The Power to See

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  “I know.” Phillip stood next to Salazar, staring out at the black ocean. He swirled his brandy. “I just received word from a friend of mine with the U.S. Coast Guard. The DEA has been searching all day for a boat transporting narcotics in international waters.”

  Salazar shot Phillip a look. “Did we lose any subs?”

  That was the plan: If detected, the crew was to open the scuttle valves and sink the sub. Each sub carried twenty million dollars of product. It might seem like a great loss, but when the remaining four made it to their destination, that was still an eighty million dollar profit. However, Salazar hated when any of his product was destroyed. Not that it really mattered. He had all the money he could ever want, but he didn’t like it when someone outmaneuvered him.

  “No,” Phillip said, taking a sip of brandy. “They all made it. They did, however, go to Plan B—that’s why they’re running late.” He turned and set his glass down, taking a seat on the couch. “That’s not our main concern right now. We potentially have another problem.” Salazar faced his friend. “The DEA has been down in Colombia doing some surveillance at our juice factory. Someone must have tipped them off.”

  Salazar didn’t appreciate Phillip insinuating that Brianna had leaked information. If she tipped Matt off, it had to be accidentally. It didn’t really matter anyway. Salazar had no intention of using Brianna to fulfill Phillip’s position, so he needn’t worry. Salazar returned his attention to the ocean. “Or perhaps Matt is smarter than I gave him credit for. What exactly does he know?”

  Matt was the first agent who had come close to infiltrating Salazar’s organization. Something about the entire situation still bothered Salazar. Was it a fluke or exceptional planning by the DEA? Changes had to be made in order to prevent this from occurring again.

  Phillip sighed. He had to be tired. “Matt can’t know much. As a precaution, I’ve shut down all production at the factory. Only juice has been leaving for the past two days.”

  “Good. Still, this is rather disturbing.”

  “I know. I’m analyzing patterns and will have recommendations for you soon.” Phillip stood and moved next to Salazar. “I do have some good news.” Salazar raised his eyebrows, waiting for his friend to continue. “Hector provided the information we need.” A slow smile spread across Phillip’s face.

  Finally. After all the time they’d spent tracking Hector, making sure he was arrested, then embedding Brianna at the law firm just so she could represent Hector, making the deal of Hector’s freedom in exchange for information on Chavez. They entire affair had been time consuming and tedious. It was finally going to pay off.

  “Excellent. When and where?” Salazar asked.

  “Hector plans to make contact with Chavez the week after the wedding. Do you want me to make the arrangements for you?”

  “No, I’ll take care of the details. I’ve been waiting a long time for this. Dominic and I will finally fulfill my father’s wish.”

  Phillip cocked his head in surprise. “You’re taking Dominic?”

  “Of course. He has to be there,” Salazar replied.

  “He’s still not ready.”

  “He will be after tonight.” Salazar smiled. He enjoyed playing God.

  ***

  Brianna received explicit instructions from Salazar: take Dominic to Twilight. She hadn’t been there before, but she’d heard of it. Twilight was an upscale and ultra-exclusive nightclub in downtown Los Angeles.

  The drive there was awkward. Sitting next to Dominic in the car, he slid his hand on her thigh, teasing her. Brianna smiled, but she didn’t want him to touch her. The other afternoon was still fresh in her mind. After Brianna and Dominic had sex, he passed out on her bed. She shoved him off her, then went into the bathroom and stood in the shower for over an hour, trying to rinse away the feel of Dominic on her body. Honestly, she didn’t remember it being bad. To get through it though, she had to imagine she was making love to Matt. After Dominic had his orgasm and was fully satisfied, reality slammed into her. It wasn’t Matt, and she felt like a whore. Salazar told her to please Dominic, and she did.

  When they arrived at Twilight, a line of people was wrapped around the building. Ben led them to the back of the club, where they were escorted in through a private V.I.P. entrance. Once inside, a personal hostess led Dominic and Brianna to the Rain Room—an elegant dining room with white and glass décor. Hanging from the ceiling were cascading crystals, which gave the illusion it was raining. Dominic must’ve sensed Brianna was uncomfortable with him constantly touching her so he backed off. While they ate, he kept the conversation going, asking questions about her life growing up, trying to get better acquainted. She appreciated the gesture.

