As of yet, they didn’t know which man was behind that little detail. It could be either or both at that point.
If he was…
Zachary Lipton was going down.
“BUT…”
Alex looked wary.
“What?”
“We need to do one thing first. You’re going to have to agree to it.”
She put her fork down.
“This isn’t going to be some kinky sex thing, is it?” she asked, going there.
Emma laughed.
How could she not?
“I told you that you give off that vibe,” she stated to Chris. “People smell pervert a mile away.”
He found that funny.
Yeah, they got that a lot.
“Well, I guess I’m guilty as charged.”
Them joking didn’t calm Alex down. She was eyeing up the door and a way to make a break for it.
That was crystal clear.
“I’m a big girl. I can take it. If it’s money, I can’t pay. I can barely survive now that Misty is gone—but I won’t do the kinky sex thing. I’m sorry. I just can’t.”
It was time.
“We need you out of the way.”
She gasped.
Emma realized how that might sound.
“No, not that kind of out of the way,” she added. “We need to make sure you’re not able to be hurt by the madam or if Zachary Lipton gets word we are onto him. With what you overheard, and what we know so far, we need to cover all of our bases. You might become a liability.”
She was confused.
“How will I do that? I have to go to work again tonight,” she stated.
“We’re moving you,” Chris stated.
He knew Emma.
It was already in the works.
“You wanted to be a nurse, right?” she asked, continuing to eat.
“Yes.”
“We’re going to clean you up, lose this kind of life, and get you into college.”
She laughed.
That was funny as hell.
And sad.
“I can’t afford…”
She stopped her.
Now it was time to finish giving this girl the chance she deserved.
“I’ll pay for your education. I’ll pay your rent. I’ll pay for your books, and I’ll make sure you get into the nursing program at the local college.”
The girl stared at her.
“And what do I have to do?”
“You need to leave the escort business, graduate, invite me to the graduation, and then go out into the world and help people when you get your degree.”
The girl was dumbfounded.
What was this?
“I don’t understand.”
“We help people. We have two scenarios here. We get you out of this business and make you a productive member of society, or we work on finding you after you are killed—like Misty.”
That registered.
Emma pushed on.
“In Vegas, there are only two roads to travel. You do it this way,” she said, pointing at the girl’s outfit, “or we do it the harder way of giving you the opportunity to go to school and make a life for yourself.”
This all seemed impossible.
Just that morning, she was eating free crackers she’d swiped from a hotel cart on her way out of a john’s room, and now she was eating amazing food and being offered an education.
How was this happening?
“Are you for real?” she asked.
“Yes, I’m very real. We have a scholarship fund,” Emma stated. “You’ll have to work hard, and we’ll even give you a work study job at one of our businesses. You’ll go to school during the day, and on the weekends, you’ll pickup some pocket money as a hostess at one of our clubs, or maybe working on one of the productions doing makeup. You have a knack for it.”
Alexsandra began crying.
Emma hugged her and patted her on the shoulder.
“It’s okay, sweetie. You need help, and we can give it. That’s what we do.”
“I’m really going to get to go to college?” she asked. “I can stop sleeping with men for money?”
Hell.
Yes.
Emma nodded.
“You’ll go to a dorm, you’ll be given new things, and you’ll be given a chance. Leave this girl behind. It’s time to live the life you deserve.”
She couldn’t believe it.
This was…amazing.
She hugged Emma.
“Thank you, Mrs. Croft.”
“Now, here’s the scary part,” Emma stated.
That one sentence stopped the celebrating.
The girl looked frightened.
“We can’t let you go home. If you do, you’ll be in danger. Zachary Lipton is a bad man. We know some of the things he’s done. If he finds out you alerted the police, or us, he’ll send a goon for you.”
Her eyes went big.
Emma could see the artery in her throat thumping. She understood what she was saying.
“I don’t want to die.”
Exactly.
It was time to err on the side of caution.
Emma glanced over at Chris.
“Is it handled?”
“He’s ready.”
Perfect.
Since recovering from his abduction, Steele’s job had been to help people. He was in charge of going out and offering medical help to the homeless in Vegas, giving out care packages, and getting veterans—like his husband and Greyson—off of the street.
He also helped the girls they saved.
As a gay man, he wasn’t threatening.
Steele’s job wasn’t only rehabilitating the citizens and lost souls of Vegas, but in the process, he was being rehabilitated too.
This was his legacy as a Croft.
“We are going to have an associate of ours help you. His name is Steele. He’s married to my brother-in-law.”
“I’ve seen him on the news.”
Emma smiled.
“He’s a good man. He’s going to come down here to meet you, and then Steele is going to take care of you. He’s good at what he does. Steele will get you out of this costume and into street clothes. Then he and you will go shopping.”
