Fearless_The Alpha Bodyguard Series

by Sybil Bartel

  “It was her or me.” He tried to laugh but only coughed up more blood. “Guess it’s me.”

  “Where is he?” I yelled, holding my gun to his head.

  “Asher!” Luna yelled as the other SUV floored it and took off. “We have to go, now.”

  I pressed my muzzle into Addis’s forehead and got in his face. “You fucking tell me where he is right now or I’m gonna find your bitch girlfriend, and I’m gonna make her fucking beg for death.”

  His eyes went wide and his mouth opened, but he choked on his own blood.

  “Where, motherfucker?” I shook him.

  “ASHER,” Luna yelled as the sirens got closer.

  “Tell me now or I’ll kill your girlfriend,” I barked at the asshole.

  “Sun-sunrise Marina.” He wheezed. “Don’t... don’t kill her.” He went limp.

  Letting go of his shirt, I ran to the passenger side of the Escalade and jumped in. “Sunrise Marina.”

  “Dios fucking mio,” Luna cursed as he floored it.

  The Escalade had taken a beating, but it lurched forward and the tires gripped as Luna spun us around and took off in the opposite direction of the approaching police cars.

  Luna hit the comm in his ear. “Collins, report… Copy that. Hold.” Luna used the Bluetooth to dial his cell.

  Three rings and Christensen’s voice came through the line. “Ja.”

  “How far out from your place are you?”

  Christensen said something in Danish.

  “We got ambushed, we’re separated. Collins is with the chica, and they’re potentially dragging a tail as they head your way. I’ve got heat on me and a damaged vehicle that stands out like a fucking beacon.”

  Christensen switched to English. “I am thirty minutes from docking at the Key Largo house. Tell Collins to come to me. Pull straight into the garage.”

  “Copy that.” Luna glanced at his watch. “You need backup?”

  “No. Preston and I will handle it.”

  “Gracias.”

  Christensen said something in Danish then hung up.

  Luna spoke into his comm. “Head to Christensen’s in Largo and pull into his garage. He and Preston will be there. I’ll be on my way when I can.” He glanced at me as he took a turn into a residential neighborhood and cut the lights. “We’re fucking lucky they hit us on that stretch of road. I didn’t see any security cameras to catch any footage.”

  I didn’t give a shit about fucking security cameras or footage. I had a much bigger problem. I glanced behind us for any sign of the cops. “Is the other SUV following Collins?”

  Luna parked on a darkened street behind a line of other cars. “Not yet, but there’s only one way in and out of the Keys.” He cut the engine. “All they’ll have to do to catch them is head north.”

  Adrenaline pumping, I tried to rein it in. I knew why we were parked. Half the vehicle was tore the fuck up, and we needed to not be in the line of sight of the cops. But we didn’t have fucking time for this. “Drop me at Sunrise Marina, then go after Collins.”

  “No,” Luna clipped without hesitation. “We’re working another angle.”

  “What fucking angle? Dante dead is the angle.”

  “I’m working on Loic. I’ll convince him to pull the Feds in on this.”

  Was he insane? “To what end? Set Dante up and catch him red-handed with a cool billion of cartel drug money? That’ll make Loic an even bigger target.”

  “The Feds can relocate him.” Luna leaned back in his seat. “His money will protect him.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “It’s the best option. We got the chica out. We keep moving forward.” He dropped his voice to a mutter. “We don’t start a fucking war with the cartel.”

  Jesus fucking Christ. “It’s already started, and I’m the goddamn poster boy for enemy number one.” Fuck this. “Take me to the fucking marina. Loic won’t need witness protection. His daughter will be safe, and I can eat fucking pancakes with my nephew tomorrow because this bullshit will be handled.”

  Luna leveled me with a look. “There are over a hundred slips at that marina. Security, cameras, civilians—you can’t go in guns blazing and fucking level everyone. Dante’ll see you coming a mile away, and so will a hundred other witnesses.”

  I didn’t give a fuck. “I’m dead if I don’t go.”

  Luna stared at me.

