by Lisa Lovell
Farrell… Oh, God.
And then a gunshot cuts through the voices. And then another. And several more.
For a split second, everything goes silent around us. It’s the kind of silence that sets in just before all hell breaks loose. And it does. People suddenly start screaming. There’s a sudden mad crash of bodies; men in tuxedoes, half-naked women and I’m caught in the frenzy of it. But I don’t have time to find my bearings. Claude is surrounded by men in suits who seem to appear from nowhere. He’s shouting high-pitched orders, and then he’s swept away. And I’m taken along with him.
“The boat, sir!” someone shouts from behind me. The chaos around us becomes almost maddening. I hear Claude shouting, “Get the girl!” and then I’m lifted from my feet. Rough hands are on my bare body as I’m hefted up and carried away. The stench of fuel wafts up to me as we reach the edge of the yacht.
There’s help here now. Giselle! Safety is within reach.
But they’re taking me away!
“No!” I scream. “I’m here!”
And then someone throws a heavy blanket over my head, and my screams are muffled.
It’s too late.
Chapter 9
Farrell Blackmore
“It’s showtime, kid,” Norscott’s voice pulls me from slumber. I awaken groggy but I’m alert in seconds as I realize he’s standing beside my bed. He’s holding a vial in one hand, drawing down into a syringe as I watch him. “Got you some of the good stuff,” he says as he flicks the tip of the needle and reaches for my arm.
Battle drugs.
I’ve done this before. I wait for the heat and the rush of adrenalin as the cocktail of speed and opioids surge through my system. I suck in a sharp breath as the blood sings in my veins. And then I’m sitting. I’d felt my strength gather in the day since I’d seen him, but I’d almost been convinced I would never make it.
“What’s the plan?” I ask as I swing my legs off the side of the bed.
“That’s what I was about to ask you,” he says, watching as I tentatively put weight on my feet. I feel a slight shudder in my thighs, but then I’m steady.
Fuck, this shit is good.
“Your clothes are on the end of the bed. Get kitted up and meet me outside in five.”
When I reach him in front of my door, he’s got his hand on Littleton’s shoulder. The doctor looks up at me. His eyes widen in surprise.
“Mr. Blackmore!” he says in alarm and then seems to think better of it.
“All good here, yeah?” says Norscott, and the doctor nods.
“You make sure the paperwork gets filed,” the doctor insists. “I don’t want any fallout from this if things go wrong.”
“No problem, Doc. Uncle Sam’s got you covered,” the major reassures him.
Then we’re striding through the hallways. I feel the heat building in my thighs as the muscles stretch and flex there. I’ve been on my back for far too long.
“What’s the story?” I ask as we slide into a white SUV idling in the emergency entrance. “I thought you had this thing under control.”
“It got out of our hands,” he says grimly.
Fuck.
“What happened?”
“Vasiliy set up an auction. They shifted up the timeline.”
“How soon?” I ask, knowing what’s coming.
“Now.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?”
“And it gets worse. We don’t know where they’re holding it.”
“Jesus!” My head is spinning, and it’s not from the drugs.
“Your girl is with them, Farrell. Kayla,” he says. I rub my face. Pumped full of medication, my mind needs time to find a clear path.
“Lily?”
“She’s fine. Green has her. But they’re back at the estate with a pack of his security detail.”
“Not fine, then.”
“It’ll hold,” he says firmly. “Those girls are our priority.” He fixes me with a stare. “You know the man. You’ve worked in his circles. Where would he take them? Where would a man like Vasiliy Yakovich auction off a bunch of girls into the sex trade?”
I’m still fighting the fog, but it’s coming to me faster than I’d imagined. “The yacht.”
“Yacht?”
“He has her tethered at the marina. It’s big enough for a crowd that size. Place to land a chopper if he needs to. That’s how he’ll move them. Out on the ocean, sold, and then they’ll vanish. Either helicopter or high-speed motorboat.” As I say the words, I know that’s exactly how he would play it. It’s been brutal working with the fucker, but it’s taught me how he thinks.
“We’re going to need a team,” I say. “Something special. Yakovich’s men don’t fuck around when it comes to security. And the sort of buyers he’ll invite will have the same priorities.” As I’ve been talking, Norscott has tapped our driver on the shoulder. I sense a change in direction. He’s dialing a number and rattling instructions down the line. By the time we reach the marina, there’s a chopper hovering nearby.
