Chapter 8
Chapter
Eight
September 4 th
7:09 P.M.
Satisfaction was the first thing to hit him when he swam slowly back to consciousness.
Cade woke up with a grin.
It didn't matter to him how bad a situation he was in, or if he was going to survive, or whatever torture might be in store for him.
His girls were safe.
That was the only thing he cared about.
Of course, he didn't want to die. Essie had already lost her mother, and he didn't want her to lose her father as well. She’d been through a traumatic ordeal, and she needed her family around her as she healed. She still needed to reach so many milestones in her life, and he wanted to be there to support her through them and watch how high she soared.
But she was alive and safe.
When it all boiled down to it, that was all he wanted.
His daughter was safe and loved with Gabriella and the rest of his family, and if he didn't make it home to her, he knew they would love her every bit as much as he could.
Blinking open his eyes, he found himself in what looked like a basement. There were no windows in the large open space and the walls were rough concrete with an old coat of white paint that had mostly peeled off. Likewise, the floor was concrete, although it had been smoothed out better than the walls had been.
There wasn't much in the space. He’d been chained up in a corner, the one furthest from a set of rather rickety-looking wooden steps that led up to a door he was positive was locked. They knew he was dangerous, and he was sure that even though he was shackled they would have wanted a double layer of security.
Smart of them.
Just because he’d come up with this risky plan didn't mean that he wanted to die there.
On the contrary, he wanted to use this situation to his advantage, finally flip the script and give himself and his family an edge. For the last couple of months—hell, for the last couple of decades—they’d been at a disadvantage, walking blind through this maze in an attempt to find answers to clear their mom’s name.
No more.
It was time to get ahead, stop playing defense, and go on the offense.
Because even if he didn't survive this, his brothers weren't giving up. It didn't matter what they’d said in that email, those were lies he’d been more than happy to tell if it meant getting his girls out alive.
Doing a mental examination of his body, Cade found he had no injuries that he could detect. After hitting him with the tranquilizer, they must have just bundled him into a vehicle and driven him there, wherever there was. They’d chained him up, wrists were locked into metal cuffs, as were his ankles, and both were attached to metal rings embedded in the concrete wall and floor.
So, these men weren't just afraid of what he might do to them if they weren't careful, they were terrified. The chains weren't overkill, even with his wrists and ankles bound, he would have made a move when the time presented itself. But even restrained as he was, he would wait and watch, and when that moment did present itself, and there was always that one moment when people let their guard down, he wouldn't hesitate to strike.
There was still a lot of rage boiling inside him. Now that Essie and Gabriella were safe with his brothers, he was more than ready to find an outlet for it.
What better outlet than the men who had taken them from him?
For now, there was still too much of whatever drug they’d given him to knock him out in his system. He might be awake, but his limbs were still heavy and there was a foggy feeling in his head. That would fade and his strength would return.
Besides, he had to make sure they believed he intended to follow through on the bargain he’d made.
His life for Essie and Gabriella’s.
The picture of Gabriella’s beaten and battered body had been the final straw, and he’d known if he didn't tell them what they wanted to hear, he was going to lose her. After that, he’d lose his daughter, and without Essie he was nothing. Without Gabriella he was … drifting in the wind. He needed her to ground him, and he didn't want to imagine his life without either of them in it.
So, he emailed back and said that he would make a trade. Him for them. He said he was the one who knew what they’d learned about the men who had raped his mom so far, so having him as leverage was better than holding onto Essie and Gabriella. It served the same purpose, someone to threaten to keep his brothers in line, and had the added bonus of them being able to interrogate him.
He hadn't let on that they’d already hit on a location. That tidbit about the stationary company might lead somewhere, and he didn't want to let on that they knew because it might lead to whoever was pulling the strings cleaning house, wiping away evidence Olivia and the rest of Prey’s cyber team might find. Instead, he’d pretended the address he’d been given was all new information.
The agreement was he had five minutes to get Essie and Gabriella out. If any of his brothers moved from the vehicle they’d be shot. If he didn't hand them over and head back inside, they’d all be shot.
Cade knew that whoever was working so hard to prevent them from finding proof he was involved in raping their mom and then setting her up didn't really want to kill off his whole family. That would draw a whole lot of attention to them and could get them found out anyway. It was why they kept trying to be sneaky, going after weak links.
Well, this time they didn't have a weak link in their presence.
As the oldest, he’d taken on the role of looking out for his family. Every time these men had targeted one of his siblings or someone they cared about, he’d taken that personally. Then they’d made the mistake of daring to touch his daughter and her nanny.
For that, they would die.
