Ivy
I left Oscar sound asleep in my bed. It was just after seven in the morning and I’d been awake, lying there in his arms, for an hour, thinking back to the night before.
The night had been wonderful. The food was delicious, the easygoing banter between us like old times. The walk through the park had been romantic, and that kiss on the bridge had lit me on fire. I’d wanted Oscar in a way I hadn’t experienced since before he’d left for the army. It had reminded me of the night before he’d shipped out for parts unknown overseas. Our lovemaking had been desperate. In his kisses, I’d tasted his goodbye, and my caresses had been a silent plea for him to stay.
I’d known that, when he left me, it might be the end. Things had changed that night, and now I was terrified to give it another shot.
The truth was, if Oscar left me again, I’d never recover. It had taken every ounce of self-preservation I had to pick myself up and start over the last time. I didn’t have it in me to survive his loss. I had a feeling his job with the Shadow Force team was still risky, maybe too risky. And from what Jolie had said, he loved dealing with explosives. What happened if there was a mistake made and he blew himself up? Or what if he was shot?
I shook my head as I padded out of the room. I needed to work off some of this anxiety, and the best way I knew how was to get some work in on one of the bags and practice the techniques Oscar and Jolie had shown me.
I’d spent all day yesterday sparring and learning to handle guns. My body felt as if it had been run over by a semi-truck. Everything hurt. But I was bound and determined to get stronger and faster and not ever be a victim again. If I went down, I’d go down fighting.
The gym was quiet at this time of morning, especially since most of the patrons had been told that Shadow Force Gym was closed for the time being. The only exceptions were a few of the young men and women that Oscar and the others trained off the streets. Javier was using a bag further down, sweat rolling off his toned body as he worked it over.
He stopped punching and kicking for a moment and gave me a quick nod. I smiled in response and went to work. As I punched, I pictured Dr. K’s face, the man who’d tortured me by injecting me with a deadly virus and giving me no medicine to relieve my symptoms. When I had sufficiently kicked his ass—okay, mentally, but still—I moved on to Santos, kicking and jabbing until my body was wet with sweat and my arms shook with exhaustion.
“You must be royally pissed at someone.”
I dropped my heavy arms to my side and glanced up at Javier, who watched me with arms crossed over his well-defined chest. It was clear he was still growing into his frame—long limbs, slim torso. One day he’d give the girls a run for their money. Actually, for those his age, he probably already was. Cami would think he was cute, and she was only a year or two older than he was.
Cami. Was she okay? Still alive? Suffering alone? I shook off the morbid thoughts to answer Javier.
“Yeah. A whole bunch of people actually.”
Javier laughed. “You keep it up, no one will ever mess with you. You got in some good jabs there.”
“Thanks. I’ve only been practicing a couple of days.”
“Good for you.”
He started to walk away, but he seemed unsure, like maybe he had something else he wanted to talk to me about.
“Oscar says you have two little sisters?” He stopped dead in his tracks and turned around, a look of resignation on his face. It was a weird look, as if he’d made a decision in the last few seconds but it wasn’t one he was happy about.
“Yes. Maya and Amelia. They’re twelve and ten.”
“Wow, and you’re what, nineteen?”
“Yes, ma’am. My mama had me when she was a teenager. Maya and Amelia came later with my stepdad. When he left, it was just the four of us. They look up to me. Depend on me.”
“That’s a lot of responsibility on someone so young.”
“You do what you have to do for family.”
The way he said the words was more like an ominous declaration, and suddenly I felt a little uneasy standing there in the early-morning hours with this troubled man-child. But then he smiled, and I scolded myself for being silly.
“Hey, Maya’s birthday is coming up, and I got her this present. Can you come check it out? See if you think she’ll like it? I have no idea what to get a twelve-year-old girl.”
I hesitated a moment, thinking about Ryder’s and Oscar’s warnings for me not to leave the building unattended. But I’d still be on the property, so it should be fine.
“In your car?”
“Yeah. I bought it last night and left it in there so she wouldn’t find it. I just need to know if it’s something she’d like. She’s not really into dolls or toys anymore. Middle school is hard.”
