Rapid Dominance [Black Ops Brotherhood 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Bella Juarez

  They looked at each other, puzzled, and at the same time the expressions turned into wide-eyed shock.

  “Let’s go,” Reese said, jumping to his feet.

  It seemed as if the fifteen-minute drive took an eternity. The staff took her back immediately and Reese signed all the paperwork. He also called his mom and Victoria’s dad. He was shown back to her room when all the paperwork was completed. The nurse rushed out of the room and he ran to Victoria.

  “What happened?” Reese demanded.

  “I’m fully dilated, the babies are coming,” Victoria said as she squeezed her eyes shut and grabbed the rail. “Oh shit, Reese!” she cursed through clenched teeth.

  “It’s too early isn’t it?” Reese asked, taking Victoria’s hand.

  “Apparently not…” Victoria panted.

  “Sweetness, remember your breathing,” Reese reminded her.

  “Fuck that!” Victoria screamed as she gripped Reese’s hand, nearly breaking it. “Oh my God, Reese. I really think the babies are coming…Get the nurse!” she urged.

  “I thought they said this would take a while,” Reese said as he reached for Victoria. “Calm down, sweetness, and breathe,” he said, trying to be a good coach.

  “Fuck the breathing and get that fucking nurse!” She screamed as she almost came off of the bed. “I…want…drugs…right now!” Victoria demanded.

  Reese stared at Victoria as she lay back, panting. He had never seen her like this. In fact, he had seen men who had been seriously, even mortally wounded in battle who didn’t act like this. She looked like something out of The Exorcist. He stood and went after the nurse. The thing lying in that room was not his wife. The nurse was hanging up the phone when Reese found her. What the fuck is she doing? Ordering a pizza?

  “I think my wife needs…something,” Reese said.

  “The doctor’s on her way,” the nurse said as she headed for Victoria’s room.

  Before they could reach Victoria’s room they, and likely the entire floor, heard a bloodcurdling scream, Reese and the nurse looked at each other. Both of them fought for the door when they reached her room.

  “I want this out!” Victoria screamed.

  “I know, honey, hang on and blow. When you blow you can’t push, so blow,” the nurse said calmly.

  “Ahh!” Victoria screamed. “I can’t, I can’t.” She panted.

  The nurse gave Reese a worried look as she got Victoria into position. The nurse cocked her head in Victoria’s direction. He looked around the sheet and his eyes almost popped out of his head. He could see one of the twin’s heads. He knew this was going to be brutal because no one had planned for a birth like this. Victoria had been scheduled for a caesarian section in two weeks.

  “Where the hell is the doctor?” Reese lowly demanded from the nurse.

  “She’s on the way, but she may not make it,” the nurse said.

  The damn doctor waltzed into the room in time to catch the first baby, who was halfway out by the time she arrived. Victoria was soaking wet and hoarse from all the screaming she had been doing. The doctor handed Reese his son, Josh, and then turned away to the other child still inside Victoria. Jake, the second one, almost seemed to pop right out. Thank God! Reese breathed in relief. Because he didn’t think Victoria would have been able to stand much more. The doctor smiled at him.

  “Next time she may be having babies at home. This was fast for the first time,” the doctor said.

  “The second time is even quicker,” the nurse said.

  “I’ll remember that,” Reese said.

  The doctor and nurse took the babies and evaluated them. Reese lowered the bed rail and sat next to Victoria, holding her close.

  “Reese…” Victoria breathed.

  “Are you okay, sweetness? I mean, as best you can be?” Reese asked.

  “Yes, I’m okay,” Victoria said, holding Reese’s hand. “The babies? Did I hear they were boys?”

  “Yes, ma’am. You did good,” Reese said, kissing her. He was overcome by the emotional significance of what had just taken place. “Thank you, sweetness.” Reese choked out.

  Reese and Victoria hadn’t asked about the sexes of the babies. It didn’t matter to him. He just wanted healthy kids, and by the way one of them was raising hell, they were healthy. They had had names picked out in either case, boy or girl. The one raising all of the ruckus was Jake, who was handed to Victoria. Jake went silent the moment his momma held him. He took Josh, who seemed easygoing and calm, like his daddy.

