Too Far Gone

by Debra Webb

  They’d embarrassed a powerful, narcissistic man. The mob boss would have to retaliate and quickly or someone would try to take over his operation. “How would Trinity and Vanya have expected to get away with their plan and how can we turn that back on Polzin?”

  “After getting caught in Desmond’s office, Vanya was dead whether she helped us or not,” Lauren suggested. “She must have sensed that Polzin was growing unhappy with her. It’s the only thing that explains her willingness to help us. She likely knew it was just a matter of time before he figured out what she’d really been up to. Not to mention, she was getting older. She surely understood that would become an issue soon.”

  Mike couldn’t argue with her logic. “How do we prove it? How do we use it?”

  “There’s a safe in Desmond’s house. I wouldn’t have considered it before, but knowing what we know now there could be something there.” She shrugged. “It’s worth a look. We have nothing to lose but time.”

  “Chances are Polzin’s men have already been there.”

  Lauren shook her head. “They’d never find it. I lived there and I found it by accident after four years of never knowing it was there.”

  “But can you open it?”

  She smiled. “Desmond used the same password for everything. His code for his security system at home and at the office is the numbers from that same password. I’ll bet the combination for the safe is the same.”

  “For a clever guy, he wasn’t so smart. What’s the password?”

  Lauren grabbed her clutch purse. “The word god and Desmond’s birthday.”

  “The guy had an ego, that’s for sure.” Mike put his jacket around her shoulders. “Let’s see what we can find.”

  “I really need to change.”

  “We can stop by the safe house for clothes.”

  When she put her hand in his, he felt like he could conquer the world. For her. Navy SEAL training had honed his body and his skills, giving him confidence to tackle any situation until he’d had no choice but to become the scapegoat on the op that ruined his career. He hadn’t realized, beyond the professional fallout, how much he’d let that mess get into his head. Sure his Dad had refused to speak with him since the incident, but the old man had always been tough. Becoming a SEAL had been Mike’s only worthy accomplishment in his dad’s eyes. His departure from that career had ruined the one thing about him his dad respected. While Mike had long ago given up on a relationship with his dad, he’d never noticed that he kept the rest of the world at arm’s length after that, too. Until this case required a little extra help from an unexpected source, he’d avoided his old friends, using his surfboard and the ocean for companionship. He’d never thought of it as a problem before.

  Lauren changed all that. Not just her case. Her. She turned him inside out, made him assess and reevaluate. He wasn’t sure he liked it, but he was damned sure he didn’t want to go on without it.

  9:15 a.m.

  From the back of the limo Derrick provided, Mike watched to ensure they weren’t followed and sent a few instructions to Claudia. Lauren stared at the cityscape passing by the windows. “You’ll need a new look for today,” he said, pocketing his phone. He was almost looking forward to what she might come up with this time. “Polzin will be scouring the city looking for us.”

  She gave him a weary smile. “Renae Ford was a one-night wonder. I think today is a job for Lauren Marie Woods and Mike Stone.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  She nodded and put her hand in his. Again, he found himself wanting to say something profound and meaningful, something to boost her morale, but any words that came to mind turned to dust on his tongue.

  At the safe house, she showered and they changed clothes in separate bedrooms, meeting in the kitchen to review the approach to Trinity’s house and what they expected to find in the safe. Being in the same room with her as she changed would have him struggling for control again.

  “Do you want a gun?” he asked.

  “No thanks,” she replied. “Can I call Officer Cooper?”

  “Not a bad idea.” He handed her his phone, listening as she left a quick message with Trinity’s address and her intention to pick up a few things. “That should get some attention.”

  “Let’s hope it’s the right kind of attention.”

  She was quiet for the duration of the drive to Trinity’s neighborhood. He was tempted to draw her out, worried she wasn’t ready for what they’d find, but he didn’t want to make things worse. He cruised by the house and, not spotting anyone from either side of the law watching it, he parked the Camaro a block away. The media circus was long gone. The buzz shifted quickly in Hollywood.

