by Elle James
“It’s a team. A network of people who help relocate these women.”
“How do you know they’re not just selling them into another sex trade?”
Layla had thought about that. She’d used some of her contacts in the Secret Service to locate women they’d claimed to have saved. The women had been shipped to different countries, like France, the UK, Sweden and more. Her Secret Service contact had spoken to several of them and had assured Layla they were who they said they were and that they were healthy, happy and living full, free lives. “I have contacts who verified their stories.”
Headlights flashed at the end of the street as a vehicle turned onto the road in front of the building where Layla, Yara and Bull hid. A white utility van raced toward them, pulling to a stop at the corner.
The door slid open, and Miriam Rogers poked out her head. She wore dark clothing and a black knit hat over her hair. “Yara,” she called out.
Layla nodded to Yara. “This is it. Ready?”
Yara squeezed Layla’s hand. “I’m ready.”
Layla hurried out of the shadows toward the van with Yara’s hand in hers.
“Get in,” Miriam said.
Yara jumped into the van.
“You, too,” Miriam said. “We’ve been tailed. Hurry.”
“I’m not going with you.”
More headlights swung onto the street several blocks away.
“Then run,” Miriam shouted, closing the van door. The vehicle leaped forward, tires squealing against the pavement.
Layla ran back to the shadows. “Time to go,” she said and ran in the same direction the van had gone.
Bull raced to catch up with her.
Layla and Bull had already reached the next corner and turned when a shout went up. As they rounded the side of a building, Layla looked back. Two men had gotten out of the trailing vehicle and were running toward them. She cursed and picked up her speed.
Bull grabbed her hand, urging her faster.
Her legs ached, and her lungs burned, but she kept running.
Bull led her between different buildings, zigzagging in his attempt to lose the men behind them. When they came to a residential area, he slipped into a back alley, found a fence and catapulted her over it, and then vaulted over after her.
“Stay down,” he said.
She lay on the ground in the shadows next to Bull, his arm over her, his body shielding hers. Footsteps pounded against the gravel in the alley as they neared. Layla held her breath, praying that they didn’t stop at the fence, that they moved on. They slowed. The men spoke in Turkish. She caught a few of the words. They were questioning where they had gone. And then they were running again, leaving Layla and Bull behind.
When Layla started to get up, Bull’s arm clamped around her. “Stay put for a few more minutes,” he whispered.
She lay beneath his arm, aware of his warmth against her.
Footsteps sounded again, coming their direction. The men who had been chasing them were running back the other direction. Once again, they paused near the fence. One of them questioned the other that perhaps they’d hopped over a fence.
Layla’s breath caught and held. They weren’t that far away. If they looked over the fence at any point, they might spy them lying against the other side. One of them told the other to hop up on the fence and look over.
Bull’s body bunched. He drew his legs up beneath him, ready to spring to her defense, if needed.
A shout in the distance caused the two men to stop talking. Then they were running again, away from them, back the direction they’d come. Layla let go of the breath she’d been holding.
Bull grabbed her arm and helped her to her feet. “Let’s get out of here.”. He looked over the top of the fence in both directions. “The coast is clear. Let’s go.” He again helped Layla over the fence and then vaulted over himself. They ran to the next street, turned and then ran some more.
When they were far enough away from where they’d been, they slowed to a walk. Layla removed her hoodie and tossed it in a trash bin.
She fluffed her hair out and gripped his hand. “If anybody stops us, we’re just a couple out enjoying the night air,” she said.
“Gotcha,” he said. “Now, let’s get back to the embassy so you can tell me what the hell this was all about, and why you’re involved in an underground railroad.”
Chapter 5
Things hadn’t gone quite as smoothly as Layla had anticipated. She had to admit that she was glad Bull had shown up when he had. Unfortunately, that meant that he knew what was going on, and that was one more person who knew about Miriam’s operation.
“Do you know where you’re headed now?” Bull asked her.
She glanced down at her cellphone map application and looked up at the street in front of her. “Back to the embassy compound, of course.”
“How had you planned on getting back inside?”
She glanced up at him. “The same way I got out.”
“I almost didn’t find the lever in the wall sconce that opened the bookcase,” he said. “It’s a good thing I did.”
She shot him an irritated glance. “I would’ve been all right. I would’ve gotten Yara away from there without your help.” She might have. Or not. However, if they had been caught, having a big guy like Bull had made her feel like she had a better chance of survival. Then again, she might not have thought to hide in the warehouse and escape through the upstairs fire escape. And she might not have been able to get herself over that fence to hide from the second round of guys who’d chased them. As much as she hated to admit it, Bull had come in handy that night.
“You realize I’ll have to report this to your father, don’t you?” he said.
Layla ground to a halt. “You can’t tell my father. He can’t know what I’m doing.”
“He’ll put a stop to it,” Bull said.
“I won’t stop doing this. Not as long as there are women who are being sold into the sex trade.”
He gripped her elbow and continued their movement toward the embassy. “There have been women sold into the sex trade for centuries.”
