Chapter 7
Chapter
Seven
September 4 th
12:33 P.M.
A growl rumbled through his chest as he looked at the phone.
Cade had never heard himself make a sound like this.
It was a cross between a howl of pain and the rumbling roar of a grizzly bear.
Definitely more animal than human.
And it didn't even come close to letting out any of the swirling mix of emotions raging inside him.
“What's wrong?” Cole asked, immediately concerned.
Concern had been the dominant emotion rolling off all three of his brothers and both his stepbrothers ever since they got the video yesterday. He couldn’t say he blamed them. It was evident to anyone with eyes that he was dangerously close to losing it.
It was why all his brothers were watching him like a hawk, prepared for him to get pushed over the edge and do something stupid.
They weren't wrong.
And this photo had shoved him a whole lot closer to that edge.
“He got another email,” Jax replied from the kitchen table where he hammered away at a laptop’s keyboard.
“From them?” Jake asked what had to be a rhetorical question because what else would have him growling like he’d lost his mind?
“Photo,” he snapped, grabbing the nearest chair and sinking into it because he absolutely did not want to embarrass himself by passing out in front of his brothers. As if them seeing him throwing up wasn't bad enough, if he fainted, he’d never have their respect again.
“Not a video this time?” Connor asked, moving to stand behind Jax, who if the changing expression on Connor’s face was anything to go by had the email open on the screen.
“Does it matter?” he snapped. Video or photo, both were hell when the two most important girls in his life were in danger. Well two of the three. Cade thanked God they’d moved Cassandra out to live with Delta Team until this was over, although he cursed himself for not sending Essie and Gabriella as well. He’d wanted to but he’d stupidly thought that he could keep them safe himself.
Fail.
“It’s Gabriella,” Jax said tightly, anger etched into his features.
Whatever the others were feeling was nothing compared to the pure fury inside him. He’d never felt anything like it before. Of course, he hated to see innocent people hurt and abused, and of course there was anger when the people he loved had been in danger. When Cooper and Willow had been caught in Egypt, when Cole and Susanna were lost in the mountains, when Connor and Becca were captured in Cambodia, all those times he’d been angry his family was being hurt.
But not like this.
This felt like a volcano was getting ready to erupt, he just didn't know when exactly he was going to start spewing boiling lava and molten rock.
“What the hell?” Cooper said, taking the phone from his hand and glancing at the picture. “Look at what they did to her.”
Cade didn't fight his brother taking the phone, honestly, he wasn't sure how much longer he could have sat there and looked at the photo of a bruised and battered Gabriella slumped on the floor of an empty room like the one the video had been filmed in. He didn't know if it was the same room or a different one and it didn't matter. That room wasn't a hospital, and he wasn't sitting by her side, holding her hand, and telling her everything was going to be okay.
And where was Essie?
Had they put their filthy hands on his daughter?
Was she also beaten and barely conscious?
“If they’d hit Essie too there’d be a photo,” Connor said as though reading his mind.
“Text says, how many more do you think she can take before her heart gives out?” Jake said, having moved to stand beside Cooper, as had Cole.
Given how bad Gabriella looked in the photo his guess was not many.
While she was fierce and brave and strong, had survived a childhood mostly on her own without the love, support, and guidance of parents, and she’d built a fortune with nothing more than her brain, she was no trained operative. She hadn't been taught how to withstand torture, and even if she had there was no cheating death. In the end it came for everyone.
But not Gabriella and not Essie.
Not now and not this way.
There had to be a way to determine where they were being held.
When his phone began to ring, Cooper held it out to him. “Olivia,” his brother told him.
Unless Olivia was calling to tell him she had an address or a name he wasn't really interested. Still, he reached out and took the phone, hitting accept.
“Cade, I got something,” she said immediately.
The excitement in her tone was infectious and he relaxed a smidgen. “What?”
“It’s not an address exactly but it is an area,” Olivia explained. “I was able to trace the basic location from where the email was sent. Then I went back to the footage we’ve been going through of all the vehicles that left the underground parking lot at the mall the day Essie and Gabriella were taken, and I think I put a few pieces together.”
