Caleb headed into the kitchen, leaving Nathan alone with Nicole. He stood up, more than a little tired himself. He’d stayed up all night with Caleb working on the case. They desperately needed a break before the shit really hit the fan with Sloane, and he also needed to get Nicole somewhere safe. After discussing the options with Caleb, they’d both agreed she’d be secure in her apartment until everything was resolved, since Sloane didn’t know who she was.
“You’ve had a long weekend,” he said, his voice low and soothing. “I’m going to take you home.”
She glanced back at the guest bedroom, her reluctance to leave Holly behind palpable.
“She’s in the best hands possible,” he said in an attempt to reassure her. Then he held out his hand for Nicole to take, which she did. “Come on, sweetheart. You need a hot shower and lots of sleep, and you’ll be more comfortable doing both back at your apartment.”
Instead of taking the Hummer, which attracted too much attention, Nathan used Caleb’s car to drive Nicole to her place. She sat quietly in the passenger seat, and with each passing mile he could feel her withdrawing and emotionally closing herself off to him. He hated that she could so easily shut him out after everything they’d shared, but he also knew that the stress of what she’d endured was a huge part of the reason she was retreating into herself.
Right now, making sure Nicole was safe and protected was his main priority. Until they arrested Sloane, the man was still a threat. Nathan had already started closing off all the trails for Alex Keller, and Lucas was making sure the identity was completely erased, as if that persona had never existed. As a material witness for the case, he’d be required to give a deposition for the feds, as would Nicole. But until her presence was required, she needed to lie low.
He arrived at her apartment and walked Nicole up to her place. Once the door was unlocked, she stepped inside and turned around, but didn’t invite him inside-a telling sign he heeded. For now.
“What happens from here?” she asked, her voice as tired as she looked.
“Until Sloane is in custody, you need to keep out of sight,” he said, making sure she was clear on that. “Stay in your apartment and don’t go to work. I’ll keep in touch so you know what’s going on, or you can reach me on my cell at any time.”
She nodded. “How long is it going to take?”
“At least three days.” He shifted on his feet, trying hard to give her the space she seemed to need, even though the distance between them was killing him. “Less if the feds move quickly.”
She rubbed her fingers across her furrowed forehead as she processed his answer. “Then what?”
“We can go back to our regular lives.” For him, that meant a future that included her in it. A committed relationship that eventually led to marriage, when she was ready to make that step. “And you can write your exclusive story on Sloane, like you wanted.”
He expected an ecstatic response from her, since exposing Sloane had been her goal from the beginning. But she didn’t even acknowledge the coup that would be hers, and hers alone.
Instead, she stood there, like an empty shell of herself. Seeing her so devoid of emotion scared the crap out of him. “All my stuff is still at the Turnberry apartment.”
The mundane conversation grated on his nerves, and also set off an uneasy sensation deep inside him. “Caleb has a crew coming in and cleaning everything up. He’ll get your things packed, and I’ll bring them to you.”
She shook her head, her expression suddenly adamant, as was the way she lifted her chin. “No, just have them send everything to me.”
The finality of her words hit him in the stomach like a sucker punch. Right here, right now, she was ending things with him, without giving him any choice in the matter. And it royally pissed him off.
His first instinct was to confront her, to lay everything on the line and force her to acknowledge that there was something special between them. To argue that they weren’t over just because the case was, or because she decided they were done.
Goddamn it, he loved her . And he knew she cared for him, too. Their relationship might have started out as strictly sexual, but there was no denying the deep emotional connection that had formed between the two of them.
But she was denying her true feelings in the only way she knew how, by reverting to past behavior and walking away before things became even more complicated-just as she’d done the first evening they’d met when she’d slipped out on him in the middle of the night. She was trying to protect her heart the only way she knew how, even if that meant sacrificing her own happiness in the process.
Frustrated by her behavior, he exhaled a deep breath, which calmed his anger and helped him to think straight before he said or did something he’d regret later. He knew the events of the past few days were skewing her judgment. She wasn’t trained to deal with the emotional impact of what she’d witnessed at Sloane’s. She didn’t possess the skills he did to compartmentalize her feelings. His training kept his focus on the mission, and logic ruled his behavior. Everything about this case had affected her emotionally.
She needed time to process everything. She needed space to put everything in perspective, including what was between the two of them. Right now, she was overwhelmed. If he pushed her to examine her feelings for him, she was going to snap. Hell, one of the most valuable lessons he’d learned from his own sisters was that if he made demands of a woman when she was stressed, she was going to make a decision that he’d regret.
And he didn’t want any regrets between him and Nicole.
He took a step back, so he was no longer standing in the doorframe. “You and I aren’t done yet.” His words were short and to the point.
A flicker of sadness passed through her soft blue eyes. Then, without a response, she shut the door on him, closing the door on them .
Chapter Twenty
Nicole leaned against the closed door long after she knew that Nathan had gone. Her throat was tight with unshed tears, and she felt so jagged and raw inside. The weekend had stripped her emotions bare and left her defenseless, exposed, and hurting in ways she’d never imagined.
