by Shady Grace
“I guess this is your go-to spot when you’re in the city?”
Jack nodded and glanced around the room. “Zamira and I go way back. She’s a tough old broad. One of the few I actually trust.”
The woman in question stood behind the bar fixing their drinks. When her husband made a comment she didn’t like, Zamira reached over and gave him a good smack across the face. Jamie’s eyes widened and her jaw almost hit the table before she quickly turned her attention back to Jack. “I wouldn’t want to be on the other end of that woman’s temper.”
He chuckled softly. “Neither would I. Poor Luis is half her size but he loves her. And mark my words, if anyone else treated him unfairly—well then there’d be hell to pay.”
“But it’s okay for her to just hit him like that?”
Jack’s mouth tipped up at the corner. “It may seem like a cruel punishment, but I promise that he deserved it. He can be pretty vulgar when he’s loaded.”
Zamira finished up and wandered over with their drinks. “Here you go, lovies.”
Jamie almost moaned aloud as she took the first tantalizing sip. “Oh my God, that’s good. I’ve never tasted such a perfect cocktail.”
Zamira’s smile could shame the sun. “Only the best for my boy and his lady love.”
Jamie blinked hard and darted a sharp glance at Jack, who simply shrugged. “I’m not his lady love.” Her entire face heated as she tripped over the words, “Just a…an acquaintance.”
“Pfft.” Zamira clucked her tongue and shook her finger. “I know what I see, and my boy don’t mess with no puta.” As the old woman sauntered away, Jamie didn’t know what to make of that. She hardly knew Jack, and even though she could kill to learn the woman’s recipe for that mojito, now she felt put on the spot by being here with him.
Jack looked at her seriously. “So tell me how you managed to get a free vacation. A week in Havana isn’t cheap, even at this time of year.”
“What do you mean?”
“We’re in the middle of hurricane season as you discovered yesterday. Not as many tourists around this time of year especially in the old town. Seems strange your friend would book a trip right now.”
Right to the matter at hand. Jamie did her best to appear casual as she thought of what to say. They were just a couple of strangers having a drink, having met once before, who happened to have sex last night. And, there was a little matter of why she was here. “Well, my friend owed me some money and she thought giving me her vacation might lighten my mood. I have no idea why she booked the trip now, but it’s gorgeous here. I’ve never been anywhere tropical. Hell, I’ve never left Canada before.”
He chuckled, apparently content with her answer. “So what are your plans for tonight?”
Jamie shrugged, but the loaded question made her nervous. “I don’t have any solid plans for tonight. Maybe find a nice place to eat.”
“I know a few good places. I could make a few phone calls and get that set up. How about we have dinner together?”
Thankfully she managed to hide her immediate reaction to his question. She couldn’t go out for dinner with him when she had a meeting at 5 p.m. “Uh…maybe that’s a little too soon—”
He chuckled. “Too soon for what? Considering what happened last night, wouldn’t dinner be expected, or was I just entertainment for you last night?”
Jamie’s eyes widened and she almost choked on her drink. “Of course not. Is that what you really think?”
He shrugged and leaned back in his seat, hooked his arm over the backrest. The wolf expression on his face wasn’t mistaken. “What would you like me to think?”
Jamie’s heart hammered. She turned her attention to the view outside the dirty window, suddenly wishing she was somewhere else—like safely locked up in her room, alone, with her rubber dick. At least dildos didn’t corner women and make them feel as if they’d taken a wrong turn somewhere, or overstepped their boundaries. Why am I acting so strange? “I’m sorry. Maybe I should leave—” Jamie cleared her throat and started to slide out from the booth, feeling more confused than ever, when Jack caught her forearm, halting her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Please…stay.”
She released a frustrated breath and remained in her seat. “Okay. Just be aware that I came here for a vacation—not an interrogation.”
