Perfect Ruin (Unyielding #2)

by Nashoda Rose

  Footsteps came toward the stairs and I held up my hand to Deck and Vic who stopped, and then I walked down the last few steps. Brice appeared around the corner, his gun drawn. He smiled when he recognized me then it faltered when his gaze hit my hand on my knife.

  He aimed his gun at me, but it was too late. My blade sliced through the air like a bullet. Brice didn’t even have time to pull the trigger before my knife embedded in his neck.

  He dropped to the floor, blood seeping between his fingers that were clasped around the handle. Within seconds, he went limp, red-stained skin covering his neck and blood pooling onto the rough cement floor.

  I walked over to him, grabbed my knife, and wiped the blood off on his shirt. I had no remorse about killing Brice, because he was responsible for what went down in this place. And that meant he hurt London. I approached the door into the prison, did the retina scan and the lock clicked open.

  “Give me five.”

  I jogged down the sterile, cold hallway to the cell I’d seen London in over a month ago. Fuck. It felt like those two years without her. Except this time, I knew where she was. I just couldn’t get to her. That was much worse because I’d had to fight the urge to say fuck it and come here and get her. Would’ve killed us both the second I used my fingerprint scan with Mother’s extra security on it.

  I placed my finger against the pad reader and waited for the distinct click. My breath stalled in my throat as I waited, praying Mother had really taken the lockdown code off London’s cell.

  Click.

  Fuckin’ Christ.

  I kicked the door open and stopped, my gaze skimming the musty cell for London. There was a bare cot, no sheets, no pillow, a toilet, and large metal rings on the damp cement wall with chains hanging from them.

  Bile rose in my throat as I was reminded of my childhood because I knew what it was like for London here. I knew the chill in your bones that refused to go away.

  It felt like minutes passed before my eyes finally locked on the curled ball in the corner of the room.

  “Fuck,” I swore beneath my breath.

  I knew what I’d see; I’d been prepared for it. I’d witnessed enough torture and despair in my life that I was immune. I’d tortured men to get answers. Killed. Maimed. But the haunting memory of seeing London in this cell had been my own torture. I’d take being physically tortured over the constant images since that day and the echoing sound of my footsteps as I walked away, knowing I had to leave her here.

  Knowing what they’d do to her.

  I approached the huddled form on the floor. She was filthy, a greyish brown film covering her scantily clothed body. Her long hair hung in oily strands across her face and over her shoulders as if it were her blanket from the chill in the air.

  I crouched beside her and was about to brush the hair away from her face when I saw the flash of silver clutched in her hand. “Lon—”

  Her eyes flew open at the same time as her fist went for my throat with the small piece of metal. The dull, rusted weapon scraped across my skin and I felt the warm blood trail down my neck.

  “London!” I rolled to the side as she leapt on top of me, her eyes steady but glazed over. I latched onto her wrist with the metal and squeezed so hard she screamed. She released the weapon and it clattered to the floor.

  “London. Stop.”

  She continued to fight me, her hair shielding her face as she writhed back and forth. I tried to be gentle, not wanting to hurt her, but I had no choice as I tossed her aside then straddled her before she had the chance to get up. It took me a second to lock down her flailing arms as she tried to punch me. I managed to grab her wrists and used my weight to hold them on the floor above her head.

  “London,” I shouted. “It’s me. Kai.”

  She stilled, the wild look in her eyes settling as she focused on me. Then her body went limp beneath me. “Kai?”

  “Yeah.” I released her wrists and brushed her hair away from her face.

  She stared at me for a second and I could see her eyes trying to comprehend that what she was seeing was real and not her mind playing tricks on her.

  She reached up, her hand quivering as she placed her fingers on my lower lip. Her chest began to rise and fall rapidly and her eyes widened as she finally took in that I was real.

  “Kai.”

  God, she was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. The way she looked at me…. Fuck, if I died at that moment, it would all be worth seeing that look in her eyes. I was the reason she was here, the reason for all her pain, and yet I was selfish to keep wanting her. Needing her.

