Sealed with Valor, page 14
part #1 of Called to Protect Series
“Not Banjo, but another of the Death Rays did.” She pulled her hand away to wipe at her face. “It was common knowledge that Simon wanted me to stay with him, no matter what. They constantly watched me.”
He’d hoped it was Banjo specifically who had prevented her from leaving. That Banjo was the one who’d held her at the warehouse against her will, taking her by force back over to Simon. It would have helped her claim of self-defense.
Yet he didn’t doubt her side of the story. He knew Ava wouldn’t have stabbed anyone unless she truly feared for her life. And catching Banjo off guard was the only way to overpower the guy. All the bikers he’d seen were easily twice Ava’s size.
And there were also Simon’s actions after the fact to take into consideration. First following her from one place to the next, including the women’s shelter, then sending someone to kidnap her from the hospital at gunpoint. All important factors that added credence to her story.
“Ava, please. Please give me and the rest of the guys some time to come up with a plan of action.” He smiled encouragingly. “God brought all of us here for a reason. We’ll find a way to get the video and photos back. And once we have those, you and your baby will be safe no matter where you choose to live.” Hopefully that wouldn’t be in Mexico, although he kept that thought to himself.
She was quiet for so long he feared she was attempting to come up with additional arguments. Then she nodded. “Okay, fine. But I don’t want anyone to be hurt because of me.” She lifted her head, anguish in her eyes. “I feel bad enough about killing Banjo. I don’t think I could live with myself if one of Jaydon’s teammates or Bryce became seriously injured over this plan of yours.”
A large weight fell from Nico’s shoulders. Yet he didn’t take her concerns lightly. Every time they’d gone on an op, they’d done so knowing they were risking their lives for their country.
This would be no different. And truthfully? He worried about the guys too. They had wives and children now.
“Thank you for believing in us, Ava. I want you to know we’ll do everything possible to get what we need without putting ourselves in harm’s way.” He was speaking mostly on behalf of the rest of the guys.
Nico knew that he’d gladly risk his life to make sure Ava was free from Simon’s clutches once and for all.
Ava didn’t like the idea of Nico and the others heading back to Simon’s warehouse. Especially not for her sake.
If not for the stupid video and photographs, these guys could all head home and turn Simon’s activities over to the police.
Although she couldn’t quite figure out why the police hadn’t arrested Simon and his men before now. She’d stayed out of his business ventures, but now she wished she’d paid closer attention.
“I wish there was something I could do to help.” Resigned to the plan, she met Nico’s gaze. “I don’t know what is in those crates, but I believe Simon received shipments on a regular basis.”
Nico’s eyebrows lifted. “A regular schedule?”
“Yes. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights.” She frowned. With everything that had happened, she’d completely lost track of the days. “If there was a shipment last night, which was Tuesday, right? Then there won’t be another shipment until Thursday night.”
“Unless the trouble with the shipment put them off schedule.” Nico’s dark gaze turned thoughtful. “Could be that the shipment was delayed and will actually be coming in tonight.”
“Maybe.” She almost hoped not, one night of peace and quiet wasn’t too much to ask. “Either way, he has guys going to the ocean to pick up whatever is coming in.” She hesitated, then said, “I’ve always thought it was drugs, but I never asked.” She grimaced. “I guess I didn’t really want to know.”
“That’s fine, I’m glad you don’t know specific details of Simon’s enterprise.” Nico’s tone was reassuring. “Better for you in the long run. And I’m sure we’ll know soon enough once we get a peek inside those crates.”
Maybe, but that didn’t change the fact that she’d been a foolish, naïve, coward. She’d believed Simon to be a bad-boy member of a motorcycle club without realizing the club needed to have financing. What kind of idiot believes any of those bikers worked real, legitimate jobs for a living?
“How many men did he send to get the shipments?” Nico asked. “I’m sure they didn’t bring those crates to the warehouse on the back of a motorcycle.”
