Sid (The Protectors Series) Book #4

by Gabelman, Teresa

  “On it.” Susan glanced at Lana as she made the call.

  Adam walked to the cages and looked at each girl, looking for Angelina.

  “Keep an eye on Kenny and Duncan,” Sid instructed Jared. “Once we get the women cleared, we’ll question him, but I seriously doubt he’ll tell us anything. We’ll probably get more out of the women than him.”

  “Will do.” Jared looked around at the women who quietly cried, too terrified to make noise.

  Sid walked over to Lana. “I’m going to break the locks. You guys get them out of here. Tell whoever is in charge out there that we need names, addresses and where they are transported to on every woman here.”

  Lana looked around at the women who appeared so terrified; they weren’t even screaming or crying out. They just stood with silent tears, watching with so much hope it broke her heart. “Done.”

  “We are going to set you free, but please follow directions so we can get you out safely.” Sid looked at each cage. “If someone is injured and cannot walk, let us know and we will make sure you’re taken care of.”

  “What about the floor?” Lana asked. “They can’t make it over that.”

  “I’ll take care of it.” Adam walked over, looking defeated at not finding Angelina.

  Sid nodded, broke the first lock and opened the door. Lana helped them out, pointing them toward Susan, who waited at the doorway. Almost all the women thanked them, crying in relief for their freedom.

  Lana hadn’t paid much attention to what was going on with Sid and the rest of the Warriors, but after the last woman was released and out of the room, she turned her heated glare, toward the bastard who did this. He was standing now with the Warriors surrounding him. She pushed her way past the Warriors to stand in front of Kenny, interrupting their interrogation.

  His words still echoed in her head. “What did you mean when you said a life for a life?” Lana stood waiting, but when he simply stared at her without saying a word, she pushed him. “What did you mean?” she screamed her rage.

  “I’m not telling you shit,” he spat at her. “But there is someone in this room that knows.”

  Lana punched him as hard as she could in the face, and followed it up with a brutal kick to his balls. “You disgust me. You need to die, you bastard.”

  “I’m not telling any of you anything.” His rage echoed in the room as he stared down each and every Warrior. “But if you don’t kill me now, I will come after what you love most, starting with her.” He pointed at Lana.

  Lana spat at him before walking away. “If someone doesn’t kill the bastard, I will.”

  “As much as it pains me, I know this is your right,” Sid spoke directly to Duncan, whose lips quirked up in a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  “Just know one thing, Roark. Pam will always be a whore who will never forget me and—”

  Lana turned at the sound of a sword leaving its sheath. Duncan had reached behind his head and down his jacket, pulling out a large sword with a wicked blade.

  “Your son will be a bast—” Kenny never finished the sentence. Duncan had spun in a full circle, and with expert precision, brought the sword down and across, severing Kenny’s head from his body.

  Sid had grabbed Lana, putting her face to his chest, but she had seen enough. The sound of Kenny’s head hitting the wooden floor was both relief that he would never harm another woman again and a sense of justice for the ones he had.

  “That’s actually an improvement,” Jared glanced down at Kenny’s headless body.

  Duncan bent down, wiping his sword with Kenny’s jacket. Standing straight, he slid the wicked sword back into its sheath underneath his long coat, turned and walked out without looking at anyone.

  Chapter 23

  Jill prayed they were being following. So far she felt things were going smoothly and she was playing her part nice and cool. They had made small talk, but now the car was quiet and she was getting nervous.

  “I appreciate you going out with me.” The man, who called himself Mark, smiled over at her. “I’m new in town and heard Metropolis was the place to be, but honestly, I would rather take you out for a bite to eat and talk.”

  “That sounds fine with me,” Jill smiled, trying to keep herself from looking in the side mirror.

  He clicked his blinker on, pulling down a dirt road. This time she did discreetly look in the mirror and felt a little panic set in when she saw no headlights.

  “What restaurant are we going to?” she asked with a laugh. “I seriously doubt they get much business down a road like this.”

