by Jan Graham
“And here are our lovely ladies now,” Marcus noted the smile on Nigel’s face appeared forced. Just like the rest of the man’s pleasantries.
As Beth and the other two women entered the room, Marcus clenched his fingers tightly around the arm of the chair as he eyeballed Beth for the first time in nearly three days. The makeup she wore didn’t cover the damage. He could see the bruising beneath the fine liquid, her eye wasn’t completely open, but he imagined it was better than it had been. Her split lip bore a small scab. Thinking about the weasel sitting next to him, Marcus fought the urge to draw his weapon and perform a point-blank kill of his own.
The women stood in the center of the room, perfectly still, hands secured behind their backs and ball gags firmly fixed in their mouths. Fucking Nik. That man would pay for this. The sight of Beth bound and gagged had his cock rising with need. Not that an erection under these circumstances would prove a hindrance if Nigel happened to notice, he’d merely extend his hand and ask for the cash. Marcus noted Beth’s gaze quickly scan her surroundings, and Marcus knew his girl would be planning how to best protect her charges when the fighting began.
“You’ve done well, Nigel. Apart from that one little hiccup I see before me.” Marcus stood and walked over to the women, focusing his attention on Beth. “You’ve been in the wars, young lady.”
He gripped Beth’s chin, turning her face to view the damage. She tried to wriggle out of his grip, but his hold was firm. She winced, and Marcus hoped it was for dramatic effect, not because he’d hurt her. He dragged her forward, separating her from the other women.
As he continued to examine Beth, Nigel moved up beside him and stared at her as if admiring an artistic sculpture.
“She has beautiful lines as you can see from the uninjured side. Once that heals, and it will, you’ll have a fine specimen to entertain you. As requested, the body is well curved with an ample breast. Perfect for feasting on.” Nigel stepped back when Marcus glared in his direction, but it didn’t shut him up. “I’m sure this one will be everything you’ve hoped for. She is a little sassy though, but then you said you don’t mind a woman who needs taming.”
Marcus ran his hands over Beth’s body. She wiggled and tried to avoid his touch as he’d expect a captive would do. Running his hand down her sides and over her hips, he located the handgun and gave her a wink to indicate his approval. Moving behind her, he casually checked out the ties at her wrist. Nik made them loose enough to escape and Beth held them from underneath making them appear taut and secure. Once the action started, she’d be free of them in seconds. He slapped her ass firmly as he walked back to stand in front of her, a satisfied grin fixed on his face.
“I don’t think I need to inspect the others although they are beautiful.” He gave an approving nod as he spoke and walked over to Hex, retrieving the briefcase he carried.
“I’m sure we’ll find a satisfactory use for these two stunners.” Nigel moved toward the women, his gaze sickly depraved as it raked from one woman to the next.
“I believe you’ll find all monies correct and accounted for,” Marcus drew Nigel’s attention back to him before the man had a chance to touch either female. It wouldn’t be much longer, and they’d all be out of here. “I thought it unfair to disadvantage you for third-party actions, so you’ll find the full amount, a total of two-hundred-k, as initially discussed, plus the bonus we negotiated.”
Marcus handed over the briefcase, successfully diverting Nigel’s attention from the women in the room. Appealing to a person’s basic instinct always grabbed their attention.
“May I?” Nigel didn’t wait for a reply as he opened the case.
The rat of a man smiled at the money like a long-lost love, reverently handling each wad of cash as he tallied the currency straps before him—twenty-five straps in total, each containing ten-thousand-dollars.
Enjoy it while it lasts fucker because, in less than five minutes, I’m taking it back.
“All present and accounted for.” Nigel closed the case and extended his hand to Marcus. “Can I interest you in a drink to celebrate before you go?”
“Take her to the car, Hex,” Marcus order, smiling as Beth struggled against the enforced removal, muffled obscenities echoing through the air as Hex hoisted her over his shoulder and carried her away. Not that they’d go very far. “As tempting as your offer is, Nigel, I must decline. It’s time for us to move out.”
