"Yes. I'm tired of the danger. And I love being a profiler. Sully said that once we've exposed The General, he plans to concentrate on kidnapping cases, which will keep me busy on the profiling end."
"I wish that man were already out of our lives. I hate that he's had this much control over us."
"Me, too," she said, squeezing his hand in hers. "But we're close. If only Quita hadn't run off. I wonder if Zach has tracked her down yet."
"He would call us if he had," Ethan assured her. He pulled her down next to him on the lounge chair, turning slightly so that he faced her.
"Since we're talking about surprises," Ethan said, quirking one eyebrow in that playful way she loved. It made him look mischievous and mysterious all at once.
"Yes?" She loved surprises. This man had already surprised her with so much. What more could he do for her?
"I have one for you," he said, and pulled out his phone. He handed it to her, and Isabel looked down to see a picture of a small, cottage-style house. The siding was a beautiful butter yellow, with black shutters and a bright red door.
"What is this?" she asked, her tone breathless and airy.
"I put a contract on it before we left. I was going to clear it with you first, but I wanted it to be a surprise."
Isabel's mouth fell open in shock.
Ethan talked faster when she didn't say anything. "I know I should have asked you first. I know I shouldn't have presumed you'd even like it. But Scarlett thought it was perfect, and I wanted to give you a gift. I heard from the realtor today that we can close when we get back."
He paused. She knew he was waiting for her to answer, for her to say something—anything. But she was so overwhelmed that she couldn't get the words to flow.
Soon, though, she could feel the grin tugging at her lips—could feel it spreading, touching her eyes. Isabel flung herself into his arms. "You bought this house for me? For us?"
Ethan nodded. "Do you like it?"
"Do I like it?" She looked at him as if he were crazy. "I love it! No one has ever bought me a house before," she squealed.
"Well, I should hope not. No one's ever loved you like I do before, either," he said, kissing her nose.
"True." She kissed his lips softly, then pulled back to look into his beautiful eyes. "Thank you."
"Thank you," he said.
Isabel stood, taking both his hands in hers. They left their belongings on the beach and made their way up to the private beach house that Ethan had rented for their honeymoon. And as the afternoon faded into evening, Ethan and Isabel celebrated the new life they'd created, their love for each other, and the hope they held for the future.
* * * *
Two weeks later
Zach checked the security cameras for Quita's old house in Vegas for the millionth time. He'd exhausted all his backdoor resources trying to find her. But she'd disappeared without a trace.
Disappearing was hard to do, especially when someone like Zachary Harper, hacker extraordinaire, was looking for you. Which meant that Quita had experience disappearing, and it might be impossible to ever find her again.
Zach jumped up from his computer and walked over to the coffeepot in the office. He'd been up all night. It was rare for him to sleep for any significant amount of time, anyway. He'd get an hour here or there, and managed to do just fine. Because if he slept for very long, the dreams would come.
Visions of that night, so many years ago, flashed through his mind. He shook his head, dislodging the gruesome images.
It was why he didn't sleep.
Instead, he existed on catnaps, coffee, and computers. But not necessarily in that order.
His mind flitted back to Quita's beautiful blue-green eyes, her long blonde locks, and the tiny smattering of freckles across her nose. He thought back to the beating she'd endured at Bruno's hands. It was a miracle he hadn't killed her.
The night she’d spent in the hospital had been one of the worst of his life. Watching her moan and writhe in pain had brought back memories he'd tried to keep at bay. But he had sat there, by her side, the whole night. Holding her hand, bringing her water, and stroking her hair. And when she'd finally broken down and cried, he’d crawled into her bed and held her until she’d fallen asleep.
The nurse had found him there several hours later, when she’d come to check on Quita. He'd quietly slipped away, allowing the nurse and doctor to treat her in private. When he'd returned, she'd seemed shy. Not at all like someone who seduced men for a living.
That simple change in her personality had endeared her to him.
But now she'd left, and to make it even worse, she'd stolen the files that could have brought down The General and Tobias Winters. Zach feared that as long as she held them in her possession, she'd never be safe.
Tobias wanted those files. He was sure The General wanted them, too. He'd been very quiet of late, and that quietness had his team worried. They hadn’t received a single assignment since before their trip to Las Vegas.
Tobias's phone call had set in motion a more in-depth search for Quita's whereabouts. Zach had worked night and day, searching security cameras and running facial recognition software all over the country. So far, he'd turned up nothing.
Quita needed their protection. He knew now that her disappearance had more to do with her fear than with any betrayal of him. She'd known that Tobias and The General would come looking for the files.
Had she left with them to keep him and his team safe? The thought infuriated him. She wasn't equipped to go up against the likes of these powerful men by herself.
Her past with Tobias especially worried him. Zach feared that Tobias would find her first. He'd known her secrets. Zach only knew her stage name and how she’d felt in his arms.
If only he could warn her. Keep her safe.
Zach sat down at his computer and typed in his passcode. The screen flickered to life, and he went back to work, trying to follow a new lead on The General. All the others had been dead ends, but he kept hoping that one of these rabbit holes would pan out.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Zach glanced at the screen. He didn't recognize the number.
