PAYBACK (A Bad Boy Romance)

by Alexx Andria

  A single directive kept me moving.

  Find Ivy.

  Find Ivy NOW!

  Ivy

  “What’s your name?” I asked the scared girl while Darian ignored us both. “How’d you end up here?”

  It took a moment but the girl finally answered, saying, “My name is Rhiannon.”

  “Did you know Terano Rodrigo?”

  Rhiannon shook her head. “I was at the mall meeting someone I met online. I thought I was meeting him for a date.”

  “Did you end up meeting someone?”

  “Yeah. He told me his name was Chris. He seemed nice. He wanted to go get coffee and offered to drive. The next thing I knew I was locked in here.”

  “He roofied you,” I guessed, rubbing my frozen hands together for some warmth. “How old are you?”

  “Nineteen.”

  “Didn’t your mother ever tell you not to get into cars with strangers?” I asked.

  Rhiannon gave me a dour look but her lip trembled.

  “Sorry,” I apologized, knowing that wasn’t helpful. “We have to put our heads together and see what we can do to get out of here.”

  “We’ve already tried,” Darian said, rolling onto her back to stare at the darkened ceiling. “The Chinese bitch is like a pitbull. She may be small but she can pack a punch, as you already figured out.”

  Yeah, no arguments there. “Okay, who brings the food?”

  “One of the guards.”

  “The three of us can take one guard.”

  “Not if he has a gun,” Darian countered. “What are we supposed to do? Subdue him with our sarcastic wit?”

  “There has to be a way.”

  “Look Pollyanna, I know you’re all fired up because you’ve only just gotten here but trust me, I’ve already cycled through all those emotions and done what I could to get out. You know what I got for my troubles?” She waited a beat then spat, “bruises.”

  I swallowed. “They beat you?”

  “Of course they beat me. But only enough to hurt like a bitch but not leave permanent marks because they didn’t want to mess up the merch. And yeah, that’s all we are to them. So our best chance at this point is to hope whoever buys us…isn’t a monster.”

  “Anyone who buy another human being is a monster,” I pointed out what I thought should be obvious. “I don’t care how they try and justify their actions…every single person who would condone the trafficking of people needs a bullet in their head.”

  “Such a strong personality,” a chillingly familiar voice said from the top of the stairs. “I wonder how quickly you will break?”

  I startled and looked up.

  Terano had been listening to our conversation. But for how long?

  He motioned to the men behind him. “Bring her.”

  And they descended, going straight for me. I tried to run, but like a scared rabbit, I had nowhere to go and was quickly subdued.

  I was dragged up the stairs kicking and screaming to the office where I was dropped into a chair like a sack of wet potatoes.

  “It occurred to me that I have not been wise in my recent decision to simply sell you off. You have far more value to me, at the moment, as bait.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “It seems our friend Detective Reed interrupted our attempts to beat information out of your brother, Frankie. And now, one of my best men is in custody. I simply cannot abide such an insult. But I am not uncivilized, contrary to what Detective Reed may believe. I propose a trade. You for my man. We shall call it even and let bygones be bygones.”

  I stared in disbelief before reacting with scorn. “You think Jameson is going to just let you walk after everything you’ve done? He won’t. It doesn’t matter who you’re holding onto…Jameson is coming for you and he won’t rest until you’re either in custody or dead.”

  I didn’t exactly know that for sure but I had a gut feeling that it was. And, well, I didn’t have anything else to bargain with.

  “I think you underestimate your value to Det. Jameson.”

  “And I think you overestimate. I’m nothing to him.”

  “We shall see.”

  He nodded to one of his guards and they approached. Before I could ask what was going on, my head whipped back as his hand connected with my face. Instant tears blinded me as the pain exploded like a rocket.

  Why was everyone hitting me?

  I wiped at the blood trickling from my mouth and glared through my tears. “Takes a big man to beat a woman,” I mocked, lifting my chin. “I bet you kick kittens and puppies in your spare time, too.”

