At the closed door where Shadow had reported Jenna being held by an obviously completely-over-the-edge Jaysus, the leader of Black Ops One held up his hand for the others to hold up. He pressed a device to the door and then put his ear to it and listened closely. Then he frowned.
He held up his hand and gave his men a quick signal.
“He says it’s way too fucking quiet for his liking,” the man standing closest to Isaac said.
Isaac’s heart damn nearly exploded on the spot. Oh dear God, what did that mean? Were they too late? Had he killed her?
The leader mouthed “on my count,” and then quickly attached an explosive device to the door and motioned everyone to take several steps back.
“No mercy,” the leader murmured. “Go in fast and low and take out anyone who isn’t Jenna Wilder. We don’t pull this off just right and he has a chance to kill her. Understand?”
Jesus, did Isaac understand. Sweat made his hands clammy and his chest was about to explode under the force of his heartbeat.
Then the leader did something unexpected. He lifted one eyebrow, and then a look of amusement twisted his lips.What the fuck?
“I tend to forget that not everyone locks the door,” he murmured. “No need to blast our way in and take the risk of getting Jenna killed if we can simply ease the door open and opt for a sneak attack. This idiot has already proved he’s not the smartest tool in the woodshed.”
He motioned everyone into position, pointing at each of the men and ordering them to take a different part of the room so that everything would be covered simultaneously. Then he held up his fingers and signaled “three, two, one,” before he soundlessly eased the door open, cracking it the slightest amount.
They all froze as the door was opened wider in preparation for them to rush the room when they finally heard the heavy silence broken.
“You don’t want to do this.”
Isaac’s brow furrowed and he exchanged “what the fuck” looks with Dane and Shadow. It was Jaysus, a very nervous, scared-shitless Jaysus, sounding as if he were about to piss himself. What the hell was going on?
They froze yet again in the act of moving through the door, only this time, it was Jenna’s voice they heard loud and clear, and so devoid of emotion that it scared Isaac shitless.
“That’s where you’re wrong,” she said in a voice Isaac didn’t even recognize. “You have noideawhat I want, you worthless piece of a human being.”
“What do you want then?” he asked, stammering and sounding extremely flustered. Then he began begging, and that’s when Isaac knew shit was about to get real. “Please. I’ll give you whatever you want. Anything. Money. Power. You name it and it’s yours.”
“Jesus H. Christ. The man is crying,” the black ops leader said in disgust.
Then they heard the sound of a gun being cocked.
Oh God no.Isaac’s panic flared. They had to get in therenow.
“What I want is for you to die,” Jenna said, her voice weak and trembling, but full of conviction. There wasn’t a single man outside that room who didn’t believe her.
“Go, go, go!” the team leader whispered harshly.
They burst into the room and Jaysus whirled around, and oddly, he looked relieved. Did the stupid fuck think they were there to save him?
And then Isaac’s gaze finally found Jenna and his stomach bottomed out. She was bruised, battered and bloody. There were over half a dozen bodies strewn around the room, blood covering the floor in a macabre scene. And she was standing, her entire body rigid, leaning against the wall for support, and she was holding a gun pointed directly at Jaysus’s head.
Isaac rushed forward, leaving the others to take care of any potential remaining threat.
“Jenna, don’t, honey! Jenna, it’s me, Isaac. I’m here, baby. Don’t do this. Please, this isn’t what I want for you,” he said softly. “You don’t have to kill him. Let us take care of him, but more importantly, let me take care ofyou. Let me take you away from here. You’ll never have to worry about this son of a bitch again,” Isaac vowed.
Jenna’s eyes were grief stricken and tears spilled over the rims as she turned slightly to acknowledge Isaac’s presence.
“You havenoidea what he’s done,” she hissed. “He has to die. Hedeservesto die.”
“I do know, baby. I was here with you through it all, and there’s not a single person who’d dispute that he deserves to die,” Isaac said sorrowfully. “I’m so sorry I let you down. But please, honey. Just drop the gun and come with me now and let me take you away from all of this forever. You don’t have to be the one to serve justice.”
“Justice is mine to dispense,” she whispered.
Jaysus, obviously believing he was well and truly fucked, proceeded to do the dumbest—and last—thing he’d ever do. He drew a weapon from a concealed holster on the inside of his thigh while Jenna was momentarily distracted and he turned it on Isaac, his clear intention to shoot him. Or maybe he was just going to attempt to bargain with Jenna. Either way, it was the wrong thing to do when the woman he’d tormented for hours was hell-bent on delivering her own brand of justice.
