Now, she’d thrown herself into danger again. Maybe she was wary, but she was determined.
The moment I’d met her, I’d wanted to nail her against the wall. But the way I craved her now was at a whole different level.
Mine! She’s fucking mine.
It took all I had not to get out of my damn car and go find her, take her away from anything that could possibly harm her.
Problem was, she was the most stubborn woman on earth.
I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel impatiently as I felt my cell phone vibrate in the pocket of my jeans. I’d dressed for comfort and mobility, trying to make myself as ordinary as possible.
My eyes never leaving the house, I pulled out my phone and answered it. “Colter,” I said abruptly into my cell.
“Marcus? Everything okay?” Jett asked, his voice solemn and low.
“Just got here,” I replied. “She’s in. I’m just keeping the house under surveillance.”
“Damn,” Jett cursed. “I hate this.”
“Me, too, buddy,” I admitted. “How is it going there?”
“Good thing I’m worth billions,” he scoffed. “Gaining entry into the club is exhaustive and expensive. But I’m in. The auction starts shortly.”
“Whatever it costs, I’ll pay you back,” I told him with no reservations. Ruby was Dani’s friend, and we had to get her out of harm’s way.
“Oh, hell no. If I’m going to buy a virgin, I’m paying for it,” he replied. “I’m doing this for my sister. And maybe a little bit for Ruby, too. Jesus. She hasn’t had the easiest life.”
Dani had explained to me and her brother how Ruby had gotten into being a victim of human trafficking. “They always pick the most vulnerable,” I told Jett in a disgusted tone.
“Yeah, well, it’s bullshit,” Jett said adamantly. “What sick individuals do this shit?”
“People like Becker and his minions,” I drawled.
“They don’t just sell virgins,” Jett replied. “There’s all kinds of illegal crap happening here, and I don’t think the majority of women who are present here, are here on their own free will or working willingly.”
“The place has to get shut down,” I told him. “Just get Ruby out without looking obvious, and we’ll let law enforcement handle it. Get as much information as you can.”
“Ruby will probably have to testify,” Jett said in a regretful tone.
“She will. But hopefully she’ll be so happy to escape that she’ll do it.”
Jett hesitated before he said, “I gotta go. Take care of my sister.”
“I always have,” I reminded him.
“You have,” he acknowledged. “Probably more than she ever realized. I have a feeling you’ve always had an eye on her in some way or another. Even when she didn’t realize it.”
I wasn’t fessing up to his claim, even though it was true. “Maybe,” I answered noncommittally.
“Does she know how you feel?” Jett asked.
“What?” I asked innocently. “She’s like a sister to me, too.”
Jett snorted. “I call bullshit, buddy. But you can sort that out later if you’re not ready to deal with it. Just keep her safe.”
“I plan on it,” I responded grimly.
We talked a minute or two more, shaping up our plans for later, and then hung up to focus on our objectives.
Jett was taking Ruby back to my condo, but if everything went smooth, I’d have Dani’s ass on my private jet as soon as she was out of Becker’s place. I had people moving our belongings to the airport and onto my plane.
I didn’t want her anywhere in the area when all hell broke loose.
Dani
I would be lying if I tried to convince myself I wasn’t afraid.
But while I was trying not to flinch under Becker’s intense scrutiny, I did have the security of knowing that Marcus was outside, waiting for a signal if I should get in trouble.
I was determined that this man I’d been tailing for weeks wasn’t going to slip away from prosecution. He was a traitor to my country, and pure evil in every other respect.
I tried not to show my aversion to him as he roughly stroked my cheek. “I’ve been waiting for this night, Dani.”
I’m sure he had been. The night that he’d left me black and blue was still fresh in my mind every time I looked at him. Women were nothing more than disposable trash to him.
“Me, too,” I murmured, not being totally untruthful. I was, in fact, waiting for him to get his ass nailed against the wall.
I was grateful for the tools Marcus had given me since Becker had taken my keys and my handbag the minute I walked through the door and stashed them somewhere unknown. He was paranoid, but it had been a move I wasn’t expecting.
“I need to go freshen up,” I told him as I rose from my place beside him on the couch. I had to find my way around his home, and just being so close to the man who had cuffed me so hard I still had a faint outline of black-and-blue marks on my face made me slightly nauseous.
“Hurry up,” he insisted in an annoyed tone. He stood up and took off his suit jacket as he added, “I’ve got plans for you.”
I smiled weakly as I shuddered, not even wanting to know what his plans might be.
“Be right back,” I answered sunnily.
He jerked his head to the left. “The bathroom is at the end of the hall. Stay out of the other rooms.”
“Okay,” I answered meekly as I turned away and scurried down the hallway.
I closed the door to the toilet loud enough so he could hear it, and then leaned back against it.
Damn! How was I going to get anywhere when he was watching me like a hawk?
“I can do this. I can do this,” I whispered over and over like it was my mantra.
Problem was, I’d seen the ugly, violent side of Gregory Becker, and it had scared the hell out of me. I’d seen the same expressions when I’d been brutalized by my kidnappers.
Lifeless.
Dead.
Emotionless.
Where there was no conscience, there was no hesitancy to hurt, maim, or kill.
I had no doubt that just like my jailers in the Middle East, Becker enjoyed causing people pain and misery. In fact, I was pretty sure he excelled at it.
I pushed myself off the bathroom door, catching my reflection in the mirror as I moved. My white blouse was nearly transparent, but I was wearing a white sports bra underneath. I looked like a hooker trying to attract a man with layers of makeup and bright-red lipstick. The frightened expression in my eyes just wouldn’t do. No matter what, I wasn’t cowering down to Becker. I was playing a role that would get me what I wanted.
I turned my back on the mirror, my mind racing. I thought I’d seen what looked like a home office on my way to the bathroom. It made sense that it was located on the ground floor.
The home was beyond pretentious, the décor opulent but decorated with gold, a fact that told me that he felt like he had something to prove. Everything I’d seen so far was downright gaudy and over-the-top.
I flushed the toilet to make it sound like I’d actually used it, and to drown out noise as I gently twisted the doorknob and opened the bathroom door enough for me to escape.