by Donica Covey
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
512 Forest Lake Drive
Warner Robins, Georgia 31093
Callye’s Justice
Copyright © 2007 by Donica Covey
Cover by Scott Carpenter
ISBN: 1-59998-614-0
www.samhainpublishing.com
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: October 2007
Callye’s Justice
Donica Covey
Dedication
To the men and women, federal or local, who every single day put their lives in the front lines of the war on drugs. May they know that their efforts do not go unappreciated.
A special thank you goes to DEA Special Agent Steve Robinson and DEA spokesman Lawrence R. Payne for their time and patience in answering questions.
Prologue
“Where the hell is that ambulance?” Justice Bernard shouted again above the wailing of the sirens. In the flashing strobe lights around him, he looked down into Cas’s pale face. “Don’t you dare leave me, you hear me, Callye Ann Simone? I need you, damn it.”
The blood was pooling beneath his arms as it seeped from the many cuts slashing her small frame. Bruises in colors ranging from violet to angry black and green dotted her face and arms. His stomach clenched in fear.
“We need the medics now,” he shouted again. Was anyone even hearing him? Why the hell didn’t someone come for her?
Uniforms raced around him, but all he could see was Cas. “Damn it, Cas, please hang on.” Her pulse was so weak. They couldn’t be too late. This just couldn’t be happening. He’d just gotten her back. He couldn’t lose her now.
“The ambulance just arrived, sir.”
“’Bout damn time,” he growled as the paramedics rolled the stretcher up to them. The flashing lights of the emergency vehicles cast strange shadows on the faces of the medics so they seemed to wear masks of death. He pressed the morbid thought from his mind.
They pushed him to the side while they assessed the damage done to Cas. Justice battled the tears that pricked his eyes. All his fault. How the hell could he let this happen to her?
You put up such a hell of a fight, don’t give up now. The tears slid down his cheek and he gave them a hard brush. “Please, baby, hang on.”
“We gotta move now,” one of the medics shouted.
They rushed to secure her inside the rig, and for a moment, Justice stood frozen with the fear and guilt battling in his gut. Finally, his brain kicked in and he vaulted for the side door. “I’m coming with.”
“Jus, we need to get—” Chase Willett, his partner, called after him.
“At the hospital.” Justice didn’t look up, just pulled the door closed, the sound of the slam resounding in the rig.
He should’ve been more aware of their surroundings. “Damn it.” Why was he such a fool?
He took her hand in his and stroked it gently. Her nails were ragged. The light purple polish chipped. Where was her ring? When had it come off? He tried to focus but everything was a hazy nightmare.
The medic in the jump seat was on the phone to the hospital. The second medic knelt on the floor beside the cot, monitoring Cas’s breathing and heart rhythm. Had they been able to stop her bleeding?
He pressed a light kiss to her cool skin. “Please, Cas, don’t leave me. I couldn’t make it without you.”
It took a while for him to realize he’d been holding his breath. With a slight squeeze to her hand, he uttered a prayer that she’d come back to him. All he wanted to do was look into her incredible blue eyes once more. No way could she leave him now, not after accepting his proposal three days ago.
Had it only been three? It was more like an eternity.
His mind drifted back to that night.
Chapter One
Justice slid his sedan into park. Damn, he hadn’t realized how late he really was. Late didn’t even begin to cover it. Would she be mad? Probably not. Cas took most things in stride, but occasionally he saw the disappointment that she tried to conceal.
He jumped out and raced up the steps to her front door, then let himself in. “Hey, Cas, I’m sorry I’m late. Ready to go?”
His Cas. When they’d first met, he learned quickly that she hated anyone to shorten her name. It was Callye, unless her sister was upset with her, and then it was Callye Ann. Callye Ann Simone. He’d taken his life in his hands the first time he’d shortened her name to Cas. But she smiled softly, melting his heart. Now he was the only one who could call her that.
His thoughts rounded back to the present when he heard the soft click of her heels on the hardwood. She came down the steps and something slammed into his gut. She looked amazing and it stole his breath away.
“I was wondering if you’d stood me up.”
“Never.” He pulled her into his arms and pressed a kiss on her warm, welcoming lips. She tasted like…grapes?
She slid from his arms and spun slowly. Her sandy blonde hair swept up off her shoulders with curled wisps framing her face. Cas had a thing for purple. Most of her clothes were in various shades of the color, and tonight was no different. This one was a deep purple dress held up with flimsy straps. The short skirt of the dress accented her gorgeous legs. Even her shoes and purse were the same color. One thing about his Cas, she was adamant about coordination. It was almost an obsession. Each object matched the others. These shoes had some kind of buckle on the toe. A butterfly?
His mouth watered, and it wasn’t for grapes. “You look gorgeous.” Once more, he pulled her in close.
“You sound surprised.”
“No way. You’d look amazing no matter what.”
