by A. M. Brooks
“I’ve been wearing this mask for so long; I forget who I was without it. I do hate my father for the options he forced me to choose from. Now that he’s dead, I should feel free but I don’t. I won’t until this is over. There are bigger things at stake,” she says, and I find myself completely intrigued with her answer, even while it makes me angry.
“You won’t be free even when this is over,” I remind her, the grudge I hold rearing back to life, “your freedom belongs to me and I see a good twenty-five to life in your future.”
My eyes flick to the back again and see that her body has lost the relaxation she was enjoying. My words are an ice-bucket reminder, to both of us, how this story ends. I can’t afford to let myself get soft around Scarlet Reyes. She knows how to play me, to break me, and I won’t give her that again.
Trent
Another week passes with me flying around like Scarlet’s personal monkey. I guess with her announcing to everyone, I’m her new ‘go-to’ man, I am now stuck in the role. Drive her here, do her pick up here, train with her, and attend all meetings with her. I’ve spent more time with Scarlet this week than I like. It’s grating on my nerves the way we move with familiarity. I don’t miss how she stocked up on energy drinks for me, knowing I hate coffee. I hate myself even more for making her coffee the way I remember she likes it. I notice that she wakes up in the night. I hate that I wake up when she does, and the way my heart hammers in my chest. Typically Scarlet goes to bed after me and wakes up before me, averaging about four hours of sleep at a time. Being forced into her home and having to live in her space is creating havoc between my mind and my soul. I’m curious about her changes while also trying to distance myself from things that are familiar to me.
Jay is getting a kick out of it, judging by the monkey suit that arrived for me this evening while we were waiting at Scarlet’s safe house. My fingers absently touch the bowtie fastened around my neck, again, and I grumble under my breath. I hate being in these things and actively go out of my way not to wear them.
“We’re going to an underground fight club,” I bite out, while our elevator continues to descend, “Why the fuck do we have to be dressed like it’s the Grammys?”
Her shoulders shake once as if she’s laughing, and my eyes narrow. Not only do I have to wear this but now I have to be responsible for Scarlet when she’s dressed the way she is. I roll my shoulders back and force myself to stay focused.
She turns to face me in the small, confined space and my jaw locks. Her hair is swept up in a curly pile on top of her head, while small pieces hang down, grazing her neck and bare shoulders. The red satin material of her long dress hugs every curve like a second skin. She must have a thing for slits, because this one also has one going up the back and I catch eyefuls of tan leg every time she moves. “These types of fights aren’t like the illegal rings you know about. What happens down here tonight…every fight is to the death. You’ll be surprised how many people you recognize. Lots of men and women in power come to these and they spend millions on the fights. That’s why they’re so exclusive. Not only are they gambling but also buying the silence of everyone else attending.”
“Your life just keeps getting more and more fucked-up sounding,” I reply.
“I’m aware.” Her brow rises, challenging me to tap out. I tilt my head, eyes roaming over her again, because I can’t help myself. Scarlet huffs and resumes her place next to me again.
We don’t speak as we continue descending into what is called the Hell Pit. Now I have a better understanding of why. I’m not even sure how many stories down we are, because the metal elevator moves at such a slow pace. When we finally stop and the doors slide open, I fix my own mask in place, keeping me eyes alert and my body close enough to give off the impression Scarlet needs the protection. Just like the previous event, when she walks into the room, men and women acknowledge her with a tilt of their heads. My fingers twitch at my sides when other men drag their eyes down her body. The predator in me rises to the surface and I use a hand at her waist to steer her in a different direction, away from their leering. To her credit, Scarlet doesn’t even glance at me in question, she just goes with it, trusting that I’m making a good judgment call. It makes me wonder how many times she’s had to fend for herself at these things. I doubt her father ever had her back.
The place is a giant circle, with at least four floors above us, all overlooking the concrete slab below us. I can hear the sound of flesh being pounded and grunts of pain with each blow. The crowd isn’t too amped up, so this must not be the main event. I continue following Scarlet, assuming she knows who she’s looking for. When she stops abruptly, I almost collide into her.
