“This isn’t the right time, is it?” Rylie’s tone was filled with regret.
“We’re burning moonlight.”
“Okay, tell me the plan.” He maneuvered them to the bed so they were sitting down.
“When you were on Vancouver Island, I was reconnoitering on the other side of the island. I found two cabins and a small medical facility that was geared for women’s health. I overheard two people talking about a woman who was due to give birth within the week, days even. There is a buyer for her child.”
“We can’t let her baby be sold.” Rylie took deep breaths, trying hard not to cry. Darius seemed to know and pulled her into the warmth of his embrace.
“It’s going to be okay, Rylie.”
“How? The auction isn’t for five more days. The baby could be long gone by then.”
“We thought that we could arrange for a big fish buyer for one of your women. Someone who has a ton of money and would only be in town two days from now. Wouldn’t you have to have the auction?”
“No, we’d probably have a private showing.”
“Can’t you think of something that would force other buyers to come early? Come on Rylie, you’re brilliant at this kind of con.”
The man’s confidence in her made her feel like some kind of superhero, she didn’t want to let him down.
“I suppose if this buyer said he wanted to buy three or four girls, we would know that the prices would be significantly less because he wouldn’t be bidding against anybody else. We would really want him at the auction, and we would want a bidding war.” Rylie started to think about who the other attendees were. Especially the most sadistic. All of them would insist on showing up early if they knew they might miss out.
“This could work, Dare.”
“I never doubted that you would figure out something.”
“I don’t know how fast Liu can put something in place. I’m pretty sure he wants to do some sort of Garden Party in Victoria. Trying to set that up really fast will be problematic.” Rylie stood up and started pacing. If they did something fast, it would get the girls to safety faster. It would save the pregnant girls. She had to figure out a way to get it done. There was only one fly in the ointment. When this was over, she wouldn’t see Darius Stanton ever again. He could say all the pretty words he wanted to, but she knew better. Plain old Rylie Jones, with her complicated life, was never going to attract the big bad Navy SEAL. She stopped pacing and turned to him, and gave him the best smile she could.
“I can get it done.”
“I knew you could. Now take off those boots.”
“What are you talking about? We agreed now wasn’t the time to make love.”
“You’re staying here.”
“I am not. I’m going with you.”
“Honey, don’t you have a lot of work to do in order to convince everyone you have a new buyer?”
Fuck, he was right. “Who in the hell is this new buyer?”
“Whoever you need him to be. But we’re using Aiden O’Malley.” Rylie choked out a laugh.
“He’s not even a member of your team. Isn’t he too old and crusty to be a SEAL? I mean a real SEAL? I mean, isn’t he too old?” Shit, she had both feet in her mouth at this point.
“Rylie, how old do you think I am?”
“I know how old you are. But you don’t act thirty. You act young. Not like Aiden. He acts like he’s thirty-five.”
“Do you think I’m too old for you?” Her mouth dropped open.
“Are you kidding me, Dare? I’m practically the mother of a seventeen-year-old. How can a man who is thirty be too old for me? I was sleeping with a man who was forty-two when I was nineteen. Catch a clue. I like ‘em old.” Fuck, had she just said that? How dumb was she? Darius stood there staring at her.
She rushed over to him and threw her arms around his neck. “You’re not old, and I don’t like you because you’re old.”
“I think you should maybe stop talking,” he choked out.
Oh God, was he going to start crying?
He hugged her so close she could hardly breathe and then he started to shake. He was crying. Oh God, what had she done?
“When I tell the guys this conversation, they are never going to let me live this down.” He pushed her back just a little, and she saw his laughing eyes and breathed a big sigh of relief.
“I thought you were crying.”
“Oh sweet baby Jesus, this just keeps getting better and better. You thought you hurt my feelings so bad, I was crying? I am sooo keeping you.” Darius grabbed her close, picked her up and swung her around as he laughed and laughed.
“Rylie Jones you’re one in a million.” She was something all right. She was just glad she hadn’t hurt this wonderful man’s feelings. “So let’s figure out how we’re going to get the decrepit old man in as a buyer.” Rylie giggle snorted into Darius’ shirt.
“Actually, he’s probably going to be the youngest buyer there,” she realized. “I’ll have to have proof of funds, and we’re talking millions.”
“That won’t be a problem for you, will it?”
“Hell no.” She grinned at him. “Now set me down, so I can get to the real work while you’re gallivanting through the forest like some damn goat thingy.”
“Satyr. The goat thingies are called satyrs, honey. And they are quite horny, pun intended. So expect to be ravished when I get back.” She pulled her laptop out of its case.
“Promises, promises.” She booted her computer and looked up in time to see Darius come and brush back her hair and tilt her chin for a kiss.
“Be careful, Rylie.”
“You too. Don’t let anyone see you. When will you be back?”
“Before dawn.”
Chapter Ten
Darius was still chuckling over Rylie’s horrified expression when she thought she hurt his feelings. Even with his thoughts focused on her, he easily circumvented the patrols and the motion detectors.
