TooDangeroustoLove

by AliyahBurke

  Doc narrowed his green eyes at her and waved his men forward. With knives drawn, they jumped and swarmed her. These were sadistic men and wanted to mete out pain on her instead of just shooting her outright. His men were well trained and they inflicted damage. Soon she was bleeding from multiple wounds but they also got hurt. Actually, they got dead.

  Raven moved fluidly. Even though the sand in the arena should have slowed her movements in heels, she still flowed with deadly grace.

  * * * *

  It was over in moments, but to Brandt it seemed endless. Three men lay dead on the ground. Blood oozed from their mouths and they had lost their bowels upon death, and the smell filled the arena, making Brandt gag and Doc narrow his eyes.

  Raven stood tall again. The leather of her shirt was ripped across the middle and her pants had some gashes in them as well. Blood began to dry on her pants. Her eyes glowed with an inner fire that scared the three men left. Even Brandt sank back from the fury he saw there.

  Her voice was rough, as one of the men had hit her in the throat. Her burning eyes turned to Doc. Blood dripped from the cuts on her body. Brandt swallowed, how could she stand this?

  One eye had begun to swell shut from a right hook that she had received. Brandt felt the sting of tears in his eyes. She stood bloody, looked half-naked, and yet she never looked better. So proud. If he were ever to give a picture of how he viewed Amazonian women, he would have described the woman—goddess—that stood before him.

  “I grow weary of this, Doc.” She waved him forward. “Let’s end this now.”

  Doc growled and jumped at her, knocking her back across the floor. Blood flew from her nose as she landed. Doc was on her again in mere seconds.

  They tossed kicks and punches until Raven had Doc on the ground with his neck in a hold that spoke one thing. Death. Disaster. For Doc. Demonic flames blazed in her eyes as she positioned her hands for the final blow.

  “Do it and I kill him,” Manny said from over by Brandt, where a nine-millimeter pressed closer to Brandt’s temple.

  Raven glanced over to Manny and continued to twist on the neck in her hands. She stopped when Manny pulled on the hammer, sending a bullet to the chamber, just waiting for her to make her move. Reluctantly she dropped the man she held and rose above him.

  Doc got up slow and, as soon as he regained his feet, sent a hard fist up into her solar plexus, driving the air out of her body. As she fell to the ground he kicked her repeatedly until she lay gasping for breath. Brandt struggled against his restraints.

  With a smugness that boiled her blood, he sneered, “You have nothing left. It is all gone. All of it. I burned it. Watched it go up in flames. Your house, your garage. Everything.” Then he kicked and hit her some more, using the butt of his gun to pistol whip her.

  Brandt yelled, “Stop it! Leave her alone.” The chains that held him were stretched to the limit as he tried to get to her. Blood began to run down his own wrists as he fought the shackles that bound him. His heart pounded as he tried to get to her.

  The gun that was focused on him did nothing to deter him. He swore and raved as the kicks kept falling on her, the punches persisted in landing on her body until she lay unconscious and bleeding.

  Doc grabbed her hair and drug her along the arena floor until her battered body was beside Brandt. He pulled her up so Brandt could see her face, all swollen and bloody, and he spit on the man that was chained.

  “See how your rescuer looks right now? Not much good, is she? Even though she isn’t really a bodyguard, did she tell you that?”

  He let go of her and her body crumpled, boneless, to land at Brandt’s feet, turning the sawdust there red with her blood.

  “I will come back later and kill you both. She isn’t going anywhere. Chain her up next to him and let’s go get something to eat, Manny.”

  Brandt shook with a rage that he had never felt before. Manny chained one of her hands up to the large ring on the wall. The blood made small rivulets as it rolled down her arm. Raven didn’t stir, her chest barely even moved. As soon as the men left, Brandt gathered her soft body in his arms.

  Tears streamed down his face. “Oh God, please don’t die. Come on, Raven, stay with me.” Sawdust stuck to her wounds, her face was so puffed-up it was hard to recognize her. “This is all my fault. Come on, sweetling, don’t do this.”

