Page 61 of Rusty's Command

“You got that right. So, how many bodies?”

Rusty did a quick mental count. “About ten. Maybe twelve.”

“Fuck me. That’s a goddamn massacre. You could have been?—”

“I’m fine, and everyone who matters is safe. We saved all six trafficking victims, plus one very lucky dog.” Rusty huffed, watching Pickle nuzzle into Sienna’s arms. That little mutt caused pure chaos but ended up being the hero we didn’t know we needed.

Dave released a heavy exhale. “Thank God. Who’s ‘we’?”

“Sienna handled the tech side, and Soda took down a few tangos.”

“Sienna?”

“You’ll meet her soon enough.”

Dave sighed like the weight of the world had just crashed onto his shoulders. “Right. I’ll mobilize the squad.”

“We’ll need ambulances for the women. And your best cyber team—there’s a whole network of buyers we need to nail. Or Bellamy can help. You know he’s damn good with cracking?—”

“We’ve got it. Anything else?”

“I could murder a pizza right now.”

“Unbelievable,” Dave muttered. “Stay put. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.”

“Oh, and Dad? I called in Charlie Team.”

“The hell? Why?”

“Wang made a call before he died, and I think he ordered in backup. Hence Charlie Team. So yeah, maybe pack extra body bags.”

“Christ almighty. I should’ve retired last year.”

Despite everything, Rusty smiled. His old man had been threatening retirement since before Rusty joined Brotherhood Protectors. Truth was, his father lived for shit like this and the messier, the better.

Rusty pocketed Wang’s phone and crossed back to Tommy, who hadn’t moved an inch under Soda’s unwavering stare. The kid’s face was pressed against the floor, shoulders trembling, and he looked about as threatening as a wet kitten.

“All right, Tommy.” Rusty crouched beside him. “Let’s talk about your options.”

“I didn’t know about the women,” he said, the words tumbling out. “I swear to God, I just thought it was drugs. Wang said it was just drugs.”

Rusty studied him for a long moment. The kid’s terror seemed genuine enough, but he’d learned the hard way that appearances could be deceiving. “How long have you been working for him?”

“Three months. I needed money for rent and stuff.” Tommy’s high-pitched voice sounded like he’d sucked helium. “Wang made it sound easy.”

“Nothing about Wang was easy.” Rusty shifted, blocking Tommy’s view of what was left of his former boss. “Here’s how this plays out. The cops are minutes away, so you either go down for your involvement in Wang’s human trafficking and spend a very long time behind bars, or you help us unravel this entire operation and you might get a lighter sentence.”

“But . . . but . . .” Tommy’s breath shortened. “They’ll kill me.”

“We’ll protect you.” Rusty lowered his voice. “But only if you help us with names, locations, and whatever you’ve got. Look at me. Does this seem like my first rodeo?”

Tommy’s eyes darted from him to the women, to Soda, and then back to Rusty. Something shifted in his expression, not quite trust, but maybe hope. “I’ve heard promises before.”

“This isn’t a promise. It’s a guarantee.” Rusty would make damn sure Dave kept Rusty’s word. “The police chief is my father. You help us, and we’ll shield you. Simple as that.”

Tommy’s shoulders sagged with less defiance.

Rusty pressed his hand to Tommy’s shoulder. “Hey. You have my word.”

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