The Debt Collector: An Underground Bad Boys Romance Read online

  “We had a deal.”

  Tessa nodded. “I agree. We had a deal, and I kept my part of it.

  “You went into my office when I told you not to. That’s a breach too.”

  Not bothering to react or ask how he knew, she continued slicing. “You told me I could make calls, tell the hospital I would be away for a while.”

  His body tensed. “Not in my office. If you need my phone, you ask.”

  “I couldn’t ask, you went to see Luther without telling me.”

  He was clearly simmering with restrained anger, and Tessa bit her lip to prevent a smile. No need to pour gas on that barely contained fire. Not now at least.

  He clenched and unclenched his fists several times, but remained in place. Tessa put the knife on the cutting board and went to stir the simmering pot. The stew was cooking nicely, and she lowered the heat a little, putting a lid on the pot.

  Back at her dessert, she measured and poured flour in the wide bowl and went to search for some milk and butter.

  “I had information from an insider that Luther was waiting for a major arrival of slaves from Eastern Europe.”

  Tessa froze at the words before closing the fridge door. Just the thought of those poor girls in the hands of that monster was enough to make her scream.

  “For a sale?”

  “An auction for his closest partners and buyers.”

  Tessa put the milk and butter down, needing the counter to hold her up for a minute. “Which you are.” A statement that was true and sickening.

  “Not quite, I buy when I can, without raising suspicions. I did it, so I could worm myself deeper and have something more concrete to work with. I think that this is it.”

  Tessa turned to look at him. His energy was completely different now, as if he was carrying a great burden, his eyes darker, haunted.

  “But I can’t buy them all. Maybe not any. There are special orders for the slaves he requested, but those who don’t meet the specifications will be sold or offered as gifts.”

  Taking deep breaths helped her steady the rolling of her stomach. “Who uses people like cattle? They need to be stopped. What’s your plan?”

  Locke rolled his shoulder as if trying to ease an ache. Tessa might be pissed at him for holding back information, but she couldn’t deny that he was dead serious about what he was doing and knew the consequences for him and the women if he failed.

  “I’m gathering as much information as possible with Gage’s help and an inside informant. The problem is finding police that’s not corrupted and paid by Luther. He’s been the master of this place for so long, and if I give this information to the wrong people, everything I’ve worked for will crumble. I can’t allow that.”

  Tessa picked up her knife again and put it back down. Instead, she wiped her hands off and went to him. “Can I ask you a question?”

  It was strange the way Locke got back into himself before looking at her, amused. “As if I could prevent that in any way.”

  “Why are you risking everything on this? You seem well off, you could have a comfortable life without having to face that danger and lose everything, even your life?”

  She saw him swallow hard, but it was the only sign that her question reached deeper than he wished. And the more she knew about the man, the more she learned that sometimes retreating was the best option rather than pushing.

  “Forget I even asked, okay?” She smiled and turned to go back to her cake batter, but Locke touched her elbow. Her heart leaped, and she waited.

  “My mother was like those women. A slave, who was sold and abused. And I was a mistake. They tried to make her abort, punching and kicking her in the stomach, but I was a stubborn son of a bitch even back then. As she couldn’t be sold for sex, she was thrown into the streets, penniless and alone. She died when I was a teenager. Satisfied?”

  The defiance in his words made her frown. “Why would I be satisfied? That’s awful and unfair.”

  Her first impulse was to hug him with all her might, but the way his body tensed, vibrating with unease, she refrained herself.

  “And still, despite the fact that you went into that world, you want to help. I find it admirable. Even if incredibly dangerous.”

  His intensity shifted a little, showing her a more human side, and that sliver of the real man moved her as if she had saved a life. Knowing the deal, she hid everything and turned to her cake once more.

  “But that doesn’t give us a solution. You are right, you can’t buy everyone out or take all the bad guys down. You need cops, the FBI, or any sort of agency ready to believe you and help. We just need to make sure to keep your involvement in all this hidden.”

  Locke shifted on his feet. “There is no us in this. You won’t be involved in any way, Doctor. Let me remind you that Luther still owns you. We are walking a very fine line. Last night he asked me if you were satisfactory, and if not, to return you immediately.”

  Her reality was never far from her mind, even though in her current surroundings, it would be easy to forget. And she wasn’t the only one at risk. “Does he suspect anything? Are you in some kind of danger, Locke?”

  Again, it took everything she had not to launch herself at him. The way he stood still and blinked at her question showed how it confused him. “I’m not the one who’s at risk. You are.”

  To hide her unsteady hands, she started to whisk the batter, maybe a little more than necessary. “Let’s say we both are. And what did you tell him? Was I satisfactory?”

  “You are not my slave here.”

  “I’m contractually obliged. Well, unless I decide that you not telling me about Luther ends our agreement.”

  “You are not to leave this apartment until Luther is no longer a danger.” His voice sounded like a whip.

  “That’s not the deal!”

  Again, anger possessed him. The more she knew him, the easier she found to push him over the edge and lose his cool. It was a strange thing.

  “We have to decide if there is still a deal. Where is Gage?”

