Dane - A MacKenzie Novel

by Liliana Hart

  Bayleigh tried to slow her breathing so she didn’t pass out, but she wasn’t having much luck with the cloth stuffed inside her mouth.

  “There’s no escape for you now.” He unzipped his leather jacket and tossed it across the desk, leaving him in a plain white t-shirt that stretched around his biceps. “I guess it serves you right for selling your body to that bastard.”

  Anger flashed in his eyes, and she assumed the bastard was Cade. Carlos lifted the leg of his jeans and pulled a wickedly sharp knife from the leather sheath strapped to his calf. Her eyes widened in fear as he turned the blade slowly so she could see the gleaming curve of it in the candlelight.

  “You see this, puta?” he asked. “I’m going to take that gag out of your mouth, and if you make one sound, I’m going to start cutting. Do we understand each other?”

  Bayleigh nodded frantically, praying for a miracle. He pulled the wadded cloth from her mouth, and she swallowed, her mouth dry with fear.

  “Cade will come for you,” she said, wishing she’d slept in her clothes instead of the thin t-shirt and panties she wore. “He’ll kill you.”

  “If that traitor cared for you at all he would have put a tracker on you like I did,” Carlos said, holding up her phone. “It wasn’t hard to slip into the house and put in the chip while you were visiting the lady across the street. Like I said, I’ve got talents the men who were watching your house could never dream of.”

  He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a pair of surgical gloves, blowing into each one before putting his hands inside, as if he’d done it a thousand times before. Once the gloves were on he pulled out a small vial of white powder, no bigger than her pinky finger, from his pocket.

  “Cade MacKenzie has been a problem for me,” Carlos said. “He turned my father against me. He gained the respect of the cartel soldiers until they only listened to his orders and questioned mine. He seduced my sister and got her killed, and he destroyed our original labs with the information he held. We lost millions of dollars of this powder you can’t keep your eyes off of. And all the while, MacKenzie was really working for his government.”

  “Good,” Bayleigh said, her eyes flashing as the fight returned to her body. There was no way in hell she was just going to lie there helplessly and let him kill her. If she was going to die, then she’d do it fighting with her last breath. “You seem to be under the impression that the bad guys are supposed to win. I’m going to enjoy watching him take you apart.”

  “He can try,” Carlos sneered. “But that won’t change the fact that you’ll be dead. This is payback. I’ve got men taking care of Cade’s sister as we speak. And I’ve got you all to myself. I only wish he could be here to see how much you suffer.” He shrugged as if Cade’s absence were a minor inconvenience. “He’ll find your body, and that will have to be enough.”

  Bayleigh bit back a scream as he brought the knife up and sliced down the center of her shirt, the sharp blade cutting through the fabric like water. She couldn’t help the shudders that wracked her body as he looked her over, his gaze stopping at her breasts hungrily before moving down to the lacy white panties she wore. She glared at him, twisting her wrists against the restraints, not caring as they bit into her skin.

  “MacKenzie always did seem to have all the luck.” Carlos’ eyes darkened with lust and he reached out to tweak her nipple, laughing as she cringed away from him. “I wish I had more time to enjoy you.”

  Carlos uncorked the small vial and stuck the tip of his pinky inside so only a small amount of white powder clung to his finger.

  “You cringe from me now, but you’ll be screaming my name before I’m finished with you.”

  “The hell I will,” she spat.

  Unbidden tears filled her eyes as he rubbed the white powder down the center of her chest, rubbing it into her skin almost lovingly.

  “It’ll always be his name,” she said viciously as her body began to tighten, the familiar prickle of arousal slithering across her skin. “You may take my body, but it’ll be him I’m thinking of.”

  ***

  “Where the hell is she?” Cade asked Declan as his brother got off the phone with one of his men. “Fuck, I can’t just stand here waiting.” He paced across his living room, waiting for his brother to give him news.

