Shattered Pieces (Undercover Elite Book 1)

by Steele, Suzanne

  I can already hear Antonio, on another phone, telling Jaime that he better get those girls back. I know Jaime will do it because nobody wants a run-in with the Ramirez brothers. I also know Antonio will give him Steven Taggart and it will take care of my issue. Even knowing that they will kill him, there is no room in my psyche for guilt. He got himself into this and I am going to make sure that those two girls don’t suffer for it.

  Right now, it is just a matter of waiting until Jaime gets the girls back to us. I am grateful the little girl won’t be traumatized. With any luck, she will have slept through the whole ordeal. Latin Americans are big on family and taking care of their women and children. All they wanted was Steven and I have no problem giving them just what they are after.

  Johnnie

  All this time, all this time, I thought she was dead and now the one flicker of hope I held is being extinguished by that bastard sitting in his foyer and staring off into space. As if that isn’t bad enough, I have a niece and now I am never going to get the chance to meet her.

  I want to know what is going on in there and Thorn won’t let me go see. The man is like a brick wall with a face etched in stone and, right now, that face is clearly letting me know I am not getting past him and into that house.

  I begged Cash to give me a gun for this mission and he forbade it. Now, I know why. He knew that if I had a gun, I would kill that bastard. Steven Taggart has taken everything that ever meant anything to me.

  “What’s going on in there? Thorn, please let me go.”

  “Never gonna happen.” His voice comes out in a laid back growl and even though he has a rough demeanor, right now, I feel an odd sense of protectiveness and compassion exuding from him. I can see why these guys are as tight-knit as they are. This is only the second job I have been on and already I feel the camaraderie. This time, I am part of the unified front and it feels good. I have lived most of my life as a loner amongst the crowd. Thrown into groups where I was the different one and being a constant target was a way of life for me up until now. I had learned to keep to myself to avoid trouble. It didn’t bother me and it didn’t hurt because it was all I had ever known.

  This is the first time I have ever felt like I am a part of something that is bigger than me. I want Rhonda and Talia to be part of it too. I want them to feel safe and secure and if it means the death of Steven Taggart, then so be it.

  Thorn pulls me close in a protective embrace as we both look up to view a motorcade of standard, gangster, cliché black cars pull in. My eyes scout the cars, frantically searching for Rhonda and Talia, but the darkened windows prevent me from being able to see inside any of the vehicles.

  When I finally see her, Thorn makes me wait until the other men enter the house. I grab Rhonda and hug her. It’s true! She’s alive! I gently pull back the blanket she’s holding and get my first glimpse of my niece. My draw drops at the discovery that she looks more like me than she does Rhonda.

  Thorn grabs us and pulls us over to one of the Hummers where we sit, unable to stop hugging each other as we catch up. I find myself eyeing the door with an urgency bordering on panic. I want Cash to get his ass out of there before those fucking crazy ass Colombians start shooting up the place. I can just imagine some shoot out with him being in there.

  I sure as hell don’t want to see any of the team hurt. No matter how much of my life I spent trying not to care, I know that I do now and it scares the hell out of me.

  Cash

  I don’t like the anxiety twisting my gut as I wait on these guys to show up. Each tick as the seconds pass only increases my trepidation in these situations. A mixture of release and unease comes over me as I view a band of Colombian men making their way through the door. They are all armed. Some of them are dressed in suits with just holstered guns but there is one man who looks more like he’s going to war. He’s wearing camouflage and carrying a large machine gun strapped over his shoulder.

  I eye the man who starts speaking to me. He’s a very large man with pockmarks on his face. He has the look of a killer and carries himself with an authority that tells me he’s the leader of this band of criminals.

  “I’ll honor the peace treaty my boys and I have with the Ramirez brothers. You need to take your boys and go. This thief stays with us.” He nods in Steven’s direction.

  I’m not going to argue with him. Whatever they do to Steven Taggart has nothing to do with me or with Undercover Elite. I am concerned about the girls witnessing something that would traumatize them anyway. Getting them out of here safely is first and foremost on my mind.

  I nod at Hunter and Axle and we back our way out of the door to meet up with Harley who had been standing guard. We quickly make our way out to our vehicles. A gunshot rings out through the air as we’re driving down the estate’s long driveway. I breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that Talia is asleep and Rhonda is too overwhelmed to even hear it. Johnnie eyes me, shaking her head. An unspoken communication passes between us. Neither of us addresses the issue that Steven Taggart was just shot to death. With the end of his life, the girls would gain their freedom. They will finally have the stability and safety they deserve.

  Chapter Twenty Six

  Johnnie

  I make my way around the room, talking to Rhonda as I work. We came home last night and, immediately, went to bed. Everyone was exhausted, both mentally and physically, by the time we arrived home.

  “How did you meet these guys?”

  I chuckle, “It wasn’t a matter of me meeting them; it was a matter of Cash relentlessly pursuing me.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m glad he did because you all basically rescued Talia and me from a very bad situation.”

  “What the hell happened, Rhonda?”

