Play Along

by T L Swan

  A second email.

  Subject – Activity

  Safety security box was accessed today at 11.10am.

  The air leaves my lungs. That’s a different email to the one that arrived this afternoon. Stace went to the safety deposit box today without me. I stand and walk to the window and look down at the street below as my heartbeat hammers in my ears.

  Really?

  Are you fucking kidding me?

  My eyes close as the all too familiar feeling of betrayal washes through me.

  He’s taken the diamonds and like a fool, I led him to them. Tears fill my eyes. I thought his feelings were real.

  Oh God.

  I’m just a stupid girl blinded by love.

  I trusted him.

  * * *

  Stace

  I shave, shower, wrap myself in a towel and head into the bedroom.

  “Rosh?” I call out as I glance around.

  Hmm, she’s not here. She must have gone down to the restaurant to get some takeaway to eat. Weird, I thought we were getting something on the way out.

  I take my time and dress then lie back on the bed as I wait for her to return. I glance at the clock knowing we need to get going soon. My mind runs over the conversation I am going to have tonight at The Snake Pit. I need to ask where to sell something without telling them what I have to sell. It’s a fine line. I’m just going to ask where to sell jewelry. I think that that seems like the safest option. For half an hour I wait. Where the frigging hell is she? I thought she wanted to come? I could have gone and been back by now. I take out my phone and message her.

  How long are you going to be? We have to leave?

  I wait for a reply, but it doesn’t come. I text again.

  I’m coming down. We will eat down there?

  I watch my phone as I wait for a reply. For fuck’s sake. I grab my wallet and keys and head down to the elevator. My phone beeps as the door opens and I get in. It reads:

  I will sort the diamonds. Don’t worry yourself.

  I frown and text back.

  What are you talking about? Are you at the restaurant getting us dinner?

  I wait for a reply. It doesn’t come. The doors of the elevator open and I enter the foyer and glance around in search of her. What’s going on? Have they got her? I start to panic. I dial her number and it rings out, no answer. I walk into the restaurant and glance around nervously, but she’s not here, either.

  Shit.

  I half run to the reception desk. “Excuse me, did you see where my wife went?” I ask.

  The girl frowns. “Carlos,” she calls the doorman and he comes over from his place at the door.

  “Did you see where Mr. Williams’ wife went?”

  He frowns as he thinks for a moment. “Yes, she caught a cab.”

  “Was she alone?” I frown as a million thoughts run through my mind.

  “Yes, I believe so, sir.”

  “Do you know where she went?”

  “She asked the driver to take her to The Snake Pit,” the doorman replies.

  My face drops. “Are you sure?” I frown.

  He nods. “Yes.” He hesitates for a moment. “I thought it was odd.”

  What is she doing now? Why does she go crazy and ruin my plans every fucking time? I hurry out the front and jump into the backseat of the cab.

  “Where to?” the driver asks.

  “The Snake Pit.” I glare out the window as the cab drives me through the night. I cannot believe her. I cannot fucking believe her. I shake my head in annoyance. Every time she gets a pea brain idea in her head, she runs off on a tangent and ruins everything. My mind goes to Vikinos and her damn stupid shooting spree that nearly got us killed—still could get us killed, if we are being honest. I had that all worked out. I was going to poison him quietly and nobody could have ever blamed me.

  But no.

  She didn’t even shoot the right guy.

  It infuriates me just thinking of it. What a fuck up.

  And now, just when we are about to actually meet someone who could make a huge difference in the price we get, she goes and does this.

  She will fuck this one up, too. I can already see it coming.

  She thinks she’s so gangster and can handle herself, yet when it comes down to it, she has no idea what she is playing at.

  She could be up to an hour in front of me. Like a fool I waited for her to come back to the room.

  I’m so fucking mad that when I do see her, she had better run. The cab finally pulls up in front and I slowly get out and look around. The club is in a slum area and looks run down. The bouncers on the door are as seedy as all hell.

  I blow out a calming breath and walk in through the dark wood double doors in the dimly lit foyer. The club is large and has circular tables scattered throughout. The music is loud and sounds like Cumbia style. The place is about half full. I can see through an archway leading into another room and there are pool tables with low hanging lights hanging over them. My eyes scan the room for her. Where is she?

  Where the hell is she?

  The whole back wall is a bar and the waitresses are scantily dressed. One attractive brunette immediately catches my eye and she smiles sexily in my direction. Back in the day, she would have been right up my alley, but that was before I met Rosh and her ten personalities. I like about four of her personalities. I’m in love with about three of them and the other three I hate with a passion.

  She’s doing my fucking head in.

  I blow out a deep, steadying breath as I keep searching. A thick cloud of smoke hangs low in the air. Every person in this club is smoking some kind of cigar. My eyes roam from table to table, then I see her. Sitting at the back table with three men. My fury ignites. She’s going to fucking get it. I storm straight over to where she is sitting with three middle aged, overweight men, and I stand at the end of the table. She looks up at me from under her hideous blonde wig. “What are you doing here?” she asks flatly.

  I glare at her. “I should ask you the same thing.”