This was the third time he was making this trek, and he knew the exact path he to take. He made it to the clearing in record time. Tonight there was a change. Dammit, he didn’t like changes. There was a golf cart in front of the medical building. He had to get into the building and find out what in the hell was going on.
Darius got into the facility the same way as last time and was just as careful not to be seen. Plus, luck was on his side since there seemed to be a boatload of activity going on in one of the surgical units. He did a quick peek through one of the little windows and saw three people, a man and a woman in scrubs, and a very pregnant woman lying down in stirrups.
Fuck!
He slipped into the same supply closet as before and kept the door open so he could listen. This is had to be the same woman he’d heard them talking about last time. Only this time she was in the room, and they didn’t seem to care she could hear them.
“The doc said he’d get here in two or three days. We just need to keep feeding her the drugs he prescribed,” it was a man’s voice.
“But what if that doesn’t stop the contractions,” a woman asked.
“He said they would.”
“Isn’t it bad for her,” the woman persisted.
“I don’t think he gives a shit, do you? All he cares about is the baby. Come on, selling these babies is what gives us our great salaries and bonuses. You need to stop your whining and do what you’re told.” Darius listened, but the woman didn’t say anything else.
“Help. Hurts.”
She had such a thick accent, Darius hoped she hadn’t understood what they had been saying.
“We’re going to give you a shot, it should make you feel better.”
“No more shots. Get sick.”
“Hold her still,” the man said. Something fell to the floor. The pregnant girl must be struggling. Darius so wanted to go in and bust some heads. How had Rylie survived not shooting everyone and taking those sixteen girls out of the farmhouse? This waiting around was about killing him.
“She’s out. That should last for a few hours.”
“When is the couple who are buying the baby going to arrive?”
“They’ll be in Vancouver in three days. That’s why the doc wants to hold off her delivery. They want the baby to be as shiny and new as possible.”
Darius thought he might throw up. He crept out of the closet and peeked into the room again. They were monitoring some of the machines and making notes in the girl’s charts. He went down the hall to what looked like an office and let himself in.
Bypassing the desk, he headed straight for the file cabinet. He used the small flashlight he had brought with him. It wasn’t until he opened the third drawer that he found the files that showed the information on the purchases. It looked like eleven babies had been born on the island. Using his phone, he took pictures of each of the documents as fast as he could.
When he heard the man and woman walking down the hall towards him, he had just finished. He slid the drawer shut and hid under the desk, praying they didn’t intend to come into the office, and if they did, that neither planned to sit at the desk.
The office door opened.
“Ginger, why won’t you go out with me again?” the man whined.
“Easy, because you’re married.”
“That didn’t stop you before. You said you liked the excitement.”
“That was before your wife started calling and harassing me, Larry. Now tell me what we’re going to do if the drugs don’t work on that woman. Are we just going to let her die?”
“It’s okay if she dies. I was told to just make sure the baby doesn’t die. Hell, it wouldn’t be the first time one of the mothers ended up dead.”
“I guess not.”
“So are you going to go out with me?” Larry persisted. “I told my wife to stop calling you.”
“Do you promise?”
“I promise. What’s more, on our next vacation I plan to take you to Barbados, first class tickets, and everything.”
“Oh Larry!” she squealed. “Let’s go back to my room.” They left the office.
Darius waited for ten minutes and then let himself out the door, determined to get back to the house and Rylie as fast as he could. They needed to stop this shit.
***
Rylie wasn’t in the bedroom when he got back. He found a note propped up in the bathroom.
Dare, I know you went for your pre-dawn jog. Albert and I had some urgent business to discuss. I will see you at breakfast.
Sylvia
Darius showered and dressed in one of the fancy outfits he bought with Jack and went on the prowl. He found her in the library having an intense conversation with Albert, which immediately ceased when he arrived.
“I heard a rumor about an early breakfast.” He grinned. Albert scowled.
“You heard wrong.”
“Dare, I hate it when you leave the bed and don’t even say good-bye,” Rylie purred. She looked every inch, Sylvia Hessman. From the top of her perfectly coifed hair to the Louboutin heels she was wearing.
“Mr. Lawrence, Sylvia and I were in the middle of a very delicate conversation. If you are truly hungry, please find Carver and he will make sure you have something to eat. In the meantime, I must ask you to leave.”
“I was really hoping to find out more about how the antiquities business was run, are you sure I can’t stay?” Darius wheedled.
Rylie got up from her chair at Albert’s desk and glided over to him. She looked into his eyes and gave him a charming smile. “Seriously, Dare, some other time you can join us. Maybe next week when we are putting together our collection of jades. Right now Albert and I need some privacy.” She stroked her hand down his tie.
“I’ll just get some juice and a banana. I’ll wait to have breakfast until you’re ready.” He couldn’t help himself, he bent down, intent on messing up her perfect lipstick. Okay, tasting and kissing Rylie was the main reason for the kiss. She must have seen his intention because at the last moment she turned her head.
“Musn’t get overheated. I have work to attend to, Darling Dare.” She patted his chest and turned back to Albert, effectively dismissing him. Damn, she was good.
