by KL Donn
While it might have been the first life I’d taken, it was also the easiest. Both men were a waste of air that didn’t deserve the life they were given. Dad’s still in prison rotting away because he’s a bigmouth that doesn’t know when to take orders, and because I’ve got friends in high places. He’ll never see the light of day again.
As a result of watching how they were with my mother, other women, I’ve been hesitant to include a woman in my life. In fact, if it weren’t for this deep-seated, instantaneous connection me and Cat seem to have, I don’t think I’d even be considering it.
After witnessing first King and then Luther fall for their obviously broken but extraordinarily motivated and dedicated women, I admit the idea isn’t so bad. Now that I know Catalina, have felt her when she comes apart for me, I can’t imagine a life with her not in it.
I won’t tread the rest of this path without her by my side.
I know I have a long way to go where her acceptance of my lifestyle is concerned, but I don’t need her to be part of that depravity to worship her. I only need to know that she belongs to me. Won’t ever take another man to her bed, and that one day—sooner rather than later—she’ll have my babies.
The Empire is changing, and it’s because of these women. I think that once Cat meets Lil and Ariel, she’ll feel more comfortable in her surroundings. And from all I’ve learned about Talia, I’m sure she’ll embrace Cat into her life as well. Cas and I have been friends longer than either of us have been in this life, so having our women connect will be a welcome relief.
The sound of scratching at the door pulls me from my thoughts, and I grab the shotgun before standing off to the side as it slowly opens.
“Christ, man, calm down.” Recognizing Dimitri, I lower the weapon.
“Why the fuck are you scratching at the door?” I snap, going back to the small kitchen to tape up the cocktails I’ve got ready to go.
“Wasn’t me, the damn dog wanted in,” he growls as East darts for Cat’s bedroom door, the kittens hot on his tail.
“What’d you find?” I nail Dimitri with a hard look as Daniel enters the house, a fresh bruise on his cheek. “What happened to you?”
He scowls while answering. “You didn’t hear that explosion?”
“Nope.” I was balls deep in the sweetest pussy I’ve ever fucked. I’m sure they can tell from the look on my face.
“Motherfucker had a wire at the entrance to the shack. East knocked me on my ass just before it would have blown me to kingdom come.”
Dismissing the both of them, I turn around to focus on what I was doing so they don’t see how rattled I am that Thomas is ready with explosives. “Where’s Manning?” That fucker is still going to get his comeuppance.
“That bitch ran before Danny-boy was on his feet again.” A touch of anger colors Dimitri’s words.
“You see him again, kill him.” I don’t much care whose hand he dies by so long as he’s dead.
“What’d he do to piss you off so bad?” Daniel asks as he sits on the stool beside me.
Thinking about it makes me all kinds of pissed off. “The day the storm hit, he came by thinking Catalina was alone. He attempted a stealthy entry and got me instead. Kept insisting he was here to check on her, that they’d been seeing each other.” Dimitri’s whistle is as sarcastic as it sounds. “Yeah, that’s what I said, too. Son of a bitch was here to hurt her.”
“What are we doing about Thomas?” I glare back at Dimitri when he asks this. We’ve been over this. “Look, I know you guys want him dead. Hell, for all that I witnessed him and Timothy do, I want him dead, too. But what the fuck is the plan? Are we going to grill him for more information on their operation? Find out where some of these kids are?” That’s the fed in him talking. Even as dirty as he grew over the years being undercover, Dimitri has been a fed for a hell of a long time.
He makes a good point, though. “Did you ask King this before you came up?” I ask.
“Yeah. He said it was your call.” With no service unless we go to town, and even then, it’s spotty, I can’t get a read on what King wants.
“You think we’ll ever be able to bring a single one of those kids home?” I ask. Dimitri worked far too long in the McCray association to ever believe we can recover a decent amount of them. Most will likely be lost causes, as much as any of us would hate to admit it.
