by C. A. Harms
Revenge
Phoenix Undercover #3
By C.A. Harms
Revenge
Copyright © 2016 by C.A. Harms.
All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: June 2016
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1-68058-670-1
ISBN-10: 1-68058-670-X
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
Remember who you are. Don’t let one single moment define you. Be who you want to be, no matter what it takes to get there.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Epilogue
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Prologue
“You can run Gabby, but I’ll find you.” He laughed with a sadistic cackle. A chilling fear rang clear as his laughter echoed off the trees. “There is nowhere to hide. No one to save you. You are mine now.”
My feet ached as the branches broke beneath my bare feet. The darkness of the night left me with minimal clarity. It was scary being alone in the darkness, unaware of my surroundings and what may be lurking ahead. But hesitation only meant Leo may reach me; that was much scarier than any other danger ahead.
“Gabriella.” Once again his voice rang out through the woods.
I had no idea where we were, or how far from the city he had taken me, but I couldn’t think about that. I had to find a way back. I had to find help.
“I’m coming for you.” A sick feeling filled my stomach as his voice sounded closer than only seconds ago.
Something sharp cut into my foot and I gasped as I fell forward, catching myself against a tree. I reached down to pull out the sharp object that was now embedded in the heel of my foot. The blood oozed and a burning sensation made me wince as I dropped the shard of glass to the ground. A broken bottle of some kind.
“I thought we were becoming friends. You were beginning to understand what I needed from you, and I was just starting to reconsider selling you. In fact, I even thought about keeping you all for myself,” Leo hollered.
I hid behind a tree as I looked from side to side, hoping for some sign of where he was. I was turned around at this point and no longer knew which way I should run.
“But you deceived me, just as your sister did. I don’t forgive easily, Gabriella. I think once we reunite you may have to give me a reason to reconsider.”
The hidden meaning of his words terrified me. Chills ran through me as I thought about his hands on me. I cringed, remembering the way he had attempted to touch me only moments ago. There was no way I could take more.
Thunder rumbled overhead and I jumped in surprise. A storm was approaching and I knew it would only make my escape that much harder.
“Game’s over.” I jerked forward, trying to get away when Leo’s voice whispered in my ear. “It’s time for you to understand and accept who you belong to.” He gripped my arm as he stepped around to my side and circled his other hand around my throat.
His grasp on my throat tightened as he leaned in closer, within inches of my face.
Rain began to fall and he smiled as he tilted his head back and allowed it to hit his face.
His laughter broke free and I could feel the tears fill my eyes.
I closed my eyes and pictured Josh’s smile. Memories of the day we brought our son into the world together filled my mind. That was a happy day. And if I was going to die tonight, it was the vision I wanted to be my last.
Chapter 1
Josh
Had we allowed ourselves to grow weak, giving Leo the impression that we no longer feared him?
Over the course of the months since his last threat, we remained on guard. But we also lived our lives. We had to. We couldn’t just tuck ourselves away in captivity and allow him to win.
I watched my son grow within the woman I loved, only making her more and more beautiful to me with each passing day.
They say pregnant women glow.
She would argue that point, as she said on more than one occasion she felt like a beached whale, but I couldn’t see it in all the moments she thought I wasn’t watching. The way she subconsciously rubbed her stomach as we watched a movie or cuddled on the couch—her beauty not only was on the outside but came from deep within.
I could barely contain my excitement as I let my mind continuously wander to the visions of her holding our child. It was an amazing experience. I was full of so much love, sometimes I wondered how the hell any person can love another so fucking deeply.
Had I known our future, I would have planned differently. Never would I have gone into that warehouse pretending to some thug as if I had no fucking worry.
I was not invincible.
Because of my hero complex, I was now spending every damn day in fear of the woman I loved being hurt by some sick, inhuman son of a bitch.
That was on my shoulders.
I endangered all of those around me.
I let the life I dreamed of interfere with the life I was only pretending to live.
I was the one unable to separate the two.
I failed.
Now I had to find a way to keep the two worlds apart.
Chapter 2
Gabby
If only he knew how much I adored him.
I could see it in his eyes each day he thought he’d done wrong by us. That alone was hard to swallow.
He said in the beginning that if he had met me first, things would have been different. He would have rethought many of his choices.
