Castle Investigations Box Set

by Dee Bridgnorth

  Ethan backed up and ran, leaping across the space between the two houses. Gunshots sounded, the bullets pinging off the metal roof. "Jump!" he yelled.

  Isabel leaped across the small expanse, making it easily across. They took off running, heading for the end of the next townhome. Ethan paused, firing off two shots. She heard a grunt behind her and the sounds of footsteps clanging on the metal.

  "Go," Ethan said as he took aim again. She ran towards the end of the roof, realizing once she got there that this jump would be much more difficult.

  "Ethan?" she asked, her voice rising several decibels. Shots sounded, and another grunt went up. She turned to find both men down, one grasping his arm and the other dead, if his still body was any indicator. Two more men climbed out through the window.

  "What are you waiting for?" Ethan yelled.

  "Look!"

  Ethan turned to see the much larger expanse between them and the next building. "Ok, I'll go first."

  "What?"

  "We don't have time to argue about this. Get a running start. You can do it." Ethan tucked his gun into his waistband and backed up, taking a running start and flinging himself across the chasm. He hit the other side with ease, rolling to cushion his fall.

  He stood. "Now, you!"

  She shook her head. No way could she make this jump. Shots pinged off the metal at her feet. Yelping, she looked at Ethan across the way. "I've got you. You can do this."

  Well, it was either this or getting shot to death. She backed up to get a running start. When she hit the edge, she jumped. She knew immediately that she was short. It seemed like she was in the air forever, time standing still. She reached for the edge, her hands and legs swimming in midair.

  Her palms scraped against the edge of the roof, the metal biting into her flesh. Unable to gain purchase, she started to slip when large hands reached out and caught her wrists. Ethan hoisted her up and over the edge. The momentum swung her into his arms and onto his chest, knocking him down. The quick in and out of their breaths was all she could hear, her eyes locked firmly on his. Shots sounded, and a bullet ricocheted to the right of them, breaking the spell.

  Isabel climbed off him, and Ethan scrambled up, pulling her behind him. When they reached the edge, they saw a fire escape and climbed down to the street. Once on solid ground, they started running back towards their car.

  After several minutes, Ethan slowed their pace, pulling them down an alley. Isabel sank against the wall, trying to calm her breathing. Ethan peered around the edge, then slumped next to her.

  "You ok?" he asked.

  She nodded, unable to answer since she still couldn't pull in a deep breath.

  "Good. Can you run the rest of the way?"

  "Yes," she said, pushing the word out on an exhale.

  Ethan took off at a slower jog, and Isabel kept up with him. They reached the car within minutes. He took a couple more minutes to check the car, making sure no one had tampered with it. When he was satisfied, he opened the door for her, allowing her to slide inside.

  The door closed, and Isabel relaxed. Safe. They were safe. She'd almost died out there. Again. And, once again, it was Ethan who had come to her rescue.

  Chapter 14

  The hotel room, although it lacked charm and taste, was at least safe. Ethan was sure that twenty years had been taken from his life today when he’d seen Isabel propel herself across the divide between the buildings. He'd known as soon as she’d leapt that she wasn't going to make it.

  Isabel fell onto the bed, covering her eyes with the crook of her arm. "I just want to sleep for a year."

  "We need to patch up those hands first."

  As if she'd forgotten about her hands being injured, she raised them to examine the scrapes there.

  "I don't think they're too bad."

  "Maybe not, but I'd still like to look at them."

  He retrieved the medical supplies they'd bought and a warm washcloth from the bathroom. Isabel sat up on the bed, and he knelt in front of her.

  "Give me your hand," he said. Fortunately, she obeyed without protest, laying her hand on her knee for him to inspect.

  She had a deeper gash at the bottom of her palm, and the skin was scraped off in other places. It didn't look as if it needed stitches, though, thank goodness.

  Ethan dabbed at the cuts with the wet cloth. Isabel hissed in a breath.

  "Sorry," he muttered.

