Chapter Ten
Jacie
Muttering a curse, I rubbed my temples to try to ease the mother of all headaches that had woken me.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, niece.”
Letting out a breath, memories flooded back; Animal handing me over to my uncle before knocking me out. Moving a hand to the back of my head, I gently prodded the lump that had formed where the fucker had clocked me. There didn’t appear to be any blood or open wounds, so there was that.
Before opening my eyes, I already worked out I was sitting on a plane that was on the move. But when I did lower my hand and look around, the opulence of the private plane was an unexpected shock, although, it probably shouldn’t have been. My uncle had always thought he was entitled to the best of the best. Settling my gaze on my piece of shit uncle, who was sitting opposite me, lounging comfortably in his fancy fucking seat, with a crystal glass of amber liquid in his hand. He chuckled with a small shake of his head when I just glared daggers his way but stayed silent.
“As fiery as your mother was in the beginning. But just like her, you’ll be tamed soon enough.”
“Your brother fucking murdered her. If that’s what you mean by ‘tamed’, I think I’ll pass and stay wild.”
A flash of rage passed over his features. “Gordon is a loose cannon, always has been. It’s why he was never brought into the family business beyond doing some wet work. Him killing your mother was not part of my plan. Quite the opposite in fact. It actually left me in quite the predicament, one I can finally solve.”
“If he was such a pain in the arse, why didn’t you have him taken out when he was in prison?”
He gave me another of his shark smiles. I didn’t like it anymore now than I had earlier. “Because that would have been over too quickly. I wanted him to suffer.”
I frowned as I thought it through. “I call bullshit. He got out early for good behavior. Nah, guessing he wasn’t worth the effort or losing the favors you’d have had to pull in. And once he was out, you could force him to do whatever you wanted with the threat of killing him for what he’d done.”
Now he was the one frowning. “You’re too smart for your own good, Grace. Such a pity you were born a girl. Had you been a boy, I’d have been able to groom you to take my place.” With a shake of his head, he lifted the crystal glass to take a sip. “If he ever shows his face again, I can guarantee he won’t survive long. He’d been given a job to do, to get back into the family’s good graces, but instead of doing it, he fled the country and vanished.”
It took effort to keep my face the same, to not give away that my bastard of a sperm donor was already dead and gone. Or that I was enjoying the hell out of knowing my uncle was going to waste who knew how much time and money searching for a dead man.
Looking out of the window beside me, my mouth went dry when I caught sight of ocean between all the clouds.
“Where are you taking me? Back to Australia?”
Panic had my heart racing as my mind swirled with possibilities, which did not help my headache.
“I’ll be heading home eventually, but first we’re making a stop in Kaua’i to drop you off.”
Closing my eyes, I rubbed my fingers over my temples again. My head was still pounding and I wasn’t in the mood for my uncle’s bullshit games.
“Can you give me a straight fucking answer already? I have a splitting headache and am not in the mood to play twenty questions to get the information you know I want.”
He sighed like I was ruining his fun or something. Not that I gave a shit.
“Fine. You want the facts? Your father sold you and your mother to me the night before the fire.”
He couldn’t have possibly said what I thought he had. Could he? “Sorry, he did what?”
I’d have loved to have been able to slap the slimy smirk off his face, but was honestly too shocked by his revelation to even try.
“Yes, Grace. You see, my brother loved to gamble. He’d gotten addicted to the rush of it all, but unfortunately, he never was any good at it. In the end, he owed quite a substantial amount to a loan shark who had threatened to start breaking body parts if he didn’t pay up. When he came to me to bail him out, I made it clear I couldn’t simply gift him the funds. He needed to offer something in exchange. Sadly for him, all he had that was worth anything was you and your mother. It didn’t take me long to convince him his only option was to sell you both to me. I was actually surprised at how easily he agreed to it. He was meant to deliver you both to me the afternoon of the fire. But instead of simply bringing you both to me, the fool tried to explain to your mother what he’d done, how it made sense. Naturally, she refused to come quietly. Gordon had thought he had her cowed enough to do anything he told her to, but turns out he didn’t have her under his thumb as much as he’d thought. It was for you she fought. To protect her only daughter, she found her long forgotten spine and attacked him. Of course, he was stronger, and well, you know how that ended. Gordon fled after the fire got out of hand. He came to me begging for help. Again.” He paused to take another drink. “Such a fool. I had my men take him to the police to deal with.”
