Lace Underground: The Complete Trilogy

by Oliver, Tess

  I stare long and hard at him as his guards move in on me. "In the end, I think it'll be you and me. Then I'll be wiping the cocky smirk off your face and handing it back to you through your ass just before I slam shut the cell door."

  My two new buddies yank me off my feet and drag me out of the office.

  33

  Angie

  Three days of almost regular meals and I'm feeling human. The nectar doesn't leave me nearly as lightheaded and out of it. Even though my libido is still out of control, I can think straighter.

  I sit on the bed and pick up one of the magazines that came with my food. Without Blake, I'm cut off from the activities in the rest of the complex. After complaining about attending the club party, I'm afraid to ask Kane about the schedule. The last thing I want to do is spark any suspicions about the new club member. At the same time, I'm going crazy wondering if Maddox will return soon to Lace Underground. Or did he already gather enough information and possibly even the location to start the process of shutting Kane down?

  The door opens and Kane walks in. "Get packed. We're going on a short trip."

  "Oh," I say in surprise, "I thought we could talk. There's something I wanted to ask you."

  He seems to be in a hurry but takes the time to sit on the edge of the bed. "You need your injection." He remembers as he sees my red arm.

  "No, I don't," I say too loudly. "I want to skip the midday dose. Just one a day. I'm feeling better and eating."

  "Glad to see that but I think you'll reverse all that by skipping a dose."

  I take hold of his hand. "Kane, I want to go home." With the amount of courage it took me to say it, I'm amazed and relieved at how easily he seems to take it.

  "I thought you had no home?"

  "Yes, well I have friends on the outside that I miss. I can't sit in this room forever. You've said it yourself. I'm your poison." I add a smile hoping to lighten the mood. "Time to suck it and spit it out." As I speak his face flattens. There is no visible emotion. Surprisingly, I'm somewhat hurt by his lack of reaction. I'd convinced myself that he couldn't live without me, and for a time, in between moments of clarity, I convinced myself I couldn't live without him. "You knew this was coming, didn't you?"

  He stands from the bed and doesn't answer. It's his most frustrating habit.

  "I need to go back to the Caribbean and finish my business. One last trip together. Then we'll talk. Be ready in an hour. I've got a special surprise waiting for you."

  The door shuts. I'm alone in the room again, cut off from the world.

  34

  Angie

  Kane leads me up the steps to his private plane. The blindfold makes the climb slightly terrifying, especially with gusts of wind battering us and the roar of plane engines thundering in the distance. I grip him as if my life depends on it, which, in this case, is pretty much true. I'm more than ready to leave him to go back to my life, but I still find myself feeling safe and secure with him. I feel important, relevant. More so than I have during most of my life. Even with his many mood shifts, Kane's support and attention has been unwavering. Even thin and hollow eyed and pale, he still looks at me in that way that every woman wants to be looked at—a look that makes it seem he can look past all my imperfections and see the person he admires.

  I feel the burst of air that lets us know we are inside the plane. He lifts away the blindfold once we are in the cabin. It's dark outside and a rowdy thunderstorm is playing its song in the distance. I find my seat on the small leather couch on one side of the plane while Kane goes to the cockpit to talk to the crew. He was especially quiet and hands off in the limo. It seemed he was focused on the business ahead.

  Jason and Oscar are nowhere in sight but I have no doubt that they'll be traveling with us. On the last trip Blake told me that no one enters or leaves Lace Underground when Mr. Freestone is traveling. It's why he doesn't ever stay away long. I hope that's the case again. It means there won't be any member parties while we are out on the boat. I'd hate to think Maddox was in the complex, possibly looking for me, while I was thousands of miles away.

  Several days on the yacht will give me a chance to regain even more strength. Then I'll have the courage to talk to Kane about leaving him for good.

  I pull the sweater I'm wearing closer around me to block out the chilly night air drifting in through the open plane door. It seems we are still waiting for passengers. Oscar and Jason, no doubt.

  Kane returns and hands me a drink. "Vodka on the rocks," he says.

  I shake my head. "No, thank you. I'm still buzzing from the late morning injection."

