Ring of Fire

by Taylor Lee

  “I’ll go one better, Nate. Calm your fears. You’d recognize my inside guy if you saw him. Does Swamp Snake ring a bell?’

  Nate’s heart leapt. In his mind he saw the wiry brown man with the soft Hispanic voice who the haji in Iraq had mistook for one of them. Swamp Snake—Szzz for short, got his nickname because he could slither into Ali Baba’s bedroll and slit his throat before the asshole knew he had company.

  “Are you telling me that Szzz is inside the Cartel?”

  “If I told you that, I’d have to kill you. Just know, Big Dog, I’m not the only one of your former team that went legit. But, if by inside, you mean el jeffe’s closest advisor, you’d be

  right on.”

  Nate whistled. “Fuck, man. You coulda told me. I might not have lost twenty pounds of sweat in the last twelve hours. Damn, Mark, no wonder you knew exactly when that shipment of shit would arrive and how many men would be on each truck.”

  Nate struggled with his next decision.

  “Please confirm that el jeffe is on the plane.’’

  “Roger that, Big Dog, along with two of his most trusted bodyguards, neither of whom is our man. According to Szzz, our friends in the Cartel were pleased to have the privilege of flying Jeb to his… destination.”

  “Damn, Mark, the next time I question whether the Feds can pull off a Bravo Zulu with the best of us, you have permission to cut out my tongue.”

  “And lose the chance to shoot the shit with the best trash talker I know? No way, Big Dog.”

  At that moment Jeb called out from inside the cabin.

  “The fact that you’re not flapping that smart mouth of yours, Nate, mean you’re getting cold feet? Or that you’re thinking of rushing the cabin rather than letting your woman walk me out? Wouldn’t do it, Nate. My gun’s at the back of her head and Sam-bo and his babe are securely tied. Two easy shots from my Magnum will take them out.”

  “No, Jeb. I’m not that foolish. Just that it’s a big step letting you within a hundred feet of Erin much less next to her.”

  Jeb’s voice was taunting. “I’ve been a hell of a lot closer than that, Nate, for the most of the day. Gotta tell you, bro, dark hair and all, I can see the attraction. This little pussy of yours is hot. She could be Playmate of the Month any damn month of the year.”

  It took a supreme effort but Nate managed to stifle his growl.

  “Here’s the drill, Jeb. The plane’s landed. Your pilot is with my men. He left the engine running so you won’t have any trouble taking off. You have my word. I told my men to stand down. No one will take a shot at you even if it’s as clean as a whore in church. I won’t take a chance on hurting Erin.”

  “In any other circumstances, I’d be crazy to believe those guys wouldn’t shoot. But that’s one thing I can say for you, Nate. Your word is your bond. Just like the Chief taught you. Christ, you’re like Horton the Elephant. ‘You do what you say and you say what you do.’”

  “Remember the flip side of my pledge is that if you hurt Erin in any way, you’ll die a more painful death than you have the brain cells to imagine.

  “Now, get moving, asshole. We haven’t got all night. Walk out nice and slow with Erin beside you.”

  Nate continued, amazed that his voice was steady and didn’t betray the terror threatening to swamp him. “Erin, honey. This is for you, spitfire. I promise you, in less than two minutes, I’ll be holding on to you. And honey, I ain’t letting go for at least a couple of lifetimes.”

  The next several minutes moved like hours. For months, the nightmare scene would wake Nate screaming. Jeb looked ten feet tall and beside him, Erin looked small, fragile. Jeb had his arm tight around her neck. The barrel of his gun—as promised—was buried at the base of her skull. The only sound in the forest besides the occasional squawk of a bird or chirping of the chipmunks was the low hum of the plane. Erin walked briskly beside him as if she could hasten the end of the nightmare. Even bound and gagged, she held her head high, like a royal princess.

  When they got to the top of the stairs, Jeb backed into the plane, holding Erin by her hair, his gun tight against her neck. Nate didn’t hear what he said to her, but he could imagine. Easing the door closed, at the last moment, Jeb shoved her to the side and slammed the cockpit door. Somehow Erin kept from tumbling down the stairs, but Nate would have caught her if it had been a tenth of a second. That’s how fast he had her in his arms.

