FIRE (Elite Forces #2)(52)

“It's an honor to rid the world of your disgusting, vile ass. Say hello to your friends in hell. I'll be sending you a few more every chance I get.” He closes his eyes, and for a brief second, he looks like my father did. I grip tighter and twirl the knife in my other hand, waiting for the perfect time to stop. Once he's about to go, I release his throat. “Stay with me, brother…. I have so much more to do to you before you go.” I open-palm slap him in the face, and his head snaps back. A loud, guttural sound breaks free from his throat, allowing his deceitful eyes to bolt wide open.

“You call this torture,” he taunts. “I call this you being the *-ass motherf*cker I always knew you were. You could never control me, could you, Kaleb. Not like you did mom. Anything Kaleb wanted, Kaleb got. And Amelie, all you did was coddle her. Protected her. Turned her into who you wanted her to be. And then you left them, just like our father, you f*cking left.” His voice is so damn raspy, so low, but I hear him. Every shitty, jealous word.

“So you decide to what? Get even with me by f*cking your life up, by becoming some big drug-dealing scumbag who betrays his family, his country, and our mom out of jealousy? Is that what you're saying? You're blaming me because I did right by my life, by my country. You’re so f*cking warped and way off base. I f*cking loved you,” I roar. “I drug you home after you had your ass beat. I paid your debts to keep those measly go-betweens from killing you. I tried to get you help. So don’t blame me for the f*cked-up life you created for yourself. You're delusional if you think I’ll buy into any of this. You f*cking promised me when I left that you would stay clean. That your last stint in rehab made you realize you wanted more out of your life. You f*cked up, not me. Not our father. YOU.” I flip the knife around in my hand. I’ve got a woman waiting for me. I’ve got a mother who I’m going to have to tell that her son really is dead. I’ve got time, which is a hell of a lot more than he does.

“You remember this when your soul and your mind are being tortured for eternity in hell, brother. Remember that I’m the one who sent you there. But you’re the one who put yourself there. I could’ve dealt with the shit you’ve done to me, but I’ll never let you live after you’ve threatened Jade. Take these words to hell with you.” He squirms in Kase’s arms when he sees the knife lodged against the center of his chest. I hesitate, only to make sure I look him in the eyes as I plunge it into his flesh and twist and gut the hell out of him. He sputters as his warm blood drips all over my hand. I turn, rotate, and drag the knife down the center of his chest. I watch the blood trickle out of the corners of his mouth and his eyes begin to glass over. I just killed my brother.

“Get the hell out of here, man. Let me finish this.” Kase looks at me like a true brother would. One who defends and honors the other. One who has your back. One who helps you clean up your mess. One who loves you.

I clean the blood off my hands, using the sink in the bathroom. The rusty water mixed with the bright-red blood turns a hazy, deep orange. I’ve killed him. It’s over. No more wondering what the hell he’s doing, where he is, or if he’s even breathing. I’ve worried about him for years. Ty was unreachable. He was too far gone.

He was never my brother, not like the men who are all standing outside. Jackson is standing with his arm around my woman, protecting and comforting her. No. Blood doesn’t mean family. Loyalty makes a brother.

“You good, baby?” I ask Jade when I reach her, bringing her into my arms, where she belongs.

“Yes. Are you?” I nod. There’s nothing left to be said about what happened in that room. Not here, not ever again. I’ll figure out how to tell my mom and sister he’s gone, but right now, I need to get her checked out and find out about Harris and Mallory.

“Anyone hear from Pierce?” I place my arm around her shoulders and guide her to the passenger side of the truck.

“They’ve taken Harris to the hospital. He was shot in the shoulder,” Jackson tells me. No humor in his words. No joking.



“Is he alright? Coherent? What about Mallory?” I climb into the truck, grab a hold of Jade by her waist, and pull her onto my lap. No damn way is she sitting in the back cab. I need her as close to me as f*cking possible.

“He’ll be fine. Mallory’s shaken up quite a bit.” Thank god. If anything had happened to either one of them, that nightmare would have haunted me for the rest of my life.

“We need to get you checked out too. I’ll take care of calling your superior.” I place my hand on her head while her body relaxes into mine.

“Thank you,” she whispers. She’s changed me. This woman whose photo ran across my desk months ago has single-handedly changed me.

She’s softened me. Whether I want to believe it or not, she has. My life is much more complicated with another person to worry about, but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

“I love you.” I have to say it to her again. I have to smell her hair and feel her skin. The chaos of my mind since I left her bed proves to me I’m much better with her than I am away from her.





CHAPTER TWENTY


KALEB


I hold Jade until we get to the hospital. She allows me to caress her back and whisper into her ear, but I can feel that she’s distant. I’m fighting to figure out if it’s the psyche of being kidnapped and tortured, or if it’s about us.