“Oh man, I miss my moon boots!” Both Maisey and I look at her as though she’s lost her damn mind. Moon boots, she can’t be serious. “You two are gullible; let’s help Skye find her shoes so we can get out of here. I’m starting to get anxious.”
“I thought you said you looked under the bed?” Winter says, and I turn and see that she’s actually under the bed. “I found them, God, Skye you’re so messy. There are clothes under here too.”
Embarrassment creeps in as she starts to crawl out from under the bed, “Sorry, I've had other things on my mind I've really let things slip. I'll clean it later. Thanks for finding my shoes.”
She hands me my shoes as she stands up, straightening her dress when I take them. “I understand, you should see Sam. He is the messiest person ever. I'm always picking up after him. It's like having a child around.”
I put on my shoes as the girls wait for me, when I stand Maisey lets out a low whistle, “Damn Skye, you look fucking hot. I can just imagine Ryder’s face when he sees you.” She has a wicked smile on her face, and I narrow my eyes at her, that isn’t what I want to hear.
“Hell yeah, Ryder’s going to lose his damn mind. You do look hot Skye; you should dress up more often.” Her smile is genuine, and I feel hot, and I really hope this works. I hope we can find some information on where Addi is.
“I’ll call reception and ask them to call us a cab.” Maisey picks up the phone in the room and politely asks for a cab.
“Is this the place?” Winter asks as we get out of the cab, it looks a hell of a lot better than I thought. I’ve never been to a strip club before, but I always thought they’d look seedy. “It looks… umm…” Her eyes are wide as she looks around the neighborhood.
“This is the place that Ryder told me about. It isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” I say as I take a look around, wanting to know what’s around in case things go south.
“Isn’t as bad as you thought? What the hell Skye? The building next door is falling down; a woman is standing on the street corner and what looks like her pimp across the road and not to mention the tweaker going into the damn alley!” Her voice gets louder as she goes on, she looks at me and shakes her head, “What am I talking about, you’ve seen worse than this.”
“Eh, Skye’s right. I’ve seen worse, and you’re correct, that is the prostitute’s pimp.” I grab hold of Maisey before she eats the sidewalk. “These damn heels! How the hell are you both walking in a straight line? I look like I’m drunk.”
My eyes are drawn to a white van parked on the opposite side of the road to the strip club. It stands out like a sore thumb, and when I take a closer look, I see Will and Patrick sitting in the front. Damn it, they’re here already! I thought we would have had more time, I just hope they don’t start their macho bullshit. “Come on, it’s cold out here.” It’s not actually that cold, but I’m wearing a dress that’s shorter than most women’s skirts.
I hold onto Maisey as we walk into the club, the poor woman can barely stand straight in those shoes let alone walk. The doorman lets us in without a second thought. I survey the club as soon as I’m inside; if the outside looked bad the inside is worse. It’s like the 70’s never left, bold orange everywhere; there are even lava lamps in each corner of the room. It’s tacky to say the very least, it’s giving me a damn headache just looking at all the color on the walls.
“Someone seriously needs to do a major overhaul.” Winter’s face is full of disgust as she looks around the club, “Hell, the building needs to be bulldozed, and they need to start over.” We walk over to the furthest part of the club and sit in a booth, I have my back to the main door, but my eyes are looking directly towards the door labeled private. That’s got to be where the office is. Maisey has her eyes on the front of the building and Winter’s blissfully unaware of the way we set the seating arrangements.
“Oh my God, that feels so good.” Maisey actually moans, and Winter looks around to see if anyone can hear her.
“You took your heels off, didn’t you?” She nods enthusiastically at my question, I’ve done the same, but I’m not telling her that.
“I can’t bring you anywhere. Can I ask? How do you manage to sit or walk with the gun strapped to your thigh? It’s so uncomfortable” I shrug, you get used to it, I don’t really feel it as I'm used to having the weight of a gun strapped to me somewhere. “Why is it all my friends are GI Janes?”
