Unbroken -Part Two - A Second Chance at Love Romance: The Collective - Season 1, Episode 6

by Riley Edwards

  “I know the trail. I will get some of the guys to hang back. You got an idea how long they been there?” Damion asked.

  I moved to the elevator where Austin was already waiting for me and stepped in.

  “Hour tops. I’ll wait for you, we’ll go in together. I’ll be there in ten,” I told Damion.

  “On my way. Don’t fuckin’ roll in there on your own dammit. You don’t know what kind of fucked up shit he’s doin’,” Damion instructed.

  I closed my eyes and prayed to God, Carl was not doing any of the fucked-up shit Damion was talking about.

  “Copy that. Out.” I disconnected and shoved my phone back in my pocket.

  “We got this, Reid,” Austin said. “She’ll be fine. You know that we all have your back, and Ava’s. I guarantee you will have your woman in your arms in the next twenty minutes.” Austin tried to calm me down as the old elevator vibrated as we descended.

  “Twenty fucking minutes too long, Austin. You know what he can do to her in twenty minutes?” I asked, still thinking about what Damion said.

  “You can’t do that to yourself. Ava is smart and strong. She will do everything she can to keep herself safe until you get there. She knows you’re coming for her.”

  I knew what Austin was trying to do, I also knew that Ava was a strong, smart woman. But, Carl was a lunatic, completely unhinged, and I couldn’t predict what someone like him would do. He could be torturing her right now, or he could simply be trying to play house. I had no idea what his intentions were.

  “Why do you think Carl brought Ava back to her house?” I asked once we got into the car.

  “Who the fuck knows why that piece of shit is doing anything he is doing? What you cannot do is drive yourself crazy trying to get in his mind.” Austin stopped for a minute, and I was worried this was bringing up bad memories for him. His sister was taken by her ex and held for a day. She’d been raped repeatedly during those hours. Just the thought of that happening to Ava made me want to rage and put my fist through the windshield.

  “Listen,” Austin continued. “I know this is only going to worry you more. But, I also know if I don’t tell you, you’ll put your foot up my ass when you find out.”

  “Find out what?” I asked. I snuck a look at Austin, but in the dark, I couldn’t make out his expression.

  “Dustin sent over Carl Allen’s file. He had a girlfriend, Eva Martin. They dated for just over a year. Apparently, Eva’s parents got worried last month when they hadn’t heard from her in over a week and called around asking if any of her friends had seen her. No one had. They’ve filed an official missing person’s report. The local detective’s notes say that the Martins’ called Carl. He told them that, he and Eva had broken up, and that Eva had told him she was going to move home to Tennessee. But she’s never shown up in Tennessee, and there is still no trace of her in San Francisco.”

  “Fuck!”

  This shit just keeps getting worse.

  “What do you think? Did Eva leave him and then he snapped? Or did he kill Eva and go after Ava as a replacement?” I wondered out loud.

  “I don’t know. We don’t have a whole lot to go on. Without more information, I can’t give you anything more than a gut feeling. And my gut is telling me Ava has always been Carl’s end game. That Eva was a stand in until he could get to Ava,” Austin theorized.

  “Why?” I hated not having all the information. I loathed going into a situation without a plan of attack based on up to date intel. I trusted Austin and was interested in why he thought Carl wanted Ava.

  “I briefly skimmed Jacob Kelley’s request for a partner change. Either Mac didn’t remember this or Jacob never told Mac. But, Jacob found pictures of Ava in Carl’s locker. The pictures were taken without Ava’s knowledge. They were all candids of her; at the grocery store, walking into the gym, her going to work. Creepy stalker shit. The Captain questioned Carl, but he explained it away by telling the Captain that he thought Ava was cheating on Jacob. Carl said he took those pictures while he followed Ava to get Jacob proof of the affair.”

  “How in the hell is this sick bastard still a cop? Christ almighty, he is a complete fruitcake. The SFPD better hope to God that my woman is not harmed. This shit is whacked.”

