Inferno (A Hotter Than Hell Novel Book 7) Page 16

  The meeting resumes and the uneasy feeling stays with me. Cal has a lead on a taxidermist with a client looking for large predator animals. It could be our best option to draw Fernandez out if it’s him. Alex gave me a rundown on who the men are dating and we might have a lead from there as well. He hasn’t returned when we start talking about a team heading to Mexico with the latest shipment of guns for training. Those weapons are still on hold in New Mexico, but they need to move. Alex should be here for this and now it’s me looking at the door.

  A loud bang turns everyone’s attention to the same door. We’re half out of our seats when the explosion rocks the house. I tear out of the conference room first.

  The front doors are partially open with two of the perimeter guards taking cover behind them, their rifles pointing outside. Their job is to keep intruders from getting into the house if there’s an outside wall breach. “Where are the women?” I call out as I move behind the door, which is bulletproof. Austin hunkers down next to me with his gun drawn.

  “They were at the pool a few minutes ago,” one of the guards says.

  The pool is in the back. I can’t activate the metal safety shutters unless I know they’re inside. Before I tell Austin to see if the women are safe, a large white truck drives past the wrought iron fence at the gate. It looks like Sofia driving and she has the other women with her. Alex runs after the truck and then walks back to the gate shaking his head. Fuck. His hands go up and he kicks the dirt at his feet. He turns to the house and yells, “It’s clear,” but Austin and I are already running toward him.

  Before I get there, Alex runs back toward the downed wall. When I’m close enough, I see a man on the ground and he isn’t one of ours. Someone in the control room electronically opens the gates before I can punch in the code.

  Alex is standing over the man. “That damn, crazy Sofia ran over his ass and picked up the women,” Alex snaps angrily. “The SUV hit the wall and exploded a few seconds later. This guy must have jumped before impact. There’s no sign of anyone else.”

  The man rolling on the ground with two mangled legs looks like the description Madison gave of Fernandez’s man Goose.

  “Get him in the house,” I yell at Blevins. “Get the truck completely inside the wall and barricade the fence with one or two vehicles. The explosion was too loud and the police might be coming.” With the luck I’m having today, they’ll show and we’ll be tied up with them for hours. “We’ll load this guy into one of the vehicle trunks and try to get out of here before the police arrive. Cal, you’re in charge. Say nothing, and I’ll have our attorney here soon.”

  I take out my phone, send a text to the attorney, and then call Caleb. Madison is part of whatever the women have planned and I need to be sure she’s safe. Scratch that thought, Madison came up with the fucking plan. Damn woman. “Never marry a cop,” I say under my breath when Caleb’s phone rings.

  He tells me he’s looking at Madison as we speak, so I have no idea what the hell is going on. “Get her into the safe room, the outer wall of the house was breached by a vehicle then the vehicle exploded. The good news is we have one of Fernandez’s men. We’re heading to the warehouse before the police arrive.”

  I press End and decide to wait to call Madison until we’re off the property. Somehow those women found Fernandez’s location; it’s the only explanation and the only thing that makes sense. With Madison in the safe room, I can breathe easier and maybe the women will stop whatever the hell they’re up to with her out of the picture. We’ll discover Fernandez’s location from the piece of shit Sofia ran over and take down Fernandez today.

  Alex brings the car to the front. Austin jumps into the back and I take the passenger seat. I told the men to put Gabriella in our safe room until everything settles. She can cuss them out in Spanish, I don’t have time. Sirens can be heard in the distance and we need to be completely clear of the house before they hit the street that leads to my private road.

  I’ve also notified additional men to meet us at the warehouse. As soon as we have Fernandez’s location, we’ll be moving out quickly. It suddenly occurs to me that Dax is totally out of the loop, so I dial his cell.

  “You’re fucking kidding me,” he practically yells when I tell him his wife ran over a man and picked up the women. “I’m on my way.” Another call comes in and I look at the display. It’s Caleb.

  “Start heading here with reinforcements,” I tell Dax quickly. “I’ll call as soon as we have a location. It won’t be long.”

