Duncan’s Honor (The Aegis Network: Jacksonville Division #7)

Chapter 16

16

C hastity hunched down behind Duncan in the woods on the east side of the house. Their entire plan had changed since a large van showed up. The team they had assembled flanked out around the perimeter but hid in the woods, not wanting to risk being seen. She adjusted her earpiece. Arthur had said no chatter unless necessary.

The silence was making her nuts.

“Look,” Duncan said, pointing toward the back of the house where the van was parked. The door had been pushed open, and two men stood at attention with weapons.

“Over there,” she said. “They took the guard from the front of the house.”

Duncan tapped his ear. “Garth and Hawke, the front door is unmanned.”

The sound of a rock hitting the roof echoed in the night. The man on top of the house turned toward the sound.

Chastity held her breath as Hawke raced across the yard. He pressed his back against the wall and peeked inside.

“Front room is clear,” Hawke said. “Wait. I see movement.”

“What is it?” Chastity asked, her heart racing so fast she figured everyone could hear it thump over the comms system.

“Girls. Not sure how many, but they are bringing them up from the basement.”

“Fuck, they’re moving them,” Duncan said.

“Should we call that FBI agent?” she whispered. “Bo Ingalls.”

“Text him.” Duncan handed her his phone.

“Hawke, can you tell if the girls are handcuffed or restrained in any way?”

“I can,” Arthur’s voice crackled over the system. “And yes. They are. And one girl is wearing a plain blue dress.”

“That’s got to be Serenity,” Chastity said, excitement building in her stomach. She fumbled with Duncan’s phone.

“Anyone have the Rossini boys in their sights? Or his uncle?” Duncan asked.

“The boys are here, but no sign of Anthony,” Logan said. “He wasn’t at his home either.”

“He’s here somewhere,” Duncan mumbled.

“What should I tell Bo?” She held the phone in her trembling hands. Fighting fires came naturally, but a stakeout, not so much. Her cells burned her body and it felt like her entire body trembled with nervous energy. Her sister’s safety was at stake and while she knew these men would do whatever it took, so many things could go wrong.

“Tell him we have intel on kidnapped girls and give him the location.”

“Then what?” She stared at Duncan with horror-filled eyes. “We’re not going to wait for them to come? You’re not going to let them drive out of here?”

“That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Duncan said. “We’ve got a license plate, and we can follow.”

“Keep the chatter down,” Arthur commanded. “And Duncan is right.”

“Like fucking hell,” she mumbled, tossing the phone at Duncan. It bounced off his shoulder and then hit the ground. She scanned the area, searching for a way to the van. If she slashed the tires, that would buy them some time.

The tree line of the woods circled the house, with a tiny clearing across the driveway. The man on the roof stood at the front, facing the water, but he would make his rounds soon enough. If she was going to do this, it had to be now.

“I’m not waiting,” she said.

Duncan grabbed her by the arm. “Yeah, you are. And that’s an order.”

“I don’t work for the Aegis Network and we’re not fighting a fire. Listen, all I need to do is get to the van and slash a?—”

“Chastity,” Buddy interrupted. “I’m closer. I’ll go.”

“Wait,” Ramey said. “That will be the first thing they see, and then they will know we’re here. We can’t risk that.”

Out of the corner of Chastity’s eyes, she saw a second man on the roof. He hadn’t been there before. He pointed in her direction. “We’ve got a different problem,” she said, taking out the binoculars. She focused on the second man when she felt cold metal against her temple and the click of a revolver. “Who do we have here?” a man’s voice asked.

“Put the gun down,” Duncan stood, but the man backhanded him with the butt of his weapon.

He groaned, falling to the ground like a dead fish.

The man grabbed her by the hair and yanked out her earpiece, tossing it to the ground and stepping on it. “Who are you?” the man demanded.

She recognized him as Anthony Rossini.

“Chastity Jade, and you’ve got my sister down there.” She straightened her spine, determined to hold her ground. Her team would have heard Duncan before he was knocked out, and she knew they’d soon have a plan.

Only, she wouldn’t be privy to it, which sucked.

“You’re a little older than we normally deal in, but my clients always like a good sister fantasy.”

She swallowed, hearing the sound of boots crunching against the tall grass. She held her breath, waiting to see someone from her team, but her lungs quickly deflated when the men turned out to be part of Rossini’s gang. They lifted Duncan to his feet and started dragging him across the clearing. He groaned but was still unconscious.

“Move, honey.” Rossini pressed his gun against her back.

Her team was watching. They had to be.

And they would move in soon enough. Until then, she had to make sure Duncan was okay.

When in danger, play dead.

It was a line from a book Duncan’s mother read to him all the time when he and his siblings were little. It had stuck with him his entire life, but he never thought he’d ever use it until some asshole came and hit him with a gun in front of his girlfriend.

Okay, so it turned out to be Arthur’s idea. Just as he was about to jump to his feet, Arthur’s voice echoed in his brain to pretend to be knocked out.

