“I’m on foot,” Blade informs me. “Gordon is now too. Six people are headed for the runway. That plane won’t be able to take off no matter what.”
I wish I could say that was comforting, but it isn’t. These men have guns. Britney could get caught in the crossfire.
Suddenly, Lazinski returns to the SUV, reaches inside, and yanks Britney out by the arm.
My sweet girl struggles. She’s still gagged. Her wrists are still tied together in front of her. Her hair is escaping a ponytail. The atrocious red dress barely covers her body. She’s got on red heels too. She looks like a hooker.
My heart is racing, and I want to kill about a dozen people. I’ve been in more situations like this than I can count but never once has the victim meant something to me. She’s never been mine.
I force myself to take deep breaths and remain calm, waiting for money to change hands. A man finally descends from the plane. He’s about sixty. Middle Eastern. Wearing a three-piece suit. He moves like he owns the planet.
When he reaches the ground, he cups Britney’s face and turns it from side to side. I can’t imagine her fear.
I’m right here, sweet girl. I’m right here. You’re going to be okay.
I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince myself or silently trying to console her.
The man reaches into his suit pocket and pulls out a large envelope. He hands it to Lazinski who opens it. Before he has a chance to start counting, we are all on the move.
I’m not in on the plan, but I’m not surprised when I hear two fast pops and watch both camo guys hit the ground.
The man in the suit grabs Britney by the arm and rushes toward the plane.
“Oh, no you fucking don’t, asshole. Not today.” I’m on the run, closing in on them. The last thing I want to do is hit Britney. I force myself to disassociate and think of this as any other job. Take out the bad guy. Make sure the civilian is unharmed.
I’m closest, so after I round the last few impediments, I rise up from behind the SUV, line up a shot, wait for Britney to be shoved into the plane, and then fire. I hit the buyer in the back of the head. He doesn’t even have time to react. His brain matter splatters around the sides of the plane as he tumbles backward and falls down the stairs.
Several more shots ring out and people are shouting all around me, but I’m running full-speed toward the plane. I take the stairs two at a time, gun still drawn, heedless of what I might find inside. If there are ten more guards ready to shoot me, then I’m as good as dead. I’m gambling that it’s unlikely, but I still have to be concerned with the cockpit.
My gaze goes to the right first, to see Britney hunched on the floor, eyes wide, struggling with the rope around her wrists.
I glance into the cockpit and hold my weapon up, aiming it at the man who has both hands in the air as he stands. “Don’t shoot. I’m not armed,” he says in a heavy accent.
I reach for his shirt, drag him forward, and shove him out of the plane. One of my guys on the ground will take care of him. I turn back around, still aiming my gun toward the back of the plane. I don’t see another soul so I rush toward Britney.
“Stop struggling, sweetie. Let me untie you. You’re going to hurt yourself.” I hurry to release her wrists and then pull the gag out of her mouth.
She lets out a huge sob and jumps into my arms. “You’re here.”
“Of course, I’m here.” I hold her tight, my hand cupping the back of her head. As I stand with her against my body, I clasp her face and find her eyes. “Are you hurt?”
She shakes her head. “Just scared.” She reaches back to tug the dress down over her bottom. “And half-naked.”
I spin around, pull open an overhead compartment with one hand, and grab a blanket. After wrapping it around her, I lift her into my arms and carry her out of this hell.
Chapter 33
Britney
I spend the next several hours sitting in the back of a squad car while dozens of cops swarm the area. The door is open and I’m facing the unfolding scene. It’s just a place to sit, really. A place that gives me some privacy and protection.
It’s surreal watching my boss get arrested. I’m glad the three bodies on the ground are covered by a tarp because I don’t want to have to look at them.
I’ve answered a thousand questions over and over before someone finally pulls up next to me in Davis’s SUV. I don’t know him, but he introduces himself as Dagger and hands me the keys to the SUV.
