Gin & Jewels

by Kimberly Knight

  It seemed as though I waited forever for Keith to finally come back. I was hungry, I had to pee, and I was pissed. “What took you so long?” I questioned as he got into the car.

  “I was doing business.”

  “What kind of business?”

  He glared at me through the rearview mirror. “You don’t need to worry about it.”

  But I was worried. I was worried about where I was and where Keith and I were going.

  We checked into a motel for the night after grabbing McDonald’s. I wasn’t able to call my work because I didn’t know the number and had no computer or phone to look it up. I wondered if Brad had tried to call me and if he was worried at all about where I was. “I need clothes,” I stated, sticking a fry into my mouth.

  “Fine. After we eat, we’ll find a Walmart or something.”

  I dunked a chicken nugget into my sweet and sour sauce. Around a mouthful, I said, “Are we going to talk about last night?”

  “What do you mean?” he asked with his own mouth full.

  “Micky choking me.”

  “You remember that?”

  “Of course, I remember that!” I huffed.

  He sighed. “He’ll never touch you again. I’m sorry.”

  “Why? Did you do something to him?”

  “No, he left the house before we did, and he doesn’t know we left town.”

  “Oh.” I ate another fry. “I’ve never seen him so angry.”

  “He’s been on edge since the whole ordeal.”

  “What did you guys expect? You robbed a jewelry store, and he shot a guy.”

  “No one was supposed to get hurt. We were supposed to go in, get a lot of jewels, and make a lot of cash.”

  “But you got shot, and an innocent man got shot,” I countered.

  “Innocent?” He laughed. “I don’t fucking think he’s innocent.”

  “You think he knew you were going to rob the place? That he came in and waited for it to happen?”

  “No, of course not. But I think he’s feeding info to the police.”

  “What info?” I sipped my Dr. Pepper. The more I thought about everything, the more certain I was that there was no way Brad would have been trying to get close to me because of the robbery. Keith and his friends wore masks, and no one except us knew that he was my brother.

  “I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t want to find out. That’s why we left.”

  “What about the house? That’s our fucking house, and now your friends are living there for free and alone.”

  “It’s only a house, Cass.”

  I laughed sarcastically. “Only a house?”

  “I mean, of course, I would have liked to sell it and get the money”—he took a bite of his burger—“but I can’t chance going to jail.”

  “Then maybe you shouldn’t have decided to be a criminal in the first place.” I hated my brother for putting me in this situation. I hated him for being a jerk my entire life and kidnapping me.

  I hated everything.

  I kissed Cassie.

  Usually, when I kissed someone, it was on a date, and I was getting paid to make the woman feel special, but I’d wanted to kiss Cassie. An urge had washed over me that if I didn’t find out what it was like to feel her lips against mine, I would die. What would have happened if I hadn’t stupidly given her three alcoholic drinks? I thought she would be okay with amaretto because it didn’t have that much alcohol in it, but I was wrong. I felt bad as I left her at her door because I hadn’t meant for her to get sick, though she didn’t sway or slur as though she was drunk, so she was probably just not sure how to handle alcohol in her system and needed to sleep it off.

  After a hug at her front door, I’d left. It was probably for the best because I wanted to do more than kiss her, and that scared me. We were friends, friends who were almost ten years apart in age, and she was a virgin. For someone to wait so long to have sex, that had to mean something, right? I didn’t think Cassie would want to lose her V-card to some guy she just met. She was probably waiting for marriage.

  The next day I woke up, went to Club 24 to work out, and then texted Cassie to see how she was feeling. I wanted to stop by and make sure she was feeling better because my mother would tan my hide if she ever found out I got a woman drunk and didn’t check up on her. By the time I got home, I still hadn’t heard back from Cassie, so I texted again:

  Please just let me know if you’re okay. I feel bad, and hangovers can be a bitch.

  I showered and got dressed to meet my friends for lunch. We were saying goodbye to Paul before he went off to Quantico. He wasn’t leaving for a few more days, but Vinny and Tessa were heading on their honeymoon the following day, and they didn’t want to miss wishing him well on his next adventure.

  By the time I got to the restaurant, Cassie still hadn’t responded. I wasn’t sure if I had done something to make her mad at me. Maybe she was at work and didn’t have time to text me back, but I didn’t like not hearing from her.

  “Hey,” I greeted my friends as they waited outside of the restaurant. Everyone was there except Nick. We all hugged and shook hands as if we hadn’t been together the previous night.

  “Where’s Cassie?” Cat asked.

  I shrugged, trying to act as though I didn’t care. “Home? Work? I don’t know.”

  “I thought you’d bring her,” Paul stated.

  “Why?” I furrowed my brow. Everyone looked at each other with smirks on their faces, and I rolled my eyes. “Because I brought her to the wedding?”

  “No.” Paul shook his head. “Because we saw you making out on the dance floor.”

  I blew out a breath. “And?”

  “And most of us have changed our bets,” Vinny stated with a slap on my back.

  “I’m not next,” I reiterated.

  “That’s what we’ve all said.” Gabe grinned.

