The plan they’d thrown together in Roman’s Hummer on the way from Lake Buchanan to Austin was as simplistic as plans could get. Go in loud and strong using flash bangs to create confusion. Keep casualties to a minimum. Get the girl. It wasn’t sexy, but it would damn sure work.
Roman and Adam would cover the ground level from the back. Ketcher and Sully would take the second floor. Brandon and Booker had the front. Noah was their eyes and would run point if the cops showed up. In this deserted, desolate part of town, Ketcher doubted local PD would be a problem.
Ketcher signaled to Sully and started up the stairs. “The two upstairs, where are they?”
Alec had provided them with the blueprints for the abandoned building and damn if Ketcher didn’t owe the guy a drink when this thing was over. Alec annoyed the crap out of him, but Alec cared about Regan. That fact would save her life. Ketcher wouldn’t accept any other outcome.
“Left of front,” Noah said. “Based on what I’m looking at, that’s where you’ll find Regan.”
Ketcher didn’t want to know why Noah made that assessment; he just wanted to get to her. “Stay on my six,” Ketcher told Sully. “But hang back. If Anton is in the room with Regan, I don’t want him to see you. I want his focus on me. On my signal, you get Regan out, you hear me?”
Sully scowled, but didn’t give him any shit. “Copy that.”
It was go time.
Ketcher drew in a calming breath.
I’m coming, baby. Just hold on.
He gave the signal and the world exploded with the sound of flash bangs. Ketcher tore the door open. Working like a well-oiled machine, he and Sully breached the second floor. Using a hand signal, Ketcher told Sully to clear the offices on the right while he got the ones on the left. The sounds of gunfire erupted below as Ketcher cleared each room on his way toward the place Noah indicated Regan would be.
Knowing Sully would follow his orders and hang back, Ketcher didn’t wait. He raised his weapon and spun into his worse nightmare.
The room was devoid of furniture and there, in the middle of the room, was Regan. She was on her knees, her head still covered by that goddamn hood. Her right arm hung at a weird angle, the result of the obvious dislocation in her shoulder. Anton Barzaga stood behind her, the business end of his pistol resting against her temple.
“Drop your weapon or I’ll shoot her right now.” Regan whimpered as Anton bumped the side of her head with his gun.
Ketcher put his hands up. “Sure. No problem.” He bent and placed his gun on the floor.
“Kick it over here.”
The stupid motherfucker didn’t think he’d be well armed? He had another Beretta tucked in his waistband and a knife in his boot.
Ketcher rolled his eyes, but complied. Sort of. He aimed the kick to the far left, away from him, but also out of Anton’s reach. “I hear you’ve been looking for me. Here I am. Regan, you okay, baby?”
“She’s fine.” Ketcher shook with restrained rage as Anton leaned down and put his mouth against the side of Regan’s head. “We didn’t want to get the party started before he arrived, isn’t that right, baby?”
How Ketcher didn’t take Anton’s head off right then and there was a mystery, but the fact was Regan hadn’t spoken since he walked into the room and he wanted to know why. “Take the hood off her head and let me see for myself.”
Anton straightened. “You aren’t giving the orders here.”
Out of patience, Ketcher snapped. “Do you hear what’s going on downstairs? There’s no way out for you. It’s over.”
“It’s not over. Not until I make you suffer for killing my brother!”
“Your brother was a black-hearted fuck who sold little girls into prostitution,” Ketcher goaded. He wanted Anton pissed off. He wanted him so mad he wouldn’t have a choice but to let go of Regan and come after him.
Ketcher forced his feet to stay put as Anton jerked Regan to her feet. He pulled her back against his body.
“You need to know what it feels like to lose someone you love.”
“I’ve been down that road, thanks. I don’t need another lesson from the likes of you.”
“Do you like to see your woman in pain then?” Holding a gun to her head with one hand, Anton brought his other hand down hard on her dislocated shoulder.
Regan’s muffled cry fueled Ketcher’s anger. Her knees bent and Ketcher shifted his stance, ready to attack the second she hit the floor.