  He pressed his face into her neck and just rocked back and forth with her in his arms. Oblivious to how much time passed, he was focused on being close to her. Brandt would never forget the look on her face as she saw Manny put the gun to his head and pull back the hammer. The anger dissipated so fast it was like it never existed. From that moment she never resisted anything that Doc had done to her. It was all his fault.

  Her heart beat so slowly he wondered if she would make it. The sound of rain beating down on the roof penetrated his brain. A chill settled down in the open room, and he saw her body shiver. Raven’s shirt didn’t offer any protection to begin with, and in the chill of the building from the cold rain that had arrived he knew she must be cold. His arms tightened around her as he tried to share his warmth.

  “Ohh God, I hurt. Come on, Ice, give me some room to breathe a bit here,” Raven grated out. “And I thought I told you not to call me that.”

  “You’re alright?” he asked, but didn’t relinquish his hold. If anything, it tightened. His lips brushed her bruised cheek as tears of relief fell from his eyes.

  “I’ll make it.” She coughed hard. “I take it they are gone right now? Let me guess, he wanted to get something to eat.”

  “How did you know?” He kept her pressed up to his large body, sharing his warmth. Hysterical laughter welled up in his throat at the fact she was still alive, and he had to struggle to keep it contained.

  “He’s always hungry. Bastard never could follow through on something without stopping for food in the middle of it. Give me a minute and we will get you out of here.”

  A short harsh laugh escaped him. “Right, we’re both chained to a wall. You’re bleeding from the beating you took. Just how exactly are we supposed to go somewhere?”

  “Have some faith in me, Brandt Fowler. I may not have been able to fight him back for the gun to your head, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t accomplish what I set out to do. I got the key for your chain, well, our chains.”

  “What about you?” His hand gently stroked her hair, the warm stickiness of blood matting the silky strands closer to her head and coating his fingers.

  “I’m going to stay here. I have a score to settle.” Her words chilled him.

  “Then I am not going. We go together or not at all.”

  “Wrong,” her voice was as he remembered from before. Serious and all business. A more beautiful sound he had never heard. “You will go. You will take my car and get to a phone and call Dylan. You still remember the number?”

  “Yes. I know the number,” he said in a resigned voice. “I don’t want to leave you here.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Listen to me. As long as you are here I can’t defend myself. I don’t like getting the shit kicked out of me. At least, I’m not just standing here and letting it happen. You are going to have to get out of here fast, he still has men out there. The car has bulletproofed siding and windows, but since it is a convertible you will still be at risk. I need you gone.”

  “But look at you, you can hardly breathe, you have been beaten and are bleeding everywhere. How can you fight him?” She didn’t answer him right away and Brandt became worried. “Raven? Raven? You still with me?”

  “I was thinking about your lovely words to me. You sure know how to make a woman feel beautiful. Thanks. I’m here. Just getting the key.” She began to gag some more. “Well, not exactly ladylike, but then I never claimed to be much of a lady. Don’t worry about me. I can still fight him.” Raven fell silent once again and Brandt just waited. Moments passed and she still didn’t make a sound.

  “Come on, sweetling. You said yo
u were going to get me out of here. What about that?”

  “Working on it.” Her hands moved slowly along his body as they made their way to the chains. It was completely dark in the arena because of the storm that rocked the outside world. “And stop calling me that.”

  “Not on your life,” he whispered in the dark.

  “Put your arms down a little more. Wow, here I have you all tied up and at my mercy and I can’t take advantage of it. Such a shame, ’cause I would love to rock your world.” She maneuvered her body a bit more and a small moan of pain escaped.

  The shackles fell from his wrists. “You already do rock my world, sweetling. You already do.” He moved them to get some feeling back in them. “Who the hell are you? He said you weren’t a bodyguard, is that true?”

  Raven moved on to the ones on his ankles and removed them as well. Then she inched her body up closer to his and fell against him in a heap beside him.

