Isabella's Submission [Fate Harbor 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour)

by Caitlyn O'Leary

  “What?”

  “We’re going to come home aroused as hell.” He winked at her, and turned toward the door. She looked up at Leif. He didn’t come and kiss her. He just gave her those eyes that made her insane. How did he make those ice-blue eyes smolder?

  “He’s right, Isabella. You’d better be rested when we get back.” Then they were gone. She couldn’t go back to bed. She got off the couch and went to the kitchen. It wasn’t until she opened the last cupboard that she found something that would help her get back to sleep. She’d been hoping for some tea, but the hot chocolate would have to do.

  She went to the dinette table connected to the kitchen to look out at the backyard and let her mind wander a bit. As the fuchsia sun crept over the tops of the evergreens, she finally relaxed enough to go back to bed. She had said countless prayers. Many of them for the families of the children, but most of them were for the safety of the two men who had gone out to rescue them. She knew that they were very capable, but they occupied such a large part of her heart that no matter how she tried to pray for those defenseless families, Caleb and Leif just kept intruding.

  * * * *

  It was another phone call that woke her. This time it was her cell phone. She was feeling better. When she looked at the time, she realized she had slept for ten hours. The men had been in Wilama for at least seven hours, perhaps eight at the rate that Leif drove. She didn’t recognize the number.

  “Hello.”

  “Isabella, it’s me, Charlie Meade. I’m about twenty minutes away from the house and I want to come pick you up.” Her heart leapt to her throat.

  “Where are Leif and Caleb?”

  “Shit. I should have told you first thing. They’re fine. Because I speak Spanish, I came ahead with some of the families. Leif and Caleb are working with some of the authorities in Wilama. They’ll be back a little later today. But I need you to help me out. I dropped them off at Chance’s house because it’s the biggest, but now I need another interpreter. The state police will be there in a couple of hours, and I have to know who’s legal and who isn’t. They’ll lie to me and end up deported.”

  “I’ll be ready.” She didn’t understand what he was saying, but she’d be ready. Her heart ached for the families that were about to be deported, but she understood the law. She wished there was a way to help them.

  Isabella took a quick shower and dressed. She was braiding her wet hair when Charlie knocked on the door. He looked exhausted. He greeted her in Spanish and then quickly switched to English.

  “Sorry, Isabella. I’ve been speaking Spanish for most of the day.”

  “No problem, whatever makes you comfortable,” she said as she followed him out to the sheriff’s car.

  “English, definitely English.” Charlie briefed her on the drive to the Booth-Reynolds’ house.

  “Some of the folks are in bad shape. I really wanted to get them to a hospital. They are dehydrated, and some of them have been beaten, but all they want right now is to see their children. We’re using the Booth-Reynolds’ as a staging area for the reunited families. We moved the families that were still together to some of the other houses around town.”

  “Sheriff, I don’t understand.” She knew she was sounding frustrated, but she couldn’t help it. The whole situation seemed bizarre. Why weren’t all the people still in Wilama? For that matter, why had Caleb and Leif gone to Wilama? Wasn’t this a matter for the state police?

  “Look Isabella, there are some of us in the Wilama sheriff’s department, the State Police department and my office who are just pissed off about this whole situation. We’re determined to see the men who are involved brought to justice, and we’re sure as hell not going to allow these poor, mistreated souls to be further victimized by the system, if we can help it. We have a lot of people within law enforcement who can help. Unfortunately, these people are no strangers to police corruption. They’re frightened and just don’t trust us to help them. We really need you to help us convince them that we’re on their side.”

  Isabella wanted to believe him, but she didn’t. Her father was an illegal immigrant and she and her mother lived in fear that he would be deported. Regardless of their good intentions, Isabella had difficulty believing that these Fate Harbor volunteer families and law enforcement officials were willing to break laws to help a group of illegal Mexicans. She slumped down in the passenger seat.

