Lace Underground: The Complete Trilogy Read online

  Cathy sits up straight and laughs. "Well, there's only one ginger around here and she's taken."

  The women glance at each other but make no comments. I'm sure my time to ask questions is running out. "Taken? Damn, then I must have missed her when I walked into the party."

  "She doesn't come to the parties." The woman on my lap hops off abruptly.

  The blonde looks up at her. "Where are you going, Eve?"

  "The pool." She sashays out of the room.

  "I think she's mad that you mentioned liking red hair," Cathy says, immediately taking my vacated lap. It's a move that works out well. She's close enough for me to ask questions without being heard by the guard who has stepped back into the room. And Cathy seems the most generous with information.

  "Why is that?" I ask with a laugh as if I consider this just a humorous conversation.

  The woman under my right arm nudges Cathy's knee and subtly shakes her head.

  "Uh oh, is red hair a forbidden topic?" I laugh again.

  "No, let's just change the subject to something more interesting," Cathy suggests. She curls her arm around my neck and pushes her naked breasts against me. "I'll bet you are a mighty satisfying fuck. Just too bad none of us hot and horny women are going to get a chance to judge for ourselves."

  A bell rings in the hallway. "That's the ten minute warning bell telling everyone to finish up." She sighs. "You sure you don't want to head into my room for a quickie?"

  "Hey, wait a minute, Cath, I was here first," the woman on my right says.

  "Tell you what, ladies, next time I promise to make my decision early. Tonight I was just getting my feet wet in the new club."

  Cathy leans her mouth next to my ear. "I can tell you a few other parts you got wet too with those green eyes and broad shoulders of yours."

  I kiss her neck. "Next time, beautiful. I promise." I pat her bottom. "I need to use the restroom before the ride back to the airport. If you lovely ladies will excuse me."

  The bodyguard watches me with keen interest as I walk down the hallway leading to the restroom. Sitting with dozens of mostly naked, extremely horny women has been a good dose of torture. I splash water on my face and stare at my reflection. I was thrilled to get accepted into the club. I was in. I was going to find Ten and bring her home. But the night has been a thorough fucking failure. With the tracking device plan thwarted, I still have no clue where I am. Freestone even took care to have the windows on his small private plane bolted shut in case a passenger got the idea to stare down at the landscape below. We were blindfolded before we were led out of the plane so I didn't even see the airport. But if nothing else, the plane ride is going to help us. Every airport has records of takeoffs and landings. That is going to be the best place to start a search if my club membership turns out to be a bust. My only worry now is that Ten isn't even at the location. As much as I wanted to pry more information out of Cathy, it seemed I hit a topic that was off limits.

  The door opens and the bodyguard walks in. I give him a chin lift. "How's it going?" I sense tension but keep cool with a friendly smile. "Nice job just watching all those sweeties strutting around."

  "You didn't find anyone to your liking?" his tone is all business.

  "What? Oh fuck no, every single girl out there is hot." I glance around even though I know we're alone. "To tell you the truth and just between you and me, I've only been with a few women and I was kind of nervous. Thought I might, you know, disappoint. Come too quick," I whisper.

  His stone mask is cracking just enough to assure me he's going to have a good hearty laugh once I leave the room. He nods. "Got it. Your secret is safe with me."

  I slap him just a bit too hard on the shoulder. He looks pretty pissed about it but seems to feel sorry enough for the pre-ejaculating rich guy to let it pass. "Thanks, man. But next time." I motion back and forth with my hips. "Next time I'm going to be ready." I walk out of the bathroom.

  The women are gathering up some of the food and drinks to take back to their rooms. The bodyguard steps out of the bathroom seconds later. "We need to get you down to the garage. The members will be gathering for the ride back to the airport."

  "That's too bad," I say, "feels like the night just zipped by."

  "Yeah zipped by," he repeats wryly. It seems I've given him a good story to tell his friends.

