by Riley, Alexa
“I don’t need that money anymore. Apparently you’re worth more.” He smiles and it sends a chill down my back. “I actually might get to collect off you twice. I know Warren is more than willing to pay what you took, but I wonder what I can get from Cooper.” A lump forms in my throat. I hadn't gone back to our hotel room. For all Cooper knows, I’m with Monte and have been playing him the whole time. Tears sting my eyes, but I refuse to let myself believe that. Not after what we shared and what I felt between us. There was no hiding what happened last night and I know it changed him like it did me.
“You brought Warren here.” Who else would have told him? “You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”
“I’m dealing with an extremely wealthy man who’s willing to pay triple what you stole from me to get his hands on you.”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him I didn't steal anything from him but I don’t. I may not be part of Cooper’s band of brothers, but I’ve got loyalty to them. I’m on their side and I’m happy they stole Monte’s dirty money. Without that I would have never met Cooper either.
“If I would have known the man you were running from was willing to pay so much for you I would have sold your ass a long time ago.”
His laugh is humorless and I’m sick to my stomach. How could I not have seen he was an asshole the first day I met him? With raising myself most of my life, you’d think I’d be better at reading people or have more street smarts than I do. I somehow just always step right into shit.
“I guess this way I might get paid twice and get my hands on Cooper fucking Ross in the process.” The way he says Cooper's name gives me a chill. He flicks his cigarette as he stands and walks closer to me. “You’re lucky I like money more than I do revenge. But I think when Cooper finds out I handed you over to another man, he won’t be pleased.”
Being handed over to Warren has another panic attack forming and I hate the idea of Monte using me to hurt Cooper. Anger rushes forward and it helps push the threat of a panic attack down.
“Cooper thinks I’m on your side,” I lie, thinking maybe I can get Cooper out of his line of fire. It’s clear Monte isn’t going to give me back to Cooper even if Cooper pays him the money he took. I know the money is already gone because I watched them divide it up.
“Good old boy Cooper wouldn't fuck someone he thought was playing it dirty. No, he was all over the poor damsel in distress and wanting to save the day.” I pale. How does he know we slept together? “Unless someone else left that hickey on your neck?”
I involuntarily touch my neck as I try to remember if I saw a hickey. His hands and mouth were everywhere, so it was hard to keep track of everything while I was experiencing the greatest pleasure of my life.
“There’s no hickey, but now I know for sure he was all over you. Why else would he buy you all those clothes?” He pulls out another cigarette and lights it. “Let’s not tell Warren you spread your legs for Cooper. Something tells me he wouldn’t like that. He said you had to come back to him in one piece. I’m thinking that has something to do with your virginity?”
My face heats, but Monte keeps on going.
“He kept talking about you being pure.” He cocks his head to the side to study me. “You really a virgin? I didn’t think those were still a thing.” He makes a face like he ate something bad. “Who wants a fucking virgin? I want a woman on my dick who knows what she’s doing.”
Monte reaches down and openly adjusts himself. I do not want to think about him having sex. His phone beeps and pulls his attention from me. I look around while he’s distracted to see if there’s anywhere for me to escape to.
“Let him in,” Monte says before ending the call.
“Warren’s here.” He puts his cigarette out in the ashtray on the table and my heart starts to pound.
I try and focus on my breathing again as the thick metal door flies open. There stands Warren and my blood runs cold.
“Where’s my money?” Monte snaps, and I see Warren’s hands are empty. I guess he was supposed to bring it, but if it was three times what had been taken from Monte there’s no way Warren could carry that by himself.
Suddenly there are two men behind Warren but neither of them have bags. I swallow when I watch them pull out their guns.
“I paid already,” Warren says, stepping into the room.
He’s talking to Monte, but his eyes are trained on me. Warren is clean cut with short blond hair and baby blue eyes. I used to watch women throw themselves at him and I thought something was wrong with me because I was never attracted to him. I played with the idea of us being something, but it never felt right. I think on some level I always knew something was wrong with him. Monte’s talk about Warren calling me pure made me remember Warren talking about wanting a pure wife. A few more of the odd things Warren would rattle on about click into place.
“Takio, Uzziah. What are you doing here?” For the first time I hear fear in Monte’s voice.
“I invited them,” Warren says as he walks toward me. “Why are you on the floor, darling?” Warren holds his hand out to me and I want to smack it away, but I’m not going to provoke him. I reluctantly take it and he pulls me to my feet.
“You called them?” There’s a hitch in Monte’s voice. Neither of the men say anything, but one raises his gun.
Monte takes a step back and I take one, too. I hate Monte, but it doesn't mean I want to watch him die. I don’t want to watch anyone die.
“You’ve been doing things you’re not supposed to, Monte. I think you forget who you work for,” one says.
“I called the people who are really in charge,” Warren says, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me into his body. “You’d only come back for more money and I’d forever be tangled up with you. You’re a grunt, Monte, and I know if I pay Uzziah that will be the end of it.” Warren sounds all-knowing when he speaks, but he’s probably right. Monte will always want more money. “Uzziah runs an empire like I do. We hold true to our word.” Warren’s gaze moves from Monte down to me. “Like me saying I would have you.”
