by Cara Carnes
“Little Bit,” Gage whispered. “I think you’ve lost most of us.”
“She thinks he faked an auction and engineered their rescue so he can put people through whatever process she may or may not have for them after they’re supposedly rescued,” Addy said. “She doesn’t believe he’d buy them back without an ulterior motive.”
Damn but he loved brilliant women. They never ceased to amaze him. No wonder Jud loved being at The Arsenal so much.
Kristof chuckled. “I admit I wouldn’t have thought that far ahead to devise such a brilliant plan. The only ulterior motive I had was keeping my word to Addy and all of you. You trusted me to deal with the situation, and I did in the only way I could. Sadly, I can’t help the women beyond what I’ve done. Freeing them to return back to wherever they were taken only assures that they’d be taken again.”
“And you and Gavriil would both be exposed,” Marshall said.
Kristof nodded. “I didn’t think my actions would be seen as having malicious intent.”
“You know I don’t trust you,” Zoey said. “None of us do.”
“You see what everyone else does,” Kristof replied. “The women shouldn’t suffer because of that.”
“Fine.” Zoey looked up at Gage. “We can take them in and get them out of the country. Then we can figure out what to do.”
Kristof didn’t like the fact that they didn’t trust his intentions, but he understood and respected them more for taking whatever precautions they would to keep the women safe. In their eyes, he was the monster.
He couldn’t fault their logic. He lived in a hazy operational gray that bled deeper into the dark than the light they thrived in. Even though The Arsenal never backed down from entering the gray, they didn’t mire in it daily like him.
“Have they told you where tomorrow night’s auction will be?” Thunder asked. “We should do recon now if we can.”
Kristof glanced at Maksim. “Maksim will forward what we have. It’s a remote location I’m not familiar with.”
“Anything else we need to discuss?” Zoey asked. She glanced about the room. “Okay, then. You all go off and be kickass commandoes, and I’ll keep doing the geek thing.”
Gage laughed and kissed her lips. “You’re a nut, Little Bit.”
Kristof watched the couple and wondered what would’ve happened if he’d made different decisions years ago. He’d once hoped to have the kind of love Gage and Zoey did, but his life wasn’t one where happily ever after was a possibility.
He stood and left the room.
Addy escaped the swarm of people in the living room and stepped outside. A cool breeze offered a bit of comfort despite all the problems awaiting her inside. Footsteps drew to a halt behind her. Though she didn’t know who had followed her, she suspected the conversation would be about Kristof.
“Zoey told me you were moving in to his house,” Marshall said. “I’m not sure that’s the right move.”
“It’s what Iriana would do. He’ll be safer and we’ll have eyes inside his domain. We all know he’s hiding something.” She gripped the black metal railing in front of her and peered out at the park in the distance. “I need you to trust me to handle this; to handle him.”
Focusing on what Iriana would do gave her the emotional distance she needed to escape the shroud of worry blanketing her. She couldn’t let anyone hurt Kristof. Why that mattered was a truth she wasn’t willing to accept, much less discuss with anyone else.
“It’s not you I don’t trust.”
“He won’t hurt me.”
“How do we know that? How do you?” Marshall touched her arm. She turned to face him.
Intensity resonated within his green eyes. Worry filled his face. She often wondered how the man remained sane with all the responsibilities he took on without hesitation. He took on the government organizations of every country reaching out for help and led Arsenal operations. Although he’d turned over a lot to his brothers and let Mary and Vi lead back office operations, everything funneled through him.
He was everything she’d once pretended Peter was.
He was what Peter had once wanted to be.
“We’ll get the missiles back.”
“This isn’t about the missiles.” He ran his hand down her hair. “I need you to understand how important you are to all of us. I’ve fucked up a lot over the years, but I’ve screwed up with you more than anyone. I swear I had no idea about Peter. Any of it.”
“I know. No one did, not even me. He’s dead, Marshall. Hive is gone. We can’t live in the past.”
“We can’t move on from it until we’ve healed the hurts he inflicted, and I’m concerned you haven’t even started.” His voice lowered. “You’ve never spoken with Sinclair. I asked.”
Addy tensed. The Arsenal’s resident psychiatrist had done a great job with Jesse and everyone else who’d sought her help. She’d gotten Mary past what’d happened to her. “I will.”
“When?”
“When this is over, I’ll go to her. I promise.”
“Mary and Cord are digging into Lavrov. HERA can’t find anything before twenty-two years ago, right around the time you first met him.” Marshall touched her shoulder. “They’re hoping you can fill in some gaps.”
“He never talked about his life before the camp. I don’t know anything.”
“We need to get some answers from him.”
“I know.” She turned and faced the park. “I’ll figure out who tried to kill him. He probably doesn’t want to involve us because he knows we’re leaving in a couple days.”
“Maybe, but we can’t trust he has good intentions.”
Addy bit back the argument poised in her brain because she knew he was protecting The Arsenal and her. Despite the good intentions, a part of her resented them. Why didn’t they trust him when they’d welcomed Jud without hesitation? Sure, they’d been wary at first, but they’d come around way faster. He had a background just as dark, if not darker, than Kristof’s.
