by Sienna Evans
“Naila reached out to you, didn’t she?” She flipped the switch that quickly. “I mean, seriously, Greyson. You’re here for a job. Hell, your life is a job.”
“You think I don’t know that?” I didn’t need her reminding me every second that I lived for one specific purpose. There was no fake name with these men... no hidden backgrounds or any of that stuff. This life I now lived was me—100%. It had to be, otherwise, everyone I cherished would be done for.
“I’m glad we got that straightened out.” She pulled near, this time, lifting her hands to the sky and making it clear that she wouldn’t touch me. “You can’t keep rejecting Naila. Whatever it takes to get in with these people, you better make it happen. If it means screwing her, then yeah...”
“That’s how the government works now?”
“I thought you knew...” She went to moved on me, but didn’t follow through. She gave a toothy smile then added, “We’re above the government.”
“Never doubted it, but there’s a limit and someday, you are going to cross the wrong person.” I stepped forward; she had to back up...quickly. We’d drifted close to a nearby alley. The voices were at a minimum here. I was certain no one had us on their radar, and Emma never recorded out meet ups. She was cunning and knew how to control situations. At some point, I would change every thing for good.
—
I followed Naila towards her study, as she referred to it. I couldn’t get over how pretentious she behaved. Everything about her seemed made up. We approached a thick, oversized door with golden handles. I tried to be a gentleman and take the handle, but she wouldn’t let it go. Her gaze led into the room. I shrugged and stepped inside. She shut and locked up behind us.
“Please, have a seat at the desk.” She poured two glasses of a honey-colored liquid, sauntered over to the desk, handed me a glass and tipped at the edge of the desk while twirling her own. That move, on the desk, had me imagining Celeste.
Celeste was always on my mind, even before we’d gotten together, but now I found myself thinking more and more about us, even when the conversation or focus had nothing to do with her. I needed to shake this habit, especially when I was working. Since I’ve been walking the line, I’ve never gotten caught out there because I always threw myself into the work.
So, for now, back to Naila. She tried to project an air of innocence with a seductive glare fixed on various areas of my body, even when she kept licking her fuchsia infused lips and purposely making eye contact in the process. Her skin had a bit of a tint, but there wasn’t a clear feature that provided her true heritage. Not to mention, the name Naila Sanchez was a cross between Indian and Hispanic.
The room was lit by a dim kind of light. Almost too cozy. She had on a navy-blue skirt with matching stilettos and a loose cream silk blouse. The two top buttons weren’t hooked. She reached up and subtly undid another.
“Cozy?” Nothing was more of a turn off than a desperate woman.
Other than a few light giggles, she didn’t seem bothered by my observation.
“You have a habit of inviting me over during non-business hours.”
For such a tiny woman, she behaved like her words and actions trumped everyone else’s. “I’m a woman of few words. I know what I’m capable of. I need to see what you can do for me.”
“As in what exactly?” I wasn’t feeling what she was putting out. “Brendan showed me the... merchandise.” Yeah, the abducted girls they had doped up.
“Call it what you will, but I need to know who I’m getting in bed with.” Naila eased off her five-inch Manolo Blahniks. Her true height barely reached five-five. She then strolled over to a leather loveseat. The room was a thick shade of brandy-brown, representing a man’s space. This was her way of asserting power over everyone - male or female.
“Brendan told me you had a past after the Cohen incident, but I noticed you stayed under the radar. What exactly have you been into?”
“I don’t—”
“Okay, give it time. Let’s have a couple of drinks and get acquainted. C’mon, we’re looking at a lucrative future together, but at some point, you’ll need to open up.”
“I work on a need to know basis, Naila.”
She clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth and smiled. With that, she undid one more button and rolled her eyes playfully. “You seem rough around the edges. Do you have a woman, Greyson or several women?”
“I don’t mix business with pleasure.” I was purposely curt. I had no reason to make her feel comfortable around me. This was the second time she’d invited me over to discuss business. Her business was about the business between my legs.
“Greyson, I find pleasure in all that I do. I’m a woman with an appetite for danger. Do you think I got into law enforcement for the obvious reasons?”
Naila was a seemingly demure woman with a dark and questionable side. She thrived off of danger. We made it through several glasses of brandy in silence as her questions hung in the air.
“I don’t typically drink this much, but I feel like I’ve known you forever,” she slurred. I had a feeling it was intentional.
“You’ll need to sleep it off.” I glanced at my watch. Eight-forty-nine. “I need to head out.”
“Don’t you want me?” she offered, and then started undoing her bun and allowing tight coils to flow down. “Don’t tell me you don’t.”
I emptied the glass and placed it on the desk. There was something more to this. Who just offered up themselves like this?
“Stand up,” I demanded.
She obeyed.
“You just need to sleep it off.”
“No, I need you.” She giggled.
I couldn’t help but take a pause and walk around the office. This had to be some kind of joke.
Naila gripped her collar and moved her hands down the sides of the blouse. She feels her way to where she’d unbuttoned and ripped the rest apart. Buttons popped and flew around the room. Her breath hitched. For someone so petite, she had these incredibly full breasts, covered by a thin white bra that hooked in the front.
