Now it’s too late.
Chapter 15
Ashley
Horrified by the events that are happening, I watch helplessly as Nolan falls head first toward the tracks. I can’t stop him, I can’t help him, I can only watch. My hands slip from around his waist and I can’t grab his massive body.
Thank God Ashton’s quick. He grabs Nolan by his hood and yanks him back at the last second. They both fall into me and we tumble onto the concrete. Taking the brunt of their weight, I smack my head on the dirty tiles. My vision blurs and the air’s knocked out of my lungs. Ashton is on top of us and climbs off first. My head is pounding and my ears are ringing when Nolan rolls off me and lands by my side. I try to move but I can’t. I’m still trying to catch my breath and a sharp pain radiates through my back and neck.
Nolan is leaning over me, but I can’t hear him through the ringing in my ears. People are circling around us, closing us in. Ashton is trying to keep them back. Fuck! I can’t breathe, I can’t see, I can’t speak. Panic is setting in. Nolan grabs my shoulders and pulls me up gently. I’m cradled in his arms and I can feel his chest vibrate under my ringing ears.
“Redline, where’s Redline?” I croak out. I look around, but my neck hurts, and I can only move it a few inches back and forth. I can’t find Redline. The ringing in my ears slowly fades and voices are shouting all around us, hurting my head even more.
“Ash, are you OK?” Nolan asks.
“Yeah, I’m fine now,” I inhale a deep breath, my stomach is rolling. “My neck and back hurt and my head is pounding. I can’t see Redline. Where’s Redline?” I sit up and pull away from the comfort of Nolan’s hard chest. Redline isn’t anywhere around. “What the hell happened?”
“Someone tried to push me in front of the train. I felt a pair of hands shove me hard and I lost my footing. If it weren’t for Ashton, I’d be dead and now Redline is missing.”
“Guys come on we have to get out of here.” Ashton grunts. His body is rigid and tense. He’s watching everyone down here.
An uneasiness settles in my bones as realization settles in the pit of my stomach. “They took him,” I whisper.
“Who?” Nolan asks.
“Redline. Shoving you was a distraction. Switch took him when we were trying to save you. Fuck! This is all my fault.” Tears burn the back of my eyelids and my head is pounding even harder. I can’t handle all these noises and people. I need to get out of here, now.
Standing up on shaky legs, I peer around. No one is looking directly at us, but they’re discreetly watching out of the corner of their eyes. I walk away from the scene as quickly as my sore body will allow. Nolan and Ashton are right behind me. Redline is missing and I need to find out why and what happened.
Once we reach the top of the stairs from the dark subway station below us and onto the sidewalk, I turn to Ashton. “Can you pull up the footage from down there?”
“Yes. Once we get back to the apartment, I’ll pull it up. I’m going to call Marks and Ramirez, get them on this.”
“No,” Nolan blurts. “If we call them, they’ll bring Christian. He can’t get involved either. We need to keep this between us. Rush will be here in a few hours. We’ll go back to the apartment, pull up the footage and figure out who took him and who tried to kill me.”
Nolan is acting like himself again and that’s a relief. I know battling these demons are hard, and he’s lost his way. I hope he can keep this mindset and be the leader I know he is. Wrapping my arms around his waist I rest my head on Nolan’s chest. He holds onto me and rubs my back soothingly. My head is still pounding but being outside again is helping a little.
We walk quietly back toward the apartment building and grab some Chinese on the way. We should have just stopped here first instead of traipsing all over the city, then Redline would still be with us. Nolan and I wait outside in a dark alley under Ashton’s insistence we stay hidden while he got our food. Standing arm and arm in the dark alley, neither of us knows what to say. I realize this is my fault for thinking Switch wouldn’t touch us, not yet, but it is my fault.
“Ash,” Nolan quietly says pulling me from my self-loathing. “This isn’t your fault.” He pulls my chin up so I’m looking him in his whiskey-colored eyes. “It’s mine. I thought I was untouchable. I thought Switch wouldn’t fuck with me. Stop blaming yourself, please.”
