Breaking Point

by Allison Brennan

  “Last time I went with you I lost a thousand bucks.”

  “What else are you going to do with your money? And besides, the other night I made five large. It was a good night.”

  “For some people, maybe,” he grumbled.

  The front door opened and Desiree and her main goon walked in. Desiree called him Thad. Bella called him Bam-Bam—he was dumb as a statue but liked to pound things, including people.

  “Whatcha lookin’ at, bitch?”

  Bella glared at her. “Nothing worth looking at.”

  “Knock it off,” Damien said.

  Desiree hated everyone, but mostly she hated Bella. Fine by her, she didn’t need to make friends with the old hooker. Desiree had been a bottom bitch from the age of fourteen until her pimp was picked up in a major sting operation in Los Angeles. She took his stable of girls and broke out—rare, and Bella would have admired her if she wasn’t as cruel and violent as Hirsch himself. Desiree ran her girls with an iron fist, and Bam-Bam was her muscle.

  Bella hadn’t been privy to the agreement between Hirsch and Desiree, but based on what Damien had said and Desiree’s attitude, the merging of Desiree’s girls with Hirsch was less a mutual decision and more a threat from Hirsch.

  Join me or I’ll kill you.

  Generally, an operation that was marginally successful like Desiree’s was an asset to a man like Hirsch. First, he could expand his network. Second, if shit happened, Hirsch had a fall guy—or gal. Plus, Desiree had a long history of keeping her girls working hard and under the radar. Until Hirsch, however, Desiree only worked traditional prostitution. When she was arrested, she got out with time served. Bella had run her sheet—the longest she’d spent in prison was three months, and only because she’d been caught with heroin.

  Desiree wasn’t happy about the arrangement because she hadn’t wanted to leave L.A. She knew the score there. But like with prostitutes, Hirsch understood that when you took someone out of their comfort zone, they became dependent. He promised her the world—for Desiree, that was money—but so far he hadn’t delivered. And he never would. It was a game to him, and once Desiree had lost her foothold in L.A. because she was halfway across the country, Hirsch would own her.

  Hirsch had to have a reason—he did nothing without a reason—but Bella hadn’t been able to figure out what benefit Desiree was to him. One of the few times Bella and Declan had talked face to face since she’d been deep undercover, they’d discussed it—and Declan suspected Hirsch wanted her territory more than he wanted her working for him. Simon was working on finding more info because it would help build whatever case they turned over to the feds.

  Unfortunately, Desiree had begun to grow more suspicious of Hirsch and his motives, and she took her frustration out on the girls. She berated them, threatened them, abused them. Though she’d probably never been a nice person, she seemed to take pleasure in hurting others. Bam-Bam was happy to oblige. While Hirsch detested women, Bam-Bam enjoyed taking what he wanted, when he wanted. Bella couldn’t wait to take him down.

  Damien said, “We have business and then we’re leaving. Both of you take a chill pill.”

  Bella’s ears perked up. She’d thought they were just hanging to make sure the trouble in Phoenix didn’t follow them. But business meant this was a planned move. Had they sped up the expansion because of Roger? Or was this a new deal?

  Desiree glared at Bella then stomped upstairs, Bam-Bam on her heels.

  “I don’t trust her,” Bella said.

  “I don’t care,” Damien said.

  Bella knew that Damien didn’t trust Desiree either, though not for the same reasons as Bella. The only real argument she’d heard between Damien and Hirsch was a month ago, the night before they left L.A., when Hirsch told Damien that Desiree was coming east with them. Damien wanted to leave her in charge of the L.A. operation. Hirsch insisted she would be valuable in the expansion. When Hirsch shut Damien down, the enforcer went out with Bella, got wasted, and ranted. Damien didn’t rant long, and even drunk he had enough self-control not to give away the store, but Bella had picked up her best intel that evening. That’s when she learned about Hirsch’s plan to set up operations at every major city along the I-10. That his partner Z was bankrolling the expansion because he had taken over a huge network on the east coast and needed Hirsch’s trucking network not only to move girls, but to launder his money.

