“My son, Miss Easton. My dear son killed because he loved a woman.” I opened my eyes. “Killed by you.”
The air was sucked out of the room at his words, and I couldn’t catch my breath. His stillness was frightening, and I screamed as he yanked onto my hair and bent my head back. “How silly not to introduce myself to you.” He leaned down, his face centimeters from mine. “I’m Eduardo Garza, Cartel boss, and your worst fuckin’ nightmare.”
* * *
FORD
The blades above us drowned out any noise, and the person flying it told us we’d be there in four minutes. It was a stark contrast to the amount of time it would have taken for us to drive, but it still felt too long. Garza wasn’t just a cartel boss who I’d gone undercover to bring down. He wasn’t just a man we’d fooled into believing I was dead. He was Curtis’ father. The father of the man Belle had killed.
Brody sat one side of me and Ky on the other, and across from us were three more DEA agents. We had no idea what exactly we’d walk into, but we’d been given the okay to shoot to kill. Our lives were in danger, but so was Belle’s. There was no way Garza intended for her to leave there alive, and it was making me antsy. The longer it took us to get there, the more time he had to hurt her.
And that thought had my hands shaking. I couldn’t lose her, not after everything we’d been through. We’d come out on the other side, and yet, we were still fighting just to live another day. It wasn’t fair, but I’d learned a long time ago that life wasn’t fair. We made of it what we did. Bonds were made and torn apart, but I’d tied ours as tight as I could. I just hoped the knot would uphold and not break.
“Sixty seconds out,” the pilot said over the headsets we were wearing. I pushed to the edge of my seat and adjusted my helmet, goggles, and bulletproof vest. We were dressed in tactical gear because we knew there was no way the place wouldn’t be overrun with cartel members. They’d do anything to protect their boss, but they had no idea what I would do to save the woman I loved. My rifle was loaded and ready to go, but I still checked that the safety was on, and I was good on bullets. We all went through our own safety checks, and then the helicopter lowered, hovering a hundred feet off the ground.
“Ready?” Brody asked.
“Ready,” I responded, and together, we were the first two to push forward, grab on to the rope, and slide down it into the abandoned grounds. Two buildings were ahead of us, one to the right that looked smaller, and a bigger one with its doors open ajar. The sound of a gunshot reverberated around us, and the helicopter moved higher now that we were all on the ground safely.
“You three around back,” Brody told the other DEA guys. “We’ll go in the front.”
We all moved in formation, Brody in the middle, me behind, and Ky at the front. Shots continued to be fired from the big building, but Ky pulsed out two shots from his rifle, and then they stopped. A van sat near the door, and I recognized it immediately as the one Belle had been put into at the grocery store. “She’s here,” I said through coms, and Brody nodded to let me know he’d heard me.
We halted at the doors, our backs to the wall, and Brody lifted his hand, signaling for us to wait. He lowered his arm and made a shooing motion toward the door. Ky burst in first and was met with more bullets, and Brody went in second. My legs vibrated as I shot inside, lifting my rifle and firing off three bullets into the heads of guards littered around the building.
And then I saw her. Her arms and legs tied to a chair, tears streaming down her face and a cut lip oozing blood. But it was what was behind her that had me halting and my world spinning.
“I’m glad you found us so soon,” Garza said in his deep, accented voice. His hair was shorter, and he had scruff on his face. He looked…older. “I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the show.”
He gripped Belle’s hair and pulled her head back, exposing her throat, and I caught the glint of the knife next to her throat.
“Put it down, Garza,” I warned, holding my rifle up and lining up the shot. I wouldn’t let him do this, not to her. Not to Belle.
Garza tutted and shook his head, but his eyes were wild with fury. “Or what?” he asked, and his arm flinched. I stroked the trigger with my finger, ready to pull it at any second. “She took everything from me, and now…” He yanked on her hair harder, and she flinched. “Now, I’m gonna take everything away from you.”
* * *
BELLE
I’d never heard the sound before, but whatever it was had everyone on edge and darting for the barn doors. Everyone but the man still holding on to my hair.
Gunshots rang out, ricocheting in the open area, but I didn’t look away from him, not until people dressed in what looked like SWAT gear burst into the barn, firing shots and dropping the guards before they even had a chance to lift their arms and aim.
Eduardo gripped my hair tighter but moved behind me, letting me see every move of the people who had come into the barn. And then I saw him. The man who Eduardo had been talking about. The man who had fooled them all and let them believe he was dead. The man who had put him behind bars.
Ford.
“I’m glad you found us so soon,” Eduardo greeted. “I wouldn’t want you to miss out on the show.” He pushed his front into my back, and I tried to extend my fingers for any kind of traction, but I was starting to lose feeling in them. And then something cold pressed against my throat, and I held deathly still. The sharpness of it could only mean it was a knife. He had a knife pressed against my throat, and there was no way I could move away from it.
