by Harley Wylde
“Look,” I said, jerking my chin that direction.
“What’s that direction?” Hot Shot asked.
“Nothing. Just an old cabin that used to be part of the original property. Damn thing is falling down. Just four decaying walls, a roof with holes, and a dirt floor. Probably was used as a line shack or something back when all this was farm and ranch land,” Demon said.
“Think he’d take Luis there hoping we’d leave the compound to search for him?” I asked. Most people would have seen the tracks end at the fence and assumed he’d gone over.
“It’s possible. Let’s go find out. Only wish those damn cameras were installed everywhere already. Outlaw ordered some, but he didn’t get nearly enough. This entire section is still a blind spot,” Slash said.
After this, there had better be fucking cameras everywhere. We’d had too many things go wrong, and now that we had women and kids here, things needed to change. I wasn’t about to risk our families for any reason. My chest ached and I rubbed at it before checking my phone.
She’s alive! Those two words from Guardian meant everything to me. It felt like a weight had been lifted. As long as Zoe was still breathing, then I could handle the rest. Luis would be back home safe and sound in no time, and I’d be having a little one-on-one time with Juan. I had no doubt he was the one who’d tried to drown our wife and who’d snatched our son.
We followed the footprints for another mile. The building that stood in front of us, if it could be called that, looked like a stiff breeze would knock it over. I took another step and the dirt at my feet kicked up.
“Did that fucker just shoot at me?” I asked.
“Yep. And he’s using a silencer,” Hot Shot said. “Well, there’s four sides to that building and coincidentally there’s four of us. He can’t shoot everyone at once.”
“That’s your great plan?” Demon asked. “Only one of us can get taken out at a time? Fucking awesome.”
Hot Shot flipped him off, but Demon only grinned. Since it was my boy in there, I’d take the front. Maybe he’d be so focused on me, one of my brothers could get in there and subdue him.
“I want him alive,” I said. “Get Luis out of there, and knock the asshole out if you need to, but he’s mine. I get to end his miserable life.”
“Let’s do this,” Slash said.
They fanned out, each taking a side of the building, and I kept heading for the front door. Either the man inside couldn’t aim for shit, or he was toying with me. Several shots landed within inches of my toes, but he never hit me. I was within feet of the building when pain pierced my shoulder, and it felt like fire engulfed my arm. Motherfucker! Same damn arm, and the previous wound hadn’t had time to heal. I didn’t even spare it a glance. Didn’t need to. Fucker had actually shot me.
Blood ran down my arm, but I didn’t let that slow me. I breached the building just as Hot Shot came through a back door. The windows on either side exploded on impact as Demon and Slash busted them out and trained their weapons on the man who’d snatch Luis and tried to kill Zoe. I wasn’t sure if he was brave or stupid for coming alone. If he’d had an accomplice they were either long gone or didn’t care what happened to him.
“Juan, I presume?” I asked.
The man spat at my feet and started cussing at me in Spanish. I just smiled and waited until he was finished, then planted my fist in his face. The crunch of bone as his cheekbone gave way was satisfying to say the least. His screams were even better.
“You tried to kill my wife. Stole my son. You should have never come here,” I said.
“She’s a fat puta. I watched the women who come here. I did you a favor,” Juan said.
“Tried?” Demon asked. “Zoe made it?”
I nodded. “I don’t know what kind of shape she’s in, but Guardian said she’s alive.”
“Your son is fine,” Hot Shot yelled from outside.
“Not your son.” Juan spat on the floor again. “Fucked that bitch good. Knocked her up. Luis is mine.”
A red haze settled over my vision. It was as I’d suspected. This asshole had raped Zoe, and was proud of the fact. He was going to die, but not just yet. I wanted him to suffer. I also needed information from him. If he wouldn’t talk, I’d have to convince him.
“What do you want to do with him?” Demon asked. “I have a few ideas, but he’s yours. If there’s anything left, I’ll play with him.”
