BLURRED LINE

by Justice, A. D.

  Is it too soon to say I already am?

  Maybe.

  But I know, without a doubt, there’s no one else who has ever made me feel this way. I never believed in fate before meeting him. Now, I can’t imagine our meeting simply being left to chance.

  We each take a half step backward from each other when we hear the door open, as if we’re a couple teenagers about to be caught making out. Two women in spa uniforms enter, holding clipboards with our paperwork attached. With friendly smiles, they greet us by name and ask what we’d most like to get out of this visit. Two things immediately pop into my mind, but replying my only goal is to finish what I just started with Silas then stop the dirty senator seems inappropriate.

  “I carry a lot of tension in my neck and shoulders, so that’s my main area of concern.” I somehow manage to come up with an intelligent response.

  “Same for me.” When I look up at Silas, it takes all my willpower not to laugh out loud at his smug expression. He had the same initial thoughts I had.

  “We can take care of that for you both. Follow us.”

  We walk down a long hallway, and I check off the location of each door as we pass, comparing it to the image still clear in my mind. When we reach the couples room, I’m surprised to see a small hot tub in the floor between the two massage beds. Rose petals float on the surface of the water, adding a natural floral fragrance to the room.

  “I’m setting this timer for twenty minutes so you two can soak in the tub and loosen up your muscles before we start your massage. When the alarm goes off, dry off and lie face up on the tables. We’ll knock before coming in, so don’t feel rushed.” The therapist puts the timer on the table beside the massage oils before leaving us alone.

  “I was only half joking before, but I can’t say I’m disappointed at all. Do you need any help removing your robe?” The predatory gleam in his eyes makes my blood boil in the best way.

  “Actually, I do need help. This bow I tied in the belt is nearly impossible to untie.”

  “First of all, let me show you what ‘very hard’ actually is. Secondly, I’ll tear it off you with my teeth if I have to.” He grips my hips in his big hands and pulls me toward him, and I go more than willingly. I love his playful alpha side.

  Before I even realize the belt is untied, I feel the warmth of his hands on my skin, pushing the robe off my shoulders until it falls to the floor behind me. Not to be left out, I move my hands under his robe and help him out of it. The heat of his body drives away any chill from the air in the room.

  “It was only a few minutes ago when we agreed to wait until tonight. Now I don’t know that I can wait. But the ticking of that alarm reminds me why I have to—because there’s no way I can do everything I’ve planned for you in less than twenty minutes. Our first time happened way too fast. I didn’t get to hear you scream, so I’m making up for that later by taking my time to touch you, taste you, and feel you. I’ll make sure you’re so fucking ready for me that you’re begging for it. Then I’m burying my face between your legs until I feel your thighs quiver uncontrollably. After I have you all worked up into a frenzy, we’ll wake the entire house with you screaming my name.”

  The words simply tumble out of my mouth without a single forethought. “Fuck me, that’s so hot.”

  He skims his hand along my jaw then he gently grips my chin with his thumb and forefinger. The heat radiates from his eyes as he stares into mine. “That’s exactly what I plan to do. All fucking night.”

  “How long is this massage again? I’m thinking we should go check in to a hotel somewhere instead of staying with your family.”

  “I like how you think. Now, it’s time to get you hot and wet.”

  “I already am.”

  He quirks one eyebrow and gives me a sexy smirk. “Oh yeah? Maybe I should check?”

  My nod may be a little too enthusiastic. He steps into the hot tub and pulls me toward him, his gaze feasting on me as I join him in the water. We sink down into it, our hands instinctively seeking the other. When he skates his fingers up my inner thigh at a painstakingly slow pace, I know he’s giving me every opportunity to stop him. There’s no way in hell that’s happening, though. His hand stills when mine covers it—but the eagerness returns full force when I quickly pull him to his original destination.

