Chapter 26

26

“Garrett, brother, you have to breathe.”

I was breathing—fire.

“She’s pregnant,” I shouted. “Fuck!”

My hands went to my hair, tearing through the strands.

“I got it!” Kira shouted. “It was on then off, but I got a hit.”

“Where?”

“The Elks Lodge off route two.”

“The Elks—”

“I know it. Take all cameras offline.”

“Already in progress,” she told me while her fingers danced over the keyboard.

I ran across the office, bypassed the elevator, and headed for the stairs. I pressed my palm against the plate and the lock clicked. I was taking the stairs three at a time.

“Any connections at the Elks? What’s there? Why there?” Cash asked from behind me.

“None that I know of. I have none personally and I don’t know the what or why.”

“No weird drive-bys?”

“Christ, I’d report it if someone was casing my house,” I bit out.

“Think, G. Something you missed. We live our lives and sometimes what seems normal is a big deal.”

Fuck. Cash was right but I was in no frame of mind to waste precious energy thinking about what I’d missed.

“Where’s Zane?”

“Eastern Shore still.”

Good.

“I need Kira to delete all the building footage for the last three days. Clean. No backups.”

“Copy.”

“Also, call Linc and tell him Alpha One is dark. He’ll know what to do.”

“Garrett, brother, I’m going with you.”

“You absolutely are not.”

“Too late. Kira’s called in the team.”

I skidded to a stop in front of the fire escape door that opened into the parking garage and yanked my phone out of my back pocket. I punched in the code to unarm the door and pushed through while connecting a call to Kira.

“Yeah, One?”

“Call off the team.”

“Negative. They’re en route.”

“Call them off!”

“No! I’ve got all cameras in a fifty-mile radius offline. If you need me to widen the net call me. I also wiped the building security cameras clean. They’re offline as well. Be safe. Out.”

If I wasn’t so motherfucking out of my mind with fear, I would’ve been impressed.

“Call them—”

Cash’s hand came up, hooked me around the back of my neck, and he yanked my forehead to his. This wasn’t a friendly maneuver. The asshole headbutted me.

“Family.”

He shoved away and jogged to my truck.

With my palms sweaty and fear coursing through my veins, I drove.

Memories of old failures fought for purchase in my thoughts.

What did I miss?

There’s no such thing as a random abduction when you’re in my line of work. Old enemy, current case.

“Theo report in any issues with Bridget?”

“Negative. Team is ETA two minutes.”

“Same.”

My go-bag’s in the back. Grab the balaclava and put it on. There’s gloves in there, too.”

“G—”

“Do it, Six. Non-negotiable. Everyone’s suited up.”

Cash reached behind me muttering bullshit the whole time he rifled through the bag.

“One minute,” I called out.

Who would take Mellie?

Why would someone take Mellie?

This made no sense. There were no issues beyond the daily death threats Zane gets.

“She’s—”

“I cannot think about that right now. If I let my mind go there… I can’t.”

I saw Easton’s Black GMC parked across the street from the Elks.

That was a ballsy move if there was a lookout.

It also cut down on wasting time humping it three blocks.

I pulled in next to the GMC and shut my truck down.

As if they’d practiced this shit, all the doors opened at the same time.

Four men dressed in all black exited the truck.

“No intel. No eyes. No targets,” I reminded them. “Smith, Jonas, and Easton take the back. Cash and Theo, you’re with me in the front. You get her out and leave me behind if need be. That’s a direct fucking order. You don’t think you can do that, stay out. She’s the objective. Just her. Cameras are off but no one is uncovered.”

“Except you,” Smith pointed out.

“Yeah, except me. I will be the last face this motherfucker sees.”

“Roll out.”

At the street we separated—Smith, Jonas, and Easton broke right, Cash and Theo went left with me.

The Elks Lodge was a brick building with a garage bay to the right, no other outbuildings.

“Window’s broken on the garage door.”

I looked back at the garage and damn if one of the windowpanes wasn’t broken.

I reached for my radio to call it in but at the last minute remembered I wasn’t wearing a radio and dropped my hand.

“Clear the garage first,” I told the guys, keeping to the scrubs for cover.

We made it to the last hedgerow; any farther and we’d lose cover.

I paused to listen. Not hearing anything, I was getting ready to give the signal to spread out when I heard it—a loud whack then a cry renting the air.