Actually, Duncan wondered if maybe he’d been out for a second and he just thought he heard Arthur’s voice since the earpiece had either fallen out or been removed.

Either way, it was too late to back out of his plan now.

He peeked his eyes open and glanced around as two men dragged him toward the house. He couldn’t see Chastity, but he could smell her lilac perfume, so she had to be close.

“Let me look at my friend. He’s bleeding pretty badly,” Chastity said from somewhere behind him. Thank God.

He hadn’t noticed the warm, tacky sensation until she mentioned blood. He’d been hit harder than that, but he was sure he was fine, other than the pounding headache and the fact that a fucking bastard held Chastity at gunpoint.

“Tell me who else is out there, and I’ll think about it,” Rossini said.

“Just me and him.”

“And me,” Buddy said. His voice came from the west, so maybe near the house.

The men dropped Duncan, and he groaned as he hit the ground face-first, right near the van. He hadn’t realized he was that close, but that should be a good thing.

“Just the three of you?”

“Yes,” Chastity said with a steady voice.

God, she was amazing. Cool under pressure. And she was his girlfriend.

“Well, either way, you’re all dead,” Rossini said. “Here, tie up your boyfriend.”

Duncan opened one eye, and Buddy graced his vision. He sat in a chair on the back porch, arms tied behind his back, and he had the audacity to wink.

Well, at least one man knew Duncan wasn’t unconscious.

He moaned when Chastity took his arms and twisted them behind his back. When her hand reached inside his pocket, his body went rigid.

She placed the knife in his hand and pulled the cable cuff tight around his wrist. Well, not too tight.

Yep. Smart woman.

“Can I at least sit up?” he said, making his voice tremble.

“Sure thing.” One of the men with guns hoisted him to his feet and shoved him on the porch, ramming his ass into a chair next to Buddy. The knife dug into his palm, and he groaned. Warm liquid trickled down his fingers.

He blinked, watching in horror as two men hoisted young girls, tied up, into the back of the van. He sucked in a breath when he eyed Serenity being shoved into the vehicle.

“Chastity!” Serenity tried to break free from the men pushing her, but they kept her restrained.

Chastity, on the other hand, charged forward, but Rossini stepped in her way, hitting her stomach with the butt of a rifle.

“You fucking bastard. Touch my girlfriend again and I won’t kill you quickly. I’ll make you die a slow, miserable death.” Duncan stood and took a fist to his jaw. He tumbled backward, landing on his side. The same guy who hit him yanked him to his feet, shoving him back into the seat.

“Right,” Rossini said. “Let’s go, boys. Get these girls out of here. We’re running late.” He lifted Chastity, cuffed her hands, and tossed her into the van. He closed the doors and banged on the metal.

“You’re not going to get away with this,” Duncan said behind a clenched jaw.

“I just did.” Rossini smiled.

Brake lights filled the night sky as the van punched forward, kicking up gravel.

Buddy leaned over and whispered, “Just so you don’t go all Rambo, Arthur is in the driver’s seat.”

That was pleasant news.

The van disappeared down the long driveway.

Duncan continued to fiddle with the knife, sawing at the plastic tie that bound his hands.

“Come on, boys, let’s go,” Rossini shouted again.

The only people still milling about were the two men who had dragged him across the yard.

“The boys are a little tied up,” Ramey said as he stepped from the back of the house. Hawke and Garth followed, all three holding weapons. They pointed them at the bad guys, who raised their hands, including Joey.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Logan said as he walked from the woods behind the house. Dylan next to him.

Rossini turned just as Duncan freed his hands. “Oh, are you going to regret hitting my girl.” Duncan lunged forward and swung right at Rossini’s nose, hitting it square. Blood gushed as the man fell back. Duncan shook out his hand, a little surprised by the hardness of Rossini’s face. He took a step forward, cocking his fist, but Buddy stopped him.

“He’s not worth it,” Buddy said, squeezing his biceps.

Duncan broke free and made his way to where Garrett had cuffed Joey. Duncan wanted to nail the little bastard, but instead, he poked him in the chest. “If you touched a single hair on Serenity’s head, I will hunt you down, and I will kill you.”

“Duncan. I think you should go to Chastity’s side,” Buddy said.

Flashes of lights filled the night sky. Three police cars and an unmarked vehicle sped down the driveway.

Duncan let out a long breath. “Where did Arthur take the girls?”

“To the inn,” Buddy said, tossing him a set of keys. “We’ll finish up here. Go.”

“Thanks, man. For everything.”

“Just don’t tell my wife I let myself get tied up. It might give her some ideas. Pregnancy hormones have given her sex on the brain. Oh, and I told management about the headboard. Should be fixed by morning.”

“You’re an asshole.”

“That’s why I’m still your work wife.”

“Everyone all right back there?”

