Forsaken (The Found Book 2) (22 page)

“I told you I did.” Noah’s kept his voice even. “But I don’t remember you ever introducing yourself as someone from my past. I don’t ever remember you as someone coming to meet me when I was an adult.”

“You had no need of me, no real need that is. You were doing the job you had trained to do, and doing it well.”

“So you are mine and Seth’s guardian?”

“And mine?” Nico asked.

“No, he’s not yours,” Aylen answered.

“Are you mine?” Nico asked Aylen. She laughed up at the big blonde bear of a man. “Hold my hand, Nico.”

Nico reached out for Aylen’s hand and his eyes drifted shut for long moments and then popped open.

“You are the girl in the stadium, from when I was a young child, before I came to Russia. You made me so happy.” He pulled her into a huge hug, lifting her off her feet, and she squeaked with laughter.

“Yes, it was me.”

“You told us doing good and being good would help lift up many others,” Nico paused, holding her at eye level. “You said it would have a ripple effect, and we would help another world. Have we helped? Are we helping? Are we going to help?”

Sarah remembered those exact words, and more. She remembered being told they were going to bring the world to a higher purpose.

“Yes, you’re helping. You’re all helping.” The youngest person in the room promised.

“So Max isn’t Nico’s guardian and neither are you?” Sarah asked.

“I’m guardian to the children in the United States,” Max answered.

“You Bastard. Why the fuck weren’t you there for Kali?”

Sarah gasped, there was no way to confuse the rage on Noah’s face. As a matter of fact, if it weren’t for the fact Kali was trying to push herself out of the rocking chair and obviously saying something to him through their psychic link, Noah probably would have assaulted Max.

“Didn’t you get a lead on Kali’s whereabouts from an unknown source?” Aylen asked, as she struggled to get out of Nico’s arms. Max stared at Noah.

Noah helped his wife to stand as he considered Aylen’s words. “Sakuro did have some intel leading to the business park where Kali was held.”

“That was Max.” Aylen went to stand beside her brother, who still hadn’t said a word in his defense.
“He spent weeks trying to shore up Kali’s defenses, trying to get her to stay strong. To find her.” Max still didn’t say anything, but Aylen’s voice held everyone in thrall. Sarah remembered the potency of it from long ago.

“Max, did you help bridge me to my Nana?”

Max winced, and gave her a gentle smile and nod.

“Seeing you in so much pain was hell, you are an amazing woman, Kali.”

“Oh Max, thank you. Seeing Nana, being able to go back home in my dreams made all the difference.” She hugged him, after giving Noah an admonishing glance. Noah no longer looked ready to kill.

“Max, can you talk to the people over there? From where we came from?” Kali asked excitedly.

“I never have been able to, before or since. I think it was because it was such an extreme set of circumstances, and your grandmother knew how much you needed her.” Kali nodded. Noah pulled her back, picked her up and sat down with her on his lap in the chair, her sigh of relief audible to them all.

Sarah went back over to the chair and grasped Kali’s small swollen feet in her hands. She could feel Max behind her. “What are you waiting for? You and Noah are friends now aren’t you?” Max chuckled as he reached around and put his hands over Sarah’s. Once again she felt got the strongest charge, and Kali laughed.

“God, that feels wonderful, can I take you both home? Noah feel this.” She grabbed his hand, and placed it on her tummy, and then he started laughing as well. “They’re doing the happy dance.”

“I think this is the best you’ve felt in a week, baby.” Noah kissed the tip of Kali’s nose.

“It’s like Sarah is supercharged.” Kali leaned her head back against Noah’s chest with a sigh and a smile.

Sarah lifted her hands, and she and Max turned to the others.

“How come I don’t remember you visiting me when I was a child?” Kali asked.

“You don’t? I was at your junior high school talent show.” Everyone watched as Kali turned completely red.

“Not that. Please say you didn’t see that.”

“I loved it when you sang
Tomorrow
. I loved the curly red wig, you made a terrific Annie.”

Kali covered her face and everybody looked perplexed, except for Noah who winced.

“Max, I don’t think guardians should lie,” Noah said.

