Passion (Mafia Ties: Brandon & Carly Book 3) Read online

  They nodded and took off to complete their assignment. Their faces were a mask of anger and fear. My gut told me they weren’t part of the mutiny against Carly, but it was obvious Greg hadn’t acted alone. I wasn’t sure who to trust, but I couldn’t turn to my family completely, or I would lose what little ground I’d gained with Carly’s.

  My phone rang and I dug it out of my pocket to see Nic’s name flashing across the screen. I hit accept and he started talking before I’d gotten my mouth open.

  “Our last shipment came into the airport you’re at. Enzo and the guys are unloading our merchandise, then he’ll fly you to Haiti. I’ve got the jet fueled and a flight plan filed, get your ass to hangar eight, pronto.” I was never more grateful for the tight circle of my family than at that moment. Someone had kept Nic up to date and he had my back, like always.

  I hung up the phone without a word and started running, yelling for Aiden and Conor to meet me at the plane. Ewan started to follow, but I didn’t know what kind of condition he was in after the collision and couldn’t take any chances that he would slow us down. Luckily, I had the perfect job to entice him to stay behind.

  “Ewan, I need you to stay here. I need your help. I’ll call you once we are in the air. For now, get to a fucking doctor and then back to O’Reilly’s. Call in everyone.” That pub was where we’d held the wake, the largest by far and where we held most of our meetings.

  I didn’t wait for his response, sprinting out the door and into an unattended airport vehicle. I didn’t stick around to see who it belonged to and less than thirty minutes later, we were in the air.

  Conor and Aiden sat across from me. Thomas, who’d shown up as we boarded the plane, occupied the seat next to me. As pissed as I was, I knew I could trust him, and considering our situation, I needed as many trustworthy guys with me as possible. A mix of Italians and Irish were scattered throughout the rest of the jet. I made the call to Ewan and told him to find me the fucking traitors. Each one had a noose with their name on it.

  ***

  Slowly, my men slipped along the outside of the high stone wall surrounding a yellow, Haitian villa. The small guard shack at the gate hadn’t been a deterrent. The motherfucker who owned this place clearly had a monumental ego if he thought a pathetic, little rent-a-cop would keep his ass safe. One bullet to the head and we had access to all of the perimeter security.

  Aiden and Conor had been more involved in the drug trade, but they were in the loop enough to know the key players involved in the trafficking of women. It made the most sense that Sean would hole up with their contact, Josué, a cabinet member in The Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I prayed Carly was with him because every minute she was gone, the chances of finding her diminished.

  Nic had left enough weapons on board to outfit us and somehow found us a place to land where we wouldn’t run the risk of alerting anyone of our arrival. Particularly the government since they weren’t likely to appreciate our undeclared and illegal cargo. We stayed clear of Josué’s private hangar to stay off of his radar as well.

  A contact met us when we landed, providing transportation, money, and a map of Josué’s compound. I didn’t know who the fuck he was or how he got the info, but I wasn’t about to question it. He was more than likely one of Brecken’s contacts.

  We’d finally mounted up and made our way to the crooked politician’s villa. Conor stayed at the guard booth to watch the monitors so we had eyes on the perimeter, giving us an early warning of other security, and keeping us off camera. We weren’t ready to enter just yet, preferring to scout the place from outside the walls. When the time was right, Conor would let us in.

  “They’re here,” I heard Thomas whisper over his comm. “Sean is pacin’ on the patio and havin’ what looks like a pretty heated conversation with Josué.”

  “Carly?” I asked.

  “Not yet.”

  I tensed the muscles in my arm, barely keeping myself from punching the stone. Where the fuck was my woman?

  “I’ve got a twenty on her,” one of Nic’s men informed me. Air rushed from my lungs, making me almost dizzy with relief. We weren’t clear by any stretch of the imagination, but at least I knew she was here. “She’s in a small structure out back, looks like a guest house or servant’s quarters.”

  “Is it visible from the pool deck?” I inquired as my mind raced over our options and attempted to formulate a plan.