  “We have company,” Deck said, appearing in the doorway. “Three men entered the premises through the back door.”

  Shit. Of course, this wouldn’t be simple.

  London jerked her gaze to him. “Deck?”

  There was a puzzled look on her face and I knew she didn’t understand why Deck was here with me. She had no idea that this was just the beginning of what we were facing with our fight at taking down Vault.

  “Arms,” I urged.

  She hooked them around me then I lifted her off the damp floor so she stood.

  Her forehead rested against my chest and my heart pumped a rush of blood through me as I held her in close. I’d been struggling to get to this day for weeks, and finally, the feeling was as if the endless torture had ended.

  She tilted her head up to meet my eyes. “Always,” she whispered.

  “Yeah, baby, always. God, I missed you.”

  She stood on her tiptoes. “Then kiss me.”

  I groaned then lowered my mouth to hers, my grip on her tightening as I tasted her quivering lips.

  “Like to get out of here alive,” Deck shouted from around the corner.

  I pulled back, half-smiled, then grabbed her hand and we ran for the stairs.

  “Two SUVs approaching,” Deck said, holding the door open. He was wearing a headset to communicate with his men. “Josh counts five in each.”

  “Give me a weapon,” London said, her throat scratchy.

  I took the stairs two at a time right behind Deck and Vic.

  “I can help,” she said.

  “We got this,” I argued. “Just stay behind me.”

  “Kai.” She jerked back on her hand, but I refused to let go. “Give me a knife… something.”

  Deck stopped at the top of the stairs and glanced over his shoulder at us. “Josh counts ten entering the front door. Tyler is coming in the back.” Glass shattered. “He’s taking them out when he has a clear shot.”

  There was a stampede of rushed footsteps. Coldness drummed into me as if waves pummeled me. It was a roar of need to destroy, to protect what was mine after weeks and weeks of having to keep my emotions locked down. Of pretending shit was okay when London was missing. Having to deal with Tanner, Georgie telling Deck about me, Georgie freaking out that I’d kill Deck…. Another time in my life, I may have, but I needed him to take out Vault and get London out.

  Something had shifted in me. Even when Deck held a gun on me in his penthouse, I wouldn’t have killed him. I did, however, take pleasure in punching him. Landing in the pool sucked, but throwing a few punches was better than a few bullets.

  London was the reason for all of this. She was the reason I had to semi-trust Deck. She was the shift inside me.

  I looked at London, pale and filthy, and yet she had the same determination in her eyes that I’d witnessed the first day I met her. The day in the woods when both of our lives changed. There had been nothing good about what I’d done, pulling her into my cruel world. But London had survived it. She was still surviving it.

  “Kai. Now,” Deck growled.

  “Give me a weapon, Kai.”

  Vic yanked a gun from beneath his vest, handed it to her, ignored me, and then moved past Deck to the door into the living room.

  “You know how to use it?” I asked her.

  She looked at me and I wrapped both her hands around the gun. “Cock it
here. Aim and pull the trigger.”

  I didn’t think it was possible after what she’d been through, but the corners of her mouth curved upwards. “I didn’t think you knew how to handle a gun?”

  Unbelievable. The last time I’d seen her, she looked defeated, her eyes dead and blank. But now, she was fighting. And from her attack on me, she’d planned on taking out whoever entered her cell next—Brice. “Baby, I can handle any—”

  “Let’s do this,” Deck interrupted.

  I nodded as I turned away from her and pulled out a knife. Vic gave an abrupt nod to Deck and me, then turned the door handle and kicked it open with his foot. Three men who had been approaching the door, stopped then aimed.

  I grabbed London’s hand and dove left while Vic and Deck went right, shooting at the men. I threw a knife and it hit one guy in the chest. He went down hard. Deck ran back toward us and Vic took off toward the kitchen where Tyler was.

  “Vic, incoming,” Deck said in the headset. “Five seconds. Front entrance is compromised. We’re headed your way.”

