“That was over a year ago. After she got better, she could have gone to a safe house with her parents. You wanted her to stay. In fact, I believe you convinced her to stay with you.”
Jackson wasn’t fooling me. I saw the way he carried her into his house and sat by her side night and day. I had stayed with him for a few days to make sure that we were in the clear. The man never left her side. If she was really just someone to protect, he wouldn’t have yelled at her dad when he insisted that Jackson let him take care of his daughter.
Jackson sighed heavily, but didn’t look over at me. “She’s not exactly in the right frame of mind to have anyone in her life like that. We mostly keep to our own sides of the house.”
“So, you do like her.” Gabe smacked Jackson on the shoulder, bouncing up and down in his seat like a little kid. “I fucking knew it.”
“Look, it doesn’t matter if I like her or not. She doesn’t want any man near her. She practically runs in the other direction when I’m around. I’m not gonna sit around and wait for her.”
“Sure,” I grinned. “Anyway, back to the job, we’re being assigned to protect her until this bastard is caught or until she wants us to leave.”
“Sounds like this could be a long one.”
I glanced at Gabe in confusion. He was newly married. He shouldn’t sound quite so excited about this extended stay.
“What did you do?” I asked.
“Huh? Nothing, I’m just excited to have a more exciting job. It’s been kind of dull lately.”
“We just went out on a job two weeks ago. Remember? We were shot at? You got to kill someone. Ring any bells?”
“Yeah, and two weeks is a long time to go.”
“Seriously, what did you do to piss off Isa?”
Running a hand over his face, he plopped back in his seat. “I fucked up the laundry.”
“How?” Jackson peered in the rearview mirror at Gabe.
“Isa asked me to switch laundry loads when I got home last night. She had a basket of whites on top of the washer, so I put that in after I switched loads.”
“Sounds like you’re the perfectly whipped husband,” I snorted.
“Yeah, well, I’m definitely gonna get whipped when I get home. She was washing these special microfiber rags. They’re purple and they have to be washed separately. I missed one in the washer and now all her whites are lavender.”
I busted into laughter at his predicament. He was so fucked. Women didn’t like men helping out for a reason and Gabe was that reason. “See, there’s a reason I’m not married anymore. If I turn all my clothes another color, I don’t give a shit. I buy new stuff and move on, but women aren’t like that. She’s gonna hold this over your head for at least the next few months.”
“That’s why I figure this job should last at least a few weeks. It’ll give her time to cool down.”
“And if it doesn’t?” Jackson asked.
“Then one of you are gonna have to shoot me. Nothing too life-threatening or anything that’ll take me out of commission. Just something that’ll play on her sympathy.”
“You want one of us to shoot you so that your wife won’t be angry about her purple underwear?”
“Hey, you were married. You know how irrational women can be.”
“Not just irrational, vindictive. Why do you think I haven’t remarried?”
“Because you fuck strippers and now your dick could fall off at any time?” Jackson quirked an eyebrow at me with a faint smile on his face. I should have never said anything to them. They weren’t going to let this go anytime soon.
“You guys are as bad as a woman. I tell you one fucking thing and I’m gonna get my balls busted for months to come.”
“Look on the bright side,” Jackson gave me a sidelong glance. “At least we won’t have to shoot you at the end of this job.”
✯✯✯✯✯
Stepping out of the SUV, I checked my surroundings as I approached the duplex. We made quick work of checking out the whole property and then walked up the porch to her side of the house. I knocked on the door several times, but no one answered. I banged harder on the door and that’s when I heard it. A piercing scream ripped through the quiet of the neighborhood.
I stepped aside just as Gabe put a boot through the door. The wood splintered as the door crashed against the wall. I stepped into the living room with Gabe and Jackson on my six. We cleared each room on the first floor and then I motioned for us to head upstairs.
Quietly, we crept up the stairs. The closer we got we could hear the whimpers of what I could only assume was our client. With Gabe on the top stair and Jackson to my right, I slowly turned the knob on the door. With a nod to Gabe, I threw the door open and stepped into the room with my gun drawn.
A woman was tied to the bed completely naked, spread eagle. I motioned for Jackson and Gabe to clear the rest of the floor and stepped over to the woman with a finger to my lips, signaling for her to be quiet. Her tear-stained cheeks ripped my heart wide open. She looked absolutely terrified. I grabbed a blanket and threw it over her naked body. Her eyes slipped closed and her body trembled. She was trying to get herself under control.
“All clear,” Gabe said as he walked back into the room. Jackson stood guard outside the room, watching for anyone who might attempt to breach the house.
I had already started on untying her binds, but as soon as the rope started to loosen, she screamed. I stepped back and glanced over at Gabe. We’d have to tread carefully.
“Ma’am, we’re from Reed Security. Are you Amy Shultz?”
She nodded quickly as more tears streamed down her cheeks.
“I’m going to untie you, okay?”
Again she nodded. Gabe and I both stepped forward carefully and reached for her binds again.
