Dominance Never Dies (Masters and Mercenaries Book 11)

by Lexi Blake

  “Ms. Danvers, or should I call you Ms. Lawless?”

  She winced. The safe room was tied into the communications system so she could hear him just fine.

  She went by her adoptive parents’ name because the Lawless name could be dangerous. Because Drew had been planning revenge for twenty years and he didn’t want his enemies to see them coming. He wanted them to think the family had been broken. Even Riley and Bran used different last names. There were people who worked for 4L who had no idea they were related.

  But this guy did.

  “I think we’ll go with Lawless since we’re going to be such good friends. I bet these men think you’re a friend, too.”

  Her stomach turned because she knew what was coming next.

  Case was going to kill her.

  “You have thirty seconds to get out here before Angela executes your friend. I’ll let you think about it for another thirty before I put a bullet through Mr. Malone’s head. Yes, I know who he is, too. I also know his father won’t ever play with my boss so he’s expendable. We’ll have to hope your brother is more flexible than David Malone. Your time starts now.”

  Case had already lost his brother. He would be devastated to lose his team. Michael had a family who loved him. There would be a hole in the Malones if he died.

  She couldn’t be the reason. There was too little time. She wasn’t sure if Case could get back to the front of the plane in thirty seconds.

  She opened the door and walked out.

  There was one role she could play. Sacrificial lamb.

  Mia held her hands up and walked through the hall and into the cabin.

  “Don’t hurt them. Please.”

  * * * *

  Case cursed as the pilot came over the mic.

  “You have thirty seconds to get out here before Angela executes your friend. I’ll let you think about it for another thirty before I put a bullet through Mr. Malone’s head. Yes, I know who he is, too. I also know his father won’t ever play with my boss so he’s expendable. We’ll have to hope your brother is more flexible than David Malone. Your time starts now.”

  Damn it. He started to move up the hall. Now he knew where two of the three were. It was Fain he was worried about. Where the hell was he?

  He was going to knock Fain out. He wouldn’t kill him because killing was far too good for that asshole. No. He would knock him out and then he would set up his own torture palace because the shit he would do to that man would last for years. Years. It could be his happy place. When he wasn’t slowly flaying the man alive and feeding his flesh to a cage of rats, he would leave Fain behind all tied up with My Little Pony videos playing constantly.

  Yeah, that would work. He’d babysat Carys one night and all the kid wanted was some weird show about diamond unicorns and purple ponies that had deeply disturbed him. Violence and ponies. He would show Fain how it was done.

  Throw in some Bieber to sleep to and Fain’s life would be hell on earth.

  But everything was going to be okay because he would deal with the situation. Michael would make a move. Michael Malone might have a gun pointed at him, but Case was sure he had the situation in hand. Hutch, for all his sarcasm and laziness, wasn’t exactly an easy target.

  It would all be okay because Mia was locked away and being a good girl for once. Now all he had to do was find Fain.

  And hope Hutch could figure out how to fly the plane. He was good with a helicopter, but Case wasn’t sure he’d flown a plane lately.

  Damn. He needed to tell Michael not to kill the pilot. He wasn’t sure how long it had been since Hutch had flown a jet. He spent most of his time flying helicopters. Case didn’t fly anything so he wasn’t sure if there was a big difference. He wasn’t willing to take the chance.

  Where would Fain be?

  “Don’t hurt them. Please.”

  He stopped. She wouldn’t. She didn’t. No. That was some kind of echo or maybe the wind rushing through the plane and he had Mia on the brain. Yeah, that was pushing it.

  “Look, I’m here. I’m willing to go with you, but you can’t hurt my friends.” The sound of her voice dispelled all his dreams of her still being in her safe place.

  He was going to kill her. Spanking was too good for her. He had to come up with something horrible, truly awful, that would teach her a real lesson and still leave her ready for sex because he was so going to have that. Yeah. She would spend the rest of her life being his sex toy. That would show her.

  “Don’t move, Taggart.”