  “And so is she,” I added. We both knew it.

  Turning to look out the front windshield, Luna didn’t say shit.

  “I’m out of time. Whoever was in that second SUV has already reported back to Dante. Drive me to the marina, or don’t. Either way, I don’t give a fuck. I’m finishing this before he finishes me. We both knew it would come down to this.”

  Sighing, Luna dropped his head. “No, I didn’t.”

  “Then you’re stupider than you look.”

  He laughed without humor, but he started the Escalade back up. “And you’re fucking trigger-happy, amigo.”

  I had been. For years. But if I was being honest with myself, I’d admit I didn’t want to go after Dante and whoever the fuck was left of his team. Yeah, I wanted him dead, I wanted all of those fucks six feet under, but I didn’t want to pull the goddamn trigger.

  I just wanted to undo the bullshit I’d said back at the house and I wanted a classy brunette in my arms who made it possible to fucking breathe.

  But I didn’t have that luxury.

  I scrubbed a hand over my face. “Just drop me off at the marina.”

  Luna checked the rearview mirrors and scanned the street then pulled out. “You’ll need backup. I’m coming with you.”

  “No.” No fucking way. “I’m doing this solo,” I warned him. “You’re not getting on their radar.” Someone needed to be left to look after my sister and Nash… and Ludeviene.

  “Shut the fuck up.” Luna flipped the SUV around and pulled back out on the main road heading south. “Check our ammo supply. Bag’s behind your seat.”

  MY ARMS NOT MOVING, MY legs frozen, my whole body not my own, I did nothing as a man I recognized from the club threw me over his shoulder.

  Bullets flying, shouting, the smell of gas and fear and broken everything surrounded me and soaked into my soul.

  It was too much.

  My body gave up.

  I gave up.

  He was going after Dante.

  Dante was going to kill him.

  My father was associated with men who killed and raped and worked for the cartel.

  Any of this, all of this, could have happened to me at any given moment, and I’d been walking around my whole life with a false sense of security.

  I couldn’t do this.

  I couldn’t breathe.

  My stomach got pummeled by the hard shoulder it was over as the man in a black polo and black cargos ran us away from the man who’d saved my life.

  The man carrying me sprinted to another black SUV, opened the back door and unceremoniously dumped me inside.

  Drowning, no air in my lungs, I landed on soft leather in the position I’d fallen, and I lay there.

  The driver door opened and slammed shut.

  The sound of gunfire muted.

  The engine roared to life.

  The car jerked forward then took on speed.

  I lay there with his voice in my head.

  Ludeviene. Ludeviene.

  Over and over I heard him barking, then yelling my name.

  Except he hadn’t just barked and yelled.

  Guttural and desperate, my name had ripped from his lungs.

  Like I was ripped from him.

  The thought snapped me from my own head.

  I sucked in a breath, then another.

  “Hey.” The man driving spared me a glance. “You good?”

  Another breath and I pushed up. My bones stiff, my muscle control jittery, I felt Ty between my legs. “Yeah,” I rasped, clearing my throat. “Yes.” I sat all the way up.

  He eyed me in the
rearview mirror. “Collins.”

  “Excuse me?” I brushed my hair from my face.

  “My name,” he added.

  Ty had brushed my hair from my face. “Ludeviene,” I replied on autopilot. “Nice to meet you.”

  He didn’t comment. He stared at me a moment then looked back at the road.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  He held up a finger then touched a small device in his ear. “En route, second SUV at the scene potentially on my six… Copy.”

  He went quiet, and I looked behind us, but all I saw were headlights in the far distance.

  Collins spoke into his communication device again. “Ten-four.” He touched the device once more then spoke to me, answering my previous question. “Miami with a stop in Largo.”

  “Why Key Largo?”

  “Need to handle something,” he replied with little patience.

  “We’re being followed?”

  “I believe so, yes.”

  I looked behind us again. “Is Ty okay?”

  Collins glanced at me in the mirror again. “Yeah.”

  Inhaling, I tried to even out the tremors wracking my body from the inside out. “May I borrow your phone?”

