by Essa Alroc
An alpaca named Russell was not among the animal inventory.
The police had told Gabby that she may be called on to testify in court, but weren’t sure. All the involved parties were dead. There was probably nothing to testify about.
Gabby had played the role of shell-shocked, slightly ditzy widow well and she was allowed to call a friend to pick her up. She called Jesse, who’d snuck away with Sal only hours before.
“You ok.”
Gabby nodded numbly. She was free and she was alive. The events of the day were almost blurry. They felt like they had happened to someone else. “I should feel something,” She looked in confusion at Jesse. “I was married to the man for six months. I should feel something.”
Jesse rested his hand on her knee. “You’re probably still in shock.”
Gabby shook her head. “It’s more than that. It’s like I never felt anything for him.” She blinked back tears. “I liked him well enough. I knew he could take care of me, but in six months of marriage, I never felt for him what it took me one night to feel…” Gabby stopped, afraid of saying too much. Jesse was free now, too. He’d more than made up for one horrible insult in high school. “Look, Jesse…”
Jesse put up a hand. “What were you going to say?”
Gabby shook her head again. “It doesn’t matter.”
Gabby’s body shot forward in her seat as Jesse slammed on the brakes. “It matters.”
Gabby let out a frustrated groan. “It doesn’t, Jesse. It was one night. Sure, I felt something, but I’ve had a crush on you since high school. I was bound to feel something.” Tears blurred her vision. “I know you feel guilty, like what’s happening in my life is your fault, but it’s not. You don’t need to take care of me, anymore. I have friends; they can help me.”
“That’s not why I’m doing this, Gabby.”
Gabby spun towards him in her seat. “Then why? Why are you doing this, Jesse, because I have to tell you, I can’t take it anymore. Your guilt is making me feel guilty and the guiltier I feel, the guiltier you act until it just gets worse and worse and I don’t know how to make you understand that it’s ok now. I’m going to be ok.”
“I’m doing this because of what I said that night. You belong with me, Gabby. You always have.” Jesse clenched the steering wheel, unable to look at Gabby. “I was an idiot in high school. When you were tutoring me, I was getting more and more attached to you every day. And you stayed so detached, it was driving me crazy. Of all the girls in school, I had a crush on the one who would turn me down for a date for a Star Wars sequel.”
Gabby shook her head. “That’s ridiculous. You didn’t like me like that.”
Jesse snorted. “Really?” He glared at her. “I’d been struggling with how to ask you out for a week. Then, when you came in for tutoring, I built up my courage and I asked you to come to my game.” He shot her a look, “Do you remember that?”
“Yeah,” Gabby nodded at the hazy memory. “You told me you were playing that night. I thought you were just making conversation.”
“I wanted you to watch me play,” Jesse nearly shouted. “Instead, you told me you already had plans; that you were going to the damn movie. I just wanted you to see me doing something I was actually good at, instead of thinking I was some dumb jock. Instead, you told me that you were spending the night waiting to get tickets to the damn Star Wars sequel.”
“It was Episode I!” Gabby shook her head. “You had to wait all night to get tickets to that. It was the only way to do it. Plus, football is boring.”
“Well, you’re going to have to learn to love it.” Jesse didn’t give Gabby time to ask what he meant by that. “After that, I was so damn mad at you, and my friends kept making fun of me. I thought it would be perfect revenge – to prove that you wanted me. I played that stupid prank,” Jesse blinked back tears and his voice caught a little, “and then I never saw you again.”
“The school let me do the rest of my classes from home after that.” Gabby whispered. “The semester was almost over, anyway, and my mom was really sick.”
“You never told me that. You never told me anything about you.”
Gabby’s breath hitched. “It was too hard to talk about. Whenever I mentioned it, it just felt too real. We–” Gabby blinked, “My whole family knew she was terminal. But she wanted to pretend everything was normal. Jesse, it was a hard time for me. I barely even knew what I was thinking, myself. And you were the king of the high school. I didn’t think you would want me. I didn’t think anyone would want me.” Gabby sucked in a deep breath. “The truth is, I was crazy about you, but I was too afraid to admit it. For me, things were easier when they were bad. Hope and daydreams just ended in disappointment.” She swallowed again. “They still do.” Gabby pushed a hand through her hair. “I picked Nick because he was easy. He would take care of me and he was too distant to get attached to. He felt safe. I felt safe. I just couldn’t bare the thought of losing someone I loved again.”
