fic - rusty rambo knife
fandom: the oc
title: rusty rambo knife
rating: language and mentions of sexual relations.
disclaimer: I don't own anything oc related.
author's note: Yeah, I don't even know. This is because of Arrow and a heavy dose of nostalgia. Vigilantism.
author's note #2: I haven't been able to finish anything lately so I decided to revisit some old characters. I'm just not sure what happened.
It's just a girl
It's just the world, it's just a life,
it's just a rusty Rambo knife
wedged between my ribs scratching my heart up tonight
"I know you don't do this anymore. I know that you never did," Kaitlyn whispered, not meeting his eyes across the counter. "But I need your help."
Ryan didn't answer right away but he reached across the counter and took her by the wrist gently.
"It's not me, it's nobody you know and I..." she started.
"Tell me," Ryan said.
"Her name's Galina and we met when I was on my semester abroad. She was saving money to come to America for work and she got this great offer for a job and work visa. She was supposed to fly into town two months ago. I got Eric to check the flights and she got off the plane but no one's seen her since. She was going to be my maid of honor and now...I need you to find her. Please, she's one of my best friends and she's missing and...the cops don't even care," Kaitlyn said in a rush.
Ryan studied her face. He'd never been able to turn down a Cooper, even ten years later. "Who else have you asked?"
"Eric and Brad were both running down leads for me, but there aren't any leads. She just disappeared," Kaitlyn said. "Can you..."
Ryan let go of her wrist and squeezed her hand. "Get me everything you have and I'll see what I can do. Galina's Russian, isn't it?"
Kaitlyn nodded and passed a USB stick to him. "Thank you. You know I wouldn't ask..."
"It's fine. I'll look into it," Ryan said, putting the stick into his pocket. "I'll let you know if I find anything but do me a favor and don't talk about it for a while. Call the twins off the hunt and let me take care of it."
Kaitlyn nodded and sagged in his arms when he hugged her. "Thank you."
"You're going to owe me so many fancy cupcakes for this," Ryan said.
"Like you ever have to pay anyway," Kaitlyn snorted.
-------------
"You want me to go under?" Jess asked, crossing her legs slowly so he could get a quick peek of what color thong she was wearing tonight.
"Fuck no, I'm not sending any of you girls undercover in this kind of op," Ryan said.
"How are you going to do this without having someone on the inside?" Holly called from the other room.
"I'm a buyer. I need you two to play my girls," Ryan said.
"Just say whores, it's not a bad word, they say it on TV," Holly said, walking in and putting down drinks and sitting on his lap despite his eye roll.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jess questioned.
He'd been working with the two women for years, when they'd found out his secret 'job', they both wanted in. Jess was a brilliant strategist and Holly had self-defense training that landed him on his back several times a week. They were partners off the grid and strangers in public.
They had never been on his radar as interested in vigilantism but Holly had seen him beat the shit out of the Harbor Rapist and Jess had watched him shake a confession out of a local charity's embezzler. They had stuck to him like glue since and he was grateful for their help.
"None of our jobs are good ideas. But if these guys really have this girl, then we have to do something. Women are not property, they can't be sold to the highest bidder," Ryan said, smoothing his fingers down Holly's thigh.
"How does Kaitlyn know about you?" Jess asked.
"Who knows, she's always been observant. Getting her friend back alive should get me out of buying a wedding present," Ryan said.
"Luke's going to be pretty pissed if his best man is MIA so we're on a deadline, I assume?" Jess asked.
"You assume correctly," Ryan said, curling his finger to call her over. "Are you ladies in?"
"We're always in," Holly said. "Karma is important."
He kissed her and turned to Jess, kissing her just as deeply and running his hand down to cup her ass and keep her close.
"Bed now, plans later?" Jess smiled.
"I always work better when I'm well-fucked," Holly said.
"You're so crass," Ryan snorted, kissing her again.
"That's why you like me best," Holly winked. Jess rolled her eyes and he pinched them both.
"Play nice," he said.
-------------
"I thought you were done with all this," Jess said from her sprawl across his chest.
"I thought I was, too. But it's Kaitlyn. Family, you know?" Ryan said. Holly snored from the opposite end of the bed, snuggling around all the pillows.
"You have too much family. People are going to squeeze you dry one of these days. Besides, superheroes aren't supposed to have families," Jess hummed.
"Glad I'm not a superhero. I like having a family. You're part of that," Ryan said, kissing her on the top of the head.
She snorted. "Right. I'm just one of your many bedmates."
"You and Hols have been the only women in my life for years. And I would like to say that you two came onto me," Ryan said.
"Well, we met each other through you so it was only fair that we invite you when we started hooking up," Jess shrugged. "It's not like you gave either of us the time of day before this."
"High school doesn't count," Ryan replied. "I didn't give anyone the time of day after Taylor."
Jess hummed her understanding. "How's she doing?"
"They've got her on a new medication, she's almost lucid lately, it's hit or miss," he said. He didn't like to talk about Taylor, but it was nice of Jess to ask.
"Does she recognize you yet?" Jess asked.
Ryan shrugged. "Sometimes." That was all he needed to say about Taylor right now and Jess seemed to sense it. He didn't talk about Taylor.
"Want to take a shower with me while Holly finishes her nap? We should get on the research and check out our tech to make sure it's all up to speed. Are you going to call in anyone else?"
"Buckley's doing some background on the ringleader for us. I should check my email," Ryan said.
"Shower first, then work. We only have a few hours before daylight and we have to go to our real jobs," Jess said. "Come on, Lazy, let's get some shit done so we can find this fucker."
-------------
"I can't believe you're going out of town so soon before the wedding - I need you here to shield me from the harpies," Luke groaned when Ryan told him he had to go out of town.
"That's your own baggage to haul, man, I'm not the guy that's banged his fiancee's sister and mother. You're the Newpsies' favorite topic these days and that's fine with me," Ryan said. "You know I wouldn't do it if it wasn't absolutely necessary."