  “For?”

  I hesitated. The last time I asked for a phone with these men, it didn’t go over well. But as the large SUV sped north, I was more desperate than before.

  Screw it.

  I told Collins the truth, but this time, I used the name they all knew Dreena’s man by. “I would like to call Tank.”

  “Tank,” Collins stated with zero intonation.

  “Yes.”

  Muttering something under his breath that sounded like trouble, he reached in his pocket, swiped across his phone, then held it out to me.

  I took it and scrolled to his contacts. Sure enough, he had “Tank” programmed.

  I hit dial.

  After three rings, the line was answered.

  “Why the fuck are you calling me right now?” Falcon’s deep voice boomed through the line, but he sounded like I’d woken him up.

  “My apologies. This is Ludeviene Loic. May I please speak with Dreena?”

  His tone went all business. “Where’s Collins?”

  Intimidated, I stuttered, “He-he’s driving.”

  “Put him on the phone,” Falcon demanded.

  I persisted. “May I please speak with Dreena?”

  Silence.

  I gripped the phone tighter. “Hello?”

  “Why?”

  It wasn’t a question, it was a demand.

  Second-guessing my entire plan and this call, I evaded. “I would like to speak with her, please.”

  He sighed, then it sounded like he put the phone on speaker. “Wake up, babe. You got a call.”

  Sheets rustled, and Dreena’s sleepy voice came through the line. “Who is it?”

  “It’s Ludeviene,” I replied.

  “Oh my God! Did they find you?” Her voice suddenly sounding awake, she practically yelled, “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, they did and I’m fine, but I need a favor.”

  “Yes, sure, of course,” Dreena answered as Tank growled out a babe. “Anything you need.”

  Inhaling for courage, I asked, “May I please come to your house instead of going home?”

  “Oh my God, of course,” Dreena sympathized.

  “Hell no,” Tank barked.

  “Falcon!” Dreena snapped.

  “Not just hell no, but no fucking way. Does she know what’s up with you? She’s not fucking coming here and putting you in danger. Give me that.” There was a rustling sound and the phone went off speaker then Tank’s voice thundered with anger. “Put Collins on.”

  Guilt and horror at my abject selfishness washed over me. “My apologies, I didn’t think—”

  “Collins, now,” Tank roared.

  I held the phone out for Collins. “It’s for you.”

  He took it, but not before he gave me a look in the mirror that said it all. “I wasn’t a part of that agenda… Copy… No fucking shit… I hear you. Ten-four.” He hung up.

  “I can’t go to my father’s,” I admitted in desperation. “Please don’t take me there.”

  Sighing, he distinctly muttered trouble, then he dialed his phone. A second later a ring sounded through the car’s speaker before the call was answered.

  “Luna.”

  “Client request,” Collins clipped.

  “Go,” Luna answered in a rush.

  “She doesn’t want to be returned to Loic’s.”

  “Use one of the client apartments.”

  “Copy that.”

  “Anything else?” André asked.

  “No.”

  “Later.” André hung up.

  I leaned back in my seat and let out the breath I’d been holding. “Thank you.”

  “Welcome.” Collins scanned the side mirrors again. “Mind if I ask a question?”

  “Go ahead.” I didn’t want to talk, but he’d done me a favor, and he was being polite for the moment.

  “Why don’t you want to go to your father’s?”

  I looked out the window at the darkness rushing past. Then I acknowledged a truth I never would have believed a day ago. “I just found out he’s been in business with the cartel for the better part of twenty years. Would you want to go back to that?”

  Glancing over his shoulder, he changed lanes and passed a single lone car traveling the same artery that fed the keys as we were. Then he looked at me in the rearview mirror. “Fuck no.”

  “THERE IT IS.” I HANDED the night-vision binoculars to Luna. “West side, farthest slip.”

  Crouched next to me in the type of mangroves I fucking hated because the roots grew up out of the ground like spikes, Luna took the night vision and looked. “Jesucristo,” he muttered. “There’s not a single approach from the docks where we won’t be visible.”

