by Alexx Andria
“Who said they’ve made contact?” Pyro hedged, still not keen on roping Bronx further into this mess.
“Cut the crap. I know they have. What time?”
He was guessing, more than likely, but Bronx had an uncanny ability to read people. Always had. It was that innate quality that’d always kept him alive. “Meeting is at eight tonight at the old shoe factory.”
“Makes sense. Dark, abandoned, dangerous. All right, let’s do this. Seems like old times.”
“Bronx, stop. Think of your family, man. This is too dicey,” he warned. “I don’t want you anywhere near the factory when this goes down.”
Bronx sobered and said, “You and I go way back. You’ve always had my back. I won’t repay that loyalty by pussing out when you need me the most. We’re going to end this, man. And then, when it’s all over, we’re going to enjoy a beer and put this shit behind us because life is better on the other side. That’s a promise.”
Life on the other side. What was that like? He thought of Angel and how damaged she was and how fucked up he was and he wondered was something like that even possible for the two of them? What kind of future was he thinking about? Angel didn’t want the fairy tale ending. She’d since learned that they didn’t exist. And to hear her tell, she didn’t want anything permanent with him either. Hell, she didn’t even want anything temporary with him.
But he wanted her. God, he wanted her. His desire for her transcended reason or logic. Was this what love felt like? Crazy, irrational, insane? Not a great endorsement if it was. He’d slept better than he had in years when Angel was tucked into his side. He couldn’t remember a time when insomnia hadn’t ridden him like a bitch. But not since Angel had shown up in his life. Now he was sleeping like a baby.
So what did it mean?
Wasn’t it obvious? You’re in love with her.
Yeah, he was afraid of that.
He looked to Bronx with a sigh of acceptance, saying, “Fine, you dumb bastard. If you’re determined to put yourself in harm’s way, how am I supposed to stop you?”
“Right on, brother,” Bronx said, smiling in that way that always looked a little crazy. “So let’s go have some fun.”
“Fun. Right. Let’s hope that luck’s on our side this time around,” he said. “Because we’re going to need it."
***
If there’d ever been a time when Angel needed her nerves to settle, this was it. As the clock ticked closer to the meeting time, Angel suffered the overwhelming urge to break down and spill her guts. But somehow by the grace of God, she kept her mouth shut and managed to put in the performance of her life by focusing on the one thing that kept her going–Mila.
“Are you okay? You’re pretty quiet.” Pyro’s concern was salt in the wound. Her only way to combat the guilt that was suffocating her was to shut him out. But even that was hard. She’d never felt this way about someone and it did not escape her notice that Pyro was the least appropriate man to fall in love with but what could she do? What was done was done. Pyro sighed when she remained silent. “It’s going to be all right. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
“I know.” She nodded, her gut clenching. Pyro was so concerned about protecting her but who was going to protect him? They climbed into his Blazer and as he started the engine she turned to him suddenly. “Promise me, that whatever happens, you’ll do what you have to do to keep yourself safe.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”
But how could he? He didn’t have all the information and that was her fault. She licked her lips that were suddenly dry. “Please Pyro. You don’t know what these people are like. They’re ruthless and they’ll do anything to get what they want.”
“Baby, if it comes down to that, I’ll do what needs to be done. Let’s hope everything goes to plan.”
In spite of Pyro’s quiet confidence, Angel couldn’t relax. There were too many variables — too many things that could go wrong and tip the scales against them. “You’re good man. I spent a long time hating you for all the wrong reasons. I’m so sorry for misjudging you.”
“You didn’t misjudge me. I fucked up. There’s no way to pretty that up. If anyone deserves an apology it’s you.”
She shook her head, tears spilling. “Pyro, please don’t apologize to me. I don’t deserve it. Whatever you do, just stay alive. That’s thanks enough for me.”