I was ready to turn and walk out.
“What did Brendan tell you about me?” I was curious about her angle. They say drunk men don’t lie. Furthermore, she was a big deal in all this, and I couldn’t believe this was seriously happening.
“Brendan told me to do whatever it took to please you.”
“We’re talking about a job here, right?”
“For starters...”
“But you don’t know me, Naila.”
“Can you let me get to know you?”
“Is this how you treat everyone in this game?”
“Never. I’m a professional...” she tailed off, taking my hand and placing it inside her bra. I had options - do the job I was paid to or do what I knew was right.
“You’re contracting my services to help you guys move merchandise to exclusive, foreign customers.” Perhaps my gamble would pay off. Maybe not, but I couldn’t do her and then go home to Celeste, pretending like I was dedicated to her. If I kept Naila talking and showed that I was partially interested, could that be enough?
“Screw those little whores!” she lashed out.
“But that’s your business, isn’t it?” I reached out to her, running my thumb across her lips. She slurped it between her teeth, and then began nibbling. “I want to do right by you.” With my free hand, I reached up and wrapped my fingers around her neck.
“Ahhh, yeah...”
“I need you to tell me how I can do right by you. I’m not just talking about right now—”
“That’s all I care about, Greyson. Right now!”
For years, I’d waited for an empty life to get meaning. In the past, I’ve been able to do whatever it took to make things happen. That sense of not giving a damn went hand and hand with a life without meaning or purpose.
But now... I got up, unlocked the door and left without looking back or muttering a single word. Naila called out my name once.
Emma came to mind, along with her demands. After pausing for two seconds, I stepped over the threshold and into the crisp air. I only played a man with principles, though I didn’t need to be one.
And then the lights dimmed, while a sharp pain traveled from the back of my head. I crumbled to the ground, with a strong desire of reaching Celeste burning in my chest.
Celeste
“It’s not happening, Brendan!” I paced back and forth, on the opposite end of the door after he had forced me back inside. Brendan Michaels would never have me; I swore under my breath. No one could convince me otherwise.
“Never say never.”
“Within the space of a few weeks, I’ve fallen—in love.” Honestly, love had always been on the table with Greyson. “I became a fighter, got twisted with these Russians and come face to face with Quinn’s death. You’re not a part of the equation, Brendan.”
“You think this is up for debate?”
“You’re into raping—”
“Shut up!” Brendan yelled like my words her cut deep. “You think you’re high and mighty, judging anyone that doesn’t live up to your standards. You’re lucky I didn’t tell anyone about the iPad.”
“Tell them what? About a broken iPad, Brendan.” I laughed, though only on the outside. The only thing I could be sure about was that he probably did take it and show it to my family. If he had, he’d have twisted everything around. If he had, my uncle would’ve showed up instead of Brendan. “You’re the worst—”
“How does he get a pass? What about me?”
“Are you serious? You have no heart! You’re totally screwed up and...” How could he expect me to want to be a part of his life? To lie down and offer up myself to a jerk I’ve never felt anything for... I might’ve been in love with a man with a shattered past, but he had skeletons no one might ever imagine. “You’re not Greyson. You couldn’t walk in his shoes for one day!”
“I won’t have you speaking to me like this.” Darkness flooded his pupils; it was the type of insanity that to make you fear living.
I spun in place, hoping some secret path would lead me away from this madness. When it didn’t, I ran back to the door and threw it open. Obviously, the one of him men was blocking my path, so I screamed out, “Help! Help!”
They grabbed me from both ends. I kicked and screamed, even threw a few punches. On top of it all, I cried. Greyson was supposed to be here by now. If he was here, this wouldn’t be happening. He would’ve kicked their asses and put this shit to rest.
“Let me go,” I begged in a voice not much higher than a whisper.
“Where are you going?” His words are pained. The whites of his eyes were faded over in red. Imagine that, Brendan was like a tortured soul. He was straddled across me, while another guy blocked my path. And he was the tortured soul. “Greyson’s not coming for you.”
His words dug in because as much as I believed Greyson loved me, he hadn’t come to save me from Brendan. I didn’t respond, instead I tried to maneuver away, anywhere. It felt like a million tiny ants were crawling all over me. But fighting wouldn’t allow me to break free, neither begging nor crying. I considered a diplomatic approach. Perhaps, I could reason through things, but I wasn’t sure I knew where to begin. And in order to be successful, I needed to clear my mind. This wasn’t about Greyson; this was about me learning to defend myself against the type of men I was preparing to work with. This was a preface of what my life had in store, especially where Brendan and his associates were concerned. “Brendan, I—” I turned around in time to see a black object in his hands.
“I don’t want to kill you, Celeste, but you and Greyson are all wrong for each other.” He cocked the gun. Tears filled his eyes. His emotions bubbled from his gut. I’d never seen him shed a single tear, never. I was dumbfounded.
