Surrender: Keeping Her in the Dark Vol. 4 Read Free Page A

pictures across the table.
    “This is Randall Emerson. He is a minor player in a sex trafficking ring. He’s fairly new and not well trusted in the community. He owns casinos, brothels and sex clubs all over Europe. We have made contact with him before, usually for loan sharking or illegal drugs. Not until the party did we know he was involved in the buying and selling of women. Now we need whatever information you can provide to us about him.”
    I proceeded to explain that a mutual friend whom I would not name had been approached by Randall and invited to the party. I told them Randall had heard about my situation and wanted me to come to the party too. I told him that my friend didn’t want to get involved until he found out that there was going to be an auction at this party too.
    “So this friend you don’t want to name told you about the party?” he asked. I nodded. “Why?” he shrugged his shoulders.
    “Because he knows that I have a lot of money and he thought maybe I could do something to help the girls being sold,” I crossed my ankle over my knee.
    “Help the girls being sold?” he sounded smug. “Like you helped your wife?” he asked. I didn’t move. I didn’t blink. I simply cleared my throat.
    “Detective, I am going to say this one time and one time only. People tell me that on my happiest of days I am no joy to be around. So how do you think I am going to be if you keep trying to drag my wife into this? I suggest that you keep my family out of this. For both our sakes,” I said.
    “Are you threatening me, Mr. Hastings?” he asked.
    “No sir I am not.” I was not threatening him. I was very serious.
    “Mr. Hastings, you can sit there and play the hard ass all you want. But the bottom line is if you don’t cooperate with us, we are going to charge you with human trafficking, kidnapping, rape and forced prostitution.” I still didn’t budge. “We can also charge your wife with prostitution.” I blinked when he said that. Not that I gave in, I actually blinked.
    “How can you charge me with forced prostitution and her with prostitution? If I am forcing her then she isn’t doing it willingly,” I said. He started to say something but Tom wouldn’t let him.
    “Detective, please get to your point. My client is willing to cooperate but he isn’t going to talk about his relationship with his wife or the person who told him about the party. If those things were all you were interested in you would have charged my client already. Please tell us what you want?” Tom said.
    “I want Abdul Amir and Rashad Salam.” He slid the pictures of the men across the table.
    “I don’t know them,” I slid them back.
    “I know. But you are going to get to know them.” It was starting to make sense.
    “We have information from a man we have working on the inside that there is going to be another auction. An auction much like the one you attended 2 years ago and don’t want to talk about now.” He paused and I didn’t blink.
    “These men were responsible for that auction.” I looked closer at the pictures. “Yes, Mr. Hastings, these men are the men that sold you your wife,” I didn’t like the smug way he spoke. It reminded me too much of myself.
    “We want you to go to Paris, meet with Amir and Salam, and wear a wire.”
    “And for that my client gets immunity?” Tom asked.
    “For that, your client will get a suspended sentence and a hefty fine.” I nodded in agreement.
    “There is one other thing,” he said. I raised my eyebrow to him.
    “Do you know a man by the name of Nick Meyers?” just the sound of his name made my skin crawl.  

Chapter One
    Norah
    “You made a deal?” I asked. Liam was sitting at his desk in the study typing away on his laptop and shuffling papers.
    “Yes,” he said but didn’t look up.
    “When do you leave?” I asked.
    “Four days.”
    “What do you have to do?” I couldn’t believe after what we had both been through over the last 12 hours