“Fucking hell,” Evan said. “What is wrong with you people?”
Shut up, Evan. For God’s sake, shut your bloody mouth!
Jared tried to get Evan’s attention, but it felt like he was moving in slow motion. He couldn’t reach his friend. Couldn’t speak. He’d just about caught his breath when Davidson hit him again—this time with a powerful right hook. His mouth filled with blood.
At least the man was focused on him instead of the others. Small comfort.
“The fuck we doing here, Davidson?” Keens asked.
It was clear to Jared that Trick hadn’t made good on his promise to tell the others about Davidson’s betrayals, but they weren’t exactly jumping in to help their boss beat up the hostages, either. Nothing about the scene made any sense.
“We don’t have time for this shit,” Lilah said. Even through the haze of pain, Jared detected a note of fear in her voice. “We need to get back to the city. We’ve got bigger fish to fry, Davidson.”
Davidson barked out a laugh. “Why is everyone so bent on telling me what I need today? Last time I checked, this crew had one boss.”
Jared’s eyes bored into Trick’s skull, finally forcing the man to look up.
Tell them, Jared mouthed.
But of course, the traitor was as silent as a bloody church mouse.
“Enough fucking around,” Davidson said. “Keens, watch the front.”
He pointed the gun at Jared’s head. The look in his eyes was feral.
This is it. Do or die.
“You’re going to shoot us, then, you daft bastard?” Jared barked. “Right here, in the middle of lunch hour with a parking lot full of people right outside these doors? Not to mention the office and restaurant next door. You think no one will hear you? No one will call the police?”
For his questions, Jared was rewarded with another blow to the face.
“Maybe I’ll start with the girl,” Davidson said. “Even though she’s the only one with any sense—keeping her fucking mouth shut.”
Davidson shifted his focus to Natasha, but as he lifted the gun, Keens flew at him in a rage.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Keens grabbed Davidson’s wrist, twisting the gun away from Natasha and slamming Davidson into the wall. “Kidnapping? Murder? Blackwell’s right. There’s at least a dozen people outside who’ll hear the shots. Fuck you, Davidson. I didn’t sign up for this shit.”
“None of us did,” Lilah said.
Davidson was shaking with anger, but Keens pressed on.
“All this bullshit,” Keens said. “All this, for ten lousy percent on a score you can’t even guarantee anymore? The longer we stay here, the better chance we got at going straight to jail. For ten fucking percent!”
“Zero… zero fucking percent,” Jared muttered, spitting out blood. “Talk, Tricky Dick.”
“Shut your motherfucking mouth,” Davidson said. “All of you.” He shoved Keens away and went straight for Jared again, grabbing a fistful of Jared’s hair and pressing the gun to his temple. “Do you realize how serious this shit is? I don’t care how much money you’ve got, Blackwell. You’re going to die. Your friends are going to die. And as soon as I find your little slut, she’s going to die, too. Why? Because you decided to play hero. You—”
“Blackwell’s telling the truth,” Trick said. He shook his head, then raked his hands through his hair. “Fuck me. Fuck!”
He reached behind his back and pulled out his gun, pointing it straight at Davidson. “Drop your piece, asshole.”
Jared had no idea where the gun had come from—Trick certainly hadn’t pulled it at the diner yesterday—but the man’s timing was bang on.
“Think real carefully about your next move, Trick,” Davidson said, his eyes wide. “Real carefully.”
“I said drop it.”
Davidson set his gun on the ground and slowly stood up.
“Keens,” Trick said, “take the gun.”
Keens did as he was told.
“Jesus Christ.” Davidson looked at Lilah. “You in on this, too?”
“Don’t talk to her,” Trick said. “Don’t you fucking talk at all.”
His voice shook, but Jared had to hand it to the knob—he was holding his own.
“Well?” Davidson said. “Don’t keep us in suspense, Tricky Dick.”
With the gun still trained on Davidson, Trick reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper—the spreadsheet, Jared assumed.
After that, the bastard finally started talking. He told them everything. Wisely, he kept Arianne and Jared’s name out of the story.
A day late, but fuck it. Jared would take it.
“You okay, mate?” Evan whispered to Jared.
Jared nodded. His head throbbed; everything from the neck up was swollen and raw. But for now, the crew was embroiled in a shouting match, none of them focused on Jared and his friends.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered to Evan. “Truly.”
Evan shrugged. “Now you really owe me that raise, you cheap bastard.”
“Consider it done, mate.” Jared turned to check on Natasha, but a flicker of movement at the back of the store caught his attention.
Someone was in the corridor, lurking in the shadows.
Jared smirked. Didn’t matter how dark it was, how much his head ached, how blurry his vision had become.
He’d recognize that woman anywhere.
About fucking time, gorgeous.
Chapter Fifteen
Creeping up the corridor that led to Davidson’s store, Ari trembled with fear, her stomach threatening to expel the contents of her brunch. She shouldn’t have eaten so much, but Berezin had insisted.