  There was only about an hour left until sunrise, and she’d already been gone too long. The phone call he’d gotten from Carlos an hour before had sent all of the agents in the area scrambling. They had to find Carlos before he followed through on his threat to kill Bayleigh. Because once he killed Bayleigh, Carlos would be in the wind until he found the perfect opportunity to go after Cade himself. This was the last chance they had to get him before he disappeared again.

  He and Dec had traced Bayleigh’s steps to the other side of the trees into an open field, where the land was being leveled for a new subdivision. There was no trace of her once she left the sandy area, which meant she had transportation of some kind. Or worse, she was forced to take transportation of some kind. But he didn’t think so.

  Carlos had let it slip during his phone call that he had a tracker on her, and that he’d been on his way to her even as they spoke. They had to find her before Carlos got a hold of her. Her chances of surviving lessoned if he had her in his possession.

  Cade tried not to let the panic overwhelm him, but it was getting more difficult with every second that passed. His training was the only thing keeping him sane. He couldn’t lose her now.

  “That was the cab company,” Declan said. “They picked up a woman matching Bayleigh’s description about five blocks from here. I’ve got an address. Let’s go.”

  Cade’s phone rang as he climbed into Declan’s Jeep and he looked at the number. A muttered curse escaped his lips and he knew he was in deep shit. He wouldn’t have even answered it if it weren’t for the fact that Darcy might be in trouble.

  “MacKenzie,” he said, holding onto the dash as Dec took a corner at high speed. A couple of unmarked agency vehicles followed close behind them as they weaved in and out of what little traffic was on the road at that time of night.

  “What the fuck is going on there?” Brant yelled through the phone.

  “We’ve got her location. We’ll get to her.”

  “You shouldn’t have let her go in the first place, asshole. She was fucking crying when she left the message on my phone. She never cries. If things hadn’t been going to shit here when she called I would have been able to talk to her to find out what the hell you did to her. But whatever it is, apologize and get her back under your protection.”

  “Is Darcy okay?” he said, slanting a look at Declan. “What happened?”

  “She’s fine. And the men Carlos sent are taken care of. A cleanup team will be here to get rid of them in a couple of hours. I’ll take care of Darcy because I promised I would. Now you take care of Bayleigh, or I’ll fucking kill you. Best friend or no.”

  The phone went dead and Cade tossed it into the seat beside him, frustration and impotent rage eating at him.

  “Can’t you go any faster,” he yelled. “Dammit.”

  His fist pounded against the dash and he welcomed the pain that sang in his hand. He didn’t think he’d ever been so terrified in his entire life. Not even when he’d been looking into Miguel del Fuego’s eyes when he’d killed his own daughter. Bayleigh was everything to him. She was his life and his future. He couldn’t even consider that he wouldn’t get to her in time. He just had to. Plain and simple.

  They pulled into a motel parking lot that was more than half empty, and Cade was out of the Jeep and running toward the office before it rolled to a complete stop. Declan grabbed him from behind, his arms tightening like a vise around him before he could burst into the office and terrify the girl behind the counter.

  “You’ve got to calm down and think straight,” Declan hissed in his ear, “Or I swear to God I’ll find enough men to sit on you while I go in. Priority number one is making sure she’
s safe. You’ll endanger that if we don’t do this as a team.”

  Cade nodded once and shook him off, unholstering his weapon and checking the clip. “What room?” he asked. “Now Declan. You and I do this now, or I go in alone.”

  “212,” he answered, taking out his own weapon and following Cade up the stairs.

  Declan made hand signals to a couple of the other agents and sent them around to the back of the building, and he had two more wait as back up outside the door.

  Cade and Declan got in position at each side of the dark blue door, the number 212 nailed at the center in tarnished bronze. His body tensed as adrenaline pumped through his veins in time with his heart. He couldn’t afford to think the worst. His focus had to be complete and he blanked his mind and let his training take over, waiting for Declan to give the signal to enter.

