After an uneventful flight with Jay, Anthony and a few other men, we land in California. I sit in the third row of the large SUV as Jay drives us to the hotel. His eyes meet mine in the rear view and I'm reminded of this morning. He gently woke me up in time for our flight. Once again, I was cuddled up to his side. He didn't seem to mind although he didn't show much emotion. Jay requested we rent a house at Point Arena Lighthouse so there was enough room for everyone and we'd all be under one roof. It's a three bedroom house with a couple sofas for additional sleeping space. We arrive after about an hour of driving and Jay assigns rooms, giving me the master bedroom which has a queen sized bed. I notice he doesn't give himself a room. I had groceries delivered beforehand so I could cook for the men. I didn't plan on having so many so I hope there's enough.
The men sit around the table discussing their plans but I don't pay much attention. I believe whatever we're here for is related to the men who were shot. I begin cooking the taco meat and making homemade tortillas. I dish out some tortilla chips, queso and homemade salsa, placing it around the table for the men to enjoy. They immediately dig in as I return to the kitchen. Grabbing enough beer for everyone, I return to the table to pass them out. "Damn. She's good. We have to keep her," one of the men says, accepting the beer.
A few men hum in agreement. "I plan to," Jay says with a small smile, staring down at his phone.
I blush slightly from all of the compliments, giving them a shy smile before returning to my place in the kitchen. I sip on a glass of wine as I flip the tortillas with my free hand. After about twenty minutes, dinner is ready. Knowing how Jay likes his tacos, I quickly make his plate before announcing that dinner is ready. The men head for the kitchen as I place Jay's plate in front of him along with a new beer. "She can do it," Anthony insists. "She's young and beautiful. She has a great personality. Why wouldn't he go for it?"
"No," Jay says sternly.
Anthony turns to me exasperatedly. "Isabel, tell him."
"What?" I ask, confused.
One of the men hands me my wine glass that I forgot in the kitchen and I accept it happily. "We have to get a man alone. All you'd need to do is get him up to his room then we'd do the rest."
I raise my eyebrows in surprise. I'm clueless as to why he thinks I'm capable of doing that. Surely they should've brought Kim for something like that. She has the looks and attitude to attract a man. "I said no," Jay repeats.
What is the harm in me trying? If the guy turns me down, then it'll be over with and they can try again with someone new. If he agrees, then maybe I can help them catch the guy. It's better than sitting here and being useless. "I can do it," I shrug, sipping on my wine.
Jay frowns, shaking his head. "No. It's too dangerous."
"How? We'll be right there," Anthony sighs, clearly annoyed.
"What if we don't get there in time? He won't take no for an answer."
The meaning of his words sets in and I frown. He doesn't want me alone in a room with this guy because he won't be able to protect me. I most likely wouldn't be able to stop him if he tried anything. "You wouldn't let that happen," I say softly. "I'll take it slow to give you guys time to get there."
Jay doesn't look happy but Anthony looks proud of himself. If we were beside a pool, he'd most likely be in it again. I dismiss myself to let them talk it over. After enjoying a couple tacos, I begin cleaning the kitchen. By the time I'm finished, Anthony enters the kitchen with keys in his hand. "We need to go get you a sexy outfit."
"Oh my leggings and t-shirt won't cut it?"
He laughs. "I don't think so."
"Where is Jay?"
"He'll meet us there. A few other guys showed up in another rental so he took that."
"Okay. Let me just finish cleaning up."
He shakes his head, waving a few of the younger men over to take over. Finishing my glass of wine, I follow him out the door. It's a short ride into town and there isn't much to see. The town is small and there are only a few boutiques. Thankfully we find one with a decent selection of dresses. "How did you guys find the guy?" I whisper as we search through the rack.
"The idiot has the name Nicole tattooed on his face. He has a criminal record the length of the state of California so it was easy to find him in the FBI database."
Damn. They have ties in the FBI? That's crazy to think about. "How do you know he's here?"
"He's from here and frequents the casino. He'll be there tomorrow night for a big event that he never misses."
"How do you know all of this?"
"Everyone is willing to talk for the right price," he shrugs, pulling a hanger off the rack. "How about this one?"
I raise an eyebrow as I examine the small piece of material. I tilt my head to the side as I try to understand how it even goes on. "I'll stick out like a sore thumb in that. I need to sort of blend in. Most people here appear to be very modest."
He chuckles, putting it back on the rack. "Fine. How about this one?"
It's a stunning black dress covered in glitter. It's strapless with a small slit in the leg. It's extremely short. "Perfect."
Taking the dress, I head to the fitting room and pull the curtain closed behind me. My mind wanders back to him and Mariana. I can't help but be curious about the situation. Why doesn't Jay want them together? "Tell me about you and Mariana."
He sighs on the other side of the curtain. He's quiet for a long moment before he decides to answer. "We've known each other for about eight years. We haven't spent a lot of time together up until this past year. A few months ago, I visited her while her mom was out of town. We got caught and Maria flipped out on me. They don't think I'm good enough for her."
Something tells me it may be a bit deeper than that but I decide to dig a little deeper another day. I pull open the curtain to reveal the dress and he whistles. "Hot damn."
"Does it look okay?" I ask, turning around to look in the mirror.
