window.
The driver kept going, without looking back.
Fucking A.
Carolina
A knock came on the door. I smiled weakly at Katey. We were both on edge, to say the least. Slowly, she went to open it.
"Who is it?"
"It's me Katey."
She slumped in relief.
It was Chan. As usual, a warm feeling flooded my body at the sight of him. He looked at me, his face serious.
"Joss is here."
I nodded and stood. Katey tried to follow us into the hallway but Chan stopped her.
"You stay here hon. The less you know, the better."
Katey watched as we left.
"Lock the door behind you. Maybe watch a movie or take a bath. Try not to worry, okay?"
I stared at Chan in the hallway once the door was closed.
"Take a bath?"
He shrugged sheepishly.
"I thought that might relax her."
I rolled my eyes at him. He was adorable. I stifled the urge to throw my arms around his neck and squeeze him.
Uh oh.
I forced myself to focus as we went back to his room. His friend Joss was waiting inside. He was... intimidating.
Tall, with dark hair and piercing eyes, Joss looked like a model. Other than the whole not smiling thing.
I had a weird feeling he didn't smile much at all.
I looked back and forth from Joss to Chan and back again. They looked like two sides of the same coin. Tall, check. Gorgeous, check. Strong and fit, check. That's where the resemblance ended though.
Chan was all sunshine and laughs. This guy was... not.
He looked moody as hell. Serious. And judging from those muscles and the gun he wore at his hip, I was glad he was on our side.
"You got rid of the phone?"
Chan nodded.
"Yeah, I tossed it in a cab as it was leaving."
"Good. Hopefully they won't backtrack to here."
Joss turned to me.
"We got another girl out of town last night. Did Chan tell you?"
I shook my head, terror filling my gut.
"You can't go home. And you can't go to work. And you definitely can't go through with the wedding."
I nodded. I knew all that. But it was still awful to hear.
"What girl?"
They glanced at each other then back at me.
"I think you should sit down."
I sat. Chan stared at me with a look of true sorrow. Like he knew Joss was about to tell me something devastating.
He was right.
"Max Herchou is part of a Russian crime syndicate."
"But he's Swedish..."
Joss shook his head.
"Half Swedish. Half Russian. His father was well connected."
"What does that even mean?"
"It means he runs drugs, women, you name it."
"Women?"
"Women who are trafficked into this country and forced into prostitution."
My mind went blank for a moment. Max? Prostitutes? It seemed like a stretch, even for him.
"He also extorts from several restaurants and clubs. Mostly strip clubs."
I swallowed. This was worse than I thought. Much worse. But I could tell Joss was not making this up.
"He has a... preference. For small blond women."
My hand went to my throat. Chan was beside me in a moment, his arm around me, steadying me.
"He doesn't treat them well. He's violent. It seems to be a part of his routine."
"How many?"
The words came out in a voice I didn't recognize. Hoarse. Reedy. Desperate.
Joss shook his head.
"I'm not sure. Dozens over the years. I tracked down several from the past few months."
I stood up suddenly.
"I feel sick."
I ran to the bathroom. I stared at the toilet for half a second before I vomited. There wasn't much in my stomach thank the Lord.
I was embarrassed all the same.
I stared into the mirror at my flushed face. In the space of an hour, my eyes had changed. They were more knowing somehow. Older. Wiser.
Haunted.
I splashed cold water on my face and came out. I couldn't hide from Chan forever. And oddly enough, I didn't want to.
When I came out Chan was showing Joss out. They shook hands. Joss turned and nodded to me.
"See you tomorrow."
"Joss-"
He turned to look at me.
"Thank you."
He gave me the tiniest smile. He put his hand on Chan's shoulder. And then he was gone.
Chan shut the door behind him and smiled at me.
"Room
The driver kept going, without looking back.
Fucking A.
Carolina
A knock came on the door. I smiled weakly at Katey. We were both on edge, to say the least. Slowly, she went to open it.
"Who is it?"
"It's me Katey."
She slumped in relief.
It was Chan. As usual, a warm feeling flooded my body at the sight of him. He looked at me, his face serious.
"Joss is here."
I nodded and stood. Katey tried to follow us into the hallway but Chan stopped her.
"You stay here hon. The less you know, the better."
Katey watched as we left.
"Lock the door behind you. Maybe watch a movie or take a bath. Try not to worry, okay?"
I stared at Chan in the hallway once the door was closed.
"Take a bath?"
He shrugged sheepishly.
"I thought that might relax her."
I rolled my eyes at him. He was adorable. I stifled the urge to throw my arms around his neck and squeeze him.
Uh oh.
I forced myself to focus as we went back to his room. His friend Joss was waiting inside. He was... intimidating.
Tall, with dark hair and piercing eyes, Joss looked like a model. Other than the whole not smiling thing.
I had a weird feeling he didn't smile much at all.
I looked back and forth from Joss to Chan and back again. They looked like two sides of the same coin. Tall, check. Gorgeous, check. Strong and fit, check. That's where the resemblance ended though.
Chan was all sunshine and laughs. This guy was... not.
He looked moody as hell. Serious. And judging from those muscles and the gun he wore at his hip, I was glad he was on our side.
"You got rid of the phone?"
Chan nodded.
"Yeah, I tossed it in a cab as it was leaving."
"Good. Hopefully they won't backtrack to here."
Joss turned to me.
"We got another girl out of town last night. Did Chan tell you?"
I shook my head, terror filling my gut.
"You can't go home. And you can't go to work. And you definitely can't go through with the wedding."
I nodded. I knew all that. But it was still awful to hear.
"What girl?"
They glanced at each other then back at me.
"I think you should sit down."
I sat. Chan stared at me with a look of true sorrow. Like he knew Joss was about to tell me something devastating.
He was right.
"Max Herchou is part of a Russian crime syndicate."
"But he's Swedish..."
Joss shook his head.
"Half Swedish. Half Russian. His father was well connected."
"What does that even mean?"
"It means he runs drugs, women, you name it."
"Women?"
"Women who are trafficked into this country and forced into prostitution."
My mind went blank for a moment. Max? Prostitutes? It seemed like a stretch, even for him.
"He also extorts from several restaurants and clubs. Mostly strip clubs."
I swallowed. This was worse than I thought. Much worse. But I could tell Joss was not making this up.
"He has a... preference. For small blond women."
My hand went to my throat. Chan was beside me in a moment, his arm around me, steadying me.
"He doesn't treat them well. He's violent. It seems to be a part of his routine."
"How many?"
The words came out in a voice I didn't recognize. Hoarse. Reedy. Desperate.
Joss shook his head.
"I'm not sure. Dozens over the years. I tracked down several from the past few months."
I stood up suddenly.
"I feel sick."
I ran to the bathroom. I stared at the toilet for half a second before I vomited. There wasn't much in my stomach thank the Lord.
I was embarrassed all the same.
I stared into the mirror at my flushed face. In the space of an hour, my eyes had changed. They were more knowing somehow. Older. Wiser.
Haunted.
I splashed cold water on my face and came out. I couldn't hide from Chan forever. And oddly enough, I didn't want to.
When I came out Chan was showing Joss out. They shook hands. Joss turned and nodded to me.
"See you tomorrow."
"Joss-"
He turned to look at me.
"Thank you."
He gave me the tiniest smile. He put his hand on Chan's shoulder. And then he was gone.
Chan shut the door behind him and smiled at me.
"Room
Similar Books
