Unknown (The Elite Book 1) Read online

  Unknown

  The Elite (Book One)

  G.P. Darling

  G.P. Darling

  Unknown (The Elite Book One)

  Copyright © 2022 G.P. Darling

  All Rights Reserved

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, and places are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons is entirely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted without written permission from the publishes or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law, or brief quotations in a review.

  Cover Design: Alisha Williams

  Editing: Amber Nicole

  To Taco Bell…..

  Blurb

  My best friend is dead

  Those who I call family are telling me the one I love is a monster

  I’m Sorry…the last text he ever sent

  Now I’m not sure what to believe.

  I’m sent on a mission to find him no matter the cost. I find myself undercover with The Elite, a team working outside the law to hunt down the worst criminals.

  I’m going to use this team as a way to find the truth. To find him and get the answers I deserve.

  Revenge might just destroy me but this is what I was trained for.

  No one will ever see this coming. Including my own fucking heart…

  Foreword

  This is a why choose book, meaning our baddie main character has more than one love interest. This is the first book in a trilogy and will end on a cliffhanger. Unknown is a full-length adult romance with dark and suspenseful tones. Be advised this book contains graphic language and sexual situations. There are triggering events such as torture, murder, violence, and human trafficking. If any of these things are triggering to you please do not read. Everyone else…enjoy the ride.

  Songs that play a part in the story of this book or that were listened to repeatedly as we wrote.

  LISTEN HERE

  Contents

  Prologue

  1. Nat

  2. Stryker

  3. Nat

  4. Stryker

  5. Nat

  6. King

  7. Nat

  8. Conrad

  9. Nat

  10. King

  11. Nat

  12. Conrad

  13. Nat

  14. Nat

  15. King

  16. Conrad

  17. Nat

  18. Stryker

  19. King

  20. Nat

  21. Conrad

  22. King

  23. Nat

  24. Stryker

  25. Nat

  26. Nat

  27. Conrad

  28. King

  29. Nat

  30. Stryker

  31. Nat

  32. Conrad

  33. King

  34. Nat

  Acknowledgments

  About Author

  Prologue

  One Year Ago

  I look up at the large stained glass window. There’s a sad woman looking down, with her eyes downcast. Never being much of a churchgoer, I’m not sure what the picture is trying to show. The rain falling on the window gives the appearance that she is crying. It’s fitting since today will be a day for more tears.

  I pull my attention to the rain beating against the window, drowning out the sound of the minister talking. He’s preaching about life being cut short, and how we should cherish the time we have left. I want to run. I need to get out of here and scream. My legs are shaking and struggling to be still. I place my hands, one on each knee, to settle them down. A hand clasps one of mine. I don’t look over, but continue to stare down at the muscular grip now holding firm to mine.

  “Breathe. We will get through this,” he whispers in my ear. How can he possibly say this? Get through this. How does one go about getting through losing a loved one? This isn’t just any loved one, either. Suddenly, people stand from their pews and start walking toward the center aisle. The hand gripping mine tugs and I allow myself to look up at him. He’s staring back down at me with his cerulean eyes. “It’s time to go, Malyshka.”

  I allow him to pull me up as he wraps his arms around me. I never feel as safe as I do when I’m in Alexie’s arms. He drops the embrace and pulls me behind him towards the exit.

  We stand outside, under the overhang of the church, waiting for the SUV to pull up, our hands still clasped together. “Alexie, I don’t understand what happened. Who did this? I need you to find out who did this.” I feel my chest tighten, struggling to hold back tears, “Do you hear me, Alexie?” my voice becomes more panicked, “You find out who did this and make them pay!”

  Alexie turns to face me, taking my other hand in his, “I’ll never give up, or stop looking. Whoever did this to Katia will pay with their life.”

  My best friend was murdered, and we don’t know how this happened. I wasn’t allowed to see her, as they had to identify her body from dental records because of the brutality of her death. I read the report, and the amount of pain and suffering she went through before she died made me throw up. She’d been one of my closest friends since I was about nine years old. It was just her and Alexie in my life, and that’s all I thought I needed. Now that she’s gone, I don’t know what to do. I still have Alexie, and if he says he’ll find who did this, then I have to trust he will. Alexie always knows what to do.

  Three Months Later

  I haven’t heard from Alexie in days. He’s still working on trying to find whoever murdered our best friend, and my patience is growing thin. It’s never taken him this long to find someone with all the connections he has at his fingertips. Something feels off. I don’t know what it is, but I plan to find out.

  My phone lights up with a text message:

  Uncle A: I’ll be there in five minutes. Don’t leave the house or use your phone.

  What is he coming here for? He never comes to the house. Something is definitely wrong. He isn’t really my uncle, but he raised me. A few minutes later, a fleet of black SUVs pulls up in front of the home I share with Alexie, and used to share with Katia. Uncle A never leaves the house without at least ten men surrounding him. Four men enter my home and begin looking around; going through every room, looking under every surface and inside every vent. After they’re finished searching, he finally enters my home.