“No, they used a panel van.” She thought back for a moment. “The same van they used to kidnap me. Simon sent two guys in the van, but several others would accompany them on their bikes.”
Nico nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, that helps. You don’t know where they get these shipments, do you? Like what dock or pier?”
“Pier thirteen,” another female voice said. Ava glanced over Nico’s shoulder to see Callie standing there. She’d showered and changed into her usual attire, leaving her short, dark hair to dry naturally.
“How do you know that?” Nico asked, shifting his chair to include Callie in the conversation.
“Otto told me.” Callie shrugged. “He talked a lot when he drank, which was pretty often.”
“Did Simon know that Otto talked to you?” Ava was worried about Callie now more than ever. “Is that why Simon came after you at the Lizard Lounge?”
“Nah, he only came after me to get to you,” Callie said without hesitation. “He figured you’d try to find me, and you did.” She grinned. “Although not in the way Simon expected.”
Ava noticed that Bryce edged closer to hear the conversation. Callie didn’t bother to look at him. “I hope not,” Nico drawled.
Callie nodded. “I’m not sure if he knew how much Otto blabbed when he was drunk. Although it shouldn’t have been a surprise.”
That much was true. Ava knew Simon had his bikers on a tight leash. A situation that had sometimes caused rumblings among the crew. She’d tried to use that discontent to her advantage, but when push came to shove, the bikers were loyal to Simon.
Not to her or Callie.
“Did Otto say anything else?” Nico asked. “Like what sort of boats were coming in?”
Callie frowned, her expression thoughtful. “I don’t know that Otto ever mentioned the types of boats he was going to meet, but I got the impression they were smaller, personal boats. Not larger ones. I seem to remember him saying something about sneaking into the slip without being noticed.”
“Interesting,” Nico murmured.
“Was Otto your boyfriend?” Bryce asked.
Callie narrowed her gaze. “That’s not any of your business. I’m not a part of the Death Rays anymore and couldn’t care less if every last one of them ends up in jail.” Without saying anything more, she spun on her heel and walked away.
Ava glanced at Nico who shrugged and looked over at Bryce.
“What? It was a simple question,” Bryce protested.
“Not really.” Ava lifted her chin. “Just because Callie and I were foolish enough to get involved with these guys doesn’t mean we’re criminals too. Don’t judge us, Bryce.”
He winced. “I’m sorry, that wasn’t my intent.”
“Maybe not, but that’s how Callie heard it.” Ava reminded herself not to become upset on Callie’s behalf. “Can you honestly say you’ve never made a mistake? That you’ve never trusted the wrong person?”
“No, I can’t claim to be perfect,” Bryce said in a low voice. “I’ve made plenty of mistakes.” He glanced toward the hallway leading to the bedrooms. “I’ll apologize.”
“You may want to wait a bit,” Nico advised. “Seems like Callie isn’t your biggest fan.”
“No lie,” Bryce muttered as he turned away. Then he abruptly swung back to face her. “I’m sorry I’ve hurt you and your friend, Ava.”
“It’s fine, Bryce. Just know we’re both keenly aware of the mistakes we’ve made that have placed you and the others in danger.”
“Like Nico said, we put our lives on the line for strangers every day. Doing so for those you care about is even better.” Bryce glanced down at his K9, Kirby. “Time for a bathroom break, huh, buddy?”
Ava couldn’t help but smile as Zulu perked up at seeing Kirby. As if the two dogs were already friends because their owners were. “I’ll go with you,” Nico said, rising to his feet. “I need to give Zulu some play time.”
Ava watched them go, then stood as well. She’d given Nico all the information she had about Simon’s so-called business. Her rough night was catching up with her, and she desperately wanted to take a nap.
But she paused outside Callie’s room first. After lightly knocking at the door, she heard Callie’s muffled, “Who is it?”
“Me, Ava.” She waited a beat, then entered the room. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Fine.” Callie was stretched out on the bed, lying on her stomach in a way Ava hadn’t been able to do for months now. It made her yearn for her prepregnancy body in a way she’d never thought possible.
