Chapter 13
Carter
I didn’t want to leave her this morning, but I had to go to work. I have the event with Senator Walden tonight, but before I go there, I need to have a chat with Graham. “Hey, man.”
“Hey.”
“You got anything?”
“I do, and you’re not gonna like it.”
I lean on the wall across from his desk.
“My FBI contact has a man inside. Fuck, Car, it’s a fuckin’ human trafficking gig.”
My stomach drops. My skin tingles. My throat dries up. I can barely even speak. “She’s home alone right now.”
“She’ll be fine there. They don’t kidnap. They lure these girls in somehow, then auction them off. It’s sick as fuck, and if the feds weren’t already on it, I’d personally bust it up… fucking perverts.”
“She’s supposed to go back for another audition tomorrow night.”
“Don’t let her go.”
“No shit.”
He taps his pen on his desk. “They have a bust set up, and hopefully, once they nail these guys, they can recover some of the women who have already been taken.”
Jesus Christ. This shit makes me wanna puke. “Shit, I don’t want to tell her now. It’ll freak her out, and I’m not there.”
“So wait. Your event only goes until what, ten? Just tell her then. If I dropped that news on my girl, I’d definitely want to be there for her, so I don’t blame you.”
I take a couple of steps to the closest chair and fall into it. Resting my elbows on my thighs, I scrub my hands over my face. “Fuckin’ A, man.”
“You all right?”
“No. Jesus, if I wasn’t here… I’m just imagining her alone and scared and at the mercy of some sick motherfucker… and I. Fuck, it hurts to breathe.”
He comes around and leans on his desk. “That would only happen if you couldn’t stop her from going. But you’re going to, so you don’t have to imagine shit.”
“I love her.”
“I know you do.”
“I can’t lose her, man. I… I’m fucked up over Zoe, but if something happened to Billie, I don’t think I could live with myself.”
He clears his throat. “It ain’t the same thing, but do you know why I became a PI?”
I shake my head, still staring at my shoes.
“Because my fiancée was murdered. It’s been unsolved for eight years. I dedicated my life to finding her killer and had to quit the FBI because I had to follow the rules there. Look at me, man. I’m thirty-six years old and can’t let it go. And the reason I can’t let it go is because I can’t find an answer. You, Carter, have your answer. It was a fucking accident. Move on.”
Goddamn, I didn’t know any of that about him.
“I’m trying to.”
“Try harder and try faster because once you realize you wasted even a second with a woman you love, you’ll never forgive yourself.”
His phone rings, and he reaches over to answer it. I get up, bump fists with him, and leave his office with a horrible fucking feeling in my gut. Picking up my phone, I call her, needing to hear her voice and know she’s okay.
“Hello.” I can feel my heart rate slowing just knowing she’s safe.
“Hey, honey.”
“Hi. Aren’t you supposed to be working?”
She manages to pull a small smile from me. “I am, just wanted to check in before things got crazy.”
“Are you not looking forward to your thing tonight?”
“I’d rather be with you. What are you doing tonight?”
“Just watching some movies until you get home. Job hunting. I’m tired, though, so I’ll probably fall asleep waiting.”
I get into my office and close the door, then lean against it. “You need me to pick anything up from the store on the way home?” So you don’t leave the apartment.
“No, I’m good. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing since I’m talking to you.”
She sighs. “Are you sure? You don’t sound like you normally do.”
“How do I normally sound?”
“Laid back,” she answers immediately.
I rest my forehead against the wall. “I’m just stressed about this event. It’s the last assignment I’ll have with this guy, and there will be a lot of people. And I don’t like being away from you.”
“You’re sweet.”
“I’m yours, so that means I look out for you. Make sure you keep the door locked and wait for me, okay?”
“Carter, what’s going on? You sound freaked.”
I can’t pull shit over on her, and I don’t want to. But right now, I just want her safe. It’s only about eight hours until I’ll be home, and then I’ll tell her. “Nothing. I just don’t like being without you, especially at night.”
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be safe sitting on my butt.”
I glance at the clock, knowing I have to go but really not wanting to lose the connection with her. “Shit, I have to go, babe.”
“Okay. I’ll see you later. Have fun at your thing.”
“It won’t be fun, but thanks anyway.”
“I’ll be here. Stay safe.”
I hang up and blow out a breath. I’m in love with this girl. And she went to a goddamned undercover human trafficking setup. If anything happens to her, I’ll go fucking crazy. I can’t lose her.
Billie
I fall off the couch when my phone rings. Reaching up to the coffee table, I find my phone and bring it to my ear. “Hello?”
Then it rings again, super freaking loud since I didn’t hit the answer button. “Hello?”
