Bound by Vengeance (25 page)

Pain exploded through her ribs, slicing through her thoughts like a razor. She couldn’t steady herself, couldn’t even cry out as th
e chair capsized and sent her sprawling across the floor as it shattered. Her insides rattled from the blow, the force threatening to stop her heart in her chest. It skidded then pounded erratically. Her breath came in whooping gasps. She tried to raise up to her knees to run, but fell back to the floor in a helpless coughing fit.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” the large man asked, his thick fingers brushing her thigh.

Taylor curled in on herself, jerking away from the inquisitive brush of his hand as it trailed over the marks from Sebastian’s belt. The scrawny one snickered, and she opened her eyes to see him standing over her with his phone. The screen illuminated his hollowed features making them appear even more skeletal.

“Looks like the little vip
er is used to pain,” the brawny one said. “Not surprising given her attitude, but we might have to amp things up a bit. We wouldn’t want her to mistake our actions for foreplay.”

Chapter 12 ~

“You see, Sebastian, entities—people, they only have power over us because we let them. What would SKALS be without their secrets and resources?”

Getting no answer, Dominic spun on him and plowed a forceful fist into his midsection. Tensing his abdomen did little to deflect the blow, and the air left his body in a
loud snort. Gasping, he strained against the tape. Laychee laughed to his right.

“Since you’re not in the mood to talk, I’ll tell you,” his teammate said. “They’d be nothing, just another failed operation with a bunch of scared little puppets scrambling to
avoid the aftermath. I never did understand that. For all intents and purposes, we are a private organization. The government doesn’t claim us. I mean they can’t, right?” he asked with a crazed laugh. “No one wants the connotations attached to something like us, but they are more than happy to use us as they see fit.”

“Get to the point,” Sebastian rasped.

“I’m out. I’m moving on to bigger and better things, but if I walk away, I’m as good as dead. You, Marx, Josh—you’ll eventually hunt me down and put a bullet in my head, and that’s if I’m lucky. I mean that
is
what we do with a dog who’s turned on their master. We put them down. Isn’t that right, Sebastian?”

He nodded. Much to his chagrin, Dominic continued with his demented spiel.

“You can’t do that if you no longer have the technology or means. Think I’m stupid all you want, but I know Marx views you as his prized protégée. Your security clearance is through the roof. You have access to things the rest of us will never see: documents, passwords for armories, helicopters. Our system can break through and scramble any firewalls out there. SKALS is a waste. I can see that now. Why be content with scraps when you can have the whole damn buffet?”

Sebastian
couldn’t help but laugh. “Is that what this guy has been telling you?” he asked, indicating toward the muscled thug with a jerk of his head. “Never listen to the promises people whisper in your ear, Dominic. Especially when they’re trying to get you into bed.”

“Stop trying to use that psychobabble bullshit on me!” he roared.

The chair teetered onto two legs and crashed to the floor. Sebastian choked back a cry as his shoulder struck first, driving into the unyielding concrete. He rested his head against the cool surface; his words came in a hoarse rumble. “I’m not giving you anything. One way or another…you are dead.”

“Stop,” Laychee ordered calmly. “We’re getting nowhere like this. All we’re doing is wasting precious time.”

Sebastian glared at the boots approaching his head through a pain-soaked haze. His eyes narrowed with fury and contempt as the man crouched in front of him.

“You know, in some sick way, I admire you. You’re not only a powerful man, but you stand behind your convictions. It’s a shame we fo
und ourselves on opposite sides of the fence, Sebastian. You and I could have made an unstoppable team.”

He grunted as Laychee hoisted the chair into an upright position and the room droned in and out with the pulsing roar of blood in his ears. Something,
pride—instinct, forced him to fight to hang on to the fragile threads of consciousness. He steadied his breathing and forced his attention back to Laychee as the man loomed over him. A taunting grin rode the thug’s meaty lips. His fist struck without warning, hitting just below his eye, and Sebastian’s surroundings blurred behind a blinding flash of white. Another punch sent the world spinning off its axis, and his head fell back.

