by Rita Herron
Pain mingled with panic at the thought.
If she talked, those terrible men would hurt Izzy.
Agent Hawk placed a bottle of water on the hard surface of the table in the room. She’d seen enough crime shows to know that she was being watched. That they’d record whatever she said. That they’d get her prints from the water bottle.
Sweat beaded on her upper lip and forehead, trickling into her hair.
It had been hours since she’d eaten or drunk anything. Hours since those men had broken in and threatened her. Hours since she’d started the surgeries that would enable that monster to escape.
Agent Hawk was watching her with steely eyes. Another agent named Hoover stood by the door, his arms folded, expression condescending as if he’d already tried and convicted her.
Agent Hawk’s boots clicked on the hard floor as he crossed the room. He narrowed his eyes at her as if dissecting her, then removed a key from his pocket and uncuffed her hands.
She breathed out, grateful to be free of the heavy metal on her wrists so she could reach the water. Feeling dehydrated, she turned up the bottle and drank half of it in one long gulp.
Water trickled down her chin, and she wiped at it, then glanced at her fingers. Even though she’d worn gloves during the surgery, the stench of the ugly man’s blood lingered.
“Dr. Manchester,” Agent Hawk began. “You know the reason you’re here?”
She nodded, then looked up at him, but she couldn’t stand the accusations in his eyes, so she jerked her gaze back to her hands.
He slapped a photograph of Arman DiSanti onto the table. “You performed plastic surgery on this man today at your clinic?”
She chewed her bottom lip. He knew that or he wouldn’t have arrested her.
“Answer me,” he said, his tone cold.
She gave a slight nod. What good would a lie do when he’d practically caught her red-handed?
“Arman DiSanti is the man we suspect to be the ringleader of a human trafficking ring called the Shetland operation,” Agent Hawk said bluntly. “This group has abducted dozens of teenage girls in Texas this past year.”
She willed herself not to react. But Izzy’s sweet face crying as that man snatched her taunted her. Where was her little girl now?
The agent paced in front of her, then spread several pictures on the table. “These are photographs of some of the teens abducted this year. At least these are the ones we rescued.” He named each girl, then pinned her with an accusatory look as if she was responsible. “No telling how many more victims he’s had kidnapped.”
She swallowed back bile. She knew what a horrid man he was. That was the reason she’d taken Izzy from her mother to raise her.
The agent laid another photo on the table then another and another. The first one showed a dark building with a cage in it. Blood dotted the floor.
Another photo revealed pictures of chains attached to a pole. Then another yielded a close-up of the words Help us crudely etched into the wall.
“He chained them to the wall and locked them in a cage like they were animals.” The next picture showed two young teens dressed skimpily as they stood in front of what appeared to be a camera. Both girls were glassy-eyed, drugged.
“Then he sells them at an auction like they’re cattle. That’s where he got the name Shetland for his operation.” He tapped DiSanti’s photograph. “This is the man you helped escape the law today, Dr. Manchester.” He slapped one more picture on the table, this one of a dead girl, her skeletal figure decaying.
Mila bit back a gasp.
“This is a girl named Louise Summerton. She was murdered when she tried to escape the man who bought her.”
Nausea welled in Mila’s stomach.
She fought it, but her stomach heaved. Panicked, she covered her mouth, her chest convulsing. The agent at the door must have realized she was going to throw up because he grabbed a trash can and shoved it in front of her.
Emotions overcame her, and tears rained down her face as she retched into the trash can.
* * *
BRAYDEN BROKE OUT in a sweat as he watched Mila Manchester purge the contents of her stomach.
“Look at her,” Charlotte cried. “Something’s terribly wrong, Brayden. Tell Lucas to stop this right now. I want to see Mila.”
Brayden gritted his teeth. Lucas was not going to allow that, not until he was satisfied he’d gleaned all the information from Dr. Manchester that he could. He’d been trained in interrogation techniques, taught not to allow emotions to interfere when questioning a suspect.
They’d both also been taught how to read body language. And this woman’s body language screamed that she was frightened.
Charlotte reached for the doorknob, but Brayden placed a hand over hers. “Let me handle it.”
Tears blurred Charlotte’s eyes as she looked at him. “She didn’t do this, Brayden. Tell Lucas I know she’s innocent.”
Except she had operated on the man. Had given him a new face.
She hadn’t denied that.
Charlotte lifted her chin. “Tell Lucas I hired you to represent Mila.”
Oh boy. That was not going to go over well.
“I don’t want to come between you and Lucas—”
“You won’t,” Charlotte said. “But I have to do what’s right. Mila and her mother helped so many people that it’s time someone helped Mila.”
Maybe she was right.
He stepped into the hallway. Harrison met him, his expression concerned. “Deputy outside Austin spotted the van, but men shot at him, and he lost them. Looks like they’re headed west.”
“Let’s pray they catch them,” Charlotte said from behind him.
Harrison nodded. “Did Dr. Manchester give Lucas any information?”
Brayden shook his head. “Not yet.”
“I hired Brayden to represent her,” Charlotte said in a tone that brooked no argument. “Maybe she’ll confide in him.”
