Edge Of Retaliation : Books 1-3

by Bella Jewel

  Jo and I will keep a watch out.

  This is insane.

  Thrilling, yet insane.

  “If there is any sign of trouble, you ladies need to call out, no hesitation,” Garrett says to Jo and me. We both nod. “Let’s do this.”

  The men prepare themselves; Ethan disappears through the thick bushland, Jo and I get into position so we can see the massive cleared area. It is well hidden out here, surrounded and protected. I can see three large red containers in the middle of the compound, a small office-like structure, and huge barbed wire fences. So far, I have only seen two men walking around, the other must be in the office.

  “Anything goes wrong, anything at all, you run, Callie. You hear me?” Tanner says, squatting down in front of me and reaching out, taking my chin in his hand.

  “I hear you,” I say. “Please be careful”

  He nods and leans forward, pressing a kiss to my lips that makes my whole body tingle. I forget that everyone else is there, no doubt wondering what the hell is going on between the two of us, and just take in the incredible feeling that washes over my body. Tanner pulls back and stands, and I give him a weak smile as he turns and says to the others, “Let’s get this done.”

  They disappear, and I wriggle farther forward on my stomach and peer down.

  “That was kind of hot,” Jo says, and I turn my head and look at her, flushing.

  “Yeah,” I whisper. “It was nice.”

  “You two are something then?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know what we are. He said he has feelings for me, that he regrets what happened and is sorry, but I can’t help my own doubtful thoughts sometimes. It’s like they creep in and try to destroy how I feel about him.”

  “Because of what he did?” Jo questions.

  I look back at the compound. “Yeah, because of that. I feel almost guilty that I even talk to him, let alone feel something for him. It’s almost like my body is punishing itself for its own emotions, if that makes sense?”

  “Yeah, I understand guilt, believe me,” she murmurs, “You have no reason to feel it, though, honey. You’re allowed to feel something toward Tanner without punishing yourself for it. What happened, it’s finished with. He made a mistake, no doubt about that, but he was misguided and wrong. He admits that. If you like him, if you care for him, then you shouldn’t hold back. Life is far too short.”

  I narrow my eyes, still watching the compound, afraid to take my eyes off it, and say, “You’re speaking from experience right now?”

  She goes silent for a moment.

  “Everything okay?” I ask her.

  “Yeah,” she whispers, “it’s fine. Sometimes I just wish I was someone else, sometimes I wish I had the choice to make the decision I wanted instead of being forced with one. It doesn’t feel nice, you should be glad you’re able to make those choices for yourself.”

  I purse my lips, both understanding and confused by her words. She’s acting like she doesn’t have a choice, but she does. Everyone does. She doesn’t have to stay with Patrick, even though leaving him would be hard.

  “You have a choice, Jo,” I say, careful with my words. “You’re just not choosing to take it.”

  “What would you know?” she snaps, shocking me. “You think because of what you’ve lived through, that my situation is easy. It isn’t easy, it’s so far from it. I don’t get to just change my path, to just recreate my life. You wouldn’t understand.”

  “Jo,” I say, but I can’t finish my sentence because I see movement down near the gate. Tatum waves up at us, and I give him a small wave in return.

  They’re going in.

  I still can’t see a third man, but Garrett was adamant that there are always three guards. That makes me feel a little uneasy, and I focus all my attention on what’s going down right now. I focus on Tanner, watching as he squats down in the bushes, aiming his gun through the fence at a man currently lighting a cigarette. My heart leaps into my throat, and I feel unwell, wondering what the hell is about to happen. I’m scared. I don’t like the unknown.

  “You watch Tanner and Ethan,” Jo says, her voice still hard, which makes my heart ache because we never argue, we never disagree. “I’ll keep an eye on Tatum and Garrett.”

  “Okay,” I say softly, focusing on Ethan now.

  He’s in the bushland about five yards from the gate, crouching down, waiting to get into the compound as soon as the men are down. Tanner does a waving motion, I’m guessing to Tatum or Garrett, and then he focuses all his attention on the gun in his hands.

