by J Q Anderson
“I don’t want to be a bad influence. Besides, I’d rather have you all to myself when we have more time, and less of an audience.” His eyes moved to Rafa and Tano, who were keeping vigil a few feet behind.
While we waited for the elevator, a couple joined us. The man was much older, his white hair stiffly combed back, his frame wide and imposing under a dark suit. The woman was very skinny, her eyes glued to the ground, her long, brown hair draping down her shoulders and covering most of her face. She squirmed beside him, her movements sheepish even though she was dressed in a very tight, red dress that only enhanced her wiry frame. We stepped in the elevator before them, and as I turned around, the man took the woman’s arm and tugged her in. The gesture was brief but aggressive. I caught Sebastián glowering at him, then his eyes moved to the girl.
Nobody spoke on the ride down, and when the doors finally opened, the man’s phone rang. He looked around, then barked something to the woman in what I was pretty sure was Russian and stepped away. She walked out of the elevator with her head still down and stood submissively by the door. As we exited, she briefly looked up, and I was shock-stricken because she wasn’t a woman, but a girl barely of legal age.
Sebastián told Rafa and Tano to get the car and meet us at the door. His eyes followed the Russian man leave the girl and step into the men’s room. As soon as the man was out of view, Sebastián turned to the girl, and leaning down to meet her eyes, he spoke to her softly in Russian.
Second shocker, Sebastián spoke Russian?
The girl stepped back in alarm, her eyes wide, frantically searching in the direction where the man had left. Sebastián spoke again in the same gentle tone but sounding more insistent. The girl shook her head and started crying. He pressed on with a soft, gentle command, and she finally looked up at him. With pleading eyes, she spoke quickly in broken phrases and he listened intently, his features hardening as the girl talked. Then he clasped her shoulder and said something appeasing and what sounded like instructions. Darting a look at the hallway and then focusing back on the girl, he reinforced his last words, squeezing her shoulder gently. She nodded and Sebastián took my hand.
“Let’s go,” he said.
“What was that about?” I said, hurrying beside him toward the entrance. He walked in long strides, his jaw set. I tugged on his hand. “Sebastián…”
He growled.
“Tell me.”
“Trafficking.”
“That girl?” I turned my head as we walked, but the girl was out of sight. I had heard stories about people being kidnapped, and I shuddered at the possible implications.
“Yes,” he said through clenched teeth.
We stopped at the door to wait for Rafa. Sebastián’s whole body radiated tension.
“What did she say to you?”
He didn’t answer, just shook his head in irritation.
“Please tell me. Who was she? What did she want?”
Nothing.
“I’m worried,” I said. “She looked desperate.”
“She was,” he finally said with another long, frustrated sigh. He shook his head, his lips pressed into a straight line as he ran a hand through his raven hair.
“What did she say?”
He looked at me for a long moment. “She said they brought them in a cargo ship from Russia. Nineteen of them, including her sister, who’s only thirteen.”
“Jesus. What… for?”
His eyes were etched in concern, reflecting an internal debate.
“What will happen to them?”
“Believe me, you don’t want to know.”
“What?” I blurted.
“Prostitution,” he said bitterly. “They’re docked two miles offshore. She said they bring men aboard.”
I closed my eyes, biting back a sudden wave of nausea. “Jesus,” I whispered.
“Yeah. Fucking sons of bitches,” he growled.
“Did she ask you for help? Can you help her?”
The BMW pulled over by the curb, and Sebastián opened the door, wrapping his arm protectively around me.
“Can you do anything for her?” I said as we hurried into the car.
“First, I have to find out who they are. These are usually large organizations with very complicated alliances.” He met Rafa’s eyes in the rearview mirror.
“Call Cardenas and Castro. See who’s out in the midnight docks this week.”
Rafa nodded.
“Will you be able to help?” I said, reaching out to hold his hand. “Should we call the police?”
He frowned. “No. The police are most likely aware and turning a blind eye. And Camila, there’s no ‘we’ in this.”
