“You were with them at the Filling Station late. They were attentive, from my understanding.”
She squinted at him and knew better than to ask what or how he knew they were attentive. It was a small town and women were watched over. People knew that Lux and Fort Mills, and Scout Fay, and Breaker Yorn wanted her. That pain hit her stomach. Despite time passing, she sustained emotional and physical injuries when Canton raped her that night. She hadn’t told her brother what happened. She didn’t tell a soul. He didn’t ask either when she showed up here. She said she was finished with Mom and Dad. That they were getting into worse things and she wanted no part of them anymore. That she wasn’t safe and she needed help. That was it. Channing accepted what she told him and never pushed for more information.
“Things are different here. There’s no hooking up. At least not with sets of teams or brothers or whatever. These men have been watching over you since day one when you arrived. They took a liking to you, care so much about you, it’s obvious, and they’ve been patient with you. Are you telling me that you aren’t interested in them, don’t have strong feelings for them, and don’t want a commitment with them as your guardians?”
She swallowed hard. Tears filled her eyes as the fear of a man’s touch, a man possessing her body roughly, filled her mind. Four men could do serious damage.
She looked up through blurred vision from her tears.
“Jesus, Mercy. What didn’t you tell me?” he asked her, and she covered her mouth and tried not to cry. He was up out of his seat and had her in his arms in no time. He hugged her tight and she clung to him and cried.
“I can’t tell you. I can’t,” she said and he caressed her back.
“Why not? I know how bad Mom and Dad are. I know they were into doing illegal shit. I assumed that they forced you into doing things you didn’t want to do and you left.”
She pulled back, shocked that he had that much knowledge.
He reached up and caressed her tears away, his expression firm, yet consoling.
“I know they’re bad people. I hoped that you would get free. Would realize that their ways were wrong, and that they were using you and your skills as a driver.”
“Then why didn’t you come get me?” she asked him.
“How could I? They wouldn’t let me near you anyway. You loved driving. You were awesome at it. The best. I know you go up to the hill and watch them preparing the tracks for the jeep races and obstacle course. I bet you want to drive.”
“I can’t though. I’ve got this new life, this new image,” she said and stepped back, wiping her eyes.
Channing leaned against the island. “You’re safe and protected here. They haven’t tried to contact you or to come here.”
“They will though. You know they will.”
“If they do then we’ll handle them together. They can’t force you to leave with them. You’re twenty-four years old, a professional teacher, a beautiful, strong woman, and you are no longer at their mercy.”
She stared at him. “They’ll come for me sooner or later, to get what they want.”
“What do you mean, what they want?”
She shook her head. He narrowed his eyes at her.
“You never explained what happened. What sent you over the edge to finally put them behind you? What did they do? Tell me.”
More tears formed in her eyes. “I don’t want you to be disappointed in me.”
“Never. I know their influence and demands and how brutal they can be. Whatever happened was pretty bad, I can figure that much out. What did they force you to do? A hit?” he asked, shocking her. Her jaw dropped, her eyes widened.
“Fucking asshole. God damn, I can’t believe that he’s our father, or that Mom remains with him. I mean, they lost the two of us because of their criminal ways and demands. Shit,” he said and then exhaled.
“How did you know they did hits?” she asked.
“The asshole had the fucking nerve to call me up for inside information on a sporting event hosted by the military in Austin. I told him if he called me again or tried to rip off the ticket booth at the event then I would make certain the authorities got an anonymous tip on the hit. He didn’t fucking call back, but cursed me out and told me I wasn’t his son, and I didn’t exist in his eyes.”
She shook her head.
They were both quiet and she swallowed hard.
“He sold me out. Chose money over me”
“How so?”
“He made me drive the getaway car after they ripped off a ticketing center at a raceway.”
“No.”
“Yes,” she said, and then walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch. Her brother followed.
“How bad?” he asked.
“Fifty thousand.”
“What? Oh fuck. You got away with it?”
“Just barely.”
“Why? Why did you go along with it?” he asked her.
“Canton threatened me. Threatened to kill Mom and Dad.”
“Canton?”
“A man I was dating. Dad’s partner,” she said to him, and Channing rubbed his jaw.
“You were in love with him?”
“For a little while.”
“When did it change?”
She was quiet. She swallowed hard as tears rolled down her cheeks.
“When he started hitting me, I guess.”
“He struck you? Was abusive?” Channing asked, teeth clenched. He sat forward in his seat. The scowl on his face told her exactly how he felt about men hitting women. Her brother, despite who his father was, turned into a great man. A man who one day would make a woman very happy and very protected.
“So this guy Canton threatened that he would kill Mom and Dad if you didn’t do this hit and drive? Did he hit you, beat you, to get you to do it?”
“Yes, and I was willing to take the hits and still not give in, until he put a gun to my throat, and then I knew this was it. Do or die, and I would be finished.”
“A fucking gun? Asshole.”
“So obviously you got away with completing the hit. So you took off right after that then?”
