CHAPTER TWENTY
Cara
“I THINK WE need to go out to California,” I said to Sean as I paced his living room.
“Cara, we’ve already talked about this. We shouldn’t go anywhere until we know more about the situation. Going out there won’t help the situation.”
“Are you seriously asking me to sit around here and do nothing?” I asked incredulously.
“What are you going to do out there? We’ll be in the way if we go out there. They need to focus on finding Mark, not making sure we’re informed of every little detail.”
“I can’t stay here, Sean. I need to be close by so when they find him I can get to him.”
He sighed and shook his head. I knew exactly what he wasn’t saying, they might not find him or they might not get to him in time. I knew all too well how this could turn out, but I couldn’t think that way. When he told me yesterday that Mark had been taken, I refused to give in to the fear of the situation, but being so far away and feeling completely helpless was slowly breaking down my defenses.
“Sean, I know.” I took a step toward him and gripped his hand in mine. “Please don’t make me wait out here. I need to be closer to him. Just call Sebastian and work it out. I’ll stay out of the way and I won’t ask a lot of questions, but I need to be out there.”
Sean nodded and pulled out his phone. I waited with bated breath as he talked with Sebastian about going out to California.
“We can take a flight out there right away. She needs to be closer.”
I closed my eyes and prayed that Sebastian would be able to come up with something to get Cash on our side. He had been telling us to stay put since Mark went missing.
“Oh, okay. Sure. We’ll wait for your call.”
He hung up and I about lost it. “Don’t you dare tell me to wait for a phone call. I need to go out there now!”
“Cara, he’s getting a private plane because he’s taking his guys out there to help in the search. He wants us to wait so we can fly out with him.”
I leapt into his arms and squeezed him tight. “Thank you so much, Sean. You’ll never know how much this means to me.”
“I do, sweetheart. We’ll get him back.”
He held me tight for a few minutes and I almost broke down and gave into the feelings of dread that were surrounding me, but when Sean pulled back, I blinked away the tears and sucked in a breath.
“I’m going to pack. I want to be ready as soon as he calls back.” Sean nodded and I ran off to my bedroom to pack. I quickly threw clothes in my duffel, not really paying attention to what was there. When I was done, I zipped my bag and sat down on the bed. I stared at the floor, not willing to go out and wait with Sean.
I thought back to the time I had wasted blaming Mark when I should have been embracing the fact that he cared enough for me to stand up for me. I was such an idiot and we lost so much time together. Now, I didn’t even know if I would see him again.
“Cara, we need to leave. Sebastian has a plane for us and we need to get out there now.”
I nodded and grabbed my duffel, following him to the door.
“Do you have your meds? They won’t be able to hold up if something happens. We’re working on their clock.”
I nodded and patted my purse. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
✯✯✯✯✯
We landed in California about an hour ago and had just loaded up the SUV and headed for OPS. I was sitting in the back with Sean while Sebastian and Burg rode up front. We had been driving for close to a half hour when Sebastian got a call. I leaned forward, not at all ashamed that I was listening in on his private phone call.
“Right, we’ll head there now.” He hung up and looked at me in the rearview mirror, then glanced at Burg. “Call John and Derek. Tell them we’re headed to 2145 West Cedar St. We’ll be meeting up with Cash’s crew and get further instruction once we get there.”
My nerves jumped as we turned a corner and sped down the road. Sean gripped my hand and leaned in close. “When we get there, you stay in the car with me. We have to let them do what they’re trained to do.”
“Shouldn’t you be going with them? I mean, you’re trained also.”
He shook his head. “There’s a difference between training for police work and training for hostage recovery at this level. They’ve trained for this in the military and with every job they do. Best to leave it to the people that are best qualified.”
That was absolute bullshit. Maybe to some degree he was right, but I knew my brother was damn good at his job. No doubt, he was told that he needed to stay back and keep and eye on me. It was fine, though. I needed him with me to help me get through whatever was about to happen.
