Carson nods. “Yeah, that’s probably best,” he says as he merges. “Hey, what was going on with Brielle earlier? You guys okay?” The sound of her name coming out of his mouth pisses me off.
“Yes. She just needed to be put in her place,” I say, even though that’s not what happened. Carson must also pick up on that because he can’t contain his laughter.
“Oh yeah, that’s definitely what it looked like.” He cackles, his hand hitting the steering wheel between breaths.
“Shut the fuck up.”
The rest of the drive is quiet as both of us mentally prepare for what might come with this visit.
Of course, my mind always goes back to Brielle and whether leaving her alone was a good idea. There’s a chance she’ll leave, and I’ll walk into an empty room when we’re done here. That thought is more than enough to make me feel way too many emotions at once. Anger is the most prominent.
This whole thing could’ve been avoided if maybe I’d been the one to get out of the van the night we were supposed to take Susie, but Carson hasn’t ever fucked up that bad before. But then again, I might’ve never seen Brielle if he hadn’t mistaken them.
We pull into the parking lot, and Carson cuts the engine. The cool air hits me as I exit the car and make my way to the doors with Carson at my side.
The bass thumps through the floorboards as we step into the strip club, a stream of neon lights lighting up the whole entire room. The smell of spilled beer and cheap cologne fills the room. The exact kind of place Susie would hide out.
I glance over at Carson, his eyes scanning the room like a hawk as he searches for the one woman we’ve been hunting for weeks now. The crowd of people surrounding the stage is a blur of men and women mixed, throwing their money at a dancer with clinking glasses and the occasional yell over the music.
We make our way to the bar, and I order us each a beer, knowing we both need it to help settle our nerves. We have to get her this time. There’s so much riding on this going smoothly.
After a few moments of us scanning the room and sipping our beers, Carson nudges my side. “Over there.” He nods toward a few shadowy figures on the far end of the stage.
Susie’s standing in front of two men—their backs to us—who aren’t much taller than she is, and they seem to be in some kind of heated argument with them. I down the rest of my beer, leaving the bottle on the bartop before heading in their direction slowly, not wanting her to see us and take off. I now know she’s aware of who we are after the incident at the trailer.
The closer we get, the better I can hear them, but the music is way too loud to make anything out. When we are standing only a few feet away, my eyes lock with Susie’s.
Recognition washes over her face, and fear fills her eyes. Her words die on her tongue mid-sentence, and her eyes grow wide before she takes a step backward, right into Carson, who has his gun pressed to her lower back. Susie looks over at the two men and then back at me.
“So sorry for interrupting whatever fun conversation you guys were having, but we need a word with our friend here. Hope that’s okay?” I hold my hand out to the men, and the older one smirks before gripping my hand in a firm shake, and I wait for his name.
“Peter,” he says, looking from me to Susie.
“Great to meet you, Peter. How do you know Susie?” I ask in hopes that maybe he’s also linked to the information we need, and maybe killing two birds with one stone.
Peter chuckles, and it sends prickles down my spine. I don’t like this guy. There’s something off here, but I can’t risk trying to get two people out of here willingly, and Peter doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would go on a walk with us just for fun.
“Oh, you know. Business or whatever you young people call it.” He winks at me, and I have no idea what the fuck he means by that, but before I can ask, he speaks to Susie.
“One week, Susie.” He holds her stare until she nods once, her eyes moving to the ground, but I can see the sweat drip downher cheek. There’s something more to this, and I plan to figure it out along with all the other information she’ll be telling me soon.
“Have a good night, gentlemen,” Peter excuses himself, and now we are left with Susie.
I close the distance between us, leaning in so she can hear me. “You’re one tough woman to track down, Susie,” I tsk. “It’s been fun, but that’s now over. You’re going to walk out with us, and if you try anything, I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in your skull at any given moment. I don’t care who the fuck is around. Do I make myself clear?” I ask, taking a step back to look at her face.
There’s anger brewing in her brown eyes, and the wrinkles on her face reveal her true age, even though she tries to conceal it with makeup and clothes that are more suitable for women in their twenties.
I nod my head toward the door, and Carson gives her a push with his gun to her lower back. She follows behind me, not saying anything, even when I tie her hands behind her back and shove her into the back seat with tape over her mouth. As much as I want answers from her, I’m in no mood to hear her voice right now.
After we get on the road, Carson heads in the opposite direction from the hotel. We need to secure her before I go back to Brielle.
Pulling out my phone, I click Archer’s number and bring the phone to my ear. It only rings twice before his voice is on the other end.
“Got an update?” he asks, the sound of someone typing on a keyboard in the background.
“Yeah. We have her. Taking her somewhere to secure her, and then we have a few loose ends to tie up before we can move forward.”
“Perfect, keep me in the loop,” he says, ending the call before I can tell him we are staying at the hotel.