  "It's ok."

  He hated that things were so weird between them. And he hated that he'd yet to tell her that they'd slept together, and that he remembered everything from that night. The more time he allowed to go by, the harder it was to come clean. But he knew she'd be mortified that she didn't remember sleeping with him. And if he was honest with himself, that was kind of a hit to his ego. Was he that forgettable?

  When he'd finished putting the antibacterial ointment on her palm, along with a bandage, he took her other hand in his and cleaned it as well. He could feel her eyes on him, but he ignored her scrutiny. If he looked at her now, he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop at that. Her nearness, and the sweet fragrance wafting from her, were enough to make him crazy with want and need.

  Sometimes, being a gentleman sucked.

  Ethan placed the final bandage on her other palm, feeling a sense of déjà vu. Wasn't it Isabel who, just yesterday, had bandaged his own wounds?

  Soft fingers touched his hair, pushing it back away from his face. He looked up into Isabel's eyes, not understanding what he saw in their depths. Her fingertips feathered against his brow, and his eyes closed. Her touch was like a balm to his soul.

  "You don't deserve this," she said quietly.

  "Deserve what?" he asked, confusion wrinkling his brow.

  "This. Being married to someone you don't love."

  Guilt ate at him. Here she was, upset at the thought of his being shackled to someone he didn't love, when that wasn't true at all. He did love her. It had taken him too long to realize it, but there it was. The simple truth. He needed to tell her. Everything.

  "Izz, there's something I need to tell you," he started.

  "Shh," she said, silencing him with a finger to his lips. "I don't want to talk. I just want to feel."

  With those words, she leaned forward, capturing his mouth with hers. The kiss built slowly, until it reached a fevered crescendo of longing and desire. Moving to her side, Ethan sat down on the bed next to her, never breaking the kiss. His hands covered her curves, loving the feel of her in his arms. Tilting her back on the bed, he allowed his hands to move up her sides. Lifting her shirt over her head, he traced lines along her belly with his fingers, placing kisses there in his wake. When he moved to her pants, however, Isabel sat up, bumping him in the head.

  "Ow," he said, smiling slightly at the awkwardness of the situation.

  "We can't," she said, and her mirroring smile was filled with regret.

  "We can," he replied. "We're married, after all."

  "Exactly! If we do this, we can't get an annulment. I won't do that to you, Ethan."

  Before he could stop her, or confess that an annulment would be out of the question whether they slept together or not, she jumped off the bed, locking herself in the bathroom.

  Tonight was going to be a long night. He'd already had her once. And once was never going to be enough. He wanted to once again experience what had happened between them last night. And this time, he'd make damned sure she remembered it.

  * * * *

  The quiet in the car was unbearable. Zach had sent a new car for them. This one wasn't nearly as nice—a basic black sedan. She hated to lose the Porsche. But it didn't exactly blend in, and tonight, they needed to blend in. Returning to the scene of the crime, or the scene where she'd almost been killed, wasn't at the top of her list. But they needed to figure out what Bruno was up to tonight. Maybe if they could catch him in the act, they could end this and go back home. And everything could return back to normal.

  And she wouldn't be marr
ied to Ethan anymore.

  Why did that thought bother her so much?

  She'd kissed him.

  Kissed him because she was tired of being helpless, being pushed here and there by events out of her control. She'd wanted to take action. Wanted to feel. Wanted to be in his arms.

  And she'd almost ruined their chances to annul this thing. To give Ethan the easy out he needed.

  Visions of Ethan's hands running over her body filled her mind. His mouth on hers, trailing kisses down her neck and chest, then down her abdomen. Whispered words of love and affection. How beautiful she was. How much he wanted her.

  Her daydreams had gotten out of control lately. She kept having these flashes that seemed so real. Warmth spread to her cheeks. What would Ethan think if he knew what she was thinking about? She shook her head to dislodge the visions of rapture in her mind, turning her attention back to the alley before them.

