Nico's Heart (RARE Book 1) Read online

  “What the fuck,” Bran roared as he surged to his feet. “Are you messing with me?” Angel shook her head. “No, now sit your ass down and listen to me.”

  Chase got up and put his hand on Bran’s shoulder, growling low in his throat to get Bran to calm down. “Listen to Angel, Bran. She is risking a lot by letting you go along this time. She never takes anyone because it could easily screw up her mission. I have no clue why she’s taking you, but you better calm the hell down and listen to her so she doesn’t change her mind.”

  Bran slowly got control of himself, but it took a few minutes. To find out he had a mate, one that was being held by sadistic bastards and was possibly going to be raped by them, if she had not already been, was killing him. God, she was pregnant, so that meant she probably had. He was going to kill every last mother fucker in that place. He looked up at Angel. “I have no idea why you are letting me go, but let’s get the hell out of here. I need to get to my mate.”

  “Flame,” Angel said gently. “Your mate’s name is Flame.” Bran took in a deep breath and closed his eyes, nodding. “And I am letting you go because she will die if I don’t.”

  Chapter 23

  As Jaxson made the phone call to have the jet fueled and ready for them, Nico went outside to talk to Jenna and Lily. Lily looked over as he approached and smiled, her dimples showing. “Catch me, Daddy!” she squealed as she took off down the slide. Laughing, he ran over and scooped her up, throwing her in the air. As he hugged her again, she placed a hand on his cheek and smiled. “Don’t worry, Mama and I will be ok.” He smiled at her and said, “Yes, you will. And I promise I will be home just as soon as I can.” He turned as he heard Storm’s voice. “Hey there, Lily. Let’s see which one of us can swing higher!”

  “I thought you were resting,” Nico said. “I’ll rest when I’m dead,” she quipped back. “That’s our motto,” he said, laughing. “You should really leave the council and come work with us.” Storm just laughed. “I don’t know if I could put up with all that testosterone in one place.”

  Nico grabbed Jenna’s hand and pulled her back towards the house. When they walked in, the team was still in the living room debating on the best way to launch the rescue. As they walked by, Angel stopped them. “Congrats on the mating,” she told them.

  “We will have a mating ceremony as soon as possible,” Chase told them. Basically, that meant they were going to have one kick ass party. Nico and Jenna were already mated, but at the ceremony Chase would announce it to the pack, approve it, and everyone would party until dawn.

  “We leave in 20 minutes, Nico,” Angel told him. “Move this outside by the car,” she told the rest of them. “Let’s let them say goodbye in peace.”

  “Bow chica bowwow,” Rikki drawled. Everyone laughed as they moved out the front door. “I really don’t want to think about my sister like that,” Chase groused.

  They heard the front door shut as they hit the bedroom. Nico had Jenna stripped in record time and was sliding into her warm, wet heat balls deep. “God,” he growled into her ear. “I don’t want to leave you.” He pounded into her desperately as she clung to him. He felt her clench tightly around him and he let himself come at the same time she did, latching onto her shoulder with his teeth, claiming her once again. She cried out as she sank her own fangs in deep.

  After a few moments, Nico leaned up and gazed down at her. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered. “I wish I could stay here and make love to you the rest of the day.”

  She smiled softly at him as she reached up and her fingers through his short dark hair. “Me too, but your team needs you. I will be here waiting for you when you come home.”

  Nico kissed her one more time and then got up and went into the bathroom to wash up quickly. When he came out of the bathroom, Jenna was waiting for him. She reached up and placed a chain around his neck. At the end of it was a small medallion that had a carving of two wolves with two small wolf pups in the background. “This was my father’s,” Jenna told him. “When I was younger, he told me that one day I was to give this to my own mate for good luck. I want you to take it with you now. I will pray that it helps bring you back to me.”

