Provoke

by Missy Johnson

  It was then I noticed the note on the table I picked it up.

  Leet, I’ve just gone out to do a few things. I'll come and see you before I go. Call me if you need me. I'll have my phone with me, love Mace.

  I stretched my arms across the bench, thinking, while I waited for the coffee.

  What I was about to do could quite possibly be one of the stupidest things I'd ever done. But what other choice did I have?

  I fingered my phone, hesitating, before picking it up and dialling. My heart raced as it rang once, then twice, then three times. I was just about to hang up when he answered.

  “Leeta?”

  “Yeah, Ben, it's me…” Maybe this was a really bad idea.

  “Did you want something?” he asked. “I mean, it's good to hear from you but after the other day…”

  With my back against the cupboard, I slid down until I was sitting on the kitchen floor. Burying my face in my hands, I groaned. This was such a bad idea.

  “Are you there? What's going on? Do you need me to come over?” he asked, sounding worried.

  “God, no, don’t come over.” I sighed, realizing there was no way around not telling him the whole story. “Remember what I told you the other day? About my boyfriend?”

  “That he was cheating on you,” Ben said, his voice dark.

  I sighed. “Look there’s more to it than that. I can't go into much detail, there's not enough time. But I need your help.”

  “Whatever you need. But are you sure? I mean, the guy cheated on you…”

  “His sister was raped. Mace has tracked down the guys he thinks are responsible. But I'm so scared. I'm scared he’s going to front up there alone and try and handle this himself. Will you come with me?” I asked, my voice small.

  “Of course. Of course I will, you just tell me when and I'll swing past and pick you up.”

  “Thank you,” I said, relieved. “I'll text you, okay?”

  I don't know if I felt relieved, but I definitely felt better about the whole situation. I had a plan—it might not be very good one, but it was a plan nonetheless.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Leeta

  “So, you just turn up on this guy's doorstep and expect him to spill his guts?” It didn't sound that much of a plan to me. It was later that evening, and Mace had stopped over. I assumed on his way to confront the buyer. I had already texted Ben, ready for him to pick me up once Mace had left.

  “Yep, that's what I'm thinking. Are you ready?” he asked looking over at me.

  My mouth fell open. “You mean you’re letting me come?”

  “If I've learned anything by now it’s that there’s nothing that I can say that is going to stop you doing what you want.” He kissed the top of my head and walked towards the door.

  Shit. That wasn't part of the plan.

  “Wait,” I called out. “We, uh, we can't go yet.”

  “Why?” Mace asked, confused. “We don't have time to waste. We need to get moving.” The doorbell rang. I bit my lip, trying to ignore his confused look as I raced to answer the door.

  This is not good.

  Hey.” Ben smiled at me. I smiled back, trying not to notice how sexy he looked in his jeans, white tee, shirt and jacket. I turned around and smiled at Mace, who was glaring at me.

  “Okay, so I didn't actually think you were going to let me go with you,” I began.

  How the hell was I going to get myself out of this mess?

  Mace and Ben in the same room with me? That was a train wreck waiting to happen.

  “Leet, who the fuck is this guy?” Mace growled, his eyes shooting daggers at me.

  “This is Ben,” I said weakly.

  “Ben?” repeated Mace, his voice dark. “As in your ex-fiancé Ben?”

  “The one and only.” I laughed. This is so not funny. “Look, I called him because I didn't think you were going to let me go with you. There was no way in hell I was going to let you go there alone.”

  “Fine, but why him? Why couldn't you've called Tim or someone?”

  “Hey,” Ben said, waving. “Right here.”

  “Tim?” I snorted, ignoring Ben. “You’ve got to be kidding me! What use would he be if you were knocked unconscious and dragged inside this dude’s house?”

  “Great, so he knows everything?” He shook his head in disgust and stormed outside. I pushed Ben out the door, slamming it shut, and raced after Mace.

