What Love Feels Like

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  Coleman chuckled, then got serious. “I wear a Rolex, he lives in the fucking swamp. You think he’d offer more? That scumbag will beat the shit out of Jade for taking off on a deal. He won’t offer you nearly as much.”

  “What about a job? A partnership with you in one of these businesses? My friend and I are good. We can rip off anything.”

  “With blood on your hands and cops on the hunt. No, thank you. I heard about your recent job,” he said, and Flynn was surprised. He wouldn’t lie though.

  “Things got complicated. We had no choice so we did what was necessary to get the job done and make the money.”

  “I’ll give you that. I guess it shows your commitment level,” Coleman said and then looked at Curtis. “What do you think? Give them a shot, then maybe a place with exporting? He might have the balls to handle those foreign assholes.”

  Flynn got excited and was trying not to show it. Curtis nodded. “It’s a rough position, but the money is insane. We do have those other men in mind though,” Curtis added.

  Coleman lifted his drink to his lips, took a sip of maybe Cognac, Flynn wasn’t sure. “If you fuck up, I could lose a million-dollar operation. You and your friend can pull this off, handle the position I have in mind for you, and you’ll be filthy rich. I guess you can decide whether you want to do business with me or with Eddie,” Coleman told him.

  “I appreciate the opportunity. Send me the address you want her delivered to in Louisiana on Saturday, and we’ll have her there, no problem.”

  Flynn shook their hands and then exited the private area and headed toward the door. The second he was outside, he looked at his phone. A text form Gordo.

  Eddie said ten Gs. lol.

  We’re a go on this end. Fifty Gs and a job. ;) Meet me at the warehouse, we have four days to pull this off.

  Chapter 9

  Seren kissed Jade good-bye as she joined Shawna on the sidewalk in front of the café. They were meeting for a late lunch before Jade headed to Harper’s for work.

  “You are simply glowing. I’m so happy for you, Jade. Seren and his brothers are super hot, and I’d say extra protective.”

  Jade smiled. “They are very protective. I don’t mind though. I feel a lot safer when one of them is around. It’s crazy, but all these emotions, this love I feel, is so foreign yet it feels right.”

  “Good for you. I saw you in the sheriff’s department the other day, did things go well there, too?” Shawna asked.

  “They did. The sheriff, Seren, and his friends are looking into things. They feel that I’m not in any danger. Especially since the year passed and it didn’t seem like anyone was looking for me. So, maybe I can start living this new life without that constant fear in my gut.”

  “I don’t know. I think it takes time to go away,” Shawna said to her.

  “You never did tell me your story, Shawna. How you wound up in Cherry Hill.”

  Shawna smiled softly. “That would take more than a late lunch. What I can tell you is that I don’t exactly have the best of luck, but I’ve learned to fight for everything I have. I’m independent, and I get to go see my cousin and mom every few months, and that’s what I focus on. So, anyway, your men will let you go shopping with me in Benter?”

  “I don’t know about that. Venturing out still isn’t smart to do and I wouldn’t feel safe. However, maybe shopping around or going to the fair festivities might be doable.”

  “Without your men?”

  “They kind of hinted that it wasn’t their thing, and they didn’t like public events.”

  Shawna laughed. “Oh boy, I can see where this is headed.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The bedroom, in all of your free time.”

  Jade chuckled as they headed into the café and grabbed some lunch.

  By the time they were done, Jade had about thirty minutes before she needed to be at work. She decided to go into the local doctor’s office after talking to Shawna about birth control. She told her that Doc Shelton could help her with information and also would keep her name out of the computer system. She had let Seren know what she wanted to do. He offered to meet her, and she declined.

  Ten minutes before she needed to be at work, she exited the doctor’s office with a prescription being sent to the pharmacy she could start taking tomorrow, and other options for her future. Doc Shelton was so nice and kind, and his staff was understanding, plus thrilled about her relationship with the Fortane men. She felt like she was floating on a cloud as she walked down the block and then waited for the light to change. She crossed the small intersection in town to where Harper’s sat on the large corner parcel. She was walking through the parking lot, noticing the many cars already, when a van pulled up, the side door opened, and she gasped as two men grabbed her and pulled her into the van. She was screaming as the doors closed, and the van sped out of there. She was immediately on her belly, hands tied behind her back and her ankles were bound.

  “Whoo hooo! Fifty grand, here we go,” one of the men yelled out.

  “Holy shit, I don’t think anyone saw anything. I thought for sure those three men might have been around or nearby,” the driver said.

  “Who are you? What do you want? Let me go,” she demanded.

