Chapter 23

Kyle was at her side in an instant, catching her before her head could collide with the cold cement floor. His hand cradled her head, fingers threading through her hair.

“Kiera, wake up, sweetheart.” Relief washed over him as her eyes fluttered open.

“Get her out of here now,” Roy commanded, crouching down beside them.

Kyle didn’t need to be told twice. She’d already seen too much, and he didn’t want her to witness any more.

He scooped her up into his arms, carrying her up the narrow staircase and out into the fresh air. He gently laid her down on the grass.

***

Descending the stairs, William and Roy had their guns at the ready. The smell was almost unbearable, a sickening blend of blood and urine.

The sight that greeted them in the room stopped them in their tracks. A dozen women, some naked, some half-dressed, lay in pools of their own blood.

Kiera’s scream echoed in the room just before she fainted. He ordered Kyle to take her out while he and William surveyed the gruesome scene and the bodies.

“Boss, you need to see this,” William called out.

He walked over to where William was standing. There, sprawled on the floor, were the two men who had delivered Kiera to Kyle, both dead with bullets in their heads.

“We need to call this in.” He leaned against the wall, the sight of all those dead women—one no older than fourteen—making his stomach churn.

He needed to get out of there. He left the basement and headed outside to check on Kiera.

He found her nestled in Kyle’s arms, her face buried in his chest. “How’s she doing?” he asked, crouching down to their level.

“I think she’s in shock. I need to get her home.”

“The police are on their way. As soon as they arrive, I’ll drive you. Kyle, the two men who brought her to you are also in there, both dead.

“We need to find this Charlie guy. Until then, Kiera is still in danger. I’m going to assign a man to watch over you both.”

“But if everyone is dead and the site is shut down, why would she still be in danger?”

“People like this don’t leave loose ends. They’ll want to eliminate anything or anyone who could identify them.”

Kyle’s eyes widened, and he stared at Roy. “My God, Joe could be in danger too, since they think she’s with him.”

Roy’s eyebrows knitted together.

He stood up, pulled out his phone, and instructed the person on the other end to inform Joe about the situation and that he would be placed under protection.

“I’m assigning someone to keep an eye on him. He’ll be safe, but I’m sure by now the boss of the operation knows she’s with you and not Joe.”

He kissed the top of her head. Guilt surged through him, leaving a burning ache in his heart.

“I’ve put my best friend in danger. I never should have involved him in all of this. I’ll never forgive myself if anything happens to him.”

“Kyle, we both know how smart and strong Joe is. You both trained in self-defense, and he’s one of the best shooters I’ve ever known.

“He can handle himself, and he wouldn’t have agreed to help if he wasn’t capable of dealing with whatever comes his way.

“All right, my men are here. Give me a few minutes with them, and then we’ll leave.”

Once Roy left them, Kyle leaned over to kiss Kiera’s dirt-streaked cheek, not caring about the grime.

“We’re going home now.” His worry deepened as he held her. She had stopped crying and was eerily quiet. It was as if she had checked out. She just stared back at him with vacant eyes.

He lifted her up and carried her over to the van when he saw Roy signaling him. Her arms wrapped around his neck, clinging to him.

He settled her in the back seat and slid in next to her. She snuggled up to him, her arms winding around his neck again.

“I’ll assign a man to watch over you both until we crack this case,” Roy said as he pulled into the underground parking lot of Kyle’s hotel.

He accompanied them upstairs, ensuring they got inside safely.

Once they were alone, he pulled her into his arms. She still hadn’t spoken, and his worry grew. He knew she needed to let it out to start healing.

“Do you want to talk about what happened?”

“No, I want to take a shower.”

“Okay, go ahead. I’ll join you in a minute. I have something I need to do.”

She walked away, not bothering to ask him what that was. She turned on the water, stripped off her clothes, and stepped in, letting the water wash away the dirt and grime.

She felt numb inside, and when he joined her in the shower, she moved into his open arms. Pushing the horrific scene from earlier out of her mind, she let him comfort her, feeling safe in his embrace.

After they cleaned up, he turned off the water and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist before draping one around her.

She moved to the sink and, looking in the mirror, picked up the hairbrush, but felt too weak to brush her hair.

Still staring into the mirror, she felt him take the brush from her and start brushing her hair. She watched as he then picked up the hairdryer and dried her hair.

She had never known a man to do something like this before, and his tender care felt good.

He was relieved that she didn’t push him away when he held her, the water cascading down their bodies. He had no thoughts of making love to her. He just wanted to comfort her.

He just wished she would open up, scream, cry, anything but keep it all bottled up inside.

“I’ll make us something to eat,” he said once her hair was dry and he had brushed it again.

He took her hand and led her into the bedroom, fetching her a nightgown to put on. He then slipped into a pair of jeans.

“I’m not hungry,” she said, pulling the gown over her head.

“Come on, you need to eat something. Let’s get you comfy on the couch. I think there’s a good movie on.”

He tucked her in on the sofa and flipped on the movie channel, settling on a romantic comedy for them to watch.

