by Jayn Wilde
I didn’t want to release her, but I knew I had to. Danika gave me one more lingering kiss before going into her bathroom. I heard the shower turn on, and as much as I anted to join her, I knew I wanted to take it slow with her. I threw on my shorts and went to my car to grab my duffel bag. I had always kept a stash of clean clothes in there. I figured I would shower as soon as Danika was done. I waited on her bed. My cell phone chirped, and still in a haze, I grabbed it, not thinking, and answered.
“Hello?”
“Derek”
Shit. It was Sergio.
“Be at my office in 30 minutes.” He hung up.
I looked over at the alarm clock next to Danika’s bed. It was almost 5 p.m. My three days were up. Fuming, I grabbed my duffel bag and headed to the other bathroom. I found a washcloth and towel and cleaned myself up and dressed in a clean tee and cargo shorts. I held on to the hope that maybe Sergio would insist I follow Danika. I still didn’t know what he wanted from her, but if I was close to her, I could keep her safe. The flip side scared me too much. He’d forbid me to ever see her again. My heart couldn’t take that.
By the time I was done, I only had ten minutes to get across town. Danika was still in the shower so I left her a note.
Danika,
My boss called me in to work. He didn’t give me much time to get there. I had an amazing time with you and will miss you every second I am away from you. I will call you later.
Yours,
Derek
I let myself out of her apartment quietly and headed to Sergio’s. I hoped for good news. I prayed for it. I just didn’t know if I was going to get it.
Chapter 6
“Ah, Derek, come on in,” Sergio sat behind his large oak desk, sipping on a cup of tea.
I walked over to the chairs in front of his desk and plopped down. My stomach knotted while I watched Sergio calmly flip through some papers on his desk. He pushed them aside and put his hands together and looked at me.
“I’ve considered your proposal Derek.”
Here it comes. I held my breath.
“I appreciate all that you have done for me with this girl, but my answer is no.”
My stomach dropped as the breath I was holding whooshed out of me. My heart raced and panic set in big time.
“Katia is flying in from New York. You remember Katia, right? Her gift is similar to yours. Anyway, she will be handling the girl from this point out. You, my friend, are headed to Vegas.”
“Katia? Vegas?” My voice was strangled.
Sergio tapped on his desk impatiently. One of his henchmen nervously eyed me while the other stared hard at me.
“Yes. You will go with Daniel and check on the Vegas operations. Your flight leaves in two hours.”
Sergio thrust a file across his desk, in my direction. Inside was a plain, typed list of businesses complete with address and contact name.
“Talk with each contact and make sure you get the truth out of them. There is money missing and I want to know who is cheating me. People that cheat me do not get away with it. I will contact you for a report in one week and I want answers.”
I looked over the information. A list of seemingly generic questions were typed out, such as “How much profit was made the last quarter?” and “Who is the top salesman?” All of the questions seemed legit, but I knew what Sergio wanted. He wanted them to think about the answers and then I was supposed to read their minds and relay back the unspoken words. As I studied the information, I realized the nervous-looking henchman had stepped over to me.
“I will take you to your place to grab your stuff and then we will head to the airport.” Must be Daniel. His voice was calm despite the fear in his eyes. I stared into them and read the truth.
Hope this kid doesn’t rat me out. Two years of undercover work will go down the drain and we’ll both end up six feet under in the desert.
I quickly glanced away. Daniel is an undercover cop or Fed. Now what? We’re both going to end up dead. I stood up, wanting a quick escape before Sergio picked up on my discomfort.
“Oh and Derek,” Sergio’s voice booms behind me. “Cut all ties with the girl now.”
I glanced back at him and gave him a quick nod. All the while, my heart slowly twisted in two.
Chapter 7
Danika
“Come on Dani, forget about him for one night. Please? It is your birthday and this party is going to have tons of hot guys.” Samantha continued to beg outside of the bathroom door.
