CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“See anything you like?”
Nathan wasn’t surprised that Sloane had sought him out, especially since he was standing alone in the lounge area of the playroom as he waited for Nicole to return from the restroom. It was the perfect opportunity for Sloane to try to negotiate with him, but Nathan was holding firm until the other man offered him what he’d come here for.
“No, not yet,” Nathan replied, smiling amicably at Sloane.
“What did you think of Lisa?” he asked, his gaze both curious and hopeful. “She’s quite willing to be your plaything for the night. Just say the word, and she’s yours.”
The thought of that young, naive girl giving her body so freely to a stranger was enough to turn Nathan’s stomach. Thanks to years of undercover work, though, feigning a nonchalant attitude came easily, despite his internal frustration. “Nice girl, but there just wasn’t any chemistry with her on my end.”
“I’ve been hearing that a lot lately about Lisa.” Sloane grew thoughtful, a small frown marring his brow. “I’m thinking it’s time for Lisa to move on to make room for fresh, new young blood for my friends to enjoy.”
Nathan didn’t care for the underlying tone in Sloane’s comment, and what it implied. “How do you mean?” he asked casually.
“There comes a time when each of the girls has served her purpose, and that seems to be the case with Lisa.” He shrugged, as if the two of them were discussing the weather, instead of a human life. “It’s time for her to go.”
“Go where?” Nathan kept his voice mildly curious, but deep in his gut he knew exactly what Sloane meant. He just needed the man to say the words out loud to confirm Nathan’s suspicions.
Sloane leaned closer and let his voice drop in tone, as if he didn’t want others to hear what he was about to share with Nathan. “Let’s just say I have a very profitable arrangement with a Russian businessman who is more than happy to take the girls off my hands when I’m done with them. Sending them off to Russia keeps things much simpler and cleaner than putting the girls back out on the street here in Vegas.”
Jesus. Nathan’s mind reeled with the knowledge that not only was Sloane engaging in underage prostitution, he was also involved in human trafficking. The thought of him using these girls, then selling them off to another country to be used for white slavery was enough to make Nathan want to puke.
Somehow, someway, Sloane had to be stopped.
“But back to you, Keller, and finding you a girl who’ll pique your interest,” Sloane went on, forcing Nathan’s attention back to the business at hand. “You’re a hard man to please.”
He shrugged, even as the urgency of getting Angela out of this place heightened. “I’m just very particular, and I want to make this worth my while.”
“I completely understand. That’s why I’ve saved the best for last.” A crafty smile curved Sloane’s lips. “I figured if no one else appealed to you, my Angel definitely would.”
Now, that grabbed Nathan’s attention, and the interest he displayed on his face was genuine. “Angel? Sounds promising.”
Nathan followed Sloane’s gaze as he glanced across the room and motioned with his fingers. From the shadows, a young girl emerged, escorted by Gwen. From a distance, Nathan could make out flowing blond hair and a petite, slender body draped in a white slip-style dress as she glided toward them on flat slippers.
The illusion of being an angel was apparent—from her choice of dress to the fresh innocence of her ethereal appearance. The other men in the room watched in envy while the girl passed by, and as she neared and her vivid blue eyes and face became more visible, Nathan felt a jolt to his system.
Angela Ramsey. Finally.
“I haven’t shared her with anyone yet, but it’s time,” Sloane said, keeping his voice low. “I’m offering her up to you first, so you might want to take advantage of the arrangement because she’ll be gone in a few weeks.”
A chill went through Nathan. “Why’s that?”
A twisted smile curved Sloane’s lips. “Let’s just say that the Russian made me an offer for Angel that I couldn’t resist.”
Sloane had arranged to sell off Angela. His heart nearly stopped in his chest. “I thought she was your favorite.”
“Every girl has her price, Keller,” he said like a man who never formed an emotional attachment to any one female, and was only interested in the bottom-line profit. “And every single one of them is replaceable.”
Sick, disgusting fuck. Nathan had to forcibly swallow back the inflammatory words, and just in time as Angela came to a stop a few feet away from them.
“Come here, Angel.” Sloane held his hand out to her, and she placed her fingers against his palm and let him draw her close to his side. “I’d like you to meet a good friend of mine. This is Alex Keller. Alex, this is Angel.”
