I rushed through my morning routine, telling myself it was because I was hungry. But the truth was, I wanted to see Kyle again.
I was being beyond ridiculous and I knew it. Six days from now we’d part ways and he’d forget all about me. But the unexplained excitement in my belly couldn’t be denied. I’d never had a crush on a man, if that’s what this feeling was. And for once in my life, I just wanted to see what it felt like to be normal.
Not that I’d let him past my walls, but I wanted to enjoy the butterflies he roused.
I made my way into the small kitchen and both Declan and Kyle were leaning against the counter, matching mugs in their hands, and they were deep in conversation. Yet both of them were staring at me intently.
“Should I come back? I don’t want to interrupt.”
“You’re not. We were talking about your friends, Donny and Camilla Rivera. When does their flight get in?” Declan asked.
“Tonight. They’re staying at a hotel near the airport,” I told them. “I don’t mean this to be snarky, but I’m assuming they passed your background check?”
Declan smiled and the gesture transformed his whole demeanor. He didn’t look so mean and opposing.
“They did. It seems they do a lot of good work around the world. Do they have a plan for the girls?”
“It depends. If it’s safe enough they would like to keep the children they rescue in their home countries. But in a case like this, they’re not sure. They’ve been in Timor-Leste before, they have some contacts with orphanages in Tutuala. It’s a small village about two-hundred and fifty kilometers east of Dili. If there’s room, that’s where they plan to take the girls.”
“And if there’s not room?” Kyle inquired.
“Then they’ll smuggle the girls south into West Timor, the Indonesian part of the island.”
Declan and Kyle both looked like they approved of the plan.
“How soon will they know?” Kyle continued.
“By tomorrow when they get in contact with their people.” Kyle looked at Declan and something passed between them. “Did something happen?”
“Declan made breakfast. Come grab a plate and we’ll sit and talk.”
Kyle turned and grabbed a plate full of eggs and toast off the counter and followed Declan into the living room.
I scooped a small amount onto my plate, suddenly not very hungry, and trailed behind the men into the other room.
I’d barely sat down when Declan started. “Garrett sent back info on the men from last night.”
“Okay.” I placed the plate on the table in front of me, the smell of my breakfast now churning my stomach.
“It’s what we expected, most were rich businessmen, one’s a politician, one’s a professor,” Declan answered.
“I’m sensing there’s more.”
“One of the men is an American and he has ties to a large trafficking organization. That’s concerning in itself but considering there’s been talk of this group making a purchase from Cambodia it leaves us wondering if this man is preparing to make purchases from several countries in the region.”
I was grateful I’d already abandoned my eggs because bile was burning my throat.
“Amisha’s gonna sell them, isn’t she? They’ll be gone and we’ll never find them again.”
“That’s what we’re thinking,” Kyle confirmed.
“Our team back in Maryland caught a lucky break and they’re working on gathering intel on the Cambodia purchase.” Declan paused and looked over at an unhappy Kyle. “We may have to move up the rescue of the girls.”
“Okay.” I couldn’t keep the approval out of my tone.
“That means this mission just became more dangerous,” Declan warned. “We wanted time to recon. But if Preston Lockhart is here to make a buy, we can’t wait. That also means the Riveras need to be ready to move tonight. It’s gonna be a snatch and grab with a quick hand-off. Then we’re out of the country.”
“We? You mean all of us? I can stay and help Donny and Camilla.”
“No way,” Kyle snapped. “It will be too dangerous for you to stay. You’re with us.”
“But I can—”
“Anaya, you stand out. The rebels are still attacking villages and we’re going to be pissing off a lot of people in power when we take out Amisha. I’m not leaving you behind.”
“Camilla’s going to need help,” I pushed.
“Then she’s gonna have to figure it out.”
“Kyle—”
“I don’t mean to sound like a dick, but our mission is to rescue the girls and keep you safe. I can’t do that if you’re in Timor-Leste and I’m in Cambodia.”