  Everything after that happens quite quickly, the sound of a gun being fired echoes through the trees, and within a second, the man smoking a cigarette is clawing at his neck, dropping to his knees and frantically trying to pull something out. Tanner hit him with efficiency, straight in the neck. Not even one minute passes and the man falls forward onto his hands, his body swaying as whatever drug is now moving through his system takes over.

  “Tanner hit one guy, he’s down,” I say to Jo.

  “Tatum did, too. There isn’t a third man yet. Nobody has come out of the office. Garrett is still watching; I don’t know what he’s saying but they’re moving.”

  Maybe there isn’t a third man today? That would make this really, really easy.

  I focus on Ethan and see him rushing toward the front gate, pulling a dark mask over his face so he becomes unrecognizable. He uses a bolt cutter to open cut the lock and then he’s inside the compound. Moments later, the three men have made their way around and are inside too, all of them covered. I know which one Tanner is, only because I haven’t taken my eyes off him. They move quickly from there, rushing over to the shipping containers. I can’t tell what they’re saying, but Garrett’s hands are flying around, pointing the office.

  Tanner moves toward it while the others keep speaking to each other quickly.

  Tanner disappears into the office and what seems like hours pass before he finally comes back out, even though it’s only been a matter of minutes.

  “I feel sick,” I say to Jo, my stomach churning, my whole body on high alert, full of anticipation as I watch.

  “I do, too.”

  Tanner walks out of the office, and that’s when I catch movement at the side of the small office building. Someone else is in the compound. My heart feels like it launches into my throat as I see a man slowly creeping down the side of the building, a huge gun in his hands. He peers around at Tanner and raises the gun.

  He’s going to shoot him.

  The other men are far too busy to notice; they’re not close enough.

  “He’s going to shoot Tanner,” I say to Jo. “Oh, god. I’m calling out.”

  “No,” Jo says, grabbing my arm. “If you call out, we’ll all be in danger.”

  I jerk my arm out of her grips, my eyes frantically watching as the man brings the gun up and looks through the scope. No. I can’t let him hurt Tanner. I can’t. I’ll risk it.

  I stand, even when Jo yells at me not to. I raise my arms in the air and scream as loudly as I can, “Tanner! Behind you!”

  Tanner jerks and his head slowly turns in my direction. All the other men stop talking and they turn, too. The guy with the gun moves quickly, his whole body swinging in my direction, the gun raising up, his eye still looking through the scope. I’m a distance away, but obviously not far enough. Jo screams and launches up, grabbing me around the waist at the same time the gunshot sounds out.

  Everything after that happens in slow motion.

  One minute I’m standing, the next something hard hits my shoulder. At first, it feels like a punch, shoving my whole body backward to the point I can’t stay on my feet. I hit the ground with Jo beneath me, and seconds seem to pass by, and I don’t feel anything.

  Then comes the pain.

  Like a burning hot poker being shoved through my body over and over again.

  I open my mouth and my screams can be heard echoing through the bushland. Blood soaks my shirt and the s
ounds of more gunshots can be heard in the distance. Jo is calling out, her voice frantic, but I can’t stop myself from rolling around screaming long enough to hear what she’s saying.

  I’ve never felt pain like this in my entire life.

  It’s so intense I can’t breathe. I can feel my entire body reacting to the pain, slowly becoming less and less in control. I can’t move my arms, I can’t get to my feet, I can’t stop the sounds being ripped from my throat. My stomach turns, my heart races, and every single inch of me feels like it’s being lit on fire.

  Then my breathing becomes labored. One breath gets a touch harder, and before I know it, all of them come out as short hard pants. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get the air into my lungs. As a result, my body feels strange, like slowly it’s starting to go numb. Jo’s screaming is drowned out by a white noise and my head feels light, airy even.

  Is that what it feels like to die?

  Is this how Celia felt?

  It’s kind of enjoyable.

  Comforting, even.

  I like it.

  Yeah.

  It’s nice.

