Sons of Justice 5: Seasoned With Love (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever)

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “That whole week sucked and the last two days, too,” Stone said. They agreed. Quantico raised his beer bottle.

  “To two more weeks, and Kendra’s return. May it go super fucking fast,” he said. They gave mumbles and knocked their bottles together. Stone took a sip. His mind was on Kendra, and a funny feeling in his gut that just couldn’t go away, and instead grew stronger by the day. He went and fell in love with a twenty-four-year-old goddess. He must have finally lost his fucking mind.

  * * * *

  After work Quantico and Stone were driving around and decided to pass Kendra’s apartment. They missed her, and Quantico couldn’t believe it. Forty years old and he was obsessed with the woman. He couldn’t wait to see her, and he even thought about heading out to Costa Rica and surprising her. He was afraid she might take it the wrong way, or freak out, so he kept the idea to himself.

  “What the hell?” Stone said just as Quantico saw what he did. The door to her place was open.

  They got out of the truck, drew their weapons and made their way to the door. Stone pushed it open and pointed his gun.

  “Who the fuck are you?” he asked. Quantico had his gun drawn and the guy had his hand on a gun.

  “Whoa, what the fuck?” he said.

  “I think it was them,” another guy said, coming from the bedroom with a third guy. There were papers all over the floor, the desk turned over and Kendra’s day planner opened on the floor.

  “Whoa, who the fuck are you guys?” one of the men asked. They were young, maybe early thirties and looked like military.

  “The question is, who the fuck are you and what are you doing in Kendra’s apartment?” Quantico asked, ready to shoot and kill.

  “We’re friends of hers,” one guy said and looked them over.

  “I doubt that, you wouldn’t have broken in and ransacked the place.”

  “We didn’t do it. We were checking on her. We’re her boyfriends,” the one guy said and Quantico felt sick and then angry.

  “Bull fucking shit you are.”

  The first guy’s cell phone rang.

  “I need to answer this,” he said to them.

  “What’s going on? We’re friends of hers,” Stone said, his expression as hard as Quantico’s.

  “Hello?” the guy answered his cell phone.

  “We’re good friends of Kendra. We used to be her boyfriends. My brother is just protective of her,” the one guy who came from the bedroom added.

  “Boyfriends? Oh, the three dicks that cheated on her, broke her heart and betrayed her?” Quantico asked, still pointing the gun and now looking at them differently. These three good looking, young, muscular guys got to make love to Kendra on a regular basis for three years and then cheated on her, lied to her and broke her heart. He was angry, pissed off and would love to beat the fuck out of them.

  “Fuck. Shit, Brandon, Paul, this isn’t good.”

  “What is it?” Paul asked and looked at the other guy on the phone. He looked at them.

  “We’re with Kendra now. Us and our two brothers,” Stone told them. Quantico wasn’t liking the feeling he was having as he lowered his weapon.

  “Four of you? Since fucking when?” the one guy with the piss poor attitude asked.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, considering you hurt her and obviously don’t give a shit about her,” Stone said to them.

  “Are you fucking military?” the other guy asked.

  “Are you?” Quantico replied.

  They had a stare down for several seconds.

  “I’m Paul, these are my brothers Skylar and Brandon,” Paul said and Quantico was glad that he and Stone were older and a lot bigger, just to fuck with them. So the one with the attitude was Skylar and the one who seemed to want to calmly handle this meeting was Brandon. He glanced at Paul.

  “I’m Quantico, and this is Stone. Why are you here, and who the hell did this to her apartment if it wasn’t you?” Stone asked.

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Paul said.

  “Listen to me, dick. This isn’t my first fucking rodeo. Someone broke in here, ransacked the place looking for something. Now if it was because of you, and you put her in some kind of danger, you better fucking let us know now, because if we find out later, you’ll end up in a fucking body bag like the ones who did this to her apartment will be. Now fucking tell us,” Quantico demanded.

  Paul cleared his throat and looked at Brandon and Skylar.

