Inferno (A Hotter Than Hell Novel Book 7) Read online

  Inferno

  Holly S. Roberts

  Inferno

  Holly S. Roberts

  Copyright 2018 Holly S. Roberts

  Printing History

  eBook edition 2018

  Paperback edition 2018

  Edited by Michelle Kowalski

  Cover by Fantasia Frog Designs

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be multiplied, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by whatever means. Electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without express written permission of the writer. This eBook is licensed for your use only.

  This is a work of fiction. ALL characters are derived from the author’s imagination.

  No person, brand, or corporation mentioned in this Book should be taken to have endorsed this Book nor should the events surrounding them be considered in any way factual.

  Dedication

  Michelle Galligani Vosburgh

  There are so many reasons my friend, but I think your laughter and heart are at the top of my list.

  Thank you for making my words shine!

  Chapter One

  Moon

  My fingers shake with rage as I read the goddamn note again.

  I have your beautiful wife. There is no ransom. You’ll receive pieces as I see fit.

  Fernandez has Madison. Forget about how he got her, which is driving Alex, my enforcer and friend, crazy. Fernandez plans to torture Madison, bringing my worst nightmares to realization. I will not lose her, and that bastard will die painfully by my hands when I find him. If he wants to talk pieces, he has no idea that the pieces of his body won’t fill a plastic sandwich bag when I’m finished with him.

  Austin, my counterpart in Southern California, should have wiped Fernandez off the face of the earth when he threatened Melina, Austin’s woman. I don’t give a fuck that Fernandez is her brother. He’s a danger to us all and his vendetta against Austin has now landed on my doorstep and my wife is suffering the consequences.

  Holding back my fury, I pull in a calming breath even though I feel anything but. The knot in my stomach slowly expands to the size of a cannonball. I need to keep reminding myself that level heads will succeed. A world without Madison is inconceivable. I rub my burning eyes while trying to put rage aside and make a plan.

  We need a plan.

  Horrible images swirl through my brain and I slam that unseen door closed, refusing to think of Madison’s head in a box. With another deep breath, I gain enough control to lift the house phone and hit zero which rings straight to the security team inside the house. “In one hour, everyone will report to the conference room,” I say into the phone. “Alex, pull your head out of your ass and bring your A game. Call Dax about the meeting. I want him here even if he’s late. We’re at war.”

  I’ve been here before. This will mean death and destruction for Fernandez’s organization. I can’t think about the loss of life on my side right now. The men on my team know the score. After another deep breath, my second call is to Austin. When he answers his phone, I give him no time for bullshit greetings. “Fernandez has Madison and he is no longer your concern. Stay out of my way or I’ll fucking kill you too.” I leave no doubt that I’m making a threat. If Austin had killed Fernandez like he said he would, Madison would be safe.

  Austin releases a round of choice swear words in his heavy voice. “If you think I’ll step aside and let him hurt your woman, you’re wrong. Melina and I are in this. We’ll fly out first thing in the morning. He’s gone after your wife because he can’t get to his sister and this is how he plans to draw her out.” He leaves that hanging for a moment which sinks in deep. This is exactly why Fernandez took Madison. “How many men do you need me to bring?” he finally asks.

  By not arguing, he’s taken the wind from my sails or maybe my rational brain has decided to show itself for a few seconds. “Bring who you can spare. You need men there in case Fernandez crawls back to his home turf.”

  “Done.”

  The call ends without another word spoken between us. I need to get my fucking head on straight. We have a little time, I assure myself. Fernandez will want me running around crazy not knowing which way is up. Too damn bad because it’s the last thing that will happen. The phone buzzes in my hand, and I answer it.

  “Boss, we have a package here at the front gate delivered by courier.”

