Sweet Reward: A Last Chance Rescue Novel

by Christy Reece

  Mia pulled and tugged as unobtrusively as possible on the ropes. She needed to get them loose. The heat might be a welcome relief on her freezing flesh, but the ropes would tighten once her skin warmed.

  Before she could come up with an additional appropriate threat, another man entered with a tray. On it were sandwiches, a cup, and a teapot. The man placed the tray on the table in front of Philippe and poured steaming liquid into the cup. If they weren’t in such dire straits, she would have rolled her eyes. Could the creep get any more pretentious?

  “I missed lunch and am quite famished. And though it’s rude to eat in front of others without offering to share, I’m afraid my generosity doesn’t extend to sharing a meal with you.”

  “Since the last time I shared a meal with you, you drugged me, that’s fucking fine with me.”

  “Mia, I’m shocked. Do your parents realize what a gutter mouth you have?”

  “Did your mother know you kidnapped and sold babies?”

  Instead of anger or denial, there was delight in his expression. “Ah yes, now we have it out in the open, at last.” He took a sip of his tea and moved his gaze over to Jared. “Wouldn’t you like to get involved in the conversation? Share some insight? Maybe add some threatening comments? I assure you, I have very thick skin, so don’t worry about hurting my feelings.”

  Jared’s cold, insolent, and unmoving stare made even Mia shudder. She had never seen a look that held such contempt and deadly threat at the same time.

  Philippe’s hand wobbled slightly as he set his teacup back on the table. Aw, not so tough after all. Mia couldn’t resist a smile.

  “Apparently, your gorilla friend isn’t going to join us in our discussion.”

  “So we’re going to have a discussion?”

  The blanket wrapped tighter around Philippe as he leaned forward. “Yes, we are, my dear. Even though this won’t end well for you or your friend, I feel the need to explain myself.”

  “Explain yourself? You really think you can successfully explain why you abduct and sell children so that I won’t still be disgusted and appalled?”

  His superior smile was both condescending and slightly sad. “You believe I’m a bad person, don’t you? That what I’ve done is wrong. It’s silly, really, but I’d like you to understand that what I’ve done is actually a very noble thing.”

  “Noble?” She shook her head. “Philippe, you sell children. And you call that noble?”

  “Every one of those children has been given a better opportunity. They’ve gone to parents who love them and want them. They were taken from hell and put in heaven. How is that not a good thing?”

  “That’s not your decision to make. And the Dennisons’ child … how did selling her to the highest bidder improve Mandy Dennison’s circumstances? Her parents were certainly not destitute or on drugs.”

  “They’re not sold to the highest bidder,” he snapped, seeming genuinely insulted by her accusation. “I screen each couple carefully. The people who received the Dennison child truly wanted her.” He gave an abrupt wave of his hand as he explained, “Besides, that was an unusual case. I overheard the woman complaining. For almost twenty minutes she could do nothing but whine about how the child was keeping her up at night and she was getting no sleep. She was clearly unhappy being a mother. I did both of them a favor and removed what was making her so miserable.”

  “Those aren’t your decisions to make.”

  “But of course they are, Mia.” He gestured widely with his hands. “It’s what I was born to do.”

  “What?”

  As if he were explaining this to a somewhat dim-witted person, Philippe spoke slowly and patiently: “The Ricard Foundation has helped millions. We feed the poor and provide homes, schools, and hospitals to needy people all over the world. Providing children to people who can’t have them and taking them from people who don’t want them is just another service we specialize in. Yes, I’m aware that the law would look down on us, but that doesn’t mean it’s not the right thing to do.”

  “And the money you make off these transactions?”

  “Goes right back to the foundation. I don’t need the wealth. I have plenty.” He gave her a pitying smile. “So you see, my dear, all of this was for nothing.”

  Mia was so stunned by his rationalization, she couldn’t find the words to tell him how insane she thought he was. Jared didn’t have the same problem.

  “That’s the biggest piece of horseshit I’ve ever heard.”

