Immediately, I reached into my front pocket and pulled out the tiny device that was the key to our success. I pressed the button that would send my GPS location to Luke and the other members of my team and slipped it into my back pocket. Then, I coughed loudly to cover the noise as I loosely cuffed my hands behind my back. One good shake and the cuffs would slide right off, but Dumb and Dumber didn’t need to know that.
For added effect, I coughed a few more times. “Hey, dipshits! Can I get some water?”
When neither responded, I continued. “Hellloooo! Fuckfaces! Are you deaf or just stupid?”
“Hmm, what’s the catchiest song I can sing at the top of my lungs?” I wondered aloud. And then I proceeded to sing Baby Shark. I only made it to the third verse before Goon Two thrust a bottle of water in my face.
“Oh, how thoughtful of you, sir,” I taunted and slowly took a few sips of water. “Thank you.”
He smirked. “You’re not welcome.” Then, pain exploded across my face when he slammed his fist into my cheek. “Keep your fucking mouth shut, bitch.”
I smiled, with my mouth closed, and nodded as I played out fifteen different ways to kill him in my mind.
After he returned to the front of the van, I cataloged my assessment of him. He wasn’t much taller than me, but he did outweigh me by at least forty pounds of fat. His eyes were cold, but not calculating, which led me to believe he was nothing more than hired help and likely disposable. As far as I could tell, he only had one gun tucked into the back of his pants. I could kill him with the pins holding my bun in place before he ever got his hands on his weapon.
Twisting around, I leaned as far as I could to the side without being noticed so I could get a look at Goon One. He was pretty much what I expected—a replica of Goon Two. Maybe they were twins. I opened my mouth to ask but thought better of it when pain shot through my cheek.
Every so often, I tapped the GPS locator in my pocket to let the team know where I was, and that I was still okay. I probably tapped it far more often than I should have, but I didn’t have anything else to do, and sending a signal to them took my mind off of Adrianna for a few moments.
I wasn’t worried about Josie. After showing him the wine cellar and making sure he noticed the faint seam along the wall, I knew Trey would find her and make sure she was safe. And that’s when I realized I loved him. Because he would put his life on the line to save someone just because they meant something to me. I also knew he wouldn’t sit idly by while I was in danger. I just hoped all would be said and done by the time he caught up with us.
I had no idea how long we’d been driving, but I was certain several hours had passed when the van finally came to a stop. I hit the button in my back pocket three times in quick succession to let Luke know we were at a stopping point, and then I prepared myself for the unknown.
“Hey, shitheads, any chance I can pee while we’re stopped?” I called out.
“No,” one of them grunted.
“Fine, but don’t be mad when I piss in your van.”
“You should’ve fucking knocked her out.”
“If she doesn’t shut her fucking mouth, I will.”
I held in my snort and kept my mouth shut. Finally, after long minutes, Goon One said, “There he is. Let’s do this.”
I hit the button in my pocket five times to let Luke and the team know I was about to be handed off to another party. With any luck, the team would swarm in the moment they pulled me from the van.
When the rear doors swung open, Goon Two yanked me out and dropped me onto my feet. “Here she is, sir.”
“She’s not who you were sent to get, but she’ll do,” a familiar voice said.
I turned and gasped. “Sheldon.”
“What’s the matter, Tatum? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Well, seeing as how you’re supposed to be dead, I’d say that’s a fitting observation.”
“Clearly, I’m not. Come along; we don’t have time for idle chit-chat,” he said and reached for my arm.
That’s when I noticed our location. We were at what appeared to be a private landing strip. A Learjet sat no more than fifty yards away waiting for us to board.
Oh, hell no. If I got on that plane, they’d never find me. I glanced around again, but there was nowhere for me to run, nowhere to take cover. Fuck, I needed to somehow stall them.
