Chapter 38
Levi
As his hand touched the handle of the door, Lucas and I launched ourselves at Malik’s back. My brother took a hard swing at his head as I pulled up his white dress shirt and rammed the taser into his side, squeezing the button to set it off.
“Are you fucking—You son of a bitch!” The man roared as he fought back, flailing his fists in an effort to take at least one of us out with a lucky shot.
“Luke, the door,” I urged, trying my fucking hardest to cover his mouth with my palm and muffle the rest of his curses as I shoved us into the dark room. My brother slammed and locked the door the second my foot passed the threshold.
Malik aggressively shook me off, staggering back as the automatic lights triggered and illuminated the suite—the three of us heaving and yet ready to fucking brawl.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“Again? Do we really have to do this, Levi?” Lucas complained from over my shoulder, and I shook my head with laughter. It was always the same with these assignments.
Who are you?
Do you know who I am?
Why are you doing this to me?
I can explain.
I won’t do it again.
There were more, so many more, but those were the top five to date, and generally, we answered and entertained them, much like a predator plays with their food before striking. But by now, we’ve heard them all enough times to stop responding or listening.
“No, not tonight. I want to get this done as quickly as possible. Where’s the—” In dropping my attention for a split second, Malik used the opportunity to take me out with a swift fist to the temple.
“God damnit, you mother—” Without thinking, I swung back, trying to fight him off just as my brother cut across my vision, ramming into Malik’s side and tackling him to the ground.
“Get the fucking restraints,” Lucas barked as he held the man pinned to the floor, growling like a feral beast. “Hurry up!”
My head was still throbbing from the blow as I searched our surroundings for where we stashed our shit.
“Black bag. Behind the chair.” My brother grunted with a quick head tilt to his left, and I sprinted for it, falling to my knees, ripping the zipper open, and throwing a set of handcuffs over to him.
While he secured Malik’s wrists, I pulled out a ream of black duct tape, tearing off a large strip and slapping it over his mouth with force rough enough to jerk his head to face me.
“That is for taking a cheap fucking swing at me.” When his mouth was sealed and wrists secured, I stood to my full height, waiting for my brother to step aside.
Once out of the way, I gave a swift kick into Malik’s side, causing him to curl in on himself with a deep, pain-filled moan.
“And that’s for my fucking headache.” I pressed the heel of my palm to my forehead as I staggered over to the couch.
I let myself collapse into it for a second’s break. Fuck.
“Gotta admit, he nailed you good.”
“Oh, just shut up and get him in the chair already… She’s waited long enough in the car.” Rubbing my temples, I blew out a breath, groaning my relief as the throbbing slowly subsided from the counter pressure.
“I’ll go—”
“No.” I snapped my fingers in his direction, staring him down like a hawk. “You stay and get the target situated. I’ll go and get her. I need some air anyway.”
“You can barely fucking stand.” Lucas taunted as he waved a hand up and down.
“Exactly, which means I am not capable of getting that—” I pointed to our muffled friend, lying on the floor, staring up at us as we bickered amongst ourselves. “Sorted out. If I can barely stand, I sure as fuck can’t lift.”
“Yeah, yeah, alright, fair enough…” Lucas skirted around Malik to pick up the black gym bag, searching through it and frowning when he couldn’t find what he was looking for. “Aw, whaaaaat?”
“What?”
“You didn’t pack the red ribbon?” He whined, dropping the bag to the floor after removing the roll of duct tape and a bungee cord.
Lucas…
“I’m not dignifying that with an answer.” Slamming my palms on the armrests, I pushed myself up from the couch and started taking strides past my brother, still feeling the light, lingering pulses as the pain faded into almost nothing.
“You’re no fun.”
“I’m plenty, you’re ridiculous. Just get him prepped, and I’ll make sure our girl is more than ready to play her part.” I rolled my neck, gripping the handle of the door as Lucas cracked his knuckles and got to work.
“Let’s hope she is, otherwise we’re all fucked.”
“Don’t remind me…” I muttered, right before exiting the room and making my way back to his car.
Approaching the passenger door, Tessa threw it open and flew out at me like a fucking startled pigeon on a sidewalk.
“Oh my god, Levi. What happened?”
I didn’t think anything of the hit from earlier, but it must have left a mark, considering her initial reaction. Lucas didn’t mention anything, but then again, why would he care about my appearance?
“It’s fine, I’m fine, everything is fine, babygirl,” I reassured her with a firm squeeze, using her scent as a form of aromatherapy. Her perfume helped dissolve what was left of my pain into nothing.
“You’re face…”
“Will heal, unlike the man who caused it.” Releasing my hold on her, I held Tessa’s hands in mine, my thumbs circling the back of her palms as I let out a deep breath.
“Are you ready? Are you sure you can go through with this? We only—” I paused, feeling a fear I’d never felt until now slinking up my spine and wrapping itself around my chest, pulling tight, squeezing like a boa constrictor about to feast upon its prey.
“You… only get one chance.” And failure was not a fucking option.
“Then I suppose I should make it count, right? Let’s hope I’m not a bad shot.” My girl laughed, and I searched her eyes for the sincerity in her lighthearted response as I began to doubt my confidence and ability to keep her out of harm’s way.
When you hear of another wife being attacked, strangled, it truly puts things into perspective, and it sent me into a downward spiral faster than water being sucked down a drain.
I was well-versed in the terms and understood the associated risks of our work, as well as our duty to the brotherhood. None of this was new to me, but the contrast between the thought and the reality of hers was all but condemning.
“Levi.” Tessa’s comforting voice broke through the veil of silence that had fallen over us, a blanket of uncertainty as I warred with my internal thoughts.
“Talk to me. You were so determined. What happened?” Her eyes broke through barricades, dismantled and destroyed old walls before erecting those of her own that would allow her passage without question—the final pieces falling into place.
I let her in completely when I opened up about my mother.
“I fell.”