  * * * *

  The door was opened by the petite and curvy African-American woman named Josie. Isabella remembered her from the barbeque. She was flanked by two men. As they were ushered inside the Booth-Reynolds home, Isabella noted that the atmosphere was subdued, despite the fact that the huge great room was filled with at least twenty adults and thirty children. Although Isabella wasn’t really surprised, Charlie looked confused.

  “I was expecting chaos,” Charlie murmured, as Josie suggested they go to the back office.

  Isabella really wanted to stay and talk to the recovered families. She had recognized the Velardes, but they were deep in conversation with their children, who were clinging to their parents for dear life. So, she followed Josie, Charlie and a second man down the hall. When Josie opened the door to the “office,” Isabella was amazed at the size of the room. It was more than an office. It was actually a conference room. She didn’t know what Chance Reynolds did for a living, but he was obviously successful.

  “Isabella, please have a seat,” the man from the hallway invited her, motioning to one of the big leather chairs. She sat down. Josie sat to one side of her, and a third man with dark hair sat on her other side. The dark-haired man smiled and held out his hand.

  “Hi, I’m Sam Booth. I believe Josie told you about me. I’m a social worker and I’ve been working with Mara and Sela.” Isabella nodded. She remembered.

  “Josie said they were improving and that you’ve been taking them to a counselor?”

  “Yes. One of the men tried to rape Mara, but Sela helped her escape him. Both of them were traumatized. Josie raised her two younger sisters, so this has been a good place for the girls to stay.”

  “Are their parents here?”

  “Sela’s are. Mara’s grandfather is raising her. Her parents died when she was a baby.” Isabella’s heart went out to the young girl.

  “Isabella, we need your help. We really want to make sure these families stay here in the United States. Unfortunately, not all of them are here legally. We need to know who has legal status and who doesn’t, in order to identify who needs assistance and how we can best help them.” Isabella knew that some of the people here probably had forged documentation and were depending on it to stay in the US. She didn’t plan to betray them to the officials.

  “Isabella, I don’t know if you remember me. We met the other night. I’m Josie’s other husband, Chance Reynolds.” She looked at the good-looking, blond man at the head of the table. He had a very charming smile. It was obvious most people responded to him easily, but this situation was too important to be taken in by a charming smile. She nodded at him and resolved to keep her guard up. His smile got even bigger. “I see you’re a tough cookie, just like my wife. Good, we need a strong advocate for those men, women and children. Let me try to explain what we intend to do, and why we think it’s important.”

  “Yes, that would be best. I don’t understand why you or the officials here would risk your livelihoods for…well, for want of a better word, people that some Americans would label less than.”

  Josie reached out and grabbed her hand. “Isabella, nobody is less than. That’s just bullshit.”

  Chance barked out a laugh. “Like I said, she’s a tough cookie.”

  “Look, I can speak for the State Police, and the Wilama Sheriff’s department,” offered Sam. “They’re absolutely appalled that some of their people are mixed up in this. They are determined to see that not one of these people is further victimized. I have assured them that we have the resources available, mostly because of Mr. Moneybags here, to ensu
re this can all be accomplished legally, so nobody’s job or reputation will be at risk.”

  “Look, I really appreciate your willingness to help. But my father was here illegally. I know what these people are going through. I know just how precarious their lives are. I just don’t see how you can assist them.”

  “I really can’t explain it. I’m not that smart. But I know someone who is. Will you allow me a small liberty?” Chance was using that charming smile again. She was beginning to like it, in spite of herself. She looked over at Sam and then at Josie. Both of them nodded encouragingly, so she nodded her assent. Chance pressed a button illuminating a large video screen on the wall and Olivia Prescott’s image materialized before them. Isabella was happy to see her, but confused.

  “Hello, Isabella. I hear you’ve had quite the adventures since we worked together at the Cesar Chavez school.” Isabella thought Olivia’s reference to her “adventures” was a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, since Olivia had been shot and helped capture a murderer since working at their school as a substitute teacher. She chose to keep her own counsel for the time being, however, in order to learn why they were involving her in today’s discussion.

