Freedom Earned Read online

  He frowned, then gestured to the bar. “My treat.”

  After the sake at his house the night before, I had been thinking about taking it easy. But when he came back with two Red Bull-vodkas and handed me one, I figured it couldn’t hurt. After all, I was at the biggest club in Koh Samui and this was basically his bachelor party. Heaven forbid I make it anything less than perfect.

  What followed was a blur of loud music, darkness intercut with flashes of bright lights, and some of the prettiest smiles I had seen in some time being flashed my way. My first stop was to use the restroom, where I noticed the warm air coming in from the large windows. It felt nice after the strong air conditioning from the club, but I supposed that would change with some dancing.

  Red flashing lights welcomed me as I emerged, ready to try and have a good time. After my second drink, I was starting to think this might not be such a bad way of moving on from my ex. At one point, that French girl was there again, moving past me and slightly moving her ass across my crotch as she danced. She glanced over her shoulder at me, grinned, and then did it again. My attention was divided between her and the monster of a man watching from the corner, so when another lady standing nearby and eyeing me caught my attention, I took the opportunity to excuse myself. Better not to get my head smashed in, as I was sure would happen in my tipsy state.

  When I turned my attention to this other woman, I was smitten. Large, brown eyes with deep eyeshadow. Skin deeply tanned or more likely ethnic. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, strands falling along her slender neck. My initial guess was that she might be Indian, or a mix. India wasn’t so far from Thailand, and I remembered one of my best Indian meals ever being in Bangkok on that last day there with my old gunny.

  Moving through the crowd to her, I noticed that she couldn’t take her eyes off me. She smiled at the attention, then pretended to turn away. When the song changed, she turned back my way with a broad smile and unleashed. Hot damn, I was golden—the two of us suddenly dancing like we had known each other our whole lives, or… like we were two drunken idiots in a club. She jumped up and down, singing along, breasts bouncing in a way that made it difficult not to stare. When she saw me looking, she smiled wider, turned, and put her ass against me while taking my hands and rubbing them along her torso. Controlling my hands, she let one caress the underside of her breast, then turned back while holding my hands, letting me spin her.

  “What’s your name?” she asked.

  “Briggs,” I replied, then caught myself and laughed. “First name Tyler.

  “Is that like some James Bond action? Bond, James Bond?” she laughed. “Well, I’m Kosum.”

  “Just Kosum?” I asked.

  “You don’t like my name?” She pulled me close, my arms over her shoulders, the two of us rocking our hips back and forth. Beyond her, I saw Jason give me a thumbs-up as he stood at the bar, talking up an attractive Thai lady.

  “It’s beautiful. What’s it mean?”

  “Flower,” she replied, and then leaned in so that her cheek was to mine, breathing hot on my neck. “Let’s get a drink after this song.”

  For a second, I was thrown. Flower. The same meaning as the name of Jason’s fiancé, Sakura. It was almost a turn-off, until the way one of her hands moved along my hip seductively, reminding me that this was an island in Thailand and an opportunity for one night of fun with her. The likelihood of it evolving into a relationship that could leave me heartbroken again was slim to none. With that in mind, I lowered my hands, enjoying the feel of her body, and took her name’s meaning as a sign.

  One flower to forget the scent of another. I had to live my life, not judge Jason for living his as he pleased.

  The song ended with her hand dangerously close to my crotch, and then she took me by the belt, smiled, and led me toward the bar. But she kept going, right past it.

  “There’s a better one in the back,” she explained over her shoulder.

  As we passed Jason, I noticed that the lady he was with had her hand down his pants. I laughed when he gave me another thumbs-up—this time both thumbs. His gal met my gaze and glared, for some reason. It threw me, slightly, but when we moved to the back and onto a patio that was more chill, with plush chairs that were otherwise empty, I forgot all about it.

  “Let me grab you a drink.” I glanced over at the bar.

  “I know some people.” She motioned to a bouncer, who nodded and called out to someone else. “They’ll come to us.”