  “After I married him, he completely turned on me. The son of a bitch transformed into a totally different man. When we lived in Florida, he monitored every move I made. When I threatened to leave him, he wouldn’t let me out of his sight. I was on the pill and the son of a bitch had my doctor replace them with placebos. Steven had the kind of power that only comes from having organized crime connections. He purposely made sure I got pregnant because he knew it would give him more control over me. After what our mother did to us, I vowed I wouldn’t be like her. He knew I would do anything to protect my child if I had one, so he made sure I did.”

  “Why didn’t you try to call me?” I ask.

  “He threatened to take Talia out of the country after he staged my death. Having everyone believe I was dead was his way of cutting any ties I had with anyone but him. After he supposedly killed me off, he moved us back here to Louisville.”

  She reaches over to hug me. “I’m so sorry. I feel like I deserted you. I always tried to protect you. The whole time we were growing up in Puerto Rico and our stepdad was molesting me, I did everything I could to protect you from him.”

  “You did protect me from him.” I brush away the tears rolling down her cheek. The look in her eyes… it’s as if she feels like she betrayed me by not contacting me. I can feel the pull on my heartstrings and compassion for the guilt that she must have felt over something that wasn’t her fault or her responsibility. What she was forced to do wasn’t her fault and I, in no way, hold her responsible or blame her.

  “It’s over now, Rhonda. You and Talia have a home here now, a safe haven.”

  “I don’t ever want to go back to that house, not even to get our things.”

  “You don’t ever have to go back.” I look up to see Cash standing in the doorway.

  “I want the two of you to make a list of everything you need and I’m sending a personal shopper out to get it. It’s a woman who works for me so you don’t have to feel awkward about feminine items. I have a personal doctor and also a lawyer if you’re questioned in any way by the police.”

  “I am certain the police are well aware of my husband’s illegal activities. They aren’t going to blame me for his death. They’ll, no doubt, know it was Colombian Cartel.”


  Cash makes his way over and puts his hand on Rhonda’s shoulder as he speaks. “I’m head over heels in love with your little sister. You have a home here. There is plenty room at the mansion. I can give you a job doing secretarial work for the agency. It will mean sharing an office with Hunter and he’s like working with a big kid, but…”

  “Hey, hey, I heard that…” We all look up to see Hunter walking in with Talia in his arms.

  “Mommy, this is Hunter.”

  “I see that,” Rhonda answers.

  Talia continues talking, “He took me out to see the horses, mommy, and one of them is pregnant,” she whispers like it’s a secret.

  Hunter studies Rhonda as he speaks, “Talia said you’re quite the rider. I’d love to take you out riding later.”

  “I’d love to go,” she answers. Rhonda has a love for horses that goes back to her childhood days when we lived in Puerto Rico. I can remember going down to the stables where they held a weekly rodeo and riding horses when we were kids.

  “Mommy, it would be so much fun and I can go with you!”

  “I want you to go too, little buddy,” Hunter answers and reaches over, lovingly patting Talia’s head.

  Rhonda is a natural with horses. I was always scared of them but she would jump on one bareback and think nothing of taking off through the woods at breakneck speeds.

  “I can’t thank you guys enough. You rescued Talia and me and for that, I’ll be eternally grateful.”

  “We’re a family here, Rhonda. All the guys will make sure that you and Talia are kept safe. The only thing I ask is that you stay here so we can continue to keep you safe. You’re more than welcome to be part of the family but we do ask that whatever goes on here, stays here.” Cash says.

  “What do you mean?” she asks him, looking at him like she’s a little confused.

  “We do jobs like what we did when we rescued you and Talia. Your sister has already been on a job with us in Guatemala, helping us break up a black market baby ring.”

  “You’re such a badass, Johnnie,” Rhonda says, looking at me as if she envies that part of my personality and those traits she doesn’t possess.

  “Ass is a bad word, mommy.”

  “You’re right. It is and I’m sorry. You’re such a tomboy is what mommy should have said.”

  Hunter chuckles, “She is a tomboy.”

  “Yeah, around here she’s just one of the guys,” Cash laughs as he speaks. He leans in and whispers in my ear, “Except with me. With me, she’s all girl.”

  I’ve missed that husky lust in his voice the last couple of days. We haven’t had any time to ourselves due to all the drama rescuing my sister. He’s been so patient, putting my need to see my small family brought back together safely first and foremost, and never thinking of his own needs.

  I don’t just feel like I owe Cash. Normally, if someone had done all he has done for me, I would have to fight the urge to feel indebted, which I absolutely hate. It is the reason I have fought for independence all my life. I don’t feel that way with Cash. Instead, I feel like we are partners working for the same things and towards the same common goals. We are equal.

  I know this team doesn’t let just anyone into their fold. The work they do is dangerous and they can’t afford loose lips. If I feel that I owe these guys anything, it’s my allegiance. Cash brought me into this team, he believed in me, and the rest of the guys trusted his judgment. After all the team has done for me, I am going to make sure that I talk to Rhonda and let her know that I am trusting her not to contact anyone she was involved with while she was married to Steven. That son of a bitch did enough damage while he was alive and I’m not going to let him cause the team any problems from the grave.

  “Guys, please let us talk for just a minute.”