  They walked the short distance in silence and her code opened the back gate on the first try. It felt too easy but who, aside from the alarm company, had the need or ability to change the code?

  “Where’s the safe?” he asked when they were inside.

  She pointed to a doorway tucked under the stairwell behind the kitchen. “This way.” She led him past the rows of well-organized sliding shelves and revealed a pull away shelving unit. She entered the code and the safe door swung open. He saw stacks of jewelry boxes on one side, cash on the other. No ledger, no passports or travel documents, not even a notebook of his transactions with Polzin or the finishing school.

  “His passport is missing,” she said. “Desmond must have had that with him. No one else would have known to look here.”

  She was right on both counts, but that small relief didn’t squelch his prickling instincts. Maybe it was just the close confines of the glorified closet, but he felt trapped. “We need to go.”

  “This may be our best and final chance to connect Desmond to Polzin. We should keep looking.”

  “We’ll find another way.” The small window near the ceiling wouldn’t give them a decent escape if they were caught in here. It boiled down to keeping her safe and with every passing second he sensed more danger in this situation.

  “Wait.” Lauren started pulling the jewelry out of the safe and stacking it on the floor. “There has to be something we can use. At least a clue.”

  Mike sympathized. As much as he hated a retreat order, sometimes it was the best option. The federal investigators could sort out this mess. So what if he had to hide her a bit longer? Neither of them had family to miss them. They’d find a secluded spot near the coast. Maybe Hawaii. He’d surf, she’d disguise herself when they wanted to go out. The mysterious disappearance of Lauren Marie Woods would only strengthen her comeback a few months or even years from now. He’d figure out a way to make it sound logical later. First, they had to get out of here.

  “Got it,” she said, her voice breathless as she stared into a long, slim jewelry box. “It’s so sick. And simple. If I’m reading this right, they placed orders for women with gemstones. Diamonds for blondes, sapphires for brunettes, and rubies for redheads. That’s why the women were dressed in those sequined gowns last night.” She shook her head. “This page is just the past year. It shows deposits into some account I don’t recognize.” She handed that box to him and reached for another. “Oh my God. It’s the same. This has to be some sort of crazy accounting system.”

  Mike put the box back on the stack. He wanted to hear all about it, preferably with a trustworthy FBI agent recording it all. “Let’s lock it up. We’ll tell the Feds all about it, but right now we have to go.”

  With a nod, she put everything back in place and locked the safe. As she exited the closet, she skidded to a stop. Mike looked past her to the two men waiting just inside the backdoor. Peter Kozlov and his muscle Nikoli Maksimov.

  “Good morning, Miss Woods,” Kozlov said. “Mr. Polzin is expecting you.”

  Mike stepped between Lauren and the threat. He wasn’t about to let them take her without a fight. “Polzin will be disappointed, Kozlov.”

  Both men glared at him. “You are of no consequence to Mr. Polzin.”

  “I know your names and yo
ur rap sheets,” Mike explained. “In fact, you’re starring in a documentary I made just last night. You might remember, there were women being sold.”

  Maksimov reached for his gun.

  “That’s not necessary,” Lauren began, but Mike leaped into action.

  He jumped straight for the weapon like a soldier throwing himself over a grenade. Startled by the unexpected move, Maksimov stumbled back and Mike let the momentum carry them into Kozlov. “Run!” he shouted to Lauren as the gun skittered across floor. He pounded the enforcer’s head against the unyielding tile, hoping it would keep him down while he dealt with Kozlov.

  A gunshot froze him mid-attack and he feared the worst as he obeyed Kozlov’s order to stand. The kitchen was suddenly full of glowering, oversized Russians. He and Lauren were outnumbered. In their eagerness to pile on the charges against Polzin, they’d walked right into a trap. Another enforcer had Lauren’s hair in a harsh grip and her elbows pinned behind her. At the all-clear signal, Polzin walked in as if he owned the place. Mike nearly laughed. Hell, after everything they’d learned about Trinity that might be true. Mike’s jaw clenched as Polzin’s gaze raked Lauren from head to toe. No way he’d let that bastard touch her.