“I think husbands should,” Kali said.

“We can read each other’s minds. If I lied and said you could carry a tune, you’d know it was a lie,” Noah kissed the top of Kali’s head. Everyone but Shilah chuckled. She stood there, rocking her great-granddaughter.

“Nell is going to be fine. Soon this will all be a bad memory.”

“Right now all I know is my grandson, granddaughter and great granddaughter are in grave danger. Don’t tell me everything will be fine.”

“Fair enough.”

“Now what do you intend to do?”

“If we tell Seth and Annie now, they won’t be able to finish their mission. I believe Max and Sarah. Kali and I sense the same thing, Nell is elsewhere, waiting for her parents. It’s my understanding they need three more days. Today is Thursday, this will all be wrapped up by Saturday,” Noah finished.

“All right,” Shilah agreed. “I’m not happy, but I agree.”

“Fine, I’ll notify the team in Miami to keep this situation under wraps.” Sarah and Shilah looked at each other, neither one of them happy.

Chapter Seventeen

Magda had been talking for ten minutes without a breath. It was amazing. Brice continued to listen intently. He gave encouraging nods, but mostly he just looked pissed and grim. Magda and the other girls were from Albania. They were promised jobs in the West, where they would have enough money to send home to their families. As soon as they were on the boat, they were taken below deck and locked up. It was the first part of her story. At that point, Annie talked her into getting a sandwich. Now she was telling Brice about the other girls.

“So Nate followed Anton?” Seth asked Sierra.

“There wasn’t a chance in hell we were going to let those women out of our sight. He and Brice have been on them around the clock since you three have been on your honeymoon.”

“Sierra, your way with words leaves a lot to be desired.” Her eyes twinkled as she reached for another handful of nuts.

“You’re not the first person to have told me that recently.”

“So where are they now?”

“Leslie Gordon has them on ice at the same office park Annie and the first two girls were originally taken. They’re going to be sold tonight, so they’ll be safe.”

“What? Again, you’re not making any sense.”

“Well, we have a couple of problems you’re going to have to help out with. As you’ve explained things, Labado is going to Leslie’s auction tonight.”

“Yes, she promised him some new girls to choose from, we’ve got to stop this tonight.”

“Good news, Isaacson has the info he needs. He plans to put Leslie’s entire operation out of business tonight. He also wants to get the buyers, but not Labado, we need to leave him in place because we still need to take down Vargas and Soto.”

“So you need me to lure him away.”

“You got it in one.” Shit. He looked at Annie, she was standing next to the window, surreptitiously watching everything in the room, including him. She came over to the table where he and Sierra were sitting and grabbed a handful of peanuts.

“What’s the problem?”

“Nothing.”

“Labado.”

“The sick bastard? The one who hurt Magda? What about him?” They glanced over to where she was smiling at Brice. It was hard to believe she was the same girl who had been lying at the bastard’s feet yesterday.

“We’ve got to come up with a way to keep him away from tonight’s auction,” he answered.

“That’s going to be a tough one,” Annie said as she chewed on her lip. The way she bit it made it hard for him to concentrate. “God, the way they talked about the women was appalling. First they talked like they were nothing but things, and then it was like they were going to do something horrifying. I really think they might eventually kill someone. The man who brought us in said you would end up killing me.” Her voice ended on a hoarse note.

“Ah God, you know it was a role he had to play,” Sierra said, horrified.

“Of course I do,” she snapped. “I was never worried for my safety, what the hell were you thinking?” She threw a nut at her friend who easily caught it and popped it into her mouth. Annie reached across the table, and yanked his arm out from under his chin, pulling it towards her. She wasn’t satisfied until his palm was resting against her cheek and she was staring at him.

“I was worried for you, what was your life like? How hellish was it for having to blend in so much you convinced people you could be like Labado and Leslie?”

He wiped at the lone tear that trickled down her cheek. “Sweetheart, you know blending is easy for me, it’s not like for a normal agent. This is a
found
ability, and it keeps me separate.”

“That’s bullshit, this ate away at you, don’t lie to me.”

