The Power to See

by Jennifer Anne Davis

  In addition to the lab, there was a large storage room which required an additional security clearance to enter. In that room, all of the meth was stored until their distributor sent his man to pick it up via a Pepsi truck every other week—and that’s where Dominic came in. Salazar put Dominic in charge of this operation. It was imperative that things go smoothly, without drawing any attention.

  With the DEA’s ongoing investigation, Salazar rarely left the house. When he did, he was often in disguise. Salazar was paranoid and thought it would be better for Dominic to do this transaction because Dominic was a newer employee at Austogen and a hard worker. It made sense for him to come in on a Saturday morning.

  Even though everything made sense when Salazar explained it, Dominic was nervous. Now that Dominic lived in Salazar’s house and worked at Austogen, it was logical to assume the DEA had him under surveillance as well.

  Glancing back outside, Dominic wondered where the DEA was. Were they out there, hidden somewhere watching? Would they discover that he killed George at Twilight? Would they storm Austogen and catch him red-handed? Dominic sure as hell didn’t want to spend the rest of his life in jail. But if he screwed up this job—Salazar would do something far worse to him. The stress was becoming unbearable.

  Dominic pulled his shirt away from his body, trying to cool himself off—he hadn’t realized how badly he was sweating. His shirt was a sticky mess.

  Right on time, a Pepsi truck turned into Austogen’s parking lot, heading toward the underground garage. Dominic quickly sat at one of the computers and performed an infrared scan of the truck and identified the driver. After thirty seconds, the computer displayed the results and beeped, verifying everything was okay. Dominic pressed the button, opening the garage security gate, allowing the truck to enter. After closing the gate behind the truck, Dominic left the room and headed down to the loading dock.

  Before opening the door to the garage, Dominic waited for Mark, the Pepsi truck driver, to complete his fingerprint and retinal scans. Once those were verified, Dominic slid his gun in his pants and opened the door.

  Mark nodded before going to the back of the truck and unloading the blue crates. As Dominic walked out onto the loading dock, he tried to act like he knew what he was doing. Was he supposed to help Mark unload or not? Dominic was about to ask when he remembered Salazar’s no talking rule. Salazar was afraid of conversations being recorded or any sort of voice recognition, so he didn’t permit them to speak at all. Thinking back to when Dominic did this with Salazar, he didn’t recall Salazar helping, and Dominic was positive he’d only touched the crates once they entered the building.

  After the crates were unloaded, Dominic opened the door to a secured hallway leading to the elevator. Mark and Dominic worked quickly as they moved the crates from the loading dock down the hall and into the elevator up to the fourth floor. Dominic was glad to be busy doing something physical—it kept him from thinking about what was in the crates, about what happened at Twilight, and about the man he’d become.

  Whenever Dominic went to sleep, George haunted him. Or he saw his mother running away from him while yelling murderer. Dominic couldn’t remember the last time he’d had a good night’s rest. He had to stop thinking about all of that—focus on the blue crates. Mind over matter.

  All of the crates were finally on the fourth floor, adjacent to the meth storage room. Once Dominic put in the security code, the door slid open. Mark entered and verified the amount. Then they got to work, packing the meth into the crates.

  Mark didn’t seem like a drug dealer. He looked like a typical California surfer wearing a Pepsi uniform. Dominic wondered how Mark got this job, how he got involved. It was odd to work next to someone and not say a single word. Not talking was actually the most difficult part of this task.

  It surprised Dominic to see how a loaded crate looked like a simple blue Pepsi crate filled with various Pepsi products. No one would ever suspect anything else. After the meth was loaded into the crates, they began the tedious task of moving them down to the loading dock. Once that was done, Mark took over and completed the transaction by packing the truck. Dominic stood by, keeping a lookout for other Austogen employees—not that anyone would know what was really going on if they saw, they’d think it was a regular delivery since there were Pepsi vending machines throughout the building. Still, Salazar insisted Dominic remain vigilant as an extra precaution.

