Forbidden Protector

by Natasha L. Black

“Only when Val is here to baby her.” Connie shook her head. “I love Annie to death, but if I gave her a bedtime story and a morning-time story every damn day, I’d be one cranky mommy. Especially since for the morning-time story she likes to stop on every page for like ten minutes to discuss the current action.” She waved her hand. “Don’t worry about them. They’ll be there for a loooong time.”

  Her gaze slid to the main table, where everyone was assembling. “Shall we?”

  I nodded. “Let’s do it.”

  I was uneasy about leaving Annie and Val unsupervised, but presumably the guys who’d been guarding them all night were still on duty. Plus, I was fulfilling the protecting Connie part of my job. And I just wanted to be near her.

  In the daylight, with her hair rumpled, her blue eyes softer than usual, and a smile whose secret I knew, it took all my self-control not to scoop her up into my arms and kiss her on the spot.

  “Heard you were causing some trouble last night.” Connie spoke out the side of a smile, as she reached for some pancakes.

  “Trying to prevent it, you mean. There’s something off about that Claude guy.”

  “He creeps me out,” Connie agreed. “But then again, I was creeped out by Harry, Gary, and Larry in the beginning too.”

  “Still.” My head roved around again. I didn’t like it. If Claude had been off to get some food or something, he should’ve been back by now.

  I got up as a scream had pierced the room and I began to run in the direction of the shrilling sound.

  “What’s going on?” Connie was on her feet too.

  There was no time to stop or to explain. All at once, I just knew. “Annie.”

  I raced past guys milling about, others hurrying to check out the noise too.

  As soon as we got to Connie’s room, I knew.

  It was too late.

  Val was on the floor, kohl-lined eyes struggling to stay open, her fleshy arm hanging at a very wrong angle, and Annie was gone.

  I crouched down to Val. “What happened?”

  Val’s one eye twitched my way. She slurred some words out. “Claude… he… he…took… he… Annie.”

  An engine revved from outside.

  “Shit!”

  I raced down the hallway to the nearest door, but it was jammed with something. I kicked at it. Over and over again.

  With a loud clang the door finally flung open. On the ground, was a piece of metal Claude had jammed it with. On the horizon, his van wasn’t even a speck.

  I ran back inside to find Hayes.

  The whole compound was reverberating with panic; people lurching around, bumping into each other.

  Walter bolted past, carrying a passed-out Val toward some guys who had set up a makeshift bed for her.

  Amidst the fray, Connie wailed, “ANNIE PLEASE!”

  I stopped, then forced myself on. I’d be no help to her without a plan. Without Hayes.

  I found him down in the basement panic room. “Come on out Annie, honey.” His voice was laced with abject hope. “It’s important. It’s Uncle Hayes – please come out.”

  At my footsteps, he whirled around, eyes wild. “That shit took her. Didn’t he?”

  “Val is out cold,” I told him. “Before she passed out, she as much as said so. Claude sped away in the van, tried jamming the door to slow us from following.”

  “Fuck!” Hayes jammed his hands in his pockets, then out and made for the stairs. “We’re wasting time. We need to follow him.”

  “How?”

  “There’s GPS on that van. Don’t have any prospects come in without it. Guy knew about it too.”

  Shit.

  If Claude had known about the GPS and still took Annie… that meant he wanted to be found. Maybe even that he wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Annie if it came to it.

  Back in the main room, Hayes gestured the guys over and raised his voice so everyone could here. “Looks like Claude took Annie. My sister and some of you will stay here, just in case she’s hiding, and we overlooked her, plus you can watch over the kids, too.” I swung a look at Connie. Her scowl looked downright brittle, dangerous. Hayes really intended to try and keep her here?

  “Me and my main ten will follow on our bikes,” Hayes continued. “Find that fucker and the Devil Kings he must be working for. And then, we’ll make them pay.”

  He walked toward the door, and everyone hustled to follow. I did too.