  Nico pulled her close and nuzzled his chin on her head. Then he got dressed and they moved downstairs. He kissed her one last time and walked out the door to his waiting team. When they loaded up in the SUV to leave, he glanced back one last time at his mate and smiled, saluting her with a cocky grin as they drove off. She laughed and saluted back.

  Chapter 24

  The team stopped at their homes and geared up before heading to the airport. Bran was going crazy waiting, but the team had to be prepared for anything. They never went on a mission without an overload in gear. Never. If you did not plan and prepare, then mistakes were made. Mistakes meant death, and Angel refused to allow anything to happen to her team.

  They were at the airport and in the air flying to a little airstrip that didn’t even show up on a map within an hour. They went over the plan again and again on the way there. They needed it to be flawless if they were to get into Mexico and get back out with everyone without any casualties.

  Angel would try to connect with Flame once they got to the market area. She had connected with her just briefly in the vision, so she thought she would be able to do it again. Once they figured out what warehouse the women and children were being held in, they would fan out around the building and do some quick recon. Trace and Rikki would find places to hold up in with their sniper rifles.

  The team would come in from different areas if possible and spread out until they found out what part of the building everyone was being held in.

  Bran’s main focus was to be on his mate. He would not be able to talk to the rest of the team telepathically, but thanks to Jaxson, they all sported some techy communication devices to fix that problem.

  Jaxson was to try and find any computers that might have useful data on them regarding whatever the breeding program was and download it.

  The rest of the team was to focus on kicking ass and taking names, and on getting everyone else out of that building before it blew. Because it would blow. Phoenix would make sure of that. To take down the monster, they would destroy every tentacle of his they could find. He wouldn’t be able to hide indefinitely. They would find him. Then he would die.

  Chapter 25

  Once again, darkness was their friend. The team swarmed silently through the market area keeping in the shadows. The nightlife in Tijuana was going strong, and Angel and her team did not want to be spotted. They wanted to get in and out without drawing attention to themselves.

  It was a huge risk taking Bran in with them this time, but he was following Angel’s instructions, so she was letting it slide. And they needed him if Flame was going to make it home alive.

  Angel crept behind a building, becoming one with the shadows surrounding it. She stopped beside it and spoke very softly, “I’m going to try and connect with Flame now.” Nico came up beside her to guard her and keep her safe. Bran was on the other side. Normally it would have been Phoenix, but if Chase trusted Bran enough to make him his Beta, then she would trust him, too. Because even though she was not ever going to act on it, she knew that Chase was her mate. And above all, a mate protected what was his.

  Silently she closed her eyes and concentrated on the fiery red haired woman that she had seen in the vision before. Flame was sitting in a corner on the floor, hugging her legs up to her chest. As Angel connected with her, she felt the dark pain ripping through Flame’s stomach. She was losing the baby. It was happening fast and it was very painful. But Flame was not saying a word.

  Chapter 26

  Flame panted softly, her head bowed on her knees, with her hands clenched tightly together. She knew there was nothing that could be done to help her baby, he was already gone. And she was afraid to bring attention to herself.

  The guards were in a rowdy mood tonight. The last time they were like this, she had watched helples
sly as they had raped the woman in the room next to her. The woman had screamed and cried as they took turns with her. But there was nothing Flame could do to help. She had tried. The guards had brought her into the same room and made her watch. They had tied her to a chair, her arms tied behind her back and her legs tied to the legs of the chair. Flame had fought and fought to get free and get to the other woman, but no matter how hard she had tried, she couldn’t. She had yelled at them, had threatened them, but they had just laughed. They had told her that her time was coming and they wanted her to see how good she was going to get it.

  The woman had cried for her baby. Had held her stomach and begged them not to hurt her baby. But they had just laughed at her, too. They told her that you could not hurt a baby from having sex. By the time they were done with the woman, she was pretty much comatose. She just laid there. They did not even bother to clean her up. Flame hadn’t heard her utter a word since then, except for singing to her baby. She could feel how much pain the other woman was in, how terrified she was, but there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to help her.