  Nope. He was going to kill her. He would leave her with Fain. Tie her up right in the old Pain Palace, shove an exotically lubricated plug up her hot ass, and let her beg for forgiveness because she was the reason Fain had gotten the jump on him.

  Mother fucker.

  “Just shoot me now, Fain.” It would be way better than having to explain to his brother that he’d been too busy thinking with his dick to live. It would never end. Ian. Sean. All his teammates. They wouldn’t let him live it down. Death was way easier.

  “I’m not going to shoot you.” Fain’s voice was tight. “I want to talk. Tell me you killed the asshole who came looking for you.”

  If he died, Big Tag would just hire some psychic to find a way to torment him endlessly in the afterlife. Besides, he had a sub to spank and a brother to save. No way he was letting that mission go.

  Maybe it was time to take a cue from his sub and take the situation back into his own hands. Case kicked back hard, catching Fain right where he’d planned. He turned just in time to watch the fucker go a pasty white.

  Unfortunately, the dude had been well trained and he didn’t take a knee. He kept his very professional-looking Colt aimed right at Case’s head. “You asshole. I’m not with them.”

  “Why would I buy that?”

  “Because if I was, you would be dead,” Fain explained, his eyes tight. “Hell, when we get out of this, I’m thinking about killing you anyway. Get it through your thick skull, Taggart. I’m one of the good guys. Why else would I have told you I thought the flight attendant was sketchy?”

  He did have to give him that one. He likely hadn’t been trying to make his job harder. And he’d been brought in at the last minute. How could the kidnappers have known Case was going to act like an asshole and Mia would need a bodyguard?

  Maybe it was time to show a little trust. He lowered his weapon. “Sorry.”

  He wasn’t.

  “Sure you are.” Fain shuddered and tried to stand up straight. “Tell me that’s not Mia out there giving herself up to the kidnappers, and please tell me there’s not a third dude walking around waiting to blow our heads off.”

  “Nah, took him out in the bedroom.”

  “You did it quietly. I don’t think anyone realizes he’s dead.”

  “Hard to scream with a nail file in your neck.” That would teach him to cock block Case Taggart.

  “Why isn’t Mia hiding?”

  He was not taking the blame for that one. “I stashed her someplace safe. I have to assume this is all about that announcement.”

  Fain rolled his eyes. “Like Malone would let that happen. We need to be more worried about not putting a bullet in the plane and figuring out how to land this sucker. Autopilot will get us to Colombia, but it can’t land the plane. We need the pilot alive. How good are you with knives? I found a set back in what looks like a gourmet kitchen. Why couldn’t Drew Lawless keep an armory?”

  “Couldn’t use them anyway. And I’m good with knives. You thinking what I’m thinking?”

  “Only if you’re thinking I’ll take out the flight attendant and you can maim but not kill the pilot.”

  Good. Then they were on the same page. “I’ll do my best, but now we have to deal with the fact that they have Mia.”

  Fain nodded. “Agreed. Malone was special ops?”

  “SEAL trained. He won’t panic.”

  “And the geek?”

  “Worked on a CIA team. He’ll be fine. Hutch know
s when to shoot and when to duck. This would be a time when he’ll duck.” And hopefully jump on Mia and give her some cover.

  Fain reached into his coat and pulled out a knife. “Take this one. Don’t miss, man. I’ll take the flight attendant out first and then you go to work. Be careful because once they see us, they’ll get twitchy with the trigger.”

  He nodded, taking the knife. It wasn’t perfect, but it would do. He would need to hit the guy in the arm, whichever arm held the gun. Michael would figure out what was happening and get to the pilot, ensuring he didn’t get to off himself. “If you do have to fire, go for the chest or the gut. The bullet should lodge there and not hit anything vital.”

  To the plane. It would likely kill the person, but he wasn’t concerned about that. He needed to ensure that this plane made it to Colombia so he could properly discipline his brand new sub. She was going to find out exactly what he’d meant by stay where he’d put her. He would tie her up and then she couldn’t run off and throw herself into danger.