I thought back to when Cami was in middle school, and he was right. It was hard.
“Sure. I’m happy to give my opinion. I remember when my sister, Cami, was that age.”
“You have a sister too?”
I nodded. “Yep.” My eyes filled with tears as I thought about what she might be enduring at the moment.
“Look, never mind. It’s okay. I’ll just ask a neighbor.”
I wiped at my eyes, trying to get my emotions under control. What was wrong with me? I shook my head fiercely. “No, it’s fine. I want to help.”
Javier blew out a breath and started towards the front doors. He turned the lock and pushed outside, holding the door for me.
“I’m parked right there.” He leaned his head toward the car, and I walked over to the passenger-side door to wait for Javier to open it.
When he reached the door, he opened it then took a step back. “Right there.” He pointed to the floorboard, and I stepped closer to get a better look.
“Where?”
Javier wrapped his arms around me and picked me up from behind.
“What are you doing?”
He lifted me up and shoved me in the car, knocking my head against the frame. Stars erupted into view as my head pounded, and the door to the car slammed shut. I scrambled for the door, but the locks clicked into place.
I looked for the unlock button, when a shadow of movement caught my attention outside the window as Javier passed in front of the car. He raised a gun, pointed right at my forehead as he moved around the car.
“Don’t do anything stupid. Please.”
His hand shook as he fumbled with the key fob to unlock his door, the gun never moving from my head.
“Why are you doing this?”
Javier didn’t answer; he just turned the car on and put it in reverse, squealing tires as he peeled out of the parking lot. Where were the guys? Weren’t there cameras or something outside the gym? Wasn’t there an alarm or something that pinged each time someone left?
“Please don’t do this. Where are you taking me? And why?”
“I didn’t want to.”
Javier was agitated, the gun in one hand as he steered the car, going way too fast through the city streets.
“So, don’t. Take me back. I’m sure this all a misunderstanding. Oscar will help us straighten it out.”
“I can’t. They’ll kill them.”
“Who’s they? And kill who?”
“Los Caballeros. They hired me to spy on the team at Shadow Force. I don’t understand all of it or why, but they paid me money and threatened my family if I didn’t do it.”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re kidnapping me.”
“Angel came to me a few days ago and told me that if I wanted to keep my sisters alive, I’d kidnap you and bring you to them. They gave me forty-eight hours, and they took my sisters to make sure I complied.” Javier was crying now, big choking sobs that tore at my heart. He was just a kid. A kid who didn’t see any other way of getting out of this.
“Look, I don’t know why they want you or what they want with the guys at Shadow Force. They’ve all been really good to me. But they couldn’t save me from this. No one can. So, I gotta do what I gotta do to keep my family safe.”
His words from the gym made sense now, as well as his discomfort.
“Javier… Oscar and the guys—they’re more than just fighters. They’re a security team. You know, like special-ops stuff. They can help you. Just turn around and we’ll straighten this all out.”
Javier shook his head violently, tears and snot streaming down his face. “No. I can’t. And they won’t help me. Not now. Not after this. I’ve let them down. But I can’t let my family down. My sisters, they’re going to go to college one day. They’re going to get out of this hellhole life and make something of themselves.”
I tried a soothing voice, praying Javier would listen, but so far, he was just driving like a maniac and scaring me out of my wits, rambling about his family. None of that was boding well for my safe return.
“Look, I get it. I’d do anything to save my sister. These bad men you’re working for? They took her. And Oscar and the guys are trying to help me find her. Please, please just take me back. They can help you.”
It almost looked as if Javier was considering it, but then resolution straightened his spine and lifted his chin. He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.
“I’ve got her.”
Fear gnawed at my gut like a starving monster clawing its way out. I choked back tears that threatened to spill over my lids and clog my throat.
“We’ll be there in five minutes.”
Five minutes before this boy was going to hand me over to the people who would eventually kill me. Maybe not at first, but they would, once they were done with their evil experiments.
“They’ll kill me, you know.”
Javier looked at me with remorse in his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
I didn’t try to talk to him any longer.
Five minutes wasn’t a long time to enjoy the little freedom I had left, and it went by all too fast.
