Leverage (The Brannock Siblings)

by Wilde, Jessica

  "Oh, let me think. Wow, for years. Since well before Shade and I partnered up. I've been feeding information for over five years now. Pays well. Better than being a cop does. I needed the money."

  I looked down at my lap and tried to steady my breathing, "You killed my dad?"

  "No. I didn't. Never wanted to either, but the dumbass Banetti sent to grab him screwed that up. He had been getting too close and we just wanted to scare him off a bit, not kill him. Banetti didn't want him dead either, he has too much fun trying to evade him. The guy is a fucking lunatic if you ask me, but he's a smart one, and a rich one. Your dad probably would have never dropped the case at all, but we had to try. Can't say I'm sorry about his death, though. Just mad that we didn't get the information we needed out of him."

  "Doesn't make a difference. You were a piece of the trigger and I swear to God you will pay for it," I spit out.

  He laughed again, this time like a maniacal demon, sending chills down my spine, "Oh you are funny. Lucas always said you were a catch." He leaned forward, threateningly. "Who is going to make me pay, Aislinn? You? You'll be dead, or worse, before you ever get a chance to see him again and he's locked up for your father's murder. No one is going to make me pay a goddamn thing."

  My heart dropped to the floor.

  Lucas was really in jail, but I had thought it was all a lie to get to me.

  "Yes, Aislinn. He is in jail. I wasn't lying when I said he had been arrested. Everything had worked out perfectly, better than I had planned, but I hadn't thought they would get to him so quickly. I was sure I had another week, but Gibbs wanted your boyfriend out of the department for more reasons than one. Guess he jumped the gun a bit. Made it easier for me to act so shocked."

  "How? I don't understand why they even think it was him."

  He stepped into the shadows in front of me and dragged a metal folding chair back towards me, facing me, and sat down with a grin. "Oh, it wasn't too difficult. Screw up a few raids here and there while he was head of the case, convince him to sign in down in evidence more times than what was considered normal, altered a few reports. Plus, his proximity to your father's house was just right. Guess you kind of helped me out, too. I assume you were hiding in the house that night then went running to him right after we left. The fact that he was first on the scene when no call had been made caused everyone to be a little suspicious."

  "But still…" I whispered.

  "Doesn't matter when someone wants your head on a platter badly enough. Gibbs wanted his. Everything else was just a convenient find."

  "But why not wait until he was arrested and then continue as always? Why take me? He isn't going to negotiate a damn thing with you. He's better than that!" I shouted, hoping I wasn't lying out of my ass. Lucas wouldn't jeopardize his career like that or the lives of so many innocent people. He wouldn't allow the lives that had already been lost to be in vain.

  "Oh, that's just part of the reason. It doesn't matter if he's out of the picture, no one is going to just drop the case, especially since it's not just a simple drug deal here and there. I'll still have to deal with Gibbs, but he'll be easier to manipulate. A lot easier than Brannock was and you're wrong. Lover boy will negotiate with us. He will do whatever we tell him to do that will keep our heads clear a little longer." He sounded like he was so completely sure of himself and that confidence made me nervous. "That or he'll get little pieces of you in the mail every day until we run out of them," he added, making my stomach churn. "You are his weakness, Ms. Brannock. Always have been. I could see it from day one." He pulled out his gun and checked the chamber, turning it in his hand a few times before setting it on his lap.

  "W-what's the other part then?" I cursed myself for stuttering, but I was terrified that I was going to die in the worst way, if not by Justin's hand, then by Frank Banetti's. I had read up on some of the files Lucas had in his home. The man didn't just move and sell drugs and weapons, he moved and sold women and God only knows what he did to them before they were sold off. I couldn't force myself to continue reading once I saw the details of his operation.

  "Like I said before, your father was a little too close for comfort. He was figuring things out quickly and took some action that really made my life a little harder than it should be."

