Page 43 of Unexpected Heroine

Fortunately, Freya doesn’t ask too many questions about the actual rescue. I don’t know how much information about his job James wants to get out there. He must have a good reason for shielding me from the full picture for as long as he has.

Speaking of which, as the clock ticks us farther away from Monday night’s chaotic rescue, my questions start to pile up about his job and what I saw that night. It’s like there’s a whole side to him I know nothing about.

I want to press him for answers. But I also know it’s not the right time. That conversation will require brain power and patience I simply don’t have right now. I’m giving myself permission to look the other way.

But I know he’s hiding things.

Big things.

My only hope is that he’s hiding them for a damn good reason, and when I find out why, it doesn’t destroy us.

Or me.

Chapter 9

Stumped like the trees in The Lorax

TOMER

With Lettie having a heart-to-heart with Freya, this is the perfect time for me to work on her case.

And by case, I’m referring to my plan to rain down hell on the bastards who hurt her. Until now, I’ve had very little time to devote to that plan.

My priority has been Lettie—as it should be. Tending to her physical needs, her injuries, and wrapping her up in all the emotional support I can manage. Regardless of my compelling desire to hunt down those monsters, she comes first.

I don’t regret being there for her. Not for a moment. However, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t growing antsy at the lack of action I’ve been able to take to avenge her.

Fortunately, I don’t require as much sleep as she does, so I’ve completed some research the last few nights. Honoring my promise to stay by her side while she sleeps, I bring two laptops and a tablet to bed with us. Once she drifts off, I work until my eyes snap shut.

Despite making good progress, there are still missing pieces. I need to get intel from the weak links inside the trafficking organization to get a fuller picture of what we’re dealing with and identify all the players.

I’ll start with the individuals who troll bars, abducting innocent women. After that, I’ll find the six lowlifes who were inside that house on the night of Lettie’s rescue.

Whether they like it or not—and they won’t like it—they’ll tell me everything about Lenkov’s trafficking ring. I need the name of every decision-maker. Every flunky. Every henchman. And every customer.

I’m going to dismantle that disgusting operation and put them all in the ground, one by damn one.

Including Nikolai Lenkov himself.

It’s too much to tackle on my own, as much as I’d love to try. So I’ll need to loop in the rest of my Redleg team.

I’m sure I can count on Shep and Kri to join me, given their past with these fuckers. Shep still wants justice for Val and Kri. Mia will be in, undoubtedly. Klein will be a harder sell, but I’m confident Mia can convince him. Leo and Sawyer are questionable. Jonesy, Aaron, and Junior will go along with Shep and me. Anyone else I get is a bonus.

Big Al will be the biggest roadblock. However, once he finds out Lettie’s his daughter, he’ll fall in line too.

Lettie seems to be doing well with Freya here. Perhaps I can get away for an hour or two and beat some intel out of someone. Before I decide, I need to know what Redleg already got out of the two men we captured the night of the rescue. Well, one was captured, and the other came willingly along with his girlfriend.

If we didn’t get enough from them yet, I’ll have to find them. Unfortunately, I’ve got no clue where Redleg is hiding them. Big Al has likely ordered everyone to keep their locations confidential, even from me. Makes sense, considering my relationship with Lettie.

Earlier today, I checked the Redleg case files for the safe house locations but came up empty. No big surprise. I would have done the same thing. Any information stored digitally is subject to being hacked. No matter how secure I think my system is, there is no such thing as an impenetrable network.

Mia proved that when she hacked our system as part of her job interview process. I’m still pissed off at her for that, but I also gained more respect for her, since she was able to pull it off. It was quite impressive. Even if it did chap my ass.

While pacing in the living room, I swipe my thumb across my phone screen to access GPS locations for Mia and Klein. Once I determine they’re at HQ, I call the desk phone in the lair.

Mia answers on the second ring. “What’s up, T-man? I was expecting your call.”

“I’ve only got a couple of minutes while Lettie is preoccupied. I need information.”