by Julia Sykes
“This is you,” Reed announced. His black eyes turned serious, reminding me of Javier’s when he was in a particularly intense mood. I froze under the weight of that stare. “This could get dangerous, Charlotte. I want to support you, but I don’t want anything to happen to you. Don’t do anything reckless. Nothing is as important as your safety. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I said meekly.
“Now promise me you’ll do as Clara says.”
“I promise,” I responded to the order automatically.
He gave me a small smile. “Good. Glad to have you on the team. Tell Clara to check in with Clayton and me, and we’ll work out the details of the op.”
“Okay,” I agreed, sliding out of the car. As it drove away, I suddenly realized I had no idea what Clara looked like. Nervously, I stepped into the café, my eyes searching the crowd.
A woman seated in the back corner gave me a little wave and a smile. I breathed out a sigh of relief and headed toward her. As I neared her, it struck me that I probably could have picked her out even if she hadn’t waved. She had that same sense of confidence possessed by Clayton and Reed. Even though she was smiling, there was something slightly disconcerting about her red-lipped grin. It matched the cunning glint in her dove grey eyes. Her raven’s wing hair was pulled back in a severe bun that accentuated the sharp lines of her cheekbones. Her nearly overwhelming aura made me slow my approach.
She gestured to the seat across from her. “I don’t bite. I promise.”
I tentatively returned her smile. “Sorry. I guess I’m a little nervous about all this.” It was starting to sink in that I really was going to work with the FBI. I was going to go up against the Latin Kings and the Russian Mafia. My father had tried to beat all the resistance out of me; he had tried to keep me in my place and out of the Westies’ business. Now I was diving headlong into the gang culture that I had hidden from for so long.
Javier. I’m doing this for Javi. The thought gave me the strength I needed to straighten my shoulders and face Clara.
“Is it safe to talk here?” I asked in a low voice.
Clara nodded. “It’s busy enough that no one will think to listen in, and it’s less suspicious than you walking into the precinct. Besides, we’re kind of keeping this off the books.”
Reed had said Clara went vigilante at Decadence. The woman obviously didn’t have any problems working outside the knowledge of her department. So long as Javier didn’t find out what I was doing, I didn’t care how many rules we were shirking. We had the power of the FBI behind us, even if the unit director was unaware of it for now.
I can do this.
“Where do we start?” I asked.
“I think we should approach the Russians,” Clara said with open enthusiasm. “We go to them and try to get the alliance back on track. You can say you’re representing Javier because he doesn’t want to make an open power grab. If the Kings knew he was meeting with the Russians, some of them might decide to take him out before he can take over. I’ll go in with you. I was at Decadence when everything went down, so I can say I was working with Los Muertos and want a piece of the action. We’ll take some of the coke we confiscated during the raid on the club and offer it to the Russians in exchange for the alliance.”
I blinked. She had thought this through pretty quickly. I remembered what Reed said about her wanting to get to Dimitri. Reed had ordered me not to do anything reckless, but he had also demanded that I obey Clara. I was beginning to suspect those two things were mutually exclusive.
“Why do you think the Russians will listen to me?” I asked warily. “Why would they trust me, especially after my father was the one who almost got them caught by the Feds?”
“I’ve already thought of that,” Clara replied with the same fervor. “This Dimitri fucker thinks he’s into BDSM. He keeps women as slaves.” Her features tightened. “I know this might be weird for you, but if you pretend to be in the lifestyle, he’ll believe you’re completely devoted to Javier. He won’t think you’re going behind Santiago’s back to make this deal. As soon as it’s done, we’ll tell Javier the Russian alliance is back on, and he can complete his work with the Kings. And we can take down Dimitri.” Her eyes sparked. “Do you think you could do that? Pretend to be Javier’s submissive? It’ll be a good cover, because Dimitri will already know I’m part of the BDSM scene. I think he’ll be more interested in meeting with us if we come at it from that angle. Otherwise, he doesn’t strike me as the kind of man who would want to work with women.”
