“Right here, let me out,” I commanded.
The driver pulled off to the side. “Are you sure? The club is still—”
I tossed some money at him. “Thank you for getting here so quickly.”
I threw the taxi door open and took off down the back alley that ran right behind the strip joint. I booked it as quickly as I could, pumping air in through my nose and exhaling through my mouth. It was a technique Hyde had taught me when I was just beginning to get myself in shape after becoming a prospect. He instilled into me a respect for one’s body and how that respect translated to not only the club, but the city we protected.
I heard his voice echoing in my head as I quickly approached that back door.
Respect first starts with respect for yourself.
I was about a block and a half away when I spotted Josie rushing out hand-in-hand with another girl. Probably one of the dancers at the club. I saw three girls rushing out behind them, and they all seemed to be trying to talk about each other, but I had no clue what they were saying. I tried to draw in breath to yell out Josie’s name, but every time I opened my mouth all my lungs wanted to do was draw in more air.
And to my horror, I watched Josie dash back into the club.
“No!” I exclaimed breathlessly.
I sprinted over to the group of girls as a woman with dark skin, black hair, and bright blue eyes started addressing the small group of girls that hadn’t followed Josie back into the club.
And when I came to a grinding halt, my question fell breathlessly from my lips.
“What the fuck is going on?”
The black-haired girl looked me up and down. “And who the fuck are you?”
I drew in a deep breath, trying to settle my heart rate. Damn it, I needed to do more cardio.
“I’m Archer. Where’s Josie?”
The girl gawked. “Oh, shit. She was talkin’ ‘bout having to call you or some shit. She just ran back inside for some dude.”
“Cole?”
She nodded. “Yeah, that was the name. The three of you related or some shit?”
I cleared my throat. “Or some shit. What are you guys doing out here?”
She snickered. “Trying to outrun the gunfire.”
I paused. “Wait, shots were popped off?”
The girl held out her hand. “I’m Summer. I’ve worked here with Josie for a couple of years or so now.”
I shook her hand. “Nice to meet you. Any idea where Josie was going when she rushed back in?”
She shrugged. “My guess? The dressing room. She’s a smart girl, so she’s probably rifling through our shit to find a weapon.”
One of the other girls spoke up. “Wait, she’s doing what?”
Summer shot her a look before she turned her attention back to me. “Anyway, yeah, there were gunshots. I heard Josie yelling for help down one of the hallways and some asshole had her pinned to the wall. He was, literally, damn near ready to rape the poor girl. I tackled him to the ground and we fought the guys off to get out here.”
My vision dripped with red, but I was still impressed. “Are any of you hurt? Is Josie hurt?”
Summer giggled. “She’ll have a fuckin’ bruise the size of Texas around her neck tomorrow, but other than that we’re good.”
Relief washed through my veins. “Don’t go back inside. I’m going to go find Cole and Josie and get them out—”
The vibrating against my thigh stopped me in my tracks and I ripped out my phone. And I didn’t even have to look at it to know who was calling me.
“Josie! Where are you?” I asked.
She sniffled and cleared her throat. “In the dressing room. I got a baseball bat and I’m about to go find Cole. He’s in rough shape.”
I turned my back on the girls. “Don’t you dare. I’m here. I’ll take care of it.”
She paused. “Wait, you’re what?”
Summer talked over my shoulder. “Ya man’s out back with us, pretty girl! Come get ‘im!”
But she wouldn’t relent. “I have to find Cole. He didn’t leave me behind. He was the reason Summer and I were able to escape. He started firing shots. For all I know, he’s hurt somewhere.”
I growled as I charged the back door. “Then let me find him. Josie, this isn’t the time to play hero. These men will rape you and kill you without a second thought. You’ve already figured that out twice. Can’t you just listen for once and not try to get yourself killed? Doesn’t how I feel mean anything to you?”
That got her attention. “Promise me you’ll find Cole.”
I reached for the doorknob of the door. “I promise. Now, get your ass back out—”
Just as I went to open the door, a body tumbled through the doorway. Cole thudded loudly at my feet and the girls scrambled to get him up out of the muddy waters he fell face first into.
“What was that?” Josie asked.
I bent down and helped them heave Cole to his feet. “We’ve got Cole. He stumbled out back.”
“Josie. Where are you?” Cole murmured.
I shoved my shoulder into his chest and held him up in his feet. “She’s fine. She’s coming out back right now. Aren’t you, Josie?”
Something clattered on her end of the line. “I’m coming now! How badly is he hurt?”
“Get out here and find out for yourself. Quickly. If you’re not out here in two minutes, I’m coming in for you.”
She hung up the phone on me and I slid mine into my back pocket. I pulled Cole away from the door and slumped him against the outside brick wall, keeping my ears trained for any footsteps or gunfire heading in our direction. Cole looked pretty beat up, and his nose was definitely broken. But other than some superficial cuts and battle bruises on his knuckles, he looked fine.
