Absolution Read online

  Chapter Six

  Joseph had a tail. He’d suspected it a block ago. After a sharp right turn, followed by a left, he knew his suspicions to be true. It appeared the Cartel had tracked them down. The question that burned in his mind, however, was whether they’d found Eva. After he lost the shadow, he would ascertain whether her whereabouts had been compromised. He dipped into an alleyway and drew his weapon, not waiting long before the man who’d followed ducked into the dimness. He pistol whipped the fool on the back of the head with a quick, decisive swing and stepped over the unconscious body.

  Sprinting back to Eva, heart racing in fear, he called his superior and informed him to send two uniforms to pick up the unconscious fucker and hold the man for questioning. Doubtful the Cartel’s soldier would give them much, but it would be worth a shot. He holstered the Glock 22 and rushed to the hotel.

  Their room door stood open, and a quick peek inside showed all of Eva’s belongings still in her bag. If she’d left out of anger instead of force, she would have grabbed her purse.

  “Fuck!” he bellowed and kicked the door. Damn it, they had her. If she wasn’t dead already, she would soon wish she were.

  He sprinted out of the hotel and hopped in his car to speed to Hugo’s house. When he arrived, he marched past the staff and guards, who all rushed out of his way and shot him horrified looks as he swept by. If they hadn’t recognized him from his numerous past visits, he knew they would have taken him to the ground within seconds of his entry. He stomped into Hugo’s office without bothering to knock and found him sitting at the conference table, reading the paper with a mug of coffee at his side. Upon seeing Joseph, the old man leapt to his feet, peering over Joseph’s shoulder.

  Hugo paled and, grabbing Joseph’s shirt, he shoved him against the fireplace. “Where is she, you son of a bitch?”

  Gritting his teeth, Joseph didn’t bother to fight back, even though his head slammed against the brick. He needed to be reprimanded, to have someone in his face. How could he have let the Cartel take Eva right out from under his watch? What the hell had he been thinking, leaving her alone in the hotel? She was his responsibility, and he’d failed her like a piece of shit rookie. If Hugo felt the need to try and kick his ass, so be it.

  “They got to her when I went for breakfast. She’s been gone no more than an hour.”

  “You left her alone?”

  “At the time, it seemed better than bringing her out in public or ordering delivery. I didn’t want to risk discovery.” Joseph’s heart pounded, and the roaring in his ears oddly reminded him of the ocean during a storm. He needed to stop explaining and find Eva before they ran out of time. He brought his hands up between Hugo’s forearms and shoved out, breaking the old man’s grip on his collar. “Tell me everything you know. Now.”

  “You’re off the case. I’ll bring in someone capable of finishing the job. You, obviously, were not the best option.” With a scowl, Hugo turned to grab the cordless phone on his desk.

  “Son of a bitch!” Joseph grabbed a clock on the mantle and catapulted it across the room. It shattered into hundreds of pieces.

  “What the hell?” Hugo spun to face him, astonishment on his features and the phone in his grip, the dial tone sounding.

  Joseph stared at the broken pieces of the clock in shock. How the hell had he allowed his temper, his agony, to get the better of him? He needed to focus on saving Eva. Gritting his teeth, Joseph flexed his fingers and faced Hugo with renewed determination. He wouldn’t allow his emotions to get the better of him again. He couldn’t afford any more stupid mistakes.

  “Get a hold of yourself, agent,” Hugo warned.

  Joseph strode over to him, grabbed the phone, and disconnected the call before tossing the receiver back onto the table.

  “You’re way out of line,” Hugo snapped.

  Joseph seized his shoulders and shook him. “No, you’re out of line. I will not sit idly by while the woman I love is mutilated and murdered. You’re going to tell me where to go, and now, because I intend to blow their goddamn heads off, one by one, until I find her. Do you fucking understand?” He shook Hugo one last time for emphasis and stared him down.

  Hugo opened his mouth, closed it, and nodded. He pushed Joseph off. “Fine. But you better not screw it up this time.”