  Fain nodded. “We move slowly. They’ve got to be watching the hall.”

  Case wasn’t so sure. “Maybe not. They might be watching Mia. God only knows what she’ll do. Wait for it and then take your shot. I’ll move in behind you and take out my guy. She’ll do something outrageous and that will be our chance.”

  “How do you know that for sure?”

  “Because she’s Mia. It’s what she does. Be careful. If you harm her, there’s going to be hell to pay,” Case promised, his adrenaline already on the rise.

  “I suppose that’s your job, Taggart.” Fain moved to the lead position, his knife at the ready.

  Case followed, walking as silently as he could. Just let her live through this. It was a mantra in his head. Life had been so much easier before. Before he’d met Big Tag. When he’d kind of thought he was Big Tag. All he’d had to worry about was Theo, and Theo just wanted to do his job and have some fun.

  BTD, he’d never nearly had a panic attack because the woman he was casually fucking offered herself up to kidnappers. BTD, he’d never had to worry about dying himself and leaving his nephew and nieces down another uncle. BTD, he hadn’t worried about dying at all because he’d been a weapon and weapons didn’t have fucking feelings.

  Life was easier. He was wrong though. Those things hadn’t happened because Theo died. They’d happened because Theo had finally gotten to live the way he’d always wanted to. He’d gotten to be surrounded by family, to be a part of something bigger than himself.

  Why hadn’t he died instead of Theo? No one would have missed him.

  Fuck. He had to shove that shit deep.

  He shifted the gun to his left hand. He was still an excellent shot with it, but the knife throw would require his dominant hand.

  “I don’t know where he went,” Mia was saying. “We had a fight and he walked out. And I don’t know where your guy is. Do you think he’s trying to find Case?”

  Mia did a very good dumb blonde when she wanted to.

  The curtain had been pulled but he could hear everything that was going on. Fain moved to the left of the door, flattening his back. He gestured for Case to take the right.

  “He was supposed to bring you back here,” a deep voice said.

  Case had a small strip of a view where the curtain didn’t meet the wall. He could see the left side of the room, including Mia’s luscious backside. It was going to get so very red so very soon.

  “I didn’t see him,” Mia said. “I was getting ready to give myself a facial when you interrupted. Have you ever heard of the mile-high facial? It’s supposed to be the very best. It opens your pores in ways you just can’t do on the ground.”

  He had to bite back a laugh. Yeah, she’d been about to get a facial and it would have been phenomenal.

  Fain was frowning as though he didn’t get the joke.

  Mia was talking to him. She knew he was there, knew he wouldn’t leave her. She was telling him she was pissed at getting cock blocked, too.

  He’d never dealt with a woman like Mia. Not in an intimate way. His sisters-in-law could be pretty fierce, but watching Mia up close was so different. He’d known she was outspoken, but he’d never seen her so willful.

  What would it feel like to have that aggressive alpha female kneeling at his feet, offering him her submission at night and her strength during the day? To have a woman like that find him worthy for something other than sex?

  “She’s an idiot,” the flight attendant said. “Shoot her and get it over with.”

  “That’s not what the boss wants and you know it,” the pilot said. “Mr. Malone, I think I would be more comfortable with you getting to your knees.”

  “I would be more comfortable with a gun in my hands,” Michael snarked. “We don’t always get what we want.”

  Case heard the nasty ping of a bullet going through a silencer and then Michael groaned.

  “Fuck,” Hutch cursed.

  Mia gasped. “You said you wouldn’t hurt them.”

  Case looked over at Fain, who had a line of sight on that side of the cabin. Fain touched his thigh and his hand suddenly looked like a gun. So Michael had taken a bullet. Shit. They needed to move.

  “I said I wouldn’t kill them if you came in, but it’s not enough to have you here. I need the other two. Taggart and whoever the other asshole is,” the pilot said.

  Fain frowned.

  “Please don’t shoot anyone else. I’ll do whatever you want,” Mia said. Finally he could hear the panic in her voice. It had gotten real for her.

