by LK Shaw
Because of the corruption in the system, Daniel was considering retiring from the force and actually going to work with Connor at Blacklight. I could tell it surprised both of them when Connor offered Daniel a position if he wanted it. I knew they would always butt heads, but Daniel was tired of the bureaucracy. He would also have a lot more freedom and more resources at his disposal to truly help people, which was the whole reason he’d wanted to become a police officer in the first place. We had talked about it, but he hadn’t made a final decision, although I knew he was headed that way. Regardless of what decision he made, I would fully support him. We both could tell though that his heart was no longer in it.
I’d also finally received the pay out from Emmett’s life insurance policy. It took me the longest time to figure out what I was going to do with both the money and La Scala. I knew it had been Emmett’s dream to turn the restaurant into something big. But, as I came to discover, it hadn’t been my dream. I found a buyer and ended up selling it for a small loss. It hurt for a while that I’d had to give it up, but I knew it was for the best. I used a portion of the money after deciding I wanted to go back to college for something I wanted to do.
I’d told Daniel I’d always wanted to be a social worker who helped kids like me. Kids whose parents weren’t there for them the way mine hadn’t been there for me. So, I enrolled in the local community college and started working toward my degree in social work.
The rest of the money I invested for our future. Or rather, the future of our children. Something I had never considered until a couple weeks ago when I peed on that little stick and two blue lines showed up. I hadn’t told Daniel yet, but I knew I needed to soon. Neither of us had discussed marriage or kids, and I was nervous as all get out. I wanted nothing more than to have children with Daniel, but I didn’t know how to approach it with him.
“How’s my sexy little mama doing today?” I snuggled back into a warm chest as strong arms wrapped around me, pulling me tightly against the hard body behind me. I turned my head to meet Daniel’s kiss. Then it hit me what he’d said, and I quickly turned to face him.
“How did you know?” I couldn’t hide my shock.
“Know what?”
“That I was pregnant.”
He laughed a little as his hands roamed over my body. “Sweetheart, I know your body better than I know my own. Your boobs are slightly bigger, and you’ve been eating a lot more than you usually do.” At that, I lightly smacked him on the arm. I couldn’t help it I had a healthy appetite.
“Besides,” he continued, “we’ve been having unprotected sex since the beginning, and don’t think I haven’t failed to notice that the entire time you’ve been living here, not once have you had your period. Plus, I found the pregnancy test you tried so hard to hide. I am a detective, you know.”
Sudden shyness overcame me, and I couldn’t look at him. Strong fingers hooked under my chin and lifted my head up so I was forced to meet his eyes.
“What’s wrong? Are you not happy about the baby?”
I wanted to smack myself when I heard the nervousness in his voice. It struck me that he was afraid this wasn’t what I wanted.
“Oh, Daniel. I’ve never been happier. You’re going to be an amazing father. I just wasn’t sure how you felt about it. We never really talked about long term, and we definitely didn’t talk about kids. I was worried about telling you.”
Daniel led me over the couch and dragged me onto his lap as he sat down. He caressed my face, pushing my hair out of my eyes. He stared so intently at me that I forced myself not to fidget.
“I don’t ever want you to have to worry about talking to me. About anything. I love you, Katherine. I’m in this for the long haul, whatever that entails. Marriage, kids, Little League. All of it. I want it, and I want it with you. Always.”
I sighed in contentment that I’d finally found my happy place, in Daniel’s arms.
* * *
Thank you for reading PROTECT. I hope you enjoyed it. I’d greatly appreciate a review on the platform of your choice. Reviews are so important!
* * *
Find out what ever happened with Josie’s sister, Phebe, in BETRAYAL.
* * *
Turn the page for a preview.
Betrayal
Death.
* * *
Blessed release.
Neither would be coming for me no matter how much I wished otherwise.
Instead, I was stuck living in this hell I now called life. A sob disguised as a laugh escaped before I could stop it, and the echo of the sound bouncing off the walls mocked me. I thought I was going mad, and to be honest, I welcomed the madness. Perhaps if I were mad, I could forget what was happening to me. Sadly, I knew no such thing would happen.
No matter what they did to me, my mind remained intact.
Luck never came to people like me.
I closed my eyes and pictured sunlight. I thought about the sun and the way the rays of light would catch on a raindrop and produce the brilliant colors of the rainbow. The way it sparkled like diamonds on glistening, white snow. I could almost swear my body heated imperceptibly with the thought of the sun shining down on it. Mentally I absorbed the heat and forced the chills to escape my cold, half-naked form lying on the even colder floor.
A countless number of days had passed, how many I couldn’t tell. I’d lost track, and soon they ran together in nothing but one endless night. One that was nightmare filled.
A shiver racked my body and my mind drifted back to the faux sunshine coming through the non-existent window in my cell wall. And it was a cell. Gray stone walls surrounded me on three sides, and I refused to open my eyes to the steel bars in front of me. I didn’t need to open them to know they were there. I received nearly daily reminders when my captors led me through them to whatever fate awaited me on the other side.
