She’d disappear like all those who had moved against McCready before her.
She needed to stay strong. Wyatt could look after himself. He was making his own choices. And Ruthie? Kat’s stomach soured. She didn’t know what she’d do about Ruthie, but she couldn’t jeopardise her chance at escaping this tyrant. Ruthie, too, would learn to look after herself and then eventually be free.
If she wasn’t killed or broken first.
Kat swallowed, trying to recage the empathy she’d managed to keep locked up for so long. She was determined not to risk her position for anyone.
She only had a few more months left. And then she would, finally, be free.
Free of all the pain and misery she’d lived in the last five years. Free of all the horror she’d endured.
Free.
Chapter 8
Wyatt was summoned to McCready’s house for another party directly after the next fight. He was exhausted and bruised from going toe-to-toe with Chen in the ring, but he couldn’t refuse the invitation—given it was more of an order than an invitation anyway.
The mansion looked much the same as it had last time, he noted as he steered his car up the long drive in his beat-up twenty-year-old car. Floodlights streamed down, illuminating the exterior of the huge house, while light spouted from strategically-placed bulbs throughout the garden.
As Wyatt got closer to the house, the cameras on the exterior became increasingly obvious. McCready was clearly paranoid about security, and Wyatt congratulated himself on not breaking into the place when he’d first heard McCready’s name in connection with his brother’s. It would have ended in disaster, even if he had found something.
One of the girls—not Kat—was acting as a valet, so Wyatt handed over his keys to her and headed inside.
Loud, thumping music hit his ears first. Then, the underlying chatter of voices. He rounded the corner and finally caught sight of the room. If Wyatt had thought the previous party was over-the-top, he’d been mistaken. There were at least twice as many people here now, more women, more booze, more drugs sitting out in the open. Wyatt recognised a lot more of the guests, too, as local politicians and prominent businessmen, so clearly this party was a much bigger deal.
He glanced around the room, searching for McCready. The sooner he could prove to his host that he’d made an appearance, the sooner he could go home.
Wyatt eventually caught sight of him in the corner, flanked by Spider and Weston as he surveyed the room. He turned to Spider and murmured something, and Spider slipped off to deal with whatever McCready wanted.
It left room for Wyatt to slip up to his side. When McCready turned, Wyatt gave him a nod in greeting, reluctant to shout over the pounding music. He was already developing a headache from being in proximity to the speakers.
McCready’s face cracked into a grin at the sight of him, and Wyatt’s suspicions instantly raised. McCready rarely smiled, and would have no reason to look so pleased at only the sight of him.
McCready bent forward and raised his voice over the music. Wyatt braced himself.
“I’m glad you’re here. I have a surprise for you later.”
Wyatt tensed. “Can you give me a hint?” he asked, trying to sound playful even as his heart started fluttering in panic.
McCready pulled back and gave him another smile that made Wyatt no less nervous. “No, but I think you’ll like it. Just got to wait until we have more privacy after the party.”
Wyatt nearly protested. He didn’t want to stay until after the party. He wanted to escape this world as soon as he could and shower away the sleaze and filth. But this could be the chance he was waiting for. The surprise could be an invitation to join McCready’s crew, or at least to participate in the test Spider had hinted at.
Wyatt forced a smile onto his face. “Great,” he managed.
McCready nodded and looked away. Wyatt took that for a dismissal and strode away, already cursing his decision to come tonight. But really, what choice did he have? Though this world wasn’t something he’d normally want to be a part of, he had to remind himself he was undercover. Cops did this kind of thing every day, infiltrate awful places by pretending to be someone they weren’t. Like them, he was doing this for a good cause.
The difference was Wyatt didn’t have any official backing. He was on his own in this. If he got caught, he was probably dead. If things went south, there was no extraction plan.
And like his brother, he’d probably end up disappearing off the face of the earth.
Wyatt knew, after spending time with McCready, that Dean was probably dead. He’d heard the rumours about McCready’s reputation, the whispers about what happened to those who defied him. And the longer Wyatt spent in the man’s company, the more he knew they weren’t exaggerations.
But even if Dean was dead, Wyatt still needed to know what happened. He needed a body to show his parents, so they’d stop living in hope he’d return. Not that hope was a bad thing, even false hope. However, his parents were both living in a stasis while they waited for Dean to show up on their doorstep.
They wanted to go on a cruise, but wouldn’t in case Dean came back and they missed him. They rarely left the house together anymore, tag teaming so someone was always home. Even an hour away for dinner left them wracked with guilt. Before Dean disappeared, they’d mentioned the idea of possibly moving to Florida, but now, of course, they couldn’t bear to sell the house and move away.
It was affecting their whole lives, and Wyatt had no idea how much longer they’d live like this, perking up any time the doorbell rang, only to be disappointed all over again. It was killing them.
Not that Wyatt had totally given up hope Dean was still alive. Perhaps he’d escaped McCready’s clutches, and was hiding away, not contacting his family for fear of endangering them. But the hope faded more each day, and Wyatt was a realist. He could admit his brother was most likely gone for good. But he had to find proof for his parents, as cruel as it made him feel.
