Page 58

M addox

“Jesus Christ. You’re going to lose the barn,” Kage yelled the moment I rolled up on the fire. The flames seemed concentrated on the building itself, the farthest one from the house, yet thick smoke billowed from the open barn doors. “Do you think the plan backfired?”

This definitely wasn’t going according to plans.

Anger swept through me like a fast-rolling tidal wave.

I’d felt nothing but anxious, realizing I’d gambled on greed overpowering all common sense.

In doing so, I’d purposely placed the woman I couldn’t seem to get enough of deeper into harm’s way.

If it had backfired, every aspect of who I’d become would be tossed aside.

And I’d become a killer.

Intentional.

Purposeful.

Targeted.

And my selections wouldn’t stop with members of cartels or the New York Bratva, nor would I care how many soldiers they had in place. They would all fucking die by my hands.

I’d sent a text the moment we’d rushed outside, the code predetermined. The game was on and there would only be one winner.

“Let’s just say I hope to hell the bastard didn’t betray me. Or. He. Will. Die.”

Kage whistled.

“There’s no sign the perimeter was breached,” Chuck called out as I slammed the gear into park.

I knew what that meant. Whatever Randy had seen could have nothing to do with the bullies in town.

All three of us jumped out, scanning the horizon.

“Fast moving,” Chuck added.

No shit.

An accelerant had definitely been used.

“Just get the animals to safety. We need to make certain they are okay. That’s all I care about.” I ran toward the fence, fighting with the latch before being able to throw open the gate. The horses were whinnying, many of them uncertain what to do.

As I began to try to guide them toward the opening, the nagging feeling I’d had since Randy had knocked on the door pushed into the forefront of my mind. This was nothing but a countermeasure, a distraction.

“Kage. Chuck. Make sure the horses get to the pasture. I’m headed into the barn.” If the jerks from town who had a vendetta against me were the reason, I knew how they operated. They’d used Molotov cocktails. Effective but cheap and something anyone could do.

“Be careful!” Kage called, immediately jumping into action.

I raced toward the barn, fighting the flames until I was inside.

Smoke was everywhere, but surprisingly the electricity was still working. I flicked on every light in hopes of keeping the horses from being too disoriented.

They were all whinnying, most kicking at the door to their stalls. I moved from one to another, flipping the latches.

“Go. Get out!” I smacked one on the butt and he responded instantly, snorting as he ran toward the flames. With every gate open, I moved to the main back door as flames licked up the walls. There was no stench of gasoline or any other fuel the jerks might have used.

My hackles continued to be raised. As pieces of the wall started to fall, I realized one of the horses was cowering, too frightened to escape the flames.

“Come on, Sadie. It’s okay, girl.” I approached, coughing several times from the thickening smoke. She was panting, rearing her front legs as I approached.

“Maddox!” Kage called.

“I’m coming out.” I patted her nose, methodically moving to her side. This was going to get dicey. “I gotta get you out of here.”

“The fire is getting worse.”

No shit. There was no way this was the act of three local men with axes to grind. I took a chance, jumping on the horse’s back. She reared up immediately, almost knocking me off. This proved I was no cowboy. I leaned over, grabbing her mane.

“We can do this.”

Both entrances were covered in flames. The smoke was burning my eyes. I pressed my hand against her side, praying to God she’d trust me. As soon as I pressed my knees into her, she bolted.

“That’s it. Keep going. Keep going.” I was certain she was prepared to skid to a stop when she got close to the flames, but to my surprise, she took a giant leap.

We didn’t exactly sail over the flames, but the momentum was enough we made it through. The crash of timbers behind me sounded off immediately.

I rode her further away, only slowing down when I knew there was enough distance.

“My fucking God. This wasn’t an accident,” Kage said.

Chuck jogged closer. “No, it wasn’t an accident. This was used to detonate the fire.”

I grabbed what was left of the detonator, hissing as soon as I did. “He’s here. Fucking Misha is here.”

As I bolted toward the fence, Kage and Chuck followed closely behind. I’d barely jumped inside the truck when I started the engine, slamming the gear into drive. Playing the cat and mouse game had been a mistake. It was possible I couldn’t save her.

Finally, we heard sirens in the distance, but I wouldn’t stop and wait.

This had been a clear setup to get me away from the house. If only I’d followed my instinct.