Sierra mumbled something about needing a sandwich and got up from the table. He looked over at the couch where Magda and Brice were still sitting, then back at Annie. He watched as a second tear slid down her face.

He got up from his chair and coaxed her out of hers, then wrapped his arm around her trembling shoulder. For a moment he was amazed by how small she was in comparison to him. Her spirit was so big, it was surprising it was housed in such a little body. Such a luscious body. Such a beautiful body. He walked her faster towards the room at the end of the hallway.

As soon as they were behind the closed bedroom door she looked at him. “I don’t know how you survived. You can tell me all day long it was due to your
found
abilities, and I’m never going to believe it.”

Her green eyes shimmered with tears. He couldn’t help himself, he carried her over to the large armchair in the corner of the room. Yeah, he might have been noticing her body, but how could he think of anything but her heart at this moment?

“Sweets, I’ll tell you about me, if you start.” She looked up at him in confusion.

“I did tell you about me. I explained about Nell, and about the pregnancy. It was mostly wonderful.” She gave him a beatific smile. “I was so blessed when you sent your family to me.”

He smiled at the thought of his parents and grandmother taking Annie in. Especially Shilah. He would bet anything his grandmother was ready to kick his ass to hell and back. He paused. Actually he knew Shilah probably saw deeper, she would know there was more than met the eye.

“It’s not what I was talking about.” He traced the bruise on her jaw, and then gently cupped the back of her head, probing the knot. “I need you to tell me about the last few days.”

Annie lowered her eyes. “There’s really nothing to tell.”

He dropped a kiss on her forehead, and felt the slight mist of perspiration on her brow. He knew this conversation was hurting her, but they needed to lance this wound. “Tell me nothing then. I need to hear the nothing, and you need to tell it.” More tears dripped down her face.

“Please, no.”

“Sweetheart, yes. You have to let it out, you know you do. Please tell me.” He settled her even closer.

“It was worse for the others.” He took a calming breath, thankful to be inhaling the fragrance of Annie. He could handle anything as long as he had this woman safe in his arms.

“Sweetheart, tell me your story, you know you need to. I love you so much. Just tell me. Lay here in my arms, with your eyes closed if you need them to be, and tell me what happened. Know that I’m here for you, always.”

“Seth, I was so terrified. I didn’t want to do this. I knew I had to, but I really didn’t want to. I wanted to stay with Nell, but how could I be such a wimp when those girls needed me?”

“Your bravery scares the shit out of me.”

A deep breath and then watery laugh, she consigned herself to telling him everything. She started from the moment they picked her up from the crappy motel room where he visited her. Event after event played out. She sobbed when she told him about poor Ashley and Sharon.

“I don’t know what happened to them, do Nate and Brice?” Her heated body sagged into his, and he wrapped her closer to his heart.

“I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

“Oh God.”

“But the big boss at the DEA is going to raid the auction tonight, and take down Leslie Gordon. They should be able to find Ashley and Sharon.”

Annie hiccupped. He marveled as he watched her work to regain her composure. She finally spoke again. “We were supposed to be talking about you.”

“Annie, I’m trained for this.”

“Nobody can really be trained for this kind of assignment.”

“I don’t know how the hell other agents do it. If it hadn’t been for the time I spent with you in my dreams, I would have gone insane. You saved me, Annie. I was planning on quitting before this assignment came up. You can be damn sure I’m done now. We’re going to be together forever. I will be one of those husbands you’ll have to kick out of the house in order to get some space.”

Annie giggled, and his gut began to unclench.

“Maybe I’ll be a house husband, because we’ll have so many kids.” He watched as her eyes took on a faraway look.

“Six. I would love to have six children.”

“Okay, six it is.” She moved subtly, sensuously in his lap.

“It was always my wildest fantasy to build a life with you. From the first morning together, I wanted us to have a family.” Her hands drifted up his chest. There was no mistaking her intent. Then she jerked, her head damn near bumped his chin, a panicked expression on her face.

“Sweetheart, I know it’s okay.” He clutched her close, trying to ease her alarm.

“I didn’t want you to think I would have ever gotten pregnant on purpose,” she said pushing against his chest so she could look him in the eye.