  I couldn’t hear his reply, but Deck shook his head and pointed to the front door. “Josh counts five live. But they’re staying clear of the windows. Josh compromised.”

  “Take her,” I said to Deck.

  Even though I’d given them the layout, I knew this house blindfolded. I’d made sure I did. I had to take the lead and I didn’t want London near me.

  “You good?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  “Okay, let’s get the fuck out of here. Give me ten seconds.” Without waiting for a response, I dove across the hallway and bullets pierced through the air as Deck returned fire covering me.

  I caught a glimpse of a guy with his attention on Deck, firing. I crept around the room, went up behind him and sliced my knife across his throat.

  He crumpled to the floor.

  I put my back to the wall then peered around the corner into the foyer. There was a guy standing at the front door blocking our escape route.

  I heard more gunshots back toward the kitchen where Vic and Tyler were.

  I stepped out into view and whipped my knife at the guy. He shouted, but it came out gurgled as my blade pierced his chest. His eyes widened and blood dribbled from his mouth before his eyes went dead and his body crashed to the floor.

  I ran over, grabbed my weapon and made my way back to Deck and London. My head snapped to the right over my shoulder when something caught my eye through the east window.

  I turned at the same time as a body flew through the glass and slammed into me.

  The hard impact sent us both crashing onto the glass coffee table. I raised my knife to stab him in the back when I felt the agonizing pain in my shoulder as he jammed his fist into me so hard that I felt it dislocate.

  I gritted my teeth and shoved at him as hard as I could. We rolled and struggled on the floor, the knife knocked from my grip with the arm useless.

  I raised my left elbow and slammed it into his face. He fell to the side of me and I heard the crack of bone.

  I reached for my knife in my boot at the same time as his kicked me backwards into the bookcase. It came crashing down and I was stunned for a second as hundreds of books toppled over me.

  It was seconds I didn’t have with him hovered over me, a gun at my temple.

  I shoved a few books off then raised my brows at him. “If it isn’t their little pet, Connor.”

  The gun cocked.

  “Connor. No,” Deck shouted.

  There was a flicker of recognition in his eyes at the sound of Deck’s voice, but years of being drugged and conditioned in Vault’s hands wouldn’t stop him.

  But Vic’s bullets did.

  Connor went down as one hit his upper thigh and another in the shoulder. I shoved the rest of the books and shelf off me then grabbed my knife in my boot and went for Connor.

  Deck was on me, his gun pressed into my neck. “No.”

  “He’s not Connor anymore. You just saw that. End it.”

  Connor groaned and moved to get up. Vic came up behind him and grabbed Connor’s arms, hauling him to his feet. Deck nodded to Vic, who put his hand on the back of Connor’s neck and then within seconds, he went limp and collapsed against Vic.

  Deck turned to me, his eyes murderous. “You try to kill him once, just once, and our fragile truce is finished.”

  I shook my head. “He’s not your friend anymore.”

  “Yeah, well neither are you and yet, I’ve let you live.”

  I snorted.

  He took the unconscious Connor from Vic and threw him over his shoulder. “Josh. Coming out the front,” he said.

  I grabbed London’s hand, bent to pick up my knife, and followed.

  Tyler had the SUV pulled up to the porch. Deck placed Connor into the hatchback and I heard the click of handcuffs. At least he had the common sense to know his friend was dangerous and no longer his friend. The three of us piled into the backseat and we took off, stopping for a second so Josh could hop in the front.

  I pulled London in to me, my hand on her head, stroking. The gun lay in her lap, her hand still clutched around it.

  I noticed Tyler glance at Deck in the rear-view mirror, his expression grave, jaw tight. “Boss. Is it Connor?”

  Deck nodded.

  “Not good?”

  “Nope,” Deck said.

  I met Tyler’s eyes in the mirror. “He’s better off dead.”

  “We don’t kill our men. Ever,” Deck stated.

  “He’s no longer your man. He’s theirs.”

  “He stays alive.” Deck slammed his fist into the window.

