by Ann, Lora
E knelt down before him and grasped his shoulders. “That’s a fucking lie and you know it.”
“Do I?”
“Listen the fuck up! You love her. That much is obvious or you wouldn’t be here like this. So go tell her just that.”
“I lied, E. I told her I didn’t love her anymore,” he howled and buried his face in his hands.
“Heat of the moment. You were hurt and lashed out. She can understand that.”
He only shook his head.
“Look, what matters now is that she knows you’re there for her.”
“No! What’s best for her, and me, is if I leave and never bother her again.”
“Bullshit!” E roared. “That’s the pussy’s way out.”
Tar scrubbed his face before locking his determined gaze on E’s. “That’s the kindest thing I can do for her. Because honestly, I want to rip things to shreds right now!”
E stood and challenged, “Bring it.”
Tar did not back down and lunged forward, taking E down as they grappled. E was a damn good fighter, but Tar’s training as a SEAL took over.
E spat out, “You’re fucking delusional.”
Tar got in a good right hook as blood shot from E’s mouth. “You’re the one not seeing things clearly,” he growled. “She let that mother fucker touch her.”
E returned fire with a left jab as they rolled across the mats. “She was forced.”
Tar pinned him down. “Are you trying to tell me that if you watched that bastard do that to Lacey you’d be fine with it?!”
It was the same conversation they had in E’s nightclub. And though E chose to see it through Keeley’s eyes the entire time, now, he was beginning to see things from Tar’s perspective. Before he could say anything, Tar flipped him and held his arms behind his back.
“She let that son of a bitch fuck her.” He yanked harder, bringing a harsh grunt from E. “Not with his dick. But he absolutely fucked her until she came.”
E managed to get his body in position to gain the upper hand. He locked Tar tight in a body scissor. “She loves you. You are the one she wants.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Tar growled, “She wants pain more than she loves me. I saw the proof of that with my own eyes.”
E yanked him up by his T-shirt and spat right in his face. “You’re a fucking coward. She needs a man. One strong enough to help her fight those motherfuckers that taunt her day and night. She needs to know that true love exists. That nothing she does is unforgiveable. That she matters. That she’s worth loving and honoring and cherishing!” he snarled as he took a step back. He let his fist fly forward and Tar did nothing to defend himself. Blood shot across the room as E seethed, “You’re right. If you can’t be that man, get the fuck out.”
Tar cocked his jaw and nodded. “It’s for the best.”
“Fuck. You.” E was right back in his face. “Don’t come back. Do you hear me? You walk out of here, don’t you ever fucking contact her again.” E knew if he stayed there he’d beat the shit out of Tar, so he spun around and marched out before he did just that. Keeley didn’t deserve a man who wouldn’t fight for her.
“Tell Keeley …” Tar ground out her name. “Hell, tell her whatever the fuck you want. I’m done.”
E glanced back over his shoulder and locked his boiling gaze on Tar’s. “If she recovers from her head injury, I’ll never speak of you again,” he vowed.
Tar rushed after E. He might be pissed as hell at her for what she’d done. Wanted to tear that fucker Braxton apart limb by limb, a slow agonizing death. But he never wanted Keeley hurt. At least not physically. Wanting her to suffer emotionally like he was, at the moment, wasn’t something he cared to examine closely. “Wait!” He clasped E’s shoulder, earning him a menacing growl. He ignored it. “What did you just say?”
“Doesn’t fucking matter. She needs people who actually give a damn. She needs a man who will lay it all down for her. Only her.” E walked out.
And Tar was left standing there wondering, What the fuck do I do now?
*****
Lacey stood next to Keeley holding her hand. The conversation with the doctor was still echoing in her ears.
“We need to take her in and relieve some of the pressure on her brain. You can go in to see her for about five minutes.”
Lacey held onto her composure, barely. “Will she have permanent damage?”
“Hard to say, ma’am.”
“Is there anything I can do to help my sister?”
“Yes.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Pray.”
