by India Kells
“Zoe Somersby.”
Ever so slowly, the men advanced like a wall around her. “Hellhound. I’m here to see Finch.”
The thin man nodded and jerked his head. She followed him deeper into the bar, to an empty table.
“If this is a joke, I’ve heard better ones.”
The Hellhound grumbled and started installing a laptop on the table. It took a few minutes, but when he turned the screen toward her, Jamieson Finch was on the screen.
“Miss Somersby. Again, a rare pleasure. Please sit.”
“I prefer to stand if you don’t mind.”
“In fact, I do mind.”
One of the goons behind her took her arm and twisted it until she sat.
“Well, you are as obedient as ever, no surprise there. What does surprise me is the fact that you have completed your assignment. I’ve received the pictures you sent me, and I have to say how astonished I am by your commitment. You must love your brother very much to risk prison for him. And not love my son at all.”
“I never loved Archer.” A lie that burned her tongue but reinforced her deception.
“Very few women would sleep with a man without getting emotionally involved. At least you had fun. I do approve.”
“I’m not here to get your approval. I completed my end of the bargain, I’m waiting for you to hold up yours.”
Finch smiled broadly on the screen. “You thought I was a man of my word? How naive of you. It seems that your unique talents would be very useful to me.”
Disgust filled her mouth. “As if I would ever work for you. You are deluded.”
“Oh, I never thought it would be so easy or simple, my dear. You have a fiery spirit. Too bad it needs to be broken.”
The men shifted behind her. “And how do you intend to do that?”
“Behind you are men very eager to serve me. I will spare you the details to keep the surprise, but when they are done with you, what’s left of Zoe Somersby will beg to serve me.”
The hungry pack of creatures closed around her and it was time to use her ultimate trump card.
“Well, before the fun starts, I have one last thing to say.”
“And what would that be?”
She slid her hand into her pocket to retrieve a small data card. “I may not be the best at spying, but with you thinking me that stupid, you left pretty obvious traces to follow.”
His face was blank again. “Is that a threat, Miss Somersby?”
“I wouldn’t say a threat. More like a guarantee. In my hand, I have the entire data copied from my cell phone. The same one you used to send me your delightful messages and pictures, with all the data tracking it back to you. You will also find the videos and sound clips of our conversation at The Langham, as well as the audio of our conversation at dinner.”
“Lying doesn’t become you.” But by the sound of his voice, something told her he somewhat believed her.
“Well, I’m not lying, your lapdog here can verify what I’m saying.”
“What good are you to me anymore if you have already sent that information to the authorities.”
“That’s the thing, Finch. I haven’t sent anything yet. And I may never send a thing.”
A lethal gleam sparked in his deep gray eyes as he leaned toward the camera. “You’re bargaining?”
“You’re the fine businessman here, you tell me what it sounds like.”
“I’m not the kind of man you can trifle with, Miss Somersby.”
“Yeah, that’s why I made sure to leave a copy with someone who will make it public in a grand manner.”
He waited a moment and then smiled. “So, if I keep my hands off your little brother, you won’t use it?”
There was a trick, her gut screamed in warming, but the ultimate goal was to gain more time, and so far, it worked.
“That’s the deal. Do you accept it?”
Finch leaned back in his chair. “You have a deal, my dear. Too bad you didn’t include yourself in it though. I’ll leave you in the capable hands of my men, and I can’t wait for them to bring you to me.”
Before she could react, the screen went blank, and Zoe knew at that moment that she had completely forgotten about that loophole. Thick arms grabbed her from behind and hauled her to her feet. She screamed and flailed her arms back trying to get purchase, but her attacker was too tall. Swinging her feet, she hit him hard in the shin. The man bellowed in her ear and threw her to the ground. Her teeth rattled as her hip hit the floor first.
Rolling away, Zoe scrambled to get up as men laughed around her. Zoe observed them and recognized the bikers from two nights before.
“There’s nowhere to hide, little red. Nowhere to run except in my arms.”
