Liberate (The Vindicated Series Book 2)

by Addison Jane

  “Y-You just stabbed them,” Scrawny says.

  “Yes, I did. And if you don’t tell us who you’re working for I’ll wrench the stem out of Hulk’s neck there and stab it into your eye,” Tanner says.

  “Fuck this shit, you guys are all crazy. I didn’t sign up for this,” he says, turns on his heels and bolts for the door. I shake my head, pull up Hulk’s gun in my hand, which mysteriously has a silencer on it and aim it at Scrawny’s back pulling the trigger twice. He falls face first to the floor like a lead weight, and I take a deep breath wondering what in the hell have we walked into. And where the hell are Luca and the others?

  Something’s gone wrong, it has to have, these are Agency men and unless the Board knew we were coming something’s definitely gone south.

  Suddenly from the side I hear slow clapping coming from another room. Tanner, Eli and I all tense looking around to where the sound is coming from. We all draw our guns up at the sound, but man after man from The Agency file in, far too many for us to take down. The men all part as the clapping becomes louder and in walks none other than Camilla with a giant smile on her face.

  “Kace, my darling son, it’s so good to see you still have that fight in you.” She smirks. “‘Cause you’re going to need it where you’re going.”

  She steps aside and two men drag in a body, they throw it to the ground rolling it over. I gasp when I see Luca’s beaten frame. He pulls his arm up and points to one of the men who dragged him in.

  “Fuck you, you old hag,” his words slightly slurred.

  Camilla chuckles. “I believe you’re talking to me and I’m over here.”

  Luca moves his finger to point in the direction her voice came from, his arm wobbles slightly. “Fuck you, you old hag,” he repeats spitting out some blood.

  “Pick the idiot up and take them all downstairs to the others until I’m ready for them.”

  Anger is engulfing me completely as I storm back inside the compound. I half expected Kace to follow me, but I should know by now that this mission is too important to soothe my insecurities as a first priority. But as I heard Kace’s tires squeal from his car pulling off, I knew that the mission was more important.

  I have to deal with that.

  I have to understand.

  I want to understand.

  Kace is a man whose purpose in life is to protect people from evil, kinda like a real life superhero. It makes me happy that his heart is so full of caring for others’ lives and not just his own. But things are different now, and I need him to see that him going out there and doing these things, isn’t just him risking his own life anymore. He’s risking mine too, because if I lose him… well, that would be the end.

  If I were stronger, if I were able to look after myself and protect myself somewhat, then maybe I wouldn’t feel that way. Maybe I wouldn’t be so vulnerable and he wouldn’t see me as so damn breakable.

  “Hey, Lily… you okay?” Ruin asks from behind me breaking me out of my mental anguish.

  I turn around and admire the way his muscles bulge against his T-shirt. He looks like nothing could break him like he’s a wall of armor. “Do you worry about Axel?”

  He looks surprised by my random question, but answers immediately, “For the most part, yeah.”

  “How do you not get scared every time he goes on a mission or every time he’s gone for days or hours on end and you don’t hear from him?”

  Ruin gives me a soft smile. “Because he is who he is, and nothing I say or do is going to stop him from being that person. Danger is everywhere, Lily. Axel could cross the street tomorrow and get hit by a car. There’s nothing I can do about that, so why spend the time worrying about it?”

  “Because they’re purposely putting themselves in dangerous situations, far more dangerous than walking across a street. I understand why they do it, I really do, and I’m proud of who Kace is. But how do I stop myself from worrying every time he steps out the door?”

  “You make yourself stronger. You’re not worried about him so to speak, you’re more worried about the fact that if something happened to him, how broken you would be. I’m not saying that you need to make it so you wouldn’t care if he died because that’s just impossible. But give yourself the skills to know that if something happened to Kace, if he died protecting the people of the world, that you would find some way to survive. It may never feel the same without him and your heart may be broken, but you would be okay. And that is what he would want.”