There is a warning to his tone that’s telling me I better not fight him. I wasn't going to, not yet at least. My hands are cuffed and there’s nowhere for me to go. Monte tries to protest, but no one is paying him any attention.
“Thank you for the information, Warren. It was a pleasure doing business with you.” Warren gives Uzziah a nod and the guy simply pulls the trigger.
I think there is going to be a loud bang but the shot is silent. I turn away, not wanting to see, and then I hear Monte’s body hit the floor.
Warren guides me away from the room and pulls me tighter to him.
“My plane is waiting. I’ll have you home before you know it.” He’s smiling happily when I look up at him. You would never think that he just watched someone die. “I paid a lot for you, Jules. Not that you aren't worth it, but you better be ready to make it up to me. I think the plane will be a nice place to start.”
He digs his fingers into my arm and I yelp out in pain.
“Do you understand me, Jules?” He stops walking and turns me to face him. I nod, having no other choice. “Good, because I wouldn't want to have to come back here for Cooper Ross.”
I can’t stop the small gasp that leaves me at the mention of Cooper’s name.
“I think I found something that will make you behave.” He reaches for the handcuffs and with a quick movement they fall off my wrists. “I’d kill him for touching what’s mine, but then I wouldn't have something to hold over you. You’re not going to make me kill him, are you, Jules?” I shake my head, faster this time.
I can’t speak because I can barely get the air into my lungs. Black spots dance around my eyes as Cooper’s face flashes in my mind. He’s telling me to breathe and to be calm, just before the blackness takes me.
Chapter Fourteen
Cooper
“If you can’t keep it cool, tell me now and I’ll take care of this myself.” Track look
s at me with intense eyes and I know he’s not fucking around.
“I won’t leave without her.”
“That’s not what I’m asking and you know it.” He looks to the guys in the van and they nod. “We are all willing to go in there and get her out, but we can’t have you be a part of this mission as a loose cannon.”
“I know,” I say through gritted teeth. No one wants this to go smoothly more than me, but we know who’s in there and this could go south fast.
“Then let’s get into position.” Track grabs my shoulder and gives it a squeeze before he suits up.
Walsh gets in the driver's seat with Levi beside him on the scanner. Jonas is in the back with us covering the four monitors that are showing the images from the security cameras he tapped into.
We got here in time to see Takio and Uzziah go in with Warren. Uzziah is the big boss Monte tried to cheat out of his money. We were planning on informing him and his right-hand man Takio about Monte’s loss of funds, but we found out Warren beat us to it. There’s nothing left for them in this area now and we all agreed that no matter what happens, it’s best to let the two of them walk. We don’t want to stir up any trouble with their organization and they’re only here for Monte.
“Just make sure if it comes down to it, I’m the one that gets a shot at Warren.” The guys agree as I tuck my handgun in the back of my pants and watch the screens next to Jonas. “Where the fuck is she?”
“We’re going to get her back,” he reassures me, and I have to take a breath.
“Just stick to the plan,” Walsh says from the front.
We wait for what feels like hours, but it can’t be that long. Finally, when it feels like I can’t sit still another moment, Takio and Uzziah come out, but this time they’re alone.
“They’ve left him in there with her,” I say as I get closer to the screen. “You think they killed Monte?”
“Yes,” Track says plainly and he’s right.
There’s no way they would have let him live after taking money from their organization. They would have made an example out of him. Monte was the only link they had to this industry, so when I see their tail lights heading away from the warehouse, I know that this is the last we’ll see of them.
“Remember the plan,” Jonas says from beside me and I nod.
Every part of my body is screaming at me to run in there, guns blazing, and save the day. But I don’t know what kind of manpower or firearms they’ve got behind those walls, and we know that Warren won’t stay there for long. He’s down here to get Jules and take her back to the rock he crawled out from under.
He thinks she belongs to him, but what he doesn’t know is that her soul has belonged to mine since the moment we met. Maybe even before that and we were just waiting to find one another. Warren thinks that he’s going to take my girl and walk out of here, but I’ll shit gold bars before I let him get away.
“Let’s move,” Track says as he opens the back door, and he and I slip out.
Levi is close behind us and I don’t like him getting his hands dirty like this. He’s too young and I’ve always felt like he was my kid brother, but he isn’t hearing any of my protests. I can’t really argue with him because we need all the hands we can get right now and I trust him with my life.
“Stay low and be ready. He’ll most likely come out the same way he went in, and we’re betting he’s got Jules with him.”
Track signals for us to take our places and we follow the plan. Walsh showed us where to go and directed us to where we’ll have the best chance at a surprise. He and Track might be running the show, but they put me as point man. They understand that I can’t sit back and watch someone else save her.
I crouch down low behind the barrels just in time to hear one of the metal exit doors opening. I hear a soft cry, and just as my adrenaline spikes I see Warren holding Jules, dragging her out of the building. My breath catches in my throat because I want to run to her and grab her from him, but I see the glare of the gun in his hand and I know I can’t risk it. I have to make sure Jules is safe.