Chastity let out a guttural sob when she heard Arthur’s voice. “Get me out of these damn restraints.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Arthur said as the van stopped. Seconds later, he pulled open the back doors. He cut through her restraints, then handed her a knife. “Take care of your sister.”

“Thank you,” she whispered as she gently took her sister’s hands and helped release her from the cuffs. Sirens blasted in the distance. “I’ve got you,” she whispered, holding her sister tight and stroking her hair.

Serenity clutched her around the waist, shivering and crying uncontrollably. Chastity kissed her forehead, rocking back and forth, trying to comfort her while she watched as Arthur carefully took care of the other girls, helping them into the ambulances that rolled in, along with a fire truck and a couple of state trooper vehicles. Minutes ticked by, and still no sign of Duncan.

She was sure his hands were full wrangling with all the bad guys.

Arthur made his way back to the van. “Let’s get you and your sister in that ambulance.” He pointed across the parking lot.

She nodded as Arthur wrapped his arms around her and her sister, helping them walk twenty paces. She sat on the back, still hugging her sister, whose sobs had turned into sniffles.

“Duncan will be here in a few minutes. I’ll have the ambulance wait. Buddy said he should go to the hospital too.”

“Thanks, Arthur. I owe you.” Chastity nodded.

Arthur squeezed her shoulder. “Anything for one of my crew.” He draped a blanket over their shoulders.

Serenity’s shoulders bounced up and down with each heaving breath she took.

“It’s going to be okay,” Chastity said. “You’re safe now.”

“How did you find me?” Serenity asked between guttural sobs.

“Your journal helped. I knew that you hadn’t run off. The rest, well, you can thank Duncan and the rest of my crew and their friends with the Aegis Network.”

Serenity lifted her head. “You’re pulling my leg.”

“Nope.” She cupped her sister’s face. “Those are good men, and they put their lives on the line for you and all these girls.”

“I screwed up so badly. Mom and Dad are going to kill me.” Serenity dropped her head in shame.

“You did mess up, but the only thing Mom and Dad will do is hug you to death. Then maybe ground you until graduation.”

“That’s an entire year away,” Serenity mumbled. “But you know what, after that ordeal, I don’t think I like the real world too much right now.”

“That’s not daily life out here, so don’t let that stop you from discovering exactly who you are. Dad mentioned you want to be a lawyer, and I think if you buckle down and do well in your senior year, they will let you live on campus.”

Serenity wiped her face and laughed. “I thought about a defense attorney, but I think I’d rather be a prosecutor now.”

“Good choice,” Chastity said.

A car screeched to a halt, and Duncan raced from the driver’s side.

“Hey, you,” she said, unable to contain her smile. “Serenity, meet Duncan.”

“As in, the guy, you’re madly in love with?” Serenity asked.

Chastity saw no reason to hide her feelings anymore. If he didn’t love her back, then so be it. “Yeah, that’s the guy.”

Duncan paused mid-step, his mouth gaping open. “Did I hear that correctly? Did you say you love me?”

Chastity let out a long sigh. “No. My sister said that. But since we’re on the subject, it might be true.”

“Thank God, because I love you so much more.” He stood in front of her with a wide smile. “And you…” He reached out and rested his hand on Serenity’s shoulder. “If that asshole even so much as touched you, I want to know, so I can go back down that dirt road and beat the crap out of him.”

Serenity let out a nervous laugh. “Thank you for saving us,” she said as she jumped from the back of the ambulance and hugged Duncan.

“You’re welcome,” he said softly, holding her like a brother might. “Come on, let’s get you both in this ambulance.”

Chastity reached out and touched the side of Duncan’s head.

He winced.

“I think you’re going to need stitches,” Chastity said.

“I feel like I have a worse hangover than after Buddy’s birthday party last year.” He made a face like he just swallowed a lemon.

“Oh God.” She held her stomach as it pitched and swirled like she’d been on a roller coaster for weeks.

“You okay?”

She shook her head before racing off to the side of the ambulance. Thankfully, no one was around to see her lose her cookies, well, except Duncan, who once again held her hair back.

“What’s wrong?” Serenity cried.

“Nothing,” Chastity mumbled, wiping her mouth.

“But you just got sick,” Serenity said.

“It happens when you’re pregnant,” Chastity admitted. No reason she couldn’t tell her family. They should know first.

“What!” Serenity squealed. “You’re going to have a baby? With him?”

“Nice,” Arthur said as he rounded the corner and slapped Duncan on the back. “Congrats, dude. Now let’s get all of you to the hospital. Chastity took a hard hit to the gut, and since she’s with kiddo, we need to get that checked out.”

“Wait, what? Chastity’s going to have a kid with Duncan?” Buddy bent over, hands on knees, and busted out laughing. “Holy shit. Miracles do happen.”

“Shut up, asshole,” Duncan muttered.

Chastity’s cheeks heated. When she’d made the admission, she hadn’t meant to do it to anyone on the team yet—just family.

What was she thinking? They were family.