  He isn’t a large man, but he seems to fill the room. His hair is gray and eyes are dark. The stories other people tell about him are enough to give you nightmares, but this is the man that saved my life and I respect him nonetheless. He walks straight for me and pulls me into a hug, “My Printsessa.” He steps back and I look up into his eyes, “I’m sorry I never made it to Katia’s funeral.”

  I never thought about it, but he never contacted me since he said they found her body. He moves across my living room towards my favorite chair and sits down, three of his men standing behind him. “Come sit by me, I have some news,” he states as he gestures for me to sit on the couch across from him.

  None of the surrounding men look in my direction, as their eyes continue to scan the surroundings for any sign of danger. A man in his line of work needs to always be careful. I quickly sit on the couch, anticipation growing with what he has to share.

  “I wish my news was joyful news, my dear,” he says, leaning back in the chair, and crossing his legs, “we’ve discovered who killed Katia.”

  I sit up straight as a board and lean towards him. I’ve been waiting three months for this information, and my heart feels like it’s about to beat out of my chest. Unable to wait in silence any longer, I implore him, “Please, tell me who it was. I want to make them pay.”

  He continues to eye me intently, but then he takes a deep
breath, casting his eyes downward. “I’m so sorry, my Printsessa, moy mal’chik killed Katia.”

  The room disappears around me, and I try to focus on anything. “I don’t understand. How? Why? Why would he do this?”

  He leans forward in his chair and takes my hands in his. He doesn’t show sympathy or emotion easily, but I can tell there is more to this. “I’ve had people looking into my son for a while now, and it looks like he was trying to branch away from the family and start his own business. He involved himself in some terrible things and your friend had the misfortune of finding out. I’m sorry, love.” He drops my hands and stands up, straightening the bottom of his suit jacket. “I am sending you to find him. Someone will reach out with more information, but I have a new job for you…” He talks about me going to Chicago and joining a team to get information that will aid my search. My mind is spinning and I don’t know how everything could have fallen apart like this. Was I too caught up in being happy that I became blind to things happening right in front of my face? “Printsessa, I need you to look at me,” he orders. I look up, meeting his dark eyes, “You need to find my son. You need to find Alexie. Do you think you can do that?”

  My mind struggles to comprehend what he just told me. Alexie killed Katia. That cannot be real. It must be a lie. For most of my life, he has been my rock. He has been there for me through the worst of times, including Katia’s funeral. At her funeral, he held my fucking hand. Alexie promised to find who killed Katia, but he knew who it was all along. How could he sit next to me, comforting me, when he brutally murdered our best friend? Our family. My heart feels like it’s breaking all over again as tears threaten to spill down my face.

  I look up, his dark eyes still meeting mine, “Printsessa, I asked if you could…”

  My phone dings interrupting him:

  Alexie: I’m sorry.

  My breathing stalls, and the rest of the room seems to fade away. I’m sorry. That’s all he has to fucking say? Was everything a lie? Every time he said he loved me, was it all for some other reason? Breathe, Nat, there has to be more to this. There has to be more to this. Alexie couldn’t have done this. It wasn’t all a lie, I can feel it. The only way I’ll find answers is by finding Alexie.

  I look up, “Yes, I’ll find Alexie.”

  Nat

  Present Day

  Ding. Ding. The elevator doors close, letting me know there’s no turning back now. My heart is beating faster. This is something I can do. This is something I need to do. Ding. Ding. Why does this feel like the longest elevator ride of my life? I have to go all the way to the tenth floor, where I’ll start my new life. My new mission.

  Ding. The doors slowly open on the second floor, revealing a man talking in a low, gritty voice. He’s speaking to another man, not in my line of sight. As he tells him, “I’ll check back in on that later, and I expect better results this time.” He turns towards the elevator and my breath immediately catches in my throat. His long dirty blond hair is pulled back into a low bun, and I can see tattoos peeking by the collar of his shirt. I wonder what they look like underneath. My eyes work down his arms. They are massive and I notice more tattoos all the way down to his hands.

  I glance up at his eyes as they peruse my body, beginning at my feet and slowly working their way up to my face. It looks as though he is staring at the elevator walls behind my head instead of right into my eyes. I’m not sure if I’ve taken the breath still caught in my throat yet. He clears his throat, and I realize I’m standing in the middle of the elevator and immediately move over.

  “Excuse me,” I say shakily. Way to make a great first impression. That wasn’t embarrassing or anything, Nat. He steps into the elevator, and it feels like he fills up the remaining space, not just with his body, but with the Big Dick energy and tension that seems to roll off of him. It’s captivating to the point I finally realize I’m staring at his back. Stop staring! This is not the reason you’re here. I’m practically yelling to myself.

  He’s well over six feet tall, and could easily pass as an actor on one of those sexy Viking shows I watch. I decide to be bold and not let him shake me. “What floor are you headed to?” He glances towards me, but doesn’t say a word, turning back towards the doors. What an asshole. I hope I don’t have to be around him after this elevator ride.