But I knew going in that his life was not simple.
The man I loved had so many people counting on him, and he was a pleaser. He wanted to give everything to everyone at every turn.
He has an amazing heart, and I couldn’t blame him for anything that w
as now going on in his life.
We had been through so much in such a short time, but I would do it all over again if it meant that in the end, I was here, in this moment, with Josh.
Each day he left I would find myself worrying he would not return. It was one of my biggest fears.
Losing him once crushed me, but a second time would completely destroy me. There was no doubt I needed him.
We needed him.
So instead of focusing on the unknown, I focused on every moment we were given together. I did whatever I could to make sure no time was wasted and that no matter what happened, he never left without knowing how much I loved him.
But I still felt like every day, everyone was standing around just waiting for the ball to drop.
We all knew the silence would be short-lived, because there was no way Leo would just walk away.
He was just waiting for the right time to instill fear in each one of us.
Chapter 3
Josh
“Good morning,” I whispered as I kissed her. “How’d you sleep?”
She arched a brow at me and all I could do was laugh.
Maybe it wasn’t the best response to a woman who was just over seven months pregnant and had been sentenced to bedrest by her doctor. I say sentenced because she called it her own form of prison.
“How do you think I slept?” she asked with a scowl. “I’ve been invaded by your son, and he feels it necessary to kickbox my bladder whenever I manage to finally get comfortable. Oh and let’s not forget the matter of having to sleep sitting up because my diaphragm is crushed by junior whenever I lay too flat.”
When she went on and on, it only made me smile even more, because I knew she loved being pregnant. She couldn’t fool me even though at this moment she was on a hormonal rampage.
“Did I mention that my feet no longer look like feet?” she asked as she looked down, pointing in their direction. “Nope, they now look more like clubs. My ankles actually roll right in to my calves, and my fingers look like sausages.”
Her head fell backward, making a slight thud as it hit the headboard.
“I feel like a buffalo,” she grumbled.
I lay my hand over her protruding stomach and felt a gentle wave of movement beneath my palm.
I loved that feeling. Looking up at her, I found she was smiling as well, even though she was trying to hide it.
“But all of the blah is worth every moment,” she confessed as she lifted her head and her gaze locked on mine. “Because in just a couple months, he’ll be here with us.”
And there was the reassurance of my earlier thoughts. The love she felt for our son and the joy of his life outweighed all the swollen, uncomfortable struggles.
“Do you need me to rub your feet?” I asked without waiting for her to answer as I moved down toward the end of the bed.
It was our morning ritual.
Before I went in to the Bureau and began my day, I would make sure my fiancée was as comfortable as possible in her current state. I loved it, truthfully, because I got the chance to touch her.
Sex had taken a backseat lately, and I understood, due to the way she had been feeling. But what I wouldn’t give to get lost inside her and forget about all our problems and fears, even for just a day.
“Mmm,” she instantly moaned as I began pressing along the arch of her foot. “That feels so good.”
“Baby, you keep moaning like that, I’m gonna get excited.” My comment made her laugh, and damn, I loved that sound.
My phone began to ring from its place on the nightstand, and Gabby reached out to grab it for me. “It’s Gray,” she said as she held it out toward me.
“What the hell are you calling me from the next room for?” I asked as Gabby wrinkled up her nose at the comment.
My best friend is currently sleeping with Brook, my soon-to-be sister-in-law, and they are not shy about their bedroom aerobics. In fact, I am pretty sure the asshole taunts me because he knows I am currently cut off. Damn prick.
“Because I just walked by the bedroom and heard Gabby moan. I thought by some miracle you were getting some action, and the last thing I wanted to do was interrupt.” He chuckled. “Because we all know that shit ain’t happening too often anymore.”
“Funny, asshole,” I countered back.
“I’m ready when you are, boss,” Gray added. “Unless you’re gonna be a while, then I’m heading back to Brook’s room, because she’s wearing this tiny little pair of—” I cut him off by repeating “no” over and over. I hung up the phone to the dickhead’s laughter and looked back toward Gabby.
“I’m gonna have to head in to the office now.” Standing up, I leaned over and kissed her forehead. “Do you need anything before I take off?”
