“We all go,” Chase said, on his mate’s heels. “We bought another plane a few days ago. My elite team goes with RARE.”
“You got that right,” Sable snarled, following Dax from the room. “We all go and bring Raven home!”
Jaxson swallowed hard, gazing around at his friends, ready to lay their lives on the line for his mate. Phoenix clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s do this, man.”
Jaxson gritted his teeth and nodded, determination filling him. “Let’s go get my mate.”
7
Raven moaned softly, trying to block out the pain that raced through her body as she shivered uncontrollably. She was so cold. Whatever they’d done to her this last time, it was worse than any time before, and it was taking her longer to recover. She lay on the hard floor, covered in a blanket one of the scientists had given her seemingly as an afterthought when they brought her back to her cell.
“Raven! Oh, my God, Raven! What did they do to you?”
She heard the words distantly, knew her friend was near, but couldn’t respond.
“Oh, Raven,” Amber cried, struggling to open the cell door with a key she’d managed to steal from the scientist months ago. “I am so sorry!”
Sorry? What was she sorry for? None of this was her fault. Amber was her friend. She would never hurt her. Raven watched through barely raised eyelids as Amber shoved open the door and ran over to where she lay, dropping to her knees beside her. Tears formed in her eyes when Amber reached out and tentatively ran a hand gently over her hair.
“I’m afraid to touch you,” Amber whispered, laying down beside her so they stared in each other’s eyes. “I don’t want to cause you more pain.”
“Hurts everywhere,” Raven rasped, her tongue slipping out to slide over dried, cracked lips. “Can’t move.”
Amber slid her hand over and carefully linked their pinky fingers together. “That okay?”
Raven nodded, crying out at the pain that sliced through the back of her head.
“Sssshhh, Raven. Let’s just lay here. We don’t have to talk.”
“Yes,” Raven breathed, so grateful for her friend at that moment. Amber might not be able to hold and comfort her like she had in the past, but she wasn’t alone. That’s what mattered. Just having the other woman there with her helped.
When Amber began to hum softly, Raven shut her eyes and allowed herself to drift off into a fitful sleep. Unconsciously, she found herself reaching for him. The man she’d spoken with before. The one who called her his mate. Jaxson. She wanted to hear his voice. It made her feel safe, even though she was in hell. She needed him. Jaxson. There was no response. Just a black void, and a soft sob left her lips as she tried again. Jaxson, where are you? You said to reach for you. I’m trying, but I don’t know what I’m doing. Please, I’m so scared.
She didn’t know why she was admitting her fear to this man. She never showed fear to the men and women who dug into her body. She hid her pain and terror from them, laying as still as possible while they followed the General’s orders, doing whatever it was that they did. Maybe it was because she didn’t fully believe he was real. It was all just a hazy dream, even if it felt real. Even if she wanted it to be real. He was a figment of her imagination. Someone she’d conjured up to help her get through the hell her life had become. But… she wanted him to be real. Needed him to be.
Raven felt herself drift away, slipping into unconsciousness as she called to him. Jaxson. I need you.
Jaxson shifted restlessly in his chair on the plane, struggling to fall asleep. He had been trying futilely for the past hour and was mad as hell. He knew his emotions were getting in the way, but he didn’t know how to contain them. He was so angry that his mate was suffering, and there was nothing he could do about it.
Will you let me help you?
The voice slipped into his mind, and Jaxson stiffened, a low growl building in his throat. He knew who it was, but he didn’t want anyone walking around in his damn head right now. Jinx.
I was afraid this would happen, Jinx muttered, as if he were distracted. If you let me, I can put you to sleep.
Fuck, you could do it even if I didn’t want you to, couldn’t you?
Yes, Jinx admitted, but since we are… pack… I thought it would be better if I asked. The man had stumbled over the word pack, and Jaxson knew it was because he’d never been part of a pack before. Never been a part of anything. Even though RARE and the White River Wolves had welcomed him, claiming him as one of theirs, he was having a hard time accepting the idea of not being alone anymore.
