by James, Gemma
Her arms snaked around me, holding on tight, and I let out a sigh. The dreams had disturbed her deeply, and not because she still wanted Zach, but because he was a fucking lunatic that scared her.
Why I couldn’t get that to stick, I might never know.
Her quick intake of breath told me there was more. Afraid of rattling her further, I remained silent and waited.
“Call off the fight. Rafe, please. I’ll do anything. I’ll let you torture me with ginger, let you fuck me any way you want—”
“You’ll already let me do that.”
“That’s beside the point!” She shot me a seething glare. “Don’t do this, I’m begging you. Call off the fight.”
“I can’t. There’s too much at play here. Too much at stake. You have to understand—”
“I understand one of you is going to die!” She shoved against my chest, putting all her strength into untangling herself from my embrace. “And I don’t want it to be you.”
“You want Zach dead then?” I asked, raising a speculative brow. “Is that what you’re saying?”
She shuffled back, and I wanted to shake an answer from her because my sanity, everything I was, hinged on what fell from those luscious lips.
Lips still damp from my cum.
Fuck, she was the distraction from hell.
“That’s not what I meant.”
My heart plopped somewhere in my gut. “What do you mean, then?”
She retreated. I advanced. We’d been perfecting this dance for ages, it seemed.
“I don’t wanna see anyone else hurt.”
“Even Zach?”
She licked her lips then sucked her lower one between her teeth.
“Answer me,” I snapped, my attention captured by her mouth and thoughts of what it did to me.
“Even him.”
“After everything that piece of shit has done, why would you want me to spare him?”
“It’s not about him, Rafe. God! It’s about you! You’re better than this. You’re not a fucking murderer.”
“I killed Perrone,” I pointed out.
A hint of uncertainty washed over her pale face. “Self-defense, no doubt.”
She had no fucking clue. I’d scorched her ass with ginger. Allowed another man to beat her. I’d fucked her in the ass against her wishes, yet she still didn’t see what stood right in front of her.
“I’m a monster, Alex. I choked Jax’s uncle in prison. I hunted Brock down and choked him to death too. Still think I’m better than this?”
She jerked her head back and forth, eyes wide. Disbelieving. She backed up another step and stumbled into the wall.
“I know who you are in here,” she said, placing a trembling hand over her heart. “Your capacity to forgive tells me all I need to know about you. I don’t know what road you’ve been down these past few months, but this is not you.” She was clinging to denial of epic proportions.
“It is me, babe.” I launched myself at her, caging her in, giving off an intimidating vibe even she couldn’t deny. “I want to kill him.” I grabbed her chin and lowered my face to hers, and our lips nearly met. “It kills me that you don’t want it too. He deserves nothing less than death.”
She swallowed hard. “We all deserve things, Rafe.”
“What would you have me do then, huh? Let the fucker kill me and take off with you?”
Her eyes widened, then something I couldn’t name passed over her features. “A decision,” she muttered. “I choose you. Always. Do what you have to do, but don’t you dare forget who you are.” She slid her palm up my abs and stalled at my galloping heartbeat. “Don’t forget who you are in here. You’re the love of my life, Rafe. The guy I’ve been head over heels for since before I knew what love was.”
“Fuck, baby.” I buried my face in her shoulder, overcome with…just fucking overcome. “I don’t want you to hate me.”
“Impossible,” she whispered. “I have no choice but to love you.”
21. ODE TO 1:11
Rafe
We fucked before she fell asleep in my arms. Though fucked might be the wrong word. More like falling into each other, body and fucking soul. She had a piece of me I’d never get back, and I figured the same was true for her too.
I carefully removed my arms from her body and rolled onto my back. Maybe I should have pushed her sooner about the dreams, but I knew firsthand how dredging up nightmares could sear straight through someone.
Mine, thank fuck, had taken a vacation.
My cell vibrated on the nightstand next to the clock glowing a neon green 1:11 a.m. Not many people called me, and only one would at this hour. I grabbed my phone, eased from the bed, and crept through the door before answering.
