Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
Landon
We’re quiet for the rest of the ride. It’s hard to tell what she’s thinking, but I must have given her something to mull over. Because she is strong. Stronger than she knows. And I’ll say it over and over until she starts to believe it.
I turn into the gate and punch in the code.
There’s a lot of security surrounding headquarters, inside and out, but we’re still working on things.
The building itself is three stories, with bullet-resistant glass, a metal detector at the main entrance, and video surveillance that probably rivals that of the White House.
The interior is nowhere near as impressive as the exterior yet because it’s still being renovated, but the main area is functional.
There’s a small lobby with a mostly unmanned desk, elevator banks, and brand-new marble tile.
As we pass through the main entrance and walk toward the back, there are two bathrooms, a kitchen that’s under construction, and a conference room, which is where we’re meeting.
Daniil and Courtney are already there, talking quietly when we walk in.
“Hello.” Courtney smiles. “Welcome.”
“Thank you.” Allora smiles but hangs back, like she’s unsure of her place here.
I make introductions just as Rage arrives, carrying a black and white cat.
“Cleo!” Allora’s face lights up and she extends her arms. The cat gives her a baleful look, like she’s annoyed, and then stretches.
“She’s been an excellent guest,” Rage says to Allora.
“Apparently, she really likes you.” Allora takes her from him and snuggles her close. “Did I abandon you?” she asks the cat, who yawns. “I know, I’m sorry. There will be treats in your future.”
We all settle around the table, with Allora still holding Cleo and scratching her head.
“Your stuff is in my truck,” Rage says to Allora. “We’ll move everything over before you leave. And here’s your key.”
“Thank you.” She takes it and closes her hand around it like she’s afraid it might disappear.
“Sorry I’m late!” Luna, our cyber expert, comes in with a grin.
“Had to take care of a few things.” I watch as she sinks down next to Rage and his eyes move over her…
possessively? That can’t be right. He’s as much of a bachelor as I am and she’s only been here a few weeks.
Yet he seems much more comfortable with her than I would’ve imagined at this early stage.
Like me, he doesn’t make friends easily.
Yet he’s buddy-buddy with Luna and I’m…living with Allora. Not in a romantic sense but I invited her into my home without giving it a second thought. And I never do that. At least, I never have before.
Huh.
I’ll have to think about all of this but not right now because Daniil is telling us what he’s discovered about the traffickers.
“Apparently, they’ve been working in the area for years but the police and FBI have never been able to catch them.
It’s a tight organization. We believe the man in charge is an Albanian national named Alben Bajrami.
No one here has ever seen him although we believe he travels back and forth with a fake passport. ”
“My research tells me that it’s a big, international enterprise,” Luna interjects.
“They have hiding places all over the area, but authorities have only ever discovered them after they’ve been abandoned.
We believe they capture the women and move them over the border into Mexico.
From there, they disappear. We don’t know how or where. ”
“There are rumors of an international auction that happens every quarter in Ankara, Turkiye,” Daniil says.
“We’ve heard rumblings in Limaj for years but could never substantiate them.
Now that we know it’s more than a rumor, I spoke to my cousin, the king, and he’s going to make some inquiries, see if there’s any information we can get from that side. ”
“But what do we do in the meantime?” Allora demands. “I can’t hide at Landon’s place forever.”
“I know.” Daniil’s expression is sympathetic. “We’re working on it. And we’re going to have you and Grim work with a sketch artist so we have a picture of at least one of the men.”
“I can describe both of them,” she says firmly. “I’ll never forget either of their faces.”
Daniil nods. “Great. Unfortunately, in the meantime, you do need to stay out of sight. Is that okay with you?” He looks to me.
“Of course.” I lean back in my chair. “She’s welcome for as long as necessary.”
“I hate to be an imposition,” she says softly. “I have money so I can pay my own way. Or pay you rent or—”
Daniil interrupts. “Your father is paying us to protect you and some of that money will go to Grim to cover any expenses he has, in addition to his salary.”
