Saving Reli

by Brooke Summers

  He reaches a van; the door is already open and he throws me into the back. My head bounces off the floor and I crash against the back door. Pain ricochets through my arm and I know that I’ve hurt it badly. The door slides closed and I’m hit with darkness. Damn.

  “Reli?” I hear the groan and my heart soars; it’s Lance. He’s here.

  “I’m here. Are you okay?” I try to sit up, but my arm isn’t cooperating; in fact, it’s lying limply at my side. The pain is overwhelming.

  The van starts up and pulls away. I’m thrown once again in the back of the van as the asshole takes a sharp turn.

  “Fucker hit me over the head.” He groans again and I’m worried about him. He’s a huge guy, the fact someone managed to not only get the jump on him, but to load him into the back of this van isn’t good. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay; do you know who took us?” I’m thrown to the side again as the van takes another turn. I cry out as I land once again on my arm.

  “Shit, Reli, are you okay?” he asks and I hear him moving.

  “Yes, please don’t move. You could be hurt,” I plead with him. I can hear how much moving is taking from him and if we have any chance of getting out of this, Lance is going to have to be somewhat coherent.

  “I’m okay.” He grunts, “Reli, listen,” he tells me as he moves closer to me. “These assholes want you. I’m not going to let that happen.”

  I don’t tell him that it’s too late. “Okay,” I whisper softly.

  “John isn't going to let that happen. He’s going to come for you,” he promises me and hope sparks inside. “There’s no way he’s going to sit on his ass.”

  “I know; he’s probably losing his mind. Sharon was on the phone to him when I was taken. I was worried so I came to find you.”

  A flash of light shines into the window, giving me the chance to catch a glimpse of Lance. Jesus. Blood seeps from a cut at his eyebrow and he looks as though he’s got a broken nose, not to mention the busted lip he has. They didn’t sneak up behind him and if they did, Lance didn’t go down easily.

  “You’re going to be okay, Reli. Nothing is going to happen to you,” he vows and I nod.

  I really hope that he’s right, but I’m not holding out much hope. Right now, I’m hurt and scared.

  The van slows until it comes to a stop; I hold my breath as the driver gets out and opens the back door. I look up as I want to see the man who’s kidnapped me.

  “Fuck.” Lance comments, “Havers.”

  I close my eyes. Havers. He’s the man that wants me, he’s the one that Talia was going to sell me to.

  Great. I’m in the hands of a monster.

  Twenty-One

  Reli

  “Ah, you know who I am.” The asshole smirks as he clicks his fingers. Three men come running out of the building behind him. “Bring them inside. Be careful with her. She’s mine. Him, well, you can do whatever the hell you want with.”

  I glance at Lance just as two of the men reach for him, Lance kicks out at one of them, his foot connecting with the man’s nose. Blood spurts out and I bite back my smile. Good, Lance isn’t going to let them take him without a fight. But soon he’s overpowered as even more men come to help subdue Lance. They’re very rough as they drag him from the van and toward the building, I can only look on in despair as his arms and legs are pulled in different directions.

  “Leave him alone,” I beg, tears stinging my eyes as I look at a man I’ve come to love like a brother. A man that has been a great friend to me be

  “And, why, pray tell, would I do that?” the asshole, Havers, asks me with a sadistic grin. His slick black hair tied at his nape, and he’s wearing a sharp suit with blue tie. He looks like an eighties gangster.

  When I don’t answer him, he reaches into the van and grabs hold of my ankle, pulling me toward him. “I asked you a question; I expect an answer.”

  “Please?” I plead and I hate that I’m begging, but I don’t want Lance to be hurt anymore.

  “No.” He snarls at me, disgust etched on his face as he stares at me. “I’ll do whatever the hell I want; I am in charge here.” He turns his head to the side. “Take her inside.” He grunts and within seconds, men are pulling at me as they try and take me from the van.

  I scream, kick, and punch as the men lift me from the van. One man puts his arm around me and I clamp down on it, my teeth breaking through his skin. I’m doing everything I can to get these assholes off of me.