  * * * *

  “Ragazzo dolce bel bambino!” Reese’s mom exclaimed as she picked up one of her grandsons. “They are perfetto!”

  Reese smiled at Lucia as she held Josh.

  “Reese, hand me the other,” Lucia said, extending her free arm. “Bello!” Lucia said as she kissed Jake, who protested. “No, no, bambino, Nonna loves you!” Lucia said, trying to sooth Jake. “Is Victoria sleeping?” she asked.

  “No, she should be up. I think she’s taking a shower,” Reese said.

  “Have you been helping?” Lucia asked sternly.

  “Yes. I took three weeks of leave to help,” Reese said, taking Jake, who was squawking again.

  “Good, I know you’ll be a good pappa,” his mom said.

  Victoria joined them downstairs just as the doorbell rang. Victoria took Jake and fed him while he answered the door. It was Victor. As he stepped into the house, he handed Reese his hat. Victor asked about Victoria as they walked inside the house. He wanted to know how she had been doing and seemed relieved when Reese told him she was fine. It was sort of a blessing that the boys came as fast as they did. She didn’t have to have surgery, which would have really increased her recovery time. Victor’s face brightened and changed when he saw the boys. Victor took the seat next to Lucia and Victoria handed her father Jake. The old man looked like another person as he held his grandson.

  They spent the next couple of hours visiting with the grandparents and letting them give out all sorts of advice. The advice was mainly handed out by Lucia, not Victor. Reese was content and felt as if his life were complete. He had everything he wanted. He had a job he loved and a close family that he worshipped. Reese and Victoria were happy and whole with their new babies.

  * * * *

  “I am glad you are back! How are the children?” Krazi asked Victoria.

  “Fine, thank you, Mr. Mummar. Thank you for giving me the last six weeks off,” Victoria said.

  “Do you have pictures? Can I see them?” Krazi asked Victoria.

  “I do!” Victoria gushed as she took out her BlackBerry and flipped through the pictures.

  “Both boys! You would be a most revered wife in my country. I am so glad to have you back to work. Will you still be able to handle your regular workload?” Krazi asked.

  “I think so. My husband and I have a nanny coming to help me during the day,” Victoria said.

  “Very well. Let me give you your next project. This one is at Langley…” Krazi started.

  * * * *

  Marco was able to pair with Victoria Thompson’s phone and download all the data that it contained as he sat in the next office. He synced the phone he had been using to contact Maggie Thompson and uploaded pictures of the babies that he was able to steal. He attached one of the pictures to a text message.

  Meet our children…

  Instantly, Marco got a response. He could text Maggie at three in the morning and get an answer immediately. He knew by her messages she was getting more and more desperate. His plan was coming along fine.

  Reese, darling, don’t keep me waiting any longer. We now have the children you want. When can we get back together?

  I’ve changed my mind. I can’t leave Victoria.

  What? Reese, you promised.

  No. Now with the kids, I figured out that we need another chance. Good-bye and don’t try to contact me.

  Reese, you can’t do this to me! I need to see you so we can talk this out and I can make you see
that I’m the only woman for you.

  Good-bye, Maggie.

  Marco threw the phone in the desk drawer. He would wipe it later.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Are you serious, Colonel?” Reese asked in disbelief.

  “I know, Reese. The timing sucks but it’s only for five months,” Colonel Harland said.

  Reese sat back and looked away. Fuck! “When am I leaving?” he asked.

  “You have six weeks. All you have to do is stand this thing up and come home. You’ll be working with Navy Special Warfare Intelligence, Commander O’Malley,” Colonel Harland said.

  “Okay, boss,” Reese said, taking his orders as the colonel handed them to him.

  Reese had just been handed orders to Afghanistan for five months. By the time he got back home his kids would be nine months old. This really sucked ass and he didn’t quite know how he was breaking this to Victoria. They had really become a team in the last three months. Reese knew this day would come. He just didn’t expect it this fast.

