“I can see the top of our hotel from here. I think I’ll be fine.” Leaning down, she pressed a quick kiss to Allison’s and then Vanessa’s cheeks. “I’ll see you both poolside in the morning.”
Neither Allison nor Vanessa looked convinced, but she pushed their worried expressions from her mind as she walked toward the hotel. She hated to admit it, but she needed to get away from them. She hadn’t told them the full story about Pete, or Suzi’s reaction to her when she’d tried to explain. Hell, she hadn’t even told them about Graham. Everything had happened so fast, and retelling the whole story to more people made her feel worse, not better.
But Lydia knew. She’d head back to the hotel, put on her pajamas, and call Lydia. She needed to fill her in on what had happened with Graham the last couple of nights anyway. At least she had one bright spot in her life right now.
Trumpets and guitars mixed together, blasting mariachi music from restaurants and bars as she walked past. Streams of people passed by, and Mickey caught herself staring into face after face, searching for the hazel eyes and light brown hair that had become so familiar to her over the past few months.
A flash of blue streaked by her peripheral vision at the same moment the scent of a familiar cologne and sweat seeped into her senses. She spun to the side, her eyes searching the blue hat that had caught her attention. Standing on her tiptoes, she craned her neck and peered over the crowd. A man with a Chicago Cubs baseball hat lurked down the alley veering away from the main street.
Pete!
Every instinct in her body screamed at her to run. To go back to the hotel, call Graham, and stay far away from whatever trouble Pete was looking for. But what if he’d lead her to Becca? She couldn’t risk waiting for Graham and then losing him.
Turning in the direction Pete had gone, she grabbed her phone out of her purse and dialed Graham. She picked up her pace, struggling to weave through the throng of people.
“Hey, Mickey. What’s up?” Graham asked when he answered the phone.
“I think I see Pete. I was heading back to the hotel when I noticed a man with his build wearing a Cubs hat. He’s heading down a side street, traveling away from the ocean.” Her breathing picked up the faster she moved and her heart pounded in her chest.
“Where are you?” Graham’s voice was gruff, his words coming out fast.
She glanced around. The music and laughter of Fifth Avenue faded behind her, replaced by rapidly spoken Spanish inside tiny houses and crickets singing into the warm night air. “I don’t know. I turned down some street a block or two away from my hotel. East of my hotel.”
“Turn back around and get the hell out of there.” His words were tight, as if he spoke with his teeth clenched.
“I can’t. I already lost him. He’ll get away if leave now. He can’t be far.” She spun in a small circle, cringing at the ramshackle houses and run-down businesses located so close to the glitz and excitement of the busy tourist attractions.
Moist, hot breath hit the back of her neck and a shiver ran down her spine. “Put the phone away, Mickey.”
She lowered her phone to her side and slowly turned around. She swallowed hard and concentrated on keeping her breath even. Every muscle in her body tightened and she came face to face with Pete. She couldn’t show fear. She glanced around and her stomach dropped. Not a single person loitered on the sidewalk around them.
Her gaze landed back on Pete. His hat was pulled low over his face, but even in the shadow his eyes were hard, his cheeks hollow. “Where is she? Where’s Becca?” Her voice shook and she tightened her jaw to keep her chin from quivering.
A brittle laugh came out of his mouth and rage built inside of her. “Do you think I’d bring her here? No way. Becca’s special.”
Disgust turned to bile in her gut. Her fingers itched to smack his smug face, but she needed to keep him talking. Graham was still on the other line and she needed him to get to her fast. “If you don’t have her with you, then why are you here? I know you’re moving a human trafficking ring to Chicago. Why come back to Mexico if you already have things set up?”
His eyes widened for a brief second. No doubt he didn’t expect her to know so much about his operation, but all traces of surprise left his face, and his features contorted into a nasty sneer. “I have some unfinished business to take care of before I leave Mexico for good. No reason to expose Becca to this world. She’s safer in Chicago.”
Alarm bells rang in her head. “Are you here for Paula?”
Pete took a step toward her. “What do you know about Paula?”
