CHAPTER 35
Mallory’s mind reeled. Did she just hear Philip correctly? Jasmine wasn’t simply a girl Jason had picked up that night? That was . . . reprehensible, to say the least.
“Are you sure, Philip?”
“I’m more than sure. Mallory, you know what kind of connections Jason has. His family owns a tech business. He used his resources—and the dark web—to help buy and sell women for the past four years. Maybe longer.”
Nausea pooled in her gut. Would Jason really be that vile? She’d known he was unscrupulous, but . . . this?
Mallory felt like she would be sick. All the candles in the room didn’t help her now.
She thanked Philip and hung up.
Her heart catapulted into her throat when she heard a knock at the door.
“Come in,” she called, still gripping her phone.
Tennyson stepped inside, his eyes locking on her. “Hey.”
She pushed her hair behind her ear, still processing the conversation she’d just had with Philip. “You’re back. Everything okay?”
He closed the door and walked slowly toward her. “Yeah, it’s fine. Do you have a minute?”
“Of course.” She studied his somber expression and could only guess he had more bad news. It just kept rolling in, didn’t it? “No hints as to what you were doing?”
He sat beside her and frowned. “Talk to Grant. He should be the one to tell you.”
“Now I’m concerned. Is Grant involved with this?”
“No, it’s not about all of this. Just talk to him.”
She nodded slowly, fighting the urge to fidget. “Okay, I will.”
Tennyson’s hand went to her knee, causing warmth to explode in her. Such a simple act caused such a strong reaction in her.
“How are you holding up?” he asked. “There’s been a lot to absorb lately.”
“Here’s a new one: Jason has apparently been buying and selling women on the dark web. He’s a part of this whole mess. In fact, Jasmine wasn’t even a one-night stand. Jason paid for her.”
Tennyson closed his eyes, his features scrunching with restraint. “Oh, Mallory. I’m so sorry. A real man would never do that. You know that, right?”
She nodded, still feeling dumbstruck. “Yeah, I do. I just can’t believe it.”
“So Jasmine . . .”
“Probably wasn’t her real name even. I’ll never find her or be able to ask questions about what she saw that night.”
“The FBI has a whole team on this now. With Leigh’s unanswered questions about the body, they felt it warranted to look into things more.”
“At least that’s good news.”
His gaze turned away from her and scanned the room. “Candles?”
“I thought it might storm.” She suddenly realized how it might look and jumped to her feet. “You know what? I’ll blow them out. I think the storm might miss us . . .”
Before she reached the last one, she felt Tennyson touching her arm.
“Mallory?”
“Yes?” She turned toward him.
Silence stretched between them as they stood in front of each other. He was close. Close enough that she could feel his body heat. Smell his cologne. Feel the energy crackle between them.
His fingers laced with hers, palm to palm.
Just then, the lights flickered and went out. Thunder rumbled. Darkness surrounded them, except for the glow of one lone candle.
“I guess you spoke too soon,” Tennyson said. “The storm is overhead.”
“I don’t feel afraid with you, Tennyson,” she whispered, her throat aching as the words emerged. It was the first time she’d voiced the thought aloud. That she’d dared to admit to Tennyson that he was different from every other guy she’d met.
His eyes widened, softened, warmed. “You don’t?”
Her heart hit her rib cage so hard that Mallory was sure Tennyson could feel it. She’d been fighting these feelings for so long . . . and she was tired of it. Tennyson wasn’t like every other guy. He wouldn’t make her feel small so that he could feel more important.
“No, I don’t. In fact, no one’s ever made me feel so safe before.”
“Good,” he murmured.
He let go of one of her hands, and with his thumb, he brushed her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch.
Her hand reached around his neck.
She expected to feel fear, stark and gripping. But she didn’t.
She only felt desire and tenderness.
Tennyson tugged her closer before hesitating. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” She meant it.
He leaned closer until his lips brushed hers. Tingles exploded up and down her spine at his nearness. At his touch. At the realization that she could love again.
When she didn’t pull back, Tennyson drew her closer. Their kiss deepened. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and her hands explored the ripple of his back. The lines of his neck. The firmness of his jaw. Breathless, they both stepped back. His hands cupped her face. Her hands fisted his shirt. All she felt was heartbeat. Desire. Swollen lips.
“I didn’t know I could feel this happy,” she whispered.
He shifted, like something was wrong.
“Tennyson?”
He squeezed the skin between his eyes and turned away.
“Tennyson?” she repeated, a hole gnawing at her gut, and all her warm feelings quickly cooling.
“Mallory, there’s something I need to tell you.”
She stepped back. “What’s that?”
He took her hand and walked her over to the couch. “Let’s sit down. Please.”
They sat beside each other, knees touching, fingers interlaced. Lightning flashed and thunder continued to crash, echoing across the water in the distance.
Something wasn’t right with Tennyson. He looked . . . nervous. And he never looked nervous.
“This isn’t easy for me, Mallory.” He rubbed his lips together, apology staining his eyes.