"I never thought you'd be the guy putting business ahead of your friends," Luke said.
"It's not business. It's personal," Ryan said. "And I'll be back in a couple of weeks, at the most." He hoped he'd be back that soon. He and his partners had responsibilities now, they weren't eighteen anymore.
Luke scanned him. "Your brother?"
"I need to check on him," Ryan said simply. It wasn't a complete lie.
Luke conceded with a nod, dropping his feigned anger. "Fine, I guess I can deal on my own."
"Your dad's coming down tomorrow, right?" Ryan understood Luke's discomfort at staying in Newport for the wedding. Luke and Kaitlyn were Malibu beach bums and their return to their hometown had been the talk of the town. Ryan had a well-earned immunity to their criticism by now but Luke had been out of the local scene for years.
It was karmic that Luke was the outsider these days.
"Yeah, he's bringing his new boyfriend so that should distract them enough for me to make it through while you're gone," Luke said.
"You're so needy, I think Seth's rubbing off on you. Speaking of, I have to meet him next," Ryan said.
"He's going to be more pissed than I was," Luke said.
"Don't tell him it's because of Trey," Ryan said. Luke gave him two thumbs up.
"Your secrets are always safe with me," Luke grinned.
Luke was a good friend. He hoped he never had to risk that by letting him learn his real secrets.
-------------
Seth was pouting by the pool while Kirsten and Sandy gave him disappointed looks. "Now that he's outside, where are you really going?" Sandy asked.
"I haven't heard from Trey in a while. I need to see him," Ryan said.
"That seems sudden and vague," Kirsten frowned.
Sandy watched him. "Did you hear something?"
Ryan shook his head. "I haven't heard anything, that's why I'm worried. It'll just be for a couple of weeks."
He didn't need their permission, he was pushing thirty, but he still liked having their approval.
"I'll placate Seth until you get back," Kirsten said. "It's good that you still check in on Trey." She squeezed his shoulder and headed outside to coddle Seth.
Sandy moved closer and furrowed his greying eyebrows. "I haven't mentioned this because I thought you were done with it, but what the hell are you doing?"
"What are you talking about? I can't check on my brother?" Ryan asked.
"You know damned well what I'm talking about. If you get caught, there's nothing I can do," Sandy whispered.
Ryan thought he'd covered his tracks better than this. The Cohens were never supposed to know. "Wow. I have no idea what you're talking about." He lowered his voice. "But if I did, I'd tell you not to worry. I won't get caught."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I know it," Ryan said. "I don't think you know enough about what you're talking about to discuss this with me. But you shouldn't worry and you should forget about this."
"I did forget about it. For years."
Ryan lowered his voice even further. "A Captain from LAPD will contact you if anything happens to me off the grid. I have arrangements in place and I've never done anything without a contact for backup. What I do isn't worth anything if the fuckers don't end up paying for their crimes."
Sandy was visibly surprised and Ryan reached over and squeezed his shoulder, giving him a significant look. "Forget about it, Sandy. The more questions you ask, the more unsafe I'll be. And I have some questions for you, too, about who told you."
Sandy's gaze flickered outside. "Neil Roberts asked me to thank you for helping out one of his ex-wives'."
Ryan would have to make sure that didn't happen again. "That was years ago."
"You're safe, though?" Sandy asked quietly.
"Always. I know what's at risk, I always know the risks," Ryan replied. "You always told me trust goes both ways. I trust you and I need you to trust me."
Sandy finally nodded and Ryan let out the breath he'd been holding. Sandy wouldn't talk.
-------------
Holly and Jess were transformed when he met them in LA at the seedy hotel just outside of the limits. Holly was bleach bottle blonde and her makeup was smeared convincingly. Jess' hair was braided in corn-rows and her shorts had less fabric than her tube top.
He would never admit it, but they were trailer trash hot.
"So is it time for us to be objectified?" Jess asked with a nervous grin. Holly adjusted her boobs and popped her gum. She was old hand at pretending to be a bimbo, it had gotten her through high school and college.
"I hate jobs like these, too. I promise that you..." Ryan started.
"That we won't get hurt, blah blah," Holly interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Whatever, we wouldn't be here if we weren't prepared to do this. If this asshole's tricking women into prostitution then we have to do something. That's not cool."
Jess threw an arm around her and smiled. "She's right. This job's worth the risk."
-------------
"Without sounding like a complete asshole, I have to say - it could be worse. Harston gives his girls a place to stay, a cover job in his strip club and he doesn't beat them bad enough to show," Trey said, flicking the ash of his cigarette absently.
"That's the opposite of reassuring," Holly said.
"Your damsel of the week works at the club. She's low-level so she doesn't dance, she works in the back," Trey said. Ryan waited patiently. "She's not very obedient."
"Fuck. What's the plan?" Jess asked.
"They know you in there?" Ryan asked.
"I have some contacts that can get us in with Harston. It might burn me, but I know you wouldn't call me in if it wasn't important," Trey said.
"Did you clue in your handler?" Ryan asked.
Trey shook his head. "I'm off the clock on this one. Our real lives aren't supposed to cross into our jobs."
Ryan had called in some favors to get Trey off the street and putting his criminal skills to good use. He was a much better thief working for the feds than he ever was as a free agent.
"Our hacker's got a call out to his cop friends so someone will be there when we blow the lid. We're taking Galina and getting out," Ryan said.
"You're with me, like old times. Except if you touch me, I'll slit your balls off," Jess smiled.
"Yeah, I remember that side of you," Trey winked.
"You guys get the girl, Ryan and I are going to chat up this Harston douchebag and get the recordings," Holly said.
"How are you taking them down? They search everyone with wands on entry," Trey said.
"Don't worry about that, just look after your ass and make sure you're in the truck when we're done so you don't get left behind," Jess said.
