by J. A. Owenby
She rolled over on her side and tucked her hand beneath her head.
“It’s been so crazy, I’ve not had a chance to ask you how you’re doing about Dominic.”
Sadness swept over me. Although I didn’t talk about it, there wasn’t a moment that passed, I didn’t think about Dad. His death had left a gaping hole inside me. Unfortunately, I’d lost enough people to realize that only time healed the pain, but it still had an ebb and flow all its own. I was extremely grateful I had work and Sutton to throw myself into.
“I feel lost without him.” The confession pierced my heart with the harsh reality that he was never coming home. “He taught me a lot about the company, but some days I feel like I’m in over my head. Am I making the right decision? How should I handle a situation?”
“You’re doing an amazing job, and you have good people around you. Jeffrey seems to know a lot, too. You have advisors and staff. You have me. And maybe it’s silly, but I believe your dad is guiding you from above.”
“You do?” Something inside of me needed to think there was some truth in what she said.
“Yes.” Sutton placed her hand on my chest, her fingernail tracing infinity signs on my skin.
“You remember.” I peered at her, my mind recalling the first time we’d had sex.
Her gaze traveled to mine. “Pierce Westbrook, a girl doesn’t forget a night like that.”
I gave her a lazy smile. “Tell me,” I whispered. I wanted to see it through her perspective after all these years.
“It was summer, the Fourth of July, actually.” Her blue eyes filled with happiness while she continued. “You already owned my heart, and I’d mentioned I wanted to take things a step further.”
“Mm-hmm. The happiest day of my life,” I said, grinning.
She rolled her eyes at me. “Really? Telling me you loved me wasn’t the happiest? Or seeing me show up last week? Or …” Her words trailed off.
“All of them, but the moment we connected, it was more than physical.” I rolled over on my side and took her hand in mine. “But I’ll let you continue.” Placing a kiss on her palm, I fell silent and waited for her to talk.
“While everyone was shooting off fireworks we snuck off into the woods behind your house. You had blankets laid out on the ground and a tarp tied to several of the trees. When I lay down, you turned off the little battery-operated lantern, and the makeshift ceiling was covered with glow in the dark infinity symbols. You told me that no matter what our futures brought to know that you loved me times infinity.”
“Did it help when we were apart?”
Tears filled her eyes. “Have you not seen my keychain?” she asked, laughing. “It’s an infinity symbol. In some way, you were always with me even when you weren’t physically by my side.”
I leaned over and kissed her passionately. Her lips stirring my desire again. “That night, the first time we made love … I thought I couldn’t love you any more than I already did, but I was so wrong,” I whispered against her hair. “You unlocked doors inside me I didn’t even know existed.”
“And I never stopped loving you,” she said, tossing a shapely leg over mine.
I rolled over, bringing her on top of me. My hands lightly traced up her back as our kiss deepened, then I made love to the only woman who had held my heart so carefully in her hands.
I fumbled in the dark for my iPhone. One eye peeked open and focused on the clock. It was three a.m.
“Rise and shine,” Brian said into the phone.
“Yeah?” I asked, my throat gruff with sleep.
“We recovered the missing girls and need a positive ID. Meet me at the marina and bring Sutton.”
My eyebrows knitted together as I made sense of what Brian was explaining. Sutton was sound asleep next to me, snoring softly. I tossed off the covers and slipped out of bed. Hurrying to the bathroom, I closed the door. Had I heard him correctly in my sleep addled state of mind?
“One more time, Brian.” I listened, now fully alert.
“We located the missing girls.”
“All of them?” Adrenaline rushed through me. The next half hour would be life changing, I just wasn’t certain which direction it would go.
“Yeah,” he replied. “Don’t explain anything to Sutton. I realize it will be difficult but let me do my job.”
“All right, we’ll meet you there in twenty.”
I tapped the end call button and hurried toward our bed.
“Babe,” I said, from a few feet away. Sutton had trained next to the guys and me, and we all knew not to sneak up on each other if we valued our lives. “Babe,” I said again a bit louder while I opened the dresser drawer and stepped into clean jeans.
“Pierce?” She sat up in the bed and squinted in my direction. “What are you doing?” She frowned at me and yawned.
“Get dressed. Brian called a few minutes ago. I need to wake the guys up. We’ve gotta go.”
Chapter 33
When I returned to our bedroom after waking Redd, Jeffrey, and Sully I located my shoes and sat on the edge of the bed.
Sutton had dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved thermal shirt. Running a brush through her just-been-fucked hair, she pulled it into a ponytail and rinsed off her face with cold water in the bathroom.
“Are you ready?” I grabbed my keys off the nightstand.
“Yeah, I’m coming.” She hopped on one foot while she put her other shoe on. “What’s going on? It’s three in the morning.”
“We have to meet with Brian, he has a lead on Claire.”
“Brian has a lead?” She stepped up her pace with the mention of her sister’s name. She was awake now. “What did he say?”
“I’ll know more when we get there, but we need to go.”
Sutton and I hurried down the hall, and I ushered everyone out. The guys were fully alert, but they were used to waking up in the middle of the night and springing into action.
