Wreaking Havoc

by Angel Steel

  Gritting my teeth together, I drop down on one knee, then the other. As soon as both my knees rest on the hard concrete floor, Carlo steps forward. “Although I would love nothing more than to take your wife’s life away from you, your life is more important.” With that Carlos’ fist flies toward my jaw and connects, spinning my head on my shoulders.

  He spins on his heels toward Amelia’s body. His arm goes up pointing the gun toward Amelia, my body freezes as the gun goes off. My breath gushed from my mouth as Amelia’s body falls forward, then Masen is there, catching her fragile body in his grasp. My eyes rise to his. Glancing down to Amelia then back up, I nod my head once. Masen nods and steps back taking Amelia with him.

  “You won’t be walking away from this, this time, Davenport,” Carlos hisses as I watch as Masen back further and further away from me with Lia. My head spins back to Carlos standing at his full height and lifts his hand, flicking it toward the back of the warehouse. Once his hand is back to his side, his men slowly retreat back and disappear out of my sight.

  A grunt behind me from Masen has my head turning his way again and my eyes land on Lia’s as they bore into mine. I half-smile then it falls as her eyes shift from me to Carlos. Her eyes go from him to me several times till it clicks what’s going on. As soon as reality hits, she’s pushing at Masen to let her go.

  ‘I love you, always, Lia,’ I mouth to her. Her head shakes from side to side frantically, tears streaming down her face as she fights to get out of Masen’s grip. Rosko holds the door open, as Masen tightens his grip around Lia and moves back and out the door, Alex follows closely behind, then the door closes slowly, and in slow motion I watch as Lia struggles in Masen’s hold, kicking her legs back at him. He loses his grip but gains it again as he lifts her into the air and places her over his shoulder, and runs away from the building and out of my sight as the door closes shut.

  A tear leaks from the corner of my eye, my head hanging forward. I blink my eyes and watch as a single tear drops slowly and splashes on the cement floor in front of me. A single round wet circle sits alone on the dry cement. Closing my eyes, I hear the distinctive click of a gun being cocked, then the cold metal digging into my temple. Still with my eyes closed, I lift my head up and straighten my back ready for it. This is the only way for this all to end. If Amelia died, I wouldn’t survive it. My heart and soul would be ripped to shreds, inside and out, knowing she was no longer with me in this world. My heart is aching for Amelia, wanting to be here with her till our lasting breath together. But I know it won’t happen. So it’s easier for me to do this. To end this madness in my life. I’m losing her all over again, but this time it’s for real and I won’t be coming back to her.

  A tingling builds along my arms as the intensity increases the sensation changes from tickle to pain instantly as my arms pull tautly above my head.

  Pain.

  Burning pain engulfs my whole body, my mouth dry as I try to swallow behind the ball of rubber in my mouth. My eyes heavy as I try to open them at the voices mumbling around me, no words meet my ears then the chains around my wrists slacken and fall away with a clunk. My body falls forward. I don’t have the strength to lift my hands to stop my fall as I descend. My eyes close again ready for the hard impact, when arms wrap around me, lifting me up to their chest and they begin moving backward.

  My hand moves to the back of my head, trying to undo the rubber ball in my mouth and relief hits me as the ball falls from my mouth. I suck in a deep breath, my lungs expanding at the air intake and fill with air. The breath I’m holding leaves my mouth in a rush as I hear Carlos’ voice.

  “You won’t be walking away from this, this time, Davenport.”

  My eyes open suddenly. My head turning fast on my shoulders in the direction of the voice. My hand flying to my throat as I gasp for air. Air that is stripped from my lungs, sucking every single ounce of it out. Seeing Dante on his knees as Carlos stands in front of him with a sadistic smile covering his lips.

  A half-smile forms over Dante’s lips then falls as I glance between him and Carlos. My heartbeat thumping louder in my ears, and then it hits me. My eyes wide as they go back to Dante.

  “No!” A scream tears out of my sore throat, as I push back against the body holding me.