Pyro didn’t press even though she could tell he was puzzled by her comment. She gazed at his profile, memorizing every line. When the night was over they may all be dead or Pyro would be dead and she would live with what she’d done to save her daughter. Not a great scenario, either way. She never thought it possible to fall in love with someone so deeply and in such a short amount of time but she couldn’t deny how she felt about him. Her heart ached. For so long she’d wished for revenge on Pyro for what he’d done to her sister but she’d never considered what that loss had done to him. She knew now that every day was a punishment and that every day he lived with the guilt of failing Ashley. That night had done so much damage to them both. She should’ve been smarter, should’ve seen that Benton was bad news from the start. Maybe if she’d been less taken in by the superficial mask Benton had worn, she wouldn’t be being forced to choose between her daughter and the man she’d fallen in love with. But a fat lot of good that did her right now, hindsight and all that. She brushed the tears from her cheeks with an angry motion. “Benton comes off as a decent guy. Don’t trust him when he smiles. That’s when he’s at his worst.”
“Good to know.”
Pyro’s demeanor had changed, going from concerned for her, to hard and businesslike. She knew this was his game face. It was scary and gave her the chills but in a good way. If anyone could best Benton, it was Pyro. She had to put her faith in him even if she couldn’t tell him the exact truth. At least not yet. Not until her daughter was in her arms.
-13-
Benton ran his fingers lightly through Mila’s soft hair, smiling as dollar signs whizzed through his head. She’s going to be pretty —as pretty as her mama—and he could fairly see the buyers lining up to buy this pretty baby.
“You sure the mother isn’t going to be a problem?” Crawford, a paunchy middle-aged cop asked with a glower. “She doesn’t seem the type to disappear quietly.”
“Let me worry about Angel. So far she’s been doing as she’s told. I have all the leverage I need to get her to play ball.” He picked up Mila and held her tenderly as if she were his own child. “Is Stanton ready for the next shipment?”
“Yes. We have all the product, ready to go, and just waiting for the pick up.”
Benton smiled, pleased. “Excellent. After tonight all the loose ends will be taken care of and we can move operations to a more secure location.”
Crawford eyed the child with a glint in his eyes that Benton recognized and he shook his head with a small tsk. “Sorry Crawford, out of your price range. This one is special.”
Crawford scowled. “What’s so special about this one?”
Benton shook his head, annoyed. Was it his penance in life to always deal with idiots? “Can’t you see her bone structure? Her eyes? This one will bring more money than our entire current shipment. You have to learn to be more discerning as well as discipline yourself. Honestly, how have you gotten this far in life without getting caught” He didn’t try to hide the disgust in his voice. Crawford was a means to an end but he was quickly outliving his usefulness. He had a bad habit of sampling the goods before they were sold. Maybe after all of this was finished, Crawford would have to go away. “Did you take care of the paperwork from the last acquisition?” Benton didn’t like to get his hands dirty— That’s what twisted cops were for. “And do you have a list of potential acquisitions for next week?”
“Of course. I went out on call last week for child endangerment and this one is ripe. No one’s going to miss these kids if they go missing. The system is bloated and kids disappear all the time and no one notices.”
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“Well, thank goodness for that or else we’d be out of business.”
Unlike Crawford, Benton never sampled the goods. He believed in keeping business and pleasure separate — plus he didn’t screw with kids. It was simply business, and he liked to think in some small way that perhaps he was doing the kids a favor because, let’s face it, it’s not as if they were living the high life. But he didn’t delude himself into thinking that he was a good man. Hell, he didn’t care two shits about what happened to the kids as long as the check cleared.
“Be at the shoe factory at 7:30. I don’t want any surprises.”
“Don’t worry we’ll be there. I’ve been waiting a long time to put a bullet in that fucker’s head.”
“Good. But you’d better be on your toes. From what I hear Pyro isn’t an easy mark.”
“You handle your shit, I’ll handle mine.”
Benton shrugged. “Fine. Sounds good to me. In the meantime, this little princess needs a nap. You can let yourself out. And next time don’t park in front of my house. I don’t want anyone seeing you here.”
Crawford scowled and lumbered out. What a dumb fuck. What a relief it’ll be to lose that dead weight.
Benton put Mila in her crib with a loving pat on her head. “You’re going to make me a lot of money, sweet girl. A lot. Of. Money. Did you know that the bidding has already started at one hundred thousand dollars? Yep. But I think we can go higher.” Mila smiled sweetly and Benton smiled back “Glad we’re on the same page. Now get your beauty rest. You’re going to see your mama one last time tonight.”