Despite the fear making her want to hurl, she rolled her eyes at them, and smiled. “That’s one of the worst pickup lines I’ve ever heard.”
Hitting the back of the bar, Zoe blindly searched for anything to defend herself with as the men loomed like hyenas. She was trapped, at the mercy of criminals, or rather their lack of it. Looking at the back tables, she saw the Hellhound at work with her data key, a phone to his ear, talking with Finch no doubt. She was as terrified of what could happen to her at the hands of the thugs as what the slimy man would find on the key... or wouldn’t find.
Zoe was considering jumping over the bar, like in the movies, as if she would ever be able to do that, but someone stopped her, one meaty hand grabbing a fistful of her hair.
“I would let her go if I were you.”
At the command, the hand opened, and Zoe scurried back as much as she could, looking at Sam who appeared in the entrance, backlit, like an ancient hero or a cowboy at high noon. His tall silhouette appeared larger than life and the gun, unmistakable.
There was no time to tell him off, the gang members whipped out their weapons and started firing. Rushing to the floor, Zoe wanted to cry out to Sam to save his life, that no man alone could take all those brutes down when she realized others were also firing through the door. People were coming in, guns out and blazing, but it was impossible to know what side they were on. Huddled on the floor by the bar, Zoe didn’t dare move, unable to find a way out through the flying bullets.
“Zoe!” As the door closed again, she recognized Gabrielle and Kai. And behind them, Lance and Archer. On the side, she spotted Lazarus coming in low.
He was the one who shouted her name.
“Archer!” But above the noise, nothing could come through. Slowly, Zoe tried to crawl to the other end of the bar when she spotted the Hellhound. He was doing the same thing, inching to the back door. She had to stop him and get the key back.
“Zoe!!” Archer’s voice boomed behind her, but she didn’t see him through the fighting bodies and furniture shrapnel.
The Hellhound looked back and saw her gaining speed. Panic on his face, he pushed himself up at the door and started running. Zoe didn’t wait to reach the door to start running after him, praying the bullets had somewhere else to go.
Outside, she saw him running down the street, constantly looking back. Zoe pushed herself and slowly caught up with him. He skidded around the corner, but Zoe didn’t allow him to get away. Once he stumbled and the laptop crashed on the sidewalk, breaking into many pieces. The man cursed but didn’t stop. There was no way of knowing if he still had the key or not.
At another corner he turned left and when Zoe followed him, she skidded to a stop, lifting her hands. Red-faced, sweating, the Hellhound was aiming a mean looking knife at her.
The area was deserted, the small street still empty at this time of day as it was mostly small shops.
“Leave me alone! Get away!” His hand was shaking. He took a few more steps back and started running again. Zoe, lungs burning, followed him as he made his way between two buildings. A small alley ran between two red-brick buildings. Graffiti darkened the walls and fences partly blocked the way. The Hellhound dashed into an open door, with Zoe on his heels. It was an empty warehouse that
had seen better days. All the windows were broken and part of one wall had been bashed through. From her position, she caught a glimpse of the street and even heard a rumbling motorcycle passing by. Quickly, she followed him through the door.
With wild desperation he turned to her again, aiming his knife at her. “I told you to get lost or I will slice you open, bitch.”
Zoe was beyond fear, now numb with all that had happened. “I just want the key. You give me the key, and I’ll leave, promise.”
“Are you fucking insane? Don’t you know the guy? What he would do if I don’t get him what he wants?”
Zoe knew perfectly, she had personally danced with that particular devil. But for Archer and Lucas’ protection she was ready to do much worse. “That’s exactly why I need it.”
It wasn’t difficult to see that he would never willingly give it to her. He might not appear dangerous, but with a knife in his hands, it was a completely different story. Trapped, she could almost hear what he was thinking.