Leaving her with a glass of wine, he headed into the kitchen and started whipping up some hamburgers and a fresh salad.

He plated their meals and brought them into the living room. They’d eat in front of the TV tonight.

Seeing her sitting there, her face so pale, and that look of despair in her eyes, it really tugged at his heart.

He sat down next to her, offering her the plate. “I loaded up your burger with all your favorite toppings. Please, try to eat something, for me.”

She glanced at the plate and slowly accepted it from him. “Thank you. It does look and smell good. I suppose I could eat a bit.”

One bite was all it took. She realized how famished she was and devoured the burger. Then she moved on to the salad.

Later, he cleared the plates and returned with ice cream. He’d heard it was a comfort food for women when they were feeling low and hurting.

“Is that a hint of a smile I see?” he asked as he handed her a bowl of strawberry ice cream.

“You remembered my favorite flavor. Thank you,” she said, accepting the bowl.

“I pay attention,” he replied as they both dug in.

Despite the late hour, she didn’t want to go to bed. She was scared to close her eyes, afraid the image of those dead girls would return.

If only she could erase it from her memory, forget the horror of it all. But when he stood, took her hand, and gently pulled her up, she didn’t resist as they headed to bed.

She was relieved when he didn’t make a move on her. She wasn’t in the mood for sex. She rested her head on his chest and snuggled up to him, feeling his arm wrap around her.

His hand rested on her head, occasionally giving it a comforting rub. Her hair felt so silky soft against his skin.

He gently stroked her shoulder with his thumb, waiting for her to fall asleep. He knew she was fighting it.

Once he was sure she was asleep, he closed his own eyes and drifted off, hoping that by tomorrow she would be ready to talk about what had happened.

***

^MORNING^

He woke and quietly slipped out of bed, not wanting to disturb her. He pulled on his pants and headed to the kitchen to start the coffee.

He had just finished loading the coffee maker and was reaching for two mugs when he heard her scream.

Abandoning the mugs, he sprinted toward the bedroom. She was still asleep but was having a nightmare, her body thrashing beneath the covers.

He rushed over and gently shook her. “Kiera, it’s okay. You’re here with me. You’re safe,” he said, pulling her into his arms. He held her while she cried, letting it all out.

“Oh God, I can’t stop seeing those girls lying in blood. Why did they have to kill them? Why not just let them go or take them somewhere else?”

“I could have been one of them. I could be dead right now if it wasn’t for you. One was only fourteen, so young, and had her whole life ahead of her. They didn’t have to kill her.

“When is this going to end?” she asked, sobbing into his shoulder.

“I don’t know,” he said, holding her close. He let her cry it out, glad she was finally confronting it.

Once she had calmed down, he took her into the kitchen and poured her some coffee while he prepared breakfast.

“I need to head down to my office and get some work done. Why don’t you get dressed and come with me?”

“Is it okay for us to be seen together?”

“By now, it’s probably known that you’re not with Joe, and we do have an agent watching over us, so yeah, it’ll be okay. Besides, I’m not leaving you here alone.”

She knew he was right. Now, with the site shut down, they would have checked to see if she was still with Joe.

Which meant they would be looking for her, and she would feel safer with Kyle, rather than staying in the suite alone.

“So they will be after me, won’t they?”

“Maybe, but if they packed up and left town they might just leave you alone. I don’t really see you being a threat to them anymore. It’s not like you know who the boss or bosses are.

“But to be on the safe side, I want you close to me at all times. Once they find Charlie and they get a confession out of him, then you’ll be free.”

As promised, he took her down with him and even put her to work, at her request.

She did some filing, and he had her type out some memos for him and showed her how to send them to the right people.

At noon he called the kitchen and had them send up some lunch to his office. While he continued working, she went and checked out some of the courses she would be taking to further her education.

Shortly after, a beautiful brunette walked in carrying a tray of sandwiches and coffee. She set it down and smiled at Kyle. “If there’s anything else, sir, just let me know.”

“No, that’s all, Mia. I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Kiera Finn.”

Mia gave him another smile and touched his arm as she looked over at Kiera. “I didn’t know you were dating someone.”

She then turned to her and extended her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Finn.”

“Same here,” she said, shaking Mia’s hand and feeling a twinge of jealousy.

When the woman left, she turned to Kyle. “She was quite touchy with you. Should I be worried about the two of you?”

He stood and, walking around his desk, pulled her close to him. “She’s married, so you have nothing to worry about.”

“She wouldn’t be the first woman to cheat on her husband.”

“Baby, she’s not only married, but she’s married to a woman.”

She dropped her gaze, a shy smile playing on her lips. “Oh.”

He gently tilted her chin upward, compelling her to meet his eyes. “You should never feel a twinge of jealousy. My eyes are, and will always be, only for you. I might be many things, but a cheater isn’t one of them.

“Now, we have two options. We could either eat our lunch or strip down and make out on the couch. You decide.”

She sauntered away, heading straight for the door to lock it. “I’ve made my choice.”