“Where will I stay?” she asked.
“We’ll put you in a safe place. College starts in two weeks. Dante will handle the university. You’ll have a dorm room, and from here on out, you’re a college kid.”
“What about between sessions? I’ll be homeless without my place.”
“I’ll take care of that too. You don’t have to worry. Your madam will NOT look for you on a college campus. You’ll need to lose that phone though. Alexsandra the escort is dead from this moment on.”
She had to decide.
It was a no-brainer.
Without even hesitating, she handed it to Chris and bid her old life adieu.
She was free.
It was a deal worth taking if it meant she could finally be someone and not invisible.
“I want that life. I don’t want to die like Misty,” she admitted. “I’ve only wanted to help people. When I was a kid, one of my Mom’s boyfriends broke my arm. She took me to the hospital, and the nurse tried to help me. I want to be that person—not this one.”
And there it was.
One lost soul became one soul on the road to a new life to be proud of instead of this.
Chris took the phone and turned it off.
As soon as he did, there was a sigh from Alexsandra, as if a huge weight was lifted from her shoulders. Her face said it all.
She had a chance.
Before anyone could speak, there was a knock on the door, and it was time.
Chris headed there, and let Steele in. When he saw the girl, it was clear he understood what had to be done. This one was getting the full Croft treatment.
“Hey! I’m Steele!” he offered, greeting her with a warm smile. She was a child.
Yeah, he�
��d get this one situated fast.
He shook her hand.
“I’m Alex. I think I’d like to be called that instead of Alexsandra. Is that okay?”
Emma smiled.
“It’s perfect. You look like an Alex.”
Yeah, she thought so too.
Steele would make sure she felt like a teen in college should. Every child deserved an opportunity.
“Do you like shopping?” he asked.
The girl nodded.
“Who doesn’t?”
He thought so.
This was going to be a fun one. She would likely need a fresh start, and from Chris’s text, he knew what that meant. They were going to give this girl a new life.
“Well, we have some things upstairs,” he offered before glancing over at Emma. “When you’re done eating, we’ll go up and get started.”
While she knew in her gut she was safe, she still needed a little support. Emma was like that Mom she never had and always wanted.
“Will you come with me?” she asked Emma. “Please? I need someone.”
How could she say no to that?
“I can join you if you walk slow. I waddle.”
Alex smiled.
“I wobble in these heels. We’re even.”
“Steele, would you like some of my salad?” Emma asked, sliding over for him to sit beside her.
“I’d love some.”
He began talking about what they needed to do, and by the end of the meal, Alex was beaming.
Yeah, score one for the Crofts versus Vegas.
As they finished their lunch, it was time.
“To the elevator,” Chris stated, holding Emma’s hand. Outside the room, he whistled, and Nikita’s head popped around the corner.
Alex stopped walking.
“Who’s she?”
“One of my bodyguards,” Emma stated. “She won’t hurt you, will you, Nikita?”
The woman smiled.
“Never. Hey, I own those shoes. They’re a bitch to strip in,” she added.
Chris rolled his eyes.
“You should take them off so you don’t break your neck,” she said to the girl.
Alex did and walked barefoot toward the garbage receptacle built into the wall.
“Go for it,” Emma stated.
She dumped them, along with all of the pain in her life.
It was freeing.
Then, as a group, they accessed the elevator. All of the way up, Steele chatted with Alex, getting her ready. In the penthouse office, they met Dante’s secretary, and she was holding clothing for the girl to change into before heading out.
Introductions were made.
“I’m Lenore. I’ll be going shopping with you and Mr. Croft,” she stated.
She held out her hand.
Alex followed her but kept looking back at Emma. Steele could tell the girl had a hard life.
“Once you’re in street clothes, we’ll head out,” Steele offered, trying to reassure her.
It seemed to work.
When she was gone, Steele got serious.
“What do you want me to do?”
“She’s going under as a college kid. She wants to be a nurse. Have Dante make that happen. I want her to forget this life. She’ll live on campus, and in between sessions, she can work here. Lenore will find something for her.”
“We can use help,” Steele stated. “We’ll make her safe and help her out.”
That was all Emma wanted for her.
When Steele touched her face, he looked worried.
“What?” she asked.
“You are a little warm. You need to rest a while. Chris, take her to the suite. Get her some water, and off of her feet. Are you in any pain?”
She stared at Chris.
“Well, I have a pain in my ass… Don’t you feel bad for stealing my iced tea, now?”
He snorted.
“Nope. I have no conscience. I’ll handle her,” Chris stated, lying his ass off. Of course he was worried.
Emma needed to go lay down but first, she wanted to see Alex. Lenore was in with her, and she was out of the heavy makeup and into some sweats, flipflops, and a tank top.
She was lovely.
There was that sweet innocence of a college kid.