  “So you do have a tongue. Pity that it’s as foul as Mia’s. Apparently, you’re a bad influence on her.”

  “So murder is just the cost of doing business.”

  Philippe sighed. “There have been some unfortunate consequences. But they were garbage … slime.”

  “Including the three Ricard employees?” Jared asked softly.

  For the first time, Mia saw guilt on Philippe’s face. “How did you know about those?”

  “Do you think everyone is as stupid as you are?”

  A twisted smile was Philippe’s only indication that the insult stung. “It was an unfortunate event. I couldn’t allow them to tell anyone.”

  “And what about the other people who died with them? What was their supposed sin?”

  “Sad also, but again, just collateral damage. We had to make it look like a real fire. And despite your insult, no one has linked those deaths to me. So, who are the real imbeciles here?”

  “I’d say that’s pretty clear, Philippe,” Mia said. “Do you really think you can keep on getting away with this shit?”

  “But of course I can. I already have. Do you know what would happen to the foundation, my family’s legacy, if anyone found out? Everyone who died did so for a greater cause.”

  Mia shook her head, unsure if his ego was allowing his delusions or if he was just insane. “Philippe, do you really believe that?”

  He sighed heavily and stood. “Mia, if you weren’t so intent on hurling insults at me, you would see that. However, all of that’s in the past. It’s getting late, and I need to rest. Tomorrow is going to be an eventful day.”

  He spoke to the men who’d been silently standing behind him. “Turn the heaters on, at the highest setting. We don’t want our guests catching a chill, do we?”

  Turning back to them, he gave them an idea of what tomorrow held. “We’ll chat again in the morning. If you’ll tell me what I want to know, I promise I’ll make your passing easy and painless. If you don’t cooperate, then I’m afraid it’s going to get quite painful.”

  The men silently plugged the heaters into outlets, turned off the lights, and closed the door. Blessed warmth soon invaded the small space, but Mia knew it was only a temporary relief. Soon they’d both be hot and close to suffocating from the heat.

  Jared’s deep voice emerged from the darkness: “There’s never a marshmallow around when you need it most.”

  Despite herself, Mia snickered. “I think we’re the marshmallows in this scenario.”

  “Yeah, I agree.”

  “Have you ever been through heat torture?”

  Jared knew she was trying to stay positive, but he heard the nervousness in her voice. As he tried once more to loosen the ropes around his wrists, he reassured her. “I’ve been through it all. Never broke me once. It won’t break you, either. I promise.”

  “So what’s the plan?”

  “How are you coming on the ropes on your wrists?”

  “They’re a little looser, but just enough that my circulation isn’t impaired. What about you?”

  “Yeah, about the same.”

  “So, do you have any funny stories to keep us entertained?”

  Funny? No, he didn’t do funny. He had plenty of fucked-up stories, where shit happened to good people and evil won all too often. That sure as hell wouldn’t reassure her. Best he could do were the times when the good guys did win.

  “A few years ago, I was in Egypt, undercover with a small group of terrorists. Had b
een with them for a few weeks. They were a bunch of disorganized lunatics following this one man around like he was some sort of savior. They mostly raided camps and stole things. Our people had picked up some chatter, though; we knew they were building up to something bigger. Just didn’t know what.

  “Then one day, the lunatic leader and his band of merry terrorists went to a small, private school in Cairo. The plan was to hold the school hostage and ransom each child. I didn’t figure on getting involved other than making sure none of the kids got hurt. But then I overheard some of the men. They wanted to take the kids and sell them to a group of human traffickers who specialized in selling children to pedophiles.”

  “Oh God,” she whispered.

  “Since I was fairly new, I got the grunt jobs.”

  He heard the smile in her voice as she said, “You got to watch the kids.”

  “Yeah. So while they were in another room, making their plans, I knocked the hell out of the two guys guarding with me and led the kids out of the classroom.”

  “Now, that’s a funny story.”