“Ms. Bishop, Roger here. Listen, there’s been a change of plans. Auditions are taking place this evening. Same time, but a different location. Unfortunately, if you can’t make it this evening, we’ll have to call an end to the audition process for you.”
I jump up and spin in a circle until I see the green from the VCR telling me it’s six thirty. “I can try to make it, I guess.”
“You guess?”
“Well, I mean, I was supposed to be there at seven. It’s six thirty now.” And Carter wanted to come with me.
“Like I said, if you can’t make it, it was nice meeting you, but we do hope to see you there. It’s 867 Westmoore.” The line goes silent, and I hang up.
“Shit.”
I call Carter, and it goes straight to voicemail. Then I send him a text. I bite at my thumbnail as I pace around my apartment. What am I supposed to do?
Grabbing a glass, I fill it with water from the sink, and my eyes land on the photo of my mother and me. I have to try. If this doesn’t work out, I don’t think anything ever will. I know Carter is going to probably be mad that I go, but I have to do this.
I call him again, but this time when his voicemail picks up, I leave him a message telling him where I’ll be. Then I run to my bedroom and get ready.
* * *
Deep voices echo as they laugh, and cigar smoke burns my nostrils along with an overabundance of cologne. The lights are blinding as they focus solely on me, the heat from the bulbs uncomfortably warm. I have never felt so alone and so much the center of attention all at once.
But the bottom line is, the only one who actually cares about what happens to me in this scenario is me. So I am alone. Stupidly… so stupid, I came here alone. And even surrounded by disgusting dogs of men, I have never felt lonelier in my life.
The black bikini I’m wearing is riding up my ass, and the silver wedge heels are so high I nearly topple over my own two feet. If I didn’t see guns on the guards, I’d run out of here so fast. This is bad… it’s so bad, and I’m freaking the hell out right now.
One thing, the only thing I have going for me is I’ve been through so much shit in my life that’s made me tougher than I ever thought I’d be, and I won’t let these perverts ruin everything I’ve worked for.
I won’t let them take away my shot at being happy.
The feeling I got walking into this place was ominous. The air is thick and the décor dark. Instead of handrails, tight chain takes its place and leads me out from the changing room to the stage. My fear, the one that’s suddenly hitting me, is too much. It’s not real… it can’t be real. Can it? I have to focus. I need to breathe.
I squint my eyes and get a fuzzy glimpse at the tables, and I see men… maybe a dozen of them, with tumblers filled with ice and amber colored liquid. Phones are all face down, and from what I can see, every man is wearing a suit.
After several minutes of me standing awkwardly, I’m ushered off stage and back into a dressing room. The guy leading me lets his hand roam down and cup my backside. I don’t respond, knowing guys like him want the reaction. Instead, I just walk into the room and stand awkwardly. Roger walks in and holds his hands out, smiling like what’s happening is normal. Like he didn’t totally screw me over by tricking me into thinking the last audition was how it’s supposed to be in this industry.
I should have run. No, I should have taken Carter’s car, but again, I’m an idiot. The second the cab dropped me off, I should have gotten back in and screamed at the driver to take me away, but it was too late. He drove off before I could go with my instincts, and now I’m completely fucked.
“Boss, we’ve got a problem,” a man with an earpiece says to Roger, whose smiling face drops immediately as he turns toward the door. I hear a lock engage from the outside, and I don’t know how much time I have, so when I reach my clothes, I grab my phone as fast as humanly possible. Hiding as best as I can, I dial Carter and pray to the Lord above that he shows me some type of mercy just this once.
I’m so thankful that I had slid my cell in my knee-high boots because they rummaged through all my stuff looking for one. Intuition told me to lie, so that’s exactly what I did, and they bought that my cheap piece of crap died, and I didn’t have it on me. I never do keep my phone there, but I had my purse shoved full with the script they gave me and a couple of extra changes of clothes in case they wanted me in something aside from jeans and a t-shirt.
Carter has his work thing tonight, which is why he didn’t answer when I called him earlier to tell him the change of plans, but I’m really hoping he can help get me out of this… whatever this is. And God, I didn’t want to have to need him, but I do. I wanted to just be with him, wanted to be happy, not rely on him for something like this.
I dial him right away and continue to pray for a miracle that he answers. If he doesn’t, I’ll call Royce. “Hey, honey.”
The huge boulder that’s digging into my chest shatters, and I suck in a breath. “Carter, I don’t know what’s happening, and I’m afraid to run out because they have guns.”
“What?” His voice takes on a sinister tone that I’ve never heard from him. “Who? Are you home? You said you were going to be home!”
“No, god. It got switched. I’m at that audition. But I don’t think that’s what it is. Oh my God, Carter, I’m so scared. They’re parading me around in front of men, and I don’t know what to do.”
