Defenseless (26 page)

Malik stood up and dusted off his leather pants with his hands. “Let's get the hell out of here.” Malik started walking.

“You know where we are?” Dwayne asked.

“I know the streets of Atlanta like the back of my hand. Of course I know where we are.”

Dwayne stayed closed behind, but the paranoia of someone following them kept him turning around every few seconds.

Suddenly there were voices filtering down the small alley. Dwayne turned to tell Malik, but he had already heard them and had placed a silencing finger before his lips. Then he pointed toward a large Dumpster located a few feet down the alley.

Dwayne's first instincts were to shake his head, but as the voices grew louder, he agreed and followed Malik into the Dumpster.

 

Curtis stormed down the alley with his men. “Where in the hell are they?” he barked at no one in particular. His men searched the alley but came up empty.

“Maybe they've already made it to the main road,” someone suggested.

“Do you think?” came Curtis's sharp reply. The man fell silent.

“I want them found. I can't lose everything in one day. I can't afford for him to make it back to town. I won't have any bargaining power to get that necklace. As long as Sonya thinks I have the lawyer, I have a better chance of her handing over that damn coin,” Curtis shouted.

More men scattered down the alley to search for Dwayne and Malik.

“If you find them, this time I want them dead. That's less trouble for me to deal with.”

“But what about the necklace?” someone asked.

Dwayne listened as Curtis stood outside the Dumpster.

“Sonya will never need to know. Just as long as she thinks I have him. Do I make myself clear? If you find them, kill them.”

 

Francis Freeman sat in his office tapping his fingers nervously against his desk. Beads of perspiration formed along his brow. The last few hours were spent agonizing over his next move. A thousand excuses ran through his head. What was he going to tell Mr. Gaetano? He'd promised to deliver the Amaceo coin. He studied the medals and plaques that hung on his walls, then a deep sense of dread crept into his bones. How could he have sacrificed his career for this?

His subconscious knew the answer to that question. It was his chance to retire with more than a gold watch from the department. It was his chance to go out with a bang. He deserved this break for all the years of putting his life on the line. But nothing had worked out as planned. There was too much attention being drawn to Miss Walters and her sister. Now, Internal Affairs had started asking questions.

Freeman opened his top drawer and pulled out his blood pressure medicine. It wouldn't be long before a connection between Officer Samuel Coleman and himself was made. His only hope was to get his hands on that damn coin and get out of Atlanta. The problem now was locating Sonya.

Freeman's eyes darted to his clock. Time was running out. Cradling his head between his hands, he tried to come up with a solution.
There has to be something that I'm overlooking.

The sudden ringing of the phone scaled ten years off Freeman's life. He felt an immediate acceleration of his heart while his temples throbbed. He reached to answer the phone.

“Freeman.” He failed to conceal the tension in his voice.

“We need to meet,” came the familiar voice of Mr. Gaetano.

“I've asked you not to call me on this line.” Freeman stood up from his chair.

“We need to talk,” Gaetano repeated.

Freeman shook his head against the phone. He recognized the dangerous tone in Gaetano's voice.

“I'm…um…busy right now. I can call you with an available time and place,” Freeman reasoned.

“I will be in your office in twenty minutes. I suggest that you don't leave.”

The line went dead. Freeman continued to hold the phone.
What am I going to do?
He glanced up to his clock. Seven o'clock. He had twenty minutes to come up with a plan, and time was of the essence.

 

Sonya, Laura and Sharon sat across the table at the busy pool hall and talked to William. The deadly look in his eyes warned them not to leave anything out.

William listened. A dark expression covered his face. Occasionally he would nod his head, but it was apparent to each of the women that he was not happy about what he was hearing.

“C.J. is your husband?” William finally asked while signaling men from behind them.

Laura nodded, then looked to Sonya, who in turn tried to give an encouraging smile. But Sonya's hackles stood at full attention. She didn't like this place. Everyone's eyes were glued to William's table. She couldn't help but catch every movement of William's men out of the corner of her eye.

“Do you think you can find the building you were held in?” William interrogated.

“Yes—”

Sonya cut into the conversation. “I don't want my sister going back down there. She told me the location. I will be more than happy to show you, but I don't want Laura going back there.”