I pulled my brush through my hair over and over, trying to get the curls to behave. I stopped and stared into the mirror. I couldn’t forget him. Not even for one night. Every time I looked at myself and saw the dark circles under my eyes, the way my cheeks and body had thinned out, I remember how he left me. Just disappeared.
My voice trembled, “I don’t know Sam, I really can’t think about other guys right now.”
“Look, you are eighteen now. You are a true adult. You don’t have to find a boyfriend tonight. Just maybe a guy that fits the “Mr. Right Now” scenario. Have some fun. Dance. Sing. Maybe have a drink and relax a little and have some fun.”
I yanked the bathroom door open and glared at Sam. Fun? Was she freaking serious? The past two weeks have been nothing but school, work, sleep and occasionally eating something. I just didn’t have the heart to have fun.
“I don’t want to go alone Dani. Just come, hang out and you can be my designated driver. You can meet some of the sorority sisters and see they’re not like the movies make them out to be. Come on, just a girl’s night out. Please?” Sam’s begging irritated me.
“Okay. Fine.” I shrugged and went to get dressed.
****
After much primping and fussing, Sam helped me look presentable. I wasn’t going to win any hearts tonight, that was for sure. I had gotten too skinny over the past two weeks and looked more like a crack addict than a vibrant eighteen year old. But I was only going for her. I slipped my cell phone in the back pocket of my black skinny jeans and headed for the door.
The party was in full swing when we got there. Sam parked down the block a bit and handed me her keys. The party was at a frat house and the whole area was full of drunks. Amazing how people could get so blasted before ten. I stepped around a kid puking in the street and around another two girls sitting on the curb smoking a joint. I guess they didn’t worry about the cops around here.
The frat house was huge. Once upon a time, I bet it was a beautiful Victorian. It had a beautiful wrap around porch which was probably white at one point with beautiful spindles in it. I was never good with architecture, but if you could imagine a beautiful old Victorian home with its rounded front and pointy sections of roof, you’d be pretty close for this house. I think it was a soft blue at one point, but the paint was faded and peeling that even with the bright porch lights, it was hard to tell. All I know is that it was a damn shame this house had gone to crap.
Inside was a whole different story. As Sam and I made our way through the crowd of gyrating college kids, I could see the inside had been painted, the floors were shiny, there was a huge plasma TV and gigantic stereo system in the living room. We finally made it into the kitchen, which also had the latest and newest appliances. Sam grabbed a beer from the keg and I found a bottle of soda in an open cooler. The music was so loud; Sam and I had to shout to be heard.
“Come on, let’s mingle.” Sam winked as she pulled me into the living room again.
All the guys seemed to notice as she came through this time. Sam flipped her long blonde hair over her bare shoulder. She looked like a supermodel in her fuchsia tank top and denim mini-skirt. Sam had on sky-high heels that made her taller than me and half the guys in the room. I glanced down at myself. Boring. Navy blue tank top, black skinny jeans and my usual white sneakers.
Sam noticed and said, “I wish you’d have let me lend you some of my clothes.”
“You know I am not comfortable in clothes like that.” I pointed at he
r feet. “And, I’d kill myself, or an innocent bystander, in shoes like that. I am tall enough already.”
One of the frat guys, Ben I think, came up and whispered in Sam’s ear. She nodded and glanced at me. I waved her away and plopped into a chair. Sam and the frat guy were bumping and grinding in the middle of thirty or so other college kids. She looked like she was having fun.
I pulled my cell out of my pocket and scrolled through the messages. Even though it had been two weeks, not a day didn’t go by when I didn’t read his last text to me. I replied, but he never wrote back or called or anything. If I wasn’t so confused, I’d be angry as hell at Derek.
Sorry. Have to go to Vegas for boss. Won’t be back anytime soon. Take Care. D
Really? We had such an amazing time together. He left me such a sweet note, but he up and disappeared while I was in the shower and then later that night, sent me that text? Why? Maybe I was fooling myself the whole time and he was just looking for some fun. Maybe once he realized I wasn’t going to go all the way, he decided to move on.
