Rick nodded then and looked over at Randy.
“I’ll stay here,” she said quietly.
Again, Rick nodded. “Call me if he wakes up or if anything happens …” There was a sadness to his eyes that no person should ever experience.
He walked Midnight back out to her car. He put her in the passenger side, and got behind the wheel of her Corvette. He started the car and drove off toward her house. After a few minutes, she looked at him.
“You don’t have to stay with me,” she said quietly.
Rick looked over at her, surprised that she was still awake.
“I’m okay. I won’t do anything, you know,” she said.
“All the same,” Rick said glancing over at her.
“All the same, nothing Rick, he’s your friend too, and you should be there, in case he comes out of it.” Her voice was hopeful then, and Rick smiled over at her.
“Are you sure?” he asked, really wanting the chance to be with Joe. He figured that she’d be asleep a good eight hours or so with all the stuff the doctor had given her.
“Yes, I’m sure, but if he wakes up tell him I love him.” There were tears in her eyes as she whispered the last part.
“I will, babe,” Rick said, reaching over to touch her cheek, tears in his own eyes.
He knew what she was thinking, but he didn’t want to think about it himself. She was afraid that if Joe did wake up it might be for the last time, and she wouldn’t be there to tell him that she loved him, so she was entrusting Rick with the duty of doing so. He understood, and felt the weight of the responsibility heavy on his heart.
When Rick pulled up in front of her house, Midnight got out of the car. “Midnight,” Rick said, getting out of the car.
“It’s okay, I can get myself inside. My house keys are separate from my car keys. You get back to the hospital, I want you there when he wakes up.” She said the last part with determination that it was going to happen. Rick looked at her for a long moment.
“Go, already!” she said, smiling at him, even though her eyes were incredibly sad.
“Midnight,” Rick began, wanting to tell her how he felt about her, but she was shaking her head at him.
“Will you get out of here, come back and get me if he wakes up, okay?” Her voice indicated that she didn’t really expect it to happen, but she wanted him back at the hospital fast, and she was trying to prove to him that she was okay to be alone.
Finally, Rick nodded and got back into the car. He drove off a few minutes later. Midnight walked up her driveway, feeling the effects of the sedative, but feeling the weight of the night’s events more. She couldn’t believe that she might actually lose Joe, the man that had been there for her, almost since the beginning of FORS. She could wake up in the morning and he could be gone. From what the doctor had said, the chances of him pulling through were low. Suddenly Midnight couldn’t believe she was there, opening up her front door. She should be at the hospital with her partner; he needed her, now more than ever, but she had gotten carried along with the river people wanting to shelter her from the shock of the possibility that Joe could die. She wouldn’t get to see his face again, to look into those light blue eyes that had stared down at her so many times. She’d never feel his arms around her again, as he held her for comfort, or in passion.
Suddenly, everything was too much. She opened the front door and headed for the phone to call Rick and tell him to come back and get her. She never saw the man waiting in the darkness, nor did she see the butt of the gun he brought down on the side of her head. She was unconscious before she hit the floor. Daniel Robbins stepped out of the darkness, smiling evilly as he looked down at the motionless form of Lieutenant Midnight Chevalier.
****
Midnight woke with the most awful headache and she instantly knew she wasn’t anywhere familiar. She looked around cautiously. But she couldn’t determine where she was. She felt her head, she saw the blood as she drew her fingers back. Her hand reached automatically for the small of her back, but her weapon was gone.
“Shit,” she said, to herself.
She took in her surroundings. She was lying on a bed, in a semi-dark room. She could make out a window beside her, but there were bars on it. There was a nightstand, and she could make out a door at the other end of the room with a slit of light showing at the bottom. There were no other furnishings. She wasn’t bound, and she was grateful for that. Especially a few minutes later when the door opened and a man walked through, turning on the light. Midnight recognized Daniel Robbins from the police photographs she had seen at the jail. She sat up, leaning against the wall, her watching Robbins warily.
“Ah, Midnight, you’re awake, I’m glad.” Robbins’ voice was gravelly.
Midnight said nothing, her eyes narrowing at his use of her first name.
“Oh,” Robbins said, grimacing. “You’re not talking to me and why’s that?”
“It was you, wasn’t it?” Midnight said, her voice coming out hoarse.
“Me, Midnight? What are you talking about?”
“Listen you son of a bitch, don’t try to play games with me. It was you that tried to kill my partner, wasn’t it?”
Robbins’ eyes narrowed at her, his eyes growing cold, but then he grinned maliciously. “Yeah, and I tried to kill your boyfriend too, but”—he shrugged—“it just didn’t happen.”
“You bastard,” Midnight said, her voice filled with venom, her eyes narrow points of green fire.
Robbins nodded as if she were praising him. “Yeah, I know, but you people are gettin’ in my way, so I took care of things.”
“In your way?” Midnight asked, her a malicious grin tugging at her lips.
“Yeah, you see, I’m making this high-powered deal to distribute for the cartel, and all this shit FORS has been doin’ is gettin’ in the way of that. The Riveras don’t like loose ends, or cops.” Robbins’ voice lost its calm tone, and became angry during the course of his tirade.
