Chapter 23
Sophia
I don’t really know what I’m doing here tonight. All I do know is seeing Dean standing there in his suit with sadness in his eyes spears my heart in two. I thought when Eddie called to meet him, I could get more info about Bishop. About where the girls are. I want to bring down this sex slave operation, and I know this club has so many answers.
I thought about going to Bishop’s home, calling the number he gave me, but after talking to Rosa, she told me he’d already left town. That he had a hit on one of the daughters he needed to find and was headed to Miami.
So, my next choice was Eddie.
He opens the door at the end of the hall, and the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. “We should be alone in here.”
I smile, playing the part. “Perfect.”
He pushes me up against the wall, tracing a hand down my face. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” he tells me.
I stare into his eyes, trying to think of a way to ask about any shady business that could go on here. “Thank you.”
“Your eyes remind me of someone I used to know.”
“Oh, who?”
He traces his finger across my bottom lip. “Just a girl who broke my heart many years ago.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” I smile. “I’d never break your heart.”
Eddie pushes his body against mine, his hardness pressing against my stomach. “You promise?”
I nod. “Yes, of course.”
He runs his other hand over my hair and I tense, my inner fighter on high alert. I still have the knife on my thigh, but I’m hoping I don’t need to use it tonight.
He continues studying my face, my body. “You look so much like her, though.”
I stare at the pain in his eyes. “I’m sorry she hurt you.”
He nudges his knee between my legs, spreading them apart. “She did hurt me.”
“How?” I ask, unaware of how to get him back on track to where I need him to be.
“She was supposed to be mine, but she ran away from me. Years ago at the Blake Hotel.”
I pause, and his hand wraps around my neck. “Wait,” I say as he squeezes.
“You were supposed to be mine that night. I paid big money for a virgin slut like you.”
I squirm, pinned against the wall, trying to get to my knife with my hand. “Please.”
He brings his fist back and hits my face with a powerful blow. The pain is instant, shooting through me, making my eyesight blur. My head feels like it’s underwater as blood spurts from my nose. Is it broken? “I paid top dollar for you. For your virgin pussy.”
“No, please, stop.”
“So, now I’m going to take you.” I wiggle, trying to break free. “Don’t move.”
Tears flood my eyes as he puts me back in place, his knee nudging my legs apart once again. He slams his fist into my ribs and I buckle over. “You will be mine tonight.”
The door slams open and I can barely make out who’s there because of all the blood in my eyes. There’s pain everywhere, and I taste the blood in my mouth.
“Get the fuck off her,” Dean shouts, pulling Eddie’s body from mine. “You touch her again and I’ll rip your fingers off and shove them down your throat.”
I’m on the floor, curling up to assess my pain. To figure out what exactly is going on.
Dean punches Eddie, and he goes down. Humphrey is at the door, yelling for his security to get Eddie out of his club.
Dean slams Eddie’s head into the ground once more before the security men take Eddie away. Dean stares at me for a second, breathing heavily. “Oh, dear god.” He scoops me up, carrying me out the doors, through the club, and into the backseat of his SUV. “Home, Leo,” he tells his driver.
I think I pass out as we drive through the city, and the next thing I know Dean is carrying me into his condo, straight through the living room and into the master bathroom.
He sets me on the edge of the oversized Roman tub, turning on the water. “Let me get you cleaned up.”
“I’m fine.” I push away from him. “I can take care of myself.”
“Sophia, please. Let me take care of you.”
“Leave me alone. You’re just like all the rest of them.”
He kneels before me, pushing back some blood-soaked hair from my face. “Sophia, I’m not going to lie, I’ve done some shitty work in my past. I never asked questions before. I never cared what the men I worked for did for a living. I just took the money and enjoyed my life.”
I wince from the pain as I try to smile.
“But, I would never knowingly help kidnap women into sex slavery. And I would never do anything in the world to hurt you. I love you, Sophia.”
My heart hurts, so many emotions exploding throughout my chest. “Dean…”
“No, let me take care of you. Let me help you take down this sex slave operation. I learned a lot tonight.”
I nod. “So did I.”
Dean stands, leaning over me so he can unzip my dress. He stands me up, letting me lean against his body so he can remove my clothing. “Let me take care of you, Sophia.”
Tears stain my cheeks as I cry.
Dean moves me into the hot water. It relaxes my muscles as soon as I’m submerged. “Take it slow,” he tells me.
“Dean, I can’t believe this happened. Eddie had purchased me when I first arrived in America. He was the man I ran away from.”
“Humphrey runs the whole operation inside his club. Like some secret room for men to do as they please with the women.”
Oh my god… I stare into Dean’s eyes. “We must save those women.”
Dean smiles. “First let me take care of you, and then we will bring them down. I promise.” Dean uses the loofah sponge on my back, taking care not to be too hard on my ribs.
He runs the sponge over my body, cleaning up the blood from my neck and my cheek. He’s careful. His gentle touch makes me feel safe.
“Dean,” I say, turning to face him. “Ti amo. I love you.”
Yes, many years ago Dean’s company helped sell a bunch of women into sex slavery, but I believe he didn’t know. I believe Dean wouldn’t hurt an innocent woman. I trust him. Together we’re going to take down Humphrey’s underground brothel.
Dean continues washing me, and after I’m out of the tub, he brings me into his bed with a pack of ice for my ribs and eyes. “You’ve got some bruises that will take a while to heal.”
I smile. “I’ll be fine.”
“What made you go into that room with him?”
I stare at Dean, both of us lying in his bed, facing one another. He holds the bag of ice to my ribs and I hold the one for my eye. “Bishop left town, so I felt like I was back at square one. I thought maybe Eddie could get me some info.”
“I’m sorry I let you down.” The pain in his gray eyes hurts my heart.
“Dean, I forgive you. My mother used to tell us of Saint Joseph. He was a just man. A man of integrity. His protection is so great, so strong.”
“Are you comparing me to a saint?”
I laugh a little, and it hurts my ribs. “Don’t make me laugh. Okay, maybe you’re not a saint in so many words, but you protect the people you care about.”
He swipes a piece of my hair out of my eyes. “I do protect the people I love. And I love you.”
He snuggles in closer and sets the ice aside.
“I love you, Dean,” I say as I drift off to sleep. “Thank you.”
He kisses my cheek. “There’s never any reason to thank me.”