Snake Eyes

by Melissa Pearl

  “Actually, I just need a minute to think about it.”

  Her shoulders drooped, confusion marring her pretty features.

  “I want to.” I raised my hands. “Like, it sounds amazing. I just want to check with Eric first.”

  “Okay, I get it.” She shrugged and reached for the door handle. “But trust me when I tell you, it’s going to be great. Eric’s in love with you. There’s no way Scott would have asked us to move in if Eric hadn’t been cool with it.”

  “Then why hasn’t he said anything?”

  “Maybe he’s waiting for Taco Tuesday.”

  Taco Tuesday—I grinned—my favorite night of the week. The little Mexican place Eric and I discovered over the summer basically knew us by name. We’d walk in and I could say, “The usual, please,” and they’d totally know what I was talking about. I’d always wanted to go to a place like that. Our discovery back in early June had been a little nugget of gold. We went as many Tuesday nights as we could and I was glad Eric wanted to keep the tradition going, even after college started.

  “Think about it, Caity. This could be the start of our best year ever.” Piper winked and swept out the door, her enthusiastic flurry of movements a testament to her pure excitement.

  I fell back onto the mattress, running my fingers into my hair.

  Did I like the idea of living with Eric?

  YES!

  Did I feel too young for something so monumental?

  Kind of.

  But was that really a big deal? I’d practically been living with Eric all summer anyway.

  So what was I so afraid of?

  I had no idea, but I did need to have an honest answer ready before I spoke to Eric.

  6

  Eric

  As per usual, the tacos had been delicious. I couldn’t get enough of those things. Rubbing my over-stuffed belly, I hid my grimace. I really needed to control myself better. I felt near sick from stuffing my face so full, but I’d been a little edgy. Caity had been quiet since I picked her up and I could only guess why.

  Because my guess was no doubt spot-on, I’d chickened out and not raised it, instead filling meal conversation with talk of school and the idea of a night surf on Thursday.

  Caity nodded sweetly at my chatter and filled me in on her own, but we’d danced around the big topic of conversation like two idiots. The worst thing was, we both knew we were doing it.

  The restaurant door eased shut behind us and we stepped into the night air. I gathered her fingers within mine and gave them a little squeeze, a chuckle escaping my lips before I could stop it.

  “What?” Caity glanced up at me, her blue eyes luminous under the street lamp.

  “We’re being idiots.” I stopped, pulling her against me and grinning down at that perfect face.

  “I know.” Her nose wrinkled. “I’m sorry. I guess I was waiting for you to bring it up. To be honest, I was kind of surprised Piper told me before you did.”

  “Yeah, well, Piper wasn’t supposed to say anything.” I sighed, letting her go and capturing her hand again. I gently pulled her along and we ambled toward my jeep. “I hadn’t told her not to; I just assumed she would leave it up to me.”

  “You assumed? With Piper?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know.” I rolled my eyes with a snicker.

  “So, you like the idea then?”

  “Of you guys moving in? Of course.” I nodded.

  Caity’s eyes narrowed at the corners and she stopped me under the next street lamp, holding my face and peering into it. My eyebrows rose and I stayed still as she read me, her expression melting to putty then washing with uncertainty.

  “Wow, you’re way cooler with this than I thought you’d be.” She bit the edge of her lip and let me go, stepping back and shoving her hands into the back pockets of her jeans.

  I frowned, assessing her and trying not to let my fears hinder the steadiness of my voice. “You don’t seem certain at all.”

  “I’m not.” She shrugged.

  Ouch. Okay, that hurt.

  I thought she’d be as excited as Piper. Damn, I wished that didn’t sting so bad.

  I lifted my chin and nodded, trying to be stoic.

  Scott and I had chatted about it after I got home last night, imagining how it would all play out. I’d been so pumped by the idea that by the time I went to bed, I couldn’t sleep. It took all my willpower not to text Caity at two in the morning and ask her if she was in. When I’d found out that Piper had already told her and Caity hadn’t even contacted me about it, deflated was the best word to describe my mood.

