I was born for this shit and the Wish version of Jax Teller over here, sure as fuck won’t be the one to end me. Have to admit, though, the knowing smile on his face makes me a tad uneasy, and I can’t shake the feeling that I’m missing something. I realize just what that something might be when the unmistakable sound of a second and third gun being cocked reaches me. Dropping my chin to my chest, I take a deep inhale before I bite the bullet and cast a glance over my shoulder.
Razor and another guy in a now familiar leather cut are positioned on either side of the back door, wearing matching expressions of boredom, like I’ve made this whole thing way too easy for them, and they really hoped I’d pose more of a challenge. I understand the sentiment. I’m disappointed, myself. Furious, really, for not even considering the possibility that Jason might not be working alone.What a fucking dumbass.
Charlie’s choked whimper draws a sound of frustration out of me. If I were on my own, I wouldn’t hesitate to shoot my way out of this clusterfuck of a situation, consequences be damned. I’ve survived worse odds against people far more dangerous. But Tink getting caught in the crossfire is something I just can’t risk.I’d never forgive myself if she ended up taking a bullet meant for me.
Blowing out a resigned sigh, I do the only thing I can do given my lack of options. I lower my weapon. Raising my hands in a show of surrender, I fold forward slowly. I set my gun on the ground and kick it over to a gloating Jason, who snatches it up and tucks it into the waistband of his jeans without checking the safety.
The thought of it going off and blowing his balls to smithereens briefly lifts my spirits, but I sober quickly when he flicks his chin at his goons and begins barking orders like a drill sergeant.
“String him up. I’ve been waiting to teach you a lesson ever since you first showed up, making googly-eyes at my woman, and I’m sure looking forward to hearing you scream like the little bitch you are.”
I don’t fight it when his lackeys grab an arm each and drag me to the center of the room. There’s no point. I’m already fucked, and we all know it. Once my hands are secure, Razor throws the other end of the rope into the air and over a rafter in a practiced move Indiana Jones would be impressed by.
The remaining length hits the floor with a heavy thud, and goon number two picks up the slack, pulling so hard he almost dislocates my shoulders before wrapping it around a nearby beam. Charlie’s pleading with her ex, and I follow him with my eyes, barely keepingmyself from snapping my jaw at him like a rabid animal when he passes me and pinches her chin between his thumb and index finger.
“Here’s the deal, sweetheart. You keep that whore mouth shut while I teach your little plaything what it means to cross us. Keep begging, and it’ll just make it worse for him. Are we clear?”
Tears leak from Charlie’s good eye as she gives him a defeated nod, and the son of a bitch pats her bruised cheek harder than necessary. That’s the moment I promise myself I’ll do everything in my power to get out of this alive, because the pleasure of ripping out his jugular with my teeth is mine, and mine alone. Jason comes over and takes his time testing the rope before he looks at me with sick anticipation.
“Now, let’s have some fun, shall we?” His face is a mere inches from my own, and I recoil at the rank odor wafting from his mouth. I’m beginning to realize his ridiculous dental bling may not simply be a matter of bad taste, but a sign of poor oral health.
“Before we get too far into this, I feel like there’s something I should tell you.”
“Oh yeah. What’s that?” the scrawny biker asks, one eyebrow raised in question.
“I get the impression you’re really pumped about spending some one-on-one time with me, and even though I’m flattered, Ido feel inclined to let you know that I’m not into dudes. I hope I’m not hurting your feelings here, but I gotta say, man, even if I were, I think I could do better.”
I don’t have time to brace myself before his fist collides with my cheekbone and my head snaps to the side. I hate to admit it, but that lanky asshole packs a hell of a punch. I take a moment to shake off the cobwebs before I find his glittering gaze once more.
“You like it rough, huh? Not all that surprising, seeing as your ex-fiancée uprooted her whole life just to get as far away from you as possible. Fortunately for you, I quite enjoy a little love tap, but I’m a hands-on type of guy. So, how about we even the playing field a bit?” I taunt. “Untie me. Let’s see if you’re still such a big man when you’re up against someone your own size.”
“You really think that’s fair? You with all that fancy training…” he breaks off with a scoff before his expression hardens once more. “I’m not the fool you’re hoping I am. And let’s not pretend you didn’t ask for this when you laid a hand on what’s mine.”
“She stopped being yours the moment you chose to prioritize your sick urges over her well-being. Someone like you doesn’t deserve the love and devotion of an extraordinary woman like Charlie, and we both know it.”
“And I suppose you’re the better choice?” His question is accompanied by a harsh laugh. “You know, I did my research on you,Special Agent Cole Beckett Foster,” he informs me as he walks slow circles around my strung-up form.