  We head along several corridors. I walk just slightly behind him, taking note of certain details. Doors are labeled with numbers. Each one requires a pass card or code.

  "What do you have to do to get one of the key cards? Become a prime member?" I ask with a laugh.

  "Just have to pick entertainment for the night."

  "I see. Next time, I'll be ready." There were cameras in every corner of the hallway. Freestone certainly liked his security. "When do I get to meet Mr. Freestone? Is that another level of membership too?"

  "Mr. Freestone doesn't generally mingle with the club members."

  A driver is already standing at the limousine waiting for some of my club mates to climb inside. There is a long tunnel that leads from somewhere above to the garage. A black van emerges from the tunnel, heading back into the garage from above.

  The guard doesn't react so I can only assume he is expecting it. I slow my pace as we cross the vast cement floor of the garage, hoping I'll get a glimpse of the new visitor. I can only assume it is Freestone himself.

  A few of the other club members come through the door, their low voices sounding loud in the vast garage. I pause, pretending to be interested in their conversation. "Great party eh?" I say.

  They seem shocked and at the same time amused that the new member is a goofball. "How did they let that one in?" One man mutters to the other as they walk past.

  A driver gets out of the van, a big guy with lots of neck tattoos. Freestone seems to have a nice crew of bodyguards. For the first time, luck is with me. Some of my fellow club members are way past prime. They might just have been pushed to their physical limits some with the night's activities. It's taking them longer than expected to climb into the limo.

  I stay just out of view of the van but I can hear movement and voices. It seems that I might catch a glimpse of Freestone before being whisked away. The driver emerges from behind the van. He pulls out his key card for the garage exit door. A man is walking behind him carrying a person wrapped in a black overcoat. I get a clean view of the guy's profile. It's Freestone. He is easy to recognize. Whoever is in his arms moves so they are still alive.

  "Let's go," the guard says sharply to me.

  My eyes follow Freestone for another second. He seems to know he's being watched and turns his piercing gaze back over his shoulder. We lock eyes for a brief moment, then he faces ahead. The movement has jostled the black coat away from the head of the person he's carrying.

  My entire body tenses. Red hair. Ten's hair.

  21

  Angie

  My limbs and head are so heavy it feels as if they have been super-glued to the bed. I don't even open my eyes when the knock is followed by the door opening.

  "Thank you but I'm not up to breakfast this morning," I call from the pillows.

  "Listen here, darlin', you get that skinny ass of yours up and out of that bed for this smoothie or else I'll pour it down your throat."

  I freeze in bed and open my eyes to make sure I'm actually awake and alive. Yep, I'm still alive and I'm not dreaming. I sit up a little too fast and catch myself before toppling forward. Blake sets the smoothie glass on the table and runs toward me as I hop jubilantly out of bed. He catches me before I crumple on weak legs to the ground.

  "See what I mean about drinking that smoothie." For a change he left his brightly colored contacts behind. I'm staring into warm brown eyes and the smile I've grown to love.

  I hug him tightly. "You're real, you big, wonderful smoothie delivering sight for sore eyes." My throat tightens and I hold back a sob. I finally work up the courage to let go of him, afraid he might vanish if I release him t
oo fast. "Where have you been? I was worried Mr. Freestone did something terrible to you and all because of my stupid stunt."

  Blake walks me back to the bed, seeing that I need to sit. "God, you're as weak as a half-starved pup."

  "Yeah well, no one is bringing me smoothies. Just plates piled with greasy, salty food. And then there's my fun night in the desert." The last part makes his eyes grow wide. I shake my head. "I don't want to rehash it. I just want to sit here and hug you." I throw my arms around him again. "I'm so glad you're back."

  He stiffens slightly from the last declaration and kisses my forehead before squirming free of my koala style grasp. "Let me bring you the smoothie." He moves gracefully across the room in a way only Blake can pull off with charm.

  He hands me the drink. I stare at it for a second, not sure if it'll go down well.