She stared at her beautiful twin sister wondering if she’d ever be able to laugh with her again. Would she recover? Be the same person? Keeley might be on a dark path but she wasn’t unredeemable. Yes, she’d made some awful mistakes and done things that were difficult to forgive. But deep down, she had a beautiful heart. She deserved to live. She should have a shot at a second chance. Her life couldn’t end this way. It just couldn’t. Lacey sobbed and hit her knees on the cold tile floor pleading with God to save her sister, promising she’d do anything. “Please, I beg you, don’t take her away,” she wailed as strong, warm arms wrapped around her from behind.
“He hears you, Sweetness. Let Him do what He does best.” E’s voice cracked from so much emotion. His heart breaking for his beloved wife and Keeley.
Lacey whimpered, “You mean heal her?”
“I mean, save her.”
She looked down at the tiny Keeley, who appeared more child than woman, and whispered, “Live.”
The room became a bustle of organized chaos as a team of medical personnel came in and wheeled her sister out for surgery.
Lacey completely lost it once it was just her and E. He held onto his wife, trying to be the strength she needed, but E couldn’t deny how scared he was for Keeley. She’d beaten the odds so many times, what were the chances she would again? Sooner or later your number came up. Something inside him questioned if hers was. Worse, what if she pulled through but was irreversibly damaged—a vegetable. Could Lacey handle that? God, no. It wasn’t a matter of love; it was quality of life. And E knew how hard it was to be trapped inside a body that didn’t want to cooperate. What happened when the opposite was true? When the mind wouldn’t cooperate in a fully functioning body? No. No. No. He wouldn’t let himself go there. His beautiful wife needed him to be the rock right now, not a fearful pussy.
Mitch cleared his throat as he entered the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I think you both need to come with me and see this for yourselves.”
Heavy with worry, E and Lacey followed him out and stood stunned at what met their eyes. The entire team was lining the hallways along with Nik, Aimee, Alex, Sofie, and Ari. E shook his head. “Apparently,” he held Lacey tight against him, “we aren’t the only ones pulling for Keeley.”
Lacey buried her head into the crook of E’s neck and cried. Tears of concern, tears of love, tears of awe. How had her dear sister missed all of this? So many cared for her and wanted what was best for her. As the Strand family met them and embraced, Lacey glanced up. Standing by himself at the far end of the hall was Tar. She gasped, “Oh my God.”
E’s gaze lit on the man he thought he’d never see again. “The fuck,” he muttered as more people realized what caused the disturbance.
Tar was surprised to see that many people he knew hanging around. Mitch approached him. “Glad to have you back, man.”
He gave one sharp nod and inquired, “Why is the team here?”
Mitch slightly shrugged. “Keeley means a lot to us.”
“I need to talk to her. Which room?”
E was within hearing distance as he answered, “Why don’t you take a walk with me?”
Tar knew that did not sound good as they stepped outside together. E might be furious at the whole fucked up situation. But a part of him understood where this man was coming from. Truth was, if he’d been in Tar’s shoes that night, Braxton would be a dead man. And Lace
y, hell, he’d need some space to get his shit together. Those thoughts rattling around in E’s head didn’t change the fact that Tar deserved to be brought up to speed.
Tar stood there too shocked to move.
Nik had just enough time to catch the big man as he tumbled to the ground.
“Shit!” E exclaimed helping his brother.
“What’re you bitchin’ about? I’m the one holding his heavy ass,” Nik grunted, laying Tar down on the ground.
“Thank God you came out here when you did,” E affirmed as he tried to revive Tar. “Hey, man, wake up.” He tapped his face. Nothing.
“Let me go get some help,” Nik declared, promptly leaving.
Mitch knelt beside the mountain of a man. “What knocked him out?”
“Terror. Shock.” E raked his hand through his hair. “Worry. Anger. Pain. Damn, take your pick.”
“Roger that. He should come to in about…”
“Where?” Tar bellowed as he sat up.
E shook his head. “Hell, do you ever not know what’s going on?”
That inquiry earned him an angled look. “Does happen,” Tar confirmed.