Wyatt had already lost his brother, and he didn’t think he could handle losing his parents, too.
He headed out towards the open deck, hoping the fresh air would clear his head and help him focus on getting through tonight.
Before he could make it outside, an arm wrapped around his waist and a slim body pressed itself again him. Wyatt automatically put his hand against the woman’s lower back to steady her, encountering bare skin. He knew instantly it was Kat, and his surprise turned to confusion.
“Kat?” he asked.
She stood on tiptoes, and her lips brushed against his ear. “Don’t trust McCready tonight. He’s suspicious of you.”
Wyatt looked at her sharply, only mildly distracted by the feel of her body against his. The memory of their kiss flared to life within him. Her soft lips and body. The way she’d fit perfectly in his arms. And the heated imaginings that had sprung into his mind the second her lips had touched his. They’d be good together, he knew.
He flattened his palm against her back, unable to resist. Her scent permeated the thick haze of smoke in the room; roses, maybe, and honey. His skin tightened, and he had to force himself not to pull her hard against him and kiss her within an inch of her life.
Not now, maybe not ever. She’d been through so much while under McCready’s control, and Wyatt didn’t know if she’d ever be the same again. Would she even want to be touched? Or would sex be abhorrent to her? He had no way of knowing.
“Why do you say that?” he asked instead, focusing on the moment at hand.
She laughed as if he’d said something funny, and the back of Wyatt’s neck prickled. McCready was watching them.
“I heard him talking,” she said, tightening her arms around him. “They’re planning on testing you.”
“Any idea what the test is?”
She pulled back to look at him and shook her head. Her smile was tight and clearly fake from this distance, and Wyatt hoped McCready couldn’t tell from wherever he was. Wyatt didn’
t dare look his way.
“Be on the lookout.” With that, she planted a firm kiss right on Wyatt’s lips. Before he had a second to react, she’d pulled away and disappeared into the crowd, patting his butt on the way.
Wyatt blinked, trying to process everything that had just happened. The lure of the cool air had him stumbling outside. He made his way around the edge of the deck and into the dark corner where the floodlights didn’t quite reach. He leaned against the railing and looked out over McCready’s domain.
At the first hit of the fresh air, Wyatt’s mind began to work again.
He’d been right, McCready planned to test him. And since Spider said being tested was a normal part of the process before he would be accepted into the inner circle, Wyatt couldn’t help but think this was a positive step forward.
Knowing there was a test didn’t really change much. Either way, he’d still have to go through with whatever it was, and be prepared for anything.
More importantly, Kat had seemed to forgive him for their argument the other night. He knew he’d been too hard on her, but he wanted an ally in his fight against McCready, and it was frustrating to know she could help but was choosing not to. He got it, he did. He was being selfish. Undercover work was more lonely than he’d expected. He couldn’t tell his old friends on the outside too much about what he was doing. It risked blowing his cover, and connections to his old life made it harder to immerse himself in this one.
But there was no one in McCready’s circle he could trust enough to confide in. No one except Kat. If he picked the wrong person to tell his secrets to and they spilled his ulterior motive to McCready, he was a dead man, no question. He was already taking risks, and he couldn’t afford to be careless because he wanted a friend.
No, he had to go this alone. The quicker he could pass whatever McCready’s test was, the sooner he could get out of this life and back to his old one. If Kat wanted to help, great, but he knew he couldn’t rely on her. Not really.
No matter how much he might want to.
Kat glanced at McCready to see if she’d gotten away with her little deception, only to find he was looking right at her. She smiled automatically, not allowing her nerves to show, before pretending to scan the room.
She needed to lay low, and stop getting involved in other people’s drama. The only reason she was still alive and only a few months away from freedom was because she hadn’t defied McCready over the last few years. She’d rebelled a few times at first, but once she’d learned her lesson she’d been almost squeaky clean.
So why, between Wyatt and Ruthie, was she now risking everything she’d worked for? It was madness.
As if thinking of Ruthie conjured her, the young woman appeared in her line of vision, sitting on a couch next to an older man with his arm around her. Ruthie’s back was straight, her eyes wide like a cornered rabbit.
Kat told herself to ignore it. Ruthie would have to learn eventually. But she clearly wasn’t ready for what that would entail, not if this was how she reacted to her shoulder being stroked. If the man touched her anywhere else, it could end in disaster for Ruthie.
Kat sighed, but her mind was already made up. She picked up a drinks tray and moved through the crowd, handing alcohol to everyone she passed until she was standing in front of Ruthie and Senator Phillips.
“Hi Senator,” she said with her best flirty smile. She’d been tasked with entertaining him before and knew what he liked.
He leaned forward, his arm slipping away from Ruthie. As much as the senator liked pretty young girls, he liked attention more.
“I remember you,” the senator said with a slur. He might remember her, but clearly not her name. Kat couldn’t bring herself to care.
“You’re looking particularly handsome tonight,” she lied. “And I was impressed with your speech yesterday.” Another falsehood, but Phillips couldn’t tell. And he didn’t seem to notice Ruthie inching away from him.
“Thank you,” the senator said, straightening his tie but only skewing the knot even further from centre. “I wrote it myself.”
