Wylder

 

 

Remaining still as a statue, I keep myself in an indolent slouch and look at Ariston, my face a mask of emptiness that Danny once told me scared her more than anger.

The man is smiling at me as if he’s got the upper hand, but I know better, and thanks to Noni and his delighted phone call upon receiving Danny, I know that no one is coming to back Ariston up.

We’re at the warehouse, the very same one we started at, and after Wolf crashed the car into the wall and walked away without a show of remorse, I walked in here and started dealing.

Of course, Noni thought it was a double-cross, until his guys called him to tell him they had Danny. Then the guy was all smiles. I almost took his teeth out, wondering what it is about my Danny that makes men weak and stupid.

Because Noni is being a fool, letting the lust he feels after meeting Danny cloud his better judgement. But whatever. I knew she’d keep him busy and so happy with the offering that he’d double-deal Ariston. Not that it took much but a reminder that he makes more money dealing with me than he ever did with this asshole, but…

Things are going exactly as planned. Wolf should be on his way to Noni right now to get Danny and kill the little shit before he hurts her, and then he’ll get her out.

Lynx is watching us all through his scope and will start shooting if anyone so much as moves for a weapon. Hawk has backup ready, and me, I am exactly where I always wanted to be, looking back at my enemy before I put a bullet between his eyes.

“But I am glad that you are a businessman and won’t allow old family history to color your judgement,” Ariston says, giving me a smile of triumph.

“You are. You’re also a fool if you think I planned all of this only to get into bed with the man who ordered a hit on my eighteen-year-old sister,” I say slowly, shaking my head with a dark smile when he starts and turns his beady eyes on me.

“Eh, I wouldn’t do that if I were you, gentlemen,” I say, shaking my head when they reach for their guns. “Right about now, you have one of the best snipers in the world with his sights trained on you. One move and he’ll drop you all. Just ask yourself if you’re willing to die with your boss tonight or if you’d rather walk out of here unscathed. I only want him. Your choice.”

The first one to twitch drops a second later, Lynx’s skill with his rifle making the other three pause and hold their hands out.

“Go.”

Ariston is still sputtering when the door closes behind them. I don’t move at all, not even when one runs out behind me, because I have faith in Lynx, and besides, I won’t show an ounce of fear in front of this asshole.

“You honestly think I would walk in here and do business with the man who had my baby sister violated and beaten to death? You must be crazier than the rumors say you are, you piece of shit,” I snarl, watching him sweat and relishing the fear that makes his eyes go wide.

I feel satisfaction. Hell yeah I do, but mostly, as I look at him and see him swallow, all I want is to get out of here and make sure my girl is okay.

“It was business! You understand business, Wylder.”

“Do I?” I ask curiously, loving his confusion when I shake my head.

“But the women and the drugs—”

“Were just a cover. Yes, I couldn’t save them all, because that would have tipped Noni off that he had a rat, but I’d say a good sixty percent of them never made it past those borders, and the others went to places where escape was possible or the men were at least humane. Don’t worry though. We know where every single woman is right now, and once I kill your fat ass, I have teams ready and waiting to go get them.”

That trips him up, as I expected it to, and I smile, baring my teeth when his face goes red with rage.

“You’re a plant!”

“Nope, I’m a mobster with a conscience. I had to build this business from the ground up to get to you, but I have friends in high places, asshole. Yeah, I got my hands really dirty coming for you, but do I look fucking stupid? I haven’t made one move on you or the trafficking operations without cutting a deal for myself and my family. I’m no saint, but I am not a monster like you. Tell me, was it worth it, killing an innocent girl just to get a few thousand dollars laundered through a little company that wasn’t even on the radar?” I ask, genuinely interested now that he knows he’s going to die.

Like all cornered rats who know their number is up, he spits curses at me and starts justifying his ass.

“All he had to do was turn a blind eye! That’s all! He would have made his cut of the profits, and your sister would have lived.”