“Well, that is our job, you know,” Midnight said calmly.
“Yeah, well it ain’t Sinclair’s anymore,” Robbins said, watching her for reaction.
Midnight just stared at him. Robbins smiled gleefully.
“What are you talking about?” Midnight asked, all tone gone from her voice.
“Sinclair’s dead,” Robbins said, his smile purely evil.
Midnight closed her eyes, swallowing hard. She opened them again and looked at Robbins. “You’re lying,” she said, praying that he was.
“Nope, I just called the hospital myself, he died a half hour ago … Complications, you know nine-millimeter slugs can cause a lot of damage to a man’s insides. Terrible thing …” Robbins’ voice trailed off as Midnight lunged for him. He hit her in the face, picked her up, and threw her back on the bed.
She landed with a yelp, and Robbins jumped on the bed and straddled her. She struggled against him, but he weighed too much. His hands held her arms, and his weight centered over her pelvis, pinned her legs down. She stopped struggling then, tears were flowing down her face. She couldn’t believe that Joe had died, and now this bastard had her locked away here. She couldn’t even be there to say goodbye. Then she looked up at Robbins, and she suddenly realized he was looking at her in lust. Her throat constricted as she realized he intended to rape her. She tried to get away then, her arms flailing. She managed to get one had free and clawed at his face just missing his eye. He slapped her then, so hard her head snapped back.
“Bitch!” Robbins said. He turned to look over his shoulder and said, “Hold her down.”
Midnight suddenly realized that two other men had come into the room while they were struggling. She knew then that she had no chance, but she was damned if she was going to give up. Robbins pulled her jeans off and ripped open her shirt open. Midnight squeezed her eyes shut; she didn’t want to see his face.
She heard him whistle appreciatively. “Have you guys ever seen a body like this? Damn, lady, you’re wastin’ your
time as a cop, you should be in Playboy or somethin’. Hot little number. Tell me, Midnight, which one were you getting it on with, Sinclair or the other guy? Or was it both of them? It doesn’t matter, we’ll kill the other one when we’re done with you.”
“No,” Midnight said weakly, “please.” She was thinking of Rick, she didn’t want him to be killed too.
“Oh, you hear that guys, she’s beggin’.” Robbins put his lips close to her ear. “I like it when they beg.” His gravelly voice made her sick.
His hands touched her and she couldn’t help but try to shrink away from them. Her eyes were still closed, and tears were sliding silently down her face. After a few moments, Robbins entered her body with force. Midnight screamed feeling like her whole body had just been raked over hot coals. She started to struggle again as he moved inside her. The bile was rising in her throat as her body struggled to get away from the searing pain he was causing. She managed to wrench her arm from one man’s grasp, and her nails raked Robbins down the throat. He yelled, the bloody welts already starting on his throat. He hit her with his fist and she sank into unconsciousness gratefully.
When Midnight woke again, she was curled into a tight ball. As she straightened, she cried out involuntarily at the searing pain between her legs. Looking down she saw dried blood. She closed her eyes trying to regain her control. Her head was pounding, her whole body hurt, and she was still there. And Joe was still dead. The tears started again, for the man who had been her best friend, her only love. She was still crying when Robbins came in, looking very pleased with himself. Midnight moved away from him, watching him closely in case he tried anything else.
“Now, Midnight, are you telling me you didn’t enjoy it when I fucked you? I have to be better than those Englishmen. Maybe you just weren’t paying attention. I guess I’ll have to try it again, I do want you to enjoy yourself.” His smile was cruel.
Midnight’s eyes widened, but she said nothing.
“But first I have a request of you,” he said, and from his back he pulled out her gun. She eyed it, as if willing it to go off and kill him. “You see, Midnight, I want the names and addresses of all the members of FORS.”
She looked at him as if he were crazy.
“And,” Robbins continued, turning her gun to the side and looking at it as if he were addressing it rather than her. Then he pointed it at her, his eyes boring into hers. “You’re going to give them to me.”
“Over my dead body,” Midnight said, staring at her own gun.
“Oh, Midnight, that’s inevitable, but I can hurt you a lot more, before I kill you.” His head nodded toward the blood on her legs. Midnight shuddered, but she didn’t respond.
“Now are you going to give them to me, or do I have to beat them out of you.”
“What do you think you’re going to do with them?” Midnight asked, trying to bide her time.
Robbins looked at the gun again. “Kill them of course.”
“If you’ve killed Joe,” Midnight said, her voice faltering on his name, “and you kill me, why would you need to go after them?”
“Come on, Midnight, what do you take me for?” Robbins said, laughing. “I know how stupidly loyal those people are to you. Even if you’re dead they’ll keep coming at me, and I don’t need the bother.”
“You’re afraid,” Midnight said, her voice stronger now.
“No, I’m careful.”
“You knew we were closing in on you, and you got scared, so you cheated.”
“All’s fair, bitch,” Robbins said, wagging her gun at her. “Now, are you going to give me that information?”
