Chapter 37

Colette was scared to believe what she was seeing. Landon was running his fingers over the gold chains around her wrists.

She looked up, watching him. "You came."

Landon glanced down, his hard gaze going soft. He sank back on his heels.

"I'll always find you."

Colette started to shake with relief, odd pressure building inside her.

His gaze skittered over her. "Fuck I want to hug you but I'm scared to touch you."

"I need you to touch me. So I know this is real."

Landon carefully slid his arms around her, pulling her up on her knees. She leaned into him, pain jolting through her when her nipples—which were mostly numb—pressed against his hard chest. She didn't care.

He buried his face in her hair, and his arms trembled as he held her. He'd been as scared as she was.

"I'm sorry, love, but we have to go."

"I don't want to stay," she assured him fervently.

Landon laughed softly, releasing her to once more examine her wrists. Feeling was returning to her hands now that she wasn't pulling on them, and her fingers prickled with pain.

"How the fuck do you open these?" Landon snarled in frustration. He was looking for a keyhole or clasp.

Colette bowed her head, shame heating her face, though she knew she had no reason to feel ashamed.

"Fuck it," Landon mutter, pulling out his knife.

Was he going to cut off her hand? At this point, she'd gladly lose a limb if it meant leaving.

Landon smacked the heavy handle of the knife against the padlock. It popped open.

Colette's arms fell limply to her sides and she yelped.

Landon massaged her forearms and hands. "Can you stand?"

She nodded and he helped her to her feet. Colette swayed, dizzy and sick. Leaning against him felt like the best option.

Somewhere in the distance there was another explosion, and angry shouts.

She'd heard the first explosion, and the subsequent running, but hadn't dared hope it meant anything.

Landon eased her away from him, frowning down at her breasts. "You're…cold."

"Ice packs," she said softly.

His gaze jerked to her face, then back to her breasts.

Once Tonsure finished piercing her nipples and welding the rings closed, he tried to sell Damien on the idea of piercing at least some, but preferably every, part of her pussy. Damien had spread her legs and fondled her labia as he considered the options.

He'd opted to wait until after they were married, because he didn't want to ruin his first experience of fucking her with "metal bits."

She'd started crying from fear and the first stirrings of defeat, but when Damien questioned her tears, she said that the nipple piercings hurt.

Damien had someone bring him small flexible ice packs. He placed them on her nipples before winding the stretchy bandage around her chest to hold them in place. As he did it, he murmured about how she was his wife and he'd always take care of her.

The look on Tonsure's face said he knew it wasn't a good idea. Ice to help with pain after a piercing was smart. Compressing a new piercing, and applying anything ice cold directly to the nipple, was not.

Landon sliced through the bandage with a quick jerk of his knife. "I'll fucking kill them."

The bandage fell away, but the small round ice packs were stuck in place. Landon reached to peel them away, but Colette caught his wrists, her own grip still weak.

Landon froze, gaze searching her face.

What was she doing? She couldn't hide what they'd done. No matter how much she wanted to.

Colette released his wrist, watching his face as he slowly peeled the ice packs away.

She was looking for pity and disgust to cross his features when he saw the heavy gold rings through her nipples. The eight-pointed star charm dangled from one ring, three Cyrillic letters—Damien's initials—from the other.

She was like livestock that had been tagged for identification. So anyone who saw her would know who she belonged to.

There was no pity or disgust on Landon's face.

Shock claimed him first. Then rage. A blinding anger that made her breath catch before he pulled it back.

Landon glanced back towards the door. "We can wait in here for Rolf and Andrei to take care of everyone and I'll carry you out."

"Do we have to wait?" She wanted out of this room almost more than she wanted her next breath.

He immediately shook his head. "No. But you'll have to walk. Maybe run."

Colette nodded and stooped while holding her breasts, grabbing a second, unused wrap bandage that Damien had left on the floor. She started to wrap it around her chest. After a second, Landon's hands covered hers, slowly winding it around her as she tangled her hands in his hair to keep her arms out of the way.

"Tighter," she said softly. "If we have to run…the rings are heavy."

He paused, pressing his forehead to hers. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Tears burned her throat and she tightened her hands in his hair.

