Page 29

CHAPTER 29

T en minutes earlier

Zach

Seeing blood in my vision was something I was used to.

I’d gotten that way moments before taking a life. It had been soothing, the moment when I knew the asshole who’d tormented me was about to be escorted straight to hell.

Today, there was no feeling of comfort whatsoever. I wasn’t about to take a life to save my own. I’d tracked the fucker to the woods outside a cabin he owned. The hunt was still enjoyable, but it had taken on an entirely different meaning.

I was here to save a life.

And I would or die trying.

I was dressed the part, the all black outfit not blending into the forest, but I really didn’t give a shit if I stood out or if the bastard saw me coming. He would soon learn he’d crossed the wrong man.

There were miles of woods and I’d covered two of them, finding a single clue I was on the right track. A piece of her dress that had torn off when she’d been running. Or maybe she’d left it for me to find.

Good girl.

I moved silently through the forest, trying to think like her. If she was playing a game, she’d weave and bob her way while trying to maintain some sense of where she was.

Only a few minutes later, I found another piece of her dress. After yanking it off, I balled it into my fist, bringing the torn material to my nose. It smelled like her, the subtle perfume creating another wave of rage.

Xander and Wilder were in the area, taking a path similar to mine. I hadn’t needed to tell them how or where to hunt. They knew exactly what they were doing.

We were a tremendous force when we worked together.

I was stealthy in my actions, constantly scanning the woods. With the assault rifle attached by a harness and the Glock in my hand, I was secure with the firepower.

But when I found him, and I would, he would die in a painful way.

I took another few steps, noticing a disturbed area on the ground. As soon as I crouched down, I heard a loud howl. The sound was distinct and it came from a male voice.

His voice.

I shot off in the direction of the sound. Hearing another shriek, I knew instantly it had come from the woman who I’d come to save.

The one who’d awakened what goodness I had left inside of me. I took off running and a sound drew my attention. Suddenly, he was right there with his arm wrapped around Sara’s throat. Her feet were off the ground, but she was fighting.

My wild kitty was fighting.

With a primal roar, I lunged forward, knocking him to the ground.

The fucker dropped her.

“Run, Sara! Run!” I yelled at her as she scrambled away. We wrestled and I rolled him several times, ripping off his mask in the process. The distinct stench of blood permeated the air and when I pulled back briefly, I noticed a broken-off stick was lodged into his body just below his shoulder.

Near the fucker’s heart.

My good girl had taken aim and fought for herself.

I issued several brutal blows, pummeling his face until he struggled to breathe. Right now, I could easily crush his windpipe.

“Zach!”

Her cry was one of agony.

I threw my head over my shoulder, ensuring she wasn’t injured.

She stood like a beacon of goodness, her face muddied, blood on her lip. Scratches covered her body and she was breathing heavily, but she was alive.

Very much alive.

“You saved me,” she muttered and backed against a tree. In her eyes I saw nothing but adoration.

And something else that should terrify me.

Love.

The fucker laughed and I slowly turned my head.

“You should see yourself. You love that girl.” His words were meant to sting, but they didn’t.

They simply annoyed the fuck out of me.

I punched him twice more before jerking to my feet. As soon as I hoisted him to his, he smiled as if he’d won the game.

“Were you shadowing me, Mack? Did you not think I’d figure out who was pretending to be me? You always wanted to be like me. You were a lapdog with increasing needs, following in my footsteps in college. What happened? You couldn’t handle real life, so you began working for a Russian pig?” I pushed him hard and he tumbled to the ground.

The mafia organization was brutal, known as one of the most savage in the Midwest. In St. Louis. The thought brought a smile to my face.

The fucker was still laughing.

“You were never good enough. You just thought you were.” His words made me laugh.

“You were sent to kill her.”

“Yes, but when you walked into that bar and showed her interest, I had a better idea. Why not pretend to be you? Why not crush your little empire? She’s your type. She held your interest. Just like those women did in school. I played you like a fiddle. Just like I did with her.”

I took a deep breath and allowed him to struggle to his feet.

“She’s an innocent girl,” I told him, as if that mattered to him in the least.

“She’s not innocent, Zach. She’s playing the game just like you always wanted. The perfect primal mate. You live for the hunt. I thought I’d take another taste before I finished my assignment.”

He’d used the fact Brant’s father and Offsinger had owed the mafia to his benefit. His game had been entirely different than mine.

But just as deadly.

And I’d allowed it to happen.

That would never happen again.

“Zach. He’s not worth it,” she said in a much stronger voice.

I rose to my full height, taking a few seconds to pull the mask from my back pocket. Only I realized before I placed it on my face that I didn’t need it. I wasn’t hiding behind anything.

Or who I was.

“You deserve to die, Mack.”

“I have no fear.”

“I’m glad to hear that.” I lunged forward a second time, wrapping my hand around the stick already embedded into his body. With a brutal jerk, I angled it differently, enjoying his howl of agony.

“No! You aren’t a killer,” Sara said. Her voice was imploring and she stood right behind me.

I took a deep breath. She was the only person who’d ever made me hesitate before acting out my aggressions. “You don’t need to see this.”

“Just don’t. Please. For me.”

“Zach.”

My brother’s voice also drew my attention. The sound of rustling leaves was secondary.

“Don’t do it, Zach. I have people here who will bring down the organization.”

Chris.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” I snapped and jerked my head to the left. Well, fuck. The man had called in reinforcements. There were six members of the police department waiting, their guns drawn.

“Stopping you from making a mistake. You saved her life. That should be enough.” Chris was adamant.

Wilder took long strides in my direction. “He’s right. Not like this.”