Anton’s eyes suddenly went wide with disbelief. The color leeched from his cheeks.
What the hell?
“You bitch.” Anton slammed the gun into the side of Regan’s head. Ketcher lunged, fury unleashed. He hit Anton’s mid-section and kept going, slamming the other man into the wall with the force of a Mack truck. Anton’s gun dislodged from his grip and fell to the floor.
“Get her out of here!” Ketcher yelled to Sully. “Now!”
Trusting Sully to take care of Regan, Ketcher reared back and punched Anton in the jaw. Right, then left. Out of the corner of his eye Ketcher saw Sully sprint from the room with Regan hanging limp in his arms. The distraction cost him. A fist jabbed Ketcher’s ribcage, then another jab burned his kidney. Ketcher choked a cough. Fuck, he’d be pissing blood for a week after that hit.
Anton shoved him and Ketcher stumbled back. Before he could plant his feet, Anton charged him and they went to the floor, rolling, punching, fighting for position.
With his back against the floor, Ketcher parried another blow. Anton might be an idiot, but he fought like a street thug. Seeing an opening, he grabbed Anton’s throat. Anton’s eyes bulged as he clawed at Ketcher’s arm. Ketcher increased the pressure. Anton threw himself to the side, taking Ketcher with him. Anton’s feet came up and caught him in the stomach. With a roar, Anton straightened his legs and launched him into the air. Ketcher hit the ground and rolled to all fours.
His body couldn’t take much more. It hurt to breathe. His shirt clung to his side and he knew the incision had opened again.
Time to end this.
“Give it up, Barzaga. You’re done.”
Anton’s eyes were frantic and crazed. He scrambled across the floor, heading for his gun. “I will see you dead first.”
Ketcher reached to the small of his back. The Beretta wasn’t there. Fuck! It must have come loose during the fight. He spotted it on the floor near the door. No time to waste, Ketcher dug his boots into the carpet and propelled forward. He palmed the gun and rolled to his back as Anton raised his own weapon.
Ketcher fired a bullet into the man’s heart. Anton’s shot went wide and Ketcher fired two more rounds into Anton’s chest.
Anton slumped to the floor, a sick gurgling sound in his throat.
Ketcher fell back to the carpet, in pain and winded from the fight. Except for the pounding of boots heading his way, the building was quiet.
He stared at the ceiling. Four thousand, nine hundred and sixty-three holes, he thought ruefully.
It was over. Regan was safe. The threat against him had been eliminated.
The stress of the last few hours left him in a rush, making his limbs shake. Or that could be the pain. He didn’t know for sure.
Booker’s rough mug entered his line of sight. “Everything okay down there?”
“Regan? The guys?”
“We’re all good. As for Regan, she was out cold last I saw. Brandon took her to the hospital.”
“I need to be there.” Ketcher accepted the hand offered and let Booker pull him to his feet. He cast a glance to Anton. He felt no remorse for pulling the trigger, but he didn’t feel happy about it either. Considering he’d been out for the man’s blood, Ketcher figured that was about the best he could hope for.
“For more reasons than one. From the look of it, you could use some medical attention yourself.”
“I’m good.” Regan first. He had to see for himself that she was okay. Then he planned to wrap his arms around her and not let go for a good, long time.
“Whatever you say, Ketch. Roman is waiting to drive you. The rest of us will hang here and wait for Grey’s federal contact to arrive.”
“Thanks, man. I owe you.”
“Here’s hoping I never need to collect.”
Ketcher followed Booker down the stairs to the first floor. Four men were lined up against one wall, their respective wrists bound with zip ties. The fifth man lie dead on the floor by the front door.
“Hey, Ketch.” Roman jogged over. “Take a look at this.”
Ketcher took the photo Roman held out and bent his head to take a look. It was of them. All of them. Regan and the men she called the deadly seven.
