by Jen Talty
“My parents are bad people, and I couldn’t live with myself if I just sat back and did nothing. That young woman who thought being the person in the middle of check writers and those in need no longer exists. The woman you see standing in front of you right now takes action to help people, and right now, I can do something to stop one more girl from becoming another statistic.”
The corners of his mouth tipped upward. His heart swelled with pride. “We do this only if I get to listen and be armed and ready to go in and take those pieces of shit down.”
“I can live with that,” Benny said.
“Good,” Clayton said, leaning closer to Sage’s ear. “Love and support. That’s what you get from me from now on.”
Chapter 10
Sage raced through the trailer, slamming into the bathroom door. She wiggled the handle, praying it opened before she made a complete fool of herself.
Gagging and coughing, she dropped to her knees in front of the toilet and hurled. Her stomach twisted and gurgled, and her mind couldn’t erase the image of Clayton lying on the floor, eyes glazed over, with fake blood pooling all around his limp body. It didn’t matter that none of it was real; it was still burned permanently in her mind.
She rested her forehead on her arm and tried to breathe slowly and methodically.
“Hey, you,” Clayton’s calm voice eased the ache in her heart.
“Are you still covered in blood?” The worst part had been watching a streak of fake blood dribble out of Clayton’s mouth while they continued to stage his murder. Flashes of light had filled the tiny trailer while Boomer and Swede documented the crime with their phone.
“A little.” He slid down to the floor and rested his hand on her back, massaging gently. “Are you sure you want to go through with this?”
With as much dignity as she could muster, she lifted her head and brushed her hair from her face. “I need to do it. Besides, having a bit of a weak stomach might help with my performance.”
“I’m sorry about your parents.”
“Me too.” She pushed from the toilet. Her hands shook violently. She pumped her fingers in and out, creating fists each time.
Clayton helped her to a standing position, holding her firmly at the shoulders. He stared into her eyes, taking her breath away.
She tried to swallow, but her throat wouldn’t work correctly.
“I’m going be less than a mile away, and if you need me to come crashing in, you know the code words.”
She nodded. “Your full name, Porter Clayton.”
He let out a slight chuckle. “No one calls me that, and it sounds so weird.”
“Porter’s a nice name.”
“It was the last name of the doctor who delivered me. My mom thought if I was going to be burdened with a first name for a last name, I might as well have a last name for a first name.”
“That’s a mouth full,” she said with a slight smile. “And I don’t think I could call you Porter now if I tried.”
“Good, because I’ve been Clayton since I could talk.” He leaned in and kissed her plump lips. “I find myself caring about you more than anyone else I’ve ever known,” he whispered against her ear.
Closing her eyes, she rested her head against his shoulder. “My entire existence has changed in a blink of an eye. After today, I probably don’t even have a home, since my parents own it, or should I say, one of their illegal holdings—”
“You can stay with me for as long as you need. Love and support, remember?”
“What does that even mean?” She jerked her head back and blinked away the cobwebs that had taken up residence in her mind. “I get you’re here for me for as long as I’m paying…shit, I don’t know if I’ll even have a dime after this. I mean, all my money came from my parents, including my foundation.”
“Stop talking,” Clayton said.
She snapped her lips closed and glared.
“I don’t work for you.”
“When my father—”
He hushed her with a quick swirl of his tongue in her mouth. If the kiss hadn’t knocked her socks off, she would have protested.
“I’m not your hired bodyguard. I won’t take a dime from you or anyone else to protect you.”
“I’m not sure your boss will agree with that.”
Clayton smiled. “We took the initial down payment from your dad. That’s all he needs. Besides, I’m still technically on vacation for another week.”
“And this is what you want to do with your spare time?”
“If it means I get more time with you, then yes.”
“You’re a confusing man, and you still haven’t answered my original question.”
“Love and support means exactly what it sounds like. I’m here for you, no matter what. I won’t leave your side, and I’m hoping that you want to explore whatever is going on with us by taking a little road trip with me when this is all said and done.”
“Are you joking? You want me to ride off into the sunset in your camper after I put my parents in jail?” The moment the words left her mouth, she realized that was exactly what she wanted.
Needed.
He cocked his head but said nothing as if he knew what she was thinking.
And that scared her more than anything.
“We don’t have to go anywhere. I’ll do whatever you need.”
“Why do you have to be so sweet. It was easier when I thought you were an aloof cowboy who probably had a liking for prostitutes.”
“Well, I do have a liking for them; I just don’t fancy them.”
She poked him in the chest. “You are so not funny, and that so won’t get you laid either.”
“I’m just glad I’m in the running for the latter.” He kissed her nose. “And for the record, I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure your charity foundation doesn’t take too big of a hit. If it does, then I have some money hidden away you can use.”
“I can’t take your money.”
“Of course you can. Besides, my mother took it from Maxwell, and no, I don’t think it’s tainted at all, especially if it’s backing a good cause, and you, my lovely lady, are the only person I want to put my time, energy, and money behind.”
