by Jen Talty
“We’re sure Dylan is inside at the party?” How Dylan managed an invite to a private party at a criminal’s house, she could only imagine.
“He’s there,” Nick said, tapping his headphones. She removed hers and then unfastened her harness, making her way across the cargo hold, grabbing one handhold to the next, hoping she wouldn’t fall out.
The ocean roared to her right as the wind pushed the chopper inland. Only the moon and a few stars managed to break through the inky darkness.
She tried to swallow, but couldn’t. It was like something too big was lodged in her throat, preventing her from getting air. Her hands shook as she gripped the side of the chopper, the sand coming up to greet them like a twister.
Nick took her hand, and they jumped. The swooping of the helicopter blades filled the air and the roar of the engine rattled her brain. A split second later, the chopper faded off in the distance as she ran with Nick across the beach and to the mansion owned by Brett “Hollywood” Donaldson, an ex-porn star turned producer.
Once at the back gate, they crouched down behind the bushes. The sound of music and laughter filled the air. She peered over Nick’s shoulder as he pulled out his cell phone, tapping open a text from Dylan.
Nick held the cell up so she could read it too.
One guard at check point. I’ll take him out when you’re here.
Nick quickly texted back.
Here.
She rested her hands-on Nick’s shoulders, holding her breathe, staring at the phone. The wind howled, rustling the bushes. What sounded like a smack, grunt, and thud echoed with the sound of branches hitting the metal fence.
The gate swung open, the wind catching it, shoving it backward against a brick wall. It bounced a few times. Dylan appeared in a pair of blue shorts and a button down pink shirt, looking like the poster boy for some preppy clothing store. Ten degrees cooler and he’d have a sweater draped over his shoulders with the sleeves tied at his chest.
“Welcome to the party,” Dylan said.
Nick zipped open the duffle bag, tossing out a pair of high heels. “How’s that gun feel up your skirt?”
“Not as good as yours?” she shot back without thinking that statement through.
“Keep saying stuff like that and I’ll start calling you hon again.” Nick smoothed down the front of his yellow button-down shirt sported over green shorts.
She looked him up and down.
“Like what you see?” Nick smiled.
“I’m impressed you can carry the style off,” she said, slipping her feet into a pair of three-inch fuck-me heels. “I think this makes me exactly your height,” she said.
“Would make it easy to hike up—”
“Let’s go, love birds,” Dylan interrupted his brother as he held the fence back. “Next rotation for guards is in two hours, so we’ve got some time.”
“Who else is inside?” Nick asked as they strolled up the walkway, his hand resting on the small of her back. The simple protective gesture could be taken as though he cared for her.
“Logan is in a tree near the pool house. Ramey’s got a drone above us,” Dylan said.
She looked up, but didn’t see anything. “I need you guys for all my missing person’s cases.”
“We’re always available to family,” Dylan said, patting her shoulder.
“I’m not family,” she said, ignoring the tingle the word ‘family’ sent through her bloodstream.
“Those matching hickey’s might as well be wedding bands,” Dylan said as they rounded a corner in the path that opened up into the pool area.
Nick adjusted his collar. “Focus on the mission, asshole,” he muttered.
An eighty’s rock anthem belted through an impressive sound system. Women in bathing suits made of more string than fabric walked around serving drinks.
They stood just outside the pool deck, still hidden in the trees. She scanned the area, becoming painfully aware of her size. Every woman she could see had to be a size six or less. It had taken her a long time to be comfortable in her own skin and even longer to believe and feel her body was beautiful. She ran her hand down her stomach. Her body had muscle, but it also had curves.
At least your body is proportionate. Imagine if you had no boobs, you’d look like a pear, or no ass. That would be a real shame. Her mother’s words jostled around in her brain as some skinny chick whipped off her bathing suit top and her oversized fake boobs didn’t even bounce as she jumped into the pool.
Instinctively, Leandra grabbed her own breasts.
Nick laughed. His hand squeezing her hip as he pulled her close. “You’re the sexiest woman in this place,” he whispered, kissing her temple.
“Thank you.” She smiled at him, knowing he meant what he said.
Dylan held up a small circular object. “Ramey and Logan will be able to hear everything, but we’re flying blind, so to speak.”
She nodded, letting Nick attach the listening device to her blouse, his fingers grazing the top of her breasts.
“When we find Skyler, or find her location, just say, ‘I need another drink’ and then meet down by the gate where we came in,” Dylan said with his hands in his pockets as if he hadn’t a care in the world but taking in the view of breasts bobbing on the surface of the water. “If at any time you feel as though you’re in danger or need assistance of some kind, just say, ‘I need the bathroom’. Ramey and Logan will find you.”
“And how do we find out if someone else finds Skyler or that we need to leave. Can we use our cell phones?”
“Only as a last resort. They have a rule about pictures and if they see a phone they will take it and kick you out,” Dylan said, raising his finger to his throat. “Only thing is I believe if that happens you’ll be leaving in a body bag.”
Nick turned, slipping his hands around her waist. “We don’t have to split up.”
“We’ll cover more ground if we do.”
