Trip

 

 

The sight of Danny Bright as she kneels on the carpet is one I will never forget as long as I live. Her rounded ass is resting on her heels, pointed up at me, and it’s all I can do not to stalk over to her and take her ass in my palms to weigh the soft globes.

I can see the slightest sliver of her sex peeking between slim thighs, and the sight has my cock going hard before I can reign myself in and remind myself that she’s just a body at this point.

She is beautiful though. I already knew that from the surveillance photos my crew brought when I sent them out to round up these women, but in the flesh…

She’s glorious.

I watch her silently, not moving my limbs so much as a breath, and almost smile when I see her become aware of her surroundings, her spine stiffening before she forces herself to relax and play dead. She doesn’t move, not an inch, but I am aware of the way her eyes scan the room to her right and left.

She takes her time, and I am impressed by her control, before she gets her fill and looks over at the naked woman lying unconscious beside her. Marco and I knew they were awake, of course. The tiny night vision camera in the cell we dumped them in showing their movements and the way they huddled in the darkness, trying to share warmth I knew they couldn’t have felt.

It was almost heartwarming to see them, two strangers giving comfort at a time when most women, in fact every other woman that we took, would have been hysterical and sobbing in fear.

Not these two though. Oh, I saw the moment when Danny was on the verge of breaking. It was bright and clear as day when her eyes took on a wildness that would have heralded a panic attack.

Lori stopped her though, and I felt Marco’s respect for the woman and her strength when he let out a soft grunt and his lip twitched. I myself have an unholy amount of esteem for that one.

She was awake for at least three hours before Danny swam to consciousness, and all she did was sit quietly and listen, not moving a muscle, no matter how the other women screamed or cried.

That’s good, because Danny and Lori have a special purpose here today, for the next little while at least, and I need them strong and vigilant for what needs to be done.

“She’ll be okay.”

I say the words softly and watch as Danny stiffens and slowly turns her head to look up at me through a skein of golden hair. Her eyes, a bright shade of hazel grey with specks of green and sherry brown, look up at me, her gaze as flat and cold as she can manage with the natural fear I scent coming from her.

My respect deepens when she slowly straightens to her knees, her stiff posture screaming a denial even as she grits her teeth and keeps her arms lax at her sides.

Most women would be trying to cover up their nudity and scuttle to a corner to cower, but Danny raises her chin defiantly and glares.

“She, we, could have died in that room! Is that what you wanted, you sick freak?”

I can’t help the laugh that springs forth and chuckle all the harder when she snarls and has to breathe to contain her anger. She’s terrified, but that temper I’ve heard so much about is alive and trying to break free. That’s good, because I need her to be strong even when she isn’t.

“No. I was just curious to see how long you could last in the cold.”

“Curious? Are you insane?”

“No. And to answer your question, Marco was coming to get you right before you started calling, so calm down.”

Her back goes stiffer, and I really have to restrain my amusement when she swallows loudly and bares her teeth.

“That’s why it took so long?”

“No, he waited for you to stop hitting the door. He thought you’d attack him, and he didn’t want to harm you if he needed to restrain you. Simple.”

“Harm me? Are you people crazy?! I went to bed and woke up in a cell, naked and freezing,” she yells.

“True, but you came to no harm, and Marco is not into harming women. Whatever, you’re not hurt—”

“I am hurt! You stole us from our beds and—”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re beautiful women with a certain look. Why else?” I muse, watching her facial expression as the words slip free easily.

I recline back, crossing my ankles, and give her an indolent smile while she vibrates with emotion, her gaze watching my every move. Lori is already awake by now. I know it. Saw it the exact second she stiffened slightly as she swam into consciousness.

Marco will like this one, I know, my own lips twitching at the thought of that hard bastard being brought low by a woman like Lori Staneslovsky, a half-American Slovak from Texas.

The absurdity of those words aren’t lost on me, and I find myself battling another chuckle, not wanting to tick Danny off even more.

“You’re a monster. You all are. What are you going to do with us? Sell us to some pervert who hurts innocent women? Sell me as a sex slave?” she spits, her breasts rising and falling in a way that makes my cock all the harder.