  He ran back to the cabin carrying his precious burden. On the run, he managed to jerk out her gag and slashed at her bindings with his k-bar.

  Erin looked up at him her eyes wide with wonder.

  “Why Nate, you’re crying.”

  Nate didn’t bother to wipe at the tears streaming down his face.

  “Yeah, spitfire. I guess I am.”

  Within minutes Eric and his men had cut Sam down and lowered his battered body to the ground. Annika was hovering over him, sobbing as if her heart would break. Nate wasn’t surprised. Looking at the slashes on Sam’s back, for the moment he regretted his decision not to chop Jeb to pieces. Then he allowed himself the satisfaction of imaging the scene inside the plane.

  ~~~

  Jeb slammed the door. It took him a few seconds to realize that Nate had truly let him go. Hearing a sound in the back of the cabin, he jerked around to see the shadowy outline of three men.

  “Goddamn it, Pete. I told you I could fly this thing out of here myself.”

  His gut hit the ground when he heard the soft voice and felt the hard steel on his neck.

  “Ah, Senor Jones—you really think I would let you leave without saying good-bye? What kind of a ‘colleague’ do you think that I am?”

  At Jeb’s frozen silence, the smiling man added, “Given what you’ve been through and where we are going to take you, it seemed best that my personal pilot fly the plane.”

  The stocky man took the pilot seat while the man who’d grabbed him shoved Jeb face down on the floor. Strong arms jerked his hands behind his back and in seconds the brutal man hogtied his feet to his bound hands and dragged Jeb to the back of the plane. Jeb looked up in horror to see a small dapper mustachioed man smoking a cigar.

  El jeffe kicked him onto his back and bent over to whisper in his ear.

  “We are tying you like a pig going to slaughter. Which is precisely, mi amigo, where you are going.”

  ~~~

  On the ground, Nate nodded to Eric and Mark and the band of men crowding around Sam.

  “Bring Hollywood outside, men. You come too, Annika.”

  Nate glanced up, watching the plane clear the trees and head out over the middle of the lake. Hanging on tight to Erin he walked over and put his free arm around Sam, carefully avoiding the open wounds on his friend’s back.

  He whispered to Sam and handed him a remote.

  “I know how much you like the way we Northwood boys blow shit up. How about this time you do the honors?”

  Sam looked puzzled for a moment then took the remote, a soft smile creeping across his battered face.

  He winked at Nate.

  “My pleasure, Detective.”

  The explosion was deafening lasting a full three minutes before all remnants of the shattered craft and its contents had hit the water and sunk below.

  Sam turned to Nate who was holding him steady.

  “How about it? Do I get to be an honorary Northwood asshole?”

  Nate nodded.

  “That you do. You earned it, Sam. And in our part of the world that title means you can blow shit up with the best of us. Trust me that reputation puts to shame any old star on Hollywood and Vine.

  “I’m honored, Nate.”

  “No, Hollywood. The honor is mine.”

  Epilogue

  Erin stood at the end of the bed, her hands planted in tight fists on her hips. Nate looked up, surprised at the fierce expression on her beautiful face.

  “What’s up, spitfire? You look like you’ve finished chewing bullets for breakfast and are about to spit
them in my face.”

  Erin glanced meaningfully at Nate’s bare torso and then focused on his lower half which was cover by a sheet.

  “That’s a good question, Nate. And the answer is, ‘Nothing.”

  At his frown, she said. “You asked me what’s up and clearly the answer is nothing.”

  Understanding, Nate shook his head with a rueful grin. Damn, she was something else. What a woman.

  Nate couldn’t pretend he didn’t know what she was talking about. It had been three days since the horrible events at the shack. He’d spent most of the time dealing with the aftermath. Erin had been wonderful. Gentle, comforting and strong. She and Annika had alternated visits with Sarah so the battered woman wouldn’t be alone in the hospital. Mama D., true to form, insisted that Sarah come to their house when she was released from the hospital at the end of the week. Francine was thrilled. Especially when Sarah told her that they were selling the big house by the lake and neither one of them would live there again.

