Castle Investigations Box Set

by Dee Bridgnorth

  "Semantics. It's all in how you view it," he said, waving off their words with another flick of his hand. He was so cavalier about killing them in cold blood. "Drop your weapons."

  "Not a chance," Ethan said. "I could put a bullet in your brain right now." He shrugged. "Sure, your men would kill me, but you'd be dead, too.

  "Drop them, or I'll have my men gang-rape her," he said, pointing to Isabel. "And my orders will be carried out even after I'm dead."

  Defeat fell upon them like a lead balloon. There was nothing they could do. No out this time. They were going to die.

  Ethan glanced over his shoulder at her. She nodded. Understood. He was protecting her. Alive, they still had a chance, although she wasn't sure how they were going to get out of this.

  All together, Gabriel, Lucas, and Ethan lowered their weapons, dropping them to the floor. The sound was like the final nail of their coffin being hammered in.

  "Sully's, too," Bruno said.

  Sully lifted his piece and slid it across the floor.

  Bruno's men walked forward, pairing off to pat down each team member. Isabel knelt beside Sully. His eyes met hers, and they were full of pain and sorrow.

  I'm sorry, he mouthed.

  Shaking her head, Isabel grabbed his hand and squeezed.

  Rough hands landed on her arms and pulled her to a standing position. The men took great care in patting her down, lingering in places they had no right to linger. Two identical growls went up from Ethan and Sully. Always her protectors. She loved them both for it.

  Her arms were pulled behind her, and zip ties bound her wrists tightly together. Three of the guys tied Sully's arms in front of him and then dragged him over to a pile of crates in the corner of the room. Gabriel and Lucas were marched over to the same corner and then bound together, after their wrists and ankles had been tied.

  Next, four of the men took Ethan and Isabel over and sat them down, zip-tying Ethan's hands and then binding their ankles as well. Isabel was confused. Why not just shoot them all in the head and be done with it?

  "What are you up to, Bruno?" she asked.

  "I figure this works better if I make it appear to be an accident. At least at first glance."

  Fear rose up and bit her in the ass. When two of the guys walked in the doors with gasoline cans, Isabel's terror increased. She hated fire. Hated the idea of dying that way.

  Whenever she'd played twenty questions and someone had asked her what the worst way to die would be, she'd always answered fire. It petrified her.

  "Now, this is how the mighty Castles will fall. Huddling in a corner, like scared little mice, as the place burns down around them." Bruno kicked her boot with his own. Taunting her.

  He crouched down in front of Lucas. "Shame I didn't get to your wife and sister-in-law before Damon did. She's a nice piece of—"

  Lucas's boot kicked out and barely missed Bruno's crooked nose. "You sorry son of a bitch! I'll kill you!"

  Bruno threw his head back with laughter. "Not likely, my friend. You'll be a crispy critter in no time."

  "You won't get away with this," Sully spat, his breathing coming hard and fast as he fought back the pain from his bullet wound.

  "Oh, but there's where you're wrong. I will."

  "Our spouses know where we are. They know about the hits. It will all point back to you," Gabriel said, his lip curled in anger.

  "Yes, well, I've already thought about that. You see, I have people pretty high up watching out for me. They don't want their secrets revealed, nor do they want their money train to end." He laughed a little at his comments. His flawed face highlighted the ugliness of his heart. Isabel didn't know what had happened to him, but it was as if his outside matched his inside.

  "I will also be sure to tie up any loose ends. Those women won't be talking for long."

  Gabriel and Lucas tried to stand together. That game where you have to lock arms and then work together to stand up came to Isabel's mind as their fear and anger kept them from working as a unit.

  Bruno just laughed harder. "You all are just too much. Well, this is where I say farewell."

  He waved at them, mocking them with his nonchalance, then turned and walked towards the bay doors without a backward glance.

  Bruno's thugs moved around the warehouse, splattering gasoline on the crates that were standing in the middle of the room, then lighting them on fire. The dry wood along with the accelerant made for a quick ignition, and the crates were soon burning hotly and furiously.

