by Lara Swann
“Sorry, stupid question.”
I grunted in slight amusement, and let the small smile onto my face. Maybe a stupid question, but with it I had sudden hope flaring in my chest.
I had no idea whether to wait him out or prompt him, but a moment later he ran a hand over his close-cropped hair and met my eyes. He was one of the younger guys in Jorge’s crew, about my age, and what I remembered most about him was his ever-present ‘tough guy’ attitude. There was no evidence of that now.
“I shouldn’t be here. But…fuck it, this isn’t right. I couldn’t just listen to the stuff they were going to do to you and…you’ve never done anything but help. When Jarod and I got in that pissing contest, you fixed me right up. And then him. And then the same when we did it all over again. No questions or…or lectures…you just wanted to help. Everybody. Dumb as fuck, it was. But dumb or not, you don’t deserve…this.”
It came out in spurts, but I was stunned to hear it. I barely remembered the stuff he was talking about. I knew it had happened, sure, but there had been so many of them…an endless amount of violence and hurt and anger and pain. Enough to make me wonder at times whether anything I did made a difference. With one bumbling explanation, Frankie had just let me know it did. I could have danced with the pure satisfaction and joy that brought me, if I hadn’t been so preoccupied.
I would have stepped forward and hugged him if I’d been at all able. Instead, I just grinned.
“Thank you, Frankie. Really, I mean it.”
He shrugged awkwardly.
“Do you…what’s the plan?”
Please let him have thought this through a little.
He glanced around, as if afraid someone might overhear him here, and looked towards the door again.
“It’s not just me, you know. A lot of us remembered you. Didn’t think it was right. And…more than that. We didn’t fall in with Jorge for this shit, you know? I liked it when we were on the 55th - we ruled that street, right? Ain’t no one denied us nothing there. But this…this is bad shit. I look at those girls and I see…well, every girl I ever kinda liked, right? And they don’t deserve that no more than you. I never signed on to destroy anyone. And…there’s a whole lot of us that felt the same way, when we found out.”
I held my breath as I listened - this was even better than I could have hoped. It was going to be alright. Thank god, it would work out. I waited expectantly, not wanting to interrupt him but anxious that someone else might burst in, in the way that only someone with a fragile hope to guard could be.
“So - so I think we can get you out. This room’s a good’un - just down the corridor from a nice back way out. The guys in the hall know what we’re doing. I can get you out of here. The rest—fuck, I’m sorry, but I ain’t dying for them.”
Making an instant decision, I nodded once, hoping I wasn’t risking too much.
“They’ll be alright. I know someone…this deal tonight isn’t going to happen.”
He brightened at that, surprise crossing his face.
“Really?”
“Yes - I can’t say much, but it’s okay.”
Hell, I didn’t even know more.
“Okay, then lets—”
“Wait. One thing - my sister Leah. She was taken too. I’m not leaving here without her.”
He tensed, but I wasn’t going to let this go. I had to get Leah out while I had a chance. Who the hell knew what would happen later. I trusted Jason, but there was too much at risk and…I couldn’t leave without her.
“She’s my height, dark brown hair, blue eyes. Younger than me, slim build. Have you seen anyone like that? Please, Frankie. She’s my little sister.”
He chewed the side of his mouth for a moment before answering, obviously uneasy.
“No, sorry. Don’t remember anyone like that - but I wasn’t really involved.”
My heart sunk.
“I have to find her.”
It was obvious he didn’t like it, but after a couple of moments he relented.
“We can ask Tom. He’s outside, and he said he’d help me earlier. But Lottie—”
I didn’t want to hear it. I couldn’t face abandoning her. Some part of me tried to reason that Jason would come, that I’d agreed not to do anything reckless. But I was already in the middle of the damn abyss - if I left here alone, I’d never be able to look myself in the eye again.
“Can you help me with these?”
I tugged at the bonds, the discomfort starting to get the better of me as he hesitated again.
C’mon, let’s go.
“We thought maybe…it would be better for you to look restrained. In case anyone saw us.”
Ahh damn it.
He had a point. Which didn’t make it any better. Thinking fast, I nodded.
“Okay, but I can barely walk like this - we’ll get nowhere fast. Can you re-do my wrists to be around the front, and make both wrists and ankles loose? So they look like I’m bound, but if something happens, I can run?”
I needed to be able to run. I couldn’t cope with the helpless creeping feeling that was trying to envelope me. After a moment, he gave a slight smile and nodded.
“’Course. That makes sense.”
He had them shifted in a few moments, giving me a brief chance to stretch first, and I winced from the sharp pain of cramped muscles. They were much more comfortable when he was done and I tested my movement as we started towards the door.
“Hey…”
I caught Frankie’s attention quickly before we left, shooting him a grateful look.
“Thank you, Frankie.”
He nodded again and opened the door, glancing out before leading me through, giving me the impression he didn’t want to talk about it. I had to tell him though. The fatalistic part of me added just in case - but I was feeling more optimistic than I had since Jason had left. However bad it was, I was here and had a chance to get Leah back.
Tom was waiting down the end of the corridor, and his relief at seeing us was almost palpable.
