Normally when we storm a building, I look forward to the bloodshed that lay ahead. I relish in the blood of my enemies, and every pull of the trigger is more intoxicating than the last. But this time is different. As the four of us walk in the front door of Aces, our heads raised high as Tommy takes out the men on either side of the entrance, I can only think about one thing.
Emerson.
Every moment we take to get to her, is another minute Russo could be hurting her, and therefore every moment it takes is a moment too long. My heart thunders in my chest as we walk into the main club, the only activity is the security he’s hired to keep us out, but there’s nothing that will keep me away from my woman.
“They’ll be in the VIP area,” Everett tells us, motioning toward the stairs immediately before Tommy throws a small explosive into the break room. The city plans Everett pulled gave us a good picture of this place, even if none of us had ever stepped foot into the club before.
I shake my head at Tommy. If they didn’t know we were here before, they sure as fuck do now. Storm heads toward the stairs, his gun drawn and ready to take down anyone that aims at us. I follow after him, taking aim at the mezzanine to cover us from any rogue security guards. Everett and Tommy flank me as we move as one up the stairs, all parts of the club covered by one of us as we ascend to where we suspect Russo will have Emerson. We couldn’t be sure because Tommy’s guy is stationed outside, but she’s somewhere in this building and this is our best shot.
Tommy moves ahead of Storm to survey the area before the rest of us move from the top step.
“I’m impressed,” a voice at the end of the corridor says. Angelo. The lighting is too dim to see his face, but I would recognize his smug voice anywhere. Everett moves off to the bar to look for the lights. They have us at an advantage knowing the layout where we’re blind. “You got through a lot of security to get here. Surely a piece of ass isn’t worth this.”
“Rayne,” Emerson sobs, the sound so broken it cracks the space in my chest I always thought was void.
When the lights turn on, I’m filled with pure panic. Russo is holding my whole world in his hands, a knife pressed to her throat, her body covered in blood. The sight of her creamy skin stained crimson is almost enough to make me look away. Almost. But it’s the fear in her eyes that holds my attention, that prevents me from looking anywhere but her face.
I’m vaguely aware of the fact they’ve stripped her down to her underwear, but I’m blinded by the terror written all over her face. Russo’s cousins step up behind him, as if them being here makes any difference to the fact I’m getting my woman the fuck out of this place.
“You’ve started a war you can’t win by taking one of ours,” I growl, never tearing my eyes from Emerson’s.
Russo chuckles. “You know, I had intended to marry her the moment she got here. I had a minister enroute and everything. The moment I married her, she would become off limits, and if you tried to take her, it would only start a war. Imagine my surprise when your little whore informed me that you beat me to the punch.”
I open my mouth to respond before I can comprehend the words. What did he just say? The idea he planned to marry my woman made me fucking homicidal, but it’s the rest of what he said that has me looking over my shoulder at Storm like he might have the answers.
Emerson’s green eyes clash with mine and her lips move slowly. Play along, she mouths.
I barely hold back the chuckle that catches in my throat. She lied to them. She found out his plan for her and she knew what it would mean. I don’t know whether I want to spank her ass for putting herself into even more danger, or whether I want to worship at her feet for thinking of it.
I shrug. “There was no point waiting.”
“The way I see it, Russo, is that you have one of two choices.” Storm steps forward until he’s standing beside me. “You either return Emerson to us, or you start a war. Those are the only two ways this plays out.”
“And before you answer, we have taken out about thirty of your men. I can’t imagine you have much more disposable muscle to help you win a war against us,” Tommy says.
Russo’s hold on Emerson tightens, the blade pressing deeper into her throat, causing a whimper to crawl up her throat. “Rayne,” she whispers.
“It’s okay, sweet girl,” I say as gently as I can manage with the burning rage siphoning through my body.
“I always intended to return her once she was well used and broken.” Russo’s other hand moves between her clenched legs, eliciting another whimper from her throat.
Everett grabs me from behind, holding me in place when my body screams for me to move, to save her. I can’t watch another man touch her. She’s mine. She’ll always be mine. “Hold on, brother. We’ll get her,” he whispers.