“Mmm hmm. You’re just afraid of getting in trouble for being late.”
“Guilty.” He placed a hand on the small of her back. “Ready?”
“Willing and able.”
After she stepped out the door, he checked the lock, and then pulled it tight. She placed her soft hand on his arm while they walked to the car. As he backed out of the drive, he used his free hand to pat the pocket holding his reason for being late. The jeweler had to make some minor adjustments to the ring, and that took time. Then he’d gotten a call from Chase that had made him even later. But now they were on the way and by the end of the evening, she’d be his.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was radiant. How did he get so lucky? The softest, sweetest woman he’d ever known had knocked him for a loop. She made him want to be better. Be stronger.
When Chase and the guys first met her, he’d gotten all kinds of guff. They joked about opposites attracting. There was also the reference to beauty and the beast. Or love was blind. He laughed it up with them, but on some level, he wondered what she saw in him.
With a nose crooked from being broken too many times, large work-rough hands and the frequent tang of gunpowder that coated him, he wasn’t the most handsome, appealing man, but somehow he’d won her and he gave his heart to her completely.
She was always right there waiting for him, pouring strength into him whenever something went wrong or when he felt defeated. She was his cheerleader and his greatest fan.
&nb
sp; He reached across the console and took her hand, imagining his ring sitting on her long, slender finger. It made him swell with pride and he didn’t bother to hide the smile that crept up.
“What’s on your mind?”
“You. What else would there be?”
She shrugged and squeezed his fingers. “I figured it might be one of your girlfriends.”
His girlfriends. It was a running joke between the two of them. Most of the time his best sources of information were a few of the local pros, and at least one of them was in contact with him on a regular basis. “Yeah, but honey, none of them compare to you.”
“Good thing. I’d have to hunt them down. Get rid of the competition.”
“There is no competition. You’re it for me, babe.”
“You always say the right thing.”
He pulled onto the cobblestones that lined the banks of the Mississippi. The car bounced gently on the rough-stoned parking lot. He found a spot and parked the car. The setting sun danced on the water. The riverboats, the Tom Sawyer and the Becky Thatcher, swayed in the light ripples of the water.
They got out and walked across the small lot. He draped an arm across her shoulder and felt hers slide around his waist. Usually, the water’s gentle lapping at the stone soothed him. Tonight, it just echoed in his head.
Sandzis restaurant was one of Cas’s favorites. Tonight was going to be perfect despite his quaking insides. He tried to calm his nerves while he and Cas were seated. But his knee bounced and moisture collected on his palms. He had to clamp a fist to keep from strumming his fingers on the table. Should they eat first? Maybe he should ask her now. Uh oh. She’d said something that he didn’t catch. “What?”
She studied his face closely. “Is there something wrong? You seem, I don’t know. Distracted? Upset?”
“No, everything’s fine.” He mentally groaned and tried to force his knee to quit bouncing. Crap. What was he going to do? Okay calm down, you can do this. Just start simple. “What would you like to eat?”
“I know something’s wrong.” She studied his eyes for a second, then shook her head.
“There’s nothing wrong,” he murmured, just as low.
After they ordered their meal, he sat back. The hair on the back of his neck prickled on end and he quickly scanned the room for the eyes he felt watching them. All thought of his nerves was pushed aside and his body went into alert mode.
“…I decided that what the design needed was to be jazzed up with a teal and fuchsia mix. Jus, are you there?”
He jerked his attention back to her. “Of course.”
She nodded as she bit her lower lip, a sign she was getting frustrated.
“Fuchsia and teal. I have no idea what they are, but that’s what you said.”
“Colors. A pink, and green-blue. You don’t fool me, I know you. I can read the look in your eyes. Something is on your mind.” She sighed heavily and sat back. “You’ll tell me when you’re ready.”
He knew half the men in the restaurant were looking at her, thinking what a lucky guy he was.
His chest puffed slightly and he leaned forward, reaching across the table for her hand. “I could spend the rest of my life watching you across the table from me. Your face beginning my day.” He shook his head. Man, am I screwing this up. It had sounded so much better during the rehearsals that had run through his mind all day long.
Her smile widened and the room brightened. “Be careful, mister. I might have to hold you to that.”
The hell with timing. “I hope you do.” He handed her the gift-wrapped box.
Cas’s eyes went wide and began to mist over. Tears slipped down her cheek as she opened it and took out the ring.
“I…” She seemed to be struggling for words. “You really mean it? I…oh, Justice.”
He reached up and brushed the tears away with a gentle touch. “Do you like it?”
“No, I love it. You’ve made me so very happy.” She turned the small gold band over. The single solitaire was what the jeweler had called a princess cut. Along the entire band were smaller diamonds of the same channel cut.
Justice took the ring and slid it on her finger. It slipped and she turned the diamond back around. It was still a little too large. He could get that fixed soon enough.