We pulled up to an empty parking lot surrounded by a chain-link fence. A dilapidated sign hung from a single screw with the words “Five-Dollar Parking” in faded ink sketched across it. A black sedan sat in the parking lot at an angle, Santos Casas standing by the hood, arms and legs crossed, looking as if he didn’t have a care in the world. The bastard.
I hated him, as much as I hated Dr. K. Hated him for targeting me at the restaurant I worked at. Hated him for taking Cami. Hated him for finding me again and using this innocent boy to kidnap me. Javier’s life would never be the same after this. And neither would his sisters’.
The car stopped, and I sat still in the seat as Javier rounded the front to speak to Santos.
Their voices rose, and I could barely make out the words.
“You promised!” Javier screamed at Santos. Santos smirked and shrugged his shoulders.
I couldn’t hear what he said.
Javier stomped towards me, his entire body shaking with—anger? Fear?
He reached my side of the car and flung open the door. Reaching in, he dragged me from the car and shoved me towards Santos. I didn’t want to go. I didn’t want to get into that black car, because I knew, without a doubt, I would never see Oscar or my freedom again.
“Good morning, Ms. Bell. Nice to see you again.”
“I wish I could say the same. Actually, no I don’t. Go to hell, Santos.”
He laughed, his head thrown back in utter delight at my anger. I wanted to punch him in his stupid face. I jerked my arm free from Javier’s hold and took two steps forward.
“Where’s my sister?”
“You’ll see her soon. She’s fine. For now.”
There was the tiniest bit of relief that flooded my system, but I told myself not to get my hopes up. He could just be saying this now to keep me calm. Or to be cruel when he told me she was dead.
“You told me you’d give my sisters back to me. Where did you take them?” Javier shook with anger next to me, and I wanted to reach out and comfort him. Which was ridiculous because he was the reason we were in this mess to begin with. Still, he was a kid. He hadn’t known that the people he was betraying were also the very ones who could save him and his family. Keep them safe.
“You’ll get them back when the job is over. No more messing around. You’ve barely given us any information whatsoever. Until then, we’ll keep them fed and clothed.”
These monsters had his sisters? They were just little girls. Were they right now going through testing to be subjects for their little experiments? Javier took a step closer to Santos, but Santos pulled a gun from his back and pointed it at Javier’s head.
“You’re replaceable, boy. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get back in that car and do your damn job.”
Javier looked at me with apology in his eyes and turned to go back to his car. I heard the engine crank and the tires peel out.
Santos holstered his gun and took my arm. It was then I realized he didn’t see me as a threat. I waited till we reached the back car door. I kicked out with my leg, catching him behind the knee. His legs buckled, but he recovered quickly. I followed up with an uppercut and punch to his nose.
Santos grinned, blood running from his nose and bottom lip where his teeth had bitten into it. His hand flew out, striking me hard right across the cheekbone. My ears rang from the second blow to my head in so many minutes, and I stumbled backwards. Santos grabbed me around the waist and threw me in the back seat. I kicked and screamed until the cold barrel of a gun pressed deep into my temple with bruising force.
“Bella, if I were you, I’d be very careful of your next move.”
I opened my eyes, which I’d scrunched shut as I fought back against Santos’s hold, to find a very handsome older man sitting in the seat beside me. He had salt-and-pepper hair and a flashy red suit with a crisp gray shirt unbuttoned underneath. It was clear he was in good shape, no protruding belly or droopy chins. And he was quite handsome, save for the ugly, deadly gun pointed at my head.
When I stopped fighting, he lowered the gun and nodded. “My name is Matias Vicario. It is a pleasure to meet you.”
He said pleasure like it was a threat. The man exuded power and confidence and sex appeal. But there was nothing appealing about him to me. A handsome face couldn’t undo the countless people he’d murdered in cold blood.
“Why are you doing this? I’ve never done anything to you. Just let me go. Let my sister go. We’ll keep quiet. I promise.”
Vicario laughed softly and placed his hand on my knee. “Ah, but I’m afraid that isn’t possible. You have something very important to us.”
“What’s that?”
“Your blood. It is the answer to the little problem we created. And it will make us lots and lots of money, while I exact my revenge on a nation that has raped and pillaged my family.”
