by Leslie North
But first…
Hunter wiggled his wrists to slide the ropes off his hands while the thugs were still engrossed in their argument, now switching from the slave drop tonight to the sorry state of the strippers at the club. One thug thought the girls were being fed too much and were getting fat. The other felt they ought to brand them all in case one of the girls got free.
Real gentlemen these schmucks were.
As he slowly worked his way free to avoid the notice of the boss and his guards, Hunter spotted that same shadow outside the windows. His pulse tripped. Not the boss then. But who? The only other person who knew about this house was…
Alex.
Had to be. El Pueblo wasn’t that far from here. Given she was barefoot and likely sticking to back alleys all the way, the timing was right.
Good girl.
Now all Hunter had to do was get out to her in one piece and get them to someplace safe. The ropes slid free of his hands and hit the floor with a quiet clatter. All that was left were his ankles. Unfortunately, all three thugs turned at once to face him, their gazes flicking from Hunter to the ropes, then back again.
“Well, well, well.” The sex boss stepped forward slowly, his evil grin growing with each step, the knife blade glittering in his hand. “Looks like Prince Pussy woke up. How about we carve him up like a Halloween pumpkin for his little girlfriend to find?”
15
Through the gauzy curtains over the front windows of the safe house, Alex was able to make out the shapes of the two thugs and the portly outline of the sex boss as he advanced on Hunter in the brightly lit kitchen. Her already jangled nerves went into overdrive and adrenaline flooded her system. Time to put all those martial arts moves she’d learned for her roles into action.
After a deep breath for courage, she slammed open the front door and stepped into the living room, doing her best Wonder Woman pose to boost her confidence. “Touch him and you’re going to regret it.”
Three astonished looks met hers from the kitchen—the two thugs and the sex boss. Hunter just sat there on the chair he was tied to grinning at her with pride radiating from his gorgeous blue eyes. Then, everything seemed to happen at once.
Hunter took advantage of the momentary distraction to headbutt one of the thugs in the gut, while simultaneously grabbing the sex boss’s wrist and twisting hard, causing him to drop the knife. Alex’s gaze flicked from Hunter to the small pile of rope on the floor and realized he’d somehow gotten his hands free, though his ankles were still tied to the chair.
The third thug advanced on Alex in the living room, menace radiating off him in waves. He stood a good foot and a half taller than her and gave even Hunter a run for his money in the muscle department. But they always said the bigger they were, the harder they fell. Whoever the hell “they” were.
Alex snorted at her own joke and began circling the thug in the living room, careful to keep one eye on the kitchen and the other on her attacker. The sound of wood splitting echoed through the air and she glanced over to see Hunter ram backward into the second thug, shattering the back of the chair upon impact with the thug’s abdomen. Even she winced. That was going to definitely leave a mark.
“Give up now, bitch, and I might use lube when I rape the fuck out of you,” thug two said, with little tact and even less intelligence. “Your choice.”
“Really?” Alex shrugged. “I go for choice number three.”
The thug looked confused, frowning. “Huh?”
“Choice three.” She eyed his frame for weak points. There weren’t many. Still, no one was immune to the old SING technique—solar plexus, instep, nose, groin. The thug stopped and seemed to think about her statement for a moment and Alex seized her chance. Head lowered, she ran straight at the startled man, elbow up and aimed straight for his mid-chest. A loud OOOFFF sounded as she made contact, then fast as sin, she stomped her heel down on his foot. When he bent over in pain, she rammed her elbow into his nose, satisfaction flooding her system. Cartilage cracked and blood spurted. Alex was normally squeamish about any kind of violence, but when her life and the life of the man she cared for was at stake, she’d do whatever it took to survive.
The thug reared back clutching his battered face, and Alex delivered her final blow. One hard slam of her knee straight between his legs. She barely had time to get out of the way as his huge body heaved forward. He dropped to his knees, his face draining of color beneath the blood as a high-pitched wheezing noise escaped from his mouth. Then he keeled over face-first into the carpet, holding his injured dick and crying like a tiny baby.
