I. The Night Before

So this is what it feels like.

That one lingering thought struck Desiree like the bullet lodged inside her as she struggled for one more breath and as she did so, the pain was even worse than the last one. One short intake of oxygen was like doing a marathon with a shard of glass stuck in your sole. Every exhale was excruciating it was not comparable to anything she had known.

He’s coming. Keep breathing. He’s coming.

With the last ounce of strength she had left, she pushed herself to her back. Her eyes closed and she lost her breath once more. The veins in her throat engorged as she held the scream of pain. The breathing was getting shorter and she opened her eyes.

The faint sound of footsteps was disappearing though her mind knew they were coming nearer. The buzzing in her ears was barely audible now. The light on the ceiling was getting dimmer.

So this is what it feels like.

The episodes of that night and the days that followed up to this very moment flashed before her eyes.

It was all because of that night…

6 MONTHS AGO

5:00 PM

Desiree and Jamaica entered the hotel lobby with their arms linked, laughter in their eyes. Their steps synchronized, they walked to the front desk to get their key cards.

“Did you see the look on Khaye’s face?” Desiree asked her best friend.

Jamaica took off her sunglasses and rolled her eyes. “She’s so not over the fact that we are going to close the runway tomorrow.”

Desiree looked around the hotel lobby as the man behind the desk worked on his computer. “We left her at the airport. She must feel so lost right now.”

A short silence lingered between them as they pretended to feel remorseful. When their eyes met, their lips pursed, snorted and laughed together.

“Oh my god, we are sooooo bad!” Jamaica uttered, catching her breath.

“Well,” Desiree said, taking the cards the man handed out to them, “there’s a reason why we are called the Evil Twin Models.” She looped her arm through her friend’s and they strutted to the elevators together, a laughter escaping their lips every now and then as the picture of Khaye in the airport, alone and without a ride, played in their heads.

The two of them called dibs on the beds, threw their things inside the closet and fell silent. They’d only have a few hours before the event started and the relaxing silence would be gone until everything was over. Desiree blankly stared at the ceiling and her smile slowly disappeared.

“How long do you think we are going to do this?” she asked out loud.

“Hmm?” she heard Jamaica ask.

“This thing…jumping from one country to another, walking the runway, acting like stupid girls who don’t know anything but be mean and get laid by the hottest guys in town. This…this stupid life we kind of hate but love too much to leave behind.”

Jamaica was silent for a long time that Desiree did not expect her to answer at all. “We can leave anytime we want, Des.”

Desiree pushed herself off the bed with a grunt. “But not now, right? While we are still young and beautiful, we can’t just do that, right? That would be stupid. We’ve reached so far.”

Her friend followed her off the bed and stared at her with an empty smile. For a moment, Desiree saw what people saw in the two of them: same long wavy black hair, same light brown eyes, same pointed nose, sun-kissed skin, slender figure…same everything except the fact that they were not from the same mother.

Jamaica walked toward her and grabbed her hand. “When the day comes that we have to leave all this luxury, I’ll miss you the most. It won’t be the fame, the flash of the cameras or even the hot guys. I’ll miss you the most, my evil twin model.”

Desiree laughed and squeezed her friend’s hand. “That’s sweet, but it sounded like you’re about to leave. Which is not the case, right? You can’t leave me alone in this shitty world. You know how many enemies we’ve made, Khaye being one of them and that woman is scary as shit. I won’t be able to fight it alone so you better not leave me.”

Jamaica just smiled at her and said, “This is sounding so fucking sentimental. Why don’t we go get coffee?”

---

Theo checked his watch and sighed. He was getting impatient. His eyes traveled to the empty cup of coffee in front of him and considered getting his third when he saw the two women walk in. As a matter of fact, almost everyone noticed them. Two tall women with figures fit for a cover magazine walks in and expect every eye perform one amazing, synchronized dance.

He watched as the two black-haired girls grab a table, talking to each other as if they didn’t notice the attention. Theo shook his head and tore his eyes away from them and grabbed his phone.

“Where the hell are you?” he asked his brother, holding the phone against his ear.

“On my way,” Richard answered.

“She’s here,” he said, his eyes traveling back to the girls as they scanned the menu.

“Calm the fuck down, Theo. She knows I’m on my way. And the client?”

“On his fucking way. Better not be late or we’re screwed. You know how hard it was to get him,” he uttered under his breath.

His brother ended the call without another word.

Theo checked his watch again and forced himself to relax. In their business, time was of great importance. It was always who came first that mattered.

He saw Jamaica’s eyes roam the place and when it finally met his, she hastily turned away to talk to her friend. Theo smiled inwardly and wondered how much Jamaica’s friend knew about her secret.

---

Khaye’s heart was racing with anger as she stood before her hotel door. She wanted to cry out and lash on those two monsters. But she had to compose herself and not do anything stupid in public. She had a reputation to keep unlike those two bitches who could do the most diabolical thing and people would still love them.

But that did not mean she couldn’t have her payback in private.

She entered her room and smiled inwardly. Those two had left her alone in the airport and expected her to just do nothing about it?

Khaye walked to the connecting door, pushed it open and found herself inside another room. She closed the door behind her and breathed in an air of victory.

“Stupid bitches should have known,” she uttered loudly, taking in the look of the silent room, one she had requested for the exact same thing she was about to do.

She moved quickly for she didn’t know when those two would come back. It was not hard to find their luggage inside the closet. Being around the two women for years, Khaye could point out which was Desiree’s suitcase and which was Jamaica’s.

“Eenie meenie miney…” she sang, pointing her finger from one suitcase to the other. Her finger landed on the red one as she said, “mo.” A wicked smile crept up her face. “Well, well, Desiree it is then.” She grabbed the suitcase out of the closet. It was already unlocked, making her mission easier. A white, silky dress was the first victim and Khaye liked the sound of the fabric as she easily tore it apart. Her hands let go of the ruined dress and she sighed. “Okay, who’s next?” she excitedly asked as she bent down for another random pick.

Just as she was about to find a pair of scissors to destroy one of Desiree’s remaining jeans, she heard a sound from outside the girls’ room. “Shit!” she whispered in panic, pushing the torn fabrics back inside the suitcase. She looked around the room and was ready to run toward the connecting door when she heard the beep. It would be too late for her. She jumped inside the closet, pulling the suitcase inside with her and closed the door, her breathing heavy, her heart ramming against her chest. Khaye held her breath when she heard the footsteps.

“We better make it quick, Richard,” Khaye heard Jamaica say. Her brows furrowed in confusion. Richard? She looked through the small gap of the closet and watched as a dark-haired guy dropped a black bag on the floor, simultaneously grabbed Jamaica by the waist and pulled her closer against his chest.

“Of course. We don’t want your friend to question your long disappearance, do we?” the man asked as Jamaica worked on the buttons of his blue shirt.

Khaye’s eyes widened and her hand clamped over her mouth in surprise. As the man called Richard start to kiss Jamaica’s mouth and pull her dress higher up her waist, Khaye slowly reached for her phone from her jean’s back pocket. If there was anything she could do to destroy one of her enemies, this might just be it.

She placed her phone in silent mode and opened the camera.

Her free hand held the excited giggle that wanted to escape from her throat as she recorded Jamaica and the man having sex. Khaye’s heart started racing and she began to feel uncomfortable as the act progressed from the floor to table standing against the wall. The two did not even bother to take off their clothes. They just pulled down whatever was getting in the way.

She almost jumped in surprise when Jamaica accidentally caused the lamp to fall off the table and on the floor. But that did not stop the two from doing what they were doing.

She almost covered her ears as the whole thing happened. Jamaica was a loud lover and so was the man.

“We’ll have to pay for that lamp,” Jamaica later breathlessly said as she slumped against the naked man.

“I’d pay a thousand bucks for that thing,” the guy answered, kissing Jamaica’s mouth while he fondled her breasts with tattooed hands.

Jamaica moaned and pushed him away. “I’d love to have another round, babe, but we have work to do.”

The man grunted his disappointment but pulled his pants up as Jamaica righted her dress.

Khaye did not stop recording as she continued to watch Jamaica walking across the room barefooted. The man had picked up the lampshade and replaced it back on the table. He looked over his shoulder at Jamaica with a smile as he wiped the trace of their sexual encounter off the surface of the table with his handkerchief.

“Is this all?” Jamaica asked, bending on one knee in front of the black bag.

“Yeah, that is all.”

“You’ve counted?”

The man walked to Jamaica and dropped down to hug her from behind. “Of course, love,” the man answered. “I need the package now, if you would so please,” he whispered in Jamaica’s ear as one hand roamed her midriff.

“No distractions, Richard. Let go before we waste more time. You know it’s not easy for me to resist you. I suggest you go outside and keep watch,” Jamaica said with a sigh.

The man obliged with a chuckle. “Okay. I’ll wait outside.”

Khaye heaved a sigh of relief when the man left Jamaica alone.

Her breath got stuck in her throat when she finally realized what Jamaica was about to do. After closing the black bag, one of her worst enemies stood up and started walking toward the closet door where she was hiding.

With nowhere else to hide, Khaye hid her phone back inside her pocket and waited for the door to open.

It did.

Jamaica saw her and the woman’s eyes widened in surprise.

What she did not expect to happen though was the whispered question, “What the fuck are you doing here?!”

“N—nothing,” she stammered.

Jamaica looked over her shoulder to check something and then she turned her attention back to Khaye. Stay the fuck inside.“ Jamaica grabbed her suitcase and closed the closet door in Khaye’s face. Khaye listened as Jamaica opened the suitcase, walked to the hotel door, talked with the guy she just had sex with and closed it again.

In just a matter of seconds, the closet door opened once more and Jamaica’s deadly eyes stared down at Khaye, her arms crossed over her chest. Khaye didn’t know what to do. She was scared for having been found out, but she was not backing off either.

“How did you get in?” Jamaica demanded.

“You’re not the only one who knows her way around, Jamaica,” Khaye shot back.

“What were you doing inside our freaking closet?”

“Well, I was just ruining Desiree’s clothes when you came in and—”

“Did you see everything?” Jamaica asked coldly.

“No, I just heard some stuff,” she lied. “It was freaking awkward, Jamaica. But,” she said, standing up, her legs shaky. “I am glad it’s over. Was that your boyfriend?”

“You tell anyone what you heard and you’re dead,” Jamaica said, her voice cold and her eyes deadly. For a moment there, Khaye was certain Jamaica meant what she said.

“Don’t worry about it. It’s not like it would do me any good. If you’ve killed someone, then that would be another story. But you just did what most of us bitches do so no harm done,” she said to Jamaica, pushing the lady to walk out the closet. “Consider this my payback for leaving me behind in the airport.”

“I am serious, Khaye. One word from you and you’re dead,” Jamaica uttered as she walked away toward the main door. There was no way she would allow Jamaica to find out about the connecting door.

The coldness in Jamaica’s voice brought a shiver throughout her body. For the second time that afternoon, Khaye feared for her life.

8:00 PM

Desiree had grown impatient and left the café to find Jamaica. She tried calling her but that was not successful. She rode the elevator to their room, walked along the corridor and almost bumped into a dark-haired guy who did a sharp turn from the same hallway she intended to enter.

“I’m sorry,” the man said, holding up his tattooed right hand in apology.

Desiree just gave a nod, her heart still recovering from the shock of nearly crushing into him, and watched him walk away with a brown leather bag in one hand.

And just as she thought that was the last surprise she’d encounter that day, she turned into the hallway the tattooed guy came from only to see Khaye briskly walking toward her. “Khaye!”

The woman looked like she was in a panic before she called her name but that immediately disappeared when she recognized Desiree. Panic turned to a look of anger.

“Hey, calm down. You’re here now, right? I’m sure leaving you at the airport was not such a bad thing. You didn’t have to share the awful ride with us,” Desiree said with a mean smile.

Khaye’s jaw tightened as she stared at Desiree with controlled anger in her eyes. Then the lady forced a smile on her lips and said, “My trip from the airport to here was very pleasant indeed, Desiree. My luggage had been taken with so much care.” Khaye squared her shoulders and added, “I just hope yours met the same fate. See you tomorrow evening. I hope you and your friend break a leg. Literally, of course.”

Desiree just snorted and chuckled as Khaye walked away.

She found Jamaica in their room doing her makeup. “Where have you been? You’ve been gone for hours!”

“I just met someone along the way and did not notice the time, I’m sorry,” Jamaica explained. “And oh, I found Khaye hiding inside our closet.”

“What? I just bumped into her in the corridor! What the hell did she do?” Desiree went to the closet and opened it.

“Go check your suitcase,” her friend suggested.

“The bitch!” Desiree cried out when she saw her torn clothing. “I’ll make her pay for this!”

“What I suggest we do, my dear friend, is just ignore it and act like nothing happened. And plus, this is a great excuse to shop, right? That bitch doesn’t know how to play this mean game but we’ll show her. Come one, you can borrow one of my dresses for tonight. We can go shopping tomorrow. But for now, go get ready and let’s go out for a drink. I’ll need a lot of it for tomorrow.”

Desiree frowned at her friend for a moment. Jamaica was acting different. She had actually expected her friend to suggest that they do the same thing to Khaye’s things, but not this.

“Are you okay?”

“Of course,” Jamaica answered rather too fast. “Now, get ready!”

“Whose bag is this?” she asked, pointing at the black bag beside Jamaica’s suitcase.

A look of panic crossed her friend’s feature. “Uh, that’s mine. Just some personal stuff. Go grab a dress from my suitcase.”

Desiree just shrugged the weirdness off and opened Jamaica’s suitcase to find a dress.

9:30 PM

“Petroff’s here, Jam,” Desiree said, nodding her head toward the tall bald guy sitting a few tables away from them. His eyes did not leave her friend’s and Desiree could only shake her head.

“Stop it. He got us to where we are right now,” Jamaica said under her breath before she turned to look over her shoulder and wink at Petroff.

“I can hear his Russian groan right now,” Desiree said with a chuckle.

Jamaica just smiled and took a deep breath. “I guess I’ll have to excuse myself for a while, my friend. I’ll be back.”

“No, you won’t. I know where you’re going, you bitch.”

Jamaica laughed out loud and gave her a peck. “See you later.”

“Yeah, right. Go have your Russian sex while I mourn my lonely sex life alone,” she said dryly.

Her friend chuckled and stood up.

“Don’t you dare do it on my bed, Jam. You know I hate it.”

Jamaica just winked at her. “I promise.”

---

The exchange was fast. No small talk done, no introductions needed. The brown leather bag was handed to the client and the man walked off without another word. Theo was not certain if they’d see each other again.

But then, there was no certainty in their business. The only certain thing they had to maintain was discretion. That was all that mattered.

“Petroff is here,” Richard said with ire.

Theo’s eyes roamed the dark place full of drinkers. He immediately saw the Russian man sitting alone in one table, looking at the two ladies.

“You know he goes where she goes,” Theo told her brother.

Richard’s jaw tightened. “She can’t seem to get away from him.”

“They all find it hard to get away from him.”

Richard’s eyes flickered in alarm when he saw Jamaica stand up and leave the room. Petroff followed soon after. When his brother made a move to stand up, Theo stopped him. “She can take care of herself.”

“She’s mine,” Richard said under his breath as he brushed his brother’s hand away from arm.

Theo wasn’t sure if he should stop him, but Richard would only cause more trouble if he stopped him. He found himself drinking alone and shook his head. His eyes traveled to Jamaica’s friend just sitting a few tables away. Then he saw the man behind her checking her out. He watched in amusement for a few minutes as the man struggled for confidence. There was no mistaking the beauty of the woman. And no man would pass up the chance to strike a conversation with her with hopes of stripping her of her clothes, especially when she was sitting alone inside a bar.

When the man started to stand up, Theo found himself jumping to his feet. Surprised at his own instinct, he walked the raced the man to the direction of the lady.

10:00 PM

Khaye couldn’t believe she was stalking Jamaica. She had been drinking in one corner of the same bar with them when she saw the lady walk out followed by Petroff.

Everyone knew Petroff. And everyone had jumped in the sack with him including her in hopes that he would give them a shortcut to fame. Khaye had her own share, but it seemed that Jamaica got the best of them all. She followed them closely until they reached the room Jamaica and Desiree shared together.

Khaye stayed hidden at the end of the corridor as she watched one of the most powerful men in the industry make out with Jamaica as both struggled to open the door.

She heard footsteps behind her and she jumped to her feet and decided to walk straight to where Jamaica and Petroff had been. As she walked, she looked over her shoulder and saw the very same man Jamaica had had sex with earlier and his face was red with anger.

The bitch is about to get her hands full, Khaye thought.

She continued walking until she passed the door Jamaica and Petroff entered just a few seconds ago. Taking her own keycard, she entered her own room just as the man called Richard knocked on Jamaica’s door, almost breaking it.

Khaye closed her own door and went straight to the one connecting her room to the one where Jamaica was. She sat on the floor with her back against the wall and listened.

---

“Alone?” a voice asked behind her.

Desiree turned and came face to face with the man who had been sitting two tables away earlier. Of course, she had noticed him. Who wouldn’t? And he was with the man she almost bumped into earlier in the hallway. She looked over his shoulder and when she did not see the man with tattooed hands, she asked, “Alone?” At the back of her head was a lingering question: Where’s Jamaica?

“Not anymore,” the man said, sitting beside her without consent. Not that she minded. The bar was a public place.

“I’m waiting for my friend,” she explained. “That’s her seat.”

He raised his thick eyebrows and she would have loved to discover the color of his eyes. “Is your friend a guy or a girl?”

She did not reply for a while and straightened in her seat. Her dress bared her entire back and she felt the man’s gaze roaming over it. “A girl.”

One corner of his lips lifted in a smile and his eyes went back to hers. “Good.” Without taking his eyes away from hers, he called the attention of a passing server and said, “One more shot for the lady, please. And another for me.”

“You were sitting with someone earlier,” she said matter-of-factly.

His brows raised, his lips twitched. “So you were checking me out.”

“And I know you know I was with a girl friend.”

He sighed and held up both hands. “Busted. But you know you don’t know something I know.”

Desiree arched her eyebrow. “What is that?”

“I raced a guy to get here.”

“Oh, you did?”

He nodded. “Uh-huh. And he’s now back in his seat, a look of defeat on his face. But I’m not sure if he likes the fact that I’m talking to you right now.”

“He doesn’t now, does he?” she asked, her eyes holding on his eyes in hopes of seeing their true colors. “My friend isn’t actually coming back.”

He smiled. “I’m sure my brother isn’t either,” he said with a sigh.

“I guess it’s safe to say we’ll have to spend a few more drinks together to celebrate you winning the race.”

“It’s the most difficult and shortest race I had to take so you bet I’ll definitely celebrate.”

11:00 PM

Khaye stumbled out of her hotel room in panic. Her hands were shaking with fear. She had to get away. She had to run where she’d be safe.

The events that happened before she left her room flashed across her eyes. Had someone seen her? Would someone know if she was there? Would they follow her? Would he recognize her?

As she ran to the direction of the elevator doors, she spotted Desiree being pulled by a tall man across another hall. Khaye thought she heard the woman giggle and for a moment she wanted to call for her help. But what would Desiree think? What would everyone think?

No, she had to find help from someone she trusted. She searched for her phone but she had left it inside her room. She couldn’t go back there. She had to go far away. He might come back for her.

Khaye fought her tears as she punched the elevator button in panic. She climbed inside the moment the doors opened. “Oh my god, oh my god…” she kept saying repeatedly as the elevator took her to the ground floor.

She ran to the lobby and the man behind the desk looked at her with worry as she demanded for a phone. She dialed the only number she could think of and waited for the call to connect, ignoring the curious look of the two men behind the desk.

“Gian, oh god, I need your help…please, I need your help.” Hearing her brother’s voice, Khaye let the tears fall down her face.

---

She thought the heat would dissipate, but it didn’t. If there was anything more than what the man’s kisses and touch did, it intensified the heat that she could barely keep her balance. Or maybe she wasn’t in control of her equilibrium anymore because his hip pinned her against the wall. Desiree groaned as she felt the evidence of his arousal against the layers of clothing between them and she ached for something more and less. More flesh, less fabric.

“My room, my room,” he rasped against her mouth. His breath smelled like brandy. She reached up to pull his mouth back against hers, gripping his nape by one hand as her other pulled at the back of his shirt. “Shhh… slowly, sweetheart, slowly…” The next thing Desiree knew, he was pulling her away from the wall and across the hall to another door. She let go of his head for a few seconds to allow him to check if they got the right door. He fished for his keycard as she worked on the buckle of his belt, almost tripping on her right heel as she did so.

“Fuck,” she cursed when her left ankle gave in.

The man chuckled when he caught her in his arms, pulling her up against his length. He ground his hip against hers once and she groaned in response. She knew her head was disheveled, her dress askew and her heels probably hanging by the soles of her shoes, but she didn’t care.

At that moment, all she cared about was the successful beep of the door lock, the darkness of the room inside and the man against her.

It had been so long. She had missed this kind of excitement. She wanted this.

Fuck tomorrow, she thought as she let the man lead her deeper into the dimly lit suite and to the untouched bed.

“What color are your eyes?” The question rolled out of her tongue before she thought about it as the man gently pulled her toward him, his right hand against her bare back while the other pulled on the string at her nape. His finger made a trail against her spine down to her lower back, arousing her once more.

Her question evoked a low chuckle from him and she felt it through his lips as he lightly followed the trail of the dress he was pulling off her shoulders.

Her hands were slowly working on the buttons of his shirt as she waited for his response while holding her breath in anticipation to his next move.

“Black. Yours are light brown.”

“Yes,” she answered as she felt the hand on her bare back trail forward toward one breast. She arched against him. “Yes,” she sighed again.

“Yes?” he asked, this time looking right into her eyes. His fingers started working and she felt all defenses crumble down around her. She didn’t care anymore.

“Yes,” she whispered, leaning up to kiss his mouth.

1:00 AM

Desiree woke up an hour later with heavy eyes and an intense headache. Her eyes closed in an instant to control the pain. One side of her face was against the soft pillow. She was sprawled on the bed face down. She tried to move but couldn’t. She felt a bit sore, aware that she was naked. Her back was bare and a comforter was covering her from waist down. And something warm was brushing against her face. She tried to open her eyes once more and when she succeeded, she saw the stranger’s face just inches away from her. Her sharp intake of breath caused him to stir and move. He was in the same position as she but his arm started to move and Desiree moved away before he could trap her into a side embrace. Slowly, she eased off the bed without waking him.

“Shit, shit, shit,” she hissed at herself as she tried to find her clothes on the floor, on the nightstand and under the bed. Her headache was not a big help as she hastily dressed. She couldn’t find her other shoe and she didn’t want to waste another minute trapped in the room with a stranger so she decided to just let it go.

She grabbed her handbag, the one shoe she found and tiptoed her way out of the suite. It was only when she was outside that she gave a sigh of relief. She checked the time. 1 AM. She still had more time to sleep before the show, she thought. She wondered where Jamaica was and hoped that she would not find her friend and her Russian lover in their room.

It wasn’t long before she located the room she and Jamaica were sharing and worked with the keycard. Once inside, she gave a sigh of relief. Her friend was sprawled on the bed, her dark hair around her. Good. No Petroff.

“Where have you been last night? I waited for you,” she said as she stumbled toward her suitcase. She dropped the shoe and her handbag on the floor and searched for her medicine bag. “I’ll need to sleep for a bit more, Jam, you better not wake me up,” she murmured as she popped the pill into her mouth. “I had a long night and you will not believe what I have done,” she continued, walking to the empty bed beside Jamaica’s. “I’ll tell you about it later during makeup,” she uttered with a yawn, pulling the cover over her head. “’Night, Jam. You’ve got a lot of explaining to do as well.”

3:00 AM

The headache woke her up. “Fuck that drink,” she cussed in the darkness. She grabbed her phone and checked the time. 3 AM. “Fuck. Can’t anyone get a better sleep around here?” she asked aloud as she stumbled out of her bed. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she cursed some more when the lamp wouldn’t turn on. Forcing her feet to walk the extra steps, she found the switch and flicked on the lights. With one eye open and with her head killing her, she walked to her suitcase, threw the torn fabrics over her shoulders and looked for her kit. “Hey, Jam, do you have some Tylenol? I can’t find mine.” She stood up and walked to where Jamaica still lying face down on her bed. Bending down, she shook her friend to wake up, desperate for relief. “Jam, hey… wake up. I need your help.”

Her frown deepened when Jamaica’s arm fell from the side of the bed. “Hey, Jam, you okay?”

When her friend did not budge, Desiree gathered the remaining of her strength and pushed her friend on her back. Jamaica’s open eyes stared blankly at her. “Jam?” Desiree asked as her vision began to clear. With the light now on and her vision back to normal, Desiree saw it. It was splattered on Jamaica’s face. It was pooling the white sheet around her naked body.

Jamaica’s lifeless body was covered with it.

Blood. So much blood.

II. The Morning After

Desiree gasped and stumbled back in shock at what lay before her eyes.

Questions attacked her as she struggled to maintain her balance.

Who did it? Why?

“Jam…oh god…” she stammered, turning around to block her friend’s bloody state from view.

What should I do?

That was the most important question she had to face at the moment.

She couldn’t bring herself to look back at her friend so she urged her feet to take her back to the closet. Tears streamed down her face as she cried looking for her phone with shaking hands.

What if they think I did it?

Desiree paused for a second to think, her eyes closed. No logical thought came to mind. Jamaica’s bloody body was the only thing her mind could process at that moment.

Whimpering in panic and fear, Desiree gave up on her phone and opened her friend’s suitcase and took out a fresh shirt and a pair of jeans. She hastily removed her dress from last night and put what she grabbed from the suitcase.

She grabbed whatever she thought she’d need later and looked for something to put them into when she saw the black bag from earlier. She pulled it toward her and opened it.

“Oh my god, Jam…what have you been up to?” she asked out loud when she saw what was inside the bag. It was full of cash. Thousands of it neatly stacked inside. It could worth millions!

You have to run now , a voice inside her said. Run as far as you can.

Without another thought, Desiree closed the bag, stood up and walked to the door. She grabbed Jamaica’s sweater from the table on her way out.

Run. Go far away. They’ll think you did it.

Her feet briskly took her to the elevator doors and she impatiently punched all the buttons going down. Her heart was racing as she waited for one pair of doors to open. When the ding came, she jumped in alarm.

She wiped away the tears and composed herself the moment she was inside. She covered her head and most of her face with the scarf. “Oh my god, oh my god. What the fuck happened?” she asked under her breath as new tears fell from her eyes. “Shit, Jamaica, what have you gotten yourself into?”

As the elevator descended further down, Desiree found some time to come to her senses.

What am I doing?

She couldn’t just leave her best friend like that.

She had nothing to fear. She didn’t do anything. She didn’t have to run and make things complicated.

Desiree squared her shoulders, her mind made up. She’d call the police. She couldn’t just leave Jamaica.

She was innocent and it would remain that way if she would just stop being stupid and stay to face this shit.

She roughly wiped away the tears off her face with her palms to get a grip on everything that happened. How could a perfectly normal afternoon lead to this? Who would have thought that after having sex with a stranger she met at the bar would land her in this mess?

The elevator stopped at another floor and Desiree stepped back to one corner. It was human instinct.

She tried to hide from the stranger who came inside by tugging on the scarf.

“Where are you going?” the voice demanded. Desiree kept her head down and did not move. “Jamaica, where the hell are you going? This is not part of the plan.”

Startled, Desiree looked up only to regret it too late.

The man’s thick eyebrows knitted in a frown. “You,” he said, recognition in his eyes. He looked her up and down. “You’re not Jamaica.”

---

Theo looked down at the woman, his eyes full of questions.

He was kissing her four hours ago and woke up with her gone. And now, after a call from Richard, she was here in the elevator, wearing the scarf his brother had given Jamaica a week ago.

“Where are you going?” he demanded.

Her eyes were full of fear. Her face almost covered by the scarf. The elevator dinged and he punched the button to close the doors again.

“No! I have to go!” she said, her voice full of panic.

“I can’t let you go,” he said, grabbing her by the arm.

“I have to go somewhere. Let me go.” She pulled at her hand but he held on, his grip tightening.

“Where is Jamaica?”

Her eyes went back to his. “How do you know Jamaica?” she asked.

“Answer my question.”

“I don’t know you.”

Theo’s brows lifted. “Oh, you don’t? We just had sex a few hours ago in case you forgot,” he said through clenched teeth. “Now, tell me why you are wearing Jamaica’s scarf and where the hell is she?”

He saw her gulp but her gaze did not waver as she stared back at him. She was not trying to hide the fear and panic in her eyes nor the shaking in her voice as she said, “I am not telling you anything. Let me go.”

His phone rang and he answered it without a word as he continued to look at her. The elevator was about to reach their destination.

“Theo, it’s Jamaica,” Richard’s pained voice said from the other end. He knew from that moment on that something was wrong.

The woman tried to escape his grasp once more but he pushed her against the elevator wall and pinned her against it with his length. She grunted and fought harder but he held still as he listened to his brother.

“She’s gone. She’s fucking dead!” Richard’s voice was full of rage.

“Where’s the money, Richard?” he asked as he stared down at the woman.

“I don’t know. There’s a lot of mess.”

“Find the fucking bag,” he ordered.

“Jamaica’s dead and you—”

“Your fucking buddy is dead and someone did it. Find the money.”

“I can’t find it. It’s not here.”

The elevator doors started to open and Theo was left to make a decision in just a matter of seconds. He chose to let the woman go and punch the button to close the doors again, grab her hand and pulled her back as she tried to run away. “Stay inside,” he ordered, throwing her against one corner. His eyes landed on the bag in her hand.

“Who are you talking to?” Richard asked.