The dress is tight and shows off all of my curves. It's incredibly short on me but I think it'll help get the job done. "It's more than okay," he says as his phone begins ringing. "I'll be outside. Grab some accessories or whatever else you need."
I close the curtain and quickly change back into my clothes. After shopping around for a bit, I grab a bra and panty set, some heels, and jewelry then head to the cashier. The price is outrageous but it's to be expected at a small town boutique. Luckily Jay's card is paying for it. The lady packs it in a cute bag with some tissue paper then I'm on my way.
The car that Jay was driving is back but I can't find him in the house. The men are sitting around the table drinking beer and playing cards while adding in a Would You Rather between hands. They're amusing to listen to. I sit on the counter drinking a glass of wine while watching them, occasionally joining in on their laughter. "Anthony, would you rather fuck She-Hulk or Cat Woman?" one of the men asks.
Wow. Is this really what men talk about when women aren't around? I hold back my laughter as I wait for Anthony's answer. "One doesn't simply fuck She-Hulk. She-Hulk fucks you. With that being said, Cat Woman."
Laughter erupts around the room as the cards are dealt. Anthony notices me and smirks. "What about you Isabel?"
"Oh, She-Hulk all day," I answer jokingly, causing them to laugh.
"Oh she likes it rough," one of the men chimes in.
Anthony rolls his eyes. "No. Captain America or Thor?"
"Thor," I answer without really considering it.
"Why?"
The men are quiet as they wait for my answer. "What woman doesn't like a big hammer?"
The room erupts in laughter once again and I blush at the realization that Jay is now in the room. How long has he been here? Instead of joining in on the laughter, he nods his head for me to follow him. I set my glass down beside me and hop off the counter. The men begin playing their next hand as I follow him out the door. We walk side by side with nothing but the sound of the wind whirling around us. The sound of the waves crashing in the darkness is calming. We walk past the lighthouse to the edge of the property where the land drops off to the ocean. In the darkness, all I can see is the white caps as the waves crash into the wall. Jay sits down but I take a moment longer to admire the ocean. "I need you to understand what you're getting into."
What is there to understand? He's a criminal disguised as a businessman. Most businessmen are in fact criminals. "What could you possibly say that will scare me away? I'm not going anywhere Jay."
I sit beside him and wait for him to speak. He appears distraught. "I'm involved in many things and I buy my freedom every day. The sheriff back home is paid off to turn a blind eye to my business. I have people in the FBI on my payroll. Everything from money laundering, selling drugs and women, to terrorizing and killing people. I've killed people, Isabel."
I swallow nervously. No, no, no. There has to be a reason for this. He wouldn't just go around killing people. "Who have you killed?" I ask softly in hopes of him not hearing my shaky voice.
"The first guy's name was Tim. He was a friend of my fathers. Mariana was just a little girl and I found her in a room naked with him. Nothing had happened yet but I couldn't stop myself," he pauses. "The second was Marcus. He nearly beat one of our men to death so my father sent me to kill him."
My heart sinks a little as I think of little Mariana being traumatized from such events. No wonder why they try so hard to protect her. "You did the right thing."
"No, I didn't. Who am I to decide who deserves to live and die?"
"You were protecting your family," I say, placing my hand on his thigh. "Jay, you're a good man. Do you realize how many people go unpunished for rape and nearly killing others? While it may not be right in everyone's eyes, it sounds like they were justified. It's not like your picking off randoms in the street. You're protecting your family. I wish there was someone like that for me a couple of years ago."
He frowns, furrowing his eyebrows as he looks at me. "What do you mean?"
I sigh, pulling my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. "Do you remember William from the coffee shop the day you offered me this job?" I continue before he can answer. "That was my ex. He was extremely abusive. It was little things at first. He'd push me around or hold me down when he was angry. Then he started hitting me. It got worse and one day I decided to fight back. I put up one hell of a fight but I still ended up black and blue. I made up some bullshit excuse at work and used my PTO to heal. I couldn't go to the hospital because they'd ask questions. Of course he apologized and acted all sweet afterwards but he always went right back to being himself. I dreamed about buying a gun and putting an end to all of it but I couldn't bring myself to do it. He's the reason I came home with bruises on me the day you sent me to the pawn shop."
He clenches his jaw angrily. "I wish you would've told me. I would've handled it."
I shrug. "You've already saved me more than you know." He frowns again. I don't understand his emotions. "What about the women?"
"The drugs and women are different locations but we profit off of them. The women are checked regularly, they don't do drugs, and they're paid very well. It's consensual and they can decline any client. In fact, we have a list of banned people which is made up by the women. It's women driven."
That's good at least. As long as the women aren't being forced, I don't see the issue. He hasn't lied to me yet so I have no reason not to believe him. "What will you do with this guy tomorrow?"
"Terrorize him to get information about his boss. Then kill him for killing one of my men." The answer doesn't surprise me but my heart races at the thought of me being alone in a room with this guy. "Isabel, I don't want you to get hurt. I would never forgive myself. You can still say no."
"I want to help," I say, nudging him. "You've done a lot for me, it's the least I can do for you. I'm a part of this whether you like it or not. I'm not going anywhere."
He smiles and we sit there silently, listening to the waves crash around us.