“I wouldn’t move. He doesn’t like when men try to manhandle me,” she stated with her foot on his junk. “Someone’s momma didn’t teach him to control his anger and not to put his hands on a woman.”
That was his wakeup call.
She was wrong.
His mother had taught him just that. This was proof he was raw, festering, and a danger to himself.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
She pressed down on her foot to emphasize she wasn’t happy with that apology.
Rogue swallowed.
“For the record, Mr. Ravenscroft, no, we didn’t know. No one knew. I did a little research for you,” she stated, pulling up a birth certificate on the screen. “There is no father listed for Peony. We dug into it, and we couldn’t find jack shit. Charlotte Shaw didn’t want ANYONE to know. Now, if you’d like, we can have a DNA test done for you, so you will know definitively if she’s yours.”
He didn’t need that.
Where the hell was his dog when he needed him?
Christ!
“If you want proof, we can give you that,” Ethan stated calmly from the chair he was still sitting in nearby.
“She’s mine,” he muttered from the floor. “I don’t need a test. She’s my daughter.”
They were good with that if he was.
“Really,” he stated.
Rogue had dog teeth touching his throat, and he didn’t want to mess with the German Shepherd.
They had a wicked bite.
“Yeah, well, hopefully, she’s adjusting better to the whole situation than you are,” Elizabeth stated.
“Anyone want to help?” Rogue asked from the floor. “Seriously?”
“No, I’m good with this,” Zayn stated. “You’ve been a cranky bitch the last week. You deserved this.”
Stella elbowed him.
“ZAYN!”
“Well, he has!”
Dakota tried to wrangle this one.
“Lyzbeth, let him up. Rogue, don’t be pissy and don’t put your hands on women!” he stated. Why the man didn’t see this one coming was beyond him.
It was like having to babysit children.
It was exhausting.
“Clearly, she didn’t know. Elizabeth is mean, but she has kids. She wouldn’t use them as a tool, right?” he asked her, really not expecting an answer.
“No, I wouldn’t. They aren’t disposable things used to manipulate people.” She thought about how Desdemona had planned on doing that to Callen. Catherine was meant to hurt him, and that didn’t fly with her.
She wouldn’t play that game.
Ever.
That was NOT how she rolled.
Dakota believed her.
“Okay, so how is a dead woman connected to a sex trafficking ring that goes back decades?” Dakota asked. “Adsilla was killed a long time ago. Rosemary supposedly died almost two decades ago.”
“Well, we did a little research,” Elizabeth said, sitting in her husband’s lap.
“Can I get up?” Rogue asked.
“Can you not be rude?” she asked back.
“Yes.”
She whistled, and not only did Sungila release him, but he licked his face.
Rogue got up as fast as he possibly could to put space between him and the dog. It was better safe than sorry.
“Our research showed that our Rosemary Harrington is actually your Rosemary,” she said to Stella. “They are one in the same. Your dead aunt has been raising some hell across the country.”
She looked shocked.
“I don’t understand any of this. The last two months have been a nightmare. When will it end?”
Oh, they had no idea.
Ethan, knowing she had this, let his wife do the work. The only reason he didn’t let her come down here alone was because he liked his wife without holes in her body. There was no telling the countless amount of trouble she could get into here.
These were mercenaries and Dakota...
That spelled trouble.
“What the hell is going on?” Stella asked. “Please help me understand.”
Elizabeth pulled up the photographs—in an effort to do just that. One was a driver’s license from before her ‘death’, and one was the recent photo that Greyson Croft had gotten them.
She let them study them.
“Oh, yeah, that’s the same woman,” Sarah stated. “She’s had work, you can tell, but she’s the same person. Plastic surgery can’t hide everything. It only alters the basics. She had her nose done, and she’s had cheek implants, but look at the dent in the chin. That’s the same.”
Yes, yes, it was.
Plus, Elizabeth had her forensic artists check it out. Both Jaxon Magnus, and Blue Garrick had independently claimed they were the same woman.
She trusted her team.
Always.
“So, why is Rosemary Harrington abducting her brother’s kids? Why did she take Stella and Mercedes?” Elizabeth asked. “That is what we are faced with right now.”
Stella was flabbergasted by the whole thing. She didn’t understand what the hell could possess someone to do what they did to anyone—let alone relatives.
It was hard to swallow.
She couldn’t believe any of this.
Her aunt did all this?
WHY?
Zayn could see his wife was struggling with all of it, so he tucked her beneath his arm. He knew she was feeling it. God knew he was too.
All of their lives were connected by a series of horrible events. In order to have this moment, they had to have the past. It was tough to swallow.
“I don’t know why she’d do it,” Stella stated. “I don’t know why anyone would do it. I was training to be a doctor. I respect life, Mrs. Blackhawk. I hope you believe that.”
She let the name go, since technically, she was Mrs. Blackhawk, and that was a good thing.
“We do,” Ethan reassured.
The woman looked like she was about to cry.
That said it all.
“Yeah, we don’t know what possessed her to do it, but I never know why some crazy snaps and does the shit they do. We need to start with the bridge in all of this.”
Stella looked confused.
“Who?”