“I’ll call you back,” he said before ending the call. He returned his phone in his pocket and stared at the woman before him. She was pressed against the elevator wall, her knees almost giving up on her. But her eyes were full of anger as she stared at him. Her jaws were tight, her nose flaring.

“Let me out of this elevator. Someone’s already waiting for me outside and he’ll wonder why I’m late.”

Theo slowly shook his head. “You’re lying. Open that bag.”

Her hand tightened on the bag. “No.”

“Open the damn bag!” he roared.

She threw it toward him. He caught it. “Open it yourself.”

He had a few more seconds before the doors would open again. He opened the bag and saw what he was looking for.

“Jamaica gave that to me.”

“Stop lying. It won’t do you any good. And Jamaica’s dead.”

There was no surprise from her.

“Of course, you know. You killed her, didn’t you?”

Her eyes widened. “No! I didn’t! She was dead when I got back!”

“But you’re about to run away with a bag of cash that isn’t yours.” He righted his clothes and went to full height, towering over her. “Too bad you bumped into me, sweetheart.”

“What do you mean? I don’t know anything about the money. I just grabbed anything I found. Who the hell are you? Why do you know Jamaica?”

When the elevator finally dinged and opened, Theo did not make a move to close it.

“I bet you have a lot of questions, but don’t expect them to be answered. If you would please walk out, I promise that you’ll not be harmed.”

“I’m not going with you,” she said strongly. “What I need to do is call the police.”

Theo stared at her for a while, standing in the middle of the doorway to keep the doors open. “You can’t go anywhere near the police at this rate.” When she did not move, he raised his voice. “Don’t make me drag you out of there, woman. Get out and I promise you’ll not be harmed.”

“Where are you taking me?”

“I’ll have to take you to the people who would know what to do with you,” he answered.

---

Desiree considered running off but the man’s grip was strong. She thought she could wait for a perfect timing. But what if it didn’t come?

Who was this guy? Why did he know Jamaica?

A big part of her hoped he was working with the good guys.

But what if he didn’t?

One thing was for sure: he knew about the money, he knew about Jamaica’s death and he was taking her somewhere that could be bad for her.

“Just let me go. I don’t need to tell the police anything if you are concerned about that.”

He kept quiet as he pulled her into a maze of hallways.

“If you are working for some gang or anything, I promise I won’t say anything. No one has to know.”

He did not answer.

“You know there are cameras in this hotel, right? People will soon find out what happened here. They’ll know you took me against my will and—”

The man stopped and turned to her, his eyes serious. Far from the ones she saw last night, far from the ones that stared down at her as they rocked on his bed hours earlier. Standing before her was a different stranger. For a quick second, Desiree wondered whether everything had been planned, if she had been used as a pawn in this unknown game only her friend knew about.

He closed the distance between them with slow, purposeful steps as he spoke. “One, the police will question you until you give in and tell them everything. Two, we are not a gang—we are far bigger than that. Three, the cameras have long been taken care of.” His voice was flat and threateningly cold. “What I suggest you do is keep your precious mouth close. It might just save your life.”

“You promised no harm will come to me if I walk out of that elevator,” she said in desperation as he he tightened his grip and turned away from her.

His hand tightened even more around her arm and she winced in pain. “If harm will come to you, it will be because of that mouth. Let’s go.”

---

Theo pushed the lady inside the dimly lit room and flicked on the lights.

“Sit right there and don’t move,” he ordered, fishing for his phone.

He watched her slowly walk to the chair in one corner of the room. He saw tears roll down her face but she quickly brushed them off with her hand as she settled on the chair, her back straight and her shoulders squared. Her eyes glared at him but she kept her lips closed.

Theo waited for the call to connect. When the line was answered, he said, “Jamaica’s dead. The money’s with me, but I have two problems at the moment.”

---

Marco was called to the hotel and he arrived in just under thirty minutes considering he lived outside the city.

“I’ve been briefed about the murder on my way here,” he said to his partner. “Tell me why we are having this case again, Gian.”

Gian looked like he had been here for hours. “There’s something I have to tell you.”

“I need to see the scene first.”

His partner shook his head. “You have to come with me first.”

“What the hell is this all about?” Marco asked as Gian led him inside the hotel lobby, through a crowd of police officers and guests who had gone downstairs for questioning. His partner went straight to an office door near the front desk.

“We have a witness,” Gian said, opening the door. Inside, Marco saw a lady with disheveled hair. Her head snapped upward at Gian’s voice and her eyes started to panic. “Marco, this is my sister, Khaye.”

9

III. Hell Starts Here

Marco studied the woman sitting across the table from him. Her eyes were drooping and she looked like she was about to fall asleep but kept fighting to stay awake. She tucked her messy brown hair behind both ears with shaking hands.

Her brown eyes lifted and looked straight at him. “I didn’t really see anything…I don’t know. I don’t remember a lot of things. I just…I just want to get the hell away from here,” she begged. Her eyes went to her brother. “Gian, please, just take me away from here.”

Her brother rested his hand on her shoulder for comfort but shook his head. “You have to stay for questioning.”

Marco stayed silent throughout the exchange. He brushed his fingers through his short black hair to wake himself up. He had stayed up all night closing a case and now he stumbled upon another one without proper rest. Gian was taking this case personally. They could hand it over to another team, he thought.

“Tell him what you told me earlier,” Gian urged his sister, tilting his head toward Marco.

Khaye hesitated. Marco saw her shiver as she tried to collect herself. “I…I’m not sure what I saw or heard, Gian. I…I don’t remember a lot of things. Everything happened so fast.”

“Tell him what you told me over the phone,” Gian prodded gently, bending down to look his sister in the eyes.

Khaye turned to Marco. She swallowed for strength and said, “I saw her with a man hours before. I think they’re lovers. He handed her a bag. I think they made an exchange of some sort.”

“Who was it? Did you get a name?” Marco spoke for the first time.

She closed her eyes in concentration. “I think she called him Richard.” Her eyes started to water once again and she looked at her brother for comfort. “And he was there, too. He was there…oh God, I don’t understand anything anymore. They fought and there was a lot of screaming…”

Marco closed his eyes for patience. He took a deep breath before he said, “Can you recount what you can remember?”

“I said I don’t remember a lot of things!” Khaye cried out in frustration.

“Okay, okay, calm down,” Gian tried to soothe her. He glared at his partner and added, “She’s under a lot of stress.”

Marco took another deep breath. So was he and he barely had enough rest. “Okay, I’m sorry. Let’s try something different then.” He looked at Khaye closely and held her gaze. “Tell us what you did from the moment you got here.”

Khaye turned to her brother and he nodded in encouragement. She lifted her shaking hands and placed her palms down on the table to keep them steady. Her eyes locked on Marco’s dark ones as she started to talk.

---

One hour later, Theo opened the door and Richard burst in the room in rage.

“Where the hell have you been and—” and then he saw her sitting on the chair and he stopped. His eyes roamed around her and landed on the scarf around her neck. “Did you find the money?” he asked, his voice dangerously calm.

His brother’s eyes met his and Richard got his answer. Theo was a second too late to stop him from storming toward the woman. He saw the look of fear in her eyes as his brother approached and grabbed her face with one hand.

“This is not the right time for this, Richard,” Theo calmly said as he watched the woman fight her way out of his brother’s grasp.

“She killed her, didn’t she?” Richard uttered. He said it as a statement.

“I didn’t!” the woman said.

Richard’s other hand grasped both ends of the scarf around her neck and pulled. “Richard, stop it.”

His brother ignored him. “Did you do it for the money, Desiree?” Richard demanded from the woman. He pulled the scarf harder until she made a choking sound. “Yes, sweetheart, I know who you are. I know every fucking person around Jamaica. I know where you live and every person you care about.”

Theo hid his surprise at his brother’s words and approached him from behind, saying, “I’ve already taken care of it. Let her go.”

Richard bent down until his face was a hairsbreadth away from the woman’s and he whispered, “I will make sure that you pay for it, you bitch. I’ll make sure you’ll slowly die in my own hands.” His hold on the scarf tightened at each word. The woman’s face was red, her mouth open as she fought for air.

“Richard,” Theo said. His eyes caught the woman’s before she closed hers as consciousness left her. Theo reached for Richard and forcefully pulled his brother away. The woman gasped for air when Richard let go of the scarf. She fell forward on the chair and fought for more breath, her hands on the floor, supporting her weight. Richard brushed Theo’s hand away from his arm and took two steps back to the woman and kicked her on the side until she came crushing against the wall.

“I’ll kill her!” Richard shouted with rage as he landed another foot gutted her. Her body curled up in pain, the breath snatched out of her lungs. No sound escaped her throat but Theo could only imagine the pain she was going through. The veins on her forehead were visible as she waited for the pain to die.

“It won’t do you any good,” Theo told his brother before he rewarded the woman another kick. She started coughing in pain. A whimper escaped her mouth. “The police are already here.”

That stopped Richard. He turned to Theo and demanded, “What? Who called them?”

Theo’s eyes traveled to the woman on the floor for a second before he looked at his brother. “Someone else called them. That only means one thing.”

“What?” Richard spat out.

“Someone saw something.”

His brother turned to the woman once more, bent down and grabbed a handful of her hair. Her cry of pain was weaker than the last one, Theo noted. “It’s her. I know it’s her.”

“You have to think straight, Richard. This is not just about Jamaica’s death. This is about our whole fucking operation. So let her go and start thinking straight before we all land in jail. You can deal with her later.”

Richard considered his statement but not without dragging the woman to the chair by her hair. She cried out, weakly stumbling on her feet as Richard brutally took her back to the chair she was sitting on minutes earlier.

Theo noted her breathing getting short, the blood on her lips and the way she was bending over her knee in pain. Her hands were trembling and her knees were clasped together. A broken moan of agony came from her as her shoulders shook with it. He forced himself to tear his eyes away from her and focus on his brother’s uncontrollable anger.

“Since you are so fucking calm right now, you must have already planned something,” Richard said, his eyes still coldly residing on Desiree.

“We can’t just easily get the hell out of this place without any plans,” Theo told him, blocking his brother’s view of the woman to keep his attention. His hands were easily resting inside his pants’ front pockets as he talked. “The police arrived sooner than expected—not that we expected anything like this to happen at all.”

“It’s because of that fucking woman—” Richard said, making a move toward the lady once more, but Theo had had enough.

“Touch her one more time and I’ll make sure you’re going to regret it,” he warned.

Richard stared at him in disbelief. “Don’t tell me you are defending the bitch—”

“I don’t care what happens to her as long as it is not here, “ he said, cutting his brother’s outrageous accusation. “As I’ve said, we’ll deal with her later.” The whimper coming from behind him told him she heard every word. He ignored it and continued to look at his brother with stern eyes. “What we don’t need is another body showing up in this room.”

He saw how Richard struggled to contain his anger. “Okay,” his brother finally said with a nod. “We’ll do what you have in mind. But promise me one thing, Theo.”

Theo did not say anything but waited.

“After we get the hell out of here, she’s mine.” Richard said, pointing at the lady behind him.

Theo just shrugged and said, “Now that we’ve settled postponing your anger displacement issues, like Petroff, why don’t we make plans and get the fuck out of here discretely as we came?”

---

After they made plans in a matter of minutes, the man called Richard left the hotel room and left her with Theo.

Desiree kept her head down. She was afraid that if she moved at all, the pain would attack again. Her breathing was shallow, but it was better than before.

She heard Theo’s footsteps come near.

“If you just kept your mouth shut, you will be hurting less,” he said in a very calm voice.

“I’ll be dead either way,” she managed to utter under her breath. Her tears dropped straight down the floor she had been looking at for the past couple of minutes. Her mind was actually entertaining a lot of thoughts. The men obviously knew Petroff. Was Petroff a part of this? Did he kill Jamaica? He was the last person she was with.

“Can you get up?” he asked.

“Why? Are you planning to drag me out of her by my hair as well?”

“I suggest you don’t use that tone to anyone including me. It will land you at the worst possible places.”

Desiree forced her arms to move and grunted at the pain. She gripped the sidearm of the chair tightly as she controlled her breathing. “If you are planning to kill me, just do it now.”

She almost jumped in surprise when she felt his finger touch her chin and gently lifted her head up with it. Her eyes wavered as his strong gaze held hers. His face was blank of any emotions but his voice was low and gentle as he said, “What they are going to do to you is worse than death itself so you better listen to every word I’ll say from this very moment or your hell starts here.”

---

Marco’s head snapped at Khaye’s words. “Tattooed hands?” he asked, his eyes looking at Gian. His partner obviously knew about it, thus the reason they were taking this case.

Khaye nodded. “He has tattooed hands. If there is nothing I cannot forget, it’s those hands.”

“What happened after that?” he asked.

“He left. Then Jamaica took something out of her suitcase. I didn’t see it. But she took something and gave it to him. And then he was gone. The next I saw him, he was knocking on her door. Everything was a blur then. Things went crazy.”

“You said you listened from the other side of the connecting door. Tell us what you heard.”

Khaye swallowed. “There were a lot of threats. Jamaica was shouting for the men to stop. And I heard her say something about putting the knife down. Then there was…I don’t know. There was more fighting and there was a lot of grunting sounds. I can’t remember. I just remember thinking I had to get away before they found out.”

“What about her friend, Desiree?”

Khaye looked blank for a moment as she racked her memory. “I can’t remember. Jamaica left her at the bar, I guess. I saw her with a man when I was running to the elevator.”

Marco frowned. “What were they doing?”

“I don’t know. He was pulling her away. I can’t remember.”

“Which direction were they coming from? Can you remember?”

“I’m not sure. The elevators maybe. I don’t know.” She paused and looked at Marco. “You are not suspecting she did it, are you? I just told you that Petroff and that man, Richard, were the ones inside the room with Jamaica. Desiree wasn’t there.”

“But you cannot say for certain that when they left the room, Jamaica was dead, right?”

Khaye opened her mouth to protest but no words came out of her mouth. She shook her head. “I hate Desiree and Jamaica to death, but I don’t believe Desiree killed her. They’re best friends!”

“Then why can’t anyone find her now?”

“Why don’t you freaking find Petroff and that other guy? They knew each other and—”

“They knew each other?” Marco cut off.

Khaye pursed her lips and composed herself. “The way they talked to each other, I am certain they knew each other. Jamaica knew them both.”

“How can you be certain?”

Khaye looked at her brother for a moment before she answered, “They were talking about some money and a client. I can’t be certain. They were shouting and fighting. I heard Jamaica cry out and then there was just silence.”

“But you did not hear anything that would point either of the two men did it.”

Khaye bent her head down and shook her head.

Marco turned to his partner and said, “We have to find Petroff, this guy Richard and the other woman. No one leaves this hotel until all are accounted for. I want a report from Crime Scene ASAP.”

---

Theo dropped the warm towel on her lap. “Clean yourself up.” When she did not make a move, he added, “Don’t make me do it for you.”

Slowly, he watched her move one hand and reached for the towel. She winced when the cloth touched her face.

“Desiree,” he uttered, causing her hand to pause what it was doing. “Your name is Desiree.”

She did not answer and continued to wipe her face then her arms. “What are they going to do to me?” she asked instead.

He honestly didn’t know. Ms. Kane was on her way and as far as Theo knew, whatever the lady was planning to do to Desiree was the lesser evil to what Richard had in mind.

“If you just do what I told you to do, you’ll be fine.”

She let out a bitter scoff.

“You don’t believe me.”

“Why would I when that man kicked the shit out of me and you just stood there watching?” she spat out. “You don’t even believe me when I say I didn’t kill her, do you?”

His eyebrow twitched at her words. “People do a lot of unbelievable things for money, whether they are good or not. Having a good fuck with you doesn’t change the fact that you were caught running away with a bag of millions.”

A slow chuckled escaped her lips and he waited as it progressed into laughter. And when she lifted her head to look at him, he was taken aback by the fresh tears on her cheeks. “Having a good fuck with me should have told you that I did not kill my best friend. I returned to our room after a good fuck with you, saw her on her bed, slept on my own and woke up and found her covered in blood.”

Theo just shrugged. “Try telling that to Richard when you cross paths again.”

“You don’t really care what they do to me, do you?”

One corner of his mouth lifted. “Yes, you’re right. I don’t care.”

“Then why bother making an effort to get me out of here—”

“Unlike my brother, Desiree, I don’t like violence. I don’t like blood as much as possible. I make sure that does not happen in my presence. For now, I want to get the hell out of here and you’re coming with us because we have to erase as much traces as we can without spilling more blood. That’s my job. Whatever happens to you after we get through this is none of my concern.”

“But earlier you said—”

“Those were my personal advice based on experience. That doesn’t mean I’ll help you get through the hell. From the moment we walk out of this hotel, you will be in their hands and you’ll be on your own.” He turned away from her, stopped. “And one last advice, Desiree,” he added, “they will not see you as anything but a piece of fine furniture. They’ll get the most out of you until there’s nothing left.”

The knock on the door came just as he was finishing his statement. He walked toward it and swung it open.

“Theo, I heard you need some help?” Ms. Kane asked, greeting him with her sweet smile. “I came with my gears,” she added, lifting two black leather bags.

He stepped aside and she entered the room in her red high heels, carrying her usual classy air with her. Her red hair was tightly tied in a bun on the top of her head and she was wearing her classic look of black suit and skirt. As a lady in her fifties, Ms. Kane was doing a good job taking care of herself. But then that was her job—taking care of everybody’s looks.

“Oh my…” she gasped with exaggeration when her eyes landed on Desiree sitting hunched on the chair. “I have so much work to do! Just look at her poor state, my boy! Who the hell did this to her?”

Desiree looked at the newcomer warily, fear in her eyes.

Theo walked and stood beside Ms. Kane and said, “I hope you can do it in under an hour. We don’t have much time.”

---

“I have a plane to catch,” the man with gloved hands said to the officer, his voice impatient. “How long are you going to question me?”

“We just need to see your passport, please.”

“This is insane,” the guy uttered as he fished for his passport inside his suitcase. The officer took it from him and carefully studied it.

“How long have you been staying in this hotel?”

“Just two days. Can you hurry up?”

“Where were you between 11 PM to 3 AM this morning?”

“In my bed, asleep. I had a long business meeting. You can check the fucking cameras.”

The police officer’s eyes wavered but he did not say a word. They had been having trouble with the security cameras but it was not an information they were willing to give to just anyone.

“Mr. Kane, you are here with your…”

“My mother and she’s right there standing with my brother and his wife.”

The elegant red-haired woman was standing a few meters away, waiting for her turn. She was talking to a couple who looked as impatient as the man he was talking to.

The officer looked at his passport one more time. He finally closed it and the man did not hide his sigh of relief. He started to move toward the exit when the officer stopped him. “One last thing. Can you take off your gloves for me?”

“Why the hell would I do that?”

The officer was starting to feel the heat and he snapped, “If you want to get on that plane, you have to take your gloves off. Else you’ll have to stay for another night.”

“This is crazy. You’ll hear a complaint from me,” the man said, taking his gloves off.

No tattoos, noted the officer. He gave the arrogant man an empty smile and said, “You can go now. I’ll be happy to hear your complaint.”

“Fuck you,” the man said before striding off to the exit.

“Next!” he called out to the man’s mother who eagerly walked toward him with a smile. “I’m sorry if my son was such an ass. He came out of me, but he got his father’s genes.”

The officer just smiled and requested for her passport. She dutifully handed it over and waited for his decision. She looked young for her age, but she didn’t look anything like the picture of the model they were looking for. He gave her a pass and got a grateful pat on the shoulder in return.

Next were the arrogant man’s brother and his wife. The man didn’t look like his brother at all, except for the same black hair and dark eyes. “Passports, please.” He noted the man’s clean hands. No tattoos.

The wife had short, dark red hair that reached her nape. She looked pale, but she nervously smiled at him. He had seen a lot of nervous faces for the past hour. If news of a murder was going around, everyone was bound to get jumpy.

He opened the woman’s passport. “It’s new,” he noted. Her photo was a mirror image of her present self.

“We had it renewed before we flew here,” the husband answered.

The officer looked at both passports and returned them when he didn’t find anything suspicious. “Can you tell me where you were between 11 PM and 3 AM this morning?” he asked for the nth time that day.

“Well, we were having sex,” the man answered without hesitation.

The officer had a hard time keeping a straight face. He cleared his throat and smiled at the couple. “Have a nice trip back home. Sorry for the inconvenience.”

“No problem,” the husband said, taking his arm by the hand. The officer watched in curiosity as the couple walked away. The wife had a small limp that nearly went unnoticed. He shrugged and said, “Must have been a pretty hard one.”

“Can you move it?” another guest asked with annoyance.

The officer tore his eyes away from the couple and went back to work.

---

“Where is she?” demanded Richard the moment they climbed inside the car.

Theo closed his eyes as he rested his head against the headrest of backseat. “With Ms. Kane.”

“You planned this, didn’t you? You knew what I was going to do to her and—”

“Shut the fuck up, Richard. Jamaica’s dead, I get it. Someone killed her and I don’t care if that woman did it or not. In case you forgot, we still have to get out of this goddamned city so get a grip and focus on the task at hand.”

“What is Ms. Kane planning to do to her?”

“I don’t really care,” Theo said, eyes still closed. “For now, I just want to get home.”

---

“They got away somehow. I just know it,” Marco said later that afternoon.

“I can’t believe it. How did they do it?” Gian asked out loud.

“There’s no trace of them anywhere.”

“As always,” his partner uttered bitterly.

Marco turned away and started walking. “But they cannot keep getting away forever.”

“Yeah? Well, they have managed to do so for years. They jump from one country to another.”

“They are not leaving the country for a while. We’ll catch them this time.”

“Why do you think that?”

“With a murder like this, they will not risk it. Plus, we have something they don’t know.”

“What?”

“It’s who, “ Marco answered. He looked at Gian and added, “Your sister.”

---

“Are you feeling well, my dear?” Ms. Kane asked.

Desiree’s head snapped toward the door. “When are you going to let me go?” she asked. She was physically okay. Her bruises were starting to heal and the soreness was ebbing away.

She had been in this place for two days now and she had not seen any shadow of Richard or Theo. Somehow that scared her even more. Not knowing was worse.

Ms. Kane had been creepily nice toward her, taking good care of her health. The woman sure knew how to do her job. She had successfully cut and dyed her hair, covered Richard’s tattoos and even made minor changes on her looks that even she had trouble recognizing her face. The passports they presented at the exit were printed in the hotel room and everyone acted like it was not big deal, like it was an everyday thing. From all the careful preparation to the exit, everything was smooth. Nothing could have gone wrong.

And Theo was true to his words. She was on her own the moment they stepped out of that hotel. She prayed she would not see him or his brother again, but something told her the opposite was bound to happen.

Though she was not chained to her bed, she was still a prisoner. The windows and doors were locked from the outside, making her think that the room she was in was not designed to keep people out, but to keep them in.

Ms. Kane looked at her with a smile, her hands clasped together in front of her. “My dear, after what you’ve done, you cannot expect us to just let you go. But—” The lady held up her hand to stop her protest, “that doesn’t mean we don’t have plans for you. Why don’t you start eating? They told me you have not been touching the food we give you. They are not poisoned, my dear.”

“People will start looking for me.”

“Oh, yes, of course. Actually, they already are. I saw the news.”

Desiree’s eyes widened with hope.

“Apparently, they are looking for suspects for the murder of your friend.”

“Suspects?”

Ms. Kane pulled off a fake look of surprise. “Why? Did you think that after disappearing without a word on the same night that bitch friend of yours was murdered in the same room you shared will make you a victim?” The woman laughed. “Don’t be absurd.”

“But I—”

“Now, please eat whatever we give you. You’ll have a long night tonight.” She started to walk toward the door.

Desiree frowned. “What?”

“Did I forget to tell you?”

“Tell me what?”

Ms. Kane opened the door and though she was smiling, she looked at Desiree with cold, empty eyes. “You’re going to be auctioned among the world’s gallant bidders, my dear.” She winked and left Desiree with a look of horror.

IV. Sold!

Desiree put up a fight when two men entered her room. Though it was a losing battle, she had to at least try.

They won, of course.

They carried her out of the room, through a dimly lit hallway with paintings hanging on both sides. She tried to scream even though she knew she would not be heard. They entered another room and Ms. Kane was inside, waiting for her with a smile that did not reach her eyes.

“I’m sorry if you have to arrive at such a fashion, dear,” the woman said, nodding at the two men. They understood and dragged Desiree to a chair. “You have to be very calm, Desiree dear, if you wish to get through this night unharmed.” Ms. Kane opened a velvet rectangular box as she spoke. “This is going to sting a bit but it will help your nerves.” Desiree’s eyes widened when she saw the syringe.

“Please, don’t. Why are you doing this to me?” she cried out. Ms. Kane just smiled as she signaled for the two men to hold Desiree down.

She tried kicking and flailing her limbs, but the two men were too strong for her.

Ms. Kane’s smile did not leave her lips as she punctured the needled into Desiree’s arm.

---

“This is all we have?” Marco asked his partner, his fingers restlessly tapping the table he was sitting on.

He and Gian were both looking at the large board before them. A horizontal line was drawn at the very center. It was the timeline of the murder. There was one problem though: it was almost empty. They correlated Khaye’s and Jamaica’s whereabouts on the timeline. As of the moment, the two ladies’ timeline were the only ones they could make out.

The coroner placed the time of death between 11 PM and 3 AM. Desiree, the other model, was unaccounted for during that time, except when Khaye saw her running off with a stranger after the time which she claimed the murder must have happened.

One challenge they had to face was the fact that the Richard they were looking for was using an alias. There were no guests in the hotel under that name except an eighty year-old man who could barely walk. As to Petroff, he had already checked out before the police arrived at the hotel.

“All crucial CCTV angles have magically turned off from the morning of the day the girls arrived at the hotel,” Gian uttered for the third time, disbelief still in his tone. “This case is getting a bit complicated, Marco.”

It was true that they could not point out where each suspect was on the time the murder happened. They all had to rely on accounts they had gathered from Khaye, some hotel staff and other hotel guests. What Marco was certain of was that Richard and Petroff were in the room with Jamaica before she died. They fought over her and some money.

“Why is there just one person dead?” he asked aloud.

“What do you mean by that?” asked Gian.

Marco didn’t take his eyes off the board. “If the two men fought, why did Jamaica wind up dead alone? One of them must want to kill the other if they were having a big fight over her and the money.”

“Maybe she wasn’t that important to them,” Gian guessed. “Maybe getting the hell out of the room alive was the better option.”

He considered his partner’s words. “If they are who we think they are, Jamaica was just a pawn. But still, there must have been signs of struggle in that room.”

“All we found are torn clothes, Desiree’s phone and a broken shoe.”

Marco frowned. “Shoe?”

Gian nodded. “There was just one.”

“Where’s the other?”

“We’re looking for it. Jamaica’s phone can’t be found. All rooms have been searched and we are just waiting for the reports.”

He looked at the photos on the top of the board. Petroff was a well-known figure in the entertainment industry so it was easy for them to get a photo. Desiree had thousands online. Khaye also had one with a label ‘witness’ written on top of it. Jamaica’s was at the very top, staring back at him with a seductive and knowing smile. If only she knew she’d end up on top of an investigation board, Marco thought.

“Do that,” he said to his partner before jumping off the table to go to the door. “For now, I want to have a picture of this Richard guy and the one Desiree was with that night. Let’s see what your sister can show us with those composites. And then we’ll go talk to Petroff and find this Richard guy before they disappear again.”

---

Khaye did her best to give a clear picture of Richard to the sketch artist.

“His nose is straight, a bit long. Yes, that’s right. No beard. Clean face. His right jaw is a bit larger than the left. Deep-set eyes, maybe black. I’m not certain.”

As the artist continued to draw, she wondered whether she made the right decision to keep the video she had taken of Jamaica and Richard. Would it do anyone any good? She trusted Gian, but she didn’t know if she could trust his partner.

There was no question that Richard and Petroff were powerful. She had witnessed Petroff bring down people in the industry for smaller mistakes. She wouldn’t dare make one mistake at this time as well. She had to have some leverage.

“I don’t think I can give an exact definition of the other guy. I didn’t see him clearly.”

The sketch artist paused for a while and said, “We’ll get to that later. For now, let’s focus on this Richard guy.”

Khaye nodded weakly.

---

Richard threw his tablet and it came crashed against the opposite wall of the room.

Theo looked up from reading the news on his phone in the sofa and calmly asked, “What is it?”

“Didn’t you see the news?” his brother almost shouted.

“Yes, I did.”

“That woman must have seen something.”

Theo set his phone aside, crossed one leg over the other and clashed both hands over his knee. “Why? Should you be alarmed?”

His brother turned to him sharply. “What do you mean by that?”

He shrugged. “As the star witness of this overrated murder, should she have any reason to point you as the suspect?”

Richard looked at him incredulously. “Of course not!”

Theo stared at him for a long time before speaking, “You followed her that night.”

“That doesn’t fucking mean I killed her. Are you saying I did?”

He lifted his shoulders and sighed. “I’m saying you’re overreacting. You’ve been acting too violent since Jamaica’s death.”

“You and I both know what she meant to me.”

He shook his head. “No, not really. I have always thought she was just someone you have sex with every time you meet.”

Richard’s jaws tightened. “Well, you’re wrong. She was mine.”

“Did you see her that night?” Theo asked as his brother stormed to the door. Richard stopped, his hand on the handle.

“No,” was his brother’s reply.

“You did not follow her and Petroff?” he asked again.

“No. I came straight to my room when I couldn’t find them.”

For a few seconds, there was just silence. “Then stop freaking out.” Richard did not reply and walked out of the room, leaving Theo to wonder on his own.

---

She felt hands working all over her body but she couldn’t bring herself to brush them off. She was stripped of her clothes. They washed her clean. They dressed her into something else. Through her blurred vision she saw Ms. Kane bending over her head, putting makeup on her like Desiree was just a doll she was playing with. Her hair was softly brushed.

