Jacqueline’s Quest

by TL Reeve

  “Yes,” Thomas answered. “Why?”

  She swallowed hard. “He’s not the man to trifle with. I don’t trust him. I never have.”

  “Here’s the thing about Luca...” AJ shivered at the mention of the man’s name.

  Since the minute Thomas announced who’d they be working with, AJ had been on edge. Because they didn’t work with Tex, finding out about those missions would be slim. Murray supposed he could have made the call to Asher to get him the info, but this was also AJ’s chance to explain everything and allow them to access the situation.

  “How about you tell us about it, and then we’ll make our determination on how far we can trust him,” Murray said. “I think it’ll unburden you a bit too.”

  AJ folded her hands on her lap. “We were in California with Wolf for a mission happening in Mexico. One Luca was a part of.” She let out a shuddered breath. “While we—Scotty and I ran the background intel, telling the team where to go, Wolf, Luca, and a few others were on the operation side. The video footage from the scene was disturbing. Sex trafficking is nothing like they show in movies or television.”

  “They glamorize it,” Thomas said. “It’s not something I’d wish for anyone.”

  "Yeah. Anyway, the way those women had been kept, turned my stomach. However, Luca's eyes, when he'd been alone and unguarded, sent a chill down my spine."

  “Explain.” Unease slithered through Murray’s gut as he drove down the upscale neighborhood street.

  “I didn’t care if Tex swore up and down and on the Virgin Mary, the man was isn’t harmless, I saw it. Even before the night of the raid. It’s crazy. He has a switch. He could be a charming man. Attentive. Gregarious. If he were a plant, he’d be a Venus Flytrap, because he could lull a person into a false sense of security then wham!" She smacked her hands together. "He'd attack. So, no he isn't harmless, there's something fundamentally wrong with him.”

  “Tex has assured us we are in safe hand here with Luca,” Jaqueline said.

  "You have no idea what you're talking about," AJ replied. "I've seen him in the field. The man is a stone-cold killer. I'd advise you all to watch your P's and Q's with him."

  Murray turned right into the small, heavily armed gated community not far from where they were in Juarez. There weren't many houses in the tract, however, the ones there, were mansions. Six of them dotted the twenty-acre estate. Luca's had been the furthest away. There were nuances to this game they all played. The line between truth and lies blurred in many places.

  As they pulled into the rounded driveway and parked behind a primer black Lamborghini Adventador, Murray whistled. “Someone has expensive tastes.”

  AJ rolled her eyes. “All for show, I’d assume.”

  “Or the man can play the system well,” Thomas muttered.

  The front door of the mansion opened, and Luca appeared, holding a martini glass. He wore a monochrome suit, grey on black. The first four buttons of the silk shirt were left undone, giving them a glimpse of his tanned-ginger toned skin. He had perfectly quaffed raven-black hair and piercing hazel-green eyes. He carried himself with a superiority Murray had seen over the years. Yeah, he understood why Tex put him undercover in Mexico. He could be a cartel leader. It also made the unease wiggling through his stomach worse.

  Maybe AJ had a point. They’d have to stay on their toes with him.

  AJ popped open the passenger door when Murray exited the vehicle and started for the back of the vehicle so they could retrieve their things. AJ was already there grabbing gear and taking it out. Her movements were jerking and a bit nervous. Whatever happened on that mission, the parts she didn’t talk about, disturbed her. He understood. There were missions he’d felt the same way. Puerto Nariño, Colombia, being the freshest in his memories. The things Senator Lincoln had done to those innocent people would haunt Murray for the rest of his life. So, he could understand her fear when it came to Luca. The man helped free those women and children. Murray would have probably lost his mind if he'd been put in the same situation and he'd try to exact vengeance on their behalf too. When put into those situations, it does something to a person.

  “Beneventos,” Luca said in greeting, his Spanish accent a little too thick. “Mi casa es su casa.”

  “If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear Luca is a Sicario.” AJ rolled her shoulders as she stood there. “I don’t think, even though he’s CIA, he holds allegiance to anyone.”

