He recognized how his life had changed that night. He loved what he did, and he took pleasure every time he put one of those excuses for humanity in prison, but he had not found fulfillment in his private life. He hoped that after he had a conversation with Rosalyn, he would be able to close the doors to the past and move forward.
As he was waiting to see movement, he saw a taxi drive up. Nonchalantly he walked to the driver, gave him a fifty, and told him to get lost. The driver hadn't even argued, and as fast as he had appeared, he disappeared.
Rosalyn did not know what was taking the taxi so long to get there. Cars came with GPS nowadays, and she needed to be gone before John arrived. She kept looking at her watch, as she was pacing from one side of the living room to the other. She went outside to wait, and froze in her tracks. John was sitting on the bed of his truck waiting for her.
She remembered that John had been good looking, but now that did not describe him. Sitting on the bed of his truck, one leg stretch and the other bent at the knee made him look like a model. He was so very handsome and he took her breath away. She hated to admit it but he still had the power to make her heart flutter, and she needed to make that stop. She needed to put a stop to him.
Defeated, she got in the passenger side and said not a word. “Good morning, where to?” inquired John with a smug grin on his face. She really wanted to do something about that. He had not won yet. Just because he had outwitted her this time, didn't mean that he would do it again. “Global International import/export trade.” She replied quietly.
John choked, and looked at her, “Say that again?”
She turned to look at him. She had been clear. Was he deaf? She repeated the location, and he was quiet for a few minutes before he continued, “So, Rosie, what do you do there?”
She wanted to ignore him, but politeness took over, “I am covering for an employee on maternity leave. You know, you do not have to be friendly. I know you are doing this as a special favor for Sean.”
Sean, ha, not Pastor Sean, but she referred to him as Sean. Somehow he did not like it. “So what is going on between you and our pastor?” He knew that the question had come out wrong, but somehow he spoke it without thinking. He never did that. What was wrong with him?
“Nothing is going on with Sean. We were friends in college, he went to seminary, we lost touch, and then I crashed my car into his. That's it. Nothing more.” She chided.
“Wow! I just asked a question. You know, trying to be friendly. So tell me about your boss.”
“What do you want to know?” Asked Rosalyn irritated with him. What could it hurt to be polite?
“Who is your boss? Is he nice to work for?”
“How do you know it is a ‘he’? And yes he is nice, a little too nice.”
“What do you mean a little too nice? Inquired John.
“Never mind, I do not know what I am talking about.” She replied in exasperation.
John knew that he could not push more, she had clamped down. He had to take her out to lunch or dinner. This wasn't personal anymore. “Rosie, I’ll pick you up at five. Don't try to leave without me.” He warned her as she got out of the car and closed his door with a lot more strength than was necessary.
Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened,
that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear;
Isaiah 59:1
Chapter 25
Boris had been informed of the new arrivals. These girls were between eighteen and twenty-one years old. Their dreams and hopes had pushed them to save their every penny and apply for the au pair program he ran. Little did they know that instead of young children, they would be taking care of grown men. Every time a new group of girls came, he felt sick to his stomach. He hated this business. He hated the person he had become, but he loved the income and power it gave him.
The customers were already waiting. The money had already been exchanged. The business was booming. The number of customers was growing by the month and they were starting to put requests as to what kind of girl they wanted. They were buying girls in the same fashion as buying cars. Some men wanted specific physical features, blue eyes, blonds, skinny, fat, Oriental, European, Latin, etc. There had been more than one occasion when they had asked for very young girls. He drew the line at that for now. He would not provide children for their twisted pleasure. He was busy enough trying to find the right females for these men. The more he satisfied their sick fantasies, the more they were willing to pay. They did not care for purity as much as they cared about breaking them in, breaking their spirit and showing their power. The more of a fight they gave, the more the buyer enjoyed it.
He was thankful that he was not there to see their faces when they realized their role in this business. There was a woman in the house to instruct them on the appropriate behavior expected. Before long they will know, and there would be nothing they could do about it.
Boris did not want to spend time dealing with this business at the moment. He had more pressing matters to attend; unfortunately, he had to be ready for the worse. He had seen the list of customers and they were all cruel people. Cruel and twisted people with too much money caused problems for him. Problems he did not need at the moment with the cops dogging at his heels.
Since the senator’s death his life had been going from bad to worse and everything was happening at the same time. He had finally found the girls, but he only had one. He had to worry about the second one. As if that had not been enough, the ungrateful Brazilian had called more attention to him by pressing charges against him. He had been lucky his friend with the EEOC had put a stop to it, but he had also called to warn him, and to let him know this was the last time. Finally, there was Rosalyn. She belonged to him, but now he had to surrender his fantasies and had allowed the Mexican to have her. He hated to admit it, but it had been his fault. He had been so set on revenge, he had not been thinking straight. He could not believe how many mistakes he was making. He had become involved with one of the cruelest men he had ever known. This man found happiness only when he was inducing pain in others.
