I must have said that last part out loud because Caleb gathered me off the stool and led me toward the door. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about, dear. Just lean into me, that’s it.”
He easily guided me toward the door, and I had little control over my limbs.
This motherfucker drugged me!
“Where are you taking me?”
He hauled me outside, and it was like I was having an out-of-body experience. To an outsider, we looked like friends who’d had too many mimosas at brunch.
We reached a BMW, and a tall bald man opened the backseat as Caleb pulled me across the sidewalk.
The last thing I remembered was his once warm and welcoming voice turning to stone. “It’s done. Now I want my money.”
Chapter 26
Nairie
My head was throbbing when I woke up. I could feel my pulse reverberating in my eyes, and I had a severe case of cotton mouth. I was zip-tied to a pole in a small room, but, given the chance, it gave me enough room to break them in a move William taught me recently. The only light came from a grimy window that looked out into the rest of the warehouse. A few boats were elevated like they were undergoing repair. I blinked my eyes to acclimate to the darkness and my roofie hangover.
A chair scraped against the floor across the room, and when I turned toward the sound, Angus came into the light.
The years hadn’t been kind to him. He was handsome once. His blond hair and brown eyes gave him a boy-next-door look that women loved. But he was gangly now, his brown eyes had deep-set dark circles, and he was missing a few teeth.
How long has he been using his own supply?
Angus took a seat and looked me up and down appraisingly. “It’s been a long time, Nairie.”
I scowled at him.
He chuckled. “Nothing to say, hmm? You were always so prepared with quips.”
Angus got up and looked out the window and then his watch. “You’ve grown into a beautiful woman. Yousure you picked the right Adair brother? I can show you things you’ve never seen before.”
I snorted. “Seeing the smallest prick in the world isn’t really on my bucket list.”
Angus laughed. “There she is.”
He walked closer to me, and I could smell his stale cigarette smoke and rotting teeth.
“It was pretty pathetic how obsessed you were with Will when we were kids. Now you have him wrapped around your little finger. All it took was for you to open your legs.” He leered down at my body. “You were always a prude, but I’m glad to see my brother warmed you up a bit. Makes my job easier.”
I wanted to vomit. “You’re pathetic. Kidnapping your brother’s girlfriend, seriously? Don’t you have more important things to do?”
Angus slapped me across the cheek, snapping my head to the side. “You two always thought you were better than me.”
He lit a cigarette and puffed it in my face. “I know the cops are already closing in on my operation.”
My eyes widened, and he chuckled. “Yeah, I’m not just a pretty face. There’s not much I can do about it at this point.”
He sat back down in his chair and looked up at me. “But I wanted to leave my brother a parting gift before I get locked up. There’s one last shipment going out in about fifteen minutes. You’re part of the cargo, along with a few other unfortunate souls, until you’re sold to the highest bidder. Men like William and me don’t get a happily ever after, Nairie.”
I tried to keep myself calm. William would find me before then. I just had to keep Angus talking. “Why do youhate him so much?”
Angus took a long drag of his cigarette. “He never knew when to just shut up. He questioned everything I told him to do. Then he ruined everything I was working toward.”
He got up and moved closer to me, his words filled with rage and vitriol. “I vetted for him when he was about to be initiated. He made me look like an idiot. Took me years to build back the trust with my employers. Plus, it doesn’t look great when you’re trying to run an illegal operation and your brother is a top soldier for the government.”
He tossed his cigarette and trailed his hands over my waist. “I’m a spiteful man, Nairie. I don’t forgive and I never forget.”