  “I’ll take your assessment under advisement. I appreciate the information.” Thomas grabbed one of the cases.

  “You’re welcome.”

  Murray climbed the stairs in front of them, taking the lead. As Thomas said, they'd take AJ's assessment under advisement. He stopped in front of Luca and held out his hand. "You know how to make a first impression, don't you?"

  Luca smirked, the corner of his mouth lifted in such a way, his attitude took on a devil may care flare. “First impressions can make or break a situation, no?”

  Murray grunted. “Sure.” He stepped around the man and continued into the house. However, he didn’t go far, he stayed within hearing range.

  “I once did a job with an AJ and a Scotty.” His words echoed in the foyer.

  “Jig is up, Luca. I know you’re a Bronx boy through and through. You even like the Yankees. I see right through you.” AJ’s tone wobbled, but also held a note of strength.

  Luca laughed. "You know it. So, you are the AJ of AJ and Scotty."

  “Yes,” she answered.

  “It’s good to finally meet you, shorty. Tex and your team leader, Asher, told me all about the mission. I’m sorry your friend got caught up in it.” Luca stepped inside the house and passed Murray. “Come along. We have much to discuss.”

  "Didn't go as bad as I thought it would," Thomas murmured.

  “Yeah, we’re not running the op yet either.” AJ followed Luca.

  The house was more of a mansion. Too rich for Murray’s tastes. However, since Luca had a persona to play it also made sense. A giant chandelier hung in the foyer casting light off the veins of gold in the walls and floors. In the cap above the fixture was a small rendering of The Creation of Adam, painted by Michelangelo. On the wall to their right near the double staircase hanged in an inlet wall, a painting of cherub angels ascending into a cloudy sky with the white light of God shining upon them. Like the floors, the staircase was also polished marble and converged on a single hallway headed east into the house.

  Each room flowed into the next and became more extravagant than the last. Luca had spared no expense when it came to his house. Of course, Murray realized the government or CIA, in this case, would only do so much to play up Luca's standing, so, if Murray had to guess how Luca came to be the owner of such a house, he figured it came as a forfeiture from some Narco who'd been caught.

  “Bet this place set you back a pretty penny,” Thomas said.

  “When you’re the premier Dominante, who deals in complacer and dolor, I have to have the appearance to go with it.” He motioned to the house. This is my el antro de decadencia. My den of decadence.”

  AJ snorted. “Interesting name.”

  “Si,” Luca answered. “It serves me well. Come, there is more to show you.”

  Murray entered the study first. Jaqueline followed behind him, placing the cases she carried onto the table to their right. After he placed his things beside hers, he gave the space a little look-see. Books lined all the built-in shelves. Some were classics, others were modern. There was a Karma Sutra book that got a snicker out of Murray. The place was a veritable library. Not something he'd have suspect Luca would use or enjoy. To his left was a wrought iron staircase, leading to the second floor where there were more shelves filled books. It was quite impressive. Along the railing of the open-air second floor, were tables strategically placed for those who wished to study while reading. It reminded him of some of the fancier libraries he'd been in overseas when he'd been active duty.

  “Hey, you belong here.�
�

  Murray snapped his attention to Thomas and AJ. The girl appeared so lost. The one thing he noticed about her since they left Jaqueline's house was the fact she never let go of the backpack in her hand. He'd figured out after noticing the writing on the bag, it was Scotty's. She must have carried it with her since the minute Scotty disappeared. Burden’s carried... In the first few weeks after his sister’s disappearance, he’d done the same. He supposed he still did when it came to Hannah. Hell, he had ten years of birthday cards and Christmas presents waiting for his sister at the base. He even went to so far as to sell his parents’ house. Without Hannah there, it was too big and too cold for him.

  "Do I? Look at me," AJ murmured.

  “Missions sometimes aren’t as easy as what you think they will be,” Thomas replied. “Stuff happens and you have to adjust. If you can’t, you risk not only your safety but the safety of your teammates.”

  “Are you saying I am a liability now?” She looked up at Thomas.

