Framed (31 page)

With a flick of his thumb, Pirate Man released the safety on his gun and pointed it at Kyle, standing twenty yards behind me.

“Five, four, three . . .”

“Don’t get in that fuckin’ car, Harley. Hit the dirt and roll out of the way of the tires.”

“He’s gonna shoot Kyle if I don’t,” I whispered, my voice trembling, “I have no choice . . . I love you, Kade, always remember that,” I choked out, then dove into the car before Pirate Man said one.

I heard Kade’s panicked voice roaring in my ear, shouting, “Harley,” but I didn’t answer. I couldn’t form words right then to save my life. The car peeled out before I had a chance to close the door, the gun still pointed towards me. Kade was still thundering in my ear, “I’ll find you, I swear I’ll find—” and the knot in my throat almost choked off my air.

“I love you,” I whispered again, needing more than anything for him to know how much I cared. Kade stopped shouting and his rapid breathing filled my ear.

“I love you, too, Harley,” he whispered back, “I’m coming, baby. Hold on for me, I swear I’m coming.”

“Throw the phone out the window,” Pirate Man ordered then pressed the barrel of the gun into my temple. He drove like a lunatic, taking corners fast, then doubling back so no one could follow. I saw the Interstate 10 ramp in front of us and knew we’d be lost in the heavy flow of traffic. “Throw the phone out the window now or I’ll blow your brains out.”

I grabbed hold of the door handle thinking I could throw myself from the car. I might survive the fall and I might not, but I knew if I stayed with him, I wouldn’t survive.

“Don’t even think about it,” he said, applying more pressure to my temple.

“Stay alive,” Kade ordered down the line. “Your job is to stay alive at all costs, do you hear me? Don’t argue with him, follow his instructions unless you see a probable escape. I’m coming for you, baby. I swear to God I will find you and then I’ll make him pay.”

“Okay,” I answered. “Tell Dad—“

“I’ll tell him.”

“I’m rolling down the window now and throwing the phone onto I-10 heading east in a silver—” I screamed when the gun slammed hard into my temple causing the world to tilt and spin.

Kade roared, “Harley,” just as the phone was peeled from my hand.

“I’m gonna enjoy making her scream,” Pirate Man laughed into my phone. “Almost as much as I’ll enjoy making her cry out in pleasure as I sink my big fat cock inside that pretty pink pussy. Jacking off as she rode her own hand was the highlight of my month, Kingston. Getting to sink balls deep inside her before she dies, will make my year,” he taunted, then jabbed the phone off and threw it out his window along with a phone that looked like Bette’s.

“Where’s Bette?” I muttered softly, trying to keep my head from splitting open.

“Probably still at Consolidated trying to find me. When I’m done with you, I might look her up and say hello.”

He leered at me, his eyes falling to my breasts and I felt like my skin was crawling. Something inside me snapped at the thought of his hands on my body, and I attacked his face, trying to gouge out his eyes like the boys had taught me. He swerved, trying to avoid my best effort, missing a car before righting our vehicle. He cocked a fist while I continued my attack and punched. My head spun again and I was pulled under. I saw Kade’s face as the darkness took me and heard his deep voice say, “I love you, Harley. I’m coming for you.”

***

“I’m gonna enjoy making her scream. Almost as much as I’ll enjoy making her cry out in pleasure as I sink my big fat cock inside that pretty, pink pussy. Jacking off as she rode her own hand was the highlight of my week. Getting to sink balls deep inside her before she dies will make my year,” the twisted fuck hissed and then the line went dead.

Kade’s knuckles turned white. He tried to control his reaction while rage boiled from a place so deep that it choked the breath from his lungs.

“You’re mine, you sick fuck. There’s no place you can run that I won’t find you.”

Harley’s face tumbled through his mind as he sped to the beach house. He would kill the bastard for taking her and he didn’t care if he spent the rest of his life in prison this time. If the man had harmed a single hair on her head, he was dead.

Swerving in and out of traffic with the skill of a racecar driver, he took the next right that would take him to the beach house and the weapons he needed. He shot into the drive, then ripped open the Jeep’s door and peeled out. His feet pounded the shells beneath his feet as terror for Harley’s safety threatened to paralyze him. Once inside, he headed for his trunk and stored gear from his years as a SEAL. He pulled out his tactical vest and shoved his Colt .45 into the vest, his Beretta 9mm into another pocket, wrapped his MKIII hunting knife into its ankle holder, then began loading extra magazines with ammo.