Jesse reached over, starling Gabby as he clutched her hand. “I’m sorry. I was a selfish asshole. I never thought of what you were going through. I was just pissed that I could get any girl in the school that I wanted, but that I couldn’t have you.” He pressed Gabby’s hand to his mouth. “For years, the look on your face stayed with me. No matter what I’d seen, it was your sad grey eyes that stayed with me. I thought that I just felt guilty. I told myself that you’d gotten ugly and fat when you got older. I told myself you were living in a trailer with eight kids. I told myself anything I could to convince myself that you didn’t belong with me; that I hadn’t ruined the one chance I’d had at love, because it’s true. You’re the only woman I ever loved.” He ignored Gabby’s gasp and kept talking. “I was just going to find you; to see for myself that you were a happy, boring housewife. Instead,” he gestured at Gabby, “you were a goddess with a Ukrainian mobster husband.” Jesse pressed her hand to his mouth again. “I made a mistake back then, Gabby, but I’m not making it now. I meant what I said that night. You belong with me. You’re supposed to be mine.”
“Jesse,” Gabby choked out the words. “I don’t…”
Jesse turned towards her and tugged her into his arms. “I know it’s scary and I know that you’ve been through a lot, but I’m not risking losing you again. I loved you then and I love you now, Gabby. If you need some time to get used to that, I understand. I’ll keep my hands to myself. But I’m not letting you go.” Jesse shook his head. “Not now that I’ve found you again. Because I’m right. We belong together.”
Gabby swallowed nervously. “Not even for a second during my marriage did I feel the way about Nick that I did about you for one night. That’s what I was going to say.” Gabby took a deep breath. “I didn’t go back to him because I loved him. The truth is I never loved him. But I’ve always loved you.” She pressed herself against him, enjoying the heat from his body. “I’ve always loved you.”
Jesse lowered his head to her. “Well, it’s about damn time that you admitted that.” He pressed his lips down onto hers and forgot about the past.
Chapter 8
Jesse and Gabby walked hand in hand into the Strangely Sober, their clothes still slightly rumpled from their roadside tryst. Sal’s middle-aged uncle was behind the bar, fixing himself a mid-afternoon drink.
“Hey Gio,” Jesse squeezed Gabby close. “Where’s Sal?”
Gio nodded to the stairway heading to the second floor. “She’s upstairs, dying her alpaca.”
“Bet that sentence has never been said before.” Gabby shook her head and lead Jesse to the staircase. Sure enough, they found Sal cloistered away in her tiny bathroom, towel drying a newly blackened Russell. She smiled when she saw them.
“Russell is in the ‘alpaca witness protection program.’” Gabby was surprised to see Sal’s lower lip wobble a little. “I’m really going to miss him.” Russell let out a keening wail and hacked up one of his signature green loogies. “I won’t miss that.”
<
br /> Sal let Russell out of her bathroom and into the kitchen, where they stood with Jesse and Gabby. She reached for a harness she’d invented for Russell.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
Sal shook her head. “Nope, but he can’t stay here. I didn’t work my ass off using your husband’s organization as a scapegoat, just to lose it all because I got weirdly attached to an alpaca.” Sal looked up at Gabby. “You’re probably safe in Miami, but I wouldn’t take any chances.”
Gabby nodded as she took Russell’s makeshift leash. She smiled at Jesse. “We’ll take really good care of him.”
Jesse shook his head. “You knew that Nick would get the blame. That’s why you did it. You had the whole damn thing planned.”
