Victim (Damaged Devils #16)

Chapter Four

Cannon had lain awake way too long, thinking about that kiss. He peeked out his bedroom window to make sure he didn’t miss a workout with Xan. Xan was nowhere to be seen. Disappointment hit. He started the shower. Throughout his shower, Cannon zoned out. Why had Xan kissed him? Was it just to prove a point? Fuck. It had been an amazing kiss. Goddamn it. Cannon wanted to do it again. He had always recognized Xan was gorgeous. Blond hair, blue eyes, cut jaw and body. Who wouldn’t think he was perfect? But Cannon’s ass was always on the line with Xan. Cannon just hadn’t looked at him in that light. Now, he couldn’t stop.

He dragged his feet through his morning routine. Cannon wasn’t sure he was ready to face Xan just yet. There was no avoiding it. With a breath for strength, Cannon opened his bedroom door and froze. The front door hung from its hinges. The place was trashed. A trail of blood led out the front door. Cannon’s heart stopped and started again. Xan’s bedroom door stood open. From Cannon’s vantage point, he could see the room torn to bits. Blood splattered the white comforter. Cannon’s feet moved faster than his brain. He raced through the cabin and burst into the room. All Xan’s things were scattered. His phone was on the floor. There was blood everywhere. Cannon turned in a circle. His mind raced. He headed for the busted front door. If there was any chance Xan was outside, fighting for his life, Cannon needed to find him. As he cleared the doorway, a sea of black SUVs poured into the driveway. Agents spilled out. Cannon’s mind couldn’t keep up with the shocks. Then he spotted a familiar face. His old partner, Gable, who had been promoted a few years back, led the pack. He carried a black backpack. As he climbed the porch steps, he passed the bag Cannon’s way.

“We got here as soon as we could. The perimeter alarm alerted us as soon as the area was breached. That’s your gear. Jake wants you in charge of this.”

All Cannon could do was blink. “I don’t even know what happened. The place is trashed, and I didn’t hear a thing.”

Gable didn’t react, as if he wasn’t surprised. “Did you have anything to drink last night?”

Cannon shook his head, and then he remembered something. He had snatched the cigar Xan had left behind and finished it. Fuck. He had been high as hell by the time he finally passed out. Cannon had to turn the questioning away from him. “Tell me what you know so far.” Cannon listened while pulling his gear from the bag. His gun, badge, handcuffs, a new phone, and a bullet-proof vest were inside. He geared up, getting ready to do whatever it took as soon as possible.

“From what we picked up on camera, five men burst through the door two hours ago. A few minutes later, they dragged out a visibly unconscious Xan. All the men were dressed in black, keeping their identities hidden, but the man waiting behind the wheel hadn’t covered his face.” Gable produced a tablet. He pulled up a still shot. “This is Fediz Sidorov. He’s from the same Russian society as Xan. His people have thrown around several threats over the years. They believe Xan has fed society information to the government.”

Cannon studied the face. “They waited a long time to take him. ”

Gable shrugged. “Normally, Xan is surrounded by agents. Out here, I suppose they thought he was vulnerable. They thought wrong. As you know, every inch of this place is wired.”

Cannon met Gable’s stare. “You know where they’ve taken him.” It wasn’t a question. They both knew someone as high up as Xan couldn’t disappear from the planet. Cannon wouldn’t be surprised if they had him chipped like a dog.

An evil-looking smile stretched Gable’s lips. “We know where they’ve taken him.”

Cannon checked his weapon to ensure it was fully loaded before shoving into its holster. “Okay. I want three teams. You come with me. I need you to fill me in on every inch of where he’s being kept along the way.” They headed for the nearest SUV. Cannon could quit tomorrow. Today, he had to save his friend.

Everything hurt. Xan measured each breath. Nothing was broken, but he was definitely bruised. While Xan had been built for this abuse, it had—admittedly—been a while since he had taken a beating. His wrists were raw from the ropes binding his wrists. The taste of blood filled his mouth. He ran his tongue across his teeth, checking them one by one. It seemed the blood came from his teeth, cutting into his lips. He was good. Xan could handle this .

