Atonement: The Hunter Mercenary Series (Book One) Read online

  She nodded.

  He hit the lights, making the place go dark. Placing his night vision on, he scooped Stella up into his arms.

  “Please don’t let me go,” she whispered as she held onto his big body.

  She was clinging to him and Zayn knew he wouldn’t put her down for anything. She was safe, and that was all that mattered.

  Slowly, he moved through the shadows.

  “I need you to be as silent as you can, honey, okay?” he whispered into her ear.

  She nodded and buried her face into his neck. Somehow, she’d burrowed beneath his hair, and was hiding against him.

  His body reacted to her holding on to him.

  Zayn tried not to think about it, but it was damn hard. There was something about her. He’d felt it since he’d seen her in the pictures.

  Now they were touching, and she felt…familiar. It was like he knew her.

  Zayn got them out of that building, across the field, and to the location he’d deemed safe.

  “We’re clear,” he whispered,

  Still, she didn’t let go. Stella was shaking, and he simply comforted her. While he was a killer, he’d never hurt someone who didn’t deserve it.

  Zayn was hired to kill, but he picked and chose his jobs for a reason. She was the reason.

  He couldn’t hurt someone who’d been brutalized for money. That was so damn wrong.

  “I’m going to carry you to the vehicle.”

  “You won’t leave me, right?” she asked.

  “No, I won’t.”

  “There are trees. Can you climb onto my back? I have to scale some incline.”

  Instead, she shifted and wrapped her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck.

  Well, that worked too.

  While she clung to him, locked around his body, he was trying to focus on anything but her.

  It wasn’t easy.

  Zayn hightailed it out of there with Stella safely against him. When he got her through the trees to his vehicle, he tucked her inside.

  They could hear the muffled movements from the trunk.

  She looked scared.

  “I won’t hurt you, Stella,” he vowed. “That’s Gus. He’s the man who wanted to hurt you. We have to question him to find your sister and stepmother.”

  She stared at him as if weighing her options and his words. “Promise?” she asked.

  He smiled.

  “On my life.”

  His warm eyes and smile helped calm her. Immediately, she wasn’t worried.

  He held out his pinkie.

  “Swear.”

  She took it with hers and laughed.

  Her voice sent chills down his body. While she was a dirty mess, she was still gorgeous.

  “I trust you.”

  That was all he wanted.

  He closed the door and went around to the driver’s side. After getting in, he noticed she was shivering. He reached into the back seat for his bag. In it, he handed her a bottle of water and some cookies.

  “Thank you,” she said, moving closer to him to be safe. He didn’t turn her away.

  “I’m so afraid,” she whispered, tears filling her eyes. “That was horrible,” she said.

  He could only imagine.

  “What did they tell you?” he asked, as he turned the heat on inside the vehicle. He was going to be sweating, but she was in shock.

  This was about her.

  She tried to untangle her hair and gave up.

  “That I was worth every penny and I’d make them more when they sold me to some man who liked raping women.”

  She wiped at her eyes.

  Zayn pulled one of his shirts out of his bag and handed it to her. She wiped her eyes with it.

  “Thank you.”

  “No need, Miss Harington. I’m doing my job. I’m supposed to find and keep you safe.”

  She moved closer to him. Zayn tucked her beneath his arm.

  Stella opened the cookies and ate one. Then she handed him one too.

  That surprised him.

  “You saved me. The least I can do is share your cookies with you,” she said.

  He took it.

  Then she drank the entire bottle of water.

  “Did they feed you?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “Nothing I’m proud I ate,” she said. “It became about survival.”

  He understood that.

  “Do you want to talk to your father?” he asked when she finished her second cookie.

  “May I?”

  “Yes,” he said. “I wish I could take you home,” he offered. “It’s just not safe.”

  “If you can take me somewhere I can shower and get some coffee, that will be enough. I want to feel human again.”

  When he touched her leg, she flinched.

  “I’m sorry. It’s been hard.”

  He lifted her chin. “Don’t say sorry to me. You’ve been through something horrible. As long as you’re with me, you’re safe. I promise.”

  She relaxed. “Thank you. Can I call my father now?”

  He pulled out his phone.

  “Let me call the team to update them, and you can then talk to him, okay?”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  He pulled out his phone and called Dakota, leaving it on speaker so Stella would trust him.

  “Are you safe?” Dakota asked, answering the call on the second ring.

  “Yes, and I have Miss Harrington. She was the only one there, and I didn’t find anything that would give us a heads up to her sister’s location.”

  “Okay. How is she?”

  He looked over.

  “Well, she’s scared shitless. She wants to talk to her father. Can I let her call him?”

  “Yes, he’s waiting in his office alone. He told his security that he had to work. She can talk to him safely.”

  Zayn could see her relax beside him as she ate a cookie.

  “She’s pretty beat up. I’m going to get her back to the base, get some food in her, and clean her wounds.”

  “Did he rape her?”