  He also laughed, playing it cool. “My house is down here. I was so nervous about meeting you, I forgot my wallet.” He smiled over at her. “Hope you don’t mind if I grab it real quick.”

  Jill wanted to smack him for thinking she was an idiot. He would have needed money to get into the club as well as his license. “No, not at all.”

  He pulled up to a large, beautiful two-story mansion at the end of the dirt driveway. There were at least ten cars. “My parents must be having a party.”

  This time Jill did look over at him, giving him a look. “You still live with your parents?”

  The guy slammed the car in park before turning to give her a grin that didn’t reach his eyes. “Yes, I do.” He got out and opened her car door. “Why don’t you come in? I’m sure they would love to meet you.”

  Jill hesitated for just a second before taking the hand he reached toward her. Once out of the car, she scanned the area and saw no hint of anyone. Knowing he was watching her closely, she smiled at him. “Do they own all of this property?”

  “Yes.” He took her arm in a tight grip rather than a gentle leading manner. Once inside the house, he clicked the lock, leading her through the entryway and into a large room filled with men. They became silent as they looked her over, not as a guest, but as a piece of meat they were ready to tear their teeth into.

  From what Jill could tell, they were all human, ranging in ages, and dressed in business suits, but that wasn’t the only common thing they shared. They were all there for her. Whoever had the fattest wallet would be taking her home, or more adequately, to her Hell. Reminding herself to play it cool, she stood her ground.

  A tall man in a suit separated himself from the group. Walking up to her, she had to mask the recognition behind a fake smile. “You must be Mark’s father?” She held her hand out, but dropped it when the room erupted in laughter. “I’m sorry. I guess I was mistaken.”

  “They get dumber and dumber,” Mark snickered, shaking his head. “If you just pay me, I’ll be on my way.”

  Okay, she knew it was the time for her acting to come in to play and she hoped she pulled it off, because it looked like she would be saving her own ass. She glanced from the man she had drawn from Lana’s memory to the man who brought her here. “What’s going on?” She didn’t really have to make her voice shake; it pretty much did that on its own.

  “Your friend sold you,” Mark grinned at her. “Welcome to the wonderful world of trafficking.”

  “That’s enough.” The older man handed Mark cash. “Now, get out of here and wait for my call.”

  “Good luck.” Mark smacked her cheek with his cash as he walked out the door.

  Jill couldn’t help the sneer that marred her face as she committed his face to her memory. If she lived through this, she would find the asshole and kick his ass.

  “Oh, I see we have one with fire,” The tall man called out with a huge smile. “That just brought up the price, gentlemen.”

  There were moans, but the men still watched her. Their eyes were all over her body, making her feel dirty. “I’m not for sale.” Jill pulled her arm away when he grabbed it.

  “Is there a problem, General?” one man asked, walking forward.

  “No problem at all,” he glared down at her in warning. “Just get settled and we will start the auction in a few minutes.”

  He grabbed her arm in a bruising grip, taki
ng her into another room. Shutting the door, he pushed her on a sofa, throwing a robe at her. “We can do this one of two ways. You can either get out there and hopefully be bought by a man who may treat you with some respect, or I can call this off and send you in with the humans who are whored out to the lowest bidder.”

  Jill held the robe close to her.

  “Because of your half-breed status, I can sell you to powerful men who have money. The men out there are the elite with invitation only. The rest of the women are sold to pieces-of-shit who want either a fuck-toy day and night, or a low-life who uses you for money with your blood or pussy. So, you get to pick, because either way, I am making money off you.” His sneer was plastered across his face.

  Now was the time to freak. Because her emotions were all over the place, she felt her fangs grow; she actually wanted to tear this bastard’s throat out. But Jill had a job to do and just nodded. She didn’t have much choice. There was no way she could fight her way out alone; she needed backup. Where in the hell are Adam and the rest of the Warriors? “Where do I change?”

  He rubbed his crotch as an ugly smile split his face. “Right here so I can see the goods before anyone else.”

