by Ts McKinney
Colton took a deep breath. “What if…what if…”
“No, Colton. Jagger’s fine. He won’t do anything to him until he gets what he wants. You’ve got to convince him that you’re going to give it to him. Ask for time—tell him that there is strict Haven protocol that will make it difficult for you to remove the boys…but that you’ll do it. Tell him you need twenty-four hours but that you have to have proof of life…for Landry and Jagger.” The laptop kept ringing. “Do it, Colton! Make him believe you!”
Colton sat in front of the computer and hit the button that would connect him to the person on the other end of the line. He held his breath…and prayed. He prayed that it would be Jagger’s face on the other end of the Face Time and that the good Lord would give him the strength and courage to pull this off.
Landry’s face popped up on the screen. He hadn’t been beaten like Jagger, but the terror, shame, and remorse in his eyes nearly broke Colton’s heart. Where the fuck was Jagger?
“He’s okay, Colton,” Landry quickly told Colton. “Jagger’s still with us. He loves you so much and he knows how much you love him.” Landry’s eyes dropped down and then back up again. “He wants the boys, Colton. You know how Jagger and I feel about that.” He paused and took a deep breath. “I also know how much Jagger means to you—that you couldn’t live without him.” Landry’s eyes drifted up to someone out of view of the camera and then his gaze met Colton’s again. “He promises to return Jagger to you if you give him Michael and Morgan, Colton. Save the man you love—it’s okay. The boys will understand. We all will.”
Colton knew that like him, Landry was stalling for time. The only difference was that Landry didn’t understand that there really might be some hope of rescuing them. Colton had hope.
“Explain to him, Landry,” Colton begged. “Explain that I need some time to get the boys past Haven’s security. It isn’t as easy as just walking them out the door. I need…I need twenty-four hours,” he said. “I have to have a full day and then I’ll give him whatever he wants.” He took a deep breath and asked, “Can I have twenty-four hours? No more than that, I promise. Please,” he begged.
Landry looked behind the camera again and his eyes blinked slowly…sadly. “Twenty-four hours, Colton. Not a moment longer or Jagger’s dead.”
Brookes stepped behind Colton and asked, “What about you, Landry? What do we have to do to get your freedom?”
Landry looked shocked that Brookes was there. Shocked…angry…then hurt. “Sorry, whatever your name is, but my fate was decided years back. You need to focus your energy on saving Jagger. Give the man what he wants.”
The screen on the laptop went black.
Brookes bellowed his outrage while the rest of the men stood quietly in the room, absorbing what Landry just revealed. If they didn’t do something, both Jagger and Landry were dead and that something didn’t involve putting Michael and Morgan back on the streets.
After a few seconds, Riley said, “I researched Bronson, too.” He looked up at his friends. “Apparently, there’s a huge fundraiser in Miami tonight that he’s a part of. He’s close by…which means Landry and Jagger are still close by.”
“Come on, Kentucky,” Rory whispered. “You saw the group he surrounds himself with. Who would believe us if we were dumb enough to go to the cops? Hell, I’m sure he’ll be rubbing elbows with the Governor of Florida tonight at the Gala.”
Brookes was still staring at the empty computer screen as if he could mentally force Landry’s face back onto the monitor. Finally, he said, “I need to leave.” He looked around the room and said, “There’s things that have to be done.”
Colton’s eyes narrowed but it was Rory, of course, that spoke. The words, however, shocked everyone in the room. “You’re going after them, aren’t you?”
Brookes stared back at Rory, determination blazing in his eyes. “I’m not coming back without them.”
“I’m going with you,” Colton blasted as he jumped to his feet. “Jagger’s mine. I’ll do whatever it takes to bring him back home safe.”
Brookes started shaking his head. “You can’t, Colton. You’ll get in the way. This isn’t your area of expertise. Let me handle this.”
Colton barked out a sad laugh. “If it were the other way around, would you just sit around on your ass while I went after Landry?”
Brookes stood in the middle of the room with his eyes fixed on Colton.