Do it, Jaxson growled. He would do anything to connect with his mate again. He needed to make sure she was okay. Alive.
Jinx didn’t hesitate. One second Jaxson was aware of everything that was happening on the plane, the next he was drifting into nothingness.
You must concentrate. It may feel like you are asleep, but you are now in a state where you can walk in dreams. Reach for your mate. She is calling for you, Jinx said, before slipping out of his mind, leaving him alone.
“Jinx, wait! I don’t know what to do. How do I reach for her?”
Jaxson was unaware that he spoke out loud, and that everyone on the plane with him turned in his direction, a hush falling over them.
“Dammit, Jinx. Get back here,” he muttered in frustration.
It was as if he was in a black and grey void. He could see nothing, hear nothing. Trying to remain calm, he thought about what Jinx had said. Reach for his mate. Jaxson concentrated, recalling everything he could from the last time he spoke with Raven. The low, sweet timbre of her voice. Her nervousness in talking to him. Her fear. Her complete faith that her brother was coming for her. He brought forth everything he could remember, letting it swirl around him, in him.
Jaxson. I need you.
It was her! He’d found her!
It hurts so much. Whatever they did, I fear they broke me. I’m not sure I will be able to recover this time.
Jaxson wanted to yell. To scream at the Gods for what his woman was going through. He wanted to gut every single person who had ever laid a hand on her. He couldn’t, not right now, but he would.
Jaxson, where are you?
I’m right here, sweet mate, he said gently, wishing he could hold her close and somehow make all of her suffering disappear.
Jaxson?
Yes, I’m here now, he said gruffly.
I’ve been calling for you.
I’m so sorry, Raven. I just found my way back to you. Guilt ate at him. She was in agony and he’d left her alone for so long. Tears leaked out, trailing down his face, in real life as well as wherever he was now. He didn’t hear the gasp that left Flame’s lips, nor was he aware when his alpha lowered herself into the seat next to him and rested her hand gently on his.
You know my name.
So, it was her. Dax and Rubi’s sister. Deep down, he’d known the moment he had seen the siblings in the hallway at his apartments. Now, it was confirmed. Yes. I’m with your brother and sister. We are coming for you.
He heard Raven gasp, and then a quiet sob filtered over to him.
Baby, don’t cry, he whispered frantically, unable to handle her tears. We will be there soon. I promise.
The General is too powerful.
The General is lying in a hospital bed, weak after my alpha’s mate almost tore out his throat. I am not afraid of him, Raven. Nothing will stop me from coming to you. I will kill anyone who stands in my way.
Jaxson, I’m scared. Nothing can happen to you. Or to my sister and brother.
We will be fine, he promised. We aren’t alone. My team is with us, and so is a lot of our pack.
Your team? Pack? Her voice was weak, barely there. He had to strain to hear her, and he could feel the pain radiating from her.
I am part of a mercenary team called RARE, he told her, wanting to distract her from the misery she was in. We are a contract team, hired to complete missions no one else can.
That soun
ds dangerous, Raven breathed. I don’t think I like the thought of you in danger.
Jaxson fought back a chuckle, even as warmth filled him from the thought of her caring. It’s my life, sweet mate. Our expertise is what is going to get you out of the General’s clutches.
There was silence, and then he heard, Tell me more.
When we started out with RARE, there were six of us. That has grown to eleven since our fight with the General began. I look for it to grow even more before this is over.
You have been fighting against the General?
For over a year, he told her. Ever since we were called in to rescue Lily. Jaxson told her the story of Nico and Jenna, and how they had saved Jenna’s daughter. He told her about Phoenix and Serenity, Trace and Jade, and the rest of the team, while Raven listened intently. When he could feel her start to drift away from him, he whispered, Rest now, my mate. We will be there soon.
Jaxson, what about my sister and brother? How are they?
He smiled, imagining running a gentle hand over her head and down her hair, then placing a soft kiss on her lips, wishing he was there to do it in person. Dax is hell on wheels. I’d never seen a dragon before. The bastard is huge. And Rubi is a fighter. She’s loaded down with weapons and ready for a war. We are coming for you, Raven.