  Even though I might be stuck in the elevator with the rudest man I’ve ever encountered, I can’t help but look at him and admire what a beautiful creation he is.

  Ding! The doors open, and as he moves forward to step out, he turns to me. “You must be lost. The training for new office assistants is on the fourth floor.”

  I can feel my mouth open in shock at such a rude ass remark, but no words come out. Then the asshole has the audacity to hit the door close button and turn to leave. I’m standing there frozen in shock when a hand reaches between the doors to stop them from closing all the way, and they open again. “Natalie?” says a silver-haired man.

  “Yes,” I say, trying to match the confidence in his voice. His hand reaches out and grasps mine. He starts to gently pull me forward from the elevator. I realize I can’t stop looking at this man as well. I’m in deep shit if all the men look like the two I’ve seen so far.

  “Welcome, Agent Kash. I’m Walter Ingram, Unit Chief and Team Liaison between the team and the board.” So it looks like the silver fox is my new boss. Great.

  We continue to stand there, staring at each other, for what seems like forever. Lost in his gaze that I take a moment to notice that he’s still holding onto my hand and I immediately pull away, which breaks the staring contest we seem to be having. “It’s nice to meet you, Agent Ingram. I’m excited to get started with a new team,” I say, clearing my throat.

  He moves forward, motioning for me to follow him as he continues to talk. “From what I’ve read, I think you’ll be an excellent addition to our team, Natalie. Let me show you around and give the rest of the team time to get here so we can introduce you.”

  We start down a long hall and he continues telling me why I’m here, “You’ve been brought here to join our privately funded team, called The Elite. While you might think we’re connected to any three-letter agency, we do not openly recognize that, nor do we work within their constricting parameters. You’ll notice we do things a little differently than most, and our team is not composed of your typical agents. Everyone here is handpicked and at the top of their field.”

  Agent Ingram shows me an enormous room, with each person having their own cubicle, the break room, and the meeting room, where we will review and discuss cases. As we walk towards an office at the end of the hall, he places his hand a little too close to my lower back, ushering me into the space. “This is my office, Agent Kash. We’ll be spending plenty of one-on-one time here.”

  I’m not sure how to take that last comment, but I immediately feel my walls going up. As if they could go up any higher, just remember why you’re here, Nat. Keep your head down and get the job done. Just find him. Agent Ingram removes his hand from my back and walks around his desk, telling me to have a seat. I move towards the chairs in front of him when the office door slams open. “Agent Ingram! I have something of the utmost importance to tell you!”

  I turn towards the door, where a woman of short stature, with bright lavender hair pulled into a perfectly round bun on top of her head, stands. Her face immediately lights up when she sees me as though we were long-lost friends. “Oh. My. God! You must be Agent Natalie Kash. How rude of me to barge in here. This is not how I want to make a first impression, because those are the most influential you know?” She continues to ramble on.

  I interrupt, to save her from herself. “Yes, I’m Agent Kash. It’s nice to meet you, Agent…”

  “I’m Bernadette, or Agent Jayce. Of course you can call me BJ,” she says with a snicker, and I immediately smile back at her. So it’s not all hot assholes and creeps that work here.

  BJ, yeah, that is sticking with me forever, steps toward me. “Yo
u just have to meet the rest of the team. Come with me and I’ll do the introductions.”

  Agent Ingram stops us before we can leave. “Agent Jayce, didn’t you have something of the utmost importance to tell me?”

  “Oh! Ummm, it can wait. This is much more important.” BJ says, hooking her arm through mine as we exit Agent Ingram’s office.

  Walking arm in arm with her, I look around for signs of any other agents that may work here. BJ is rambling on about the original team members, but I’ve barely heard a word she’s saying as my mind is running off on its own tangent. Do you think BJ just doesn’t care to listen to the dress code, or that she’s an office assistant like fuckstick thought I was?

  We pause in front of a set of closed doors, and Bj grips the handle. I recognize it as the meeting room Agent Ingram showed me earlier.

  “Now, before we enter The Noggin Chamber, remember what I told you about certain members of the team.” Fuck, I have no idea what she told me. Note to self: pay attention when people are talking to me.

  “Did you say Noggin Chamber?” I ask.

  “Yes, this is where all the magic happens.” BJ pauses as though waiting for me to reply and continues, “No matter what others may call it, this room is the Noggin Chamber.”

  She opens the door and immediately heads towards the front of the room. I stand alone at the opening and glance around the space. Instantly seeing two sets of intense eyes watching me. Both sets belong to men, each making my heart beat faster. Is this a joke? A test? People don’t really look like this outside of TV and movies. My eye candy moment is interrupted by BJ.

  “Everyone, this is Agent Kash or Natalie. She is joining the team as our new communications specialist. She is going to dazzle us with her skills in research and interrogation. As they say, communication is key and this team could use a little help in that area. Anyway, we can work on a nickname later.” She gives me a playful wink before continuing, “Natalie, this is Agent Jackson Stryker. Weapon specialist, our supreme team lead, and our second place fashionista.”