Chapter Thirty-One
Master
LEAVING TALEAH SLEEPING in bed this morning so I could get back to the clubhouse before the sun even rose in the sky was torture.
Link got a call about another trafficking ring and called me in.
From what he was told, it involves someone from the same group as before.
One of the men escaped somehow and has been biding his time to rebuild what he lost when Link’s group went in and dismantled it all at the auction.
I didn’t wake Taleah up as I dressed and left, leaving a note on the stand next to her side of the bed so she knows what’s going on.
While I didn’t go into detail about what’s going on because I can’t, I let her know I had club business and would call her when I could.
That if she needed me, she could call at any time and I’d answer.
I might not be able to go to her, but I’ll do what I can to help.
We had church so Link could give us the details and I know this is hitting him hard because it’s going to be horrible for Annistyn if she learns what’s going on.
She’s in a good place in her life now. This is the last thing she needs to deal with, but her past is coming back with a vengeance.
Link informed us the group is smaller than before.
The one who escaped somehow is the leader this time and has about five guys under him.
They take care of everything and are overworked.
They’re kidnapping the women and girls, holding them in some kind of warehouse, and making sure the victims are all drugged, beaten, and watched so no one gets to them.
The leader is paranoid after the raid on the auction and taking no chances.
I mean, he’s taking a chance simply by pulling the same shit again, but we’ll see what I can find on him.
Now, I’m locked away in my office digging up as much dirt on this new group as I can.
The leader’s name is Benjamin Sutton. He’s a middle aged man with no family and spent his youth between foster homes and a juvenile detention center.
Ben is a horrible person and his charges even from a young age are vile.
Animal cruelty, destruction of property, theft, assault, you name it and he’s got a charge for it.
Now, his crimes are even worse and he’s been charged with rape, attempted murder, and several other crimes I don’t even want to think about.
Somehow, he manages to get away with every single charge and hasn’t spent time in prison for any of the major crimes he’s been accused of committing.
After discovering his name and basic information, I start putting together the names of the other guys working with him this time.
Most of them are low-level offenders who can’t seem to keep a job and also have no family they can speak of.
Two of the guys have children they don’t take care of or pay child support for.
They simply vanished from their lives and have hooked up with Ben.
The other three men are essentially ghosts who I’m having a hard time finding any information on.
I might have to bring my friend in on this job to gain what I need so we can finally end this once and for all.
As I start to put the files together on each of the men, I realize Ben isn’t the true leader of this shit.
He’s simply a pawn and someone else is pulling the strings.
I start to dig into all of Ben’s contacts and find something very interesting.
I know one of his contacts and it doesn’t take me long to connect the dots.
This asshole is someone the government has been after for a long time and I know for a fact is already sitting in jail.
Now, I have found the information to ensure he never sees the light of day as a free man for the rest of his life.
I’m practically bouncing in my seat when Count enters my room and takes a seat next to me.
“What’s got you so excited?” he questions me as I point to the monitor in front of me and he reads the section I’m pointing out. “Holy fuck! You hit the fuckin’ jackpot, Master. What do you need me to do to help?”
“You can start puttin’ these files together.
You know how I do everythin’ so we have the information when it’s time for church.
I know Reckless wants to meet again in a few hours.
I’m still tryin’ to figure out who these three men are because I can’t find much of anythin’ on them,” I tell him as he looks at me for a few minutes.
“What’s different about you, Master? You seem lighter than you were a few days ago,” he asks me, his voice low as if someone else is in the room with us.
“Taleah went to Bhodi’s grave last weekend.
She told me I didn’t have to go with her, but I did.
It’s the first time I’ve been to the cemetery since the day he was buried and I watched Taleah break down completely in front of everyone there to say their final goodbyes to him.
That was the last time I saw her before we left for boot camp.
I still feel guilty because if I had been at the party with them, he might still be alive today.
Livin’ the life he was meant to and here with us in the clubhouse.
Instead, he drowned in a fuckin’ pool. Before he turned nineteen years old.
If I hadn’t pushed him away, things might be different.
Taleah made me realize that we can’t go back and change the horrible mistakes we made in the past. Bhodi was my best friend and he lost his life in a senseless accident.
Now, I have to live my life in honor of him and make a million memories like he would want me to.
So, I’m gonna live my life as if each day were the last and move forward with Taleah,” I tell him, saying Bhodi’s name out loud to a person who didn’t get the chance to know him.
It feels weird when I’ve refused to say it for so long, but also good because I’m talking about him.
“Good. Taleah’s good for you, Master. I’m glad she got you to go.
I know he was your best friend and I won’t ever take his place in your life.
What I’ll do is stand by your side and make sure you do live to honor the time you did have with him.
I’ll support you no matter what and be there when you fuck everythin’ up again.
I won’t let you push everyone away because that’s not how you truly live life.
Taleah won’t let you hide away from memories of Bhodi any longer either.
Promise me I’ll get to stand at your side when you marry her.
I know none of us can be your best man. That spot will always be reserved for Bhodi even if he’s not here to fill that role.
I’ll stand right next to where he would,” Count says and I turn to look at him because this is the man he is.
Always there when we need him and knowing the right thing to say in any given situation.
At least when it comes to the rest of us.
Not so much when it comes to his own life.
“You got it. Wouldn’t dream of gettin’ married without you by my side, Count. You’re the best man I know next to Bhodi. You remind me of him in certain ways,” I tell him as we both get back to work.
Count and I worked for hours in my office.
He put together all the files while I continued digging for information.
The intel I have is solid and my hacker friend got back to me with the information on the three men I couldn’t find.
The names they gave Ben are fake and it’s why I couldn’t find anything on my end for them.
I wish I could say they were working undercover, but they’re not.
They just don’t want Ben to have their real names because they don’t trust him.
A knock on my door sounds and I call out for them to enter my room. Count is the only one who ever just walks in. That might have to stop if Taleah starts coming around more often. Especially when I’m working.
“Reckless is ready for church. You got anythin’ more to give us?” Link asks, stepping just in the door and looking between Count and me.
“Yeah. We got a lot of information. More than what I thought we’d find,” I say, grabbing the files from Count as he picks up my laptop and we follow Link to church.
Everyone is already there waiting for us when we enter and take our seats.
“Church in session,” Reckless says, slamming the gavel on the table in front of him. “As you all know, there’s another traffickin’ ring that’s been started and Link was called about it. Master, what have you discovered this time?”
“The leader’s name is Benjamin Sutton. He’s the one who escaped when Link broke it up the last time at the auction.
Five guys work under him. They’re tasked with each kidnappin’, keepin’ the victims locked up, and everythin’ else.
These three are usin’ fake names, but they’re fuckin’ monsters.
I thought Ben was bad with all of his previous charges, but he’s innocent compared to this trio.
They gave the fake names because they don’t trust Ben.
I wouldn’t either. The other two guys are low-level offenders with petty shit that never really involved hurtin’ another person.
They’ve got kids they don’t pay for or see.
Sperm donors and nothin’ more than that.