“That little prick had no business touching you,” Sean growled.
“But I had already kicked him in the nuts for that,” Cherone said.
“Yeah, well, Rico didn’t think you kicked him hard enough.” Neo grinned.
Cherone shook her head.
“So you started dating this guy Nic after the surveillance ended?” Sean asked.
“What the fuck?” Rico glowered.
Cherone sighed. “I never dated Nic. He was just a very good friend.”
“How good of a friend was he?” Rico snarled.
“Look, you guys are wasting time!” Cherone cried. “Nic is running out of time!”
“Calm down,” Neo said. “Think about it. Nic is, well, basically nothing to anyone here, right?”
“He’s my friend!” Cherone shouted.
“But he’s not one of us, right?” Neo nodded. “Samir is only using Nic to get us to where he can get us. You feel me? I believe Nic is safe for now.”
“You just said you thought he was dead! Which is it, Neo?” Cherone glared at them.
Sean sighed. “At least we know how Samir found out about us.”
“You think that Nic …” Cherone groaned. “Nic didn’t know that much to tell.”
“He knew our names, right?” Neo asked.
“Well, yes, your first names and that you were SEALs.” Cherone stared pointedly at Rico. “He knew that because crazy man over there threatened to shoot him when he found him in our house.”
“He was in our house?” Rico roared.
“It wasn’t like that! Nic is gay! Come on, time is wasting!”
“Did you get something to eat?” Rico asked.
“Are you freakin’ kidding me? I just told you that my friend has been kidnapped by a sadistic fuck and you’re asking me about food?”
“Watch your language,” Rico growled.
“Rico don’t make me put you back in a brace,” Cherone muttered.
“There’s nothing we can do for Nic yet,” Neo said. “We can go see the lay of the land, but we have to wait for Dom. As soon as Dom gets here, which will be in a few hours, we will have enough manpower to mount a rescue. We’re not sure how many men Samir has at his disposal.”
“Cherone, we know what we’re doing,” Rico said. “Please allow us to get on with it. In the meantime, you need to eat.”
Cherone returned to the kitchen with a heavy heart. There was no way she could stay hidden and safe in Rico’s apartment when her friend had been targeted because of her. His only crime was that he was her friend, nothing else.
A few minutes later, Rico came into the kitchen.
“We are going to check out the Mall. Stay here,” Rico warned. “Dom’s on his way.”
“Sure,” Cherone said.
“Samir can’t know about this apartment, so you should be safe.”
“Whatever you say Rico,” Cherone said.
“Why are you so agreeable all of a sudden?”
“I just want you to go and help Nic.”
“We’re not going on a rescue mission. We’re simply going to see what Samir is up to,” Rico warned. “He is expecting you not us.” He gave her a swift hard kiss on her lips and then he was gone.
As soon as the elevator closed behind them, Cherone counted to twenty and then grabbed the keys to Sean’s Porsche and her purse, and sneaked out of the condo.
She stopped at a Target and purchased some duct tape and a change of clothing. A few minutes later, she exited Target dressed in a loose-fitting navy blue skirt and blouse.
Cherone parked the car two miles from the Mall of the Americas, one of the largest malls in all of Florida. Tucking her handbag underneath the seat of the car, she ensured her gun and knife were safely strapped to her inner thighs. Knowing that she was taking a huge risk, her plan was to force the guys into helping Nic. She had no intention of being captured by Samir, but if she were, she had every intention of defending herself. Her plan was all dependent on the tracker the men had installed in her phone.
“Ah, Rico, I hate to tell you this, but Cherone’s alarm has just gone off,” Neo said as they sped toward the mall.
“What alarm?” Rico asked.
“You had a tracker placed in Cherone’s watch and cell phone years ago,” Neo said. “I upgraded it when you came out of the hospital. Whenever she’s away from where we expect her to be by more than a mile, a silent alarm triggers.”
Sean’s watch started buzzing as well.
“Ah hell, she took my car!” Sean shouted.