  “Partially, but from what I can tell, the room she’s in isn’t.”

  “Bran, ya got company,” Conor growled in my ear. “Security is makin’ the rounds.”

  “Armed?” I asked.

  “Looks like pistols only.”

  Conor gave us the location for each of the three guards and one by one, we picked them off before they could sound an alarm. Then two of the boys dragged them into the bushy area across the access road.

  It was time to breach, but I hesitated, torn between going to Carly and dealing with the scum who had taken her. I knew Carly would kick my ass for choosing her when Thomas or Aiden could just as easily do it. But, my heart ached to see her, to know she was alive and unharmed. However, the thought of her safety in the long run, and our determination to shut this faction of the business down, was what made the decision.

  “Thomas, take three guys and secure my wife. Aiden, you’re with me, we’ll meet back at the rendezvous point.” Thomas started to argue, wanting to switch places with Aiden, but I cut him off, commanding him to do as I said. I needed someone calm and logical to counter balance me. Thomas was too close to Carly, and I was afraid our rage would make both of us irrational and easily provoked into doing something incredibly stupid. He huffed in irritation but dropped the issue.

  I entered the compound through a side entrance in the gate, followed by Aiden and five other guys who immediately spread out, staying hidden. The others would wait at the back until I signaled for them to make their move. Sean and Josué would be dead by the time I left, but I wanted Carly far away and safe before we got aggressive. We would serve as a distraction while they got her out.

  Aiden and I snuck up the concrete steps leading to the pool deck, pausing near the top to listen in on the squabble being had.

  “She’s no good ta me now,” Sean whined, “I’ll have ta take the territory by force instead of gaining it through marriage. Which means I’ll need capital.”

  “What do you expect me to do, estipid?” Josué asked in a thick Haitian Creole accent. “She’s too old to fetch much of a price, even if she weren’t pregnant.”

  Fucking hell. How did they find out about the baby when Carly hadn’t even admitted to being pregnant yet?

  “Why don’t ya keep her? It’s not like ya care about their condition as long as they’re strong enough ta be broken. She’s a feisty one, she’ll fight harder than the other girls. An I’ll only charge ya half the fee.”

  Rage consumed me and I could barely see the steps as I tried to barrel up them. They were talking about my wife. I was yanked backward before I could ascend even one stair.

  “They’ll get what’s comin’ to them, Brandon,” Aiden hissed. “But, you’re no good to Carly if you go rushin’ in thoughtlessly an’ get yourself killed.”

  He was right. I hated that he was right. But, it was why I’d brought him with me in the first place. We needed to find out where they were keeping the girls.

  “Oke,” Josué said, his tone somewhat gleeful. “If you’re right, maybe she’ll be enough to entertain me for a while.”

  Dead man. Dead man. Dead man.

  “Just make sure she disappears when yer done with her,” Sean snapped. “Now, send someone to load up the shipment, I need to get the feck out o’ here.”

  It was exactly what we needed. I motioned for one of the men with us to turn around and go back. He’d heard the discussion and knew what I wanted. A few of them would follow their guy to what was most likely a local brothel and clear it out.

  Before I broke eye contact, I gave him one
more order, my voice deadly. “Burn it the fuck down.”

  Chapter 4

  Carly

  “No fecking way!”

  I’d recognize that voice anywhere, had heard it for most of my life. I still kept my eyes closed for a moment, terrified I might be imagining my childhood friend was here to rescue me, just like I’d expected Brandon to be standing in front of me when I’d opened my eyes after dreaming of him. Pushing down my terror, I lifted my head, opened my eyes, and found Tommy standing in front of me with three of my men behind him.

  “Out!” he roared. The guys tore their gazes away from me and hurried from the room.

  “It isn’t as bad as it looks,” I chided. “It’s not like I’m naked.”

  It was pretty damn close, but I was partially covered. The barely-there slip I’d worn underneath my wedding gown left little to the imagination.

  “Fecking hell, ya might as well be.”

  “I guess Sean figured since he wasn’t going to marry me, then I didn’t need to keep my wedding dress on.”

