Banished (A Retribution Novel) (12 page)

Adrenaline slammed into Ryan when headlights
appeared in the passenger mirror. The lights sat higher than a car’s would have.
“This might be it.”

He held his breath as the lights approached, and
the vehicle moved past Sam’s Charger.

“That’s it.” Sam started his car and pulled out
behind the truck. He flipped on his red and blue lights, the colors bouncing
off the back of the semi.

Brake lights flared red, and the truck pulled to
the side of the road along a stretch of unoccupied industrial businesses.

Sam nodded with a jerk of his head. “Let’s make
this quick. I don’t want to attract any unnecessary attention.”

Sam walked up to the driver’s side of the truck
while Ryan took the opposite. He pulled his Beretta from the back of his pants
and clicked off the safety.

“Step out of the truck, please.” Sam’s voice
carried through the night.

Ryan waited until he heard the driver disembark
before he quietly opened the door near him and climbed inside. He flipped on his
flashlight and began his search of the cab while Sam kept him occupied. If he
didn’t find anything, Sam would have to release the driver.

Ryan kept an ear open to the men’s voices as he
dug through the glove box, prepared to vacate if Sam gave the signal.

Unfortunately, he didn’t find anything to indicate
illegal activity. Nothing in the center console, either.

He turned toward the back quarters when he heard
Sam ask the driver to open the back of the truck. Scuffling and grunts followed
his request. Ryan shifted to jump from the truck when the driver’s side door
opened, and a heavy-set, dark-haired man pulled himself up into the cab, alarm
coloring his features when he spotted Ryan.

“Hold it right there.” Ryan pointed his gun at the
guy.

The driver turned, but froze.

“You can climb back down,” Sam said.

The man slowly inched his way to the ground. Ryan
climbed down from the big rig and hurried to the driver’s side just as Sam
shoved the driver against the side of the truck and cuffed him.

“Assaulting an officer is a serious crime,” Sam
said between gritted teeth as blood gathered on his bottom lip. He turned and
spit onto the asphalt.

“You had no reason to pull me over.” The man spoke
with a heavy European accent.

Sam grabbed his shoulder and turned him around to
face him. “You crossed the center line several times. Probably ought to do a
blood alcohol test.”

“Do it,” the man said. “You won’t find anything,
and then you’ll have to let me go.”

“Correction.” Sam got up in his face. “I
would
have had to let you go. But not after you punched me. One way or the other,
you’re going down.” He shoved the guy’s shoulder, making him stumble. “Let’s
see what you have in the back of the truck.”

Instead of walking in the direction Ryan expected,
the driver took off on a run.

“Fuck,” Sam said. “They never make this easy.”

“I’ve got it,” Ryan answered. “It will be a
pleasure.”

The heavier man didn’t have a chance. Ryan sucked
adrenalized oxygen into his lungs as he closed the distance between him and the
perpetrator. He needed this. Needed a way to burn off excess energy and
frustration.

Sensing that he was about at his end, the driver left
the roadway and headed down into a small ravine. Ryan tackled him before he
made it up the other side. The guy went down hard with his hands behind his
back, the air exploding from his lungs in a grunt, making Ryan grin.

Ryan stood and jerked the driver to his knees.
“Get up, asshole. If you cooperate, this is going to be a whole lot easier on
you.”

“I’m just the driver. I don’t know anything.”

He didn’t know how Sam listened to this kind of
shit day-in and day-out. “Yeah, if you’re so fucking innocent, why did y’all
run?”

“I need the money. I don’t know what’s in the back
of the truck. They needed a driver, and I needed the money.”

Hell. “Why don’t you stop singing until we see
what’s inside?”

They approached the back of the truck where Sam
waited with the doors open. Sam met his gaze and shook his head, a shocked look
on his face. The driver tried to escape again, but Ryan tripped him, letting
the guy fall face first onto the asphalt.

“Innocent, my ass. You know exactly what’s in
there.” Ryan left him face-down on the pavement.

“It’s bad.” Sam stood back and handed his
flashlight to him.

Ryan met his alarmed gaze before he took the light
and shined it inside. Large crates were stacked two high along the edges, most
of them a tan color, all with a metal grate on the front. A stench greeted him,
reminding him of a drug lord he’d encountered overseas that kept black cougars
locked in cages. “Exotic animals?”