Kat knew for a fact he hired speech writers, but she didn’t mention it. Ruthie had nearly escaped.
“Well, it was excellent. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the proposed amendments to the tax bill sometime.”
Panic crossed his face. “Yeah, of course,” he said vaguely, his gaze shifting over her shoulder.
Kat’s first real smile of the evening crossed her face. She’d bet real money Senator Phillips had no idea what was in that tax bill, nor did he care. He was a senator for the perks, not for the people. Kat could probably answer the questions better than he could. There was a reason he rarely did town halls and interviews, because his ignorance would be exposed if he did.
“We could even do it now if you—”
The senator stood abruptly. “I think I see someone I need to speak to. It was nice to see you again, err…” He trailed off, still unable to remember her name. “Well, it was nice to see you.”
He moved across the room as if a rabid dog—or an eager constituent—was on his tail. Kat sent a self-satisfied grin in his direction, then glanced around for Ruthie.
The younger woman was huddled by the wall with her arms wrapped around her bare midriff. She smiled shakily in Kat’s direction when their gazes caught. Empathy hit Kat. She tried to ignore it, but it was no use. She couldn’t leave Ruthie on her own.
“Thank you,” Ruthie muttered as Kat leaned against the wall next to her. “I don’t know what I would have done if…well.”
Kat squeezed her arm. “You would have survived, as we all have. I know it’s hard, but…” She stopped and sighed. “I don’t know how long I can protect you. If you’re going to come up with a plan to get out, do it soon.”
Ruthie eyed her. “You won’t try to stop me?”
“I don’t want you to be here, either. It’s…I’m worried if you get caught, you’ll be even worse off than if you’d stayed and kept your mouth shut. That’s all.”
Ruthie narrowed her eyes, but didn’t storm off. Maybe she was finally understanding that Kat wanted to protect her, in her own way.
Kat was about to reiterate that point when Spider appeared in front of them, his eyes on Ruthie. Kat straightened, knowing what was coming. Ruthie must have known, too, because she shrank further into herself.
“So, New Girl. Don’t you think it’s time we got to know one another?”
Ruthie shook her head, so small the movement could have been passed off as a twitch.
Kat shifted partially in front of Ruthie in a protective gesture to turn Spider’s attention to her. His gaze shifted, eyes angry.
“Don’t you want to give her a bit of time to get used to all of this?” Kat asked, knowing she sounded a little desperate.
Spider scoffed. “Better to break her in now, get it over with.”
Spider’s words, and the sentiment, were so close to what Kat herself had said to Ruthie that she stood frozen in shock. Is that who she’d become? Spider? She couldn’t imagine anything worse. And yet there it was, the two of them saying almost identical words without him even knowing it.
Kat’s stomach roiled. She was going to be sick.
Spider took advantage of her distraction and reached around her to grab Ruthie’s arm. Kat hardly noticed, stumbling out of the way as he wrenched Ruthie forward.
Ruthie’s eyes pleaded with Kat as she was led away, but Kat couldn’t think of anything she could do or say to stop this. Spider wouldn’t listen to her. McCready would sooner kill her than stop Spider doing something he encouraged. Unless she wanted to physically take on Spider herself? That would end with her dead just as quick.
The switch had flipped. Kat could no longer let McCready, Spider, and all these men get away with what they were doing. She couldn’t turn a blind eye. Even if she jeopardised her own escape from this prison, there had to be a way for her to help Ruthie, and to destroy McCready. She’d play along as best she could, b
ut there had to be a way.
Spider and Ruthie disappeared at the top of the stairs. She didn’t have much time.
Her eyes found Wyatt in the crowd, where he was lounging on one of McCready’s white sofas. Should she ask for help? No, she couldn’t risk that. Wyatt was here on his own mission. She couldn’t put him in danger to help her, not when what he was doing was important, and might help bring McCready down.
No, she had to do this herself.
The question was how?
Chapter 9
Wyatt watched as Kat sidled around the couches where strung-out people lounged back, vague eyes staring. People passed between him and Kat, blocking his view for a moment. Once it was clear, he saw she had a needle in her hand full of a golden-brown liquid.
Wyatt frowned. He hadn’t taken Kat for a junkie. But then she disappeared along the corridor Spider had gone down with a woman a few minutes earlier, and he had to admit she most likely was.
He tried to shrug it off, to not be judgmental given what she was going through, but drugs were never something he’d been comfortable with.
Someone sank onto the couch next to him and Wyatt glanced over to see Doc. He clutched a crystal glass with a white-knuckled grip, and Wyatt was afraid the glass would shatter in Doc’s hands.
“You okay?” he asked casually as he looked up into Doc’s face. The older man’s eyes were wide and panicked, and he looked pretty far from okay.
Doc didn’t seem to notice the question. He glanced away from Wyatt and back to the glass.
“Maybe you should have a drink?” Wyatt suggested over the noise of the room.
Doc shook his head and gingerly set his glass on the coffee table in front of them. “No, I never touch the stuff.”
Doc’s gaze was slowly fading from the wild-eyed stare into something more normal now the glass was out of his hand.
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