“No! Stop!” she screamed. We backed up instantly, not sure of how to handle this. If she wouldn’t let us undo her binds, we couldn’t get her to safety.
“Amy,” I said gently. “Was this the same man that attacked you the other day?”
“Please don’t hurt me,” she pleaded.
“I’m not going to. We need to get you to safety. We need to untie you, okay? I promise we won’t touch you.”
She nodded again and closed her eyes tightly. Gabe and I approached again, both of us careful to not touch her as we worked the ropes. I had to pull the rope around her wrist tighter to get the knot undone.
“Oh,” she moaned loudly, her hips bucking up in the air.
I glanced over at Gabe, wondering what the hell was going on. He had a similar look on his face. I continued with the rope and her moans got louder. At this point, she looked like she was humping the air.
“Uh, Amy? Is everything alright?”
“Stop! What are you doing? Don’t do this!” She started writhing around on the bed and moaning like she was in pain. Tears started to drip down her face again.
What the fuck? Gabe mouthed to me.
I shrugged. I had no fucking clue what was going on. I tried again to untie her wrist, but she just kept screaming. I pointed down to her feet. Maybe she’d let us get her legs untied. We both moved to the other end of the bed and started to untie her.
“Yes, yes! Please, give me more.”
I stood back and stared at her. This woman was all over the map. Maybe she had mixed feelings about the rape. I had heard about women that liked it against their will. Maybe that was what was happening.
“I think we need to call in a therapist to walk you through this, Amy. We’re not prepared to handle the stress you’re under.”
Her eyes flew open and she stared at me in confusion. “What? I’ve never had to call in another person. Aren’t the three of you enough?”
She was calm now, way too fucking calm. “Amy, what are you talking about?”
“Well, I called your company because I wanted the best.”
“We are that, but we’re trying to help you and one minute you want it and the next you’re yelling at
us. We’re not used to dealing with rape, so you’re going to have to tell us what you need.”
She nodded excitedly. “Right. I can do that. Can you bring the other one in?”
“Jackson!” I called out. He walked in and stood beside me. “Okay, we’re all here. What can we do to make this work?”
“I think it would be best if…if one of you got on top of me.”
“What?” Gabe barked.
“You asked,” she said as she hung her head in embarrassment.
I motioned for Jackson to climb on top of her. This was so fucked up, but I wasn’t a woman. I didn’t know what was running through her head right now. Jackson slowly got on top of her, his legs straddling each side of her stomach. He was careful to keep his weight off her.
“Does this help?”
“Yes. Now, can you hold my wrist?” she asked me. When I looked at her in alarm, she quickly explained. “I need to feel like I can fight.”
I stepped forward and held on to one of her wrists, and motioned for Gabe to start with her feet. He got her right ankle untied and was just about to move when her foot shot up and kicked him in the face.
“Fuck!” he shouted as blood poured from his nose. She was thrashing around on the bed and Jackson finally took over, sitting down on her to keep her from moving around too much.
“Stop fighting me,” he said loudly. I ran around to the foot of the bed and held her leg down as Jackson tried to calm her down. “I’m not trying to hurt you, Amy.”
“Oh, yes!” She started bucking her hips up against Jackson, grinding against him.
“Shit,” Jackson groaned as she continued to thrust up against his cock. “This isn’t good.”
“Hold her down,” I said sharply. He put his hands down, but ended up grabbing her tits.
“Yes, pinch them!”
“Not her tits, you asshole!”
“There’s no other place to put them. She keeps moving around.”
“Hold her shoulders!”
He leaned forward and placed his hands on her shoulders, but she raised her head and licked him on the face.
“Yes! Hold me down. Fuck me hard. Stuff your cock in my mouth until I gag all over you.”
Jackson reared back and jumped off the bed, getting his foot caught in the blanket and falling to the floor. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Jackson shouted.
“Isn’t this what you guys do?”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Gabe asked.
“I was told your company would send out three strong men to take care of me.”
“Protect you,” I clarified.
“Well, protect and serve,” she said with a wink.
I shook my head as I realized where she was going with this. “We aren’t that kind of place. We’re an actual security company. We’re not strippers.”
“I didn’t think you were. I paid for a certain kind of service, one that includes three strong men to take care of me in every way I need.”
“Lady, you filed a police report for rape. There’s a cop sitting outside your apartment.” Gabe pointed to the window as he glared at her. “Were you actually raped?”
“Well, fantastically speaking, yes, I was.”
“Shit,” I mumbled. “Why do we always get the crazy ones? Jackson, go down and get that cop. Tell him we need to speak with him now.”
Jackson practically ran out the door and down the steps.
“Do you think he’ll use his cuffs on me?”
“That’s a very great possibility.”
“Will he be bringing a friend along? Do you think he’ll use his nightstick on me?”
“I’m getting the fuck out of here,” Gabe said, still holding his nose. I followed him out the door. I wasn’t getting accused of rape as some part of her sexual fantasies. When I got downstairs, the cop walked through the front door with Jackson.
“What’s going on here? Has her attacker come back?”
