Healing Hearts 10: The Scars That Bind Us

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “Who do you have in mind for the sale?” he asked Porcini.

  “Halykym Vance, a Saudi Arabian businessman with very unique fetishes. It will be a tortuous new life for her if we sell her to him. Then there is Scordona Phatz. He will be a bit more lenient and take his time training Joanna to be his main slave.”

  Ortley thought about it.

  “No need to make the decision quite yet. Let’s see how the operation pans out and what bonus kills we may get from it. The decision can be made last minute. In fact, we might get a bidding war if we send more pictures of her to them,” he said and laughed. So did Topaz.

  “Thank you, Porcini. Perhaps I will get that revenge I have sought out for so long, and can sit back and watch Tanner suffer as he loses once and for all.”

  Chapter 4

  “Where were you?” Cavanaugh asked Flynn when he walked into the office to find Leif typing on the computer. He caught sight of the screen and an image of a dojo and multiple pictures of staff.

  “I was around.”

  “You left a few hours ago. Is everything okay? We have some more things to look into, and Corona will be calling us within the hour.”

  “I went to the gallery to clear my head,” he said, and leaned back and stared at the picture of the staff members on the screen. He clicked onto one and Cavanaugh looked over his shoulder. The good-looking blonde with gorgeous green eyes and one hell of a body appeared. There were shots of her winning contests, and ones with her in a martial arts uniform at what appeared to be tournaments. Then she appeared in a tiny yellow bikini, flexing and posed, looking hot. The top barely covered her breasts.

  “Who is that?”

  Leif looked up over his shoulder and toward his brother. “I met her today at the gallery.”

  “She is stunning.”

  “Shy, too, but easy to talk to.”

  He whistled. “Are you telling me you like this woman you just met? You? Who never wants to go out and socialize?” he asked, squinting and then taking a seat next to his brother.

  Leif used his hips to turn the swivel chair. “It was crazy really. She dropped her keys as she was staring at this painting. It was like she was so affected by it that she lost focus of where she was and what was happening around her.”

  “What kind of painting was it?” Cavanaugh asked, feeling interested in knowing. He glanced back at the screen and again, could see the woman was gorgeous and well built. Personal Trainer was in bold letters above her picture. The site was their friend Donny’s dojo.

  “I walked back later on, after she had to leave for work and after we spent some time together.” Cavanaugh swallowed hard this time and wondered who this woman was to affect Leif this way. The man did not socialize or entertain any woman who flirted.

  “I read the detailed description, and it was of a woman who had suffered from PTSD after a traumatic experience in her life. The painting showed the feelings of isolation, of being unable to engage in social activities like a fair, and a party, because of the fears, and the anxiety.”

  “So you think she knew someone like that?” Cavanaugh asked.

  Leif held his gaze. “I think she has it. I think she was so caught up in it because she knew how it felt.”

  “Damn, I wonder what it could be from,” he said, and looked back at the computer.

  “Wait. Her name is Joanna Flemming? Is she related to Corona and his brothers somehow?”

  “We would know if she was.” Cavanaugh raised his eyebrows up at him.

  Corona, Danny, Briar, Cliff, and Ace were complicated men. They were secretive and retired from the military and working privately for the government. They didn’t share much info, but they all shared experiences and were friends.

  “Hey, that’s Jo,” Flynn said, walking into the office. Flynn followed with his eyebrows scrunched.

  “You guys know her, too?” Cavanaugh asked.

  “She’s friends with Afina, Avery, and the guys’ woman,” Flynn told them.

  “Why is she on your screen, Leif?” Knight asked. Leif leaned back and Cavanaugh spoke for him.

  “He met her today at the gallery and they spent some time talking.”

  “What? She spoke to you?” Knight asked.

  Knight and Flynn went on about meeting her and feeling an attraction to her but she wouldn’t bite, wouldn’t talk to them but basic conversation.