“I’ll be damned.” Ketcher brushed a finger over Regan’s image. They had so many things to talk about. “This must’ve been what put Regan in Anton’s path.” The big red circle and Regan’s name scribbled on the side were a dead giveaway.
“Guess Anton’s not such a dumbass after all.”
“How’s that?”
“He managed to learn something from a photo that took you four years to figure out.”
“What the hell are you babbling about?”
Roman clapped him on the back hard enough to made Ketcher grunt. “Take another look, lover boy.”
Ketcher studied each of the men and came up with nothing except a deep sense of gratitude for how they had come to his aid, no questions asked. His gaze drifted to Regan and then to his own image.
Hol-y shit. Had they been that obvious? He guessed they had, because the proof was right there in front of him. The photo had captured his smile, the look of total adoration on his face as he stared into the eyes of the woman he loved. He’d refused to acknowledge his feelings then.
A mistake he wouldn’t repeat now.
He folded the photograph and slid it into his back pocket. “Let’s roll, man. I need to get to my girl.”
“Do you need anything, Dr. Daniels?”
Regan settled back in the hospital bed. She had a hell of a headache, but she didn’t want to take any medications until the results from her CT scan came back. “No, thank you, Sally. I’m good.”
She’d spend the last twelve hours with a bag over her head. Now that she could breath clean fresh air, she was fucking fantastic.
The crazy man had done her a favor. After the first few hours, Regan had been forced to make peace with the dark or risk losing her mind. She’d focused on her other senses, heightened by the lack of sight. She wasn’t foolish enough to think her fear had been magically cured, but the experience had given her new tools to use to keep the anxiety at bay.
“How does it feel to be on the other side?”
Regan smiled as Alec Martin stepped into the room. He slid the glass panel door closed behind him.
“I definitely don’t want to make a habit of it.”
“Thank God for that.” He came to the side of her bed. “You had us worried, doc.”
Tears formed in her eyes. Since her right arm was securely braced, she reached across with her left, seeking his hand.
“I’ll come to you, doc. Don’t strain yourself.” Alec rounded the bed and pulled a chair close. He took her hand in both of his.
Regan took a shaky breath. “I don’t know what made you come looking for me after I missed breakfast, but thank you, Alec.” Gratitude spilled over her lids to wet her cheeks. “If you hadn’t realized I was gone, I could still…” She couldn’t finish that sentence. Couldn’t go back to the fear and the dark and the pain.
Alec stretched up and wiped a tear away. “Hey, don’t cry. I came looking for you because that’s what we do in this family. We look out for each other. When one of us misses a scheduled appointment and then that person doesn’t answer their phone, we don’t wait to go lookin’. Better safe than sorry should be our family motto.”
Alec opened his hands and pressed a quick, chaste kiss to the back of hers before enclosing her hand again. “I don’t know how many times you patched up my brother overseas, and I’m not askin’. You had his back, and that makes you one of us. Like it or not, you’re an honorary Martin now.”
She wasn’t close to her own family. Her parents had been against her joining the Navy and had refused to support her decision. Six months after she’d enlisted, they had adopted a young girl. Her replacement. They rarely spoke.
Warmth filled her chest. She did have people who would miss her. She would work until her last breath to make sure they didn’t regret it. “I can live with that.”
Alec sobered. “How bad are you hurt, doc?”
“I’d like an answer to that question as well.”
Regan’s breath caught as Ketcher stalked into the room. Brandon had told her that Ketcher was alive and well after the altercation with Anton, but she hadn’t expected to see him again. Without the threat looming over his head, she assumed he’d be on his way back to Florida.
His eye was swollen and a bruise darkened his cheek. She wanted to kiss each wound he received while protecting her. She yearned to tell him that she was his person. No matter where life took him, he’d never be alone. She would miss him. She had his back.
Ketcher had made it clear he didn’t want any kind of emotion from her, so instead she asked what she really wanted to know.
“What are you doing here?”
Ketcher’s gaze dropped to where her hand rested between Alec’s. A furrow formed between his brows.
“Alec, man, I’m beyond grateful for everything you’ve done for us, but let go of my girl.”
