scrubbed his face as the info dump rattled around in his brain. Holy. Fuck. Mitch was running a secret team that was private contract, though the endorsers were high profile politicians. Watergate flashed through his mind as more details were given. Sure, he’d worked for the firm once he was honorably discharged from the Navy, but couldn’t stomach some of the assholes in control. He left on good graces. They weren’t affiliated with the military in any way other than each man hired on was formerly in special ops. Tar had always been suspicious of who the actual man in charge was. Mitch said it wasn’t just one, but several. With the new details he was given, Tar began to see that as absolute truth. “Let me get this straight. You’re tracking a specific ring of skin traders?”
There was some coughing. Mitch faced him. “The same one that Senator Caleb Reynolds was involved with.”
“Which means, you need Keeley.” Tar heard the horror in his own voice. “You do realize, she doesn’t remember much from her captivity?”
Another man spoke up, “But she could go back in undercover.”
Tar’s hand was around the guy’s throat before anyone could think twice about stopping him. “She. Will. Not. Be. A whore.” His teeth were clenched together so tight he could barely speak, but he managed, “She’s mine.”
Mitch reasoned with the enraged Tar. “Listen. Killing Collins here isn’t going to solve any of our problems. Take a breather, my man.”
Logic began to flood Tar as he released the man’s throat. Staring down into his beady eyes, he warned, “Don’t you fucking touch her.”
The man coughed loudly rubbing where Tar had squeezed. “Roger that.”
“Thing is, we still need an in,” Mitch continued, “a woman who can be around the clientele. Give us descriptions of who all is involved.”
“I can do that for you,” a soft female voice brought all eyes to the open door.
Bile rose as Tar’s stride ate up the distance between him and Keeley. “Abso-fucking-lutley NOT!” he roared.
“You should be resting,” Mitch intervened, ignoring the fuming Tarius at his side.
“I heard yelling.” Keeley eyed Tar. “I was curious as to why.”
Mitch motioned for her to take a seat, but Tar blocked her. “No. No. No. You will not do this.”
“With all due respect, Tar, that’s her decision to make. Not yours,” Mitch apprised.
Before anyone saw what was coming, Tar’s fist shot out. Mitch hit the floor, hard. Guns were drawn as Mitch commanded, “Stand down.”
Tar leveled his furious gaze on Keeley’s as he placed her over his shoulder, taking special care not to injure her further, and left the room. His long strides took them a good distance away from the others. She was screaming and kicking the entire time. His hand came down firmly on her ass.
“That,” she squealed, “was uncalled for.”
“Shut up, Viper. Before I really spank your sweet ass.”
Keeley swallowed her retort. And damn the man for actually turning her on. He set her down on a counter inside a storage room. She watched his agitated pacing. “Tar? Stop please.”
He turned toward her. “I won’t let you voluntarily whore yourself out.”
Keeley’s voice was gentle. “They don’t want prostitutes.”
“All the more reason why you aren’t doing this.”
“They need someone on the inside.” Her hand came up to silence him before he could argue further. “Most of these girls are innocent, raped for profit. They are kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder, passed around like an object. Don’t you understand,” she implored, “we can’t let this go on.”
Tar took a deep, fortifying breath and stepped between her legs. “They can find someone else. A woman trained to protect herself.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “You can train me.”
His gaze shot to hers. “No!”
She stroked his hard pecs. “All my life, I’ve been a fuck-up. Drugs, alcoholism, prostitution, among my many
There was some coughing. Mitch faced him. “The same one that Senator Caleb Reynolds was involved with.”
“Which means, you need Keeley.” Tar heard the horror in his own voice. “You do realize, she doesn’t remember much from her captivity?”
Another man spoke up, “But she could go back in undercover.”
Tar’s hand was around the guy’s throat before anyone could think twice about stopping him. “She. Will. Not. Be. A whore.” His teeth were clenched together so tight he could barely speak, but he managed, “She’s mine.”
Mitch reasoned with the enraged Tar. “Listen. Killing Collins here isn’t going to solve any of our problems. Take a breather, my man.”
Logic began to flood Tar as he released the man’s throat. Staring down into his beady eyes, he warned, “Don’t you fucking touch her.”
The man coughed loudly rubbing where Tar had squeezed. “Roger that.”
“Thing is, we still need an in,” Mitch continued, “a woman who can be around the clientele. Give us descriptions of who all is involved.”
“I can do that for you,” a soft female voice brought all eyes to the open door.
Bile rose as Tar’s stride ate up the distance between him and Keeley. “Abso-fucking-lutley NOT!” he roared.
“You should be resting,” Mitch intervened, ignoring the fuming Tarius at his side.
“I heard yelling.” Keeley eyed Tar. “I was curious as to why.”
Mitch motioned for her to take a seat, but Tar blocked her. “No. No. No. You will not do this.”
“With all due respect, Tar, that’s her decision to make. Not yours,” Mitch apprised.
Before anyone saw what was coming, Tar’s fist shot out. Mitch hit the floor, hard. Guns were drawn as Mitch commanded, “Stand down.”
Tar leveled his furious gaze on Keeley’s as he placed her over his shoulder, taking special care not to injure her further, and left the room. His long strides took them a good distance away from the others. She was screaming and kicking the entire time. His hand came down firmly on her ass.
“That,” she squealed, “was uncalled for.”
“Shut up, Viper. Before I really spank your sweet ass.”
Keeley swallowed her retort. And damn the man for actually turning her on. He set her down on a counter inside a storage room. She watched his agitated pacing. “Tar? Stop please.”
He turned toward her. “I won’t let you voluntarily whore yourself out.”
Keeley’s voice was gentle. “They don’t want prostitutes.”
“All the more reason why you aren’t doing this.”
“They need someone on the inside.” Her hand came up to silence him before he could argue further. “Most of these girls are innocent, raped for profit. They are kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder, passed around like an object. Don’t you understand,” she implored, “we can’t let this go on.”
Tar took a deep, fortifying breath and stepped between her legs. “They can find someone else. A woman trained to protect herself.”
She wrapped her arms around him. “You can train me.”
His gaze shot to hers. “No!”
She stroked his hard pecs. “All my life, I’ve been a fuck-up. Drugs, alcoholism, prostitution, among my many
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