  He didn’t add that he’d gone back inside and killed the leader. Some stories were best left unfinished.

  “How long were you with the agency?”

  “Twelve years.”

  “Has anyone ever told you how wonderful you are?”

  He snorted. “Excuse me?”

  “I don’t know everything you did or even who you really worked for, but I do know that you’ve saved lives. I just wondered if anyone had ever taken the time to thank you and tell you how brave and heroic you are.”

  “I’m nothing special, Mia. Don’t get it into your head that I’m a hero.”

  “We’ll just have to agree to disagree, won’t we?” She paused for a second, then said, “It’s getting toasty, isn’t it?”

  He’d hoped she wouldn’t notice that. By now, the temperature was in the mid-eighties at least. And it was only going to get worse.

  “Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”

  “Probably a good idea. As Philippe said, we have an eventful day ahead of us tomorrow.”

  “We’ll make it, Mia. I promise.”

  “I know.” There was silence for several seconds, and he assumed she had fallen asleep quickly. Then, out of the darkness, she whispered, “I know this sounds incredibly selfish, but I’m glad you’re here with me.”

  “I am, too.” And he meant it.

  A few minutes later, he heard her shallow breaths and knew she had succumbed to exhaustion. He wished she were close enough that he could at least touch her. He wanted to hold her, reassure her. He wanted to tell her how incredibly special he thought she was.

  She thought he was a hero. He wasn’t. He was just a man who’d fallen into a job that he happened to be good at. Lying had come as easy to him as breathing, and fortunately, he’d found a way to incorporate that into a career and had prevented bad things from happening.

  Mia was the hero. She’d overcome a life-threatening and debilitating injury, and instead of allowing that to scar her emotionally, she lived every day as if it were a gift. The woman had guts and then some.

  He hadn’t allowed himself to think about what was going to happen once this case was over. He was determined that they would survive … there was no other option. But now, with nothing but silence and Mia’s even breaths as she slept, he couldn’t help but wonder if she might want to continue seeing him. Yeah, she lived in Chicago and he lived here, but there were plenty of opportunities for LCR ops in the States. Would she be interested in seeing him every few months?

  Stupid to be thinking in those terms. After his marriage had ended, he’d sworn that he would never consider anything remotely close to a relationship. And maybe, to some people, seeing someone every few months might not seem like one. To Jared, who’d rarely had relationships that lasted more than a few weeks, it was a damn big deal.

  Jared closed his eyes against the sting of sweat that rolled from his forehead. Probably well over ninety in here now. By the time Ricard returned, they’d be dehydrated and weak. Mia was a strong fighter and very talented, but would she be able to hold up against what the bastard had planned?

  Whatever happened tomorrow, he had to make sure Ricard focused solely on him. If he had one fear, it was that Ricard would learn that Jared did have one major weakness. And he had to fight for all he was worth so that the man never discovered what it was. Of all the things he had been through in his life and all that he could endure, there was one specific thing he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle. No way in hell could he withstand watching Mia being tortured. No way in hell.

  twenty-five

  Philippe opened the door to the toolshed and gasped as an immense wave of heat slammed into him. Were they already dead? As much as he needed to get information from them, he almost wished they were, so he wouldn’t have to face the next few hours. He hadn’t slept well, dreading what must be done. Contrary to what Mia’s friend thought, he really wasn’t a bad person. Just because he took extraordinary steps to help others didn’t mean he was evil.

  While his men switched off the space heaters, Philippe stayed outside, allowing cool air to infiltrate the building. If they weren’t dead, the cool air would wake them.

  He heard a low, feminine moan and sighed his disappointment. This would not be an easy day for anyone.

  Plastering on a smile, Philippe entered, scrunching up his nose at the scent of unwashed, sweaty bodies. Perhaps the water he had planned for them would be a blessing to him, as well.

  Both Mia and her friend looked the worse for wear. Mia’s hair was soaked with sweat and fell limply around her face. Moisture was beaded all over her skin, which, unfortunately, looked quite red, almost burned. Was she already close to death?