Within seconds of the last two words leaving Marcus’ mouth, gunfire reverberated at the edge of the building.
“What the fuck?” Panic filled Nigel’s words, anger taking over his features.
Nik and Marcus pulled their weapons. Nik fired once from the corner of the room. Nigel’s goon dropped like a rock, blood oozing over the parquetry floor from the wound in the side of his head. The guy’s drawn weapon lay in his cold and presumably dead hand, pointing in the direction of both women. There’d be few questions asked about the necessity of that kill.
“Move and you’re dead, Charlton.” Marcus focused the barrel of his magnum in a direct line with Nigel’s forehead. If he let go, it would be a kill shot, right between the eyes. Given Nigel clutched his case full of money rather than drawing a weapon, Marcus wouldn’t get that satisfaction.
As Nik moved toward the women, eliciting muffled screams from both, Marcus realized an explanation was in order. Without moving or taking his eyes off his target, Marcus spoke with a calm that surprised him.
“It’s all right ladies, you’re safe now. We’re the good guys.”
Chapter Fifteen
Once they were clear of the room, Beth stopped fighting against Hex’s hold and slipped her hands free from the ineffective binds Nik had applied. Squatting behind a group of large packing crates not far from the doorway she removed the gag and retrieved her weapon. The extra cartridge Hex supplied may come in handy although as she slipped it into her pocket, she hoped she wouldn’t need to use it. Hex spoke as he handed her a com which she quickly embedded in her ear.
“Get the girls, head down the back, our guys should have the loading bay secured by the time you arrive,” Hex rushed the words, pointing directions as he spoke.
“Can you hear me, Billy?” No point having this earpiece if it didn’t work.
“Loud and clear, now get those women the hell out of there,” Billy replied.
Within seconds, they were repositioned at either side of the doorway leading back into the reception area. One shot fired, accompanied by a thud and muffled screaming from her cellmates.
Hex moved first, weapon raised. A shooter appeared from the back of the building, rifle raised ready to fire. How the hell did he get through the first line of defense? She aimed, fired, hit. The rifle flying off to the right, the shooter dropping to the ground, swearing, and writhing in pain.
Take that dickweed.
Jed appeared, securing the guy and gun just as Hex called, “Clear.” She rushed into the room, directing her attention to the two women huddled together on the ground, legs flaying out toward Nik, attempting to ward off his approach.
She grinned as Marcus tried to calm the women, his lethal pose, fierce expression, and the fact his gun aimed directly at Nigel Charlton’s head stood in stark contradiction to the gentleness of his tone.
Heaven help her, he was the sexiest thing she’d seen in days.
“You’re okay, Nik’s one of ours,” she said loud enough to penetrate the distress the women exhibited. Smiling as their movements stilled and they gazed at Nik with terror-filled eyes. “He just wants to help me untie you and get you out of here safely.”
Once they stilled, Nik made short work of the bindings at their wrists, slicing through them with the deadly looking bowie knife he unsheathed from beneath his leather jacket. As soon as Beth unbuckled the gags, Cassie pointed to the body on the floor.
“But h-he…” she stammered.
“Deserved it,” Nik stated, helping both women to their feet. “Remember, I said we might go f
or a run later. Well, this is it. Stay quiet and follow me. Beth, hang with them.”
The skid of brakes sounded outside, the slamming of car doors echoing through the night. Beth prayed they were friendlies. Considering sporadic gunfire still resounded from the back of the warehouse, the arrival of additional men working for Nigel could spell disaster.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Hex securing Nigel’s hands with a zip tie.
“Throw me one of those,” Hex pointed to the gags, catching the one she tossed over to him and securing it tightly in Nigel’s gob before pushing the man to his knees. Once Nigel was secured, Marcus finally lowered his weapon.
What a shame. Nigel would look nice with a bullet hole in his forehead. It was disappointing he’d get out of here in anything other than a body bag. The bright red ball gag was a nice touch though.
Marcus passed Nik a com, and the guy didn’t waste time using it.