A familiar chill came over me. All emotion slid away. My focus narrowed.

Every step purposeful, every breath fixed, every movement economical and decisive. With a boot to the door, it crashed open.

I rushed in. My eyes adjusted to the light and the sight in front of me registered.

All non-essential details became nonexistent.

Melissa bloody, on her side and curled into a protective ball. Steve Metzbower holding a leather belt aloft.

That’s all I needed.

“Step away from Melissa.”

Steve’s eyes went wide, and he stepped away.

“More.”

“I just—”

“More, motherfucker. Step away.”

Steve backed up. I heard the commotion behind me, ignored it, and kept my eyes glued on my target.

“Close your eyes, baby.”

Melissa whimpered and rage simmered.

“Just him or are there more?” I asked.

“Just…him.”

“Okay. Are your eyes closed?”

“Yeah.”

She said the word but it came out gargled.

I pulled the trigger.

I didn’t watch the dead man fall to the ground. I didn’t care to know why he took her or what he wanted. There was no reason that could’ve saved his life. The second he touched her he was a dead man walking.

I holstered my weapon, rushed to Mellie, and scooped her up.

“Garrett,” she screamed in my face.

“I got you.”

“Do…down. Down.”

“Down?”

“Put. Down,” she panted.

“Fucking shit,” Cash choked. “Her back.”

“Down,” she wailed.

“Can you stand?”

“Ye…yes.”

“Cash, Theo, come spot her.”

The men huddled close as I set her on her feet.

The moment my arm wasn’t around she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Theo, hold her up.”

When Theo had a firm grip on her, I walked behind Melissa, grabbed the hem of her torn and blood-soaked tee, and lifted it up.

I had to close my eyes against the nightmare I was seeing. I felt Cash’s hand grab my shoulder as I swayed. The image of her bloodied, mangled back forever imprinted on mind. The angry red welts on her face. The cut on her cheek.

That piece of shit motherfucker opened up my woman and made her bleed.

“Brother, breathe,” Cash whispered.

“I am.”

“No, you’re going places in your mind where you do not need to be. Mellie needs you. Breathe and let’s get her help.”

I took a breath and blew it out. By breath three, I felt wet leaking from my eyes. By the fifth one the fear had gone but rage remained.

That was the best I was going to do.

“You’re gonna walk out of here, Melissa. You ready?”

She slowly lifted her head like the weight of it was too heavy to hold up. When she got it high enough she tipped her haunted hazel eyes up at me and nodded.

“Yeah, I can…wa…walk.”

This was not smart.

“I’m gonna carry you. I can do it—”

“Walk.”

Fuck.

“Okay, Mellie baby, you’re gonna walk.”

With Melissa sandwiched between me and Theo we got her out of the garage. Easton already had his GMC parked as close to the door as he could get it with the back door open.

I reached into my pocket and handed Cash my keys. He wordlessly took them and took off.

I climbed in the back seat, Theo holding Mellie steady while I got settled.

“This is gonna hurt, Melissa. I’ll be as gentle as I can,” Theo said.

Mellie nodded. Theo’s sorrow-filled eyes came to mine full of apology for the pain he was going to cause.

“Do it.”

Theo gripped her hips and lifted her.

“Swing your leg over my lap. We’re going chest to chest.”

Melissa awkwardly did as I asked.

I barely had her situated on my lap when she shoved her face in my neck.

“I wanna hold you so bad, baby, but I don’t know where you’re hurt.”

“Everywhere,” she cried.

I didn’t want to think about the baby. I’d walked in and by the looks of it, Mellie was doing everything she could to protect her abdomen. But trauma was trauma.

“Hold on to me.”

Doors opened and closed.

Melissa sat on my lap holding on to me, her body shaking with the force of her sobs.

“Jonas, call Zane. Tell him I need Doc at my house ASAP.” I paused, brushed my lips over Melissa’s bloody forehead, and finished. “Tell him he needs to bring an ultrasound machine.”

I heard the collective inhales.

I felt Melissa’s body buck.

And there I sat powerless to do anything.

A phone rang and I knew it was Easton’s when it connected to the Bluetooth.

“Yeah?”

“Linc called in. He wants to know if you’re ready for clean up.”

“Affirmative.”

“How many?”

“One.”

“Copy.”

