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Carlo seems eager to move up in the ranks. It’s either that or he just enjoys hurting people. The moment Sr. demanded answers, Carlo began to taunt her father with more painful encouragement to spill his guts. Alberto is holding her gently by the upper arms to keep her from rushing forward and getting hit again, or worse, a knife wound. Her anger and frustration have surpassed any fear she’s felt. These people have taken her mother from her, caused her many lost nights of sleep, and too many tears to count. She hates them and wishes she could do something to help her father and brother.
“Answer the damn questions!” Carlo demands, holding the long knife in front of her father’s eye, which can still open although only about half way. “Give us what we want…or I’ll use this on your daughter.” Her father turns his head to Russo, Jr. who makes no moves to say or do anything. Carlo spins, stalks a few steps, and grabs Ruby from Alberto’s grasp before dragging her closer to her father. Russo Jr. moves toward them.
“Carlo,” Jr. growls. Carlo pauses, then glances over his shoulder at Sr. Whatever response he gets, he brings the knife up to Ruby’s face, pressing the blade to her left jaw. She feels nothing at first as he begins to draw the blade across her skin. Then a sharp stinging, burn sets in as she feels warmth flowing down her neck.Oh God! Has he slit her throat?Another burn comes as Carlo drags the knife across her upper chest. The horrified look on her father’s face is too much.
Closing her eyes, Tank’s handsome face with his beastly grin flits through her mind. He’s the last image she wants to see before she leaves this harsh world behind. Regret flows through her at all the things they’ll never get to experience. More walks along the beach, holding their first-born child, growing old and gray together. How can destiny be so cruel to give her a taste of true love and happiness only to have it snatched away before she can savor it? At least she had a taste.
Bang! Bang!
Even with her eyes closed, Ruby can see the suddenly blinding light filling the room as the explosions rock the room. Her eyes fly open, but she can barely make anything out through the smoke and neon blobs floating in front of her vision. Her ears are ringing. She can make out images of bodies moving, but she can’t hear anything. Carlo drops his hold on her. She crumples to the floor in shock.
* * *
Tank followsHawk through the back door. His rifle up sweeping back and forth as he searches for targets. The flash grenades have left a cloud of smoke in the room. It’s dissipating quickly as air flows out the door they’ve just busted through. Tank passes between Ruby’s father and brother still tied to their chairs. His concern isn’t for them. He needs to find Ruby.
A figure emerges from the smoke, the man with the knife rushes at him. Tank drops the man with a bullet to the center of his forehead. Tank steps over the body, tripping on his next step. Looking down, he sees long red hair and the slender outline of Ruby’s body. Dropping his hold on his rifle, knowing the sling will keep it to his body, he drops to his knees, scooping her up into his arms.
“Beautiful.” His voice is harsh, broken sounding. There’s no response. He sweeps her hair away from her face. His hand is sticky with blood. Looking down he sees her shirt is now soaked in it. The metallic scent hitting him, causing bile to rise in his throat.Fuck! Did they kill her when the grenades went off?
“Straw! Wallace!” Tank bellows as loud as he can, knowing there’s still fighting going on around him. He heard a couple of shots go off besides his own when he first entered the room. Now, however, all he can hear is the impact of flesh and bones hitting together with the occasional grunt. He looks down once more. “Beautiful, speak to me!” Tank pulls her to his chest, needing to feel her body against his own. He wishes like hell there wasn’t so much gear between them. Suddenly, brown eyes are staring up at him in confusion. Movement to his left causes him to shift his body to protect Ruby from whatever danger is coming at them. He holds Ruby with his left arm while grabbing his rifle with his right.
Russo, Jr. emerges from the swirling smoke. His face twisted into a scowl of rage. He rushes at Tank. Tank lifts his rifle but doesn’t have to fire. Russo suddenly jerks his shoulders back just as a gush of blood and tissue erupt from his chest. Tank manages to skirt him and Ruby out of the way as Russo’s body lands with a thud next to them. Tank looks to where Russo just came from seeing, Hawk standing there with his rifle still at the ready a faint whiff of smoke trails from the tip. Tank dips his head in acknowledgement of Hawk’s save.
Then Straw and Wallace both appear at Tank’s side. He looks back down at Ruby. She still staring at him with wonder in her eyes. Her hand comes up shakily to touch the side of his face.