“Give it to me, and you’re free.” One step in his direction, and Zoe knew it was a bad move. Like a cornered wild animal, he charged at her, knife first. He was so close, there was no way to swiftly evade him, not with her drained body. A scream clogged her throat when blood splashed, the man’s head exploding before her eyes.
Chapter 31
Her mind couldn’t process what happened, it was so fast, so gruesome that she had to force herself to look down at the body lying on the ground. Blood on his head, well, from his head, slowly pooling around him, some brain matter, too. The Hellhound was dead. Her ears were ringing. A bullet.
Zoe turned to see Hector coming from one of the openings to her right, a gun aimed high, scanning the area. Zoe took a step back, then another. Her hands had red on them, and when she touched the wet on her face, there was more. Her entire body revolted, and she took two steps before reaching a corner and emptying her stomach. It was mostly heaving as she hadn’t eaten anything in hours, but the violence at the club, and the man killed a few feet in front of her, were taking a dire toll, both to her body and her sanity. In shock, Zoe screamed when Hector approached and touched her back.
“Hey! Hey! It’s me, Hector. You’re okay, you’re safe. We need to get out of here, Zoe.”
He moved to her side, but she was too stunned to do anything but kneel on the cold concrete, looking at the crimson splatters on the back of her hands.
Hector moved, and he shoved a blue piece of fabric before her face, blocking her view. She looked up at him. He had given her his t-shirt. Blinking, still not understanding, he started gently wiping her face and neck. He took each of her arms and erased what had happened the best he could. When she remembered where that blood came from, and attempted to turn, he blocked her. “Don’t look back. Never look back, Zoe.”
Stuffing the t-shirt in the back of his pants, he put his army coat back on and zipped it up. Again, with great care, he brought her to her feet and ushered her outside. As she moved, thoughts started circulating again in her brain.
“How did you know where to find me?”
Instead of answering, he pulled her to an entryway partly hidden with a bush where he had stashed his bike.
“Let’s get out of here first, and I’ll answer questions later.”
“And the bar? Do you know what happened there?”
Grim, he took his phone from his pocket and shook his head. “I’m waiting for news. Gabrielle had called me to get there, but I wasn’t in the neighborhood. When I arrived, I saw you running after that guy. So, I followed. Don’t even think about going to the bar. If the police haven’t been called with SWAT, other gangs may have gone there too.”
Another punch to the gut. Without waiting for her agreement, he sat her behind him and revved the engine. “My apartment. Take me to my apartment.”
Hector nodded, and they were off.
A thirty-minute ride had the advantage of clearing her mind and pushing the ugly images from the dead man away. She would sort it out later, now, her thoughts were only on what happened at the bar.
Zoe was off the bike as it slowed to a stop and would have fallen on her face if Hector hadn’t held her back. Not wanting to wait a second longer, and not asking for permission, she put her hand in Hector’s pocket as he was turning the key from the contact, and not waiting for him as he yelled, jogged to her apartment, dialing Gabrielle’s phone.
Hector was hot on her heels, shut the front door, and pushed the button before she could stop him.
It rang, and it rang. Each time nobody answered was like someone twisted her gut. Finally, the call was answered.
“Hector?”
Swallowing hard against the tears flooding her throat, her answer sounded more like a croak. “It’s Zoe. I’m with Hector.”
“Thank God! I was about to give him hell for taking his sweet time! Where the hell were you, Nazario? And you, Zoe? We were out of our minds with worry!”
“I got out safely, Hector arrived in the nick of time, as usual. How are you? And the others?” She couldn’t get the names past her lips.
“Apart from a few bumps and bruises, we’re all okay. Liam was a little bit less lucky. He arrived with the SWAT team as the situation got under control here, but outside, another firefight started. He got shot. Lazarus went to the hospital with him. Kai is there too. Archer is with me and Lance. It will be hell with the police. We’re trying our best to keep it contained from the media, so far so good, but we have a contingency plan to make sure all our names are kept out. Especially yours. Stay where you are for now. Beatrice was trying to call you before you trashed your phone.”
