Chapter 15

Walker

It took exactly five seconds for my mood to change from mad to downright pissed off. Agent Kelly stands by my desk with two other men I know are SLED by the badges clipped on their belts.

I knew I didn't have the luxury of having the whole day off, but fuck did the timing suck when Kelly called.

The sound of Emi’s ‘I love you’ still rings in my ears as I try to forget the look on her face when I got summoned to the station. There was no masking her disappointment, but I knew it was more than me leaving. She was waiting for my response.

The sound of those three words on her lips did something to me. Something inside my soul exploded and left a sense of peace I'd never felt before. By the end of our first date, I knew I was falling for her. There was no hesitation; loving Emi was easy.

That’s why, when she called yesterday in a panic about her trip to her parents, I knew it was time to step up. It was time to prove she couldn’t run me off if she tried.

“You miss me, Kelly?” I ask him as soon as I reach my desk. “As much fun as spending last night with you was, I’m already taken.”

“Hate to tell you, but you’re not my type.”

“What’s so important that couldn’t wait a few more hours?”

“We’ve had a break. This is Agent Collins and Agent Ross.”

I shake the men’s hands then look back to Kelly pointedly. “Bring me up to speed.”

“This morning, Ross and Collins got word that something may be going down tonight. That’s why they’re here. We’re going to pair off, have sets of eyes on separate locations. Both of them high-end establishments around the city.”

My first thought is that it’s Sunday night in the Bible Belt; there’s not a ton of social activity. Thursday through Saturday nights are heavily patrolled around the city. DUIs, bar brawls, and general mayhem are heavier.

“How good is this tip? We spent ten hours watching the docks last night with absolutely nothing. I’m not too keen on doing it again.”

“Only one way to find out. But that’s not all.”

He jerks his head in the direction of the conference room and we follow. This has been his temporary office since arriving. His laptop is surrounded by paperwork, folders, and pictures. It wasn’t like this yesterday when we left, so this tells me he’s been busy since I dropped him off this morning.

“Our undercover agent working as a bartender has information. It’s not a lot, but it’s something. According to him, it’s a BDSM club. That’s why there was so much secrecy surrounding it. The owners have been private. There’s a general nightclub, and that’s what’s registered under the business license. The place is invite only; you can’t get through the front door without being a member or on a list.”

“Are they selling sex?”

“No, our guy says everyone that participates is willing and eager. There are private rooms, viewing rooms, and even VIP sections dedicated to observation only.”

“So, Charleston’s got an underground sex club that’s the perfect place for five drug dealers to meet without question. They go in under the ruse to watch sex, but really discuss trafficking.”

“That’s what I think.”

“How exactly is this place flying under the radar?”

“The BDSM community is generally private. People from all over come here—some to watch, some to participate, and some to enjoy the nightclub.”

“What are we going to do with this information? Not like we can raid the place with no reason.”

“We’re going in next weekend. There will be an email sent, requesting a VIP section for us next Saturday night. The division is setting us up as interested investors. Our backgrounds will include a series of silent partnerships with very hefty bank accounts. If anyone does a background, we’ll have a footprint already laid.”

“I’ve been in town less than a year, but I’m still known. People may recognize me.”

“The club’s on the outskirts of town. Our man is going to get us in unnoticed, and we’ll be in VIP.”

“Well, that takes care of next weekend, but what does that have to do with tonight? I gotta say, this doesn’t feel right.”

“You and I are watching the club tonight. If my instincts are right, these dealers have already checked out the security of the place. They have a lot of plays in motion, one of them keeping the local police on their toes by stopping petty crime. If there’s a mastermind in the group, they’ll be paying attention to what’s happening in the city and how the local police are handling it.”

Kelly and I agree that, if there is a drug operation in the works, it’s not being led by typical thugs. East coast distribution will take a keen business sense and a lot of manpower. Whoever is in charge is most likely meticulous with details and planning.

“We’re still operating on the assumption that the car theft and the drugs go hand in hand?"

He nods.

“Besides the four of us and the captain, how many people in this precinct know about all this?”

“Captain Cornelius will make the decision of who else to bring into the circle.”

“Captain Corny will want small. He’s protective of his jurisdiction, and the more people who know, the more chance of word spreading,” I explain.

The three men crack a smile at my nickname.

Right then, the Captain strolls in, takes one glance at me, and smiles smugly. “How was church?”

“Jesus, this is getting ridiculous.” I grunt. “Do I even want to know how you know this?”

“Dawn and my wife do some volunteer work together. Word was out quick after you left. Emi’s mom called on the prayer circle for a whole new reason today.”

“Emi? As in Emerson Baker?” Agent Collins asks, looking between Captain and me.

“You know her?” My question comes out more of an accusation.

“Yes, I knew her when we were teenagers. A group of us hung out at the beach one summer. Emi was something else. My friends and I use to crush on her hard. Watching her prance around in her bikini, she was the spotlight of many teenage fantasies.”