Bile churned in my stomach. Gordon had died way too quickly. He’d sold his wife and only daughter into human trafficking to pay a fucking gambling debt. What sort of man does that?
“What were you planning on doing with us?”
I almost didn’t want to know what he’d planned, but the fact he’d come for me now had me thinking it was about to become my future, and I preferred to know rather than go into whatever it was blind.
Another of his shark smiles that had my skin feeling too small for my body didn’t exactly ease my fears.
“Well, you’ll be happy to know I had planned on allowing your mother to continue raising you.” He paused a moment, like he was expecting me to thank him or some shit. When I stayed silent, he huffed before continuing. “Not full time, of course, only when she wasn’t busy working in my stable. Gordon was a fool to keep a woman like her to himself. The money he could have made would have more than covered his debts if he’d been putting her to work since the beginning.”
Bile rose up my throat making me gag, but I managed to keep it down, while also refusing to let the tears that stung my eyes fall. My uncle had intended on pimping my mother out. My father, her husband, had knowingly sold her into sex slavery.
“Don’t be so upset, my dear. You weren’t ever going to end up there with her. You were much too valuable to waste there. A sweet, innocent young girl who was already showing signs of the beauty she would grow to be. You, I auctioned off. Made a large sum of money from that auction, and a powerful alliance with an up and coming Yakuza man.”
I shook my head, what he said didn’t add up. “Stop lying. How were you going to let my mother raise me, if you’d sold me off to some bloke in Japan? And what were you planning on doing with Donny? He never would have stopped looking for us.”
Donny and I were half-siblings, with different fathers. Donny’s dad had been the love of Mum’s life. A US Marine who’d died in combat. He’d had a sister here in the US who Donny was sent to live with after the fire.
He frowned, “I have not lied. Kenjiro Takeda is not a pedophile, he wanted you for his wife. You were to be raised by your mother until you were eighteen. With your red hair, you’re quite the novelty to Asians, and he wanted to ensure his future bride would be a virgin, who had been raised to know how to behave as a made-man’s wife should. As for Donny, I would have brought him into the fold, made him a soldier for the family. He was still a teen, the perfect age to being training as an enforcer for the family.”
I scoffed, he knew nothing about what type of man my brother was, but I wasn’t going to correct him. Let him find out when Taz slit his throat for all he’d done.
“Well, considering it’s been some time since my hymen was intact, and I was raised by an AFP agent to be the very opposite of what this fucker Kenjiro no doubt wants, I wouldn’t have thought he’d be interested in me anymore. And are you trying to tell me he’s what? Waited all these bloody years in the hopes I was still alive and would be found?”
Stupid tears of frustration stung my eyes again. My headache had dulled a little since I’d woken, but my uncle’s bullshit was starting to make it worse again. He’d kidnapped me, was taking me far away from everyone who’d be able to help me, and now he was spinning some story that made no fucking sense.
He scoffed after draining the last of his whiskey. “Of course not. He has a wife and a daughter. That’s why we’re going to Hawai’i. You’re to be his mistress, hidden away from the world until you bare him a male heir he can train. Then he might divorce his wife to marry you. If you’re lucky. Although, I doubt it if you continue to swear like you do. He’ll want a lady. Oh, and the reason he still wants to take possession of you is because he paid a fuck ton of money to me for that privilege. I can’t tell you how happy I am you survived that fire, my dear. Now my alliance with him and the Yakuza can get back on track and I can get the power and position within the family I should have risen to over a decade ago.”
Well, fuck. I was so screwed. Literally if I couldn’t find a way to escape before this Kenjiro guy locked me away somewhere.
A young woman came toward us from the rear of the plane.
“Mr. Milani, are you ready for the dinner service?”