“What’s up?”
“You awake?”
“I am now.”
“Sorry,” Jax said, cursing under his breath. “I know you have the fight tomorrow to worry about. I just…”
Something about his tone put me on alert. “What’s wrong?”
“I got a lead on Tawny. Gotta go back to Mexico.”
“Don’t even think about picking up an extra passenger this time.” Though he’d have difficulty getting to Zach with Shelton hiding him somewhere.
“I ain’t touching him, okay? I’m just saying…goodbye, I guess.”
“Wait. You’re leaving now?”
“She’s my sister. I’ve gotta find her.”
“I know that, Jax. I just didn’t realize you were taking off in the middle of the fucking night.”
A long pause blared between us. “You should do the same. Take Alex and just go. I don’t have a good feeling about this, man. Shelton’s a sketchy dude.” He’d been saying that from day one. Jax had never liked the guy.
“You’re sketchy,” I pointed out.
“No denying that.”
He agreed with me too easily. And maybe it was true. Jax was a sketchy bastard, but I saw myself in him. He wrestled with demons, same as me. We were kindred spirits.
“Don’t lose my number,” I said. “Let me know if you find her. I’ll be heading out of here right after the fight.”
“I’ll call you when I know something.” Another beat passed. “Be careful tomorrow night.”
The call went dead, and I stared at the phone for a few seconds, astonished he’d hung up on me. Obviously, he had other things on his mind, but I guessed it was more than his sister. Like Alex, he didn’t want to see me participate in this fight.
I tiptoed back to the bedroom and checked on her, relieved to find that she hadn’t stirred.
Jax was right. I should pack a bag, grab her, and just go. Every atom in my body screamed at me to do so…yet here I stood. It was like that morning six months ago when Jax and I prepared to break into Perrone’s estate. Despite the sick feeling in my gut, I’d promised Alex something I shouldn’t have promised her.
I said I’d come back.
I prayed to fuck I wasn’t destined to repeat history. I’d told her I was going to win this fight, and I had every intention of doing so. Whether Zach left the cage on his feet or in a body bag…that, I didn’t know. But I was ready for this match, believed the odds were in my favor, and I’d never had better motivation.
Take Alex and just go.
Those words became a chant in my head. Fuck, he was right. Alex was right. They were so fucking right it was insane. What was I trying to prove? It didn’t matter. Nothing was as important as keeping her safe.
I didn’t remember spanning the floor between the doorway and the closet, but suddenly I was pulling out a duffle, yanking drawers open, and tossing shit into the bag. We could be out of here in fifteen minutes, twenty tops. Just fucking disappear in the middle of the night, and no one would miss us for hours. Zach didn’t know where the safe house was, and neither did Shelton. Jax was the only one who knew, and as far as sketchy people went, he was the only sketchy person I’d trust with my life. He hadn’t told a soul about that house, and he wouldn’t.
Alex and I could lay low for a few days while I emptied out my accounts, assuming I still had access to them. People might wonder why a missing person was suddenly pulling out money from—
“What are you doing?” Alex’s sleepy voice cut into the manic thoughts racing on the tracks of my mind.
“Get dressed. We’re getting the fuck outta here.”
She sprang upright. “You’re not fighting?” Her voice sounded hopeful, which only made me feel shittier.
“No, I shouldn’t have let things get this far. You’re right. We need to get moving.” If Zach were stupid enough to come after us, I’d kill him without hesitation or remorse.
She jumped out of bed and hastily dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. Her hair was a mess, but she didn’t seem to care, and I sure as hell didn’t care because she looked damn sexy with those locks twisted in a wild array around her face.
She had a thoroughly fucked look about her I’d never get enough of. Before I changed my mind about fleeing, I zipped up the duffle, grabbed my gun—the one that had faired better than Alex’s purse—and we made our way through the dark toward the stairs.
Fierce cold wind blasted us on deck. I flung the bag over my shoulder, tucked the gun into the waistband of my jeans, and adjusted her hood to protect her face from the bitter weather. “You okay?”
