She shakes her head. “No way. There’s no way you’re leaving me here.”
I run a hand over her brown hair. “I want you to stay safe.”
“Dean, I’ve been after this for so long. I need to go.”
I know she’s right. I know I can’t deny her this victory, but every part of me wants to keep her safe. Protected here at my condo, where I know she’ll be safe. However, I need to let her get her own revenge. “Ok, you’re coming with us.” I kiss her on the lips. “But you stay right by me the whole night.”
She smiles. “Of course.”
We pull up to Humphrey’s club, and there’s no line out front. There’s no security at the door. The place is dead. Which is what we were counting on. Humphrey usually opens his club on the weekends for his friends. During the week is when we’re thinking he must open the club up to the special VIP with his slaves.
I have twelve men with me and about fifteen more on backup not too far away. I’m not foreseeing too much of a problem. I’ve cased the club before, and Humphrey’s security is lacking. It’s not packing much heat, and I’m sure my guys will have no issues bringing them down.
“Stick by me,” I tell Sophia once more.
She nods.
I tap my Bluetooth, speaking to my men, “On my count.” We all get out of our vehicles and surround the building. I hold up my hand, counting down on my fingers, listening if I hear anything going on inside the building.
I hear nothing.
There’s a back door and I try the handle. It’s locked, so I call one of my men to bring his lock pick device to open the door. We wait, standing by while he opens the door, and I glance at Sophia, making sure she knows we’re going once the door opens.
“Go,” I call out, and we move in tandem, like a swat team with precision and grace throughout the building, looking for any signs of life.
Nothing on the main floor.
“All clear,” Zack calls to me, and we move toward the stairwell.
I point to three of my men, telling them to go upstairs as I aim my sub-machine gun toward the basement. “Stay close,” I remind Sophia, and she aims her Glock-19.
She nods. “After you.”
I take the steps, making my way toward the basement. We’re all in black, with our guns ready and loaded. There’s a door at the end of the hallway, and I check to see if it’s locked. It’s open and I peer over my shoulder once more, making sure my team is ready.
Because I have a feeling whatever we’re looking for is on the other side of this door.
And I’m right, the moment I open the door, the lights flip on and I spot a man with a woman on the bed.
He stops what he’s doing to the woman and faces us. He’s naked, and the woman screams when she sees us.
“Hands where I can see them,” I shout at the man and woman on the bed.
A door from the back opens, and Humphrey comes rushing in with a few of his men. “Dean, what’s going on here?”
Dean’s eyes zero in on him. “Game’s over.”
Humphrey waves his hand, like he’s dismissing us, and he laughs. “This isn’t what you’re thinking. They’re both two consenting adults.”
My eyes flick at the woman on the bed who looks horrified and covers herself with a red satin sheet. “Is this true? Are you being forced?”
The woman doesn’t answer, and I shout the question again. Her eyes dart back and forth between the naked man with his arms up and Humphrey.
Sophia steps up. “I remember her. She’s from Romania and her name is Svetlana.”
Svetlana sits up, staring at Sophia as if she’s trying to place her.
“She’s being forced. Where’s the other women?” Sophia points her gun at Humphrey.
Humphrey’s smile disappears as he glances around the room for the answer. “What do you mean?”
“The women, now,” I shout, tired of Humphrey beating around the bush.
Someone pushes past Humphrey. It’s Eddie. He’s in a suit, a nice one, and he holds a gun as well. “Well, hello there. Did you honestly think you could beat me up and nothing would happen?” He walks around the room, and all of our guns are pointed at him. “I recognized this whore the first time I saw her.” He stares at Sophia.
“Why don’t you shut the fuck up and listen to me.” I aim my gun higher. “This is how this is all gonna go down. We’re going to get the ladies out of here. We’re going to shut this place down, and you two are going to get lost.”
Eddie laughs. “You really think I’m going to give up everything for you?”
I nod. “You kind of have no choice.”