  I snorted without realizing what I had done, but didn't stop myself when I did. "You're an idiot."

  He scowled at me, but didn't react to my insult. "There was quite a bit of money down in evidence that has been moved, one of the loads that had been raided that we weren't able to move in time. I had planned on picking it up after speaking to your father. See, the plan was to leave behind a few crumbs that would lead to your precious Lucas. The log already showed that he had visited the area way more than what was necessary and a little push would seal Gibbs' suspicions. Only problem was that it had already been moved."

  I blinked in confusion.

  "I see that you are still completely clueless so let me dumb this down for you. Your father moved the drugs, Aislinn, and I need to know where he moved them to."

  I narrowed my eyes at him, my anger flaring at his slight, but I didn't interrupt him. I needed to know as many details as I could for when I got out of here.

  If I got out.

  "Knowing that you have been here this whole time, I assume your father may have left a clue or told you where he had put them in some way. I need you to tell me everything you know."

  "I don't know anything," I muttered.

  He folded his arms over his chest and scowled, waiting.

  "I swear. He never talked to me about the case. I was just supposed to stay home and stay out of sight."

  Justin chuckled humorlessly, "You really expect me to believe that?"

  I shoved my chin in the air and kept my voice firm, "It's the truth."

  He flew out of his chair, sending it flying behind him and falling to the ground with a loud bang. He crouched down right in front of me and his face was so close, I could smell the faint scent of mint on his breath.

  It was too bad really. The man was not bad looking and from what I had heard before - ignoring everything that had happened in the last few hours - he had seemed like a sweet guy. A girl would have been lucky to reel him in. That is until I found out he had escaped from the loony bin and was just as big of a fraud as my ex-boyfriend.

  "The truth," he spit out, "is that I will have no mercy on you until you tell me what I want to know. Then Banetti will go to work on you. He is on his way right now and believe me, he's not the sweet one here. Now, you want to start talking?"

  I took a deep breath, knowing what was coming, but seeing no way out of it. He would know if I lied and gave him a bullshit answer. I had seen this in the movies before and never thought it was possible, but unfortunately, I would find out that it actually happened in reality. By the look on his face, it was going to be painful, too. Only this time, I wouldn't get to see the hero rescue anyone.

  I had no doubt that Conall had checked his voicemail already. He wouldn't have let it sit there for long knowing it had been me calling. My oldest brother was a nurturer and he had always been the one to take care of me when I needed him most, despite his attempts to control me.

  Lucas was probably going insane. No one knew where I was and I didn't think they would get an idea anytime soon. At least, not before Justin was through with me.

  So I steeled myself, readying my body for the blows that I knew would come. I had nothing for him and even if I did, I wouldn't give it to him.

  "I told you, my father didn't tell me anything. You killed him before he got a chance to."

  Pain exploded in my cheek and my head snapped to the side. I felt my teeth sink into the side of my lip and the rip of the skin there was sharp and excruciating. Blood poured onto my tongue and dribbled out of my mouth and down my chin. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and breathed through the pain, not making a sound. Not giving him that pleasure.

  "Your father must have left you something. He
wouldn't have just hidden all those drugs without telling anyone," he shouted.

  My thoughts shifted to the locket that was still clasped around my neck. Yes, my father did leave me something, but I still didn't know what it meant and there was no way I was going to tell him. Lucas would figure it out somehow.

  Hopefully.

  I spit out the blood that had pooled in my mouth and turned my head back to face him, keeping my thoughts hidden and my expression impassive. "Well, he didn't tell me anything, you stupid bastard."

  He moved quickly and the pain that burst into my other cheek was worse than the last. He hadn't been hitting his hardest the first time and I had a feeling he was still holding back. The sting was tolerable, but the humiliation nearly did me in, but I'm a Brannock. Hitting me was only going to dig him in a deeper hole.

  "Looks like we are going to be here a while. I've got all night," he said with an evil grin.

  "So do I," I whispered.

