Worcester Nights - The Boxed Set (36 page)

Javier smiled. “Soon enough, Sean. But first, I want to make sure Seamus and I are on the same page.”

Seamus’s brow creased. “And what page might that be?”

Javier sat back. “We’ve had a number of misunderstandings in the past. That disconnect was exacerbated by a few … issues … with crew members we could not depend on. For example, Raul was far out of line with how he handled Kate here. I accept he went rogue, and I accept that, when he tried to shoot Kate, you defended her. There are no hard feelings. That’s what happens when a member of one’s crew becomes untrustworthy.”

I looked at my hands, resisting the nearly overwhelming desire to look up at Sean. Javier’s words were a clear warning to me, and to Sean. If we did not do everything in our power to help this détente, one word from Javier and the dynamics of this group might change drastically.

Sean was unarmed. Evan was as well. I knew both men were good – very good – with their fists. But if Seamus and Javier decided to shoot them down in cold blood …

Seamus nodded, seeming oblivious to the tense emotions which were twisting tightly on all sides. “I agree – any man in my crew who acts disloyally can expect a brutal end.” His mouth quirked into a wry grin. “Which poor Sean here discovered, not so long ago. Luckily, Kate stepped in in time to save him.”

Javier’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Lucky for him.”

Seamus nodded. “So, what now?”

Javier took a sip of his coffee. “By now I’d assume the cops have rounded up the vast majority of both of our groups. The more they sweep up, the more our men will want to talk, to receive the best deal. We know how this goes. It’s the price of doing business. So we’ll need to start over.”

He looked to Bridgit. “You two have always been admirable planners. I assume by this point you have your finances in order and are ready to move on.”

Bridgit’s voice was tight. “So what if we are?”

Javier spread his hands wide. “I have done the same, and I have a pathway out of the country. To an ocean-view villa. Warm. Tropical. Glistening white-sand beaches.” He gave a stretch. “I can easily take four more with me.”

Bridgit’s brow creased with suspicion. “Why would you take us with you?”

Javier nodded. “You have access to the distribution network; one that took you years to assemble. Canada, Mexico, Europe, and beyond. Once you create your product, you can move it across the globe with the click of a button. No more need for shipping crates of tapes that can get impounded in customs. You zip up a file and off it goes, and the money pours in.” He leant forward. “You have the distribution, but you won’t have the girls.”

Seamus’s gaze narrowed. “And you’ll handle that?”

He nodded in satisfaction. “My sister, Aymee, is engaged to a businessman from Cambodia. He has easy access to thousands of girls. Families there live on just two dollars a day, so the parents are eager to sell off their daughters’ bodies to make some extra money.”

My stomach twisted in horror, and I forced myself to stare at my hands, to breathe in, breathe out. It was imperative I let this transaction go through, to get these criminals out into their car and on their way. Surely the police would be able to track them down, once they were on the road, and bring them all to justice.

Eileen’s voice was bright. “See, we are doing them a favor! They get to have some fun sex, and their families can live in luxury! Maybe go out for sushi every once in a while.”

I could hear the twinkle of a grin in Javier’s tone. “Yes, that’s exactly right, Eileen.”

He turned to Seamus. “So, what do you say? Our car is parked down the road, and none of your … friends … here in the house have seen it. The eight of us take your car down to mine, trade off, and now we’re in a vehicle that’s completely unknown to anybody else. I get us to our transportation, we settle in our new home, and we set up shop. Split the proceeds fifty-fifty.”

Seamus held his gaze. “How do I know I can trust you?”

Javier shrugged. “I suppose you don’t. But since I’m starting fresh somewhere entirely new, I have nothing to gain from causing more trouble before I go. It would only increase enthusiasm in police search efforts. Plus it makes good business sense to leverage your talents and resources.”

I twined my fingers into each other, fervently praying for Seamus to take the offer. If he didn’t, Javier would move to plan B – to prove his good faith by offering up a sacrificial lamb for flaying alive.

