Chapter Eighteen
Well That’s Just Rude
Light drips in from the bedroom windows as endorphins rush my veins.
Throbbing in my pelvis causes a moan to be released from my mouth.
My fingers lace into Blake’s hair as his tongue works my pussy with expert precision.
My climax comes quickly as I breathe out his name.
Almost every morning I wake to this man’s tongue or fingers driving me into an orgasm.
The last three months have been the best in my life.
We spend the days hunting down the cartel and get lost in each other when the moon paints the sky.
In our free time, we learn everything we can about each other.
Date nights and relaxing on the couch with a movie are a regular occurrence as well.
It’s safe to say that Blake is a permanent fixation in my life.
We have another mission today, this one a bit more risky than the previous ones.
The cartel is moving slaves from a warehouse to somewhere underground.
We are going to intercept them and move the survivors to safety.
If we can’t, they will be lost forever so failure is not an option.
Leaving the warmth of the sheets, we quickly shower and dress ourselves.
Walking downstairs, we are met by Token and Hela.
They are coming along to assist in our dark form of capture the flag.
I make my way to the armory to grab their gear which consisted of Kevlar vests, helmets fitted with goggles and cameras, as well as spiked collars.
Those are mostly for looks but do come in handy for protecting their throats.
Once fitted, we grab our weapons and go to the garage.
Casting my eyes across the options of cars, I settle on the Inkas Sentry APC.
Armor, speed, and presence; this bad boy has it all.
Loading in, we rip down the driveway and head towards headquarters to pick up the rest of the team.
Pulling up to the compound, one of the guards waves us in as the gates roll open.
We drive down the path until we find the entrance door.
Loud beeping sounds as the door lifts, presenting a long tunnel leading down beneath the earth.
Moving through the cavern, we are met with a large opening filled with other vehicles, walls of armor, and columns lined with weapons.
Buzzing like a bee hive, mafia members can be found zipping around busying themselves with various responsibilities.
We jump out of the vehicle and I open the back door to release the dogs from their confinement.
My eyes glide to the guys walking towards us, looking dressed for battle.
“Ready for another successful mission?” Lucas says. I'm almost taken aback by his rather chipper tone, in contrast to his usual vacant one. I eye him inquisitively before shaking off my pondering thoughts.
“We’ve got this one in the bag!” Ryon cuts in while dramatically holding a brown burlap sack out in front of him. He shakes it a little while smiling and a small meow is heard from it. My eyes nearly fall out of my head.
“Ry…please, for the love of fuck, tell me that there is not a motherfucking cat in that bag?” I beg while I rest my head in my hands.
“Okay. There is not a motherfucking cat in this bag. Well, actually I don’t know if it’s ever fucked a mother cat so I can’t say that for certain.” He replies and the others start laughing. Fucking idiots, the whole lot of them.
“So what you’re telling me is that you brought a fucking cat into a safe house? Why?” I redundantly ask. Un-fucking-believable
“You’ve got dogs, Ev. I wanted a bad ass pet too.” Ryon retorts.
“You know damn well that cat can’t do half the shit that dogs can.” I shout, losing my patience with him.
“That's not true. He’s trained! The lady I got him from charges extra for the trained ones but he’s worth every penny. He can hold his own.” He says proudly while pulling the cat from its sack to display an all black cat with a white patch on its eye.
“I’m not scooping its shit. Let’s go.” Rolling my eyes, I recall the dogs and load into the truck.
Blake climbs in next to me and offers me a small smile while wiggling his eyebrows.
Our men climb in the back after the dogs.
Seconds later the truck is filled with loud barking as it lightly rocks back and forth.
“Ryon, you better not have brought that damn cat!” I’m going to fucking kill him, I swear.
“No…” he says, trailing off. Liar.
“Put it away before the dogs have a snack!” I scream from the driver's seat. The barking stops to signal he’s abided by my demand.
We leave the compound and head towards our destination.
Thirty minutes later we creep towards an old abandoned building covered in overgrown foliage and dilapidation.
Broken windows and dark brick litter its frame.
