HIS Choice (H.I.S. #2)

by Sheila Kell

  “Of course, where are we going?”

  He chuckled. He should’ve expected that question. “To a little place, near where I stayed, that’ll put us close enough to get our information, but be able to stay off the streets as much as possible.”

  “Do you think they’ll be watching your old place to see if you return?” she asked nervously.

  “That place is probably already rented to someone else. So no, I doubt they’re waiting around to see if I return. They’ve already searched that area. They won’t expect us to move right back into the hornet’s nest.”

  * * * * *

  Entering their temporary quarters, the strong left-over scent of cigarette smoke and body odor assailed his nose, burning the hairs in his nostrils. He had to get them into a better place soon. She deserved better than this.

  His little dove dropped her bag and circled. The one room apartment came about as rundown as they do in this neighborhood. The color of the walls faded into several shades of white from chipping, peeling, stains and age. The red plaid couch could almost be called silver with the large amount of duct-tape used to hold in the stuffing.

  He locked the door and closed the faded navy curtains that somewhat matched the blanket on the sagging bed at the back of the room.

  “I’m sad people have to live like this and feel guilty that I have so much.”

  “Some people can’t afford anything better than this, Megan,” he replied solemnly.

  “It just angers me that the landlord doesn’t even try to provide them with a respectable room. I may have to do a series on derelict landlords in the near future and start here.”

  He laughed. His little spitfire. Little things like that filled his lungs with the warmth of joy and happiness. When he exhaled, it painfully blasted out of him, returning him to the reality their time together would soon come to an end.

  “How long will we be here?”

  “Until I think it’s time to move. If what I’d heard before was correct, we have less than a week to make this plan work.

  The key was the prison escape. They needed to have the team caught in the act. The penalty for breaking someone out of a federal prison should open a few lips. AJ had heard the attempt would be soon and hoped he hadn’t been led astray. If he didn’t have this, they’d have to take what they could. But, the question was whether that would bring the big boss out of hiding.

  AJ’s only hope was that someone on the street had heard something. That someone had let something slip. He had a plan B, but implementing it this early would mostly likely halt the prison break.

  “My little dove, you may as well get comfortable. We’re safe.” He placed their bags by the door in case they had to leave in a hurry.

  The secure phone rang.

  “Hamilton.”

  “We’ve got a problem. Someone broke into the GPS computer system. Hundreds of records were hacked.”

  “Yeah, and?” Why was Devon bothering him with this shit? Computer issues were his forte.

  “Your SUV was one of them. Someone with your codes could track you through the GPS in the vehicle.”

  “Why the hell didn’t you stop this? I thought you system was top notch? Fuck, Devon.”

  “Don’t ever doubt my system. It was the manufacturer’s system that was hacked, not mine. It’ll never be mine.”

  “Fuck me.”

  “Just in case it was yours they were after, you need to ditch the SUV far away.”

  AJ ended the call. Fuck!

  Megan hesitantly sat on the couch. “Problem?”

  “Yeah. I need to move our wheels. In fact, we’ll lose them all together.” This would mean stealing a vehicle until Devon had something ready for him. Arthur will love that.

  Another fucking choice where he could get her killed either way. Take her with him. But, then she’d be on the street with him longer than he’d like. Too long in fact as he’d have to park miles away and might not find a car right away. Or, leave her here. No one knew they were here yet. If they’d hacked into his system, they’d see the truck move and follow it, which was another reason not to take her with him.

  His stomach rolled making this decision. The best one was to leave her. Jesse would be here soon. AJ had to do it. He couldn’t chance them following the SUV and finding them both. If they captured him, his brother would take her to safety.

  “Megan, I need to leave you here.”

  Her eyes widened to large saucers. “W-What?”

  “I have to park the SUV a long way from here. Someone hacked into the system and many codes were compromised. We don’t know if it’s ours they were after, but we aren’t taking a chance. This just happened so there is time to move it without them realizing we were here.

  He raked his fingers through his hair. What a damn mess. “If they somehow follow me, I don’t want you there. It’s too risky to have you with me. You’ll be safe. We just moved here. No one knows we’re here.”

  She inhaled loudly. “Okay.”

  Fuck! “Do you have your gun handy?”

  She moved to pull it from the jacket she’d dropped over her bag by the door.

  “Good. Keep it with you.” He reached into his pants pockets and removed both phones. “Here. Keep these phones with you. Don’t make any calls on the secure phone, but you could use this time to speak with your sources on the burner phone.”

  Her gathering information in the past set her fear to the backseat. Her curiosity also kept her mind focused on her goal. He’d seen it happen before, and hoped she’d take advantage of it again.

  He held her hands with the phones in between them wishing some of his courage seeped into her through their contact.

  “What will you do without a phone?”

  “There are more burner phones in the SUV. If Arthur, Kate or my brothers call, do what they tell you, no matter what they say, Megan. If they say run, you walk away as fast as you can. Don’t worry. I’ll find you.”

  His heart pounded. He gathered her into his arms, pulling her tight. Please let me have made the right decision He pulled back, gave her a warm kiss and stepped away. “Thank you for forgiving me. Now, lock this door behind me. I’ll be back as quickly as possible.”