I could only imagine what Demon wanted to do to him. He was a sick fucker and got off on causing others pain. Or at least, our enemies. I was grateful to have him by my side, and certainly didn’t want to go up against him. As the Sergeant-at-Arms, he could have claimed Juan’s life. I knew I only got my chance to make this culero pay because Demon permitted it.
“Let’s take him to the clubhouse. I think he needs to see our special room,” I said.
“Right.” Demon started dragging Juan from the building.
I stepped outside and saw Hot Shot with Luis. My boy looked so damn scared. I knelt and opened my arms, and he rushed toward me. I hugged him, holding him close, and murmured what I hoped were words of comfort. I’d never been around kids much until my brothers started reproducing like rabbits, but those were all tiny babies.
“Luis, I’m going to take you home, but Hot Shot is going to stay with you while I take care of something. I need to make sure that man will never hurt you again. Then we’ll go see your mom.” I lifted him with my good arm and started for the house. Then translated to Hot Shot, who gave me a nod. I didn’t know how many, if any, of my brothers knew Spanish.
At the house, I carried Luis inside and left him with Hot Shot, then grabbed my kit from the closet and took my bike to the clubhouse. It was time to make sure Juan never hurt another person ever again. I doubted Zoe was the first woman he’d ever raped, or that Luis was the first child he’d kidnapped. No, this guy had a soul as black as pitch. Devil’s Fury might not walk the straight and narrow, but there was some shit we just wouldn’t do.
Grizzly waited for me outside when I arrived. I gave the Pres a nod, and carried my kit inside. I headed down to the secret room and smiled when I saw Demon had stripped Juan before shackling him to the chair. The man wasn’t very big. Maybe five inches taller than Zoe, and while he was a bit thick around the middle, his dick was the size of a toddler’s. Blood smeared across his lips and ran from his nose. His eyes were turning black, and I knew Demon had gotten in a few hits.
“Regardless of what you think, Luis doesn’t belong to you. He’s my son, and I want to know what the fuck the numbers on his hip mean.” I unrolled my kit and studied the contents, trying to decide what I wanted to use first.
Juan grinned, showing two missing teeth and a mouthful of blood. “Think of it as a transaction number.”
Transaction? I had a feeling what I discovered tonight was seriously going to piss me off. But I needed to know. Not only for Luis, but I needed to make sure all those children back in Mexico were no longer in danger. If that meant bringing them here, then so be it. As far as I knew, Steel was still there, along with Casper and Specter. I knew they’d make sure the kids were safe. “What kind of transaction?” I asked.
“You think that bitch was the first I fucked?” Juan asked. “She wasn’t even the first that day. I had three putas after her.”
“How many of those kids were yours?” I asked, thinking of all the boys at the compound.
“Six,” he said. “The girls are sold to brothels and trained early. But the boys… they’re special.”
“Tell me about the boys.”
He smiled. “I think I’m done.”
Oh, no. He wasn’t anywhere near done. I selected my smallest blade and approached Juan. He sneered at the small knife in my hand. Oh, it wouldn’t kill him unless I stuck it in the right spot, but that wasn’t my intention. I wanted to make him hurt. I gripped the handle and slammed the blade into the top of his thigh. He squealed like a pig and thrashed in the chair. I yanked the blade free, th
en brought it down again. By the fourth time, he was blubbering like a fucking pussy. “I’ll talk!”
Damn right he would.
“The boys have two roles. Some are trained as future soldiers. Those who are too weak, too pathetic, are sold to men with particular tastes.”
I wanted to rip this shithead apart with my bare hands, but I waited. I needed to know everything. Then I needed to get that information to Steel so he could make sure none of those kids were within reach of the cartel.
Juan licked his lips. “Little Luis is too pretty for fighting. Sold him six months ago. His new owner was waiting for him to ripen a little more, but I made sure he got a good show every week, let him see the merchandise.”
I was shaking as fury snaked its way through me. I set my knife down and pulled a different one. This one was special. It wasn’t for stabbing, or killing. Not directly. No, this one was perfect for peeling the flesh off his body.