  "It would have been nice if Bruno had given us a heads-up about what time he'd planned for this shipment to go out," she said.

  Ethan gave her a half smile. "I don’t guess we can expect him to roll out the red carpet for us."

  Isabel sighed heavily, tapping her fingers on the window as she stared out at the empty alley.

  Several minutes later, a white van entered from the other side of the street. Isabel sat up at attention, and Ethan rolled down the windows. Four men left the van, leaving the back doors open. One of the men, a tall guy with a shiny, bald head, knocked on the back door of the club. The door opened, but Isabel was too far away to hear what they were saying.

  "We need to get closer."

  Ethan hesitated. She raised her eyebrows, daring him to tell her to stay in the car. Resignation passed over his face. "Fine. See that dumpster? Stay behind it. Ok?"

  Isabel left the car without answering. She thought she heard a growl as she quietly pushed the door open. She fought the smile that tugged at her lips.

  Isabel stayed in the shadows as she crept towards the dumpster and knelt behind it. Ethan sidled up behind her. She could feel his warmth on her back as they watched the scene unfold before them.

  "He'll be here soon. He wants us to wait to load them until he's seen them," the man at the door said.

  The men from the van were all dressed in black, and the alley was so dark that it was hard to see what they looked like, except for Baldy. He stood out among the rest.

  Baldy motioned for the other guys to stand near the van.

  "If he's not here in ten minutes, we leave," he said. He turned his back on Bruno's thug and stood next to the back doors of the van with the other men.

  Isabel saw that Baldy must be in charge. His accent was thick, but she couldn't decipher where he might be from.

  Just then, Bruno walked out of the club, dressed in black pants and a shiny purple shirt, unbuttoned too low to show off a gold chain. She couldn’t help thinking that someone should tell him purple wasn't his best color.

  "Gentlemen, so glad you could make it this evening."

  Isabel wasn't sure what shipment was going out tonight, but the way Bruno spoke, it was as if he were welcoming them to a fancy dinner.

  "No games. Where is the merchandise?" Baldy interjected.

  "Your boss will be quite pleased with this shipment. Every single one is high quality." Bruno sounded like a smarmy used car salesman. Baldy didn’t seem to appreciate his tactics. Isabel could see the man clenching and unclenching his fists.

  A shiny black Mercedes Benz pulled into the alley, stopping next to the van. The door opened, and a man with gray hair stepped out. Isabel sucked in air through her teeth.

  Tobias Winters.

  She met Ethan's gaze, and he gave a slight nod to show that he understood the question in her eyes. What was Tobias Winters doing here?

  Bruno walked forward, his hand extended. "Mr. Winters, so good to have you here with us."

  "Cut the B.S., Bruno. Where're the girls?"

  "Only the best tonight, Mr. Winters. Only the best."

  Two of Bruno's thugs exited the building, leading a line of women towards the van. They were all young women, some of them looking as though they might even be teenage girls. Each of them had her hands bound behind her back, and they looked to be unsteady on their feet. They were all dressed in identical slinky, silver dresses that barely covered them.

  "Ethan," she hissed quietly.

  "I see them, Izz. Nothing we can do right now. Just hang tight."

  Ethan took his phone out and typed out a message. "Zach," he mouthed. She nodded and turned back to the horrible scene in front of her.

  Bruno stopped two of the girls at the back of the line. Taking them by the arms, he pushed them towards Tobias.

  "These two fit your description." The girls were beautiful but looked too skinny. Both had long blonde hair and lithe figures.

  Tobias walked around them, squeezing their backsides and running a hand along their waists.

  "Yes. They'll do nicely. Take them," Tobias said to the two men exiting his car.

  "Zach's contacting the police. Someone should be here soon," Ethan whispered near her ear.

  "I just hope they get here in time."

  Tobias's men put the two girls in the back seat. Isabel had no clue why Tobias wanted them. The rest of the women were shoved into the back of the van like cattle. The men poked and prodded them, leering at them and touching them inappropriately. Isabel could feel their despair even from where she hid.

