Enrique became addicted to the girl after that first taste. The Scorpions and the Dragons did not work closely with one another, but they met up from time to time for various occasions. Eddie didn’t always share his woman with the Scorpions, but when he did, Enrique always had his fill.
He liked the way she felt beneath him, the way she willingly accepted whatever was being given. That is until the two groups had a falling out. Brett had a thing for the girl as well, and during the last time the two groups had hung for a few days, he made Eddie an offer. He wanted to buy the girl and felt $300K a fair price. Enrique thought he was crazy; an insane sum to pay for a woman.
Eddie had angrily informed him she wasn’t for sale, no matter the price. A heated discussion had ensued, and they almost came to blows. In the end, the Dragons dropped off the grid after they went their separate ways, presumably so that Eddie could use his secret weapon to make his next move.
By Chance
Sitting in the diner with Michael, the pair drank their coffee in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Trying to figure out how to gain the upper hand, Enrique needed to rethink his plan. Going through what he knew, he recalled what had happened after the two groups had gone their separate ways, and how he had gotten onto Brett’s bad side.
The Scorpions, loyal to The Organization, were on assignment in Arizona when he got pinched. Enrique found it odd that he got a visit from a federal agent almost as soon as he was in custody.
The agent, a shorter man with a slight build, had not identified himself, stipulating that he had an offer that would ensure his freedom if he cooperated; an offer Enrique could not refuse.
A week later, he was placed in a halfway house in LA, where he was to stay for a month before returning to the Scorpions to gather information for the Feds. They had given him a small flip phone and told him to keep in touch. Enrique used the phone to contact the Scorpions, who did not seem too eager to have him return to their group.
Thinking back, Enrique remembered how his plan had spun into chaos when Tori Farrell turned out to be at the same halfway house, trying to rebuild her life. It wasn’t real smart for me to offer her up to Brett like that, he thought to himself presently. He had tried to use her to save his own skin and buy his way back into the group; a decision he had later regretted.
Allowing Trish to refill his cup, Enrique remembered he didn’t think things could get any worse once he was on the run and trying to keep the Scorpions or anyone else from finding the thing that meant the most to him: Tori. But somehow, the odd phone call he had received a few weeks ago in Ohio had proven he had been wrong about that.
When he answered the call, a male voice on the other end had known his location down to the address, and instructed him to exit the building and meet him at the café a few blocks away. Flipping the device shut, he had considered not going, but since the caller had warned him people he cared about would pay the price if he didn’t, he decided it couldn’t hurt to go see who it had been and what they wanted.
Enrique had a bad feeling when he saw the same federal agent with coal black hair waiting in a corner booth for him as he entered the diner. Taking a seat across from the short man, he had tried to look calm, but on the inside he could feel his heart pounding.
“Well,” he huffed loudly, “Didn’t expects you. How’d you find me?”
The agent declined to elaborate, stating, “We’re short on time and need to get to the point.” His words and tone were completely controlled.
“Ok, so what’s the point?” Enrique challenged with a wave of his upturned hand.
“The point is, we had a deal. A deal which you have not upheld.” The agent did not mince words as he stabbed the table with his finger. “You were supposed to return to the Scorpions and should be with them, gathering information for us.”
Enrique, rubbing his chin for a moment, laid back with his elbow on the rear side of his seat and tried to explain. “See, what happened was, there was this girl in the house with me, and she got me into some trouble… and I had to leave. I haven’t been able to catch up to the Scorpions, so…”
The agent held up his hand, cutting him off, “Yes, we know about Tori Farrell. We also know the two of you were quite chummy.” Enrique’s brown eyes grew wide with surprise, while the man continued, “What we’ve decided, is to give you a second chance. We want you to help us with the girl.”
“The girl,” Enrique scoffed, “What the hells do you want with her? I thought you guys was helping her get clean and alls that shit.”
The agent shrugged, “Things change. You see, she’s a special girl. She knows things. And she has a job to do; kind of like you, only she isn’t doing it. We want you to go and remind her of what it is she needs to be doing.” He paused to give Enrique a chance to think about what he had said, and then went on, “And there’s another problem we need you to take care of.”
“See, she’s very cunning.” He cracked a half grin, “She manipulates men like they were play-dough. She has a man there with her, one that we’re certain she’s currently involved with, if you get what I mean.”
Enrique felt a stab of jealousy, as he did, in fact, know what he meant.
“You’ll need to eliminate him from the picture; how, we don’t care.” He waved a hand as a suggestion for solving the problem. He extended the pause to ensure Enrique had understood his new assignment, then continued, “What you want to do after that, is convince her she needs to finish her job. The special job that Eddie Farrell and the Dragons trained her for.”
Enrique interrupted, “And what job is that?”
The agent smiled at him, nodding slightly. “She knows. She’s in a little town in Texas, down south. I have it marked for you.” He slid a map across the table as he spoke. “Just go pick her up, convince her you two make a great couple, and get her back on task.”
Enrique poked at the map with a shrug, “I’m not doin’ anything until I knows what the job is. And what do I get outta alls this anyways?”
