truly knows me, to insinuate I have a plan. He may have formed it like a question, but it doesn’t escape me he’s only asking because he knows I do. Or I’m trying to formulate one. Which is why I give him the truth.
“Not yet. It took all my control not to grab her, and if Shel hadn’t been in the car, I would have tried it. It goes without sayin’ that I can’t not help this girl, especially after how bad Shelby reacted. She blames herself, which is fucked up. She doesn’t deserve to feel that guilt now that she’s free. If it means risking more to save her friends and bring her to a place of contentment, then sign me the fuck up.”
“Brother.” Elias hesitates but for a moment. “Even the best-thought-out plans can fail. We’ve experienced it. Neither one of us could have anticipated what happened with your dad. That said, the worst thing you can do right now is rush into this half-cocked because you care about Shelby’s feelings.”
I shoot him a glare. “It’s not just her fuckin’ feelings I care about.”
“Yeah,” he mutters but says no more.
“We know the police can’t help. They try, but it’s not every day they’re out chasing these bastards and rescuing these girls. I have myself, and I have Richard if things get messy.”
“You’ve got me too.” He spears me with a glare. “Don’t try the hero bullshit and cut me out. You know I’m right there with you. I have been since the beginning.”
An earlier conversation with Richard comes back to me. “I know. But you might want to think about where it is I’m leading you and the life you could be living if it weren’t for me and my bullshit. And I’d never fault you for walkin’ away.”
“I’m not walking away,” he half shouts back at me, seriously ticked at my suggestion.
“All I’m sayin’ is you can think about it and not feel bad about steppin’ back.”
“And all I’m saying is if you don’t shut the fuck up about it, it’s going to be hard not to plant my fist in your face.”
That gets a smirk out of me. I raise my hands. “All right. Backin’ down.”
“That’d be appreciated. We’ve cleared that up, any ideas how to move forward?”
“Yeah, but it’s not a good one.”
Elias stands up and starts pacing in front of the coffee table. “Shoot.”
“Pose as a john and take her.”
His head snaps up. “You mean kidnapping?”
I distractedly stroke my beard. “I believe the term is rescuing.”
“No, it’s most definitely kidnapping.”
“Can you kidnap someone who’s already been kidnapped?”
“This really isn’t a funny scenario.”
I drop my elbows to my knees and lace my fingers in the empty space between them. “It’s not. I’m also not about to go introduce myself to her and ask if she’d like to be rescued all without ending up with a bullet in my brain. If we have to kidnap her, and I use that term loosely, from her kidnappers, then sign me the fuck up.”
I hear Elias sigh even though both his palms are covering his face. “Say we do this your way, and I’m not necessarily saying that’s the best way, but say we do it, how are we going about it and making sure we grab the right girl?”
“Honestly, I’d be fine even if we grabbed the wrong girl. One less person in the clutches of a very bad dude.”
“I don’t want her anywhere near this shit, but I think we’d have to bring Shelby along—”
“No.”
“Sin, we need someone who knows—”
“No.”
His voice lowers. “You know she’s going to want to be there. She may be the only person who can convince this girl we’re safe.”
“You didn’t see her,” I nearly whisper; my voice is so gritty. “I can’t push her to do that again.”
“You might not have to push her if she knows what’s going on.”
My head snaps up to look him in the eyes. “I’ll ask her, but that’s it. She says the word, and she stays home with you. Solo mission, if need be. I’ve already seen what the girl looks like.”
If Shelby wants to come, it’ll go like this. Two vehicles. We can get one used. Shelby and I in one, you in the other. We’ll scope her out, and you pose as the john. We’ll drive around the corner and wait for you to say you’ve got her. Meet up at a nearby location so Shelby can calm her ass down from thinkin’ she’s