Alturo was a brutal man by anyone’s standards. He’d used his love of torture to gain respect where Arman and I had used benefits and decent wages. At least for the most part. But certain things our father had taught us when we were much younger had never been far from our minds.

  That included the calculated need for revenge. The ones who went off halfcocked, who didn’t give any thought to gunning down their enemies in broad daylight found themselves in prison or six feet under.

  The reason we’d been so successful was that we only acted on the need for violence when absolutely necessary, never laying claims to the requirement or the accomplishment. Besides, who wanted the world to know a weakness? Yes, our father had also warned us that women should be considered the greatest weakness of all, but he was quick to point out that without our mother, he’d be nowhere.

  Plus, even the savage man had taught us about endless love.

  The thought wasn’t far from my mind as we scoured the streets of Key West, using our powerful influence as well as cash to finally get what we needed.

  It had taken hours, the kind of time that I wasn’t certain the woman who’d altered my life forever had. So far, we’d checked on ships in the various ports up through Miami, trying to find Alturo’s name attached to any.

  Maddox was checking the airports to ensure there were no jets leaving for Cuba or South America, prepared to detain them if necessary. We had the clout and the manpower to put a stop to anyone leaving the city. So far, there were no cargo ships, no cruise ships, and no private ships preparing to leave for either country. It was as if Alturo hadn’t arrived in Southern Florida, but I knew better.

  They could have left by car, which we couldn’t put past Alturo at this point. If I couldn’t force Slade to break, then we’d have a slim chance of finding my beautiful doll alive.

  That couldn’t happen. I refused to allow it.

  To that end, when the trail led to a seedy motel just outside of Key West off US1 highway, I was dead set on breaking every rule.

  And torturing the man until he did break. I had the gear to do it.

  “You should let me handle this,” Arman said as we exited the SUV, both of us scanning the area.

  “Not a chance in hell, brother. Aren’t you worried about getting your hands dirty?”

  “Not this time. You’ve finally found the woman of your dreams, the one that can heal you. I refuse to allow anyone to destroy that.”

  “Aww. You say that like you mean it.”

  “You bastard,” he said, snorting. “Yeah, I do. For what it’s worth, I was furious that Margaret treated you so badly. While her sabotage and her connections pissed me off, it’s what she did to you, my flesh and blood, that I couldn’t tolerate. And yes, I almost handled the job myself. Maddox convinced me otherwise. He said you’d never forgive me.”

  “You have a good man in Maddox, but who says I have any plans on forgiving you now?” I grabbed the gear bag from the trunk area, closing it with a soft click. While it would appear Slade was alone, the man wasn’t stupid. He’d worked his entire life as an assassin, never once caught, although Arman had said he’d been forced to retire based on an injury he received in a difficult assassination. Whatever the case, he had to sense that with Delaney taken, I’d use every method possible of tracking him down.

  The mistake he’d made was indulging in a woman, the girl in our employ. It would appear women were indeed the greatest weakness of all. Thank God for it.

  “Blood is thicker than water, bro. Let’s do this. It’s time we got back the lady of your dreams.”

  “Brandon protected?”

  “I made a couple calls. No one will be able to get to him.”

  I thought about the man and our friendship. It would likely be destroyed. Maybe he’d find a way to forgive me. Or maybe not. “Good. I’m ready, brother. Let’s get this party started.”

  He motioned silently for his men to surround the entire property, ready to curtail Slade should he attempt to flee.

  As we moved up the stairs, constantly scanning the area, I realized how heavy my heart continued to feel. I loved the girl and I’d yet to say it to her. That wasn’t going to continue. I’d tell her exactly the way I felt when I rescued her. And every day after that.

  The lights of the motel were dim, only bright enough to highlight the walkway. The man’s room was at the end of the building closest to a group of trees. We kept low and against the building as we headed toward it. With every step we took, the rage continued to increase.

  The moment we were within a few feet of Slade’s room, he came rushing out the door, bolting toward the second set of stairs. In his hand was an automatic weapon, but he’d only use it if absolutely necessary so as not to call attention.

  The two of us ran toward him, making it to the top of the stairs within seconds. The fucker should have known we’d have all the bases covered, Maddox and Rocco already climbing the stairs.

  “Not so fast, Slade. It would appear you’ve been a bad Russian boy,” I said almost in passing, eager to get on with this.

  He laughed as if he could figure a way out of this. When he threw his hands up as if surrendering, I knew he had no plans of opening his mouth. Well, we’d see about that.

  As he spouted hatred in Russian, Arman laughed from beside me.

  “I’ll see both of you in hell,” he added, his English devoid of an accent.

  “We shall see. Let’s get him inside the room. There’s no reason other guests need to be disturbed.”

  I stood out on the balcony as he was shoved inside, shaking my head. When Arman flanked my side, both of us leaning over, I had to laugh once again. “You know our father was right about a lot of things.”

  “True. But we’re not the kind of men to admit that.”

  “No, we’re not. Maybe we should turn over a new leaf.”

  We both looked at each other and spoke at the same time. “Nah.”

  He patted me on the back. “What are you using to get information?”