The stranger continued to smile, “She’ll have to tell you about the job, and if, by chance, you both survive,” he paused for a moment, giving him a shrug, “You get to keep the girl.”
Enrique started to laugh loudly, “You can’t just give her to me. It’s not like you own her.”
The agent’s smile shifted, looking more like a sneer. “Well,” he agreed, his blue eyes shining, “Technically you’re right, we don’t own her. But, we are the Feds after all; we can do,” he paused to open his palm towards the ceiling, “Whatever we want with people. If you don’t believe me, just ask her when you see her. Ask her what we’re able to do with people.”
Enrique swallowed, considering the way he had emphasized the word her. Standing, the agent exited the shop, leaving the other man staring at the map.
Shifting in his seat, he glanced around and reached for the folded parchment. Opening it up, he found the town circled with a blue ballpoint pen. Leaning back, he pushed out a breath through pursed lips, thinking about what he should do. The last time they were together, he had realized he loved her, and those feelings hadn’t changed.
Of course, the promise of having her felt great, since he had wanted her for a long time. The only problem, he had left her in tears in LA. He knew she might not be so receptive to him showing up, especially if she suspected that he had been sent by the Feds or that he had offed her current lover to get to her.
Tucking the map inside his jacket pocket, Enrique stood and headed out the door. He knew he would have to have a really good story as to how he had located her. Hell, he might just pretend it was an accident. He could feel himself swelling as he thought about the last time he had seen her.
Tori had been lying over the wooden chair in the office of the little bar where they were hanging out. She had been naked, too, as he had just fucked her in that dirty way she loved, and he had stared down at her creamy white curves as he stood over her. Smiling to himself as he started the bike, he couldn’t wa
it to get to Texas.
Dangerous Ground
Pulling himself back to the diner, Enrique focused on the man who sat across the table. “Make sure you look her in the eye when you’re with her,” he commanded. “She deserves that.”
Michael shifted uncomfortably as he peered out the window towards the shop, realizing what he had meant. Nodding, he replied, “Yeah, I got that covered. Maybe I have more respect for her than you.”
Enrique grinned at his comment, remembering the bar in LA and the way she had let him take her there, even when she wasn’t drunk. She liked it nasty; he was sure of it. But he resisted the urge to remark how much they had both enjoyed it. Shifting in his seat, he changed the subject, as they had business to discuss. “So, you two gonna stays here?”
“What’s it to you?” Michael challenged, his heart rate increasing at the prospect of trouble.
“Easy man,” Enrique gave him a small wave of his hand, “Just lookin’ out for her. She’s… special.” He had come there with the intention of reclaiming her, but since it had been Michael who had come to meet him, he realized that would not be an easy task.
Michael nodded heavily, “Yeah, she is. And yes, we intend to settle down, build a life together.” He felt his embellishment justifiable.
Enrique shifted nervously at the news, and inquired, “Well, maybe I could go down and sees her; I wouldn’t stay long.”
Michael shook his head slowly, “Naw, man; she’s doin’ really well now. The last thing she needs is a visit from the past to shake her all up again.”
Enrique smiled, thinking that might be what she did need. He could see that this man loved her, and wanted to make things right for her. Drawing a deep breath while licking his lips, he considered his options.
He had been haunted by her memory ever since he had left her. And not because he adored fucking her either; she was talented in other ways, as well. If Eddie hadn’t scarred her up so bad, she would’ve been a real beauty, like she had been when he first saw her all those years ago. Not to mention all the things she knew and could do; indeed a real prize.
However, he wanted more than to simply own her, and that fact scared him, if he were honest about it. He had told many a girl that he loved them to get his way. With Tori, they weren’t just words, and he had come to realize, he actually meant it. Feelings like those are dangerous; they cause men to do stupid shit and make bad choices.
Besides, she had been with the Dragons since she was a little girl. She probably had no memory of any other life. If this man was willing to give her one, it would be cruel of him to pull her away from it. I love her; he debated with himself, but do I love her enough to give her away; leave her with a man who can give her a better life?
Releasing a deep sigh, he turned in his seat so he could view the garage, as well. The front door had been pulled up, and he could see her moving around inside the shop. She rolled the wheel to a motorcycle around from the side, her long dark hair a sharp contrast to her white tee as she stooped over.
“She really should’ve been someone else.” He said the words aloud, not really talking to anyone, “A model or something.”
The other man nodded his agreement, knowing her life was not the one she was meant to have.
Enrique looked back at Michael, feeling defeated. “I gave her my number.” Reaching inside his jacket to show off his little flip cell, “You guys ever get any trouble, you make sure she calls me,” he tapped the device.
Michael shrugged, thinking to himself, we’ll never be that desperate. “Make sure she doesn’t see you,” he instructed as the other man stood to leave.
Enrique dropped a $10 bill on the table and walked out the door.
Michael sat for several minutes, listening to the bike start up and head out of town in the opposite direction of their shop. Taking a few more gulps of his coffee, he watched as Tori continued to work on her newest project. His mind turning, he realized they were on dangerous ground. If Enrique had found them, others would follow; it was only a matter of time.