She needed a hot shower. She needed to eat. She needed hours of deep, dreamless sleep. But most of all, she needed to rid her mind of the ugly, unpleasant memories of the weekend. And the only way she knew how to do that was to write the story that was hers alone to tell. The grim facts and details were clawing to get out, and she knew she’d never rest until the experience was purged from her soul.
Since her laptop was still at the Turnberry apartment, she turned on the desktop computer in her bedroom. Michelle had spent the weekend with her fiancé, and Nicole was grateful to be alone. She sat down at the desk, opened a new Word document, and put her fingers to the keyboard.
The story of Sloane, his exploitation of young girls, and his involvement in human trafficking spilled out of Nicole faster than she could type. But then her past collided with the present, and she realized that she wasn’t just writing the story for her career; it had also become a huge cathartic release for the shame and humiliation she’d carried with her for so many years, along with the fears that kept her from risking her heart again. It all poured out of her, a wealth of fear and heartache, and all the anger she’d kept buried for much too long.
It wasn’t until hours later, when she was nearly done with the piece, that she became aware of the wet trail of tears on her face. She was supposed to be a dispassionate journalist, yet she was an emotional mess. But despite the pain of reliving the past, and the anxiety of rehashing what she’d witnessed at Sloane’s estate, she felt as though she’d set a part of herself free in writing what had become a very personal story for her. In her mind, she’d finally righted a wrong, and bringing down Sloane would save many other girls from falling victim to a man’s manipulations.
The knowledge gave her a heady, uplifting feeling of triumph.
Beyond spent, her mind and body completely tapped out, she saved the
document, pushed her keyboard aside, and laid her head on the cool surface of her desk. She really did need food, a shower, and sleep, and she told herself she’d get up in just a minute…
The ringing of her cell phone jolted Nicole upright. Her head felt heavy, her mind unfocused. It took her a moment to realize that more than a minute had passed. As she blinked to clear the slumberous haze from her vision, a squinty-eyed glance at the clock on her desk told her she’d been asleep for nearly three hours.
Her phone rang again. She cleared her throat before flipping it open and answering the call. “Hello?”
“It’s… it’s Holly.”
Getting an unexpected call from Holly was enough to snap Nicole to immediate attention. “Are you okay?”
“No. I need you.”
Nicole’s heart leapt into her throat. Holly sounded scared, and an uneasy sensation filled Nicole. “Where are you? Where is your mother?”
“I left the casino and I came back to The Sanctuary to be with Preston.”
Nicole heard a gruff, angry voice in the background, then what sounded like a slap.
Holly started to cry. “He’s going to kill me if you don’t come. He wants you.”
The line disconnected.
Oh, God . Nicole had no idea what Sloane knew about her and Nathan, but the man was obviously obsessed with her and wanted her back. And she had no doubts that if she didn’t arrive quickly, Holly would pay the price. And if that happened, Nicole would never, ever forgive herself.
With adrenaline rushing through her veins, and her stomach in knots, she slipped into her flip-flops. She grabbed her purse and keys as she passed through the living room and out the door. In less than a minute she was in her car, heading toward Summerlin.
Panic made her heart race as she sped to the outskirts of the city. Knowing she couldn’t save Holly by herself, she called Nathan’s cell phone number, and cursed when she was sent directly to voice mail.
She knew he was most likely meeting with the feds, and prayed he’d get her message quickly. “It’s Nicole. Holly just called me and she’s back at Sloane’s. He threatened to kill her if I don’t come. I’m on my way there now.”
Minutes later, she arrived at the closed iron gates. The guard was obviously expecting her because he opened the gate and let her through. Her car came to a screeching halt in front of the house, and she jumped out and ran toward the entrance, her only thought to get to Holly before something horrible happened to the girl.
As soon as she stepped into the entryway, Gwen was there to greet her, a gun pointed directly at Nicole’s chest. As always, she looked the polished, professional assistant, and more beautiful than such an evil woman should.
A bitter smile curved the other woman’s red lips and hatred gleamed in her eyes. “So nice of you to join us.”
The gun scared Nicole. Especially when it was in the hands of someone so obviously unstable. “Where is she?” Nicole demanded.
Gwen ignored her question. “I don’t know why Preston thinks you’re so special,” she sneered, her voice dripping with jealousy. “But he’ll get tired of you soon enough. You’re just a passing fancy, as are all the other girls he’s fucked. And then he’ll either kill you, or send you off to Russia like all those others, where you’ll spend the rest of your life lying flat on your back for other men to screw.”
A deranged light flickered in Gwen’s eyes. “I’m the only one who truly loves Preston, and you bitches have always gotten in the way of what I’ve wanted!” She waved the gun wildly between them. “He’ll come back to me because I’m the only one who stayed and protected him. I’ve watched him go through all those girls while I’ve been the perfect executive assistant, handling his business affairs and cleaning up all the messes you girls have made. He can’t live without me. One day, Preston will get too old for all this shit. The girls will no longer want him, and he’ll turn to me and finally be all mine.”
Nicole realized that at one time, in her youth, Gwen had been one of Sloane’s “it” girls. But unlike so many of the girls who were cast aside, Gwen had found a way to make herself indispensible to Sloane, with the hope that he’d one day want her, and only her.