  “No, not at all. What I am saying is, you’re hurting. I understand, but you have to focus.”

  “So, I’m a liability, got it.” She stomped off, joining Jaqueline and Murray. Everything Thomas said, however, was the truth. If she couldn’t gather her wits about her, she would become the weakest link in the chain and, in the end, could tear apart the mission before it even got off the ground.

  Murray nudged her. “You okay?”

  She pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. “Define, ‘okay.’”

  “I’ll let you in on a little secret,” Murray leaned in and whispered, “I’m not comfortable with this either.”

  She gasped glancing up at him. “What?”

  He nodded, leading her away from Thomas and Jaqueline. "Honest. I'm supposed to be Jaqueline's submissive. She's fucking sexy and she turns me on, but giving up control, to her?"

  “Not easy?”

  “Hell no,” Murray stated. “I’m one hundred percent pure Alpha-male. Giving up control in the bedroom though and in front of people who have held my sister for ten plus years, I’m not sure I can.” Sometimes the truth was easier to use in situations like these and right now, AJ needed as much honesty as what they could all give her.

  “It’s scary.”

  Yeah, he understood. The thought of giving up complete control to someone he didn't know, drove him to the brink. Sure, he had a few weeks on AJ and Thomas when it came to getting to know his partner, however, he was doing everything that went against who he'd been. It rankled the Dom within him to kneel before a more submissive woman, he suspected, than even AJ. It also turned him on. The constant war he waged with himself on a daily basis edged on insanity, and that insanity caused him to not be able to give up his control. He wanted to tell Jaqueline what to do. He wanted to see her bend to his will, not the other way around. He also realized if he didn't get himself together, he could be the reason the mission failed. All it would take was one misstep by him and they'd all be exposed. The pressure he put on himself, just like the pressure he knew AJ placed on her shoulders, could be daunting. Add in her unease when it came to Luca, well, she was a ticking timebomb. She needed to unwind, as did he. Perhaps, it'd been why Asher sent them to Luca, to begin with.

  “It is,” Murray agreed. “But I am going to give a hundred and ten percent to this mission because my sister, Jaqueline’s brother, and our fellow teammate Scotty, are in there and they need us to save them.”

  "You're good at pep talks," she murmured. "Anybody ever tell you that?"

  He laughed. “Sometimes.”

  She nibbled on her bottom lip. “Have you...” She nibbled her bottom lip as if silently contemplating her next question. “Are you and Jaqueline, you know...”

  “Fucking?” Murray barked out a laugh. “You’re adorable. But, no. We haven’t. Doesn’t mean we haven’t tried out being Domme and submissive.” He frowned. “It’s not going well though.”

  “Have you thought about switching the rolls?”

  Murray scrubbed his chin. “We did. It would be easier on us, however, of the four of us, Jaqueline knows the ins and outs of the club better. It would look a little suspicious if a sub was telling her Master where to go.”

  “Guess it’s why we’re here, huh?”

  He nodded. “Yep. See if I can get comfortable with the idea.”

  “If not?”

  “Guess I’m benched, and Luca has to take over.” Murray shrugged. “Same for you, I suspect.”

  AJ blanched, shaking her head. “No, you need to learn. I don’t trust hi—”

  “What are you two conspiring about over there?” Luca called out as he closed the doors behind him.

  “Which book we want to read first,” Murray said, leaving AJ’s side. “Who knew we had a common like for old books.”

  Luca grinned. “Take whichever one you like. There are more than enough.”

  “T-thank you,” AJ said, crossing to Thomas.

  "Not a problem," Luca answered. "Now, let's cut the bullshit. You're all here because Asher and Tex are concerned you're having issues." He looked at AJ and Thomas. "Your situation is different. You're missing a member of your team, however, you have to get your heads on straight if you plan on walking into that club. Going in as you are now, they'll see right through you."

  “I respect your point of view, but I’ll do what I need to with AJ.” Thomas stepped closer to AJ. “She’s my priority. We’ll get our relationship sorted. Don’t you worry.”