  * * * * *

  Anxiety hijacked Megan’s body, sending her insides to quiver and her heart to race. Kevin, I’m close to making them pay.

  She jumped at every loud noise. AJ had to hurry. Even with his brother keeping watch, her bravery only went so far. Her pulse skyrocketed when the burner phone rang. His words stuck in her head of what to do if Arthur or his family called.

  With shaking hands, she answered, “Hello.”

  “Megan, its Tyrone.”

  Her sigh of relief relaxed her body. She’d forgotten her sources had the new number. AJ’s changing them so often was a bit obsessive. Weren’t burner phones used because they weren’t traceable?

  A quick shiver of excitement blasted through her body. “Tyrone, what’s up?”

  “I got some something, big stuff, to tell you. When can you meet me at the usual place?”

  “Is it something you can just tell me over the phone?” She wasted her breath with that statement. Tyrone never revealed information over the phone.

  “Nah uh.”

  “How long will you be around?” Maybe he’d wait until AJ returned, and they could both meet with him.

  “Things are hot on the street. I’ll be around for ten minutes.” He ended the call.

  Dang it all to hell and back! They couldn’t pass up good information at this point.

  The door opened and Megan brightened. She whirled to the door and froze. Her hands shot out up to chest level, and a bolt of terror screamed through her. Oh God. He’s going to kill me.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Megan couldn’t believe this. They were supposed to b
e safe. “How did you get in here?”

  “The manager owes us money.” Alex Childs, a Magic Shop enforcer, pointed a gun at her.

  She scanned the room. She’d never reach her gun before he could grab or shoot her. Where was Jesse? He must have seen Alex slip into the room.

  “Do not even think about fighting lady. I have no problem blowing out your kneecap.” His voice rang with sincerity.

  Her gut clenched. “What do you want with me?”

  Instead of answering her, he pulled a cell phone from his pocket. His gaze leaving her long enough to dial. “Hey. I need a favor. Can you have the Harrison house opened up right away? I’ll need a babysitter for a while too. I’ve got a special package.” He shoved his phone in his pocket. “Come on, pretty lady. You’re coming with me.” He waved his pistol toward the door.

  Where the hell is Jesse?

  The turmoil in her body, rapidly beating heart, racing pulse, sick stomach and weak legs almost pushed her to pass out. She was on her own until AJ returned and realized she was gone. Until then, she needed her strength and wits about her.

  After two deep breaths in and out, she swallowed the nearly choking lump in her throat. “Are you going to kill me?”

  She walked on unsteady legs out of the room, replaying his short conversation on the phone. He must be taking her somewhere to kill her, this Harrison place. Why would he need a babysitter? What exactly did he plan to do with her? The heartbeat she’d just calmed spiked. Please, Lord, not rape.

  She assessed him. They stood about the same height. His short, curly black hair and baby face would fool anyone into believing he was harmless. Like the other enforcers, he had broad shoulders and toned arms. She’d never overpower him.

  “Where are we going?” She winced, hot tears fought to release themselves from behind her eyelids. She’d asked AJ that many times. It had almost become a joke.

  “You, pretty lady, is my bait to catch that bastard.”

  She knew he meant AJ. If they drew him out, they’d kill him and then her. She knew it might come to this, but she’d expected it at the end. She didn’t want to be the reason he died. He’d fought to keep her alive and now she’d be his downfall.

  “Cross the street here.”

  His words yanked her out of her thoughts. There had to be a chance to escape. She’d find it and take it. Keeping him from shooting her would be the challenge. She doubted he had AJ’s attitude toward killing someone. This brought her thoughts back to when he’d held her at gunpoint, kidnapping her. She smiled. That seemed a lifetime ago.

  “Turn here.”

  She looked around to get her bearings. She hadn’t been in this part of town where every building looked alike and the street signs were absent. If she escaped, she needed to get back to familiar streets, back to AJ.

  “Stop. We’re here.”

  Alex ushered her up the steps of a rundown house with bars covering the windows. Once her eyes adjusted to the dimness, she surveyed the home. A cheap round dining room table with four chairs, a worn couch and a faded chair were the only furniture. No end tables, coffee tables or anything else that made a place a home. It must be a hiding place. She’d have to remember it.

  He dragged a chair from the table and moved it to the center of the room. “Sit. By the way, there’s no need to scream here. Even if someone heard you, they know to mind their own business. They know who owns the house,” he said proudly.

  She hadn’t screamed on the street for the same reason. It would have been a waste of breath, not to mention he may have shot her.”

  A toilet flushed and then another man walked into the room. She bent her head back to see a dark-skinned giant, a rather thin one, probably in his late twenties. He looked her up and down and smiled. Her heart dropped to her stomach.

  The earlier thought that they might rape her returned. That would not be the last thing that happened to her before she died. Anger turned her blood to heat in her veins. She’d fight with every last breath in her body.

  “Hey, man,” the giant said.

  “You up for this?” Alex asked.

  “Piece of cake.”

  “Megan Rogers, this is Jermaine. He’s gonna make sure you stay put.” Alex turned to the giant. “Tie her to the chair.”