He distanced himself, letting images of Taylor play through his mind: her si
tting in front of the fire, grey eyes sparkling with love and desire. Another blow rocked him. Their time at the hotel flashed before his eyes, along with every intimate moment they’d shared. They were supposed to be married. He couldn’t help but wonder if that day would ever come now. Instead of giving in to despair, he clung to images of what would happen on that day: what her dress would look like, where they’d exchange their vows. Eventually, the warehouse and its horrors started to fade away.

Laychee’s
thick fingers bit into his jaw, wrenching him from his pleasant escape.

“No, no, Sebastian,” he taunted. “I know what you’re trying to do here, but it won’t work. There’s no escape. You’re going to focus and stay with me.”

He tried to concentrate on the man’s face, but it was getting harder and harder to hold on. Despite the chill permeating the building, sweat soaked his skin, drenching his clothes, and plastering his hair to his scalp. Blood trickled down his temple and coated his tongue. His midsection throbbed.

“Spit out the passwords or your little girlfriend is going to pay.”

He stared at Laychee before forcing his attention away with a shrug. “Go ahead.”

“Do you think I’m stupid, Sebastian?” the man hissed.

He grimaced as a warm spray of spittle speckled his face. Light reflected off steel in a menacing glint, and he stiffened when the icy blade greeted his throat.

“I saw that rock she was sporting.”

He laughed dryly despite the pain, his pale gaze swinging up to meet his captor’s. “It was just a way to lock her down and keep her mouth shut.”

“You put a hell of a price tag on silence,” Laychee mused, pressing the tip of the knife under Sebastian’s chin. “I wonder what you put on her life.” Reaching back with his other hand, he tossed his cell phone to
Dominic. “Call them up.”

All feeling fled his face as he watched his teammate smile. He didn’t want to see. He didn’t want to know. It was easier that way, but that was their point. Bracing himself, he blew out a shaky breath and feigned curiosity. Fuckin
g mobile technology was going to be the death of him. It took everything he had not to let his eyes drift shut when he heard Taylor’s voice on the other end.

“Last chance, Sebastian,” Laychee warned.

Gritting his teeth, he hardened his heart and turned away. Seconds later, the smartphone hovered in front of his face. Sebastian played along, training his attention on the screen. Taylor lay sprawled on the floor in his study. A brutal kick to her side lifted her and sent her crashing onto her back. A fresh wave of blood coated his tongue as he listened to her cough and fight for breath. One side of her beautiful face was already purpled and swollen, bearing the stamp of an angry handprint. Leaning closer, he took note of the men’s features and committed them to memory on the off chance he did make it out alive.

“Nothing?” Laychee asked, sounding slightly surprised. He turned to Dominic and cast his hands up in a show of disgust. “What sort of fucked up shit do they do to you guys that he can sit there and smil
e like that?”

“You have no idea,” his teammate muttered.

Sebastian regarded them both with an amused smirk. For some reason, the man’s assessment of his reaction felt good. It was enough to give him a renewed surge of strength.

“I told you. She knows nothi
ng and she means nothing. It’s not my fault you refused to believe me.”

“No!” Dominic yelled with an adamant jab of his finger. He paled when Laychee’s accusing glower swung his way. “He’s full of shit! It’s just a ploy. Come on, man. I’ve seen them togeth
er. They can’t keep their hands off each other. He—he stopped cutting your brother up because it was upsetting her.”

“I’m not seeing that, Dominic,” Laychee countered, annoyance riding his voice. “I’m seeing a man who’s fucking smiling as we beat the shit
out of some woman he allegedly loves! You told me this would work. I’m done doing things your way. I’m getting my revenge. As for your plans to take over the world or whatever fucked up shit you have planned, you’re on your own.”