  Blake crosses his arm and taps his foot. "You might as well get sipping because I'm not leaving until you are sucking out the last drops."

  I take hold of the straw and smile up at him. "Promise?"

  His smile fades some and he sits. "I'm only here for a few hours, darlin'."

  I lower the glass. He pushes it back up and practically jams the straw between my lips. "Drink a third and I'll tell you where I've been."

  The smoothie is cold and refreshing on my parched throat. I drink half before taking a breath. "Wow, that's good."

  "Glad you like it. I had the cook add in an extra dose of honey for some calories."

  I stir the dark pink concoction with the straw and take another sip. "Now talk. Where have you been and why did you desert me?"

  His brow arched. "Uh, who deserted who? And what on earth possessed you to climb into the truck with those two losers?"

  My shoulders lift with a shrug. "Desperation, I guess. It seemed my only chance to get away and—I don't know. That nectar is putting me through all kinds of mood swings."

  Blake nods. "I noticed and I should have said something. I've seen it happen before. You are just one of those people who reacts profoundly to all of the drug's side effects."

  I take hold of his hand. "I'm sorry. I never wanted to get you in trouble. You have to believe that."

  "I believe ya, darlin'." He takes the empty glass from my hand and puts it on the nightstand. "But it actually turned out all right in the end." He squeezes my hand. "With the exception that I don't get to take care of you anymore. I did love that job."

  "You're my only friend in here," I say. "I wish you were back for good. What have you been doing?"

  "After the little"—he clears his throat—"runaway incident, Freestone was pissed at me. I was sure he'd just send me away. Instead, he put me in charge of the parties for the homeless women. I love it. I have a nice little apartment near the warehouse. Mr. Freestone pays for the whole thing."

  "At the risk of sounding like a spoiled brat—so you're not coming back here?"

  He drops his arm around my shoulder and rests his head against mine. "Just to visit. I promise." We sit quietly for a second. "Tawny, where were you going to go if you got free of Freestone? Back to the streets?"

  His question pushes me unexpectedly back into reality, something I easily fall out of when I've had a lot of nectar, which, from the liquid haze in my head, I've had plenty. I think quickly about my apartment, my job, my life, Angie's life and a moment of homesickness squeezes my chest. "I'm not sure, Blake. I just think I should probably leave here. It will be better for me. And Kane. He says I'm his poison."

  Blake's arm tightens, pulling me closer. "You aren't anyone's poison, darlin'. I think you're just the first person to break through the man's stony heart."

  How often have I convinced myself Freestone was a controlling monster only to have him do something totally out of character? Last night I was firmly in the monster category when he suddenly emerged from the shadows with the confession that he'd been keeping an eye on me the entire night. I'd started the assignment to take down Freestone's shady, murderous business. It's an assignment that seems so distant and foreign to me, I easily push it out of my conscience whenever convenient. Like now.

  "But is it really a stony heart, Blake? You were left for dead, and he brought you under his roof." I smile. "And underground. Now you're working and thriving and happy. How stony can his heart be if he helps people who have nothing?"

  "I don't mean stony like that. I mean stony against falling in love."

  I have a good laugh as I stand up from the bed to walk to the closet. "That's hilarious. He doesn't love me."

  "Right." Blake walks past me and pulls out a pair of shorts and t-shirt for me to put on. "Old habits," he says with a shrug. "Anyhow, I've got to go. Next party is in a week. I've got caterers to deal with. I've left very detailed instructions for your smoothies." His brows scrunch with worry as he looks me up and down. "Talk to him about cutting back on the doses. It might help you eat more."

  Tears well up in my eyes as he heads to the door.

  "Take me with you, Blake."

  He looks back. "I wish I could. But you're safe here, darlin'. Just try and eat more." He blows me a kiss and walks out.

  22

  Maddox

  I'm pacing a groove in the polished wood floor of the penthouse. A knock pulls me out of my trance. I practically yank Clark into the apartment. He's holding a heated pizza delivery bag. "What the fuck took you so long?" I ask.

