Overcome

by Evans, A. K.

  Jenkins nodded before looking back at the pictures. He moved his finger across them and added, “These two as well.” He pointed to one of the photos and continued, “This one was here maybe a week and a half ago.” Jenkins slid his finger across the page and went on, “She was here about two and a half weeks ago.”

  “You’re certain?” Pierce pressed.

  He gave us a look that told us he was certain before he concluded, “Faces like these are ones you don’t forget. The moment those girls walked in here, there were eyes on them. They stood out not because they made their presence known, but because they were timid and beautiful.”

  “Were any of the eyes on them anyone that you’d be concerned about?” I asked.

  He shrugged. “I try not to judge people, so I can’t say for sure. Now that I know to be on the lookout for something out of the ordinary, you can rest assured I plan to pay better attention to what’s happening here.”

  Pierce stood and pulled a card out of his pocket as he requested, “If you see or hear anything, you’ll call me?”

  “Will do,” Jenkins confirmed as he took Pierce’s card and tucked it into his pocket.

  At that, I gestured to the bartender. She came over and I asked, “Is the owner here?”

  She shook her head and offered, “No, but he’ll be in later this evening. Was everything alright with your order?”

  I stood next to Pierce and answered, “Everything was fine. Just business stuff. Someone will call or stop by later.”

  After Pierce and I thanked Jenkins for his time, we took off.

  When we arrived back at the office, the two of us updated Dom and Lorenzo.

  We finally had something. Three of the girls had been spotted at the same tavern in town and were taken shortly afterward. We couldn’t say for sure with the first two women, but the seventeen-year-old had been seen there on Thursday and we received word early this morning that she’d been reported missing.

  “These guys are being smart,” Dom noted. “If this Jenkins guy saw to it that she made it to her car safely, these guys are waiting until the women have left the area before they go after them.”

  “I’m going to get Michaels to check the security footage. Maybe we can see if there is anyone who follows her out of the lot,” Lorenzo suggested.

  “Good call,” I remarked. “The owner of the tavern will be in later tonight. If Michaels is having any trouble getting that footage, we should follow up with the owner tonight. Perhaps we should also look at any of the footage from inside. We can see if there was anyone who paid extra attention to her. If we can nail down the dates that our other two women went missing, let’s get that footage, too. Maybe we’ll be able to narrow it down if we’re seeing the same people.”

  Pierce added, “Keep in mind that the Spur has a lot of regulars. It’s likely we’re going to find a lot of guys who are there every night. We’ll have to be thorough.”

  Lorenzo and Dom took off to Michaels’ office, Pierce to his own, and I went to Levi’s. I knocked on the door and went in.

  “How’s it going?” I asked as I walked in and sat in the chair on the opposite side of his desk.

  “From the time you and I finished talking this morning in the conference room until about ten minutes ago, I’ve been handling the final details of security for Elle’s event tomorrow.”

  “You’ve got enough guys on it?” I asked.

  He nodded. “Locke and Tyson will be with me. Though, now that I’m thinking about it, I’m wondering if we should change things up.”

  “How so?”

  “I’m guessing you are better equipped to answer that. How’s Lexi with this kind of thing? Do you think she’d want you to be there?”

  I let out a laugh and admitted, “I’d like to think she would want me there, but I’m not sure if it’s necessary. She seems to be okay with public places. I’m going to be seeing her tonight, though; I can run it past her. Are you good with a last-minute change if it’s needed?”

  “Whatever the two of you need. Just let me know,” he advised. Then, he went on, “Get anywhere on your case?”

  “We did.”

  I went on to tell him about the meeting Pierce and I had with Jenkins and the confirmation that three of our missing women were seen at the tavern days prior to their disappearances. I also updated him on our plan moving forward.

  “As much as I don’t want another woman taken, I know that it’s going to happen,” he started. “It would be great if the next woman were to walk in there. If this guy is keeping his eye out and spotted these women the second they walked in, perhaps we can stop the next one before it’s too late.”

  “Yeah,” I agreed. “They aren’t picking these women up at the tavern. They’re finding them there and then they’re taking them after the women leave the parking lot. I don’t want these women to be traumatized any further than they have to be, but we’ll have to make a judgment call in the moment if we can risk letting the woman get taken so we can follow them or if we need to jump in before that happens.”

  Levi shook his head. “This pisses me off. I know you guys will make the best decision. I just hate that this is a choice that even needs to be made.”

  “You and me both.”

  We sat in silence, letting the weight of the situation settle on our shoulders. Levi eventually broke the silence. “So, you’re seeing Lexi tonight?”

  “Earlier this week, we planned to have dinner to celebrate her moving into her new office. Now, I’d like to think we’ve got a little more to celebrate.”

  “Happy for you, Cruz. I really hope it all works out for the two of you.”

  “Thanks, Levi. I should get going. I need to get home and shower. After unexpectedly staying at her place last night and getting the call this morning about another girl missing, I never went back to my place. I’m guessing any chance I’ll have with Lexi will be shot to shit if I show up smelling terrible.”

  Levi laughed and joked, “I knew I smelled something!”