This one has fire and spirit, so much heat that I ache to kiss her and show her that not all men like to hurt women. I want to tie her up and lick her all over, her tight nipples and that furry triangle between her legs that makes me want to laugh and crow.

I bet if Danny isn’t still a virgin that it’s been a while since she let a man touch her. No sexually active woman has that much bush in this day and age.

Unless her boyfriend is a hippie, which I know isn’t the case. Danny has been single for the last two years, at least as far as the reports are concerned, so yeah…all that tight, wet heat.

I’ll have to have her cleaned up though. I like a silky bush as much as the next man, but for what I have in mind for her, hair is definitely not an option.

But back to the business at hand.

“I’m not selling you, but yes, I wouldn’t be averse to the sex slave part,” I muse, letting her see the state of my cock when I shift my hips.

Her eyes go wide as saucers, and I have to stop myself from going to her when she shrinks slightly. I am a big guy, not freakishly large, but I have a lot of dick, and most women hesitate at the sight of my aroused body.

Danny looks ready to run screaming though, and that I cannot have.

“You can’t…”

“I have to. This operation is not mine, Danny. No, I am not the one stealing women and trafficking in flesh. I am—”

“Oh God, what is going on here?”

“You’re a gift of sorts, an offering from a business associate that I have no intention of turning down. Count yourself lucky. I am not such a monster that I would hurt you, but you have to accept that you are mine now, as Lori is Marco’s, and do the smart thing.”

I don’t tell her that I’ve been watching her and that the reason she is here is due to my own obsession. I am not that stupid. The woman looks ready to break down or attack me at this point, and like I said, I don’t want to hurt her.

Just own her.

“A gift! I am not a gift. I’m a human being with rights.”

“Not any longer. You now belong to me, and like I said already, count yourself lucky. I’m a pussy cat compared to some of the men you could have ended up with.”

“Let me go. I won’t—”

“Yes, you will,” I mock, laughing at her look of ire. “You’ll run home to that Navy daddy of yours and tell him every tiny detail you can remember. You’ll tell him that you smelled the ocean and that Lori told you we were in Seattle. You’ll tell him that you saw my face and describe me from my beard and blue eyes down to my tattoos and the scar just above my lip. You’ll spill like a piñata and wait in anticipatory glee while he and that uncle of yours hunt us all down.”

I don’t say it all to be cruel, but I need her to get with fucking reality here. I am not letting her go, and the sooner she realizes that, the better.

“Please—”

“Besides all that, I can’t. The minute they know that I released you, you’ll be dead. And they’ll come after me and my people, which I can’t allow. Look, it’s simple, really. The minute they took you, you were dead. With me, you’ll live, maybe not the life you want to live but you’ll be alive, and I won’t hurt you,” I say quietly, wanting her to know that at least.

I’m not a sadist, and despite some very vivid images and fantasies about that body of hers being tied down and at my mercy, I am not into BDSM. I just want to fuck her. That’s it.

No pain, just pleasure. For us both. Because she will enjoy it eventually. I won’t accept anything else.

“You can’t do this!”

“I can and I have. Now, Marco, your woman is awake and plotting ten different ways to murder me. Please see to her and give Danny her robe, would you? I’m only a flesh-and-blood man,” I purr, watching her blush and stiffen against the need to cover herself.

Marco strolls in and tosses the robe at Danny, and I see him smirk before he drops the other on Lori, her flinch when it hits her face giving her away.

“Get dressed. We have a plane to catch, and I don’t know about you ladies, but I am starving.”

Lori sits up with a soft moan, and I have to hand it to the woman, she’s a fighter, as she throws the robe on and shuffles to Danny, helping her tie hers when her hands shake too much to complete the task.

They share a few seconds of silent communication, and I see Danny nod once, biting back the tears now shining in her lovely eyes.

“Come.”

Marco’s bark makes me grin, and I find it amusing that he acts like a Neanderthal with his monosyllabic orders when, in reality, the man could outtalk a gossiping old lady.

Danny and Lori rise slowly and link hands in that way that only women can when faced with a crisis, and I nod once at Marco.

The man is almost hopping with glee as he handcuffs their hands behind their backs, Lori’s calm stillness making it easy. Danny looks ready to bolt, but one look from her companion has her stilling and submitting to the restraints.

