Tortured Soul (8 page)

“Wash her up as best you can then wrap these around her feet for now; it will make it easier for her to walk.” Bomber handed Shakhta the shredded strips of sheet.

“I’m going to carry you to the bathroom, okay?” It wasn’t really a question. If I said no, I had a feeling he would still do it.

“Yes, Shakhta,” I whispered obediently.

He scooped me up, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. In the bathroom, I was set down on the side of a deep tub, which made me so nervous I felt sick to my stomach. He turned the water on, but didn’t put a plug in, allowing the water to flow away. Shakhta encouraged me to turn around and place my feet under the flow. Blood and grime mixed in the bottom of the white tub and raced away towards the drain.

“I’m sorry, Em, I should have thought your feet would cut on the rocks, this is my fault,” he murmured, self-discrimination prevalent in the tone of his voice. I wanted to answer him, but I couldn’t. I was too nervous being this close to a bathtub. Finally he picked me up and deposited me on the toilet lid. He began carefully drying my brutalized feet.

“I’d prefer a few cuts over bullets, Shakhta,” I was finally able to say, my voice hitching and betraying the inner turmoil I was feeling.

“Your body has seen enough pain, Em, there should be no cuts or bullets. Just peace.” His shoulders were stiff, his voice still full of recrimination.

I don’t know if it was the part of me that yearned to please my master, or just plain and simple human longing, but I wanted to take away the hurt in his voice. I wanted to make the tension in his body disappear. My hand instinctively reached out and brushed away a strand of inky black hair that hung over his eyes. Shakhta became suddenly still, and I instinctively pulled my hand away, berating myself for touching him without permission. He glanced up at me through those eyes that seemed to see everything. It was almost as if he could read my every thought. I knew he couldn’t though. If he knew the things that tumbled through my head, he would lock me away just like Jonas had said. He reached for my hand that I had placed back in my lap and brought it to his face, urging me to touch him. My hand traced the stubble of unshaven growth on his face. The skin above it smoothed out and I reveled in the feel of such masculine beauty.

“Please don’t be angry, Shakhta, it doesn’t really hurt, and in three days you’ve shown me more kindness and peace than anyone else over the last eight years.” Shakhta’s eyes fell shut and he turned his lips towards my palm. My heart began to beat furiously in my chest as I watched him with undisguised interest. He hesitated before pressing a gentle kiss to my palm, his lips warm and soft. He held himself there for what seemed like hours. As he pulled away, he took my hand and placed it back in my lap. The gesture was my undoing. A little piece of my frozen heart thawed, and just like that, Shakhta had managed to leave a permanent mark on my soul. While he offered me such a gentle touch, he also offered no more. His reluctance to touch me confused me. I wasn’t sure if he wanted me or not. Ignoring the tremulous emotions my master’s touch gave me, I concentrated on him working on the cuts on my feet. After carefully drying them, he wrapped the strips of sheets Bomber had given him around my toes, soles and ankles. It looked like I was wearing soft white ankle boots by the time he had finished. I tentatively stood, testing my weight on the makeshift shoes. The pain was distant and bearable, as usual. I nodded to Shakhta, letting him know I would be fine.

“Put these on, they’ll be a little big but they’re dry.” He handed me a pair of sweats and a shirt then left me to dress alone.

I washed my face and grimaced at the tangled mess my hair had become, but there was nothing I could do about it right now. As I left the bathroom and moved quietly back to the couch, I watched Braiden as he strapped more weapons to his body. When the sun was up, we quietly descended the stairs rather than use the elevators; Shakhta wanted to keep our presence as discreet as possible. Once we were back in the garage below the hotel, Bomber made his way towards a black SUV with equally black windows. Shakhta opened the back passenger door and I slid in. Gabbie climbed in beside me and buckled her seatbelt. When I went to reach for mine, I noticed Shakhta’s hands had beaten me to it. He pulled the sash across my lap and clicked it into place. The door promptly closed then Shakhta and Bomber climbed into the front seats, Shakhta driving. As we drove cautiously out into the streets that were now alive with activity, I watched the passing scenery with nonchalance, feeling tired and emotional after that last few days. My life had once again been thrown into disarray and I hated the unknown. At least being with Jonas was predictable. Well, until he decided to sell me of course. I took long, deep breaths as I concentrated on burying all that confusion, so I could be left in the comfortable cocoon of numbness. This was where I was truly safe. This was where I was untouchable.

BRAIDEN

We had only been on the road ten minutes when I noticed that Emily had become unnervingly still and quiet; her eyes were focused intently on the outside world, but seemed to see nothing. Her gaze never flittered; it just remained fixed on nothing. The stillness disturbed me; it was like she had withdrawn from the world and all that remained was a shell. I focused my attention on the road. I couldn’t do anything to mend Emily’s broken soul in this moment, but I could keep her safe. The airstrip out of Nassau was only a short fifteen minute drive from the hotel, but I was taking the longest route there to throw off anyone who might be following us. The streets were beginning to fill with activity, and I needed my wits about me to navigate the now busy roads.

“Boss?” murmured Bomber at my right.