Nathan smiled at her, noticing the heart pendant necklace she wore, which marked her as a favorite of Sloane’s—but not for long.
“You’re absolutely beautiful,” he said, all too aware of the other man watching him, and his reaction, very carefully.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
Her glassy eyes, combined with her docility and too-relaxed demeanor, told Nathan she was on some kind of narcotic. Her dossier had depicted her as a rebellious, troubled teen, yet here in this environment she seemed like a shell of herself, subdued and child-like, and far too innocent to be caught up in such an immoral situation.
And it was up to him to get her out, as quickly and safely as possible before she was lost to them forever—to the Russian.
Pushing aside his personal mission for now, he met Sloane’s gaze and gave him the impressed response he no doubt expected. “You certainly did save the best for last.”
Sloane’s chest expanded with conceited male pride. “I only pick the best. Like I said, I’ve never shared her before, so consider yourself very lucky that you’re the first.”
It was bad enough that Angela had been subjected to Sloane’s sexual advances. Nathan swore it would end there for the young girl.
“Why don’t the two of you spend some time alone and enjoy the amenities here in the playroom?” Sloane suggested as he passed Angela off to Nathan. “Or maybe you’d prefer a private room for the evening?”
Nathan knew exactly what Sloane was hinting at. If Nathan opted to spend the night alone with Angela, then the other man would be able to do the same with Nicole, which was what Sloane clearly wanted. Except under Nathan’s watch, the all-night exchange wasn’t going to happen. Ever.
But he had to get Angela alone to assess the girl’s mental state and the situation, and that meant a brief swap was necessary.
“No, not tonight,” Nathan said, openly refusing Sloane’s offer and making certain the man understood that he hadn’t agreed to a trade with Nicole. “I’d like to make sure she’s the one I want before I give you Nikki for a night.”
“Very well,” he conceded, but not happily. “Where is Nikki, anyway?”
“She had to use the restroom.” Nathan glanced in that direction and finally saw Nicole heading his way. “Here she comes now.”
Nathan immediately noticed that something was wrong. He could see the distress in her eyes, but as soon as she saw Sloane, and then realized the girl standing next to Nathan was Angela, those troubling emotions disappeared. He’d find out later what had upset her, but for now she realized how pivotal this moment was for the two of them—that she needed to leave Nathan alone with Angela in order for him to talk to her.
“Who is this?” Nicole asked as she looked at Angela, her voice infused with a believable amount of teenage jealousy.
“This is Angel,” Nathan said, then used a more assertive tone to show Sloane that Nicole was his to command. “She and I are going to visit for a while, and I want you to do the same with Preston.”
Nicole stared at him with big, round eyes filled with a plausible mixture of hurt and anxiety. “Okay,” she conceded in a soft, obedient voice, which Sloane seemed to appreciate.
Sloane shifted beside Nicole and skimmed his hand down her back. She looked uncomfortable with his caress, and Nathan knew for a fact that her unease was real, not feigned as everything else had been.
“Why don’t I take you to see my private art collection?” Sloane suggested. “It’s in a nice, quiet wing of the house, where the two of us can relax and talk.”
Nicole nodded. “All right.”
Sloane reached out and tucked his forefinger beneath Angela’s chin, lifting her face so her downcast eyes met his. “Remember what we talked about earlier, Angel,” he said, his tone gentle, yet firm. “Be a good girl and do whatever it takes to make Alex happy.”
“Okay,” she whispered in a small voice.
Sloane transferred his gaze to Nathan. “We’ll be back in a while. Enjoy your time together.”
Nathan refused to return the sentiment. As he watched Sloane lead Nicole back upstairs, he felt torn between staying with Angela, and following Nicole to make sure the slimy bastard kept his hands to himself. Releasing a deep breath, he focused on what he’d come here to Summerlin to do. He had to trust that Nicole could take care of herself.
Right now, he didn’t have a choice.
Taking Angela’s small hand in his, he felt her tremble—and sensed her fear as he led her toward one of the draped beds. Angela watched him warily, and in an attempt to put her at ease, he plumped up the pillows so they both could sit up, rather than lie down, as most of the other couples in the room were doing.
He settled on top of the mattress and leaned against the mound of pillows, then patted the vacant spot beside him. “Come and sit down.” As soon as he saw the flash of apprehension in her eyes, he sought to relieve her anxiety. “I’m not going to hurt you or do anything you don’t want to. I just want to talk.”
