by Aliyah Burke
Where’s Val? Blinking away more stinging sweat and blood as she tried to remember where she’d run from, Lexy turned a circle. Nothing made sense.
* * * *
He chambered a round in the suppressed rifle. It had been hard sitting here while the chaos had carried on around him. Seeing his precious doll getting beaten hadn’t been easy to watch either, but when it came to others or him, it would always be him. Sighting through the scope, he looked at the dirty shirt of Alexsa and centered on her heart.
It would be so easy to pull the trigger now, but he had to wait. He knew what was coming. His revenge against Valentino hadn’t gone as planned, but he could still hurt him and take the woman from him. He just had to wait a few moments more. They should be departing that building then…then he could deliver his message. He flexed his fingers around the weapon and settled in for the wait.
* * * *
Valentino slammed Trevor to the wall, not letting up at the sound of his grunt. Valentino had dropped his gun for the opportunity to sink his fists into the man. The need to feel that was strong.
Barbaric? Sure.
Unprofessional? Absolutely.
Did he give a damn? Not in the least.
This man had taken so much from him. He deserved the punishment meted out. At least Valentino believed so.
“I raped her. She screamed your name, begging you to save her.” Trevor laughed until he coughed as Valentino threw him into some tables.
“Lies,” Valentino barked.
He tossed chairs out of the way as he went to the bloodied man. Trevor stared up at him, that damn smirk in place, not cognizant of the blood running down his face. Val stood over him, glaring down at him.
One bullet. To end it all would be so cheap and easy. He couldn’t. Man, but he longed to. The man just lay there laughing softly—manically, but softly—watching him. One eye showed red from the broken blood vessel in it, making him even more devilish in appearance.
“Get up.”
Valentino, despite his desire to continue beating this man to pulp, wanted to find Lexy. She needed to be in his arms so he could check her over himself to make sure she was okay. Trevor sat, lifted one leg and hooked his arm around it. With a smug look, he wiped at the red running down his face.
Valentino bent down and yanked him upright, securing his hands behind his back with plastic ties. Shoving him toward the door, he picked up his discarded MP-5 on the way. He opened the door then stepped out into the waning light of day. Immediately, he scanned for Lexy.
She stood off to his right, appearing lost, dazed and confused. Two men approached her from behind and dropped to their knees beside the prone body of…Alyssa.
No, can’t think about that now.
“Say goodbye to her.”
Trevor’s words slowed his heart and turned the blood in his veins to molasses. Any lingering thoughts of Alyssa faded as he focused on Lexy. He yelled for her.
“Lexy!”
She pivoted toward him, moved her mouth and sank to her knees as a red stain blossomed across her chest. Simultaneously, Trevor collapsed boneless, pulling from his hold to the ground, dead, a hole in his chest. He hadn’t even heard a shot.
“Sniper!” Valentino cried, running flat out for Lexy and shoving away one of the men who’d turned to help her. Trevor’s body was a nonissue for him. All that mattered now was this woman.
He knew there was an explosion of activity at his cry, but all his focus was on Lexy. He laid her back and tried to staunch the flow of blood. With his hands on her chest, the warm tackiness of her life force ran over his fingers, coating the wedding ring she’d put on him the day they married.
“Lexy,” he said. “Hang on.” Turning his head, he saw Gio running toward him. He shook his head and waved him off. “Start the chopper, she needs a hospital!”
Bless him, Gio made a one-eighty like he was on skates. Eyes back to the woman he loved more than his own life, Valentino pressed harder, praying he could keep her alive.
“Lexy. Come on, baby, look at me.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Alyssa’s smug expression as she stared at the two of them. “Get that bitch out of here before I kill her. And tell Masters apparently that’s Alyssa.”
The men dragged her off.
“Open your eyes, Alexsa,” he demanded.
Slowly Lexy listened. “Val.” Her voice was faint, as were the palpitations of her heart. Didn’t seem to slow the flow of blood though.
“Hang in there, baby. I’m getting you to a hospital.”
“I love you,” she murmured as Gio skidded to a stop beside them. “I’ve always loved you. Get my brother home and be happy, Val.” She closed her eyes again. “Tell Jaydee I’m sorry.”
“Let’s go, bro.” Gio had his weapon out but got them moving.
A woman met them at the running helicopter and Valentino ignored her as he put Lexy in.
“Masters told me to go with you. I’m a medic.”
“Get in, get in!” Gio called before he hopped in himself and got them on the way.
The ride took forever and Valentino constantly talked to her as the woman put the mask on her and did her best to stabilize her. Lexy never opened her eyes.
A gurney waited for them when they landed and he realized his brother must have called it in ahead. They were laying her on it when one man looked at him.
“Are you hurt?” he called out over the noise of the chopper. “Are you hurt?”
“Take care of her first.” Valentino gripped the scrub-wearing man’s shirt. “Don’t you let her die.”
The man blanched a bit and Gio stepped in, prizing his hand off the doctor. “Let him do his job, Valentino.”
“His damn job is to save her life,” Valentino snapped.