I took a moment to process all that. I couldn’t deny her plan made sense, even if it did seem a little reckless to me.
“What if the Russians don’t agree? What if Dimitri refuses to work with us anyway?”
“Then we get the FBI to move in on them right then and there. Clayton and Reed will be right outside, waiting for us to give them the go-ahead. Either way, Dimitri is going down.” Her pale eyes pinned me in place. “Can you do this, Charlotte?”
I took in a shaky breath and nodded. “I won’t have to pretend to be Javier’s sub. I already have his collar.”
“Oh, good.” Clara gave a little flick of her fingers, as though it was a foregone conclusion. “I wasn’t sure if you two had gone that far yet.”
“Yet?”
She shrugged. “When I found out Derek’s sister was with an undercover agent, I did some digging. I wanted to make sure he was a good guy. I found out about what happened with his wife and how Kennedy took him on.” She looked me up and down. “It’s obvious you’re in love with him. That’s why you’re doing this, right? So, I figured you’re in a D/s relationship. It’s in his nature. And it’s in yours.” Her smile was satisfied, confident. “That’s why this is going to work. If I can see it so easily, Dimitri will definitely believe it. We need to get his interest and make him believe he can trust your loyalty to Javier.”
“I’ll do it,” I declared before my courage could leave me. “If it’ll get Javier out of the Kings, I’ll do it.”
Clara grinned. “Excellent. Let’s not tell the guys about the BDSM angle, okay? They get all über-Dom if they think a sub is putting herself in danger. It’s really annoying. I’ll keep you safe, Charlotte. And the guys will be there to back us up.”
Reassured, I returned her smile. I can do this. For Javi. For us.
Once we were free of the Latin Kings, my Master wouldn’t be able to deny his love for me.
Chapter 23
“I still think you should wear a wire,” Clayton’s disapproving blue eyes flashed through the darkness of the backseat. “I don’t like not being able to listen in.”
Clara shook her head. “We still don’t know how Los Muertos knew we were coming to bust Decadence. Sharon was wearing a wire that night. It might have been what tipped them off. I’m not blowing this op. It’ll be even more dangerous if they find the wire and figure out the Feds are waiting for us outside.”
“And you’re sure this intel is good?” Reed asked, his concern matching his partner’s.
“I questioned the King myself,” Clara replied, irritation edging her tone. “He told me where to find the Russians in exchange for a reduced sentence, and I made contact last night. Dimitri is expecting us.”
“Where does Javier think you are, Charlotte?” Clayton asked. “The last thing we need is for him to come looking for you. He could tip Kennedy off and then we’re all in for a shit storm.”
“I left a note saying my friend Rachel picked me up and we’re studying together. He knows I’m behind on my schoolwork. He won’t be happy that I left the apartment, but he’s the one who chose to let me go if I wanted. He’ll be too busy hating himself to come after me.” I said the last with a grimace. I couldn’t bear to see that perpetual look of self-loathing on Javi’s face for even one more day.
“Okay,” Reed said. “You have half an hour, then we’re coming in.”
“If you come in before we finish, any chance at establishing an alliance betw
een the Russians and the Kings will be ruined,” Clara pointed out. “That’s the whole reason we’re here. If Dimitri refuses our offer, then we’ll come to you and you can move your team in. Don’t make a move until I say.”
“I’ll remind you that this is a Federal operation, Officer Peterson,” Clayton said coolly. “You are not the one giving orders here.”
“Well then, don’t blow your own op, Agent Vaughn,” she shot back.
“Please,” I interjected. “I need this to work so Javier can get out. Just wait for us.”
Clayton’s eyes softened as he focused on me. “Okay,” he allowed. “Forty-five minutes, then.”
Clara let out a little huff, but she kept any further protests to herself. “Let’s go, Charlotte.”
Swallowing hard, I opened the Camry’s passenger door and stepped out onto the pavement on slightly shaking knees. Clara got out on the driver’s side, leaving Clayton and Reed hidden behind the tinted windows in the back. I knew there were more agents stationed inconspicuously around the area, but I couldn’t pick them out. Which was the whole point, I supposed.