“Hey, don’t let Bryce upset you.” She sat on the edge of the bed beside Callie. “He didn’t mean to judge us.”
Callie let out a harsh laugh. “Oh, I think he did. Cops are always looking down on people who might hang out with people who have broken the law. He’s just not used to women calling him on his behavior.”
Callie had always carried a chip on her shoulder, and Ava had never pushed the woman to discuss their respective pasts. She’d sensed hers had been a cakewalk compared to Callie’s, so she’d left it up to the younger woman to decide how much or how little to say. Besides, it was all they could do to eke out a living day to day, barely making ends meet. “He knows he’s not perfect, Callie. And he risked his life to save you.”
“That’s what cops are supposed to do,” Callie said, although the edge had vanished from her tone. She sighed and rolled up on her side. “Listen, I’m not trying to be rude. I’m grateful he and the others got us out of there, Ava. I was convinced Simon would kill me the moment he got his hands on you. I’m sure Bryce is a good cop, it’s just that I don’t trust cops in general.”
“Because a cop hurt you in the past?”
Callie slowly nodded. “Yeah, but I don’t want to talk about it. I know there are good cops and bad cops, just like there are good and bad people. It’s over and done now.” She abruptly changed the subject. “How long are we going to be stuck here anyway?”
“I’m not sure.” Ava glanced around the room. “You have to admit it’s nicer here than our dumpy apartment. I haven’t seen a single creepy-crawly.”
Callie reluctantly smiled. “You got that right. No noisy neighbors partying late every night, which is refreshing. And I don’t miss the groping guys at the Lizard Lounge either,” she agreed.
“Pedro tried to look after us, but he couldn’t be everywhere.” Pedro was one of the better bosses she’d had over the past few months. “He wasn’t like Carlos who was awfully handsy himself. Remember when I twisted his hand behind his back and he squealed like a girl?”
“Yeah.” Callie chuckled, then sat up and placed her hand on Ava’s stomach. “How’s Jaydon doing today?”
“Jayne is fine, thanks,” she teased. Despite how she seemed to hate men in general, Callie firmly believed she was having a boy. “At this point, I’m hoping and praying I’ll be able to carry this baby to full term.”
“Wait, why wouldn’t you?” Callie asked.
Ava filled Callie in on her medical problems. “Nothing to worry about, though. I went back to the emergency department this morning, and the doc said I’m doing well enough that I don’t need to stay in the hospital. It seems that all I need to do is concentrate on lowering my stress while staying off my feet. As long as I do both of those two things, the baby and I will be just fine.”
Callie’s frown deepened. “Resting and staying off your feet? That’s huge, Ava. It means you can’t work. You still have two months to go, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“What are we going to do when the danger from Simon is over?” Callie was looking more distressed by the minute. “How are we going to survive?”
It was a good question, one she didn’t have an equally good answer to. “I don’t know, Callie. The doc was clear that I need to stay off my feet.” He’d used the words bed rest, but Ava couldn’t imagine lying in bed doing nothing. “We’ll figure something out.”
Callie didn’t say anything for a long moment. “I’ve seen the way Nico looks at you, Ava. He’ll likely support you financially, so you won’t have to worry about getting a job. But me? I don’t have that luxury. I’ll be stuck trying to find a job that will pay me enough to support myself. Rent here in LA is astronomical, at least San Bernardino was slightly better. I’ll have to find a new roommate and . . .” Her voice trailed off.
“Nico will help us both, Callie, because that’s the kind of guy he is,” she said firmly. “Trust me on this.”
“I’m not sure about that.” Callie turned away, looking more forlorn now than when Ava had first come in to talk to her. “I’d like to get some sleep too. I spent most of my time in the warehouse wide awake. I kept waiting for Simon or Otto to show up and kill me.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Ava wanted to continue reassuring Callie that she’d be fine but thought it best to give her some time to digest the change in plan. The two of them had been dependent upon each other for months now, it wouldn’t be easy for Callie to accept Nico’s help.