Ryan cracked a smile at his brother's flash of worry. "Come on, Trey, let's go have a beer and run through the story again while my ladies get themselves ready."
-------------
They spent a couple of weeks getting themselves seen and making connections with the local underworld. A few cocaine deals, a few visible dates for the ladies (with well-trusted and chaste contacts) and nightly visits to the seedier strip clubs.
Trey secured them an area without claim by the local gangs and pimps and put the word out that Ryan was looking for a local partner to expand his ring of hookers into LA.
It was enough to get the locals' curiosity switched from suspicion to greed and it was the perfect time for their visit to Harston's club.
Ryan stood still while Holly strapped the leather bands around his forearms, the gauntlets' fitted to his skin so they weren't noticeable when he was frisked. Poison-tipped darts the size of toothpicks were layered over the leather and the slingshots that spat them out were built into the cuffs of his sleeves and his watchband.
Jess and Holly had their own tricks, snap off stillettos and glass knives hidden in their belts and barrettes. They tried to keep their jobs clean, but sometimes violence with bloodshed was required. They didn't have any fatalities on their record, that was too far. As much as he'd wanted to kill some of his marks, that was a line he wouldn't cross. The poison incapacitated the victim, putting them to sleep so the cops could clean up after them.
The darts had worked well for him, a simple prick at close range dropped his challengers faster than any punch could and he was accurate with the triggers. A handshake or a pat on the back was usually the first domino tipped in their plans.
He pulled on a long sleeve shirt, white so it didn't look like he was hiding anything and clung to his muscles. He wore dark slacks and unpolished black leather shoes.
Jess stepped out in a rumpled red minidress with torn fishnets that were popular three years ago. He put his hand on her neck, rubbing his thumb through her hair and kissing her softly.
She sighed into his mouth and pushed both hands through his hair, forcing the kiss deeper and taking his air. "Sometimes."
"Don't," Ryan whispered, mouthing over her lips. There were some things that needed to stay unspoken even between partners.
"She would understand," Jess said.
Ryan kissed her again and turned away. "Work now."
"I was talking about Holly, not your wife," Jess said.
Ryan wasn't talking about either one of them right now. "We have a job to do, we need to focus."
"Focus, right," Jess muttered.
-------------
The club was shady as expected, the neon sign flickering with missing letters and a stairway with yellowed lights and muted bass lines leading down to the club.
He was slightly relieved that it wasn't a mob run setup but that meant the showrunners would fight dirty when it got out of hand.
He slid his hand down to the small of Holly's bare back and followed Trey and Jess to the built bouncer. The guy looked like a powerhouse that he'd challenged in the cage back when he was still reeling from Marissa.
He got his start in that dingy bar, lost after losing the first love of his life and finding his own way to channel his guilt and rage into helping others. It had been hard to break out of the habit, but it was even harder to not fall back into it after Taylor's accident.
This job was a one-off and he needed it smooth. They had a Russian bridesmaid to find.
Trey muttered to the bouncer and Jess flicked her cigarette with her hand tucked into his back pocket. Ryan wasn't worried that Trey would move in on her, not when she was still mad about her only felony conviction in her short lived relationship with him. But it did make him twitch a little when he saw her cherry lipstick on his t-shirt collar.
Ryan nodded when the bouncer skimmed him with his eyes. The man held open the door for them and they headed inside.
The interior was as dimly lit as the stairway around the corners where the booths were and the curtains leading backstage were decorated with different country's flags. God, this place was horrible if that meant what he thought it meant. There were naked women dancing lazily onstage and a scattered audience of men in the seats around the stage. He did a quick head count and made a sign with his fingers for 22 that Jess acknowledged with a smirk.
"Upstairs, to the left," Trey nodded. He tilted his head slightly to ask if Ryan was okay and he nodded his chin to direct him to the bar with Jess.
Holly's eyes were taking in the hollowed eyed dancers and waitresses as he led her up the narrow stairs to the balcony level. He trusted that his ladies would keep their cool until it was time.
A bouncer in dark sweats directed them to a circular booth at the end of the balcony. Holly smiled and winked at the man and ran her fingertips over his arm in gratitude for the directions. Ryan had never asked where she kept the doses of the slow release sleeping lotion that the girls used to dull and incapacitate civilians and threats as necessary. It wasn't meant to knock them out cold, at least not immediately, but it would end in sleep within twenty minutes.
Ryan had spent a lot of time on his own tricks and equipment, but his ladies had researched and designed their own.
"Mr. Harston. Thank you for meeting me," Ryan said, sizing up the smarmy obese man taking up a quarter of the circular booth. He had to be armed because he probably got out of breath taking stairs so he couldn't be too effective in hand to hand. Ryan loaded gauntlets and took the inside seat so Holly had an easy exit to do her work.
"I was too intrigued to turn you down. I hear interesting things about your investment opportunities," Harston said.
"And I hear that you're the man to talk to about that. I've inherited a territory in nearby and while I have some of my best ladies ready to relocate," Ryan said, flicking his eyes to Holly who smiled around her gum bubble. "I'll need some more staff to make my investors happy."
"I don't know, why should I sell to a man taking my business?" Harston asked.
"I thought your business was supplying imported employees. And I promise I can make that side of your business more profitable if we work together," Ryan said.
Harston gave him a crooked smile. "That's definitely possible. What kind of merchandise are you looking for?"
"Eastern European. I speak Russian and I like my girls to understand their instructions so I can teach them the English they need," Ryan said evenly.
Harston laughed. "You've got a good head for the business, can't let the bitches get too smart or they'll try to run."
"I'd like to see your girls before I make any deals," Ryan said.
Harston whistled and a different thug appeared. "Bring out the imports." He turned back to Ryan. "You'll be impressed, I promise."
"I'll be the judge of that," Ryan replied, putting his arm around Holly. "I've been to a lot of places and haven't been impressed yet."