Trying to gage if she’d be an ally, I watched her closely as she sauntered up to stand beside my uncle, leaning down to pick up his empty glass from where he’d sat it on the table between us. Obviously guessing my thoughts, my uncle held my gaze, with a raised eyebrow, as he put his palm on her lower leg, sliding it up, taking her skirt with him as he went up the outside of her thigh. Setting the glass back down, the woman straightened and with a moan of pleasure, moved so she faced him. His gaze left me and went to her as he used both hands to shove the fabric of her skirt up around waist, baring her lacy thong and stockings that were connected to garters.
“Very nice, pet. I hope this is a sign of your skills.”
Her voice was breathy when she responded. “Yes, sir. I’ve been fully trained to be able to provide any service you might request of me.”
“Hmm. Tell me, pet, does your bra match these lovely knickers?”
“Yes, sir.”
He gave her a sleazy smile he no doubt thought was sexy but made me want to puke. “Not sure I believe you. I’m going to need to you to prove it to me. Strip down to your underwear. You’re to stay that way until we prepare to descend to land. Understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
She immediately started to unbutton her blouse. Shock that this chick would follow such orders, given by a stranger, with such ease had me struck mute. Sure enough, her large—fake—breasts were barely contained in a lacy black bra that indeed matched the rest of her underwear.
“Do a turn for me, pet. Show me if that arse of yours is as lush as I hope it is.”
With a swing to her hips, she turned so she was now facing me, her back to my uncle. The smug smile she gave me had me rolling my eyes. Stupid idiot thought she was winning something from me. She couldn’t be more wrong, but if she wanted to be a mafia mile high club whore, that was her choice.
With a groan, my uncle grabbed her cheeks and gave each a squeeze before he released her.
“Hands on the table, pet.”
Less than a heartbeat later, she’d leaned forward as he’d ordered and he began to spank her in earnest. Delivering hard slaps to her arse until both cheeks grew pink enough I could see it, and the scent of her arousal filled the air, making me scrunch my nose up before I shook my head in disbelief over the way she was obviously enjoying being treated like a fucking sex object by a perfect stranger.
“Turn around and drop to your knees, pet. You have one more job to do before you can get on with the dinner service.”
“Yes, sir.” Again, without hesitation, she turned and lowered down to her knees, her fingers on his fly before I could blink. Fuck, she was keen. Shifting in my seat, I focused out the window, not wanting to see my uncle’s dick but unfortunately, it wasn’t such an easy task to block out the slurping and gagging noises the woman made as my uncle fucked her mouth.
Once I heard him close his zipper, I glanced over to see that he wasn’t done with her. Still on her knees in front of him, he’d shoved her bra down and was toying with her breasts.
“Your surgeon did a marvelous job, pet. And the nipple rings are a nice touch.”
“Thank you, sir. I’m glad you like them.”
Probably a good thing I hadn’t eaten yet. I was sure I’d have thrown it up by now if I had.
“After you bring us our dinner, you’ll go to the cockpit dressed exactly like this and tell Ramirez that you are a gift to him from me to enjoy for his assistance today. His co-pilot can handle the plane while he enjoys you.”
Her body stiffened a little when he’d mentioned Ramirez. Interesting. Guess she either knew him and didn’t like him, or she just wasn’t as eager to fuck the help, only a made-man. Either way, she was smiling by the time she’d risen to her feet and turned toward the rear of the plane.
I reached out and grabbed her wrist as she passed. Pausing a few moments before I spoke to enjoying the way my uncle stiffened and lost his post-sex glow as he wondered what I was going to say.
“Could you please bring me some pain killers with dinner? I have a wicked headache.”
She smiled, relief in her gaze. Apparently, like my uncle, she’d thought I was going to ask something less innocent. “Of course, ma’am. I’ll get that sorted out for you and be back soon.”
Releasing her wrist, she strode away and I turned back to glare at my uncle.
“Was that really necessary? Seriously? Getting the stewardess to blow you?”
“That was your fault, Grace. I had to prove to you that she would not help you in whatever scheme you were cooking up in that pretty head of yours. And once Ramirez finishes with her, she won’t be much good for anything at all. Our pilot will be more than happy to do anything I ask of him.”
