Wicked Games: The Extended Edition (Steele Security #1)

by A. D. Justice

  After an eternity, Noah turned to her and knelt with his perfectly chiseled body snuggled between her legs. His eyes held the passion and feelings that he usually kept buried and hidden from others.

  He lifted her shirt, slowly bent his head to her stomach, and kissed it. “You’re carrying my baby.”

  At Noah’s insistence, Brianna made an emergency appointment with a doctor nearby. She drove separately so Noah could go to his downtown office after the appointment. As she glanced around at the other women in the waiting room of the obstetrician’s office, she noted their various stages of pregnancy. She tried to picture what she would soon look like.

  Brianna explained her worries to the receptionist when she made the appointment. She wasn’t sure how many weeks it had been, she had been under anesthesia and given other medications. She and Noah just wanted reassurance that her baby would be healthy.

  The receptionist scheduled her for an ultrasound and told Brianna to bring the medical records from the hospital so the doctor could review them. Noah was ready to tell everyone about the baby, but Brianna convinced him to wait until after the first office visit when they’d have more information. Her name was called and they followed the nurse down the hall to the exam room. Brianna changed into the paper gown and sat on the examination table.

  Noah rummaged through everything in the room while they waited for the doctor. He opened the cabinet doors, rifled through the supplies, and flipped through the magazines on the counter. Finally, the doctor strolled in the room, said hello, and then motioned for her to put her feet in the stirrups. He performed his usual physical exam and tapped on her belly. Brianna watched his face for any sign of worry. Not seeing any didn’t make her feel better, though.

  “Well, what do you say we have a look at that baby?” he asked.

  The nurse had gathered the materials for the ultrasound and squirted lubricating gel into a condom. She picked up the ultrasound wand, put the condom on it, and handed it to the doctor.

  Noah’s eyes locked onto it and grew wide. With his threatening tone asked, “Where are you putting that, exactly?”

  The doctor chuckled, “The baby is too small at this stage to see it by regular ultrasound. We only need to insert it just past the tip. It looks worse than it really is.”

  Soon the black and white picture appeared on the screen. The doctor pointed out the baby from all the various lines and squiggles on the screen. The doctor began taking measurements of the size of the baby, the size of her uterus, and the volume of amniotic fluid. Noah moved to Brianna’s side, kissed her cheek, and grabbed her hands. Together they watched in amazement at the images on the screen.

  “Well, from the measurements, it looks like you’re somewhere around six to eight weeks. I can only give you an estimate right now, but we’ll do more measurements as you get farther along.”

  Brianna did a quick calculation and realized conception could’ve occurred just before she was battered and hospitalized, or just after her release from the hospital. Just those few days could make such a huge difference.

  The doctor told her to get dressed and meet him in his office so they could talk about her medical records, what to expect over the next several months, and any other questions they had. Brianna’s hands were shaking as she dressed because she was so nervous.

  Noah put his arms around her and pulled her close. “It’ll be okay, baby.” He kissed the top of her head, and they walked to the doctor’s office.

  The doctor was nice, but matter of fact, as he spoke. “We try to give as little medication as possible to pregnant women, especially in your first trimester. I can’t guarantee anything, but I don’t see any medications that alarm me.”

  Brianna let out a sigh of relief and felt Noah squeeze her hand. She looked at him and saw his unfaltering smile. His strength seemed to move through his hand and into her. She had to believe everything would be fine, that the baby would be healthy. Once outside the office, she began to breathe easier and felt truly happy.

  “I have to go into the office for a meeting now. Will you be okay?” Noah’s voice was laced with concern. She could tell he didn’t want to leave her yet.

  “Yes, I’ll be fine. Quit worrying about me and get to work.” She replied in a teasing and playful tone.

  Noah kissed her goodbye, climbed in his truck, and drove off toward his downtown office. He really didn’t like leaving her, especially after their first doctor visit. He wanted to take her home and spoil her for the next fifty or sixty years. He knew it was somewhat irrational to worry so much about her. He couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that there could still be some repercussions after the fiasco with Richard.

  Brianna walked across the parking lot to one of the Steele Security SUVs she drove until she got her own car. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a full size SUV drive slowly behind her. She reached for the door handle when a man grabbed her from behind, covered her head with a black cloth, and pulled her into the back of the SUV.

  He tied her hands and growled into her ear, “Don’t fight if you want to live.”

  She sat motionless, tried to calm herself, and figure out what to do next. Her voice couldn’t hide her fear as she asked, “What do you want with me?”

  She felt the car move and knew they were on the main road. She tried to figure out where they were headed, but her sense of direction was off under the hood she was wearing. Thoughts of Noah and their baby kept her from going into complete panic mode. She tried to keep her stress levels as low as possible, but at the moment she didn’t feel very successful.

  After several stops, starts, and turns, she heard the vehicle’s engine turn off. Rough hands grabbed her from the back seat, yanked her out, and pushed her forward. One grabbed the back of her arm and guided her in the darkness. After more turns and pushes, she was guided to what felt like a soft chair. She asked again, “What do you want?”

  His angry, hushed voice responded. “I want those documents, Brianna. Give them to me, or your family will get you back in pieces.”