  “Time for you to make yourself useful.” He motioned and one of his guards produced a smart phone and trained it in her direction. “You are going to send Det. Reed a message. Tell him if he doesn’t bring my man to the Thai Palace at 9 p.m., you’re going to die.”

  “What makes you think he’ll care if I die?”

  Terano smiled slowly. “Call it a hunch.”

  I suppressed a shudder, not willing to reveal any fear even though I was practically wetting myself. I didn’t know if Jameson would risk the one solid lead he had in this case for me.

  I didn’t want to lay bets on my odds.

  Jameson and I didn’t have a relationship. We were…I don’t know what we were.

  All I knew was that Jameson had made it very clear that whatever we were doing, it would end as soon as this case did.

  I blinked back tears. I guess if Terano was willing to bet that Jameson would show, maybe I ought to put my prayers on that possibility because as much as I hated to admit Darian might be right…this might be my only way out.

  “I’m ready for my close-up, motherfucker,” I said, narrowing my gaze at Terano.

  Terano chuckled and the guard started recording.

  I did my part. Said the words as told.

  But in my head, I hoped Jameson read the message in my eyes.

  Whether I live or die, make Terano regret the day he messed with Jameson Reed.

  Let the clock start ticking…

  Jameson

  “This just came through the anonymous email line,” Hank said, interrupting my strategic planning of tonight’s operation.

  Hank played the MOV file on the computer.

  Ivy appeared on the screen, her face mottled with fresh bruises, her lip bleeding.

  And wearing next to nothing.

  I could see her nipples through the thin sheath she was draped in. Fresh rage rippled through me. “What the hell is this?” I muttered, watching as Ivy delivered her message.

  “They propose a trade. Me for their man. Be there at the Thai Palace at 9 p.m. or I’m dead.”

  The video ended as abruptly as it started.

  Hank and I shared a look. “He thinks his guy is alive,” I said, thinking. “If he finds out he’s already dead, Ivy is dead.”

  “So we have to do something to make him think that we’re making the trade,” Hank said. “The body in the morgue?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So we take his clothes, dress one of our guys with a similar build and put a hood over his face, tie him up loosely and pretend as if he’s the guy so we can trade.”

  “He’s not going to fall for that,” I said, not willing to play with Ivy’s life. “The only thing we have going for us is the element of surprise. Chances are they are still holed up at the McDougall Warehouse. I say, we up the timeline and bring the fight to him. Call out all the stops. This is it. Either we take Terano now or we’ll lose him in the wind and Ivy will end up dead.”

  “Let’s make the trade,” Hank urged, not agreeing with me. “And then blow the fuckers away and be done with all this Terano Rodrigo bullshit.”

  “As much as I’d love to have the honor of putting a bullet in his skullcap, taking down Terano and his network is better than the momentary pleasure of killing him outright. If we kill Terano, someone else will pop up in his place and it’ll start all over again.”

  “Have you forgotten we st
ill haven’t found the mole?” Hank reminded me. “What makes you think that the mole won’t tip off Terano before we manage to get there and your woman ends up dead besides?”

  He was right. I had to figure out who the mole was before I brought anyone into the plan but I didn’t have time to suss out who the traitor was before the supposed trade.

  I swore under my breath, frustration eating away at my ability to think straight.

  All I could think about was Ivy’s beautiful face, beaten, and I wanted to punch something.

  I’d never been so out of control, so unable to compartmentalize the details and the people involved in order to get what I needed done.

  “Fuck it. I don’t have a choice,” I said with bitter realization. “You and I both know that Terano is lying about the trade. He’ll double cross us and then we’ll have nothing either way. I have to take the chance.”

  Hank sighed as if I were crazy but he was willing to go along for the ride. That ought to count for something. “If we’re going to do this, we’d better get moving. Now the question is…who are you going to include in this raid?”