  “At last the lovely Lauren Marie Woods shall be my mistress,” Polzin announced in a conversational tone.

  What the hell? Mike started forward but Maksimov’s weapon bored deeper into his skull.

  “Never.” Lauren shook her head despite the grip of the thug holding her.

  “You will,” Polzin gripped her chin, leaning close. “It is only fitting that Desmond’s woman will replace the woman he turned against me.”

  She spat in his face.

  Mike’s heart almost stalled even as he found her bravery magnificent. The woman wouldn’t back down from anything. This wasn’t an act, it was simply what made her so special.

  Polzin struck her hard across the cheek.

  Mike saw red as fury exploded inside him. Polzin would suffer for touching her. To hell with evidence and feds. To hell with professionalism. The bastard had just sealed his fate.

  “You will learn to please me.” A sly smile tilted his lips. “Or you will die trying.”

  Mike made up his mind right then and there. Whether Lauren realized it yet or not, she belonged with him. When this was over they needed to have a serious discussion.

  Studying the men Polzin had brought along, Mike knew he had an uphill battle, but he would win. Mentally, he prepared himself to maximize the first opportunity to regain control of the situation.

  Polzin was going down.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Lauren watched, horrified, as Maksimov and two other burly enforcers took turns pummeling Mike. Two would hold him up while the third drove fists and knees into his torso. He gasped and doubled over as they drove the air from his lungs and punished his kidneys. Tears welled in her eyes as they dragged him out of the kitchen and tossed him into the trunk of the limousine Polzin had arrived in.

  Though he didn’t hit her again, Polzin stared her down and, with excruciating calm, made her two options crystal clear. She could get in the limo with him or die right here in Desmond’s kitchen. She followed him outside and hurried to obey when his driver opened the door. Sliding across the leather seat she struggled to mentally prepare for a life-saving performance.

  Whatever it took to protect Mike.

  Polzin and his men obviously didn’t consider her a physical threat. He’d waved off the suggestion of tying her up and he’d chosen to sit next to her in the passenger compartment with no bodyguard.

  She could feel time running out, rushing away from her. When the driver took Santa Monica Boulevard, she assumed they were heading for the finishing school. If Polzin managed to reach the school, she knew he’d never let them leave alive. Making the mental adjustment, she considered her limited options, struggling to remember if Vanya had telegraphed any of Polzin’s weaknesses. She thought back to those brief minutes in the dressing room, replaying Vanya’s interaction with him.

  All men had a chink in their armor. It was a matter of finding it and applying the right pressure. Polzin was over-confident, but she couldn’t possibly overpower him. “What must I do?” she asked, pitching her voice into a desperate whisper.

  “Everything I require.” He leaned forward. “Peter wanted you. If you displease me, I will let him have you. His preferences run darker than mine, if you can imagine it.”

  She didn’t want to imagine anything about either of them. She crossed her legs at the ankle and kept her gaze lowered. “What will it take to save my friend’s life?”

  “Forget him. He is likely dying already of internal injuries.” Polzin’s mouth twisted into a malevolent grimace. “A collapsed lung, perhaps. My men know how to cause suffering.”

  “He was only trying to protect me. Please let him go.”

  “No.”

  “I’ll do anything you ask.” She raised her gaze, risking eye contact with her captor. “He’s important to me.”

  “He will be nothing to you very soon,” Polzin barked. He leaned close, his moist breath hot on her cheek. “My wishes are important to you now. I am your world, Lauren. You will breathe, eat, and dress on my command and no other.”

  She looked away. “I-I understand.”

  His hard fingers bit into her chin, dragging her back to face him. “Not yet, but you will in time.”

