Page 65 of Cassie
Back in the hallway, he walked to the door they’d stood in front of. Filling his chest again and again, he sucked in air as if the entire basement of the house had suddenly decompressed, not enough oxygen to sustain him. He stared down at his hands for a moment, then folded the knife and returned it to his pocket, pulling the gun from behind his belt. Another breath and he opened the door, slamming it wide.
A man whirled to face him, raising his own weapon. Garrett stared at the dark circle as it lifted, aiming his own gun in response.
***
Cassie
They escorted her inside, and she was surprised at how normal everything seemed. To the casual observer, this could be any house. A home. A home with a living area, a kitchen complete with table, coffee maker on the countertop.
Enzo pointed to a door in the hallway they’d just come through. “I need you to come with me.” Bedlam had disappeared before she’d entered the house, footsteps overhead testifying to his location. She opened the door and stared at the dark stairs in front of her. “Down, please.”
“Is Faith down there?” She glanced over her shoulder in time to see him nod. “Okay.”
His directions to the room Faith was in were brusque and it was only moments before Cassie stood in front of a closed door. He reached out and twisted the knob, and Cassie saw a young woman through the opening right away. She was bruised and bloody, but from the look on her face, anger held more sway than fear.Thank God. Faith was okay. Would be okay.I just have to get us out of here.
Enzo chuckled, the sound grating on Cassie’s nerves. “I wondered how long it would hold you. Very well done, Faith Inez.”
Faith ignored him and stared at Cassie. “You’re here.”
Startled at the sense of recognition Faith gave her, Cassie opened her arms to the girl she’d grown to know only through stories, recognized her face because she looked at a younger version in the painting on her wall every day, and had spoken to once years ago in a conversation she didn’t expect the girl to remember. “Of course I am, sweetheart. I’m here.”
Faith bolted from her position in the corner and barreled into Cassie, knocking her back a step with the force of her embrace. “You’re here. Oh, God, Cassie, you’re here. Why? Why are you here?”
She turned them, holding Faith close to her. Glaring at Enzo, Cassie demanded, “You have to let us go. Have to.”
“I cannot.” He pushed the door closed with one foot and took a step towards them. “This is hard, I know, but it’s necessary.”
“Do you have kids?” She needed to find an argument that hit deep, one that would make him see them as people. “People you love?”
“Yes, and before you try to appeal to my sense of gallantry, you should know that my children are why I do this today. I need to secure a future for them, and it is for them that this must happen.” He shook his head, eyes on Faith’s shaking shoulders. Cassie felt wetness at her neck and knew Faith had started crying. “The Rebels are not the innocents you believe them to be. They are not above using family to secure what is needed. This is my response. Trust me, it is not my first choice, but when all others have failed, one must use the last resort.”
“I don’t understand.” And that was on her, she knew. She’d fallen into a relationship with a biker, an artist, sure, but he’d been a biker first. And she hadn’t taken time to get to know that side of him. She’d played at being a biker chick, encouraged by a gentle old man she couldn’t imagine hurting anyone. But she’d seen Tug’s gun many times, seen him watch people who got too near them, and she wondered now at the things he might have done through the years. A sense of anger filled her at her own disloyal thoughts.Tug never hurt me. Neither did Hoss. No matter what they might have done, she loved them both. Differently of course, but she loved them and would—I’d die for them. She tightened her arms around the sobbing girl.I’ll die for her. “But it doesn’t matter. If they’ve done something to you, then either you earned it, or you’re earning it right now. People like the man I love don’t start something without cause. So what did you do, Enzo? What did you do?”
“My transgression was years ago. I thought it was in my past.” He shook his head. “My family is scattered, fled through the passing of time. I want them back, but until I clear my honor with the Rebels, I cannot earn my way back into my family.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.” Cassie frowned at him. “If they’re your family, then they’re always family. You don’t have to earn anything.”
He smiled, that same anguish-ridden grimace she’d seen from him outside. “Our version of family is somewhat different. For you, it’s love and blood, and always there.” He held out one hand, palm first, showing her a deep, twisting scar along his palm. “For me, family is an earned thing. I need to make my mark again. We are not blood, but a family nonetheless.”
“They’re mob, Cassie.” Faith’s voice was soft, sodden with tears still. “We’re his blood debt to regain whatever rank he’s lost.”
“You are a good student, Faith Inez. Your papa must be proud of you.” Enzo folded his arms across his chest. “I wish my daughter were as brave.”
“It doesn’t matter, though, does it?” Faith disengaged from Cassie, turning to face their captor. “You’re going to kill us anyway.” Cassie shoved a hand into her pocket, fingers tracing the outline of the device there. She’d brought it with her intentionally, not sure if she could use it, but the man’s next words solidified her resolve.
“It is likely.” He tipped his head toward them, and Cassie’s blood ran cold at his casual admission. “I had hoped to spare you by trading you for the woman, but that did not work as planned.”
The door burst open behind him. He turned and a gun appeared in his hand. Cassie pushed Faith behind her and pulled the Taser from her pocket, thumbing the switch to turn it on. She lunged forwards and shoved the device into the middle of Enzo’s back, pulled the trigger and tried to keep from contacting his body, feeling the burning surge of electricity along the skin of her hand like a warning. She looked over his shoulder expecting to see one of the men from upstairs, instead seeing a blood-covered boy no older than Faith, his weapon up and leveled at her.
***
Hoss
“Ping it again.” He paced the length of the kitchen, glaring down at the toes of his boots. Pulling in a deep breath he stopped, fists clenched and said, “Know what, fuck this noise. I’m going.” Mason stepped in front of him and Hoss shook his head. “I listened to you and did what you wanted. I stayed here. It’s killin’ me, brother. Killin’ me and it ain’t gettin’ me one fuckin’ bit closer to my girl.” He lifted his chin. “My woman. Mason, you can’t ask me to do this.”
“My boy’s right there, too, brother. We’ve got men approaching the house now, and you don’t want to be on the road when it goes down. You’re gonna wanna know when it happens, one way or the other.” Mason’s expression was soft, compassionate. “We’re waiting here, together. And once we know, we’ll lay a path. Right now, we need to wait, and believe.”
“Believe?” Hoss wasn’t certain he had it in him to believe in anything. “In what?”