  At her simple question, Locke seemed to snap and slapped his hand with all his strength on the counter. The sound made her jump, and Tessa almost dropped the bowl.

  He was furious now, and for reasons she didn’t understand. She had only asked a simple question.

  “If you need to hit something, go back to your punching bag.” Ignoring him, she turned to turn off the heat on the stove and start the oven. Greasing up the pan, she lined it with strawberries and poured the batter on it. In less than a minute, it was ready to bake.

  “And while you’re angry for no apparent reason, I’m gonna go ask Gage if he’s hungry. He’s in your bedroom?”

  Tessa asked the question, but didn’t wait for an answer, walking past him. Locke barred her way and caged her with his arms against the counter. His erection was hard against her stomach, his face so close, his lips were an inch away. The ice of his eyes was burning her, his square jaw locked tight. All she wanted was to finally kiss him. A weird thought as she had access to every muscle and sinew on his enticing body, but his lips held the only true, real piece of him. At this moment, everything was possible, but it was on his terms, even if she was dying to taste him. What had happened for him to close himself off like that? What had happened to him?

  That suspended instant ended when he pushed himself back, all heat gone.

  “I’m gonna get Gage.”

  And he was gone.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Locke suspected that the doctor was a slob after he witnessed how she’d turned his kitchen upside down. However, after tasting her food, he mellowed a bit and decided that something that tasty could warrant some sort of mess after all.

  Gage must have felt the same as he was wolfing down a third plate of the beef stew and was now soaking up every last remnant of sauce with a piece of crusty bread. He couldn’t judge, having himself eaten two full plates.

  The silence around the table was not uncomfortable, surp
risingly enough. The doctor smiled at Gage but avoided Locke’s stare. He should be happy about it. It was what he wanted after all, to put distance between them, emotionally at least, as her body was quick to react to his touch or nearness. That he could deal with, and that was exactly what he’d had in mind when she’d first arrived. And what he would make sure to maintain for the remainder of her stay. He would fuck her out of his system, until his body didn’t ache for her, ever again.

  Tessa grabbed his empty plate and hers as Gage was still licking his. “I hope you’re still hungry for some strawberry cake. Hot from the oven.”

  No surprise there when Gage’s interest was sparked. “Whatever you have, Tessa, I’ll eat it.”

  Her laughter made Locke want to punch Gage, even if his friend hadn’t done anything wrong. It was another weird reaction he had to get under control. He should encourage Gage, have him take her over and over again, until it didn’t bother him anymore.

  She came back and placed a bowl of cake with vanilla ice cream in front of him and Gage, but all Locke could smell was the scent of her skin and the shampoo in her hair. Nonetheless, he took his spoon and dove in like a starving man. Maybe if he filled his stomach, his cock would stop aching for her, for a little while at least.

  Once more sitting at the table, they finished emptying their plates. Tessa was the first one to finish and waited until he was done before speaking.

  “Do you really trust your inside informant? The one who’s close enough to Luther to get you information.”

  Locke considered her questions, but after all, she had accused him of keeping information from her. And Gage already knew every detail.

  “Yes, I trust Knox completely. He’s a friend, and he’s been preparing his exit for years now and wants to go out with a bang. And he’s doing everything to ensure Luther goes down.”

  Gage leaned back on his chair, unusually pensive. “Knox has been in and out of the business for a long time, but he’s dead against the slave ring. Too bad Luther isn’t keen on letting his men go. So, the only way he can leave, is to make sure Luther is taken care of and gone.”

  Tessa nodded. “But what happens when Luther’s gone? Wouldn’t one of his men or rivals pick up the business and continue?”

  Locke had to admit he liked how her mind worked. “Knox has the pulse, and the slave trade requires extensive contacts that most people don’t have. And it isn’t only about local authorities. It’s only a matter of time before Immigration and the FBI came sniffing around.”

  “But we need a spark to light the fire. And have someone clean in the force, someone who knows when to call the cavalry.”

  Tessa stayed silent, which made him suspicious. “Why do I feel like I need to be worried what you are thinking, Doctor?”

  “I may have a solution for you … someone that could call the cavalry. Maybe.”

  Locke wasn’t sure he liked what he heard.

  “Who?”

  Gage elbowed him. “Don’t growl at her. Listen, maybe Tessa has the solution we were searching for.”

  “She’s a doctor, not a secret agent!”

  Tessa pushed herself from her chair. “And she’s still in the room listening, telling you to forget about it and go fuck yourself.”

  Hurt showed on her face, and she evaded his hand when she got to her feet and stepped away. Having none of it, Locke moved quickly and caught her hand. “Who?”

  He couldn’t ask more than that, because the growl might turn into a snarl, as he wondered who she knew that had that kind of connection and power. A completely stupid reaction he couldn’t control.

  “A friend. The same one who’s been helping me protect Allison, and the other girls, for some time now.”

  And still he couldn’t release his hold. “A cop?”

  “Not exactly. He’s someone I’ve known for several years.”

  “Explain yourself.”

  “Release my arm.”