I clamber from the vehicle, still testing the strength of my legs. Someone steps up from nearby, and I’m being strapped into body armor. I reach for an assault rifle Norscott has hauled from the trunk of another SUV.
“You got more of that jungle juice, Major?” I ask Norscott. I heft the weapon, feeling the familiarity of its weight in my hands.
“Let’s take it easy, shall we, kid? We don’t want your head to explode.” But he pats the top of his vest and winks. “Just in case…but don’t go fading on me.”
“They’ve been spotted, Major. Few clicks out to the west,” another man shouts over the whirr of the rotors as we duck into the waiting bird. I’ve already reached for the harness that will allow me to descend once we reach the vessel. I doubt there’ll be time to land and disembark. We have to get in and move fast.
As we take to the air, I’m aware of another helicopter pulling up behind us. Norscott’s called in the cavalry alright. But we have no real idea of what we’ll face when we arrive. By the time the lights flicker in the darkness, I’m feeling a tingle of anticipation I remember from a long time ago. But more than that. There’s a wave of dread.
What if it’s too late?
I can’t think that way.
We’re on top of them, and there’s a shout from below as someone realizes something is going on. I drop from the skid beneath the helicopter. Then I feel the rope singing through the lightweight glove protecting my palm as I streak down toward the deck. I’m aware of others doing the same. Norscott is right behind me, and then shots are ringing out. And the screams begin.
Vasiliy may have thrown us on the back foot by planning this event on the spur of the moment. But it has worked in our favor. They’re poorly prepared. A gathering like this would normally host some of the wealthiest sickos in the world. Normally, they’d have arranged security weeks in advance. Perhaps Vasiliy thought that the remoteness would protect them. Or the fact that they’re on the move. It doesn’t matter now. We’re in, and I’m slamming through bodies.
I sweep the crowd, watching fat cats scatter. Norscott’s team has picked out the guys most likely to cause trouble. Heavily armed men are being grabbed and thrown to the ground. A balding man in a tuxedo scuttles to the door with a screaming girl in tow. I reach for his collar and jerk him back to face me. He stares up in horror, straight down the barrel of my rifle.
“Where is she?” I grind out. I know it’s not enough, but I’m in no mood for small talk. “Where the fuck is she?”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about!” he whimpers, shrinking back against the door behind him.
“The girl! Vasiliy’s girl!”
“The blonde?” he gasps out just as I’m tempted to hit him with the butt of my rifle.
For a moment I feel a sense of relief. Thank fuck. She’s here among them.
“Tell me where or I’ll blow your brains out,” I snarl with growing impatience. I must find Kayla before
they take her. Every damn second counts.
“She… she was the first off the lot,” his voice quavers. Now I really want to hit him. “They sold her before anyone else. She’s gone.”
I feel my blood boil as a wave of anger surges through me. I take a small step back and try to control my breathing.
Fuck! Kayla!
Can she really be gone? I stand straight and desperately look around for any signs of hope. Around us, the sound of high-speed motors fills the air as powerboats shoot off into the darkness. Into oblivion.
My stomach clenches. I know what that means. I’m too late. She’s on one of them.
She’s gone. For good.
And I’m never going to find her.
End of Part 4.
CLICK HERE to continue to the Final Part
I had a dream.
He came back for me.
And gave me the most beautiful gift of all.
A baby bearing his legacy.
From the ashes of my broken world.
A monster rises to claim me back.
He rips my heart open and feasts on it.
Yet I keep coming back for more.
As flames collapse into dust,
And enemies turn to lovers,
A precious gift seals my bond with him…
Forever.
ONE CLICK - Continue the Final Part
A Note From Lisa
Before I say anything, would you mind spreading the word by leaving an honest review?
Click here and you will land directly on the review page. You won’t have to look, just write your review and be done in a minute. Thank you!
Writing Kayla and Farrell’s story was such a whirlwind and an emotional rollercoaster. I laughed, cried, and scrapped entire chapters before I was done. That’s right, writing is an emotional thing, at least for me. :-) But the bottom line is: I could not have done it without the support of my readers. They were amazing as always and it’s their support that kept pushing me forward. So, huge thank you for reading this book. I hope that you liked it so much that you’ll end up reading the whole series.
PS: And yes, I do read every single review and take them very much to heart. :-)
Much love,
Lisa xxx
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