I’ve been separated from Davis most of this time. I hate it, and I know he does too, but he killed the man who bought me, so he has a lot to deal with. I try to be grateful that my role in all this is the victim. No matter how many questions I’ve answered, I can tell Davis has answered twice as many.
He looks over at me every few seconds, his brow furrowed, and I fear he might actually tell everyone to go fuck themselves soon.
I’m wrapped in the airplane blanket, which I keep tugging around me. I feel irrationally chilled. Exposed. It’s odd, since I spent a year stripping almost naked for strangers and then the last week exposed to Davis and even his friends when they came to the house.
I’ve taken some moments to ponder that and decide that consent is the difference. I did not consent to wearing this tight, revealing, ugly dress, the one my boss thought was appropriate attire for human trafficking. I did not consent to any of these people milling around the hangar to see me, either. So, I grip the blanket tight and turn down every offer for even water because I don’t want to reach out with my bare arm and take it.
I’m sitting sideways, my head leaning against the seat, my gaze following Davis’s every movement. I know part of him is mad at me, and I deserve that. I scared him. He cares about me and I made him worry. I’m also mad at him for keeping things from me and leaving me out of the loop on my own problems. I’ll get over it, and judging by the way he’s looking at me, he will too.
My bottom is going to be sore. Of that, there is no doubt. And I’m actually looking forward to it. The release it will give me after so many hours of stress. I close my eyes for a moment and picture myself draped over Davis’s lap, my bottom exposed, his palm swatting me over and over until I can release this pent-up tension.
A shadow comes over me and I open my eyes to find Davis crouching down in front of me. He sets a hand on my thigh. “You okay, sweetie?”
“Yeah.”
“We can go now. If they have more questions, they’ll contact us later.”
I give him a wan smile. I’m relieved. I just want to get out of here.
He helps me climb out of the patrol car, somehow recognizing that I’m not going to release the blanket even to let my hand out. I’m barefoot, having ditched the stupid heels hours ago.
It’s only a few yards to his SUV, and then he opens the door and lifts me into the passenger seat. I’m grateful for that small favor. I couldn’t have climbed in gracefully.
“Hang on a second.” He leaves the door open and rounds to the trunk. When he returns, he’s holding a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. They’re his so I will be lost in them, but they’re better than the dress that’s making my skin crawl.
“Thank you,” I murmur.
“I’m going to shut the door so you can change, okay?”
“Yes, Sir,” I whisper.
He smiles and then leans in and kisses my forehead. No one is close by, but I’m surprised by his outward obvious affection. He hesitates and then shuts the door. I know no one can see me because the windows are tinted and no one is nearby out the front of the SUV.
I quickly drop the blanket and remove the disgusting dress, grateful to have it no longer touching my body. It was a symbol of my sale. It made me feel dirty.
I shove both the blanket and the dress to the floor of the SUV and hurry to pull the huge T-shirt over my head before sticking my legs into the enormous sweatpants. I could fit my entire body in one leg, so it’s kind of a joke, but it’s better than the alternative, and I gather them up with my han
d and tug them under the T-shirt.
When I rap on the window with my knuckles, Davis turns back around and opens the door. He wordlessly pulls my seatbelt over me and buckles it before grabbing the pile from the floor. After shutting the door, he turns around and takes several long strides to hand the two items to a nearby cop. They might need it for evidence or something. I don’t care. I’m just glad it’s gone.
Moments later, Davis is in the driver’s seat and we’re pulling away from the hangar. Part of me would like to close my eyes and ignore the world, but I have questions.
“Did they find the other woman in Lazinski’s basement?” I ask softly, almost afraid of the response.
“Yes, sweetie, they did. She’s going to be fine.” He reaches over and gives my knee a squeeze.
I blow out a relieved breath. “Thank God. How did they end up with someone to replace me? Did they kidnap her?”
He glances at me and then takes a slow breath. “Mila hired her to replace you. She started last night.”
“How is it that Mila happened to find someone like me to replace me so quickly and with such good timing? Coincidence?”
