Dangerously Close, page 15
“And I love... you.”
His blue eyes turned blue as his expression grew serious. He wrapped his strong arms around her, pressing her back against the mattress as he loomed over her.
“Ashley, I’ve wanted to hear those words from your lips for a while now, but I was afraid you’d never say them.” He stroked her cheek, lovingly. “I’ve been falling in love with you since our first kiss, even though I didn’t think I should. And last night, my heart burst with so much love for you, but I was afraid you wouldn’t return my feelings.”
“I’m glad you didn’t tell me any sooner, because it wasn’t until last night when I realized it myself. I mean, can two people really fall in love in such a short time?”
“They can... and we did.”
His mouth swooped down upon hers. It wasn’t the wild kiss that they shared last night, but instead, there was more feeling to this kiss, making her want to cry with happiness. He was right. They had done what others couldn’t. They had been falling in love at first sight, and she’d cherish their love forever.
His mouth moved away from her and trailed down her neck to the exposed skin at the base of her throat. She threaded her fingers through his hair, holding his head to her. But within seconds, a loud knock pounded on the door, startling her.
Hunter jumped off her and scrambled to the other side of the bed where he’d put his gun. Her heart dropped as fear now clutched her throat. Had Zander found them already?
HUNTER’S HEART SLAMMED against his ribs. He hated going from one passionate emotion and jumping right into fearing for his life. He pointed the Glock toward the door as he crept back toward Ashley who lay frozen as her wide eyes stared at the door.
“Who is it?” Hunter asked in a deep voice, still trying to regain his bearings as he tightened his arm around Ashley.
“It’s me, Matthew.”
Relief poured through him, and he expelled a heavy sigh. He set the gun back on the nightstand before leaving Ashley’s side and moving off the bed. He grabbed his shirt and put it on.
“Who... who...” Her voice shook as much as her body did.
“It’s my friend, Agent Matthew Williams. He’s going to fingerprint the money and suitcase.”
Hunter moved to the door and opened it. His friend walked in with his cases of equipment. When Matthew saw the money on the floor, he stopped, glanced at the bed toward Ashley before giving Hunter a quizzical stare.
“Do I need to ask what happened here?” Matthew asked.
Hunter rolled his eyes. “It was an accident.” He closed the door and locked it. “Do you have another pair of gloves? I want to help.”
Matthew set the cases on the floor and opened them up. He reached into one and pulled out two sets of latex gloves, handing one to Hunter. Ashley scooted to the edge of the bed, but stayed in place. He gave her a reassuring smile.
“Sweetheart, I want you to meet Matthew Williams. Next to me, he’s one of the best FBI agents I know.”
“Hah!” Matthew laughed. “I think you got that turned around, Thomas.” He looked at Ashley and nodded. “Nice to meet you, sweetheart.”
Her cheeks darkened to a rosy pink. “My name is Ashley Reynolds.”
“I know. Thomas has told me all about you.” He winked. “All good things, I promise.”
Matthew removed some long tubing with iodine capsules inside. Using tweezers, he moved the money around, searching for those that were still in the full bundle before removing the top and bottom bills.
Using the dusting powder, Hunter went to work on the suitcase. Occasionally, they made comments, but they usually didn’t talk much while doing their jobs.
As Hunter flipped the brush over the suitcase, a small piece of paper from inside the zippered pouch drew his attention. Carefully, he took hold of the paper and pulled. It appeared to be stuck, so he unzipped the pouch. The small paper had been attached to a much larger piece that had been folded several times. As he unfolded the paper, he noticed a South Hampton address had been written inside. Hunter hadn’t been there for years, but he recognized the street down by the waterfront. This was one of the luxury homes he’d always wanted to own, but knew that cops never made enough money to live there.
“I think we’ve found a clue,” he announced.
Matthew swung his head toward Hunter and peered closer. Ashley jumped off the bed and knelt beside him on the floor. He showed her the address, being careful that she didn’t touch it.
“Does this address look familiar to you?” he asked.
“South Hampton? I don’t know anyone who lives there.” She shook her head.
He motioned to his cell phone on the nightstand. “Get my phone and search for the address.”
While she retrieved his phone, he laid the paper on the table. Clutching the tubing capsule of iodine in his hand, he waited a few seconds as he warmed the liquid inside the capsule. Satisfied, he broke the capsule inside, and then using the tubing, blew into the top end while positioning the bottom end over the top right-hand corner of the paper. As he blew the liquid on the paper, a fingerprint began to appear. Excitement rushed through him. “We got something here!”
Matthew handed him another capsule. This was the iodine enhancer, helping to make the iodine stick to the fingerprint clearly. Then Matthew handed him a ziplock bag and Hunter carefully slipped the paper inside and zipped it up.
He released a sigh and looked at Matthew. “Have you found anything yet?”
“Not yet, but there’s got to be a fingerprint somewhere in this mess.”
“I agree. I’ll keep dusting the suitcase.” He glanced toward Ashley who had his phone in her hands as she stared at the display. Her pale face and wide eyes told him she had remembered something. “Sweetie? What is it?”
