by Em Petrova
* * * * *
“Get her back!” Chaz roared into the phone before slamming his fist off the wheel of the Knight Ops SUV.
After coming out of the shower to see the doors to the balcony open, he’d thought to find his beautiful Fleur there. Instead, he’d seen her hitting the ground below, rappelling from a rope with a captor’s arms locked around her. Then another man had helped pick her up and stuff her into a black van.
“Goddammit!” he roared again.
Next to him, Rocko was tenser than he’d ever seen him, but still he managed to say a low, “Calm down. We have to think straight.”
“You think straight, dammit! What if that was Lexi being dragged into a fucking van by people who mean to kill her?”
Rocko went a little paler under his deep Cajun tan but said nothing.
Ben and Sean had been called in and were on their way, and Dylan and Roades were in the back of the SUV on their phones.
“I’m tapped into the OFFSUS mainframe and looking at their intel as fast as they uncover it,” Dylan reported.
“I’ve got a lead from security cams on Decatur and a black van just passed,” Roades added.
Chaz hit the brakes and wheeled around a corner, narrowly missing the curb.
Rocko let out a low whistle. “You need me to drive?”
“Fuck no,” Chaz bit off. He felt like running over anybody who stood in his way of reaching Fleur.
“There’s footage from across the street from the apartment and the guy who took Fleur looks to be her uncle.” Roades reached into the front seat, extending his phone to Chaz. He glanced away from the road to the screen and the pixilated view of the man’s face. Sure enough, it was Darius’s brother.
He thrust the phone back at his brother. “Get me a fucking picture of the license plate of that van and I’ll be happy. Dammit, I was right there and they took her anyway.” If Chaz could kick his own ass, he would.
“We all were, man,” Rocko said. “None of us heard a thing. Remember who we’re up against. This is a group that gets things done and it’d be nothing to climb the fire escape and wait on the balcony for their chance.”
“Motherfuckers knew exactly where we were,” Chaz bit off.
“Yeah, that’s concerning,” Rocko said.
He shot him a glare. “Concerning? Again, if this was Lexi—”
“Just stop about Lexi, okay? We’re not together and probably never will be. She views me as another brother. She’ll more likely wind up with Bo.” Rocko sank down in his seat, silent and looking miserable.
Chaz’s chest burned with a flicker of remorse that was quickly replaced with his own fears.
He’d failed. He’d promised Fleur to keep her safe and not even surrounding her with a fucking special ops team had done that. The fact that she’d been safer on her own in the fucking motel or out at clubs like Nuit than with him made him want to grind nails with his teeth.
“Turn right,” Roades instructed from the back seat.
Chaz did, his body on autopilot. His heart far away.
* * * * *
Fleur’s back ached from being bound to a straight-backed wooden chair. The bonds cut into her skin even with the barrier of her shirt, and her ankles were sore from trying to kick free each time her uncle left the room.
She continually fought the bile rising in her throat that went along with the cloth stuffed too far into the back of her mouth. If she threw up, she’d be in real trouble, but she wouldn’t let her uncle get the better of her.
She had no idea where she even was. Or if Chaz had seen what had happened. After all, he’d been in the shower… attending to other matters. For all he knew, she’d run off.
Right now, he was probably saying good riddance.
She twisted her wrists that were locked between her knees, the rope binding them together and to the arms of the chair as well. Her uncle—or her father—never did things by halves.
Judging by the position of the sun through the windows, it was early morning. She couldn’t get her bearings.
This time when she heard the footsteps moving toward the room, she was ready with a glare at the door.
It opened to reveal her uncle Vic. The dark hair and heavy brows so like her father’s that she expected the man to walk in behind him. But her uncle closed the door and faced her.
“Unable to break free, I see. It seems we should have taught you some better skills than keeping the plantation books.”
Her stomach churned.
He approached with slow strides and yanked down the cloth binding around her head. Then he plucked the gag from her mouth. She let her head hang forward a second, fighting another gag reflex. Then she looked him in the eye and spit in his face.
His hand came out of nowhere, rocking her head. Her inner cheek crushed against her teeth, and she tasted the iron of blood. Steeling her spine, she glared at him.
“Where am I?” she demanded.
He looked around. “You don’t know this place? It’s been one of your father’s holdings forever.”
“I hardly know my father apparently, let alone his holdings. I guess I was only privy to the books on the plantation.”
He snorted. “Maybe some of them. Now tell me,” he said, leaning close and bringing a sour smell of sweat with him, “where is the bag?”
If she’d still had the gag in place, she would have thrown up. Her stomach curdled at the thought he was looking for the same bag she was. But what other bag could there be?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.
He raised his hand and came short of striking her a second time. She’d rather be beaten senseless than answer his questions.
“Where. Is. The. Bag?”
“I never found it.” She grinned, sure her teeth were coated with the blood she tasted. “And you won’t either, I’m sure. Frankie put it someplace safe.”
“Idiot girl. You think you’re smart but you’ve been sheltered and have a lot to learn. You can’t outsmart me or anybody else who your father trusts. Frankie sure as hell couldn’t.”