  “We don’t know who did it. Could have been anyone. She took over the business, turned it into the gold mine it is today when we broke up.”

  “You owned the business with her?” Stone asked. Quantico was shocked. Kendra never mentioned that to them.

  “Not really. She took it over and ran with it. Anyway, some guys tried to say we were smuggling shit in the warehouse and distribution center. It got bad, we were all forced to leave the service, including Kendra, but thank God we weren’t charged. She went on to expand the business. We think the guy who originally tried to accuse us of smuggling is out for revenge and apparently he knows how much we loved Kendra, and care about her still, so he’s trying to scare us and go after her,” Paul told them.

  “So you’ve put her in danger once again? Last time it cost her a career in the military,” Stone said.

  “It worked out best for her. She’s a fucking multimillionaire,” Brandon stated and then a phone rang again.

  Quantico was shocked. A multimillionaire? Jesus, the woman held back some pretty critical information.

  “Fuck, okay, we need supplies and shit. We’re going to have to go out there, too,” Skylar said into the cell phone. “They know she’s in Costa Rica,” Skylar stated.

  “How the fuck do they know?” Brandon asked.

  He looked at Stone and Quantico then back at his brothers.

  “Castle was shot. The people at the resort said it happened in the middle of the night. Gunfire, four men dead, no sign of Phoenix, Sunny, or Kendra.”

  “What the fuck? Someone is trying to kill her?” Quantico asked.

  “We’ll take care of this,” Brandon said and started to head toward the door.

  Quantico grabbed him by his shirt and shoved him up against the wall. His brothers yelled but Stone pulled his gun on them again.

  “You’re not fucking taking care of anything. You’re going to talk and tell us everything that’s going on and we’re gonna head out to help her. We don’t know you or trust you and she’s our woman now. So start fucking talking,” Quantico said and then released him.

  Brandon looked at Paul and Skylar.

  “This is bad, we’re going to need the help,” Paul said to him.

  “Fine. Whatever, but if you go, we aren’t responsible if you get killed,” Skylar stated, all cocky. Quantico didn’t like him one bit, and Brandon and Paul looked like businessmen, not soldiers. They were soft.

  “Son, don’t make me put you in your place. Let’s begin, while Stone calls some friends and the rest of our team.”

  * * * *

  “Are you sure you don’t want to stay and have some more drinks? This is fucking awesome, Kendra,” Phoenix said to her.

  She laughed and shook her head. “I’m tired. It’s been a long week and I still have to jot some things down. I’ll head back and see you guys in the morning at seven.” They waved goodnight as they headed back onto the dance floor with beers in their hands and ready for more fun.

  She laughed and then started to walk down the path toward her little hut. As she passed a few people, including some workers, she noticed two guys who watched her. One of them she had seen earlier today and he was talking to Kamandy, a guy who ran some of the hikes through the jungle to waterfalls. He was fairly new to the little resort but had seen her the last few times she was here and accompanied her and the crew on destination excursions to the higher zip lines. She got a funny feeling in her gut and reached into her bag for her pocket knife. She closed her palm and continued wa
lking. It was a little darker before the set of huts came into sight. The men each had their own and she had the one in the middle.

  She got inside and looked around the hut. It was small, had running water, a shower that was technically outside, but it worked. As she grabbed her backpack and checked her stuff, she heard a scuffle and then heard yelling. She stood up as the door crashed open and Castle grunted, holding his stomach, blood dripping from it.

  “Castle.” She went toward him.

  “Run, Kendra!” he yelled and one man who she had seen talking to Kamandy came into the hut.

  “Come with me now. Come!” he yelled.

  “No,” she yelled back and went to grab her backpack when he charged at her. She used her skills, kicked him in the gut, and then over the head. When the gun went off she realized that he had the upper hand but quickly reacted. She kicked his hand and the gun went flying. He struck her hard in the mouth but she countered, came back at him as he struck her again and she fell to the floor right next to the gun as another man came charging in and kicked Castle. She reached for the gun, turned as the guy came at her and she fired it, shooting him in the head. He fell over, the other guy reached for his gun and she shot him, too.