“I think with Ariel’s knowledge, we’ll be able to nail down a large number of buyers. Whether the kids are salvageable or not is another story.”
“Fuck. Listen to you two. Talking about these kids like they’re property or some shit.” Daniel shakes his head as he listens to us, and I can’t blame him.
“You think of them as anything more, and it’ll eat you alive.” Dimitri barks at the younger man.
“Why do you think Ariel was ready for death?” I don’t mean to be an ass, but he needs to harden up. Of all of us, he should know how low Ariel had fallen.
“I know that, Atticus, but Christ, shouldn’t we at least try to give them something to come back to, even if they aren’t really living?”
Dimitri walks over to Daniel, puts a hand on the back of his neck and squeezes in support. Their body language shows an intimacy I hadn’t noticed before. Daniel bows to the superiority of Dimitri while he exhibits a softness with the younger man that I don’t think anyone else has realized he’s capable of.
“Atticus?” Catalina comes out of the bedroom in a sweater, shorts, and thick socks, deterring any comments I would have made about the pair.
Her hair is a mess in such a way that you’d be an idiot not to recognize that my hands were knotted in it an hour ago.
She walks right into my arms as the men in front of me express looks of appreciation. “Feeling better?” I know it doesn’t take much to throw her into a panic when she feels overwhelmed. Lucky for me, easing her out of it reaps maximum benefits for us both.
“Better,” she confirms with a shy smile as she ducks her head into my chest. Having Cat’s body pressed firmly against my own gives me a sense of pride, knowing only I can provide her with what she needs. “What’s the plan to catch him?” Her gaze zeroes in on Daniel’s bruised face as she asks and frowns. He waves her concern away with a hand.
“We can’t use her as bait,” Dimitri points out, and I have to stifle the urge to throttle him for even thinking of it. “He knows we’re here, and she’s protected. He’ll likely expect that for a trap.”
“But you have an idea?” Catalina asks him.
“Sort of.” He smirks, and I already don’t like where this is going. “He likely suspects you two have a thing going on. Danny-boy and I will leave out the main road and go into town. We’ll make sure we’re seen then we’ll double back here through a back way and set up a post out in the woods where he already laid bait.”
“If he thinks we’re gone, you two can play house and let him think your guard is down. Go search around the property a couple times, but in even increments each time—say every two hours. He’ll pick up your routine.” Daniel catches onto his idea quickly.
“There’s an old hunting stand about two miles up the mountain; it’s in a tree,” Catalina supplies.
As much as I hate it, this might be our only option. “Fuck.” Running a hand down my face, I reluctantly agree. “You think he’ll buy it after the explosion today?” I wouldn’t.
“Think about it, Atticus. He’s likely pissed as fuck right now that one or both of us aren’t dead from that. He’s acting on irrational instinct by now.”
I fucking hope Dimitri is right.
“Stop pacing, Catalina.” Atticus’ voice is soothing while my nerves are on edge. Daniel and Dimitri left in the early afternoon, and with the sun setting and Atticus getting ready to go outside for another security check, I can’t seem to sit still.
I hate that he’s a target out there. I hate that this is even happening. I don’t know what I’ll do if I lose Atticus as quickly as I found him. He’s a part of me
I can’t live without. I don’t want to live without.
“You’ll be careful?” I watch him as he pulls out a flashlight.
“I’ll be fine, little lamb.” The conviction in his voice should settle me; it doesn’t.
Striding over to me, he cocoons me in his arms, and I melt. His heat is a comfort I’ve grown used to. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. You can watch from the windows if you like.” I know he’s placating me.
“You’ll be fine,” I say, trying to convince myself.
The problem is, there’s this burning in my gut warning me that something is wrong. Terribly, horrifyingly wrong. The last time I experienced this, I found my mother dead in her bed.