  Her hand went instinctively to her lower abdomen to protect her baby. Bile rose in the back of her throat and she fought to push it back down.

  “I-I don’t have them.”

  His voice held disgust and disdain for her. “Then what good are you?”

  Keep him talking. “I don’t have them with me. I can get them.”

  “Can you now?” He didn’t believe her.

  “Yes, just…don’t hurt me.”

  He didn’t answer, and she knew he was considering his options.

  “If you let me call Noah, he can get them. He can meet you somewhere, or he can leave them somewhere. You can let me go. Just take the documents and let me go.”

  She recognized the man’s voice as U.S. Marshal Stevens’. Over the last couple of months, Noah had told her about several high-ranking officials that had been arrested during Shadow’s investigation of Richard’s scheme. She hadn’t heard Noah mention his name but she had just assumed he’d been arrested, too.

  That was a stupid assumption to make, Bri. Now you’re here with him…wherever here is, she chastised herself.

  He didn’t answer her, but she heard him move around the room. She heard him rummage through something, but he moved so quickly that she couldn’t figure out what he was doing. She heard muffled sounds as items moved then cabinet doors opened and closed. At one point, he talked to himself. She strained her ears with every sound for clues that would tell her what he was up to.

  How long until Noah realizes I’m gone, she wondered.

  25

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Noah finished his meeting at his office in downtown Miami and was very pleased with the new contract he’d acquired. Shadow had done his best to keep Noah’s name and his business name out of the negative press. His old friend had been instrumental in helping him recover from the potential backlash that scandal could’ve caused.

  Noah’s new client owned a major computer software bus
iness and had offices located throughout the nation. The owner wanted a security detail at each location for the next twelve months as they worked to develop a new product line. This contract would put Steele Security on the map like no other before it. The best part was it was entirely legitimate.

  After his meeting ended, Noah worked on planning for resources to staff that many locations in his first long-term contract. He was so engrossed in his work that he quickly lost track of time. When he finally looked up, he realized he had been at it for hours, but Brianna hadn’t called him once. He grabbed his cell phone to check for missed calls, but there were none.

  He tapped the screen and dialed her number. It rang several times before rolling to voicemail. He tried the house phone, but no one answered it either. Don’t panic. She could be busy or taking a nap or… He turned to his computer, tapped a few keys, and checked his home security system. It hadn’t been turned off or rearmed since they left the house together that morning.

  “Bull. Rebel. Can you two come here for a minute?” he called down the hall.

  “What’s up, boss?” Rebel asked.

  “Brianna isn’t answering her cell or the home phone. I just checked the alarm system and she hasn’t been back since we left early this morning. I have a bad feeling,” He explained.

  “Reap, she’s probably out shopping or something. Give her a little time and space. I guarantee she won’t leave you again,” Bull assured him.

  Noah blew out an exasperated breath and considered what he was about to tell them. If he was wrong and she was fine somewhere, she would have his head. But he couldn’t face the alternative.

  “Brianna’s pregnant. We just found out this morning. We haven’t told anyone yet, not even her family, because we just went to the doctor today to confirm the baby’s healthy. She’ll be pissed at me telling you without her here, but if anything has happened to her.”

  Bull and Rebel were obviously stunned.

  “Congratulations, Reaper,” Rebel beamed. “That’s awesome news. So she’s probably out buying baby stuff then. Fifty bucks says she has her arms full and can’t answer her phone.”

  Bull laughed with Rebel, but he knew Noah was worried. “Let’s find out where she’s blowing your money, Reaper. Wasn’t she driving one of our SUVs today?”

  Bull pulled up the GPS tracking software for their fleet of Steele Security SUVs on the computer. Every vehicle had been fitted with a tracking device so employees could be found in case of an emergency. He found the one assigned to Brianna and looked up the address where it was located.

  He turned to Noah, the worry obvious on his face. “Reaper, she never left the doctor’s office this morning.”

  The three men sprang into action. Rebel called in backup as they walked toward to the parking garage. They’d start at her last known location and determine their next step from what they found at the doctor’s office. The ride from the downtown office to the doctor’s office took no time with Bull’s driving.

  As Bull had stated, the SUV still sat in the parking lot exactly where she’d met Noah that morning. He looked all around the car, but found nothing to help them. He used the spare key to check for car trouble, but it started fine and had a full tank of gas. Noah went inside to talk to the receptionist, but he was told Brianna didn’t come back in the office.

  Running back across the parking lot, he called Brad. “I need you to hack into the area traffic cameras, and any other security cameras at this location, and find out what happened to Bri. Now!”

  Bull had his phone out and called Shadow to have him stay on alert. Shadow was back in Miami and they all decided to meet at Noah’s house, including Brad, to search for Brianna. Noah called Brianna’s phone several more times, but it rolled to voicemail every time. He knew without a doubt that she was in danger.

  Brad’s tone of voice startled Noah from his thoughts. “Noah, I got something here!”

  Noah rushed to his computer as Brad played the video again. He watched as a man in a black mask grabbed Brianna, dragged her into the back of an SUV, and sped away with her. The camera caught the direction the vehicle traveled for another twenty seconds before it panned in the opposite direction.