  Just as the last girl was loaded, a nondescript tan sedan rolled up, a light flashing on the dashboard. The men from the van, as well as Bruno and his men, took up defensive positions, raising their guns, while Tobias looked as cool as a cucumber.

  Where were the rest of the police? Why would they send in just one cop for a job like this?

  A plainclothes policeman exited his car, a stern look on his face. Striding towards Tobias, however, the man's face cracked into a grin. "Tobias Winters. Haven't I told you to be more careful about who you keep company with?"

  Isabel looked at Ethan questioningly. Why wasn't he arresting them? The men around the alley started to relax a little when the officer or detective shook Tobias's hand, clapping him on the back.

  Her heart sank. There would be no justice for these women this evening. Tobias had friends in high places. It figured.

  Taking out his phone, Ethan snapped off a few pictures. Isabel hadn't even thought of that. Hopefully, they'd be able to get the pictures into the right hands. It wouldn't be enough to convict them, but it would be helpful in a court setting.

  Ethan tapped her shoulder. "We have to go."

  Isabel shook her head. Ethan tugged at her upper arm, then leaned in close to her ear. "In about five seconds, they're going to start looking for who called the police. Do you understand?"

  Fear crawled over her skin like ants on a log. She got to her feet, following Ethan along the shadows back to their car. Since the car was tucked just out of their sight, they hopefully wouldn't be seen. And if they were, at least they had a quick getaway.

  They couldn't hear anything this far away, so they sat and watched. Watched as the detective laughed with Tobias and Bruno. Watched as the policeman got in his car and drove away. The men fanned out, looking for whoever might have called the police, but gave up quickly when they didn't find anyone close by.

  Isabel let out the breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

  The men in the van climbed in, and Tobias left in his Mercedes. It was as if nothing had happened.

  "We have to do something!" Isabel exclaimed.

  "What do you want to do? There's four of them and two of us. And we have no police backup," Ethan reasoned.

  The van pulled out of the alley, coming straight towards them.

  "Get down," Ethan said. They both slid down in their seats as the van passed by.

  Ethan growled, then turned the ignition over as he followed the van at a safe distance. "I'm not sure this is a good idea," he said.
<
br />   Isabel smiled. Ethan tried to act like he was a rough and tough Marine, and he was. But there was also a softer side, a tender side that he didn't always allow people to see.

  They weaved in and out of the traffic of downtown Las Vegas, and then hit the highway, heading west out of the city.

  "Where do you think they're going?" she asked.

  He shot her a look that said, How the hell should I know?

  She shrugged. "I was just trying to figure out what could be out this way."

  "I would think that the less people around, the better, for an operation like this."

  They trailed behind the van for almost an hour, until they pulled off at an exit for a small town. Boards were on the windows of the houses, gas stations had signs that told of gas prices from a much different era, and trash littered the road. There didn't seem to be a soul around.

  "This is creepy," she said.

  After a few miles, the van turned down another road lined with shipping crates and warehouses. Ethan turned off his headlights so that they wouldn't be seen. As they neared the end of the road, the van rolled to a stop by a worn-down warehouse.

  Ethan parked the car down the street, and he and Isabel got out of the car to follow on foot. Rounding the warehouse, they peered around the corner as the women were unloaded and ushered inside, along with three of the men. A sliding metal door was pulled down behind them. The remaining man got back into the van and drove away.

  "What now?" Isabel whispered.

  "Now we call Zach and hope that we can get help out here before they move them."

  The stories that Lucas's wife Scarlett and her sister Emery had shared with her, of their experiences as trafficking victims, looped through Isabel’s mind. She knew that they’d been lucky. Both had avoided being raped, but had endured being drugged. Emery was still in counseling and probably would be for the rest of her life. She had a good support system, though. They both did. Her heart broke for the women they'd just left in that warehouse. Would anyone rescue them?