Landon finished wrapping the fresh bandage around her breasts, then pulled a wrinkled men's dress shirt out of a pocket. "Here. I grabbed it from Rolf's trunk."

She pulled it on, buttoning it closed. It was comically too large, like wearing a tent. She'd never loved a garment more than she loved this shirt.

"Ready?" He offered his hand.

Colette placed her trembling fingers in his. "Yes."

"Stay with me," Landon said, then winced.

She wondered if he was thinking about the last time he'd said that to her.

"I will," she replied softly.

Landon guided them out into the hall, his left hand behind his back, holding hers.

She was shaking with nerves, sure that around each corner Damien or one of his men would be waiting for her.

There was no one, and once they made it outside and around to the front of the building, she realized why.

Andrei and Rolf had ten men lined up on the gravel. A few lay on their stomachs, wrists zip-tied together behind their backs. At least two had what looked like tranquilizer darts sticking out of their shoulders. The conscious ones were on their knees, hands on their heads. Rolf held a gun on them as Andrei worked his way down the line applying zip ties to wrists.

Colette slowed, scanning the line of captives.

"Anyone dead?" Landon asked.

"No. Though the one you threw down the stairs needs a hospital," Andrei answered. "We managed to obey Rolf's no killing order."

Colette listened, but she was scanning the men, making sure…

Damien.

He was the end of the line, and Rolf kept the rifle trained primarily on him. The rage that twisted his features when he saw her clinging to Landon's hand made her stomach clench.

She wanted to run. To get as far away from here as possible. Instead she minced her way barefoot across the gravel behind Landon, shaking her head as he offered, again, to carry her.

"Wife," Damien called out.

She flinched, leaning into Landon. Like a whipped dog cowering.

No.

She was better than this. She'd never been one to let pride get the better of her, preferring to be smart rather than proud, but she wouldn't let him cow her any more.

An hour ago she'd had to silently accept and go along with the abuse. Play the part Damien forced her into, because that was the only way to survive.

Colline had died in that room, leaving only Colette.

She rested her head against Landon's shoulder for just a moment, her hand at his waist.

"Damien," Landon growled, stalking forward.

Colette followed behind him, the long sleeves of Rolf's shirt covering her hands.

Landon hauled Damien to his feet, then dragged him off to one side, away from the others. Rolf stayed with the now-bound men, but Andrei followed Landon.

Damien's hands weren't bound. He was the only one Andrei hadn't gotten to. The casual way he stood, arms at his side as if he wasn't worried, despite the fact that Landon looked ready to commit murder, made Colette uneasy.

Damien looked around. "You're not Interpol."

"Not anymore," Landon agreed.

Colette frowned in confusion. What did that mean?

"It doesn't matter if you take her for a little while." Damien stared at Colette. "She'll always belong to me."

"She doesn't belong to anyone."

"Wait until you try to fuck her." Damien grinned. "Once you see her naked you'll know who she belongs to."

Landon punched him. Punched him hard enough his head snapped back, and for a horrified minute, she worried Landon had killed him.

"You're a dead man," Landon snarled. "Except before I kill you, I'm going to make you hurt."

Damien shook his head, then lunged at Landon, who stepped out of the way, smashed his fist down on the back of Damien's neck, sending him to the ground.

The men watching started to shout at Damien. Andrei turned and snapped at them in the same language.

Landon put a big booted foot on Damien's back, and gravel crunched as he applied pressure and ground Damien against the driveway. Damien's shoulders strained as he planted his hands and tried to push himself up.

"Everything you did to her I'll do to you, tenfold." Landon's voice was cold and flat, and there was something terrible in his eyes.

She didn't want him to do this. Didn't want to be the reason this law-abiding, good man beat someone to death.

Colette slowly backed up, until her feet were on grass not gravel. Good.

Landon backed off and Damien got to his feet, managing to land a blow to Landon's jaw. Landon saw it coming and pulled back, not taking the full force of the blow.

Landon was trying to make this a fair fight, she realized. Because, though she didn't doubt his willingness to kill for her, cold-blooded murder was anathema to him.

She waited until their circling had positioned the men with Damien's back to her where she now stood in the deep night shadows under a large tree. He was between her and Landon. Andrei was to the right, watching carefully, one hand hovering near his hip where she assumed he kept a knife.