  “We had a good thing going, you know? Big enough to make real money, small enough to stay under the radar.”

  Damien had been nostalgic, almost sad, about leaving. Bella had filed that tidbit away; now was the time to bring it up again.

  “Damien, I’ve told you I’m game for just about anything, but going to prison is not an option. Hirsch had a great setup in L.A. and it worked, you know?”

  He nodded and shrugged at the same time, the only concession she would get that he agreed with her.

  She continued, hoping he’d talk. “We all made money. For the last four weeks everything has been up in the air, he killed a fucking cop, and that’s going to bring down the heat faster than the desert sun.”

  “Shut. Up.”

  It was his tone more than his words that had her zipping it. Okay, she pushed too hard, but his tone confirmed that something was going on that she didn’t know about.

  She stomped off—an act, really, because she didn’t want to leave the living room. Hirsch would be back soon, and she could pick up on a lot of things just by hanging around. She needed to contact Declan. He would be worried because of the Bible message that was their code for extraction. She wanted to tell him she was alive, that they were moving east, and confirm that they had found Roger’s body. The cop deserved a proper burial.

  She went into the bathroom and closed the door. Took a deep breath and looked into the cracked mirror. The house was old, falling apart around them. Flashes of the past hit her, harder than she expected, and she took another deep breath. Air in; hold ten seconds. Air out; hold ten seconds. Repeat as needed.

  The last direct contact she’d had with Simon was right before Hirsch moved a group of his girls from L.A. to Phoenix. Simon had ventured into a card room, sat next to her. They played for an hour in silence then met up in the ladies’ room, where they crammed into a stall. Cover, in case anyone walked in. Bella would never have sex with Simon, and she’d never have sex in a public bathroom, but she’d do anything to protect her cover and didn’t give a shit what people thought.

  She wanted out. She had contacts and outs in L.A. She knew the people, the ropes. Phoenix? She had no one. She would be without backup, except for Declan.

  “Declan is the best and the brightest,” Simon had told her. The tone was a bit derisive, which was odd. Declan was proud of his military service, and half the men and women who worked with Simon were former soldiers.

  “I trust him with my life, but he’ll have to stay hidden. Here, he has his own cover. There’s no reason for him to go to Phoenix. We can’t let any of Hirsch’s people see him, which puts both of us at risk.”

  “If you’re getting too nervous, I’ll have you extracted. You can walk away tomorrow. We’ll find another way to track Hope.”

  “You don’t sound optimistic.”

  “We’re close.”

  “It’s been over a year since she disappeared, and ten months since the last video was posted. I want to believe, but—hell.” She didn’t want to give up on Hope. She couldn’t. Her brother had never given up on her, and she was in the life for just as long. If she could survive, if she was unbreakable, Hope could be too.

  “We’ve never had anyone so deep before,” Simon said. “Your information is gold. We’ve shut down operations on the periphery. Dozens of girls saved as a result. And because of you, two girls were rescued from a brothel in Long Beach. Both fifteen, both runaways. You picked them well.”

  “I have another one—Christina. She’s terrified, but I can convince her to walk.”

  “Tonight?”

&n
bsp; “I don’t think so—she’s attached to another girl, has become her protector.” Bella knew how that was. She’d had a protector once. An older girl who taught her the ropes and helped her stay under the radar. Julie had saved her life.

  And Bella had gotten her killed. She’d never forgive herself. She’d forgiven herself for nearly everything from her past, because being sold to Sergio to be prostituted in order to clear her father’s debt was not her fault. Surviving in the business wasn’t her fault. There were two kinds of girls. Those who would do anything to survive, and those who died.

  But Julie … Julie was her savior. Bella had never given in until … until Sergio had Julie killed.

  Simon looked Bella in the eye, their faces only inches apart. He whispered, “When she’s ready to go, I’ll get them both out. If you can convince her to leave when you reach Phoenix, Roger Beck is there—he’ll do it.”