“People,” Sam whispered, stealing the oxygen from
Ryan’s lungs.

“Help us,” said a small voice from somewhere
inside.

“The fuck.” Ryan gripped the side of the truck to
keep his bearings. He’d seen some bad shit in his life, but nothing like this.

“Hunter,” Sam said into his cell phone. “The
situation is much more serious than we thought. It’s going to take all of us to
figure this out.”

*        *        *

A chill crept over Violet as Xander pulled behind
Sam’s car. A man sat in the backseat, but she couldn’t see his face. Xander left
the engine running, and they all exited the car.

“Human-trafficking?” Xander whispered to Ryan when
he met them outside the car.

“Yeah.” Ryan wrapped an arm around her waist,
pulling her close. “I’m so sorry.”

She met his gaze as sick disbelief overwhelmed
her. She couldn’t stop shaking her head. No. Her brother? Human-trafficking?
No.

She couldn’t form words.

“Here’s the deal,” Ryan said to Xander. “We can’t
handle this without the authorities. There’s no way to take care of nearly
thirty people, most of them young women.”

“Shit.” Xander blew out a breath, obviously as
shocked and disgusted as she was.

“Exactly. We need to get Violet’s brother here if
we’re going to make sure he can’t escape prosecution along with the rest of the
sick bastards who run this operation.” He pulled her tighter against him. “That
prick can’t be free. Sam seems to think his department will assign the case to
him if he requests it since he’s the one who called it in.”

“Okay.” Xander glanced toward the truck again.

“The cops will get the people some help, book the
driver, and impound the truck. Since it’s Saturday, Sam can drag his feet a
bit, use the weekend as the excuse that he needs time to investigate and that it
will be hard to get answers until Monday when people are at work.”

“Can he do that?”

“Let’s hope.”

“What about you? How will Sam explain your
presence?”

“What presence? I was never here.” He grinned. “Why
would the guy bring it up anyway? He probably thinks I’m a cop, too. And even
if he does say something, who do you think they’ll believe? A felon or a cop
who’s received several commendations?”

Nicole snorted. “You have a point. I doubt he’s
smart enough to realize you’re not an officer.”

Ryan tilted his head toward Xander’s car. “Let’s get
out of here so Sam can call it in, and then we need to figure out a way to get Violet’s
brother to Portland.”

“Make the call.” Ryan put his hand on Violet’s
shoulder, and she shivered. The temperature in Christian’s empty bar was warm
enough, but the task they set before her left her cold.

“I’m not sure I can.” She still couldn’t get over
what her brother had done. Those poor people. She couldn’t imagine how
terrified they must have been.

And what about the other shipments? Had they
carried the same cargo? She’d expected drugs or stolen valuables. Not…people.

She hadn’t seen them, but she’d heard them and it
made her blood curdle. “I don’t know if I can stand the sound of his voice.”

“You need to, Violet. That’s the only way to make
him pay. If not for what he did to you, then for his hand in hurting all those
girls.” Ryan watched her, concern mixed with retribution burning in his gaze.

“Drink this.” Christian set a shot glass in front
of her. “The finest Irish whiskey. You won’t be the first person to turn to a
drink for courage.”

She had to do this. She had no other choice. She
lifted the heavy crystal glass and downed the contents in two swallows. The
whiskey burned like liquid fire down her throat. She inhaled and let her breath
ease out. “Okay.”

Ryan handed the bar’s phone to her. “Remember what
we practiced. Tell him the information and then hang up. You don’t need to say
anything else. If we’re lucky, we’ll have him here on the next plane. We can
clear this up before we deal with Guy and Angel tomorrow afternoon. Then we can
work on getting back to good.” The hope in his eyes warmed her. She wanted the
possibility of a future, too.

She didn’t know if she’d ever understand how Ryan
and his friends dealt with this kind of pressure under fire and remained sane,
but she’d do her best.

She pushed the button to dial Kenneth’s number as
the whiskey in her belly rolled and turned against her.

“Violet.” Her brother’s voice came across the line
like a slap. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been searching everywhere for
you.”

She’d bet he had. “I needed to get away after…what
happened.” She’d like him to try and deny his involvement.