  I furrow my brows taking in what Ruin has said. He’s right, part of me is being selfish for thinking that Kace doesn’t understand. “Can you help me get there? To a place where I can support him, but not lose a part of myself in the process?”

  Ruin smirks. “Ever hit anyone before?”

  My eyes widen. “I don’t think so.”

  “Then let’s go, ‘cause you’re about to learn.”

  I smile wide just as Molly comes rushing out with Daisy running at her heels. “What the hell happened? They pushed me out into the back, said I had to stay there till the threat passed, but I got bored when no one came and got me, so I just left. And it sure looks like nothing’s happening, so what the fucking fuck girl?”

  Shaking my head, I sigh at her ramblings. “Long story.” I look to Ruin and smile. “Ruin is gonna teach me how to throw a punch.”

  Molly’s eyes open wide and she jumps up on her toes clapping her hands together excitedly. “Yes! I’m in. Me too. I’ve got this whole shooting thing down. Now, if I could fight, I’d be like an invincible death machine.”

  I roll my eyes with a smile.

  Ruin clears his throat awkwardly. “Is it strange that I find that kinda sexy?”

  Molly wiggles her eyebrows at him and I shove Ruin in the chest shaking my head. “C’mon, let’s go!”

  Ruin chuckles and leads us out the back toward the gym where there’s fitness equipment, punching bags hanging from the ceiling and the like. He sits down and pulls out some wraps and starts to strap up my hands and wrists.

  “What’s this for, Ruin?” I ask, feeling more powerful just for having the bandages wrapped around my hands.

  “It’s to help support the wrists and knuckles when hitting the bag. It’s more for safety than show. I don’t want Kace kicking my ass ‘cause you sprained your wrist.”

  I smirk as he finalizes the first wrap on my hand. I look down at it and it’s amazing how something like a white wrap on your hand can bring you so much empowerment. I feel energized already.

  He finishes my other hand and then stands up. “C’mon… over to the bag.”

  I jump up, my knee twinges slightly but I ignore it as I move over to the punching bag with him, while Molly bounces around excitedly pretending to throw punches into thin air.

  “Okay Lily, first we have to work on your stance. Left leg in front, right leg back. Arms up in front of your face. Like this.” He moves into the position and it’s the usual stance you see in the fighter movies. I nod and assume the position. He moves his boot out and taps my left foot pushing it out further and Molly giggles as I follow intently. “Good, okay, now hands a little higher guarding your face at all times, keep your thumbs down, not up, or when you punch you’ll break ‘em.”

  I nod and move my thumbs down into position. He looks at me and smiles. “Okay, so always punch first with your left hand, jab out in a direct straight line from the chin, rotate your fist half an inch as you move and punch clenched with full force. Don’t hesitate, put your weight in behind you with the movement as it gives you extra follow through.”

  “Okay, I think I got it.”

  “Then what are you waiting for?” he asks taking hold of the boxing bag and taking a stance.

  I pull in a deep breath and take my stance again, bringing my hands to my face and then jabbing out with my left hand, rotating at the right moment and smashing my fist full force into the bag. My knuckles connect with the bag and a sudden rush of energy flows through me as the bag jolts and Ru
in moves slightly. I smile as Molly cheers throwing her hands in the air. I take a deep breath feeling empowered for the first time in a long time. Sure it was a punch, to a bag, but fuck did it feel good.

  “You sure you’ve never done this before?” Ruin asks looking at me with one eyebrow raised like he was shocked by my mighty punch.

  “There’s plenty of times I wanted to, but only ever in my head.”

  He chuckles. “Okay, you wanna go again?”

  I smirk and nod. “Hell yes!”

  Putting my hands back up into position, I ready myself. My hand throws out before I even register I was ready, and before I know what’s happening, I’m punching in a mad frenzy. My endorphins have kicked in and I’m throwing punch after mad punch. My hair is flying in my face as I grunt and groan. My knuckles are feeling tight as I conquer the bag, while Molly cheers me on and Ruin chuckles as I become one with Lily the tough girl that’s been waiting to blossom. She just needed something to kick start her into gear and now that the fire has been lit, I don’t want it to stop. I love the rush, the fuel, the energy. I love this high, the feeling of taking on the world, even if the world right now is only a boxing bag. I feel strong, capable, and I kinda see now why Kace loves this style of life. The high, the thrill, this is exhilarating and I’m only just getting started.

