by Raven Gale
Sweat beads over Bot’s body as he tenses at the idea of going in, of being responsible for another person. “Okay.”
His voice doesn’t sound convincing at all.
“I need you to get the girls, Bot.” Erik glances his way once again.
“Okay. I can do that.”
“If anything goes wrong, ANYTHING, take them to this address.” He holds out a small piece of paper. “Memorize it.”
Bot reads the address, committing it to memory. “Do you think anything is going to go wrong?”
Erik seems more tense than usual, but then again, Bot usually only deals with him through his monitor and headset.
“I just don’t like how they keep slipping away.”
Bot reads between the lines. Erik thinks he has a mole, or a leak. Bot nods, considering all their previous operations.
“When I get back, I’ll go through all the footage.” He doesn’t say anything else as they stop behind a large lorry.
In seconds, both men have climbed out of the car and into the back of waiting truck. They have a bag waiting for Bot, and he begins to get ready. He’s done in just a few minutes, muscle memory taking over as his mind tries to solve the puzzle Erik has placed before him. His eyes drift over each team member, looking for any sign of treachery. He sees nothing. Could he have been hacked?
The feed or the connection? His head shakes in denial. No way. It must be something else. Someone else.
“Comm check.” He gives Erik a thumbs up, and so do the rest of the team.
“Okay, let’s go. Bot, you’re with me.” The others rush out into the darkness and disappear. Erik and Bot walk in the front door, both dressed in black suits. A bidder and his guard. Bot breaks away as soon as the lights dim. A man drags a young girl out under a spotlight.
She is terrified, but they can’t stop the auction. The plan is to let it go until finished. Previously, the women and girls or boys are kept in a room until then. Bot’s job is to find them as the last one is in the spotlight and get them out. Erik will grab the last one from the main room as the rest of the team captures or kills the men running it.
Many hours and countless bids later, Bot makes his way around the edge of the room, sticking to the shadows, getting ready to follow the handler back to the room. He slides along the wall until he reaches a doorway that he steps into as he watches the man jerk the child along before stopping almost at the end of the corridor.
He stays hidden as the man makes a return trip, this time dragging a young boy. It takes all his willpower not to kill him right as he passes by his hiding spot. Once he’s alone in the silent hall, he taps the earpiece.
“I’ve found the room. Let me know when they announce the final item.”
“Copy,” Erik replies.
The minutes drag by, each one seeming like an hour, but he stays put, watching as, one by one, the captives are taken out and sold to the highest bidder.
“Last one,” Erik says over the comms. “Everyone in place. On my go.”
Bot watches as the man takes a crying woman back to the room and comes back out, pulling a girl that couldn’t be any older than twelve. She has beautiful, long white-blonde hair and a scattering of freckles over her cheeks, which are flushed pink. Bot is impressed with her as she holds her head high and stares forward in defiance. No tears from this little hellcat. He’s glad that they will get her to safety before she loses that.
“Go.”
Bot races down the hall and kicks the door open, holding his hands out. “I’m here to get you away from the others. I need you to come with me.”
They all cower except one woman. She stands in front of the rest, ready to defend them if it’s needed. Footsteps pound down the hall. “We need to go! Now!”
She nods, turning to speak quickly to the others, and they all run at him. He holds a hand up to stop them as he turns drawing his gun. The man he’d wanted to kill all night slides to a stop in front of the open door. Bot raises the gun, firing in one smooth motion. The bastard falls dead, and Bot kicks him out of the way, ignoring the crying happening behind him.
“Let’s go.” He starts slowly down the hall.
“More are coming in. Bot, take them like we planned.” Erik sounds calm, but Bot can hear the anger underneath.
He was right. He has a leak.
“Follow me.” Bot turns right instead of left and races down the hall. He had glanced at the layout of the building and knows there should be a stairwell at the end. When he stops, he turns to watch as they catch up. “We need to move fast and quiet. Older ones carry the smallest.” He reaches for a young girl with a head of wild curls. She is sucking her thumb, and his heart breaks for the damage already done to her.
They run. They run down the stairs and then through the streets.
Bot kills two more times before he thinks they are safe to head to the safe house.
It is dawn when he finally knocks softly on the door of a posh house. Luckily, it has a high fence with ivy growing on it surrounding the front. His charges hide in the shadows as Bot waits to find out if this will really be a safe haven for them.
The door cracks open, and her hair looks like it on fire in the morning light. Amazing hazel eyes with multiple shades of green and blue mixed with a little gold stare out at him.
“Bot?” He wonders how she knows. “Erik showed me your picture.” Those amazing eyes glance around her garden. “How many?”
“Ten.”
“So many.” She is angry and sad at the high number. “Bring them in.”
He doesn’t move though, not one to trust easily, and he doesn’t know this woman.
“Would you like to check the house? It’s just me here. It was my family’s home here in the city, but it’s just me now.”
He hates how defeated she looks after her admission. He makes a decision and turns his head, nodding once. They all break from their hiding places. The little girl he had carried runs for him, wrapping her arms around his legs and burying her face.