  Mark loaded the last crate, closed the truck door, locked it, and got in the driver’s seat. Salazar told Dominic that Mark drove the truck to an undisclosed location in Rancho Santa Fe where the meth was divided up for distribution.

  After closing the gate behind the Pepsi truck, Dominic watched it drive away. The world’s most expensive Pepsi truck—two thousand kilos of meth, totaling thirty-five million dollars. Unbelievable. And they did this every two weeks, and this was only one of several operations they had going.

  The wedding coordinator rambled off several last minute items, most of which Brianna didn’t care about. She’d heard enough—all of the details were making her panic, and she couldn’t afford to have an emotional breakdown right now. Brianna was still wrapped up with the idea that by this time tomorrow, she would be married. The coordinator must’ve sensed Brianna’s apprehension because she started to explain that having cold feet was common and not to worry. Then she excused herself, leaving Brianna alone in the honeymoon suite.

  Brianna walked over to the double French doors overlooking the ocean, pulling them open. A light breeze blew past her, causing the sheer white curtains to dance around her body. She sucked in the salty air, trying to clear her mind.

  Time did not heal all wounds. She thought she would eventually forget about Matt, but it had already been a few months since his betrayal, and she still saw him every time she closed her eyes. For the first time in her life, Brianna had felt like she was on equal footing with someone. Matt was smart, witty, charming, and sexy. When he looked at her, it was as if he saw the real Brianna—not the one she pretended to be. When they made love, Matt didn’t treat her like some pathetic breakable doll. No, he loved her passionately. Of course, the man she fell for didn’t exist. Matt created him. That’s why he appeared to be perfect.

  She heard soft footsteps behind her. It was probably the wedding coordinator, back with more last minute details. Like it mattered. Like Brianna even cared.

  “What else could we possibly have to go over?” Brianna asked, not turning around.

  “A lot. You never gave me a chance to explain,” Matt said.

  It was as if Brianna had tripped and fallen off a cliff. She was tumbling through air, waiting to hit the rocky bottom. She spun around. Matt emerged from the shadows, walking directly toward her. Brianna turned away. What was he doing here? How’d he get past her bodyguards?

  In front of her, a family was walking on the beach. Two small girls squealed in delight at a seashell their father found for them. Picture perfect. Something Brianna would never have.

  “You understand that when either my father or my bodyguards realize you’re here, they’ll kill you on the spot. I won’t try to stop them.” Brianna felt her pocket for her cell. It wasn’t there.

  The family stood knee-deep in the ocean, the girls jumping over the shallow waves. The mother and father held hands, sharing the moment together. Brianna’s stomach violently cramped. She wasn’t sure if it was from the thought of marrying Dominic, or from the pure jealousy that resonated through her as she watched the happy family. Not able to watch them any longer, Brianna turned and faced Matt.

  He stood there, gorgeous as ever, staring at her. Brianna’s heart sped up. “What do you want?” she asked as calmly as possible, wrapping her arms around her body.

  “Please let me explain. I owe you that much.” The usual gleam in his eyes was gone.

  “I hardly think that’s necessary,” Brianna said. Seeing him brought his betrayal back into focus, shooting through her mind like a freight train. He was a
DEA agent. He was married. He used her. Bastard. “I want you to leave.”

  “Not until I explain,” he pleaded.

  “If you won’t leave, then I will.” She took a step toward the door, but Matt blocked her path, grabbing her arm.

  “Get your hand off me,” she demanded. His hand scorched her skin, making her body want more. It was nothing like Dominic’s touch. With Dominic, it was always about protecting her, controlling her. With Matt, it was like being struck by electricity—only in a good way.

  His eyes penetrated into hers. “Do you love me?” he asked.

  She forced herself to stand tall, pretending she felt nothing for him. In reality, Brianna wanted to melt under his gaze. “You lied to me.”

  Matt shook his head. “I never lied about who I am as a person, or my feelings for you.”