"The difference with my girls is they're still untouched. I keep them working here in the club until I find a buyer. If they don't sell in six months, I put them in my stable of whores to make my money back," Harston said. "So you'll get fresh meat if you buy from me."
Ryan really wanted to punch this guy in the face but he held his cool. He glanced over the balcony and saw several of the men listing lazily in their seats. Jess and Trey were chatting with some of the strippers downstairs so he assumed the plans were tumbling along.
"Ah, here are my beautiful new girls," Harston said as several scantily dressed women arrived at the table.
Ryan recognized Galina from Kaitlyn's pictures but didn't let his gaze linger on any of the women for long.
"Do you want to see them strip?" Harston offered. Several of the girls shuddered.
"Do they have papers? Names and socials?" Ryan asked.
Harston shook his head. "Dennis burns all their documentation when they get here. They write letters to their family, well, we do it for them, but nobody's going to look for these, we have a pristine record."
Ryan tilted his head. "Let's say I'm interested. I need to check with some of my investors to see if you check out," he said, holding out his hand. Harston grasped it with a greedy leer and he snapped the trigger, the dart pricking the man's wrist. Harston barely had time to frown before his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped in his seat.
Several of the ladies gasped and Holly spoke in clear Russian telling them to stay calm. She glanced at Ryan.
"Galina," Ryan said, taking the folded wedding invitation out of his pocket and holding it out to her. She gasped and covered her mouth. "My stepsister said you missed your fitting and sent me to get you."
Jess whistled sharply from downstairs and Ryan stood up and spoke to the women in Russian. "Are there any women here voluntarily?"
Taylor taught him several languages before she got sick and he'd continued his education afterward. Sometimes she spoke other languages when she was having a bad day and he liked being able to understand her even if she rarely recognized him.
"No, all his thugs are men," Galina answered. "Is he dead?"
"We aren't killers, we're just here to get you out of here safely. The cops should be showing up soon and immigration is working with them." Ryan flicked his eyes behind the girls and Holly moved through them easily, taking the bouncer out with a smooth karate chop to the throat. "Stay here."
Ryan made his way down the stairs, darting two, three, five, men before he reached Jess' side. He could hear Holly making quick work of the men on the opposite stairs. There were sleeping men slumped at the tables and bar downstairs and girls chattering in various languages in groups by the stage.
"Van's parked and ready out back, T's already called in the feds," Jess said. "You got the mark?"
Ryan whistled and Holly appeared with Galina following closely. "We'll make introductions later, let's go."
-------------
"I have to say, little brother, I'm always impressed when you call me in," Trey said, clinking beers with him. "You've got your gig down."
"We were lucky. A lot of those guys had guns on them," Ryan said. Holly and Jess were coaching Galina about keeping their secret and her cover story in the hotel room while they debriefed at the bar. "I had to call in a lot of favors to make tonight run that smoothly."
"You haven't been in the business lately," Trey said. "How is she?"
"The same," Ryan replied. "No worse. No better." He told everyone what they wanted to hear but he told Trey the truth. "Still hurts the same. I still miss her."
"It's always going to hurt. You're always going to miss her. Doesn't mean you can't find something new. Not better, just...new," Trey said.
Ryan hummed under his breath. "Jess say something?"
Trey shrugged. "Said she's worried about you. Holly said something similar. Do I need to worry?"
"Nah. I'm good." He was fine.
"Why are you starting this shit up again if you're good? What are you looking for this time?" Trey asked.
He lowered his gaze. "Sometimes I wish she was dead. Then maybe I could learn not to think about her. Maybe I could remember her the way she was instead of the way she is now. Watching her lose more of herself every day, dying a piece at a time - it's hell."
Trey clamped his hand on his shoulder. "You can't lose yourself with her. You have to find a way to live without her."
Ryan took a swallow of beer. It was warm by now.
"Ry, she could last for years this way. But you can't. It's already been years, man. She would want you to be happy," Trey said softly.
Taylor had said the same once, early on. She'd made him him promise. "I'm good. I'm happy enough. I have a good family, a good job, a good life."
"Fuck you. That's not enough," Trey said.
"It has to be."
-------------
Kaitlyn was waiting in his kitchen when he walked in with his bags. "Hey. You're early."
"I was so worried - God, are you all right?" she asked, embracing him tightly.
"Kaitlyn!" Galina yelled and Kaitlyn was immediately distracted by her friend, crying and squealing.
Jess and Holly stepped in, freezing when they saw Kaitlyn. Ryan nodded for them to stay and they relaxed and pointed at the counter. "Coffee, right."
Ryan had his back to them when Kaitlyn noticed his extra guests. "What are you doing here?"
Galina scolded her in Russian. "We're not allowed to talk about that. We don't know them."
"Should we go?" Jess asked quietly, searching his face.
"I'm out, I need to go check on my cats and make sure Diego hasn't killed all the roses again," Holly said. She kissed Jess first and then Ryan. "Call me, it's my turn to buy brunch."
Ryan glanced at Kaitlyn who was staring open mouthed. He raised an imitation Cohen eyebrow.
"Not seeing anything, got it," Kaitlyn said, smirking.
"Seriously," Jess frowned.
"I need to trust you," Ryan said.
Kaitlyn nodded soberly. "You can. You saved my friend, I owe you..."
"The only thing we need from you in return is your silence," Jess said.
"You have it. I've never told anyone anything. Not even the past couple of weeks when I was going crazy with worry. Luke thinks I'm getting cold feet," Kaitlyn said.
Galina smiled at him, taking Kaitlyn's arm. "Come, take me home so I can meet the man that's supposed to be good enough for you."
Kaitlyn walked over and hugged him tightly. "Thank you." He kissed her cheek and gave Galina a wave.
Jess put her hand on his arm. "Are you okay with her knowing?"