Slowly, her gaze lifted and met his. Her hands began to shake. “I... was at this house before.” She swallowed noisily. “This was where Zander kept me prisoner.”
FIFTEEN
Ashley’s memory opened fully now. It was that house where she had struggled against Zander as he pulled her inside and down the back stairs late one night. It was that house that she recalled seeing bright and early one morning as she and Michelle ran to freedom. And it was that house where she had gotten to know Michelle and realized the other woman was a victim, just like Ashley... and just like the other twenty women who were kept prisoner for a good month. They’d been tied up and drugged. She’d been fed, but because she’d been doped so often, she couldn’t remember everything or even the food she’d eaten. And it was in that house where she’d heard what Zander had planned to do with her and the other women, which was what made her and Michelle work together to break out – and take the suitcase full of money that was intended for the purchase of the women. Some foreigner had made a deal with Zander and they’d been working together for over three years.
The house looked like any of the luxury homes along the waterfront. This particular one was blue with white trim. The backdoor led down a slope and right into the sandy beach near the waterfront. The neighboring houses weren’t that close, but she suspected their occupants could probably hear the women scream for help. That’s probably why Zander kept them drugged most of the time.
The bed shifted, bringing Ashley out of the daze she’d been put under. Hunter wrapped her in his arms and comfort surrounded her. She fell against him as tears streamed from her eyes.
“Have you remembered everything?” he asked gently.
“Not everything, because I’d been drugged most of the time. But I do remember what happened.”
He pulled away and wiped the tears off her cheeks. “Start at the beginning and tell me everything.”
Matthew hurried into the kitchen and filled up a cup of water before bringing it to her. She tried to smile, but her lips trembled. “Thank you.”
He nodded, turned, and sat on the single kitchen chair, looking in her direction as she drank her water. She swallowed the knot of emotion caught in her throat and met Hunter’s worried gaze.
“Whatever drug Zander placed in my pill bottle that first night, knocked me out for a few hours. I hadn’t even felt him take me from my apartment. But I started to become alert just as we drove up to the house.”
She returned to her memory. The fear of what had happened was just as real now as it had been the first time. She was reliving it all over again...
SIX WEEKS AGO
Ashley’s head was as groggy as though she’d been spinning too fast on an amusement park ride. Her stomach churned and her body ached. She couldn’t move her arms, either. She shifted her fuzzy gaze to her hands. They were tied together at the wrists with ropes.
I’m going to be sick!
The motion of her swaying body made her realize she was not in bed, but in a vehicle. Night’s darkness surrounded her, and only a small light shone up ahead allowing her to see where she was. Nothing at all looked familiar, except the waterfront, but even that didn’t look familiar.
The car stopped and the engine died. The man driving turned and peered at her from over his shoulder. She sucked in a shocked breath. Zander?
Zander’s sandy-brown hair seemed to glitter for some reason, and she blinked to clear the strange vision. She’d always thought he was good looking, but she’d seen better. And the more she’d gotten to know him, the uglier he became in her eyes. No longer did she think he was muscular, because now when she saw his frame, all she could think about was what a powerful bully he was.
“Where... are we?” she asked with a scratchy voice.
“You are at your new home for the next month or so.”
His grin was evil and it sent chills of fear over her body. Her mind told her to get out of there and run as fast as she could away from him, but she couldn’t get her legs to listen to her mind. What’s happening to me?
He stepped out of the car, walked around to her door, and opened it. He grabbed her hands, and she tried to pull away, but her body was weak. He dragged her out of the car just enough to pick her up in his arms. She struggled the best she could with no energy, but it didn’t faze him.
Instead of taking her in the front door, he carried her around to the back of the house and down the steps to the basement door. He knocked strangely – two taps, a pause, one tap, and a pause before tapping two more times. Within seconds, the door opened.
An odd odor hit her like a hard slap across the face. Her stomach churned and her head became dizzier. She couldn’t see anything, but the worst stench she had ever smelled was down here. Even worse than public bathrooms or carnival outhouses.
“We need more air fresheners down here,” Zander snapped. “I can smell the stink all the way out to my car.”
“Sorry, sir. I’ll get that done first thing in the morning.”
The other man’s voice made her jump. She still couldn’t see his face. She also knew she wasn’t alone. Shuffling of feet was heard in the darkness, along with soft cries from women. Terror seized Ashley’s lungs and she couldn’t breathe. Something wasn’t right. This was unnatural and wicked.
Zander carried her in a little farther before stopping and practically dropping her to the ground. She landed on a thin mat. Pain rushed through her body and she cried out.
“Why are you doing this to me?” she asked.
“It’s nothing personal.” He cupped her chin and stroked his thumb across the skin. “But as I’d told you before, my girlfriends don’t tell me when it’s over. I tell them. And believe me, it’s not over. Sure, our relationship has finished, but there’s still so much I want to do with you. Believe it or not, a beautiful woman like you will bring me a lot of money.”
She had no idea what he was talking about, but ideas rushed through her head, none of which she liked. “I won’t be your prostitute.”