  “Mia?”

  She raised her head and regarded him. Her mouth was cracked and swollen, and despite his need to stay strong, tears pricked at his eyes. If only she had minded her own business.

  He could almost forgive her for not loving him … could even overlook her lies and deceit. But she had tried to destroy him, too. Even if he didn’t need to get information from her, she deserved punishment for the blow she had dealt him. The next few hours would be the most difficult of his life … he needed to remember what she had tried to do. That knowledge would go a long way in easing his conscience.

  Philippe turned to see if perhaps her friend had died. That was one death he couldn’t say he would feel bad about.

  The man was staring at him, that implacable, murderous expression still on his face. Though his skin, too, was red and sweat rolled down his body, he still looked healthy and decidedly lethal. A chill swept through Philippe.

  “We have the water hose ready, sir.”

  He gave a nod to Garwood Kinsey. The man hadn’t wanted to be involved; Philippe had insisted. They were all in this together. Monsieur Kinsey’s well-being was directly tied to Philippe’s learning what Mia and her friend knew and who they had told. Survival was such an important motivation. He was confident that the man would do an excellent job.

  “I’m sure you’re quite dry from last night’s overheating, so I brought you some refreshment.”

  Stepping back outside to avoid the spray, Philippe nodded at Kinsey, who held the hose. Water gurgled and then blasted forth, drenching Mia. The loud yelp she gave was gratifying to hear. He watched her squirm against the post as she tried to avoid the pounding water. Finally, he yelled, “Stop!”

  The flow instantly stopped, and then Kinsey turned. The water burst forth again, dousing Mia’s friend.

  The man never moved … never uttered a word or made a sound. His eyes, an eerie silver, stayed focused on Philippe, their deadly stare clear. Did he ever blink?

  Philippe shook his head. No, he would not be intimidated. The man was tied up and would be dead in a few hours. The shiver running up his spine was from the cool air, not because of this Goliath and his unblinking stare. Still, it was frustrating. It was time to talk
turkey, as his American acquaintances might say. He waited several moments, allowing the man to become completely drenched. Then, once more, he yelled, “Stop!”

  Kinsey dragged the hose from the building, and Philippe entered the room again. Mia was now shuddering with cold, and the glitter in her eyes was even more malevolent than before. He almost smiled that such a feminine, lovely woman could have such a mean expression.

  He turned to her friend and was once again dumbfounded and frustrated. As if he were made of granite, the man’s expression hadn’t altered. He didn’t act as if anything had fazed him. Nor was he shivering. That would soon change.

  “As much as I’ve enjoyed your company, I’m afraid this day must be a short one for you. I have several businesses to run. And I guess it won’t hurt to tell you that another couple is about to become the proud parents of a baby girl.”

  The man shocked him by saying, almost conversationally, “How do you make sure the people don’t double-cross you? Seems like it would be easy to take the child and then stop payment on the check.”

  Delighted laughter flowed through Philippe. No wonder this giant wasn’t bothered by his circumstances—he was a simpleton. What was the saying? All brawn and no brain. He took care to speak slowly and use easy words so the idiot could fully comprehend his explanation: “It’s all very simple. I only take cash in nonsequential bills and they have to sign a small form.”

  “A form?” Mia snorted. “That’s ridiculous. There’s no way you could have a binding contract on an illegal adoption.”

  “Of course it’s not legal. It’s just my little insurance policy. I keep the papers in my safe at my house. If I were to be arrested, I would make sure the papers were discovered. More than a dozen families would be implicated.”

  Mia’s and the man’s eyes met, and they said together, “A dozen?”

  He couldn’t help but feel smug at the expression of astonishment on Mia’s face. “Apparently, you were under the impression that it was just a couple of children, which shows me how very little you know. However, it is enough to cause me great difficulty if the authorities ever found out. So would you please be so kind as to tell me who else knows about my little side business?”