“Hey.” My thoughts were interrupted by a short guy with black hair and bloodshot grey eyes.
“Hey.” I politely replied, scanning the room for Sam.
“You here with someone?”
“Yeah.” I didn’t see Sam anymore. I didn’t see Ben either. I started to get nervous. “Excuse me, I need to go find them.”
“You blowing me off?” Now shorty has my attention because he was painfully grabbing my arm.
“Let go or lose it,” I warn him.
“Why not just come with me and we can have some fun?” Shorty wiggled his eyebrows and my stomach lurched.
“You only get two warnings, then I break your nose.” I yank my arm away from him, but he quickly grabbed at my shirt, just below my breast.
I swung around and elbowed Shorty in the face. The crack of his nose and his scream let me know I probably broke it. I warned him though. Why do guys have to push? I quickly walked away from him and toward the kitchen. I heard the scuffle in the other room and then Shorty left with his friends. No one seemed to notice I did it and if they did, they didn’t say anything.
To my relief, Sam found me in the kitchen. She was already tipsy, but seemed otherwise fine. There were a bunch of girls with her as she made her way over to me.
“Girls, this is my cousin, Dani,” Sam introduced me.
“Danny? Isn’t that a boy’s name?” The obvious leader of the pack, so to speak, looked down her nose at me and rolled her eyes as her groupies giggled.
“Danika,” Sam continued, “this is Chelsea. She’s a senior and President of our sorority.”
I fake a smile as I check out their President. Yep, just like in the movies. Perfection in a pair of stilettos also referred to as a “Barbie.” Perfect blonde hair, perfect tanned skin, small blue eyes with perfect make-up. She was my height, thanks to the bright red heels. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on her. As she noticed that I was sizing her up, something she was probably used to and highly anticipated, she stuck her chest out so I wouldn’t miss her “D”’s. I just sighed, wishing I was at home watching a movie with a bucket of ice cream.
Chelsea did the hair flip thing as she waved at her groupies.
“This is Brittany, Heather, Amber and Celeste. All sisters at Pi Delta Pi. Are you pledging?”
I saw the glint in her eye and suddenly felt like a gazelle being sized up by a lioness. They would eat me alive for sure. No way in hell.
“No.”
I didn’t make eye contact with Chelsea, but instead looked at the other girls. My eyes stopped on Celeste. She was shorter than the other girls and had on just a pair of skimmers. Her hair was short, golden-brown with blonde highlights. Her eyes were blue, like the ocean. She looked straight into my eyes and I suddenly felt lost in the blue of her eyes. It was like a trance, and then suddenly the blue was swirling within her irises and gradually the swirls danced around her face, all of her body and throughout the room. I couldn’t see anyone anymore, only Celeste.
The swirls changed to gentle waves in front of me. I felt my body sway as the waves grew stronger and stronger. I was having trouble breathing as I watched the waves came up around Celeste covering her waist, then moving up to her shoulders, all the while trapping me as well.
The water was turning into a deep, dark grey blue as it crept higher around us. Celeste was suddenly neck deep in the water. Her eyes never left mine, staring blankly in my own. I tried to speak, but couldn’t. I tried to reach for her, but my hand was trapped at my side. The water came up over her face and then, Celeste was gone and the beautiful blue ocean around us turned crimson. The entire room was washed in blood red waves. I looked around, but saw nothing but an ocean of red. Celeste was gone and my body felt heavy as I tried to tread water, but I was just too tired. I just stopped and slipped under into the darkness.
Derek
I shifted in the seat again. I hated to fly and being in coach wasn’t making me feel any more at ease. I looked over at my traveling buddy and smirked. He was a big guy, probably ex-Marine, and he looked more uncomfortable then me. I wasn’t a small guy, but Daniel definitely had me by a good thirty pounds of muscle.