“Where is your father?” she asked, getting right to the point. “See, we can’t ask him if he knew his sister was missing, or dead, and we can’t figure out if he was connected.”
“I know where we can find the answers to all of those questions,” Sarah stated.
They all looked over at her—INCLUDING Dakota, and he didn’t look happy.
“There’s one place where those answers can be found.”
“No,” Dakota stated. “You are not going…”
She cut him off.
Once he got started being bossy, it would be a downhill slide into a fight.
“I need a drink,” she added. “I feel like going to Purgatory. Anyone else in?” she asked.
Elizabeth laughed.
It was amusing as hell.
“Ah, Dakota’s worst nightmare—a strong woman on the loose. This is going to be fun to watch,” Elizabeth stated, knowing the man was going to lose it. “Remember when you used to boss me around?” she asked.
“Not helping.”
“And that’s why we couldn’t date.”
Ethan laughed.
“I’m glad you’re bossy,” he said, pointing at Dakota.
The man grumbled.
“It wasn’t all picnics for me. Remember how you kicked the shit out of me when I did?” he answered.
“Hey, you said let’s go to the gym and settle this,” she stated. “That was on you.”
He sighed.
“Oh, and by the way…nice rock,” she said, winking at Sarah. It was hard not to miss it. “That’s some kind of sparkle,” she stated.
“Bunny was a good girl,” Sarah stated, admiring her ring. It was damn sexy on her hand. “I made sure to thank him.”
&nbs
p; Elizabeth stopped her.
“I’ve seen his dick. I don’t need more. I’m good with my imagination. Thanks.”
Dakota flushed.
Sarah laughed.
“Yes, please, don’t,” Ethan stated. “I’ll have to kill him.”
Dakota didn’t doubt that.
“Can we focus on the job and not me and my past relationships?” Dakota asked.
Ethan was more than happy to do that. He wasn’t happy when his wife discussed the men of her past.
Call him possessive like that.
“That’s not all we’ve found out,” Ethan offered. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a piece of paper. “What do you know about a woman named Storm St. Clair?” he asked.
It had the response they expected.
The only person in the room who even reacted was the ex-US Marshal.
“Wasn’t she that Fed who went MIA on a case?” Dakota asked. “The marshals were called out to hunt for her, teaming up with the FBI, but she was gone without a trace.”
“Yes, that’s her.”
Clearly, it was before Sarah’s time.
“She was never found?” Sarah asked.
“No, she wasn’t. Storm was working undercover to take down the sex ring a year ago. She was taken and moved from Vegas.”
“BY?” Zayn asked.
The same old suspects.
“We believe Rosemary Harrington was the one who moved her. She was running girls out of Vegas to New Orleans. We’ve cut off that escape route for now. Greyson Croft handled it.”
“The mob guy?” Rogue asked, brushing dog hair from his dress pants.
“Yeah, he didn’t like shit going down in his city. He was kind enough to give us his intel,” Elizabeth stated, covering for the man.
What they didn’t know wouldn’t hurt them.
In this case, the world needed to think Greyson Croft was one of the bad guys. To keep Vegas from imploding, like New Orleans was about to do, they needed to let the mob man be a mob man.
“And a mob man helped the FBI out?” Dakota asked.
She didn’t say anything.
“Oh, he’s still on your team,” he said, finally getting it.
“We can’t confirm or deny that,” Ethan stated. “It’s classified.”
Dakota wasn’t buying that. He’d worked for the federal government. When someone didn’t want to answer something, they said, ‘that’s classified’ as a way to avoid it.
He laughed.
“Something funny?”
“Nope,” he stated. “I get it.”
Oh, Elizabeth was sure he did.
Did she trust Dakota?
Yes.
Did she trust the rest of them?
Hell no!
“Let’s just say he rolled on the intel and leave it at that. He and his ‘people’ took care of Rosemary’s partner in Vegas. We think that Chesky Jensen was her contact in New Orleans. We believe that she connected with him years ago, and they’ve been working together.”
“So, she’s responsible for my sister’s death?” Zayn asked, getting up to pace the room.
They all knew how life changing this was for everyone there. Stella’s family was responsible for the hell in Zayn’s life. Dakota was being told to accept something without digging into it. Now they had to add a second person to chase.
This was tough, and they got it.
“Yes, we believe so, Mr. Thundercloud. We think she’s the boss, and he’s one of her minions. When your sister was taken, we think she was the person behind it, calling the shots.”
Well, that didn’t make him happy.
At all.
He put his fist through the wall.
Elizabeth was horrified.
“Hey! This is my nest! You don’t see me abusing it! If I can’t put my fist through things, you can’t either!” Elizabeth stated. “Be gentle. She has a soul!”
He was bright red.
It was clear Zayn was not thinking about anyone’s soul—especially a house’s.
“I want her dead.”
Yeah, that said it all.
Newsflash…
There was a list of people who wanted her dead too. He was just one more person on it.
“Well, we just want her stopped,” Ethan stated. “This woman is the next piece of the puzzle. Not only is she in the city,” he stated, “but we believe Storm St. Clair is too.”
That had their attention.
They knew what that meant.