“I don’t get it. Am I going to Cambodia with you?”
“Yes.” Kyle’s grunt sounded almost like a growl.
“He refuses to put you on a plane back to the States by yourself,” Declan informed me. He, too, sounded irritated.
“What am I missing here? Why can’t I fly home alone?”
“Ask the over-protective jackass here.” Declan tilted his head toward Kyle.
“I’m not being over-protective, I’m being smart.”
Declan’s phone buzzed, cutting off our conversation, and he announced, “It’s Zane.”
He fiddled with his phone before answering, “You’re on speaker and Anaya Baker’s in the room.”
“Have you reviewed everything Garrett sent you?” A deep voice came over the phone.
“Twice,” Declan confirmed. “We just finished talking to Anaya about the mission shift.”
What in the world was going on? I was thrilled the girls would be out of that house tonight, but I thought we’d have time to help Donny and Camilla get the girls to their new home.
“Will your friends be ready to take possession of the girls by tomorrow?”
Kyle and Declan were looking at me expectantly, so I assumed Zane was speaking to me.
“I won’t know until I talk to them tonight when they land. I presume they will be. They’ve done this before and understand the urgency in getting the girls to safety,” I answered.
“We need to contact the Riveras now. Another call was made, you’re needed in Cambodia tomorrow night. That will give us thirty hours to recon and get into place. I want this shit done, so we can move on.”
“Anaya Baker will be with us,” Declan said.
“The fuck?” Zane barked. “Put her on a plane and get her back to the States.”
“Kyle—”
“Christ,” Zane cut off Declan. “Kyle what?”
“Thinks she’ll be safer with us.”
“Of course he does.”
“I have to agree with him, boss. Have you seen her? She sticks out like a beacon. If one person sees her, she’ll be—”
“Yeah, I’ve seen her. That’s why I know what Kyle’s thinking and it has nothing to do with her safety and everything to do with his—”
“Don’t go there, Z,” Kyle demanded.
My gaze was bouncing back and forth trying to keep up with the bizarre conversation but still lost on the part where Donny and Camilla would have no protection after they got the girls.
“Just once. That’s all I ask. One time a mission to run smooth without one of men losing their ever-loving mind over a woman. Is that too much?” Zane exhaled loudly. “Declan, it’s your team, your operation, your call, the buck stops with you, friend. If you agree with lover-boy then Anaya tags along. If you don’t, lock Kyle down and put Hot Lips Houlihan on a plane.”
Declan cut his eyes at Kyle before he answered. “She stays with us.”
“Goddamn, I hope you know what you’re doing. We have fifteen women in Cambodia who are ready for transport. It won’t be pretty. And if Anaya’s with you there will be no way to shield her from it.”
“I can handle it,” I said, praying my voice was stronger than I felt.
I was still recovering from the shock of agreeing to go, when I really wanted to stay in Timor-Leste and help Camilla and D
onny. But I didn’t like being talked about like I was some weak woman who couldn’t take care of herself. Not to mention, the Hot Lips dig had crawled under my skin.
“Anaya,” Zane sighed. “I’ve read—”
“I’m sure you have. Everyone seems to have read something about me. However, you must’ve skipped over the part where I pulled myself out of that life and I did that all by myself. I’m not thirteen locked away in some basement. I survived that and have moved on. I’ve dedicated my life to helping people. Not only did I live through it, but I’ve seen it countless times since then. I don’t need to be shielded from anything.”
“I hope you’re prepared, it’s gonna be ugly.”
“It always is,” I returned.
Chapter 8
Anaya was nervous. It was the wobble in her voice that gave her away.
I doubted Zane missed it, he didn’t miss much.
Thankfully Declan changed the subject and asked, “Is Harry still in Connecticut?”
“Yes. It seems Harry Landry and Ruiz are in some sort of negotiations. But our intel says Ruiz wants out.”
