Catching Fire (The Fire Duet Book 2)

by Billie Lustig

  Who is not my brother.

  Fuck, I’m going to need a minute to get used to that.

  The gravel of the driveway crackles under my boots as I walk to the SUV. One of the guys is holding the door open for me, so I climb inside, followed by Reign and Liam. Imogen threw a fit, wanting to come with us, but we all agreed that was never going to happen. I know Junior would be thrilled to grab both of us, plus I doubt he would keep her alive long. They’ve never liked each other because, well, who fucking likes Junior? Besides, I know he’d torture her even worse than me if he had the chance.

  And that’s a risk I’m not going to take.

  Liam gets into the passenger seat while Reign sits next to me.

  Jeremy gets behind the wheel and starts the car. Once the car is in motion, I take a deep breath, staring out of the window, trying to enjoy my last moments of freedom.

  I can’t believe I’m fucking saying this after I ran from the man I love, vowing I would never be played by men ever again.

  We drive for a few minutes, giving me the time to prepare myself for everything that is about to come. My thoughts are interrupted when I unconsciously take a deep breath, apparently giving Reign the cue to reach out.

  When Reign grabs my hand and squeezes it, I turn my head towards his. I’m greeted with his famous, comforting smile that makes my nerves settle down a bit. The corner of my mouth curls to return his smile, silently telling him I’m glad he’s here.

  “You’ll be okay, Angel.”

  “Yeah,” I snicker with disbelief, “tell me that on my twenty-fifth birthday, okay?”

  I lift my hand to take it out of his grip before I rub both of my hands over my black jeans, trying to wipe the sweat from my palms.

  “Hey, look at me.” His voice is filled with demand, showing me a side of him I haven’t seen in a very long time. Six years ago, it would turn me the fuck on, and I probably would’ve jumped him on the spot. But I’m pleased that right now, all I see is my best friend.

  He grabs my chin with an urgency that is clearly visible in his eyes, even though his touch is anything but hurtful.

  “I will tell you that tomorrow morning, okay?”

  He lets go of my chin, and I narrow my eyes at him with suspicion.

  “What are you up to, Reign Wolfe?” I glare at him with suspicion.

  “Nothing.”

  “I know you. You’re up to something.”

  “I told you I will chase your demons away.” His eyes darken, his gaze locked with mine. For the briefest of seconds, I feel like I’m eighteen again, when Reign was always there to protect my every move. When he taught me how to fight and helped me become who I am now, all while he promised to chase my demons away.

  I feel my eyes well at his words, touched by his never-ending need to be there for me in every way possible. I haven’t seen him in years, yet he’s still willing to face Junior without even considering the risks that come with it.

  “Don’t pull anything. I can’t let you get hurt, Reign.” I shake my head, releasing yet another deep breath.

  “Callie …” He lowers his head to my level, cupping my cheek. “Just trust me, okay? Everything is going to be fine.”

  I love how he’s comforting me, and I desperately want to believe him, but there is a huge part of me that thinks everything is going to go to shit.

  “Trust. Me,” he repeats this time with a growl vibrating behind his words.

  A sole tear escapes my eye, and his thumb reaches up to wipe it away.

  “I trust you.”

  “Good.”

  He straightens his body while I do the same as Liam glances at me from over his shoulder.

  “Keep it together, Red.” He gives me a wink, and I chuckle at his stupid way of encouraging me. He’s a dickhead, but I’m glad he has somewhat accepted me. I look in the rearview mirror and notice Jeremy looking at me from behind the wheel. Seeing him sitting there gives me flashbacks of the last time he took me to see my brother, minutes before we walked into the caves.

  “Hey Jer?” I call out to the front.

  “Yeah?”

  “Can we make sure that after tonight, you never drive me back to Junior again?”

  A wide grin appears on his face, wide enough to make me mirror his smile.

  “After tonight, Junior will be dead. So this will definitely be the last time.” He winks before pivoting his eyes back to the road.

