Multiple POVs

Corey's POV

I didn't even hesitate. When the redline hit, I put it on speaker. Kota and I were still in the loft with Marissa, Luke, and Gabe. Dominic had arrived only a few minutes before the transmission began. I had no idea if Victor had gotten it as well, but I had to assume he did.

"Should have known your boss couldn't be trusted to keep his word." We heard Nate yell at someone.

Diego's voice came through the line, "Oh, he kept his word to the Academy and now you will be handed over, but not before I have my fun. You get to be my new toy"

"Fuck you, Diego!" Nate yelled.

"When Doc finishes with you, fucking me will be one of your favorite things to do," Diego laughed, then we heard a shot.

Marissa and Kota both screamed, "Nate!" but the line had already gone silent.

"I need that jet, now!" Kota roared at Dominic as Marissa clung to him sobbing. He cupped her face in his hands, "Kitten, listen to me. I'm going to bring him home, I promise." She sniffled and nodded her head as he pressed his lips to her forehead. He gave all of us a pained look over her head and mouthed, Take care of her, then hurried out of the room with Dominic.

I quickly stepped behind her and wrapped her in my arms. Her body shook and I lifted her into my arms, carrying her to the bedroom. Her silent tears soaked my shirt as she clung to me. I sat her on the bed gently then reached for a water bottle. Her hands shook as she drank. I was petrified that she would go into shock. After drinking almost half the bottle, she held it out to me. "Thank you," she whispered.

I placed the bottle on the nightstand and then took her hands, "Kota will bring him back." I'm not sure if I was trying to assure her or myself - perhaps both. I knew some of the others probably heard the transmission and we needed to talk, but right now I needed to make sure she would be alright. I ran my hand over her cheekbone, then leaned in to kiss her softly. "I love you, little one. We are going to keep you safe, I promise."

"It's not me I'm worried about, it never was," she said firmly. "I can accept my own pain, hell even my own death, but I cannot accept any of you getting hurt because of me. Aurora needs her fathers." She squeezed my hands, "Be realistic. There is a high possibility that I am a ticking time bomb. We have no idea what Murdoch placed in my subconscious."

I'm not sure if I was more shocked by her words or the quick change in persona. It was as if she had flipped a switch. "Hey, where is all of this coming from? You've been fine."

"It's only been a short time, Corey. Murdoch gave me years of false memories in a matter of weeks. Not to mention this," she lifted her dress to show the Ra brand. "We don't even know what trigger Murdoch implanted in my brain - or if he did the same to Silas. If he gets his hands on Nate..." her words trailed off and she quickly brushed tears from her eyes. "Promise me that you will do whatever you have to, Corey. Save Aurora. Save your husbands, and future husbands - even if that means killing me."

"Not a fucking chance," Gabe growled from the door. "I told you once, little girl, and I'll say it again. You are not leaving us and we are not giving up on you, so don't give up on us."

New York: Axel's POV

When Victor turned on the audio, we all froze. Morales' betrayal wasn't really a shock, but when I heard Diego mention Nate becoming his toy, I saw red.

Then the sound of that gunshot...

For a moment, there wasn't a sound in the room, then all hell broke loose. Victor let out a low wailing moan and all around me people were yelling - some panicking. "Fucking shut up!" I roared. I looked at Victor who was fighting back tears, "I know this is hard, but we can't help him now. What we can do is make damn sure Murdoch never gets his hands on him."

Victor's mouth set in a hard line as a look of pure rage came over his face. "I think it's time we find that bastard," he said coldly as he began typing away on his computer. Within moments, the screen bloomed to life with a series of images - Murdoch was still at Roberts's apartment in Manhattan. It was time to take them both down. Just then my pocket buzzed with a group text.

Russia: Raven's POV

The transmission crackled in my ear when I caught the redline alert. My chest swelled with pride when I heard Nate continue to defy the Cuban rat, then quickly ached when I heard the shot. "Sukin syn! YA ub'yu kazhdogo iz nikh! (Son of a bitch! I'll kill every one of them!), I raged as my father questioned me.

"Yevgeniy, chto? Chto sluchilos'? (Yevgeny, what? What has happened?)"

"Eti ublyudki - kubintsy predali nas, oni do sikh por rabotayut v Akademii. Oni tol'ko chto zastrelili Neyta! (Those bastards - the Cubans betrayed us, they're still working for the Academy. They just shot Nate!)"

