Saving the Hitman (Men of Ruthless Corp)

"Want to step into my office?" I asked her.

"Ok."

As we walked the short distance to the office space, she kept looking behind her, and I could see her body visibly shaking.

"You're safe here. You can relax. We have excellent security. Nobody can enter or exit without our permission." I held the door open for her, she walked in, and I closed it behind me. She eyed the lock and so I turned the deadbolt and she exhaled as it clicked.

"Sad to inform you there's no such thing as a safe place, but I suppose having the Valor MC looking out for you at least provides some sense of safety. But it’s all an illusion. Your so-called security could be hacked in an instant."

"Is that so?” I asked her. “How’d you hear about the Valor club?"

She shrugged. "Google."

"What kind of trouble are you in, exactly, Tatum, you said, right?"

"I’m a hacker. I freelance. No parent company, no government liaison, no loyalty. I work the jobs I want if the pay’s right.”

“I see. That’s very impressive. So how can we help you at the youth shelter today?”

“I discovered information about a sex trafficking ring on the dark web. Information that a lot of heavy hitters don't want me to hand over to the FBI. These are bad people, Trudy, nasty people. It’s minors. I’m not just talking underage, they’re minors," she said. This girl was tough but the disgusted look on her face spoke volumes. "They hurt kids. I mean little kids, not just young girls but seven and eight-year-olds. Boys and girls. It's sick. I know I shouldn't have gotten involved, but I did. I fucked with their data. I downloaded all of their handles and ran the names, came up with IPs and I know who they are. I know who runs their operation, and now they want me dead."

As I listened to her, I felt the ground sway underneath me. I knew all too well what that kind of environment did to kids, what it did to me, personally.

"I'm going to help you. Let me call Malcolm Miller."

"I knew you’d help. When I read your file and then found out you worked here and this place was connected to Valor, I knew you could help me. You’re my only chance."

"Have you contacted the FBI?"

"Yes, I was supposed to, in Cheyenne. We set up a meet and everything, but when I got out of my car, I saw him drop from a sniper bullet to the head. So I ran. I got in my car and just drove back roads until I got here. They got my laptop and they know everything about me."

"Fuck," I said, not caring that I was breaking my no swearing rule in the shelter. Tatum was probably the most wanted woman to ever step foot in here, even having her at the shelter put all of our residents in danger. I had to think fast and get her the hell out of here.

It wasn't good that she’d driven her getaway car here. They’d certainly followed and that meant she couldn't stay here another minute. I wouldn't put the rest of the kids or workers at risk. There was no way I was turning her out on the street either. I shuddered just imagining what they’d do to this petite, beautiful girl if they got their sadistic hands on her.

"Where‘s your car Tatum, and what’s the make and plates?"

"Parked about a mile away. Blue Toyota Camry, LVH are the plates."

"I’m going to have the MC tow and burn it. Hope you didn’t have anything of value left in it."

Her eyes widened. "Just my photo albums and clothes. Stuff I can live without.”

"Good sweetheart, because from here on out, you’re going to have to change your name and identity. Do you have any ID on your person now? I’m going to have to take that, too. You can’t risk using any of your cards because they’ll be tracking your every move.”

She tossed her entire wallet to me like she already knew.

“I’m sorry for fucking up your shit. For putting you all in danger. But I didn’t know where else to go. I didn’t have anyone to turn to.”

“You did the right thing by coming here. If anyone can help, it's Valor."

I handed her a bottle of water before pulling out my cell to call Rough.

"Malcolm Miller," he answered on the first ring.

"Malcolm, we've got a serious problem at the shelter."

Chapter 3

MALIK

"Trudy, let me warn you, you're on speaker. Let me guess, is it a young girl who got into some heavy shit she should have stayed the fuck away from?"

"How’d you know?" Trudy asked. I looked over at the big fella sitting on the opposite side of my desk and smirked. "Cause I have a little visitor of my own on this end. Kids these days and technology, huh? How long until you can get the precious cargo to my office?"