Right?
“I’ll get answers,” she said.
“You remind me a lot of Mary,” he commented.
Addy cocked her head to the side. That was a new one. She raised her eyebrows and waited.
“You’re both damn good at what you do and see that as your only value. You hide it better than her, but I see it in you too.”
“See what?”
“Your life begins and ends with the ops. You don’t ever let a life outside ops bleed out so others can see it.”
Ops was all she’d ever had, but a man raised in a loving home like Marshall was wouldn’t understand that. Even if he did, it was a past she wasn’t ready to share with anyone at The Arsenal. They were her new life, the closest thing to family she’d ever had. She wouldn’t vomit her past on them because it didn’t matter. She’d survived.
“That’s not true. I do shit with the girls all the time.”
“Yeah, you do. But we both know you’re never off duty when you’re with them. You’re always their protector. I see that in you and Mary because it’s in me, too.” His lips thinned into a grim expression. “I think it’s time we both take a cue from Mary and check our jobs at the door every now and then.”
Damn. The truth within his words stung. The fact that he’d admitted to having the same problem stunned her. Even though he led everyone, he rarely offered insight into whatever lay beneath. “I’ll try if you will.”
“You’ve got a deal.” He smiled. “Let’s go find out when Lavrov wants to conclude business with Gavriil so I can warn my team.”
8
“Okay, everyone’s in position,” Zoey said.
Addy tapped the com in her ear as she exited the vehicle and came around to Kristof’s side. The man cursed when Gavriil exited the residence, a small beige house in the center of a quiet neighborhood.
“You shouldn’t be here,” Kristof said as he drew to a stop in front of Gavriil. “I told you I had this under control.”
“That was before you were shot.” The man’s gaze swept over him. “You should be resting.”
He shrugged and looked at the house. “Do you trust the men you have here?”
“With my life.” Gavriil crossed his arms. “We’ve done this dance many times, comrade. Why would this one be any different?”
Good question. Addy waited for an answer, but Kristof said nothing. A large, white passenger van pulled up to the curb behind Kristof’s car. Maksim exited the driver’s seat and came around but remained near the van. The side door opened, and Gage Sanderson exited, hand on his weapon.
“Ah, Maksim. I haven’t seen him in a long time. What is he these days?”
“Ha. Even he knows that man isn’t what he seems,” Zoey said in the com.
“An attendant,” Addy answered with an eye roll.
Gavriil threw his head back and laughed as he clapped Kristof on his back. “I envied you at first, but you have your hands full with this one. She misses nothing.”
Kristof drew Addy close and swept her hair away from her shoulder. “She is everything I desire and so much more.”
Awareness beaded along her skin as her pulse quickened. He glided his hand down her arm, then back up again, then down her back and around her waist.
“Maybe we should cut the chatter and get inside. I don’t want Kristof exposed out here for long,” she said.
“Of course. Come.” Gavriil turned and headed toward the house. He paused at the entry. “They’ll need medical treatment. I can arrange it if needed.”
“We’ll handle it,” Addy said.
“Iriana knows people who assist women and children out of these situations,” Kristof added. “They’re very good at what they do.”
“The beauty of an angel, the courage of a warrior, the brilliance of a scholar, and now the heart of a lioness.” Gavriil smiled and regarded Addy. “You intrigue me.”
Addy didn’t comment as she opened the door and entered. First approaches with anyone who’d recently experienced trauma of any kind were difficult, but trafficking victims had specific considerations. The fact these eight women had been kidnapped or possibly sold by their own family to one trafficker and then stolen by someone else only to be sold again to yet another left her unsure what the best approach would be.
The eight women huddled together on a large sectional sofa that filled a small living room. Though a television played softly in the corner, all gazes watched the room’s entry when Addy stepped in. She remained where she stood, letting them acclimate a moment to her presence.
“I’m Iriana. My friends and I are going to help you.”
Kristof moved to stand beside her. Addy expected the women to cower when he entered, yet their eyes widened as they looked at one another. All the women were wearing baggy sweatpants and oversized t-shirts. Fluffy socks with cartoon characters in bright colors covered their feet.
“My personal shopper brought over quite a few options,” Gavriil said from behind Addy. “She was more than a bit annoyed when they chose this over the designer dresses.”
“You’re Kristof?” a blonde at the end asked.
“I am.”
“Gavriil told us about you.”
Addy tightened, unsure exactly what that meant. She glanced over her shoulder at the man who’d been anything but the bastard flesh peddler she’d expected. He’d helped Kristof and now he’d hired a personal shopper to clothe the women he’d helped rescue from trafficking.
“Iriana and her friends have helped many women and children start new lives where they’re safe and can do whatever they want,” Kristof said as he took a couple steps forward. All the women watched his progression. Only a couple cowered deeper into the clutch of bodies around them.
“Assume they’re all Russian or know the language. The women in the interior of the grouping will be the most emotionally or physically vulnerable,” Zoey said. “The stronger ones typically shelter those they see as needing their protection. Focus your attention on them and the others will calm. Don’t apologize or offer a false understanding of what they’ve been through. Assure them they’re safe and that we’ll help them. Actions prove more than words.”