His face paled. "On...? (Is he...?)" my father asked.

"I don't know," I sighed, running my hands over my face. Just then my pocket buzzed again.

Corey: Kota and Dominic are enroute to Cuba. Morales betrayed us. Nate has been shot, outcome unknown at this time, but we believe he is alive. The Cubans made some kind of deal to turn him over to Murdoch for conditioning. Diego said Nate would become his toy.

Sean: Fuck! How did you all find out? Does Marissa know?

Corey: Nate redlined - some of us could hear the transmission and the shot fired. That's all we know for now, and unfortunately, yes, she was in the room with us. She's worried about Murdoch getting Nate, but she's also convinced that the bastard implanted some kind of trigger into her, and maybe even Silas. I've managed to get her to rest now. Gabe is with her.

Silas: She may have a point. I've worried about the same thing, especially since she and I have been apart. The nightmares are slowly increasing. It's just like she described - I feel like I'm in a small box in my own mind watching a movie of me doing horrible things.

Victor: We need to launch the virus and strike now before Morales warns them and Murdoch gets away!

Axel: Agreed

Kristoff: Ready in Texas.

Brandon: Ready in Dublin

Marc: Ready in Belfast

I responded: Ready in Moscow with operatives in several other cities as well.

Sean: Ready in Tokyo

North: Ready in Athens

Owen: Gentlemen, may I say that I am proud to call all of you my husbands - even if it isn't official yet for some. I pray to the gods that we will all be together again soon. I love each of you.

Gabe: Well, fuck Owen, now I'm crying! When did you get so sentimental?

Sean: He's always been a softie, he just hides it well.

Owen: You know I'm less than ten feet away, Sean. I can still paddle your ass before this thing gets started, right?

Sean: Bring it O man. I smiled to myself, glad for the momentary levity from these men that have become so important to me.

Luke: We will all be home soon. I swear we aren't leaving that playroom until we can't walk straight!

Several responded with sassy comments and emojis, and everyone responded with texts of love as the conversation ended.

Corey: Raven, are you still there?

Raven: Da moye solnyshko. I'm here

Corey: Please be safe. I can't bear the thought of losing you. I love you!

I choked back the tears that made it difficult to see the screen. I love you too, Corey. I'm coming home to you - I swear.

Belfast, Ireland: Marc's POV

When I closed out the chat, I wanted to scream. The thought that Nate was alone and injured filled me with hatred - hatred for what the Academy had become, what they were doing. I wanted to see it all burn to the ground.

"All right guys, it's showtime!" I hollered to the Irish mafia men around me. They shouted various responses, some in Gaelic, some in English, in support. Ours was a fairly small takedown. There was only a minimal Academy presence in Belfast and it was centered around a gentlemen's club in the heart of town. It served as a front for the shady deals being made behind closed doors. We'd only learned about it recently and that's why Brandon and I had split up. Finnegan and Brandon stayed in Dublin with the larger group to handle the multiple locations, but this one needed to be shut down as well due to financial and communications concerns.

I felt like I was in some old movie as we loaded into trucks and jeeps, armed with a massive amount of weapons. I was quickly learning that the Irish didn't feel a need for stealth. We were going in guns blazing.

Texas, USA: Kristoff's POV

My men had the Senator's compound surrounded. A small group had already infiltrated the main house and separated the staff and prisoners from the Academy personnel. Now, Senator Diggins sat in his front room, bound and gagged watching my men kill his precious guards one by one. I took out the knife that Marissa had pressed into my hand a week ago. "Does this look familiar, Senator?" I asked the shaking bastard as I ripped the gag from his lips.

"Wh...where did you get that?" he sputtered, his eyes wide with fear.

"Oh, this little thing? Our friend Marissa asked me to return it to you." For a brief moment, he seemed to relax, then when a wicked grin spread across my face he began to understand her true intent. I quickly plunged the blade into his chest, driving it deep into his heart and twisting the handle. "Enjoy hell, Senator," I growled at the pathetic man who choked on his own blood, his body falling to the ground as I pulled the blade free.

I pulled out my phone, took a quick photo, and sent my confirmation - Texas has been cleared.