When Berezin insisted, you didn’t refuse. Not if you wanted to live. You didn’t lie to him, either. Ari might not have been familiar with Russian social customs, but when it came to her father’s former associate, those two maxims were carved in stone and blood.
Ari was about to find out exactly what happened to a man who ignored those maxims. She’d been sitting across the table from Berezin when he’d called Davidson during brunch under the guise of inquiring about the Mother of Lost Souls. Davidson—fool that he was—had insisted repeatedly that everything was in order, that he’d personally deliver the sculpture to Berezin next week.
Berezin had been holding the dagger during the entire phone call.
Now, Ari took a deep breath to steady her nerves. She’d held up her end of the bargain. Hopefully, her Russian friends would do the same.
She’d know one way or the other in eight minutes—no more, no less. That was the plan.
At the end of the hallway, Ari flattened herself against the wall, peering around the edge to assess the situation inside the store.
Keens, Trick, and Lilah were all over Davidson, locked in a heated argument about Trick’s overdue revelations. Even with Trick’s gun pointed at Davidson’s chest, the crew boss denied every word, right up until Keens punched him in the jaw, knocking him on his ass.
Good. Ari needed them distracted.
Close by, Evan, Jared, and Tasha knelt on the floor, their wrists and ankles taped, helpless to do anything but watch the scene unfold.
Tasha…
Ari’s heart hammered in her chest, picking up on her sister’s fear. At least she didn’t look banged up—not like Evan and Jared, who were both battered and bloody. Jared seemed to have taken the worst of it. Hot guilt crept up Ari’s spine. It was her fault that they were in this position. Her fault that they’d been hurt. Her fault that any of them had crossed paths with Charlie fucking Davidson.
The man who’d orchestrated the murder of her father. Kidnapped her sister. Ruined Ari’s life.
Rage threatened to overtake her, but Ari reined it in, forcing it down like a piece of hot coal at the bottom of her stomach. There it smoldered, the heat of it fueling her determination.
Lives were at stake.
She could not afford to get emotional and fuck t
his up.
Ari took another deep breath, then looked at Jared, hoping to catch his attention.
He was already watching her.
God, those eyes…
Ari had said her goodbyes last night—her body still ached with the memories of all she’d taken from him—and when she’d walked out alone this morning, she’d meant it. She’d truly believed that she was prepared to move on without him, no matter what happened with Berezin or Davidson today.
But now, seeing him tied up and beaten, all because of Ari…
A wave of emotion crashed into her so hard, she nearly stumbled. She was so beyond in love with him, so gone. Saying goodbye? Who the hell was she kidding? Jared owned her—mind, body, and soul. He’d claimed her from their very first meeting at the auction, and though she never could’ve predicted the events that led them here, somehow she’d known, deep down, that she and Jared were meant to be together. That they were meant to find a way out of this darkness.
Now, looking out at her man, thinking about how he must’ve charged in here to save her sister, no plan, no weapon… Ari’s heart nearly shattered. But instead of breaking, it expanded, filling up with so much love for him, so much awe at his boundless compassion, at the risks he’d taken—and would keep on taking, no matter what came their way—just to keep her safe.
Ari had always loved that about him—his bravery, his hot-headedness, his fierce overprotective streak, his need to be in control at all times.
But right now, Ari didn’t need a hero. More than being rescued, more than being protected, more than even his love and devotion, what she needed from Jared was trust. She needed him to believe that she could handle it. To give her total control of whatever happened next. To put his life into her hands.
She locked her eyes on the man she loved. He was scanning the room, eyes darting frantically from one side to the next, searching for something—a weapon, a distraction, a plan.
Even taped up, beaten, and forced to his knees, Jared Blackwell was still trying to take control.
My turn, J-Black.
As if he could hear her thoughts, Jared finally met her gaze.
She brought her finger to her lips, urging him to be quiet. To listen to her, even if she couldn’t shout out the words. She held on to hope, sending her message across the room in a silent plea wrapped up in all the love she felt for him.
Come on, Jared. Don’t make a move. Trust me. Let me do this…
Though it had only been a few seconds, Ari felt as if they’d been staring at each other for an eternity, unblinking, locked in a silent battle of wills. Jared shook his head, warning her.
But she wouldn’t back down.
Neither would he.
She widened her eyes, pleading. Demanding.
Then, just as she was about to go charging into the room anyway, she saw it: the change in his eyes. In his heart.
A new ferocity had come over him, one Ari could detect even at a distance. But when he smiled at her, the force of his love hit her full on. Jared believed in her. And though he couldn’t say it out loud, Ari heard his message loud and clear, too.
Your move, Crusher.
Ari smiled.
Jared nodded once, then turned back toward the commotion with the crew, careful not to give away her position.
Ari’s heart soared, fueled by Jared’s confidence and the ticking clock. She checked her watch—five minutes.
She took another deep breath and shook out her hands, steadying herself for what had to be done.
This will work. It has to. It’s a good—
“If it isn’t my favorite little slut. Hello, beautiful.” The menacing whispers had come from the side corridor, but before she could react, the attacker grabbed her in a choke hold from behind, his breath hot on her skin.