“And your father is putting out feelers as well,” Courtney adds. “We haven’t discussed any details because he said it was better that we don’t but we’re sharing information.”
Ironically, in this particular instance, her father’s illegal activities don’t bother me. If he can find these sex traffickers, I don’t care how he does it. Maybe that makes me a hypocrite but after what they did to Allora, I’m not bothered by any made up moral ground I should be standing on.
“So short-term, nothing has changed.”
“It’s only been a day,” Daniil says quietly. “Give us a little time.”
“What about Landon?” Allora asks after a moment. “They know he saw the one guy’s face.”
“I can take care of myself,” I say with a chuckle. “And you.”
“In the meantime,” Luna interjects smoothly. “Any detail you can remember could be helpful. Did they use each other’s names? Discuss timing. Talking about a boss. Speak in another language? Any little thing could make a difference.”
Allora closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, like she’s gearing up for something painful.
“The guy that was driving the van is named Baron.” She squeezes her eyes tighter. “The other guy’s name was Vito.”
“Age?”
“Late thirties.”
“Any accent?”
“Vito sounds like he’s from New York, but Baron…”
“What is it?” Daniil asks quietly.
She frowns, even as she nods. “I remember thinking it was weird that I heard Baron talking in another language on the phone but then he had no accent at all when talking to me.”
“What language?” Daniil asks.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t recognize it. It definitely wasn’t Spanish, French, or Italian. It sounded a little like Russian, but the cadence was different.”
Daniil and I exchange a look, and I know exactly what he’s thinking. These guys are undoubtedly pros and they’ve been working this trafficking ring for a long time. Which will make catching them that much more difficult.
“I’m supposed to be in Denver next week for a fashion show and big event,” Allora says quietly. “Do you think I should cancel? I mean, the men who kidnapped me wouldn’t know my schedule, so I’m not sure what to do. Part of me feels like Denver will be safer than anywhere else short-term.”
Before we address her job, we ask her a bunch more questions—most of which she doesn’t have the answers to.
“Travel is tricky,” Daniil says thoughtfully after a while. “They probably don’t know where you’re going or what you’re doing, but if they found a way to hack into your phone, they might know your schedule.”
I shake my head. “I don’t think so. They smashed my phone when they grabbed me, Vito brought his boot down on it and crushed it.”
“That’s good news. But they still—” Daniil cuts off as Luna interrupts him.
“There’s an alert at Allora’s condo.” Rage’s voice is tight.
“A what?” Allora demands in confusion.
“I left a camera at your apartment and some motion sensors so we’d know if anyone showed up unannounced,” Rage says, staring at something on his phone. “And it looks like your kidnappers went looking for you.”
“Do something!” she whispers, staring at the two masked men skulking around in her condo.
“Even if we left now,” Daniil says gently. “They’ll be long gone before we get there.”
“I’m calling the police,” Luna says, typing into her computer.
We all huddle around Rage, watching two men ransack Allora’s condo. They don’t seem to be looking for anything, merely making a mess for no reason. One guy dumps all her utensils and small appliances on the floor, while the other man uses a knife to slice through the throw pillows on the couch.
“I picked up those pillow covers the last time I was in Milan,” she breathes, a hint of sadness in her voice.
“I’m sorry.” I find myself wanting to touch her, comfort her, even though I shouldn’t.
This is strictly business.
“What is the point of this?” she continues on a ragged breath. “I mean, why? Didn’t they already terrorize me enough?”
“They’re sending a message,” I reply in a no-nonsense voice. “They want you to know they’re watching, they know where you live, and the destruction is a metaphor for what they’re going to do to you.”
“The police are on the way,” Luna says, “but who knows if they’ll get there in time.”
“Those pillow covers are irreplaceable,” Allora mutters, clearly irritated.
“Better the pillows than you,” Courtney says gently.
She’s right about that.
So why am I beyond annoyed about what’s happening in Allora’s apartment?
“It’s going to be okay,” Rage says, scowling. “We’ll find them.”
“I’m just glad you got Cleo out of there,” she says, hugging her cat tighter.
Me too.