“Jesus Christ, woman!” Hunter called from the kitchen. While his attention was diverted, the sex boss made a run for the back door. Hunter tried to catch him, but with his ankles still bound to the chair, walking fast was difficult. “Fuck!”
Alex ran for the door too, but it was too late. Moments later an engine roared to life and the sex boss took off in a screech of tires and burning rubber. Which left only Hunter and Alex and the two thugs who were currently moaning on the floor.
She immediately dropped to her knees and reached for Hunter’s ankles to undo the ropes. “I was so afraid they were going to kill you before I got here.”
“I was kind of afraid of that too,” Hunter said, wiping away a drip of blood from his nose. Seemed the thugs had roughed him up a bit anyway. Alex stood and ran her fingers over his bruised, beautiful face. “I’m glad you showed up when you did though. Where the hell did you learn to fight like that?”
“I told you. Movie roles.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed his lips gently before lowering to flat feet again and looking around. “What do we do now?”
“Now.” Hunter stepped around her and closed the back door. “We clean this shit up then we call Loki for back up.”
“What about the thugs?” Alex began picking up pieces of broken chair from the kitchen floor. “Do we call the police on them?”
“Not yet.” Alex headed back toward the master bedroom. “Let’s lock them in the safe room for now. That way we can have the cops pick them up in the morning. You and I have more important things to do tonight.”
Alex shook her head and grabbed a garbage bag, her tone teasing. “Is sex all you ever think about?”
“Yes.” Hunter returned and stuck his head around the corner of the kitchen, a wad of white Kleenex sticking out of one nostril to staunch the blood. “But I wasn’t talking about that. I heard them talking before you arrived. They thought I was knocked out. We still might have a chance to save your friend and bring the sex boss down, if I can get a plan together.”
“What?” She looked up at him, surprised. She’d been so focused on saving Hunter, she’d forgotten all about poor Bea. Guilt and shame flooded in, along with a glimmer of hope. “How?”
“My guess is they’ll take the slaves to Club Xcite tonight instead of here. If we can get enough reinforcements, I can take a team in there and end this shit.”
“Okay.” Alex blinked several times, running through things in her head. “Do you know enough people out here to do that? Get a team together, I mean.”
“No.” He waggled his fingers toward Alex. “Grab his feet while I take his shoulders.” Together they moved first one, then both, of the still out-of-it thugs into the safe room. Hunter waited until the metal door slid shut, then punched a code into the keypad on the outside of the room, smiling at Alex again. “But Loki does. He’s got friends all over the world. One phone call should take care of it.”
“Guess we’ll be making a stop at the mini-mart again, huh?”
“Guess so.” Hunter slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. He kissed her so thoroughly she nearly forgot her name, let alone what the hell they were doing. “Thanks again for saving my life, baby. Now, call that driver of yours to pick us up so we can get those phones then get to your place for a nice hot shower. My back is killing me.”
16
Two hours later, Hunter was clean and dres
sed in a fresh T-shirt and clean jeans. They were safely ensconced in Alex’s home, and he was planning out the best way to both put an end to the human trafficking ring at the club that evening and get Bea back safely at the same time. He took a seat on the sofa on the opposite end from Alex, the new burner phone he’d bought at the mini-mart still pressed to his ear as it had been since he’d walked out of the shower an hour prior.
“It’s your mission, Hunter. You’ve got complete control. Run it how you see best. I trust you on this,” Loki said, his deep voice oddly distracted. “Listen, I’ve got to go. Make sure you update me once things go down so I know if I need to call in more manpower, yeah?”
“Yeah.” Hunter nodded, still a bit shocked. This was his big chance for the promotion and Loki seemed to be willing to give him every shot of making it. They were friends outside the agency, but professionally, he’d never been sure quite where Loki stood with him. Now, there was no doubt. Loki was one-hundred-percent on-board with Hunter. It made him feel both happy and humble. He cleared his throat. “Thanks, man.”