Some of their ‘retrieval’ skills were about to come in damn handy.
“Do you want us to locate the missing Fed?” Dakota asked. “Really?”
He passed him the paper.
“Yes, we do. She’s been in Hell. It’s time to set her free. That address is where she’s being held. We got it from a madam’s records. That particular woman, who was helping Rosemary Harrington, met an untimely death. We need you to get her and keep her safe.”
“And do what?” Zayn asked.
“Uh, save her?” Elizabeth asked. “You know…since she’s a human being that’s being used as a sex slave.”
He stared at her.
“I’m here to get revenge, not save the world.”
Elizabeth opened her mouth to tell him off, but Stella spoke first.
“I’ll save her. Give me the address. I can’t sleep at night knowing some poor Fed was trafficked into a sex ring. I’ll go there and get her if my husband won’t.”
Zayn stared at her.
“Stella.”
“No, Zayn. I normally let you be the bossy one. This is your thing. You’re the mercenary, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let some innocent woman, who was simply doing her job to stop the sex industry, be held as a sex slave. NO. I draw the line here and now.”
Sarah spoke up, “I’ll help Stella if the men don’t have the balls to do it. I’m not afraid.”
She let that hang there.
“Uh, I didn’t say I was afraid,” Zayn stated. “I said that I’m not here to be a hero. She’s a cop. We aren’t friends.”
Elizabeth stared at him.
“That’s funny since you’re living under my roof, and your boss here, is my friend.”
Dakota agreed.
“She has a point. They’ve helped us, and we’re going to save that woman. If you can’t do it, I’ll take Sarah in. We’ll handle it.”
Zayn sighed.
“FINE. Since my wife is giving me that look, I’m in, too, but enough saving the world. I want to put an end to Chesky Jenson and his helpers.”
And it was settled.
“We’ll get her,” Dakota stated. “Call it part of the job. No need to keep tabs for this one.”
Both mercenaries stared at him like he was insane.
“Pardon?” Rogue asked. “Oh, I think we definitely need a running tab on this one, or we’ll be his unpaid lapdogs by the end of the year. What is in it for us, Dakota? This is about self-preservation.”
Elizabeth, who was sitting in Ethan’s lap, lifted a brow.
“Oh, I really hope you didn’t just call me a dog.”
He stared at her.
“Wow, you really are pissy this week,” Elizabeth stated. “What’s in it for you? Well, here’s what you’re going to want to see.”
She sent more intel to the screen.
“We have a hit on your father’s GPS.”
“And?” Rogue asked, not sure how his deadbeat sperm donor was involved in this.
“He’s been to the location where Storm is being held. We ran everything before we came here, just in case you called it bullshit. We’ve had the information a few hours. We’ve been thorough with everything.”
Dakota needed to know for his own peace of mind. It mattered.
“Who ran it?” he asked.
“Me,” she offered. “This is too important to let someone else do it. I handled this. We were in Vegas correlating data to pass off to you, and now we’re heading back home.”
He was good with that.
Dakota knew that Elizabeth didn’t screw around, and if she ran it, she really ran it.
“She’s our top priority,” Ethan stated. “Not because she is a Fed, but because she’s going to be able to give you more on the people behind this.”
Dakota was really good with that. They were running on fumes when it came to leads. They needed something big to break these cases open.
As for Storm…
He recalled the gossip. They thought they had a mole in the FBI who ratted Storm out, and he didn’t trust anyone but the two people in the room who wore FBI badges.
They could trust the Blackhawks.
Elizabeth pulled a file from her bag.
“This is all we have. Your father may be connected to this,” she warned Rogue. “If he is, he needs to be handled.”
The man laughed.
“Oh, well, sign me up. I’d love to handle him. I’ve been waiting for thirty some years.”
Yeah, someone was in a really bad mood. Normally, Rogue was the easy-going one.
“We’ll handle him too,” Dakota promised. “If he’s involved, he’s on our list.”
That was EXACTLY what they needed to hear.
The bad guys were about to behave badly.
“Well, to help you out, we have a ghost here on the ground,” Ethan offered. “He’s digging for intel in the city. He’s more bad than good, so the locals will welcome him. If he finds anything, he’s been instructed to pop in and share.”
That intrigued all of them.
They were hesitant, and Ethan could see it on their faces. The three men had formed a bond and adding one to the mix was risky. Only, it was one he felt needed to be taken.
For the end goal.
“Who is it?” Dakota asked out of curiosity. “I wouldn’t recommend having just anyone pop in here. Zayn is predisposed to violence.”
He laughed.
That wasn’t an exaggeration.
“You peel one dick like a banana and drown one witness, and no one lets you forget it.”
“As in peel the skin off…,” Ethan began, trying not to cringe over the visual in his head. Thank God his wife was currently sitting on his lap.
“Yup.”
Yeah, that wasn’t a good thing. He didn’t need more of a visual in his head. That was damn sufficient.
It said it all.
“So, we’ll head to Purgatory, and dig around?” Sarah asked, still smiling.
“I opt to stay here and work the file,” Rogue stated.
Absolution: The Hunter Mercenary Series (Book Two) Page 6
