Chapter 30
Tatum
Nerves are riding me harder than Alex did the last time we had sex, but there won’t be any orgasm coming anytime soon. I can feel it in the pit of my gut that something is wrong with him, I can’t explain it but I can feel it. I finally understand why so many chose not to allow themselves to fall in love with anyone. I unknowingly fell in love with the infamous Butcher and because of that, I’m now sitting in the backseat of a car with his three brothers, driving to the courthouse in Chicago to rescue him.
Am I able to fight like Jackie Chan or Bruce Lee?
No.
Can I kill someone like John Wick?
No.
Can I crush skulls with my bare hands like Thanos?
Also, no.
But that won’t stop me from going after him, because ever since I met Alexander Denver, I have changed. My life has stopped revolving around making enough money to prove to myself that I will never be homeless again or eating from a dumpster. I’m stronger because of him. He has brought a side of me to life. I want more than just money now. I want a life, a home and most of all, I just want him .
“You ready, we’re a block away?” Vat asks.
I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding and nod. “Yeah, let’s go get our guys back. The Vatel’s promised to free our men so they can join the fight.” We learned from Devon that all of Alex’s men are pinned down at the two locations they were sent to by Desire’s men. Desire splitting her manpower is working in our favor. Her armies are split, so it gives us a shot at taking her out before the rest of her forces can arrive and aid her.
“Don’t fucking die, Tate,” Halo orders.
I scoff. “I wasn’t planning on it but if I do, at least I’ll make a pretty corpse.” Halo glares at me.
“If you die, he’ll burn the fucking world down. He won’t survive losing someone else he loves.” The serious tone of his voice gives me pause. I don’t know what to say so I just nod and get my head back in the game. As we round the corner, Vatican slows the car. Both me and Halo push forward to look between the seats. My eyes widen and my mouth parts on a gasp. I underestimated her, she has the street barricaded by armed officers. At the sight of our car, they all turn and raise their guns.
“Where the fuck are the Vatel’s?” Pope snaps.
I shake my head. “They said they would be twenty minutes behind us.”
“Tate, this shit changes the plan,” Vat growls.
“How did you not see this on the cameras?” I direct my question to Halo.
“She’s looped the fucking cameras, that’s why.” He sounds really angry that his sister duped him, but we can’t do anything about that now. The shouts of the officers can be heard. Without any warning, I throw my door open and leap out of the car before the guys can stop me. I just need to buy us enough time before the Vatel’s get here and for the Filthy Few to get inside the building, I fucking hope CJ Vatel doesn’t fuck me over to get back at Alex for aiding Desire in taking down his father.
“Stop right there!” someone yells.
I freeze and raise my hands in the air. I feel the three guys at my back, the anger wafting off them is tangible. “My name is Tatum Lawson. Before you pricks go ahead and get trigger happy you should know my boyfriend is the one that cunt has locked up inside that building.” The four of us remain silent as the idiots speak among themselves. I can guarantee Desire would have given orders for these idiots not to kill me, she would want that honor for herself.
The moment one of them reaches for their radio I know they are radioing into their cum dumpster boss that I’m here. We wait for what seems like hours but it's mere seconds until the cop turns his attention back to us.
“Throw your guns to the side, interlock your fingers behind your heads and get on your knees,” he calls out.
“You must be out of your goddamn mind!” I shout.
“Tatum,” Pope grits out in warning but I ignore him.
“The only man I will ever get on my fucking knees for is being held against his will by that cock guzzling slut who signs your bonus checks. You want me, come get me, you Fonzi wannabe looking motherfucker.” We’re met by the sound of every gun cocking and then suddenly our chests are lit up by red laser beams. How these assholes are able to do this in a city as big as Chicago is a mystery to me, we haven’t seen a single person for at least four blocks.
“Unless you want the boss to skin you alive, I suggest you don’t shoot them!” I turn my head toward the entrance of the courthouse to see a man walking toward us. The officers don’t listen and keep their guns trained on us, but the guy doesn’t seem to care as he stalks into the middle of the road strolling toward us like there isn’t thirty or so guns aimed in our direction. Pope, Vatican and Halo all press in closer to me as the man draws near. He stops a few feet away from me and nods to the guys, which has a frown pulling at my brows.
“Who are you?” I ask.
The man smiles. “My name's Devon.”
“You seem important,” I reply.
He snorts. “Nah. I’m so far from important it's laughable. I’m what you call expendable.”
I cock my head to the side and study him. “Why the hell are you here then?” I grit out.
“Because I’m the only one who is going to take you to Alex.” I open my mouth to reply but he pushes on. “There isn’t much time, Tatum. Desire has a four inch blade lodged in his abdomen and currently has four men stringing him so she can whip him while Omen and Carnage watch. Did you want to keep arguing or would you like to get in there so we can try to save him while we wait for your backup to arrive?”
A lump lurches into my throat. “Take me to him,” I force out through clenched teeth.