  I pushed on the gas and wished I was in my Camaro LZ1 rather than the Rover. I finally turned onto West Pacific Avenue and followed it until it dead ended at the Mountain Lake Trail. Three Harleys were parked next to the guard rail, I wasn’t sure how Damion and his guys got there before me, but I was grateful. Austin and I would have to take the last three blocks on foot.

  I slammed the Rover into park and jumped out, not even bothering taking the keys out. I tapped my right hip to ensure my Sig Sauer P226 9mm was secured in my holster as I took off in a full sprint.

  Damion, Trig, and Blaze were waiting just outside Ava’s side yard fence. Goddamn, they looked like a bunch of scary motherfuckers. Each over six feet, all of them wore full beards, add their black leather cuts and guns, and no one in their right minds would fuck with them.

  As I stepped in front of Damion, he pulled me into a one-armed bone crushing hug.

  “You straight?” Damion asked.

  “Yep,” I stared into my brother’s eyes.

  He studied my face, nodding his head when he found what he was looking for. “We take front. You got back. Meet in the middle. You see anything call that shit out.”

  “Copy that.” We didn’t waste any more time on pleasantries. “Austin, follow me.”

  We hopped the low cinderblock wall that separated Ava’s side yard and the running trail that ran between the golf course and the housing track. I checked back over the wall, Damion, and his guys were already out of sight.

  As Austin and I silently made our way around the house, I noted the living room and kitchen lights were both on. I tried the kitchen door, and it was locked. Austin continued, moving ahead of me and around the corner of the house. I heard a whistle and hurried around the corner to find Austin picking the lock of the slider. So much for being quiet.

  Austin had the sliding glass door open just enough for us to slide through. I gently closed the door behind me and cleared the kitchen to my right, while Austin went left into the main room. Both of us turned and leveled our weapons when we heard the front door crack open.

  Damion strutted into the living room his guys following closely behind like he owned the fucking room. No regard for finesse or trying to be quiet. He didn’t give the first fuck if someone heard him or not. In his world, if he entered your house you are dead anyway, there wasn’t a need to be sneaky.

  I stopped at the couch, and white hot rage coursed through my veins. There was blood on the cushion and floor.

  “They are just droplets, Reid,” Austin said. “Cool your shit. That is barely a bloody nose.” He tried to be reassuring, but even a single drop of my woman’s blood was too much.

  A loud crash above our heads, had us all looking at the stairs. I started to take off, but before I could take my first step a large hand wrapped around my bicep, bringing me to a stop.

  Damion shook his head before he whispered, “Don’t do nothin’ stupid. We don’t know what we’re up against and you don’t want nothin’ to happen to her. Stay focused.”

  Fuck he was right. My head was all over the place. I had to play this smart before I screwed up and got someone else killed. I blew out a breath and allowed my training to take over. I knew better than to rush in. Ava needed me, on point and focused.

  “Austin, you stay down here with Blaze. Trig, Damion follow me.” I started towards the stairs. “One more thing, Carl, is mine.”

  “Heard that. Trig, you secure the area once we move in. I’ll look after your girl. You do your thing.”

  “This goes without saying, brother, but you…”

  Damion cut me off before I could finish. “Believe me when I say that I’d take a bullet for somethin’ you care about,” Damion reassured me.

  No further word
s were needed. I knew Damion, would take care of my woman. I was going to gut this fucker, and the last thing I needed was Ava seeing that.

  Another crash upstairs pushed us into action. With Damion and Trig right behind me, we bolted up the stairs. Ava’s bedroom door was open, and I could hear water running. I threw my hand up over my shoulder motioning for the guys to wait. I slowly stepped into the room and peeked around the corner into the master bathroom.

  Carl was naked on the tile floor struggling to find purchase with the shower curtain half wrapped around his legs. Ava was fucking naked on her knees trying to scramble away.

  “Don’t fucking touch me, you disgusting pig,” Ava yelled.

  “Motherfucker!” I shouted.

  I felt Damion at my back, vibrating with anger. I knew my brother well, this was not going to play out as planned. Once he was in a rage, there was no stopping him. Your only hope was to pray you are not on the receiving end of his fury.

  “Son of a bitch!” Damion roared.

