by Stone, Piper
When I turned down the corridor to his room, the two suits standing in front of the door immediately bristled. I held up my hands as I approached, my suit jacket already open. I waited as the second man patted me down, giving a nod to the first.
“What do you want?” one of them asked, eyeing Joseph and Dante as they moved behind me.
“I think you need to tell your boss that Michael King is here to see him and that I won’t take no for an answer.”
The same soldier gave me a snarl before walking into Emmanuel’s room. We only had to wait a few seconds.
“Yeah, he’ll see you. Don’t take too long. He needs his rest.”
“Wait here. I’ll handle this.” I chuckled as I walked by the beefy soldier, entering the cartel leader’s room.
It had been four years since I’d seen Emmanuel, the meeting contemptuous. He’d aged considerably, likely from his penchant for booze, cigars, and women. I waited as he coughed, his eyes just as venomous as I remembered.
Then I walked closer, leaning over so we were only inches apart. When I wrapped my hand around his throat, he was shocked at my audacity. “I’m going to ask you a question one time, old man. There will not be a second request. If you don’t answer, then you will die.”
He snarled, acting as if my actions didn’t bother him. “What do you want? You’ve already killed my son. What more do you want to take from me?”
“The woman who was kidnapped only hours ago. Where is she?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I could tell by the look in his eyes that he did. “You’re right. I killed your son as well as your second in command. I have no problem going down the ranks. If that doesn’t bother you, then I will go after your daughter.” The one thing I had learned from my search on the internet as well as calling in a favor to an old buddy of mine was that Emmanuel had produced a daughter with another woman years before. While neither had anything to do with his life, Emmanuel had made certain the now eighteen-year-old had been well provided for, including the private school she’d recently graduated from.
He managed to swallow, blinking several times as the information settled in.
I took a deep breath, releasing my hold but remaining standing over him. “Now, I can forget that I know the information thereby allowing your daughter to live a happy life, or I can make a single phone call. I hear it’s nice this time of year in Virginia.”
“You bastard.”
“Yes, you’re right. But all’s fair in war. Isn’t it, Emmanuel? I want the girl as well as her brother. You have five seconds.” I adjusted my sleeves then taking the time to rub my hands down the front of my jacket. “Three seconds.”
He huffed.
“Two.”
“Fine. There’s a warehouse near the airport on Roosevelt. She was taken there.”
“For what purpose?”
“Payment for discrepancies.”
I took in the information, doing everything I could to keep my resolve. “Is this about the Morales Cartel?”
“Are you fucking out of your mind? He’s a piece of shit. I’d spit on his grave.”
His look of surprise as well as anger for my suggestion seemed genuine. At this point, I didn’t need to push it any further nor would I trust him.
I backed away, giving him a nod. “There’s one more thing, Emmanuel. You will ensure that your men stay out of our territory and away from our shipments. Do I make myself clear? If not, the consequences will be severe, and I assure you that I won’t be nearly as lenient as I’ve been today. If you are working with Morales on any level, let your buddy know that our territory will never become available. Tell him to return to the jungle where he belongs.”
He snickered. “You are more like your father every day.”
“I take that as a compliment. Do you accept the terms of the deal we just made?”
Emmanuel coughed again, his spittle colored in red. “Yes, but you’re wrong about Morales. That’s not my style. I don’t share. I also make a promise to you. If you touch my daughter, nothing will stop me from tearing you apart. Nothing.”
“I assure you that I always keep my end of the deal. Have a nice evening.”
“I’m a dying man, Michael. I don’t have time for games. I need assurances that my daughter will be left out of this. She’s all I have left.”
“You should have thought about that before unleashing your Ghost, Santiago, or attempting to take what doesn’t belong to you. However, I do have honor. The question is, do you? If you want this to end, call off your dog.”
I gave him another hard look. He was a broken man, but at this point, I wasn’t certain I gave a shit.
“I’ll do what I can, but I issued no orders for a takeover.”
As I walked out of the hospital room, I knew he would keep his end of the bargain. It was the rest of his men I was concerned about.
I’d just played my last hand.
Now it was time to save the woman I loved.
And this time, I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot to kill.
Chapter 15
Daniella
“Even in these chains, you can’t stop me. I’m the big bad wolf and you’ll never stop me from getting what I want.”
Evil.
I’d learned more about evil in the last few days than I thought existed. Then I was forced to realize that there are two sides of malevolence.
Now I was in the clutches of an even more brutal, wretched monster.
“I say we take a taste of her.”
The horrible man laughed, making slurping sounds near me. Shivering, I refused to whimper or show any sign of fear. I continued to wear a blindfold, doing everything I could to absorb any sounds or names. At least my time spent with Michael had taught me a few things.
But not about fighting the sickness, fear erupting violently in every part of my body. I refused to cry, and I couldn’t scream, the gag so tight that every time I moved, I had difficulty breathing.
“The boss said no touching. Remember? She’s worth a lot of money. That’s what I heard.”