Midnight looked at him steadily, she didn’t care what he did to her, she wasn’t going to jeopardize the lives of her team. She had protected them this long; she would go to her death doing so.
“No,” she said simply. His face grew red then with suppressed anger. She was pleased she was getting to him.
“Well, it’s obviously time for another lesson then,” Robbins said, putting the gun down on the nightstand and grabbing her by a handful of her hair.
He twisted her head around, and started to kiss her, she bit down on his lip; to her satisfaction, she tasted his blood. He grabbed her arm, and she struggled, bringing her hand up to claw at him, but he whipped his arm back and slapped her. He stood and dragged her off the bed, and pulled her up against him. Her mouth was bleeding and she could taste her own blood. He tried to kiss her again, and she tried to bite him again. He was enraged now, and threw her against the wall. She cried out as a nail in the wall bit painfully into her shoulder. She slid to the ground. He picked her up, and dropped her on the bed so he could cover her body again. Then Midnight heard the most wonderful thing she could have ever imagined.
“Get the fuck away from her!” said Rick.
He was standing in the doorway pointing Joe’s gun at Robbins. Robbins jumped up, pulling Midnight up with him, his forearm around her throat.
“Forget it Robbins, you aren’t going to hurt her again. So why don’t you get smart and step away from her.”
“No, I don’t think so. Why don’t you just get the fuck out of here before I kill her.”
“You even twitch like you’re going to and I’ll nail you from here.” Rick’s tone was icy. He watched Robbins but didn’t look at Midnight. He knew the sight of her so battered would distract him, and he didn’t trust Robbins.
Even now, Robbins was moving back. Midnight knew he was going for her gun lying on the nightstand, out of Rick’s sight. She knew she had to do something; the last thing she wanted was for Rick to get shot with her gun. She carried her duty weapon loaded with Black Talon ammunition, which would do some nasty damage to a body. She couldn’t let that happen.
“Rick, he’s going for my gun!” She gasped as Robbins tightened his hold on her throat, all but cutting off her air. “Kill him!” she whispered harshly, tears in her eyes. But Rick was shaking his head; he wouldn’t take the chance of hitting her. Robbins took another step backward, but Rick’s voice stopped him.
“You pick up that gun and I figure you’re going to kill me and her. Then I will shoot you because I figure if you think you’re going to kill my girlfriend, you’ll probably do it. I think she trusts my aim better.”
Midnight nodded affirmation then. Robbins halted, realizing he’d die either way.
“Yeah, well I ain’t goin’ out like that, so I’m just gonna move past you and you’re gonna let me or I’ll kill her. I don’t think you want that, do ya? See if I get away, then no harm no foul, but if I kill her she’s dead for a real long time.” Robbins’ voice was low and evil.
Midnight could see that Rick wouldn’t risk her getting killed. She wanted to scream at him; they couldn’t let Robbins get away. Robbins was moving past Rick now, and Rick was keeping a bead on him, but he didn’t stop him. Robbins pulled Midnight with him through the house. Rick followed, the gun still pointed at Robbins. Midnight’s eyes were locked on Rick, she was more afraid for him than she was for herself. She felt that she had gotten herself into this, and he was here trying to rescue her. If he was killed trying, she’d never forgive herself. When they got to the front door, Robbins tightened the pressure on Midnight’s throat to the point where Rick was sure he was planning to kill her.
“Robbins!” Rick bellowed, tightening his finger on the trigger of the gun. “You do it, you die. I swear it!” He could see Midnight starting to fade with the pressure around her throat.
Robbins hesitated. Rick’s eyes narrowed but the gun he held never wavered an inch. Suddenly, Robbins shoved a now unconscious Midnight at Rick, blocking his shot. Rick pulled the gun up, and lunging forward, caught Midnight with his injured arm. He cried out at the searing pain it caused. Robbins darted out the door, but Rick was too concerned about Midnight to follow him. He heard a police car pull up, and he hoped that maybe they had caught Robbins. He had purposely kept the police out of it up until this point, because he was afraid that if Robbins heard a siren, he
would kill Midnight immediately. Holstering the gun he held, Rick picked Midnight up and carried her out to the police car. He laid her down in the back seat, and sat down with her head rested in his lap. He checked for a pulse and found a strong one. Rick breathed a sigh of relief. He touched her face, his look pained at the bruises that Robbins had inflicted. Midnight stirred and looked up at him.
“Night, are you okay?” he asked her.
She nodded, but then he could see the memories flood back to her and she began to cry.
“Midnight?” he said worried that she was more injured than she appeared. “What is it? Talk to me.” His eyes were searching her face.
“Rick,” Midnight said incredulously, “he’s gone. Joe’s gone …”
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Marianne Warren, who was the first person brave enough to tell me I needed to change the titles of the books to better represent them!
Thank you to Christine Hooker and Fatima Martinelli for being awesome beta readers for me, I was really nervous about this one and you both made me feel better.
As always, thank you to my wife, my life, my love... I love you Tirzah!
You can find more information about the author and series here:
www.sherrylhancock.com
www.facebook.com/SherrylDHancock
Building Empires (MidKnight Blue Book 1) Page 28