by Lilah Blake
“You watch for Alexa, and if you see her, I can promise you, you’re going to see Nick,” he growled as he paced in front of Lou. “I want him back here by tomorrow, understand?”
“For the celebration?” Lou said with a slight nod. Lou was a little worse for wear. He had been the one to originally vouch for Nick, and invite him into the gang. As a result, he had suffered some brutal discipline under the direction of Randy. Despite this, his loyalty had not wavered in the least.
“Yes,” Randy nodded. “I want him here for the ceremony. Let everyone see what happens when someone interferes with our business.”
“And Alexa?” Lou asked, his eyes widening a little as he recalled the strawberry blonde bombshell he almost got his hands on.
“If you bring me Nick, then you can go back for Alexa,” Randy said thoughtfully. “You need to prove to me that you will bring Nick in and once he is taken care of, you can take Alexa. She’ll be yours.”
“Really?” Lou asked as if he was winning the lottery. “I won’t have to share her?” he asked, his expression darkening. One of the main reasons Lou was still single was because he was a very jealous and possessive person. Randy liked to sample all of the women available to him, and the idea of sharing a lover with Randy made Lou’s stomach churn with repulsion.
“Really,” Randy nodded as he smiled at the man. “You’ve earned it. That is, if you bring me Nick.”
“Oh, I will,” Lou said sternly and turned away from Randy. As he walked away, each step was delivered with determination and anticipation. All that stood between him and Alexa was Nick, and he could not wait to get his hands on the man who had caused him to suffer such a beating.
Lou was more than happy with his assignment. He was aching to get his hands on Nick. He was going to teach that cop a lesson he would never have the chance to forget. Lou sat outside the police station. He waited, and waited, and waited. He watched cops go in and out of the station. He watched the streetlights come on. There was one person he could not overlook. He finally saw Alexa. Even in uniform she was beautiful. With her long hair loose around her shoulders, and her dark blue blouse pulled tight across her breasts, he sighed with the desire to take her right that instant. But, he knew better. Alexa had proven to be quite good at hand to hand combat. She was able to take down multiple men at the same time, and he was sure she would have a weapon on her. Besides, having her right that instant meant that he would not get to keep her. He had to wait for Nick.
Then he saw the door open, and Nick step out. He watched as the two embraced in a sultry kiss.
“Nick, you dog,” he chuckled and shook his head with annoyance and admiration. “Oh well, she won’t be yours long.”
He waited until Nick and Alexa climbed into Nick’s car. Nick pulled out of the parking lot of the police station. Lou pulled out behind him, and began to trail him. They drove for a very long time. Lou kept expecting Nick to make him, to know that he was being followed, but he must have been distracted because he never even slowed down or attempted to lose Lou. They drove far out of the city and down a narrow gravel road. Lou had to hang back some as he knew that they might detect him, since he was the only other car on the road. But, it didn’t matter. There was only one home on the road. It was a small log cabin. A quick call to one of the techy geeks in the gang let him know the deed was not in Nick’s name. So, he had a hideaway, a safe place to disappear to. That would be great if he hadn’t just led Lou right to it. Lou parked his car amidst some trees and brush. He knew he was best off waiting until they were asleep. That could take a while.
Chapter 5
Alexa was sound asleep, with Nick’s arm curled around her neck. When she heard a light tapping against the glass of the window, she slowly woke up. She glanced over at Nick, a little confused at first. She was not used to waking up next to a man, as she usually kicked them out after the deed was done. However, Nick was slumbering comfortably in his bed. The moment Nick felt her move in his arms, he tightened his grasp. He didn’t want to let her go. Alexa heard the tapping again and glanced over at the window. It was still dark outside as dawn was just beginning to break. I’m just being paranoid, she thought to herself. There was no way anyone could find them all the way out here. She had just been through so much lately that it made her very jumpy. She yawned, and then glanced over at Nick again. With so much changing so fast, she knew that it would be easy for her to be swept up into the idea that she was in love. But she was more cautious than that. She needed to be sure this was more about honest emotion, and less about in the moment passion. With these thoughts weighing on her mind, she decided to get some fresh air.
Nick had left a blue terrycloth robe out for her. It was from his personal supply, he had boasted. She smiled at the memory of his boyish grin. He seemed so genuine, so eager. She pulled the robe on and walked quietly out into the kitchen and living room area of the small cabin. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to return to city life after experiencing the peace of the woods. She tied her robe securely and started some coffee. Once it was dripping, she stepped out onto the porch to take in some of the fresh air. While she stood there, with her hands resting on the wooden railing, and her eyes drinking in the sight of the sunrise, she began to think that her life really and truly could be taking a turn for the better.
