Lawson was all too aware of just how much was on the line. Not just Warrior Peak, though that was part of it. Mostly, it was just Sarah. After spending time together last night, his need to protect her had skyrocketed, and he knew he was going to do whatever it took to ensure she didn’t have to face any of the trouble this operation might bring to them.
“Are we almost ready to move out?” Xavier asked, glancing around the room. The other men replied with nods. They were all armed, all ready to take on whatever came next. Each of them was taking a different rest stop to keep watch for the comings and goings of Granger’s men, and, if the opportunity arose, to grab them before they could do any harm.
Really, it was a reconnaissance mission, but Lawson could tell that the rest of them, like him, were itching to take it to the next level and actually snatch up one of the evil bastards involved in this trafficking.
“It’s nearly dark, so we should get stationed at our rest stops as soon as we can,” Cade replied.
Lawson nodded in agreement.
Xavier glanced over at him. “You alright?”
“I’m fine,” he lied quickly. Truth be told, he’d been worrying a whole lot in the last day or so about what they were getting themselves involved in. Playing back their earlier conversations in his mind, Lawson could understand the others’ true fears of setting out on this mission. He didn’t want to share his own concerns, though, because he knew that would break the morale.
Even though this was the place he usually felt the most comfortable—working with the guys to come up with a plan to take down someone vile and dangerous—this was more intensethan what they had faced off against before, and there was just no avoiding that fact.
Granger was a big fish and capable of bringing down hell on their heads if he decided to, for their interference in his business. One slip would be all it would take to have him and his thugs on their trail.
Then there was Lainey to think about, too. He knew he would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to her or her family because of his failure to act. It made Lawson so mad when he thought of all the people who had failed to lift a finger when she’d brought it to their attention.
But he couldn’t let his emotions get the better of him. He needed to keep himself under control. Now, more than ever, there were so many people relying on him to see this through. Not just Lainey, but all the women whom Victor had already targeted and was using and abusing for his business and his own perverse needs, and those still yet to be taken. But not on his watch, if he could prevent it.
Lawson rose to his feet and looked around the room. If there was anyone in the world he trusted to pull off an operation like this, it would be these men in front of him.
“Last chance to back out if you don’t want to get involved,” he warned them. He wouldn’t blame anyone for deciding they didn’t want to be part of this. Hell, if Lainey hadn’t asked for his help, he wasn’t sure he would have put himself in the line of fire at all.
But all three men looked back at him steadily, and Cade answered for the group, with confidence. “We’re all in.”
None of them wavered for a moment. They really were in—all in.
Lawson nodded back. For the first time since Lainey had brought this to him, he felt hope rise in his chest. They were going to do this.
End Victor Granger’s reign of terror once and for all.
AN HOUR ORso later, Lawson pulled his truck to a halt in the desolate rest stop he was using as his stakeout position. The small building was set back from the road, surrounded by thick trees, with a restroom door at each side of the structure lit with a single flickering bulb between them, and a broken snack and soda machine in the center. It was dark and gloomy. It felt as though the whole place was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen.
After killing the engine, Lawson climbed out of the truck and looked around. No vehicles coming either way—this place was empty. An easy hunting ground for anyone searching for women in trouble. He doubted there was CCTV out here, and even if there was, it likely hadn’t worked in years, anyway.
Lawson flicked on the warning lights in the truck, a sign that something was wrong and that he was in need of help. He knew that if Granger really had his men working up and down this highway, it wouldn’t be long until one of them showed up to check it out. And, when they did, he needed to make it look as though he was a woman.
He sighed as he strung some pearls from the rearview mirror and slipped a pink, fuzzy cover over his wheel. Then he scattered some feminine paraphernalia around the cab—colorful notebooks, a shiny pen, a hairclip, a bright pink backpack and a pair of high heels—where it would be seen. Luckily, he’d been able to borrow some stuff from the women—actually, they all had. The others would be setting up their vehicles like this, too.
Then he got out and leaned a spare tire against the truck and placed a couple of tools on the ground. To anyone driving by, they would think there was a woman in trouble and in need of help…provided they didn’t see him.
The trap was set. Now, he just had to wait for someone to take the bait.
He headed over to the restroom and knocked on the women’s side, making sure it was empty. When no one responded, he pushed open the door and leaned up against the wall, pulled out his phone and fired off a text to the others to let them know he was in position.
Along the highway, Cade, Xavier and Aaron would be taking up their positions, all of them prepared to snare one of Granger’s men as soon as they got the chance. It might not have been the most foolproof plan, but they needed to get their hands on one of the boots-on-the-ground guys to figure out exactly how his operation worked.
Their texts came in one after the other, letting him know that they were ready to go. Lawson glanced out toward his truck, sitting there by the side of the road, and wondered if this had been the right call. He pushed down those thoughts. He couldn’t let any doubt get into his mind—he needed to keep a clear head. He knew the guys were all relying on one another to pull this together, and he wasn’t going to be the weak link to bring it all crashing down.
Soon enough, one of Granger’s men would see a vehicle on the side of the road, broken-down and apparently belonging to a woman. They’d pull over, ready to snatch up another innocent, and instead, they’d be faced with a highly trained ex-cop, former military man, or former agent for their troubles. Lawson hoped they picked his rest stop to come to. He wanted to see the looks on their faces when it happened.
He listened to the road outside. Nothing, just stillness. Damn, he hoped an actual woman didn’t turn up looking to use the restroom—it would be hard to explain what he was doing in here if they did.
He needed something to pass the time, to keep himself from overthinking. Then, he thought of Lainey. It had been a few days since he had last spoken to her, and he’d told her he’d update her once they got their plan in motion. Now seemed as good of time as any.
He dialed the number of the burner phone, and she answered a few seconds later.