  The men retreated out the bay door, and Bruno suddenly turned around to watch the fire, absolute fascination on his face.

  "So long!" he shouted, and he and his hired men hightailed it out of there.

  The heat was astounding. Isabel had never felt so hot in her life. Her shirt was already soaked through, and it had only been less than a minute's time since Bruno and his thugs had exited the warehouse.

  "Are you ok, Izz?" Ethan asked. The roar of the fire was loud, so he had to speak rather loudly.

  Isabel fidgeted, trying to get her hands to her boot.

  "Yeah, Ethan. Peachy. The warehouse is burning down around us, and I can't get to my boot."

  "I'm sorry," he said. Isabel kept trying to pull her arms underneath her so that she could reach her boot. Those men had underestimated her. Hadn't checked her boots for weapons. Of course they didn't think she'd have a weapon hidden there. She was just a woman, after all.

  "What are you sorry for?" she asked, as she grunted to move her hands.

  "For not telling you sooner how I feel about you—"

  Oh, no. Hell, no. He was not going to do that here and now.

  "Ethan, if you'd shut up a minute and help me—I have a knife in my boot that I'm trying to reach. I can cut us free and get us the hell out of here."

  "Oh. Right. Geez, why didn't you say so earlier?" Ethan leaned over, yelling at the guys, "Isabel has a knife!" The three of them responded, but she couldn't hear their words over the roar of the fire.

  She twisted and stretched, finally slipping her bound hands in front of her. She slid the knife out of her boot, careful not to drop it. Holding it as precisely as she could, she started to saw at her zip ties, but she couldn't get enough leverage to do so. Her hands were bound too tightly. She switched tactics and moved to Ethan's hands.

  "I'm going to cut the ties from your hands instead. I can't get to mine."

  "Just don't cut me."

  "Can't make any promises," she deadpanned.

  Isabel turned the knife in her hands and began cutting at Ethan's ties. The smoke was thick now—difficult to breathe. Coughing fits plagued her as she kept cutting, barely making any headway. A couple of times, she nicked Ethan's wrist, watching as a tiny strip of blood appeared on his wrists.

  "Sorry," she choked out.

  "It's nothing. Just get us free. Cut my damn hand off if you have to," he said.

  She rolled her eyes, knowing that the smoke was so thick that there was no way he could see it.

  One final tug at the knife had his hands free. Ethan took the knife from her and cut the tie from his ankles, then knelt beside her to cut away her bindings as well.

  "Go!" he yelled.

  "Not a chance," she said as Ethan worked to release the rest of the team. When they came to Sully, the fire was at their heels. Huge flames billowed up, and Isabel was coughing more than breathing. She could feel her lungs burning from the lack of oxygen and the polluted air.

  "We've got him," Ethan said to her. "Go!"

  As they cut Sully's ankles free, then pulled him to a standing position, looping their arms under his, she finally took off towards the door. She yanked on the handle, only to find it locked.

  "You've got to be kidding me!" she yelled, only she was thrown into another coughing fit.

  Ethan came up behind her. "What's the problem?" he yelled, his shirt pulled up over his nose.

  "It's locked!"

  "Dammit!" He looked around, trying to find something to
break the lock on the door with. His gaze settling on a fire extinguisher—that would have been nice a few minutes ago—he broke the glass with his elbow and took it out. Running back over to the door, he hammered away at the handle until it broke free.

  Slinging the door open, Isabel ran through, rushing to the tree line and gulping in huge breaths of fresh air. Her throat was parched, and each time she tried to breathe, it felt like little knives were scraping her esophagus.

  The guys collapsed around her.

  "Anyone have a phone?" Sully asked between coughing fits. His voice was hoarse and ragged-sounding.

  "Left it in the van," Ethan said, then looked at the other guys. They all shook their heads.

  "Well, then, it looks like we need to get to the van," Sully said, right before he passed out.

  Chapter 22

  Ethan sat on the bed in the ER with an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. Fortunately, the smoke inhalation was minor. If those idiots had lit the fire closer to them, they'd all be dead by now. Thank God Isabel had still had her knife on her.