  He would have done anything for her not to understand how real it could be.

  It was time to go, time to save his friends and his girl. He held up a hand. Five. Four.

  Fain nodded, his knife coming up. Take out the left and he would take out the right.

  Three.

  “You will, sweetheart,” the masculine voice said. “You’ll do whatever I want and let me tell you, I’m going to want a lot.”

  “Stop,” Fain whispered. “Don’t you go psychotic on me.”

  But he wanted to. How fucking dare he threaten Mia with that. He’d made the last man who threatened to rape her bleed long and hard.

  “We need him,” Fain whispered. “Keep your fucking cool.”

  But after, Case would cut off his balls and he wouldn’t be able to threaten any other woman like that, much less a Taggart woman.

  Was he thinking about her that way already?

  Two.

  “Put on these handcuffs or Angela will blow your friend’s head off and then I’ll take out Malone anyway. I’ll lock us up in the cockpit and we’ll deal with the other two later.”

  “What about Alan?” Angela asked.

  “Taggart killed him or he would be here. This bitch is lying. She knows exactly where Taggart is.”

  She didn’t but she was about to.

  He gave Fain the go.

  The mercenary didn’t hesitate. He stepped out and before anyone registered he was there, he’d planted his knife in Angela’s neck.

  Case briefly saw the woman as she dropped the gun and reached for her throat. It was useless. Fain was damn good at his job. Angela pulled the knife out and the deed was done.

  The world seemed to slow down, though Case knew he was moving quickly. Hutch looked across the cabin and then jumped for the side. Michael was already reaching for Mia to pull her away.

  Case focused. One breath in. Turn and fire. He wasn’t firing with a gun, but he let that knife fly like it was a bullet.

  He was rewarded with a groan as the knife lodged in the pilot’s shoulder. The pilot dropped his weapon and fell to one knee. Case stood over him with a gun.

  “Don’t fucking move. Both your partners are dead.”

  “You did such a good job, babe.” Mia sounded bouncy and happy. “Really awesome. But you could have mentioned to Ezra about the blood on the carpet thing.”

  “Later, Mia.” She thought her sunny attitude in the face
of danger was going to save her ass? She was so wrong. “I want to know who you’re working for. Talk.”

  The pilot pulled the knife out and blood started to flow. “I think not. I don’t think you’re going to use the gun and now I have a knife.”

  “You’re outnumbered.” It should have been obvious.

  The pilot paled. “Ah, but I also have one last duty.”

  He turned and ran toward the cockpit, the door standing wide open.

  “Shit.” If he let the pilot lock himself inside, god only knew where they would end up.

  “Take the shot, Taggart!” Fain yelled.

  Case let instinct take over. He fired into the man’s back and the pilot fell, dropping to his knees right in front of the control panel. His body slumped over it.

  Case took a deep breath. The cabin hadn’t depressurized. He hadn’t fucked them over. Yes, they were still in trouble, but he had a few hours to figure out how to land the plane. And what to do with all the bodies.

  Case watched in utter horror as the pilot used his last breath to press a button on the panel and then pull down on a lever.

  The plane went into a dive and Case realized they were about to die.

  “Hutch! Can you get us out of this?” He looked over at Mia as the plane began to shudder. He reached for her, but she was moving even as the plane bucked up.

  As cool as a cucumber, she pushed the dead guy out of the way. “Give it a sec. We’ll be fine.”

  Hutch sat up, not looking at all like a man in a big hurry to save them. “You need help with that?”

  “We’ll be good. Just needs to reconnect.” She sat down and he watched as she pressed a few buttons and the plane leveled out.

  “What the hell?”

  She grinned back at him. “This isn’t some Hollywood movie, Taggart. This is a top-of-the-line Bond Aeronautics jet. It course corrects and without some serious reprogramming, it’s asshole proof.”

  Hutch stood up, straightening his clothes. “All that jerk was ever going to do was make us pee our pants. Which I did not do, by the way.”