Benton left the bedroom with a smile on his face and a whistle in his heart. Everything was going to plan. Hell, if this were any easier it would almost be criminal.
Oh wait —he was a criminal. And a damn good one.
He laughed and went to go make himself a sandwich.
***
“I don’t think you need to be there,” Jax said in a low tone to Zoe but he knew there was no dissuading her. The woman was impossible when she had a lead on a story. Particularly a story about kids being exploited. It’s one of those things he absolutely loved about her but also put them at odds. “Let us handle this and then you can write the story afterwards.”
Zoe looked at him as if he’d grown another head. “I have to be there. A good journalist doesn’t sit passively and wait for the story to land in their lap. This is the story of the century. Dirty cops running a human trafficking ring? This has Pulitzer written all over it. You’re absolutely nuts if you think I’m walking away from it so I can sit like a pampered little bird in relative safety. Come on, you know that.”
Jax sighed. “Yeah, I know. But one can hope.”
Zoe smiled and looped her arms around his neck. “I will be safe, I swear. Besides, we have the advantage. They don’t know that we’re on to them and so far everything is going by the numbers. I think it’s going to be a walk in the park.”
In his experience, nothing ever went by the numbers. “Don’t be cocky. That’s when shit goes bad,” he warned. “And if anything happens to you…” She shushed him with a kiss. “Nothing is going to happen to me. Stop worrying.”
“Need I remind you that the last time you started poking your nose where it didn’t belong it almost got you killed? I hate to bring up bad times but you were shoved to the ground from a high enough distance that would’ve killed you if you had landed on a bunch of boxes. As it was you nearly died. I don’t want to go through that again.”
“And you won’t. I’m a long ways away from that dumb girl.” Zoe opened her jacket and revealed the snub-nosed revolver. “I’m a better shot than you remember?”
Thank God he and Hunter had insisted that she learn how to handle a gun. “You’re good at the range. But that’s not the same as when your adrenaline is pumping and danger is staring you in the face. I just don’t want to lose you. You’re everything to me and Hunter.”
Her expression softened. “And you and Hunter are everything to me. I promise I will take every precaution. But I have to be close enough to record the conversation or else everything is for nothing. Even though it won’t be admissible in court, it’ll be enough to get a search warrant and to open an IA investigation.”
He hated this — but Zoe was right. The fact that she would be embedded at the heart of the danger zone, made him want to punch something. But he had to admit he was proud of his girl for being so brave. He framed her face and pressed a soft kiss to her upturned lips. “You’re fucking amazing. Have I told you that lately?’
“Yes, but it’s always nice to hear,” she said, grinning.
Hunter entered the room, the same expression of concern but unlike Jax, he knew not to waste his breath. “Everything is set. We should get going.”
Jax nodded. “Let’s hope luck is on our side.”
“Amen to that.”
Jax knew that Hunter wasn’t the wordy one so when Hunter pulled Zoe into a hot embrace before they left, he knew it was because Hunter was afraid of the very same things that Jax was— losing the one woman who’d changed their life so dramatically.
Jax shared a look with Hunter, communicating wordlessly that they would both do whatever it took to save their woman if it came down to it.”Feels like old times doesn’t it?” Jax asked with a wry grin.
Hunter nodded, looking grim. “Funny thing is, I don’t miss those old times.”
“Amen brother. Amen.”
“Let’s get this over with.”
Hopefully, by the end of the night—they were all coming home.
-14-
Angel couldn’t stop chattering. Her teeth were clacking so hard she was afraid she might crack a tooth. This place was locked in her nightmares. The night those kids had dragged her down here ranked side by side with the night her sister died. Pyro noticed her shaking and sent her a reassuring look even though he didn’t touch her. Everything about him was on high alert. All of that lean muscle and hard-ass attitude bolstered her courage even though she was vibrating toward collapse. She turned to Pyro, “Whatever you do, stay safe.” It was all she could say without revealing what danced on her tongue and practically spilled with desperation. Pyro nodded but otherwise remained silent. The factory groaned and creaked with odd noises and caused shivers to riot up and down her arms. “Of course Benton would pick this fucking place. He’s such a bastard,” she muttered, casting nervous glances toward the shadows. “If anyone needs a karmic ass-kicking, it’s him.”
