I glanced down at my wheelchair.
“They’ll check the chair,” I warned him.
“Yeah, but what if they don’t check it well enough? We could create some kind of distraction as you’re going in, pull the attention from you.”
“It would be a risk. If I’m caught taking a gun in there, I’ll be the next one standing up in court.”
“Is she worth the risk?” Kodee asked me.
Of course she was. There was no part of me that was going to say no. “Absolutely.”
“What about the men Frankie has put on our tail? How are we going to shake them off?”
“Do we need to shake them off? Everyone is going to want to watch that trial. Why do we have to be any different? Besides, they might be watching out for us, but they won’t know that we’ve made contact with Dillon. Dillon can be ready to get us out of there.”
He nodded slowly. “Good point.”
“What about you, Dillon? How are we going to get you out of here without those assholes outside noticing?”
To my surprise, Gordon spoke up. “You don’t need to. The two of you can leave. I’ll make sure he’s safe here.”
The last thing I was expecting was for Gordon to volunteer his help. He was supposed to have been listening to music. But then I guessed we’d already put him in a difficult position. “We can’t ask you to do that.”
He shrugged. “You didn’t ask. I offered. I’ll make sure Dillon is where he needs to be tomorrow.”
“Thank you,” Kodee said.
I nodded to the gun. “We’re going to need to take the gun with us, though.”
Dillon nodded and handed it over. I might be in a wheelchair, but that didn’t stop me from being the best shot out of all of us.
“I can drive you home,” Gordon offered.
It meant we’d be leaving Dillon alone and unarmed in the office.
“Go,” Dillon said, clearly picking up on my reservations. “I’ll be fine, I promise. No one else has any clue that I’m even here.”
Gordon nodded. “Yes, there’s a bathroom you can use to wash up in, and I’m sure you can find some scrubs to change into until I can bring you something else to wear.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it, especially after I put a gun to your head.”
Gordon shrugged. “You had your reasons.”
We said our goodbyes and embraced Dillon. I hoped everything was going to be okay. I wanted to think we could trust Gordon, but we’d now left Dillon unarmed, and that made me nervous.
We left the building, and, unsurprisingly, the SUV was still waiting for us. Gordon led us over to where his car was parked. To the men in the SUV, it just looked as though my prosthetist was giving us a ride home. There was nothing suspicious about that.
Gordon did well not to look directly at the other vehicle, but instead kept his head lowered as though studying his car keys. “Are the people over there to do with what you were talking about?”
“Yeah, they are,” I replied, not looking over either. “They work for the two brothers in charge. They’re as corrupt as you can get.”
Gordon unlocked the car then set about helping me into the passenger seat. “I’m sorry you’ve ended up involved with them.”
I was used to Gordon manhandling me from the multiple appointments we’d had over the past six months.
Kodee nodded in agreement and folded down my wheelchair for the trunk. “So are we.”
“You won’t betray us, will you?” I asked Gordon as he slid behind the wheel. The trunk slammed shut then Kodee climbed into the back. “If you call the cops, you’ll not only be signing our death warrant, you’ll be doing the same for a young woman, as well.”
“I said I’d help, and I will,” Gordon confirmed, starting the engine. “You’re just going to have to trust me.”
Trust wasn’t something that came easy to any of us, but as we pulled out of the parking lot and drove away, with the SUV trailing after us, I realized we didn’t have much choice.
Chapter Twenty
Kodee
GORDON DROPPED US OFF outside of our building.
The SUV had stayed hot on our tail and pulled into a space a couple of spots behind us. I hadn’t expected anything else, but at least if they were with us, it meant they didn’t suspect anything wrong with our visit to the office. I’d been concerned they might have felt the need to search the place after we’d left and potentially could have come across Dillon.
“Stay in touch,” Gordon said as the car idled. “You can always call the office number if you need to get hold of your friend. And if I can do anything else, please let me know.”
“Thanks,” I replied. “We appreciate that.”
His cooperation had surprised all of us. I felt bad that we’d dragged him into our mess, but if it meant Dillon stayed safe and we stood some chance of getting Rue out of Frankie Capello’s grip, it was worth it.
I opened the car door and climbed out before going through the routine of setting up Ryan’s wheelchair and helping him out as well. He wasn’t the only one who’d be pleased to get his prosthetic leg back—dealing with the chair was a pain in the ass—but the wheelchair was going to play an integral part of our plan.
We waited on the sidewalk for Gordon to pull away then turned back to the building.
Behind us, car doors slammed.
“Hey!” The shout came from the direction of the SUV. “What are you two playing at?”
Shit. What did they know?
I exchanged a glance with Ryan. We needed to play it cool.
I turned to meet the two men who were now approaching us. We were still standing out on the street, with cars and pedestrians passing by. We garnered a handful of curious glances, enough to prevent these men from shooting us out in the open.
I played it dumb. “What do you mean?”
“You’re supposed to be working on something for Mr. Capello, not be out gallivanting.”
“We had a medical appointment. That’s hardly gallivanting.”
