Playboy (The Trident Series II: BRAVO Team #4)

CHAPTER ONE

9 Months Later

The choppy waves of the Atlantic Ocean crashed against the hull of the Coast Guard cutter, sending sprays of salty mist into the air. The sky was an inky black, plunging the vast ocean into darkness.

Gabby stood on the deck alongside her teammates, awaiting confirmation from their colleagues in the air that the yacht they were tracking was the vessel that was suspected to be involved in prostitution, human trafficking, and distribution of illegal drugs.

The cutter was filled with people from various government agencies who were all taking part in the operation. However, Gabby’s team had the most challenging task with the initial boarding and search and, hopefully, the recovery of innocent victims on board.

The idea of women trapped on board, being held against their will by wealthy men, disgusted her.

She adjusted her tactical vest, ensuring her equipment was secure. The mission was critical, and she knew that every second counted once they boarded the yacht. She felt a mix of anticipation and determination coursing through her veins.

Tristan, their team lead, gathered the team in a tight circle. His voice was low and steady.

“Alright, this is how it’s going down,” he began, his eyes scanning each member of the team. “The yacht is about six miles east of us, drifting. There are at least two dozen men on board, including the owner, who’s as twisted as they come. We’re splitting into two teams,” he said, going through each team member's role. He looked at Gabby, “Gabby, you and Oliver are going below deck and taking the three lower cabins. If either of you run into trouble, use your voice.”

Gabby nodded, her jaw tight.

Tristan continued, “We’ll have two boats moving in fast, supported by the chopper overhead. Once we secure the yacht, the cutter will follow up to bring the situation under control and let the other agency folks do their thing. Speed is vital, and we have to assume these guys could be armed and won’t go down without a fight. Everyone good?”

A chorus of affirmations echoed in the night. Everyone exchanged grim looks, their disgust for the men on board that yacht visible.

“Men like those aboard that yacht are sick bastards,” Leo muttered, shaking his head. “Makes my skin crawl just thinking about what we’re going to find.”

Tristan gave Gabby a quick glance, his expression serious. “Stay sharp down there, Gabby.”

A flash of tension tightened in Gabby’s chest, but she forced it down. “Got it.”

The crackle of the radio suddenly broke the tense silence. Gabby’s heart rate quickened as she waited to hear the pilot’s voice through the static.

“We’ve got a visual on the target vessel,” the pilot said before passing on the coordinates of its location.

Gabby exchanged a knowing look with her teammates. It was showtime.

The team split into two groups and climbed into their assigned SPC BTD II boats, a new vessel explicitly developed for the Coast Guard’s MSRT. The boats are constructed to specifications similar to what the Navy SEALs use but with modifications done for MSRT purposes.

Tristan gave everyone a tight smile. “Remember, our priority is the safety of those being held against their will as well as our own. Watch each other’s backs and be safe in there.”

As the boat’s engines rumbled to life, Gabby gripped the railing as they sped through the night. Moments later, a silhouette of the yacht target appeared on the horizon.

Shit! That thing had to be one of the biggest yachts she’d seen.

The boat’s engines roared as it closed the distance. The team, clad in dark tactical gear, assembled near the railing, their faces set with determination. Gabby was among them, her heart pounding in her chest. It was moments like this that she lived for.

Suddenly, the helicopter overhead shined its spotlight on the yacht, lighting up the area. As Gabby’s boat pulled alongside the ship, Leo threw grappling hooks onto the deck above, securing their lines. One by one, Leo, Adrian, and Oliver scaled the vessel’s side, moving quickly and silently. Gabby followed behind Oliver, her muscles burning, but she pushed through, her focus unwavering.

The moment Gabby’s boots hit the deck’s surface, all hell broke loose. There were men in suits and half-naked women running around, shrieking, and stumbling over one another in their haste to either escape being caught or seek refuge.

“Go!” Leo barked as they split. Gabby and Oliver darted toward the stairs leading to the lower levels.

Gabby’s focus sharpened. She led the way, taking the stairs two at a time. The narrow corridor at the bottom was dimly lit, and the air was thick with the scent of stale perfume and sweat. With their weapons raised and senses heightened, they moved cautiously, their training guiding their every move.

They cleared the first two rooms, which were empty except for bottles of half-drunk liquor, boxes of condoms, and disheveled sheets.

They moved to the next room and found the door unlocked. Gabby entered first. Her heart lurched at the sight. An unconscious young woman was tied to the bed with a thick rope. Her wrists were bruised and raw like she had been trying to get out of the binding. Oliver walked over and felt for a pulse.

“She’s alive,” he told Gabby before he radioed in so the EMTs would know where to respond.

Oliver left the woman and met Gabby by the door.

“Let’s clear the last room.”

Gabby nodded at him. Her throat was tight with emotion that she couldn’t afford to feel right now. She needed to focus on clearing that last room.

They approached the door at the end of the hallway. Trying the knob, she found it was locked.

A low, broken cry echoed from behind the door, mingling with the moaning of a man. Gabby’s stomach turned. She and Oliver exchanged a glance. They both knew what was happening inside. The sound of the woman’s sobs only caused Gabby’s grip to tighten on her rifle.

Oliver signaled with his hand for her to move aside. With one swift motion, he kicked the door in.

The scene inside was as horrific as they’d feared. A half-naked man was on top of a woman, pinning her down as she struggled weakly beneath him. Gabby surged forward, rifle raised, her voice like steel.

“Show me your hands!” she barked, aiming directly at the man.