  A large hand comes up and rests over my mouth. No! No, this can’t be happening! Shifting in their hold, their arm tightens around my waist as I bite down into the flesh of their palm, as they ground me to the front of their body. My eyes blur as tears fill them then escape from the corner of my eyes as my eyes land on him again.

  ‘I love you, always, Lia,’ he mouths.

  “No! No, no, please no!” I scream into the hand holding me. Gripping the arm covering my mouth, I try prying it away from me as we move backward away from him. “Please!” I sob as my hands fall to the arm around my waist and dig my nails into the skin. My foot kicks back and connects. A grunt mumbles behind me but doesn’t stop them from moving away.

  My heart shatters as I’m moved through the open door. I slam the heel of my foot back and their grasp loosens slightly, then I’m in the air and over a shoulder, running away from the warehouse, away from Dante. I thump my fists onto Masen’s back.

  “No. We have to go back in there,” I shout, my throat throbbing.

  Masen’s grip slackens as he turns around and faces the warehouse, walking backward as he does. Twisting my body, I look over my shoulder. My whole world slows around me as a loud bang explodes around us, the piercing sound ringing in my ears, then glass shattering as the impact from the explosion blows them out, then my body is tumbling through the air. Hot air lacing my skin then a hand is grabbing my own, pulling me against them, their body wrapping around my own as they take the brunt of the fall as we hit the ground with a thud. Groaning as more pain flares through my body, I push against the body with shaky hands and sit up and look over at the warehouse. Bright orange and yellow flames erupt around the outside, swallowing the building completely.

  “No, no, no,” I scream out. I push to my feet, disregarding the pain shooting in my thigh and make a dash for the building. Fear grips me, as the flames intensify, and as I get closer the metal creaks and whines from the heat of the explosion and topples inwards as the roof caves in. I don’t make it too far as an arm wraps around my stomach and yanks me back away from the burning building. I lean back as another blast cracks through the air, the flames now burning brightly above the building high into the sky.

  My knees wobble and I fall forward. I cry out as my knees crash to the ground, pain spreading through my leg and my heart breaking all over again. I grip my chest, trying to breathe, watching as the flames build more and more in front of me.

  “I’ve lost him,” I sob out. I slam my fist into the dirt at my knees and dig my fingers into it. Someone drops behind me and engulfs me in their arms. I know the moment the arms wrap around me it’s my dad. My body sags and collapses into his arms, my eyes staring at the destruction in front of me.

  “I never told him I loved him,” I whimper staring at the flames. “I’ve lost him all over again, Dad. I know it this time. He’s gone for good. I can feel it in my body. My heart.” I turn away and cry into my dad’s shoulder, gripping onto him for the strength I needed right now. “Please don’t leave me, Dante. You promised,” I sob harder, gripping my dad.

  His hand stills on my back. “Amelia, what did you say??” I hear him ask.

  “Dante promised me he’d never leave me, and he has again,” I whisper out.

  “Sweetheart, Dante is dead. Has been for the last five years. Don’t you mean, Zane?”

  The sounds of sirens echoed in the distance. What help are they going to be by the time they get here? He’s already gone. My body shakes uncontrollably at the thought.

  I turn in my dad’s arms and look up at him. “No, Dante is Zane. He was undercover the whole time,” I weep.

  “That can’t be possible,” my dad mumbles then pulls me more into him. He holds me in his
grasp as vehicle after vehicle come to a screaming halt in front of the burning building. Then bodies are rushing around us. Voices yelling across the area as two fire trucks begin sending out their ladders above the building, then water begins to flow from the hoses and floods the crumbled mess.

  The sky is filled with black smoke, circling above us. My dad’s hands grip onto me as someone drops down beside my extended leg.

  “You need to go to the hospital,” the voice says as they prod around the knife still in my leg.

  I can’t move. My body refuses to move as I continue to watch the smoldering building. I’m lifted up from behind and into my dad’s arms as he moves us back. Closing my eyes as my dad places me down on a gurney, he grips my hand as an EMT assesses my injuries. Rolling my head on the pillow I re-open them and look around. My eyes stop on Masen’s back, his head tilting right as if he is listening to something while Rosko grips onto his shoulder looking at the building.