“What is it, Tennyson?” Part of her wanted to withdraw her hand, but she refused. She was willing to give love a chance. She never thought she’d be able to say that. That meant resisting her normal impulse to pull away when uncomfortable.
She didn’t have to pull away, though. Tennyson released her hand and ran his fingers down his face. He closed his eyes, and Mallory could tell that whatever was on his mind was heavy and burdensome.
What could it be? Did he know something that she didn’t?
“That night you were rescued from Dante?”
“The night you rescued me,” she clarified.
He nodded stiffly. “We’d had our eye on his compound for a while. Stone was giving us intel from the inside.”
“Okay . . .” Mallory had no idea where this was going.
“We knew about three months earlier that Torres had a woman in captivity.”
The color left her face, but she said nothing. Only listened. Hoped the conclusions she was drawing were wrong.
“We didn’t know the details,” Tennyson continued. “We assumed maybe he had a concubine or a professional escort. We had to make a choice, though.”
Her throat tightened. “What choice was that?”
“If we went in to rescue the woman, it might blow our chances of capturing Torres.”
Her heart pounded in her ears. She didn’t want to believe what she was hearing. This had to be a misunderstanding . . . right?
“All I could think about was Torres. Vengeance. Making him pay the price he deserved. I’d lived it for the year before that.”
“So you chose to let me remain a human slave because I wasn’t as important as your operation?” The words felt like acid as they left her lips.
“It wasn’t like that, Mallory—”
“Then what was it like? I wasn’t important because I was most likely just some girl that had been sold as a slave? My life wasn’t important? Isn’t every life important?”
“Ever
y life is important, Mallory. We didn’t know it was you.”
“But what if it wasn’t me? What if it was some poor girl form India who’d been sold into human trafficking by her family so they could put food on the table? Would she still be important?”
“Of course she would.”
“I’m not sure I believe you.” She crossed her arms. “I think I was wrong about you, Tennyson. I don’t want to believe it. But . . . I just don’t know.”
He stood, somberness emanating from him. “Sometimes you make the best choice possible knowing what you know. It’s all you can do. Sometimes it’s the wrong call, and you have to live with those regrets for the rest of your life.”
“Yeah, I guess you do.” Mallory looked away.
“I hope you can forgive me.”
“I’m not sure, Tennyson. I’m honestly not sure. I need you to leave now.”
She felt him watching her. Finally, she heard his footsteps. The door opened and closed.
He was gone.
And so was any hope that Mallory would ever love again.
CHAPTER 36
Tennyson got back to his room and raked a hand through his hair. That had been a disaster.
One minute, he’d been swept up in the moment, relishing and enjoying his closeness to Mallory. That kiss . . . it was one he’d never forget. He never wanted to forget.
The next minute, reality had set in. He’d known he had to tell Mallory the truth. He should have done it sooner, but he just couldn’t bring himself to utter the words. To bring his shame to light. To admit the wretched decision he’d made.
He slipped into the bathroom and splashed some cold water on his face.
He’d just ruined one of the best things to ever happen to him. Was it even possible to make this right?
Someone knocked at his door. His heart raced. Was it Mallory? Had she forgiven him?
He knew he was hoping for too much, yet adrenaline still surged through him.
He opened the door and saw Kori.
“Hey, I wanted to go over a few things with you.” She stepped inside but paused when she saw the look on his face. “You look terrible.”
“Thanks.” He walked toward his couch.
“You want to talk?” She followed behind him.
“There’s not much to talk about.”
“This is about Mallory, isn’t it?”
He didn’t say anything, just sat down and stared into the distance.
She gently lowered herself across from him. “Did you tell her?”
He nodded. Kori knew the truth. Her husband had been on Tennyson’s SEAL team. He’d survived the battlefield, only to die of a heart attack a year ago.
“I take it she didn’t receive the information well?”
“You could say that.” Their conversation replayed in his mind.
“It’s a lot to take in.” She let out a long breath. “I have to say, though, that saving Mallory early would have sacrificed the safety of thousands, maybe even millions, for the well-being of one. She’ll eventually see that.”
“What if she doesn’t?”
“If she doesn’t, then she’s not the one for you, is she? But she needs time. Everyone knows it was a hard call to make, Tennyson.”
“Thanks for the talk, Kori.”
“Anytime, Ten Man.”
She stood.
“You wanted to tell me something?”
“I just wanted to talk about our plan of action. It can wait until tomorrow.”
When she left, Tennyson knew he needed to distract himself with work. The only way to possibly make this right was to ensure that Torres never got his hands on Mallory again.
Tennyson grabbed his computer and got online. Jason’s family owned a tech business, while Mallory’s family had been in the appliance field. Was there any connection between the companies?
He pulled up the website for Jason’s family’s business. Tech could cover so many areas. After scrolling through the pages, he determined that the business was mostly involved with online support for companies.
Tennyson leaned back. Online support? Did Baldwin Appliances use them?