  “I’m impressed.” I sat.

  She plopped down on one of the seats, eyeing me as I sat opposite her. A woman in a skimpy black skirt arrived and gave us each a flute of champagne, but I barely noticed her, my eyes were so focused on Kosum.

  “You didn’t even check out her cleavage when she leaned over,” Kosum noted after the woman had left us to it. “Now I’m impressed.”

  “My focus has always been one of my points of pride.” I sipped while eyeing her. “Right now, I’m extremely focused.”

  “On what?” She grinned, glancing down at the bubbles in her glass.

  “My new friend.”

  She laughed. “We’re friends, now? I just met you, stranger.”

  “True.” I sipped again, not sure if this was going well. “So, tell me about yourself.”

  “I’m Kosum,” she said, matter-of-factly.

  “We established that. Do you… live around here?”

  Her eyes moved back to meet mine, and there was something intriguing there, pulling me in. “Not far. At least, I have a place nearby that I use when I’m in town—I’m from Chang Mai.”

  “Oh, up north.”

  She nodded and set her drink aside, eyes moving to someone behind my shoulder.

  “Oh, you have a new toy?” a woman said, followed by something in Thai. She went over to Kosum, leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, then turned my way. “Is he spoken for?”

  “I’m not sure, yet,” Kosum admitted.

  The new arrival, a woman who looked about nineteen, wore a bright pink halter top, a short red skirt, and had hair that fell around her shoulders. She bit the corner of her lip, stepped over to me, and leaned over with her hands on my chest, face inches from mine. “I bet he tastes divine.”

  “Well...” I said, about to explain that I was having a conversation with Kosum but trying to figure out how to not offend her friend. It grew more uncomfortable when one of the lady’s hands moved down along my body, going for my inner thigh.

  “What’s wrong? Nervous?”

  To be honest, I was. Kosum smiled, licked her lips at me seductively, and gave me a shrug that seemed to say, ‘let it happen.’

  Then, to my surprise, the Thai woman had my zipper, undid it, and exposed me. At first, I had thought she was bluffing, then I froze in confusion and in a bit of a drunken stupor. My little friend was at full attention after the dancing. This woman moved aside, tapped it with one of her fingers, and then said something in Thai before laughing and walking off again.

  I sat there in horror, fully exposed before Kosum. After a moment, she cleared her throat and pointed at it. “You can…. Put it away, now.”

  Blinking, feeling totally embarrassed, I quickly adjusted in my seat so that I could tuck it back in and zip up.

  “What—what the hell?” I spluttered. “What’d she say?”

  “It was complimentary.”

  “She’s always like that?”

  Kosum stifled a laugh. “I’ve never met her before, honestly. Only seen her around.” Leaning forward, she added, “She said she’d give you a discount if I decided not to take advantage of the situation.”

  “Oh?” I processed what she said, then nearly choked as I took another drink. “Oh!”

  She laughed. “So… want to take your chances with me, or go get your discount?”

  “I didn’t come here for that.” I was still feeling rather self-conscious, and it allowed a thought to push forward. “Wait, you’re not—I mean, you don’t—”


  “Slow your horses.” She stood, smoothing out her skirt. “I don’t charge, if that’s what you mean. That said, as nice as your soldier there is to stand at attention for me, I’m not easy.” Shimmying playfully, she added, “You gotta earn this, big boy.”

  Then she walked past me, toward a smaller, back-room dance floor.

  I drew a deep breath, looked down at the bulge in my pants.

  She motioned for me. “You coming?”

  In an instant, I was on my feet and doing my best to keep my business tucked away. Soon, we were dancing again, having the time of our lives. My eyes darted past her as I saw Jason back here as well, walking to the bathroom with the girl from the bar plus her friend. I would’ve thought him to be a lucky bastard, if not for the fun I was having.

  “Your friend?” Kosum asked, hands going to my lapels and holding me close. Her breathing was heavy, chest rising and falling rapidly.