“Two years, eh?” I finally felt safe enough to bring the topic up.
“Shit. You knew?”
“You told me.”
“What?”
“You know why Sergio uses me? Well, it’s because I can read people’s thoughts. And, you were screaming them at me, back at the office.”
“How the hell…?”
“When a person is nervous, excited, angry and so on, their thoughts are magnified and projected. Like, instead of simply yelling at me, you are shouting through a bull horn, while you are standing next to my ear. Those thoughts I don’t need to focus too hard to read.”
A string of curses slipped out of Daniel’s mouth too low to hear. “So, now what?”
“Look, I don’t want to do this crap anymore. I don’t like being used. I don’t like that he sent me away from the girl I love.” I stopped, realizing what I had just said out loud. “I just want out. Can we help each other here?”
“When we land, I need to make some calls. Let me see what I can do. Can you tell me anything that would help?” He held up his hand. “Not here and now, but if I need intel?”
“I don’t know because he never tells me much. Just enough to do what I’ve got to do. In fact, he wants my girl for something and I don’t know what it is, but I am worried for her.”
“Can you read his thoughts?” Daniel looked at me hopeful.
“Not much. He knows how it works for me and purposely uses my weaknesses to block me out.”
“Weaknesses?”
“Yeah, like when a person isn’t shouting their thoughts at me, then I need to really focus. I need quiet and some time to connect with their energy. He always has music going or some other noise and he rarely gets emotionally charged when I am around.”
“Okay. So what does your girlfriend do?”
“I think she can see the future, in a way. Like she can see something bad before it happens to somebody, but it’s not very detailed.”
“I know you don’t know for sure, but what are some thoughts you have about why he would want her?”
“Maybe to predict if someone will attack him or betray him. But, her gift is very unrefined, so he doesn’t know much more than I do at this point.”
“Hmmmm…” Daniel rubbed his hand on his chin. “Well, let’s see what happens over the next few days.”
I nodded at Daniel, then turned to look out the window. It was a terrible view, but I needed to clear my head. I missed Danika already. It had only been a few hours since we were together, but knowing Sergio wouldn’t allow me to see her again brought a lump to my throat. I pulled out my cell phone and went to my photo album. I had snuck a fast pic of her while she was sleeping last night. I didn’t want to ever forget how beautiful and peaceful she looked.
My groin
twitched at the memories of our time together. It was short, but hot and exciting. I’d felt things I never knew were possible. Could I really love her after such a short time? I knew it seemed unlikely, but I also couldn’t explain the magic between us. There was a connection, a bond that you simply cannot find outside of love.
My phone suddenly vibrated in my hand. It was a text from Danika. I didn’t even realize I could get a message on the plane but was happy to hear from her. Then, I remembered Sergio’s words…cut all ties now…I typed out a short reply to Dani and after staring at it for awhile, I finally hit the ‘send’ button. Once it was sent, I turned off my phone and shut my eyes. I felt the tears but I couldn’t allow them. It was for the best. At least for now.
****
“Dan, what else can we do?” I was getting more pissed off every day that went by.
“Look, my department is looking into what we’ve given them. We are probably safer here in L.A.”
“It’s been almost three weeks now. After Vegas and Denver, we’re now in LA with nowhere to go but home.”
“Kid, I know this is hard for you. Like I said, after we finished in Vegas, things went crazy back home. Those guys were trying to kill Sergio and now there’s even more heat then before.”
“I wish they’d done it.”
“I know. That would be easier in some ways, but kid, he’s got connections and if he gets killed, other people will just take over. It will be like he never left.”
“And if you arrest him, won’t the same thing happen?”
“Yes and no.” Dan scratched his head. “See, if we can throw him in jail, we can freeze all of his assets, close down his businesses, seize everything he’s got and his connections will disappear into their own rat holes. We’d like to get his connections too, and if he’s alive, there’s a better shot at that. But, if he is killed, it will all continue on, just under new management.”