Relief and hope edged their way inside him, cooling the simmering volcano, but Cade clamped them down. It was too soon to get his hopes up.
“One of the vehicles that left was a work van, for a stationary company,” Olivia continued. “Only when I started looking into the company it went under almost twelve months ago. So I wondered why someone would be driving a white van with the company logo on it. I did a little more digging and the company owned a huge plot of land with four warehouses. After the business closed, they were never sold or rented to anyone else. And they fall within the area that the email was sent from.”
“Olivia,” he gasped, realizing she’d just given him his only chance at getting his girls back alive. How could he ever repay her for that? She was quite literally giving him life saving information, and he wasn't just talking about Essie and Gabriella’s lives. Without them, he would die. There was no doubt in his mind about that. Without any will to live he’d be a liability to his team, and sooner or later, wind up doing something reckless that would get him killed. “Thank you.”
“Psshh,” she said, and he could imagine her waving off his gratitude. “We’re family, we don’t thank each other for having one another’s backs. Now there are no guarantees I’m right and I’ll keep going through footage so we’re not behind if I'm wrong, but at least you have a lead. Let me know if you need anything at all, and we’ll ensure you and your team have it.”
“I will.”
“And, Cade, be careful. I know you want to run in and grab your girls, but don’t forget that one wrong move will get them both killed,” Olivia warned before she disconnected the call.
A warning he needed.
Because his instincts screamed at him to jump in his car, drive to the address, shoot anything that moved, and rush inside to get Essie and Gabriella.
But Olivia was right.
If he showed up there, chances were the first thing those men would do was kill his girls. There was no way they could risk them identifying any of them, and they were loose ends.
Smart.
His only chance at saving their lives was to play this smart and not fast.
“What did she say?” Cole asked as Cade lowered the phone from his ear, his mind already putting together a plan that he thought might work.
“She has a potential address,” he told the others.
After getting the email yesterday, of course he and his brothers had tried sending numerous replies, but none of them had been answered.
These men had one goal.
To get his family to back off from trying to get the names of the men who had hired them to abduct his daughter.
Knowing how ruthless and powerful these men were, there was no chance they were going to let go of the only leverage they’d managed to get without a fight. It was the only way they could ensure they kept their freedom.
Prey was a mighty opponent, one that had to at least equal whatever power they had. These men thought they’d found the weak link in taking his daughter, but they were about to find out what happened when you messed with a man’s child.
There was one way he could think of that. At least for now, everybody got what they wanted, but it might be a hard sell to convince his brothers that this was their best move.
“I have a plan, but I don’t think any of you are going to like it,” he announced.
September 4 th
4:59 P.M.
It hurt to breathe, it hurt to lie down, it hurt to sit up, it hurt to move, it hurt to be still, it just plain hurt.
Gabriella had been one throbbing mess of pain ever since those men beat her, then let her drop to the ground like a discarded piece of trash. She remembered them taking a picture of her before they left the room, and she hadn't heard from them since.
The worst part about the whole thing was seeing Essie’s terrified little face, hearing her petrified screams, and knowing there was no longer much she could do to protect the child from their captors.
While she might not have stood much of a chance fighting those men off before, now whatever chance she might have had was gone. Wiped away. She could barely push herself up to her feet and had, in fact, only managed it the one time Essie said she needed to go to the bathroom.
If those men came after Essie next, she’d be powerless to protect the little girl.
Which would make her a failure.
It was literally her job, one that she was paid well for even though she didn't need the money since she was already worth millions in her own right, to protect and care for Essie.
Knowing she couldn’t do that killed her.
And that served to remind her that eventually these men would in fact end up killing her.
Could her body survive another beating like that?
Another two? Three? Four?
Sooner or later, it would be too much, the damage done to her internal organs would be too great, and she’d simply die. There in the small room with only a bunch of evil men and a little girl she loved to witness it.
“Gabby?” Essie’s little voice called out, and she forced open her heavy eyes to see the little girl on her knees beside her.