A muffled sound came from far away, but I ignored it. My punishment would come soon enough. The sound grew louder, but I blocked the noise out. Sunshine was my only friend in this bleak existence I now found myself in. I heard a crash outside the entrance to the room my cell was housed in. Instinctively, I flinched when the door slammed open. I didn’t move again. Not that it would have mattered. I would have made myself smaller, and less conspicuous, if I thought it would make a difference. I remained curled on my side, my knees tucked to my chest. This was it. My training was over. I’d finally been broken, and he was here to claim his prize.
“Phebe? Phebe Lawson?”
Well, shit. I guess wishes do come true. My mind had finally snapped.
Knowing I wouldn’t see anything, I forced my eyes to open and raised my head, because I thought my eyes were deceiving me.
Blink. Blink.
A hazy outline of a man, with what appeared to be a gun drawn, stood silhouetted in the doorway. Finally, death had come to take me away. A sweet relief coursed through me, and my head sagged back down to the floor.
“She’s in here! She’s alive.” The booming voice sounded too loud in my ears.
Metal against metal scraped my eardrums as a key was thrust into the lock of my cell door. It clanged against the wall as it was hastily tore open. Tentative footsteps moved closer, and I waited for the gunshot. I hoped he made it quick. However, instead of the pain of a bullet, the bittersweet pain of a soft touch floated across my hair, gently moving it out of my face.
“Phebe.” The deep male voice came from directly above me. Why was he torturing me? Just do it and get it over with. Against my will, a tear spilled from behind my closed eyes. A thumb ghosted across my cheek taking the moisture with it, causing another involuntary flinch.
“Phebe, my name is Daniel Webber. I’m with the Pinegrove Police. I’m here to take you home.”
My eyes scanned the room Detective Webber had dropped me off in before he’d headed back out to find someone named Connor. I was thankful the couch was positioned so my back was to the wall. No one could sneak up on me then. The ticking clock re
minded me that it was well past dark, and I hadn’t eaten for awhile. My empty, growling stomach was also a reminder, but I tended to ignore that. No sense wishing for food when it only appeared when he was feeling generous.
Webber had grabbed his overcoat from the back of his vehicle, and I’d shrugged into it to cover my near nakedness when I’d left my cold, dank cell. He’d taken me to the police station where I’d been questioned and promised he would get me a shower and some clothes as soon as he could.
A mixture of dehydration, lack of food, and pure despondency made it difficult to recollect anything. Once I’d given my statement, tonelessly answered all the police’s invasive questions, and refused to go to the hospital, Webber escorted me outside. He asked if I had any place to go, and when I’d shaken my head, he shot me a look of pity and told me he’d take me some place safe.
Supposedly, this office was my safe place. It was expensively decorated without being flashy. The wet bar was stocked as well as any club I’d been to. The dark leather couch and office chair smelled wonderful, almost new. There was even a hint of some fancy men’s cologne on the air. My eyes closed briefly as I deeply inhaled all the scents. Anything to cleanse the stink of my prison from my nostrils. The smells I was finally free from in that hell hole. A barely discernible noise had my eyes snapping open.
When the door slowly opened, I realized the noise had been a light knock. Webber stepped through first and gave me what I thought was a reassuring look. Walking in behind him was another man. He was massive; built like a brick house with wide, muscular shoulders that tapered to a narrow waist. He had close cut, dark brown hair without a fleck of gray even though he looked close to Kieran’s age. His fierce expression had me trembling. Until he smiled. It softened his features and made him marginally less scary looking.
Webber spoke first. “Ms. Lawson, this is Connor Black. This is his office of his company, Blacklight Securities. I know you’re probably exhausted, and I know I promised you could get cleaned up, but if you could just give him a little bit of your time, we’d greatly appreciate it.”
The only place I could have gone was The Haven, but once Kieran discovered I’d been rescued, that’d be the first place he would look for me. I didn’t want to put the women in danger by hiding out there. It was best if I stayed far away from them, from my former life. Which meant, whether I wished to be or not, I was stuck here.
I couldn’t hide my bitterness. “Considering I have no where else to go, I guess I have nothing but time to give.”
“Ms. Lawson—” Connor, started, as he settled behind his desk. Webber sat in a chair on the opposite side of the room from me. They both seemed to be giving me my space. I was grateful for it. Even if they were here to help me, it made me uneasy being in a room with two men, virtual strangers, although the door had remained open.
“Phebe. My name is Phebe.” I interrupted, needing to hear my real name being spoken. I was no longer malen’kaya igrushka, or little toy. I was Phebe.
“Phebe, then. My employees and I have been diligently working on gathering charges against Mr. Underwood. We have a significant list of crimes, not the least of which is ties to a Russian sex-trafficking operation, as evidenced by where we discovered you. Sadly, you weren’t the only woman being held captive, although you were one of the luckier ones. I know you spoke to the police about what happened to you, but there is only so much the police can do. They have hundreds of cases that cross their desk every day. There is also some internal shit going down that is going to make prosecuting this case low importance. You, however, are our number one priority. Righting the wrongs against you is our main objective.”
