Big Girls Don't Cry (24 page)

He breathed out a sigh and nodded. “I will be in the alley behind the club in five minutes. I will be hiding where you can’t see me. If you are not alone, you will never see me again. Don’t let me down, Alexis. You’re my only hope. I am a desperate man.”

He stood and bowed slightly to her, then turned and walked to the exit.

Lexie sat for a long moment considering her options. She wasn’t sure that she could stand, wasn’t sure that her legs would hold her or that she could walk from the room. Even though every fiber of her being shouted a warning, she knew she would meet him. Just as clearly, she knew that she would meet him alone. She recognized a kindred spirit. She was as desperate as he was.

The decision galvanized her, flooded her with resolve. Standing, she turned to see Clint staring at her, his expression stern, questioning. She plastered a big smile on her face and waved to him. Walking close to his table, she gave him a thumbs up sign and headed for the bar. Brady came out of nowhere and bumped into her. When she stumbled back, he caught her and pulled her close to him, his voice a harsh whisper in her ear.

Lexie saw that angry concern had replaced his usual teasing humor. She punched his arm and said loud enough for the men at the surrounding tables to hear, “Now, stop teasing me or you aren’t going to be my favorite blond haired surfer dude.”

Pointing to the table in front of them, she pulled away from Brady and threw her arm around an unsuspecting youngster who choked on his beer and flushed bright red.

Putting more distance between her and Brady, she crooned to the blushing object of her attention, “What do you think, surfer boy? How about I get us both a beer and we get to know one another?’

The kid’s Adam’s apple bobbled in his throat as he croaked out something that sounded like agreement.

Ignoring Brady’s frown, she waltzed away, heading for the break room at the back of the club.

~~~

Breathing hard, Lexie stripped off her costume and yanked her clothes out of her locker. Refusing to look at the hideous photo, she buried it under the scraps of red satin.

Fortunately, today she’d worn sweats and boots. Some guardian angel must have been watching over her, she decided as she tested her kama blade that she always carried in her boot. She wasn’t crazy. She knew she was taking a chance. Tossing her costume in her locker, she slammed the door shut, engaging the lock. Staring in the mirror, she was struck by her eyes. They were as intense as the man’s she was meeting. She turned quickly, determined not to second guess herself.

At the doorway, she hesitated, looking both ways down the narrow hallway, half expecting to see Brady or even Clint lurking in the shadows. But the long expanse was empty. She forced herself to walk confidently when she longed to race to the end. There was just one blind corner to go before reaching the outside door. As she turned the corner, she suppressed a scream. The cold metal at the base of her skull and the ominous click left nothing to the imagination. Neither did the accent laden voice thick with distain.

“Well, well, well. Look what we have here.”

A large hand twisted her hair, viciously jerking her head back against the gun barrel. His voice was low, seductive in its evil.

“You are more beautiful than we were told. I’m glad to know that the Boss isn’t greedy. He always shares. After he’s had his fill, of course.”

Chapter 24

Jake glanced down at his phone as he took the steps into the club two at a time. Seeing Brady’s cryptic message “:hurry”, he searched the semi dark crowded room for his men. Spotting Brady lounging against the bar and Clint moving towards him, Jake’s gut clenched. He didn’t need the prickling nerve endings crawling up the back of his neck to know that something was wrong, very wrong.

Signaling the bartender for a beer, he grabbed the stool next to Brady and made a production of freeing up a space for Clint. The three of them made small talk as though meeting for the first time.

“Where is she?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been watching that fucking doorway to their dressing room for five minutes now and she’s still not back.”

The lack of a smart comment from Brady was more frightening than his words. Jake turned to Clint with a hard glare and a questioning jerk of his head.

Clint hunched over leaning his forearms against the bar’s slick surface.

“There was a strange guy, Jake. Couldn’t place him. He obviously upset her. She tried to hide it. The fact she couldn’t, scared the shit out of me. You know how smooth she is. He got to her. Somehow. Some way.”

Brady concurred. “Clint’s dead right. She looked like she saw a ghost.” He tipped his bottle up and took a lazy sip of his beer. “And, big guy, don’t wanna freak you out anymore, but she’s not answering her phone and I’ve sent her six texts. No response.”

Jake fought back the dread clamping a tight fist around his chest. Motioning to the doorway with his bottle, he asked in a loud voice, “Hey, that where the head is?”

Clint turned back to the bar and mumbled, “Yeah, buddy, I think there’s one down that hallway.”

Brady drained his bottle and clapped a hand on Jake’s shoulder in a show of semi-drunk camaraderie. “That’s a hell of a good idea, man. Gotta make room for the brew.”

Jake headed toward the exit, forcing himself to move casually, nodding politely to Brady to go ahead of him. When they entered the back hall, Jake grabbed Brady’s arm.

Jake turned to see Bella hustling down the hallway. Annoyance radiated off her small frame. She looked like a mother hen out to shoo away a flock of errant roosters.

“Absolutely no men are allowed back here.” She marched toward them, then stopped, surprise replacing her annoyance. Recognition flashed in her eyes.

Bella started, seemingly surprised that he knew her name. She visibly swallowed and pressed herself against the wall. His looming presence melted her resistance.

“I… I’m not sure.” She nodded at one of the rooms down the hallway. “I saw her go into the dressing room a while ago.”

Jake turned and moved quickly toward the room with Brady hard on his heels. The sound of heavy footsteps behind them signaled Clint’s arrival.

Jake motioned to Clint to come in. He heard Brady’s warning shout and stall doors slamming from the adjoining room. Seconds later, Brady, met his gaze.

Bella stammered. “I…I don’t know. I told you, I saw her go in here about ten minutes ago. I assumed she had to pee. She never leaves the floor during a shift unless she needs a bathroom break.”

Bella pointed to the one three down from the end. Brady was there in seconds. He yanked at the handle then drove his fist into the flimsy metal, breaking the lock.

In two long strides Jake was at his side. He pulled out the skanky costume and started to toss it aside when what looked like a photo fluttered to the floor. Brady beat him to it, snatching it off the floor.

Jake’s breath stuck in his throat, mingling with a torrent of gorge at the hideous sight. Imagining the pain Lexie felt seeing the picture, fury swamped him. Shoving Bella aside, he tossed the photo to Clint, who gagged at the sight, staggering back against the row of lockers.

Brady’s voice was thick with a mix of pain and revulsion. Pointing to the satin corset, he said,” Unfortunately, the tracer we have on her is buried in that. We have no way of following her unless she made it out to her Camaro.”

Jake’s years of commanding men in dangerous untenable situations kicked in. They had one task: to find Lexie and find her now. It turned out strategy was unnecessary. Before he could issue an order, he heard a distant scream. Followed by his men, he tore down the hallway begging a God he rarely called on that the piercing scream came from Lexie. And that it meant that she was alive.