His words piss me off because in no way is my pop to blame for this. He made the right choice, the moral choice, and lost his child, almost lost his whole family as well.

And for what? So this fat bastard could make a few more dollars to feed his obese ass? I’m sickened by him, so filled with hate it’s hard not to leap over the table and start beating him the way they beat Sparrow.

“Don’t kill me! Don’t. We can cut a deal—”

“I don’t want a deal, Ariston. I want you to die just like your son and his friends died,” I say softly, watching his face pale.

“That was you?”

“That was me and my brothers. That was justice. And no, I won’t cut a deal. I promised my family a long time ago that I would kill you all no matter what it took, and today, today that vow is fulfilled.”

I give Lynx the signal and walk away before Ariston hits the floor, my job done. I have more to do now, my life hanging by a thread as I walk out of the warehouse to see Danny standing in the middle of a group of women and so many agents my criminal heart shudders.

I shouldn’t go anywhere near her. I should walk away, but I’m in front of her before I can tell my feet to go in the opposite direction.

She’s bruised and scratched and covered in blood but so beautiful I feel my heart pulse a beat of longing that weakens my knees.

“Stay away from me.”

Her hiss is like a slap, and I stumble as I reach out, wincing when she slaps me so hard my head rocks back.

“Don’t you touch me! Don’t you dare touch me, you monster. You liar.”

Her yells have everyone stopping to look over at us, but I don’t see anyone but her as the tears start falling, and I become aware of Wolf and Lyon pulling at me.

“I love you! I love you, Danny.”

“Come on, you stupid asshole! Christ, we only have a certain window of time to get out of here before Sanchez can’t hold them back! We have a debriefing to get to, Bear.”

I listen only because I have to, because I can’t get Danny back if I’m behind bars serving a life sentence for murder, but my eyes never leave her as my brothers force me into a helicopter, and I keep looking until we’re so high up I can’t see her at all.

 

 

Danny

 

You know, life is just so weird, so, so weird, I think as I lean back on the couch and stare at the ceiling like I have been doing for three whole weeks.

I haven’t been back to school. I just don’t care about that anymore, and after I managed to mend fences with Daddy and assure him I’m okay—after telling him the whole truth and getting a look that almost killed me, of course—this has been my life every day for weeks.

I’m not depressed, exactly. I don’t have any thoughts, dark or otherwise, about myself. I just don’t care. I’m numb. So numb it’s a miracle that I get up every morning and shower and feed myself.

I can’t seem to make myself care. Correction, I won’t make myself care because I like this numbness. It’s safe and comforting, and I don’t have to fear feeling things that will wreck me.

I haven’t spoken to anyone but Daddy, who calls me every day and won’t stop hounding me. I finally capitulated and agreed to go away somewhere tomorrow because he’s driving me crazy with his guilt and worry.

I tried to explain that he has nothing to feel guilty about, that I was the one who should feel terrible for the lies I told, but the man keeps saying that I need to know everything and that he owes me an explanation about Wylder.

That’s where I stop him every time he calls, and after threatening never to talk to him again if he ever mentioned that name, I have peace.

I need just a little more time to shore up some strength. I know, eventually, the dam will burst and that I will have to deal with it all. First and foremost, the fact that I killed a man.

I don’t know how I’ll handle that once the feelings return, but I keep telling myself daily that it was self-defense, so I may just get through it.

Wolf tried to explain everything to me after I attacked him when he came running down the corridor, but I only heard snippets. I was so angry and scared when I saw him I kinda lost it, and only the agents who pulled me off him could calm me enough that I didn’t keep hitting him.

Daddy would be proud to know that I left him limping out of that hellhole.

And then Wylder. Now, that is a big one, because I haven’t thought about what happened or how he betrayed me. Not yet. I just wake up and stare at nothing. Eat. Bathe. Sleep.

