Eventually the girl nods her head with the tiniest movement.
“Can you get up on your own?” Kat asks remaining a foot from her.
The girl shakes her head no and begins to tremble, releasing a little tension from her face.
“I’m gonna have Nick pick you up.” The girl flinches and cowers. “He won’t hurt you. You’re safe here with us. I promise nothing bad will happen to you. I’m not gonna be able to carry you on my own. I need Nick to do it for me. Is that okay?”
Warily, she meets my gaze and I force my features to soften to a point of looking like a pussy. Eventually, she gives another minute nod. I wait a moment and approach her with caution, holding her big eyes the entire time.
“I’m gonna put an arm around your back and another behind your knees. You just sit tight and I’ll have you into the house in a few seconds,” I explain in a whispered voice.
I crouch down beside her before saying, “Here we go.” I consider going slowly, but I figure she may panic, so I try to go quickly though not too quickly. Her body goes stiff and a yelp breaks from her throat as I come in contact with her. I ignore it and scoop her to my chest. She can’t weigh eighty pounds. Her bones are grinding into my bare chest as I swiftly maneuver around the house and through the back door Kat opens for me.
I intentionally don’t look down once I have her in a lit room because the girl might as well be naked. I move into the family room where Kat is sitting on the couch holding out a plush throw blanket like she’s waiting for me to hand her a baby. I set the girl down and Kat wraps her up tight, pulling the girl into her lap. Once I can tell she’s completely covered out of my periphery I move my gaze to her face. Fuck she looks young. She can’t be more than fourteen, if that. Even though she’s dirty, I can tell her face is pale like a porcelain doll and her big green eyes are looking up at Kat swimming with emotion. Her deep auburn hair is a mess around her head and face. She looks like a younger version of Shanny. I feel my stomach turn, bile rising up the back of my throat. Fuck!
I sit on the edge of the coffee table and hang my head in my hands. This vision is hitting too close to nightmares of my best friend’s past. I breathe deeply trying to get a handle on myself.
“Can you tell me your name?” Kat questions in a whisper.
“Dee,” her tiny voice croaks.
“Dee? Is that short for something?” Kat asks and I bring my head up to see her brow furrowed as she cradles the small girl to her chest.
“It’s my letter,” Dee says with a trembling voice.
Now we both have furrowed brows. Her letter?
“Can you tell me where you came from?” Kat asks with an encouraging smile.
“I don’t know. I just ran when I broke the lock.”
“Was someone holding you against your will?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know their real names. I never saw their faces in the shadows of my dungeon,” she shudders as she finishes.
“That’s okay. Don’t worry. You’re safe now,” Kat soothes, finally making eye contact with me. I know, Sunshine…this is fucked and a good lead for us, is what my gaze returns.
“Dee,” I start quietly causing her to jump and curl into a ball, burrowing further into Kat. “You can’t stay here in this town. It’s not safe for you so I’m gonna call some authorities that will come here and collect you. Take you to a safe place.”
“No please,” she pleads clawing at Kat. “I’ll be good. I promise I’ll be really good. Don’t send me back to them!”
“No one is sending you back to them. Nick and I work for a special agency that helps people like you. You’re safe now. I promise,” Kat states firmly, letting Dee know there is no risk as best she can.
“You won’t let them get me?” Dee asks disbelieving.
“I swear to you,” Kat insists demonstratively.
Dee studies Kat for a long time in silence, her green eyes searching for a monster lurking within Kat.
“Okay,” she agrees when she doesn’t find the evil she’s lived with.
I know this seems rushed, but we have to get her out of the house before the boys find her here or someone comes looking for her. I silently excuse myself to call this into headquarters and get the ball rolling. First things first though, I grab a pair of Jake’s sweat pants and a hoodie out of the laundry room for Dee. It’s the most comfortable clothing in the house even though she’ll swim in them, she’ll be comfortable. After leaving the pile of clothes on the coffee table I hurry from the room. I’ve got a matter of hours before this girl becomes a real issue for us and the op.