“Just get me on land.”
Winding an arm around her, I pulled her to my side, and we stepped off the boat together, shuffled down the slick dock, and ventured into soggy grass. We trudged through the mud toward my truck, parked mere feet away.
A pair of headlights illuminated us in the night. Pushing Alex behind me, I halted as doors opened and slammed shut. Two men ambled toward us, carefree. Like we were good friends, except the guns they grasped at their sides told a different story. At least they weren’t fucking pointing them at us yet, and I wanted to keep it that way.
“Fuck, you scared the shit outta me,” I said, recognizing Nate.
“What’s going on?” He gestured toward the bag hanging over my shoulder.
“Just putting some stuff in the truck for tomorrow.” I glanced at Alex and tried to convey how dire this situation might become if she didn’t play along. “Babe, you wanna put this in the truck? Should be unlocked.”
With a nervous swallow, she took the duffle and tromped through the mud. I shuffled sideways, keeping me between Alex and our intruding visitors.
“It’s fucking freezing. What are you guys doing out here?” I shoved my hands into my pockets.
“Just keeping an eye on things. Shelton insisted we do a little stake out to make sure nothing unexpected happens.” Nate’s grin grated on my nerves. “You shouldn’t have a problem sleeping. We’ll be out here all night.”
Wonderful.
In other words…Alex and I weren’t going anywhere. Not until after I kept my word and fought in this damn match. A door creaked open behind me, and I heard the duffle thump onto the seat. The door shut with a bang that echoed through the night, and Alex returned to my side, her strength quiet but steady. She laced her fingers with mine, and that same uneasy feeling I’d had during my meeting with Shelton in the barn came over me again. Probability was high that he’d try to stop us from leaving at all.
22. END GAME
Alex
Instead of a text with the location and time, Rafe received two gun-toting escorts the following night. They drove us to wherever the fight was being held, remaining frustratingly silent, and the situation was too similar to finding ourselves locked in the back of a trunk together. The way Rafe held onto my hand hinted that maybe he felt the same way.
Follow my lead. I’ll get you out of this, I promise.
Rafe’s words—whispered to me as we slid from the back of their souped-up SUV—bounced around my head as we entered a dilapidated warehouse. The furious vibe within these slab walls hit me instantly. The place was packed with people, the crowd consisting mostly of men.
As our henchmen escorts weaved a path for us, every man in a ten-foot vicinity attached his lust-filled gaze to my ass, though most were too busy taking a drag off a cigarette or swigging from a bottle of beer to say anything.
I clenched my fists to keep from tugging my black skirt down my thighs, past the lace tops of the stockings I wore. Men lost their minds when confronted with lace and a garter belt. I hadn’t wanted to dress provocative, but Rafe said Shelton demanded it.
Rafe flung an arm over my shoulders and tucked me into his side. His hold was possessive, but also protective, and he glowered at anyone brave enough to look at me.
There were a lot of brave men here.
The man I’d spied talking to Rafe in the barn a few days ago headed us off with a low whistle.
“I’m Shelton,” he said, taking my hand and brushing his wide mouth over the back. I yanked my hand from his.
Seemingly amused by my objection to being touched, he turned to Rafe with a small smile. “Your girl is a looker. I can see why you tried to run.”
“Like I told your goons,” Rafe said, sneering at the two men we’d followed inside, “I was just putting some shit in my truck.”
Shelton waved his words away. “You’re here, so consider us square.” He leaned in close to Rafe. “We’ll be real square after you make me a load of cash tonight.”
“We’re gonna have problems if you don’t get the fuck out of my face.”
“Whoa,” Shelton said, stepping back. “What’s with the hostility?”
“You tell me. You’re the one siccing your dogs on me.”
The other men bristled, but Shelton held up a hand. “Everybody relax. Nate and…” His eyes narrowed at the bigger of the two. “What the fuck is your name again?”
“Larson, sir.”