  He could hear her talking to the nurse next door in the curtained-off room. He hadn't heard from Lucas or Gabriel, but he was fairly certain that they’d fared about as well as he had. They had yet to hear about Sully.

  Isabel's voice rose as she thanked the nurse. When he was sure she was gone, he pulled open the curtain between their beds.

  "You ok?" he asked her. Her coloring was a little off, and it seemed she was still having some of the coughing fits, but she was alive, and if what he’d overheard was correct, she was going to be just fine.

  "I am. The nurse is going to get Sully's doctor for me so I can find out how he's doing." Isabel twisted her hands in her lap. He knew she was nervous and worried about her brother. They were so close. He didn't know what either of them would do if something happened to the other.

  Sully's words came back to him. What if something happened to both of them on an assignment? How would Isabel recover?

  But he couldn't live with what-ifs.

  Today was proof of that. Sure, something could happen to Sully and him. But something had almost happened to them all today. If it hadn't been for Isabel's hidden knife, they'd all be crispy critters right now.

  Ethan reached out his hand, and she placed hers in his as they settled back against their beds. He closed his eyes for just a moment. There had been too many close calls over the past week. He was ready for some peace and quiet, and maybe a beach all to themselves. Ethan squeezed Isabel's hand, and she squeezed back.

  He had barely drifted off to sleep when a throat clearing caught his attention. He lifted his eyes up to see a doctor in scrubs standing there, waiting to speak to them. Isabel must not have heard him, because she was asleep, her face peaceful in rest.

  "Izz," Ethan said, shaking her shoulder gently.

  "What?" she asked, then opened her eyes, seeing the doctor standing there. "Is Sully ok?" she asked, sitting up abruptly.

  The doctor nodded. "Your brother is going to be just fine. It was a clean shot, and you guys did a great job stopping the bleeding. He only needed a few stitches. He has a bit of smoke inhalation, too, but nothing life-threatening. I'd like to keep him overnight, but he's not having it. So I'm releasing him into your care. Please make sure he rests, Ms. Castle."

  "Of course. Thank you so much, doctor," Isabel said, but Ethan knew that there was nothing anyone could do to keep Sully from doing what he wanted to do.

  "As for you, how are you feeling?" he asked Isabel.

  "Better."

  His eyes darted to Ethan and then back. "Um, Ms. Castle, I'd like to speak with you alone if that's possible."

  Ethan knew what he was thinking. Isabel's bruises and cuts. It looked as if someone had beaten her up, and the good doctor thought that Ethan was the culprit. Isabel must have understood what the doctor was thinking as well.

  "I appreciate your concern. Ethan doesn't beat me. I'm a former FBI agent and current security specialist. With the job, comes danger. Unfortunately, I've met more than my fair share of it over the last few days. Vegas doesn't seem to agree with me."

  "Ah, right, then. Well, if you're sure everything is all right—" The doctor didn't seem to entirely believe Isabel's story, or the fact that everything was indeed just dandy, but he didn't have any cause to keep them there. "I'll release you with instructions for further care. Same for you, Mr. Brooks. Please be sure to get some rest. Your lungs need time to recover and heal."

  The doctor walked away, leaving Ethan alone with Isabel once again. He removed his mask and crawled into her bed, scooping her up and cradling her in his arms. It felt so good to hold her. He'd been so scared that he would never have the chance to spend his life with her. And now that he’d been given a second chance, there was no way he was going to throw it away.

  Just as Ethan opened his mouth to tell her all of this, Zach burst through the curtain. "What the hell happened?"

  His eyes took in Ethan's arms around Isabel and the fact that she was sitting on his lap. He lifted a brow but didn't say anything about their position.

  "Bruno happened," Isabel answered. "Son of a bitch ambushed us and then lit the place on fire. Fortunately, they underestimated me and didn't check my boot for weapons." She winked. Ethan loved her saucy spirit.

  "I was just getting ready to take Quita to the hotel when I saw Gabriel and Lucas in the hall. They said Sully was hit."

  "Yeah, clean shoulder shot. Bled like a stuck pig, but he's fine. They're releasing him and us," Ethan explained.