Tensing my abdomen, I grimaced and let out a loud fart, followed by a groan. “I knew I shouldn’t have eaten that gas station burrito.” Hoping for the best, I tensed again and let out another fart. “Does that fancy plane have a bathroom on it?” I asked and started to hop around. “Come on, man. Stuff wants out. Now!”
“Fuck that! I’m not smelling your rotten ass for the next few hours,” Sheldon declared.
“Dude, I can feel it coming!” I shouted urgently. “I gotta go!”
Goon One produced a bucket from the back of the cargo van. “She can use this, boss.”
Sheldon’s lips curled in disgust. “Fine. Take her over on the other side of the van. I don’t want to see, or hear, any of it.”
Goon One made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat but led me to the far side of the van. “You’re going to have to help me with my pants,” I groaned and managed to push out another fart right as he bent forward.
He covered his mouth and nose with his hand. “Theo! Get over here and help me.”
Theo, also known as Goon Two, came to assist his friend. “Help me get her pants down before she shits all over herself, and he makes us clean it up.”
When Theo reached for the waistband of my pants, I took my chance. I shook the cuffs off and kneed him in the balls while simultaneously pulling out one of my hair pins. While Theo hit the ground, I shoved the hair pin through Goon One’s neck. Quickly pivoting, I kicked Theo right under his chin, effectively knocking him out.
He hit the ground with a thud, and I pulled his gun from the back of his pants. That’s when Goon One reached for his own weapon. I slammed the butt of the gun into the side of his head as hard as I could and took his pistol once he was down. Then, I sat on the bucket and waited for Sheldon or my team to appear.
I was betting the team would show first, but part of me hoped it would be Sheldon so I could shoot him once or twice. I’d never liked him anyway. To be on the safe side, I continued to groan and make farting noises while I sat on the bucket kicking my feet.
And then it happened. Shiny, pretentious loafers appeared in my periphery. “What in the—?” Sheldon started, but his words were interrupted by the bullet I put in his chest.
“Who’s on the plane?” I demanded.
He shook his head and reached for something in his suit jacket. “I always hated you.”
I took great pleasure in blowing a hole in his hand. “Who. Is. On. The. Plane?”
“N-n-no one,” he stammered. “Just the p-p-pilot.”
Before I could discern whether or not he was telling the truth, the sound of several engines approaching filled my ears, followed by the beautiful sound of helicopter blades chopping through the air.
Three black SUVs came to a screeching halt, just as two helicopters landed on the far side of the plane. Jack jumped out of the first SUV and ran full tilt toward me. “I’m fine! Clear the plane!” I yelled, keeping my gun trained on Sheldon.
“Tatum,” Luke called from my side. “You’re okay,” he breathed and pulled me in for a hug.
“Of course I am. You weren’t worried, were you?”
“You know I was,” he confessed and ruffled my hair.
“Adrianna?” I asked quietly, hesitantly.
“She’s in the hospital. Was hurt pretty bad in the wreck, but she should make it.”
I closed my eyes and exhaled in relief. “Josie?”
“You know she’s fine.”
“Yeah, but I needed to hear it.”
“Plane’s clear. Only one on board is the pilot,” Dave called.
“Sweet. Let’s go,
” I said and started for the plane.
“Whoa! Where do you think you’re going?” Luke asked.
“Uh, to the private island to get Simon and Nolan.”
Luke shook his head. “Absolutely not.”
“Are you fuc—?”
“A team is going. But you’re not on that team,” he said firmly.
“You know, after the day I’ve had, I’m kind of okay with that,” I confessed.
“Good, because you need to be seen by a doctor. You’ve been in a car wreck, and I’m going to take a wild guess and say your cheek is probably broken.”
At the mention of my cheek, the throbbing returned full force and I grimaced. “Yeah,” I conceded. “You’re probably right.”
“Where exactly are—?” Once again, I was interrupted, but this time it was by the sound of another helicopter.
Shielding my eyes with my hand, I looked toward the sky. “That’s not one of ours,” I said to Luke.
“No, it’s not,” he agreed, but he didn’t seem concerned.