  Determined not to let my buried wounds trample over my common sense, I drew in a breath and stood strong. All I could do was trust she felt the same way about me as I did about her...which meant her deciding to move in or not had nothing to do with me.

  “Caity, just say it. Why don’t you want to move in?”

  Her sigh was short. “The thing is, I do. I really do, but I’m...” Her nose crinkled as she pursed her lips, fighting for the right words. “The truth is...I love this.” She pulled a hand from her pocket and pointed back and forth between us. “Like, a whole lotta love it, and I don’t want to ruin anything.” Her fingers ran into her hair and she grabbed two handfuls, looking at me with worried eyes. “What if you get sick of me? What if being together all the time makes us fight?”

  My lips broke into a grin. “We practically lived in each other’s pockets all summer and we had one small fight over where to eat dinner that night, remember? You weren’t feeling well and I was shitty about...something.”

  “It was your dad’s birthday,” she mumbled.

  I nodded, looking to the ground with a sheepish grin. “Maybe I should worry about you getting sick of me.”

  “That’s not possible.” She stepped into my space, running her hand up my chest and resting it on my collarbone.

  “Then how would it ever be possible for me to get sick of you?”

  Her face turned crimson, her big eyes looking adorable as she swallowed and shook her head with a shrug.

  I caressed her cheek with my thumb, lightly running the tips of my fingers over her soft skin. “I understand your reservations, but this could be really cool.”

  “I just don’t want anything to ruin what we have.” She shrugged. “I feel really young to be moving in with my boyfriend and even though you are the only guy I ever want to be with, it just...it feels huge and I can’t even explain why I’m hesitating.”

  “It’s okay to be nervous. I am, too, but I just know...you know?”

  She grinned.

  “I love you, Caity, and nothing is going to come between us. I won’t let it. ”

  Her smile was golden as she stretched up toward me. I met her lips with a soft kiss of promise.

  “I love you, too.” She pressed her forehead against mine.

  “Then move in. I promise we’ll keep the lines of communication open and you can totally read me, so I really don’t know what you’re worried about.”

  She giggled, closing her eyes and looking embarrassed by her fears.

  I kissed her nose, lightly squeezing her waist.

  “Okay,” she finally whispered.

  “Okay?” I held her back from me so I could see her face.

  “Yeah.” She nodded. “It’s gonna be great.”

  I snatched her into my arms and lifted her off the ground, spinning her in a circle. “It’s going to be more than great.” I kissed her neck. “It’s going to be epic.”

  Her body shook with laughter as she launched into the story of Piper’s big announcement. I placed her on the ground and wrapped my arms around her shoulders, leading her to the jeep.

  The tension between us had been decimated and we strode to the car with easy, relaxed steps, our free conversation leading into logistics for the weekend move.

  I couldn’t believe how excited I was. It was so not my style, but Caity...she was the one. I had absolutely nothing to doubt or fear. I was certain
we’d be together forever and couldn’t imagine anything getting in the way of that.

  7

  Caitlyn

  Since opening up to Eric, I felt free. My nerves scuttled into hiding and the idea of moving in with him and my friends had me soaring. Piper and I started packing on Wednesday, which gave us plenty of time to get organized before the boys turned up on Saturday morning to help us.

  I decided to let my parents know about the move after I’d moved in. I figured the money they put toward my dorm room could just as easily be transferred to rent. Piper had already checked it out and because we were leaving so early in the school year, we were entitled to a refund. With the rent being split amongst the four of us, it was actually going to be quite doable. The plan was falling into place perfectly, and Saturday morning couldn’t have come fast enough.

  Heading up the stairs, I walked toward my room, planning on fitting in an hour of concentrated study before Piper showed up and we could get on with a little more packing.