“Yeah, cuddle bug?” After she’d been beaten and the two of them had been left alone again, she hadn't had the energy to entertain the child like she had been. All her efforts went into not sobbing in pain and further traumatizing the little girl.
Not that it seemed to matter.
Essie seemed to have lost all enthusiasm for anything, and simply stayed curled up against Gabriella’s side, staring into space, or softly humming to herself.
The beating seemed to have broken both of them even if she’d been the only one they put their hands on.
“Are you cold?” Essie asked, her little face worried.
“I'm okay, baby,” she assured the child. She was cold, and now that the little girl had drawn her attention to it, she could see that her body was shaking, although she wasn't sure if it was because she was cold or in shock. Or if she was cold because she was in shock.
Either way it didn't matter.
She’d already put her sundress back on over her swimsuit earlier and her jacket was staying on Essie. It wasn’t much, but a little layer of protection for the child, covering her almost completely from wrist, to neck, to ankle, and shielding her from the men’s vile stares.
They weren't going to feel bad when the time came to hurt an innocent child.
And that infuriated her.
If they were going to use a four-year-old as a bargaining chip, as leverage to control her father, then the very least they could do was feel conflicted about it. How could they beat on something so small, or do sexual things to a tiny child, and not feel bad about it? Didn't they have consciences?
“But you're all shaky,” Essie protested.
“Yeah, sweetie, I am, but I’ll be okay,” she lied through her teeth, anything to prevent this little girl more pain.
“The bad men shouldn’t hit. It’s wrong to hit people,” Essie said like she was highly offended that these men would forget such a simple rule.
“It is,” she agreed. Using what strength she had left, Gabriella reached out and wrapped an arm around the little girl’s shoulders, urging her to lie down and snuggle close. Regardless of what she’d endured these last few days, she was grateful that the men hadn't killed her outright on the street when they’d abducted Essie. At least she’d been able to protect the child a little bit, and she prayed she could hold out long enough for Cade to find them so Essie never experienced what she had at the hands of their captors.
“I wouldn't hit people,” Essie said as she stretched out on the ground and tucked herself close.
“I know you wouldn't, because you're a good girl.”
“My daddy … does he hit people?”
Reaching out to grasp the child’s chin, Gabriella tilted it up until they looked in each other’s eyes. “Your daddy doesn’t hit people, cuddle bug. Sometimes when someone hits you first it’s okay to hit back to protect yourself. That’s like what your daddy does. He protects people who are being hurt.”
“Like you gotted hurt.”
“Yeah, sweetie.”
“Then why doesn’t Daddy come?” Essie asked, sounding frustrated.
“He will, baby.”
“I want him to come now.”
“Me too, Es, me too.”
Together they lay side by side, and Gabriella, although she did her best to stay awake and keep watch over the little girl, succumbed to exhaustion and dozed in fitful slumber until she heard someone unlocking the door to their room.
When the men came in uninvited it meant only one thing.
Something bad was coming.
Rolling Essie up and over her body, Gabriella grunted in pain but didn't stop until she had the little girl between herself and the wall. It was the only protection she could offer right now, and it wasn't much but she was ready to accept another beating rather than watch Essie get hurt.
The door opened and she blinked.
Positive she was hallucinating.
Had to be.
Because there was no way this was real.
Only the figure in the door didn't shimmer out of sight.
Instead, he ran toward her and dropped onto his knees at her side.
There was so much fear, regret, anger, and guilt swirling in the brown eyes that looked down at her.
Tenderness too.
And affection.
A hand palmed her cheek, fingertips caressed her skin for the briefest of seconds before he reached behind her and snatched up the little girl.
“Daddy!” Essie shrieked in delight as she wrapped her arms around her father’s neck.
Cade sank to his backside beside her, holding his daughter on his lap, rocking her from side to side as the little girl clung to him. Gabriella could have sworn she saw a couple of tears tumble down her gruff boss’ cheeks.