  “Just put your ego aside for one second and think about your sister, okay? Can you do that?” I asked, grabbing his arm. “This isn't about you and me. Or Ben. It's about finding these guys, right?”

  Mace nodded, but his expression told me he was far from happy with the whole situation.

  “Fine. Let's go.”

  I jumped in the front or his car, Ben getting in the back. Mace turned to me, a snide look on his face.

  “Any other boyfriends we need to pick up? Maybe an ex-husband or two?”

  “Can you shut the fuck up and just drive?” I snapped. Then I laughed. “I'm sorry, but you’re the last person to be having a go at me right now, so quit it, Mace. Before you say something you’ll regret.”

  He muttered something under his breath and then reached for the stereo knob, turning the volume up. I sighed loudly, resting my head against the window.

  It was pointless trying to talk to him now. Maybe I shouldn't have called Ben, but I only did it because I was worried about Mace. Why couldn’t he see that?

  The address we had was for a house in a quiet street in one of Melbourne's more affluent suburbs. I shivered, goosebumps trailing up my arms. This was not the type of place I’d expected someone who was into this kind of shit would be living. It shouldn’t have shocked me as much as it did; in my line of work, I was forever learning it was often the people you least expected to be keeping the biggest secrets. I glanced sideways at Mace.

  “So, what now?” I asked.

  “Now we go up there and get some answers.”

  Mace got out of the car. I winced as the door slammed. So maybe he was still a little bit angry. I turned in my seat and flashed Ben a sympathetic smile.

  “Sorry about this,” I said. “He's not always so tightly wound.”

  Ben's eyes twinkled as he smirked at me. “You’re sure about that? It seems to me that you have a type.”

  “Just get out and stay the hell out of the way,” I muttered. The last thing I needed were his games.

  We walked up to the door. I glanced at Mace, looking for a sign of nerves, or anything that would tell me how he was feeling. He took a breath, exhaling quickly, and then rapped loudly on the door.

  He's shaking. I wanted to reach out and touch him, let him know I was there for him, but I knew that wouldn't help. Right then, that would probably make things worse.

  My heart jumped as the door flew open. A guy stood there. He was just an average-looking guy—mid-thirties, moderately attractive . . . just an ordinary-looking guy.

  Next to me, I heard Mace gasp. My head whipped sideways. Did he know the guy? I looked from the guy to Mace and back again.

  The guy stood there, brow furrowed, a blank expression on his face. Recognition flashed through his eyes, then shock, and finally he smiled.

  "Well, well, well. Look who it is. Mace, right?”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Mace

  What the hell was he doing here?

  He was the buyer? It didn't make sense.

  “What the hell is going on?” I asked, my hands clenched into fists beside me.

  This was the guy who had gotten me into this ring in the first place. It shouldn't have shocked me that he was a buyer, but for some reason, it did.

  Did he have something to do with Anna’s rape?

  The guy laughed. “I get the feeling this isn’t a social call.”

  His gaze rolled over me, then Ben, and finally, his eyes fell on Leeta.

  Something flickered in them—something I didn't like. I took a step closer to her. So h
elp me God, if he tried anything on her . . .

  Something inside me snapped. Taking a step forward, I closed my hand around his neck. “Listen up, you piece of shit. I want answers, and you're going to give them to me.”

  As the pressure around his neck tightened, I saw fear in his eyes. That made me happy. I needed him to see how serious I was. I pushed him, hard. He staggered, falling backwards into the house. I walked inside, the others right behind me.

  “Okay, okay, just calm the fuck down. I think there's been a misunderstanding here.”

  “A misunderstanding?” I snorted. “You better start talking, or I'm going to beat the fucking shit out of you.”

  Ben swept in from beside me and picked him up like he was a used rag, tossing him headfirst against the wall.

  “Please, stop. You got this all wrong,” he yelped out in pain as Ben picked him up again, this time holding him against the wall, his elbow resting on his neck.