  As if he knows I’m looking at him, Masen’s head comes up and his eyes find mine. I see a phone in his hand as we stare at each other undisrupted, and then his head rips around suddenly as a movement catches my eyes. I turn that way and my breath lodges in my throat as someone exits the building, dragging something behind them.

  Every police officer and Dante’s team draw their weapons, their aim firmly on the body shifting from the building and out into the open. As the smoke clears, Dante stumbles into view and stops still, dropping what he is dragging behind him. His head lifts and turns to Masen, nods once and searches around till his eyes land on me, and as soon as they do, he strides in my direction.

  Pushing myself off the gurney, I hop on one leg to him and leap onto him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, my leg around his waist as my other leg dangles at his side. My shoulder burns as I wrap my arms tighter around him. I don’t care. He falls back and lands on his ass with a grunt, but doesn’t let up his hold on me.

  “I thought I lost you all over again, Dante.” I whisper against his lips.

  “It would take more than a bomb to get rid of me, Lia,” he says.

  I sit up on top of him and begin lifting his shirt to check him over, but I’m stopped as his hand rests above my own. “Lia, I’m fine,” he says gripping onto my hand.

  “How are you not hurt? We barely made it away from the building before it exploded,” I question, still not believing that he is unhurt.

  Wrapping an arm around my waist, he sits up still holding onto me and arranges me more comfortable over his lap. “The bomb was set up at the back of the building. As soon as I knew it was there, I moved behind one of the cement beams, blocking myself away from the main impact then the roof covered me, blocking the heat from the flames.”

  My body shook in his hold at his words, then he continues, “I knew I couldn’t stay where I was, so I moved out and found Carlos at the back of the building, trying to escape. He didn’t get that far,” he says with a smile.

  “Is he dead?” I ask, holding my breath.

  “No, but he will wish he was now, since he will be in prison for the rest of his life.”

  “I love you, Dante,” I tell him, my arms going around his shoulders. “I love you so much.” Then my lips crash to his. His hands comes up and cup my cheeks as he deepens the kiss, his tongue sliding into my mouth, mingling with my own. I pull my mouth from his. “Don’t you ever leave me again, Dante,” I whisper against his lips, our heavy breathing mixing together.

  “I’m not going anywhere, Lia,” he says then his lips are on mine again. The moment is short lived as people scuffle around us, then hands are tugging at both of us. “Don’t,” Dante growls low in his throat as someone tries to remove me.

  “Sir, she needs medical attention,” the male EMT says beside him.

  “I’ll take her,” he grumbles and stands, still holding me to him.

  “Dante let them. I know you’re in pain too,” I say as he begins to walk toward the ambulance, several EMT’s following closely behind him.

  “No,” he says gruffly. “I need to feel you in my arms. Feel your body against my own. Hear your voice, the beat of your heart. I need to know that you’re alive and here with me, and not a figment of my imagination,” he whispers the last part as he shifts to the back of an ambulance and lays me down on the gurney.

  My hand comes up and cups his cheek. “I’m here with you,” I answer with a smile.

  As soon as Dante sits down on the rear bumper, and not once letting go of my hand as EMT’s check over my body, paying close attention to my thigh and shoulder, I notice Masen making his way towards the vehicle.

  “Damn, I’m glad to see you,” He says slapping Dante on the shoulder.

  Dante flinches, and grips my hand. “Shit, Masen.” He groans.

  He raises his hands, “Sorry,” He glances between Dante and me on the gurney.

  “Is everyone counted for?” Dante asks.

  “No, Red’s dead.”

  “Shit, what happened?” Dante asks.

  “Tank shot him from the back seat in the vehicle. Maverick crashed the SUV, and now has him in custody.” He says looking between us both. “Tank was the one behind everything at Satonic. He’s been working for Carlos, longer then he has with us.”

  He nods his head in Masen’s direction then Dante’s eye rest on me. As soon as Dante turns my way, Masen spins around and walks away. As soon as he leaves, an EMT shifts to my side and begins looking me over. My hand tightens in Dante’s as fingers poke at my shoulder. I grit my teeth through the pain. “I need to put gauze and a dressing over the bullet wound to slow the bleeding till you arrive at the hospital.”