I pressed my lips. He was right. What the hell could I possibly do against Russian traffickers? “Then what?”
“I’ll deal with it.”
“You’ll deal with it?”
“Yes. I gave her my word.”
“But how? How can you help her?” I insisted.
He tilted his head and gave me a sympathetic smile.
“The less you know, the better.”
I swallowed hard. “This seems dangerous. You won’t… put yourself at risk, will you?” As I said it, I realized how stupid and naïve that sounded.
He squeezed my hand. “We’ll try the civilized way first.”
“What does that mean?”
He nodded at the street behind me. “Come on. We’re here.”
Outside my apartment, the street was deserted. No signs of Alexei or the silver car, or anyone else. Sebastián walked me to the foyer and enveloped me in his arms.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said, kissing my temple. “Get some rest.”
“I won’t be able to stop thinking about that girl. She looked even younger than me.”
“I know. I’ll do everything in my power to help her and the others.” His eyes were crystal blue, burning with determination, and I knew in that moment that he would keep his promise. A sudden wave of emotion slammed through me, and I clasped the front of his shirt, pulling him to me and crushing his mouth to mine. He responded with the same intensity, wrapping his arms tighter around me. When we broke away, we were panting. His eyes bore into mine. Taking my face in his hands, he kissed my mouth softly, then my eyelids, my nose, and my forehead. It was intimate and loving.
“In you go,” he said softly. “I don’t think I can restrain myself much longer.”
I went in and watched him go, overwhelmed by the events of the night, the image of the girl in the red dress imprinted in my mind.
Up in my apartment, Marcos was passed out on the couch. He looked so peaceful, innocent even. A wolf in a sheep’s suit. I covered him with a blanket.
Finally in bed, I stared out through the window at the distant stars, unable to sleep. My head was a whirlwind of questions about Sebastián. The attraction I felt for him was stronger than anything I had ever experienced. There was the physical aspect, yes. But there was something more, darker, that pulled me harder. In many ways he was still an enigma. While the shadow of his family’s reputation lurked closely, all I had seen so far was a guy who showed up when things went badly for me, and for a desperate Russian girl who was somewhere in the dark, praying he wouldn’t forget her.
Chapter 13
Something shook me awake.
“Hey, sleeping beauty. Wake up.”
I squinted at the source of the shaking, Nata, and closed my eyes again.
“Cams, come on. I need to talk to you.”
“Please stop shaking me.” I pulled myself up without opening my eyes.
“Here. Have some coffee.” She shoved a mug under my nose, the warm aroma rising. I took it, blinking off the cloudiness.
“What time is it?”
“It’s seven, and I need to talk to you about two things,” she said in a businesslike tone as she sat on the corner of the bed. “First, your date with the mobster. I want to hear everything.” She eyed me for a second and smiled at my answering sco
wl. “But maybe that can wait until you are awake.”
“Please tell me reason two is a big one, because otherwise you’ll end up with a bruise.” I rubbed my eye.
“Sheesh, drink your coffee.”
“What is it, Nata? I want to sleep, and I only have a few minutes left.”
“Okay, so remember that friend of my parents? Vladimir, the big mogul that lives in Barrio Parque? The one who owns the polo team.” Her voice climbed to that high pitch she used when she was excited. I winced.
“Yeah, okay. So?” I vaguely remembered him. He was a big name within upper society. I only knew of him because my brother had a few friends who were professional polo players.
“Well, he’s throwing a huge party this weekend and had scheduled Russian acrobats to perform. Anyway, something went wrong, and the Russians can’t make it, so he asked me if I could bring a partner and perform a tango number.”
“Sounds great, Nata. I’m thrilled for you. Can I go back to sleep, now?” Sliding the cup onto the nightstand, I sank back onto the pillow.
“No.” She scooted closer. “I can’t do it because Teo is flying me to Brazil for the weekend to meet his parents. Oh my god, I’ve got so much to tell you.”
