Reed (Allen Securities) Read online

  Neil laughed and paced the floor around the large Russian men, constantly watching Reed for his next move.

  “Well you see, that little shit Ben really fucked things up. This was supposed to be an easy deal. He brings the documents, you all get dead, and I get to use my new bargaining chip.” The smile Neil gave Reed made her stomach lurch. This man was not only serious about killing them but would enjoy the act.

  As quiet as she could, Olivia pulled herself behind the nearest pallet toward the table by the door. If she could just get her hands on a phone, she might be able to save them. She crept along as Reed and Neil verbally sparred. At one point she was certain she saw Reed’s eyes flicker over to her, but it might have just been wishful thinking.

  “Here we are again,” Neil said lightly. “It was a shame what happened to Niki, but then, that’s what happens when you play both sides.”

  “You shut your fucking mouth,” Reed shouted. The sound bounced off the walls and seemed to stir the very air.

  “Oh? Still a touchy subject for you?”

  Olivia watched the two. She was uncertain of whom they were talking about but knew Reed could only hang on for a bit longer. After slipping her hand up the side, she found her phone and a single key. She cursed in her head as she saw the “out of service area” message. Maybe picking the cheapest phone wasn’t the best idea. She stuffed both items into her pocket and slipped back to her spot on the floor.

  As she scanned the room, it became apparent that there weren’t going to be a lot of opportunities. From what she could tell, the place used to be a warehouse but didn’t seem in much use now. To the right was a large metal door, propped open by the table she had just been to. There were no windows to escape from or anything that might lead them out. A large pipe lay in the corner behind. It wasn’t much, but it was something.

  Neil turned from Reed, still laughing at his little game.

  “Go secure the front and load the car,” he said to the two men. He flicked his head back to Reed. “I think we’ve gotten all we’re going to get from him.”

  As the two men walked past, Olivia pushed herself into the shadow of the pallet. Only when they moved outside the door did she breathe a sigh of relief.

  “Oh, the sister is awake.” Neil moved closer to her, arm outstretched. His bleached blond hair stood in stark contrast to his somewhat olive pitted complexion. His cheeks were sunken from years of self-abuse. “No worries,” he said to her. “You won’t be hurt. Your brother will want you whole.”

  He ran fingers through her hair, pulling slightly at the end. Revulsion pulsed through her as she fought the urge to spit in his face.

  “Of course,” he said, leaning even closer to her face. “If he doesn’t want you, I’m sure I can find use for you.”

  Olivia turned her head to the side to avoid looking at his toothy grin.

  “Don’t you touch her,” Reed growled from across the room.

  Neil snarled at the intrusion and whirled around to face Reed.

  “You, however, are not in for such a treat.” His hollow laugh filled the silence. “Oh no, for you I have a much better send off.”

  He reached down and picked up the gas can.

  “You see, I’ve been looking to get rid of this place for ages. Faulty wiring of course.” Neil smiled. “You know, you really shouldn’t be snooping in places like this. You never know what is going to happen.”

  Olivia gasped as he threw gas on and around Reed. The stench filled the air, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

  Neil laughed wildly. “You know, you really had this coming.”

  He pulled out a lighter and cigarette from his pocket.

  Olivia jumped from her spot on the floor. The pipe was the only option. She snatched the pipe and swung. It connected loudly with Neil’s back. He screamed in pain and jumped out of the way. Her next swing hit air, and the pipe swished around her.

  “You crazy fucking bitch!” Neil screamed. Little flecks of spit few from his mouth as he raged at her.

  Olivia moved in front of Reed with the pipe in hand.

  “You aren’t going to do this,” she said with more force than she felt. “I won’t let you.”

  Neil snarled at her statement and made his way to the door.

  “You can both die then,” he said. The sinister smile set back in place.

  Neil kicked the table to the side, the heavy door swung slowly behind it. Never blinking, she kept herself trained on him, showing no weakness until he was out of view. In that last split second, she saw what she was waiting for. In a flick of a wrist, Neil was gone, and the door went up in a blaze.

  Reed coughed loudly as the air filled with deadly smoke. Olivia had moved quickly and dragged him as far as she could from the blaze. He knew it wouldn’t be long before the flames found him. Neil had made sure that he would be eaten by the fire.

  “You should have just let them take you,” he said.

  Olivia worked quietly behind him on the ties.

  “That’s not how I work,” she said. He felt the plastic stretch and flexed his hands. Then, a pop. They broke away. Without even pausing, Olivia moved to his legs and started sawing diligently with a tiny key.

  “This will take too long.” Reed stood. “Grab the chair and lift it up, out of the plastic ties.”

  He could feel her working the chair as quickly as she could. They both coughed and tried to cover their mouths. The temperature in the room was already rising. They wouldn’t have long.

  The chair broke free and clattered to the floor. Reed grabbed Olivia’s hand and raced to the other side of the building. There had to be some other way out besides the way Neil had come. As they reached the back, they spotted a door.

  Reed stopped when his arm was jerked back suddenly. Olivia stood next to some pallets, worry etched on her face.

  “The flames are following you.” She pointed to the trail slowly making its way in their direction. “You need to strip off those clothes.”