"Harper," he answered.
"Zach?" a soft, lilting voice asked.
Zach felt as if someone had punched him in the stomach. Fear, relief, and anger all bubbled up inside him. "Quita? Is that you?"
"Yes, it's me. I can't talk long, Zach. I'm sorry. Sorry I left. I have no right to ask you—"
"Where are you? What's wrong?" he interrupted, afraid that if she thought too much about it, she'd change her mind and hang up, and he'd never hear from her again.
"I'm in trouble. I need help," she said, fear lacing her words.
"Dammit, Quita. You shouldn't have left. You stole from us. Left us with no word. I've been searching for you for weeks. And now Tobias knows you have the files," he said, anger now the dominating emotion.
"Tobias knows? That's who's following me, then. I need to go," she said quickly.
"Wait! Don't you dare hang up that phone. You said you were in trouble. What kind of trouble?"
"Last night, two men followed me from the bar I've been working at. They chased me for several miles. They must have tracked my phone, so I threw it in a dumpster. I found an abandoned building and squeezed through a chained door. I stayed there for a couple of hours, waiting. Fearing that I'd be discovered."
Zach heard her take a deep, calming breath.
"I snuck out a couple of hours ago and bought a burner phone. You were the only person I could think to call."
She'd called him. When she was in trouble, he was the first person she'd thought to call. The thought warmed him, strengthening his resolve to help her.
"Where are you? I'll come to you," Zach said, scrambling to get a scrap of paper to jot down the address.
"I can't go back to the bar. They know where I work. I imagine they know where I'm staying as well. Zach, I have no place to go."
He stood, shutting down his computers an
d rushing towards the elevator.
"Quita, where are you?" he demanded. The need to get to her, to keep her safe, was overwhelming.
"New York City."
"I'm on my way. Keep this burner phone on you, and share your location with me. I'll track you down once I'm in the city."
"Ok," she whispered, and he could hear the tears in her voice.
"Stay safe," he said.
"Oh no! Zach, they're here." He heard a door slam, and then the sound of her heavy breathing. "They found me. I've got to go," she hissed.
"Quita! Quita!" Zach yelled.
The line went dead.
Zach ran up the steps to the top floor and shoved clothes and underwear in a duffel bag. He raced down to the armory room and chose his weapons. A plane would take too long. So would a train. He'd have to drive into the city. If he made good time, he could be there in four hours.
Four hours was a long time.
Book Four
Chapter 1
They were gaining on her.
The shiny black glint of the guns in their hands was a deadly reminder that she was running for her life.
Why hadn't they shot her?
They wanted the files. That had to be it.
Those damn files would be the death of her—or they would save her life if she managed to wrangle herself out of this mess.
How had they found her? She'd been so careful.
It had to have been Tobias. With Bruno Lopez, her former boyfriend-cum-pimp dead, Tobias was the only one who could possibly know that she had the files. Unless The General knew—but no, he couldn't know.
Chaquita—Quita for short, the stage name chosen by Bruno, who'd forced her into a career of exotic dancing and prostitution—had stolen the files off Bruno’s computer in order to earn her freedom. He'd kept diligent records on every crooked businessman and politician to cross his path. Most of them would kill to get their hands on the information she had stolen. And if she weren't careful, she'd be the one who ended up dead.
Her bare feet hit the pavement, the concrete tearing at the tender flesh. When would she learn to wear sensible shoes? She'd seen the two thugs lurking in the shadows on her way home from work. After attempting a couple of turns, she'd realized they were following her.
She had run. Hard and fast, kicking off her shoes as she went. The couple of hours spent in an abandoned building had helped her to regain her energy, but it had been short-lived. Moments after she’d managed to call Zach Harper, they'd found her, and she'd been running ever since.
Zachary Harper, tech guru for Castle Investigations and former Army special ops officer, had been her savior once before. She prayed that he would be able to do it again.
She ducked into the shadows for several moments, only to hear the thugs skulking about. Three long hours of running. If they didn't shoot her, she'd probably soon die of exhaustion.
Rounding the corner, Quita ran down an alley, where a chain link fence blocked her passage.
Damn it!
As she came closer, however, she saw that the fence was warped. Perfect. She squeezed through the opening and darted behind a dumpster, pausing for a moment to catch her breath. Bent over, with her hands on her knees, she pulled in deep gasps, trying to calm her racing heart. The rattle of the fence broke through her short respite, and she took off again, hitting the pavement with her damaged feet.
Her lungs burned, and her legs felt heavy, as if someone had tied lead weights to her ankles. The sharp bite of the pavement into her feet felt as if she were running on razor blades. Digging deep, she pushed herself to keep going. Risking a glance over her shoulder, she saw Thug One and Thug Two gaining on her. The quick reprieve behind the dumpster had cost her the upper hand.
The end of the alley quickly approached, and there was no time to pause and decide which way to go. She went left, racing down the long passageway that crossed over a back street. She looked both ways before crossing the street and continued down another alley.
She didn't hear footsteps behind her, so she glanced quickly over her shoulder.
There was no one behind her.
Had she lost them?