  “No can do, Jade. You’re going back. Your destiny awaits you,” the one guy said.

  “Destiny? Going back where? Let me go.” She struggled to get free but couldn’t. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she cried, fearful of what was to come.

  “We ditch the van get into the SUV, then head to Louisiana. We have hours to get there.”

  “We’ll make it in time, Flynn. We got it covered, and Mr. Mathews will be thrilled.”

  She heard the name and then realized it was Coleman Mathews. These men worked for him. Coleman was still looking for her. He found her. “Oh God, no. No, please don’t do this. Don’t take me to him. Please,” she begged and cried.

  “Tape her mouth shut. I don’t want to listen to that the whole way there,” another guy said, and they rolled her to her back. She recognized the guy who taped her mouth shut. He had done jobs for Rodeo. She was done for. She would never see her men again. Oh God.

  “No! Fuck!” Seren roared as they got ahold of the surveillance video outside of Harpers and saw the van pull up and then she was gone. It had taken thirty minutes of phone calls and trying to find where Jade was. The last time she was seen was at the doctor’s office in town, and the restaurant and bar was a block away. It was early evening, daylight still, and no one was outside to see her being taken.

  “We’ll find her, and we’ll find that van,” Kane said to him.

  “We don’t know where they could have taken her. We’ve come up with very little on those men she mentioned and her father,” Quincy said. Colby and Shane were squinting their eyes and breathing through their nostrils.

  “They’re dead. Every fucking one of them,” Shane stated.

  “We need help, Kane. We don’t know Louisiana, and we’re guessing that’s where they took her.”

  “Sheriff, Seren.”

  They turned to look at Deputy Prime Jameson. He had a sheet of paper in his hand.

  “It seems the police are investigating these two men, Flynn and Gordo, who work for Rodeo Spay, the guy who was in cahoots with Jade’s dad. They believe they were involved with that robbery and killing the two security guards in Dallas.”

  “Holy shit,” Quincy said.

  “What do they have? A location, anything that can lead us to where they are or where they’re going?” Kane asked.

  “There’s a detective and a ranger working the case,” Prime said to them.

  “Get them on the line. Tell them what’s going on and find out where we can meet them in Louisiana. We have to find Jade,” Kane said.

  “We should look for a location on Coleman Mathews. That’s the guy who wants her, that her dad sold her to for the deal. Maybe if we find him, we get some answers,” Colby suggested.

 
; “Let’s do it. She was taken almost an hour ago, that’s too much time and we have no leads. Finding these men is our only option,” Kane said.

  Seren looked at his brothers as the whole department was doing what they could to find Coleman Mathews, Eddie Kelly, Rodeo Spay, and Flynn and Gordo.

  “I can’t believe this is happening. We failed her. You fucking know that, right? We fucking failed her,” Shane said and slammed his fist down on the desk.

  “She was out of sight for an hour. A fucking hour,” Seren said.

  “It took thirty seconds for them to take her. Thirty fucking seconds. She must be scared out of her mind and feeling sick that we didn’t protect her. I’ll never forgive myself for this. Never,” Colby said.

  “We can’t think like that. We need to stay focused. Let’s hope Aldrecks’ brother, Hill, can use his resources.”

  “This fucking guy touches her, hurts her, I swear I’m going to kill him. Kill them all,” Colby stated.

  “Hey, Hill got something,” Aldreck said, and they hurried toward his computer. “Seems his buddy knows Rodeo and Eddie. They do these illegal boxing matches and even car races. Tonight, there’s one in a warehouse and facility in Louisiana. He’s working on an address. Hill called another friend and found out that they’ve been trying to catch these guys in the act and lock them up. So, they’re interested in helping out, tagging along, and hoping this leads to arrests. They said they’ve been dealing with prostitution and drug overdoses. From what Hill gathered and what we’re uncovering, this could be a big hit for that police department and government. They have a federal agent working a case nearby, and he’s going to be there to assist.”

  “Wonderful, but what about Jade’s safety? They find out there’s illegal fighting going on, they’ll call in the SWAT team and she could get killed in the crossfire. Fuck, this is going to turn into a shit show,” Seren said.

  “Not if we get there and are able to work with them. Kane?” Aldreck called to the sheriff, and they explained what they knew.

  “We go together. I have a few friends there. We’ll do everything we can to find Jade and get to her quickly. Let’s go. I’ll make calls on the way to the airport.”

  Jade felt so funny, and she could barely move. She rolled her head to the side and blinked open her eyes. She thought she was dreaming as her sister appeared in front of her, tears in her eyes. She was wearing some sexy beaded dress, like she was going to a party. Jade moaned as she tried moving.