  Erin told him that a small glimmer of hope had flashed in Sarah’s eyes when Erin raised the possibility of Sarah helping her and Annika create a Women’s Shelter in Chicadia Falls. It was the first Nate had heard about the idea. A testament to his unsteady emotions, happy tears ran down his face at her announcement. It was hard to believe he could be more proud of Erin than he already was.

  Sam was tough and healing well. The biggest problem was convincing him that he had to stay in bed for at least a day. Annika had literally locked the doors and threatened him with more bodily harm if he didn’t stay put. Yesterday Nate and Sam and the Chief met with Mark and Eric. Together they briefed the DEA team that had come in from D.C. The federal contingent was clearly impressed. Nate was pleased that they were smart enough not to question his ‘unorthodox’ methods. They managed to put together a credible story that would pass muster with political mucky-mucks and lower level managers who were more concerned about dotting ‘i’s and crossing ‘t’s than their superiors who took them at their word.

  Nate sent a heartfelt thanks to the Snake and told him anytime he was ready to come back to life there was a place for him on the Chicadia Falls police force. Snake’s response was classic. “As long as your little town can put up with a guy who looks and acts like every bad guy they’ve ever known, I’ll consider it.” He added, “But, I’m better at undercover. No one would believe there’s a tender Mama’s boy under my ‘kill at any cost’ exterior.”

  In addition to struggling with his overwhelming grief and haunting guilt over Melanie’s and Tucker’s death, Nate’s biggest problem was Erin. Gazing at her standing at the foot of their bed, a stern expression on her face, he knew she’d reached her limit. This evening after he’d insisted that they simply lie together rather than making love, she’d flounced out of bed and strode naked to the doorway. The slamming door indicated that it was unlikely she was going to get him the beer he’d requested.

  Nate chuckled to himself. What a problem to have. His lover was angry because he wasn’t amorous enough to suit her tastes. That he seemed afraid if he touched her she’d break. He sighed. Hell most men he knew would give their left nut to be in his position—and with Erin? Damn. On one level Nate understood but, hell, why couldn’t she give him a break? Christ, for twenty-four hours she’d been held captive by a certified madman and threatened to be gang raped by a band of racist powder monkeys. Nate was having enough trouble merely sleeping, much less making love, especially the way she craved.

  Erin’s ferocious expression signified an ultimatum was on the way. Knowing that he wanted her as much as she wanted him, Nate decided to sit back and enjoy the show.

  “This is it, Nate. Either you stop treating me like I’m made out of glass or I’m going to tie you to this bed and fuck you until you are blind.”

  Nate whistled. “Damn, sugar. Get right to the point or what? Is that a promise?”

  Erin didn’t laugh. “It’s a threat and a promise.”

  Nate huffed a small laugh. “Okay, honey, I hear you. You want me—the whole man.” He added with an implied threat of his own, “You want everything I’ve got, sugar?”

  She glared at him.

  “Nate, I want everything you’ve got and, Nate, I want more!”

  She marched closer to the bed and folded her arms across her chest.

  “I want everything you’ve ever thought about doing to me. And I want you to do it now. Do you hear me?”

  She stomped over to the bedside and picked up the alarm clock.

  “Just so you know that I’m serious, I’m setting the alarm. If you’re done in less than twelve hours you’re not the man I thought you were!”

  Nate laughed out loud. Her face was flushed, angry. That and her outrageous threats were enough to shake him out of his funk. And hell, spike his interest in her ‘proposition.’

  “Erin, Erin, Erin. Always challenging me aren’t you? If you’re not running away from me and daring me to catch you and throw you on the floor and fuck your brains out, you’re telling me you’re going to do the same thing to me. Damn, woman!”

  Erin didn’t smile.

  “Yes, I am. In fact—I’m going to up the ante. “

  She paraded over to closet and disappeared inside.

  Hearing her rustling through clothes and boxes, Nate shook his head and grinned.

