Outside The Ropes: OtherSide Of Fear Part 19

I shook my head, confused. Shouldnt he be questioning me about the money coming in-the drug money and its source?

"Where do they go?" He was stepping closer. "Where is the paper trail on any of them?"

He was standing over me. "Maybe you dont know, but think about it."

I looked to him, sinking deep into darkness. "You said you were part of an investigation for trafficking? You meant-"

"Human trafficking." His eyes were hooded, looking down on me. "Were still trying to find Shadow, and we know that club has something to do with it."

I dont know how I was still standing. My mind cracked in a shock of white, and it took a moment to refocus.

"I dont know what youre talking about. Gage has nothing to do with any of that. Hes selling the club."

"We know. No one stays owner very long; its constantly rotated. So who is really in charge?"

"I dont know what youre talking about." I would keep repeating this till I got out of that room. I needed to talk to Gage.

His hand was on my elbow, steadying me, his voice soft. "I knew you didnt know. I knew you couldnt possibly be part of this." His other arm wrapped around me. "Itll be okay. Just tell me what you do know. A name. Any name."

"Dont touch me." I pushed away, feeling claustrophobic as the room closed in around me.

"Its okay. Ill leave now. But," he produced a card from his pocket and handed it to me between the tips of his fingers. "Call me. Ill meet with you. No one has to know."

I looked at the card it was for a restaurant.

"You can do this. You can save people from this if you talk." He nodded as I took the card out of his fingers. "Well talk soon."

Then he slipped out of the room, leaving me in the middle of a nightmare.

21: Oath.

I LOCKED THE DOOR AFTER ANTHONY LEFT, and then all of my strength slid out of my spine. I sunk down the door until I was sat on the cold tile floor. The screams in my head left little room for thought, but I knew I had to do something. It took a moment for my shaky fingers to retrieve my phone and dial Gage.

"h.e.l.lo," he answered, the sound of him steadying me.

"I- Someone just cornered me and-"

"Who? Where are you?" he interrupted, voice sharp. "Wheres Sal? Im calling him right-the-f.u.c.k now." He dropped the gruff tone, but it his voice strained not completely under control, "Are you okay?"

"Im fine. It was-"

"Wait a second," he cut in. "Sal, do you know where she is? -Where in the math building are you, Regan?"

"In some empty cla.s.sroom. He doesnt need to come in here."

"Like h.e.l.l he doesnt. You need to show him who it was. Now which cla.s.sroom?"

"You dont even know what happened. Stop." His quick anger and demands were pulling me out of my fog.

"I know this person scared you enough that you called me right away. I want to hear about it, but I want to take care of the f.u.c.ker first. So tell me, where exactly you are so Sal can find you."

"Im not scared." I hated his accusation, I hated that it was true, but I didnt want it to be. I rose to my feet. "I was calling because it was about you. It was the same group that spoke to you at the gym the other day." I wasnt sure what I could say over the phone.

He released a heavy breath. "Get out of the building, can you do that?"

"Yes."

"Sals out front. h.e.l.l bring you here."

"All right. Ill talk to you soon."

"Dont hang up. You stay on this phone till youre in that car."

Gage was waiting out back when we pulled up to the club. The sight of him was a relief, but his concern only fed my fears.

He opened my door, eyes flicking over me and pulling me to my feet as he ordered Sal, "Dont go anywhere. Ive got words for you." He closed the door and then wrapped his arms around me, concern thick in his voice, "they werent rough with you, were they?"

"No." I pulled back to look at him. "Were they with you?"

He shrugged one shoulder. "They can be pushy b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, but its only because theyre reaching for anything they can get." His hands moved up and down my back, creating heat against the cold air. "Thats low of them to question you though. I didnt expect that, but I should have. Theyre f.u.c.king scavengers." He paused then, looking at me. Really looking at me for the first time. "Cmon." He started to walk us to the club, arm still around me.

"Shouldnt we talk in the car?" I nodded to his SUV.

His eyes dropped over me. "Yeah, Okay." He pulled his keys out and hit the switch to turn on his engine and unlock his door. "The club is supposedly clear of devices but...we wont be interrupted in the car."

When we were both seated, he turned to me. "Was it Agent Simmons or Greer?"

I shook my head, fiddling with the k.n.o.bs for the heater. The question of who was the one thing I wasnt sure Id share.

"Simmons is dark skin with a big mole by his left eye. Greers bald with a big nose." He was leaning forward to catch my eye. "It wasnt either of them?"

I shook my head again and shrugged. "No. He didnt look like that."

"He? Only one?" At my nod he continued, "And he didnt tell you his name? What did he look like?"

"It wasnt about the drugs. This whole time, I thought that was what this club was covering."

His eyes narrowed. "This club is a way to account for money-All kinds of money-but a lot of it is drugs. Youre not wrong."

I couldnt take my eyes off him. I wanted to read the truth in him but doubted my ability too. I couldnt decide what to focus on as I dropped the next line, his hands or his face. My gaze zoned in on his face like a hawk.

"Theyre not investigating the money. Theyre investigating the girls here. Theyre not on visas like you said."

He had no reaction as I spoke, and that scared the h.e.l.l out of me. His expression melted slow, little lines forming at the corner of his eyes and over his forehead, one by one. "Tell me exactly what was said."

"Theyre investigating a human trafficking ring that crosses boarders. They cant find a paper trail on the girls at all after they leave the club. They think its connected to Shadow. They know youre not really in charge of the club, they wanted a name of who was." I listed the offenses, empty, void of emotion "You didnt say anything though." It wasnt a question, and that gave me a moment of pause. I needed to have the same faith in him. I needed to trust what I felt.