Cas placed her hand on his. “It’s so perfect, Justice.”
“You still haven’t answered me.”
“You never really asked.” She grinned and dabbed at her eyes with the corner of the napkin. “Of course I will. I know a good thing when it falls in my lap. You can’t get away from me now. You realize that, right? No escape.”
“Life without parole.”
She held up her hand, studying the diamond sparkles in the lights. “It’s so perfect. I love you.”
“I love you too, more than anything else in the world.”
All through dinner, he caught her glancing down at her finger like she was checking to make sure the ring was still there. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t focus on any of her words. She was his to have and hold, in sickness and health, for the rest of their lives.
After dinner, they walked across the historic Landing. Against the dark skyline, the warning beacon from the top of the St. Louis Arch scanned the sky. The river lapped gently at the banks and people milled about the levee. Cas’s perfume, feminine, exotic and enticing, made his blood heat up.
At her side of the car, he pinned her between him and the door. “You are the most amazing, the most wonderful, and the sexiest woman alive. I’ll never know how I got so damn lucky.” He traced a finger down her cheek and pressed a deep kiss on her lips. When he pulled back, he watched as her face went from filled with pleasure to terror.
He had just pulled away when pain shattered through his head and the world went dark.
* * *
Justice tried to reach up to touch his throbbing head, but his hands wouldn’t budge. He slowly looked around the dark room, trying to get his bearings. Across from him, he made out a shape in a chair. “Cas?”
A moan floated back to him, and he jerked at his confining ropes again. “Cas,” he cried louder. With each pull, the bindings tightened on his wrists and ankles.
“Cas, baby, can you hear me?”
“Justice?” Her voice was soft and filled with confusion. “Justice? What happened?”
“I’m not sure, honey. I’m not sure. Can you move?”
A scuffling sound came from where she was. “No. I’m all tied up.”
“Damn.” He had to think of something quick.
Light cracked from a door across the room and a silhouette moved close to them. “What do you want?” Justice demanded.
The shape moved closer to Cas. “I want to make sure you suffer. You’ve been a pain in the ass for too long, Bernard. Disrupting business, interfering in places you don’t belong. It’s time you pay the price for what you’ve done. Maybe then you and your friends will back off.”
“Just let her go and we can talk about this.”
“No, can’t do that. See, the way the boss figures it, you’ll suffer more by knowing what she’s in for. There’s a lot of arguing going on about you. Most want to just kill you outright, but the boss says no. He loves to drag out every ounce of pain.”
Cas whimpered slightly and Justice strained to see what was happening, but the darkness refused to lift. “You lay one hand on her and I’ll kill you, you son of a bitch.”
“Justice,” she cried.
The sound of skin on skin resonated through the room. “Shut up, bitch.”
“You bastard.” Justice pulled on the ropes harder. The thought of Cas in pain was enough to make him see red. “Keep your goddamn hands off her.”
“Don’t worry, Bernard, it’s not my hands that are going to be touching her. Think about all the things she is going to be used for. All the men who are going to get to taste her, touch her.” The man laughed, a harsh wheezing sound.
“No.” Justice tried lungin
g against the ties again. It was useless to struggle, but he had to stop them, he had to get her free.
The man laughed again, and Justice heard the sounds of a chair scraping against the floor.
Justice could barely make out the man’s shadow as it moved to the door, dragging Cas along with him.
Callye struggled in the man’s hands, trying to pull free. “Let go of me,” she shouted and kicked out her legs behind her, desperately trying to connect with any part of his anatomy. “I said, let me go.”
The puffing breath of his horrid laugh ruffled the hair at her ear. “No way, sweetheart. You look good enough to eat, and believe me, when it’s my turn…” He left it hanging, and her stomach pitched.
The thoughts of what would happen to her made bile burn the back of her throat. The man’s hands were rough on her skin and his body reeked of, was that garlic?
“Please. Let me go. Leave me alone.” Hot tears streaked down her face.
How had things gone so wrong? One minute she was happy and carefree, imagining a wedding day then a life with the man she loved more than anything. The next, some stinking maniac is dragging her through a warehouse.
“Leave me alone.” Her arms slipped. She pulled free and began running, but the connection with a man’s hard chest slammed her to a stop.
“Slippery little bitch, aren’t you?” He laughed.
She never saw the fist that connected with her head before the lights went out.
* * *
Dalton Bismarck opened the trunk and looked down at the little blonde woman. An ugly bruise was forming on her cheek. Damn, but she put up a fight.
“Where’s my money?” Mouse demanded. “I grabbed them, just like you said. My boys and me got them. Now we want our money.”
“Money…money…” Dalton traced his fingers down his chin. “You were promised money?”
“You’re damn right we were. You said if we nabbed the bitch and the badge we’d get what we had coming.”