Boris moved to the bar to grab a brandy. What had he been thinking when he enlisted this man to teach the Brazilian a lesson. He looked at his hand, this had backfire on him instead of her. He had to remember how unappreciative women were. Everything that was happening to him was because of a woman beginning with the woman who had abandoned him as a child, following with his wife, and then all these others that had decided to make his life difficult instead of doing their duty. If Ana had said yes and been thankful someone like him was pursuing her, none of this would be happening. He had to make her pay, but because of his two older friends, Kruno and Davor, he had to wait a bit longer, but Francisco Guerra did not want to wait.
As Francisco Guerra had mockingly agreed to wait until the cops backed up a little, he had come to shake his hand. When Boris had extended his hand Francisco had grabbed his pointer finger and middle finger and very slowly proceeded to separate both fingers breaking them at the base. He had not stopped until Boris had provided a replacement to the Brazilian. The only name that had come to mind had been Rosalyn and when Francisco had seen her, the deal had been sealed.
Boris did not feel bad for Rosalyn. She deserved everything that was coming to her, but she was his and was not willing to share her with Francisco. He just needed to figure out a plan. He looked at his hand again. It was throbbing. Rosalyn had been working for him for six weeks, and he had gotten nowhere with her. Now, if he did not do something, he would never get her. The customer had paid for a Brazilian beauty, and instead he was getting a brunette with green eyes. He could not bear to let her go, but if he wanted her to come back to him, she needed to learn a lesson. Francisco was good at teaching lessons.
Boris was in over his head. Francisco scared him. He really should let Davor and Kruno deal with the customer. After all, it was their fault he was in this fiasco. If they had let him solve the problem on his own, no
ne of this would be happening. Ana would have learned her lesson and Rosalyn would have been his.
He should have learned his lesson already. He needed to go solo on his business. He had started the business with Davor and Kruno. He had been the brain behind the operation and now he was the go boy for them. Now he started the business with Francisco Guerra and this evil man was taking over. He had been forced to hire Francisco in his company. Boris looked at the bandage on his hand. He knew he should have gone to the hospital, but how could he explain it.
Francisco Guerra got what he wanted and he did not care who he hurt in the process. He felt sorry for Rosalyn, but she had made him look the fool. Trying to convince him that she was gay, when she was friendly with the cop.
Offer right sacrifices,
and put your trust in the LORD.
Psalm 4:5
Chapter 26
Rosalyn had worked for the CEO for six weeks, and when she arrived today, she had found Helen sitting at the desk. “What happened to you?” Helen had asked. Although it had been a couple of weeks since the accident, Rosalyn's face still showed the fading bruises. Helen had tried to smile, but she could not hide her surprise at Rosalyn's bruises. Had Boris done that to Rosalyn? It was too soon.
When Rosalyn saw Helen, she began to panic. She could not afford to lose her job. Helen had seen Rosalyn's clutching her hands and realized the problem. "You can relax Rosalyn, you are not losing your job. You are being transferred. Your job was temporary, but since you have done a great job, the boss is offering you a permanent position, if you choose to accept it."
A new manager had been hired, and Rosalyn felt relief she continued to have a job, and loved the fact that she would not be working for the CEO anymore. His love declaration had been a complete breech of decorum.
The new office was on the same floor as the CEO’s office, just a stone throw away. It was not ideal in Rosalyn’s eyes. She would have liked to move as far away from the boss as possible. Mr. Brockovich gave her the creeps. She really hoped that her new boss was happily married. Having people ogling at her made her feel uncomfortable.
As she was pondering her lack of choices, a tall, Latin gentlemen walked into the office. “You must be my new assistant. Boris told me you were pretty, but he was not very accurate in his description of you. My name is Francisco Guerra" He extended his hand to shake hers. She shook his hand out of politeness and softly replied, “nice meeting you.”
This man terrified her more than her boss. The way he had held her hand and then looked into her eyes was so very personal. What was wrong with this company that the men did not know how to behave professionally. She took a deep breath. She had gone from the frying pan into the fire, as her mother used to say. She felt so uncomfortable. She felt her new boss undressing her, one item at the time; just by the way he looked at her. She hated that. She knew she was not being overly sensitive, because calling her pretty had not been very professional.
Rosalyn realized that she had wasted her time and money studying business. She was not cut out for this. She had never felt so unfulfilled and she needed to make changes. Once she paid off everything, she was going to go back to school and study biology, where she could work alone in a lab.
Be not witness against your neighbor without cause,
and do not deceive with your lips.