  Reed almost had to laugh. Without a second thought, he threw off his jeans and t-shirt. His boots, however, seemed to have fared well enough.

  “You hair is still dripping.”

  Before he even knew what was happening, she had stripped her shirt off, leaving a silky camisole in its place. The warmth of it enveloped his head. The sweet vanilla filled his lungs and left him hungry for her despite having to fight against the stench of gas. He shook his head, very aware of how on display he was currently in his boxer briefs.

  Reed cleared his head and focused on the exit, their only hope.

  Olivia knew she shouldn’t be thinking these things, but it was very hard not to notice every inch of the man before her. He was everything that was virile and oozed sex appeal. His chiseled chest spoke of many hours spent working out. She let her eyes trail over him, taking in the line of brown hair, leading to the waistline of his boxer briefs. Her mouth ran dry at the thought of what lay underneath.

  After shaking her head, she looked back at the raging inferno. Flames had engulfed a corner of the room and were making their way to them. It wouldn’t be long before the room was filled with so much smoke neither of them would be able to make it out.

  They rushed over to the back door. Reed pulled until his muscles bulged, but the door was locked tight. Olivia pulled out the key she had taken off the table. She slipped it in the lock and turned. When the door opened into the cool outdoor air, they both inhaled loudly.

  Reed crept out the door and ushered her out. Once they were both safe, he closed the door and led them into the woodsy area outside. Olivia followed, confused. After walking for some distance, Reed stopped, causing Olivia to crash into him.

  She could see the billows of smoke just over the tree tops.

  “I’ll take that phone,” Reed said, his voice still raspy from all the smoke.

  Olivia pulled the phone out of her pocket and handed it to him. She was surprised that he had seen her. The way they had worked him over. She was surpr
ised that he could still stand on his own. She glanced at the phone. It had a few bars now. Apparently, it just didn’t work in the warehouse.

  She watched as he punched in some numbers and paced the area.

  “Kace, we were picked up,” he said into the phone. “Some kind of warehouse. It was set on fire. We escaped out into the woods behind the place.”

  Olivia was surprised when he chuckled into the phone after some time.

  “Roger that.”

  “Well?” She stared at him expectantly.

  He tossed the phone back at her and sat at the base of a tree. “He’s running a trace on the phone and on his way with someone named Irene. He was already driving around when I called him.”

  “Irene?” Olivia was more than a little confused. Her sweet friend was the last person she would ever think of as rescuing her.

  “Seems your little friend had a fit when the crash happened.” He chuckled. “She’s been at the station raising hell. It wasn’t until she said your name that my brother put the pieces together.”

  Olivia sat next to him in stunned silence. It was hard for her to see Irene as anything other than her sweet baker friend. She was the person who always had a smile on her face and never knew a stranger. It warmed her to know that their bond went that deep. Without a good model relationship, it was sometimes hard to know a good one.

  She turned to look at Reed. He sat with his back to the tree, casual as if he were just taking a little nap. Her brows knit together as she took a closer look. On his left side, opposite of where she sat, he seemed to hold his side. Leaning over, she inspected the area.

  “Just what do you think you’re doing?” He rumbled at her. If his eyes didn’t keep drooping closed, it might have actually been menacing.

  She narrowed her eyes. “You know exactly what I’m doing. Is it broken?” He winced when she moved his hand off.

  Her heart sank when she saw the large bruise. She gingerly felt along the ridges.

  “I don’t think it’s broken.” He winced. “But it sure does hurt like hell.”

  Olivia inspected the large purple mark, pushing to see if anything shifted.

  Reed hissed loudly.

  “What the hell?” he shouted at her.

  Olivia sat up and looked at his face.

  “Doesn’t feel like anything’s broken, but it’s going to hurt for some time.”

  Reed hitched an eyebrow up.

  “Know a lot about broken ribs?”

  Olivia gently ran her fingers over his split eyebrow. She paused and lowered her eyes to his.

  “More than I’d ever like to,” she said gravely.

  She looked over his wounds. No, this was not her first run with the aftermath of a beating. More than a few time she tended not only her own injuries but also those of Ben. If it wasn’t her mother, it was her latest man. The day her mother left and didn’t come home was a blessing. Sure, high school had been difficult but better than the alternative.

  “I’ll be fine,” Reed said. His large hand engulfed hers. “Really.”

  His earnest expression struck something in her. Olivia felt her insides wobble.

  “Reed, is that you?” Kace shouted from the clearing.

  She dropped her hand. Her connection to Reed was lost. She shivered.

  “We’re over here,” Reed called.

  Kace and Irene came into view. Olivia took in her own appearance when the two stuttered to a stop.

  Soot covered most of her once cream camisole. The jeans she had put on were nearly black and stiff from grime. She was certain her hair was wild from both the crash and fire.

  “He’s going to need help,” Olivia said, nodding to Reed.

  Reed’s nasty look didn’t deter her.

  “Please,” she said quietly to him.

  When Kace leaned down to help Reed up, she noticed his lack of complaint. It warmed her that he had listened.

  “Oh, Liv, I’m so glad to see you.” Irene tossed herself in Olivia’s arms.