I felt Sara’s hand on my arm and bristled. But not from her touch, from the intensity of my needs.

Only they were different. I didn’t give a flying fuck about Mack.

But I did about Sara.

My Sara.

The woman who had a way of keeping me sane.

I took another look at Mack. All the years we’d been friends had come to this. At least I knew there were few people I could trust.

With hatred in my heart, I took a step away, allowing the men in blue to do their jobs.

“Zach.”

A strange feeling swept through me that I’d never experienced before. I wanted more out of life than games and revenge. As I shifted around to face her, I knew the reason why.

Sara.

My Sara.

“You need to go to Mack’s house. You’re likely to find Brant Abbott’s sister,” I told the cops.

One of them nodded, immediately reaching for his communications device.

Maybe there was some decency left inside me after all.

I wrapped her in my arms, pulling her tightly against me as I studied the faces of my brothers. We’d been through hell and back, building a life that still included the darkness that had consumed us.

But there was a way out, a force that couldn’t be bought or sold, an emotion even stronger than hate.

Love.

How strange, but for once, I felt truly alive.

“You’re certain you want to do this?” Xander asked.

I laughed and threw a look at him in the passenger seat. “I was born to do this.”

“You know our brother. He won’t take no for an answer. He’s saving his girl.” Wilder was happy to be along for the ride. And to be my muscle.

With Walker supplying an army of his mechanics serving as soldiers, we could be a force to be reckoned with.

A deadly one.

I’d tracked down Boris Karloff after finding something I thought the man was looking for. In scouring the three boxes Sara had saved once belonging to her parents, we’d found a single jump drive containing photographs of various meets between Boris and some very high-ranking officials that were still in office. In addition, there was a little black book and some financials that spelled blackmail.

The only reason it hadn’t been found was that she’d used the majority of the box to store old clothes. The drive had been placed in a box containing her mother’s jewelry.

The detailed information and photographs were quite the ammunition and Sara’s father had been a smart man to keep everything. Sadly, he’d never gotten to use what he’d found and kept as a bargaining chip.

Now, I would.

Only my way.

“Let’s do this. I have a trip to LA to plan,” I told them as I unfastened my seatbelt. Fortunately, Boris had been found in his favorite restaurant. Walker had made a few inquiries and learned a great deal about the man. The savage Russian was nothing if not territorial and enjoyed a certain location every Wednesday. St. Louis was a lovely city.

We’d made certain to stop by and visit the reporter who’d run the article from weeks before. He knew better than to try to pen anything about us again. In fact, the poor man had quit on the spot.

Sadly, Brant’s father had been taken into custody for his Ponzi scheme. At least his sister had been found unharmed. Mack was another story. He would soon be facing a grand jury, but I doubted he would get out of prison. In fact, I was fairly certain he’d never make it to trial alive.

I wouldn’t have the joy of gutting him, but I’d become convinced allowing brutal men behind prison walls to handle my business wasn’t a bad idea. I did have a beautiful woman and a fabulous job to think about.

I grinned as I stepped out onto the sidewalk, buttoning my jacket. I had a few pictures folded and placed in my jacket. They’d be used as a teaser and nothing more.

The three of us walked toward the restaurant’s entrance. Walker and his team exited the SUVs, moving with us. They would remain outside just like two of Boris’ men were doing. They had no idea who we were as we hadn’t called for an appointment.

Surprise.

We headed inside, easily finding the huge man perched at what we’d been told was his usual table. The three of us flanked his side. I sat down with my brothers remaining standing.

“Who the fuck are you?” Boris snorted.

When two of his men acted as if they were going to pull weapons on us, I simply nodded toward the front windows. “I wouldn’t do that unless you want to start a war and I assure you, you’ll lose.”

After glancing, he nodded to his men who tried to act relaxed.

“What do you want?” he barked.

“I’m a busy man so I’m going to make this very simple for you. You’re going to leave Sara Capshaw and her brother alone.” I waited as he tried to pretend he didn’t know who I was talking about.

“Not my problem,” he huffed.

When he dared attempt to return to cutting his steak, my actions were quick and I grabbed another steak knife from the table, driving the blade into his hand.

He didn’t howl like so many others would, but his hand was pinned to the table. I gave his two men a hard glare. Daring them.

“We’re going to try this again.” I pulled out the photographs showing some information, including names, a few of the pictures, and a single page of financials. “See, this is how we’re going to play it. If you so much as come near her or her brother, then not only will I be forced to kill you and every member of your organization, this information and much, much more will be released to federal prosecutors, the FBI, and the CIA. In addition, if you come after the Blackwell brothers or our company and employees, I assure you that my brothers and I will enjoy spending time with you and your family. We certainly have methods of torture that would make even a big man such as yourself cry. And if by chance you don’t think we have it in us, then just check our name over the internet.”

I offered him time to rebut, but he was smart and remained quiet.

“If you do search for us, I think you’ll quickly discover we have murder in our blood. I’m certain the name Cain DeMarco will answer a few questions. Our father was a brutal man. More so than the likes of you. Now, do we have a deal?”

He said nothing at first, but his eyes gave full admittance he knew the name of our father.

“Fine. But if you release that list, the deal is off.” Boris was panting, even sweating from the pain.

“I’ll accept that. Now, have a nice day. Enjoy your steak.”

I wasn’t the kind of man to wait around, but I did take my time leaving the restaurant. It felt good to have a man like Boris pissing in his pants.

Once outside, Xander burst into laughter. “Who knew our fucked-up father was good for something.”

I headed to the car, wondering if the man was rolling over in his grave. “Yeah, who knew.”