“Talk?” She eyed him skeptically.
He chuckled, soft and low. “Yeah, just talk. I promise.”
She hesitated only a moment before climbing up onto the mattress and sitting beside him—close enough for them to look intimate if anyone should glance their way, yet far enough so that she didn’t feel threatened by him. Being with Angela without any sexual contact was the first step to lowering her guard. Next was establishing a friendship and making sure she realized he had no intentions of manhandling her, that he wanted her to feel safe and secure with him.
Angela absently pulled her dress over her knees and glanced at him shyly. “What do you want to talk about?”
He smiled. “You.”
A frown creased her light blond brows, as if she wasn’t quite sure what to make of his interest in her. “What about me?”
Because he’d given her no reason to fear being with him, she was finally starting to soften, her initial trepidation fading, allowing her to relax more and more with each passing minute. Whatever she was on had a mellowing effect on her, and he took advantage of her docile disposition while he could.
“How long have you been here?” he asked, keeping the exchange between them light and casual. He needed to get a feel for her mental and emotional state and gauge if she was going to cooperate with a rescue attempt, or not.
She shrugged. “A few weeks.”
He tipped his head curiously. “Do you like it here?”
“It’s okay,” she replied softly.
Nathan took her lack of enthusiasm as a good sign. Hopefully, the glamour of being one of Sloane’s girls was wearing off and she was starting to realize that running away from home hadn’t been the answer to her problems—that it had only created problems of a different kind. Then again, she was young and most likely couldn’t see the extreme situation she’d entangled herself in.
“That’s a pretty dress you’re wearing,” he said, deliberately steering their conversation in a different direction. “Pretty necklace, too.”
She blushed at his compliment and fingered the pendant hanging around her neck. “Preston gave it to me. He gives me lots of nice things.” A smile wavered on her lips. “He told me that I was special.”
“You are special,” Nathan said, and smiled to reassure her.
“Then why is he making me do this with you?” Her voice was thick with confusion, and a bit of anger, too.
Because Sloane is done using you, Nathan thought, and wished he was able to give Angela a good dose of tough love to make her realize Preston didn’t care about her beyond his own twisted desires. That he’d already agreed to sell her off to another man within the next few weeks.
“We’re only talking.” Shifting to his side to face her, he propped his head in his hand. He gave her a charming grin. “Am I really so bad?”
“No, you’re actually very nice.” She met his gaze, her eyes a bit glossy, but sincere. “You don’t creep me out like the other guys at these parties.”
It was a start—the beginning of gaining her trust. “Tell me more about yourself. What grade are you in?”
Surprise flashed across her delicate features, telling him he’d startled her with his direct, unexpected question—which he’d done intentionally. “I’m … I’m not in school,” she said nervously. “I’m eighteen.”
He studied her just long enough to let her know he doubted her claim. “You look much younger.”
“I’m not,” she insisted.
Knowing if he pushed the issue he’d risk her retreating when he’d already made so much headway with her, he backed off and decided to probe into another aspect of her situation. “So, where do you live, Angel?”
“Here at The Sanctuary.” She obviously didn’t feel that was a secret she needed to keep. “I’m living in one of the guesthouses on the property.”
“Do you live there all the time?”
“Yes,” she said with a nod of her head. “I have my own room there.”
All good information for him to know, yet there were still so many unknown variables—starting with finding which of the guesthouses she was staying in, and what he’d find once he made his way into the house. Undoubtedly, there was some kind of security involved, whether Sloane employed guards for the girls or used a surveillance system. Either way, he needed time to figure out his options and decide the best way to get her out of the estate.
Going by past experience, rather than skulking around the property in the middle of the night and risking detection, it might be easier to take Angela in the midst of a party—so long as she didn’t scream, struggle, or draw attention to the rescue attempt. But he hadn’t earned enough of Angela’s trust to know how she’d react, and because of that he couldn’t even think about an escape tonight.
“Don’t you miss your family?” He continued their conversation, asking questions that would make her think of her parents, and hopefully long for the warmth and security of her real home.
“No.” The sadness in her eyes contradicted her reply.
“Are you sure about that?” he asked gently. The more he was able to get her to admit to herself that she no longer wanted to live this kind of life, the easier his job would be.