  “Me too,” she said quietly, eyeing Reed as they slowly made their way to the cars.

  “What happened?” Irene asked excitedly.

  “Neil,” Reed ground out.

  “I’ve got the word out about him, but he’s likely gone underground.” Kace’s mouth formed a hard line. “I swear, if I get my hands on the fucker…”

  The group fell into silence.

  Olivia could tell the effort of getting to the car was wearing on him. When they made it to the squad car, she opened the back door and ushered him in. Despite how happy she was to see Irene, her top concern was Reed. The way he was dragging made her worry that he might have a concussion. She had seen more than a few and knew the significance.

  “Take us to the office,” Reed told Kace once everyone was in the car.

  “Take us to his house,” Olivia countered.

  Kace turned and stared confused at the two. Olivia could make out Irene’s worried face through the seats.

  “He is in no shape to be working and needs to rest,” she said. Olivia turned to Reed. “Take us to his house,” she said firmly.

  Olivia wasn’t certain if she had won the battle, or if Reed assumed his brother would ultimately listen to him, but regardless, she wasn’t letting him work. He had nearly gotten killed today, and if she was going to find out what this was all about, she was going to need him with a clear head.

  Kace caught her eye and held it for a moment. Much like his other brothers, she knew he was searching for something. Whatever it might have been, he must have found it.

  “I’ll take you home,” he said.

  Olivia breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed into the seat.

  Chapter Five

  When the car came to a stop, Olivia jumped awake. It had been a long day, and she could feel the exhaustion deep in her bones. Bleary eyed, she sought out Reed. He was slumped in the seat but awake. His watchful eyes fixed on her. She wondered what he saw when he looked at her. Considering what he thought of her brother, she thought it couldn’t be much.

  “You could always go home with me,” Irene said quietly from the front.

  Olivia shook her head. “Reed is the best chance I have to help Ben.”

  Both women stopped to watch as Kace pulled Reed from the car and helped him to the house. For the first time since they stopped, Olivia noticed how far outside the city they were. Darkness surrounded the house until the two men made their way halfway to the door. Outside lights flicked on and illuminated the area. On the whole, it had a very rustic feel. Not a surprise considering the man who lived there.

  Surprisingly, flowers lined the sides of the house. From what she could tell, it seemed to have a very domestic feel.

  “Are you sure you can handle this?” Olivia turned to look at her worried friend. “He just seems so…” Irene motioned with her hands. “So big.”

  Olivia laughed at her friend and turned back to Reed. He was staring at her from the porch. She wondered what he would do if she did leave. She didn’t think he would take it sitting down and considering his state, it might really hurt him. As little as she knew him, the last thing she wanted was to cause undue stress.

  Olivia huffed in frustration. Besides, he was her best line to Ben. Or at least the best line to keeping him alive.

  “Listen, I’m beat,” she said to Irene. “I’ll give you a call and fill you in on all the details.”

  Irene looked back at Reed, suspicion radiating off of her.

  “Yeah,” Irene said. “Like every day.”

  Olivia got out of the car and felt her muscles pull. Her poor throbbing ankle, puffy and abused from the day’s events. She wondered if it would ever be the same and rolled it a bit to stretch the tendons. The deep ache made her wince, but she quickly recovered as Irene came out of the car and took her in a warm embrace.

  “You be careful,” she whispered in her ear.

  Olivia nodded, choked from the emotions that threatened to spill out.

  She slow
ly made her way to the house. Reed had already unlocked the door and was inside when Kace walked past her.

  He stopped when he was just next to her and stared directly into her eyes.

  “He’ll protect you with all he has. Make sure you don’t betray that.” His clear blue eyes seemed to drill into her.

  “Well, I’m just here until this blows over with my brother.”

  He pinned her for a moment longer before his eyes crinkled on the end, and he barked out a laugh.

  “You keep telling yourself that,” he said. Smile still firmly in pace, Kace turned and made his way to the car. She watched in silence as the two drove out of sight.

  Olivia looked at the impressive house and sighed. Regardless of what Kace thought, she was in no position for anything other than saving her brother from whatever he had gotten himself into.

  The front door closed loudly, and Reed let out a sigh. For a moment he thought her friend might have talked her out of staying with him. Not that he would let her leave, but it did make it easier that he didn’t need to put a tail on her.

  Reed walked slowly around the kitchen. Those Russian bastards had really nailed him good. The skin on his side was sensitive to the touch, and a few blood blisters were already taking root. He didn’t think his rib was broken, but there was a chance he had cracked it. It was his first experience with a side injury, but the possible concussion was his main worry.

  As he riffled through the freezer, he heard the light tread of her shoes as she came into the kitchen. He pulled two bags of frozen peas out and turned to her. Her already pale skin had lost its color, and he wondered if it was from stress or pain. He had watched her stretch the swollen ankle as she talked with her friend. Despite how meek she might look, this was someone who could endure through just about anything.

  “This way.” He motioned through the door.

  Silently, she followed him through the house. He didn’t bother acquainting her with it. They were both tired and needed sleep more than anything. They traveled until they reached the end of the long hallway.