begun to think of as theirs, and start a new life with
him. One that was clear of the way they met, and what brought them together.
But, now here they were, rushing to her brother’s aide, and she may have lost
the man she loved in the process.
“Elijio,”
she whispered, but he didn’t answer. Several minutes later they pulled up to a
darkened warehouse and he helped her from the car. He tucked her hand in the
crook of his elbow and escorted her into the building, the click of her heels
echoing into the rafters. A bird took flight as they passed and she shivered,
instinctively inching toward Elijio, her safety net. When they entered into the
only lit section of the building, Nate stood there.
Her
brother looked so much like their father that it ached to look at him. At
six-foot-three, with short, curly brown hair, and laughing hazel eyes, her
brother had been deemed a catch for any woman. He was dressed in a smart three
piece charcoal suit standing next to a slightly pudgy man with a round face who
wore a white suit. This man had his hair slicked back from his face with some
sort of product and had four men, two to each side of him and Nate, standing
there. The bulges under their jackets gave Bella pause, but Elijio didn’t stop
walking until he was just feet away.
“I
assume you had a good reason for interrupting my meal, Pace,” Elijio said.
“I
did. She is more beautiful than her brother told me. She will make Stuart very
happy.” Pace answered, laughing.
“What?”
Bella asked.
“Let
me do this, Bella,” Elijio said. “You and I both know what Stuart will want
from her. What makes you think I will let that happen?” Elijio asked Pace.
“Her
brother here has made a deal on her behalf, one that I will make sure is
beneficial to all of us.”
“Look,
sis. I came in on a big win, just like I told you, and have been asked to an
exclusive game. I can triple my winnings. It’s enough to make sure we both are
set up for life, but I need a little more buy-in money. All you have to do is
work for this Stuart guy for six months, and that’s it. You walk away after
that, I have my win, and we split it down the center, fifty-fifty.”
“Nate
what have you done? There is no guarantee that you are going to win,” Bella
argued.
“Sis,
I’m on a winning streak. I’ve won over forty mil in
the last three nights. This score will be the last. That’s all I need. Just
work with me and you’ll never have to do it again.”
“Stuart
is a black market trader of flesh in the red light district, Nate. His girls
may fetch up to millions for their pleasure, but they rarely get to see any of
that money during the time they ‘work’ for Stuart, did you know that?” Elijio
asked and Bella felt sick.
“Stuart
said she won’t have to do any of that. She’ll be like the hostess for his
girls, keeping their income in order and the books. I told her she’s real smart
with things like that. He’s willing to pay the rest of my entry fee for her,”
Nate explained
“And
I will pay you back the twenty mil you lost paying for the
old debt, and you can walk away. Everyone has a happy ending. I’ll even
sweeten the pot and throw in an extra few million, how does that sound?” Pace
asked
“If
you are willing to do that then Stuart is putting in a lot of capital for this
‘deal’ which means that we all know that he won’t be hiring Bella for some damn
book work. Don’t lie to me, Pace.”
Bella
swayed, really looking at her brother in a different light for the first time.
He didn’t care about her. He didn’t love her. She was a score, his way to the
next big thing. He was willing to sell her just for the chance to win big. Why
hadn’t she seen it? Why had she come here tonight?
“Take
me home,” Bella whispered to Elijio.
“What,
baby?” Elijio asked.
“Take
me home. I don’t want the deal. I don’t want to do this anymore.”
“Bella—”
“I’m
sorry, but leaving isn’t an option.”
him. One that was clear of the way they met, and what brought them together.
But, now here they were, rushing to her brother’s aide, and she may have lost
the man she loved in the process.
“Elijio,”
she whispered, but he didn’t answer. Several minutes later they pulled up to a
darkened warehouse and he helped her from the car. He tucked her hand in the
crook of his elbow and escorted her into the building, the click of her heels
echoing into the rafters. A bird took flight as they passed and she shivered,
instinctively inching toward Elijio, her safety net. When they entered into the
only lit section of the building, Nate stood there.
Her
brother looked so much like their father that it ached to look at him. At
six-foot-three, with short, curly brown hair, and laughing hazel eyes, her
brother had been deemed a catch for any woman. He was dressed in a smart three
piece charcoal suit standing next to a slightly pudgy man with a round face who
wore a white suit. This man had his hair slicked back from his face with some
sort of product and had four men, two to each side of him and Nate, standing
there. The bulges under their jackets gave Bella pause, but Elijio didn’t stop
walking until he was just feet away.
“I
assume you had a good reason for interrupting my meal, Pace,” Elijio said.
“I
did. She is more beautiful than her brother told me. She will make Stuart very
happy.” Pace answered, laughing.
“What?”
Bella asked.
“Let
me do this, Bella,” Elijio said. “You and I both know what Stuart will want
from her. What makes you think I will let that happen?” Elijio asked Pace.
“Her
brother here has made a deal on her behalf, one that I will make sure is
beneficial to all of us.”
“Look,
sis. I came in on a big win, just like I told you, and have been asked to an
exclusive game. I can triple my winnings. It’s enough to make sure we both are
set up for life, but I need a little more buy-in money. All you have to do is
work for this Stuart guy for six months, and that’s it. You walk away after
that, I have my win, and we split it down the center, fifty-fifty.”
“Nate
what have you done? There is no guarantee that you are going to win,” Bella
argued.
“Sis,
I’m on a winning streak. I’ve won over forty mil in
the last three nights. This score will be the last. That’s all I need. Just
work with me and you’ll never have to do it again.”
“Stuart
is a black market trader of flesh in the red light district, Nate. His girls
may fetch up to millions for their pleasure, but they rarely get to see any of
that money during the time they ‘work’ for Stuart, did you know that?” Elijio
asked and Bella felt sick.
“Stuart
said she won’t have to do any of that. She’ll be like the hostess for his
girls, keeping their income in order and the books. I told her she’s real smart
with things like that. He’s willing to pay the rest of my entry fee for her,”
Nate explained
“And
I will pay you back the twenty mil you lost paying for the
old debt, and you can walk away. Everyone has a happy ending. I’ll even
sweeten the pot and throw in an extra few million, how does that sound?” Pace
asked
“If
you are willing to do that then Stuart is putting in a lot of capital for this
‘deal’ which means that we all know that he won’t be hiring Bella for some damn
book work. Don’t lie to me, Pace.”
Bella
swayed, really looking at her brother in a different light for the first time.
He didn’t care about her. He didn’t love her. She was a score, his way to the
next big thing. He was willing to sell her just for the chance to win big. Why
hadn’t she seen it? Why had she come here tonight?
“Take
me home,” Bella whispered to Elijio.
“What,
baby?” Elijio asked.
“Take
me home. I don’t want the deal. I don’t want to do this anymore.”
“Bella—”
“I’m
sorry, but leaving isn’t an option.”
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