Chapter forty-nine
Rico
Ihang up the phone. It took every ounce of my control to not fucking go off on the bastard. He has a special place in hell ready for him, and I want to be the one to send him there.
Picking up the notepad I threw in anger off the floor, I hand it over to Bash.
“This is the address the asshole wants us to send Sierra to. I’m not familiar with the building, but I do know the address is on the upper scale side of town.
” Bash, Colin, and Sam are sitting in my office, so we can iron out some more details.
“We got it. Colin, you and Ryker take a couple of the prospects with ya and go scope out the place. Make sure we know every inch of the place and where to put the cameras.”
“Want us to go ahead and put some up, save another trip back? That way, we can see who comes and goes tomorrow?” Colin asks.
“Yeah, go ahead,” Bash tells him as he takes a picture of the address and types something into his phone. When Colin’s phone buzzes, I figure out he sent him the address.
Guess that’s important. He can't check out the place if he doesn’t know where he’s going.
“Be careful. They may already have camera equipment up, especially if he’s into recording his attacks. Sierra could have been a one-time thing, but from what the boy said, it’s a game for these fuckers,” I add in.
I know they’re good at what they do, but I can’t risk anything fucking up this plan. The asshole needs to go down.
“He seemed reluctant for Arizona to come,” Bash states once Colin leaves the room.
“Yeah, it took an act of congress to get him to agree,” I tell him, leaning back in my chair, clasping my hands together behind my head.
“Ya think he’ll still try to do somethin’ with her there? Maybe we should send Sierra on her own to guarantee the fucker does it.”
My hands slam down on the counter, anger coursing through me.
“Calm down, it was just a suggestion.” The fucker smirks.
I know he means well, but no way in hell is that happening. I don’t even like her going with Arizona. It’s putting both of them at risk. Anything could happen, and if Sierra gets hurt, it will kill me.
“Ricochet, we’re not going to let anything happen to your niece or my woman. But if her goin’ alone lures the fucker into some sense of false security, why not do it?”
“It’s fine, he’s agreed to Arizona being there already. Now, what are we going to do about the girl at school who shared the video to begin with and the cunt aunt?”
“The aunt I haven’t been able to locate.
The girl, though? Let’s just say she’ll be gettin’ a visit once the record of all the numbers she shared the video to, along with the IP confirmin’ it came from her phone, hits the Crimes Against Children task force desk.
Draco has a connection with the office and is makin’ sure this gets put to the front of all cases with swift punishment. ”
That puts a smile on my face. She deserves to rot in a jail cell for the rest of her life. I’d say a harsher punishment, but the little voice in the back of my head reminds me we don’t kill children.
“The aunt has proven to be a pain in the ass. She’s not comin’ up on our radars anywhere. She’s not leavin’ any type of paper trail. No hotel rooms in her name. No credit cards bein’ used.”
“Fuck!”
“She’ll fuck up, brother. They always do and when she does, we’ll have her. We’re not givin’ up. This is just a minor roadblock.”
“I still hate it. She needs to fucking die for what she did to my niece. What she let people do to her.”
Bash sets his laptop on my desk and stands.
“Come on, Ricochet, let’s get a drink. My girl is waitin’ for me back at the hotel and I’m wantin’ to get back to her. And you get to break it to your niece that she has to face her rapist tomorrow. Only one of us is goin’ to be havin’ fun tonight.”
I stand, needing the drink.
I’m jealous of Bash. He’s got a woman, and he’s settling down. Maybe it’s time I did too. I just have to find someone to do it with.
Sierra
When we get home from work tonight, I’ve got to do something special for Cyrus. He’s stayed at his dorm, allowing the guys to all have their private time with me this week so that we could get closer to each other. He says it’s because our relationship is already solid. And I can’t argue with that.
He picked me up at seven-thirty after Colton and I had the best nap. Then, while I was taking a shower, he made us some grilled cheese sandwiches. They were amazing.
When it was time to leave, he kissed me so deeply, right in front of Cyrus. I thought I’d feel weird, but I didn’t. Guess Cyrus walking in on me making out on the couch with Zander got rid of that insecurity right off the bat.
“Cyrus.”
“Yeah baby?” he says as we turn into the club parking lot and pulls into a spot at the end of the building under a light.
“Umm…” I shift in my seat so I can face him.
“I was wondering, and you don’t have to say yes.
I know it’s sudden. But what do you think about moving in with me?
You’re there all the time, well except the last few days with the guys, but I don’t want you to think you have to stay away when they’re around.
Part of this is learning to be together as a group. Right?”
“Wow, that was a mouthful. First, I would love to move in with you. I just didn’t want to pressure you and I can keep my dorm just in case you change your mind.
As far as the guys, yes, we need to learn to function in a group dynamic but also have our individual time.
I just happen to be lucky and can be with you all the time. ”
He reaches into the back seat and picks up my baseball cap, placing it on my head, tucking all of my blonde hair underneath it carefully.
“Ready to head inside? I’m ready for this night to be over so I can go home with you.”
“Yes. Me too, you should see how beautiful my toes look after Colton gave me a pretty wicked pedicure.” I wink but then remember what happened before that and a weight drops in my stomach.