“Do you know who it is?” I pressed.
“I do,” he smirked.
“Damn it, Luke.”
“Payback’s a bitch. Remember that the next time you decide to be a pain in my ass,” he said and started to whistle as he casually strolled away.
In the next instant, I was hit with a solid force and surrounded by strong arms I was very familiar with. “Trey,” I breathed and sagged against him.
“I’m so pissed at you,” he growled. “But right now, I’m just glad you’re okay because I fucking love you,” he said and gently tilted my face toward his. The relief in his eyes quickly morphed into red, hot rage. “Who hurt you?”
It was wrong. I knew it before I did it, but at that moment, I didn’t care. My man was upset and needed an outlet. Plus, he could get away with it. “He did,” I said and pointed to Goon Two cuffed on the ground.
“I don’t have my bat, so I’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way,” Trey said but didn’t seem disappointed in the least. Theo’s eyes widened comically as Trey stalked over to him. Faster than I thought possible, Trey flipped Theo onto his stomach and used his bare hands to break both bones in his right forearm. Then, he bent low and whispered something in his ear. Before he was finished, a large wet spot began to form on the front of Theo’s pants.
“Damn it, Tatum!” Luke shouted. “Was that really necessary?”
I shrugged. “Meh, depends on who you ask.”
Luke pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. Then, he focused on Trey. “Will you take her to the hospital Adrianna is at? Make sure she is seen by a medical professional first. And don’t let her out of your sight.”
Trey smirked. “That I can do. Come on, sugar tits, you can start explaining on the way.”
With his arm around my shoulders, he led me to the waiting helicopter. “Um, where did this come from?”
“My brother, Shaker, owns it,” he yelled as he helped me inside.
When my eyes landed on the pilot, my forehead scrunched in confusion. “I haven’t seen him around the clubhouse.”
Trey chuckled and handed me a headset. Once we both had ours in place, he said, “He’s from the Croftridge chapter.”
“I see. And how did you boys manage to get clearance to land in the middle of an FBI operation?”
Trey winked. “That’s classified.”
When we arrived at the hospital, I begged and pleaded for him to take me to Adrianna, but he insisted we go to the ER first. “If you go up there before getting medical attention, it will do nothing but upset Adrianna. Is that what you want?”
“No,” I huffed. It most certainly was not what I wanted.
“They know you’re coming, and they have a room waiting for you. It won’t take long.”
He was right. My ass didn’t even get a chance to land in a chair in the waiting room before we were taken back to an exam room. And then, Nurse Let Me Press My Tits On Your Arm walked into the room.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I mumbled.
“Hi, I’m Kennedy,” she chirped.
“Hello, Kennedy. I’m tired, cranky, and in a lot of pain. So, if you could keep your tits off my man’s arm and get this show on the road, I’ll do my best to be somewhat pleasant.”
Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed. “Excuse me?”
“I didn’t stutter. Take it for what it was and move on. You gonna x-ray this shit?” I asked and circled the air in front of my swollen cheek.
She cleared her throat. “Let me check with the doctor. Do you have any other injuries?”
I shrugged. “I was in a rollover accident moments before I was handcuffed and thrown into the back of a van where I was punched in the face by a man much bigger than me. In other words, I don’t fucking know.”
“Tatum,” Trey scolded.
“What? I don’t fucking know. I didn’t have time to do a full body assessment while I was trying to keep myself alive.”
“I’ll just grab one of the doctors. Just a moment,” Kennedy said and left the room.
“You really don’t like her, do you?” Trey asked.
“Eh, I’m not sure if I don’t like her or if I just like fucking with her. She’s scared of me. She should’ve never let me know that.”
He laughed and stepped between my legs. Gently running his hands up my back, he urged me to lean against his chest. “Really, baby, are you hurt anywhere else?”
“I don’t think so. I’m sore, and I’m sure it will be worse tomorrow, but nothing stands out other than my cheek,” I admitted.