“How did you know? How did Sam find me?”
“He was coming back from the Planetarium when he saw the Aston Martin and you behind the wheel. He suspected something and followed you, calling me along the way. You seem to always have the right man at the right time saving your ass, Zoe. I wouldn’t rely on that for the long-term if I were you. Lance is pissed at you for using that sedative, you know. You better buy him a few boxes of cream donuts if you want to be on his good side again.”
“And Archer?”
This time Gabrielle hesitated. “He’s... shaken, I think. I don’t know what he thinks, he left as soon as the fight was over. He’s now talking to the police. When our mighty SEAL finally woke up and went to help him, Archer was almost free of his bonds. And as per Lance, he was way beyond furious and said that he didn’t know if he would ever forgive you for what you’ve done. I’m sorry.”
Zoe nodded, even if Gabrielle couldn’t see her. What could she say? It was a risk she’d agreed to take. And she’d lost. “You said Beatrice wanted to speak to me?”
“Yeah, she wants a full account of what happened from the moment you went to Archer’s penthouse until you decided to trust Finch’s word.”
At the name, Hector reacted, but she shook her head.
“I will explain, and I never trusted Finch. All I wanted was for my scheme to work, buy some time so Archer and Lucas could be safe.”
“And I want to be there for that conversation, believe me. I play ringleader with you guys, and it’s giving me headaches. Oh, and Beatrice told me that she successfully neutralized the threat against your brother. Lucas is safe. And not even aware of what went on.”
Zoe was still in shock, deeply so, and she knew on a logical level that it was the reason why she didn’t feel relieved or happy, as she was supposed to for Lucas or crushed by Archer’s shutting her out. Her emotional brain seemed closed off, so she decided to use her logical brain instead. After all, her work here was done, even if she had been the source of all this chaos. Well, Finch, to be more exact, but the result was the same.
“Thank you, Gabrielle. For everything. I’ll call Beatrice and tell her everything. Can you tell the guys how sorry I am for putting them in danger? And I sure hope Liam gets better soon.”
Another silence, but Zoe handed the phone to Hector, as she turned to go to her room. She
knew the tattooed man watched her, as if she was about to explode. It was not going to happen. Not within the city limits of Chicago. Grabbing her pajamas from her room, a much-needed shower on her brain, she returned to the living room where Hector was pocketing his cell phone.
“Are you going to be okay?” Obviously, he looked uncomfortable, not knowing what to do. Forcing a smile, she went to him and kissed his cheek.
Taken aback, the thug stayed silent.
“I will be. I’m alive. My brother is safe. And a lot of that is because of you. I owe you my life twice over. Thank you.”
Hector shifted, and she thought he would bolt out, but instead, his big scarred hand touched her hand.
“And what about Archer Blackwood?”
Arching an eyebrow, Zoe couldn’t believe her ears. “Are you trying to play Cupid? Please don’t quit your day job.”
His smile was blazing. “I’m not into child’s play. But from what I could gather, you care for him. Sacrificed and risked a lot for him.”
“It was more than sacrifice or risks. Much more. But you heard Gabrielle. Archer is not the kind of man to forgive easily. And he has every reason to hate me. I’ve put his empire, his life, his connections in jeopardy. It’s not stubbornness, but I’ve seen the same in Kai and Lazarus, once crossed, the bridge is burned.”
Hector nodded in silence, looking around for a moment before turning to her again. “Over the past year, I’ve learned a lot about Finch and what a monster he is. I’m part of the dark, the violent, and the bloody. It’s been my life, otherwise, we wouldn’t have met at El Diablo.”
“And you wouldn’t have bought your aunt that car.”
Hector ignored her comment and continued. “They are Finch’s bastards, the lot of them. They share the same blood, and you’re right, they can be fucking stubborn, controlling, and dark. I’m a lot like them. Men from the dark, we’re loyal too, we care, and we need to protect those who are important to us. Otherwise, why would we spill blood and stain our souls?”