“Billy, sound check.” As soon as he received a quick ‘Gotcha Nik’ in response he continued, “We’re about to bring the girls out, are we clear?”
“Negative,” Syn responded. “The loading bay is hot. Six more rape-and-pillage partygoers arrived minutes before The Boss gave the word. We’re still getting them under control.”
Fuck it. Beth looked to Marcus who had handed over babysitting Nigel to Hex. The last thing they needed was to get stuck in a front room with limited visibility.
“Nik, give us an alternate route,” Marcus commanded. Nik’s immediate reply receiving Marcus’ nod of approval.
“Side door, on the left. Thirty-meters from the main entrance.”
Nik maneuvered the frightened women into place, tight behind him, ready to lead the way. Beth positioned herself close on their heels, weapon in hand, ready for whatever might come at them. They needed to get the women out alive and not only so they could testify against their abductor. Civilian injury, or death, was unacceptable. That’s just how the team played. She and Nik would take a fatal blow rather than have an innocent victim taken down.
Marcus gave the hold sign, and they stilled in formation.
“Christian, did I just hear your guys come squealing to a halt outside?” Marcus asked.
“Affirmative, assistance deployed to the loading bay and ready to receive at the side entrance,” came Christian’s reply.
With that Marcus gave them the go sign, and they were on their way. Nik led the tightly knit group in a zigzag pattern around packing crates on what Beth assumed was a direct line toward the door. Halfway across an open walkway, shots rang out from behind them. Bullets hitting at the crates, splinters flying in all directions. Nik and Beth repositioned in unison, turning in the direction of the bullets, covering the two women.
“Upper level, gunman,” Nik yelled, firing even though they both knew the range of his magnum may not cover the distance. The shooter didn’t know that however, dodging sideways before taking aim once more. Beth managed to move the women into a more protected position, Nik backing up toward them as he fired.
“Upper tier gunman targeted… and down,” Sykes' voice sounded clearly over the com, virtually no time elapsing between him targeting and disposing of the threat, the gunman falling from his balcony position to the ground.
Continuing to move through the crates toward the door, Beth grabbed the girls, preventing them from slamming into Nik’s back as he raised his hand, halting their progress.
“Two hostiles exiting toward the side door. They’ll reach you before we do, Christian.” Nik spoke quietly to avoid detection. Christian’s confirmation sounded down the com.
They waited, Beth peeking over the top of everyone’s head, wondering what the delay appeared to be. As the two men argued with each other, she wished they’d just move. The longer the girls were inside, the greater the chance of injury to them. Maybe they were debating between helping their friends or even Nigel rather than fleeing to save their own skins. The women beside her trembled violently, and she wondered how long it would be before one of them made a noise, blowing their current position.
“Nik, can’t you just pretend to lead us out like we’re your captives?” Beth whispered, eyeing the path they’d already traveled for any sign of movement.
“The rule is kill any witnesses. They’d never believe I was trying to take you, Cassie, and Dalia anywhere else. It’s a siege situation. They’d shoot before I got a chance to convince them of anything else,” Nik replied.
Dalia let out a soft gasp, fixing Beth with a confused stare. “He knows our names,” she whispered.
“Of course, I do, Ms. Red-shirt.” Nik flashed her a quick and incredibly wicked smile before returning his gaze to the disagreeing men blocking their escape.
Just when Beth was about to suggest her second option of let’s-just-shoot-the-pricks, the men made their decision, diving through the door and supposedly escaping. She listened as Christian’s men apprehended them, giving a silent chuckle when she heard Christian say, “Go ahead shitheads, make a run for it, my men could use the target practice.”
“We’re clear, Nik, Beth. Bring them out when it’s safe at your end,” Christian declared via the com.
Nik snuck forward, ensuring their safe passage across the final few meters to freedom. As Beth ushered the girls out from their hiding place, the door opened and members of the swat team, armed to the hilt, stood in the doorway ready to assist should they need it.
“Come on, my little ones, let’s get out of here,” Nik waved them forward.
