Finished (Auctioned Book 5), page 1
Finished
Book #5, Auctioned Series
Cara Dee
Finished
Copyright © 2021 by Cara Dee
All rights reserved
This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment and may not be reproduced in any way without documented permission of the author, not including brief quotes with links and/or credit to the source. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. This is a work of fiction and all references to historical events, persons living or dead, and locations are used in a fictional manner. Any other names, characters, incidents, and places are derived from the author’s imagination. The author acknowledges the trademark status and owners of any wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction. Characters portrayed in sexual situations are 18 or older.
Edited by Silently Correcting Your Grammar, LLC.
Formatted by Eliza Rae Services.
Contents
Auctioned
Thank You
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
More from Cara
About Cara
Auctioned
A Series Within the Camassia Cove Universe
Camassia Cove is a town in northern Washington created to be the home of some exciting love stories. Each novel taking place here is a standalone—with the exception of sequels and series within the CC universe—and they vary in genre and pairing. What they all have in common is the town in which they live. Some are friends and family. Others are complete strangers. Some have vastly different backgrounds. Some grew up together. It’s a small world, and many characters will cross over and pay a visit or two in several books—Cara’s way of giving readers a glimpse into the future of their favorite characters. Oh, who is she kidding; they are characters she’s unable of saying good-bye to. But, again, each novel stands on its own, and spoilers will be avoided as much as possible.
Finished is the fifth and last book in the Auctioned series, which takes place in the Camassia Cove Universe, and all five books center around Gray and Darius. It is not required to read previous Camassia novels to get the full enjoyment of this one, but if you’re interested in keeping up with secondary characters, the town, the timeline, and future novels, check out Camassia Cove’s own site at www.camassiacove.com.
Auctioned | Stranded | Deserted | Played | Finished
Get social with Cara
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Thank You
This series has been such a wild ride for me, and I’ve loved every minute of it. A big thank-you to everyone who’s helped me in my research. I’ve had the honor of interviewing some amazing fighters, from Jarheads and risk assessment consultants to medical professionals and support group counselors. Keep sharing your stories. People need to hear them.
Another big thank-you to Lisa, Eliza, and my Sadist. What would I do without you?
Last but not least, all of you. The readers who turned the pages and were right there next to Gray and Darius on their journey. I’m so fortunate to be able to share my stories with you, and I hope you’ll enjoy the last installment of the Auctioned Series.
Just remember, in Camassia, the end never means it’s over.
One
There was no point in telling Reese to go faster. He was going as fast as the truck allowed, his hard stare pinned on the dark road ahead, his knuckles white from his tight grip on the wheel.
Gray couldn’t take his eyes off the speedometer. Except for when he glanced down at his watch.
One minute and twelve seconds had passed since Willow screamed out that the guys were collapsing in the compound.
One minute and twelve seconds since Gray’s heart had become firmly lodged in his throat.
A million thoughts constantly tried to stab at Gray’s concentration, and he couldn’t afford to let a single one in. The whispers, the questions, the fears—all of them swirled around in his head. I didn’t know there were gonna be so many victims. Darius better fucking live. Did Alicia release the carbon monoxide anyway? How do we get the guys to the hospital? Gray swallowed hard, his knees bouncing restlessly. He was squeezed into the middle seat between Reese and Niko, and it was suffocating. The second they made it back to the old brothel, he was gonna dive out of the truck. He already felt like Niko was in the way and would delay him.
Precisely everything had gone sideways.
Because Alicia had fucked them over. She’d been working against them from the start.
Gray wanted to murder her.
He closed his eyes for a few seconds and tried to take a deep breath. Focus. Get to the compound. Find Darius. He had to be okay. He had to. Willow hadn’t been able to see him on any of the cameras she’d hacked into, and apparently there were only three. One in the showroom where they’d hosted auctions, one in the back where victims had been held, and one concealed in the lobby.
River was passed out in the back, in the same room where he’d been interrogating Alfred Lange. Dante and Elliott had dropped in the showroom, and—
“G-guys,” Willow stammered. Gray adjusted his earpiece to hear better, past Willow’s panic and heavy breathing. “We have m-movement. Tariq—mask—he’s dragging—” She cut off with a pained whimper that felt like a knife to Gray’s chest. “I-I have to c-call someone.”
“Don’t talk,” Gray commanded, barely recognizing his own voice. It came out sharp and dark, reminding him too much of someone with more authority. “We’re almost there. Focus on your breathing, Willow.”
She’d already saved them more than once.
“Twenty seconds,” Reese said quietly, just as tense as the rest of them. “Gear up.”
Gray reached for his gas mask on the dash and strapped it properly around his head. Niko did the same. The rescue unit wasn’t supposed to face any threats whatsoever, so they didn’t have full combat gear, just utility pants, long-sleeved tees, boots, handguns, and a knife or two.
“Gray, I understand you’ll run for Darius right away,” Reese said. “Just like I will get my brother out of there first—but there’s no playing favorites after that. We help whoever we find.”