“There is no attacker. She made it up.” I was beyond pissed right now. What a fucking waste of time, and with a crazy woman, nonetheless.
“Sir, we take every woman’s claim seriously around here.”
“Yeah? Well, I’d suggest you call in backup before you go up there. She tied herself to the bed and called us in to fulfill her rape fantasies.”
“Her what?”
“You see my fucking face?” Gabe snapped. “This is from her kicking me when I was trying to untie her. Then she started humping Jackson and begging for more. The woman is a fucking lunatic.”
“Why don’t you come up with me?” the cop suggested.
“Sorry, I’ve had enough crazy for one day. This is in your hands now.”
“Help!” the woman screamed from upstairs. The cop looked up there and then back to us.
“Don’t do it, man. You’ll have nightmares about that one,” I said before I walked out the door.
“Looks like you’re not out of the doghouse with Isa,” Jackson said matter of factly to Gabe as we headed for the truck.
“Shut up, asshole.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Morgan
I STARED AT the picture in my locket of Payton. Every day that passed that she was still gone was like shoving a knife in my gut. Every possible scenario ran through my mind. She could be locked up in a basement somewhere, starving and cold. What almost seemed like the better option was her assimilating to a new family. Maybe she didn’t even remember me by now, but maybe she was safe. Then there was the possibility that she wasn’t even in the country anymore. She could have been trafficked, taken for child pornography or sex trafficking. That was the hardest pill to swallow.
I snapped the locket shut, refusing to let those thoughts go through my mind right now. I wasn’t going to help her by feeling sorry for myself. I needed something I could go on. I was getting desperate and before I could think too much about it, I walked down the hallway like I had a purpose in heading for the boss’s office.
His door was open just a few inches, but it was enough to hear him on the phone with someone. I got as close as I dared and strained to listen to the conversation.
“I want that shipment here in two weeks. Anything more than that and I lose money.”
That wasn’t very helpful. A shipment in a strip club could be anything. He could be ordering liquor and he would lose money if he had to go to another vendor. That was most likely what he was talking about.
“Wes will be back in town by the end of the month and he’ll expect to see what you have for him. Get your shit together before then or you won’t like what happens. Don’t fuck this up.”
Wes. He had to be someone important if Jeremy was getting all worked up over him being in town. I heard the click of the phone being put back on the receiver. Damn, I didn’t get the day Wes would be here, but that didn’t matter. I would probably hear more about it over the next week or so. Everybody had eyes and ears around the club. It was all about what you could offer for the information that could be provided.
“Something you need, sweet cheeks?”
I spun around quickly and tried my best not to scream. The voice was one I recognized and dreaded at the same time. But that didn’t stop me from letting my eyes wander over his body. Even though I hadn’t gotten any information out of him, Sniper had a body that was definitely worth exploring.
“I was just waiting to talk with him.”
“It looked like you were snooping.”
“I wasn’t. I heard him on the phone, so I waited out here until he was off, which he is. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’m gonna go talk to him.” I had let myself slip back into my stripper persona. If I wasn’t careful, he would see right through me. So, I stepped toward him and gripped his cock through his jeans, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “After the show, come back to my place and I’ll give you a private viewing.”
When I stepped away, I was taken aback by the stern look on his face. I had been expecting that he would melt into my proposal, but h
e didn’t.
“I fucked you two times, but that doesn’t mean I want to again.”
Shit. Talk about a slap in the face. He had taken me right outside my apartment, but was now as cold as ice. What the hell had happened between then and now? Not that it really mattered. I was using him just as much as he was using me, but the tone in his voice still hurt.
“Is there something you need, Shyla?” Jeremy’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. When I looked over at him, suspicion marred his features. I had to fix this fast. I couldn’t afford to be on his bad side.
“I just needed to talk to you about something, if you have a minute.”
“Sure. Come on in.” He glanced over at Sniper before turning and walking back into his office. I followed him in and sat down across from his desk. “So, what do you need?”
“I was hoping I could pick up a few more hours.”
“You’re already working six nights a week. I pay you well and I know you bring in good tips. So, why do you need the money?”
For the first time since I started, Jeremy looked at me with suspicion. I watched his eyes flick to my arms and then look at my eyes. He thought I was into drugs. I had to come up with something to keep him off my back about this.
“I didn’t take you for one to get caught up in drugs.”
“It’s not that-”
“Do you owe the wrong people money?”
“No. My niece is sick,” I said quickly. “She doesn’t have insurance and her treatments are expensive. I need to send my sister money so her daughter can get what she needs to get better.”
“I’m sorry,” he said sympathetically. “I can give you another shift, but you know that Wednesdays are our slow night.”
“I realize that, but every little bit helps.”
He nodded, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the desk. He didn’t say anything as he stared down at his paperwork. I didn’t really need the extra hours, but if I was here more, the chances of me learning something were better.
“I have some clients that are looking for something…particular. I really don’t think it’s something you would want to do. Honestly, I was going to ask one of the other girls to do this job.”
Sniper Page 3
