by Willow, Jo
“So he’s going back to New York?”
“That’s where my money would be.”
Anton swiveled around and his eyes scanned the rest of us before Chase spoke.
“Then we’ve got him. He may land before us, but once they hit the ground, that bastard is ours.”
The rest of the flight was a flurry of plans and I felt useless. The girls stayed huddled and I didn’t want to break up their moment. The guys busied themselves in the world of possibilities that I thought ridiculous. Why plan for something when you had no clue what could transpire? I didn’t say it, but in a strange way, it was good that Melody was with him. We could never catch him before, but we’d damn sure nab him this time. Melody would lead us right to him. At least until he discovered her ankle bracelet.
Finally feeling like I had something to contribute, I cleared my throat. Anton looked up, as did Chase.
“She’s in a wedding dress.”
“Right...”
“She’ll stand out too much. She’ll need to change clothes.”
“Okay...”
I rolled my eyes and wondered how Anton managed to tie his own shoes.
“If he’s present, he’ll notice the tracking device.”
His face fell, but he had to know the truth. The reality of the situation.
Chase patted his shoulder.
“She can’t change until she has other clothes. That won’t happen in the air. He’ll have to take her somewhere to get clothes, then take her somewhere to change. If she changes in a store, she’ll be alone in a dressing room. He can’t go in there. He won’t take her home because he knows that’ll be the first place we look. He’ll take her somewhere he’s more familiar with than she is. If he does see the device, we’ll already have a bead on him by then. Chill.”
Anton raked his hands down his face in a familiar gesture that was becoming a habit. I felt sorry for him. It had been a rocky road road for the two of them and just when they seemed to have figured it all out, crazy stepped in. Again.
Things slowed down after that. The girls stayed together, the guys tapped on laptops and messaged people on the ground, Deacon started making calls, and I sat alone watching it all. I didn’t mind it much, but I thought I’d be less alone in the middle of a group of people that I knew well. I sat back and thought about that awhile.
Chapter Twelve
Time passes more quickly when you’re lost in you thoughts. When the announcement was made that we were landing, a flurry of activity ensued. Laptops were put away and everyone buckled in. Everyone seemed excited except me. This is not unusual. I tend not to get overly excited until the situation calls for it. As far as I was concerned, there was nothing to get excited about until we knew where she was.
We landed and two cars were waiting for us. Anton, Chase, and Austin slipped into the Town Car, while Deacon, Dorothy, Ayla and myself got into the limo. The destination was Melody’s condo. It was centrally located and if she managed to escape, she would probably go back there. Or that’s what the consensus was anyway.
Once we were in the car and heading for the city, I turned on my cell and began checking messages. Wading through the usual business memos and questions, I noticed a “reminder” message. The Dom class that Melody had given me as a gift started tomorrow night. I’d blown it off in favor of Vegas and California, but as it stared at me, I wasn’t sure how to react.
I saved the message and put my arm around Ayla. I have no idea why I kept the message or the information it contained, but later on I was glad that I did.
We piled into the empty condo and the three men in charge went to work. Deacon settled Dorothy on the sofa and went to make coffee and tea. Ayla took me aside.
“Are you alright? You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“I’m fine. Is Dorothy okay? You two seemed intense on the plane. Deacon’s worried.”
Ayla looked around and smiled up at me.
“He has nothing to worry about. Dorothy knows the sex of the baby.”
“What?! I thought they were waiting until the birth. Does Deacon know?”
She rolled her eyes at me as if I had asked the dumbest question she’d ever heard.
“Not yet. She was going to tell him after the wedding and then announce it to everyone else in California. Things happened and she never got the chance. She’s worried he’ll be angry that she knows.”
“Why would he be angry? And why does she know?”
“She couldn’t wait. On the last appointment, she broke down and begged the doctor to tell her.”
“And?”
“Are you sure you want to know? Can you keep it a secret until she has a chance to tell Deacon?”
Now it was my turn for an eye roll.
“Ayla, just tell me. She’ll tell him soon enough or he’ll pester her until she does. What are they having.”
She grinned and placed her small hand on my chest.
“They’re having a son. She’s already started calling him Brian. Isn’t it exciting?”
She squealed out the last sentence and I had to stabilize myself. My brother was going to have a son. I would have a nephew. Another Sloan to carry on the name and take over the company.
I know that sounds sexist. I don’t care. If it had been a girl, she still would’ve been groomed to take over the company, but girls marry and take different names. This ensured that another Sloan would take the helm and make the decisions.
I grinned at Ayla who was grinning back.
“He’s gonna freak.”
“I know.”
“When is she going to tell him?”
“Any time now. She wanted to wait until we were back here. She’s tired of keeping him in the dark.”
I watched my brother in the kitchen, placing carafes, a teapot, and cups on a tray. He carried it into the living room and placed it on the coffee table in front of Dorothy before he took a seat and poured her a cup from the teapot. As he went to hand it to her, she put her hand on his and he put the cup down for a moment, concentrating on his wife.