When the door at the top of the step swung open, he shot a cocky grin at whoever was stupid enough to go down there and attempt to taunt him.
They thought they had the upper hand, but his family had the entire might of Prey Security at their backs, he’d like to see anyone go up against Prey and win. It had never happened before, and he didn't plan on it happening this time.
“You're awake,” the man said, stating the obvious.
“I am,” he agreed amicably. These idiots didn't know they’d taken a powder keg into their presence. Sooner rather than later, he was going to explode, and when he did, they weren't going to know what hit them.
“You have to know our boss isn’t going to be making any more deals if that’s what you're hoping for,” the man said, strolling down the stairs but wisely not coming too close.
“Didn't think they would,” he replied as he lounged back against the wall, giving the air of calm and control while at the same time allowing his rage to slowly invigorate him and return his strength.
“You know you're going to die here,” the man told him.
If that happened, he would die happy that he’d given life to Essie and Gabriella by making this trade. But he was going to do everything in his power to make sure he got home to them.
He didn't know what was going to happen with him and Gabriella, but he did know that he had to make her understand that it wasn't her that had him keeping his distance but his own fears.
Giving a disinterested shrug, he cataloged everything he could about the man. All that information would be stored until he reached the time he had to use it.
“You should know we had a lot of fun with the nanny,” the man said, giving him a smirk.
The words were meant to set him off and ignite his rage. And they did. But he had a long fuse and wasn't about to set himself off when he was in no position to do anything about the anger surging inside him.
Instead, he locked his gaze onto the man’s and allowed every bit of the fury inside him to seep out. “You should know that I have no intention of dying until every single one of you who touched what was mine suffers a long, slow death.”
September 4 th
7:19 P.M.
She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry, she wanted to beg and plead for someone to do something.
Cade wasn't there, and Gabriella was terrified for him.
Why had he done it?
Why had he made a deal for both of them?
All he needed to do was get Essie out. He could have left her behind, it would have been better than him giving his life for her.
He had a family, and she had no one.
Only as Gabriella looked around the hospital room, she knew that was only her fear and deep sense of inadequacy talking.
Knowing that her mom couldn’t get clean even though she had a child who was depending on her was the first blow to her self-esteem she’d suffered and that was before she even knew what self-esteem was. Never having a family of her own as she drifted through the foster system was the second. Why wasn't she good enough for someone to adopt? For someone to want to keep her?
It always seemed too easy for foster families to pack up her things and tell her goodbye when she was moved to another home.
Then, losing so many babies one after the other, wanting so desperately to have a child of her own, someone who would love her and never leave her, had torn to shreds anything that was left of her self-esteem. Even her babies didn't want to stay with her, and her husband had dumped her because he didn't love her if she couldn’t give him what he really wanted.
Now Cade had left her, too.
Leaving her alone once again.
Take care of my daughter.
His last words to her echoed through her mind. She wasn't alone. She had Essie curled up in her arms asleep, and the Charleston Holloway family sitting around her hospital room.
They were there and it was her that Cade had asked to look after his child.
Not his siblings.
Now wasn't the time to let her deepest fears and insecurities shove their way to the surface. While she was vulnerable and hurting, they would decimate any last dregs of strength she had left. Just because most people thought she was confident and outgoing, it didn't change the fact that inside she often felt lacking.
Unwanted.
Unlovable.
Unneeded.
Only now she had two people who needed her desperately. The small child who had refused to leave her side when they’d reached the hospital, and the man who had selflessly bought her freedom at the cost of his own.
“I’ll tell you everything I know but I don’t think it’s enough to help,” she said softly, unable to look at the men and women surrounding her bed any longer.
They were watching over her and Essie, but if Essie wasn't there would they be?
She’d like to think they would. That four years of being part of this family meant they would support her even if their little niece hadn't insisted on remaining in her arms, and her father had told her to take care of her.
But she couldn’t help but doubt.
That strength that had sustained her through the last three days had shriveled up and died.
Now she was so afraid to see judgment, anger, or resentment in their faces that she couldn’t even look at Cade’s brothers.
Maybe they thought she should have been stronger or fought harder.
Could she have?
Doubt assuaged her, and she probably would have sat there in silence forever, even after making her offer, if someone hadn't reached out and closed a hand around her shoulder, squeezing just hard enough to get her attention.
“You should rest, sweetheart,” Cooper told her. His grip on her shoulder shifted slightly and he gently kneaded her tight muscles.
Rest is probably exactly what she should be doing. After the hysterical car ride from where she and Essie had been held captive to the hospital, she was surprised someone hadn't sedated them both the second they got there.