  “You bitch.” The man whose arm I’ve just bitten growls as he releases me.

  Before I’m able to react, I’m falling. My head bounces off the ground and I cry out. My vision blurs. I blink, trying to stay conscious. I can’t fall into the darkness.

  I hear tutting and I glance up to see Havers standing over me with a scowl. “I’m going to break you. I’m going to do what my sister couldn’t. You’re going to obey me.”

  “Sister?” I croak out; what the hell is he talking about?

  He grins as the man that dropped me picks me up again. “Yes, sister. In fact, you know her pretty well. She tried her hardest to break you. It didn’t work though.”

  My stomach drops at his words. “What?”

  I’m carried into the building, the smell of tobacco and alcohol hit me as soon as I’m inside. We must be in a bar of some sorts. The walls are a dark red and there’s music thumping.

  He chuckles. “Talia told me how great you were, just defiant, that no matter what she did she couldn’t break you fully.”

  Oh God.

  “How?” It’s the only thing I can think of saying. How are they related, surely I would have known?

  We enter a room and I’m thrown to the floor. I quickly move my arm to try and stop my fall, but the pain is too much and I cry out.

  “Reli?” Lance calls out and I sigh in relief, he’s here.

  “You want to know how we’re related?” He chuckles ignoring Lance. “We have the same dad. Difference is, I stayed with my father while Talia’s mother hated everything our father was and kept her away from us. She has her mother’s surname; our father wasn’t on her birth certificate.”

  I push myself up into a sitting position, my body protesting in pain at my movements. “What do you want from me?”

  “You’re the reason my sister is in prison; I wanted you from the moment I saw you. Now though, now you’re going to be mine to own.”

  I swallow back the fear of his words.

  “You’re going to be my slave.” He grins and I glance at Lance, his eye is swollen, the cut to his eyebrow is bleeding profusely. His skin is pale and sweaty.

  Havers walks over to me and grips his hand into my hair. “Are you going to be a good girl?”

  I don’t answer him. There’s no way in hell I’ll ever let myself be abused the same way that Talia did. I have a feeling that Havers is going to be a hell of a lot worse than she was. The darkness in his eyes makes me shiver. If he has me, he’s not going to break me. He’s going to shatter me. There’ll be no coming back from it.

  His fingers go underneath my chin and he tilts my head up so that I’m looking up at him. “Keep the defiance up, it’ll only make breaking you that much sweeter.”

  “I won’t break. Nothing you can do to me will ever make me bow to you,” I vow and watch as his jaw clenches. “Talia never broke me.” She came close, so fucking close. “And neither will you.” I’m not sure how I manage to keep my voice even, deep down inside I’m petrified.

  He throws his head back and laughs, “Oh, Yoreli.” The way my name rolls off his tongue makes me want to vomit; my entire body breaks out in goosebumps but not in a good way. “You have no idea what I can do.”

  His hand goes to my hair and he fists in, pulling hard as he lifts me off the floor. Tears spring to my eyes but I don’t let them fall. I’m not going to let him see me cry. He doesn’t get that. “Go to hell,” I say through gritted teeth.

  He pulls me closer to his body, we’re face to f
ace, his breath hot against my cheeks. “Oh baby, I’m already going there.” He chuckles as he glances down at my body before looking back at my face. “I’m going to have so much fun with you,” he whispers. I close my eyes as his tongue snakes out of his mouth and he licks my lips, then my cheeks.

  I don’t cringe away from him, or make a sound, I just wait for him to be finished. I know from experience that if I were to react he’d just make it worse. Right now, he’s not hurting me but that could change at any moment.

  “Hmmmm,” he moans, “sweet, oh, so sweet.” His tongue licks the outer shell of my ear and I want to pull away, but the grip he has on my hair is too tight; if I were to move, he’d pull my hair out by the root.

  “I’m going to fuck you, be the first,” he whispers.

  “Too late,” I tell him and brace myself.