  She grabbed her backpack and went to Castle.

  “Castle? Castle, come on.”

  “Go, Kendra. Run. Get the hell out of here and don’t trust anyone. I saw them talking to Kamandy, and the others who were out with us today. It’s a setup. Has to be.”

  “Shit. I won’t leave you.”

  “You have no choice. Go. I’ll get help.”

  “Phoenix and Sunny?”

  “I don’t know. By the bar still. Just leave me.”

  “I’ll get to them. Just come on, damn you. I’m not leaving you.” She put on her backpack and then went to help lift him up. She put the gun in the waist of her jeans and then they inched out of the hut, checking both ways. He was too heavy and she didn’t know how she was going to get him out of here to a safe place for help. They saw some people around but they looked scared, unsure of what was happening. As she started to walk with Castle, she heard voices, and moved quicker when the men came into sight right before she reached the bar. Who was walking toward them and laughing but Phoenix, Sunny, and four women.

  “Help,” she yelled to them and both Sunny and Phoenix stopped short and went to move when shots were fired. A moment later, they were surrounded, and she was hit by someone in the back, causing her to fall and making Castle fall face down to the ground.

  “Get her. Into the truck and take her to the spot,” one man said. She tried fighting but couldn’t with three men holding her. A glance over her shoulder and Phoenix and Sunny were no longer there.

  She didn’t know who these men were or what they wanted as they held her between them in the back of a jeep. They raced through dirt roads and in the dark she had no idea where she was. Her backpack was still on tight, the knife in her pocket and she waited to make a move. She didn’t know what this was all about until she heard the guy in the front seat talking in his language and the name stood out. Gazleer, and then Lupee.

  Oh God, no. No, this couldn’t be happening. The guy who went after her and Brandon, Skylar, and Paul and set them up for illegal smuggling? It couldn’t be. Why now? What had the men done? Why was he after her?

  “What do you want with me? Where are you taking me?” she demanded to know.

  The one guy on her left gave her a shove. “Shut up,” he yelled.

  The one on the radio looked her over as he spoke. They were going up an incline. There was jungle all around them and at this point she hadn’t a clue as to where she was, but she knew she couldn’t let them take her to Gazleer Numon. If they did then he would more than likely use her for ransom or something to get her exes to give them money or whatever the hell this asshole wanted. No, she needed to get free and run. Run to the next town or to the place where she could get phone service and call for help. Who would she call? Brandon, Skylar, and Paul and ask them what the hell they got her involved in?

  She thought back to a few months after she took over the company and ended her relationship with them. She came across some documents and deliveries from the warehouse that were not recorded, but had been delivered. She didn’t know the contents but what grabbed her attention was that the date of deliveries coincided with the accusations of smuggling against them that they fought so hard to prove they had nothing to do with. Her gut clenched back then, and even more so now as she wondered if Brandon, Skylar, and Paul lied to her. That maybe they did smuggle stuff in and this guy Gazleer had been telling the truth and they backstabbed him. They stole the money and goods and then almost didn’t get away with it. Could that have happened? Could they have truly been smuggling in products illegally? Holy shit.

  She felt angry, hurt and then realized that it didn’t really matter. She succeeded without them. Sure, she had to resign from the Marine Corps but she hadn’t been dishonorably discharged. No, she went out with her rank and with respect, but because of them she had to change her dreams and her destiny.

  She wasn’t sure what to do right now, but she knew she was on her own, and God only knew what this man would do to her. She needed to escape. She had her backpack, her knife, and if she did this right, a gun, too. She swallowed hard, got herself into Marine mode, and waited for the opportunity. Just two minutes later, it happened, as a man with a food cart of some sort was stuck in the way on the road.