She hung forward, panting to keep her stomach in check.
When she raised her head, she said, “I don’t know where the bag is. You took me for nothing.”
“Not for nothing.” He gave a short laugh.
A knock sounded at the door, and he called out, “I told you assholes not to bother me!”
The door blasted in and the room filled with big, mean Knights. Chaz’s gaze landed on her immediately, and she gave a sharp cry that was cut off by the retort of a gun by her ear.
She gave a louder scream when men rushed in behind the Knights, and then she was caught in the thick of a war.
Chaz stormed across the room, ducking under the bullets her uncle couldn’t seem to find a target for. Chaz was better trained. He whipped off a shot at close proximity, and her uncle grunted as the soft thwack hit flesh.
Not bothering to check on her uncle, Chaz made a move for her. He yanked out a knife and slit through her bonds until she was completely free. The big room had emptied of several men as the Knights gave chase in other parts of the building.
Her mind got out of its slow-motion loop just in time to realize they were still under fire.
Chaz grabbed her and rolled, tucking her so completely under him that she couldn’t even see what was happening. His sharp movements and the explosions of his weapon told her he was fighting for both their lives.
He rolled with her again, dragging her away from danger. And again.
A final shot rang out and then Chaz shifted his weight off her enough for her to suck in a deep breath scented with gunpowder.
“Are you okay?” Chaz’s voice was gritty, his big body still guarding her.
“I think,” she said with a tremor.
Suddenly, a laugh barked from the other side of the room. “I’d say the Knight Ops maneuver has worked once again and hellfire just rained down on these fucking men,” Rocko drawled.
Chaz gave a nod.
Fleur was reeling. Knight Ops? Was that some kind of elite military group? For a man who demanded she tell him all, she sure didn’t know much about him. And she planned to get the answers ASAP.
Chaz stood and drew her up with him, still putting his body in front of hers.
“Do you know these men?” he asked her.
She looked down at her uncle, who looked back, hate wavering in and out of his eyes along with fear and pain.
She nodded. “My uncle Vic.”
Chaz flicked his head at Rocko. “Tie him up. Make it good and tight, just like Fleur’s was. And prop him up in the main warehouse with the others.”
Pulling her from the space, she saw what he meant by warehouse. The open area might have once been used for production of grains or something like that, but now it was empty. The idea that her father only kept it for stowing people away and torturing them like they’d planned with her made her guts churn all over again.
Keeping a tight clasp on her hand, Chaz led her to stand in front of five other men, all trussed up like hogs. One more lay under a tarp, obviously too far gone to view.
“Can you identify them too?”
She looked from face to face, knowing now that they’d seen her, they would carry all information back to her daddy. Then again, the Knights would never allow them to leave this building to tell.
She pointed out each and named them.
“Looks like your dad lost today,” Chaz said.
Tears came to her eyes. “My father,” her voice wavered, “murdered Frankie and I think he murdered my mother too. You can find her buried on the southern end of our plantation, off the dock where she loved to sit and look at the water.”
Chapter Six
There was a protocol that came after missions, but Chaz needed to get Fleur the fuck out of there. The whole place reeked of death and gunpowder, and one glance at her staring at the dead man had him striding up to Ben.
“I’m taking her out.”
Ben looked over at her and gave a nod. “Keep her close.”
“Always.” Chaz walked up to Fleur. As he neared, he saw a light tremor running through her.
He touched her arm.
“Who is that?” she asked, gazing at the tarp-covered body.
“Just another asshole. Come on, petite fleur.”
She stood rooted, unmoving. “It’s not my father, is it?”
He cupped her jaw, swinging her gaze away from the dead man and up to his. “Do you think your father’s dumb enough to come here?”
She dragged in a breath and then shook her head.
“Let’s go outside,” he urged quietly.
She walked with her shoulders back, her head raised high as she passed the men who she’d probably considered people who would have once helped her. Now they were hunting her. The fact that Darius Sutton had sent this many thugs to nab and then guard one small woman told Chaz that he was either afraid or crazy. Probably both.
The air was typical Louisiana with a heaviness of humidity that had Chaz’s shirt sticking to him the minute they stepped outside. He took Fleur by the shoulders and turned her to face him.
She wasn’t crying. Wasn’t even shaking anymore. God, the strength inside this woman stunned him. Not only had she been living in terror of being found, but she’d managed to thrive.
He directed a lock of red hair behind her ear. “God, you’re so goddamn beautiful. But I know you can’t be all right. What can I do? Are you thirsty?”
She nodded.
“That I can help with.” The feeling of helplessness wasn’t something he’d experienced in his past. It hit him out of nowhere, and it hit him hard.
He checked around for dangers before leading her to the Knight Ops SUV he’d haphazardly parked on the sidewalk to get to Fleur faster. He opened the door and two fast food cups rolled onto the ground.
“Dammit. These guys are hogs.” He cast her an apologetic look before locating the cooler that was always filled with drinks and pulling out a bottle of semi-cold water for her.