“Why the fuck are you there? Jesus fucking hell.” His breaths become louder, like he’s running. “Is it at the same address that it’s supposed to be tomorrow?”
“No, they changed it last minute. Oh God, it’s on Westmoore Drive. Behind the outlet mall. The building is old and stinky. It’s really dark in the room, and when you first come in, there’s like three security guys. I don’t think I can get past them to meet you outside.”
“Shit. No, don’t try. I’ll be there soon, okay? Don’t panic. Just go along with whatever they tell you, and I’ll come get you.”
The metal on metal sound of the lock makes me jump, and I hang up and toss it back into my bag, shoving the dress on top of it.
“Follow me,” Roger says. “Someone wants a closer look.”
I can’t believe this. This is… this is insane. I should have listened to Carter. I never should have come here without him. I tried to call him to tell him, I was that smart at least, but when he didn’t answer, I shouldn’t have come at all.
I shake my head because I don’t want to go anywhere else, and he grabs my arm, fingers digging in tight enough to leave a mark. “This would be a lot easier if you’d just cooperate.” If I wasn’t so scared he’d shoot me, I’d laugh. This is nothing. A hand around my arm, fingers bruising me. If he thinks I’m going to wince at that, he’s mistaken.
“You will come with me. I have shit I need to do, and I will not have you holding me up.”
I shuffle my feet along with him, and he pushes me into a dark room. One man, creepy and old, stares at me. He actually licks his lips and adjusts his crotch.
“Strip.”
“No.”
I cross my arms, giving Roger the perfect opportunity to slap me across the face. The sting makes me take a step back. Jesus, it’s been a while since that’s happened. My skin used to be tough, almost like it had built a callus over it. But three years of not getting beat has made it soft.
He pulls a knife out, and that makes me whimper. “Please, don’t,” I whisper, fear starting to overpower everything else. I can fight back against fists but not weapons.
Coming directly at me, he doesn’t say a word. Lifting the blade, he slices the bikini top. My fingers automatically go up and cover my breasts, and his go down as he cuts the material of the bottoms.
Tears gather in the back of my eyes, but I won’t cry. Not for this. If they see that, they’ll think I’m weak. And I am not weak.
“Let me see,” the man says, and Roger puts the knife away. He stands behind me and yanks my arms down and holds my wrists together with one hand behind my back.
Then he kicks my legs apart, and the material falls to the floor.
I drop my head, refusing to let him see me with tears in my eyes and struggle to get out of his grip. After a moment of sheer humiliation, Roger drops my hands. “Follow me.”
I try to hold some of the material in place as I stay as close to him as I can. Not that he offers protection, but because he blocks me from the view of anyone else. When we get back to the dressing room, he pushes me into the room and then puts his hand around my neck. I revel in the pain he causes because I’d rather be pushed around than looked at like that again. “Don’t you ever talk back to me again.”
He grabs a dress from a rack behind me. “Put this on.” He stands here as I slide the material over my head, and as the silk falls, I blink and let the material absorb the tears. “And stop crying, for fuck’s sake. It makes you look even older than you are.”
With a hand on my back, he leads me back to the room with the stage and weaves me between the tables of men. I refuse to look at them. I’m so astounded that this is happening, I almost don’t believe it’s real. It’s like something from a movie or a TV show. The worst part about it all is that I have no clue what’s going on.
A man puts his hand out and slides it up my leg. When I look into his eyes, I wish I hadn’t. I can tell just by looking at him that he’s loaded. His receding hairline is covered by gray hair that’s slicked back, and he wears a watch that shines with diamonds. I glare at him, and he releases a full belly laugh.
I hold my head high and turn around, only to have my gaze collide with Carter’s. He very slowly shakes his head at me and then drops his eyes to my bare feet. I can feel them as they slide up my body, and when he makes his way to my face, the desire I normally see is that of a very, very pissed off man.
My eyes burn, and all I want to do is cry. I want to run to him and have him hold me and get me out of here. I want him to tell me everything will be okay.
Roger ushers me back to the small room and closes the door. That’s it. I try the door, but it’s locked. Sinking to the floor, I wrap my arms around my knees and bury my head, taking deep breaths so I don’t have a panic attack.
I don’t hear the door open again, but Roger is suddenly a foot away. “Ms. Bishop, please come with me.”
I jump up, not hearing him come back. “Where are we going?”
Apparently, I don’t move fast enough because he yanks me up. I feel a pinch in my shoulder and cry out.
I cross my arms and follow him again down a different hallway this time. I swear this place used to be a castle or something.
