The Smuggler

by Leslie Georgeson

  I came to the conclusion that I would have to send her with Nate and Alissa when we came back from Augusta, so I wouldn’t have to be alone with her like this. It was pure torture. And I’d withstood about all I could withstand.

  At last we neared Augusta. Grace sat up straighter in her seat. She pulled her Glock from the holster hidden underneath her sweater and set the gun in her lap. I had to remind myself that this woman was a cop. She enforced the law. Yet tonight she might have to break the law in order to save her foster kids. Though Grace was strong and brave, and far from innocent, I felt like I was corrupting her with my very presence. She was all that was good in this world—hell, the woman took in unwanted children. I was all that was bad. What made me think I had a right to touch her even a little bit?

  Because after I freed her girls, she would owe me. That was how I justified what I was going to do. She owed me.

  And I would collect the payment however I saw fit.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Grace

  I couldn’t get Tony’s words out of my head the rest of the way to Augusta.

  You might be a little sore in the morning. Because I plan to fuck you thoroughly and often.

  Heat pooled in my core, a continuous throb of longing and anticipation. My nipples hardened into tight little nubs. If he had any idea how hot and wet those words made me…how badly I wanted him.

  I didn’t dare look at him after that, so I stared out my window instead. He pressed a button on his steering wheel, turning the stereo on. The music was loud as Adam Lambert sang about being stuck in his lover’s chokehold, the bass a steady thump thump thump, the guitar an insistent wail. I was a little shocked by Tony’s musical interests. His lips moved as he mouthed along with the lyrics, but he didn’t sing out loud. His fingers tapped against his thigh with the beat of the music. My curiosity about Tony grew. For some reason, I’d pictured him more as a head-banging, heavy metal type of guy. What did this say about him? He was certainly a contradiction.

  I eyed him with fascination. I wanted to know so much more about him. Who was this dark and mysterious—and oh so sexy—dreg? And why was I so intrigued by him? So eager to learn more about him?

  He caught me staring and lifted a brow. I’d never been shy or quiet. When I had a question about something, I asked. When I had an opinion, I expressed it. My mother blamed my bold, “unladylike” behavior on my three older brothers who she claimed corrupted me from birth. Yes, I could be wild and a little forward at times, and sometimes “unladylike”, but that was just me, and my mother had eventually gotten used to the fact that I wasn’t the meek, docile daughter she’d wanted.

  Oh, my dear, sweet mother. She still didn’t like the fact that I’d gone into law enforcement, preferring instead that I have a more feminine and less dangerous career, though exactly what she meant by “more feminine” I’m not entirely sure. My da had spoiled me from day one, since I was not only the youngest, but also the only girl. I’m not ashamed to admit I’m a daddy’s girl. I love my father dearly. He’s big and gruff, but a tenderhearted man underneath. My three brothers—Malcom, Robert, and Henry—though highly protective of me, have always treated me like one of the boys, helping to make me as high-reaching and untamed as the Cliffs of Moher. My da had always told me to reach for the sky, because the sky had no limits, and that I could be and do whatever I wanted if I reached high enough and strived hard enough. All of my family were proud of me for coming to America and pursuing my dreams here.

  God hadn’t seen fit to make me fertile, so I was unable to have children of my own. Fostering children had come easily for me. It helped fill the empty void, the longing for a child of my own. My parents had set a great example for their children, and I wanted to be more like them. My heart pinched thinking of Camille and Teresa out there somewhere. Parentless. Were they together? Had I failed them? Was it my fault they’d disappeared? Would we find them in time?

  I blinked back the hot tears that rushed forward, turning my head away so Tony wouldn’t see. Letting him see a weakness in me would not be a good idea. It might make him think I would be easy to beat in our next go-round.

  Tony shut the music off.

  Startled, I turned my head toward him. Had he witnessed my tears?

  He stared straight ahead, a muscle clenching in his jaw, then glanced at me. “If I find your girls, I promise I will do everything in my power to bring them back to you.”