She fisted the front of my shirt and held me close to her. “I just need you to be safe and come home to me and our son.”
“Always,” I replied, pressing my lips to hers. “There is nothing that could ever keep me away.”
***
Every day we worked to bring down Leo, and every day we came up empty-handed.
He made it a point to let us all know he was watching us and waiting for the time when he could make us pay. He put fear in me with the photos he had taken of Gabby and the information he collected regarding our lives. But now he had fallen back once more, leaving us all to wonder.
He had forced us all to walk around with fear, waiting for something to happen.
We were also forced to move on to other cases as well, which took away from the time I felt we should be focusing on Leo’s whereabouts. I was consumed with worry for the safety of those I love.
But I couldn’t let Leo know he had the upper hand.
Because I knew he was watching and waiting for the right time to attack. I had to be ready.
Always.
Chapter 4
Gabby
“They’re in the second drawer on the left side of my desk,” I directed Sierra, the agent who was taking my place at the office. “They’re in the red folder labeled ‘Anderson.’”
Sierra had not been my first choice to cover my clients. She was a bit scatter-brained, in my opinion, and tended to leave important things unattended. Plus, I think she was sleeping with Conrad and a few other agents, but there was nothing I could do about it. She was who Margo had assigned.
“Got ’em,” she announced. I could hear the slam of my desk drawer, and it grated on my nerves. I absolutely hated that she had the ability to riffle through my things. It only made me want to stab her eyeballs out with a letter opener.
“Things have been amazing around here. I mean it’s not like we don’t miss you, but truly, things couldn’t be running smoother.” Sierra’s chipper voice made me cringe.
“Well, that’s great,” I said forcefully.
I knew it was her way of telling me she loved having my clients and my commissions.
I take it back; I do dislike her, in a horrible way. And if this call did not end quickly, I might not be able to hold back my disdain.
“Well if that’s all, I’m going to let you go now.” I already felt like I was climbing the walls to get out of my cage, but conversations like this only enhanced those feelings even more.
“Oh, yeah, of course,” Sierra said happily. “Relax, and know that there is absolutely no reason for you to rush back.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to hold back my snarky comments and said a quick goodbye before hanging up.
I picked up the pillow next to me and heaved it at the bedroom door just as it opened and Brook stepped inside. It hit her hip and she held her hands out in surrender.
“Damn, Pregzilla, you need to tame that wild beast within you.” She smirked and I narrowed my eyes at her.
“I need to get out of this bed and go down to the office. There is a snotty little bitch that needs a beat down,” I said with irritation.
“Sierra?” Brook asked as she picked up the pillow and continued to approach.
/> “Yes,” I relaxed back against the pillows and let out a long exasperated breath. “I swear she only calls to torment me. She knows how irritated I get when I have to share.”
Brook laughed. “You never were good at sharing.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. “I need to get out of here.” I groaned unhappily.
“And you will,” she said, and I immediately perked up. “When the doctor approves it.”
“You are such a bitch. You used to be my favorite.” I turned to the side and fluffed my pillow, avoiding her smirk.
“And here I was thinking I was your favorite.” I spun around to see Audrey standing next to Brook, holding a small bag in her hands. “I guess I’ll just take this strawberry glazed Danish and blueberry muffin and find someone else to eat my breakfast with.”
In that moment my stomach chose to scream in agony. A loud grumble filled the silence and Audrey smiled triumphantly.
“My little nephew loves me at least.” Audrey arched an eyebrow.
“You’re my favorite,” I whined. “You’ve always been my favorite.” I just wanted the yummy goodness she possessed, and at this moment I would say just about anything to convince her to come just a few steps closer. I just needed to be able to snatch that bag from her hands, and after that they could fight it out.
“What did you bring me?” Brook asked as she grabbed for the bag.
“Yours is on the counter. Chocolate chip muffin and a French vanilla coffee.” Brook darted off without saying another word as Audrey came closer.
She sat down on the edge of the bed and held out the bag, shaking it from side to side. I, of course, smiled brightly. For the last few weeks, Audrey had shown up daily with a treat for me.
She knew how being confined to the apartment, ordered to stay off my feet, was killing me. I was so tired of staring at the walls, unable to enjoy the outside, or simply go out to dinner.