  Joseph gave a tight nod before pulling his gun out to count bullets. He had thirteen left, and an extra magazine on the other side of his belt. He switched out the partial magazine for the full. Jaw clenched, Joseph replaced his pistol and turned to Hugo. “I’m ready to kick ass. Where am I going, and who’s the target?”

  Reaching under his fallen paper, Hugo withdrew a picture and handed it to Joseph. “This intelligence came in ten minutes ago. We believe he’s the man threatening Eva and me. The head-honcho. His name is—”

  “Antonio Soto.”

  “How the hell do you know him?” Hugo’s eyes lit up at Joseph’s knowledge. “Do you know where to find him?”

  He crumpled the paper in his fist, chucking it at the wall. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on the sick asshole. And to think he could have had him, could have ended this before it even began. God damn it. “Fucking piece of shit. I could have shot the bastard. He had a date scheduled with Eva, showed up at her place. Shortly after, we were attacked.”

  “He had a date with her? He would’ve kidnapped her then, to be sure.”

  “Probably. Where is he?”

  Hugo handed him another sheet of paper and grabbed an identical one off his desk. He headed to the door, speaking over his shoulder as they exited. “Here are his last known properties. You check the first three with a team of men, and I’ll check the last three. Take no chances, and waste no time. The longer she’s in his hands, the less her chances of walking away.”

  “Send them after me. I’m leaving now.” Joseph didn’t wait for Hugo’s response. He strode out the door and got into his car. If the man wanted him to have backup, then he’d take care of it. But he would be damned if he’d wait.

  ***

  Eva lay on her belly, face pressed into a bare mattress, panting while she jerked her arms…a wiggle here, a twist there. Ugh, she’d almost gotten free that time. They’d secured her wrists and also her ankles, but the person who’d tied the knots had no talent with the task, so she’d just about managed to free her left hand.

  Sun shone through a clear spot on the filthy window overhead, casting a beam down to the ground and illuminating with disgusting detail just how dirty her prison was. A steel pot rested in the corner, and she suspected it had nothing to do with cooking.

  Rats scurried in the shadows, looking as if they’d like nothing more than to dine on her rather than whatever scraps they fought over. She shuddered and yanked harder, ignoring the sticky liquid running down her hand. Maybe the blood would prove a godsend, loosening the knot by lubricating her wrists and the fabric. She watched one brave rat approach and stared at the beady-eyed varmint until it backed down.

  Her glower had made the creature retreat, but she didn’t think her intimidation tactics would work much longer. She fought with renewed fervor, and bit back a triumphant shout when she slipped her hand loose. When she freed her other hand, Eva reached down and untied her legs, only to freeze at the door to her cell opening. Antonio swaggered in, biting an apple.

  He shook his head while clucking his tongue. “You’re going to be more trouble than I’d thought. Who’d have believed you had so much spunk in you?”

  She shrugged, trying to appear casual as she leaned back on her hands, grabbing the strips of material they’d bound her with. “I take after my father, one could say.”

  He laughed and stepped closer. “You’ll end up like him…and your little boyfriend. Dead.”

  She paled at the reminder of Joseph’s assassination but lifted her chin and tossed her hair behind her shoulder. “Have you heard from the man you sent after him? Has he returned to boast of his skills in bringing down one of the best agents in Mex
ico?”

  He hissed and stalked toward her. Raising his hand, he slapped her hard across the face. Pain radiated from her cheekbone and across her face until the agony seemed to throb throughout her entire body. The coppery taste of blood met her tongue, and she rotated her jaw to survey the damage. The bone didn’t seem broken, thank God.

  Her heart sang at his rage because it meant one thing—Joseph had escaped. He would come for her. She knew it with every breath she took. Fear made her tremble, but she would be damned if she let him see it.

  Turning to face the bastard again, she grinned and spat blood at his feet—all over his shiny shoes. “I take it that’s a no?”

  Antonio shoved her shoulders, and she hid the scrap of bloody linen under her hair. He straddled her and held her arms over her head with one hand. “Your voice grates on my nerves. Someone ought to teach you your place in this world, Eva.”