“It is my fault, Nolan. Redline is my responsibility, and I let them take him. There’s something we’re missing.”
Ashton exits the Chinese restaurant and walks into the dark alley. “Let’s get back to the apartment and pull up the footage, then figure out why they want Redline. Nolan, we’ve got to get you in The Circle fast. Do you still have your contacts?”
Nolan’s grip on my shoulders tightens, and he nods his head. “Yeah, let’s go.” We walk out of the alley and into the apartment building. Nolan avoids looking down the street, but his shoulders are stiff and tension is radiating off him in waves. He’s trying to keep his demon locked away. I’ve seen that look before. Grabbing his hand, I pull him against me and wrap my arms around his waist.
“I’ve got you,” I whisper into his chest. He swallows hard and I hear his heart beating fast against his chest. His grip tightens around my shoulders as I repeat myself. “I’ve got you, Nolan. I’m not going anywhere. We can do this together.”
Walking across the marble foyer, our shoes squeak on the polished flooring. I didn’t take the time to look around when we first arrived or when we left. The lobby of the apartment building is very formal. There’s a security guard posted at the entrance to protect the residents. A cluster of mailboxes to the left, elevators directly in front of us and a set of stairs to the right. Ashton hits the button to the elevator and a few seconds later it dings open. We walk in and my feet are resting on plush brown and black carpet. The doors close and I breathe a sigh of relief even if it’s for just a few moments. A little reprieve and I can get my head back on straight and take care of business.
The elevator doors ding open and we step out into the hallway. Ashton goes first and walks down the long hallway. He pulls a set of keys out of his pocket and has the Chinese food in his other hand. He unlocks the door and we enter. Setting the bags of food on the island, Ashton walks to the window and looks into the dark night. Nolan disappears into the bedroom and comes back out a few minutes later with his laptop in his hands. He hands it off to Ashton and walks into the kitchen. Ashton fires up the laptop as Nolan and I pull out the food. No words are needed at this time. We all know what we must do. We carry the food into the living room and I grab the sweet and sour chicken. Nolan takes the mushroom chicken and leaves Ashton with the orange chicken. I settle into the recliner, taking small bites, watching Nolan and Ashton work. They’re both perched on the edge of the couch with the laptop resting on the coffee table.
“Pull up the footage from the train station. Run facial recognition on everyone down there while we were. We’ll also run the program Marks made where it tells us how many times each person appears on camera. Then we can find who took Redline.” Nolan says between bites of food.
Ashton’s fingers fly over the keyboard and then sits back. He releases a deep breath and eats his own food while the programs run. We sit here in compatible silence, each of us reflecting on the day’s actions. We all blame ourselves for Redline’s disappearance, Nolan’s tense situation and Izzy and Xavier’s kidnapping.
Nolan’s phone buzzes the same time the laptop dings. He pulls it out of his pocket, reading the incoming text, and his face turns pale at the same time Ashton lets out a string of curses. Nolan grips his phone tight enough to hear it crack as the light fades from his eyes being replaced by anger and vengeance. I’ve seen that look before. He’s fading fast to the evil and he can’t stop it. I jump up from the recliner, spilling my food all over the floor and pull his phone from his hands before he can break it.
“No Ashley, don’t!” Nolan barks out. Too late I already see the text and then m
y eyes fly to the laptop perched on the coffee table. My world turns upside down when I look at who’s on the screen.
Austin.
Chapter 16
Nolan
I’ve lost all control. I can’t move, I can’t speak, I can barely breathe while the evil lurking inside is pounding away at my body, demanding to break free when Ashley grabs my phone. I try to stop her from seeing what Switch sent, but I can’t. I can’t do a fucking thing when I’m subdued in this catatonic state. I watch her face the moment her world turns upside down, powerless to stop it. Her eyes connect with mine and the concern for me overshadows the fear etched into her beautiful features.
Her brother, the one that went missing for years, was the one who took Redline. He did it so fast and in the shadows that if we didn’t run these programs, we would have missed everything. He wasn’t alone.