I kept my eyes on Anaya as she worried her bottom lip in concentration. Which also served as a reminder to have a chat with Zane in private about his Hot Lips Houlihan comment.
“What’s wrong, Anaya?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you staring off into space again?”
“I’m trying to remember how I know that name.”
“What name?” Zane asked.
“Harry Landry.” Her eyes flashed and she nodded. “I know someone by that name but it can’t be the same man. Just a coincidence they have the same name.”
“How do you know the man?” Zane questioned.
“The Harry I know made a sizable donation to a project I worked on when I was with the NCMEC.”
“I don’t remember Landry making any donations to Missing and Exploited Children,” Declan said. “We checked all of his personal donations.”
“Technically, the donation came from his company, but Mr. Landry attended the gala for the donors,” she explained. “But it couldn’t be the same man. The Harry Landry I know gave over a million dollars to help fund a cyber program to stop sextortion.”
Declan glanced at me with his brows pinched together, no doubt thinking the same thing I was. Harry Landry was a smart motherfucker, donating to NCMEC was right up his alley. Diversion at its finest.
“What’s sextortion?” Zane asked.
“Online exploitation of children. Some of these assholes don’t know how to use the dark web, so they still troll chatrooms. Gaming, social media, WhatsApp chats, even online made-up tutorial groups, you name it and they try to worm their way in. And it doesn’t always involve meeting for sex. Some of these offenders are happy with pictures or will engage in sexting or online sexual role play. Some of the victims have been as young as eight years old.”
“Do the donors get updates about the program? Advances that are being made. Anything like that?” Zane inquired.
“Yeah. Nothing in-depth. But as a way to get them to donate more money, a quarterly newsletter is sent out. It wouldn’t detail the backend of the programs being used, but it would get a general update how their money is being spent, and what’s being planned for the future.”
“Fuck,” Zane growled. “Do you remember the name of the company Harry was representing?”
“Corella,” she told him.
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah, I’m positive. I remember thinking it was funny that I’d been to Australia the year before and a Corella bird had been driving me crazy squawking nonstop outside my hotel room.”
“Would you recognize him if you saw a picture?”
“I think so. It was years ago, but I’m pretty good with faces and I did speak to the man that night. But it really can’t be the same person. Harry Landry wants to help stop the exploitation of children. It sounds like the man you know sells them.”
“I’ll send a picture over for you to look at, Anaya. If Harry Landry owns Corella Industries, shit just got even worse. I’ll be in touch.”
That was an understatement. Corella manufactured smart chips. Most of their business was government contracts. God knows what kind of intel they could be stealing.
Zane disconnected and I could feel Declan fidgeting next to me. We had no idea Landry had any involvement with Corella. How the hell was that missed?
“I don’t understand what’s going on,” Anaya started. “It really can’t be the same person.”
“It’s the same person,” I sighed.
“There’s—”
“What I’m going to tell you is never to be repeated. Not to anyone, ever. But for you to understand what’s going on, and how deep this runs you need to know a few things.” Declan was being weirdly delicate and frankly I was shocked he was going to share.
“Okay. I won’t ever repeat it. But please don’t sugarcoat it for me. You sound like you’re speaking to a toddler.”
“Harry Landry put together a network of former CIA, FBI, and other three-letter agency personnel to form a group he called The Company. He propositioned these highly intelligent individuals and convinced them The Company was a black ops group working under the CIA. Of course the very nature of being off the books meant no one could check. This was a front for him to work military style operations using operatives the government had trained. The agents thought they were working for the good guys, taking out drug smugglers, human traffickers, and all sorts of scumbags that the government couldn’t officially touch. What they were really doing was eliminating the competition. Landry is a part of a much larger group called Omni. It’s an organization that infiltrates governments and uses their leverage to ensure their wealth continues to grow. Think of them as the ultimate special interest lobbyists. They are worldwide and have their hands in a multitude of different financial sectors.”