“Maybe I miss them a little,” she admitted in a quiet voice. Grabbing one of the red silk pillows strewn on the bed, she drew it to her chest and wrapped her arms around it. “And my cat. I miss Twinkie a lot.”
“Twinkie?” He chuckled in amusement, lightening the mood and making her smile, too. “Where did that name come from?”
“Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always liked Twinkies.” She ducked her head, as if the admission embarrassed her. “I found her at the park when I was ten, and I had to beg my mom to let me keep her. She’s this yellow-orange striped color, and her paws and belly are white.”
“So she looks a Twinkie?” he guessed.
“Yeah.” She laughed, the joyful sound untainted by her current circumstances. “Twinkie slept with me every single night and I loved to listen to her purr.”
Angela’s whole expression changed as she talked about her cat. She looked so happy, for the moment forgetting that she’d left that childhood behind the day she’d run away from home.
“How about you?” she asked, once she was done regaling him with tales of Twinkie the Cat. “Do you have a dog or a cat?”
“I did growing up.” Seeing this as a way to bond with her, he told her about Roxie, the family’s golden retriever. He also amused her with stories about his older sisters and made her laugh at his antics as a kid.
While she listened, he glanced at his watch and realized that Nicole and Sloane had been gone for over a half an hour. With each minute that passed, he grew more anxious about where they were, what they were doing, and if Nicole was okay. He decided if they didn’t return in the next fifteen minutes, he was going to go and look for Nicole, because if something happened to her on his watch, he’d never forgive himself.
Another long ten minutes passed, and by the time he finished entertaining Angela with his childhood adventures, she was lying on her side facing him, still hugging the pillow to her chest with a sweet smile on her lips. There was a wistful look on her face, the kind that told Nathan he’d stirred up feelings of regret and had also made her reflect about her own family life. That maybe things hadn’t been as bad as she’d made them out to be when she’d been living at home. Not compared with her life as Sloane’s plaything.
Despite Angela’s initial reasons for running away, it was obvious she missed the comforts of home, and the parents who loved her very much. And that, at least, was the first step in changing her thought process around.
For tonight, he’d planted the seeds in her mind. Now he could only hope they grew overnight and helped her realize what a mistake she’d made, and that she wanted to return to her family, where she belonged.
*
After leaving Nathan with Angela down in the playroom, Nicole followed Sloane as he escorted her upstairs, then to the other end of his huge mansion and into a separate wing of the house where his art collection was on display. She knew it was necessary to give Nathan time alone with Angela, but she didn’t like being so far away from him, in a section of the house that was isolated from everyone else—with a man she didn’t trust.
To her relief, Sloane started the tour as a consummate gentleman, his pride and delight in having acquired so many rare and priceless pieces of art taking precedence over his attraction to her. For now. Nicole had no doubt that once the excitement of sharing his treasures with her was over, his focus would return to what he ultimately wanted. Her.
The museum-like room was devoted to not only artwork, but other valuables as well. There were sculptures, vases, tapestries, antiques, and more. But it was the original paintings by Degas, Monet, and Seurat that had her in a state of awe. Those creations were truly magnificent and breathtaking.
As they casually strolled from piece to piece, Nicole was intensely aware of Sloane constantly touching her in some way. If he wasn’t holding her hand, then his palm was splayed at the base of her spine, or his fingers were caressing her bare arm. As he talked, he leaned in close, his head nearly touching hers as he spoke into her ear.
In between monologues, he charmed and flirted, and she had to force herself to laugh at his attempts at humor, and not cringe when he touched her in a too-familiar manner. The increasing intimacy of his actions had Nicole on edge, because she knew where his affection was leading … down a path she had no desire to travel with him.
A glance at an elaborate clock on the wall told Nicole that thirty minutes had passed, and while half an hour wasn’t a long time to be gone, it felt like an eternity when she had to endure Sloane’s advances. Certain that Nathan had made whatever connection he needed to with Angela, Nicole was more than ready to return to his side for the evening.
“Your art collection is amazing,” she said, sounding like a young girl who was very impressed with Sloane’s wealth. The man would expect nothing less. “But I really should get back to Alex.”
