Bound by Vengeance (26 page)

Shame branded his teammate’s face for the briefest
of seconds before he turned away. Sebastian nodded. It was just as well. He didn’t want Dominic to be the last thing he’d see. There was too much rage, too much hurt, that came from that betrayal. His head snapped to the right as Laychee approached with the bag in his hand.

“You’re done talking, Sebastian.”

He offered a wry smirk. “I’ll save you a seat in Hell.”

The cold plastic slid over his head, the edge of the bag tightening around his neck as Laychee wrenched it from behind. Agonizing seconds ticked b
y as he struggled to keep his breathing slow and calm. The last thing he wanted to do was give Laychee the enjoyment of seeing him fight. His lungs started to burn and instinct kicked in, robbing him of pride. Laughter rang in his ears as he bucked against the tape binding his arms and thrashed his head from side-to-side in a desperate attempt to find a pocket of air. The warehouse pitched into a dangerous spin, and he slumped as it suddenly went black.

The bag loosened, allowing him to suck in a ragged bre
ath. Sebastian gulped it in, his body heaving. Shouting erupted on all sides, adding to his confusion. He tensed when rapid gunfire peppered the air. His vision was blurred through the damp, bloody plastic. Squinting into the darkness, he strained to make out the dark figures swarming around him. Panic rode the voices of Laychee and his men as they spun around him, trying to return fire. He smiled to himself. Leave it to Josh to wait until the nick of time.

The cavalry had finally come.

His relief was fleeting as concrete exploded behind him in an outward hail. Some of the bullets were hitting too close. Using the distraction to his benefit, Sebastian rocked in his chair until it fell on its side, giving his team a clearer line of fire. He grunted as his shoulder again bore the brunt of his weight. The intermittent flashes were blinding and seemed to come from everywhere at once. One of Laychee’s men hit the floor a foot away. Another lay sprawled face-first in a pool of blood a few feet from the door. It figured the cockroaches would scuttle.

Scanning his surroundings, he searched for any sign of Dominic. He wanted the traitor brought in alive.

He turned his head with a snarl as fingers gripped his arm. Wes’s face loomed over him in the gloom, a wry twist riding the corners of the man’s mouth. Stilling, he grit his teeth as his teammate swiftly cut him free and hauled him to his feet, half-running, half-dragging him to safety behind a wide metal pillar.

“I never thought I’d be so happy to see
your ugly mug,” Sebastian panted.

“We have to get out of here, Baas. The building is set to blow in three minutes,” Wes warned, pressing a pistol against his palm.

His fingers curled around the familiar grip, its cold weight lending him comfort he’d not felt in hours. “Where’s Chase? I want him alive.”

He jerked back as a bullet struck the pillar and sent out a blinding spray of sparks. Several more followed in quick succession.

“Someone want to take that asshole out?” Wes barked against his throat mic. “We’re taking heavy fire over here!”

“On it, Three.”

Sebastian closed his eyes as his partner’s voice came over the radio. It was a welcome sound, to say the least. Snapping back the safety, he took an unsteady step out and around the protective shield of the pillar. Wes shouted at him, screaming at him to get back. His eyes riveted on Laychee, just in time to see a bullet hit the man from somewhere up above. Blood shot outward from his skull in a fine, red mist. It was a disappointing and anticlimactic end, far too quick given the hell he’d just been through at the man’s hands. Ignoring the warm splatters, he scanned the shadows in a frantic search for Dominic, unwilling to lose the last chance at vengeance he had.

He tensed at the sound of feet thundering up
behind him. Spinning on his heel, he trained his weapon, bringing Josh up short.

“Whoa, Baas, easy,” his partner coaxed.

His shoulders heaved with rage and pain, but he slowly lowered his gun. His lip curled in protest as Josh lunged forward and slung a steadying shoulder under his arm. Sebastian decided in that moment that the feeling of another man’s hand around his waist was something he never wanted to feel again.

“Sorry, Baas. No time for hugs. We have to get the hell out of here before this place blo
ws.”

He dug his heels in as much as his unstable legs would allow. “I’m not leaving here without Dominic. That traitorous fuck is going to pay and pay dearly for this.”

“He took a shot to the leg and one to the arm when we came in. They already dragged his ass outside, now move it!”

Sebastian had his doubts, but there wasn’t time to argue. Nor did he have the strength. Hauling him along, Josh made a frantic beeline for the doors. The cold night air hit him full force, battering his tortured lungs. He almost
hit his knees, but Josh somehow managed to keep them both moving. They were halfway across the overgrown warehouse yard when the ground rocked and the world exploded behind them.

A roaring ball of fire rushed past. Josh dove, knocking him to the ground a
s well. The heavy steel doors rocketed past them, along with chunks of metal and debris. Searing heat engulfed them for a few seconds then mercifully faded. Sebastian was sure if he hadn’t been soaked with a combination of sweat and blood, his arm hairs would have singed. His ears rang with a high-pitched keen. Though he couldn’t hear it, he knew, as he lay sprawled on the ground with his partner beside him, his entire body shook with his laughter.

Chapter 13 ~

Taylor groaned while the world around her continued to veer out of control. She felt unsteady and unstable, unable to move. She was only dimly aware of the scalding wetness tracing her cheeks.

Slitting her eyes open, she squinted and blinked against the sporadic flashes. Panic lanced her, shockin
g her body with a cold chill, when she realized they were the streetlights racing by overhead. The familiar scent of her car engulfed her, a mix of newness and leather despite the upholstered seats, and she cringed. They’d stolen her car, and now they were taking her God knew where.

The sweet, coppery undercurrent of blood flooded the vehicle, making her stomach churn. Unable to move her head, she swung her eyes toward the front seat. Only one lone occupant accompanied her for the ride. Confusion flooded h
er upon seeing the dark hair. One of the men had already gone grey. The other had been a strawberry blond, and this man, though large, was nowhere near the size of the gorilla who’d tortured her.