"You want to be plus one for a wedding?" Ryan asked.
title: rusty rambo knife
rating: language and mentions of sexual relations.
disclaimer: I don't own anything oc related.
author's note: Yeah, I don't even know. This is because of Arrow and a heavy dose of nostalgia. Vigilantism.
author's note #2: I haven't been able to finish anything lately so I decided to revisit some old characters. I'm just not sure what happened.
It's just a girl
It's just the world, it's just a life,
it's just a rusty Rambo knife
wedged between my ribs scratching my heart up tonight
"I know you don't do this anymore. I know that you never did," Kaitlyn whispered, not meeting his eyes across the counter. "But I need your help."
Ryan didn't answer right away but he reached across the counter and took her by the wrist gently.
"It's not me, it's nobody you know and I..." she started.
"Tell me," Ryan said.
"Her name's Galina and we met when I was on my semester abroad. She was saving money to come to America for work and she got this great offer for a job and work visa. She was supposed to fly into town two months ago. I got Eric to check the flights and she got off the plane but no one's seen her since. She was going to be my maid of honor and now...I need you to find her. Please, she's one of my best friends and she's missing and...the cops don't even care," Kaitlyn said in a rush.
Ryan studied her face. He'd never been able to turn down a Cooper, even ten years later. "Who else have you asked?"
"Eric and Brad were both running down leads for me, but there aren't any leads. She just disappeared," Kaitlyn said. "Can you..."
Ryan let go of her wrist and squeezed her hand. "Get me everything you have and I'll see what I can do. Galina's Russian, isn't it?"
Kaitlyn nodded and passed a USB stick to him. "Thank you. You know I wouldn't ask..."
"It's fine. I'll look into it," Ryan said, putting the stick into his pocket. "I'll let you know if I find anything but do me a favor and don't talk about it for a while. Call the twins off the hunt and let me take care of it."
Kaitlyn nodded and sagged in his arms when he hugged her. "Thank you."
"You're going to owe me so many fancy cupcakes for this," Ryan said.
"Like you ever have to pay anyway," Kaitlyn snorted.
-------------
"You want me to go under?" Jess asked, crossing her legs slowly so he could get a quick peek of what color thong she was wearing tonight.
"Fuck no, I'm not sending any of you girls undercover in this kind of op," Ryan said.
"How are you going to do this without having someone on the inside?" Holly called from the other room.
"I'm a buyer. I need you two to play my girls," Ryan said.
"Just say whores, it's not a bad word, they say it on TV," Holly said, walking in and putting down drinks and sitting on his lap despite his eye roll.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jess questioned.
He'd been working with the two women for years, when they'd found out his secret 'job', they both wanted in. Jess was a brilliant strategist and Holly had self-defense training that landed him on his back several times a week. They were partners off the grid and strangers in public.
They had never been on his radar as interested in vigilantism but Holly had seen him beat the shit out of the Harbor Rapist and Jess had watched him shake a confession out of a local charity's embezzler. They had stuck to him like glue since and he was grateful for their help.
"None of our jobs are good ideas. But if these guys really have this girl, then we have to do something. Women are not property, they can't be sold to the highest bidder," Ryan said, smoothing his fingers down Holly's thigh.
"How does Kaitlyn know about you?" Jess asked.
"Who knows, she's always been observant. Getting her friend back alive should get me out of buying a wedding present," Ryan said.
"Luke's going to be pretty pissed if his best man is MIA so we're on a deadline, I assume?" Jess asked.
"You assume correctly," Ryan said, curling his finger to call her over. "Are you ladies in?"
"We're always in," Holly said. "Karma is important."
He kissed her and turned to Jess, kissing her just as deeply and running his hand down to cup her ass and keep her close.
"Bed now, plans later?" Jess smiled.
"I always work better when I'm well-fucked," Holly said.
"You're so crass," Ryan snorted, kissing her again.
"That's why you like me best," Holly winked. Jess rolled her eyes and he pinched them both.
"Play nice," he said.
-------------
"I thought you were done with all this," Jess said from her sprawl across his chest.
"I thought I was, too. But it's Kaitlyn. Family, you know?" Ryan said. Holly snored from the opposite end of the bed, snuggling around all the pillows.
"You have too much family. People are going to squeeze you dry one of these days. Besides, superheroes aren't supposed to have families," Jess hummed.
"Glad I'm not a superhero. I like having a family. You're part of that," Ryan said, kissing her on the top of the head.
She snorted. "Right. I'm just one of your many bedmates."
"You and Hols have been the only women in my life for years. And I would like to say that you two came onto me," Ryan said.
"Well, we met each other through you so it was only fair that we invite you when we started hooking up," Jess shrugged. "It's not like you gave either of us the time of day before this."
"High school doesn't count," Ryan replied. "I didn't give anyone the time of day after Taylor."
Jess hummed her understanding. "How's she doing?"
"They've got her on a new medication, she's almost lucid lately, it's hit or miss," he said. He didn't like to talk about Taylor, but it was nice of Jess to ask.
"Does she recognize you yet?" Jess asked.
Ryan shrugged. "Sometimes." That was all he needed to say about Taylor right now and Jess seemed to sense it. He didn't talk about Taylor.
"Want to take a shower with me while Holly finishes her nap? We should get on the research and check out our tech to make sure it's all up to speed. Are you going to call in anyone else?"
"Buckley's doing some background on the ringleader for us. I should check my email," Ryan said.
"Shower first, then work. We only have a few hours before daylight and we have to go to our real jobs," Jess said. "Come on, Lazy, let's get some shit done so we can find this fucker."
-------------
"I can't believe you're going out of town so soon before the wedding - I need you here to shield me from the harpies," Luke groaned when Ryan told him he had to go out of town.
"That's your own baggage to haul, man, I'm not the guy that's banged his fiancee's sister and mother. You're the Newpsies' favorite topic these days and that's fine with me," Ryan said. "You know I wouldn't do it if it wasn't absolutely necessary."