  He holds it in front of me. "Take it just in case."

  I take it and raise the glass in a silent toast. "Does that mean we're in for a wild, turbulent ride? That thunderstorm in the distance sounds menacing."

  He chugs back his own drink. "Yeah, we're due for some turbulence this flight." He walks over to the wet bar and refills his glass.

  I put the glass in the holder and cross my arms to shield myself from the brisk air. "Are they closing the door soon? It's cold outside."

  "Just waiting on a few more people." He walks to the door and looks out. For the first time I notice that his jaw is tight and rigid. He grips the glass hard enough to turn his fingertips white.

  "Club members?" I ask.

  He turns back and looks at me. "Something like that."

  I sigh audibly. "Do you realize you are the most vague person in the world? Why must every answer be a puzzle shrouded in mystery?"

  He flicks his brows up and down. "Makes me more interesting, don't you think?"

  "More irritating, yes. More frustrating, yes. But not more interesting."

  "Too bad. I pride myself on being interesting." Kane finishes his second drink. It surprises me considering I rarely see him finish even one. He pours himself a third drink and sits in his chair to finish it. His posture is always perfect but tonight it seems particularly rigid.

  Multiple sets of loud, clumsy footsteps pound the metal stairs leading up to the plane. "It seems Oscar and Jason have been hitting the vodka on the rocks tonight too," I say lightly, hoping to get a hint of a grin. No luck.

  Oscar steps into the plane first but turns back as if he's dragging something behind him. He struggles and cusses for a second. I scoot instinctively back thinking he's fighting off an attacker.

  "You stupid fucker." Oscar's face is red as he yanks hard on the arm I now see him gripping. One good pull and Oscar stumbles backward bringing the person with him.

  Green eyes land instantly on my face. I jump to my feet with a gasp.

  Jason steps in holding Maddox's other arm. His hands are cuffed in front of him. Cuts and bruises mar his face. I can't hear the engine of the plane over the pounding of my pulse.

  Jason and Oscar drag Maddox farther into the plane. It seems as if time has slowed to a crawl as Maddox's throat moves with a deep swallow. The twisted look of hurt and regret and apology in his face pushes tears into my eyes. But they don't fall. Not this time. I will not crumple into a weak, whimpering butterfly this time. And this time, I don't give a fuck about Kane or his bodyguards or anyone.

  I close the space between us in four quick steps. The silent partner communication still works. He knows exactly what I want. Maddox lifts his cuffed hands. I duck under them and land hard enough against him to send him temporarily off balance.

  "Let him go." I hear Kane's deep voice behind us. It's strained and tight and different.

  Oscar and Jason release their hold on Maddox. He drops his arms around me, holding me against him. I lift my hand to touch his shirt, his throat, his forearm. "It's really you."

  "In the flesh. And you've got some explaining to do, Tennyson," he says low enough for just me to hear.

  I don't want to leave his arms but I know I have no choice. I can feel Kane's eyes searing holes in my back. As I pull away and duck back under his arms, Maddox manages to grab hold of my hand. He holds it away from my body to get a better
look at the needle spots on my arm. The shame I feel is as intense as the rage in his face. He releases my hand.

  I turn back to Kane. "What are you planning to do with us?" I ask.

  The grin I tried for earlier appears, only it's not a humored grin. "Us? It's us already? He's been here ten seconds and it's us." Kane motions to Jason and Oscar with a tilt of his head. They brusquely walk Maddox over to a seat and sit him down hard. Instead of a seatbelt, Oscar pulls out a bungee cord and secures him tightly to the chair like luggage on the top of a car.

  Maddox stares down at the cord around his stomach. "Seriously? What kind of airline is this?" His smart comment causes Jason to tighten the cord more. Maddox winces as it grinds into his stomach.

  "Sit down and buckle up," Kane spits his order at me. Not surprisingly his tone is dry and harsh.

  I sit on the small couch directly across from the chair where Maddox is bound. I can feel Kane staring at the side of my face from his seat. But it doesn't matter. As much as he steals the energy and focus when he is in the room, I hardly notice he's here with James Maddox in the same location.