  “Okay,” she said, though she was nervous. More nervous than she’d ever been undercover. “I’ll stay.”

  * * *

  Bella stared at her reflection, calmer now. She’d saved those two girls in L.A., she’d saved Trinity when the poor girl was about to be gang raped in order to break her, and she’d saved Ashley and Christina. They were only five girls after months of work … but they were five girls. Five young women who now had a future. Five women who had a chance to grow up. To live.

  She had to focus on the good, not the bad. Not Savannah Egan whom she couldn’t save in time. Not Julie, who had died because Bella had nearly escaped all those years ago.

  She had to focus on Hope Anderson—that Bella could find her, that she could be saved. No matter how long it took. No matter how far she had to travel. The life of one innocent girl was worth it.

  It had to be.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Laura Dixon took a few moments to compose herself in the ladies’ room Tuesday night.

  It had been a long, difficult day.

  As if her husband could sense her disquiet, her phone rang and caller ID revealed Adam. Her heart, for that moment, lifted and she answered.

  “Hello, sweetheart.” She sat on a small bench outside the stalls. There was no one else around; it was late and after regular visiting hours.

  “You’re tired.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I took care of the legal paperwork. As soon as their doctor releases them, you can bring both of them to Seattle.”

  Christina’s mother had arrived late that afternoon, and at first she’d resisted Laura’s suggestion that her daughter come to Seattle for a few weeks—or longer—to receive specialized counseling and live in a safe environment until she was ready to integrate back into her life. But after talking to Christina, then meeting with the doctor and Laura, Ms. Garrett agreed. It was a relief, because Laura knew Ashley would feel safer if Christina—who had clearly been her protector for quite some time—was with her.

  Adam continued. “How are the girls?”

  “Christina is a fighter. She’ll be okay.” Like Bella, but Laura didn’t say that. Adam was angry and heartbroken over the choices Bella had made. Laura was sad—but she understood in a way even more than Adam, who was the most forgiving and understanding man Laura had ever known, why Bella had made the choices she did. There was nothing Laura wanted more than to bring peace to the two people she loved most, and the only way that would happen would be if they could forgive each other.

  “Ashley,” Laura continued, “has far more problems. Her doctor—” Laura took a deep breath.

  “It’s okay, honey. I’m here.”

  “She’s been abused since she was little.” According to the doctor, Ashley had never lived a life free of violence. “A history of broken bones that didn’t heal right,” Laura said, “including a skull fracture that the doctor believes is six to seven years old. The amount of pain her little body has endured in her thirteen years—she’s a survivor, but she’s in constant pain. There’s a cracked rib, recent, that the doctor is watching closely because it’s putting pressure on her liver. She may need surgery. She’s scarred—old cigarette burns all over her b-back.” Her voice cracked and she closed her eyes. Laura had worked with abused girls all of her adult life, but had never become desensitized. Each child she rescued—and every child she couldn’t—she ached for. She’d learned to compartmentalize.

  But with Adam, she could let her shields down, just for a moment. Because he understood.

  “They’re safe now.”

  “I’ll feel better when they’re at the house. I’m hoping for tomorrow, but I suspect Thursday.”

  “Did the police agree to put a guard on their door?”

  “Yes, and Declan brought in two men, former military.”

  “I know. I just spoke with him.”

  Adam’s voice had grown hard. “He has always had Bella’s back, you know that, Adam.”

  “Until now.”

  “Don’t do that to him. He’s torn up about what happened, and he’s turning over every rock to find her.”

  “JT is now involved, with the full resources of Rogan-Caruso-Kincaid. Declan told JT that Bella wanted an extraction a full month ago, when she was in L.A., and Simon talked her out of it. I never trusted him, and now a cop is dead and Bella is missing.”

  “She saved these two girls,” Laura reminded him.

  “At what cost? Declan said she disappeared sometime between three and six Monday morning. Over thirty-six hours and no contact other than one text message she sent to Simon about where to find that poor cop’s dead body. We don’t know what she’s doing, where she is, or if she’s even alive. How far has she gone? She’s already passed the point of no return.”