Nick
“Jake,” I whisper, shaking his sleeping body a bit.
His eyes pop open and he takes a wide swing at me.
“Jake, calm down. It’s me,” I soothe, moving away from his hovering fists.
“Shit, sorry,” he apologizes rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.
“We’ve got a situation.”
The teenager falls from his features and the agent comes into view. I hate seeing it. He deserves the teenage years he’s getting here.
“Got a young girl downstairs that just broke out of her ‘dungeon’,” I say with air quotes.
“Fuck,” he groans, climbing out of bed, dragging a hoodie over his head.
“A team’s flyin’ in to an abandoned air strip about forty-five minutes away from here. I need you to run interference with the boys and anyone that might show up here this morning. We need to move out now before we’re racing daylight.”
He offers me a chin lift as we quietly descend the stairs. The boys won’t wake up. They sleep like the dead. I’m thankful for that right now and need to remind myself of this moment when I’m bellowing at them to get it together every other time I can’t wake them up. Daily.
We enter the kitchen as Kat’s leading Dee in from the family room. She’s absolutely swimming in Jake’s clothes, making her look even younger. Her mahogany hair’s been smoothed back and piled on her head like Kat’s. I’m guessing Kat did that for her. Dee’s face has been cleaned making her shine brightly in spite of darkness lurking behind her breathtaking features.
Dee’s eyes are locked on Jake and his on her. She seems less nervous and more curious with another “kid” in the room.
“Hoodie looks better on you,” Jake says with a kind grin.
She looks down at the navy waffle textured material covering her body and raises a questioning brow.
“It’s yours?” she asks in a whisper.
“Yours now,” Jake responds.
“Really?”
“Sure, sweetheart.”
Her face flames at the endearment. Good God this girl is stunning and her resemblance to Shanny is eerie. I can’t shake the feeling I’ve moved back in time with my best friend. It’s haunting and comforting at the same time.
“Thanks,” she says softly, staring at her socked feet.
“We better move out,” I suggest.
Kat steers Dee toward the garage and Jake’s eyes follow the girl’s every movement. I’d be worried, but his gaze carries concern like none I’ve seen from him.
“I’m Cara,” she says quietly, coming to a halt and directing her information at Jake.
“It was nice to meet you, Cara. I’m Jake,” he responds, striding toward her with his hand out to shake hers.
She delicately places her palm in Jake’s and he just holds it. He doesn’t shake it or make a move to let go. The moment is so intimate that I feel like Kat and I are intruding. Kat must feel the same because she locks eyes with me almost asking if we should give them some privacy. I know the feeling Jake’s experiencing right now. I had it as a ten-year-old boy when I met Shanny and again a few months ago when I met Kat. Something in the air changes when you meet someone that matches your soul. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.
“Have a safe flight, sweetheart,” Jake orders like a man to his woman, soft yet commanding. Fucking hell it
makes me proud.
“Okay,” Cara responds with the same blush from earlier dotting her cheeks.
Jake moves his free hand to push a loose strand of hair behind her ear and she shocks the shit out of me by not flinching or cowering, but leaning into his touch. My eyes catch Kat’s and I see motherly pride brimming in her hazel eyes along with relief for Cara. There’s hope in this moment.
“Bye,” Jake whispers as Kat approaches to move Cara away.
“Bye, Jake,” Cara whispers back and offers him a small smile that warms my guts.
Kat pulls Cara into the garage as I move to Jake.
“I’m gonna end whoever hurt her,” Jake seethes.
I clap him on the back.
“I’m lookin’ forward to it, bud,” I say through a chuckle. Maybe Jake’s more like me than I give him credit for.
I notice Jake rubbing his palm over his heart, the same hand that held Cara’s.
“Feels good doesn’t it?” I ask heading toward the garage.
“Huh?” he responds in a bit of a daze.
“Your hand feels like it’s on fire, right?”
“I guess so,” he answers in a shrug and drops his arm to his side.
“Feel that every time I touch Kat. No better feeling in the world.”