While I’d never before wished for unconsciousness, I was now. If I was out cold, I wouldn’t have to hear any of the bullshit these men intended to inflict on the oh so willing stewardess.
“How much longer until we land?”
Throwing his head back he laughed at my obvious discomfort, but didn’t offer up a fucking answer.
Bastard.
***
Trident
By the time I got out to my bike, my cell was pinging with messages but I was waiting until after I’d reattached my saddle bag and started my bike before I checked them.
I was happy to see one was from Keys. I found myself actually holding my damn breath, hoping Jacie hadn’t been flown too far away, as I opened it up.
Private plane, flight path to Lihue, Kaua’i. Private unavailable for us. Fastest commercial flight leaves in an hour. American Airlines. Have told Viper.
He must have texted Viper before me, because the next message was from my president.
Go to usual meet point near airport. Crew will meet you there. Tickets being sent to phones.
Sure enough, the next message was my airfare.
Fuck, it was going to be tough to get through to the gate in time with only an hour. Roaring away from the hotel, I weaved between traffic to get out to the industrial zone near the airport in record time, pulling into the parking lot of a SCMC owned factory moments before Maverick rolled in with a club cage following behind him. Viper must have sent them out the door the moment I’d texted him earlier.
Grabbing my saddle bag, I headed over to the vehicle. Maverick joined me as I popped the trunk and we both put our helmets and bags in. I also stripped off all my weapons and anything else I thought the TSA might take objection to.
“Me and Grinder will be joining you, Rubble’s gonna drop us off to make shit faster.”
We’d both rushed to disarm, and didn’t slow until we were both sitting in the rear seat. Almost before we’d shut the doors, Rubble was pulling out and racing toward the airport. Maverick handed me one of the two backpacks that were on the seat between us. “For your cut, and the girls also packed some snacks and other shit for our trip in them.”
Following Maverick and Grinder’s lead, I shrugged out of my cut as we drove. After folding it carefully, I put it in the bag and zipped it up. I hated having to go without wearing my club colors, but there were times it was necessary.
“Maverick, you heard anything about Animal’s condition?”
Our club VP looked over at me with a grim look. “He’s still in surgery. Stone’s staying close. Once he gets out, and wakes the fuck up, he’ll have to answer for his actions this morning.”
I grunted in response, because what else was there to say? Animal had fucked up royally, and there would be a price he’d need to pay for that. The most likely outcome was death, which meant those surgeons were wasting their fucking time fixing him up, but we could hardly go in there and tell them that.
Rubble parked right in front of the entrance we needed and in seconds all three of us were out and rushing toward the automatic doors. Felt strange as fuck without my colors on my back, but TSA would be a bitch if we went in wearing them, not to mention we weren’t going into Hawai’i with permission from any of the local clubs, so it was safer to go in as civilians.
Thankfully the security line was short and we got through to our gate in time to board. It was only once we were seated on the plane that I got a good look at our tickets. Fuck, ten hours and twenty minutes until we’d get there, with half hour layover in Phoenix. Scrubbing a hand over my face I mumbled a curse.
“What’s wrong, brother?”
I looked at Grinder, who sat on my right. Maverick was on my left, in the window seat.
“I hate how long it’s gonna take us to get there. She’s on a private fucking jet that’ll be flying straight there.”
He nodded, his expression grim. “I hear ya, but it is what it is. We were lucky to get on this flight. Viper checked other choices before going with Keys’ recommendation. Every other option had much longer layovers.”
“Yeah, I know, brother. I just want her fucking back and safe already.”
Staring out the window as we took off, I couldn’t avoid thinking about the fact I was going home for the first time in over two decades.
“You messaged Toa yet? Think he’ll be able to help at all?”
I shook my head at Maverick’s question. “Didn’t have time. I’ll give him a call while we’re in Phoenix.”
I’d barely spoken to my childhood friend since we’d left the USMC. While I’d stayed on the mainland, he’d gone back to home to Kaua’i. The few texts we’d send each other on holidays or birthdays each year had never included much about our lives. So, I had no fucking clue if he was going to be able to help us beyond a pick up from the airport. Although, I’d already planned on checking in with him, figuring it was worth asking.
