by A. L Inman
“You are turning me on. Keep up with your sassy mouth and I’ll have you pinned to the wall by the end of the night.”
I hear the chairs scarping and notice Asher has pushed back and stood up in preparation to launch himself at Emilio. Jax has a firm grip on his wrist and Asher is steady trying to get him to release it without drawing too much attention to our table.
I need to let my boyfriend know that Emilio would never in a million years be capable of obtaining me with my consent. So, I say something to calm his fears.
“You can’t handle me.”
I say it loud enough that every eye in the room falls on us. Brayden lets out the loudest, most pure laugh and the entire room cracks up at Emilio’s expense.
Brayden wipes under his watering eyes before stirring the pot even more. “Shew that was great Abbykins. Whew. Put him right in his place.”
Emilio slams his palm against the table, sending the room to a deafening silence; you can hear a pin drop.
“Princess, I’m not sure you know who I am.”
“I know exactly who you are, Emilio. I just don’t care.”
More silence. The whole room is now avoiding Emilio’s eye contact. I see Jax working his jaw back and forth.
He is going to kill me because my goal is to make minimal conversation with Emilio. With the look in Emilio’s eyes, our conversation will need to be held more in private. I’ve disrespected him and that is exactly what we don’t want.
“Princess, it’s time for men to talk now. Be a dear and give us 20 minutes.” Emilio says, waving his hand to dismiss me,
I look to Jax who nods. We knew this might happen, so I told him if it did I would stay in one of their lines of sight no matter what.
Picking up my clutch I make my way to the corner of the room where there is a nice little bar set up.
The bartender is easy on the eyes. He’s got tanned skin and blonde hair giving him a surfer look.
His eyes though are scary, they tell a story of a man with a lot of demons in his closet. The black circles under his eyes do nothing for the pale blue color. He looks as though he hasn’t slept in days.
Ordering myself a water I sit at the bar, adjusting myself so I can see Archer from where I’m sitting. He acknowledges me by making eye contact.
Just as I take the first few sips of my water, my phone dings with a text notification. I see the time and know it’s too early for Nick to be checking in with me, but I don’t find it extremely strange that his name is attached to the text.
I know Nick was worried about the new experience he would be getting tonight, so maybe his nerves have flared back up.
My blood goes cold.
Nick: 911
Nick: Somethings wrong Ab... I think I’m being followed
Nick: *Image attached*
The image is of Nick lying on a carpeted floor. He’s obviously unconscious and he has a large gash on his forehead near his hair line.
I stand up thinking that I’m going to be sick when two more texts ding onto my phone.
Nick: If you want to see Nick again unharmed you’ll find some privacy to place a phone call to me on this phone. One indication that they’ve found out, I’ll kill Nick.
Nick: I’m watching you.
I look around the room surveying who could be sending me the text messages. There are at least 20 men in the room who have a phone in their hand and not one is making eye contact with me or seems to be watching me.
Looking up, I see Archer regarding me curiously, so I paste on the smile that I give to Nick in shitty situations. The boys don’t know me well enough to know it’s completely bogus.
I mouth to him that I’m going to the bathroom before taking another big swig of my water and he inclines his head slightly. I know he’s wanting to protest from me getting out of his sight but he won’t cause a scene right now.
Clutching my phone for dear life I slide off the stool and head towards the hall where I assume the bathroom is. When I get to my feet from the stool I feel slightly numb.
I have thoughts coming through, but they aren’t coming clearly and a haze is circling my mind.
When I make it to the hallway I fumble with the phone trying to unlock it. I’m not sure what’s going on but something isn’t right. I need to get to Nick, but I need to tell the boys something. They’ll be able to help.
I just can’t remember what I need to tell them. I’m so sleepy.
My phone vibrates in my hand and I see it’s an income call from Nick. Maybe it was all a dream? I do feel awfully sleep. Maybe I started to doze at the bar.
Why am I so sleepy?
Just as I go to pick it up, someone covers my face with a rag. Then I’m being drug out back through a service kitchen door, and out the back door of the compound.
ABBY- Chapter 33
I can’t fight.
Why can’t I fight?
I can hardly move.
Why can’t I move?
My eyes are so sleepy.
Why am I so sleepy?
My worlds going black.
Where am I going?
ASHER- Chapter 34
I’m sitting at the table fidgeting. We’ve been discussing territory with Emilio for 15 fucking minutes. 15 minutes I’ve had Abby out of my direct line of sight and I’m losing my mind.
I see Arch across the table, noticing he has a worried expression laced on his face. Why does he look worried?
He’s the only person at the table with a direct sighting on Abby, and the notion doesn’t make me feel any better now that he looks worried.
Jax is wrapping up the conversation, placating Emilio but being firm. I feel my skin crawling. I’m so ancy that I’m going to lose my mind before I get to turn around and see her again.
“Well, my friends. I have business to attend to tonight. It’s always a pleasure. Please enjoy the party.” Emilio stands and shakes Jax’s hand.
I stand quickly, nodding to him, but not waiting for a formal handshake. When I turn to scan the room, I can’t see Abby anywhere. Where the hell is she?
