Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
September 7 th
8:49 A.M.
“What the—” The man with the gun was startled when he saw Cade standing before him.
There was no time to waste if he wanted to hold onto his chance of escaping. He didn't know how much of the hour was left, but he had to have waited a solid thirty minutes at least before enacting the first stage of his plan so he didn't have much time left to waste.
Because he was still hoping not to alert anyone remaining in the building that he was staging an escape attempt, instead of firing one of the weapons he’d taken from the guards he’d killed, Cade swung out using his claimed weapon more like a club to knock the man sideways and unbalance him. Then he reached out with one hand, grabbed the man’s weapon with his free one, and yanked as hard as he could while sidestepping and tossing the man down the stairs.
Each thump he made as his body connected had Cade wincing.
Not because he cared if the man was hurting, but because each sound seemed so loud to his ears that he was sure it must be echoing through the entire building, a beacon calling in anyone within hearing distance.
But nobody came.
At the bottom of the stairs, the man lay still. Possibly not dead, but hopefully incapacitated enough that he wasn't going to be a problem.
Not wanting to waste precious seconds by running back down the stairs and checking on him, finishing him off if need be, Cade instead headed out through the door and then paused to close and lock it behind him. If the man was still alive this would at least keep him contained.
With the door safely locked, he took a second to rest his aching leg and check his surroundings. From what he could see, he was in some sort of small office building. The basement wasn't big enough to be an underground parking lot or anything, but he was standing at the bottom of a stairwell like one you'd find in an office building.
This had to be the ground floor because he’d just come up from the basement, so he moved carefully, ignoring the throbbing in his leg, and moved so he could see how many flights of stairs went up above him.
It looked like five which meant this building wasn't anything too large.
What he cared more about, though, was how many people were currently still inside and where it was located.
It couldn’t be overly remote given that most office buildings were in central locations, but he needed to be sure. Given how badly his leg was hurting, he couldn’t hike a huge distance to get himself back to civilization.
Then a picture of his daughter’s smiling face and Gabriella’s tinkling laugh flitted through his mind and Cade knew he would absolutely walk a thousand miles if that was what it took to get home to his girls.
Heading for the door that would lead out of the stairwell, Cade inched it open just enough to peer through and saw a large lobby area with several doors leading to other rooms.
There was also a door leading outside.
Since he could not know if any of the other rooms were occupied, he would have to risk making a run for it. There was no cover out there. As soon as he stepped through this door, he’d be an easy target, but it wasn't like just staying there was an option.
Three of the five men he knew had abducted him were either dead or contained in the basement, but that still left two others.
Even injured, he wouldn't hesitate to take them on and do whatever it took to win.
Fighting wasn't the issue, it was being shot in the back while he made a run for freedom that had his heart knocking on his chest.
He and Gretel had gotten together while he was in training, so even from the very beginning of his career he’d always had every reason in the world to make it home alive. It meant he’d long since developed the skills of being careful in any situation, no matter how dangerous it might be.
Never had the stakes felt so high.
Dying now would leave his daughter an orphan, and he had a feeling Gabriella had done so much more than any of them realized to protect his daughter. They both needed him and the thought of failing them left him barely able to breathe.
The longer he waited the higher the chance that someone was going to see him.
Sooner or later one or both of the remaining men would come to check on him and their colleagues. If nothing else, he was sure they had been informed of John’s orders that if they hadn't heard from him in an hour, they were to kill their prisoner.
That hour had to be close to being up, and if they found him lurking around, they would likely open fire. They’d be both following their boss’ orders and eliminating him as a threat.
Still, there wasn't any other option.
He was going to have to risk crossing the open space and pray for the best.
Focusing his energy, he did his best to convince himself this was no different than any other op he’d ever been on but was failing miserably.
As he edged open the door he debated his three options. He could either go slow, stick to the walls, or get down low and crawl on his stomach to the door, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Or he could just go for it and run. The first option might be the safer but it was also slower, and he wanted to get the hell out of there.
Deciding he had to play it safe no matter how badly he wanted to get out, get to a phone, and call his brothers, Cade slipped through the door and immediately down to his stomach.
Better to be safe than sorry.
Dragging his injured leg behind him, he slithered along like a snake toward the door, the weapons clutched in one hand.
“Hey!”
Damn .
Halfway to the door he’d gotten caught.
Knowing that he had a limited amount of time if he wanted to get the odds back in his favor, he rolled onto his knees, his thigh burning with the sudden movement, and the weapon in his hands aimed in the direction the voice had come from.
It was one of the remaining two guards, and the man was pointing a weapon directly at his head.
But he was doing the same.
Which left them at an impasse.
For now, it was one against one, but those odds could change in a heartbeat if the guy summoned his partner.