  It was a bad plan. The worst kind – a spur-of-the-moment reaction. The kind of bad plan that gets you killed.

  But they had taken Annie. A little fucking innocent girl. That could not happen.

  “I’ll come too,” I said, flagging Hayes down. “I’ll follow in my truck.”

  “Right.” Hayes was already near the door, yelling over his shoulder. “C’mon! Let’s show these Devil scum what happens when you fuck with a Twisted Soul.”

  “I’m coming!” Connie yelled. She lunged forward fast, but not fast enough, as Mallory and the other women held her back.

  She struggled, swore. “Let me go, he has my daughter!”

  My hands clenched. All of me burned to hold her, stroke her, kiss her. Make everything better. But there wasn’t time.

  Nothing would make anything better until Annie was back.

  I walked up to Connie and stared straight into her eyes, the blues as bright and hard as new-cut diamonds. “We’ll get her back to you ok. I promise you.”

  There was no other option.

  26

  Connie

  I should’ve been there with them.

  I paced around in a circle, round and round and round. Minutes ago, even the women who’d been valiantly trying to comfort me had given up.

  As if there was any comfort for the cold hard facts.

  That they’d taken my baby. Hurt my best friend.

  I should’ve been there with them. Hayes, Chance, and the others.

  I should’ve been there helping to rescue my baby. Offering those Devil scum anything – anything at all – just as long as she was kept safe.

  She was my everything. Life without her didn’t exist. I was her mother. And I failed to do the one thing a mother should always do.

  The search back in the compound, of course, had turned up nothing. There was nothing to be found. The whole idea had been a stupid ploy by Hayes to keep me there.

  And it had worked. I had let it work.

  “Hun, you need to sit down.” A hand on my shoulder.

  It was Val, with a wet facecloth pressed on her temple where she’d been hit.

  I hugged her and she put her one good arm around me while the other rested against her middle in a sling.

  “You ok?” I asked.

  “’Course. Doc set the break and bound me up.”

  ‘Doc’ was a former Navy medic with combat wound care training. I’d never been so glad to have him around as I was today.

  “Thank God.”

  As we separated, Val took my hand to give it a squeeze. “They’ll get her back, Con. You know our boys – they’re tough. And Hayes wouldn’t let the assholes harm a hair on her head.”

  I couldn’t return Val’s thin valiant smile. “It might not be up to him.” I turned away. “I should be there with them. She’s my daughter, my baby.”

  I took out my phone and dialed up Chance’s number.

  He answered on the first ring. “Any news?”

  “No. You?”

  “Not yet. Still driving there, be there in five, maybe less. And then…”

  “You won’t be able to talk, I get it. Where did the van stop anyway?”

  A pause that was too long to be promising. “Connie, I-”

  “Can’t tell me. I get it.”

  I hung up.

  “Nothing,” I told Val’s hopeful look, turning away. “I need to do something.”

  I sank to the floor, got out my phone again. Mindlessly, I started flipping through pictures, all of Annie. Annie and me at the park, her cheeks filled with muffin. Anni
e and I making some hilarious hand-painting turkeys. Annie and I hugging.

  God, I couldn’t do this.

  “Hey.” Val had sat down beside me, put her arm around me. “We’re going to get through this.”

  I sat there numb and silent. I had no idea how to even begin responding to that.

  27

  Chance

  I knew the place.

  Knew of it, at least.

  Even back in Pewter, we’d heard stories about Sterling Base – the old military barracks that had been ravaged by fire. Even though it had been only partially destroyed, the Army had declared the place a loss and abandoned it.

  Looked like we knew who the new occupants were now.

  When I got out of my pickup, Hayes and the others were already getting their guns ready.

  At my glance, Hayes shrugged. “Keep ‘em for emergencies. My niece in danger? Yeah, that’s a motherfucking emergency.”

  He had that right.

  I got out my own gun, the one I kept stashed away.

  I started ahead at a light run. “I’ll go first.”