Italy: Gabe's POV

When I heard her ask Corey to kill her I lost my shit.

"Not a fucking chance," I growled at her. "I told you once, little girl, and I'll say it again. You are not leaving us and we are not giving up on you, so don't give up on us." She had looked at me with such haunted eyes. I walked up to the bed and sat next to her. "Now get your ass in my arms so Corey can do his job, little girl." She made a soft sound and climbed into my lap without protest.

"Go, let the others know what's going on. Finish this fucking nightmare, Corey," I told him. Looking up from her, he nodded, then kissed her head and headed back to his computer station. After the door shut, I tilted Marissa's chin up. "I meant it, spitfire. We aren't giving the fuck up on you. I know you're scared, we all are, but we don't give up on each other. You fucking fight for the people you love - even if you have to fight your own inner demons." I pressed my mouth to hers, pulling her closer to me.

She was panting slightly when our lips parted. I shifted her body around so that she was between my knees. My eyes flitted to the door as I began kissing her neck. Luke stood watching us for a few moments before moving closer to the bed. "Gabriel," Marissa gasped when I pulled her dress over her head and latched my teeth onto her nipple. Luke knelt on the bed behind her, his hands tangling in her hair as he pulled her head back. "Luke," she whispered just before his lips melded with hers.

I didn't want her to think about what was happening outside this room. Hell, I didn't want to think about it. I just wanted to make her feel how much she was loved. "Let us take care of you, sugar," Luke said as he removed his own clothes and positioned himself behind her. His fingers began to gently massage and stretch her, while I removed my own clothing. I watched them for a moment. Marissa's eyes were hooded with desire as Luke's hands explored her pale skin. Her hands were lifted over her head, fingers tugging at his golden locks. I felt my cock twitch at the sight of them together. Fuck, I love them both so much.

I took my spot in front of her again, whispering, "Are you ready for us, Marissa?"

"Yes, please, yes," she moaned and Luke began to press inside of her as I slid between her wet folds. "Ahh, fuck," she muttered, her chest heaving.

I cradled her stomach as I pressed deeper, while Luke supported her from behind. We began to pace our thrusts, never letting our pace slow until she began to whimper and shake with need. The room echoed with our combined groans and grunts as we all reached our orgasm. Her head fell against my chest as Luke slipped out, followed by myself. "I love you," I muttered against her temple.

Luke grinned and motioned for me to bring her to the bath he'd prepared. We held her between us in the hot water. "I love you both," she said softly as she began to fall asleep. We finished cleaning up and tucked her into the bed between us.

"Should we wake her up?" Luke asked.

"No, let her sleep. There's nothing any of us can fucking do from here. She needs her strength," I said quietly as I snuggled down with her. "I love you, Luke," I said, grabbing ahold of his hand.

"I love you too, Gabe," he replied. "Now, take your own advice and get some rest." Nodding, I chuckled and let my eyes drift shut listening to the sound of her breathing.

Italy: Marissa's POV

I woke sometime after the sun had set and wandered into the main room. Corey was nowhere in sight, but the screens were up and running. I grabbed a glass of water and sat down. With just a few clicks I started figuring out how to navigate the screens. I clicked on Kristoff's and saw the photo of Senator Diggins with the message Texas has been cleared. I couldn't stop the small smirk that crossed my face knowing that Kristoff had delivered my message to that atrocious man. Never again would his hands violate me.

Similar scenes appeared from Owen and Sean with an all-clear, all-good message. Another from Brandon reported Finnegan had taken a bullet to the leg but losses in his group were minimal. Marc had a grin on his face as he showed a cleared club and reported the only injuries incurred involved far too many congratulatory shots drank. I giggled in relief for them.

"Do you want to send a message?" I heard Corey ask as he came up behind me. He nodded to the cleared screens. "I'm sure all of them would love to hear your voice and see your face right now."

"Yes," I smiled broadly. "What about the others? Have you heard from Dominic or Kota yet?" I was so worried about Nate.

He shook his head, "Not yet, but they only landed a few moments ago. I suspect they'll stay dark until they have secured the compound and located Nate. Victor and I have been blocking their signal to keep Morales from alerting the Academy in any locations that have not been secured yet." He placed a microphone in front of me and pointed to the screen. "Just look at this one and I'll send the message out to them. Don't be worried if they don't answer. They may not be online right now. If that's the case, they'll see it when they log on again." He pressed a kiss to my lips and tapped the microphone button, "It's hot."