  “I wonder if you’ll still say that the day he tries to kill Georgie,” I said.

  “He won’t get near her,” Vic replied before Deck could.

  I remained quiet because I knew the loyalty between these men was unbreakable. But that cord tying them together would snap if Connor attempted to hurt Georgie. He was a machine, the elements of who he had been reduced to nothing more than a fine mist.

  And now, he lived like a trapped animal, chained to who he’d become. I also knew Chaos and there was no chance they’d keep her from seeing her brother.

  Tyler pulled off the road into a parking lot an hour later and shut off the engine. Tristan and Chess stood waiting for us, leaning against my car. It wasn’t registered, so it was better than one of Tristan’s flashy vehicles.

  I got out, wincing at the movement.

  “Need to deal with that,” Vic said, nodding to my dislocated shoulder.

  Deck came around to stand beside him. “I’ll hold him down.”

  I laughed. “In your dreams, Deck.”

  Vic grinned. Probably the only time I’d seen the guy smile. “You’d rather me hold you down?”

  London came out of the car and I felt the gentle touch of her hand on my back. “Don’t need anyone to hold me down. Just do it,” I ordered Vic then dared Deck with my eyes to come anywhere near me. He chuckled and walked away.

  It hurt like hell. But Vic was quick, strong and knew what he was doing. When he was done, he patted my now located shoulder—hard. Bastard. I still managed a thanks.

  My hand locked in London’s and I strode toward Tristan and Chess. “This device better work.”

  Tristan cocked a brow and picked up a little rectangular black box sitting on the hood of the SUV. “I’ve been developing it for months. It’ll work.”

  I shrugged. “Not my issue if Deck kills you if your device fails and blows up his buddy.”

  Tristan gave a cocky smirk. “You think I’d risk using it on Chess? I know what the fuck I’m doing.”

  After spending some time with Tristan, I hated the cocky bastard at first, but now I was getting that he had the right to be cocky. The guy came from the farm, stayed away from his family, even after he escaped, and spent his life pulling together resources to get Chess out from under Vault’s clutches. I’d give him a margin of error even if the device killed Connor.


  “I may let you live after all, Tristan.”

  He huffed. My sister scowled at me before looking to London. She stepped forward, held out her hand and introduced herself. “So, you’re the reason my brother finally grew some balls.” I scoffed. “Nice to meet you. I’m Francesca, Chess, Kai’s sister. And this is Tristan. I’ll let Kai tell you about him.”

  London shook both their hands. It was odd doing something so normal when there was nothing normal about any of us or what was happening.

  “Tristan,” Tyler called. “We need to do this now. He’s waking up.”

  Chess and Tristan moved to the back of the SUV and I put my hands on London’s hips. “I need to know, baby. Did you run away from me? Did you leave the house and they found you?”

  “You know the answer to that, Kai.” She reached up and cupped my cheek. “You don’t trust anyone and I get that, but you’ll need to learn to trust what your body is telling you.”

  I burst out laughing at her using my own words thrown back at me. Words I said to her our first night together. She looked tired, bruised, and thin, yet she smiled.

  I growled before I hitched her up onto the hood of my car where we’d first begun four years ago. “You belong with me, braveheart. That’s what my body is telling me.”

  “Mine, too.”

  I grabbed her on either side of her head and kissed her.

  HIS KISS WAS slow and gentle as if he were afraid I’d break, but then his control faltered and he kissed me like I wanted him to. Owning and powerful, with nothing able to split us apart.

  His hands were all over me as he pressed into me until I lay on the hood of the car, his weight on top of me, mouth hard and bruising. My hands on his hips, I pulled him closer even though he couldn’t get any nearer. I just needed every inch of him touching me, making this real.

  He pulled back, hands on either side of me, resting on the car. My chest rose and fell with ragged breaths and tingles sparked through my body.

  He lifted his hand and stroked the side of my face with his knuckles. “A lot of shit has gone down since my house.” He hesitated and it was so unlike him. “London, that day I saw you in the cell… I couldn’t get you out.”