"I never thought you'd be the guy putting business ahead of your friends," Luke said.
"It's not business. It's personal," Ryan said. "And I'll be back in a couple of weeks, at the most." He hoped he'd be back that soon. He and his partners had responsibilities now, they weren't eighteen anymore.
Luke scanned him. "Your brother?"
"I need to check on him," Ryan said simply. It wasn't a complete lie.
Luke conceded with a nod, dropping his feigned anger. "Fine, I guess I can deal on my own."
"Your dad's coming down tomorrow, right?" Ryan understood Luke's discomfort at staying in Newport for the wedding. Luke and Kaitlyn were Malibu beach bums and their return to their hometown had been the talk of the town. Ryan had a well-earned immunity to their criticism by now but Luke had been out of the local scene for years.
It was karmic that Luke was the outsider these days.
"Yeah, he's bringing his new boyfriend so that should distract them enough for me to make it through while you're gone," Luke said.
"You're so needy, I think Seth's rubbing off on you. Speaking of, I have to meet him next," Ryan said.
"He's going to be more pissed than I was," Luke said.
"Don't tell him it's because of Trey," Ryan said. Luke gave him two thumbs up.
"Your secrets are always safe with me," Luke grinned.
Luke was a good friend. He hoped he never had to risk that by letting him learn his real secrets.
-------------
Seth was pouting by the pool while Kirsten and Sandy gave him disappointed looks. "Now that he's outside, where are you really going?" Sandy asked.
"I haven't heard from Trey in a while. I need to see him," Ryan said.
"That seems sudden and vague," Kirsten frowned.
Sandy watched him. "Did you hear something?"
Ryan shook his head. "I haven't heard anything, that's why I'm worried. It'll just be for a couple of weeks."
He didn't need their permission, he was pushing thirty, but he still liked having their approval.
"I'll placate Seth until you get back," Kirsten said. "It's good that you still check in on Trey." She squeezed his shoulder and headed outside to coddle Seth.
Sandy moved closer and furrowed his greying eyebrows. "I haven't mentioned this because I thought you were done with it, but what the hell are you doing?"
"What are you talking about? I can't check on my brother?" Ryan asked.
"You know damned well what I'm talking about. If you get caught, there's nothing I can do," Sandy whispered.
Ryan thought he'd covered his tracks better than this. The Cohens were never supposed to know. "Wow. I have no idea what you're talking about." He lowered his voice. "But if I did, I'd tell you not to worry. I won't get caught."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I know it," Ryan said. "I don't think you know enough about what you're talking about to discuss this with me. But you shouldn't worry and you should forget about this."
"I did forget about it. For years."
Ryan lowered his voice even further. "A Captain from LAPD will contact you if anything happens to me off the grid. I have arrangements in place and I've never done anything without a contact for backup. What I do isn't worth anything if the fuckers don't end up paying for their crimes."
Sandy was visibly surprised and Ryan reached over and squeezed his shoulder, giving him a significant look. "Forget about it, Sandy. The more questions you ask, the more unsafe I'll be. And I have some questions for you, too, about who told you."
Sandy's gaze flickered outside. "Neil Roberts asked me to thank you for helping out one of his ex-wives'."
Ryan would have to make sure that didn't happen again. "That was years ago."
"You're safe, though?" Sandy asked quietly.
"Always. I know what's at risk, I always know the risks," Ryan replied. "You always told me trust goes both ways. I trust you and I need you to trust me."
Sandy finally nodded and Ryan let out the breath he'd been holding. Sandy wouldn't talk.
-------------
Holly and Jess were transformed when he met them in LA at the seedy hotel just outside of the limits. Holly was bleach bottle blonde and her makeup was smeared convincingly. Jess' hair was braided in corn-rows and her shorts had less fabric than her tube top.
He would never admit it, but they were trailer trash hot.
"So is it time for us to be objectified?" Jess asked with a nervous grin. Holly adjusted her boobs and popped her gum. She was old hand at pretending to be a bimbo, it had gotten her through high school and college.
"I hate jobs like these, too. I promise that you..." Ryan started.
"That we won't get hurt, blah blah," Holly interrupted, rolling her eyes. "Whatever, we wouldn't be here if we weren't prepared to do this. If this asshole's tricking women into prostitution then we have to do something. That's not cool."
Jess threw an arm around her and smiled. "She's right. This job's worth the risk."
-------------
"Without sounding like a complete asshole, I have to say - it could be worse. Harston gives his girls a place to stay, a cover job in his strip club and he doesn't beat them bad enough to show," Trey said, flicking the ash of his cigarette absently.
"That's the opposite of reassuring," Holly said.
"Your damsel of the week works at the club. She's low-level so she doesn't dance, she works in the back," Trey said. Ryan waited patiently. "She's not very obedient."
"Fuck. What's the plan?" Jess asked.
"They know you in there?" Ryan asked.
"I have some contacts that can get us in with Harston. It might burn me, but I know you wouldn't call me in if it wasn't important," Trey said.
"Did you clue in your handler?" Ryan asked.
Trey shook his head. "I'm off the clock on this one. Our real lives aren't supposed to cross into our jobs."
Ryan had called in some favors to get Trey off the street and putting his criminal skills to good use. He was a much better thief working for the feds than he ever was as a free agent.
"Our hacker's got a call out to his cop friends so someone will be there when we blow the lid. We're taking Galina and getting out," Ryan said.
"You're with me, like old times. Except if you touch me, I'll slit your balls off," Jess smiled.
"Yeah, I remember that side of you," Trey winked.
"You guys get the girl, Ryan and I are going to chat up this Harston douchebag and get the recordings," Holly said.
"How are you taking them down? They search everyone with wands on entry," Trey said.
"Don't worry about that, just look after your ass and make sure you're in the truck when we're done so you don't get left behind," Jess said.