Ashton replays the video and we wait anxiously. The hands that pushed me belonged to a woman dressed in a ball cap, black hoodie, and black jeans. Pieces of blonde hair are falling out of the ball cap and she turns her face toward the cameras on purpose. Bruises and blood mark her face, a face I’ve known for years. She mouths something toward the camera, bolts out of the tunnel right behind Austin, dragging Redline away.
“Replay the last scene,” Ashley growls.
Ashton quickly backs up the video feed and hits play. We watch her push me from behind and turn towards the camera. In the background I see myself slipping from Ashley’s hold and Ashton yanking me back as we tumble into Ashley. My heart is beating hard against my chest and my fist my hands at my sides. My ears are ringing from the rage brewing below the surface. Gentle hands are caressing my shoulders, helping me subdue the demon ready to break free and wreak havoc on anyone crossing my path.
“There,” Ashley sobs, pointing at the screen. “Right there. Look at her face and hands. She’s cuffed and beaten. Oh my God, no! What have they done to you, Izzy?”
Ashley’s tears tumble down her cheeks and sobs quietly while comforting me. She’s close to losing it. I close my eyes and attempt to channel all the rage and hate back inside. I’m not ready to unleash just yet. I need to control this before I can do anything else. I’ve done it before, I can do it again.
“Ash,” I whisper. She shifts her eyes toward me, they’re swollen with tears. “We’ll get them back. She didn’t have a choice, we can see that. Let’s focus on what we can do and not what has already happened. You’re exhausted, I’m emotionally drained and Rush will be here in a couple of hours. Let’s try to get some sleep and start fresh when he gets here. Ashton, call Christian and tell him to stay with Mia tonight. If we put off him coming over, we can keep him out of this.”
“On it,” Ashton responds pulling out his phone.
I take Ashley’s hand and tug her toward the bedroom, “Come on, let’s reset and rest.” She follows, her feet barely keeping up with my slow pace. She enters the room in front of me, her shoulders are shaking and she’s trying to hold in her sobs.
I close the door and approach her from behind. She’s standing in the center of the room, trying to compose herself. I rub her back in a soothing motion. Kissing the side of Ashley’s neck, I raise her hoodie and shirt up over her head and toss them on the ground. Her warm, delicate skin is trembling under my hands. I remove my shirt, so we’re skin against skin. The contact soothes her inner turmoil and we stand here for several minutes, not moving, not saying a word. I’m holding her together and she’s keeping me sane. We’re made for each other, one’s yin to the others yang, and the more we suffer these heartbreaking moments, the more I realize we need each other.
Splaying my hands across her stomach, I lean down and nuzzle the side of Ashley’s neck, inhaling her strawberry essence. Her quiet sobs have subsided for now and I know it’s because of my touch.
“Let’s get some sleep and figure out where to go from here in the morning. They’re making her do their bidding. That alone tells me Switch is scared.”
She shifts in my arms and rests her head on my chest. “Why would Austin be involved?” Her voice is muffled and vibrating against my heart.
“That’s what we’ll find out in the morning,” I answer. I pull Ashley’s head from my chest and gently kiss her on her lips. Forehead against forehead I whisper, “We will figure this out. Remember it’s what I do.” She gives me a small smile and nods her head at my famous line.
“I know, and I trust you, Nolan, impeccably.” Tears spring to her eyes again and she wipes them away. We remove the rest of our clothes and lay down on the bed. Ashley snuggles against my chest. Her breathing evens out in just a matter of moments, she’s sound asleep. I close my eyes and follow along.
There’s a faint rumble coming through the walls of the bedroom that startle me awake. I listen and hear it again, followed by hushed whispers and a male voice. My muscles tense and I’m on high alert. Someone’s in the apartment, sneaking around. I slowly remove Ashley from my chest and quietly get up from the bed. The mattress creaks under my weight and I freeze. Listening intently, whoever is in the other room stops moving, I can hear heavy breathing right outside the bedroom door. I quickly stand up, grab my nine-millimeter off the nightstand and tiptoe to the door. With my hand on the knob, I take a deep breath and throw the door open, holding my gun up, eye level with the intruder. My finger ready to squeeze the hairpin trigger.
