Caged Desire (Vengeance Unhinged #2)

Chapter One

Fly

The jostling of the van halted abruptly and I rolled, smashing into the wall of the vehicle. We'd travelled for several hours; my arms tied behind my back the whole time. My leg throbbed, right where I'd broken it only a couple of weeks ago.

The doors were thrown open and a flashlight shone directly in my face.

I cringed and closed my eyes, trying to shuffle up into a sit.

My leg wasn't strong enough to give me leverage. It wasn’t like I had any extra support because I had cut the cast off to help me get around better. I fucking regretted it now.

“What the fuck do you want?” I snapped, glaring when the light disappeared and someone grabbed me under the armpits, dragging me out of the van.

I yelled as my leg hit the floor jarringly. “Be careful, you a-hole, or I'll cut your dick off!”

Blinking, I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the darkness that surrounded us. There were two men holding me, big son of a bitches who hadn't worked out a day in their life but had eaten a cow and grown even taller than me.

“Shut the fuck up,” one of them grunted.

Yanking me, they led me away from the van and into the darkness. Shadowy trees surrounded us, the call of an owl alerting me to the wildlife nearby. If they let me go, I'd be fine. We'd camped out many times when we were young, I could escape these assholes.

“Over there,” one of them muttered, “Lock him inside.”

My eyes were drawn to the silhouette of a building, small with a chimney and windows. Oh, even better, I could just break the lock off after recovering. My leg was throbbing like a bitch.

The first man held me tight, pinching my arm as he dragged me all the way to the door.

“Don't let go of him,” he said to his buddy, “He's dangerous.”

A little spark of pride lifted the corner of my lip into my cheek. Whoever they were, they knew me well. Although, I was weak as fuck right now. Wait. If they knew who I was… it only meant one thing.

“Fucking hell, you're with them.” Thrusting sideways as the door swung open, I head-butted the first guy.

The other guy grabbed me in a bear hug, kicking my ankle and lifting me from the ground.

The pain in my leg exploded and I yelled, thrashing around so big guy had no choice but to throw me down.

I landed on the wooden floor of the cabin and scrambled forward, crawling for his legs.

Considering his weight, he was quick, backtracking straight out of the door and slamming it shut behind him.

I screamed and leapt up, gripping the handle and wrenching.

The door budged slightly, moving back and forth as the guy on the other side tried to hold it tight.

“He's fucking demented!” I heard him say to his friend, “Lock it!”

The door remained shut as I pulled, my scream echoing around the cabin. They'd both managed to get a hold of it and the key turned, clunking the lock into place.

“Fuck!” I shouted, punching the door. “Fuck off! Let me out, you pricks!”

I went quiet when I heard one of them talking. “He might get out.”

“I see why they told us to be careful with him,” the other replied. “Let's go. If he gets out, it isn’t our problem. We've done what they asked.”

“You're fucking weaklings,” I called, “allowing them to control you. I will find you and I will take you out. You weren’t on my special list but now you are!”

Their retreating footsteps sent heat flying over my skin and I punched the door before moving to the window, looking out into the darkness. They were climbing into the van quickly, the lights flaring and highlighting the outside area.

My breath huffed as I searched the surroundings that were bathed in light. There were trees, trees and nothing but fucking trees. The van turned around and drove off along a dirt track. That track was also lined with… yep, fucking trees.

As the red lights faded, I turned to my jail and looked around.

There was a bed in the left corner and a fireplace in the center of the room.

A small kitchen area was to the right and a door led to a tiny bathroom behind that.

The place was pretty decent considering it was where they clearly locked people up.

Groaning, I paced the room, trying to ignore the throb of my leg as I checked everywhere for cameras. There weren't any that I could see. If it was the cult, they were pretty hot on surveillance, which was why it had taken us five years to escape.

“How the fuck did they find us?” I muttered to no one.

Going to the bed, I sat down and lifted my leg, wincing from the pain that now radiated throughout the limb.

I’d been fucking busy before they’d grabbed me. It had been satisfying seeing Brandon, the man who had broken my leg, lying in his own pool of blood. In fact, I'd wanted to help Ant get rid of him, but I'd been kidnapped from outside the van that held his body.