Trying to get comfortable, I stretched my legs out as much as I could and after resting my head against the seat. Closing my eyes, I was swamped with thoughts of the past, my parents. Which in turn brought on the usual guilt that always came whenever I went down memory lane.
I’d been two months off turning eighteen when my class had gone on a field trip to O’ahu, to tour Pearl Harbor. About ten minutes in, I knew what I wanted to do with my life. Working for a bigger purpose than myself, helping to keep innocents safe, America safe, seemed like a noble quest to spend my life on. Having spent my entire childhood and teen years on or around the ocean, I’d figured the Navy was the way to go, but Toa, who’d been my best friend since we were toddlers, was hellbent on going into the USMC. He’d been so adamant that the Marines was where we needed to be, I’d been happy to follow his lead.
We’d both come home from that trip and told our parents, with paperwork in hand together with all the enthusiasm a teenager could have for a new idea. While Toa’s parents voiced their worry for his safety, they were supportive and proud of their youngest son’s decision. Mine, unfortunately, did not follow their example. As an only child, my mother turned the drama on. Throwing her hands into the air and looking to the sky while questioning why the Gods would want to take her only son from her to die fighting some other man’s war on the other side of the world.
I hadn’t let her theatrics deter me. She’d always been an extremely passionate woman who’d often reacted to the smallest of things with way more emotion than they warranted. Once I turned eighteen, I could sign all the paperwork and forms myself so it wasn’t like I had to waste time changing her mind.
What I hadn’t expected was my father backing my mother to the point he threatened to cut me from the family if I went through with enlisting. That had thrown me for a six. While my father would often give into my mother’s whims in the moment, he would coax her into being realistic about it later.
He’d always been a big believer in the old ways, teaching me all about the legends and history of the Hawaiian people. He fished every day the weather permitted, selling his catch at the local markets, while my mother kept the house and tended the garden, growing all manner of thing that would be sold at the markets along with the fish. Neither had ever left Kaua’i, not even to go to the Big Island, so I got they couldn’t understand my desire to see the world.
I blew out a breath, wishing I could just go to fucking sleep instead of reliving all this shit. But now I’d started on this path down memory lane, I couldn’t seem to turn it off. Memories of how I’d ignored their threats and continued to enlist. How I’d assumed they’d come around, be fucking proud of me. And how damn wrong I’d been.
When it was time to ship out, Dad had refused to take me to the airport, telling me he refused to help me go to die halfway around the world in some desert I had no business being in. I’d gotten so mad. Said things I shouldn’t have. Called him a coward, told him our warrior ancestors he’d taught me so much about would be disgusted with how he was treating me. Mum had started crying like she’d just been sentenced to the gallows and between that and my words, Dad lost his shit. It was the only time I’d ever seen him completely lose his temper. Only time he’d ever thrown a punch my way too.
My heart ached as I recalled walking away from them that day. Having to hitchhike my fucking way to the airport to meet up with Tao. Both of us being awkward as hell as we ignored my bruised eye and cheek even though he had to have guessed how I’d gotten it, while we waited to board our flight for San Diego to start basic training, at Parris Island. That had been the last time I’d seen or spoken to either of my parents. They’d written to me several times over the following couple of years, but I never opened them. I’d had enough to deal with on deployments without adding my mother’s drama to it.
An announcement warning we were coming in to land in Phoenix pulled me back to the present and I switched my focus to potential plans on how I was going to first locate, then rescue my woman.
Turning to Maverick, I caught his attention. “You got Keys’ number?”
“Yeah, why?”
With only half hour between our flights, we wouldn’t have long to get shit done before we needed to board.
“While we’re making our way to the next gate, can you check in with him for an update while I see if I can get hold of Tao?”
He nodded, “I was thinking along the same lines. Grinder, you call Viper, see what news he has for us.”
The second the seatbelt sign dinged off, we were up and moving, making sure we could get off the plane as soon as possible. We had shit to do and plans to make.
Hold on, Ula’ula M?’ī, I’m coming for you.