“Hoods, Marco my man. Let’s not forget how smart these two are.”

He grins when Lori bites into her lips to keep her denial in check, and soon enough, we’re making our way out of Noni’s building and into the heated car.

The women don’t move once they’re seated, just sit close together and stay silent. That is amusing too because I bet that brain of Danny’s is working at full speed, trying to follow every turn and counting minutes.

Too bad for her Marco is an old pro at this and makes a winding drive around the docks before heading out and into traffic. The drive to the airstrip takes longer than it should when he takes alternate routes, but we get there without mishap, and once on the plane, I feel my gut ease.

Not to put too fine a point on things, but this night has been stressful. I almost shit myself when Noni showed me the photos he took of an unconscious Danny and I realized that he had her.

Part of me was furious that he’d had his grubby paws all over her, while another was just relieved that I was getting her back. A gift, he said, to seal a deal that was going through between my organization and the Slovaks, who are now partnered with the Irish in trafficking.

I don’t traffic in flesh. I never have, but to play this game, it’s a step I’ve had to take, and while it sickens me to think of innocent women being stolen from their families and lives, I content myself by remembering that at least I can ensure that they aren’t just being killed after a night of sport.

Nah, I reformed some of that shit and make sure they do okay. No more Russian brothels or being sold to fat Arabs with more money than humanity.

“We’re ready to take off.”

I smile at Marco as he lets the women sit on the long couch towards the back and nod my agreement when he silently indicates that he’s not releasing them until we’re in the air.

Twenty minutes later, I’m trying not to laugh when the women are unshackled and he leads them to join us for dinner.

Danny scowls, but I see her hunger when he brings in roasted lamb, potatoes in butter, and a salad of tomatoes and mixed peppers.

“Eat.”

Lori just sniffs, and Marco finally snaps and spears a piece of her meat, taking a bite to prove that it’s not tampered with.

“Eat.”

They do, tasting it slowly until instinct gets the better of them and they’re inhaling the food. Danny has no manners or shame whatsoever, hardly chewing before swallowing and ramming a forkful of potatoes into her mouth.

Her moans piss me off, and I find myself wanting to hurt those assholes when it becomes apparent that she hasn’t eaten or had water in a while. Lori is also attacking the food like an animal, and I chuckle when they clear the plates in under five minutes and pause to stare at mine and Marco’s.

I just push mine at Danny without a word, ignoring my own hunger in favor of satisfying hers.

Marco grunts, his love of lamb vying with his manners, before he too pushes his food towards Lori and sits back to watch her eat in narrow-eyed annoyance.

This time they eat slowly, savoring the food, and I catch Danny’s curious glances through slit eyes while I sip at a whiskey.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, thanks. Those animals don’t feed or water their pets,” Lori snarks, taking a huge glug of water.

That proves too much though, and I watch her face turn pale before she swallows repeatedly and rests her head on the table, breathing deeply to keep her food down.

“Just breathe. It’ll pass,” Danny moans, her own face going green.

Watching them together is interesting. For two women who have never met before, they’ve developed a closeness that allows for silent communication, and I see even Marco’s eyes narrow in consternation when he realizes what we have to do.

Can’t have them together plotting and planning escape.

Even if I wanted to release Danny, which I don’t, I can’t have her getting loose. I wasn’t lying when I said she’ll be killed instantly the moment they see her free.

The people I am involved with are not nice men. They have no respect for human life unless it’s their own families, and even then, I’d bet a ball Noni would cap his own mama to make a dime.

I can’t have that happen. Besides, not being an absolute monster, I like Danny, have liked her since I started watching her old man and her. For three years now, I’ve had my eye on him and that brother of his, the DEA trying to mess with my business.

You could say I developed a sort of tender spot for Danny when I saw her knee a guy in the balls one day while coming from college. The guy was getting handsy with her, obviously of the mindset that any college girl in sight was loose and ready for a frat train. Danny dropped him like a brick and turned on his cohorts, her laughter when those punks scattered so loud I still remember the sound to this day.

Marco himself even let his lip twitch, something that should go down in the annals of history because the big bastard hardly ever smiles.

