RunningScaredBN (28 page)

Her thick hair was still long but they’d done something to make it look greasy and lifeless. Her skin had a dull, sallow cast. She wore jeans and a button down cotton shirt but he could swear she looked as though she’d lost twenty pounds. Her clothes hung from her body as if they were two sizes too large.
 

Riley’s eyes were always gleaming with life, sometimes with anger, occasionally with humor. But absolutely, totally alive. Jessica’s eyes were dull, lifeless…defeated.

Even though Justin tried to remind himself that this was an act, that Riley was one of the best at assuming an assigned role, he had to clench his hands to prevent himself from going to her. He wanted to make her look at him so he could be reassured that behind the façade of defeat and anguish was the strength and determination he knew she possessed in spades.

 
“We’re set,” McCall said. “Larson sounded both surprised and panicked at first. And then predictably arrogant.”

The room was filled to capacity with operatives. Each one had their individual assignment. By the time Larson arrived, the room would be empty save for McCall and Riley. They all knew each other’s jobs and roles. Before McCall had even tried to assign him a role, Justin had done it himself. Fortunately, McCall was in total agreement. Justin’s job was to protect Riley at all cost.

McCall zeroed his gaze in on Riley. “He may have to hold you for a while, maybe a couple of days, until Dimitri arrives. Since he never physically harmed you before he turned you over to Dimitri the first time, I’m hopeful he won’t harm you now. Regardless, I want no heroics from you, Ingram. Do not put up with abuse in the hope of gathering more information. We’ll get it later, once we have him in custody. If things get rough, we’re getting you out.”

She gave a solemn nod, but Justin saw the customary stubborn set to her mouth. He knew his partner. She’d put up with a lot to get what she needed. And Justin would be close by in case that happened. Sacrificing Riley was not part of the plan.

“Any questions?” McCall said.

When no one spoke, he continued, “Even with light traffic, it should take Larson another half hour or so to get here. Still, let’s get in place and be ready.” He glanced over at Riley. “Ingram, I’d like to talk to you for a minute.”

All the other operatives filed out. Justin was the last one to leave. He gave Riley a nod of encouragement before walking out the door.

Riley smiled slightly at Justin’s nod. That was a deviation from their normal thumbs-up acknowledgment, and she found she liked the change.

“Doing okay?” Noah said.

“Yes. I feel like I’ve been preparing for this for a long time. Glad it’s finally happening.”
 

“We’ve come a long way.”

She caught a glimpse of what looked like worry in his dark eyes. “I’ll be fine, Noah. I can do this.”

“If I didn’t think you could handle it, you wouldn’t be here. That’s not an issue. But I meant what I said earlier. Do not take any abuse from these bastards. We’ll bring them in and do what we have to do to get the information we need. You don’t have to—”

“I know that, Noah. I promise I won’t take anything I don’t think I can handle. I’ve suffered enough abuse at their hands. I won’t take more. Trust me.”

“I do.” He suddenly smiled, and Riley couldn’t help but smile back. If not for Noah, she would be dead. She had no doubt about that. She owed this man so much. “I won’t let you down.”

“You never have. You’ve exceeded every expectation every single time.”

“I don’t plan to change.”
 

Noah laughed, as she’d intended.
 

A buzzer on Noah’s phone gave the alert. Larson was within five miles of their location.

Riley met Noah’s eyes, and they both grinned. This was it. Justice was at last here.

Chapter Twenty-seven

“When we get there, I’ll go in alone. Try to stay out of sight. I don’t want McCall to know I brought you with me.”

Frederick Finch, or the man William had secretly nicknamed Dumbass, nodded, his thick neck creasing like an accordion. The guy was a behemoth, and William had learned that just because his head was the size of a gorilla’s didn’t mean it held a large brain. The stupid baseball cap only made him look more stupid. But what the man lacked in intelligence, he more than made up for in obedience and brute strength. William had more than enough smarts for both of them. Finch’s only job was to protect William if something went wrong.