Other than being bruised all over, suffering from some dehydration, and the effects of not eating properly for the last few days, she was okay. Thankfully, Essie had no injuries at all. They were both exhausted, though, and while Essie had promptly fallen asleep once they’d been settled in a room to be kept overnight for observation, sleep wouldn't come for her.
She should have followed the child’s lead, but she couldn’t.
Gabriella was wired with fear just like she’d been since they were kidnapped, and she couldn’t make her brain shut off.
“There were five of them,” she said as though Cooper hadn't spoken.
“And we’ll get you to work with a sketch artist after you get the rest you need,” Jake said, pushing off the wall by the door where he’d been standing.
Shooting him a look like he was crazy, she shook his head. “No. It can't wait. Cade is in danger. I don’t understand why you left him,” she said, carefully lifting a hand and rubbing her temple, trying not to disturb Essie in the process. They’d filled her in on only the barest amount of intel on what had gone down, basically just assuring her that Cade wasn't dead and that they had a plan.
“Because saving Essie and you was his priority,” Connor told her from the seat he was perched in beside her bed.
“Of course, his daughter was his priority,” she said.
“Didn't say that, honey,” Connor shot back.
“I know, but you meant?—”
“I meant exactly what I said,” Connor said, gently but firmly. “He’s been walking around with both toys since you guys were taken. Doesn’t let them out of his sight. Specifically said we should have both with us when we rescued you guys.”
It was hard to argue with that.
While she had no idea why Cade had been in her room, she knew he’d been in there because the ragdoll her mom had given her before she was put in foster care had been in the car when Connor and the others put her in it, along with Essie’s teddy. It smelled like Cade, and she hadn't been able to let it go, much the same way Essie was clinging to Winkie-Bear.
“Look, sweetheart,” Cole said, moving so he was standing beside the bed, Susanna moving with him, empathy on her pretty face. “You’ve been through hell and protected that little girl with everything you had. Every single one of us is so proud of you. You fought as hard as you could, but now you're safe. You're with your family, your team, the people who care about you. It’s time to rest and heal.”
Tears filled her eyes at Cole’s simple words.
Calling them her family meant everything to her, more than he would ever realize because he’d never been all alone in the world.
“But Cade isn’t safe,” she whispered. Fear for her grumpy boss, who had won her heart with every sweet second he spent with his little girl consumed her.
“They’re not going to kill him, Gabs,” Jax told her, shooting her a reassuring smile only it went little way toward reassuring her.
Maybe they wouldn't kill him right away, but they’d hurt him.
Memories of what those same men had done to her shoved their way into her mind, and she trembled even though she was tucked under half a dozen blankets and had Essie’s warm weight snuggled in her arms.
She knew what Cade and his family had seen in the video, so she knew they knew about the unwanted kiss and touching. But they didn't know about her being made to get down on her knees and suck off all those men, and they didn't know about the touching and the bite on her breast from that morning in the hall.
They didn't have to know either.
If she didn't tell them then they never could know.
It wasn't really relevant, so it could remain her dirty little secret forever. They wouldn't even know she was keeping anything from them.
“Sweetheart, you're overthinking everything, I promise you you are,” Willow said. “I know how scared you are, trust me, I get it. I know how terrified for Cade you are as well. But right now, the best thing you can do for him is to rest, recover a little, then in the morning you can tell us everything.”
“Then when you feel up to it, maybe you might want to talk to me,” Susanna added. The woman was a psychologist, and while she’d specialized in helping addicts, after being raped when the men who were after the family thought she was Cole’s girlfriend, she’d decided to accept the job offer from Eagle Oswald and join the Prey Team.
The offer was tempting, but it didn't seem right. Susanna had been through so much worse than she had. Susanna had been raped, and she’d only been made to do some things she wasn't comfortable with.
It wasn't the same.
Wasn't as bad.
And even if it was, complaining about what happened to her wouldn't help Cade.
That was what she had to focus on. There was a lot she didn't understand. Why Cade included her in the trade, why he’d been in her room, why he had her doll, why he’d told her to take care of his daughter, what it all meant, and her jumbled brain couldn’t seem to put it all together.
“Go to sleep, Gabriella,” Jake ordered in a voice that reminded her so much of the bossy tone Cade was prone to using that tears trickled down her cheeks.
Knowing they were right, that she badly needed sleep, that she’d have more intel to give them after her brain and body rested a little, she closed her eyes. Surrounded by big, strong, highly trained men didn't make her feel any safer than she’d felt alone in that small room with Essie. The only thing that might make her feel safe was Cade, but he’d traded his life for hers and his daughters, and in doing so he’d left a gaping hole in her heart.