Part of me wants to knock him on his ass and charge at Russo, but he’s fucking right. If I go for him now, he could slit Emerson’s throat, and that’s not something I can risk. I have to play it smart, even if that’s the opposite of what I want to do.
“Be smart about this Russo. Emerson is a Saint James. If this goes any further than it already has, there will be war, and believe me when I say we will tear down your organization so fast you won’t see it coming. We will not hesitate. We will destroy everything your family built, and we’ll dance on your graves when it’s over. It won’t be pretty, and I can assure that you will not win.” Storm’s voice is as even as it is in the boardroom during a hostile takeover. He projects a calm we don’t feel but have to present.
“Hear that, pretty girl?” Russo whispers into her ear loud enough we can hear. “They want to start a war over you.”
Storm sighs exasperatedly. “If he won’t listen to reason, will you?” he asks Paul and Tony. They’re just as sadistic as their cousin, but hopefully they have more self-preservation than Angelo.
They look at one another, but don’t move from where they stand, flanking him. Idiots. The death they’re going to face will be gruesome and painful, and if I have anything to do with it, it’s going to be drawn out over days, if not weeks.
“Russo, one way or another, I’m taking my woman out of here. It’s your choice whether I do it with you dead or alive.” The more time that passes, the harder it becomes to remain calm. I won’t feel anything other than panic until Emerson is back in my arms.
“Let me get this straight. If I hand over the woman, you’ll let us walk right out of here?” Angelo asks.
“Yes,” Storm says before I can say a big fat resounding no. He knows me too well.
Angelo looks over his shoulder at his cousins, deliberating about whether they want to lose their lives today. When he looks back to us, he nods once, the blade moving from Emerson’s throat before he pushes her to the ground in front of us.
I move before I’m conscious of it, before I’ve even processed the fact he let her go. All I can think about is bundling her up and holding her, but I have to get her out of here. Once she’s safe I can coddle her and hold her, but not until she’s away from anything that can harm her.
Storm, Everett and Tommy have their guns trained on the Russos as I scoop Emerson off the ground and move behind them, using their bodies to shield her. “Let’s get out of here,” I say.
“One more thing before you go, gentleman.” Angelo smiles. “Everett, have you given anymore thought about coming to work with us? I know your talents would be better suited to our organization.”
“There’s not enough money in the world,” Everett growls.
“We’ll see.” He smirks.
“Let’s go,” Storm says, moving to the stairs quickly.
I follow close behind with Emerson clinging to me, her body shaking with violent sobs. Everett and Tommy are behind me, keeping an eye on the threat behind us.
By the time we reach the doors, we’ve broken out into a jog. In the time we were in there, anything could have happened. We didn’t see them call for reinforcements, but after Tommy set off the explosive, it may have triggered an alarm, or someone could have seen us and called it in. There are so many variables, and the most important thing is getting Emerson out and to safety.
Her arms wrap around my neck as we run, holding on for dear life as a combination of blood and her tears soak my suit. Every step we take away from the danger is another step closer I am to getting her to safety.
“I’ve got you, sweet girl. I’ve got you,” I whisper into her hair.
She clutches at me tighter, holding on like I’m the only thing holding her together. Her cries are rough against my chest.
“I’m never going to let you out of my sight again,” I rumble.
“I don’t want to ever be out of your sight. I can’t…” Another sob breaks through her chest as we finally approach the cars. No one seems to be following us and I allow myself to hope this is over, that I can take Emerson home, that I can have Doc look her over and patch her up. I climb into the back of Storm’s SUV and cradle her in my arms. A moment later, we’re taking off like a bat out of hell. We need to get out of their territory before they change their minds.
“Is she okay?” Storm asks over his shoulder.
“I think so. I don’t… Emerson, are you hurt anywhere that’s not obvious?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t think so. Tony had a knife and he was…” She turns into my chest to cover her face. “I don’t know.”
“It’s okay, sweet girl. We’ll get a doctor to meet us at the penthouse.” I gently stroke her matted hair. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she sobs.
I suck in a breath. Hearing those words from her sweet lips feels like every Christmas coming at once, and I ask the question that’s been on the tip of my tongue from the moment we met. “Marry me?”