There was something strange about the way he was looking at her, as if he couldn’t figure her out, or maybe he wanted to ask something he shouldn’t. “You’re right.” He smiled and it made her nervousness over his behavior settle down a minor degree. “If all goes as planned, I’ll be retired after my meeting tonight.”
“Retired already, and you’re not even forty yet?” She blinked hard. Hearing those words from his mouth, when she’d busted her ass all of her life for a measly income, sounded wrong. How could someone retire at a young age without having to do some shady things? But then again, maybe she shouldn’t believe him anyway. Her back stiffened and she itched to push her hair over her ear even though it wasn’t in her face. She wasn’t that much of an idiot not to suspect that his job had a lot more to do than retail, and that a name like Jack Daniels didn’t seem right. “I guess congrats are in order.” She lifted her glass and they clinked them together.
“Care to celebrate with me tonight?”
Perhaps it was time they part ways, for her peace of mind at least. She needed to be on her game this evening so the exchange happened without any hiccups. Besides, she couldn’t let anything, or anyone, prevent her from seeing this mission to the end.
She sipped the last of her drink and smiled at him. “Thank you for the help today, and for the drink, Jack, but I should get going. Maybe tomorrow we’ll have that retirement drink.”
The challenging gleam in his eyes and curve of his sinful lips could’ve belonged to a snake. “Sure. Why not?”
Jamie smoothed the back of her dress and pushed out of the booth. Her hands shook and her throat felt tight as she walked toward the door. Before she touched the handle, she glanced over her shoulder. “Take care, Jack.”
She couldn’t help thinking that a man like him could probably charm a bull moose to shed its antlers. He might do more harm than good to a simple woman such as herself. As much as she felt an exhilarating attraction to him, she was afraid what consequences would come if she slept with him again. Could she handle a fly-by-night affair while on vacation and walk away unharmed?
“Jamie, wait.”
She waited at the door with bated breath. Every hair on her body tingled as Jack slid out of the booth and strolled up to her like a man who owned the world. For the life of her she couldn’t walk out the door. He may as well have thrown a line and hooked her damned soul. He was less than a foot away now, just like that night on the dock when he leaned in to kiss her. In the distance, standing behind the bar counter, she saw Zamira watching them intently, as if she knew something that they didn’t. The lone man was also watching them. This made Jamie even more leery of being here.
“I have to admit, I’m having a hard time letting you walk away.”
The look in his eyes almost made her cave. Maybe he was just a man who lived a solitary life, just like she was a lone woman who was almost virginal before he took her last night. He’d thoroughly cleared away the cobwebs in her panties.
That still didn’t make her any less nervous.
“I’m not going home yet, Jack.”
“I know. But something tells me this might be it…for us.” He seemed nervous all of a sudden. “Last night was….”
“Last night was incredible.” There. She said it, and she didn’t blush.
His sudden smile made her feel all giddy inside. “Spend the night with me. You know you want to.”
Something hot and funny flipped inside her stomach. She released a deep breath. “I’ll think about it.” And she left the bar before she changed her mind, realizing without a doubt that Jack Daniel
s wasn’t who he seemed to be.
* * * *
At precisely 4:50 that afternoon, Jamie exited the hotel, wearing a bright red dress and red sandals. In her right hand she carried the briefcase. She had no idea what documents were locked inside, but she knew they were important. Her body trembled as she headed down the street toward the outdoor café. Every breath she took seemed to take effort. Monty had said the woman running the show wanted to remain anonymous, and this knowledge made Jamie so nervous she felt sick to her stomach. Why go to all this trouble over some documents, unless they were highly classified?
Wrapped around her left shoulder was her purse, and tucked under her arm was a particular book which was the key to the exchange.
It didn’t matter that she wore the red dress or the red sandals, or even that she carried a briefcase. Any woman could show up wearing red, but who else would carry around a book about crocheting? At first she thought the idea to be completely ridiculous, but then again, this whole situation was insane.
