Assassin Treasure (Assassins Book 4) (5 page)

“You know Carrie is due any day. I should be home with my daughter. What the hell are you doing out here?” Dirk snapped.

“Becoming one with nature,” Damien replied sarcastically, scratching in various places.

“You hate nature. Hell, nature hates you even more.”

“I also hate having a witness running wild.”

Dirk exhaled slowly. “Start explaining.”

“A young woman saw me plug Darren. She got away from me and came here. The cops are already looking for her. She’s seen me and can ID me. She’s around here somewhere. I’ve been tracking her all fucking last night and today,” Damien said with annoyance, his eyes critically scanning the area.

“Please. Little brother you couldn’t track the washrooms down at a department store if there were signs, bells and whistles,” Dirk said scornfully.

“Ha ha, so help me out. We need to get the girl and get out of here.”

“You’re right about that. I need to get back to Carrie. I want to be there when my first grandchild makes her way into the world,” Dirk said, a soft smile now on his lips, brightening his eyes.

“You mean Tyr is actually allowing you into the delivery room?” Damien said incredulous. “And how can you be so sure it’s a girl, both Carrie and Tyr want it to be a surprise and have refused ultrasounds. You know it could be a boy.”

The two men moved off with Dirk taking in the signs of the ground. It was well known Damien’s brother, Dirk, and his new assassin son-in-law didn’t get along. Dirk had never forgiven Tyr for taking his only precious child to a slaver’s home after purchasing her from a notorious dealer. The fact the two had fallen desperately in love annoyed the man to no end.

“Tyr has no choice, Carrie wants me there, and I don’t care what the sex of the baby is. But you better believe Tyr was thrilled I had to go looking for you, and out of his way,” Dirk hissed on a hushed voice.

“Sorry,” Damien mumbled.

“Look,” Dirk said quietly, he pointed and Damien could just barely make out the opening of a small dark hole, well hidden, under the cabin. Obvious signs of recent inhabitation were numerous. He shook his head in amazement. He knew his brother would find her, but his rapid tracking abilities always garnered deep admiration. Damien wished he was in possession of the same skills.

“Son of a...” Damien declared angrily.

“Shh, no noise,” Dirk warned, a finger to his lips.

They approached the tiny opening. Peeking in with caution, they were able to make out the woman’s slumbering form in the semidarkness. Her breathing was regular and unhurried. She was oblivious to them. With a wave of his arm, Dirk motioned his brother to retrieve her. With grim determination, Damien intended to do just that.

* * * *

Candy was startled awake when a hand gripped her wrist and another covered her mouth, dragging her out into the open, fading sunlight. She struggled wildly, but was held in a firm grip, captured powerfully to a broad chest. Candy kicked her feet with force, and to her dismay another man stepped from the foliage and grabbed them, holding her tightly. Tears of anger and fear began to stream down her face. There were two of them.
Good God, where the hell had the other one
come from?
Both were huge, she’d never escape now.

“Hold still, damn you,” Damien commanded.

It was apparent he was having trouble holding her wildly flailing form, while maneuvering around the dense underbrush; he kept tripping on the many logs and rocks with prickly vines tugging on him. His grip slipped.

Candy pulled her legs forward with determination and then pushed with all her might against the new man’s solid chest, connecting with a hard thud. He groaned in surprise, released her, fell backward tripping over a log and banged into a tree. She slipped further as Damien almost dropped her. Encouraged she might actually get away; she used another tree as leverage and shoved herself off it. Her feet planted solidly, sending Damien flying backward. The two hit the ground heavily and his arms tightened around her, crushing her ribs.

She squirmed around catching a glimpse of Damien’s features, what she saw on his face made her freeze for a split second, her eyes widened. She could see Damien was pissed; having slammed his side into a decaying log that lay beneath them, and from the look on his enraged face she knew it was the last straw. She began to struggle with renewed vigor.

“Damn you, girl,” Damien bellowed. “I’ve been eaten alive out here. I’m hungry, itchy and thirsty. Look at my damned clothes. Do you know how expensive these were? Now they’re ripped and torn from the damned rotting plants. My brother is pissed at me; no doubt my father will lecture me when I get home.
That’s damned well it.”