There were now only two of them, but there’d been more, at least six who’d stormed into Michael’s house, shooting Carlo in the neck. Only it hadn’t been a gun. After that, everything had been a blur, a bag tossed over my head, dragging from the house into a vehicle of some kind.
I could remember Elle barking and snarling. Then a horrible whimper.
And then there’d been silence.
Other than my continued screams.
After being tossed into the trunk, there’d been a plane ride. My God. Where had they taken me?
“What a shame. She’s got a nice little body on her. I bet her pussy tastes real sweet.” The second the first asshole brushed his hand across my nipple, I flinched. “Real feisty one too.” This time, he grabbed my breast, squeezing with enough force I groaned.
“Don’t hurt her!”
The addition of another voice seemed strange. It was almost inaudible, the words muffled.
“Shut the fucker up. Will ya?” the second creep snapped.
All I heard was a thudding sound followed by a single cry. There was someone else in the room who’d been abducted. A man. I shivered to my core, trying to make sense of what was happening. All I could think about was Florida. Maybe that’s where they’d taken me. Could Michael find me? Oh, please. God, please.
Just crying out to him in my mind made me feel better, but I knew in my heart that he wouldn’t be able to help me. I was going to die for a reason I didn’t understand.
“Payment, huh? What kind of payment?” the first goon asked. I could tell they were both of Mexican or Spanish descent by their accents. Florida. Yes, that’s where they’d take me.
My brother. Payment.
So it was true.
The heartache was almost as significant as the terror.
“I think it’s for that fucking shithole over there.”
I sat up as much as my bindin
gs would allow, straining to listen to everything they said. Was Steven in the room?
“Yeah, well, this ain’t enough to pay his debt.”
As both men laughed, I cringed inside, several memories floating to the surface of my mind. Where had my older brother gone? I would never forget his bravery in protecting me or the fact he’d been the one to help me learn how to drive. He’d even told me his opinions of boys, making fun of all of them including himself.
Now he’d sold me off to a drug cartel as payment for stealing money. As tears formed, I was unable to stop them, every part of me aching.
A second hard thud drew my attention, the slight echo indicating the door I’d been brought into closing. Then I heard heavy footsteps, a single person walking toward us very slowly.
Then I heard a voice, deep and masculine, laced with evil.
“Well. Well. What do we have here?”
I tilted my head, barely seeing any light from under the blindfold.
“She’s primed and ready, boss.” The first asshole snickered, fisting my hair and jerking my head.
The footsteps came closer and within seconds, I could feel hot breath cascading across my skin. I was sickened, the stench of bourbon and stale cigar smoke making me nauseous.
“Yes, she is quite special indeed. I think she just might do, at least for a pet anyway.” He moved away, taking the same slow and steady steps as before. I heard a cracking sound then another moan, the clanging noise of something metal skating across the concentrate floor creating another wave of shivers skittering down my spine.
The two goons laughed again, remaining close behind me.
“So, asshole. Are you ready to pay restitution for the bullshit you pulled with our organization?” The newcomer was asking the question of whoever else was being held against their will.
“I didn’t take your money. I keep telling you that.”
While the sound was still muffled, as if the man’s lips were swollen, I was able to recognize the voice. Steven. No. No. No!
“Mmmm…” The single cry I made was met with a hard slap across my face.
“Don’t touch her. She belongs to me,” the new guy stated with anger in his voice. “You fucked with this organization after we trusted you, Steven. Now, you pay the price. Flesh for flesh. If you want to live, then you have a single chance. Your sister as repayment.”
“No!” Steven yelled. “You can’t have her. She has nothing to do with this. Daniella,” he called. “Is that you? Are you there?”
“Mmm…” I did everything I could to bellow. Nothing seemed real any longer.
“Remove her gag and blindfold. She might as well be party to the negotiations. And you need to shut the fuck up, Steven, or I’ll have no choice but to cut out your tongue.”
As the blindfold and gag were removed with force, I held my breath, praying this wasn’t real. When I was finally able to see light, I winced, forced to close my eyes. Everything was too bright. I tried again, blinking several times before I could focus. Then I let out a ragged cry from the sight of Steven tied to a chair, his eyes covered, his face black and blue. Dried blood covered his swollen lips, trickles oozing from his nostrils.
“Steven,” I moaned.
“Sis? Daniella?” He struggled in his bindings. The asshole standing in front of my brother backhanded him.
“Shut the fuck up.” When the man with the deep voice turned his head in my direction, I shivered all over again. The man with the scar.
Confusion settled in, a horrible realization that whoever Michael had killed at the chalet wasn’t the man who’d attacked me at the school. His eyes were easy to recognize because they held no light, as if the man had no soul. He chuckled as he slid his heated gaze up and down the length of me, licking his lips in an exaggerated manner.