  Instinct surged in as I scanned the immediate area for hazards. The lot was a seemingly empty mass of dirt and weeds. Just visible ahead, tucked in the underbrush, the barracks was a squat brick building that spread out far and wide, almost like a step instead of an actual building. It was bordered by darkened arches that could easily hide countless doors – or men.

  As we advanced, a bullet pierced the air.

  I ducked, dodged, then, my eyes finding shape in the darkness, my arm flashed out with a shot of its own.

  A slumping noise.

  Then silence.

  There. One hazard out.

  Still, I paused to be sure.

  But there was nothing.

  I ran that way.

  Sure enough, there was the door.

  Behind me, the undergrowth crunched with the others’ quiet following.

  It only took a few seconds for them to catch up.

  The faster we did this, the better our chances.

  “Y’all stay shut the fuck up – or I’ll shoot you myself, ya hear?” Hayes whispered to the others, before nodding to me.

  I opened the door, my gun at the ready, then exhaled.

  Bare-bones metal shelves with cardboard Sharpie-scrawled boxes, and shiny chrome metal tables filled the small room.

  We had entered into some sort of utility room.

  It smelled stuffy with cleaning products that still didn’t hide the undercurrent of burnt things.

  I crept in further. The hallway was dark, with a fizzing light that flicked with no real pattern. Until finally it blinked out.

  I forged ahead, without letting up on my attention one bit.

  Not encountering any other Devil Kings thus far wasn’t just dumb luck. No, this wasn’t good.

  They had to be waiting for us, somewhere, ready to ambush us.

  Room by half-empty room, some showing more signs of the fire, we stalked through.

  Until suddenly the cold quiet was punctured by a low murmur of voices.

  I crept toward it, keeping my senses primed. The hallway only had one way, one door at the end. Whatever they had planned for us, it was through that door.

  We moved as one beast, one aim and held our collective breath.

  Once we reached the door, we saw that it was cracked open an inch.

  My hand tightened on my gun.

  Yeah, this was planned.

  I peered in, and Hayes did beside me.

  I quickly counted ten of them, plus Claude, who was chewing on his thumbnail, looking guilty as hell. Good.

  One on my bullets has your name on it, scumbag.

  Beside him was a puffed-up little man with almost comically bulging eyes who had to be their president.

  And there, on his other side, was Annie. She looked pissed rather than scared, her face was tearless but red, frowning. Her arms were crossed over her Paw Patrol pajamas. “I said I don’t want any more cookies. I want Mommy!”

  I nearly smiled at her brazen spirit. Clearly, the Devil Kings were waiting for us, but they hadn’t heard us yet.

  The longer we milled around, the more likely we’d make a noise and alert them.

  If we wanted the element of surprise, we’d have to act now.

  Hayes caught my eye – Now?

  I nodded – Now.

  And then I kicked the door open and sprinted in.

  My gun went off in methodical rhythm, taking down three men in the flash of my muzzle. Behind me, more guns began to fire.

  The Kings barely had time to grab their guns, let alone figure out what was happening. My bullets had all hit their targets, but the president was still on his feet, grabbing for Annie.

  I advanced toward him, gun raised. “Don’t you fucking touch her.”

  Everything suddenly went very still.

  “Don’t, Chance,” Hayes growled. “I’ve got this.”

  He stepped up beside me, his gun pointed at the man too. Half the guns switched to point his way.

  “Not this time,” I said. I stepped forward, my gun still raised.

  The air around me suddenly exploded and I found myself on the floor.

  The cement was cool under my cheek and my ears were ringing. I couldn’t make out any sounds, just the shuffle of feet as the moved around the room. Bodies dropped and sightless eyes looked back at me. I raised my head to look for Annie and the whole room began to spin, the edges of my vision going grayer and grayer until the blackness took over.

  28

  Connie

  “And look at this one, I’ve never seen one like this!” Val crowed.

  I glanced at the phone screen obligingly, tried to smile.