He smiled and grasped her hand in his, the look in his eyes darkening with desire. “There’s no rush, Nikki. Besides, he’s busy with Angel. You and I have plenty of time to spend together.”
Nausea swirled in her belly. She’d known this moment was coming; that once they were no longer distracted by his art and other collections, she’d become the focal point of his attention, and obsession. Still, she tried to be as persistent as a teenager would be. “I don’t want him to worry about me.”
“He knows you’re fine,” he said in a placating tone, contradicting the firm hold on her hand. “Come sit with me. There’s something I’d like to give you.”
Instead of resisting him any further and taking the chance of angering him, she let him lead her to a brown leather couch in the room. She settled onto the cushion next to him, her body visibly tense. Not an unrealistic response for a young girl in this kind of situation—but even as a grown woman she was apprehensive of the man.
He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering at the side of her neck. “Don’t be so nervous,” he murmured huskily, his smile inviting. “I don’t bite. I promise.”
She dampened her dry bottom lip with her tongue and gave him a timid look to divert his seduction. Too late, she realized that her demure reaction only seemed to arouse him more. Shit. “I’m … I’m not used to being away from Alex.”
“We’ll go back in a few minutes.” He reached for a light blue box wrapped in a white satin ribbon, which was sitting on the table next to the couch, and placed it in the palm of her hand. “This is for you.”
She immediately recognized the iconic blue box as Tiffany. Her first instinct was to refuse the expensive gift, but knowing he’d only insist, she went ahead and removed the ribbon and opened the small box. A velvet pouch awaited her, and tucked inside of that was a dainty silver heart link bracelet with a toggle clasp. A classic piece of Tiffany jewelry.
“Do you like it?” he asked.
While most young girls would be thrilled to be the recipient of such a beautiful designer bracelet, knowing what Sloane expected in return for the gift was more than enough to repulse her. “It’s very pretty. Thank you.”
He smiled charismatically. “Here, let me help you put it on.” Taking the box and ribbon from her, he set them back on the table, then turned back to her with the bracelet.
She extended her arm and let him clasp the silver heart around her wrist. Before she could pull away, he gripped her fingers in his and pressed a damp, lingering kiss on the back of her hand. Her stomach twisted in disgust, and she had a bad feeling that this situation was going to get much worse.
“I like to give my girls pretty, expensive things,” he said as his thumb continued to caress her hand. “The more they please me, the more I like to spoil them.”
Until the sick bastard grew tired of them, she knew.
Leaning in closer, he pressed his body against hers and placed his palm on her thigh. “You know, a kiss would be nice to show your appreciation.”
I didn’t want the fucking bracelet, asshole.
As a grown, independent woman, that’s what she wanted to say to Sloane, but she didn’t think he’d appreciate her outspoken rejection. As a nervous young girl, she tried to turn him down gently. “I really shouldn’t. Alex—”
He pressed his fingers to her lips, effectively cutting off her words. “Just relax, Nikki. It’s just a kiss.”
He slid his free hand around to the nape of her neck and pulled her head toward his. The queasiness in her belly returned with a vengeance at the thought of kissing him, and she compressed her lips together, refusing to let his tongue invade her mouth. That didn’t stop him from trying, but there was absolutely nothing soft, giving, or inviting about her lips.
When he finally released her, there was a spark of annoyance in his gaze. “You’re quite the challenge, aren’t you?”
Her heart began a hard, fast beat in her chest. The predatory look on his face told her that she was walking a fine line with him, that if she wasn’t careful, the situation could turn ugly. If provoked, Sloane could easily overpower her, assault her, and even if she screamed for help no one would hear her since she was at the opposite end of the house.
“I’m really not feeling very well,” she said in a faint voice, and abruptly jumped to her feet. “I want Alex.” She deliberately made herself sound like a petulant child—whatever worked to get her back to Nathan.
“Very well, but you and I aren’t finished yet.” Slowly, he stood up, the corner of his mouth curling with undeniable determination. “Just keep in mind that you can make this as easy, or as difficult, as you want. The decision is yours.”
She shivered at the underlying threat to his tone, and decided she’d be better off not responding. He grabbed her hand to escort her from the room, his hold not nearly as gentle as it had been earlier, giving her a taste of the darker personality that lurked beneath Sloane’s charming facade.
That glimpse revealed a side to the man she knew she’d be wise not to provoke.