by West, Naomi
He laughed. “Am I supposed to feel bad about that? If those little whores want to give themselves away for some cash, what do I care? I just provide the outlet and collect the proceeds.”
“You don’t care that women are being used like that?”
“It’s good money. It’s one of the many things I do.”
She shook her head. “What happened to you? You didn’t used to be this callous. You used to be an okay guy.”
“Then I used to have you fooled. I started hustling back in the fourth grade, sis. You were too stupid to have any clue and far too innocent to get in on it. Shame. You wouldn’t be working all these pitiful jobs if you had. You could be rolling in dough.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen the money those auctions make.”
He pulled his mouth to one side. “I thought that was you. Cinnamon, was it? Sweet as can be. My sweet, sweet little whore of a sister, selling her pussy just to make a buck. I hope it didn’t all go up your nose.”
She gasped in shock. Of all things she’d been in her life, a drug user was not one of them. “It did not. It went to pay for your nephew’s education.”
“Aww, how noble of you. Does he understand that Mommy got fucked for him to go to his special school?”
She clamped her hands over Ian’s ears and hoped he hadn’t heard or understood. “Shut up. That isn’t even what happened. Saxton is much better than that.”
“Oh? Tell me more. What else is Saxton good at?” He crossed his arms and waited.
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Enough with the lies. I don’t want to have to hurt you, but I will.”
“Is that what happened to Liam? He was lying and you had to shoot him in the back of the head to get the truth out?”
“Liam? Nah. He just got a little too close for comfort. He wanted in. But he wasn’t our type. So we had to keep him out. Permanently.”
“So you shot him.”
A thin smile crept across his mouth. “Maybe. Why don’t you tell me what you think happened, and I’ll tell you if it’s correct.”
“That’s all I know.” She wasn’t giving anything else away. Especially not the fact that she knew about his knife.
His knife. Her eyes flared momentarily when she had the thought, but she brought them back quickly. She had taken the knife from Saxton’s and tucked it in her bra. She took a deep breath and felt it press against her. Still tucked just under the strap in the front, resting under her breasts. No one had felt it there. Well, at least she knew they hadn’t put their hands all over her while she was blacked out.
Could she get the knife out and use it? Carter was better trained in weapons and fighting and he had several pounds on her. Plus, she had Ian to worry about. Her only advantage was surprise. But if she reached up into her bra, it wouldn’t be a surprise. She’d need to save it for the right time. Have it ready when someone came back in the room. Something like that. Now was not the time. She’d waste it trying to use it now.
“What does Saxton know about the murder?” Carter asked. “Or, should I say, what does he think he knows?”
“Only that it was you.”
“How does he know that?”
“He’s smart. He knows people. I don’t know. How do you know he’s looking for you?”
Carter rolled his eyes. “Please. I run the underground of this city. I know everything that goes on.”
“Then you should have no trouble knowing where Saxton is. Why would you need little old me to help you if you have such control over every thing?”
Carter ground his jaw. “Not all my people are as good as they should be. And I’ll be pruning my numbers real fast after this.”
“So, you’re going to kill more people. Is that all you do anymore? Kill people and sell women and sit back to collect the money? What else are you into?”
His expression grew amused. “Seems like you enjoyed the auction immensely. Got to meet your little fuck buddy and get paid top dollar for doing nothing more than lying on your back and spreading your legs. Always knew you were a little whore. About time you actually got paid for slutting around.”
She fought the tears that wanted to fill her eyes. “Go to hell,” she growled.
His hand shot out so fast, she didn’t see it coming. It connected to her cheek in a loud smack and the bright, sharp stinging hit her a moment later. The shock of the slap silenced her. Then Ian started crying. The tears she’d fought before now came without restraint, making her vision blurry.
“I’d watch your mouth if I were you, little sis. Don’t make me have to wash it with soap. Or something more interesting.”
Something more interesting? That could mean almost anything. She didn’t want to think about it. Her face burned and the tears shimmered at the edge of her vision. How could he hit her like that? Whatever loyalty she had felt toward him before for being her brother was long gone now. She would protect Saxton and Saxton only when it came to choosing between the two of them.
Carter leaned in close so that his spit dotted her face as he spoke in harsh words. “I only need to keep you alive long enough to get Saxton here so I can kill him. Then I can do whatever I want with you. If you make such a good little whore, maybe I’ll keep you around permanently. Sell you off a few times a day. You’d be a nice addition to my collection. Or maybe I’ll save myself the hassle and just get rid of you and the brat.”
Sara instinctively tightened her arm around Ian. She’d fight for him as long as she could. She’d try to stay alive, do whatever she had to do to keep him safe.