“Where are you taking us?”

I’m ripped from my musings when the women sit up and look at me, Lori’s purposeful refusal to look at Marco making me fight laughter when he grunts and grinds his teeth.

“I have a home in New Orleans where Daniella will live with me. You…you belong to Marco.”

That has them both stilling, and I see the moment when they understand that they’re going to be separated. Danny is spooked. I guess her calmness is only contingent on Lori, who seems to be the leader of this outfit.

Lori herself just thins her lips and strives not to say a word. Good girl. Marco isn’t all that into talking or hysterical women, and I’d hate to have to watch him gag her, because that would set Danny off, and I don’t have the patience to deal with her brand of affection yet.

Better remember to keep my sac out of firing distance.

“But…I thought he’s your flunky.”

Marco grunts at Danny’s insult, and I make a choked sound when he stiffens.

“Don’t say a word, asshole,” he warns when I go to rub it in, my natural amusement coming to the fore.

“Wouldn’t dream of it. He’s not my flunky or henchman, Danny. Marco is my brother,” I say calmly, enjoying the way she looks between us.

No one would ever believe it, something that’s worked in our favor for years. Marco looks more like our father, his blond hair and green eyes heralding back to our dad, who was of Nordic descent, while I and my other three brothers look more like my half-Irish, half-Lakota mom. The coloring is all hers, dark and bronzed, but the eyes come from a grandmother who was as fair as an Irish lass could be.

“Really?”

“Yep. I know he’s an ugly bastard, but forgive him for it. My pop could only give him so much before the natural ugly came out.”

“Fuck you. I’m hot,” Marco mutters, giving Lori a heated smile.

The woman has no fear at all and just sniffs, pursing her lips, with an eye roll thrown in for good measure.

“Please let us go.”

God help me, I think when she tries again, her need for freedom making me feel like shit even though I know I’m saving her life right now. Do I feel better knowing this? Yes. It may be wrong, but I know that without me she’d be dead or begging for it by now.

And besides, I was looking at her before this happened anyway, and I’d decided already that she’d be mine eventually. Sure, I’d have gone about it differently and done all that dating shit and soft lies all women want to hear, but I’d have gone for her.

So, see, we’d have ended up here anyway.

“No. You have to accept this and move on. I will give you a good life with everything you need, so you have nothing to fear, Danny, I promise you this.”

“I want to go home!”

“You are. We are,” I state calmly, keeping my eyes on hers, watching the grey and brown swirl together.

“Who are you?” she asks suddenly, as if realizing she doesn’t know my name.

The abruptness has me looking over at Marco in understanding. Ah, that would be the sedatives Marco laced their salads with working. What? You thought I was going to spend hours on a flight to New Orleans with two women plotting, semi on the verge of hysteria, and ready to stab me in the face?

Not my scene, man.

“My name is Bear Wylder, people call me Wild or B. This ugly fuck is my brother Wolf. We call him Marco in public just to piss him off and to throw the others.”

Danny and Lori both blink as I talk, and I see her brow knit in confusion before she slumps back and glares.

“You drugged us.”

She’s out before I can answer, but I see Lori send Marco a death glare before she too slumps, the sedative knocking her on her ass.

“Liar…”

“Aw, come on, babe. It was inevitable. You want to kill me. I can’t have that,” Wolf says softly.

“You…tasted…”

“It was in the salad so you couldn’t taste it, and I only tried the meat.”

“Bastard.” Her last gasp before she passes out is accompanied by a look so filthy I see Wolf shudder.

“Christ, did we have to choose two of the most rabid women alive?”

“Shut up, Wolf.”

“You shut up! Just wait until one of them tries to kill us in our sleep. Did you see the way Lori was eyeing that knife, man? I’ma hafta sleep with one eye open before she falls for my ass,” he whines, shifting to stand and pull Lori into his arms.

Wolf is huge, like a Viking, as Dad always called him. He’s so big that me at six four, well, even I am missing a few inches on him. He disappears into the bedroom with Lori, and I sigh as I rise and slide my arms under Danny, pulling her firmly into my chest.

