Hailey's Truth

by Cate Beauman

  “Your sister is a stunning woman, Mr. Kagan.”

  Jeremy’s met Donte’s stare. What was he getting at? “Yes, she is.”

  “She smiles a lot, laughs a lot. She intrigues me. I would like to dine with her here on my yacht.”

  Jeremy thought of the girls in a room down the hall, who were being used as the yachts personal whores.

  “Just dinner, Mr. Kagan. You will join us, of course, and Austin Casey will be warned—very sternly. You will bring me your sister on Thursday night, and I will make sure Mr. Casey understands he is to mind his own affairs.”

  Jeremy licked his lips. “I was thinking maybe we could just kill him.”

  “Death is not always the best option. Making someone pay until they wish they were dead is often better, especially when the person in question is a highly decorated member of the United States Navy’s SEAL Team Six. We can’t afford media attention during this early stage of our operation, Mr. Kagan; his murder would certainly bring it.”

  “Yes. Thank you.” A good beat-down would have to do.

  “I look forward to Thursday.”

  How the hell would he get Hailey here? They weren’t even speaking. How was he going to get Hailey away from Austin? “I’ll do my best, Señor Rodriguez.”

  “You will do better than your best, Mr. Kagan. I will have dinner with your sister Thursday evening.”

  “Yes, Señor.” More orders—but these he would follow without argument.

  Donte got to his feet. “That will be all.”

  Jeremy and Mateo stood as well. Mateo opened the door. Two armed guards flanked the exit, with two more at each end of the hallway.

  As Jeremy wandered toward the stairwell, he heard the faint whimpers and pleading of the girls through the door.

  “Ah, it sounds as if our new ladies are enjoying another round. Please, gentlemen, enjoy yourselves.”

  Mateo grinned. “Thank you, Señor.” He opened the door and walked in, eliciting a scream from the girl he’d grabbed.

  “Do you not want to join in the fun, Mr. Kagan? This is part of my gift to you.”

  He’d guilted women into sex before, had lied, said he’d loved them to get them in the sack, but he’d never actually gone this far. “I’m thankful just to have Austin taken care of.”

  “I’m a generous man. I will take care of Austin Casey and allow you to enjoy the pleasures of my new entertainment. They will only be here for a little while before we ship them off to one of our brothels.” Donte opened the door for him.

  “Thank you.” With little choice, Jeremy stepped inside.

  The prisoners were tied to the bed, crying. Mateo’s pants were down around his ankles as he readied himself to enter the girl Jeremy had shoved in the car. “Dive in, Kagan.” He grinned, then plunged in. “Oh, yeah, yeah. I love my job. Come on, Kagan. Get your dick wet. Unless you’re not cut out for this.”

  Jeremy unbuckled his pants as he made his way to the other option, slightly ashamed, but more than that—excited. She was so fucking hot.

  The girl crawled backwards. “No, Señor, no, por favor,” she begged.

  “You lucky bastard. You got yourself a fighter,” Mateo puffed out. “I’m having a go at her next.”

  Jeremy pulled on her trembling legs, bringing her forward, taking another step down the path he’d chosen. Whatever he had to do to stay alive, right?

  He stared dispassionately at the young, pretty girl with the terrified eyes. If she hadn’t been dancing like a whore in the club, she wouldn’t be where she was right now. Guilt tried its hand again, but he ignored his conscience. This was his life now; he might as well enjoy it. “I’ll make you love it,” he said, ramming himself deep as the girl sobbed wildly.

  Chapter 15

  “I DON’T THINK I’VE EVER BEEN so relaxed,” Hailey said as she shut the door and flopped on the bed. “If I could have a massage every day, I would—absolutely, without a doubt.”

  Austin collapsed next to Hailey, enjoying loose muscles after ninety minutes of pure heaven. He settled his hands behind his head, stared up at the whirling fan. “That was pretty awesome.”

