“Jesus Christ,” Jason whispered. Then added loud enough for a passerby to hear, “Victor wants us to take the bitch from Alexi Amelin? This just got fucked up.”
Richard stopped himself from laughing. No, kidnapping wasn’t fucked up in Jason’s world, but putting himself in the line of fire of Alexi’s gun-toting posse was where this guy drew the line. Richard bit his tongue and instead said, “I’ll call Victor once I get to my room and see how he wants us to proceed.”
Jason nodded and lit another one.
Richard gave them a tight grin, lit his own cigarette and smoked it there on the sidewalk with them. When they were done, they each slipped back into the hotel and went to their separate rooms.
When Richard was sure his door was locked and everything was quiet, he took a deep breath and dialed Victor’s number.
Victor answered quickly enough. “Richard, you have found Laura?”
“I did, but you’re not going to like what I found out.”
“Well, you tell me and I’ll tell you if I like it or not,” Victor said.
To Richard, his own voice sounded a bit nervous and shaky. “Laura Stanton is with Alexi Amelin. I found out where Laura will be in the morning and we’re thinking we can snatch her after her appointment.”
The other end of the line went dead silent.
“Victor? You still there?” Richard asked, his stomach twisting.
“This makes no sense. Why would Alexi send a private investigator?” Victor sounded suspicious.
In his minds-eye, Richard imagined Victor’s eyebrow arching like it did when he thought something was fishy. “I asked the same question. We think it might have been the feds looking into Alexi.”
He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, waiting for Victor’s reaction.
“Hmm. You get Laura and bring her back, I’ll deal with Alexi. He took what’s mine. He probably told her to take my money, too. That’s why she left me. It makes sense now. He must have promised her great things.” Victor sounded resolute and sure of himself.
Richard almost breathed a sigh of relief, but caught himself. The lie was falling into place. Now Victor would think all those years ago that Laura had been coerced by Alexi and it was Alexi’s plan to take her all along. He wasn’t going to correct Victor. No, instead he agreed with him. “Probably.”
“You deal with it and call me when you have her,” Victor said. Then there was a click and the phone went dead.
Richard set his phone on the dresser, and then left his room to find Jason. Jason’s room was just down the hallway and to the right. He knocked and immediately Jason opened the door and let him in. The first thing Richard noticed was the Glock sitting on the bed.
“You should put that away or keep it on you when you answer the door,” he scolded.
Jason looked back at the gun on the bed and shrugged. “I looked out the peephole, saw it was you. What’s up?”
“I found Laura Stanton and I have it on good authority she has an optometrist appointment at the North Glade shopping complex tomorrow morning at eleven. We can grab her then. I called Victor, told him about Alexi, and he told me to do it. Grab her. She drives a new, black, Ford Explorer. Optometrist’s office is called North Glade Optometry. We find her car, we find her. We should get there early to stake out the office and surrounding area.” He didn’t pause for even a second. The more in control he sounded, the more likely it was Jason wouldn’t challenge him. Jason was the type who waited for someone to falter before pouncing. He didn’t argue with authority though.
Jason nodded. “Okay, sounds good. I’ll call Frank and let him know if you want.”
“Yeah, go for it. I’ll see you guys downstairs at eight for breakfast at the place across the street?” He noticed Jason’s power play of wanting someone under him. Frank filled that role well, but mostly, Richard didn’t care. As far as Jason would know, tomorrow morning Richard was going to be shot and allegedly killed and he didn’t care what Jason and Frank did after that. He’d go into witness protection and that would be the end of it.
“Yep,” Jason agreed. “Goodnight, man.”
With a brief nod, Richard left and made his way back to his own room. When he was inside and the door again locked, he went back to his phone, picked it up and texted Brocco. I have the green light. It’s a go.
***
Kali leaned back into Brad and stared at the dark wall adjacent the bed, wanting to merge with him, or in the very least, hide behind him. Letting out the fiftieth forlorn sigh for the night she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She closed her eyes.
