True Sacrifice Read online

  My eyes expanded fully, my predicament and earlier suspicions becoming crystal clear. My life for Harley’s. My abduction had sealed his fate. Why though? Why do it this way?

  “Why didn’t you just take another shot at him when you found out he had survived the first attempt on his life?”

  They could have ended his life the day we spent at the festival in town. There had been plenty of opportunity.

  “That’s too easy. We now have leverage. This way, he’ll not only suffer because we have you, he’ll suffer when we get him. He’ll wish for death when we’re finished with him.”

  I gagged. I hoped to God Harley would bring the entire military with him because he’d need it. If only my phone hadn’t been destroyed, perhaps I could have dialed Viper’s number inconspicuously and had a trace done on my location.

  My life essentially sat in Harley’s hands and his in mine, bizarre as that sounded. God. The ‘more’ I’d craved in my mundane existence hadn’t encompassed this.

  Never in a million years did I ever imagine I’d be caught up in a military war with my hot patient as one of the key players.

  I kidded no one. He’d stopped being my patient the moment I allowed him into my home. The moment I wanted him to kiss me. Perhaps even the moment he’d opened his eyes and stolen my breath.

  Would I swap those exciting, heated moments and all that went with them? To never have experienced the rush of pure hormonal adrenalin? No. If I died during my attempted rescue at least I’d felt alive for a short amount of time. Quality, not quantity. Right?

  Jerking upright, my mind focused on the present and the hand that had worked its way from my jaw down to my breast. Oh no. Not happening.

  Snarling in an attempt to redeem some of my power, I ground out, “Don’t touch me. Keep me here as long as you want, but don’t touch me!”

  I knew before I’d finished it would come with consequences, and sure enough, he lowered himself so his face shadowed mine, gripping my breast so hard my teeth clenched and my eyes squeezed tight. His other hand came to my head, where he fisted a handful of my hair and pulled hard.

  “Shut up! You are in no position to make demands!” With that he licked a trail up my jaw and began sucking on my ear, all the while pain stabbed into me where his hand remained squeezing my breast. My skin squirmed upon his touch.

  The nightmare had just begun.

  Chapter Eleven

  Harley

  “Pack a bag, some cash, and weaponry. We’re heading to Detroit.” Viper stalked through to his bedroom, leaving me with the rest of my beer and some carnal instinct that roared to life inside me at the thought of driving into danger. My blood sang and every sense came to life like I’d been born to battle.

  Downing the remains of the beer, I made my way to the spare room to pack. Finally. We were doing something. I’d be closer to her. Closer to getting her back. I’d never let her go again. I wanted her in my home. My bed. And most importantly in my life. Permanently. Nothing would come between us again. She put me back together. Brought me to life. What I lacked, she made up for. Yin and yang. Her softness complemented my hardness. Her radiance shone on my darkness.

  She’s the air I needed to breathe. If, no when, I got the chance, I’d tell her how I felt.

  We were packed and on the road in less than half an hour. Night driving would give us a clear run. Viper had booked a hotel in the center of town for an undisclosed amount of time. I’d already made the decision that if it came down to it, I’d trade myself for her. No hesitation. She could go back to doing what she did best…saving lives. She mattered to so many. I’d die happily knowing her life would return to normal, even though I wouldn’t be a part of it.

  Viper need not know. He’d rage at me for even contemplating it after losing Reno, but I’d be damned if I’d watch someone else close to me die. Because of me.

  “You holding up okay?”

  Glancing sideways, I watched the passing shadows dance and disappear across his face with the street lights. He’d switched into full-on soldier mode, I could tell. His eyes had a detached look to them. I wish I could do the same, but this mission wasn’t some assignment we’d been given. This planned rescue held my heart in its hands and it squeezed tighter with each passing second.

  Staring back out the window, a vision caught me off guard and quickly transported me out of Viper’s car and somewhere far, far away.