“Well, I hope you’re done with what Mr. Capello ordered. He’s told us to collect them and bring them to him.”
They were talking about the three passports, of course. Two for the girls, and one for Rue. When we handed over the passports, it would mean Rue could be taken out of the country and far away from us. The only thing that would stop that from happening was if we got Rue away from Frankie Capello first.
“That’s fine. They’re already done. We were just waiting for you to collect them.”
The goon’s lips thinned. “We’ll come up with you, then.”
We’d only made one of the two passports for Rue so far, but all her details were stored on a flash-drive, which was well hidden. I hadn’t wanted to take the risk of making hers yet, in case Capello decided to search the apartment and found it.
Together, we entered the building and caught the elevator up to our apartment. I opened the door to let us all in, and then I left Ryan with the two men while I went to the office and unlocked the safe where I’d stored the three passports. I took them out, my stomach knotted, and carried them back to the others.
I handed them over.
The older man with the graying hair opened the first one and flicked through it. I was fairly sure he didn’t know what he was looking for, and there was little chance he’d notice the discrepancies we’d deliberately included. It didn’t feel like we were doing much to help those poor girls, but it was something. I hoped it would be enough. Rue’s passport, however, would work. We just had to rescue her before Capello got the chance to use it.
“All good?” I asked, nodding to the passports.
“Yeah.” He slipped them inside the pocket in his jacket lining. “But Frankie will need to look them over before you get the all-clear. You can be sure to hear from him if they’re not up to scratch.”
“They will be, but he knows where we are if he has any problems.”
His gaze flicked between me and Ryan, sti
ll sitting in the wheelchair. He seemed to be wondering if he should challenge us on something else but then jerked his chin at his colleague, and they turned and walked from the apartment.
I stepped forward and locked the door behind them. I pressed my back against it and let out a shaky breath.
“Good thing they didn’t search the wheelchair for this,” Ryan said, pulling the gun out from where he’d positioned it behind him and settling the weapon on his lap. “I guess you were right when you said it’s often those they suspect the least who prove to be the biggest threat.”
“Let’s hope that carries through to the courthouse,” I replied.
It wouldn’t do us any good to get cocky now. We still had a long way to go.
We would be up half the night creating Rue’s second passport, but we didn’t mind. We needed to make sure we were ready for the following morning.
Nothing was going to trip us up this time.
Chapter Twenty-one
Rue
THE DAY OF THE TRIAL had arrived.
I’d barely slept, lying awake all night, tossing and turning, worrying about what would happen today.
After this was over, I was being handed over to Davide Fleming, and I’d be flown out of here, to a country I’d never even heard of. I’d never see Kodee, Ryan, or Dillon ever again.
My fucking heart was breaking.
A part of me wanted to tell Frankie Capello to go fuck himself and refuse to testify. He no longer had one of the things he was using to control me. Dillon had somehow escaped—though Frankie still hadn’t told me himself. I assumed he preferred to keep me thinking he still had Dillon as a prisoner to use as a stick to beat me with if I refused to behave. But the truth was he didn’t only need Dillon. He knew where both Kodee and Ryan were, and so long as they were both exposed, I had no choice but to do exactly what Frankie wanted.
Where was Dillon now? My heart ached for him, hoping he’d managed to get somewhere safe. I knew Dillon well enough by now, though, and even though he acted like a bit of a renegade at times, I didn’t think he would abandon the others, but I did worry he’d put himself in danger.
My time was almost up.
I showered and dressed in the same skirt-suit I’d gone to speak with the lawyer in and tied my hair back into a knot at my nape. I tried to put on a little mascara, but my hand was shaking so badly, I almost stabbed myself in the eye, and quickly gave up. Why did I care what I looked like?
A knock came at my door, and it opened. Frankie stood in the doorway.
“It’s time.”
I scowled at Frankie. Hate filled my heart. If I’d had a way to kill him, there and then, I would have done it.
“Let’s just get this over with.”
“Don’t screw up, Rue. You’ve got a lot riding on you.”
“I want to see Joe Nettie sent down as well. Prison is the best place for men like you.”
“Behave yourself, Rue. You know who will suffer if you don’t.”
Who? The man who has already escaped?
I wanted to say it, the words dancing on my tongue, but I didn’t want to risk getting any of the other girls in trouble for gossiping. Their fates were as bad as mine, and I wasn’t going to bring any further punishment down on them just because I wanted to get a snipe in to make myself feel better.
Mentally, I gave Dillon a high-five. Good for him. I was glad at least one of us had gotten one over on the Capellos.
It was an early start, but I’d already been warned there might be a lot of waiting around today. Joe Nettie’s case was fairly high-profile, but there were multiple cases being tried within the building, and often there were delays. It wasn’t going to be easy, though, my nerves increasing with every passing minute.
Maybe, once this was over, when I was living my new life, owned by a man I barely knew, Dillon would be somewhere else entirely, living his new life, and Ryan and Kodee would have figured out a way to work amiably for the Capellos. Dillon would survive—lose himself in booze and women, and probably some men as well—and at least Kodee and Ryan would have each other.