  Before I could even register what was going on, Damion stepped around me and had Carl by the hair, pulling his flailing body across the wet floor away from Ava. The sound of bone cracking rang out right before the sickening thud of flesh hitting tile.

  “Get her outta here, Reid! This motherfucker is meetin’ the basement at the clubhouse,” Damion said.

  “Oh shit. Blaze is gonna like that,” Trig added.

  Before I could protest reminding Damion I was taking out Carl, Ava untangled herself from the mess on the bathroom floor and launched herself into my arms. The force of the collision had me taking a step back. Trig grabbed a wet towel off the floor and draped it over Ava’s back covering her naked body.

  “I got you, Ava. You’re safe.” I hugged her to me tightly. “Thanks, man.” I gave Trig a chin lift.

  “I knew you’d come,” Ava whispered. “I knew you’d come. Where’s JJ?” Ava continued to shake in my arms, and for the second time that evening I was torn. Ava needed me, but every part of me wanted to rip Carl’s dick clean off his body and make him choke on it.

  “Safe,” I answered.

  My woman had been naked on the floor with a crazy man.

  Take our girl home, Reid. She needs you.

  Jacob was right. I had to take care of Ava, and JJ. All thoughts of Carl’s torture flew out the window. My woman was my only concern.

  “Trig, get this motherfucker out of here.” Trig moved to get Carl’s body off the floor while Damion wiped the blood off his fists.

  “Don’t worry sweetheart, he won’t be comin’ near you again,” Damion told Ava.

  Ava stiffened at Damion’s voice. She was in shock, and I doubted she’d even realized there were other men in the room. “Damion? What are you doing here?” Ava asked.

  “Your man will fill you in later. Let’s just say it’s family lookin’ out for each other.”

  I squeezed Ava tight and turned to my brother. “Rivers… you hear me D? I want rivers of blood.”

  Damion laughed, “You know me better than that, Logan. There will be oceans.”

  “Appreciate it. I owe you.”

  “You don't owe me shit. Family, brother. Family.”

  I knew Damion would handle Carl. There was no doubt he’d be praying for death long before he drew his last breath.

  With a lift of my head, I turned to leave. “Wait. You gotta cage here? I got someone coming to pick up Carl’s car out front unless you need it, and I can leave Austin here if you need another driver.”

  “I got this brother. I always come prepared. Take care of your girl. Let me handle the rest.”

  “Of course, you do,” I laughed. I pulled a throw blanket off the end of Ava’s bed and tossed the wet towel back on the floor and started for the stairs. I wrapped the blanket around Ava’s back and made sure she was completely covered. “Close your eyes sweetheart, I’ll have you outta here in just a minute.”

  “I knew you’d come,” Ava repeated.

  “Always,” I answered.

  I jogged down the stairs with Ava still in my arms and found Austin and Blaze covering their posts. One at the front windows looking out, the other at the rear sliding door.

  “George already came and got Carl’s car. Do I need to call clean up?” Austin asked.

  “No, Damion and his crew will handle it from here.” I turned to look at Blaze. “My brother has a present for you upstairs. Toy with the motherfucker for me. I want him begging for you to end his miserable life.”

  “It will be a pleasure,” Blaze answered. His features hardening when he saw Ava wrapped around me. “Your girl okay?”

  “No. But she will be,” I answered honestly. Ava was trembling in my arms, her face was already bruising, and I still didn’t know why she was in the shower in the first place.

  “You want me to pull the car around?” Austin asked.

  “No, I want her outta here now. I’ll carry her back to the car.”

  “I knew you’d find me,” Ava whispered into my neck.

  “I will always find you.”

  Chapter Three

  IN COLOR

  Ava

  He came.

  Reid found me, and just in time. I didn’t know how much longer I could’ve fought Carl off. I swallowed hard, hoping I wouldn’t throw up on Reid. But between the memories of Carl’s dirty hands on my body and the bouncing from Reid jogging down the dirt trail, my stomach was rolling.

  “Please stop for a minute. I feel like I am going to throw up,” I told Reid.

  “We’re almost there sweetheart. Try and hold it, we can’t stop,” Reid answered.

  I closed my eyes again and really tried, but I couldn’t hold it in. “Reid…” before I could warn him bile rushed up and I barely turned my head in time.