“You okay?” I ask, inclining my head forward, to speak directly in her ear. Huge mistake. My senses are instantly assaulted by the smell of coconut and vanilla. Something I’ve tried to avoid over the years. My eyes trail along the silk exposed skin of her neck that appears to shimmer under the lights.
“Rat’s uncle is here. He isn’t too thrilled by the choice I made last week,” she murmurs, her hand snatching up a glass of champagne off a server’s tray as they pass her.
I scoff. “I’m sure he isn’t. His sole moneymaker is gone.”
“I had to send a message,” Scarlet flicks her gaze to mine, before looking back out to the crowd, “I also had to throw any heat off of us.”
To that I have nothing to say. She’s right. It was calculated, and as much as I hate going into these things blind, I agree with how she’s going about dismantling her own empire. Steeling her spine, her mask falling back into place, Scarlet keeps walking toward the group of men standing closest to the railing. A Nevada senator is amongst them. “Fuck.”
Scarlet glances back at me. “I told you.” She answers only loud enough for me to hear. I watch her hips sway with confidence while she walks up to them. They all turn to her, eyes looking her up and down in appreciation. Scarlet looks comfortable amongst the snakes, kissing their cheeks and offering her hand. She smiles and sips from her glass while they talk and point at the fighters in the ring. I manage to tread close enough to offer my assistance while also managing to keep some distance not to overshadow her.
While she talks, I manage to keep Rat’s uncle in my peripheral, noticing that he manages to keep getting closer and closer, his face set in a stony mask. My gaze moves from Scarlet to him, gauging the distance. Close enough for a bullet. My jaw twitches as I step closer to Scarlet, bringing my back against hers, shielding her. Her body goes rigid for a minute before finally leaning into me. I get a few side-eye glances from the men around us, but I keep my gaze focused ahead, managing to look like I’m simply protecting her. Hopefully that dickhead will take the hint that he won’t get through the barrier around her.
My insides are screaming at the way she is pressed against me, every curve fitting right back into place, exactly how it was meant to be. Even after years apart, my body recognizes that we fit like pieces of a puzzle.
“Reyes,” a voice calls behind us. I turn in time with Scarlet, to face the man who must not value his life.
“Walk away, Felix,” she warns, brow raised. The crowd around us has gone silent, everyone waiting see how this plays out.
“You think you can kill someone in my family and get away with it you crazy bitch!” The man becomes unhinged, eyes bulging, while spit flies from his mouth with every heated word.
Scarlet stands taller, her chin lifting. “A rat is a rat. Next time someone in your family wants to double cross me, they’ll meet the same fate.”
“Alverez’s biggest mistake was thinking he could let his daughter into the fold and that she would survive.” Felix draws a 9mm out of his side holster, aiming it right at her. A few other gasps can be heard around the room, and I turn my head to find we’re surrounded, at least five other guns aimed in our direction.
Instead of backing down, Scarlet takes a step toward him, letting his gun aim straight at her chest. She’s an open target, the
minute she stepped away from me. “Scar,” I say her name, trying to pull her attention back to me, instead of being on whatever power trip she’s on.
“I think everyone here would disagree, Felix,” she practically purrs, while staring him down. “Would you want someone in your fold to be plotting against you? Would you not punish someone ready to sell you out to the highest bidder? I might just be speaking for myself, but I tend to honor loyalty amongst the company I keep.”
Heads nod around the room. Felix’s eyes widen and his face turns a burgundy hue. “I’m always loyal!”
“Then put your guns away before you make a bigger spectacle of yourself,” she hisses back in his face. “Your nephew planned to sell me out to the feds. No one here blames me for what I did. I actually gave him the kindest way out with a quick shot to the head. Vlad over here would probably still be playing with Matty’s innards.”
