Deception, page 3
But this was all on me, so the person I had to blame for my current situation was myself.
I lifted my chin in acknowledgement. “I’ll make sure she gets it done. But while she’s here, she’s staying with me.” I would do anything I could to prevent another innocent life being taken. I couldn’t afford another stain on my soul. This would be the mark that would push me to the point of no return.
Maurizio leaned forward, studying me while his finger tapped on his throne, the tap, tap, tap sound one I’d come to fear and despise. “I don’t understand why you’re so hell-bent on keeping this one. She’s skin and bones. You can pick from hundreds of women ten times more beautiful.”
I tuned out, knowing he was going off on one of his tangents. The urge to check on Everleigh became harder to ignore the longer the rant went on. I’d made sure she was staying in my room even before clearing it with Maurizio. It was the safest place for her right now. When his finger stopped tapping, I knew he was calming down.
He looked at me with a raised chin. “You haven’t shown interest in a woman since you came back. I’ll allow you to keep this one. For now.”
I lowered my head in submission, knowing it was what he expected. “Thank you. That’s a very generous offer.”
His “gift” of her to me hadn’t bought Everleigh much time, but at least it was enough to figure out what to do next.
We spent the next three hours going over Maurizio’s upcoming trip. He’d be leaving in the morning, and I’d finally have more than a few hours here or there to do what I came back for. Because once he was gone, I’d be in charge.
When he welcomed me back with open arms, I was suspicious at first. But since I brought contacts and a deal for distribution of our coke into the United States with me, he’d ignored how I left.
His ignorance served me well. But he’d always had blinders on when it came to me. Something I used to my advantage. The men were harder to convince, but as soon as the money started flowing in, they stopped looking at me as if they’d put a bullet in my head if I so much as sneezed wrong.
Waving me off, Maurizio turned to his glass of scotch. “I trust you’ll take care of everything while I’m gone.”
“Of course.”
I’d almost made it to the door when he spoke up once more. “And don’t disappoint me again. You already got a second chance, something I’ve never granted anyone else. There won’t be a third one.”
This was something I was well aware of. I nodded and left, my body strung so tight I thought I would explode.
I couldn’t return to my room yet, not when I was this close to the edge. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep this up. Being back here brought out the worst in me. Most days, I didn’t recognize the person staring back at me in the mirror anymore.
I ended up at the pool, my body on autopilot, knowing what I needed.
Stripping out of my clothes, I didn’t bother putting on any swimwear except goggles. Nobody ever came in here but me.
I jumped in, swimming laps until my arms and legs burned. And then I swam some more. When I finished, I was barely able to hang onto the edge of the pool.
Maybe tonight I’d be able to get a few hours of sleep. I’d gone three days without. Not the longest I’d ever gone, but it made my decisions reckless and based on emotions. Two things I couldn’t afford in this place.
I’d tried everything, but not even sleeping tablets gave me the rest I needed. I woke up disoriented and more tired than when I went to bed.
Pulling myself out of the pool, I lay on the cool tiles until I caught my breath, looking at the stars through the glass ceiling.
When I was a child, I spent all my time in this room. I didn’t have many happy memories from my childhood, but playing in here, swimming and watching the stars, was one of them.
The room was too cold to linger outside the water for long. I needed a hot shower, and then hopefully I’d find some rest. I grabbed one of the towels stacked on shelves along the walls. After winding it around my middle, I left my sanctuary.
I didn’t come across anyone on my way back to my room, grateful for the short reprieve. From the moment Maurizio had welcomed me back, I hadn’t had a free minute. Whenever I wasn’t in his office, one of the guys needed something. I felt like I’d never left.
Dripping water on my way, I silently opened the door to my room, walking in on light feet in case Everleigh was asleep. It was close to three in the morning, and she’d had a busy day.
The room was dark, but the open blinds allowed enough light from the moon inside to show an empty bed. The blanket was gone, and so was one of the pillows. I’d rigged the door and would have gotten an alarm on my phone if she’d opened it. And the windows were nailed shut and had bars on them. There was no way out through them.
I searched under the bed, behind the curtains, and in the bathroom without a trace of her. The uneasy feeling in my stomach grew, and I wondered if she’d gotten out after all. No system was foolproof; maybe she’d slipped out unnoticed.
If she did, she was as good as dead. Maurizio didn’t accept disobedience.
Urgency spurring me on, I went into my closet to get dressed. None of the alarms had gone off yet, and my phone was blessedly silent. If I found her first, she still had a chance.
The sight of her thick mane of hair sticking out from under my suits stopped the erratic beat of my heart. She was curled up in the corner, a blanket pushed halfway down her body.
I crouched next to her, lightly brushing strands of hair off her face. She looked so much younger in sleep. Peaceful. She had her whole life ahead of her. And I would make sure that she still did after everything was said and done.
Pulling the blanket off her, I lifted her into my arms, her small body curling into mine. I laid her down on the bed, and she rolled onto her side into a ball, not waking up.
I retrieved the blanket and pillow and put them back on the bed. After I made sure she was covered and still fast asleep, I took a shower, soaking my aching muscles in the warm water.