“I’ve been so worried. You missed the funeral.
God, Violet, you need to come home.”

His whiny, pretend concern lit her anger. “Cut the
bullshit, Kenneth. I know what you did.” Ryan grabbed her hand.

“What do you mean?” His lowered voice reeked with
caution.

She hoped she’d put the fear of God into him. “Haskell’s
failed attempt to kill me.”

“Violet, no. He wouldn’t do that. I think maybe
you’re cracking under the pressure of losing Dad and having to run the
business. Come back and we can get you some help.”

“The same kind of help you gave Dad right before
he died?” She’d never forgive him for that, let alone any of the rest of it.

“That’s crazy talk.”

He’d like to make people think she was crazy. “I
said,
cut the bullshit
. I’m going to tell you what I want, and you’re
going to give it to me.”

His side of the phone remained silent.

She inhaled, trying to keep her nerves steady. “Some
friends of mine have your truck.”

Another long pause. Fear had to be kicking in. “I
don’t know what you mean.”

“Yes, you do. The shipment you have that’s going
from Portland to Idaho. I have it and all the…contents.” She paused and forced
herself to breathe. “I want money.
All
the money Dad has in his
accounts. You can have the company. But I want the cash, in small bills—”

Ryan shook his head at her, and she frowned.
Damn
.
Had she said something wrong
? She couldn’t remember the exact
conversation they’d practiced.

Ryan waved his hands and motioned for her to
continue.

“I want you to bring it in person so I can look
you in the eye and tell you how much I hate you before I never see you again.”
Her insides shook as she stared at Ryan.

He put a hand up, indicating she was fine.

“Bring it to the Caora Dubh bar in Portland
tomorrow morning. You should be able to catch a flight out tonight.”

“I don’t have that much cash on hand, Violet.” His
voice no longer held its whininess and was now cold and calculating. “The
soonest I can get it is Monday.”

She looked to Ryan for an answer. He nodded.

“Fine. Monday at noon. Caora Dubh bar in Portland.
Be there, or I’m going to the police.” She hung up before he could argue with
her, and she dropped the cordless phone on the bar.

She put a hand over her mouth, and Ryan gathered
her into his arms.

“It’s okay. You did good.”

Christian patted her shoulder. “It’s over now.”

She pressed her cheek against Ryan’s chest and
took comfort in his heartbeat. “I screwed up. He won’t be here until Monday.”

Ryan pulled away and looked into her eyes. “It’s
okay. He’s coming, and we’ll get him. If he’s here by Monday at noon, that
still works with our plan. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said as fear continued to rumble
inside her. Two days and he would be behind bars unable to hurt her or anyone
else.

“You should take her home, man,” Christian said.

Ryan stood and tugged her with him. “That’s a good
idea. Come on, sweetheart. We both could use a good night’s rest before
tomorrow.”

*        *        *

“Are you going to marry her?” Flo stared at him
over Sunday morning coffee.

Ryan had snuck out early that morning to visit his
mom, leaving Violet snuggled warm in his bed.

“I can’t consider that possibility until Guy
confesses.”

“Sure you can. I understand your need for
vengeance, but he’s still winning if you keep your life on hold and never move
forward. Don’t you see that?”

“I see that he needs to pay. I see I have nothing to
offer her until he does. I’m a felon with no security, nothing but a life lived
in the shadows.”

“You’re lucky I don’t get up and come over there
to smack you. What’s wrong with you, boy? Have you looked in the mirror? You
have everything to offer her.”

He snorted, but didn’t answer. He knew exactly
what he had, and she deserved so much more.

“Do you love her?”

“I already told you I do.” His heart ached with
desperation. If he hadn’t made that one choice, hadn’t trusted Guy, he’d be a
decorated officer with a nice paycheck and a hefty pension by the time he
retired. He wanted that for himself, but now he wanted it more for her. He
needed to be worthy enough to ask her to spend a lifetime with him.

“I wish you could see what I see, Ryan Atwood. So
many guys would have rolled over after what happened to you. But you haven’t.
You’ve carved out a life helping others, giving them what Guy took from you.
You’re smart, resourceful, and I have no doubt you could make a wife very
happy.”