  “She said no.” Zayn realized the truth of the matter. Rape was a horrible thing, but the emotional scars of the trauma she’d survived…?

  They might be enough to kill her.

  He knew from experience.

  “Tell Miss Harrington that I’m glad she’s safe, and guard her with your life,” Dakota stated.

  He would.

  “See you back at base.”

  He hung up.

  “I don’t know who you guys are, but you’re my hero,” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

  It made his heart kick.

  No one ever called him a hero before. In fact, he’d never felt like much of one.

  It was funny that this one woman changed that. This job…it was different.

  It was…special.

  “Here you go,” he said, handing her back the phone. “Call your father.”

  She did that.

  “Hi, Daddy,” she said when he answered.

  Then she began crying.

  The dam broke, and he wasn’t shocked.

  As strong as this woman was…

  Stella Harrington had one hell of a fight ahead. He hoped she was strong enough.

  This was just the beginning.

  Chapter Five

  Four twenty-five

  Chartres Street

  W hen they arrived back at the home base, Zayn carefully carried Stella into the home and placed her on the couch. He wanted to get her set up so he could move the ‘cargo’. Fortunately for them, there was a back way into the home that led right into the private courtyard and then the underground interrogation area.

  First, he needed to handle their guest.

  Stella needed some food and lots of hydration.

  “Have something to eat,” he offered, handing her a sandwich that he quickly made for her. “I promise I’ll be right back. I’ll make sure he’s handled first.”

  “He w
on’t get free, right?” she asked, drinking the juice he poured for her.

  “No, he won’t.”

  She didn’t look so sure.

  Zayn took a moment to sit beside her. Gently, he reached for her chin so she’d look up at him. He was enthralled by the freckle-kissed nose and vibrant eyes.

  “I won’t let him hurt you. I promise. He’s never going to even look at you again, let alone put a finger on you. No one will.”

  She trusted him.

  Why?

  She didn’t know.

  There was this need to stay as close to him as possible. He’d saved her, and his sheer bulk and size gave her a sense of safety.

  “Okay. Thank you, Zayn.”

  He smiled at her. “I’ll be right back.”

  She let go of his wrist that was on her leg and then tried to pump herself up. “Okay. I can do this,” she said. “I’m sorry I’m like this. I’m normally not afraid. I wasn’t like this before they took me.”

  He understood.

  Then he had an idea.

  “ODIN!” he yelled, hoping the dog would listen.

  There was the rattle of a collar as the dog ran down the stairs.

  She stared at it.

  “Um, you have a wolf in your house?”

  He grinned. “He belongs to my associate. He won’t hurt you.”

  Stella hoped not. Rabies wouldn’t be fun on top of this nightmare.

  She held out her hand.

  Odin licked her and rested his head on her leg.

  “You keep an eye on her,” he said.

  Odin barked.

  “Later, we’re going to have to ask you all kinds of hard questions. If we want to get Maia and Mercedes back, then we have to ask them.”

  She got it.

  “If you’ll hold my hand, I can do it.”

  His heart fluttered. “I’ll do whatever you need to get you through it.”

  She leaned in and gave him another kiss on the cheek. “Thank you for saving me. You’re definitely my hero.”

  Yeah, said no one ever.

  Oddly, Zayn enjoyed it. It was nice to play the good guy—if even for a moment.

  She ran her fingers through the gray and white fur of the dog.

  “I’ll be right back, Stella. There’s a powder room right through there. Tomorrow morning, I’ll get you some clothes. Tonight, my shirt will have to do.”

  She sniffed the collar. “I don’t mind. You smell really good.”

  His body reacted.

  Heaven help him, but it had a mind of its own, and there was a beautiful woman sitting on a couch in just his shirt. He’d seen what was beneath it, and that wasn’t helping him out.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  Odin climbed onto the couch with her, and she split her sandwich with him.

  When Zayn headed out of the room, she watched him go. Stella couldn’t help but be afraid. She’d been at home in her room reading when they’d taken her. She was so afraid to be alone.

  This was NOT who she was.

  Stella prayed she’d get back to that woman. Now she didn’t want to even leave that house. She’d talked to her father, and they’d both cried. He wanted her to come home, but she told him this was important. They had to do it for her sister and stepmother.

  So she would be strong.

  “Are you a wolf?” she asked Odin.

  She touched the tags on his neck and read them.

  Well, he had his rabies shots, and the name on the silver tag was Ravenscroft.

  “Odin Ravenscroft. Well, it’s nice to meet you.”

  As she sipped the orange juice, the dog beside her began growling at the approaching footsteps.

  Her heart began pounding.

  From where she sat, she could see into the kitchen and the back door. There was Zayn carrying the man who had hurt her.

  The tears came.

  She wanted to run.

  Stella curled up on the couch in the fetal position as she wept. Just the sight of him made her ill. He’d touched her. He’d put his hands on her body in places he didn’t own.

  She wanted to be sick.

  Rolling off the couch, she limped to the bathroom and began purging. Odin followed her.

