Page 40 of Targeted By Vengeance

“Are you ready?” Mateo’s deep voice sliced through my thoughts.

Blinking, I pulled myself back into reality and looked up at him. “Yeah,” I said.

His eyes raked over my body, counting the weapons wrapped around my belt and measuring the bullet-proof material covering my body. “You have everything? Is the plan still fresh in your head?”

“Yes,” it almost came out like a sigh. “You don’t have to worry. I’ll be fine.”

His hands slipped over my hips. Pulling me closer, he turned my body to face his.

Heat rushed up my cheeks as our torsos collided and his palm cupped the back of my neck. His dark eyes burned into mine, glittering like tiny onyx gems under the moonlight.

“I’m serious,” he insisted. “You make it back to me, alright?”

“I will.” I stood up on my toes to kiss him. “I promise,” I murmured against his lips.

His grip tightened as our kisses deepened, and for a second I feared he might change his mind about staying behind. He’d tried to mask his reluctance with the same apathy he covered everything else with, but I could still sense it. He really didn’t want me going on this mission - this vendetta. But, we both knew there was nothing he could do to stop me.

I was just grateful he didn’t give me a hard time. The last thing I needed on my plate was another argument. I was tired of fighting with him. We had to be on the same page if whatever we are is going to work.

A hand wrapped around my arm and yanked me out of Mateo’s embrace. Stumbling backwards, I looked over my shoulder to see Maria’s tight bun bouncing in sync with her steps. “So you can make out with your man before a mission but I can’t?” I asked as she towed me along.

She flicked her free hand the space forming between Mateo and me and pretended to gag.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I swiveled on my feet and sped up to keep up with her.

We hiked through the nearby forest to get closer to the estate.

The mansion itself was caged in by tall, thick steel gates. No guards stood on either side of them. Instead, Marcos relied on a state of the art security system to keep an eye on his property. Cameras were hidden across the estate, covering every single inch. If they caught any suspicious or unauthorized movement or faces, it’d ring a silent alarm that’d notify Marcos’ muscle who had properties farther down the road.

During our observation period, I thought it was strange he didn’t keep his men on the property. Men like him usually traveled with entourages, trained specifically for their protection. Maybe because Marcos was technically out of the game, he thought he didn’t have to worry about those things anymore.

From the outside looking in, it seemed like Marcos was a normal retiree. He often strolled around with little urgency and was entertained by small, mundane tasks. Some days he tended to his garden. Others, he took laps around the estate. Then, there were some when he just sat by the lake and stared at the water.

Each time we saw him, I couldn’t help but notice how relaxed he was. Almost as if he didn’t have mountains of skeletons sitting in his closet.

The soft glow from the outdoor lamps hovering above the various entrances around the mansion greeted us as we reached the edge where the forest ended and his driveway began.

Maria shrugged her small backpack off of her shoulders and dug around inside for her compact computer. The device was so small it almost looked like a phone. She held it in one hand while the other quickly tapped some of the keys.

After a few moments, the light on the security cams lodged onto the gates shifted from red to green.

“We’re in,” Maria murmured as she shut the laptop and shoved it back into her bag.

I walked a few steps ahead of her towards the gates. I gave one of the bars a gentle push, and it quietly creaked open.

Maria and I slipped through the small opening. We jogged up the pile of staggered steps leading up to the front door.

I stood back as Maria used a small pin to jiggle the doorknob lock loose. She held her hand out behind her as she pushed the door open and peeked inside.

Grabbing her hand, I followed her into the darkness.

Inside, the scent of cigar smoke and expensive cologne wafted through the air. Moonlight spilled through the slits of the long curtains, illuminating the long hallway. To our right was the living room, filled with an abundance of furniture and rugs. Ahead of us, a marble counter gleamed in the kitchen. Slightly to our left was the swirling stairwell leading up to the other floors.

We skirted around the furniture in the living room, down another empty hall, and through the french doors leading into his personal study.

My nose scrunched at the strong stench of cigar smoke. I brought my free arm up against my nostrils to prevent the smell from burning them.

Maria barely blinked at it. She continued strolling towards the large chestnut desk on the other side of the room. Atop it was a wide screen desktop, keyboard, a wooden ashtray, and a few photograph frames.