Sal nodded, “From the second you walked into the bar without Gabby and asked for my help. I knew that I was in over my head.” Sal rubbed her forehead, looking tired. “I’d gotten a little, let’s just call it, confused, earlier in the day and decided stealing all those animals was a great idea. Then I realized I’d never be able to move them. Not without getting caught. So you come in here, telling me that Gabby’s gone back to her Ukrainian mobster husband and I decided to knock out two birds with one stone and put all the blame on him.” She gave Russell an affectionate pat. “I just couldn’t give this one up.” She gave Gabby a meaningful look. “I’m sorry that I used you for my own evil means…and that your husband got eaten by a tiger.”
“Again, probably not a sentence that anyone has said out loud before,” Gabby shook her head. “I can’t be mad at you, Sal. You saved our lives.”
Sal heaved out a sigh of relief and slid moist eyes to Russell. “You’ll buy him some friends’ right? Alpaca’s are herding animals. He’ll get lonely if there aren’t other alpacas around.”
Gabby nodded and swallowed over the lump in her throat. As Sal had suggested, she’d decided to leave town and head out to a quiet area outside of a little town called Sierra Vista in Arizona. The climate was perfect for raising alpacas and she had agreed to take Sal’s camelid charge with her. But she was really going to miss Sal. Jesse squeezed her hand and Gabby felt her tears dry up. At least he would be with her. “I was thinking we might start a farm, if we make enough money.” She gave a wobbly smile. “I’m going back to veterinary school.”
Sal smiled happily at the news and Jesse squeezed Gabby closer. “I’m thinking I can get a job out there, while we work on building up the farm. Support Gabby while she goes back to school.”
Sal smiled again and shook her head. She lead them to the door, the alpaca that had saved her life following loyally behind them. She didn’t speak as they got into Jesse’s jeep, preparing to start their new lives in Arizona. She simply hugged them all; reserving her hardest squeeze for the alpaca she’d named Russell. Sal leaned in Jesse’s window as he started the jeep, finally speaking. “About you getting a job to pay for Gabby’s school…”
Jesse shook his head. “Sal, you’ve done enough.”
“It isn’t me that’s going to give you anything.” Sal nodded to Russell, who had curled up in the backseat. “But when you let my little buddy out at the rest stops, you may want to check his poops thoroughly. I never did get a chance to harvest what he was carrying.”
“You mean…” Jesse turned his head to Russell.
“Yup, little Russell is still loaded with diamonds.” Sal shoved a business card into his hands. “Call my friend. He’ll give you a good deal. More than enough to start an alpaca farm and send Gabby back to veterinary school.”
Jesse took the business card and Sal said her goodbyes, getting a little teary as she said goodbye to Russell. After a few moments, she was gone and he and Gabby were alone in the car again.
“She’s insane,” he finally said to break the silence, “but a little wonderful.”
Gabby glared and gave him a mock jealous punch in the arm. “And what am I?”
Jesse tugged Gabby towards him. “Completely sane and completely wonderful.” He gave her a long kiss on the mouth before finally relinquishing his hold.
Gabby sucked in a breath. Leaving town with Jesse, to start a farm and go back to school suddenly seemed overwhelming, like she was asking too much of him. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
Jesse gunned the engine and pulled out into the street. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
“Because if you’re still feeling guilty…”
Jesse smiled. “Do I need to pull over and show you how not guilty I feel? Because Russell is a little young to witness that kind of action.”
Gabby blushed and smiled. “No, but you could kiss me again.”
Jesse chuckled and put on the brakes, pulling over to the side of the road. He tugged Gabby into his arms and lowered his mouth to meet hers. His lips brushed against hers gently and Gabby clutched his shirt, pulling him closer. He kissed her until she was dizzy, finally pulling back, gasping and watching her with dilated pupils. “How was that?”
Gabby smiled again and pulled his head back down towards her. “That,” she said before her lips met his again, “was the best apology ever.”
The End.
Strangely Sober
Angelica Salvatori, aka Sal, is anything but sober. As a hard partying and even harder living criminal, she considers her status as mastermind not just a job, but a calling. Between running her crew, trying to burn down her bar, and dealing with her occasional breaks with reality, she has enough on her plate. When she finds out that she has a twin she didn’t know about, one that may be in serious danger because of something she did, Sal reacts by doing what any good delusional sociopath would do. She goes on a violence packed, cross country crime spree to find out who’s hunting them and why.