He tightened his lips. “I’d rather we didn’t.”
“I’m a big girl and I know what I’m doing.”
“Not in this type of op you don’t,” Nick said with an arched brow. “You’re staying with me.”
“No. I’m not.”
“But what if…if…” he pressed his lips to her ear. “What if you’re pregnant?”
“We had sex like five minutes ago. I think that might take a bit of time to develop.” She shook her head. “How much time do we have again?”
“Ninety minutes until we meet back at the gate,” Dylan said.
“Let’s get this party started.” Leandra didn’t wait for either Sarich brother to say a word as she strolled down the path, away from the protection of the trees, and on to the pool patio.
She took a drink off a tray from one of the half-naked girls, who didn’t look overly thrilled to be serving anyone anything.
The beach house, if you could call a twenty-thousand-square-foot building, a house, was lit up like the fourth of July with decorative lights everywhere. As she strolled by a table with a group of people snorting cocaine off some chick’s ass, she watched people coming and going from the main house. She needed to get in there.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Nick strolling on the other side of the pool, hands in pockets, smiling to all the hot women who approached him.
Focus.
She continued toward the house, figuring she’d enter through the open sliders on the far-right side.
“Hey babe, can I guy you a drink?” a man asked as he approached, smacking her ass.
She held her glass up. “I’ve got one, thanks.”
“How about I get you something else?” He grabbed her ass, squeezing and shaking it.
“Don’t think my husband would appreciate that.” She nodded in Nick’s direction as she peeled the slimy hand off her butt cheek.
“What kind of man brings his wife to a party like this?”
She smiled sweetly. “I brought him. Now, if you excuse me, I have some business to
take care of.”
The gun strapped to her thigh gave her a sense of comfort, but if she had to pull it out, that would be bad no matter how one looked at it.
She made her way into what appeared to be the living room. White leather sofas filled the center and white end tables and lamps accented the space. White paintings and artwork lined the walls.
The white room.
A circular stair case, with white steps, was situated on the far-right side of the room. A few young women, dressed in school-girl skirts and blouses tied beneath their breasts wobbled down the stairs.
Behind them, older men adjusted their pants as they laughed and smiled and told a few dirty jokes.
Dylan strolled across the room with a girl dressed in the same tiny outfit as the other girl on his arm.
Fuck.
Skyler.
He looked directly at Leandra, but didn’t nod, or give her any kind of signal. It was like he looked right through her, but maybe that was the signal.
Skyler had her hair in pig-tails and a washed out look on her face.
“I’m following,” she whispered, figuring someone knew that Dylan had the girl.
When she got to the bottom of the steps, she looked around, hoping no one noticed her. She raced to the top just in time to see Dylan open a door down the hallway. A guard at the top of the stairs stopped her.
“She’s with me,” Dylan called.
The guard shrugged. “Whatever floats your boat.”
Leandra scurried down the hallway, ducking into the room. Skyler sat on the bed, barely aware of her soundings.
“She’s strung out,” Dylan said as he closed and locked the door, before making his way to the window.
“Skyler?” Leandra whispered, sitting on the bed next to her.
Skyler raised her hands to her top and started to untie her blouse.
Leandra placed her hand over Skyler’s, who looked at her with a blank expression. “I’ve seen two other girls dressed like this.” Leandra took a blanket and wrapped it around Skyler.
“I believe there are five girls total here.” Dylan opened the window. “Logan, Ramey. Second floor. Last window on the east side. Single guard at the top of the stairs. Need someone to take him out and replace him then someone else to go to the living room bar and buy up all the girls in school-girl outfits and bring them upstairs so we can extract them.”
“How are we going to do that?” she asked.
“Cause a power outage and climb out this window.”
“Sounds easy enough.” She pulled out her phone. “I’m going to text Nick.”
“Let’s wait on that,” Dylan said.
“Okay.” She wrapped her arms around Skyler’s trembling body. “There were sixteen girls on that list.”
“I don’t think they are all alive. Hollywood keeps these girls so doped up they don’t know who they are half the time. He uses them for porno movies, as prostitutes for parties like these, and God knows what else.”
Leandra shivered, running her hands up and down Skyler’s arms.
“What do you want with me?” Skyler tried to undo her shirt again.
“Nothing, sweetheart. We’re here to bring you home.”
Leandra jerked when someone knocked at the door. She glanced over at Dylan, who raised his weapon.
“Fuck off, I’m busy,” he yelled.
“Open the damn door,” Nick’s voice rang out.
Leandra jumped to her feet as her heart pounded out of her chest. As soon as she pulled open the door, she wanted to throw herself in his arms, but instead, she helped the two girls Nick had with him to the bed.
“What the fuck is this?” one girl slurred out. “I hate orgies.”
The other girl flung herself at Nick, trying to grab him. “Not here for that.” He took her by the shoulders and sat her on the bed. “We’re here to get you out of this hell hole.”
“Yeah, right, whatever,” the girl said.
“That was fast,” Dylan said.
“When I saw Logan wandering around trying to look like he wanted to get laid by some random chick, I knew something was up.”
