Chapter 3 #3
If he had been even slightly observant, he would have heard three engines instead of just two.
The two vans transporting the victims sounded like they were struggling.
In fact, the second van had a belt that squeaked obnoxiously.
The van we had rented had a quieter purr, but it was still noticeable.
I nearly breathed a sigh of relief when all three engines were cut off. That was when Casey looked up, scowling.
“Did you have to park so close?” he nearly snarled as the first driver exited the vehicle.
I guessed he didn’t appreciate dust blowing in his face, but he hadn’t cared or even apologized when he doled out the same treatment to us. If the situation weren’t so serious, I would have laughed at the predicament he found himself in. I loved it when Karma caught up to someone rather quickly.
The rest of the people exited the vans, leading out females and males that had their hands bound. I tried to determine who was who, but stopped when I realized it was making my head hurt. Gavin and Jaxson were doing an amazing job disguising all our people.
Casey was making grumbling noises and throwing a toddler tantrum when he realized there was now dirt smeared on his white shorts.
What idiot wore an outfit like that, knowing they might get dirty?
I rolled my eyes. Unfortunately, he turned to look at us and caught me in the act.
I could see him get redder in the face. It was apparent that he didn’t like that I had rolled my eyes at his foolishness.
“You have a problem, ese?” he stepped up into my face.
I felt my men stiffen beside me, but before they could move, I held up both hands, silently reminding them where we were. I could play this game with this egotistical asshat. “No problemo, senor. Lo siento,” I simpered.
His lips curled in distaste, but before he could react, one of the girls separated herself from the crowd.
She was petite, and if I didn’t know she was sixteen, I would have thought she was much younger.
I knew I was petite and had a baby face, but the girl running toward us was on a whole different level.
My curves had always enhanced my looks, but this girl didn’t even seem to have hit puberty yet.
The pink Hello Kitty t-shirt and frayed jean shorts she wore only added to her youthful appearance.
The moment she launched herself into Casey’s arms, I realized she must be one of his wives.
I barely refrained from commanding her into silence.
I knew I had to let this play out; there was a reason the others had allowed her to run to him.
The reason became clear when Casey pushed her away.
His lips curled in disgust as she stumbled back, falling onto her rear.
She was sobbing, her face red from tears, her nose running, and she wiped it with the back of her arm. “Casey.”
I don’t even think he processed the fact that she had called him by name. His disgust at the brief contact was evident in his features. It was unmistakable that he believed anyone perceived as living in poverty was beneath him. His arrogance radiated off him.
“Don’t touch me,” he cursed. He wiped his shirt as if the little contact had sullied him in some way. “Who the hell tied this dirty slut up? Tie her back up.”
One of our people rushed forward to do his bidding. He tried to look apologetic, but I caught the satisfied glint in his eyes. Casey’s behavior would drive stakes into his coffin, at least when it came to his wives.
“No, Casey. It’s me! It’s—” she began to plead before I compelled her into silence.
“Nobody I care to know,” Casey stated haughtily.
He walked forward, dismissing the girl, and began to inspect the other minors.
His inspection sickened me. He barely paid heed to the boys but spent a little too long inspecting the females.
It was bad enough he was trafficking innocent children, but now he was treating them no better than cattle or other livestock.
He peeled back some of their lips, inspecting their teeth, reached out and fondled some of their asses and boobs, and committed other demeaning acts.
It wasn’t until he reached another female’s side that his creep level skyrocketed.
The older teen was tall and had a curvy figure. She looked much older than her sixteen or seventeen years. Her long, jet-black hair framed a face with unique hazel eyes that reminded me of a cat’s golden gaze. In short, she was stunning.
He reached out and cupped her cheek. One of the girls down the line made a distressed sound, and my sympathy level rose again. It had to be one of Casey’s other wives. Her eyes blazed with fire and revulsion.
He seemed impervious to his wife’s distress and continued to caress the girl’s cheek.
I saw pure terror in the victim’s eyes, and I wished we didn’t have to put her through this.
It wasn’t right, even if we had to prove a point.