Ayla and I watched from a distance, the only other people present. The rest of the men were in Melody’s office, hopefully tracking our missing link.
Dorothy leaned in and kissed him, then smiled as he kissed her back and wrapped her in his arms. When she leaned in and whispered in his ear, I knew this was it. We both waited for the reaction and I mentally began counting down in my head... 3...2...1.
Worried Deacon is one thing. Over-the-moon Deacon is rare and a sight to behold. I saw that side of him at his wedding when he carried Dorothy to the porch, but nothing matched this.
“A son?! We’re having a son?!”
His voice carried and Dorothy nodded with a smile and a glint in her eye. Deacon looked over at us, huddled together at the entrance to the hall.
“Hey guys! We’re having a boy!”
We rushed over to them, Ayla hugging Deacon as I hugged Dorothy.
“Congratulations”, I whispered and she kissed my cheek.
“Uncle Pierce, I expect you teach him how to stay calm. Think you can do that?”
I pulled back and cocked an eyebrow at her.
“With HIM as a father? I’ll do my best, but I guarantee nothing.”
She giggled and looked at Deacon who was shining with pride.
“Wait a minute. How do you know it’s a boy? We weren’t supposed to know until he was born.”
Dorothy began wringing her hands and I placed one of mine over hers. She stilled and smiled at me before turning back to her husband.
“I couldn’t wait. I asked at the doctor’s appointment and she told me. Don’t be angry.”
Deacon clasped his hands to her cheeks and kissed her soundly.
“Angry? I’m thrilled you daft woman! A son. Brian Grant Sloan. We’re having a son.”
“I know. I told you, remember?”
Sensing that they needed a private moment, I took Ayla’s hand and started for the office to see if the other h
alf of our team was having any luck. As we walked in the door, Chase stood from the computer and pointed at the screen.
“She’s there. I’m not sure what that building is, but I have an address.”
Anton checked his watch and someone’s phone rang. We all checked our cells and Ayla answered hers.
“Hello?”
Her eyes went huge and we waited for her next words.
“Sean? Where are you?”
I practically had to hold my arm out to keep the other three men from crowding her.
“Sean, we’re back. Talk to Anton.”
She thrust her phone at the anxious man on her left and he closed his eyes.
“Sean are you alright?”
There was a pause while Sean answered.
“We know Sean. We know where he took her. Where are you?”
He snapped his fingers and pointed to a pile of sticky notes on the desk. Chase handed him the stack and a pen. Anton began writing down an address.
“Stay put and stay calm. If there’s a coffee shop nearby, go in and then text Ayla if you’ve moved from where you are now. We’ll be there in twenty minutes.”
He hung up the phone and handed Chase the address before he turned to the rest of us.
“Marconi dropped Sean off on a street corner in Brooklyn. He took his cash and then left him there. Sean’s nervous as hell, but he said that Melody was alright.”
He turned to Chase.
“You were right. His first stop was a GAP store and he made her change clothes there. He doesn’t know about the bracelet. Yet. Let’s go get Sean. We can talk on the way.”
Chase looked down at the address and then looked at the rest of us before he spoke.
“This isn’t far from where he’s got her. I’ve got an idea, but we’ll need two cars.”
Tensions ran high. Anton told us that Sean sounded fine, but he seemed scared to death. I assumed that was to be expected, so I said nothing as I followed them out the door. Ayla and Dorothy stayed behind while the five of us went to retrieve our comrade.
On the way, I received a text from Ayla. Sean had found a coffeehouse and she texted me the address. We were there in no time.
We found him at a table in the back, hunched over a cup of coffee, his eyes darting around until he found us. Then he smiled. I had a feeling it was the first time he’d smiled since that morning.
Then the strangest thing happened. He stood when we approached and he embraced Anton in a tight hug. Anton hugged him back and rubbed his back while we took seats around the table. I caught my brother doing something that earned my respect. He was speaking in soothing tones to Sean who clearly needed it.
“Sean, it’s okay. We’re here and we’re going to get her back. We know where she is.”
He pulled back looking stunned.
“How do you know where she is?”
Anton flashed a grin before answering.
“She’s still wearing the ankle bracelet. We were going to take it off together on our wedding night. We’ve tracked her. She’s not far from here. That’s our next stop.”
The fear was back in Sean’s eyes. They both sat down before he spoke again.
“I wouldn’t go in unarmed if I were you.”
Chase spoke up next.
“Why? Does he have an arsenal in there or something?”
Sean took a sip of his coffee.
“I have no clue. He dropped me off and then left. He had a gun and that’s how he took us from the chapel. He ditched it outside the airport in a trash can, but let us know he’d still kill us if we gave him any trouble. When we got on the flight home, we figured we could escape once we got back on our home turf. That went to shit when I was left on the corner. He won’t be able to keep her without a weapon or the threat of violence, I know that much.”
He looked around at our enraptured faces.