  Although I didn’t feel like studying, I was determined; I wanted the weekend to be schoolwork-free and that meant a little sacrifice now. I could do it.

  Swinging my door open, I dumped my books on the desk, unzipped my bag, looked at my bed and screamed.

  “What the hell!” I placed my hand on my chest, my heart ready to explode.

  The long, lean woman sitting on my bed snickered, tucking a lock of short, straight hair behind her ear before raising her sharp eyebrow at me. Everything about her was pointy and mean...just like I remembered.

  “Agent Kaplan, how did you get in here?” I sucked in another lungful of air, my heart rate toying with the idea of returning to normal.

  She uncrossed her long legs and leaned forward, gazing at me with those steely eyes of hers.

  “I can pick locks, sweetheart. Now sit down.” She flicked her head at my desk chair.

  I hesitated, running my fingers over the wood until her eyebrows rose and I couldn’t shrink away from her emphatic look fast enough. I lifted my bag off the chair, perching on the edge of it and trying not to be put off by the powerful woman.

  Wrenching off her mask didn’t help at all. This woman had no vulnerabilities. She was cold like steel, all the way through. I shoved her mask back into place, preferring the slightly milder version of what I was seeing.

  Kaplan gave a short nod, happy with my compliance before her eyes scanned the room. She lifted her chin at the box of books behind me. “You going somewhere?”

  “I’m moving in with some friends of mine.” I scratched my cheek, not wanting to say too much. “They live a few blocks from campus. A room’s just opened up, so...” I shrugged.

  Kaplan cleared her throat and leaned back, her eyes narrowing. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I need you living in the dorms.” She pointed to Piper’s bed. “Quite convenient that your feisty little roommate’s moving out, though.”

  My heart jerked to a stop, a tight anger pulling at my muscles. I gripped the seat of my chair. “You can’t tell me where to live. I’m going in two days.”

  “Caitlyn.” She sighed. “I need you for a job and in order for you to do that job well, I need you to stay in the dorms.”

  Clenching my jaw, I forced air in through my nose, worried I’d pass out if I didn’t. This could not be happening again.

  “I don’t work for the FBI,” I finally managed between locked teeth.

  “You will for this project. You’re the best fit for the job.”

  Damn it. She couldn’t assume I’d just jump at her beck and call. So I’d done one sting operation; that didn’t make me her employee!

  “I’m not staying here.” I swallowed, meeting her iron gaze.

  “Yes, you are and here’s why...” She reached behind her and grabbed a stack of manila folders. With a little flick, they landed on the desk beside me.

  Not wanting to look but knowing she wouldn’t leave unless I did, I flipped the top file open. Gazing back at me was the headshot of a beautiful girl with fine brown hair and a mousy grin, her big hazel eyes dancing. She looked in her mid-teens.

  “Who is this?”

  “Her name is Angela Redding, and she’s been missing for fourteen days.”

  I went still.

  Kaplan edged down my bed so she was sitting closer to me. “Look at the next file.”

  I pulled out the next one and flipped it open. A girl who looked slightly younger than Angela with light mocha skin and big brown eyes gazed at me. A luscious waterfall of ebony hair cascaded over her shoulder and the soft smile on her lips told me she was as sweet as pie.

  “That’s Rowena Murphy. She’s only thirteen years old and she went missing three weeks ago.” She reached across me and pointed to the rest of the files. “Natasha Burns, aged 12; Felicity Newman, 15; Serena Townsend, 13; Melanie Harper—”

  “Okay, stop.” I ran my finger down the stack, estimating at least ten files.

  I shuddered, closing my eyes and squeezing my temples.

  “They’re all missing, Caitlyn. All snatched away within the last three weeks, and I need to find them.”

  “Where do you think they are?”

  “We’re not sure, but I have a lead I want to follow. That’s where you fit in.”

  My head snapped up, bile surging in my throat. “Does your boss know about this?”

  “He’s given me permission to follow this lead, and I need an undercover girl who can get access to the man I want.”

