Unraveled_Steel Brothers Saga_Book Nine

by HELEN HARDT

  She leaned back, closed her eyes, and sighed. “I’m not brave. Lisa was brave. She refused to give in.”

  “Lisa’s dead,” I said, my headache returning with a vengeance. “I’m sorry to say it so harshly, but dying is not an option. You do what you need to do to survive.”

  “Easy for you to say.”

  “It is easy for me to say.” Juliet might not be ready to hear the truth, but she needed to if I was going to convince her she had a chance of getting out of this hellish situation. “I’ve been on my own since I was fifteen because my father tried to rape me. Luckily, I got away, but let me tell you, life isn’t easy for a fifteen-year-old on the streets.”

  “I’m sorry,” Juliet said. “I had no idea. You seem so together.”

  I doubted I seemed all that together at the moment. “We’ve all been through our hardships. I could tell you stories about what others have been through that would make you think you’re living in luxury right now. Don’t take that the wrong way. You don’t deserve this, and we’re going to get you out of here.” I touched her forearm. It was cold and clammy. “Don’t give up. Do what you need to do to stay alive, because as long as you’re alive, you have a chance.”

  “I know that. But Lisa seemed so brave.”

  “Lisa was brave. But she’s also not here anymore. The last memory she’ll ever have is of this horrible place. I promise you. Your last memory will be a lot nicer.”

  Juliet didn’t know how serious I was. Since she and Lisa had been taken from the resort, I’d felt responsible. I’d tried to get them to listen to me, to see that they were being naïve and downright stupid. They’d gone anyway. Then I’d found out my father had been involved in taking them, and I’d talked to Melanie pretty extensively about why I felt responsible for everything my father did.

  “You can’t make that promise.”

  “I can.” If my father had seriously told them—whoever they were—that I was off-limits, I could use that to help protect Juliet. My mind was becoming less fuzzy by the minute. Once I had some food—

  The door opened, and one of the masked men—was it one of the two who’d raped Juliet? I couldn’t tell—entered with a tray.

  “Eat up, ladies,” he said. Then, to Juliet, “I’ll be back in half an hour to unchain you so you can use the john.” He left the room.

  I scrambled to the tray.

  “A gourmet feast, huh?” Juliet said with no emotion.

  “Whatever it is, you need to eat it. We both need to keep up our strength.” I lifted the foil from the tray. Two sandwiches, two bottles of water, and a baguette. I picked up one of the sandwiches to examine it. Peanut butter and jelly. Not my favorite and not overly filling. Mostly carbs, with the baguette. Good for short-term energy, but not much protein other than the peanut butter for long term.

  But I found, suddenly, that I was famished. I carried the tray over to Juliet and handed her one of the sandwiches. I picked up the other and touched it to hers. “Cheers.”

  “Eat slowly,” she advised. “They only feed us twice a day, and it’s never much. And that’s more than what some girls get. Lisa only got food once a day once they labeled her a troublemaker.”

  I took her advice to heart and sank my teeth into the sandwich. The jelly was sweet and had no discernible flavor. The color was purplish red. Could have been anything.

  I’d have to get us better food. I’d demand to see my father. Maybe that would make them sweat a little.

  A plan began to take shape inside my head. When they came to unchain Juliet so she could use the toilet, I’d—

  I looked swiftly around the room for hidden mics or cameras. Although the force could never afford the best, I kept myself well-versed in top surveillance technology. I might not be able to see anything with my naked eye. Still, I squinted and surveyed every inch of the walls and ceiling, paying special attention to the window frame.

  Nothing, but I knew my father. He was watching and listening from somewhere. I couldn’t take the chance of telling Juliet my plan.

  “It’s usually peanut butter and jelly,” Juliet went on. “On stale bread. This is fresher than normal. I wonder if it’s because you’re here.”

  “Why would that matter?”

  “Obviously they’re not allowed to touch you. How’d you manage that?”