I followed his gaze to a black SUV, not unlike the one we were driving, parked at the entrance to a darkened alleyway. The island was a popular tourist location, and it was not unusual to see luxury vehicles. But what did catch my eye was the unmistakable alertness of the driver and the handgun that sat blatantly on the dashboard in front of the passenger.

“Em, get down,” I calmly demanded in a voice I knew she would obey without fault. She didn’t let me down, laying her head into the gap between her and Gabbie.

“They’re following,” crooned Bomber in a sing song voice as we continued through the steady stream of traffic.

Unsure if they were tailing us, I took the next right then left.

“Still back there,” Bomber murmured.

“I’m really sure Braiden doesn’t need a running commentary,” Gabbie snapped from the back seat.

Her sudden outburst surprised me. I found myself wondering if she was angry with me over my reprimand for not putting shoes on Em. After all, it wasn’t Gabbie’s fault. What she had done was one hundred percent correct, and if our roles had been reversed, I would’ve done the exact same thing.

“Sweets, has anyone ever told you how moody you get when you’re tired?” Bomber noted.

“I am not your sweets, and you have an uncanny talent of being an annoying little shit,” Gabbie growled quietly.

I drove on, half listening to my two team members bicker while keeping an eye on the slow moving SUV in my rearview mirror. It was not uncommon for Bomber to find himself clawing under the skin of someone. He had a knack for pissing people off, but Gabbie had a knack for keeping her cool. And right now she was not entirely cool. Had Bomber done the impossible? Had he managed to rattle the impenetrable fortress of Gabbie’s calm guise?

“You seem plenty sweet enough to me.” I noticed the twinkle in Bomber’s eyes as he glanced over his shoulder, eyeing Gabriella with appreciation. “And, my sweet Spaniard, there is nothing little about me.”

I watched as Gabbie rolled her eyes and tried not to grin. I hadn’t predicted nor noticed this. There was something going on between those two, something more than two soldiers doing their job. There was most definitely sexual tension.

“Typical man, jumping to protect the honor of his dick.” Gabbie snorted.

“My dick doesn’t need protecting, its size speaks for itself. If you’re lucky, sweets, I might just show you.”

“Enough!” I finally snapped, unable to concentrate with their bickering. “Keep it zipped up, Bomber. And, Gabbie, rein it in, he’s goading you and you’re letting him. I’m gonna try and lose these assholes. I don’t want them following us to the airfield. Bomber, see if you can get ahold of our pilot.” I threw him my cell phone and pressed down on the accelerator, enough to move away from our tail, but not too fast that would create a scene.

The SUV continued to follow us at a distance, and as we grew closer to the airfield, I knew I had to lose the fucker. As I slowly approached a red light I decided to make my move. Gabbie and Bomber instinctively seemed to know this was the moment the shit was about to hit the fan and automatically palmed their weapons. The intersection was busy but I found a small gap in the flow of traffic and stomped on the accelerator. The tires spun on the asphalt, squealing loudly and drawing every eye in the vicinity our way. We moved against the red light and I swung the vehicle into the flow of traffic, narrowly missing a beat up old Mazda in the process. The car following us made a hasty attempt to pursue us, but instead of turning into the new flow of traffic we were now in, they were forced to continue through the traffic lights. I moved easily around the other cars on the road and kept a steady pace.

“Take a left,” ordered Bomber from my side.

He had already studied the streets between the hotel and the airfield, and I trusted he knew where we were going. I turned, my tires again screeching and drawing attention. I pulled the steering wheel hard, maneuvering us around a slow moving bus.

“Right,” called out Bomber again.

I desperately wanted to turn around and check on Em but didn’t want to risk taking my eyes off the road. Following Bombers directions, I knew we were quickly approaching the airfield.

“Fuck, Boss, we got another tail,” growled Gabbie from behind me.

“Right,” came Bomber’s controlled voice immediately after.

“There is no right,” I noted.

“Alleyway. It cuts through to a road which will take us straight to the airfield.”

I had complete confidence in Bomber, and when I spied the narrow alleyway, I turned hard, just making the entrance as the side-view mirror clipped the wall and broke off. I planted my foot on the accelerator and moved quickly down the alley, which was so narrow you could almost stick your hand out and touch the concrete wall. As we rapidly approached the end, a large truck backed across the opening. None of us said a word, but a deep, inhuman growl did vibrate from my chest. I laid on the horn, but the truck kept its lazy pace, the driver giving me a ‘fuck you’ look that I wanted to wipe off his face. I could have pulled my weapon out, that would no doubt have gotten compliance, but I barely had time to reach for my Glock when Gabbie shouted from the backseat.

“Company!” The truck in front of us had shuddered to a complete stop and Gabbie was already opening her door, her weapon trained on the black sedan barreling towards us from behind. Bomber and I automatically
squeezed out of our doors. Gabbie and I began firing while Bomber retrieved Emily. I didn’t even have a chance to glance at her as we crammed between the truck and the wall, then ran down the sidewalk of the busy street. People moved without hesitation when they saw us. If the weapons in our hands didn’t get them moving, the determined scowls on our faces sure did. Bomber led with Emily in tow, who looked none too happy about our situation. I wasn’t sure if her scowl was because we were being chased or that Bomber was touching her. The familiar popping of guns being fired filled my ears as Bomber pulled Emily around a corner. Gabbie and I followed directly behind them. The airfield was right in front of us.