  “Oh, please. The DEA must be pretty desperate to send you—a man I despise—to talk to me about love, the day before my wedding.” She pulled her arm away from his grip.

  ***

  “This isn’t a real wedding,” Matt said. “You can’t love him. At least not the way you love me.” Matt was trying to stay focused, but he was almost out of time. He wasn’t supposed to be anywhere near Brianna and once Chris found out about this, Matt was going to be reprimanded.

  “You are married. You have a wife.” Matt wanted to cradle her face, wiping away the tears. “You pretended to be single to make me fall for you so you could use me to get information on my father. I was simply a means to an end. You’re an agent for the DEA. Everything we shared was fake. You made it that way. It’s all your fault.” Hurt and anger radiated from her.

  How could he convince Brianna he really cared about her? Once she was married, there wouldn’t be a chance in hell of helping her. Matt had to explain that even though he was undercover, he had fallen in love with her. What they shared was special—at least it was to him. Brianna had to feel the same way. She just had to.

  Matt placed his hands on her shoulders. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “I never meant to hurt you.” Her blue eyes were two pools of water.

  “But you did, and I can never trust you.” It seemed like she was going to say more but stopped herself.

  “I love you and I’m here to help,” Matt said, “if you’ll let me.”

  “Who says I need your help? Get your hands off me.” Brianna shoved him away from her. “I’m not falling for your lies again.”

  Matt ran his hands through his hair, completely frustrated. He didn’t know what to say or do to make her to believe him. “Yes, I’m a DEA agent. I was at the firm to gain information on the Chavez Cartel. When we discovered your identity, things changed. I was supposed to find out if you knew anything about Salazar. In the process, I fell in love with you.”

  She raised her eyebrows in disbelief. Brianna was about to say something when Matt raised his hands. “Let me finish.”

  “I’ll give you two minutes,” she said, crossing her arms.

  Matt moved closer to her. The only thing he could do was be honest, and that meant acknowledging his marriage. “I know you don’t trust me, and you have every right to hate me. But I’m not undercover now. It’s just me, Matt. Rene and I,” Brianna flinched when he said his wife’s name, “are getting a divorce.”

  Brianna shook her head. “You cheated on your wife.”

  Matt ignored her comment. “I only married Rene because she told me she was pregnant with my baby. After we married, she miscarried, and I discovered the baby wasn’t mine. I never loved Rene, and I shouldn’t have married her. I don’t want you to make the same mistake I did.” He took another step toward her.

  Brianna’s arms fell to her sides. For the first time, her face softened and her body relaxed.

  “If you come with me, I can protect you,” Matt whispered. “I swear.”

  “You have no idea what you’re dealing with.” Brianna shook her head. “You could never protect me.” She covered her face with her hands.

  “Bri, please.” Matt moved closer to her, pulling her hands from her face. He was about to say more when he heard someone enter the suite.

  All color drained from Brianna. “Please,” she said in a loud, clear voice, “let go of me, and leave me alone.”

  Matt released her hands.

  ***

  Dominic wasn’t sure what he walked in on. How the hell did Matt get in here? Where were Brianna’s bodyguards? Brianna went out onto the balcony while Matt turned to face him, a slow smile spreading across his face.

  “Why are you here?” Dominic demanded.

  “It’s none of your business,” Matt said, looking Dominic straight in the eyes.

  Dominic hated this cocky son of a bitch. “It is my business. As of tomorrow Brianna will be my wife. If the DEA has business with her, then they have business with me. Let me ask you again, why are you here?”

  “I offered her a deal,” Matt said matter-of-factly, shrugging his shoulders.

  Hopefully that was Matt’s only interest. “Pity you didn’t get any useful information while you were undercover for so long. What a waste of time. Or perhaps it’s because you’re searching for something that doesn’t exist.”

  “Trust me, it wasn’t a waste of time,” Matt grinned. “I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Bri. Every single time we made love. But I’m sure you already knew that.”