Colette gasped, making the sound as loud as she could.

Damien whirled around. He smiled when he saw her standing there alone.

Behind him, Landon's eyes widened in panic.

Both men started running at the same time, but Damien was closer. Landon's longer legs closed the gap, but not enough.

Colette raised her hands to shield her face, but didn't fight when Damien gripped her, shoving her back against the tree. His hand clamped her throat, and he turned to look at Landon, who skidded to a stop.

"Another step and I crush her neck. I'll break the bones. Even if I let go, she won't be able to breathe."

"Release her, and I'll let you go," Landon said slowly, but his eyes were dark with rage, and just a hint of panic.

Colette could just barely breathe, but she focused on pulling and pushing air in and out of her lungs as she waited for the right moment.

Landon's gaze flicked from Damien to her.

She smiled.

Damien was saying something disgusting and disturbing, but she wasn't really listening. Watching Landon trying to figure out why she was smiling made her heart sing, and her smile widened as his eyes narrowed slightly.

Damien's attention pivoted back to her, and she jerked her gaze away from Landon. Damien pulled her forward only to slam her back against the tree.

"I'm going to leave, and I'll take you with me, wife. You'll be my insurance. And something to play with while I travel."

Damien never questioned why she still had her arms raised, hands by her head. Maybe he was just so used to seeing her like that, it never occurred to him it was odd.

The same way it never occurred to him to fear her.

Colette released the tiny fold of fabric she'd been pinching with her thumb. The sleeve of Rolf's shirt slid down to her elbow, exposing her arm.

And the long, thin knife she gripped in that hand.

Damien looked shocked for only a moment.

Then he wasn't looking at anything as she stabbed the knife into his eye. He reeled back, but not far or fast enough to avoid the blade. She felt an odd popping sensation when she pierced his eyeball. She'd put all her rage and fear into it, stabbing hard enough that the long knife broke through the delicate bone at the back of the orbit and pierced his brain.

Damien staggered back, screaming.

Landon and Andrei stared at her.

Colette watched Damien fall to the ground, one hand on the knife in his eye. He tried to pull it out, but it must have been stuck in the bone, because he only yanked once before going silent and falling onto his back.

Colette walked over, staring down at the man who terrorized her. He was still breathing.

"Frontal lobe damage won't kill him," Andrei said as he joined her. "Though wiggling it around like that…he might have lobotomized himself."

"Rolf said not to kill anyone, yes?" Colette looked over at Andrei.

He shrugged. "True."

"It was self-defense," she added.

Andrei snorted, before clearing his throat and nodding. "Yes, of course. You didn't set that up so you could stab him."

Strong hands caught Colette, whirling her around. Landon gripped her upper arms, gaze frantic as it raked up and down her. He shook her, just a little, and Colette swayed in his hold.

"I think you might have broken Landon," Andrei observed.

"What's going on?" Rolf demanded, jogging over to join them in the shadows under the big tree.

"Colette stabbed Damien in the eye. Self-defense. Not sure how much of his frontal cortex is left. Seeing her stab someone has broken Landon, who lost the ability to speak." Andrei didn't bother to hide his amusement as he summarized.

Colette snorted out a laugh. Nothing about this was actually funny. It was all horrible and traumatic, but it felt so good to be something other than afraid, even if it was only a momentary reprieve.

"That's not what… Argh." Landon shook her again, then hauled her against his chest in a tight hug.

Colette hissed in pain, and he jerked back, keeping a hold of her shoulders.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she said with a smile, reaching up to stroke his cheek.

He closed his eyes, breath hot and wet against her wrist. But he shook his head. "No, it's not."

Landon spun her around, then pulled her back against his chest. Hugging her from behind because chest to chest wasn't an option.

He was warm and solid and safe at her back.

"I thought he was going to kill you. I thought he'd crush your trachea or snap your neck before I could stop him." Landon rested his cheek on her head. "I thought I was going to lose the woman I love."

Colette gasped, not surprised at his words, but that he'd said them.

Andrei rolled his eyes, muttering, "Now he says it..."

"Landon—"

Sirens pierced the night, bright blue lights flashing in the dark.

The things she wanted to say would have to wait.