“I know she looks like Becca, and you’ve made her life a living hell since she was nine years old. Is that what you want to do to Becca, too? Take away everything she loves and ruin her life? She’ll hate you. Just like Paula does.”
Pete’s hand drew back and slashed across her cheek so fast she didn’t have time to react. Her head snapped back and pain sliced across her face. “You don’t know a damn thing. Paula loves me. She always has, but everyone tried to keep us apart. But not anymore. We can be together, and we can keep Becca with us. It will be so much better than it ever was before.”
Mickey rubbed the soreness from her face. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth and she spit it at his feet. “You’re a monster. I’ll find Becca, and warn Paula, too. I’ve already talked to her. She wants nothing to do with you. She hates you just as much as I do.”
Pete grabbed her phone from her hand and threw it on the ground.
Shit. She needed to have a way to reach Graham. Lurching forward, she reached for the phone, but Pete’s foot swung forward and connected with the soft flesh of her stomach. Pain shot through her. She fell to the ground and curled onto her side. Pete grabbed a fistful of hair and pulled her to her feet. She yelped as her scalp screamed in agony. He pushed her backward and forced her into a deserted alley. Her legs backpedaled as quickly as they could, but her ankle twisted in her damn heels and she fell to the ground. Pete pulled her upright and then slammed her into the side of the building. The force of it stole her breath from her lungs. Her mind raced and her heart hammered so hard against her chest she was convinced it would break through the skin.
Keep him talking.
“You’ll never get away with this. The FBI is searching for you right now. They’ll be here any minute. You’re wasting time on me, time where you could be getting away.”
He pressed his face into her personal space. His sweat mixed with the stale smell of beer and she fought hard not to gag. “I’ve been getting away with it for years. No one’s ever been able to stop me.”
A slow smile curved on his lips. “I have missed you, Mickey. I didn’t think I’d get anything out of the time we spent together, but you were so eager to please in the sack. Maybe one little taste of you before I kill you can hold me over before I get back to Becca.”
His beady eyes traveled up and down her body like a dying man eyeing his last meal. Panic rang in her head and she fought to stay calm. His free hand grabbed her chin and lifted her face to the tiny sliver of light that poured out from an upstairs window. She wouldn’t let this piece of shit touch her. She had to wait until the time was right to make her move.
He pressed his body against her and her back pressed against the hard brick of the building behind her. His mouth came down on hers and his tongue pierced through her closed lips. She bit down as hard as she could and her teeth sunk into his tongue. He pulled away, but she refused to let up. His closed fist came up and connected to her temple. Stars burst in her vision and she staggered to the side, releasing his tongue.
“What the fuck?” he screamed. Spit and blood flew from his mouth and splattered on her face. “I should kill you now.”
Pressure built in her chest, making it hard to breathe. Fear heightened her senses and adrenaline coursed through her veins. Darkness misted her vision and she forced herself to focus on the fury etched on the planes of his face. Acting on instinct, her knee shot up and connected to
his groin.
“Bitch!” he yelled and stumbled backward.
She swung her leg forward and connected the pointy toe of her shoe to his balls. His shrill scream bounced around the alley and he fell to the ground. His hands covered his injured area and he rolled to his side in front of her. Now was her chance, she had to get out of here. She jumped over him and ran toward the opening of the alley. Her lungs burned as she struggled to take in air, but she was almost there.
A tight grip circled around her ankle and she crashed to the ground. Her head smacked off the concrete and pain seared through every inch of her body. Her fingertips dug into stone and broken glass and she tried to crawl toward the light at the end of the alley. “Help me!” Her voice shook and her eyes searched the mouth of the alley for someone to help her, but no one passed by.
Strong hands pulled her backward, and concrete and God knew whatever else scraped against her body. Once he pulled her away from the opening, from freedom, he flipped her over on her back. He stood over her, one leg on either side of her stomach, and hurled a wad of spit on the side of her head. “You’re going to pay for that.”
