Kas dials Raina on the way back to his office. Pride fills him as he thinks of Erik’s news of the Trojan she had instituted. A puissant warmth runs through him when he hears her sweet voice answer, seducing him to the point of his manhood standing at attention from just hearing her say ‘hello’. He closes his eyes, wishing he was there with her tonight, needing her company to soothe his tired soul. “Hey, Rain, I’m not going to be able to make it home before morning. Your brilliance paid off, we’re preparing for a raid tomorrow evening.”
“Tomorrow?”
Kas can hear the concern in her voice, and he tries to give her something positive to focus on, “There’s a good chance that El Diablo will be there.”
There are a few seconds of silence before he hears her voice again, this time with a determined tone, “I hope you get him.” Her voice softens, “I’ll bring you dinner.”
Kas smiles at her generous offer, “No, sweetheart, you have finals in the morning. I want you to get a good night’s sleep, besides, I’m getting ready to ruin the evening for several people, the least I can do is spring for pizza while we plan.”
“Hey, Kas?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Please stay safe,” he hears her whisper.
“Always, darlin’.” A pang of longing stabs him as he hangs up, needing to hear her voice just a little longer. He sighs and pushes his own needs aside and begins the calls to get his agents in gear.
Raina wakes up the next morning to an empty house. She goes to Kas’ door and looks at the bed that hasn’t been slept in, wishing there was something she could do to help. Thoughts of Claudia resurface. She looked healthier when Raina visited her again a couple of days ago, but the emptiness still clouded her young eyes. Raina wants every last one of the men who touched Claudia behind bars. She knows she’s unable to help with the raid, but at least she can fuel Kas’ body.
Delicious wanton thoughts run through her mind at just how she would like to fuel his hard body before she pulls her thoughts back to her original intent of fueling his stomach. She throws together a breakfast casserole, something she knows will taste good reheated and places a large helping on a plate for him in the fridge. Quickly, she scribbles a note and tapes it to the door where he’s sure to see it when he comes home to crash for a couple of hours before getting ready for this evening.
Once the note is in place, she sprints to her car, running a little behind from taking extra time to cook the casserole, but she smiles as she thinks of how it was worth it for Kas to have something ready when he comes home. Her car screeches to a halt, and she races across the courtyard, wanting to have a few moments to gather her thoughts before the first exam begins. She stops dead in her tracks, having to grab the metal railing to keep herself from stumbling up the steps, when she sees who is standing directly in front of the door.
Mr. Sutton is blocking the way of the entrance, and panic bells go off all through her. Adjusting the bag on her shoulder, she gives herself a second to collect her racing thoughts. There’s no way around him without having to communicate, the realization almost crippling her with dread. She squares her shoulders and locks her gaze on his, barely suppressing a shiver from his arctic glare.
“Excuse me,” she states as calmly as she can manage.
Mr. Sutton doesn’t move, doesn’t reply, just continues to chill her to the bone with his cold, unforgiving eyes. The clock tower dings, reminding her that she has five minutes left before the doors lock and the exam begins. Second after slow torturous second ticks by as she prays he will just move and leave her alone.
Seth races up behind her, grabbing her arm, dragging her up the rest of the steps with him. “C’mon, unless you want to fail your final,” he teases her.
Raina could throw her arms around Seth and hug his neck for his perpetual tardiness. His presence causes Mr. Sutton to quickly turn and leave as he ushers her through the door, totally ignorant of the ominous standoff occurring as he arrived. Together, they rush down the hall and into class. Raina plops down into her seat, emotionally drained, with less than two minutes to spare.
Kas closes the door behind him, throwing his over shirt on the couch. He locks his gun in the safe and re-reads the note Raina left him. Her thoughtfulness jumpstarts his sleep-deprived body as he warms the food and enjoys the breakfast before he drops the plate in the sink and collapses on his bed for much needed sleep. Thoughts of Raina and how he wants to spend the rest of his life with her, lull him happily and peacefully into sweet slumber.