I mouthed thank you, then turned back to the screen and began talking to each of them. Within moments Brandon's face appeared. "Hey slugger, you a sight for sore eyes my beautiful girl," he said. His face looked slightly bruised and sleep deprived.

"Hey BB, how are you? I miss you so much," I gushed.

He chuckled and touched the bruise on his face, "Eh, not too bad. You should see the other guy. I miss you too, but we should be home soon, baby." There was a sound in the background and then Marc slid into the chair next to Brandon.

"Hey, my precious girl! Damn you look good enough to eat," Marc grinned.

"You look drunk, Marc," I giggled at his over-the-top behavior.

He laughed, "Drunk, pfft, nah, okay, maybe tipsy. Fecking Irish know how to celebrate, baby!" His words were slurred as he slapped the desk. "We just got back to Finnegan's compound in Dublin. Ireland is wrapped up with a damn bow."

I giggled again. "Fuck that's the best sound I've heard in a long time, slugger," Brandon said. "I'm gonna get this bad boy some coffee and then a long nap. If we get the all-clear, we should be home in a day or two." They both blew kisses at the screen, "Love you, baby," he said.

"Hey, I love you too!" Marc slurred and laughed.

"I love you both! I'll see you soon," I said with a true smile on my face. I saw Corey raise his hand to say goodbye and then the screen went dark. "Can I still send a message to Sean, Owen, and Kristoff?" I asked.

"Sure, love. The channel is still open and recording," he replied.

"Kristoff, when you get this just know I saw your proof. Thank you for doing what I asked. Be safe and get back to Jess and Trish soon!" I gave him a smile, then started talking again.

"Sean and Owen, I miss you so much. Aurora has been kicking a lot today. She misses all her daddies. I'm so thankful you are both safe and we can't wait to see you. I love you both." I was just about to close the screen when Owen's sleepy face appeared on the screen.

"Mia bella regina, gods it's so good to hear your voice and see your beautiful face," his voice was groggy but emotion-filled.

"Il mio re, I miss you so much," I breathed. "I'm sorry if I woke you."

He gave a soft chuckle, "No, it's a wonderful way to be awakened. Sean's sleeping. The doctor gave him a mild sedative when they stitched him up. He'll be sad he missed your call though."

My eyes widened, "Stitches? What happened?" Their report hadn't indicated any injury.

"Don't worry, Bella, he's fine. I guess swords are still fairly common here and well, you know Sean, he can't turn down a chance to show off. He and Yasu challenged the Academy leaders here. Sean has a small wound on his forearm. It's nothing serious, I promise." His grey eyes showed pride and affection. I know if there was something truly wrong, Owen would tell me. "We will be home within the week and when we get there, I'm going to lock you away and show you just how much I miss you."

My cheeks tinged red, "I'd like that, Master."

He chuckled, "Good girl. Good night, Marissa."

"Good night, Owen," I said and blew a kiss before his screen went dark as well. I let out a sigh.

"I know it's not everyone, but do you feel at least a bit better now?" Corey asked, putting a cup of tea in front of me with some toast and grapes. We sat and talked for a few hours when the screen flared to life. Silas and North's faces appeared on the screen a bit bloody and haggard looking. "Hey guys, glad to see your faces," Corey said and pulled my chair in front of the screen with a grin.

"Silas! North!" I squealed in delight. "Oh, my goddess I'm so glad to see you two!"

"Agápi, you look wonderful," Silas breathed.

"Hey Ris, how are you babygirl? We miss you," North added.

"I'm good and I miss you both too. Corey and I have been watching the screens. I spoke with Owen, Brandon, and Marc." I giggled, "Marc was sloshed Irish style."

Silas rolled his eyes and laughed, "I bet that was entertaining."

"Well, he did say he wanted to eat me," I smirked.

Both of them groaned and laughed. "Oh babygirl, I can promise you that when we are back, all three of us are going to devour you," North growled.

"So is everything wrapped up in Athens?" Corey asked next to me. "So far we're still waiting to hear from Dom and Kota, Raven as well as Victor and Axel."

As if on cue, another screen lit up and Raven's face appeared. "I'm here Solnechnyy svet. You look appetizing malen'kaya shalun'ya," he growled at me.