He lowered himself to the ground, trapping her hands with his own. She thrashed around, kicking her legs and bucking her hips, but he only tightened his hold. “Get off me. Stop. Help! Somebody help me!”
“Nobody’s coming, sweetheart. No one can save you now.” He lowered his mouth so it was an inch above hers. “I want one little taste before I teach you not to fuck with me again.”
Mickey lifted her mouth and bared her teeth. She bit into his bottom lip as hard as she could. He pulled away and grabbed his lip. “Sonofabitch.” Blood coated his hand. He reared back and slapped her across the face. The sharp sting bit into her cheek and she clenched her jaw to keep from screaming. “Big mistake, bitch.”
His hand dropped to his side and he pulled a small knife from his pocket. Her eyes widened in fear. He traced the side of the blade along her jawline and down her neck. “Keep your mouth shut and stay still and I might not use this. At least not yet.”
Her body went lax. She wasn’t strong enough to fight him, but she was smart enough. There had to be a way to get out of this. She laid her head back and stared numbly toward the opening of the alley as her mind raced.
A shadow appeared at the front of the alley. She blinked and focused on the upside-down outline of a man as it moved toward them. Her body went numb and her brain shut down. Now there were two of them. Luck obviously wasn’t on her side. She closed her eyes and accepted her fate as the blade sliced through her tank top and the cold kiss of metal pressed against her skin.
Chapter Twenty
A dark figure huddled in the back of the alley. Graham peered into the darkness, but couldn’t make out what the hell it was. Fear churned in his gut. He and Eric had split up, checking the streets on the north side of Fifth Avenue, away from the ocean. He’d heard part of Mickey and Pete’s conversation, and panic had paralyzed him when the line had gone dead.
But something had caught his eye in the deserted alley. Drawing his gun, he inched farther into the alley. A soft whimper reached his ears and every muscle in his body tightened.
Mickey.
He inhaled a deep breath through his nose, and then blew it out slowly. He couldn’t charge in and put her in danger, but he needed to move quickly. He walked on his tiptoes to minimize the sound of stones crunching under his feet. A large dumpster sat against the wall of the alley behind the kneeling figure. He crouched alongside it as he slithered behind Pete, who held Mickey to the ground. A flash of red hair sprawled against the brown dirt. The jagged edges of a knife pressed against her shoulder.
The metallic taste of fear filled his mouth and red invaded his vision. His hand trembled as he lifted his gun and stepped up behind the sonofabitch. He pressed the barrel of the gun to the back of his head. “FBI. Get the fuck off her.”
Mickey’s eyes flew open and his heart lurched. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes. Blood trickled down her shoulder and dripped to the ground. Every fiber in his being yelled at him to scoop her into his arms and get her the hell out of here. But the asshole held the knife to her throat. If he shot him, he’d have no choice but to kill him and he needed Pete alive to find out where the missing girls were.
Pete stiffened, but didn’t turn around. “I don’t think you want me to hurt this lovely lady. Back up, put down the gun, and I’ll let her up. Try anything stupid, and I’ll jam this knife into her jugular.”
He kept his eyes trained on Mickey, trying to convey a sense of calm for her. She lay as still as a statue on the filthy ground. Her cotton skirt hitched high on her thigh, revealing inches of pale, creamy skin. The tiny stream of light from an overhead window highlighted brown fingerprints that marred her thigh. Bile burned his stomach lining.
“There’s no way out of this for you,” he said. “Stand up slowly, and put your hands in the air.”
“I have a better idea. I’ll stand up with her, and we’ll walk to the front of the alley. I’ll give you Mickey, and you let me run. Or I cut her.”
“You know that’s not going to work, Pete. We’ve been looking for you for a while. I can’t just let you go.” Pete’s shoulder blades bunched together and his body tensed as he said his name. “Where are the girls?”
Pete had to be weighing his options, which weren’t good. He needed to get Mickey away from him. Mickey dipped her chin a fraction of an inch and stared into his eyes. His lip hitched up in amazement. She wasn’t going down without a fight. He nodded, acknowledging her, before glancing around for something to use as a distraction. The alley was bare except for rocks and scattered trash. He bent down and picked up a large rock, making sure to keep the gun steady on the back of Pete’s head. He jiggled it around in his hand as he stared up at the exterior walls enclosing him in.