  “She’s not. Have faith.”

  “I’ve tried. The good Lord knows I’ve tried. She’s going to get herself killed, Laura. I—I don’t want to go to her funeral.”

  She heard the tears in her husband’s voice, and she ached for him.

  “I’ll never give up on her, Adam. I know you won’t, either.”

  “You’re my life, sweetheart. I will worry about you until you’re home. Bella—I can’t anymore. My fear for her is so great it hurts.”

  And that was the crux of Adam’s pain. He feared for Bella’s life—and for her soul. That she would reach the point of no return and never come home.

  “I know, Adam. I fear for her as well, but I have hope. Bella is the strongest person I have ever met, other than you. I love you. I’ll call you as soon as I know when the girls can leave with me.”

  She ended the call and took a deep breath.

  As soon as she left the bathroom, she saw Declan Cross walking toward her. He didn’t look like he’d had much sleep in the last two days.

  “I have a lead, I have to go,” he said. “I just wanted you to know that my men will stay here watching the girls, and when you leave the hospital, one of them will escort you to your hotel. Don’t argue with me, I promised Adam you’d be safe.”

  “I wasn’t going to argue,” she said. “You know where she is?”

  “Hirsch’s right hand was spotted in Las Cruces last night.”

  “New Mexico?”

  “Right on the I-10 corridor. They’re moving east, and Bella must be with them. I talked to JT and he’s on his way to have a conversation with Simon, get more information out of him.”

  “Be careful, Declan.” She hugged him tightly, whispered a prayer. She had to believe that God would be watching out for Bella, and for Declan.

  Otherwise, she’d curl into a ball and cry.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  JT Caruso shot a glance at his partner Jack Kincaid, who was driving the borrowed SUV toward Simon Egan’s compound in Montecito, the exclusive community outside Santa Barbara. They’d flown in on Jack’s plane, landing fifteen minutes ago as the sun was setting.

  “Don’t say it,” Jack said. “I got your back.”

  “Egan isn’t a threat.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

 
In the seven years that Jack had been a partner at Rogan Caruso Kincaid Protective Services, he’d more than proven himself. He’d married one of JT’s closest friends, and Little Rogan—Sean—had married Jack’s sister. But Jack hadn’t been with them from the beginning. Only Kane Rogan knew the truth about JT, his family, and his failures.

  His many failures.

  Kane Rogan, who had founded the original Rogan Caruso Protective Services with JT nearly two decades ago, was in Texas and had been the first call JT made after he got off the phone with Declan Cross late last night. Kane would learn everything that could be learned, use every resource, call in any and all favors, to locate Bella. JT didn’t trust that Simon Egan would tell him the truth, but if he lied, JT would beat him to within an inch of his life.

  Which was why Kane had told JT to bring Jack, to make sure JT didn’t cross the line. Where Bella was concerned, JT saw red. His sister was his Achilles’ heel, and Kane knew it. Simon Egan was the bastard who enabled her.

  Still. Jack had faced his own crucible. He too had killed to protect his family. If Kane couldn’t be here, there was no one else JT wanted by his side other than Jack.

  Simon Egan lived behind gates. JT had considered breaking into the compound, but decided to try it the easy way first. Egan wasn’t a military strategist, nor would he shoot first. He liked to think of himself as a noble do-gooder, so talking was always his first method for conflict avoidance.

  But nothing Egan said or did, short of giving JT the exact location of his sister, would avoid conflict.

  The gate opened as soon as they approached.

  “Bastard,” JT mumbled. “When he ignored Adam’s calls, he knew I’d be coming. What the hell does he get out of playing this game?”

  “Time,” Jack said.

  Jack was right. Time to find out what happened to Bella during an unsanctioned private undercover operation that left one cop dead and Bella in the wind.

  Jack drove up the long drive and stopped immediately in front of steps that led to a mansion. JT had been here only once, when he tried to convince Bella to reconsider her decision to work with Egan. That had been three years ago.