  After dinner, they were escorted to the main dance floor. Dry ice smoke drifted and swirled around the dancing bodies. Just before Dominic and Brianna stepped on the dance floor, another hostess intervened and led them to the outdoor enclave where a private cabana was reserved for them. Brianna went along with everything, like she had planned the entire evening. However, she was still trying to figure out why her father insisted she bring Dominic there. What trap did he set? What part was she unknowingly playing?

  Sitting down on the red velvet couch, Brianna ordered a glass of wine. Dominic sat next to her, draping his arm around her shoulder. The wind blew and one of the curtains moved to the side, giving her a clear view of the cabana next to theirs.

  That’s when she saw him—George. George was a man who she’d only met a couple of times. She knew he owned a nightclub; she didn’t realize which one until now. George was with five scantily clad women. Glancing over, he noticed Brianna and gave her a sly smile.

  “Do you know him?” Dominic demanded, his arm tightening around her.

  “Unfortunately,” she whispered. “He does a great deal of business with my father, but my father can’t stand him.”

  “Then why deal with him?”

  “He orders a large amount on a regular basis, and he always pays on time.”

  “He’s on his way over here.”

  “Lovely.” Brianna remembered the last time she ran into George—he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. Luckily Ben had stayed close by, never giving George the opportunity to do anything else but look. She glanced around and found Ben along with two of Dominic’s bodyguards off in the distance.

  “Hey, beautiful—I hope you like my pretentious haven,” George leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. He reeked of cologne.

  “We don’t want to keep you from your friends,” Brianna responded dryly, emphasizing the word friends.

  “You’re not. I’m on my way inside the club. Would you and your friend like to join me?”

  “I’m Dominic, her fiancé, and we’d love to.” Dominic stood, pulling Brianna up with him.

  Dominic and George stood toe-to-toe, both the same height. While Dominic was calm and collected, wearing his designer black slacks and sports jacket, George was a mess with his hair sticking out in every direction, his white button down shirt half-way open, falling off his shoulder, and his skin-tight pants wrinkled.

  George waved his hand. “Follow me.” His eyes sparkled with amusement, lingering a little too long over Brianna’s body. Brianna wished they could ignore George, however, Salazar wanted them here for a reason, and perhaps Dominic knew why. On their way inside, Ben disappeared, taking them down to only two bodyguards. Ben never left Brianna—especially around someone like George. Her heart thumped faster.

  Dominic and Brianna followed George past a small intimate dance floor, down a flight of stairs, and into a V.I.P. lounge. The lounge consisted of two black leather sofas with a glass coffee table in the center. On the far end of the wall was an elongated fireplace with a red suede chair on each side. There were approximately a dozen people in the room when Dominic and Brianna entered. George motioned for them to sit down on one of the couches.

  “So . . . you’re Brianna’s fiancé?” George mused. “That must mean you’re worki
ng for Salazar.” He plopped down on the couch across from them, slouching like a teenager.

  “I am,” Dominic answered. He griped Brianna’s hand, not letting go of her.

  George rubbed his nose with the back of his hand, inhaling. “Come with me,” he finally said. “I have something to show you.” He stood and Dominic and Brianna began to follow him. “No sugar, not you. Just Dominic. You stay here.”

  Dominic glanced around the room, then leaned down near Brianna’s ear. “It’s okay,” he whispered, “you’ll be fine here. There are enough people around.” The bodyguards followed Dominic, leaving her unprotected. She sat back down, not interested in conversing with any of the other people in the room.

  Brianna hated when Salazar only told her bits and pieces of his plan. It left her stumbling around like a chicken with its head cut off. She was constantly guessing, trying to keep up, and if something went wrong, the blame fell on her—when she didn’t even know what was going on in the first place.

  After a few moments, George stood in the doorway, motioning Brianna to follow him.

  “Where’s Dominic?” she asked.

  George smiled. “This way.” He led her down the hallway and into an identical lounge, however, this one was empty.

  “Where’s Dominic?” Brianna said, again.

