Page 68 of Beast

The only thing I could imagine worse than the hell I had endured was to think, even for a second, that I had a chance of getting my life back. A chance to be whole again. And having nothing come of it. I wanted to enjoy this moment, this fantasy. Even if it only lasted one night.

5

Patrick

ONE LOOK BACK INTO HER hazel eyes and my doubts melted away. After five years, extensive manhunts, and expensive private investigators, I was the one who stumbled upon the long lost Annie Hamilton.

This time, she wasn’t wearing sexy lingerie, probably because she hadn’t been called out to the line. She was clad in a stained white tee shirt and pink cotton panties.

I debated apologizing for paying her to give me a blowjob. As much as I felt like a jackass for hiring a captive sex slave, deep down I didn’t regret it. Probably from growing up listening to all of my mom’s new age bullshit, but I believed everything happened for a reason. I’d found her. That was all that mattered.

Annie sobbed quietly. I could handle that. Being raised by a single mom, I’d comforted her so many times growing up, it was as if I were the parent. Every time she had her heart broken, she lost a job, or she didn’t have enough money for Christmas presents, I was the one who reassured her everything would be okay.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. I’m going to take care of you.” I embraced her, her tiny frame almost disappearing in my strong arms. She buried her head into my chest. I would do anything to protect her—she’d been through hell and back and if she needed me to hold her, wipe away her tears, and tell her everything was okay, I would do that. I wanted to comfort her as much as I could. “You can relax. I’m not going to have sex with you, or make you touch me—that’s not why I’m here.” I had a thousand questions to ask her, but I didn’t know how to start. She didn’t release me, and just softly sobbed in my arms. When was the last time someone just held her and told her it was okay? The seconds turned into minutes and I didn’t have the heart to let her go. How was I going to walk out of this room in two hours and leave her behind?

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, she released me. I brushed back the hair on her face and handed her the paper bag. “I picked you up some things, clothes and stuff.”

Mascara ran down her face. She opened the bag and took out a sundress, fresh panties and a bra, and some vanilla-scented lotion. I kept the necklace in my pocket.

Her tongue poked in her cheek and she swallowed.

“You can put the dress on if you want.”

She nodded, stood up, and turned away from me as she undressed. Her sudden shyness surprised me, as less than twenty-four hours ago she had my dick in her mouth. I forced myself to not stare at her, and focused my glare on my feet and not her ass. A dull pain heaved in my chest. I hated myself for adding to her nightmare. At least I came back to do the right thing.

I needed to figure out the daily routine at the brothel; how far gone she was on heroin, and try to make a plan. There was no Intel team on the ground making action plans for me. I was in charge. And alone. No one to watch my back...or hers.

There wasn’t even an embassy in Aruba—the closest one was in Curaçao so even if I could somehow smuggle her out of here, she’d have nowhere to go. I needed to get her out of here and safely back on American soil as soon as possible.

Maybe I should’ve told Vic. But Vic played by the rules. He would’ve never let me go rogue. Or accompany me to a brothel, for that matter. Vic was a good man, a deeply pious Catholic. When his wife cheated on him during our last mission, I didn’t know if he would make it. He spent every minute he could back in the States with his daughter, Carina. I knew he missed her like crazy. I couldn’t imagine having a child. My dad left before I was born, so I wouldn’t have a fucking clue about how to be a father.

Annie turned back toward me, dressed in her sweet yellow sundress, her hands fidgeting, as if she wanted approval.

“That looks nice on you,” I offered, careful not to compliment her body. Though she was way too skinny, and her skin was speckled with bruises and welts, she was still sexy as hell. Her pouty lips curved up, her wild hair framed her face. My mind flashed and I wondered if the situation was different, if she was my girl, what it would feel like to hike up her sundress, rip off her panties and feel her wet pussy clench around me. I knew I could never again cross the line with her. From now on, she was nothing more than a mission to me.

She sat on the cot next to me. I wanted to move over and put an invisible line of distance between us, but I kept her close by my side.

I whispered into her ear, “I need to take a few pictures, okay?”

She shrugged and I took out my phone. Took a shot of her ankle, her scar, and her face.

“What happened, Annie? Tell me everything.”

She remained silent, her dilated pupils fixed on the wall.

I pulled her to me and stroked her hair. “I’m sure they think by now they’ve broken you so much you’d never consider running. You can trust me. But I can only help you if you let me.”

Her shoulders dropped and she blinked rapidly.

I didn’t want to talk about myself, but I guess she needed more from me in order to open up. “I believe you, Annie.” Every time I said her name, more tears welled in her eyes. “I saw your tattoo, your eyes, and your scar. I’ve read the news reports. Once I heard you speak, I knew you were an American, but I was spooked. I don’t run away from problems, I fix them. If anyone can save you, I can. But if I told my command I found you, I’d have to go to Captain’s Mast for going to a brothel. My career would be over, and then I’d never be able to get you out of here. And they would have to clear any rescue plans through the CIA and FBI, which could take months. The closest embassy is in Curaçao. I’m confident I can rescue you, I just need some more info. So please, help me help you.”

She still didn’t say a word.

I ran my hands over the scabs on her arms, her skin was clammy. “So, you shoot heroin?”

Her voice trembled. “Yeah. I can’t stop. I want to, but they keep us high.”

Right. Can’t say I blamed her. “I get it. How long have you been in this brothel?”