Seek and Destroy (TREX, #5)

by Allie K. Adams

  She’d never said that, not once. “Thomas?”

  “Perfect.” He held the cup out for her.

  “Listen to me. I don’t want tea. You and I—”

  “Are back together,” he finished.

  “No.” She shook her head. It hurt, but under the circumstances, it was the least of her worries. “We aren’t.”

  “We are.”

  “We were never together!”

  “That’s not true!” He jumped back and threw the table over, spilling the tea and finger sandwiches all over the floor. She jerked, startled from the sudden change in his mood. “He did this to you. He brainwashed you into believing that. Charis, sweetheart.” He hurried over to the bed and sat down before taking her hands in his. She tried to pull away but he wouldn’t let go.

  “It’s okay now. You’re safe.”

  She somehow doubted that.

  “You won’t ever see him again.”

  She prayed he was wrong.

  “Your hands are cold.” He rubbed them vigorously, roughly. It hurt and she tried to pull them away again. He grabbed her shoulders and gave her a firm shake. Her head pounded, blurring her vision.

  Before she recovered, he backhanded her across the cheek. Hard. The explosion of pain made her tear up. Not from fright. No, having this man lay any part of his hands on her pissed her off.

  Okay, and maybe a little bit from fright.

  When he came back into focus, his eyes were hard and cruel as they assessed her. She imagined hers didn’t look any friendlier. “You need to snap out of it, sweetheart. He’s no longer a threat.”

  Wanna bet?

  “Now, lay down,” he ordered and shoved her on the bed and not gently. She couldn’t stop from trembling. Not from the cold. The rage building bubbled inside her. No way would she let this man touch her again.

  No way. Sitting up, she swung her legs around to scramble to the other side of the bed. She screamed when he grabbed a handful of her hair and threw her back on the bed.

  “You aren’t going anywhere.” His hand still pulling painfully at her scalp, he forced her toward him. As he crushed his hers down on hers, she felt sick. She tried to push him away, but it only made his hold on her tighten.

  “Don’t touch me!” she screamed and shoved him away. Covering her mouth with a shaky hand, she looked at him.

  The crazy bastard smiled. “I know you like it rough, my love. I just didn’t think you’d want it rough so soon after I rescued you from your kidnapping.”

  “Thomas, you kidnapped me.”

  “No. That’s just what he had you believe. You and I have been together ever since I chose to leave TREX.”

  “You didn’t choose. I had you kicked out of TREX and arrested.”

  He slipped off his shoes, then his socks. What did he think he was doing? She scooted to the other side of the narrow bed. It didn’t give her nearly enough space between them. She’d have preferred different continents. Or, better yet, thick metal bars.

  “I know what you need. I always know what you need.” As he undid his pants, she closed her eyes. “You and I need to make love. I know as soon as you feel me inside you again, the rest of this nightmare will fade away.”

  He didn’t have her tied down in any way. Apparently, he really was crazy. She jumped up off the bed and searched the walls for the door. Spotting one on the opposite side of the enormous room, she didn’t waste any time.

  Surreal just sat on the bed and continued to undress as if having her run around the warehouse trying to escape was nothing out of the ordinary. He removed is pants, then his shirt, leaving him in nothing but his tighty whities. He then straightened out on the bed and studied her. Every glance back toward him told her he enjoyed watching her. His erection tented his underwear. He removed his last piece of clothing.

  Jesus, no. She reached the door and tried it. Locked. Swearing, she searched the walls for another door and ran over to it. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she hurried from door to door, trying each one. Locked. They were all locked.

  She wouldn’t let that stop her. She kicked at the closest door, pounded on it. She screamed and even rammed it with her shoulder. It didn’t budge. Her shoulder took the brunt of the impact, exploding in pain. She cried out. And then she simply cried.

  This wasn’t happening. David would be here any second, barge in with his big guns and save her. He would. He had to.

  “Are you through?”

