FIRE (Elite Forces Series Book 2) (15 page)

The burn of the rope pulling tight on my wrists wakes me.  The struggle to break free only rips my tender flesh even more.  I cringe from the sting soaring up my arm and into my shoulders and stiff neck.  The room is mostly dark, the only light coming from a small window, and I'm searching for any sign of who might have me.

I hold my breath with the movement of someone behind me, only exhaling slowly when I hear him talk.  “Morning, sunshine.  Do you always talk in your sleep?”  His voice is deep and familiar, with a gritty edge to it.  He’s directly behind me, his warm breath at the base of my ear.

God, this has to be Ty. There isn’t anyone else who would dare to come face-to-face with two military experts.  My eyes go frantic, and I try to tilt my head to look at the bastard.  I’m not concerned about me right now.  I need to know how the hell he got past Harris and Mallory.  Did he shoot them? Hurt them?  Are they still alive?

God, no.  Kaleb would never forgive himself if something happened to either one of them.

And me.  I left them.  More concerned for myself than staying up and visiting with them.  I’m to blame if anything has happened to them.  I need to stay calm and analyze this damn situation I have myself in.  He wants me weak.  He wants me frantic and begging, I can appear weak and play his game. 

I listen to his heavy breathing continue in my ear as he slides his hands down my chest.  His slimy fingers travel lower, and I squirm with hatred as he palms both of my breasts, pinching and squeezing my nipples.  He’s getting off on this, while I’m ready to vomit.  My chest heaves up and down, while his breathing becomes heavier and more erratic.

I’m battling to stay quiet when all I want to do is scream at him through the tape he has across my mouth.  He needs to get his filthy hands off of me.  I'd love to tell him he’s fucked up in a way that’s going to cost him his life, but I don’t say a word.  I remain quiet, desperately trying to forget the fact his touch is repulsing me.

He's tied my feet to the legs of the chair and my wrists together behind my back.  He’s leaving me completely vulnerable to his twisted fucking ways, and I want nothing more than to kill him in ways that would make Kaleb’s torture seem like a walk in the park.

“I'll have to thank my brother for taking you to meet the family.  I knew he'd go to mom’s.  I just didn't expect him to bring so much baggage.”  He removes his hands before he slithers in front of me with a smug look on his face.

I wish like crazy I had seen him in Mexico.  I would've put a bullet right in his dick too, before I blew his head off.  He’s the poster boy for white fucking trash.

He looks like Kaleb in a way, but like he’s five years older.  He's the younger brother, so I know his lifestyle has been rough on his appearance.  Having drug lords up your ass will do that to you.

They have similar yet different eyes.  Where Kaleb’s are warm and full of love when he looks at me, Ty’s are dark, and hatred trails all the way to the wrinkles swarming his deadly eyes.  They’re just shaped the same.

“It made my day, watching him smile with the three of you.  Like his little, meaningless life was complete bringing his love to meet his mommy.”  I squirm in my restraints, while the vile feelings of disgust swarm over me as he brings his face in front of mine.

When his lips touch the tape for a quick kiss, my legs jerk to try and kick him in the balls.  How the fuck did he find me?  My mind flashes to Mal and Harris.  I pray like crazy he left them alone and that I'm the only one he’s choosing to torture. 

“I knew seeing his smile that day would make this moment here so much more meaningful.”  He slides his hand between my breasts then begins to grope me again.  I hold back a gag while the vomit crawls up my throat.  God, I want to kill this motherfucker.  My hatred for him was elevated before he ever made the mistake of taking me from my bed.  The pain he inflicted on Kaleb was the only strike he needed for me to hate him.

If he gives me one single chance, I'm snapping his fucking neck.  I know his filthy hands are violating me, but I have comfort in knowing he can't rape me in this position.  He'd have to untie me, and that is something I look forward to him trying.

He may know who I am, but this man doesn’t know me at all. I may be being fondled by this monster, but the love I have for myself, my family, and Kaleb will give me the strength to get through this.

He takes both of his hands to the neck of my shirt and rips it down the middle.  His face is filled with anticipation as he stands over me, allowing his eyes to scrape over my body.  His dark gaze stays glued to the swells of my breast.  I can feel my insides twisting with the urge to kill him. 

He moves behind me, disappearing from my sight, so I begin to memorize everything in my view.  I can hear him pick up something from a table while I’m looking at a blank, white wall in front of me.  The carpet looks like that of an older hotel maybe, the ceiling painted with the rough, splattered texture.

