Saving Rain: The First Novel in The Rain Trilogy (15 page)

Kas finds the kitchen and living room empty, so he heads towards her bedroom, knocking softly on the door, “Raina, sweetheart, open up.”

Ignoring his plea, she hopes he will take the hint and give her time to think. She has no such luck as the door swings open, and Kas drops to his knees in front of her slumped over frame, “Rain, what’s wrong?”

She doesn’t say anything, she doesn’t even know where to begin. She knows he needs to concentrate on the raid and doesn’t need to worry about her, and guilt piles itself on top of the emotional heap already smothering her. “Nothing, I’m fine,” she forces out, making herself raise her head and fake a smile, wishing beyond all wishes that he would have taken pity on her and thrown a shirt on with his jeans.

“And, you’re a terrible liar,” Kas gently admonishes, worry creasing his brow.

“I’m just tired, really, I’ll be fine,” she tells him more convincingly this time. And she will be, she will
force
herself to be, she scolds herself and flashes him another forced smile as she stands up to leave the room.

Kas grabs her wrist. “Huh uh, darlin’, try again,” he states, seeing right through her.

“You have enough to worry about today, you need to be concentrating on the raid. Please, don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”

“The word ‘fine’ is turning into a dirty four letter word to me, Rain. I’m not leaving here until you tell me what’s wrong.”

Raina can tell by his determined expression that he isn’t lying. She sighs, furious with herself for not being able to hold it together, at least until he gets home tonight. She knows it’s no good to try to pretend nothing happened, it’s almost as if he can read her thoughts. She decides to tell him about Mr. Sutton, hoping the half-truth will be relinquishing enough. “Chris’ father has been hanging around the university.”

Kas’ expression hardens, “For how long?”

“Just twice.”

“Why didn’t you tell me the first time, Raina?” Kas demands, his tone tinged with more concern than anger.

“It only started last night. He was sitting on a bench as I was walking to my car, and then this morning, he was blocking the door to the building where my first exam was. He didn’t do or say anything to me either time. He was just . . . there.”

Fury surges through him at the audacity of Sutton trying to intimidate her. “I’ll handle this,” he states, his voice full of steely assurance.

“That’s exactly what I was afraid of,” Raina looks at him exhaustedly. “Please, just let it go, he’ll get tired of this and stop.”

“He’s harassing you, Raina. I will not just let that go.”

“He hasn’t said or done anything to me, he just stares, which isn’t exactly illegal.”

“He knows exactly what he’s doing, and by the looks of you, it’s working,” Kas spits out, anger searing his heart at how Sutton is messing with her in her most exhausted state. He knows that Sutton realizes that it’s exam time, exams that Chris would be taking if he weren’t behind bars. Unnerving her, hoping she doesn’t do well on hers, is his way of punishing her. Fear joins the anger as he wonders just how far Sutton is willing to go, the thought almost paralyzes him.

“Look, now wasn’t the time to bring this up, I’m sorry, please, just forget it for now. You have enough to think about for this evening, we can talk about it later.”

“When are you taking your last exam?”

“In a few hours, but don’t worry, there will be a lot of people. When he saw Seth come up to me he left. He’s not going to bother me with people around.”

Kas stares at her, wishing he could take her to her last exam. “Call Seth, have him meet you where you park. Don’t get out of the car until he’s there, and don’t go anywhere where you’re alone, Raina,” he demands, his voice warning her just how seriously he is taking the situation.

She leans into him, needing the warmth of his touch, “I won’t.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Kas stands, looking at the map spread out on the wall in the back of the van, examining the entrance points again. He studies all the exits, double checking to be sure there are enough men assigned to each one. He checks all of their equipment and takes a moment to say a prayer for the safety of the girls and all his men. He whispers another prayer for Raina, praying Sutton will not be there tonight. He grabs his pack and turns around, a fierce determination squaring his jaw, “Grab your gear. Let’s get this done.”

The sun has almost fully faded as they spread out to take their positions. Kas scans the area, making sure there aren’t any unexpected surprises. He signals Frank, giving the all clear, as Frank, Scotty, Mack, and Luis make their way around the sides of the building to cover the side door and windows. He takes a mental note of the number of guards at the entrances and the type of artillery they are carrying. Once he’s satisfied that they need to go in as planned, he adjusts his position so he can wait a little more comfortably.

The waiting is what he hates the most. It’s the time when his self-control takes over, keeping his mind from wandering to dangerous thoughts that can distract him. Thoughts of self-doubt, fear from unknown scenarios, losing your concentration, all of those things can get you killed. He keeps his mind sharp, focusing only on his surroundings and the task at hand, waiting for the correct moment to go in.

At 7:00 p.m. sharp, Kas checks his and Derrick’s team’s positions and watches the last of the despicable guests go inside to use their filthy money to purchase human beings. He holds his closed fist up in the air as the warehouse doors are shut, taking a second to scan the perimeter again. He drops his fist, and they move in, quickly and soundlessly to their target. Blending in the with shadows, they wait for the next command from their leader, their adrenaline pumping, their bodies trained and ready to fight. Each of them is ready to lay down his own life for the lives of the innocent.