In one fluid motion he shoved her to arm’s length, keeping a firm grip entangled in her baggy sweatshirt, pulled his gun, and pressed the muzzle into her temple. Candy stilled instantly. She whimpered, remembering Tyler’s sightless expression gazing through her from the floor.

“Please, don’t shoot.”

Damien released her clothing to grip her chin and turned her head to gaze into her eyes. “If I give blood out here one more time, I’ll be tempted to use yours as a replacement,” he snarled.

Candy waited for the explosion to rip through her brain; she wondered how painful her death would be. The stories of your life passing through your mind seemed somehow correct and false at the same time. How could you remember everything and yet concentrate on nothing? Endless seconds dragged by. When nothing happened, she wondered why he didn’t shoot. He finally had her. She was helpless. Out here would be the perfect spot to hide her body.

“Please don’t kill me.” She wept, slumping before him when he released her chin. Her arms covered over her head. Her head tilted to the side, peeking up at him.

Damien took a deep breath, then another; it was apparent he was trying to calm his rage. He slapped at another mosquito then viciously itched at the palm of his hand. He holstered his weapon and hauled Candy to her feet by the scruff of her sweatshirt. He struggled out of the foliage dragging her with him. Back at his fire he released her, and Candy slumped to her knees.

“Dirk, will you please get me the hell out of here,” Damien snarled to his brother.

* * * *

Dirk chuckled at his brother’s exasperated expression. He looked pathetic with the numerous patches of poison ivy adorning his face and neck, he was covered in red blotches from bug bites, and he smelled a wee bit…odd.
He smells like fucking shit is what he smells like
. Dirk felt almost as much pity for him as he did the girl. He noted the girl’s somewhat prone position, her body shook with violent tremors. They would have no further problems, she would come docilely now. She was exquisitely beautiful. No doubt their father would make her understand what her fate would be if she didn’t comply with their rules. He was certain she would comply. Their father could be extremely persuasive. Dirk realized suddenly it wouldn’t be long before he was expected to be the persuasive one. Once his father stepped down it would be Dirk who’d be dealing with the innocents in these situations. His father’s men would soon be his men, and they expected the head of the family to deal with circumstances such as this one.

He wondered if he should begin with this girl. She was already terrified. She’d witnessed a murder; from the way she was shaking, she no doubt figured she was next. It might not be a bad place to start, enforcing his power on an easy conquest. He wouldn’t have to be too brutal with her, certain she would listen, he wouldn’t give her any choice.

Bending down, Dirk gripped her arm cruelly, yanking her to him with grim determination. Damien was watching him with open curiosity, obviously wondering at his intent. Damien knew he was usually very gentle with women, and he loathed if they feared him.

The girl before him continued to sob. Her small hands pulled on his wrists trying to get him to release the pressure he was causing. His fist wound within the fabric to tighten within her clothing, until the back of his hand was pressed against her chest. He could feel her heart pounding under his knuckles. A cruel hand gripped her hair, knowing he was hurting her, but continuing his assault nonetheless, forcing her head up and back. He was almost a foot taller.

“You’re going to listen to me,” Dirk commanded, purposely adding a sinister fury to his voice. He knew how frightening he could look when enraged.

A terrified bright gaze was captured to his. She closed her eyes for a moment, until he shook her. He was brutal, he wanted her to see his expression and know he meant business. When her eyes flew open, he could see she did. He pulled her shivering, quaking form even closer, half lifting her from her feet to glare into her widened eyes. The girl’s breath caught, and held. He could see her trapped expression, her fear was palpable and in that moment he knew she would listen and do anything he commanded.

“You’ll never mention what occurred between Darren and Damien. You’ll forget Damien or I exist. If you don’t, I’ll take your sweet little ass to a place where pretty little girls such as yourself are highly in demand. A place of no escape. A place where you’ll learn complete and total submission. Where you’ll be fucked, repeatedly, every day until you die. Forced to commit sex acts you never would’ve dreamed possible, on more men than you can count. Do you understand?” Dirk snarled, giving her another hard shake.