  Lauren knew Polzin expected absolute obedience. She needed to show him the frightened waif, the woman too weak to challenge him. This, she realized, was the most important performance of her life. She had to play it perfectly. Her heart stuttered as the driver took a sharp turn and she was pressed into Polzin. No one had followed them except the big black car Kozlov drove.

  Had Officer Cooper ignored her message? Had it been intercepted? She battled against the fear of failure, knowing she had less than an hour before they reached the school. If no help came, she would improvise. She would make a scene that would stall this convoy while there was still a chance for help to arrive.

  Several more minutes passed in a charged silence as the limousine and the escort car flowed through traffic. Every minute that passed was another one Mike suffered from his injuries with no help. She had to do something soon.

  “Did Desmond ever tell you that you were the catalyst for his finishing school?”

  Polzin’s voice made her shudder. She shook her head. He clutched her chin in an iron grip once more and made her look at him.

  “You will always answer me with words and the proper respect.”

  “Yes, sir.” He released her and she leaned back into the seat cushions, withdrawing as far from him as she dared.

  “That is better.” Polzin stroked her thigh gently, making her feel more and more like a dog being trained by a hard master. “We knew each other from parties and such. The first moment I saw you, I wanted you, but he negotiated a more lucrative deal. He would provide me with whatever I desired and he would keep you.”

  Her stomach knotted. Desmond had been forced into this scheme in an effort to keep her away from Polzin all these years? Why hadn’t he told her? She wasn’t so sure that was all there was to it... she wasn’t ready to see Desmond as any sort of hero.

  “You were worth six flawless, blond women to him. Six!” His laughter dripped with cruelty. “Did you know you had such value?”

  “No, sir,” she replied quickly.

  “That deal was a strong beginning for our business here. I had Desmond where I wanted him. We enjoyed much success.”

  She smothered the chill of dread sliding down her spine. Since he hadn’t posed a question, she hoped her silence would be acceptable.

  “I should have recognized you in Vanya’s dressing room. Your disguise was brilliant. Seeing your body, even when I had no idea it was you, aroused me. Few women possess that power.”

  The need to throw up surged into her throat. She swallowed it back.

  “Hmm.” He studied her for a
long time, his dark eyes cold and calculating. “Desmond had an eye for excellent quality and he kept you to himself. You will show me why he valued you so. Now.”

  “Here?” She had her answer as he loosened his belt, but a new hope shimmered when she spotted the grip of a handgun at his waist. If she could get the gun, she might give them a chance.

  The car swayed as the driver accelerated along the curves of the Pacific Coast Highway. Soon they would be at the school. She hoped Mike’s contacts had come through better than hers had done. Steeling herself, she covered Polzin’s hands with hers. “Desmond valued my discretion,” she murmured, peering at Polzin through her lashes.

  On a grunt, Polzin raised the privacy screen. “Show me what else he valued. On your knees,” he ordered, removing the obnoxious gun and placing it on the seat beside his thigh.

  Pushing the humiliation to the back of her mind, she positioned herself between his legs, rocking a little as the car swerved with the road again. Her survival instincts surged into high gear. As seductively as she knew how, she slid his belt free of the buckle, catching her lower lip between her teeth. She had to sell it, had to make him believe she’d accepted she was at his mercy. Unbuttoning his slacks, she pulled his shirt free, careful to keep her eyes off the gun.

  A siren sounded nearby and Polzin grabbed her hands, his grip grinding the bones together painfully. “What did you do?”

  “Nothing. Sir,” she added quickly, looking around.

  He yanked her back up to the seat and tore at her clothing. “Are you wired?” He shoved her jacket off her shoulders and stripped away her shirt.

  “No!”

  The siren closed in. “Where is your phone!”

  “In my purse!” She resisted the urge to look for whatever vehicle was making the noise and prayed enough help had arrived.

  He raised his hand to strike her, but the car swerved as the driver turned toward the canyon and his fist mercifully connected with leather instead of her face. “What have you done?” he screamed.