“Pilot?” I called out.

“Ready and waiting,” Bomber replied.

Behind me Gabbie had paused at the corner of the building, carefully firing her weapon at the group of men who followed. I grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her away. It was like trying to gain the attention of an animal completely focused on their prey

“Two down,” she panted as we began to run.

The stretch of ground between us and the fence separating the airfield was empty. I heard the squealing of tires somewhere in the background and turned to fire five carefully aimed shots through the windshield of the car. It careened into the wall of the building that ran along our flank. I had at least hit the driver, if not anyone else. Bomber made it to the fence and pulled the bottom wire up with a strong yank. Emily scrambled underneath it and Gabbie dove down to follow. Once she was on the other side, she rose to her knee and began firing at the group of five men who ducked for cover behind the crashed car. All the while, Emily stood watching, her face pale and her eyes wide. I scrambled under the fence then held the wire up so Bomber could follow.

“Get behind me, Em!” I ordered.

She didn’t hesitate to move her small body behind my larger one.

“Fuck!” Bomber groaned as he struggled to stand. He’d taken a hit to the thigh.

“Move your lazy ass, pendejo!” Gabbie ordered, covering Bomber.

He limped as he ran towards a hanger behind us. Gabbie easily took out two more of our pursuers as she moved back, her weapon still raised and firing.

“Gabbie!” I called out as we raced towards the hanger.

She spun around and ran, bullets ricocheting off the ground in a deadly cadence at our feet. I was grateful in that moment that Jonas’ men were obviously inept when it came to shooting. Gabbie had easily taken out four of them while covering our asses, and they had only managed to clip one of mine. Bomber barged through the door to the hanger. On the other side of the beaten down door was the sweetest sight I had ever seen: a fully prepped jet with motors running and Larz standing ready with a semi-automatic trained on the enemy at our back.

“Took ya’ll long enough,” he grumbled as he sent a barrage of bullets out the hanger door.

With better cover, Larz was able to quickly retreat and follow us up the stairs to the waiting jet. “You let those bitches shoot you?” Larz scoffed, noticing Bomber’s limp with a raised brow.

Bomber gave him the one finger salute as he collapsed into a seat inside the plane.

“How you doin’, sweetheart?” Larz asked Em, his voice and face softening at the sight of her.

She simply nodded, no words likely able to express what was tumbling through her mind right now. I pushed Em into a seat and buckled her in as Gabbie and Larz pushed the stairs away from the jet and secured the hatch.

“Let’s go!” I yelled out to the pilot who thankfully already had us moving. I wouldn’t be comfortable until we were in the air. Glancing out the small window, I noticed three men running towards us, guns raised, but too far away to be effective. The pilot had us on the tarmac and in the air in less than three minutes. I watched the ground disappear beneath us before I collapsed back into the closest seat. My heart was pounding like a race horse, sweat dripped down my face, and my gun was still clenched tightly in my hand. I quickly checked on my team. Gabbie was seeing to Bomber’s wound.

“Gabbie?” I asked.

“Just a scratch, Boss. He’s whimpering like a girl over nothing.”

Bomber gave her an incredulous look. “I’m not whimpering.”

Larz gave me a nod to indicate he was fine as he sat into a seat across from Gabbie and Bomber. Across from me sat Emily, her face still too pale, her eyes unfocused and wide. When a slight turn of her head put her eyes on me, she unbuckled her belt and slid to her knees. I was about to object to her act of submission, however, she quickly moved across the small gap between us and with cautious eyes, slowly and gently laid her head on my lap. All the air left my lungs on a defeated sigh. My hand fell to the top of her head in a comforting embrace, and I leaned over her.

“I’ve got you, Malen’kaya.”

Her hands that rested on my knees shook, but as I ran my fingers through her short chestnut hair they gradually became still. Not only did the attention seem to calm Emily, it also calmed me. My thumping heart slowed, and my hand relaxed its grip on the Glock. This fragile beauty before me was more complex, damaged and beaten than any other person I had ever encountered. Yet under the layers of abuse and heartache was strength and courage. I wanted to wrap her in my arms and protect her until my dying breath. I wanted to fuck her so badly, my cock began to throb to life at the thought of it. But above all of that, I wanted to bring down vengeance and pain on the fuckers who had hurt her. William Levier got off too easily. A quick tap to the head by Dillon’s gun was a light punishment for his hand in Emily’s abuse. Jonas Levier would be painted in a poetic shade of blood red death before I sent him to hell. He would feel every inch of pain Emily felt. For every year he took from her, for every scar he put on her, he would pay tenfold. I leaned back into my seat, and my eyes fluttered shut. Calmness filled my body just knowing what I had to do.

“U menya yest' ty teper' malysh.” I’ve got you now, little one.