Merry with a Gambler (Love Beach Holiday Collection)

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Boots

My head is spinning, I feel sick. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can’t focus. Nothing makes sense. I don’t even know where I am. It’s like everything is in slow motion. Suddenly, my world spins again and I’m lying on something soft.

“Rest, babe. I’ve got you. We’ll leave in a few minutes.”

“Stack?” My eyes flicker and I’m staring into the rich depths of my love’s eyes. “Stack? I thought I dreamed you.”

“I’m here, babe I got you now.”

“Something happened… but I don’t remember. I wasn’t going to see you again. It’s not safe here.”

“I got you now. Ain’t never letting you go again. I’ll get us out of here. You’re safe. You’re mine.”

Yes, I’m his. I feel his kiss on my forehead and let sleep claim me. I’m safe.

A gentle pressure on my arm pulls at my consciousness. Followed by an unfamiliar voice.

“She’s fine, now back the fuck off.”

“But Doc, she’s been asleep for almost thirty-six hours,” I hear Stack snarl.

“If you were her size and they gave you that much juice you would be too. Now back off and let me check her vitals.”

I force my eyes open and glance around realizing I’m in Stack’s room. “Stack?”

He pushes another man aside and wraps me in his arms.

“Babe, you’re awake.” He hugs me to his chest and nuzzles my neck. “I’ve never been so scared in my whole life.” Kissing my forehead, my cheek, my lips, he repeats a litany of, “I love you.”

A chuckle breaks his recital. “Okay, she’d got it. Now back off so I can check her.”

Stack straightens and glances to the other side of the bed. I follow his gaze.

A man almost as big and muscular as my man smiles down at me. “Hi. I’m Doc. You’re going to be fine. But I do want to check your vitals again. Then if you want, I can leave you alone with this barbarian. If on the other hand you’d like me to remove him from the premises, I’d be happy to kick his ass out. He’s been insufferable with worry and nagging.”

I smile at his teasing. The affection they have for each other is obvious in the way they stare each other down before smiling.

“He can stay. He cooks a great omelet, and I think I’m hungry.”

“Good. I’ve had you on fluids for the last twenty-four hours, so some gentle foods would be good.” He pauses and looks at Stack. “Go cook. After I’m done here, I’ll help her out to the kitchen and we can all have a meal together.”

Stack kisses me on the forehead and leaves.

“I’m Dawson Hayes, but the team just calls me Doc. I’m fully licensed not just a medic. How much do you remember?”

“I was at the Sandy Sipper. A fight broke out and everyone was either trying to jump into the fray or get away. I was jostled around then felt a prick on my shoulder. I think I passed out shortly after.”

He nods. “Did they give you something else?”

“When I woke up there was a woman, Karen, I think. She told me someone bought me for a lot of money, and I had to work off my debt as a prostitute. Before she took me to the floor, she gave me a lemon drop to calm my nerves. It made me lightheaded and disorientated.”

He nods. “I suspect it was drugged. They weren’t taking into consideration your size. They almost gave you too much. Do you remember having sex? Or being raped.”

“I—I don’t remember.”

“I can do a swab and check for injury. It’s up to you.”

“I’ve only had sex once and it’s been recent.” I feel the heat flood my cheeks. Will he know it was with Stack? “But I’d like to be sure.”

He nods and performs a swab and quick exam. “I’ll let you know the test results, but I think you can rest assured that they didn’t do anything while you were unconscious.”

“Is… is drugging them then making them prostitute what they’re doing to the girls that disappear?”

He looks over my shoulder and I turn to see Stack leaning in the doorway arms crossed over his chest. He nods. “Yes, for some of the ones we’ve rescued.”

“She said I owed a lot of money, and I had to work it off. I think my father sold me to them?”

Stack holds my gaze. “We believe so, too. I won’t be able to prove it.”

“If we find him…”

He shakes his head. “His body was found on the riverbank. He’d been shot.”

“My mother?”

“We found someone who said they saw them together recently, but we haven’t been able to find her.”

“They did everything together. She would have known. If she heard his body was found, she would have taken off with the money.”

I should feel sad at his death. But I don’t. I just feel relief that I’ll never have to deal with him and hopefully her, again.

“What happens now?

“The ship has disappeared,” Stack says. “It was reported hijacked at sea. They’ll gut it, refit it and in a few months, it will be running out of a different port. The men running the local operation will lay low and find a new place to operate.

“We, HARDCORE, won’t quit looking. We’ll keep after them until the whole operation is shut down. We know there is a base of operation here. The team will keep searching.

My stomach growls. “I think I’m hungry now.”

Doc leaves shortly after we eat assuring me he’ll get me the test results as soon as they come in.

As soon as he pulls from the drive there’s a knock on the back door. When he opens it, Silk is standing on the other side. I recognize the guilt and shame in his eyes.

Crossing the room, I wrap my arms around his waist and give him the biggest hug I can. “Thank you.”

“I’m so sorry, I fucked up,” he says at the same time.

Leaning back, I cup his cheek and run my fingertip gently over the eye that’s still swollen and black and blue. “No, you didn’t. You shouted, telling me to get inside as you fought your way toward me. I remember seeing you clawing your way through the melee. It took three men to take you down. As much as they were pummeling you, I’m surprised you just have a black eye.

“He has three cracked ribs and a slight concussion,” Stack adds, before pulling him in for a bro hug. “Thank you, man. You saved us both.”

I furrow a brow. “What else happened that I don’t remember?”

Stack wraps an arm over the other man and leads him to the breakfast bar. “Get your ass in here, there’s left over breakfast.”

As I pour coffee, Stack continues. “For reference there isn’t anything that Silk can’t pilot: Planes, helicopters, boats, ships, hell he could probably go to space.

“He was tracking you on his phone and knew they took you on the ship. Since we live on the ocean, HARDCORE keeps a zodiac at the marina. He and Pax followed the ship. Once I made contact and created a diversion, he was able to get close enough to the loading deck that I could hand you off, then follow.”

“Wait, how was he tracking me?”

Handing a heaping plate to Silk, Stack leans back against the opposite side of the counter and takes a sip of coffee. “Those earrings you’re wearing are tracking devices.”

“What? You didn’t tell me. That’s an invasion of my privacy.”

“You can sue me later. But it won’t be the only ones I hide on you. Like I was saying, he saved us.” He turns his attention to Silk. “I’ll never forget, brother.”

Nyla and Pax show up an hour later. They’ve closed the bar for a couple days to do repairs on the back deck. The rest of the afternoon is spent relaxing with family. Pax’s words come back to me and I understand now what he was trying to tell me. Chosen family. I glance his way and it’s as if he was reading my mind. Lifting his glass, he winks at me.