William's gaze shifted to Sonya with a curious brow lifted. “That's fine with me. I just want to find my brother.”

“Then what?” Sharon asked.

William's stone-chiseled face broke into a slow smile. “Now don't you go worrying your pretty head about it. If your brother is with Malik, I will return him safely to you.”

“I don't like the sound of that. What exactly are you planning to do?” Sharon insisted.

William's demeanor visibly didn't change, but his voice reflected his impatience. “The less you know, Mrs. Ellis, the better off you'll be. Don't you agree?”

Sharon held his dark gaze for a brief moment before nodding in agreement.

William looked to the bodyguards that stood behind the women and barked out orders. “Take the women back to the Sundial Motel, and meet me back here in an hour.”

The women stood up from their small table.

“Except for her.” William pointed to Sonya. “She stays.”

Sonya's stomach lurched, but she held her brave facade. Laura clutched Sonya's arm, her concern mirrored in her face.

“It's all right,” Sonya assured her.

Laura refused to move until Sonya gently pried her fingers from her arm.

“Trust me, Laura.” Sonya leaned in and hugged Laura while whispering into her ear, “I'll be back.”

Sharon touched Sonya's shoulder. Sonya turned to her.

“I think I should be the one that goes. Dwayne is my brother.”

Sonya was silent for a moment, then answered, “I know, but I love him. He wouldn't be in this mess had it not been for me. Let me do this.”

Sharon gave a weak smile while her eyes glassed over. “Are you sure?”

“I'm positive.”

“I hate to break up the soap opera,” William interrupted, “but it's time to move.”

Sonya gave Laura her motel key, then leaned in to whisper.

“There is a gun in one of my bags at the motel. Keep it for protection.”

Laura nodded. “I will.”

Sonya then watched as Laura and Sharon were led out of the pool hall without a chance for either of them to change their minds. She was putting her trust in William. But it was the only way to help Dwayne.

 

James paced the lobby of the Sundial Motel. He stopped in midstride the moment his wife and Laura walked through the door. In two angry steps, he stood before Sharon. “Where on earth have you been?”

Sharon looked over her shoulder to see William's men backing out of the lobby. She turned to her husband with a bright smile. “Everything is fine, honey.”

James's face sagged the moment he recognized Sonya's sister. “Laura?” He looked from Sharon to Laura, waiting for at least one of them to tell him what was going on. “Where have you been? Everybody has been looking for you.” He continued after neither of them volunteered any information.

“James, calm down,” Sharon said in a sugary tone. “Let's go up to Sonya's room, and we'll talk there. Laura is tired and needs her rest.”

James allowed his wife to lead him toward the elevator. Laura walked silently ahead of them.

“Sharon, this time I don't want you to leave anything out,” James warned.

The threesome made it to the second floor as James persisted in getting answers.

Laura unlocked the door, blocking out James and Sharon's conversation. Her mind was occupied with thoughts of Sonya.
If William is successful in rescuing Dwayne and Malik, will that mean the end of this madness?
She doubted it.
What we need is to get that coin to the right people. But who?
She pushed open the door just when the bedside lamp clicked on.

Laura jumped back, hitting Sharon, who stood directly behind her.

“Come in,” a stranger's voice instructed them.

“Who are you?” James thundered, stepping in front of the two women in a protective gesture.

Sharon released a startled scream when six men suddenly appeared behind them.

“Please,” the stranger said, signaling for them to enter the room.

The threesome looked among themselves before following the man's instructions. The door was shut firmly by the last man entering the room.

“I knew we should have changed motels,” Sharon moaned.

Laura propelled a brave chin forward and watched each man cautiously. All seven were dressed in identical black suits.

“Let me introduce myself. I'm Lieutenant Stephen Rayford with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

“The FBI?” Sharon and James asked in unison.

The lieutenant nodded.

“May we see some sort of proof?” Laura asked sarcastically.

As if on cue, all seven men pulled out wallets that displayed their badges.

Laura inspected Lieutenant Rayford's badge, then crossed her arms. “That could be fake.”

Rayford gave tight grin. “Ma'am, we are only here to help.”

“Who said we needed help?” Laura continued.

