My Addiction: Second Chances Series (15 page)

Lock took a few deep breaths and looked closely at the woman. He noticed that she was beautiful, stunning actually. She wore a tank top and shorts, showing off a pair of smooth chocolate legs that he could only surmise as being the best pair of legs he’d seen in a very long time. This woman’s hair flowed down to her back, but what captured him, what made him unable to move, was the steady heated gaze coming from the most exotic looking eyes he’d ever seen.

The steadiness of her hands around the gun told him that she was used to handling it, so he had to play this cool.

“Do as I say. I’m not a stranger to using this, so please don’t think I won’t. It’ll be messy, but you know I don’t have to hit you directly, right? Put the fucking gun down.”

Locked chuckled lightly.
This girl doesn’t sound right saying the word fuck.

He relaxed a little; however, he still kept his gun aimed at her.

“I’m Detective Lock Mills with the Plano Police Department. Ma’am, what I need for you to do is slowly bring down your weapon, place it on the floor in front of you and slowly take about ten large steps back.”

She shook her head. “Not going to happen. First, if you haven’t noticed ‘Detective,’ I have the bead on you. Second, I know for a fact the front door was locked when you took it upon yourself to come in. You don’t have a warrant or probable cause. And, I don’t know if you’re a cop or not, so the way I see it you’re trespassing on private property,
my property
, and by law, I can shoot you and tell the cops anything when they get here.” She then frowned. “Hell, by the looks of you, they’ll probably believe me if I tell them that you’ve been following me and acting crazy so I bought a gun to protect myself from any intruders.”

“That shit can’t be registered, and I know for a fact you don’t have a license.”

The woman shook her head. “Wow, that’s your come back?”

Lock, feeling his patience failing, said, “Little girl, you are so over your fucking head. Why don’t you just pull the trigger because, if you let me go, guaranteed I’m going to arrest your ass so fast you won’t know if you’re coming or going.”

“Oh, calm the hell down, Lockhart, and put the gun away.”

Lock looked directly behind the woman to find Ayana approaching.

The woman looked surprisingly at Ayana quickly, then back at Lock. “Lockhart? That’s really your name?”

“Yup, it sure is,” Ayana laughed. “Brad’s full name is Braddock.”

The woman smiled and shook her head. “Their mom must be heavily into romance novels.”

Lock felt his face growing hot. “So, is this your big secret? You’re stripping and screwing her while screwing my brother at the same time?”

Ayana and the woman smiled. Ayana came into the living area and sat down. The woman, still holding the shotgun just watched Lock, her eyes fierce and steady watching every flinch, every breath Lock took.

Ayana looked completely relaxed, which pissed Lock off even more. Lock’s eye narrowed. “And don’t think you’re getting away with this. This is kidnapping and you’re an accessory.”

“Calm down, Lockhart. Put the gun down and sit down. This was the only way I could get you to listen to me since you did a fine job of it some months ago.” Incredulously, he remained standing with his gun still at the ready.

“Suit yourself.” Ayana took a deep breath and leaned forward, resting her arms on her knees. “Lock, what I have to tell you is very hard for me, considering how you feel about me, but there isn’t any other person I can trust. And as much as it pains me to admit to you, I’m in over my head. Brad wants me to involve him-”

“Leave my brother out of your threesome,” he countered.

Ayana nodded. “But I won’t involve him in this at all. Look, can you please sit down? It will make me feel better.”

Lock nodded to the woman. “Tell her to put the shotgun down.”

“Not going to happen, Lockhart,” the woman responded quickly.

Seeing that Lock wasn’t going to budge, she began to tell him everything that happened from what she witnessed, to her going to the Feds for help. She told him about the things she learned about Santos and what they were into. The moment she mentioned what they did to young girls and that Noelle was one of them, she saw a shift in Lock’s demeanor. Lock, unable to hide his distain, relaxed a little bit as he watched Noelle, searching for any mistruths from what Ayana was telling him. He didn’t want to believe any of what she said, but seeing Noelle, seeing her eyes, he instantly noticed the same thing that he saw in his own everyday… tortured pain.

