“You mean to tell me that the farm is a cover for sex trafficking and human slavery?” Niko asked, jaw so tight he was surprised that his teeth hadn’t shattered.
The man slowly nodded.
Niko turned and glared at Reid. “It’s time you told the guys.”
28
NIKOLAI
Marcus decided to close the bar while they tried to figure out what was going on. He didn’t want people overhearing crew business. He sent non-Viper staff home and asked active members to stay so they could also hear what was going on. He would need them eventually.
Lucas and Damian passed beers out to the guys, while Niko and Reid sat at the front of the group with their butts pressed up against one of the tables.
“So, as many of you know, Reid and I have been friends since we first lived as roommates back in our twenties. What you don’t know is how we became roommates,” Niko began, folding his arms across his chest. “Before I came to America, I met a man in Russia who said that he could help me move to America by paying for my flight, then having one of his friends in New York help me find a job and a place to live. What I didn’t know at the time was that the man in Russia was a human trafficker.”
The guys around the room fell silent.
“Once I arrived in America, I was met by a man named Mikhail, who immediately took my passport, then told me that Ihad to work for him and his boss until I paid off my debt to them for my flight and accommodations.”
Niko glanced over at Reid. Reid gave him a nod, encouraging him to continue.
“That night, Mikhail dropped me off at a condo and told me that I was going to be working for him as a high-end escort, servicing his clients day and night.”
Niko looked over at his brothers. They all sat silently, listening to him as he talked.
“I was eighteen at the time. Scared and didn’t know anyone in America. Thankfully, Reid ended up being my roommate. He had also been forced into that life. It was during that time that he and I bonded. We took care of each other and looked out for one another.”
Niko picked up his glass of vodka and downed the entire thing. Damian stepped up from behind the bar and refilled his glass without being asked. Niko nodded his head in thanks.
“All that changed one night when Mikhail kidnapped me and sold me to one of his clients,” Reid cut in.
There were a few gasps and whispers from Lucas and Ace, and even Caden scrunched his face at the mention of Reid being sold as property. That was one thing that the Shadow Vipers hated with a passion: sex trafficking and forcing people to sell their bodies against their will.
Reid proceeded to tell the guys about his days in captivity, about how he was degraded by his owner, and eventually how he managed to escape.
“So now I work for a private organization that investigates cases we suspect may involve human trafficking.” Reid turned to Marcus. “When I ran into you guys in LA, I was actually running from men who worked for one of the criminal organizations I was investigating. I had stolen one of their laptops andhave been hiding out here while my team combs through the information in that laptop, searching for evidence.”
“Last week, one of Reid’s partners identified a farm out in Phoenix, which our buddy downstairs just confirmed is being used to traffic people,” Niko snarled. He was pissed and looking to break people’s faces.
“Shit, dude. I had no idea what you went through,” Blade added, looking at Niko with sympathy in his eyes.
Niko wasn’t looking for pity. He’d gotten his justice against his traffickers and now wanted to rescue any others who might be held against their will.
The human race was a disgusting species. They were the only species that enslaved themselves and took advantage of those less fortunate.
Niko felt sick.
“Don’t worry about me. I took care of the fuckers who took advantage of me,” Nikolai responded. They were all currently rotting in jail.
“So, Reid, what do you need us to do?” Marcus asked, crossing his arms against his chest and looking all shades of pissed off.
“I just spoke with Simon, my partner, and he said that they can’t do anything without solid evidence. A judge is never going to sign off on a warrant based on information that was beaten out of a guy tied to a pole—not that I told Simon how we got the information. He said that if we can gather evidence to support this theory, he would pass it along to the police so they can investigate and take action.”
“And how long will all that take?” Marcus asked, his eyes narrowing. They all knew the answer.
“Depends. It could take days or weeks, depending on the sort of evidence we can collect and how long it takes the police toinvestigate. This needs to be done right if these guys are going to be charged and arrested,” Reid explained.
“And in the meantime, these victims are left to suffer?” Marcus asked.