Addy moved until she was between them and Kristof. She sat on the coffee table near the women and leaned forward. “You’re safe. You’re going to meet a lot of strangers soon, but they’re all focused on keeping you safe and getting you into a new life. If anything or anyone makes you uncomfortable or scared, let them know. You have a voice and complete control over the situation. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or say whatever you’re thinking. If you’re troubled by something or want to know anything, then someone else likely does too.”
Was she totally screwing this up? Although she’d helped recover women and children, those situations were different. They were in the heat of an op where securing the area was the primary directive to keep whoever they were rescuing safe. This situation was radically different. The women had already been secured and exposed to Gavriil and his men and no telling who else since their nightmare had ended thanks to Kristof’s intervention.
“What will we have to do for this new life? We have no money to pay you.” The woman at the far left narrowed her eyes. “Nothing is free.”
“We’re good at what we do. We use money taken from the assholes who kidnap and sell people to fund everything. You’ll be given new names and papers and we’ll help you get a new home and a job and anything else you’ll need to start over.”
“We won’t go back to where we were?” Tears shimmered within the woman’s blue eyes as she shrank closer to the woman on the far right of the group.
“No, but if you have family or someone you love there, let us know and we will see what we can do. Going home is too dangerous.”
“They’ll take us again,” another said. “We won’t go back.”
“Where will we go?”
Addy glanced at Kristof, then over at Gavriil. “I can’t tell you. I’ll likely not know. What we do works because we trust no one with how it’s done or anything about anyone’s new life. Someone will sit down with each of you and go over how it’ll work and the rules. They’re very important. You’ll be asked a lot of scary questions that we need answers to. The more you trust us with, the safer we can make you.”
“How many have you helped? Will we meet others like us?”
“No, you won’t. I can’t answer the other question.”
“Gavriil bought us clothes and toothbrushes and brushes and suitcases. We keep those?” The woman glanced in the corner where a pile of rolling suitcases sat. “They’re ours. He said we could have them without payment.”
Addy’s respect for the man increased. He’d given them a foundation, something outside of their ordeal that drew them closer to normal. They were no longer objects bought and sold—they were people with things of their own.
“Then you’ll keep them.” After everything was scanned for tracking devices. “We’re going to take you to a doctor who’ll make sure you are all okay. Are there any problems we need to address now?”
The women looked at one another. One at the end spoke. “One of us is bleeding. We’ve stopped it, but she needs help. We will all wait so she can be seen first.”
“I asked if they were hurt,” Gavriil whispered. “They didn’t answer.”
“That’s okay. It’s their choice when to trust us,” Addy said. “One of my men is outside. He’s not a doctor, but he can help with anything until we can get all of you to a hospital.”
“No.” The blonde at the end shook her head. “She will not be alone with him.”
“Okay,” Addy replied quickly. “I’ll stay with her.” She drew her gun from her purse. “I’ll shoot him if he scares her.”
“Damn, Red. That’s harsh,” Cracker said via the com.
“I will go with her,” the woman said. “You protect the others. I protect her.”
“Okay.” Addy pulled a knife from its thigh strap and held it out by the
blade. The woman’s eyes widened. “He’s a good man that I’ve trusted with my life many years.”
The woman nodded as she gripped the handle and took the knife.
“Not sure arming one of them was a good idea,” Gage said in the com.
“It’s an act of trust. Cracker can disarm anyone without a problem. They’re barely over a hundred pounds,” Zoey said. “Let Addy do this her way.”
“Tell him to stop if she gets scared. He will. If he doesn’t, press the knife against his throat here.” She pointed to the jugular. “That’s all you need to do.”
The woman nodded and stood. “Come, Katya. We go now.”
Addy stilled as the woman in the center of the huddle was helped off the sofa. Her baggy sweatpants clung to her left side near the hip. She waited until the two women had made it to the door before she whispered, “Left side near the hip.”
When the door closed the women left the sofa and scrambled to the window that faced the van parked outside. Addy stood and positioned herself between them and Gavriil and Kristof. Both men watched with matched expressions of concern and surprise.
“You armed her,” Kristof commented.
“I could have given her the gun.” Addy shrugged. “They need to know they’re safe and this isn’t a typical recovery. The sooner we earn their trust, the better for them and us.”
“This is what I’ve learned about them so far. It’s not much, but it might help,” Gavriil said as he held out a folder.
“Thanks.” She glanced at Kristof, then returned her gaze to Gavriil. “You mention anything you heard today to anyone and I’ll kill you: slowly and painfully.”
He chuckled. “I’d almost welcome the opportunity to tangle with you, but you have my word no one will know about this. Or you. Whoever you are.”
Minutes ticked by as the women chattered nervously, looking at one another, then back at Addy.
“Need an update,” she said.
“Waiting on the local to take effect. She needs stitches, but I’ve sealed it for now. Wound was packed with toilet paper and taped shut with duct tape and a washcloth,” Cracker said, his voice grim. “There’s evidence of significant trauma elsewhere, but our mutual friend won’t let me tend anything else.”