  I wasn’t going to tell them that I was starting to have feelings for Cassie. That would make them rag on me more, but fuck me, I was starting to get feelings for Cassie!

  On my way home, I decided to stop by The Velvet Box because Cassie still hadn’t responded to my texts. I needed to see with my own eyes that she was okay and just ignoring me. Maybe I’d apologize for whatever it was that I did. I parked and walked into the store, but I didn’t see her.

  “Hi, welcome to The Velvet Box. Are you looking for anything specific today?” an older man asked. I didn’t recognize him.

  “Actually, is Cassie working today?”

  “No, she’s not in. Is there anything I can help you with?”

  I sighed. “No. She’s a friend, and I just haven’t been able to get ahold of her today. I’m starting to worry.”

  The man blinked and tilted his head slightly. “You can’t get ahold of her either?”

  Either? “No, she hasn’t called or texted me back all day.”

  “She was supposed to work today but didn’t show up, and she didn’t call to tell me why.”

  My heart stopped. That didn’t sound like Cassie even though I didn’t know her all that well, but I knew the job was a new one, and she didn’t seem like the type to chance it. Plus, she had talked about needing money to travel. “Really?”

  He nodded. “She’s never missed a shift before. It’s not like her.”

  “Did you try her emergency contact?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “We thought she quit or something.”

  “Can you try calling now while I’m here?”

  “Sure. Let me get the info from my office, and I’ll give them a call.” I waited a few minutes for him to return. “They didn’t answer either.”

  “Is her brother her emergency contact?” I asked.

  “He is.”

  “Thanks. If you hear from her, can you please tell her to call Brad? I’m just worried about her.”

  “Sure. I’ll leave a note in her locker.”

  “Thanks.” I tapped the glass case and then turned to leave. I didn’t have a go
od feeling, and my gut was telling me that something was wrong.

  I drove straight to her house, walked up to the door, and rang the doorbell three times in a row. It opened, and the young woman who answered wasn’t Cassie. “Is Cassie home?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “What about her brother?”

  “No.”

  I sighed, frustrated. “When was the last time you saw her?”

  “Why?” she sassed and crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Because it’s important.”

  “Why?”

  I was losing patience. “Because Cassie hasn’t returned my calls, nor did she show up for work.”

  “Well, I haven’t seen her.”

  “Since when?” I asked again.

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Yesterday maybe.”

  “Do you live here too?”

  “Why? You a cop or something?”

  I furrowed my brows. “What? No, I’m not a cop.”

  “Then why do you care?”

  I took a deep breath, trying to keep my cool. “Because I’m worried about Cassie. Can I go look in her room?”

  “Yeah, sure, whatever.”

  Oh, thank God. “Which one is it?”

  I passed her as she spoke. “Top of the stairs on the left.”

  “Thanks.” I took the stairs two at a time and entered the room. Immediately, I noticed Cassie’s purse on her dresser and her cell phone beside it. I picked up the phone and saw that she had several missed calls and text messages on her lock screen. I opened her purse and noted that her wallet was still inside. There was money inside of it—another red flag.

  Something was wrong. Something was seriously wrong.

  When shit had gone down with Tessa, I’d felt bad for Vinny, but at least he knew where she was, though the circumstances weren’t good. Cat had been kidnapped, and no one knew until she was almost sold, but thankfully, Seth, Paul, and Joss were there. But I had no clue where Cassie was or where she would go. Was she being trafficked like Cat almost was?

  I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Seth: Can I stop by?

  I took one final look around the room, not sure what I was looking for but trying to remember everything just in case. By the time I got to my truck, Seth had texted me back: Yes, of course.

  My mind was racing as I drove over to Seth’s. I honestly didn’t know what to think or why Cassie was missing. What if I’d never come into her life? Would anyone care that she was gone? Her employer thought she’d quit without telling them, and her roommates obviously didn’t care.

  I rang the doorbell to Seth and Cat’s house, and Seth answered. “Hey, come in.” I didn’t hesitate. “Beer or something?”

  I gave him a look. He knew gin was my alcohol of choice. “I’m good.”

  “Well, what’s up? I just saw you at lunch.”

  I sat on his couch. “You remember the girl I brought to the wedding?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded and sat across from me. “The cocktail waitress.”

  I took a deep breath. “She actually doesn’t work there anymore.”

  “Oh?”

  “She works at The Velvet Box.”

  Seth tilted his head slightly in question. “The jewelry store where you were shot?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded. The only person who knew Cassie worked at the jewelry store was Mark. I had yet to tell the guys because I didn’t want them to read into it more than they already were. If they knew of that connection, they’d know that I did have a sweet spot for her, and the less they knew the better, until I knew what was going on.

  “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. I never thought that I would need to have this conversation with you.”

  “What conversation?”

  I sighed again. “I think she’s missing.”

  We made it to Nashville.

  The outskirts, to be exact, because we drove about thirty minutes more once we hit the city limits. I was still pissed at Keith for kidnapping me even if his intentions were good—or were they? I knew he cared more about himself than me, and making sure I went with him would assure him that I wouldn’t turn him in because now it looked as though I was in on the robbery.