  As two guys got out from the front, and one guy next to her stood and started yelling. The man yelled back and they fought, screaming in their language. She struck the guy on her left, grabbed his gun, making him fall from the jeep then slammed the guy standing next to her. She climbed into the front seat of the jeep and stepped on the gas, nearly hitting two of the guys and banged past the food cart, partially hitting it. One guy grabbed at her and she turned and shot him, but as the jeep zigged and zagged the gun fell from her grip and she let it go in order to not crash. She stepped on the gas and one of the soldiers dove into the back, holding on as she sped away. She shifted gears, her adrenaline running fast until the man wrapped an arm around her neck and she released the steering wheel, let off the gas then poked him in the eyes. He yelled out and she stepped on the gas again. He fell back and she kept going, unsure what was coming up until it was too late. The man slapped her in the back of the head and she turned, hit the edge of the rocks on the right and he went flying off. As she bumped and went off the road and down the jungle and embankment, the jeep hit a boulder and slammed to a stop. Her head hit the steering wheel, stunning her a moment.

  She didn’t hear a sound. Had no idea where she was or what lay around her. She just knew she needed to get the hell out of the jeep. She could hear yelling. She turned off the engine, and the lights, shoving her instantly into complete darkness. The jeep was smoking, a man was moaning and yelling in pain. “Good, you scumbag,” she said. She wiped the blood from her forehead, straightened out her backpack and slowly climbed from the wreck. She was physically shaking, teeth chattering. She was shocked and scared. Her feet hit the ground, she walked cautiously, unable to see in front of her and trying not to think of all the wild, crazy night critters out in the jungles of Costa Rica. She walked as quickly as she could, hoping to get further away from the wreckage and not ready to pull out a flashlight to light her way.

  She was shaking, cautiously taking small steps. It was so dark, and branches of leaves were hitting her as she walked, and then suddenly, her feet went out from under her and she fell, straight down the side of a steep hill, covered with rocks, probably a continuous mudslide in the rain and she tried not to make a sound as things hit her body, she couldn’t see in front of her and then she slammed into a tree, stopping her, nearly breaking her leg. She grunted, as tears filled her eyes and she wanted to cry. She moaned and tried to catch her breath. She was hurt, her thighs, her back, arms and hands and when she went to move she felt the pain. “No, please God, no. Don’t
let anything be broken,” she said aloud and then pushed herself up again and against the tree. She ran her hand down her leg, felt something thick and warm. She reached into her bag, pulled out the small light and was sure to keep it close to her. She shown it on her leg and gasped. The burning pain and the thick, warm substance was blood. She cut her inner thigh.

  Her mind went into medic, survival mode. She leaned against the tree, shown the light around her and could see there was a clearing and more jungle. She cast it upward, looking for the moon, but the jungle was thick and she couldn’t see. She also made sure there were no snakes or critters around her. She needed to cover this wound. Anything could get into it, cause infection and screw her.

  She was shaking and took a deep breath. This was real. It was happening. She had her bag, her survival tools, her training, and she needed to use it all.

  She pulled out what she needed from her backpack, popped open her kit and began to wash the wound, apply ointment. She would need stitches. Fuck. Her hands were shaking, her vision blurry as blood dripped, reminding her of the head wound from the accident. She wiped it away, then covered the wound on her thigh with a bandage and wrapped it tight, then put plastic covering over it. She taped around it to keep it dry and clean. God knows what she would need to go through to get to the next town, or to safety.

  She thought about Castle and prayed he was alive, as well as Phoenix and Sunny. When she was all set, she took a sip of water, but would only sip a little. She had two days of food rations in her bag. Military issue. She could get more out of them maybe. She took several unsteady breaths and knew she needed to trek on. She glanced at her compass. She had to continue this way and then loop to the left. That road they were on could connect or could have gone straight, she didn’t know. She had to take a guess. If she went to the right of where she stood it could lead her back to the resort and obviously people couldn’t be trusted there. She needed to go to the left. She readjusted her backpack and then began to walk. Her leg ached, her head, too. She needed to use the night to give her a head start in case Gazleer sent more men to hunt her down in the woods. They would be pissed. She took out several of their men. She was scared. Holy God, was she scared and as she walked she thought of Quantico, Leather, Stone, and Walker. Tears stung her eyes and her heart ached. She may never see them again.