  I turn my head and look out of the window, glancing up to the full moon shining above us.

  “Yeah, one can dream,” I mumble too softly for Jeremy and Liam to hear in the front, but audible for Reign.

  He grabs my neck with force, and I twist my head to glare at him.

  “Trust. Me.” He scowls, clearly determined to make me believe him. “You have to believe me. Everything will be okay.”

  So far, this boy has never disappointed me. I don’t want to get my hopes up, because no one can guarantee anything at this moment. In a few minutes, we will be walking into a situation that we may not survive. But Reign has never failed me, and there is a voice lurking in the back of my mind, telling me that he won’t fail me now either.

  “Okay,” I agree, “I believe you.”

  “Good, Red,” Liam chimes in from the front. “Because it’s time to put your game face on. We’re here.”

  Fuck.

  Thirty-Four

  Callie

  Present day

  When we stop in front of a big warehouse, several Carrillo men step outside. When I get out of the car, I notice Mateo in front of the door, holding an AK-47. When my eyes meet his, he gives me a wink with a comforting smile.

  “Mateo.” I frown.

  The guy never actually did anything to me. In fact, he always helped me when Junior and Fernando messed with me when we were younger. But the fact that he is willingly going to let this happen tells me that he doesn’t give a shit about me right now. He’s just a soldier in a psychopath’s army. Finding out the truth about Cristina made me realize that.

  The cold air of the night creeps through my leather jacket, making me shiver. Liam and Reign take the lead, and I follow behind them as we walk into the warehouse. Our steps echo through the vacuous space, sounding ominous as fuck, but it isn’t until I notice Kane all beat up in a chair that I suck in a shocked breath.

  Although his arctic eyes are still shining as bright as ever, his face is bloody and covered with cuts. He scowls at everything around me like the fearless man that he is, and I’m glad to see that he still has some fighting spirit left in him.

  “Yay! La fiesta is finally here!” Junior’s voice booms through the barren space. He’s wearing a black leather jacket that covers his athletic body while the man bun on his head makes him look like the douchebag that he is. We all stop about ten yards from Kane, with Junior standing next to him while Reyes men are strategically placed around us. Ten of our own men are facing them to hopefully make this exchange go smoothly.

  “If this was a party, you would be served as a snack, Reyes,” Liam bellows back.

  “Oh, Liam, the funny Carrillo.”

  “Really? You think he is the funny one?” Reign asks incredulously.

  “Reign,” Junior scowls. “I thought you and my sister broke up?”

  “We did, but I promised her I would kill you, and I never break my promises.”

  “Get in line,” Kane growls from his chair.

  “Oh, look at that. You sure have a thing for ambitious men, Hermanita.”

  “Can we just get this over with?” I ask, crossing my arms in front of my body.

  “Take her home, Liam,” Kane commands while scowling at his brother.

  “You think she listens to me, brother?” he counters, making Kane roll his eyes before he locks them with mine.

  “Go home, baby.” His words are a perfect balance between a demand and a plea. I can see the thoughts running overtime in his head, probably praying I will listen for one time in my fucking life.

 
But we all know I never listen.

  “No.” I shake my head, swallowing away the tears that are building in the corners of my eyes. “Let him go, Junior.”

  “Are you loca, Hermanita?” he chastises before he pulls a knife from his pocket and places it on Kane’s neck.

  I gasp for air as I feel my heart drop and take a step forward.

  “Nah ah ah!” Junior presses the knife deeper into his skin, making blood stream down his neck. “Not so fast, little sister. Put your gun on the floor and take five steps forward.”

  I look up at the ceiling and blow out a breath before reaching into my pocket. Pulling out the gun, I slowly bend down to put it on the floor. My eyes are focused on Kane, desperate to wrap him in my arms. His face remains stoic, but I can see the desperation in his eyes.

  When my gun touches the concrete floor, I straighten back up and take the five steps forward before halting and pinning my gaze on Junior.

  “Good girl,” he coos. “Now get over here.”