By the time Ayana told Lock everything, Lock was sitting on the loveseat next to her with his head down. Noelle brought the shotgun down, but she remained standing and still ready to use it if she had to. Noelle had a problem trusting any man. She didn’t care that Ayana said he could be trusted. The way he looked, she didn’t believe he could keep them safe. He didn’t seem to be able to take care of himself.

Lock was stunned at the story he was told. He couldn’t believe that Ayana was capable of what she claimed, but when she lifted her shirt to show the fresh bruising she suffered, he had to believe her.

He looked at Ayana. “Why didn’t you come to me instead of going to the Feds?” he asked.

Ayana rolled her eyes. “I did, Lock. You were the first person I went to before I went to the Feds. But you wouldn’t let me tell you anything. You just went in on me about Brad and wouldn’t let me get a word in edge wise.”

Lock sighed. She was right, and he knew it. He actually remembered the day she came to see him at the station. She asked for him and the moment he saw her, he felt himself get angry and wanted her to be out of the picture for good. All he saw was his brother feeling the same kind of pain he was going through and he didn’t want that for Brad. However, looking at Ayana now, hearing what she did to save this woman, Noelle, had him thinking differently about her. He couldn’t understand why she would volunteer to fight but he didn’t ask. There had to be a reason he knew, but he also knew Ayana wasn’t going to share. If she wanted him to know, she would have told him.

Lock leaned back against the couch. “First thing, Ayana, you’re not going back to that place, understand? You’re right not to trust this guy, Allen. He sounds like he’s completely in over his head. I don’t trust shit about him. I remember him from Ice’s that night Brad first came home. I didn’t like him then, and from what you said, I really should have arrested his ass that night.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t have to worry about me going back,” Ayana smiled, “He’s called me a few times already and I haven’t returned his phone call. I only went home because I knew you were watching me.”

“How so?” Lock asked, his eyebrows rising skeptically.

She shrugged. “I saw someone following me here one day. I figured it was you and your team. So I just assumed you had someone watching me twenty-four/seven, so I felt somewhat safe. Unfortunately, for me, you caught on to me after things really got scary. I mean, Lock, it scared the shit out of me when Ramone put his hands around my neck. I thought-”

Lock frowned and held his hand up. “Whoa, wait a second, Ayana. You didn’t tell me he laid a hand on you.”

Ayana, taken a back slightly by his sudden anger said softly, “Yeah, he got angry with me one night because I asked him to call his partner Martins and check in. I started questioning him the moment he said to me that Santos was interested in buying me. I went crazy, telling him to call Martins and he went ballistic on me. He almost choked the life out me. He told me he had everything under control and that Martins was fully aware of everything. That’s when I knew my time was running out. He threatened to tell Santos that I was the one who had Noelle, and he said he would lead them right to her. I believe him, Lock. That man seems desperate and, like you said, way over his head.”

Lock nodded and scrubbed his bearded chin. “Listen, the sooner we can get Noelle and you safe, I can…” That instant Lock heard his phone. He pulled it out and just as he answered, he heard gunfire inside the warehouse.

Lock stood. “What’s going on, Scott?”

“You’ve got company,” he told him in the phone.

“Yeah, no shit. Who is it?”

“It’s that guy I saw with Ms. Peters a few times. I didn’t think anything of it until a couple of cars pulled up with him.”

Lock looked at Ayana and Noelle and made movements, telling them they need to get out of there quick. They moved toward a door adjacent to the elevator, but they heard footsteps. They then heard the elevator and Lock knew they were too late.

“Boss, what do you want me to do? There’s at least seven of them.”

Lock looked at Ayana and noticed she was motioning him to listen to her. “Martins told me there is an escape route that will take us to the next building. I don’t know if Ramone knows about it, but we need to go now.”