When the door opens from the other side, I falter in my steps when I see Carter. This room is nothing like the posh area where I was on stage or the one where my bikini was stripped. This is musty and wet… four brick walls and a cement floor.
Again, Carter gives his head a slight jerk, and I look away from him because if I keep staring, I’ll give something away. After I’m led to the middle of a room, Roger steps away, and Carter comes closer. “Hang tight, honey,” he whispers as he circles me.
I stiffen at his tone but don’t acknowledge.
“She’ll do. Count it.” He takes a folded up yellow envelope out of the inside of his jacket pocket and tosses it at Roger.
“You’ll have fun with this one.”
“Did I fuckin’ ask you?” The deadly tone in his voice makes me shiver.
Roger loses the humor and snaps his fingers. Another man comes over and takes the envelope. I can’t see what’s inside, but he looks at it for a second and then nods at Roger and hands the envelope back.
“Get her shit. Why you let these bitches walk around without anything on their feet is beyond me. The last thing I need is her blood all over the place if she steps on something.”
One of the men backs out of the room, and Roger blatantly stares at me.
“Shame I didn’t get to play first.” He runs his hand across my cheekbone as he licks his lips. Carter grabs his wrist and twists it behind his back, shoving him against the wall. Roger’s head hits the brick, but Carter doesn’t let up. “Don’t touch what’s mine.”
The other man who was in the room takes a step at Carter, but Roger holds his hand out to stop him, then nods drastically, and Carter lets up.
A minute later, my things are brought to me, and Carter waits for me to put the boots back on. Before they’re even zipped up all the way, he grabs my arm. “Come on.”
I know he’s playing a part, but all my life, I’ve wanted a man to fight for me. I wanted a guy who would stand up to my father. Who wouldn’t ignore the bruises on my body. Who wouldn’t refuse to take me home because he knew Daddy would be there and he was too afraid to face him. I wanted someone to be strong for me instead of me always having to do it for myself. And Carter has already done that with Paxton. I love him for that, but this… he’s saving me from something awful. Something worse than Paxton and my dad combined.
Even though I have a feeling he’d take one look at my dad and laugh in his face. I imagine him knocking him out. Maybe kicking him while he’s down, too. Giving him a taste of his own medicine.
I take Carter’s outstretched hand, and he clasps his fingers around me, tighter than he ever has before. He leads me out of the small, suffocating room and down the hallway I came in. The three men who were at the entrance are now four. One of them holds an arm up, and Carter stops. I bump into him from behind and grab his suit coat.
“Gentlemen.” He nods.
The guy wiggles his fingers. “Papers.”
Carter’s hand disappears into the front pocket of his jacket again, then he pulls out a sheet of paper. The man’s eyes scan it while two of the other’s roam over my body.
“Eyes off my property,” Carter growls.
I press myself even further into his back, and he squeezes my hand. One of the men clears his throat, but I don’t look to see if they’ve stopped staring because my face is plastered between Carter’s shoulder blades.
“Come on.” He yanks my arm, and I follow behind him. As soon as we step outside, another guard waits at the bottom of the steps. As we pass him, he smacks me on my butt. I jump at the contact, but Carter whips me around and manages to push me away while punching Mr. Handsy right on his jaw.
A different man steps out of a black SUV and walks with purpose toward us. “Get her in the car,” Carter says to him. Then he lifts the other guy up by the lapels of his jacket and punches him in his stomach.
As Carter’s friend gets closer to me, he smiles at me. “Come with me, Billie.”
I hesitate.
“Go with him,” Carter demands and then tosses the man aside.
“Babe, the sooner you get safely inside the vehicle, the sooner I can drag your man away.”
That gets me moving. I scurry over to the SUV and hop in the back. “Be right back. Police are en route. Do not get out of this vehicle.” He slams the door shut and then jogs over to Carter.
The front entrance opens to the building, and Roger walks out. “Oh, my God.” My knees are shaking so badly my feet bounce off the floor.
Carter gets up in his face, and Roger’s mouth tightens. After a couple of tense moments, Carter kicks the handsy guy in his side and then stalks toward the vehicle just as a swarm of police cars surround the building.
There’s nothing but a blur of activity, but it doesn’t take long for Carter and the other guy to head back to me after they talk to the cops. When he gets here, he rips the door practically off the hinges and shuts it just as hard. “Get us the fuck out of here.” Then he reaches for me and pulls me over to him and on his lap. He buries my head against his chest and releases a shuddering breath. “Jesus Christ, Jesus fuck,” he chants, molding me to his body.
“I’m Royce, by the way,” the guy driving says.
A surprise burst of laughter breaks out of me, and Carter’s chest shakes beneath my head. A tear escapes my eye, and I reach up to wipe it only to have another one fall.