Dressed in my pajama pants and a T-shirt, I slipped into the bed with Everleigh, leaving enough distance between us that she wouldn’t even know I was there.
And for the first time in nearly a year, I slept soundly.
Chapter 5
Everleigh
I woke up the same way I did yesterday: tucked into bed, even though I went to sleep in the closet. Someone kept coming into the room while I was sleeping, despite the locked door. But they never seemed to do more than move me to the bed and cover me with a blanket.
Since the only person who had access to this room was Lucius, I wasn’t too freaked out. I’d long realized that this must be his room. His scent was everywhere. And the suits in the closet were his size and style.
But where was he sleeping? I hadn’t seen him since he left me in the room on my first night here.
Rubbing my aching eyes, I resigned myself to another day locked into the small office I now spent most of my time in. I’d found all the missing money, but there was still a lot of work to do. But since I wasn’t fish food yet, I figured they were happy with my progress so far.
I’d left the bedside lamp on, the soft light casting a faint glow around the vast room. Even though I started my nights hidden in the closet, I didn’t feel comfortable with a pitch-black room.
My suitcase appeared as well, so at least I had something else besides huge sweatpants and a T-shirt to wear.
My alarm had gone off twenty minutes ago, and if I didn’t hurry, I’d still be in my pajamas by the time Santino would knock on the door. He seemed to have been appointed as my regular guard and walked me wherever I had to go.
Dragging myself out of bed and into the closet, I pulled out a pair of jeans that molded to what little curves I had, as did the white tank top. I wrapped myself in a soft blue cardigan and then quickly went through my morning routine.
I used to have a range of products I used, from cleansers to masks to special creams. Now all I had was water and nondescript cream. But something that used to be so important to me was now an afterthought.
Once finished, I sat on the bed, waiting for the knock. It came a few minutes later, and a glance at the clock confirmed he was there exactly at 7:00 a.m., just like every morning.
“Buenos dias, Santino,” I greeted him when I opened the door. He didn’t respond, nor did his face move. I asked him the same question I did every morning. “Did you sleep okay?”
Silence.
“What are you up to today besides babysitting me?”
Silence.
“What was that? You want to know how I slept? I slept well. Thank you for asking. How was your night?” I continued, pretending as if he’d answered. “You don’t need sleep? Because you’re a cyborg? Makes sense. How’s that going for you? You go through a lot of batteries?”
Silence. And then a twitch of his mouth.
Satisfied, I followed him through the maze of hallways and into the warm kitchen. The big island in the middle gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the row of floor-to-ceiling windows.
If I could move my office there, I would. It wasn’t only the warmest room in the house but also the most comfortable.
The smell of baking bread reminded me of lazy mornings spent at home. I could almost imagine our housekeeper standing at the stove baking, Mom rushing around the house, running late for a meeting.
The housekeeper, Mariana, looked up when we entered and smiled a genuine, happy, “I’m not fearing for my life because of an evil cartel boss” smile. She then fired Spanish at me in rapid succession. When I didn’t react, she pointed to a barstool instead. I nodded in relief and moved, because gestures I could understand.
“Good morning,” I greeted her once her stream of words died off. She smiled at me in return.
Once I was seated, she presented me with the world’s biggest omelet. I quickly realized it wasn’t just eggs she’d whipped up. There were potatoes and vegetables mixed in. It tasted delicious, and I ate as much as I could.
Santino hovered near the door, sipping on a cup of coffee she’d handed to him earlier. I stuck to tea, grateful I could find the right word. Not that it was hard, since the Spanish word for it was nearly the same as the English one.
Mariana tutted when she saw I’d only eaten half the omelet. “Guapa, tienes que comer mas. Estás demasiado flaca.”
I needed to work on my Spanish, since most of the people working in the compound seemed to speak it instead of Guyanese Creole. For someone who remembered as much as I did, learning a new language should have been a walk in the park. But I’d always been more interested in numbers and mostly ignored everything else. Something that came back to bite me in the ass now.
After Mariana motioned to my plate and made eating motions with her hands, I forced down another few mouthfuls. Once she was satisfied I had eaten enough, she released me back into the clutches of Santino. Mariana pinched his cheeks, and he mumbled something under his breath but didn’t tell her off.
She waved at me. “Mantente fuerte, cariña.”
I nodded at her and smiled, the universal sign for “I have no idea what you said, but will pretend I did, anyway.”
I left the homey kitchen for the stark-white walls of the hallways. The rooms we passed looked almost identical, decked out in white and gray, all immaculate and sterile. Even if I wanted to run, there was no possibility that I could find my way out, since there were too many hallways and doors, all looking the same.
We stopped in front of my office, and Santino unlocked it. He pointed to the desk and left, the click of the lock loud in the silent room. At least nobody was standing inside anymore, keeping watch. I guessed they realized right away what a scared loser I was and left me to it.
With no other option, I sank down into my chair and continued staring at the never-ending spreadsheets.