He went in search of sustenance.
By the time she got back to the room, he’d already eaten two ham sandwiches. He had a third waiting for her.
“I don’t think I can stomach anything,” she said as she slipped out of her shoes.
“You have to eat.” He brought the food to the bed where she had landed face first.
“It almost didn’t work. It still hasn’t. I have to arrange a wire transfer this morning of five million USD, into his bank from Terrence Jarlson.”
“You named Aiden after cheese. That’s so cool.”
“That would have been Jarlsberg, you idiot. I named him Jarlson. Anyway, I have to arrange the transfer.”
“How in the hell are you going to get that kind of money?” Rylie turned her head and rested them on her folded hands.
“Oh, ye of little faith. I’ve been playing around with all of Albert’s accounts since we first started. I’m transferring the money from one of his offshore accounts. Serves the fucker right that we use his own money.”
“Won’t he notice?”
“Not the way I do it. I just show it that the bank has deducted the money from the account so that they can put the cash into a safety deposit box for safe keeping. The paranoid bastard has done that from time to time. Voila, I have fifteen million dollars to play with.”
“Fifteen? I thought we only needed five.”
“Five today, for this morning’s transfer. Trust me, Terrence Jarlson is definitely going to need more in the next couple of days. So are we as we play out this con. Now tell me what you found out.” She pushed up and held out her hand for the sandwich.
He handed her a napkin and the sandwich and watched as she took off the cheese, and started to eat.
“We have three days at the most before the baby is going to be delivered to a couple in Vancouver.” Rylie nodded and continued to chew, motioning with her hand that he should continue.
“They’re giving her some kind of drug to delay the labor. Apparently they want the baby to be as close to a newborn as possible.”
She set down her sandwich and looked at him in horror, then tears started to well. “They never think of these women as people, do they?”
Darius sat down beside her and held her close. “No, they don’t. They’re just commodities, that’s why what you’re doing is so important. Without you, they would have just been forgotten. Turned into property and eventually thrown away.”
“I would never let that happen. Never,” her voice fierce. She gripped the front of his shirt and stared up at him. “If something happens to me, you have to promise you’ll save them. All of them.” Darius’ gut clenched.
“No! Nothing is allowed to happen to you. If they are important, you’re at the top of the pyramid. Your family needs you. You know Sawyer and Charlotte can survive, but what about Georgie?”
“You said you would loan me money. Remember? Well, they won’t need it. I have that covered. But could you check on them?” her voice was just a whisper, her eyes begging him.
“Here’s why you’re the absolute top of the pyramid. I don’t know how or why, but you’re mine. I know it’s too soon to talk about love, because it would scare both of us, and have you running to Oklahoma and me running to San Diego. But Rylie, I’m in deep, dark like with you, and give it two more days I think I’m going to be in deep, dark love with you, and if you run, I’m running after you. So you’re not allowed to have anything happen to you during this operation, have I made myself perfectly clear?”
He had watched as her eyes got wider and wider with every word he had said. “Dare, you can’t be.” She reached out to touch him, then grabbed her hands back.
“No! You touch me.” He pulled her hands to him and laid them on his chest. “Always, Rylie, I’ll always want you touch
ing me.”
“You can’t, you don’t really know me.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” He hauled her against him and tilted her chin so their eyes were inches away from one another, their breath mingling. “Rylie Jones is the bravest woman I have ever met, and I’ve met some brave fucking women. She has a heart as big as Oklahoma and Texas combined. She kisses like a fucking dream, and she would, and has, done more for people in her short life, than most saints have done.”
“That’s what I mean, you don’t see the real me. I’m the lactose intolerant, grumpy in the morning, no-make-up, computer nerd.”
“That makes you more you. But there is one bad thing.”
“What?”
“You’re leaving me hanging here.”
“Dare, you’ve got to know how I’m feeling. I’ve been wearing my heart on my sleeve every time we’ve been behind closed doors. You’re my hero.”
“Not the same thing, honey.”
Rylie twined an arm around his neck, her fingers threading through his short cropped hair, making him shiver.
“Okay, then let me tell it to you this way. If I thought t we had a chance in hell at working, I would tell you I could fall in love with you too. But we don’t Dare. Let’s be honest here, okay? You have your bigger than life, life. You’re a SEAL in California. When all this is over, and I get out alive, I’m going back to my overworked, hectic life no one in their right mind would want to have anything to do with. And it’s not just my life. I keep telling you, you’ve gotten the wrong idea about me,” she insisted.
“You’re wrong, and we’re going to put that kind of thinking to a stop.” His mouth crashed down on hers, strong and soft, taking and giving. Her nails bit into his scalp, and he wanted to howl in pleasure. He unbuttoned her blouse and pulled it out of her skirt. When he tried to pull her blouse and jacket down off her arms, she just tightened her hold on his neck.
“I want you naked.”
“Huh?” She looked up at him with passion glazed eyes.
“Let go, honey. We’re getting undressed.” Rylie’s gaze sharpened.
Her Daring SEAL (Midnight Delta Book 5) Page 14
