Chapter 33
thirty-three
Cole
Present Day
With a well-placed kick, the door of the ramshackle building explodes open with so much force, it bounces off the wall and hits me square in the shoulder as I squeeze myself through the opening.
Arms outstretched, I hold my weapon steady while I slip into the building and sweep the room.
Finger firmly resting on the trigger, ready to end the son of a bitch who took what’s mine.
It takes me all of three seconds to realize that the person I came to kill isn’t here, and I bite back my growl of frustration.
I take a minute to let my eyes adjust to the semi-dark room, and that’s when I see her.
“Jesus, Charlie. No, no, no,” I chant as I stare down at her curled-up form.
She’s lying on the dirt-covered ground, shackled to the wall by a heavy chain that’s attached to her ankle.
Judging by the raw skin around the thick metal band, she must’ve put up one hell of a fight trying to free herself before eventually admitting defeat.
She’s completely naked and covered in bruises, her face almost unrecognizable.
Her left eye is swollen shut, and there’s a trail of dried blood that runs from just below her nose all the way to the tip of her chin.
An angry looking cut splits her upper lip, and the sight of my perfect girl looking so fucking broken makes me want to throw my head back and howl in agony.
Images of a different girl flash before my eyes, her lifeless body already cold from hours of being left on the hard, unforgiving tiles of our kitchen floor as she stares up at me with dull, unseeing eyes.
Images of a second set of eyes assault me.
So fucking innocent but devoid of their usual light.
Because of me. I force myself to shake off the memories attempting to sweep me away on a tidal wave of grief, choosing to focus instead on the woman in front of me. The one I may still be able to save.
Closing the distance with a newfound resolve, I sink to my knees in front of Charlie.
I reach out with a trembling hand and firmly press two fingers to the pulse point below her ear.
My whole body sags with relief when I feel the steady thrum of her heart against my skin.
I bite back a sob and swallow my emotions as I pull my cell phone from my back pocket and shoot off a quick message.
Cole
Package located. Target still at large.
I send it off and drop a pin with my location, making sure to share it with the recipient. Letting my gaze glide through the darkened space, I scan my surroundings for anything resembling the key that might unlock the metal cuff holding her hostage.
She’s okay.
She’s still alive.
Unlike the psychotic motherfucker responsible for the state of her.
He might not know it yet, but he’s already dead.
What kind of animal chains up women like feral dogs, letting them lie in their own filth, beaten and helpless?
I’ll kill him with my bare fucking hands.
He signed his death warrant the second he decided to harm a hair on her head, and I would’ve hunted him down even if he hadn’t come after Charlie.
Guys like Jason don’t deserve to walk this earth, and I’m going to make damn sure he never gets the chance to fixate on someone else.
I gingerly brush a stray curl off her face and tug it behind her ear.
There’s movement behind the thin layer of skin protecting her eyes, and her mouth parts slightly, letting a shallow breath escape.
“Tink,” I coax in the faintest of whispers. Not wanting to startle her, but needing her to wake up.
“Tink,” I repeat with a little more urgency when she doesn’t stir. I wrap my palm around her shoulder and give her a gentle shake. Finally, her eyelids flutter and she blinks up at me in confusion, before recognition strikes and instant tears fill her beautiful eyes.
“Cole,” my name falls from her lips like a prayer, as she throws herself into my arms. I hold her tight, careful of her injuries but needing the contact as much as she does.
Her entire body shakes with relief, and I tense when the first sob breaks free, unable to stand her pain as she pours her emotions into the crook of my neck. “You found me. I knew you’d come.”
“Of course I did,” I murmur into her hair, kissing the top of her head and squeezing my eyes shut to blink away tears of my own. “Where is he?” I ask when she pulls back. Wiping her nose with the back of her hand, she shakes her head, lower lip wobbling with the effort to remain strong.
My little warrior queen.
“I don’t know. He’s been in and out for the past few days, claiming we couldn’t be together until you were dealt with. Each time he returned, he became increasingly agitated.
Raging and ranting about how you were making his life so much more difficult.