As we walked through the house, I felt like a prisoner taking their final walk to the electric chair. It took everything I had not to break down, and I held my tears back behind a rigid expression.
Still, I found my thoughts going to the other two girls I’d been held here with. Had they already been taken away? I had the trial keeping me here—though not for much longer—but they hadn’t had that. They could already be on a plane, lost to this country, and any loved ones who had no idea where they were, forever.
We left the property. Two vehicles were waiting for us. One would transport us to the courthouse, and the other would be acting as protection, should we run into any trouble. The events of the last couple of weeks had depleted Joe Nettie’s number of men significantly, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t still have people out there who wanted to prevent me from testifying.
We did the drive in silence, my sense of trepidation growing with every mile we covered. I was a nervous wreck, my breathing too fast, my hands clenched together to stop them shaking. Despite it not being a particularly cold day, I was chilled to the bone. I felt as though I was seeing everything at a distance, like I wasn’t really a part of my body.
The traffic made things slow going, but we eventually arrived. Otis opened the passenger door for me, and I forced my legs to comply and climbed out of the car.
The courthouse felt even taller and more imposing than it had previously. A stream of people flooded in and out of the doors.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep a hold on the panic fluttering inside me. I was hugely conscious of the men around me. They’d do their best not to appear threatening inside the court, but that didn’t change that I knew exactly what their presence meant—behave. Do what was needed. Don’t fuck up.
Self-conscious, I pulled at my skirt-suit. The number of people here didn’t help with my anxiety. My gaze flitted among them, and I both hoped and dreaded seeing a familiar face. Dillon was out here somewhere. He knew I was due to testify, as did the others. Would they come? Even though a part of me hoped they would, the other part didn’t want them to get involved. If anything bad happened to them, I didn’t think I’d be able to hold it together.
Frankie took hold of my elbow and propelled me toward the entrance. To anyone looking on, he could have seemed to be supporting me. If only these people knew the truth.
We went through security without a problem.
Caroline Simpson from the District Attorney’s Office was waiting to meet us. She smiled warmly at me as we approached. Her eyes darted toward Frankie but quickly moved away again. I had no doubt she knew the exact reason he was there. That there was beef between Joe Nettie and the Capello brothers wasn’t a secret. She would have been perfectly aware that he was only there to make sure his enemy got sent down for a very long time. Of course, there was no law against him doing just that. The way he did break the law, however, was by threatening me to make me testify. Would I have testified if he hadn’t done what he had? Honestly, probably not. If I had my way, I’d have put thousands of miles between me and this whole mess and hope I’d never have to see the Capellos or the likes of Joe Nettie ever again.
I fought the sudden urge to tell Ms. Simpson everything. The words crawled up my throat and battled across my tongue, seeking their escape, but I managed to keep my lips sealed tight. I couldn’t tell her. What would it achieve? Nettie would walk, and even if Frankie Capello was arrested, he’d be out again quickly enough. I’d lose the small amount of protection I had, and if there were people watching Kodee and Ryan, I was fairly sure they’d be made to pay for my transgression.
“Everything all right, Rue?” A soft female voice broke me from my thoughts.
“Yes, sorry.” I blinked at Caroline Simpson and forced a smile. “I’m just nervous, that’s all.”
“Completely understandable, considering the circumstances. I’d be surprised if you w
eren’t nervous.”
She was being kind, treating me with kid gloves, but it wasn’t for my benefit. This lawyer would also want me to testify. The D.A.’s office would have put a lot of manhours into getting Nettie put away and they wouldn’t want the case to fall apart now.
“You might have a bit of waiting before you’re called in, I’m afraid. These things tend to take a lot of time.”
“That’s okay.”
I could wait. I didn’t have much choice.
Would I see Joe Nettie while I waited? Or was he already in the courtroom? I didn’t know if the defendant was brought in a different way than the rest of us, to prevent us meeting.
“Remember everything we talked about,” Caroline said. “Be confident with what you say, and try not to let the defense trip you up. You’re not the one on trial here.”
“It doesn’t matter how many times you say that, it still feels like I am.”
She gave me a reassuring smile. “Well, you’re not. You haven’t done anything wrong. You’re just here to tell the truth, okay?”
I sucked in a breath and nodded.
“There’s an area where you can sit until you’re called in. Remember you’re not allowed to talk to anyone else about the case until it’s over. Did you bring anything with you to keep you entertained in the meantime? A book or anything?”
I shook my head. “No, I’m fine.” I wasn’t about to admit to her that even if I had a book, I would struggle to read it.
“Mr. Capello,” Caroline said, moving her attention away from me. “You can watch the trial from the gallery in the courtroom.”
He nodded. “Of course.”
She gave us a final smile. “Well, good luck.”
Frankie wouldn’t be allowed to stay here, but he waited until the lawyer had stepped away before he left me with his final threat.
“Don’t try to leave. I have men who are still watching your friends. All it will take is one phone call from me to have a bullet put in their heads.”
“Don’t worry,” I spat. “I won’t forget.”
Captivated with Them (Dirty Twisted Love, #3) Page 12