in her stead.”
I grit my teeth. “Yeah, I’ve thought of that.”
“I’ll have Spike tail Lazinski in case he picks up another woman. Or girl.” I can hear the disgust in his voice.
“He can coordinate with Shepherd. I’m sure the cop will be willing to trade off.”
“Good idea. I’ll call Gordon next.” He hesitates. “Listen, I know you don’t want to hear this, but you realize this is over on Saturday either way. If Lazinski doesn’t have Britney at the drop-off, he’ll either have someone in her stead or he’s a dead man. Either way, he’ll give up on Britney because he won’t need her anymore. He’ll find another woman for next year.”
I cringe. The thought of not stopping Lazinski makes my stomach roil. The idea that he might sell anyone makes me sick. In addition, I’m not fully convinced Lazinski won’t continue to look for Britney even after Saturday. He might just be pissed enough to continue looking for her and sell her to someone else or make her pay for ruining his exchange. “Not an option.”
“I hear ya. Just giving you perspective.”
“Until everyone involved is in handcuffs, I’m not letting Britney leave the house, so we can’t fail.”
Blade sighs. “I figured you’d say that.”
“She’s mine, Blade. I’ll do anything to keep her safe.”
“Okay. And you know I’ll do everything to help you.”
“I’d do the same for you.”
“I know.” Blade’s voice is as serious as I’ve ever heard him. “I’ll call you if I hear anything new.”
“Thanks. Later.” I end the call and set the phone on my desk. I don’t like this situation one tiny bit. I don’t want this to end with Lazinski selling another woman to his buyer at the last minute and us unable to track him to the rendezvous point. I’m grateful we have Gordon Shepherd on our team too. Hopefully, he’s gathered more information while I’ve been playing kiss-ass to Lazinski.
Chapter 24
Britney
I’m in deep concentration when Daddy’s hand lands on my back. I jerk my gaze up from the thick instruction book and smile at him. I immediately point at what I’ve accomplished. “Look. I got the base done.”
He leans over and inspects it. “You sure did. It’s going to be big.”
“Yep. There are a lot of pieces.” I point at the clear bags all over the table. “I didn’t drop any on the floor either,” I announce.
“Good girl. That’s enough for today.”
“Aw… Has it been two hours already?”
“Yes.” He takes my chin. “And I suggest you not whine when I tell you to do something, or you’ll find yourself over my knee.”
“Yes, Sir.” I swallow. I know he’s serious.
He lifts me off my seat and sets me on my feet. “Let’s get some fresh air. You’ve been inside for days.” With a hand between my shoulder blades, he leads me to the back door.
I find I’m kind of excited, partly because he’s right. I haven’t been out of the house since I got here Thursday night. But also because I’ve stared out the row of back windows several times wishing I could explore his yard.
He opens the back door and lets me pass through first. As soon as we’re outside, I head for the yard. His landscaping is amazing and I want to wander around on the little path that leads to the birdbath in the far corner.
Davis grabs my hand and pulls me to a stop though. His arm snakes around me, settling under my breasts, and he pulls my back against his front. He leans over my shoulder and meets my gaze. “Two rules.”
I bite my lip. Why am I not surprised? He has rules for everything.
“You’re not permitted to unlock or open the back door for any reason if I’m not with you. And for now, I don’t want you to leave the patio. You’ll stay where I can see you at all times, and even though my backyard is very private with a seven-foot wall, I’m not taking any chances of anyone seeing you.”
“Yes, Sir.” It’s amazing how living with him I often forget I’m in hiding. Or maybe I force it to the back of my mind because it’s too much to process. Perhaps I’m hiding behind this new side of myself in order to avoid reality. That thought scares me too. Even though I’m happier than I’ve ever been, what if this life ultimately isn’t for me? I don’t want to lose Davis.
He turns me toward the far end of the covered patio. “I have a porch