  “I’m working on cleaning up the image for the license plate.”

  “Email that image to me,” Shadow commanded.

  Within a few minutes, Shadow had an email back from his contact at Langley. The email was a clear picture of the SUV, the license plate, along with the owner’s name, address, and all known phone numbers.

  U.S. Marshal Michael Stevens.

  “He was Brianna’s handler when she was in the WITSEC program,” Shadow added.

  “Hey, wait a minute.” Rebel recalled a conversation and worked to put the pieces together in his head.

  “What, Rebel? You know something? Talk to me!” Noah’s agitation was evident in his tone.

  “That morning she made waffles. I told her that U.S. Marshal Stevens came by to talk to us. He told us that he didn’t think Richard was on that plane and he thought Richard had been taken hostage.

  “She didn’t say he was assigned to her. She must have figured out that this dude was dirty. How could he not be if he knew Richard was still alive? They never reported he was taken hostage until he showed up. This one guy knew they were both alive.”

  “And he knows Brianna was the key to the investigation.” Noah was beginning to realize what they were dealing with.

  Noah dialed the cell phone number from Shadow’s email. He was surprised when the man answered.

  “Stevens.”

  “You took something of mine today, Stevens. I will tear you limb from limb with my bare hands if even one hair on her head is missing.” Noah’s voice was calm but low. He was serious and determined to get Brianna back and carry out his threat to Stevens.

  “And you have something I want. How about a swap?”

  Noah didn’t like Stevens’ cocky tone. He sounded so sure of himself and not at all threatened by Noah’s statement.

  “What do you want?”

  “I want the documents Brianna collected. Every single piece of it. Save it all on a flash drive. I know you still have a copy of it.”

  “Let me talk to her first. I want to know she’s not hurt.”

  “Noah?” Bri called to him.

  “Bri–I’m coming to get you!”

  “Not until I get what I want, you’re not.”

  “Just say where and when, Stevens.”

  He gave an address where he wanted to meet in one hour. As expected, he told Noah to come alone. Brad saved a copy of the documents from his computer to a flash drive and gave it to Noah.

  They geared up for battle. This time in their work fatigues, guns and knives, communication devices, stun guns, smoke grenades, and mace in various holsters and hiding places. Noah sent one team to the address listed in the email Shadow received, just in case Stevens was sending them on a wild goose chase. Shadow called his friends at Langley to initiate a search for any other local addresses that were even remotely associated with Stevens.

  When I get my hands on him, he won’t have to worry about going to prison. He’ll be going to a morgue, Noah vowed. There was a reason why his nickname was Reaper, and he was determined to put it to good use.

  * * *

  “Come on. We’re going for a ride,” Stevens said, as he yanked her up from the chair.

  “Stevens, you don’t have to do this.”

  “Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me over the last three years?“ He asked as he pushed her into the front seat of the SUV.

  As he closed her door, she felt something at her feet and quickly leaned over to touch it. My purse! She quickly grabbed her cell phone out of the side pocket. As he slid in the driver’s seat, she tucked it between her right thigh and the edge of her seat, as far away from Stevens as she could get it. She kept her hands at her sides and only moved her fingers as she unlocked the screen.

  With her head held just right,
she could barely see the touchscreen of her phone from underneath her hood. She quickly hit the speed dial button for Noah’s cell and let the phone stay on. She hoped he could somehow track her cell phone signal and find her. She at least felt better knowing he was on the other end of the line.

  “Where are we going, Stevens?”

  “Oh, I’m going to meet your boyfriend and be done with all this shit,” he replied nonchalantly.

  “And what do you plan to do with me?” she asked tentatively.

  “You’ll see soon enough.”

  Is he seriously enjoying this? “How did you get involved in this? You’re supposed to be one of the good guys.”

  “Good guys finish last, sweetheart. Haven’t you heard? Hollingsworth screwed me over after I helped him. He owes me.”

  “But your name didn’t even come up in any of those documents. You were safe.”

  “He screwed me over. That’s why my name wasn’t there. At first, I thought you were playing me when I kept asking for them and you never gave them to me,” Stevens shared.

  “I wasn’t playing you. I didn’t know you were even involved.”

  “Yeah, I figured that out. Richard cut me out completely. He took all the money for himself, but you have all the offshore bank account numbers.”

  “So you can take all the money and just disappear,” she concluded.

  “Such a smart girl. Unfortunately for you, you’re too smart for your own damn good.”

  Stevens felt very confident in his plans. He gloated about how he had beaten Richard after he’d tried to screw Stevens out of his cut. A brilliant thought came to him when he realized that Brianna didn’t know of his involvement.

  While the feds are busy arresting and scheduling trials, I’ll clean out the bank accounts and never be found again.

  He was positive that this plan would work out perfectly for him. He only had a couple of minor details to take care of first. One of those was Brianna and the other was Noah. They both had to die for him to be able to disappear.

  He laughed to himself at the thought of how lovesick Noah would come barging in to rescue his damsel in distress, only to find out what true distress really meant. He had planned every detail of this scenario in his head, over and over, for the past three years.