I’d had a slight hiccup on my first day when I realized the accounting software was in Spanish. But since the interface was identical to the one I’d used in my old job, I could navigate it without knowing all the words. And Santino had found a dictionary somewhere, which helped translate what I couldn’t figure out.
I guess having your life threatened is an effective incentive to work quicker.
Nobody had come back to get me yet, so I used the time to try and find information on their hard drives. I soon discovered they’d locked me out of most places, making it impossible to find anything.
I’d hoped I could figure out how they operated, maybe find out if they had anything to do with Archer’s disappearance. After all, they’d snatched me from the same place that Archer had last been seen alive. It might have been a coincidence; or they were the ones who had taken him. Where are you little brother?
Santino barged back inside the small office, not bothering to knock. He escorted me to the kitchen in silence, something that suited me well since I wasn’t in the mood to talk.
Mariana greeted us with a warm smile when we entered. “Cariña.” She gestured to the same barstool I sat on for all my meals, and I plopped onto it with relief, even though I’d been sitting all day. “Sientate.”
I was confused why she would call me cariña when she knew my name. But if she wanted to call me Han Solo, I’d probably respond, as long as she kept feeding me her delicious food. I didn’t even have the energy to smile at her. Working sixteen-hour days wouldn’t be feasible for much longer. I worked long days back home, but they had been a walk in the park compared to what I was doing at the moment.
The food she pushed at me looked delicious and tasted even better. Santino was sitting next to me, shoveling the contents of the plate in front of him into his mouth.
Mariana asked him a question, and from the look she shot me, it was clear she was asking something about me. How I wished I knew what she was saying. If only I could talk to her. She might even be able to get me out of this place. Because I hadn’t given up yet. If there was even a slight chance I could get away, I’d take it.
Santino finished faster than me and answered the rapid-fire questions Mariana threw at him. His posture and expression were almost relaxed, and I wondered what their relationship was. She was old enough to be his mother, but since they looked nothing alike, I figured they weren’t related.
The second I took my last bite, Mariana sprang into action again and pushed a giant piece of cake in front of me. But I was full, and there was no way I’d be able to eat it. I tried pushing it away, but she wouldn’t take no for an answer.
I sighed, resting my hands in my lap. “It looks amazing, Mariana, but I’m so full I think I’m going to explode. Why don’t I eat it for breakfast tomorrow instead?”
Santino must have taken pity on me, or he was simply impatient to get his babysitting job over and done with, because he seemed to translate what I was saying for once. He’d mostly refused, saying he wasn’t my personal translator.
Mariana nodded at whatever he said, then pinched my cheek before she put the cake back into the fridge.
“Dinner was delicious. Thank you very much. Muchas gracias.”
She beamed at me and hugged me. I nearly cried at the simple but kind gesture.
Santino deposited me back in my room. A grunted word that sounded a lot like “sleep” announced his departure.
The bed was freshly made, and the bathroom was clean. The towel I had carelessly left on the floor was gone, replaced with a new one.
I pulled all the blankets off the bed and made up my corner of the closet. The illusion of safety my little cave created allowed me to calm my frayed nerves enough so I could rest for a few hours.
When I woke up, I was warm and comfortable. I’d once again been moved into the bed. I was usually a light sleeper, especially while I was the guest of knife- and gun-wielding lunatics. Jumping at every sound had become my new normal. But once I was asleep here, I seemed to stay that way. Which was good, since I only got a few hours’ rest a night. But also bad because it meant anyone could come in and I wouldn’t even know it.
But last night I’d woken briefly as I was being carried. My suspicion that it was Lucius who was moving me was confirmed, though I’d been too tired to do more than rest my head on his chest and fall asleep again as soon as I was lying on the mattress.
There is something seriously wrong with me. Who in their right mind would feel safe in the arms of their captor? He was the second-in-command of this whole operation. Yet he’d never harmed me. Well, not directly. He did help abduct me, after all.
My morning started the same as always. Santino walked me to the kitchen, where Mariana was waiting to greet me with a warm smile. “Cariña. ¿Dormiste bien?”
“Good morning, Mariana. How are you today?”
“Estoy bien, bonita. ¿Tienes hambre?”
I spotted a stack of pancakes next to the stove, and my mouth watered. Mariana smiled at me again and handed the stack over.
I ate nine of them and would have eaten more if my stomach hadn’t protested. I was unable to move for at least ten minutes. Santino glared at me the whole time I sat down longer than necessary. But one stern look from Mariana and he didn’t complain. Instead, he accepted the second cup of coffee she poured him and drank it while piercing me with his gaze.
Mariana happily puttered around the kitchen and kept up a constant chatter. I smiled at her and tried my best to understand what she was saying, but I was a lost cause. When she looked at me expectantly and all I did was grin back at her, Santino jumped in, taking pity on me once again. Maybe he was warming up to me after all.
“She asked if you like strawberries. She wants to make you dessert for tonight.”
“I love strawberries. But tell her she doesn’t have to go out of her way. I’ll eat whatever she puts in front of me.”
Santino frowned at me. “She likes you and wants to cook for you. Don’t tell her no.”
He said something to Mariana, and she nodded at him.
“Santino?” I asked, my voice wobbly.