With the short notice that McCall had given him, he hadn’t been able to bring in more men. His intention had been to find out Jessica’s location and have some of his guys grab her. William had had no idea he’d have to do the dirty work. Even though it didn’t sit well with him, he had no concerns that this would work. He’d play the grateful, loving father, overjoyed to see his long-lost daughter returned him, for the few minutes it would take to convince McCall that things were copacetic. Then, when he got her into the van, he’d lay down the law.

“I’ll make nice for a little while,” William explained. “Hopefully, I can get close enough to the bitch to put this on her.” He held up a tiny, skin-colored patch. “Best invention ever for subduing a woman. Ever try one?”

Frederick shook his head. “Don’t need drugs to handle a woman. Got my own method of making them do what I want.” He smiled, revealing a giant space between his front teeth. William wasn’t sure if the man’s tooth had been knocked out or if that was just how his teeth were. Hard to believe anyone had gotten close enough to the giant to sock him in the mouth.

“I don’t use drugs all the time, but they come in handy. They’re especially good for mellowing out kids.”

“I hate kids,” Frederick muttered.

William thought that was probably best, since Frederick’s ugly mug would scare most of them out of a year’s growth. He’d definitely never take the brute on a hunting trip. Idiot would scare off any perspective candidates.

William pulled into the large parking lot. He spotted an empty space at the very end and made a beeline for it. Should be out of the way enough. McCall might wonder why he’d driven a van, but it wasn’t that unusual a vehicle. Asking him why he’d brought along a giant would definitely raise some suspicions.

He parked and then turned to Frederick. “Get in the back until I come back.”

The man’s ugly scowl would’ve halted a normal person’s heart. William was made of sterner stuff.
 

“Don’t give me that look. I can’t risk you being seen.”

One giant shoulder shrug and an inhuman-like grunt was Frederick’s only reply. William took that as agreement.

“I shouldn’t be more than an hour, hopefully less. When I come back with the girl, you can drive. I’ll be busy in the back with her.”

Beady eyes perked up. “Can I have a go at her when you’re done?”

“I’m not going to do her, idiot. We’re just going to talk. Set a few things straight.”

Finch’s glare could’ve melted iron, but he thankfully seemed to accept William’s explanation. The last thing William wanted to do was have to kill the idiot for trying to play with the merchandise. Getting rid of that big of a body would be a nightmare.
 

Pulling down the sun visor, he checked his reflection in the attached mirror. There were worry lines in his forehead. He’d rubbed his eyes hard for several minutes. Now they were slightly swollen and red. Caused by the grateful tears a loving father would shed, of course. He played with several expressions, settling on a hopeful but somewhat frightened demeanor. After all, he didn’t know if his dear, precious Jessica would even remember her loving father.
 

He smiled at the perfection of his expression. Damn, he could’ve made millions as an actor.

William gave Dumbass one last warning. “You see anything or anyone suspicious, call me on my cell. I have it on vibrate, but it’ll give me a heads-up that something’s wrong.”

William watched Frederick crawl into the back. He then got out of the van and headed across the parking lot. The strip mall held a variety of businesses including a furniture store, mattress outlet, and barbershop. The suite he was to meet McCall and the girl was apparently vacant. A good thing for him if this didn’t go down as he planned.

 
Smoothing down his hair, William plastered his practiced expression on his face as he drew closer to the building. His beloved, precious Jessie was waiting inside, and he couldn’t wait to see her again!

***

The notification that Larson had arrived came from Jake, who was on the third floor of the building, keeping lookout. “Subject has arrived in a white van. He has a male passenger.” He snorted and added, “Subject appears to be practicing several expressions in the visor mirror. Apparently, he’s picked one. He’s getting out of the van, headed your way. Passenger is getting into the back. One hell of a brute, too. Looks like he can pack a punch.”