  The man in the trunk is moaning loudly. There are metal plates over the taillights and nothing he can do to get out until we open the back. Not that he could run far on two injured and possibly broken legs.

  I switch the call to Caleb. He’s breathing heavily and he’s pissed off. “She locked me in the fucking safe room and took off. Cori’s with her.”

  “Meet us at the warehouse.” I end the call because I’m too angry to say another word.

  I let out a round of expletives before I can tell Alex and Austin the latest. “Madison and Cori left the agency and are on their way to meet up with the other women.”

  “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Alex says while beating on the steering wheel.

  “We’ll find them.” I inhale deeply to control my anger. What’s done is done and thinking about shaking my wife until her teeth rattle won’t help.

  “I’ll beat her ass black and blue when we do,” Alex grumbles. “They don’t have a fucking clue who they’re dealing with.”

  Austin, who’s been silent up to this point, grunts. I turn to the backseat and give him my attention. “Melina knows exactly who they’re up against. She’ll be the death of me one way or another. I may lock her back in the basement for the next year.”

  “When did they make these fucking plans?” Alex asks as we turn on the last street before we reach the warehouse.

  I have that answer. “The book club meeting that they’ve never had before and wanted someplace private where they could relieve a little stress.”

  “Fuck it, that took place in my apartment,” Alex groans. “I’m installing listening devices in there. She’ll never have privacy again.”

  He won’t do it, but I understand where he’s coming from.

  Alex screeches to a halt in front of the warehouse and jumps out of the car before I do. He races to the back and hauls the man out of the trunk, throwing him to the ground. Before the man can do more than scream, Alex begins dragging him to the door by one arm. I jog forward and put in the security code to unlock the warehouse. Alex drags the man straight to the back with me and Austin behind him.

  We enter the closed-off section of the warehouse and I shut the door behind us. Alex continues dragging the man to the hook hanging from the middle of the ceiling. He lifts him with Austin’s help and loops the rope securing his hands over the hook.

  Alex would usually change clothes at this point, but today he isn’t wasting time. He’s in pure kill mode. He walks rapidly to a cabinet in the corner and removes duct tape. He slaps it over the screaming man’s mouth and circles the tape around his head. The tape won’t help us get information, but I don’t stop Alex. He knows what he’s doing and we’ll have the information we need faster if I just let him work.

  Alex pulls a knife from its sheath and the man screams louder behind the tape, though it’s more like a squeal now. His mangled legs won’t hold him up and he’s hanging by his arms, his eyes wide and fearful. Alex reaches up, brings the knife down and slices off his ear, which he tosses to the cement floor. The guy squirms on the hook and Alex starts using the knife to cut off his clothes. Small slices well with blood as Alex removes each piece with precise dexterity.

  When the man is naked, Alex steps closer and grabs his chin. His squeals stop suddenly and more of a whining noise comes from behind the tape. “I want Fernandez’s location,” Alex says loud enough for the man to hear above his terror. “When I remove the tape, you will give me an address. If you don’t, I’m cutti
ng off your dick and feeding it to you. After you swallow it, I’ll give you another opportunity to talk. If you don’t, it will be your balls next and then I remove your eyes. We’ll play this game until you give us the information we need. Don’t worry, though.” Alex grins and it’s crazy enough to freeze fire. “I won’t let you bleed to death until you’ve consumed half your body.”

  He gives the man no time to think about what’s about to happen to him and rips the tape from his mouth in one pull.

  The man, who affirms his name is Goose, starts talking.

  “Pity,” Alex whispers after we have an address without cutting off anything more than an ear. “How many men?”

  “Just Fernandez,” Goose blubbers through spit and tears.

  I put the address into my phone. “It’s in Cave Creek. We need to go.”

  Alex lifts the guy’s tied hands from the hook and he falls to the floor crying. “He’s going with us. If he gave us the wrong address, I will cut off his dick.”

  I call Dax and give him the location. We’re about the same distance away and should arrive close together. “If you get there first, do what you need to do.”