I worked on Juan for an hour. When I got a text from Guardian, I decided I’d done enough. Zoe had asked me to end this man’s life, and I wanted to keep my word, but I needed Demon’s approval. He’d already said he wanted a piece of this guy. Killing him wouldn’t bother me. Wouldn’t be the first time I’d taken a man’s life, and it wouldn’t be the last. I did whatever was necessary to protect my family.
“On the off chance the cartel knew he was coming here, send them a message. Make sure they know this same fate awaits anyone who dares fuck with us,” I said.
Demon snorted. “You telling me how to do my job now?”
“No, but I need to tell my wife she’s safe, that no one else is coming for her or our son. I need to give her peace of mind, Demon.”
He nodded. “Want me to finish up?”
“She asked me to do it.” I pulled my largest, sharpest knife, and waited for Demon’s okay. He gave a nod and I drove the blade straight into Juan’s chest, piercing his heart -- if he even had one -- and ended his miserable life. “Can you have someone clean my stuff and return it to the house? I need to shower and go see Zoe.”
“You going home like that?” Demon asked, eying the blood covering me.
“Yeah, I am. If Luis gets scared, I’ll tell him why I look like this. I want him to know I will always protect him. Although, not all of it belongs to Juan. He shot me in the shoulder.”
“Go get your family. I hope Zoe makes a full recovery.” Demon slapped my back. I winced, but gave him a nod.
I went upstairs and out to my bike, then rode straight home. I paused as I entered the house, and noticed Luis looked me over, but he didn’t seem frightened. I needed a shower, then we’d go to the hospital to see Zoe. It didn’t take me long to scrub myself clean. I wrapped a towel around my waist and wiped the condensation off the mirror.
My shoulder hurt like a bitch, but I checked the wound and was grateful the bullet went straight through. It was still bleeding, but it wouldn’t be the first time I’d taken care of myself. Hell, if I called the doc every time I got hurt, I’d just need to build a room onto the house for him.
I pulled the sewing kit from under the sink. It might not be medical grade, but it would close up the wound. I managed to stitch the front side, then realized I’d need help to close up the back. I shouted down the hall for Hot Shot.
“You got shot?” he asked.
“No, just thought I’d decorate my body with holes. What the fuck do you think? Stitch that up. I can’t reach it.”
Hot Shot flipped me off, but took the needle and thread from me. Once I’d been patched up, Hot Shot went to check on Luis while I put on fresh clothes. My cut had blood on it, and I wiped it down best I could. I’d have to do a better job later, but right now, I had other priorities.
“I called for a truck,” Hot Shot said. “You’ll need one if you’re taking Luis with you. Griz had someone get a car seat and it’s already installed.”
“Thanks, brother.” My gaze locked on Luis. “You ready to go see your mom?”
I held out my hand and he hurried over to me, his little fingers closing around mine. I only hoped I didn’t end up regretting taking him with me. Zoe might be alive, but Guardian hadn’t shared anything else with me, other than a message to get my ass to the hospital. I hoped like hell that didn’t mean she’d taken a turn for the worse.
Epilogue
Zoe
I’d come to the conclusion I loved my husbands. If I didn’t, I’d have murdered them by now. Guardian and Dagger hadn’t left my side. I must not have been in the water for very long before Dagger had found me. Even though I’d been resuscitated and coughed up water before the paramedics arrived, I’d had to stay in the ER for six hours while they made sure my lungs were clear and I would remain breathing on my own. It had been terrifying, not just for me, but for them as well.
Dealing with the police hadn’t been fun either. I hadn’t known what I should or shouldn’t say when they’d shown up in the ER, but thankfully the hospital staff had told them I needed time to heal before they asked more questions. Dagger had spoken to the officers at some point, or so he said, and that had been the last I’d seen of them. Whatever he’d told them must have been enough to satisfy them.
I hadn’t had any lasting issues from drowning, except annoyance at the men currently flanking me on the couch. The doctors had released me three weeks ago, and still they treated me like I was made of glass and would shatter at any moment. Neither of them had touched me, or given me more than a quick peck on the lips, since I’d been home. While I understood they were worried, I was fine. More than fine.