“What if we have kids?” What if she was already
pregnant? “They’re not going to want a dad hell bent on vengeance.”

She poured sugar and stirred it into her coffee. “So
let it go. Move on. Don’t let that one thing define your life.”

“But it does define my life.” Why couldn’t she
understand that? “Guy Contreras stole my life, and I want it back.”

She sighed. “Look at what you’ve gained since
then. A family, great friends, and now someone you love with your whole heart.
Embrace that, son.”

He shook his head. “I wish I could.”

Maybe today he’d get his revenge. Maybe they’d
find Guy and he could force him to talk. He had many more resources than he’d
had back when he’d been blindsided by the arrest. He was stronger, and he had
his brothers. He’d find Guy and kick his ass six ways to Sunday until he
talked. Then he’d have his proof. He’d have his life back.

Then he could make a life with Violet if she’d
accept him.

He stood. “I’ve gotta go. I’m meeting the guys in
Portland. We have business to take care of.”

She stood and hugged him. “You be careful, okay? I
worry about you.”

“I worry about you, too.”

She waved him away. “I’m fine. Feeling much
better.”

*        *        *

Ryan’s gaze continually drifted toward Violet as
he drove the distance between Seaside and Portland. Gray clouds followed them
from the coast into the city, promising rain at some point during the day.

The only reason he’d let Violet tag along was
because the meeting between Angel and Guy would take place in a public place
and because Janie would be there as well to keep Violet occupied on the
opposite end of the large outdoor market along the waterfront. The place was
big enough, and the ladies would be perfectly safe.

He couldn’t believe how much he’d grown to care
for her, much less that she seemed to reciprocate his feelings.

“I need to stop and get Christian,” he said as
they crossed Burnside Bridge into downtown.

She didn’t say anything, and he could tell she was
as worried as he was.

“You’ll be fine.” He reached over and took her
hand. “Nothing will happen today, and you won’t be anywhere near Caora Dubh
tomorrow when your brother’s in town. The second we lay eyes on him, Sam will
take him into custody. He’ll be processed and booked into jail. The rest will
be history. Though if something accidently happens and he gets caught in
gunfire…”

She flashed a glance at him, a warning in her eyes.
“
No
. I don’t want you to kill him. I don’t want his blood on your hands.
I don’t think I could bear it.”

He focused on the road ahead as he waited for
pedestrians to cross before he turned the corner. She might not like it, but
that was the best possible outcome if anyone asked him. There was no reason for
her brother to be on the same planet as Violet.

Ryan pulled in front of Christian’s bar, and a
second later Christian came out and climbed into the back of Ryan’s Jeep.

“Hey beautiful,” he said to Violet.

Ryan cocked a brow and was about to chastise him
for flirting with his woman, but Violet smiled and that eased his heart.

“Hi Christian.”

“You hanging out with Janie today?”

“Yes,” she answered, and everyone seemed to relax.
“We’re shopping.”

“Sounds good. Janie’s a nice lady,” Christian
said.

Ryan found a parking space a couple of blocks from
the market. They exited the Jeep and followed the other visitors headed in the
same direction. Sam and Janie waited for them on the corner of First and Pine.
His heart warmed when both of them gave Violet a hug.

They’d accepted her, and she’d done the same. The
way she fit so perfectly in his world
wasn’t
all in his mind.

Everything he wanted was within grasp. All he
needed was Guy and Violet’s brother to show their faces. Then he’d have his
future.

He pulled Violet into his arms and gave her a deep
kiss, needing to taste her sweetness before he went off to the war of his
choosing. “I love you,” he whispered into her ear.

She leaned back and stared into his eyes, hers
full of wonderment. He nodded to reaffirm what he’d said. She mouthed the words
back to him, and he thought his heart might explode. “Stay with Janie today,
okay? I don’t want you anywhere near us. I’ll call when we’re ready to head
home.”

Janie took Violet’s hand. “Don’t worry about us.
I’m going to show her my favorite jewelry vendor and maybe we’ll pick out fresh
flowers, too.” She tugged her away from the waterfront, toward a throng of
vendors.

“Let’s do this.” Christian checked his watch.
“They’re supposed to meet near the bridge.”

Ryan watched Violet and Janie walk away, and then he
turned to follow his brothers.