“It’s because we didn’t play with Barbie when we were younger.” I’m joking, mom didn’t want me to be a tomboy, so she made sure I was in dresses and had a doll in my hand at all times.
“So, what’s the plan Skye, what do you want us to do?” Maisey’s now in work mode, and in doing so, she’s getting me to focus.
“I need to check out the office and the back room, obviously I need to see if the gang of misfits are here first. Any suggestions?” My tone is hopeful but when I see Winter’s eyes widening at something behind me, I smell musky aftershave, an aftershave I know well. I don’t need to look behind me as I know that Ryder’s standing behind me.
Chapter Twenty
Ryder
“Damn they look hot.” I hear Will say under his breath, he tried to keep it quiet, but it backfired.
1-2-3-4-5 I count to ten while I repeat the mantra do not kill him, do not kill him in my head, it’s not fucking working!
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Patrick asks, “Do you have a death wish? Two of those women work with you, they are family not to mention that they’re married, and the other lady is practically married!” He’s whispering, he doesn’t think that I heard what Will said.
“Hey, douche bag! Want to keep your eyes to yourself?” Even Sam heard what the fucker said. “But he’s right; Winter looks amazing, what the hell are they doing here?”
“That’s exactly what I’d like to know.” I’m fucking raging right now, what the hell has gotten into Skye, she promised me she’d stay at the hotel. Turning to the two fuckers still in the back of the van, “Are the rest of your crew inside?”
They look at each other before they both shrug; great we’re going in fucking blind. “Fucking call them and see where the hell they are!” Sam looks as though he’s going to kill someone, “You need to talk to your damn wife.”
“Don’t worry, that’s going to happen as soon as we get back to the fucking hotel.” I scrub my hand up and down my face, what the fuck is wrong with Skye; does she not get how dangerous these fuckers are? She’s fucking pregnant! Damn it! I don’t hear talking, and I remove my hand to see the brothers just staring at us. “Are you deaf? Call them!”
It’s Misha that calls them, and I watch his brothers face as he speaks to them, I can’t understand what he’s saying but Andrei is listening, and he’s going to tell us what’s been said. Once Misha ends the call, he looks to us, “They're not at the club they’re at the bar in SoHo. He’s mad, he doesn’t know that we know about the bodies, but he must be mad because we’re still alive?” He sounds confused as though he doesn’t get why this is happening. It’s happening because power gets to people's heads and makes them do crazy shit.
“Good, now I can get my fucking wife out of that shithole.” I open the back of the van and get out stalking towards the club, I’m pissed that she left the damn hotel. Heavy footsteps are right behind me, and I know that it’s Sam.
“Ryder,” I know what he’s going to say, and I hold my hand up and stop him, yes this isn’t the time or place for me to lose my cool or for us to have an argument. “Okay, Will, Oscar and Patrick are staying with the brothers, but they’ll come if we need back up.”
The doorman looks as though he’s going to say something, but I stare at him, and whatever crazy look I have makes him wave us through. The girls are hardly inconspicuous, firstly they’re wearing the shortest motherfucking dresses ever and secondly, they’re the only women in this fucking place that aren’t on a damn pole. I walk up behind her just in time to hear
her say that she needs to check the office and the back room. Winter’s eyes widen as she sees Sam and me, “Fancy seeing you women here!” My tone is sarcastic but hard, “I thought you were at the hotel?”
“Hmm well, you were wrong!” Skye turns and faces me her face like thunder. I'm the one that should be mad, hell I'm raging! “What are you doing here Ry? You were meant to be at the warehouse!”
“We were at the warehouse! Now we're here, why are you here?” I can barely contain my anger; she has no regard for herself or our baby.
“To see if I can find Addi.” She rolls her eyes at me and turns her head, both Winter and Maisey are looking at the table not wanting to be a part of this marital spat.
“What the fuck do you think I’ve been doing? Jesus Skye!” I don't say anything else because I'm close to snapping and when I do it's not going to be pleasant.
“Don't Ry, okay just don't!” She holds her hand up as if that's going to stop me.