Three and a half short hours later the alarm goes off, and Kas slaps it, knocking it to the floor while it continues its annoying beep, beep, beep. He pulls the pillow over his face before groaning loudly, throwing his covers off. Beep, beep, beep, beep, the alarm clock continues to loudly mock him as he looks under his bed for the offending instrument he sent sprawling across his room. Beep, beep, beep, beep. Kas finds the hateful contraption and rips out the batteries.
He decides to forgo shaving and heads straight for the shower, letting the hot water massage his tired muscles. A few minutes later, he steps out and wraps the towel around him, not seeing Raina as she steps into the doorway of his room. She is flushed and knows she should turn away, but she can’t find the will power to do it. She’s mesmerized by Kas’ wet, almost naked body still glistening from the shower. A drop of water runs tantalizingly down his muscular, sculpted back, pulling the air straight from her lungs. His only covering is the thin, white cotton towel wrapped around his waist. It mercilessly hugs his muscles and hangs low on his backside, giving Raina a premium view of pure masculinity.
Her body responds rapidly, leaving an ache in her lower belly begging to be relieved. She can see the outline of his powerful thighs and his firm, rounded backside making her insides quiver like a ten on the Richter scale. Temptation tortures her every nerve, and she absently bites her lip between her teeth, admiring the fine specimen in front of her.
Kas’ sixth sense kicks in, and he turns to see Raina looking at him, her eyes sensual and blazing. He wants to run to her, pick her up in his arms and throw her on the bed, allowing their fevered passion to run wild. He wants her more than he wants to take his next breath. Gripping the counter, he does his best to calm his raging desire. He forces himself to not turn around and go to her, his current aroused state very obvious in the thin towel. He shields the part of him that he can’t seem to control around her anymore.
Sanity returns to Raina, and she quickly lowers her gaze. “I’m sorry...I,” she flounders for words, but they elude her, “I’m sorry.” She rushes out of the room, shame replacing the desire that burned so brightly in her beautiful eyes.
Kas witnesses her changing expression in the mirror before she runs, and pain stabs his heart at her reaction. “Rain, wait,” he calls after her. He throws on a pair of jeans, a difficult task with his swollen state, and runs after her, “Rain!”
Raina slams the door to her room, too many feelings assaulting her at once. Falling onto the bed, she drops her head in her hands, feeling utterly overwhelmed. Her feelings for Kas are growing stronger every day, and she is afraid at how deeply she loves him, at how quickly she fell in love with him. The passionate desires raging unfamiliarly inside her terrify her even more.
She has always been in control of her emotions, since she was six years old, she has been impeccably in control. The monstrous traffickers, Claudia’s despair, and Chris’ father’s frightening games are closing in on her. The love she feels for Kas, making her ready to do anything he might ask of her, is her breaking point. If she loses her control and gives herself to him, body and soul, and he doesn’t want her after, she knows she will be devastatingly broken beyond repair.
Shame sets in deeper as she thinks of how she gawked at him, wet and over flowing with temptation. Waiting until marriage to give herself away willingly has always been so important to her, but it’s getting harder and harder to stick to her morals.
Kas finds the kitchen and living room em
pty, so he heads towards her bedroom, knocking softly on the door, “Raina, sweetheart, open up.”
Ignoring his plea, she hopes he will take the hint and give her time to think. She has no such luck as the door swings open, and Kas drops to his knees in front of her slumped over frame, “Rain, what’s wrong?”
She doesn’t say anything, she doesn’t even know where to begin. She knows he needs to concentrate on the raid and doesn’t need to worry about her, and guilt piles itself on top of the emotional heap already smothering her. “Nothing, I’m fine,” she forces out, making herself raise her head and fake a smile, wishing beyond all wishes that he would have taken pity on her and thrown a shirt on with his jeans.
“And, you’re a terrible liar,” Kas gently admonishes, worry creasing his brow.
“I’m just tired, really, I’ll be fine,” she tells him more convincingly this time. And she will be, she will force herself to be, she scolds herself and flashes him another forced smile as she stands up to leave the room.