The guys would be crazy by now, wondering where I’d gone.

When Ant had pulled up to get food before our dig, he’d left me waiting in the van.

I had no idea if he had seen who had taken me.

He had been preoccupied inside and I'd not told him I needed a piss.

We'd become too complacent and distracted by Moth's vendetta against Brandon.

The man wasn't on his hit-list until Alia had come back into our lives.

And that was why we'd sworn to stay the fuck away from women. They were only good for one thing, and that was to meet a need, nothing else.

My skin went cold as my fury burned low, the embers flickering out. I was stuck in the fucking hut with no idea how to get out or if the guys had any leads. We'd been searching for Moth for days, only getting lucky when we'd gone to Brandon's house and followed his car.

He'd been leading us on a chase for a couple of days, but eventually, he let his guard down, growing desperate to play out his sick and twisted fantasy.

Just one look at the warehouse had told me what I needed to know about the psychopath. If Moth hadn't slit his throat, I would've done it for him.

Shivering, I grabbed hold of the blanket underneath me and wrapped it around my shoulders. My adrenaline had been pumping since we'd caught sight of Brandon's car. We'd kept back, following him with a drone before arriving at the warehouse ten minutes after him.

As soon as I'd seen what Moth had done to Brandon, I'd switched into clean-up mode. We had to clear as much evidence as we could, including his body. It hadn’t been easy with my painful leg, but I’d done what any one of us would do.

Moth and Alia couldn't be implicated in his murder, or the police would come sniffing around.

My eyes closed as I lay down, resigned to a night in the hut.

My leg screamed in pain and I tried to block it out, once again ignoring it as if it wasn't there.

I'd been through worse pain before. Images of when I'd been lashed with a belt, across the back, twenty times crashed into my mind as I sunk backwards.

Shaking my head, I pushed the memory away and settled down, ready to preserve my energy.

I needed a clear head if I wanted to kill whoever opened the door in the morning.

*

The rumble of an engine woke me from a restless sleep.

Jerking up, I got to my feet and hobbled over to the window, looking out to see who had arrived.

The van from the night before was in front of the hut, reversing so its rear was close to the door.

Clearly they were going to transport me somewhere else.

Fuck that, I would rather die than go back to the cult. If that's who had me.

The slam of the door on the other side of the van had me stepping back. I needed them to come inside to get me. If I went for them as soon as the door opened, they'd just shut it.

A feminine voice accompanied a male one as they approached the front door. I braced myself near the brick chimney, scanning the area for potential weapons.

The lock on the door clunked and slowly opened. Standing on the other side was one of the goons from last night and a female.

“You…” I spat, heat instantly running over my skin.

“Nate.” The woman with thick brown hair and big brown eyes greeted me. “It's been a minute.”

Clenching my fists at my sides, I took several deep breaths and tried to slow my erratic heartbeat.

I hadn't seen the face of my enemy’s daughter for ten years.

She'd almost thwarted our plan to escape from the compound, but I'd knocked her out…

leaving her at the edge of the forest, not caring if she lived or died. Apparently, she'd survived.

Stepping inside, the woman looked around and smirked. “This place is far too good for you.”

A burst of laughter escaped me as I stared. I caught the bob of a swallow in her neck, despite the harsh line of her soft jaw and the slight frown of her full lips. She was nervous, even if she was trying her hardest to appear aloof.

“My name is Fly.”

“Really?” She looked over her shoulder, casually checking whether her bodyguard was close by.

He'd shuffled in beside her, a baseball bat in his hands. No doubt she had a gun tucked in her jacket somewhere, the cult was prone to using force of any kind to get what they wanted. Although, use of guns was strictly limited to emergency situations, just in case the police caught wind.

“Yes, really.” I stared directly into her eyes. “Brittney.”

“I prefer Brit,” she snapped, “now get in the van.”

Chuckling, I looked to her man and raised my eyebrows. “You going to force me with that, bud?”

He smiled and shook his head, “Your leg is wrecked. Why don't you come nicely to avoid further injury?”

Snorting, I shook my head roughly. He was an idiot if he believed that I'd go anywhere with them willingly. I'd lose my leg before I gave in to the cult.