“What the hell?” Sam curses, “Yeah, find out where they say Addison is… I know, but I've just seen Miroslav Petrović walk into this damn club, so they're lying! Of course… how are we going to clear the club? perfect!” He has a sinister smile, and I wonder what the hell he's up too?
“Sammy, what have you done?” Winter gives him a look that I'm used to getting from Skye.
“Look those two assholes in the van know where Addison is and it's about time they told us where the hell she is!” He too is pissed off, but unlike me, he's waiting until he and Winter are alone to hash it out.
“What two assholes?” Maisey questions looking between Sam and me as though we're hiding something.
“The Brezhnev brothers.” Sam still has that smile on his face, and he’s up to something, and I want to know what the hell he’s thinking of doing. His cell starts ringing, and his eyes light up as he answers. “Tell me those fuckers told you where Addison is? Shit, okay, where is the Croatian trio? Where the hell are they? Even better, we’ll get the women back to the hotel and check it out.” He hangs up and looks towards the women, “Time to go, ladies,”
I watch as each of the women sit up straight in their chairs, its Winter that speaks first. “Umm Sammy honey,” She says in a fake sweet voice and Sam’s eyes narrow. “Us women haven’t finished here yet, and as no one asked you to join us, you can leave whenever you’d like.” Damn, she’s pissed.
“Sweets, please can we leave? We’ve found out where Addison is, and we need to get her.” There’s a bite to his tone, he’s pissed, but he’s trying to be polite.
“Let’s go.” Skye stands, she doesn’t turn to look at me, and I know that she’s angry but so am I. She walks out of the club without another word, both Maisey and Winter hot at her heels.
“That went well wouldn’t you say?” Sam says with tongue in cheek as he watches Winter leave.
“It was spectacular… a spectacular fail. What did Oscar say, are those fuckers legit? I have a feeling that we’re being played!” I don’t trust the brothers, and I certainly wouldn’t want my pregnant wife around them.
“I agree they’re hiding something as my gut is screaming. We need to find out what before we go to their fucking compound. That’s where they’re hiding Addison. Fuck, you know they’re going to want to come with us to the damn compound, don’t you?” Sam sounds resigned to that whereas I’m not, I don’t give a fuck what Skye thinks, she’s not coming because this time I will tie her ass to the damn bed.
“How are we getting there? I’m not getting in that van, it looks like it could break down at any moment.” Maisey tells us as soon as we exit the club, I think she’s joking, but I haven’t fully grasped her weird personality.
“Winter and Skye are going back to the hotel, and you’re coming with us,” I tell her and watch as Skye bites her lip as she stares daggers at me.
“But…” Winter says before she’s cut off by Sam, and she too is now staring daggers.
“But nothing, yes you know how to use a gun but Sweets, we may end up in a gunfight.” Sam tries to explain to her, and I can see sheer defiance in her eyes. “No, okay, you’re not coming. You’re not trained, and you’re not part of the team. You and Skye are going back to the hotel. Get into the car, I’m driving.” Sam’s had enough and walks toward the car leaving me to deal with the women and wondering what the hell I’ve done to deserve the wrath of three women?
“Where the hell did the van come from?” Maisey asks giving the van a look of utter disgust.
“We found it. Sam, switch with Will. He can stay at the hotel with the women.” I shout across the street to him, and he looks confused, and I know everyone is going to think it’s because I hate him, it’s not, he’s level-headed. When he has a job to do, he’ll do it better than the rest of the team. He’s the one I trust to stay neutral and keep Skye and Winter safe, keeping them at arm’s length and not get complacent. I don’t trust that the fucking Brezhnev brothers are telling the truth and I need to make sure that Skye and Winter are safe.
Maisey and Winter walk toward the car and van, Maisey taunting Will as she does so. “Oh, you’re on babysitting duty. You’ve been a naughty boy Willy!”
“Skye…” I don’t know what the hell I want to say to her, but I know I have to say something.
Her eyes glance up at me full of betrayal and fury. “I’ve got to go.” She walks away, and I get angrier, I’m not the one in the wrong.