The tires squealing, I roared the engine as I headed for the house. The drive normally took a few minutes. I was there in two.

With my weapon in both hands, I stormed toward the door, kicking it open and lunging forward.

There was no one in sight, but as soon as I headed into the kitchen, I noticed the back door was wide open. Think. I had to think. With my training kicking in, I threw open the pantry door, yanking out a duffle bag I’d stored inside. There was another in the bedroom, one in the office.

Pulling out three flashlights, I tossed them at the two men.

“What is this for?” Chuck asked.

“The fucker took her. We need to find her quickly.”

“Why didn’t the cameras sound off an alarm?” Kage yelled.

“If I had to guess, I’d say he disabled the entire system. He had help. My guess is he came in through the forest. There’s a road on the other side.” If he managed to get her into a vehicle, there was a slim chance I could save her.

We fanned out, rushing in through the trees. With Chuck also being military, I was confident about what he was capable of. At this point all that mattered was getting to the woman I fucking loved more than life itself.

After a couple of minutes, I stopped and listened.

A sharp cry drew my attention. I spun around, heading to the left, pushing my way through tree limbs and jumping over debris. The rush of adrenaline and rage kept me going. I swung the flashlight in every direction, once again stopping to listen.

“No!”

Charmaine. Her cry was sharp. I took off running once again.

Another sound.

This time a cracking of wood.

I jerked to the right, slowing my speed and hunkering over.

The sound of an engine pushed me even harder.

Another sharp cry fueled the rush flowing through me. I lunged forward, pointing the weapon in front of me.

Pop! Pop!

Gunfire exploded all around me. I dropped down, dropping the beam briefly until I heard another noise. The moment I lifted the flashlight, I noticed a man dressed in dark clothing, a weapon in his hand. There was no hesitation. I fired off two rounds.

Footsteps sounded from two directions. I took off running again, gasping when I caught sight of her.

Her scream was sharp and I’d be damned if she didn’t manage to elbow the man holding her, spinning and kicking him in the stomach. As soon as the assailant was pitched backward, she took off running.

I bolted forward, firing off a single shot. There was a cracking sound and I dropped, rolling once before homing in on movement.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

The asshole dropped and I jerked to my feet. When I came upon a slight clearing, another assailant grabbed her, wrapping his arm around her neck and dragging her toward an awaiting vehicle.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Kage said as he appeared from the shadows.

“You’re surrounded,” Chuck said, his voice coming from another direction.

The man holding her had his head dropped.

“Nice to see you again, Misha,” I said as I walked closer, my arms extended, the weapon in both hands.

He finally lifted his head, the same smirk I remembered covering his face. “I thought I might run into you. I wish I could say I’m glad. Now I admit I didn’t expect to see you with Kage. Does that mean the two of you buried the hatchet?”

He’d been so smug about the situation. Maybe he’d known I’d already discovered the truth about the damage he’d caused, the treachery he’d performed.

I wanted nothing more than to put a bullet into his brain right here and now.

Too bad I’d promised otherwise.

It was best to bring the man in alive. He held certain keys the information on the jump drive didn’t have. I was well aware of my civic duties. I also wasn’t certain I gave a damn.

“A piece of shit,” Kage growled.

“Just a greedy bastard with an itchy trigger finger for explosives. Mercury Fulminate. Fascinating.”

“It pays the bills. You should see what happens when an addict snorts a line of cocaine. When the body heats up, well… Boom. From the inside out. I thought it was pretty ingenious. I won’t tell you how many other uses there are for what I created. Soon, I’ll be the wealthiest man in the world.”

“If you stay alive long enough to enjoy your money.” I laughed, studying his reactions. He was confident yet nervous. He knew he was in a bad position. “This isn’t going to end well, Misha. Not at all.”

“If you don’t want this lovely woman to die, I suggest you drop your weapons. I assure you that she won’t be hurt. But she will be useful.”

I took two long strides toward the man known as the Raptor, constantly shifting my eyes to Charmaine. She had her hands wrapped around his arm, digging her fingers into his shirt.

The man appeared no different except for the crazy look in his eyes. He winced, turning his head slightly since I continued to direct the beam on his face.

Both Kage and Chuck had theirs directed on the man as well.

“You have no recourse, Misha. Your men are dead. There’s nowhere to go. The Feds are on their way. I suggest you give up your weapon.”