  “I had no idea our spa session would be outside. The rush of waves feet from the massage tables…the warm sun on our backs.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “Is it Thursday already? Does vacation really end in forty-eight hours?”

  “Afraid so. But it isn’t over yet.” Austin rolled to his side. Hailey’s eyes were still closed. A hint of a smile touched her lips. He brushed his fingers through her soft locks; there was more blonde than light brown after a week in the sun.

  They hadn’t spent a moment apart since their first evening at the restaurant. He loved being with her, talking, laughing, laying on the beach, skin diving, making her crazy in bed. He didn’t care where they were or what they did; he just wanted to be with her.

  “I think we should make the most of the time we have left.” His gaze tracked over her sinful body, knowing how they could start. He moved his hand to her shoulder, trailing his palms over her satin skin, stopping at her elbow, making her smile widen as she groaned. He brought his fingers back up, detoured to her breast, circling, tracing, until her nipple hardened beneath her light blue cotton top. “So, what do you think we should do first? Any ideas?”

  Grinning, Hailey opened her eyes and turned to her side. “Well, I know what you want to do, but first I want a shower. The oils were amazing while they rubbed them into our muscles, but now it feels kinda gross.”

  He hooked an arm around her waist, pulled her closer, traced her mouth with his tongue. “Mmm, a shower.” He suckled at her top lip, then her bottom one. “Perfect.”

  She eased back. “You want to shower together? Austin, I…”

  He grinned as she stared at him. There was that hint of shyness again. They’d spent the last two nights wrapped in each other’s arms, yet every time they came together, he’d had to coax away layers of inhibition. Before they were finished, he would have her without restriction. That Frazier woman didn’t get to put herself between him and Hailey. “Yes, shower together.” He nuzzled her neck. “What’s wrong with that? We sleep in the same bed, see each other naked, have sex. Let me wash your back.”

  A slow smile spread across her lips. “I’ve never had anyone wash my back.”

  “We should definitely fix that.” He sat up with her, pulled her shirt up and off. His cell phone started to ring, but he ignored it. Whoever it was could wait. Austin tugged at the tie holding Hailey’s bikini top in place. He hummed his appreciation as the white fabric fell away. God, she was beautiful. He traced her tan line, careful to skim her hardened nipples, his gaze never leaving hers.

  Hailey’s fingers found their way into his hair, down his neck, and over his shoulders and biceps, her touch a whisper against his skin. “I thought we were showering.”

  The phone rang again. His hands hesitated on her waist as he glanced toward the edge of the bed. “We’ll get there.”

  She pressed kisses to his chest. “Maybe you should answer.”

  “Later.” Austin scooped her up in his arms and drew her breast in his mouth. When Hailey moaned, snagging her lip between her teeth, he had to fight the urge to lay her on the hardwood floor and take her right there.

  “I want you,” Hailey whispered next to his ear as she nipped at his lobe.

  Shuddering, he set her down by the glassed-in shower, reached in, and twisted on the jets. Instantly, water began to spray in cross-streams. Austin took Hailey’s mouth, ready to eat her alive. He leaned her against the thick pane as he untied the loose knots holding her bikini bottom at her hips. He pulled his mouth free from hers and stared into eyes, already heated with passion. “You ready to get wet?”

  She yanked his swim trunks down. “I’ll let you decide.”

&n
bsp; He groaned as he gathered her close, walking her back into the warm water, pressing her to the tile, pulling her arms over her head. “God, Hailey, I’m going to—”

  The loud knock at the door cut him off.

  They stared at each other, their breath heaving as water poured over them. “Ignore it. They’ll come back later.” He crushed his mouth against hers.

  The knock came again, louder this time. Hailey stiffened. “Austin.” She pushed at his shoulders as he continued to run his lips over her neck.

  “They can come back.” He simmered, frustrated, realizing he was losing her. He laid his forehead against hers, trying to think past his sexual haze. “Somebody has really bad timing.” He wrapped his arms around her and cupped her butt, hoping to distract her. He needed her.