  A mixture of bile and hot anger filled her throat. “Can I take a piss first or do you want to see me do that, too?” Jill asked, anger like she never felt before consuming her.

  He nodded toward a bathroom, giving her a look of disgust as he grabbed her face in a cruel grip. “You better curb that tongue, girl. Go ahead.” He took his hand off his bulge pushing her away. “Be totally naked when you come out of that door with only that robe on. There is no escape out of this room, but if you did manage, I have guards stationed around the house. So don’t even try to test my patience more than you already have.”

  Jill stood, grabbed the robe and walked to the bathroom with as much dignity as she could. Slamming the door closed, she locked it even knowing the man could bust in any time he wanted. Pulling off her shirt, she ripped the wire off, thanking God he let her go to the bathroom. If he had found this, she would have been dead. Looking around, she didn’t know where to put it. Lifting the lid off the toilet, she wrapped it up, and shoved it down in the water and quietly replaced the lid. Once she was undressed, she pulled on the robe and looked at herself in the mirror.

  “And who wanted to be a Warrior, idiot?” she told her reflection as she headed out into her first test of how she was going to handle this situation. She hoped she handled it with dignity and a kickass ending.

  ******

  “Do you see her?” Damon asked, glancing in the window. “All I see are men.”

  They had already taken care of the guards stationed outside and the piece of shit who had bought her off Adam. He lay knocked out, tied up and gagged in the bushes.

  “No, not yet,” Slade cursed. “Did you get ahold of Sid?”

  “They’re on their way.” Damon checked his guns. “This doesn’t look good, brother.”

  “You’re telling me,” Slade replied. He froze as he spotted Jill. She wore a pale pink robe and she looked scared to death. Every protective instinct he possessed surged to the surface, making his frozen limbs shake with rage.

  “Slade, cool it down,” Damon warned. “Backup will be here in a minute. She’s fine. She’s a Warrior playing a part. We got her back.”

  Nodding, Slade tried his best to stay calm. “They better hurry the fuck up.” His eyes never left her.

  A man came into the room, which sent both Damon and Slade on to high alert. “It’s him; the one Jill drew from Lana’s vision,” Damon observed.

  Slade watched the man grab Jill’s hand, leading her up on a large box. He took a step back.

  “We are going to start the bidding at ten thousand, gentlemen,” the man said loudly, making Slade grind his teeth. “Take off your robe.”

  Slade’s eyes burned. “I can’t let her do this.” He started to get up, but Damon stopped him. “She’s not being hurt, Slade. Give it a few more minutes.”

  Knocking Damon’s hand off his shoulder, he glared at him. “If that were Nicole up there, would you sit back and wait?”

  “If she were a Warrior, yes,” Damon replied. “If we go in there right now, we are going to kill half the men in there. Right now, we need information. Let her do her job. Plus, you forgot one thing. Nicole is my wife. Jill is just a fellow Warrior to you.” He raised his brow, looking as though he half-expected Slade to challenge him.

  Slade cursed, pulling away. Looking back through the window, he watched as Jill dropped the robe. He was just as guilty as the men inside as his eyes looked upon her body. She was fucking perfect. Both her hands flew up in the air as she flipped the men off. The room erupted in shouts of laughter, hoots of sexual tension and high bidding. “Yeah, she is fucking perfect,” Slade mumbled to himself as he watched her defiant stance, while she stood naked in front of twenty men.

  ******

  Sid and Lana rode with Duncan, while Adam, Susan and Jared followed. “What did Kenny mean when he said someone in that room knew what he meant about a life for a life?” Lana had been quiet as they left the nightclub.

  Sid, who was driving, glanced over at her. Shit, he really didn’t want to go into this. “Can we talk about this after?”

  “What do you know, Sid?” Lana wasn’t going to back down.

  “I took Slade up to the hospital to see Caroline, with your dad’s permission.” He sighed. He didn’t want them focusing on this when they were ready to walk into something that could go bad. He wanted her focused on the job.