  She sips her drink sarcastically and it’s all I can do not to rip her by the hair from the table.

  She raises her eyebrow. “Meet my friends.” She gestures to the three men she is sitting with. “This is Carlos, Santiago, and Mateo.” They fake smiles and reach up to shake my hand.

  “This is my friend.” She pauses and narrows her eyes momentarily as she thinks. “Judas.” A trace of a smirk crosses her face, proud of her sarcasm.

  I glare at her and start to feel fury run through my bloodstream. “Birds of a feather.” We glare at each other and I have no idea why she is so pissed at me, but holy fuck she’s about to know how pissed I am at her.

  “Won’t you join us?” one of them asks.

  “I’m going to the bar first.” I turn and head to the bar and straight to the hot brunette.

  “What will it be?” she asks sexily.

  I stare at her. Yeah, she’s hot. Smoking actually. I bet she is uncomplicated and normal.

  Unlike somebody else I know.

  I glance back over to the table and Rosh’s eyes are on me like a hawk. Screw her, she can sweat for a bit. I take a seat at the bar.

  The waitress leans her elbows onto the bar and bends down to talk to me. “What’s your name? I haven’t seen you here before?” Her accent is as hot as hell.

  I stare at her and without thinking lie. “Andre.”

  She smiles sexily. “I’m Camilla.”

  I smirk and nod. “How do you do Camilla?”

  She smiles broadly and picks up the cloth and starts cleaning the bar. Her breasts are near hanging out of her skimpy top and I watch them bounce as she moves her arm. “What do you want, big boy?” she asks.

  My eyes hold hers and I know what I want to say—what the old me would say—and then I am reminded of the infuriating woman sitting at the table with three other men. My eyes flicker to Rosh, and as if she can read my mind, she narrows her eyes and gives me the filthiest look she
can muster.

  I turn back to the brunette with renewed incentive. “I will have two Tequilas, please.”

  “Sure.” She pours my drinks and I down them straight up.

  Her eyes drop to my lips as I lick them, and hell it’s so fucking tempting to cleanse the Rosh from my pallet with this hot piece of ass. I blow out a breath and my eyes flicker to her again. She’s laughing with the men now and I feel the hairs on my neck prickle in jealousy.

  “Where are you from?” the waitress asks, interrupting my thoughts.

  “All over,” I reply, then I think for a moment. Maybe she will know something. “Tell me, if I had some jewellery to sell, where would I sell it?”

  “What kind of jewellery?” she asks.

  “I have an inheritance to sell. Gold, diamonds, a few rubies and sapphires.”

  Her eyes dance with delight. “An inheritance?”

  I nod and I know she knows that there is no inheritance.

  “Most people sell things to Big Al.”

  “Big Al?” I ask. “Where is he?”

  “Teusaquillo.”

  I nod, knowing that’s not far from here. “Do you have a number for him?”

  She smirks as her eyes hold mine. “Don’t you want my number?”

  I lick my lips; it would be so easy… stop it. “Not really,” I reply. “I’m here on work.”

  She raises her brow in disappointment.

  “Can I have the number?” I ask.

  “Sure,” she replies, dejected. Camilla disappears into the kitchen and my eyes flicker over to Rosh.

  What?

  She is sitting on one of the men’s laps, laughing out loud. I start to see red.

  Uncontrollable fucking red.

  Camilla comes back and passes me a card:

  BIG AL

  0436990135

  I fake a smile and take the card from her. “Thanks.” I stuff it in my pocket. I glance back and see Rosh and the guy now has his arms around her. “I will be back,” I snap, and before I can help myself, I’m marching over to the table.

  “Get your fucking hands off her.”

  “Hey.” The men all laugh. “Calm down, brother.”

  I reach over and grab her by the arm and drag her across the table, sending one of the drinks flying. “Get outside,” I snap.

  “I’m staying here,” she replies.

  “The hell you are.” I push her in the back toward the door and she stumbles forward.

  “Don’t touch me,” she yells.

  “I will fucking touch you when I want.” I push her again and she shuffles forward.

  We burst through the front doors and out onto the street and stumble down the road a bit.

  “What is your fucking problem?” I yell.

  “You!” She screams. “You are my fucking problem!” She folds her arms in front of her. “I know you have the diamonds, asshole. You can stop lying.”

  18

  Rosh.

  My heart is hammering hard as we stand on the sidewalk. “I… I can’t believe I trusted you.” I stammer through tears.

  His face screws up. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Don’t insult my intelligence!” I scream as I lose the small amount of control that I had.

  “Don’t flatter yourself because you don’t have any.”

  He has got to be kidding. Who the hell does this dick think he is? “That’s it, I’m done.” I turn and storm up the road.

  “What are you raging about?” he yells as he follows.

  “Go away.” I pause and look up for a moment as the skies open and huge raindrops start to fall sporadically. Oh great, it’s going to pour down now. I keep power walking up the road.

  The downpour comes loud and heavy and we start to run to find cover. I cross the road to stand under an awning from a bakery, and he follows and stands next to me.

  We stand in silence as we watch Mother Nature cause her havoc.

  “What the hell are you angry about, Rosh?” he finally asks.