Be safe, my wolf.
She was gone before he could respond, and he woke with a howl ripping from his throat.
“Calm down, my brother,” a gruff voice said. “I’ve got you.”
Jaxson stiffened, his gaze meeting the dark emerald one across from him. “It’s Raven, Dax,” he rasped. “It’s her. We have to get to her. I promised.”
Dax took a deep breath, lowering his head for a moment before raising it to meet his eyes again. “We will. There is going to be a lot of death on this trip, my new friend. Your job is to get my sister out of there. I will light the rest of the motherfuckers up when she is safe.”
“No, brother, we will,” Rubi snarled.
“We all will,” Phoenix vowed. “Jaxson is our brother, which makes Raven family. We aren’t leaving without her, and we are going to show them all what happens when they mess with one of ours.”
Jaxson let a deep growl build in his chest, satisfaction filling him when everyone on the plane did the same. They were almost there. Soon, they were going hunting, and God help any of the stupid bastards that got in their way.
8
“Well, well, what do we have here?”
Raven struggled to open her eyes. She didn’t recognize the voice, but she could smell the fear pouring off Amber.
“Don’t move,” Amber whispered softly. As if sensing that Raven was going to try and ignore the order, she murmured, “My sister will kill you, Raven. Please, stay down.”
“When our father told me to watch you, I have to admit, I was a bit pissed off at the idea,” Ebony drawled. “I thought he was just being a foolish old man, because you are really nothing more than a weak, pathetic version of your mother. You have surprised me, Sister.” Glancing around, she grinned. “I didn’t even know this place existed. The General has been keeping secrets, it seems.”
Raven sensed movement and felt Amber slide something into her hand before she rose and faced her sister. “Ebony. Have you been following me?”
Ebony laughed harshly before snidely saying, “Trust me, I wouldn’t be if our father didn’t demand it. I’m glad he did, though. It’s nice to see what you’ve been up to. I thought maybe trying to rescue Chase Montgomery was a fluke. That you didn’t really have any balls, after all. Looks like I was wrong.”
“You are wrong about a lot of things,” Amber said quietly.
“Oh, care to enlighten me, little sister?”
“Not really,” Amber murmured. “You will learn soon enough.”
“Ya know, Amber, I think it’s time you and I take a walk and have a little talk.”
“We can talk right here.”
“Not for what I have in mind,” Ebony said, opening the cell door wider and stepping inside. “It’s time you tell me about all of your little pets you seem to have in our different facilities.”
“They aren’t pets,” Amber spat. “They are human beings that are treated like trash.”
“They are shifter trash that deserve what they are getting,” Ebony snarled.
“Just because they are different?” Amber said incredulously. “How does that even make sense, Ebony? None of us choose the life we are born into.”
Raven managed to open her eyes just enough to peer out through narrow slits. She could see Amber’s sister, although her vision was blurry. The longer she stared, the more the image in front of her came into focus. Long, dark hair. Dark eyes full of hatred. A sneer on her full lips.
“No, but we choose the one we lead,” Ebony responded, glaring at her. “What are you thinking, Amber, defying the General the way you are? He will kill you.”
“What do you care?”
“I don’t,” Ebony said with a shrug. “Dead or alive, you mean nothing to me.”
Raven smelled the pain Ebony’s comment caused her friend, but she also smelled the lie drifting over from Ebony, which didn’t make sense. Why would she say something so horrible if she didn’t mean it?
Amber straightened her shoulders and lifted her head, holding it high. “Do whatever you want with me, Ebony. My loyalty is not, and has never been, with you or our father. I follow the General’s orders because I have no choice, but I will never stop caring about these people you keep prisoner here and all over the world. They have lives, families. They feel pain just like we do. They don’t deserve what you and the General put them through. I will never stop fighting for them.”
“Amber, no,” Raven rasped, struggling to move. Her body felt weighted down, devoid of energy. She couldn’t even lift a hand to help her friend. “Amber!”
