22. Gideon

GIDEON

I met with the guys in the underground office I'd had set up for highly sensitive meetings like this. Gage, Dmitri, Stefan and Maurice sat across from me going over the printouts I'd made for them of what I'd found so far.

"Are you fucking shitting me?" Maurice was out of his seat in a fighter's stance, fists folded, ready for action; ever the hot head.

"What I don't understand is why Southeast Asia? Don't they usually just exploit their own kids?" Stefan threw down his copy in disgust.

"I think there's more going on here we have to keep digging because this shit doesn't make any sense. It's like Stefan said, that region is known for its fucked up perversions against kids, but why would these two assholes be selling American kids over there?"

"So what do you think Dmitri, any ideas?" I too had wondered about that, it didn't exactly make sense but I couldn't figure out the missing link. I kept an eye on the monitor on my desk where I could see Ashley still asleep. Surrounded by all this ugliness, all I wanted to do was wrap her up in cotton and keep her safe .

I hated that they had been anywhere near her, that they'd had their filthy hands on her.

The fact that her father had been the one to bring them into her life made me want to disembowel the bastard instead of just shooting his ass.

"I don't know boss but whatever this is it's not good."

"What have we got from the Sanders house Gage?"

"Nothing much of interest to this, he's been kind of quiet since Halston was left in his front yard."

"I think I need to pay him a visit, he might have some answers as to what the fuck is going on here."

"I'm thinking we kill all these fucks and be done with it."

"Maurice if we did that then we'll never know what's going on here. There has to be more people involved, if you look at the printouts you'll see a pattern, let's put these together and see what we come up with."

I'd known the men would have to blow off some steam before we got down to business, this mess would put even the staunchest person over the edge.

"When do you want to hit the cop?" Gage looked ready for action as usual.

"Not before we come up with some kind of idea as to what the hell we're dealing with here."

"Let's get to it then this shit is leaving a bad taste in my mouth." Maurice dropped back into his seat.

Half an hour later while we were buried in ugliness Ashley started tossing and turning on the screen. I hit the off switch.

"Be right back guys." She was sitting up by the time I got there looking rumpled and just a little lost.

"Hey babygirl had a nice nap?"

"Uh huh, I'm hungry." She rubbed her eyes like a toddler. Shit, how the hell had I let time get away from me? I hadn't made her anything; thankfully mom had prepared meals and stocked the freezer .

"What'll it be love, we have..."

"Pizza."

"You want pizza?" She gave me the biggest grin and I was reminded that the tyrant had forbidden her fast food, so pizza, although not ideal while she was recovering would be a treat for her, there's no way I was going to deny her.

"Pizza it is, what do you want on it?"

Her face scrunched up as though she didn't quite know how to answer.

"How about everything?" I ruffled her hair.

"Okay sounds good."

I lifted the phone and placed an order for five extra-large pies, which made her eyes pop out of her head, which in turn made me grin.

"Five pizzas?" She squealed after I hung up.

"My security team is downstairs."

"Is something wrong?" Instant fear. Will there ever be a time when she didn't show fear? When her first instinct wasn't danger? I know it's too soon, we've only just begun although it feels like we've known each other a lifetime. I hate every moment of insecurity she feels, it's like a stake through the heart.

Sitting next to her on the bed I brought her head to my shoulder while my hand went to her flat stomach where my son or daughter laid; an innocent just as she'd been.

I needed to make our world just a little safer for my child and I needed most of all to erase that fear and apprehension from my loves' eyes.

"There's nothing wrong, they're just going over the stuff we found earlier that's all.

"Did you figure it out yet?"

"Not quite baby but we'll get it eventually."

"Maybe..." Her body trembled slightly as she broke off what she'd been about to say.

"Maybe what hon?" I kissed her softly in reassurance. She shrugged before answering me under her breath. "Perhaps my father might know something, I mean he knew them right, he must know what they were planning to do with me."

"I'm way ahead of you babe, we're going to question your father later but we need more first." I still wasn't telling her about the younger kids who'd been abducted. First because we needed concrete evidence that the two fuckers were involved though everything pointed to that fact already, and most importantly, I wasn't sure how she'd react to the news and with her pregnancy so new and already threatened I didn't want to take the chance.

"I don't want you thinking about this anymore for today okay, you just rest."

"But you said I could help."

"And you have love, and tomorrow I'll think of something else you can do to help, but no more today."

There's no way I'm going to have her in a room full of men, not while she was looking all vulnerable and sweet and...fuck I'm an ass. I didn't want anyone else near her, wasn't willing to share her just yet if ever and I didn't want to leave her up here on the computer where she might run across something by mistake.

I couldn't distract her the best way I knew how, not with a roomful of men downstairs waiting for me, neither was I too thrilled about leaving her up here awake.

"I'll tell you what babe, how about you watch some movies and have your pizza while I finish up with the guys and then I'll come up and..." I whispered just what I wanted to do to her in her ear.

Her face grew beet red and she clapped her hand over my mouth as if I was in danger of being overheard.

"Gideon..." She was blushing and chastising me but I noticed her breath was already short and her nipples were pebbled.

"The hell with it." I had her under me, still being careful of her injuries as I kissed the hell out of her. The ringing of the intercom from the doorman brought me back to reality.

"Fuck...you're dangerous little Blossom, you made me forget we're not alone, now be a good girl and give me a couple hours okay?"

She nodded her head and bit her lip, which made my cock twitch. I turned away before I lost my fucking head and took her guests or not. I took care of the pizza delivery and saw that she set up. Just as I was about to head back down to the office my phone went off in my pocket.

It was one of the guys I had on Lynn. She was supposed to be moved in a few days and I planned it so that everything went off without a hitch. I didn't want any trails, there was to be no escape for her ever.

"What's up Skinner?"

"She called a hit."

"She what?" What the fuck? I looked over at my wife who was too busy enjoying her pizza to pay me too much attention.

"Not to worry we took the call, her line goes directly to our switchboard."

"Who?"

"Your misses." Was this bitch psychotic? She was putting another hit out on Ashley? She was laid up in the hospital and already she was back to her shit, fine.

"Move to plan B."

"Yes boss."