Brad pulled her close to him and held her tight.
“I’m really scared,” she finally whispered, surprised she was able to utter the words aloud.
He kissed her cheek. “I know, but I am not going to let anything happen to you.”
So many emotions went through her at once, but it was relief that caused her to start tearing up. She hadn’t realized just how important it was that he accepted her, past and all. It was something she never imagined she could get past, or see a potential life partner getting past either. Still, she had to know for sure. Had to know he understood just how awful her past was. “Even though I was a crime boss’s sex slave?”
“Yes.”
“He abused me, and he let his friends abuse me, too. My scars are what’s left of the brand and tattoo Victor put on me. I had them removed. If he ever found out that’s what I used most of the money I stole from him for… but he owed me that,” she said defensively.
Brad held her fast, but was silent.
“Brad?” She turned to look at him, only to find him staring at the wall, his jaw set. She was pretty sure he was grinding his teeth. “Brad?”
Just like that he snapped out of it and his expression softened. “Sorry, I was thinking about what I’d do with that son-of-a-bitch if I ever got my hands on him. No guns, no bombs, just me and him, man to man. I’d kick his ass.”
She’d seen Brad pull the strong-silent bit before. It was intimidating. But a pissed off Brad was a different story altogether. There was something foreign in his eyes she’d never seen before. Something animalistic and dangerous. Not in a sadistic Victor way, but just as calculating and cold. Yet when his eyes fell on her they always softened.
Brad’s finger traced the scar on her left shoulder. “I always thought your scar was from a removed tattoo.”
“Victor used to keep my shoes locked up so I couldn’t run away. He would lock the house slaves up in cages at night, or put them in coffin boxes if they disobeyed him or made him angry.” Her own voice sounded distant and hollow, even to her. “I only had to endure that once and it’s the reason I’m so claustrophobic.”
“Kal, I promise I’m not going to let him get near you ever again.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she said. With a deep breath she relaxed into his arms and resigned herself to her fate. It was true. She didn’t trust the FBI agents to save her any more than she expected Brad to be able to keep her from harm. Not against Victor. Victor was sinister - evil even.
He kissed her shoulder, then the side of her neck, and then her cheek again. She closed her eyes and relished in how good it felt, in that moment, to be Brad’s. That familiar tingle ran between her thighs as his hand slid forward over her belly and slowly upward until he found her breasts. His lips found hers and he kissed her deeply, his tongue entwined with hers. And she kissed him back with as much force because in that moment, Victor didn’t exist and she and Brad were the only two people in the world. Her body was hers now, not Victor’s, and tonight she chose to give herself to Brad - completely.
Brad lifted her hands above her head and held her fast while he unsheathed his erect cock and ran its length through the folds of flesh between her thighs. Her desire for him ensured she was lubricated and ready for him. With a surge of wanton lust, she thrust her pelvis forward, unable to speak with his tongue in her mouth. He entered her slowly, his thickness
filling her depths and spreading her wide inch by solid inch. When he was fully immersed within her he pulled out completely and repeated the slow penetration. She pushed forward, wanting him to fuck her with wild abandon, but he didn’t. Instead, he let her wrists go and moved his hands to her hips, holding her down while he meticulously made love to her at a slow and even pace. It was probably the most vanilla sex she’d ever had, but also torturous.
“Put your hands above your head and keep your legs apart,” he ordered.
She obeyed, wanting him to thrust, but he didn’t. So she closed her eyes and concentrated on each thrust, each pelvic grind until finally, she found herself on the verge of intense orgasm. When she came she shoved her hips up to meet him and felt her toes curl. He continued to penetrate her faster and harder until he came and collapsed against her.
Then, they held each other until they both fell asleep.
Chapter Eight
The minute they pulled into the parking garage Kali’s gut twisted. Brad must have noticed her uncertainty because he gave her a warm smile. “You okay?”
She nodded and took a deep breath. “Yeah.”