  “Did I ever tell you about the time Pops made me go with him to an interrogation when I was eighteen?”

  “I don’t think you did.”

  “Fascinating story I’ll tell you sometime. Let’s just say he was creative in his use of piano wire. I think that will work today.”

  Arman whistled. “You are one vicious man. I like that about you.”

  “Now, that’s a compliment, brother. Let me show you how it’s done.”

  CHAPTER 28

  Delaney

  I’d heard once that fear was a horrible mistress. Whatever the fuck that meant. I was terrified. I was angry. I was…

  The darkness was overwhelming, the blindfold constricting. However, my other senses had been heightened since I’d awakened in the trunk of a vehicle, kept inside for what had to be hours. I wasn’t certain where the bastards had taken me, but I’d heard seagulls and what sounded like a horn of a big ship.

  My head was still fuzzy from whatever drug had been injected into my system and there was no way of knowing how much time had passed. All I knew is that two men were leading me somewhere and I was petrified that it was to my death. Even worse, the bastards were speaking a language I couldn’t understand, which meant I was completely in the dark about everything. Nausea rolled through me, tears constantly forming.

  Every time I stumbled due to my bare feet, they’d both shoved me forward, laughing at me as if my condition was the funniest thing in the world to them. I dared not whimper, or God forbid curse them out. They had all the power in their hands. I tried to be hopeful, but it was next to impossible. I wanted my handsome savior to come rescue me, but I knew in the back of my mind and in my heart that wasn’t going to happen.

  Francois had no idea where I was and there was no way of knowing when he’d be released from jail. Or if. The setup had been perfect, and I’d fallen for their fake badges, which had appeared remarkably real. They’d planned everything down to the letter, including hurting the furry baby. If I had to guess, I’d say the two men I’d seen in the elevator had been scouting the building, able to confirm I’d run to safety there. The sadness was overwhelming, the terror increasing to the point all I could concentrate on was the rapid beating of my heart.

  Suddenly, the men holding me jerked to a stop.

  “You have the package. Any trouble?” The question was in English, my ears perking up.

  “Negative.”

  The first guy laughed. “He will be pleased.”

  An accent. It wasn’t Spanish. Russian? I might not be a language expert, but I was certain of it. “Where do you want her?”

  “I have a crate. Just make certain you don’t mar her lovely flesh. He wants her intact.”

  All three men laughed, one of them shoving me forward. I was barefoot, prickly heat tickling every inch of my skin. I could feel a sway beneath my feet, and if I made a calculated guess, I’d say I’d been taken to a boat of some kind. Where were they taking me? And who’d ordered the abduction?

  They were questions that would only be answered when the time was right. I struggled with the rope holding my arms in place behind my back, fighting to get away from my captors.

  “Careful. She’s a little fighter,” the third man said, but his accent was something different. Spanish maybe?

  “Raphael does appreciate a fighter. Untie her before shoving her in the crate. She’s not going anywhere.” Laughter penetrated my brain as I registered everything I’d heard. Crate. Did that mean I’d been brought onto a cargo ship? Oh, God. I was being taken out of the country. There was no doubt in my mind.

  “No. No!” Somehow, I managed to pull away, racing forward then tripping on something. As I fell face first into a hard surface, the three men laughed from behind me.

  “A fighter indeed. Get this done. We need to set sail before the authorities realize what’s happening.”

  I was jerked up like a rag doll, my toes barely touching the platform, and dragged at least thirty feet away. Then I was righted, one of the men speaking in what had to be Russian as he untied my bindings.

  As soon as he did, I lashed out, managing to punch one of the bastards in the gut. I kicked out, one of them grabbing my ankle and twisting. Then I felt a blast of anguish across my face and neck from a hard blow to my cheek. Stars formed in front of my eyes and I staggered backwards, finally letting off the whimpers I’d tried so hard to suppress.

  The moment I was tossed into something, I hit my head, another wash of pain forcing me to curl into a ball.

  “The next light you see you’ll be in your new home. Enjoy the nice, long ride.”

  Something was tossed in beside me, hitting what sounded like wood. A slamming sound brought a yelp from my lungs before I covered my head with my arms, trying and failing to keep tears from falling. Within seconds, I felt something jerk, whatever I was in suddenly swaying.

  I heard what sounded like a drill being used. Oh, my God. They were screwing in the lid.

  “No!”

  One of them laughed evilly from hearing my sharp cry.

  I lifted my head, managing to yank the blindfold from my eyes. When I realized I was inside a shipping container, I was driven into a moment of shock. The wooden crate had slats, tiny areas of light coming from under every one of them. I fought to stand in a crouched position, pitched backward almost immediately from movement.

  The minimal light was enough to comprehend the box I’d been shoved into couldn’t be more than four by five, just enough to almost stand up straight.

  “No. No. No!” I slammed my hands against the side, trying to peek through the open slats. What I managed to catch a tiny glimpse of terrified me more than anything. There were hundreds, maybe thousands of crates surrounding me. That meant the cargo ship had to be huge.

  Sobbing, I pounded my fists against the side, screaming for help even when I knew there wasn’t any coming. Not for me. I refused to give up, doing everything I could to rip the boards away, praying I could escape before they set sail.

