14. Taken #3
He slowed for the red light coming off the exit ramp.
He would have run it, but there was a car stopped ahead of him.
He checked Halston’s location. She was in an unmarked building in Annandale.
The light turned green, the driver didn’t move.
Gabriel honked, the driver inched through the intersection.
“What the hell?”
He pulled around, cleared the intersection and hit the gas. GPS put him at five minutes out. Though his heart rate wasn’t elevated, he was concerned… very concerned. Rather than get caught up in the “what ifs” he kept his attention on the road, on the other cars.
Three minutes later, he sped into the parking lot, slammed on his brakes at the entrance, and cut the engine.
A stand-alone building with prison bars over the windows. No lights in the parking lot, none on the building. The place looked abandoned, but the lot was filled with twenty vehicles and a smattering of motorcycles.
He jumped out of his truck, shoved on his helmet, strapped on his long rifle. He was going to find Halston and take out anyone who stood in his way. At the front door, he pulled the handle.
Locked.
As adrenaline pounded through him, he pulled his CANiK.
BANG!
He yanked open the door and stormed inside. The lights were so dim, he lowered the goggles.
A members-only nightclub. He scanned in search of his target. Booths were filled with couples, several people were seated at the bar. A brute of a man strode over.
“Get out.” He spoke with a thick Russian accent. “Private.”
Gabriel raised his long gun. “Get the fuck out of my way.” He shot the Russian in the chest.
RATATAT!!!!
Several people ran screaming out while two men came charging at him, one with a pistol aimed at his chest.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Gabriel pounded them with bullets.
RATATATATATATATAT!!!!!
He strode toward a door in the back, flung it open. This room was bathed in red lights, naked people fucking in pairs or small groups. Gabriel scanned for Halston.
She wasn’t there.
“Where’s Donskoy?” he roared.
Everyone froze, mid fuck.
A women pointed toward another door. Gabriel strode over, opened it. In seconds, he found his target.
Halston was strapped to a St. Andrews cross in her bra and panties. A shirtless Donskoy stood nearby, downing vodka from a bottle.
Fury turned Gabriel into a savage.
“Say adios motherfucker.” Gabriel raised the long gun and opened fire, releasing a torrent of lead into the Russian.
RATATATATATATATATATATAT!!!
Pelted with bullets, Donskoy dropped. Gabriel raced over to Halston. She wasn’t conscious.
“Halston, I got you. You’re safe.”
Her reply was a series of garbled, unintelligible words. He unstrapped her wrists and ankles, helped her into her coat. When he turned, two armed Russian bouncers blocked the entrance.
He pointed his long gun at them. “Get the fuck out of my way.” The words came out in a seething rage, his voice so filled with hatred, even he didn’t recognize it.
One of them raised his gun. Gabriel unleashed another torrent of bullets.
RATATATATATATATATATATAT!!!
With his arm around Halston and the long gun at the ready, he made his way into the orgy room, now empty. He was confident he’d have to shoot his way out. But he would fight to his death. Tightening his grip around her waist, he bolted into the lounge. Also cleared out.
Outside he went, the frigid cold a welcomed relief. In the parking lot, two men stood in front of his vehicle, both pointing their pistols at him.
Again, he raised the long gun, opened fire.
RATATATATATATATATATATAT!!!
He rushed Halston to the vehicle, placed her in the passenger seat. Then, he ran around, set the helmet and long gun on the seat behind his, and jumped behind the wheel. Before leaving, he looked for surveillance cameras. While he didn’t see any on the building, there could have been some inside.
“Halston,” he said. “It’s Gabriel. I’m taking you somewhere safe.”
He drove around the bodies and out of the parking lot. At a nearby shopping center, he stopped, removed his ski mask.
“Halston,” he said. “Can you open your eyes?”
Her head had been drooped over, but she lifted it. “Vomit.”
He strode around, unbuckled her, and helped her out. She retched on the ground while he rubbed her back.
When she finished, she said, “I need water.”
He secured her in his truck, drove to the nearest gas station. “I’m running inside to grab you water.”
Halston’s eyes were closed. “I’ll be okay.”
He cut the engine, locked her in. Inside the convenience store, he grabbed a six-pack of chilled spring water, tossed a twenty on the counter.
“Keep the change.”
Back in the vehicle, he twisted open the bottle. She opened her eyes, offered a weak smile. “Thank you.”
He held it to her lips. She wrapped her fingers around the bottle, drank down several gulps. “Enough.”
He screwed on the lid.
“Were you raped?” he asked.
“No,” she replied. “You got to me in time.”
“That motherfucker drugged you, didn’t he?”
“He had the server do it.” She spoke so softly, he had to lean close to hear her. “I only had two sips of the vodka, which Donskoy finished. I asked for water. The waiter brought all the drinks.”
“You should never have gone.”
“I need something to eat.”
Gabriel made a call.
“Yo,” Teddy answered.
“I need your help.”
“Go.”
“In person.”
“I’m at home.”
Gabriel hung up, glanced over at Halston. She was sleeping, but he had to check her pulse. Slow and strong.
“I’m alive,” she whispered. “What are you going to tell them?”
“I need them to know how bad this was,” Gabriel said, “but how much I say is up to you.”
Halston opened her eyes. They were bloodshot.
“Halston, I know this is difficult,” Gabriel said. “Should we stop by the hospital for a rape kit?”
“I wasn’t assaulted,” she said. “I was drugged, but he was waiting for me to wake up.”
“I’mma kill the waiter,” Gabriel said.
“No.” Halston drank down more water as Gabriel drove out.
While he should have been relieved, he wasn’t. He’d shot up another group of Russians. At the moment, he didn’t give a fuck. He’d gone there with a single goal—get Halston out alive. And he’d achieved it. But… in the light of day… he might care, especially if someone came looking for him.
Or her.
Halston slept while he drove to Alexandria. As he got closer, he called Teddy again.
“I’ve got Halston with me and we need to park in the garage.”
“Gotcha,” Teddy replied. “How far away are you?”
“I just pulled into your neighborhood, stopped to see if I’m being tailed. I doubt it. Everyone either fled or is dead.”
“G, what have you done now?” Teddy murmured.
As Gabriel approached the house, the garage door opened. Teddy backed out. Gabriel drove in and helped Halston inside.
Sydney stood in the kitchen wearing a sweatshirt and shorts. When she eyed them, concern filled her face as she rushed over. “What happened?”
“I was drugged,” Halston murmured, her speech slow. “Kidnapped and almost sexually assaulted.”
“Jesus,” Teddy bit out.
“Gabriel got to me in time, got me out.”
“Let me get you something to wear.” Sydney hurried out of the room.
Teddy stood there, his mouth agape. “I don’t even know what to say. Do you need to go to the hospital?”
“Gabriel asked me that,” Halston murmured. “I don’t, but I would like to shower off the filth of that animal.” Her gaze found Gabriel’s. “I’m glad you took him out, but I would have liked to do the honors.”
Sydney hurried back in, clothing in her hands.
“Would you mind if I showered?” Halston asked.
“I can take you,” Sydney said, “unless you want G.”
Though slow to move, Halston hugged Gabriel. “You risked your life to save mine and you killed for me. You are the bravest man I have ever known.”
He kissed her forehead. “My queen.”
With support from Sydney, Halston retreated upstairs.
Alone in the kitchen with his brother.
“What happened?” Teddy asked.
“In order to rescue her, I took out some Russians at a BDSM club.”
“G, they’re gonna come after you.”