Slowing, she walked backwards, her head swiveling back and forth. The alley was empty. No one lurking about at this hour of the night, and no goons following her. Where had they gone?
Maybe they'd grown tired and thought it best to lie low for a while. She could only hope.
Quita glanced over her shoulder, the end of this alley now quickly approaching. If she could just get to the street and to a safe place, she could call Zach and see where he was.
He'd said he'd come. Even after all she'd done to him and his team, he’d still said he’d come for her. The other men in her life weren't like that. Except her dad. He'd been an upstanding guy, before he'd died and left her and her mother alone.
The car horns were louder now. New York City was the city that never slept—except when you were running for your life in a back alley. Then, no one was around to help.
Exhaling a sigh of relief and taking one final glance behind her, she took off at a jog.
And ran smack into a hard chest.
Thug One grabbed her by the arms and threw her to the ground. She hit the pavement hard, the skin on her hands and knees tearing on impact.
The thugs must have taken a parallel alley. The three of them were too far down their current alley for anyone else to see them. If only she'd just kept running, she could have made it to the street.
"Looks like we finally cornered the mouse," Thug One said. He had a thick Boston accent and buck teeth, so the words looks and mouse ended on a whistle.
"Give us the drive, Quita," Thug Two said. He also had a Boston accent, and obviously thought he was trying out for a part in The Godfather, with his slicked-back hair and gold chains.
"Go to hell!" she spat.
Thug One gave her a hard, swift kick to the ribs. Hot, blinding pain shot through her side, stealing her breath. Gasping, she tried to inhale, but each time, the piercing pain was unbearable. He was fast. She hadn't seen it coming.
Curling up into a ball, she tried to make herself a smaller target. If she wasn't mistaken, those were steel-toed boots he was wearing. Her ribs couldn’t take too many kicks from those before breaking under their force.
Thug Two bent down, his face close to hers. "Be a good girl, and give us the drive. Then we won't have to hurt you." He paused, a smirk lifting the side of his mouth. "Much."
Thugs One and Two laughed, clearly enjoying themselves. Well, that was until she sat up and spat in Thug Two's face.
"Screw you," she said.
His mouth fell open in shock. He wiped the spittle from his cheek. Then, with lightning fast reflexes, his fist shot out, landing a solid punch to her cheekbone.
Stars flashed before her eyes, and she could hear a ringing in her ears. It wasn't the first time she'd been hit. Bruno Lopez and Tobias Winters had both made a habit of using her as a punching bag any time they were displeased. The last time she'd been beaten, Bruno had almost killed her.
Blinking rapidly, she tried to clear her vision as tears swam in her eyes. The swelling in her cheek was immediate, and she could already feel her eye starting to close. Thug Two's fist shot out again, this time glancing off her jaw. Her teeth clacked together, catching her lip in the process. It split, filling her mouth with the tangy taste of blood.
Thug One pulled her to her feet by the collar of her shirt, pressing her hard up against the brick wall of the building behind her. His breath smelled of cigarette smoke and rotting flesh. She gagged, the smell mixing with the blood in her mouth.
He grabbed her jaw, squeezing her cheeks with his hand, until the pain was almost more than she could bear. She yelped, and her agony seemed to spur him on.
"Where's the drive?" he asked, as he squeezed harder.
She tried to answer, but the hold on her mouth was too much.
"Where's the drive?" he asked again.
"I do
n't have it," she tried to answer, but the words came out jumbled, blood flying out of her mouth and hitting him in the face.
He released her, and she dropped to the ground.
"You bitch!" he cried, wiping his face with his shirt.
Thug Two pushed Thug One aside.
"Looks like we need to teach you a lesson."
Pulling her up by her shirt, he smacked her hard across the face with his hand. Several more blows had her forgetting where she was and what was happening. She fell hard against the pavement, the fall jarring her back to reality.
But when the hard kick to her stomach came, she doubled over, the force causing her to vomit the little she'd had to eat that day. Another kick took her breath away. Her vision tunneled, darkness hovering around the edges, waiting to take over. She welcomed the darkness. It would be the end of the pain.
Then, from the fog, she heard the screeching of tires. As blackness closed in, she saw a large, dark figure emerge from a blinding light.
An angel had come to save her, she thought, just before the blackness took over.
Chapter 2
Three and a half hours.
If he'd been just a few seconds later, she'd be dead.
Three and a half hours was record time for getting from D.C. to New York City by car. Zach had broken every traffic law known to man, but he'd made it. And not a moment too soon.
Quita's broken body lay motionless on the ground, as he made quick work of the two hired gunmen who'd been beating her to a bloody pulp. They were both too stupid to live, and, when facing someone their own size, not much of a threat.
They were all brawn—and no brains, obviously, but also no quickness. Zach Harper, former Army special ops officer and current tech geek for Castle Investigations, was three inches shorter and at least fifty pounds lighter, but he was also fast.
The thugs tried to corner him against the building, but Zach moved at the last second, causing Buck Teeth to slam his fist into the brick wall.
That was going to hurt in the morning.
Buck Teeth drew his hand back, crying out in pain.
Castle Investigations Box Set Page 74