Proverbs 24:28
Chapter 27
Rosalyn did not know how it had happened, but hanging out with John had become the normal in her life. John had become a wonderful friend. She had become so dependent on him; it terrified her. She knew that she should not encourage him, but she was so weak when it came to making decisions about him. Just as it had been years earlier, a smile from him had the power to make her impossible dreams a possibility.
John had used the excuse that her car was in the shop and began picking her up from home and from work. He even took her to her evening job. He had bullied her into a friendly relationship. He did not care how he had managed this, but the results were not as he had expected.
John was enjoying her company and her wit so much that he needed to come clean with her. He was going to have to tell her that he was investigating her company. He did not want her to feel used as she had so many years ago. There was so much he needed to discuss with her and was terrified of scaring her off. He not only needed to bring up the past, but he also wanted to find out about the sexual harassment issue with Ms. Souza. He was trying to figure out how to bring it up when Rosalyn said. “I am done working for the CEO. His PA is back and I am so happy about it.”
John was cautious about what to say next. “What are you going to do now? Are you still working for them, or do you need to go back to the employment agency?”
“I never went to an employment agency. Mrs. Durov, the CEO’s PA approached me at a cafe and hired me; and yes, I continue to work for them. I just went from one creep to another.”
John took a deep breath, “Creep?”
“Yeah, you know the way they look at you, as if you were a meal and they had not eaten in a month or so. It’s totally disgusting. You know the boss actually told me he was in love with me, what a joke.”
“What did you say Rosie?” John cautiously insisted.
“Oh, I told him that I was not interested in men, and he has left me alone for the most part. Working for him was uncomfortable and working for the company is weird. I feel that I wasted my education. You know that they must have several companies working for them. During my first week on the job, I found a second set of books. I was trying to impress the boss by doing more than was required, but I was never able to figure out the books and invoices. I felt like an idiot.”
“A second set of books, what kind of books?”
“I don't know, some sort of accounting. I made copies of both the physical books and the e-books. I tried to make heads and tails out of it, as I said, I could never do it.”
“Do you still have those copies?”
“Yeah, sure, why?”
“Can I have them?” John was beginning to feel the adrenaline of excitement.
“I don't see why not. When you drop me off I’ll give them to you.”
For if anyone thinks he is something,
when he is nothing,
he deceives himself.
Galatians 6:3
Chapter 28
Every time Francisco Guerra or his brother was one of the customers, Boris found himself having to hire a clean up crew. They were vile and aggressive people. It had never been as bad as this time though. Not only had he had to hire a clean up crew, but also he had to scramble to move the girls to a new location, and dispose of the body. It was a good thing he was always prepared for the worse.
If he knew this, why did he call him for the Brazilian? He chastised himself. He had been so hurt by Ana's traitorous behavior; he had wanted to get even with her by having the meanest person he knew teach her a lesson. Now he was the one paying for his own stupidity.
It was all Ana's fault. He just wanted to help her. She would have been so happy with him. What was wrong with her? Couldn't she see how great he was? Rosalyn was also playing hard to get. It was just a game for these two. He had to figure out a way to make them pay.
Thanks to these two, he was in this predicament. He could have called Davor and Kruno for help, but he wanted to prove to those two that he was capable of taking care of business. It was a good thing he had watched enough cop shows, otherwise he would not have known what to do with the body. In one episode they had thrown the body into the ocean. They had tied weights to the body. By the time they had found the body, all the evidence was gone. He was going to have to take care of it himself. This would be fun.
Guerra must be stupid. What was he thinking of? Killing the girl was going to make his bill that much higher, but the problems that could encompass these events could be detrimental. Guerra could go to jail, so would himself. He had to do a good job of making the body disappear. After he dump
ed her, he would call Homeland security letting them know that one of his au pairs had not shown to work. He wondered who the victim was, but it did not matter, as long as he was covered and continue to be the perfect citizen. He was brilliant.
In the meantime, he would warn Guerra that the scores were even. He could not touch Rosalyn any more. She was his. Of course, he needed to figure out who the new guy was. Boris was always optimistic that killing the boyfriend was easier than having to fight a gender problem. He smiled and then he looked at his hand and wondered if Guerra would be easy to get rid of. He did not want to ask Davor and Kruno for help. He had made a mess of things this time.
He knew he was on his own, but that would make things easier with Rosalyn. She will be his. The phone rang. “One of the girls is missing.” Said the voice in the other line.
“When and who?” bellow Boris.
“I don't know. I just called roll and she is no where to be found.”
************
Kenny had gone out early in the morning on his boat. He loved to fish. He wanted to stay as far away from home as possible. His wife had two types of temper, a really bad temper that came with her red hair, and a very passionate temper, and that had gotten him in trouble many times. They had four kids and one on the way, which caused her temper to be like popcorn in the microwave. You knew it was going to pop, but not exactly when. That was his sweet Amanda. She was going to pop at any moment now. He laughed at his own joke.
Second Chances: The Power of Renewal Page 10