Taking perhaps the biggest risk of his life, Cade acted because he knew if he didn't, it was already over for him.
This at least gave him a chance.
Ignoring the weapon aimed at his head, he lunged toward the man. Tackling him around the legs, he took him down and they both hit the ground.
Cade swung his weapon, connected with the man’s head, and was rewarded with a grunt of pain. The man was down but not out, and he kicked out, one of his feet connecting with the wound on Cade’s leg and he bit back a howl of pain.
For a second the world spun around him.
Realizing he’d scored a direct hit the man brought back his foot and slammed it out harder this time.
White dots danced in front of his eyes, and Cade swayed and then toppled sideways as the pain in his leg soared until it consumed him in a fiery ball of red-hot agony.
Kicking him one last time, the man broke free of Cade’s weakening hold and shoved back to his feet, reclaiming his weapon and staring down at him with a triumphant smile.
He’d won and Cade had lost.
Only the loss wasn't just his life, it was also everything the people he loved would suffer as well. His daughter would lose her only remaining parent, Gabriella would lose what could have been between them if he hadn't been such a coward and just admitted he had feelings for her, and his brothers would lose another family member.
Too much loss, too much death, too much suffering and grief.
If he could change it, he would.
But there was nothing he could do to change the fact that he was looking down the barrel of a weapon.
Shifting his gaze, he met the eyes of the man holding that weapon. If he was going to die, he was going to do it facing his death head-on. No hiding, no cowering, he’d done that enough the last few years and it wasn't how he wanted to spend his final moments on earth.
I'm sorry, Essie. Never forget that your daddy loves you.
I'm sorry, Gabriella. I should have given you—us—a chance.
September 7 th
9:36 A.M.
The waiting was killing her.
Gabriella was going to lose her mind if they didn't hear from Cooper or Cole soon.
This was too much.
The pressure, the anxiety, the gut-curdling fear.
There was no way she could keep going on like this.
How had Cade survived when it was his own child who’d been taken from him?
Well, she supposed he hadn't.
That’s why he was the one currently being held hostage.
The guys had gotten an address from John Gaccione. She had no idea how, nor did she want to know, but she would be forever grateful to them for whatever they’d done in that room that had elicited those blood-chilling screams and got them an address.
Connor had stayed with her and Becca at the Prey building while Cooper and Cole had gone after Cade. She’d wanted to insist that Connor go with them. They weren't sure what they were walking into, and the more of them against John’s men the better. But Becca had clearly needed Connor close by as the reality of what could have happened to her while she was vulnerable in Cambodia truly sank in.
The three of them were upstairs, sitting in an office she knew was Cade’s because of the photos of Essie on the desk and her artwork hanging on the walls. She wasn't sure if Connor had chosen this room at random since it was the closest office to the lobby, or because he knew she needed to feel close to Cade right now.
While the others sat on the couch in one corner of Cade’s office, she paced about, unable to be still, needing a way to work out the terror-fueled energy buzzing inside her. Fears about how she would tell Essie if the worst happened, and how she would raise the girl on her own at least served the purpose of numbing her pain. She was still a mottled mess of bruises, and the bite mark on her breast hurt just from the feel of the material of her sweater brushing against it.
When Connor’s phone rang, she froze.
Good news or bad?
Was her life about to irrevocably change?
Becca squeezed Connor’s free hand as he answered the call, and they locked their gazes on her.
Reading Connor’s expression was impossible. Was it Cooper or Cole? Had they found Cade? Had they been able to rescue him? Was he dead or alive?
Connor didn't say much and what he did speak was mostly drowned out by the thudding of her pulse echoing in her ears. As much as she needed to know what had happened, Gabriella was also aware that these might be the last few seconds where she had hope.
Once she heard the news there would be no going back.
“Wh-what did they s-say?” she stammered as soon as Connor lowered the phone.
Seconds felt like years as he stood and crossed to stand before her. It was bad news. Had to be. Tremors wracked her body. She wanted to know, but at the same time she didn't.
Then his face broke into a smile. “He’s alive, Gabriella. Cade is alive and safe.”
Relief hit her so hard her knees buckled, and she would have hit the floor if Connor hadn't whipped out an arm and wrapped it around her waist to hold her up.
“He’s a-alive?” she repeated, the words not fully sinking in yet. What if this was just a dream, and she was going to wake up to find that Cade was still missing or worse, dead?
“Alive,” Connor confirmed.
Tears blurred her vision. “Is he okay?”
His smile dipped a little but didn't disappear altogether. “He’s got a nasty wound on his leg, and he’s lost a bit of blood. Coop said he’s also got lots of bruises and some smaller cuts, but he’s not going to die.”