  Knuckles rapped on the door again and he yanked himself away. “Goddamn. I’ll be right back. Stay right here.”

  She smiled. “I will. Right here.”

  Austin slung a towel around his hips and hurried to the door, leaving small puddles with each step. He twisted the knob with an irritated yank.

  The staff member jumped back, her eyes popping wide. She politely kept her gaze level with his. “Good afternoon, Señor. I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’m looking for a guest named Austin Casey. It was thought he might be here.”

  Austin reined in his aggravation. It wasn’t this poor woman’s fault. “I’m Austin Casey.”

  “The front desk received a call from a Señor Ethan Cooke. He asked that you call him immediately.”

  Ethan. Son of a bitch. “Thank you.”

  “Yes, Señor.” She backed away.

  “Uh, wait. Wait just a second.” Austin hurried back into the room and dug through his wallet, unearthing an American twenty. “Here you go. Sorry.”

  “Oh, no, Señor.”

  He didn’t want to stand here and argue; he wanted to get back to Hailey. “Please, Señora, I was rude. I would feel better if you’d take it.”

  She hesitated before she took the bill from his hand. “Thank you very much.”

  “You’re welcome.” He nodded and shut the door. Austin hurried past the bed, pausing to glance at his phone. Son of a bitch. He picked up his cell and dialed Ethan’s number.

  “Where the hell have you been, Casey?”

  “On vacation. What do you want? I’m busy.” Glancing at the bathroom door, he listened to sheets of water run off Hailey’s smoking hot body.

  “Well, while you’ve been soaking up the sun, some of us have actually been working.”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah. What is it?”

  “You’re kinda bitchy. Got a hot date?”

  Hell yeah he had a hot date. She was wet, naked, and waiting. “Just tell me what you want.”

  “I want to know when you were planning to tell me about the dead bodies and missing girls.”

  “Dead bodies and missing girls? What dead bodies and missing girls?”

  “It’s all over the Mexican news channels. A cop’s body was found strewn about the island, and two seventeen year old sisters vanished early Wednesday morning.”

  “I haven’t heard a thing about it.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me, actually. I imagine the resort is trying to keep it hush-hush. Dr. Lopez, the Site Director—“

  “Yeah, I know who Dr. Lopez is,” Austin snapped as he glanced toward the bathroom again.

  “Wow, forget the ‘kinda.’ You’re extra bitchy. Anyway, Dr. Lopez called to tell me as the news was breaking. I’ve been watching ever since. To top it off, the landlord called Dr. Lopez, reporting suspicious activity around the apartment building Project Mexico will be using. People he hasn’t seen before seem to be casing the joint. He was pretty worked up about it when we spoke. Lopez was kind enough to call the Dean and share the same news. I’ve spent the last hour trying to reassure the head of the university that he doesn’t have to reconsider sending his group down, that my men are more than qualified to handle the situation. It sure as hell would help if you answered your goddamn phone.”

  “What the fuck, Cooke? I’m on vacation. I called you, didn’t I?”

  “After I had you messaged. Consider your vacation over, Casey. I want you to go over to the apartments and see what in the hell is going on. The landlord will meet you at six thirty. I also want you to see what you can find out about the girls so I can talk to the Dean again. I want to reassure him none of the women partaking in Project Mexico will meet the same fate. As to the chopped cop… I think we both know what happened there.”

  “Yeah.” Austin glanced at his watch. He had an hour. “I’ll head out in a few minutes.”

  “Austin,” Hailey called. “The water’s getting cold.”

  He walked closer to the bathroom. “Uh, I’ll be right there.”

  “Was that Hailey?” Ethan’s voice brightened. “Is that the shower running? Well son of a bitch, Casey. Just what is it you two are doing?”

  “Fuck you, Ethan. I’m hanging up.”

  “Wait a minute. Don’t get your balls in a twist.”

  “What?” He couldn’t wait until their next boxing match.