  Another hard jerk as the crate was placed into position with a boom. This time, I was tossed to the floor, gasping for air. It was useless. No one was coming to help me. My savior wouldn’t be able to find me.

  I stared at my hands and broken fingernails, crossing my legs and allowing myself to weep uncontrollably. The bastards had tossed in a bottle of water for the trip. Oh, God. Where were they taking me?

  What seemed like only minutes later, I heard several horn blasts in a row.

  Then I felt the space around me move. We were moving. We were going out to sea. I could feel it. Oh, God. No. No!

  As the tears continued to fall, I threw my head back and screamed. “Francois!”

  Fifteen minutes earlier…

  Francois

  “Go faster. Faster!” I yelled at Maddox who was driving, speeding through the streets, forced to weave around tourists and residents.

  “He’s doing the best he can,” Arman said as he snapped a fresh magazine into his Glock.

  “Yeah? Well, the goddamn ship is set to sail in less than ten minutes.” I kept one hand wrapped around my weapon, a semi-automatic placed in the seat beside me. It wasn’t often that cargo ships were allowed to dock in Key West, various concerns by the residents limiting the cruise ship functionality as well.

  That meant the Russian captain knew someone on the Port Authority.

  While the ships regularly docked in Miami, if I had to guess, I’d say a distress call had been issued, the only reason the harbor master would have allowed the man to claim a berth. If I was right in my assumptions, that was the reason Rocco hadn’t discovered the ship in the first place. If he had, we could have prevented this very situation from occurring.

  “We’ll get there,” Maddox assured me.

  I rubbed my exhausted eyes, glaring out the window of the vehicle. Sunrise was only an hour away, but the darkness was just enough for the ship to sail without any fanfare, barely noticed in the warm waters. “Did you send a cleanup crew to the motel?” My question was directed at Rocco. While I hadn’t intended for the interrogation to turn so bloody, it had taken almost a full hour before Slade had cursed in Russian, giving away enough of the information he’d been made aware of to make calculated guesses.

  At least I had the best cleanup crew in the business, something Arman usually didn’t like talking about. On this night, he’d seemed to enjoy himself tremendously.

  Like father. Like sons.

  Yeah, our father would be proud.

  “Any sign of Alturo?” Arman asked from beside me.

  “Nothing yet. My guess is he made the decision to remain in South America,” Rocco suggested.

  Using the Russian ship had been brilliant, Slade’s connections likely the reason. I was disgusted with myself for not widening the search in the first place. As Maddox made a wide turn into the port, the back end of the SUV spun from one side to the other. However, the man was firmly in control, his driving skills top notch.

  We had six cars following us, all filled with soldiers. We’d round up any stragglers later, including those determined to derail the Thibodeaux regime in any way.

  That included Quince, who would learn that it didn’t matter what side of the country or the world he was in, if there was treachery involved, one of us would find him. First things first.

  Detaining the ship. There was no mistaking the ship looming in front of us. Another reason it hadn’t drawn any attention was its size, a little over one half of what a typical transatlantic cargo would be.

  Every detail had been planned out, Alturo likely gloating from wherever he was perched. I had to remind myself that tonight wasn’t about getting to the South American. That might take days. Weeks. Although he would face my wrath at some point. All that mattered was rescuing Delaney.

  And I would stop at nothing until she was in my arms.

  “Remember that some of the crewmembers likely have no clue what’s going on,” Arman said as Rocco cut the lights, rolling to a stop before anyone on the ship was able to detect our presence.

  “Then they won’t get in our way. Anyone who does pays the same price.” I didn’t bother waiting, stepping out and holding the rifle in both hands. As the other men climbed out into the darkness, they crowded around us. They’d already been instructed how to board, the ship in question blasting their horns. I motioned for several of the men, who would enter near the stern. We’d take the bow.

  We were all dressed in black, keeping our arrival undetected for as long as possible.

  As we raced toward the ship, the first horn blasted. We’d almost missed our window. Another blast happened the moment we were positioned at the ladders. There was no time to waste.

  I scrambled up one-handed, feeling movement. The final blast occurred the moment I reached the surface, hopping on board. The others followed quickly and so far it seemed our presence hadn’t been detected. That would change within minutes.

  We crouched low, uncertain where she would be. It was possible she’d been taken to one of the cabins below, but I had a feeling she wouldn’t be allowed any creature comforts. It was another gut feeling, but I would raze the entire ship in order to find her.

  What little we’d found regarding the layout of the ship allowed us to fan out, Arman and Rocco with me, Maddox leading another group to the other side.

  We’d been on the ship for almost four minutes when I heard a voice.

  “Kakogo cherta!” the man yelled.

  I immediately yanked the flashlight from my pocket, shining it in the Russian’s direction. A single pop of Arman’s weapon handled his sharp cry. I might not know a lot of words in Russian, but his exclamation of what the hell was easy to decipher.

  Unfortunately, his cry was heard by several of the other sailors. Within seconds, at least a dozen had raced to the location of the outcry, only a few with weapons.

  Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!

  All hell broke loose, enemy soldiers racing toward us. In my mind, I could think only one thing. Let the battle begin.