  “She is incredible, and her eyes are awesome,” Flynn said to them as they discussed her body, her profession, and her shyness.

  “She doesn’t date. She’s shy but was easy to talk to,” Leif told them.

  They were all silent, and as Leif stared at her pictures and then clicked onto more information on her as they looked on, Cavanaugh wondered where this was going and what could come of it.

  “So did you ask her out anyway?” Knight asked him.

  “No, but we’re meeting Tuesday at the gallery.”

  “She accepted?” Flynn asked.

  Leif nodded.

  “Damn,” Cavanaugh replied, but then he saw the expressions on Flynn and Knight’s faces.

  “Shit. Are you two jealous?” Cavanaugh asked.

  “What?” Leif asked, and looked at them.

  Cavanagh saw the change in their demeanor.

  “It isn’t a date. I told you she doesn’t date. I don’t either. It was just easy to talk with her. Let’s get back to business,” Leif said, and turned around and popped off the screen then began to work.

  “Leif, we aren’t jealous. She’s an attractive, young woman. I’m glad you met her and hit it off, and that she was easy to talk to,” Flynn said.

  “He thinks she may have PTSD or knows someone close to her that does,” Cavanaugh added.

  “What?” Knight asked.

  “I’m not sure. It was just things I picked up on. Maybe I was reading into it, or imagining it. Hoping there was someone who understands. Just forget it,” he said, and then closed up as usual.

  Cavanaugh looked at Flynn and Knight. Flynn shrugged his shoulders.

  “Did you guys know she might be related to Corona?” Cavanaugh asked them.

  “Seriously?”

  “Yeah, they have the same last name.”

  “No way. We saw her at the hospital and Danny Flemming was there, and neither even looked at one another. I remember because there were only a few of us there,” Flynn said.

  “Just ask Corona when you talk to him next time,” Knight said and then walked out of the room.

  “See you guys later. We’re heading out,” Flynn said, and then Cavanaugh took a seat. A few minutes passed.

  “You think they like her, too?” Leif asked him.

  “Sounds like they do.”

  “She doesn’t date.”

  “You mentioned that.”

  “No need to read into this and jump the gun,” Leif snapped at him.

  “No one is doing that,” Cavanaugh replied, and his cell phone rang. He answered it.

  “Hey, Corona, what’s going on?”

  Leif stopped what he was doing.

  “Just touching base with you. Any new information? Where coming up with shit right now and hitting nothing but dead ends. The only new information was a blip by the feds about some missing military trucks. Not sure if that is of interest or not,” Cavanaugh told him.

  “Well send it over to us, and Leif and I will look into it. We haven’t come up with anything yet. Just a bit of the usual money trails going out in various directions from those two businesses. We can tell that money was laundered through real estate, like big buildings, some smaller ones and even apartment rentals. It’s going to take time to get to the end of these, but we’ll do it.”

  “Sounds complicated. We appreciate any help you can provide.”

  “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask you, are you and your brothers related to Joanna Flemming?” he asked, and was surprised when Corona got silent. He looked at Leif, who squinted.

  “Why do you ask?”

  “My br
others know her and have hung with her through Afina and Avery and his brothers. Then Leif met her today at the gallery in town.”

  “Stay clear of her.”

  Cavanaugh was taken back.

  “Excuse me?”

  “Stay clear of her. Tell your brothers to, as well.”

  “Whoa, slow down man. I just asked if you were related to her.”

  “Sounds like you and your team are looking for a piece of ass. Mess with her and you’ll deal with us.”

  “First of all, we aren’t looking for a piece of ass. I haven’t even met her…yet. What’s the deal?” he added, saying yet not only to stand his ground for his brothers but also to get to the bottom of this.

  “She’s technically not our cousin, but we grew up thinking she was our cousin.”

  “Technically? What does that mean?”

  “It means don’t ask so many fucking questions.” He heard Corona sigh.

