“Right,” I agreed. “They are coming up with a plan. I just need you out there to help. You’re the only one who can walk in and out and not look as though it’s suspicious.”
God, I fucking hoped Joss have a plan and quick.
Bryce nodded and turned to walk out the door. I kept my gaze on Cat. I wanted her to look up so she could see I was here. So she knew I was going to protect her. But she didn’t. And as I stared at her, I noticed the pimps were moving in. I had to get to her before someone else did.
I was moving, my legs taking giant strides as I got closer. Then I watched as one pimp took his nasty hand and rub a finger down her cheek and then her bottom lip. I saw red. I saw blood. I was going to take my gun out and start shooting every motherfucker in this place. Fuck justice. A pimp would serve time and get out to only go down this road again. If I put them in the ground, then that was one less trafficker I had to worry about.
Paul grabbed my arm and stopped me. “You need to calm down.”
I shrugged him off. “What would you do if that was Joss?”
“I know. I would be out for blood too. But I’m here for a reason—we both are. She’ll be safe.”
“They’re touching her!” I spat as low as I could without causing a scene.
We both looked to Cat and that was when I saw the pimp that was caressing her cheek, yank her number off of her then moved to the next girl. I was no longer seeing red. I was shaking, sweating, and on the verge of losing my shit.
Paul stepped in front of me blocking me from my view of Cat. “That doesn’t matter.”
“The hell it doesn’t,” I hissed. “What if he takes her in the back and …” I couldn’t finish that thought. Once he paid Tony, he could technically do whatever he wanted to her. Take atest driveas Bryce had put it.
I needed to get to Cat, at least tell her I was here and to not go anywhere with that guy. I broke around Paul and went to the line of women, scanning them as if I was looking to buy them. As I got in front of Cat, I whispered, “Kitty Cat.”
She went still.
“Don’t say anything. Don’t look up. Everything will be okay.”
Cat nodded slowly.
“I know you were just bought, but you aren’t going anywhere with him.”
She nodded again.
I looked up to see I was near Tony. How the fuck was I going to buy these girls to send to Canada like the plan if I had no money? I didn’t think payment would need to be made tonight. I thought that meeting theoretically would be tomorrow. I looked to my right and noticed Bryce walking toward us. I didn’t move. I wasn’t going to move away from Cat no matter what.
Bryce handed me a piece of paper. “Joss said this is an account number to give to Tony for a transfer. There’s enough to buy fifty girls.”
Cat shivered—or what I thought was a shiver. When I looked closely, I saw tears streaming down her face. I wanted to wrap her in my arms, touch her skin, kiss her lips—anything to show her that everything was going to be okay. But I couldn’t. I was living in my worst nightmare and couldn’t wake up to see it was all a dream and Cat was lying next to me with a smile on her face.
“Kitty Cat, this will all be over soon.”
She nodded one more time.
I looked to Paul, and even though I thought I wasn’t going to leave Cat’s side, I needed to get this shit over with. I needed to catch Tony on camera, and then everyone would move in. We didn’t have time to fuck around. This was Cat, and she’d just been sold. I watched the pimp who had taken her number hand over stacks of cash to Tony. At least we had one fucker on camera. “Start going down the line and grabbing numbers. You do twenty-five and so will I.”
“Got it,” Paul said and moved, ripping the numbers off of the bra straps of the women. They each flinched as the paper tore away from their clothes.
“Stay right here,” I commanded Bryce. “She’s not to go anywhere.” I took a deep breath and then collected my twenty-five numbers. With each one, I wanted to tell the girl who I was and what was happening. Instead, I bit my tongue and caused each one to flinch, showing their fear all while my heart raced. I knew not everyone was cut out for undercover work, but I thought I was. I was until my future was on the verge of being a memory that I’d die to forget.
I moved to where Tony was sitting on the stage in a fucking chair that looked like a throne. I nodded to him and introduced myself. “Michael Wade.” I wanted to push him, cause the chair to fall back and then stick my gun in his mouth and pull the fucking trigger.
Tony stuck his hand out, and we shook. “My son told me that you’re looking to expand into Canada.”
“Yeah. Fifty.” I handed him the numbers and the routing and account number Joss had given me.
He smirked. “Give me a few minutes to get my guy to transfer the money, and then they’re all yours.”
I turned around so I could look at Cat as I waited.