  He couldn’t hide his amusement.

  “Need help, spitfire?”

  Her muffled retort came from inside the closet.

  “No, I can handle this perfectly well without any help from my timid lover.”

  Nate threw back his head and roared, but he couldn’t hide his surprise when she emerged carrying what Nate euphemistically called their ‘toy box.’

  Erin trotted over to the side of the bed, removed the lid, and unceremoniously dumped the contents of box on the end of the bed.

  Her eyes widened at the collection.

  There was everything. From blindfolds, restraints, various sized plugs, tubes of lube and gels, to a seemingly endless variety of vibrating objects.

  Erin frowned and pursed her lips. “Goodness, I don’t think I’ve seen a lot of these.” She added, “Hmm, I don’t even know what some of them are.”

  She picked up a butterfly looking thing with an attached remote and looked at it from different angles.

  “Good grief. Where do you put this? Damn, Nate, I haven’t seen half of the things you have stored in here. Most of them have wrappers on them.”

  Nate suppressed the urge to laugh out loud.

  “Maybe I was waiting to surprise you, sugar. It isn’t easy keeping up with a demanding little spitfire like you. A man needs supplies—and secrets.”

  Erin squared her shoulders and met his amused gaze.

  “Okay, Nate. You’re on. The challenge begins.”

  Peering at the sheet covering his naked body that was beginning to tent in critical places, her mouth quirked up at the corner.

  “Thank goodness. I’m beginning to see signs of interest. Maybe you’re getting over your reluctance to love me the way I want to be loved!”

  Nate sat up straight in bed and grimaced.

  “Damn, woman. I know I said it before but you really are something.”

  Erin sniffed. “Yes. Yes I am.”

  She picked up a feathery wand with short leather tails. She glanced up with a questioning frown then seemed to get an inkling of what he might do with that.

  When he winked at her, she tossed her head and tipped up her chin.

  “I guess the only question now is who gets to choose first. And who decides what goes where.”

  Nate roared at her sassy assertion.

  “Okay spitfire, you asked for it. But let’s get one thing straight.”

  He got up on his hands and knees and began crawling toward her.

  “In addition to ‘the who’, ‘the what’, and ‘the where’, you forgot the most important question—’when’. As for all those questions—who will do what, where and
when? The answer is: ‘the guy you challenged to a twelve hour orgy’.”

  When she tried to scoot back, he shook his head and reached for her hand.

  “Uh, uh. Too late, sugar. You don’t throw a hungry tiger raw meat and assume he won’t attack it.”

  Nate selected a blindfold from the pile of erotic toys and wrapped it around his hand with a wicked grin.

  “Probably best you don’t see what’s coming next.”

  Erin squealed when he picked her up and tossed her onto her stomach. He leaned over her and whispered in her ear.

  “Hope this gorgeous body of yours is as tough as you are because you’re in for a loooong night of lovin’, Erin.”

  ~~~

  The next morning Erin snuggled up against Nate’s chest. Every muscle in her body—including some she hadn’t known she’d had—was aching in a most intimate way. She rested her head against him and gave a contented sigh.

  “I love you, Nate.”

  “Erin, we need to talk.”

  Erin sat up and frowned at him.

  “What’s wrong, Nate?”

  “I want us to get married, Erin. Now.”

  Erin took a deep breath and reached out to stroke the crease on his cheek.

  “You’re scared, Nate.”

  His eyes widened in surprise, but then he nodded.

  “You’re right. I am. I’m scared of what our lives are like, Erin. How easily they can change. How… dangerous they are.”

  Nate straightened up against the headboard and turned to face her.

  “That’s not why I want to marry you. I am scared. But I want to marry you because I love you, Erin. I want to be your husband. I want you to be my wife. I want you to have my babies—our babies. Erin. I want to get married. Now.”

  He hesitated for a moment.

  “There’s only one problem.”

  Erin smiled. “I know. You promised your cousin Luke if either of you were foolish enough to get married you’d be each other’s best man. That’s right, isn’t it?”

  She poked at his chest when he didn’t respond.