  I rolled my eyes and stood. As I walked to the door, I confirmed, “I’ll keep you posted on what the deal is for tomorrow.”

  “Later, Cruz.”

  I gave him a chin lift and walked out. As I walked to my truck, I pulled out my phone to call Lexi. I told her I’d be by around five thirty to pick her up for dinner. She said she’d be ready.

  At that, I turned on my truck, went home, and used the next hour and a half to take a shower, get ready, make a reservation, and count down the minutes until I could drive over to Lexi’s.

  I’m not sure what I expected when I walked up to her door and knocked, but it certainly wasn’t what stood before me.

  Lexi was something else entirely; I couldn’t get over how beautiful she was.

  She was all dolled up in a pair of black pants and a top that fit every curve of her body perfectly. She had a scarf at her neck and a pair of heels on her feet. Even with the heels, she was still quite a few inches shorter than me.

  But it was her face that did me in. Her sweet face and her gorgeous smile.

  “Lexi,” I started, finding it difficult to catch my breath. “You look so pretty.”

  Her smile widened. “Thank you. That’s such a relief. It took me so long to figure out what to wear.”

  “Well, what you settled on is perfect.”

  Lexi took a step back and let me inside. “I’m ready to go. I just need to grab my purse and a light jacket.”

  “Take your time.”

  I waited at the door while Lexi grabbed her things. After we locked and secured her apartment, I reached for her hand and held it all the way to my truck.

  Dinner was nice. Lexi and I had effortless conversation. I’m certain this was because she asked a lot of questions. I had no problems giving her answers to any of the questions she had either. It was my assumption that she needed that— to know she could ask questions and trust she’d get answers. And it wasn’t as though she asked anything so deeply personal that I’d hav
e a problem sharing. Even still, I knew I liked Lexi enough that she could have asked me anything and I’d give her an honest answer.

  After dinner, we walked back out to the truck. I turned it on, reached my hand over to hers, and looked her in the eyes. “We need to talk.”

  “Okay,” she replied.

  “We’re close to my place. I’d love to show you where it is, but want to make sure you’re comfortable going there.”

  I felt her hand tense as she delayed in giving me an answer.

  Nope. She wasn’t ready.

  “Sure,” she answered hesitantly.

  I was not going to take her to my place. I drove out of the lot and back to her place. When I pulled into the lot at her apartment, she questioned, “You live in the same apartment complex?”

  “No.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  I parked the truck, turned it off, and looked back at her. “Lexi, you tensed up the minute I asked about going back to my place. I’m not going to force you to go somewhere you aren’t comfortable going. That’s why we’re here.”

  “Oh.”

  I allowed Lexi a minute to process that on her own as I stepped out and moved around to open her door. We held hands as we walked to the front door of the apartment.

  Once we were inside, Lexi’s uneasiness skyrocketed.

  “Warrior, what’s wrong?” I asked after we sat down on the couch.

  “What you said this morning…I’m just nervous.”

  I began wracking my brain trying to remember what I said this morning that she’d be nervous about. I came up with nothing.

  “I’m not following you, Lex.”

  “You said that we’d talk tonight about what things changed after everything happened last night.”

  I sighed. “I also told you not to worry about it and that everything was going to be fine. Seeing you like this right now tells me you don’t trust what I told you.”

  She sat silently, contemplating.

  “I’m not sure I know how to do this right,” she shared.

  “Do what?”

  “Be in a relationship and trust. I had one boyfriend throughout high school. We didn’t start dating until I was in my junior year. We were together until a few months before graduation. He thought it would be best to break up since we were both heading off to different schools. I was upset initially, but quickly realized that it was high school love and not the real thing. I went to college and met people. I made friends, but didn’t date. Until…until him. Then, I switched schools. I haven’t been interested nor have I dated anyone since.”

  I needed to calm her fears. “We’re good, Lexi.”

  “We are?”

  “We just got back from dinner. There was no awkward silence or uneasiness in our conversation. When we had breakfast together last weekend, we spent nearly the entire time laughing our asses off. You said yourself that I was the first person that made you want to joke around in the last four years. Keep in mind, I told you that you’re the reason I feel like my heart is finally beating again. We’ve got great chemistry, Lexi. Don’t put this kind of pressure on yourself. We’re good.”

  “Well, what about…” she trailed off as she directed her gaze everywhere but at me.

  “Look at me,” I urged.

  When her eyes came to mine, I questioned her softly, “What about what?”

  Her voice was barely a whisper when she answered, “Sex.”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about tonight,” I replied.

  Her body stiffened.

  “I don’t want to have sex with you.”

  Her eyes rounded. “You don’t?” she asked, unable to hide her shock.

  “No.”

  “Oh.” She looked back down at her lap and I could see she was relieved, but maybe also a bit disappointed. I couldn’t understand it.

  “Maybe I should clarify,” I started. “I want to have sex with you; I just don’t want to have sex with you tonight.”

  Her hopeful eyes came back to mine.

  “There’s no rush,” I assured her. “It takes as long as it takes for you to get to a place where you want that, too. I don’t care how long it takes you either. Nothing, Lexi, nothing happens before you are ready for it. To that end, when you think you might be ready for any physical intimacy, I need you to tell me. If it’s needed, I’ll take the lead on everything else, but you are taking the lead on that.”