He heard the front door slam before Prez’s voice shouted, “King,” over his thundering footsteps.

“In here,” Kade answered, his eyes still trained on the bullets he was loading.

Prez rounded the door to his bedroom and threw his own pack on the bed.

“Kyle called. D is stationed at Consolidated in case they show there. What’s our plan,” Prez asked as he pulled out his own tactical gear and began dressing.

“I’m heading to Consolidated. I’m gonna make Williams talk, then I’m going after this piece of shit and bring Harley home,” Kade replied in a calm voice that didn’t match his insides. Panicking got you killed. He had to remain calm if he had any chance of rescuing her.

“I’ll call Chapel,” Prez stated. “He needs to know.”

“You tell Chapel if he tries to stand in my way, I’ll take him out as well. I’ll turn myself in when this is done, but I’m not stopping for him or anyone else,” Kade growled.

He shoved the extra magazines in his vest, grabbed his duffle with his medivac kit, rope, and extra weapons, and then headed towards the door with Prez following. When they reached Harley’s Jeep, a pain sliced through his midsection. He remembered how she looked driving away from the prison while he’d watched, wishing he was behind the wheel driving her home.

“I’ll drive,” Prez mumbled to his left when he stopped and stared at the Jeep.

“I’m driving,” Kade answered, then walked the remaining feet to the driver’s door and climbed in. His cell phone rang as he was backing out and Prez answered, putting it on speakerphone.

“I can’t find them.” Kyle’s panic filled the Jeep as Kade peeled out, heading for downtown.

“Why the fuck was she outside?” Kade bit out.

“She thought it was Bette,” Kyle answered.

“Why?” Prez asked.

“She got a text from her saying she was outside.”

Prez looked at Kade and they both thought the same thing. If this bastard had Bette’s phone, then where was Bette?

“Get home and stay there until you hear from me,” Kade ordered.

“Kade . . . “

“It’s not your fault,” Kade answered his brother’s unsaid apology.

“If I had—”

“—You’d be dead. Go home, Kyle. I don’t blame you,” Kade said again, then disconnected the call. He didn’t blame anyone but himself. He could feel this coming and he’d left her alone with his untrained brother.

Buildings flew past as Kade made his way towards Consolidated. He could hear Chapel shouting down the line of Prez’s cell as his friend appraised Chapel of the situation, but Kade ignored it. Harley’s frightened voice blocked out all rational thought, playing over repeatedly in his head.

I love you.

“I’ll find you, I promise,” Kade mumbled. “I’m coming, baby, just stay alive.”

Kade came to a screeching halt in front the main doors of Consolidated. As he pushed open his door and grabbed his pack, D came running up with Bette in tow wearing a plain blue suit.

“Tell me you found her,” Bette shouted.

“Why are you here?” Prez asked. “We thought he had you as well.”

“Why would you think that?”

“’Cause he lured Harley outside using your phone.”

Bette’s face paled immediately. She opened her purse and started digging through the bottom.

“It’s not here,” she muttered, then dumped her purse on the hood of the Jeep. “It’s not here. No. No, no, no. That bastard. He must have stolen my phone while I was led on a merry trip around the facility. I knew it was too good to be true.”

“I don’t have time for this,” Kade hissed, heading for the doors. “Call Chapel and let him know that Bette lost her phone while inside Consolidated. Since that fuck had it, it proves he was inside. There’s the connection Chapel needs to get a warrant.”

“What are you going to do?” Bette shouted as he pulled open the door.

Kade looked over his shoulder grim faced and answered, “I’m gonna beat the shit out of Williams until he tells me where the sick fuck took Harley,” then turned and headed through the door.

No one was at the reception desk when he entered. The lobby was deserted, quiet. He moved to the bank of elevators and caught sight of the directory board stating who worked on what floor. Williams was on three. Kade pushed the button, watched as the elevator rode down, and pulled out his weapon. D and Prez stood beside him, their own weapons drawn and raised as they watched the doors. When they opened, the elevator was empty, so they hustled inside and pushed the button for the third floor. They didn’t say a word as they rode up. They didn’t have to. They’d done this drill a thousand times. Prez would take the lead, D would cover, and Kade would pull up the rear.