Eduardo yanked on my hair, pulling my head back even more. I could see Ford as he stepped toward us, and I wanted to yell out and beg him to save me, but as I stared at him, I knew I didn’t need to. He was here. Here for me. Here for us.
“Put it down, Garza,” Ford growled and held his rifle up, aiming it at him.
“Or what?” Eduardo asked, and I felt the sting of the edge of the blade start to cut into my skin. “She took everything from me, and now…” He yanked on my hair harder, my scalp burning, and I flinched. “Now I’m gonna take everything away from you.”
“No, please!” I shouted, not able to stop myself. I wasn’t afraid to beg for my life. “I…it’s not how you made it sound. Curtis and I were never together. We were just friends.”
“Liar!” Eduardo shouted down my ear. “You’re a fuckin’ liar. You murdered him in cold blood.”
“No.” I desperately wanted to shake my head, but I was scared one small movement would cause the blade to slide over my skin. “I didn’t. He…he killed my friends and—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Eduardo murmured, and I felt him stand upright. “Because today, you will meet your match, and death will become you.”
My eyes widened as he put more pressure on the blade, and then he swiped it along my neck, blood instantly oozing out of me.
A shot rang out.
Footsteps pounded.
My body swayed forward, but someone caught me.
The ties were cut off my ankles and hands.
But the blood wasn’t stopping.
Hands gripped around my neck, trying to stop the flow, but it was no use. Nothing was holding it in. Nothing.
I lifted my hand and connected with the side of Ford’s face. “I…” I gurgled, blood flowing out of my mouth, but I was determined. If these would be my last words, then I’d use my last breath to say them. “I love you.”
* * *
FORD
I pressed my hands harder against her neck, praying that we had enough time to save her. It all happened so fast, the slice of his knife, the shot to his forehead. But now she was on the floor, the life draining from her.
“I love you,” she gurgled out, and her hand dropped from my face, her body giving in.
“No!” I screamed. “No! Don’t you dare leave me, Baby Belle. Don’t you dare.” Tears streamed down my face, but I didn’t care. Red oozed out of her at a pace I’d never seen before. The blood we
aved between my fingers, finding its path out of her.
“Keep pressure on her neck,” Brody gritted out as he lifted her off the floor. He cradled her against his body and rushed out of the building with me next to them, the blood an endless flow.
Her skin was pale.
The life draining out of her.
I was watching her die, and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.
The helicopter sat in the field, its blades whizzing around, and it took us twenty steps to get to it.
But I was afraid.
Afraid this was it.
Afraid she was gone.
And as I met Brody’s stare when the helicopter took off, both of us covered in blood, it was like looking into a mirror. We both knew the chances were slim, but we’d fight.
We’d fight until we couldn’t fight any more.
Epilogue
FORD
The single candle sat in the middle of the round cake, and I stared at the flame as it burned. Wax dripped down the side of it, threatening to mix in with the blue frosting, but I couldn’t stop watching it.
A year. It had been one year since Leo was born, and the time had gone by in a flash. His hair was now a curly mop, which sat on the top of his head, and his blue eyes were the same shade as—
“Ford? Leo is getting antsy out here. He wants cake.” I turned to look at Lola, her small smile flashed my way, but I couldn’t get my mouth to work. Today was more than just Leo’s first birthday. It was the first time we’d been together like this as a family for something happy.
So much had happened that day, so much taken from us. But we were trying to repair the broken bonds.
I picked up the cake and stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room. It was full of family. Everyone was here to celebrate Leo’s birthday. I placed the cake on the table in front of Leo, watching his little face light up. “Sing! Sing!” He clapped his hands as everyone sang louder, including me. I sang for both of us because she couldn’t. She couldn’t stand next to her son and wish him happy birthday. She couldn’t sing the words to him for the first time.
He blew out the candle, and everyone cheered.
“Mama?” Leo asked, turning his head left and right, searching for the one person he always wanted.
I crouched down and picked him up. “You can’t see Mama,” I turned to face everyone, and standing there in the middle with a smile on her face was Belle. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. No sound had come out for the last ten months, but that didn’t matter because she was here, with us, celebrating Leo’s life.
She stepped forward and held her arms out for Leo, and I didn’t hesitate to pass him to her. She kissed his cheek and tickled his tummy, and that was all he needed to be satisfied and then wiggle out of her hold.
“You should be in bed recovering,” I said, stepping toward her and wrapping my arms around her waist. Her blue eyes stared up at me, so much love shining in them, and I’d learned over the last ten months that you didn’t need words to tell someone you loved them. A look. An action. That was all it took to show someone how you felt.
Belle smiled up at me, her hand subconsciously moving to her neck and tracing the long, angry scar. And under that was a fresh one from her latest surgery, the last hope we had of the surgeons being able to repair her vocal cords. She’d been told to rest, but she never listened, not when it came to missing things. We’d both learned not to take things for granted, not after what happened.
I moved her hand off her neck and brought it to my mouth, planting a soft kiss on it. “I love you.” I stared into her eyes, showing her how much I meant those three words. It had taken me way too long to admit them to myself and then to tell her how I felt, but I knew now how short life was, and there was no way I wouldn’t tell her at every opportunity.