There was less talk, more action.

She tried to speak but couldn’t utter a sound.

“She’s ready,” she heard Ms. Kane finally say.

Her mind was protesting, shouting for them to stop and leave her alone. It didn’t work.

The two men carried her out of the room. She felt like she was floating underneath the water surface. She could breath and she was screaming for help.

But she remained unheard.

---

“They’re planning to do something about her,” Richard said to Theo inside the car.

They were dressed for the occasion that evening. Both of them were sitting at the back of the car as it sped to the deepest part of the city.

He noted the calmness in his brother’s tone. “She knows Petroff and if she saw something, she can easily point him out at the scene of the crime.”

“We don’t know if Jamaica was with him,” Richard said in a deadpan voice.

Theo’s eyebrow twitched. “But you don’t believe that.”

Richard turned his head and looked at the passing scene outside the window. “We can’t leave the country for now,” he said, changing the subject.

Theo sighed and leaned back against his seat. “No, we can’t. Jamaica’s death caused a bit of a mess. We need to sort this one out first.”

He watched his brother’s hand curled into a fist.

---

Gian kicked the chair to the corner of the room in anger.

“Hey, cool down. It’s been done. We just need to be more careful with our steps from now,” Marco snapped at him.

“My sister’s involvement in the case has just been leaked to the media and you expect me to act cool about it. We should have been more careful from the start!”

“Gian, it’s impossible that kind of information won’t be leaked. There were hundreds of guests in that hotel. Add the staff and you bet there will be a leak.” He walked to the chair and dragged it back to its proper place. “And this can be a good thing.”

Gian’s head snapped at him.

“If they are who we think they are, they know that a witness will be bad for them.” He looked at Gian and continued, “They will come for her.” He held up his hand when Gian opened his mouth to speak. “And when they do, we’ll catch them.”

“Are you suggesting that we serve my sister as bait? Are you fucking out of your mind?!”

Marco shrugged. “Your sister is stronger than you think, Gian. And she’s smarter than what I thought she’ll be when I saw her.”

“What do you mean by that?”

He let a moment of silence reign for suspense before he spoke. “I believe your sister is holding in some stuff that can be crucial to our case. And I intend to find out before she gets fucking killed.”

---

Khaye was tired. She had been under the care of the police since they left the hotel. She hadn’t had a proper meal. The only change of clothes she had was his brother’s oversized shirt.

“Can I go now?” she asked the officer who had been watching over her that day. “I already told you everything I know. I gave my best at those sketches. Where’s Gian? I want to see him.”

The officer looked at her with sympathy. “I’ll go try to find him. He’s been quite busy with the case.”

She nodded and the officer left her alone in the room. It was a small one with a long table and a camera at one corner of the wall. It had been her sleeping quarter for two days now. Gian better take her somewhere with a bed where she’d be safe.

A lady officer came in with a paper cup in hand and a gentle smile on her face. “Your brother’s on his way. You must be tired. And in my opinion, they shouldn’t keep a lady in this place. Men…” she rolled her eyes as she finished her sentence. “Here, have some coffee. I promise to talk to your brother to arrange a place for you to stay tonight.”

Khaye smiled at her. “Thank you,” she said, taking the cup in both hands. She let the warmth travel up her arms. She brought it to her lips and slowly took a sip of the hot liquid.

The lady officer smiled at her one last time and said, “I’ll leave you alone for now. Don’t worry, you’re safe here.”

Khaye took a few more sips from the cup before placing it on the table. A few minutes later, she started to feel lightheaded. She frowned as the room began to spin before her eyes. She closed them and tried to shake her head. But the room was starting to get dark when she opened them again.

“Gian…” she managed to utter before darkness enveloped her and her head fell over the table.

---

Richard got off the phone in haste.

“Who was that?” Theo asked.

“No one. Just a pissed off client. He saw the news and he’s thinking of backing out of the deal.” His brother’s response was a bit too polished for his taste but he chose to ignore it.

“It’s starting,” he said, leading the way down the tunnel.

The city was big and it had a lot of things hidden underneath the streets. Only a handful of people knew of their existence and they were one of those few. They could hear the traffic above them as they walked, their steps echoing around them. The two men behind them walked with more guarded steps. It was their job to keep the two brothers safe.

An iron door blocked their path. It was guarded by two armed men. Theo and Richard patiently waited as their eyes were scanned for identification. And after a quick scan for weapons of any kinds, one of the guards turned the iron door lock and opened the door.

The brothers stepped inside the elegant room full of people dressed in suits and glittering dresses.

Gone was the sound of the streets and the world above them. They had entered a different kind, one that emanated power and money people on the streets above their secret world could only imagine.

---

Her senses had somehow returned but she still felt weak. She could hardly move her fingers. They had strapped her on a chair. Her hands were clasped with golden cusps on the armrests.

Desiree looked down and realized that they had dressed her in a sequined silver dress. Her breasts were hardly covered. She tried to move her legs but discovered that they too were bound to the feet of the chair.

She tried to speak and call out for help but only managed a moan.

She thought she heard a man speaking from the opposite side of the wall behind her. The room she in was dimly lit and she was surrounded by elegant paintings and fragile artifacts, all arranged in proper order.

Claps suddenly erupted from the other side of the wall. Then she heard that familiar clicking of heels coming toward her. Ms. Kane’s face was excited.

“You’re next, my dear. Just be patient.”

Two men came in with her and they went straight to a big gold-framed painting. They carefully lifted it with white gloved hands and walked out of the room without a word.

Desiree’s heart began to hammer against her chest.

She was next.

---

Theo was patiently waiting for the auction to be over. His eyes were on the back of the head of the man he wanted to speak with. But he had to wait.

Richard was getting restless as well. He had left his seat twice to make a call. Theo knew he was up to something.

When the last of the paintings was sold to the highest bidder, the room grew quiet.

“Now, ladies and gentlemen, we have one last piece to sell,” announced the host with a mysterious tone. “We haven’t had such a nice piece like this for a while. I hope that your pockets are ready because tonight, we saved the best for last.”

Somehow, he knew what was coming but he was still shocked when they wheeled the said artifact to the center of the small stage.

She was strapped to the chair and her head was down. Her hair served as a curtain, veiling her beautiful face. A collection of excited murmurs erupted from the guests. The women started to whisper to each other and the men straightened to their seats, ready for battle.

Theo watched as the host approached Desiree and lifted her head by her chin. Her eyes looked frightened and for a moment Theo felt something nudge inside him.

He looked over his shoulder to find Richard.

“Now, since this precious girl is obviously not an ordinary find, why don’t we set the price at one million?”

“Two!” a man’s voice at the back called even before the bidding started.

Theo’s jaw tightened when he recognized his brother’s voice.

“Okay, someone’s excited!” the host said with a laugh. “We have two million. Anyone—”

“Three-point-five!” another shouted.

“Five!”

“Seven!”

The host could barely utter his own amazement but he acknowledged each call with a wave of his hand. Theo saw the desperate look on Desiree’s face as she blindly looked for anyone’s help from the audience.

“Ten!” Richard’s voice grew stronger this time. Theo turned and saw his brother striding back to his chair beside him, his face angry and determined.

“Eleven!” another voice contested.

Richard’s jaw tightened as he raised his hand and shouted, “Fifteen!”

“Thirty,” the man Theo had been waiting for suddenly called out.

“Forty,” Richard cried out, his eyes not leaving Desiree.

“Forty-five,” the same man challenged Richard’s call.

“Fifty,” Richard called back.

The room was getting excited as the guests watched in amazement.

Richard’s phone began to ring.

“We have fifty. Going once, going twice—”

“Sixty,” Theo called out, his eyes on his brother’s shocked face.

The phone kept on ringing.

“Sixty-five,” Richard gritted out. His eyes went to his ringing phone.

“Answer the call, brother,” Theo uttered before shouting, “Seventy!”

Richard flashed him brother a murderous look. “Seventy-five!” He then he said to Theo, “She’s mine”

“I can go on all day, Richard,” he whispered to his brother before crying out, “Eighty!” He then pointed at Richard’s ringing phone. “That’s Petroff calling. I suggest you answer the call now.”

Richard gritted his teeth, torn between answer the call and fighting for the ownership of the woman he wanted to kill.

“Eighty going once…going twice…” the host began to count.

But Richard was already standing up to answer the call.

As the host shouted, “Sold to eighty million!” Theo was convinced that his brother was up to something. He wouldn’t have passed up the chance to get Desiree if he was not planning anything more important.

Claps erupted around the room and Theo just nodded his head in response to the awe of the audience.

His eyes left his brother’s retreating back and went straight to Desiree. He just fucking bought her for eighty million and she better be worth it.

V. The Mad, Bad and Evil

“He’s the guy,” said Marco.

Gian nodded. “The very same guy.”

The two of them had been looking at the composite sketch of the man Khaye knew as Richard.

He was Richard, alright. In fact, his real name was Richard Karlsson and they had been hunting him down for years.

“We never had the chance to tie him to any of the murders, but this might just be the first one he is directly connected to,” uttered Marco.

“When Khaye mentioned the tattoos, I could hardly believe it.”

“But what was he doing with this Petroff guy?” He turned to Gian with a frown. “Your sister said Petroff is one of the most powerful men in the entertainment industry. What the hell is he doing talking about money with the guy on our most wanted list?”

Gian shrugged. “You know they hide in plain sight. He’s definitely one of them.”

Marco returned his gaze to the sketch. “We need a word with Petroff.”

The door burst open and a young officer came stumbling in. “She’s gone. We can’t find her,” he said breathlessly. He was talking to Gian. “Your sister’s gone.”

---

Desiree saw the amazement in their faces as the host announced that she was sold.

Sold.

Just like those fine paintings, those stolen ancient artifacts.

She was sold in less than two minutes for eighty million dollars.

As the two gloved men wheeled her out of the stage like they had done with the previous items, Desiree carved in her memory the clapping faces. They looked like people, some even faintly familiar. With their glittery dresses and fine suits, they looked like people. Her eyes met Theo’s for a brief moment before she finally disappeared from view.

He was just like them. To call them animals was an understatement.

“Congratulations, dear,” Ms. Kane’s voice spoke behind her.

Desiree tried to stop the tears but one eventually escaped. A shiver ran through her spine when she felt Ms. Kane’s soft touch on her cheek, wiping it off her face. “You must have left a pretty good impression on that boy. Eighty mil is not cheap, even for us, considering the kind of artifact.” She sighed and smiled down at her. “But men will always be men. They like their women as much as we like our shoes. Crazy bastards, aren’t they?” She turned to the two men standing there, waiting for orders. “Pack her nicely. She’ll be delivered as soon as possible. And don’t forget the damn ‘fragile’ stickers again! The last one got a lot of bruises and the buyer was seriously pissed!” she added before walking off without another look at Desiree.

---

Theo arranged for a ride before his brother got back. He was wise to know that Richard could do anything at this rate.

He threw the old man he wanted to speak to with a look of regret. He’d do it next time, he thought.

“Theo! Where are you going?”

Without pausing, he looked over his shoulder and saw Tatiana. She was smiling at him with curiosity and she was looking gorgeous. “I have to go. Urgent business.”

“Call me!” she added at his retreating back. He just lifted one hand in response and strode off the room, careful not to bump into his brother.

“Your ride’s waiting at the side exit,” informed one of the guards.

“Thank you. Tell Richard to get his own ride when you see him.”

“How would you like your package to be delivered?” asked Ms. Kane who appeared beside him as he walked down the tunnel to the side exit.

“How do you usually do it?” he asked.

She clucked her tongue with a shake of her head. “You’re obviously new to this sort of thing. You’ve never bought a thing in the past. But there’s always a first time, right? Don’t worry, we’ll do it just as we did with the others.”

Theo stopped walking and turned to Ms. Kane. “Don’t let Richard near her.”

Ms. Kane raised her brows in amusement. “Well, well, well…rivalry, Theo?” She nodded her head with a smile. “Don’t worry about that as well. We take high pride with what we do, don’t we? Your package will be safe. To be delivered to your residence?”

He nodded and walked away. He checked his watch. He had a lot of time to spare. It was his stupid brother’s fault. Or should he say, it was all because of his unwanted impulsiveness.

---

Khaye was conscious even before she opened her eyes. She knew she was on a moving vehicle but she didn’t want to let whoever took her know that she was awake.

What were they planning to do to her?

Who took her?

Was it him?

What did he want to do to her?

Her phone was still in her pocket. She could feel it against her bottom. A big part of her wanted to grab it and call Gian for help, but her mind knew better. She had to find a better opportunity but she had to do it fast before they found out about it.

“They’re already waiting for us,” a woman’s voice said beside her. It was her—the female officer who gave her the cup of coffee.

Khaye should have known better.

Because of her carelessness, her life was in danger. And Gian might be too late to save her this time.

---

They gagged her mouth and placed her inside a long wooden box. For the first time in her life, she wished she was inside a real coffin and that she was dead.

She knew better than to put up a fight. Struggling would only drain her of her strength and she might just need it if she did not end up dead.

That man, Theo, just bought her for eighty million dollars. Was he that rich to throw away that big amount of cash just to kill her?

But it was Richard who wanted her dead. For some reason unknown to her, Richard was deeply affected by Jamaica’s death.

She felt she was carefully lifted off the ground, carried along a path and carefully placed into a vehicle. She heard the soft hum of an engine and then she was floating to somewhere.

She tried to fight the choking feeling of being trapped inside a small space, trying to picture out the scene outside rather than the darkness that enveloped her. To distract herself, Desiree thought of Jamaica.

For the last two days, she tried to think of some reasons why her friend would wind up dead. She had been acting weird that night, disappearing for hours and meeting people she barely knew except Petroff.

Did Petroff kill her? But why?

And why did Richard and Theo knew Jamaica? How did they know Jamaica?

She wished her friend was there to answer her questions because she couldn’t bring herself to think that Jamaica had been hiding a big, dark secret from her. She had witnessed what Ms. Kane, Theo and Richard was capable of. She had had a taste of the violence of their world and she was afraid that Jamaica was a part of it. If she were, how far deep was she into this grotesque world? Desiree could only wonder in horror.

---

Richard was calling him and he had been ignoring the calls for the last hour. His brother was furious, that was for certain. But Richard being furious was almost often.

He checked his watch and reclined in his seat, one leg over the other.

The knock came with another ring of his phone. He ignored the phone and came to his feet to walk to the door.

Two men were standing outside. Theo’s eyes went past them and on the rectangular wooden box. He frowned. “Is that really necessary?” he asked.

“We only follow orders,” said one of them.

Theo stepped aside to fee the doorway. They picked up the box that was the size of a coffin and carried it inside his home.

“Where to?” asked the taller one.

“Just put it there,” he ordered.

They did as he said and started for the door.

“The key,” said the smaller of the two. Theo took the key and they were gone.

His place was silent once again, just like one minute ago. He stood staring at the box for a good five minutes, fiddling with the key in his hand.

He was full of regret. His phone wouldn’t stop ringing because of this woman. Richard would find him here in no time and he would demand for her.

He shouldn’t have done it. He should have just let his brother do whatever he wanted.

When he heard a sound coming from inside, he started to move.

“I’ll open the box now, but I expect you to behave just as you are or you’ll regret it,” he uttered, looking down as if he was talking straight at her face. There was just silence and he took it as answer enough.

He knelt down on one knee and unlocked the box with the key. When the latch was undone, he pushed the top cover over to the other side and it came crashing against the side.

Desiree flinched but did not make a sound. Her mouth was gagged, her feet bound and her hands tied in front of her.

Her light brown eyes stared back at her with so much anger that for a second he considered answering Richard’s call to surrender her to him. Her fake red hair was strewn over her face. It was a pity they had to cut her long, black tresses before they left that hotel. He had liked her hair.

When she just stared at him like a witch doing a silent spell on him, he rested his hand on one knee and sighed. “I honestly don’t know what to do with you.” The words came out of his mouth before he could stop them. “But since I spent quite big to get you here, I have to figure something out.”

She blinked but continued to stay motionless.

“First, you should get out of that coffin of yours,” he told her, standing up.

She tried to say something but the gag over her mouth was making it impossible for him to comprehend. He bent down to pull it down and instantly regretted it because she started screaming. Theo reached for the top cover of the box, pulled and closed it over her screaming face. He sat on it and rested his forearms over his knees. “I thought I made it clear that you have to behave. You can scream as much as you want and nobody will hear you. I can let you do that but I want my peace and quiet whenever I am home. So, if you are still not over the fact that your life is in the mercy of a man sitting over your screaming, wailing body, you can stay inside like that. Otherwise, shut the fuck up so we can have some sort of agreement on how things are going to be from this moment forward,” he said over her screams.

He sat there for a minute but when it seemed that her screaming wouldn’t stop, he stood up, locked the box again and went to make himself a cup of coffee.

Five minutes later, she was still screaming and he was making dinner.

Without a word from him, he listened to her muffled screams for the next thirty minutes. And during that time, he had eaten his dinner and quite figured out what to do with her.

When the box finally fell silent, Theo returned with the key.

Her eyes were blazing when he opened the lid but she kept her mouth shut this time. Her nose were flaring with fury.

“Done?” he asked flatly.

“Fuck you,” she spat at him.

“We might just discuss that one later,” he said as he reached out to grab her tied hands and pulled her up easily. “I am not insane to set you free so don’t get your hopes up,” he told her before bending down to carry her out of the box in his arms.

She squirmed at his touch and he ignored it, focused on his task. When he reached the leather couch, he dropped her on it none too gently and heaved a sigh.

“I forgot that you can get quite heavy,” he said as he took the opposite seat from her. She swung her bound legs off the couch and sat up. Her hands were tightly clasped and bound on her lap. Her eyes were glaring at him like a tiger but he was getting used to that.

“What are you planning to do to me? Make me your slave? Fuck me until you’re done and dump me somewhere? What?” she demanded.

“First, I don’t have a plan yet. I bought you out of whim,” he lied. “Make you my slave?” He shook his head as he searched for the right words. “No, I don’t do slavery. I can do pretty much anything on my own. Fuck you until I’m done and dump you somewhere?” He gave her a look of feigned consideration. “Fuck you, I’m still considering. Dump you somewhere, I’m not so sure. I paid eighty million to save your pretty ass and I’m not willing to just dump you somewhere unless it’s where I want you to be.”

Her eyes widened at his answers.

“Save me?” she asked with disbelief, followed by a scoff of disgust.

Theo looked at her for a long time before carefully saying, “Because of what you did, Desiree, you managed to get yourself into the world of the mad, the bad and the evil. You don’t know how many mad people were trying to bid for you earlier, do you? Their minds are so sick that you and I can’t even imagine what they are fantasizing about. And the bad ones were just as eager to get their hands on you, including my brother and you had a taste of him in that hotel room. You stumbled into the world of many evils and let’s just say that I am the least of all those things.”

“There is no such thing as the lesser evil,” she said through gritted teeth. Her eyes were brimming with furious tears as she spoke. “There’s just evil.”

His brows rose. “And you’re not? What do you call killing your friend is then?”

Her jaws clenched, her hands balled into fists and the tears fell straight on her lap. “I did not kill Jamaica.”

“Tell me who did it then?”

“Why don’t you ask your brother? He was reacting way too much the last time I saw him. Maybe he’s hiding something. Or maybe it was Petroff. She walked out of that bar to meet with him, didn’t she?”

Theo had already considered everything she said on his own days ago.

“Why did you try to save me, as what you called it?” she asked, her eyes not leaving his.

She still had some spirit after what she’d been through. He shrugged in response and stood up. “I don’t want my brother to add another name on his murder list. As I told you, I am not a fan of violence,” he said.

“I don’t believe you.”

He gave her an empty smile. “You’re right. I need you for something.”

“What?”

Theo took the remaining steps toward her and reached for her face. The stimulating feeling he felt the first time he touched her on the night they met rushed through him but he ignored it as he slowly lifted her head to stare down at her light brown eyes. “I’m going to use you to get something I desperately need.”

VI. The Boss

Marco and Gian were intently looking at the monitor.

“That’s her,” said the young officer who reported Khaye’s disappearance. His finger pointed at the uniformed female on the screen. “She’s not from here.”

“Then how the hell did she get in?” demanded Gian, his voice loud for everyone in the room to hear.

Everyone remained speechless, still at a loss that someone managed to enter and get out of their unit unsuspected.

“Get every footage from traffic cameras around the area. She’s only been gone for half an hour. Get an APB on any suspicious vehicles. Set up a roadblock around a five-mile radius,” Marco called out to everyone, taking his phone out of his pocket.

“Goddammit!” Gian shouted in frustration. “I shouldn’t have left her alone.”

“No one would have guessed this is going to happen,” Marco uttered.

“If it’s Karlsson we’re dealing with, everything is possible,” Gian said through clenched teeth.

“Did your sister have a phone with her?” asked Marco.

“I don’t know. I’m not sure. If she does, we can’t give her a fucking call now, can we?”

“You have to think straight. I know she’s your sister but you have think like a detective if you want her back alive.”

“Easy for you to say. It’s not your sister’s life on the line here.” Gian had his hands on his hips and he paced around the room like a lost soul. “She called me for help and this fucking happens.”

“If she has her phone and if she had her GPS turned on, we have a big shot,” Marco told him. “I’ll call tech.”

---

Khaye didn’t know where they were taking her, but it wasn’t far. She was almost certain they had not left the city. She remained uncomfortably lying on the seat beside the woman who was in-charged. Pretense was part of her job and she tried her best to be good at it. Her life depended on it.

Her heart stopped when the vehicle stopped and the door opened.

“Make it fast,” the woman ordered to someone.

Khaye felt hands grab her arms and she was effortlessly hauled over someone’s shoulder. Her limbs remained limp as they carried her to somewhere. With her head pointing down on the ground, over the man’s shoulder, she peered through her lashes.

Cobblestones. Wet. It had been raining, she noted. The steps of the man carrying her echoed in the air along with two others. Were they inside a tunnel?

How the hell would Gian find her now? She wanted to flail her arms and try to escape. That might just surprise her kidnappers. But they outnumbered her. She had to remain calm.

Khaye felt like it took them forever to get to their destination but it was only a three-minute walk from the main street where the vehicle stopped. She heard a heavy door open and then she was thrown on something soft, like a leather couch.

“What now?” asked a man’s voice.

“Let’s leave her here for now. Petroff is on his way,” the woman said.

“I thought Richard’s coming?”

“He has another business to deal with. Come on. And lock the door.”

Khaye did not dare open her eyes until the room was completely silent. What if they were trying to trick her and they were just inside, waiting for her to open her eyes?

She took the chance and lifted her lids anyway. She blinked a few times to adjust to the light. No one was inside the room with her. She pushed herself away from the couch and looked around.

She was certain they had gone underground, but this was not what she had expected at all.

---

“You have to eat,” Theo said, looking down at her.

“With bound hands?” she asked.

“Yes, with bound hands.”

“So I’ll be like this for the rest of my life?”

“Once I am sure that you are not going to do something stupid, I will reconsider,” he answered, walking away from the table. “Eat before I change my mind and let you starve to death.”

Desiree stared at his back with ire. Was it possible? To starve to death? That was not a bad idea. She looked down at the plate before her. Cold chicken sandwich. Her stomach grumbled and her hands seemed to have developed a mind of their own because they lifted to grab the sandwich.

She took a bite and a tear fell from her eye. She wanted to curse herself for crying. Wasn’t she getting tired of it? She should come up with a plan to escape instead of mourning over her blasted fate. As she chewed on her dinner, she looked out the kitchen window. It was dark outside and she didn’t know where she was or if she was even in the same city as before. The darkness outside the window was no help at all to giving her a hint of which part of the world she was.

Theo’s house was big though she had only seen the living room and the kitchen. One side of the living room was completely made of glass but the blinds were down. The place was conventionally furnished, nothing too extravagant but not cheap either. It looked too professionally done. There was no trace of any personal things. No photos of people, no souvenirs of some sort. With the white walls and the dark furniture all over the place, it was the epitome of the minimalist look. In one side of the living room, near the main door, a dimly lit hallway led to somewhere but she didn’t want to explore the place as much as she wanted to escape it.

He was gone. The kitchen was silent. The whole house was silent. She looked over her shoulders and saw the set of knives on the kitchen island. She considered it.

But what if he’s just around the corner, waiting for her to do just that?

But what if he isn’t? she wondered.

Without second thoughts, Desiree dropped her food on the plate and went to her bare feet. She took two big leaps to the kitchen island. Her hands were shaking as she grabbed for one of the knives. She bent down and quickly unbound her feet followed by her hands. She felt a great sense of triumph when she finally realized that she was free.

Wide-eyed, she scanned the kitchen and the living room once again. The box that contained her earlier was still lying there, untouched. Her eyes landed on the large wooden door. With her heart about to leap out of her chest, Desiree ran out of the kitchen, across the living room and reached out for the door.

She prayed with every ounce of her soul as she turned pulled on the knob. She couldn’t believe it when it actually turned and she managed to swing the door open.

Without thinking and with her bare feet, she ran outside into the cold night. The porch was made of stones but that detail escaped her thoughts as she focused on getting away.

The wind was quite strong and blew her short hair all over her face.

As she jumped from the last steps of the porch, Desiree desperately looked for a way to go to. But it was too dark. She looked behind her at the big one-story house which offered the only light.

She didn’t let the darkness waver her will. Not at this rate—not when she finally managed to escape. So she ran, almost bumping into the black car parked just a few meters away from the porch. For a moment she considered the vehicle, but who was she kidding? Theo may have been reckless to leave her alone in that kitchen, but he was not stupid leave his keys alone in the car. And the alarm was on so that was out of the question. She had to escape on foot, she decided.

She blindly found a path and realized that she was walking on grasses that reached her ankle.

Where the hell was she?

Her eyes were starting to adjust to the darkness and she could now see some hint of light from far away. It could be the city, she thought. Desiree quickened her steps and her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she almost stumbled over something. A strong gush of wind slapped her on the face, pushing her a few steps back.

Her legs shook as she stumbled a few more steps back.

“Where the fuck am I?” she asked breathlessly, realizing what lay before her eyes.

---

The room was finely furnished. The study table across the room was elegant and she bet that the one who owned it was someone she had to fear.

Is it Petroff?

Or maybe it’s Richard.

Before fear stroke back again, she took to her phone and turned it on.

She had to call Gian. She had to let her brother know where she was if that was even possible.

Like in most movies she had watched, she was expecting no reception. But that was not the case. This was reality and in reality, technology was better.

With her fingers shaking in panic of being found out, Khaye turned on her GPS. Her phone had a lot of things to offer and one of them was to send a message to more than one person. She held both volume keys down and prayed that her brother would get her message.

When she heard a sound outside the steel door, she hid the phone under the couch. Now, even if they killed her, they would never know what would come to them.

Khaye held her breath as the door slowly swung open.

---

She was standing on the edge of a cliff.

A hopeless whimper escaped her lips as she stared in disbelief at the empty space before her.

The wind swallowed her voice as she screamed at the top of her lungs. This was what Theo had been talking about. No one would hear her cries for help because no one was nearby. His house was standing on the edge of a freaking cliff and there was just nothing but darkness and the wind.

But that didn’t mean there was no way out, she thought. She didn’t care if she had to run or walk for miles to meet another soul. She didn’t care if she had to do it on bare feet. She just got to run away from this place.

An engine sound behind her told her that was not possible at the moment.

A light was pointing directly at her. She slowly turned her head over her shoulder and found another car parking just behind her. Her eyes returned to the edge of the cliff. She could just jump.

She squared her shoulders and closed her eyes.

No .

You have to think right, she told herself.

And so she turned around and faced the stranger walking toward her.

It was an old man dressed in suit. And behind him was Richard.

“What are you doing there?” asked the old man, his voice barely audible because of the wind. “Come inside where it is warm!” he added a chuckle to his last words.

Desiree’s eyes were on Richard’s and despite the darkness of the night she could see the anger in them. If it was not for the man walking toward her to take her hand in his and pull her with him, Desiree was certain that Richard was very willing to push her off the cliff.

She let the old man lead her back to the house. The wind had dried her tears. She stayed quiet until they reached the main doors. Richard’s overpowering presence was palpable behind her. But the man holding her had gentle hands and he just stared at Desiree before he knocked on the door, his eyes gentle and kind that she almost felt hope in them. But if he was with Richard and if he was visiting Theo, there would not be an ounce of kindness in him. They were all the same.

“Good, you’re back,” was Theo’s words when he opened the door. His knowing eyes landed straight at her and his smile told her he knew what she was up to and he had let her. She wanted to claw on his face in frustration and shame for her failed attempt.

Theo’s look immediately turned serious when his eyes went to his brother and the old man. “And why are you here?” he asked them.

“Can’t your father visit this godforsaken place you call home?” asked the old man, letting go of Desiree’s hand. “And I saw this beautiful young lady standing at the end of the cliff. I thought she was going to jump. You should watch over your belongings well, Theo, you don’t know when they are going to be gone.”

A shiver ran through Desiree’s whole body when she heard the word father and her heart dropped dead for a few seconds as she listened to the rest of his words. Theo’s hand went to grab her by the wrist and pull her right next to him without a word. He gave her a squeeze that said, ‘Don’t fucking utter a word’. Desiree thought it was a good order so she kept her mouth shut, her eyes on the old man, memorizing his face.

The man may be old, but the way he stood tall and sturdy, there was no questioning the fact that he was powerful than his sons. Maybe not physically, but in all other aspects, he obviously was. He had that undeniable air around him. His graying hair wasn’t important because he was obviously not just the boss in the family—he was the Boss of whatever Theo, Richard, Ms. Kane and Petroff were a part of.

Richard’s eyes hadn’t left hers for one second but he remained motionless and quiet behind his father, a sure sign that he couldn’t do whatever violence he wanted toward her because of the old man.

“What’s her name?” asked the old man.