Most guys with a hard-on for a woman would spout some poetic shit about her flowery smell. I can’t. The poor woman smells terrible, something I’m grateful she hasn’t picked up on yet because if I know Miss Hygiene, she’d start cutting people for the horror of smelling bad.

Not that I blame her. People need to wash to smell good, and my poor little Danny hasn’t seen soap in at least two days. I’ll wash her myself once we get home and Wolf takes his woman to his own place.

I have a few days to teach Danny how shit is gonna be before I need to get back to work and make sure my business associates don’t fuck everything up.

“Her father is gonna come looking for her,” Wolf says as soon as we’ve got them settled on the bed and we retake our seats in the front.

“Yeah, I know, but I’ve got something in the works to keep him busy for now, so just pray that he takes the bait and doesn’t come barreling in before shit gets done. I really don’t wanna hafta hurt my girl’s old man,” I mutter, accepting another drink and sighing tiredly.

I haven’t slept in almost forty-eight hours, and I see a few more hours of exhaustion ahead of me as it is.

“Dude, you know about Bright. The man is a fucking force when he’s pissed. You remember…?”

“I do, which is why I had Lyon go back to ransack her place and leave an empty trail. Lynx is making sure Lori’s trail is covered, and Hawk is sitting on the Irish to keep tabs on their movements. I’ve covered it all as far as I can see.”

Which isn’t to say that shit won’t happen, because it’s inevitable. I’ve been at this for years, been a powerful man to be reckoned with for so long that sometimes I forget what it was like to be a normal guy with dreams of suburban bliss—when I was like too young to shave.

Now, I’m an organization with more fingers in pies than I have digits to cover. I know it all, plan for every eventuality, but life, man, that shit happens to everyone, no matter how prepared we are.

I can see shit going bad. I just feel like no matter how much I’ve plotted, that something will go down. It’s bound to. All I can hope is that I can minimize the damage and keep everyone protected until I move things to where I need them to be.

“It’s gonna go wrong somewhere. I can feel it.”

“I know, which is why I want you at the Grace House. I need you next door, just far enough away for Lori and Danny not to be in cahoots but close enough in case someone pulls a double-cross.”

Wolf snorts at that, and I laugh when he grimaces.

“Fuck, Bear. Christ, you want me to go nuts, with Lori and Mom in the same house?”

“Mom is cool, man. She and Dad know the score. Besides, just talk to Dad.”

“That old fool. Jesus, he’s the meanest dick I know, and he’s still scared of Ma. He told me she’s got Lakota in her and she knows how to kill silently.” He shudders, getting a bark of mirth from me.

“She’s too hot-tempered to be patient to kill silently.”

“Dammit, you go to Grace House and let me take the plantation. Please.”

“No. Fuck off. I am not living with that crazy old broad again.”

This time it’s me shuddering because I had eighteen years of living with Mom to know I can never do it again. As it is, she lives right next door to me and still makes me nuts. The same roof would kill me. And I still have Danny to contend with.

“See! This isn’t fair, man.”

“As Scar said, life’s not fair, is it?”

“You’re an asshole. And quoting the Lion King is pathetic.”

“It’s better than freaking Star Wars.”

“Trek! And that bastard is just cool. And wise. He has a solution to every dilemma, if you’re smart enough to listen,” Wolf argues, flipping me off.

“You’re a nerd. For a gangster hoodlum, you’re a total geek, you know that?” I laugh, the incongruity of my brother the deadly killer being such a freak making me chuckle.

I sober fast though when he looks at me grimly.

“You’re lucky they offered her to you, or she’d be in some Korean brothel in the city having the hell beat out of her feisty ass.”

Like I don’t know! I may be the man I have to be to survive, but the thought of Danny being hurt makes me want to kill someone.

“I know. I won’t forget it,” I say softly, his nod and look sinking into me.

“We need to get this done, Bear. Being a crime family is one thing, but trafficking is not…”

“We will. You just keep that woman you insisted on having out of my plans, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

“She’ll love me.”

“I wouldn’t hold my breath. She looked ready to rip your throat out with her teeth.” I chuckle, shivering at the memory of Danny’s glare.

He snorts at that and crosses himself while looking towards the bedroom.

“God help us.”