He steps back into my view, and with a repulsive grin on his face, he starts twirling a skinning knife with a gut hook in front of me.  “I could take these tits off and send them to him.  I’m positive that would make the statement I’m not fucking playing around.”  I don’t make a sound.  In fact, I’m sure he thinks I’m challenging him with the look in my eyes. 

He slides the knife down my cleavage, sending a burning to the surface and the feel of blood dripping on my stomach.  The coldness of the knife touches me, while he slides the hook under the thin, lacy material between my breasts, and with a small tug, my bra falls open, freeing and exposing them to his fucked-up torture.

“Nice.  Tell me.  Does my brother spend time cherishing these?”  I keep my head up and look him straight in the eyes, while his rough hands move over my chest and around each of my nipples.  “I think I should send him a picture of this.  Give him something to remember you by.”  His voice is full of revenge.

He takes out his phone and pulls one of my nipples tight between his fingers before he takes the picture.  I watch his every move as he looks down to his phone, his fingers flying, and I can only assume he sent it to Kaleb, because the phone rings before he has the chance to place it back into his pocket.  The smile on his face tells me I’m right.

The sound of Kaleb yelling fills the room even though he’s not on speaker.  I want to scream and tell him I love him, but I don’t.  I can’t give Ty the satisfaction of knowing I’m gutted inside with what may happen.  I know Kaleb is dying inside.  I know exactly how he feels.

“You like that?  I can send you a few more if you don’t shut your fucking mouth.  This isn’t your game, big brother.  I’m calling the shots this time.”  I can feel Kaleb’s pain through the sound of his voice.  I’m fighting like hell to keep the tears inside.  This fucker can do anything he wants to me, but when I get the chance to kill him, I’m doing it for Kaleb.  I’m doing it for the shit he’s done to him in the past and the hell he put him through in Mexico. 

“The next time I send you something, it’ll be a video.  We can see if she likes it rough.  If she enjoys it up her ass.  How she likes being fucked by a real man.”  He lowers his face to mine, allowing me to hear Kaleb clearly.

“Motherfucker.  I swear I’m going to kill you slowly if you do anything to her.”  His voice punctures through my heart.  He’s desperate, and I know he’s dying to get to me.  I have peace, knowing I have the tracker device in my leg.  I work to flex my legs, checking for any pain around the device, and don’t feel anything.  Except for the fact I’m stationery in this goddamn chair, unable to draw his pistol or any other weapon to help me get out of this situation.  He’s a dick, and one wrong move on his part, and my hands will be out of these restraints and his head will be off that smug set of shoulders.

Thank god, he didn't miraculously find that device.  I’m not an idiot, if they can make trackers, they can make devices that detect them just as easily.   

“Now, now.  Just do what you need to do, and I can promise to let you have her when I’m finished.  It can be like the old days.  You know, when you fucked a girl after I did.”  Stare at me all you want, buddy.  You won’t get a rise out me by talking about Kaleb’s past.

He starts pacing back and forth in front of me, those crazy eyes drinking my chest in.

He’s tormenting Kaleb with his words and bringing to surface more hatred than I’ve ever felt in my life. 

“You want to hear me fuck her?  I can definitely deliver, just keep running your mouth.”  He rips the tape off of my mouth without any warning and grips between my legs, squeezing until he gets a whimper from me.

“Fucking let him know you’re alive.”  He squeezes harder, and I hold in the piercing pain, not letting him win this jab at Kaleb.  I fight through the sharpness and simply say, “I'm alive”, releasing a slow exhale with my words, hoping he won't hear my agony through my voice. 

He grips harder before he rips his hands from his hold on me, pulling my clit as he does.  Shit, the burn in my core travels up my stomach.  I clench my legs together the best I can, trying to comfort the pain.

“She's a tough one, Kaleb.  I'm gonna have fun breaking her.”  He hits end on the call, and I grit my teeth harder, feeling the fire light up between my legs.

He sits on the edge of the bed beside me. He’s ruthless with his grip again, pulling me toward him with his fingers wrapped tightly around my throat.  The grip of the legs on the chair catching on the shaggy carpet causes me to gasp when it gives and he pulls backwards.

“Fuck you, you sick bastard.  You’ll never get away with this.  He’ll find you, and he will kill you.”

I choke and scream my words out.  Hell, I have no idea what kind of plans he has for me.  If he wants me to shut up, he can tape my mouth back up, or he can shut me up himself.

“Let me show you how sick I am, sweetheart.”  He yanks the chair hard, my head flopping backwards, and I have no control as he leans the chair back against the bed and puts his disgusting mouth on mine.