  I shot Leeta a look. She shrugged helplessly. Holy shit. This Ben dude was hardcore.

  “I'll tell you whatever you want to know, just let me speak. It's not what you think. I'm an undercover cop. My name’s Luke Bradshaw.”

  What? Ben stopped holding onto him, letting him fall to the ground in a heap.

  “Get up,” I said, taking a step towards him. “Tell me what the hell is going on right this second, or I swear to God I’m gonna kill you.”

  Luke struggled to sit. He was breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall. A thick film of sweat mixed with blood covered his face as he scowled at me.

  “I'm undercover with the Feds,” he wheezed. “We've been tracking this group for the last twelve months.”

  I stepped back, shocked. I hadn't expected this. Maybe I was no closer to catching these guys than I had been four months ago. Maybe this was where it all ended.

  All that . . . for nothing.

  My hands on the back of my head, I walked away, feeling like the wind had been kicked out of me. I needed fresh air. I needed to think. Kicking my way through the fly screen door out back I walked outside, sitting on the bottom step.

  What the hell was my next move? Because right then, the only one I could think of was going back in there and beating the shit out of an undercover cop until he gave up their location.

  “Are you okay?”

  I jumped as Leeta snuck up behind me. She sat down on the step next to me, her hand resting on my leg.

  “Is Ben in there with him?” I asked. She nodded.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but then stopped, hesitating before continuing. “You know, undercover or not, something about this guy I don’t trust. I can’t even tell you what it is, just my gut feeling.” I stiffened. I’d been thinking the same thing. There was something off about him. Something that really rubbed me the wrong way.

  “So, what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying if you really want answers, put a bit of pressure on him. He might be a cop, but I don’t trust him for a second.” She shrugged and met my gaze. I trusted Leet’s perception of people much more than I did my own. If she thought this guy was off, then that was good enough for me.

  Squeezing her hand, I stood up and stalked back inside, ready for round two.

  Luke was sitting on the couch while Ben sat on a wooden chair directly facing him, watching him like a hawk. Arms crossed over his chest, he stood up when he saw me.

  “What’s the go?” he muttered softly, his back to Luke and his voice low so he couldn’t hear us.

  “I’m not leaving until I get some information. You, I don’t give a shit about. Stay or go, I don’t care. But if you stay, you back me up—got it?” I asked.

  Ben nodded.

  Good. I moved past him and stood in front of Luke.

  “Give me something. We found you; it’s not going to be long until we find them, too.”

  “Look, give me a few days to get some things in order and I’ll give you whatever information you need.”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “A few days isn’t good enough. You’ll tell us now. Do you have any idea who I am? Surely you did a little background research on me, Lukie boy.” I grabbed the chair and spun it over the floor, parking my ass in front of him.

  “I know who you are.”

  “So you know my family, right? One call. That’s all it will take for you to disappear forever.” I stared deep into his eyes, almost begging for him to doubt me.

  He dropped his gaze. Sweat trickled down his forehead. “I don’t know what to tell you. I can’t compromise a federal investigation.” His voice was panicked.

  I narrowed my eyes, my teeth clenching together. I nodded at Ben, who took a step toward Luke.

  “Okay,” Luke cried, holding his arms up in defeat. “I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”

  Fucking useless sack of shit. It had taken him less than five minutes to crack.

  “Tell me about the website. Who owns it?” I asked.

  “I don’t know names. Two guys.”

  “And the rest?” I pressed.

  “What, like you?”

  I tensed. I hated being included in that description. “Yes,” I said through gritted teeth. “Like me. And buyers. Like you.”

  “Guys like you, maybe ten? Buyers, it depends. In the last month, maybe thirty?” I heard Leeta gasp behind me. I’d almost forgotten she was there. “What do you think you’re going to do? Bust your way in there? And then what?”

  My fist connected with the side of his face. He glared at me, his nostrils flaring.

  “What’s your involvement? Besides testing the stock,” I spat.