“Then let him go do it.”
“We’re moving!” the doctor hollered and they headed for the roof access door.
Valentino hastened after them only to be denied entrance when they took her into the waiting surgery room. He swore, kicked a chair and began pacing.
“Here.”
He glanced up to see the woman from the chopper holding out some coffee. Grateful, he took the paper cup. “Thanks.” He sipped some. “And thanks for coming and helping.”
She nodded. “I’m Kelsey.”
“Valentino.”
Her smile was faint. “I know who you are. I’ve seen you around and you’re a bit of a legend. You and the three you typically work with.”
He merely nodded then walked to a chair before collapsing on it with a ragged sigh. Time held no meaning for him and he was a bit disorientated when Masters strode up to him, calling his name.
Seated, he stared up at his boss. The man’s dark face was set in anger and the muscles in his jaw jumped, even more indication he was pissed.
“Any word?” Masters asked, lowering himself to his own chair.
“Nothing, they’re still in surgery.”
“And of course you’ve not gotten yourself checked out.”
“I’m not leaving her.” Valentino wasn’t going anywhere.
“You’re going to get checked out and cleaned up. I’ll be right here and will call you if anything changes or comes up.” Masters gestured. “This lovely nurse will take care of you.”
Valentino protested three more times, but Masters wasn’t moved. The man leaned back and crossed his arms. “Get going. We have other things to discuss when you get back.”
“I’ll be quick,” the nurse promised.
And she was. His wounds were mostly superficial and she cleaned, sewed and bandaged him up swiftly before sending him on his way. Valentino was glad Masters hadn’t left and he approached with a question on his face.
“Nope. No news.”
Valentino rubbed the back of his neck. “Did you get the sniper?”
“No. What’s this about that woman being Alyssa? I thought she was dead.”
He snorted. “So did I. Trevor apparently saved her and did all that to her.”<
br />
“She’s going away for a long time.”
“Good. Trevor’s body get picked up?”
“Yes.”
“I want DNA confirmation on him. I’m tired of this fuck slipping away.”
“It will happen. I’m sorry about Lexy.”
He refused to think what getting apologies for her meant. They predicated condolences in situations like this. And that wasn’t anything he was willing to even begin to entertain. She would make it. She had to. He needed her in his life.
“Everyone get rounded up?”
“Those who weren’t dead. It was nearly cult-like how they were willing to die for their cause.” Masters shook his head. “Still have some crews out there working with the local LEOs to clean it up. He had one hell of a setup.”
“We know he had things set up elsewhere, are we sure there won’t be some kind of attack even though he’s dead?”
“The ones taken into custody will be questioned. It’s a lot of shit to sort through.”
They fell silent before Masters stood. “I have to get back out there. I’m taking your brother to fly me. Keep me posted.” He placed a large hand on his shoulder. “Stay strong.”
Alone, Valentino sank back and rested his head against the wall to wait. He hated waiting.
He must have dozed a bit, for when the throat cleared he came awake instantly and looked up. The man who’d met the chopper on the roof stood there, exhaustion everywhere.
“News?”
“I’m Dr Pansem, the surgeon who operated.”
“How is she?”
The doctor sat beside him. “She’s stable. In critical condition, but she’s stable.”
Thank you, Jesus. “I want to see her.”
“She’s being moved to an ICU room. Once she’s settled there, you can see her.” He coughed. “What happened to her?”
“She was kidnapped and held hostage for a while then got shot. We’ll always have someone with her and I will be checking out each person who comes into her room.”
“We already were read that act by our admin. Guess your boss already called it in and made his wishes clear.”
“Clear?”
“She’s been given her own room and a small contingent of staff who will see to her only.”
With a mental note to thank Masters, Valentino stuck out his hand to the surgeon who shook it. “Thank you for not letting her die.”
“I did what I could, she’s one hell of a fighter.” He gave a nod to another passing doctor. “I’ll take you to her room. If you want, I can have them bring in a cot for you.”
“Please.”
They walked in silence through the halls. Hours had passed and the place was missing the hustle and bustle of daytime hours when people visited their loved ones. At the end of a hall, Dr Pansem gestured to the door.
“Here you go.”
Valentino let him enter first then followed. The doc went to her charts and checked the machines. There were so many hooked to her and Lexy appeared so small lying there.
He walked to her and touched the side of her face. Her skin was clammy and he frowned. It took him several seconds to accept she was breathing, despite the respirator helping her.
“Why is she on that?”
“The bullet nicked her lung.”
“Right.” His tone was graveled.
Two orderlies brought in a cot and set it up before leaving as silently as they’d arrived. Valentino sat in a chair beside the bed and took her hand. At some point the others left, he wasn’t sure when. All he knew was that she’d passed the largest hurdle and the staff had finally left them alone. No, she wasn’t in the clear yet, but he refused to believe she would do anything other than recover.
“Hang in there, Alexsa. I’m not ready to let you go.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
She didn’t die! Glass shattered along the wall as Trevor paced and tried to control the rage pulsing through him. For so many years he’d been able to keep it under a semblance of restraint.
