Chapter 19

Kayla stirred, looking around. Oh God, they were screwed.

Chelsea rubbed the back of her head where she'd been hit pretty hard with something. "Kayla?" She called out.

"Chels??"

"Where the hell are we?"

"Being held by the IMF," Kayla said quietly.

Chelsea looked around. "Fuck. This isn't good."

"No kidding.'

Chelsea sighed and looked around. "I wonder how many agents they've got out there." She nodded towards the door.

"Plenty, I'm sure."

"Well..." Chelsea bit her lip. She really couldn't think of a way for them to get out.

"Shh."

Chelsea looked over at her.

Kayla nodded toward the guards outside, who were suddenly listening intently.

Chelsea nodded.

The door opened and Dylan Kincaide stepped into the room.

Kayla spat at him.

"Now, now, that's no way to treat your captor, is it? I could kill you if I wanted, Ms. Spencer."

"Fuck you."

"I really could kill you, seeing as you're not the one I'm after. But I'm afraid one of my men finds you rather attractive."

"You don't have any men around here."

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "You think I'd be stupid enough to come alone?"

"Never said you were alone. Just that there aren't any *men*... least not real ones."

"Tsk tsk. I guess I'll have to allow him to test out his purchase before he pays me..."

"I think he'll find he got more than he bargained for." Her eyes narrowed.

Dylan smirked. "Don't underestimate him."

"He's one of yours, if anything I'm being generous."

"Oh, you'd be surprised. Just ask your cousin here, how much she liked Agent Damon."

"Who's a prick. A dead one, now."

"That may be unfortunate. But he was still good while he was alive, wasn't he?" He looked to Chelsea who tugged at the chain around her ankle.

"Go play in traffic," Kayla snapped.

"I've done that before."

"Maybe you could get hit by something this time. Or maybe your whore could..."

Dylan slapped Kayla across the face. "Don't call my wife a whore."

"I'll call her what I want."

"At least she's got someone to care for her. Not like you, you're completely expendable."

"People care."

"Not as much as you'd like to think?

"More than anyone cares for you."

He smirked. "You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?"

"It's true."

"Sure."

She spat at him again.

He slammed her against the wall.

"You going to do like Bryce Callahan now?"

"No...I don't beat on people unless I'm provoked."

"No? Cause you really do strike me as the rapist type."

"Obviously you don't have too good of a judge of character."

She shrugged.

One of the guards hauled Chelsea to her feet and led her to a nearby room, locking her in.

Chelsea got to her feet and began searching for a way to get out.

Dylan released her and another agent entered the room. "Here's the prospective buyer. Be nice or he'll punish you."

Kayla sneered.

Dylan left the room.

The IMF agent approached her. "You're a pretty thing."

"You're not."

"Shhh."

"I'll scream," Kayla warned. "And when my father finds out..."

"You'll scream but no one'll save you. And by the time your father finds out, you'll be dead."

"Use me and kill me, is that your plan?" She could feel her heart racing. "I could be valuable to you... you might even find you like me.”

"My plan might change, depending on my mood."

"On how satisfied you are."

The man smirked. "Possibly."

"I'll do my best, then."

The man smiled. "Good."

"I'd give you my name, but you know it."

"And you'd like to know mine?"

"Please."

"Chad Manchester."

"Mmm. Good strong name." She shivered a bit. It was cold, and she and Chelsea had been spying at a fancy dinner, so the black dress didn't provide much warmth.

He moved closer and ran a hand down her back.

Kayla shuddered involuntarily.

"Who were you wearing that dress for?"

"I was on a mission... it was part of the cover."

"Oh, of course." He placed a kiss on her shoulder.

She closed her eyes.

"You'll enjoy this."

"I don't doubt that."

"Good."

She turned to him and kissed him.

He kissed her back, pinning her against the wall.

"Be gentle," Kayla said quietly.

"Don't worry."

She kissed him once more.

"Come on, I'll take you to a....better room."

She let him lead the way.

He led her down some stairs, even deeper into the safehouse to a bedroom a bit bigger than the holding room they'd been in previously.

She glanced around. "Nicer," she agreed.

He nodded. "It's better than where you were."

"Yes."

He kissed her.

She kissed back.

Chad smiled and pushed her onto the bed.

~*~*~*~

Garrett stared at the computer screen. It all seemed like one big blur of light, he couldn't concentrate.

Cassidy stepped into the room. "We have a location, Garrett."

"Wha...?" He looked up, blinking a few times to focus.

"We have a location... Garrett... honey you don't look so good..."

"What time is it?"

"Ten-thirty."

"At night?"

"Yes."

Garrett stood up and nodded. "Okay...is anyone still here?"

"No. Just the family."

"Okay...." He paused. "We can't do anything until we've got a full team to go in..."

"I know."

He sighed and rubbed his face. "Is it really ten-thirty?"

"Yes. You need a warm meal and a nap.”

"Food? Sleep?" Garrett couldn't remember when he last did either of those things.

"Yes. Come on." She led him out of the office.

