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  "I did it again. I'm sorry. Let's change the subject."

  Lucas removed his hand from the steering wheel and took hers in his, resting their joined hands on the console of the black Jaguar. It was an amazing car. Black, with buttery soft, tan leather. It suited Lucas perfectly. Dark and handsome.

  "You didn't do anything. As with anyone, I have my demons from the past. Certain subjects bring those back to me, that's all."

  They pulled into the parking garage of an old warehouse building. Gang tags and profanities graced the walls, and Scarlett shuddered. Her doubt from earlier rose to the surface again. If Lucas made enough money to have a Jaguar, why was their office building such a beat-up piece of crap?

  He must have felt her tense up, since he said, "Wait till you see the inside. Appearances can be deceiving." He winked.

  She relaxed slightly. "Why is your office in such a bad part of town?"

  "This is where our contacts are located. Where we grew up. We know people. If our offices were staged in a high-rise outside of D.C., we'd get nowhere with our informants. This office keeps us approachable."

  "Makes sense." The car pulled into an old freight elevator, and Lucas pushed a button clipped to his sun visor. The elevator moved, and Scarlett jumped out of her seat. "What the—"

  Lucas's laugh was contagious, and she joined in. "I didn't realize it moved."

  Lucas squeezed her hand, the one he hadn't yet let go of, and leaned over the console. His eyes met hers, and the heat in the car rose several degrees. Scarlett's breaths came in short staccato gasps as she tried to settle her nerves. Lucas's chocolate brown eyes dropped to her lips, and her tongue darted out to wet them. He leaned in, and the elevator jerked to a stop. Startled, Scarlett let out a little squeak, and he pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek.

  They exited the elevator, and Lucas drove to a spot that had a sign above it that said L. Falco. He parked, and they walked towards a door that was equipped with a top-notch security system. Lucas pressed his palm to the plate by the door, and it opened, spilling them out into a beautiful living room. A high-dollar kitchen was across the room, and a hallway revealed several rooms off the other side.

  "Do you live here?"

  "I do. As well as the other members of the team. There're six of us in all. You've met Zach, and I'll introduce you to the others shortly."

  Scarlett took in the luxury furnishings and suddenly felt very much out of her league. She thought about her own tattered apartment, with its thrift store finds as the decorating theme. Her place was a whole lot of shabby with very little chic.

  Lucas took her bag that he'd retrieved from the car and placed it by the hallway to what she assumed were the bedrooms. "I'll get you set up in a room after we go downstairs and brief the team." He crossed the room to an elevator and hit the button. Scarlett, suddenly very insecure, walked over to him with her hands twisting in front of her.

  "Will they be upset that you brought me here?"

  "No. I've already alerted Sully that you're with me. We'll keep you safe, Scarlett. I promise."

  It was an odd thing to say, and she felt as if she wasn't privy to all the details. "What do you mean, keep me safe? It's Emery that's in trouble, not me. Right?"

  Lucas shifted his eyes, and she turned to face him. "What are you not telling me?"

  Lucas shook his head, and she grabbed his arm. "Lucas, tell me why you need to keep me safe!"

  He sighed and pulled her closer to him, as if to shelter her from the bad news. She bristled but allowed the contact. "I wanted to wait until we had more information, but it appears that they didn't want just Emery. They wanted you, too."

  "What? How do you know this?"

  "Zach read the messages between Damon and Emery. He asked a lot of questions on Tuesday, and then brought you back up yesterday. It seemed he was trying to gain information about when you would be home. Our guess is he planned to take you both, which is why he had more than one person with him."

  Scarlett pulled away from his side just as the elevator doors popped open to their floor. She walked right into a room with windows for walls. She was able to look across an atrium to the rooms across the way. You could see every office that circled the perimeter of the building.

  "Impressive, isn't it?" Lucas grinned. All she could do in response was nod. "This way."

  He pointed them down a narrow hallway to a large conference room. Assembled there already were two very handsome men and a beautiful woman that reminded her of Emery, with the same brown hair and freckles. The only differences were her age and her crystal blue eyes. She looked more like Emery's sister than Scarlett did.