Rayford held up his hands as if to ward off the abusive tone. “The FBI has been on this case for well over a year now, Mrs. Durden. That coin your husband stole has landed you into nothing but trouble.”

“What coin?” James asked, looking at Sharon.

“Shh, not now, honey. I'll tell you later,” Sharon responded.

“The Amaceo coin,” Rayford answered.

Laura clenched her jaw. “So what do you want from us?”

Rayford stood, showing his complete six-foot frame. His dark, brooding eyes pierced her as much as his next statement. “We want you to help us hunt down your husband.”

The room's silence thickened before James asked his next question. “Isn't her husband dead?”

Rayford lifted a curious brow in James's direction just as Sharon elbowed him to remain quiet.

“Why would I want to help you?” Laura finally asked.

“Come on now, Mrs. Durden. I'm sure you want this nightmare to end for both you and your sister.”

“You mean to tell me that the FBI knew what was going on this entire time?” Sharon asked incredulously.

“We were about to close in on Curtis Durden about a month back. But his staged death threw us off track.”

“How was he able to stage his death?” James asked, trying to keep up with the conversation. “Wouldn't the police know that wasn't his body?”

“Unless the police are in on it,” Sharon said, looking to Rayford for confirmation.

“I see you've put a lot together,” Rayford acknowledged. “Yes, the Bureau has connected Sergeant Freeman with Mr. Durden—that is until Curtis decided to cut him out of the deal.”

Sharon tried to understand everything. “So Freeman helped stage his death, then when Curtis refused to cut him in…”

“He made a deal with Mr. Gaetano himself,” Rayford finished for her.

“Who is Gaetano?” James asked.

“Mafia.”

The threesome became deathly quiet. Laura held the lieutenant's gaze for a long time before saying, “So what do you need for me to do?”

D
wayne and Malik climbed from the Dumpster after hours of waiting for the coast to clear.

“I can't believe I got in there,” Dwayne mumbled.

“You're alive, so it served its purpose.” Malik wiped the trash from his clothes.

“Where do we go now?”

“My brother owns a billiards joint not too far from here. We can at least get a bath.”

“Lead the way.” Dwayne followed Malik down a dark alley while the moonlight served as their only guide. “Are you sure you know where you're going?”

“We're almost there,” Malik whispered over his shoulder. “There it is.”

Dwayne spotted the small building across the street. “Your brother owns that place?”

“Trust me. It may not look like much, but William is definitely making loot.”

Dwayne shrugged. “Whatever. As long as I can get a bath and fresh clothes, he's all right by me.”

“Well then, follow me.”

Malik entered the small pool hall, surprised to find it empty.

“Yeah, business is really booming,” Dwayne observed.

“Something's wrong.”

Dwayne followed Malik to the back. When they opened a door, an army of men turned and pointed automatic weapons at them. “Friendly business your brother has here,” Dwayne whispered, drawing his hands above his head.

“Dwayne!”

Dwayne recognized Sonya's voice seconds before she raced from the back of the room with outstretched arms. He opened his arms and embraced her. He leaned his head down against hers as she continued to squeeze him.

Catching a good whiff of his clothes, Sonya pulled back to pinch her nose. “Oh, my. Where have you been?”

“It's a long story.” Dwayne tried to fold her back into his arms, but she gently pulled away.

“Well, if it isn't my big bro,” William greeted, walking into the room. All weapons descended. William approached his brother; however, he walked only as far as Sonya when their scent hit him. “Damn, man, where have you been?”

“Can we talk about that later? I would really like to take a bath and get some clean clothes, if you don't mind.”

“You'll get no argument from me,” William answered, taking a step back. “Follow me.” He waved to both Malik and Dwayne.

Sonya followed. She didn't want to be alone with William's men. She was ecstatic to see Dwayne.

William led them to the rooms located above the pool hall. “You'll find everything you need in these rooms. Malik, I'll have to send someone to get you something to wear. None of the clothes I have will fit you.”

Dwayne smiled and slapped Malik on the back. William entered one room, but quickly returned with a stack of clothes for Dwayne.

“I'm sure you can find something in here that will fit you.”

“Thanks.” Dwayne accepted the clothes, then walked to a vacant room. Sonya followed two steps behind.

“Dwayne, there's so much I have to tell you,” she began.