“Desiree. That’s all you need to know,” Theo answered, pulling Desiree to the side and stepping right next to her to give his father room into the room.

“I heard you bought her earlier. A fine piece, I tell you,” said the old man, giving Desiree one last look before walking further into the living room. Richard followed closely, shooting his brother and Desiree a look of ire. “But that’s not what I came here for. I need to discuss something.” With that, the old man walked and disappeared into the hallway to wherever the meeting was taking place.

Richard looked over his shoulder at Desiree before following his father.

Once they were gone, Theo turned to her with a smile that did not reach his eyes. “I hope that you had a nice adventure tonight. Just don’t do it again, Desiree, because if you do I’ll make sure you won’t be able to do it again.” His voice was final and she almost bowed down to say yes to his commands. Instead, Desiree lifted her chin and stared right back at his dark eyes.

Theo continued to look at her for a while before he dragged her toward the hallway. She let him because she was tired and hungry. And when he stopped outside a door, she did not protest. He opened it and threw her inside saying, “Don’t make a sound and don’t go out until I get you.”

The door was closed the moment he finished talking and Desiree found herself alone inside a small room that contained nothing but a yoga mat. The walls were white and another side was just glass, looking out into the darkness outside.

She had to plan her next escape more carefully, she thought as she walked around the room. Her mind was busy about what her next move would be when the knob of the door opened. Thinking it was Theo, she did not turn around.

The voice that spoke though was not his. All senses in her body went to high alert as Richard said, “Now that we are alone, I think it’s time I settle an old score.”

Desiree whirled around, wide-eyed. Her heart began to hammer inside her chest that she could feel it vibrating in her ears. She took a step back when Richard calmly locked the door. When he turned around to face her again, he was menacingly smiling at her.

“Theo and my father are quite busy. And I think I should, too.”

�

VII. Propositions

Of course, it was him.

“Petroff,” Khaye breathed out. There was no disbelief in her voice. Somehow, in the midst of everything that occurred from the moment she was taken, she knew he was behind all of it. He was powerful, but she still had to wrap her head around the knowledge that he could do something like this. He was known to trample on people in the industry, but not in this sense. This was a new side of Petroff she was seeing.

He was clucking his tongue as he closed the door behind him and walked to the desk. He rested one thigh over it and clasped his hands together in front of him. His blue eyes bored on her with amusement. “You should have just kept your mouth shut, Khaye, darling,” he told her in his thick Russian voice. “You shouldn’t have called your brother. You should have just zipped that luscious mouth of yours.”

“I can still do that,” Khaye desperately said, making a move to stand up.

Petroff held out one hand to stop her and she slumped back into the couch. “Too late, Khaye.” He pushed away from the desk and went to her. “Do you know that there are officers wanting to talk to me? Of course, you know. You told them.” His eyes were suddenly ablaze with anger as he grabbed her face in one hand. “But what exactly did you tell them, Khaye?”

She tried to shake her head, her eyes looking back at him widely. “Nothing much. Just that you were with Jamaica before she died. I didn’t say anything more,” she lied.

“Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me?” he asked her, his voice and face turning creepily calm in an instant. “But I don’t think killing you will be the best option now.” He let go of her face. Khaye let out a shaky breath, relieved. “I will spare your life just this once because I can,” he added, looking at her with cold eyes. “I will let you live because I have it in my power.”

The hairs on her arms stood up. “Why?” she dared ask.

One corner of his mouth tugged into a small smile. “I need you to lie to them.”

She did not ask the question but he understood her confusion. “The police. Your brother and the rest of his gang. Tell them what I want you to tell them. One wrong move, Khaye, and you know I’ll get you again. I did it without sweat today, didn’t I? I can very well do it again. And I should tell you that the next time you get drugged, you will not wake up.” He walked away from her to sit back on the desk. “But if you do exactly as what I say, you will have your life back. You will have your career back. You will live Jamaica’s life, even Desiree’s. You know I can do that, don’t you, darling?”

Khaye didn’t have to consider her options. There was no option. She was desperate to be free. She had been through enough trouble to end up dead and she was willing to do whatever to stay alive. Her voice shook as she spoke. “What do I tell them?”

“Good question,” Petroff said with a smile.

---

“Are you scared?” His low voice vibrated around the room. “You should be,” Richard added as he took one more step toward her.

Desiree backed as far away as she could.

“Don’t try to scream,” he warned, his legs closing the distance between them. “My brother had this room sound-proofed for his stupid meditations. Not a soul from outside will hear your cries.”

A whimper escaped her throat but she squared her shoulders. Fine. If he wanted to kill her, he’d have to do it with a lot of struggle.

Richard’s eyebrows rose when he saw her posture. “Ready for a fight?” he asked.

“Just so you know, I did not kill her. I would not dare kill her.”

“You were the only one who last saw her,” he said.

“Saw her dead, yes. But I didn’t kill her!” Her shout was followed by a big blow across her cheek and her head snapped to the side. She staggered and fell against the wall behind her.

“You don’t know how much I want to wring your neck right now,” Richard’s voice said above her. His hand went to her neck. She tried to stop him but he had pinned her against the wall with his body and his other hand caught her hands to keep them still. “I’m going to kill you very slowly,” he rasped above her.

Desiree fought for air but failed. Her mouth opened as Richard tightened his grip on her throat. She tried to kick him but failed.

“You took her away from me, you know,” Richard hissed.

Desiree felt her vision start to get dimmer. She was losing consciousness. If he was capable of doing this out of spite, he could have very well killed Jamaica as well. But why was he trying to pin it on her? Why would he think she did it?

“You can’t beg now because you—”

“Step away from her, Richard,” a voice said from the door. “Richard, I am not going to say it twice.”

She felt him hesitate but he eventually followed his father’s order.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing to that girl?” the man asked incredulously.

Richard cleared his throat as he stepped away from Desiree who was gasping for air. “She did something I didn’t like, that’s all.”

“She’s your brother’s business, not yours. Let’s go. We’re leaving.”

Desiree looked up and saw the old man leave the room.

“We’re not done yet,” Richard whispered above her before walking out. Theo was standing outside and Richard stopped to speak to him. “You might have saved her from me when you bought her, but you know I’ll get my hands on her sooner or later.”

Theo just nodded. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.”

“For now, enjoy your new toy. You won’t have her for long.”

The room had gone completely silent. Desiree was sobbed her anger and fears, covering her face with her hands.

“It’s your fault, you know,” Theo uttered above her after a few minutes. She didn’t realize he was still there. “You should have locked the door.”

---

“It’s on!” Gian cried out. “She just turned on her GPS.”

“I’ll go. You stay here.”

“But—”

“I can’t have you with me right now, Gian. You’re too emotionally involved in this one to properly think,” Marco told him as he walked away. “I need you to stay here and track her location. I’ll keep in touch.”

Two minutes later, he was speeding down the road alone. Two backups were following close behind, ready for whatever was ahead of them.

“She’s about ten minutes away from here,” Gian was saying over the phone.

“Do you have the exact location?”

“Still locating. Just fucking drive faster.”

“I’m doing my best,” he said, stepping on the gas.

“Got it! Sending the address now.”

He looked at his phone and recognized the street. “On my way,” he uttered, increasing his speed. He turned on his car’s siren and expertly maneuvered through the traffic.

His mind raced through a lot of possible scenarios. He was not hopeful to find Khaye alive either. In his line of work, he had learned how to think of the worst rather than be hopeful.

But he was proven wrong. His car screeched when he turned to one corner of the street to where the GPS pointed she was.

He almost missed her standing there and had driven past her when he realized what he just missed. He screeched to a stop in disbelief and looked over his shoulder.

It was her. She was just standing there, her eyes wide with fear and she was alive. He looked around, expecting an ambush of some kind. But there was no sign that someone was there.

Marco frowned.

How the fuck did she get away?

---

“You met my father,” Theo said after a while. His voice was flat and emotionless that it sent shivers throughout her body. They were still inside his meditation room. She was down on the floor, hugging her legs and burying her face in them. She ignored him as she came to terms with what had just happened to her. Richard nearly killed her again. She couldn’t help but think it was the last time she’d be able to get away from it. She wasn’t that lucky to be able to the next time, she was almost certain. “He’s the big boss, you know.”

“I didn’t ask,” she murmured.

Theo was standing beside her, leaning against the wall. “I figured you should know. You’ll be exposed to a lot of them, anyway.”

She wanted to ask a lot of questions. What was he planning to do to her? What did he mean by being exposed?

“Now that I own you, I thought I should make a good use of you. I didn’t pay eighty million to just keep you locked up in this house.”

“What are you planning to do?”

He did not give her an answer. Instead, he sighed and said, “My father goes by a lot of names, but in our world, people call him Mr. Hong. He’s half-Chinese, I guess. Doesn’t look like one though. He controls everything and everyone in the organization. He keeps us in our place.”

“That wasn’t my question.”

“You’ll get an answer to your question as we get along,” Theo uttered. She heard him push away from the wall and walk to the door. “Come out anytime you feel like it. Your dinner’s still in the kitchen. And remember what I told you about running away again. Don’t attempt another escape, Desiree. I own you now.”

With that, she heard the door quietly close.

She was alone again and she cried harder.

---

Theo heard the door open and close. He closed the book on his lap and placed it on the coffee table. He waited until she emerged from the hallway.

“Good. You’re done crying over your fate. Finish your dinner,” he ordered.

“I’m not eating.”

He looked her up and down. He was expecting her to cower after what Richard did to her. But like that night in the hotel, she was poised proudly. A large bruise was starting to show on the left side of her face.

With a sigh, he stood up and walked to the kitchen. He grabbed a towel, soaked it in running water and threw it in the microwave. After a few seconds, he took it out and carried it back to the living room. She hadn’t moved from her spot. Her head was held high and she was just staring blankly in the air.

“Put it over your face,” he ordered, handing the warm towel to her.

She did not make a move to take it.

His patience reached its peak. He grabbed her hand none too gently and forced the towel on her. “Put it on your fucking face,” he said again.

Her jaw clenched, telling him she didn’t like what he just did, but did what he said. He saw her wince when the cloth touched her swollen face.

“Sit,” he added, pointing at the couch.

She followed without a word. He returned to his seat and watched her.

“What next? Are you going to order me to jump off the cliff?” she asked sarcastically.

“Don’t overdo it, Desiree. I have my limits.”

A short laugh escaped her throat.

“Now that you have figured out where you are, I assume you will not make another attempt to escape. No one can reach or leave this place on foot. You’ll die of exhaustion even before you see another soul.”

“What do you really expect me to do? Follow you around and do everything you tell me to?”

Theo’s lips tugged into a smile. “Yes, exactly that.”

“You can’t trust me to go out of this house with you without an attempt of escape.”

He let his eyes roam over her. She was wearing the same dress from the auction and it hardly left enough for his imagination. He almost cursed himself for even thinking about sex with her. He swallowed and composed himself and looked at her light brown eyes again. “You will stay by my side, trust me.” Her eyes did not leave his. “Because the people you will be exposed to are even worse,” he answered her unspoken question.

He meant every word he said.

---

“I can’t trust anyone anymore,” was all she said after he took her back.

She wouldn’t say anything more.

It was frustrating Marco, but he thought of making it his job to prolong his patience. Gian was not making any effort to convince his sister to talk or say something. He told his partner he was giving Khaye a few hours and if she stayed mum, he’d have to do something about it.

That night, they took her to a hotel near the station and had officers guard her door. Marco was informed that she didn’t sleep at all. She stayed inside the room, pacing on the floor and watching the news.

“She won’t tell me what happened,” Gian told him the following morning.

Marco dropped the files he was reading and went to his feet. He walked out of the room, grabbing his jacket along the way.

“Where are you going?”

“The hotel,” he said, his voice flat and determined.

“Why?”

“I’m going to shake some sense out of your sister. If you can’t do it, I will.”

“Marco, you can’t—”

“This case is getting fucked up already so you better not follow me, Gian!” he shouted over his shoulder. His patience had finally reached its limit.

---

“You think I’ll hurt you, do you?” His voice was cold, so were his eyes. Desiree was used to them by now. But from time to time, she couldn’t believe he was the same stranger she shared one night of passion with. His eyes were not the same ones she remembered from that night in the hotel. Not the same voice that whispered passionate words in her ears when they were rocking on the bed, intimately joined together.

Desiree shook that picture out of her head. Sleep deprivation was wrecking her mind. He is not that same guy , she said to herself. Last night was the proof of that.

Though she didn’t get an ounce of sleep, never did he once check on her. He had let her sleep in that box, saying he didn’t have a room for her, much more a bed. He had dragged it to his room. And though he didn’t replace the lid above her, he cuffed her hand to an iron rod at the foot of his bed, maybe to keep her from strangling him in his sleep. That actually crossed her mind a couple of times throughout the night. He was sound asleep the moment he hit his pillows and Desiree almost cried at the thought that he was just a few meters away from her and she couldn’t kill him.

And now, the morning after, he was looking fresh and relaxed. She, on the other hand, had a bruise on her cheek from last night. Her eyes were heavy from lack of sleep. She could very well drop dead and she wouldn’t regret it.

He gave her breakfast and she ate it because her body was craving for food. It was only later that she regretted having done so. Her body was starting to betray her and she didn’t know for how long she could hold her control over it.

After breakfast, Theo took her to his office, the one beside his bedroom. She had a feeling that they were about to discuss his plans for her.

“You think I’ll hurt you, do you?” he asked again when she did not answer. “I bet you are just waiting for me to do that.” Desiree forced herself to look at him again. There was no question he was capable of hurting her like his brother. Maybe she thought he was just like any ordinary man when she met him at that bar. But she was so wrong.

The one before her was a completely different man. Which was the real one, she didn’t know, but she wanted to believe the worse. She’d forget about the man in the hotel. This was the real face of that stranger.

“You should count yourself lucky you’re not in my brother’s place right now.” Theo walked to the liquor cabinet at one corner of the room and poured himself a drink. “Would you like a drink?”

“That’s kind of you to ask, but no, thank you. I’d like a pass out your door now, please. I think I need some sleep after all.”

He chuckled as he turned to face her again. His dark eyes bored on her and this time there was something there, something that excited her. She shook the feeling and reminded herself that she was facing a man who was planning to use her to get something he wanted for himself. She swallowed and returned his unwavering gaze.

He blinked and took a sip from his glass. “Don’t look at me like that, Desiree. You might regret it.”

“Look at you like what?” she retorted.

His brows raised and fell back down, an uncontrollable habit she had noticed from him once or twice. “Like you want to fuck,” he replied, his voice thick with lust. She knew that look. She had seen that before and she wanted it gone. She didn’t want to see that face and be reminded of that night she had let her guard down. If she had not done it, Jamaica might still be alive and she wouldn’t be here.

“If I let you fuck me, would you let me go?” she asked in a shaky voice. Her mind was getting cloudy again. She should have slept last night, she thought.

She took a weak step back when he moved forward. “If the time comes that you let me fuck you,” Theo murmured as he came near, his voice somewhat laced with bitterness, “it’s going to be because you begged for it.” Desiree willed herself to stay motionless and had to stand her ground as he closed the distance between them until his face was just inches away from hers. Her heart was hammering against her chest but she did not back off another step. “And trust me, Desiree, you’re going to beg.”

Desiree swallowed as she mustered the strength to speak. “When that time comes, you’ll have to kill me.”

His eyes lowered down to her lips and he inched his head lower until his nose was lightly touching hers and his breath gently washed her lips. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” he whispered, his lips brushing against hers. He lifted his eyes until they were looking straight at her brown globes. “Because right now, you are not even certain if you wish me to step back.”

Desiree clenched her jaw and strongly said, “You are so full of yourself.”

Theo was silent for a good few seconds before he sighed and finally stepped back. Desiree slowly breathed a sigh of relief and shook off the feeling of loss when he stepped back further. “You will dress up for tonight and you will behave as expected unless you want to experience what happened last night again.”

“I’m too tired. I need some—”

“It’s not my fault you did not sleep last night,” he snapped at her, his eyes angry. She wondered what caused the sudden shift of emotion. One moment he was calm, seductive the next and now he was angry. He’s sick in his mind, her mind told her. “But I like you tired,” he told her after a while. “That way, you won’t attempt to escape.”

“Where are we going?”

“You need a new wardrobe,” he said, turning away from her. “You’ll need a lot of that from now on.”

“Why?”

“Because you have to appeal to someone.”

Her face contorted with confusion.

His face was back to its emotionless state as he said, “I can’t set you up as a bribe looking like a wreck.”

:{}},“s$xD

VIII. A Bribe for a Deal

Khaye was sitting cross-legged on the hotel bed, a remote in hand and eyes focused on the television when the door suddenly burst open. Marco was looking seriously pissed as he strode inside after slamming the door behind her. His hair and jacket were wet from the rain outside.

“You have to talk,” he ordered, snatching the remote from her hand before she could even utter a word. The television went black and the remote flew to the table beside her bed.

“What are you doing?” she demanded when he grabbed he gathered her things. “What are you doing?!” she cried out again.

“I’m taking you somewhere.”

“Why?”

“Because the last thing you need is a hotel where you are reminded of that night. That’s why you can’t sleep, right?” he asked, throwing her clothes inside the bag. “And maybe then you’ll start talking.”

She did not answer and just watched him do his work. She had been around him for only a couple of times when her brother would see her and he had no choice but to bring his partner along. They never shared a normal conversation that lasted more than a minute.

So it was only given that Khaye couldn’t trust him. Petroff had managed to send his men to get her inside the very place that should have been very well-protected. Someone from the inside was working with Petroff and his men and it could be anyone.

“I’m not going with you,” she indignantly said, not moving away from the bed.

Marco stopped what he was doing and impatiently looked at her. “You’ve already bought enough time. It’s time you do your part.”

“I don’t have to do anything,” she insisted.

“When it comes to the law, you can’t just say no. Get up and let’s go.”

“Where are you taking me? Where’s my brother?”

“He’s in the station. I wanted to speak to you alone.”

Her heart began to hammer. “Why?”

“Because you’ve been holding out a lot of information, Khaye. Don’t deny it,” he said, pointing a finger at her. “It’s time you talk.”

Khaye swallowed and shook her head. “Not without my brother.”

“I can’t have your brother going soft while I interrogate you. Let’s go.”

“Interrogate me?” she asked, horrified.

Marco turned toward her, bag in hand. “Do you know how many questions I have for you? No, you don’t. I have unanswered questions regarding that night you said you witnessed something. I have questions on how you escaped yesterday. It’s time you answer each of them,” he said. “Now, get off the bed or I’ll drag you out.”

“Are you treating me as a suspect?” she asked, wide eyed.

He arched an eyebrow at her. “Should I? Maybe I should.”

“You’re a prick!”

“I’ve been called worse. Now, get ass off that bed, Perez, and let’s go!”

---

Theo threw her a pair of jeans and shirt. All his, of course.

Desiree did not protest since they were a better option than the dress she had been wearing since yesterday.

And since her footwear could not be found, she had to stay barefooted until Theo could get her some.

He did not take his car with him. They had to wait for someone to pick them up and she wondered why though she did not ask.

She had to save her energy for later. If a chance of escape would show itself, she’d take it whatever the circumstances.

He was silent throughout the ride, sitting at the end of the backseat, putting a good distance between them. Whatever he was planning, she knew it wasn’t good.

When she asked what bribe he was talking about earlier, he did not reply but simply left without a word. He had let her wander around his house freely, confident that she could not get away or even dare try. He might be right, but Desiree vowed to find a way. He as much as make the wrong move or turn his eyes the wrong way, she’d be gone, she promised.

He was right though. His house was secluded and was only one she saw for the next hour of the drive. When they finally reached the city, Theo did not even bother to hide the route they were taking. Desiree tried to memorize each turn, taking into account any landmarks.

The rain started to pour, washing the grimes and dirt off the street, giving the city a fresh new look. When they finally reached an alleyway, Desiree started to get restless. The car stopped just outside a rusty metal door.

“We’re here,” Theo said, breaking the silence. The driver had not spoken a word and he remained mum as he waited for Theo to climb out. Desiree thought of escaping, but thought better of it when Theo opened her side of the door and grabbed her by the arm. She let him lead her to the metal door, her feet touching wet cobblestones. The rain was soaking her shirt and pants. Theo pulled the door open.

There was just darkness inside.

“Careful. There’s a stair right below you,” he warned as he entered, taking her hand in his and guiding her down the steps in the darkness. The door closed behind them and there was total darkness.

She felt the metal staircase through the pads of her feet. She could hear the dripping of water from somewhere. They were going deeper underground.

After fifteen or more steps down, Desiree began to see a trace of light from the distance.

Theo dragged her faster through the tunnel. She almost lost her balance when she stepped on a slippery part but he pulled her up before she even landed on the ground. Without a word exchanged between them, they reached the brighter part of the tunnel. A door was standing before them with one armed guard.

“She’s a guest,” Theo informed the man as he had his eyes scanned and his fingerprints taken. He was searched from head to foot. The man then turned to Desiree and began searching her, starting on her shoulders. “She’s not armed,” Theo coldly told the man. The hands did not stop their work, going over her breasts and toward her back. Desiree gasped when Theo snatched her away from the man to stumble to his side. “I said she is not armed,” he repeated, glaring darkly at the guy.

The man’s jaw tightened but he nodded after one last look at Desiree. He turned and opened the door, stepping back to let them in.

Theo pushed Desiree inside and her feet touched dry, polished ground. She looked around and her mouth fell open. The place didn’t look anything like it was underground. The sound of traffic up on the streets had disappeared and there was nothing but silence.

Except the familiar clicking sound of heels. The hair on her arms stood in response to the sound and Desiree, once again, felt a sense of dread.

“You don’t have to look so shaken, dear,” Ms. Kane told her. She turned to Theo with a smile. “I assume you are taking her in for a complete wardrobe haul?”

“Yes,” Theo answered, slightly pushing Desiree toward Ms. Kane’s direction. “Take care of her. I have to do something.”

It was only then that Desiree saw the different doors at both sides of the room; four at the right and three at the other. Ms. Kane took her hand and said, “Follow me, Desiree, dear. You’ll enjoy what we’re going to do.” She looked over at Theo for help but he had already turned away to walk to one of the doors to the right. Ms. Kane was leading her to the farthest door to the left. “Have you ever gone shopping underground?” Ms. Kane asked her, excitement in her voice.

---

Khaye refused to enter the car and Marco lost it. He grabbed her by the arm, opened the door and forced her inside the passenger seat. He threw her bag on her lap, causing her to shout all sorts of slangs at him. “Yeah, a thank you would suffice,” he told her through clenched teeth before he slammed the door at her face.

He drove out of the hotel with Khaye shouting for him to let her see her brother.

“You will see him if you just shut the fuck up!” he shouted back, turning around a corner.

“Where are you taking me?” she demanded.

“Somewhere safe and secluded.”

He saw the alarm on her face.

“You have got to start trusting me if you want to stay alive, Khaye,” he said, calling her by her first name. He had to practice being nice to her if he wanted her cooperation, he told himself. But the longer she tried to act like a bitch, the shorter his patience was.

“I want to see Gian.”

“Gian will see you once you get settled.”

“Does he know where you are taking me?”

“I’ll tell him later.”

Her mouth fell open and she tried to open the door of the car. He locked, it of course and she kicked on the door with her foot. “Let me out! Let me out! Let me out!”

“You’ll be dead the moment I do that,” he said over her screams. “Better shut up or I’ll do something about that mouth of yours,” he warned.

Khaye continued to scream at the top of her lungs and Marco swerved the car to the side of the road and stopped. He reached inside his jacket and took out his handkerchief. Before she could move away from him, he grabbed her hand and pulled. It was a lot of struggle, but he finally managed to gag her mouth with the cloth until her screams were muffled.

“I told you I’ll do something about that mouth,” he said before starting the car.

If anyone would bother to look through the windows of his car, he would have police tailing behind him. But no one was taking notice because no one cared. People on the streets had their own business.

Marco drove faster and avoided crowded areas of the city until they reached the border that would take them to the place he intended to keep her safe.

“No one’s going to hear your muffled screams, Perez, so better make the best out of this drive and rest,” he told her, his voice more gentle. His anger was starting to subside now that she was not screaming at his face. “When we get to where we’re going, you’re gonna start talking so save your voice.”

---

His father was already in the room with Richard when he arrived. He met his brother’s eyes for a moment, both of them gauging each other’s state of mind. When he figured that his brother was not going to do something stupid as last night, he walked to the empty chair across his father’s table and sat down.

“Petroff told me he has the murder under control,” their father informed them, his voice low and serious. “But that’s none of our business. It’s just a small matter and Petroff can handle it on his own,” he said, his eyes directly staring at Richard’s stern face. “So I don’t want to hear another word about one of my sons getting involved on that matter.” When none of them spoke, Mr. Hong added, “Did you hear me Richard?”

His voice was full of warning that Richard only nodded.

“Good. Let Petroff take care of that. You’re already in trouble with the cops so keep your activities light.” He turned to Theo next and asked, “What happened to that client?”

Theo shrugged. “He was concerned for a while when he heard about the murder, but then he got the package and he was gone before the hotel was locked down. I don’t think we’ll be having another deal with him for a while though.”

“Get a hold of him. I want to talk to him,” their father ordered. “Now, what about what we talked about last night? When is the ship making its way here?”

Theo shifted in his seat, feeling a bit uncomfortable. “About that…” his eyes went to his brother for a second before he continued, “because of the murder, Richard can’t easily get out of the country undetected. My sources said that private jets and even boats of any kind are also being monitored. His name, along with Petroff, came up in the investigation and they’re looking for them.”

Their father’s brows furrowed in concentration as he weighed the matter. “We can’t just send anyone to go with the ship,” he uttered.

“That’s why I think we should postpone—”

“You’re going,” his father’s voice cut off.

Theo’s mouth hung open and Richard straightened in his seat with the same amount of shock.

“Me?” he asked incredulously. “You know I don’t do that kind of work,” he said with a scoff as if his father just made a joke.

“We can’t send him,” Mr. Hong said, tilting his head toward Richard, “we can’t send Petroff. I cannot very well send Kane, can I? And Vernier is untouchable, you know that.”

“And so you send me? I don’t even know what I’ll do once I get on that blasted ship!” Theo uttered, his voice adamant.

“I can go,” Richard said. “I’m sure we can find some ways to get me out of the country.”

Mr. Hong was shaking his head before Richard finished. “It’s time your younger brother gets his fair share of our activities.”

“I get my own fair share of activities and that is talking to contacts. I don’t do this kind. Never have, never will.”

Mr. Hong had already stood up, a signal that their meeting was about to end. “You are getting on that ship in two days’ time, Theo.” He turned to Richard and added, “Orient your brother well. We can’t have a big shipment go awry like what nearly happened with that bloody murder.”

Richard just nodded and stood up with Theo who was looking pissed.

“It’s time you get your hands dirty, little brother,” Richard uttered under his breath as they walked out of the room.

---

She could hardly contain her awe when she saw the huge collection of clothing. Never, in her entire modeling career, had she seen such a big array of clothing in one place, much more underground.

Desiree was still in the process of trying to fathom how such a large room could be contained underground when the place was shown to her through the door.

“Who are you people?” she couldn’t help but ask.

Ms. Kane laughed. “The same question I asked the first time. And I’ll tell you the answer I got.” Desiree turned her attention to the lady. “One thing I am sure of is that we are not the Mafia. People who know of our presence call us a lot of things. Mob, Mafia…you name it. When, in fact, we don’t really have an official name. We want it that way. But they have to call us something, right?”

Desiree held her breath as she waited for Ms. Kane’s next words.

“The one name I like the most is The Liaisons.”

“Liaisons?”

Kane smiled at her mysteriously. “Yes, dear. That’s what we are. We make things possible for all our clients, the Mafia as one of them.” She gave a wave of her hand and said, “Well, whatever. Our group is not as big as the others, but we are effective. But most importantly, we hold a lot of power over a lot of people. And that, I am not willing to discuss because I am not at liberty to say anything. You’ll have to ask Theo about that one.” She took a deep breath and sighed, looking around the place with pride. “This is where we take most of our clothes,” Ms. Kane informed her, walking through a rack of pants, completely changing the subject. “We have everything you want; every label and size. They are cheaper, of course, since we don’t pay taxes. And they are up to date with the latest in fashion. My work, of course,” said the lady, exaggeratedly placing her hand over her chest with pride. “Since fall is starting, dear, we should go…there,” she said, pointing at the far end of the room. Desiree wouldn’t call it a room because it looked like she was inside an underground basketball court filled with racks, steel staircases that led to more racks, shelves and a lot of other things. It was heaven for anyone with a fashion sense, she thought, as Ms. Kane pulled her to one section.

“Get as many shoes as you can, dear. Theo has enough money left,” Ms. Kane said with a wink as they stopped in front of a large shelf full of shoes. “I suggest you get a lot for all occasions.”

Desiree just stared at the high end labels before her. “He will pay for each of them?”

“Of course. They don’t come for free, you know.”

For the first time in days, Desiree tugged her lips into a genuine smile—a wicked one. “Well, then, where should I start?”

---

Theo’s eyes narrowed when he saw the cart full of clothes and apparels being wheeled toward him. Ms. Kane was smiling as she pulled it to a stop and she said, “You know it will come to this, Theo. Buying an artifact that can think on her own will land you in the most unexpected places.”

His jaw tightened as he wrapped his mind around the cost of the cart’s content.

“Where is she?” he demanded.

“Dressing for the event, of course,” Ms. Kane answered. “She’s at the back. These will be taken to your car,” she added before walking out the door.

Theo searched for Desiree at the far corner of the place. He wanted to push at all the shelves he passed by in disbelief, but amusement came to him when he reached the outside the dressing room. She did what she could to get back to him by taking as much as she could from the place. He wondered what she was capable of doing next.