  He crammed his lips to hers and shoved his fingers underneath her nightie, wrenching it up to her neck. Panic made her moves erratic as she arched her hips, trying to buck him off. When nothing she did seemed to work, her heart sped up painfully. Oh, God, this would be how she died. Raped and bloody.

  She squirmed in his hold, trying to free a limb to do some sort of damage, but he held her too tightly. He shoved his tongue in her mouth, and gagging, she jerked on her hands. She bit down, but he seemed to sense it coming, retreating before she snapped onto meat.

  He laughed, pressing his erection hard against her. “You women. You all think alike.”

  “Go to hell,” she snarled, bowing her back while squirming to get her legs out from under him.

  His face loomed over hers, distorted in its rage and evil state of mind. He released her hands long enough to rip her gown, leaving her panties as her only clothing. She screamed and grabbed the cloth she’d been tied up with earlier from beneath her hair and twisted the fabric taut between her hands. Looping the bloody material around his neck, she jerked it tight using all her strength, throwing her body weight into it like Joseph had taught her.

  He tugged at the cloth, slow at first and then with a twinge of desperation. He grabbed her hair and yanked an enormous chunk out, but she refused to let go. He punched her on the side of her head. Stars exploded in her vision, throbbing through her head until her hands slipped from the fabric. He slammed an elbow into her ribs, and she crumbled onto the mattress, gasping for air.

  While he bent over, struggling to get some air into his swollen throat, she attempted to pull herself into a sitting position, seeking out the fabric. His lungs made a wheezing sound when he inhaled. He stared at her with murder written in his eyes, and she laughed. With a growl he leapt on her, pounding her in the nose.

  The pain was the only thing she knew and then the world faded to black.

  ***

  Joseph approached the entrance to the abandoned building and motioned for the team following him to fan out on either side. This place had been the last on his list, and the frustration and anger consuming him grew with each passing moment. He cracked the door, peeking inside. Adrenaline pumped through his veins at the sight of a man standing guard at a closed entry. If a man stood guard, chances were something of value rested behind said man.

  Something like Eva.

  He slipped inside, motioning for his team to follow, creeping closer to the guard. He head-locked the unsuspecting man from behind, tightening his grip until the asshole crumpled to the ground. He caught the man’s AR-15 before it could crash onto the floor and alert anyone to his presence. He holstered his own weapon, raised the AR-15 and pointed down at the guy on the floor to the closest team member. The teammate nodded and grabbed the guard’s arms, dragging him outside.

  He moved to the door and, testing the knob, found it locked, of course. He pressed his ear to the cool metal and heard a scuffling sound on the other side, followed by the unmistakable echo of fist meeting bone. His hand tightened on the grip of his gun, and he took a deep breath. Time for some action.

  He kicked the door open to find Antonio breathing harshly, and Eva dressed in nothing but her panties—covered in blood and unconscious. She clutched a strip of material in her left hand, and her face was swollen. Her breasts had bruises forming on them, and she seemed far too pale to still be alive.

  Joseph’s heart skipped a beat and a hollow whooshing sound reverberated inside his head. Roaring in anger, he rushed into the room. He pointed his gun at Antonio to shoot the bastard, but a movement behind him and to the left caused him to hesitate. At the doorway, his team’s feet pounded the ground as they crowded into the room, so he knew the other sound couldn’t be one of his men. He dropped to the ground, rolling and shooting in the same breath. His bullet hit the attacker right between the eyes, killing him instantly.

  After all, a close-shot to the head with a .9mm didn’t often leave survivors.

  He raised the business end of his weapon and pointed it at Antonio, stepping to the side of the door so that the only way out of the room was through him and his team.

  The fucker has nowhere to go but down.

  Antonio’s hand inched toward his pocket, and Joseph growled, “Don’t do it. Hands up.”

  Antonio laughed and raised his hands in a mocking surrender. “I only wish I’d killed the bitch before you got here.”