“Maybe an incentive will work?” Brit tilted her head to the side, her dark hair brushing her elbow as she folded her arms across her chest. “A chance to talk one to one with my father?”

“Why the fuck would I want to do that?” I spat. “That piece of shit needs a gun to the head. I'm short of a gun right now. Do you have one I can borrow?”

She gave an ironic grin. “I don't have clearance for a gun.”

“He still doesn't trust you?” I smirked. “After all this time?”

Running her tongue over her teeth, she stared at me, not replying to my jibe. Ah, it was still plain that she was not daddy’s favorite girl. Brit had tried hard to get her father's approval, and always failed, despite her wins for the cult.

My gaze traced down her figure, admiring the cut of her cream suit jacket and the knee-length black skirt. Her black kitten heels were totally inappropriate for a visit to the woods.

“Stop that,” she barked, stepping towards me, her teeth gritted and her cheeks pink.

Launching forward, I grabbed her, spinning her around and holding her against my chest. She threw her heel backwards, grazing the healing stitches on my leg. I grunted, tightening my grip around her shoulders.

I had no weapons, but the chimney breast was solid stone, perfect to smash her head against. Her friend surged forward, his bat swinging.

“Don't!” Brit shouted, holding out a hand to stop him.

The wooden weapon smashed into her fingers and she howled, going weak in my arms. I smiled at the man as he retreated, his eyes wide with fear. Oh good, he was afraid of what punishment he'd get for not protecting the leader's little girly.

“Just step aside,” I said, moving Brit closer to the stone chimney, “and I won't hurt her.”

Dropping the bat, her accomplice stepped over to the bed and raised his hands in surrender. Looking down at my captive, I fixed her with an appraising stare. She scowled and struggled against me, using her good hand.

“It was good to see you, sweet cheeks.” Shoving her to the floor, hard, I headed towards the door, hobbling as fast as I could.

Ignoring the pain, I glanced over my shoulder as Brit leaned up on one hand.

Our gaze met and the hatred I'd felt all those years ago bubbled in my chest. Shit, I'd forgotten how fucked up she'd been, constantly trying to get on her father's good side.

She'd bullied us for him, taking pleasure in our pain. I'd never considered putting her on our hit-list, purely because there were a lot of people on there already, and she didn’t know the full extent of her father’s abuse. Now, though… she was fair game.

“Or not,” I muttered, pushing through the door and heading towards the van, checking the driver’s side.

Luckily, the idiot man had left his keys in the ignition, maybe he was saving time in case I was out of control.

Good, it just helped my cause. Climbing in, I checked the gearbox, laughing when the automatic stick shifted into drive as soon as the engine fired up. Oh yes, mother luck was on my side.

The passenger door opened as I hit the gas and Brit jumped in, a gun extended towards me. Grinning manically, I drove forward, staring into her eyes as I floored the accelerator. If I was going to be shot, I'd do her some damage on the way.

She screamed and barely held on as her door slammed shut. The van catapulted forward, heading straight for a tree.

“Nate!” she cried, her eyes wide as she looked ahead.

“See you in hell, bitch!” I muttered, smiling as the tree came straight for us… or the other way around.

The crunch of metal resounded in my head as we jerked and I scrunched my eyes closed, my body flinging forward with the impact. Pain shot through my head and I groaned as the van settled, the silence filling my mind.

Holding a hand to my forehead, I cringed and blinked my eyes open, examining the blood on my fingers.

Brit whimpered beside me, her eyes flickering open.

Her head was bleeding too, a nasty gash visible on her cheek.

Any other man would've admired her quiet beauty, wanting to protect and serve, to make sure she was okay.

Not me, though. I stayed frozen, staring at the woman who had broken me, colluding with her father.

My eyes danced with stars as she glanced up at me, her face contorted in pain. A zip of pleasure awakened my nerves and blood rushed to my cock. Seeing her in pain awoke something within me.

“Nate,” she whispered, trying to shift and failing.

Her friend's footsteps sounded outside and I reached down, placing my hand over her mouth and nose. Her eyes widened as my head pounded and black shadows rushed into the side of my eyes… swallowing me under… hopefully for the last ever time.