She shook her head.
“Mercy, what happened?”
“I can’t talk about it. I left. There’s no need for details.”
“Well, that isn’t true. When your men return and take this relationship to the next level, you’ll need to be honest so they know the potential danger you’re in. I mean, I was letting you roam around freely when this guy Canton could want you back. He threatened you with a gun, was abusive, and who knows what else you aren’t telling me.”
“Wait, when they get back?” she asked.
He exhaled and then held her gaze. “Scout, Breaker, Lux, and Fort left on a mission an hour after they dropped you off from the Filling Station.”
Her eyes widened and she felt a bit insulted, sort of angry, and then concerned. “They didn’t tell me anything about a mission.”
He stared at her. “You’ve been keeping your distance and it sounded like Saturday night you let down your guard and enjoyed their company.”
“They didn’t act like they were leaving. If they wanted me to take them seriously then why wouldn’t they tell me they were going? It doesn’t make sense. They either didn’t trust me, or weren’t taking the evening we had seriously. Maybe they just wanted sex,” she said and stood up. Her anger was getting the better of her.
“I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with my sister, but, I’m assuming you didn’t sleep with them.”
She turned around and gave him such a dirty look he chuckled and then sealed his lips. They stared at one another.
“You had been blowing them off and keeping your distance,” Channing said. “I understand why now. Canton hurt you. You loved him, trusted him, and he put a gun to your neck and threatened to kill your parents and you. Trust wouldn’t come easy to any person after something like that and especially not to a man after one you loved hu
rt you like that. However, this is different, Mercy. You see how these ménage relationships work. The woman comes first. She is protected, cared for, catered to, and loved. These are four pretty intense soldiers that I’ve personally known for years. You got to them. They want you as their woman.”
Suddenly tears filled her eyes. She thought about how Canton hurt her, beat her, and raped her, with her dad and the men in the other room celebrating the hit and the money. Money she sent back to the ticket center, except for the twenty thousand that the ticket center wouldn’t even miss because it was money from a collection box outside the ticket booth. She had been shocked when she counted it and saw how much it was. Canton, her father, and the men were too busy getting drunk.
“Mercy.”
She shook her head. “I can’t let them that close to me.”
“Because of Canton’s abuse?”
She swallowed hard. “He did things and said things, Channing. I don’t think I could ever let another man get that close, not in my heart, and definitely not in my body. I can’t. I just can’t. It’s better they didn’t trust me to tell me they left for a mission. It validates the need to stay guarded and not let them or anyone else in. I just have to live my life. Put all the crap and negativity behind me and move on.”
“They care about you. They more than likely didn’t tell you about the mission and leaving because you wanted things slow. You let them kiss you, did you not?” he challenged her.
“That was obviously a mistake.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I think I’ve said enough, Channing. They’re your friends.”
“And you and I are brother and sister. We’re blood. We haven’t spoken like this, been this close, for years.”
She stared at him. Her brother was tall, handsome, and a real man. He was close with his team, Philippe, Bubba, and Thor, and they became friends with her. It was all so different here. It was like she could trust people, but her experiences back home and the fact that her own father and mother betrayed her proved that even blood can’t be trusted. She couldn’t tell Channing what Canton did to her. She was embarrassed and she was so scared of Canton despite leaving and taking the money as revenge. She couldn’t tell Channing about the money, either. Hopefully she would never have to touch that money.
“Mercy, I know that you aren’t telling me everything. I also know that when Cherokee was abducted and we all knew the man who tried to rape her was responsible, that you closed up, were extremely upset and lost in thought. I know the last few weeks you’ve been extra quiet, and I can’t help but think that you’re afraid this guy Cantor may come looking for you. Now that I know about him, am I right? Are you concerned?” he asked her.
She stared at him with tears in her eyes and her chest tight and aching. “I’ll always be concerned that Canton will show up and want back into my life. That’s the kind of man he is. One that sets his sights on something and won’t give it up. I got the hell out of there, and there’s no doubt he was pissed about that.”
“You’ll need to tell the men, so they can protect you, too,” he said to her.
“I don’t need to tell them anything. They aren’t my guardians, my guards or whatever.”
“You kissed them, let them get close.”
“And I was foolish to let down my guard and fall for them. I won’t be stupid again.”
“It isn’t being stupid. They’re good men and they will take care of you and protect you.”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t trust them. I don’t trust them, and it’s obvious they didn’t trust me.”
“You mean because they didn’t tell you they were leaving for a mission? They couldn’t. It’s against the rules. Unless you are officially their woman and they are officially your guardians, they can not divulge that information to you. There are rules that are stricter than the traditional ones with inactive soldiers. Being their woman will entail a lot of rules, but it will also secure your safety and well-being.”
“I don’t want this.”
“You’re scared. This Canton guy did more to you than what you’re sharing.”
She wiped away the tear before it escaped her eye. She couldn’t look at Channing as she leaned her head back and pulled the pillow against her chest, hugging it.