I wasn’t going to touch the raping and pillaging with a ten-foot pole, but the blood thing, well, since it was pretty much the substance keeping me alive, I had a bit of an issue with that.
“Look, why don’t I donate a few pints, and then you let me and my sister go. We’ll trade.”
Matias roared with laughter and patted my knee like a grandfather would do to his granddaughter. There was nothing sexual about it, no come-on or pass being made. No; it was affectionate. Kind. And weird. So weird.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible. We have a plan, and it requires an ultimate sacrifice. Yours.”
I didn’t ask any further questions after that. Knowing these people looked at me like the proverbial sacrificial lamb did very little to ease my fear. Instead, I focused on Santos’s words that I’d see my sister soon.
And I silently thanked Ryder for the tracking device that was still fastened around my arm.
***
The car pulled up in front of a barn-like structure on a farm outside the city. It seemed an odd place to house a secret medical lair, but who was I to question the habits of evil geniuses?
“We’ll need to get you prepped for further testing. We’ve decided to keep you and your sister away from the others for now. This is a much smaller setup where we can give you our undivided attention.”
“Ah, thanks so much. I can’t tell you what that means to me.” Okay, so I probably shouldn’t poke the bear, but the whole idea that they were giving us their undivided attention, as if that was something we should be excited about, was ridiculous.
“Sarcasm is most unbecoming to a young lady. You should reconsider your tone.”
He was probably right, so I kept my mouth shut.
Santos opened the door and pulled me out of the car, pushing me towards the building. The door was opened by one of the armed guards standing outside, and we walked into a barn that didn’t look like a barn inside at all.
Matias smiled as I took in the wooden beams, flowing curtains, and three crystal chandeliers hanging from the center beam cut through the ceiling. Instead of dirt on the ground, wood lined the floors, giving the room a rustic elegance and appearing as if they’d been there for years. The whole place was enchanting, and I could picture many couples promising each other forever. On the outside it looked like a normal red and white stable block, but on the inside, it was magical.
“This place was converted into a wedding venue. We scooped it up when it went up for sale and are using it for our own purposes.”
The sides of the building that used to house the horses were either covered with medical-type curtains or had makeshift doors and walls. It looked as if they were outfitting it to house more clinical rooms and prisons, like the place I was held before.
“This way.” Santos grabbed my arm and forced me towards one of the curtained spaces. A chair sat in the middle, like a dentist chair, only there were restraints built in to keep its occupant prisoner. I didn’t want to sit in that chair.
“No! No, no, no.” I pulled against Santos’s hold, digging my heels in to get away.
“Bring her.” Santos directed his comment to a guard standing next to us in front of one of the prison cells they’d constructed. The guard nodded and unlocked the door, disappearing inside. He returned seconds later with Cami stumbling behind him.
“Cami!” I wrenched free of Santos and threw my arms around her frail body. She’d only been gone a couple of days, and yet her cheeks were sunken, her body thinner.
“Ivy? Oh, no, Ivy! I’m so sorry.” Cami broke down in tears, their hot wetness dampening my shirt.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here. It’s all going to be okay.” I stroked her hair as she cried, grateful I could be with her now, knowing I had to be strong enough for the both of us.
I pulled back and looked into her sallow eyes. “Are you okay?”
She nodded jerkily and wiped at her face. “I’m okay. Just tired.”
“What did you do to her?” I whirled around to find Matias and Santos watching us carefully.
A third person emerged from one of the curtained rooms. A man I’d hoped never to see again. The evil doctor himself.
Dr. K.
“Nice of you to join us again, Ivy. We must get started as soon as possible. You have cost us quite a setback.”
The guard pulled Cami away from me, and she struggled against his hold, trying to reach me.
“No! Ivy, no!”
I smiled sadly and met her gaze. “It’s okay. Everything will be okay. I promise.”
Resignation was a terrible thing. It ripped the fight out of you. Numbed your heart and soul.
I didn’t want to have that vile virus injected into me, again, but maybe if they were focused on me, they’d leave Cami alone. I’d do anything to keep her safe.
Anything.