“She’s scared to death. We got plenty of attention on the flight with her in a wedding dress, but he was in a tux so they seemed like a couple. Everyone stared and smiled, but assumptions were made, you could see it on their faces. Melody never said a word.”
Anton braced his arms on the table and leaned in.
“Did she try and fight him?”
Sean was shaking his head.
“Neither one of us did. We were both scared to death. No one’s ever pointed a gun at me and by her reaction, I don’t think one’s ever been pointed at her either. She was more worried about me than anything, the silly woman.”
Chase’s cell phone rang and he began talking into the phone, asking questions. Sean looked at Anton.
“We have to get her back. He didn’t even mention Ayla. His focus was on Melody and what she did to him. He wants revenge.”
The change in Anton was subtle, but Deacon and I saw it. We looked at one another before he placed a hand on Anton’s arm.
“We can’t go storming in there Ant’. He might hurt her out of principle. The guy’s obviously crazy. We’ve got to think this through and plan. He doesn’t have enough money to have bought a building. Once we figure out what the place is, we can act on it.”
Anton spoke through a clenched jaw, his muscles so tight he looked menacing.
“So help me, if he hurts her, I’ll go to prison.”
Chase placed his phone on the table and we looked at him in question.
“This is interesting. The place belongs to a guy they’ve been watching for awhile. It’s a sex club that caters to fetish members.”
I cocked my head and blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
“Fetish members? What kind of fetish?”
“BDSM. It’s a private club, but lately there’s been complaints of abuse that crosses the line. Women have come forth and said that they’ve been held against their will and put on display while demonstrations took place. We’ve got a guy inside watching and waiting for evidence. Then we’re going to shut them down and arrest the owner. We just have to get inside somehow. We can’t use our guy because it’ll blow his cover. Unless Melody is involved in one of these so-called demonstrations. I don’t want to wait for that. Her face is too recognizable. We need to get her out tonight when the club opens. He won’t do anything in front of witnesses and if he tries, our guy is there to arrest him.”
My blood ran cold. I pulled out my phone and opened the message I’d received earlier about the class. It included an address and phone number in case I needed to reach someone.
“Chase, what’s the address of this place?”
As he recited it to me, I read the same address on my phone and then closed my eyes. I knew my life was about to change. I’d kept my secret too long. Ayla and Melody knew, but everyone else thought they were joking because of my demeanor. They had no clue, but they were about to understand in a hurry. I had to be the one. Melody was family and she was my friend. I had to be the one to get her out.
I put my phone away and steepled my fingers under my chin.
“Gentlemen, let me tell you a story...”
I told them everything, start to finish. A waitress had brought us coffee and refilled our cups twice before I finished. I never revealed how I got into the lifestyle, but I explained my background, some of my experiences, and then ended with the gift that Melody had given me for Christmas. Then I opened the message on my phone once again and passed it around the table in case anyone had doubts.
Anton looked confused.
“You’re really into this shit Pierce?”
“Not to the extent most people are, but I like to dominate in the bedroom, yes.”
“Well who the hell doesn’t? But most of us don’t use whips and chains.”
I narrowed my eyes at his assumption.
“Neither do I Anton. I practice light bondage and it’s always consensual. I’ve never struck a woman in my life.”
That seemed to placate him and he sat back while Chase leaned forward.
“I don’t think we should wait until tomorrow Pierce. I don’t want to
give him time to come up with a plan.”
“I understand. You want me to go in tonight.”
Chase was nodding and my focus was on him. I did not want to look at Deacon or Anton.
“I’ll need a Sub to make this seem plausible.”
Chase narrowed his eyes, trying to understand.
“A Sub?”
“Most of these clubs cater to Doms with Subs. There’s a certain way to act and dress, so the Sub has to be just as believable as the Dom. A few men go in solo, but it’s usually frowned upon. Cruising for someone else’s Sub is not done and Subs rarely go in alone due to her nature. She could find herself with someone she’d rather not be with. Doms may trade Subs, but that’s between them and is a private exchange.”
I glanced at my brothers then and their eyes were bugging out of their heads. My knowledge base on the subject had them rattled. Chase’s voice brought me back in focus.
“Could you do it? Could you go in there, blend in and find her?”
That was the million dollar question. Everyone knew I WOULD do it, the question was, could I pull it off? Chase’s description of the environment had me worried. I was not a sadist by any stretch of the imagination. Finding Subs had been a problem for me because I’d always refused to use implements that could cause pain.
I stared at him a moment but everyone knew what my answer would be.
“I’ll do it. I’ll need a way to signal your man inside and I want everyone ready to move when I find her. That guy is massive and although I’m no slouch, he’ll fit in with rest of them faster than I will. We’ll have to get Melody and Ayla out quickly.”
Austin’s head snapped up and he leaned forward, barely restraining himself.
“Ayla? What’s Ayla got to do with this?”
I took a deep breath. If this had any hope of success, Austin had to understand that Ayla was our only option.