  He buries one finger deep inside me while rubbing my clit with his thumb. His tongue leaves a hot trail along my collarbone before he dips his mouth to my nipple. When he adds a second finger, he also increases the pressure and speed of his sensual assault. It’s all I can do to keep from crying out his name when my climax rips through me. I cling to him, my fingers digging into his shoulders as I ride the wave until it subsides.

  I slide my hand down his body and grasp his rock-hard cock, ready and willing to give him the same pleasure, however he wants it. He wraps his hand around mine then halts my movement.

  “Hold that thought, babe. If you keep going, we’ll end up fucking right here on the floor. Only, I won’t stop when they walk back in. When we leave here, we’re getting a room for fucking certain.”

  “Holy shit. Is it wrong that part of me wants to test you to see if you really wouldn’t stop?”

  A dangerous, feral expression overtakes his features, and it’s such a fucking turn-on. Silas is one heartbeat from losing his calm and cool composure. I’ve wondered if there was a part of him that he kept hidden away, behind the strict lines he never crosses. Now I know for sure—Silas has a very dark and dangerous side.

  “I’ll fucking show you right now. We’ll get kicked out of here and won’t complete our assignment, but it’ll be fucking worth it.”

  The alarm goes off, effectively bringing us out of our carnal haze and putting our priorities back into perspective. He steps out of the hot tub and grabs the towels, holding one out for me to walk into. When he wraps the towel around me, he keeps his arms around me too. Then he kisses me softly, showing a stark contrast to the savage man who just made an appearance. With his own Mr. Hyde safely tucked back in his cage, Silas Steele is back in character and back in his element.

  Then he helps me onto the massage table and covers me with the sheet before sliding his towel across his skin and lying on his table.

  “Make sure she relaxes all your muscles, Kira. You’ll need all the flexibility you can get in a couple of hours.” His tone is casual, and his face is passive with his eyes closed and a small smile playing on his lips.

  What the fuck? How am I supposed to relax now?

  Chapter 18

  Silas

  After the best massage I’ve ever had, Kira and I assure the staff we know how to get back to the changing rooms. Once we’re dressed again, we meet in the hall and start our search. We move quickly through the corridors, relying on our collective memories of the blueprints to identify anything out of the ordinary.

  “Hold on.” Kira stops and looks behind us before pointing to the door to our left. “This one wasn’t on the newest design.”

  “By all means, let’s see what’s behind door number three.” Using my undercover skills, I pick the lock. As softly as I can, I open the door and peek inside. “It’s a long, dark hallway. I can’t tell what’s at the end of it from here.”

  “There was absolutely not a hallway shown on the plans in this spot. Silas, if they’re conducting their side business in a secret room, they could do it at any time of the day or night. How are they moving people in and out?”

  “Stay here. If anyone comes back here, just say you got turned around. I have to see what’s in here and where it leads.”

  I creep down the dark hallway, being careful not to make a sound when I move. By the time I reach the door at the end, my eyes have fully adjusted to the dim light. With an easy turn of the knob, I open the door without a creak. The outer door was locked, but they obviously feel comfortable leaving the inner one open.

  As I scan the room, the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach grows worse. There’s a reason why n
ever underestimating your opponent is drilled into our heads during training. My maxim has always been, “Assume the worst of people and be pleasantly surprised when they don’t let you down.”

  This is what ignoring my training and my gut gets me.

  Without caring if I’m heard or seen, I rush back down the hall and find Kira still waiting for me. “Come on. There’s someone I need to talk to—I just hope he’s still there.”

  “Who? Where? What’s going on? What’d you see?”

  “Give me a minute, baby. If I’m right, I’ll be able to explain everything very soon.”

  We reach the door to the men’s changing room, and I calm my pounding heart before rushing in and demanding answers. I’m relieved to find just the man I was looking for still inside, cleaning up after the day’s patrons.

