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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

ANNA

I heard them return, their footsteps echoing in the empty building. The closet door was flung open, and Juan stepped inside. He held a hammer in his hands. Fear built in my stomach.

What was he going to do with it?

He stood over me, sneering. “Heidi thought maybe you were too comfortable on the floor.” He stepped over me, hammering a hook into the wall, then dragging me to my feet. I couldn’t help the whimper that escaped my throat.

He liked that.

He loved it even more when he cut the cable ties from my hands, and I cried out as the pain rushed through the numb flesh. I felt my bracelet fall to the floor, and I had to let it go. He narrowed his eyes when he saw it, picking it up.

“Your precious Irishman give this to you?”

I stayed silent.

“He will pay for taking what is mine. Touching it.”

He threw the bracelet back on the floor and smashed it with the hammer, not stopping until it was crushed. Ruined.

Useless.

Then he laughed and picked it up. “So poignant that this will represent you soon. And your Irishman will be dead.”

“No,” I gasped.

“Oh yes. We leave tomorrow for Colombia. And when he gets in his car next time—” he made a hand gesture “— boom . Both of them.”

He leaned close, his hot breath hitting me. He stank of cigarettes and stale booze. “That’s what he deserves.”

“That’s what you deserve.”

He shook his head. He grabbed my hands, holding them at the front this time and wrapping another cable tie around them, tightening it until the plastic cut into my flesh.

I cried out as he pushed my arms above my head, hooking the tie to the wall.

“Heidi was right. You have a smart mouth we will have to beat out of you. And how we will enjoy it.”

He stood back with a frown. “All of my marks are gone. Fading away. All the love marks I bestowed on you.”

“You know nothing of love,” I spat at him.

“I know you will worship me. Only me.”

“Never.”

He laughed, running his hand down my arms. I had to turn my head, hiding my revulsion.

“When we arrive to your new home, your life will be mine. I am going to cover you in my marks. They will never be allowed to fade.” He pinched me once, hard enough I whimpered.

“And you will wear them like a badge of honor.”

He walked away, leaving the door open. He flung himself onto the chair, pulling Heidi to his lap. She looked at me in triumph as she pulled his face to hers.

I shut my eyes and hung my head, concentrating on the pain and not them.

Tears slipped down my cheeks as I prayed for a miracle.

A miracle named Niall.

The next while, they acted as if I wasn’t there, except on occasion when they said things to upset me. They argued a lot. Bickered—both wanting control. I wondered briefly if I could somehow use that to my advantage.

I hurt from standing, my shoulders screaming in pain. I was scared and cold. My head ached and I was exhausted. I was terrified of my future. Longing for Niall. His arms and the safety he provided.

Heidi lounged in a chair, making plans.

“I miss the pool.” She turned to look at me. “Not that you’ll be allowed to use it.”

“As if I’d go into water you were in,” I snapped. “That would be like blood to a great white shark. Although I understand they are intelligent animals.”

Her eyes narrowed in annoyance, then she laughed.

“Oh, bringing you to heel will be fun. I’m so glad I convinced Juan that we should have the fun of breaking you.

” She glanced at Juan. “Maybe instead of killing him right away, you should send him pictures of his precious Anna as she progresses into the perfect slave. That would hurt the doughy Irishman more than a bomb.”

“Stop calling him that! Niall isn’t doughy —he’s a perfect specimen of a man.”

Juan stormed in, grabbing my throat. “You will never speak his name again.” He squeezed, cutting off my air. “He is nothing to you now. Do you understand?”

I gasped for air, unable to push his hands away.

Heidi laughed. “Don’t kill her tonight. All this will be for nothing. Come to me, lover, and I will calm you.”

Glaring, he walked out, slamming the door so hard it shook on the hinges.

I lowered my head, trying to catch my breath and ignore the sounds coming from the other room. A phone ringing interrupted them, and I was grateful. Juan spoke in another language then filled Heidi in.

“The plane will pick us up at seven tomorrow morning. We need to be ready.”

Seven?

My heart sank.

Would Niall find me in time? I stared at the fragments of my bracelet on the floor and prayed I’d done enough.

If not, my life was over.

NIALL

We approached the racetrack on foot, parking far away so as not to arouse suspicion. There were only the four of us. Other men were already guarding the exits, keeping watch, making sure we got in safely. The moment Roman gave the signal, his men would move in.