When we arrived at the address, I noticed it was a warehouse and that had my stomach doing somersaults. There was no way that this would be good. Sebastian’s men immediately got to work, arming themselves and strapping on bulletproof vests. Another man came over and started barking orders at all of them and then they all dispersed, heading off to different areas of the property. We waited and waited for what felt like forever, but then the gunfire started and Sean shoved me to the floor of the SUV in case any stray bullets headed our way.
“They’re coming back. Get ready to move.”
I sat up and looked out the window to see all the men running back toward us. One man in particular stood out because he was carrying someone over his shoulder who was slumped and unmoving. My hand flew to my mouth when the man’s silhouette came into view. It was Mark, there was no doubt in my mind.
“Oh, God. Sean, please tell me he’s not dead,” I whimpered.
“Just hold onto hope, Cara. We won’t know anything until we get out of here.”
Sebastian and Burg quickly got in the vehicle and we followed the SUV that Mark had been put in. I heard gunfire in the distance, but I didn’t care about that at the moment. I needed to know how Mark was.
“Sebastian, just tell me!” I practically shouted at him.
“He’s alive,” was all he said as he focused on the road. I slumped back in my seat and buried my head in Sean’s chest as I cried. I had no idea what Sebastian meant by ‘he’s alive’. Was he going to recover? Was he just passed out? I was terrified to know the answer, but even more terrified that I would never talk to him again.
✯✯✯✯✯
I paced around the waiting room for hours, hoping that the doctor would come out and give us some tiny speck of news. Sean had tried to get me to sit down with him, but I just couldn’t sit with all the nervous energy built up inside of me. Surprisingly, I was so distracted by my fear of the situation that my anxiety hadn’t even made itself known. The doors to the emergency room opened and some of the guys from OPS entered. They dressed the same as everyone else and nobody flinched when they walked through the doors, so I assumed they were to be trusted. One of the men looked at me and stared at me for a few seconds before heading over.
My nerves got the better of me the closer he got and I found myself trembling in fear. When he took in my reaction, his eyes softened and he slowed his steps. Sean saw him approach and stepped up next to me.
“Cara?” the man asked with hesitation.
I swallowed and nodded. “My name is Red Warren. I was in the SUV with Mark. He wanted me to tell you that he loves you and he asked me to stick by you in case you needed anything.”
There was only one reason Mark would ask someone else to tell me he loved me. He didn’t think he was going to make it. Sean gripped my hand tightly, knowing exactly what I was thinking.
I nodded slightly and forced the words out of my mouth. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Can I get you anything?”
“No, I have my brother here. He’ll help me with anything I need.”
Red looked at me sympathetically. “All due respect ma’am, a brother asks you to do something for him, you don’t leave it in the hands of someone else. Even if it is a relative.”
“Okay, then what I need is for you to tell me how you found him.”
He shook his head and looked at me warily. “I don’t think that’s something I should be telling you. I’m pretty sure my boss wouldn’t approve of that.”
I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest. “Your brother asked you to take care of me. This is what I need. I need to know what I’m facing. Was he awake when you found him? Was he beaten? Is there a chance he’ll live? Those things will help me know what I’m dealing with and be prepared for whatever comes next.”
He looked at Sean, but I snapped a finger in front of him. “Don’t look to him for answers. He doesn’t speak for me.”
“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I nodded and he grabbed me by the elbow, dragging me over to some chairs away from everyone else. Sean followed and sat beside me.
“When we found him, he was collapsed on the floor, naked. It was freezing in the room and he was wet and cold. He wasn’t shaking anymore, which isn’t a good sign. He has ligature marks around his wrists and they were swollen, which most likely meant that he was hanging from his wrists at some point. He also had ripped flesh around his ribs.”
“What do you mean by ripped flesh?” I choked out.
He looked at Sean again and then down at the ground. “Do you know what flagellation is?”
I shook my head.
“It’s when you have a stick with multiple ropes. Each rope has blades, hooks, pieces of metal that are attached. When you get hit with it, the metal hooks into your skin and rips out your flesh.”