  “I’m gonna tear the bloody eejit’s bollocks off.”

  His thick brogue was a sure clue to how pissed off he was. “Careful, your Irish is showing.”

  “Jaysus, Carly. You’re the only woman I know who’d make a joke at a time like this.” He rubbed his face in exasperation and hissed in pain when his fingers brushed his bandaged and bruised nose, clearly having forgotten about the injury.

  “You want to tell me how that happened?”

  “I shouldna’ left you alone.”

  Yeah, I knew exactly who had broken his nose. Considering I’d been taken while he was supposed to be watching over me, I guessed I should be relieved that’s all Brandon had done to him. “How about we call it even if you untie me and find me something to wear?”

  “Shit, sorry,” he murmured, rushing forward to work on the rope wrapped around my hands.

  Once I was free, I wriggled my fingers and toes to get the blood flowing in them again while Tommy searched the room. The room was sparsely furnished, with only a queen size bed and a small set of drawers the only furniture. Considering what Sean had told me it was used for, I wasn’t surprised.

  “There isn’t a fecking thing in here.”

  “Sex slaves don’t exactly have belongings,” I explained quietly. “And if they did, a man would have to be an imbecile to keep her stuff around after he’s killed her.”

  “Fecking hell,” he growled, lifting his black, long-sleeved shirt over his head and tossing it to me. “Put this on so I can get you the feck out of here before your husband decides my broken nose isn’t punishment enough for landing you here.”

  I slipped the shirt on and walked to the door, but stopped to look at him over my shoulder before I left the room. “There will be no ‘getting me the fuck out of here.’ You’ll take me to Brandon.”

  “He gave me orders, Carly.”

  I straightened my spine and injected all my determination into my tone. “He may be my husband, but he’s not the boss of me. Not when it comes to O’Reilly business. Don’t make me tell you again, Tommy. You’ll be taking me to him. Now.”

  “Fine,” he muttered. “But you’d better be bringin’ me all my favorite foods when ya visit me in the hospital.”

  “Oh, shit,” one of the guys murmured, stepping out of my way as I stormed past them towards the big house. Getting out of my path was a good idea, because I’d never been more furious in my life. I was out for blood, and I was damn well going to be the one who drew it.

  “Give me your spare piece.” It wasn’t a request, and Tommy knew me well enough to hand over the gun he kept in an ankle holster without asking any questions. The weight felt good in my hands, settling some of the knots in my stomach. I’d felt powerless from the moment the limo doors had locked behind me and I’d heard Sean’s voice, but not anymore. Brandon and our men were here, I had a weapon in my hand, and Sean was going to pay for making me fear for my baby’s life. Him and his demented friend.

  Tommy put his arm out in front of me, stopping my progress when we made it to the back door of the house. We all waited there until he nodded his head and breathed a sigh of relief. “Conor confirmed the coast is clear.”

  “Conor?”

  Tommy tapped his ear and nodded before leading me into the house. “Yeah, and your man is not happy to know we’re headed his way.”

  “I wish I could let that sway my decision, but we both know why I can’t.”

  “I just hope he understands it as well, or else my nose isn’t going to be the only part of my body he will have broken today.”

  I patted him on the back. “Brandon knows what kind of woman he married. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to him that I’m not willing to walk away from this until it’s finished.”

  “Can you blame the man?” Tommy asked, turning towards me as he paused in front of a door with his fingers wrapped around the knob. “You were taken from your wedding reception, with his baby in your belly. He isn’t really in the mood to be reasonable about anything, I don’t think.”

  “He knows about the baby?” I gasped.

  “You bet your sweet ass I do,” Brandon growled as the door opened and he blocked my view of inside.

  My gaze flew up to his face, which looked like it had been carved from granite. A muscle jumped in his jaw and his eyes blazed down at me, filled with fury and love. “This isn’t how I wanted you to find out. I had it all planned out, too. I wanted to surprise you with the news. I guess this is one more thing to lay on the heaping pile of shit that rests at Sean’s feet.”