  “Just…she’s important, and we think of her as family, but some things happened and some misunderstandings and we all drifted a bit. Doesn’t mean we won’t protect her with all we have. Besides, you don’t want to piss off her brothers. You know them, don’t you?”

  “Who are her brothers?”

  “Morris, Trek, Blade, and Vetter, private mercenaries, badass mother fuckers you’ll ever meet, and they are very protective of Jo. Just do as I say and tell your brothers to stay clear of her, especially working this investigation. In fact, a piece of advice, Cavanaugh, don’t let your commander know about her, or us. We’ve worked hard to keep her safe, and four soldiers who can’t keep their dicks in their camos aren’t going to fuck that up. I need to go. Take my warning seriously,” he said, and ended the call.

  Cavanaugh clenched his teeth as his gut clenched and he looked at Leif.

  “Well?”

  “Stay the fuck clear of her or else, is basically the response I got.”

  “What the fuck?” Leif asked, and Cavanaugh explained.

  “Well if that doesn’t sound damn suspicious,” Leif added, and then rubbed his chin as he leaned back in the chair.

  “Throw in you meeting her and picking up on what you think is PTSD…what the hell happened to her? Obviously, it was something bad.”

  Leif was silent and held his brother’s gaze.

  “I’m still meeting her Tuesday.”

  “What? Why, when he said not to, and he also said during this case, like it has something to do with her or what happened to her maybe?”

  “I just am,” he said and turned around to face the computer now blocking Cavanaugh out like Leif did when he was feeling emotional or not liking the direction of the conversation.

  “Leif, she has four brothers. They’re private mercenaries, and they are protective of her.”

  “We are Special Forces. We aren’t looking for a piece of as.”

  “Are you sure you aren’t? I saw the damn pictures and the woman is exactly what we would order as a team. She’s perfect,” Cavanaugh said, and Leif squinted at him.

  “You haven’t even met her yet.”

  “I may not meet her, because you’re going to do this anyway, and God knows what the fuck kind of mess this is going to cause.”

  “Why are you risking this when he asked us to stay clear of her?”

  Leif exhaled, and didn’t face Cavanaugh as he spoke.

  “Because for an hour I felt different, like I haven’t felt in so long I forgot. I was content, enthusiastic and fucking happy. That’s the fucking reason why.”

  Cavanaugh was shocked, but he loved his brothers so damn much, and they experienced such terrible things in their careers which led them to retire and to have aftereffects. If this woman helped his brother heal, then so be it.

  “Okay, but be careful. Obviously more is going on than Corona is letting onto.”

  Chapter 5

  “She’s scheduled to come four times a week, an hour each morning so there’s room for whatever the plan is,” Ford McCurio said to Fredrico Porcini.

  “Excellent. That will leave her accessible when the time comes for her to be taken. You didn’t let onto anything with your girlfriend, correct?”

  “Fuck no. She’s none the wiser. Believe me, I’ve got that woman wrapped around my finger. She’ll do whatever I ask of her,” Ford replied.

  “Scordona’s trainers have taught you well.”

  “He has the best slave trainers around. In fact, one of my trips I plan on trying out some new techniques on a sub I see when in Rome. Should make for some stress-free evenings,” Ford said, and chuckled.

  “Very good. Keep me informed if things change at all with Joanna’s schedule. In the interim, be sure to get those men onboard for the deal. I need these to be successful so we can hide the money we all make.”

  “I got it. I’ll have them eating out of the palm of my hands by the time I’m finished. The set up for entertainment and perks will have them accepting the offers.”

  “Excellent. I’ll speak to you upon your return.”

  Fredrico ended the call and then looked at Topaz.

  “I think we should ensure she stays put and things go smoothly. Have a few men keep a closer watch. I want to know her complete schedule, who she hangs out with, if she is dating anyone, though I doubt it. The one thing we’ve kept certain is that the woman has not shared her body with anyone. If she is still a virgin, that bidding war will go through the roof.”

