His raspy, ragged voice wakes me. “Carter.” I attempt to speak, but my words come out as a squeak. My sore eyes dart from one corner of the room to the other as I struggle to work out where I am. Summoning all the strength I can find, I press my hands against the bed beneath me, trying to push myself up.
“Argghhh.” I let out a growl as the pain sears through my abdomen.
“Don’t.” Carter steps up from the seat beside me, resting his hand against my shoulder. “You were hurt badly. You’ve been lucky, Brax, but you need to recover.”
“I don’t have time,” I croak, “I need to find her. I need to kill that bastard, Alvrez!” I try to sit up again, but the dizziness is too much. I rest my clenched fist against my head in a pathetic attempt to stop it spinning.
“You are no good to anyone like this, Brax.”
“They have her, Carter. We need to fucking do something and fast.” My chest heaves as my heart pounds and I gasp for air.
“Fuck,” Carter says, looking behind himself and over to the door. “Breathe goddammit!”
I nod, taking short shallow breaths.
“You’re lucky I got to you in time. The internal bleeding was bad, man. I’m just glad they managed to fix you.”
“Without her, I might as well be dead,” I whisper, my arm resting across my abdomen as I attempt to control the pain. I’m not sure if it’s the injury or the hurt I feel for losing her that is the worst. But together, it’s unbearable.
“You have my word that we will do whatever is necessary to get her back. But I need manpower. I need guys willing to risk their lives. I need the Savages on board.” He sighs, his shoulders slumping. “Only, they are fucking pissed right now. We didn’t deliver on our part of the deal. I’ve told them it was Alvrez that ruined the deal, even though that’s not exactly the truth. I just need longer, Brax. I need them on our side.”
“Fuck the Savages. Just you and me. We can do this together. You’re Carter fucking Mellano!”
“No,” he says adamantly with a shake of his head. “It’s too much of a risk.”
“We don’t fucking need them…”
He cuts in, raising his voice, “We need them, Brax. We can’t win a war with this psycho alone.”
“So we do what?” I stop for a second dragging in a ragged breath. “Do we give him time to torture her more, or kill her? God knows what that sick motherfucker plans to do.”
Carter looks at me, his face contorted with anger. He rubs his hand across his creased forehead. Looking up, his eyes are pinned on me. “Look, I know how fucking hard this is for you, but you have to listen, Brax. For as much as I want this for you, and you know I have your back, you need to listen to me. You acted on impulse last time. You thought with your heart and it screwed everything up. Let’s attack this with precision. Make sure nothing can go wrong this time. And most of all, we make sure we take down that cocksucker Alvrez.”
I look at him with heavy eyes. My body is weak and fuck knows how long it will take to completely heal. I grit my teeth, glaring at Carter. “I don’t care what happens; I just have to get her back.”
I jolt awake. My eyes sting and my head pounds. I reach up with an unsteady hand, covering the side of my head where I’ve been hit. Trying to focus, I look at the tip of my fingers. There’s blood. Not much, but still, my head must be cut.
I pull in a sharp breath, my eyes scanning the area that surrounds me.
“Glad you could join us.” The snarling voice catches my attention.
“Fuck you, Jessica,” I snap, sitting up and resting my back against the window of the truck that rocks from side to side. I can’t have lost consciousness for long because we’re still in the back of the truck. I breathe unsteadily, my body shaking with pure anger. It sits deep inside, a feeling completely alien to me.
“How could you do that?” I snarl, my eyes burning into the bitch that not only betrayed me but got the man I love shot.
“You have to forget emotion, Isabelle. This is what I’m being paid to do. That’s all,” she replies casually, her shoulders rising and falling like it’s nothing.
“Don’t you dare,” I roar, my stomach contracting as I let out the anger with every word that falls from my mouth. “You could’ve killed him,” I choke out. “You shot Brax.”
“Like I said, just part of the job.” A smile widens on her face and I can tell she’s getting some sick sort of kick out of this.
“I swear to God if he doesn’t make it… I’ll… I’ll…”
“You’ll what?” she bellows, before lowering her voice and leaning over the back of the seat. “You’ll do nothing because you won’t be able to do anything. I’d be surprised if Alvrez doesn’t just take you to the torture room and finish you off. Pathetic little cunt.”
“Screw you, Jessica. They’ll find me. They know where Alvrez lives.” I rest my hand on my aching head, wishing I could gather more strength to do something. Anything.
“Correction,” she says, holding up her pointy index finger. “Brax knows where Alvrez lives, and since he’s dead now, no one will come looking for you. Quite tragic really.”
I drop my hand from my head to my chest, hoping to stop the crushing feeling deep inside. I’m consumed and overcome with despair. The tears roll down my cheeks without a sound leaving my mouth. I can’t control them. It’s like they are a representation of the heart-crushing pain I feel within.