Brad had been tight lipped since this morning. He had admitted to her that he didn’t like the plan one bit, but both she and Brocco assured him that the man on the other side, Richard, had agreed to play along. Kali even told him how much she trusted Richard. Now, they sat quietly in the SUV, Brad in the driver’s seat and Salazar behind him. The plan was simple. Kali would go inside. She’d wait forty five minutes and would then come back out. That’s when Richard and his henchmen would try to grab her and Salazar would shoot Richard, scaring off the other two in hopes they’d call Victor and lure him here.
Even though she was wearing a bullet proof vest, she knew Brad was still worried the guys who weren’t in on it would snag her and get away, or a bullet would miss and hit something not covered by the vest. While if something like that happened and he likely couldn’t avert it, that’s why he insisted he be involved from beginning to end. For the most part, he’d been all business all morning long.
“Now don’t panic,” came Brocco’s voice from behind her. “Just walk calmly and confidently into the optometry office, wait with the agents in there and when they tell you, just walk back out and back to the car.”
He’d already told her this three times. She wasn’t an idiot. But instead of scolding the FBI Agent she simply replied, “Alright.”
Brad reached over and squeezed her hand, giving her a quick, reassuring glance. She could tell he was nervous even though she knew he tried so hard not to show it.
Giving him a tight smile, she smoothed her blouse, feeling the foreign vest beneath her clothes. The damn vest felt like a corset, or maybe she was just holding her breath with anxiety.
After he put the SUV into park and turned off the ignition, all three men turned their attention to her.
“Ready?” Brad asked.
“Yep.”
He leaned over and kissed her light on the lips. “Be careful.”
She nodded, then opened the front passenger side door and stepped out. Her legs felt stiff and awkward. Shutting the door, she started toward the optometry office.
Each step seemed to take forever, especially since she knew she was being watched. She looked around with nonchalance like smart women do when they walk, and from the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of them; the men sent to kidnap her. She was pretty sure it was Richard driving the blue car. Her steps quickened and her heart raced. When she reached the door, she breathed a sigh of relief. She would be safe for the next forty-five minutes at least. But it also meant she had forty-five minutes to contemplate her life and worry about what was going to happen when that forty-five minutes was up.
She didn’t share her concerns with Brocco about the ruse they were playing. Or with Brad, even though Brad voiced the same concerns she had. One wrong move and she knew she could end up back in the hands of Victor. Cruel, abusive Victor.
The interior of the building was your standard medical looking waiting room. Behind a desk sat a comely woman of about fifty. The woman, dressed in standard office attire befitting someone who worked as a receptionist, smiled at her. “Can I help you?”
“Yes, I’m Laura Stanton.” She smiled, wondering how the FBI had set this up. Were the optometrist and his staff working with the Feds, or was this really just an empty office only hours earlier? She didn’t know and she hadn’t asked.
The woman nodded. “Just have a seat and Gretchen will be out to get you in a moment.” Then she picked up the phone, dialed a few numbers, and said, “Ms. Stanton is here for Gretchen.”
Then the woman simply went back to work as if Kali wasn’t there at all. Kali looked around the room and then made her way toward a chair where she could face the door and see outside the building. Grabbing a magazine, she settled in, took a deep breath, and opened it only to realize she was reading a copy of PARENTING. With a frown she leaned forward, tossed the magazine on the table and grabbed a copy of GOOD HOUSEKEEPING instead. She wasn’t much of a housekeeper, but what the hell. However, thoughts of what was going on outside overwhelmed her and she found herself staring through the pages of the magazine in front of her. It seemed like fifteen minutes or maybe longer when finally, a woman’s voice called her name. She jumped.
A blonde woman, maybe thirty, wearing a lab coat and holding a clipboard looked at her expectantly. “Ms. Stanton?”
Kali stood and gave her a tight smile. “Yes.”
“I’m Gretchen, follow me. How have your eyes been?”
