Dane ran his fingers through his hair. He looked unsettled and out of sorts. “Their main concern is to get Henry and take Daren Robinson with him. They’ve been trying to crack this ring since they started working on it over ten years ago. They promised to help save Prudence, but I don’t think they will.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“I made a promise to stop Dominic’s operation. I want the end of the human trafficking. Getting Mary out was the only thing holding me back. I never expected Prudence to get taken. I thought if I got enough money then they’d give Mary to me. I’m a f**king fool I know, but I had to give it a shot. I know what it’s like losing the woman you love. I can’t let another woman get lost because of me. I’m doing this for Prudence.”
James’s grip tightened around the glass. They promised to keep Prudence safe. They’d told him to trust them. “What are you trying to say?” James asked.
Dane stood up handing him a piece of paper. “Prudence has been put up for auction. Henry doesn’t care how he gets the file, and he was never going to give you back your woman.”
James took the piece of paper. The words on the paper were a description of his woman being put for sale. “No, this is not possible. They gave me the month.” His chest felt tight with the constriction of air.
“What Daren said was a ploy. Prudence will go up for sale, and there’s no way of getting her back,” Dane said.
Red covered his vision. James dropped the glass in his hands and grabbed Dane. He didn’t care anymore. Slamming Dane against the wall, James tightened his hold around Dane’s neck. He squeezed the flesh until the man started to turn red then blue from lack of air.
“I helped get you out of that shit, and because of you the woman I love is going to be sold. I swear to you, Dane, if she’s taken by anyone then you’ll have to answer to me.”
Josiah and Hubert pulled him off Dane. The other man fell to the floor gasping for air. Why was everyone stopping him?
“Get the f**k off me.” He tugged out of the two agents grip then pointed his finger at each of them. “I trusted you to keep her safe, and you’re using her to get what you want.”
The other men and women ran to the door to see the commotion.
“She’s just one woman,” Josiah said.
“And she’s the one woman that guarantees you don’t get my help.” James pushed past them, moving as fast as he could out of the house. He ignored the calls for him to come back. Starting the car, James pulled out of Possession without looking back. He felt happier being on his own.
He drove all the way to a safe motel. Once he paid for his room, he made his way out to the car. He froze when he saw Lucas leaning against the car.
“What are you doing here?” James asked.
“I figured you’d need a lot more help to get you to England and getting your girl.” Lucas held up the file that James had given to the two agents. James hated that file. He’d read through every document. His father had kept track of Lloyd Black, Daren Robinson, and Henry Warren. He’d known something was going on with missing girls, and he’d investigated, listening in on conversations and copying paperwork from Lloyd Black. The file contained information on the set up of trafficking women with signed agreements and checks made out to Lloyd. Henry’s signature was in there, along with photographs detailing meetings. How his father had managed to obtain all the information scared the shit out of James. His father believed in fairness, and when he’d seen a woman being taken, he’d done everything in his power to bring down the men who used the clubs as a means of exporting women. He’d gone as far as to start investigating. There was information on a private investigator taking pictures. His father was doing everything in his power to stop Lloyd and Henry. “While they were busy calming everyone down, I took this and followed you.”
“Why would you do that?”
Lucas glanced around him. “I think this conversation is needed in the privacy of your room.”
James went to his room then waited for Lucas to enter. It was light out, but with the curtains drawn the room was in darkness. He flicked the switch to turn the light on inside the room. One full sized bed dominated the room.
The other man moved to sit down. “I’m not letting you do this alone,” Lucas said.
“This isn’t your problem, Lucas. They have Prudence, and I’m not settling until I’ve got her safe in my arms.”
Lucas chuckled. “You know, I’ve not had an easy life. Most of my time I spent it rebelling against my mother or joining the Marines or some shit. I’ve been in battle, James. I know what it feels like to take a life. The only person I’ve ever cared about in this world is Isabella, my sister.” Lucas stopped to run a hand over his face. “She was taken by Eugene and Dominic. Both of those men were working for Henry Warren. I want him out of the equation. I don’t want those f**k-heads to take him in for questioning and put him in a high security prison. I want his head.”
James listened to the other man shocked by the anger in his voice. “What do you suggest?”
“You’ve got the money, and I’ve got the means to get us to England. I can help you. I was after Dominic Green far longer than people realise. I know where everything goes down.”
“What do you want from me?” James asked.
“The guarantee that when the time comes, you leave Henry to me. He and I have got a long conversation that is overdue.”
James sighed. When he left Possession he never expected this. He couldn’t go after Prudence alone. Lucas had training and the skill to get what he wanted.
“What do you say?” Lucas asked. The other man stood and offered his hand.
“If you do what you suggest, you could risk putting yourself away,” James said.
“Then I’d happily go because that’s where Lloyd Black will be. They hurt my little sister, and I’m tired of seeing her hurt. I’d rather kill every single bastard responsible and go to jail than have to sit watching her broken.”
James knew in his heart he should refuse. Instead, he found himself grabbing Lucas’s hand and shaking it.
“Then where do you suggest we start?” James asked.
“I think we go and see old man Lloyd. He’s been far too cosy locked up in his cell. I think it’s time we pay him a visit.”
Chapter Seven
Prue winced as she pressed the cold cloth to her cheek. Her face had certainly seen better days. Being locked up in a room twenty-four seven had lost its appeal, fast. Henry’s constant visits scared her. Each time he tried to get her to agree to something, and his endless touching repulsed her. Cindy continued to bring her food three times a day. She didn’t know how many days had passed since her captivity, and she’d not seen Daren to ask.