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“You’re awake! I thought you may be hungry and in the mood for breakfast food. We should be landing in a while,” Matt says, placing a tray of food and coffee onto the nightstand beside me. Something catches in my throat at the gesture. He’s looking at me like he wants to say something, but he doesn’t. Instead he picks up a piece of toast, butters it, and then smothers it in jam. I can’t help but smile when he lifts it to my lips. “Take a bite.”
I do, and it’s absolutely delicious. “The jam is amazing, all the little strawberry seeds are intact and all,” I say.
“Gaby, Chase’s housekeeper, more like everyone’s mom, makes it. Chase has a huge place by Lake Michigan, and they grow apples and have a huge farm. She and her staff put enough up for us to eat this stuff all year,” he says.
“Sasha said Brian and Chase give a lot to charity, and both are huge supporters of trying to get children adopted from the orphanages,” I say.
He nods. “Speaking of them... I talked with Jay, and we’re going to need to give Chase and Brian a report exactly at the 24-hour point after we reach Chicago,” he says, leaning over to wipe a crumb from the side of my lip.
20
MATT
The plane touchesdown in Chicago, right in the city where I live and the city where I first found her. If she was in the bar looking for these people, I already know who the sons of bitches are that are holding these people, but I don’t know how many, or what their process is, and that’s what we need to figure out, because I’m not looking just to get a few women out of trouble. I’m looking to destroy their whole fucking business.
I guide her out of the plane, and we are processed through customs efficiently with our security clearance.
Fucking Jay has sent one of the armored limos. Cole walks in front of us down the ramp and holds the door open, raising his eyebrows at me. I shrug, no clue what the fuck is going on, but if Jay sent it to keep us safe, I’ll take it.
“Where to?” the driver says.
“Great, we’re going to my place,” I say, giving him my address. “Cole, you wanna let him know where you’re heading?” I say, pulling Marenah next to me in the back seat.
“Well, what I wish is that I was heading downtown to the club, but unfortunately someone has to protect your sorry ass,” he says.
“That’s not necessary, Cole. Seriously, we’ll be fine until I lay out a plan for tonight. I can call you later. Go blow off some steam,” I say, knowing he has the keys to the club and can call any girl he wants, and they’d be more than willing to meet him at the club at any time of the night.
“No can do. We stick together. Nate will join us later. You’d do the same for me, so quit being such a badass and tell me you have some of Gaby’s desserts in your freezer,” Cole says.
I nod, because Cole is anything but relentless, and a great friend. “Roger that. She’s put away enough of that stuff to last me a lifetime,” I say, knowing that with his sweet tooth, it may not last us that long.
“Excellent. We’ve got time to work on a plan and let it thaw,” Cole says as the driver makes his way across town, finally pulling up to the skyrise that I call home, on Michigan Avenue.
I roll my eyes, because Cole has no family but our team, and there’s no way I’m shaking him if he thinks we’re in trouble or that we need him. “Sounds good,” I say, guiding Marenah out of the car and toward the entrance, knowing that Cole isn’t far behind.
“Welcome back, Matt...” the doorman says, walking us toward the private elevator.
“Thanks! Good to be home,” I say to the man that holds vigilance at the door of the high-rise.
“Have a great day, sir. There’s been a stir of activity with the deliveries you’ve requested. Let us know if there’s anything else you need,” he says.
“Thanks Leo. I’m sure everything will be fine.” We get into the elevator and I press in the password to my floor.
Marenah has been quiet the entire drive from the airport. If I were her, with an assignment to free the women and children, and then the assigned help just disappeared, I would be too. We’ve got a little more than twenty-four hours though, so we don’t have time to mess around.
As soon as we’re in the condo, I set my timer. “Alright, both of you set your phone timers so we’re in sync,” I say. “Marenah, I’m going to leave it up to you whether we bring Cole up to speed or not. All he or anyone on my team knows is that I need twenty-four hours to help you get women out of trouble. My team is willing to help, knowing women are in trouble, but we all work for Chase and Brian, and we don’t keep secrets from them. Especially when the people that we’re after could very well be the same group in direct conflict with our employer’s family.”
Cole looks around the place and whistles, never having been at my home in Chicago before. I hold back a smile because it wasn’t too long ago that I was in a completely different life and would have never imagined myself working for a legitimate company, doing right by people, and having the money to invest. I have done just that, and as Cole and Marenah take in my condo, I see that reflected in their eyes, and I can’t help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.
We’re here to get a job done though, evidenced by the maps of the city that have been delivered in tubes and sit on my table. “Take a seat. I’ll put on some coffee, pull out some of Gaby’s desserts from the freezer for later, and then we’ll get to work,” I say, setting a pot of coffee to brew.
I’m waiting to see if Marenah is going to spill the story to Cole, but he isn’t waiting around for it. “You guys want to let me know who and what we’re going after? I know if we’re doing this off the grid, that it’s something you need to do, but it would sure be helpful in putting a plan together to bring out everyone safely,” Cole says.
Nothing he said isn’t how I would feel if I was sitting in his position, but it’s not my story to tell. He demanded to come with us, and I look to Marenah, hoping she’ll share the story about the women with him, knowing she’s torn by allegiance to some group, but not who, although I have a sneaking suspicion, and if I’m right, I have no fucking clue how Chase and Brian will react.
“Marenah, Cole can be trusted. He wouldn’t ever condone what’s happened, Princess. If you’re going to trust someone, trust him,” I say.
She contemplates for the smallest of moments, and I can see the very second she agrees, because her bright blue eyes spark with a fiery energy. Marenah glances at both of us and then pulls her knife out of her ankle sock, her gun out of her holster, and another out of her back pocket, laying them on the table. “Okay, I’ve shown you mine, now you need to show me yours,” Marenah says.