The click of the door closing is like the final nail in a coffin, being lowered into the depths of hell. I don’t want him out of my sight. This sensation is not nearly as irrational as I feel, though. Danger surrounds us at every moment. Acknowledging the fear is likely what’s going to keep me alert enough to stay alive.
Grabbing the blanket off the back of the couch, I lay down and hide under the comforting material. Luna and Zoe crawl under to cuddle my feet as I do, their purring vibrating my toes as I hear West settle in the kitchen.
The howling wind blows against the cabin, rattling the windows, and I jump with each new creak or sound. It feels like hours have passed as we wait for Atticus to return.
When I finally hear footsteps climbing the front porch, I prepare to jump up and greet him, only the steps are too soft. They’re almost sneaky. Like someone is trying hard not to be heard.
I lay back down, reaching one hand between the cushions for the knife I have hidden there. Atticus may be going along with Dimitri and Daniel’s plan, but he knew there was a chance Thomas would come when he was furthest from the building.
The sound of a gunshot echoing in the woods makes me tense just as the door slams open. A man I’ve never seen is standing in the path of the blistering wind.
Thomas McCray.
“Catalina,” he hisses with so much disdain that I cringe.
Sitting up, I wait. For what I’m not sure, but I know I can’t go closer. I see West from the corner of my eye as he tenses, becoming more alert as the rigid quiet grows deadly.
“What do you want?” I snap. I will not give into the fear coursing through me. It’s how men like him get off. I won’t do it.
His laughter is harsh as he steps forward. “What I want is for the Adair Empire to crumble in burning flames. What I want is for our mother to be alive so I can slaughter the whore myself. What I want is to slit you open from belly to neck. I want to watch the light in your eyes die as you realize I’m the last thing you’ll ever see.”
I fight through the picture he paints with shallow breaths. “And I want the tooth fairy to be real. But we don’t always get to live out our fantasies.” I’m proud that the shivering in my body isn’t reflected in my words. They are steady, where I’m feeling rather weak.
As he steps farther into the room, I can tell, immediately, that he’s working off of rage rather than logic because he leaves the door open. Circling the couch I’m on, my grip on the knife tightens as he taunts me.
“Did you hear that shot?” I don’t say anything. “That’s dear old Atticus stuck in a rabbit trap. Hanging from a tree, covered in blood.” I suck in a sharp breath. This is exactly what I feared. “That fucking dog dead with him.”
East.
I fight back any tears threatening to break free. Thomas could be lying to play on my emotions and throw me off.
“I didn’t do anything to you,” I try to defend. The longer I can keep him talking the more likely I am to make it out of this alive.
“That whore messed around on my father. She should have been burned alive with you still in her belly, but like the pussy she was, she ran.”
“Shut up!” My mother was amazing. Not once did she let on that we came from this type of lifestyle. She did everything she could to give me a great life.
“Feeling defensive, are you?” He laughs like I won’t be able to do anything to him.
“You’re a sick little bastard, and so was your brother,” I snap, finally getting to my feet, the knife tucked in my back, hidden by my sweater. I can see West standing now, his shoulders hunched, teeth bared, ready to strike when I give the command.
“I’m the sick bastard?” He shakes his head. “I’m not the one who needs to be choked to get my rocks off, little sister.” I may vomit.
“You’ve been watching us?” My harsh whisper is mortified.
“You’ve got quite the sweet little body. I can see why the big bastard is so smitten.” His lips quirk, and I want to cut them off his face. The thought nearly startles me.
“Where is he?”
“Where he belongs. I should have had him killed that first time, but my time was limited.” I have to hold on to my anger, so I don’t lash out and get killed.
“What do you want?” I ask again.
“I want the Empire. I have a feeling they’ll give it to me for the life of one of their own. I made the mistake of thinking the women were their weakness. I was wrong. You see it isn’t you that I’ve been after. It’s Atticus. He’s the one who will give me everything I’ve planned so much for.”
I can feel the blood drain from my face at his words. Atticus isn’t just in danger, everything he’s worked his life for is. He won’t let his brother’s give it up, though. It’s not the man he is.