  “Busy. He asked that I make sure you’re comfortable.” George finished off his drink, flopping down on one of the couches. “Come, sit next to me.” George talked slowly with drawn-out words. He was probably high. She hoped Dominic wasn’t doing something stupid.

  “I don’t think so,” Brianna said. If Dominic wanted her watched, he would’ve sent one of the bodyguards, not George. Sitting down on the couch opposite him, she smelled his cologne even from that distance. Smiling, George got up and sat down next to her. She started to stand but he grabbed her arm.

  “Let go of me,” Brianna demanded.

  His fingers tightened around her wrist. With a devious smile, George shook his head, pulling her down to the couch. There was something in the way he looked at her, in the way he held her, that frightened Brianna, sending up red flags everywhere.

  Going on the offensive, she kicked George’s shin. He screamed, releasing her arm. Brianna sprinted to the door. George jumped up, running after her. He yanked the back of her dress. Spinning around, Brianna kneed him in the groin. George doubled over in pain, cursing. She reached the door, but it was locked. While Brianna violently struggled with the doorknob, George recovered and pulled out his gun.

  Brianna froze, reassessing the situation. George’s eyes were bloodshot and he was sweating. Under normal circumstances, she was fairly certain he wouldn’t hurt her. George knew that if he laid one finger on her, Salazar would torture and kill him in the most inhumane way imaginable. But George was on something and not thinking rationally. What did he do with Dominic and the bodyguards? It seemed like thousands of knives were poking her skin as dread settled over her.

  George smiled, knowing he had the upper hand. He put a silencer on the gun. “Sit down.” She remained frozen, unable to move. Raising his voice, he yelled, “I said sit down!” He waved the gun, firing one shot in her direction. The bullet whizzed past her body, embedding itself next to the door.

  Trembling, she carefully went to the couch, not making any sudden movements. She scanned the room, searching for another exit. Seeing none, she spotted her purse lying on the ground within reach. She knew her best bet would be to get her phone and call Ben.

  George sat down next to her.

  “Now, is this so bad?” he asked with a smirk on his face. “Not talking today? That’s okay, we don’t need to talk.” He placed the gun on the coffee table.

  Keeping her eyes on George’s face, her foot darted out to the side, catching her purse strap and pulling it toward her. She stopped just as George leaned back.

  “Dominic won’t appreciate you treating his fiancé this way. Not to mention how my father will react when I tell him.”

  George stared directly into her eyes. “I’m already a dead man,” he spit. “I’m sure Salazar has a price on my head for what’s happened.” Brianna had no idea what he was talking about. “Salazar would never get his hands dirty and kill me himself. He’ll send his goons to do it. This is my parting gift to him.” George grabbed Brianna’s hair, throwing her back on the couch. He ripped her dress open and began to grope and kiss her breasts. Brianna screamed and hit him, using all her strength. But he was too strong.

  He seized her wrists and held them down. “That all you got?”

  George put both of her wrists in one hand while his other hand moved up her thighs and into her underwear.

  Tears streamed down her face. George leered at her as he shoved his fingers inside her. Brianna focused on the door, screaming.

  ***

  Dominic swore he heard something. His bodyguards seemed on edge, like something was wrong. George had been gone long enough. Where was he? Walking over to the door, Dominic realized they were locked in. He instructed one of his bodyguards to blow open the lock with a gun.

  Out in the hallway, Dominic heard a faint scream again. Instinct told him it was Brianna. Running down the hallway, the sound intensified until he reached a closed, locked door. Then he heard Brianna shout, “Help!”

  Adrenaline coursed through his body. Seizing a gun from his bodyguard, Dominic fired at the lock. The door opened and Dominic burst into the room. George was on top of Brianna, restraining her hands with one of his own, and his other hand . . . how dare he violate her that way. Rage consumed Dominic. Hatred filled his heart. Brianna was his and no one else could touch her that way.

  Raising his arms, Dominic steadied the gun, pointed it at George’s chest, and pulled the trigger. George’s body violently jerked and fell over, lifeless. Dominic went over to him, kicking his body. Good, his pants were still buttoned. He’d only managed to get his hands on Brianna.

  Blood pooled on the ground. Killing George was easy. No big deal. Just like Salazar said it would be. And that frightened Dominic.