I don’t bother following his movements, choosing to keep my gaze straight ahead to let him know his tactics don’t intimidate me. Nothing pisses a guy like Jason off more than an unimpressed adversary.
“Did some digging once I knew where to look. Found a whole mess of articles with your name in ’em. About how you couldn’t save your wife and little girl when the cartel slaughtered them in your own home while you were off playing hero. I bet she screamed for you, too. Your wife. Real loud. But you didn’t come, did you? Didn’t save your little girl either. Some father you turned out to be. And you still think you deserve Charlotte more than I do?” he asks, coming to a halt in front of me and giving me a smile that makes me want to punch his ridiculous teeth in.
I swallow past the lump of emotion and keep my expression carefully blank, refusing to let him see he’s hit a nerve. Deep down, I know he’s right. I’d brought danger to my family’s doorstep because all that mattered to me at the time was to bring Carlos Gonzalez’s sick and depraved empire down, and in doing so, I’d hoped to expose every single scumbag involved in keeping the flesh trade such a lucrative business. I was selfish in my desire to cut offthe head of the snake. Too secure in the illusion that my identity was protected.
I never even considered the possibility that my family could be used as pawns against me. You’d think being taught such a devastating lesson would’ve been enough to make me more cautious, but the fact that I find myself once again at the mercy of a madman, because I was too slow to call for additional backup when I still had the chance proves I haven’t learned a goddamn thing.
I’m not worried about myself. If this is truly the end of the journey for me, then so be it. I might even deserve it for having failed the people who trusted me to keep them safe. But if I die here, Charlie will be right back where she started. Trapped in a loveless relationship with a man who thrives on violence. Forced to live a life of fear, with no one in her corner to fight for her, and that just won’t do.
“I may not deserve her,” I finally say in a tone that suggests his words have little effect on me. “But I’ll sure as shit treat her better than a low-life piece of shit like you ever could. You see, I’ve also done my research, Jason Wilbur Markham,” I tell him around a grin that’s sure to antagonize him. But that’s really my only play here, isn’t it? Rile him up and keep his focus on me and off the woman we both want in order to buy us some time. “Man, your parents really did a number on you, sticking you with thatgodawful middle name. I bet you found yourself looking at the bottom of a toilet bowl more than a few times through middle school. Back before you knew what dropping the name of your precious little club could do for you. But no matter how much people came to fear you, you were never quite able to shed that childhood trauma, were you? I get it,” I say, smirking down at him and doing my best to ignore the ache in my shoulders. “Being humiliated throughout most of your teens must’ve been a tough pill to swallow. It sticks in your craw like a tiny sliver under your fingernail. Certainly not a fatal wound, but just irritating enough to remind you it’s there every now and again. So, you decided to become the bully instead. Only, the thought of taking on someone capable of challenging you didn’t appeal to you, did it? We both know weak pricks like you don’t stand a chance in a fair fight. And that’s when you developed your taste for beating on helpless women,” I drawl, quirking a brow and reveling in the way his jaw clenches. “They don’t pose as much of a threat. Easier to intimidate. A spineless piece of shit like you feeds on that fear, don’t you? Makes you feel all powerful.” I give him a cruel smile before adding, “You know what? I bet my left nut it runs in the family. I bet your daddy used to beat on your sweet mama whenever he needed to feel like a real man, too, isn’t that right?”
Jason’s face turns a satisfying shade of crimson, and I pin him with a gotcha look, throwing a cocky wink into the mix for good measure.
“That’s it, isn’t it?” I goad him, really getting warmed up now. “Well, you know what they say? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. There’s also a statistic that suggests the majority of abusers have tiny dicks, but I don’t know how trustworthy the source is on that one. Although, looking at you has me inclined to believe it.”
The angry vein throbbing in the middle of his forehead gives me a tremendous amount of satisfaction, but to my utter disappointment, he doesn’t take his anger out on me, choosing to give his muscle an encouraging nod instead.
“Shut him up,” he snaps, turning his back on me to wrestle his emotions back under control. Pleased with my ability to rattle him, I face his goons and flash them a wide grin, temporarily throwing them off. It doesn’t keep them from carrying out their orders, though, and it doesn’t take long before the first meaty fist collides with my gut and knocks the wind out of me.
They don’t give me time to recover, taking turns pummeling my torso until every single inch of me screams out in agony. I try to hold back my sounds of distress, in a feeble attempt not to upset Charlie further, but when Razor delivers a particularly vicious shotto my left kidney, my knees give out, and a pained moan escapes me. That’s when Tink starts to beg in earnest.
