Submission is Not Enough Kobo

by Lexi Blake

  The elevator doors opened and he realized Clive Weston wasn’t the only person he should apologize to.

  Tennessee Smith stood in the middle of the garage talking to Owen, Brody, and the other men dressed as drivers. Faith was standing with him, but when she saw Erin, she broke away.

  “I can’t believe you’re already leaving.” She opened her arms to hug Erin.

  He gave the women a moment to say their good-byes. Ten turned as he approached, finishing up his lecture and dismissing the men. He held a hand out to Theo.

  “Brother, I’m sorry to see you go, but I’m glad you’ve got some company.”

  Theo took his hand and shook it. “I’m stubborn, but I’m not completely foolish. She’s right. We belong together. We’re weaker apart.”

  A grin crossed Ten’s face, lighting up his blue eyes. “Damn straight, and don’t you forget it. We’re nothing without those women.”

  “Ten, I’ve never said I’m sorry.”

  Ten put his free hand over Theo’s, encasing him as he stared at him seriously. “There is nothing to be sorry for. That night went sideways, but your intentions were pure. There isn’t a soldier alive today who hasn’t made mistakes he wishes he could take back. I’ve got a million of them.”

  “How do you live with it?” That was the hardest part.

  “You honor the people who died by having a life, brother. By being better than you were before, by remembering them and never taking things for granted.” Ten let him go. “But you need to understand that some things happen for a reason. Now I’m not a particularly religious man, but I’ve seen enough to know that sometimes bad shit happens because we’ve got something to learn. I’ve thought about this a lot, especially when we thought you were gone. I think about what would have happened if you hadn’t made the mistake of coming for me that night.”

  Theo thought about it constantly. “You would have been taken by MSS and Ian would have rescued you. Des would be alive. I wouldn’t have gotten caught by McDonald.”

  “Yes, I would have been taken by MSS. Des would be alive, maybe. But I would be dead and I think Faith would be, too. So would Kay.”

  Theo shook his head. “MSS wouldn’t have killed you right away. They would have tortured you, but they wouldn’t have killed you. And Faith was with us. I don’t see what Kay had to do with it.”

  “Because all you’ve done is worry about your own guilt. You didn’t look at the bigger picture. Did you know the plane MSS took off the island had a mechanical failure over the Pacific? It’s classified, but the CIA has confirmed that the plane went down and there were very likely no survivors. I would have been on that plane and so would Kayla. That was her last op. If I’d been taken in when I should have, she wouldn’t have had an opportunity to save me. She would have sat back and waited and we both would have died. Faith wouldn’t have stayed with you. She would have confronted her father, and he was damn good at getting rid of inconvenient women. She would have had an “accident” or been given to her sister to erase her memory. So your mistake saved us. Who knows what other repercussions your actions might have had? Des was reckless. Damon had been ready to let her go. Nick would have gone with her. No telling how that turns out.”

  He hadn’t followed the direct order to kill McDonald and he’d regretted it. Until this moment. She’d been alive to save him. She’d been alive to return to Robert’s cell and ensure he and the others lived. He couldn’t be responsible for what she did. He could only serve his own sense of honor, and that meant not killing an unarmed woman he knew nothing about.

  He’d made the call and in that second he realized he would make it again. He would walk past her knowing everything that would happen next because the pain was worth it. The pain meant he was alive and able to hold his wife and son.

  He would stop her this time because now he knew what was at stake, but he forgave himself for that moment he seemed stuck in, that moment that had seemed to cement everyone’s misery.

  It had saved Robert and the others from being dispensed with as The Collective’s dirty secret. It had saved Ten and Faith.

  It had saved him.

  Ten gave him a hint of a smile as he gave him a manly hug. “So trust your instincts. I know you don’t remember everything, but remember that even when you fuck up, something good can come of it. See you on the flip side, brother.”

  “Stay safe.”

