Trusting Love (22 page)

“I had just gotten off the phone with some connections in Missouri, and they said that they had forensic evidence to match up with evidence found on one of the bodies of those women who were killed. They were working with the government and he told me to sit tight,” Cesar said.

“Holy shit, this thing is about to break wide open and now they have Carina. They’ll fucking kill her,” Jack said to them.

“Not with us involved. We’re going to head to Missouri. The Feds are organizing a raid based on information their inside intelligence gathered. There’s some sort of major event where all the members of the order will be in one place. They’re going to end this shit once and for all, and we’re going to be there to make sure that Carina doesn’t wind up as collateral damage.”

* * * *

“Considering her indiscretions, the two of you can’t possibly want to make her your wife,” Sheriff Porter said to Collin and Steven.

Steven stared at Carina. She was bloody, beaten, her lips swollen, her cheek black and blue, and her blouse ripped open. There were cuts and scrapes on her thighs, and he was shocked that she broke Randy’s nose and split open Cole’s lips. Yet he had loved her for so long, and thought of only her when he saw his future.

He looked at the other men in the order—Anderson, Voight, Bogurt, the sheriff—and then at Carina.

Another thirty men would begin arriving within the hour. Tonight was the annual hunting fest. They hunted all day, revved up their appetites for the free-for-all. Loads of food, women, and entertainment. It was the biggest event ever, and the sheriff and the town board wanted to make sure that the new jewel was presented and broken in. That would be Carina. His Carina.

“You disgust me. All of you! You’re filthy, nasty animals and I won’t cooperate. I’ll tell everyone what you really are. Murderers!” Carina screamed at them. The sheriff gripped her throat and squeezed. Steven stepped forward and Bogurt, Collin’s uncle, grabbed him and stopped him from intervening.

“You are going to be a pleasure to beat down, Carina. Placing you on display for every man to see, to touch and do as they wish with will change your attitude quickly. We own you now. There is no going back. There will never be anything more for you than what we position you in.” He gave a sick little smile and then licked his lips, looking her body over.

“I’m going to be sure to tie you down nice and tight like a hog. A filthy, dirty hog whore who will be squealing in no time and begging for us to keep you for ourselves.”

“Kill me now, ’cause that moment will never happen,” she stated.

His eyes widened and he shoved her back, releasing her throat, making her cough and bend over to breathe.

The sheriff placed his hands on her thighs and ran them up under her skirt. She kicked her legs and wiggled away from him best she could but then he squeezed her thighs harder, spreading her.

“You won’t be so tough in an hour, when I’m the first one taking you in front of a hungry male crowd of fifty men.”

Steven watched the tears fall from Carina’s eyes. All he kept thinking was that she cheated on him with four men. Four men she allowed to have her body, which meant they took her in every hole and claimed her more than he had the chance to. She wasn’t anything but a trash whore.

“Well?” Bogurt asked.

He looked at Collin, who seemed just as disgusted with Carina as he did the moment the sheriff made them aware of her new life in Repose, Texas.

He stared at Carina. “Do as you wish, and prepare the new jewel for her first night on the feasting table.”

The men all roared and hollered as Carina stared at him with daggers in her eyes as tears streamed down her cheeks. She was yanked off the table by two other men who brought her out of the room and to another room where they were to prepare her to be the main course of tonight’s festivities.

* * * *

“What the fuck are we waiting for?” Milton asked.

“Not every member has arrived yet. Be patient,” the federal agent leading the raid said to him.

Milton looked at Jack and Nevin. His heart was heavy. His brother Jesse lay in a hospital bed fully sedated and recovering from his injuries. Nevin said he would have to stay there for at least a week. All because of these sick fucking assholes. The more they learned about this group called the order, the more disgusted and angry they became.

From where they remained right now they couldn’t see shit. They were going by inside intelligence, waiting on their signal to move in. There were so many federal agents and state police prepared to head into the area, surround the large building, and arrest everyone.

“I don’t care about your investigation. I care about our woman and I don’t trust that your inside guys will give the signal even if she’s in trouble. I’ve worked with federal agents before and seen the double crossing bullshit just to get the case solved and the main people arrested. You don’t worry about the collateral damage, the innocent lives. Your focus in on arrests, ours is on Carina’s safety,” Milton said to Larry, the head agent.

The other agent, Bill, the friend of Nevin’s, looked at Milton.

“This is not that type of situation. I promised that you would get Carina back. This is how it has to go down. I didn’t have to allow you to be here. My supervisor is not happy about it one bit,” Bill said and then looked at Larry. Milton exhaled.

“They’ve had her since last night,” Nevin said to Bill.

“Our inside guys say she is holding up fine,” Larry told him.

“Be quiet. We’re getting confirmation now of all guests,” Larry stated.

Milton looked at Nevin and then at Kye, who stood in state police attire—black jacket, black pants, weapons galore. He was part of a special SWAT team with the state police and they were backing up the federal agents.

“Everyone is in. Let’s get into position,” Larry said.

Milton’s heart was racing. He was so fired up right now he could spit bullets.

He watched the scene unfold. Numerous groups of men in black and men with navy blue jackets began to surround the facility. Milton and Nevin were armed but remained back with Bill. He swallowed hard as the first set of men took out the individuals watching on look out and then ones parking trucks and securing the perimeter.

“Just a few more minutes and she’ll be safely in our arms,” Nevin said to him.

“Let’s move this way,” Bill told them and brought them away from the way the others went.

“What’s going on?” Nevin asked.

“You know how I explained about this group’s way of thinking? How they were involved with the murder of those other women over the last several years?” Bill asked.

“Yes,” Nevin said.