Sebastian regarded the two
men with an increasing sense of dread. Whatever was coming wasn’t good. Keeping his cold countenance in place, he chuckled. Laychee spun on him with a snarl, his massive body coiling with tension.

“What the fuck is so funny?” he snapped.

The cold press of steel once again kissed the side of his neck. This time, it drew blood. Sebastian met his flinty stare with a smirk.

“You might want to rethink that plan,” he said in a raspy whisper. “I don’t know if your friend here told you or not, but we
tagged you with a micro dermal chip the night before the funeral.”

“
What?
”

Dominic blanched, pedaling back a rapid step when the other man whirled on him. Fury twisted Laychee’s wide face in to a livid mask. Red and purple flushed his pale skin as he prowl
ed closer.

“I swear it…it slipped my mind,” Dominic rambled, retreating.

“Slipped your mind or was the ace up your sleeve in case you had to play both sides?” Sebastian asked dryly.

“Shut the fuck up!” Dominic snarled lunging at Sebastian.

Laychee brought him up short with a hand around the younger man’s throat. “One thing you told me about Baas is proving to be very true. He is very smart. Was the chip your little safety net? Did you think if things went south you could turn on me?”

“No! The fucker’s lyin
g. He’s playing with you!”

“And you’re not?” Laychee asked, a humorless grin curving his lips. “The chip just
happened
to slip your mind? I don’t think so Dominic.”

Sebastian tuned them out for a minute, his ears straining to hear what was happening on the
other end of the video call. With all of the commotion, it was too hard to hear. At the very least, he’d just bought them both a little more time. Seconds, maybe a minute or two at best. His mind spun. Josh had to have reached out to someone by now. All he had to do was sit tight and hold on just a little longer.

His thoughts screeched to a halt as the distinct blast of gunfire filled the warehouse. Even Laychee paused, releasing his hold on Dominic to spin on his heel and gape at the floor where his cell
phone sat unattended. Another shot broke the tension followed by a shout that was cut short when the line went dead. The blood drained from Sebastian’s face. Horror crawled through his veins. His entire body went numb. He’d heard nothing from Taylor. Not one sound. Dropping against the back of the seat, he cast his attention to the metal rafters overhead and closed his eyes. Madness threatened as he heard one of the men approach.

“I’m sorry, Sebastian,” Laychee taunted. “Doesn’t sound like things ended well
for your little girlfriend, but that shouldn’t be a problem given how little you care. I guess the good news is she won’t suffer any more. I don’t give a fuck about your passwords. What I
do
want to know is what you did to my brother.”

His shoulders shook
with dry humor. “Oh he suffered, Steven. He suffered long and hard. He was sobbing like a woman and begging for it by the time we finally put him out of his misery.” Rage shone in the other man’s eyes, prompting him to smirk. “Do you want to know something else? I enjoyed every minute of it. I would do it all again if I could.”

“You son-of-a-bitch!” Laychee spat.

“He was crying like a baby and screaming as his guts hit the floor.”

Sebastian’s head rocked when a violent blow threatened to capsize him and th
e chair.

“Hold him up,” Laychee ordered his men. “I want him to feel everything.”

Sebastian continued as two of the four closed in and gripped the sides of his chair. “We brought him back once after that. Just so he could suffer a few seconds more.”

Despit
e the men holding it, the chair scooted back twice more as Laychee’s fist drove into his abdomen like a wrecking ball. He welcomed the pain. Spitting out a mouthful of blood, he watched the thug cross the room and rummage through the duffel bag he’d been shouldering when he arrived. He nodded, laughing softly to himself, as the other man procured a clear plastic bag. His pale stare shifted to Dominic and they locked eyes. He shook his head in disgust.

“You’re the worst kind of coward and traitor there is,”
he whispered. “You helped this man go after my family. Enjoy this. I guarantee my partner and SKALS will come after you with everything they have. There won’t be a place in this world where you can hide.”