  Right now Flame kept quiet and suffered in silence. She knew she was losing the baby. She knew he was already dead. And if she called out to the guards for help, she was afraid that they would come in and use her like they had the other woman. Afraid they would see that there was no way she could protect herself from them now. They were all such twisted fucks. You never knew what they were thinking. It would not matter to them that she was in the middle of losing a child, they would just wait until it was done and then take their turns with her while she was helpless. It was not like there was a doctor there anyway, only the scientists. And she didn’t want any of them anywhere near her, either.

  Flame froze when she felt another’s presence in her mind. Who are you? she whispered. She had felt that same presence touch her mind a few hours ago. It had just touched briefly, but Flame recognized it. It was the woman she had seen when she was yelling at the guards earlier. She had prayed that the woman had listened to her. That she would help her somehow.

  We are coming for you, Flame, the woman whispered in her mind. We are here. We are in Tijuana, in the market place. I don’t know what building you are in, though.

  Tears flowed down Flames cheeks as she listened to the voice. She had prayed and prayed for months that someone would come after her. She had begun to lose hope. The guards hadn’t broken her spirit yet, but they had come damn close.

  She had thought she had left the worst of it behind when the General had moved her to this location. Away from Gideon after he had finally been able to get her pregnant. But she was wrong. At least with Gideon he was the only one raping her. Here, if the guards go a hold of her, it would be several of them at once.

  She panted softly as another pain ripped through her belly. Why don’t you ask someone for help? the woman asked. There aren’t any doctors here, Flame panted. And the guards would rather fuck me than help me. Flame felt a hand stroke gently down her hair. It was a soothing gesture, one she hadn’t felt in so long. We are here now, Flame, the voice said. You aren’t alone anymore. We are going to get you out.

  Who are you? Flame asked again. My name is Angel, the voice said. Angel, Flame whispered. I could use an Angel right now. Angel chuckled softly. I’m not your typical Angel, honey. You won’t see any white wings on me. And definitely no halo. But you could think of me as The Angel of Death because I will be bringing death and destruction to everybody in that building that hurt you.

  Just my kind of Angel, Flame said. Flame heard Angel laugh as another pain slammed into her. They’re getting closer, Angel said. Yes, Flame groaned. Anytime now…He’s already gone Angel. I can feel it. My baby is already gone and there is nothing I can do about it.

  I know, hon, Angel responded. We are gonna take that sweet baby home with us and we are going to give him a good burial, ok? And he is going to have those beautiful white angel wings that I don’t have. Flame cried softly at that. Thank you, she whispered.

  Do you have any idea where you are, Flame? Angel asked. They thought I was drugged when they brought me here, Flame said. But most of it was already out of my system. I remember the building is red. A dark red. Another building by it had a sun on it. A bar or something. That’s it, I’m sorry. That is all I saw. Another pain ripped through Flame and she cried out softly. She was not going to be able to keep quiet much longer. Flame looked up when she heard the door to her room open. A couple of guards were standing there grinning smugly at her. “By the blood all over the floor, I take it that thing inside of you is either dead or about to be.”

  Oh God, Angel, hurry. Please hurry, Flame cried as the next pain slammed into her and all hell broke loose.

  Chapter 27

  Angel held onto the wall as she slowly opened her eyes. “Fuck,” she growled out. “She’s here. She is right fucking here,” she said as she smacked the red wall she was leaning against. She peered around the corner looking at the cantina next door with the bright yellow sun on it, then came swiftly back. “Flame saw a sun on the building next to the building she was taken to, and the building she is in is dark red. We have to get in there now. Flame is in the middle of losing the baby and the guards just came into her room. She can’t defend herself. Dammit, I wondered why I could keep the connection with her for so long. She is so close.”

  Rikki took off around the building and Trace moved to a place down at the corner of it. “There is a door on the side by the cantina,” Rikki said. “I’m in place. Let’s rock n roll.”

