The Punisher: Blood Feud (Book 1)

-Tension-

-LACEY-

After I settled into my new office, I called ANVIL. As I waited to hear back from them, I went through some of the boxes Karen had left for me. I also pulled out the burner that she used to stay in contact with Frank. I smirked at the thought of Erykah shipping us last night.

It's adorable of her but absurd. Oddly, I've grieved and moved on from Dean himself but not from what might have happened to him. I never gave any thought to dating. I kept busy. It was easier that way.

As I went through these files, I wondered why anyone with a shred of common sense bought the fact that Wallace had acted alone. If Rawlins and Schoonover are involved, how did they get off scot-free? I felt like they were. The three of them were the ranking officers of...

"Cerebus?" I read. "What the hell is that?"

As I read further, I realized that they turned Frank, Dean, and Billy into hitmen. They were sent out to take out targets at the discretion of their commanding officer. They were instructed to remove the bullets from the bodies.

I had the feeling that the targets had been innocent men. But this had become public knowledge...so what did Valhalla have to do with any of this? Or my husband, for that matter?

Before I could dig any further, my phone rang.

"Hello?" I greeted the caller. It's from ANVIL.

"Lacey Gordon?" A pleasant voice responds. "Hi, this is Billy Russo. I thought it would be better to return your call personally."

His voice certainly matches his appearance. Charming. I'm not blind, I know why women fell for it. I'm not so easy.

"Hi, Billy," I replied in a coy voice. "I'm sure you know why I'm calling."

"You're writing about Anvil, and if you're anything like your predecessor you'll want to know everything...the ins and outs of what I do." He states.

I felt an odd shiver down my spine. What the hell was that about? Erykah always wanted me to get out there and date again. Maybe if I had, I wouldn't react the way I had to his voice.

"You could say that," I answered in a stronger voice than I thought I'd have. "When would you like to meet?"

"I'm meeting with a client tonight, so how about tomorrow? He asks.

"Sounds good to me," I murmured.

"I look forward to seeing you in person," he tells me.

I had almost asked what he meant, but I remember that he worked with Dean...and he might have been shown a photo of me.

"I could say the same thing about you," I retort. "The stories I could tell..."

"Oh yeah?" He chuckles and once again I felt a chill. "Well...something tells me that you look even better than the photos you've sent."

"There's more to me than that," I assure him, surprising myself.

"I believe you," he replied warmly. "You went through a rigorous process to replace the infamous Karen Page...and even before that, I've read your work."

"You have?" I asked dubiously.

"The truth is...I wanted to reach out to you about Dean," he admits sheepishly. "I should have."

"I appreciate that," I admit in a soft voice.

"I'll see you tomorrow night, Lacey." He replies in the same soft tone I had.

After we sort out the details and hung up, I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. I need to get a grip. I need to gain the upper hand, and I knew just how to do so.