“Love and support,” she said softly.
“Exactly,” he said.
“Okay, you two,” Boomer called. “We need to get this party started.”
“Let’s get this over with,” Sage said.
The tape sticking to Sage’s chest itched her skin, making her want to crawl right out of it. A bead of sweat dotted her forehead. They had gone over the plan a dozen times since Benny sent her parents the text message along with images that things hadn’t gone quite as planned and that their daughter had been the one to kill Clayton.
She slammed on the brakes as she pulled into her parents’ driveway, stopping just short of the big cast-iron gate. Leaning out the window, she hit the pin code on the keypad. The gate rattled, sliding open. The large tree branches swayed in the gentle breeze. The leaves danced over the stars and the moon.
Staring at her childhood home, she realized she needed a map to find her way around. This wasn’t her home. It had never been, and it never will be. She wondered if her parents still kept a room for her, though she doubted it since her parents hadn’t let her stay the night since her junior year in high school. She’d always thought that strange, but never thought it would be because of criminal activity. No, she just thought she was unlovable.
Love and support.
Clayton’s words bounced around her brain like a rubber ball, pinging here, landing there, hitting her over and over again that she’d been looking for love and support in all the wrong places, only she never expected it to happen with him.
Not in a million years.
She eased closer to the enormous house. Only a few outside lights were shining in the night. One of the four-car garage doors was open, and a silhouette stood in the entrance.
She took in a deep breath and let it
out slowly. If this worked, her parents would go away for a long time.
If it failed, she could be dead, or worse, on the run from a bunch of mobsters.
Her father stepped into the light and waved her forward. Her heart hammered in her chest. She glanced down at her shaking hands, which were covered in blood. All she had to do was get her parents to believe she killed Clayton to save her parents from going to prison.
That was probably the easy part.
The hard part would be getting her parents to tell her where the missing boys and girls were as well as confessing more of their crimes.
“You’ve put me in a tough situation.” Her father yanked opened the driver’s door. “What the hell were you thinking?”
She took in a deep breath and stepped from the vehicle. “It’s not like I meant to do it. But what’s done is done, and I need to know if you’re going to help me.”
“Get in the house.” He slammed the car door. “Is that blood?”
“That sometimes happens when you kill someone.” She stepped into the kitchen where her mother sat at the island with a bottle of whiskey by her side.
“This isn’t how this was supposed to go down,” her mother said.
“And exactly what were you expecting to happen?” Sage asked.
Her mother’s icy glare sent a cold ripple across Sage’s skin. She’d always been slightly terrified of the woman, but looking at her now, Sage wanted to vomit. Her mother had never loved her, and she never would.
“We’re just glad you’re okay.”
“Right,” her mother said with a sarcastic laugh. “So, the bastard’s dead, huh?” Her mother raised her glass to the air. The ice clinked, and the brown liquid sloshed up the sides. Her mother had always had an abrasive personality. Some might describe her as cold, and Sage wouldn’t disagree. Sage couldn’t remember a time when her mother had been warm and fuzzy. Hugs and kisses weren’t part of their family traditions. Actually, they had not a single tradition. In all Sage’s twenty-five years on this planet, she probably spent only a handful of holidays with her family. During those visits, the media were invited, or there was some major event her parents had to attend, which meant so did Sage, but only for a photo op and once that obligation was met, Sage was sent packing.
“You saw the pictures.” Sage made a beeline for the sink. She glanced at her trembling hands, and a vision of Clayton lying on the ground filled her mind. She kept telling herself it wasn’t real, but the blood looked and felt real. She flipped on the faucet and let the warm water race over her hands. Red tacky liquid filled the basin.
“I can’t believe you, of all people, killed that vile creature.” Her mother continued to sip her whiskey.
“It was either him or me.” Sage snagged the bottle of booze and brought it to her lips. She took a big gulp, shocked that the burning didn’t make her gag or choke. “Tell me, Dad, what do you know about Glenn Nolan?” Usually, small talk was about all she and her parents could handle, but today, she needed to get right down to business.
She coughed on her last gulp of whiskey.
Her father cleared his throat. “I hired him to get you and Weslynn out of harm’s way when I got that threatening note from Rotork.”
“Daddy, stop lying to me. We both know that Rotork had nothing to do with it, and Nolan was there to kidnap and murder me.”
“How dare you accuse your father of such things,” her mother said.
“I’m accusing both of you,” Sage said under her breath. “I know you hired Nolan to get me out of the way so you could set Clayton up for a plethora of crimes. But that plan has gone to shit, and now Clayton is dead, and I have blood on my hands.” She flicked her wrists a few times before grabbing a towel. She held the terrycloth in her hands, staring at the image of a pineapple. “I killed a man, so please, tell me why.”
“There is nothing to tell,” her mother said. “And that is for your own good. Had you just stayed in France, in the condo your father bought you, none of this would have happened.”
