by Morgan Black
“You're not going to shoot me.”
“Why's that?”
“Because you and I both know Rudolph will end you if you do. I’m leverage. You need me alive.”
He lowered his gun. “Alive, but not pretty.” My hands were still above my head, and my stomach was unprotected; he punched me first in the stomach, and then as my head dropped down, he kneed me in the face. I felt the rush of blood come from my nose.
“SHIT! UGH!” I fell to the floor in agony. My face felt like it was on fire. I couldn’t breathe. Every breath I sucked in through my mouth made my ribs burn, and I couldn’t feel half my face. Just pain, so much pain.
“Now, tell me again why I won’t shoot you.”
“Because I'm going to shoot you first.” I heard Hudson's voice behind me, and footsteps come in the door that I was trying to get out through. There was a lot more feet that just Hudson’s.
“You brought friends.”
The man with the gun put his hands up as I saw SWAT teams surround us. The two men behind me moved away, and the asshole that I had kicked in the balls was lying on the ground. I heard the yelling before Hudson got to me. “Get on the ground now! Put the gun down or we'll shoot!”
I turned around, tears streaming down my face, as Hudson had a gun pointed in my direction. I put my hands above my head, and I waited for the SWAT members to get all of my kidnappers on the ground. The SWAT team had bulletproof vests on, and so did Hudson. I could hear one of the guys yelling, “He ratted us!” Then he looked at Hudson with disgust. “You'll die for this.”
Hudson walked over to him and spit in his face. “And you'll rot in a cell. Touch my girl again, and see what happens.”
The SWAT team began to cuff all of the men, and other members started walking around and took in a view of all the prescription drugs. A woman with a SWAT vest approached me. “You’re okay, you’re going to be okay.”
She put a blanket around my shoulders. “Let’s get you out of here.”
I shook my head. “I want Hudson. Please.” I was in the middle of chaos until Hudson came over to me. He gave his gun to the woman, and I was a hot mess on the floor, trembling with fear. I had almost just died. But he had saved me.
I fell into his arms shaking. He wrapped his arms around me, and held me up, putting his hand on the back of my head, and pulling me into him. I was finally safe. After a few minutes of me wiping my tears on his bulletproof vest, I pulled away. “You didn't tell me. How long have you been working with the feds?”
“After we split up the first time. You were right. I didn't know how to care about anybody. But I knew I wanted something with you, and the only way to get it was to turn this whole operation over. I knew I couldn't walk away from it if it was still there.”
“So, you turned on them?”
He nodded. “Just the ones I knew of. These idiots didn’t know that Rudolph was never going to show up here today. He's in the wind.”
“And you? Jail time, what kind of deal did you make?”
He shrugged. “I’ll be on house arrest for a year, maybe. I had to give up some of my funds, the ones that I hadn't hid well enough. But I’ll be safe. I'll be in a protective program.”
This all sounded like more secrets. And I didn't think we could handle any more of those. “What about me? What about us?” I asked through my blubbering.
I could hear the sirens outside, cars taking my captors away. But there had to be at least thirty agents inside the building. The woman stood by, and kept others away from us. I noticed an EMT near the door.
“You need to be looked at. There's an ambulance outside.”
“No! I want a straight answer. What happens to you and me?”
“I imagine you’ll be debriefed and released. If you testify, you’ll also be put in witness protection.”
“And then what? Where do I go?”
He placed his hands on either side of my arms to steady me, pulling me off the ground. He knew I was losing control, he always made me do that. “I hear France is beautiful this time of year. And it just so happens that my house arrest is at that address. I'm sure I could sway the US attorney to let you have part of your witness protection there.”
He had it all planned. Once again, Hudson James had proven to me that he really was protecting me the whole time. Somehow, our lives were both completely real, and all a fabrication. He was the only one who could do that.
“France? I think I could do France.” He took his hand, caressed my skin along my jawbone, lifting my lips up to his. His soft lips breaching mine. That was just us, sharing a savory moment in all the chaos.