“Hey, Cole. You know where you are?” I asked.
He slowly looked up at me and growled. “In the fucking lion’s den.”
I patted his cheek. “You did good. You did very, very good.”
“Cole!” Josie exclaimed as she burst through the door.
I whipped around to face her and held out my arms. She rushed into them, but she didn’t hug me for long before she crouched down and gasped as Cole’s face.
“Oh, my God. He needs a doctor. We have to get him back to—”
Summer knelt beside her. “Girl, you gotta keep a cool head. You’re being way too loud right now, and we’re still vulnerable.”
I helped Cole to his feet. “She’s right. We gotta get out of here, and fast. You guys follow us.”
But Summer shook her head. “Nope. I’m taking the girls to the police. I’m pretty sure they aren’t from around here, if ya catch my drift.”
Josie bucked up to her. “You have to come with us. All of you. It’s the only way you’ll be safe.”
Summer snickered. “Girl, we gonna be safe in a police station, too. But these girls need help ain’t none of us able to provide.”
I nodded. “She’s right. But I want you contacting Josie the second you guys are in that station. I want to know you’re all right.”
Summer grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”
I watched as she rounded up the three—no, now there were four—girls that had found their way out back. Summer rattled off some shit in Spanish and the girls perked up quickly, which both impressed me and confirmed our suspicions. And after Summer threw down some orders neither Josie nor myself understood, the five of them took off down the alleyway.
Booking it for the main road.
“All right,” Cole grunted as he stumbled around on his feet, “we gotta go. I don’t know why the fuck they haven’t come out here yet, but I have a feeling it’s because they know shit’s going down at the wharf.”
“Fuck,” Josie hissed.
I held Josie to my side with one arm and helped prop Cole up with the other. “We get a cab, we get on the road, and then we call Tanner for an update.”
We stumbled about two blocks down the alleyway before a door burst open behind us. And without skipping a beat, I dragged all of us into a pitch-black corridor. We raced over to an empty dumpster and I threw Cole in before helping Josie over the edge, and I barely managed to get in myself before footsteps blew by the opening of the corridor.
“Search everywhere. Find them. Make sure they don’t make it to the police,” Chops growled.
My hand gravitated to the gun at my side before Cole placed his hand against my wrist. “No. Not now.”
I peeked down at him. “What do you know?”
Cole sputtered as he tried to keep his coughing silent. “So much more than we would’ve ever assumed. Trust me, just lay low.”
I didn’t like how his words sounded, so I did as he asked. I flipped the lid closed quietly and held Josie in my arms as she trembled against me. Whether she was cold or scared, I wasn’t sure. But as I rubbed my hands up and down her back, I heard Cole murmuring to himself.
Until I realized he was on the phone.
“Tanner’s got an update,” he whispered.
He handed me the phone and I plucked it from his hand. “Talk quickly.”
“Can do. We ended up getting those two boys out of there and dropped them off at the police station. Porter’s with them to make sure they get into the hands of an officer that isn’t paid off by those assholes, and we managed to track down the shipping container filled with the girls.”
Josie whispered. “Please tell me they’re okay.”
“What’s their condition?” I murmured.
Cole shifted around while Tanner spoke, as if he were trying to get closer to hear himself. “Out of the fifteen that were back there, three are in critical condition. The rest of the women are fine, but Brooks made the call to bring them all back to the compound. Is Cole in good enough condition to deal with fifteen patients of varying degrees of fucked?”
Cole groaned, but spoke up. “You get them there and I’ll do the rest.”
“Good,” Tanner said, “you guys close to the clubhouse?”
I snickered. “Once Chops and his asshole buddies stop searching for us, we’ll climb out of this dumpster and make our way there.”
Tanner paused. “You guys need back-up?”
Cole grunted. “Wouldn’t hurt.”
I nodded. “If someone can get over here, that would be nice. But shots have already been fired in the club tonight, so just know they’re trigger-ready.”
“Fucking hell,” Tanner murmured. “Okay, Brooks and Finn are on their way. Brooks said he’s gonna call you in—”
My phone beeped. “That’s him now. Talk soon.”
“Talk soon,” Tanner said.
Then, I hung up the phone with him and opened the call with Brooks. “Where are you?”
Brooks panted heavily. “Leaving the wharf now. We’ve got the van and we’re coming to get you.”
I blinked. “How is everyone else getting back to the clubhouse with those girls?”
“You just focus on telling me where you are. I’m driving, Finn will hop out and get you guys out of the dumpster. Just tell me where you are.”
And as I rattled off what happened, Chops and his minions grew further and further away from us.
Giving me hope that we all might actually make it out of this shithole situation alive.