“Anytime.” Loki’s smile was evident through the phone line. “Call me. And be careful, dude. We’re still digging out from the aftermath of that Aeon debacle with Cam.”
“Will do.” Hunter chuckled as he ended the call. Cam, the agency’s tech guru, had been gunning for his own mission for months and Loki had finally given in and used him to retrieve a valuable car that had been stolen from the federal government. The whole thing should’ve been a piece of cake, especially for Cam who basically ate, slept, and pissed computer code. But things had taken a turn for the complicated when a gal Cam used to know turned out to be a thief with the same objectives as Cam—get the car back at all costs. The two had ended up getting the car together, though it was more than a tad worse for the wear. They’d also ended up in love and married at the end of it all. Hunter hazarded a glance over at Alex, who was busy texting on her own phone. Marriage certainly wasn’t on his mind at the moment, but maybe he and Alex could have something lasting after all this anyway. He was willing to explore the possibility. “Loki’s called in favors from his west coast friends. We should have all the help we need tonight.”
“Good.” She looked up from her phone screen and grinned at him. “The bartender sent me pics of the club’s interior with flash, so we can actually see where all the nooks and crannies are in the place. Lots of hiding spots, which is good. I’ve been there many times, but you saw yourself how dark it was in there. These should help you put your men where you need them to be.”
“Cool.” They moved closer on the sofa so they sat shoulder to shoulder and Alex scrolled through the pics for him. Hunter couldn’t resist leaning over and burying his face in her long, soft hair. God, he’d missed the sweet citrusy scent of her, the taste of her soft skin. She shivered as he nuzzled the sensitive spot where her neck met collarbone. “We’ve got a few hours to kill before we need to get ready, you know.”
“We do?” Alex giggled as Hunter pulled her back into the cushions with him, her new phone falling to the floor as she slid her arms around his neck. “And how do you suggest we spend our time?”
“Oh, I’ve got more than a few ideas,” he said, pulling her down for an openmouthed kiss.
“Only a few?” She raised a brow as her hand crept between them to stroke his hard cock through his jeans.
“Way more than a few.” Hunter rolled over, taking Alex with him until she was squarely beneath him and his hands were under her pink top, resting on smooth warm skin. “Best get started now so we get to them all, Mistress.”
17
Alex stood in the shadows across the street from Club Xcite, doing her best not to fidget in her new costume. With her scarlet red wig, skimpy black leather dress, and goth style makeup, she looked nothing like her normal self or even the brown haired, bespectacled Dom from a few days earlier. Then again that was the point.
“Everything’s in place,” Hunter whispered from beside her. “My team has got every angle covered inside. No way these guys are making it out of here without handcuffs and a police escort. You remember the plan?”
She nodded. “Stay quiet, stay submissive. Don’t react when I see Bea. Let you handle the dangerous stuff. Got it.”
Of course, all of that was subject to change once they were inside. Bea was her best friend. Depending on the condition they found her in, Alex might have to break open a can of whoop ass on the sex boss all over again. Her blood boiled just thinking about the awful things Bea had had to witness and maybe even endure because of that asshole. If anyone deserve a kick to the face, it was that bastard.
“Good. Let’s do it.” Hunter tugged gently on the black braided leash around Alex’s neck and led her across the street to the club. For his part, he looked different too. Purple dye in his hair, eyeliner, fake piercings in his nose and eyebrow. Still hot though. Alex bit her lip as she stared at his ass in those tight leather pants. God. The man could make a garbage bag look sexy.
The bouncer stopped them, as usual. Alex kept her gaze lowered, even though she had in dark contacts to cover her blue eyes. Didn’t want to risk recognition at this point and blow their cover. Hunter slipped the beefy guard two hundred-dollar bills and got them in the door.
