by Maddie Wade
Note from the Author
This book is set in the town of Hereford in the United Kingdom. It is a town of about 60,000 people and is in the West Midlands. It borders Monmouthshire, which is in Wales. Hereford is famous for its being the home of Strongbow cider and the Hereford Bull. It is also the base for the SAS. The SAS are the elite Special Forces unit of the British Armed Forces. The unit undertakes a number of roles including covert reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, direct action and hostage rescue.
Fortis Security
Book 5
Published by Maddie wade February 2018
This is a work of fiction.
Any similarities to real events, people, or places are entirely coincidental.
First edition, February © 2018 Maddie Wade
Written by Maddie Wade
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Linda@blackopalproofreading for turning my rough diamond into a sparkler. You really go above and beyond, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Charlene@Envy designs for the magnificent cover and teasers.
My amazing beta readers, Greta Branas, Shelene Martin Diaz, Maria Weeks, Lindsey Creswell Baker and Tracey Pollard, Deanna Lang for pointing me in the right direction and offering encouragement and support at every step.
My Group Maddie’s Minxes, you crazy lot make me smile every day, with your funny memes and pictures of sexy men.
Alison Johnson for the medical advice.
Most of all my readers. You are why I do this, telling my stories and knowing you love reading them as much as I love writing them fills me with joy. For every review you write or message you send know that it is appreciated more than you will ever know.
Dedication
This one is the Vixens.
Table of Contents
Note from the Author
Fortis SecurityBook 5
This is a work of fiction.
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Table of Contents
Broken ButterflyPrologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Epilogue
Sneak Peak
If you haven’t read the others in the series, then here is your chance to start Healing Danger Fortis...
Broken Butterfly
Prologue
The little boy held his hands over his ears as the screams echoed up through the cold wooden floorboards. The sound made him whimper in fear and duck his head as he imagined the scene downstairs. A thin arm wrapped around his shoulders offering comfort and human touch from the only person he trusted.
“It’s okay, I won’t let him hurt you,” his sister whispered in their mother’s tongue of English, the Russian accent barely discernible. They only ever spoke Russian around him, he would beat them until they couldn’t stand if he heard them speaking English.
Zin shivered a little as they huddled under the bed, the coldness of the floor seeped into his skin through the threadbare clothes he wore. He shivered as they listened to their father beat and do all sorts of other horrendous things to their mother. His tiny fists clenched in impotent anger, wishing in his eight-year-old mind that he could kill the man they called father.
Raisa tried to protect him, but she was only four years older than he was and just as ineffectual. Zin knew his parents were fighting over them. Father wanted to take Raisa with him when he went out to the club tonight. Mother very rarely defied him, but if it was about them, she would take any beating he could dish out.
“See, it’s quiet now. He has probably gone back out to the club,” Raisa whispered in the darkness as she dried the tears that he didn’t know he was crying with her raggedy, thin shirt.
“Thank you, Rozy,” he whispered, using his secret pet name for her as they crawled out from under the bed in the bedroom they shared.
Suddenly the door was thrown open. In the light from the landing they saw the terrifying outline of the man who had sired them. The pungent stink of alcohol was on his breath as he stumbled drunkenly through the door. Rai pushed Zin behind her, and he felt her body shake with the same fear that coursed through his.
“Ah, there she is,” he sneered as he grabbed for Raisa. Zin tried to hold her back, but she pushed him off and glared at him, the tilt of her chin defiant.
Zin stood frozen as his father stroked his hand down Raisa’s cheek. Something about it made his tummy squirm, and he fought the urge to slap his father’s hand away knowing in his young mind that it would provoke him.
“Yes, it is time you became a woman. I have just the man for you!”
The shudder of fear that rippled through Rai was tangible, and Zin took a step forward, taking his sister’s hand. She squeezed it and pushed him away again. His father’s eyes fell on him, and anger and disgust were seared in his eyes.
“Do you think to try and protect her from her destiny?” His father pushed Rai away as he advanced on Zin. His little legs turned to jelly, but he held his father’s gaze and refused to step back even though fear was almost paralysing in its intensity. “Well, do you boy?” he spat as he grabbed Zin’s shoulder and shook until his teeth rattled.
“Stop, father, please,” Rai implored as she tugged on her father’s sleeve.
In his drunken state, he didn’t think and lashed out his big, beefy arm, catching Rai on the side of her head and throwing her against the leg of the wooden bed with such force that she slumped to the ground as if dead.
Zin broke free of his stunned father and ran to his sister, crying her name as he slid down the bed beside her and cradled her head in his arms. Blood oozed from a cut on her temple, but breath puffed gently and steadily from her lips. Zin looked up as he felt his father loom over him.