“Holy shit fucker! Put that thing away,” Rush responds, holding his hands up in the air. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see his face.
“Rush, I almost killed you. Why are you sneaking around?” I ask. Ashley stirs on the bed behind me. I lower my nine-mil and step out of the bedroom, closing the door behind me.
“I was going to take a shower and shit before you guys got up. Ashton told me it was fine if I didn’t wake you up. My plane landed about forty-five minutes ago and I came straight here.” His black eyes meet mine. He’s just as worried as I am with all the bullshit going around. “How’s she doing?” he asks.
“She’s OK. It was pretty rough on her watching Izzy on the camera’s, but she’ll be fine once we get into action. I’m setting up a fight tonight in The Circle and need you there for support. It’s good to see you again, fucker.”
“It’s good to see you too. L.A. hasn’t been the same without you there.” He slaps me on the back and walks past. “I’m getting in the shower, we’ll discuss what’s going down tonight after I get out.” I grin, and relief flows through my body. We have another ally with us, ready to fight and take Switch down.
Opening the bedroom door, I walk to the bed and kneel, gently shaking Ashley awake. She stirs under my hands, not opening her eyes. She’s awake, but she doesn’t want to get up yet. I know how to fix this. Something we both need after last night. I lean down and nibble on the side of her neck, my hands tracing down her chest and cupping her full breast. She arches her back under my touch and releases a moan that has my body responding. Need roaring through my veins.
I carefully climb onto the bed and pin her down with my body, my dick responding as she widens her legs and makes room for my bulky frame. Her eyes are still closed, but she’s smiling. I kiss a path from the bottom of her ear, down her neck and toward her breast. I take one pebbled nipple into my mouth and suck. She groans and lifts her hips, rubbing against my growing cock. Her fingernails dig into my back pulling me closer.
“I need this,” she pants.
Sitting up I remove my boxers and strip her panties down her slender, sun-kissed legs. Making my way back up her body, I nuzzle her mound before sucking her clit. She groans as my tongue makes contact and jerks her hips toward my mouth. Her flavor exploding on my taste buds making my dick harder.
“Come here,” she groans out.
I suck her clit one last time and kiss my way up her body, her heat teasing my aching cock. Ashley grabs my face and kisses me hard. Our tongues tangle together in a song and dance tempo, I’m seeking and she’s offering. Slowly I inch inside her opening and a gasp rip
s from her throat. Our bodies are bonded together as one. One love, one beat, one soul. I’m fulling inside her and she moves her hips up and down, rubbing her clit against my groin. I pull out and push back in, my hips moving faster and faster. Ashley’s walls clamp around my cock and I know she’s close. She’s panting against my lips, arching her back.
Rolling over I pull her with me so she’s straddling me. “Ride me,” I grunt. Ashley sits up, and it’s the most erotic sight I’ve ever seen. Sweat is beading on her forehead as she rocks her hips back and forth, tightening around my swelling cock. Fire races through my spine while she rocks faster and faster, chasing her own release.
“Shit, I’m going to come,” I groan. She moves faster on top of me, a whimper escaping her throat, her walls squeeze my shaft, and her hands squeeze her breasts. My fingers dig into her hips and I can’t hold back any longer. I pound up into her, our bodies slapping together, moans and groans fill the space surrounding us. My name rips from Ashley’s throat as she finds her release, panting hard. I follow into the bliss and come so hard, her name rips from my throat and spots don my vision. She collapses on top of me, our bodies slick with sweat. I caress her back with long strokes and she shudders under my touch.
“We need to get up and get shit around for tonight,” I mumble, thoroughly satisfied and content.
“What’s going to happen?”
“I’m going in The Circle and I would like you there with me. Watch my back. Rush will be there as well.” I trace shapes on her back as I talk.
“What about Ashton and the rest of your team?”
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