“You need to get your head and face looked at. But I'm sure there's some agents that need to talk to you. Can you handle that?” He held my face in his hands. “Baby, I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise. I can’t tell you how worried I was.”
“I know.”
“Do you think you are ready to talk to them?”
I nodded. “I think I'm ready.”
We walked out into the night, and in front of me was the display of an ambulance, cop cars, and unmarked vehicles. There was an FBI agent standing next to the ambulance waiting for me. He had his arms crossed, but a calm look on his face. I would have to relive my nightmare of an evening so they could get it down as testimony against the mob. But for now it was over. For now I was safe.
* * *
Two Months Later
Classes were done. I was free from college for three whole months. Luckily, I had a place to hang out while I figure out my life. A safe place.
I got out of testifying. They said I wasn't a strong enough witness due to my impaired state. I told them I could identify anyone they wanted me to, but the case was strong enough without me: the entire warehouse full of prescription drugs and over two million in cash. Hudson had given them all of that. And he still had a lot more to tell them. In exchange, he had complete immunity. He was free to do whatever he wanted as long as he stayed in France, and out of the United States for two years. I'd flown out here as soon as the trial was over, after I finished taking my finals. Hudson hadn’t been able to go back to the university to work, so all of us just got a pass/fail on the class. I got lucky with that one; physics was kicking my ass.
“Miss, would you like a refill?” A maid was offering me more lemonade as I sat on a chase lounge overlooking the ocean. I pulled up my floppy hat, and down my sunglasses to make eye contact with her. I felt like that was important with the staff. They were people, and I treated them that way.
“That would be wonderful, thank you.” She took my glass, and refilled it, using the pitcher of lemonade I had made earlier in the day.
Hudson was still making deals, but I didn't know anything about it anymore, and my ignorance was complete bliss. I got to stay on the beach all day and read books while overlooking the ocean, instead of worrying about Russian mobsters, and if my boyfriend’s deals were going to go bad. I couldn't help but wonder if every day he wouldn’t come home because he had a bullet in his head. But he wasn't making prescription deals anymore; he was making more deals with the feds. He had clients and connections on every continent, and he was turning on all the bad ones. He knew that if he ever ended up in jail or any type of government facility that he'd be a dead man, but he also wanted to uncover all of the illusions about prescription drugs, and who was using them. So many of his clients were hospice patients; people with big money, but who were not getting what they needed.
The maid put the glass back down, and I took a long sip, allowing the sweet liquid to go down my throat. She walked away with a smile on her face. I watched her carefully from beneath my glasses, and, as I set down my magazine, I felt for the gun underneath my chair. I was a girl who kept a gun now. For protection. Because there were still people out there who would come for me, and I wouldn’t be anyone’s victim ever again.
I had gotten so lucky falling in love with Hudson James. I thought about the man he had become. Even though he
sold drugs for a living, and he was wanted by the Russian mob. I couldn't help the way I felt about him. He knows all my secrets, and I finally know his. And I love him for it. He'll destroy me in the end. But it will have all been worth it.
It already has.
Look for my next Bad Boy Romance
Releasing in March 2016
I was hired by a killer in disguise.
I thought it was a job like any other, but Jake Hawthorne lied about who he really is. Now I'm trapped, the captive hostage of a dangerous man who's forcing me to be his getaway driver.
I'll do anything to get away. Even seduce him.
But the closer we get, the more I wonder.
Is he a stone-cold murderer? Or did something terrible happen to drive him down this path?
I could have let her die, but I saved her. Why?
Alicia means nothing to me. She's just my driver.
The Császár crime family turned on me. Now all that matters is hunting down the men who killed my brother and stole his daughter. Alicia just got caught in the crossfire.
I'm out for revenge and I don't care how many bodies I leave in my wake to get there.
Alicia and I are two broken people who lost everything that mattered to us. We probably won't even live through this.
So how come when I think about her, I think I might have a future after all?
