His answering glare said he wasn't convinced. She sighed heavily and walked over to him. He wrapped his big arms around her. She always felt so safe, here in his arms. Safer than anywhere else in the world—well, except maybe in Ethan's arms. When had that happened?
"I'm fine."
"Then why are you shaking?"
"Just thinking about—stuff."
"You were thinking about him, weren't you?"
She nodded. Sully always knew when she was upset. She pulled away from him and stood next to the bed.
"I'll never forgive myself for letting that bastard live. If I'd finished him off, Mom would still be alive," he said, anger coloring his cheeks.
"It's not your fault he killed her. You can't take responsibility for that. And if you’d killed him, you'd be in jail. You wouldn't be here with me now."
"And you wouldn't be getting ready to go in and meet up with a man just as horrible as the one all those years ago." He moved to where she was standing and took a seat on the bed.
"It's the only way, Sully. I have to do this. For you, me, Ethan, and the others. For those girls," Isabel said, resting her hand on his arm. He squeezed it with his other hand, pulling her down to sit next to him on the bed.
"I know. You're the strongest person I know."
"I'm not, though. Not really," she said, her gaze dropping to stare at the designs on the hotel carpet.
"What's going on, Izz? I know you're keeping something from me. I can't help you if I don't know what it is."
"Sometimes it's not for you to help. Sometimes I have to figure stuff out on my own."
"I don't like that," he said, kissing the top of her head.
Isabel laughed. "You don't like things being out of your control. But you can't control this, Sully." She pulled away, looking up into the eyes whose color she shared. "You can't always be the hero."
Sully's face fell. They were words she should have said to him long ago. "But I’m so glad you were mine that day."
She patted his face, and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. "I love you."
"I love you, too," he said, squeezing her in one of his bone-crushing hugs.
"You ready to go?" he asked, releasing her.
"As I'll ever be."
* * * *
The Joker's Wild, where Tobias wanted to meet, was primarily open air. Located on the top floor of a nearby hotel, the bar remained under the protection of the building, while the seating opened up onto a patio overlooking the city. The team scoped the place out, looking for exits and finding the best locations to station themselves.
Isabel walked around, familiarizing herself with bathrooms, exits, and obstacles that would be in her way if she needed to beat a fast retreat. Wrapping her arms around herself, she inhaled a deep breath. It had already been a long day, and it seemed like it was only going to get longer.
The meeting would take place at eight that night. In a few short hours, she'd be face to face with a man that had abducted two women for his own sick pleasures and had stood by as several others were shipped off like cargo. He disgusted her.
"A penny for your thoughts?" Ethan's country twang sounded behind her.
"I was just thinking about how I'd like to rip Tobias's balls off and shove them down his throat."
Ethan's warm chuckle made her smile, and she turned around to find him watching her, his hands shoved into his pockets. His tight black t-shirt outlined his muscular arms and abs, while his jeans sat low on his hips, hugging all the right places. Ethan was a beautiful man, and, for now, he was her husband.
The thought sent chills racing up her arms.
He lifted one eyebrow. "Whatcha thinking about now?" he asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.
She glared at him, not willing to let him know that she'd been thinking about him. But she couldn't fool him. His smile grew, his teasing in stark contrast to the seriousness of the situation they were in. Not just with Tobias, but with the two of them. Their marriage. She wished things were different.
"Where will you be tonight?" she asked, drawing their attention back to the task at hand. It was like dousing him with cold water. All humor faded from his expression, and he pointed to the top of the building across the street.
"There. Eyes on you the whole time. One misstep, and Tobias Winters breathes no more." His eyes were cool, but not emotionless. There was fury burning in their depths. Ethan would take the shot and not blink an eye, especially to save someone he cared about. She realized that he did indeed care about her. Isabel wished it were enough.
But they couldn't stay married. Her mom had never married, hopping from one man to another. She and Sully didn't even have the same father. She wasn't sure marriage was for her. Could she make it work even if she'd never witnessed what a healthy marriage looked like?
Her foster parents had been married for more than twenty years. But she wouldn't call theirs a happy marriage. From her point of view, it had looked like a marriage of convenience. Two powerful D.C. families merging to make the best partnership. They seemed to feel genuine affection for each other, but, from Isabel's perspective, it looked as if they led separate lives.
Footsteps sounded behind her, and Sully jogged up.
"Bad news," he said, his face a mask of rage.
"What is it?" she asked. Ethan grabbed her hand, gently squeezing it for reassurance.
"Tobias called. He’s changed the location of the meeting."
This day just kept getting better and better.
Chapter 17
The elevator opened to a grand penthouse. The people at the front desk of the hotel had called up for her, and a bellboy had come to take her up in a private elevator. When the doors opened, she was met with one of the grandest hotel rooms she'd ever laid eyes on. But it wasn't a hotel suite. It was an apartment, one that had to be thousands of square feet—and all with only the most lavish décor.