He did another quick search but came up with nothing. Maybe Mallory would know. There could be no connection there at all. But it was worth looking into.
At that moment, an e-mail pinged on his cell phone. He clicked on it, his apprehension growing with every second. Certainly he’d read that subject wrong.
He could only hope.
But when the e-mail came up, it proved he hadn’t. The note was from a reporter, wanting a quote from him on Mallory. Did he believe her father had ties with Dante Torres?
Jason had gone to the press with that story after all. How could he?
Anger burned inside him. Was there anyone out there willing to do the right thing? It didn’t seem like it.
Maybe Tennyson should lump himself in the same category.
CHAPTER 37
Mallory couldn’t sleep. All she could think about was Tennyson’s revelation.
How could he? She understood the struggle of choosing the greater good. But had he even looked for another alternative? Or had he dismissed her as unimportant, as just another one of Dante’s girls?
Lord, please help me. I’m a mess. I’m broken. But I’m yours. Let me rest in that alone.
She turned over in bed and fluffed her pillow, trying to let sleep find her. But her mind was going in too many directions. It didn’t help that the lightning outside acted as a strobe light, followed by angry rumbles of thunder.
She pressed her head into the pillow, trying to tune it all out. She’d already ruminated enough about her kiss with Tennyson. Instead, she turned her thoughts to everything that had happened. The sooner she wrapped up her current situation, the sooner she could get away from Tennyson.
What had happened to Trina? Was she okay right now?
And poor Gabriella. What had her final moments been like?
And what about Jason? She’d always known he was selfish, but she never thought he would take it so far as to threaten her. Was he just trying to extend his fifteen minutes of fame?
Finally, Mallory threw the sheets off and sat up in bed. Maybe a shower would make her feel better, cleaner. That had always worked in the past. The warm water could loosen her tight muscles and hopefully lull her to sleep.
She let the water flow over her and wash away her worries. In theory, at least.
In reality, her thoughts went back to Tennyson over and over again. She’d really thought there could be something between them—something beautiful.
Their kiss had taken her breath away. But it was more than the physical. They connected emotionally and spiritually, surpassing what she could have ever imagined in a relationship.
Yet she’d been so, so wrong about him.
Lord, please give me wisdom. Discernment. I feel like I’m drowning again. I don’t know what to do, but I can’t handle everything falling apart again. I need you.
As the water continued to pound her skin, the bathroom suddenly went dark.
Her heart stuttered in her chest.
What was going on?
She cut the water and grabbed a towel from the rack beside the shower stall. Quickly, she wrapped it around herself, listening for any hint of what was going on.
Silence answered back.
Tennyson tried to sleep, but he couldn’t. He had too much weighing on his mind. Too much that needed to be done. Too much that he hadn’t figured out yet.
As he lay there in the silence, he heard the water come on in the adjoining bathroom.
Was Mallory taking a shower? At this hour?
He couldn’t even let his thoughts go there.
Finally, he threw the covers off and stood. He paced over to the window, trying to get a glimpse of the storm. As he peered out, a movement caught his eye.
He squinted. Was someone outside? He stepped into the shadows and watched another moment.
Something moved ag
ain. Against the outside wall of the building. Close to the back exit.
Someone was definitely out there. Not only out there, but trying to get inside.
Tennyson grabbed his gun and stuffed it into his waistband. He knocked at Mallory’s door, but there was no answer. Shower, he reminded himself, quickly trying to turn his thoughts from that picture.
Instead, he checked the door and made sure it was locked. It was. He’d make sure Kori kept an eye on the room while he checked things out. She was already on guard in the hallway.
“Someone’s outside,” he told her.
“Could it be one of the Trident guys?” Kori asked.
“It shouldn’t be, but I need to double-check.”
Tennyson quietly crept down the stairs, listening for a sign of anything suspicious. He drew his gun, watching for the unexpected.
Just as he cleared the landing, the soft lights illuminating the area blinked before going off.
Was that the storm? Or the intruder?
Tennyson didn’t know, but he didn’t like either option.
He remained close to the wall. Everything felt still around him. Too still. Too calm.
Was that a creak?
It almost sounded like it.
He took another step into the stairwell entry, hoping he’d see Wheaton or one of his men and realize this was nothing more than someone who’d locked themselves out.
He saw nothing.
Just then, the door flapped open. The wind from the storm had caught it.
As he looked down at the wooden floor, he spotted wet footprints leading inside.
Someone was here.
Tension mounted across his shoulders as he followed the footprints toward the other end of the building. He pushed past the construction plastic covering the doorway.
The sheets rustled behind him as another gust of wind swept inside.
A creak sounded. Behind him this time.
Just as he turned, something rammed into his head.
And everything went black.
Mallory quickly dried off with a fluffy white towel and pulled her pajamas on. She needed to get to the nightstand. She was sure she’d seen a flashlight there. Darkness caused panic to crash into her, caused worst-case scenarios to rush to the surface of her mind. Scenarios involving Dante finding her. Claiming her again.
Distorted Page 23