by Elle Boon
“Very good, son. I see you’ve done your homework and know who I am. I have as well. Tell me, what do you see, Mr. Luciano?” He licked the cheek his gun had just caressed.
When Tai whimpered but didn’t cry out, Cosmo wanted to go to her. She had no clue who the man holding her truly was. “Where’s Jefferson?” he asked, changing the subject so he could save Tai some heartache. Shit, he wasn’t sure how this fucker had found her, or if it was dumb luck.
“He’s dead. Imagine my surprise when I got a notice that I had a familial connection almost a year ago. I followed the trail until it got a little dark in China. You know, being in my line of work pays off, Mr. Luciano. Shit might get dark, but I have ways to find even those that hide.”
“Is that so? And how did you go from there to here?” Cosmo needed to keep the fucker talking since he seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice.
“Ah, he, the good Dr. Jefferson was very helpful for a fee. Men are so greedy, you see. Give them a little money with a promise for more, and they’ll do just about anything. Jefferson lost his license here in the states due to some liability lawsuits. He found a way to recoup some of those losses overseas. Luckily for me, I stumbled upon a desperate man wanting to come home and reclaim his name. It was all going to be perfect, but then I got called away. The dumb fucker lost my property because he didn’t listen to me. It took a little bit of work and some more money. Money will get you a lot in this world. You just have to find those willing to look the other way with the right incentive. You understand that, don’t you, Luciano?” He winked at Cosmo like they were two bros discussing shit.
“My name is Cosmo. How did you know we’d be here?” He let his right hand relax, watching the way the man holding Tai appeared to ease as well. Stupid fuck. If he’d done his research, he’d know Cosmo was just as good with his left hand.
“You see, my Irish heritage swears by the luck of the land. I seem to have that no matter where I plant my feet. I’ve found a great liking to traveling the world. Do you know women are so easy to seduce in foreign lands, if you know the right things to say, especially if they’re lonely widows? However, the best ones are the children you produce with them.” He breathed in close to Tai, smelling her hair.
“I’ll have to say I wasn’t aware of that because I’m not a sick fuck like you. Who are all these boys with you? Your sons of these ill-gotten relationships? You fucking them?” The men in question stood taller, anger burning in their eyes.
“I don’t fuck my soldiers, Luciano, or rather, Cosmo. I think I’m done talking with you. It’s past time I get to know my daughter. Have fun with my men.” He jerked Tai around, giving Cosmo and T-Rex his back, as if he wasn’t worried in the slightest. “Kill ‘em,” he ordered.
Rage, pure unadulterated fury filled Cosmo when Tai screamed his name. He lifted his gun arm, intending to kill the bastard even if the other men shot him.
Shots rang out all around him. Fire lit his shoulder, making him stagger backward. He continued moving, aiming for the asshole who had Tai, taking out his legs so he didn’t hit Tai. One moment the man’s head blocked him from seeing her, the next, it was gone. He stumbled to a stop, unable to comprehend what he was seeing. It was only a second or two where he stood in stupefied shock, and then he was shooting his way to Tai, the bastards who’d flanked Bronson trying to get away when they saw him fall.
He couldn’t believe his eyes, wishing he could’ve spared her the gore she was now a part of; her sweet face and body covered in blood while pandemonium rang out around them. For the rest of his life he’d never forget the vision of her, standing in the middle of a shootout, soaked in her father’s blood.
“Tai,” he roared, shoving his gun into the waist of his jeans, his hands going over her in his need to see that she wasn’t injured. His arm hurt like hell, his hands shook from fear and adrenaline.
Her eyes were so wide, shock making her shiver uncontrollably. “C...Cosmo?”
“I’m here, Baby Girl.” He grabbed her up in his arms, pulling her around the side of the vehicle closest to them for shelter.
“Cosmo,” she repeated.
“Sssh, I’ve got you.” He held her tighter, wishing he could set her back from him so he could really examine her for injuries.
As quickly as the firefight had started, it ended.
“Are you hurt?” he finally asked, worried over her lack of response.