She thanked him and twisted off the cap. Drawing it to her lips, she said, “What is Knight Ops?”
He shouldn’t be startled that she knew the name. He braced his legs and prepared for her questioning. He was always guarded when speaking about OFFSUS, but she deserved some information as well.
“Knight Ops is us,” he said quietly.
“And you’re what? An elite group?”
“Special ops.”
She nodded and drank half the bottle of water in one long draw. Fear and shock gave people an overwhelming thirst, and he was glad to see her replenishing the liquid she needed.
He caught movement from the right corner as Roades patrolled and relaxed a little, knowing his brother had his back, because he was distracted as hell.
“That explains how you knew where to find me,” Fleur said.
He gave a short nod. “We have ways.”
“And you knew about my father before meeting me? Did you come to Nuit knowing I’d be there?”
He compressed his lips. “I was sent to watch over you.”
She made a soft noise in her chest like he’d struck her.
He slid his arm around her middle and drew her toward him. “I might have been sent to help you, Fleur, but I believe there’s another reason we were thrown together.”
A shiver ran through her, and he drew her fully against his chest where she fit best. “I don’t fully understand anything about my life right now, but I know I’m glad you found me. And believe it or not, I enjoyed my time with your family.”
He buried his grin against her soft hair. “My family has a way of pulling people into it and never letting go. I hope you’re prepared for that.”
She didn’t respond or move away, just let him hold her in the wreath of his arms. Soon her breathing evened out and she lifted a hand to his jaw. The stroke of her soft fingers had him hard in a second. And the SUV was alluringly close. Hell, he could have her stretched on the back seat and her legs around his ears in seconds.
He suppressed his urges and leaned into her touch. “We’ll keep you safe while we figure this out.”
“What then? Do I just continue pretending I’m somebody else? Move out of state like I planned?” Her question hit him square in the chest. He didn’t like to think of her going away, but he wasn’t about to analyze why. Not yet. He didn’t want to complicate their mission to keep her safe with emotions, which was the reason he was refraining from taking her body the way he wanted to.
All night long.
Hell, for a week.
“We’ll figure things out as we go.”
“How can you work that way? Not plan?” She searched his gaze.
He offered a crooked smile. “Because the minute the Knights form a plan, shit goes sideways and we end up flying by the seat of our pants anyway. We go into every situation with information, coordinates and an inkling of what might happen. But until we get into the thick of it, we never know.”
“Now I’m a mission. I’m sorry, Chaz.”
He blinked. “How can you be sorry for being hunted? It’s not as if you asked for it.”
“You’re right,” she said softly. “What I said about my mother… I believe it to be true.”
He didn’t want to tell her that it was true. As soon as they’d yanked that story from Sutton’s man about his wife, OFFSUS had gone in with scuba divers to search for remains. If they found anything, it would be bones, but Chaz didn’t expect there to be much left of Fleur’s mother, if anything.
He cupped the back of his head, drawing her cheek against his chest. Damn, she did fit so well in his arms. “Whatever we find out, I’m here for you,” was the only thing he could say to soothe her.
She clutched his shirt front. “If you hadn’t been there—”
�
��Don’t say it. I can’t stand the thought.” His words came in a harsh burst.
“Chaz, can I tell you something?” She lifted her gaze to his again. What he wouldn’t give to look into her natural brown eyes. Soon, he told himself. Soon she could be herself with him.
He threaded his fingers into her hair. “You can tell me anything.” Except that she already had a boyfriend waiting for her somewhere. That would not do.
“I… Since the first time I saw you, I’ve been feeling something.”
He stopped drawing breath.
Her admission walloped him. He could take it two ways—either she was trying to tell him she had feelings for him or that he frightened her. Since she was in his arms, he hoped it was the former.
“Feeling what, Fleur?”
She broke eye contact as she gave a light shake of her head. “I don’t understand it. A connection? Some urge to gravitate to you?”
He grinned. “If you keep talking like this, I’ll get a big head. And my team already says I’m cocky as hell.”
She laughed and then drew up as if the sound surprised her. After what she’d been through and seen, it was no wonder.
He palmed her delicate jaw and looked into her eyes. “Whatever is happening between us will unfold as it’s meant to.”
Roades walked into view again and gave him a chin lift that meant he had some information.
Chaz responded with a lifted hand. “I think transport is coming for those men inside right now. I don’t want you around when they’re taken.”
Tension rippled through her and her eyes hardened. “I don’t want to see them again. Especially my uncle. They won’t be set free, will they?”
He chuckled, low. “Abso-fucking-lutely not. You don’t need to worry about them again, Fleur. Here, let’s get you inside the SUV while this goes down.”
He got put her into the back seat and got into the SUV to start the air conditioning. Then he slid in next to her. She still held the half-full water bottle and was staring at her fingers.
He reached between the seats to set the radio on a satellite station and then leaned back. Taking her hand, he clasped it between his own. “Do you like this music?” he asked.
“It’s the stuff I listen to.”