  The more time I spend thrashing it out on the bag, the more confidence builds inside me. My breaths are heavy, my body aching, but it feels good. The power this holds, the power it breaths into me is at a new level and I’ll be making sure to keep this up, but right now I’m almost spent. My knee is about ready to burst but I push through.

  We’ve been in the room for quite some time and eventually other brothers come in and start taking turns to help Molly and me with our skills. It’s nice the way they support me, and it’s great to feel like I’m part of a family again. I have to admit this does make me miss my own family, but I’ve been pushing my emotions out onto the bag or on them.

  I’m almost at the end of my rope and I’m sparring with Ruin, he’s egging me on, trying to get me to hit him but I’m fast losing my strength. “Hit me!”

  “What… as in actually hit you?” I laugh.

  “Yes, punch me in the face,” he demands slapping his chest.

  “No, I can’t!”

  He rolls his eyes and drops his guard. “What’s the point of learning if you won’t hit a person, Lily?”

  “But I like you.”

  Molly swings around and jumps on her toes. “I’ll hit him!”

  “Oh, I’m sure you will, but I need Lily to do it,” Ruin replies.

  “Do it. Do it. Do it,” all the brothers in the room start chanting and I laugh shaking my head when suddenly Falcon walks in the door. The room falls into silence and he looks right at me with a deadpan serious look on his face.

  “Lily, I need you to come with me, now.” The intensity of his glare and the tense posture he’s portraying shows me something is terribly wrong. I rush over to him with a slight limp as he holds out a cell to me and I swallow hard looking down at it. He nods once and I pick it up holding it to my ear and take a deep breath.

  “Hello?”

  “Lily, it’s nice to finally speak to you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  “Who is this?”

  A shrill laugh echoes down the line and it sends a cold sweat running down my spine.

  “Apparently, your future mother-in-law.”

  We’re all dragged down to the basement rather harshly and thrown into a huge cell along with everyone else. I glance up to see Dad is here and he nods to me as they throw Luca to the floor. His body collapses with a harsh thud and I rush to his side as he groans into the cold cement.

  “Luca, you still with me?” I ask, rolling him over as Dad walks to my side.

  Luca tries to open his very swollen eyes and nods with a slight cough.

  “Yeah, I’m here. Your mom’s still a mega bitch, though, Kace.”

  “What the hell happened? You sent a text saying it was all good?” I ask, looking around the cell with my team all appearing a little rough around the edges but nothing in comparison to Luca.

  “We arrived expecting to greet the Board and instead we were met by Agency men and… her. She took our cells. She probably texted you. I have no idea why she’s here or how she knew we were coming, but somehow she was a step ahead of us, Kace,” Dad replies.

  I nod as Axel grunts, ripping off some of his shirt and dabbing at Luca’s face.

  “I don’t know how, but they must have known I was in the system and she changed the details so we thought we were coming to destroy her chances with the Board, but instead she’s gotten to us first. For all we know she’s meeting with them right now, and there’s nothing we can do about it,” Noah tells us, seeming more agitated than normal as he paces the cell gripping at his hair.

  It’s not his fault we’ve been played.

  I just don’t know how.

  On the way down to the cells the agents took my cell phone and I’m hoping that if Falcon hasn’t heard from us to confirm that we were successful soon, that he will take care of Lily and hide her so Camilla can’t get to her.

  Thinking about Camilla getting to Lily is doing my head in.

  There has to be a way out of this.

  “Are there any weak links down here?” I ask quietly, hoping maybe while they were down here they’ve been sussing a way out.

  Axel shakes his head. “There isn’t. This place is rock solid. Almost as sound as the cells we have at The Agency. No one’s getting out of this place.”