  * * * *

  Maggie waited in the coffee shop as instructed. If Reese thought he was dumping her for that Mexican slut of his, he had another thing coming. Not only that, he was not taking Maggie’s children from her. She had pictures of the boys printed and nicely framed in her room.

  A man in dark glasses sat at her table.

  “I was told you wanted to see me,” the man said.

  Maggie looked him up and down. He had a funny accent and smelled bad.

  “My ex-husband has taken our children and refuses to bring them back. He’s managed to get a lawyer to dream up all sorts of bad things about me and convinced a judge. I was told you could get my kids back,” Maggie said.

  “For a fee,” the man said.

  “Yes, I understand. I just want my babies back,” Maggie sniffed.

  “Ten thousand. You don’t do it right, I’ll kill the kids,” the man warned.

  “Ten thousand. All right, anything, please don’t hurt my kids,” Maggie said.

  “Ten thousand, per kid,” the man said.

  “Twenty thousand? That’s ridiculous! I won’t pay it,” Maggie said.

  “Good afternoon,” the man said, standing.

  “Wait! All right, twenty thousand. Can I write you a check?” Maggie asked.

  “Lady, I don’t take checks or credit cards. Cash, half up front and half when you get the kids,” the man said.

  “Of course. I’ve never done this before. How do I get you the cash?” Maggie asked.

  The man, who had been playing with his cell phone the whole time, set a key on the table.

  “The bus terminal near the main post office, locker 1515. Leave the address where your man has taken the kids inside the locker. I’ll send you a message when I’m ready. You leave the deposit and I will let you know when I have the kids. You will come back and leave the rest. I will tell you where the kids are,” the man said.

  “All right. Thank you for helping me,” Maggie said as tears rolled down her cheeks.

  * * * *

  “Five months!” Victoria exclaimed. “Oh my God, Reese! The boys will be almost a year old by then.”

  “Sweetness, do you honestly think I want to go? I sure as hell didn’t volunteer!” Reese said.

  “Why do you have to be so damn good at your job!” Victoria said.

  “I’m sorry, baby. I know this really sucks,” Reese said as he pulled Victoria close.

  “I thought when you made rank they were sending you to the Pentagon, to a desk job, not Afghanistan,” Victoria complained as she put her head in the center of Reese’s chest.

  “I am at the Pentagon. That doesn’t mean I’m immune from getting orders.”

  Victoria groaned. Reese broke away, slightly lifted her chin, and kissed her. He could feel his dick get rock hard. It had been a while and it was nobody’s fault. They were busy and when they finally wound up in bed they were too tired to do anything but sleep. Luckily, the boys were good and they were all sleeping through the night, even after four months. He could feel her hands run down his back and down to his ass.

  “Damn, you have a nice ass. Can I take it again?” Victoria asked seductively.

  “If you wave a magic wand and get us an hour to ourselves, you can have whatever you want, sweetness,” Reese said as he reached down and grabbed her ass, too. Radar Jake decided he needed more attention than his daddy about then.

  Reese let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll get it,” he said as he let her go.

  “Tonight! I don’t care who’s crying!” Victoria said.

  Reese laughed as he turned and picked up his son from the playpen. Josh at that point decided he didn’t want to be left alone, so Reese picked him up as well. Reese took his sons to the family room and laid them out on a blanket and they played for a while until Momma called them all for dinner. They fed the boys and sat down to eat a quick dinner. They went through the nightly routine of bathing the boys, changing them, and laying them down to sleep. Josh, as usual, fell right to sleep. Jake was a little more work, but he eventually fell asleep as well. Reese walked into the bedroom and Victoria was passed out. He smiled as he changed and curled up next to her, quickly finding sleep as well.

