by Ana Balen
“I have something else,” I continued. “Another name.”
“Sock it to me.” Brody was already leafing through the file and writing something down.
“Skylar Jackson.” I waited to see if the name would bring up any reaction.
It didn’t. She was a complete mystery to everyone.
“Who’s she?” Olivia piped up.
“She’s the situation,” I reluctantly said since I knew I couldn’t hide anything from Liv. As I couldn’t from Rory. “She’s also the owner of Home Sweet Home Designs.”
“You have to be fucking kidding me,” Joe stated. “You hooked up with the owner of the warehouse?”
“I didn’t hook up with her,” I said, slowly trying for patience. “She needed help, so I gave it to her. I also know she’s innocent in all of this. Until yesterday, she didn’t know what was going on and how deep in shit she is. How that came about is none of your business.”
I wasn’t about to tell them I became addicted to her texts over the years. Every damn time my phone pinged alerting me I had a message; my hands shook just at the thought it could be hers. At first, it was all about how sweet she was in them. I knew they were not meant for me, and every time I promised myself I would text back and let her know someone was using the number and she probably shouldn’t expose herself so much to a complete stranger. I always found some excuse as to why I would do it next time. Then, my hands shook out of fear. After the first mention of her boyfriend hitting her, I was scared out of my mind the next text wouldn’t come. I’ve seen way too many ugly, devastating outcomes of domestic abuse. They all started with the first slap. They all spiraled into a beatdown until that beatdown ended with a dead body of a broken woman. I again toyed with the idea of texting her back, so that she would know she has someone to help her if she needed it. Instinctively, I knew, if I did, she would stop writing. That left me with only one choice., to wait. Wait for her to ask for help.
“Prepare for Armageddon,” Liv stated. When all eyes swung to her in questioning, she ignored them and continued. “Max likes her.”
Liked her?
No.
It was more intense than that.
From the moment I saw her gathering up her wedding dress and start running, her long, blonde hair all over her face and shoulders, I knew I was in deep. That depth became even more profound when she sat in my car, still clutching her flowers, giving me her trust without ever having laid eyes on me before. Then it became deeper again as I came to her once more, and the instant she heard my voice, she relaxed, showing that trust had no limits. Even deeper, as I watched her fear morph into horror, then to nothing as she passed out. And deeper as I watched her sleep her shock off, the soft snoring sounds hitting me but stopping every time I put my fingertip on her arm. Deeper as she delivered her little speech at the bottom of my staircase, and she figured out she did have free will. Then, again, as she figured out, she was strong, and she showed me she had spunk when she decided she was going, and nothing I said or did was going to change her mind. All that was a beautiful sight. It was also cute. Despite the situation, it was funny as hell. In one day, I went in headfirst, until I lost sight of what was up and what was down, I was in so deep. I didn’t tell them any of that. I also didn’t correct Olivia, either. There was no point.
“You need to call Stone,” Brody piped up.
“Kid let him be,” I whispered, shaking my head.
“No, if this is what I think it is, then we need him,” Brody replied.
I looked to others for help. Joe was grinding his teeth, Liv was looking at her boots, and others started walking away.
“No.”
“Max, my man,” Brody leaned over the table, his fists on it. “Call Stone.”
This unusual behavior. Something had Brody rattled.
“What’s going on, kid?” I asked softly.
“You said that the DEA is investigating Barone, that means that he’s a mean mutherfucker. Now, you’re telling us that there's a woman that means something to you in all that mix-up. Something more than just a pair of legs and tits that you can have fun with for one night. But something big, that has you coming in as if it's a no big deal after months and months of not a single peep out of you. We all waited with our breaths held for the day you would come back, but with every passing day, realizing that wouldn’t happen. Still, you come in with no intention of coming back. You’re here for info, meaning you’re preparing to go maverick if needed. Now, what all of that tells me is that we need the whole team. Only then can we have your back when you cross the line. And don’t bullshit me, I see the wild in your eyes, I see the itch for chasing down this Skylar woman, barring down the doors of whatever of your flip you’re currently living in and keep her safe. That means,” the veins in Brody’s neck were prominent. “You need to call Stone.”
I had nothing to say to that.
Every word he said was true.
So, I said the only thing I could.
“Okay, Brody,” I agreed. “If the time comes, I’ll call him.”
“Do it now,” he demanded.
“Brody, brother, let him be. What happened,” I paused, trying to find the words. We went out that day as part of a routine, the thought that it was the last time we were all together, not even crossing our minds. “He’s not coming back.”
“I know he’s not coming back. But he’s the best of all of us!” Brody exclaimed. “He’s our team leader. He always will be. And he needs to know what’s going on.”
I walked the few steps that it took to come to him, put my hand on his shoulder, and promised,
“I’ll be okay. Nothing is going to happen. I just need the info, so I can pass it along to Chace and get Skylar out of the way. But, if the time comes, I’ll call him.”