  “Hey, buddy. I’m glad you’re still in here. My teenage nephew needs a job in the worst way. This place is so nice, I thought I’d send him down here to put in an application. Can you tell me a little about working here? Does it pay well? How many days off do you get? Stuff like that.”

  The alarm on his face tells me everything I need to know. He shakes his head quickly from side to side.

  “No, no. Uh, no opening.” His broken English nearly breaks me. I’ve been so blind today, focused on Kira instead of my job, I missed all the signs.

  The tiredness in his eyes.

  His grim expression.

  The way his hands shake when he reaches for items.

  How his feet shuffle when he walks because he doesn’t have the energy to lift them.

  “That’s too bad. Do you enjoy working here?” I purposely keep my tone easy and my body language friendly and open. I don’t want to spook him more than he already is.

  One of the manipulation tactics human traffickers use is to convince their prey that everyone is out to get them. That the police will lock them away forever. Even that ICE is always on standby to deport them to a forgotten prison somewhere offshore. If he thinks I’m anywhere in the neighborhood of being a cop, he’ll cover and lie for his captors to save his own hide.

  When he looks up at me, I can see the desire to spill all the illegal and immoral secrets he’s witnessed behind these walls. He glances around nervously, as if he’s waiting for someone to rush in and drag him away.

  “I haven’t even introduced myself. My name is Silas.” I extend my hand to shake his.

  He takes my hand, and I sense he’s warming up to me more with each passing minute. “Cristano.”

  “Good to meet you, Cristano. Listen, I know you don’t know me at all, but I have a feeling you’re in trouble. I can help you if you let me before it gets worse.”

  Panic starts to set in, and I know he’s about to bolt.

  “If they said you’d be arrested and sent to prison if you were found out, they lied to you, my friend. That’s not how our system works. If your employer isn’t paying you and not allowing you any days off, they’re not good people, Cristano. They’re the criminals, not you. In fact, they’re the ones committing illegal acts, but you’re not. If they took your passport or your identification, they’re definitely using you and not keeping up their end of whatever deal they made with you. Let me help.”

  He’s listening—intently—and I can almost see the gears in his brain turning, putting all the pieces together. But he still doesn’t respond.

  “Cristano, if you’ve seen other people come here to work, then all of a sudden, they’re gone, that’s another bad sign. There are a lot of people who want to help people like you and others who are caught in this unfortunate situation. In fact, a friend of mine has put her life on the line just to stop the bad things that are happening here.

  “She found out about it by accident, and her government will likely execute her if she returns home. But it’s so important to her, she’s willing to risk her life for it. She also found out they’re about to bring in more new people. My concern is they’ll sell you or someone else who works here to make room for the new people they’re taking advantage of.

  “If you’ve seen any of this happening here, I need you to tell me so I can help you. I promise you’re not in trouble, and you won’t ever be in trouble for trying to make a better life for yourself or your family. We can help you—just tell us what’s really happening here.”

  The aged Filipino man breaks down in front of me, sobs racking his body. Despite the tears and guilt that riddle him, a spark of gratitude still shines in his eyes. Like a dam breaking from too much pressure pushing on a cracked wall, Cristano tells me everything he knows. Everything that’s happened. Everything he’s seen and experienced in the time he’s worked here.

  “I will get you out of this, Cristano. You have to trust me. They’re bringing in more people to use and abuse soon, and we need to save them, too. Here’s my phone number—memorize it or keep it hidden on you at all times. If you’re in imminent danger, call me and I’ll come rushing in. But if we can save everyone at once, you’ll be a hero. Are you with me?”

  “I’m with you, Silas.” He hugs me, squeezing me as hard as his thin arms will allow.

  When I leave, it’s with my solemn vow that I’ll be back for him. If it’s the last thing I ever do, I’ll keep that vow to him.

  When Kira and I head back to the front desk to pay for our services, I can’t contain my disgust for the people who work here, knowing they’re helping to exploit destitute people who only want to make their lives better.