“You did this boy.” Zin felt the burn of fire blaze through his cheek as his father backhanded him, causing him to slump onto Raisa’s prone form. “Now I will have to wait to satisfy my loyal soldier’s needs.” The man spat at him and glared. “How did I sire such a sorry excuse for a human being? The best part of you slid down the crack of your mother’s ass,” he hissed, and then laughed as if he found something funny in that.
His father stumbled to the door and yanked it open. “Woman, get your sorry ass up here and clean up the mess these brats made,” he bellowed. He then stumbled out the door, and the room was silent. Zin brushed blood from his cheek where his father’s ring had cut him and ignored the weak tears than ran down his cheeks.
His father was right. It was his fault, he should have protected Rai. It was his job to protect the weak. He was the man, and he had failed. Shame twisted in his stomach as he stroked a small hand over his sister’s cheek. Yes, Rai was the oldest, but he was the male child. He should have stopped her from getting hurt, and he hadn’t.
His mother cam
e into the room then, her gait slow and awkward as if she was in great pain and he supposed she was if the bruising and blood on her face was any indication.
“Oh, my goodness!” she exclaimed and rushed forward dropping to her knees. His mother was a tiny woman, petite and soft. He had seen pictures of her when she had married their father, and she had looked so pretty. Even he had looked happy as he gazed at his young wife, a wife so full of life and vitality. It was hard for Zin to understand what had happened, but now she looked so tired and defeated. Her voice was soft though as she sang to them now and held him and his big sister in her arms and wiped all the pain away as best she could.
They had survived the storm for now, but something told Zin that it would not last, and he was right.
A month later their father came and took Raisa from her bed in the night. Zin feigned sleep so as not to get her hurt again and watched as he carried her from the room. When he saw his sister again, he knew something awful had happened. She had changed monumentally. Gone were the smiles and giggles of his childhood companion, and in there place, was a cold, aloof, young woman, with hurt and pain in her eyes.
Zin vowed then and there that never again would he fail to protect those he cared about. It was a vow he would not break!
Chapter One
His tongue had grown fur, and his body felt as if he had been hit by a truck. Rolling to his side, Zin let go of the vodka bottle that had been clutched in his hand like a lifeline and winced at the thud as it hit the floor. He couldn't remember getting there, but he knew he was at the clubhouse.
The smell of sex, puke, and cheap perfume practically clung to the walls. Sitting up slowly, Zin was relieved to see he was alone. He didn’t have the energy for pointless chatter and throwing some club whore out of his room would require more speech than he could manage right now.
Stumbling to the door, he yanked it open, stepping over half-naked brothers, and nameless naked women. Grabbing the coffee pot, he poured the last stale dregs into a mug and wondered if perhaps he should just have some hair of the dog. Dog. That made him think of Samson which made him think of Celeste.
He groaned as his head throbbed as he remembered the look he had seen in her eyes the night before. He was not a good man, but he didn’t like hurting innocents, and he had hurt her. It had been for her own good, but he felt that pain as if it were his own. He had done the right thing though, he didn’t deserve her and she sure as hell didn’t deserve him. He had hurt her, but ultimately, he had protected her, and that made him feel okay with his decision.
A bang on the door had some of the men stirring, but not waking. Walking to the door, he opened it and was surprised to see his sister. She shoved a hot takeaway coffee mug at him and pushed past him, looking at the men and women on the floor in disgust.
“What are you doing here, Roz?” he asked suspiciously.
She turned and looked him dead in the eye. The look she gave him turned his blood to ice. “You fucked up brother, and now it’s time to fix it.” She thrust a picture at him and what he saw had him dropping the coffee and roaring in agony. Someone would die today, and he would be the one to end them.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and spun around. “Now is not the time for drama, brother. Get your shit and let’s head back to the Cunningham Estate. Zack and the others are waiting for you.”
Looking around he saw the men he called brothers were awake and waiting for him to speak. He didn’t have it in him to form words right then, so he grabbed his keys and helmet and nodded at his Prez, who looked at him with suspicion.
Heading for the door, he heard a commotion and swung around to see his sister slam Chunks head into a table. Blood exploded from the man’s face as his sister hardly broke stride. The biker seemed disoriented for a second and shot out of his chair and launched himself at Roz. Instinct took over, and Zin grabbed the brother by the throat, lifting him into the air with such ease that men around him gasped. Pinning him to the wall, Zin felt every fibre of muscle and sinew zing with energy and strength. Chunk turned blue as the vital air supply was cut off.
“Zin, leave it. He isn’t worth the time. Celeste needs us.”
Her name was like a splash of cold water, his muscles relaxed, and he dropped the man to the floor. He spluttered and coughed, and Zin cast him one last glance before dismissing him as unimportant and following Roz out the door.
The warm, bright sun hit him in the eye and caused him to wince. Shoving shades over his eyes, he swung a large denim-clad leg over the custom bike and started the engine. Roz was parked beside him on a black Suzuki Hayabusa. The sleek, fast ride suited her and gave her an even more dangerous vibe.