He finds my hand and squeezes it. “No, sweetie. It wasn’t a coincidence.”
I jerk my gaze to his. “Mila was in on it?”
“Yes. I’m sorry. I know you thought she was your friend.”
I can’t breathe. “My God.” My head is spinning. “Mila? She was always so nice. Was I the first?”
He cringes. “No. At least the sixth. We can’t be sure yet.”
I flinch. It’s so hard to believe. “But I was there for a year.”
“He only sold one girl a year. Deposited the money in his account and claimed it as income. His club was upside down without it.”
I shudder. I could have died. I could be on a plane to the Middle East right now as someone’s sex slave. I shake the thought from my head. “How did you acquire so much information?”
He glances at me, hesitates, and then clears his throat. “I went to the Lounge the first night you were at my house. In a twist of fate, Lazinski hired me to find you.”
I jerk my gaze to him. “Seriously?”
“Yes. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry.”
I shake my head. “That wasn’t fair, Davis.”
“I know.” He stops at a light and meets my gaze. “I’m sorry. I wanted to protect you. You were safe in my home. No one knew where you were. I hoped to put an end to the threat without worrying you further.”
I blink at him. I want to be angry, but I realize I’m partly to blame. After all, I never asked either. I was hiding from my life and my problems, practically pretending I wasn’t in any real danger.
I pull my hand free of his and fold my arms, hugging myself. I can’t stop thinking of those girls. How they must have felt when they were sold into slavery. I squeeze my eyes shut and draw up my knees, blocking out the world.
Davis lets me pull away, and I’m grateful. I need a few minutes. I’m still in my own world when he turns the engine off, and I don’t unfold my legs until he opens my door and reaches across to unbuckle me before lifting me into his arms and carrying me inside.
He goes straight to my bathroom, stands me on my feet, and turns on the water in the tub. After he removes the loose clothing I’m wearing, I grab his forearm and tug until he meets my gaze. “You okay, sweetie?”
I swallow. “The uh…tracking device. It’s…”
He glances up and down my naked body and lifts a brow. “Where is it?”
“It’s uh. It’s inside me.”
He flinches. “Inside you…where?”
“Inside my vagina.”
He doesn’t blink.
I can’t read his expression. I have no idea what he’s thinking. Finally, a slow smile spreads. “Clever girl.” He sets his hands on my hips. “Let’s get it out though.” He nudges my thighs apart.
“I can do it.” I reach down to swat his hands away.
He gently removes my arms, setting them at my sides, and then he reaches between my legs. When he parts my labia, I hold my breath. He hasn’t touched inside me. This will be the most intimate we’ve ever been. I don’t mind, but now I’m aroused.
He drags a finger through my folds, making me gasp as wetness gathers. “You seriously have a GPS tracker inside you?” he asks incredulously.
“It isn’t very big,” I tell him. “Smaller than a tampon. I had to make a quick decision when Lazinski forced me to change into the dress. I begged to use the bathroom and couldn’t see another option.” I swallow.
He eases a finger into me, making me purse my lips. I hadn’t expected the first time he entered me to be to fish out a fob. Luckily, it only takes him a moment and one finger to drag the small device out of me. “I’m proud of you,” he says as he strokes through my folds again.
My knees are shaking as he lifts me into the tub and pours a generous amount of bubble bath so that as the water rises, I’m completely covered.
My heart is still racing from him stroking my folds. It takes me several moments to begin to relax. But the bubble bath smells good and I finally lean back in the water and close my eyes. My hair is floating all around me, and I say nothing as Davis begins to wash me. He starts by pouring water over the back of my head and shampooing my hair.
I let him. I don’t have the energy to protest, and besides, I love it when he bathes me. It’s so soothing and I need it right now. I don’t want to be alone. I want him to stay with me. He washes my body meticulously and then kisses my forehead. “Would you like to soak for a while, sweetie?”
I look up at him. “Only if you stay.”