He watched as her entire emotional state crumbled before him. Her face drained of all color and he knew she understood his vicious threat. She looked up at him horrified. Her mouth opened and closed as though she was miming a response, and he narrowed his gaze with annoyance and a small amount of confusion. She should be agreeing with him, not playing games. But then he witnessed the shuttering of her eyes as they glazed over, he took a calming breath and prepared himself for the inevitable.

* * * *

Candy’s eyes widened in absolute terror. She understood perfectly what he was insinuating. The man before her was threatening her with repeated rape, unspeakable horrors for the rest of her life. Why didn’t one of them just finish her? Did they want to verbally annihilate her first? If that were the case, they succeeded. She tried to plead with him, but to her utter dismay the words wouldn’t come, try though she might. Terrified at his unspeakable cruelty, her sight clouded over as a roaring sounded within her mind. Confused and frightened further at her inability to respond, she clutched at him with weak hands, her power dissipating, willing the sounds to emerge from within her throat. Only a small strangled cry escaped her lips. She could almost make out the movement of his mouth as he spoke to her again, his eyes narrowing, but her hearing failed. Her head swam; her body suddenly heavy, flooded with calm. Her legs collapsed beneath, and she slumped against Dirk’s broad chest into oblivion. For the first time in Candy’s life, she fainted.

Dirk clasped her to him so she wouldn’t fall and injure herself. For a brief moment, he held her pressed against him.

“You have such an endearing way with women.” Damien snorted. Scratching, he settled down at the fire as darkness closed around them.

Scowling, Dirk lowered her limp form to the ground, sitting beside her. “It needs to be done, and I have no doubt she’ll listen,” he insisted, though he was feeling less than victorious at his conquest. She was, after all, less than half his size and already terrified. He hadn’t counted on her fainting in her fear of him. He was going to have to handle her a bit more gently; he wouldn’t get anywhere if she kept falling unconscious. If the poor little thing found him this frightening, his father would send her into hysterics.

“Well, with you and Dad tag teaming her she’s liable to end up killing herself just to get away from you both,” Damien grouched.

“I’m going to ask Dad to let me handle this. Ever since the scare we had with Carrie, he’s been even more iron-handed than usual.”

Damien sat up straighter. “You don’t suppose he’ll just opt for bondage and move the girl, do you? Without even giving her a chance? That’s fucking harsh. He’s not usually so tough on innocents. What makes you think he’ll start with her?”

“It’s bound to be a touchy subject. Dad won’t take any chances with Carrie and his new great-grandchild; I’ve never seen him so possessive. This girl’s life is of no importance to him; all of his thoughts are focused on the family,” Dirk said. He stroked a lock of her hair from her face absently, assessing her beauty. “What’s her name?”

Dirk noted his brother watching him, and knew Damien hadn’t missed his actions. Because Dirk’s daughter had been placed in bondage, Dirk harbored a soft spot for women, and Damien would know Dirk’s threat to the girl had been an idle one. Dirk hated those places; if they weren’t a useful source of information to the organization, he’d blow every one of them to pieces.

“Her name’s Candy. Pretty little thing, huh? I followed her here to a cottage. She took off out a window and took me on a merry little chase and now here we sit. She’s got some spunk, this one. I’m glad you showed up; I don’t know where the hell we are. How the hell did you find me so fast?”

Dirk offered him a wicked grin. “I put a tracking device in your phone for this job. Tyler’s a nasty shit. I know how much the phone trackers piss you off, but it came in handy. I knew you’d be happy to see me. By the way, here are your gloves, hot shot.”

Damien was looking less than impressed. “Damn you. I should’ve known.”

Dirk laughed at him, waving his gloves, until his brother relented and smiled sheepishly. He reached over and snatched them, sticking them into his pocket.

“When I plugged Darren, Candy had been hiding under a desk. She’d no doubt been hiding from Darren before I arrived. You know what that filthy bastard was. You know why I went after him. It’s more than possible he assaulted her, or was going to.” Damien’s thoughtful look became a deep frown.

“And I just scared the shit out of her with the same type of thing,” Dirk said. “Damn. No wonder she fainted.”

“There’s a reason she came here to hide, Dirk. A reason she never went to the cops.”