  What? I swallowed hard. My heart squeezed. I’ll admit to being more than a little stunned that this big, brusque man actually had a sweet side. I reached across the car and placed my hand on his arm. He flinched, jerking at my touch. I don’t like people touching me. He hadn’t been joking when he’d said that. Deciding not to make a big deal out of it, I let go of his arm. The man obviously had issues, and I swore I was going to uncover all his secrets, discover who he truly was underneath the cold, impenetrable exterior.

  “Thank you, Tony. You’re actually kind of sweet when you want to be.”

  He scowled. “I’m not sweet.” He spit the word out like it was foul.

  I chuckled softly. “No, you’re definitely not sweet. My apologies. Most of the time you’re a big arse.” At his raised brow, I chuckled. “Hmm. Let me think of a better word for you. How about fine? Sexy? Hunky? Mouth-wateringly handsome? Breathtakingly gorgeous? A stud muffin.”

  He flushed, the color slowing rising up his neck and into his face. Had I embarrassed him? No way!

  “Shut the fuck up,” he growled out. “That’s not funny.”

  I turned sideways in my seat, facing him fully. “I wasn’t being funny. You’re hot, and if you don’t know that, then maybe you should pay a little more attention the next time you look in the mirror.”

  He squirmed in his seat, his discomfort plain. Then he pressed the button on his steering wheel, turning the music back on.

  Oh no, he wasn’t going to shut me up that easily.

  I smacked the power button on the dash, shutting the music back off.

  “I’m not done talking.”

  For a moment, I was afraid I’d gone too far. His body tensed, his right hand tightening around the steering wheel. Then, slowly, he relaxed his hand and heaved out a sigh.

  “So talk.”

  I lifted a hand to hide my smile. “I was going to say that men who are full of themselves are not attractive in my opinion. So, it’s okay to be unaware of your attractiveness and your effect on the female population. I think it’s kind of sexy that you don’t seem to know how good-looking you are. It makes me want to climb right into your lap and suck a hickie on your neck while you’re trying to drive.”

  He choked, then shot me a glare. But it obviously wasn’t heartfelt. His lips twitched, as if he were fighting back a smile.

  I turned away with a grin, facing forward again. We neared the military barricade just outside of Augusta and Tony slowed the car. Alissa and Nate were in the black Escalade in front of us. Nate rolled down his window and spoke to the sergeant on duty. Then the man waved us all through.

  Wow. I was impressed. Even though I was a cop, the military wouldn’t have just let me in the city like this.

  “Does the military know you guys or something?”

  Tony pressed his foot on the gas pedal and the car eased forward into the city. “Or something.”

  What kind of answer was that? It was obvious Tony still didn’t trust me. I decided I didn’t blame him, as I didn’t completely trust him yet, either.

  Several minutes later, we pulled over in a dark parking lot a few blocks from Paine College. Tony shut the car off and turned toward me. “Stay here. You can sit with Alissa in the Escalade if you want, but do not under any circumstances go onto Paine College.” His gaze was hard, brooking no argument. “It’s too dangerous.”

  I lifted my chin. No one was going to order me around, but I knew better than to get into an argument with him right now. So I simply nodded. I would do as he said and give him a chance to find my gir
ls. If he failed, then I might have to take matters into my own hands. Enrique Vasquez better be afraid. Because if Grace Murphy came after him, he was doomed.

  I got out of Tony’s Ferrari and slid into the back of the Escalade with Alissa. We waited silently for a few minutes while all the dregs gathered their weapons and slipped away. There was nothing we could do but wait for them to return.

  Alissa’s gaze landed on mine. “So, are you going to tell me what’s going on with you and Tony?”

  I glanced away, staring out into the dark night. “If I tell you, will you promise not to lecture me and not tell anyone else?”

  She let out a soft laugh. “Me, lecture you? I wouldn’t dream of it.” She hesitated. “But I should warn you about Tony. He’s…” she trailed off.

  I turned back to her. “He’s what?”