  My heart stops beating for a fraction of a second and my fingers clench. Alex walks around the corner, coming from security. By the look in his eyes, the guards at the gate called him first. His expression is completely blank. He storms to the front door and throws it open, allowing a hot blast of Phoenix summer into the entryway. My deadened legs carry me forward while my brain screams “no” inside my head and air seems to be missing from my lungs. I can’t lose Madison. Not even the smallest piece of her.

  I follow Alex to the gatehouse, dreading every step. He gets there first, says something to the guard that I don’t hear, and turns around with a small, maybe six-by-six inch white box in his hand. I’ve got to snap out of this fog that’s screwing with my mental functions and be the man Madison needs. I place my hand out and Alex reluctantly rests the box in my palm. My fingers curl around the rough edges and I know I can’t do this.

  “We’ll open it inside,” Alex says with a nod to the front door. He’s reading me perfectly. I’m not operating on all cylinders. We both smell what I’m holding and we know what we’re facing. I don’t acknowledge the men on guard duty and hardly notice them. My world has fallen apart.

  “Come on, Xavier, we need to get inside,” Alex tells me.

  It’s the use of my first name that startles me out of the fog. I squeeze back tears and follow Alex, the box clutched in my fingers, a cold sweat breaking over my body. Alex heads directly to the conference room, which is off the main hallway leading to the kitchen. I glance up from the package in my hand and Gabriella, my housekeeper, is standing just outside the conference room door. Her eyes lower to the box and she crosses herself and backs a foot away. There’s nothing that happens in this house that Gabriella isn’t aware of and I don’t even blink at her knowing Madison is missing or that what I’m holding is a piece of my wife. She and Madison argue like cats and dogs, but they love each other. Madison grounds us and gives me so much more than I give her. She’s changed my world and now the box in my hand holds part of her body. My guts twist and I almost puke. Alex places his hand on my shoulder.

  “Gabriella, please bring us a bottle of tequila,” he says as he pulls out a chair and guides me into it. I don’t even register I’m sitting until my ass hits the cushion.

  “Fuck, Alex, I can’t do this,” I say gruffly while holding my friend’s gaze. I can’t imagine the look on my face.

  Alex’s eyes are wild with no control. It’s never a good thing to piss off Alex and his next words prove it. “I’ll kill that fucker slowly. It will take days for him to die and the last thing I’ll do is remove his dick and cram it up his ass. I’ll use a tire iron to get the damn bloody thing as far up there as it will go.”

  I can’t even offer a half-assed smile. Or tell him I’ll be the one taking Fernandez’s life. My way will be no less painful than the death Alex promises, but it’s something I’ll be doing on my own. A bottle of tequila and two shot glasses appear over my shoulder and they’re rested in front of me. This time it’s Gabriella’s hand on my arm.

  “She would want you to be strong, jefe.”

  If I look at her, I’ll lose it. Some sixth sense she possesses must be at work because her touch slides away and she leaves the room, closing the door behind her before she sees the true
monster I really am. My gaze fixates on the box.

  “I’ll do it, Xavier.”

  All I can do is shake my head. It’s like tearing off a bandage, times a million. With dread in every fiber of my being, I lift the smooth, white lid.

  “Fuck me,” Alex breathes over my shoulder.

  I close my eyes and die a little more inside.

  Chapter Two

  One day ago…

  Madison

  It had been a long, hassle-filled day and now worry is added to the mix. Cori didn’t show for her last appointment and I just got off the phone with the client. Cori never misses appointments and I’m getting worried because she’s also not answering her cell. I lift the phone again ready to call my security team, but I’m startled half out of my chair when it rings in my hand.

  “Hello?”

  Heavy breathing fills the line and I almost hang up. “Hello, Madison. Are you missing your friend yet?” I hear. The voice is low with a heavy Spanish accent.

  No one but Moon calls me Madison or they’d be eating my fist. “Who is this?” I demand while my fingers tighten on the phone.