“Just so happens, I have a very handy piece of equipment.” Carter took her phone from his back pocket. Her case with Ian’s photo on the back was splotched with blood. It must’ve fallen from her pocket when she was knocked out and landed in the blood or something.
He pressed the button to light up the screen and reached out to grab her hand. He roughy pressed her thumb against the circle at the bottom, unlocking it.
“Let’s see here,” Carter said. “Oh, here it is. Saxton Mirth. I’m surprised you don’t have some cute little selfie with him, for all the time you’ve spent fucking him.”
She said nothing and just glared. When he made the call, she would have limited time to say anything to Saxton. This had to be good. She might have to scream it over Carter’s words if he didn’t put the phone to her mouth.
Carter tapped the screen and hit the speakerphone icon. In one ring, Saxton answered. “Sara?” His voice was desperate and raw. The emotion of it overwhelmed her. Tears returned to her eyes. Maybe all wasn’t lost when it came to him.
“She’s right here, Saxton,” Carter said.
“Saxton, help us! He’s got us in some warehouse closet—”
Carter shoved his hand over her mouth and pushed so hard that she stumbled back into the wall, crashing her head into hard block.
“You only talk when I tell you to talk. Understand? Don’t make me cut your tongue out,” Carter hissed.
He straightened up and held the phone to his mouth again.
Saxton was shouting back. “Sara! It’s okay, I’ll save you! I will find you!”
“Oh Saxton, stop,” Carter said. “Of course you’ll find her. You’re going to go right where I tell you. And if you do what I say, you will save her. Why do you think I called?”
“Where?” Saxton asked gruffly.
“I’m going to give you an address. Do you have a pen ready?” Carter asked cordially, like he was about to give a message for someone to call him back about his insurance policy.
“Go,” Saxton said.
“1311 Viewmark Road. If you don’t show up there, alone, in an hour, I will kill her.”
“I’ll be there,” Saxton said. Then, “Sara, hang on, baby! I’m coming.”
“Saxton! No!” she said, keeping her distance from Carter. “It’s a trap! He’s going to kill you.”
“Oh whoops,” Carter said. “I think I hung up before he heard your warning. Poor guy. Hope he doesn’t
get himself hurt.”
“Why are you doing this?” Sara asked, fresh tears running down her cheeks.
“You know the answer to that. If your boy toy would have minded his own business, you wouldn’t be here and neither would Ian. Just make sure you keep the blame where it belongs.”
“You’re the one who killed Liam. You’re the one to blame.”
“You don’t know anything about my business or my world. Don’t act like you have a clue.”
She had nothing to say to that. She didn’t know, he was right. She didn’t want to know anything about it, either. All she needed to know was this. Her brother was a killer. He was evil. And now he was using her and her son as bait to get Saxton, who she had strong feelings for, so that he could kill him, too.
“You’re not my brother anymore,” she said.
He smirked and put his hand to his heart. “Aww, I’m so hurt. Whatever will I do?”
She glared as he backed out of the room, laughing. He slammed the door hard behind him, and his laughter faded as he walked away.
Sara turned Ian to her. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, tear lines staining his cheeks. “Why did Uncle Carter hit you?”
“Uncle Carter is a very bad man. He’d not going to be your uncle anymore, okay?”
Ian nodded. “Is Saxton going to be hurt?”
“I hope not, baby. He’s coming, though. Carter wants to hurt him. That’s why he put us here. To get Saxton to come and save us. And of course, because he cares about us so much, Saxton is going to come and save us. Let’s just pray real hard that he’ll be okay.”
Ian nodded again and put his hands together, then squeezed his eyes shut as his lips moved with his silent prayers.
Please don’t let Saxton die, Sara thought. But get us out of here somehow.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Saxton stared at his phone in his hand. He shook with anger and terror. Carter had her and would kill her. His own sister? He was dealing with a mad man, then. Anything might happen.
He had to get to her and fast. He couldn’t be certain if the place he was told to go was where she was being held or not. If Carter was smart, it was a different spot. If he was as cocky as Saxton suspected, it would be where she was. Maybe he’d make Sara watch as he killed Saxton. Or tried to. No way was this asshole going to get away with any of this. The Jagged Souls were about to take a stand.
Saxton called Crasher. “We have a situation. I need as many Jagged Souls as possible at headquarters in ten minutes.”
He hung up, hopped on his bike, and rode. This time, he had to bring his phone. Carter might call again with further instructions, and he couldn’t take the chance of missing it. There was no time to build an alibi. He’d have to risk it and take the chance that he was leaving a trail, and would have no good answer if something went down and the cops asked him where he’d been.
The cops were the least of his concerns at the moment. All he could think about was getting to Sara and getting her to safety. His Jagged Souls would be a huge help. In fact, going into a trap like this, there was no way he’d survive without them. With their help, he might stand a chance of getting Sara and Ian and making it through himself without too much injury. At this point, he didn’t care about himself, though. He only cared about getting them to safety.