The truck sways me from side to side. I drop my head down resting my forehead against my knees as I try to think, try to work out how I’m going to get out of this. I need to turn around, I need to know whether Brax made it or not. God, please let him live. I can’t believe he’s dead. I will fight with everything I have to make sure I get out of this alive.
Suddenly the truck stops and I lift my head looking out of the window. Nausea overwhelms me as I take in where we are. We’re back at the mansion.
“Home sweet home,” Jessica sings, reaching over for the door. I shuffle to the end of my seat as I watch her bend down reaching for the handle. The minute the door is open, I lift my knees to my chin and kick my legs out at full force. My heart pounds like crazy as I watch my feet make contact with Jessica’s back, and she tumbles from the open door, dropping to the ground with a thud. She lets out a cry and I jump to my feet, knowing this could be my only chance. I have to run; I have to somehow get away. I run as fast as my stiff legs allow, the searing pain in my head increasing with every step I take. My feet thud against the gravel on the driveway and I swipe my head trying to work out which way to go. Racing through the huge gates that remain open, I steam down the road as fast as I can. I want to look back, I want to see if I really did this, if I really managed to get away that easily. But I don’t. I keep putting one foot in front of the other as I make my way onto the road.
“Stop.” His voice pierces the air, causing me to shudder. I don’t stop. I keep going but risk a look over my shoulder. Harlan stands with his gun clasped in his hand, pointing directly at me. Surely he won’t shoot me?
“Please don’t make me do this, Isabelle.”
I slow my steps, my chest heaving as my throat tightens. God, I’m seriously out of shape. “I’m not going back there,” I call over to him. “I don’t belong there. Why are you doing this?”
“It’s you or me. And I choose you,” he shouts back.
“What are you talking about?” I narrow my eyes on him, catching my breath, ready to turn and run again. Only I’m torn. What if he does shoot me?
“I have to do this. I don’t have any choice.”
“We all have a choice,” I roar at him, my whole body shaking with anger as he tries to justify what he’s done. “You’re just as bad as him.”
“I’m not, Isabelle. You have to believe me.”
“Screw you, Harlan. You shot Brax. You took away the only person I had left in my life. So help me God, I will not rest until you are six-feet under!”
I jerk at the feeling of hands on me. I snap my head, looking at the two men standing behind me, their fingers digging into my upper arm. I thrash desperately trying to get out of their hold.
“Get off me.” I fight with all my might to try to free myself.
Harlan laughs a deep-throated evil laugh. His head is down, but his eyes narrow on me. I try to swallow, try to speak, but the tightening in my throat won’t allow it. I breathe fast, shallow breaths, and in this moment, as I look at the man in front of me, I realize what an idiot I’ve been. How did I ever think I could trust him? I was vulnerable, and he wormed his way into my mind, making me believe he was a friend. But he’s anything but. He’s every bit the enemy that Alvrez is. He may not have hurt me in the same way, but he’s just as dangerous.
“Did you think you’d get away?” He continues to laugh, his hand fidgeting with the gun in his hand.
“Why, Harlan? Why?” I scream at him, still struggling against the hold of the two men I’ve never seen before. “You said you were my friend. You made me believe you cared when all along you were just screwing with me. With my life!”
“You were a nice little plaything. I wanted a taste.” He smirks, taking slow steps toward me. “You were so damn gullible. You actually thought I was your friend!” He reaches up, rubbing his knuckles against his eye as he mocks me.
“They’ll find you,” I shout at him as he stops just in front of me. He slowly tilts his head to the side. His tongue darts out as he licks his lips.
“Your friends are no match for me,” he snarls; his lip curls and his nostrils flare.
“Funny,” I goad him, my head lifting as I look the monster deep in his eyes. “You looked pretty fucking useless when Helena plunged her knife over and over in Alvrez’s back.” I lift my brow, a small smirk playing on my lips. He lifts his hand, slapping his palm across my face. My head drops a little, but I’m quick to return it to its previous position.
“Take her inside,” he orders to the men holding me back. I glare at him with all my might. Gone are the days where I comply hoping I will live, because I have nothing left to live for. If Brax is dead, then I may as well be dead too. I feel hollow inside; a wave of sickness washes through me as I think about him. We were barely reunited before we were ripped apart again.
“Wait…” I shout, my eyes fixed on Harlan. “Is he dead?” I choke back the emotion that rises so uncontrollably.
“Sure,” he replies flippantly with a shrug of his shoulders. “Did you really think I would walk out of there if that waste of space, piece of shit, was still breathing? That motherfucker is dead and gone and you are back where you belong, Isabelle.”
I fight back the sob that rises. “This is not where I belong. What the hell is wrong with you?” I choke out, pressing my feet against the ground in an attempt to stop the two men dragging me back to that hell hole. But my attempts are useless. I can’t stop them.
I’m helpless.
Too weak and broken. Broken beyond repair. Part of my damaged soul wants to give in, but another part, the one that is connected to Brax, tells me to fight. Fight the bastards. Even if it costs me my life.