Perfect.
“Wow, someone is a really pretty girl and going to blend in like a college kid,” Emma stated.
“I can’t believe this day,” Alex stated. “It’s all so surreal. I can’t wrap my head around it.”
“Believe it. Lenore, give her a phone.”
Lenore pulled one out of a box in her file cabinet. She wrote down the serial number—in case they needed to track her down.
“Here you go,” she stated.
Alex hugged Emma.
“I can never thank you…”
Emma stopped her.
“Yes, you can. Stay off the streets, get your degree, and you invite me to that graduation. I’ll be there for you. I promise.”
Lenore grabbed her purse.
“Tell my shrew boss I’m going shopping with Steele and Alex. He can file his own papers. I feel like a pedicure too. How about you, Alex?”
“I’ve never had one.”
Well, that settled that.
“See you later!”
Emma certainly would. She’d check-in on Alex to make sure she was doing well.
They watched the girl head out, not even afraid anymore. In fact, she had hope.
That was what it was about.
That was what kept their world going.
Chris dropped his arm over her shoulder, and he could tell she was dragging ass.
BIG-TIME.
This pregnancy was draining her.
“You did good, Momma,” he said. “That girl is off the streets, and she’ll never go back. You can tell.”
No, she’d just done her job.
Since getting Randall’s money, and making a ton more, this was the very least she could do. She’d invested in a future, and the reward would be tenfold.
Alex would help people.
That was what it was about.
“I really think she’s going to make it,” Emma stated. “Am I too trusting?” she asked.
He thought about it.
While Chris would like to say they successfully saved everyone they tried to help, they didn’t.
You had to want it.
That life was easy.
What Alex was headed into was going to take work, and that meant buckling down and trying.
“I think she’ll be one of the ones who we see on graduation day. If she does, we’ll have a couple to congratulate on that day. She won’t be the only one.”
She was aware.
“Keep tabs on her. If she needs anything…”
He got it.
“Like a place to go for the holidays?”
She smiled.
Yeah, he understood.
“Exactly.”
“I’ll handle it, Momma. I’ll handle it.”
She knew he would.
Now that they were alone, Emma sighed.
“What?”
“I need that nap.”
“Okay.”
“Can you maybe carry me? I’m beat.”
He knew that was not the norm, so he didn’t even joke around. Chris could see it in her eyes.
Emma was ready to drop.
“I’ve got you,” he said, scooping her up in his arms and carrying her back to the elevator that separated the suites. Once there, he got her into bed, pulled off her sneakers, and tucked her in.
When she fell asleep, Chris got down to work. Nikita was on the door—guarding it, and he was on the laptop.
He needed to find out everything he could on Zachary Lipton.
They were going to take him down.
And Jeffrey Raye with him.
For Misty.
Chapter Four
The Mountains
Monday
Late Afternoon
A t the base of the mountain, they parked their car and carried their gear into the forest to begin their hunt for Poppy Wayne. It was going to be one hell of a hike to the coordinates they had for her, and they knew it.
The trees were dense, but ultimately, that was a damn good thing. They were packing all kinds of guns that one wouldn’t use when hunting deer, rabbit, or fox.
No, they were hunting a killer.
What mattered most at that point was staying out of the public eye. It was late summer, and there were people everywhere. That was why they’d taken this path into the trees.
That thick dense overgrowth would buy them cover.
The bad part was it was slowing them down.
BIG-TIME.
There was no doubt that they were on a timeline that couldn’t be broken. Too much weighed on the mission and that they got to Poppy today.
Dimitri, the closer they got to the mountain, the more stirred up he became. Greyson and Heath were the calm ones, reassuring Dimitri it would be okay.
It would all workout. Keeping positive was the best way to keep the man relaxed.
Silently, they shared his fears.
They couldn’t blame him.
In these trees, somewhere, Poppy Wayne was a sitting duck. Getting to her before someone else did was going to be imperative—if not, the odds were stacked against them.
They had to find her.
NOW.
It wasn’t only because she was in danger, but because she’d been hiding from Dimitri for the last three months. The man was over it, and so were they.
When you were hurt, family would wrap around you.
Clearly, they’d not made that clear enough to her that there was still doubt in her mind.
You didn’t run.
You didn’t hide.
When you did, after being part of their family, you risked yourself—like in this case. Here was the proof that doing something like this was stupid.
She was hunted.
They all were.
Had she just stayed put, they could have been back in Sky Villa behind bulletproof glass and not out playing this game in the mountainous forest with Claude Black.
What Greyson was worried about now was getting in, getting to Poppy, and getting out before Claude Black made them, or her.
Once they were in his sight, they were going to have issues. This was going to be something they needed to do quietly and with military precision.
No Justice_A Croft Mob Family Book Page 16