  Ten winked and stepped back. “You know it. I plan on letting Ezra take all the bullets on this one. We’re heading out after you go, and then later today Knight’s sending a team to Estonia. We’ll keep you up to date.”

  Erin joined him while Faith took her husband’s hand.

  “Are you two ready?” Owen stepped up, looking dapper in his dark suit, a cap covering his red hair. “There’s nothing like a long drive through the country. I’ll have you there in no time a’tall, and then I’ll head north for a few days to visit my mum and sis. So I’ll be fairly close in case you need anything.”

  He stepped over to the door of the car, opening it for Erin. Their bags had been taken earlier. Erin slid on a pair of sunglasses, covered her hair with the hood of her jacket, and slipped inside.

  “Hey, be safe!” Robert ran up. He was dressed exactly like Theo and had matching sunglasses.

  It was damn good to see him. Being friends with Robert was one of the many things he would have missed out on if he hadn’t survived. He held a hand out. “Not mad at me anymore?”

  Robert smiled. “Nope. I got what I wanted so I can be magnanimous.”

  “What you wanted?”

  “Yeah, my friend is happy again. And he’s not acting like a dipshit, so there’s hope for us all.” He shook Theo’s hand and then nodded back toward the car he would be traveling in. “My Erin is pretty hot. I think I have a shot with her.”

  That was Robert. Always the optimist. “I think you do, too, buddy. She’d be lucky to have you.”

  He waved at his friend and slid into the seat beside his girl.

  “Are we doing the right thing?” Erin stared out the window as the car began to move.

  He reached for her hand. “I think we are. We have to be sure we’re safe before we bring him in. We have to put him first.”

  She squeezed his hand, but he could see easily she hated to be apart from their son.

  “You’re doing what every good mum does for her child,” Owen said from the front seat. He turned and took his place in line. “You make sacrifices. You do everything you can. My own mum, well, I can’t even begin to tell you all the things she’s done for me and my sister. Your boy will love you for what you do for him. No closer bond than a son and his mother.”

  The car moved forward. It looked like they were third in line.

  Theo took a deep breath and attempted to banish his fear. Erin needed him to be strong. She needed him to lean on, and he intended to be there. She’d shouldered so much on her own that he needed to bear more of the burden now that he was back.

  The car started up the long drive and finally out on the London street. Theo looked out the tinted glass windows.

  She was out there somewhere. “I don’t think she’s in Estonia. I think it was all a trick. She’s somewhere here in England.”

  Erin turned to look at him. “I think so, too. I think the minute she discovered we were here, she started making plans. That’s why we have to leave. I don’t trust her to not bomb The Garden.”

  “I think that’s a smart play,” Owen said. “That woman is pure evil. She’ll do anything to get what she wants. You’re both smart to see that and kind to give a damn about the rest of us. The team will look after your boy. They won’t let anything harm him.”

  He turned down a side street and Theo watched as the car carrying Robert went the opposite direction. They were breaking up, each going a different route.

  They were silent for a long while, the tension seeming to fill the car so it was hard to breathe. Theo watched out the mirrors, looking for anything tha
t would tell him they were being followed. Erin seemed to be doing the same thing, her eyes sharp and seeking out any predator coming their way.

  Nothing. Owen turned and looped around the city, giving them every chance to find a vehicle that was following them. After thirty minutes, he took a deep breath and turned toward the M25. “I’m satisfied we don’t have a tail. Could you text Damon and let him know we’re beginning our route to the north?”

  It was the “all clear” and the last communication they would have with base until they made it north. Theo pulled out the phone he’d been given, texted the word test, and sent it. It was the code they’d agreed on. If they’d been followed the word home would have been sent.

  Theo pulled the chip out of the phone and destroyed it.

  They were going fully off the grid for a few days.

  How long would it be? How long would they hide before she showed her face?

  The city gave way to green countryside as they left London.

  The waiting was going to kill him. He slid closer to Erin. He would have to find a way to make the waiting worthwhile. Like maybe talking about trying to hit that one in a million shot a second time.