  I nod my head quickly and he gets to work. Another EMT pushes gauzes around the knife in my leg and then a bandage is wrapped around my thigh. The guy looks up. “Sorry, we need to hold the knife as still as possible so it doesn’t cause any more damage to the muscle in your leg.” He flattens his hands over my thigh and around the base of the knife. I flinch at the soreness as his fingers hold the knife still.

  Movement erupts around the back of the ambulance. Lifting my eyes over the shoulder of the EMT in front of me, my dad comes into view and pushes his way through the crowd of people surrounding him. His eyes aren’t on me, but Dante as he storms his way over and stops, his eyes fuming. Dante stands from my side, pulling himself to his full height. As soon as he does and before he can get a word out, my dad’s fist swings out and slams into the side of Dante’s cheek. I cringe hearing the crunching sound of his fist as it connects to Dante’s jaw. Dante’s head rolls on his shoulder, and then swings back facing my dad. His own eyes blaring. Everyone stops moving around us and all eyes are on Dad and Dante at the back of the ambulance.

  “If you ever do that again to my daughter, I’ll personally bury you myself for all the pain you have put her through,” Dad says with a growl. He looks to me, a small smile on his lips then spins around and retreats back the way he came.

  Dante lifts his hand to his jaw, rubbing it, watching as my dad shifts away from the ambulance.

  “Sir, we need to leave,” the EMT says as he jumps from the back of the ambulance and closes one of the doors.

  Dante turns and hops up onto the back and shifts to the seat beside me as the other door closes behind him. A second later a door opens and closes behind me and the engine roars to life, then we are moving. Dante’s hand grips my hand and raises it to his lips and kisses my knuckles, his beautiful eyes staring into my own.

  “Once you are better, I’m spanking your ass for putting yourself in danger, for getting hurt, and for not fuckin’ listening to me,” he grumbles.

  I can’t help but laugh. It bubbles up and bursts from my lips as Dante glares at me, then his lips curve up into a smile. Although the pain is overruling my body right now, a small amount of pleasure pushes its way through at the thought of Dante spanking me. My eyes close, that’s definitely something to look forward too once this whole thing, is over and done with.

  Rolling over
onto my side, I prop my head up in my hand and stare as Lia lies asleep beside me. I can’t believe I almost lost her. My hand strokes down over her hip then down to her thigh, skimming over the scarring left from the knife that Carlos embedded in her beautiful leg. My mind flashes back as the ambulance pulls to a stop in the emergency bay, then she’s being pushed away straight into surgery to remove the bullet and the knife still lodged in her leg. It was the longest five hours of my life. It felt longer than what it was, but once my eyes landed on her as they pushed her into intensive care, my heart began to beat again, knowing she’s alive and breathing and out of harm’s way.

  My fingers flex against her skin resulting in her body shifting alongside mine. She rolls over and onto her back, and as she does the sheet falls down her body, showing me her perfect breasts then her good arm rises above her head and rests there on top of her pillow.

  All thoughts of that day vanish from my mind as I lick my lips as her nipples harden before me. My hand travels up from her thigh, over her stomach and hovers above her breast. Then my finger circles the tight bud, her body shivering at the contact.

  These last six weeks I’ve held off touching her, not wanting to put her in any more pain than what she was already in. It was hard to do. I fought with everything I had and not caved and taken my wife. To feel her body wrapped around my own, to feel her wet pussy as it constricts around my dick as I slide in and out of her. To claim her again and again. Showing myself and her who she belongs too.

  “Dante,” she whispers laying her hand over mine.

  My eyes find hers a faint smile covering her lips. I raise my hand and drag my thumb up over her bottom lip, and then my eyes linger to her shoulder, where the slight pinkish skin stares at me from where the bullet was removed.

  “I’m fine, Dante,” she tells me turning her body more my way.

  My eyes come back to hers. “You almost died, Lia,” I growl.