  “I know.” I checked the magazine on the rifle I’d taken from the Escalade for the third time.

  Luna scanned from the marina entrance all the way to the dock. “Even with a fast approach, that’s a thirty, forty-five second run.” He lowered the night vision and looked at me. “We’ll be sitting ducks.”

  “That’s why I’m swimming in.” Standing up, I screwed the suppressor on one of the two 9mms I’d also taken from the back of Luna’s Escalade. “Stay here and keep the deck in your sights.”

  Luna used the night-vision binoculars again. “All I can see is one man on patrol.”

  “I left nine on the island. With Dante and the captain, there’s potentially eleven on that fucking boat. Ten if you don’t count whoever is following Collins.” I moved an extra magazine from my cargo pocket to my tactical vest.

  “Not great odds,” Luna mused.

  “I made it off the island, didn’t I?” I scanned the water again. “When I get out there, take out the man on deck.”

  Luna shook his head. “If I fire first, they’ll know you’re coming. I’ll wait till until you have a problem.”

  “Dante already knows I’m coming. That fucker is waiting. Why else would he still be here?” He didn’t stay anywhere for more than thirty-six hours.

  “He thinks he still has Loic under his thumb. He called him a half hour ago. Loic didn’t let on that he knew his daughter was out.”

  “Clock’s ticking.” I glanced at the distance to the yacht again as I put a comm in my ear. “Give me four minutes, then be ready.”

  Luna sighted through his scope. “I was born ready.”

  Nerves of steel, he wasn’t fucking lying. I’d never seen him on the battlefield, but he was relentless in this line of work. Downrange, I’d bet the fucker had been a beast.

  Shouldering my rifle strap, I swung the AR-15 to my back and eased into the water. Thigh deep, I dropped to a crouch and glanced over my shoulder at Luna. “If I don’t come back, do me a favor.”

  Luna looked up from his scope. “I got your sister covered, amigo.”
/>
  I tipped my chin in thanks. “I know you do, but give the brunette a message from me. Tell her I said she’s sexy as hell when she signs.”

  Luna stared at me for a hard beat. Then he looked back through his scope. “You slept with her.”

  “Yep.” I looked toward the yacht. “Then I walked the fuck away like a good Marine.”

  “Idiota,” Luna muttered.

  “No fucking shit.” My 9mm with the silencer at the ready, I ducked underwater and swam to the beginning of the dock.

  I didn’t give a damn about the temperature of the water, my sore fucking ribs, or the sleep deprivation pounding at my temples. I was focused on one goddamn thing.

  Dante dead.

  I’d never forget seeing her tied to that bed bleeding.

  Or the feel of taking her virginity and coming inside her.

  I came up for air under the dock and shook the thought out of my head. Mission intent, I had one fucking goal. Slowing down to make as little wake as possible from my movements, I covered the distance of the main dock. Before moving under the dock where the yacht was, I glanced back toward shore.

  I couldn’t see shit through the mangroves or the darkness. “Fifteen seconds,” I whispered into the comm.

  “Copy,” Luna replied. “In my sights.”

  I swam to the end of the dock.

  Glancing through the slats, I looked up at the deck, but I couldn’t see the guard.

  Fuck.

  Now or never.

  The 9mm in front of me, I swam starboard and grabbed the edge of the boat singlehanded. My ribs screaming, I hoisted up, aiming.

  Before my head cleared the side to see the deck, Luna spoke through the comm and I heard the shot.

  “Firing.”

  Wind whipped, the bullet whined and a distinctive thud hit the deck.

  “Target down,” Luna confirmed.

  I double-timed it.

  Pulling myself up and over, I landed on deck, rolled and was back on my feet. Stepping over the dead guard with a bullet between his eyes, I moved to the side of the main sliders into the cabin and risked a quick glance.

  Three men at a table playing cards, and my target on the couch on the phone.

  I calculated the time to open the slider.

  Too fucking long.

  Slinging my rifle to my front, I whispered in the comm, “Going in.”

  “Copy. Got your six.”