But until then, we went in. Silent. Stealthy.

I saw the dark sedan, bending and confirming it was the same license plate as I had memorized from the video feed. Juan hadn’t cared at that point about hiding himself or the car. He thought he had pulled it off. That we wouldn’t be able to figure out where he was and that he had won.

Soon enough, he would know what he’d lost with his careless ego doing the thinking. Just like his uncle, he was lax.

In my ear, Aldo whispered confirmation the security was off for the door we approached, and he quickly picked the lock. Inside, we shut it behind us soundlessly and listened. From the outside, the racetrack appeared as it was supposed to be—deserted. Windows covered, no one around.

But in here, in the utter silence, we could hear it. Muted voices, footsteps.

I checked my gun and tugged on the straps of my vest. We were well armed, protected, and this time, not a silencer in sight. I wanted Juan to know the sounds of the gun that would kill him.

We knew the floor plan. Up the stairs and down the hall to the left. According to the blueprints our IT security team managed to produce, a set of living quarters was tucked behind the office Finn and I had been inside.

That was where they were.

We also had information on a small plane arriving early in the morning to transport them across the border. Another flight plan was found of them heading to Colombia.

None of them would be on time for that flight.

Two would be dead, and Anna would be where she belonged.

Safe in my arms.

Slowly, with utter precision, one by one, we crept up the cement stairs.

Then we made our way through the door and down the hall.

Ghosts, moving like shadows in the darkened corridor.

A sliver of light spilled from a closed doorway.

I could hear arguing coming from behind the door, one woman and one man.

We stopped and listened.

“If we drug her and put her in the suitcase again, there will be fewer questions. Less hassle.”

“She has barely recovered from earlier. She is already half dead.”

I froze, and Finn’s hand landed on my shoulder.

Calm.

“She’s pretending.”

“The amount you would need to keep her knocked out is too risky. I’ve paid plenty for the loyalty of the pilot. He doesn’t care if she’s struggling and screaming. We can give her a dose before we land.”

“It sounds as if you care too much for your little pet, Juan.”

“I have risked everything to get her. To kill her before I enjoy it? No.”

I’d heard enough.

Aldo bent, carefully sliding a tiny device under the door.

Over his shoulder, I could see Juan standing with his back to the door.

Heidi, who looked vastly different, stood across from him at the entrance to what looked like a closet.

Her arms were crossed in anger. There was another door at the other end of the room.

I couldn’t see Anna.

Aldo lifted his eyebrows. All three of them looked at me. It was risky to go in and not know where Anna was. Bursting through the door and firing meant she could be caught in the middle.

Finn pointed to the door where Heidi stood and pointed to himself. Then he indicated the other door, and I nodded. We’d each look for Anna behind those doorways.

I nodded and Aldo withdrew the device.

I held up my hand, all five fingers spread wide.

We positioned ourselves, guns drawn, nerves steady. We had the same goal.

In. Out. Done.

I counted down, lifting my gun as I closed my hand into a fist.

And we charged.

Aldo was first through the door, shooting Juan in the leg. He spun around like a ballerina, his arms raised, the look of shock on his face almost comical as he fell.

Roman followed, pinning him down, his gun on his forehead.

Finn charged toward the closet, as I tore through the room, looking for Anna.

“Niall,” Finn spoke. “Here.”

I passed Roman and Aldo, who were dragging Juan to his feet, him cursing and protesting.

“Handcuff him to the chair. Tape his mouth.”

At the door, I froze. Heidi stood at the back of a closet, facing Finn and me, Anna in front of her, a knife to her throat.

Anna’s hands were tied in the front with cable ties, useless and injured.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she was swaying on her feet.

Fresh bruises and cuts marred her skin, and my rage became a living, breathing thing.

Finn’s gun was aimed at Heidi, his arm steady. But the cowardly bitch knew exactly how to hold Anna for the most protection.

I met Anna’s terrified eyes. They pleaded with me to help. To end this.

“Let her go, Heidi. This is not going to end well for you, and how it does is up to your next move.”

She laughed. “Oh, you’ll kill me, but I’ll kill her first.” She pressed the knife harder, a line of blood appearing on Anna’s neck.