Inside, the club was as murky as ever. Pink and blue neon lights reflected weakly through the smoke-filled air. The low thrum of electronic house music throbbed through the speaker system, and the room smelled of warm bodies and the sharp tang of alcohol. People clustered around the space, drinking or dancing or talking. Adrenaline prickled through Alex’s nerve endings as she realized unseen eyes watched and waited for Hunter’s signal.
A murmur broke through the crowd as the door leading to the restricted back area of the club banged open and the sex boss walked out, two new guards flanking him. The guy scanned the room then locked gazes with a hard-edged Asian guy at the bar. They exchanged chin hikes then the Asian dude strode across the room to where the sex boss stood with his guards.
This is it. Please be okay, Bea. Please.
While Alex watched, she felt the tension in Hunter’s body as he stiffened beside her, the leash still clutched in his hand. His expression was unreadable, but she could tell he was poised to strike by the rigid set of his broad shoulders. Shit was about to go down.
The sex boss and the Asian exchanged a few words she couldn’t hear, then the sex boss snapped his fingers loud. The music in the club cut off with a screech and the two guards flanking him disappeared back through the door into the restricted area. When they emerged again, they were each accompanied by two figures, hard to tell if they were male or female, with bland gray hoodies on. Even with their faces mostly covered, Alex imagined they’d all be filthy and shivering, marred with dirt and blood. The guard’s firm grip on their arms worked as well as any set of handcuffs and their feet were covered with cheap rubber flip flops that could be bought for less than a dollar at any drug store. All of them wore the same plain black leggings.
Bile rose hot and bitter in Alex’s throat. She swallowed hard to keep from vomiting. Bea was there, in the back next to the smaller of the two guards. Her short dark hair was sticking up all over her head and her bottom lip appeared to be split and swollen, but otherwise she looked unharmed. Well, as unharmed as one could be in that situation.
Despite the horrific scene, Alex’s heart leapt. “She’s there,” she whispered to Hunter. “In back, on the left, near the door. It’s Bea.”
“Quiet.” Hunter tugged on the leash without looking at Alex, shocking her into silence. His voice held an edge of steel she’d not heard from him before. She was used to being on the dominant side of things, but Alex had to admit seeing her man playing the alpha male was incredibly hot too. Maybe they’d have to switch things up the next time they were in the sack. If they got out of this mess, that was. Hunter continued to stare straight ahead, a small muscle ticking near his tight jaw. “Stay. Put. Understand?”
Much as she longed to
run across the room and tackle poor Bea in a bear hug, she didn’t want to put her best friend’s life at risk. Or anyone else’s for that matter. She knew Hunter was packing, she’d seen him check the magazine in his Glock before concealing it in a special holster beneath his purple T-shirt and leather vest. She assumed the rest of his team was armed as well.
None of that quelled her fears when the sex boss pulled that nasty looking knife out of his waistband again and started waving it around, threatening the Asian man. Apparently, there was some dispute over price. The other people in the club continued on with their business as if nothing was going on—either in on the deal, Alex supposed, or part of Hunter’s team.
Suddenly, the sex boss reached back and grabbed Bea by the arm, yanking her forward so hard she stumbled and fell to her knees. He dug his fingers into her short hair and forced her head back to expose her neck. Hunter took a step forward, his free hand raised to signal his team.
“For that price you get three, not four,” the sex boss yelled. “This one goes.”
He raised the knife to slit Bea’s throat and Hunter gave his signal. Within moments, chaos ensued. Fights broke out amongst the patrons while Hunter dropped Alex’s leash and charged directly for the sex boss. He wanted revenge, a concept Alex was all too familiar with.
During the pandemonium, shots rang out and the four women still chained together huddled on the floor for survival. Alex rushed over to them, shoving through a crowd of flailing people to reach Bea, who was staring wide-eyed as Hunter bashed the sex boss’s face in with his fists.
