by Cara Carnes
Natalie shook her head. “They’ll come back.”
“She’s in shock,” Sinclair said. “Repeat what you said.”
“Lonnie, Oren, and Herman are going to pay for what they did to you, Natalie.” Ellie spoke each word slowly and watched the woman’s expression.
Natalie squeezed Ellie’s hand. “I-I can’t talk about it.”
“You won’t be alone. I’ll sit with you if you want. We’ll keep you safe,” Ellie promised.
“You should go.” The woman looked at the door, then Riley and Ellie. “They’re too powerful. No one cares what I have to say. They’ll get off.”
“Not this time, Natalie,” Riley said. “We’ve got them dead to rights. There’s video.”
“Too strong,” Sinclair said.
Natalie paled. “People will see.”
“No.” Ellie shook her head. “I promise you aren’t alone, Natalie. You aren’t the only one they have videos of. There was another woman. She’s already made a statement.”
“She’s stronger than me.” The whispered words startled Ellie.
“She knows about Dani,” Zoey said. “That was unexpected.”
“How do you know about Dani?” Ellie asked.
“Th-They made me watch the video.” The woman licked her lips. “She talked? Told them about that night?”
“Yeah,” Riley said. “We’ve got someone protecting her. You aren’t alone in this, Natalie.”
“Y-you’ll stay with me?” Natalie asked Ellie.
“I’ll be there when you talk with the authorities.”
“O-Okay.”
22
“Authorities are en route to take Natalie’s statement,” Zoey said. “FBI should be at your location in twenty.”
Jesse looked around at all the Arsenal operatives who’d arrived at Natalie’s to help. Ellie was secure and they were closer to having the troubles handled.
“Copy,” Jesse responded. “And Ellie? How is she?”
“Good. She’s got Natalie calmed and talking,” Sinclair said.
Jesse clicked off. He hadn’t liked the idea of Ellie going to chat with Natalie, but he was glad she’d been there for the woman. Ellie was a strong, beautiful woman who always put others first.
“She’s good for you,” Nolan stated.
Jesse strapped on his tactical vest and glanced at his brother. Levi chuckled. Brooklyn whistled. Lex, Howie, and Sol wisely remained silent. “There a reason you’re a tagalong?”
“The bastard is wrapped up in what went down with Dani,” Nolan said.
Jesse froze. “That’s not on you.”
“It is. My name got her out there. That’s mine to carry.”
Dani was younger than Nolan by enough for the two not to have been close growing up. She’d been an unseen shadow to him. “It’s not a good idea to follow that road, man.”
“I’m not, but she deserves closure,” Nolan said. “I want to make sure anyone remotely connected to that shit goes down. That’s the least I can do. Then maybe she can move on. Besides, when the FBI is on scene, I figure having an extra set of eyes to watch out for those videos he threatened Ellie with would help.”
Jesse’s jaw twitched. He glanced at his team.
“I take it there’s more than we know going down today,” Sol commented.
“There’s more,” Jesse affirmed. “He threatened to release footage of Ellie. Not sure what, but it’s bad enough to scare her. That doesn’t go into evidence today.”
“Understood,” Lex said. “We’ve got your girl’s back.”
“You weren’t in your room last night,” Levi commented.
Jesse’s jaw twitched as he looked at the team gathered within hearing distance. This wasn’t how he wanted the 411 to go down, but when in Rome... “I’m pursuing things with Ellie.”
“Think we sussed that out, boss,” Sol commented.
Brooklyn chuckled. “I think it’s sweet. She’s adorable.”
“Pleased as hell, man,” Lex said.
“It’s about time,” Howie commented.
The teammate who knew him better than anyone remained silent. Assessing. Fuck. Jesse heaved a sigh and glanced at the clock. They had a solid half hour before the FBI would arrive and drones were monitoring the perimeter.
“It’ll wait,” Levi said.
“No,” Jesse said. “We don’t go in with our heads elsewhere.”
“Yours isn’t here,” Nolan commented. “Is it? I heard there was trouble last night at Ellie’s. You okay?”