The man would be watching her from one of the shops along the street, making sure she didn’t try to pull any tricks. At exactly 5 p.m. if he didn’t see a woman wearing red, and with that book on the table, there was no deal. If all went smoothly, he would simply walk up to her table, say hello, and ask if she had learned a new pattern. They would exchange one briefcase for another then go their separate ways. Once that was complete, then Jamie would wait for instructions to deliver the second briefcase before her departure in two days.
Jamie was determined not to screw this up. Then maybe, if Jack didn’t get all weird on her, then she’d go for that celebratory drink.
It took her less than five minutes to walk to the café. She was already there waiting four minutes early. So far the mission had gone smoothly, thanks to her punctuality. Not once had she ever been late for work, she certainly wasn’t going to be late for her final payment.
She found a table away from a populated section and discretely scanned the crowd. A few tables over she smiled at an elderly lady clad in a bright purple and red dress with matching sun hat. A moment later a few other brightly dressed women joined her for tea. As they mingled and laughed, Jamie focused on the other people at various tables. A man who looked close to her age sat alone, puffing on a fat cigar. Everywhere she looked, people mingled and smiled and enjoyed the beautiful day. Old cars whizzed by. Bicycles and horse-drawn carriages veered around pedestrians while stray dogs darted back and forth searching for scraps.
As five o’clock passed with no visit from her contact, she began to worry. As the seconds and then minutes ticked by, she constantly checked her watch. When a waiter came to the table, she quickly shooed him away to make sure the contact hadn’t noticed and changed his mind. As patrons left their tables and new arrivals took their seat, panic set in. Her heart hammered and her active imagination envisioned all the scenarios of what could go wrong. She scanned the vicinity for any man who carried a briefcase.
After an hour passed, Jamie became suspicious that maybe this was some kind of setup. People were looking at her now, maybe wondering why she was alone, without a drink or a meal in front of her. She called the waiter over and ordered a double margarita and pounded it back. The minutes ticked by, and then two hours passed. No man with a briefcase showed up.
By 7 p.m. and three double margaritas later, her vision began to blur. She no longer cared if the man showed up because she was probably screwed anyway. She was completely on her own in a foreign country with a briefcase containing documents she knew nothing about. There could be a million bucks in the briefcase, or a stash of heroin for all she knew. Terrified was an understatement. Yes, she had been desperate for money. Yes, she was willing to take on this crazy mission. But she did not agree to be somebody’s lapdog. Anger, resentment, and fear set in as the sun made its slow descent over the rooftops.
It was at that moment that a shadow blocked the fading sunlight over her table. She glanced up and found a handsome, clean-cut man looking down at the book, with an odd expression on his face. His dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and he was dressed well in a button-down shirt and crisp slacks. His powerful cologne wafted over her as if he’d just doused himself only a moment before. Jamie immediately sat straighter and composed herself. She noted he wore some type of man purse on his shoulder. Perhaps this was the fashion for men in Cuba. Maybe that was his version of a briefcase—she couldn’t be certain. Either way, he was looking at the crochet book.
“Can I help you?” She watched his face carefully. This must be him.
His dark eyes shifted from the book to her, and he smiled. “What is croch-e-ting?”
She almost laughed out loud by how he pronounced the word in his thick Spanish accent, but there was a problem. He was supposed to ask if she had learned a new pattern—not what the book was about.
“Um…it’s basically knitting.” She moved her hands in a motion that she hoped answered his question.
“Ah. Yes.” He smiled and indicated the empty seat at her table. “May I?”
Jamie looked around as her heart leapt into her throat. Breathe. This wasn’t the deal. “Perhaps you’d like to go somewhere else?” Somehow she managed to sound breathless as she said the words, although she was only terrified of screwing up the mission. It could very well be him and he was just making sure she played her part.
His gaze widened as well as his smile. “It would be my pleasure. Please….” He offered his hand and Jamie reluctantly accepted. Something told her to wait, to make the deal right here, but she couldn’t fail. She had to go through with it. Stay strong. You can do this. You’re not a girl fresh out of high school.