  I opened my mouth to tell her about my father but shut it before the words emerged. If he was listening, I didn’t want him to know she knew. “I have no idea. I’m sure my turn will come soon.”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “They raped Lisa and me on the boat before we even got here. Seems you’re getting special treatment.” Despite her words, her tone was still devoid of emotion.

  “If I am, I have no idea why.”

  I hated lying to her, but I had to watch what I said until I knew for sure whether anyone was listening to us. I longed to ask Juliet if they were, but she might not know, and if they were, I didn’t want to alert them that I was suspicious.

  “How many girls were on the boat with you?” I asked.

  She swallowed the bite of bread she’d been chewing. “Quite a few. I don’t know the exact number. But that wasn’t the worst part.”

  “What was the worst part?” I asked, wishing I didn’t already know what she was going to say.

  “There were kids. Little boys and little girls. We could hear their screams…” She put down her sandwich. “I can’t eat this right now.”

  “I know this is hard for you to talk about. Believe me, I get that.” And she’d just confirmed what I already knew. The human trafficking my father was involved in wasn’t limited to adults.

  “I can’t, Ruby. I can’t talk about it.”

  “If you want to get out of here, you have to. I need to know everything you know.”

  She sighed. “I’ll try.”

  “Good girl. Go as slowly as you need to. What happened to the guys on the Jet Skis?”

  “They drove us up to the boat, and several men came out and grabbed us off the Jet Skis.”

  “All right. What did the men look like?”

  “Most of them were black with Caribbean accents. I think two were white, or maybe light Hispanic. It’s hard to remember.”

  “They didn’t wear masks?”

  “No. But once we got to the compound—that’s what they called it—everyone did. Black masks, like the guys who were here earlier.”

  “Do you remember anything else about the men on the boat?”

  “Only their skin colors. I just… I didn’t think to remember. Lisa and I were both so scared. I do remember one thing. When we got to the boat, one of the men asked why there were only two. I guess they were expecting Shayna.”

  “Which means the men on the Jet Skis had contacted them ahead of time.”

  “Yeah. Probably.”

  “Any names?”

  “Only the men on the Jet Skis. Mark, Rashaun, and J.J. I never heard any other names once we got on the boat.”

  “So then what happened?”

  “The guys on the Jet Skis left. Lisa and I were screaming at them to come back, but they jetted off like we were nothing.”

  “Did you see any money exchange hands? When they brought you to the guys on the boat?”

  She shook her head. “But I wasn’t looking either. I was so surprised that this had happened, and I felt like such an idiot for going with them. And I was scared, Ruby. So scared.”

  Her eyes glazed over. Maybe this was enough interrogation for now. The man would be back to unchain her soon. I had plans to figure out. I handed her sandwich back to her. “Please. I know it’s difficult, but you need to eat. You need your strength. I need you to be strong, okay? I need you to help me get us out of here.”

  She nodded slightly and took a bite of the sandwich, chewing slowly.

  The man who entered after a few minutes, though, was not the one who’d brought the food. He was masked, but I recognized his odd blue eyes.

  I stood. “Hello, Th
eo.”

  Chapter Seven

  Ryan

  “What is it?” Talon asked.

  “These are GPS coordinates. Here. Take a look.” I handed him the ring and the magnifier while taking the flashlight. I held it up so the light shined where he needed it.

  “Wow. They sure are.” He studied them. “I don’t know what the hell they mean, but whoever is navigating this tub will. Let’s go wake up the captain.”

  * * *

  “What the hell do you want? It’s the middle of the night.” The captain, Leroy Faucett, stood in nothing but black, yellow, and green—the colors of the Jamaican flag—boxers. “My man’s on the bridge. Bother him.”

  “For what you’re getting paid, we can bother you anytime we want.” Talon handed him a slip of paper upon which he’d written the GPS coordinates from our father’s ring. “We want you to take us here. And we leave now.”

  He eyed the paper, squinting. “That’s about a day’s journey.”

