Chapter 55
*Payton*
I awake to see dark green eyes looking at me in worry. I scramble backwards, thinking it is Dean. The fact that I can move freely is lost on me as I recognize the man sitting on my bed. As afraid as I was of Dean at the moment, he would be welcomed right now as opposed to who was here with me. It was the biker from earlier and a new sense of panic took hold of me. I gasp for breath yet again as he stands from the bed and puts his hands in the surrender position.
“Please listen to me, Payton. We don’t have much time,” the man says in a hushed voice. How does he know my name? I am just about to ask him this when he says, “you don’t recognize me but I’m Dean’s brother Joe. You must remember me, I was a cop when you and Dean dated. I’m here undercover.”
At this statement, I’m confused. Did Dean send him here? Is he going to take me to Dean? Is he really here undercover? That would explain the look but why would he risk helping me? My confusion must show because he hurries on.
“I’m not here to hurt you, Payton. I’m here to help,” he assures me. “I’m not like Dean. I know he brought you here but we don’t have time to get into that right now. We need to get you out of here before he returns.” He picks a shopping bag up off the floor and puts it on the bed. “I got some clothes here you need to get into. We gotta disguise you to get you out of here.” I look at him wondering if I can trust him. He certainly doesn’t look like someone I could trust. Then again, you are supposed to be able to trust the police.
As if reading my mind, he pulls a burner phone from the inside pocket of his jacket. Flipping it open he presses one button. “Here, it’s my handler with the FBI, ask him anything you want,” he says as he thrusts the phone out at me.
“Yah, Joe. You got her to the safe house yet?” A tired voice asks from the other end of the phone.
“Ah,” I manage. Then I clear my throat, still sore from Dean’s hands. “This is Payton, I..” I don’t get a chance to ask or say anything.
“Payton, please, do as Joe says. We’ve got to get you out of there. Before MacDonald moves you and before Jake and his biker friends bust that place wide open. Go with Joe, he is risking a lot to get you to a safe location. Don’t be the cause of both of your deaths.” The mention of Jake and the last sentence brings me to a decision. What do I have to lose? I pass him back the phone and pick up the bag of clothes.
Joe turns his back to me, to give me privacy to change and that confirms my decision. I hear him talking low to the man on the phone, the ‘yes sirs’ and ‘no sirs’ also putting a few of my worries at ease. By the time I am dressed in a pair of too tight jeans and a barely there tank top, he is no longer talking on the phone but is still turned away from me.
“I’m changed,” I tell him. He turns around and winces and I feel embarrassment heat my face. “You brought me the stuff. I am well aware it is too small for me. I can put my old stuff back on.” I move to take my own clothes out of the bag.
“No, Payton,” He puts his hand over mine on the bag and I instinctively pull away. “You look good, too good. There is no way I can get you out of here without the men out there wanting a piece of you.” It’s my turn to wince now. Thinking of Dean’s earlier behavior and Joe himself asking for his turn with me.
“Here,” he takes his leather Jacket off and drapes it over my shoulders, sizing me up. It’s huge on me and I can barely move. He runs a hand through his long beard as he thinks. “I know you are going to fight this but I think the best way to get you out of here is in my arms.” As he expected, I began to object. “Hear me out. You are drunk and passed out. I will make a big show of bringing you out through the main rooms. You are going to hear some nasty shit said and I’m gonna say it back. But don’t react, got it? You are passed out drunk. I just had my way with you and I am getting you out of here before you come to and want to be my old lady because I am just that good at giving you organisms.” He says the last part with a wicked grin on his face and it is the first time I see the old Joe I used to know all those years ago.
I nod my head and he scoops me up in his arms like I weigh nothing. He presses my head tight to his big chest and covers my face with my hair. Grabbing my bag of clothes, he looks around wondering what to do with it.
“Trash it,” I say, “I don’t want to ever see that outfit again.”
Joe nods, opens the door slowly and pokes his head out to check the hallway. He rushes over to the restroom Trixie had taken me to earlier and stuffs the bag into the garbage can. As we leave the restroom he allows the door to bang loudly. Then he says, even louder, “let’s get you home before you come to and puke all over me or worse yet, want me to keep your skanky ass,” It is said in a voice of disgust as he tucks me even tighter to him. As we cross the outer rooms, it is hard not to react to the crude, downright nauseating comments the other men throw out to him. I just pray to God we get out of here before they figure out who it is and get the chance to do those things to me.