  Turning to Brianna, her body was shaking. She pulled her dress down, covering herself. The bodyguards secured the room.

  “Are you okay?” Dominic asked, sitting next to her. Brianna’s black mascara was streaked down her cheeks. With trembling hands, she clutched the ripped fabric of her dress, trying to hold it closed. “Brianna, are you okay?” She nodded. Dominic slipped his jacket off, putting it on her shoulders.

  One of the bodyguards tore down the curtain hanging next to the fireplace. He threw the fabric over George, wrapping the body inside. “I’ll dispose of him,” he assured Dominic.

  The other bodyguard checked the hallway and said, “We need to move, now.”

  Dominic grabbed Brianna, forcing her to stand. Pulling her, they ran out of the room, searching for an exit from the club. The bodyguard called ahead to have the car waiting out front.

  When Dominic and Brianna reached the exit, they hurried outside just as Ben pulled up, driving a black armored BMW. They jumped in the car and it sped away.

  Dominic looked down at his hands, expecting to find blood on them. They were clean. One would never suspect he’d just killed a human being. Brianna was sitting next to him. She hadn’t said a single word since he’d found her.

  Putting his arm around her, he said, “It’s all over now. I’m sorry—I shouldn’t have left you alone. You’re safe now.”

  She wouldn’t acknowledge him. She had to know he killed George to save her because he loved her, didn’t he? It wasn’t the same as the love he had for Claire. But it was love, and he sensed the need to protect Brianna. So why wasn’t she thanking him? If he hadn’t gotten there when he did, George would’ve raped her.

  ***

  Brianna stared out the window, watching the world pass by. She couldn’t confront the reality that Dominic had just killed someone. There was something nagging her—something didn’t make sense. Salazar sent them to Twilight for a reason, and he alwa
ys got what he wanted.

  She focused on Ben driving. Why did Ben leave her back at the club? A small, black rectangular object slid from Ben’s jacket pocket, hitting the center console. Ben grabbed it, shoving it back into his pocket. It was a surveillance tape. Brianna’s hands balled into fists. Ben had the freaking surveillance tape from the club. Realization hit her like a baseball bat. Salazar wanted Dominic to kill George. He set up the whole thing, knowing George would do something to her, knowing Dominic would flip and kill him. George had even said Salazar wanted him dead. Once again, Salazar played them like pieces in a game of chess.

  She wanted to explode. Going home at that moment was not an option. Her emotions were not under enough control to confront Salazar. How could he do this to them?

  “Is anyone at your house?” Brianna asked.

  “I don’t know, why?”

  “I don’t want to go home looking like this. Can we go to your place first, so I can fix myself up?”

  “Yeah. If my parents are home, they’ll be asleep by the time we get there.”

  “Your parents are home,” Ben told Dominic, “but otherwise, the house is secure. I’ll wait outside.”

  Nodding, Dominic took Brianna’s hand, pulling her inside. The place was dark, all of the lights off.

  “This way,” Dominic whispered, leading her down the hallway to his bedroom. He flipped on the light. “Umm, I’ll get you something to wear.” He fumbled through his dresser. “Here,” Dominic handed her a white t-shirt, “this should work.”

  Brianna took the shirt, clutching it to her chest.

  “I’ll be in the kitchen. Take all the time you need.” He closed the door behind him.

  She’d never been in Dominic’s room before. It was a small glimpse into his soul. The bed took up most of the space. There was a tiny closet on one wall and a dresser on another. An old surfboard stood in a corner. The walls were covered with sports posters and jerseys. Brianna didn’t know enough about sports to appreciate any of the memorabilia.

  Brianna closed the blinds. Curious, she moved to Dominic’s dresser to get a better look at the trophies and pictures sitting on top. Some pictures were of Dominic and his family, others of his friends. Some were team pictures taken through the years. One picture stood out—a picture of Dominic and Claire. It appeared they were at an amusement park. What caught Brianna’s attention was the way they gazed at each other. It was easy to see they were in love. At the bottom of the picture was a date—only one month before Brianna met Dominic. Brianna knew Salazar had manipulated the situation and set all of them up, but when she saw how happy Dominic and Claire had been, it brought tears to her eyes.