Beth had no idea what direction the shot came from. A spray of moisture hit her face, her fingertips coming away red as she swiped her face. The next thing she knew—Nik went down.
* * * *
Marcus rounded the corner of the warehouse, the mission appeared to be falling into the category of job-well-done. Once Nik and Beth headed to safety with the women, Hex and he met up with Jed and his wounded captive. They moved Nigel and Jed’s prisoner to the cells before all three of them headed to assist in securing the loading bay. Nigel’s men were now either apprehended or dead. He’d split his team leaving some at the loading bay, securing prisoners while others reentered the warehouse to ensure they’d rounded everyone up.
Chaos erupted as he neared the side door where Beth and Nik should have exited by now. The swat team was on hand, ushering the two women out and rushing them toward waiting medics. His heart nearly stopped as a lone shot rang out. Christian’s men surged inside, returning fire. Beth wasn’t out of the building, neither was Nik.
“Beth. Nik. Status. Now,” Marcus demanded as he rushed toward the bedlam, weapon drawn.
Relief washed over him as Beth emerged, flanked by two swat members.
“Nik’s down, Boss,” Beth sounded panicked, and he quickly discovered why. As Marcus pushed toward her, he saw the blood splattered over her face and neck and wanted to scream. How close had she been to the bullet Nik took?
“Side door secure,” Christian’s rapid-fire words held a sense of urgency. “Man down. Get the medics in here, now.”
Beth turned to rush back inside, but Marcus closed his arms around her, holding her back as a medical team rushed past them heading toward Nik.
“He’s alive Marcus,” Christian walked toward them. His hands and the cloth he wiped them with, red with blood. “Bullet caught him in the back. He’s barely conscious, and from the amount of blood he’s spilling, I’d say he’s critical. But then, I’m not a medic.”
No, he wasn’t a medic, he was a man like him who’d been in enough battles to understand the severity of injuries. Marcus didn’t want to lose Nik. The guy was part of his family and losing family wasn’t an acceptable outcome on any mission. He stroked his hand down Beth’s back. What if the shot had hit her slight frame rather than Nik’s brawny one?
Accounting for height differences, a blow to Nik’s chest would mean a head or neck wound for Beth. In either case, she’d more than likely be dead. Marcus closed his eyes and breathed deep. He’d come close to
losing Beth on this mission, in more ways than one. The pressure of the situation causing them to fight, and her kidnapping coming before any form of reconciliation could take place left them in limbo. Did Beth know he still needed her despite the fuck-up at the club? The injury to her during capture was a wake-up call, causing him to rethink everything he believed to be true. And now this. How close had he come to losing her permanently? One thing was certain in his mind. He’d never endanger her like this again, whether she liked it or not.
“He’ll be okay,” Beth stated quietly, returning Marcus’ focus to the present.
“We can only hope so, baby girl,” he somberly replied.
His men gathered around them, leaving Christian’s team to tidy up the carnage—arresting the living and bagging the dead. He gazed at the motley misfits surrounding him, silent concern etching their faces. Nik emerged on a stretcher, medics surrounding him, IV lines running into his veins, the fluid-filled bags attached to the gurney swaying with the motion of the stretcher moving swiftly toward a waiting ambulance. Marcus approached, his team shadowing his every move. Nik’s eyes batted groggily, his gaze searching the night, finally coming to rest on Marcus. The movement of Nik’s hand caught Marcus’ attention. The big guy giving him a shaky thumbs-up signal.
While Nik was conscious, there was hope. They’d all survived life-threatening injuries, well, all except his girls. If things went awry tonight, Beth could have been the team’s first female casualty. The thought nauseated him. It wasn’t that the women in his crew weren’t capable of fighting or doing anything the guys did, it was Marcus’ protective streak that got in the way. His upbringing taught him to value women. Take care of them, cherish them, and allow nothing to harm them. He placed their wellbeing above his own and always would. It had nothing to do with weakness or a perceived inferiority and everything to do with respect.