  The maniacal laugh gives him away. I instantly know who I’m speaking with. My stomach clenches before he speaks again and my worry for Cori shoots through the roof. “We’re about to become very good friends, Madison. Now listen carefully… a car is waiting for you downstairs. You will leave your office, take the elevator, walk outside, and get into the back seat.” His demand is recited between heavy breaths of air like he’s sweating profusely because of the Arizona heat. Arizona isn’t hot like Southern California is; it’s hot like hell would be if you visited. My mind scrambles for something to say, when he speaks again. “Hold on a moment, your friend wants to speak with you.”

  More of his heavy breathing flows through the line before Cori’s voice fills my ears. “Don’t fucking do it, Mak. Call Mo—” Her words are cut off with the sound of a fist striking flesh followed by a garbled groan. My free hand forms a fist and I want to drive Fernandez’s balls back inside his body and make them a permanent part of his intestines.

  Fernandez comes back on the line with a grunt. “Yes, by all means Madison, call your husband. Your friend will die and I’ll find another friend of yours until no one is left. You have three minutes to get downstairs or the car leaves.” The line goes dead and I’m left staring at the front of my phone.

  Without a thought, I grab my gun from the bottom drawer of my desk and clip the holster into the back of my skirt’s waistband, pulling out my blouse so it’s covered. I tuck my phone inside my purse and run for the elevator. I need to do this quickly so the security team watching me is thrown off stride and doesn’t react in time. I should call Moon, but the seconds are ticking away. I can’t risk Cori’s life.

  I tear out the front of the building and see a black SUV with darkly tinted windows waiting in front. The back door opens when I approach. The seat next to the one they want me in is occupied, and I catch only a quick glimpse of the driver’s face. It’s enough to realize I don’t know him and I’m fairly sure it’s not Fernandez, who I’ve never met in person but I have a description of him imprinted in my brain. Neither man in the vehicle is a fat cow, which is how Melina described her brother. These two are flunkies and knowing Moon, they’ll be dead flunkies before this is over.

  The man in the back seat stares at me with dead eyes. He’s definitely too damn young to be Fernandez. His dark skin is similar to Moon’s, but he smells like rotten fish, which would be more of a Fernandez characteristic, according to Melina. The black and white bandana on his head is soiled and sweat lines his brow. His pupils are sharp pinpoints of black, too small. I’m guessing he’s on something. My husband will kill him, the driver, and Fernandez. I just need to stay alive long enough for that to happen.

  “Get in,” he says when I hesitate. Knowing Moon will strangle me for risking myself to save Cori, I climb in. The man reaches across me, grabs the door handle, and slams the door. “Hands up, I’m searching you,” he orders as the car pulls quickly away from the curb. I turn around and see my security team clearing the door I just came through. My arm is roughly grabbed and I’m turned in the seat so he can start the search. My time as a police officer taught me to never search someone while sitting, but I’ll be damned if I give him any pointers. It’s frustrating when he does a halfway decent job and finds the damn gun. He laughs throatily and skims his hands over my breasts. It’s almost impossible to remain still while he assaults me. I count to ten in my head and ignore his touch. This is for Cori.

  The man finishes the search after he twists my nipple, grabs my arm, and uses his body to press me back into the seat. I’m not expecting the sharp jab of a needle in my thigh and I’m unable to keep him from pushing the plunger all the way down even though I try to turn and kick him.

  “Fuck you,” I say, jerking my elbow hard into his neck. His grunt does nothing to stop the flood of wooziness that swamps me within seconds. The slap across my face doesn’t even hurt. I fight against the tide of nothingness, but it’s useless. The world goes black and my last thought is how pissed off Moon will be.

  ∞∞∞

  The rank smell wakes me. I blink my eyes and groan into the muted light.

  “It’s nice of you to join us,” a man says; I vaguely recognize his voice as memories flood my brain. This is Fernandez, and I’m instantly aware that I need to be careful. For Cori’s sake.

  “Cori,” I yell, looking around the small bathroom. “What have you done to her?” I demand in a gravelly voice desperately in need of water. How fucking long have I been out?