"No, I didnt. I kept saying I didnt know anything, but..."

He squeezed my leg, his large palm gliding over my jeans in rea.s.surance. "Its okay. I know it scared you, but youre better at covering it than you know."

His blue eyes calmed me as they met mine, my pounding heart finally slowing. "I dont know about that."

"I do. Its taken me this long to finally read you, and even still its hard to do." His hand slid up to my stomach, and pressed low on it. "Everythings okay though?"

I closed my eyes, reeling in the last of my panic. I needed to stay calm. His touch centered me, but still the questions swarmed. "Im fine. But what do you know about all of this?"

"Only what Ive told you. They come from Russia. They do have visas. Ive seen the d.a.m.n paperwork; they get paychecks for Christ sake. And I dont know anything about Shadow." He looked straight out his window, at the empty back lot. "Those people are f.u.c.king sc.u.m. Theyll try and get in your mind, Regan. Theyll feed you bulls.h.i.+t lies, try and press on your weakness to get the information they want. They know about your past, Id bet on it. Thats all that was, one big mind f.u.c.k to get a name from you."

His hand was still on my stomach, his words seeping in.

"They know Im pregnant, too."

"How the f.u.c.k?" He pulled his hand away, running it over his head as he looked everywhere besides me, like he could find the answer in the air around us.

"That office has to be bugged. We had someone look into it, but..."

"Ive been to the doctors. People at school know. They could find out any number of ways."

"Yeah." His hand swiped his face. "It doesnt matter anyways, when I sign over the club on Monday, they have to get all new orders to wire it if theyre going to stay legal." He looked at me with a slow clench of his jaw. "What did he say about the baby?"

The fire in his eyes was scary, even if I knew it wasnt truly directed at me. "Just that I should think about it, that this life wasnt safe for me. That Im either going to be killed or go to prison." My hand curled over my stomach in silent prayer. I didnt want to leave this baby without parents. Thinking of Dexter and Leona gave a slight comfort, at least it wouldnt go into foster care.

"Thats not going to happen." He slid his fingers behind my neck, making me look at him. His other hand cupped my cheek, in a gentle touch. "Theres nothing linking you to anything. You wont go down for my sins. Do you understand? They have nothing on you."

I wasnt as confident in that as him, but I nodded.

"Sals staying with you from now on. I dont want these f.u.c.kers filling your mind with any more bulls.h.i.+t. What did the person look like?"

I wanted to believe it all bulls.h.i.+t, but I couldnt dismiss everything. And I couldnt bring myself to admit who, not with that look in his eyes.

"Gage, it could be true about the girls. You said yourself theyre prost.i.tutes. Whats to stop Alessandra from selling them to someone else? Maybe they dont directly deal with Shadow, but it might be connected."

He considered my words, fingers caressing my skin as he slipped a piece of hair behind my ear. His voice was soft when he spoke. "Ill talk to Viktor directly, see what I can find out. I dont want you worrying over this. But, I need you to tell me what this guy looked like."

My stomach ached and muscles strained. Even if Anthony p.i.s.sed me off, I didnt want him hurt. Keeping the information wouldnt hurt anyone else.

"Regan." Gage broke through my debate. "What are you not telling me?"

When I met his eyes, I knew I couldnt keep it in, not when I expected him to be honest with me. "Promise me nothing will happen to him."

"To who?" His face twisted with confusion.

"It was Anthony."

"Who?" His eyes were slits. "The agents name was Anthony?"

He didnt make the connection, and I almost didnt say the rest. "Anthony Fields. Do you remember him?"

Recognition transformed his features, morphing from puzzlement to stone cold anger. All the lines in his skin smoothed out, except the ones around his jaw as it clenched. "That cop in Baltimore?" He practically hissed.

I nodded. "Promise me, please."

"What the f.u.c.k Regan? I cant promise that s.h.i.+t, not if he keeps coming around. He shouldnt even be on this case, not if he knows you." He sat back, dangerous emotions rolling off of him. "Is there anything else youre not telling me?" His chest rose and fell, and he looked like he could breathe fire. "You said he cornered you. He didnt f.u.c.king touch you, did he?"

"No. He didnt." I placed my hand on his chest, and his heartbeat pounded under my touch. "Please, its like you said, he was just pus.h.i.+ng for information. He apologized for not helping with Damien, but he thought he could help-"

"He doesnt want to help you." Gage grabbed my hand, holding it in place on his chest. "Dont fall for that s.h.i.+t. He only wants you to help him. He cant be very high, probably not even an agent yet. He wants the information you have. Thats it. Dont f.u.c.king worry about what happens to him, hes using you." His voice and grip on my wrist softened. "I love you. You know Id do anything for you. I wish like h.e.l.l I could go back and take back what happened. But Im helping you, not him. Tell me you know that."

Uncertainty was clear in his eyes, and it gripped my heart. I preferred his anger over that.

"I do." I leaned in for a kiss, wanting to wipe away the insecurity. I paused as our lips grazed one another. "I love you, too. Youre the only one I count on. And I know well always be there for each other."

"Always." His lips enveloped mine, sealing in our bond, our oath to each other.

"Ive got to talk to Sal, and then we can go. Wait in here for me." He turned his keys in the k.n.o.b, swinging open the office door.

I paused as I stepped through. Cherry and Ian jumped away from each other, nearly the desk length between them. Ian had his back to us, arms moving to buckle his pants.

"s.h.i.+t, do you ever knock?" Cherry snapped. Her fingers adjusted her short skirt. Otherwise she was completely composed, all signs of surprise gone as she challenged me.

"I-"