Easton disconnected and drove just above the speed limit all the way to my house.

* * *

Kira wasin my bedroom with Melissa. I was in my living room with six men who resembled barely contained lions. Doc had just gotten done explaining that once Melissa’s back was clean the lacerations made by the edge of the leather belt were not as bad as they looked. There were no marks from the buckle which was good. My stomach roiled when Doc said he’d guess Steve practiced some form of BDSM. His marks were in a precise crisscross pattern that would take years to master.

That did not make me feel any better.

Melissa needed to be watched for a concussion. However, miraculously she showed no obvious signs.

That made me feel a little better.

Her face was consistent with blows to the face, but Steve had not been wearing any rings. Three of the deeper cuts were closed using tissue adhesive.

Thinking about my woman being struck in the face repeatedly enraged me, so I stopped thinking about how I felt about Melissa’s face being glued shut and instead focused on Zane who looked like he was plotting murder.

“Already talked to Melissa,” Doc started.

“You can speak freely unless Melissa’s said otherwise.”

“As you know we heard the baby’s heartbeat. But I’m recommending bed rest for at least six weeks.”

“Done. What else?”

“I understand she doesn’t want to go see an OB while her face is healing. Over the counter vitamins are fine and I’ll be back next week to check on her and we’ll do another ultrasound.”

“Appreciate it.”

“I won’t know for certain what he used to sedate her until I get the lab results back. Whatever it was, he didn’t give her much. Watch her for side effects.”

I nodded.

“That’s all I got unless you have any questions.”

“Thank you, Doc.”

“I’ll see myself out.”

The front door shut and Zane whirled on me and was in my face.

“Do it now,” he barked.

“Do what?”

“Whatever you got swirling in your head, you get it out right now. You do not let this shit dig in and fester. While we’re all standing here, give it to us.”

Zane Lewis.

“I was not okay. I found Mellie; the state she was in I was seriously not okay. My brothers took my back and the problem’s been rectified in a permanent way. My wife is right now upstairs in our bed and she’s pregnant. So I’m holding on to that. Family.”

Zane narrowed his eyes.

“You burying anything?”

“Nope. I’m breathing clean and easy. My only concern is Melissa. If she shows signs it’s fucking with her, we’ll address it. But I’m not buying trouble where there isn’t any yet.”

“Always knew you were the smartest out of the idiots.”

Insults. Another one of Zane’s love languages.

I glanced around the room, took in my brothers, and smiled.

“Appreciate each and every one of you. But I hope you don’t mind I’m going up to check on my wife.”

I got a round of goodbyes, returned them with a chin lift, and headed up stairs.

* * *

“He wanted the pictures,”Melissa whispered.

She was talking about the motherfucker Steve.

It was the middle of the night. She’d dozed on and off. Partly because I had to wake her but mostly because she couldn’t get comfortable. So now she was lying on her belly, cheek resting on my stomach, face turned toward mine with an ice pack on the side of her face.

“What pictures?”

“From the night I snuck over to the farm. But those are on my old phone in the nightstand.”

I used all of my control. Every ounce. To keep my body relaxed.

“You were right. I should’ve listened.”

“Don’t do that. This is not about who’s right. He was wrong. Period.”

“I wonder what he thinks I took pictures of.”

I was curious too but not enough to move Mellie now that she was comfortable.

“We’ll look tomorrow.”

I continued to play with Melissa’s hair through the long stretch of silence.

“He knew we were married,” she whispered.

Fucking Christ that’s how he found her.

“Town talk,” I muttered, and she nodded.

Just when I hoped she’d drifted back to sleep she whispered, “I was scared.”

My muscles contracted and my gut tightened.

“I was scared but I knew you’d find me. He turned my phone to airplane mode.”

“That’s why we couldn’t find your signal.”

“I turned it off.”

I twisted a strand of hair around my finger and said, “Good thinking.”

The mood was mellow despite the subject matter. Calm and peaceful, which seemed to be crazy seeing as earlier that day she’d been beaten.

“I don’t know how to say this.” Her words barely audible.

“Say what?”

“Thank you for telling me to close my eyes.”

“Baby—”

“I love you, Garrett.”

I sucked in a breath and let the warmth fill my lungs. It had been three months since she said those words to me again and each time I heard them they filled my lungs like the very air I needed to survive.

Because they were.