Elite (Eagle Elite #1)(66)

“I’ll kill you for touching her.” Nixon seethed. “You low life.” His fist sailed into Phoenix’s stomach. “Piece of shit!” His other fist connected with Phoenix’s jaw and then Nixon pulled a knife from his back pocket and kicked Phoenix in the stomach. As he bent over in pain, Nixon used his knife and jammed it into Phoenix’s right hand.

Phoenix screamed.

Everything happened in slow motion until someone else entered the room — Grandpa.

His gaze took in the mess and me lying in Chase’s arms. Murderous rage reflected in his eyes as he slowly walked up to Nixon who had just pulled his knife from Phoenix’s hand.

“Get a place ready,” Grandpa said to the man who had followed him in. He nodded quickly and left.

Grandpa and Nixon were both circling Phoenix. Crumpled on the floor, he was still holding his one hand, and blood poured from the wound.

“Your decision, Nixon.” Grandpa said, his voice cold.

“Hammer.” Nixon didn’t flinch, didn’t even think about it.

Grandpa nodded and looked to me and Chase. Chase pointed to one of the cupboards. Within seconds Grandpa located a hammer and brought it back to Nixon’s outstretched hand.

“You should close your eyes,” Chase whispered into my ear, his arms so tight around my body I almost couldn’t breathe. I also couldn’t look away, even though I knew I should.

Grandpa grabbed Phoenix’s hands and tied is wrists together. “You look at her without asking — you lose an eye. You touch her with your dirty hands?”

A pregnant pause caused me to gasp.

Nixon held the hammer over his head. “You lose your hands. And I promise, this is just the beginning.” The hammer came down and smashed against Phoenix fingers. The sound of bones crunching almost made me puke. I did look away then. I tucked my head into Chase’s shoulder and blacked out.





Chapter Thirty-two


“Trace, look at me.”

I moaned and shook my head.

“Trace!” The voice was frantic.

My eyes fluttered open to see Nixon leaning over me. “Trace, I need to…” Nixon’s eyes were wide with panic. “I need to know if anything happened if he—” Nixon swore, biting down on his lip as his eyes pleaded with mine.

“No,” I said in a scratchy voice. “You guys came just in time.” I wanted to yell and scream that even though nothing happened, that I was so traumatized, so scared that I didn’t know what to do. My entire body felt numb. I was torn between wanting Nixon to kiss me and tell me everything was okay, and wanting to cry myself into a pitiful coma in order to erase what just happened.

I tried to calm my shaking body. But it had been close, so close to being something irrevocable.

I gave another involuntary shudder as Nixon said something in Sicilian to Chase who apparently was still holding me.

Grandpa stood over us. Nixon stood, spoke to Grandpa again in Sicilian. Grandpa nodded once in agreement.

“Trace, baby girl, I—” Grandpa’s eyes welled with tears as he knelt down. “I should have done better. I don’t know what I would have done if Nixon and Chase—” He swallowed. “I can’t lose you. Do you understand? I can’t, Trace. You’re my life.”

I gave him a shaky smile. “I’m not going anywhere, Grandpa.”

He sighed in relief and stood. “Nixon, would you please stay with her?”

Nixon looked as shocked as I felt. What happened to wanting to kill him? He nodded once. Grandpa looked over to Phoenix who had passed out from the pain. “I’ll have everything ready for your arrival… sir.”

It was the first time I heard my grandpa address anyone younger than him as sir and actually put the respect behind the name. The shock must have hit Nixon too, his eyebrows rose just briefly before he gave Grandpa a curt nod and a handshake.

“Family sticks together,” Grandpa said, shaking Nixon’s hand.

“I’ll protect this family until I breathe my last breath, to that I swear.”

“I know that now.” Grandpa’s nostrils flared. “Tracey, I love you, sweet girl. Please listen to Nixon in my absence, I’ll be only a phone call away, but as you can imagine, I have something to take care of.” His gaze flickered back to Phoenix. Two men were lifting his body into their arms.

“When you’re ready.” Grandpa slapped Nixon on the back and walked off.

“Ready?” I asked, voice still hoarse from exertion. I wasn’t even that curious. It was just that I needed something else to focus on. If not, I was pretty sure I was going to lose it.

Nixon swallowed. “Ready to rub him out.”

My eyebrows furrowed in exhaustion as Nixon chuckled darkly and leaned down to the ground, his knees popping in the process. “Kill him, when I’m ready to end his life, Trace.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I mean, I knew he was bad. I knew he would have raped me and possibly killed me, but did that make killing okay? A life for a life?

I struggled to my feet and nearly toppled over. Nixon caught me and motioned to Chase.

Chase paused for a second.

Nixon’s brow furrowed. “Chase, you can go.”

“But…” Chase licked his lips, his hand reaching for my back.