  “How was your massage, Mr. Steele?” the receptionist asks tentatively. She must sense the fury boiling just beneath the surface.

  “The massage was great. Thank you.”

  When we get in the truck, I relay the entire conversation to Kira. Tears of frustration and disgust well up in her eyes. “Silas, this has to stop. I saw a lady in the women’s changing room when I first walked in. She was gone by the time I came out of the curtained area, but now I’m certain she’s also being treated like a slave.”

  “It’s going to stop, baby. And the people behind it are going to pay for the shit they’ve done. We’ll make sure of it. Unfortunately, I have to break my promise to you. As much as I want to hide away in a hotel room with you for the next week, this has to take precedent. If we lose Cristano now, I’ll never forgive myself.”

  “Of course. I completely agree. Whatever it takes, let’s do it. What did you find when you went into that dark hallway? What’s back there?”

  “It’s one big room that’s lined with beds—one after the other, only separated by half-length curtains to create a tiny room. Many of those beds appear to be new—no sheets, no clothes, nothing to show anyone occupies them. They must be making room to hold their ‘precious cargo’ until the sale is final. They’ve been keeping the people there to work for them for free…and who knows what else. I saw a few toys down there too, but I didn’t see any kids.”

  “Did you see how they’re bringing them in and out of the building?”

  “They don’t need a secret entrance to bring workers in and out. They can make them wear uniforms and march them in the front or back door without anyone questioning it. For the kids, they could simply hold their hand and walk in with them. It wouldn’t seem so out of place that anyone would notify the authorities.

  “I have to get back and share all this information with the team. We need to reevaluate our plan and timeline. My main concern is it’ll all happening sooner rather than later. I could be wrong, though—that’s happened once or twice before.”

  We get back to Noah’s, and I retrace our every step and conversation for the team, with the exception of our time alone in the hot tub. That memory is only for Kira and me to relive…alone…as soon as humanly possible.

  “Okay, then. We work just as well together without a plan as we do with a plan. We’ll watch it day and night. Everyone be ready to move at a moment’s notice.” Noah calmly removes Gray from the kitchen countertop he climbed up on.

  “Daddy!” Gray’s little face
contorts to show his displeasure.

  “What?”

  “You ruined everything!”

  “Yes, I’m sure I did, by getting you off the counter where you know you’re not allowed to climb. But you still have to get down, little man.”

  “Seems like you have this dad gig down pat.”

  “Yeah, you should try it. Chaise and I need more nieces and nephews.”

  “I’m waiting for Shadow to take the plunge first. Then I’ll go.” I cut my eyes over at him, not bothering to hide the massive grin on my face.

  His response is to flip me off, which only makes me laugh out loud.

  “Looks like I’ll be taking matters into my own hands soon. If I haven’t already, that is,” Elle says nonchalantly.

  Shadow’s eyes bulge out of his head, and his mouth drops open. I quickly turn around and snicker to myself. Otherwise, I absolutely will encourage her.

  * * *

  After a week of round-the-clock stakeouts at the spa and violating the senator’s privacy like we’re a bunch of peeping toms, we’re still no closer to shutting him down than when we started. The man has barely left his house, and those few times have only been to go out to dinner with his wife. I’ve raised concerns more than once that we’re watching the wrong man, but the eyes-only documents he has keep tripping me up.

  He wouldn’t have those if he were clean.

  Unless.

  “Shadow, I need you to do me a favor.” I find him sitting alone on the deck, staring at nothing while deep in thought.

  “It’s bothering you too. Isn’t it?”

  “What, exactly?”

  “The idea that we may be focusing all our efforts on the wrong man. But everything we’ve seen points to him and him alone.”

  “Yeah, it is. It’s a little too convenient, isn’t it?” I sit down on the lounge chair beside him.

  He nods. “And if my experience has taught me anything, it’s not to trust anything that’s packaged up all nice and neat. That’s a sure sign of misdirection.”