His words sounded foreign to me. Luckier ones? Did he think I hadn’t heard the screams of the other women? I was a mere ghost of my former self. How in God’s name was I a lucky one? Why did these people care about what happened to me?
“You’re lucky because you’re not addicted to heroine and other drugs like some of the women that were found. You’re lucky because you’re alive. And we care, because you’re one of us.”
I hadn’t realized I asked the questions out loud, but now I was even more confused.
“What do you mean I’m one of you?”
The detective and Mr. Black exchanged a questioning glance. It was as though an entire conversation took place between them. Finally, Connor spoke up.
“Do you know who your father was, Phebe?”
I shook my head in puzzlement, wondering what he had to do with anything. “I know of him, but he isn’t a part of my life. Wait, what do you mean was?”
“I’m afraid he’s dead.” His words held a hint of satisfaction.
“Dead?” I echoed.
“There really isn’t any easy way to break this to you other than to just spit it out. Mr. Underwood worked for your father. Your father was the main reason we even knew of your existence.” Connor’s gaze was filled with pity as he continued destroying me without even realizing it. “Before he died, he confessed to what had become of you to his daughter.”
He paused, letting his words sink in. When they finally did, tears I didn’t even know I had left fell from my eyes.
Kieran worked for my father?
After all these years, how could I have not known that? I’d always assumed Kieran was his own boss. Was that why he’d asked me out all those years ago? Why he threatened me if I ever left? Suddenly, I questioned everything about my former life.
And now I’d learned something else.
“I have a sister?” I asked, wiping away the tears.
“Well, a half-sister if you want to get technical. She works for me as a computer analyst. Josephine also has a few extra skill sets that allowed her to track you down. She’s the one who sent Webber to your location.”
My muddled brain was having trouble processing everything. Spots danced in my eyes and a buzzing sounded in my ears before everything started to go black.
“Ms. Lawson. Phebe!” My eyes focused and I snapped to attention. Webber squatted at my feet, but didn’t attempt to touch me in any way.
“Sorry,” my voice came out shaky. “I haven’t eaten in a while. Do you mind if I have something to drink?”
The detective’s horrified expression would have normally been comical if I still wasn’t feeling woozy.
“Jesus, I wasn’t even thinking.” He stood and grabbed a bottle of water from the bar fridge. He also handed me some type of protein bar Connor had tossed him from his desk drawer. A commotion sounded out in the hall. Connor excused himself and closed the door behind him, effectively locking Webber and me in together. I struggled to breathe a little at the claustrophobic sensation that suddenly engulfed me.
“Phebe. Hey, it’s okay. You’re safe, remember? No one is going to hurt you here.”
I nodded my head in understanding because I knew he expected it.
It took me longer to bring my brain and body up to speed.
Eventually, they both caught up and my breathing slowed to a normal pace. My stomach growled reminding me of my hunger. I took a small bite of the protein bar and chased it with the water. Loud voices, one a female’s, could be heard out in the hall. I looked questioningly at Webber. He smiled and nodded as though all was well. The noise quieted out in the hall and a few moments later Connor re-entered the room.
“Are you doing okay?” he asked, concern radiating from him.
“I’m fine now.”
He nodded before continuing, gentler this time. “Due to your connection to Josie, you’re one of us. We’ll do everything we can to make sure Underwood is punished. We’re also working with the FBI on locating and prosecuting the man we believe is the head of the trafficking ring. We need your help though. Are you willing to testify against Mr. Underwood regarding his criminal activities as well as anything you might remember about the events leading up to your captivity? And as painful as it may be, we also need you to recall anything you are able to during your time in that cell. Names. Faces. Informat
ion regarding their operation they may have let slip in your presence.”
Hysterical laughter threatened to explode from me. All I wanted to do was forget the last two months and here these people, these strangers, were asking me to remember? To recall the faces of the men, one man in particular, who took delight in breaking me? To relive every hellish moment I spent in that cell, praying for it all to end? Hadn’t I been tortured enough? Apparently not.
They also wanted me as a witness against Kieran’s crimes. After all I’d been through, I didn’t know if I was ready for that, for any of this. I knew I hated him; had for years. Yet, there was still that part of me that was terrified of him. Of what he’d do to me if I ever spoke out against him. I refused to acknowledge my terror of the Russian. My gaze went back and forth between the two men. Did I dare trust them to keep me safe? My faith in people, men especially, wasn’t strong. I’d been let down so many times in my life by people I thought I could trust.
Then, against my will, I thought of him. His voice, with its Russian accent, taunting me about about how he’d purchased me like a piece of meat from Kieran. About how I was his.
I remembered, no matter how much I tried to push it out of my head, being powerless. I never wanted to feel that way again. If putting these men away gave me even an ounce of power back, I’d do it.
No woman… no person, should ever be subjected to what I’d gone through. Renewed hatred for him burned through my veins. It sizzled inside my gut and I knew what needed to be done. I had no illusions that it would be easy. My mind wasn’t screwed on tight right now. I knew that; recognized it. Fear permeated every pore in my body. Fear my time spent being broken had cultivated. But if I was ever going to survive, I had to do it.