  “Get that knife off his throat first.”

  “I will, if you come here.”

  “Careful, Callie,” I hear Liam whisper behind me.

  Too bad it’s too late to be careful.

  I walk towards them, Junior nodding his head to the side, indicating I should stop there. In one quick move, he cuts the cord cables on Kane’s wrists. Before Kane can even stand up, Junior wraps a hand around me, his chest pressed against my back with his knife to my throat.

  “Good to see you, Hermanita,” he whispers, his mouth flush with my ear.

  Goosebumps scatter across my skin, and I close my eyes, trying to suppress the memory of the last time he got me in a headlock. My eyes open again when Kane jumps up, twisting on the spot, ready to rip off Junior’s head. Every man in the room is on edge, and the sound of guns being cocked reverberates through the warehouse.

  “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Junior presses the knife a little deeper, making me wince at the sharpness. Kane freezes to the spot while he balls his hands into fists.

  Now everything is reversed. Now it’s me, focusing my pleading eyes on him. Begging him to let it go.

  To let me go until he can make a better plan.

  My heart is beating out of my chest, wondering if this will be the very last time I see Kane, dreading the moment Junior will get me in one of his cars and drive me away from him.

  “Hey, Junior?” Reign calls out as if they are best buddies.

  Every set of eyes in the room are now pointed at Reign, except poor Kane, whose glare never leaves Junior.

  “What, Wolfe?!” Junior snaps.

  “Just let her go, it’s over.”

  “Pff, are you kidding me?” he guffaws. “This has only just begun.”

  I’m wondering why the fuck Reign and Liam are grinning from ear to ear when I hear gunshots coming from outside.

  “What the fuck?” Junior hisses, his putrid breath making me want to hurl.

  I feel his grip on me loosen as he turns his head, listening to the noise on the other side of the door, which clearly isn’t part of his plan.

  I take advantage of his lack of focus and stomp on his foot as hard as I can before I throw my fist into his balls. He lets go of me with a loud groan, allowing me to turn around and face him. Without waiting another second, I punch him in the face, resulting in him dropping to the floor. The entire room transforms into a war zone when Mateo bursts through the door wearing an odd-looking leather jacket. He is followed by a bunch of guys in the same leather attire, and all of them, including Mateo, start shooting the Reyes men inside the warehouse.

  “What the fuck?” I blurt out in shock.

  Kane quickly reaches out to pull my arm, dragging me behind one of the jeeps behind us. With the sound of gunfire ricocheting throughout the warehouse, I instinctively bring up my arms to cover my head while being somewhat shielded as we stand behind the car. My lungs are heaving as adrenaline rushes through my veins, frustratedly cursing the fact that my gun is still on the damn floor.

  “You stupid girl,” Kane growls, before he slams me against the car, ignoring the deafening gunfire that surrounds us. He presses his lips against mine in a frantic way before he pulls back, showing me the scowl on his face.

  “If we get out of this alive, you’re in deep shit.”

  “Can’t wait,” I jeer sarcastically, pissed about his caveman behavior.

  “Shut up,” he orders.

  Before I can respond, his body covers mine in a protective way as he tries to glance through the car windows.

  “Liam!” he shouts. “Need a gun here, brother.”

  “Kinda busy here, jackass,” Liam roars back.

  Kane looks down at me for what feels like minutes, his piercing blue eyes looking at me with satisfaction and anger, completely oblivious to the chaos around us.

  “Not the time for longing gazes, lovebirds. Save that for later.” Reign moves around the back of the Jeep, pressing his back against the black steel, making sure he’s not in anyone’s line of sight. He pulls another gun out of his pocket before handing it to Kane.

  “Leather is with us. Shoot the rest.” He places the gun in the palm of his hand before his eyes land to me.

  “I told you, you should trust me.” He winks.

  I nod in agreement before Kane gives me a quick peck on the lips.

  “Stay here, baby girl,” he tells me before they both run back towards the gunfire.