Harrison’s frown was exactly the reaction Brayden expected.
“Tell Lucas I want to talk to her,” he said.
“Brayden—”
“Tell him,” Charlotte said. “Or I’ll go in there and tell him myself.”
Brayden fought a tiny smile. Lucas said the woman had spunk. He was right.
Harrison grunted, then gestured for them to follow him, and a minute later, he knocked on the interrogation room, then poked his head in. “Lucas, a word please.”
Lucas joined them in the hallway, took one look at Charlotte and grimaced. “You should have stayed home.”
Charlotte folded her arms. “I couldn’t. I know Mila, and she’s innocent.”
“We have proof,” Lucas said.
Brayden cleared his throat. “Let me talk to her.”
“This is an interrogation, Brayden. We’re trying to find the man who runs the Shetland ring.” He aimed a look at Charlotte. “You do want him to be arrested, don’t you? Because he will keep trafficking young girls unless we stop him.”
“Of course I want him to be stopped,” Charlotte said, her eyes widening in anger and surprise that Lucas would suggest she didn’t.
“Maybe you should let Brayden try,” Harrison said. “She might talk to him.”
Lucas glared at Harrison. “If he speaks to her as her lawyer, he’s bound by attorney-client privilege. What good will that do us?”
Brayden squared his shoulders. “Listen, Lucas, I’ll find out the truth. If I think she intentionally helped the Shetland group, I won’t represent her.” He gestured toward the closed door. “But I was watching what happened in there. She looks terrified. She couldn’t fake that kind of reaction when she saw those pictures.”
Lucas stood ramrod straight. “Give me another minute. If she doesn’t offer anything, then you can come in.”
Mila was wiping her face with a paper towel. She looked pale and fatigued and on the verge of a breakdown.
“Dr. Manchester,” Lucas said in a quiet but firm tone. “We know you performed plastic surgery on DiSanti. We just don’t know why you helped him.”
Mila rubbed her forehead, a sound of anguish coming from her, but she didn’t reply.
“We understand that DiSanti will need time to recover from the surgery. He’s well guarded by his pit bulls. Where were they taking him?”
Mila’s lower lip quivered. “I don’t know.”
Lucas’s jaw snapped tight. “If we don’t stop him, he’ll kidnap more young girls.” Again, Lucas tapped the photos one by one, his tone full of disgust. “More innocent girls who will be turned into sex slaves to build his empire and pad his fortune.”
Mila stared at the pictures, ashen faced.
“Where were they going?” Lucas pressed.
Misery darkened Mila’s expression as she looked up at Lucas. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t.”
Lucas stared at her for a long minute, then swiped the photographs into a stack, jammed them in an envelope and stalked from the room.
Brayden rushed to meet him in the hall, Harrison and Charlotte on his heels.
“All right, see what you can do,” Lucas said. “Finding DiSanti is what matters. Tell her we’ll offer her a deal if she talks.”
Brayden reached for the door.
“I hope to hell you’re right about her,” he heard Lucas tell Charlotte just before he stepped inside the room.
One look into Mila’s tormented eyes, and Brayden had to remind himself to be neutral. Beautiful women lied and deceived people all the time.
He had to convince her to tell him the truth. That was all that mattered. That and putting the Shetland ring out of business.
* * *
MILA TWISTED HER hands together, fighting another wave of nausea. More than anything, she wanted to tell Agent Hawk what was happening. To beg him to send someone to her house and check on Izzy and the nanny.
But if she did and DiSanti found out, they might hurt Izzy. Her stomach knotted. What if they’d already taken her somewhere?
Panic clawed at her insides. The door opened again, and the agent appeared, but this time another man stood beside him. He was also tall, broad shouldered, muscular, with thick dark hair. They had the same dark brows.
“Dr. Manchester, this is Brayden Hawk. He’s an attorney who my wife hired to represent you.”
Mila stared at them in confusion. “Excuse me?”
“My wife is Charlotte Reacher,” Agent Hawk said. “She’s outside and insists you have counsel.”
“Charlotte—is your wife?”
“Yes. We met when she was shot by DiSanti’s men.”
Oh God, that was right. She’d seen the news story. No wonder this man was out to get DiSanti. It was personal.
But he was allowing her an attorney...
Or was it a trap?
It struck her then—the attorney’s last name was Hawk just as the agent’s was. Were they related?
She scrutinized the men’s features. Yes, they had to be brothers.
Agent Hawk gave his brother a dark look, then slipped from the room. Mila’s head was spinning.
The lawyer cleared his throat. “Dr. Manchester, I know you’ve been through hell today. I’d like to hear your side of the story.”
Mila’s lungs squeezed for air. Was he really here to help her?
Could she trust him with the truth, or would telling him about her daughter being held hostage put Izzy in more danger?
Chapter Four
Brayden studied Mila as Lucas left the interrogation room. Some clients were desperate enough to pour out their story immediately.
Others took finessing. Especially if they were afraid.
And this woman was frightened of something...