  Maddox stares at me for a long moment. "I'm sorry, Ten." He doesn't need to elaborate. I know exactly why he's apologizing. As mad as I should be for him blowing this up, I'm thrilled that he worried enough to come after me.

  "His apology isn't necessary," Kane says as he fills his glass for the fourth time.

  The plane engines roar and the plane starts rolling to the runway. Kane is trying to tell me something in his usual nebulous way. When his hidden meaning suddenly dawns on me, it feels as if a ton of bricks has been dropped on me and then just as quickly lifted away. A weight's been lifted.

  Kane sits down with his drink.

  "When did you know?" I ask.

  Kane takes a long drink and lowers the glass. "When you looked at me through the mirror at the warehouse. Something only a person in law enforcement could quickly figure out."

  I'm stunned into silence until a laugh spills out. "Guess my undercover skills aren't quite what I thought."

  "Yeah, add me to the list of flunkies," Maddox quips.

  "Drink?" Kane asks him.

  "Sure."

  Kane walks over to the bar and gets Maddox a drink. It's all too surreal. Maddox awkwardly cups the glass between his cuffed hands and drinks.

  "I'd have them take the cuffs off," Kane says, "but it's obvious you're just a big enough asshole to try something stupid."

  Maddox lifts his drink in a toast. "Here's to being an easy to spot asshole." He shoots back the drink.

  Kane sits back down. I'm still trying to absorb the idea that he knew all along I was undercover. It seems his mental skills are not over exaggerated. "How much have you known?" I ask.

  "It was easy enough to track down information because I knew the location Rowan found you at. Detective Angie Tennyson. It fits you better than Tawny."

  "Then you knew he was a detective too? You knew he was my partner?"

  Kane sits back and buckles up while the plane takes off. "No, I confess I let my guard down with him. A few months ago I gave some of the more veteran club members the job of vetting applicants. It was a mistake. They missed a lot of red flags. I'd been so preoccupied—" he paused, "you had me so preoccupied, I didn't even think about the newest club member until Jason pointed out that he told the other women he had a thing for red heads."

  I look pointedly at Maddox.

  "What?" Maddox shrugs. "There was a whole sweet sentimental story about a teacher crush to go with it. In my defense, I didn't know they were all going to start dying their hair red." Maddox stops and shakes his head. "Shit. Shit." He looks across at Kane. "What the fuck, Freestone? Is drugging people the only thing you know how to do?" Maddox's head drops forward but he snaps it back up and props open his eyes, trying to stay conscious.

  "Some people like to use guns and brute force to keep control," Kane drawls. "I find drugs are much easier and more effective."

  Maddox is still awake enough for one last remark. He always has to get in the last word, even when he's about to be knocked out by a sedative. "Yeah, then what are these two big goons for?"

  "They are for the occasional asshole who deserves to be knocked around." With Kane's last word Maddox's head drops back against the seat and tilts to the side. He's out cold.

  "Loosen that bungee," Kane tells Jason.

  "Is he all right?" I ask worried it might be more than a sedative.

  "Yes, he'll sleep through the flight. Which was my goal."

  The plane has leveled off. Kane gets up from his chair and sits next to me on the couch. He turns to face me as he rests his arm on the back of the couch. His fingers are close enough to my shoulder to touch it. Under normal circumstances he would have, he would have caressed my skin. I'm glad he stays clear of touching me.

  "None of this makes sense." I turn to him. "Why did you bring me to the Lace Underground if you knew I was a cop? Why not just send me back to the park? I would have gone back to the precinct with very little information. You could have just let me go."

  "Told myself that many times since that night. I knew it was a mistake and yet, here you sit. I saw you staring back at me through the mirror, seeing me but not really seeing me. It was the first time I looked into your eyes and you drew me in and never let go. This wasn't a cruel game I was playing. This was nothing more than me wanting you with every fiber of my being. I knew you'd be my downfall but having you became my addiction. Even knowing that the only thing that kept you tied to me was the nectar, I allowed myself to think that there was a connection between us."