  “Well,” she said after a moment of silence. “You have to admit he’s a little scary.”

  I shrugged. “Not to me.”

  “I just don’t want you to get hurt.” She squeezed my hand. “You have a big heart and I’m afraid he’ll just break it. He’s not…a relationship kind of guy. Just…be careful around him. He’s damaged inside, Grace. I don’t know if he’s entirely safe to be around.”

  I was silent a moment, contemplating her words.

  You have a big heart, and I’m afraid he’ll just break it.

  Alissa was right. I loved freely and openly. I wasn’t guarded like some people. When I cared about someone, I let them know it, and I didn’t hold anything back. I was forward, sometimes blunt, and said what I meant. If I loved someone, I told them that. Often. My family knew I loved them. My friends knew I loved them. And when I someday fell in love with a man, he would know I loved him because I would tell him so.

  “I’m not trying to scare you away,” Alissa went on quietly. “I know nothing scares you. But I don’t know if Tony is…capable of love. So just, I don’t know, be careful, okay?”

  I know nothing scares you. I stared out the window a moment longer. That wasn’t entirely true. There had been moments when Tony scared me. But now that I thought about it, he really wasn’t that scary. He’d been the first man to outwit me. To overpower me. But he hadn’t hurt me, and my gut told me he would never hurt me. He was actually kind of sweet underneath his tough exterior.

  “I made a deal with him,” I admitted.

  Alissa grabbed my arm. “Do I dare ask what kind of deal?”

  I hesitated, then admitted, “He wants one night with me if he frees Teresa and Camille.”

  Alissa’s eyes widened. “No!”

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you…attracted to him that way?”

  I nodded. “Yes. Holy shite, yes. The sexual chemistry between us is incredible.”

  She reddened. “Ho. Hum. Okay. So you’ve…already?”

  I shook my head. “No. We haven’t had sex yet.”

  She cleared her throat. “But the attraction is there.”

  “Oh yes. It’s there.” He’s so hot he makes me burn just from one smoldering look.

  She chuckled softly. “That’s good. Maybe, hopefully, it can turn into something more. If there’s a woman who can handle Tony, I would say that woman is you.”

  My heart warmed at her words. “Thank you. From the moment I first saw him, it was lust at first sight. He makes me breathless. He makes my heart race. And I just want to shag him all night long.”

  She giggled. Then sobered.

  “Just be careful with him, Grace. I really don’t want you to be hurt.”

  Alissa’s warning rang in my head, but I pushed it aside.

  Tony couldn’t hurt me if I didn’t let him.

  “So, how about you and that hunk, Nate? Are you two serious about each other?”

  She nodded, her eyes turning dreamy. “We locked ourselves in his apartment for the past week. He stuck a big ‘DO NOT DISTURB’ sign on his door so no one would bother us.” She sighed. “He’s such an amazing lover, Grace. So considerate.” She blushed and lowered her gaze. “At first I was afraid I’d never be able to have sex again after what happened three years ago, but he was so patient and gentle…I love him so much.”

  “Good for you.” I pulled her in for a hug. “I’m happy for you.”

  I leaned back and smiled at her.

  “Thank you.” She smiled back. “Now if you can only tame Tony the wild beast, now that would be a sight to behold.”

  Tame Tony the wild beast? That was an interesting thought.

  Could a man like Tony be tamed?

  I won’t deny I was anxious for our one night together.

  Afterwards, would I want more?

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Tony

  The dregs slipped silently onto the campus and spread out, our senses alert to danger. After only a few moments, it became apparent the place was deserted.

  Luke’s voice came through my earpiece. “No activity on the south side.”

  Then Noah’s voice came through. “None on the west side, either. The place appears to be deserted.”

  Ryan’s voice quickly followed, “Nothing on the north side. I think they cleared out.”

  Making myself invisible, I slipped inside Hollist Hall. I wanted to be sure we didn’t miss anything before we left. The building was dark and silent. I silently traveled down each floor, my senses alert.