  My eyes fill with tears again and I drop them shamefully to look at the cement in front of me. “I know you went to the safety deposit box today.”

  He stays silent and the air hangs thick between us.

  “Did you take them all?” I ask over the sound of the heavy rain.

  After a long silence, he replies. “No.”

  I look up the street through blurred vision. This is it. This really is it for us. He did take them. I knew he did.

  “I didn’t steal from you.”

  My eyes meet his. “Yes, you did.”

  “I need you to trust me.”

  His silhouette is blurred. “I can’t,” I whisper. “Trust is earned.”

  “Haven’t I earned it?”

  “No,” I reply flatly. I put my arm up and hail a passing cab and it comes to a slow halt. I bend down to the window. “Bogota, please?” I ask.

  “Sure, hop in.”

  I climb in and he pushes in after me. I scoot over in the seat to allow him the room. I wrap my arms around me protectively and stare out the window. I just want to get away from him. I can’t take this. I can’t take fucking deceit anymore. His silence is stifling.

  “You going to sell them? Is that it? Did you get the contact that you needed?” I glance over at him. “Maybe you are going to set up your wife and kids at home.”

  He sits with his hands linked on his lap and shakes his head dismissively with an eye roll. “I have a wife and kids now?”

  I shrug. “Why would I believe anything that you have told me so far?”

  He glares at me.

  “Lie to me once, lie to me all the time, it’s all the same. I will never believe anything that comes out of your lying mouth now.”

  He doesn’t fight back and the car trip is made in silence. Part of me wants him to deny it, to fight for us, to tell me it’s not true, to beg me for forgiveness, but then… I need the truth.

  The painful truth.

  At least I have that little bit of money in my account. I start to go over my options on getting out of here. The cab comes to a slow halt before he pays the driver and we climb out.

  He glares at me, still furious, and it’s like he is waiting for me to say something.

  “Come and get your things and get out.” I sneer.

  “So, that’s it?” he asks.

  I feel the tears behind my eyes and I nod. “That’s it,” I whisper, barely able to push out the words.

  He shakes his head, and with renewed anger, opens his wallet and frantically flicks through it. He takes out a business card and tosses it at me. It hits me in the face and falls to the floor.

  “When you pick it up, flush it down the toilet.” He growls. “I’m done with living my day as if it’s my last.”

  He storms off. I stand and watch him disappear into the darkness down the busy street. I let out a deep, sad breath and my eyes fall to the card on the cement and I bend and pick it up.

  Downtown City Jewellers

  Engagement Ring Specialist

  What? I frown. “What does this have to do with…?”

  I close my eyes. Oh God. He took one diamond.

  Just one.

  “Stace,” I yell as I look up. I take off in the direction he walked in. I look around frantically through the busy street. I can’t see him.

  “Stace,” I call through the people. “Stace!”

  What have I done? I run to the end of the street as I frantically search for him. I look back to where I came from. I can’t believe I just…

  With my heartbeat hammering fast, my face screws up in tears. Oh no, what I have I done?

  “Stace,” I cry. I take out my phone and ring him, but it rings out, so I text him.

  Talk to me.

  What’s going on?

  I call him again and no answer, damn it. Why do I always fuck things up? I bounce my legs up and down as I cry. I text again.

  Stace, I’m sorry.

  I don’t know how
to trust people.

  Please talk to me.

  No answer.

  For an hour I walk the streets in tears as I look for him, knowing I have no one to blame but myself.

  I try to call him again and this time his phone is switched off.

  I really did it this time. I pushed away the first guy who was actually worth keeping.

  I sit on a seat in the busy street for half an hour as I try to figure out what to do. Finally, with a heavy heart, I head back to our room. I only hope that when he calms down he will come home, although the sinking feeling in my stomach is telling me he has gone for good.

  Sometimes, when I close my eyes, I see the haunted look on my mother’s face as she bled out.

  Sometimes, when it’s really still, I hear her cry.

  I feel like tonight she’s crying in Heaven for the mess I have made of my life.

  Mess is an understatement. This is a total disaster.

  I have a heavy, sad feeling on my shoulders. It’s guilt and regret all rolled into one.

  I retrace the last month of my life. The memory of my ex-boyfriend and best friend kissing in the nightclub makes my eyes tear up as the betrayal iron brands me once more. The murder I witnessed and how they consequently took me. Stace… I smile when I think of my beautiful Stace. He protected me from his crew when I was at my most vulnerable. Then the nightmare when I stupidly thought I could take out Vikinos. It all seemed so clear at the time, like nothing could go wrong, but it did.

  I shot the wrong man. I thought I could get revenge for Mom’s death but… I don’t know how I…

  I screw up my face as the pain becomes too real to cope with.

  I try my hardest to be brave, but I just never seem to get it right. I clutch the white card tight in my hand as I sit on the floor near the window in the dark, desperately hoping my love returns to me. I read the card for the millionth time.

  Downtown City Jewelers

  Engagement Ring Specialist

  I smile as I get a vision of him on bended knee, proposing. What a fairy tale it would be. How badly I wish that dream had come true.