Tortured Duchess (Adair Legacy)

CHAPTER9

Castiel

Iwatch my future son-in-law talk soothingly to my little girl the entire drive to the Beechmont warehouse. The one where we have a shit-ton of weapons stored, and I know, without doubt, he’ll make her a good husband. He’s going to have one hell of a time taming her, though, because Hadley has a mind of her own.

Hearing she’s inside the building and safe allows me to breathe easier and prepare for what’s to come. These men will not walk away from this without consequence.

About a block from the warehouse now, which, thankfully, is in the direction we were heading, Daniel slows the vehicle to a crawl around the back of the building.

“Here we come, little lamb,” Ashton tells Hadley, slipping his phone into his pocket.

“You go straight for my daughter, DeMarco; allow me to get my hands dirty with Riina.” I stare him in the eye. I know he’ll want to fight for her honor, kill the man who harmed her, but for once, I don’t think he needs to cross that line. Not when I need him taking care of my baby girl instead.

“You slit his fucking throat,” Ashton demands, and I smirk. I’m going to do so much worse.

“Danny-boy, Dimitri, you stick with DeMarco and get Hadley; we’ll take care of Riina and his goons,” King orders. Everyone nods and goes their separate ways. I wait until Ashton, Daniel, and Dimitri enter the warehouse before following behind Atticus and flanking the building.

Once I know Hadley is safe, I plan to disembowel Riina and toss him in the water. “Luth, you got the boat ready?” I ask through our ear mics.

“Ready and waiting,” he grumbles, not liking having to miss out on the action.

We can hear the men pounding at the front door. If they had half a brain cell between the dozen or so of them, they would have gone around the back. The bay door is solid, but they could have gotten in with a little effort.

Whistling as I round the corner, I raise my gun, point it at one of the lackeys, and pull the trigger. Riina runs; Carver takes chase.

“Which one of you idiots wants to die first for touching my girl?” I laugh when they all pale. Riina can be heard begging Carver for his life.

There will be no mercy given today.

* * *

Ashton

As soon as the bay door lifts, I bolt for the front, knowing Hadley has been unable to move. With the windows closed, the daylight isn’t illuminating, so I turn my flashlight on. Finding her lifeless body on the floor in a pool of blood nearly stops me, but my feet propel me forward.

“Hads,” I whisper, pushing the damp hair back from her face. “Open those eyes for me.” I check for a pulse and find a very faint one. “You got a shot of adrenaline in your bag of tricks?” I ask Daniel. He appeared to pack an entire hospital before we left.

Lowering to his knees on her other side, he pulls a syringe out, pops the cap, and stabs the needle into her chest.

Her back bows.

She gasps.

Terrified eyes meet mine.

“Baby, stop fucking scaring me like that.” Her gaze softens as Daniel gets to work patching up her side.

“Looks like a flesh wound. Probably whatever they injected her with was too much and nearly killed her. That and the blood loss.” She can’t move or speak, but I watch her eyes and see everything she’s feeling.

Dimitri opens the front door to the building, allowing light in, and the sight that greets us kicks my rage into overdrive.

“Al Riina.” His name growls from my chest as I see him on his knees in front of Carver. Two men lay dead on the ground behind them. Blood drips down his head into his eyes as he stares at Hadley. That only infuriates me further. Standing slowly, I grab Dimitri’s knife as I pass him with one destination in mind.

Gripping Riina’s hair, I tilt his head back so he has to look up at me, blinding him with the sun. “You won’t kill me,” he spits out.

“You’re right; I’m no killer,” I mutter. Bending down to him, I continue, “But I enjoy torture as much as the next guy.” Forcing the blade exactingly through his side, his pain-filled gasp is everything I need to be satisfied, then I let him go. Watching as he falls to the ground and grinning when he tries to hold the gaping wound together.

Turning, I head back to Hadley, shrugging at Castiel’s look. He’s all theirs now. I don’t care what happens to the man, so long as my girl is safe.