  He pulls my hair so that my head tilts back. His eyes dark with fury and his nostrils flare. “What the fuck does that mean?” His other hand moves to my cheeks and squeezes tight. “I asked you a question. What the hell did you mean by that comment?”

  I can’t answer him, he has my mouth shut by the grip he has on my face.

  “You had sex? Let me guess, that fucking brute you’re living with?” I manage to nod, and the fury he had in his eyes unleashes as he lets go of my face, only to viciously backhand me. I’m unable to keep my balance and fall to the floor.

  Blood fills my mouth, the metallic taste makes it way down my throat as I try to swallow.

  “You’ve ruined everything, you fucking stupid bitch.” He kicks me and I cry out as his foot connects with my ribs. “I waited three fucking years for you. You were supposed to be untouched. Ready for me to make you mine.”

  I can’t help the bitter laugh that escapes me. “You were duped from the get go. Talia’s been having her way with me since then.”

  Another swift kick to my torso has me curling up in hopes of protecting myself. “Liar!” He roars, but I can hear the doubt in his voice.

  “It’s true,” I tell him, “Since I was fifteen, she would climb into my bed and do whatever the fuck she wanted. Why the hell do you think she’s in prison?”

  He reaches for me again, this time, grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet. I’m in so much pain that I’m finding it hard to stay standing. “She stole money from you.”

  “Yes, but that’s not why John went for her. She abused me, mentally, physically, and sexually for over two years. John wanted revenge and he got it in the only way he could.”

  “Fuck!” He roars and I see the change in his face, if I thought he was a monster before, nothing compares to the murderous look in his eyes now.

  He throws me to the floor once again and clicks his fingers. I swallow back the fear and say a prayer as the men in the room smile as they walk toward Lance and I.

  Please, John, please find us.

  Twenty-Two

  John

  “Find me that fucking van!” I roar at Zeke.

  I have never been as afraid as I am at this moment. I’ve been in some of the shittiest positions in my life, watched men I considered my brothers die, yet nothing compares to this feeling right now.

  The fear in my mother’s voice as she screamed for Reli is something that I’ll never forget. Thankfully she managed to recite the tag plates and Zeke’s been trying to find it for the past twenty minutes. I’m about to lose my damn mind. It shouldn’t take this fucking long. This should never have happened.

  My cell rings and I glance at it in my hand and see that it’s Talin calling. “How is she?” I ask immediately, he went to get mom from the mall. Dad wanted to go, but Talin was closer. Right now, we need her here so we can keep her close and safe.

  “She’s shaken, but she’s okay. She’s ready to go on a damn rampage though. She’s out for blood.” The relief in his voice eases me slightly.

  “We all are. Once Zeke has information for me, we’ll get them back.” I tell him but the longer we’re waiting the more I’m close to losing the last ounce of control I have left.

  They managed to somehow overpower Lance, that’s not a small feat. The man is trained in Jiu Jitsu, one of the most deadliest martial arts there is. For him to be taken tells me that there was either more than one or the bastard that took him is built like a tank.

  I’m not thinking the worst, not just yet anyway.

  “Boss.” I turn when Zeke calls me, “I found them.”

  I’m moving before he even finishes the sentence. “Where?”

  “It’s Havers, boss; he’s got them,” Zeke says and I see the fear on his face. This is why we don’t get involved with clients; it causes our judgment to warp. We get attached and our emotions become involved.

  But Reli isn’t a client. She’s the love of my fucking life and I’m going to kill that motherfucker if he’s laid one finger on her.

  “Send me the address,” I tell him as I walk toward the exit, my brothers hot on my heels. “Cage, call Grady, find out what the fuck’s happened.” He was supposed to be watching this son of a bitch.

  “We’re going downtown,” Matthew tells me as I climb into the car, Cohen’s driving and Matt’s sitting in the passenger’s side. Cage and I are in the back. “He’s taken her to the club.”

  I nod; we have an address, we’ll be there soon. I try to focus on what my brothers are saying, but my brain is swirling with what could be happening to Reli. I have the worst case scenarios running through my mind. She’s overcome so much.