I felt a little something when I woke up one morning to my period, but I don’t know if it was relief, like I keep telling myself it was, or sadness. I think sadness, but if I keep pretending hard enough I was happy, then I should feel that way. I hope.

A bang on the door has me groaning, and I roll to my feet and walk to the door in the same state I’ve been in for weeks. Numb.

“Dammit, Danny bug, did you even check the peephole?” Daddy rages when I pull the door open to see him standing there, his muscular body filling the doorway.

“Sure. Just like you taught me,” I lie, standing aside to let him in.

He grunts at the obvious lie and slams the door shut as I shuffle back to the couch, my haven.

“Kid, you look like shit,” he mutters when he eyes my hair and sweatpants.

Lori brought me sweatpants the first time she visited, stating that every woman needs sweatpants after a trauma. She was right. We ended up talking for hours, me dry-eyed while she raged on and on about Wolf and what a bastard he is.

I refrained from pointing out that if all she thinks about is Wolf, then she must love him. Mostly because she told me she’s been taking karate classes and I don’t have the strength to defend myself if she tries to kick my ass.

“Danny girl, are you listening to me, bug?” Daddy asks, cutting into my thoughts with a growl.

“What?”

“Dammit! Daniella Bright, you stop that weak shit and listen to me right now!”

“If this is another attempt to talk to me about my feelings, then just don’t, okay? I don’t want to hear anything about Wylder or get some lecture about how there are a million other men in the ocean or whatever! I don’t want to hear it. I did all this to myself and almost died because instead of being smart the way Lori was, instead of running, I stayed with him and kept making up excuses for why, instead of accepting that I was blinded by him. He’s a monster, and I fell in love with him,” I say, holding it all in when the shell cracks ominously.

Daddy looks at me sadly, and I feel so guilty that I can’t let him in right now, but I feel…as if I am mourning, you know? Because something died. I won’t get all melodramatic and say a part of me died. I am not that pathetic.

But my faith did die, and I am just not ready to deal with the funeral yet. I need time. I can’t do it right now, because I’ll start crying and I won’t stop until I’m a shell.

I don’t want to be a shell of my former self. I want to be me, the survivor. And I will be as soon as I lie to myself enough and have it down that I didn’t love Wylder, that I was just playing him so I could escape.

See. Easy. All lies, but as long as I believe them, in the end, that’s all that counts.

“He told you about his sister?”

“Sparrow,” I confirm, shrugging because I just don’t care!

I don’t. I get that she died and it was some huge trauma, but what he did to me, the way he was going to sacrifice me, is bullshit. There I was, all “I’ll sacrifice myself because my life isn’t any more important than your family’s”—*said in whiney, disgusted voice*—and he just throws me to the freaking wolves with a bloody bone tied around my neck.

Bastard.

“Bug, I know you don’t want to hear any of this, and trust me, I didn’t want to hear it either. After I beat the shit out of that boy, and he just let me, I wasn’t very up to much more bullshit, but his mom and dad cornered me and finally got me to listen to his side of things.”

I perk up a little at the thought of him beating the tar out of Wylder and then snarl at myself when a little kernel of concern tries to break through.

“I don’t care, Dad, and don’t you dare expect me to. You’re supposed to be on my side. You were supposed to assassinate him in some huge military spook style operation with photos of his corpse, not listen to the idiot’s sob story,” I rage, getting really riled because I know if dad heard him out and he isn’t ready to snipe him, then I will, and dammit, I’m not ready!

Daddy spreads his hands and gives me a smile for my bloodthirsty imagination, which makes me want to sob because I remember Wylder laughing about it and telling me not to give natural-born killers any bright ideas.

“I will if you still want me to, after you listen. Deal?”

I consider the offer. Seriously, I do, because if I have to feel stuff, then Dad can kill Wylder. Simple.

“Fine, but don’t expect anything.”

“I don’t. Just for you to listen without going nuts on me. Christ, you’re just like your mom with that wild temper. Leave it to you to fall in love with a man named Bear Wylder. Jesus, bug, just swear my grandbabies will have normal names.”