“Can I speak to him?” Knowing he was alive wasn't the same thing as hearing his voice, hearing him tell her himself, maybe then she could actually believe it.
“He’s unconscious at the moment, but they have an ambulance on the way, and we can meet up with them at the hospital,” Connor told her.
Unconscious.
So not that okay after all.
The tremors wracking her body increased, and she saw concern in Connor’s gray eyes. They all knew, her included, that she wasn't okay. Just like they all knew she’d been pretending that she was both for Essie’s benefit and so that everybody’s focus could remain on searching for Cade. She wasn't eating or sleeping, she was running on fear and adrenalin, and it wasn't sustainable.
Sooner or later, she was going to crash.
But not today.
Today was a day for celebrating.
“Yes, I want to go to the hospital. I’ll call Essie on the way and tell her that her daddy is coming home, but I won't tell her he’s hurt. I don’t want her to worry until she can see him for herself.”
“Cole called Jake while Cooper called me, so they’ll know and be waiting for you to tell Essie. They’ll keep her occupied, and once Cade is awake, they can bring her to the hospital.”
Together the three of them rushed through the building and into Connor’s car. As soon as they were on the way Gabriella pulled out her phone. She knew how worried Essie was about her daddy, and she didn't want the child to worry a second longer than she had to.
Since Cole had called Jake, she called Jax just in case Jake was still on the phone. He picked up almost immediately.
“Hey, Gabs, you calling to tell Essie the good news?”
“Yeah. Is she okay?” Leaving the little girl this morning hadn't been easy, but she knew it was the right thing to do. She couldn’t help but feel the whole kidnapping was her fault. After all, she was the one who had insisted on keeping Essie’s routine as normal as possible. So she had a duty to do whatever she could to help find Cade and bring him home.
“She’s fine. Beating the socks off us at Mario Kart,” Jax replied.
That made her chuckle. “She’s four, the only reason she’s beating you and Jake is because you're amazing uncles who like to build her confidence by letting her win.”
“Kid’s got lots of natural talent, she could definitely be a race car driver when she grows up.”
“Cade would just love that.” Actually, he wouldn't care what Essie wanted to do with her life so long as she was happy. He was a good dad who would support his daughter in anything she wanted to do. How different her own life might have turned out if either of her parents had been like Cade.
Jax chuckled. “He’d be the proudest dad around. I’ll get messy Essie for you.”
“I'm not messy, Uncle Jax.” Essie huffed in the background, making Gabriella smile.
“Hey, cuddle bug,” she said a moment later.
“Gabby, I miss you, I want you to come home,” Essie said.
“I miss you, too, sweetie. So much, but I have the very best news to tell you.”
“Daddy is coming home?” the little girl asked hopefully.
“Yep, he is! I’m just going to see him right now, and then in a bit, Uncle Jake and Uncle Jax will bring you to see him.”
“I want to go now.”
“I know you do, cuddle bug. But remember how after we got away from the bad men we had to have a doctor check us out? Well, that’s what daddy has to do, too. The hospital is so boring so it’s better for you to stay home and play until Daddy is ready to see you,” she explained.
“Okay,” Essie reluctantly agreed.
“I’ll talk to you soon, sweetie. I love you.”
“Love you, Gabby.”
After hanging up she wriggled in her seat, desperate to get to Cade. The drive didn't take more than fifteen minutes, but it felt like a lifetime.
As soon as they parked and went through the emergency room doors, they were met by Cole who led them through to the small room where Cade was lying on a bed.
The first thing that hit her when she finally laid eyes on him was that he looked uncharacteristically vulnerable. His big body was so still and there were bruises on his pale skin. With his eyes closed he looked like he was sleeping but not peacefully. Even unconscious, he couldn’t seem to fully relax.
“We’ll be right outside,” Cole told her gently, and she was vaguely aware of the others moving outside the little curtained-off room, but most of her attention remained fixated on the man lying in bed.
Slowly, she moved toward him. When she reached the bed, Gabriella moved a hand to cover one of his but stopped before making contact. Things had always been weird between them because she liked him as more than a boss and yet knew her feelings would never be reciprocated.
But now they were even weirder.
She was at least partially responsible for his daughter being kidnapped, but he’d saved them both, been using her old ragdoll as a security item, and given her custody of his daughter. She didn't know what that meant but she did know that her love for this man had only grown over these last several hellish days.
A surge of pent-up emotion had all the feelings she’d been keeping bottled up exploding out in a flood of tears, and she snatched up Cade’s limp hand and brought it to her face, rubbing her wet cheek on it, feeling like her whole world was hanging in the balance. Only she didn't know if she was going to find everything she’d ever wanted or once again be left alone out in the cold.