That went without saying.
Nausea crawled up Gray’s throat as the brothel came into view, but he pushed it down. He pushed everything down, leaving only his training. Darius’s voice in his head was as clear as ever, and Gray clung to it. He needed to hear Dare’s rough yet smooth whiskey voice calling him knucklehead.
In that voice, he imagined Darius reminding him that panic did no one any good. Keep your emotions in check. Focus.
To Niko’s credit, he opened the door and flew out before Reese had stopped fully behind their other truck, and it catapulted Gray into action. With his heart threatening to pound its way out of his body, he rounded the big truck, ran up to the remains of the brothel, and tore through it. Then down the concrete steps in one of the back rooms and into the compound’s lobby.
I’m coming for you, baby.
He’d just veered left when he came to a screeching halt in the narrow corridor. Tariq was there, wearing a mask, and dragging a lifeless…someone. Gray peered closer, just a quick glance, and recognized Ryan’s face.
“You’re here. Go,” Tariq urged, breathing heavily. “Hurry! Darius is in the kitchen.”
Gray didn’t need to be told twice. He left Tariq behind and ran down the hall, grabbing his gun on the way just in case. Through the showroom, where Gray did everything in his power to shut out the images that wanted to assault him. He’d been through too much, and tonight he’d seen too much, too.
The bodies strewn all over the floor didn’t bother him in the slightest. Justice had been served. It was the knowledge that young, innocent people had stood before the vile monsters that sickened him. Monsters that put a price tag on someone’s life.
“River!” Reese yelled somewhere.
“Niko, Dante and Elliott are here!” Gray barked out. He was sure he’d just seen Dante move, too; maybe he wasn’t out completely.
Gray darted through the doorway on the other side of the large room. It was darker back here, and he felt his senses sharpen, his heart beat faster, his pulse going through the roof. Too many doors, too many fucking doors. But one was open, two doors down, and he poked his head in. At the same time as his hand found a light switch, his vision adjusted enough to notice the big form on the floor.
“Darius.” He didn’t register flicking on the light or tucking away his gun, only that it was suddenly bright, and he rushed forward to roll Darius onto his back. “Baby, wake up.” He smacked Darius’s cheeks lightly and quickly searched the floor for a gas mask. When he didn’t find one, he removed his own and placed it over Darius’s face. “I’ll get you out of here.” Then he stood up and hitched his arms under Darius’s armpits.
You’ll be fine, you’ll be fine, you’ll be fine.
Gray gnashed his teeth and dragged Darius out of the room. Or kitchen. Christ, all impressions sank in too late. Same with the cuts and scrapes on Darius’s face. Or… Shit. The blood. Darius was losing blood. Didn’t Ryan patch him up? Gray had been ready to throw fists earlier when they’d first arrived at the compound and he hadn’t had the time to even see Darius. Not for a second. They’d had to bring twenty-two victims to safety, and Ryan had been busy with Darius back here. According to Ryan, “to patch him up a bit” after an encounter with a guard’s gun.
“Why do you always end up with bullet wounds?” Gray growled. He looked over his shoulder, gauging the distance to the corridor, then did his best to speed up. The air didn’t smell or feel different, but he knew he had to get out quickly.
Niko rushed by to grab Dante, having already brought Elliott out of there.
Gray stepped it up further and ran backward, and he almost crashed into Reese in the lobby, who was dragging a lifeless River.
River had his own mask, which Reese must’ve put on him. It made Gray wonder where Darius’s mask was. They had to have noticed something. Dizziness, maybe? Nausea? Something, before they passed out.
“I’m too old for this,” Reese gritted out.
Gray took a heaving breath and hauled Darius up the stairs. Sweat started beading along his forehead, and his arms ached. He didn’t wanna know how he’d feel if they hadn’t trained like lunatics the past several weeks.
“I can help,” Gray panted. “Stay there.”
Reese shook his head. “It’s fine. Put on your mask again and help Niko. I’ll be right there.”
Panic seized Gray’s chest for a beat. He dragged Darius across to where Tariq was hovering over Elliott, having opened his Kevlar vest. The thought of leaving Darius now was crippling. Gray had to make sure he was okay. Did they call an ambulance? Their whole goal had been to be invisible in Nevada, except for Darius. His whereabouts hadn’t been secret.
How did you treat someone with carbon monoxide poisoning? Was CPR even good? Did mouth-to-mouth just make shit worse? Gray wasn’t a fucking doctor. He didn’t know these things.
“Leave him with me,” Tariq said, turning around to check in on Ryan. His vest was open too. Tariq leaned down and checked Ryan’s pulse. “They are both breathing.”
It was a disturbing sight. One that only lasted for a second before Gray had to continue with his task, but seeing Darius, Elliott, Ryan, and River lying there, without any outward signs of life, was gonna haunt Gray for years to come.
“Make sure he’s breathing,” he rasped, grabbing his mask again. Then he descended the stairs once more and put on his mask. He ran down the corridor toward the back rooms, the fluorescent lights flickering in the ceiling.