“Our inside man just gave information about Carina. They came looking for her to take her back here because since the start, she was the one they chose as the next jewel.”

“What?” Milton asked, teeth clenched and anger boiling in his blood.

“It was for tonight, an induction ceremony of sick sorts,” Bill said and then pressed his finger against the ear piece. His eyes widened.

“Get in position now. Be ready. Holy fuck,” Bill said and drew his weapon. Nevin and Milton did the same thing as they followed Bill quickly down the hill and toward a side door no other officers were near.

“What is it?” Nevin asked him in a firm whisper.

Bill looked at him and Nevin. “They have her tied to the feasting table. Any man can do as he pleases with her. It’s her punishment for taking off and for cheating on Steven and Collin with you and your brothers.”

“They’re dead. They’re fucking dead,” Milton stated and kicked open the door. In that same moment he heard the yelling, shots being fired, smoke canisters filling the rooms ahead. He and Nevin immediately went into soldier mode.

“Where, Bill? Where the fuck is she?” he asked and Bill spoke into his wrist receiver.

“Two hallways down, the main area is on the left.”

They ran and came upon a few obstacles along the way. A forearm to one guy’s throat sent him flying to the ground. Nevin punched another guy as Bill shot two men who shot first. It was an intense situation as they got to the main door and shoved it open. The smoke was beginning to fill the exit doors around them. Behind Bill was Kye and a few other troopers. “We’ve got your backs. Go get her now!” Kye yelled at Milton and Nevin as if he knew what was happening. They didn’t and as Milton’s eyes absorbed the sights he felt sick, angry, and so disgusted he wanted to kill every member of this order. There were tables of food and drinks, beer and women in barely anything. Some men were jumping up with their pants down as Feds and troopers started grabbing men and arresting them.

Milton’s eyes landed on Carina, spread out on a table wearing only panties and a bra. She was battered, bleeding, and then this big guy was cutting the ropes that bound her and he lifted her up over his shoulder and ran with her. Another guy followed.

“Freeze! Stop right there!” Nevin yelled.

“That’s Steven and Collin,” Bill told them.

Just then as Milton, Nevin and Bill ran as fast as they could to catch up to them, Milton saw Carina fighting and then fall to the ground and hit her head. Steven grabbed her by her arm and pulled her toward the door. She kicked and screamed and Milton and Nevin got to them. Nevin attacked Collin and Milton jumped Steven and pounded on his body.

It took several federal agents to get Milton off of Steven, and when they finally did, Steven was a bloody mess.

Milton looked at Nevin, who was being lifted up and away from Collin. Both men lay there gasping for breath.

“Carina. She’s in bad shape,” Bill yelled at Milton and he and Nevin snapped out of their rage at the men who hurt her and saw her lying on the floor, her head bleeding, her body a bruised mess, and Kye pulling off his jacket to lay over her.

“Oh, shit, Carina. Carina, baby, we’re here. It’s over,” Nevin said to her.

“Paramedics. We need a paramedic,” Milton yelled and Bill spoke into his wrist mic.

“Okay, baby, what hurts worst?” Nevin asked her as he went into medic mode.

She lifted hands up that were shaking profusely.

“Jesse? Is Jesse okay?” was all she asked about. Not a care for herself or what she went through.

“He’s fine, baby, it’s you we’re worried about. What hurts worst?” Nevin asked and pulled the jacket away that covered her body. She was black and blue along her thighs, her arms, and her breasts. Her lips were swollen and split, her cheek bones black and blue, too, and there were finger marks on her throat. Nevin felt sick.

“I should have killed that bastard,” he said.

Carina’s knuckles were split open and bleeding from striking Steven and fighting him off. Her head injury was Nevin’s biggest concern as he began to look into her eyes.

“Is she okay?” Jack came running over. He had helped one of the other teams of federal agents raid the small cottages around the area where these men were staying the night after they partook in the order’s party.

“What the fuck happened?” Jack asked and knelt down and caressed her shoulder. She blinked her eyes open.

“Jack,” she whispered and then cringed.

“We’ll talk about it later. She’s okay, that’s what matters,” Nevin said.

Milton locked gazes with Jack, who squinted at him.

“Do you believe this sick shit?” Jack asked Milton and he looked around them, too.

“Her pupils are dilated. I think she has a concussion,” Nevin told them and then the paramedics got there. He asked for what he needed and Milton watched, knowing Carina was in great hands with Nevin.

He looked around them as the chaos continued and he took in the sight. Prostitutes were being arrested, men arrested, too, including the local sheriff and the town board members. There had to be at least sixty men there all being taken in. The sick fucks wore deep burgundy robes that showed off bare chests and it looked like they only wore boxers underneath them.

The sight before him of food, alcohol, and women made him feel like he entered some prehistoric cavemen celebration. Where women were only good for sex and to appease a man’s appetite. These gluttons should be hog tied and placed over a fire pit to burn in hell for what they did and were doing. To know that this type of organization had functioned for years, that they were more than likely responsible for the murders of those innocent young woman, and that Carina was next, had him nearly throwing up his insides.

He looked at Carina. Her eyes were closed and they were getting her onto the gurney.

They could have lost her today. The fact that she was able to get away from this town, these evil men the way she did was a damn miracle. She deserved nothing but pampering and love after all this abuse and trauma.

He and his brothers were going to love her, cherish her, and respect her for the rest of their lives, but looking around this room, and knowing what these men did, would haunt his dreams forever.

“Milton,” Nevin said his name and Milton looked at his brother. He knew that he had anger and tears in his eyes and Nevin swallowed hard and nodded. He looked at Jack and gave his brother’s shoulder a squeeze.

“We got to her in time. We saved her. Let’s just focus on that and love her.”