I eyed the elevator buttons, willing the doors to open. Sutton wasn’t the only one eager to meet Brian. He was waiting for a positive ID, but he asked me not to say anything to Sutton. The hardest part of my job was holding onto the secrets. At least I wouldn’t have to for long.
I took Sutton’s hand as we hauled ass out of the elevator and toward the Mercedes. Jeffrey opened the back door and we jumped in. Redd and Sully got into another company car. Within minutes, we were on the highway.
“Pierce, this is killing me. Do you know if Claire’s all right?”
“I don’t know yet. I’m sorry. Try to hang in there.”
I squeezed her hand and trained my attention out the window.
What seemed like an eternity later, we pulled up to one of the ports off Marine Drive. It was littered with cop cars, ambulances, and other vehicles I couldn’t identify from my vantage point in the back seat. The entire area swarmed with people, and the blue and red lights cut through the night. My body hummed with anxiety.
“Stay with me, and don’t let go of my hand,” I said to Sutton and jumped out of the backseat.
“What in the hell?” Her eyes widened in shock when she spotted the SWAT team van.
I scanned the crowd and finally spotted him.
“Brian!” I called out. We waited for Brian to raise the yellow crime scene tape and walk over to us. His FBI windbreaker was slick with rain. He must have been here for a while because the clouds had already cleared when we had left the penthouse.
“Pierce.” Brian extended his hand. “You must be Sutton Forrester.” He flashed a sad smile at her.
“Hi.” She shook his hand, then shivered against me with the chill of the night.
“You ready?” Brian asked Pierce.
I nodded and took Sutton’s cold fingers in mine.
“Follow me.” Brian led us through the crowd of crying people. I just couldn’t tell if it was tears of happiness or grief.
Somehow, I managed to keep my mouth closed and not explain to her why we were here. Everything inside me want
ed to say something, but Brian had explicitly told me not to utter a word. It wasn’t my job anyway, it was his, but it sure as hell didn’t make it any easier.
After weaving through several groups of people, Brian came to an abrupt stop and stared at me. I peeked around him, then nodded.
Sutton stood on her tiptoes and attempted to see what we were looking at.
“Do you recognize this young lady?” Brian slowly moved out of Sutton’s line of sight.
“Sutton.” I placed my hands on her shoulders and navigated her in front of me for a clear view.
“Oh, my God!” She darted forward to one of the many women wrapped in a white blanket. “Claire!”
Her dirt-streaked face peeked up at us, then she burst into tears as Sutton nearly knocked her over with a hug.
“Sutton. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” Claire replied, choking on her words.
“Oh, hon. It’s okay. I’m here.” Sutton stepped back and smoothed her dirty, stringy brown hair. “How? How are you here?”
I directed my attention to Brian, allowing Sutton and Claire to have a moment together even though they were only a few feet away. No way would I let them out of my sight.
“You got your positive ID.” I flashed him a big smile. “Great work, man. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to thank you enough.”
“We caught a break, and you were a key part of that with the information you provided us. I realize it was difficult for you to not say anything to Sutton, but time and time again you’ve proved trustworthy in trying times.”
I shook my head and watched the girls hug and cry. “Sometimes I have to separate my personal life from business, but you know all about that.”
“How did you find them? All bullshit aside, you and I both realize Claire shouldn’t be home.”
All around us, families reunited with their daughters and sisters. Gratitude swelled inside me. I just wished Dad were with us right now to see all these women come home.
“It was one of the security guys at the port. He heard subtle noises from a cargo container, and as he was walking, a knocking sound,” Brian explained. “The box had just been moved from another location and was scheduled to be shipped out first thing tomorrow morning. We almost missed them.”
I shook my head in disbelief. It was moments like this that made me think there really was a God or some kind of positive force out there.
“From the looks of all the people around it, the shipping car was … full.” I nearly couldn’t say it. Fierce anger swirled in the pit of my stomach, and I swore to myself I’d find who was responsible and take them down. With or without the FBI’s help.
“Yeah, there were … a lot of girls in it. When he knocked, someone inside returned it. He said it was so light it was almost unnoticeable. After he tapped on it again, the response was louder and stronger. He called the police because he couldn’t open it with all the locks in place.”
A strong mix of horror and fury coursed through me. I’d seen and participated in a lot of fucked up shit in my life, especially while a Marine, but packing women into a container like cattle with no food and water to sell as sex slaves churned my stomach.
“If he hadn’t been there at the right time ...” I squeezed my eyes closed for a moment. Nothing else mattered except they were home.
“I’m happy to say our timing was exceptional.”
Sutton wrapped her arm over her sister’s shoulders and guided them back to Brian and me.
“I’m not sure. I was squished in the rear of the storage box and missed how we were found.” Claire shivered against the cool breeze that floated in off the water and pulled the blanket tighter around her.
“We can find out more later, but the most important thing is that you’re home.” Sutton squeezed Claire’s shoulder and hugged her.
“Welcome home, Claire,” I said, offering a kind smile.
“This is Pierce Westbrook. Do you remember him?”
“Kind of. Wasn’t he your boyfriend in high school?” Claire stared at me, a foggy look in her eyes.