“Drop the sir.” Shelton pointed behind him, toward a door beyond a stack of crates. “Go make sure De Luca junior’s nice and comfy. Keep him contained until the fight starts.”
The other two men scuttled off. The way Shelton’s predatory gaze bounced between Rafe and me was unsettling. I didn’t like him. I didn’t like this place. Most of all, I didn’t like the thought of Rafe fighting my brother.
“You’re not going to be happy about this, Mason, but I need you to do something for me.”
“Why ask then?” Rafe said, and I winced at his tone. He wasn’t playing nice at all. Not that I blamed him. But why piss off this guy unless we had a reason to? He said we were taking off as soon as the fight was over…unless he didn’t think that was going to happen.
“Normally, I wouldn’t, but I don’t see a way around it. You want De Luca, and I want him in that cage with you.” Shelton scratched his nose for a second. “Problem is, he’s not budging unless he talks to your girl first.”
Rafe tensed beside me, his body ready to burst into action. I couldn’t see the adrenaline storming him, but I sensed it like an intangible wave in the air.
“I’m sure your guys can convince him.”
“That isn’t how I operate. He’ll fight because he wants to fight.” He gestured at me. “And if he doesn’t talk to her first, he ain’t cooperating.”
“You mean we have a choice?” Rafe let out a bitter laugh. “So you won’t mind if Alex and I take off then.”
“Zach’s a little tied up right now, but you’re standing here free as a bird. Don’t push me, Mason. Let him have five minutes with your girl. My guys will make sure he doesn’t lay a finger on her.”
Rafe was about to put up the fight from hell, I could already tell, but I stepped out of his grasp. “I’ll do it.”
“No!” Rafe’s voice thundered through the warehouse, and the raucous chatter fell silent.
Ignoring him, I kept my gaze on Shelton. “I’ll talk to him, but just the two of us.”
Rafe wrenched me by the arm until we were eye to eye. “This isn’t happening.”
I glared at him. This was my chance to try and talk some sense into Zach. If I could get my brother to back d
own, maybe this match wouldn’t end in death.
“This isn’t up to you,” I said. “He’s running things.” I threw Shelton a challenging look. “Aren’t you?”
“You got that right.”
“Take me to him then,” I said, stepping to Shelton’s side before Rafe could stop me.
“I’m gonna blister your ass for this,” Rafe warned.
God, I hoped so, because that would mean he was still alive to do so. The air between Rafe and me grew thick with anger and sexual tension, but it dissipated when Shelton grabbed my arm and hauled me toward the door at the back of the building.
“Go warm up,” he barked at Rafe. “She’ll be fine.”
Rafe wasn’t listening. His furious footfalls pounded behind us, and the only thing keeping him outside that room was Shelton and his men.
“I swear to God, Alex—” The door slammed shut, silencing Rafe’s threats of retribution.
Disquiet settled on the room like a blanket. Zach sat in a chair with his hands tied at his back and his feet secured to the legs. Letting out a breath, I took a cautious step forward, satisfied that he couldn’t corner me. I was safe, no matter how fast my heart raced. He couldn’t touch me.
“You look good, Lex.” His hazel eyes lowered to my thighs, zeroing in on the tops of my stockings. “I’m surprised he let you in here,” he said.
I jerked a thumb behind me. “If you couldn’t tell, he wasn’t happy about it. He didn’t have much choice though.”
Zach nodded. “These guys can be very persuasive.”
“It was my decision.”
He sat up a little straighter. “What?”
“I wanted to see you.” I leaned against the cold, gritty wall and tried not to wring my hands.
“Why?” His voice cracked, and he stared at his feet for a few seconds. Was he feeling guilty? No way in hell. I couldn’t believe it.
“He’s going to kill you, Zach.”
“You’re worried about me?” He lifted a surprised brow.
“I’m worried about him.” I stomped across the floor and halted a foot in front of Zach. If they hadn’t tied him to that chair, he could have touched me. He would have touched me. “Don’t force his hand. Please. If you ever cared about me at all, then don’t take him from me.”