“Are you ready?” he asked out loud.

She did not answer, but he heard some movement from behind the door before it swung open to reveal Desiree’s new look. His eyebrow instinctively rose and fell after he took a good look at her.

“You chose well,” he said, running his eyes over the white, glittering dress over again. It covered most of her upper body in a loose fit. The revealed her collarbone but covered her entire arms, stopping at a perfect spot on her wrists. But unlike the previous dress, it was shorter and it stopped in the middle of her thighs. His brow lifted when he saw the small tattoo on her right inner thigh but did not bother to mention it. She chose a pair of golden high-heeled shoes which complimented her entire feature. For a moment, Theo pictured her walking down the runway wearing exactly the same face she had on her—challenging, unwavering and strong.

He tugged on the front part of his own dark suit and stepped aside to let her pass. “Go back to Ms. Kane and have that hair changed. And cover up that fucking bruise,” he ordered.

“Why?” she asked, walking beside him. With her heels, she they were of the same height and it somehow intimidated Theo for a few seconds before he gathered himself together.

He didn’t want to explain how he hated its color or how he wished she had her long tresses back. “Just because,” he snapped instead, walking faster and ahead of her. “And next time, you’re not doing the shopping alone.”

---

“Where is this place?” asked Khaye when Marco finally too the gag off her mouth. It had already gone dark and the car just stopped outside an apartment complex.

“This is where I you’ll be staying,” he said instead of answering his question. He grabbed the bag from her lap and climbed out of the car.

“Where’s Gian?” she asked when he opened her side of the door.

“He’ll be here tomorrow to check on you. Get out.” The ground was still wet from the rain earlier and the air was chilly. She hugged herself and followed Marco inside the building.

“Whose place is this?” she asked after he entered the passcode and opened the door. He kept quiet and led her to the stairs. She looked around. The place was not the best, but it was decent and clean. “Whose place is this?” she asked again, following him up the stairs.

Again, no answer. They climbed two more flights of stairs. Marco turned to the left hallway covered with cheap Victorian wallpaper. He passed five doors and stopped at the one that had the numbers 306 above it. As he fished for the keys, Khaye’s heart began to hammer. Was he going to do something to her? Was he working with Petroff?

The door opened. Marco flicked on the lights and she saw before her eyes a very ordinary apartment—a couch, a television, a small kitchen at one corner and a table with four white chairs. There were two doors standing beside each other across the kitchen.

Marco turned and waited for her to step inside. She did so with hesitation.

Petroff’s promise to her yesterday kept playing in her mind. She hadn’t said a word to anyone yet. She hadn’t done what he didn’t want her to do. If Marco was working with him, he wouldn’t have any reason to hurt her.

She walked further into the small living room as Marco went back to close the door. She flinched when she heard the lock and the bolt set in place.

“Now, let’s get down to business,” he said behind her.

---

Theo had been patiently waiting while Ms. Kane dyed her hair into a darker shade of brown. He had been frowning on his phone the entire time. When the dye was finally washed off her hair and the Ms. Kane was done drying her hair, her face was next. She almost praised the lady for a job well done, but she refrained herself from making a sound.

There was nothing ordinary in what was happening to her right now. She may have gone shopping and had her hair and makeup done, but it was different. She was here against her will. She was underground, being prepared to attend an event that sent chills throughout her system just by thinking about it.

Theo had mentioned he was going to set her as a bribe. That was the reason why they were making a lot of effort to make her look her best.

And she hated every moment of it.

“Are you done?” Theo asked Ms. Kane when she finally stepped away from Desiree.

“Covering that bruise wasn’t easy, but I think I did great,” Ms. Kane said with a smile.

“That’s better. Let’s go,” he said to Desiree, standing up and walking to the door.

Every cell in her body wanted to scream at her for following his orders, but she had to. At the moment, it was her only chance of survival.

“You will be meeting a lot of people tonight,” Theo told her in a well-modulated tone when they were finally alone, leaving Ms. Kane behind the room she called her own parlor, one that was hidden in this complicated underground maze of doors and hallways. “But there is one in particular that I want you to recognize,” he said.

She did not say a word and waited for him to finish whatever he was trying to say.

“His name is Milo Vernier. He’s in his sixties, graying hair and well-built. He’s very good with what he does and,” Theo stole a look at her before he continued, “he likes women like you.”

Desiree swallowed, her steps beginning to falter.

“You will not speak to him, but you will not completely ignore him either.” He checked his watch before he continued. “You will not speak to anyone. You will not leave my side. Did you hear me?”

“Is this what you were talking about? Me as a bribe to this man?” she managed to ask under her breath.

“You don’t ask questions, Desiree. You are not in the position to.”

Desiree stopped walking and Theo gave a frustrated sigh as he did the same. He faced her with impatience painted on his face. “I believe I deserve to ask every fucking question I want when it’s my life on the line.”

“You are not going to lose your life if that’s what you are worried about.” He looked her up and down. “But you might have to lose a bit of your dignity in the process. With that, you don’t really have a choice.”

Her fist went straight across his face before another thought came to her mind. His head turned to the side with the impact and his eyes went ablaze with anger when he turned to look at her. His hand caught her wrist. He roughly pulled her against him, eliciting a cry of pain from her lips. “Don’t ever do that again or you’ll get another pair of bruise to go with the one you already have.” He bit out each word through clenched teeth. He pushed her away and stared her down. “You will do everything I say you do and you’ll keep your life. This is not a game, Desiree. Whether you like it or not, you are nothing but a pawn here, a piece in my game of chess, and I own you. Whether you like it or not, I pull the strings.”

He grabbed her arm and dragged her down the carpeted hallway until they reached another door. Desiree could barely remember all the turns, the doors, and hallways she walked since she arrived.

Theo’s jaws were still tight but she saw with amazement how he managed to easily compose himself before he opened the door and revealed a large glittering room full of people in cocktail dresses and suits. For numerous times that day, Desiree’s mouth fell open and her heart began to hammer against her chest.

The room was not as big as the ballrooms she had seen in the past, but it was enough to hold fifty or so people. The floor was marbled and the ceiling was high enough that she wondered how far down the city streets they were. Big chandeliers gave light to the place. Large paintings were hung against ivory walls. The cocktail tables were made of glass and it reflected the elegant dresses of different colors. Despite herself, Desiree felt intimidated.

A question crossed her mind: Has Jamaica been living this life before she died?

Theo’s hand softened and transferred to her hand. He pulled her into the room. Eyes turned to look at them for a few seconds, acknowledging Theo’s presence before they returned to their own business.

As Desiree’s wide eyes scanned the room full of people, she realized that they were not all strangers. Some she had seen on television, on movies and articles. They were people of great influence.

Theo led her deeper into the room toward the bar that served drinks. They avoided cocktail tables and people who called out for Theo.

“Martini for the lady, Scotch for me,” he said to the man behind the bar. His eyes hovered over hers and he leaned down to whisper against her ear, “Get ready.”

Before she could voice out her question, she saw a man that matched the description Theo gave her earlier walking toward them with a smile. His eyes were feasting on her as if he was a boy who finally found the perfect toy for Christmas.

Desiree found herself grabbing Theo’s arm. She wanted him to get her out of this place. But that was not happening, she thought. This was her plan from the start.

“I was hoping you’ll be here,” Milo Vernier said the moment he reached them, his eyes not leaving Desiree. “Theo, I heard you wanted to make a deal?”

“You heard right,” came Theo’s response.

“And the price?” Vernier asked, his smiling knowing, his eyes feasting on Desiree who stood frozen against the bar.

“You are looking at it.”

IX. The Liaisons

Theo was actually surprised that Vernier found him first. The old man was fast to take the news of Desiree’s presence, he noted. He had seen how he tried to compete with Richard on the day of the auction and he knew from then on that he wanted her as well.

He felt Desiree let go of his arm the moment he answered Vernier’s question. He couldn’t blame her.

“What do you want?” Vernier asked, finally ripping his eyes off Desiree.

Theo grabbed his drink and gave Desiree hers. She took it with shaking hands. “I’ll find a place for us to discuss what I want at a much better time,” Theo uttered, his free hand going to Desiree’s back. He gently pushed her forward. “For now, I hope you enjoy the party.”

He could feel Desiree’s anger the moment they were far away enough from Vernier. He grabbed her arm in a tight grip before she could whirl and do something stupid. She was shaking and he would not be surprised if she poured her drink on him.

“Don’t,” he bit out near her ear, his body suddenly aware of hers pressing against his side. “Or you’ll regret it.”

“You’re a monster,” she shakily said under her breath.

“Theo!” a woman’s voice called behind them. Desiree did not turn around but Theo did and found Tatiana walking toward him with a seductive smile. She flipped her blonde waves over her slender shoulders as she approached.

“Tatiana,” he said with a curt smile.

He did not miss the curious look the lady threw Desiree but she knew better than to ask. “Where have you been? I thought you were going to call?”

By this time, Desiree had calmed down, or dumb, he thought. He saw from the corner of his eye that she took a big gulp from her drink. “I’m sorry,” he told Tatiana, turning Desiree around so she was facing the lady as well. “I was rather occupied.” His hands traveled down to Desiree’s hips and back to her waist. He gently squeezed, pulling her closer to him as he talked. Desiree swallowed and gulped down her drink, emptying her glass.

Another man appeared right beside Tatiana. “Look who’s here?” the man asked, his eyes on Theo as he wrapped his arm around Tatiana’s waist. Theo saw Tatiana flinch a bit before she recovered and smiled again, saying, “He has been busy, as you can see,” to the young man.

Theo saw Geoffrey Yann’s eyes hover over Desiree who had been standing like a stone beside Theo. “Is this what I think it is?” asked Yann, looking at Theo and then at his wife with eyes full of wonder.

“Yes, she’s the one I talked to you about,” Tatiana said, giving Desiree a smile.

Yann gave Theo a look of approval. “Great buy, Theo. Not bad for your first time.”

He rested the palm of his hands on Desiree’s bare arm, making sure that the man saw it. He gently ran it up and down as he said, “Yes, she’s been…good,” he answered, his gaze turning toward her.

Yann laughed and changed the subject. “Have you had a talk with the new clients? I just bumped into one of them and they’ve wanted to see you.”

Theo was checking Tatiana’s reaction but other than the empty smile she pasted on her lips, he didn’t note anything alarming. Not like the last time, he thought. “I’ll be in touch with them. There has been some change of plans,” he informed Yann, hiding any sign of bitterness for having been given a different task.

“I saw you talking to my father earlier,” Tatiana told him.

Theo watched as Yann gripped his wife’s waist toward him and said, “Sweetheart, we were talking about business. You can ask your irrelevant questions later.”

Theo felt anger surge up inside him but he maintained his composure. In their world, it was better to keep you opinions to yourself if business was at hand.

---

She nearly made a scene. They were talking about her like she was nothing but a thing you would find in a store.

But as the group talked, she realized that there were more things to be learned, things she could use against them if the time came.

For one, Tatiana was the daughter of Vernier, the man Theo wanted to have a deal with. And she was married to a prick who saw her as how he saw Desiree: an object for him to use. And Tatiana hated him. There was no question in that.

What fascinated her though was the obvious close relationship between Tatiana and Theo. Were they lovers? Had they been cheating behind her husband’s back? If so, could Desiree use that against them?

She decided to keep that tiny detail to herself at the meantime and hoped that she could use it in the future when she planned for her escape.

Tatiana gave her an empty smile when Theo brought his lips to her ears and whispered, “It’s time to go home.” He then turned to the blonde girl with an apologetic smile and said, “I’m afraid we need to go. Desiree had a long day and so did I. If you see Richard, tell him I’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

She gladly let Theo lead her away from the couple, not bothering to answer their empty goodbyes. Her feet were itching to walk out of that room even if it had to be with Theo. He was willing to throw her as a bribe to a filthy old man, but he was the only one she knew in that place. If she played her cards right, Theo could help her in more ways than one.

---

“Talk,” Marco ordered. They were sitting in the kitchen with the small table between them. His eyes were serious and unwavering.

Khaye gulped. “I don’t know what you want to know. Just ask the questions and I’ll try to answer.”

“First, how did you manage to escape in one piece?”

“When?”

His eyes closed for a moment as he tried to keep his calm. “Yesterday.”

“They just let me go.”

“Why do I find that unbelievable?”

She shrugged, leaning away from the table. “That’s the truth. They just let me go.”

“Who took you?”

“I don’t know. I never saw their faces.”

He looked at her long enough and she sensed that he was far from believing her. Petroff’s words continued to hum inside her head. Khaye closed her eyes. She was tired and she hadn’t had an ounce of sleep. “It was a woman,” she lied with her eyes closed.

“A woman?”

“Yes, it was a woman.”

“What about Karlsson or Petroff?”

“Karlsson?” she asked.

“Richard Karlsson.”

She shook her head. “I didn’t see or heard of them,” she lied again.

“What is this woman’s name?”

“She would have been stupid if she told me,” she answered with as much sarcasm as she could muster.

“What did she tell you? Why did she let you go?”

“She actually didn’t tell me anything. She just asked questions.”

“About what?”

“What I saw, what I heard that night.”

“The night of the murder?”

She nodded her head.

“What did you tell her?”

“The truth, of course. I didn’t see anything, just heard stuff. I told her that.”

She opened her eyes and found herself staring at Marco’s confused face. “I don’t get any of it.”

“And you think I do? All I know is that I am glad I am alive after being taken away from the very place where I should have been safe!”

Marco ignored her outburst and concentrated on the task at hand. “What does she look like?”

“Who?”

“The woman,” he impatiently snapped.

“Red hair. Classy. I can’t really remember. It was dark in there.”

“What did you tell her? Tell me everything you told her about that night.”

“I already told you what I heard that night,” she lied.

Marco shook his head. “No, you didn’t, Khaye. I know you held a lot of things from us.” His eyes held hers intensely and she suddenly grew conscious.

If she told him what she heard that night, Petroff would kill her. He would hunt her down. She had to stick to his orders.

She gulped, squared her shoulders and readied herself to tell another lie.

---

“Can you let go? No one’s looking,” Desiree coldly said to Theo the moment they exited the party.

He did and led her to a different hallway without a word. She heard voices from some of the doors they passed while others, she later found out, led to other hallways. For a moment, Desiree wondered how big the underground world of The Liaisons was. Did it span the whole city as well? If it did, she wouldn’t be surprised. How they managed to keep it hidden from the public was not a mystery. Anyone who had been around enough of them like she did in that party could easily assume that The Liaisons had powerful people to back them up and help them cover up a lot of things.

Would the same thing happen to Jamaica’s murder?

Desiree wasn’t sure what the party they just left was all about, but that didn’t matter because she knew why Theo took her there and it was not for the same reason as everyone else had in that party. He took her there to flaunt her in front of Vernier.

When they finally managed to step out into the same hall that they entered, Desiree looked at Theo. There was no one around and she asked, “What are you really planning to do to me?”

His gaze was blank, bare of any emotions. “Vernier has some things that I want to get a hold of.”

“So you are giving me to him so you can have them?” Her voice shook along with her body. She wanted to get her hands on him.

Theo smiled and shook his head. “I can’t just easily give away eighty million, Desiree. I have more plans for you. But don’t worry. You won’t be anyone’s sex slave as long as you follow my plan.”

She was suddenly confused but relieved at the same time. “And what is that plan?”

He looked at his watch. “I’ll tell you about it in time. But not here. Let’s go. The car’s waiting outside.”

---

“As I’ve said, I was listening behind the connecting door, waiting for the fight to happen. I knew Jamaica was playing around and I was eager to hear what would happen that night. I hate her and Desiree. They’ve been making my life a miserable hell just because they think it was fun to do it on someone who is new in the business.”

Marco was patiently listening, his hands clasped together on the table. His gaze was strong that Khaye had trouble finding the right words to say. He was being such a big distraction, she thought.

“They fought, but only for a while,” she uttered.

“Who fought specifically?”

“The Richard guy and Petroff. Richard was the aggressive one that night, I think. But Jamaica was able to put it off.”

“They stopped fighting?” Marco asked with a frown.

Khaye thought about what she said and nodded. “Yes, they did. Jamaica said the two men knew from the start that she was free to do whatever she wanted with anyone and that included the two of them. It must have hurt their ego, but…well, anyway, they stopped.”

“Then what happened?”

Khaye let a long silence linger between them. This was the most crucial part of her lie. For a second she considered blurting the truth out but then, Marco could be working for Petroff. He would immediately know she didn’t follow Petroff’s orders.

She forced herself to look into Marco’s eyes, praying that he wouldn’t catch on her lie. “They left.”

“They left?”

“Yes. Richard came out first followed by Petroff.”

“I don’t get any of it,” Marco said with disbelief.

“And while Jamaica was still inside the room, someone else walked in.”

Marco’s eyes returned to hers with interest. “Who?”

She hesitated. If she was going to say what she was planning to say, she could ruin someone else’s life. She let the tears run down her face as she said, “It was Desiree. Desiree walked in and she killed Jamaica.”

---

“Ms. Kane told me that you are commonly known as The Liaisons,” Desiree quietly said inside the car.

Theo was resting his head on the backseat, feeling tired. Why is she suddenly curious?

“We don’t have a name,” he informed.

“She also said that. And she told me you guys work for a lot of people and that’s what you do. You make things happen.”

“We don’t work FOR them. We work WITH them. Why are you suddenly curious?”

“I just want to know how disgusting your world can get.”

Theo let out a small chuckle. “You don’t know the half of it.”

“What was Jamaica’s role?” she asked after a long silence.

Theo wasn’t sure if he should answer but he did anyway. “She’s one of the many Walkers. They are the ones responsible for getting stuff in and out of countries, cities or any other places.”

“Like drugs?”

He scoffed. “No, not drugs. We don’t handle drugs that way. They carry a lot of things, but for Jamaica, she mostly carried electronics and artifacts. She once wore the world’s most expensive watch.”

Deisree’s eyes widened in shock. “Was that the watch that—”

“Got stolen?” Theo finished. “She took pride in wearing that for a couple of hours until it was given to its rightful owner.”

He did not say another word and let her digest his words.

His hands were resting on the seat, right beside her leg and he saw her shiver when his finger touched skin. He moved up in a very light caress. Theo watched from the corner of one eye how Desiree held her breath. She cleared her throat and lifted her leg to cross over the other, moving away from his hand. Her head turned to look out the window, her arms crossed over her chest. The intense tension that had developed between them throughout the night did not waver during their long drive home and Theo had to admit that it had been itching on his nerve. His hand felt heavy when he decided to put a hold on it, to make sure it did not wander to the wrong places.

---

Her mind was saying she was tired but her body was screaming otherwise. While Theo was unlocking the door, she looked over her shoulder and watched the car and its driver speed away. The cold wind brushed across her face, awakening her senses even more.

She couldn’t properly process any thoughts since that morning. Everything that happened throughout the day seemed like a dream and she had been walking through it all.

Having been surrounded by the world’s most notorious people, she thought she should be shaking with fright but she wasn’t. She was somehow distracted and she knew by what. She just didn’t want to admit it because it was unthinkable.

Her eyes went to Theo’s hands. She saw his muscles as he moved them to open the door. Struggling to even her breathing, she followed him inside.

He waited until she entered and he closed the door. She made it to the middle of the living room when he snatched her hand and pulled her back. Her body crushed against his and she looked up to him in alarm, her eyes wide.

“I’ve been in hell since this morning,” he hissed above her, his breath brushing her face.

Her words were trapped in her throat as he claimed her mouth. She tried to get away by turning her head to the side but his hand came to the back of her head to force her to stay still. She moaned her protests but his mouth wouldn’t rest above her. He coaxed her to open in an urgent kiss.

Desiree felt her body starting to betray her once again. The hands on his chest began to relax as she stopped fighting. When he felt her resistance began to dissolve, the arm around her waist drew her closer against him.

She opened her mouth and his tongue dove inside, tasting her. Before she knew it, she was answering his kiss in the same hungry fashion. Her hands grasped his shirt above his shoulder as she arched against him in her own accord.

His hand let go of her head and came to fondle her breast. The feel of the fabric kneading against her skin was sending a wave of electric current throughout her body and she ached for more. Desiree thought for a second that they were transported back to that night in the hotel, when everything seemed normal, when she thought that Jamaica was still alive. Maybe she could pretend that she was living that night just this once.

She let him slide the dress off one shoulder, halfway through one arm, and marveled at the feel of his hand on one exposed breast. He kneaded and caressed her until she writhed with great need for more. Her mouth traveled to his throat and she sucked on his skin. His groan vibrated against her lips. She arched her neck as his lips took turn to the sensitive part behind her ear.

Her gasp of surprise when he harshly pushed her away from him was audible to both of them. They were both panting, staring straight at each other’s eyes. She watched as he struggled for control. His jaws clenched and his eyes blazing with anger. What the hell is he angry about now? She wondered.

“I’m not going to let you have control over me just because I want to take you right now,” he said to her, his voice ice cold.

Desiree’s mouth fell open in disbelief.

“I’m going to use you as I had planned and no one’s stopping me from doing that. You don’t have to put up an act and pretend like you want to fuck me too.”

“What?!” she asked, still breathless from their encounter. She couldn’t help but be outraged.

Theo stared down at her, now in full control of his own body. “Cover yourself up. This won’t happen again unless, of course, you beg for it.” He brushed past her and stopped midway to the hallway. “Get dressed and get some sleep this time. We are going out of the country in two days.”

He left her in the middle of the living room feeling nothing but confusion and a great sense of alarm.

Gz<9{

X. The RunAway Model

Desiree had trouble sleeping again that night. Theo handcuffed her again to the foot of his bed and went straight to sleep with an order that she did the same.

Though her body was screaming for her to close her eyes, her mind wouldn’t stop spinning. And as she kept on thinking about her situation, she started to doubt whether she could get away from this nightmare.

Jamaica was dead and everyone thought she did it, Richard on top of that list. The police would wonder about her disappearance and she wouldn’t be surprised if she was their number one suspect right now. But how could she clear her name if she was chained in this cruel fate? And if she did manage to escape after a long disappearance, how would she prove that she didn’t do it?

She had heard Richard that night in the hotel. They had taken care of the cameras in the hotel. There would be no proof that she wasn’t there the night Jamaica was killed. If she as much as show up to the police, there was a big chance that she was going to land in jail. There were only two people who last saw Jamaica and they were Petroff and Richard. She hadn’t seen Petroff. Richard was ready to kill her anytime he got the chance. But that didn’t mean he didn’t do it either. Both men were powerful and they could easily get away from it.

But what about her? The world saw her as nothing but a model who knew nothing but to take advantage of her age and beauty. She was powerless compared to them. Petroff controlled the industry she worked for. Richard was the son of a powerful underground criminal leader.

I have to prove I didn’t do it, she thought.

How?

By learning more of their world. By knowing everyone in it. By catching the real killer.

If she could manage to escape in the future, she’d have to be ready to fight. And she would have to find the right person to talk to. She’d clear her name and spill every dirty little secret of The Liaisons.

---

Marco was silent for a very long time. His eyes told her he didn’t believe her but she had no choice.

She kept her mouth shut and forced her eyes not to waver.

“You told us the night we talked to you a very different story, Khaye,” Marco said, breaking the silence.

“I was scared senseless, okay? I didn’t know what I was saying. You guys were putting a lot of pressure on me. I didn’t want to point out Desiree at the scene because what happened was an accident.”

He gave her a puzzled look. “Accident?”

“From what I heard, it was an accident.” Petroff didn’t tell her this, but she had to make up her own story if she wanted to be believed. “They fought because of Petroff. Desiree saw Jamaica walking out with him from that bar and I think she got jealous.”

“Jealous how?”

“Petroff hooks up with a lot of models. It’s a great advantage to be in his favor. You know how shallow women can get when they are desperate, at least in our world. They may be best friends, but that’s only for the cameras,” she lied again.

Marco didn’t even have a notepad in front of him but it amazed Khaye how he remembered every small detail. “You told us that Desiree was with a man when you ran out of that hotel room.”

She nodded her head. “Yes, she was. They were both walking away from the same hall as me.”

“Tell me exactly what you heard that night Desiree and Jamaica fought.”

“I can’t remember every fucking word they said, okay? I was still at a loss from what happened with that Richard guy and Petroff, trying to wrap my head around what Jamaica could possibly be into other than modeling. All I know is that Desiree came in and she was drunk and she called Jamaica a whore and they fought. There was a bit of commotion and then I just heard Jamaica’s pained scream. And Desiree kept saying she was sorry and all. Then the door opened again and another guy’s voice spoke up and they talked for a while, Desiree in panic, telling the guy it was an accident. He told her they should get the hell out of there and that was it. I think they tidied up the room. Desiree was crying the whole time and then they left. That was when I thought I should get the hell out of there and I saw them running away. That’s the real story. That’s all I can say.”

Marco kept quiet, digesting every word she said.

“Have you had a good look at him?”

Khaye shook her head no.

Total silence ruled between them.

“Where’s Desiree now?” she asked with hesitation.

“We can’t find her. She’s gone.”

Khaye just nodded, a tear falling from one eye. Had they taken her? She wondered. If that was the case, Desiree could be gone for good. Or if she left with at her own will, Khaye hoped they found her soon. But that was nearly impossible because Petroff had told her that all the cameras that night were manipulated, one of the reasons why her lies would be sold. No one could vouch for Desiree after all.

“We are still looking for her,” Marco added. “Then tell me about the ‘money’ stuff Petroff and Richard Karlsson was talking about when they fought inside that hotel room. You mentioned they talked about money.”

“That’s why they left. They talked about the money and I didn’t understand any of it. It was just that Petroff wanted the money as soon as possible and Richard said he’d get it to him in no time. The two men left after that.”

“I don’t believe you when you said you didn’t remember a thing that night. You must have remembered Desiree doing it but you didn’t tell us. Why?”

Khaye shrugged. “I thought it was good to point the murder to the people I didn’t know because the man Desiree was with could be one of them, you know. And as I’ve said, it was an accident. Desiree didn’t do it on purpose. It sounded like a normal cat fight until something went wrong.”

“Then why were you taken? Why would some other bad guys want to take you when the murder was committed by someone else?”

She shook her head. “I don’t know. They asked a lot of questions. They asked if I saw some bag of cash or if I knew where the money went. That Richard guy and Petroff obviously had a lot of connections but when they learned about what really happened, they told me to go back and tell the truth. They didn’t want to be a part of a murder they didn’t commit. At least that was what the lady told me.”

“You know we will talk to Petroff, right? And if he as much as tell us a different story, you will face serious issues, Khaye.”

Khaye nodded. “Do whatever you want. I haven’t seen Petroff or that Richard again after that night.”

Marco narrowed his eyes at her.

“You want it to be them, don’t you?” she asked him.

He arched an eyebrow. “What makes you think that?”

“Because we all know they are the bad guys and they are very much capable of killing Jamaica. You want it to be them.” She wanted to test him, see how he would react. But he didn’t. He just stood up and walked to the kitchen.

“There are fresh linens inside that room. Go get some sleep.”

“We’re done?” she asked in surprise.

“No, we’re not. I know you are lying about something and I can’t point out what as of the moment. But I’ll get you to trust me and tell me everything you know.”

Khaye ignored him. She couldn’t trust anyone anymore. Her secrets would die with her if it meant she’d live for a long time.

---

“How’s your new toy?” asked his brother.

Theo glared at his brother and said, “If you touch her again like the last time, I’ll make you pay for it. She’s worth a lot, you know.”

Richard’s nose flared. “She killed Jamaica.”

“And why are you so worked up about that? You never once showed any signs that you have such a big affection toward that girl.”

“What I had with her was between the two of us.”

“But why do I get this feeling that you’re acting more on guilt rather than revenge?”

Richard did a great job containing his anger. They were inside their father’s office. One wrong move and they would both be in serious trouble.

“You are hiding something, Richard,” Theo said. “It better be just some stupid hate toward a woman rather than something that may affect the business. He trusts us and you know what happens if that trust is stained.”

Richard blinked and all of a sudden, his face was bare of any emotions. “You’re right. Since we are here for business, let’s talk business.”

“First, I want to take Desiree with me.”

Richard looked at him with a mixture of surprise and horror. “That’s absurd.”

“I can’t leave her here for a lot of reasons. She might try to escape and do something to jeopardize our operations. Or you might end up killing her this time. I still need her for a lot of other things. If you are not okay with that, you can risk getting out of the country yourself.”

Richard snared at her but eventually nodded. “Fine. But you take care of getting her new identity because I am not lifting a finger for that bitch.” He sat down behind the table and opened a folder. “And you can use her for your cover. Your stupid idea might not be a bad one after all. Guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer before killing her.”

---

Desiree was silently sitting at one corner of the room. Theo had brought her with him again but this time, it was not Ms. Kane who showed up.

“Hey,” Tatiana said with a curt smile the moment she spotted Desiree in the room. It was a lounge area of some kind, and obviously it was not a private place.

Desiree did not answer and kept mum. She stared at Tatiana from the corner of her eye. The lady was tall and beautiful. Her blonde waves were expertly tied at her nape with a glittering ornament on top. Instead of a dress, she was wearing a simple white shirt and black slacks. For a second, Desiree thought that only the lady could perfect such a look. Tatiana was young, probably just a year or two older than Desiree. But she was out of her league. Desiree brushed off any feeling of intimidation by the lady’s mere presence.

“Where’s Theo?” asked Tatiana as she approached the bar and poured herself a drink.

Desiree kept her mouth shut. She didn’t have to talk to her.

Tatiana took a small sip from her glass and fully turned to face Desiree with a smile. It was a genuine one. “You don’t talk that much, do you?” she asked. “Or maybe Theo told you not to utter a word. I wouldn’t be surprised if he ordered you to stop breathing and you’ll do so without question.”

“He can’t order me around,” Desiree finally said, proving her wrong. “I just don’t want to talk to you.”