  ***

  I was having déjà vu.

  The first thing I noticed when I started to wake up was the smell of dust and ocean, but this time, the rusty scent of blood was present and stung my nostrils. My head was screaming at me again, but this time, so was the rest of my body. My face throbbed and there was no need for a blindfold. My eyes would be swollen shut soon.

  I hadn't given the bastard a damn thing and he had been furious. Desperate. I wanted to laugh hysterically because I could tell he was figuring it out.

  I wasn't going to talk even if I did know anything.

  The only pleasure he got was from the scream that had torn from my throat when a much harder blow to my face had jerked me to the side and my shoulder had popped out of joint. It was definitely the most painful thing I had ever experienced, but I was grateful for it. The rest of the pain had dulled significantly compared to that, and if I could survive that, I could survive getting slapped around.

  At one point, I had started to tear up, knowing that Lucas wouldn't find me in time and that he wouldn't ever know that Justin was the cause of my death. I had despaired and started to feel sorry for myself, but as quickly as the emotions came, they were thrown out of my mind.

  I'm a Brannock, I had told myself. No one can break me, no one can destroy me.

  It wasn't long after that when I had blacked out again. Maybe it was from the pain, maybe it wasn't. Either way, it had been a short reprieve.

  Each breath I took made the cut on my lip throb, but it reminded me that I was still alive. I cringed when I tried to shift, pulling my shoulder a little more and causing agonizing pain to shoot through my body. I whimpered and breathed in and out, waiting until the pain subsided. My ass was numb from sitting on the hard concrete floor and my back was aching horribly.

  He would start again soon.

  Would I give in and tell him about the locket? Was it even a clue for him?

  Doesn't matter, I thought. He isn't getting anything from me. He'll just have to wear himself out enough before I get another break.

  I wanted to grasp the locket in my hand and feel the intricate detail press into my palm. Would it be the only thing that would identify me when all this was over and done with?

  I didn't have to wonder about an answer because an unfamiliar voice boomed throughout the empty warehouse.

  "It would be a shame to permanently disfigure that beautiful face, Ms. Brannock. It could be very useful for me in the near future. Make me a lot of money."

  A chill ran down my spine and suddenly, the pain in my body was a joy compared to the images that ran through my head.

  "If you tell me what I want to know, we will make this quick. Justin here will shoot you quickly and it will be over with. If you do not tell me what I want to know, I will have to keep you alive, which means I will be forced to use that pretty face to my advantage. To earn back the money lost from your father's last attempt to thwart my efforts."

  The light shining down on me looked brighter than before and burned my eyes, so I stopped trying to open them. He was standing in front of me, but I couldn't find the energy to look at him and make sure I remembered his face. The man was going to find a reason to keep me alive whether I told him what he wanted to know or not. He would do it for his own sick pleasure.

  "I'm positive you are not a virgin since you've been playing house with Shade, but my clients still pay top dollar for a pretty face and a body like yours."

  I shifted again, trying to take some weight off of my back, but the movement pulled on my shoulder and I groaned. I hoped to go unconscious once more which made me smile.

  "Go ahead and hit me again, Justin," I rasped breathlessly. "But make sure you use all your strength this time. You know, just to convince me you're actually a man and not a scrawny little bitch who doesn't want to break a nail."

  I heard footsteps start pounding toward me and flinched a little. I had pushed too far, but I could give a rat's ass. Then Banetti started laughing. It was too great of a laugh for such a horrible man and I tried to remember how sexy Lucas looked when he laughed. How his dimples popped out and made my knees weak. How his hands felt on my skin.

  I could remember everything so clearly, it was agonizing.

  "Rains, wait a minute," he chuckled. "You are so like your father, Ms. Brannock. William was always such a humorous man."

  I clenched my teeth at the sound of my father's name on his voice. "Don't you dare say his name you fucking piece of shit."