“Do you have it?” she pressed on, darting a glance behind her to make sure nobody followed.
His dark brows furrowed before he smiled and nodded. “I have everything you want, Bella.”
Jamie allowed him to lead her to the next street where she guessed they would make the exchange around the corner. Perhaps it was best to be away from prying eyes, as well as the authorities, just in case the contents of the briefcase could get her arrested. From what she’d heard, Cuban prisons were far from accommodating.
They walked down two streets and finally entered a narrow alley with buildings that had yet to be renovated. It looked like a shady place to be conducting business, and when they rounded a corner and ended up in what looked like somebody’s hideout, Jamie realized her mistake. She halted and took a step back. A cold dread gripped her.
“I think there’s been a mistake.”
“No. No, Bella,” he urged and tried to grab her arm.
Jamie yanked her arm back, held the briefcase tight to her chest, and quickly turned around to head to a safe place. Perhaps a bar with people. Anywhere but here, and definitely not back to her table in case the real contact was waiting, and pissed that she’d screwed-up.
The man grabbed her arm, gripping hard, and spun her around. Before she could correct her footing, he grabbed her shoulders and shoved her against the wall.
Jamie dropped the briefcase and shoved against his chest. “Don’t touch me!”
He pushed her back again and curled his fingers around the strap of her dress. The stifling scent of his strong cologne and the sickening odor of his putrid breath made her want to puke.
“How much, Bella?”
Disgusted, she shoved him hard and tried to break away, but he grabbed her by the neck. Stunned, Jamie’s eyes widened. All the breath departed her lungs as she collided against the stone wall. She cried out in shock and terror as he pinned her against the wall with his forearm and roughly palmed her breast with his free hand. Jamie felt degraded, sick to her stomach, and helpless as he tried to break her willpower. She struggled as hard as she could, refusing to be a victim, but the weight against her neck held her to the spot. She choked on every sharp breath. Then he reached down, grabbing the hem of her skirt, and when his fingernails scraped along her thigh, survival mod
e kicked in.
She stamped her heel down onto his foot. He stumbled back with a loud grunt of pain, shifting his weight to the other leg. With all her might, she balled her fist and punched him right in the eye. While he was disoriented, Jamie grabbed the briefcase and made a mad dash farther into the alley.
“Puta!” he shouted behind her, then released a sharp whistle.
Running as fast as she could in heels, she glanced over her shoulder to find him and another guy giving chase. Not only did she make the mistake of walking off with this obvious hustler, now he had a partner, and she was heading further into the unknown.
She barreled around a corner and quickly took another turn into an alley barely wide enough for a person to walk through. Jamie pressed her back against the wall, hidden within the shadows and waited for them to pass. Once she knew they were gone then she could retreat back to the populated streets where she would be safer.
But as luck never worked in her favor, the first man moved into the opening at the beginning of the alley. He stood there panting, staring at her with savage victory in his eyes. Jamie suddenly knew that it didn’t matter where she ran. She was in their domain. At their mercy. Tears filled her eyes when she realized, without a doubt, that she was hopeless. They would rape her, maybe even kill her. The deadly look in his dark eyes made her think it could be both. But she wouldn’t just stand there like a helpless woman and let them force her body against her will. Not while she had breath left in her lungs and enough gall to kick them where it hurts.
While he still stood a safe distance away, her first instinct was to reason with him. “Please,” she said, trying to maintain a steady, calm voice. “Just let me go. I won’t say anything.”
He tipped his head back and let out a throaty laugh. Her breath hitched and her stomach lurched with a sickening dread. The handsome man who’d approached her table only a moment before had turned into an ugly beast. He knew he had the upper hand. Despite her fear, she set the briefcase down beside her, balled her fists and took a protective stance. She wasn’t going down without a hard fight.