Casey ran a thumb along the girl’s full lower lip, licked his own, and pressed her body against his.
He ground into her before giving all of us a salacious grin over his shoulder.
“I need five to ten minutes with this mamacita,” he demanded, looking at Lincoln. “Where can I take her to show her who her new Papi can be?”
“I don’t think Horatio will like you messing with the merchandise before he inspects them.” Lincoln’s lip curled in distaste at the word merchandise.
“What Horatio doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” He barely turned, smirking at Lincoln. “You won’t tell him, will you?”
“What about your wives and that fancy restaurant?” I asked sarcastically.
He whirled on me, clearly annoyed that I was mocking him. “Shut the fuck up, puto. Don’t worry about my wives or if I keep them waiting. That’s my business. They’ll believe whatever I tell them.”
I turned to look at the other huddled women.
My eyes landed on his wives immediately.
The devastation in their eyes tore through me.
They not only saw the lie they had been living, but also realized how little he truly respected them.
He wanted to assault a minor instead of keeping a dinner appointment he had promised them.
He was the lowest of the low, and having their reality shattered would wound them indefinitely.
I held my hands up in surrender again. “Understood. It’s your business. It’s your life.”
He sneered at me before whirling back to his helpless victim. He grabbed her bound hands and began leading her toward the building. She cried out, struggling against him, kicking up dust as she did. Casey seemed undeterred by her resistance.
“I think they’ve seen and heard enough,” Jace called over the group.
Troy nodded. “I think so too.”
Casey was too busy dragging the girl away to notice that the other van had uncloaked, and Gavin, Jaxson, and I had dropped our illusions.
Remy, Bentley, and Drake stood beside Casey’s shackled associates.
On our left, Jaxson, Vance, and Ethan were leading our other prisoners out of the building’s side entrance.
“I decide when people see and hear enough,” Casey arrogantly informed them, not even bothering to stop.
The “poor” man was still oblivious that his world was about to explode around him. I heard a woman let out a pained whimper and finally saw Annika and Sylvie without the illusion. They were beautiful women.
Both were of average height. One had the classic all-American look. Her blond hair was long, falling in loose curls down her back. Her eyes were large, startling blue even from the distance I stood. She was slight, with an hourglass figure some women would kill for.
By her side was a woman slightly taller than her, with dark brown hair in a sleek, long bob.
Her skin had a natural tan, hinting at Greek or Italian heritage.
It was her almond-shaped blue eyes that suggested a European background as well.
She had an athletic build, the kind of body that suggested yoga or Pilates as her main form of exercise.
I didn’t see how anybody could cheat on them, not that looks should be the determining factor.
From the way Vance talked about them, they were both intelligent and kindhearted, which ruled out a nasty disposition as a cause.
Again, not that it excused his behavior.
It was just evidence that Casey really was a fool.
As I watched, Mercedes walked over to them and quietly spoke while removing their bindings.
I knew she was apologizing for what we had put them through.
The brunette seemed to take the world-crushing events in stride.
She shook off her hurt feelings right before my eyes and seemed to gird herself for battle.
She stepped forward, crossing her arms over her chest. “How about us? Do we get to say when we’ve heard and seen enough, baby?”
The word baby fell from her lips like a curse. They say, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” and I felt those words in that moment. I saw a physical display of them.
Casey spun around so fast, I was pretty sure I saw his eyes roll in their sockets.
He paled beneath his tan. His mouth opened and closed several times.
I saw how he seemed to be scrambling for excuses to justify his words and actions over the last few minutes.
He knew he had dug his grave and was still holding the shovel.
Yet somehow, I suspected I should find a pair of hip-waders, because I was sure things were going to get deep.
Unfortunately, I suspected it would all have a sewage smell.
“Annika!” Casey cleared his throat before his eyes widened even further, landing on the blond behind Annika. “Sylvie!”
It was evident that Annika was the stronger of the two. He was hoping to find some forgiveness from at least one of them. Annika wasn’t going to entertain any of his bullshit, though, as she stepped in front of Sylvie, as if shielding the other woman.