  Bran jumped straight up grabbing hold of a window sill on the second floor and pulled himself through the window. “Well, that works,” Nico said. He ran around to the left side of the building as Phoenix went to the right and jumped in. Angel decided to use the front door. The thing was actually unlocked.

  They swept all of the floors quickly, but found no one. “What the hell,” Bran growled out. “Where are they?” Angel closed her eyes and silently slipped into Flame’s mind again. The pain was excruciating. The baby had slipped out, but the guards were on her now. They were beating her. One had his pants undone, but was holding his junk. Way to go, Flame, Angel thought. The other one had her down and was digging his knee in her stomach. There was blood everywhere. Flame was so weak she could hardly move, but she turned her head and bit the guard as hard as she could on the wrist.

  We are in the building, Flame. There isn’t anyone here. How do we get to you? Angel yelled into Flame’s mind. She barely heard Flame’s weak response. There’s a hidden door. Behind a book case. Goes down below.

  Angel felt Flame pass out as she came back to herself. She ran quickly to the room in the back of the warehouse yelling at her team to follow. So much for making a quiet entrance. Those sick bastards were not raping Flame while she was passed out. “There’s a door behind the bookcase. Hurry! They’re hurting her!”

  Bran threw the bookcase across the room. Angel opened the door and Bran flew past her down the stairs. The first guard came at them from the bottom of the stairs. Bran snapped his neck before he could pull out his gun. “We got them, Bran! Get to Flame!” Angel cried.

  Bran kept moving and he heard a thump as a throwing star flew past his head and was imbedded in between the eyes of the next guard. He came up to a hallway and had to make a decision to go right or left. He took in a deep breath and smelled blood. Lots of blood. It was mixed with the scent of cinnamon and sunshine. Mate! He turned left and ran as hard as he could. He heard gunshots and fighting all around him, but he didn’t even slow down until he came to the room his Flame was in.

  Bran bellowed loudly at the scene before him. Flame was on the floor, her eyes shut, skin so pale, surrounded in blood. One of the guards stood off to the side stroking his dick while the other guard had Flame’s gown up around her thighs and was positioning himself between her legs. Flame’s eyes snapped open at the sound, but Bran didn’t hesitate. He grabbed a knife from his boot and let it fly. As the knife went into the fi
rst guard’s neck, Bran tackled the other guard that was on top of Flame. They ended up on the other side of the room, Bran on top of the guard beating the hell out of him.

  “Help me,” he heard Flame beg softly. As the sound broke through the red haze in his mind, he scrambled off the guard and crawled over to Flame. The guard was dead, but his mate needed him.

  There was so much blood, he wasn’t sure what to do. “God, baby,” he whispered as he reached down and softly stroked the hair off her face. As tears squeezed out of her eyes, she weakly pointed over to something on the floor by the wall. “Please bring him with. Please,” she said weakly. Then she was out again.

  Bran grabbed a blanket off the bed and wrapped Flame up in it. Then he grabbed a sheet and wrapped up the little boy. Placing the baby on his mothers’ stomach, he picked them both up and walked out of the room.

  “Let’s get the hell outta here before the building blows!” he heard Angel yell. He looked over to see that she was carrying one of the little wolf pups, Nico had the other one, and Jaxson had the bear cub. He must have been done with the computers. Phoenix came out of the second room carrying a very pregnant woman who looked scared to death. As he moved through the basement area, down the hall and up the stairs, Bran saw so much death. It did not affect him at all. They had all deserved to die. Anyone that touched and hurt what was his deserved to die. Guard or scientist-he didn’t give a shit. And he would track down every last person that had a part in taking his mate and hand out the justice they deserved.

  They ran out of the building and raced to the vehicle that would take them to the airfield. Trace tried to take the baby from Bran, but he refused. Flame was his mate, his responsibility. He would take care of her and the baby. The building blew sky high when they were almost to the SUV. They all piled in quickly and ran full throttle to the airstrip. They were in the air within minutes, flying hell bent out of Mexico.