Lock followed the two women to the back of the apartment. He barked in his phone, “We’re heading to the neighboring building. Get there and see if anyone is there waiting for us. Clear a way for us, Ivey.” He hung up and once they got to the bedroom, he saw Ayana move to a closet and press on a panel. The door separated and they entered. Lock with his gun and a small pin light in his hands led the way telling Noelle, “You shoot anyone that comes through that door, understand me?”

She nodded and he moved quietly and as quickly as he could. The space was cramped, but wide enough for his big frame to get through as long as he moved sideways. Once they made it to the other side, he paused and listened. He heard footsteps behind him, so he knew they didn’t have much time. He pulled his phone out and dialed Scott. When Scott came on the air, he whispered, “How does it look?”

“There were two guys waiting, but they’re down. Derek was here for some reason and we both took them out. Come downstairs and head for the back alley. We got you covered.”

Lock motioned for the women to get in front of him and he kept an eye on the back. They moved quickly and once they got to the back door they were met by a rather large black man in a black t-shirt, too small for his broad shoulders, and jeans. Alongside him was a tall, lean white guy with a long beard and long sleeved white t-shirt.

“We have company coming fast. We need to move quickly,” Lock said to them.

Derek nodded and took up position in the rear. Ayana and Noelle, panic etched in their features, followed directly behind Lock. Lock took the shotgun from Noelle and tossed it to Scott. Ayana watched Scott catch the shotgun in midstride as he moved to the side of her and Noelle, shielding them as they moved quickly through the alley.

“How did you get here?” Lock asked Derek.

“My car is just down the street here to the left,” Derek replied.

Once Derek’s car was in sight, Lock moved faster, knowing they were running out of time. They piled into Derek’s car with Lock behind the wheel when gunfire exploded around the car. Ayana and Noelle screamed just as Scott pushed the girls down and placed his body over them. The driver side back seat window exploded and Scott turned, pushed the shotgun out of the window, and returned fire instantly as Lock pushed the pedal.

Tires screeching, he moved through the neighborhood looking back multiple times in search of a tail. When his rearview mirror was clear, he slowed down but only slightly.

Just as his heart rate came down he asked, “Is everyone alright back there?”

Scott moved back from the women and looked at them both. Ayana and Noelle both looked around the car breathing heavily while holding on to each other.

Lock took a sharp turn and yelled, “Damn it, Ayana, are you two okay?”

“Yeah, boss they’re fine,” Scott replied.

“Where are we going?” Derek asked.

Ayana tuned everything out and looked at Noelle. Noelle’s eyes were huge and she was desperately trying to grasp air. Ayana instantly felt for any wet spot on her friend as she said, “Hey, Noelle, it’s okay, sweetie. We’re fine, okay? I told you Lock would protect us, right? He and his team are the best. I know he won’t let anything happen to us.”

Noelle looked Ayana in her eyes and tried to concentrate on her breathing, but she was in full panic mode. She started to think about what would have happened if Lock didn’t show up today. They were banking that he would, but what if he didn’t?

“Hey,” she heard the cop next to her say and she turned to face him. He smiled at her and squared her shoulders with his. “What’s your name beautiful?”

Noelle frowned but she whispered out her name.

His smiled deepened. “Noelle, my name is Scott. The big guy up there is Derek. We have another burly guy that works with us and his name is Sol. Noelle, we are not going to let anything happen to you, okay? You have my word on that. Trust me, you’re safe. Just take a few deep breaths.”

Ayana looked at the rearview mirror and saw Lock’s eyes on her. She mouthed, “Thank you.” Hell, that was all she could say. She knew if Lock wasn’t the hound he was, he wouldn’t have been there and she wondered too what would have happened if that was the case.

Lock tightened his lips and nodded once.

Derek looked over at his boss. “What’s the plan?”

Lock took a deep breath. “That’s a good question.”