Absolution: The Hunter Mercenary Series (Book Two) Read online

  “Well, now I feel better.”

  The big man laughed.

  “Guns make the game a little more interesting,” he teased. “It adds some spice.”

  Yeah, if you want holes in your body.

  Great.

  This was looking more and more dangerous.

  “If you can afford to buy a woman, you then can definitely afford to hire people to keep her trapped in your home,” Zayn said, pulling the man’s home up on the screen.

  It looked like someone was getting cozy with the FBI computer system. It wasn’t lost on Dakota that they’d given the fox the keys to the very private hen house.

  “Voila!” he stated.

  “Is that it?” Dakota asked.

  “Yes, that house belongs to Carter Foley. He’s a little bit of an enigma,” Stella stated, getting into the groove. “I did some searches on him, and we have zero pictures of him. He’s either very private or…”

  Yeah, Dakota knew what that meant. He may have paid for that privacy on the black market. It wasn’t uncommon. If you ran Zayn or Rogue, you couldn’t find much on them either.

  They pulled up the FBI database.

  Nada.

  That was the icing on the shitty cake.

  They were going in blind.

  “Well, that’s odd. The FBI usually has all of the good intel. What about the US Marshals?” he asked.

  Sarah did her thing, searching through the marshal database. Fortunately for them, Marcus Hunter didn’t cut off her security clearance.

  “Anything?” Dakota asked, waiting impatiently.

  The look on her face said it all.

  Nothing.

  “If he exists, he’s not being watched for anything. Yet, we have a businessman who has a woman as a sex slave. That’s all kinds of wrong and suspicious. Normal business men just jerk off thinking about those kinds of things. They don’t actually buy people.”

  “Well, I did this job where the husband was…,” Zayn began, getting everyone’s attention.

  Zayn closed his mouth once he realized what he’d almost done. That was close.

  “Way too much information. I nearly lost my head there for a second.”

  Yeah, they could see that.

  Dakota was going to go with his gut.

  “I’m betting Carter Foley bought his anonymity. That’s likely the most realistic thing.”

  “You mean like Zayn did?” Sarah asked.

  The big man lifted a brow.

  “You’ve run me?”

  “Uh, yeah, just like you’ve searched our rooms for bugs. I’m being careful.”

  Dakota looked horrified.

  “You searched our rooms?” he asked.

  “Yeah, and you should be ashamed of yourself, pervert.”

  He went red.

  “Jesus! Is nothing sacred?” Dakota mumbled.

  Sarah saved his ass.

  “Anyway, we have no visual on him. We’re going to need to take him down too. We can’t let him run around after he’s imprisoned a woman for all those months,” Sarah stated. “That’s all kinds of wrong, and I don’t mean the kinky stuff Dakota likes.”

  “SARAH!”

  She giggled.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.”

  Dakota composed himself.

  “We have to take him down, simply because Rosemary is out there, and if he’s bought one, he’ll buy more women from her.”

  Dakota didn’t use her last name. He knew that Stella was upset that someone in her family, possibly two people, had something to do with a sex ring.

  “How hard is this going to be?” Stella asked. “Or should I say how dangerous?”

  Zayn gave Dakota the look, warning him.

  “Easy,” he said, lying his ass off. Dakota knew it would be anything but. This was going to be dangerous for them, and for Storm. If they tried to breach the house, the man could kill her.

  There would go their only link to take down Rosemary. Then, add in that he likely had security, and they’d shoot-to-kill.

  This was a rough mission.

  “I’m in,” Zayn stated. “Break it down.”

  “So, step one is going to be getting Storm to help us ID the man who held her hostage.”

  Zayn was good with that.

  “As a heads-up,” Dakota began, “Rogue’s father was implicated in connection to Chesky. We’re going to have to find a way to get to Tasunke Harris. He goes by Taz.”

  Sarah pulled him up on the screen for Zayn to see him. The FBI didn’t have a lot. Someone kept low and quiet in New Orleans, and likely for a reason. He was probably another gun for hire.