  Or he’d planned on waiting. At least until he heard the thin, mewling whimper through the door. All bets were off then, and his control dissolved. The only thing in his head was the need to protect. She was his woman.

  Cade’s foot kicked against the thin door and he vaguely heard Declan’s curses as it crashed open. It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room, but he’d never forget the sight in front of him for as long as he lived. Carlos stood by the bed, his body naked and erect, preparing to crawl between Bayleigh’s legs as tears streamed down her face. Her head shook in denial even as her eyes gleamed with lust and her body was ready for the taking.

  Cade let Declan take the fatal shot, knowing his control was in shreds, and he didn’t want Bayleigh to see the side of him that could kill so easily. He spared a glance as blood bloomed across Carlos’ chest, and he collapsed across the bed. The team of agents Dec had with him went into action, but his eyes were only for Bayleigh. He holstered his weapon and went to her, kneeling beside her and working at the knots at her wrists.

  “He drugged her,” Declan said, averting his eyes from her naked body.

  “Bayleigh,” Cade said. “Let me help you, sweetheart.”

  He pulled the disheveled sheets across her body as she cringed away from him.

  “Don’t touch me,” she pleaded. “I can’t fight it if you touch me. It hurts too bad.”

  The knots at her ankles were tighter, and Cade used the knife Declan tossed him, cutting her free quickly.

  “Ssh, it’s okay, baby. Just relax. I’ve got to get you out of here before the drug gets all the way into your system. Hold on a bit longer for me.”

  He rolled the sheets around her and lifted her in his arms. She moaned lustily, her body shifting against him, searching for a fulfillment she hadn’t wanted but was left with no choice but to take. She bit at his neck, her tongue stroking in hot little licks against his skin.

  “Bayleigh, you’ve got to control it,” he said desperately, even as his body tightened.

  He wouldn’t take her like this. Couldn’t take her like this. But he knew if she didn’t find relief soon then the pain would get worse until she could lose her sanity. The drug was still untested enough that the effects were different for everyone, though as long as it had been given to her topically she was in no danger of death like with an internal dose.

  Declan handed him the keys to the Jeep. “Get her out of here. I’ll grab a ride with one of my men. We’ve got the location of several of the cartel members, and a few others in questioning. Hopefully one of them will have information on the labs where this shit is developed.”

  Cade nodded and headed out the door and down the stairs before anyone could stop him to talk. He saw patrol cars pulling up late to the party, his captain stepping out of one of them with a narrow-eyed glare that had Cade wincing. He was going to get a hell of a tongue-lashing from every boss he had, local and federal. But it just couldn’t be helped. Bayleigh was his first priority. The rest of them could wait. Or better yet, he could resign for real and tell everyone to kiss his ass. That was sounding like the more prudent course of action.

  He sat Bayleigh in the passenger seat gently and put a hand to her brow. Her face was flushed and dewed with perspiration, and her eyes were wild, searching for someone—anyone—to give her what she needed.

  “Hang on, baby.”

  He ran around to the other side and started the Jeep, speeding out of the parking lot and heading back in the direction of their houses. He didn’t know if she could last the fifteen minutes it would take to give her privacy.

  “Cade, please,” she cried. “I ache.”

  “I won’t take you like this, baby. Not when you don’t even know it’s really me.”

  “I know it’s you,” she panted. “You’re an asshole. But you’re all I’ve got at the moment. If I don’t come soon I’m going to die. And then you can go jump off a cliff. It’s my turn to use you for a change.”

  His heart clutched at her words, knowing for sure now that she’d overheard that part of his conversation with Declan. He needed to explain, to tell her he’d been a fool. But not until she could understand him clearly. He was actually surprised she was as coherent as she was. Carlos either didn’t give her a large enough dose, or Bayleigh was putting up one hell of a resistance. He had a feeling it was the latter.

  She shrugged out of the sheet and scooted across the bench seat until she was practically straddling his thigh.