  Dominic could barely comprehend the words coming from Matt’s mouth. Using all of his strength to maintain his composure, Dominic replied, “Yes, she tells me everything. I would hardly call it making love, though, when you were lying to her the entire time. It’s borderline rape if you ask me.”

  “Call it what you want, but while you were working with Salazar, I was making love to Bri.” Matt had the nerve to laugh.

  Dominic envisioned his fist smashing into Matt’s mouth, shutting him up for good. He would love the chance to beat Matt’s ass to a pulp, but he had to keep his rage contained. Brianna had told Dominic that she briefly dated Matt, but she never said anything about them having sex.

  Glaring at Matt, the hatred continued to boil inside Dominic. All he had to do was pull out his gun, and with one small movement of his finger, Matt would be gone. But Dominic couldn’t do it. Not because it was immoral, but because Salazar wouldn’t want him to. He must remain calm and in control. He must make it appear that he was a simple businessman. Revenge would come, eventually.

  “Whatever you say, Matt. You can go now. Oh, and by the way, don’t interrupt us tomorrow. We have a beautiful wedding planned and a very special wedding night.” Dominic glanced toward the balcony. Brianna was still out there, watching something on the beach.

  “At least I didn’t force her into anything,” Matt said. The cocky look on Matt’s face vanished as his hands balled into fists. “She came to me crying because her father is forcing her to marry you. She told me that she had no way out and that she despises you.”

  Dominic was about to explode. “On second thought,” he said, “maybe you should come to our wedding tomorrow. You can hear her profess her love for me. You can see us kiss as husband and wife.”

  Matt’s eyes widened. “I don’t need to see the charade. You can pretend whatever you want.” Matt left the suite, slamming the door behind him.

  The door banged shut. Matt must’ve finally left, thank God. Brianna decided to stay put outside on the balcony rather than go in and confront Dominic. Something shattered inside the room. Yes, definitely safer out on the balcony. Obviously whatever Matt said to Dominic, it wasn’t good.

  But what about what Matt had said to her? Was Matt being honest when he said he loved her? Was it the truth or bait? What if, while he was doing his job, he really fell in love with her? What would she have done in his situation? After all, Brianna kept her own secrets from Matt. Maybe this just evened out the playing field.

  This was the first time she’d laid eyes on him since discovering his true identity. For the past couple of months, she tried to focus on Dominic and n
ot think of Matt. It was impossible—no matter how hard she tried. Even though she was still upset with Matt, Brianna no longer sought revenge. That was something Salazar did, and she wasn’t like Salazar.

  She was going to eventually have to face Dominic. Might as well get it over with. Brianna entered the suite and found him on the couch with his hands covering his face. The only sound was his even breathing. Sitting down beside him, Brianna put her hand on his arm and gently rubbed it.

  He brushed her off, stood up, and walked over to the open doors, his back to her. Staring out at the ocean, Dominic asked, “What did Matt say to you?” his voice was unnaturally deep and controlled.

  “He wanted to help me in exchange for information on my father.” She needed to be as honest as possible. Who knew what Matt revealed or what Salazar told Dominic?

  “Are you sure that’s it? You seem pretty . . . upset.”

  For some reason, this comment put Brianna on edge. She knew for a fact her emotions were under control. Maybe when Dominic first entered she was a little emotional, but she quickly concealed it. Dominic was obviously going somewhere with this, and she didn’t want to be caught off guard. She wished he’d turn around and look at her so she could read his face.

  “I’m mad that Matt was able to evade my bodyguards. I’ve had people protecting me my entire life and when I needed them, they weren’t there.”

  “Nice try. I don’t buy it.”

  Seriously? Dominic had never questioned her before. She felt like a child that had just been scolded for lying—and she wasn’t even lying. Brianna was simply trying to get a handle on the situation and keep the focus away from her and Matt. She changed her approach.

  “Okay, so I was a little thrown off. Wouldn’t you be? This man used me to get to my father. Then he has the audacity to seek me out right before my wedding and try to convince me not to go through with it. It took everything I had not to slap him across his face.”