Dwayne closed the door, and before Sonya could say anything else, he crushed her body to his. He gave her an overpowering kiss that sent her mind reeling. His arms moved around her waist, drawing her even closer. “I've missed you,” he whispered, pulling his lips away to nibble on her ear.

Sonya drew in a ragged breath as she tried to hang on to her deteriorating composure. Her head felt light, and she was once again floating on a familiar cloud. When Dwayne stepped away from her, Sonya's body screamed in protest.

“I'll be right back.” Dwayne went into the bathroom where Sonya heard him turn on the water. She waited patiently as he took his shower. There was so much she needed to tell him.

Later after Sonya had showered and changed, Dwayne emerged from the bathroom, wearing a pair of black jeans and matching T-shirt.

“Dwayne, how did you escape from Curtis's men?”

“So Laura did make it back to you?”

Sonya nodded. “She's back at the motel. Hopefully by now Sharon has moved everything to a safer spot.”

“Safer? Did something else happen while I was away?”

“What didn't happen? I was drugged, chased—”

“Drugged? Chased?” Dwayne walked over to her. “Are you hurt?”

Sonya turned from him, determined to finish telling him everything. “Sergeant Freeman is in this up to here.” She leveled her hand over her head for emphasis.

“What?” Dwayne thundered.

“Oh, Dwayne, that's what I've been trying to tell you. This whole thing has gotten out of control.”

“Wait a minute.” Dwayne pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sergeant Freeman and Curtis Durden are in this together?”

Sonya calmed down so she could explain everything clearly to him. She watched the look of disbelief cover his features as she filled him in. When she finished, Dwayne leaned against a desk, deep in thought.

“You mean to tell me, all this has been over your coin necklace?” Dwayne shook his head.

“It is estimated at twenty million dollars.”

Dwayne stood at hearing that. “We need to call the authorities.”

“But the police are in on it.”

“Then we'll call the FBI. Somebody has to be looking for that coin.”

Sonya paced the room.

“What do you think we should do?” He wasn't sure what Sonya was thinking.

Sonya turned toward him. “I don't know what we should do. I don't even know who we should trust. Nobody is who they appear to be.” Sonya held up her hand and began counting. “Richard, Freeman, Carmen…”

Dwayne cocked an eyebrow. “Carmen?”

Sonya wanted to kick herself. She forgot to tell him about Carmen. “I'm not sure about all the details just yet, but Carmen…Carmen is dead.”

Dwayne blinked, then stared at her. “Dead?”

“After Freeman drugged me, I woke up in an apartment. I found Carmen's body there.”

“I see.”

Sonya waited while Dwayne turned his back to her.

After a long, deathly silence, he spoke. “Do you know who's responsible?”

When he faced her again, Sonya squared her shoulders, to prepare for more bad news.

“Anthony's dead also.”

Sonya's eyes widened. “Oh my God.”

Sonya closed her eyes as a wave of anger and helplessness washed over her. With every discovery, she felt overwhelmed.

Dwayne closed the gap between them and enclosed Sonya in his arms. She laid her head against his shoulder and sought comfort in his embrace.

“We'll get through this together,” he promised.

Sonya felt his head lying against her own. She inhaled his fresh scent. Gently Dwayne tipped her head back to capture her lips in a sweet, tantalizing kiss.

A sharp knock at the door jolted them back to reality.

“Who is it?” Dwayne called out.

Sonya stepped out of his arms.

“It's me, Malik.”

“Come in,” Dwayne instructed.

Malik entered the small room. “I think you two need to come downstairs.”

Within minutes, Malik, Sonya and Dwayne descended the stairs. She was shocked to find the number of people had increased by at least a dozen.

“Miss Walters?” a man dressed in a black suit asked as he stepped into the center of the floor.

Sonya looked around and saw Laura, Sharon and James. “What's going on?”

“Miss Walters, I'm Special Agent Stephen Rayford.” The man flashed a badge. “I'm with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I was hoping I could ask you a couple of questions.”

Sonya watched the man with mixed emotions.
Why am I not happy to see this man?
After a month of deceitful people, she wasn't about to blindly trust this man without proof. “What kind of questions?” she asked with both hands on her hips.

“First of all, I need you to hand over the coin.”