“I didn’t realize you guys were that serious. Moving fast, don’t you think?”
“I guess, but he’s the real thing, you know? I think I’m in love with him.”
I looked up and her eyes were swimming in excitement. Fully awake, I sat up and pulled her into a hug. Even if it was all too soon, it was great to see her like this. “I’m happy for you. I really am.”
“What I wanted to tell you,” she said, breaking away, “is that you and Marcos can do the number instead. Vladimir will pay you two thousand dollars each for the performance. It’s a really good gig. You will meet lots of influential people. It will be great exposure for your career.”
“Are you serious? Two thousand dollars? And you’re turning it down? Are you nuts?” Nata didn’t need the money, but it was an amazing opportunity. I couldn’t believe she was passing it up. For a guy?
“Tell me you’ll do it,” she said. “Marcos already said yes. He really needs the money. The owner of his apartment sold the place, so he needs to move out. Oh, and about that, he asked me if he could stay here until Giselle is over. I told him I would talk to you.”
I shrugged, rubbing my eyes. “That’s fine, I don’t mind.”
“Are you sure? You come first. I don’t want to make things difficult for you. He can find something else.”
“It’s okay. Besides, he’s here half the time anyway. It almost feels weird when he’s not around.”
“What about Vladimir?”
“Yeah, sure. I still think you’re crazy to pass it up.”
She clapped her hands. “Let’s go tell Marcos.” She pulled me off the bed. I reluctantly went along, knowing she wouldn’t let up until she got exactly what she wanted.
Marcos blinked sleepily. “She’ll do it? That’s awesome. Did you ask her about me staying here?”
“I’m standing right here, you dork. And yes, she asked me.” I tossed a pillow at his face and plopped next to him.
“And? Can I stay?” He looked at me with pleading puppy eyes.
“No girls.” I squinted. “And you do the dishes. Actually, I kind of like the idea of having a male slave.” I winked at Nata and she laughed.
“I can do that.” He yawned.
We had breakfast, then Marcos left to collect the rest of his things from his apartment. Even though it was Saturday, I had agreed to meet the stager at the theater for a couple of hours to work on some steps I was not too confident about. Before I left, Nata and I went to her closet in search of something I could wear for the tango performance. There was a small pile of black dresses and skirts covering her bed.
I frowned. “What are those for?”
“I’ve already put some options together for you. This is a big deal. You have to look absolutely stunning.” She turned to the closet and browsed through the clothes. I sat on a corner of the bed, watching her walk back and forth with tops and dresses. I desperately wanted to tell her about last night, about the Russian girl, but that would lead to a thousand questions about Sebastián.
“I’m kind of nervous,” I said, to get my mind off the subject. “Do you think we can put something together this quickly?”
Nata paused, her arms full of clothes, then gave me a big smile. “Of course you can. You always underestimate how great you are. It’s a tango. I think you can probably do a modified variation of the Piazzolla tribute we did last season. Marcos has a few ideas already. Now tell me everything about your date with the gangster.” Placing the clothes on the bed, she sat next to me, setting a pair of black tango shoes on her lap. They were gorgeous, black satin with tiny, black rhinestones around the ankles.
“Don’t call him that and please don’t make me wear those. I’ve never worn heels that high. I’m not you. I’ll fall on my face.”
“Fine. Wear the velvet ones, they’re not as high. You sure? These are so much cuter.” She held up the shoes like I was nuts to turn them down.
I grabbed the velvet shoes from the bed and smiled. “These are perfect. The date went great at first, then it turned… bizarre.”
“Why? Where’d he take you?”
“His house for dinner. Then Amsterdam.” I grinned.
“What? Seriously? You went to his house? And Amsterdam?”
“Yup. The VIP lounge.”
“Damn. How was it?”
“His house is unbelievable. Huge, gorgeous. Amsterdam was intimidatingly fancy but super cool…” An image of the Russian girl barged in my mind and I pushed it away, focusing on the photographer’s questions instead.
