Chapter 15
Ice Pick
The morning of the Vance interview, I wake before dawn with Ava curled against me, her breathing deep and even.
For a moment I just lie there, memorizing the feel of her, the way she fits perfectly in my arms, the sound of her heartbeat against my chest. If something goes wrong today, if this all goes sideways and I lose her, I want to remember this moment.
Her eyes flutter open, immediately finding mine. "You're staring."
"Memorizing."
"That's ominous." But she doesn't pull away, just presses closer. "What time is it?"
"Five. We've got three hours before we need to leave."
"Then we've got time." Her hand slides down my stomach, wrapping around my already hard cock. "I need you one more time before we do this."
I don't argue, just roll her beneath me and proceed to worship every inch of her body. It's slower than last night, more deliberate, each touch a promise and a prayer. When I finally push inside her, we're both trembling with need.
"I love you," I say against her mouth. "No matter what happens today, remember that."
"Nothing's going to happen. We're going to be fine." But her voice shakes on the words.
I make love to her with every ounce of emotion I've got, pouring years of loneliness and fear and desperate hope into every stroke.
She meets me perfectly, taking everything I give and offering her own vulnerability in return.
When we come together, it's with whispered declarations and promises neither of us is sure we can keep.
After, lying in the wreckage of tangled sheets, she traces the scar on my side. "I'm scared."
"Good. Scared keeps you sharp."
"I'm also terrified I'm going to freeze up when I see him. That I'll look at Vance and remember everything those girls went through and I won't be able to function."
"Then you lean on the training Agent Monroe gave you. You remember you're not alone in that room." I catch her hand, bringing it to my lips. "And you remember that the only way to honor those girls is to make sure Vance pays for what he did."
She nods, and we get up to face the day.
The compound's buzzing with activity when we head downstairs. Brothers gearing up, FBI agents coordinating logistics, everyone moving with purpose. Falcon intercepts us before we can grab coffee.
"Ice Pick, Ava, we need to go over the plan one more time." He guides us to the war room where Agent Monroe's already waiting.
"Alright, here's how this is going to work.
" She pulls up the office building layout on the main screen.
"Ava, you've got an appointment with Vance at nine AM.
You'll be wearing a wire that transmits directly to our command center.
Mason will be positioned in the lobby with two FBI agents posing as building security.
We'll have teams on the roof, in the parking garage, and monitoring all exits. "
"What's my cover for being there?" I ask.
"Ava's personal security. Vance knows she's been working with an MC for protection, so it won't seem unusual." Agent Monroe looks at me. "But you cannot enter his office, that would spook him immediately. You stay in the lobby, ready to move if things go bad."
"Define 'go bad.'"
"If Vance becomes threatening, if he reveals knowledge of your location or the compound, if he indicates he's armed or has people in the building.
Anything that suggests Ava's in immediate danger.
" Agent Monroe's expression is serious. "But Mason, you cannot move unless I give the order.
If you bust in there without cause, we lose any evidence we collect. "
"My priority is keeping Ava alive, not your prosecution."
"I understand that, but if we do this right, we get both." She turns to Ava. "You ready?"
Ava nods, though I can see the fear she's trying to hide. "What exactly am I trying to get him to say?"
"Anything that connects him to the trafficking operation.
Mentions of Castellano, the shell companies, the buyers.
If you can get him talking about his business interests, he might slip up.
" Agent Monroe hands her a tablet with prepared questions.
"Start with softball inquiries about his philanthropy, his business success.
Make him comfortable. Then work in questions about Apex International, about whether he knew Castellano. "
"And if he lawyers up immediately?"
"Then we abort and look for another angle. But our research suggests Vance is arrogant enough to believe he can talk his way out of anything. Use that." Agent Monroe checks her watch. "You've got two hours to prepare. I suggest you use them."
The next two hours are a blur of preparation and anxiety.
Ava practices her questions with Agent Monroe while I check and recheck weapons, run through exit strategies, coordinate with the FBI team on response protocols.
By the time we're loading into the SUV for the drive downtown, my nerves are wound so tight I'm vibrating with tension.