“Will we get to her in time?” Rico asked.
“Yeah,” Neo replied. “She stopped at a Target store on Fortieth Street and is now about two miles from the mall at a Home Depot.”
“What the fuck?” Sean shouted. “She parked my baby at a Home Depot?”
“Who cares?” Rico said. “I can’t believe she’s actually going to meet that fucker at the Mall of the Americas. What the hell is she up to?”
“Well, you may want to link in to that telepathic thing y’all got going and ask her,” Sean said.
Rico scowled but reached out to Cherone anyway.
Where are you? Rico asked.
Going to get Nic, she answered.
Are you fucking crazy? Get your ass back to the condo. I thought you were smarter than this.
I am smarter. But I also would prefer you to come get me. Cherone continued walking toward the mall. I’m about a mile away, so you had better make up your mind about whether you’re going to join me or not.
I’m going to lock your ass away until you’re seventy once I get my hands on you, Rico promised.
“I see her over there.” Looking through a pair of binoculars pressed against his eyes, Sean pointed at Cherone striding along on the sidewalk toward the mall’s main entrance. “And there’s Samir and a few of his goons near the doors. They have her in their sights.”
Sean handed the binoculars to Rico as Neo pushed the truck to well over ninety miles per hour.
“Thirty seconds to our little brat!” Neo yelled.
When Rico zoomed into Samir’s face, he noted the gleam of satisfaction in Samir’s eyes as he settled his gaze on Cherone. And just like that, his memory flooded back in his mind in an excruciating rush. Rico had a piercing headache as the images and the brutality of his imprisonment bombarded him.
Neo swerved the truck onto the sidewalk in front of Cherone and screeched to a halt.
Rico jumped out, grabbed her about the waist, and pushed her into the truck.
She fell into Sean’s lap. “Hey!” Cherone yelled.
“Not one word!” Rico shouted and pulled her into his lap as Neo turned the truck around and swerved through the parking lot and out into traffic.
“We’ve got company,” Sean said.
“Hold on!” Neo shouted as he jammed the gas pedal to the floor and narrowly missed a Miami-Dade Transit bus pulling away from a curb.
“Pull in here!” Cherone demanded as they neared Home Depot.
“Sorry, kid, we don’t have time to shop,” Neo said.
“Does Sean want his Porsche back or not?” Cherone asked.
“Stop the truck, Neo,” Sean said.
“No one will steal it,” Neo said. “It’s used. What’s it got? Two hundred miles on it?”
“Stop the fucking truck!” Sean yelled.
“Okay, okay,” Neo said, turning in to the parking lot.
If he wasn’t still reeling from the avalanche of memories consuming him, Rico may have found their interaction comical.
As Neo pulled up next to Sean’s car, Rico and Cherone jumped out.
“What the hell?” Sean shouted.
“Stay with Neo and hold them off!” Rico shouted.
“You know the drill, not a scratch!” Sean yelled at them as they got into the Porsche.
Neo and Sean rolled out of the truck and crouched beside it, guns drawn, waiting on Samir and his men to come into view.
Rico and Cherone
didn’t wait around. The Porsche’s tires left a screaming burn mark on the asphalt as Rico sped out of the parking lot.
Chapter Nineteen
THEY WERE DRIVING for five tense minutes before Cherone asked, “What about Nic?”
“If I were you, I would be more concerned for myself right about now,” Rico spat.
“But…”
“Don’t!” Rico yelled. “We told you we’ll get him out if Samir has him, which I’m beginning to doubt. With the FBI and CIA now aware of where he is, Samir can’t afford anything or anyone to slow him down. Either Nic is dead or he’s already home in Atlanta.”
“Wait, how do you know where Nic is from?” Cherone asked.
After ensuring that they were not being followed, Rico pulled into the parking garage of his condo. As the elevator doors closed behind them, Rico backed her against the wall and captured her lips in a ravenous kiss.
She shrieked but was soon moaning in enjoyment as he cupped her bottom and clutched her tight against him.