  We watch as the boys leave the room and take Talia to the kitchen to get a snack. I look at Rhonda intently as I speak.

  “I love these guys. They’ve been good to me. It’s extremely important that you don’t repeat anything you hear about them to anyone.” I am shocked by her answer.

  “These guys saved me and my daughter and when they did that, they gained my loyalty indefinitely. I had no way out of the hell I was in until they came along and, for that, I’ll do anything I can to help the team.”

  I am relieved to hear her state her allegiance to the men who risked their lives to save her and her daughter. I can see her fitting in with the team and, perhaps, working especially close with Hunter. He can continue doing what he does and she will be perfect for keeping up with office details. Rhonda isn’t the tomboy I am and she doesn’t have my temperament for wanting to be in the thick of things. She will, however, work out great for behind the scenes help.

  Cash and I make our way back to our bedroom after the meeting and he wastes no time pinning me to the wall.

  “Thank you,” I whisper. His only answer is to place his forefinger over my lips.

  “My cock is so fucking hungry for you. I ache for you, girl. I don’t care what it takes to keep you here, to make you need me, and to keep you working for this team, I’ll do it. You’re in my system and whether you like it or not, I’m in yours, girl.”

  I can feel my breathing changing already. The lust in his eyes and the need in his voice pull me into his web. His eyes never leave mine as he pulls my t-shirt over my head. His teeth purposely graze over my nipple as his lips pull my breast into his mouth.

  His hands work with an urgency that flatters me. I can’t ever remember a time that any man was so hungry for me. His tongue lightly flicks at my nipple and then makes its way up my breast and towards my neck so I can hear his raspy growl. I realize I missed hearing his threats and the dirty way he talks to me when he takes my body and uses it for his pleasure.

  “I’m taking you over to that bed, baby, and turning you around so I can watch that greedy, little pussy of yours sheath my thick cock. Oh, I have missed you, girl.”

  His hands smack at mine, forbidding me from pulling down the shorts I’m wearing and I know if they are going to be pulled down, it’ll be him doing it.

  Just as I knew he would, his hands unbutton and unzip my shorts. He pulls them down, along with my panties, in one swift move. He locks his hands around my hips and picks me up to toss me onto the bed. “Doggy style. Now!”

  I push away the embarrassment I would normally feel, knowing he is in no mood to be patient. He tears at his clothes, removing them and positioning himself behind me. I’m prepared for his cock to thrust into me so I jump when I feel the warmth of his mouth devouring my opening like a man starving for satisfaction only I can provide.

  He groans as if he’s receiving as much pleasure from his tongue being dipped into my opening as I am. I can feel his fingers spreading me apart. It’s like he’s trying to see every hidden part of me.

  My core clenches as he spreads my lips. He’s licking and sucking, alternating using his tongue and lips to send me over the edge, and lapping up the juices my body produces for him.

  My upper body crumbles into the mattress and my fingers clench the sheets desperately as he finally pushes his swollen cock into me. I scratch, claw, and my muscles seize. I’m calling out to him as he purposely times fucking me—two short pumps, one long forceful thrust, and then he rotates his hips, scraping at the walls of my core.

  A euphoric wave of pleasure rolls over me from the inside out and I know he is going to accomplish what no man has ever been able to do before. He’s going to make me climax with no clitoral stimulation. He is hitting a spot so deep inside me that I am seeing a kaleidoscope of colors as my body explodes. I know that my pussy, clenching and pulsing on his cock, will send him over the edge. I feel his whole body surge with tremors, confirming he feels the same pleasure I do. We need each other to fill this place within us, a place no one else can access.

  The last thought on my mind as we fall asleep, entwined in each other’s arms, is that I am infinitely glad that he was so relentless when he stalked me or I would
n’t be where I am right now. I wouldn’t be safe, secure, and sated…

  Epilogue

  Johnnie

  “Everybody be quiet, be quiet. We have a very important announcement to make,” Cash yells out over the chatter at the huge dining table where we’re all sitting.

  “Talia, got the first place ribbon for her artwork today.”

  Hunter stands up and claps, celebrating the achievement of his new little buddy. “I knew we had an artist in the family. Great job, kiddo!” He high-fives her and she smiles as she smacks his hand.

  It is evident Undercover Elite is one big family and we celebrate each and every victory as one. It is the first time I can ever remember feeling like I truly had a family.

  “I knew there had to be someone who loved the arts as much as I do,” I pipe out.

  “No, you’re a writer,” Cash says. He leans in to whisper, “and I’m so glad you are because when I got a hold of those journals, I got in your head, girl.”

  “Still the arts, big guy,” I answer.

  Thorn sits quietly, intently watching everything that’s going on and even though his mouth is set in a straight, serious line, I can see the smile in his eyes. I wink at him, letting him know that I know he’s happy about Talia’s achievement. That draws a one second smile out of him that no one else manages to see but me.

  Axle shyly eats with his head down but a huge smile is on his face as he manages to mutter, “Good job, kid.” He has grease on his hands even though he washed them before dinner. I chuckle inwardly, wondering what kind of girl it will take to win his heart. I’m sure it’ll be one that likes fast cars.