Brody had no verbal response, only kept staring at me, his breath harsh. Then, he gave me a chin lift, turned, and walked away.
“He thinks he’s going to lose the two of you,” Liv watched Brody walk.
“He should know by now, that will never happen,” I said.
I turned and walked out of the building without another word. There was no need. They knew all that they should. I had to find out how much filth I had to wade through before I got Skylar out clean. Fuck, just thinking of her name made my blood pump faster. And I had to call Stone. I would never admit it to the kid, but he was right. Shit was about to get real and do it fast. We needed him. He was the best leader there ever was and the best strategist on the face of the planet. Give him a situation, and he would come up with three scenarios on how to get it done in half an hour. With the wheels of my fucked-up plan in motion, there was only one thing left to do. To find out if Skylar was willing to dive in with me and just how deep we could go. For that, I needed to find her. I sat behind the steering wheel, turned the key, and drove off to do just that.
Chapter Seven
Skylar
After Melanie drove us off, I managed to convince her that we needed to check into a hotel. I no longer had a place to live, and Nico had found me at her home once before. It didn’t feel safe there. I didn’t feel safe anywhere anymore… except for Max’s home. I made sure I shoved those thoughts in the back of my mind. He had done so much for me already; I couldn’t take more from him. No matter how much I wanted or needed to.
It had very little to do with him being able to protect me. I was more interested in finding out how soft his lips were, how he would taste, how hard his muscles were, and how he used them. I also ignored the fact that despite my life going down in flames, my only thoughts were of Max. I completely forgot I was moments away from pledging my troth to another man. I didn’t love Nico, and I knew that. Even my abilities in ignoring what was staring me right in the face weren't enough to mask that sad fact. No, our relationship was more of what could come of it, maybe in a distant future. The bonus was, by marrying him, I got Valeria right away, and I would get acquaintances that I would be able to claim as my own.
Sweet M
arry, how pathetic I was.
We checked into a hotel, rode the elevator, and entered the suite. I was so out of it that I didn’t notice the kick-ass view the room had on downtown Denver. The moment the door softly clicked behind us, I felt like a caged animal. I went through the suite, checked both bedrooms and bathrooms, and looked into every corner and hiding spot I could think of. All that time, Melanie stood in the center of the suite, her eyes tracking my every move.
“Sky, are you okay?” she asked.
“Not even in the slightest,” was my honest reply.
“You want us to go back to Max’s?”
“More than anything I ever wanted,” I kept up with honesty. “But I can’t do that.”
“Why?”
“Because I let it get so bad, and I'm the one that needs to get it right again.”
“And you think that going away is the right way to do it?” her disbelief was hard to miss.
“I’m not going away. I won’t let Nico run me out of my town, out of the only resemblance of a home I have,” I declared full of false bravado.
“Oh?” Melanie couldn’t hide her surprise.
She knew me. She knew the very heart of me. She also knew when things got tough, I ran. It used to be I hid in my head. But no more. I couldn’t let anyone rule me or my life again. I had to take a stand.
“Yes,” I nodded, more to myself than to her. “I’m going to call Kiki first thing in the morning to let her know where I am and to ease her mind. She’s probably sick with worry,” at that last sentence, Melanie made a face but didn’t say anything. “Then I’m going to the office, call all my clients and ask for an extension on the projects. If they don’t agree, I’m going to find them a replacement.”
“They’re gonna agree, babe. You’re the shit.”
I ignored the compliment and carried on.
“After, I’m going to check up on Valeria. And after all of that, I’m going to the warehouse to see for myself what the hell is going on there,” I paused.
“And then what?” Melanie inquired.
“Then, I’m going to call the police and tell them everything I know. I’ll be here as they do what they have to do to put Nico away for a very long time. After all of that, I’m going to look for a house. And then, I’m going to make that house my home that no one will ever be able to take it away from me.”
“I have only one question?”
“Yes?”
“What about Max?”
My mouth went dry at the mere mention of his name. How could that be? I didn’t get it.
How could I have such a strong reaction to a man I didn’t even know?
“Max,” I breathed. “Max is for later.”
“Will there be a later?” Melanie pushed.
“Yes,” I simply said.
“Good,” Melanie whispered. She understood the magnitude of that one word. “Now, I only have one request.”
After I brought my hand, palm up, and indeed, she continued.
“I’m with you every second of that plan. I’ll never leave your side.”
I could feel my face go soft, and my eyes watered.
“Thank you.”
All night I tossed and turned, counting down the minutes to the sunrise. I kept questioning everything. I recited the things Nico did to me over the years. I remembered the fear he instilled. I remembered the countless attempts trying to please him, to make him love me. I remembered the pure desperation in trying to love him. All night I was assuring myself that I was strong. I could do anything I wanted. I could lead a life I desired. I could fight for myself. And all night, I wished that I believed all that. So, it was with a tired groan that I climbed out of bed when the sky was still pink with dawn breaking. I rushed to the bathroom for my morning routine, my hands shaking the whole time with adrenaline and utter uncertainty.