  “Get there faster.”

  “This yacht can go about thirty knots, but it won’t keep it up for long.”

  “How soon can we get there if we go that speed?” I asked.

  “About twelve hours.”

  Talon and I looked at each other. “Do it,” we said in unison.

  “You’re crazy,” Faucett said. “Going thirty for twelve hours straight isn’t doable.”

  “Make it happen,” I said. “We’ll make it worth your while.”

  “I’m not sacrificing this boat for any more cash. Cruising speed is about six knots per hour. I can push her to twelve, but that’s it. I won’t do thirty for any amount. I’m sorry.”

  I had to admire his lack of greed. We Steels weren’t used to that.

  “Twelve it is, then,” I said. “We should make it in twenty-four hours, right?”

  Faucett rolled his eyes. “More or less. Probably more.”

  “Do your best. There’ll be a nice bonus in it for you,” Talon said.

  “Fine. For Christ’s sake. Let me get dressed. I’ll be sleeping for thirty hours straight once I get you there.” He slammed the door in our faces.

  “That wasn’t pleasant,” I said.

  “At least he’s doing what he can,” Talon replied. “I’m going to give Joe a call and fill him in.”

  “Sounds good. I guess I’m still on watch duty.” I headed back up to the deck.

  Ruby never left my mind. I pulled my father’s ring out of my pocket and fingered it once more. He—or at least someone who had his ring—had been in her apartment. My best guess was Mathias. But Mathias wasn’t stupid. He never did anything without a reason, which meant he’d left the ring on purpose for someone to find.

  For me to find.

  He knew I’d go looking for Ruby, and when I did, I’d find my father’s ring.

  Until I’d found the GPS coordinates, I wasn’t sure why he’d left the ring. I still wasn’t completely sure. For all I knew, we could be embarking on a wild-goose chase. It wouldn’t be the first wild-goose chase we’d been on since we’d been pursuing this phantom of my father’s doing.

  My father. Somehow, in the end, it was all leading back to him. Ever since Joe had found his photo with the other future lawmakers in that yearbook from Tejon Prep School, we’d known he wasn’t the honorable man we remembered.

  I thought back, shaking my head.

  We’d always known, in a subconscious way. We’d always wondered why he wouldn’t let our family deal with the horror that Talon had been through. Why he’d swept it all under the rug. Why he hadn’t let us see our mother’s body.

  Why?

  I’d been over and over the facts and theories in my mind, and only one answer made sense.

  He had something to hide. Something sinister. Something he probably hoped we’d never know. Never uncover.

  My father was alive. I was sure of it.

  He’d stayed until the last of us, Marjorie, had reached adulthood. I had to at least respect that.

  Then he had died.

  Except he hadn’t died. He’d faked his own death, with the help of my mother, according to her.

  Still so many questions were unanswered, the biggest of which was how I’d come to be in the first place. What was the reason behind my parents’ coupling? Had my father truly loved Wendy, as she claimed? Or had he just slept with her, producing me? Had she seduced him when she knew she was fertile? I’d toyed with the idea of her inseminating herself with his sperm, but then I’d rejected that theory. My father wouldn’t have given her access to his sperm.

  At least I didn’t think so.

  I knew very little about my own father. That was becoming increasingly clear. I longed to know the whole story, but something else was far more important at the moment.

  Ruby.

  I had to find her. Failure was not an option. She had come to mean everything to me. Finally I understood what my brothers felt for their wives—that soul-wrenching love and need for another person.

  My father’s ring was a clue. It had to be.

  Mathias had planted it. He must have, because no one else could have.

  Except my father himself.

  For that to be true, my father would have had to have been in Ruby’s apartment, and that couldn’t have happened. Wendy had said he was being held captive somewhere.

  But Wendy could have been lying. And if she was lying, she had a good—good in her twisted mind, anyway—reason for it.