  Fear coiled up my spine, wrapping invisible tentacles around each vertebrae. What the hell was she expecting me to do?

  “Who is he?” I managed.

  “His name is Diego Mendez. We’re pretty certain he has ties to the Mexican Cartel. We tried to pin him for drug trafficking a couple of years ago, but nothing stuck. Every time we go after this guy, he comes away clean. I need enough to get me a search warrant. If I can just get into his place, I know I’ll find something.”

  I swallowed at the venom in Kaplan’s voice. Pulling her mask free, I finally glimpsed something different. Her eyes were dark with unspoken agony... an old wound buried deep, maybe? Pure hatred for this guy was driving her on this one. She wanted him, bad...and this time around, the case had nothing to do with her one hundred percent success rate and everything to do with this man. I wondered what he’d done to her.

  “And how am I supposed to help you do that?”

  “His daughter starts UCLA this year. I need you to befriend her. That’s our in.”

  “I don’t—”

  “You have a special ability, Caitlyn,” she interrupted. “Don’t waste it. With your gift of sight, you could be the best damn undercover agent we’ve ever had.”

  I gave her an incredulous look. “I nearly screwed up your last operation.”

  “Your boyfriend nearly screwed it up. We got our guys thanks to you, and I need your help again.”

  “I’m only nineteen. I have absolutely no training. I can’t do an undercover operation for the FBI.”

  “Think of this as a one-off, ‘under the table’ type case. The only people who know you’re working it are me and my team. They’ve been sworn to secrecy. And as for training, your ability—”

  “I can’t do it!”

  “Caitlyn.” She sighed, her voice taking on a soft quality I wasn’t used to. “These girls...”

  “Are probably already dead. The news said it was a serial killer.”

  Kaplan pursed her lips, lifting her eyebrows with a nod. “The news is wrong. I don’t think they’re dead. I think they’re being sold.”

  My insides tried to lurch out of my throat. I clenched my jaw, swallowing the lump restricting my airwaves. “Human trafficking doesn’t exist in the States. That’s an Asia thing, isn’t it?”

  “Are you really that naive?”

  My face crumpled and I could feel the tears brewing.

  “They’re beautiful girls, Caitlyn, and there are
a bunch of sick men out there who want them.”

  I glanced up, catching that look again, that raging agony.

  “They need someone to follow this lead. They need someone to find them before they’re sold across the border and we’ve lost them for good.” She stood from my bed, straightening her jacket. “Right now, you’re the best chance they’ve got.” She placed a business card on my desk. “I’ll leave the files with you for twenty-four hours. Don’t show them to anyone. This is a private matter.” Clearing her throat, she walked to the door. “You have my number. I need your answer by tomorrow night.”

  With that, she flicked back the door and left.

  Shock immobilized me for a long time. It wasn’t until my phone dinged with a text that I finally jerked out of my stupor.

  It was Piper.

  Running late. Will be there in thirty to keep packing. Squee!

  I threw the phone on my bed, unable to reply. My eyes traveled back to the files. I’d have to hide them before Piper got back. Running my finger down the stack, I randomly pulled one free and flipped it open.

  My breath evaporated as I stared at the image of a stunning girl who looked similar to Eric’s little sister, Lacey. The very idea of her being taken and sold to some vile creature made me want to wail. Tears burned my eyes as I placed it on the top and pulled the stack into my arms. Hugging the files against me, I sniffed at my tears.

  What the hell was I supposed to do now?

  8

  Caitlyn

  Sleep was impossible. I tossed and turned until well after midnight, begging for sleep to capture me, but it didn’t play fair.

  I knew the right answer. I knew what I had to do and it seemed insane that I was fighting the decision, but I was, because I didn’t want to.

  Going along with Kaplan would hurt my friends. I’d have to lie, pretend, make up one excuse after another, not to mention be on full alert the whole time around this girl I was supposed to befriend.