A grand staircase curved up one side of the suite, leading to a second floor that overlooked large crystal chandeliers. Ornate silver wallpaper with black filigree designs graced the walls, while the carpet was so white that Isabel was afraid to walk on it. Black armchairs framed a white leather couch, and Isabel was sure that it was as buttery soft as it looked. The whole place was like something out of a movie from the 1940s. Stunningly beautiful.
It was a shame that it was owned by someone like Tobias Winters.
Ethan had growled at her when she'd walked out of her hotel room in the outfit she'd chosen for the evening. It would have been her preference to put on a baggy turtleneck shirt and oversized sweatpants to cover herself, but she felt it best to dress the part she knew Tobias wanted her to play. He expected her to look sexy and alluring. She wouldn't disappoint.
She'd chosen a tight black jumpsuit with two long pieces of fabric that covered her breasts and tied around the back, leaving parts of her midriff and her entire back bare. Ethan wasn't happy about all the skin showing, but this was a part of her job—dressing and looking the part.
Nerves made the butterflies in her stomach take flight. She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants as she walked further into the penthouse. Soft music played in the background. The lights were turned down low. Champagne sat in a silver ice bucket near the sofa. The whole scene was set up for a seduction. Isabel could barely contain her eye roll. The man was completely transparent. But she guessed that when you had billions of dollars, you didn't have to be discreet.
"My dearest Isabel. So glad you could join me."
"You didn’t leave me much choice, Mr. Winters."
"Tobias, please. I'm quite accustomed to getting my way." His leering eyes told her that he was referring to more than just their meeting.
"Yes, well, I’m here. What can I do for you?"
"Now, now. Let's enjoy ourselves, shall we? It shouldn't be all work and no play." His sleazy words made her skin crawl. This man would play at her expense—he wasn't suggesting an equal partnership.
Tobias motioned towards the sofa, and s
he sat as close to the arm as she could. Unfortunately, Tobias followed her, his leg brushing up against hers. So this was how he was going to play it.
Reaching for the champagne, Tobias poured the bubbly liquid into two flutes. Holding one out to her, he lifted his in a toast. "To unlikely alliances."
Isabel lifted one eyebrow but clinked her glass against his. She set it down on the coffee table, afraid to drink too much of it. The guys were all downstairs on the floor below, and Ethan was across the street, his scope trained on her the entire time, she was sure. But she wasn't taking any chance of being drugged.
"So, Isabel, tell me about yourself."
Frustrated that he was insisting on playing date night, Isabel stiffened at his inquiry.
"Cut the crap, Tobias. Why did you want to talk to me?"
With a sudden flash of his hand, he gripped her upper arm, squeezing so hard that she knew she'd have fingerprints there tomorrow. She managed to keep in her yelp, narrowing her eyes at him and channeling her anger.
"Let go, or I'll have several well-armed men up here before you can call for help," she said quietly.
Tobias threw his head back with laughter. "You mean these guys?" he asked, turning the television on. Several frames lit up the TV, each camera at a different angle and showcasing a different guy. "What you don't see are the men I have trained on each one of your team members. So I'd suggest you play nice, or things could get really ugly."
It was as if someone had shot ice water into her veins—the cold fear that shot through her. The thought of losing her brother and her friends. Her family.
Grateful for the wire she was wearing, she spoke firmly and calmly. "There's no reason for any of your men to take out my team members. As long as you behave, we shouldn't have a problem."
Tobias laughed more loudly, and suddenly Isabel felt very unnerved. Why was he laughing?
"Oh, Isabel. This penthouse comes with debuggers. None of your wires will work here. Nor will your cell phone." Isabel pulled the cell phone from behind her back, where she'd stuck it in the waistband of her jumpsuit. Glancing down at the screen, she saw the words No Service at the top.
Well, that wasn't good news. She jumped off the couch and paced in front of the large windows that overlooked the Strip. She took some comfort in the fact that Ethan had eyes on her. He wouldn't let anything happen to her. But she didn't want to have to be saved. She wanted to be able to hold her own in this case.
She mouthed the words, “No wires and no cell phone,” hoping that Ethan could read her lips and put two and two together. Without wasting another minute, she turned on Tobias.
"What is it that you want with me, Tobias? I'm not interested in your little games. Let's just get down to it, shall we? You said you had information we might like. What information would that be?"
"Why, the way to take down Bruno Lopez, of course."
"And why would we need you to help us do that?"
"Bruno is highly protected. You want him to go down, you'll need information on those who are fueling him and keeping him in power."
"And who might that be?" she asked.
"The General, of course."
Isabel hadn't expected to hear that name come from him. There had been plenty of indications that The General was somehow tied up in all of this. The connection that Damon Lopez, Bruno's brother, had had to The General. His connection to the sex parties in D.C. The ties to the trafficking cases that The General had sent them on. They all pointed back to him.
"The General?"
Tobias laughed. "Of course, The General. Who else? He's quite obsessed with your little team."
"How do you know him?"
"We've crossed paths. Done a little business together."
"The business of selling women into slavery?"
"Such a nasty way of putting it, my dear. I'm a businessman at heart," Tobias said, his hand over his heart as if she'd wounded him with her words. She struggled not to roll her eyes.