“I won’t let this guy near you,” Channing said.
She didn’t respond, but then Channing got up, sat down next to her and moved the pillow to his lap and held her close. He caressed her arm.
“You got out of there. None of the other shit matters. Eventually you’ll get over the fears, and start living your life for you, instead of living with fear and looking over your shoulder. Just do yourself a favor and don’t let that fear, and what Canton did to you, dictate your future and any relationships you may have with other men. You’re young, beautiful, and have so much to offer. Don’t let an abusive man like Canton win.”
She felt the tears roll down her cheeks and she exhaled.
“I’ll try, Channing. I’ll try.”
Chapter Three
Fort looked through the night vision glasses. There were two other teams of four nearby, ready to provide backup if need be, but their intelligence indicated this was a pretty straight forward situation. The object of their mission was to infiltrate the private estate of one Pardone Marqui, a Costa Rican arms dealer and drug runner wanted for providing military weapons and resources to terrorist organizations. As they waited for the opportunity to infiltrate the estate over the last week, they noticed the slew of women brought in who never came back out. There were also over two dozen men, armed and securing the location.
Breaker called in to the other teams. “We move in in five,” he whispered into the mic. He then looked at Fort, Lux, and Scout. “Watch your asses. I don’t like this one bit. We don’t really know what we’re walking into, so take out the men, round up Pardone, and then let’s get the fuck out.”
“Got it,” Lux said, and they all mimicked his response.
At the five minute mark they made their way closer to the estate. The light swoosh of silencers taking out men as they got closer became more frequent until they reached the doors. Giving hand signals, they entered, and as they made their way through, they could hear the cries, and then the screaming. To the right in the living room was a lot of blood across the floor, and then several bodies of naked women. A glance to the couches showed that there were multiple men wearing boxers, looking drunk but not dead, but as if they had a hell of a time with the women raping and then killing them.
“Scum,” Scout stated and one man stirred, reached for a gun, and Scout then Fort shot him. In a matter of seconds, men appeared in different directions, and the team moved through, taking them out, trying to find Pardone.
Fort, Lux, Scout, and Breaker moved in sync with one another going through the hallways. As they opened each door, cleared the bedrooms, then moved on to the others they were shocked at what they saw. Fort didn’t think twice when he saw a man assaulting a woman. Then came in the multiple naked bodies, women tortured, raped, and left 1ying there drugged out or dead.
Pardone was on a bed, naked, women around him, two who appeared to have broken necks. Fort was disgusted. What they hadn’t expected was the gunfire from the windows or the men attacking in hand-to-hand-combat. Fort fired back while Scout, Lux, and Breaker took out the men firing and then Pardone. Lux and Scout were both struggling with two men, and Fort took the shot and killed the men, but not before taking a hit to his side. It was after as the noise cleared and their backup arrived, clearing the remainder of the house, that Fort saw Lux’s and Scout’s bloody lips, bruised eyes, and the pain burned at Fort’s side.
“Fuck, you’re hit,” Breaker said and bent down to see.
“What?” Lux yelled as the other men checked for dead and living among the female victims.
Scout stood in front of Fort. “It isn’t bad.”
“The fuck it isn’t. You’re losing blood,” Breaker said to him, and then
pulled out something to apply pressure to the wound with. Breaker reached for the mic.
“I’ll call in a closer pickup.”
“No. I’m fine, Breaker. That will be too risky. Let’s do what we came to do and get to the pickup spot. I’ll make it,” Fort said, and he could tell that Scout, Breaker, and Lux were worried.
They did what needed to be done and got the hell out of there. It was a mess for the government to take care of.
* * * *
Breaker stood outside of the hospital room. The doctors said they couldn’t move Fort for a couple more days. He heard from the commanders, Spartan, John, Nolan, Brye, and Hans. Spartan and John arrived a few minutes ago and were talking with the doctors now.
“Fucking ridiculous what went down over there, Breaker. Spartan and John are pissed off about the intel and how this could have been a hell of a lot worse,” Scout said to him. Scout and Lux were sporting black eyes, cut lips, and bruised cheekbones.
“I know, and Spartan and John are on top of things. Hans, Brye, and Nolan, too. They’ll take care of it and the next time we’ll make sure we do a bit of our own recon,” Breaker replied.
“What did Channing have to say?” Lux asked.
“Checking in on us and Fort. Said if we needed anything he could drive here. I told him about the other men who have places nearby that are offsets of Sons of Justice. That we’re staying with them until we can transport Fort.”
“Fort is ready to leave now. Maybe taking Spartan up on the idea of transferring him to the medical facility on base. Dr. Genova said he could get it done, just say the word,” Scout said.
“I know, but the call is Spartan’s and the doctors’ here. I think while we’re waiting we need to make arrangements for the things we’ll need at the house for his recovery.”
“He’s going to be an ornery bastard. Especially getting this close to Thanksgiving.”
Sons of Justice 2 The School Teacher Page 5