  I found out what he’d done at the pawnshop in Albuquerque because I’d hounded him until he told me. It was how he had money for gas, motels, and food all of a sudden. He did the same in multiple cities, including Amarillo, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, and Memphis. I didn’t like that he was pawning the jewelry he’d stolen, but it was better than getting caught with it, and it gave us money. But he made me an accomplice without me doing anything.

  I’d originally thought that when we got to Nashville, I would somehow get enough money for a bus ticket back to Vegas, but now that he screwed me again, I felt as though I had to start a new life.

  And I’d never see Brad again.

  “Whose house is this?” I asked as we pulled up to a small, rundown, one-story house.

  “A friend of mine.”

  “I know that but who?”

  “Jeff.”

  “I didn’t know he moved here.”

  “Well, he did, and he said we can stay here for a few weeks.”

  “Does he know you’re on the run?”

  “We’re on the run, and no. Just told him we were looking for a fresh start somewhere.”

  I looked at the house again and hoped the inside was better than the outside. We grabbed our Walmart bags that had a few changes of clothes and toiletries in them, and walked up to the front door. Keith knocked, and the door opened.

  “Keith!” Jeff boomed, and they shared a bro hug.

  “Hey, man. Thanks for letting us crash.”

  “Yeah, sure. No problem. Come in.”

  “This is my sister, Cassie.” Keith hooked a thumb in my direction.

  “Yeah, I remember you.” Jeff smiled, and so did I with a little wave. “So, my place is small, but you’re free to crash on my couch, and I have an air mattress I use for camping I can blow up.”

  “That’s great. Thanks,” Keith replied, and we stepped into the house. It was small, and the living room and kitchen seemed to be one room, but everything appeared clean.

  At least that was a plus.

  I stared up at the ceiling, the greenish-blue glow from the clock on the microwave giving me a little light. I was on the couch, and Keith was out with Jeff at a bar or something. I wanted to run, to finally escape, but I had no money and nowhere to go, and it made me angry that Keith did all of this and was now out with his friend having a grand ol’ time while I was stuck alone in an unfamiliar house and town.

  And I missed Brad.

  During the long trip to Nashville, I came to the conclusion that he wasn’t using me for information. That would be too coincidental. So, while I laid on the couch thinking, I knew I needed to come up with a plan to get home. I could explain everything if the cops asked me questions, and I would tell them that I didn’t know where Keith was. I just needed money for a bus ticket and food to make the long trip back, but I didn’t have my wallet or my ID.

  What if Brad didn’t even realize I was gone? He was an escort, and I was a twenty-two-year-old virgin who didn’t have a driver’s license, friends, or a social life. Why would he want anything with me?

  But that kiss …

  I still felt his lips on mine. I wanted to get back to him and Vegas and see where our relationship would go after that kiss.

  I didn’t sleep well. The couch was uncomfortable, and when Keith and Jeff came back, they were loud, waking me up and not caring that I was trying to sleep, and then my mind raced all night.

  The next morning, I waited for Jeff or Keith to wake up. It felt odd being in a house of a stranger, more or less. The thought of making myself at home felt weird, even though we would be staying for a few weeks.

  Finally, Jeff woke up and made his way to the kitchen. “Morning, Cassie.”

  “Morning,” I replied from the
couch. It wasn’t morning, but I went with it.

  “Coffee?”

  “Sure.” I got up and went to the small round table and waited for him to make a pot.

  “Any plans for today?”

  “I don’t really know what there is to do,” I admitted.

  Keith woke up and yawned from where he was sleeping on the air mattress near the couch. “We need to find jobs today.”

  Like it was that easy. “Where?” I asked.

  Keith shrugged. “Any ideas?” he asked Jeff.

  “Might need to find something in Nashville. We only have a few businesses here in town. Maybe a fast food place? Grocery store? Restaurant?”

  “I guess we can drive around and look for places,” Keith suggested as he walked over and sat across from me at the table.

  Maybe I could find a job at a sandwich place. There was no way I was going to step foot in a jewelry store ever again. A thought occurred to me. “How can I get a job without an ID?”

  Jeff and Keith shared a look, and then Jeff said, “In high school, I made fake IDs for everyone. I’m sure I can make you one.”

  Great.

  I was now Krystal Burns—that was what the fake ID said. I never thought that I would be in this situation, and I couldn’t believe this was my life. Would it always be this way?

  I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror, trying to imagine myself as Krystal and not Cassie. A lot had changed in the month since the shooting. I was an adult, but I felt as though I was still a child. Maybe that was my own fault. I let Keith run the house, and had felt as though I could never leave because of my parents’ memory. What would have happened if I had made friends and maybe even found a room to rent with a group of girls? Keith would have never robbed my work, and I wouldn’t be on the run.

  Giving myself one final look, I took a deep breath and left the bathroom.

  “Ready?” Keith asked as I walked into the living room.

  “Yeah. Are you ready?” Jeff had made him a fake ID too, even though Keith had his wallet and real driver’s license. He thought it was better not to use his real name so the cops couldn’t track him. I didn’t know if that was really true or not, but did that mean Keith told Jeff why we were really here?