  “We need to find out more,” Dakota stated.

  “I can ask around,” Zayn offered, “but I’ll be honest. Now that Charlotte is dead, the underground is chaos. There’s a scramble to find a new person to act as the middleman on the dark side of the law. Whoever buys that bar is going to have keys to the kingdom. Julius owns it now, but word is already out that he’s selling to the right person.”

  Great.

  “I can’t wait to see who does that,” he stated. “This should be a fun time. We got lucky with Charlotte. She liked Sarah. If we have some scumbag running it…”

  Yeah, it was trouble.

  They’d be blackballed if anyone found out that he and Sarah had been feds. It was only a matter of time.

  “I need some coffee,” Sarah stated. “You know…to pep me up. Anyone want some?” she asked, standing.

  “Pass,” Dakota stated. “I need to be calm tonight. Caffeine makes me jittery. Well, that chicory shit does.”

  “I’m in,” Zayn stated.

  “Me too,” Stella added.

  Sarah headed toward the kitchen to get three cups for them.

  “Let’s talk tonight,” Dakota stated, as his girl walked away. “We need to be ready. What have you worked on?” he asked Zayn, knowing extrication was his specialty. He’d gotten Stella out, and he’d get Storm too.

  “Okay, here’s the plan. This is my thing, so I should lead it,” Zayn stated.

  “Uh, back up. You do realize that as a US Marshal, my job was to enter bad situations and extricate the bad guys, right? I was a hunter. I’m qualified to lead. I’m giving you the chance to work on the schematics of the plan.”

  Zayn laughed.

  Uh, no.

  “Yeah, and look where it got you, Mr. Unemployed.”

  “Har-har.”

  “Anyway, let me drive this one. I have a plan, and I do know what I need to do. Trust in your team, Dakota, like you’ve asked us to trust you.”

  It was rare for Zayn to do anything calmly, so Dakota offered him the floor.

  What did he have to lose?

  “We are going to get there and scope the house out. If we need to get access to the security system, remotely, Rogue will have to help us out from his home. That’s his thing, and while he’s lying low, he still needs to help out.”

  Dakota was good with it so far.

  “Once we enter, your job is to find the girl, and my job is to clear the way. You’re too pretty to get your face beaten in by any security he may or may not have.”

  That amused Dakota.

  NO ONE had ever accused him of being pretty. If anything, rugged was the word used to describe his mug. Even now, there was some five o’clock shadow peppered with some gray.

  “If I ding you up, Bunny will get bitchy,” Zayn teased. “I like my nipples and balls, thank you very much.”

  That amused him.

  “Well, I’d like for you to stay relatively undamaged too,” Stella stated.

  Who didn’t?

  “I’m going to bet that he’s got some guys there who will be charged with watching Storm. She knows too much. If she’s alive, we need her out of that predicament and in our company.”

  Dakota agreed.

  “If she’s alive?” Stella asked. “Do you think she’s dead?” she inquired. It made her stomach queasy thinking about it.

/>   “Yeah, she’s been under a year,” Dakota stated. “We have to be realistic. That’s why the FBI wants us to move ASAP. They know Rosemary’s operation was compromised. Elizabeth said that she was betrayed by a fellow Fed, and she handled him. Word will have traveled now that Rosemary is hiding.”

  “I still can’t believe my aunt…”

  Zayn hugged her.

  “They aren’t you, my sweet Stella. Don’t wear this blame or the shame. You are you.”

  She gave him a kiss.

  “Yeah,” Dakota stated. “This is on the sickos and the asshole partner that betrayed Storm.”

  On cue, Zayn flipped through the file.

  “We have Marshall Cameron—the douchebag supreme who let his partner be sold into a sex ring.”

  They were all disgusted.

  “Yep. Well, may he burn in Hell for hurting a woman.”

  They all agreed on that one.

  “I want to get to her and be out in under five minutes. We won’t have time to disable security cameras, so full facial covering, gloves, and the works. We can’t give them a heads-up of who is tracking them.”