  * * * *

  It was the same routine every Tuesday and Thursday. The woman of the house would leave and the housekeeper would take the children for a walk around the block in a double stroller. The housekeeper would then take them for a walk again in the early afternoon, right before the woman came home. He knew the bitch who claimed these were her kids was lying. Krazi was a fool. Marco had a brilliant plan and it was working out rather nicely right now. Omar watched and waited. Victoria Thompson was Krazi’s pet. Omar thanked Allah again for his graciousness and great hand at making everything come together for them.

  * * * *

  “Hey, Chief! I may have something for you. Can you come down to Dam Neck this afternoon? Call me back,” Gavin heard over his voicemail.

  “Hey, Dan, what’s up?” Gavin asked, returning the call.

  “There’s something big going down at that company you asked me to watch. They just made two deposits of nine thousand ninety-nine hundred in cash. Also, surveillance picked up a conversation that sounded like a kidnapping being planned. Rock told me to give you a call, said that was your bailiwick, not ours,” Lieutenant LTJG Dan Gamez informed Gavin.

  “Can I listen to it?” Gavin asked.

  “Got it cued up in the briefing room for you, whenever you get here,” the young SEAL said.

  Gavin drove the two hours from his office in Richmond to Navy Special Operations Intelligence in Dam Neck, Virginia, near Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base. Gavin greeted all of his old SEAL buddies and took some lighthearted jabs about being an FBI agent and the pansy-ass school they had sent him to at Quantico. He found LTJG Dan Gamez and Commander O’Malley. LTJG Gamez set up Gavin’s equipment and information in the briefing room and closed the door. Three minutes later, Gavin was throwing open the door and demanding to see Commander O’Malley.

  “Get my ass back to Quantico now!” Gavin ordered.

  * * * *

  Omar waited as the housekeeper came around the back of the house and watched her take out keys. He came around and quickly grabbed her, not allowing her to breathe until she stopped struggling. He let her body slump to the ground. No one would see her at the rear of the house next to the garage. Marco quickly pulled up the van and Omar grabbed the double stroller with the children and deposited it into the back. He called Maggie Thompson to tell her the children would be at the park waiting for her.

  * * * *

  What the fuck! Reese fumed because his cell phone would not stop buzzing. He looked at the number and saw it was Unknown. When he walked out of the meeting he was in, he answered it.

  “Get your fucking ass home! Your kids are in danger!” a voice screamed at Reese.

  “What? Who the fuck is this?” Reese demanded.

  “It’s me, Walsh. I
just got a tip that your kids are in danger. Get the fuck home! I’ve called the police and an FBI kidnapping unit,” Walsh said.

  “Holy fuck!” Reese swore as he hustled out of the building.

  Reese couldn’t get home fast enough and when he did, the house had five police cars and an ambulance surrounding it. He had tried calling Victoria, but he knew it was futile. She was giving a briefing at Langley and her cell phone never worked there. The nanny they hired was in the ambulance on oxygen, and the cops were combing the place. His heart stopped in his chest when he heard the boys were gone. His inner Force Recon Marine kicked in as he tried calling Walsh back. It took fifteen minutes before Walsh answered.

  “What’s going on, Walsh?” Reese asked in a deadly calm voice.

  “I’m on my way. I just landed at Quantico. I should be there in twenty,” Walsh said.

  “Twenty isn’t good enough. I want to know where the fuck my kids are!” Reese demanded.

  “They’re going to be handed over to your ex-wife. The kidnappers are working out of Crescent Environmental. It’s a setup. I need you to stay put and pick up the phone when they call you. They want something. We need to know what it is they want,” Walsh said.

  “My kids are with a psycho and you want me to stay put?! Like hell!” Reese yelled.

  “Stay put, Marine. Your kids will be recovered. We’ve got bigger fish to catch,” Walsh said.

  “Fuck you! I’m going after my kids!” Reese said, ending the call.

  Reese ran into the house and up the stairs to his bedroom. He grabbed his weapon and raced back downstairs when his cell phone rang again. Unknown. He answered it as he slid the magazine into the butt of the gun.

  “Now what?” Reese demanded.

  “Colonel Thompson?” the thickly accented voice asked. “We have something that you may want back.”

  “Where the fuck are my kids?” Reese snarled.