“No.” Jesse admitted what he’d yet to fully realize until that moment. He glanced at his brother. “But I will be. I spoke with Sinclair and Logan. They’re putting me on sleeping pills until I get my nightmares under control better. They aren’t a solution, but they’ll help. Cord’s adding more drones to Ellie’s cottage.”
He hated that his baby brother had to put safety measures in place to keep Ellie safe when he spent the night with her. But he couldn’t continue relying on Levi to watch over him—not with the woman he loved in the mix. Jesse would rather never sleep again than risk repeating last night.
“Talk it out in the next group,” Levi suggested. “Lots of the Warrior’s Path folks are here because of these problems. You’ll get through this. We’ll get through this.”
Everyone gathered around Jesse nodded. Once again, his team had his back.
And Nolan was in the fray. Jesse recalled his brother’s words—he’d heard there was trouble last night. “That’s why you’re here. To keep my head on straight,” Jesse said.
“And to dispense Dani’s justice,” Nolan said. “You’re solid. We can’t always leave our home behind. That’s why we have a team at our backs. Yours is rock solid.”
Levi remained silent, as if he’d read between the lines.
“They’re the best. I owe them more than I’ll ever be able to repay. They’ve had my back more than anyone will ever know.”
“Because you’ve had ours,” Lex said. “That’s what team does.”
Which was why a part of Jesse hated the decision he knew must be made. If he wanted Ellie in his life, in his heart and soul, he couldn’t go out on missions. He couldn’t lead a team into overseas missions and be gone long term because he wasn’t that man anymore. Truth told, he hadn’t been for a long while, but the thought of spending weeks away from her…
He rubbed his chest and willed the burn away. Yeah, handing the team he loved over to Levi made sense. That’d free Jesse up to take stateside missions only and train the unteamed operatives. They could take over the work with the underground for Zoey’s system. It was a solid plan—one close enough to the one Dylan had pitched earlier for Jesse to know his brothers would agree.
They’d agree to anything, though, because they loved him.
“We’ve got movement on the southwest perimeter,” Cord said into the com.
Everyone moved into position. Jesse closed the distance between his location and the primary entrance to the home. Camera images showed the lone man who’d attempted to flee through the side exit was down, thanks to the knockout drug in the drone.
A diversion.
Lex and Howie took the rear door while Nolan and Levi penetrated the primary entrance with him. The furniture in the entryway was as grandiose and obnoxious as the man who owned it. Their booted footsteps struck the marbled entry without sound as Levi went right and Nolan went left.
Jesse moved forward and through the living room. Music drifted in from the back area where the office was. He met Lex in the corridor leading to the room. Where was the man’s security?
A voice replaced the music.
“Phil, no. Don’t.”
Ellie. What the fuck?
“Stay in position,” Vi growled through the com. “Dispatch a drone.”
“Say the words, bitch!” Phil shouted. A moment ticked by before the voice thundered. “Say it!”
“Jesse never loved me.”
“And?”
�
��I wasn’t woman enough for him.” Ellie sobbed.
“Such a sad, worthless cow. You’re lucky I married you,” Phil said, his voice low and derisive.
Boiling rage spiraled through Jesse, but he locked it down and forced the numb, the lethal calm he honed like a weapon. There’d be time for the rage later—after they took down the monsters who hurt Ellie, Dani, and Natalie.
“Everyone’s in position. Go,” Cord ordered.
Jesse exploded into the room. Herman sat in a leather high-back chair facing a massive screen. Ellie’s onscreen tears fractured his lethal calm. Phil had her hair in his fists and was…
Fuck.
A live gunshot pierced the recorded pleas and cries echoing within the room. Nolan stood in the entryway behind Jesse, gun aimed at a sparking computer.
Herman stood, hands raised. Laughter tumbled from him. “You have no idea the firestorm I’m about to unleash.”
“Shut your mouth, you sick fuck.” Jesse holstered his weapon so he wouldn’t use it on the smirking bastard.
“FBI is making entry,” Vi commented.