  19

  “Callie!”

  Someone is shaking me.

  My eyes flutter open and my vision is blurred. I’m trying to focus, trying to pay attention, but the pain in my body is far too great. As I come to, it comes back with it. The scorching agony that is slowly consuming my body, little by little. I open my mouth and scream, my body arching backward, trying to thrash its way out of the fiery pits it feels like it’s being drowned in.

  “Callie!”

  Tanner’s voice seems distant. Like he’s not even close by.

  Yet I can feel his hands against my face.

  “Pull her up a little, Tanner, she’s goin’ to bleed out.”

  Tatum?

  Ethan?

  I don’t know.

  “Gotta get her to a hospital, now!”

  Someone again.

  I don’t know who.

  “Callie, need you stay with me. Do you hear me? Stay with me. Don’t close your eyes again. Don’t disappear. Please. Fuck.”

  I look up through the pain and see Tanner looking down at me. I can feel his arms around me now, a gentle comfort in this agonizing time of need.

  “There you are,” he says, his voice thick, scared, horrified. “Keep lookin’ at me. We’re goin’ to get you help.”

  “Tanner,” I croak. “You’re okay.”

  “You saved me,” he murmurs, cupping my face. I can’t feel if his skin is warm or cold. “You saved my life. Don’t you fuckin’ die on me. Do you hear me? Don’t you die. I need you.”

  That’s kind of nice.

  He needs me.

  “Celia,” I murmur, my eyes rolling.

  My head feels funny, almost like I’m really drunk and I want to go to sleep. Sleep. That would be nice, right now.

  “Callie!”

  I close my eyes, and I can see her face again. This time, it’s like she’s standing right in front of me. Her blue eyes lock onto mine, and I gasp, reaching my fingertips out, but no matter how close we are, I can’t seem to touch her.

  “Celia?” I say, my voice cracking as I try to take a step towards her, but I can’t. She looks afraid, like she wants someone to help her, only nobody is there.

  “Help,” she whispers, her voice soft and singsong like. Almost as if an angel is in the room. “Help me, Callie.”

  “I’m trying to,” I cry out, trying to reach for her again, but my fingers just can’t seem to find her. “I’m trying to help you.”

  “Help me.”

  “Just turn around,” I cry to her as she gives me the same smile she gave me the night her life was so cruelly wiped out. That smile that tells me she’s sorry, that she wishes it could be different. “Turn around and go home. Tell your family what happened. They’ll help you. They can fix this! It’s not too late, Celia.”

  “Help,” she croaks.

  “I’m trying,” I scream, thrashing my head from side to side. “I’m trying to help you, Celia. Please, just listen to me. Please.”

  “Callie,” she whispers, her voice fading off. “Callie!”

  “Celia!” I yell wildly.

  “Callie!”

  My eyes pop open and someone is holding onto me, big arms wrapped around my body. I can feel the bumps and hear the sound of a truck moving, and I realize we’re not in the bushland anymore, we’re driving. I try to focus on what’s happening around me, but all I can hear is Tanner’s voice saying “Callie,” over and over again.

  I’m finally able to focus, and I can see him looking down at me, his eyes concerned. I’m lying with my head on his lap, Jo sitting on the other side holding the other half of my body close. I glance over and see Tatum is driving, and Ethan is sitting in the front passenger seat, Garrett no doubt following behind in his truck.

  How did we get into the truck? I remember nothing of it.

  The pain in my shoulder is still intense, a low thud that is constant, radiating through my body without ease. I whine in pain and look up at Tanner, who is stroking the damp hair from my forehead.

  “It hurts,” I croak.

  “I know, baby. I know it does. We’re nearly at the hospital.”

  The hospital?

  What about the plan?

  All this for nothing?

  “What about Chase?” I whisper, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath through my nose as the pain makes me dizzy.

  “Don’t worry about Chase,” Jo says, stroking my leg. “You just worry about staying with us, do you understand me?”

