The MacKenzie Family 6 - Cade - Liliana Hart,
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//-->CADE – A MACKENZIE NOVELBy Liliana HartCopyright 2012 by Liliana HartSmashwords EditionThis ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or givenaway to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase anadditional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was notpurchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.PrologueMiami, Two Years AgoCade MacKenzie knew fear.It pressed against his chest and squeezed at his heart every time his lover screamed in pain. Shestared at him out of wild eyes that had melted like dark chocolate when she’d climaxed in his armsonly a few hours before. She’d been soft and pliant against him, his name a chant on her lips, as heburied himself inside her.But now those eyes were full of terror, the bruise on the side of her face already discolored andher lips swollen and bleeding where Miguel del Fuego had taken his fist to her—a man who nevershowed remorse or guilt over terrorizing women or children. Carmen had been caught giving thelocation for del Fuego’s next drug shipment to the DEA, and there were no second chances with thecartel leader. Not even for his own daughter.Cade and Carmen had been dragged from bed in the middle of the night, both of them naked, theevidence of their passion still evident on their damp skin. They’d been blindfolded and beaten, andCade knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was no one’s fault but his own. He’d been so wrappedup in the woman, so desperate to be inside her, that he hadn’t swept his room for bugs. He hadn’tfound one in over two years. Miguel had begun to trust him, to groom him to take over the cartel. ButCade had let his guard down and taken that trust for granted, and now they would both pay the price.Cade knew the warehouse they’d been taken to well—the large wooden crates stacked against thewalls, the oil-stained concrete, the black panel vans parked in the center of the space. He’d spent theafternoon there himself, making sure everything was in place for the shipment of Miguel’s new daterape drug to come into the US from Colombia. Its street name wasRabbit,and it was particularlydangerous because it could be administered through the skin. One touch of the powder against a handor the back of the neck, and the person it had been given to wouldn’t care where, who or how manythey were fucking. Man or woman. Even as their minds screamed no, their bodies would betray themand beg yes. If it was injected into the bloodstream, there was no chance for survival.There had been too many deaths over the last several years because of the drug, and Cade hadbeen selected to infiltrate del Fuego’s cartel and take them down once and for all.The warehouse was bugged and his team was aware of the shipment coming in. It would beunloaded at the docks and brought to the warehouse for safekeeping until it could be distributed to delFuego’s suppliers. But the shipment wasn’t supposed to happen for another four hours, and Cadeknew there was a chance he and Carmen could be shit out of luck as far as having anyone in place fora rescue.Cade’s own wounds were severe and made it difficult to stay conscious. The gunshot wound tohis shoulder bled freely—too freely—and he had at least three cracked ribs. But with every blow hereceived, he kept his eyes steady on Carmen’s, hoping his courage would be her strength. He wasproud of her. She didn’t beg for mercy as she was beaten. She stared at her father with all the hatredand loathing she’d always felt for him. She’d spent twenty-two years being his prisoner, and she’dknown it was only a matter of time before she became his guinea pig for the drug he was so proud of.When Cade had gone undercover in del Fuego’s cartel three years before, he’d had every intentionof seducing Carmen into giving him the information the DEA needed to shut down the cartel. He’d hadno problems lying to her, or spinning a future together he had no plans of delivering. But Carmen hadsurprised him. Her sweet, shy smiles, and her need for love had broken through every plan he’dmade. The last thing he’d expected was to fall in love with her.“I’m disappointed in you, Carmen,” Miguel said, caressing the side of her swollen face with hispistol. “You’ve been telling my secrets to thisgringo.To the American authorities. Your loyaltyshould always be to your family.Sí?”Cade jerked against his captor’s arms as Miguel struck Carmen again, and he fought to stayconscious as fingers dug into the wound at his shoulder.“Stop it,Papá,”Carmen cried, crawling toward Cade. “They’re hurting him. Please don’t hurthim.”“Would you have me spare this man, Carmen? A man I trusted? One I hoped would take over mybusiness and give me strong grandchildren so I could see my legacy continue?”“Yes. Please, Papa,” she begged.“Would you die for him, Carmen?”“No!” Cade shouted. “This is between you and me, Miguel. Carmen’s loyalties are divided. Lether go.”Cade fought again to break free of the hold they had on him, knowing what was coming, desperateto stop it. Two men weren’t enough to hold him down, and two more came from somewhere, gettingin punches to his cracked ribs to slow him down. He strained against their hold, sweat and bloodrunning into his eyes, but he couldn’t get to her.“Answer me, Carmen. Is this traitor’s life worth your own? Do you love him that much?”“Yes,” she whimpered, her hand reaching out to Cade as she crawled closer, her arm wrappedaround her middle.God, where was his team?They should know something was wrong. Know he needed them. Cadeused the last of his strength to work his arm free and hold his hand out to Carmen, praying for amiracle. He needed to touch her, to hold her. She placed her smaller hand in his, her slim fingersbloody and broken, and Cade looked up at Miguel, ready to do whatever it took to save her. Tobargain his soul if the monster in front of him would take it.But when he met Miguel’s eyes, they were mocking and full of hatred. A hatred that had nopossibility of being extinguished.“Ah, young love,” Miguel said, his smile becoming crueler. “This is on your head, CadeMacKenzie.”Cade threw his body toward Carmen, but he was too late. The shot from Miguel’s gun echoed inhis ears along with his screams, and Carmen’s hand went limp in his, her blood splattered across hisface and chest. Blood he knew he’d never be clean of.Chaos reigned around them as the warehouse went black and the shouts of soldiers and agentsswarming through the building started to penetrate the haze of shock and anger. He kept waiting forMiguel to finish what he’d started and put a bullet through his brain, but it never happened. Those thatheld him captive ran for cover, so only he and Carmen lay in the middle of the warehouse floor,flashes of gunfire and smoke building around them.He pulled himself closer to her body and gathered her in his arms, his mind numb with grief, andhe snarled as hands tried to jerk him away from what was his.“Dammit, Cade, look at me.”The voice in his ear was familiar, and he didn’t fight as night vision goggles were placed over hiseyes. His brother, Declan, came into focus.“I can’t—,” he tried to say, holding Carmen closer.“We’ll get her out, Cade. We’ll do right by her,” Dec said, taking her from his arms into his own.“But we need to get you out right now. The del Fuego cartel will be gunning for you.”
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