“You’re right. There’s no way I would be able to sit around and wait while someone else rescued my man. And you have absolutely no experience in not getting yourself killed. But hell, you can come. I might regret it till the day I die—which might be sooner rather than later. Let’s go,” he ordered.
Rory opened his mouth, but Brookes silenced him with a glare. “Don’t even ask, Rory. You and Riley need to make sure the boys stay safe and somebody needs to be watching out for Sage, too. From what you’ve told me, he was involved.” Brookes shook his head. “If that kid was involved with abducting Jagger and Landry, they were blackmailing him in some way. I had plenty of time to watch him. He idolized both Jagger and Landry. He wouldn’t have willingly hurt either of them.” Brookes took a deep breath and added, “Sometimes we’re forced to do things we don’t agree with. Don’t be too hard on the kid.”
Riley asked, “Is that why you were in Key West, Brookes? Did someone force you to do something you didn’t agree with?”
Walking toward the door, Colton on his heels, Brookes answered, “No, Riley. I wanted this job.” He looked back. “It just hasn’t turned out the way I’d planned.”
****
It only took one call from Brookes to get a small team of his ex-Marine buddies together and ready for action. Colton sat quietly in the corner, his hand stroking the taser gun Brookes handed him earlier. No real bullets for him, but at least he wasn’t going in emptyhanded. Listening to the men talk around him, it sounded like a rather simple extraction—that’s what they called it. Colton called it rescuing the man he loved, the man he couldn’t live without. There were four of Brookes’ Special Forces buddies and their eyes were alight with excitement. Colton couldn’t help but notice that Brookes’ eyes were dark with fear…like his. He had no doubt these men knew what they were doing, but they didn’t have the same stake in the game that he and Brookes had.
Finding where Bronson was staying while in Miami hadn’t been that difficult. The bastard loved to flaunt his wealth to the world so he hadn’t hesitated to let social media know he was staying in one of the most obnoxiously oversized mansions that Miami had to offer. Floor plans of the residence and surrounding areas were spread out on tables in front of the men. From what Colton could guess, they hadn’t had any time to do any security reconnaissance on the fortress, but none of them seemed worried about the lack of knowledge. Going in ‘blind’ against armed killers didn’t seem to lower their morale in the least—if anything, it hyped them up.
“You still with me, Colton?” Brookes asked from across the room. “You know you don’t have to do this. It won’t make you any less of a man and will, more than likely, piss Jagger off when he realizes the risk you took with your life.” Brookes smiled softly. “I think a pissed Jagger could be more than a handful.”
Colton smiled sadly. “You have no idea. He’s so shy, but I’ll be damned, he’s growing every day.” He took a deep breath and admitted, “I’ve been holding him back, trying to protect him. I won’t do it again. He and Landry are fucking stronger than any of us.” His smile widened. “Did you see the defiance in both their eyes?”
It was Brookes’ turn to smile. “I sure the hell did. Here’s what I think happened in there, Colton. I think Landry knew who the guy was from his time on the streets. Bronson doesn’t have a clue that Landry knows his name. Landry told Jagger, probably never once thinking Jagger could do anything with the information. Then we have your boy. Damn, Colton, he’s smart and determined. That motherfucker has shot him, beat him, and, I’m sure, threatened him,
but he sat in that chair and tapped out that Morse Code like a fucking professional.” He looked around the room and asked, “Could any of you boys have whipped out Morse Code to let people know who was holding you captive?”
They laughed and gave their heads a negative shake. “Hell, we didn’t even know people did that shit anymore. How did you find somebody that could decipher it for you? Just finger taps, you said?”
“Yep, finger taps. Levi deciphered for me,” Brookes answered.
“Smart kid, this Jagger,” another one of the men remarked. As he eyed Colton, he added, “I guess that explains why you’re here with us and I don’t blame you a bit. Hot brainy boys are hard to come by.”
Colton smiled weakly, but couldn’t laugh. He wouldn’t be able to laugh again until Jagger was in his arms. Landry assured him he was still alive. He hung onto that fact.
Brookes’ cell buzzed in a text message. “Looks like Bronson just left for the Gala.” He looked around the room. “Are we ready to play with some asshole security staff?”