  “East side is clear,” came Nate’s voice though my earpiece. “You got anything inside, Tony?”

  “Nothing,” I answered. I paused at the end of the hallway on the third floor.

  A muffled sob reached my ears. I tensed, turning my head toward the sound. It had come from the bathroom.

  Slowly creeping forward, I entered the bathroom.

  And found Darcy huddled into a ball on the floor near a toilet. Someone had left her tied to the toilet bowl. There was a gag in her mouth, and it if weren’t for my acute senses, I wasn’t sure if I would have heard her sobs. There was no telling how long she’d been sitting there.

  She jerked her head up as I approached, her eyes wide with terror. She shook her head back and forth, cringing back against the wall. Tears streaked her cheeks and numerous cuts and bruises marked her naked body. Someone had worked her over good.

  Shit.

  I wanted to ignore the bitch and leave her there. She’d tried to blackmail us. She was part of The Company.

  But there was still a little bit of humanity left inside me that told me to help her. She’d just gotten in over her head when she’d tried to run The Company her way and take on the gangs by herself. Sadly, she was paying for that now. I wanted to pretend I didn’t give a fuck about her.

  But I couldn’t just leave her here. She was my half-sister.

  I quickly moved to her side and knelt, cutting through her bonds and removing the gag from her mouth.

  I slipped off my shirt and handed it to her so she could cover herself. Her hands trembled as she took the shirt from me and shakily tried to pull it over her head. She dropped it three times, before I finally took pity on her. Pulling it over her head for her, I helped her slide her arms through the sleeves. She reddened in humiliation.

  “Th-thank you.”

  I helped her to her feet, but her legs collapsed, so I tossed her over my shoulder. Then I spoke into my mic, “Found Darcy. No one else is here. Coming out now.”

  “Roger that,” came Nate’s response.

  Five minutes later, we were all back at the parking lot where we’d left the cars. I set Darcy on her feet. She glanced around at the other dregs, trying to cover herself with my shirt. No one spoke.

  Then Nate demanded, “What happened, Darcy?”

  She lifted her gaze to his, wiping at a tear. “They h-h-hurt me.” She squeezed her eyes shut and let out another sob, the tears coming more freely now. “Then they tied me to the toilet and just l-left.” She drew in a ragged breath. “I heard them talking as they walked away. They were all speaking Spanish. They didn’t know that I know a little Span
ish. I understood some of what they said.”

  “What did they say?” I demanded.

  She glanced at me. “Something about roughing me up to teach me a lesson, but not to kill me. I’m guessing they’re working for the shareholders. I thought for sure Enrique was going to sell me in one of his flesh auctions, but he just let his men hurt me, then they left.” She sniffled, wiping at a tear. “I heard him saying he got paid enough to let me go, so I guess the shareholders paid him more than he would have gotten for me at one of his auctions. He moved his headquarters to another campus. I heard him saying the dregs kept interfering with his business, so he moved it elsewhere.”

  Interesting. Someone—The Company?—had paid Enrique not to sell her in one of his actions. Did they need her for some reason? Why? Suspicion crept in. Had they known we would come for her? Was she wearing a tracking device like Alissa had? If so, we needed to remove it promptly.

  “Check her for a tracking device.” I looked at Nate.

  Nate nodded, exchanging a glance with Noah.

  Darcy shook her head. “I don’t have one. I promise.”

  I didn’t believe her. For all I knew, she could be faking all this and working for Enrique. She might even had lied about being able to speak Spanish.

  There was an easy way to find out.

  “If you know Spanish, then tell me what I’m saying.”

  Darcy hesitated, then she nodded. “Okay, go ahead.”

  “Si mientes, te mataré.”

  Her eyes widened.

  “What did he just say?” Luke demanded, obviously as suspicious of her as I was. “If you know Spanish, then what did he just say?”

  Darcy glanced back at me. “Y-you said if I was lying, you would k-kill me.”

  I nodded at Luke. That was exactly what I’d said.