Page 69 of Gator
“We? Who’s we? Is that why you’re here? Are you undercover?” The hope in his voice almost broke me. I wished that was the case, that I’d meant to be here instead of being forced into that car with the threat of Lainey hanging over my head.
“No,” I said quietly. “I think that’s why they took me—because I could ID them. But I’m not undercover.”
His shoulders drooped, the small flare of hope dimming. “They say they own us.”
“No,” I whispered back, my voice steadier than I felt. “They don’t. They won’t.”
Because somewhere above ground, Harlan Thibodeaux was tearing the world apart to get to me. And I would hold onto that until he did, but I wasn’t willing to say that out loud just in case.
His voice cracked low. “They took pictures of me when I first got here. Apparently, they auction us off. They said someone overseas bought me, and I’ll be shipped out next week.”
Anger surged hot through me. “Then we don’t have long.”
He blinked, hope flickering behind the bruises. “You think… someone’s coming?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Yes. I know they are.”
One of the two women scoffed. “We all think that at first. But trust me, no one ever comes.”
The loss of hope in her voice was heartbreaking, but I knew from where she sat, it seemed that way, because these men were pros and they were good at hiding their captives. But I had something these people didn’t. I had Three Bears Tactical on my side, and they were better.
Noah studied me for a long moment, then whispered, “Who’s coming?”
“Just trust me.” I touched my earlobe where the stud still sat just to reassure myself the tracker was there, a tiny lifeline humming in the dark.
I started to whisper to him that I had a whole team out looking for me, but before I could, footsteps thudded overhead, heavier this time. The padlock clanged open, and the man who’d ridden in the car with me descended with another familiar face right behind him.
Wade Roark, the guy from the wedding. I’d hoped to never see him again, but here he was. I’d known he was part of the ring, but still, seeing him here made my stomach roll.
“Oh, Julius Petros, finally we meet.” He walked over to where I sat and looked me over like merchandise at a flea market. “You’ve caused me a lot of trouble, but luckily, you’re pretty, so the price you bring at auction will help make up for it.” Hesneered at me before looking at Asshole. “Make sure he looks real nice for the camera.”
The words crawled over my skin as I imagined some stranger scrolling through pictures, thinking he owned me. My stomach lurched.
Wade turned and went back up the stairs. Asshole flicked an ash onto the concrete, then stomped it out with his boot. “I’ll be back for you later once we get the cameras all set up. Behave, and maybe you’ll live to meet your buyers.”
He followed Wade up the stairs, and the padlock snapped back into place behind them.
The silence that followed was heavier than before, pressed down by the stink of his smoke and his words. The two women clung tighter to each other. The curled figure moaned softly. Somewhere a pipe dripped, slow and relentless.
I glanced over at the two that I hadn’t seen move. “Are they dead?”
“No,” the older of the two women said. “They’ve been drugged. That’s what happens if you aren’t cooperative, so if you don’t want to end up like that, keep your mouth shut and do what you’re told.”
I drew in a shaky breath. How many people had they done this to over the years? This had to be stopped, and these people, both the sellers and the buyers, had to pay.
“I’m sorry you got dragged into this,” Noah whispered.
“It’s not your fault. It’s theirs.” I motioned towards the top of the stairs.
His jaw tightened. “They think they can break us.”
“They won’t.” I shifted on the thin mattress. “My people are coming. We’re going to get out.”
He watched me, and some of the tension in his shoulders eased, like he wanted to believe me. Around us, the basement hummed with quiet despair, but I knew we would get out of here.
I closed my eyes for a second and pictured Gator, his jaw clenched and his beautiful eyes hard and ready. Kat would be at her monitors following the signal from my tracker. Wolfe, Hawk, and the other guys would be loading gear with quiet fury while they prepared to launch an attack.
Hold on, I told myself. Hold on a little longer.