  I nodded. “Guess he’s getting lucky tonight, as he wanted.”

  She grinned. “Think he’ll be the only one?”

  Heat rose to my cheeks and blood surged downstairs again as well. She ended up with one leg between mine, dancing so that we were practically dry humping. Her face was near mine, lips inches away. I leaned in, but she put her head against mine so that my lips met her neck. She tasted of raspberry sherbet, strangely enough, and my desire for her ratcheted up a few notches.

  I leaned in, and maybe it was the alcohol speaking as I said, “God, you’re gorgeous.”

  She laughed, but then took a step away. Apparently, I had ruined it.

  “Come on.” She took me from the dance floor, eyes darting past me. Had it been my kiss or the comment? Something had set her off.

  “Sorry,” I muttered, but she didn’t seem to hear me.

  Or maybe she did, because once we were off in the corner, she glanced down a hall and said, “It’s not that.”

  “What, then?”

  She stood there for a moment, eyes roaming the place. Damn, I was losing her. Feeling the need to get the conversation rolling again, I blurted out, “So, are you full Thai?”

  “Half,” she replied, as I expected.

  I stepped close again, and put an arm around her. “Have you traveled outside of Thailand, much?”

  She shook her head. “This isn’t right.”

  “Sorry?” My hand pulled back.

  “You’re a Marine, right?” She lowered her voice. “Sergeant Briggs?”

  I went rigid. How would she know anything about that? “What’s this about?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know, but…” Her next words were slurred, or maybe the alcohol was hitting me faster than I had thought. Something was off about her, either way. I had an instinct about these things, and being a Marine meant it was amplified.

  I was, however, caught completely off-guard when two men stepped up behind me with pistols, shouting in Thai. More so when one of them pistol-whipped me across the side of my face, causing a horrible ringing but sobering me up real fast.

  4

  It took me a second to process that I’d been hit with a gun, but only another second for my response to come in the form of kicking the man’s knee out. He fell to the floor, cursing. I stepped out of his reach, about to tackle the second man. His pistol lowered to level at my face, but a third man appeared, shouting at him and shoving the man’s arm aside.

  No shot came, but as Kosum backed out of there, horrified, this third one drew a pistol on me, too. “We don’t want to shoot you, but if you don’t cooperate, you’ll leave us without a choice.”

  Seeing Kosum duck out of there, I took a moment to eye these bastards in case of a lineup later. Young and likely Thai, all three wore black slacks and gray button-down shirts, unbuttoned at the top about two buttons too many. Figuring that this man was possibly bluffing since he’d stopped the first shooter, I bolted for it.

  Turning and running, I was relieved not to hear shots from the rear—only what I assumed were curses. I exited and passed the woman who had exposed me in front of Kosum. She glanced my way and licked her lips, then her eyes went wide as something behind me drew her attention. A quick spin revealed another man who was dressed similarly to the others, bringing down what looked like a retractable baton toward my head. A dodge left got me out of the way, but the baton still hit my raised forearm, hurting like hell. The man took an open palm strike to the throat with a grunt and tried to keep coming, but paused to catch his breath. That gave me the chance to follow up with an elbow to the face, turning into him and flipping him over my hip as the Marines had taught me. In the process, I managed to jack his baton.

  “Why’re you doing this?” I asked, holding up the baton in warning and glancing up to see that the lady was gone.

  Good thing I looked, because a reflection in the window showed the others coming down the hall. No time to linger and ask questions. I hit the guy hard and took off. My hope was that he’d fall to the ground unconscious and maybe his body would block their path, buying me a couple of much-needed seconds.

  I was lucky these guys weren’t Muay Thai fighters. Instead, they relied on their mediocre fighting skills and guns. They were likely low-level thugs, not the badasses they wished they were. Nobody at their level could put in the dedication to learn true mastery of a martial art like Muay Thai. I would’ve likely been able to take two or three of them without a problem if they didn’t have pistols.