“You’re really here,” she whispers. “I knew you’d come for me, Tucker.” Seeing the blood flowing from a long cut along her left jaw tears him up. A second later, and large male hand slaps an equally large white bandage over her wound, holding pressure.
“I’ll always come for you, beautiful.” Tank’s voice thick with emotion. He places a kiss to her forehead as he clears his throat before continuing, “I told you from day one, you’re mine. I take care of what’s mine.” She nods, and despite her injuries, a sweet smile crosses her face. Another hand comes into view with more gauze, a stethoscope, and other medical equipment, but Tank doesn’t look to see who is doing what. He just holds his woman while his teammates cover her wounds, check her vitals, and give her a quick once over.
Hawk is barking orders into the comms. More of the team enters the room, they secure any of the tangos who aren’t already dead. The informant approaches Hawk with a rather uncooperative woman in his grasp. Hawk turns to greet the man.
“You agent, Monroe?” Hawk asks. The man nods. He looks over at Tank and Ruby, and his face pinches into a frown.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t prevent her being injured.” The young man blows out a breath. “I…I tried, but everything at the end happened so fast.” Hawk holds his hand out to shake the young man’s hand.
“We appreciate everything you did,” Hawk tells him. “I’m sure things could have been much worse had you not been here.” The man nods again. The woman tries to pull her arm free. She steps toward Hawk, her gaze landing on Russo, Jr.’s body still sprawled on the floor. No one has bothered to cover him. She shrieks, and all eyes turn to her, even Russo, Sr. who’s attempting to argue with Mercury and Worm who are zip tying his hands behind his back.
“No! No! No!” the woman screams over and over as she stares down at the bloody scene.
“Julianna, shut up!” Russo, Sr. yells at her. “You’re being ridiculous. He wasn’t your son.” Tank is surprised to hear sadness in the man’s voice. Even when they are hard on them, hardened criminals love their children. The woman turns her head and glares at him. S.r raises his eyebrows in shock that she would dare look at him in such a way.
“I loved him,” she declares. “He loved me, too.” She looks around the room as if noticing everyone else for the first time. Her gaze lands on Ruby laying in Tank’s arms. “You!” she shouts and points at them. “It’s all her fault. She got him killed.” Julianna’s voice breaks as she continues, “She killed the father of my child. Oh God!” She wails. “What am I going to do?”
Tank looks over to see Sr.’s face pale at the woman’s admission, then flood deep red. He attempts to break loose from the men holding him. “You whore!” He yells. “My wife fucking my own son?” Agent Monroe shakes his head. Poor man has been front and center to all the family dysfunction.
Spock and Merlin appear at Tank’s side and begin assembling a stretcher. Tank shakes his head. Ruby won’t be laying on that stretcher unless her injuries are worse than he saw when he first looked her over. He’ll be carrying her in his arms back to the aircraft.
“Talk to me.” Tank looks up to meet Straw’s gaze. “How bad?” He forces his fear down as he waits for the answer. There’s so much blood. Tank has seen plenty of wounds in the field, knowing some areas bleed worse than others and still not be fatal. If she was one of his brothers on the team, he’d tell them to suck it up, they’re going to be fine, but she isn’t one of them. This is Ruby. She is his world, the air he breathes. She is sunshine, happiness, and calms his soul.
“She has a couple long, nasty cuts, but they don’t appear to be too deep,” Straw answers. “Her lungs and heart sound good. Blood pressure is a little low, but that can be from dehydration and shock. We’ll need to stitch her up to quell the bleeding. I’ll start and IV, give her some fluids, and something for pain.” Tank blows out a breath. She’ll need to be assessed at the Naval hospital once they return, but she’s alive.
Tank turns to Spock and Merlin. “Check on her father and brother.” Tank motions with his head toward the two men in the chairs. “I’m sure they are going to need patching up, too.” The two men step over to the men in the chairs, pulling their supplies from the packs on their backs.
Hawk kneels down next to him. “How’s your woman?” His face contorted in concern.
“Alive.” It’s all Tank can manage to say. Hawk looks over at her. He quirks an eyebrow at Straw, who gives a run-down of Ruby’s injuries. Hawk pulls his phone to his ear.
“Hey, yeah we got her,” Hawk says into the phone. “Could be worse. Let Abigail know? Yeah, I figured you are all over there. How’s Abi holding up?” He listens a moment. Straw’s ears perking up at the mention of his woman’s name. “I’ll pass it on. Be safe, love. We’ll be home soon. I love you, too.” Hawk looks up at them.