Sean.

My heart pounded against my ribs, and I could barely breathe. Every thought in my head was a mantra, an earnest plea, a desperate cry …
Please … Please … Please …

At last Seamus nodded and put out his hand. “It’s a deal.”

Relief coursed through me, and I finally risked raising my gaze to Sean and Evan. I could see the same easing of tension through their shoulders, the infinitesimal relaxing of their bodies back against the couch.

Javier shook Seamus’s hand. “I look forward to our relationship.”

Sean’s voice was low. “So you won’t be needing Kate any more?”

Javier’s smile grew into a wide grin. “A single-minded focus, I see. You’re right, her role in this is complete.” He tucked his gun away behind his waistband. “Go on, Kate. You’ve done well.”

My legs were wobbly, but I carefully stood and made my way around the coffee table. Sean and Evan rose as I approached, one on either side, and they moved with me to the back side of the couch. They stepped together to shield me with their bodies.

Bridgit climbed out of her seat. “Our bags are all packed; I’ll go get them. She called over her shoulder as she went. “Kate, I hope you don’t mind cleaning up after we go. Usually I’d hate to leave a place in this state, but this is a special occasion.”

“Of course, Bridgit,” I responded, my heart returning to a more normal rhythm. In a moment Bridgit re-emerged with a large suitcase in each hand, her bulk easily moving them with her. She glanced at Jimmy and Eileen. “All right, you two. Into the car.”

Eileen laced her fingers into Jimmy’s, her eyes bright with excitement. “I can’t wait to see where we’re going, Jimmy! Do you think they’ll have waterfront bars?”

He gave her a kiss on her forehead. “I’m sure they will, sweetheart. And, once we get settled, we’ll set up the nursery with everything you could possibly need. This is the new start for us. The life I’ve always dreamed of.”

Seamus’s eyes were cold, but he waited for the three of them to be out through the door before following behind them. Javier gave me a smile, then he and his two men left as well.

Francesca sauntered a few steps toward us, drawing her eyes slowly from Jessica, to Evan, to me, and at last to Sean. Her mouth drew into a wide grin. “Sure you don’t want to come along, Sean? You’re just going to let that crew float away to a tropical paradise, and start their operations up fresh, perhaps larger and more efficient than ever before? Heck, if they have easy access to an eager population of families with young girls, who knows how many films a week they could produce! They could spread out their areas of interest – maybe look into some bestiality … maybe some rough stuff …”

Sean’s arm muscles rippled, and I could see the tension in his neck, the effort it took him to stay in place. His voice, when he spoke, was tight. “You go ahead and run with them, Francesca. See how far you get.”

Her light laugh tinkled across the room. “Oh, you think your phone was tracked? Quite the contrary, my dear friend. I’ve convinced the brass that you gave your phone to a group of tourists, because you thought Seamus was using it to keep an eye on you. I gave our contacts the number of a different phone to follow, saying it was your new burner phone. It’s in the hands of some college kids on a road trip down to Key West.”

She grinned in delight. “Believe me, by the time those dullards get that all sorted out, we’ll be long gone.”

Sean glanced at Evan, and I could see the building frustration in my brother as well. Neither one wanted to let the criminals out of their sight.

Francesca’s eyes gleamed with delight. “Let’s see. You two men against the eight of us. You have, what, one gun between you? While we have more than enough.” She grinned. “You wouldn’t last five seconds.” She raised a hand in a wave. “Guess you’ll just have to spend the rest of your life knowing you failed. Every time you hear of an innocent girl in an underage video, you’ll have to wonder if it’s your fault she was traumatized by the horrors she experienced.”

Her smile widened. “Meanwhile, I’ll be lounging on a beach, getting massaged by the cabana boy, drinking down mai-tais in a fluted glass.”

There was a honk from outside, and she turned. “Got to go. My tropical vacation awaits.” She strode through the doorway, leaving it wide behind her.