“I don’t know. I can’t feel anything. Oh shit. I think I’m going to be sick.” She took a step away, but he kept his hold on her, hating this happened to her again.
Although there was no sound, he knew who was near, his hand sliding into his jeans, his gun up and aimed at the man closest to him. “Who sold us out, Genesis?”
Out of all the guys on his security team, Genesis was who he’d trusted the most. “Gunnar,” Genesis spat.
“Where is he?” Gunnar had been the youngest of the team, the one who had been the softest of all the guys. Hell, he was the one who was more apt to give fashion advice than slit your throat, but he was one of them.
“Cayman was hungry.”
They didn’t have pets for the sake of pets. Their alligator they’d named Cayman was kept for purposes he didn’t look too closely at. Now it seemed he was having dinner a la Gunnar. Cosmo would feel bad, except the fucker had almost cost him Tai.
“Where’s the other guys?” He kept Tai turned away from Genesis. She’d stopped throwing up, but she’d turned and buried her face against his chest.
“They’re sweeping, cleaning house. Got some of your friends,” Genesis grunted.
“Who?”
“Damn, you could’ve warned me there was gonna be a party.”
“Hey, Hatchet, glad you could make it, brother.” T-Rex slapped palms, then was drawn in for a backslapping hug by a man who was a little bigger than him.
When the name registered, Cosmo held his hand out, then noticed the blood on it. He looked at his hand, then at Hatchet. “We’ll shake later. We should roll out before this place is swarming with the cops. I can’t believe they haven’t shown up already.”
Four men he hadn’t seen in a few months, dressed in black tactical gear walked up to him. He noticed the way his MC brothers all stared at them, but Genesis kept a wary eye on the Royal Bastards. They had to know these were his guys or suspect.
“T-Rex, this is Genesis.” He pointed at the man closest to him. “He’s the head of my security team. The one responsible for our set up has been taken care of. That’s Zaires, Azure, Ridley, and the one hanging back is Cannon. Guys, these are my brothers.” He waved his hand to indicate the group. The men who made up Demon Security already knew each of the men present, could probably even recite their social security number by memory.
“Why you got a security team?” Hatchet asked.
“Because he’s rich as fuck,” Hollywood said, coming up to stand by him and Tai.
“I guess you ain’t gonna be asking for a loan to fix these rigs back up?” Hatchet pointed his thumb over his shoulder.
Tai didn’t think she could continue to stand around while the men talked as if everything that happened was normal. “Cosmo, I need to leave.”
“Hatchet, can we use your clubhouse to clean up and crash for a night?”
She nearly sagged in relief when Cosmo mentioned getting clean. The last time someone had been shot in the head next to her, she’d been made to stay covered in their...them, for hours. She didn’t think she could stand to be covered in that man’s blood and other stuff she didn’t even want to think about.
“I’d suggest taking her for a dip in the ocean, but there’s a fuckton of people on the beach. Plus, it’s a good hike down and back. Here’s the keys to the SUV I brought. Don’t worry about it, boss, I’ll expense it.” Genesis winked at Cosmo.
She’d actually looked at the water herself, but the long trek had been daunting. She thought of the doctor who was in one of the boats, dead because of her. “Dr. Jefferson is d
ead,” she whispered.
“We’ll handle it,” Cosmo promised.
The men shared a look she didn’t try to decipher. They seemed to have some sort of silent communication going on, or maybe her ears were still ringing. She didn’t know, and in all honesty, she didn’t care. All she wanted to do was climb under the hottest water she could find and get clean. She didn’t think it was possible, but she wanted to try.
A big black vehicle pulled up behind them. All her energy seemed to have fled her. Where was the girl she’d told Cosmo she wanted to be? She let him help her into the backseat. He even buckled her in like she was a child, yet she couldn’t find the strength to do it herself. Tai wasn’t sure how to explain what she was feeling...it was like a total disconnect. In her mind, she was screaming, yet outward, she felt...numb.
“Baby Girl, you’re scaring me,” Cosmo whispered, brushing his thumb over her lips.