He forces his tongue in my mouth, and I contemplate biting it, but hold back, hoping he’ll continue with this distraction of his.  I need thirty seconds, that’s all.

I need to loosen these ropes.  He’s not paying a damn bit of attention.  His fingers are all over my upper body, his tongue is shoved halfway down my throat.  I twist and turn and feel them loosen while they dig and cut deeper into my flesh.  

“If I hadn't done my research on you… I'd make the mistake of untying you, but I have.  Quite an impressive background you have.  You know, you really should tell that country of yours not to announce its Ranger graduates with credentials.  It kind of ruins your element of surprise in these sort of situations.”  He kicks me to the ground, and the chair lands on its side with my back next to the bed.  I instantly continue to work my wrists free.  I have never felt pain like this in my life.  It’s raw.  It’s agonizing, and yet, I hold my ground.  The only noises I’m making are my exhales as I try to catch my breath.

I’m almost there.  Wait and watch.  He paces, checks his phone, and then glances at me one more time. 
I’m going to kill you, Ty.  Watch me. 

He moves out of sight when his phone rings, and this time, he starts talking in Spanish.

I twist and fight the ropes, but damn it, he knows how to properly restrain someone, and I can’t seem to slip my arms past whatever knots he’s tied me up in.

Please get here, guys.  Please hurry.

I keep expecting Harris to come barreling through the door, because he has to be the closest.  

The fact he's not has me scared he's not able to get to me.  Something has to be wrong.  He has to be safe.  He has to be alive, because I can’t comprehend it any other way.

I'm going to kill that motherfucker with my bare hands.  Hearing her voice has tipped me over the edge, and if we weren't already on the ground in Alabama, I’d be losing my fucking mind even more. 

“Steele, stay ready,” I yell over my shoulder.  “If he's hurt her, I'll want her flown to a hospital immediately.”  We all rush to the truck that's waiting to take us, and I can't keep my mind from swarming with all the possibilities. 

“Pierce, get to the ranch and check on Harris.  He still hasn't moved, and he hasn't fucking answered any of my calls.  It's not like him.  He’d die before he'd let her be taken.”

Jumping in the truck with Kase, Jackson, and Vice, I welcome the speed of Jackson’s lead foot. 

This is a nightmare.  My worst fucking nightmare has come true.  Even though I fought like hell to keep her safe, he found out she was my one and only weakness.

I wanted to draw him to me; instead, I left her vulnerable and he now has her. 

The reality of how horrible this could be hits me when Jackson slams the truck into park.  We all rush to grab our guns and move on the ground at an equal speed toward the hotel.  We had our route planned before we landed.  Pierce ran the briefing on the plane, detailing every aspect of the surrounding area of her location and the ranch.  Everyone has a job and mine is to literally not fall the fuck apart, knowing he has her.

“Can we get a room number?”  Kase whispers as we get closer. 

Pierce comes back with a quick response.  “No, it's on that end in that back wing.”  He’s talking to us through the headgear.  He’s moving to Harris, but we still keep everyone’s ears on the line in case we need to move in either direction.

“Fuck.  There are three floors.  Goddammit.  If he hears us coming, he’ll kill her to spite me,” I speak into my headgear and wish like fuck I had her in my right ear like usual. 

“Watch for signs.  I'd guess bottom floor, because he probably had to drag her ass in there,” Jackson remarks, then crouches as we all survey the hotel, looking for a sign of which room he's in.  My eyes target in on the Florida plates in front of the very end room.  I take the heat-censored binoculars and confirm before I order them to move, with hand signals and a low voice.

I see two bodies on the floor, one slowly moving, before I take a quick glance to the next room, which shows nothing.  A quick scan of the hotel, and I don’t see another body in this entire fucking dump.  It would be like him to come to a cockroach castle like this.  It’s a perfect place to hide the screams.  I push that thought to the back of my mind, because I have to.  If he fucking killed her, I don't know what I'll do.  My mind can't grasp that right now; I need to switch into work mode.  It’s the hardest damn thing I’ve ever done, trying to talk my mind into thinking this is a job when I know damn well it’s anything but.  It’s personal.  This is his way of dishing out a glorified payback.

“He's on the end.  Jackson, come with me, you two take the room next to it just in case it's connected.” My voice is deep and low; my mind is set on this being personal.  My entire life is inside of that room.

We move fast until I crouch at the door, listening for any noise.  I quickly signal the other two that he's behind this door before I step back.  Jackson takes off his headgear and knocks on the damn door.  His ability to think on his feet in situations like this is why he’s really known as Action Jackson.  Not once has he failed.  Shit, please don’t make it be now. 