The sudden intense terror in him was undeniable. Whatever he was feeling for her, he could no longer downplay it. He felt like his chest was on fire and his heart was going to implode as he thought of what was happening to her now. And if she was hurt, he didn’t know what he would do. There would be serious repercussions, that was for sure. He’d kill every Cruel Crow he came across if there was so much as a hair missing from her head. And maybe he’d even torture them first if he had time. Beat them a little to get his anger out.
He pressed harder on his bike’s gas petal and turned sharply. The headquarters came into view after a minute. His bike’s engine was barely shut off before he was jumping off and running inside. He threw the door open and looked around the room.
He’d called Crasher fifteen minutes ago and said to have as many as possible there in ten. It was the middle of the night. He hadn’t expected more than a handful of them to turn up. But when he looked around the room, twelve of his guys were there. He swallowed hard and addressed the waiting men.
“Thank you,” he said, standing tall at the front of the large room. “You probably came from your beds or even sleep to be here at 4 a.m. to help me. I appreciate your loyalty.”
The men, seated in leather chairs or standing around the pool table nodded.
Saxton continued, “Here’s the situation. The Cruel Crow leader, Carter Taylor, is responsible for Liam’s death.”
At this proclamation, several of the men murmured or made sounds of shock and anger.
“The Crows know that I know, and they don’t like it. They want me dead. So, they kidnapped someone I care very much about and her son to—”
“You got a girlfriend, boss?” his road man, K9, asked.
“Something like that,” Saxton said. “Maybe. Or I want her to be. But she’s being held captive with her six-year-old son in order to get me to come to their rescue so that the Crows can kill me. It’s a trap. And that’s why you’re here.”
Crasher punched his fist into his hand. “We’ll take them out. I’ve been looking for an excuse to go after them. They’ve cause too much trouble in this city and I’m sick of it. Killing Liam is enough excuse to finally take them down, but if they’re after you, too, nothing is going to stop me from smashing a Crow skull or two.”
Saxton nodded. “We have to be smart about it. They have a big crew. But if we move fast, hopefully they won’t be fully assembled or expecting us to have big numbers.”
“Just tell us how you want to roll this, and we’re on it,” Blade said.
“I need a way to get in the place they’re keeping her without them seeing me, so I can break them out and find Carter and kill him,” Saxton said. He left out the part about not knowing for sure that where they were headed was where she was being held. They might be doing this for nothing.
Crasher nodded. “Some kind of diversion?”
“That would work if it’s good enough and big enough. They’ll be expecting something, I’m sure, and they’ll be on the look out. It has to be something that would make them all leave the building and not suspect it’s a trap.”
K9 spoke up. “I have an idea that should do all that. If we smash enough glass and set off enough alarms, it’ll make a racket and should bring them out, as well as a bunch of other people. Chaos in the streets.” He grinned and crossed his arms.
Saxton considered this for a moment. That might be enough to make the warehouse men come out to see what was going on. It probably wouldn’t draw Carter out, but maybe he would at least leave wherever Sara and Ian were long enough—assuming they were there—that Saxton could get in and get them out. Unless he had a guy who would just tell him what was happening. And someone like Carter might. This could go either way.
Unless they did something like set the building on fire, Carter wouldn’t be forced to budge. And doing something like that was only an option if all they wanted to do was kill Carter and if they were sure Sara and Ian weren’t there. But a fire was far too dangerous if he had to get in and get Sara and Ian out. Who knew what sort of warehouse death trap they were being held in. A fire and smoke could kill them before he even got to them.
This was probably the best option. It was at least a start. If it didn’t work, they could always come back and try something else. Except then Carter would know and he’d make different plans. Maybe he’d hurt Sara. They needed to have some sort of back up plan in place.
“That’s a good start,” Saxton said. “I like it, but what if it’s not enough?”
The guys exchanged thoughtful looks.
“We can’t do something like light a fire until Sara and Ian are safe,” Saxton said. “But that’s a sure
option to get Carter out once we know there are only Cruel Crows in the building.”
“I like the fire idea,” Blade said.
“I need you all to be on alert for Carter,” Saxton said. “If he runs, grab him. Hold him for me so I can kill him myself. Killing Liam was bad enough, but going after Sara and Ian made him dead three times over.”
“We’ll get him.” Crasher put his hand on Saxton’s shoulder. “We’ll make sure they’re safe, and we’ll get him.”
“Let’s roll out then,” Saxton said. “No time to waste. They may already be gathering bigger numbers.”
K9 held up his phone. “Just heard from Skull and Thorn. They’ll meet us on route.”