  She ignored him and kicked the door again. In bare feet, it hurt like hell, but it didn’t stop her from trying again. This had to work. The good guys never fell prey to the bad guys. It didn’t work that way.

  “Charis, come over here.”

  “Go to hell,” she snapped breathlessly and ran to another door. Maybe if she pounded on this one harder...

  “My love, what are you doing?”

  “I’m not your love!” she screamed and spun around. If she couldn’t get out, she’d just have to kill him. With her bare hands. He rose off the bed and approached her, his disgusting erection swaying.

  “Don’t say that.”

  “I. Don’t. Love. You!” She charged him, her fists swinging. She got off a few good hits before he had her wrists in his hands. She thrust a knee into his groin. With his hard-on, it had to be incapacitating. He roared and dropped her wrists, doubling over.

  She turned to run. He grabbed her ankle and down she went. The cement broke her fall, and every bone it came into contact with, at least it felt like it. He flung her onto her back and then landed on top of her.

  The wind whistled out of her lungs from the weight of him crushing her. He ripped at her teddy, exposing her breasts. Kneading them greedily, painfully, he tried to kiss her. She moved her head from side to side, successfully avoiding his lips.

  He removed his hand from her chest and grabbed her chin. “Kiss me, you fucking bitch.”

  She spit at him.

  He brought his hand back and fisted it. She widened her eyes as she watched it come down at her in slow motion. As it connected, it split her lip. Oh God. She’d never been hit like that before. It rattled her brain, temporarily dazed her into a weakened state.

  “Goddamn it, Charis. This wasn’t how I wanted it to be.” Surreal grabbed her by the hair and forced her to her feet. She brought her hand to his to try to loosen his grip. She dug in her nails. She punched and pinched.

  He tightened his grip until she cried out. “Get on the fucking bed.” He threw her onto the bed and climbed on top of her.

  “Get off of me!”

  He went back to kneading her breasts. It hurt so badly to be touched by this man, both physically and emotionally. David! Where are you?

  As he crushed his lips to hers again, she opened up. He thrust his tongue into her mouth. She bit down hard. Tasting blood, she gagged.

  “Goddamn it!” He jumped off the bed. She scrambled, escaping to the other side. He grabbed her ankle and pulled her to him. “If you want it this way, fine. I was willing to forgive you, to forget your little affair with him.”

  “Let me go!” She struggled, but he got a hold of her other ankle and yanked until she slid over to him, her legs on either side of his.

  While he held her ankles, she sat up and swung her fists. Left. Right. Another left. Over and over. He staggered back after an effective left hook to somewhere on his face.

  He charged her and tackled her onto the bed. Her stomach tightened as he punched her. The icy fear washed over her as she tried to defend herself against his beating.

  She heard a loud crack and realized it had been her head against the headboard. The pain, all consuming and now the center of her focus, enveloped her entire body. The blows continued relentlessly.

  Another especially hard blow sent her spinning. Literally. She rolled from the force. He didn’t waste any time rolling her back over and starting in again. She tried to cover her face, tried to block his fists. It was futile. His strength overpowered hers. His stamina overpowered hers,
too.

  Terror gripped her heart. She couldn’t breathe. She could no longer see. She tasted her own blood. She was in so much pain. Adrenaline forcing her heart to palpitate didn’t give her the strength she needed to fight him off.

  “Please.” She was weak. Weaker. Her voice didn’t sound like her own as she pleaded with him for her life. “Thomas, please.”

  He stopped. Everything hurt. Even though he’d stopped beating her, she still felt fists against her flesh, her bones. Her entire being throbbed in excruciating, blinding pain.

  “Open your eyes.”

  Not wanting to do anything to provoke him into another rage-filled beating, she did.

  He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. She gasped when he tightened his fingers around her throat. “I want you to look in my eyes as I finish this.”

  TWENTY-FOUR

  “There it is.”