  I threw up. Vomit splattered all over his shoulder and the blanket he used to wrap me in. Reid stopped running and waited for me to finish emptying the contents of my stomach. Uncaring that I was throwing up down his back. Tears mixed with the acidic taste of vomit. I was horrified.

  “Sorry,” I mumbled.

  “Don’t be. You good?” Reid smoothed my wet hair and adjusted my weight in his arms.

  “I think so.”

  Without another word, he took off into a jog again. I let my head fall on his chest and watched the golf course pass by.

  I was safe.

  Austin was already at Reid’s SUV holding out a clean blanket. The cool crisp air hit my naked back and ass when Reid pulled the soiled blanket off my body. Mortification set in. There I was wrapped around Reid like a spider monkey, my bare breasts against his chest. I had no idea how many of his men were in the house when he found me. A clean blanket was once again wrapped around me, and Reid carefully tucked the ends in between our bodies.

  Damion. Crap, Damion was there too. My face and neck burned with embarrassment. Maybe I should’ve been thinking more about the fact I was found, and less about who had seen me naked, but I couldn’t control my racing thoughts. Was Reid mad at me? Would he believe me about what happened?

  “I didn’t want him to touch me. I promise,” I blurted out.

  “Motherfucker,” Austin roared.

  Reid stiffened and tightened his grip on me.

  “I know you didn’t, sweetheart. You’re safe now. He will never hurt you again.” His voice sounded angry, furious even.

  Crestfallen, I rested my forehead on his shoulder. I knew he would be mad at me. I was tainted now. What man wanted to see the woman he had kissed only hours before rolling around on the floor naked with another man?

  Carl ruined everything.

  Reid opened the back passenger door and moved to set me down on the backseat. I lifted my head trying to look around at anything but his face. I wasn’t ready to see the disappointment and disgust in his eyes. Twenty-four hours ago, he had me convinced I could be happy again. He had woken me up from a five-year slumber, with one single press of his lips.

  Now it was gone.

 
All the beauty and color he had shown me was gone. Carl Allen took everything away from me in the blink of an eye.

  For the second time in my life, my whole world was destroyed because of someone else’s actions. This had to be the Universe’s way of telling me I was destined to be alone.

  I lost Reid’s body heat when he had me secured in the backseat. He stood in the door frame of the Rover and pulled his shirt over his head and balled it up throwing it to Austin. I was so lost in my own misery I missed when his strong arms picked me back up, and he slid in the seat settling me on his lap.

  “Ava, I don’t know what thoughts are swirling around in that pretty little head of yours, but I won’t let you shut down on me,” Reid said, his tone still hard.

  I remained quiet when Austin got into the driver seat and started the car. I kept my eyes averted unseeing as the street lights and buildings rushed by. I didn’t want to think about what would happen when we got to where Reid was taking me. I just had to concentrate on JJ, and making sure he was okay, once again we would be alone. I would have to move. Carl took that from me too. I could never step foot back into the house I loved. All the memories JJ and I made in that house, us making it a home after we lost Jacob. The comfort I felt when Reid bought the house next door. It wasn’t quite so lonely knowing he was a few yards away if we needed anything.

  We pulled in front of a nondescript, one-story white building. I should’ve been paying more attention to where we were going instead of having the pity party I had been indulging in.

  “Where are we? Is JJ here?” I asked.

  “We are at Doc Chesterfield’s clinic. You need to be checked and clean up before I take you to JJ,” Reid answered.

  Of Course, I must’ve been a mess. Reid was right, I didn’t want JJ to see me like this. And I needed a shower. I wanted to scrub my body with bleach to wash away Carl’s repulsive touch and putrid scent. I hoped the bruising on my face and nose wouldn’t be so bad, I couldn’t cover it with makeup. I didn’t want JJ to be scared, or have a reminder of tonight for weeks to come.

  Who the fuck was I kidding? I’m sure tonight would be burned into my son’s memory for all of eternity. God knows what JJ heard back at the safe house. Tears spilled down my face, my poor baby boy. He must’ve been so scared, and I was completely helpless to comfort him.