She realized they were trembling. Was he trying to stop her from doing that? “I’m so...sorry.”
“Don’t apologize, Baby. You gonna be alright for a minute while I organize shit? I’ll be right outside the door.” He hesitated, his hand cradling her face.
“Yes. Yes,” she repeated, even though she didn’t mean it.
When the door closed, the dark tint hid her from them, giving her a chance to...to let go. She broke, silently. Tears falling onto her hands that she’d folded over her legs. The blood that seemed to cover every part of her, began to stream down with her tears, over her hands and onto the seat. She couldn’t imagine what the back of her was like, especially her hair. When that man...Bronson was his name. Her father’s name had been Bronson O’Leary.
He’d had such an iron grip on her she couldn’t have gotten away from him, until he’d stumbled into her, stunning her. And there was the sound Tai was sure she’d hear for the rest of her life. A crack and splat sound. She didn’t realize what had happened even as wet warmth poured down her. She had wiped the liquid from her eyes when she couldn’t see, shocked when they came away bloody. His body had fallen away from her. She didn’t know what she’d have done if he’d fallen forward and landed on her. “Small blessings,” she whispered.
She rubbed at her hands, trying to clean the smear of her tears and blood away, wiping furiously onto her pants. The action only made it worse. There was just too much blood. His blood. The numbness was wearing off, and with it, the need to rid herself of anything that had bits of him off of her.
Tai struggled with the pants, cursing when the seatbelt got in her way. Two tries later she got the lever to unlatch, and then she had the pants off. The bloody top followed, leaving her in a bra and panties. Although her arms and hands were still bloody, along with her face and hair she let out a sigh, hoping her heart would stop racing. She looked around the vehicle for something to cover up with and found a duffel bag in the very back. The all over shaking made it hard for her to open the zipper.
She wanted to thank the higher power, whom she was beginning to believe in when she saw clothes inside along with a towel. The clothes would be huge on her, but they would give her covering. The last time...no, she pulled herself away from the memories, the dark hole that was trying to suck her in. Tai was stronger now.
The towel she found inside was rough, unlike the fluffy kind she’d come to enjoy. “It’ll do,” she said out loud, needing the reassurance of noise to calm herself.
Upfront between the two seats, she found a bottle of water. At the prison, they’d had to make do with primitive conditions when they’d been punished. Those lessons were going to get her through now. She glanced out the window toward the guys outside. She wished her hands would quit shaking. Any minute, Cosmo would be returning to check on her. The last thing she wanted him to see, was her crouched in the back of the vehicle, half naked, looking like a mad woman. Yes, she might be feeling a bit out of her mind, and rightfully so, but he didn’t need to see her like that.
Tai tossed the clothing, all black thankfully, over the seat along with the towel, then she followed, making sure she didn’t touch them with her bloody hands too much. After wetting the towel with water, she did her best to clean the blood from her face first. She wet a clean part of the towel and worked on her arms then hands. When she felt a little better, she decided to look in the rearview mirror. The image staring back at her was shocking. She still had some blood around her hair line, but her pupils were huge. Her bra was black, so she couldn’t tell if it had blood on it. Her hair luckily, had been in a braid, but she could see...oh—her stomach rolled. She had to look away or she feared she was going to throw up again. Using the last of the water on the only clean part of the towel, she ran it over her hair, holding it tightly to her head, squeezing it so she could grab anything that wasn’t supposed to be there, inside the towel. She didn’t even want to think about what was in there when the towel started to feel heavy.
Once she was done, she reached for the black top on the floorboard. Her hands shook so badly it took her two tries before she could pick it up. It slid over her head easily since the man who owned it was obviously big. The pants she looked at, then decided they were way too large and would never stay up. “You can do this.” She used to talk to herself a lot when she’d been in China, but only when nobody was at home. Her family had said it was the work of evil when she’d done it.
What seemed like an hour later, when in reality was only about ten minutes or so, the door next to her opened. Cosmo’s gorgeous face appeared. He looked like he was in pain. She reached up to touch him, then dropped her hand when she noticed she still had that man’s blood on her.