After a silent coffee shared with an equally buzzing Melanie, I walked out of that hotel room with my head held high. It was only because of a promise I made to myself in the dark of the night. I would have everything, and in the end, I would do anything to have Max.
On my way out of the hotel, I called Kiki. She didn’t answer so I left her a message saying where I’d be and to tell her parents I was fine. By mid-morning, I was beyond exhaustion, but most of my clients were notified that I wouldn’t be able to get the job done in time.
And most of them decided to stick with me. The few that didn’t, I understood their reasoning. They were on a schedule that couldn’t be broken. I gave them referrals and got promises that they would reach out when they had a new project. We were working in silence for hours. Melanie left to get something for lunch, and I tried calling Kiki again.
And again, no answer.
I wondered if there was any chance that Nico took her but quickly tossed that idea to the side. Those two couldn’t stand each other. They couldn't be in the same room for five minutes before they were at each other’s throats. Their hostility went so far that Nico even tried to forbid me from inviting Kiki to the wedding. Until his mother stepped in. That was the first and only time she took my side. No, there was no chance Nico took her to get back at me. It was more than likely she was bored and decided to go partying. Still, I felt a tiny bit scared for my cousin. It wasn’t unheard of for her to disappear. Given the situation, I didn’t like it.
After a quick break for lunch, and me failing to get Kiki on the line again, we went back to work. I knew Melanie didn’t like Kiki, in fact for the last year or so, she couldn’t stand the sight of her, but she didn’t say anything whenever I tried to call her or mentioned her name, wondering where she was. It was getting late, I was bone-tired, and there was a huge thing left to do. That being, going to the warehouse and face what was going on there. I was stalling, and moseyed around the office with nothing left to do.
“Babe, you don’t have to do this,” Melanie said, standing by the door for the last fifteen minutes watching me move the same box for the tenth time. “We can just call the cops and let them handle it.”
“And what would I say?” I snapped. “Hi, officer? I need your help.” Melanie watched silently as I rambled sarcastically. “You see, two days ago, I left my fiancé at the altar. I didn’t really love him. I just wanted to have someone to spend my life with. He was abusive, but I was so lonely, I was willing to turn a blind eye to everything. What I didn’t know was that everything included some really bad stuff. As in, illegal. As in dangerous. Later that day, I learned that he was dealing. He was doing it out of my warehouse, where I store couches, chairs, and paintings for my clients. And not just drugs. No, not Nico,” I took a breath. Melanie opened her mouth but didn’t get a chance to say anything as I continued. “Apparently he’s the scum of the earth. He deals in everything, including women. Oh, how I learned that you ask?” I smiled a cold smile, not taking my eyes of a now concerned Melanie. “You see, a guy that is so hot, so beautiful and so out of my league told me so. He also informed me that everyone knows just who Nico Barone is. It’s only me who didn’t have a clue. Do I have any evidence of this? Well, just a word of a really great guy and my best friend, who kept her mouth shut for almost five years.”
“Sky,” Melanie whispered, while looking like I slapped her. “I’m-”
“Yeah, Mel, I know,” I said.
My breath came in spurts, and I was tired. I was done with it all. All I wanted to do was go to Max, make him allow me to design his house, and just be.
“I promise you; I know you are. And I forgive you. I do. It’s just-” I trailed off, not finding the words.
“It’s too much,” she finished for me.
“Yeah,” I sighed.
I looked at my sneakers. God, how long has it been since I wore sneakers? Let alone the outfit I wore, that consisted of ripped, washed up jeans and a gray T-shirt with Minnie on the front? This was me. The real me. Not me, I was forced to become. The one that had to wear two-piece suits, preferably with the skirt that went under my knees and 5-inch pumps.
“I miss me,” I admitted.
“I miss you, too.”
“I’m not sure I know who the real me is anymore, Mel,” I was going to cry.
With everything that had happened, I never once stopped to cry. I didn’t want to cry. I didn’t want to shed one tear over that sick bastard and what he did to me. What he turned my life into.
But dammit, the tears were stinging my eyes. I was about to cry.
“I do, and you do too,” sensing that my rant was over, she came to me, put her arms around me and hugged me. “It’s okay. You'll be yourself in no time. It’s okay.”
“I don't want to cry,” I sniffed. “He doesn’t deserve my tears.”
“He doesn’t, but you do,” Melanie assured me. “He turned your life upside down, and he made you to be not you. And it all came crashing down, the whole weight of it hitting your shoulders. Anyone would be crushed over it. So, it’s okay, Sky. It’s okay to cry.”