  Val withdrew it. “Sorry, I’m being stupid. Trying to distract you, even me – of course it isn’t working. This is your kid.”

  I patted her. “Thanks for trying.”

  There was commotion at the door.

  My heart leapt – and then fell right over again.

  “Mom,” I said, wobbling to my feet.

  She and Dad ran straight for me, corralling me into a hug.

  “We heard,” Mom gasped into my hair. “Those monsters, those despicable sick, sick men.”

  “Hayes and the others are on it,” I said quietly as we separated.

  Mom’s eyes were rimmed with tears, one eye wider than the other, like a crazy person. She pulled out of my Dad’s hand, speaking out of the side of her mouth manically, “Those men – there aren’t words for what should be done to them. Burning and pain.”

  Dad let out a nervous laugh. “Whoa there, Zena.”

  Another commotion sounded at the door. As I made out the Twisted Souls jackets, my heart leapt wildly in my chest.

  Dad rubbed on his beard thoughtfully. “So that was who was speeding behind us.”

  I raced up to them. “Annie – is she?”

  “MOMMY!”

  Annie came barreling out, barefoot, arms raised, face jubilant. And ok, blessedly, utterly, completely ok. I threw my arms around her. “Oh God. Thank God.”

  I pressed her to me tight.

  There weren’t words. My head was swirling and my daughter, my baby, my everything – she was ok. She was alright.

  Everything was going to be fine.

  Only…

  Still clasping Annie, I called out to the nearest man. “What’s going on?”

  They seemed to be in high action, rounding up others, barking out orders.

  “There’s one more attack on the Kings planned for tonight,” Harry told me. “To finish them. We know where they’re stationed, and we took out a good number of their higher-ups already, so…”

  “Don’t worry,” Charlie said, seeing my face. “We’ll make sure to keep this place well-protected.”

  My gaze swirled around. Something was missing. Two someones, in fact.

  “But what about my brother? Chance?”

  Harry pinned me with a look that told m
e something bad had happened. “We dropped them at the hospital.”

  “What do you mean you dropped them at the hospital? Are they alive?”

  Harry nodded and turned to go. “They were when we left them.”

  My mom’s gaze met mine and I nodded. “I’ll drive.”

  29

  Chance

  The incessant beeping was about to drive me mad. But I knew that as long as I heard it, it meant I was still alive. The sting of antiseptic assaulted my nose and my brain climbed closer to consciousness.

  I could feel someone near me but couldn’t put my finger on who.

  Lucy?

  No. No that was wrong. Lucy was gone.

  Someone else. Someone important. I forced my eyes open enough to make her out. Connie.

  “Co…”

  My voice was barely a whisper.

  Pain sliced through my abdomen.

  “Nurse, please – I think we need someone!” Connie called.

  The beeps were picking up and footsteps soon accompanied. Then darkness fell again.

  When my eyes opened sometime later, she was still at my side.

  I managed to croak, “How long?”

  “Two days.”

  “Annie?”

  Connie squeezed my hand lightly. “Downstairs getting more double chocolate brownies with my Mom and Dad. You know what she said about the whole thing?”

  A low bitter laugh. “She said their cookies sucked and mine were much better.”

  Laughter rumbled out of me and searing pain quickly followed.

  “Hayes?”

  Connie grinned with a roll of her eyes. “Doing even better than you. The bullet barely grazed him. He’s already annoying all the nurses and doctors to death, trying to order them around and/or bribe them to let him go. He has his heart set on you getting a gold-encrusted medal for what you did.”

  I shook my head. “For Annie, I had to – for you, I had-”

  Connie’s finger was cool on my lips. “Shh, don’t push it. You just woke up.”

  But I needed to know. I couldn’t rest until I knew. “The Kings?”

  A grim smile. “Won’t be a problem anymore. After what you and Hayes and the others did, the other Twisted Souls took out the rest of them. We’re safe now. We’re ok.”