  Tears pricked her eyes, and she blinked rapidly to keep them from spilling over.

  Their conversations halted as they looked at Lucas expectantly.

  "This is Scarlett Ferguson, Emery's sister. Scarlett, this is Ethan, Gabriel, and Isabel." Ethan sat across from Isabel, with blond, wavy hair almost to his shoulders. He had it tied back, and some of the shorter pieces framed his face. On the other side of the table was Gabriel, with tan skin and curly hair that fell to about his chin. His gray-blue eyes were piercing. Strong cheekbones and a straight nose rounded out his features. She shivered at the intensity of Gabriel's gaze, noticing the tattoo that peeked out of his shirt around his collarbone.

  "Nice to meet you," Scarlett replied, jerking her gaze away from Gabriel's stare. They all nodded in response.

  "Where's Sully?" Lucas asked.

  "Right here," a deep voice said behind them. Scarlett jumped slightly and scooted closer to Lucas.

  Lucas was a tall guy, maybe six-two. This guy towered over him by several inches. He had to be six-five, at least. His chest was broad, and his hair cut close in a military style. His eyes were the exact color of Isabel's.

  "Scare her to death, why don't you?" Lucas snarled.

  "Sorry. Didn't mean to scare you. I'm Sully," he said, and stuck out his hand for her to shake. She took it and noticed how large his hands were. It made her hand look like a child's.

  "Scarlett Ferguson. Thanks for helping us."

  He made his way over to the head of the conference table and motioned for them to have a seat. She sat down next to Isabel, with Lucas beside her.

  "Ok, Lucas. Fill us in on the timeline."

  Lucas stood and walked over to the whiteboard. He took a marker and wrote 7:08 pm— Emery taken. Next, he wrote 7:10 pm—Emery says Damon Smith, 7:12 pm—phone is dropped, 7:15 pm—silence on the line.

  Lucas turned from the board. "So we think he left the apartment somewhere around seven-fifteen this evening."

  "Any reason for taking her that you can see?" Sully asked.

  "Damon Smith is actually Damon Lopez," Lucas answered.

  Isabel gasped, and Scarlett shot a look in her direction. Isabel's hands covered her face.

  "Damon Lopez? Are you sure?" Isabel asked.

  "Yes, we're sure. He used an old photo from about ten years ago, making him appear younger to Emery. He's an attractive guy. Anyhow, we know that he used a fake profile and probably friended a bunch of people from her school. That way, she was more likely to accept his friend request."

  "That's exactly what happened." Zach appeared in the doorway and walked in. He walked over to the whiteboard and motioned towards the marker. "May I?" Lucas handed him the marker and took his seat next to Scarlett.

  He propped his laptop on the table and started writing. "Damon Lopez used to be in the drug game. But it seems he's changed tactics. He's still running drugs, but, with that, he's also trafficking guns and women." Scarlett's stomach rebelled, but the thought of humiliating herself in front of all these people kept her nausea at bay.

  "Is he the one The General called about this afternoon?" Ethan asked.

  "The General called?" Lucas hadn't heard the latest since he'd been in Warrenton all day.

  "Yes, this afternoon while you were at Hopkins' place. He wants us to uncover a trafficking ring right here in D.C. Seems this guy
has caused some trouble for some people on The Hill, and they want him gone. So, of course they called us," Sullivan replied.

  "To answer your question, I think he's a good start. He may not be the big fish, but I'm positive he can lead us to him. But until we know for sure, we treat him as if he's our man," Zach said.

  Lucas frowned. "So—"

  "That's not all." Zach looked at Scarlett.

  "I already told her. Go on."

  Scarlett watched as the two exchanged meaningful glances, and slammed her hands down on the table. "Tell me," she said. Heads jerked up around the table, and she met their wide eyes with determination. "It's my life. My sister's life. I have a right to know everything."

  Lucas inclined his head towards Zach, and Zach continued, "I was able to send the audio of the voicemail recording back here to the lab earlier, while we were still back at your place. I had them analyze the noises, see if they could pick anything up."

  "And?"