Raising his chin and running his right hand across his jaw, he knew he would have to make his move soon. They were going to need a strong relationship if they were going to depend on each other fully when the time came, one way or the other.
Pulling the felt bag out of his pocket to rub, he thought about how he wanted to approach the subject without spooking her or making her suspicious. He didn’t know all the details about Enrique or anything else, and asking at the moment would only complicate things.
First things first, he told himself as he stood to leave. Giving Trish a wave, he headed out the door and trudged back to the shop. Making it to the gentle slope of the entrance, he walked all the way up behind her before he realized he had invaded her space, where she bent over inspecting the bike.
Noticing him, she stood up straight, spinning sharply to look him in the eye; shocked by his behavior. Instantly hit with cold feet, he took half a step back, running his fingers through his sandy brown locks.
Seeing this, she broke into a wide smile. If they had been closer, she might have kissed him, being far too attractive at the moment to resist without great effort. “What’s the matter,” she cooed in a soft voice. “You look a little haggard.”
Nodding, he agreed, his hand combing his hair again. “I have something on my mind,” he began awkwardly, “It’s been bothering me for weeks, actually,” he confessed. Shifting his weight from one leg to the other, he took the plunge, “Would you marry me?”
Tori looked stricken. There was nothing he could have said that would have shocked her more. Taking a deep breath, she tried to back away, finding herself planted against the motorcycle behind her. He didn’t move towards her, and just stood staring, waiting for her response. “You can’t be serious,” she stammered, her mind in chaos. Where in the hell did this come from? Has he gone insane?
He nodded as if she had spoken the words out loud; giving her a small laugh, “Pretty crazy, huh? I just can’t help it. I’m stuck here, at this point, and I can’t do anything else until I deal with this.” He watched her intently as he continued. “You can say no. I’d be ok with that. I just feel it’s time to move forward with our relationship.”
Tori stared at him, slack-jawed as she agreed, “Yeah, me too. I thought maybe we would date or something though.” She shrugged absently, lips curling slightly, still in shock.
Her words encouraged him a little, and he managed a smile, shaking his head. “I thought that’s what we’d been doing since we got here,” he teased her, trying to break the tension, glad to see she returned his grin.
Nodding, she put him to the test. She had folded her hands in front of her, palms pressed together, and pointed at him with both index fingers as she lightly tossed out, “So, ok then. If you have a ring, I’ll marry you.” She said the words flippantly, expecting him back down.
Grinning sheepishly and looking at the ground, he reached into his pocket for the grey bag, saying quietly, “I don’t have a ring.”
Tori almost felt disappointed as a look of relief crossed her face.
“I have two,” he continued, lifting his face to look her in the eye as he loosened the pouch and allowed the shiny circles to slide out onto his opened palm.
Tori stared at the pair of rings in wide-eyed awe. They were plain white gold, a silvery color that reflected the light like the chrome on the bikes she loved to restore. They were beautiful, and they were perfect.
Shifting her gaze up to his face, she could see him patiently waiting for her to give a real response. Slowly closing her mouth, she stared into his eyes for a full minute, allowing herself to take it all in.
Michael could hear the blood swooshing in his ears, not believing he had come out and asked her. After all his careful planning and patience, he let one visit from an old flame push him into trying to force her to commit to him.
Beginning to think he had blown it all, she reached up and closed his fingers around the objects, holdi
ng his fist in both hands for a moment.
“What day is this?” her voice quiet, she held his gaze.
Confused, he thought for a moment, and then stammered “April first.” Fuck me, now she thinks this is a joke. “This isn’t a prank,” he gushed, “I’m serious about this. See? Yours is engraved. See, look at this,” he had freed his hand and held the ring out to her.
Her hands trembling, she took it from him and peered at the inside of the circle. For Tori, love of my life.
Tears spilled over from her crystal blue eyes. She looked back and forth, from the ring to his deep brown orbs, remembering the last man who had claimed to love her. But this is different. Michael hadn’t asked for anything before this. Hadn’t made any demands, other than expressed the desire to be close to her, to be allowed to remain with her. Suddenly she connected the date – this is the day he was supposed to leave.
She had set the date arbitrarily, months ago. That was before he had chiseled his way inside her heart and mind; before she knew him as a person, and not only as Henry’s little brother. “So you wanna give me a ring, huh?” she asked quietly, her tone almost mocking as she studied the inscription.
“No,” he answered almost too quickly and her eyes snapped to his, glaring at him in surprise. “I wanna give you something far more valuable to me than that.”
He had spoken with conviction. The pause became pregnant with anticipation before he elaborated, “I wanna give you my name.”
Staring at him, her eyes didn’t waver. Her breath a slow, deep pant, she nodded her head deliberately, “Ok, then we need to set a date.”
Relieved, Michael couldn’t hold back any longer. Reaching forward, he looped his arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him. Arms locked around her, he hugged her in a strong embrace, rocking her side to side in a gentle swaying motion. “I was thinking today,” he whispered quietly into her long dark hair.
A New Life Series - Starter Kit Page 44
