Ransom
I’m sitting in my second class of the day. The rumor mill is now going full tilt, and I’m the chief topic of conversation.
The girls are talking about how hot my “dad” is. He is a total snack, according to these teenage girls. I get it. Etienne is one of the sexiest men I know. I might be biased about that since he is my brother-in-love and not just one of my bosses.
The guys are talking about how dank (amazing) his motorcycle is. Tee custom-built it himself. They are also talking about how I flashed my lacey underwear at them when I swung off the bike in my short skirt. I’m a snack too to them.
My glow-up is outstanding, though I miss my black hair. Stupid Ryder and his making dye it to my more natural color. This, coupled w
Carson I’m nervous. The burn of rum as it travels down my throat somehow soothes me. I chase it with my favorite ale. I repeat the process three more times before he finally shows up at this little bar in a small town outside of Palomino Bay.
Storm What did I just overhear?So, this is what Carter has been so secretive about?! I knew when disappeared he had been through something that changed him, but I never expected this to be it.I love him like a brother. I don’t know if I can overlook this. His trauma runs deeper than I expected. What was his uncle thinking, putting him this deep into the Damned Forsaken?The infallible Doc Fox underestimated this one. His nephew is now mentally compromised. So much so that I don’t think Carter understands he is undercover anymore. This is bad. We could all end up being killed. Carley. Razor is gunning for her. I must protect her. If her own flesh and blood twin can’t do it, then maybe as her stepbrother, I can. Carter really screwed up on the whole protective brother th
Carley “Seriously?! Stop getting hurt! I swear this is ridiculous!” I snarl at the surrounding men. “What the hell, Lock Bear? How did this happen?” I ask while preparing to stitch him up. “It was a blackout. I was triggered,” he says nervously, scratching the back of his neck. I smack his arm down so it’s out of my way while I clean around the gash on his temple. “I think that was my fault,” Storm confesses. “I thought you quit,” I say through clenched teeth, narrowing my eyes at him. “I did. Damn it, Cactus, I can’t function with all this stress! At least smoking eases it a little,” he says, frustrated. “How was I to know that cigarettes triggered Hotel? No one told me. I would have gone further from the house.” “It’s something only our group knows,” Jase states. “It’s a weakness that we don’t need broadcasting. It’s right along with Arson not handling the smell of vomit.” Lachlan and Arson need some accountability for their P.T.S.D. They are responsible for how they handle th
Arson “Dis ol’ truck will be a real beauty once you get her completed,” Etienne says, working on the engine from the top while I work underneath. I have the 1949 B-Series Dodge truck stripped down to only the frame and engine. Tee and I are attempting to get the engine in working order now that he brought me the needed parts. We had to call reinforcements, waiting for them to arrive. I couldn’t sit around. My hands needed to be busy. Since Tee brought me the parts required, I figured it would help him focus on something besides Ransom. We can’t do anything until we find his location. “I’m jus’ ’bout finished wit’ dis? How ya doin’?” Tee asks me, looking down at me with a wrench in his hand. I grunt with the effort to get a bolt tightened enough it won’t move. “One more bolt to go, then I’m done.” “Oh good! Ryder told me to send you two for coffee.” I heard Weston say before I saw his sneakers. “Why can’t you do it?” I grunted out
Carley I'm sitting on the couch in the barn loft as the guys are loading boxes into the moving truck they rented for me. These silly men won't let me carry anything at all. They wouldn't even let me pack myself. They are the ones who placed my belonging in boxes. I don't mind all this doting because it has allowed me to finish my classwork and study."Guess we are going to put loading on hold." I hear Lachlan say."According to Jensen, Carson isn't looking so good. He lost a lot of blood. Doc Fox is on his way over there," I hear Jase say.If it's bad, Uncle Ryder is going to need some help. I pack my stuff away and shrug on my backpack. I climb down the stairs and walk toward my men."Should we go so I can help Uncle Rye, and you guys can talk to the others?" I ask them.Weston offers to take my book bag. I shrug out of it to let him have it."Let's do that. I'll let Jen know we are on our way," Jase agrees.I'm in the passenger's seat next to Jase, while Arson is in the back. Lachla
Lachlan This is a shit show of a night. We get to Tempest's temporary base to find Carson on a rolling autopsy table, hooked up to an IV filled with antibiotics and a blood bag. He is just as pale as Arson, who Jase and Weston are carrying in. I swear he has lost even more blood."What happened?! Why did I hear a gunshot before the line cut out?" I winch at Doc Fox's sharp tone."We got shot at," Carley snaps at her uncle. She is probably the only one who could get away with it other than her mother and Gator."Some internal organs were hit. Best I can tell. Possibly his spine, but you won't know until you open him up." She tells her uncle, looking at Arson. "I'll get scrubbed up to assist." She looks up at Jase. "Let's get him to the operating room," she orders, and he nods.Ryder stands there momentarily before sending a text on his phone, then follows Carley."You should shower to scrub the blood, sweat, and dirt off. You can use my room," JT offers, and I thank him.I can treat my
RansomMy head is pounding. I can't believe the little weasel blindsided me. I can't even move my hands because they are zip-tied behind my back. I want to check for a bump or a cut now.Oh, no... wait. I'm bleeding. It's running down my left eye.Okay, now for a body scan to see if I'm injured anywhere else. My head hurts, check. The neck is delicate. My shoulders are aching, but otherwise okay. Fingers aren't numb, so the wrist restraints aren't too tight. I test the zip-tie, feeling the burn of it digging into my wrists. The only way I'll get my hand out is to break it—last resort. Ribs are fine, hips are fine, and the rear end feels cold. That might be because my whole body is smooth as a newborn, and the skirt is pulled around the top of the globes of my butt cheek. I hope this guy hasn't noticed my tucked dick yet. It's okay, by the way. My knees are fine. I can feel the cold bite of handcuffs around my bare ankles. My feet are freezing, so I'm shoeless.I wonder what happened t
Jase I checked my phone for the hundredth time. Still no reply from Ransom on either of his phones or his smartwatch. It’s sinking in that he is missing. Damn it, Hound. Where are you? Please let him be okay. My burner phone digs with an unknown number.I opened the message to find a picture of Ransom strapped to a metal bed frame with zip ties. His skirt is hiked up, and his underwear is pulled to his knees. He is in the background, and in the foreground is Razor Grothman with a rictus on his face. Next comes the message, which reads, Unknown: Lookie what I found, Jasey. Your assassin is all mine now. If you want him back whole and not in pieces, you must do something for lil’ ol’ me.