  His laughing stopped suddenly and the room was finally so deadly silent, you could hear a pin drop. The sound of the ocean just outside was quiet and the gulls had shut up for the night. The only thing I could hear was the angry rush of blood through my head and my own unsteady breathing.

  "Now that's no way for a lady as sweet as you to talk. I could destroy your little Lucas, Ms. Brannock. So easily," his voice was calm and dangerous, my heart thudded, but I kept my expression neutral. "He is already under suspicion. I could make that suspicion turn into certainty. He would be locked up in prison for the rest of his life. I have many friends there."

  My mind raced with images of Lucas in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit. No! I screamed in my head. He didn't deserve that. After everything he went through as a kid with a mother who didn't give a damn about him, losing a father who hardly knew him, and the struggle to stay so incredibly stoic through it all. I had to find a way to fix this.

  "It would only take a little push is all," he added.

  I finally forced my eyes to open and peered through the narrow slits I had made. It took a moment for the shadow in front of me to solidify.

  Frank Banetti.

  The man was tall and his shoulders were broad. He looked powerful in his Armani suit and the tattoo peeking out of his collar brought an air of danger into the room. He was handsome with his dark skin and nearly black hair. His dark brown eyes were sharp and I knew this man had seen and done things that few others had. His hands were clasped in front of him and a giant ruby sat on the middle finger of his right hand.

  So cliché, I thought with an inward laugh.

  Justin sat in the metal folding chair to his left, a grimace on his face and his hand gripping the 9mm tightly, the same kind that Lucas carried, anticipating the opportunity to shoot me, I'm sure.

  I looked back at Banetti whose expression looked bored and at the same time desperate. I couldn't tell which one was actually real. I grimaced as pain ran up my spine with the deep breath I took. The Brannock in me came out and I must have a death wish because the only response that I voiced was one I'm sure would seal my fate. "Then I hope you and Justin end up cell mates. You make a cute couple."

  I literally heard the snap of the thread Justin had been holding on to. He was ready to be through with me and it made me smile. He'd think twice about messing with my family next time.

  I heard the now familiar scrape of the chair as he shot out of it, but I didn't keep my eyes open long enough to see the priceless expression on his face. The pain had started to tear th
rough me and my breath was coming short. I would black out before he got too many hits in.

  Then a familiar voice cut through the room and my head started to spin.

  "Touch her again and I'll tear your balls off and shove them down your throat!"

  Lucas.

  My heart thudded to a stop and I shifted, deliberately causing the pain, to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

  Justin must have gotten pretty close because his foot brushed against my leg and I opened my eyes and saw him towering over me and facing to the side with his gun pointed out in front of him.

  I turned my head as painlessly as I could and squinted into the darkness. My heart started to beat frantically and relief coursed through me.

  He's here!

  Justin narrowed his eyes, then stepped back. "What the -"

  "Get the fuck away from her, Rains," Lucas' voice demanded. "I've come to give you what you want for her release."

  Banetti stepped to the side to position himself slightly behind Justin. "And what is it that we want, Shade?"

  I could finally see his shadow just beyond the circle of light and I thanked God that I would get to see him one last time before I slipped into oblivion. The pain was becoming too much to bear and dark spots were forming in front of my eyes. I resolved to tell him how much I loved him regardless of who else was in the room and how bad of timing it would be.

  "Me to drop the case, the drugs that Brannock moved, and the chance to get away with it all and walk out this door without a bullet in your head."

  Neither of them spoke, but Justin kept his gun trained on the target. "Why aren't you in jail? How did you find us?"

  Lucas stepped into the light and glanced my way, pain and anger crossing over his face as he took in my appearance. I tried to smile at him, but the cut on my lip made me gasp before I could. His eyes darkened and his fists clenched at his sides. I noticed he didn't have a weapon on him and I wondered why he would show up without one.

  "I was never in jail. It was just a way to get you to think I was out of the picture. Guess it actually worked."