  “Fuck, Bayleigh,” he said, swerving to miss a car as she blocked his view of the road.

  Her hands were busy, working at the buckle of his belt and unzipping him with record speed. He cursed his body, wishing he had enough control over his cock to tell it not to spring to life every time she touched him, but he’d never in a million years have control like that. Only a saint would.

  “Stop, baby. We’ll be home in a few minutes.”

  Her hot hands grasped around him and he sucked in a hard breath, his foot pressing down on the gas until he was breaking so many laws he didn’t want to think about the consequences. His arm curved around her body and her knees straddled his thigh so she was open to him, and he plunged two fingers inside of her from behind. She screamed and bit his shoulder as she clamped around him and came in an instant.

  His eyesight dimmed as she stroked him while her hot body writhed. Sweat popped out on his forehead as he felt the first signs of his own orgasm. Their street came into view and he breathed a sigh of relief, taking the corner on two wheels. He was damned glad it was in the middle of the night and all the busy-bodies on the street would be tucked into bed. There was no way he could get them both inside his house circumspectly.

  “More, more,” she chanted, over and over again.

  He managed to get his foot on the brake, and skidded to a stop haphazardly in his driveway. Declan would retrieve the vehicle later. Cade had the wherewithal to grab the sheet and pull it around her as he lifted her out of the Jeep, her soaked pussy pressing against his cock, searching desperately for him as she tried to draw him inside.

  “Dammit, Bayleigh. Stop it,” his teeth snapped together as he tried to reposition her. “I’m not taking you like this. I’ll make you come all you want, sweetheart, but I can’t do this to you. Not until you’re ready to listen to me.”

  He stumbled through his front door, their balance precarious, and he slammed it behind him with his foot. Her mouth clamped on his, hot and wet, as she bit at his lips, invading his senses as she alternated between languid strokes of her tongue and biting nips.

  Her legs tightened around his waist and they spun so she was pressed against the wall. He needed to get back in control. Somehow. Jesus, she was making him crazy.

  “Fuck me, Cade.” She pulled at his shirt until she had it over his head and tossed to the floor. “I’m begging you.”

  “Bedroom,” he rasped. “I’ll take care of you, baby.”

  She threw her head back and moved against him, the hard bud of her clit sliding up and down his cock. He was going to be sore tomorrow, but there was pleasure with the pain, and he held back his own release as she came apart again in
his arms.

  “Please.” Tears coursed down her cheeks, and her eyes were tortured with need. “I need you inside me. It’s all I’ve ever needed. Don’t deny me this. Just one last time and we can go our separate ways.”

  He couldn’t bear her pain—pain that he’d caused her deep inside that had nothing to do with the drug Carlos had given her.

  “Look at me, Bayleigh,” he said, holding her face between his hands and forcing her to look him in the eyes. Her pupils were dilated to the point that the blue no longer showed. “I won’t take you without you knowing the truth. I love you, sweetheart. With everything I am.”

  She fought against his hold as sobs wracked her body, even as her hips continued to thrust against him.

  “Don’t, Cade. Just sex. It’s okay.”

  “Bullshit.” His cock nudged against the entrance of her folds, but he held himself back, needing her to acknowledge what he needed to give her. “It was never just sex. And I’ll be damned if this is the last time. I want you forever, Bayleigh.”

  He slammed inside of her, his control past the breaking point. There was no way he would be able to hold back his orgasm. She was slick and hot around him, and he hammered into her as orgasm after orgasm rolled through her body. His balls tightened and he pushed into her one last time as the most powerful climax he’d ever experienced wracked his body. His knees buckled and he managed to go to the floor without crushing her.

  The wood was cold beneath his back, but Bayleigh was hot on top of him, their breaths racing like steam engines, and exhaustion was warring with the need. He knew they weren’t done. It would take several hours for the drug to work its way through her system. As soon as she came out of the doze she was in, she’d be ready for more.