“That’s fucking hilarious,” Dylan said.
“Where is Logan?” Leandra asked.
“He’s guarding the stairs, waiting for the two men who bought time with the other girls. He’ll tie them up in one of the other rooms and bring the girls here.” Nick leaned against the wall. “Then we make the lights go out and get these girls home.”
“You’re really going to get us out of here?” the girl who seemed semi-conscious asked?
“We are,” Leandra said.
The girl buried her face in her hands and started to sob.
A drone appeared in the window at the same time as Logan pushed open the door and two more girls entered the room.
“What the hell?” One of the girls stumbled, falling to the ground. She looked up with fear in her eyes. “What are you going to do with us?”
“They’re going to take us home,” the sobbing girl said.
“No shit?” the girl on the floor asked.
“We need to start moving,” Dylan said, pointing out the window. “We’ve got reinforcements on the ground, so as soon as the lights go—”
The room went dark.
“Move, move, move,” Nick commanded holding up a small light.
Leandra and Nick helped gather the girls at the window. Logan and Dylan tossed them over their shoulders one by one and slid them down a pulley to a group of men waiting to take them to safety. They worked quietly and efficiently and in a matter of five minutes, they had all the girls out of the room.
“Let’s go, Leandra” Dylan called.
The roar of power kicking back in rattled the room as the lights flickered and the music bleeped back.
Leandra turned to face Nick.
But he was gone.
Then the room went black again.
Chapter 10
NICK TWISTED HIS WRISTS, the rope digging into his skin. He blinked his eyes open. The searing, bright light sent his pounding headache into a full-on battle of the drums.
“You fucked with the wrong man.” A dark raspy voice pierced through the ringing in Nick’s ears.
Nick struggled to concentrate as a sticky liquid dripped over his eyes.
“I could say the same thing to you.” Nick’s eyes vision slowly snapped into focus. He’d been tied to a chair, arms behind his back, ankles bound to the legs. To his right a large oak desk faced a window that overlooked a small patio that he recognized as an extension of the pool area.
So, he was on the first floor, east of the pool, and a far distance to the gate where he’d entered the property.
He glanced to his left and his heart dropped to his gut.
Leandra sat on the sofa, hands and ankles bound and duct tape over her mouth.
“Mother-fucker.” He snapped his head up to his captor. “You hurt her and I’ll fucking kill you.” He cocked his head. “On second thought, I’m going to kill you anyway.”
The man laughed. “I don’t think so.” He waved his gun in Nick’s face, then pointed it at Leandra. “You stole my girls, so I’m thinking I should steal yours.”
Nick growled, twisting his wrists as hard as he could. The rope ripped at his skin, but he didn’t care. “You have no idea who you’re dealing with.” He had to believe his brothers had gotten the girls to safety and were minutes away from crashing through a window. Or maybe a door. He looked up. Could be the roof.
But his brothers were out there and they would help save his sorry ass.
Their father always told them that brothers shared a bond, one that could never be broken. He taught them to watch each other’s back. His father had been the smartest man Nick had ever known and he and his brothers did their best to think just like him. Two days before he’d been killed in the line of duty, he’d gathered his sons and took them on a fishing trip, where they caught absolutely nothing, but were reminded of the brotherhood they
shared.
One for all and all for one.
Just one of the many Sarich family mottos.
“What? I’m supposed to be scared of some hired mercenary? No one is coming for you. Whoever you work for will write you off because what you just did is just as illegal as my operation.”
“Like I said, you have no idea who you’re dealing with.” Nick slowed his breathing, controlling his pulse, letting all his training kick in. He had to keep his emotions, his feelings, for Leandra out of his head, or they might not live to see his brothers’ plan.
Whatever that might be.
“Hollywood, right? That’s what you go by?”
Hollywood nodded as he sat down next to Leandra, his slimy fingers on her leg.
Nick twisted his wrists harder, the extra force allowing him to snag the end of the rope with the tips of his fingers. Leandra’s eyes shifted from Hollywood then back to Nick.
“I bet this one has a pussy that tastes like the finest wine money can buy.” Hollywood ran his hand between her legs.
Leandra shifted her eyes again, but this time Nick realized she wasn’t looking at Hollywood, but at the window.
He stole a glance and cracked a smile when he saw the drone in the distance.
His brothers were close.
“You’re right about that,” Nick said, still tugging and twisting the rope. “But you’re never going to find out.”
“I beg to differ.” Hollywood palmed Leandra.
Nick had had about enough of another man touching what was his. “Let me tell you how this is going to go down because in a few minutes, I won’t be sitting in this chair, and my hands are going to be around your neck.”
“Really? And how is that going to happen, exactly.” Hollywood grinned, leaning way too close to Leandra’s breasts.
“Come over here and I’ll tell you.”
“Why would I do that when I can fondle this lovely slut all I want?” Hollywood grabbed her boob and squeezed.
Leandra narrowed her eyes, raising her bound arms, nailing him just under the chin with a loud smack.
His head jerked back as Leandra scooted down the sofa.