“You came,” Essie babbled. “I wanted you to come. You took too long though, Daddy. The bad men hurted Gabby. Did you hit them? Hitting is wrong but Gabby said that if someone hurts you then you got to protects yourself. She said that you only hits bad people who hitted other people firsts and that’s okay.”
Barking out a laugh at his daughter’s rambled monologue, Cade buried his face in her hair and held her tight a moment longer. Then he surprised her by shifting Essie to balance on one leg, then with his other arm he very carefully tucked it around her shoulders and eased her up. Once she was sitting, he dragged her onto his lap and locked both arms around her and his daughter.
“I did what I had to do to come for you, my little princess,” he told Essie cryptically, and Gabriella couldn’t make out what he meant.
But he had to mean that he’d killed the men who abducted them, right?
If he hadn't how could he be there?
And he was there.
Warm and solid and strong beneath her.
Knowing it was inappropriate given he was her boss but way too exhausted to care, Gabriella relaxed against Cade and rested her cheek on his broad shoulder.
For a moment they all just sat like that, her and Essie on Cade’s lap, his arms around them, and for the first time in days Gabriella finally felt safe.
Far too soon he sighed and shifted, shooting her a look that she knew meant don’t even think about lying. “Can you walk?” he asked.
“I … could try …” she said, not entirely sure she could, but there was no way he was going to let Essie walk and carry her, so she had to figure out a way to do it.
“Essie, I need you to go on my back, okay?”
“A piggyback ride?” Essie asked, brightening at the suggestion.
“No, Cade, you need to hold her,” she protested.
“You can't walk,” he said simply. There was a hint of possessiveness in his tone she was sure she imagined, but he didn't give her another chance to argue. Simply helped his daughter onto his back, then moved his arms so one was around her back and the other under her knees. “Hold on tight, okay, Essie?”
“’Kay, Daddy,” the child agreed.
Standing like their added weight was nothing, he quickly carried them out of the building. While she expected to see dead bodies and blood everywhere, there was no sign of a shootout or anything, so how had Cade gotten to them?
In the four days they’d been there, the men had never all left at the same time she was sure of it. Even if they had, what were the chances none of them would be there when Cade happened to track them to their location?
Expecting bullets to start flying at any second, none came and soon they were met with a blast of fresh air. It was mild and the feel of the sun and the breeze against her skin revitalized her a little.
Not far away, Cade’s brothers stood around a large black SUV. They all seemed anxious but none of them were shooting and no bodies were lying about.
What the heck was going on?
And why didn't she feel more relieved about being rescued?
“Hey, Messy Essie,” Cole said, his voice falsely bright as he took hold of the child.
“I'm not messy, Uncle Cole,” Essie protested like she always did when he used the silly nickname.
“Here, I got her,” Jake said, holding out his arms and she was deposited in his hold.
Not what she wanted.
Gabriella wanted to stay with Cade who was standing there looking at her with an expression she couldn’t figure out.
Once again that rough palm cradled her cheek, calloused fingertips brushing over her skin. “Take care of my daughter.”
Then he was gone.
Walking away from them.
That’s when it hit her.
They hadn't been rescued, not really, Cade had somehow managed to convince the men to make a trade.
Him for them.
“No! Cade!” she screamed, fighting against Jake’s strong arms that kept her tight against his chest.
He didn't stop.
“Come back! Cade!” she yelled again, doubling her efforts and almost managing to knock them both over.
“Stop, Gabs, he knows what he’s doing,” Connor told her, trying to move to block her view of Cade who was almost back to the building he’d just carried her and Essie out of.
“No! Why are you letting him do this? Stop him!” she begged as tears rushed down her cheeks. Cade didn't think he was coming back alive. That’s why he told her to take care of his daughter. She knew it. Could feel it. Even if he could never love her like she loved him she didn't want to lose him. She’d rather have him in her life as her boss than not at all.
Suddenly, Cade dropped to the ground.
Gabriella screamed, fought, but it didn't change anything. She was shoved inside the vehicle and Cade’s brothers drove away leaving him behind.