  “Tuck your hair in, pretty boy,” Dakota stated. “There can’t be many mercenaries on the market for jobs with your luscious long locks of hair.”

  “Touché. I deserved that for the face comment,” he admitted.

  “You did.”

  “I’ll make sure I’m undetectable. You do the same. I suggest we get ready. I know it is still light out, but I want to move as soon as darkness hits. We have to scope the place out first. That takes an hour or two to watch it.”

  Dakota was good with that. In this case, it was better safe than sorry. They didn’t know who they were going up against, and that was the wildcard.

  It could mean life.

  Or death.

  “Please be safe,” Stella stated. “I wish I could help you do this.”

  Dakota got real.

  “You will help. You are going to have to help Storm as soon as we extricate her. I’m going to bet she’s battered, bruised, and worse. You’re a woman and a doctor. She’ll feel safer around you and Sarah. I need you to be that link back into society. If I were her, I’d be terrified around us,” he said, pointing at Zayn. “We’ll give her space, so you can help her. You were abducted. She might be able to make a bond to you. I hate to sound like a douchebag, but we need her intel.”

  “I know what you mean. I think she’ll want to help so she can get the people who did this to her.”

  “I hope so. You have your mission, and it’s going to be much harder.”

  That made her feel useful.

  “I’ll help her.”

  Perfect.

  “I’ll call Rogue and get him on standby. We’ll use his breaking and entering skills,” Dakota stated, pulling out his phone.

  Both men stood.

  “Let’s get ready to roll,” the big man stated, looking at his watch. “It’s after four now. I want to be in place and do some recon,” Zayn stated.

  They were good with that.

  It was on.

  It was time to bring Storm St. Clair home, and all of her intel with it.

  * * * H U N T E R * * *

  In the kitchen, she made a call while she was supposed to be making coffee. When he answered on the second ring, she kept her voice low. Sarah didn’t want anyone in the next room to hear her.

  In fact, it was imperative that they didn’t—not until her plan went into action.

  “Hey, I need a huge favor.”

  “What?” he asked.

  She broke down her plan.

  “That’s crazy, Sarah. In fact, it’s dangerous, stupid, and it’s going to paint a target on you.”

  She was aware.

  Only, she had to do her thing.

  Sarah believed in fate, and there was no way she was in New Orleans to play games. This was her life, the real deal, and she was going to do it her way.

  Yeah, she loved Dakota, but he didn’t think she brought anything to the team. Now, she would. She wanted to make her place in the world—without his help.

  Sarah wanted to be herself since the US Marshal days were long gone.

  “Are you in?” she asked. “Can I count on you?”

  There was a pause.

  “He’s going to be pissed. No, that’s an understatement. He’s going to be livid.”

  “Yeah, but he’ll get over it. It’s a good plan, isn’t it?” she asked.

  This time, there was no hesitation.

  “It’s a damn good one. Leave it to you to come up with it too.”

  “So, partner?”

  “Yeah, I’m in. I’ll make some calls in your name and handle it. Are you sure this is how you want it to go down? Are you sure you want to put down this kind of risk?”

  She thought about it.

  “Yeah, I do. This is my home now, and I want to make it count. I’m no longer Sarah, the marshal. I’m Sarah, the N’awlins resident, who needs to do her thing.”

  Well, in that case.

  “Done.”

  “Thanks,” she said. “I knew I could count on you. I couldn’t take this to Dakota. All he sees when he looks at me is someone he has to protect. I want to be a viable part in this. I need to spread my wings.”

  “I get it. I have your back.”

  Sarah was glad someone did. While this was risky, it was going to work.

  She could feel it in her gut.

  At one point, she was the pupil, but Sarah knew what she was capable of, and she knew what New Orleans needed now. This was going to be her moment to shine.

  With or without Dakota.

  She was drawing the line.

  Sarah didn’t have a choice.