  My hand moved down to my belly as I spoke, drawing Brandon’s attention lower. Realization of what I was wearing filled his gaze, and his face turned red with anger. “Why are you wearing Tommy’s shirt?”

  The question was asked softly, but the menace in his tone was unmistakable. I threw myself at him and wrapped my arms around his waist as I hurriedly answered him, positive he was thinking the worst. “He didn’t touch me. I think he took my dress away because he was angry about his plan being ruined. And, he wanted to make it harder for me to escape.”

  His arms tightened around me, and I heard his heart racing underneath my ear. “You would have found a way to escape, wouldn’t you?”

  “If I had to, yes. But I knew you wouldn’t be too far behind. Not after I saw all the SUVs at the airport. I trusted that you’d find me in time, and now it’s your turn to have faith in me.”

  “Letting you in this room is the last thing I want to do right now.” His chest rose before he let out a huge sigh. “But fuck, you know how to play hard ball.”

  “Didn’t you realize that when I shot you in the leg?” I teased, stepping out of his hold.

  “Just make sure your aim is better this time around,” he grumbled, brushing a kiss across the top of my head.

  “I never miss what I’m aiming for,” I promised, walking into the room at his side before continuing. “No matter how small the target is. Like Sean’s balls.”

  My gaze landed on the man in question, and I was pleased to see it looked like they’d only roughed him up a little before tying him to a chair. The Haitian man who owned this home was in the seat next to him, in much the same condition.

  “Since there’s two of them, why don’t we each take one?” I offered. I waived my hand at the dark-skinned man whose wide eyes were filled with horror. “You can kill him, but I want Sean.”

  Both men sputtered behind their gags and wiggled in their chairs. They were desperate to get free from their bindings, even though they were surrounded by men holding guns aimed their way. Stupid idiots. The only way they were getting out of here was in a body bag.

  “You’ll have to go first,” Brandon muttered. “I can’t kill this one until I receive confirmation that our man found the women and children they planned to use for their next shipment.”

  “I’ll take my time then, just in case you need additional information from him,” I promised as I lif
ted my right arm and fired straight into his groin. “But he’s going to feel immeasurable pain every single second he remains alive.”

  I pulled the gag from his mouth and listened to him sob, begging for his life. My response was to fire another bullet, this time into his knee. He screamed in pain until his voice cracked before he started to plead for a quick death. By the time Brandon received word that the rescue had gone off without a hitch, I’d shot Sean in the other knee and both shoulders. He’d passed out twice, and I’d had one of my men bring in a cold bucket of water both times so I could toss it in his face and rouse him again. Between the lack of food and my pregnancy, I was starting to feel light-headed, so I finished him off with a shot straight between his eyes.

  “Feel free to take your time with the other one,” I told Brandon, when I really wanted him to do anything but. “I’ll wait for you outside.”

  Chapter 5

  Brandon

  I watched her backtrack the way she’d come in, followed closely by Thomas and a few other men. Seeing her in Thomas’ shirt was driving me crazy and it struck me that I didn’t give a fuck about being the one to take out the Haitian. It wasn’t about a thirst for killing, it was about revenge and someone else could just as easily accomplish the task. I needed my Carly. Needed to make sure she was safe and unharmed, to hold her and never let her go.

  Turning to Aiden, I gestured to Josué. “Handle it. I’m going to my wife. Meet us back at the plane in an hour.”

  Aiden raised an eyebrow in surprise, but nodded his agreement. Turning my back, I showed him a high level of trust by putting myself in a vulnerable position. Before I walked out the door, I glanced back and saw him smirking at Josué, his chest puffed up with pride at knowing his superior had confidence in him.

  Carly was resting her back against the wall of the house, so I joined her, then pulled her into my arms, chest to chest, with her head tucked under my chin. I slipped a hand between us for a moment, caressing her flat stomach. My heart hadn’t stopped racing since the moment she was taken, but the feel of her in my arms was slowing the pace. I held her for a moment, reassuring myself that she was real.