Twenty-Four
I jerked away, but realized I hadn’t dreamed being tied up and spanked by that lunatic. With my eyes covered, I was still disoriented, but at least I didn’t feel fuzzy anymore. I pulled at the restraints, but they didn’t give at all. There wasn’t any way I was getting loose unless someone let me go.
When I heard the key in the lock, my body tensed. I needed to stay strong, but I was scared. Not being able to see, I had to rely on my other senses. The door opened slowly and I could hear feet moving. There was more than one person coming in.
“Jiji, baby, I’m here.” I felt cloth thrown over my back, covering me from the neck down.
“Breech? Am I dreaming, am I dead? You can’t be here, they shot you, I saw them shoot you.” I was crying. What a cruel joke; they must have slipped me more drugs, and I was still unconscious.
I felt hands on my ankles, cutting through the bindings. The blindfold was taken off, and I looked up into Breech’s face. “Jiji, you’re not dreaming and you’re not dead—it’s me.” My hands were released, and Breech gently sat me up. I felt a blanket slip around my shoulders, but my focus was all on the man kneeling in front of me. I reached up and cupped his face. “How?”
Leaning in, he kissed me. I wound my arms around his neck, kissing him back, running my hands over his neck and chest. I couldn’t stop touching him, proving to myself that he was alive, standing in front of me. I put my hand over his heart, feeling its steady beat. I had no idea I was crying until I felt his hands wiping the moisture away from my cheeks. Cupping my face in his big hands, he pushed my hair behind my ears, tracing the contours of my face with his thumb. “It’s okay, babe. We’re both alive and together. I love you, and I’m sorry I let you down, and that they took you from me.”
“Breech, you didn’t let me down. There was nothing you could have done. You tried to protect me, and they shot you like the cowards they are. I thought you died! How can you have survived and be standing here like nothing happened?”
Dukes spoke up from behind him, “He’s too ornery to kill. It would take a lot more than a couple slugs to take this guy down, Jiji.”
Leaving Breech, I went to Dukes, hugging him hard. “Thank you for coming to my rescue, again.”
He hugged me back, chuckling. “Always, Jiji.”
Breech pulled me back into his arms, gently touching the side of my face that was swollen. “Are you ok, doll? Did he hurt you anywhere else?”
“He didn’t do this, Breech; Manny did when I attacked him after he shot you. That asshole spanked me and tied me up, but that’s all he did. I’m fine.”
Before he could ask me any more questions, Murph yelled from the door, “Incoming—look out!”
A shot rang out, and Breech pulled me down and under him. His gun was in his hand and he returned fire immediately.
The room erupted in chaos, everyone scrambling for cover. Sonny had a woman covered, and the rest scattered.
Men came through the door, but they were no match for the Devil’s Wind. They worked together like a well-oiled machine and quickly disarmed the intruders. Fists were flying, but in short order the men were down, groaning. Murph pulled zip ties from his pack to tie them up with.
A woman came up to me, holding out a T-shirt and pair of sweats. “Hi, I’m Gia; I found these in a bedroom up the hall. They will be huge but it smells clean and it will be warm.”
I accepted them gratefully. “Thank you, Gia, I’m Jiji.”
She turned her back so I could slip the T-shirt over my head in privacy, despite my whole rescue squad already getting a view of my goods. It came to the middle of my thighs, but at least I was covered. Putting on the sweats, I pulled the drawstring as tight as I could to hold them up and rolled the bottoms up so I wouldn’t trip. My feet were still bare, but Gia produced a pair of thick socks from her backpack.
“These will have to do for now. I didn’t think of bringing a pair of shoes,” she said.
“Breech, Brom is on the move. He’s heading for the garage; we are going to head him off before he gets away. Send reinforcements,” Danko’s voice sounded over the com link.
“Jiji, you ok to move?” Breech asked.
“More than ready, I want to go home,” I said.
“Dukes and I will take point, you girls are in the middle, and Sonny and Murph take the rear.”
As a group, we moved to the door; Dukes looked out the door carefully, the hallway was clear. “Move out,” he said. Swiftly we made it to the back staircase and headed down. The house was unnaturally quiet.
The sounds of gunfire came from outside. “Danko, report—are you okay?” Breech demanded.
Danko’s reply came back almost immediately, “We have him pinned down in the garage; he’s got three bogeys with him, but they can’t shoot for shit.”
“You’re tellin’ me and my fuckin’ coin. We’re on our way, hang tight,” Breech replied.
Maria appeared at the bottom of the staircase. “If you follow me, I can take you to the door that connects to the garage.” She turned, beckoning us to follow her. We hurried after her, following ‘til she came to a doorway. It led to a breezeway between the house and the garage beyond.
“Maria, thank you; please stay in the house so you don’t get hurt. We got this from here.” Pulling a second piece from a holster inside his jacket, Breech handed it to me. “I know you know how to handle a gun; if any of those men come through that door, shoot first, ask questions later. Keep Gia and Maria safe, and we will be back once we take these guys down.”
Dukes slipped a com unit in my ear. “So you’ll be able to hear and communicate with us.”
Breech grabbed me and kissed me hard on the lips. “Be the badass I know you are, and keep the ladies safe ‘til we get back.”
I smiled, “Flattery will get you laid, big boy.”
He chuckled. “See, badass. Be back as soon as we take these guys out. Stay low and watch each other’s backs.”