A second-story window loomed on the wall opposite him. He tossed the rock up and down in his hand to test its weight. He glanced back down at Mickey and gave her one more nod. His pulse beat against his ears like a hammer. He had one shot; he couldn’t miss. Keeping his gun trained on the back of the bastard’s head, he cocked his other arm back and soundlessly hurled the rock toward the window. He held his breath.
Crash!
Pete lifted his head toward the window and Mickey brought her knee up hard. Graham lurched forward, grabbed Pete’s skinny neck, and yanked him off Mickey. The knife slashed back, nearly nicking him in the side. He twisted away, spinning his captive to face him. He grabbed him by the neck of his shirt and trained his gun to his face. “I’ll shoot you if you don’t stop, you dumb fuck.”
“I’m not going to jail.” He waved the knife around and laughed like a lunatic.
A white spark of light flashed behind him and Pete’s smile disappeared. Convulsions shook his body until he fell like a rock to the ground. Mickey stood behind the crumbled body, her eyes fixed on the motionless form. Her foot reared back and she kicked him in the stomach before looking up at Graham. “I had my taser in my purse, but I couldn’t get to it before.” Her voice shook as she locked eyes with him.
“Good job. Stand there for a second while I cuff him. We don’t know how long he’ll be out.” He pulled out a pair of cuffs he had tucked in the back of his jeans. Once he slapped them on, he pulled Mickey into his arms and ran his hand over the back of her head.
Tremors shook her body and her tears gathered on his neck. “He said the girls were still in Chicago. He came here to get Paula.”
“I heard your conversation with him. I about lost my mind when the call disconnected.” He pulled away and grabbed his phone from his pocket. “Call one of your friends. I need to get Eric here and take this guy in. Do you need to be looked at? Did he hurt you?” His hands gently roamed over her, checking for hidden injuries. He ran the pad of his thumb over her split lip and she winced.
“I’m fine.” Mickey smoothed down her skirt and lifted the torn strap of her tank top. Bloodstains marred the
white material. “Just the cut by my shoulder. It’s not deep.”
“Take my shirt. Yours isn’t going to stay up.” He handed her his phone and then lifted the hem of his shirt over his head. The night air hit his bare skin and cooled the fire that had raged inside him.
“Thanks.” She took the shirt, pulled it over her head, and winced.
“What is it? Are you okay?” Alarm sent his nerves on edge.
“I’m fine. The shirt hurt my shoulder a little is all.”
A groan sounded at their feet. He glanced down and Pete’s shut eyelids fluttered. He placed the heel of his shoe on his chest to keep him down. “Once I get Eric here and go over everything, I’ll take you to get checked out.”
“I don’t want to go to a hospital. It just needs to be cleaned and covered.” Even with clumps of dirt tangled in her hair and mascara streaking down her cheeks, she oozed a fiery confidence he didn’t want to mess with right now.
“Fine. I’ll look at it later. Call your friend.”
Mickey lifted her finger to unlock his phone, and a glimmer of light from the screen shone down on her hand. She turned her hands toward her face and furrowed her brow.
“What is it?” He grabbed her wrist and lifted her palm to his line of vision. “Holy shit, what happened to your hands?”
She glanced down at her palms. “I got away and ran down the alley, but he tripped me. I fell and tried to crawl away. He dragged me to the back of the alley.”
The heel of his shoe ground harder into Pete’s chest. He coughed and squirmed under the pressure, but his eyes stayed closed. Graham took the phone back and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He leaned in and kissed her temple, lingering a little to soak her in. His blood pumped furiously, and he calmed his quivering heart by breathing her scent. She was okay, but he needed to make sure she was taken care of. “I’m taking you in. You need those wounds cleaned.”
He dialed Eric’s number and pressed the phone to his ear.
Bound by Danger Page 16