The woman in the doorway makes a sound of distress. “He told me, but I had no idea. Not really.”
She shakes her head, eyebrows drawing down as she watches the rest draw near. Suddenly, he sees her shake it off, and a smile brightens her face.
“Come in, come in. You’ll be safe here for as long as you need,” she promises, bending down to make eye contact with the younger ones, nodding to the teenagers and the adult woman.
They all follow her in, with Bot going last. He turns and looks out at the street, eyes quartering the area looking for anyone who could have followed them here. When he is satisfied, he closes the door and turns the lock. She is standing just behind him and reaches to the wall and sets the alarm.
He turns facing her. She smiles softly and holds out her hand. “I’m Ruby.”
“Bot. Colin.” He holds her hand a moment longer than he needs but he can’t seem to let it go.
“Why don’t I get them settled? I have rooms ready. Just in case.”
Chapter Seven
Bot watches her as she leads the group through the house. Most don’t want a room to themselves so they divide into groups. The youngest will stay with the woman. The teenagers pile into a room together. In the end, only the girl clinging to his leg is left.
Ruby leads him to one last room. He looks down at the little girl then reaches down and lifts her up. He holds her up so he can look at her face.
“Can you tell me your name?” She shakes her head, her thumb still in her mouth. “Do you want to stay with me or go with the others?” Her arm tightens on him. “Me, it is.”
He smiles slightly at the woman as she smiles back at him.
“I’ll leave you two to get settled.” She turns and then stops looking back at him. “I’ll be downstairs if you need anything.”
She intrigues him, but the tiny girl clinging to him is his first priority. The girl is depending on him. Stepping into the room, he leaves the door open slightly, giving her the abili
ty to run to the others if she decides that staying with a man she doesn’t know is not the way to go. He sits her on the bed, gently pulling her hands free before straightening.
He pulls a chair from the corner to the side of the bed, and she starts to relax. He hopes she can fall asleep. She does in minutes, and while it might be a restless one, it’s sleep all the same. He dozes, but his own dreams keep him from any actual rest. His phone vibrates, and he rubs at his eyes as he pulls his phone out of his pocket. A message from Erik.
Bot responds, letting him know they made it to the safe house. His phone vibrates again, an incoming call.
“I’ve called in some favors. Transport will be there to get the women and children by midmorning. I’m not using my team.”
Bot hates to say but he knows it’s the right call.
“Who should I be looking for?”
Erik chuckles. “Your team.”
Fuck. That’s not what Bot wanted to hear. Magic is going to be very angry, and Ember is going to be hurt. They are going to require an explanation.
“You want to tell me why Mercury sounded so angry?”
Bot shakes his head, not really. “No.” He stands, moving away from the bed and stopping when he reaches the doorway. “It’s none of your business and it isn’t Carter’s either.”
“Have it your way.” Bot imagines Erik shrugging. “Can I count on your help to find the traitor?”
“Of course.” The man didn’t even need to ask. Bot wants blood for the women and children they have lost because of that bastard.
“I’ll contact you in a couple of days.” He disconnects before Bot can respond.
He steps out into the hall, leaving the door open so she can see him across the hall if she wakes. He slides down the wall, as exhaustion hits him like a ton of bricks. He lowers his head, his emotions threatening to overwhelm him.
Ruby makes no noise as she walks, her brother had taught her how, but as she tops the stairs, she watches as he raises his head, slightly turning his face to look at her. She stares into his eyes, seeing the same ghosts that haunted Mark’s.
She swallows away the tears that threaten to fall. Now is not the time. Colin doesn’t look away, just watches as she draws near. She stops in front of him before moving to his side and sliding down to join him on the floor.
“You okay?” Ruby watches as he swallows hard before answering his question.
“I will be.” He attempts a smile. “How do you know Erik?”
How much should she tell him? She wonders what Erik told him. “Who did he say I was?”
Mark had also taught her how not to give too much away. Interrogation techniques. He had been so excited when he had finished that training. So excited to teach her behind their parents’ backs, for it wasn’t something a woman of her standing would need to know. She glances at some of the paintings hanging on the wall across from them. They’ve been there for generations, proof of the family’s standing, not that they’ve done anything to save it.
“Just said this was a safe place. The women and children would be safe until we can move them to Interpol custody.” She can tell he knows that’s not the extent of it. “Erik keeps things close to the vest.”
Boy, does she know it. She also wonders about why Erik asked her to open her home.
“I’ve known Erik since I was a child. He was friends with my older brother.” Was. She hates that word. “His parents and my parents traveled in the same social circles. He knew I had this huge house to myself, so…”
She trails off. Colin wonders why she is alone; she’s beautiful and, as far as he can tell, kind. Maybe she hasn’t found a suitable husband. He doesn’t travel in the same social circles. His family is working class, and she is posh, upper class, probably a title somewhere in the family tree. He smiles a little, because that means so is Erik. He tucks that knowledge away.
“You didn’t know that about Erik.” She smiles, shaking her head at his grin. “His family is even higher than ours.” She raises her eyebrows and nods at him.
“No way, that fucking asshole?” He looks at her face. “Damn, sorry.”