“They aren’t out of your sight ever! Do you understand?” My voice is deathly quiet as I tell Will what I expect from him.
“Yes, I understand, I won’t let either of them out of my sight.” He’s standing tall as the women are in the car waiting for him. “I’m such an ass, why the hell can’t I keep my damn mouth shut? Now I’m doing the shitty job,” He says under his breath, and yet again, I can fucking hear him.
I push him against the car, and he struggles against the grip that I have around his neck. I feel arms around me pulling me away. “You’re not doing a shitty job. You don’t understand!”
“Come on Ryder, let him go.” I hear Sam as he pulls me off, I let go of him and take a deep breath before I kill him. “You’re an ass, Travers. The man trusts you with the life of his wife and unborn child. That’s something he’d only give to someone he trusted to do a good job.” Sam shakes his head before walking over to the car, I watch as Winter crosses her arms over her chest. Whatever Sam’s saying, she isn’t impressed.
“Boss, I’ll make sure nothing happens to them. I promise.” I nod believing him, I wouldn’t have given him the speech that Sam did, but it seemed to have worked.
“Ready to go Ryder?” Oscar calls out, and I look to the car, Skye’s not even looking at me, and I know if I go over to her she will ignore me, so I turn and get into the van without looking back. “Okay, we’re all set Patrick, whenever Sam gets his ass in the van we can leave.”
“If I find out you’re playing us, I’ll kill you!” I tell the fucking brothers as they sit and watch us. Dread fills me as Sam gets into the passenger seat, whatever is about to go down isn’t going to be good.
I hate that we’re going in blind, there’s nothing worse than a mission when you’re not prepared. Those missions are killers because someone always gets hurt or worse. Everyone is silent except for Andrei who is directing Patrick to the compound. Misha is surveying all of us, he’s still tied up, but that doesn’t stop him from watching us. He seems to linger a bit too long on Maisey, and I can tell by the way she keeps counting under her breath that she’s close to losing it.
“Turn left here, follow straight on and make a right. We are here then,” Andrei instructs Patrick, these two fuckers are way too cool for my liking.
“See something you like sugar?” Maisey says in a southern accent, she also has a smirk on her face; she's playing this fucker like a fool.
“Sugar, I like that. Will you call me that when I make you scream my name?” Misha says and before he can blink Maisey has suc
ker punched him straight in the eye. “What was that for?”
“That teaches you not to be an asshole.” Maisey has a smile on her face like she’s the cat that got the cream. “Did your momma not teach you how to treat women?” She leans over to me and whispers “I don't trust these two, something is not right boss, and I can feel it.” She’s not the only one, these fuckers give off a bad vibe and all of my senses are screaming that something is wrong.
“We’re here. What’s the plan boss?” Patrick asks as we pull up outside the compound that looks like a rundown apartment building.
“We’re going in. Andrei and Misha are going in ahead of us.” Andrei shifts in his seat, “If there are any traps we’re going to find out.” I look to the brothers with a sinister grin, “Together.” Andrei gulps and I know that they’ve something planned. Whatever it is, it’s not going to happen.
Standing with our backs against the wall, guns out and raised. We’re poised to go, even Andrei and Misha are armed which only Oscar thought was a good idea. If this goes south, it’s his fault. “Ready? On my count...3...2...1...Go, go, go.” I shout, and Andrei leads the way, kicking down the door to the compound. My heart thumping as blood rushes through my body, I calm my breathing, ready for what’s to come. “Stay tight, and let's get Addison.” As soon as we all enter, all hell breaks loose as we’re assaulted by a hail of gunfire. “Stay to the wall and stay alive,” I shout over the gun shots, I try and listen to see where they’re coming from.
“Boss, what’s the plan?” Maisey asks, her face the picture of calmness.
“Oscar, you take Andrei, Patrick and Maisey and go to the left. Sam and Misha, you two are with me.” The gunfire is still going, and I doubt that it’s going to slow down at any stage. These guys are only going to stop when they get killed, and I have no problem being the one to gun them down.
Deadly Encounter Page 18