  I reach a hand out, crying out in pain, and curl it around hers. She squeezes, and I hear a soft sob come from her. She’s scared. Of course she’s scared. She just watched her best friend get shot. I’d be a damned mess.

  “I’m okay,” I manage, my voice tight. “I’m in pain but I’m okay. You have to get Chase out.”

  “Your life is worth more,” Tanner says, his voice hard as he glances over at Tatum, who is saying nothing.

  “No,” I whisper, looking up at him. “No, it isn’t. Please, you have to go and get him out. I need you to do that, please, Tanner. He doesn’t deserve to die because of me. Please, go and get him out.”

  “I’m not leavin’ you,” Tanner murmurs, his eyes so full of emotion it cuts me to my core. “I won’t fuckin’ leave you.”

  “This is important to me,” I whisper, moaning in pain and trying to shift away from it. “It’s important. Please.”

  “I’ll stay with her,” Ethan says from the front. “Every second until you return. I’ll make sure she gets the medical care she needs.”

  I can’t see his face, but my eyes burn with unshed tears at my friend, a friend I haven’t been kind enough to in the last week. A friend that has shown his loyalty to me, throughout everything. He hasn’t given up, not once, even when giving up would have been easier.

  “Jo, please,” I beg my friend. “Do this, finish this. Get Chase out. Let’s close this door once and for all.”

  Jo must look over to Tatum, because she asks, “Do we still have time?”

  “Yes,” Tatum says, his voice more emotional than I would have guessed. This means something to him. Of course it does, it’s his family. Chase might have a lot of answering to do, and owe everyone a lot, but it’s still his brother. I’d do the same for Jo. Even if she screwed up, even if she made a huge mistake, I’d do the same.

  “Tanner?” I whisper again, meeting his eyes.

  “I don’t want to fuckin’ leave you, I’ll stay with you and Ethan can go.”

  “No,” I croak, grabbing his head. “No, you have to be the one to go. You deserve this as much as anyone. You need to do this, for yourself, but also for Celia. I know you need it.”

  “What I fuckin’ need is you,” he says, his voice tight. “Do you understand me?”

  “Then come back to me.” I smile weakly. “But first, you go and you make them wish they never laid hands on h
er. Give her the rest she deserves. Give your heart the healing it so desperately seeks. Give me a reason to breathe again. Please.”

  He closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep shaky breath, then looks to Ethan. “You don’t leave her side, no matter what.”

  “I haven’t left it yet,” Ethan says.

  My beautiful friend.

  “Okay,” Tanner agrees. “Okay, we’ll do it.”

  Thank god.

  They’re going to do it.

  For Celia.

  She deserves that much.

  “YOU’RE AFRAID,” ETHAN says, his voice soft and low.

  I glance over at him from my hospital bed. It has been three hours. Three long hours since they dropped us off at the emergency department and went to finish things once and for all. The doctors put me under for just over an hour and removed the bullet, which was still lodged in my shoulder. They said I was lucky not to have any more damage. They also said I had to speak to the police about how I got shot.

  I told them a friend of mine had gone missing and the drug runners had him. I went to try and get him back and got shot. It worked out well for us, mostly because it looks even worse for the guys in the house because not only are they going to be done for kidnapping and running drugs and guns, but for shooting an innocent woman. Ethan gave them the address, and they are going to be raiding the house where Chase is being held in a matter of minutes.

  I’m nervous and afraid.

  I’m still in recovery; I have to be in here to be monitored for another hour or so. They were worried about the blood loss and wanted to make sure I was on the up and up. Ethan is sitting with me, after a long argument from me about how I didn’t want him to leave my side. They agreed and he has been by my side ever since, just like he promised Tanner.

  I can’t take my mind off Tanner.

  I can’t stop thinking about him.

  “Callie?” Ethan says when I don’t answer.

  “Do you think they’re going to be okay, Ethan?” I croak, my voice shaking.

  I’m on some seriously good pain medication, and it has been hard for me to keep my eyes open, but the idea of going to sleep and missing a single thing isn’t something I’m willing to do right now.