  David eyed the warehouse from inside the bird. Charis was in there. He had to get to her. While the tracking device had worked beautifully, it stopped transmitting almost two minutes ago.

  He looked at his watch. Shit! Make that three minutes ago.

  “Get me down there,” he ordered the pilot.

  “Too many trees, sir.”

  “Fuck the trees. Get me down there!”

  Allen rested a hand on David’s shoulder. “When was the last time you rappelled out of a helicopter?”

  “Saving your sorry ass back at that cabin.”

  “Dude, that was over three years ago.”

  It didn’t matter. If it meant the difference between finding her alive and finding her... He shook off the thought. He’d sprout wings and fly if he needed to. He would find her. He had to.

  “Get me into gear.” He worked with the two men in the bird with him. Keller was small and swift on his feet, and one of the top rappellers in TREX. He gave David a quick rundown of the gear as Allen suited him up.

  “You should let me go,” Allen said and tried to stare him down. “Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t have the shit kicked out of me by a car today. Besides, I’m in better shape.”

  “The hell you are. Marriage has made you soft.” David smacked Allen’s abs. “Besides, I need your eyes and ears up here, running the find from the air. I’ll take the lead on the ground.” Allen gave him a nod and relayed the order to agents in the other helicopters.

  “Once on the ground,” Keller continued. “Disengage. Got it?” David nodded. “Ready? One. Two. Th—”

  He jumped out and rappelled down. The absolute weightlessness was exhilarating. Looking around, he spotted the rest of the team rappelling as well. Oh yeah. What an awesome sight.

  I’m coming, Charis. Hold on, baby. Once he hit the ground, he disengaged his restraints and motioned for the team to follow him toward the warehouse. Signing for half to take the left, the other half to take the right, he turned and stopped at the group of trees twenty feet from the main entrance.

  “Team A in place.”

  “Team B in place.”

  He tapped his earpiece to acknowledge. Until they had Charis safely away from the psycho son of a bitch in there, they were now reliant on the mics and hand signals.

  He couldn’t wait to give Surreal a hand signal.

  The first order of business was to cut the power. During the chaos they’d charge in and take out the target after securing the hostage.

  Hostage. Shit.

  “Be ready to move in three...”

  He brought the dykes up to the wire.

  “Two...”

  Securing the wire in the opening of the tool, he started to pinch.

  “One...”

  “I wouldn’t do that,” Surreal’s voice came over their transmission.

  “And why not?” David rasped. How did he tap into their goddamn frequency?

  “Because if you do, she dies.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Try me.”

  He dropped the dykes and grabbed for his pistol. He ignored the weakness still lingering in his system, threatening to take over if he allowed himself to rest even a few seconds. His body screamed at him to give it a break. You can rest when Charis is safe.

  Fine, asshole. You want it your way? Just fine and dandy. You’re still going to die.

  “Drop the weapon, Snyder. You, and only you, step in front of the door.”

  “You think I’m fucking stupid?”

  “I think you want her back. I think you’ll do just about anything I say to get her back. So, yes. If I ask you to do something stupid like blindly stand in front of a door, you’ll do just that.”

  “Fuck you,” he muttered sharply. But he did as Surreal told him and dropped his weapon. He then walked over and stood in front of the door.

  “Hands up, please.”

  Ignoring the tightening sensation across his chest, he raised his hands. His mouth went dry as he waited for Surreal’s next order. His ears ached as he tuned into every noise, every breath. “Next?”

  “Now turn around.”

  He did.

  “Look up and smile. You’re on Candid Camera.”

  Son of a fuck. He brought his gaze up to the group of trees directly in front of him. There, hidden under some leaves, was a lone camera.

  He needed to get to Surreal before he detonated anything. He wouldn’t be stupid enough to blow himself up when he blew up the rest of them. Charis included.

  God, he hoped he was right.

  Spinning around, he ran forward and kicked the door in, picked up his weapon, and ran inside. The sound of Surreal’s laughter echoed in his ear when David stopped in his tracks and did a quick visual scan.