  "There was," I say quietly. "Is." I shake my head. "I don't know anymore. I don't know anything. The nectar has erased so much of me."

  "Not true. You're still there, just muted a bit."

  I look across to Maddox. His dark lashes flutter with deep sleep. "Why did you bring him along?" Icy fear suddenly grips me. "What are you planning to do with us?"

  Kane sits back. "I'm going to pull back the lovesick, obsessed man for awhile and let the mad genius take over." He gets up and heads back to his seat.

  "What does that mean?" I ask. "Damnit, why can't you just talk in normal fucking sentences." I slouch back against the seat, cross my arms and close my eyes. But I know I'm not going to get a wink of sleep.

  35

  Maddox

  I open my eyes and look straight into the big face of Kane's bodyguard, Jason, I think.

  "Jeez, you are not someone I want to wake up to." I straighten in my chair and crack my neck and back. It takes me a second to remember we are on a plane. My gaze shoots across to the couch, the last place I saw Ten. She's not there. I try to push to my feet but am dragged back by the bungee cord tied around my middle.

  "Where is she?" I glance around. Freestone isn't in the plane either. "Where is Angie? Where did he take her?"

  "You don't get to ask questions," Jason snorts. Oscar joins him. They release the bungee cord and lift me to my feet. I sway a second until the sedative clears out of my head.

  The door to the plane is open and movable stairs have been pushed up to the exit. My hands are still bound and I've lost feeling in my fingertips. We reach the exit. There's a black van at the bottom.

  I turn to Oscar. "I can walk down on my own. Either that, or the three of us are going to somersault down these metal steps in one big ball." Oscar motions for Jason to go first and he brings up the rear.

  Warm tropical air circles around me. The airport is small, not a big city airport. The palms, surrounding blue horizon and overall island vibe tells me we are in Hawaii or possibly the Caribbean Islands.

  We reach the van and a shove from behind pushes me into the backseat. No sign of Ten or Freestone. My two sidekicks climb in on either side of me. My mouth is dry and sticky from the sleeping pill.

  "Any chance I can get some water?"

  Oscar hits a button on a console in front of us and a small ice chest rolls out. He opens a bottle of wate
r for me.

  I cup it between my hands. "Bottoms up." I chug it back quickly and sigh with relief. "That was just what I needed. So where to, boys? How do we get started on this vacation?"

  They both stay stone faced.

  "Man, you guys should lighten up. Looks like you've got it pretty damn good."

  "Yeah, until some punk ass showed up to try and spoil the fun," Jason says. He takes the empty water bottle from my hand and tosses it into the ice chest.

  "Not a punk ass. Just came here to find my partner. And maybe line your boss up to be fitted with a state penitentiary onesie. A nice orange one to go with his blue eyes." I stare out the tinted windows at the good-sized private plane we just left. "Seriously, this guy is rich. If he never got to market his special drug, then how did he get all the money? It can't just be from club dues, although that Lace Underground membership is pretty fucking pricey." Hoping to keep the whole gig from being a complete failure, I decide to find out what I can about the elusive Kane Freestone other than the obvious that he is a sick fuck who is obsessed with Ten.

  Both men have sealed lips.

  "Come on," I say. "I'll bet good money that wherever the hell we are, I'm not ever going to get off this island."

  They exchange quick glances.

  "See, I caught that. Yep, I'm a goner, so you might as well spill some gossip about the boss. I'll bet it's something illegal, otherwise you guys would talk." That implication is enough to open Oscar's mouth. They are both extremely loyal to Freestone that is for damn sure.

  "Stock market," Oscar says quickly. "Mostly in pharmaceuticals. He knew which drugs were going to be big money makers and invested wisely."

  I sit back somewhat surprised. "Huh, totally legit way to get rich. Never would have guessed it."

  "Why the fuck not?" Jason asks.

  "Hmm, let me see. Young homeless women disappear and turn up addicted to some crazy ass drug that makes them horny enough to sleep with saggy balled billionaires. And a couple of those billionaires end up with their heads smashed in. I'm thinking maybe you two muscle heads had something to do with that."