Chapter Eight
A few things became apparent as Kendrick entered the space. First, he wasn’t in an empty building like they’d suspected. There was row upon rows of crates filling the entire area with who knew what. He eyed a cellophane-wrapped stack.
“What the fuck are you shipping to China that smells like shit?” he whispered, taking a deep breath, then shook his head and stepped away. He noticed each pallet wrapped similarly with a sticker and barcode. Some went all the way to the ceiling. Several had different codes, but most had the same Chinese symbols. No pictures were visible, giving him no indication of what was inside.
The aisles were large enough to get a forklift between, but nothing bigger. Whatever sort of operation they had was obviously some sort of fulfillment. The second thing he noticed was the stench of gunpowder and cigars. If they were his friends, he’d school them on how to tell the difference between shit cigars and the good kind. The fact he scented a harsh, almost musty smell told him these men were not true connoisseurs. And the last, but certainly not the least, thing that rattled him slightly was the three men crowded around a desk several rows from the doorway. Luckily for him, no one noticed his entrance.
Kendrick eased to the side, making his way down the row while keeping his eyes and ears open. The men’s voices raised as if they were arguing. Using their distraction to his advantage, he moved swiftly through the rows, staying alert.
By the time he was in the far corner, his nerves were stretched thin. The voices were louder—a deep grunt followed by fists hitting skin and some curses. Kendrick forced himself to stay calm and keep moving. Andre’s large form appeared up ahead with a grim look.
“There’s a door with a lock on the other side. I didn’t want to break it until we neutralized the targets,” he said. His voice was low.
“Show me.”
They moved as one, walking on silent feet with Andre leading the way.
“You go tell him we have a new commodity. She’ll fetch a good price after we get done.”
“What about the debt? Doesn’t he want us to take care of the asshole?” The voice sounded strained.
“Our intel was incorrect. The bitch said we were wrong to have taken her. She said Calderone wouldn’t pay for her return because they didn’t know one another before meeting at the reception. Your guy fucked up. Now, we’ll have a little fun. You know—test the merch before shipping her off as planned? As an American, she’ll go for a lot of money. The Boss has plans for the Calderones who are above our pay grade.”
“That’s bullshit. I saw them together. A man doesn’t look at a woman the way he did if he didn’t want to possess her. Hell, I’d have staked my life that she was his. Fuck, so what’s the Boss going to do?”
A rough laugh filled the air. “If you’re worried that he’s pissed at you, then you’re much more stupid than I gave you credit for. I’m going to check on our guest. You two go walk the perimeter and make sure everything is secure.”
Andre gave a nod, moving back the way they’d come while he aimed to follow the fucker who thought to check on Sutton. His friend would easily take out the two idiots.
Patience wasn’t his strong point, but he held back. The thought of Sutton being alone with the bastard made him want to rip his head off with his bare hands. If there were a Neanderthals Anonymous, he’d be their mascot.
The door opened with a loud screech as if nobody cared to oil the damn thing.
“Hello, pet. Did you miss me while I was gone?”
“Like the plague,” Sutton muttered.
“Is that any way to speak to the only thing between you getting treated like a dog and worse than that?”
Before the asshole could slam the door shut, Kendrick pushed his way inside.
“Who the fuck?”
“Hello, asshole.” Every violent thought he’d been thinking came rushing to the front of his mind. He shoved the man across the room, not giving him a chance to react before hitting him in the side of the face with his fist. Sutton’s intake of air made him look to the side, a distraction that gave the asshole a chance to charge him.
He grunted at the pain from the shoulder that hit his abdomen. Instead of falling as the man expected, Kendrick pummeled the exposed back with both hands repeatedly until the fool released him. He held onto the other man’s shoulders and raised his knee, smashing upward.
“Fuck,” he yelled.
Kendrick gripped the back of his hair, propelling him toward the concrete wall. “Who the fuck do you work for?” he asked as blood sprayed.
“Screw you, Bastardo.”
Pulling back, Kendrick slammed the other man’s face into the unforgiving surface several times. The sound of cartilage crushing as he howled didn’t stop his assault.
“Do you honestly think your boss deserves your loyalty? Tell me a name, and I’ll let you live,” Kendrick whispered next to his ear.
A gurgle came from the mess that used to be his face. “Don’t you recognize me? You don’t know who you’re fucking with,” he mumbled.
Kendrick pulled the asshole back until he was arching at an angle that would have his frame surely snapping. “No, why should I?”
The idiot laughed, raising the hair on Kendrick’s arms.
“Look how easily I took something of yours. Next time, you won’t get there on time,” he said, laughing maniacally. “Of course, it wasn’t like what you did out in those woods, hunting an old man.”
Kendrick tossed him to the ground. His fists clenching and unclenching. “A helpless old man? I was a fucking kid made to do it or else. Who was he to you?”
The bastard laughed or tried as he gasped.
Sutton sobbed.
“He’s dying,” she whispered.
“Good. His father was a traitor who killed one of us. My father took me on a hunting trip when I was a boy. Only I wasn’t hunting any animals. Well, not those on four legs. Obviously, you’re Vigliaturo’s long-lost boy. I heard you were back in Chicago and doing things. I didn’t know you’d stooped to kidnapping women for the likes of Dragna,” Kendrick bit out.
“I’m supposed to help those in his condition.” Sutton’s eyes filled with more tears.
He didn’t take his eyes off her as he walked to where she sat huddled in the corner. The bed had seen better days, or rather, had more than likely seen a lot of shit, yet Sutton had her arms locked around her legs that were against her chest like she tried to make herself as small as possible. Hell, he feared she’d break if he tried to move her at that moment.
“It’s okay, Sutton. You’re not supposed to want to do shit for men like him.” He eased down near her thigh without touching her.