Ryan cracked a smile at his brother's flash of worry. "Come on, Trey, let's go have a beer and run through the story again while my ladies get themselves ready."
-------------
They spent a couple of weeks getting themselves seen and making connections with the local underworld. A few cocaine deals, a few visible dates for the ladies (with well-trusted and chaste contacts) and nightly visits to the seedier strip clubs.
Trey secured them an area without claim by the local gangs and pimps and put the word out that Ryan was looking for a local partner to expand his ring of hookers into LA.
It was enough to get the locals' curiosity switched from suspicion to greed and it was the perfect time for their visit to Harston's club.
Ryan stood still while Holly strapped the leather bands around his forearms, the gauntlets' fitted to his skin so they weren't noticeable when he was frisked. Poison-tipped darts the size of toothpicks were layered over the leather and the slingshots that spat them out were built into the cuffs of his sleeves and his watchband.
Jess and Holly had their own tricks, snap off stillettos and glass knives hidden in their belts and barrettes. They tried to keep their jobs clean, but sometimes violence with bloodshed was required. They didn't have any fatalities on their record, that was too far. As much as he'd wanted to kill some of his marks, that was a line he wouldn't cross. The poison incapacitated the victim, putting them to sleep so the cops could clean up after them.
The darts had worked well for him, a simple prick at close range dropped his challengers faster than any punch could and he was accurate with the triggers. A handshake or a pat on the back was usually the first domino tipped in their plans.
He pulled on a long sleeve shirt, white so it didn't look like he was hiding anything and clung to his muscles. He wore dark slacks and unpolished black leather shoes.
Jess stepped out in a rumpled red minidress with torn fishnets that were popular three years ago. He put his hand on her neck, rubbing his thumb through her hair and kissing her softly.
She sighed into his mouth and pushed both hands through his hair, forcing the kiss deeper and taking his air. "Sometimes."
"Don't," Ryan whispered, mouthing over her lips. There were some things that needed to stay unspoken even between partners.
"She would understand," Jess said.
Ryan kissed her again and turned away. "Work now."
"I was talking about Holly, not your wife," Jess said.
Ryan wasn't talking about either one of them right now. "We have a job to do, we need to focus."
"Focus, right," Jess muttered.
-------------
The club was shady as expected, the neon sign flickering with missing letters and a stairway with yellowed lights and muted bass lines leading down to the club.
He was slightly relieved that it wasn't a mob run setup but that meant the showrunners would fight dirty when it got out of hand.
He slid his hand down to the small of Holly's bare back and followed Trey and Jess to the built bouncer. The guy looked like a powerhouse that he'd challenged in the cage back when he was still reeling from Marissa.
He got his start in that dingy bar, lost after losing the first love of his life and finding his own way to channel his guilt and rage into helping others. It had been hard to break out of the habit, but it was even harder to not fall back into it after Taylor's accident.
This job was a one-off and he needed it smooth. They had a Russian bridesmaid to find.
Trey muttered to the bouncer and Jess flicked her cigarette with her hand tucked into his back pocket. Ryan wasn't worried that Trey would move in on her, not when she was still mad about her only felony conviction in her short lived relationship with him. But it did make him twitch a little when he saw her cherry lipstick on his t-shirt collar.
Ryan nodded when the bouncer skimmed him with his eyes. The man held open the door for them and they headed inside.
The interior was as dimly lit as the stairway around the corners where the booths were and the curtains leading backstage were decorated with different country's flags. God, this place was horrible if that meant what he thought it meant. There were naked women dancing lazily onstage and a scattered audience of men in the seats around the stage. He did a quick head count and made a sign with his fingers for 22 that Jess acknowledged with a smirk.
"Upstairs, to the left," Trey nodded. He tilted his head slightly to ask if Ryan was okay and he nodded his chin to direct him to the bar with Jess.
Holly's eyes were taking in the hollowed eyed dancers and waitresses as he led her up the narrow stairs to the balcony level. He trusted that his ladies would keep their cool until it was time.
A bouncer in dark sweats directed them to a circular booth at the end of the balcony. Holly smiled and winked at the man and ran her fingertips over his arm in gratitude for the directions. Ryan had never asked where she kept the doses of the slow release sleeping lotion that the girls used to dull and incapacitate civilians and threats as necessary. It wasn't meant to knock them out cold, at least not immediately, but it would end in sleep within twenty minutes.
Ryan had spent a lot of time on his own tricks and equipment, but his ladies had researched and designed their own.
"Mr. Harston. Thank you for meeting me," Ryan said, sizing up the smarmy obese man taking up a quarter of the circular booth. He had to be armed because he probably got out of breath taking stairs so he couldn't be too effective in hand to hand. Ryan loaded gauntlets and took the inside seat so Holly had an easy exit to do her work.
"I was too intrigued to turn you down. I hear interesting things about your investment opportunities," Harston said.
"And I hear that you're the man to talk to about that. I've inherited a territory in nearby and while I have some of my best ladies ready to relocate," Ryan said, flicking his eyes to Holly who smiled around her gum bubble. "I'll need some more staff to make my investors happy."
"I don't know, why should I sell to a man taking my business?" Harston asked.
"I thought your business was supplying imported employees. And I promise I can make that side of your business more profitable if we work together," Ryan said.
Harston gave him a crooked smile. "That's definitely possible. What kind of merchandise are you looking for?"
"Eastern European. I speak Russian and I like my girls to understand their instructions so I can teach them the English they need," Ryan said evenly.
Harston laughed. "You've got a good head for the business, can't let the bitches get too smart or they'll try to run."
"I'd like to see your girls before I make any deals," Ryan said.
Harston whistled and a different thug appeared. "Bring out the imports." He turned back to Ryan. "You'll be impressed, I promise."
"I'll be the judge of that," Ryan replied, putting his arm around Holly. "I've been to a lot of places and haven't been impressed yet."