Sonya kept her eyes leveled with Agent Rayford's. “And what coin is that?”

“The Amaceo coin. It was stolen from the Chansler Museum in New York. It's my job to retrieve it.” He edged closer to the staircase. “You can make this a lot easier on everyone if you just hand it over.”

Dwayne shook his head. “We need more proof than a possibly fake badge.”

Sonya nodded in agreement.

Agent Rayford glared at Sonya. She glared back. His eyes resembled jet-black marbles. He was tall, very muscular and working-man hard—then suddenly his face broke into a smile, a warm, contagious smile. He reached into his jacket and pulled out his badge again. This time, he walked over and handed it to her.

Sonya inspected Rayford's badge, then handed it back. She didn't know whether it was a real badge or not, but she had no other choice than to play along.

“I don't have the coin,” she confessed. “I hid it.”

“Where?”

Sonya stepped from the last stair and walked to a nearby pool table. She hid the coin a few moments before Dwayne and Malik had showed up. She reached inside a corner pocket and pulled it out. Before she could turn around, Rayford reached out and took the coin.

“I'm glad it's over,” Dwayne said as Sonya slid back into his arms. She ignored the heightened eyebrows from Laura and Sharon.

“Not quite,” Agent Rayford announced. “We need you to help us capture Curtis Durden.”

“Help you? How?” Sonya asked with a sinking feeling.

“We need you to help lure Curtis with this coin—”

“Come again?” Dwayne interrupted.

“Durden needs the coin back. We need Durden. We'll set up a meeting to make him think he's getting the coin. Then we'll catch him. It's that simple.”

“I don't see anything simple about it,” Sonya protested. “How do you suppose we get this meeting with Curtis? Just call him on the phone? Invite him over for tea?”

Rayford smiled at her sarcasm. “I'm sure we can get a message delivered.” Rayford singled William out from the crowd with a hard, penetrating look.

“It could be arranged,” William replied.

“Tell him Miss Walters wants to exchange the coin for her freedom. He'll believe that. It's important that he thinks that you just want him off your back. He'll meet you. He's a desperate man.”

Sonya looked at Dwayne.

“What do you want to do?” he asked, touching her shoulders gently.

Sonya debated her next move. Curtis would continue to haunt her and Laura until he had what he wanted. With that in mind, she had no choice but to go along with Agent Rayford's plan. “All right, I'll do it.”

 

Twenty-four hours later, Dwayne sat in Sonya's bathroom, running her a hot bath. “I think it's ready,” he called out.

Sonya appeared in front of the bathroom door. “I can't begin to tell you what a relief it is to be home.”

“You look tired.”

“I'm nervous. What if something goes wrong?”

“Nothing will go wrong. The FBI is taking care of everything.”

Sonya shook her head. “I don't know.”

“Come on. You need to take a long, hot bath to relax. Everyone will be here in a couple of hours. There are two agents posted on the grounds now. You're safe.”

Sonya wanted to believe him. “Maybe you're right.”

Dwayne stood and walked over to her. “I know I'm right.” He leaned down and gave her a long, intoxicating kiss. When he pulled away, Sonya smiled up at him.

Dwayne returned to the edge of the marble and granite tub. His eyes brimmed with passion as Sonya held his gaze. Slowly she moved in front of him, feeling her own passion mounting. When she lifted her cotton T-shirt, she displayed to Dwayne a beautiful, black-laced bra. Her hardened nipples told of her body's excitement. Dwayne reached up and ran his thumbs along the lacy texture.

Her body exploded with tingling sensations as she unfastened her bra.

Dwayne turned off the water and stood before Sonya. With a smile, she held up his shirt and tossed it into the air. His upper torso was exposed to the warmth of her gaze. She slid her hands to his belt buckle.

“Let me,” he offered.

“This is part of my pleasure,” she protested.

“You mean part of my torment.”

Sonya continued to undress him while feeling his body's muscles flex and relax beneath her touch. When she finished, she allowed him to undress her.

His movements were slow and deliberate, causing her to take in sharp breaths of air.

Dwayne stepped into the steaming-hot water, then offered his hand to Sonya.

She entered the water, ignoring the first sting surrounding her legs. Her eyes watched Dwayne as he sat in the tub.