Tatiana sighed. “Poor me. I don’t get to talk to a lot of people every day, you know. For a moment I thought you’ll be a breath of fresh air under this… you know… this place.” She rolled her eyes as she brought her glass to her lips. “Do you want a drink?”

“No, thank you.”

“You don’t have to look so glum, Desiree,” Tatiana told her after a while of studying her. The lady took the seat opposite hers. “Theo is probably the best person who could have bought you in that auction.”

You father tried to buy me too, she said in her head. And he still wants me for whatever sick reason.

“You must be feeling helpless right now, being dragged into all this shit,” Tatiana said conspiratorially. “But, really, darling, you should wrap your head around it soon before you go crazy. There’s no getting out of this.”

She decided not to react to that one and kept her words to herself.

It was obvious that Tatiana didn’t have anyone to talk to every day because she kept blabbering without any response from Desiree. “There have been women like you before. They had the same look on them for a while.”

“What happened to them?” she asked, unable to stop herself.

Tatiana smiled. “They learned to love it. Well, some of them did. Some fell into the wrong hands and…we never saw them again. The best example of those who managed to survive and climb up the ladder?” she asked, leaning over to Desiree to whisper, “is Ms. Kane. I assume you’ve met her.”

Desiree was too taken aback to even answer. Ms. Kane? That was hard to believe!

“She was the fastest to embrace this world, dear. I don’t know how the process goes for you because I was born to this. You know, my father being the right hand man of Hong and all. My husband, being the best criminal defense lawyer of almost everyone here, I was born for it. But I mostly handle the legal and the good stuff. We got to make face every now and then, right? So we put up charities. I take pride in that. What I do is the lesser of all evil down here.”

Desiree hardly believed her words. There was something in Tatiana’s eyes that told her she’d rather be somewhere else than this place. She was wise not to point that out though. She didn’t know the woman well. She was friends—or more—with Theo.

“I’m a good person, Desiree, and you can always count on me if we ever become friends. I take care of my friends. Just don’t piss me off because I can be a total bitch if you do.”

“And what would piss you off?”

Tatiana gave her a smile. “You’ll know once we get to know each other.” She jumped off from her seat and started for the door. “I wouldn’t get close to Richard if I were you. You know what happened to Jamaica, right?”

Desiree was about to ask her if she knew anything about Jamaica’s murder and who did it, but the lady was out of the door before she could open her mouth. What did she mean about Richard? Did Tatiana just tell her that Richard killed Jamaica?

---

Marco saw the surprise on her face when Gian showed up the next morning with a bag of groceries.

“You shouldn’t have taken off like that,” Gian snapped but went to his sister to give her a hug. “You okay?” he asked her.

She nodded, her eyes on Marco. She looked puzzled and he wondered why. Did she think he meant to keep her away from Gian?

What really happened that day she was taken?

Of course, he didn’t believe her. If there was something he believed it was that she was scared. But from whom? Petroff? Richard Karlsson?

For now, he had no choice but to play along with her. She had to trust him first before she could tell him the truth. But the time was ticking and Jamaica’s murder wasn’t anywhere near to being solved.

“I have to leave,” he informed Khaye and Gian.

“Where?” Gian asked.

“They’ve located Petroff. He’s back in his office.”

“Are you going to arrest him?” Khaye asked, her voice filled with fear, giving Marco all the more reason to doubt her story.

“We don’t have conclusive evidence to point him the killer. But if you tell us that he took you, we can take him in.”

“He was at the time she was killed,” Gian said.

Marco looked at Khaye and turned his gaze at his partner. “Why don’t you ask your sister what she told me last night? I have to go before Petroff goes missing again.”

As he drove away to Petroff’s office, he wondered what happened to Desiree. She was one of the most important pieces of the puzzle and she was missing. No one could find her after she left that hotel. He grabbed his phone and called someone. “It’s me. I want you to deliver all the tapes we have on that hotel. I know,” he snapped impatiently, “I just want to see them again. Get the tapes to my table within today. I know we missed something.”

---

Theo returned with a brown envelope in hand.

“Let’s go,” he said upon seeing her.

Desiree stood up from her seat and followed him out of the door.

“Where are we going next?” she asked. “I haven’t had lunch yet.”

“Since you asked, let’s get lunch.”

He took her to a restaurant just a block away from the entrance of their underground world. Bold move for him, Desiree thought, but he knew she wouldn’t do anything. There was no one else in the place but them and she was almost certain that he knew the people working there.

He pushed the envelope toward her and said, “That’s your new identity. You have to get used to it from now on.”

Desiree pulled the envelope toward her and opened it. It contained everything from driver’s license to passport. She even had discount cards. And credit cards.

“Ysabel Cushko,” she muttered, her appetite gone. “Why do I need it?”

“As I’ve said, we are going on a trip tomorrow. You’ll need those things.”

“I have credit cards.”

“Which are connected to mine,” he informed her. “I’ll know every move you make with those.”

“So you are planning to turn me loose in no time, expecting that I will return to you and not run away?”

Theo’s eyes bored into hers. “That time may come and you might not even realize it.”

“Like what happened to Ms. Kane? She was auctioned against her will and now she works with you guys.”

“How did you know about her?”

Desiree smiled at him coldly. “I am learning my way around your so-called underground world, Theo. Don’t take me as stupid.”

“Ms. Kane will be very glad to tell you her story. Get it straight from her. You might just be inspired.”

“Fuck you,” she hissed at him.

“Eat. We don’t have much time,” he said instead.

---

“Why do I get this feeling that Marco wants to pin the murder on Petroff and Richard Karlsson?” Khaye asked her brother later that day.

Gian looked at her for a while before his gaze wavered and he said, “We have been hunting down The Liaisons for a long time and a murder like this can be of great help to catching them.”

“The Liaisons?”

“That’s what we call them. They work with a lot of people, including the Mafia. They’ve been involved in a lot of crimes and even political stuff. We want to catch them so we can have a chance of putting a stop to the people they work with.”

“And Petroff and this guy Richard are part of that group?”

“We only know Karlsson. Petroff is a new name and yes, we believe he too is part of that group. These guys know how to hide in plain sight. They get a lot of help from a lot of people. They can pull strings anywhere. That’s why we need to be careful around them. We can’t just take Petroff in. He can use that against us. All the more reasons why we need a great amount of evidence to make them stay in jail for as long as we can. They can easily bail themselves out. It has happened a lot in the past.”

“So you have history with these guys,” Khaye uttered, munching her burrito.

“Marco has more history with them, I guess.” Then, as if he said something he shouldn’t, Gian stood up and walked to the kitchen and pretended to sort the groceries.

“What kind of history?” Khaye prodded her brother. She followed him to the kitchen and rested her forearms on the counter across her brother.

“Not my story to tell, Khaye,” Gian said.

“I don’t trust him. Not at all.”

Gian stopped what he was doing and looked her in the eye. “If there is someone you can trust on this case, it is me and Marco. He hates the Liaisons with passion. That’s all you need to know.”

She scoffed at her brother. “And you expect me to trust him because you do?”

“They killed his father. Among other things,” her brother finally uttered. “But that’s all I am saying. Marco’s story is not relevant to yours. What I suggest you do, sister, is that you start to cooperate. We can’t save your ass if you can’t trust us. And before I forget, don’t you dare touch a thing in this place. This belonged to his father before he died. Show some respect while you are here.”

Khaye fell silent, deep in thought. Maybe it was time to follow her brother’s words. She should consider trusting his partner.

---

Petroff was a man with so much power and Marco had easily sensed that the moment he stepped inside his office. An entire wall was made of glass and it overlooked the city. The wooden floor was well-furnished that it was a shame his dirty boots had to step on them.

Petroff was easily pissed as well because he was frowning at Marco from behind his desk.

“I am a very busy man, Mr. Morrison so get to the point and make it fast.”

Marco did not bother to sit down. He stood in front of Petroff with a determined look. “I want to know where you were the night of Jamaica dela Vega’s murder.”

He wasn’t surprised and he didn’t hide the bored look on his face. “I knew you were going to ask me this question,” he said, his voice laced with his thick Russian accent. “And I am going to tell you the truth. I was on my way back to the city. Check with my secretary if you want to.”

“Someone said you had a fight with Richard Karlsson before Jamaica died.”

He frowned. “I don’t know who that is. I was in my room, ready to leave that night.”

Marco smiled. “You and I both know you know him. And you arranged for our prime witness to be kidnapped right under our noses.”

“Don’t point fingers when you don’t have shit to back up your story, Mr. Morrison. People can easily get pissed.”

“Is that why you killed Jamaica? You got easily pissed?”

“Are you saying I killed that woman? Of course not. Jamaica is one of my best assets. She’s a very good model.”

“She’s good in bed as well, right?”

He got a smile for that. “I won’t say anything about that.”

“And what about Desiree?”

“What about her?”

“Have you seen her?”

Petroff shook his head. “I was hoping you can tell me. We’ve been looking for her ever since I got word of Jamaica’s death. But it seems that she has disappeared from the face of the earth.” He moved his hand with emphasis as he talked. Then he added, “Are you talking with Khaye Perez? I heard she is your prime suspect.”

“She told us a different stories every now and then. She said she heard you and Richard Karlsson fighting inside Jamaica’s room. Then she said she heard you both left her alone alive. Now, she’s pointing at someone else as the killer while days ago, she was adamant that you or Karlsson killed Jamaica.”

“She did? And you believe her?”

“No, not really. That’s why we can’t just let go of the idea that you and Richard Karlsson have something to hide.”

“I don’t know any Richard Karlsson, I am sorry. But if I encounter his name, I’ll give you a call.” He reached out to punch a button on his phone. “Mr. Morrison is leaving. Prepare my next meeting,” he said to his secretary situated outside. Petroff fixed Marco one last look and said, “And you are right. You can’t trust Khaye Perez. She makes up a lot of things. I, for one, am a living testimony of that. But she’s good in bed as well,” Petroff said, giving Marco a wink. “Don’t go trusting women who keep on changing their stories, Mr. Morrison. They may be beautiful, but they can make you run around their soft little palms.”

Marco backed off without tearing his eyes off Petroff. “I’ll be seeing you. So don’t go running away. You might receive an invite to our station.”

Petroff showed off his perfect white teeth. “Gladly.”

Marco left Petroff’s office without getting anything relevant to the case just the fact that Khaye was a known liar. And she didn’t mention she had been sleeping with the boss as well. She was one big mess to deal with, he thought.

For now, he had managed to let Petroff know that they were watching out for him. Marco hoped it would cause an alarm to the man and he’d make the wrong move soon.

He checked his watch. Gian would be watching over Khaye for tonight. He’d talk to her tomorrow. Tapes were waiting for him at the station. He’d have to pull an all-nighter if he had to.

---

“How long are we going to be away?” Desiree asked. Theo had woken her up that morning and barked orders. He told her to pack anything she had. And an hour later, they were driven to the airport. He was in a worse mood than yesterday and she wondered why.

“Two weeks the most. I hope you packed well,” he answered curtly.

They were walking along a current of people in the airport to have their bags checked.

Desiree had no choice but to go with him. If he was bringing her along, he didn’t trust her enough yet. And going away might be a good thing. She could find an opportunity to escape. But he didn’t give any details as to where they were headed. He held the tickets.

Theo passed through security without a hassle, a big relief for Desiree. It meant Theo wasn’t carrying any weapon. It was her turn next. She tried to catch the security guy’s eye but he was busy looking at her passport and at his computer. Apart from the look of admiration thrown at her, he didn’t catch her silent cry for help. Theo was waiting for her to pass through and before she could look at the security with a helpless look again, Theo said, “Honey, I’ll be waiting over there,” throwing her a knowing look before walking a few paces away.

Desiree’s shoulders dropped and stepped away with heavy steps, carrying her carry-on bag.

“Don’t do that again,” he warned under his breath. He grabbed her wrist in a tight hold.

She followed Theo away from the security area, looking around in hope of spotting someone familiar. Any face that she could send a signal to that she was in trouble.

“Sir! Wait up!” a man called behind them. They stopped walking.

Desiree looked over his shoulder and hope flared inside her. It was the same security guy.

“Wait up!” he called out again. His face was serious as he approached Desiree and Theo, his steps cautious and his eyes traveling from her to Theo and back again.

|��uP0�^

XI. Sail Away

Her heart began to hammer against her chest not out of fear, but of hope.

Theo transferred his hand to her arm and gripped her tightly while he flashed a smile at the guard, completely changing his entire look. Desiree hardly recognized him. It was a different smile and it was intended to fool anyone.

“You forgot this, Mrs. Cushko,” said the guard as he neared, his hand outstretched now. He was holding her fake passport.

Desiree felt as if a bucket of ice was poured down over her head. Theo received the passport from the guard with a word of thanks and Desiree wanted to call out to the guy when he turned around to go back to his post.

“Let’s go.” She felt Theo tug her back and she found herself following him further into the airport.

Thirty minutes later, she was onboard the plane, riding business class with Theo beside her.

---

It was the first time Khaye was able to have proper sleep. With her brother watching out for her outside the only bedroom in the apartment, Khaye barely noticed the time pass by.

She only woke up when a bad dream started to unfold before her eyes.

She was in a dark place. She held up her hand and looked down. She could see them but she couldn’t see anything else around her. It was as if a spotlight was pointing right down at her. She tried to call out, but no sound came out her mouth.

Her feet started to move and she felt the room she was in move though she was blind to everything but her own body. When the sensation of movement stopped, Khaye looked down and gave out a loud silent scream. Jamaica’s dead body was lying on the floor in front of her. She was covered in blood. Her eyes were open and she was staring at her, crying out for help. She knew Jamaica was dead but the woman’s eyes held her gaze, telling her to get help.

But Khaye couldn’t see anything. She looked around but there was no one there. It was just total darkness. She bent down to her knees and tried to say something to Jamaica. She wanted to ask her a lot of questions but her voice was gone, stolen from her by the darkness.

Blood started to pour out of Jamaica’s wounds, oozing out and flooding around her lifeless body. Khaye tried to stop them but it was too late. Her own hands were covered in blood.

She shouted at the top of her lungs but there was nothing but silence.

The blood continued to flow until it was nearly covering Jamaica’s body.

Khaye tried to run away but the blood wouldn’t stop rising up. It was up to her ankle now, but she kept running away. She turned to look over her shoulder and realized that she hadn’t gotten any further away from Jamaica’s body. It was still there, almost covered by blood now, still crying for help.

Khaye tried screaming for help as well but it was not working. The blood kept rising and it was up to her knees now. Jamaica’s body floated with it. Khaye knew she was crying but she couldn’t feel anything running down her face. She didn’t care. She just wanted to get out.

She tried to tell Jamaica that she was dead. She panted for breath as the blood rose up her waist, her breasts, and up to her neck. Soon, she would start drowning.

Khaye’s body suddenly sat up in her bed, gasping for air and drenched in sweat. She covered her mouth with shaking hands, trying to muffle her gasps.

She knew it was just a dream but it felt so real. The thought of being drowned nearly left her breathless. She closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down. Gian couldn’t see her like this. He would only worry further.

She fell back against her pillow and stared at the ceiling, her eyes unblinking.

Jamaica’s eyes as she silently cried for help wouldn’t leave her mind.

A tear fell from her eye but she brushed it away harshly, pursing her lips to stop whatever sound her body might create.

Squaring her shoulders, Khaye told herself that Jamaica was dead. She didn’t have to do the right thing. She was the one who was alive and her life in danger. There was no use trying to save Jamaica. She was dead, her body being studied in a morgue somewhere. She, on the other hand, was still breathing and she had to do what she had to do to survive.

---

Marco did not drive back to the apartment after he left the station. He went home where he could be alone to think. He took a short nap and started working on everything they had on the case including the ones he discovered last night.

After taking a shower and with a fresh cup of coffee in hand, he sat in his couch and looked at his notes.

They had very little to go with. In fact, his visit to Petroff may have only caused more trouble. If the man was working with Karlsson, he could alert the man and he may be gone for good. That was the reason why he had appointed men to watch Petroff’s every step, hoping that he would lead them to Karlsson.

And there was Khaye. Marco was almost certain she was not telling the truth. He couldn’t buy her story. The men who took her went through all that trouble just to get her and freed her? Unless they had said something to her or was planning to do something, Khaye wouldn’t be alive right now. But the fact that she was told Marco that something was happening behind his back.

He got up, collected the screenshots he printed from the footages they had from the hotel, and grabbed his keys.

---

“Why are we here?” Desiree asked Theo after hours of silence. They had arrived in Peru an hour ago and they were immediately escorted by some men who refused to even look at her to a car waiting for them outside. She barely had time to look at the view outside the car when they arrived at a shipping dock.

“We’re going sailing,” Theo answered, squinting against the sun before he put on his sunglasses.

She had heard a lot of stories about the Mafia and their drug cartels. She had seen documentaries, watched the movies and even read the books that spoke of such. She never imagined she’d be a part of that. Or she thought she was, just by looking at the large container ships docked before them. They were like giant whales looking down at her, about to swallow her alive.

“So this is how you smuggle the drugs?” she asked, not bothering to whisper. If anyone had heard her, she wouldn’t put up a fight if they took her to the nearest precinct.

Her dress flew around her legs as the wind blew.

Theo finally turned his head to look at her behind his sunglasses. He had that smile on his face that made her feel naïve. “You never told me you have such a great imagination,” he said with mock amusement before he took hold of her hand. He started to lead her away from the car and to two men waiting for them, all dressed in some kind of butler uniforms. “Welcome to Peru, Mr. and Mrs. Cushko. Please, come this way,” said one of them.

Theo did not let go of her hand and followed the two men. They went inside the building and waited while the two men talked with a lady behind an elegant reception area, handed a few papers and finally turned to them and began walking away. They followed, Theo with his confident steps and Desiree with her hesitant ones.

The emerged out of a narrow hallway and into a bridge of some kind that led to the entrance of a ship. Only that it wasn’t a ship. Desiree looked up and her brows fused in confusion.

“A cruise ship?”

Theo looked over his shoulder. “What else did you expect? We’re newlyweds. It’s only right that we go on a honeymoon.”

She did not appreciate his humor. She wanted to pull her hand back and run away. The ship was big and it would sail for weeks in the middle of the ocean. There was no way she could escape whatever was about to happen onboard.

But before she could even consider running away, Theo was leading her inside the ship. Suddenly, Desiree felt she had entered a completely different world. She could hear the engine running below them.

They were about to leave.

---

He wasn’t sure what to do next. Richard was in a hurry to give him instructions for just a short period of time. And in most of that time, he had been talking on his phone, planning whatever he was planning to do behind everyone’s back. And now, Theo was left with no choice but to face this shit he had been avoiding all his life.

He was not cut out for such tasks. He was better off making deals happen.

Not letting go of Desiree’s hand, he followed the two men deeper into the ship, up to their designated cabin, and waited until their luggage were carried in and he was finally alone with her. He looked around and was contented. The room was big enough for the two of them. The carpeted floor muffled the sounds of their shoes. The furnishing was classy, a combination of hard wood and glasses. There was another wooden door that led to the bathroom, an antique dresser, a study table and a floor-to-ceiling wooden cabinet for their clothes. A small dining area was at the farthest side of the room, the round and only window situated above theround table and between the two dark winged chairs . The walls were a mixture of ivory and dark wood. Two paintings hung on the wall over the bed near the dining area. A small chandelier was at the center of the ceiling. It was perfect. If not for the round window of the ship, no one would have guessed they were on a ship at all.

He picked up one of his two suitcases and threw it to the queen-size bed situated at the center of the right wall, right across the bathroom window. Desiree remained standing beside the cabin door, probably waiting for the chance to escape and jump overboard.

She had made this trip a bit of a problem in his part since they arrived in the airport. He didn’t only have to watch over his own back, he also had to consider her presence and her stupid ideas of escape. As if he was left with another choice. If he as much as left her back home, he’d be coming home to a corpse because Richard would not pass up the chance to lay his hands on her. His crazy brother was mentally unstable as of the moment and Desiree dead would ruin his entire plans. She was a vital pawn to his game.

“I’ll be going to start making my business tonight and I expect nothing from you but—” he stopped when he turned around and did not find her where he expected her to be. The door was open and the stupid woman tried to escape. Again.

Theo closed his eyes, pressed his thumb and forefinger on both sides of the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. He slowly let it go before walking out the door in two strides. With her high heels, she was slow but was already rounding out the left hallway. Theo took his time, taking just long strides without running. There was no way she could run away from this ship now that the bridge had been pulled away.

This was the exact reason why he planned on boarding the ship last.

“Ysabel, dear, please stop,” he called out her fake name, following her to another corner. She looked over her shoulder before she climbed up the stairs leading to the deck.

Tourists with as much money as him rarely roamed the hallways at this time. They were probably at the bar, drinking or in their cabins taking a rest before they partied for the night.

“This is my last warning, sweetheart,” he said as calmly as he could. He climbed up the stairs two steps at a time. “You know you can’t go anywhere. The ship has sailed and unless you want to jump and swim against the current of the ship’s engines, you better stop and come back to our cabin.”

When he reached the top, he was greeted with the most unexpected thing: a fist right at the center of his face.

He nearly fell back down the stairs but his right hand managed to grab on the wooden railing of the staircase. He forced his vision to clear, his hand on his face. “Fuck!” he shouted.

“You deserve more than that,” Desiree’s voice said as she pushed her way past him and back down the stairs.

“Desiree!” he shouted after her but she continued walking.

He realized she was going back to their cabin. He tried to stretch his jaw while he leaned against one wall. One of his fingers touched his nose and it was bleeding. Not heavily, but enough to make him wince.

Theo quickly walked back to the cabin to confront Desiree but she locked him out. He knocked twice and said, “Open this door at once, Desiree, or you’ll regret it,” his voice full of warning.

She ignored him. The door remained lock and he remained outside, deciding what to do next. He paced back and forth in front of their cabin, his hands on his hips and his head bent.

They just arrived and she already made a big drama. He saw a crew pass by and he stopped her. “Can you open this door? My wife locked me out accidentally. She’s inside and I think she’s fallen asleep. Now, I’m trapped,” he said with a smile.

It was clear on her face that she didn’t believe him because her gaze lingered on his damaged nose for a while before she smiled and said, “I’ll get someone to open the door, Mr. Cushko.”

“Thanks,” he said, doubting her words.

As she walked away, he saw the contempt on her face. She looked over her shoulder once more to give him a look that said, “ You deserve it, you bastard. “

Theo tried the door once again but Desiree was completely ignoring him.

The woman who said she would get someone clearly took her precious time because another hour had passed before a man came with a master keycard in hand. Theo stared at the card for a while before he explained his situation again.

The man apparently knew the story before he came but he did not comment and opened the door for him.

Desiree was lying on the bed, asleep when he came in.

Theo waited until the door was closed behind him. He closed his eyes again and calmed himself. There was no use hurting her at this moment though he wanted to shake her so bad. She was sleeping like an angel that he hardly believed she managed to almost knock him off his feet earlier.

But he couldn’t just let that one slip. He strode toward her, grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward until she was sitting up in bed, startled and in panic after being woken at such manner. Theo did not give her time to recover from the shock and leaned down at her until his broken nose was nearly touching hers. He saw the panic in her eyes and he held them prisoner. “You do that again and you will never leave this cabin again. You’ll spend the entire three weeks chained in bed and I promise you, you will not like it.” He let her go and turned to the direction of the bathroom.

---

Marco arrived before sunset. Gian left soon after to go home and go to the station to gather more evidence.

Khaye was once again left with the man.

He didn’t waste a lot of time asking his questions again.

He ordered Khaye to sit down and threw photos on the table before her. She looked at them with curiosity. “What are these?”

“They are from the cameras on the day after Jamaica was killed. We managed to set them up before we started to allow people from exiting the hotel. We thought we didn’t miss a thing, but obviously we did. No one suspicious was left after that day. Everyone managed to go out or escape our search and questioning. However they managed that is, sad to say, quite brilliant. Look at the photos,” he motioned his head at her, “very closely and tell me if you recognize anyone there.”

Khaye took a deep breath and looked at each photo with keen eyes. She immediately recognized Richard Karlsson. In the photo, he was holding out his hands, but there were no signs of tattoos. She frowned.

Marco must have seen her reaction because he asked, “What is it?”

“His tattoos are gone,” she said, pointing at the photo. There was no use lying at this point. Marco showed her this photo because he saw something in it. She couldn’t be caught lying twice. “This is the man, the Richard guy.”

Marco nodded. “He obviously covered his tattoo well. But considering his reputation, it is not a shock to know that he managed to escape.”

Khaye just nodded and turned her attention back to the next photo. She frowned down at it. It was of a red-head woman and a man standing side by side. “I am not quite sure, but I think this is Desiree.” She pointed at the red-head. “But it couldn’t be. Her hair is different.”

“How can you say it’s her?”

“The way she stands. I don’t know. Being around her for a long time, I can tell. Maybe if I can watch the video, I can point out for sure. And this is the man she was with that night!” She transferred her finger to the man beside the red-head. “I am almost certain.”

Marco’s face was serious. He slowly nodded his head.

“You think they got away?”

He looked at her and did not say anything. “You may be our prime witness but I cannot tell you every detail about the investigation.”

Her nose flared. “Then why—”

Marco turned his back at her. “From my talk with Petroff yesterday, I can assume that you easily lie about a lot of things, Khaye. So it is best to keep you in the dark like you do to us.”

“And you believe that bastard—”

He turned to face her again. “I don’t believe anyone. I only look at the facts. And I will get them from you sooner or later.” He held her gaze as he added. “You’ll watch the footages tomorrow. And after you do, I only expect the truth from you. Otherwise, you can go back on the streets and risk your own fucking life because I will not lift a finger to help you again.”

Khaye realized Marco was serious.

Though she had a deal with Petroff, it was not an assurance that she would be safe.

But if she betrayed him, it could be worse.

Khaye was torn. Which side should she go with?

XII. Promises Made, Promises Broken

Theo ordered her to dress up for dinner that evening. He picked her dress for her and she grudgingly obliged because of two things: one, she was not willing to test his patience the second time that day, and two, she had to eat a proper meal.

His eyes roamed over her when she reappeared from the bathroom wearing the layered dark blue chiffon dress and Desiree suddenly grew conscious of the kind of tension between them that she didn’t want to experience. She pushed and locked it inside the deepest part of her mind, reminding herself that the man she was with on the night Jamaica was killed was nothing but an idea. He was not Theo, the man who bought her to use for his own personal gains.

Just like tonight.

There was no doubt in her mind that their dinner would not only be spent chewing expensive meat.

“I won’t be surprised if someone ends up dead tonight,” she muttered under her breath as he opened the door.

His dark eyes looked at her for a few seconds, flicked toward her lips and back to hold her eyes once more, and said, “Why? Planning to stab someone in bed again?”

Desiree’s jaw clenched and her nose flared. She squared her shoulders and walked out the door. “If you really believe I killed Jamaica, you should have just given me to your disgusting brother because I think I am better off dead right now,” she spat out, walking ahead to end their conversation. She couldn’t help the tears that rolled out of her eyes and she angrily wiped them with the back of one hand.

Focus. You have to focus and be alert. You’re on your own now. You have to survive. She talked to herself because if she didn’t, she might just take her chances overboard. And she was at the brink of doing just that.

---

Theo had to be extra cautious that night. Not only because it was his first time to do this kind of job, but also because Desiree had the tendency to cause quite a bit of trouble. She had already done so earlier and she could very well do the same thing again.

There were quite some people on the deck that night, all dressed nicely for the dinner. A live jazz band was playing at one corner while everyone made acquaintances with their fellow cruise goers. Theo had never been on a cruise because he never found it to his liking. To be trapped on a ship for the most part of the journey was a total social disaster for him. He could be charming to clients, but he had his limits. He couldn’t stay on a ship with the same people for weeks.

But this one he had to do because his stupid brother had been reckless in the past and now he was a hunted man again.

Desiree turned toward to him with a questioning look when they reached the entrance of the dining place. He didn’t know where they were supposed to sit so he just took her hand and guided her to the concierge who, by some unknown protocol, recognized them and pointed them to their table.

He noted Desiree’s cautious state and he ignored it. His eyes scanned the deck for the person he was looking for. He easily found him because of his companions. The two young white boys looked exactly alike. They both looked like any normal eight-year-old twins by the way they were dressed, but their actions told Theo otherwise. Their movements were out of the ordinary as they observed everything with awe. For a moment, he thought the man should have used a different cover, one that could easily be believable and natural-looking. But then, nobody on the deck seemed to care at all. Everyone had their own things to worry about at the moment and the most pressing one was the selection of food.

The man sitting with the twins looked up from his menu and caught Theo’s eyes. He gave a small nod and Theo answered with one. He noticed the man’s gaze involuntarily wander to the left and he followed its trail. Theo’s eyes landed on a Chinese couple sitting across each other, both smiling and talking without a care to the world.

“Who is that?” Desiree asked from across the table. Theo shot her a look. “What? It is obvious you know that guy,” she said under her breath.

He chose not to answer and pretended to scan the menu.

“Is he your target? Are you going to kill him and his kids?”

“No one is killing anyone,” he bit out through clenched teeth. “And they are not his kids.”

Desiree looked surprised.

“They are his cover.”

“To do what?”

His eyes went to the Chinese couple behind her without answering her question. He saw the man’s eyes flicker toward the American and the twins and back to his lady companion again. Theo’s eyes went back to look at Desiree’s again. “Do you want to know what we are really doing here?”

She shrugged, pretending not to care though her curiosity was clearly painted on her face. “Since I don’t have a lot of entertainment tonight, I’d take your story for now.”

Theo considered it for a second before he spoke, “We are here to make sure that a very important package for one of our clients will be delivered on time and intact to where it is supposed to be.” He let his words sink in before he continued. “And that man with the twins has the package. The kids are his cover. They are supposed to be his brothers and they are taking this tour after their parents died a year ago. It’s a fresh start for them. Well, that’s their cover story, anyway.”