  “Fuck.” Cage growls and I turn to face him. “Grady’s in surgery. He was fucking shot. There’s not many details at the moment, but it looks bad.”

  Shit.

  “She’s going to be okay,” Matthew says quietly. I know that he’s trying to reassure me, but he’s failing miserably.

  I glance at Cage; his face is set in stone. We know the worst of what’s happened to her. She confided in Cage. It took awhile but she trusts him and she told him everything. We know just what she’s overcome and how badly it affected her. This. This could fucking break her completely.

  “She’s going to be okay.” This time it’s Cohen; his words are sharp and meaningful.

  “Bro…” Cage begins. “You don’t get it. The shit she’s been through. It would have killed others. She’s clawed her way back from the brink. You have no idea of half the shit she went though.”

  “What, and you do?” Matt fires back; there’s anger in his voice and I’ve no idea why.

  “Yeah, I fucking do. The first time I heard her have a nightmare, I thought someone was in her bedroom attacking her. The fucking screams.” He shakes his head. “I followed John into her room and found her trying to fight off her nightmares. Fuck. She was struggling to breathe. Clawing at the invisible person who was holding her throat and she was struggling to get air.”

  Cage was working a case and he had come over to the house to talk to me about it. While he was there, Reli went to bed; she was tired, it was after a grueling session with her counselor. The nightmare she had was one of the worst I had seen. It was fucking awful. When I had managed to settle her back to sleep, I saw Cage crying. He loves Reli like a sister.

  The car is silent as Cohen and Matt take in what he’s said.

  “She’s been through fucking hell. All the abuse she’s lived through, and she’s still fucking strong. She’s trying to make a difference, to help others. She doesn’t deserve this.” He scowls and turns to look out the window. I know he’s struggling to deal with his emotions.

  “John?” Cohen says after a couple of minutes.

  “Yeah?” I mutter not wanting to talk right now.

  “Are you doing okay?”

  I roll my eyes. “What the fuck do you think?”

  “We’re almost there,” Matt tries to reassure me.

  I ignore them as I try to clear my mind. I need to be sharp and alert when we breach Havers club. It’s going to be tough, but I don’t give a fuck. They have Reli and Lance. I want them back.

&nb
sp; “Backup’s on route. They’re thirty seconds behind,” Matthew says and I nod, glad that both he and Cohen have stopped asking fucking stupid questions.

  The car comes to a screeching halt and we’re all out within seconds. All four of us have our guns out and aiming toward the club. It’s eerily quiet, and adrenaline runs through my veins. Cohen takes the lead and indicates for us to follow him.

  Tires sound behind us and it’s soon followed by doors closing. “Boss, are you doing okay?” Greg asks as he comes to stand beside me.

  “Fine,” I say through clenched teeth, needing to stop waiting and get the fuck in there.

  Cohen holds up three fingers, indicating that we’ll go on his count. One finger goes down, followed by another. It’s as though time slows down as I wait for his last finger to fall so we can storm into the building.

  Finally, he gives us the go ahead. We move as a well-oiled team and enter the building. There’s four men waiting at the entrance and as we breach, they’re taken down. Greg, Cady, Cage, and I shoot as soon as we entered; now they’re on the floor dead. Havers needs to get new men, the ones he had were shit, they didn’t even know that we were here. They were too slow at reaching for their weapons. That was a deadly mistake.

  We continue to move through the building, Cady, Greg, and Martina lead our group. Checking each room as we pass it.

  Then I hear it. A man yelling, the sound of grunting as though someone’s being hurt. We’ve found them.

  I’m a fucking asshole, hoping that if it’s one of ours being hit that it’s Lance that’s taking the beating instead of Reli.

  Cady pushes the door open just as Havers roars and throws Reli to the floor, clicking his fingers and the men that stand in the room move forward toward her.

  Hell fucking no.

  Cage, Greg, and Cady enter the room unseen and go into the shadows.

  I raise my gun. “Havers!” I say loudly, and everyone in the room stops and looks at me. It gives Cage, Greg, and Cady time to get to Reli and Lance before things get worse.