Archer comes up gripping my forearm tightly before dragging me near a wall and I know somethings wrong.
“What?” I bark out at him and he turns his worried eyes to me.
“I don’t know Ash, somethings wrong. She was at the bar drinking a water. I watched him hand her it and then she looked at her phone. Something was on it man, I know something happened because her face went pale. I could tell she tried to school it, you know make it look like everything was okay, but I could see it.”
“Where. Is. She?”
“She mouthed she was going to the bathroom, but man, that was 15 minutes ago. She’s not came back out. We need to find her.”
Archer looks genuinely worried and I think I’m going to be sick. I take off running down the hall that Abby had retreated to, only to find her phone lying beside a service exit door.
When I pick it up I hear feet pattering down the hall towards me and I look up long enough to see it’s my brothers coming quickly my way.
Skimming the phone quickly I almost black out with rage. Grabbing a potted plant I empty all the contents of my dinner into the pot.
“What’s wrong?” Jaxon asks me sternly.
I turn the phone around and watch as my brothers’ scan the texts with their eyes. All of their eyes go wide and Archer’s face goes pale before they chorus what they think of the situation.
“Shit.”
“Dammit!”
“Fuck!”
Yeah. All those things.
Abby’s gone.
ABBY- Chapter 35
I wake up lying on a cold concrete floor.
Not only am I lying on the floor, but something cool is surrounding my wrists.
I’m chained to a wall.
My eyes adjust to the darkness of the room, taking inventory of what’s in here with me. Maybe there’s something I can use to help me get out, or at least figure out where I’m at.
; There’s a mattress on the floor a few feet away that’s stained with brown and yellow spots. A bucket sits in the corner with a roll of toilet paper. I’m assuming that is the master bathroom in this place.
I can reach both items with my chained restraints but that’s as far as I’m able to go.
My head is throbbing and when I reach up to run my fingers through my hair, I feel a goose egg forming on my hairline. Not just that though, my body feels weak.
I feel like I’ve been drugged. Is that how I got here?
I start going through my memories trying to make sense of the scrambled brains in my head.
Then it all flashes back to me, I’m at the bar waiting for the boys to get done talking to Emilio. I didn’t have an alcoholic drink, I ordered water, so I know I’m not drunk.
Then my blood runs cold for the second time tonight as I recall the messages from Nick’s phone. Oh my God, where is Nick?
I start thrashing violently against the chains as they bite into my skin. I have to get the hell out of here.
A deep chuckle resonates through the room and for the first time I look beyond my space of concrete and walls. I’ve heard that chuckle before.
On the other side of the room I can see there are bars that look like jail walls... and who is on the other side of that barred wall?
Monsters.
ASHER- Chapter 36
We quickly exit Emilio’s compound, jumping into the SUV. Abby hasn’t been gone long but it’s still been close to an hour since we realized she was gone.
We scoured the entire house, even going as far as opening cabinet doors in the kitchen. She is gone.
I’m numb.
“We’ll get her back Ash.” Archer murmurs softly.
Out of instinct I rear back and punch him straight across the jaw.
“If you would’ve told me she went to the bathroom I would’ve followed her! Do you hate her and me that much? What Arch, do you have something to do with this? Is this to get back at me!?” I’m yelling loudly, but I could give two shits.
Archer looks more stricken over my words then the fist I threw his way.
Brayden starts to play mediator but I snap at him too. “What Bray? Did you help him? What, you couldn’t get rid of her at the mall? Y’all had to get her abducted when I’m in the same fucking house!”
“Whoa!” Jaxon yells forcefully, effectively silencing me.
“Asher, you know good and damn well neither of them have anything to do with Abby’s disappearance. You need to get your head out of your ass. We need ALL hands-on deck to find Abby... not just yours.”
I know he’s right, so I just look out the window of the car. I have nothing else to say to them right now.
I know I’m being irrational and that none of my brothers would ever intentionally put Abby in harm's way, but I need someone to blame... and right now, they seem like just the people.
Jaxon put a call into the DEA as soon as we found Abby missing. They were already close by because we had kept them informed about tonight's meeting.
We knew something could possibly go down, but I was certain Abby would be safe with all of us there.
And Nick? I saw the photo. Abby will never forgive me if something happens to Nick, just like Nick will never forgive me for this happening to Abby.
This is my second strike on protecting her. I’m praying to God I will have the chance to redeem myself.
The DEA went ahead and called the investigation off; they had enough to bring all the players in with the evidence they already had collected.
They swarmed within minutes taking in to custody every man in the house, minus the servants. All the women were wrapped in warm blankets and ambulances lined the driveway of the compound.
Total, 27 women were rescued ranging from the age of 17 to 22. I wish Abby could’ve saw them being rescued. I know she was pissed seeing those women tonight. She would like to know I kept my word and they were safe.
The DEA had dogs searching the house. Their dogs followed Abby’s trail until it stops in the middle of the road. Our worst fears answered- they’ve left the compound by car.
“Max- It’s Jaxon. We have a problem. We’re headed that way. Be there in a few.”