  “Chance called me as soon as the girls came to stay with him. It so happens, I recently spent some of his money buying a fruit processing plant in Snoqualt. He would have bought it himself, but he was busy. The plant is in desperate need of expansion, and will therefore need many workers. It is currently ready to hire workers. This will give the people who are here legally a place to work, so that they can finally stay in one place and establish roots.”

  “That takes care of the people who are citizens. We need to work on the people who aren’t here legally. We will have to work on this on a case-by-case basis. I have hired two lawyers who are experts in immigration law. They have explained to me the hurdles that immigrants face, and it is complex, but it is likely that if we talk to each person, we will be able to find a solution for them. It will take time, and some of them might have to go back to Mexico while the paperwork is processed.”

  “Can you guarantee that they will be able to come back to the United States?” Isabella looked at Olivia, willing her to provide the answer she wanted.

  “No Isabella, I can’t. Each case is different. What I can promise you is that these lawyers will have a confidential conversation with each person, and tell them the risks involved, and allow those parents to make their own decisions.” Having specific legal advice regarding their circumstances could make a world of difference to all of these people. It wasn’t until after her parents died that Isabella found out that there had been a legal way for her father to have had apply for citizenship.

  Isabella wondered why her hands were hurting and saw that she was gripping the conference table so hard that her fingers had turned white. Sam reached over and gently pried them loose. It all seemed too good to be true.

  She turned to face Charlie. “But why do you want to help them?”

  “It’s the right thing to do, Isabella. That’s enough. It’s the right thing to do.” She looked at the tired man seated across from her. Charlie had been working as tirelessly as Leif and Caleb, and realized she was surrounded by people who believed in exactly that motto. She was truly blessed.

  “Let me go and talk to them. I will be able to convince them.”

  Chapter 14

  All of the families had been put up for the night in either a motel near the waterfront in Fate Harbor or a hotel in Snoqualt. The Velardes insisted on being taken home. Isabella asked to be taken home as well, since her apartment was close to theirs, but nobody listened to her. They insisted that she stay at the Booth-Reynolds home until Leif and Caleb arrived. Isabella was too drained to argue. Josie tried to get her to take a nap, but she insisted on helping to clean up the kitchen, since they had been feeding the recovered families and visitors for most of the afternoon. That’s where Caleb and Leif found her.

  Isabella was overwhelmed with relieved when she saw them. They both looked utterly exhausted. Leif and Caleb swallowed her up in a hug. It felt glorious.

  “Let’s go home,” Caleb said hoarsely. Leif’s eyes looked sore and bloodshot. When the three of them emerged from the house, the men immediately donned sunglasses. She offered to drive and neither of them objected. On the ride home, they both fell asleep. When she stopped in the driveway, Leif woke up and pushed at Caleb’s shoulder to wake him. They dragged themselves inside.

  “Let’s get you into bed,” Isabella instructed.

  “Shower,” they said in unison. They headed in opposite directions, leaving Isabella standing in the doorway. She went into the kitchen and scrambled some eggs, made some toast and poured some orange juice, just in case they wanted it. The frayed pair staggered into the kitchen and ate in silence. As soon as they finished their meal, Leif grabbed Isabella’s hand, pulling her into the bedroom with Caleb on his heels. Both men shucked out of their sweatpants, and Caleb just looked at her, so she quickly stripped, and went toward her suitcase to get a sleep shirt.

  “No, naked.” Caleb grabbed her around the waist, dragging her to the bed. They tumbled together, and she found herself between the two men. Leif was face first in his pillow. Caleb pulled her into his side and within two minutes both men were asleep.

  Isabella had never seen them asleep before. She took a moment to savor the sight. She yawned and Caleb pulled her closer. She rested her head on his chest as she yawned again, and drifted off to sleep.