Every fiber of his being screamed at him to turn back, to be with Dare until he woke up. Instead, Gray was down here searching for a conniving bitch, the head of a human trafficking ring, and the aforementioned head’s son.
Revulsion rumbled in his stomach. He opened every door, each one revealing small rooms with very little in them. Hooks on the walls, water bowls for dogs on the floor, the occasional bloodied towel… And the smell. The smell of disinfectants that was all too familiar. It was a specific odor, a strong one that burned his nose. Ammonia mixed with lemon and chemicals.
Fear was written on the black-painted walls. Gray didn’t need to see any proof to know that innocent boys and girls had suffered in these little rooms.
He swallowed hard and shook off the memories, then forced himself to move forward.
He flicked on the lights and found a lifeless AJ Lange in the next room.
Gray walked over to him. The man was lying on his side, hands and feet zip-tied.
“Are you alive?” He nudged AJ’s stomach with his boot. No response.
Gray sucked his teeth, and his decision was made in a fraction of a second before he pulled back and kicked AJ as hard as he could in his stomach. “You fucking monster!” Then he planted his boot against AJ’s knees and shoved them down so the man lay straighter. Still on his side. Gray couldn’t resist. He kicked the son of a bitch again—in his stomach, right in the balls, and in his face. The crunch of AJ’s nose was unbelievably satisfying.
Did blood gush after death? If not, AJ was clearly alive.
Gray hooked one arm under AJ’s arm and hauled him out of the room, giving no fucks whatsoever on being careful. Niko and Reese ran past to search the rest of the rooms, and Gray made space for them, accidentally slamming the back of AJ’s head against a wall.
“Do you h-hear me?” Willow’s voice crackled through.
“I hear you,” Gray replied.
“There’s someone coming,” she croaked. “Darius and Ryan c-can k-kill me later. I had to ask for a f-favor.” She was still anxious as hell. “A d-doctor will be there in ten minutes. No questions asked. It’s safe.”
Gray wasn’t equipped to deal with strategy and risk assessment. All he heard was “doctor”; he could not be more on board, and he was quick to thank Willow.
Mere minutes later, Alicia, Alfred, AJ, and some other fucker Gray hadn’t known existed were piled against a wall right outside the compound door. Niko had made sure their restraints were tight. They couldn’t reach the stairs leading to the brothel upstairs, much less run away. They weren’t awake yet anyway, so it didn’t matter.
Niko volunteered to watch over them, and it almost pulled Gray into a flashback from the island. Niko’s stoic expression, how he folded his arms over his chest, how he stared at his target. The guy carried so much anger in him.
Returning upstairs, Gray heard Reese call his name and say that the arrival was here.
As soon as Gray reached the top of the stairs, he glanced over at Darius and swallowed his queasiness. He hated, hated, hated this. All the men were breathing, but their pulses were weak. Tariq had coaxed them to move a little; Dante seemed almost lucid, Elliott groaned slightly every now and then, River had woken up briefly to puke, and Ryan had moved his fingers and turned his head.
Darius hadn’t moved an inch.
A lone flashlight hung from a rusty nail on the wall, casting a pale glow over the men. Too pale. Almost ghostly.
“Hey, kid.” Reese jerked his chin toward the exit. “The sooner we get this doctor here, the sooner your man will wake up. Tariq will look out for him.”
Gray nodded once and exchanged a quick glance with Tariq, then headed out with Reese. They both had their guns ready—but lowered—and there better not be any more surprises.
A nice car had pulled up right outside the gate. Or, where there used to be a gate. Just the metal framework of it remained. The fence that once went around the property was mostly gone too.
With only the moon providing light, it was difficult to detect any threat or sudden movement. A man and a woman stepped out of the vehicle, and the man lit up a smoke. Tucked into his jeans was a handgun, very visible against his white shirt.
Gray and Reese stayed on the steps, some twenty feet away from the newcomers.
“Are you the doctor?” Reese asked.
The man cocked his head and took a drag from his smoke. “You talkin’ to me? That’s a sexist assumption, man. My daughter’s the docta’.”
Gray narrowed his eyes. Who the hell had Willow called?
The two walked closer, and the man was clearly protective. He draped an arm around his daughter and told Reese and Gray to put away their guns. Otherwise, no one was gonna get to see the doctor today.
Reese nodded subtly to Gray and tucked away his piece.
Gray followed suit.
“How armed are the two men staying behind in the car?” Reese asked.
Shit. Gray stiffened. He hadn’t noticed.
The man and his daughter were closer now, almost to the steps, and his smirk was unmistakable. So was his appearance. He looked to be around Darius’s age.
“To the teeth.”
Wonderful.
Gray was still wary, but he trusted Willow. They stepped aside so the two could pass, and Gray side-eyed the woman. She was closer to his own age, maybe a couple years older if she was a doctor, but she couldn’t have been practicing for long.