“Wait a minute!” Colton barked. “Why are we letting him leave? I thought we would…you know…take him out.”
“The object of this mission is to rescue Landry and Jagger. Bronson will be a problem for another day,” Brookes told him. “Focus on Jagger, Colton. He’s all you’re after, all you truly care about. Revenge can come later. With Bronson out of the house, the bulk of his security will travel with him. Since he has no reason to believe anybody knows who he is, Bronson will worry about his own safety ahead of worrying about anybody attempting a rescue of Landry and Jagger. Trust me on this, Colton.”
“But he’ll never stop, Brookes. The man is obsessed with winning, and he calls taking Landry, Jagger, Morgan, and Michael winning. He clearly feels the need to make a statement to the other people in his…industry. What about the next time? Or the time after that?”
Brookes leaned over him and whispered, “Let’s worry about that another time, okay? Focus on the here and now and that in less than two hours, Jagger is going to be back in your arms and Landry is going to be hissing and scratching my eyes out.” He winked at Colton. “I’m going to need some help with my kitten—try to remember that, okay?”
“Let’s see how you handle yourself during the rescue. After that, I’ll decide if I’m going to fight to allow you back into our family.” His eyes darkened. “Why did you lie, Brookes? Hell, I don’t even know who you are or what your interest in Landry is.”
“I lied because I needed to get close to him,” Brookes answered truthfully. “What’s my interest in Landry? I’m in love with him.” He looked around the room and said, “Let’s roll. Colton and I need to bring our boys home. Love you guys,” he added softly to the men he’d served with while overseas.
As they drove toward the mansion, both Brookes and Colton focused on thoughts of Landry and Jagger and all the happiness they’d shared. The other men talked shop, only interrupting Brookes when it was absolutely necessary. Colton wasn’t sure what he’d expected when being a part of a Special Forces mission, but what he was witnessing was nothing like what he’d imagined. They were calm and efficient, even joking with each other some but there was also an edge to each of them.
When they were less than a mile away, the driver pulled the van into the driveway of a neighboring house and within seconds, they were tucked safely inside a garage that was larger than Landry’s club. Colton frowned, confused and unsure as to what was going on. “Why are we here? Who lives here? What’s happening?”
“A friend of a friend of a friend lives here,” one of Brookes’ team muttered quietly but then softened the words with a wink in Colton’s direction. “Hey, it was your boyfriend that did the Morse Code thing, right? That’s makes you cool by association, dude. I can’t wait to meet this kid.”
Brookes rolled his eyes and motioned for them to pile out of the van. He halted Colton’s movement by placing a hand on his knee. “Please don’t do this, Colton,” he said. “I think we’re going to be perfectly safe, but there’s no reason to risk your life. Let me go in and bring our boys out. You can cover all the hospital bills if any of my men get injured. I’ll be the muscle and you can be the money.”
“Not gonna happen, Brookes. I’m going in. We’ve talked about it already so stop wasting time. Let’s get there, get in, get Landry and Jagger, and get out. I’ve heard the plan. Nobody dies tonight—not even Bronson’s security team.” He got right into Brookes’ face and said, “Jagger’s hurt, Brookes. He was shot and beaten. I need to get to him and I fucking need to get there now!”
“Let’s do this, then.” They climbed out together and Brookes gave his men one last lookover. “Nobody dies, right? These men are simple security men, not trained soldiers. This is going to be easy…so don’t anybody make it hard for their own entertainment.”
“Yeah, but you said that this Bronson dude trafficked and prostituted kids, Brookes. People like that sometimes accidentally walk in front of a bullet.” The guy shrugged. “It happens.”
Brookes narrowed his eyes. “This security team we’re about to face was probably those street kids at one point in their lives,” he explained. “They’re no doubt doing what they had to do to survive an ugly life. Let’s not go in there and make it any uglier. The guilt lies solely with Bronson, nobody else.” Brookes slipped a thick black stocking over his face, ending the discussion. Turning to the man who’d driven the van, he said, “You’ve got the cameras and security feed covered for us, right?”