  I shook my head to clear it. The only thing that mattered right now was finding Ruby. That and bringing an end to this for Talon’s sake, so he could put it behind him and truly finish healing. I couldn’t let my emotions get the best of me. As much as I feared for Ruby, I had to keep my sanity and my logic.

  But God…I missed her. I loved her so fucking much. Wherever she was, she had taken my heart with her.

  I’d find her, and when I did, she and I would put an end to all of this once and for all.

  Chapter Eight

  Ruby

  Juliet gasped. “You know this guy?”

  I stood my ground. I’d called him Theo on purpose. I didn’t want to alert Juliet to the fact that he was my father. “We’ve met.”

  “Then you should have put him away. He’s a rapist and a murderer!” Juliet then cowered in a corner, bracing herself to be hit.

  “Don’t touch her,” I warned my father.

  “I don’t have any intention to,” he said. “I came for you.”

  “Are you crazy? I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  He stalked forward.

  “Don’t lay one slimy finger on me,” I said, resisting the urge to back away and hoping my still shaky legs would hold me. “I swear to God you’ll be sorry.”

  “Stop the melodramatics.” He grabbed my shoulder. “I could have had you locked in chains, starved, and beaten. Or worse. You should be thanking me.”

  “For drugging me? Bringing me here against my will? You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “I couldn’t help the accommodations,” he said. “This was the best we had on short notice. I moved your friend in here as a gesture of good faith. This is a better room than she’s seen.”

  “Was it also a gesture of good faith when two goons came in and raped her?”

  Juliet gasped in the corner.

  “Excuse me?” he said.

  “You heard me. Two of your masked monsters raped her while I was forced to watch.”

  My father’s strange blue eyes closed for a few seconds and then opened. “That wasn’t supposed to happen. They will be…dealt with.”

  “Unless you’re going to chain them up, starve them, and then shove fat cucumbers up their asses, however you plan to deal with them won’t be sufficient.”

  Another gasp from Juliet at my graphic words.

  “Enough of your mouth, girl.” He forced me toward the door.

  As much as I wanted to fight back, my body still wasn’t working quite right. I looked back at Juliet. “T
hey didn’t use condoms. She could be pregnant!”

  “Condoms aren’t necessary. We keep all women of childbearing age on birth control. We also test them all, and all our trainers are tested as well. Every month. We can’t deliver diseased goods to buyers.”

  “Trainers? Is that another word for rapists? Goods? They’re people, Theo! People!”

  He pushed me out the door.

  “I’ll be back for you,” I said to Juliet. “I promise.”

  Her eyes were sunken, and her countenance resolved to her fate. She didn’t believe me. I didn’t blame her.

  But I would be back.

  My father dragged me down a dimly lit hallway, past about five other doors identical to the one to the room where I had been. I kept my lips sealed, even though I wanted to scream for help. I knew better. No help would come here.

  Finally, he pushed me up a flight of stairs and into a small office. It was sparsely decorated with a metal desk, a computer, a couple chairs, and an old sofa.

  “Have a seat.” He indicated the sofa.

  “I’ll stand.”

  “Have it your own way. You won’t be standing for long.”

  “You going to push me down?”

  “No. But you’re still coming out of a drug-induced state. Your legs won’t hold you for long.”

  I gave in and sat on the couch. It was worn green velour, and it smelled like fake banana flavoring. Yuck. “Fine.”

  He sat behind the desk and began tapping on the keyboard. “Your Steel boyfriend will be here soon. Probably about a day, I’d say.”

  “Don’t you dare drag him into this.”

  “Why not? Don’t you want to be the damsel in distress? Don’t you want to be rescued? I’ve laid out the breadcrumbs so well that he won’t be able to resist them.”

  My father didn’t know me at all. I’d spent the better part of my life rescuing myself. I didn’t need Ryan or anyone else to rescue me. In fact, I didn’t want him anywhere near this place, but he’d come. I knew he’d come for me. “If you hurt him, I sw—”