Ava wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea either. Yet she didn’t have a choice. Working a restaurant job where she was on her feet all day was out of the question.
She would protect her baby, no matter what.
“Talk to you later, Callie.” She stood and left Callie alone with her thoughts. Returning to her room, she climbed into bed and rested on her side. It was the only way she could get comfortable these days.
But rest didn’t come easily. Her thoughts whirled, especially over Callie’s comment. About how Nico looked at her.
Ava hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. Nico had always been considerate of her, even when Jaydon was alive. Callie was probably overreacting to Nico’s kindness and gentle manner. Callie didn’t know Nico was a man of faith. Ava knew that she would always be Jaydon’s little sister to Nico and the rest of the guys.
But no, she couldn’t take advantage of Nico. She wouldn’t force him into being with her out of a sense of duty. An obligation.
She and her baby would find a way to make ends meet. She could maybe go back to being a dental hygienist. After everything she’d been through, a boring life to raise her baby sounded perfect. Back then, most of her days were spent sitting as she cleaned teeth. Even half days might work. She’d make more than being a bartender, that was for sure.
Yes, she had options, and she’d bring Callie along with her. Together they’d figure things out.
The sooner she resigned herself to a future without Nico Ramirez, the better.
Chapter Twelve
“We need to get eyes on slip number thirteen.” Nico glanced at the group of men gathered around him. It was a strange feeling to be in charge of the operation, and he frequently found himself looking at Senior Chief for validation he was on the right track. “I think we could send two teams, one down to the dock, one to the warehouse to find out what’s in those crates.”
“There are seven of us, we could send a third team to get intel, leaving one guy here to protect the women,” Bryce said.
Nico frowned. “I’d rather keep at least two guys here at the house.” In truth, he’d rather have most the team remain behind to guard Ava and Callie, but he knew that wasn’t logical. There was no way the Desert Death Rays could know where they were staying. “We could send a third guy to the warehouse, if necessary.”
“That seems reasonable.” Mason gave a thoughtful nod. “I agree with two men staying behind, one covering the back, the other the front.”
Bryce looked as if he wanted to argue, but he simply shrugged. “Whatever you think is best.”
“What about Simon?” Kaleb asked. “It would be nice to know what he looks like.”
“I have a photo of him on a memory card.” He pulled the small, flat disk from his pocket, then turned toward the door. “Give me a minute to grab my computer.”
It didn’t take long for Nico to get the laptop computer booted up and the memory card loaded. The team crowded around him at the kitchen table as he began going through the photos. When the one of Callie chained to the bed popped up, he heard Bryce suck in a harsh breath. He understood how the cop felt, he didn’t enjoy seeing a woman kept in chains either. He clicked through and found the grainy photos he’d managed to get of Simon and the guy talking behind the warehouse.
“This is the best shot of Simon.” Nico lightly tapped the screen with his index finger. “Long, dark hair pulled back, black leather skullcap, black vest, black jeans, and scar along his cheek.”
The entire team stared at the grainy image. Without the flash, it wasn’t as clear as he’d hoped, but it was the best he could do under the circumstances.
“Okay, so we know who the bad guy is,” Hudd said quietly. “If there’s a chance to neutralize him, we should take it.”
Nico couldn’t disagree but glanced at Bryce. As a cop, he’d be obligated to report a crime. “Getting evidence against him would help keep him neutralized in jail.”
Hudd glanced at him without saying anything more. Nico knew Hudd had intended to take Simon out of the picture permanently.
Not outright killing him, engaging him in a fight where he lost. Maybe not a fair fight, because SEALs were highly trained in combat, but Simon had kidnapped two women, one of them pregnant, and had threatened to kill them both.
Not an empty threat either. Nico knew the biker had fully intended to follow through.
Blowing out a breath, Nico decided to leave Simon’s fate in God’s hands. They’d do their best to get the evidence they needed to have Simon arrested. But if the guy pulled a gun on any of them, all bets were off.