I covered my mouth as I pictured that happening to Mark. “Oh, God,” I whispered.
“It doesn’t look like he took a lot of it. In fact, we found two dead men, one outside the cell and one inside with him. He fought back.”
“How did he kill them?” I asked as I sat up straight. Maybe it would help to know that they suffered.
“It looks like one guy was strangled and the other..”
“The other, what?”
“He had the leg of the chair smashed through his eye.”
“Good,” I replied firmly. It did make me feel better to know that he had taken them out so gruesomely. “I hope that man saw the chair coming before it smashed into his skull.”
Red laughed a little. “I’m sure he did.”
After that, Red sat with us as we waited for the doctor. It was another hour before an older man stepped out and called for the family of Mark Sinn. I rushed forward and was followed by every member of Reed Security and OPS that was in the waiting room, all of them hulking and dangerous looking. The doctor swallowed and chuckled a little.
“That’s not at all intimidating. I need to speak with a family member.”
Sebastian pushed me forward lightly. “This is Cara, his wife.”
I shot Sebastian a grateful smile and then turned back to the doctor.
“Would you like to talk somewhere privately?” the doctor asked.
“No, we’re all family.” After all, they had all risked their lives to save Mark. They should be allowed to know how he was.
“Your husband sustained some injuries to his wrists and side, but luckily, neither will cause permanent damage. He has some muscle damage in his shoulders and he’ll need physical therapy, but he should recover just fine. He also has quite a few burn marks on his body and we’ll keep an eye on him to make sure there are no further complications. He suffered hypothermia, which was of the most concern, but we’ve been able to restore his body temperature and we’re confident he’ll make a full recovery. We’re moving him to a room right now and a nurse will take you to see him once he’s settled. But maybe only one of you at a time,” he smiled.
“Thank you, doctor.”
He smiled again and walked away. I spun and threw myself into Sean’s arms, finally allowing myself to break after all this time.
✯✯✯✯✯
I had to wait another half hour before going to see Mark and then I had to argue with Cash about who got to see him first. Sean stood up for me and told him to fuck off, that there was no way Mark would be up for answering questions anyway. I had never been so happy in all my life to have Sean as my brother than in that moment.
Walking into his room, I was immediately struck by how pale Mark looked. He had blankets all over him and what looked like heating pads. He also had an IV hooked up that was giving him fluids. Based on what Red told me, Mark was probably really dehydrated. I sat down next to him and picked up his hand. It was still cold, which made me a little nervous.
“He’s alright, honey. Just some residual cold, but we’re getting his body temperature up and soon he’ll be right as rain.” A nurse looking to be in her fifties walked in and checked on his vitals and typed into the computer.
“Can he hear me?”
“I think so. You never know for sure, but I’ve had many patients say that they could hear what was being said when they were unconscious.”
“Do you know how long it will take for him to wake up?”
“I would imagine he’ll sleep through the night. His body needs time to heal, so it’s best if he gets plenty of rest. The doctor will be in tomorrow to discuss what happens next.”
I looked back at him and squeezed his hand. The nurse left and I cleared my throat. If he could hear me, I didn’t want to sound all weepy.
“I don’t know what the hell you were thinking getting yourself caught like that. I know you’re good at your job, so that should have never happened. When Maggie gets in here, she’s going to kick your ass for being so stupid.”
It felt strange having a one sided conversation. I kept waiting for him to open his eyes and answer, but logically, I knew that wouldn’t happen until his body was rested.
“Red talked to me and told me what you said. I imagine the only reason you told him to tell me was because you thought you weren’t going to make it. I don’t want to think about what could have happened, so we’ll just pretend that you didn’t almost die and you came to the hospital because you were being treated for minor injuries. I’ll pretend that you came in here with Cash and he was grumbling over some minor bruises and you were acting like a big baby, saying how much they hurt. You were never held in that basement and none of that shit ever happened to you.”