  "We were able to decipher this." He played a loud but muddled message on his laptop that rang throughout the conference room through hidden speakers. It was Em's voice, her words screaming through the room: "You leave my sister alone, you creep!"

  A cold chill swept over Scarlett's body. She felt disembodied somehow, distant. As if she were floating above the room, observing.

  He wanted her. He might come for her.

  She felt Lucas's arms encircle her, but she was stiff—frozen. Her mouth open and closed like a fish, trying to utter the words, "I’m ok," but nothing came out. The shaking started then. The pure terror of the thought, of experiencing the torment that Emery was at this very moment experiencing. It was all too much.

  "Get her out of here, Lucas. Take her upstairs and calm her down," a voice called out, though she couldn't determine whose it was.

  She felt herself being lifted up, but she didn't know where they were going. She rested her head against Lucas's hard chest and closed her eyes.

  * * * *

  So stupid. He should have listened to the message first before allowing Zach to play that in front of her. Her body grew heavy in his arms, and he glanced down, noticing her eyes were shut. She was in shock, and he needed to warm her up and get some fluids in her. She hadn't had any food or drink since earlier tonight, at the diner. That had been several hours ago. And he didn't remember her drinking anything during that time.

  He rushed down the hall into his room, and pulled back his covers with one hand. He gently laid her on the bed and covered her with the blankets. He went to walk away, and she reached up and pulled on his arm. "Stay. Please." She was shivering, her lips quivering as she tried in vain to control the shakes.

  He nodded and slipped off his shoes.

  Isabel appeared around the corner. "What do you need?"

  "Soup. Water. She hasn't eaten much all night, and, from the looks of her, probably all day." Isabel disappeared, and Lucas slid into bed with Scarlett. He pulled her close to him, her head resting on his chest as he stroked her hair. Loosening the bun at the top of her head, he let her hair cascade around her. He'd never seen it down. It was much longer than he’d realized, and heavy. Wavy with tiny curls that sprang out around her face. The silky strands were a deep red, almost the color of scarlet, like her name.

  "I'm sorry," she whispered.

  He leaned his head closer to hers. "You have nothing to be sorry for. It's been a really crappy day." She chuckled hoarsely, and he noticed the shivering was slowing down. "I’m the one who should be sorry. I should never have let you listen to that."

  She shook her head on his chest. "It wasn't your decision to make. It was mine. I'm glad I heard it. And tomorrow, I'll wake up to attack this problem full force. But for now, I need sleep."

  "I agree."

  "Don't leave?"

  "Never." He felt her relax, the shakes ceasing, and her breathing grew more even. Isabel walked in with soup and water, and he tilted his chin towards the nightstand. He'd give it to her when she woke up.

  He tightened his hold on this woman who seemed to be under his skin. As he stroked her hair and caressed her back, he wondered if he deserved an opportunity for redemption. He knew he didn't, but he wasn't about to pass up the chance to put his demons to rest once and for all.

  Chapter 7

  She was so cold. Her head felt heavy, her body weighed down. Emery tried to open her eyes, but her vision was cloudy. She pushed herself up, and a wave of nausea hit her so hard, she violently threw up. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, she tried to sit up, but had to keep her eyes closed for the banging in her head.

  Slowly, Emery looked around and realized she was in a bathroom. A very dirty, very smelly bathroom. She heaved again, retching painfully with nothing else coming up. Her stomach was empty, as she hadn't eaten since lunch today.

  Lunch. How long ago was that? She assumed she'd been drugged. It was all she could do to hold her eyes open. She leaned back against the tiled tub and rested her head on the side. She just couldn't hold it up anymore but didn't relish the idea of lying back down in her throw-up. Her hands were bound, still, with zip ties, as well as her feet, so there would be no moving around. She wished she had paid closer attention to those videos circling social media on how to escape from zip ties. If she could get away, she knew she could outrun them.

  A creaking sounded from the door, and she pushed back into the corner as much as she could, making herself as small as possible.

  "You've made a mess," his now familiar voice said.

  "Why are you doing this to me?" Her voice sounded far away and nothing like her own.

