AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“The alpha is a good and honorable man, but his rule is absolute. You are his mate, and you belong here atForce et Honneur.”
“I see the chauvinism runs deep here. I don’t know how to tell you this, but it doesn’t wash with me. I don’t care that your alpha isEl Tigre. I don’t care that you think he can do no wrong and can bend the world to his way of thinking. Last time I checked, this was the twenty-first century, and women were allowed to choose their own fate.”
“Perhaps in some societies, but not in ours. Our ways have worked for millennia, and you will find, if you allow yourself to, that they will work for you, as well. Eat your breakfast and consider carefully how you behave. The alpha has no use for females who do not know their place. He is a benign and benevolent ruler, but he rules with an iron fist in a velvet glove.”
Maurice set the dishes aside that she had chosen and then retreated from the room. She wasn’t sure how, but she got the distinct impression she’d just insulted him. No matter; she would apologize before she left.
Although she wasn’t sure why she felt the need to bother. It wasn’t like she was going to be living here with these people, and it was nothing to her if they had different opinions on the matter.
After eating her breakfast and deciding Maurice could give any of the famous chefs in New Orleans a run for their money, she sat down at the desk and opened her email, staring at it for the longest time. Deciding she had nothing to lose, she hit the button to try and send a new email. The result was a warning notice that informed her if she tried again, Bodie would be informed. There was no direct or specific threat, but it was there, nonetheless.
Quinn scrolled through her email, looking for the correspondence she’d had with one of the low-ranking port authorities. He had been a reliable source of good information in the past and had contacted her about one of the warehouses being used by men he thought might be in with the Gutierrez cartel.
Alvaro was of Hispanic descent, and he had a healthy dislike for the cartels and anyone else who used their power to hurt others. Oddly enough, he had only good things to say about Lambeau. Considering where the area the sex traffickers had been operating the year before was located, Quinn had to wonder if he might not have tipped off Lambeau about their whereabouts.
Quinn spent the next several hours going over what Alvaro had sent her, printing out the pertinent emails she felt would be useful in making her case to Lambeau. If nothing else, her time in New York City had taught her how to sell a story idea to an editor inclined to turn it away. Once she had completed that, she began searching through public records and news articles regarding the warehouse Alvaro had pointed out to her.
The records certainly gave credence to Alvaro’s belief that whoever was leasing the warehouse didn’t want their identity known. Quinn was able to trace the people leasing it back through several shell corporations before finding a final one in South America, and more specifically, in the region from which Gutierrez hailed.
Alvaro had also spotted several smaller boats coming in and out of the Port and docking by the warehouse. Long ago, Alvaro had realized most of his bosses were corrupt and for the right amount of money would turn a blind eye to whatever was going on. He’d learned to use those in law enforcement and the media to turn up the heat on illegal activities.
Quinn leaned back. She was pretty damn sure Alvaro was on to something. She needed to get a message out to him. She walked to the door and opened it to a guard who made Bodie look small. He was the size of a house.
“I need to get an email out. I know the alpha said no, but if I write it out, can someone send it for me, and make sure it looks like it came from me? I’m trying to run down some information about the Gutierrez cartel that I think your alpha will be interested in.”
“If you write out the information, I will ask the alpha if we can send it for you.”
“It’s important that it looks like it came from me.”
The man grinned. “That won’t be an issue. We have an excellent technology group. I’ll see that it gets to the alpha as quickly as possible.”
“Thank you.” Quinn rushed over to the desk and scribbled out the note for Alvaro and gave it to the guard. She thought about locking the door but decided it had been silly to think a locked door would even slow Lambeau or any of his men down.
Quinn knew that she should have tried to put something in there that Alvaro might recognize as a cry for help. But getting away from Lambeau for the moment wasn’t what she had in mind. If she was right, and every journalistic instinct she possessed said she was, it might not be the worst thing to team up withEl Tigre. Gutierrez was a brutal man, and no doubt would kill some nosy reporter sniffing around whatever he was up to. Lambeau was right in that she would be safe here, and maybe she wouldn’t mind going another couple of rounds with him and his big dick.
Perhaps they could come to some kind of agreement and work together. The trick would be in keeping their relationship, or whatever anyone wanted to call it, quiet so as to not jeopardize her professional reputation. Quinn stretched and went out onto the balcony. It had a commanding view of the Gulf of Mexico and the fine lawns, dunes, and beach that lay between the house and the water. On either side, the landscape that was not manicured faded into sawgrass and beyond that the swamp.
She stood for the longest time watching the waves, the sky, and the birds that flew free, wondering how she’d managed to get herself in this situation, and why it no longer seemed so important that she get away?
El Tigrewas a dangerous man. Quinn was coming to believe he was far more dangerous to her, but not in the way he was to others.
CHAPTER12
BODIE
Bodie and Navarro spent the morning going through everything they had learned about Gutierrez and his crew. Bodie called Randall Beckett and Nolan Hamilton, both of whom had encountered Gutierrez in their territories and sent him packing.
There was a knock, and one of the techies stepped in with a piece of paper, handing it to Bodie as he said, “Your lady requested that we send this email for her and ensure it appeared to come from her email.”
“Did she try to communicate with anyone?”
“One simple attempt to this recipient. I don’t think she expected it to work, and she didn’t try again. It felt more like she was just testing it but wasn’t determined to try and find a way around the algorithm. The email itself seems straightforward with no hidden message.”
Bodie read over the note, quirking his eyebrow as he did. “Hmm. I would agree. I think my mate may be onto something. Go ahead and send it but ensure that we intercept the answer.”
“Yes, Alpha. I’ll see that it’s done immediately.” The techie scurried back through the door. Bodie wondered how it was that a tiger-shifter could actually scurry, but it seemed all of those who were responsible for the technology they used had that ability.
“Do you think that’s wise, Alpha?” asked Navarro.