He barely had time to register her presence before freezing, hands half-raised in the air. But what neither Gabby nor Oliver saw was the second man coming out of the bathroom. Using his big body, he slammed into Gabby from the side, knocking her off balance.

“Shit!” she hissed as she hit the floor hard. Her rifle clattered to the ground and lay out of reach.

Oliver went after the other man, who bolted for the door, but Gabby had her hands full. The man who tackled her was huge and only wearing a pair of boxer shorts. She quickly got to her feet. The guy pounced and swiftly threw a punch that landed hard against the side of her face, near her eye. Pain exploded in her skull as she tumbled backward, her vision swimming.

Yeah, it hurt like a bitch, but Gabby wasn’t one to give up easily.

The guy came at her again, and this time, Gabby managed to dodge his fist. She latched onto him and threw her knee into the groin area. He cried out as they both fell to the floor and rolled across the room in a brutal scramble. Fist and elbows were flying. Gabby managed to twist her body just enough to spring back to her feet. She didn’t hesitate as she drove her boot into the side of the man’s head with all the force she could muster.

He crumpled to the floor, out cold.

Breathing heavily, Gabby stood over his unconscious form, her heart still pounding. Just then, Oliver and Leo came bursting into the room. Leo immediately moved to cuff the unconscious man while Oliver rushed to Gabby’s side. His eyes blazed with a mix of concern and fury as he took in her swollen lip and the darkening bruise around her eye.

“Fuck, are you alright?” His voice was tight, his hand brushing gently against her cheek.

She winced at the touch but nodded. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” he growled. His eyes scanned her face, then her body, as if searching for other injuries. What he didn’t know was that her hip was throbbing like hell from where she’d slammed into something during the fight.

But Gabby’s focus wasn’t on herself. It was on the young woman curled up in the corner of the room, her body shaking with silent sobs. She had been through something unspeakable, something Gabby couldn’t begin to imagine. The woman’s face was tear-streaked, her hands covering her head as if she expected another blow to come any second.

“Oliver, I need to help her,” Gabby said softly, brushing him off as she knelt down, moving cautiously toward the woman.

“Hey…hey, it’s okay,” she whispered, keeping her voice low and soothing. “You’re safe now. No one’s going to hurt you.”

At first, the woman flinched, drawing further into herself. Gabby held her hands up, showing the woman that she meant no harm. Slowly, the woman peeked up at her. Her big brown eyes were wide and terrified. Gabby stayed where she was, patient and calm, waiting.

After what felt like an eternity, the woman finally allowed Gabby to touch her. Her trembling hand clutched Gabby’s arm. Oliver handed Gabby a blanket, and Gabby gently wrapped the blanket around the woman’s shoulders and pulled it tight to cover her exposed body.

Oliver radioed in, his voice clipped but steady. “Lower cabins secured. Have medic on standby.”

Tristan’s voice crackled through the radio. “Copy that. The entire yacht is secure. Other agencies are moving in.”

With Oliver’s help, Gabby carefully guided the woman up the stairs. She was fragile, her legs barely able to hold her weight, but she clung to Gabby like she was a lifeline. When they reached the upper deck, EMTs were already waiting. The woman was quickly handed over to their care, wrapped in blankets, and ushered onto a stretcher.

As Gabby watched, her mind still reeling from the chaos, Tristan and the team approached. She saw the anger in their eyes when they took in the sight of her battered face.

“You alright?” Tristan asked, his voice rough with concern.

“Yeah, just a busted lip and probably a black eye,” Gabby said, keeping her voice light. She again didn’t mention her hip, which was still throbbing painfully. She’d deal with that later.

Oliver stood by her side, his hand resting protectively on her shoulder.

Now that the situation was somewhat under control, Gabby took a second to really take in the scene, and the sight that met her was both heartbreaking and infuriating. There were dozens of women together, their faces etched with fear or some who just looked lost. She couldn’t begin to imagine what could’ve been going through their minds.

James joined her and Oliver. “Tristan wants you to get checked out by the medic.”

She went to protest, but she knew there was no use in arguing, so she just nodded.

Once they were back on the Coast Guard Cutter, Gabby allowed the medics to examine her face and head. She, of course, downplayed any pain anywhere else. She seemed to have convinced the medics she was okay, though they told her to get checked out again once she got back.

James sat down beside her. “The medic is right. You should get a doctor to look at you when we get back in.”

“We’ll see,” she murmured as she held the ice pack the medic gave her to her eye.

“You did good down there,” James told her, and she looked at him.

“Thanks. Having seen what I saw taking place down there and now witnessing the aftermath of what these women endured on that yacht makes me want to castrate every single one of those men and shove their dicks so far up their asses they choke on them.”

James chuckled. “I hear ya.”

They were quiet for a few minutes.

“Are you sure that you’re okay?” James asked again, his eyes moving between her eye and lip.

Not wanting to be coddled, she waved him off.

“I’ll be fine.”

James gave her a hard look, but there was a hint of admiration in his eyes. “Oliver said that guy took you down pretty hard. Just promise me, if you start to feel any other pain, that you’ll get it looked at.”

Shit. Did he know she was hiding something from them? She thought she had been very convincing.

She smiled. “I promise.”

As she sat there, her hip aching and her eye swelling, Gabby knew that she would face it all again if it meant protecting those who couldn’t defend themselves.

The mission had been a success, and though the early morning had been dark and full of danger, Gabby believed that the dawn would bring hope and a new beginning for those they had rescued.

After a while, a chopper arrived to take her and the team back to the base. As she settled in and felt the helicopter lift, Gabby closed her eyes, letting the steady rhythm of the rotors soothe her as she headed home.