  Thirty-Five

  Kane

  Present day

  I press my lips against hers, grateful that I get to feel them when two hours ago I thought I would never see her again.

  “Stay here, baby girl.”

  I expect her to argue with me, telling me she can take care of herself and all that bullshit, but instead, she keeps her mouth shut while I glance around the car to scan the situation. The roaring sound of all the gunfire around me brings my adrenaline to a peak, suppressing any fear that had been running through my veins. The men in leather are carrying automatic weapons that make it easy for them to shoot about twenty guys to pieces in seconds. A few stray Reyes men are still holding up their guns, shooting at any movement in front of them, trying to stay alive.

  But that’s not what makes me step away from the vehicle without a second thought.

  No, it’s Junior Reyes crawling towards the shelter of the Jeep next to me that makes my blood boil inside of me, making me reckless as fuck. My feet stalk his way, my rage increasing with every step. He slowly moves forward on hands and knees like the coward that he is, always letting other people fight his battles. Letting out a primal grunt before my hand grabs his black man bun, I lift up his head before I smash it on the concrete floor, effectively knocking him out.

  “Kane!” I hear Callie’s voice behind me, laced with panic, and I turn around to face her. Her gaze is focused on something to my side, so my head snaps in that direction where I find a man pointing his gun at me with a fuming look on his face. Without a second thought, I jump behind the Jeep behind me before bullets begin flying around me. My heart is beating out of my chest while I glance over the hood of the car to take a shot at the Spanish bastard before quickly ducking behind it again. He keeps firing shots while he tries to drag Junior away by one of his feet. I curse inside, refusing to let that bastard live another day, so I reach back up, determined to run a bullet through his head. Throwing my arm over the hood, staying as low as possible, I aim my gun at his head before pulling the trigger. His head flails back as the bullet enters through his forehead, making him fall to the floor.

  I glance to the car Callie is behind, relieved to see that she’s still there. Behind her, the warehouse door is opening. A tall figure wearing a black pea coat walks into the warehouse, followed by a handful of guys wearing the same leather jackets. He has a tight grip on his M5, which he uses to spray a burst of bullets into the ceiling for what feels like forever but can’t be more than a few seconds. Finally, the half a dozen Reyes men who
are still standing raise up their hands, ready to surrender when they look at the heavy armory the guys just walked in with. I chuckle at the sight of the bastard who walked in, standing there with a small but cocky grin on his face.

  “Are we done playing around, boys? Because it’s wicked boring in these mountains, and I’m in need of a drink.” Franklin Wolfe bellows through the room like the cold showoff that he is.

  “Jesus Christ, Wolfe. Of course you show up when we’ve already won the war!” I taunt before I round the Jeep, reaching out a hand to Callie.

  She quickly makes the steps towards me with a confused look on her face then wraps her arms around my body. I tug her tightly to my chest before pressing a kiss to her hair.

  Franklin snaps his fingers at his men standing behind him, who take the last of the Reyes men and line them up against the wall.

  “You say that chucklehead, but if you weren’t half-assing this shit, you wouldn’t have needed to be saved in the first place. So I think it’s safe to say I won the war.” He saunters towards us, then reaches out his hand to me. I grab it without letting go of Callie, who he turns to with a small grin.

  Which is pretty incredible for him because he barely smiles.

  “Half-assing?” I parrot. “You’re delusional, Wolfe.”

  “Wolfe?” I hear Callie whisper beside me.

  “Thank you will do, you know?” he scoffs then cocks his head, focusing his eyes on Callie while putting one hand in the pocket of his coat.

  “You must be the famous Callie?”

  “Famous?” Her brows pinch together, clearly not sure who’s asking.

  I run a hand through her hair, and she looks up to me through her fluttery eyelashes, asking me for clarification. My lips part to explain when I hear a groan coming from the floor behind us, making me glance over my shoulder. Callie does the same, then we watch Liam and Reign, who are picking Junior up from the floor, tying his hands behind his back.