~~~

Lexie struggled to break free from the man’s fierce hold, but only managed to tighten his cruel grip on her hair. Shards of pain shot through her neck and head. She leaned back against a massive body, trying to ease the pressure of the gun barrel against her skull. But it was no use. Twisting her long hair in his fist, he dragged her toward the door, the sharp metal digging in her scalp.

“Make a sound and I will kill you.”

There was no mistaking his harsh whisper as an empty threat. Evil emanated from him.

The door to the alley was open. He shoved her out in front of him, kicking the door closed behind him. To her horror, she saw the young blond man who had begged her to meet him. Only now his face was contorted with cold rage, not desperation. His mouth twisted in a hideous grin.

He stepped forward and spit on the ground at her feet. “You…you pitiful, naïve woman.” He shook his head, disgust contorting his face. “Too easy. Too believing. I thought you were smart. Cunning like your brother. A worthy adversary. But you are nothing but a shameless, Godless whore.” This time he spit in her face.

Nodding to the man who held her in his grip, he barked, “Vadim, get her in the van. Tie her to the railing and gag her.”

Flicking his hands over her breasts, he sneered. “Don’t mark her. We will have much time to do that when the Boss is through with her.”

He rapped sharply against the door of the van. “Ahmed! Come out here.”

To Lexie’s horror, a huge dark haired bearded man emerged from the drivers’ side of the van. He was easily six feet tall, but more than his height it was his girth that terrified her. He weighed at least three hundred pounds of solid muscle. To her practiced eye, his predatory movements confirmed a consummate fighter. She’d already sized up the blond man and gauged the strength of the coward holding the gun. Until she saw the giant tank sized man emerge from the van, she’d given herself two to one odds. When the big man circled the van and opened the sliding side door, she groaned. The two to one odds against her had now become ten to one. But, she admitted, she’d always been an optimist. More likely it was a hundred to one.

The blond haired man barked out orders in Pashtu. She didn’t understand the language, but had heard it spoken many times by the men Anthony had introduced her to. The large swarthy man nodded at her in agreement, his puffy lips curved in a lascivious grin. He didn’t need to speak. The lust flashing in his eyes was a universal language, one that she’d heard all of her life.

The blond turned to the man holding her.

“Vadim, you go with Ahmed. I’ll stay here and meet with Bella, make sure she has assigned all the girls.” He jerked his head at Lexie with a lewd grin. “Remember, no touching until the Boss is through with her. Given the size of those tits that may be a while.”

Vadim answered the blond in English. His heavy accent sounded like Russian.

“Is that wise, Mahmoud? Many people saw you with her. Once they know she is gone, you will become a …a, what do they call it? A person of interest.”

The blond seemed to reconsider then shook his head. “Don’t worry. I’ve spent the last five years fooling people who should know better.” He spat on the ground. “These ignorant Americans. They still think all of us look like Ahmed. They forget. Their soldiers and the Russians fought over our land for decades. Stealing our wealth, our customs, raping our women. You and I, Vadim, men like us, are the result of their pillaging.”

He sneered at Lexie. “Look how easily I fooled you. And you are supposed to be smart. But, then why should you not believe a soldier in your fucking army? Your brother did. Men from the lowest privates to four star generals think I’m a fucking hero. Of course having the protection of the Boss helps. ”