I don't give a fuck how we get in, just as long as she's safe.  The rest of us move into shooting positions behind a few parked cars, hidden safely for just the right shot.  
Move that fucking curtain and you're gone.  One shot, brother.  Give me one motherfucking shot, so I can end you.

“Housekeeping,” Jackson yells just before he points his pistol at the knob and then kicks the door open.  He takes one step back when the door hits the wall, and my heart stops beating as I watch him rush through the door, lowering his gun as he does.

I'm one step behind him, coming face-to-face with Jade on the floor with my brother's lifeless body on top of hers.  She has a rope pulled tight around his neck, and she's still using her strength to choke him.  My fearless Jade has the look of a raging killer, and my heart sinks at the possibilities of what she’s been through.  Her hands are covered in blood, and she looks like she’s been through hell to see the devil himself.

“You got him, baby girl.  Ease up.”  Jackson moves in, freeing her grip from the ropes and dragging him off of her body.  Her shirt is open, her breasts are exposed, bruises already showing through her porcelain skin, and her face is covered with dirt.  Her body stiffens as Jackson drags Ty’s body across hers. 

I can’t get to her fast enough, and I’m on the floor with her before I can even see that she’s still restrained.  Her feet are tied to a chair, and all I need her to do is look at me.  She looks so fragile and worn. What the hell did he do to her?

“I'm here.  Jade.  Look at me.”  I touch the side of her face, while her eyes stare blankly ahead.   Her breathing is frantic, and I'm looking into eyes I've never seen before.

Jackson slices the ropes that are binding her legs to the chair, and she falls into me.  Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her into my arms and hold her cold body as close to me as I can get her.

“Shit, Jade.  I'm here.”  I kiss her forehead and neck while she finally starts to wrap her arms around me.  “I'm so fucking sorry I let this happen to you.”  She doesn't respond with words, only a tighter squeeze, and that's all I need to know she’s still with me. 

“Is he dead?” she finally speaks.  Her voice is wobbly.  Her eyes are finally coming back into focus.

“Not yet.”  I turn to Kase, who’s standing over Ty’s barely-breathing body.  He nods to me and holds his pistol aimed at Ty. 

She leans back in my lap and ties her shirt closed.  “Where did he hurt you?”  I place my hands on her bloodied wrists, seeing the marks from the ropes.  Examining her body with my hands frantically, I search for any other signs of injury he caused her before I make him pay for this.

“Here.”  She places her hand over my heart.  I have no idea what I’ve done to deserve her, but I swear on my own life, I will do everything in my power to make her happy.

“He almost killed me in Mexico when he had you.  What happened today doesn't compare to that.”  I get what she's saying.  The hurt I've felt today cut deeper than anything he did to me in Mexico.  I have to kiss her and breathe her strength in.  The scare I just had still echoes through my head as I place kisses against her cheeks and then her lips.  

“I love you, Jade.” 

“I love you, Kaleb.  Now, please finish this, so we can get the hell out of here.”

She places her hand on my face, turning it in the direction of Ty.  His eyes are wide open with a gleam of hatred reflecting back at me.

I swallow hard, knowing what I’m about to do.  I lean forward to kiss her once more before I let Jackson take her outside.  Her blood on my shirt only solidifies his fate. 

Kase and I pick up his useless body and sit him on the chair he had tied Jade to.  I see a skinning knife lying at his feet once I step back to look at him, so I slide it toward me, using my boot.  Picking it up, I see blood on the blade and realize this is what he cut her with.  It's a fucking knife used to gut something. The blade is so sharp it will skin a person alive.  I should use his weapon of choice as it's meant to be used.

Kase is working on restraining him, and I begin to battle with what I want to make sure he hears as his last words.  I pick up my own pistol off the table behind him.  He has many weapons laid out like he planned to have variety when he worked her over.  I’m still keeping score.   

“I told you not to fucking touch her.”  I lean over him, making sure it’s my eyes he sees.  “I told you if you so much as took a breath near her, I’d fucking kill you.  Then I get here to find her bloody and roughed up.” 

“Fuck you.”  His voice is raspy and rough speaking through the damage Jade caused on his throat.  I can only imagine the force she used on him until we got here.  The rage on her face told me what I needed to know.

“I told you to leave mom and Amelie alone, but you just couldn't listen.  Tell me, Ty… Why the fuck would you get into all the shit you're into?  A fucking drug cartel.  Terrorist hiding.  International sex trade operation.  Not to mention providing illegal weapons of mass destruction to criminals all over the world.” 

