CHAPTER ONE
“Where are you, Jameson?” she whimpered. “I can’t take much more.”
Caroline drew her knees up to her chin and sobbed quietly in the medium-sized dog crate. Her back stung from the whip cuts, her cheek throbbed from Jimmy’s fist, and her body shivered from the rain. They left her outside all night to remind her she was nothing more than an animal to them.
Months passed since she last saw Jameson. The kind man attempted to keep her safe and away from the ring leader’s bed. At the time, he seemed more interested in finding a woman named Rebecca. Caroline didn’t know his relationship to her, but she felt envious at the lengths he went to discover her whereabouts.
Tears melded with the rain as she reminded herself no one searched for her anymore. James Stanton killed her mother in front of her. He left her father lying on the ground, bleeding from a bullet in both legs. It served as a reminder James Stanton held all the power, and when you refused to do his bidding, bad things happened. At this point, death felt like a relief to her as she sat in the cage, listening to young women and a coupleof men get auctioned off like cattle. A few of them screamed, pleaded, and begged to go home, but it fell on deaf ears. Caroline knew this from when James Stanton sold her to the ringleader, Cain.
Thunder clashed overhead, and lightning lit up the sky, making her whimper in the steel cage.She closed her eyes tightly, recalling Jameson’s last words before he disappeared.
She overheard one of Cain’s men telling him about moving Rebecca to Florida. When Jameson returned to the bar, she tripped purposely in front of him. Unlike the others, he knelt on the floor, picking up the shards of glass while she grabbed towels to mop up the beer. She dropped a piece of paper close to his hand, and he swept it up with his hand.
“Oh, Carrie,” Cain sang out loud, making her grit her teeth. He knew she hated his nickname for her. “Did you have an accident? You can work off the cost of those glasses later. Get cleaned up, we’re moving out tonight,” he ordered, standing over her.
Jameson rose, dropping the glass into the garbage bag beside her. “Where are we headed? I thought you planned to stay here the rest of the week?”
“You’ll stay here with Chaz and Ed. I’m taking a few of the girls to a party,” Cain informed him. “They’re cleaning out the cages. While I’m gone, you’ll inspect each one of the cells for any weapons. We can’t have another incident like we did in Colorado. Clients pay to have these women trained to their satisfaction. We don’t need any of them going rogue.”
Caroline picked up the last chunk of glass when Cain kicked her hard on her hip. “Didn’t I tell you to get dressed? It appears you’re itching for a little punishment session,” he growled, grabbing her long blonde hair in his fist, dragging her off the floor.
“Shit, boss,” Jameson said, grabbing her hand and coating it with blood. “She’s bleeding all over the place. I’ll take her in the back and wrap it. We don’t need her bleeding all over customers.”
Cain shoved Caroline into Jameson. “Keep her here. Have her wash out the cells while you inspect them. We don’t need her walking around with a bandage.” Then, he turned his attention to Caroline. “I’ll expect you on your knees and waiting when I return.”
Jameson dragged her toward the kitchen, and as soon as he searched the area for any witnesses, he let go of his grip on her arm and gently led her to the sink. Her eyes widened when she realized he cut his own hand to keep her from leaving with Cain.
“Thank you for the information. I might be gone for a while, but I’m keeping my word to you. I’ll find a way to get you out of this,” he vowed.
“I hope you find her,” she whispered.
Jameson grabbed the first aid kit from under the sink and bound her hand. “Keep this on your hand for appearances. Wear a glove while you mop out the cells. No matter what, this won’t be the last time you see me.”
He walked out the kitchen door, and she never saw him again.
Maybe she dreamed of the perfect man in her head because she knew she couldn’t escape on her own. She tried four times, and each time resulted in a beating. Cain showcased his handiwork by making her sit on the bar naked for all the new victims to see what happened when someone defied him.
“Carrie,” Cain called from the back porch of the bar. “Why do you try my patience? You cut my customer with a knife. It’ll cost me money to keep him quiet. I had to give him one of my best girls at a discount,” he said, tsking. “Maybe you’ll change yourmind after a night in the rain. You sure picked a helluva night to rebel.”
Caroline’s teeth chattered as she watched him saunter back inside the house. Thunder clashed, and she screamed her frustration into the wind.
CHAPTER TWO
Jameson Stanton paced the kitchen floor while Mac, Matthew, and Julio reviewed his latest intel.
Rebecca entered the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee, and sat with the men. Julio caught her up on the information.
“You believe they’re keeping her at a farmhouse in West Virginia? It’s not on the route,” Rebecca said, staring at the map.
“Dr. Reese’s files indicated they took women there for private parties. Since you and Julio shut down almost all of the Eastern side, the Western ring has become more cautious. I’ve scouted out each of the auctions, and she’s not there. Caroline must be hidden somewhere. Maybe they linked her to me, and they pulled her from the rotation. Garrett and I have scouted all the places on the list. There’s only one mention of this place in all those files. Cain liked to have his secrets. Having a side business sounds like something he’d do. Plus, it keeps him off the radar until things cool down.”
Rebecca nodded. “It makes sense. Do you have the schematics of the farmhouse where they’re holding her?”
“I can’t find any record of them,” he said, frustrated.
“I’ll see what I can do on my end,” Matthew assured him. “I’ll feel better if you’re not entering it blind.”
Julio glanced up, staring at Jameson. “We owe this woman for helping us find Rebecca. We’ll keep this between us until the last minute and let Rebecca call in the Feds. We don’t want to tip off anyone. We’ll spin up in two hours. Matthew, I need you to tag along. Mac’s helping on this side of things until we’re fully staffed. My new hires will arrive any day. He’ll get them started, and then Riley can put them through their paces. Where’s Garrett?”