  That was the million dollar question.

  The suspects were the captain, the sergeant or Hank.

  My gut said it wasn’t Hank.

  And I didn’t want to believe it could be the captain, which left the sergeant, Erika Juarez.

  I made an executive decision — more like a qualified gamble and said, “Tell the captain but leave out Erika.”

  “You think she’s the mole?”

  “Well, if it all goes to shit, I’ll know that I fucked up and picked the wrong person.”

  “That’s a helluva gamble.”

  “Go big or go home,” I said in a low tone. “This is it.”

  Within an hour we had briefed the captain as well as shared our concerns about the mole and the captain agreed to let us test out the theory, though he warned if it all went to shit, he wasn’t going to take the heat for us.

  Basically, we were on our own.

  It was a feeling I was used to.

  Ivy

  After my performance, I was returned to the basement with the other women. Only this time I was moving a bit more slowly than before.

  Rhiannon gasped when she saw me. “What did you do?”

  Darian smirked as if she already had the answer. “Probably mouthed off. This one can’t keep her mouth shut.”

  I cast Darian a dark look and limped to the cot I’d claimed as mine. “Terano wants to trade me for one of his men that was captured today by my friend.”

  “Just you?” Rhiannon asked fearfully.

  Darian snorted. “Of course just her. She’s the princess.”

  “Where do you get off? I’m a prisoner just like you.”

  “Yeah, but you’re the only one with people who care on the outside. You don’t see anyone tripping over themselves to make deals on our behalf. Must be nice to have someone who cares so much.”

  “It’s not because he cares,” I corrected Darian, even though it hurt to admit it. “It’s because he wants to take down Terano. I’m just a means to an end.”

  “Either way, if it works out in your favor, you’re going to walk and we’ll still be in this basement,” Darian said.

  I knew it wouldn’t be that simple. For one, I didn’t believe for a second that Terano would honor his end of the deal. Likely Jameson was walking into a trap. I could only hope that Jameson was wise to that and prepared a counter attack.

  Fear squeezed my heart as I tried not to picture Jameson getting killed trying to save me.

  “Is he your boyfriend or something?” Rhiannon asked, her voice small as she huddled on her cot.

  “No,” I answered.

  “Then why is he willing to risk his life for you?” she asked.

  “Like I said…I’m just a means to an end.”

  But even as the words left my mouth, I wanted to pull them back, not because it wasn’t true but because the words lanced my heart in the most pitiful way. How had things changed so drastically between Jameson and I?

  When did he become something more than a bully cop he’d used me to get what he wanted?

  Not even Jameson could answer that question.

  I knew he felt something for me. He couldn’t hide it. But I knew whatever he felt, it wasn’t nearly strong enough to power through whatever wall he had built around his heart.

  “What’s he like?” Rhiannon asked but Darian rolled her eyes and groaned.

  “God, please. Isn’t it bad enough we’re stuck down here together? Do we have to suffer through story hour?”

  “Shut up, Darian,” Rhiannon said in a show of strength. “If I’m going to be sold off and potentially die…I want to hear about something nice before I go.”

  I smiled ruefully. “I wish I could say my story was nice. My friend…Jameson, he’s not like ordinary guys.”

  “Like how?” Rhiannon asked, interested.

  “He…” I shook my head, unsure of what to share. I didn’t know how to explain what’d happened between us. I mean, the details were ugly but what I felt inside when he touched me was almost beautiful. There were times…I don’t know, maybe I was being hormonal but my heart rate quickened when I saw him and my breath shortened.

  All I wanted was to feel his strong arms wrap around me. In all my life, I’d never felt so safe…with the wrong person.

  “I’m just saying, it’s not a fairytale,” I finished sadly. “In fact, it’s probably a textbook case for dysfunction. It’s surely not a story I’d like to share with my grandkids someday.”

  If I lived to have kids, that is.

