My Bad Boy's Secret: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance (42 page)

              I had to admit that Ada had a point. “You’re right,” I sighed. “Then help me rough her up a bit more before I leave.”

              Ada stood bolted to the floor. I didn’t know why she was waiting. “Well? Get to it, and hit her with me!”

              Ada walked over very reluctantly, and kicked Sabina softly. “Harder!” I demanded as Sabina moaned again.

              I leaned down with Ada and we got to work punching. We did it for a few more minutes, until I was finally satisfied. I would have to do this again someday.

              I walked out, still confused about who could’ve slipped the drugs to me. I really hoped that Ada wasn’t responsible. We had been having a good relationship so far, and I really hoped she wasn’t betraying me.

Chapter 8 – Sabina

              I couldn’t sleep that night after nearly getting beaten to death. Ada untied me, washed and bandaged me, and put me to bed without saying a word. When we saw each other the next day at breakfast, we said nothing. Jake was worried about what had happened to me and demanded answers, but after McKenna explained to him what had occurred, he stopped being so concerned.

              I hated McKenna, but now I hated Ada just as much. I knew she didn’t have much of a choice, but I was still bitter that she helped hurt me. For the next few days, we didn’t speak to each other. I was too engaged in work and still too furious at Ada to even look at her. The wedding was going to be happening in two weeks, and Ada and I were tasked with serving as security. We had to keep our eyes on surveillance and put down anyone who tried anything violent to disrupt the party. We were supposed to be working together, but I didn’t want to even be in the same room as her. Ada seemed to understand. She gave me my space and avoided me.

              The injuries weren’t as severe as I thought, but it still hurt tremendously. And I still had a huge grudge against Ada. I was worried that maybe she wasn’t acting that time. Maybe she genuinely liked McKenna, due to all the fun and good times she had with her, and was going to betray me and the US for the Crew. Could I even still work with her and share intel?

              I was alone in my room the night before the wedding when the door opened and Ada walked in awkwardly. She looked like she would rather be in prison than here with me.

              “Hi,” she began shyly.

              I looked at her and turned back to the book I was reading. “Hey,” I said without looking at her eyes.

              She sat beside me and tried to hold my hand, but I pulled away. “I found something really awful in the locket, and you have to know,” she told me.

              I didn’t say anything.

              “I know why you’re angry,” she continued. “You have every right to be. But I had no choice. I couldn’t not participate. And I want to stop the Crew as much as you do. And Jake and McKenna are plotting something truly horrible that we need to alert the authorities about.”

              I decided that I couldn’t ignore this. “What is it?” I asked.

              Ada pulled out her laptop and directed me to some of the files. “These are viruses they engineered. They’re going to release them in a couple days to crash websites and databases all over the world. They’re going to post fake evidence claiming that politicians and other leaders everywhere are involved in crime. It’s all false, but it looks convincing. It’s going to make governments lose authority, and the world will go into chaos. If we’re going to bring in outside help to intervene, now is the time.”

              I thought about the findings. They corresponded to the intel in the watch. Ada had a point. But I still had trouble forgiving her.

              “Sabina,” pleaded Ada, “I know you’re still hating me for hitting you. I wish I could take it all back. But we can still work together. Let’s send out this intel and call Interpol. We don’t have much time left.”

              I still wasn’t sure whose side Ada was on. Which side was I on? If I had to choose now, I don’t know how I would respond. But I nodded slowly.

              “OK, send out the message. Let’s tell the government what we found. It’s big. But what’s going to happen when Interpol arrives?”

              Ada shrugged. “They arrest everyone, hopefully? The wedding is bringing over the whole Crew. All seven of those bastards are going down. We’ll finally be done.”

              I hoped that Ada was telling me the truth.

Chapter 9 – Ada

              The wedding day was here. McKenna was alone arranging her own dress and makeup. It was a simple yet exquisitely elegant white sleeveless dress, and as with anything she wore, McKenna looked stunning in it. She was a real-life goddess, and she knew it. The party had started in the early morning with guests flying onto the ship. We had approximately 100 people who were invited. Guests made sure to bring only those explicitly invited and welcome. Anyone not on the list was quickly ejected.

              I saw all seven members of the Crew arrive for the wedding. From the upper observation deck, I had a clear view of everyone mingling on deck and having food and drinks. Jake was at the center of attention, welcoming people and making small talk. I saw him smile for real when friends he could trust showed up, and I noticed him pretend to be happy when he saw Snarl and Clagney, two Crew members he wished he could stab to death. Jake often spoke of how these two men were always badgering him to join the human trafficking business. Jake always declined, and said that he had his standards of what was acceptable and what was not. The two guys were never above anything. They killed, raped, and hurt people every day, and they especially lusted after McKenna. McKenna wanted to see them dead. She told me about fantasizing about stringing them up and cutting them into pieces.