Clara circled around the car and took my hand. “Come on.”
She started to tug me forward, into the darker corners of the Brooklyn Navy Yard. We wandered past newer buildings and towards older, decaying ones. Within minutes, I was lost, but Clara seemed to know the way. When we were well out of sight of the Camry, Clara let go of my hand.
“Put on your collar,” she whispered as we entered a derelict area. She let out a small snort of derision. “The bastard has a flare for the dramatic. They use this place as a location for shooting movies. I guess he wants to put on a little show. I think that’s good. If he’s making a production of this, he’s definitely interested in meeting with you. The BDSM angle was a good idea.”
I hoped she was reassuring me, not herself.
My fingers trembled as I pulled the collar from my pocket and looped it around my neck. I hated the idea of wearing it without Javi’s knowledge, but Clara had insisted it would help with our cover story. But even through my discomfort, the feel of it around my throat calmed me, and my hands were steady as I buckled it closed. I could make out Clara’s small smile of approval in the dim lighting.
I jolted at the sound of a man’s voice. It took me a moment to realize that the reason I couldn’t understand him was that he had spoken in Russian. The voice had come from just around the corner.
This was it. There was no going back.
Fear fluttered in my belly. I wasn’t cut out for this. Clayton had been right. I was just a civilian. There were men in there who might hurt me. Years of abuse at the hands of men like that had conditioned me to run. I ruthlessly fought back the urge, touching my fingers to the collar at my throat to remind me of my purpose. I glanced over at Clara. She knew what she was doing. She would keep me safe. Besides, the Russians had no reason to attack me. Clara had assured me that would be an insult to Javier, and they wouldn’t risk war with the Latin Kings.
Before I had time to think about it further, we were stepping around the corner, and a burly man with a shaved head came into sight. I recognized him as the man who had been in the alley during the shootout with Los Demonios. I remembered the dispassionate way he had stood back and watched the Kings slaughter each other.
He gave Clara a passing glance before looking me up and down for a long, slow moment. It was obvious he recognized me as Javier’s wife. With a short jerk of his head, he opened the door and gestured for us to enter the dilapidated warehouse.
The place was completely empty, save for the handful of people gathered in the center of the large space. I immediately identified Dimitri. He sat in the one chair like a king on his throne, surrounded by four men who could pass as the brothers of the guard at the door. They were all huge and granite-faced.
But what made my stomach twist tightest was the sight of the naked woman who knelt beside him. She held herself in the same pose Javi had taught me, and Dimitri stroked her golden blonde hair idly. The sight of him treating her the same way my Master treated me was jarring. Clara hadn’t been mistaken when she said the man practiced some tainted version of BDSM.
Long-lashed, deep brown eyes fixed on me, and he waved us forward, beckoning. His angular face might have been breathtaking in its masculine perfection if it weren’t for the cruel twist of his full lips. As it was, he was more terrifying than alluring.
My steps faltered, and his smile turned condescending. I glanced over at Clara and did my best to mimic her confident, unconcerned manner. Dimitri’s smile widened, and he let out a low chuckle.
“If nothing else, you have amused me,” he said when we finally reached him. His accent was so thick that it took me half a second to catch up with his words.
So he found my false bravado funny? I realized I was playing this all wrong. He was expecting me to come to him as a submissive, and I shouldn’t pretend otherwise.
Swallowing back my pride, I sank to my knees, mirroring the position of his slave. I dropped my eyes to the floor, fighting every instinct to keep him in my line of sight. Clara was beside me. I had to trust her.
“Better,” he said. “Your friend here told me about your relationship with Santiago. I can’t deny it interested me.”
I chanced a glance up at him. “Then you’ll know I’m completely loyal to him. He sent me here to repair the alliance you formed with my father.”