She shook her head hard. “Yes, I am. I, I took an oath. Oh god, I think I’m going to get sick.”
He reached for her, pulling her over his lap so her head hung over the side of the bed. She gagged and threw up as he held her until the dry heaves finished. He pulled her around until she sat on his lap. His dick gave a happy little jerk.
Ignoring the damn thing, he looked around the small room. A half-full bottle of water lay on the bed. “Did he provide this for you?” he asked.
She nodded. Fuck. Kendrick didn’t want to give her anything the fucker had left for her, especially since they didn’t know if he’d drugged it or not.
“The cap was sealed.”
Shit. She was too damn trusting.
“Baby, they can still insert drugs through the cap by using a needle. I’m not saying he did. It’s just something others do. Here, swish some around and spit it out if you need to get rid of the yuck in your mouth.”
She swallowed and closed her eyes. Fear etched her beautiful features. Her gorgeous eyes widened, showing him blown pupils. He brushed his thumbs along her cheekbones under her eyes, hating that they looked bruised from exhaustion. If he could, he’d erase the last twelve hours for her.
Her hand shook as she reached for the bottle. He helped her lift it to her mouth, then waited for her to do as he’d instructed.
“Good girl, Sutton. I know this is hard. I promise you’re safe with me. I won’t let anyone else get to you.”
“How do you know that stuff?”
She sidestepped his words about keeping her safe, and he’d let her, at least for now.
“Because I know that there are monsters in this world better than most.” He let out a deep breath. “You ready to get out of here?”
She looked down at the body on the floor and then at him. “What do we do about him?”
He looked at the last of the Vigliaturo line with disgust, knowing he wouldn’t lose a wink of sleep from his death.
SUTTON WAS MORE THAN ready to get out of the room she thought was going to be her prison before she went to the next level of hell. They stepped out of the room, leaving the bloody mass that once was a man who’d terrorized her with promises of rape and torture. She should feel something as a medical professional, but all that consumed her was relief and the need to wash the dirt and grit from her body.
A huge man stood outside the door. His arms looked big enough to crush a man’s skull, but he kept them crossed with a placid expression.
“Are you okay, Miss?” His dark eyes were kind.
Deep within her being, she sensed he was like Kendrick—a killer without remorse. Yet, he had kind eyes and a gentle demeanor. She swallowed and moved closer to the man who’d come into a room ready to kill for her, holding onto his arm like a lifeline. She should be running for the nearest exit, screaming for the police. She didn’t. Kendrick was her anchor, her savior. Hell, she had watched him beat the fucker with viciousness and didn’t once cry out. No, she’d silently cheered.
“She’s good. We need a cleaner in there.” Kendrick gestured toward the door behind them.
“Already on it.”
One step in front of the other, that was her goal. She had to stay strong and walk out of the building. Deep down, she knew she was safe. Kendrick saved her. Yet her mind kept thinking of the what-ifs.
Her knees gave out. The cry she’d kept inside escaped, but Kendrick’s strong arms came around, scooping her against his chest as if she weighed nothing.
“I got you, Passerotta,” he murmured.
“I’m sorry. You can put me down. I know I’m too heavy.” Her mind brought up old conversations from her youth. Nobody will ever want a girl like you. You're too big and too full of yourself. You need to lose at least twenty pounds and stop hunching your shoulders like that, or you’re going to get a hump in the middle of your back.
“What are you talking about? You are light as a feather. I’ll have to pay extra care that you get three meals with extra snacks throughout the day to keep up your strength,” Kendrick growled.
She froze.
The memories she lived with her that her mother and stepfather had thrown at her never failed to shake her to the core. “What?” she gasped.
His arms tightened as he rubbed his nose against hers. She realized they were almost to the front of the building where her captor had taken her. The light filtering in made her eyes water from the hours of darkness.
“Baby, I don’t know where you got the notion you were anything close to big, but trust me, you’re perfect. I like that you’re tall, so I won’t have to break my back or crane my neck when kissing you. You have a sexy little ass, and my god, don’t even get me started on your breasts. They’re not large by any stretch of the imagination, but I can tell they’re perfect. If I didn’t think you needed rest and some TLC, I’d show you how much I appreciate every inch of your body. Close your eyes, Passerotta. It might be too bright outside for you.” He kissed her lids after his speech, giving her no other option.
Sutton couldn’t think of a response to his words.
She sucked in a breath and pressed her face against his neck. He smelled divine, with a hint of bergamot and black currant. She loved the combination.
Once he came to his senses, he’d drop her like a hot potato and return to the debutantes who belonged in his circle. In contrast, she, well, she’d return to her lonely existence. Until then, she’d soak up his caring. No other man, not a single guy she’d dated, had ever picked her up and carried her as if she were precious.
They stopped moving, so she opened her eyes, blinking hard as they adjusted to the brighter surroundings. A matte black vehicle sat next to two large SUVs. She shivered when she saw them.
“You’re safe,” Kendrick said again.
“What about the other men?”
Voices were speaking around them, but Kendrick didn’t put her down.
“Is she okay?” King demanded.
She jerked, surprised to find the President of the MC there.
“She’s been traumatized, but she’ll be okay. I’ll ensure it,” he bit out.
King’s brows rose. “It’s like that?”
Sutton looked between the two men. With her arms around Kendrick’s shoulders and him cradling her in his arms, she wondered what King saw. The aches from her fall and rough handling were beginning to catch up with her now that her safety registered. She needed a cool bottle of water that wasn’t drugged, some anti-inflammatory, and something to help her sleep for the next twenty-four hours. Of course, she was sure she’d be having nightmares that wouldn’t allow her to have a peaceful rest, but a girl could wish.