The man, Vlad, that she pointed to, shrugs his shoulders, mockingly, a sadistic smile plastered over his thin lips. The other guns in the crowd lower, taking in her words, while Felix still stands fuming in front of us. Without thinking, I pull my own piece from my holster and level it at the man’s head. His eyes jump to mine. “Your turn,” I tell him, keeping my voice firm and emotionless. Scarlet’s body practically hums next to me. I know she won’t be happy about the power play I used, but I don’t give a shit. This slippery little fuck in front of us isn’t taking the hint.
“Felix,” the man I recognize as one of the state’s senators finally speaks, “you should learn to know when you’re outnumbered and outplayed.” He brushes his own jacket aside to show the butt of the weapon he’s carrying.
Finally Felix lowers his gun, huffing, and storms away from the watching eyes. Not until he’s out of my line of sight do I lower my weapon. Scarlet turns back to the group, her brow quirked. “Are we ready for the main event?” They all chuckle and focus back on the entertainment. Scarlet stands stiffly in front of me, keeping a good amount of distance between us. I gather she’s angry at me for breaking protocol or maybe making her appear weak, but I wasn’t going to not call the man out. There is no doubt in my mind he was debating on whether or not he would get away with putting a bullet in her. If no one else had spoken up, he would have taken the chance.
When the main event is over, Scarlet is the first to make her way to the elevator after saying her goodbyes. She moves quickly, while avoiding me, only letting me close enough to her so that it appears we are being professional. I smirk at the anger in her eyes when we are finally alone, heading back up toward our parked car. She keeps silent and so do I. In fact, she ignores me completely once we get to the car, breaking her own protocol when she lets herself in the car. I drive us back to her safe house, letting her fume, all the while my own irritation is growing. Fuck her. I helped save her life tonight. If anything, she should be thanking me for not turning my back and letting the man finish her off.
I’m hot on her heels, stomping after her into the house. The minute the door closes behind me, she’s kicks off her heels and throws her clutch purse onto the counter, before starting to walk away.
“Feel free to thank me, when you get your head out of your ass,” I call after her retreating back. She stops midstride, my words hitting the mark I intended. My adrenaline is still pumping furiously in my veins. I’m ready to fight this out with her right now. All of that changes, though, when she turns to face me.
“Why did you do it?” she asks, her voice scratchy and full of emotion. Black mascara runs down her cheeks in rivulets with her tears. Her lips are puffy, as if she’s been biting them. She looks tortured and broken. Everything contradicts how I thought she would be feeling and acting that I don’t know what to do with myself.
“I wasn’t going to let him kill you, Scar,” I tell her, hating the way my own voice turns soft toward her.
She sniffles, a sob escaping, while she shrugs her shoulders. “Would have solved your problems though, right? McCall can’t be mad if I pissed someone off enough to take me out for you.”
My throat bobs, listening to her accuse me of wanting her dead. Yes, I want to destroy her, to break her, to make her entirely dependent on me, her life hanging by threads from my fingertips, but I don’t want her dead. Just mine. Mine to control, to set up and watch her fall.
“You’re not useful if you’re dead,” I remind her.
Her chest heaves as if my words were silver bullets, knocking the wind out of her. I feel a flash of regret in my heart while I watch her struggle. My eyes stay locked on her, waiting for her to bite back, to fight me, anything. Instead, her gaze lowers to the ground, and her shoulders bow as if she’s protecting herself.
“Story of my life,” she murmurs, before turning and walking away toward her room.
Something inside me snaps. Scarlet thinking I could be anything like her father makes me angrier than anything she’s done. That man destroyed her, used her, and pushed her so far, her soul had splintered into a million pieces. She’s lived in fear for herself and her loved ones for over a decade because of that man. We are not the same. I stalk after her, my shoes echoing on the marble floor. Right as she goes to close her door, my hand slams against it, forcing it back open.
“Trent!” she gasps my name, right before my hand snaps out, curling around her neck and pushing her into the wall.