  Steeling my nerves, I raced out past the dance floor and bar. Everyone seemed to be going about their business. There was no sign of Jason—I had to trust that he had made it out of there with a female or two. Still, my eyes scoured the place as I darted past that room and the stairs, then through the main entrance, hoping not to find him being carried off by locals or anything of the sort. What I did note was the large percentage of other Caucasians in the club. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one, so what was it about me that had triggered them?

  A thought hit me as I approached the main doors—if they had targeted me, it was highly likely others would be out front, waiting in case I escaped. Instead of taking that risk, I veered left, my new baton tucked into my pocket, and went for the bathroom.

  “Good evening,” a man said in a strong accent. Dark skin, a half-smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Clearly, being the towel guy who sometimes offered massages to people while they pissed wasn’t his ideal job. Still, he was trying.

  I nodded, went for a stall, and then slipped him a few baht notes before going for the window. My hope was that he would be business-savvy enough to get that the money was to shut him up, should anyone come asking.

  A glance back showed that the money was gone, and nobody called out as I climbed through the window, exiting into the alley nearby. My first instinct was to run, but a glance back and my curiosity won out. I slinked over to the corner where I could view the front of the building. Sure enough, there was a car on the opposite side of the street, a man in the driver’s seat. It could have been anyone, but since he was waiting, staring at the front door, my assumption was that he was with the others. I couldn’t tell from this far away, but it seemed he wore that same style of gray shirt.

  Before he spotted me, I ducked back and sprinted the other way, cleared a small wall, and had gone two blocks before I slowed. The scent of flame-broiled chicken skewers and spice caught my senses, but that wasn’t why I stopped. A man was sitting there, drinking a beer with a hand on a woman’s, one of her hands on his leg. They leaned in and she smiled as she said something to him, then he nearly spat out his beer as he laughed.

  Shit. It reminded me that I’d run off and left Kosum back there. She might’ve been safe, for all I knew. But they had seen her with me. It was entirely too likely that, if they were going after me and had seen us together, they might go for her when they realized I was out of their grasp. I could go to the cops, but by the time that got sorted out, it might be too late.

  I had to go back and at least try to see if she was okay. Not through the
front doors, naturally. Mind made up, I worked my way back toward where I assumed the back of the club would be.

  A curse escaped my lips as my hand patted the baton in my pocket and I darted over to the corner opposite the club. The music played a rhythmic beat that made me think of the way I had danced with Kosum, her smile and the scent of her. If they had hurt her, I would never be able to forgive myself.

  With that in mind, I darted across, found a foothold on an outer wall, and propelled myself up to a spot where I could see over the wall and into the back part of the club. It was the outdoor area where drinks were served, and a second dance floor set up. To my right was the area where I had been with her when the thugs came in. No sign of her.

  Could she have escaped?

  Hoping she could be so lucky, I was about to turn and make a break for it. Only, I couldn’t do it. My stupid protective side said that I had to be certain she wasn’t in there. At least I could do so without being too obvious… I hoped. Keeping a low profile, I brought myself up and over the wall to a point behind one of several decorative trees, surprised to see a pool glinting with turquoise lights nearby. Nobody was in it, but my mind raced with images of pool parties out there. Not a bad place, aside from the assholes with guns.

  My goal was simply to spot Kosum, so I stayed there kneeling, with my eyes on the crowd on the opposite side of the place. With the pool between me and the dance floor, it made sense why more bouncers hadn’t been over this way. They weren’t used to people trying to jump the walls, apparently. Figures danced past, while others milled around at the bar. No sign of my attackers or of her. Jason could be within, and I had to hope my attackers hadn’t seen me with him at any point in the night. I assumed not, since there were multiple points where they could’ve come in and made their move. Had they come a little earlier, when I was exposed, I wondered if the fight would’ve gone differently.

  As it was, though, I was kneeling there with no clue about Jason’s fate or Kosum’s. Since my conscience was being a little bitch and not letting me simply walk out of there, I had only one option—go in to investigate.