“You don’t have to kill me, Brendan. When did you decide you wanted me? Is this all because of Greyson? I can’t imagine you’re in your feelings because of me. My connection with Greyson has always been there. You, on the other hand, have always been like a brother to me.” It’s not that I wanted to make light of things; I only need him to see that there was never going to be an us. “How can you expect me to be with you when I’m already his? Don’t you believe in some kind of code?”
“Brothers? You think I care about Greyson being my brother?” This time, Brendan stepped off. He waved for the guy to shut the door, and then added, “Police business, if anyone comes looking.”
“I know about the Cohens,” I stated defiantly. “And the part you played in that mess.” There was no way to resist. We were here and I wasn’t about to get out of his reach, so if I kept the words flowing, I might be able to shift the outcome.
“There’s no right or wrong when survival is the goal, everything is fair game.”
“You screw up your brother’s life and get mixed up with the Russians. Now you want to talk about survival and fair game.” I hoped to get some kind of reaction. Brendan didn’t flinch. Instead, he wore the same tired smirk and arrogant aura I’d started getting accustomed to.
“You think I care about how things look to you? Celeste, do you even know who I am?”
“You’re a self-righteous ass,” I mumbled.
“And don’t you ever forget it.” With those words, he lunged for me. His right hand gripped the back of my neck, and he pulled me into him. I swung with all I had within me. Some connected others blew past in the wind. God knows, I tried.
“Brendan... Brendan...” I gasped.
He paused, moving his hand up the back of my neck into my hair. His fingers massaged around in a circular motion. My eyes burned like hell. This slippery slope, now known as life, seemed bound for doom. And now this. I’d started to believe that the Russians were my biggest problem, but never suspected Brendan could be.
His lips crashed down onto mine. The taste was a type of stale liquor. His tongue darted between my lips, but I locked my teeth shut.
“I can make you mine, CeCe. You can learn to love me.” He grunted and began biting hard at my cheeks, my chin and my neck.
This was beyond my limits. I’d fought hard enough. Even held out hope for Greyson. No one came, not even the man who’d promised to love and protect me, in spite of my claims to not needing his protection.
“What are you going to do with me, Brendan?” I sobbed out the words. Pockets of air filtered through my cries.
“Wouldn’t you like to know...”
“I would. That’s why I’m asking.”
Brendan stopped shifting around like he was restless. His pupils formed a far-off glare.
“Brendan, you didn’t grow up with this kind of crap. You’re working with some of the most heartless men around, doing anything you please. You’ve given them an out for their crimes. These are stone cold criminals that have perhaps gone on to kill. I can imagine how you’ve probably falsified documents and forged paperwork for the sake of your connections.”
“What do you expect me to say, Celeste? Am I sorry? Do I regret sacrificing everything decent about me to make tons of money and control whomever I damn well please?”
“Yes,” I pleaded, even crossed my fingers in hopes that he wasn’t just being an ass.
But instead, he laughed - a gut wrenching, sickening type of sound. Brendan had gotten to be so dark I’d forgotten he wasn’t bad looking, gorgeous, in fact.
“Okay, so this is funny. Thanks Brendan.” At least, I’d found something to shift his focus from me. And when it struck me, I ran for the bathroom. On my way there, hanging from a leaf-like decoration, I snatched my purse. Not once did I look back to consider he might’ve already caught up. My focus was on getting into the bathroom with the cellphone inside of my purse and calling Greyson.
When Brendan’s arm captured my waist, a fresh set of tears threatened to burst out. Unsure of how long he planned on continuing this torture, my resistance grew weak. It was easier to be picked up and drawn into his arms now. With little hope remaining, I clenche
d the straps of my bag.
“Why me? Why this, Brendan?” I whispered. The side of his face now pressed to my cheek, I added, “Don’t do this. My family has been through too much.”
His sweaty skin pressed into mine. A thousand ants crawled up and down my body as I imagined him pressed into me.
“Relax,” he semi-pleaded.
“You’re asking me to give into you. Relax...Relax and let you do whatever you want to do to me. Relax?”
“Yes Celeste. Unlike Quinn, I don’t want to kill you but if it comes down to it, I will.”
And then...
Boom!
I glanced to my door. Two policemen rushed in. Never thought I’d be excited to see one of them ever again. Ever...
Greyson
Open my eyes and squinted. My head was pounding and I felt weak. The last thing I remembered was leaving Naila’s house.
“You’re up?” Naila cut on the lights, revealing herself in front of me. I was now lying on one of the sofas in her study.
“Seriously!” Caught me off guard because my voice reverberated in my head.
She ran her fingers over the arm of the chair, wearing a comfortable smirk.
“What is this, Naila? You’re not seriously trying to hurt me because I didn’t screw you, are you?”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Greyson.”
I looked around. She was the only one in the room. I know that she couldn’t have carried me by herself. “How’d I get in here again?”
“I have friends in high places.”
I eased away from the seat. She then whipped around to her desk and pulled around a gun. Her smirk turned into a wide grin as she swayed like a kid with a new toy.
“Don’t point that at me.” I stumbled up from the chair. While running my fingers over my head, my nervous habit, I came across a knot in the back. This whole night would’ve gone down differently if I’d have followed my mind and gone home. Instead, I’m stuck with this broad. “Who else is here?”