That thin thread had snapped and blinding fury poured free. Hatred toward Valentino and that bitch he’d married. To those who had failed him as well. Everyone.
Someone knocked on his door and he turned. “Enter.”
“What’s the plan, Trevor?”
He cracked his neck and walked toward Henry. Stopping before the man, he canted his head to the side and sucked on his teeth.
“We carry out the plan.”
“But we lost so many, and the weapons as well.”
“We carry out the plan.” He enunciated each word carefully. “Of course, if you have no wish to participate, I could just blow your brains out now.”
Henry paled. “No, I’m in. Just concerned. A lot of those left are.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“You—as of late—have been, to most, more concerned with this Valentino Cassano and his wife than focusing on what The Watchers is about.”
“I have led this group for years. Since I was nineteen. I have always had its best interest in mind. That’s why we earned money, learned to blend in instead of being holed up in some cave, ranting.” He flexed his hand over his knife. “If I have a personal vendetta, that’s none of your concern. I still remain focused on the end goal!”
“Yes, sir. I was just letting you know how they feel.”
“Gather everyone and I’ll address them.”
Henry gave him a small smile. “Very good.” He left, only looking over his shoulder one more time.
Trevor grumbled as he walked back to the small room he was sleeping in for the time being. The woman lying there watched him with fear-filled eyes. He sighed heavily and walked to her side. Reaching out, he frowned when she pulled away from him and he narrowed his gaze before fisting her hair and jerking her close. With his other hand, he freed his knife. Her screams would last him for a while.
He felt a wash of calm as his blade sank into her flesh.
* * * *
Lexy came to with a jerk. The feeling of drowning pressing hard on her chest. What’s wrong with me? There was something in her nose and it needed to go. She tried to get to it and remove the obstruction so she could breathe.
A hand covered hers and a voice she hadn’t thought she’d hear again spoke. “Easy there, Lexy.”
Her eyes flew to the right and there, looking rough but oh-so-handsome, was Valentino. He had more than just the mere beginnings of stubble and his eyes were red and rimmed while his hair made him look like he’d just rolled out of bed.
“You have that thing in your nose, don’t pull it out. Okay?”
She nodded and tried asking him a question. He didn’t say anything, just continued to watch her as if he was amazed he was seeing her. He loosened his grip on her but didn’t let go. Something she was okay with.
“Wh…what happened? Why am I in the hospital?”
He cupped her cheek and rubbed his thumb along her skin. “You don’t remember?”
“I’m guessing something kicked my ass.”
His smile was worth all the aches she had.
“You were shot,” he said, sobering.
“Did I take it like a man or did I cry like a little girl?”
“Like a man.”
“Good.” She closed her eyes. Flashes hit her and slowly she put it back together. The kidnapping. Being told her house had blown up. Finding out his wife was still alive. She stiffened.
“What?” he asked.
She blew out a breath and shook her head. “Nothing.” She saw the cot next to her bed. “Have you been here however long I have been? How long have I been here?”
“Five days. And yes, I’ve been here the entire time.”
She wanted to ask him to hold her. Wanted to ask him to kiss her. But she couldn’t. He was a married man and it wasn’t to her. Sourness filled her and she frowned.
“You okay?”
“Could you send a nurse in?”
Concern filled his face, but he
immediately went to the door. Tears pricked her eyes and she furiously blinked them away. Now wasn’t the time for her to break down.
Somehow, you knew this was only temporary from the second it began. Suck it up, Camden. Don’t let him see how much it hurts.
She answered the nurse’s questions, noting how Valentino hovered in the background. They were alone soon enough and he sat beside her again. Lexy angled the bed up more and turned her head so she could easily see him.
“How’re my brothers?”
He swallowed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Eugene is fine. Hector took some convincing that you weren’t in your house when it blew up. I’m sorry about your home.”
“But he knows I’m alive?”
“Yes.”
“Can he come here, wherever it is?”
“Do you want him here?”
“Yes. And I want to tell him about Eugene.”
“I’ll have him brought up.” Valentino withdrew his phone and placed a call.
“Why are you here?” she asked bluntly after he was off his cell.
His brow furrowed. “Where else would I be?”
“With your wife.” You know, the woman I beat the snot out of. It was kind of odd he didn’t seem upset about that. Then again, the woman had betrayed him and his son.
“I am.” He held her gaze without blinking.
“No.” She shook her head. “Alyssa.”
His hazel gaze hardened. “She’s not my wife.”
“Did you get a divorce since I got shot?”
“No. I’m married to you.”
Okay, this hurts more than the shooting. “You can’t be married to more than one person. It’s not allowed.” She shrugged. “I mean they try out in Utah but seriously, it’s frowned upon.” She shifted on the sheets. “You should be with her.”
He shoved both hands through his hair and scooted the chair closer. “I’m not married to her, Lexy. I’m married to you.”
Suddenly exhausted, she just turned her head away. “I need some rest.”
“Look at me.”
Instead, she closed her eyes and did her best to shut him out. She didn’t have the energy right now to face this.