Time seemed to stand still as the car glided upward towards the third floor. Sweat beaded on Kade’s brow as he stared at the digital numbers. When the car slowed to a stop, Prez braced, his gun raised, ready to shoot. The doors opened slowly and Prez checked the hallway before entering. D exited the car next, scanning left, then right, before following Prez. Kade left last, he scanned left, then right, and followed with his back to his brothers, watching their backs as Prez lead the way.

When they reached Doug Williams’ outer office, they found the assistant’s desk empty. Prez moved towards Williams’ closed door, then froze, holding his fist up to signal to his brothers to stop. Kade listened and heard the recognizable sound of someone choking.

“Move in,” Kade ordered, and he and Prez broke formation for the big man to do what he did best. D checked the door handle to see if it was locked, then backed up and, with a single kick, broke open the locked reinforced wooden doors, splintering the jam as they flew open.

Prez moved first, followed by Kade. When they entered, they found a blond man dressed in jeans and a white T-shirt with his hands around the neck of Consolidated’s President and owner. Williams lay unmoving on the floor, his face the color of a bright blue sky. The man with his hands around Williams’ neck moved quickly, spinning as he rose, drawing a Colt .45 as he moved. With the precision of a surgeon, Kade squeezed the trigger of his own .45 and shot the gun out of the hands of the unknown male.

Blood sprayed the floor as the man clutched what was left of his right hand, falling to his knees, screaming. Kade moved then and kicked his weapon out of his reach. The white male continued to scream obscenities while D covered him and Kade pulled a chair from in front of the desk and hauled his ass into it. He pulled a length of rope from his duffle and tied the man to the chair. While he was securing the suspect, Prez and D moved to Williams and began to perform CPR.

“Look at me,” Kade growled once the man was secured.

Pale gray eyes looked up at Kade. Pain and hatred emanated from his sliver depths right before he spat in Kade’s face.

Kade didn’t flinch.

“Where did he take Harley?” Kade asked, letting the spittle drip to the floor unnoticed.

“Fuck you.”

In no mood and running out of time, Kade pulled his Berretta from his vest and shoved it into his thigh.

“Where is she?”

“You won’t pull that trigger, Kingston, and I won’t tell you what you want to know.”

Kade didn’t hesitate; he squeezed the trigger and shattered the man’s femur. Kade then grabbed a tourniquet from his bag, wrapped it around the man’s leg, and twisted until he stopped the flow of blood. Once the screaming had died down, he grabbed the man by the hair and pulled his head back.

“If you want to walk again, I suggest you answer my question. Where did he take her?” Kade asked again, his rage barely under control.

The elevators in the outer office dinged open and Kade could hear someone shouting tactical orders. He had fifteen seconds before whomever Chapel brought with him breached the office.

“Cops are here. Tell me now,” Kade ordered twisting the tourniquet to cause maximum pain, “or I’ll make sure Fat Bastard and his cronies pay you a visit in the dead of night.”

Chapel rounded the corner first with his hands up and took in the scene. One man down, CPR being performed. One man shot and tied to a chair.

“I told you to wait,” Chapel growled.

“Couldn’t,” D answered in between chest compressions. “That yahoo over there had a choke hold on Williams.”

“Get a medic in here,” Chapel shouted to an officer. “What happened to his leg and hand?” he asked Kade when he took in the man in the chair.

“He drew on me, I shot him. Isn’t that right,” Kade asked the injured man as he applied more pressure to his leg.

“I drew first,” the man bit out.

Prez and D stepped back as two emergency medical techs took over CPR.

“What’s your name?” Chapel asked, looking at Trigger White.

Kade reached down and pulled Triggers wallet from his back pocket, tossed it to Chapel, then leaned down and shoved his thumb into the gaping wound in his leg, whispering, “I’m walking out of here with or without your cooperation. You have ten seconds to decide if you live or die. I won’t ask again.”

Tigger grimaced in pain, considered his options, and then wisely blurted out, “Everglade City. Our old fishing shack. He’ll probably put in at Boggy Creek Landing. Once you’re in the water, head east a mile, then take a right at a Gumbo-limbo tree that has a dick growing out the side of the bark. Head two more miles and you can’t miss it.”