“God, Frankie - you took forever. I was seriously worried someone was gonna come by—”
Reminded again of the time, I interrupted.
“Tom. Thank you for this - I can’t say how grateful I am. But I have to find my sister. Leah. Same build and height as me, dark brown hair, blue eyes - younger. Please tell me you’ve seen someone like that.”
Tom’s eyes flicked to Frankie, then hesitantly back to me.
“Lottie, we can’t—”
“I have to. Do you know where she is?”
Cursing, he shifted slightly, obviously thinking.
“Younger? Maybe. Is she…ah, do you know - is she a virgin?”
My stomach flipped at the question - and what it might mean.
“Umm…yes, I think so.”
His eyes darted away from mine.
“Then, yes, I might do. They were keeping a girl like that separate - same as you - but in one of the rooms further on. Down that way.”
He nodded the way we’d just come and I took a deep breath.
Thank god.
By herself, and we knew the direction. Frankie spoke as relief swept through me.
“Lottie, I don’t think—Larry’s down there, and I don’t know that we can trust him. He…agreed with us, before, but he wouldn’t help. He’s terrified of Jorge.”
I rounded on him.
“We have to, Frankie. Or I have to. You guys have got me this far, I won’t ask you to—”
“Oh fuck it, Lottie. Fine. At least she’s alone. Okay, let’s go quickly. Maybe I can convince him.”
After all his resistance, seeing the floodgates open to quick action was a relief. I didn’t want to go alone, but I hadn’t been prepared to stand around arguing about it either.
Tom nodded at us, speaking up as we turned to go.
“I’ll stay here - see whether I can keep the route out open.”
I nodded gratefully at Tom as we hurried down the corridor. I tried to lis
ten out, but beyond the sound of my own heartbeat I had no idea whether anyone might be approaching. I trusted Frankie’s confidence though, and we turned down another corridor relatively quickly.
The man there glanced up as he noticed our movement, then his eyes widened and anger crossed his face. He stepped forward and glared at Frankie as he hissed in a semi-quiet whisper.
“Fuck you, Frankie. I told you not to involve me in this madness. Now look what the hell you’ve—”
“Cut it out, Larry. She’s looking for her sister, Leah. The-the virgin. Tom said she’s up ahead—”
“I’m not fucking helping you. I shouldn’t even be seeing this.”
“C’mon Larry. You really want to see that girl destroyed like this? I know you hate it—”
“Do you have any idea what Jorge would do to me? To you?! You’re a fucking idiot—”
“I’m not coming back, Larry. After I get Lottie out of here, I’m not coming back. To hell with this whole thing.”
“I’m not—”
“We’re not asking you to. Just take a walk, Larry. Just go and be somewhere else for ten minutes. You’ll come back, nothing will be different, and when this gets out it’s all going to fall on me anyway. You can take a walk.”
That tough-guy attitude was back in full force and this time, I appreciated it. They stared each other down for a few tense moments, but then Larry backed off, cursing again and leaving with a last muttered fuck you over his shoulder.
Frankie glanced at me and I gave a small smile before we hurried on. We’d wasted too much time already, I knew that, and Leah was waiting for us.
Oh god, please let Leah be waiting for us.
After a couple more turns, each one making me wonder whether someone else would come charging at us from around a corner, we finally ended up in a corridor that seemed to have collapsed halfway down, creating a dead-end.
“Place was burnt out years ago - that section collapsed.”
Frankie grunted it at my puzzled glance, then nodded to the door in the wall ahead of us. With every small hope rushing through me, I bit my lip and slid back the bolt, easing the door open.
I heard the slight cry inside and then I was in - and all the relentless fear and worry that had been circling in my mind over the last day coalesced to a single point within me, red hot emotion struggling to escape in the explosion of relief at simply seeing her again.
We stared at each other for a moment - surprise, confusion and deep-seated relief appearing on her face - before I rushed forward.
“Leah!”
My hands scrabbled almost ineffectually at her gag and binds in my frantic energy, hot moisture appearing in my eyes and blurring my vision, making me grateful beyond measure when Frankie stepped up gently to help.
When they were finally off, we sank into one another’s arms and I squeezed her tighter than I could ever remember.
“Oh god, oh Leah, ohh I’m so so sorry. I’m sorry. Oh baby…”
I was babbling, but everything I’d ever said to her seemed like a big, unforgivable lie, and I couldn’t deal with it. We didn’t have time, but I couldn’t deal with the enormity of it.
“I’m sorry, w-we need to leave, b-but I’m sorry. Oh Leah…”
Her voice, when it finally came, was hoarse but insistent - and she took a step back to look at me, still holding my hands tight.
“I’m…okay - fine, Lottie. It’s okay.”
I searched her eyes for a long moment, but to my surprise I couldn’t find anything but determination and reassurance. It almost broke my heart to see it, after everything I’d been imagining, but I nodded and hugged her tight one last time. We could talk later.
“Okay. Let’s go.”
I ripped off my own light restraints and glanced back at Frankie.
“These are useless now - anyone who sees the two of us is going to be suspicious.”
Plus, I couldn’t deny how good it felt to be rid of them - and he didn’t argue. I looked back at Leah, who was still trying to shake out her limbs.