  He couldn’t, the only thing he wanted was to bring her even closer, to make her reveal everything any way he could, and make her forget about the man he knew nothing about. He couldn’t even beat the elusive man from her past. However, one by one, he opened his fingers and released her.

  Satisfied, she took a step back, then another, putting distance, and the kitchen island between them. Gage, who had never helped before, cleaned the table.

  “Doctor, what man? Answer me. Please?” Softening his voice almost made Locke want to bite his tongue, but in this specific case, he didn’t have a choice.”

  She started gathering the dishes, rinsing them in the sink and staking them in the dishwasher. Patience wearing thin, Locke leaned against the counter and crossed his arms, creating a barrier between her and Gage. He wanted her attention only on him.

  It took her a moment to be done and she closed the door with her foot. “When I went to med school, I became friends with another student.”

  “Friends?” The question was out before he could help himself. Damn it, what was wrong with him. “And that friend is a cop?”

  Crossing her arms, the doctor seemed more annoyed than cooperative. “Nigel became a doctor and still is. He decided to open a small clinic instead of working at the hospital. That’s when he met Tyrone, who was a cop. They’re still together, although he switched careers, and left the force to become a social worker.”

  For the smallest instant, Locke felt a flare of hope in his chest, the possible end to a long journey mixing with the strange relief at knowing that her friend wasn’t a rival after all.

  “Can this former cop of yours be trusted? Does he have outside connections that can help bring this whole operation down, once and for all?”

  When she nodded, her face relaxing into conscious certainty, Locke knew that another step had been taken, and that the doctor may have been the key to it.

  All those years of suffering and working undercover in a world he despised, with a foul taste in his mouth…

  Could he put his trust in a woman he barely knew, the woman he’d saved from the same fate as his mother?

  His internal compass was crooked when he looked at her, his entire being pulled toward her like a magnet. But she was his kryptonite, the one thing that would make him become the man he had once been, letting out the violence he kept underneath like a poison ready to infect those around him. He wouldn’t allow that. He couldn’t allow her to have more of him than his body, and the pleasure it could bring her.

  Locke turned to Gage who was looking at both of them, but especially at him. He knew what was in his head, but Locke wasn’t the type of man who jumped into something on a whim. There was too much at stake. However, when an opportunity arose, he’d take it as there might not be another chance.

  Uncrossing his arms, he took another step toward the stubborn doctor. Unable to stop himself, he twirled his fingers around one of her stray curls caressing her cheek before looping it around her ear, a decision forming in his mind.

  “Make that call, Doctor. It seems that the fate of our mission is in your hands.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  It was as dark as night, even if the sun was still up beyond the swirling clouds. Tessa stood by the picture window, the lights of the city twinkling like starlight as the storm grew nearer.

  Tonight, was the night. It had taken a mere twenty-four hours from the moment she’d made the call to Nigel to the final call from Tyrone. With everything Locke, Gage, and Knox had gathered about Luther, and after a few calls to external agencies, and pulling a few strings that impressed her to no end, he had alerted key people who were planning a strike operation, bypassing the corrupted, local authorities.

  Tyrone couldn’t tell her more but promised to let her know when it was done, when Luther was in custody, and the incoming slaves freed and taken care of.

  One thing she’d negotiated with Tyrone who was their liaison with the task team was the three men’s freedom, especially Locke’s, but she hadn’t told her host that bit. Tessa had seen al
l the papers and data he had gathered. The pictures and bios of so many people was impressive, but not once did he talk about possible repercussions for himself. Locke was trying to find redemption for something by sacrificing his life. It all made so much sense to her now that she saw the big picture. How he’d detached himself from any weaknesses, how he controlled everything around him, how he used sex to keep everyone at arm’s length.

  As a doctor, she knew what it meant on a psychological level, but she was past that. It was the honor he didn’t see in himself that pulled at her. The way he cared for his friend, for her, and so many helpless, nameless women, imprisoned against their wills, while remaining so cold and detached in the eyes of the world, denying himself the same protection and comfort.

  She knew that whatever feelings he had for her he kept trying to push aside, even though his cold, sea-green eyes were constantly watching her.

  As rain started to fall, a drizzle at first, then a steady pour hitting the window pane, the daylight faded even more, announcing some sort of an end. If everything went according to plan, she would be able to return to work. Her old life. Although she wasn’t sure how it could be old, when she’d only been away for a week.

  She would start referring to her life as Before and After Locke. The man was a wet dream but didn’t want anything more beyond her opening her legs. And Gage? He had a delectable body, and an even more delectable mouth, the fighter could make her clench and come all he wanted, but something was missing.

  There was a part of her that must like pain, as that was exactly what she felt every time she thought of Locke.

  “The forecast didn’t say anything about a thunderstorm.”

  And there he was, the shadow behind her. Her own secret obsession.

  “Nobody can predict the weather.” Acting detached, Tessa tried her best to follow his lead with the way he’d acted over the last twenty-four hours.

  Locke didn’t touch her, but he stood so close, she could feel his body heat at her back, his earthy scent in her nose. So close, yet, so far.