Hoping to put her ease, he claimed the chair across from her and adopted a soothing voice. “Dr. Manchester, I agreed to talk to you because Charlotte is concerned about you.” He softened his voice. “She believes in you, and Lucas and I both believe in Charlotte.”
The woman’s face twisted with emotions.
“Anything you tell me is confidential. But if I’m going to represent you, you need to explain your side of the story.”
She rubbed her forehead, then looked down at her hands on the table.
“Please talk to me,” Brayden said quietly.
Dr. Manchester sighed warily. “I already told you that I don’t know where they were taking DiSanti.”
Brayden let the silence stretch for a moment. “They didn’t mention a city or town?”
She shook her head no. “I’m sorry. I...don’t know what else to tell you.”
“Stop giving me the runaround,” Brayden said, his voice firmer. “Did you know who DiSanti was when you performed plastic surgery on him?”
Fear flashed in her eyes.
“You did,” he said, reading her reaction. “But you helped him anyway.”
She averted her gaze, then massaged her forehead again with a shaky hand.
“We know DiSanti has amassed a fortune,” he continued. “Is that the reason you did it? For the money?”
Her troubled gaze jerked to his, but she bit her lip and didn’t answer.
“Charlotte insists you do good work, that you donate your time and expertise to help people, especially children, in trouble.” He raised a brow. “That description doesn’t fit with you giving someone like DiSanti a new identity.”
Dr. Manchester pressed a fist to her mouth and breathed heavily.
“Help me out here, Doc. I’m trying to understand.”
“No one can understand,” Dr. Manchester said, a warble to her voice.
“I might if you talk to me.” Dammit, he wanted to believe her. Wanted her to be the person Charlotte described.
“Did he donate money to the clinic in exchange for a new face?”
She shook her head, misery darkening her eyes.
Brayden’s patience was wearing thin. “Did you owe him for some reason?”
She twisted her hands together.
“Come on, Dr. Manchester, I can’t help you if you don’t confide in me.” He racked his brain for answers, then it hit him. “You’re afraid. Did DiSanti and his people threaten you?”
* * *
MILA WANTED TO spill the entire story and assure him that she despised DiSanti and his men, that she’d never do anything to help them. That the entire time she’d been operating on him she’d felt sick to her stomach.
Most of all, she wanted to beg Brayden Hawk to check on her daughter.
But what if DiSanti’s men were watching?
According to the news, the police suspected DiSanti had a local contact in Tumbleweed. Who knew how many he had in Austin?
Or who they were. He might have contacts right here in the FBI or at the local police department.
She didn’t know whom to trust.
Brayden leaned across the table and pierced her with those blue eyes, eyes that were ice-cold. “Talk to me, Doc.”
She chose her words carefully. “I wish I could tell you what you want to hear, Mr. Hawk, but I can’t.”
He cleared his throat. “Please call me Brayden. If you’re concerned I’ll tell the FBI, you don’t have to be. As your attorney, I’m bound by attorney-client privilege.”
Maybe she should talk to him. If he understood, he’d send someone to see if Izzy was okay. “He’s your brother. How do I know this isn’t a trap?”
The ice in his eyes hardened. “Because I’m a man of my word. I chose law to help pe
ople.” He leaned closer. “And I think you’re scared and that you need a friend right now.”
Emotions swelled inside her at the compassion in his voice.
She opened her mouth to speak, but the door opened and Agent Hawk appeared again. This time another man in an expensive three-piece suit stood beside him. “Excuse me,” Agent Hawk said, “but Mr. Polk, Dr. Manchester’s attorney, is here.”
The suited man strode into the room, his skin pale, his dark glare intimidating. “Dr. Manchester, don’t say another word.”
Mila bit her lip. Brayden Hawk frowned and glanced at the man, then back at her. Suspicion took root in his expression, then a flash of anger.
She gripped the chair edge with sweaty fingers.
“Dr. Manchester, is Mr. Polk your attorney?” Brayden asked.
Mila barely stifled a scream of protest. But the attorney shot her a warning look, and she refrained.
“Is he your attorney?” Agent Hawk asked.
She blinked back tears and nodded. But she couldn’t look at Brayden. She had a bad feeling that Polk worked for DiSanti and Brayden knew it.
Worse, he hadn’t come to help her. He’d come to make sure she kept her mouth shut about DiSanti.
* * *
BRAYDEN STOOD, SHOULDERS RIGID, debating how to handle the situation. Dammit, he’d been making headway with Mila Manchester until this lawyer showed up. He’d seen the agony on her face when she’d looked at those pictures and was inclined to believe Charlotte.
Dr. Manchester had been coerced into performing surgery on DiSanti. That was the only explanation that fit.
And he had no doubt that Polk had been sent by DiSanti to protect DiSanti’s interests.
Mila looked terrified of the man.
He didn’t want to leave her alone with him, but unless she spoke up, he’d have to.
Lucas cleared his throat. “We’ll let you talk.”
He opened the door and gestured for Brayden to leave.
“What the hell?” Brayden said as they walked down the hall.
Lucas ushered him into a small office next to the interrogation room.
“You know that man is not her attorney,” Brayden said. “DiSanti sent him to keep her from talking.”