I won’t let him get himself killed, either. It’s not the woman I am. “If it’s Atticus you’ve wanted, then why risk coming here?”
Thomas’ gaze roams the room. I know the exact moment he spots West ready to strike. “He’ll kill you,” I tell him.
“He does that, and you’ll never know where I’ve left Atticus to hang for his survival.” He smirks and walks towards the open door.
“You won’t get away with this,” I say. After everything Atticus has told me that’s happened, McCray has to know he won’t escape.
“It’s no longer about whether I will or I won’t. It’s more about payback. King and his men are going to know what it’s like to lose something they treasure.”
I ache at his words. I want to shout at him to stop, beg him to take me and release Atticus. But I know it’s useless. I also know Dimitri and Daniel will do everything in their power to find him.
Tip-toeing to the door, I wait until he’s out of sight before commanding West. “Track.”
Atticus
Stupid, Atticus, really fucking stupid. I can’t believe how goddamned easy I made it for him. I’d been so focused on making sure Catalina was safe, I didn’t think for a second that Thomas might have had another objective in mind.
Me.
He’s been watching us, alright. Enough to know that Catalina was virtually untouchable, but I’m always out here. I’m the one in the open checking the perimeter. Cutting the wood, making sure the generator was working. That we had enough water in the reserves.
Not once did I think of myself as vulnerable. It wasn’t until the twig snapped under my step and the rope captured around my ankle, and I was trussed up like a fucking hog that it hit me.
My shotgun dropped, and a round went off moments before someone made their presence known with the barrel of a gun hitting my temple and knocking me unconscious. Next thing I know, I’m tethered to a chair in the middle of some shack. I have no clue where I am or what’s happened to Catalina. I do know that the longer I sit here waiting, the more the rage builds inside me.
Thomas thinks he’s got me beat. He thinks he’s won this little game of tug of war. He couldn’t be more wrong. I may be strapped down, seemingly immobile, but I’ll catch him. I’ll show him who’s going to come out on top.
Hearing steps crunching in the hard snow outside this small building, I wait anxiously for him to show his face. He’ll gloat, posture, make himself feel big. And I’ll continue to work on the rope around my wrists. I may not have been prepared to be ca
ptured today, but I’ve been waiting my whole life for this moment and getting loose won’t be nearly as difficult as he’d like to think.
The door swings open and Thomas walks through looking like he just won the lottery. Until he senses my glare aimed his way.
“Your girlfriend is quite the feisty creature.” He cackles. I don’t answer, don’t move. I only watch as he walks around like the cat who ate the canary. He thinks he’s succeeded.
“She thinks you’re going to save the day.” I fucking am. “She has no idea that I couldn’t care less about any of you.” My ass. “The only thing I want anymore is to make King Adair wish he’d never crossed me.”
“Pretty sure it was the other way around, asshole.” I need him angry more than anything else. I don’t care what he has to say about anything.
“Shut up,” he hisses. The blow to my jaw isn’t surprising, but the strength behind it is. The throbbing has me shaking my head to concentrate on his ramblings.
“Why’d you come back for her?” It’s one of a few questions we don’t actually have answers for.
“The spawn?” A bark of angry laughter leaves him. “She deserves to die. Just like that whore mother of ours. She cheated on our father, and no matter the time or distance, someone needs to pay for that.”
“Let me get this straight. Twenty years after the fact, something in which Catalina literally had no control over, and she has to pay for it? You’re fucking insane, McCray.”
He shrugs, pulling a blade from his back—a sharp double-ridged hunter’s knife. I know it because up until I was trussed up like a fucking turkey, it was in my boot. “Maybe, but who’s going to die tonight?”
The wait for Daniel and Dimitri after I’d finally reached them on the radios they left with was excruciating. They reassured me they were coming back with a plan, though, so I have to have faith in it. In them.