  He leaned over, whispering in her ear. “Maybe by the time we get TJ back, we’ll have a little brother or sister on the way.”

  She turned slightly, her eyes wide. “Are you serious?” A smile crossed her lips. “Only you could think of that at a time like this. We’re literally on the run for our lives and you’re thinking about sex.”

  It was all worth it to see her smile. “I think about sex all the time, baby. It’s a man thing. Am I right, Owen?”

  “Absolutely,” he concurred. “Nothing we think about more. I was in a firefight once and I was thinking about the girl I was going to see that night. I can be rip-roaring drunk and unable to perform, but I’m still thinking about it.”

  Erin smiled but shook her head. “Men. You know, speaking of drunk, I’m worried about Nick.”

  “Why? He just had a little too much. I’m sure he was partying.”

  “Nick doesn’t party,” Erin insisted. “Nick is very controlled. He reminds me of Ian when he drinks. You can’t tell he’s had too much. If he was so bad he couldn’t work, something went wrong last night.”

  “I was with him,” Owen said. “He’s still in mourning. That’ll make a man drink like he’s never drunk before. I need to get some petrol before we take off. I want to make sure we have a full tank. Won’t take but a minute.”

  Owen took the exit that brought them to a massive travel complex. There was gas and food and a parking lot that seemed to go on for days.

  “I’ve never seen him drunk at all,” Erin mused. “The man can slam vodka and not show a single sign. Besides, when I talked to him last night he told me he was going to bed. He said he was going to try to give clean living a shot.”

  “I suppose he changed his mind.” Owen moved the car into a slot.

  “I thought we were getting gas,” Erin said.

  Theo got a sinking feeling. “Nick wasn’t drinking last night, was he? You wanted to be the one to drive us.”

  Bertha made an appearance. Erin had her Beretta out of the holster and aimed at Owen’s head. “Get out of the car. Theo, slip up front and get ready to drive like a bat out of hell. I swear, I’ll blow your brains all over the dashboard, Owen, and that still won’t stop us from getting away.”

  Owen put his hands up. “It don’t matter. They’re already here. I’m sorry. I did everything I could to save the baby. Please don’t tell her that was my idea. She wanted all of you, but I couldn’t give her the child. Not even to save my mother.”

  The sun was suddenly blocked, shadows covering the car, and Theo realized they were surrounded.

  The door came open and Hutch smiled down at him. “Hello, brother. It’s time to take you home.”

  His fist came out and the world went black.

  * * * *

  Erin shivered from the cold as she started to come to. Her head throbbed and she could feel her stomach threatening to go. What the hell had happened?

  It came back to her in horrifying flashes.

  She’d been with Theo, holding his hand and nervous about leaving the baby behind. But so fucking happy because he’d been beside her. They’d been in the car. Her plan.

  Her plan that didn’t work because the person who’d been watching them hadn’t been outside. He’d been sitting in the front seat.

  Erin groaned and started to open her eyes. It was so bright.

  She’d pulled her gun when she’d realized the danger. She could hear herself threatening that Scottish motherfucker, who better be dead right now or she’d kill him herself.

  They’d been in a parking lot but away from the rest of the cars. She could hear the traffic from the M25.

  They’d almost made it. They’d been so close to being out and then all those men had surrounded the car and she’d watched as Hutch hit Theo and he’d gone down.

  Erin managed to roll to her side. She fought back the urge to vomit as the memory of Theo bleeding assaulted her. She could still hear her scream. She’d been frozen. Her every instinct had told her to hold him, but she’d known that she had to fight.

  And then the fight had been over because one of those lost boys McDonald collected had used her terror to his advantage. She’d felt the needle go into her arm and then the world had started to go dark before she could get a shot off.

  Not that it would have mattered. It had been six against two and they had been stuck in a small space with no maneuvering room. They’d been lambs led to the slaughter.

  Where was Theo? How far away from London had they been taken?