“Doesn’t that make me a sick fuck? She just got outta God knows what and I’m creepin’ on her,” he huffs and runs his hand through his messy blond mop.
“You made that girl feel good for the first time in years. Don’t beat yourself up over that. I’m so fuckin’ proud of you right now I’m considering adopting you.” I beam a broad smile at him.
His face pales and I feel my grin fade. That was over the line.
“Shit, Jake—” he cuts me off with a slight shake of his head.
“That’s…I…Thanks, Nick. That means more to me than you know,” he says softly. “You better head out. I’ve got things here.”
“I meant what I said, Jake. I know you’re a grown ass man, but I feel like you’re my kid too. I’m proud of you every day and not just on the op. Know that,” I say confidently.
“Dude, you gotta quit or I’m gonna start cryin’ and shit’ll get too intense. But just know I feel the same. I’ve never had this.” He gestures around at the house. “If I ever got to have a dad I’d pick you, no doubt. But seriously, you gotta get outta here.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and offer him a chin lift before leaving the house feeling immensely better than I have in weeks. I’ve got my woman, a kind of kid and a great lead on the op. It’s amazing what twenty-four hours can provide.
I climb in the SUV where Kat and Cara are mostly asleep in each other’s arms. I study the girl’s face for a moment. Every feature is striking from the slight curve to her nose to the dip of her upper lip. This girl could grace the cover of magazines…just like Shanny. I keep coming back to that thought. If this is a sign for me to watch over this girl like she’s my family, I’m getting the message.
Her green eyes pop open as I finish admiring her. She furrows her brow, wondering what the fuck I’m doing staring at her.
“You look like my best friend,” I say softly.
“I look like a boy?” she asks horrified.
“No, my best friend’s a woman,” I say through a smile, turning my gaze out the windshield and backing out of the garage.
“Oh,” she responds quietly.
“His best friend is gorgeous, Cara. It’s a huge compliment,” Kat mutters sleepily.
“Is she as pretty as you?” Cara asks with her big green eyes almost pleading for a yes.
“Yes,” I say confidently. “I hit the jackpot with my wife and my best friend. Two prettiest women on Earth and I have both of ’em.”
Kat and Cara grin at each other before Cara giggles and my heart stops at the sound. It’s like hearing an angel sing, airy and hypnotic.
“How old are you, Cara?” Kat asks gently.
“I think I’m seventeen. I could be older or younger. I’m not really sure,” she answers in a shrug like it doesn’t matter.
“How long have you been in the dungeon?” Kat continues.
“They took me when I was seven.”
“Do you know your last name?”
“I don’t remember one,” she admits sheepishly.
“Do remember where you’re from originally? What state or city?”
“Chicago,” she mumbles.
Kat meets my eyes in the rearview. Why is all of this hitting so close to home? I nod minutely to let her know this is getting to me too.
“We’ll try to get you home as soon as we can,” I reassure her.
“I don’t have a home,” she says blankly.
“Someone is surely lookin’ for you, honey,” Kat coos.
“No,” Cara responds annoyed. “I don’t have anyone. I never did. I probably never will.” With that she closes her emerald eyes and shuts us out.
We ride quietly discussing what happened with Cara while she sleeps against Kat’s side. Eventually, Kat also succumbs to exhaustion. So I spend the last of our journey with my eyes on the road as much as on the girls in the backseat.
As we pull onto an old dirt road I see the jet waiting in the distance. No one has trailed us. Jake hasn’t called to alert us of any issues on the home front. We’re going to get Cara to safety and I’m beyond relieved I haven’t had to kill anyone to make it happen. The day is coming though and I’m getting more and more excited for the blood. The monster within me is beginning to wake and he craves bodies to torture and maim. Soon.
I park and gently wake Kat, which wakes Cara. I see the panic wash over her features and Kat holds her tightly, shushing and reassuring her. Jess and Shane descend the stairs of the jet and approach the vehicle. I climb out and meet Shane while Jess moves directly into the backseat. I keep a wary eye on the ladies while talking to Shane.