He raised his head once he had her limp against him and looked down at her with a feverish gaze. “You have a very bad habit of not following orders.”
“I was worried about Nic. He’s my friend, and because of that, Samir went after him.” The elevator doors opened.
“Would you feel better if Neo, Sean, or I got killed going after him because we were not prepared? Or maybe, you weren’t worried about that?”
“No, of course not.”
They entered the condo.
“But you guys weren’t doing anything to help him.”
“So you think you know better than us? We have been dealing with men like Samir most our lives.”
“That’s not what I thought,” Cherone said, standing in the middle of the hallway.
Rico crowded her. “Keep going.”
“What?”
“Keeping walking. You’re not where I want you yet.”
“What are you talking about?” Cherone asked.
“I want you in the room I put you in the last time I disciplined your ass for disobeying me,” Rico said.
“What?” Her gaze was at first confused and then as understanding dawned, she widened her eyes and broke into a huge, ecstatic grin. “Oh my God, you remembered.”
Rico didn’t return her enthusiasm. “Do I carry you or are you going to walk there?”
“But…”
Rico picked her up, one arm under her knees and the other at her back.
Cherone wrapped her arms around the thick cords of his neck and buried her face against his hot skin. She sighed with contentment. “I’m so happy you’re back,” she whispered.
Rico grunted, effortlessly mounting the stairs and carrying her as if she weighed nothing.
Cherone trailed kisses along his neck and his cheek and angled her head to fuse their lips. She dove deep, sucking his tongue into her mouth.
Rico knew he was in trouble when she twisted in his arms and wrapped her long legs around his waist.
“Ouch!” Cherone exclaimed.
Rico set her down. “What is it?”
She raised her skirt and unstrapped the knife and gun. “These were digging into my flesh.”
On seeing her weapons, the passion that was beginning to cloud his judgment a few seconds ago dissipated, leaving him with renewed annoyance.
“Now where were we?” Cherone tried to wiggle back into his arms, but Rico stepped out of her reach.
“Do you know when I remembered?” Rico asked. “I remembered when I saw the satisfaction on that bastard, Samir’s face. When I was being held and tortured, nothing hurt more than the thought of you in Samir’s clutches. He swore he would have you. I went absolutely crazy, losing my shit and got a bullet in the arm and leg for my trouble.”
“Oh God,” she whispered.
“And then you called out to me. Do you know how out of my fucking mind I went?”
“Rico…”
“Do you have any idea what you mean to me? There I was naked, unarmed, and in so much fucking pain. But you thought it was a great idea for you to come strolling into that. You were giving Samir the opportunity he would have never had if you followed orders! I know Dom—he would have never let you travel with them. Neo and Sean are idiots when it comes to you, but Dom would have kept your ass in line.” He was almost vibrating with his escalating fury. “I lost it. I wasn’t even aware of the pain anymore. There was no way in hell I could stomach you coming near Samir.”
“But…”
“No, shut up! This is the second time you have recklessly jeopardized your safety. And because you’re carrying my kid, you are also jeopardizing his safety as well.”
“Or her safety,” Cherone said. “But I was not in jeopardy. I know how to protect myself because of you.”
“The thought of you captured and held by men like Samir chills me to the bone! Do you have any idea what they would have done if they had you at their mercy? Do you even know what they do to beautiful women like you?” He stalked toward her, anger oozing through every pore of his body. “Did you forget you were fucking pregnant?”
Cherone backed away from him. “I wouldn’t have let them take me.”
“Really, how were you going to prevent that?” Rico grabbed her by her wrists and pulled her against him. She tried twisting out of his hold, but he easily restrained her. He picked her up with easy strength and threw her onto the bed. He fell on top of her. His weight held her immobile.
“Rico, get off me!”
“I suppose you were going to stop them with your superior strength.” He imprisoned her wrists in one of his large hands.
“Rico, this is crazy!”She wiggled frantically, trying to break free.
“I’m sure you would have prevented them from doing this.” Rico ripped her blouse open, and buttons flew everywhere.