He smiles. “I won’t go anywhere.” He sits on the toilet seat and strokes my cheek with his thumb. “I’m never going anywhere.”
We sit in silence for a while until I shiver when the water gets too chilly. “I’d like to get out now.”
“Okay, sweetie.” He releases the water and lifts me onto the rug before patting me dry like he always does. When he’s done, he does something different though. He wraps me in the towel and lifts me in his arms.
I’m not sure what he has in mind, but he carries me to his bedroom, pulls back the covers on his bed, and sets me on the mattress. After unwrapping the towel, he tucks my naked body into his bed and leans down to kiss me gently on the lips. “Will you be okay for a few moments while I shower?”
“Yes, Sir.”
He strokes his hand over my damp hair and then pads into his bathroom. He leaves the door ajar, and I listen as the water comes on. He’s quick and back at my side a few minutes later wearing nothing but flannel pants.
It shocks me when he tugs the covers back and climbs over my body, cocooning me from behind before pulling the covers over both of us.
My heart rate gradually slows down as I lie wrapped in this man’s strong arms. He strokes my arm and my hip and my cheek. After a while, he finally speaks. “I was so scared.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Sir.” It seems necessary to be reverent and respectful. I was the cause of his fear.
“I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have left you out of the loop. I thought I was doing the right thing by protecting you, but I realize it wasn’t fair to you.”
“I understand. But you have to understand why I did what I did. If I hadn’t gone to Lazinski, you might not have been able to track him and that other woman could have been sold today.”
“I know you’re right, but I still died a little inside watching that fucker load you into that plane.” He stops stroking me and rolls me onto my back so he can look me in the eye. “I don’t want you to respond to this, but I meant what I said earlier. I love you so much it hurts. I won’t rush you to feel the same way. I want you to have all the time you need to explore this world I’m introducing you to before you make any decisions about your future.”
I swallow.
“You’re no longer in danger from Lazinski or his people, but I’d like you to stay w
ith me. I’d like you to move in. I want this to be your home. I want you to be my little. I want to take care of you and do everything in my power to make you happy. Will you do that? Will you stay and give me a chance?”
I meet his gaze. “There’s no place I’d rather be than here.”
He blows out a breath and kisses me, softly at first and then with more passion until he rolls me to my back again and hovers over me, making me squirm from the depth of his kiss and the naughty things he does with his tongue. He ends the kiss too soon and then tucks me into his embrace yet again. “Sleep, sweet girl. You’ve had a long day.”
For a moment I can’t imagine sleeping, but after several deep breaths, I find myself relaxing. My last thought is that I’m in Davis’s bed. Not my own. A smile spreads across my lips as I let my body succumb to a deep rest.
Chapter 34
Britney
When I wake up the next morning, the sun is streaming through the window. For a moment I don’t remember where I am, but then I inhale Davis’s scent and realize I’m in his bed. In his bedroom.
I open my eyes to find him propped up on one elbow looking down at me, smiling. “Did you sleep well, sweetie?”
I reach out and touch his face. “Yes, Sir.” It was wonderful sleeping in his arms. I’m not sure I’ve ever slept that well.
He cups my hand and kisses my palm. “Good. You didn’t move. You seemed peaceful.”
“I bet I’d sleep that well every night if you were holding me,” I hedge.
He chuckles. “Don’t push your luck, sweet girl. This was a special circumstance. It took a lot of strong will on my part to hold your sweet body all night and convince my cock not to slide into you.”
“So stop arguing with your, uh, cock, and have sex with me. How about that?”
He chuckles again and cups my face. His forehead comes to mine as he holds my gaze. And then he groans. “You are so very tempting. Let’s get out of this bed before I do something I’ll regret.”
I lurch up to sitting, not caring that the covers fall to my waist. I push Davis onto his back, knowing that obviously, I can’t actually make him do anything. But he drops onto his back anyway and lets me lean over him. This is not a position I’m used to with this powerful, dominant man.
Nurturing Britney (Surrender Book 7) Page 25