I lean forward again, giving him a chance to answer. 

“She tasted so fuckin sweet, brother.  Next time you put your dick inside that pussy… Just know I've been there.”  My hand instantly grips his neck in anger, and I squeeze and draw the life out of him with my bare hand, while I watch his eyes stare into mine.  He's testing me and trying to get a rise out of me. 

“It's an honor to rid the world of your disgusting, vile ass.  Say hello to your friends in hell.  I'll be sending you a few more every chance I get.”  He closes his eyes, and for a brief second, he looks like my father did.  I grip tighter and twirl the knife in my other hand, waiting for the perfect time to stop.  Once he's about to go, I release his throat.  “Stay with me, brother…. I have so much more to do to you before you go.”  I open-palm slap him in the face, and his head snaps back.  A loud, guttural sound breaks free from his throat, allowing his deceitful eyes to bolt wide open.

“You call this torture,” he taunts.  “I call this you being the pussy-ass motherfucker I always knew you were. You could never control me, could you, Kaleb.  Not like you did mom.  Anything Kaleb wanted, Kaleb got.  And Amelie, all you did was coddle her.   Protected her.  Turned her into who you wanted her to be.  And then you left them, just like our father, you fucking left.”  His voice is so damn raspy, so low, but I hear him.  Every shitty, jealous word.

“So you decide to what?  Get even with me by fucking your life up, by becoming some big drug-dealing scumbag who betrays his family, his country, and our mom out of jealousy?  Is that what you're saying?  You're blaming me because I did right by my life, by my country.  You’re so fucking warped and way off base.  I fucking loved you,” I roar.  “I drug you home after you had your ass beat.  I paid your debts to keep those measly go-betweens from killing you.  I tried to get you help.  So don’t blame me for the fucked-up life you created for yourself. You're delusional if you think I’ll buy into any of this.  You fucking promised me when I left that you would stay clean.  That your last stint in rehab made you realize you wanted more out of your life.  You fucked up, not me.  Not our father.  YOU.”  I flip the knife around in my hand.  I’ve got a woman waiting for me.  I’ve got a mother who I’m going to have to tell that her son really is dead.  I’ve got time, which is a hell of a lot more than he does.

“You remember this when your soul and your mind are being tortured for eternity in hell, brother.  Remember that I’m the one who sent you there.  But you’re the one who put yourself there.  I could’ve dealt with the shit you’ve done to me, but I’ll never let you live after you’ve threatened Jade.  Take these words to hell with you.”  He squirms in Kase’s arms when he sees the knife lodged against the center of his chest.  I hesitate, only to make sure I look him in the eyes as I plunge it into his flesh and twist and gut the hell out of him.  He sputters as his warm blood drips all over my hand.  I turn, rotate, and drag the knife down the center of his chest.  I watch the blood trickle out of the corners of his mouth and his eyes begin to glass over.  
I just killed my brother.

“Get the hell out of here, man.  Let me finish this.”  Kase looks at me like a true brother would.  One who defends and honors the other.  One who has your back.  One who helps you clean up your mess.  One who loves you.

I clean the blood off my hands, using the sink in the bathroom.  The rusty water mixed with the bright-red blood turns a hazy, deep orange.  I’ve killed him.  It’s over.  No more wondering what the hell he’s doing, where he is, or if he’s even breathing.  I’ve worried about him for years.  Ty was unreachable.  He was too far gone. 

He was never my brother, not like the men who are all standing outside.  Jackson is standing with his arm around my woman, protecting and comforting her.  No.  Blood doesn’t mean family.  Loyalty makes a brother.

“You good, baby?”  I ask Jade when I reach her, bringing her into my arms, where she belongs.

“Yes. Are you?”  I nod.  There’s nothing left to be said about what happened in that room.  Not here, not ever again.  I’ll figure out how to tell my mom and sister he’s gone, but right now, I need to get her checked out and find out about Harris and Mallory.

“Anyone hear from Pierce?”  I place my arm around her shoulders and guide her to the passenger side of the truck.

“They’ve taken Harris to the hospital.  He was shot in the shoulder,” Jackson tells me.  No humor in his words.  No joking.
 

“Is he alright?  Coherent?  What about Mallory?”  I climb into the truck, grab a hold of Jade by her waist, and pull her onto my lap.  No damn way is she sitting in the back cab.  I need her as close to me as fucking possible.

“He’ll be fine.  Mallory’s shaken up quite a bit.”  Thank god.  If anything had happened to either one of them, that nightmare would have haunted me for the rest of my life.