  "Geez, what a cluster. When's Sully going to be released?"

  "Probably sooner rather than later. You know how he hates hospitals," Isabel commented as she squirmed on Ethan's lap, trying to free herself from the cage of his arms.

  "I'll stick around and wait, then," Zach said.

  "Nah, no reason to. Get Quita to the hotel. I drove the van here anyway," Ethan said, repositioning Isabel on the gurney. She kept wiggling, and if she didn't stop, he was going to embarrass himself. She gave him a cheeky grin as if she knew what she was doing. He'd make sure she paid for that. He cleared his throat. "Take Gabriel and Lucas with you to keep guard. Isabel and I will wait for Sully and be there soon."

  "You sure, man?"

  "Sure am."

  "Ok, then." Zach clapped Ethan on the shoulder and then pulled Isabel into a tight hug. "I'm sure glad Bruno wasn't successful in his attempts to kill you."

  "Tell me about it," Ethan said with an eye roll. Zach laughed and gave Isabel's hand a final squeeze.

  "Be safe. See you soon," he said and walked out of the room.

  * * * *

  Isabel entered Sully's room quietly, careful not to wake him. If she knew Sully, though, he wasn't really asleep—just resting his eyes. As soon as she was standing next to his bed, he lifted his hand to take hers.

  "How did you know it was me?" she asked, squeezing his hand tightly.

  "Your smell." He opened his eyes, laughter lighting them. "Although you smell pretty terrible right now."

  Isabel acted like she was going to punch him on his good arm. Her smile dropped from her face as she sat in the chair next to him.

  "Sully, when I saw that bullet hit you, I—"

  "Shh. Don’t think about it. I'm fine."

  "I know, but it could have been so much worse."

  "But it wasn't."

  Laying her head down on his stomach, she held his hand tightly in hers while he patted her hair. "I love you, you know."

  "I love you, too."

  "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you," she said, fighting back tears at the thought of Sully not being in her life.

  Sully lifted her chin to gaze intently into her eyes. "The same goes for you, little sister. You've scared the crap out of me more than once."

  "Well, I'm fine, too. Comes with the job, I guess." She tried for blasé, but she didn't think she’d hit the mark.

  "Izz, you don't have to do this anymore. Y
ou don't have to work for me."

  "Shut up. I want to."

  "I just want you to be happy," he said, concern lighting up his eyes.

  "I am happy."

  "But if there's something that you want—something that you need—I want you to tell me," he said, the sincerity in his voice crushing her.

  "Seriously, Sully. Hush. I'm good. I love my job. I love working with you, and Ethan, and the other guys."

  Sully raised his eyebrows, and Isabel fought the blush dawning on her cheeks.

  "You like him," he said matter-of-factly, and Isabel didn't need him to qualify the “him” he was referring to.

  She shrugged. "What's not to like?" Isabel pulled her hand away and paced the floor. "He's a good guy. Always watching over me. An excellent operative. Of course I like him."

  "That's not what I mean, and you know it."

  "Maybe not. But Sully, it's not like I'm capable of giving anyone anything permanent. I mean, look at mom."

  "What are you talking about?" Sully asked, sitting up a little more.

  "Mom never had a serious relationship. She probably slept with men for money. You never told me if that rumor was true, but I remember the men that paraded in and out of our apartment. We don't even have the same father. What do I know about making a real relationship work, anyway?" The words came spilling out of her. She'd been holding it in, hanging on to the doubts that assailed her. She loved Ethan, but she wasn't sure whether her love was enough.

  Sully beckoned to her, then pulled on her hand so that she was sitting on the bed next to him.

  "You listen to me, Isabel Castle. You are nothing like our mother. I loved her. She did the best she could. But you are nothing like her. You are everything that is good and kind. And when you find the right person, that person that lights you up inside, you'll make it work."

  Tears filled her eyes at his compassionate words.

  "You're too damned stubborn not to make it work," he teased. She lightly punched him on his good shoulder.

  "Thanks, Sully," she said, kissing him on the cheek.