  “Girl, what’s dysfunction?” Darian scoffed. “My old man used to knock me around but I gave as much as I got. He was a mean son-of-a-bitch but we had some good times.”

  “How’d you end up here?” I asked.

  “My old man traded me for some smack. The fucker was addicted as fuck. We got into a fight and when he was high, he offered me up as payment. The next thing I knew, I was thrown in a bag and then I landed here.”

  “Your boyfriend traded you?” I repeated, horrified. “That’s awful.”

  Darian shrugged but I sensed it was an act. Whatever world Darian had lived in, she’d become accustomed to protecting her true feelings behind a hard shell.

  I understood that need to protect yourself.

  I’d never allowed anyone to get close to me when I was a kid. Frankie and I were our own little unit. I didn’t need anyone else.

  “No family?” I ventured.

  “None I would claim.”

  I turned to Rhiannon. “How about you?”

  “Yeah, I have parents. They’re probably worried sick.” Fresh tears appeared. “I was always getting into trouble, though. They’re probably glad I’m gone.”

  “No parent would wish for that,” I said, hoping it were true. “They’re going to be so relieved when you come home safe.”

  “Hey, don’t blow smoke up her ass. We’re not the ones with an out.”

  I glared at Darian. “There’s always hope.”

  “Must be nice to live in your world,” Darian said. “But for those of us without a knight in shining armor coming to save us…we’re as good as sold.”

  I held my tongue. I wanted to assure Rhiannon that somehow it would be okay but I didn’t actually know that. Maybe Darian was right. Maybe hope was too expensive to hold onto for them.

  “I’ll make Jameson find you,” I said, determined to make it true. “He’s a cop. He’ll find a way to rescue you.”

  “You promise?” Rhiannon asked, her eyes wet. “Promise you won’t forget us if you manage to get away?”

  “I would never.” And that was the truth. How could I forget this hellish experience and the knowledge that two girls were left behind? “I promise I will find a way to get you out of here.”

  “Bullshit,” Darian said but there was an edge of desperation to her tone that tugged at me. “It’s easy to make promis
es you have no intention on keeping.”

  “You don’t know me. I don’t promise anything I don’t plan to honor. Even if it takes my entire life.”

  And that was the truth. I made a vow that I would make Jameson help me find these girls.

  Now I just had to hope that Jameson had a plan that included not dying when he came to make the trade.

  I crossed my fingers and said a prayer — anything that might help.

  Jameson

  The McDougall warehouse had been supposed empty for years. Ownership of the warehouse was listed to a corporation and was likely used to take a loss.

  The entrances were boarded up and at first glance, it was desolate, gloomy, and devoid of human activity.

  The cobwebs and dust limned the windows so that nothing but murky light managed to penetrate the film.

  It was a perfect hide-out for criminals smuggling goods where no one would think to look.

  I motioned for the team to move forward. SWAT soundlessly advanced into position, flanking the building. I kept Hank near to me. I wanted to keep eyes on him.

  Although my gut resisted the thought that Hank might be the mole, I couldn’t take any chances.

  Keep your friends close and your potential moles closer.

  But so far, so good.

  We breached the building and saw a light in the office up the stairs. Movement behind the grimy glass told me someone was in there, possibly Terano.

  The fading afternoon light was slowly casting shadows in the warehouse, dust motes dancing in the dying sun.

  Something caused the hair to raise up on my arms. My intuition was clanging.

  And then the shit got real.

  Bullets started flying. I narrowly missed taking one in the chest when I dove behind a crate. SWAT returned fire.

  Hank and I were trading shots with the guards who had swarmed the building like ants from a disturbed nest.

  There were a few SWAT on the ground, silent, blood leaking all over the cement. But we took down a few of theirs, too.

  Acrid smoke burnt the air and I ran across the room to get to the stairs. Bullets continued to fly but it was happening all so fast. I kicked in the office door and burst in, a sizzle seared across my bicep and I realized a bullet had grazed me.