Track is telling us to hold our positions in my earpiece and I look over quickly to see he and Levi are hidden nearby. I tighten my grip on my knife in one hand and know I need to go in silent. I’ve got my gun on me, but I can’t take the chance with Jules so close to him.
“You’re hurting me,” she says to Warren and it’s like someone just ripped my heart in half.
She’s trying to go along with him, but even I can see the panic in her eyes. She’s probably had an attack recently from the way she’s holding herself. Everything in me is screaming to go get her, but I know I have to wait.
Warren stops and turns to face her, letting go of her arm. She staggers a little and I take a step forward, the instinct to catch her overwhelming me.
“I’m trying to hold you up so you don’t pass out again.” His voice is seething as he talks down to her. “You better get it together, Jules. I won’t have you embarrassing me.”
She looks down at the ground but doesn’t make a move as he opens the passenger door to the car next to them.
“They can’t drive out of here,” I whisper into my microphone. “If it comes down to it, shoot the tires.”
“Roger that,” Levi says, and I nod to where he’s hidden.
“Get in the car,” Warren demands, but when Jules doesn’t move I can sense things are beginning to change. There’s a look of pale calm that comes over his face as he grabs her again and she calls out at the pain. “Don’t you remember I enjoy the sound of your cries?”
It’s too fucking much, the way he’s talking to her, reminding her of the trauma she went through before with him, and I can see in her breathing that she doesn’t have much time before she blacks out. I can’t sit here and watch the woman I love be abused by this piece of shit.
“Coop!” I hear in my headset as I take off in a hard run toward Warren and Jules.
A train could come out of nowhere and hit me and it wouldn’t stop me from getting to her. Jules is my only focus as I push my heavy legs as hard and fast as they can go until I reach her.
Just before I slam into him, Warren turns and sees me. He has time to raise his gun, but I’m tackling him to the ground before he can pull the trigger. I go in with my knife up and I make contact with some part of his chest.
We roll around on the ground and I feel a sharp pain in my side, but I ignore it when I hear Jules scream. Blood is pumping in my ears and the adrenaline and fear are thudding loudly through my body.
Suddenly there's a loud shot and a searing burn in my shoulder. I cry out, rolling with Warren and pinning him to the ground. Blood is coming out of his mouth and he’s fighting for air as I struggle to pull the gun out of his hand. My knife is lodged deep in his chest and it’s only a matter of time before he’ll be gone.
I feel arms pull me from behind, but I keep on fighting to get the gun away from Warren. The fucker tries to push me off of him, but it’s the last of his energy as his arms fall and the gun drops from his hand.
The next thing I know I’m being laid out on the ground and I’m calling out for Jules. She’s there in my vision, but she’s beginning to blur. She’s also got tears in her eyes and I know I need to make it okay, but I’m having a hard time talking.
“Shhh,” I say, reaching my hand up to cup her face and I realize there’s blood all over it.
“Stay with me,” she says as she takes my hand.
I blink a few times and it’s then I understand that I’ve been shot and I’m losing a lot of blood. My heartbeat is slowing and black spots are beginning to creep into my eyes. I don’t know how much longer I can hang on, so I pull Jules down close to me.
“I love you,” I whisper, and she begins to cry harder.
“I love you too. Don’t you dare leave me, Cooper Ross.”
“Why would I go and do a stupid thing like that?”
The last thing I see before I close my eyes is her smile. I can’t think of
anything else I’d rather see right before I fade away.
Chapter Fifteen
Cooper
When I wake up I notice two things right away. The first is that my shoulder is hurting like a motherfucker, and the second is that there’s a warm, soft body on top of me. I inhale a deep breath and the scent of Jules fills my lungs. I wrap my arms around her and the motion jolts her awake.
“Cooper.” Her eyes are wide as she looks me over and runs her hands across my chest. “How are you feeling? Are you hurt?”
“Tell me what happened,” I say as I cup her cheek and she leans into my touch.
“Track said it all went according to plan. The cops showed up at just the right time and witnessed your self-defense.” She raises an eyebrow at me and I shrug, which makes me wince in pain.
“Careful.” She places her hand lightly over the bandages on my shoulder. “You had a gunshot wound to your shoulder, but they said it was a through and through so you’re going to be okay. You lost a lot of blood, but they got it under control and said you just need to rest.”
“And Warren?”
“He died at the scene.” She looks sad in her eyes, but not for him. Her heart is so tender I know that even though she wanted him out of the picture she didn’t want anyone to be hurt over this. “With the recordings Walsh and Jonas obtained they were able to show you were in the clear and that Warren was the one who killed Monte.”
She cocks her head to the side in question and I reach up and place a finger to her lips. After a second she nods in understanding and lets it go. We need the police to think Warren was behind it so we don’t pull Takio and Uzziah back into this.
“Take off my pants,” I say and her cheeks flush as she looks around.
“Cooper, we can’t have sex in here! There’s no lock on your door.”
“Did you already check?” I tease as her eyes come back to mine.