  My worry for Madison multiplies by a hundred as soon as we’re in the car. “Just let me hold her again,” I pray.

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Madison

  We park a half mile from the home. Melina and I run up the street, carrying the post driver between us because it’s so damn heavy, and check out the property. Like the house he kept me and Cori in, this one is away from other homes and on a nice sized piece of property. The desert foliage on the north side of the area gives us a good vantage point to see the back door. I call Celina.

  “Send Cori north to our location. The front door is on the south side of the house and you’ll have about twenty-five yards from the truck to the door. Sofia will be your driver and leave as soon as you’re inside. She’ll park and meet us. We’ll come through the back five minutes after you enter.” We covered all of this in the car, but it helps me to go over the plan out loud again. “Give Cori ten minutes to get in place before Sofia drops you off.”

  “Cori just took off. We’re set,” Celina says before ending the call.

  After Cori meets us, we stay low and wait for Sofia to text me that Celina is in the house. Our phone ringers are off so we don’t alert anyone to our presence, so I watch the display on my phone impatiently. We have no idea how many men are inside.

  I glance at Melina. “What if you smash the other post driver through the front window when Sofia and I go through the back?” We knew after we saw the property some of our plans could change slightly. Celina will be ready for anything.

  “Okay, I’ll shatter it and make enough room to climb through. It looks like an old home and if we’re lucky it will have regular glass panes and not that safety glass shit.”

  She’s right, safety glass will slow her down. Between the five of us, we’ll cause enough commotion to handle what’s needed inside. My phone pings. Celina is inside. A minute later, there’s a rustling noise in the bushes twenty feet away. Sofia runs toward us staying low too.

  “We’re set and need to go,” she says between breaths.

  Celina’s job right now is to keep Fernandez out of a bedroom. We don’t have much time. “Go,” I tell Melina. I glance at Cori. “Are you ready for this?” I’ve been worried about her hand and tried to talk her out of coming. She threw my worry back in my face and asked if missing fingers would keep me from revenge. Honestly, it wouldn’t and I stopped arguing. We’re all here because we want to be. We’ll come out of this alive and our men won’t kill us after we’re safe. They love us and we’ll remind them if needed.

  I clear my mind of thoughts of Moon.

  “Sixty seconds and we’re going in. We look down at our watches. At one minute, Melina runs for the front of the house. Sofia and Cori follow me when I take off for the back door.

  Five.

  Four.

  Three.

  Two.

  Sophia and I hold the post driver at ready and at my nod, we swing as hard as we can against the door where the lock is located. We hear the crash of glass as soon as I kick the door open and we run through with guns drawn. Staying low, we keep behind a middle island. Celina screams and then grunts, which makes me charge for the front of the house. I turn the corner and she’s fighting Fernandez. Her gun is lying on the carpet. Melina comes through the window, her Glock pointed at Fernandez.

  Cori and Sofia yell “Clear!” as they go from room to room. We practiced this part in Celina’s apartment and they’re doing their jobs. Fernandez rolls on top of Celina.

  “Stop or I’ll blow your fucking head off,” I yell.

  Our eyes meet and I see nothing but hatred. He swings his fist into Celina’s jaw before I can fire. She twists and the blow mostly misses her face. “You bastard,” she yells and delivers a throat punch.

  I’m frozen for a moment, a nightmare image of Fernandez rising over me locks my brain up. I shake my head to snap out of it. This bastard raped me and took something special. I’ll never forget what he did and even after he’s dead, I’ll be left to live with the memory.

  Melina moves behind her brother and places her gun to his head. “Back off, brother dear. I want nothing more than to blow your head off, so please give me a reason.” Her hands don’t shake and determination shows in her hard eyes. She wants him dead as much as I do.

  “You bitch,” he spits out. Slowly he releases Celina and stands. She rolls away and climbs to her feet at the same time I snap out of the paralysis. Sofia and Cori run into the room.

  “The house is clear. It looks like he couldn’t find anyone to help his ass,” Sofia says.