Desiree did not say anything but kept her eyes fixed on his as she waited for more.

“The package has been delivered to Peru a week ago and now it’s my task to make sure that it doesn’t meet any trouble before we dock back to where we came from. From there, I’ll get the package and deliver it to the client.”

Desiree frowned. “That’s all? You made such a big fuss over it because of that simple task?”

Theo smiled at her mockingly. “You don’t know a lot about this business. The packages we deliver are very priceless that our clients get a lot of competition. No one can be trusted, including the delivery man himself.”

Realization hit her and she started to move her head to scan the deck but Theo stopped her by grabbing her hand and pulling it toward him. “Don’t look anywhere. Smile and pretend like you really enjoy looking at him.” He waited until she did so and he continued, “Now that you know what I mean, I want you to do something.”

She was already shaking her head before he even finished. “I am not doing anything for your fucking business.”

Theo sighed and leaned back against his chair, letting go of her hand. “As you wish.”

She remained quiet for a long time until they made their orders. When their wine was served and she had a sip from her glass, she cleared her throat and said, “I guess I can do something for you if you are willing to let me go after we dock back home.”

Theo smiled at her and shook his head. “Nice try, but I guess I can handle this one on my own.” His eyes went back to the Chinese couple and again to the American and the twins. “I can find a way.”

Desiree was silent for a while again, probably thinking. She cleared her throat again and asked, “Are those kids going to be in trouble if things don’t go as planned?” Her voice was wary as she looked at him.

Theo shrugged. “They might be, if things go against my plans.”

She took a deep breath and tried again, “And if I do what you want me to do, we can all go home safely?”

“There is a big chance we all might, yes.”

She brought her wine back to her lips and took a big gulp. “Okay, since you are not letting me go and since I cannot do anything for you without anything in return, I am willing to offer another bargain.”

He raised his brows and waited, his lips twitching in amusement.

Desiree’s eyes held his strongly. “I want you to tell me what you are planning with Vernier.”

It was his turn to frown. “What do you mean?”

“I want to know what you are planning to do to me with Vernier. I want the specifics. I want to know.” He saw the fear in her eyes before she blinked them away.

Theo considered it and nodded. “Okay.”

“You’ll tell me?”

“Yes. I promise. And I keep my promises.”

She obviously didn’t believe him because she said, “You will tell me something every day. If you don’t, I will not continue with whatever you want me to do here.”

Theo closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I fulfill my promises, Desiree. I will tell you everything I am planning for you with Vernier once this thing is over. Either you take my word on that or you stay in our cabin for the rest of three weeks.”

Desiree looked over to the twins who were eating their food with so much gusto. When her eyes landed back to Theo, she said, “What is the package?”

“An electronic device that contains our client’s organizational information among other things you don’t want to know while you are alive.”

Desiree nodded and swallowed. “Okay. Fine. What do you want me to do?”

---

Marco drove her to the station as fast as he could. He didn’t say anything to her while in the car. Not that she wanted to have small talk with the man, but she was not just used to being treated this way.

Gian hadn’t shown up since he left the apartment, but he was at the station when they arrived. Marco immediately locked her inside the room with just him and Gian inside and told her to watch the footages very carefully.

“I can’t do that with an empty stomach,” she snapped at him. He gave a frustrated sigh and left to get her some donuts.

Gian was looking at her pointedly when Marco closed the door, leaving the two of them alone.

“What?” Khaye snapped at her brother.

“We are not playing some games here, Khaye. Marco wants this case over with once and for all. We are all tired. Not just you, but everyone else in this building.”

She scoffed. “For all I know, he only wants to use me to catch Petroff and this Karlsson guy and their blasted organization, the Liaisons or whatever it is.”

Khaye cried out in shock when her brother suddenly kicked an empty chair across the room in anger. “I don’t have time for this, Khaye. If you think being a bitch will save your life, then be my guest. But I am not letting anyone hurt your or make a fool of our team because you are holding out a lot from us.”

“I am not—”

“And you keep on telling lies that not a soul in this building believes. Get your act together and stop fucking with us.” Khaye suddenly saw Gian not as her brother but as someone like Marco. He was seriously pissed.

Her gaze wavered and a tear fell from her eye. “Has anyone ever asked me what I am feeling right now? Has anyone even considered that I am so fucking scared shit here?!” she screamed at him. “I just want my old life back! I just want this shit to be over as much as you all do!”

For a moment she thought Gian would give in but he didn’t. He leaned down on her and faced her squarely. “Then do the right thing and tell us everything. I don’t even know why you called me for help if you only tell us fucking lies.” Her brother left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Khaye was left confused and in shock. She wanted to tell them the truth but she wasn’t sure who to trust. She trusted her brother, but she couldn’t trust him to trust the right people.

The door opened and Marco came in. He must have heard the commotion from the room earlier but he didn’t make any comment. He went to pick up the chair her brother kicked to the wall and dragged it beside hers. He handed her some donuts before he sat down and reached for the button. “I hope you can watch this without popcorns. That’s all we have,” was all he said.

Khaye kept her mouth shut and focused her eyes on the screen.

---

“His cover name is Mr. Berkeley. He is an American whose parents recently passed away. He and his brothers got quite a lot of money from their parents’ insurance and their own trust funds. The twins had depression and this is Mr. Berkeley’s way to help them deal with their loss.”

“They didn’t look depressed to me. They looked more like they haven’t eaten in days,” Desiree said with a scoff.

They were inside their cabin having breakfast. She looked refreshed while he had to massage his neck for having to spend the night in the couch. Desiree made it sure that she got as much from this task of hers as she could.

He was fine giving up the bed as long as the package was safe and would reach their client’s hands in three weeks.

“And that’s all I have to do? Find out anything fishy?”

“You don’t have to find out. Just make sure that he doesn’t do anything stupid. I’ll keep an eye on the Chinese couple. If Mr. Berkeley as much as double crosses us, he’ll be in trouble.”

“How do I do I make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid?”

“Distract him. He knows you’re with me but give him an impression that you hate it.”

“That will not be very difficult,” she uttered as she buttered her bread.

He ignored her comment and continued, “Make him think you are willing to jump in his ship if things go south. That way he’ll trust you.”

“And if he doesn’t?”

Theo blinked before giving her a small smile. “Let’s just make sure that he does.”

---

“Well? Is it her?” Marco asked after the last footage turned black.

Khaye was certain it was Desiree and she nodded her head. There was no point lying now. Sooner or later, they would find out. Anyone from their agency could point out it was Desiree walking out of that hotel.

“Are you certain?”

“I am very familiar with her movements. That’s her.”

Marco shifted in his seat to face her with a serious look. Khaye brushed her hair with her fingers and looked away.

“It’s about time you tell us the truth, Khaye. We are all losing our patience. You should know that we would rather go back to one than stick to an unreliable source.”

She suddenly felt threatened. The thought of the police turning their back on her was unimaginable. Gian was angry at her and Marco basically told her they didn’t want anything to do with her. Was that what she wanted at this point? Could she go back to her old life now?

“It was Petroff who took me,” she blurted out before she could stop herself. The tears fell from her eyes as the words crammed behind her throat, wanting to spill out all at once. “He told me to lie to you. He told me I’ll get killed if I tell you anything.”

Marco did not show any reaction. He just patiently and quietly sat beside her, gauging her words. “Did he do it?”

“They took, me didn’t he? He must have done it!”

“They?”

“Petroff knows this Richard Karlsson guy. He’s the one on that footage. I am sure of that. His tattoos are gone, but they can easily be covered with makeup. I swear to you, I am telling the truth, Marco, so please don’t let them get to me. They’ll kill me now that I told you. They’ll kill me once they know I talked.”

It was now apparent on Marco’s face that he had a lot of questions for her but he was taking it slow. She appreciated his silence as she cried. He didn’t offer any comfort but it was enough that he didn’t say he didn’t believe her.

At that very moment, Khaye was desperate for him to believe her. Everything from this moment on could end up wrong for her, but she had done it. She said the words and there was not taking them back. She broke her promise to Petroff and Marco better give her a better one before she ended up dead.

---

Desiree thought that she should have asked more from Theo but ensuring the twin’s safety was her first priority. The bastard knew how to play his cards right and he found her weakness. He didn’t have to tell her what could happen to the two kids if she didn’t cooperate. She would rather die than see anyone on this ship die for the sake of a crazy electronic device.

She walked out of the cabin in a strapless maxi floral dress with Theo not far behind her.

“Don’t overdo it,” he warned before he let her walk further away from him.

She began her hunt for Mr. Berkeley and succeeded in finding him lounging on a chair beside the pool. The twins were playing in the water along with the other kids and she found it ridiculous. No one would ever guess what those kids were going through. They looked innocent yet wary at the same time.

She wondered if the kids had any idea what was happening or if they went with the American on their own will. But however they got hold of those kids, Desiree was certain it wasn’t far from how she got to be here.

Her heart began to hammer when Mr. Berkeley’s eyes landed on her. She forced a small smile on her lips and continued walking toward him, closing the distance between them.

She took the empty seat beside him and crossed her leg over the other. “It’s nice of you to take them swimming,” she uttered under her breath, wishing her tone sounded a bit more casual.

Mr. Berkeley looked younger up close. He was quite charming as well, she noted.

He could get away with anything.

“They know how to play, you know.”

She forced a scoff. “Nice cover though,” she said, trying to sound nonchalant, like it was an everyday topic.

“It’s my first time as well. Have always used a woman before,” he said, his eyes wandering to her bare shoulders.

Desiree gave him a smile that was intended to be seductive. Theo said not to overdo it so she was doing it. Men could get too shallow. It was better to lay it all out. “Well, you can always have one here. Just take your pick.”

Mr. Berkeley’s gray eyes looked at her brown ones and a smile crept up his face. She knew that look. She had seen it many times from the men she had encountered in the past. “I just might.”

“I’ll be looking forward seeing you try.”

Desiree returned the smile. Theo should have known this was going to be a very easy task.

---

Theo almost jumped from his seat when he spotted Desiree and Mr. Berkeley stand up and disappear into the dressing rooms.

She could get herself into trouble, he thought. He shook his head and thought better of it. The man would not be so stupid to jeopardize everything by hurting her.

He checked his watch. He’d give them a few minutes.

His eyes went to the twins playing in the pool. Then he scanned the area for any sign of the Chinese couple from last night. There was none. He checked his watch again.

Five minutes.

He was getting restless.

His jaw clenched in anger. He told her not to overdo it. She should have just talked to him and left.

“Fuck it,” he whispered under his breath before he jumped to his feet and stormed toward the dressing rooms.

But before he reached the door, Desiree stumbled outside with a laugh and Mr. Berkeley was right behind her doing the same thing. Theo did a sharp turn and hid behind a potted palm tree, casually checking his phone for nothing.

“That was really amazing,” Desiree said in between giggles.

“It was, wasn’t it?” Mr. Berkeley asked, reaching for her hand and pulling her close. Theo saw him whisper something in her ear and he saw her stiffen for a second before she giggled again and pushed him away.

“I’ll think about it,” he heard Desiree say. “For now, I got to go. You know my companion can be very possessive.”

“I like that kind of challenge,” Mr. Berkeley said in a husky tone.

“Now that is a challenge I want to see,” she answered before leaning close to whisper in his ear. Theo clenched his jaw until she stepped back and walked away from their target.

---

“I just have one question before we take this thing somewhere,” said Marco, breaking the silence.

Khaye waited.

“Desiree obviously went out of that hotel room with the guy you saw her with the night Jamaica died and Richard Karlsson and another unidentified lady. Was there any indication that she knew them before the incident?”

Khaye shook her head. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen Desiree with a lot of men before. And if she was with any, she never talked about them. I am not sure what her involvement is with that guy or with Richard Karlsson.”

“Did her actions on the footage seem odd to you in any way?”

“She was a bit nervous, yes, but that doesn’t tell us a lot, right?”

She was right, Marco thought.

He heard her sniff and he squatted before her on the ground. “Khaye, I promise that if you tell me everything you know without any lies or made up shit, I will do everything to make sure that you stay alive. Otherwise, we are just going to be pawns in their games. We have to find out who killed Jamaica and bring those people behind bars where they belong. That’s the only way you can be safe. Do you understand? I am not going to let anything happen to you. Did you hear me?”

When he saw her wipe more tears off her face, he decided they needed to leave the station. If she had decided to tell him the truth, her life might be in danger now. He didn’t know who worked for Petroff in the station and he was sure there was at least one. This was the least safe place for her right now.

He stood up and held out his hand for her. “We have to go.”

She gladly obliged by taking his hand and letting him pull her out of her chair.

“Where are you going?” Gian asked, his gaze on his sister, when they stepped out of the room.

“We can’t talk here,” Marco answered his partner. He pulled Khaye to the entrance, in a rush to take her somewhere safe. He had promised to keep her safe now that she finally decided to tell them the truth.

Marco was exiting the station with Khaye briskly walking beside him, her hand grasping his for dear life.

“Marco, wait!” Gian cried out behind them.

Marco looked over his shoulder to say something to his partner and that was his worst decision that day.

It just took one second of unguarded curiosity before everything went wrong and all hell broke loose.

The shot rang out and before Marco could react to it, Khaye was already falling on the ground.

XIII. Backfire

Marco literally dragged Khaye’s limp body away from the entrance while the other detectives ran out with their guns. Gian was kneeling over his sister and shouting for someone to call for help.

It was Marco who thought of assessing Khaye’s physical state. He felt a pulse but it was weak and her breathing wasn’t good either. She had lost consciousness and there was a lot of blood over the right side of her chest. He located the bullet entrance just near her clavicle. “We have to take her out of here now,” he said to Gian.

His partner looked over his shoulder where the detectives were scattered. Some of them already ran across the street to get to the building where the shooter must have been hiding. Gian didn’t waste more time and took Khaye in his arms. Marco ran outside to get his car. He was already wailing his siren by the time Gian managed to get Khaye in the backseat.

On their way to the nearest hospital, Gian tried to shake Khaye to her senses. She opened her eyes once but that was all. She was losing a lot of blood. Marco shouted orders to the other detectives back in the station. He called a trusted team to gather the footages from the station and the cameras across the street. “Make sure no one touches them other than your team, you get it? No one gets those damned footages!”

They reached the hospital and Khaye was immediately handed over to the ER nurses. Marco had to stop Gian from running after the team when they wheeled her to the surgical area.

“Hey, she’s going to be okay,” he said to his partner.

Gian’s face pictured more than just worry. Marco saw the anger in his eyes. “We shouldn’t have let her be involved in this.” He looked at the closed door behind him with regret.

“There is no point in thinking what we should have done or shouldn’t have. It already happened. And this just means one thing,” he said, sitting down on a vacant chair and leaning his head against the wall. “Your sister is in danger from the very people we have been hunting down for years. If she goes through with this, we have to make sure that she stays alive.”

Gian did not answer. He just stared at Marco for a moment, his face unreadable. “I need some air,” he said before taking off.

---

“What did you do inside that room?” he asked her the moment she stepped inside the cabin.

Desiree stepped out of her heels and walked to the bar. She needed a drink after her crazy and nerve-wrecking encounter with Mr. Berkeley. “Nothing. Just what you wanted me to do.”

“I didn’t tell you to drag him into a fucking dressing area.” His voice was cold, almost angry.

“You told me to get close to him, didn’t you? I just did what he suggested we should do. There was no harm done.”

“He could have easily strangled you do death back there. Have you realized that? Were you so confident that he would stick his dick out instead of a knife?”

Desiree’s jaw tightened. “What the fuck are you talking about?” She took a gulp of brandy to calm her nerves. “Do you think we did it back there? How could we have managed that?” she asked when he did not say a word. Turning around to face him, she looked at his blank face and asked, “Are you jealous?”

The anger on his face was so sudden that it almost took her aback. “This trip is very important for me that a petty thing as jealousy doesn’t even have a fucking place in it. What you do with that man concerns me because he has what my client wants. You make one wrong move and this can all end up bad and that includes the children. You don’t want that, do you?”

“You are the devil himself,” Desiree spat out.

“You haven’t seen the devil yet, Desiree. And if you wish not to, follow my orders. Don’t do improvisations because there’s no room for that.” He got up and started for the door.

“Aren’t you curious what we did in that room?” she asked after him, her voice taunting and testing.

“He must have liked your performance from what I saw after you both got out. That’s enough for me.” He looked at her over his shoulder and added, “But don’t do it again. He’s not someone you would want to be alone with. I can’t promise your safety once that happens so no sex with the man, Desiree, otherwise you might just end up like your friend.”

Theo left the room after he said that and did not return until it was lunch time. By then, Desiree had already fallen asleep, thinking how she could make Mr. Berkeley trust her. Asking him to show his unique and detailed tattoos wouldn’t be enough next time.

---

“The wound was not the problem. It was the amount of blood loss,” the doctor was explaining to Gian. His voice became distant to Marco as he focused his attention on Khaye’s pale face. There was no use explaining how they managed to save her. The important thing was that she was alive.

They were still transfusing blood and he watched the IV line filled with the dark red liquid attached to her hand. She looked really pale and the ray of sun through the window made her look like she was on her deathbed. But her breathing was gentle and consistent now and that was all that mattered. Her entire chest was covered with bandages.

“I have to make a call to our parents,” Gian said behind him after the doctor left. “They’ve been calling nonstop.”

“Are they coming?” Marco asked.

“I told them not to come. It’s not safe for anyone. It’s not safe to drag more people into this shit.” He looked at his sister’s sleeping form. “I’ll be right back.”

“You go get some rest. I’ll watch over her tonight.”

Gian considered it for a second. He nodded and sighed. “I’ll need to get her things anyway. Are you sure it’s okay?”

“I promised her I’ll make her safe if she starts telling me the truth. And the minute she did, she was shot. The hell I’m okay with it.”

“Thank you,” Gian said before leaving.

“And Gian, I think we need to take her somewhere else.”

“Why?”

“You know why. Your sister is as good as dead here.”

“Okay. Whatever you think is best.”

Marco expected Gian to contradict, to say that Khaye needed to heal completely. Maybe he was just stressed and he couldn’t think straight.

Alone with Khaye that night, Marco started to make plans.

---

Khaye didn’t know where she was when she opened her eyes. She felt some sort of pain but couldn’t point out where it came from.

She tried to speak but her throat was dry. What came out was a soft groan.

“You’re awake,” Gian’s voice said.

She closed her eyes again and tried to ask her question.

“You’re in the hospital.”

The hospital? What happened?

“You were shot, Khaye. But you’re okay now. You’re safe.”

Everything suddenly came back to her. She was at the station and she watched the footages with Marco. She told him everything about Petroff and then they were leaving in a hurry. That was the last she remembered. A faint memory of a gunshot lingered somewhere but that was the extent of her memory.

“Shooter,” she tried to say but it came out as a whisper.

“The shooter?” Gian asked. “We didn’t catch him.”

There was something wrong with her brother, she thought. He didn’t sound like he was himself. Maybe it was just her. She wasn’t okay. She must be hearing things differently.

Khaye tried to open her eyes again until it didn’t hurt anymore. She scanned the room and found her brother beside her bed, looking at her with blank eyes. She frowned. “Wha…what’s wr…wrong?” she breathed out.

Gian stayed motionless for a moment before he blinked and forced a smile on his face. “Nothing. Everything’s fine. You’ve been asleep for two days now. I am glad you’re awake.” He reached for her hand and gently squeezed it.

There was definitely wrong with him and she didn’t like it. “Where…where…”

“Marco? He’s doing something. He wants to take you somewhere safe.”

She gave a short nod. Yes, she wanted to be taken away. Away from everything. She wanted to be safe. She didn’t know who she could trust now. She was shot the moment she decided to tell Marco the truth.

Her eyes went back to her brother’s again. He was acting weird. It may not be obvious to others, but as his sister, she was certain something had changed.

His presence alarmed her in a weird way and at that moment, she wasn’t sure she felt. She couldn’t even bring herself to trust her own brother.

---

“Where are you going?” Theo asked with a frown.

“Mr. Berkeley invited me for drinks tonight.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You already went out for drinks last night.”

Desiree shrugged her bare shoulders. “There’s nothing much to do on this blasted ship, is there?”

He crossed his leg over the other and stared at her from head down. “You sure made a lot of effort for a night of drinking.”

“He enjoys my choice of wardrobe. Don’t deny I am not making any progress.” For three days now, she had managed to make Mr. Berkeley spill something about the Chinese couple traveling with them. He didn’t directly say he knew them, but he referred to them as people he was familiar with.

“You’re doing a very good job, actually, considering what you’re going to get after this is all over,” he said.

“I would do anything if it means I can save those two boys. And knowing your plans for me in regards to Vernier is a bonus point.”

He let the silence linger between them before he spoke. “You know you can’t do anything for them once we reach home, right? They are not ours to be bothered with in the first place.”

“You don’t have to own anyone to do something nice to them. Oh,” she said, feigning surprise. “Of course you don’t know that. You own me and you treat me like…well, whatever. I am sure you won’t understand since you grew up thinking that way. I can’t blame you either for being who you are. Your father surely made you that way.” She turned and went for the door. “Don’t wait up. And don’t lock the door. I promise to give you some info when I get back. He talks a lot when he’s drunk, you know.”

“Desiree.” His voice sent chills up her spine. She must have hit a nerve somewhere in her speech. “Remember what I told you.”

She scoffed. “Don’t worry, Theo, I can take care of myself.”

“What the hell do you mean by that?” She was startled when his voice came near. He had stood up and walked toward her without a sound.

“You know I can’t promise I won’t jump in bed with that man.”

“You are considering fucking him to save those children?”

She looked him straight in the eye and mockingly smiled. “I’ve done that for less, haven’t I? Remember?”

He grabbed her hand as she reached for the door and roughly whirled her around to face him. He inched his face down until their noses almost touched and she felt his breathing brush against her skin. “That was different.”

Desiree tried to pull away but he held her firmly. She scoffed and equalled his gaze. “Oh, yeah? Well, maybe it was. Maybe you deliberately seduced me to your bed to make sure I end up at this very spot. Maybe I have been your pawn from the very start, right?”

“You are talking nonsense.”

“Let me go, Theo,” she bit out. She was getting uncomfortable with their closeness. “Or I’ll start thinking you are getting irrationally jealous.”

With that, he pushed her away and walked back to his chair. “Just be sure that you don’t go screaming my name for help if he ends up murdering you in bed.”

She chose not to answer and left.

Mr. Berkeley was already waiting for her at the bar and his eyes devoured her as she walked in. “Where’s Theo?” he asked.

“Oh, you know, busy with his work. That’s why I told you this trip is getting boring.” She rolled her eyes as she said it, tucking her short her behind one ear. She looked him up and down. “Where are you brothers ?”

“I had to lock them in the cabin. I’m starting to get the feeling that I made the wrong choice here.”

“What wrong choice?”

“Traveling with kids,” he said, his voice full of meaning as his eyes went to her lips.

She ran her tongue through them and smiled. “I want something to drink.”

“Of course,” he said, raising his hand to order.

---

“Something came up,” Gian told him outside the hospital door.

“What?”

“They found the missing shoe in one of the rooms. No one seemed to have noticed it during the initial investigation.”

“I’ll go check it out—”

“No, let me do it,” Gian said. “I need some distraction after all. You watch over her for now. I’ll be back with updates later.”

With a frown, Marco watched as Gian left the room in a hurry. He had just arrived and his partner was already eager to run off to somewhere.

“He said he has to call home,” Khaye uttered weakly from the bed when he came in. He knew she was trying to cover for his brother’s weird departure. They both knew it was a lie. “And I needed a few things from home. He doesn’t want to leave me but he has to do it, right?”

Marco looked at her and nodded. “Whatever you say.”

A very long awkward silence fell between them. He tried to hold back bombarding her with questions because of her state. And he wasn’t sure if she trusted him now after what happened.

“Where are you planning to take me?” she finally asked.

“A very secret place,” he answered. “I won’t tell you because you do crazy things when you are scared. You have to trust me this time.”

She looked him in the eye and nodded. That surprised him. “I don’t have a choice now, do I? I’ve decided to talk and now Petroff knows about it. I don’t have any other place to go now.”

Another long silence. He was lost for words.

“Don’t you have questions for me? I am sure you have a lot and you’re just considering when is the right moment to ask. You think it’s not now because I am in a hospital bed yet you think you are running out of time because I might be targeted again at any moment.”

Marco let out a ridiculous scoff. “Straight to the point. I actually like the honest you, Khaye.”

“It makes things better for you,” she said with a smile.

“I’ll get to my questions at the right time.”

“I might end up dead and you might not get the answers that will help you solve this case.”

He stared at her for a long time, his jaw clenching. “I won’t let something bad happen to you again.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” she snapped at him. Then her eyes wavered and she said, “I’m sorry. I know what happened was out of your hands.”

“But I should have known it. There was a reason why you were so afraid and I chose to ignore it because I wanted things to be done and over with.”

“Don’t blame yourself. It doesn’t suit your persona,” she uttered with a chuckle. “So,” she added with a sigh before he could answer. “When are we leaving?”

“Until you’re good to go,” he said.

“No, I don’t think I need to stay here another day.”

He saw the fear in her eyes again and this time, he took it seriously. “We have people watching out for you 24/7. No one can enter this room without our permission.”

She hesitated for a moment. “You can never be sure that everyone who works with you can be trusted.”

“I personally picked them.”

She was silent for a while before she returned her gaze to him. “Marco, I don’t feel comfortable.”

“With me or the guys outside the door?”

She blinked and shook her head. “No. I don’t feel comfortable around my brother.”

---

“Everything going alright?” Richard asked from the other end of the line.

“I think your delivery guy is going to double cross us, Richard.”

“Damn it. How can you be sure?”

“There’s a Chinese couple on the cruise with us. They don’t look like a couple to me.”

“Fuck. I should be there. You won’t be able to deal with this.”

“I am handling it pretty well, thank you,” he snapped.

“How?”

“I have my ways.”

“Don’t tell me you’re getting help from that bitch.”

“She’s far more useful than you think. I’ll keep you updated later. I have to go.”

“We already got half of the money for this work, Theo. Don’t let that bitch ruin everything.”

“I have her on a leash,” he lied. “I have to go.”

He stared at his phone thinking about what Desiree must be doing with that man at this moment. She had been gone for almost two hours now.

When he thought he couldn’t wait another hour, he jumped to his feet and stormed out of the cabin. On his way there, he thought of any possibility that she would actually fuck that guy. But where the hell would they do it? He was in a cabin with two boys and unless she was crazy, she wouldn’t jump in bed with snoring kids in one room.

He spotted them a few feet away at the bar, sitting too close to each other. She was intently listening to whatever he was saying with a curious smile. He knew he shouldn’t have come the moment her eyes spotted him.

Mr. Berkeley immediately noticed her distracted glance and made a motion to follow her gaze. But Desiree was fast to and she caught the man’s face in one hand and leaned over to kiss him.

Theo clenched his teeth as Desiree deepened the kiss. Mr. Berkeley’s hand was on her waist, pulling her closer until she was almost straddling him. Her eyes opened and the hand over Mr. Berkeley’s shoulder motioned for Theo to go away.

He forced himself to walk off. Once he got back inside the cabin, he checked his watch. He couldn’t jeopardize this one, he thought. And so he waited until she came back. It was the longest time he had to wait.

---

“Can we meet again tomorrow?” Desiree asked Mr. Berkeley. She fought off the urge to slap his hand off her thigh.

“Is Theo giving you less than what you deserve, darling?”

Desiree felt a chill through her spine when his hand slid higher down her dress. “Well, if you must know, we don’t have that kind of relationship. As I told you, I am getting bored with this work. You’re the distraction I have been looking for.”

His eyes bored into hers for a long time and she tried hard to relay a message of desperation to him.

“I don’t think I can trust you,” he said and her eyes almost leaped out of her chest.

“Well, I can’t trust you either. Who knows? You might go to Theo and tell him everything I’ve been doing behind his back. Now, that is going to be bloody for me.”

His hand was now resting on her groin and she was itching to jump off her chair and run away. But now was not the right time.

Mr. Berkeley chuckled. “But I trust that you like money as much as anyone, right, my dear?”

She forced out a moan and nodded. “Oh, very much, yes.”

“And I trust that you want to take this,” he took his hand an inch higher, “somewhere, right?”

“Uh-huh,” she said breathlessly. This was not how she planned it. It was Theo’s fault. He shouldn’t have appeared right when this bastard was about to tell her something about his work.

“So, my dear, why don’t you work with me?”

“Work with you?”

He nodded his head. “I am someone who gets an offer and search for a better one. And right now, I have a better offer, if you know what I mean.”

She feigned excitement and shock. “You mean to tell me that—”

He brought his lips to her ear and she felt his tongue gently tasting it, causing a shiver throughout her body. “Yes, my dear. I have another client waiting for me to hand them the packages. And they are paying me double.”

Desiree forced out a groan before she leaned away. She gave him a sultry look. “You want me to work against Theo.”

“I know this is his first time. He’s used to taking care of the business with a pen and his smart talks. But this is his first time, right?”

“Yes, you’re right.”

“And we can take that to our advantage,” he said, running his hand up and down her thigh again.

“We can?”

“Yes. You and I can take the money once the packages are delivered to my new clients. And we can work together from then on.”

She pretended to consider it for a moment before she smiled and said, “Then how can I do my part?”

“You don’t have to do anything at all for the next two weeks. Not until we are about to dock.”

“What do I have to do?” she asked with excitement.

“Simple. You just make sure that Theo can’t come after us when we take the packages to our real clients.”

“How do I do that?”

“You knock him unconscious. You tie him down. You can even kill the bastard. That’s up to you.”