  “Call me when you get back with an update.”

  “You know I will. Goodbye.”

  “Wait.”

  He muttered another curse. “What?”

  “Enjoy your shower, Stud. Wait ‘til I tell Sarah about this.”

  Austin pressed “end” as Ethan’s chuckle echoed through the phone. He threw his cell down with a frustrated flick of his wrist. Two girls were missing, a cop was dead, and something screwy was going on with the apartment. Fucking great.

  He darted a glance toward the bathroom again, to where Hailey waited for him. This was the first time he could ever remember feeling like the rope in a tug-of-war between a woman and his job. He wanted his last two days with Hailey—alone. By some miracle, Jeremy and Mateo hadn’t bothered them, but work was about to bring his week with Hailey to an abrupt halt. He stared at his cell for a moment, then headed to the bathroom. Steam hung in the air; the peach blossom scent of Hailey filled the room. Austin dropped his towel and stepped into the shower. He wrapped his arms around Hailey, nuzzling his face against the back of her shoulder. “Sorry.”

  She turned and clasped her fingers at the back his neck. “That’s okay. Is everything all right?”

  He didn’t want to talk about it. He wanted to want her again, but work was already crowding his brain. Austin pulled her mouth to his, taking her into a deep kiss.

  Hailey placed her hand against his cheek, easing away. “Austin, what’s wrong?”

  “Apparently, my vacation’s over.”

  She frowned. “But we don’t pick up Jackson and the other Project Mexico members until Saturday afternoon.”

  “I just got off the phone with Ethan. A couple of teen girls vanished from the island. They haven’t been seen since early Wednesday morning.” He would keep the information about the cop to himself for now.

  Concern filled Hailey’s eyes as she took his hand. “Oh my God. That’s terrible. What can we do to help?”

  Wasn’t that just like her? He wrapped her in a hug, leaning forward to shut off the water. “You’re amazing, Hailey. Here I’m bitching because I can’t sit in the sun for the next two days, and two kids are missing. They’re sisters. Their family must be a mess.”

  “Austin, you worry about other people’s welfare three-hundred and sixty-five days a year.” She kissed him. “You’re allowed to mourn the loss of your not-even-weeklong vacation.”

  “Consider the mourning period over.” He took her face in his hands. “I’m not going to have quite as much time as we’ve had over the past few days.”

  “That’s okay.”

  He sighed, wanting to stay here with her
. “I guess it’ll have to be. When we get back from Project Mexico, will you go away with me, just the two of us for a couple of days? We’ll find someplace without phones.”

  She stared at him, blinking. “Uh, yeah, sure.”

  “I’ve enjoyed this, spending time with you—everything about you.”

  “I’m…really surprised.” She smiled. “I’d pretty much given up hope you would ever notice me, and now look at us.”

  “Oh, I noticed you. I guess that makes me an idiot for taking so long to figure out the rest.” He skimmed his knuckle against her skin. “I hate to cut this short, but I really need to get going.” He wrapped the towel he’d dropped around his waist again and grabbed one for Hailey.

  She knotted the thick cotton at her breasts. “Where are you going?”

  “There’ve been a couple of problems at the apartment we’ll be staying at. I need to go check in with the landlord.”

  “I’ll go with you.”

  He shook his head, immediately dismissing the idea. He wanted her with him, but she was safer here behind her locked door or up at one of the crowded restaurants. “No. I think it’s better if you stay put until I sit down with the landlord and figure out what’s going on. The sun’s starting to set. I’m not taking you downtown in the dark.” He pulled a pair of khaki shorts and a white t-shirt from one of Hailey’s drawers. He hadn’t been back to his own room except to get more clothes.

  Hailey pulled a lilac sundress over her head. “But what about you?”

  “I’ll be fine. The faster I go, the faster I’ll be back. If I’m lucky, I’ll only be a couple hours.” He settled his holster over his shoulder, grabbed the gun from under the bed, shoved a full clip into the magazine well.