“Tate, if we go in there we’ll be outnumbered. We need to wait for the others?—”
I whirl around and pin Vatican with a look that promises pain if he keeps talking. “You want to wait out here and be a pussy, then go for it but I’m going.” I don’t wait for his reply as I nod for Devon to lead the way. The three brothers mutter curses behind me, but follow after us regardless of the risks.
Could we be walking into a trap?
Yes.
Do I care?
No.
I shoot the fuckers the middle finger as we pass them. All of the officers begin yelling at me but I ignore those useless fucks. I know without a doubt Alex will deal with them as soon as I can get him the fuck out of here.
“Be warned, this courthouse doubles as the local police station, so it’s busy in there but no one will bat an eye at us. Just act normal and don’t draw your weapons.” The only response I can muster is a grunt. When we push through the main doors, I scan the area and sure enough they're police in here dealing with civilians. My eyes widen when I spot Vox, Ezekiel, Archer and Hayze off to the side speaking to an officer. Ez notices me first and nods subtly before turning his attention back to the woman.
I pull my phone from my pocket and shoot Vox a text.
Me
He’s being held in the cells, he’s injured, as soon as back up arrives cut the power and get him out.
I pocket my phone and follow Devon down the stairs to the basement level. When we enter the holding area, I’m surprised to see people in the cells. I thought she would have had them emptied. We ignore the shouts and pleas of the people locked up and follow Devon through the middle of the cells to another door. He pushes it open and leads us down another flight of stairs. The air feels charged. I can smell blood and instantly begin to panic. I fight back the urge to run down the stairs. My heart is pounding inside my chest, knowing I’m getting closer to him. Devon stops in front of a closed door at the bottom of the stairs and turns back to face me. I jolt when I hear Alex scream out. I dart forward to push past Devon, but he grabs me and holds me back. When Vat pushes the barrel of his gun into his head, he releases me and raises his hands.
“Calm the hell down,” he hisses, earning a glare from me.
“Open that fucking door now!” I snarl. I press forward and get right in his face, gone is the agonizing worry about him being in pain, it's now replaced by the need to kill.
“She’s expecting you, she knows you’re here. You go in there guns blazing, she’ll kill you and make him watch. Rethink your plan and you may just make it out of here alive,” he mutters the last part then pushes the door open. I’m instantly met by the sight of Omen and Carnage strung up by chains on my left. They’ve been beaten and worked over good, but it's the sight of Alex in the middle of the room with his arms chained above his head, that makes me see red. He’s naked except for his boxers. His body is caked in blood and grime. When my eyes lock on that blade in his stomach I bite back a whimper. A man steps forward and shoves his cattle prong into Alex’s ribs, making his body jerk and convulse as he screams out in pain. The sound snaps me out of it. I don’t think as I rush into the room and shoulder the son of a bitch, catching them all off guard. Before the bastard can recover, I snatch the prong from him and shove it against his cock—he jerks and screams out.
Chaos erupts around me, arms band around me and lift me off the ground forcing me to drop the prong. “Touch him again and I’ll rip your fucking head off!” I scream out. Everyone’s shouting, I fight against the fucker holding me but his grip doesn’t ease. I spy Vat, Omen and Halo against the others, I think they may have the upper hand until a dozen more of Desire’s men fill the room and aim their guns at the guys.
“Bambi?” I snap my head to the side, only to lock eyes with Alex. For the first time since meeting him I see an emotion I never thought would ever cross his stunning face.
Fear.
“Alex,” I breathe his name like a prayer.
He looks past me to see the three guys and his eyes widen. Omen and Carnage are both screaming for Desire to release their brothers, but the bitch herself just stands there grinning at… me. I force my features to blank and stare back at her with nothing but hatred in my eyes.
“Enough!” she shouts, bathing the room into silence. Halo turns toward me and the look of defeat in his eyes spears me. I shake my head, pleading for him not to give up. I know I only met CJ Vatel once, but I believed him when he said he would come to our aid. Even if I don’t make it out of here alive, I know Vox and the others will get Alex and the guys out safely. “Lock them in the cell while I talk to my friend.” The three guys are disarmed and thrown into the cell. Desire wags her brows at me and slowly comes toward me with a shit eating grin, stretching further across her face the closer she gets.
“You lay a single finger on her and I swear on my sister, I’ll fucking kill you slowly,” Alex spits out, his tone laced with pain but his features show you nothing.
Desire tsks and rolls her eyes at him. She veers away from me and moves to stand before him. When she reaches out and runs a finger down his chest, I bite down on the inside of my cheek to keep from lashing out at the slut. When the disgusting cum stain grabs his cock, causing him to jerk in his restraints I lose it.
“You sick, fucking cunt, is that the only way you can get him hard for your washed up pussy?” Desire’s blue eyes burn with the intensity of a brewing storm. “All I have to do is walk in the room and he’s rock hard ready to fuck me on any available surface,” I taunt. Her grip on him turns punishing. Alex grunts in pain but doesn’t cry out. Alex’s eyes close when she begins to stroke him through his boxers. I feel bile rising in my throat but swallow it down.