“I love you, too,” she croaked out, her voice a cracked, broken whisper, and my eyes widened at the sound of it. I hadn’t heard her voice for ten months, and it had felt like a lifetime. But now…she was standing there, telling me the words I’d craved to hear.
I blinked. “You…I…”
She grinned and stepped closer. “It’s not the same,” she said, her voice so low I could only just hear her. “But…I can say it.” She placed her hand on the side of my face. “I love you.”
My stomach dipped, my entire body buzzing at her words.
“I love you so much, Belle Easton.” I placed my forehead against hers and picked her up off the ground. “So goddamn much.”
Her hands gripped my biceps, and she laughed, the sound rough and broken, but I could hear it. I could hear her, and it was as if the angels had looked down upon us and gifted us a miracle.
We’d been to hell and back, but together, we’d come out the other side.
Together, we could conquer anything.
Together, we were strong.
“Marry me,” I blurted out.
“What?” she whispered, her eyes so wide I feared they’d pop out of her head.
“I’ve waited to ask you for ten months, but now that you can physically answer me”—I placed her feet back down on the floor—“I’m not wasting any more time, Baby Belle.” I heaved in a breath, wishing I had the ring on me, but it was hidden away in our bedroom. “Marry me, Belle. Be my wife.”
Tears streamed down her face and dripped down onto her neck as the sounds around us quieted. I’d asked Brody for his permission nearly a year ago, but from the gasp that came from Lola, I was guessing he hadn’t told her. “Yes,” she croaked out, her voice starting to give in with the amount she’d spoken after such a long time of silence. “Yes.”
Cheers rang out, but I wasn’t focused on them. All of my attention was on Belle, the woman who had just promised to become my wife. I slammed my lips down onto hers, taking my fill, and promising to make the most of every second she was by my side.
Our bond was unlike anything else.
Our bond was special.
But most of all…
Our bond was unbreakable.
Coming Next
ASHER & ELODIE
The last duet in the Easton Family Saga releases in April!
Get ready for Asher & Elodie’s story in the Burned Duet.
Fast Burn (Book 1)
Deep Burn (Book 2)
Acknowledgments
I’m not sure where to start with these acknowledgments because so much happened while I was writing this story.
My first huge thank you needs to go to Paige. You’re the most awesomest Alpha Reader and PA. Thank you for loving my stories as much as I do, and generally just being you! But most of all, thank you for reading these on a time constraint. I’m not sure what I’d do without you!
Thank you to my husband and two awesome daughters who never fail to make me smile and continue to support the crazy road that is being an author. I love you all lots and lots like jelly tots!
My next thank you has to go to Jenn, my editor. I swear you saved my life and I appreciate so much you understanding everything that has been going on and still fitting me in. You’re the best Canadian a girl could ask for!
Linda. I swear I’d be lost without you! Thank you soooo much for everything you do. You’re always there no matter what, and I’m not sure what I’d do without you! You push me when I need to be pushed, and tell me to slow down when I need to stop. You save my ass more times than I can count, and I love you!
I’d liked to say a huge thank you to my BETAs readers: Nikki & Yvonne. You ladies are amazeballs and I couldn’t do this without your continued support.
My second thank you needs to go to my husband and daughters. This book became such a huge part of my life, and I can’t thank you enough for putting up with my weird ways.
To my ARC team. You ladies are simply amazing and I love for each and every one of your messages! Thank you for taking the time to ready my stories, I appreciate so much.
To the bloggers who help share EVERYTHING. I love you so much, and I can’t put
into words how grateful I am! You are a special bunch of people who continue to put a smile on my face.
My proofreader, Judy. Thank you for putting up with me! I continue to use commas in the wrong places and you continue to correct me. Never leave me, because I’d be lost without you!
To all the authors in the community. You continue to support me and I can’t thank you enough for that. I love our little slice of heaven, and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else!
Lastly, I want to say thank you, to you. Thank you for taking a chance on this book. Thank you for reading. And thank you for being awesome!
Also by Abigail Davies
MAC Security Series (Alpha Security/Military)
Book 1: Fractured Lies
Book 2: Exposed
Book 2.5: Flying Free (Standalone Spin-off)
Book 3: The Distance Between Us
Book 4: ReBoot
Book 5: Catching Teardrops
Six Book Boxset
* * *
The Easton Family Saga
Fallen Duet (Forbidden Angst)
Book 1: Free Fall
Book 2: Down Fall
Fated Duet (Student/Teacher Angst)
Book 1: Defy Fate
Book 2: Obey Fate
Bonded Duet (Age gap/Forbidden Angst)
Book 1: Torn Bond
Book 2: Tied Bond
Burned Duet (Age Gap/Forbidden Angst)
Book 1: Fast Burn
Book 2: Deep Burn
Tied Bond: Bonded Duet: Book Two Page 21