They had expected this. Riley knew she wouldn’t get out of the op without a few bumps and bruises. That was an acceptable risk. As long as the end result was the apprehension of Larson and all his hired perverts, as well as Dimitri, she’d take whatever hits came her way. She’d lived through much worse.

“I’ve got your back, partner.” The earbud in Riley’s ear was of the best quality. Justin’s voice was as clear as if he were standing beside her. His words made her glow. He knew what she’d been through and had full faith that she could handle this. His confidence gave her a boost. She could do this!

Riley heard footsteps coming closer. She drew in a breath, let it out slowly, and then once again became Jessica King.

Noah watched Larson come through the doors, his expression of hope firmly fixed on his face. The instant he spotted Riley sitting in a chair across the room, Noah saw a flash of the real man—the predator behind the façade.
 

“Jessica…darling! It is you!”
 

He took a running leap toward her, and Noah caught his arm, jerking him to a stop.

“What the hell? Mr. McCall, it’s my Jessie.”

“I’m glad to hear that, but our agreement still stands. This reunion is not only for your benefit but also for Jessica’s.”

“I—” Larson’s effort to hide his anger wouldn’t have convinced a three-year-old. Noah had a fleeting thought that the man had obviously never used the money he’d made in human trafficking for acting lessons.

Larson backed away and sighed. “You’re right, Mr. McCall. The excitement of seeing my daughter again is almost overwhelming.”

“I understand. We’ll just start out with some small talk and go from there.”

Noah pulled up a chair, placed it in front of Riley, and gestured at Larson. “Have a seat.”

***

The fire-engine red Lamborghini parked two spaces away from the white van. The driver, a tall, beautiful woman with long, auburn hair and creamy magnolia skin, opened the car door. Since her target couldn’t yet see her, she scrunched her toes in the tight shoes and grimaced in pain. Dammit, if you pay five hundred dollars for a pair of shoes, shouldn’t they be at least a little comfortable?

Swinging her mile-long legs out of the car, she stood and lightly stretched, the sexy, black lace minidress going tight in all the right places. If she already had an audience, she wanted him to get the full effect. Deeming she’d preened long enough, she lowered her head and addressed the woman on the passenger side. “I don’t care what you say, Tawny. This is the address Harold told me to come to.”

A tall, beautiful brunette with long, black hair and dark, exotic eyes got out of the car, her deep-red halter dress with its plunging neckline a perfect complement to her light olive skin tone. “This can’t be right, Sissy.” She spoke in a soft, sultry voice. “There’s not a house anywhere. These are all businesses.”

When nothing happened, the two women locked eyes. They knew they were going to have to be a little more creative.

“Maybe we shouldn’t go to the party,” Sissy said. “Standing around looking beautiful doesn’t sound like a lot of fun to me.”

“As long as we don’t have to take our clothes off like we did last time, I’m okay with just standing around,” Tawny said. “Parading around in a G-string and nothing else gets chilly.”

That did the trick. A head and then giant shoulders appeared at the window of the van. “You ladies sound like you could use some help.”

Both women looked around and smiled brilliantly at him. Frederick Finch didn’t think he’d ever been so dazzled in his entire life. Two women, both about six feet tall, built like Amazons, with faces like angels, were looking at him as if he’d hung the moon. Today was definitely his lucky day.

***

Aidan Thorne shook his head. Men were so damned predictable sometimes. He waited until Sabrina and Angela had the big brute facing away from the van. He half listened to their chatter about Hollywood parties, naked swimming, and all-day orgies as he slid under the back of the van and placed the GPS device. He flipped the switch and nodded his satisfaction as the light beamed red. The van shouldn’t get away from them, but just in case, they’d be able to locate it up to one hundred and twenty miles away.
 

A minute later, he slipped from underneath the van and then peered around the corner just in time to see Sabrina placing her hand on the guy’s back. The man probably thought he was about to get lucky. What he didn’t know was Sabrina had just placed a small bug beneath his collar. Now, wherever the big guy went wearing that shirt, they’d be able to hear everything he or anyone close to him said.