  “You all right? Let’s just go right now. I can’t believe you are joking at a time like this.” Brandt reached for her hand.

  Raven released a hiss of pain as he squeezed. “No, just give me a minute. I joke because that is the only way I will be able to get through this. Don’t take that from me. He told the truth, I’m not just a bodyguard. I’m basically an assassin, or professional killer. You know, a one-woman army. And a bodyguard. Was. Am. I don’t know anymore.

  “Listen.”

  She changed the subject. “The top is down on the car, so it is going to be a wet ride for you. If you can avoid using the headlights then do so until you get closer to the guard shack.

  “My guess, they will be using night vision unless there is too much lightning. If there isn’t then hit the high beams right before the shack. That should momentarily blind them and give you a chance to run the barricade. If there is too much lightning then just stay low and drive fast.

  “Drive until you get a ways away from here because I know they will chase you. Call Dylan as soon as you can. When he answers tell him it’s a code six. He will understand.”

  Her hand gripped his with a strength that belied her current condition as she added, “Under no circumstances are you to come back here. Not a single one. Are we clear on that?”

  “I understand.” His words were filled with grief. Raven wasn’t expecting to make it out alive. She was giving her life for his own. His heart felt like it was about to break. Such a huge sacrifice from someone he had known for less than four months. Brandt felt a love for this woman that was so strong, if he hadn’t been sitting that knowledge would have driven him to his knees. How was he going to live life without her in it?

  “Hey, give me some credit. I don’t expect to die here.”

  “Right,” he said doubtfully, as he believed he knew her words were a lie. As far as he could tell she was pretty close to dying now, as severely as she had been beaten. In his mind, there was no foreseeable way she would make it out.

  “Doesn’t sound like you believe me.”

  “I don’t.” Gently, he picked her up and put her on his lap, cradling her to his chest. He had to hold her, so he did. His eyes drifted closed as he concentrated on the barely discernible peach smell that was Raven. “Why did you come for me?”

  “I was the ransom. That’s all.” Her words were said with no inflection.

  “You’re lying to me. Tell me the truth,” he begged her.

  Raven snuggled deeper into his embrace and granted his request.

  “I have done so many bad things in my life. In the Corps and as a bodyguard or spy, whatever you want to call what I do. I have killed far too many and wounded countless more, they are all faceless. I don’t want this anymore, I can’t do this anymore, and if I can give someone their life in exchange for risking mine then I am glad to do it. You are an amazing and extraordinary person, Brandt Fowler. I watched you and your heart is pure. If I am to die for someone, I couldn’t find another that is deserving of it more.

  “I’m pretty sure that all of your actions were just to annoy your father. You are a proud man and it still angers you.” She began to cough again and he rubbed her back until she stopped. “Sorry about that. It still angers you that he left you and your mother. Eventually you will have to forgive him and move on.”

  “What do you know about that?” Brandt scoffed. “Your parents are in Texas.”

  More shudders and coughs came from Raven. Her voice had become weaker, “No. That was all a lie. My father left my mother when she was pregnant with me. Don’t know who he is. When she died I joined a street gang and began racing cars.”

  “Why did you lie to me?”

  “All part of the assignment. I’m sorry about that. I know you probably don’t care or don’t believe me, but I truly am sorry. I have never hated lying to someone as much as I did to you.”

  “Was it all a lie?” That other man had been right, she did lie, but to what purpose?

  “Pretty much. I was in the Marines, but all that crap about family, lies. I never went to college, especially Stanford. I did graduate from high school at least.”

  “What about us? Was that a lie as well?”

  “What about us?” Raven asked him back.

  “Was that a lie as well, all part of the assignment? Is that why you went to bed with me?” Not that he really wanted to know her answer.

  “No, that wasn’t a lie.”

  “And the others that you slept with? Talon?”

  “I never slept with Talon. We knew you were on the hill that day and did that to get you angry. If you spent the night making mooneyes over me then people would think there was something between us. That could be dangerous.”