Cherone gasped. “Rico, stop!”
Rico violently tore her bra. The generous globes bounced free from their confines.
“Why are you being so hateful?” Cherone cried. “It wouldn’t have gone that far.”
Rico held her trapped securely to the bed. “Hateful? I’m sure Samir will be very concerned about being cordial and nice.” He palmed one breast and squeezed with strong fingers.
“Rico, please!”
“I suppose, you have superpowers along with that ability to read minds to stop them.” He pinched her nipple, which had beaded in arousal despite his angry touch. “Perhaps you can stop them from sucking your tits raw.” He latched onto her taut nipples and sucked them deep into his mouth. Twisting his head from one nipple to the next, he sucked and bit on the dark peaks until she was writhing beneath him in ecstasy.
“Ah, but they won’t want you to enjoy it too much,” Rico said coolly. “They are men of violence and would want to inflict pain. But maybe you like it rough. Do you like it rough, sweetheart? Perhaps you want them to take what’s mine?” Rico pushed up her skirt to settle around her waist.
“Rico…”
“No? You would have stopped them, right?” He looked down at her creamy thighs with anger burning a hole in his skull. Grabbing the flimsy strap of her panty in his fist, Rico ripped it from her.
Cherone fought him like a madwoman, thrashing and trying to knee him in the chest. “I’m not letting you do this to me, Rico! Please stop!” Her eyes glistened with tears.
“Oh yes, you could always use the woman’s weapon of tears,” Rico said. “That would certainly stop them. Tears would stop any red-blooded man from taking a beautiful naked woman in front of him.” He loosened his belt, popped the button, and lowered the zipper of his jeans.
“Rico, enough, I get it,” Cherone moaned. “Don’t do this. I promise to never disobey you again.”
“No, I’m pretty sure you will disobey me again. It’s because you are arrogant enough to believe that you can go up against a man like Samir and come out unscathed, the same man who held me, a Navy SEAL, captive for days and almost killed me.” Rico pushed his
jeans down his hips. The angry weight of his cock fell like a club on her quivering thighs.
She raised her head unexpectedly and captured his lips.
He twisted his head, dislodging her. “No,” he muttered.
Cherone kissed his cheek and his neck, trying to soothe his anger.
He pushed her back down on the bed and glared at her. “No.”
Cherone looked up at him with aching tenderness. “I love you, Rico. I’m sorry for so selfishly thinking only of what I wanted and not considering the consequences to you and the guys.”
“You fucking terrified all of us,” he said.
“I know, and I’m sorry,” she whispered, remorse etched in every word. “Can you forgive me?”
“You’re going to apologize to Neo and Sean,” he said.
“Yes.” She looked at him with pleading eyes. “Would you please kiss me?”
Rico removed his hold on her wrists and sprang from the bed. “Cover yourself,” he whispered as he tried to stuff his painfully aroused cock back into his jeans.
“Rico?”
“I’m going to check on the guys.” He pressed his dick down, but it kept springing up. “Until we bring this asshole down, I’m sending you to stay with Dom.”
“I thought Dom was coming here,” Cherone said.
“He is, but I can’t trust you to stay out of the way. Dom is anal about the security around his wife and kids, so you will be well-protected.”
“But…”
“Stay in this room until I come back for you.” He gave her a hard stare. “Don’t disobey me, Cherone. I’m not playing with your ass. If you ever pull a stunt like you did today, we’re done. I will not tolerate that kind of disrespect again.”
Cherone watched him grip his cock in his fist and try holding it flat against his stomach to close the zipper. I went too far today, and I can’t let him leave like this. I love him, but there’s no way I will ever blindly obey him. I have to fix this. She pushed up to her knees in the middle of the mattress and took off the tattered pieces of cloth that was her blouse and bra. She shimmied out of her skirt.
“What the hell are you doing?” Rico looked at her transfixed, his eyes closed half-mast, glued to her breasts.
Twin Souls (The Guardians: Book 2) Page 17