He glanced at the picture that was scrunched in his hand and felt fury flood his veins. Every protective instinct he had went into overdrive as he looked at the tiny pixie who had wriggled her way into his heart and soul. Shutting down his emotions was hard, harder than ever before, and he fought not to roar as the word Mine screamed through his brain. Taking a deep breath, he focused on the image and not on the feelings they evoked. Tucking the picture into his jacket pocket, he kicked the bike stand away and pulled out after Roz.
Don’t worry Pixie I’m coming for you and when I do those fuckers are going to die. Slowly!
Abandoning his bike on the Cotswold gravel driveway, Zin strode quickly towards the big double doors of the Cunningham Estate. He could feel his sister at his back, and as it had as a child, it gave him comfort. The door opened as he reached it and he was met by an anxious-looking Kanan. He was thrown back on his feet as the furious man pushed him against the wall by the throat.
“What the fuck did you do?” he spat angrily, his hold on Zin’s neck tightening. Zin didn’t attempt to fight back, his guilt and fear eating away at him at the way he had treated her the night before. It probably was his fault. Zin held Kanan’s eyes until the man suddenly grunted and dropped his hold, falling to his knees.
Roz stood, arms crossed over her chest, face implacable as she looked down at Kanan. “Touch my brother again, and you will be picking your teeth up off the floor!” she hissed. Zin watched as Kanan shot Roz a filthy look, but the heat in it was unmistakable.
“Any time you want to go, Kitten, just say the word, but can we please find my fucking sister first,” he growled as he stood.
Roz rolled her eyes but said nothing As Zack, Nate, Drew, Lucy, and Sly joined them.
“Where did you find the picture?” Zin demanded as he looked at Zack, who turned and strode to the large study that was set up as an office for the team.
The group filed in behind and Zin stopped short when he saw Samson. The big black beast was lying on his side on a checked blanket, his head on Ava’s lap as she sat cradling the animal. Dropping to the ground, he ran his hand over Samson’s soft fur. The dog hardly stirred, but the whimper he let out was enough to make the toughest bastard soften. “What did they do to him?” Zin demanded his eyes going to Zack.
“We don’t know, poison we think. The picture was tucked into his collar for us to find.” Zack pushed a hand through his hair as he paced. “We have a vet on the way.”
Settling down next to Ava, Zin pulled the dog gently onto his lap, his fingers digging into the silky fur as he murmured quietly to the animal. Samson couldn’t die, this dog meant everything to Celeste, and when he got her back, she needed to see him running around fit and well.
“What do we know?” Zin asked the room at large.
“Not a lot. Will is on his way and is going to try enlarging the image and track all the CCTV cameras in the area,” Zack answered.
“Any idea how they got to her or even knew she was here? I thought the estate was a secret?” Kanan asked.
Zin continued to stroke Samson, who occasionally tried to move his head and lick Zin’s hand. “It’s okay boy,” he whispered into the animal’s mane. “We’ll find her and get you fixed up.”
Commotion at the door had them all turning, a harried-looking man with wild curly
hair and a green tweed jacket came bustling in, followed closely by Lucy.
“Where is the patient?” he asked, shoving his wire-rimmed glasses back up his nose.
“Over there,” Lucy said pointing to Zin and Samson.
The man rushed over to Samson, practically ignoring Zin. “Oh, poor boy, what did they do to you?” he crooned to the dog. “I’m sorry, sir, but you need to put him down so that I can look at him.” He looked at Zin and only flinched mildly at the glare Zin knew was on his face.
“You will fix him!” Zin stated.
“I will certainly try.”
“It was not a question. You will fix him or pay the price!” he said coldly.
The man paled and backed away.
“Ignore him, Dr Rogers. He’s just a little worried about Samson.” Lucy stated and glared at Zin.
“Um yes,” the man muttered as Zin moved away a few feet away and watched.
“Why don’t we move into the library and leave Dr Rogers to do his thing?” Zack said, his arm pointed towards the door, motioning them all out.
Zin was reluctant to leave. Samson was his link to Celeste, and he would not lose that dog. A sure hand on his arm made him look up from his study of the vet who was listening to Samson’s heart, “Go, I’ll stay and keep an eye on Samson,” Ava said gently. Pausing he looked at the vet and then Ava and nodded. With one last glance at Samson he left.
Chapter Two
Heaviness and lethargy clung to her as Celeste tried to pry her eyelids open. A feeling that something was wrong edged her senses as she tried to move. Her arm clanged against metal as she went to lift her hand. What the hell?
Her eyes flew open as she tried to figure out what had happened. Where was she?
White concrete walls surrounded her, no windows, just a door with glass at the top. She could see the back of a man’s head as he stood guard outside. Her heart began to beat harder as she realised she was handcuffed to a hospital bed and she had an IV in her arm. Twisting, she stopped suddenly as pain lashed through her neck, what had they done to her?