I laughed at the irony of the situation. “My therapist would have a field day with this. She would say that I’m doing the same thing that people did with me, pretending it didn’t happen so they could move on and pretend their world wasn’t such a dark place.”
I wiped the tears away that had started rolling down my face. “I never would have wished for you to experience anything like that and I hope that you don’t go through the anxiety that I went through, but you’re stronger and we’ll all help you. I’ll make sure that if you’re struggling to deal with everything, that someone’s there to help you get through it. I don’t know how much help I’ll be since I throw up on people in restaurants, but somehow we’ll work it out.”
I laid my head down on the bed and watched his chest rising up and down, assuring me that he really was here and alive.
Rough fingers brushed against my face, waking me from my slumber. I had a crick in my neck and groaned as I stretched my neck, but then I remembered what I felt and looked up to see Mark smiling at me.
“I imagined waking up next to you in bed, but this wasn’t quite the scenario I had been hoping for. You were a lot more naked and I was able to get a woody.”
A huge smile took over my face at his light hearted banter. His voice was rough and a little sluggish, but he was smiling. “I can definitely play nurse when we get you home. I’ll even get a nurse’s outfit if you’re a naughty boy.”
I pressed the call button for the nurse and poured a glass of water from the pitcher. I held the glass out for him and he tried to grab it from me.
“Don’t be a naughty boy or I’m going to have to spank you.”
“Shit, I walk out of here for five minutes and I come back to Sinner playing out dirty sex scenes. Does your cock ever stop working?” Sebastian asked as he walked in the room.
I saw something dark cross Mark’s face, but he quickly covered it with a grin. “I just woke up to her playing naughty nurse.”
“So, you just naturally bring it out in women. Why is it that you’re the only man I know that can instantly turn a woman into a sex fiend?”
“Jealous, Sebastian?” he croaked. I poured him some more water and he immediately guzzled it down. He leaned his head back against the pillow and closed his eyes for a minute. I didn’t want to draw attention to him since he was obviously tired, so I turned to talk to Sebastian.
“So, should we be expecting Maggie out here?”
Sebastian looked a little uncomfortable and shuffled his feet. “Uh, I think so. We haven’t really spoken.”
“I told you you were fucking it up,” Sinner said with his eyes still closed.
“No shit. I don’t need you to tell me I’ve screwed more than one thing up with her,” Sebastian said, but there was no heat behind it. “I’m sure she’ll be out here soon. You’ll know when she comes storming through the door, demanding answers and ready to kick ass.”
Mark shifted in his bed and a grimace spread across his face. Sebastian must have seen it because he made an excuse about needing to talk with the nurse about when Mark would be released and left the room.
“Can I get you anything else?”
“No,” he said quietly.
The nurse came in a few minutes later, followed by Sebastian who looked a little worried.
“Alright, Mr. Sinn. Let’s check you over and see if it’s time for another round of pain meds. Can you two step out of the room, please?”
“I’m staying,” I said immediately.
“Cara, give us a minute,” Sinner asked with his eyes still closed. I didn’t want to leave him, but if he didn’t want me there, I had no choice but to leave. I followed Sebastian out into the hallway and leaned against the wall as we waited for the nurse to finish.
“Cut him some slack. No man wants his woman to see him like that.”
“How can I help him when we head home if I don’t know how to care for him?”
“I think you need to prepare yourself for the fact that he may not want you to stay with him. We don’t know exactly what happened to him-”
“Red told me. I already know,” I interrupted.
“Yeah, Red told you some scenarios, but that doesn’t tell you exactly what happened. Not to mention the psychological part of it. I’m not saying he’ll push you away, but be prepared that he may not want you taking care of him.”
We waited outside in silence for a few more minutes until I finally worked up the nerve to ask Sebastian a question that had been weighing on my mind for a very long time.
“Why did you fire Mark? Was it because of me or was it because of Maggie?”
Sebastian blew out a breath and sat in a seat across the hall. “Honestly, I told myself it was in defense of you, but I think I was too jealous of Mark’s relationship with Maggie and I was tired of competing.”