  “You could have told me,” he scolded.

  “I’m not in the habit of telling my assignments my plans. As far as the others, they were part of the job. That’s it. I have to get you away from here. Ready to go?”

  “I don’t want to leave you.” He was silent for a moment and then asked, “Is Raven even your real name?”

  “It is the name by which you know me and that is all I will say. We both have a destiny to face, Brandt Fowler. Ours seems to be parting paths now. Come on. Let’s go.” With ease that shocked him, Raven rose to her feet and tugged him up after her. She stood beside him, a sentry as he stretched to get some feeling back into his limbs.

  Silently they crossed the arena and felt in the dark for the door. Raven unlatched it and swung it open slowly in case it made any noise. It didn’t.

  Reaching behind her, she grabbed Brandt’s hand and crept down the aisle, fingers entwined. At the door to the outside she paused. This was it. She maneuvered close to his and she whispered, “Once the door is open head for the car. You won’t have long before they come running, because I know he set an alarm on this door. Can you run?”

  “Yes,” he answered as he pressed his nose to her hair. “What about keys? Are they in your car?”

  “No, they are in my bra. Hang on. Before you ask, it was in the clasp. He wouldn’t notice it there. It’s a six speed. Ready?”

  “As ready as I will ever be.” His heart was pounding as he realized what was about to happen. He grabbed her chin and put his lips to hers. “I love you, Raven Dare. I expect to see you again.”

  “Take care of yourself, Brandt Fowler. Live every day to its fullest. Don’t expect to see me again. For that I will be eternally sorry, because you are something else.” Her lips, swollen and busted, brushed against his one last time. Almost as if to herself, she murmured, “If only I could have heard my own name from your lips. Just one time.”

  Before he could respond to that, Raven kicked the door open. Alarms went off and yard lights came on.

  “Run!” she screamed over the loud wailing as she shoved Brandt out the door ahead of her. “Move, move, move.” They both were soaked in seconds, but at least he was running.

  * * * *

  Manny and Doc came pounding out after them, guns firing. Manny was the first one out the door and Raven was on him.
The water that sluiced down their bodies made it hard to hold onto him.

  The gun was lost in their struggle, and out of the corner of her eye Raven saw Doc take aim at Brandt, who was jumping into the car. With a quick strong wrench, she broke Manny’s neck and began to run. Exhausted, she couldn’t stop slipping and sliding in the mire. Would she make it in time? Could she get between Brandt and the bullet with his name on it?

  Raven felt the bullet enter her shoulder area and shove her forward. Apparently, she could get there in time. Oh God, the pain. Getting shot hurt like hell. Damn, but she needed a vacation.

  The mud rose to meet her face as she fell. At least Brandt had gotten away. Raven stayed, lying face down while the rain washed off the blood coming from her wounds and regained her waning strength.

  Doc yelled as he ran up. “Damn you. You fucking bitch. How did you do it? How? I should have just killed you then.” He kicked her over onto her back and stared down into her face. The barrel of his weapon was barely visible to her as her eyes were narrow slits against the pouring rain.

  A smirk came to her face as she purred, “I guess I wasn’t as hurt as you thought.”

  Like a snake, she struck with her legs and knocked him to his knees. He slipped in the mud and in subsequent moments they were rolling around on the ground, fighting for all they had.

  They broke apart, rose, and circled each other warily. One fit and angry, the other beaten, bloody and just as pissed. Doc slid a knife out of his gear and beckoned to her with it. “Come on. You and me. Only one of us is going to survive.”

  Raven didn’t say a word. She was in such pain. All she had to do was hold on until Dylan came. Still, they danced around each other, losing their footing in the mud and rain. Doc feinted in a few times but never made contact with her. Her body was covered in mud and water.

  Doc’s gun had been tossed off to the side. “How did you get out?”

  “Took the key from you. When you thought you were beating me senseless. You hit like a child. I’ve had women hit me harder than you.”