Broken (Endurance) (42 page)

"No, no I can't." Makayla played along, pulling her finger back.

"Come on just touch it," Tamarius coaxed, placing her finger on the car.

"Oh, my goodness, it's real." Makayla laughed.

"Merry Christmas, baby," Tamarius said, hugging her.

"I can't ... I didn't get you anything like this."

"You don't have to."

The rest of the day and evening was spent enjoying each other's company and taking a million pictures of Uriel as he opened up all his gifts.

After Christmas dinner Maxwell and Cressida didn't want to leave home just yet so they decided to leave the next day. Cressida was happy they’d changed their plans, remembering she had important documents to drop off at a client’s house before she left town. She debated on whether or not to go that very night, but Maxwell seductively persuaded her to do it first thing in the morning.

It was nine a.m. when Maxwell awoke to an empty bed. Cressida had taken off early eager to get back home. She was eager to leave for their honeymoon. It was only a twenty minute drive to her client’s home and back.

Maxwell decided he would call around the limo and have their bags packed while he waited. After taking a shower and dressing, he was overcome with a foreboding feeling. He looked at his watch. It was now showing ten minutes after ten. Cressida should have returned by now. He worried something had happened to her and rushed downstairs to find out who’d driven her. All the limos were parked, but Cressida's brand new Bentley was missing. "No," Maxwell growled as he passed his hand over his hair. He ran back upstairs and grabbed his cell phone to call her. Maxwell fumbled as he dialed her number, hanging up three times before finally getting it right. The phone rang twice before the voice of Charleston Dash answered the phone.

"What have you done with my wife?" Maxwell growled, trying to keep his temper under control.

"I told you she was already set to marry someone else!" Charleston yelled.

"She is a grown woman and she decides who she marries."

"I wonder what she would think if she knew you’d married her out of some kind of pity." Charleston smirked as he turned to look at his daughter.

Cressida lay unconscious on the floor of his office. It was the perfect place for Charleston to prepare hi
s daughter for her real wedding. N
ot that fake one she’d had with Maxwell Martinez.

"Pity? I love Cressida. I didn't marry her out of pity," Maxwell yelled back.

"Tell that to someone who cares," Charleston growled before hanging up the phone.

The first person Maxwell thought about was his brother. Running to his room he banged on the door wildly.

Tamarius came running to the door. "Maxwell... what happened?" He instantly recognized something was very wrong.

"Cressida," Maxwell breathed.

"What?"

"Cressida… somehow her father got a hold of her. She’s in danger."

"Go put on the full armor of God. I’ll meet you downstairs in ten minutes," Tamarius instructed before closing the door.

Armor of God

Tamarius took a quick shower, dressed then knelt before his Bible to say an earnest and heartfelt prayer that placed the full armor of God on his entire body. He placed a necklace, on which hung a pendant engraved with his family’s symbol, over the hands of his sleeping wife.  He kissed her lips and said a silent prayer over her as he gently pressed his forehead to hers. Tamarius took one last look at Makayla before leaving.

He met his brother, who was pacing the front patio downstairs. Tamarius didn't like the messages he was receiving from his spirit guide.  This was really bad. Tamarius needed to maintain his emotions. It was harder for him now that he had a child on the way and a wife who walked right out of his dreams. He now had so much more to lose if he failed.

Tamarius walked up to his brother and gently moved aside his collar to see his family necklace.

"I got it on," Maxwell answered.

"Let's go. I know where she is," Tamarius informed Maxwell.  He led the way to the limo. The door was already open as the driver stood by, anxious.  He could tell by the Martinez's demeanor something bad had happened.

The brothers ordered the limo to race over to the Charleston Dash law firm. The limo had barely come to a stop when they rushed out and walked towards the double glass doors. Maxwell lifted his hand and sent his energy bolting forward, shattering the glass. Both men walked through as glass fell all around them. They stopped in front of the elevator, debating whether they should use the stairs or the elevator.

"Eighteenth floor?" Maxwell said.

"Elevator." Tamarius reached out to press the button.

They stepped on the elevator and Maxwell hit the button for the eighteenth floor. The elevator music played as they rode quietly, focused on the upcoming battle. The elevator stopped and opened on the seventeenth floor. A demon with red skin and a forked tongue growled at them, turning his head from side to side.

Tamarius pressed the button again and the door closed. He looked at his brother and nodded towards the door. "Deal with that later?"

"Yeah," Maxwell agreed.

The elevator doors opened part way then jammed, leaving just a big enough gap for them to pry it open. Tamarius and Maxwell each gripped a door and pulled it back until they could slip through.

Maxwell looked around the eighteenth floor. It was dark with only the emergency exit light displaying the path that led to Charleston's office.

Tamarius summoned his sword and so did Maxwell. They walked cautiously towards Charleston's office, stopping short of busting in. Maxwell looked at his younger brother as he silently counted to three. They burst in with their swords out before them. Seeing no one, Maxwell looked over at his brother. "Are you sure this is the right floor?"