  “So what do we do now?” Tanner asks.

  “We just have to wait and see how this plays out. But if any of you see an opening, you take it and you run,” I say.

  “We’re a team, we don’t leave without each other,” Eli replies immediately.

  “Not right now. If one can get out, they can bring help. You know what she’s gonna do to us and you know it’s not gonna be pretty. So if you can escape, you fucking take that chance,” I tell them looking them each in the eye.

  “What about Blair? If he doesn’t hear from one of us, he’s going to rain hell down until he finds us,” Tanner says.

  “She wouldn’t take us all and not grab him. I don’t doubt that he’ll be joining us soon.”

  It’s been a good couple of hours since we arrived. My thoughts are constantly on Lily and what is happening to her right now.

  Is she safe?

  Does she know I’ve been captured?

  What is taking Camilla so long to interrogate and torture us?

  Are her delay tactics a mind game?

  What the fuck is she up to?

  The door to the basement opens and a mass of guards walk in. We all stand up taller and watch them as they head for the cell. I stand in front while Dad steps to my side. Inwardly, I smile knowing he has my back even though this is my team and I should be the first one to take the fall.

  “You guys are coming with us, now,” a tall agent I kind of recognize instructs. I feel like I’ve seen him around The Agency and I wonder briefly if we’ve ever interacted or if he’s purely one of Camilla’s goons.

  “And if we don’t?” Luca spits.

  “Luca, don’t,” I warn. We’re not in a position to crack jokes and piss about. Unfortunately, we have to play this out.

  “Don’t make any moves cowboys—”

  “Hey!” Tanner interrupts.

  “I’m pretty sure you have as big a balls as the rest of them, sweetheart,” the agent says, and Tanner nods raising her eyebrow and flicking her head to the side like she can’t actually deny that.

  “Single file… no quick movements… I’m sure you guys know the drill,” he instructs, and I look to my team nodding slightly. I have no idea what’s about to come our way, but we will face this shit-storm together. Taking the first steps I head out and the others follow in a single file behind me. Dad then Luca and the others all in a line, keeping quiet and walking s
lowly, no sudden movements. But I know without a doubt if anyone sees a shot, they’ll take it.

  The agents lead us back up the stairs and into an office where Camilla is sitting behind her desk. For an office this room is large with a giant wooden desk that makes her look more important than the jumped up bitch she is. She rests in her high-backed chair with her hands at the back of her head while we file in. The smile on her face enormous as the agents force us to file into a line in front of her, and then simultaneously bash the backs of our legs causing us all to crash forward onto our knees on the floor. All except for Dad, who grunts as we all fall. The agent walks him to a chair and gestures for him to sit down.

  “Take a seat, Jack,” Camilla says.

  “Take a seat on my middle finger and rotate, Camilla,” Dad spits back.

  Luca chuckles as I grit my teeth waiting for someone to lay a blow into him. But nothing. She just smirks and sits forward resting her hands on the table and smiles wide, too wide. It’s unnerving.

  “I always did like your fire, Jack… sit, stand, I don’t give a shit really. It’s not going to help you in the long run,” she threatens.

  I tense up as Dad glares while edging to step closer to her but the agent pulls him back.

  “What the hell is going on?” I butt in before Dad does some damage to himself. It’s a diversion tactic, but also I kinda want the answer to that question too.

  Camilla looks to me and smiles holding up her hand. “Just a second my darling son, not everyone has joined the party, and I wouldn’t want them to miss out now would I?” she asks, her voice overly charming and casual.

  Something’s definitely up. I don’t like her tone.

  The door opens and an Agency Operative in full protective gear steps in. His uniform is head to toe showing just how smart Camilla is. She knows how dangerous the SO7 are, and we seek revenge on those harming those we love, so being covered up from head to toe is a must. As he drags in a kicking and groaning Lily, my muscles clench as the air is knocked from my lungs. Every inch of my skin riddles with fear that she’s here, and captured by these monsters.