  "Fine." Luca looked at Murray. "You're the sub in this situation, if you can put aside your indifference to the situation, it'll go smoother for you." He then gave his attention to Jaqueline. "You're the Dom act like it. If you can't keep him under your thrall, then you will be side-eyed by everyone in the room. They will question whether or not you are in control. They'll see his insolence as an extension of you. Whereas in a normal setting, some might turn a blind eye, in the Emporium of Monsters, they scrutinize it. Especially since you'll be with their precious cargo and their moneymakers."

  “So, what do you suggest?” Jaqueline asked.

  “I believe this is our cue to go,” Thomas said. “Where are we going to be staying?”

  Luca pointed to the double doors. “Through the doors and down the hall. Last room on the right. I think you’ll find the room quite suitable to your tastes.”

  Thomas nodded and started to step away.

  “But, before you go,” Luca said, causing Thomas to pause mid-stride. “We will be going out tonight. I have an idea I think all of you will like and will give Murray and Jaqueline a little room to stretch their wings.”

  Murray tilted his head.

  “Thank you.” Thomas held his hand out to AJ and she took. Her finger trembled as they slid across his palm. Thomas glanced down at her while she stared up at him. Yep, the sexual heat pouring off of them could burn the place down. Murray only hoped they’d be able to keep it together until after the mission.

  When the door closed behind them, Luca turned to Murray and Jaqueline. “I think we’ll have fun tonight. It seems AJ hasn’t experienced any for a while. It’s a club I frequent. I think besides giving all of you a taste of what you’ll be dealing with inside Raul’s club, it’ll give you a chance to play your roles.”

  Jaqueline tilted her head. “I thought we were only here to train under you.”

  Luca nodded. “You will be.”

  Murray stared at Luca after Thomas and AJ exited the room. They were going out? To a club? He supposed it wasn't such a bad idea. He and Jacqueline needed the practice and being there would give her a new perspective on their situation. However, he'd be remiss if he didn't ask any questions, especially since he'd never been to any of the clubs in Mexico.

  “Where are we going?”

  “It’s called Absolution,” Luca answered. “It’s in El Paso, Texas.”

  If Murray expected Luca to give more information about the place, the man didn’t seem inclined to do so. “Tells me so much. What’s the cl
ientele like?”

  "Interesting." The corners of Luca's mouth twitched. "It might also hold some much-needed information on the Los Trios Cartel.”

  Murray tilted his head, scrubbing his beard. “Los Trios Cartel?” What did they have to do with anything?

  Again, Luca didn’t answer. The man kept secrets. Though it was part of his job, it rubbed Murray the wrong way. If he had information that could help or hinder their investigation and assist with their ability to be undercover, Luca had an obligation to tell them. Holding back in a situation like this, had the potential for getting them all killed.

  Chapter 4

  "I can see your wheels turning," Luca said. "It's not that I don't want to tell you about them. It's better to experience the atmosphere. However, I need a favor from you as well. I received some information after my phone call with Asher and Tex. I have to sift through it to find what's legitimate and what's bullshit. Do you think your team would be willing to help me?"

  Surprise filled Murray. “Help you? On a case?”

  Luca shrugged. “Basically.”

  "We could help." Jaqueline glanced at Murray. Her eyes sparkled not only with determination but also hope. "While we wait to leave."

  Shit, how could he say no now? “Sure. We’ll help.

  Luca stared at them. “It will take hours.”

  “What time did you expect to leave for Absolution?” Murray asked.

  “Eight-ish,” Luca hedged.

  “Then I’ll go get Thomas and AJ and you can lay out the intel you’ve been given.” Murray excused himself and exited the library. There was more going on than the bits Luca fed them. Luca wouldn’t have said anything about Los Trios if it didn’t mean something for their mission, which, technically was a bit shitty on Luca’s end for playing cat and mouse.

  He knocked on the door, hoping he wouldn’t be interrupting the duo. They had a molten hot chemistry AJ either didn’t recognize or didn’t want to acknowledge. Denying their mutual attraction would only weigh both of them down in the long run and tinge their undercover mission.