  Joseph let out a breath at the man’s words. “If you had, you’d be in hell right now. Instead, you get to spend the rest of your life in jail. I heard the men in prison love rapists.”

  He lowered his weapon, motioning his team forward as he stepped out of the way. If Joseph so much as laid a finger on the fucker, he’d kill him, so it would be best to keep his distance. The team members rushed forward, but in the same moment, Antonio lifted the knife over Eva.

  Joseph raised his weapon and fired three quick shots, each hitting Antonio in the back—right between his shoulder blades.

  Antonio jerked where he stood and then dropped to the ground like the garbage he was. Joseph rushed to Eva, swallowing down bile at the sight of her naked and covered in this disgusting monster’s blood. He grabbed her ripped nightgown, wiping her off the best he could. Wrapping her in a dirty comforter, he cradled her in his arms and strode out of the room.

  She moaned, and he cuddled her closer. She looked even worse up close than she had from across the room. Swallowing heavily, he searched her face, trying to decipher the extent of her injuries.

  Her nose pointed to the right side, so swollen and abused she looked like a different person, with blood smeared all over her face. In addition to the discoloration on her breasts, she had several bite marks on her neck.

  “Fuck,” he snarled. He wished he could kill Antonio over and over again. Daily.

  As Joseph exited the building, Hugo arrived and rushed toward them. He examined the naked bundle in Joseph’s arms, his expression pinched.

  “Is she…?” He reached toward his daughter’s face. “Is she dead?”

  “No, but she needs help right away.”

  “Thank God. The ambulance is on its way.” Hugo stepped to his side while men rushed all around them. He held his arms out. “Give her to me.”

  “No! I’ve got her. Just get the fucking ambulance here faster.” Joseph pulled her closer to his chest, eyes narrowed on Hugo’s face.

  After a moment’s hesitation, Hugo nodded. “Okay. You can hold her, but I’m coming, too.”

  “Fine.” Joseph turned his attention back to Eva, kissing the clean spot near her temple. The only clean spot, from the looks of it.

  “She never stopped loving you,” Hugo mumbled.

  Joseph scowled at Hugo. If only love were enough to make her want him back. “And I never stopped loving her, sir.”

  Sirens sounded in the distance, and Joseph stalked toward the approaching vehicle. He’d failed to keep her safe from Antonio. Sure, he’d rescued her in time, but did that count?

  His gut said no.

  Chapter Seven

  Four days later, Eva stumb
led through her doorway and kicked off her flip-flops, assaulted by memories the moment she stepped foot onto the cool hardwood. Her nose still throbbed, complete with stents stuck up her nostrils and gauze taped over the bridge. Her father had managed to wrap up his assignment, but even so, they had been forced to move. If the Cartel decided to get revenge against him, she and her dad were now too easy to locate.

  Eva studied the boxes stacked against the living room wall and sighed. She tried not to dwell on the fact she’d not seen Joseph since the day he’d saved her from Antonio. When she’d awoken in the ambulance, he’d been holding her hand with a haunted look in his eyes. He hadn’t been back since then, and it hurt more than she cared to admit.

  She’d thought he would have come by to check on her or maybe a dutiful follow-up since she’d been his assignment. But no. Nothing. Not even a freaking phone call or e-mail. The nurses caring for her had said that he’d called the hospital each day to check on her. But he hadn’t bothered to show his face.

  In the hotel, he’d told her he’d given up on their relationship, cursed her out, and left after swearing he’d moved on from her warped heart. But, she hadn’t allowed for the chance he’d meant his words. People often said things in anger or fear they didn’t mean.

  She’d told him she didn’t want to be with him. That had been a lie spoken out of panic. She’d been caught off-guard by his confessions that he was innocent of being a cheater all along.

  But she craved his touch. His love. She needed him. With her. And now, it was too late.

  She and her father were relocating tomorrow, and she had no idea where Joseph even lived. Nor did she have his current phone number. She swallowed past the throbbing in her throat and shoved off the door to head into the bedroom. Had the movers packed up everything in her room, too?