Confused, Kali followed almost instinctively. “I haven’t had them checked since high school, but I haven’t been having problems,” she started.
She was led to an exam room with charts on the wall.
“Umm, you realize I’m not really here for an exam, right?” she asked. Then a terrifying thought hit her. What if Brocco and Salazar were really Victor’s men and all of this was a ruse to get rid of Brad? She stiffened. Though those badges she saw yesterday did look official…
Gretchen nodded, motioning for her to sit in a chair. “Yes, I know. Doctor Martin told the FBI he didn’t mind helping out as long as normal business wasn’t disrupted. Our job is to keep you here for forty five minutes and the best way to do that is to give you an eye exam. They agreed. The agents are in the doctor’s private office down the hall, I am going to start your exam, Doctor Martin will finish it, and my understanding is Uncle Sam paid for it.”
With a bright grin, Gretchen began examining Kali’s eyes.
The exam was relatively thorough and Doctor Martin, an older man with graying hair and beard and a slight build, proved pleasant enough. Doctor like. Sure enough she had twenty-twenty vision and before she knew it, a man wearing a white dress shirt and dress slacks knocked on the door.
“We’re ready for Ms. Stanton to head back to the parking garage. Are we finished here?” He didn’t wait for an answer. It was obvious he was hearing something though the ear piece he wore. He nodded to no one. “We’re sending the package now.”
Doctor Martin, who probably knew nothing of what was going on, nodded at the man and stood aside so Kali could leave.
Her eyes were still dilated so she put her sunglasses back on, took a deep breath, and made her way past the agent in the hall toward the front door, and out in the afternoon light. It’s simple, she told herself. Just walk back to the SUV. Then she noticed the blue car was no longer parked across the street from the parking garage and with each step her stomach twisted. As the garage loomed before her she began to feel nauseated. She kept walking with her head held high, pretending there was absolutely nothing out of the normal going on. It was an average day and she had just been in for an eye exam. She made it into the shade of the parking garage, but when she saw him she stopped short, frozen. It was Richard, Victor’s right hand guy and a regular to Victor’s house. Secretly, he and Misha had been lovers. He’d always been nice to her, respectful even.
She knew he was the one working for the feds, but nothing prepared her for the feelings and memories seeing him stirred up. Becoming acutely aware of every click her boot heels made on the pavement, she started walking toward the SUV again.
Richard stepped in front of her, his henchmen trailing behind.
“Come with us quietly, Laura,” Richard said. His voice sounded resigned. “Victor has promised…”
She tried to side-step him toward the SUV, but one of the other men stepped into her path. Behind the men, the passenger side door of the SUV opened and Agent Brocco stepped out with his gun pointed at Richard.
“What the fuck?” One of Richard’s men said, pulling a gun out of a holster under his arm.
The second henchman followed suit, pulling out his gun.
Richard turned toward Brocco, making sure Kali was behind him. “We are simply taking back what’s Victor’s. Stand down and no one gets hurt.”
Brocco arched an eyebrow. “Miss Laura belongs to Alexi. If Victor wants her, he needs to get out here himself and take it up with Alexi, doesn’t he?”
That’s when she saw Salazar and Brad coming around the side of the SUV.
Brad wore a look of caution.
“Fuck this,” said henchman number one. And that’s when the sound of gunfire started.
Kali’s hands flew up instinctively to cover her head and she ducked, and then realized she was out in the open and no matter what, a stray bullet could hit her. She ran past Richard just as he fell backward with what appeared to be a serious bullet wound to the chest and just in time to see Salazar jump out of the way and Brad drop to the ground.
“Brad,” she screamed. Her own voice startled her. The sheer terror behind it was foreign.
A hand grabbed her and pushed her toward the SUV. It was Brocco, directing her into the car.
“But Brad…” she started.
“It’s a flesh wound, it hit his leg, get in the car Ms. Stanton. Now.” Brocco shoved opened the SUV door and all but shoved her inside, closing the door behind her.
Switched Page 9