Nick snored softly. He was sprawled out in the bed. Alexa had tucked a pillow under his arm, to replace her when she sneaked out. She had no idea that the tapping on the window was not just a tree branch, inspired by the wind. It had been Lou, tapping enough to get her to wake up, so that he could separate the two. While she was on the front porch and the coffee was brewing, he slipped in through the window. He was careful to be very quiet, as he knew just how sensitive Nick was to sound. They had worked many jobs together. But Nick was sleeping the sleep of a man who had gotten insanely drunk on desire. He had spent all of his energy with Alexa the night before, and he was not going to be woken easily. Lou snatched a pair of pants from the floor and then walked over to the side of the bed. He tossed the pants down on Nick’s naked back, and pulled his weapon in the same moment. Nick woke with a start when his pants struck him, but the moment he lifted his head, he felt the unmistakable caress of the barrel of a gun against the back of his neck. He held his breath and remained very still. For just a moment, he wondered if it might be Alexa. Perhaps she took her no cuddling rule more seriously than he had initially thought. But that thought passed, as did the humor that drained from him.
“Get up real slow,” Lou instructed him, knowing that Nick would recognize his voice.
Nick did as Lou instructed.
“Put your pants on, for God’s sake,” Lou commanded.
Nick tugged his pants up, making every move very slowly. He did not want to spook Lou.
“Here is how this is going to go,” Lou explained calmly. “You are going to come with me. You are not going to fight me, you are not going to make a sound. Because if Alexa comes in here, if she realizes that I am taking you, then I will kill her, understand?”
Nick nodded a little. He knew that Lou was serious. The only reason Alexa had survived their first encounter was because Nick had come up with a reason to keep her alive. Now he knew there was no reason to keep either one of them alive. Nick was well aware that the only reason that Lou was taking him, instead of putting a bullet in his brain, was because Randy wanted to do so personally.
“Easy now,” Lou instructed as he pointed out the window.
Nick nodded and climbed out carefully. Lou climbed out after him, careful to keep his gun trained on him.
Alexa was just turning back to head into the cabin, when she heard the squeal of tires. She saw the smoke of the dirt being kicked up into the air when Lou peeled out in his car. Alexa ran for Nick’s car, but she didn’t have his keys. She hurried back into the cabin to grab the keys, still hoping that he would be laying in the bed. But as she expected, he was not there, and neither were his keys.
“Nick!” sh
e shouted as she ran back out to the driveway. “Nick!” she screamed as loud as she could while fumbling with her cell phone. She called the first person she could think of.
“Matthew,” she gasped into the phone. “They took Nick!”
Chapter 6
Within minutes, the cabin was swarming with uniform officers. While they were combing over the bedroom, Alexa had to cringe, knowing that her clothing was strewn around the room. When Matthew arrived, it was clear that he was furious.
“What were you thinking?” he nearly shouted in her face as she held the robe tightly around her. “You were told no contact, so you decided to shack up?” He paced back and forth across the porch in front of her. He had always been the one to caution her, to admonish her when she was a little too reckless, but this was beyond that. He was genuinely angry with her when he paused and glared directly into her eyes.
“Was it worth it, hm?” he asked sharply. “Was it worth defying the orders of a federal agent for the sake of this?” he waved his hand dismissively at her robe.
Alexa set her jaw and squared her shoulders. She understood why Matthew was upset but she was not about to be treated like a child in front of the other officers.
“I am free to make my own choices,” she spat back.
“Yes, and we can see where that freedom has gotten you,” Matthew said with a sigh. He closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to calm himself. When he opened his eyes again, Alexa was gone. She gathered up her clothes, ignoring the comments of the officers who felt they should preserve the crime scene, and ducked into the bathroom. Once she was dressed, she returned to the porch.
“Let’s go,” she said coldly. “We’re going to find Nick.”
In Matthew’s car Alexa was silent. He was really just driving around, with no definite direction.
“Where do you think he is?” Alexa asked quietly. Matthew didn’t want to answer.
“Let’s just head back to the warehouse, maybe there will be some information there,” he said without looking at her.
“Are you still pissed with me?” Alexa asked with surprise. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You weren’t supposed to be there,” Matthew growled as he turned the car hard to get on to the right road that would lead them towards the warehouse.
“I don’t think you understand,” Alexa sighed. “We didn’t think anyone would be able to find us out there. I still don’t understand how they did.”
“Randy Lucot found out that Nick was a cop. He could have been on the moon, and Randy would have found him,” Matthew said with a frown.
“But how did he find out?” Alexa asked suddenly. “Everyone was careful not to reveal the truth about Nick. For all Randy knows, Nick just wanted to protect me. They have no way of knowing he’s a cop,” she shook her head, her mind beginning to churn through the possibilities of how the information might have been revealed to Randy.
“Does it really matter how he knows?” Matthew asked as he kept his eyes on the road. “Once Randy found out the truth, there was no way to protect Nick,” he paused a moment and glanced over at Alexa. “Or you.”
“I don’t need anyone to protect me,” Alexa said calmly as she stared out the window. She could not help but feel guilty about the fact that she had been right there when Nick was taken. She had been right on the porch, but she had not heard or seen anything. She couldn’t even get a good description of the car. She had no idea if it was really Lou who took Nick, she could only assume so. Her mind was still spinning with who might have revealed that Nick was an undercover detective. As far as she knew, only her chief and Mr. Banks knew this. Then suddenly she glanced over at Matthew. He knew also. He knew even before anyone else did. He had called to confirm Nick’s identity after Alexa had given him a brief description of Nick. How had he known so easily? How had he figured it out so quick?