  “I may just jump in on that bidding war,” Topaz said, and licked his lower lip. Fredrico chuckled and picked up the picture of Joanna from his desk. “I know what you mean, but Ortley seeks revenge. He wants to cause her as much pain as he can and let Tanner know it. It may be extreme, considering how gorgeous she is, but it’s what he wants and what I promised him. Ortley came through on his end, so let’s make sure this operation is foolproof.”

  * * * *

  “What the fuck do you mean they met her and are asking about her?” Danny asked Corona over the phone. Danny was sitting in the unmarked car and heading toward Mercy. As he glanced at the clock, he knew Jo was ending a class and about to head home.

  “We know how that town works. It’s obvious she is on their radar. You need to nip this in the bud and fast.”

  “How am I supposed to do that when she doesn’t even want to talk to me or be seen with me?”

  “Let Miller know and have him handle it.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yes, seriously. We spoke to him earlier about the investigation and he’s concerned for her safety. Him and his brothers are around for the next few months at least. They’ll take the precautions that are necessary to ensure her safety.”

  “The Fordom brothers are working this case as special order from the CIA group. How the fuck could this happen? Of all the men, the guys around, Leif no less gets to her?”

  “Sounded like she knows Knight and Flynn. Cavanaugh hasn’t met her yet,” Corona said, and then exhaled.

  “Well when he does, he’ll like her, too. She’s gorgeous, tough, and sweet. Pretty fucking young for guys close to forty.”

  “Let her brothers do their job and protect her and be there to steer her away from the psycho Special Forces soldiers. We’ll do our best from the sidelines and where she won’t know it.”

  “Yeah, don’t think that is going to fly. I’ll call Miller, but I’m not happy about it.” Corona laughed.

  “We said we wanted to take active roles in her life, to be the cousins we believed we were without blood connections. This is how we can protect her, too.”

  “Shit,” Danny said, and then ended the call as his brother chuckled.

  He called Miller. “What’s going on?”

  “Well, first thing’s first, not much is new on those two dead businessmen or their company. However, the team working for the CIA group in charge are the best of the best, so it’s only a matter of time.”

  “You know them how?”

  “You may know of them, as well, considering they’v
e been sniffing around Jo.”

  “What?” Miller roared into the phone.

  “This is what I know from Cavanaugh.” Danny explained everything just as Cavanaugh had explained.

  “Son of a bitch. What if they’re dirty? Or just out for a piece of ass?”

  “Miller, I don’t like this anymore than you do because of the information we’ve been getting on these deaths and who we’re connecting to them. If Porcini is getting active, it could lead to more problems than we’re ready to face, and especially Jo. We need to figure out what’s the deal here, and stop him and his team of assholes. It isn’t going to be easy, but as I mentioned, those Special Forces guys are fucking incredible at what they do. Leif and Cavanaugh are excellent when it comes to tracking money, forensic accounting, and figuring out how these criminals launder the money. Her getting involved with these men right now is just not smart.”

  “I’ll take care of it,” Miller said, and ended the call.

  * * * *

  Miller stood by the kitchen counter and exhaled as he ended the phone call with Danny. Jo still didn’t trust Danny or his brothers and father. She felt like they were connected and involved with her dad’s operations because their dad Tanner was his best friend and considered him a brother. Shit had gone wrong between them only months before Jo was abducted. Their mom turned up dead, and then Jo was taken. He thought about his sister and everything she went through. There was a time he thought she may commit suicide, to stop the nightmares. She was strong though. Super fucking tough and she fought through and survived the after effects. Her PTSD was under control, only hitting her with mild episodes, at least that he knew of.

  “What was that all about?” Blade asked.

  He exhaled. “Call in Vetter and Trek.” Blade looked serious and then called to the others. Once they were gathered in the kitchen, he explained.

  “Who the fuck are these guys? I want everything on them to ensure they are legit,” Vetter said.