“Then we’ll make it long and painful for you,” Finn promised.

Heidi glared, and I saw Anna’s eyes drop then flick back up, meeting mine. She dropped them again, and I saw Finn glance down. He gave a barely there tilt of his chin, and it happened.

Anna lifted her foot, stomping on Heidi’s instep, making her shout, distracted. She grabbed at Anna, who bent low, falling to the side. Instantly, I lunged, grabbing Anna and pulling her out of the way as the sound of a gun echoed in the room.

I turned as Heidi slid to the floor, dead, the knife still clutched in her hand. Blood pooled around her head, her eyes staring ahead, lifeless.

Anna crumpled in my arms, and I held her as Finn dropped beside us, cutting off the cable ties. Her skin was bruised and broken in places, the unforgiving plastic embedded deeply.

I cupped her face. “I have you, mo mhuirnín. I have you . ”

She smiled, her lips trembling, her voice rough. “You found me.”

I pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Always.”

She sighed a long exhale of air and went limp in my arms. I met Finn’s gaze. “You take her. You keep her safe.”

He indicated the other room. “I can do it, Niall. You stay with her.”

I carefully transferred her to his arms. “No. I’m sending him to hell.” I stood. “And this time, he’s not coming back. But I don’t want her waking and hearing what I do.”

He nodded, lifting her slowly and following me.

Back in the garish room, I spoke to Aldo. “Go with Finn. Call your men.”

“There is already a car downstairs. The men are waiting for their instructions,” Roman stated.

“Make sure she is safe.”

Aldo nodded. “With my life.”

They left, and I heard the door click behind them.

“Take off the tape.”

Juan’s gaze was fixed behind me. I bent closer, meeting his angry gaze. “She’s dead.”

He stayed silent.

“Nothing to say? No weeping for your wife?”

“I have money. Contacts. Let me go, and I will never return. It was Heidi’s idea to take her again,” he begged.

It didn’t really surprise me he was blaming a dead woman for his decisions, or that he would plead for his life. The fact that he didn’t seem overly upset with her death was hardly a shock either. I doubted he truly cared for anyone but himself.

I looked at Roman. “Did you hear that? He’ll never return.”

Roman smirked.

I casually pointed my gun at his foot and shot it. He screamed, the sound music to my ears.

“That was for the mark on her cheek.”

He panted, bending in pain.

I looked at him with a grimace. I had planned on having Roman take him somewhere. Let him rot in a dark prison the way he did to Anna. Torture him slowly.

But now, I just wanted him dead so I could get to Anna.

She needed me more than I needed him to suffer for weeks.

I pressed my gun to his left knee and planted another slug in him. He screamed again.

“That was for her left hand.”

I did the same with his right knee, smirking when he could only whimper from the combined agony.

“That was for her right hand.”

Then I hunched down in front of him. “Know this, Juan. The woman you decided to take and break? You failed. I’ll make sure of that.

I am going to love her the rest of her life.

Watch over her. I will surround her in beauty.

Drench her in happiness. While you’re writhing in the fires of the underworld, know she’ll be loved so deeply she won’t even think about you anymore.

Your name will fade from her mind. You’ll be nothing but a bad dream. I’ll make sure of that.”

I stood. “Think about that as the devil finds you a special place in hell. Your name will be forgotten. You will be forgotten. And I’ll have her. Always.”

I pressed my gun to his head, meeting his eyes that were filled with hate. Rage. I smiled. “You lose, fecker.”

I pulled the trigger, and he slumped in his chair, no longer a threat. Unable to stop, I added a slug to the place where, biologically, his heart would beat—if he’d ever had one.

The impact knocked him over, and he landed on his back, blood seeping into the carpet. I felt nothing but satisfaction that he was dead. Only regret it hadn’t happened sooner.

Then I stepped back, ignoring the mess. If I could, I would have shot him all over again. Maybe that would be his punishment in hell. Reliving his death. It would be an appropriate way to spend eternity. At least in my opinion.

Roman met my eyes. “It’s done.”

He shook my shoulder. “Go. Anna needs you. We’ll finish here.”

“What are you planning?”

“Arson. The syndicate will have to rebuild.” He glanced around. “Too much evil existed here.”

I nodded. “Thank you.”

He held out his hand. “Family,” he said simply.

I shook it.

“Family.”