  "Had to convince the owner of the pizza restaurant to rent me the shirt, hat and pizza carrier."

  I grab the pizza carrier. It's light as air. "Really? Water in wine bottles and empty fucking pizza boxes?" I toss the carrier on the table.

  "Do you know how much this undercover thing is costing the department?" he asks for what I'm pretty sure is the millionth fucking time. "Pizza and wine are extra. What do you have? Sounded urgent."

  I comb my hair back with my fingers and pull up a chair as he sets his big ass on the couch.

  "She's there. I saw Ten."

  Clark sits forward. The usual red in his face blanches white. "Is she all right? How did she look?"

  I shake my head once. "She was wrapped in a big coat. Only saw the top of her head as she was being carried from a van in the garage. He was carrying her. Fuckface Freestone."

  Clark looks as stunned as I felt when I saw the red hair poking out from the coat. "If you only saw the top of her head, how do you know it was her?"

  "Because I know. If I saw the tip of her pinky, I'd know it was her."

  Clark stares at me oddly. "Boy, you've got it bad, don't you, kid?"

  "Fuck off. I'm going back to the club in two days. Freestone has the place covered with cameras and guards. But I'll figure out a way to find her."

  "And that's just what I don't fucking want to hear, Maddox. Look, let's just shut this down. We know she's there. She's alive. Thank God for that. I've got a team working on the airport schedules to find out what airport Freestone's plane takes off from and more importantly where it lands. It's not easy. The guy covers his tracks. He uses shell companies and every other trick in the book to stay off law enforcement's radar."

  I get up and swing the chair back to the table. I pace in front of the couch. "She was right fucking there. Close enough to touch. She was right there and I couldn't do a fucking thing."

  "It's a damn good thing you didn't do a fucking thing. I would have lost two detectives." Clark gets up from the couch. "What do you say, huh? Let's shut this down and wait until we figure out the location from the flight logs."

  I shake my head. "That could take awhile. I'll be back there in two days. Give me another chance."

  He opens his mouth to protest.

  "I won't do anything crazy. Let me just get in the doors one more time. I've come this far. Don't shut me down yet."

  He nods weakly. "One more time. You didn't tell me many details. What did you see when you were there?"

  Most of the night was wiped clean from my head the second I saw Ten's red hair swaddled in the black coat, her body c
radled in the asshole's arms. "It's basically a high-end escort club. Food, drinks and scantily dressed women who are more than anxious to please. Most of them pretty damn high from what I could see in their eyes. But they seemed content and healthy."

  "Why do you think Angie wasn't with the other women at the party?"

  "The same fucking question has been eating at me since I walked out of there." I walk to the refrigerator and pull out my last beer. I've come up with a number of theories but the one that sticks in my gut, the one that makes me want to tear Freestone limb from limb, is the one that keeps coming to the top of the heap. I gulp half the beer and smack it down on the counter. "I think he's keeping Ten for himself."

  "Fucking hell, Maddox. Why the hell did I give in and let her go? I'll never forgive myself."

  "That makes two of us." I toss back the rest of the beer.

  "Yeah, yeah, you can kick my ass after we get her back safely. Pizza man has been here long enough." Clark stops at the door. "One more time and then I'm cutting you off. Besides, I need you back on the streets. Silvana is about as productive out there as my mom would be. In fact, at eighty-five, she can think faster on her feet than him."

  "Silvana's all right," I say, garnering a surprised look from the captain.

  "High praise indeed, considering the source. Get word to me the second you're back this time."

  "Yep."

  23

  Kane

  She's had three days to recuperate from her desert adventure. Long enough. I head toward the bedroom corridor with one thing on my mind.

  "Sir," Jason's voice calls from behind.

  I turn around. "What is it?"

  "Sir, I just thought I'd let you know," Jason hesitates.