  She forced a deep breath into her aching lungs. She felt bruised and battered, like she’d been beat the hell out of, but from the inside out.

  “That particular sedative isn’t easy on a body,” a feminine voice said. “It’s something I played around with. It’s like an anti anti-inflammatory. Well, I suppose that would simply be an inflammatory. So all your nerves and muscles feel like you’ve gone ten rounds with a heavyweight, but I didn’t have to actually expend the energy or resources to beat you up. Cool, huh?”

  “I would call it evil.” Erin bit back a groan. She wasn’t giving that bitch a moment’s pleasure. She turned and there was the demon who’d invaded her life.

  Hope McDonald stood on the other side of the high-tech cell. There was a wall of glass between them so Erin could see her clearly. She was dressed in a chic sheath, her feet in a set of heels that would impress any woman. Her hair was coiffed in an elegant bob and colored to perfect colorlessness. Icy and blonde, she looked like she belonged on a fashion magazine, but she also had a lab coat on, as though she didn’t want anyone to forget that she had those letters after her name. Hope McDonald, MD. Also EAF. Evil as fuck.

  “Somehow, I don’t think this particular drug is going to make it to market.”

  McDonald shrugged. “Some of the best never do. This drug will be useful on the black market. All the best intelligence agencies will be hopping on the Dark Web to buy it. It’s one of the drugs I’m forced to use when the boys are bad.”

  “Ah, yes, you’re their loving mother,” she returned, sarcasm dripping.

  McDonald stood so close, her eyes staring in. “Yes. A parent must discipline her children from time to time. You should know that. Like that one. He was bad. He was supposed to bring you all in.”

  Her eyes trailed to her left. Erin followed them and gasped. Owen was lying face first on the cot in his cell. He was naked, his skin a mottled mass of sores. Despite the fact that he was the reason she was here, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “What the hell did you do to him?”

  She sighed, a long-suffering sound. “Another drug. I used two on him. The effect was unexpected. He’s either allergic or I shouldn’t use them in combination. Not sure. I’ll have to experiment a bit more. Nevertheless, I’ve already got my story for when he wakes. It’s good to l
ay the foundation down at the outset. My boys are confused when they wake up. All those pesky memories are gone, but they fight it at first.”

  “You wiped his memory?” Erin’s head was still fuzzy but she tried to work through it. If that bitch was here then she wasn’t somewhere fucking with Theo. She had to keep her here as long as possible. Wherever here was. “But he was working for you.”

  “Yes, and he failed. He was supposed to bring me all three of you, but you seem to have forgotten your child, Erin. A mother doesn’t forget her son.”

  What had she done to him? Erin had thought of killing Owen in the moment when she’d realized he’d betrayed them, but she wouldn’t have done this. He was ruined. “You wiped his memory? You’re going to make him into one of your soldiers? I assure you, Damon Knight won’t forget him.”

  “Well, I figure in for a penny, in for a pound, as they say here,” she said with the breezy nonchalance of a person who had never once in her life possessed a conscience. “Ian Taggart will come after me for taking Theo, but I’m ready for him this time. As for our Scottish friend here, well, it wasn’t like he wanted to help me. He had to be persuaded.”

  “You took his mother.” Erin remembered him saying something about his mother before everything had gone down. He loved his mother.

  “And his sister,” McDonald agreed. “I’ve found having leverage is important. He’s the only one in the group who had someone I could get to. Penelope Knight’s siblings are surprisingly well guarded. Knight himself has no one but his wife’s family. The Australian’s mother is isolated and good with firearms. The Russian’s only family died off years before and honestly, the Asian girl scares me. So it had to be the Scot. His mother was easy to get to. Once we had her, the sister walked into my trap, and then it was simple from there. He agreed quickly once he heard her scream. You know, it’s actually a mercy that I wiped his memory since I had them killed about twenty minutes after I was sure he’d done the job.”

  “No honor among thieves, is there?” She was so going to murder this woman. Slowly and painfully and with little mercy.