“Drop your weapons. This is the United States Coast Guard, and you are under arrest. Give up now. Drop those weapons!” the person ordered over the loudspeaker.
It was like something out of a movie. Helicopters in the air circling around with spotlights, other boats in the distance approaching, and then gunfire to the right. She turned as Sierran did and saw the men in black climbing up from the water. She made her move as men came closer, others put down their weapons, and she shoved an elbow into Sierran’s side, and he countered, hitting her in the head with the gun and then tossed her over the side of the very high boat. She screamed as her body slammed into the cold water. She opened her mouth to take a breath, but the waves from the boats slammed against her and into her mouth. She was drowning, dizzy from the hit to her head when she began to go under. She thought she saw a flash of light, and darkness overtook her vision.
* * * *
“Get to her now. Sierran’s got a hold of her. Go!” Vacarro yelled out, and they saw Sierran slam the gun into her head as she struck him to get away, and then he picked her up and tossed her into the water.
Spadaro didn’t think twice as he fired his weapon, killing Sierran, and then dived off the boat into the darkness.
He was looking for her and yelling for light. He heard the additional splashes and then more men, Flame, Yani, Bronco, and Cole, all in the water.
“Light! More fucking light!” Spadaro yelled, and the lights shone on the area, and they didn’t see her. He was in a panic, and they kept diving under, and then he felt her hand on his fourth dive under water, grabbed her, and pulled her to the surface. “To the side. Fuck, she isn’t breathing, Tat!” he yelled to him and a boat was there, the Coast Guard, and they lifted her up onto the boat. Spadaro fell to his knees, saw her on the boat practically naked, limp, bleeding from her forehead, her lip, her shoulder, and her mouth.
Tat was on his knees, tilting her head up, and began to perform CPR. They were standing there watching, feeling like life would be over if she died.
“Fight, goddamn you, Talia! Fight!” he yelled so loudly as everyone was silent, and then she coughed.
Tat rolled her to the side, and water shot from her mouth. Her body shook, and Spadaro fell to his knees and caressed her hair from her cheeks.
“Blankets. Get her covered up and warmed up,” Basile yelled out, and then the medic attended to her. She was breathing, but she wasn’t out of the woods yet.
Epilogue
Nathan stared at his sister. He limped into her hospital room. He was only released from the hospital in Florida yesterday and immediately got cleaned up, packed some bags, and was flown to Texas to see his sister. Flame said it was touch and go the last twenty-four hours. She was put into an induced coma to help her brain heal. There was concern that they might have to go in to relieve the pressure so that a clot wouldn’t form and kill her. She had a fractured ankle, busted lip, deep cut in her shoulder that required stitches, and a gash to the back of her head and to her forehead. However, she killed Barishna herself. Shot another man and fought off Sierran. She was tough, and he was so proud of her, but scared of losing her forever.
He suffered burns to his arm and back from the explosion, and his arm was in a sling and cast because of the gunshot to his shoulder and shrapnel to his arm. He would give his life for his sister to live, and as he took in the sight of her, the sounds of the many beeping noises, all the equipment, tears filled his eyes. She was receiving the best treatment here, and her men seemed to have a lot of connections, but it was out of the doctor’s hands now. He leaned against the side of the bed and looked at her pale, battered face. He had heard all the details of her rescue and how close she came to dying out there.
He couldn’t lose her. Couldn’t after all they went through, after not seeing her for three years to protect her, and to let her live a free, normal life.
Tat walked into the room. He gave Nathan a nod and looked him over. “How you holding up?” he asked him.
Nathan shrugged and reached out and stroked her good cheek.
“She can’t die. She has to live. I wish I could take her place and that she could be fine and happy.”
“We all do, but she’ll pull through. She’s tough. Came back and fought to breathe when Spadaro ordered her to fight. She’s a warrior—that’s why we fell in love with her,” Tat said and caressed her hair.
Nathan looked at him.
“I didn’t say thank you enough for all you guys did.”
“No need, Nathan. We’re family, remember that. As soldiers, as men who fight against evil, and because of this beautiful woman right here.”
“Natalia,” Nathan whispered.
“Natalia,” Tat repeated and just stared at her.
* * * *
Talia felt the caress to her cheek. A warm hand. A familiar one. She could hear whispering, and she slowly blinked her eyes open.
“Natalia!” She locked gazes with Nathan, then Spadaro, Basile, and Vacarro. Tears filled her eyes.
“Easy, baby. You’re okay. You’re in a hospital safe and sound. It’s all over. The danger is over,” Tat told her.
“Get the doctor,” Nathan said to Spade, and she closed her eyes and tried to move.
“Lie still, baby. You have a lot of injuries,” Vacarro said to her.
She blinked her eyes. “Nay,” she mumbled, unable to speak her throat so dry and the emotions getting the better of her. Nathan was here. He was alive and well, and so were Spade, Cole, Woodrow, and Bronco, and of course her men. It was over. That’s what they told her.
Basile leaned down and stroked her forehead.
“I missed those gorgeous blue eyes.”
She blinked and then she squinted in pain, and then when she tried to clear her throat, it hurt.
The doctor came in and they stepped aside. “There she is. I’m Dr. Bennet, Natalia,” he said and then talked to her about her injuries as he looked into her eyes, had her moving them left and right, up and down.
Then the men helped her to sit up and Frankie walked into the room with Avana. Tiana, Marianna, and a bunch of her friends were all outside of the doorway.
“We can’t have this many people in here at once. Now that she’s awake, let’s get her something to drink and run a few tests. Maybe you all can visit her three or four at a time for now,” he said, and they thanked the doctor.
Spadaro moved closer to her and stroked her lower lip. “I missed you. I’m so proud of you.” He pressed his lips to hers, and she closed her eyes and then blinked them open when he pulled back.
“Proud?” she asked.
“For fighting. For not giving up, and for not letting Barishna and Sierran win,” he told her.
“Hell yeah, she’s a fighter. That’s my sister,” Nathan said.
“Our sister,” Cole added.
“Our woman that we all love, and are going to continue to love for the rest of our lives,” Tat said, and Spadaro, Vacarro, and Basile all agreed with, “Ooh Rah!” and her brother and his team smiled.
She lay there, sipping water, greeting everyone as best she could for as long as she could until they were kicked out for the evening. Her men refused to go, though, and when they gathered around her late at night, when the hospital was quiet, she looked at each of them. Asked them for kisses, squeezed their hands, and told them she loved them with all her heart. She was blessed with a happy ending. Her brother and the team were back in her life safe and sound. She owed it to her men. To her Sons of Justice soldiers, her guardians, her lovers, her everything. She thought of all the nights she prayed that some power, some weapon, or action would finally break her free from Barishna’s control and power over her. She never thought that weapon, that power of the love between her, Tat, Vacarro, Spadaro, and Basile would deliver her from the evil and control of Barishna, and bring her freedom, happiness, and love. But it did. In the form of her four lovers, her soldiers, her men, her everything.
THE END
WWW.DIXIELYNN
DWYER.COM

Siren Publishing, Inc.
www.SirenPublishing.com
Sons of Justice 10 Deliver Us from Evil Page 17