She jerked her arm free of his grasp. “That doesn’t make it right.”
“No, it doesn’t, but you’re not going to stop what’s been going on for centuries. No one person could do that.”
“I don’t expect that I’ll stop every occurrence, but if I can help one woman escape such a horrible fate, I’ve done more than most people.”
He reached for her hand and held it firmly in his grip. “You’ll end up in jail.”
“I’m not going to jail, because they’re not going to find out, and you’re not going to tell my father.”
As they continued walking, they were still holding hands like a happily engaged couple would. Layla would never tell him that she liked his big hand around hers or that it made her feel safe in a hostile environment.
“Look,” Bull said, “my job is to keep you safe. I can’t do my job if you’re running off without me.”
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll let you know whenever I go someplace.”
He shook his head. “Sorry, sweetheart. I don’t trust you.”
She frowned. “Even if I give you my word?”
He shook his head. “Nope. I figure the only way I’m going to keep track of you is to be with you twenty-four-seven.”
“Well, you are,” she said.
“Not when you go off to your bedroom and I go off to mine,” he pointed out. “I don’t have you in sight.”
She stopped and stared up at him, trying to pull her hand out of his grip. He held firm. “Are you suggesting that you sleep with me?”
“More or less,” he said. “I’ll sleep in the same room as you. The only time I’ll have you out of my sight is when you walk into the bathroom. As long as the bathroom doesn’t have a window exiting to the outside.”
“That’s ridiculous,” she said. “No way am I agreeing to that.”
He shrugged. �
��Fine, then I’ll just tell your father about your little clandestine outings at night.”
“You wouldn’t,” she said.
He nodded. “If you don’t agree to my terms, I sure will.”
“What if my dad finds out that you’re sleeping in the same room as me?”
He smiled. “I’m betting your dad doesn’t care as long as I keep an eye on you, and I don’t hurt you.”
Layla lifted her chin in challenge. “I could tell my dad that you hurt me, and he’d get rid of you in a heartbeat.”
“And we’re right back to the fact that I’ll tell your dad about your night operations.”
Layla tipped back her head and stared up at the sky. She drew in a deep breath and let it out on a huff. “Why do you have to be so obstinate?”
He snorted. “Why do you have to be involved in something that could ruin your father’s career?”
Her head whipped around, and she stared into his eyes. “They needed me tonight. I don’t usually get this close to the operations.”
“You nearly got caught. And if you had been caught by these guys that are selling these girls into the sex trade, they would’ve turned around and sold you to the same place. You’d be gone. Your father would’ve lost you. Then he’d have no more family members to help support him or to love. How do you think he’d feel? Did he love your mother?”
“He did, with all his heart. It tore him up when she died.” Layla stared at the street in front of her. “That’s the major reason why I’m here. I didn’t want him to go to his new assignment alone.”
Bull looked down at her. “That would make you a commendable daughter, except for one thing.”
She frowned. “And what’s that?”
“Your clandestine operations,” he said shaking his head as if talking to a child who couldn’t quite understand.”
“Who’s gonna stick up for these women if I don’t?” she whispered.
“Apparently, the team who has been rescuing them without your help until now.”
“Yeah, but the more help they can get, the more women they can get out of that situation. If I hadn’t gone tonight, Yara would’ve been on her way to some godforsaken hellhole, where men would treat her like a worthless piece of trash.”
“So, what’s it to be?” Bull challenged her.
Layla pulled her hand free of his and crossed her arms over her chest. “If I let you stay in my room, you will not be sleeping in my bed.”
He nodded. “I didn’t expect to. I assume you have a suite like mine where you have a sitting area with a sofa?”
She nodded. “You could sleep on the sofa.”
“Is there a window in your bathroom?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“Okay then,” he clapped his hands together, “I move in tonight.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You step one foot over the line, and I don’t care who you tell what I did tonight. I’ll have my dad kick you out so fast.”
“You’re assuming I’m attracted to you.”
Her eyes narrowed even farther into a squint. He couldn’t have kissed her like he had and not felt something. Or was he that good an actor?
“Well, good then,” she said, “because I’m not in the least attracted to you.”
Okay, so that was a lie. How could she not be attracted to the man? He was incredibly sexy in a black suit, and he was strong and muscular in a way that was useful for keeping her safe. They walked a few more blocks with Layla following her GPS on her cellphone. As they approached the area with the hidden gate, Bull reached out and touched her arm.
“Wait.” They’d stepped into the shadows of a building. Together, they studied the street and the surrounding buildings. Layla looked for any kind of movement indicating the presence of others.
“We might be better off going through the front gate tonight,” Bull said.
“Why?” she asked.
“Twice tonight, we’ve been followed. It would be bad enough if they discovered that we were with the US Embassy, but it would be even worse if they found the secret tunnel leading to the interior.”
She nodded. “Good point.” Layla glanced around. “Do you think that we’re being followed? Did you see anybody?”
He shook his head. “No. But better safe than sorry. Do you have your credentials on you?”