“I see this as a win-win. Not only repayment of a debt, but a moment of retribution against the King family.” He swaggered toward me, keeping a lurid smile on his face. “You are Michael King’s main squeeze. Right? I can certainly see why. You must be good in bed. Well, I’m going to find out soon enough.”
“No. You motherfucker. You will not touch her. I will find a way to kill you.” Steven’s cry only infuriated all three men. Now I was able see others. Four of them standing guard in the distance. There was no way of escaping.
The scarred man stomped toward Steven, using his boot, smashing the sole against Steven’s chest. When Steven toppled to the floor, I heard a horrible crack as he hit his head on the concrete. There was a single whimper coming from his mouth that gutted me.
Then there was absolute silence.
“You killed him! You killed my brother!” My screech managed to echo in the wide open space, but the sound was drowned out by the evil laugh the scarred man roared.
“You horrible asshole,” I dared to say, no longer caring what happened to me.
He stopped making the noise altogether and within two long strides was crouched down in front of me. He fisted my blouse, twisting his wrist as he gathered the material in his hand. “Do you know how much money your brother stole from us? Over two hundred thousand dollars. Then he offered to make a deal. He would do anything to save his wretched life, including selling you off. Well, it’s his lucky day. I’ve decided to accept payment. Tomorrow may be an entirely different story for your brother, but a deal is a deal.”
“He didn’t make any deal with you, you fucking piece of shit. My brother would never do that.” I knew in my heart that Steven wasn’t capable of something so horrible. I’d seen his twisted expression, had heard his cries.
The scarred fuck just laughed then snapped his wrist, shredding my blouse. “I don’t care what you think, my little pet. You now belong to me.”
“Fuck you. You will never own me.”
“This is all about flesh for flesh,” he stated, the tone dripping of lust.
As the asshole laughed, a volley of sounds permeated the space.
Shots being fired.
Immediately the four other soldiers reacted, raising their weapons and heading for the door.
The exterior door was thrown open, a soldier running inside. “Boss. We’ve been compromised.”
Growling, the scarred man exhaled before turning to the soldiers who’d taken me hostage. “Don’t let anything happen to our little birds. I’m not finished with them yet.” He ripped a weapon from his waistband, holding it in both hands then leering at me. “I’m going to enjoy teaching you what it means to be with a real man.”
I couldn’t stop shivering as he raced toward a second door on the opposite side of the building.
“This is bullshit,” the first remaining soldier snarked. “I thought this place was secure.”
“Some snitch talked. I’m gonna smash their face in myself.”
The gunfire continued but all I could concentrate on was thoughts regarding my brother. Whatever had occurred, he’d never meant to have me involved.
“Steven,” I whimpered, only to have my hair yanked, forcing my neck to twist awkwardly. I stared into the eyes of the horrible man who’d stripped me away from another surreal moment in my life.
But one I was terrified I’d never be allowed to see again.
Michael.
Where are you?
Save me…
My thoughts were jumbled, my emotions starting to shut down. With one exception. Raw anger. I would never allow the scarred man to take me. Not without a fight.
Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!
The gunfire increased coming from what seemed like from every direction surrounding the building.
Then there was the same kind of silence as before.
Deafening.
“What. The. Fuck?” one of the two remaining soldiers barked, immediately heading for the exit.
“The boss said to stay here.”
“I don’t give a shit. I’m not sticking around because of two freaking worthless assholes.”
“Wait a minute. I can’t let you do that.”
> As the man directly behind me fired off a shot, I couldn’t hold back the scream that had been building. I watched in horror and a moment of actual glee as the first soldier fell on his knees, an anguished cry erupting from his throat seconds before he dropped to the floor.
Then all hell broke loose, both doors being tossed open, at least a dozen men racing inside.
With a single gunshot, the remaining brutal soldier was cut down, the force of the weapon pummeling him backwards several feet before he hit the concrete.
I did everything I could to scuttle backwards, but there was nothing I could do. As the sea of soldiers moved into every corner of the warehouse, I scanned the perimeter, praying that I was being rescued, not simply being taken by another wretched monster.
A sudden flash caught my attention. A man in a suit.
As I craned my neck, I dared to suck in and hold my breath.
He was larger than life, swinging an assault rifle back and forth as he searched the area. Then our eyes locked, my savior tilting his head.
Michael.
Tears cascaded down both sides of my face and I could no longer breathe, the racking sobs almost suffocating.
He closed the distance, several emotions crossing his face and as he dropped down onto his knees, his eyes more haunted than I’d ever seen them. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“You saved me.”
“I love you. God, I love you.” Dropping his weapon, he cupped both sides of my face, gasping for air. “No one will ever hurt you again. You have my solemn promise.”
“Michael.”
“Hunt every one of the bastards down. Allow none of them to survive.”
Evil.
The thing about evil that I now realized was that we all carried just a little bit of it inside. For protection.
For salvation.
For elimination.
Maybe I wasn’t such a good girl after all.
Chapter 16
Daniella
“Who’s afraid of the big bad wolf, little flower?”