  Her eyes filled with tears. “I wanted to wear a dress tonight.”

  I shook my head, confused. “What?”

  “When you picked me up tonight, you told me I looked pretty. I told you I spent entirely too long trying to decide what I should wear. I really wanted to wear a dress.”

  “So, why didn’t you?”

  “I can’t,” she rasped, closing her eyes. “I always wear pants, even when I’m home alone, sleeping in my bed. I was wearing a skirt that night. I haven’t worn a dress, skirt, or shorts in four years. I wanted to do it tonight because they used to make me feel sexy and I want to feel like a woman again, but I didn’t want you to think I was ready to have sex. And after years in therapy, I do know logically that what I wear shouldn’t matter, but it doesn’t change the fact that I still feel nervous about being in anything but pants.”

  My blood was boiling. I wasn’t angry at her; I hated the bastard that thought he had a right to her body because of what she was wearing.

  “Tomorrow, Lex,” I quickly tamped down my anger and stated.

  “What about tomorrow?”

  “After Elle’s event, I’m taking you out again. You should know now, I have no plans to have sex with you tomorrow either. What I plan to do is pick you up and take you out so we can have a good time with each other just like we did earlier tonight and just like we have every other time we’ve been together. When I pick you up, you’ll be wearing whatever the hell you want to wear. Dress, skirt, shorts…hell, it could be a fucking bikini for all I care.”

  “A bikini?”

  “Yes.”

  Her face scrunched up and she noted, “I think it’s still too cold for a bikini.”

  I grinned at her, happy to hear her joking, but went on, “It’s your body, Lexi. You can wear whatever you want to wear and nobody has a right to assume they can take anything from you.”

  “I know that. Logically, I know that, but it’s still scary.”

  “You don’t have any reason to be fearful with me, Princess. I would never hurt you. And I’d never let anyone else hurt you. I have to believe on some level you trust me and you know I’d do whatever was necessary to protect you; otherwise, I don’t think we’d be sitting here right now. We’ll take baby steps. I’m taking you out tomorrow and you can wear whatever will make you feel good. You’ll always be safe while you are with me. Ok?”

  I watched as Lexi’s hands went to her throat. She began sliding her fingers over the fabric of the scarf tied at her neck and pulled the ends of it through one another. Then, she removed it completely from her body.

  “I hate wearing them.”

  It took everything in me to not allow my eyes to drop to the exposed skin at her throat and the top of her chest. I was a man who was seriously attracted to her, but I felt like she had just taken a huge step forward. I wanted to see to it that she knew she could trust me and keep taking those steps.

  Apparently, she wanted to take another step forward because she shifted on the couch and curled up next to me. With her body pressed into my side and her head lying in the crook of my shoulder, she said softly, “Thank you, Cruz.”

  I pressed a kiss to the top of her head before I responded, “It’s really not necessary to thank me, but you’re welcome, Lexi.”

  We stayed like that a long time without any words. Lexi eventually tipped her head back, looked up at me, and broke the silence.

  “Cruz?”

  “Yeah?”

  She gave me a disappointed look and stated, “I just have one question.”

  “
Shoot.”

  “Since sex is off the table, does that mean we can’t kiss and touch?”

  I laughed. “Where I’m from, kissing and touching is not the same thing as sex.”

  Her eyes began to sparkle.

  “But we need some rules first,” I declared.

  “Rules?”

  “Yes. I need to know that you know what to do if something isn’t right for you. So, I think we need to come up with a safe word.”

  “A safe word? Like what they do in the BDSM community?” she asked, her body going tense again.

  My face softened. “Yes, for the safety. I want you to know that no matter what we’re doing, whether it’s kissing and touching now or if it’s sex later down the road, all you need to do is say one word if you aren’t comfortable and it all stops. Immediately. One word will tell me that something is wrong. I need to know you feel safe and that we don’t ignore the fact that something could happen that would cause you to have another panic attack. I don’t want that for you and I think this could be a great way to see to it that it doesn’t happen.”

  Lexi sat up straighter on the couch and stared at me. She didn’t say anything for a long time. I almost began to wonder if she was offended that I had suggested the use of a safe word, but at that moment she spoke up and approved, “I think that’s a really great idea.”

  I grinned and asked, “So what’s the word?”

  “Hmm,” she started as she tilted her head back and looked up at the wall behind the couch. “Well, I guess it should be something that’ll really kill the mood, right?”

  “It doesn’t have to be. I’d just prefer it be unmistakable. So, it can simply be the word ‘stop’ or you can do something a little more creative like a color or a food. You could even say something completely off the wall if you feel like it needs to be.”

  She thought another moment before her eyes got big and she announced, “Cupcake.”

  “Cupcake it is.”

  The smile on her face grew to epic proportions before she questioned, “Can I kiss you now?”

  “Yeah, Lex. You can kiss me…you can touch me, too.”

  Lexi leaned back in to me, pressed her hand to my chest, and tipped her lips up to mine. “I think I’d really like it if you’d do the same.”