She nodded. “I don’t carry a wallet, but I carry my papers in my bra.” She fished them out. “Did you bring yours?”
He nodded.
“Then let’s go around to the front of the building and enter like normal people,” she said.
The guard at the gate checked their paperwork. They stepped through the scanner and were inside soon, taking the elevator to their floor. Bull stopped outside his door, opened it, and turned to her.
“Stay here.” He entered, leaving the door wide open.
Layla tapped her foot, irritated that he didn’t trust her for even a minute by herself.
Bull grabbed his suitcase, stuffed his shaving kit in it and returned to where she was standing in the hallway.
“You’re really going to move in with me tonight, aren’t you?” she said. She didn’t quite like the thrill of excitement that rippled through her body. She doubted she’d get much sleep with him lying on the couch next to her bed. She wondered if he had pajamas to sleep in, or if he’d sleep in his boxers or briefs? The thought made heat coil low in her belly. The last thing she needed was to fantasize over whether he wore boxers or briefs.
She turned and led the way to her room, opening the door with her key.
Once inside, Bull turned and locked the door, closing them inside together.
A shiver of what felt like anticipation rippled down her spine. She went to the dresser, bypassed her usual nightgown, and dug in a drawer for a T-shirt and a pair of shorts and carried them into the bathroom. “I’ll only be a minute.”
Inside, she quickly brushed her teeth, pulled her hair back into a ponytail, and slipped out of her clothes and into the T-shirt and shorts. She splashed water on her face, dried off with a towel, and then stared at herself in the mirror for a short second. She looked about ten years younger with her hair in a ponytail. Not the least sophisticated. Not that Bull would care. Hadn’t he said that he wasn’t attracted to her? His kiss had only been an act.
Again, heat flared at her core. It might have been an act to him, but boy, she’d felt something. Not that she’d act on it. She exited the bathroom and found Bull waiting outside with his shaving kit in hand, a fresh T-shirt, and a pair of jogging shorts, which probably answered the question of what he’d be sleeping in. It wouldn’t be in his boxers or briefs, unless they were underneath the shorts and T-shirt.
A fleeting sense of disappointment filled her, and she immediately brushed away. Having Bull in her room would be an inconvenience. Not a curiosity. Knowing whether he wore boxers or briefs was irrelevant. He was her bodyguard. She needed to keep that in mind and keep his hands off her.
And hers off him...
She turned on the light on the nightstand and turned off the overhead lights in the room. She found an extra blanket and pillow in the closet and laid them out on the couch for him. Then she crawled into bed and pulled the covers up over her bare legs. The sensation of the sheets sliding across her skin ignited her imagination, making her wonder what it would be like to have his hands on her bare legs. Those big strong hands that had held hers at different points during the night.
She laid back on the pillow and stared up at the ceiling, refusing to watch the bathroom door in anticipation of Bull emerging in her much-fantasized boxer shorts. She rolled over onto her side, turned away from the door, so that she wouldn’t see him or be tempted to look. It wasn’t as if she was interested in him. Yes, he kissed well, but she couldn’t judge him based on one kiss alone.
The click of the door opening alerted her to his presence in the room. With the sound of rustling, she assumed he was putting something into his duffel bag. The creak of springs
beneath the cushions on the couch indicated he’d settled in for the night.
Then silence.
Layla turned over to switch off the light and caught his gaze as he watched her.
“Please tell me you’re not going to stare at me all night,” she said.
He linked his hands behind his neck and shook his head. “I plan on being asleep in the next five minutes,” he said. “You should sleep, too. I’m sure you have plans for tomorrow, which means I’ll have plans for tomorrow.” He closed his eyes.
“I have a scheduled visit with one of the orphanages and one of the elementary schools tomorrow here in Ankara.”
With his eyes still closed, Bull nodded. “Sounds like fun. I like kids.”
“I do, too.” Layla stared up at the ceiling in the dark, unable to fall asleep. “Bull, have you ever been married?”
A soft snort sounded from the couch. “No.”
“Why not?” she asked.
He chuckled. “Never had time to meet the right girl.”
“So, you believe in marriage?”
“I do.”
“That’s sad,” Layla said. “Not having time to find the right woman.”
“It’s the nature of the beast. I’m Delta Force. We deploy three-hundred-and-sixty-five days a year. Or at least it feels like it. It makes it hard to have any kind of relationship when you’re never home.”
“Makes sense,” Layla said. “Have you ever been in love?”
“I thought I was once,” Bull responded.
“What happened?”
“I deployed. We connected via internet for a while. That trickled off and, when I got back to the States, she had married somebody else.”
“Well, that’s depressing,” Layla said.
“It’s the reason I don’t bother looking. I figure it isn’t fair to a woman to be married to a Delta. She’d never see him. He’d never see her.”
“A woman who is strong enough would understand,” Layla said. “You’re just not finding the right women.”
He chuckled. “Women? I can’t even find one woman, much less more. But it doesn’t matter, I’m not looking. It’s hard to maintain a relationship when you’re always deployed.”