  “I’m basically just muscle. Disposable.” In other words, useless to me.

  “Then why did we trace the IP address to here?”

  “Because…” He shrugged again. “Because I’m expected to participate. The same as you are.” He shot me a look.

  Yeah, only the difference is, you thought it was real.

  “How do buyers find you? I’m guessing you’re not listed in the Yellow Pages.”

  “Word of mouth. You’d be surprised how many sick people there are in the world.” He grinned. I punched him again. His eyes clouded over as he swayed, the blow almost rendering him unconscious.

  “Mace.” Leeta grabbed my arm, pulling me back. “He’s no good to you dead.” Her voice was soft. She was right. I turned around and walked to the front door, Ben and Leet at my heels.

  “You’re just letting him go?” Ben asked, surprised. “Dude, he obviously knows something.”

  “I know, but we weren’t going to get anywhere with him,” I muttered, climbing back into my car. I waited until both Leet and Ben were in.

  “What’s the plan, then?” Asked Ben.

  “We’re going to sit here until he moves. These guys don’t do cell phones—they don’t want anything to track Luke back to them. If he is going to try and warn them like I hope he is, then he’ll do it in person. And when he does, I’ll be ready.”

  “And if you’re wrong?” asked Leeta.

  “Then I have no idea what I’ll do.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Leeta

  Five hours had passed. Five hours of the three of us sitting together in that car, and nothing had happened. Luke was still inside, and we were still sitting here in complete silence. Five freaking hours of me sitting in a car with my boyfriend and my ex. Total nightmare.

  “This is ridiculous.” I sighed, throwing my head back against the seat. “There has to be a better way than this.”

  “Yeah? If you have something else in mind, I’d love to hear it,” Mace growled. That was just it. I didn’t. Sighing, I shifted in my seat, wrapping my jacket tightly around my body.

  Ben sniggered in the back, mumbling something under his breath. I could make out what he was saying, but I got the feeling he was enjoying our bickering.

  “It’s just we’ve been waiting for hours.”

  “Yeah, and I seriously need to piss,” mu
ttered Ben, hanging over the back of my seat.

  I rolled my eyes. “You’re a guy, Ben.” I yanked my arm in the direction of the park opposite us. “Just run over there, and use a tree for God’s sake.”

  “That’s not a bad idea,” he said. He jumped out of the car and disappeared into the darkness.

  I stared out the window, trying to ignore the intense stare Mace was laying on me. I could feel his eyes burning into me. Turning around and acknowledging that would mean talking to him, which would probably end up in another argument about Ben and why I’d called him.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. I jumped as his hand touched my thigh. Oh god. The feel of his hand I liked much more than I wanted to.

  “I’m fine.” I swallowed, peering at the house, trying to pretend I was looking at something. Then I saw it. I blinked and looked again. Was I seeing things?

  “Is that him?” I asked, pointing to the front of the house. A hooded figure walked across the lawn to the car parked in the driveway.

  “That’s the same car he met me in at the roadhouse,” Mace said after a moment.

  I guess that’s a yes, then.

  “Here we go,” muttered Mace. “Where the fuck is Ben?”

  I squinted toward the park, trying to spot him among the dense row of trees, but it was so dark, I had no hope.

  “What do we do?” I asked, panicked as Luke began to back out of the driveway.

  “We can’t lose him, Leet. He’s my one and only link to these guys.”

  “We can’t just leave Ben here.”

  “Don’t really have a choice.” Mace started up the car and drove off. I narrowed my eyes at him. He seemed way too happy about it.

  “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” I accused, retying my hair in a ponytail.

  “Leet, if you’re asking me if I’m glad to be leaving your ex-fiancé behind to find his own way home, then yes. What I’m not happy about is following this asshole with you as my only backup,” he growled.

  My mouth dropped open. Had he really just spoken to me like that?

  I narrowed my eyes. Of course he had. This was Mace. He had done a lot worse than that before.