  Cori has the same look on her face that must have been on mine only seconds before. Fernandez looks at her and sneers before turning back to me. “You think you or this black cunt will fucking kill me?” He spits at my feet and laughs. The insanity all but bleeds from his pores as he continues laughing. He turns to Melina. “My sweet baby sister. Is your cunt nice and stretched from that lunatic you hooked up with?”

  Pot meet kettle. Austin might be a lunatic, but this man takes it to another level. “Remove your fucking clothes,” I tell him.

  His head snaps back in my direction. “And why would I take that pleasure away from you?” He laughs harder.

  I don’t hesitate. Lowering my gun, I shoot him in the foot.

  “You fucking bitch,” he yells jumping around on the other leg. He doesn’t go down, which proves just how insane he is.

  I reach for the handcuffs in my pocket and step forward. Sofia has her rifle pinned on him. “Shoot his leg if he tries anything,” I tell her before holstering my gun and stepping forward. I stay to his left so Sofia has a clear shot. “Hands behind your back.”

  His maniacal smile creeps me the fuck out. “What about my clothes? Please make up your mind,” he says in that raspy voice from my nightmares.

  The room tilts for a moment and dizziness clouds my vision. I can’t allow him to win and showing any fear right now is out of the question. I inhale slowly and focus on what needs to happen. “Cori, hand me the knife.”

  She steps forward and Fernandez spins and tries throwing a punch at my head but misses. He moves quickly even with a bullet through the foot and gets between Cori and Sofia’s rifle. Melina takes the opportunity to bring her gun down on the back of his head. He stumbles and I kick the tibial pressure point in his good leg. He drops and I kick Celina’s gun away from him. She grabs it and aims it at him as he wiggles around like a flopping fish. I hand Melina my gun and slam down into his back with my cuffs primed. I practically pull his arms from their sockets in order to secure his hands behind his back while he’s stunned.

  “Help me get him up on the kitchen island and I’ll cut off his fucking clothes.” We drag him back to the kitchen minus Celina who stays at her post, which is the front door. He struggles but it’s not enough for four women on a mission. />
  The sick feeling in my stomach stays and I turn slightly and rub tears from my eyes. Not a minute has gone by that I haven’t thought about this moment and now I just want to vomit. The thought of being in bed with him on top of me, has panic raising it’s ugly head. No, I tell myself, I’ve got this. He needs to die for what he did to me and Cori and also the endless women he’s tortured and killed.

  “Are you okay?” Cori asks softly.

  I’m not, but I can’t tell her that. She has even more of a reason to want him dead. “I’m good, I need your knife.”

  “I can do it,” Melina says.

  “No, he’s right. I want to remove the sick bastard’s clothes.” I try to smile but it comes out as more of a grimace. No matter my words, the last thing I want to do is touch him in any way. Still there is no way I’ll allow one of my friends to do this. The queasiness increases. I take the knife from Cori and slice his shirt. Melina rips it from his upper body while I go to work on his pants. It takes us a few minutes to get his clothes off and he laughs the entire time. When his pants and boxers are clear, his fucking dick is hard. I pull short breaths into my lungs trying to fight throwing up on top of him.

  “Mak?” Melina says.

  I look down and my hands are shaking. This is happening because I put it into motion. I need him dead and I need to find a way to carry through with it. The world will be a safer place without him in it. I will do what it takes and put this behind me. The expressions Melina, Sofia, and Cori wear are just as fucked up as mine must be. This is calculated murder and right now I can’t think about the ramifications to my soul. Somehow I’ll make it right after he’s dead.

  “Incoming,” Celina shouts from the front of the house. “It’s Moon and Alex. Oops, Dax too. They’re coming in force.”

  I step back and sink to the floor on legs that will no longer hold me. Resting on my knees, my back is against one of the cabinets. That’s how Moon finds me. I look up into his worried face and burst into tears. He doesn’t even look at Fernandez. His arms circle me and he lifts me to my feet. “I’m going to be sick,” I whisper. He turns me and my small lunch ends up on the floor. Moon buries his face in my hair when I stop heaving. “I know you’re mad, but I need to finish this.”