Mitch filled in, “Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you want to go about it, our training along with outright experience in high octane situations sorta demands all pistons are firing.”
“Makes sense.” E offered his hand to help Tar off the ground.
“Thanks. Now, where is Keeley?”
“Come on,” E asserted. “We’ll all head on up to the waiting room outside the OR.”
*****
“Keeley made it through surgery with no complications,” the surgeon explained, “however, the next twenty-four hours are critical.”
Lacey followed him out to go see her sister. Once again, she was only given five minutes. E joined her, taking in the familiar sight of tubes and machines all around the bed in ICU. Most troublesome was seeing Keeley’s head wrapped up like a mummy. She was so pale and utterly lifeless. If it hadn’t been for the monitor tracking her heartbeat, he’d have thought she were dead. He stroked Keeley’s arm above where Lacey was holding her hand. “Keep fighting, Sis.”
Tears fell on Keeley as Lacey leaned forward and declared, “I love you. I’ll be right here waiting for you.”
A nurse kindly told them their time was up. After such a long day, E suggested they go home and rest. Lacey protested until Aimee explained, “You’re no good to her if you are exhausted. Best thing you can do for her is take care of you.”
Sofie added, “She needs you strong and healthy when she gets out of here.”
Lacey nodded her consent to her husband as he whispered, “Thank you,” to his sisters-in-law.
The rest of the Strand family filed out after saying good-bye to Tar.
*****
Tar insisted on Mitch getting some much needed sleep, along with the rest of the team. While he appreciated their support, they had jobs to do. He threw away his terrible vending machine coffee before making his way to Keeley’s side.
He sat next to the frail woman he was equally pissed as hell at and loved so much. For the moment he locked down his anger, putting it in a box, and poured out his soul. “Keeley, I can’t say I’m sorry enough. I shouldn’t have said those words. I-I…”
She took a deep breath as sandalwood permeated the air around her. Tar was here. Keeley attempted to search in the dark for him but stumbled against some kind of wall. Her fingers traveled along the barricade, struggling to find a way through or around. An iciness clawed along her skin as the demon whispered, “That’s not the way, my dark angel. Come with me,” he enticed.
Keeley fought from his grasp with a resounding, “No!”
But he knew her weakness, turning his nails into her tender forearm and digging deep. Her gasp was full of pain, yet there was a deep-seated shot of pleasure that came from it. Her moan brought Tar’s face to hers.
“Fight him, Keeley Ann! I’m right here. Take as much of my strength as you need. But damn it, fiiiiiight!” Tar roared.
The more Keeley tugged to free herself from the monster, who held her captive, the more pain he brought. His talons were now ablaze on her, wreaking havoc, burning her from the inside out.
Tar jerked up when the smell of burning flesh tinged his nostrils. My God, what was she dealing with? H-E-L-L flashed before his eyes in a brilliant fireworks display. He began to yank the covers off Keeley, searching for the source. But as his eyes focused on her body, lost in some kind of gruesome display of agony and unmistakable pleasure, it all stopped.
Even though Keeley was lost to what the demon provided, somehow the tether to Tar gave her what she needed. With full authority in her voice she demanded, “Let me go!”
Tar knew he had to encourage her. “Yes, Tigress. You have the control. Come back.”
Bright light was all around Tar as Keeley reached for him. Exhausted from her hard fought battle, she grasped his warm hand and squeezed.
He leaned down and softly held his lips to her cheek. “So, so proud of you. Rest.”
*****
Keeley was in and out for a couple of days. She vaguely recalled Tar being at her side, but then couldn’t make that compute with the way he left her sobbing on the street. The pain that memory brought didn’t carry satisfaction with it. No, it was full of emptiness. Something she didn’t want to deal with.
The doctor was explaining to Lacey, E, and Tar that Keeley’s brain activity was normal. She was healthy, and there seemed to be no medical reason for her to still be unconscious. He strongly suggested they agree to move her to the psychiatric ward where she could get the help needed. After he left, Lacey turned to her husband. “I can’t put her in a padded cell, E,” she cried.