  He knelt down beside her and tenderly stroked her face. She flinched, and he pulled his hand away. "It's not personal. Money, of course."

  "We don't have any money to give you," she protested.

  He laughed, cold and menacing. The kind of laugh that horror movies were made of.

  "Silly girl. I make money selling you to the highest bidder. The fact that you're a virgin is a shame—I'd love to try you out for myself."

  She whimpered, pulling her knees closer to her chest. He smiled, joker-like in its predatory grimace. He touched her hair, running a hand down her arm and then over her breast. Tears began to flow as she tried to move away from him, from his intentions, but there was nowhere to go.

  "But, a virgin gets me a higher price. So for now, you're off limits. Maybe he'll let me have you after he's tried you out himself. It's a shame I couldn't get your sister, too. Sisters are a rare find, especially two that look like you. And the red hair—another bargaining chip." He stood, then, and walked towards the door.

  "Please," she begged. "Leave my sister and me alone. Let me go. I promise I won't tell anyone."

  He turned back, and his cold eyes, as cold as death, peered into hers.

  "Of course you won't. Because you're not going anywhere."

  And he closed the door. Emery's sobs turned violent, wracking her whole body. The nausea returned, and she retched over and over, never producing anything but dry-heaves. Her lips were sore and cracked, and she knew she was dehydrated. She closed her eyes and prayed, "Please, God. Get me out of here."

  * * * *

  Scarlett awoke warm and toasty, slowly blinking her eyes open. Faint light shone from the skylight above the bed. Wait, she didn't have a skylight in her bedroom. She sat upright, only then noticing that she was wrapped tightly around a hard body—a hard, male body. She was in bed. With Lucas. She pulled the covers up and glanced down at her body, seeing that she was fully clothed. He, however, was dressed only in his boxers. She was admiring his tight butt for a moment when an amused voice said, "See anything you like?"

  Her face heated up furiously, and she knew she was as red as a beet. She jerked the covers down and covered her face with her hands. She felt him roll over, and then his warm hands parted hers to peer into her eyes.

  "Morning," he said.

  "Morning," she replied. Her voice croaked, and she realized she was extremely thi
rsty. Reading her mind, he reached across her to the nightstand and gave her a glass of water. She sipped greedily, handing it back to him only when she'd emptied it.

  "What's the plan?" she asked. "How are we going to find my sister?"

  Lucas reached for his phone, once again stretching himself across her body to get to the nightstand on her side of the bed. His arm brushed her breast, and she trembled. He smiled knowingly and asked, "Cold?"

  She decided to ignore the question since he knew the answer to it already. She thought she should be embarrassed to wake up next to this man she barely knew, but for some reason, she wasn’t. She felt safe, protected, cherished.

  Lucas read a text on his phone and looked her in the eyes. "I need to go talk to someone. I texted her last night to see if I could come by, and she's agreed to meet me today around noon."

  "I'll go—"

  "No, you'll stay here, where you can be protected by—"

  "Lucas, you are not my father. And this is my sister's life we're talking about. I’m in this, and I go where you go, understand?"

  Lucas looked as if he were ready to protest and then relaxed. "Ok. You can go with me, but let me do the talking, ok? You may live on this side of the tracks, but it's obvious to anyone who meets you that you don't belong here." His expression darkened, and he turned to get out of bed, giving her a perfect view of his boxer-brief-clad ass. It was such a fine ass, too. She sighed as he bent to pull on his jeans. He looked over his shoulder at her and said, "You done looking, so I can get dressed now?"

  She flinched and crawled out of the bed, heading straight towards the bathroom. She muttered, "Sorry," and slammed the door. She could hear his laughter as she made her way to the shower.

  * * * *

  It was good to know that she was just as attracted to him as he was to her. He was an asshole for wanting to take and kiss her entire body last night as they lay in bed together. But he was a man—a man extremely enticed by a redheaded fireball.

  He read over the text from Maryanne that he'd received in the middle of the night. It wasn't one he wanted Scarlett to read. Even as he remembered her crude come-ons, he felt himself grow uncomfortable with the thought of exposing Scarlett to the seedier side of life.