  “Shit!”

  A pair of pants had been folded neatly on a chair in the center of the room. Charis’s pants. Other than that...

  The warehouse was empty.

  He’d lost her.

  * * * *

  She had lead anvils on her eyelids and blinked slowly. Ow. OwOwOw. Blinking had never hurt before. But then again, she’d never been beaten unconscious.

  Oh God. Her vision blurred as she tried to blink everything into focus. Surreal had beaten her unconscious. God only knew what he did to her once she no longer had the strength to fight him off.

  Running her tongue along her dry, cracked lips, she didn’t taste blood. Could a person run out of blood? Of course, idiot. It’s called bleeding to death.

  She shuddered. At least he didn’t kill her. Yet. Another shudder washed over her. Ow. Even that hurt.

  Something bound her hands. And her feet. She wiggled to pull herself loose, but the bindings held tight. The more she struggled, the more they cut into her flesh. Ow again.

  Where was he? Strike that, she didn’t care. Where was her hero? Why hadn’t he come to save her? How could he let this happen?

  Oh, David. Where are you? Her insides hurt, and it had nothing to do with her beating. Why hadn’t he come for her? The fear and dread consumed her heart, invaded her mind. Deep down she knew. Only one thing would stop him from coming for her.

  He was dead. Whether he died in that crash protecting her or died at the hands of Surreal, dead was dead was dead. She prayed she was wrong, but knew she couldn’t be. He would have come for her if he could have.

  Which meant she was on her own in every sense of its meaning. She pushed back the enormous sobs aching to break free, her heart hurting, mourning over her lost love. She’d give into her grief. Oh, God. How she would.

  But for now, she had to keep her mind focused on escaping. David’s death would not be in vain. Everything he did, he did to keep her alive. She’d be damned if she’d let Surreal win.

  Working against the bindings, she pulled her arms. She pushed them down. Pull. Push. Pull. Push. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. The bindings dug into her wrists. Her flesh tore, exposing tender and raw muscle. The wet stickiness of the blood coated her wrists as the bindings tore her skin.

  A voice rang out from the darkness. “It’s not going to work.”


  She froze. “Surreal!”

  “I told you to never—”

  “I’ll call you anything I want, you psycho piece of shit.” Come on, you bastard. Show yourself. Where—ah, there. She just made out his shadow off in the corner. From the looks of his shape, he sat in a chair, leaning his elbow on a desk or table. At least he’d gotten dressed.

  “You’ve changed. You never used to swear. Did he do that to you? Tell me, Charis. What else did he do to you?”

  “Untie me and find out.” She wanted to scream at him, to get him to come over to her just so she could find some way to hit him and hit him hard. She wanted to make him feel every ounce of hurt, wanted him to know how it felt to lose a piece of his heart. Because when he took David from her that was exactly what he did.

  “I can’t trust you. It breaks my heart to know you’d rather run back to him than stay with me. I don’t want to hurt you, my love.” He stopped and she heard him take in a sharp breath. “I love you.”

  “And beating me up proves that? How?”

  The chuckle he left floating in the air sent chills crawling up her spine. “You see? See what he’s done to you? You actually believe I could do something like that.”

  “That’s because you did.”

  “No. I saved you.”

  “Saved me?” If she could drop her jaw without it hurting, she would have. “You could have killed me.”

  “Do you realize everything I’ve done for you? When TREX separated us, I knew how devastated you were. I took care of them for you. When you didn’t come back to me, I sent a message.”

  Oh, he’d sent a message all right. She eyed her exposed leg. The roadmap of scars reminded her of the message he’d sent. Would she escape him this time with only scars? Would she escape him at all?

  “I was going to ask you about them but didn’t want to seem rude.”

  She bit down hard on her lower lip. If she told him exactly what she thought of that comment, he may lose it again and continue with his beating. Because he’d bound her to a chair, she had no way to defend herself. He’d kill her for sure.