“Can you walk? Run?”
She nodded and started moving forward almost as if to prove it.
“Walk, yes. Run…if I have to.”
Her expression was grim, but I didn’t stop to think about it as we left the room.
It was okay. She was back. It’s going to be okay. You’re going to get out.
We got halfway down the corridor before the sound of running feet alerted us, and then three men came barreling around the corner. Larry was back…with Alfonso.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jason
I wanted to scream in frustration.
After finally working my way through that half-broken door, the damn room was empty.
They’d moved her. The bastards had moved her. And now I had no clue where she was or what was happening to her.
It was fucking hard to stop myself from running out into the hallway and charging through the corridors. Remembering that I was one man, alone, in an unknown place was damn difficult when Lottie was missing…
When the rage had died to a cool simmer, I tried the other door - and found, to my surprise, that it opened. I glanced around cautiously, and when I saw a guy down the corridor - turned away from me for now - I sprinted quickly.
He caught sight of me out of the corner of his eye and turned in alarm, but I was on him before he could react, shoving him up against the wall with a hand around his throat. His eyes bulged as he tried to swallow hard - sound cut off, but only lightly choking him. For now. I wasn’t in the mood to be forgiving.
“Where’s Lottie?!”
My voice was rough and dangerous, and he shuddered under me, at the same time as surprise flashed again. When I gave him slight breathing room, he choked and sputtered.
“Who the hell are you?!”
I slammed him against the wall again.
“Fucking stupid answer.”
He groaned, but there was an odd speculative look in his eyes underneath the pain.
“No…we’re…helping her.”
What?
That wasn’t what I’d expected to hear either. Releasing him enough to talk but keeping my hands firmly around his throat, I growled at him.
“Talk.”
Swallowing, he nodded quickly, trying to gasp for breath. I almost regretted being so rough.
“Lottie, w-we came to help her. She’s with…Frankie now—looking for her s-sister.”
I stared at him.
What?
It didn’t matter. I didn’t need to understand. I just needed to get to her.
I let up some more, actually feeling a little bad if he really had been helping her.
“Where?”
He pointed down the corridor and that was all it took to have me sprinting down there in pursuit, making a split second decision to believe him and let him go.
I was fully aware that there might be others ready to block me - and for all I knew, I could be setting off all kinds of alarms either through letting him go, or my mad rush. But if everything was going well on Valentini’s end, he should be distracting them a hell of a lot more than me right about now - and besides, I didn’t have time to waste. I had to get to Lottie - and hopefully her sister - before chaos broke out, or they got into even more trouble.
I passed a few branches of the corridor on either side, and with each one my heart stuttered a little more, uncertainty creeping in. But he hadn’t said to turn, so I didn’t - I kept going, focus narrowing further with every step I took.
God damnit Lottie!
I couldn’t fault her for going after her sister, but I wished she’d fucking waited for me.
The sounds of a scuffle and some shouts up ahead redirected all my attention and with my heart in my throat, I powered around the corner.
Eyes darting between them all, it took me split seconds to absorb the standoff between the three men, Lottie and the girl slightly behind who must be her sister. They were edging backwards, bu
t the corridor was blocked and it was obvious they had nowhere to go.
Lottie met my gaze for one brief second before a man turned to look - but that second was all I needed. With all the fury of an avenging angel, I plunged forward, at last spitting my rage at the men who’d dared to take my girl. My brave, beautiful girl. Strained and scared and exhausted, but still so breathtaking I almost lost my focus.
Almost.
I didn’t realize I was yelling until I saw their eyes widen, my elbow connecting with the squat, Hispanic guy in the center and sending his head snapping to one side as I ducked and dove and fought with the tough military precision anyone on Valentini’s side could have vouched for.
They got in a blow or two that I didn’t even notice, pure fury enough to carry me through it all - and then they were down with almost disappointing ease.
Spitting with the raw, violent need, I rounded on the one man still standing - who threw up his hands at the look on my face, backing away.
That made no difference to me - until Lottie stepped in my way.
Her shining face - bright with tears and relief and fear and beauty and pure disbelief - made me hesitate just a moment, until she put her hands on my rough, red fists and lowered them slowly.
“It’s okay, Jason. He’s with us. It’s okay. We’re okay.”
I realized she’d been speaking for a while as I came out of that blood-red haze, a constant reassuring murmur that started to ground me again.
As I blinked slowly, I staggered, noticing at last how much the fear and adrenaline of the last 24 hours had taken its toll on me. I pulled her to me, clutching her far too tightly as I held on and tried to convince myself that she was alright. She was alright.
Even here, surrounded by unconscious bodies and the tense, violent air, she melted into me. And that, if nothing else, brought me back completely.
Lottie was here. She was alright. And she was mine. Mine to hold. Mine to protect.
I had to fight the strength of the possessive thoughts that threatened to unbalance me, inhaling her sweet feminine scent before finally stepping back.
“Fuck I’m glad you’re okay, baby. We need to leave - now.”
She nodded, turning to the two who had graciously given us that moment. I tried to feel a little guilty for it, but couldn’t.