Pyro nodded, agreeing but instructed in a low tone, “Stay sharp. He’s coming.”
Angel looked up, her heart jumping to her throat. Mila? She strained her vision trying to make out if Benton walked alone. Where is she? She stuffed down a ragged cry when she realized he’d come without her child. That rotten, lying bastard! She clenched her fist and tried not to scream. She trembled with rage and liquid panic as every fear jumped to mind. She stepped away from Pyro and walked straight to Benton, wishing she had a gun. “Where is my baby?” she screamed, not daring to gauge Pyro’s reaction. All she cared about was Mila. “Where is she, you fucker? You promised me you would bring her!”
“Shut up, woman before I shut you up permanently. I have your baby but if you don’t pipe down and let the men conduct a little business, I’ll just keep the little princess for good. Now be a good little girl and shut the fuck up.”
Angel swallowed and looked fearfully at Pyro, unsure of what to do and terrified of what Pyro must be thinking but he gave away nothing. Whatever Pyro was feeling, he had it locked down for the moment.
Benton cast an apprising look at Pyro, seeming to judge him as an opponent. “So you are the one my friends have been looking for for quite a while. You’re hard to pin down. All those resources at their disposal and yet, you, a street thug with a bad attitude…remained off their radar. Impressive.”
Pyro wasn’t in the mood to chat and cut straight to the point. “I’ll give you a chance to leave with your life right now if you give Angel h
er kid and bug out.”
Benton laughed at Pyro’s offer. “I like your chutzpah. You got balls. But unfortunately I’m the one who’s making deals tonight. You are, in case you haven’t noticed, outnumbered.” He snapped his fingers and three cops appeared from the shadows, their guns trained on Pyro. Benton affected an apologetic expression. “Sorry, but I never come to a business meeting unprepared.”
“You promised if I delivered Pyro you would bring Mila,” Angel said, her voice shaking. “You fucking lie to me.”
Benton smiled but his gaze never left Pyro’s. It was a stand-off of sorts. The air between them snapped with danger. “So passionate, isn’t she?” He looked dismissively at Angel. “That’s what I liked most about you, Angel. You were never boring. And as promised, I did bring your baby.” He paused a moment and then returned to Pyro, clearing up any details. “That’s right, your girl, the one you’re so willing to die for? She fucked you over. That’d always been the plan. She was to deliver you at a specific time and place in exchange for her kid. Bitches…they can’t be trusted, am I right?”
Angel turned to Pyro, tears blinding her but she didn’t have words. “I’m sorry. I wanted to tell you but…” How could she explain? Pryo didn’t forgive betrayal. She’d known that from the beginning but what choice had there been? “I’m sorry…”
“Enough talking, sweet cheeks,” Benton cut in. “It’s time for Pyro to go make peace with his new friends who have been waiting a very long time to make his acquaintance.”
“Don’t go. It’s a trap, they’re going to kill you,” she told Pyro fearfully. Everything was going from bad to worse. She’d betrayed Pyro for nothing. Benton hadn’t held up his end of the bargain. She didn’t even know if her daughter was alive or worse, sold off to some pervert, no matter what he promised. She took a step toward Pyro but Benton shocked her by snatching her close, a knife digging into her side.
“Here’s the thing, I have a soft spot for our sweet Angel even though she’s a pain in the ass. I think I want to fuck her at least one more time before I’m done with her. Did you sample this hot piece of ass?” he asked conversationally as if he weren’t cutting into her skin with the tip of his blade. He grinned when Pyro growled, his fists clenching. “Ohhh, look at that boys…our friend doesn’t like it when I touch the pretty lady. How ‘bout this?” Benton’s wet tongue made a slimy trail down her cheek and she almost puked. “Oh yeah, I definitely remember how much fun Angel was…but you know what I think is even more fun — when they struggle. The fear in their eyes, the way they put up such a fight, the way their flesh resists when you shove into them. Exquisite. If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend it.”