His eyes flashed, and I flinched. “I do not believe I gave you permission to speak. If this is how your Master allows you to behave, then I do not think we will work well together. Jonas made sure a woman knew her place.”
I dropped my eyes again and clenched my teeth around the angry words that threatened to spill from me.
“Her Master ordered her to come speak to you,” Clara stepped in on my behalf. “She’s obeying his wishes.”
There was a moment of tense silence, and then Dimitri barked a cold laugh. “The little Dominatrix has balls. All right then, slave. What is your Master offering me?”
My cheeks burned at being addressed as slave, but I bit back my rising fury. I kept my eyes on the floor this time as I spoke.
“The cocaine my father was going to give you. My Master has more. He will double what Jonas offered. He wants to be friends.”
“And if I don’t?”
“What?” I asked, not understanding.
“What if I don’t want to be friends?”
My heart leapt into my throat. “Then… Then I’ll tell him that.”
He laughed again, but there was no humor in it. “I do not think so. Your father’s blunder nearly landed me in jail. The Latin Kings are divided. Jonas’ power is broken. I will not help Santiago take his place. I can easily pick off the tribes as they are now, if the Feds don’t take them down for me. I do not need an alliance with the Kings to rule this city. And I have so much more than New York. If it weren’t for what your father did to me – forcing me to run from the fucking Feds, humiliating me – I might have just gone back to Europe and left Yuri in charge here. But now I have one last thing to do before I go.”
I got to my feet and started backing away. I ran into something solid. Brawny arms closed around me, trapping me in place.
“Charlotte!” Clara cried out and advanced on the man holding me. But two more guards instantly blocked her path. She went on the offensive, throwing the first punch. I watched in horror as she ducked to avoid a meaty fist. Everything was spinning out of control. This wasn’t supposed to be happening.
I jerked uselessly against the man’s grip. “You can’t kill us! It’ll mean war. Javier will hunt you down.” My warning came out shakily.
Dimitri’s cocky smile stayed in place, and he continued petting his slave as though nothing of consequence was happening around him. “Oh, I’m sure he will. And one of my men will kill him. Then I won’t have to worry about him uniting the Latin Kings. But I’m not going to kill you.”
The tension in my chest didn’t eas
e. If he wasn’t going to kill me, and he wasn’t going to free me, then something much worse was coming.
Dimitri turned his attention to the man holding me. “You have a buyer in place, Ivankov? I want to move her tonight. And the other one, if possible.”
Buyer? My mind wouldn’t process that. Couldn’t.
Something sharp pierced my neck, and warmth flowed into my veins. My shocked cry was lost in my throat as all my muscles went limp. My terror winked out of existence along with the rest of the world.
“Charlotte! Charlotte!” Clara’s voice penetrated the fog in my brain. The next sound I became aware of was rattling chains.
My eyes snapped open.
Primal panic hit me before I fully took in my situation. My arms were stretched above me, and there was an almost unbearable pressure on my wrists. I looked up to find that black leather cuffs similar to the ones Javier had given me held all my weight. They were clipped to a long chain that dangled from the industrial-looking ceiling. I tried to find my feet to ease the pressure, but my toes barely brushed at the concrete floor.
I became aware of cool air on my skin.
I closed my eyes again and let out a low whimper. This isn’t happening. It’s not real.
I couldn’t be naked and strung up by my wrists in an empty warehouse. I just couldn’t. Any second, I would wake up in bed with Javier. He would hold me and pet me and tell me I was beautiful. I could still feel my collar around my neck. If I was wearing it, he must be with me, right?
“Charlotte,” the sound of my name on Clara’s tongue was cruelly insistent. “You’re okay. You’ll be okay. I’ll get us out of this.”
Think, Charlotte. This isn’t you. Not anymore. I couldn’t let my fear rule me. I tried to tell myself I wasn’t scared, but my teeth wouldn’t stop chattering.
I turned my attention to Clara, forcing myself to deal with my hellish reality. She was naked and bound just as I was. The swelling around her left eye was shocking, and I couldn’t hold in my gasp.