"The difference with my girls is they're still untouched. I keep them working here in the club until I find a buyer. If they don't sell in six months, I put them in my stable of whores to make my money back," Harston said. "So you'll get fresh meat if you buy from me."
Ryan really wanted to punch this guy in the face but he held his cool. He glanced over the balcony and saw several of the men listing lazily in their seats. Jess and Trey were chatting with some of the strippers downstairs so he assumed the plans were tumbling along.
"Ah, here are my beautiful new girls," Harston said as several scantily dressed women arrived at the table.
Ryan recognized Galina from Kaitlyn's pictures but didn't let his gaze linger on any of the women for long.
"Do you want to see them strip?" Harston offered. Several of the girls shuddered.
"Do they have papers? Names and socials?" Ryan asked.
Harston shook his head. "Dennis burns all their documentation when they get here. They write letters to their family, well, we do it for them, but nobody's going to look for these, we have a pristine record."
Ryan tilted his head. "Let's say I'm interested. I need to check with some of my investors to see if you check out," he said, holding out his hand. Harston grasped it with a greedy leer and he snapped the trigger, the dart pricking the man's wrist. Harston barely had time to frown before his eyes rolled back in his head and he slumped in his seat.
Several of the ladies gasped and Holly spoke in clear Russian telling them to stay calm. She glanced at Ryan.
"Galina," Ryan said, taking the folded wedding invitation out of his pocket and holding it out to her. She gasped and covered her mouth. "My stepsister said you missed your fitting and sent me to get you."
Jess whistled sharply from downstairs and Ryan stood up and spoke to the women in Russian. "Are there any women here voluntarily?"
Taylor taught him several languages before she got sick and he'd continued his education afterward. Sometimes she spoke other languages when she was having a bad day and he liked being able to understand her even if she rarely recognized him.
"No, all his thugs are men," Galina answered. "Is he dead?"
"We aren't killers, we're just here to get you out of here safely. The cops should be showing up soon and immigration is working with them." Ryan flicked his eyes behind the girls and Holly moved through them easily, taking the bouncer out with a smooth karate chop to the throat. "Stay here."
Ryan made his way down the stairs, darting two, three, five, men before he reached Jess' side. He could hear Holly making quick work of the men on the opposite stairs. There were sleeping men slumped at the tables and bar downstairs and girls chattering in various languages in groups by the stage.
"Van's parked and ready out back, T's already called in the feds," Jess said. "You got the mark?"
Ryan whistled and Holly appeared with Galina following closely. "We'll make introductions later, let's go."
-------------
"I have to say, little brother, I'm always impressed when you call me in," Trey said, clinking beers with him. "You've got your gig down."
"We were lucky. A lot of those guys had guns on them," Ryan said. Holly and Jess were coaching Galina about keeping their secret and her cover story in the hotel room while they debriefed at the bar. "I had to call in a lot of favors to make tonight run that smoothly."
"You haven't been in the business lately," Trey said. "How is she?"
"The same," Ryan replied. "No worse. No better." He told everyone what they wanted to hear but he told Trey the truth. "Still hurts the same. I still miss her."
"It's always going to hurt. You're always going to miss her. Doesn't mean you can't find something new. Not better, just...new," Trey said.
Ryan hummed under his breath. "Jess say something?"
Trey shrugged. "Said she's worried about you. Holly said something similar. Do I need to worry?"
"Nah. I'm good." He was fine.
"Why are you starting this shit up again if you're good? What are you looking for this time?" Trey asked.
He lowered his gaze. "Sometimes I wish she was dead. Then maybe I could learn not to think about her. Maybe I could remember her the way she was instead of the way she is now. Watching her lose more of herself every day, dying a piece at a time - it's hell."
Trey clamped his hand on his shoulder. "You can't lose yourself with her. You have to find a way to live without her."
Ryan took a swallow of beer. It was warm by now.
"Ry, she could last for years this way. But you can't. It's already been years, man. She would want you to be happy," Trey said softly.
Taylor had said the same once, early on. She'd made him him promise. "I'm good. I'm happy enough. I have a good family, a good job, a good life."
"Fuck you. That's not enough," Trey said.
"It has to be."
-------------
Kaitlyn was waiting in his kitchen when he walked in with his bags. "Hey. You're early."
"I was so worried - God, are you all right?" she asked, embracing him tightly.
"Kaitlyn!" Galina yelled and Kaitlyn was immediately distracted by her friend, crying and squealing.
Jess and Holly stepped in, freezing when they saw Kaitlyn. Ryan nodded for them to stay and they relaxed and pointed at the counter. "Coffee, right."
Ryan had his back to them when Kaitlyn noticed his extra guests. "What are you doing here?"
Galina scolded her in Russian. "We're not allowed to talk about that. We don't know them."
"Should we go?" Jess asked quietly, searching his face.
"I'm out, I need to go check on my cats and make sure Diego hasn't killed all the roses again," Holly said. She kissed Jess first and then Ryan. "Call me, it's my turn to buy brunch."
Ryan glanced at Kaitlyn who was staring open mouthed. He raised an imitation Cohen eyebrow.
"Not seeing anything, got it," Kaitlyn said, smirking.
"Seriously," Jess frowned.
"I need to trust you," Ryan said.
Kaitlyn nodded soberly. "You can. You saved my friend, I owe you..."
"The only thing we need from you in return is your silence," Jess said.
"You have it. I've never told anyone anything. Not even the past couple of weeks when I was going crazy with worry. Luke thinks I'm getting cold feet," Kaitlyn said.
Galina smiled at him, taking Kaitlyn's arm. "Come, take me home so I can meet the man that's supposed to be good enough for you."
Kaitlyn walked over and hugged him tightly. "Thank you." He kissed her cheek and gave Galina a wave.
Jess put her hand on his arm. "Are you okay with her knowing?"
"You want to be plus one for a wedding?" Ryan asked.