Luckily Uncle Max lives minutes from Emilio’s in an apartment he’s renting. He and his partner, Ethan have an extensive set up there. All of which Archer has designed for Badd Incorporated.
Pulling up to the apartment complex we all exit the vehicle obviously on a mission.
Before I make my way into the door, Archer and Brayden pull me to the side. Jaxon ignores us completely and files into the house. He’s letting us hash this out on our own.
“Ash, we would never let something intentionally happen to Abby. We love her man, we love that you love her. She’s like our sister.” Brayden tells me. I know he’s being honest and I feel terribly guilty for the way I treated them in the car when I jumped to conclusions.
I nod to the guys, turning to go inside to find my girl, when my twin stops me dead in my tracks with five words.
“I hated her at first.”
Swinging around, I level a glare at him warning him to continue with caution, and continue fast before I punch him again.
“I didn’t really hate her Ash, I hated the concept of her. She changes you, she changes us. I know she’s good for you...she’s good for all of us, man. I know her now, and I love her too, Ash. I swear on my life I will help get her back... and I’m so sorry I didn’t stop it.”
This is the most open Archer has ever been about his feelings. I know he’s being a hundred percent sincere with me.
“Come on guys, let's get my girl back.”
ABBY- Chapter 37
“Princess, you look surprised.”
I stay silent.
“We’re going to have some fun tonight after that sassy little mouth you gave me tonight.”
I don’t make eye contact.
“But first my sweet princess, don’t you want to see who sold you to me? Even before those boys got involved- you were mine Abigail Jacobs.”
My head snaps up. Sold?
“Oh, so that got your attention. Yes, I know you’re not Abigail Jenkins, a 23-year-old that you tried to play earlier tonight. Abigail, Princess, when was the last time you’ve saw your dad?”
My eye’s filter around the room, and there he is... in all his glory. The monster in all of my nightmares.
He’s smiling.
ASHER- Chapter 38
Arch is scanning the computer files at a record pace. Reading code at lightning speed while he scans license plates and faces of everyone who came through Emilio’s door tonight.
Brayden went to check the party Nick went to and see if anyone could give a lead on where he was taken.
Of course, no one was sober enough to recount the events, but one girl said she saw Nick arguing with a man in an older model blue pickup.
Archer put in search parameters for older model blue pickups, but we’re in Tipton, Kansas for God’s sake. There are old blue pickups everywhere.
I’m pacing the floor. Nick and Abby are gone and we have no leads, what so ever.
“Shit!” Archer yells and we all flock around his computer quickly.
“What man... What is it?” I’m frantic. I can hear the desperation in my voice. Any other time, my brothers would be busting my balls for how I’m acting... they know better right now.
Then I see what he has on his screen.
“Motherfu...” Brayden starts before I cut in.
“Her fucking dad.”
Arch is able to pull up our cameras we have focused on the South end of Emilio’s property. Right there on screen, we see her dad dragging her lifeless body into the passenger seat of his older model blue pickup truck.
There’s someone else inside slumped in the middle. From the outline I can see, I can tell its most likely Nick.
Archer is running programs and license plates at furiously when the next frame plays; my blood
stops flowing.
The camera shows Emilio getting into a black Mercedes and pulling out into traffic, right behind a blue truck.
Shit, he’s following them. Emilio is working with Abby’s dad. How did we not see this coming?
If Abby’s dad is using drugs, or running drugs for Emilio, we haven’t seen signs of it. We have files on all the players, big time and small time. He’s not one of them
How would he even know Emilio?
My minds racing trying to connect the dots. When Brayden answers my unspoken question.
“Trafficking. He’s trafficking women.”
No, No, No. This isn’t happening. I know we’ve had an eye on Emilio for trafficking, but please God, not Abby.
We’ve thought there is potential of an underground trafficking ring, but we haven’t had any clues as to who or where the girls are being held.
We can’t figure out who he is working with to help him keep the girls taken care of and it seems he always has an alibi during the disappearances...
We’ve had 5 missing girls in the state of Kansas in as many months. Abby makes six.
“Okay, let's think logically guys.” Uncle Max addresses us in his patient tone. He and Jaxon are standing tall with authority. “What do we know?”
“Well, it seems Abby has been abducted by her dad for Emilio’s use. We think he’s trafficking women.”
“Right, so let’s check money trails.” Jax recommends.
A few clicks of his keyboard and Arch has the bank accounts pulled up for Abby’s dad. I was expecting him to be broke by what Abby had told me the other night. Imagine my surprise when he’s sitting pretty on 50-grand.
Arch clicks some more, showing us an incoming wire from an off-shore account two weeks ago.
So, Abby was sold before I got her involved in our mess. You would think that would provide me with some relief that I didn’t put her in their cross-hairs, but it doesn’t.
He sold his fucking daughter for 50-grand. That on top of the ten grand we basically paid for Nick’s custody... the guy has gotten sixty-grand in the past month for selling his kids.
“It looks like there was some email correspondence going on Ash. Someone named “King”, who I’m assuming is Emilio, has been emailing Abby’s dad regarding merchandise.”