  “The drugs won’t wear off entirely, but enough that you can walk and function. Coleman is expecting you in his room shortly and to accompany him to the fight. After that, he’ll bring you with him on the plane.”

  “The plane? What? Where, Allie? Where?” she asked and tried to get up. That was when she saw she was in a dress, too. It was a tight, sexy red dress that dipped low enough it threatened for her breasts to slip out. It was tight, revealing, something she would never wear, yet it was soft and sexy. She was trying to wrap her brain around what happened.

  “How did I get this on? I don’t remember putting this on? Where am I?”

  “Stop asking questions. You have no rights, no say in anything. It’s over. Your freedom while away is in the past. Coleman owns you. He paid to get you here, and you will be his lover.”

  “No. No, Allie, please help me.” Jade reached out, tried sitting up, but her head spun, and she felt weak.

  “You have to pull your shit together, Jade. Believe me, it won’t feel good when they start to beat you down. You’ll get used to his touch. He’s a very good-looking man, keeps his body nice, and he expects the same from you. You’re lucky they allowed me to help you wash up, get dressed, and prepare with the other women,” Allie said to her, and Jade felt the tears fall.

  “No. Don’t cry. It isn’t worth the tears,” she said to Jade, expressionless.

  Anger pooled in Jade’s belly, but she felt out of sorts, weak, like she couldn’t quite function. “What kind of drugs? When will they wear off?”

  “They won’t. They’ll keep you drugged. Give you more if you resist, then more if you don’t comply.”

  “I won’t comply. I won’t be his whore. I ran and have been gone for a year. Why does he even want me? Why?”

  Allie was straight-faced. She looked like she had no heart, no emotions. “My guess would be to fuck over Rodeo and Dad. To take complete control over their businesses and annihilate them.”

  The door opened, and Allie lowered her head. “Stand up,” she said to Jade and reached for her hands. She teetered, and Allie fixed Jade’s dress. “They are waiting. Let’s go.”

  Jade didn’t move.

  “Jade.” Her sister took her hand and went to pull her along.

  “No. I won’t do this. I don’t feel right.”

  “Give her more. We can’t have problems.” She looked at the man who spoke as another man slid his arm around her waist, and then she felt the prick to her neck.

  “Curtis, please. She’ll be okay,” Allie told him, but he didn’t care. The sensations filtered through her body. It was so odd, so different. She walked and couldn’t feel her feet, and when she looked around them, she couldn’t see clearly. It was foggy, and she lost concept of time, as she would close her eyes and then her surroundings changed. She was in an elevator, then in a hallway. She heard music, though it was muffled. Suddenly, her vision and hearing were clear, yet she felt drunk.

  “It’s good stuff. Coleman will be pleased,” Curtis said to her and squeezed her ass. She couldn’t move to even swat at his hand, and a moment later, they were walking through a crowd of people. Everyone was cheering, yelling, and someone was announcing. Then, they were in another hallway, then they walked up stairs and into a private area.

  She heard Allie say hello and then she was in Rodeo’s arms immediately. Rodeo covered her ass with his hand but stared at Jade. He looked her over as if he could touch her or owned her.

  She teetered. Curtis straightened her out. “She needed a little more,” he said. Jade was just trying to focus, to gain some strength and control here, but she was really out of it.

  “Clear the room,” a man said. His voice deep, hard, and everyone there began to exit.

  “You mean we aren’t going to party with her together? Allie is in. Could be sweet with two sisters,” Rodeo said.

  “Get out with your whore,” he said, and Rodeo narrowed his eyes at him and pulled Allie along with him. Allie gave her a sympathetic expression but kept up with Rodeo, who was practically dragging her along.

  When the man appeared in front of her, he towered over her by more than a foot. He was as tall as Quincy. The thought made tears fill her eyes and images of her men fill her mind and heart, but then came the fuzziness. She squinted.

  “Look at me,” he ordered and stepped closer. He took her hands and raised them. He licked his lips.

  “She is stunning, boss,” Curtis said from behind her.

  “Please, let me go,” she whispered.

  He shook his head. “I’m afraid the deal is done. I own you, Jade.” He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She went to raise her arms, and they felt weak. His mouth was against her neck as he inhaled and suckled against her skin. She could feel his palm over her ass, pulling her closer against him. “My God, you are beautiful,” he said, and she felt the strap of her dress lowering and then his mouth exploring further, lower. She went to push from him weakly. He gripped her tighter, latched onto her breast.

  “No, let go of me. I don’t belong to you.” She shoved at him, but he gripped her tightly.