“Well, that’s actually scary how smart of plan that is. But—”
“There’s more,” Declan continued. “Landry is one of the largest human traffickers in the world. He controls the majority of the women taken from the US. He’s smart. He works all angles. Him donating to NCMEC makes perfect sense. Those quarterly newsletters would keep him up to date on their progress and he’d be able to stay one step ahead. You said it also talks about future projects.”
Declan’s phone vibrated. He picked it up, tapped the screen, then turned it toward Anaya.
Her face paled and she looked like she was going to be sick.
“I take it that’s the Harry you know?” I asked.
Anaya nodded and closed her eyes. “I danced with him,” she whispered. “He had his sick hands on me. He crooned on about how happy he was his company’s financial donation would help stop the harm of children.”
“That’s what criminals do,” Dec reminded her. “They lie, Anaya. Ones who are sick fucks like him are smooth. The lie rolls off their tongues like silk.”
“Are you going to eat that?” I pointed to Anaya’s untouched breakfast.
“God, no. My stomach is in knots.”
“You gotta eat something,” Dec told her. “We have a long day today.”
“I will. Later.” Anaya covered her mouth to stifle a yawn. “Maybe I just need some coffee to wake up first.”
Anaya stood and picked up her plate and started for the kitchen. When she was clear of earshot, Dec turned to me.
“Are you sure about this?”
I thought about his question and the answer was no. I wasn’t sure about anything I was doing. I had a riot of conflicting emotions. I wanted Anaya home in the US far away from this mess. Especially away from Preston Lockhart and Harry Landry. I didn’t want her near Amisha’s house and the horrors of what that woman was doing to those girls.
However, I didn’t want her out of my sight and it went beyond keeping her safe. I wanted more quiet nights with her. I wanted her comfortable with me. I wanted her to kno
w she could trust me never to hurt her. I simply wanted more and I couldn’t explain why that was.
“Yeah. I’m positive.”
Dec frowned. “You know she’s going to be an uphill battle, right?”
“You have it all wrong.”
“Don’t bullshit me. This ain’t my first rodeo, friend. I’ve already seen this twice. Brooks took one look at Tatiana in that UN Annex and it was on. Thaddeus and Em, well, that was a given. The man was off his chain as soon as she was around. You have that same look. So I’m gonna warn you. This isn’t smart. We have Omni threatening the company as a whole, and the women. You bringing Anaya into the fold will put her in danger. And with all of her issues…brother…I’m not sure you wanna attempt to take those on. There’s a strong possibility she’ll burn you.”
“Let me ask you something, Dec. Say you’re right, do you really think I’m some shallow prick that would turn my back on someone because of their issues?”
“That’s not how—”
“It sure sounded like that’s what you were saying to me. That because of what happened to her, what still lingers inside of her, she’s not worth the effort. But I’m telling you, the man who finally breaks through Anaya’s walls will be one lucky son of a bitch. That woman is strong as hell. When she finds the right man, she’ll let him in and he’ll find paradise.”
Part of me wished I could be that man. But the fuck of it was, Dec was right, there was too much going on, it was bad timing, and I didn’t have anything to offer Anaya. I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going to be beyond today. My life was in constant turmoil. I didn’t even have a place to live.
Anaya deserved stability and peace. Two things my life would never offer no matter how badly I wanted to give those things to her. I was not the type of man who wanted to settle down. I didn’t want kids and I didn’t want to ever be tied to one place. I enjoyed being a nomad, travelling when I wanted. Not worried about what I was leaving behind. But for the first time in my life I wished I could be that sort of man. I wanted to be that man for Anaya.
I was being an idiot thinking I could keep her, allowing my feelings for a woman I just met cloud my better judgment. She’d made it clear she didn’t want to stay with me, and I had to respect that even if it wasn’t what I wanted. The knot in my gut tightened and acid started to build.
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