He eyed his surroundings. The warehouse had a ton of dust lingering in the air. He fought to keep his eyes open. Xan was getting too old to be up all night, getting his ass handed to him. From his angle, Xan could see inside an open doorway. It looked to be an old break room. Six men surrounded a table, drinking and playing cards. Yeah. He should have finished that cigar last night. Maybe then he could find a halfway comfortable spot to sleep while tied to a chair. Damn. He had forgotten how badly this sucked. America had made him soft.

A loud boom sent the men scrambling. Agents poured through the door, led by Cannon. Fuck. He looked hot. In his element. For all his drinking and bitching, he hadn’t lost his game. His face was set in hard lines as he crossed the warehouse, heading Xan’s way. Agents watched his back, taking down and handcuffing Xan’s kidnappers. Xan never looked away from Cannon. The man had been born to do this job.

With his weapon sweeping from side to side, as Cannon watched for danger, the distance between them disappeared. Cannon dropped to one knee. He set his gun aside and went to work on Xan’s binds.

“You can thank me for rescuing your ass later.”

A laugh burst from Xan at the humor in Cannon’s voice. The guy was clearly enjoying himself. He lived for this job. “Fuck you. If you didn’t sleep like the goddamn dead, I wouldn’t be in this position. ”

Cannon’s laughing gaze focused on Xan. “What? You couldn’t handle six guys alone? Weak.”

Xan couldn’t look away from Cannon. This was the real him. Happy. Brave. “I guess your job has some legit days, after all. You get to call yourself my hero.”

Cannon shook his head, but he didn’t stop smiling. With Xan’s ropes gone, Cannon grabbed his weapon and moved back to his feet. “Can you walk?”

“Other than my ass being asleep, yeah.”

Cannon still helped him to his feet. He searched Xan for injuries. “What did the guys hope to gain by this?”

“Money. Isn’t it always about money? I suppose they think the U.S. owes them payment for my services.” He dipped his chin, ensuring Cannon met his stare. Xan needed him to understand this part because Cannon didn’t get it. “People like me. We’re never free. Not really. These people see us as property they can reclaim at any moment. There’s not a single one of us who wouldn’t die before we went back.”

Cannon didn’t react. “Your leg is bleeding. Lean on me until we’re out of here and I can get a better look at your injuries.”

Xan bit back a sigh and draped his arm over Cannon’s shoulders. Cannon didn’t want to soften at the idea of Xan’s team. He was so fucking set in his ways. Together, they made their way toward the door. Xan glanced toward the six men on their stomachs with their hands behind their backs .

Cannon followed his gaze. He pointed toward Gable. “I want to talk to these guys. I have questions.”

Gable made a dismissive gesture. “Worry about him right now. You can question these guys later. They’re not going anywhere.”

With a nod, Cannon helped Xan outside to a waiting SUV. Xan opened the door and sat sideways across the passenger seat. Cannon put his rifle in the backseat before returning to inspect Xan’s leg.

“There was so much blood back at the cabin, I didn’t know what I would find.”

Xan nodded and lifted his shirt. “Yeah. One of those bastards stabbed me.”

Cannon immediately jumped into action. “Why didn’t you say something sooner? I’ll get you a medic.”

Xan waved off the suggestion. He had known his black shirt hid the damage. “It’s fine. They just grazed me. I’ve had much worse.”

The exasperation in Cannon’s expression was almost comical. “It’s not about what you can handle. It’s about your health.”

“I’m good.” Cannon’s concern moved him more than Xan cared to admit. His hands landed on Cannon’s hips. It was out of his control. The way Cannon looked bursting through that door still lingered in his mind. “You saved me.”

Cannon shuffled closer. “Well, despite everything, you’re not a complete ass.” He shuffled even closer. “Plus, I couldn’t let you die until you answered a question that’s driving me crazy.”

“What’s that?”

“Why did you kiss me?” Cannon didn’t blush. He was completely straightforward.

“For the same reason I plan to do so again, because I want to.” He hauled Cannon forward and claimed his mouth. It hurt. Fuck, it hurt. Cuts lined the inside of his mouth, forcing him to keep things short. Plus, they could get caught at any second. Xan didn’t care, but Cannon likely did.

Cannon pulled away, looking sexy and aroused. It took his breath. “Damn. That had to hurt. Maybe heal a little before you try again.”

A smirk pulled at Xan’s lips. Oh, it would happen again. Xan could guarantee that.