"You're going to give yourself a heart attack," Falcon says from the driver's seat. "Breathe, brother."
"I'll breathe when she's safe back at the compound."
"She's going to be fine. FBI's got this locked down."
"FBI also said Castellano was secure in federal detention. Look how that turned out."
Falcon's quiet for a moment, then says, "You know if this goes sideways, if something happens to her, you're not going to be rational about it."
"That a problem?"
"It's an observation. Just making sure you understand that if Vance hurts her, there's no containing what you'll do. The club's going to have to deal with the fallout."
"Then make sure it doesn't go sideways."
We arrive at the office building forty minutes before the appointment. FBI agents are already in position, some visible as building security, others hidden throughout the structure. I take my post in the lobby with a clear line of sight to the elevators, weapon concealed but accessible.
Ava arrives separately in another FBI vehicle, looking professional in a blazer and slacks that hide the body armor beneath. She crosses the lobby without looking at me, playing her role perfectly, and my chest tightens watching her disappear into the elevator.
"She's on her way up," Agent Monroe's voice comes through my earpiece. "All teams stand by."
The elevator ride feels like it takes hours. I track Ava's progress through the building by the updates coming through the comm, each floor ticking by with agonizing slowness. When she finally reaches Vance's floor, I have to force myself to stay still, to trust the plan.
"Ms. Langley is entering the reception area," Agent Monroe reports. "Vance is coming out to meet her personally."
I listen as Ava greets him, her voice steady despite the fear I know she's feeling. The pleasantries, the small talk, all designed to put him at ease. Then they're moving into his office, the door closing behind them.
"Audio is clear," Agent Monroe confirms. "We're recording everything."
Ava starts with the prepared questions, asking about his business success, his philanthropic efforts. Vance responds smoothly, confident and charming, exactly the kind of man who's gotten away with monstrous crimes by hiding behind respectability.
"I wanted to ask about your connection to Apex International Holdings," Ava says, and I hear the slight tremor in her voice that no one else would catch. "Records show you're the majority shareholder."
"I am. Apex is one of several holding companies I use to manage investments." Vance's tone doesn't change, it’s still smooth and unconcerned. "Why do you ask?"
"Because Apex owns several shell companies that were connected to Victor Castellano's trafficking operation."
Silence. Long enough that my hand moves toward my weapon.
Then Vance laughs. "Ms. Langley, I think you've been misinformed. I had business dealings with Victor Castellano years ago, yes. Real estate development, perfectly legitimate, but I had no knowledge of his criminal activities."
"Your shell companies paid the Reapers MC for transportation services. That’s the same transportation that moved trafficked women."
"If that's true, and I'm not saying it is, then I was defrauded along with everyone else.
Victor clearly used my legitimate business interests as cover for his crimes.
" Vance's voice takes on an edge. "But I'm curious, Ms. Langley.
Why are you really here? The FBI's already investigated my connection to Castellano. They found nothing."
"Because they were looking at the wrong shell companies. But I've traced the money further." Ava's voice is stronger now, confidence building. "And it all leads back to you. The Collector."
Another silence, this one electric with tension.
"That's quite an accusation," Vance says finally. "Do you have proof?"
"I have financial records showing payments from your companies to traffickers. I have testimony from the girls who were sold. And I have Castellano's lawyer's notes indicating he was prepared to name you specifically before his convenient suicide."
"Convenient for whom? I had nothing to do with Victor's death."
"Didn't you? You had the most to lose if he talked."
"I think this interview is over." We hear a chair scraping, and movement. "You can show yourself out."
"One more question," Ava says quickly. "If you're innocent, why did you send people to surveil the Saints Outlaws compound? Why are you tracking me?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"The surveillance equipment we found is registered to a company you own. So either you're actively targeting witnesses, or you're incredibly careless with your resources."
"Get out. Now. Before I call security."
"Mason, stand by," Agent Monroe says through the comm. "Ava, wrap it up."
But Ava's not done. "You can throw me out, Mr. Vance. But you can't stop what's coming. The FBI knows everything. The financial trail, the connections, the buyers. It's over."