  “I’ll take you to your friend now that you’re awake, but we have some business to attend first.”

  “The deal was that you would release her,” I all but shout as I realize my hands are tied behind me; my bad shoulder cramps. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing I’m in pain, so I hold back a moan.

  Fernandez grabs a fist full of my hair and jerks my face around so I’m looking into his dark, crazy eyes. Melina’s graphic description didn’t quite capture his insanity. “I made no such promise,” he says with a laugh. “I said, ‘Get in the car and I won’t kill her.’ That was the only deal I was offering.” He laughs again and small specks of his spit splash across my cheek.

  Two can play this game and even with a dry throat I manage to deliver a wad of spit directly into his face. Fernandez doesn’t slap me like his man in the car did. His fist quickly jabs into my mouth and light flashes momentarily behind my eyes. Pain explodes into my nerve endings centering on my damaged mouth. Blood drips from my split lip and when the agony recedes, I gingerly run my tongue along my teeth to check for damage. They seem to be intact, but Fernandez doesn’t stop there. My head jerks up from his grip on my hair. The room spins and it’s either from the drugs, the punch to my face, or both. Cool water suddenly rains down over me and a startled scream escapes my throat. It’s then I realize I’m sitting in a chair in the fucking bathtub.

  The only good news is that Phoenix’s definition of cold water in the summertime is what anyone living outside the state would call lukewarm. The shock of the water wears off quickly and it starts to actually feel good. I move my face out of the direct spray so I’m able to breathe without sucking water into my nose. The fuzziness in my brain is clearing. I need to keep a close watch on Fernandez and the direction of his fists so I can avoid another hit if possible.

  Through the shower’s downpour, I watch him pull a knife from the back pocket of his pants and cut the zip ties holding me to the chair. He steps back with a grin that doesn’t hold much joy for me and what will happen next. “Remove your clothes or I’ll do it for you,” he grunts as if slapping me and turning on water is strenuous. He’s a fat fuck and maybe I’ll get lucky and he’ll die of a heart attack, which will be my easy ticket out of here.

  From Melina’s stories, Fernandez is obsessed with his appearance. She told me he showers and washes his hands constantly. He in
sists that each item of clothes he wears is starched and ironed. The gold chains he displays his wealth with are absent today, but his dark chest hair shows in the open vee at his throat surrounding the rolls of fat at his neck. Add his small, dark beady eyes and I want to puke.

  When I don’t immediately respond to his threat about removing my clothes, he waves the knife in front of my face to gain my attention. I glance down at my dripping wet skirt and blouse. The blouse and my bra are too sheer to offer cover now that they’re wet. Losing my clothes might make Fernandez think I’m more defenseless and he’ll be wrong. I’m more than willing to lose this small battle if it gives me a mental edge. I need to see Cori alive with my own eyes before I fight back.

  I pull the shirt over my head, which isn’t easy because it’s sticking to my skin. With perfect accuracy, I throw it into Fernandez’s face. The satisfying splat is only a momentary victory. He reaches in, turns on the hot water, and turns off the cold. When I scream and try to leap out of the tub, he backhands me, sending me to the bathtub floor with hot water pouring over me. My next scramble to get out of the tub is just as unsuccessful and my legs get tangled in the chair and it lands on top of me. The scalding water has me up on all fours trying to slide out of the tub. The stomp on my ribs is so hard it takes the air from my lungs and I land sprawled flat inside the tub.

  I manage to scream again when I can breathe, because the fucking hot water is eating through my flesh and all I can think about is getting away. With a grunt, Fernandez reaches in and turns the cold water on again. It takes several minutes to sink in and help the fire on my skin.

  His freakish laughter fills the room again. “You think you’ll win but that won’t happen. You and your husband have a lot to pay for. Your death will only be icing on the cake.” His eyes are demonic with no humanity in their evil depths. “Take the rest of your clothes off and understand I’ll punish you for every fuck up.”