He threw back his head and laughed. The sound bounced around the room, quieting the sobs from the other women.
“I don’t want to use you for prostitution. There’s something much better for you, I promise.”
“I’d rather die than do anything for you.” She found the strength to kick her feet toward him, catching him in the legs. He released a loud grumble and fell to her side.
He gripped her chin again, this time causing pain. “Listen to me, Ashley. If you don’t do everything I say, I’ll hurt your family. Is that what you want? Your father owns a lot of banks. What do you think he’ll do if I arrange it to make him look like he’s dealing drugs? Or worse... I’ll make all of New York believe he’s a pedophile. The police will throw him in jail and his good reputation will be forever ruined. And what about your mother? I could make her look like a drug dealer. What do you think her high society friends will think of her then?”
Tears built up in Ashley’s eyes again. “You wouldn’t—”
“Are you sure about that? Do you want to push my limits?”
“No.” Her voice cracked.
“Then you’ll do everything I tell you to do. Believe me, you don’t want to cross me. I can ruin your reputation, too.”
She didn’t dare argue with him. Besides that, her headache grew worse by the second.
“Are you going to give me problems?”
“N-no.” She fell weakly against the mat and cried.
She didn’t know how long she’d laid on the floor crying, but soon a man came up to her and told her to drink something. She did willingly, not wanting to give Zander any reason to follow through with his threats on her family.
A sickening fuzziness blanketed her mind, and she drifted off to sleep. A sliver of light from the gap in the curtains over the window shone on her face and woke her. It was easier to look around the room, now, except that the splitting headache she had made her squint. The room had grown three times in size from what she’d figured it had been when she first entered. There were so many women – either crying or asleep – lying on the floor all around her. If Zander didn’t want to make them into prostitutes, then what was his intent?
Time seemed to blend together, and she didn’t know one day from the next. Sometimes she fought when the men tried to make her drink that awful liquid, but they’d slap her and force her into submission. There were times she was alert, which helped her to look at the room a little better, and especially the women nearby. The nasty liquid Zander kept forcing down her throat, made her sleep a lot. Perhaps it was better this way. Then she didn’t have to know what the men were doing to her while she was drugged, especially when she could see what they did to some of the other women.
She didn’t know how long it finally took her before she figured out that she needed to act doped up the whole time, whether she was or not. At least they left her alone.
Once, as she lay awake staring at the ceiling, her mind took her from her dreary existence. She thought of her friends at the bank where she worked. Although there were several people that didn’t like her because of who her daddy was – and what management position he’d given her – she still had friends who she could trust. They made her smile and laugh. They went out for drinks after work sometimes, or invited her to the clubs with them at night.
“When is Miller going to be here?”
The man’s voice nearby snapped her out of her daydream, bringing her back to her imprisoned reality. She didn’t turn her head to look toward the man, only because she didn’t want him knowing she was alert.
“I don’t know,” the second man said. “I thought he was supposed to be here by now. We need to get these women out of here soon. Big Z won’t like the delay.”
“You haven’t told him yet?” The first man’s voice rose in irritation.
“No. Do I look stupid or something?”
“I wonder what’s taking Miller so long. Big Z assured me the man would be on time to get the girls.”
Ashley’s stomach clenched, so she gritted her teeth.
“Do you think Z upped the price?”
“Possibly. You know how greedy he gets.”
“Well, all I know is that the longer these women are here, the closer we are to getting caught. I wish Z would find a different direction to take when he expands his crimes. Smuggling guns would be safer than human trafficking.”
A fearful sob rose to Ashley’s throat, but she bit it back. Don’t cry!
Suddenly, from the other side of the room, a woman screamed hysterically, and the two men hurried to the woman. Slowly, Ashley rolled to her side... and came face-to-face with someone familiar. All the women in this basement had make-up smeared faces and ratty hair, but Ashley recognized this woman, and hitched a breath.
The other woman’s eyes grew wide. “It’s you,” she whispered.
“Y-you know me?” Ashley asked quietly.
“You were Zander’s girlfriend.”
Ashley nodded. “Before you took over that position.”
The woman closed her eyes as tears slid down her face. “I don’t want it any longer. You can have it back if you want.”
“No, thank you.”
The woman’s long black, wet eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes. “My name is Michelle.”
“I’m Ashley.”
“We need to get out of here,” Michelle said softer. “Do you know what they’re going to do to us?”
Ashley nodded. “Sell us to someone.”
“Yes.”
“But how...” Tears stung Ashley’s eyes, so she quickly blinked them away. “How can we get out?”
“I have a plan, but we have to wait for the men to leave the basement.”
Ashley scrunched her forehead. “They never leave.”
“Yes, they do, but it’s usually when we are all asleep.”
A loud slap ripped through the air as one of the men hit the crying woman, which made her sob harder. They yelled at her to shut up, but their antics didn’t seem to be working.
Michelle scooted closer. “Don’t take any more of the drink they give you. Act like you’re asleep or something.”
“All right.”
“Will you feel strong enough to help me tonight?”