His girl?
Alec winked at her and laughed. He let go of her hand and stood. “Glad to hear you’ve figured it out,” Alec drawled.
Regan decided her head injury might be more serious than anticipated, because she had no idea what they were talking about. Figured what out? Why had Ketcher called her his girl?
She pinched the bridge of her nose as the men slapped hands and came together in a bro-hug.
“Thank you.” Ketcher’s fierce whisper surprised her, but not as much as the shimmering in his eyes when he pulled away.
“You’re welcome.” Alec cleared his throat and stepped back. “I’ll leave you two alone. Doc, let me know when they spring you from this joint. You owe me a breakfast date.” To Ketcher he said, “You’re not invited.”
Ketcher snorted. “You’re such an ass.”
“Don’t hate me ’cause I’m beautiful.” Alec slipped from the room, leaving them alone as promised.
Ketcher came around to her good side. “You got room in that bed for me?”
Confused but wanting to feel him beside her, Regan scooted to the far edge.
Ketcher picked up the remote and the head of the bed eased down. He slid onto the bed on his side and rested his head on his hand. His free hand hovered over her stomach. “I want to hold you, but I don’t know where I can touch. Where are you hurt, baby?”
Baby.
Regan closed her eyes as her heart latched on to the endearment. He was acting as though she belonged to him, and God help her, she wanted to. She loved him. Four years had done nothing to dull her feelings, but what about his?
She turned her head to look at him. “My shoulder was dislocated. The emergency physician who realigned it assured me surgery wouldn’t be necessary.”
Ketcher abandoned the hovering and raised his hand to her face. He traced his fingers along her hairline. “What about here? You took quite a blow.” He caressed down her cheek. “Several, from what I saw.”
She nodded. She’d seen the purple bruise along the side of her face. “I’m waiting for the results of the CT scan, but I’m confident it’ll be clear. I’ll have a headache for a few days. The shoulder will need time to heal. I guess I’m on forced leave for a few weeks.”
Regan wiggled her left arm out from between them and took his hand. She drew it down and placed his palm against her belly. She covered his hand with hers. “What about you? Are you okay?”
“I don’t want t
o talk about that.”
“What do you want to talk about?” She hoped he didn’t feel the flutter of nerves in her belly.
Ketcher rolled into her side and leaned over her. The hand he’d used to prop his head brushed over her hair and slid between her head and the pillow. He lowered his forehead to hers and his eyes squeezed closed.
“Ketcher?”
His seriousness was starting to freak her out.
“I thought I was keeping you safe.”
“You can’t control what other people do. I don’t need you to keep me safe.” I need you to just keep me. “You came for me, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.”
Ketcher opened his eyes and looked at her, his gaze hot and intense. “I’ll always come for you. I love you, Regan. I think I always have. I wouldn’t blame you if you kicked my ass out of here right now, but God, I hope you don’t. I don’t want to lose you again. I want to be with you. I want to kiss you in the morning and chase your fears away at night. I want to be the only man who has the privilege of seeing your gorgeous body naked. The only man who knows the pleasures of touching you. Above all, I want to be a part of your life, Regan, if you’ll have me.”
Her heart soared. She wanted all of those things. Before she agreed, she had to be sure this wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction based on the stress of the day.
“We’ve been through a lot the last few hours, but our situations haven’t changed. What about the dangers that come with your job?”
“We’ll figure it out. I’m always going to want to protect you, Regan. It’s a part of who I am. I can do a better job of that if you’re with me.”
“I’m not helpless, you know. I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can.” He jerked his head back to look at her. “Speaking of taking care of yourself, what did you do to Anton to make him angry enough to shove you away?”
Regan’s face caught fire. “I grabbed his balls and squeezed as hard as I could.”
Ketcher laughed. “God, I love you. I love you more than I ever thought possible. Say you’re mine, Regan. Please.”
The Omega Team: No Control (Kindle Worlds Novella) (The Martin Family Book 3) Page 9