Tamarius rolled his eyes. Mathius had never guided him wrong. Mathius had been his guide since he was three years old and had never misled him.

Something stepped forward. "In the name of the almighty, reveal yourself!"  Tamarius yelled, lifting his sword and stabbing it into the floor.

Instantly the scene changed, revealing Charleston Dash holding a knife to his daughter's neck while Blake held a pen in her hand trying to force her to sign a paper. They both turned to see Maxwell and Tamarius running towards them. Charleston yanked Cressida out of her seat, still holding the knife to her throat and not realizing he was slowly cutting her soft skin.

Cressida pressed herself against her father’s chest, trying to release the pressure of the blade against her neck.

Maxwell stopped before Charleston, lowering his sword. "Please, this is your flesh and blood. Just let her go," Maxwell pleaded.

"I was supposed to have three boys," Charleston yelled back. "But then I understood what a girl was good for," he growled, looking at his daughter. "To bring in more men."

"She is a human being..."

"She is just a tool to bargain with... I can't lose everything I fought so hard for, everything I killed for."

"Charleston, please you are hurting her. Just put the knife down and let’s talk like responsible adults."

Maxwell watched blood trickle down Cressida's neck and shirt.

Tamarius kept his eye on Blake. They stood for a few minutes in a fierce stand off. Tamarius grew impatient with Blake. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to get my wife."

"Your wife?"

"Cressida was promised to me. It's in my contract," Blake revealed, grinning at Tamarius.

"Show me your contract, liar," Tamarius growled.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" Blake replied.

Tamarius looked sidelong and caught sight of the contract sitting on the desk. He quickly realized this was what they were trying to get her to sign. Tamarius began to use his telepathic ability to communicate with his brother.

"Maxwell, Charleston will not let Cressida go willingly. You will have to find a way to get her free." Tamarius eased his way towards the contract resting on the desk. If he could destroy that contract, he could break Cressida free. He inched his way over to the contract then Blake realized what he was trying to do.

Blake lunged at Tamarius, aiming for his gut. Tamarius quickly spun around and snatched the contract off of the table. Blake slammed into the desk knocking himself unconscious. Tamarius laughed to himself, amazed that this was the Blake who was practically getting away with murder.

Charleston lost his focus when he saw Tamarius had a hold of the contract. Maxwell and Cressida locked eyes as Maxwell swung his sword and hit Charleston in the arm that held the knife to Cressida's throat. Maxwell felt his sword slam into Charleston’s bone, causing the older man to scream in pain as he lost his grip on Cressida.

Maxwell quickly grabbed Cressida and pulled her away from Charleston.  He stepped in front of her. "You okay, baby?" He kept his eye on Charleston.

Tamarius backed his way over to his brother, also protecting Cressida. Blake regained consciousness and slammed his hand on the desk to pull himself up.

Charleston continued to groan in pain and hold onto his arm.

"We need to get out of here," Maxwell said to his brother.

"Let me just destroy the contract. Cover me," Tamarius said.

Maxwell stepped in front of his brother as Blake pulled out his own black sword and thrust it at Maxwell. Cressida screamed. Maxwell fought fiercely not giving Blake a chance to figure out his next move.

Tamarius said a quick prayer as he destroyed the contract and released Satan's hold on Cressida. The contract disintegrated.

Charleston ran to Tamarius in a furor. "No!" he screamed.

Tamarius took a step back and pushed Cressida behind him as Charleston got closer. Tamarius stepped forward, slamming his fist directly into Charleston's face and sending him flying backwards through the air. Charleston hit the wall with a heavy thud. His right arm was useless as it flung around.

Charleston got up and stared at Tamarius. "This isn't over. I know about your Makayla, your precious wife. Must be something special to finally bring the great Tamarius to his knees." Charleston chuckled.

Tamarius was suddenly infuriated. "Touch my wife and you will regret it," he growled.

Maxwell and Blake continued fighting. Maxwell saw an infuriated Tamarius and touched and slashed his sword at Blake's chest, cutting his chest open.

He screamed in pain as he fell back and vanished.

Maxwell ran to his wife and pulled her into his arms, hugging her and kissing her.

Tamarius was in a death stare with Charleston.

Charleston saw Maxwell with Cressida and switched his focus to Maxwell. "You will know what it feels like to lose a child," Charleston said to Maxwell.

Tamarius took his sword and sent it flying across the room. As it was about to reach Charleston, he vanished. Tamarius' sword slammed into the wall. "Bro, are you okay?" Tamarius yelled over his shoulder.

"Yes, we need to get home now," Maxwell said, taking Cressida's hand.

Tamarius pulled his sword out of the wall then walked to his brother. "I’ll meet you there. Don't waste your time with the seventeenth floor," Tamarius said as he disappeared.

"What the heck just happened?" Cressida asked, seeing Tamarius vanish before her eyes.