I assumed she was in shock and most likely hungry. Hopefully a good night’s sleep and food would help her. Even though Claire was home, my job wasn’t done. Until arrests were made, I wouldn’t rest easy.
“Yeah, I hired him for security when you went missing. He and Brian worked together to find you.”
“Thank you both so much.” Her words were choked off by her tears.
“Can I get her into the car where she can get warm?” Sutton asked Brian.
“Yeah, she’s free to go. One of the guys has already taken her statement, and we’ll have more questions for her later, but a hot shower and some food would do her good.”
“Have you called her parents?” I asked him.
“Claire!” A female called over the crowd.
Claire’s head snapped in that direction. “Mom!” She darted through the people and to her parents.
Sutton wiped her cheeks as the tears continued to flow. “Maybe she should be with them tonight, and in her own room,” she said, looking up at me.
“I’d rather she not. No one has been arrested for the abductions, yet. Your family can stay with us if they want to. They can have Redd’s room and he can crash on the couch.”
“They’d probably sleep on a dirt floor if it meant they could be together. I’ll go talk to them.” Sutton pushed up on her tiptoes and kissed me.
“She’s back, babe.” I tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
“Thank you.” She turned toward Brian, then flung her arms around him. “Thank you for bringing my sister home.”
Brian embraced her, then Sutton hurried over to her parents. Although the place was swarming with FBI agents, I kept my eye on all of them.
“That makes it all worth it. All the bad things that I see, all the crime, murder … When I have days like today where I reunite families, it gives me the strength to keep going.” Brian ran a hand over his thinning hair and released a weary sigh.
“I get it,” I said.
“Pierce,” Daniel Forrester said, approaching me. “Thank you for everything. Sutton explained that no arrests have been made and you preferred that we spend the night with you?”
“Yes, sir. I think for Claire’s sake, and your family’s continued safety, it would be a smart move for you to stay until I know more. It might be for several nights, but we’ll play it by ear. I’ll have one of my men take you over to your house tomorrow to pack up items for all of you.”
“That would be great. I appreciate all your hard work.” He patted me on the back and rejoined his newly united family.
An hour later, Sully and Jeffrey entered the penthouse before us.
“Clear,” Sully said, holding the door open as we all filed in.
For a moment, my mind wandered to the holidays. Would this be what it was like? Everyone here, or would we choose to spend it somewhere else? Kicking the thoughts aside, I focused on the exhausted young woman in front of me.
“Babe?” Sutton asked, looking at me. Her eyes held a sparkle I’d not seen since I’d arrived in Portland.
“Babe?” Sutton’s parents said in unison.
Dammit. With so much going on, Sutton hadn’t told them we were together again. It hadn’t been the right time, and honestly ... I think we both needed to feel more comfortable in the relationship before they plied us with a million questions and disapproving looks.
“Uh. Yeah, but we’re not discussing this now.” Sutton quickly held up her hand to halt any additional conversation. Her lips pursed as the tension hung in the air. “Pierce, I’m going to get Claire in the shower and into clean clothes. She can wear some of mine.”
“Yeah, that sounds like a great idea,” I nodded. “Why don’t we all go into the library and have a drink while we wait for them to return.”
“Is anyone hungry?” Redd asked.
Slipping her arm around Claire’s shoulders, Sutton led her sister down the hallway toward the g
uest bathroom while the rest of us discussed food.
My attention returned to Sutton’s parents and Redd, who was offering to whip up a good meal for everyone. It had been a long morning, and breakfast would hopefully help everyone revive.
“When can I take my baby home?” Beth asked as we moved into the library.
I sat on the edge of my seat, reminding myself that these were clients and not my girlfriend’s parents. At this moment, I didn’t need their approval for my decisions. Down the line, I wanted it. I wanted their approval for Sutton’s sake … and mine.
“I’m not sure.” I leaned back in my recliner. “I’ll have more of an update in the next few days, but for now, you’re welcome to stay here. Also, I’d like to cover any type of counseling needed to help Claire, including family therapy. This has left a horrible scar on everyone, and you have my full support in assisting you with moving forward.”
Beth’s tired eyes popped open wide, and she gave Daniel a questioning glance.
“I think we can arrange it,” Daniel said. “I guess I’ve been a very proud man and thought therapy was for weak men, but now … now I don’t know how to not be terrified every time Claire steps out of the house, or if we hear a noise, or wonder if Sutton’s been shot at again.” His eyes misted over, and he wiped them away quickly.
“I know,” I said in a hushed tone. “But I’m not going anywhere, and I’m not pulling my men from your family, so please know that you’re safe. Take this time to reconnect with your daughters.”
Daniel and Beth nodded. I didn’t miss the look of disbelief in Daniel’s eyes, though. I couldn’t imagine how I’d feel if my daughter had dated a hoodlum, and now that man was sitting in front of me, offering help and protection for my family.
Half an hour later breakfast was served, and I led everyone to the dining room while Redd laid out a buffet fit for a king. French toast with powdered sugar, blueberry pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and country gravy. My man did well, and hopefully with full bellies, they would all rest for a while. I needed some downtime to figure out the next step.