I glance down and see my SCAR tattooed fingers against her sun-kissed skin, an image that will forever be burned behind my eyes, and I squeeze. Her deep brown eyes, shimmering with tears, widen. Her puffy lips part, and her hands reach up to circle my wrist. She’s so vulnerable in this moment. I lean in, and run the bridge of my nose against hers. “I. Am. Not. Him.” Our gazes clash before my lips collide with hers. I use my free hand to brace against the wall by her head, while my body pushes hers further into the wall. The back of her head makes a satisfying thud, causing her mouth to part farther. My tongue invades her mouth, taking her air, and making a meal out of her. She tastes like champagne and sweetness. Her hands move from my wrist to my jacket, pulling me closer, while her body writhes against mine. I could fuck her right now against the wall and she would let me. My body grows hard against hers. It wouldn’t take much to hike up her dress and impale her onto me. The fact that I want to even while I hate her, is what allows me to tear my body away from her grip, putting some distance between us.
Scarlet’s arms cross protectively around herself and she won’t meet my eyes. Her bottom lip stays trapped between her teeth and a pink flush is working its way across her chest. It’s familiar. Before I can read too much into it or even process the line I just crossed, I’m stalking away from her. I need to get out of this house. I need space to clear my head before I make a mistake I can’t take back. My hand scrubs down my face and comes back with red lipstick smeared in my palm. My dick twitches, wanting to go back, and sink inside her while I strangle her for ruining everything. She made me love her knowing she would hurt me. Even though I know the story now of why, I can’t forgive her for not trusting me. I would have done anything to help her. Hell, I would have helped her think of something, anything, to give her father to get him off her back until I could get her away. She chose to leave me in the dark. What we had, what I thought we had, didn’t matter to her.
I found the closest bar and drowned myself in Jack that night before stumbling my way back to the house and passing out on my own bed. Kissing Scarlet Reyes led to a four-day bender, locked in my room, ignoring the world. Apparently she was ignoring me too. This morning, however, Jay had enough of our shit and called a meeting. With the throbbing in my temples only getting worse, I somehow managed to make it to the office. When I walk in, Scarlet’s eyes widen before she rolls them, scoffing.
“Jesus,” Jay’s eyes fixate on me, “You smell like a bottle of whiskey. The fuck, Nichols?”
I let my head lull toward Scarlet, taking in her red suit and the black lace underneath, my eyes eating her up. “Lapse in judgment,” I respond, before bringing my
attention back to Jay.
His head hangs down, before snapping back up. “I don’t even care at this point. We need to make our next move. The information we’ve been able to gather from the past few weeks has been sufficient enough to give us a better idea of where we’re at on the playing field. Now we head back to Vegas.”
“Julio is still waiting on me to bring back a solid plan for moving his drugs into my hotel. Once we get to Vegas, I will set up a meeting with him to discuss the plan, so we can find out where and how to stop the transaction, the minute they cross into the US,” Scarlet details her portion of what she has planned.
Jay nods, taking notes, while I sit here fuming. Once again, it feels as if they’re more on the same page and I’m missing the vital keynotes. If he’s going to expect me to keep putting my life on the line then I need to know everything. Despite where my head was four days ago, I still don’t completely trust her.
“We need to get this on our side and fast,” Jay speaks under his breath, his eyes studying the various maps, “if this goes over the border, we’re fucked.”
“That’s probably what she wants,” I drawl, my eyes sliding over to Scarlet who’s already eyeing me with contempt. “What? We get made and I’m sure you’ll have another excuse all ready to go as to why the feds are tailing you. I know your evil mind can be creative when it needs to be.”
My words hit a nerve, and Scarlet stands from her chair, gathering her purse on her shoulder. “Call me when we’re ready to head out. I’ll set up the meeting with Julio for three days from now.” Her heels click against the floor as she makes her way out of the building.
Jay is silent for a long time, both of us lost in our own thoughts. “You just had to go there, didn’t you?” he finally says and I shrug, tired of defending myself. I know firsthand how this can all go down and he’s so set on believing her and trusting her.