  Digesting what I’d just been told by my best friend, anger breached every molecule in my heart and soul. I’d been torn into shreds. How had I not seen the signs? How could she do this to me? How could he?

  Listening to her car pull into the driveway, I waited. Heeled footsteps played a staccato on the concrete path leading to the front door. My truck took up extra room in the garage so she always parked outside.

  The door opened. Her business attire, including a skin-tight skirt failed to pull any emotion other than rage from me.

  “Dec. Hey!” She beamed as she shut the door and strode over to me, pausing halfway after scanning my face.

  “Honey? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” She knew better than to move forward.

  “What’s wrong? You know damn well what’s wrong! How long? Huh? How long has it been going on?”

  Confusion marred her perfect features before recognition set in. Lines cut into her forehead and her face paled. My fingers were coiled into my palms, every muscle in my arms constricted.

  “Dec. Let me explain.”

  I cut her off with my palm facing out. “Don’t bother. Viper told me everything. While I’ve been off earning money, keeping my family and this country safe, you’ve been getting it on with one of my best friends. I’d say that explains it perfectly.”

  Tears ballooned and tumbled down her cheeks. She shook her head as if denying my accusations.

  “It…I…you were gone so much. I didn’t mean for it to happen.” What more could she say?

  I took a step forward, needing to hit something but knowing it would never be her or any woman. My chest cracked wide open as I looked at the woman I loved. The woman who had promised to love me till death do us part. To honor.

  “How long?” I could barely get the words out. They sounded more like a snarl.

  “Six months.” She swiped at her wet cheeks. Normally her tears would call me to kiss them dry, but tonight, I welcomed her remorse. I needed her tears.

  “You screwed Reno for six months?”

  “No. I mean, yes.”

  I roared to the ceiling. I’d watched Reno take his last breath two months ago. It had taken Viper that long to tell me about the affair. It all made sense now. Reno’s last apology. “I’m sorry, man.” He’d been talking about his affair with my wife. If he hadn’t been killed in battle I would have beaten the shit out of him.

  “So let me get this straight. You fucked my friend. I attempted to save his life while watching him slip away. I grieved for him. I’m still grieving. And this whole time you’ve carried your little secret, pretending to be the supportive wife, comforting me when I lost it? Holding me when I needed you to? What? Are you glad he died so you could escape getting found out?”

  My head exploded. My thoughts scattered.

  “No! It wasn’t like that. I grieved too!”

  “I bet. If Viper hadn’t told me, you would have carried it to your grave.”

  “I wanted to tell you. So many times. But you suffered when you came back from battle. Your demons changed you. The nightmares and mood swings. I just didn’t want to add to that.”

  “Spare me the favors, okay?” I screamed.

  She shrank away and took a step back.

  “I loved you. I fucking loved you and you made a mockery of it!”

  “Please!” she begged. “We can get through this. I don’t want to lose you.”

  Laughing, I choked out, “You lost me when you took your clothes off for someone I trusted with my life.”

  Unable to stay in the same room with her, I called over m
y shoulder, “I want you and all your stuff gone when I get back. Leave the key on the table and lock the door on your way out.”

  She cried out, “I’m sorry!” as I slammed the door.

  I was startled by Viper shaking me. My reality changed back to the passenger seat inside a car. He was in my face. “Hey. Man. Snap out of it! It’s me. You’re okay!”

  What the hell? My eyes focused on my worried friend.

  “Where were you? You spaced out on me!”

  We’d pulled over onto the road shoulder.

  “I remember.”

  “You remember? All of it?”

  “No. I remember the moment I confronted Trudy about her affair with Reno. You confessed everything to me.”

  Falling back into his seat, he exhaled long and loud. “I’m sorry, bro. That’s twice I’ve had to do that to you. The second time proved no easier.”

  “I’m glad you did. I needed to know who I married. If Reno hadn’t died, they’d probably still be screwing each other.”

  “Let it go, man. It’s in the past. I know it seems like it’s still fresh because of your memory loss, but you got over it. You got over her.”