“Fruit of the poisonous tree. You illegally entered my domicile. Nothing here will be admissible.” The man chuckled. “I knew you idiots wouldn’t wait.”
“Whoever gave you your intel should’ve done a bit more research,” Jesse said. “We’re contracted on behalf of the state of Texas. We weren’t support for this takedown. We were primary.”
The man’s grin disappeared. Red rose in his face. “I won’t ever see the inside of a prison.”
“If I had my way you wouldn’t,” Nolan said.
“Walk away now before it’s too late,” Herman said. A gleam sparkled in his gaze. “She was on the list, you know. Back then. We voted on who we’d initiate into our club. Javier wanted his cousin to take dick, though, said she needed to get ridden hard. Otherwise Ellie would’ve been a prized pig.”
Jesse lunged, but Levi and Nolan dragged him back.
The bastard chuckled. “No way this holds up in a court. Not that it’ll matter.”
“It won’t,” Nolan promised. “Matter that is. Rich white ass like yours won’t last long where you’re going.”
“I’ll last longer than Ellie will,” Herman said. His laughter echoed.
Tension struck the room. Jesse turned and left, trusting his team to contain the crazy bastard.
“Stay where you are. Addy and them have Ellie protected,” Vi ordered.
“We’re missing something. He’s an arrogant ass, but he’s not stupid. Something else is in play,” Jesse said as he got into the truck. “Show me as en route to Ellie’s location.”
Across town by the school. Jesse knew it’d take less than five minutes, but it may as well have been five hours. The door to the truck opened. Nolan got in.
“You good to drive?” he asked.
Jesse didn’t dignify the question with a response as the engine growled to life and they got on their way to Ellie.
Something was wrong.
Ellie watched Natalie flit back and forth in the room as if nothing was wrong. As if she wasn’t waiting for authorities—strangers—to show up and ask her questions about the horrific things she’d endured. Ellie knew people responded to shock and trauma in different ways, but this was…
Wrong.
“Ellie, I need you to listen to me very carefully,” Doctor Sinclair said. “Where are you in the house?”
Ellie blinked. Confirmation there was something wrong hung in the silence. Sinclair wouldn’t have asked if something wasn’t wrong. “Natalie, are you sure I can’t help you chop all those onions?”
“No, I’m fine,” the woman said from her position between Riley and Ellie. “I know how they should be cut. Too big and they’re gross. Too little and they disappear. They need to be just right because tonight is a special night.”
“It is?” Riley asked.
“We can finally be together,” Natalie said.
Oh God.
“Natalie, let’s go back into the living room and wait for our friends. We don’t want to smell like onions,” Ellie said.
“But he likes onions. He likes when I cry,” the woman commented. “He said you wouldn’t listen. You never, ever listen. Phil was right about you. Nothing but a loud, crass pig. I’m glad they didn’t choose you.”
“Ellie get out,” Sinclair ordered.
Glass broke in the living room. Natalie halted her chopping and glanced over her shoulder. Riley launched herself at Natalie and toppled the woman’s chair. The knife went flying across the room as the two women wrestled. Angry shouts and screams rolled from Natalie.
“Get the door open,” Zoey said.
The deadbolts. Ellie sprinted into the living room. Her hands trembled as she unlocked the six barriers keeping Addy, Kamren, and Brooklyn outside. God. Riley.
“I swear I’m learning how to kick ass after this. Never again will I be useless,” Ellie muttered.
“Deep breaths, Ellie. You’re okay. Riley has her secured,” Doctor Sinclair whispered.
She turned the knob and stood back. Addy entered first, weapon drawn. Brooklyn swept in second. Both closed in on the kitchen but froze in the entryway. Riley had the woman pinned with her hands at the small of her back.
“Restraints?” Riley asked.
Addy smirked and pulled out a zip tie from the pocket of her cargo pants. “Guess those extra lessons with Jud have paid off.”
“You helped, too,” the blonde said.
“Teach me,” Ellie blurted.
“No way in hell are you teaching my woman to fight,” Jesse said as he entered the room. “That’d be my honor.”
“Jesse.” Ellie wrapped her arms around him. “Natalie. She’s…”
“It’s okay. She’ll be okay.”