  He whimpered and licked her leg as she tossed her cookies and sandwich.

  This was all a nightmare. This was all more than she could take. A month ago, she was a college student who was going to be a doctor.

  Now she was damaged.

  Afraid.

  Dying inside.

  Everything had changed.

  When she heard him behind her, she nearly bolted. She felt like a scared animal in a trap.

  “It’s okay, honey, it’s only me. I heard you being sick. Are you okay?” she wiped her mouth and he handed her a glass of water.

  She was shaking again.

  “I’m so afraid,” she whispered. “I don’t know how to get past this.”

  Zayn was a big impervious man. Nothing made him waver.

  Nothing.

  Well, until that moment. Her pain hurt him too.

  “What can I do for you?”

  “Please don’t leave me alone. I’m afraid, Zayn. I’m so afraid. It was really bad,” she whispered.

  Gently, he opened his arms and she scrambled into them. Again, she buried her face in his throat and his hair cascade over her back, acting as one more thing she could use to hide.

  “I have you,” he said, holding her.

  She couldn’t be strong anymore.

  She wept.

  A torrent of tears.

  * * * H U N T E R * * *

  City Park

  It wasn’t odd that the abductors would pick a busy place like City Park as their drop spot. There were thousands of people during the day, but at night, the masses really flooded the area—to enjoy the rides.

  It was busy since it was a weekend, and there were people milling around everywhere.

  Security cameras were going to be picking up a lot of people as they went about their evening business.

  Rogue sat on a bench with his backup around the corner. They were wearing earpieces, so they could hear each other.

  “Anyone look suspicious?” Dakota asked.

  Rogue sipped his coffee, trying to hide his mouth. “There’s a woman in red not far away. She’s been sitting on that bench as long as I have. I’m betting money on her.”

  “Do you recognize her?” Dakota asked.

  “No, but I won’t forget her face. She’s also covered in tattoos under the clothing. I’ve seen a few of them.”

  “You have good eyes,” Dakota offered.

  “I’m aware.”

  “Hey, since you’re trapped, and a captive audience, maybe we should talk.”

  “About?” he asked through his com.

  “Your anger issues.”

  He laughed and nearly drew the attention of a passing woman and child.

  “Shhhhh,” Dakota stated.

  “Okay, Mom. I’ll be better behaved.”

  “You really hate being half-white, don’t you?”

  “You could say that.”

  “Why?” he asked.

  The man said nothing.

  “Seriously, what’s the issue?” Dakota knew that if he was going to hold this group together, it was going to mean keeping the peace. That couldn’t happen if one of their team was ready to go off at any second.

  And he was.

  “I don’t fit into either world,” he muttered in a low voice. This wasn’t a good time to be having a conversation, but he was a captive audience.

  It was said so icily that there was no doubt that the man had one hell of a chip on his shoulder.

  “You have a weird vantage point on this.”

  That caught Rogue off guard. He wasn’t expecting that at all. Normally, people told him he had no reason to be pissed, and that only made it worse.

  “What?” he asked, sipping more coffee.

  “I think you’re lucky.” />
  “Are you out of your mind?” Rogue asked, as he continually scanned the area for anyone who looked suspicious.

  “No more than usual. Look at it from my perspective. You’ve got the advantage. You are both ethnicities. You can talk with Zayn and other Natives, and they accept you, and you can move through the white world too by just pulling your hair back. You’ve got the advantage.”

  He didn’t speak.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “No, let’s get ready. It’s time to make our move. We need to get this show on the road. They might find out about Stella sooner rather than later.”

  Dakota knew when he was being told to fuck off. That was Rogue’s warning that he was done discussing it. He didn’t want someone analyzing him, and he didn’t blame him.

  Fine with him.

  “Okay, I have the bag in sight. Do the drop and get back here. We’ll follow it and see where it goes.”

  That worked for him.

  Rogue dropped the unmarked duffel-like bags into the trash can beside him. Then he waited one minute like the instructions stated. Then, he headed out of there and didn’t look back.

  This was new to him.

  Not the drop, not the trickery, or anything else, but the whole ‘trust a team’ was huge for him.

  He did his thing solo.

  As he made his way back to the ride, he found Dakota watching all the cameras he’d planted all around the area.

  “Anything?”

  “Nope.”

  They watched the screens.

  Then it happened. About fifteen minutes later, some guy arrived, dressed as a homeless person and began digging through trash cans all around the area. He was stuffing little ‘treasures’ into his cart.

  When he got to the garbage can that Rogue had stuffed the bags into, he took them and tossed them into his cart before heading away.

  Then, the cameras went out.

  ALL of them.

  “Shit! They’re jamming them,” he stated, hopping out of the car. They both headed into the park and began racing toward the area where the homeless man had been.

  Oh, they found him all right.

  He was bleeding on the ground from a stab wound to the heart. It looked like he was a homeless man helping the abductors. Well, this wasn’t going to work.