Alexa’s stomach began to turn as she realized that Matthew might not be as trustworthy as she had first thought. They had been working together for a few years, but that did not mean she knew everything about him. Obviously, he had more information than he should have had access to about Nick. She recalled what he had just said to her not long before. She was not supposed to be there. Had he planned this whole thing right along with Lou and Randy?
Matthew glanced over at her. “What is it?” he asked, when he noticed the tension in her expression. Alexa didn’t answer, she didn’t know what to say. “Look, I’m sorry if I was a little too harsh about you and Nick,” he said quietly. “I just want to make sure you are safe.”
Alexa couldn’t help but wonder if that was really true, or if he was just hand delivering her to the Death Adders.
Chapter 7
Lou dragged Nick into the center of the campgrounds. There was a low fire crackling in the middle of a ring of stones. Each stone bore the symbol of the Death Adders, and each appeared as if they may have been painted with blood. Nick was familiar with the ritual. It was not that long ago that he had undergone the brutal experience of having the Death Adder tattoo carved into his arm before it was actually inked over. The blood spilled from the cut was collected, and he had painted his very own stone, which he assumed was no longer in the ring. Randy sat on a small camper’s chair, looking as harmless as a grandfather preparing to teach a new generation to fish. He wore a loose green vest over a long sleeved shirt, which protected him from the mosquitoes. He did not look up as Lou shoved Nick closer. He did not speak as he picked up a long metal pole and stuck the end of it into the flames.
Nick’s muscles became so tense he was certain he would never be able to move again. He didn’t see what was happening right in front of him because the sweat that was rolling off of his forehead had begun to sting his dark green eyes. There was nothing for him to see anyway, nothing but the smoke curling up from the fire.
“Nick,” Randy finally said as he stood from his chair, the pole still stuck into the flames. “We’ve been looking for you,” he smirked. “You wandered very far from the pack, didn’t you?” he asked as he stirred the hot ashes in the fire with the pole.
Nick didn’t reply. He knew there was nothing for him to say. There could be nothing worse in Randy’s eyes than an undercover cop who had betrayed the loyalty of the entire crew. That was the worst possible offense and Nick was going to face some severe and fatal consequences for it. When Nick didn’t speak, Randy drew the pole from the flames. He waved the hot end close to Nick’s bare chest, so that the man winced at the ripple of heat he felt against his naked flesh.
“Not so brave now, are you?” Randy murmured, his eyes gleaming with the desire to make Nick suffer. “What did you tell your cop friends about us, Nick?” he asked as the pole neared his skin.
“I didn’t,” Nick gasped out, and closed his eyes briefly as he felt the singe of the heat.
“You know, this thing is starting to cool down,” Randy chuckled. “Can you tell?” he asked Nick and then pushed the side of the pole against Nick’s chest.
The scream that poured forth from Nick’s mouth carried throughout the woods. Lou held him tightly, not letting him squirm away as his skin burned beneath the metal pole.
“Oh, guess it was still a little hot,” Randy laughed again and pulled the pole off of Nick’s skin. He casually tossed the end of it back into the flames to heat it up again.
“So, you didn’t tell your cop friends anything about our time together?” Randy asked. He knew Nick had been privy to quite a bit of information that he preferred the police did not know about. The fact that they were still roaming free indicated that either Nick had not gathered enough information for a strike, or they were waiting for more so they could take down the entire gang. It was very important to Randy to know for sure what the case was, as he had a very big ceremony planned for early the next morning and he did not want it to be interrupted.
“You think this misplaced bravery is going to make any kind of difference?” Randy asked, and twisted the pole in the flames. “Nick,
I have to say, I am very disappointed. I knew you weren’t worth much, but honestly, I liked having you around.”
He frowned as he glanced back at Nick. “We gave you a family, a life. What is it that they give you? Hm? Where are they now?” he turned slowly, raising his hands in the air. “I don’t hear any sirens, do you?” he asked and turned back to Nick. “No one’s coming, Nick. We would have turned over the earth to protect you, but your men in blue, they won’t even bother to search, I promise you that.”
Nick’s heart was racing, his eyes fixated on the metal pole. He knew he would be facing it again soon. He knew that this was only the beginning of the torture he would experience. He would almost believe Randy, were it not for Alexa. He was sure that she would come looking for him. At least, he hoped she would. Their passion had been so intense and so sudden that there were not any words that could define it. But, did she really care that much for him, or was it the adrenaline of the situation? He had abducted her, and rescued her, and disobeyed authority with her. Was that enough to make her want to find him again, or would she, like the rest, just assume the Death Adders were his bed to lie in. After all, he had been instructed not to see Alexa. Just for an instant his mind flickered away from the hot metal pole to a memory of her fingertips coasting through his dark curls, the gentle moan that poured from her lips when he touched just the right spot.
“All right, then let me show you how we get information,” Randy said as he laid the end of the metal pole sharply against the other side of Nick’s chest. As Nick screamed out, the Dern brothers began to approach from one of the trails in the woods. They each had a suitcase. Nick’s eyes fell shut. He knew exactly what tools were inside of those suitcases. Knowing made it just a little worse.