Something about the way he refers to her sets off pure-blooded jealousy inside. I straighten my shoulders and cross my arms, ready to tell him that his ‘teenage fantasies’ can go to hell.

“Oh, she still prances, but now it’s more of a strut. I’d bet that’s exactly how she got on this one’s radar.” Captain jerks his thumb to me.

“Wait, is that the woman in the picture on your desk?” Collins’ eyes grow wide in recognition, then he blows out a low whistle. “Lucky son of a bitch.”

I remain motionless, my tense glare firing at him.

“Hey, man, no threat here. I haven’t seen her in ten years.” He raises his hands in defense.

I want to tell him he’s right; he’s no threat, because one wrong look at her and I’ll pummel his ass.

I love you sounds in my ears, and the tension eases. Then I chuckle to myself. The image of her dancing around in a bikini fills my head, and I think about my own fantasies when it comes to Emi.

“I’ll give you this, Collins, any teenage fantasy you had is nothing compared to reality. But, clear warning, don’t want to hear about it again.”

“Where are you?” I bark into the phone.

“Are you just getting home?” Emi’s unusually alert for this time of morning.

“Yes, I walked in to find an empty bed and an equally empty house, so I’ll ask again, where are you at six in the morning?”

“I’m at my place. After we hung up last night, I decided to do a little work. There was an email about a mandatory meeting in the office today, so I came home.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Dammit, Emi, I’m running on five hours of sleep in the last two days. My patience is thin. Why aren’t you at my house? At the very least, why didn’t you call or text me?”

“I didn’t want to bother you, I left a note on the counter. Listen, you’re obviously grouchy so go to bed. We’ll talk tonight.”

There’s an attitude in her tone, the usually cheerful demeanor gone. She was quiet last night, but I didn’t have the privacy to ask her about it. Now, hearing her unease sets my instincts on alert.

What the hell could have happened between the time I left her parents’ house and now?

“I’m coming over,” I say without hesitation, yanking my keys off my dresser.

“Not now, Walker, I have to be at the office by seven-thirty.”

“Talk to me, Emi. What’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” she lies quietly.

I stop dead in my tracks, cursing under my breath. She’s hurt. That’s sadness in her voice, and for some reason, she’s avoiding me.

“What’s going on?” I ask softer, hoping she’ll open up.

“Nothing,” she repeats. “But I do need to finish getting ready.”

“What time will you be home tonight?”

“I don’t know.”

I close my eyes and mentally count to five. “You call me on your way and I’ll meet you at your place.”

“Don’t you have to work?”

“Not tonight.”

“Did you catch them?” For the first time since she answered, there’s a warmth to her tone.

“Yeah, baby, we caught them. Two low level punks hawking cars for money.” I leave out the part they were also stupid punks, having no clue of the bigger picture. After three hours of interrogating them, we found out they had no idea who they worked for. They were receiving payments through cash envelopes left in their fucking mailboxes.

The MO was a simple operation. These brothers would get a non-descript note in the mail, usually with a make and model needed. They’d steal the vehicle, scrape the VIN, and remove the license plates. Then they’d leave it in an abandoned area. The next day, they’d get a large payment.

The only solid lead we had was that we now had something to report back to the other cities experiencing the same auto crime.

Kelly and I knew these cars were being used to transport drugs. It was a common tactic. Steal cars and strip them, repaint them to lessen your chances of being caught, then transport the drugs and ditch the car. Low overhead, and yet still get the job done.

Now that this side of the operation was virtually shut down, we could focus solely on the drugs. If next weekend goes well, I can get back to my normal life, which includes no SLED agents.

“I’m proud of you, Walker. Congratulations.”

“I’d prefer to hear that in person.”

“Sorry, I thought it was best if I came home. All my stuff is here, and I knew I had to get up early.”

“Is it normal to have these meetings at such short notice? Seems like you’d have a head’s up.”

“Normal, no, but occasionally, we have to meet with our legal specialist. My guess is that’s what is happening today.”

At the mention of the legal specialist, Marcus’ words fill my mind, then the asshole from his firm flashes in my head. “Let me come take you to work. Then you don’t have to worry about parking. I’ll come get you when you’re done.”

“That’s sweet, but I need my car.”

Yeah, she’s avoiding me. I’ll give her this space—today. But tonight, she’s mine.

“Okay, gorgeous, have a good day. Call me when you leave the office.”

“Have a nice day, Walker. I hope you get some rest.” The line goes dead, leaving me with a sinking feeling in my gut.

The exhaustion from earlier is gone, leaving me edgy and tense. I make a decision as I stalk back to my room and head directly to my closet. The room is big, with lots of shelves and both walls lined with hanging rods. My stuff is hung neatly, arranged by item, but I took advantage of the large space and spread my stuff out. I take one look and instantly get to work moving things around and organizing my clothes to one side. When I’m done, I go to my dresser, doing the same.

By the time I’m finished, fatigue has set in. I set my alarm, strip, and collapse into bed. My brain starts to close down with all the stuff going on at work, and my thoughts wander to Emi.

Pretty soon, there will be no room for misunderstanding.