Kas grabs her wrist. “Huh uh, darlin’, try again,” he states, seeing right through her.
“You have enough to worry about today, you need to be concentrating on the raid. Please, don’t worry about me, I’m fine.”
“The word ‘fine’ is turning into a dirty four letter word to me, Rain. I’m not leaving here until you tell me what’s wrong.”
Raina can tell by his determined expression that he isn’t lying. She sighs, furious with herself for not being able to hold it together, at least until he gets home tonight. She knows it’s no good to try to pretend nothing happened, it’s almost as if he can read her thoughts. She decides to tell him about Mr. Sutton, hoping the half-truth will be relinquishing enough. “Chris’ father has been hanging around the university.” Kas’ expression hardens, “For how long?”
“Just twice.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the first time, Raina?” Kas demands, his tone tinged with more concern than anger.
“It only started last night. He was sitting on a bench as I was walking to my car, and then this morning, he was blocking the door to the building where my first exam was. He didn’t do or say anything to me either time. He was just...there.”
Fury surges through him at the audacity of Sutton trying to intimidate her. “I’ll handle this,” he states, his voice full of steely assurance.
“That’s exactly what I was afraid of,” Raina looks at him exhaustedly. “Please, just let it go, he’ll get tired of this and stop.”
“He’s harassing you, Raina. I will not just let that go.”
“He hasn’t said or done anything to me, he just stares, which isn’t exactly illegal.”
“He knows exactly what he’s doing, and by the looks of you, it’s working,” Kas spits out, anger searing his heart at how Sutton is messing with her in her most exhausted state. He knows that Sutton realizes that it’s exam time, exams that Chris would be taking if he weren’t behind bars. Unnerving her, hoping she doesn’t do well on hers, is his way of punishing her. Fear joins the anger as he wonders just how far Sutton is willing to go, the thought almost paralyzes him.
“Look, now wasn’t the time to bring this up, I’m sorry, please, just forget it for now. You have enough to think about for this evening, we can talk about it later.”
“When are you taking your last exam?”
“In a few hours, but don’t worry, there will be a lot of people. When he saw Seth come up to me he left. He’s not going to bother me with people around.”
Kas stares at her, wishing he could take her to her last exam. “Call Seth, have him meet you where you park. Don’t get out of the car until he’s there, and don’t go anywhere where you’re alone, Raina,” he demands, his voice warning her just how seriously he is taking the situation.
She leans into him, needing the warmth of his touch, “I won’t.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Kas stands, looking at the map spread out on the wall in the back of the van, examining the entrance points again. He studies all the exits, double checking to be sure there are enough men assigned to each one. He checks all of their equipment and takes a moment to say a prayer for the safety of the girls and all his men. He whispers another prayer for Raina, praying Sutton will not be there tonight. He grabs his pack and turns around, a fierce determination squaring his jaw, “Grab your gear. Let’s get this done.”
The sun has almost fully faded as they spread out to take their positions. Kas scans the area, making sure there aren’t any unexpected surprises. He signals Frank, giving the all clear, as Frank, Scotty, Mack, and Luis make their way around the sides of the building to cover the side door and windows. He takes a mental note of the number of guards at the entrances and the type of artillery they are carrying. Once he’s satisfied that they need to go in as planned, he adjusts his position so he can wait a little more comfortably.
The waiting is what he hates the most. It’s the time when his self-control takes over, keeping his mind from wandering to dangerous thoughts that can distract him. Thoughts of self-doubt, fear from unknown scenarios, losing your concentration, all of those things can get you killed. He keeps his mind sharp, focusing only on his surroundings and the task at hand, waiting for the correct moment to go in.
At 7:00 p.m. sharp, Kas checks his and Derrick’s team’s positions and watches the last of the despicable guests go inside to use their filthy money to purchase human beings. He holds his closed fist up in the air as the warehouse doors are shut, taking a second to scan the perimeter again. He drops his fist, and they move in, quickly and soundlessly to their target. Blending in with the shadows, they wait for the next command from their leader, their adrenaline pumping, and their bodies trained and ready to fight. Each of them is ready to lay down his own life for the lives of the innocent.