He grabbed her hand before it could touch her leg. “Don’t do that. I want you to touch me. No, I need your touch, Baby Girl.” He kissed her palm, holding it against his cheek.
“Are you okay? You look like you’re hurting?” She looked at him, really looked at him. With the sun having set, they were shrouded in darkness, and his dark leather jacket and black slacks made it hard for her to see much, except his face, from the dim interior lighting.
“I’ll be fine once I get us out of here. Move over a bit. T-Rex is gonna drive us.” Cosmo got in next to her, groaning.
Chapter Seventeen
He felt fucking ancient instead of the thirty-one he was. Gunnar, a young man he’d considered one of his own, had turned on him and his friends. Cannon was his brother by blood, which meant the other guys on the team were going to have to watch him.
He sat back with a sigh and a wince, doing his best to hide it from Tai. She already had enough shit to deal with. He didn’t want to burden her with his little wound or about his security guys.
Cosmo tried to hide the fact he’d been shot. It was only a graze, but it burned like fire. He was more pissed that it had wrecked his cut. He took in Tai’s beautiful, wounded, sad face, and wanted to kill Bronson all over again. Genesis said he was sorry he’d had to take the head shot. He’d explained that the way the fucker had been holding Tai, he couldn’t do it any other way. For all of the other man’s gruffness, he always tried to shield women.
“I’m glad you found some stuff to get cleaned up with. I’d have been quicker, but there were some snags we needed to fix.” Minor fucking understatement.
“Snags like the half dozen guys lying on the ground with bullet holes in them?” She looked up at him.
The driver’s door opened, silencing them as T-Rex got in. “All is good, Cosmo. You’d never guess a war happened in that lot only minutes ago. I like Genesis, solid dude. Hatchet seems to think he owes him a favor, but I set him straight. Big fucker that Hatchet.”
“How wrecked are our rigs?” Cosmo hadn’t gone over them much since Hollywood and Gallow were handling both trucks.
“Some new tires and they’ll be good to go. They’ll need some body work, but that’s something to worry about later. Hollywood is looking forward to upgrading some things. He said he was sending you the bill.” T-Rex grinned at him through the mirror, his eyes flickering to Ta
i then back at him.
Cosmo gave him a little nod of acknowledgement. They were all worried about her having seen what had happened.
Lights lit up as all the vehicles began to move out. While Tai was inside getting herself together, they’d called in a few cleanup crews. Hatchet and his guys had loaded up the dead men, including Bronson, the motherfucker and were going to take them out on one of their boats where they knew they could dispose of the bodies. Sharks or whatever would eat them, Cosmo didn’t give two shits as long as they weren’t discovered.
“That was my father,” Tai said, breaking into the silence.
“No, that was a sperm donor, Baby Girl.” He pulled her closer to him, cursing the seatbelts that kept him from bringing her onto his lap.
She sniffed, going quiet.
He thought she was done talking. He wasn’t sure what to say or if he should keep his trap shut. Damn, he really should’ve gone to a therapist. He could’ve at least heard what one said to another person when they were faced with the reality of things like this shit.
“I’m truly alone now,” she choked out, her voice breaking on a sob.
“The fuck if you are. He was nobody before today, and he’s nobody after today. You had me, and you still have me. Do you remember what I said to you before, Baby Girl? What you agreed to? I said you were mine, and you agreed. I told you I loved you. Don’t you love me and want to be with me?” He knew his voice was like gravel, but fuck it, he wasn’t going to wear kid gloves with her about this.
“How can you want me still? It was bad enough with...with a mom who did what mine did. But my—I mean that man. He wanted. You know what he wanted, Cosmo. That’s sick and twisted.” She looked up at him, eyes swimming in unshed tears.
He brushed them away. “Fuck yeah, that’s sick and twisted, but that’s not you. Tai, I wish I could say he was an oddity, that there aren’t more like him, and worse. I can’t though, and you know why.”