Kas gives a nod to Russo, and they simultaneously aim their stun guns, the specialized kind excellent for long range. The electrical pulses take down the two guards rapidly and silently before they move in. Austin and Jake effortlessly move the bodies, giving Kas access to snake the minute camera under the door. He carefully watches the feed on his screen, noting the positions of the armed guards inside. He doesn’t see the girls, realizing that they are probably in the back, held captive until the hellacious bidding for their bodies begins. Adjusting his ear pierce, he waits on Frank to deliver the news about the girls.

“Approximately thirty girls, two chaperones, and heavy fire power.”

Kas silently whispers another quick prayer. “Go in three.”

Three, Two, One.

Deafening explosive sounds crack mercilessly through the air as blinding, blazing flashes of light illuminate the entire old warehouse from every corner. The team expertly infiltrates the building with flash bangs crashing through the windows, deftly stunning its un-expecting occupants. Kas hears shots from the back as he witnesses his and Russo’s shots taking down more guards. He has a split second of relief when the sound of the ammunition in the back confirms it was made by his men’s weapons.

“Chaperones down.” Kas hears Frank’s confirmation mixed with the terrified screams of the girls.

Chaos is breaking out all around him. Exorbitantly dressed buyers scatter, some with bodyguards doing the job they are paid highly for by shielding their debased employers as they flee for the exits. The smoky haze makes the tumultuous commotion of the coughing, screaming melee surreal. He knows the ones that actually make it to the exits without being apprehended will not make it any further with the rest of his team and Derrick’s team ready on the outside.

A flash of silver streaks across Kas’ perephrial vision. He raises his Glock and fires it into the trafficker’s thigh, choosing not to make a kill shot unless absolutely necessary for two reasons; they need all the information they can get from the trafficker, and he doesn’t handle taking a life, even a wicked life, lightly. Russo secures the wounded trafficker as Kas races after another assailant, tackling him before he reaches the door.

The man refuses to go down without a fight and lands a fierce blow to Kas’ jaw. The impact only fazes Kas for a second. Shaking off the blow, he blocks the path as his attacker takes a balanced, squatting stance. Kas immediately recognizes the martial arts stance and adopts one of his own, his intense training making him a skilled opponent.

The trafficker attacks with a forceful snap front kick. Kas twists to the side, barely dodging the blow. The trafficker keeps coming, rapidly throwing upper cuts and right hooks which Kas expertly blocks. Deciding a good, old fashioned elbow to the jaw will suffice, Kas lands his elbow against the trafficker’s jaw with such force, it knocks him to the floor.

As Kas goes to cuff him, the trafficker launches a side kick, sending him flying backwards, slamming him roughly into a metal beam. A painful groan escapes Kas’ lips as he catches himself before sinking to the floor. He bites back the excruciating pain and comes up swinging, landing a strong right hook then a powerful roundhouse, sending the trafficker spiraling back to the cold concrete. Kas goes down on one knee as he wraps his arm around the man’s neck in a choke hold, squeezing until he cuts off the blood flow, and the man is as limp as a wet noodle crumpled on the floor.

He roughly cuffs the man, stopping only to check to make sure his breathing is returning to normal. He quickly scans the room which is empty now, except for himself and his passed out opponent. Checking in with Frank, he makes sure all of the girls made it to safety. Once he’s given the affirmation that the girls have been safely recovered, he and his team secure the area, removing any intel found. Kas refuses to see the medic, just wanting to finish, check on the girls, then go home to check on his girl.

Two hours later, the girls are finished with the medics and are with counselors while they are questioned. The rest of Derrick’s team is interrogating the traffickers, and Derrick tells Kas that the one he took down has been identified as the trafficker who handled Claudia, as well as some of the other girls from Derrick’s previous raid. Relief pumps through Kas hearing that they got the man who terrorized and rented Claudia’s body out to countless men.

Kas and his team finish debriefing as Chase steps out of one of the interrogation rooms. He slaps Kas on the back, causing him to coil his fist. Kas forces himself to not take the swing, not wanting to break his best friend’s nose.

Chase sees the pained expression on his friends face, “Sorry, man, you hurt?”

“The trafficker Claudia called El Diablo unleashed a little of his wrath on me tonight,” Kas explains, rubbing his sore shoulder.

Chase studies Kas, “Seriously, bro, are you alright?”

“Nothing a hot shower and a few days won’t heal,” Kas assures him.

A satisfied grin spreads across his centerfold face, “Does Raina know you got Claudia’s trafficker?”

“No, I want to tell her in person. She can use some good news right now.”

Concern fills Chase’s eyes again, “Why, what’s going on?”

“Sutton’s harassing her. I made a call to our friend Pete, he’s going to check into it. But Sutton’s playing it safe, not doing anything overtly illegal.”