  Her new babysitter grinned. “With pleasure.” He picked up handcuffs and rope from the table. “Who is she?”

  “She’s my ticket to AJ Hamilton.”

  Jermaine pulled her arms painfully behind the back of the chair and cinched the handcuffs tight. Then he wrapped the rope around her body and the back of the chair. He made sure to brush her breasts.

  She glared at him. No way would this sick pervert get the best of her.

  “There we go. Not goin’ nowhere, are ya?” He turned. “Done.”

  The writer in her wanted to correct Jermaine’s grammar. Slang drove her nuts.

  Alex moved toward her. “Where is he?”

  No way would she give AJ to them. Besides, she wasn’t sure exactly where he was at the moment.

  The enforcer backhanded her. Her head snapped sideways. Holy hell that hurt! She slowly turned her head back around and stared at him. Oh how she hated this man. She had to ignore the stinging pain and fight her watery eyes. Alex wanted to kill the man she cared deeply for. A man who’d come to matter in her life.

  “Where is he?”

  She remained stubbornly silent. Her clammy palms and heart thudding so loudly it almost deafened her were the only signs of her fear. She didn’t care if he backhanded her again. She would never give up AJ so he could be murdered.

  “Loyal thing, aren’t you? You must be fucking him. No woman would be that loyal if they weren’t fucking.”

  She continued to stare at him defiantly. If he’d been close enough she’d have spit in his face.

  “Well, if he’s as loyal to you as you are to him, he’ll come to us. He’ll believe that we’ll do an exchange and spare your life.” He laughed and backhanded her again.

  Something warm slid down her chin. Blood. She wanted to jump from the chair and beat the crap out of him. She hoped AJ really hurt him. She’d never been so blood-thirsty until the Magician ordered her death. She believed in justice, but had come to learn death was the only justice these men understood.

  He raked his eyes over her. “You’re one hot piece of ass. If you fuck as good as you look, he’ll come running for you. You can make it better on him if you tell us where to find him. I’m sure you’d hate for him to walk into our trap while trying to rescue you.”

  Trap? Oh God, AJ. Be careful.

  “Yes, we think he’ll try to rescue you. Don’t worry. I’ll be waiting for him when he does. I’ll be the one to kill him. The Magician will reward me.”

  “Don’t hurt him.”

  “Oh, she does speak. How about you use that voice to tell me where he is.”

  She shrugged as best as she could with the ropes around her shoulders. “He left me where you found me so I can’t tell you where he is. You’re wasting your time. We’re over. I doubt he’ll come for me.”

  “I don’t know about that. He’s gone out of his way to help you so far, saving you from Joe, keeping you one step ahead of us. I’ll wager that he’ll come. He seems to have some protective streak when it comes to you.”

  She couldn’t argue with that. “You’re wrong. We had a fling. It’s over. He left. End of story. AJ won’t come.”

  “Well, pretty lady, you’d best hope he does.”

  She knew he’d come. He’d rescue her. If he didn’t step into their trap.

  Alex turned to Jermaine. “I’ve got to get the word out so I’m leaving her here with you for a while. She is not to be harmed.”

  Her babysitter frowned.

  After the two were alone, the giant pulled a handgun from the back of his pants and placed it in
front of him on the worn dining room table. After turning a chair around, he straddled it, staring intently at her. Would he listen to Alex? The way he looked at her left no doubt he wanted her.

  “You sure are pretty.”

  She looked away.

  “I wouldn’t mind a piece of ya.”

  She snapped her head back in time to notice him licking his lips. She twisted her head away in disgust. All she had to do was survive until AJ arrived.

  She tried to block her baby-sitter from her mind. The red chair in the living room was worn and faded, but it looked more comfortable than the chair she was tied to, plus he couldn’t tie the rope so tight. She could escape. “May I sit in that chair instead?” She motioned her head in the direction of the chair.

  He turned around, looked at it and then laughed.

  Okay. That must be a no. It was worth a try. She’d try it with whoever watched her next.

  If only one person watched her at a time, they had to sleep at some point. If she could find a way out of the rope then she could escape. The cuffs could stay on. They’d prove a serious challenge but living would help her find a way.

  She attempted to shift her body. The rope was too tight.

  A thought occurred to her. “I have to go to the bathroom.” Maybe it had a window where she could escape. Why hadn’t she thought of that before?

  “Can’t it wait?”

  “No.” She crossed her legs, bouncing them like she couldn’t hold it. They stupidly hadn’t tied her legs. If she could loosen the ropes enough, she could use them to fight them off. Or something like that. She’d figure it out later. Right now glee slid down her spine. A chance to escape stood before her.

  He left his handgun on the table and untied her. With his hand holding her forearm tight, he shoved her down a hallway. “Here it is. Don’t try nothin’ funny.”

  “I need my hands out of these cuffs. I can’t go with my hands behind my back.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her and then pulled a key from his pocket. “Turn around.”

  She had a chance. Could she overpower him? He didn’t have his weapon on him. That’s when she noticed the knife attached to his belt. Unless she could get that from him, she’d be in trouble. Not to mention he outweighed her by a good 100 pounds.