  If she didn’t, she’d stay stagnant, and that was nothing but certain death.

  “Thanks. Let me know when it goes down.”

  “I will.”

  She hung up, made coffee, and said a little prayer. Sarah knew what she was doing, but she was also crossing a huge line.

  Hopefully, it didn’t get her burned.

  Or pissed off her fiancé.

  Oh, yeah and get her killed.

  Chapter Five

  Monday

  Late Afternoon

  Casa Savage

  W hen he arrived home, his wife was waiting for him on the porch of their modest cabin. Merry was holding his son as she smiled at him. The best part of his life was this moment. Coming home to the loves of his life…it completed him.

  “Hey, babe!” she said, coming down to meet him. Merry gave him a big kiss and passed him their son.

  “How was Mason today?” he asked, as they headed into the cabin. It was cozy, it was theirs, and it gave them both peace when they were there together.

  It was their sanctuary.

  “Oh, he got into your sacred space,” she stated, pointing at the Voodoo altar across the room. “AGAIN. You may need to move it somewhere safer.”

  “Oh, my little boy wants to pray to the deities so early,” he teased, tossing his squealing son into the air. Honestly, Boone wasn’t even fazed by it. The Gods would understand. “Maybe my next one will too.”

  “Stop. I’m not going there,” she said, laughing at him. The man was relentless. Boone had a dream, and since then, he’d been telling her she was with child. There were days to go until she could take a test, and she wasn’t getting her hopes up.

  Or Jinxing it.

  “If you say so,” he stated, “but the Voudon has never let me down.”

  She changed the subject.

  Fast.

  If not, Boone would be on a tangent.

  While she didn’t mind practicing religion with her husband, she knew that it wasn’t fact. It wasn’t based in science, and that was huge for her.

  “Elizabeth is calling any minute,” she stated. “I received the text as you were getting dropped off.”

  “Good. I had a weird day.”

  He told her about the man outside Rogue
Ravenscroft’s home, and how he couldn’t place him.

  That wasn’t like him. Boone was good with faces.

  “I’ve seen him before, but I can’t put my finger on it. I’m pretty sure it was in DC.”

  “You’ll figure it out. Ask the deities later.”

  “Good idea.”

  Boone headed toward his altar, his son in tow, and he showed him how to set up a prayer. He lit a candle and chanted a few words. Then he blew into the ashes, sending his request into the spirit world.

  “Or now, so I can explain it to Elizabeth,” she said, laughing.

  Seconds later, Merry’s phone rang.

  “Hello?” she said, as she turned on the video call. On it, she could see her old boss.

  Man, how she missed her and the team.

  Oh, and being useful.

  “Hey! I missed your face,” she said. “Long time no call to talk,” Elizabeth admitted. “Are we getting divorced and no one told me yet?” Elizabeth teased.

  Boone joined her.

  “Never going to happen!” Merry reassured. “I’ve missed you all.”

  That’s when Elizabeth saw him.

  “Oh, is that my boyfriend, Mason?” she asked, cooing at him.

  “Yes, yes, it is.”

  “Well, he’s gotten handsome. I see he has his momma’s eyes and his father’s Nativeness. Definitely my new boyfriend. The men here are getting old.”

  There was a protest from Ethan in the background, and she winked.

  Merry found that amusing. Elizabeth and her men were the new DC power couple. They were redefining a relationship and taking Washington by storm—maybe that was hostage. With her, one never knew.

  “I’m so glad to hear from you. What’s going on?” she asked, knowing that it had to be something huge if Elizabeth was calling her.

  “Someone was digging around in New Orleans, and we were alerted as it came up. It’s a house. Does four twenty-five Chartres Street sound familiar, Boone?”

  He was a little surprised.

  That was part of his and Cordelia’s case.

  “Yeah, it was me. Why was it tagged and basically erased?” he asked, curiously.

  Well, first, she needed some answers before she gave them anything.

  “Why were you digging into the ownership?”

  “Why is the FBI watching it?”