Thirty minutes later, I was diagnosed with a fractured cheekbone and sent on my way with a prescription for pain medication I wouldn’t take and a note excusing me from work for a few days. I couldn’t wait to see Luke’s face when I turned that in.
By the time we made it to Adrianna’s room, I was ready for a hot bath and a long nap. The adrenaline was long gone, and I was fading fast. To my surprise, Copper and Judge were sitting in chairs outside of her door.
“What’re you doing?” I asked.
“Making sure no one bothers your ‘sister’,” Copper replied slowly.
“And my other sister?” I asked.
Copper grinned. “She’s in there, too, anxiously awaiting your arrival.”
With that, they got to their feet and Copper opened the door for me. “Tatum!” Josie screamed and made a beeline for me.
Trey stepped in front of me and intercepted her. “Easy. She’s sore.”
Then, he moved out of the way, and Josie wrapped me in a gentle hug. “Are you okay?” she cried.
“Yeah, I’m good. How’s Adrianna?” I asked and studied the still figure in the bed.
“She has a few broken bones, a concussion, and they’re keeping a close eye on her spleen. If it continues to swell, they may have to remove it.”
“Has she been awake at all?” I asked.
“Oh, yes, she’s been awake almost the whole time. The nurse just gave her some pain medication, and she dozed off a few minutes later.”
“Sit down, baby,” Trey insisted and pushed a chair against the backs of my legs.
“Can you tell me what happened?” Josie whispered.
I nodded. “Yeah, I can tell you most of it. Uh, you’re not going to like this part, but, um, Sheldon is still alive. Or he was. I shot him a couple of times, so he might have died; but, when I left he was still very much alive.”
“What?!” she shrieked.
“Yep,” I nodded. “I didn’t see that one coming either.”
“What the hell was he doing there?”
“That part will have to wait, but you’ll have all the answers by morning.”
“Oh, okay,” she said and glanced around the small room. “Are you going to go and come back?”
I snorted. “Seriously, Josie? I don’t care if I have to sleep on the floor; I’m not going anywhere tonight.”
The sound of the door opening woke me f
rom a deep sleep. Thankfully, Trey had been able to acquire two cots for the room—Josie was on one while he and I were doing our best to fit on the other one. Copper and Judge had been replaced by Bronze and Coal, but just knowing two men were out there standing guard was what allowed me to sleep so soundly.
I opened my eyes to see Luke quietly entering the room with two cups of coffee in his hands. “One of those better be for me,” I said, my voice raspy from sleep.
“It is,” he whispered.
“What time is it?” I asked as I extricated myself from Trey and sat up.
“A little before six,” he said with a grin.
“Just in time for the six o’clock news. How convenient,” I said knowingly and turned on the television.
“Something tells me they have a good story this morning.”
“Yes!” I whisper-shouted and pumped my fist in the air. “Now, give me the coffee and let me watch in peace.”
“We’re coming to you this morning with breaking news. Media mogul Simon Barrington and British billionaire Nolan Morgan have been taken into custody for their involvement in acquiring and selling human organs on the black market. Morgan’s son, Sheldon, was also arrested yesterday in connection with the case. Details are still coming in, but trusted sources tell us Barrington’s private island and Morgan’s superyachts were instrumental in illegally procuring and transplanting human organs. We’ll continue to keep you updated as more information comes in.”
A soft gasp had me turning to look at Adrianna. Tears were pouring from her eyes. “My father did this? Why?”
“I think you know why,” I said carefully.
“Because I ran away?” she asked and then gasped as if something suddenly registered to her. “It was Sheldon! He never told me who he was marrying me off to. They did this to get back at me.”
“We can’t say that for sure without talking to him, but it looks that way,” I said softly and made my way over to her.
“It wasn’t Cristofano’s fault,” she whispered and started to cry. “The whole time I blamed him.” She sucked in a deep breath and immediately grimaced in pain. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my family.”
Batta (Blackwings MC - Devil Springs Book 4) Page 17