Sean and Evan moved as one to the open doorway. Evan’s voice was low and hoarse with frustration. “She’s right. We start something up, we’ll be hard pressed to finish it and also keep these two safe. Especially with just one gun.”

Jessica was already crossing to the master bedroom at a jog. “There’s a pump-action shotgun locked to a rack over the bed,” she reported. “Saw it when I was helping Bridgit with something earlier. I’ll have the lock picked in under a minute.”

Sean’s eyes went to his handgun, resting on the seat of the Adirondack chair on the porch. “That barely gives us a fighting chance. We might take out one of them – or two – before we’re both shot down. And then they’ll have free rein on Kay and Jessica.”

Jessica’s voice called from the other room. “Got it!” In a moment she was back, carrying a shotgun with a beautiful carving of a stag in its bubinga stock.

Sean looked across the three of us, a question in his eyes.

I crossed to Jessica, took the shotgun from her, and racked a round into the chamber. I turned and handed the gun to my brother.

My voice was low but steady. “Go get the bastards.”

Sean’s eyes shone, and he nodded at Evan. Evan tucked the shotgun behind his back, and then together the two men stepped out onto the porch. Sean was perhaps a foot away from the chair holding his pistol.

Sean spoke without turning his gaze from the car. “Jessica, Kay, you stay inside. I don’t want you coming out here.”

Every ounce of me wanted to be by his side, but I understood the situation. If I were anywhere in the line of fire, he would worry about me. That second of distraction could mean the difference between life and death for him – and for Evan as well.

Jessica took my arm and we went over to the window, each of us on one side of it.

The Escalade was packed now. Javier was in the driver’s seat, with Seamus alongside him. Bridgit sat behind her brother, alongside Francesca. The remaining four were in the back.

Bridgit turned and gazed at the log cabin. Her look was almost one of regret. Then she nodded and said something to Seamus.

The car pulled smoothly away from the house.

Sean crouched to pick up his gun from the chair, and the two men stepped forward to the stairs. My heart pounded against my ribs. To watch the bastards drive away – to get off scot-free – was near torture. But once the two men started a gun fight, with the uneven odds …

The Escalade pulled across the clearing, and tension ratcheted within me, my breath held, waiting …

There was the sound of tires.

From the far end of the dirt road approached a car I knew intimately. Classic, lean styling. Beautiful dark Caspian Blue coloring. The silvered galloping mustang on its grill.

My brother’s car.

Three men were in it, as familiar to me as the freckles on my hands.

The car eased to a stop in front of the Escalade, and for a long moment nothing stirred.

Then my brothers pushed open the doors, climbed out, and crouched behind the sturdy steel, guns drawn.

The cavalry had arrived.

Chapter 10

S
eamus nearly kicked his door open, and his face was tense with fury as he climbed out. He spun on Evan. “What the fock is this! You swore you hadn’t alerted the cops when we took you along.”

Evan swung his arm, bringing the shotgun around to rest across his chest. His voice was calm. “I didn’t call anyone,” he responded. “You caused this little problem yourself. I imagine the moment they heard how Kay went missing from that party of yours, that my brothers were on the next flight home.” He gave a wry smile. “Family can be like that, you know. A bit protective about their own.”

He waved his free hand forward. “Sean, I’d like to introduce you to Brandon, up from Miami; Aedan, out from Vegas; and Dylan, the closest. He undoubtedly made the drive from Hartford to Worcester in under an hour. Guys, this here is Sean. You might say he’s responsible for Kay being in this mess.”

Aedan’s eyes flashed, and his coal-black crew cut seemed to bristle. “Maybe you and I will have a couple of rounds in the cage once we’re through here.”

Evan chuckled. “I might mention that Aedan likes to do some MMA in his spare time. When I was fifteen he broke my thigh, showing me a move. He’s improved since then.”

Seamus spit on the ground in exasperation. “The girl is fine, as you can see for yourselves,” he snapped, waving a hand at the window. “Not a scratch on her.”