“What is it?”
“Nothing…It’s just…the weirdest thing happened last night. Sebastián was at the bar meeting with someone, and this photographer showed up from nowhere and started taking photos of me, asking me if I wasn’t intimidated by the Palacios family. And then he said something like ‘aren’t you freaked out after what happened to his last girlfriend?’ I don’t know. It was weird,” I said, shrugging it off.
“Carolina.” Nata’s eyes widened. “That’s right. How could I forget? My God.”
“What?”
“Yeah. That happened long before we started doing business with Sebastián’s family. Sergei may know. It was in the papers.”
“What… happened?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, really. Sebastián was dating this girl, she was from a high-profile family too. They had…business in common, I think, but one day she was gone. Like gone. Disappeared. People said Don Martín had a hand in it.”
“A hand?”
“Yeah, well…it’s tabloid gossip, but it was never resolved. The cops just dropped it.” She took my hand. “Look, Cami. I want to be happy for you. I do. And if it was anyone else, I’d be bouncing off the walls. It’s just…that family. What are your parents going to say? I mean, have you thought about that? Your dad’s going to flip out when you tell him you’re dating Don Corleone’s son.”
“Cut it out.” I pulled my hand away. “It’s not like that. Sebastián is not like that. His thing is architecture. He has his own studio with a partner. And I don’t think he’s that involved in the family business.” Jesus, I didn’t even buy into that. No matter how much I wanted to. Maybe his focus was architecture, but he sure as hell was involved in bigger things. But then, there was that other side of him, the side that kept knocking me to my feet. I sat up on the bed with my legs crossed. “I know it’s too soon, but when I’m with him…I forget about everything else. It’s like he somehow fills a space dancing never has, you know?”
“Yeah. I know exactly what you mean.” She sighed in a defeated tone. “I feel the same way about Teo. Just be careful. At least till you know what you’re dealing with.”
I nodded, wishing things were different. For the first time, I was genuinely
interested in somebody, and he came with a questionable amount of baggage. My thoughts drifted to my date with Sebastián, curled in his lap at Amsterdam, then the girl and her pleading eyes. A mix of doom and excitement filled me. Gangster or not, I knew already what kind of guy he was.
The kind you fell hard for.
Chapter 14
Early on Saturday, I hurried to the theater, unable to hold in the thrill about the upcoming performance at Vladimir’s estate. Dancers waited a lifetime for an opportunity like this. Everyone that was anyone in the arts would be there. I breathed in and out, trying to rid my body of the panic simmering in my gut.
For my tango outfit, Nata loaned me a snug, black skirt open to the hip on one side, a matching slim, black top, and fishnet panty hose.
Marcos and I had only a few days to come up with a killer choreography and nail it. He had already figured out what he wanted to do, so I wasn’t too worried. Marcos was an astounding dancer, plus we had been partnering more often during rehearsals and were used to dancing together. If everything went according to plan, we would kill it.
I squinted at the bright sun as I stepped out after my session with the choreographer. The sky was clear; an unusually warm breeze teased the last leaves left by the winter. My phone buzzed in my pocket, and Sebastián’s name lit the screen.
“Hey,” I said.
“How’s my girl?”
“Good. Just finished a rehearsal.”
“Do you have plans today?”
“Well…I was thinking of going to see my parents, but I haven’t called them yet.”
“Would you consider an alternative?”
I grinned. “I might.”
Outside my foyer, Sebastián welcomed me in his arms. As if by instinct, his mouth claimed mine. Holy smokes. Those kisses did naughty things to my insides.
“Do you have any idea how sexy you are?” he said in a low, sexy voice. A wave of heat rushed to my face.
“Okay, I don’t think jeans and a leather jacket qualify as sexy.”
He brushed my hair back with his fingers, snaking his other arm around my waist. “Simple things are perfect the way they are. They don’t ask for attention. To me, you are perfect.”