Natalie rocked back and forth and mumbled to herself. Her gaze was vacant as she peered out into the room. “He’s going to be angry. I was supposed to hurt you. I couldn’t hurt you.”
Ellie blinked back tears.
“Get her home, Jesse. I’ll meet you both in my office,” Sinclair said into the com.
Ellie didn’t want to meet Sinclair in her office, but she burrowed deeper into Jesse’s embrace and left Natalie’s with him. Nolan closed the distance between them.
“Just heard from Levi. He has the recordings,” the man whispered. He looked at Ellie. “They aren’t seeing the light of day, Ellie. No one will ever see them.”
“Thank you,” she whispered. “Thank you.”
“Come on, Peanut. Let’s get you home.”
She climbed into the back of the truck when Jesse opened it. He entered with her. Surprised, she faced him and was hauled onto his lap. Jesse claimed her mouth. The kiss was hot, deep, and filled with so much need her entire body turned molten.
She shifted and straddled his powerful thighs. Anticipation beaded along her skin as she reclaimed his mouth.
“Okay, wow. So not wanting to spoil the moment, but coms, people,” Zoey said. “Geez. Why can’t any of you ever remember they’re live?”
Jesse chuckled and drew Ellie’s hair back. The panty-melting grin on his face almost made the interruption worth it. “Sorry, Z. Bye, Z.”
He pushed a button on her ear thingy, then did the same with his. The engine growled to a start. Ellie tensed.
“Eyes on me, Peanut.” He put a hand at the back of her neck and traced his tongue along the seam of her mouth. “I love you.”
“Love you, too,” she whispered against his mouth. “Any chance we can skip Sinclair and go to the cottage? Or maybe your room? I haven’t seen it yet.”
“I have somewhere better in mind,” he whispered in her ear. “I want to make love to you under the stars. My dick willing, I want to make love to you, Ellie Mason.”
Ellie. Mason.
She repeated the name she’d scrawled on so many sheets of paper as a kid and sank into the kiss. Joy leaked from her in hot tears Jesse wiped away with his thumbs. She tasted his on her to
ngue. Although she longed for more, she severed their mouths and rested her head on his shoulder.
A heavy sigh escaped him as he wrapped his arms around her. “I’ve dreamed about this moment for a long time, Ellie. Likely I should’ve waited until tonight, under the tree where we shared our first kiss. But I couldn’t waste another second. We’ve lost so many.”
They had. Years apart.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I want to be Mrs. Jesse James Mason. Tomorrow. We’ll go to a JP.”
“Mom would skin me,” Jesse said with a chuckle.
“Mom’s really sick,” Ellie whispered. “I want her there.”
“This weekend,” he said. “That’ll give Mom a couple days to do whatever she wants. We’ll keep it small. Family and immediate friends only.”
“That’s perfect.” She smiled. “You know her definition of ‘immediate friends only’ will be the entire tri-county.”
“As long as you are mine at the end of it all, I don’t care,” Jesse whispered.
“I’m already yours,” Ellie said. “I always was.”
Jesse waited outside Doctor Sinclair’s office where Ellie was already speaking with the woman. Though Ellie had wanted him to remain, he understood that the two women needed time to form a connection and bond without him around.
Nolan rounded the corner and drew him into a hug. “Pleased as fuck for you, brother.”
Tears filled Jesse’s face as he saw the rest of his brothers approach. “Big mouth.”
They all chuckled and dragged him into hugs. After a couple moments, Nolan held out his hand and dropped into Jesse’s the small box Jesse hadn’t seen since…
“Mom kept it in the same spot you’ve left it all this time,” Marshall said.
“This should’ve been Mary’s,” Jesse whispered, too overwhelmed with emotion to speak any louder. “Shit.”
Dylan chuckled as Jesse swiped at his face. “It’s always been Ellie’s.”
Jesse glanced at Dallas, who held up his hands. “It’s Ellie’s.”
“Did Mom see you get this?”
“Yeah,” Cord said. “She teared up and went into her room.”