To the untrained eye, it looks harmless.
Little would you know, the horrors that are unfolding beneath it would haunt your dreams.
Quietly, we exit the vehicle one by one.
Blake stays right behind me as we creep forward.
Standing at the door, I give orders to each person.
This has to go off without a hitch. I let go of a long breath before pulling at the door.
The heavy metal frame creeks under its own weight.
I visibly wince at the sound, trying to move it slower in an attempt to remain quiet.
Finally, it’s entirely opened to give way to nothing but darkness.
Inching forward, we are met with a long set of steps entirely encased in darkness.
For some, this would be a nightmare. For me, it’s perfection.
I revel in the darkness. It’s the only place where you are both entirely helpless and in total control, all at the same time.
Are you helplessly fearful or in control of your fear?
Are you helplessly unsafe or in control of your safety? That's for you to decide.
As we leave the stairs, there is a wave of breath on my neck. I still, the hair on my neck stands at attention.
“Are you scared, Love?” Blake’s voice comes into my ear, barely above a whisper.
“No.” I tell him with certainty. A low hum leaves his mouth.
“You should be. You never know who or what could be lurking. Waiting for an opportunity to jump out and…” He chuckles, trailing off his words.
“And what?” I question him.
“Snatch you up. Take you away and do very bad things to you.” He breathes into my ear again.
“If that thing is you, I can’t say I would mind.” I giggle. Refocusing my attention back on the hall in front of me.
The tunnels are endless, with twists and turns, it would be easy to get lost down here.
That is one of the many reasons we got blueprints of the building, memorizing its pathways to ensure we know how to get in and out.
Within minutes we find ourselves at a long hall filled with a few guards.
We ready our weapons and move on to phase one of the mission.
With a low whistle, I beckon Hela into the opening.
Trotting ahead, she comes to a stop giving time for the guards to notice her.
“Well hello, puppy. How did you get all the way down here?” A guard says in Spanish.
Just as Hela begins to growl, we fly around the corner and shoot all three guards with our silenced weapons.
Pushing on, we continue down the various halls and take out any guards we see.
We finally made it to our destination after a few minutes.
Double doors lead to an open room, where the slaves are being held.
I motion for the guys to go down the hall and up the stairs that lead to an overhead area.
This will allow for the perfect vantage point within the room in front of us.
Blake’s men are the first to sneak in. They slip to the darkest corners, ready to shoot when necessary.
I give Blake a knowing look to say, “showtime”.
He offers a smile and nods in return before we open the door and enter.
The room is dark and only lit by dim overhead lights.
There’s a pungent odor permeating from the space and I can’t help but scrunch my nose in response.
I look around, taking note of each man in their hiding places.
On each side of the room are jail cell like constructs, harboring various types of people.
Young and old, adult and child, male and female; they all have a price on their head for the skin trade.
Soft sobbing and pained moans can be heard throughout the area.
In the center of the room is an altar of some sort, fitted with a metal table and cart holding different instruments.
Tools likely used for torture is my conclusion.
I swallow the bile in my throat as I move forward.
We enter phase two by beginning to break the locks of each cell.
We offer comforting words to the scared captives, who cower at the sight of two strangers attempting to remove them from the safety of their enclosures.
These poor people likely have a form of Stockholm Syndrome.
They crave the care of their captures but fear the same hands that regularly dish out inhumane treatment through alteration, mutilation, torture, or outright murder.
My thoughts travel back to a time when I only knew the same feeling.
Desperate for any form of attention but terrified all in the same breath.
A loud thud suddenly pulls us from our focus as we turn to find its source.
The creak of metal lets us know it is the main door being opened and closed.
A menacing laugh echoes from the walls that sends a shiver down my spine.
I don't easily scare but something about that laugh triggers my fight or flight response.
My feet are glued to the floor as my impulse screams to run.
Helpless or in control, my mind battles itself.
I will never feel helpless again. I control my fate.
If I die today, it's by my own volition.
Squaring my shoulders, I pull my weapon and aim it towards the sound of shoes making contact with the cold cement floor.