“God, he’s big isn’t he? I remember what it feels like when he slides inside me and stretches my tight little cunt.” She moans just to drive her point across. Tears prick the backs of my eyes when I see his face contort. Any man can withstand a shitload of pain, Alex more so than most, but no man can control an erection when their cock is being fondled and forced to get hard.
I ignore her and focus on him. “Alex?” He still won’t open his eyes. When she begins to laugh I know he’s hard, and I can only imagine what he’s feeling right now. “Alex, look at me.” I force lead into my tone and it works, his eyes snap open and lock onto mine. “I love you.” My words seem to ease some of the stress lines on his face but Desire doesn’t like that. She releases him and marches toward me. I don’t even get a chance to brace myself before her fist sails through the air and my head is jerking backward from being punched in the mouth. The metallic taste of blood fills my mouth. I spit right in her face and relish in the sound of her shocked scream.
“Chain the cunt up!” she screams.
“No. Don’t fucking touch her!” Alex roars and begins to fight vigorously against his restraints, causing more blood to seep out around the knife in his stomach. I don’t fight as her men cuff my wrists, then throw a chain over the rafters. When they secure the chain to my wrists and hoist me up high enough my feet can’t even touch the ground, my shoulders instantly begin to burn but I refuse to give this washed up cunt the satisfaction of seeing me in pain. “Desire, let her go and I’ll come back to you. I’ll work for you again?—”
“Alex, no!” I shout, drawing his focus to me. I implore him with my eyes to see I have a plan and he just needs to hang on until the cavalry arrives. Desire moves to stand in front of me, she holds her hand out to one of her men. I turn my head to try and peer over my shoulder.
“Bambi?” At the hint of panic in Alex’s tone I turn to face him. He tries to hide his emotions from me but I can see the worry in his eyes. “Focus on me, baby,” he pleads. I want to listen to him but the instant I feel the sharp point of a blade pressed to my chest, I look down and the gleeful look on her face sends dread pooling inside me. Without warning she drags the blade down my front. I bite down on my tongue refusing to cry out and give her the satisfaction of hearing me scream. My shirt is cut open. I can smell my own blood.
“Come pick on someone with balls big enough to challenge the size of yours,” Carnage shouts, trying to divert her attention from me. Desire ignores him, she and I both know that she won’t stop hurting me. Not only will destroying me kill Alex, but it would break these guys I now consider my friends. They pride themselves on being able to protect those they care about, but right now they are powerless to do anything but watch.
Desire surprises the fuck out of me when she rams the blade into the side of my thigh. A scream so potent and riddled with pain tears out of me. I hear the guys all yelling and screaming but I can’t make their words out over the sound of my own screams. Fire is licking a trail throughout my body, sweat coating my brow.
“You thought you were special,” she sneers as she pulls the blade from my thigh, drawing another scream from me.
“I’ll rip your fucking head off!” Alex roars. To teach him a lesson, she buries the knife into my other thigh, causing the inferno inside me to rise to new heights. Tears trail down my cheeks freely, the pain indescribable and like nothing else I have ever experienced before in my life.
“Utter another fucking word and the next one goes in her throat,” Desire spits out as she glares at Alex, who is panting from exertion. He flicks his gaze to mine and deflates.
“I’m okay,” I manage to grit out. His eyes tell me what his mouth can’t. He knows I’m full of shit and blames himself for me being in this position.
“Calvin, get me two pills.” Alex’s eyes snap wide at her words. I shake my head, urging him to remain silent because I know her threat isn’t idle. She will kill me to teach him a lesson. The man named Calvin approaches and places two pills in her hand. “Hold her head.” I try to shake free when he reaches for me but the bitch herself slices my side, drawing a cry from me. She slams the pills in my mouth and gets Calvin to hold my mouth closed. He even blocks my nose, leaving me no choice but to swallow the drugs. When my brother finally comes into view, I just stare at him with disgust as Calvin releases me.
“Is this what you wanted?” I ask him.
Nexus’s face is a mask of victory. He thinks he’s won this war and now for the first time, I see what everyone else has always seen. A monster.
“No. I wanted you by my side. I actually liked you, I really did, but then you had to go and ruin it and let that fuck face between your legs and caught feelings. I’ll be sad to see you go but I won’t miss you.” Even after everything he’s done, his words still hurt.
“I won’t save you this time,” I utter, feeling the effects of the drugs already taking place.
“No, sister. I won’t save you from what is about to happen. I begged you to come with me that night but you refused, so now you will die exactly how his sister did.” A whimper escapes me at his promise, my tongue feeling heavy and swollen.
“I’ll take all of their punishment. I’ll make a statement to the press telling them I killed them, I’ll help you take over the fucking country if you just let her go… please.” Defeat is not something I thought I would ever hear in Alexander Denver’s tone. He opens his mouth to continue but the sound of gunfire above us draws everyone’s attention. My head flops forward and I go slack in my chains, unable to resist the effects of the drugs flowing through my system.
“Get the fuck up there and see what’s going on,” Desire barks. “Nexus, get her down and stripped. I want him to watch as Calvin fucks her, then strangles her. I want him to picture his sister while watching her.”