He followed.

"Sit," she said firmly, bringing him a plate of food.

Garrett picked at the meal.

"Eat it. Or I'm not letting you up."

Garrett took a few bites. "I'm not hungry."

"I don't care."

"I can't eat."

"Then you're sleeping."

Garrett sighed. "Fine."

She led him away again, this time upstairs to bed.

Garrett sprawled out on the bed but did not sleep.

Cass stretched out close to him. "Rest, baby."

Garrett sighed. "I'll rest when they're both home."

"You won't live to see it if you don't rest now," she said firmly.

He closed his eyes.

She smoothed his hair gently, not liking the tiredness and age that seemed written on his face now.

Garrett reached out and wrapped an arm around her.

She kissed his forehead.

Garrett sighed again.

"Rest, Garrett."

Garrett fell into an unwilling, restless sleep.

~*~*~*~

Sometime around midnight, Grace rolled over and was greeted by a cold, empty bed. She sat up and looked around the room. "Gavin?"

Gavin was sitting by the window, staring outside. "Yeah?"

"What are you doing awake?" she got up and stood next to him.

"Thinking."

"About?"

"It's my fault... I should have been firmer with her from the start..."

"No...Gavin, don't do this."

"It's the truth. Our baby's who the hell knows where and it's because of me..."

"It's not all your fault...It's mine too."

"No..."

"If anything, it's all my fault... I should have explained it all to her... she might not have gone off to them to find the answers for herself."

"Shh. It's not your fault. It's my family."

"It's mine too."

"Not as much as mine."

"Gavin..."

"Shh."

She kissed his forehead.

He sighed.

"Maybe we should've let her stay..."

"I know. I know."

Grace sighed and squeezed his hand.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

He sighed again.

Grace sat on the floor and leaned against the chair.

He smoothed her hair gently.

She looked up at him.

"We just... have to hope she'll be alright."

"Yeah..." She frowned. "How long have you been up?"

"I didn't actually sleep."

"You need to."

"I can't, Grace."

"Gavin, you can't not sleep. It's not healthy."

"I can't *go* to sleep, Grace."

"Why not?"

"I don't know!"

She jumped slightly. "Please try?"

"I have been."

"Can you try again?"

"Fine."

"Thank you." She led him back to bed.

Gavin stretched out but sleep would not come.

Grace kissed his cheek.

He sighed.

She settled next to him.

~*~*~*~

"Hungry?" Chad asked Kayla as she woke up.

"A little bit," she admitted.

"What would you like?"

"Anything's fine."

Chad kissed her again before getting up. "I'll be back." He left the room.

Kayla wrapped herself in the blanket. It really hadn't been bad... she'd never choose this sort of life... but she could live it until her parents arrived. She stretched out on the bed.

Chad returned a few minutes later with a tray full of food.

She smiled a bit at his return.

Setting the tray down on the bed, he sat down again.

"Thank you."

He nodded.

"What... what do you have planned for me?" She asked after a moment.

"That really all depends on you."

"What do you mean?"

Chad looked at her. "Do you want to go back?"

"I... I mean that's my family... I don't know."

"Let me put it this way. If given the chance to kill me, would you?"

"No."

"Then I'd probably move you to another location."

"And?"

"And see how it goes."

"But... ideally. What happens to me?"

"Well depending on how you act, one of two things. You either stay with me, or you die."

"So I'm your mistress?"

"Maybe."

"Well you've got a wedding ring on so I assume if I please you that makes me your mistress."

He nodded. "There could be some other reason I paid such a price for you."

"Such as?"

"I won't tell you all right now."

"Please?" She almost purred. She picked up a strawberry to feed to him.

He shook his head. "Too many security risks." He bit the end of the strawberry and kissed her.

She smiled at him.

"If you were to be rescued...and if you told your father....I just couldn't have that, my dear."

"My father and I don't get along terribly well."

"It doesn't matter, sweet."

She offered him another strawberry.

He took it from her and fed it to her.

She bit into the end, staring into his eyes while she did so, and then licked her lips a little bit.

He leaned over and kissed her.

Kayla kissed back eagerly.

He moved the tray to the floor.

She slid her fingers into his hair, still kissing him.

He gently laid her back against the pillows.

"Again?" She asked with a smile. "So you are satisfied. For now."

"What can I say? There's something about you that makes it difficult to keep my hands off."

"Ooh. Must be the red hair."

"Maybe." He kissed her shoulder.

Kayla paused. "Is she pretty? Your wife, I mean."

Chad nodded. "She's pretty enough."

"Then why do you need me?"

"If my wife is screwing around, I felt I should be allowed to have a mistress twice as beautiful as her."

"I'm sorry," Kayla said quietly, gently caressing his face.

He kissed her softly. "Thanks."

She kissed him again, almost searchingly.

He held her close and ran a hand down her side.

She shuddered involuntarily. "I don't know how she could go to someone else..."

He smiled. "She did."

"I couldn't."

"Good."

She kissed him again.

He kissed her back firmly.

~*~*~*~

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