I haven’t seen him in a few hours. God, I was so scared,” she cries, cupping my face and looking me over like she still can’t believe I’m real.
“I was lying here, unable to do anything and picturing all the different ways in which he might harm you. I tried getting this damn chain off my leg so I could warn you, but short of chewing my own foot off there wasn’t much I could do. I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“I’m not an easy man to kill, sweetheart. Trust me. He’s not the first to try,” I say in a poor attempt to lighten the mood. I breathe a little easier when it seems to have the intended effect, and the faintest smile tugs at her lips.
“Do you know where he keeps the key?”
“In his pocket. Took it with him when he left.” She pushes herself upright, and I don’t miss the wince that hints at her discomfort. My assessing gaze roams her body, searching for injuries. The way she wraps her arms around her midsection makes my stomach turn as bile rises in my throat.
“Did he touch you?” I bite out, and almost don’t recognize the sound of my own voice. It’s a ridiculous question given the state of her, but we both know what I’m really asking.
To my utter relief, she shakes her head no, but she can’t seem to meet my eyes, which is a clear sign that there’s something she’s not telling me. I reach out and gently lift her chin, forcing her to look at me.
“Don’t hide from me. You have nothing to be ashamed of. You look me in the eye, like the incredible, strong woman I know you are, and you confide in me. You let me help carry your burden, because nothing he did and nothing you say will change the way I feel about you. You hear me?”
Her throat bobs on a hard swallow as a single tear spills over. I track its descent over her swollen cheek before her broken whisper fills what little space remains between us.
“He said he didn’t want to touch me while he could still smell you on my skin. That I was a dirty, pathetic whore just begging to be put in her place.”
My nostrils flare as I suck in a deep, calming breath.
The grinding of my molars is the only sound in the otherwise silent room, and it takes every ounce of willpower I possess to stay put.
Every fiber of my being screams at me to get up and find him, demand that I make him pay for everything he’s put her through.
“He said he’d take great pleasure reminding me of who this used-up cunt belongs to, but wanted to eliminate the problem first so he can take his time with me.”
Motherfucker.
Biting the inside of my cheek so hard the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth, I shrug off my coat and drape it around her shoulders, pulling up the zipper slowly to give myself a moment to regain my composure.
Then I tell her to rest while I look for something I can use to pry the anchor off the stone wall.
I search every crevice but come up empty.
The building hasn’t been used in so long; the previous owner left nothing useful behind.
It’s time to make a choice. I could call in local law enforcement and stay with Charlie until the cavalry arrives, and in my gut, I know it’s the logical next step.
Or I could risk leaving her unprotected for as long as it takes me to run back to the resort and grab a crowbar, so I can get her to safety before hunting the fucker down.
Every one of my instincts rebels at the thought of leaving her side.
But the second I call this in, I’m forced to do things by the book, and that means I wouldn’t be able to finish this once and for all.
Having the son of bitch arrested and shipped off to prison for a couple of years simply won’t cut it.
I need him gone from this earth. Eradicated.
I need to know he won’t ever come back, that he’ll never have the chance to intimidate or hurt her again.
She doesn’t deserve to live a life of fear, always looking over her shoulder, wondering when he’s going to strike next.
I know men like him. A few years behind bars won’t cure his sick afflictions.
It won’t stop his obsession with Charlie.
Sooner or later, he’ll come for her, and if I don’t stop him, no one will.
“What’s going on in that brilliant mind of yours?” comes Charlie’s hoarse whisper, and I run a trembling hand through my hair, tugging at the strands before I drop to my haunches in front of her. Reaching out, I cup the side of her face and gently brush the pad of my thumb over her reddened cheek.
“I need to find something to get you out of these chains. There’s nothing of use here, and if I call for backup, I can’t take care of him for you. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
Charlie’s bottom lip wobbles as she takes in my tortured expression, a sheen of tears blanketing her red-rimmed eyes.
“He’s never going to stop, baby. He’ll come for you again and again, and one day, he’ll take it too far. He’ll kill you, Charlie. It’s you or him, and I’ll be damned if I lose another woman I love.”