He was going back to school, and she was going to help him. He was getting out of this world. They were going to have a family.

Tears pricked at her eyes. They could have it all, if she lived.

“Never heard…f*ck. Ian Taggart?” He spat out the name like a curse.

Grace nodded her head.

“Goddamn it.” Parnell, Wright, whatever his name was took a long breath and slammed his foot into the ground. “That f*cker sent Taggart after me. Do you know who Ian Taggart is?”

“He’s Sean’s brother.” That was really all she knew about the man. Well, she knew some of his sexual proclivities, but she didn’t see how those fit into her current predicament.

Even in the moonlight, she could see that Parnell had gone a little green. “He’s a legend in the business. He’s the one you go to when the wet work gets too wet, if you know what I mean.”

She didn’t. She didn’t know anything. She didn’t understand a thing. She just wanted Sean. She wanted his arms around her.

“Ian Taggart is a f*cking assassin. He kills people.” Parnell shook his head. “That is just like Nelson to send a f*cking assassin after me. After everything I did for him. Taggart is a piece of work. If he says he’s running a security company, it’s almost surely a cover for his real work.”

Grace tried not to think about that because she could see Sean moving very quietly on top of the roof behind Parnell. Her heart nearly stopped when she saw him in a vent on top of the roof, moving as the air conditioner came on to cover the noise. He moved far more fluidly than a man that big should move. For the first time, Grace had to acknowledge that her man was a trained killer, and she was very thankful for it. Hope soared in her. Sean was here. He would take care of it.

“You’re wrong about Ian.” She had to keep him talking. She had to give Sean time. She took careful inventory of her surroundings. There was a large air conditioning unit just a couple of feet to her left. She would need cover when Sean made his move. He wouldn’t be able to do anything until he knew she was safe.

Parnell sneered at her. “I’m not wrong. He’s the worst of the worst, and he’s using all of you. I bet he’s working with Nelson. Damn it. They’re probably all working with Nelson. What’s he calling himself this week? Mr. Black? Mr. Gray? It’s all the same. You’re all the same. That means you’re just a pawn, and no one will come for you.”

He was wrong. She knew it because her man was edging his way toward her. He just needed a little more time. She was the only one who could give it to him. “I’m marrying Sean Taggart. He’ll come for me. He’ll a make a deal with you.”

“Not if his brother doesn’t allow it. A man like Ian Taggart will just kill him if he gets in his way.”

“No. Sean is his brother. Ian loves his brother.”

Sean moved toward her, his boots making no sound on the surface beneath him. He had taken off his jacket and tie. He was an elegant panther making his way toward his mate.

In the moonlight, Parnell’s eyes looked black as night. “Ian Taggart doesn’t love anything. Trust me, sweetheart, when you’ve seen as much as Taggart and I have seen, it doesn’t matter anymore. I poisoned my brother not twenty minutes ago. He should be keeling over right about now. It was easy.”

“Matt?” Her throat practically closed up at the thought. He’d been awful the last few days, but he’d been a good man once. The thought that he was dead pained her. How many of the people in her life were going to die before this was over?

Patrick Wright’s face became a mask of disdain. “Yes. I never intended to share my score with him. He made it damn near impossible to get this job done, and now you’ve managed to f*ck it up. I have to find my contact and try to convince him I didn’t double cross him.”

“That’s going to be difficult, Wright.” Sean was on his feet and had the enemy firmly in his sights. “Move it, Grace.”

As Parnell turned, Grace obeyed. She dove for cover. She settled behind the metal case of the air conditioner as Parnell snarled at Sean.

“What is that supposed to mean? And why did your brother send in the scrubs? Is he not man enough to meet me himself? Or maybe he wants me to do his dirty work for him?”

“My brother is busy handling your contact. Ian’s already taken him out. I have no doubt he’ll be riding into the rescue as soon as he can.” Sean sounded very sure of himself.

Grace was terrified. He was out there with a known killer. Grace got to her knees and tried peeking from behind her cover. The two men seemed to be in some sort of standoff.

“Your brother is making a deal.”

Sean’s head shook. “I don’t buy it, Wright. I know my brother. He doesn’t like the CIA any more than I do.”

“Your brother was an agent for ten years, idiot. I’m not sure he isn’t still an agent. He’s using his little company as a cover.”

Sean stopped. He didn’t drop his gun, but Grace could see Parnell was getting to him. “That’s not true.” He firmed his stance again. “I’m taking you in.”

“Never going to happen,” Parnell swore, and he pulled the trigger.