Chapter 16 Chloe
SIXTEEN
CHLOE
“West!” I shrieked.
The van tumbled us around as I tried to reach out for him. The van skidded around corners, which threw us into the cold, hard metal walls of the encasement. My body slammed against his own, causing him to gasp for air before we tumbled back toward the other side.
And when I cried softly, all I wanted was for West to take me into his arms.
He grunted as we got tossed around. “Chloe, come here. I’ve got—fuck!”
I couldn't help the sobs that bubbled up the back of my throat. “Weh-heh-heeeest! What is happeniiiiing?”
Fear unlike anything I had ever experienced rushed its way through my veins.
I wanted to strangle the men who had just tossed us into the back of this damned van.
And to top it all off, no one had seen what had happened.
That was why Agent Baker liked that diner so much.
No one could pull up surveillance and look at anything that took place.
We’re fucked.
“God damn it,” West growled.
My mind flashed back to the moment the cartel ran us off the road.
I heard Natty’s screams in the back of my head while my own echoed in the back of the van we had been tossed into.
Every time I smacked against the wall, I felt the pain of the punches I’d received for trying to protect the small girl.
Every time West reached out for me, I remembered how my grip had slipped on my precious little niece, rendering me helpless before they beat me to a bloodied pulp.
And God damn it, my ribs hurt so fucking much.
“Ah!” I shrieked.
The van came to a grinding halt, and I tumbled until my back hit the door.
The second the doors got thrown open, the searing hot sunlight coursed its way through my eyes.
I couldn't see anything. All I felt were pairs of hands on me that weren’t West’s.
And as I reached out for him, I heard him growling and trying to fight people off.
“Chloe! Where are you?”
“West!” I exclaimed.
Someone punched me across the face, rendering me speechless as the pain blindsided me.
The world swirled around me, blurring into a mass of noise and a cacophony of colors as we got dragged into a darkened building.
Just as quickly as the sun had appeared, it disappeared behind a heavy door that slammed shut.
And as West continued to try and fight off the men that had abducted us, I stopped struggling.
It was no use. I knew I wasn’t strong enough.
Hell, I hadn’t even been strong enough to protect Natty when it all happened.
I was tossed into a room before zip ties bound my wrists behind my back.
I expected them to bind my ankles as well, but instead they wrestled West to the ground beside me and bound his wrists so tight that I saw them cutting into his skin.
I leaned my head back against the musty, damp concrete wall.
I closed my eyes and tried to stomach the pain so that I didn’t throw up on myself.
And as something rolled across the ground, someone perched in front of us.
A spotlight shone down onto our faces.
“Good God,” I groaned.
“Turn that off,” West grumbled.
“Not until you tell us what your club’s next move is,” the man said with a thick accent.
“We aren’t telling you shit,” I hissed.
West chuckled. “You might as well kill me because I’ll never roll over on my family.”
“Yeah?” the man asked as he stood to his feet. “Well, maybe this’ll loosen your lips up a bit.”
“No! Stop!” I shrieked.
The second I watched that man cock his hand back, he slapped it across West’s face.
His head turned off to the side as blood fell from his nose before someone stepped on his ankle.
He roared out in pain, like a lion being gutted, and it was all I could do to keep from spilling everything I knew right then and there.
“No! Please! Stop it! You’re hurting him!” I exclaimed as my voice grew hoarse.
“Then, talk,” the man glowered.
West looked over at me with pain rushing behind his eyes and he simply shook his head.
The look in his eyes pleaded with me not to say anything.
He practically begged me to keep my mouth shut.
And I cared about the man so much that I was willing to endure watching him get beat all to hell just to protect the only people he considered family.
So, I drew in a deep breath and prepared myself for the worst.
“Go to hell,” I hissed.
“As you wish,” the man murmured.
Punch after punch landed against West’s body and I sobbed. I hung my head in shame because I couldn't watch as West gurgled on his own fucking blood. I tried to block out the sounds. I tried my best to stay strong. I tried to dig down deep into the mire of my soul where my own darkness lay.
But the second he choked out my name, I couldn't stand it any longer.
“Stop it!” I bellowed.
Someone threaded their hand into my hair and tilted my head back.
“Please, just stop hurting him,” I said breathlessly.
The man tilted his head off to the side. “He means something to you, doesn’t he?”
West gagged and vomited on himself before he spoke. “You leave her alone. Your issue is with me.”
And that was when a disgusting smile crossed the accented man’s face. “Take her into the other room. I have plans for them.”
“No!” West roared.
The man holding onto my hair dragged me out of the room as I stumbled around on my legs.
I watched over my shoulder as another guy clocked West in his gut, causing him to gasp for air.
I reached out for him with my foot. I tried anything I possibly could to get closer to him.
But as the man dragged me out of the room—away from West who was clamoring to get to me—he tossed me into a corner.
Before cracking his knuckles as a wry chuckle fell from his lips.
“Let’s have a bit of fun, shall we?” the man asked.