“Awe, so they care about you, too,” Ebony murmured, her eyes now on Raven. “How interesting.”
When Ebony made a move toward her, Amber stepped between them. “No! She’s been through enough. I won’t let you hurt her anymore.”
“You won’t let me?” Ebony growled. “Just how do you think you are going to stop me, you little bitch?”
“However I have to.”
Ebony’s eyes seemed to glow, and she threw back her head and laughed. “You continue to surprise me, Sister. It would seem you have a backbone after all.” Then, her gaze turned cold and hard as she ordered, “Let’s go.”
“Where?” Amber demanded, but Raven heard the small tremor in her voice.
“Your choice.” Ebony looked down at Raven and sneered. “You move out of my way, and I will think about letting this incident slide after I spend some time with your friend, and then you and I have our little talk. You don’t, we go straight to the General and let him decide what to do with you.”
“Move,” Raven croaked, wanting to help her friend. She could handle more pain. It was all she knew anymore. To save Amber from whatever the General would do to her, she would take a beating from Ebony.
Amber shook her head, motioning toward the cell door. “The General.”
“No!”
Ebony’s eyes narrowed on where Raven lay on the floor, already looking broken, then she glanced at Amber and cocked an eyebrow. “You would rather take a punishment from the General, knowing full well it could be death, than let me at a shifter for a few minutes?”
“Yes.”
Raven heard the truth and resolve in Amber’s voice, and evidently so did Ebony, because she grinned and waved a hand toward the door. “Let’s go, then. This is going to be fun.”
“You first,” Amber demanded, refusing to move from her position in front of Raven.
“Amber, please, don’t do this,” Raven rasped.
Shaking her head, Ebony laughed. “I wonder what it is like to have such a loyal friend.”
“It’s too bad you will never open yourself up to someone else long enough to find out,” Amber said q
uietly.
“Caring about others gives them power over you, Amber. Look at what you are doing now. Getting yourself killed for someone who is going to die in here anyway. I will never allow someone to have that kind of hold over me.” Ebony clenched her hands tightly into fists and turned to stomp out of the cell. “Let’s go.”
“No,” Raven sobbed, struggling to move. Pain slammed into her and she cried out, falling back to the floor. “Amber!”
Amber knelt beside her, running a hand gently over her hair, careful not to touch the dark bruise on her temple. Leaning down, she whispered, “Everything’s going to be okay, Raven. Jinx will finish the job I couldn’t. You will be free someday. I know it. I feel it, in here.” Covering her heart, Amber smiled through her tears. “My life on this earth may be over, but yours will just be beginning. Live it well, and always remember how much I valued our friendship. I have no regrets.”
After placing a soft kiss on top of Raven’s head, Amber rose and left the cell. Raven flinched when Ebony slammed it shut behind her. Then, they were gone. Raven screamed Amber’s name over and over, until her throat was so raw and hoarse she could scream no more. And then, she cried huge racking sobs that caused physical pain, but she couldn’t stop. Amber was all that was good in this world. She had been the only light in the darkness Raven lived in for so long. Her friend, her confidant, her sister. The only reason she was still alive. And now, she was gone. At the General’s mercy, and everyone who knew the man, knew he had none.
9
“In position, Alpha.”
“Ready.”
“Let’s do this.”
“Here.”
Jaxson listened as everyone checked in through the comms, waiting impatiently by a door on the south side of the facility. He’d already brought down the building’s entire security system and had both the deadbolt and the lock on the door he was going through picked. He was ready to infiltrate. They were going in partially blind, something they hated to do, but all they had were the specs of the place from over fifty years ago that Jaxson managed to dig up. Who knew what changes the General had made to the place when he acquired it? They had moved in quietly, taking out the guards on the outside of the building, and now had three of their own snipers set up high in trees, covering as much ground as they could. Angel would have preferred four, but with Rikki out, Trace, Sapphire, and Charlotte were going to have to do what they could on their own.
Jaxson's Justice Page 4