  “She told me we were in the process of getting back together.”

  “Lies. All lies,” he snapped.

  “You didn’t like Trudy, did you?”

  “Something about her rubbed me the wrong way.” He eased the car forward again.

  Obviously I’d been too blind to see it. Too in love. Too trusting.

  Mac wouldn’t do that to me. Trudy and she were nothing alike.

  “Maybe I should trust your instincts,” I offered Viper.

  “You always did.”

  Arriving on the fringes of Detroit, a shiver wrapped around me. Forewarning? I couldn’t be sure, but I knew one thing. I felt Mac. Some weird sensory thing I’d woken up with. Viper had been correct in his assumption about coming here. I needed to reassure myself he’d get her out alive.

  His cell rang, so we swerved to the curb so he could answer it.

  “Intel?” he offered curtly. “Yep. Roger that.”

  He disconnected and hit the gas. “One of the CCTV cameras picked up the vehicle a few hours ago driving past the Institute of Arts Museum. They’ve still got to get their hands on more footage throughout the city that may be available. It’s a start.”

  Thank God. It appeared we were taking small baby steps, but at least we were moving forward. I needed to know Mac wasn’t hurt. Everything could change in a second.

  The dash clock read twelve a.m.

  We’d do a drive around before hitting the hotel. See if we could figure out any likely places some radical extremists might take a hostage. Or maybe by some miracle, spot something suspicious.

  I’d stashed five thousand dollars cash in the false bottom of my duffel bag for living expenses and emergencies. Viper had some money too, so we were set financially. I didn’t want to be in Detroit any longer than a few days, because each day that passed lowered Mac’s chances of survival.

  There were still plenty of people out and about driving as we continued along Michigan Avenue.

  It would be easier to spot potential trouble or threats once we turned off the main road into town and scoured the side streets. Fingers crossed we’d get a more direct location of the vehicle before the night ended. We had to. I’d be a mess by morning. I could feel myself only just holding together by a frayed thread that could break at any moment.

  I didn’t know what we expected to find by driving past the Arts Museum, but we did it anyway before turning off and weaving our way around the maze of downtown.

  “Hungry?” asked Viper.

  “You want food?” How could he eat? My gut felt like someone fisted it. Then again, Viper didn’t have his woman’s life at stake. “Nah, man. I’m good. I could use a coffee though. I need to remain vigilant.”

  “You’re gonna need sleep, you know that, right?”

  Sleep wouldn’t be happening until we found Mac. Coffee would be my savior until then.

  “Not happening.” I looked sideways for him to push it further but he kept quiet with just a nod of his head.

  “I guess at this time of night, McDonalds coffee it is.”

  “You come to Detroit often?” I still didn’t remember much about my best friend. He appeared to know his way around the city.

  “I’ve been here enough times to know where I’m going.” He smiled at me and swerved to miss a pedestrian.

  “All right then. McDonalds it is.”

  Quite frankly I didn’t care where I got caffeine from, as long as it wired me.

  My eyes scoped as many of the streets as possible, but to no avail.

  With a double-shot tall black, my fatigue waned, allowing me to focus. Viper had been quiet the whole time, hopefully because he’d been concentrating.

  “You get anything?” I asked.

  “No. I think we’re wasting our time. Let’s head to the hotel and wait.”

  The idea of being cooped up within four walls already had claustrophobia clawing at me. Waiting meant we weren’t doing. Doing meant we were at least attempting to find Mac.

  What I’d give to have her in my arms right now. I’d forego my memories forever if she could be here sitting beside me. Safe.

  She shouldn’t have gone to work. We should have taken her to a safe house. The break-in at her apartment had been a warning we should have heeded. But hindsight only proved to be a bitch. She had gone to work. She had been abducted. Now we had to deal with it.

  “Fine,” I ground out. My rigid jaw ached from gnashing my teeth together. And my neck and shoulders had stiffened to the point of pain.

