Chapter 14

"If you can't keep it cool, tell me now and I'll take care of this myself." Track looks at me with intense eyes and I know he's not fucking around.

"I won't leave without her."

"That's not what I'm asking and you know it." He looks to the guys in the van and they nod. "We are all willing to go in there and get her out, but we can't have you be a part of this mission as a loose cannon."

"I know," I say through gritted teeth. No one wants this to go smoothly more than me, but we know who's in there and this could go south fast.

"Then let's get into position." Track grabs my shoulder and gives it a squeeze before he suits up.

Walsh gets in the driver"s seat with Levi beside him on the scanner. Jonas is in the back with us covering the four monitors that are showing the images from the security cameras he tapped into.

We got here in time to see Takio and Uzziah go in with Warren. Uzziah is the big boss Monte tried to cheat out of his money. We were planning on informing him and his right-hand man Takio about Monte's loss of funds, but we found out Warren beat us to it. There's nothing left for them in this area now and we all agreed that no matter what happens, it's best to let the two of them walk. We don't want to stir up any trouble with their organization and they're only here for Monte.

"Just make sure if it comes down to it, I'm the one that gets a shot at Warren." The guys agree as I tuck my handgun in the back of my pants and watch the screens next to Jonas. "Where the fuck is she?"

"We're going to get her back," he reassures me, and I have to take a breath.

"Just stick to the plan," Walsh says from the front.

We wait for what feels like hours, but it can't be that long. Finally, when it feels like I can't sit still another moment, Takio and Uzziah come out, but this time they're alone.

"They've left him in there with her," I say as I get closer to the screen. "You think they killed Monte?"

"Yes," Track says plainly and he's right.

There's no way they would have let him live after taking money from their organization. They would have made an example out of him. Monte was the only link they had to this industry, so when I see their tail lights heading away from the warehouse, I know that this is the last we'll see of them.

"Remember the plan," Jonas says from beside me and I nod.

Every part of my body is screaming at me to run in there, guns blazing, and save the day. But I don't know what kind of manpower or firearms they've got behind those walls, and we know that Warren won't stay there for long. He's down here to get Jules and take her back to the rock he crawled out from under.

He thinks she belongs to him, but what he doesn't know is that her soul has belonged to mine since the moment we met. Maybe even before that and we were just waiting to find one another. Warren thinks that he's going to take my girl and walk out of here, but I'll shit gold bars before I let him get away.

"Let's move," Track says as he opens the back door, and he and I slip out.

Levi is close behind us and I don't like him getting his hands dirty like this. He's too young and I've always felt like he was my kid brother, but he isn't hearing any of my protests. I can't really argue with him because we need all the hands we can get right now and I trust him with my life.

"Stay low and be ready. He'll most likely come out the same way he went in, and we're betting he's got Jules with him."

Track signals for us to take our places and we follow the plan. Walsh showed us where to go and directed us to where we'll have the best chance at a surprise. He and Track might be running the show, but they put me as point man. They understand that I can't sit back and watch someone else save her.

I crouch down low behind the barrels just in time to hear one of the metal exit doors opening. I hear a soft cry, and just as my adrenaline spikes I see Warren holding Jules, dragging her out of the building. My breath catches in my throat because I want to run to her and grab her from him, but I see the glare of the gun in his hand and I know I can't risk it. I have to make sure Jules is safe.

Track is telling us to hold our positions in my earpiece and I look over quickly to see he and Levi are hidden nearby. I tighten my grip on my knife in one hand and know I need to go in silent. I've got my gun on me, but I can't take the chance with Jules so close to him.

"You're hurting me," she says to Warren and it's like someone just ripped my heart in half.

She's trying to go along with him, but even I can see the panic in her eyes. She's probably had an attack recently from the way she's holding herself. Everything in me is screaming to go get her, but I know I have to wait.

Warren stops and turns to face her, letting go of her arm. She staggers a little and I take a step forward, the instinct to catch her overwhelming me.

"I'm trying to hold you up so you don't pass out again." His voice is seething as he talks down to her. "You better get it together, Jules. I won't have you embarrassing me."

She looks down at the ground but doesn't make a move as he opens the passenger door to the car next to them.

"They can't drive out of here," I whisper into my microphone. "If it comes down to it, shoot the tires."

"Roger that," Levi says, and I nod to where he's hidden.

"Get in the car," Warren demands, but when Jules doesn't move I can sense things are beginning to change. There's a look of pale calm that comes over his face as he grabs her again and she calls out at the pain. "Don't you remember I enjoy the sound of your cries?"

It's too fucking much, the way he's talking to her, reminding her of the trauma she went through before with him, and I can see in her breathing that she doesn't have much time before she blacks out. I can't sit here and watch the woman I love be abused by this piece of shit.

"Coop!" I hear in my headset as I take off in a hard run toward Warren and Jules.

A train could come out of nowhere and hit me and it wouldn't stop me from getting to her. Jules is my only focus as I push my heavy legs as hard and fast as they can go until I reach her.

Just before I slam into him, Warren turns and sees me. He has time to raise his gun, but I'm tackling him to the ground before he can pull the trigger. I go in with my knife up and I make contact with some part of his chest.

We roll around on the ground and I feel a sharp pain in my side, but I ignore it when I hear Jules scream. Blood is pumping in my ears and the adrenaline and fear are thudding loudly through my body.

Suddenly there"s a loud shot and a searing burn in my shoulder. I cry out, rolling with Warren and pinning him to the ground. Blood is coming out of his mouth and he's fighting for air as I struggle to pull the gun out of his hand. My knife is lodged deep in his chest and it's only a matter of time before he'll be gone.

I feel arms pull me from behind, but I keep on fighting to get the gun away from Warren. The fucker tries to push me off of him, but it's the last of his energy as his arms fall and the gun drops from his hand.

The next thing I know I'm being laid out on the ground and I'm calling out for Jules. She's there in my vision, but she's beginning to blur. She's also got tears in her eyes and I know I need to make it okay, but I'm having a hard time talking.

"Shhh," I say, reaching my hand up to cup her face and I realize there's blood all over it.

"Stay with me," she says as she takes my hand.

I blink a few times and it's then I understand that I've been shot and I'm losing a lot of blood. My heartbeat is slowing and black spots are beginning to creep into my eyes. I don't know how much longer I can hang on, so I pull Jules down close to me.

"I love you," I whisper, and she begins to cry harder.

"I love you too. Don't you dare leave me, Cooper Ross."

"Why would I go and do a stupid thing like that?"

The last thing I see before I close my eyes is her smile. I can't think of anything else I'd rather see right before I fade away.