“How’s Raina holding up?”

“Minimizing everything, as usual, that girl is stubborn. She’s exhausted, burning the candle at both ends, and won’t listen to reason. She keeps saying she is fine, trying to shoulder everything on her own.” Kas rakes his hand through his hair, not attempting to hide his blazing frustration.

“Looks like you can use a good night’s sleep yourself.”

Kas nods, again not trying to feign the truth from Chase, knowing it won’t do any good anyway. Chase is just as trained as he is in reading people.

Chase lightly taps Kas’ other arm, “Take care of yourself, man, call me if you need me.” He gives Kas a pointed look, “I mean it.”

Kas nods again, appreciating their close friendship that’s been more like brotherhood since they were young kids, “Go take care of the girls, I’ll shout at you if needed.”

Frank walks up, nodding to Chase as he heads into another interrogation room. “Hey, boss, we’re going to Moe’s to celebrate.”

Kas shakes his head, “I’m going to skip this one.”

“Oh, c’mon, you’ve got to go, besides, the rookie’s all wound up, he could use this.”

Kas glances across the room at his team, seeing Jake’s demeanor no more wound up than the rest of them. He has monitored each man on his team closely after every raid; he’s on top of when one of his men’s stress is at a level requiring his intervention. “Jake’s doing fine, and after being with us for a year, I think you need to drop the rookie comments before he calls you on it,” Kas laughs at Frank.

“Alright, then I’m asking for you to go. One drink, then we’ll let you go back to who you’re really wanting to be with right now,” Frank gives him a knowing wink.

Kas inwardly sighs. He really just wants to sit with Raina and have a quiet evening soothing his wounds with her healing presence, but he’s the team leader, and they all just put their lives on the line again tonight. He owes them one drink. “Alright, I’ll go for one.”

Raina lays her pencil down and smiles, relieved that her finals are over and feeling confident that she did well. The toll of the past few weeks has left her emotionally weak and physically drained. She dreams of grabbing takeout and snuggling up with Kas on the couch before passing out for at least twelve hours.

Grabbing her purse, she checks her cell, and her smile widens as she reads the text Kas must have sent her during the exam.
Hope
u
r
kicking
butt
on
ur
last
final,
I
know
u
r
going
2
do
great.
I’ll
b
done
here
n
a
couple
of
hrs,
c
u
soon.
Raina throws her bag over her shoulder and heads out the door, beyond ready for a break. Being sure to stay with a group of other students, she leaves the building and heads towards her car. Relief fills her when she sees no sign of Mr. Sutton.

Waving to Seth and Sara, Raina grabs her keys and slides into her car. She cranks the ignition and starts to pull out of the parking area but jerks to a stop when she feels the rough thumping of her tires trying to roll over the asphalt. Raina throws the door open and jumps out of the car. Her final thread of self-reserve breaks when she sees the air has been let out of her tires.

Grabbing her purse, she slams the door, fuming as she scans the parking area. Raina knows exactly who did this, and he has just pushed her way too far this time. She sprints to the bus stop and bangs on the doors as they are beginning to shut. The bus driver opens the door, giving her an exasperated glare as she climbs the stairs. Raina ignores the rude look, thrusting the fare and taking a seat, retribution dancing in her fatigued mind.

Feeling foolish for giving Mr. Sutton the benefit of the doubt, thinking he was just temporarily overwhelmed by his son going to jail when he hatefully accosted her at the court house, she isn’t fooled any longer. Too many men have hurt her, controlled her, and dominated her. She is fed up with being a helpless target, and Mr. Sutton has pushed her too far, she won’t allow him to push her around a minute longer.

As the bus doors open, a eerie calm settles over Raina, giving her the edge she needs to stand up to Mr. Sutton, to let him know that she’s done with his twisted games. Stepping off the bus, she doesn’t miss a beat as she heads straight for the bar. Knowing it’s either the exhaustion affecting her, or possibly that she has finally lost her grip with reality, but Raina feels invincible when her eyes find Mr. Sutton’s, and she almost sashays towards him.

A satisfied smile tilts the corners of her lips as she watches with amusement, the surprised shock that washes over his face. She reaches the bar and leans casually against it, her gaze never leaving his. She watches as Mr. Sutton hands some kind of mixed concoction to a middle aged businessman relaxing before heading home. Placing her hands flat on top of the polished wooden bar top, she leans in even closer, until Mr. Sutton is forced to acknowledge her presence. She feels the stares of men with obvious high hopes roaming over her. Any other day, she would feel completely out of her element in the overly crowded bar that is full of patrons from every pay bracket. She watches as they down spirits and ogle women they have never met and probably will never remember their names in the light of the early dawn.

She knows that Mr. Sutton is a genius in the business realm, with restaurants and bars ranging from elegant and swanky with the elite socialites inhabiting the premises nightly, to the brazen and just slightly above seedy, that harbors the questionable clientele that are just as much regulars as their wealthy counterparts.