Fucking snake.
“Let’s go say hello to our old friends.” With one arm locked around her neck, Vincent pressed a gun to her cheek and dragged her out of hiding, right into the middle of the store.
“Vincent?” Davidson barked. “What the fuck are you doing?”
“Back off,” Vincent said. “I’m calling the shots now.”
Tasha let out a wail that nearly gutted Ari. She slumped forward, sobbing, and it killed Ari not to be able to go to her. To comfort her.
Ari struggled against Vincent’s choke hold, but he was just too strong. He pulled her close to his body, and to her disgust, she felt his dick growing hard against her ass.
Fucking Vincent. The man who put a bullet in her father’s head five years ago. Now he had a gun to her head, trying to take control of the crew. This was the sick shit that turned him on.
Ari should’ve been scared, but all she felt was hatred. Pure, unadulterated hatred. She was going to kill him. She didn’t know how, but she would find a way, even if he took her down with him.
“Fuck off, maggot,” she said.
“Mmm. The more you struggle, the more I like it.” Vincent panted against her ear in hot, wet breaths that made her skin crawl. “I wonder if baby sister’s a filthy little whore, too? Can’t wait to find out.”
The coal in Ari’s stomach finally ignited, setting her insides ablaze. Her entire life shrunk into a pinpoint, into this one moment that would—no matter how it ended—set the course for the rest of her existence.
She had to make a move for the gun. It was the only way.
She looked at Jared one more time, memorizing the contours of his face, the warmth of those honey-brown eyes…
“Brawler,” Jared said suddenly.
Ari blinked. And plain as day, the image appeared in her mind.
“Shut the fuck up, Blackwell.” Vincent lowered the gun. It was only for an instant, but that sliver of time, that tiny moment of distraction, was all Ari needed. She pulled in a sharp breath, lifted her right leg, and with all the strength and fury she could summon, she slammed her heel straight back into Vincent’s knee.
The snap of bone made her stomach lurch, but she kept her balance as Vincent collapsed like a pile of bricks.
The gun clattered to the floor. He clutched his knee, howling in pain.
Wasting no time, Ari grabbed the weapon and pointed it at his chest.
“You wanted to visit old friends, Vincent? Good. I brought some old friends, too.” She turned toward the corridor, her body flooding with relief. Her backup had arrived, right on schedule.
“Gentlemen?” she called. “Come say hello.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Good afternoon, comrades.”
The room fell silent as Berezin strolled in from the corridor, a half-dozen men pouring out from behind him, all of them armed with weapons equipped with silencers. Though Ari couldn’t see much through the papered windows, she knew three other men were in position outside, guarding the front door.
Berezin nodded for his men to move in on the crew. With practiced efficiency, they searched them, confiscated their guns, and forced them onto their knees next to Vincent, who’d been reduced to a whimpering heap on the floor.
Davidson was as white as a sheet.
“So many pieces of shit before my eyes. Who is good guy, who is bad guy?” Berezin coughed out a smoky laugh, sweeping his gun back and forth across Ari’s former crew. “If it were up to me, I would take out all of this trash. But it’s your lucky day, comrades. Miss Holbrook decides your fates.”
Davidson. Trick. Keens. Lilah. Vincent.
Each and every one of her former crew members looked up at her with fear in their eyes. For the first time in her life, Ari held all of the cards.
No one uttered a sound. You could’ve heard a spider walking on cotton.
Good. Sit there and wonder if you’re about to die. You all fucking deserve it.
Ari closed her eyes. She hated them for their role in this—spying on her and Jared, infiltrating Jared’s business, taking her sister prisoner, beating Evan and Jared. They were trash, and maybe they deserved to be “taken out,” just like Berezin had said.
She didn’t know. Maybe she never would.
But until recently, she’d been “just following orders,” too. How could she sentence them to death for crimes she herself had been committing for a decade?
After another beat, Ari finally opened her eyes.
“Please,” Lilah whispered, her eyes glassy with tears.
Keens stared at her, unblinking. Trick was visibly shaking.
“The Annandale heist,” Ari said. “What’s the plan?”
“Cancelled,” Keens said immediately. He jerked his head toward Davidson. “This motherfucker was trying to screw us. Cut us out of the deal. Ain’t that right, Davidson?”
Davidson’s silence was all but a confession. If Vincent was shocked by the news, he was in too much pain to show it. He mumbled indecipherably, clutching his knee, staring at Ari like he still couldn’t believe she’d bested him.
Ari cut her gaze to Trick, but all he offered was a nod of agreement. She knew he wouldn’t tell anyone where he’d gotten the intel about Davidson’s treachery. At this point, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.
The jig was up.
Ari nodded in return, knowing that her next words would set in motion a chain of events that would forever alter the course of her life. As much as she’d always wanted out of the game, wanting it and making it happen were two very different things.
In this moment, she finally had the power to make it happen. For all of them.
Bared to the Billionaire: The Complete Series Page 46