"So why would you give us information on The General? If you're partners, why would you turn on him?"
"Let's just say that I'm quite tired of being under his thumb. He's encroaching on my territory, and I don't take too kindly to that. Not to mention, his pet project has become quite a nuisance to me."
"Pet project?"
"Bruno Lopez. El Jefe, as his gang members in D.C. once called him. The man is a common street thug. Blowing up my hotel to try to kill you. I wanted to kill him for that." Tobias's face turned red, no doubt thinking of the money it would take to restore his hotel.
"The General forced me to hire him to manage my hotel, which he's never around to actually manage. He hired someone else to do the job, which means I'm paying for two managers, so that he can run his sleazy club in Old Vegas," he continued.
"So why keep him around?" It seemed as though Bruno was only a liability to Tobias.
"I don't have a choice. The General has forced my hand. So I'd very much like to see both of them go down."
"I don't know why you're telling me this. Right now, this is all hearsay. Where's the proof?"
"Ah-ah-ah! Not so fast. I gave you part of the information; now you'll give me something in return."
"You've given me nothing." Isabel marched over to where he stood, standing toe to toe with him.
"Most of what you've told me, we already knew. It isn't news that Bruno is being funded by someone. And we've known that The General was tied up in this somehow for quite a while now. Plus, it seems like you're quite tangled up in all of this yourself."
"Careful, Isabel. That sounds a lot like an accusation, and I don't take too kindly to those."
"My apologies," she said snidely, not sounding at all apologetic. "It's just that you have a thing for women, don't you, Tobias? It would certainly be helpful if you had someone supplying you with them. Say, in a dark alley behind a sleazy club? Ones that you could break. Ones that might not fight back. Ones that have no means of escape."
Well, she'd just given away that she was the one who'd called the police on him that night. She knew the accusations wouldn’t go over well. But she wasn’t prepared for the level of fury he launched at her.
In two steps, he closed the distance between them, spinning her around by the handful of hair he held. Her back was to the windows now, and the pain in her head was nothing compared to the relief she felt the moment she saw that little red dot on Tobias's chest.
"You stupid bitch. I don't have to buy my women. I can get any woman I want. Little girls who go around spreading rumors will have to be disciplined." Tobias gave another jerk of her hair, eliciting a small yelp from her.
Isabel gave a slight shake of her head, hoping that Ethan would get the message and back off. It gave her courage knowing that he had her back, but she'd come here to get information. She wasn't about to leave until she had it.
The red dot disappeared, and she knew Ethan was cursing. She couldn't help the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips.
"You like it rough?" Tobias asked, misunderstanding her smile.
She shrugged, trying to project an ease she didn't really feel. Her hands were shaking, and her stomach flipped over. "Not really. But I hear you do."
Tobias released her, shoving her back towards the couch. "Sit," he commanded.
"If I do, will I get a treat?" Isabel knew she was baiting him, but she couldn't help herself. She hated men like Tobias. Arrogant. Cocky. Men who thought they owned the world and everything in it. Men who thought they could do whatever they wanted, to whomever they wanted, and get away with it. And many of them did.
Not tonight, she thought.
Isabel sat on the couch, perching herself on the end. She took another small sip of the champagne, not swallowing enough to harm her if he'd put anything in it.
Tobias paced the floor, his hands behind his back, looking calm and cool. "I can give you evidence to take Bruno down, as well as his benefactor."
"You mean The General?"
"O
f course I do. I know his identity, and I'm well aware that you do not."
Isabel's heart pounded in her chest. She wished the guys were able to hear this. Wished someone were getting this on tape.
"You know who The General is?"
"I do. And I'll hand it all over to you," he said.
"For what price?" she asked. No way was he going to give her the information out of the goodness of his heart. So what was it that he wanted in return?
"I haven't decided that yet. You play your cards right, I'll pass it along. I can help you much more than that whore whose good graces you've been trying to get into."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied.
How did he know about Quita?
"Don't play stupid. I know everything that goes on in this town. I know you've been trying to get Quita to help you. But she's not going to turn her back on her meal ticket. Not if she knows what's good for her."
"Leave Quita out of this!" Isabel got to her feet.
"Quita has been a part of this for a long time. She knows what would happen if she turned her back on me. Some people are motivated by greed and selfishness, and some are motivated by fear and desperation. She's been warned."
Quita's words that there were some things worse than death echoed in Isabel's mind. Tobias's words cut through her thoughts. Quita had been warned. Did he mean that literally?
Fear for Quita's safety made Isabel want to leave this place now, and whisk Quita away to a safe house. After finding out that she had helped them yesterday, would Tobias go after her? Would Bruno tell him that Quita had helped them to escape? Would he do with her what he'd done to the two girls he'd taken last night?
"What did you do with those two women you took from the club last night?" As soon as the words slipped from her mouth, she regretted them. It was one thing to insinuate that she’d been there when he'd taken those women; it was entirely different to come right out and affirm it.
Castle Investigations Box Set Page 62