  Once we’d checked in and unloaded our bags, money, and weaponry, Viper made a call to get an update while I took a hot shower to try and loosen my tense muscles.

  The cutting spray merely stung instead of relaxing me, so I washed myself, including my hair, and got out to see if anything new had developed.

  Viper handed me his cell as soon as I appeared in the living room of the two bedroom suite.

  My brows lifted in question, but he didn’t reply, so I took the phone. “Hello?”

  “Dec?”

  Trudy. Tired of correcting her, I answered with a simple, “Yeah.”

  “Where are you? What’s going on?” She sounded frantic, although I couldn’t understand why, considering what I’d learned about her affair with Reno.

  “I’m…uh…on an assignment.” I didn’t want to let her know Mac had been kidnapped. “Why do you ask?”

  “I’ve been to your apartment, Viper’s, and Mac’s. There’s nowhere else you would have gone, so I got worried. For a moment, I thought…”

  She trailed off, knowing I’d been a target for a homicide.

  I felt like being an asshole to her as the gravity of everything cut the ragged cord my nerves hung by. “You thought what, Trudy? You thought you’d come and apologize about the affair you had with Reno that I recently found out about for the second time, and everything would go back to being normal? What did you actually think?”

  Viper’s smirk widened at my tone. He already disliked my ex-wife, so I imagine he reveled in my curtness.

  A gasp on the other end of the line stamped some satisfaction on my heart. “Dec. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

  “Nah. Cheaters never do. You lied to me. And not only about that. You told me we’d been trying to work things out!” My voice rose as anger, heated my blood.

  “I’ve never stopped loving you. We were married. We took vows. Till death do us part. I wanted to try and get back what we had.”

  “Woman, you’re delusional if you ever thought that would happen. As much as I don’t recall what happened, I’m telling you now. It’s over. I don’t feel anything for you. Pity maybe.” I wanted to hang the fuck up on her. Quiet sobs echoed through the phone.

  “Listen, I’m busy. I gotta go…”

  “Wait! I didn’t call to
discuss our relationship. I called to let you know your mom contacted me, asking about you.”

  Christ. I’d forgotten all about my mother in light of the situation at hand. I’d planned on paying her a visit, but that would have to wait now. Should I call her? Perhaps that would be the best alternative until I could take Mac with me for support. Not tonight though.

  “What did you tell her?”

  “I told her you’d only just got back from your mission and you’d be in touch shortly.”

  Changing the cell to my other ear, I nodded at Viper as he handed me a glass of whiskey, knowing what I needed. Taking it, I downed a long swig before replying.

  At least she hadn’t mentioned my shooting. “Thank you. I’m glad you didn’t mention anything about me almost dying. As much as I don’t remember her, I could only imagine what she would go through if she knew.” I wasn’t a total robot. I still had emotions that were fully functional. While I had lost all respect for the woman on the other end of the line, I was happy she’d used her head.

  “So when are you coming home?” she asked.

  “Home?”

  “Back to Ann Arbor.”

  I didn’t care for her asking me that. She didn’t get to show me she cared at all after screwing my friend. I’d have it out with her at a later date. Not tonight. Jesus. I had more important things to think about. “Not sure. When this assignment is finished. Needing to end the call, I abruptly offered, “I’ve gotta go. Don’t call me. I’ll call you.”

  I didn’t wait for her reply, but pressed the ‘end call’ button and handed Viper his cell.

  “What did she want?”

  “She couldn’t get a hold of me to let me know my mother called.”

  His face softened at the mention of my mother. “You should call her.”

  Walking to the sofa with my whiskey, I sat heavily, throwing my feet on the coffee table. “I know. I can’t deal with that right now until we find Mac. I promise I’ll call her. Hell, I’ll visit her once we get home.”

  I heard him sigh out. “She’s a good woman and worries about you.”

  Looking up from my drink, his expression spoke volumes. “You love her, don’t you?”