"Raven, how are you? We're all good in Athens," Silas said.

Shaking his head and letting out a large sigh, Raven replied, "Not good here, heavy losses. Academy had many hidden groups. We have the upper hand but may take time to ferret out all of them. Father was shot and is in the hospital now for surgery. I'm sorry my loves, I may be here a while. I won't leave until I know the threat has passed."

"Oh bear," I sighed, "I'm so sorry. How bad is your father?" Aleski had always been so kind to me. He and Leonardo were more fatherly to me than my own ever was.

"He is stubborn like me, malen'kaya shalun'ya. They are removing a bullet, but the surgeon says full recovery expected. " He pressed his hand to the screen. "No tears, love, I will hold you soon."

"We can have the jet ready in an hour. Atlas says he'll send men as well," North said. "Sorry Ris, guess we will be a bit longer for that buffet," he smirked.

"North!" I gasped and blushed to which they all laughed.

"It was too good to pass up, babygirl," he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes and giggled, "Obviously. Just be careful so that all of you can be home soon. We'll let you know when we hear from the others. I love you all," I told them as we wrapped up the conversation and once again the screens went blank.

"Eleven out of fifteen accounted for, little one," Corey said as he pulled me into a kiss. I moaned softly as his hands trailed under my nightgown. I felt his warm hand cup between my legs, his thumb pressing against my sensitive clit. "You're wet, Marissa," he groaned against my ear as my hips snapped toward his hand.

"Corey," I whined. He lifted me onto his lap as he pulled his pajama pants down, his cock popping out and pressing against my core.

"I love you so much, Marissa," he groaned as his cock sank into me. I arched, pulling my stomach away to take him deeper. His hands cradled my back as I began to move my hips. "Fuck, little one, you feel so good." I whimpered as I felt my body tense. I wanted this moment to last, but I was too starved for their attention. He felt so amazing inside of me, his lips covering me with soft kisses. "That's it, let go, baby. I've got you," he crooned as his pace increased. I screamed out his name as I began to tremble and I felt him cum inside of me. He continued to thrust inside of me, pushing me further until tears were streaming down my face and I was panting. Every inch of me felt like it was on fire with need and I dug my nails into his shoulders as he came a second time.

We were clinging to one another when the screen lit up and Victor chuckled, "Well, damn, that's a fucking beautiful sight."

My cheeks flared crimson as Corey pulled a blanket over us. "Stay," he whispered in my ear when I started to move off of him. I blinked and nodded as he pulled me tighter against him.

"I thought Marissa might want to watch Axel and the team breach Roberts's mansion. I nodded my head and Corey moved the chair around so that I could clearly see the screen. "They can't hear us for security reasons, but we will be able to hear and see them. We know both Murdoch and Roberts are in the building. Our men have already surrounded and cleared the outer areas," Victor added.

We watched in silence as Axel's cam appeared on the screen. He turned it briefly and gave a thumbs up then attached it to his vest. The screen filled with images of doors being busted, gunfire lighting the rooms, yelling, and chaos. For a brief moment, the room seemed to still as Axel and his men subdued the Judge and a few Academy agents. I could see Axel's camera scan the room, but no Murdoch.

Axel approached Roberts and grabbed his chin, "I hope you can see this Angel," Axel said as he placed the gun to the man's temple. "This is for Marissa you sick fuck," and he pulled the trigger.

I didn't realize how tightly I was clenching Corey's hand until I heard Luke swear, "Fuck me."

"Sorry," I whispered, and Corey just chuckled. I turned back to the screen and was confused. "Wait, who's camera is that?" I asked.

Victor muttered, "I...I don't know." The unknown view seemed to be approaching the room and focused in on Axel. We watched his eyes go wide and he swore.

"Murdoch you bastard." Then there was a popping sound and I screamed as Axel fall backward as the slug hit his chest. Both rooms erupted in chaos once again.

That's when I saw him. The camera turned and his eyes locked on mine. "Hello my toy, I'll be seeing you soon, love. I know you're feeling thirsty aren't you?"

I felt my heart racing and his voice was the only thing I could hear until I spoke.

"Yes sir."

Author's Notes:  Well damn...now what?  Haven't even solved the first cliffhanger and now I've left you with a second one...

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