“You know that they’re like family, right?”
“I know that now, but they have such an easy relationship. He’s so good with her and he understands her faster than I ever could. I think I worried that one day Maggie would realize that and leave me for him.”
“It’s only easy because they don’t have the expectations on one another that a couple does. They take the good and blow off the bad because the bad isn’t something they have to deal with on a more personal level. You can’t compare their brother/sister relationship to an intimate one.”
“It may be too late. I’ve fucked up so much lately with her and I’m just not sure I can fix it.”
“Well, you won’t fix it if you don’t try. Speaking of which, here she comes now,” I nodded my head to a very pissed off looking Maggie, who was storming down the hall with anger all over her face.
“What the hell? Why didn’t you tell me you were coming out here? I would have come with you,” Maggie asked as she got in Sebastian’s face. Sebastian put out his hands placatingly which only further angered Maggie.
“I know. I’m sorry. I was just trying to protect you in case it didn’t go our way.”
“Sebastian, I know you think you need to protect me from everything, but there are things I’m capable of dealing with on my own. When are you going to learn that you have to let me make my own decisions?”
“If you would just make smart decisions, I wouldn’t worry about you so much.”
“Right, like when you were pissed at Sinner for teaching me how to shoot. Imagine how that situation would have turned out.”
“Freckles-”
“Don’t you ‘Freckles’ me!”
Sebastian grabbed Maggie around the arms and held her close to him.
“I will ‘Freckles’ you. I love you and I will do whatever it takes to make sure you don’t get dragged into something that has nothing to do with you. I didn’t bring you out here because there’s something going on that you would no doubt stick your nose in and then we’d be looking for you in a basement also.”
The door to Mark’s room opened and the nurse stepped out. “I’m going to have to ask you to keep it down or I’m going to have you removed from the hospital. This is a place of healing and the patients need their rest.” Her stern look had Sebastian and Maggie looking properly chastised.
“Now, you may go in, but you’ll only have a few minutes because the doctor will be here soon and he’ll need to examine Mr. Sinn.”
The nurse walked away and I turned to the two of them.
“I’m going back in to see how he is. You two need to work this out before going in there. Mark doesn’t need you two arguing in front of him.”
I turned and walked back into the room, trying my best to put on my happy face. Mark was lying in bed sleeping, so I took a seat next to him and held his hand.
“Hey, Lollipop.” His eyes were closed but he smiled at me. “I wish that you were my nurse. It’s no fun to have a woman in her fifties touching my junk.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Of course that’s what you’re concerned about.”
“So, any word on when you can break me out of here?”
“I don’t know. The nurse said the doctor would be by soon, so I’m guessing we’ll find out after he examines you.”
“I’d like you to examine me.”
“I’ll gladly examine you as soon as the doctor says it’s okay.”
“You’re no fun. I’m going to need a second opinion and I think you’re just the woman to give it.”
“How about this, as soon as the doctor gives the all clear, I’ll make sure you get all the second opinions needed.”
He sighed and rested his head back on the pillow. “I’m ready to get out of here. Hospitals suck. I need food. Now I know what Cazzo felt. Any chance you’ll sneak in some steak for me?” he asked hopefully.
“I’ll see what I can do. I’m sure Sebastian would gladly run out for a few steaks.”
“Tell him to get some for himself, too. A few steaks should be enough for me.”
“Let’s hold off on the steaks for a little longer.” I spun around to see a male doctor walk through the door with a smile. “I’m sure you’re up for more to eat, but after all your body’s been through, steak might be a little much.”
He turned to me and shook my hand. “I’m Doctor Harms.”
“Cara.”
“Should we take a look and see where we stand?” he asked Mark.
“Let’s get this over with, Doc. Cara, would you mind giving us a few minutes?”
I nodded and left the room, though I really didn’t want to. When I stepped into the hallway, Maggie and Sebastian were nowhere to be found. I sat in the chair across from Mark’s room and waited.