The woman was delusional and dangerous. It was a frightening sight to behold.
Gwen circled her and pressed the barrel of the gun against her spine, urging her up the spiral staircase. Nicole slowly started climbing.
“Preston is going to get what he wants, and then we’ll just dispose of you both,” Gwen continued matter-of-factly. “And then there’s the little matter of Alex, your protector. He stole from Preston. We have plans for him, too. He reneged on a deal, and no one breaks a deal with Preston. Alex is going to pay for betraying his trust. He’s going to die, just as you and Holly are.”
Nicole swallowed hard as Gwen directed her down a hallway. Despite her outward courage, Nicole was terrified inside. If Nathan didn’t get her message soon, she feared that she and Holly would end up dead.
Reaching the end of the corridor, Gwen shoved Nicole into a large, spacious master bedroom. The first thing Nicole saw was Holly sitting on the huge bed, the dress she was wearing ripped and torn. She was sobbing, her cheek red where she’d been slapped, probably more than once.
“I’m so sorry,” Holly whispered in a quivering voice, and Nicole believed that the girl regretted her decision to return.
“Come on in and join the party,” Sloane said, drawing Nicole’s attention to where he stood off to the side by a large dresser. He was casually holding a gun, seemingly relaxed and in complete control of the situation.
With Gwen’s prompting, Nicole moved farther into the room, watching Sloane warily as he strolled closer, his eyes raking over her. She was still wearing the T-shirt and drawstring shorts that Caleb had given her, her hair a tangled mess, but he didn’t appear put off by her unkempt appearance.
He had revenge on his mind, and she was it.
“You can leave now,” Sloane said, dismissing Gwen as if she were nothing more than a servant.
The woman hesitated, but a sharp look from Sloane had her walking out of the bedroom and closing the heavy double doors behind her. Sloane pressed a button on the wall, and Nicole heard the unnerving sound of metal bolts securing the doors.
She swallowed hard. She and Holly were well and truly locked inside, with no escape.
Nicole kept an eye on Sloane, and knew the only way to save herself and the young girl was to keep the man talking, to distract him until help arrived.
“You want me, ” Nicole said, trying to bargain with Sloane, anything to keep Holly out of harm’s way. “Let the girl go and you can have me.”
“I don’t think so.” Sloane stroked the cold steel barrel of his gun along Nicole’s cheek. “Holly can send me to prison, and that’s not going to happen.”
He was going to prison anyway, but Nicole wasn’t about to enlighten him. She casually stepped back to create space between them. “She won’t say anything,” Nicole said, keeping her voice calm, while inside she was trembling with terror. “I swear.”
He laughed, the sound maniacal and evil. “Neither of you will have the chance to say anything to anyone.”
A spark of rage burned inside Nicole, making her lash out. “You’re pathetic.”
He shrugged, her words having no impact on him. Instead, he kept the gun on her and decided to get down to business. “Take off your clothes,” he ordered.
She lifted her chin defiantly. No way was she making any of this easy on him, even as she knew that defying him could result in horrible consequences. It was a chance she was willing to take. “No.”
“We can do this the easy way, with you cooperating, or the fun way, with me forcing you.” A malicious smile curved his mouth. “I do like it rough.”
The man was depraved. If Nicole had had anything in her stomach she would have puked all over him. “You’re nothing but a pathetic pervert who doesn’t know what to do with a real woman,” she spat at him. “Y
ou’re a pedophile that preys on girls who are vulnerable, and you make me sick!”
“Bitch!” He backhanded her so hard she staggered on her feet and saw stars.
Behind her, she heard Holly scream.
“Shut the fuck up!” he yelled at the girl, his face flushed red with fury. He grabbed a handful of Nicole’s hair, twisting it around his fingers until she gasped from the pain ripping at her scalp.
She had no choice but to follow him as he pulled her toward the bed.
He turned the gun on Holly. “Get off the bed!”
Crying hysterically, the girl scrambled off the mattress. The next thing Nicole knew, she was being pressed down onto the bed, crushed by the heavy weight of Sloane’s body. He was bigger and stronger than her, yet she refused to let him rape her. She was a fighter, a survivor, and she wouldn’t, couldn’t, let him win.
Because once he was done with her, he was going to kill her.
* * *
Nathan needed to check on Nicole. After leaving her apartment, he’d given her time to recover from everything that had happened, and he just needed to hear her voice and know that she was okay-despite her belief they were finished as a couple.
He’d finished up the initial meeting with the feds, and while there was more to come, he desperately needed a few minutes to himself before being grilled for another few hours.
“I’m going to take a break and give Nicole a call,” he told Caleb, who gave him a nod of understanding. He pulled his cell phone from his pant pocket, which he’d kept on silent during the intense interrogation, only to discover that he had one missed call from Nicole and a voice mail that had been left over thirty minutes ago.
He listened to the message, his blood turning to ice in his veins as Nicole explained that Holly was back at Sloane’s, and she was on her way to the estate to get the girl out.
Into The Night Page 27