“I’ll be watching each and every step you take. I’ll cut the camera feed to their security right before you hit the gates. After that, I’ll be your eyes, Brookes.”
Brookes nodded and he and the rest of his men filed out of the garage, Colton bringing up the rear. He heard Brookes mumble something into his mouth piece and then the large man walking in front of him answered with, “Sure, boss. I’ve got him covered. They’ll have to go through me to get to him.”
Beneath his own black stocking, Colton blushed. Perfect. They were babysitting him. With a shrug, he decided he didn’t give a fuck. He’d do whatever he had to do to get Jagger back to safety. Morse Code. His man was so motherfucking smart.
Chapter 15
Colton sat in the hospital chair next to Jagger and watched his lover’s chest fall up and down in a peaceful, drug induced sleep. The surgery on his shoulder only lasted about thirty minutes and everything went well. The doctors assured him that all the other injuries were, while very painful, only superficial. They’d heal quickly but have some ugly bruising. He wouldn’t be using his right arm for a few weeks but, other than that, Jagger and Landry had walked away from Bronson Tildare in much better shape than the man had planned. Actually, Bronson hadn’t planned on either of them walking away. Landry had told him that he’d planned to kill Jagger but keep Landry around to suffer since he was the one Bronson blamed for his business troubles.
Sage was going to survive his wound, but from what Rory told Colton, the poor boy might not survive mentally or emotionally. He’d only agreed to help Bronson because the man held his younger brother captive. Before they’d shot Sage, one of the men told him that his younger brother was already dead…had been for a while. Even thinking his younger brother’s life was at stake, Sage still tried to get Landry and Jagger to leave the club before Bronson’s men could get there. On top of that, he’d tried to break into Haven and warn Michael and Morgan that Bronson was coming for them. He’d explained that he’d thought maybe if the boys ran away and hid, then Bronson wouldn’t try to abduct Landry in order to convince Rory and Colton to give the boys back. It had been a warped plan, but, in Sage’s mind, the best plan he could come up with. The kid was walking a tight rope—trying to keep his baby brother alive, Landry and Jagger safe, and Bronson happy.
The bottom line was that Sage was one of theirs now. Each member of their Key West family vowed to protect and love Sage…even though the kid wouldn’t believe he deserved it. Love wasn’t always
earned, sometimes it was given freely.
Brookes, after leading the rescue of Landry and Jagger, had quietly disappeared, mumbling something about needing to take care of his boss. The big man held Landry in a tight embrace and whispered his love, but Landry shoved him away. The betrayal over all the lies Brookes told him was clearly still fresh on Landry’s heart. As Colton sat, still staring at Jagger, he vowed that he’d break every best friend and bro-code in the world because he damned well knew that Brookes and Landry belonged together. Sure, it was going to be a rough road and Colton couldn’t for the life of him come up with a valid reason for Brookes’ lies, but he was still going to stand strong next to the fake Dom.
He’d seen the love in Brookes’ eyes when they’d first found the room where Bronson was holding Landry and Jagger. It mirrored his own love.
Landry plopped down in Colton’s lap, causing a startled squeak to escape his mouth, and said, “Tell me again about how one of my bestest friends in the world saved mine and Jagger’s lives. Tell me! It’s my new favorite story!”
Landry hadn’t stopped laughing and being playful since they’d gotten to the hospital. Colton and Rory both knew he was hiding behind that laughter, trying to pretend that Brookes’ walking away hadn’t damned near destroyed him…even when he’d been the one to demand that the man go. Their good friend had a damaged soul that Colton wondered if anybody other than Brookes could repair.
“I’ve already told you, Landry. Brookes was the one that saved your cute little ass. It was all him. I didn’t even get to shoot my Taser gun one time…well, except for when I accidentally shot it off in the garage after we got you guys back.” He forced Landry to look him in the eyes and said, “It was all Brookes, babe. I don’t know why he lied. I don’t know if he started out working for Bronson and that’s why he was here in the beginning. Hell, I know not one damned thing about him…except that he’s in love with you.”
