Broken (Broken Trilogy Book 1)(106)

Cole’s face hardens.

“I can’t wait to feel her under me, Colonel. I can’t wait to hear her whimper and beg when I—”

Cole shoots forward, head butting The American, sending him backwards. The guard with two working eyes knocks Cole in the head with the butt of his rifle, bringing him to his knees.

He cries out as his ears ring, pain exploding in all different directions throughout his head.

The American’s boots clink on the floor as he comes closer. “Take him to the tub. I think the Colonel needs a little reminder who’s in charge here.” He looks at Longhorn. “I need to make a trip into town. Give him ten, then cuff him back to the pipe.”

“Si, señor.”

Cole hears the American leave the room, hears the door shut behind him, and the roar of the engine.

“Change of plans,” Longhorn says to One Eye, “get the back room ready, esé.” He smirks down at Cole. “Time for some fun, Colonel.”



I’ve been a mess for the past three days. I just lie in bed and watch the time tick by wondering where Cole is. I catch myself slipping, thinking the worst, but then I feel guilty for giving up hope. I cry a lot and barely eat. June and Abigail take shifts watching me. Sue has been curled up on my bed most of the time. She needs comforting as much as I do. We both take turns being strong for each other while Daniel and Keith work frantically with Frank trying to use their contacts in México to track down Cole. Mark, John and Paul try to help, but they are all ordered to stand down since it’s now personal for them and two of them are still recovering from their wounds.

Derek is in charge of the new men that Daniel brought in. Everyone seems to be busy doing something but me. I feel stuck between moving forward and wanting to stay in the past when Cole was with me. I hum quietly to my stomach. I find it soothes me and hopefully it soothes the little one too.

I head downstairs, needing a change of scenery, when shouting from the entertainment room has me heading that way. I peek around the corner at what is happening. Everyone in the room seems to be waiting for a video to start.

“All it says is that it’s a message for Team Blackstone,” Daniel says, looking pale.

The video comes into focus and I reach for the wall for support. Cole is on his knees, beaten, shirtless and sweaty a nasty cut running along his torso. Blood drips in trails over his face from a gash on his head. His mouth is gagged and his wrists are cuffed in front of him. He looks up into the camera making my heart stand still. Everyone gasps and cries out. Mark stands, moving closer to the TV.

A man stands next to Cole, his hands are crossed in front. Then I see it he’s holding a large machete. I freeze not breathing. My brain begs me to look away but I can’t.

“All you had to do was return her,” the man says as the camera moves up to his face. “Blackstone killed twenty-eight of our men. Now I will kill one of yours and will continue killing until you give us what we want.” The camera zooms in on his face then slowly moves down his body to the knife held over Cole’s neck.

Cole is breathing hard, his sweat beads obvious in the close up zoom.

Suddenly the flash of the machete moves quickly. The force of the cut sends Cole’s body in a twist and it slumps to the ground. Blood sprays everywhere including onto the camera lens.

Everything goes silent. People are moving in slow motion around me. I lock eyes with Mark who has heard me gasp and discovers me watching them.

He looks horrified and frozen, staring at me, making everyone turn to see me standing there.

Daniel cups his mouth in horror while Paul and John gasp, rising to their feet. A sharp cramp in my lower stomach has me crying out and I fall forward as pain grips me in a vice.

Mike is standing nearest, and he leaps toward me cradling my head before I hit the floor.

The physical pain is overpowering. I gasp, trying to catch my breath. My fingers claw at my stomach, What the hell is happening?

“Call the doctor!” Keith shouts as he flies to my side.

I see the horror in his face when his eyes flicker to my stomach.

Daniel pushes Mike out of the way and bends down toward my ear.

“Shh, sweetheart,” he whispers through a sob, “Just breathe.” He strokes my hair murmuring something to Keith.

Everything goes black.




“Her HCG levels are low,” a nurse says as I stare at the wall, expressionless, everything numb. “Twenty-six forty. I’ll go check the results of her urine test.” She nods to the doctor as she leaves the room.

“Savannah, do you feel any discomfort?” I feel so much pain the idea of pinpointing a single one seems impossible.

Daniel touches my hand tears streaming down his face as he bent down to my eye level.