I bare my teeth in answer, and he laughs when I snarl, letting him know how I feel about his poorly placed joke.

“Okay, sorry. Okay. So, I went down there, pissed, you know me. I was seriously going to beat that boy to a pulp and drag him behind Jon’s car—”

“You took Uncle Jon with you?” I gasp, sitting forward because this is awesome.

“Yeah. But it wasn’t any fun, bug. Honestly, he just stood there and didn’t react at all. By the fourth punch, I just felt bad because he wasn’t even there anymore, ya know? It was tragic. Jon finally told me it was a waste, and I was leaving when his parents cornered us and forced me to listen. He told you about his sister, and that’s good, because it means that even then he wanted you to know another side of him.”

“Oh, barf.”

“It’s true. What he didn’t tell you was how bad things got after that. His dad started drinking heavily.”

“I know this, Daddy.”

“Did he tell you that he walked into his father’s home just as the bank was foreclosing on them and found him with a gun in his mouth?” he asks quietly, making me gasp and sit up straight in horror.

Oh, poor Wylder! That must have been awful, and for Wylder, who loves his family like crazy, it must have shredded him.

“Oh no.”

“Yeah. Wylder found him that way and had to stop him. The old man was crying the whole time he told me what went down, and I swear to God, Danny, I don’t know if I was more angry with him or if I just pitied him. I wouldn’t survive losing you, bug. I just wouldn’t. Wylder was desperate, so desperate he made a vow to his father, and he hasn’t stopped going until he fulfilled it.”

It makes sense, and I sort of suspected as much, but it still doesn’t help, and it doesn’t change what he did. I could have died. I almost did die, something I didn’t tell Daddy because nothing would have saved Wylder then. Nothing.

“I am not surprised, Daddy, but—”

“Alric told me that it was what kept him going, and as messed up as it sounds, I don’t think anything else could have done it. What they did to that girl…horrific, Danny. Alric took that vow, and after all this time, he knew he should have released Bear, but he didn’t. That man planned this all to the letter and then involved his buddies in ops. From there, it’s been an on-going operation to bring down more than one organization. They pulled in so many people the cops will be looking for jobs, bug.”

His words make me pause. I could stay angry at Wylder, and yes, I could really hate him forever, but as with that defining moment when I opened that door and saw that girl, knew I was meant to be there to help her, I know, I think, Wylder was meant to do this, save people by bringing them all down.

That helps me see things differently. It really does, but I can’t say that I’m ready to forgive him yet, if ever.

“Wolf was there. The plan was that he’d go for you when the time was right, and according to Bear, he hedged his bets with some shank you had in your shoe?” he asks in bewilderment.

I start laughing at that, at the ludicrousness of the situation. I laugh so long and hard I’m limp by the time Daddy lifts me up into his arms and gives me one of his tight hugs.

It’s so fucking funny though. I can’t stop. He knew! He knew about that shank the whole time, and he didn’t say anything! No wonder he’d wait for me to get undressed before he came to my room. I bet that sadistic freak was tickled by the thought that I had a weapon and could kill him at any time.

God, and how sick am I that I find it this amusing. And sweet.

“Bug, you’re starting to scare me a little,” Daddy whines, making me shake harder.

“He knew about that toothbrush?” I gasp.

“Yeah,” he chuckles, shaking his head. “You did me proud with that thing, baby, and I am embarrassed to say I left you uneducated about the making of weapons. That’s okay though because, apparently, you found a man just like your old dad to teach you all the ways of war.”

His delight is short lived when I scowl.

“You’d never have left me alone with that toad.”

“No, but then again, bug, as much as I love you, I don’t trust you to take a man down without my help. Or I didn’t. That was my mistake, but apparently, Bear sees your strength and trusted you to stay alive for him.”

Oh dammit. Really? Now how am I supposed to stay mad when he says stuff like that?