  She woke up alone. Caleb’s side of the bed was cold, but Leif’s was warm. She knew they wouldn’t leave the house without telling her, so she took her time getting dressed. She was feeling a lot better, and she wanted to look nice. The denim skirt and red sweater looked good, and she really liked the way her hair looked after she took it out of the braid. It was a little wavier than usual. She had packed her make-up bag, though she rarely wore any. She applied some eye shadow, making the “smoky eye” they had shown her at the makeup counter, and she smeared red lipstick over her lips. When she looked at herself in the mirror, the face looking back at her bore no resemblance to Isabella Caramena. She grinned. She was really going to surprise Leif and Caleb.

  All of the lights were dimmed in the house, but she followed a faint glow to find candlelight coming from the dining room and a table set for two. Leif came in through the archway to the kitchen carrying two dishes, and stopped dead. He was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt that clung lovingly to his body. Every time she saw him, her mouth went dry, but it seemed that she was having an effect on him, this time.

  Isabella approached him, and reached out to help with the smaller dish.

  “No, it’s hot.” Shaken out of his reverie, Leif placed both plates on the table and then turned to her. “You’re breathtaking, Isabella.” She believed him. Isabella stood, looking at one of the two most handsome men she’d ever met. He’d told her she was breathtaking and she believed him. It was a momentous moment in her life, and she drank it in, memorizing every detail.

  “Isabella?” She turned around and found that Leif was holding out a chair for her. This was another new thing. She sat down. As he gently pushed her chair in, he kissed the top of her head.

  “Where’s Caleb?”

  “He had some things he had to investigate with Charlie over in Snoqualt.”

  “Are you going to tell me what happened today in Wilama?” Leif took her plate and dished some Chicken Marsala in mushroom sauce and rice onto her plate. When he didn’t reply, Isabella looked up at him.

  “I’d really prefer not to discuss that, Isabella. It seems like all we’ve done is talked about this case. Can we pretend we’re on a date tonight, and tomorrow get back to the realities of life? It occurred to me that except for some of our lunches at school, we’ve never really sat down and just talked. Since we were usually surrounded by little ears, getting to know one another has been a challenge.” She considered what he said. He was right. Actually, she was quite curious ab
out the man in front of her. She bit into the chicken, and a wonderful flavor burst across her taste buds.

  “Leif this tastes wonderful!” She immediately covered her mouth with her napkin as he let out a long laugh.

  “See, we know nothing about one another, sweetheart. You had no idea my mother taught me how to cook. She was quite the drill sergeant about it. All of us were expected to learn how to cook, just like my sister was made to learn how to change the spark plugs on a car. We grew up in an equal opportunity household.”

  “How old are you?” Isabella covered her mouth with her napkin again, unable to believe that question had come out of her mouth.

  “I’ll be forty this year. My brothers are thirty-six, thirty-five, and my sister Kara just turned thirty-one. You’re going to be twenty-six, right?” She nodded, still holding the napkin over her mouth.

  “It’s okay, Isabella. I was worried about our age difference, too, really worried, to tell you the truth. Kara, my sister, helped me to see that you’ve made some really amazing decisions, that were far beyond your years.”

  “You talked about me to your sister? Even before you had to come and find me?” He reached across the table to grab her hand.

  “Isabella, this isn’t just happenstance. Having a relationship with you is something I have seriously considered for quite a while. So how about it, are you willing to have a date night with me?” Isabella thrust her toes into the plush rug under the table, trying to center herself, but it was no use. The very idea that this man wanted to have a date with her sent her to the moon.

  “Yes, Leif, I would love to take this evening to have a date with you.” He gave her a slow smile that took on a dazzling, movie star quality, flashing the dimple that literally curled her toes.

  They lingered at the table until the bottle of wine was finished, and she couldn’t eat another bite. He regaled her with tales about growing up in Fate Harbor, and it seemed almost magical. However, he hadn’t glossed over his memories of the prejudices he’d experienced because his parents had been part of a triad. She could vividly picture Leif and Caleb as young boys getting into fights, defending the honor of Ilsa Johansen.