  “When?” Lana frowned. “And why didn’t you say anything to me?”

  “Today, and I didn’t want to get your hopes up.” Sid wondered if not telling her was a good idea; at that moment, it didn’t seem too bright.

  “What happened?” Lana sat up, unbuckling her seatbelt. “And don’t you lie to me.”

  “Slade was able to read her.” Sid pulled onto the dirt road, turning off the headlights. He drove a few more feet before pulling off into the field. “She was warning you. We believe the man Jill drew is the one holding your sister. He wants you in exchange for her release.”

  Lana sat staring at him in shock. “Why didn’t you tell me this?” Lana whispered, looking at him like she had never seen him before. “You knew how important that information is to me.”

  “We’ll talk about this after.” Sid got out of the car. “We have a job to do first.”

  “Fuck you!” Lana hissed. “I have all I need to know.”

  He grabbed her arm before she could walk away from the rest of them. “I said we’ll talk about this later.”

  Lana snapped her arm away, shaking her head. “I have nothing to say to you.”

  “We’ll see about that.” Sid watched her take off at a run with Susan and the rest of them. “Fuck!”

  Lana rushed with the rest of them knowing the quicker she could get this over, the quicker she could find the man who held her sister.

  Jared grabbed her arm, slowing her down. “Wait.”

  Damon came out of the darkness, giving them the information. As soon as the plan was agreed, they separated. Lana and Susan were to stand behind Jared and Duncan who were going in through the front door. Slade and Damon, along with the rest, would be entering through the windows.

  Lana prayed she lived through this; her sister was the only thing on her mind.

  “Ready?” Jared asked, glancing behind him.

  “Ready,” she nodded with the rest of them.

  As soon as Jared kicked the door, she heard glass breaking, shouts and screams. Even though she wanted to kill Sid herself, she hoped he stayed safe. Men started running out of the room, but were quickly stopped.

  “Get on your knees with your hands behind your head!” Jared yelled. “Now!”

  The men dropped to their knees as ordered; a few crying in fear. Lana moved around to see the same scene in the room. The Warriors had everything in order. The men, who were bidding in the au
ction, were not fighting men. Her eyes moved to see Slade covering Jill up with his jacket. Sid, along with the other Warriors, was patting the men down for weapons. Something caught her eye and she looked down the hall. A tall familiar man stopped; he turned, his eyes landing on her. Shock registered on his face before he turned back around, running out the back.

  Lana didn’t hesitate; she took off after him. Busting out the back door, she practically fell down the steps.

  “General! Wait!” Lana called out, running toward the field. She stopped, turning in a circle. “I know you’re out here, you son of a bitch. You want me? Here I am.” She clicked the safety on her gun, throwing it behind her. Knowing the chance she was taking, Lana didn’t care; this may be the only way to help Caroline. Her desperation far outweighed her fear and unease.

  “Well, aren’t you a brave one?” The man stepped out of the shadows. His slimy smile didn’t reach his eyes. “And persistent.”

  “Release my sister,” Lana demanded; her voice shook. Her thoughts went to Sid for a second, but she knew he would be fine. He would miss her for a minute, but would soon find someone to replace her. A cold knot formed in her throat at the thought, but she continued to fight for her sister’s life. “You wanted me. A life for a life. Let her go.”

  “Do you know what two of you would bring me?” he sighed, grinning down at her. “Twins at that.”

  “You bastard.” Lana took a step toward him. “You said you’d release her.”

  “Oh, I did. I did and I will,” he smirked. “But I never said that I would let her go. Of course, I would release her. No one wants a woman in her state.”

  “You can’t do this,” Lana growled, but knew she would do anything to get her sister released out of the hell she was in. She would figure the rest out later.

  “I can, Lana, and I will.” His eyes went from gold to red in a second flat.

  ******

  Sid walked up to Jill who was now dressed. “You did good, kid.” He gave her a hug. “Real good.”

  “Thanks.” Jill gave him a half smile. “Wish you guys would have gotten here a little sooner.”