Should I tell him what Colton did? Do I keep important secrets like that in a relationship? Did he tell his brothers?
Crap! What do I do?
He’s already out of the car and around to my side. When did he get out?
I’m frozen, mentally playing tug of war as he stares at me.
“Sierra, what’s wrong?” He squats down eye level with me. Cyrus places his hand on my cheek, angling my head toward him so he can look me in the eye. “Are you okay, baby?”
When I finally find my voice, I answer. “I am and I’m not. Secrets, like big ones, we shouldn’t keep from each other, should we?”
His face is calm, the skin between his eyes wrinkling a bit.
“Small ones, like gifts, or trips we want to surprise you with, they’re okay.
But bigger ones that impact us all, no. Why are you asking this?
Do you have one? If you slept with one of the guys, you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.
While I’d like to know where you are with them, it’s not necessary for you to tell me. ”
My head shakes of its own volition. “No, we haven’t done that. Kiss yes, sex no. But there is something that happened today, and I think you should know. Just don’t be mad or tell anyone, because it made me so happy.”
He smiles, a genuine real one full of love.
“Is it that you saw your sister?”
My eyes go wide, and my jaw drops. How does he know? Why didn’t he tell me he knew?
“Yes, but how?”
He laughs under his breath, before adjusting to a more comfortable position and looks me in the eye.
“He sent us a group message while he was with you. Colton explained everything he did, even how he reminded Sam she couldn’t tell a soul.
The guy even told us how he hid her in the Jeep so no one would see the two of you together.
Which I did scold him for not being safe.
What if he was in an accident? She could have been thrown from the car.
But the video and pictures he sent were worth it.
So thank you for telling me. The guys and I, well, I think we’re getting a good hang of this brother-boyfriend thing. ”
“You’re not mad he did it?” I whimper.
“I’m not mad. Am I jealous that I didn’t come up with the idea? Yes. I wish I was the one who put that smile on your face. But Colton and you had the most tension in your relationship, and I think the gesture from him was needed.”
I turn in my seat and wrap my arms around his neck, knocking him off balance. He laughs as he grabs me, catching us so we don’t land on the ground.
“Baby, it’s time to get in there,” he reminds me as he pulls away. He stands up and takes my hand, helping me out of the car.
“Yeah, I know.” I groan, making sure my hat is on correctly.
He laughs as he grabs my bag of costumes and wig, putting the strap over his shoulder.
“Come on, baby, let’s do this so we can get home sooner.” He places his arm over my shoulder and pulls me tight into his side as we head inside the club.
It’s not crowded yet, still a little too early, but there are a fair amount of people. Scanning the room, I see the one prospect—Tank, I think it was—sitting at a table, eyes focused on something on his phone.
When I glance over at the bar, I see Rico talking with the bartender. He looks up and sees me, nodding his head toward the back hallway.
“Come on, guess we’re being sent to the boss’s office.”
“You saw that?” I ask, tilting my head up to his.
“Baby, when it comes to you, there’s not a lot I don’t see.” He places a kiss on my cheek and guides me through the tables.
When we get to Rico’s door, Cyrus opens it, holding it for me to step inside. “You want something to drink, baby?”
“Yeah, water or Pepsi would be great.” I make my way to the couch and sit down. I’m still tired from today, even after the nap with Colton. Memories of lying in my bed with him, head on his chest, feeling the rise and fall of it along with the beat of his heart fill my mind.
“I’ll be right back,” Cyrus chuckles. Does he know what I’m thinking about?
Navigating four men is tiring.
About ten minutes later, Cyrus steps back into the room, drink in hand, with Rico following behind him. Both have a grim look on their face.
Whatever it is, I know it’s not going to be good.
Rico shuts the door behind him and pulls a chair over to the couch as Cyrus sits down beside me.
“I heard back from the bastard about the private dance.” Rico doesn’t waste any time.
“When?”
“Tomorrow. He agreed to Arizona accompanying you. We know the address and the Hellions have already headed over there to check it out, put up cameras and see if they have any up. The safety of you and Arizona is of the utmost importance. But Sierra, if you don’t want to do it, just tell me and we’ll come up with another plan.
I hate even the thought of you doing this. ”
“I’m going,” Cyrus butts in, his tone firm, leaving no room for question.
“No, you aren’t. Two of the Hellions will be.
You’re not involved in this plan in any way.
If shit goes south and I’m implicated, I need you here with Sierra to make sure she’s taken care of.
I’ve already met with an attorney, so if anything happens to me, the business, all my money, everything goes to you, Sierra.
” My eyes water at his words, as I let out a gasp. He’s making sure I’m taken care of.
“Rico, I should be with her.” Cyrus’ voice rises, laced with anger.
“No, and if you continue, you can leave the room now and not have any further involvement in the conversation.”
Cyrus is seething, his whole body tense, but he doesn’t argue. I hate that he’s mad at Rico, but I get his point and agree. There’s no way I want Cyrus placed in any type of danger.
But do I want to do this? Can I face the man who raped me, someone I respected at one point in time?
“I’m doing it, Rico, to show him he didn’t break me. I want to see his face when the truth comes out.”
“Okay, I’ll be at your place tomorrow and we will go over every step of what’s going to happen.”
I can’t believe this is really about to happen.