“What’re we lookin’ at?” he asks glancing in the backseat.
“Fucked up and then some. Her name’s Cara. Doesn’t remember her last name. Taken from Chicago when she was seven and thinks she’s somewhere around seventeen. Doesn’t know where she came from before she got to our house. Kat got a bad feeling and checked the security monitors, found her in the back yard. We scared the shit out of her before we realized she was a kid. Held her at gunpoint for a few moments. Cara said she broke a lock on a dungeon she’s been in, doesn’t know the names or the faces of the people that had her.”
“Doesn’t matter how long I do this job. I’ll never get used to this shit,” he huffs with pain on his Ken Doll features. “This is a good lead for the op. We’ll get her in with psych as soon as she’s able. I don’t wanna push her though, so we’ll go slowly.”
That’s a shock coming from Mr. Hungry. Could he finally be pulling his head out of his ass?
“On a side note. You hurt Kat and I’ll have you eliminated,” he says with no waver or joke.
“What’s that?” I ask, taken aback by the forwardness.
“Kat called Jess and asked her to get Kat a birth control shot before we left Virginia. I’m guessin’ that means you two are no longer playin’ house and are actually doin’ this thing for real. I cleared the use of birth control. I figure if you’re doin’ this it can work for the op. To be honest, if I could pick a man for Kat it’d be you. I wanted you on this op because I trust you above any other agent to keep her safe. I’ve fucked up with Kat for a few years and allowed shit to happen I’m not proud of. I wanted you to have her back. But if you hurt her, I swear I’ll put a bounty on your head with every hit man I know and every agent in the company,” he finishes emphatically.
“You doin’ drugs?” I ask stunned at his monologue.
“I’m sorry?” he asks confused.
“You’re takin’ it easy on Cara, backing up Kat and apologizing for pimping her out for years. What’s the change?”
“Tell me how you really feel,” he scoffs. “Look, I’ve made mistakes with Kat and I’m tryin’
to fix that shit. I’m a little too hungry sometimes and it clouds my judgment, but don’t question whether or not I love Kat. She’s the closest thing to me in this world other than Jess. As for the rest, my fiancée has been putting her foot down with my shit and I’m makin’ some changes so she doesn’t quit fuckin’ me because that was her latest threat.”
“I’m likin’ the new and improved Shane Hollander,” I say through a chuckle, appreciating Jess and her skills. “I’ll tell you this. I won’t hurt Kat and I appreciate the threat you’ve given me. I’m glad you’re lookin’ out for her, but I’ve got her from here. You’re right to trust me. I won’t let anything happen to her at anyone’s hands, mine included.”
“We’ll see how much you like the new Shane when I make my next suggestion.”
“What?” I growl, immediately losing my good feeling.
“Is thing with Kat a fling or permanent?”
“Permanent,” I answer without hesitation.
“Good. Don’t give her the shot. Get her pregnant. The sooner the better, frankly. It’ll work the op. You can reach out to the Bookers for domestic help. There’s no way you can spin that you’re lookin’ for a young girl to lock in a dungeon. You’ve gotta work the domestic edge. A nanny is the way to go.”
I stand in stone-faced silence. I don’t know what to say to him. I’m fucking livid that he’s yet again asking Kat to sacrifice her body for an op. This is beyond anything that a team leader can ask. I can’t believe he’s even suggesting it. The worst part is, I’m considering it. What the fuck is wrong with me? I’m about to rip into him when he speaks again.
“She needs an out, Nick. Kat loves the job and she’s better than any other agent I’ve ever known, you included. But she’s more than this and she deserves a life. She’s my best friend. I owe her a life and this is the best way I can give it to her. You can give it to her. I’m askin’ you to give that woman something outside of the blackness this job requires. She’s been alone since her parents died and this job has become her only focus in life. I know this means a change for you, but you’re takin’ my job. You two can settle in Virginia and have a family. Kat can be safe and happy. That woman deserves that and so much more. I can’t give it to her, but you can.”
Into the Blackness (Blackness Series Book 4) Page 16