Since Dagger and Guardian had glued themselves to me like ticks while I’d been in the hospital, Hot Shot had helped take care of Luis. Our boy now had a favorite uncle. Even though he’d been slowly opening up around the others, Hot Shot was his go-to person if his daddies weren’t nearby. He even preferred Dagger and Guardian over me, but I couldn’t hold it against him. They were pretty amazing.
In fact, Luis was with his Uncle Hot Shot right now. Guardian’s sister had arranged for a child psychiatrist to meet with Luis. Our son still wouldn’t talk, but I thought the visits were helping. The doctor was using play therapy because of how young Luis was, but as long as she helped our son I didn’t care what means she had to use. As long as it didn’t hurt him more.
“I love you,” I said, taking both of their hands. I felt Dagger stiffen and Guardian shifted toward me.
“What?” Guardian asked.
“I said I love you. Both of you.”
Now that I had Dagger’s attention too, I started to squirm. His gaze was focused on me, and it made me feel warm all over.
“You love us?” he asked.
I nodded. “Sí. If I didn’t, the both of you would be dead already.”
“Uh, baby, how exactly did you come to that conclusion? Because I revived you and Dagger got our boy back, so…”
“Because the two of you are driving me insane! You won’t touch me, kiss me. You act like I’m going to break at any moment. If I didn’t love you, I’d have hit you both over the head with a shovel and asked someone to bury your corpses.”
Dagger snorted, then started laughing.
“I’m so glad you’re amused.”
“Corazoncito, we were waiting for a sign you were ready for more.” Dagger tightened his hold on my hand. “You died. Even though you seem fine now, we didn’t want to rush you. What if you’d had complications? The doctors could have missed something. We don’t know for sure how long you were dead. Being cautious didn’t mean that we didn’t want you, but our relationship isn’t just about sex, princesa. We love you, too.”
“No, it’s not based on sex, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want sex,” I said. I ached for them. In fact, I’d woken in the middle of the night more than once with my clit throbbing and the need to orgasm. A few times I’d managed to make myself come without either of them waking, but usually I ended up feeling frustrated because my fingers weren’t what I wanted.
I’
d never experienced that before. I wasn’t sure if they’d woken something inside me, or if it was something else. I had this niggling feeling I might be pregnant, but we’d only been together such a short time. Even though I’d only started having sex with them a few weeks ago, I’d missed my period. At first, I’d thought I was just late when it didn’t show last week, but my breasts were more tender than usual, and this crazy need for sex made me think there could be a baby growing inside me. I remembered the massive mood swings and hormone surges when I’d carried Luis, even though sex had scared me back then.
So I’d gotten an early detection pregnancy test. Or more accurately, I’d asked China to get one for me. Meiling’s mother was quiet, but once she’d learned my parents had tossed me out on my rear, she’d taken me under her wing. In the last few weeks, I’d met all of the Devil’s Fury ladies, but China remained my favorite. I knew that wasn’t her real name, but it’s what her man called her, and everyone else seemed to refer to her that way as well.
“In fact, I think I’m going to want a lot of sex. At least until I’m too big for us to be intimate.” Dagger’s brow furrowed and even Guardian looked perplexed. I sighed and stood up, then turned to face them. I pointed to my belly. “Congratulations, Santiago and Jared. One of you knocked me up. We’re having a baby.”
“Are you sure?” Dagger asked, coming to his feet and gently placing a hand on my belly.
“Took a test. It came back positive, and there are a few signs I can’t ignore. Missed period. My breasts are sensitive. And I want sex. Lots and lots of sex.”
Guardian stood, then lifted me into his arms and walked off. He called back over his shoulder, “You heard our wife. She wants sex.”
I giggled as he carried me to the bedroom, then stripped off my clothes and his. Dagger wasn’t far behind, and soon all of us were naked and piled on the bed. Guardian lightly dragged his fingers over my nipples, making me gasp and arch into his touch. Dagger wedged his hand between my thighs and tugged them apart, then stroked my pussy. I knew I was already wet because my panties had been soaked when Guardian had removed them.