A man comes into view. He is dressed in a formal suit with jewelry peppering his body.
He mindlessly plays with a ring on his pinky as he strolls towards us.
“I apologize for the mess. I was not expecting company.” He says, an accent thick on his tongue. I stare at him blankly, not reacting to his words.
“You know stealing is a crime, yes?” He continues in an attempt to pull a response from us. Blake inches closer, becoming a warm shadow behind me. The heat of his body is apparent on my back.
“Let me formally introduce myself. My name is Xavier Santino.” I blink rapidly taking in the fact that the heir of the Spanish Mafia stands before me.
His hardening stare becomes clear as he takes in my expression, knowing that the realization has hit me of his identity.
He chuckles in a low rumble and I swear I can feel my skin crawl.
Everything we have been working towards, is right in front of us for the taking.
The downfall being that if we kill him, it will be an all out war within days.
Strategizing, I weigh my options before coming to a conclusion.
Into my ear piece, I tell my men to initiate plan “Y”.
James nearly yells at me in refusal but I do not respond.
We have very little options at this point and are running out of time.
By this point, I am certain Xavier has notified his men of our presence and they are inching towards our location as we speak.
If we don't act quickly, we risk both our lives and the innocent victims who need us.
“Go!” I shout and spring into action. Catapulting myself at Xavier I use both feet to kick him directly in the chest causing him to explode backwards.
He lands harshly. Jumping to his feet, he throws himself towards me, fists flying.
I dodge each and land a punch to his ribs causing him to buckle at the impact.
Gunfire explodes around us loudly, neither paying attention to the onslaught of flying bullets buzzing past us.
He manages to surprise me with a punch to the jaw.
My face burns and I taste metal. Wiping blood from the side of my mouth, I smile at him like a crazed woman.
I've missed this. The fight, the chaos, the aggression. Snarls from Token and Hela sound off nearby, resulting in blood curdling screams. Good dogs. I look over Xavier’s shoulder to find Ryon holding out his damn cat like a rag doll.
“Ataka!” He yells before releasing it. The cat takes off and jumps at a gunman, attaching itself to their face. They scream and flail as they try to dislodge the cat from them. Well, I’ll be damned. That cat is trained. That's a new one.
“HA! Best twenty five thousand dollars ever sent to a lady in Russia, besides that one time at that brothel.” He laughs and I roll my eyes at his stupidity.
I’m so focused on Ryon that I almost miss Xavier rushing me again.
I manage to notice just in time to kick his feet out beneath him.
He falls and I point my gun at his head.
Quick as lightning, he stands and aims his at me.
We hold our sights on each other, locked in standoff; neither willing to back down.
Like an apparition Blake appears beside Xavier, with a gun pressed to his temple.
“Hey now, pretty boy. I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Blake says with a chuckle.
“And why’s that?” Xavier grits out while plastering a fake smile on his face.
Blake whispers into his ear, making me incapable of hearing what he said. The only evidence I am offered of its magnitude is the horror written on Xavier’s face as his eyes go wide and mouth hangs open, his skin turning pale. He visibly shivers and I lift an eyebrow curiously.
“Now be a good boy and crawl to her.” Blake says as he waves his gun pointedly towards me. Xavier hesitates, looking back as if Blake’s gone mad. I give him the same look. Completely beside myself at his words. Heat floods my skin and my heart rate picks up.
“Do not make me tell you twice. I am not a forgiving man, Xavier.
I don't make idle threats and I definitely do not ask twice. So crawl over there and say you are sorry for pointing a gun at her.” His voice is animalistic.
Sounding more like a caged beast rattling the bars than a man.
My panties grow increasingly soaked as a tightness builds in my pelvis.
The power radiating off of Blake nearly has me drooling.
Slowly, Xavier gets to his knees and goes to bear his weight on his palms. He does as he's told and starts crawling towards me. Within seconds, he's at my feet looking up at me. Quivering, snot runs down his face as tears threaten to fall from his eyes. Knowing that he feels even an ounce of what he’s made others feel gives me a small amount of comfort for those we haven’t been able to save.