Kas gives a nod to Russo, and they simultaneously aim their stun guns, the specialized kind excellent for long range. The electrical pulses take down the two guards rapidly and silently before they move in. Austin and Jake effortlessly move the bodies, giving Kas access to snake the minute camera under the door. He carefully watches the feed on his screen, noting the positions of the armed guards inside. He doesn’t see the girls, realizing that they are probably in the back, held captive until the hellacious bidding for their bodies begins. Adjusting his ear pierce, he waits on Frank to deliver the news about the girls.
“Approximately thirty girls, two chaperones, and heavy fire power.”
Kas silently whispers another quick prayer. “Go in three.” Three, Two, One.
Deafening explosive sounds crack mercilessly through the air as blinding, blazing flashes of light illuminate the entire old warehouse from every corner. The team expertly infiltrates the building with flash bangs crashing through the windows, deftly stunning its unexpecting occupants. Kas hears shots from the back as he witnesses his and Russo’s shots taking down more guards. He has a split second of relief when the sound of the ammunition in the back confirms it was made by his men’s weapons.
“Chaperones down.” Kas hears Frank’s confirmation mixed with the terrified screams of the girls.
Chaos is breaking out all around him. Exorbitantly dressed buyers scatter, some with bodyguards doing the job they are paid highly for by shielding their debased employers as they flee for the exits. The smoky haze makes the tumultuous commotion of the coughing, screaming melee surreal. He knows the ones that actually make it to the exits without being apprehended will not make it any further with the rest of his team and Derrick’s team ready on the outside.
A flash of silver streaks across Kas’ peripheral vision. He raises his Glock and fires it into the trafficker’s thigh, choosing not to make a kill shot unless absolutely necessary for two reasons; they need all the information they can get from the trafficker, and he doesn’t handle taking a life, even a wicked life, lightly. Russo secures the wounded trafficker as Kas races after another assailant, tackling him before he reaches the door.
The man refuses to go down without a fight and lands a fierce blow to Kas’ jaw. The impact only fazes Kas for a second. Shaking off the blow, he blocks the path as his attacker takes a balanced, squatting stance. Kas immediately recognizes the martial arts stance and adopts one of his own, his intense training making him a skilled opponent.
The trafficker attacks with a forceful snap front kick. Kas twists to the side, barely dodging the blow. The trafficker keeps coming, rapidly throwing upper cuts and right hooks which Kas expertly blocks. Deciding a good, old fashioned elbow to the jaw will suffice, Kas lands his elbow against the trafficker’s jaw with such force, it knocks him to the floor.
As Kas goes to cuff him, the trafficker launches a side kick, sending him flying backwards, slamming him roughly into a metal beam. A painful groan escapes Kas’ lips as he catches himself before sinking to the floor. He bites back the excruciating pain and comes up swinging, landing a strong right hook then a powerful roundhouse, sending the trafficker spiraling back to the cold concrete. Kas goes down on one knee as he wraps his arm around the man’s neck in a choke hold, squeezing until he cuts off the blood flow, and the man is as limp as a wet noodle crumpled on the floor.
He roughly cuffs the man, stopping only to check to make sure his breathing is returning to normal. He quickly scans the room which is empty now, except for himself and his passed out opponent. Checking in with Frank, he makes sure all of the girls made it to safety. Once he’s given the affirmation that the girls have been safely recovered, he and his team secure the area, removing any intel found. Kas refuses to see the medic, just wanting to finish, check on the girls, then go home to check on his girl.
Two hours later, the girls are finished with the medics and are with counselors while they are questioned. The rest of Derrick’s team is interrogating the traffickers, and Derrick tells Kas that the one he took down has been identified as the trafficker who handled Claudia, as well as some of the other girls from Derrick’s previous raid. Relief pumps through Kas hearing that they got the man who terrorized and rented Claudia’s body out to countless men.
Saving Rain Page 12