              No one knew that I was there. I was supposed to stay invisible. I had the surveillance tools that scanned every guest for weapons or explosives, and I had to keep my eyes peeled for anything suspicious. So far, everything was fine. I was far more concerned about the arrival of Interpol. Sabina and I dialed for them and gave them the coordinates of the ship. They were sending their army over to apprehend or kill everyone in the Crew. I knew that shit was going to hit the fan when they arrived. Whether I could survive and tell the tale to my grandchildren was up in the air.

              The wedding ceremony was brief and to the point. Jake and McKenna simply said their vows, kissed, and then started the party. They had no interest in theatrics or extravagant shows. They just wanted everyone in their circle to know that they were exclusive at long last, and that any other men should stay far away. I had seen Jake kill the men who tried approaching McKenna. He never joked about this.

              The reception was a wild time. People were getting drunk, fighting, and shouting. Jake spent all of his time with McKenna, dancing and talking. I thought that the whole wedding was going to end uneventfully, and that Interpol would take everyone by surprise. I was very wrong.

              Without warning, an hour after the reception began, Jake started convulsing. He collapsed and shook, and foam came out of his mouth. He looked like he was poisoned.

              McKenna screamed and started crying. She was acting crazy and everyone believed her, but I knew better than to do that. I had seen her act before. Something about her current state suggested that it was rehearsed. The guests didn’t know that.

              People were accusing each other of killing Jake. Some of the guards, along with McKenna, were dragging away Jake to the lower decks. She ran off crying, and seemed inconsolable. Something felt off about everything happening.

              Another hand grenade soon exploded into the mix. I heard the helicopters coming, and I knew that Interpol found us. They wasted no time firing their guns and missiles at the partygoers. People were fleeing to the interior to hide and find weapons to fight back. A bloodbath was raging.

              I knew that it was time to find Sabina and escape. We needed to find a place to hide and not get killed, and wait until Interpol retrieved us. They knew our identities and faces, and they knew not to kill us. Sabina was surveying from a lower deck, so I hurried down. The entire ship was chaos. The missiles had penetrated the hull, and the ship was beginning to sink. Guests were bleeding, collapsing, and shooting guns into the air to protect themselves. It took me some time to find Sabina. She was running around looking for me.

              “Jake’s dead!” I told her. Sabina blanched.

              “How?” she squeaked. She was very pale.

              “Poison,” I explained. “I don’t know who did it, but he must have ate something. He collapsed. He’s unconscious and he’s probably already dead.”

              Sabina burst into tears. “I don’t believe it! He can’t die!” She fell to her knees, her large belly resting on her thighs.

              I was puzzled. “What’s wrong with you? Isn’t this what we wanted? And now, I’m taking this gun and I’m making sure he’s dead.” I cocked my pistol and started walking in search of Jake.

              “No!” Sabina grabbed at my legs and pushed me down.

              I was mad now. I slapped Sabina hard. “Are you seriously in love with him? Are you going to be another McKenna? Think carefully about it. I don’t want to have to hurt you for real,” I snarled.

              Sabina was crying and shaking. “I don’t know what to do,” she moaned. “I want to stop him, but I still want to be with him.”

              “I like being with him too,” I admitted. “But Jake is evil. And we have to do our job. I’m sticking to my goal.” I got up, and I heard the door behind me open.

              I turned and saw that it was McKenna. She had murder in her eyes, and it was directed against Sabina.

Chapter 10 – McKenna

              It was finally time to get rid of Sabina. I lunged at her and tried to strangle her, but she sidestepped and dodged my attack. I tried kicking her down with a leg sweep, and it worked. She tumbled and screamed down to the hard floor. Ada was by my side, and held Sabina down as I inflicted more punches to her face. I was so involved in beating Sabina that I forgot for a moment about my most important duty.

              It hit me like a load of bricks. “Fuck!” I cried. I had to revive Jake from the pill he swallowed. He had taken it surreptitiously to convince the partygoers that he was poisoned by someone else. I needed to give him the antidote, and then we would flee.

              “I have to run!” I told Ada. “Save Sabina for me. I’m not through with her yet.”

              Ada nodded. I turned and left.

              Once McKenna rounded the corner and was far away enough, Ada took her switchblade out of her pocket. She was scared. She knew how dangerous this was going to be, and she was aware that she could very well die, but she wanted CASS out of her body, and she needed to use it to track Jake.

              She sank the knife into her left wrist, gritting her teeth and holding back her screams of pain. Blood gushed out, and the round chip was exposed. That was one chip. Ada grabbed it with her right hand and began pulling. The entire network of chips that crisscrossed her body followed, like a tapeworm being extracted from intestines.

              For what felt like a millennium, Ada pulled out every chip. The round pieces connected by wires gave her excruciating agony as they came out. Blood was pouring onto the whole floor. Eventually, though, the whole system was withdrawn. Ada collapsed and lost consciousness several times. The hardest part was over. Now she had to find Jake and put CASS onto him.

Chapter 11 – Jake

              I came back to consciousness, aware that the last breathe I took an hour ago at the reception could’ve been my last. It was a major risk, but I knew I had to take it. Plus, it was exciting. I liked the stimulation gained from putting myself in danger. McKenna wasn’t happy about it, but I wanted my thrills, and this was how I got them.