“Seriously, Mom? That’s what you believe? That man I just killed has video of Dad murdering a young woman years ago. He had proof that the two of you kidnap and sell young girls and boys to the highest bidder. And he had proof of the business dealings you both have with Maxwell Busgy, who is in prison right now. So, please, I’m begging, tell me what we’re dealing with, so I can help make sure we don’t go down for any of it.”
“We?” Her mother tossed her head back and laughed. “There is no we. Your father and I did nothing wrong.”
“Like hell, you haven’t. I’m not blind, and for the past three years, I’ve been watching, and I can tell you, so have the Feds.”
Her mother’s laugh was cut short. “Is that what the piece of shit, Clayton, told you? That man is the son of a whore.”
“That whore used to sleep with Dad.” Sage gagged on the words, but not because she was disgusted by Clayton’s mother. Far from it. She still didn’t agree with her actions, but it was her father that was the real criminal in this scenario.
Her mother slammed her glass on the island. An ice cube flipped out onto the counter. “What else did that bastard tell you? Did he tell you that woman was blackmailing your father so he’d continue to give her money?”
“Dad was only paying for services rendered, right, Dad?” Sage had been told to be prepared for lies upon lies. That she should expect redirection and deflections, but that she should, no matter what, try to stick with the script.
Fuck that.
She knew it wouldn’t work.
“I told you that fucking whore would be your downfall,” her mother said. “Her pussy must have had superpowers because she had a dozen powerful men dropping at her feet.”
Sage shivered.
“Shut up, Lorna. She’s been dead for ten years. She has no pull over me anymore. But Maxwell is still yanking our chains. He’s the person we need to deal with.”
“He’s only half the problem, and it’s the Feds you should be worried about. If you want my help—”
“Help? Child, you’re the one that needs our help. There’s a dead man in a trailer at a campsite, and it can be proven that you were there with him. Hell, you drove here in a dead Clayton’s vehicle,” her mother said. “Even if you can convince someone it was in self-defense, you still ended a man’s life. Your father and I had nothing to do with that.”
“There are two men dead in the trailer.” Sage needed to move things along. She wasn’t sure she could continue with this charade much longer.
“You killed someone else?” her mother asked with a humorous kick to her words. “I don’t believe it.”
“I didn’t kill him. Clayton did. It turns out he was a hitman there to kill me. Actually, he’s the same man who tried to kidnap me. Any idea who might have hired a contract killer on me?”
“Maxwell,” both her parents stated at the same time.
“Now, why would a man I don’t know want me dead?” Sage asked.
“He’s doing whatever he can to destroy us, as well as his own son. Maxwell cares only about himself,” her father said.
“That might be true.” Sage knew Maxwell had a hand in the insanity of her current situation, but it was her parents who had hired Nolan, and it was her parents who were currently trafficking young girls and boys. It was her parents who needed to go down, and that’s who she’d focus on. “But you should know that the Brotherhood Protector group has a shit-ton of information about the next load to be sold off, so we have to move the merchandise, or all three of us will end up in prison and most likely facing the death penalty.”
“Jesus Christ.” Her mother poured another hefty glass of whiskey.
“What exactly did Clayton tell you?” her father asked.
“His boss had a meeting with a federal agent who was given information about our human trafficking operation by Maxwell.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” her mother asked. “That is just an ugly lie.”<
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“Mom, we have to act fast, or nothing any of us say or do will keep us from going to prison. I don’t think you want that.”
“Fuck,” her mother muttered.
“I was able to get Clayton to give up some information before I killed him. He said that Maxwell gave the authorities the location for the next pickup, as well as a list of current buyers and that the Feds are days from closing in. That was yesterday.” Sage took another good hit of the whiskey. It burned her stomach but warmed her brain. “If you want to keep your business going, I suggest we move the merchandise now. Once the cops find Clayton’s body, we need to have made sure that any information he gave the Feds doesn’t pan out and have a good reason for why I was here with you since early this morning, and not with him.”
“Since when did you become so assertive,” her mother said, stepping from behind the counter. In her right hand, she held a small handgun.
Sage swallowed.
Hard.
“You’ve always been such a little people pleaser, needing everyone’s approval. What changed?” her father asked. “And you haven’t once mentioned how you plan on making sure you don’t go away for murder, why is that?”
“Clayton and Nolan got into a gunfight; they killed each other.”
“That’s not going to fly,” her father said, not denying anything. “I came out on national television and said that Clayton all but kidnapped my kid.”
“I didn’t see that,” Sage lied, surprised that her father went there as quickly as he did. Clayton had been so sure of how her father would focus on that, but Sage wasn’t so sure.
She’d been wrong.
About a lot of things.
“We can use that to our advantage,” her mother said, still holding the weapon between her fingers. “Call Ron at the warehouse. Have him send someone over to the trailer and make sure what Sage says is all true.”