When security consultant Cole Warner is hired by Sal’s sister to track her down and keep her safe, he gets a lot more than he bargained for. While pursuing Sal through a series of explosions, gun fights and meetings with drug cartel, he starts to wonder if the woman he’s trying to protect needs to be protected from herself. The more he gets to know Sal, the more he thinks that the self declared evil genius may have a death wish. At the same time, he also finds himself having more fun than he's ever had in his life, so she must be doing something right.
Sal and Cole soon find themselves drawn into the illicit underworld of human trafficking as they try to solve the mystery. With the help of Sal’s diverse family, a suitcase full of explosives, and a recurring Gary Busey hallucination, the two will embark on a journey to confront a kingpin who may be as dangerous to Sal as she is to herself.
(See the next page for a sneak peak at Strangely Sober)
CHAPTER 1
The girl on the bed was perfect in every conceivable way. Long, white blonde, silken hair lay fanned out behind her. Her skin was light ivory, contrasted with pink in her cheeks and the dark red crushed strawberry of her full, parted lips. Her eyes were half closed, open only enough to reveal the startling blue violet of her eyes. She lay on her side, one delicate arm draped over her stomach, facing a window on the second floor of the house that looked out into sun-drenched, beige landscape. She never saw the sand dunes in the distance or brushy spotting of cacti. If not for the occasional rise and fall of her chest, the outside observer would assume she was dead.
She had been like that since shortly after her abduction. The girl on the bed, Tia, to the few people who knew her, was in the room in body only. Her mind was existing outside of the room in a clean plane of white, slightly luminous tile. Occasionally, snatches of conversation came through to her from the men who stood over the bed.
“So you’ve found the other one then?” An older man stood with his focus on Tia. His dark, fierce eyes raked her over greedily. “Because we’re running out of time.”
The younger man next to him crossed his arms over his and nodded definitely. “We’ll have her soon enough. I have Vadim working on it.”
The older man’s eyes widened in alarm. “I need her alive.�
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His companion looked unconcerned. “He’s rough, but he’ll get it done right. She might be a little beat up, but she’ll suit your purposes.” He watched his boss’s face. After several long moments, he smiled.
“Well then,” the older man clapped his hands together cheerfully as he shuffled back to the desk where his chess table was set up. “I guess you’ll want to take this one.”
The younger man balled his fists but said nothing. He moved with even, fluid grace and took the seat opposite the older man’s, crossing an ankle over his knee and leaning back to appraise Tia. “That was the deal. You won’t need her now.”
“The deal was you get me her sister in exchange for her.” The older man shoved a pawn forward. “As the sister,” the man waved his hand towards the room, “is not yet here, you haven’t completed your portion of the contract.”
The younger man, Nathan Wyatt, wisely said nothing and continued to watch the woman. Nathan was possibly as handsome as she was beautiful, with light brown hair and piercing green eyes. His face was misleadingly boyish and placid and showed no indication of the darkness of the man within. He leaned forward suddenly, as for the first time in days, he saw Tia twitch.
Somewhere in the white plains of Tia’s mind, a word echoed through, before fading.
“Sister.”
Tia tried to ignore it and go back to thoughtless bliss, but the word refused to be ignored. “Sister.” It echoed again and Tia’s mind followed it in hazy, muddled confusion. Someone said she had a sister?
They couldn’t have. Tia was an only child. Her dad had been single. Her entire life, growing up, it had only been him and her. No family, grandparents, aunts or uncles. And definitely, no sister.
But they said she had a sister? Tia’s mind clung to the possibility. No longer alone, as she had been since her dad’s death six months earlier. Was it possible? Maybe her mother had another child.
But her father had told her that her mother had died giving birth to her. Tia’s quiet place was fading, slipping away as she tried to clutch at it like smoke through her fingertips. She didn’t want to go back to that room. Tia’s eyes quivered as the room started to come back into focus again. With her safe place fading, she was again clutched by the roll of panic in her stomach. She struggled to make herself hold still.