Ruby laughs, and the sound of it ensnares him. “I have a brother that was special forces, Colin. I’ve heard the word ‘fuck’ before.”
Somehow it sounds sexy as hell coming from her lips. He just blinks.
“Your brother worked with Erik?” She nods but doesn’t offer more information. “You said you are alone.” She nods again and once more doesn’t offer more.
“Are you hungry?” He lets her change the subject. It’s not hard to see that she doesn’t want to talk about it.
“I could eat but I don’t want to leave.” He looks across at the darkened bedroom.
“Do you think you got them soon enough?”
“I think so. At least the young ones. Unfortunately, it was their innocence the bastards were buying.” His rage flares to life and he clenches his fists, trying to control it.
His gaze jumps down when her hand closes over one of those fists. “You saved them, Colin. They might be changed, but you saved them from the unthinkable.” He can only nod, his throat tight with emotion. “Some can’t or won’t be saved.”
He hears the heartache in those words and he wonders who she lost and to what. Parents, brother, or lover? The last makes a flame of jealousy flare to life, and it confuses him. He doesn’t know her but he can’t deny the instant attraction.
His phone vibrates, and he pulls it out once again. “Erik?” He shakes his head before answering her.
“My team. Erik called them in to help.”
“Are you working with the Americans he met in Denver?” Colin blinks slow at her. How much has Erik told her? Is his team compromised? She sees something in his eyes. “He just said he met some good people that he’s helping and who help him with his job.”
“Sorry. I…” What can he say to explain?
“They’re your family; it’s natural to want to protect them.” Again, something in her tone says she knows exactly what that means. “I’ll go grab you some food.”
She pushes up, and he sits watching her walk away. He likes the sway of her slim hips and can’t help but think he’s been too long without a woman. She’s out of his league though, but it won’t stop him from fantasizing about it.
He glances down at the phone in his hand. Two hours and they’ll be here. The door down the hall opens, and the woman steps out. She looks like she’s slept as much as he has.
Walking on the wood floor in her bare feet, she is quiet but not silent, not like Ruby. Her eyes are red, swollen from crying, and her accent is thick when she speaks.
“Thank you for saving them.” She glances toward the closed doors then back at him.
“We saved you too.” She shakes her head. Fuck. “My friends are coming to get all of you soon, to take you someplace safer so you can go home.”
“I can’t.”
“They won’t care. Your family just wants you back, I promise.” She shakes her head again. “You don’t have to decide now.” He tries to calm her; he can tell she is ready to bolt.
Footsteps on the stairs cause the woman to spin, her body shaking in instant terror. Bot stands slowly not wanting to scare her more.
“It’s just Ruby, our host.” His voice is low and even. She nods but stays tense, ready to run if she needs to get away.
Ruby stops when she sees them. She holds the plate out in front of her. “I can get more if you’re hungry.” The woman shakes her head.
“Would you stay here and I’ll go downstairs to get everything ready so we can get you to safety as soon as possible?” Bot looks across the hall at the room where the smallest victim is sleeping. “Can you watch her?”
He hopes giving her the job will calm her some. “I have protected them all.”
He nods at her declaration. “I know you saved them. Now we can work together to keep them safe, get them home to their parents.” She nods.
“Okay. I will w
atch.” She moves across and stands with her back against the wall. A guard. A protector.
Bot nods then moves down the hall and takes the plate from Ruby. He turns and takes it back, holding it out to her. She takes it, careful not to touch his fingers. She was hurt badly.
“What’s your name? I’m,” he pauses before continuing, “Colin.” Bot doesn’t hide behind his call sign, like he usually does.
Something about this house or these people are getting under Bot’s skin. He turns away from her, nodding his head as he does. Ruby is still standing where he left her and as he reaches her, she reaches out for him. He’s once again surprised when her fingers thread through his. Part of him wants to pull away but he wants her touch more.
“I’m Marta.” He smiles slightly at the whispered reply that comes from behind him.
Chapter Eight
Ruby watches as the children are taken out. The woman, Ember, stands at her side; they have both grown quiet after talking for thirty minutes. Most of those minutes were used to discuss Colin. Ruby can tell Ember is very worried about the handsome man. No, she doesn’t just find him handsome; she finds him intoxicating, intriguing, and she wants him more than she has anyone. Ever.
“I’ve seen that look before.” Ember’s voice is low but filled with humor. “Hell, I’ve had that look.”
Ruby watches as the woman’s eyes slide over her husband, who is dangerously handsome with tattoos peeking out from under his shirt.
“Really?” Ruby is interested in that story.
“Oh yes, we met in Paris, and I had planned a wild one-night stand with the ultimate bad boy.” She grins and lets her eyes roam over him once again. “But I found I couldn’t let him go after.” She locks her gaze on Ruby’s eyes. “They fight their demons, and it isn’t always easy, but they are so worth it. I love Colin, and he needs someone to love him hard. Do you know what I mean?”
Ruby stares at the woman she just met. Love? She didn’t even know the man. She was only appreciating his form, his looks, his quiet masculinity, not planning a future.