“Shhh, Sweetness, let’s see what our options are.”
Tar turned around and marched right into Keeley’s room. Grabbing her slender shoulders, he gave a little shake. “You listen to me! Dammit. Snap the hell out of this and be the warrior I know you are.”
She lay there unmoving as he tried once more to force her eyes to open. The door opened and Lacey freaked out. “Get away from her!”
E moved between his wife and Tar. “Man, I don’t know what you’re doing, but for the love of…back the fuck up.”
Tar removed his hands from Keeley. “I just—”
“Oh my God,” Lacey squealed and ran over to Keeley.
Keeley’s eyelids fluttered.
Tar attempted to reach for her as Lacey screeched, “Don’t.”
E clasped his shoulder. “Come with me.”
The need to be with the woman he loved, despite how much she’d hurt him, and respecting Lacey’s wishes warred inside him. He was about to take a stand and to hell with the consequences when Mitch entered the room. Tar went on full-alert at the look on his face. He was not staring at his best friend but rather the commander of an elite unit, a battle ready gaze in those eyes. Shit. Tar gave the nod of acknowledgement as he left the room, but not before he glanced back and caught the wide-eyed gaze of Keeley. Every fiber of his being wanted to turn around and scoop her up, vowing to at least try to see if they could work through this shit. If it wasn’t for the muscled arm locking onto his, he would’ve. “What the fuck, Mitch?”
“Trust me.”
They rounded the corner and who met them caused Tar to step back. His brother’s wife, his ex-fiancée, stood there like a deer in the headlights. Tar was struck speechless. He hadn’t been in her presence for years. Of course he’d seen her on TV with Chase during different functions, charity events, and elections, but nothing could’ve prepared him for this. Even with her face twisted in worry, she was still breathtaking. He noticed Lisa had been crying, and when her hand came up to her mouth, he realized she still bit her fingernails when she was distraught. Forcing back all the memories and emotions vying for first place in his mind, he rasped out, “Why are you here?”
Mitch didn’t let go of his arm as, all of a sudden, several other mem
bers of the team surrounded him. Tar shot a nasty look at Mitch. He held that scathing glare and affirmed, “We have a situation.”
“Go on,” Tar growled.
“It’s Chase!” Lisa cried out.
“What about him?” Tar’s eyes darted between Lisa and Mitch.
Mitch leaned into him and whispered, “She doesn’t know the whole story.”
At the same time Lisa sobbed, “He’s missing.”
Tar’s arms flexed as the men around him held on. “Talk,” he barked out.
“He was working on an assignment you’re familiar with. Chase was scheduled to be at a meeting in L.A. but he never made it.”
“Why the hell are we standing here?” Tar ground out.
“We have a plane waiting. Lisa and her son are under our protection,” Mitch added that little piece of information while holding on tight.
Damn good thing Tar couldn’t get free of the hold on him. He would’ve destroyed all in his path. He knew what assignment it was. The one where Chase was trying to help Keeley. Someone had his brother. And he would make sure they paid dearly if they harmed him in any way.
Unbidden came the flashes of his own captivity, a time in his life he wished to die, for the pain and suffering to come to a blessed end. He begged for it. But in the end, he found a strength deep within his soul he never would’ve known existed.
The will to fight.
The will to live.
The will to survive.
It was the ultimate fuck you to those who bathed in your tears and danced in your agony. They wanted nothing more than to tear you apart and eat you alive while you pleaded for their mercy. Tar learned you had only two choices: be their victim, or be a survivor. Now as he stood there at a full-circle in his life, he saw a connector. Chase and Lisa’s betrayal had once led him down a path where he didn’t care if he lived or died. The emotional torment sent him spiraling where death seemed his only rightful companion. Here he was with Lisa and Chase needing him to save them. He wasn’t a stupid man. Tar acknowledged when he left that hospital for his brother’s sake, he was leaving all hope of ever working things out with Keeley. Yet as he stared at his brother’s wife wailing in that hallway, pleading for his help, he knew what must be done. Sacrifice.