“I-I’m s-o-sorry for aiming a g-gun a-t your he-head.” He stammers embarrassingly. Looking back at Blake, waiting for approval he shakes more. What did Blake say to him that made him so afraid?
“Amoure? Do you forgive him?” Blake asks.
“Not even a little,” finally speaking after enjoying the view of Blake’s power.
“Well in that case-“ Blake starts before firing his weapon at Xavier. The bullet hits him in the shoulder and he falls forward.
“We need him for information. When the time comes, I’ll let you do the honors.” Blake offers. I nod in approval with a smile.
Quickly, our men assist us with unlocking the remaining cells and guiding the victims out one by one.
Doing a final sweep of the room, Blake and I ensure the remaining enemies are dead.
Absentmindedly shooting any that make a sound or movement.
The guys grab Xavier and haul him to his feet before dragging him out of the room.
Walking down one of the hallways with Blake following me, I am unsure of what causes me to turn around but when I do my attention is pulled to the ground behind him.
There I am met with a nearly dead guard raising his gun, pointing it directly at Blake’s back.
There’s a singular moment in your life where you make a split second decision.
There are no clear thoughts on how to come to that choice but you do nonetheless. This is that time for me.
The moment the gun goes off I push Blake out of the way.
I’m not sure if I even move when the bullet hits me in the chest but the impact of it throws me backwards.
Just as I hit the ground, Blake turns around and sends a bullet into the skull of the shooter.
He throws himself to his knees and says something but all I can see is the way his face is contorted in pain.
The way his lips are a soft rosy color. The way his hair is stringy from sweat.
The way his French pendant hangs from his neck.
My thoughts slip to another man that bears the same one.
A man with crystal blue eyes and a tormented soul.
“Well that’s just rude.” I choke out.
Reaching out, I touch the pendant. Feeling it between my fingers, reminiscing of a time last year where that same pendant danced on my skin as I memorized every fine detail of the wearer's face. My vision fades but all I see is him. Ghost, looking down on me, telling me to wait for him.
Telling me to not forget him. To keep living, for him. All I see is black as the pain slips away and I bathe in the comfort of the darkness.
The darkness only leaves me when I hear a faint beeping and the distant sound of voices.
My eyes creek open and light drowns my vision.
Looking around, I see a hospital room. Pale grays and blues cover the room making for a dull environment.
The smell of antiseptics stick to everything the way death does.
My hand is squeezed as I look over to find Blake seated in a chair beside me.
He looks awful with dark circles, painting his eyes and hair unruly.
“Hey,” is all I can manage to croak out.
My throat is painfully dry. Like he can read my thoughts, Blake grabs a cup of water and brings its straw to my lips.
The water is like a godsend that nearly has me feral with my eyes rolling back.
Once I’ve had my fill, the cup is pulled away and placed back in its previous spot.
“Everly, what you did was stupid,” are the first words he says to me. I’m startled and confused, feeling like a child being scolded.
“What?” I ask, completely void of expression.
“You jumping in front of that bullet was impulsive and stupid. You could have died and for what? To save me?”
“I mean, yeah. That’s kinda the point when you take a bullet for someone.” I chuckle at his rhetorical question.
“That's exactly my point. You tried sacrificing your life to save me. If it had worked and you died…that would be your blood on my hands. If being with you means you will put your life at risk for me, then we can’t be together.” He’s nearly yelling as he finishes talking.
My blood runs cold and my heart pounds. I can hear the thumping in my ears and tears pool at my eyes.
Not again. Another person leaving me for loving them too much.
He stands and turns his back to me. He mumbles something about letting the nurses know I am awake before he walks out and closes the door behind him.
I’m left in utter silence, thoughts bouncing off my skull painfully.
I begin hyperventilating and the pain in my chest becomes unbearable as the feeling of being entirely alone is excruciatingly clear.
Seconds go by and my room fills with nurses, family, and friends but all I can see is the vision of both men I’ve loved walking away from me.
I’m jostled and touched but all I can feel is the shattering of my heart as it fades to dust.