A new one perhaps, she thought numbly.

She didn’t know if the thought made her want to laugh or cry. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t do either. They’d pummeled her without mercy before sticking her and injecting her with something that rendered her motionless. She couldn’t move, couldn’t scream, but her mind and body had still registered everything. Every painful, degrading moment. It reminded her of the nightmares she’d had as a kid where no matter how hard she’d tried to run or call for help, nothing would work. She was stuck, trapped inside her own private version of Hell. Only this time, she couldn’t wake up.

The car hit a pothole or a curb, making the vehicle jump. She tumbled off the edge of the backseat and hit the floorboards. The curve of the center console slammed into her left side, drawing another anguis
hed wave from her system. She wasn’t sure how much more her ribs could bear. Her breath came in shallow spurts.

A big hand reached back between the front seats and settled on the curve of her
hip. Taylor slammed her eyes shut, a low whimper building in the base of her throat. As much as she wanted to lash out and swat the hand away or flinch out of reach, she was stuck. Once again, she focused on trying to move something, anything.

Her fingers
twitched, giving her a surge of hope. Maybe the drugs were starting to wear off.

“I’m…so sorry…”

Her eyes popped open at the breathless apology. Though strained, she knew she’d heard that voice somewhere before, but where?

“Just…hold on, Miss…McAvay.”

Relief swept through her along with a wave of recognition. Henderson. The head of security had somehow pulled through and gotten her out of that house. She could have wept with gratitude. The burning sting of tears welled in her eyes, and she let them drift shut again knowing everything was going to be okay. He would take her to the hospital. They would fix whatever was wrong, and the second she could move or speak again, she would tell someone to go get Sebastian.

Her heart wrenched remembering the sight of
him, bloodied, sweating, and bound to a chair. His words still cut deep, but she couldn’t let herself think about that. Not now.

The car lurched without warning, throwing her against the seats as the shrill screech of barking tires pierced her ears. Dazed
, she stared into the darkness, the hammering in her chest starting once again. Henderson cursed in the front, shifting uneasily, and Taylor cringed inside as the distinct sound of slamming car doors filed the night.

The security guard threw the car in re
verse. There was a sudden shift in momentum as the vehicle lurched backwards. Terror flooded her with a tingling surge of adrenaline. Whatever the big man saw had spooked him.

Curses flew from his lips as he gunned the gas. The wheels spun, squealing in a
desperate fight for traction. Taylor whimpered as the tires blew without warning, the loud pops sounding like cannon blasts in her ears, and the car dropped. Henderson’s loud, frantic breaths echoed from the front seat while she held hers and waited.

Sebastian smirked as Vince thrust two fingers in the gaping wound in Dominic’s leg in an attempt to staunch the bleeding. The traitor’s screams were sweet music to his ears. Josh helped Wes load the injured man into the back of the van, neither man making any effort to make the transition smooth or painless. The sturdy vehicle rocked as they dropped him on to the floor, drawing another pleading cry from their teammate. Quelling a smile, Sebastian glanced up as his partner popped his head through the opened doors and levered himself out in a fluid jump.

“I think the son-of-a-bitch is gonna make it. That is if Vince doesn’t dig his way through his femoral artery first.”

Sebastian nodded. As perversely happy as the news made him, his thoughts kept turning to Taylor and his home. He swung his imploring stare up to his partner’s and levered off the taillights he’d been leaning against for support.

“We need to get out of here before anyone shows, and you need to get me home.
Now
.”

Josh’s expression tightened with doub
t. “That’s not a good idea, Baas. We need to get you to headquarters and get you checked out.”

“You’re not listening,” he hissed in a vehement rasp, one hand reaching for his gun.

His partner staggered back a step, his blue eyes widening in the fire-illuminated gloom.

“Laychee broke into my house, Josh. His men have Taylor. I’m not going anywhere until I find her.”

“Seb, listen…I know, but right now your body is running on shock and adrenaline alone. You’re not going to do anyone any good like this. Go with the team. I’ll go look for her.”

His eyes narrowed as he cocked his head and prowled closer. “Is that so?” he asked. “Is that what you would tell me if it was my sister? That you were sorry but you were hurt and not going to do anyone any good? Is that th
e kind of man I entrusted her with?”

“No, Baas,” Josh soothed, putting his hands up with a sad shake of his head. “I would do everything I could to get Monique back safe and sound. You know that. I was just trying to watch out for you,” he explained. “It’s
my job. On the other hand, I would also trust in you, as my partner, to do what needed done if I wasn’t in any shape to do it.”

Sebastian glared at him before turning away and ambling toward his Benz. He grimaced at the debris and dust littering the brand
new CL600. What the hell was it with this place and his cars? He gave a droll snort and reached for the door handle. If he never came back to this godforsaken pit again, it would be too soon.

“Hey!” Josh called out behind him, his footsteps thundering aga
inst dirt and gravel. “Wait up. Are you freaking insane? You can’t drive across town like this.”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed again. What was with everyone questioning his sanity lately? They’d damn well know it when he snapped. Josh pulled up short. Smart ma
n. He cocked his head to the side, waiting.

“Just get in the damn passenger seat. I’ll drive,” his partner said with a sigh.

Blinking against the annoying double vision, he considered it for a moment and nodded. Josh tossed him his phone from the floorboards as they got in. The home security icon pulsed red in the corner and his guts twisted in icy fear. His fingers danced over the screen. It was no small irony that he typed in one of the passwords Dominic was so willing to die for.

His hands shook as he w
aited for the program to initiate a search.

“You alright?” Josh asked quietly, watching him from the corner of his vision.