That was actually a tempting offer, she thought. “And then we’ll be gone?”

“With our money, yes. But if you want to work with me, we can’t see each other again. That will make Theo suspicious and it is very important that you make him think you are still working for him.”

“But—”

His thumb silenced her lips. “I feel your desperation, my dear, but we have to be patient if we want to succeed.”

“How do I know you’re not trying to fool me?”

“I’m not. But I know you tried to play me at first.”

Her eyes widened and Mr. Berkely laughed.

“I knew from the moment you approached me that you were trying to spy on me, dear. You don’t have to pretend that you didn’t.”

She forced out a laugh. “Fuck, you are smart. Just as what he said.”

“But you know why I’m giving you this offer?”

“Why?”

His hand went back up to her groin. “Because I sensed that he forced you to do it.”

“I never wanted to be on this ship in the first place, yes.” She found that telling him a bit of the truth was better. “Do you know why I’m even here?”

“Enlighten me.”

“He bought me at an auction.”

His eyes widened in surprise and his excitement further increased. “All the more reason for you to stab the man at the back then.”

“You don’t have any idea.”

“I can take you anywhere you want if we make this delivery a success. I promise you that,” he said.

Desiree seriously considered his offer. Why was she even trying to help Theo when the answer to her freedom was right before her eyes? She could save the kids later and still run away with this man. He knew half of her story and he was willing to let her jump along his ship. Theo could go to hell. He and his client didn’t deserve their package and money as much as this man did.

If she played her cards right here, she might just end up free from Theo, his crazy brother and The Liaisons.

She could be free.

IX. Package Surprise

The cabin was dark when she returned. She saw Theo’s figure lying on the couch and she quietly closed the door behind her. She leaned against it for a moment to calm her nerves. Her encounter with Mr. Berkeley had made a big turn for her. Unknowingly for both Theo and the guy, she was presented with an opportunity to run away from the world she was trapped in.

She took a deep breath and slowly let it go. If she played this right, she could fool Theo, save the kids and run away with Mr. Berkeley.

But he can be worse than Theo, a part of her thought.

That may be right, but at least she had a shot of fooling the guy. She’d have a better chance of escape if she chose Mr. Berkeley. But what could Theo do if she did that?

You can kill him.

Mr. Berkeley’s words ran around her mind. She could do that with Berkeley’s help. But was she willing to go that far? She was no murderer.

“You took your damn time,” Theo said from the couch and she jumped in surprise.

“You’re still awake,” she said when she recovered.

He was on his feet in less than two seconds and was storming toward her, his shadowed form making her heart race. “So, did your makeup session give you any progress?” he asked when he was finally facing her. He was standing too close and she was trapped between him and the door.

“Yes. As a matter of fact, it did.” She tried to think fast. She had to give something to Theo or he would think she was planning something.

“What is it?” She couldn’t see his face because of the darkness and she hoped he couldn’t see her nervous look either.

Desiree gulped and said, “He gave me an offer to work with him.” When Theo remained silent, she added, “That confirms your suspicions, doesn’t it?”

He nodded. “That presents a problem. We still have two more weeks to plan everything.”

“What’s your next plan?”

“Now that we’ve confirmed he double crossed us, you can stop seeing him.”

She wasn’t against it. Berkeley had already told her the same thing. “But what if I can get more information from him?”

Theo stepped closer, closing the distance between them until she was pressed hard against the door. “Why do I get the feeling that you like being around that guy?”

“And why do I get that feeling that you hate seeing me with that guy?” she countered.

What he did next was unexpected. Though it was clear that there was a sexual tension building up between them, she didn’t expect him to act on it again like he did the last time in his home. She was pinned against the door and his mouth was against hers in a rough, passionate kiss. She fought him with what remained of her strength. He let go of her mouth but his hands kept hers above her head in a strong hold. “If you think I am going to deny the fact that I hate seeing you kissing that bastard, you’re wrong. Because I know I can do it better,” he rasped against her mouth, nuzzling her nose with his. She felt his hips against hers and she almost gave in until he said, “If you just beg, I’ll give you more, Desiree.”

She suddenly felt numb and she pulled her hands free and he let her, much to her surprise. “The only begging you’ll get from me is from my dead body.” Her voice was shaking with anger. “You stay away from me, Theo.”

“You are not going near Berkeley again, do you hear?”

She did not reply and went straight to the bathroom door.

“Desiree.” His voice was full of warning.

“If you stay away from me, I will gladly do it,” she snapped at him before slamming the door behind her.

---

Theo almost cursed himself.

He paced around the cabin while Desiree showered in the bathroom.

Everything was going south. There was something in her voice earlier that told him she was keeping something. What else could she have talked about with Berkeley? Did that guy give her an offer that she couldn’t refuse?

This may be absurd, but Theo was willing to entertain any thoughts. He was rarely wrong with his doubts. And right now he in doubt of Desiree’s actions. She had a lot of reasons to betray him. And if Berkeley offered her an out, she would consider it.

He had to keep an eye on her.

---

Marco decided to slip Khaye out of the hospital before Gian came back. She insisted on it.

Whatever made her think she couldn’t trust her brother, he wouldn’t dare question. It was one thing if it was only him who noticed the changes in Gian and it was another if his own sister did too.

“It might just be his way of dealing with what happened to me,” Khaye said when they were finally inside his car. She found it hard to climb inside what with her wound still fresh and her body still weak.

Marco did not reply. She was trying to convince herself that Gian was not doing anything that could harm her. He found it hard to believe as well. Maybe she was right. Maybe this was just Gian’s way of dealing with things. But he could not just keep hanging on to blind faith. He would not dare risk Khaye’s safety again. Petroff had men in their station. How else could he have known that Khaye talked?

Marco just wished that Gian was not one of them. But for now, they had to play it safe.

---

“Do you think they are keeping her prisoner?” Khaye asked out of nowhere. She wanted to take her mind off her brother for now. Worrying about what he was up to would only cause her more stress. The worse thing was that she couldn’t do anything about it. It was her brother and if he was doing something behind her back, she didn’t want to know.

“Who?” asked Marco, obviously startled by her question.

“Desiree. I can’t believe the theory that she is working with them. That’s just not her.”

“When you told me about the money talk Jamaica had with Petroff and Richard Karlsson, were you telling the truth?”

Khaye closed her eyes and sighed. “Yes.”

“Then it might be a possibility that Desiree was in on it as well. They are best friends after all as what you said. They could have been doing something other than walking down the runway.”

“I just get this feeling that she’s being pulled into all this like I am,” she said.

Marco threw her a glance. “Let’s take this one step at a time, shall we? We have to start from the very beginning. We will eventually come to a point where we can find her and when we do, we’ll know the truth.”

“From what I experienced from Petroff, Desiree might already be dead if she’s not working with them.”

“Then let’s just hope she has as much life as you do,” he said with a smile.

Khaye appreciated the humour but couldn’t bring herself to laugh. She just hoped Desiree was alive. She had to be alive.

---

“You should go out,” Theo told her two days later.

She had kept her promise and kept to herself. It was boring as hell, but she was at least able to eat. He often went out to join Berkeley for dinner, pretending that things were still okay and that their package was in safe hands. Other than that, they never spoke to each other and she was not eager to do so despite her lack of social entertainment. Whatever business talks he had to do over the phone, he took it outside with him. He never glanced at her direction and it was as if she was just one of the furniture in the cabin. She was fine with that.

This was the first time he addressed her directly.

“Why?” she asked, quite surprised that she still had her voice.

“He asked where you were. He was curious why he hasn’t seen you around. This is a cruise and you can’t spend it inside the cabin.”

She stared at him pointedly. “You told me to stay away from him.”

“I didn’t tell you to lock yourself in. Get dressed and show yourself around.”

She did as he said because she wanted to. If Berkeley wanted to talk to her, she would be willing to do so. If he had come up with a plan, she would listen and seriously consider it. There was no point remaining faithful to Theo. She was only faithful to herself right now. If they could do a lot of evil, so could she.

The ship was humongous and it was hard to find Berkeley anywhere. He wasn’t at the pool or the bar where they used to meet. Theo wasn’t tailing her as well so she was basically alone and free. She relished on that small freedom and decided to give up on searching for Berkeley. He’d find her if he wanted to talk. For now, she might as well enjoy the cruise.

She was surprised when she stumbled upon the twins. For a moment she hoped that Berkeley was around and she might get the chance to talk to him about his plans. She wanted to know how they could trap Theo.

“Hey, boys,” she said to the twins and they just stared at her.

“We don’t talk to strangers,” one of them said.

Desiree gave them a warm smile and nodded in approval. “That’s right. You don’t talk to strangers. Where’s your brother?”

“He’s not our brother,” said the other. He received a poke from his twin after he said that.

“Don’t tell her that. We’ll get in trouble.”

“But they’re friends.”

“Yes, we are,” Desiree said in agreement. “So I am not really a stranger. Do you want to know my name?”

“We know a lot of things,” said the other one.

“We don’t want to know your name,” added his twin.

“Oh? Really? You know a lot of things?” she asked, suddenly curious.

The other twin nodded. “And we can keep them here for a very long time,” he said, pointing at his temple.

“So you are very smart kids then,” she said with a chuckle.

The twins just looked at her but did not say anything more. Instead, they left and ran away to join the other kids huddled together watching birds flying along with the ship. Desiree observed from far away until the two ended up playing alone together. They were not good in dealing with the other kids, she noticed. It seemed as if they had their own little world.

As she started to turn away, about to give up on the twins, she noticed the Chinese couple Theo had been following around for a week now. They were seated with other couples, laughing and drinking juice with them like any normal cruise-goers should do. But the Chinese guy’s eyes were not entirely focused on his partner or the people sitting around with them. His eyes were on the twins, watching them like a parent would their kids.

Desiree felt something was off but she couldn’t point out what.

“So, you think you can do it?” Berkeley’s voice made her jump in surprise. She recovered fast and chuckled, her hand on her chest.

“You almost gave me a heart attack.”

He smiled and leaned against the ship’s railing. “So, you think you can do it?” he repeated.

She looked around for any sign of Theo. There was none. “How do you suggest I do it?”

“Just keep him busy. But I want to make sure that you are in. My clients are eager to get their hands on the packages and they are willing to pay me double.”

“And if I am not ready?”

“Then you know what might happen to you. Theo cannot protect you on this ship. You’re already in too deep in my plan, my dear. I can’t just let you go.”

Her heart started beating fast and she composed herself. “Okay, I’m in. What do I do?”

Berkeley reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. “I’ll tell you about it when it’s time. We still have a week and a half left. Just make sure Theo doesn’t suspect anything. The packages need to be safe until we make our move on him.”

Desiree just nodded and Berkeley pulled away from the railing.

“I am eagerly waiting for the day that we can both run away with a boatload of cash. You have no idea the number of ways I can make you moan in pleasure, darling,” Berkeley added before he left. Desiree felt the same disgusting shiver up her spine but she maintained the smile on her face. She watched as Berkeley went to the twins and the three of them walked off. Her eyes landed back on the Chinese couple who was also watching the trio.

Packages.

Theo had always been referring to just one package. But Berkeley had been referring to it in plural form.

Desiree’s heart skipped a beat.

No, it can’t be, she whispered to herself.

Her eyes followed Berkeley and the twins until they disappeared into a hallway.

One of the twins’ words played in her head. We know a lot of things.

The hairs on her arm stood up as she felt the chill run through her body. She tried to deny it by shaking her head.

But it was obvious. It had always been obvious.

She felt like the world had suddenly collapsed under her feet as it finally dawned on her.

XV. It’s Burning Fire

Desiree went back to the cabin, her face ashen.

Theo looked over his computer lid and frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”

The sound of his voice snapped her back to her senses. She blinked and swallowed. She made a motion to go to the bathroom, changed her mind and sat on the bed. He followed her every movement with interest.

“What happened?” he asked, this time worried that she must have done something wrong to jeopardize their plan. “Desiree, what the fuck happened?”

“Do you…” she started but stopped, shaking her head. Then she turned her head and faced him. “Do you know what package your client bought?”

His frown deepened. “No. It is not our business to know what the package is. Our job is to make sure that the transactions are clean and the delivery happens without a problem.”

When she didn’t say another word, he stood up.

“Why? Did you meet Berkeley? Did he tell you anything about the package?”

She shook her head.

“Then what the fuck is wrong, Desiree?”

“Theo, I think I know what they are.”

He was getting impatient. “What do you mean by that?”

“I just have this feeling. Oh God, I hope I am wrong.”

He finally reached his limit and he stormed toward her and placed his hands on both sides of her, trapping her in bed. “Tell me what the fuck is wrong,” he ordered, his eyes boring into hers.

Her eyes wavered. “I made a deal with Berkeley.”

“What deal?”

“To work with him.”

“You already told me that.”

She shook her head. “But I was actually considering it. Seriously considering it.”

Anger surged up inside him. He pushed from the bed and walked away from her. If he as much as touch her, he could kill her. “You were fucking going to stab me behind the back. Is that what you are saying?”

A tear fell from her eyes. She didn’t plan for this to happen at all. She thought that she might have had a chance to escape Theo’s hell if she worked with Berkeley. But after what she had discovered, she didn’t think she could do it. Those kids were going to land into someone’s hand one way or the other. The only chance she could save them was to go back to Theo’s good side. He may be as bad as everyone else in The Liaisons, but he was a better option for the kids right now. She could talk him into saving the kids.

“You know I trusted you to do exactly what I said, didn’t I?” he spat out icily.

“Don’t go talking about trust here, Theo. You know very well there is not an ounce of that where we are concerned,” she retorted, wiping her face dry with both hands. “I told you what I had planned to do, right? You shouldn’t have trusted me to do exactly what you asked for. You know very well where I stand and that is to get the hell away from your world.”

His jaw clenched as he stared down at her. “What changed your mind then?”

“Berkeley has been talking about the packages for the entire week. Packages, Theo. Not just a package.”

“And? What does it have anything to do with the operation and you changing your mind about double crossing me?”

“It’s the kids.”

He frowned. “Don’t talk riddles, Desiree. I’m on the verge of strangling you right now.”

“It’s the kids!” she screamed at him. “The packages are the kids!”

---

Khaye looked at the small house. It was plain-looking and well-hidden. One look at it and she already felt safe. They had been jumping from one motel to another for the past few days. Marco said it was better that way as he was trying to veer anyone who might be following them. Gian only called once to know how she was doing but didn’t insist on where Marco was taking her.

“Is this house yours?” she asked.

“No. It belongs to someone I know.”

“I thought you were going to take me back to your father’s place.”

He looked surprised. “Who told you about my father?”

“Gian, of course.”

“Well, this is not owned by anyone from my family. You’ll be safe here.”

“You also said that the last time.”

“Oh, but last time you were attacked in the station, not the apartment.”

She followed him to the door and watched as he worked the lock. “Are we really allowed to be here?” she asked suspiciously as he worked on the lock with two pins.

“The owner is in some prison somewhere in the state,” he answered as he worked, concentration on his face.

“We are crashing into a prisoner’s home?” she asked with horror.

“Keep your voice down,” he hissed at her. The lock finally gave and he swung the door open. “Welcome to your new abode. Please, do feel at home.”

Khaye walked into the darkness and was suddenly blinded by the lights. Marco had turned them on. He walked to the windows and closed the curtains. “This place is clean. It needs a little cleaning, but it will do. No one is going to think we’re here, trust me.”

“Of course,” she said sarcastically. Her arm was still in a sling and the stitches still hurt every now and then. She winced when she tried to move her shoulder. She had accidentally leaned it against the car door earlier while she was sleeping.

“Are you okay?” Marco asked, seeing her pained look.

“I’m good. I just need to get a good bath, dress my wound and sleep.”

He nodded and placed her bag on the couch. “The bedroom is that way. I’ll get the other room. Can you manage on your own?”

“I’ve managed for two days, haven’t I?” she asked, taking her bag in her good hand. “And I can make my way to the bathroom, thank you.”

As she showered, she thought about what might happen to her. Marco didn’t even ask her a single question for two days. He was all about keeping her safe. They never talked about Gian as well. Her brother should be here with her now. He should be the one taking care of her but he wasn’t. Whatever he was doing, it was screaming suspicious.

She should be okay now but she wasn’t. She finally decided to side with Marco and now her own brother might be the one who had been putting her life in danger.

---

“Aren’t you going to visit?” Marco asked Gian over the phone. He was outside the house, pacing the lawn, eyes furrowed.

“Someone has to take care of the investigation.”

“I can do that. Instead, I am the one doing what you should be doing,” he snapped.

“And you expect me to talk to my sister and dig the truth out of her? You know you can do better.”

“She’s going through a lot right now, Gian. You should at least call her and ask how she is doing.”

“I am trying to work my ass out here to get her out of this mess.”

“Why the sudden lack of interest in her welfare? The last time we had a proper talk, you were about to punch me in the face for being hard on her.”

There was a long pause from Gian’s end. “I can’t talk right now. I have a lot to do.”

“The hell you are.”

“We are having progress with Jamaica’s death. This may not lead us directly to The Liaisons, but this can be something. I just want my sister out of this mess. That’s all.”

“Then be there for her. Call her.”

“I will do that. I have to go.”

“No, Gian. Talk to her NOW.”

Marco stormed back inside the house in anger. Without a word, he opened Khaye’s door and found her dressing her own wound. She jumped in surprise. She was almost naked with just a towel wrapped around her. “Can’t you knock?!” she shouted angrily.

“Sorry,” he said, turning around. “I didn’t realize you’re…well, you’re doing something.”

“What do you want? Can’t it wait?”

He reached the hand holding the phone behind him and said, “It’s Gian. He wants to talk to you.”

He heard Khaye walk toward him and grabbed the phone from him.

“Yes?” she asked Gian.

Marco thought it was better to leave her to talk to her brother alone so he left, closing the door behind him without another glance at her.

He went to the bag of groceries and took out a pack of beers. He carried it outside with a chair and gave himself a little peace before he faced another challenge of talking to Khaye about Jamaica’s death and her curious encounter with Petroff.

---

“You can’t be sure of that,” Theo told her.

“You don’t even know what your client bought.”

“They said it is a digital device.”

“Like a computer?”

“Something like that.”

“Which contains a lot of information about your client’s organization.”

“And more.”

Desiree frowned at him. “What do you mean more?”

“More like information on other organizations and underground dealings. In short, everybody wants to get their hands on it, at least those who know of its existence.”

“But those kids are too young to be—”

“You don’t even know it’s the kids!”

“I don’t have to know. I am almost certain. You should have seen how those Chinese couple looked at the boys like they are their own. Those kids are different. I talked to them and they are different than other kids.”

“What? Like super genius different?” Theo scoffed.

Desiree didn’t find it funny. “Yes. Like Aspergier’s different.”

Theo stared at her in disbelief. “Okay, let’s say you’re right. What do you expect me to do? Cancel the damn operation? Are you crazy?”

She was getting desperate. “I told you the truth because I thought you would help them.”

Theo’s gaze wavered for a moment. “I can’t do that. It is my job to make sure that the package or packages get to our client safely.”

“Because you’ve been paid for it,” Desiree stated with contempt.

He nodded. “Because we’ve been paid for it.”

“And you don’t care what happens to them at all.”

“It is not my job to watch over the kids once they are delivered—that is, if they are the package we have to deliver.”

“Then who will look after them? You are willing to give two young boys to someone who has the potential to rip them of their lives?”

His eyebrows twitched. “Those kids are better off to my clients than those Chinese.”

Desiree laughed mockingly. “Yeah, right. You are trying to convince me that I should be working with you and not Berkeley. You want me to continue working for you because you are afraid to lose more money. I shouldn’t have told you the truth.”

“Whether you work with Berkeley or not, you’ve already ruined your chances for those kids. I know you know that the best chance they can get is if you work with me. Trust me when I say that my clients will not put them in any harm. God knows what would happen to them if people found out.”

“You are really good at talking, aren’t you? I want those kids free from anyone who wants to use them. That’s all I want. And if you think I believe you that your client will not—”

“My client is the fucking CIA, Desiree, so yes, I will tell you that they will not put those children in harm if they want us to keep their dirty little secrets remain secrets,” Theo cut in angrily, stepping closer to her.

It took a moment for his words to finally sink in and when they did, her jaw dropped. “The CIA?”

“I am not going to repeat my words if you didn’t hear them.” He stepped back and took a deep breath. “Now, why don’t you fucking start telling me what Berkeley intends to do?”

Desiree was still lost for words.

“Desiree,” Theo said with warning.

She suddenly shot to her feet and said, “I need to think.”

“I don’t think—”

“Give me fucking time to think, Theo!” she shouted, pushing him away to run to the bathroom. “And don’t you dare fucking knock and nag at me!” she added before slamming the bathroom door behind her. She stripped off her clothes and went to the tub. She needed to think and understand how fuck up the world was.

---

“What did he say?” Marco asked minutes later. Khaye walked out, dressed in a loose shirt that served as a dress. Gian didn’t bring her enough clothes.

She handed him back her phone. “Nothing. He said I should be fine now that we’re hidden away somewhere.”

“Did he ask where we are?”

Khaye shook her head. “No, and I don’t really think I want him to know where we are. For now, it is better that he is away.” She walked to drag a chair next to him and Marco forced himself to keep his eyes off her thighs. “He may be my brother and I love him to death, but if he works for Petroff, I am going to make sure that he goes to prison with the guy.” She reached out for the last beer and popped the can.

Marco watched as she gulped it down fast. “But you are not certain I work with Petroff either,” he finally said.

She gave him a sideway glance and scoffed. “I actually considered everyone to be working for Petroff. I guess I just took the biggest risk of my life by trusting you. I ended up in a hospital but I guess you’re clean.”

“How can you be sure?”

“Because you were the only one with me inside that room. And it was you who did everything to make sure that I am safe today.”

“Gian’s your brother though.”

“And I know him. And I know that the Gian I knew would not just leave me here. He would want to be here with me, to keep me safe. This is not him. That’s why I can’t trust him right now. I just hope I am wrong and if I am, I will have to beg for his forgiveness. And I fucking wish that day happens.”

Marco saw the tear run down her cheek and she hastily wiped it away.

They sat in silence for a long time, just watching the starless night sky.

Maybe he’d have to postpone his questions for another night. Khaye needed her own peace and quiet.

---

“Desiree, you’ve been there long enough,” Theo said behind the door.

She had finished her bath and she was already wrapped in her robe. But she was not yet ready to go out.

“If those kids are the package, we have to deliver them to our clients.”

“I told you to give me fucking time to think, Theo,” she said out loud. She was standing beside the door, facing the mirror.

In response, the door opened and she almost shrieked in surprise. “I have a key,” Theo explained, looking at her through the mirror. “Get the hell out of there, Desiree.”

She shook her head and more tears fell down her eyes.

“You know we can’t do anything for those kids. But you also know that my clients are the better option.” His voice was gentle now. “If what you are saying about those kids is correct, then they can be useful.”

“They are just children, Theo. They deserve their childhood.”

“But they also contain vast information that can either make or break wars. If they and the things they keep inside their heads fall into the wrong hands, we might be looking at the next world war.”

“Don’t pretend as if you actually care for such shit, Theo.”

He smiled. “You’re right. I don’t really care.” He laced his tone with sarcasm that she doubted his words for a second. “I have my own troubles to think of at the moment to even care, because, as you said, I don’t know how anything about caring.”

She chose to keep her mouth shut but her eyes met his through the mirror. Desiree regretted it the moment their gazes locked because she saw it again. She saw the burning desire that she refused to entertain. Her mind told her to look away but her body refused to do it.

Theo stepped away from the doorway and Desiree just found herself being pulled along. She didn’t know how she ended up standing outside the bathroom and facing him in the dark.

“I’m not a bad person,” she managed to say out loud. A tear rolled down her cheek as she stared at Theo. She was in battle with her own desires—desire to get away from this hell, desire to save the twins and desire to get close to him as much as she could, as intimately as possible. She shook her head, trying to convince herself that what her body yearned for was wrong. “I’m not a bad person.”

Theo carefully approached her, the anger from earlier long gone. His eyes were free of any hint of what he was thinking but the desire was there. It was burning for her and she felt it. “It won’t turn you into one if you give in,” he whispered above her and she flinched when she felt his touch. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to hold back and stop herself from acting on her needs. It wasn’t right , her mind told her. He wasn’t right .

“I don’t want to,” was her weak response. She felt the walls crumbling. Her body was telling her that she was tired of fighting, that she should at least give herself this one thing that she could get. If she couldn’t get her life back, she could at least have this.

“I told you that you’ll beg me for this,” Theo whispered, bending down to lightly brush his lips against hers, his hands firmly holding her by her arms to keep her in place. “But I’m willing to save you the trouble,” he added, kissing the top of her lips ever so lightly. “We are good together, Desiree.” His nose nuzzled hers. The hands on her arms caressed her until she felt the warmth wash over her and start to build into a familiar fire.

She managed to weakly shake her head, but that only brought her lips closer to his. She knew both of them were at the brink of giving in, of taking the jump and plunge into this thing. And she found herself waiting for him because she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She still had enough strength to hold off with pride.

“You’re not going to be the first to yield, are you?” he whispered against her lips, his voice tinged with amusement. She held her breath in anticipation and desire. She may want this, but she was not going to give in first if it was even possible. “Of course, you won’t,” he answered his own question. “Because, dammit, I will.” And with that, his mouth crushed hers with so much force it surprised her, not because it hurt but because she never expected her desire could go higher.

He didn’t have to force her to open her mouth to deepen the kiss. She did so willingly and more. Her hands went up his chest, over his shoulders and behind his head to grasp his waves and pull him closer. He drew her body up against him and walked her back up against the wall none too gently.

“This looks familiar,” he whispered against her mouth before he kissed his way along her jaw, to the sensitive skin behind her ear and down her throat, reminding her of that night in the hotel.

Desiree’s breathing was heavier as she arched her back to press her breasts against his chest, wanting more.

“This better not end in another fucking murder,” she rasped when he lifted her up until she was striding him, her hips pressed tightly against his.

“It better because I don’t think I can spare another eighty million to save your ass,” he answered back, carrying her to the couch with him. “Now,” he said, sitting down and letting her stride his lap, “stop talking and show me.”

Desiree didn’t need his orders because her hands had already been busy with his belt buckle. She was working on his fly even before he finished his sentence.

A pained grunt escaped his throat when her hand reached inside his pants. Her breath was snatched out of her when he abruptly swung her to the side until she fell on the couch, face up. He was heaving above her, his hands pinning hers on the soft armrest of the couch. “Give me a second. I want to take this slow.”

“I don’t have a second. I might change my mind,” Desiree breathed out, squirming beneath him, urging him on.

He didn’t need more words after that. Words might break the moment and Desiree needed that moment—just that moment.

XVI. Game Changer

The game had changed.

He shouldn’t have done it, said the big part of his brain later that evening. He lay wide awake looking at the ceiling of the cabin with Desiree sleeping right next to him facedown the bed, naked under the covers.

But they both knew this was coming, he reasoned. He bought her at the auction, didn’t he? He should not feel as if he had done something big. It was just sex. He owned Desiree. So what the hell was his problem now?

“Can you quit it?” Desiree’s sleepy voice asked beside him.

“Quit what?”

“Thinking. I can’t sleep with your mind screaming like that.”

“You’re dreaming. Go back to sleep.”

“For someone who literally jumped unto me, you think too much,” she complained before turning away from him and pulling the covers over her head. “I should have known the tables would turn. I would have begged then.”

“Shut up.”

“Then go to sleep. You move too much when you’re awake.” Her voice trailed away as she spoke. She was falling asleep again and Theo wondered if she would even remember what she had said when she woke up that morning.

He didn’t sleep another minute that night. He was wide awake thinking about the twins. There was a fat chance that Desiree was right. It was unusual for Berkeley to use kids as his cover. It was not usually done because they would always prove to be difficult to handle or even fool. And with the package’s supposed high importance, taking kids might increase the chances of getting caught. But he did it anyway. He did it because the package was not some inanimate object. It was the twins.

The problem now was that Theo found it hard to believe that such kids could contain such information. He would be willing to agree that some digital chips were surgically inserted inside their body for extraction later on, but for their brains to be the actual chip, he wasn’t as eager.

But if it were true, Theo was sure that those boys had been through a lot in the past. Wherever Berkeley had taken them from, it wasn’t a good place. And whoever owned them in the past, whoever forced information in their minds and taken their abilities to such use was worse than anyone Theo had met. He could watch grown-ups be used and even killed, but children were an entirely different species in his book.

He had always wondered if he’d face this kind of problem and he had been avoiding it for as long as he could. He had always stayed away where children were concerned. Now, it came and he didn’t know what to do.

---

They were both in the tub later that day. Desiree thought that she might as well enjoy sex with Theo for it could land her at the right places. One, he seemed more relax. Two, any fear she might have felt toward him was completely gone. Three, he might consider help the kids. And lastly, she might just earn her freedom. The last one may take a long time but she was willing to wait. I just don’t have to end up like Ms. Kane , she reminded herself.

She had her eyes closed while the water lapped around both of them. Theo was sitting right across from her, his hands on her knees.

“You have a tattoo,” he said, running his hand over her right inner thigh.

“Uh-hmmm,” she sleepily answered.

“Why a butterfly?”

“Are you seriously curious?” she asked, peering at him through heavy lids. He looked serious. Desiree sighed. “Just because. No significant reason.”

He didn’t press and pulled her toward him instead, the motion effortless because of the water. His hands went to her hips as he seated her on his lap, touching her everywhere his hands could reach. Her arms went around his shoulders and her head dropped at the crook of his neck. She liked the touch of his slippery skin against hers. She liked the smell of the soap and the gentle movement of the water. It was calming in a lot of ways.

If this newfound intimacy with Theo was going to bring her any good, this might probably be her favorite of all.

---

“Are you ready?” Marco asked Khaye.

She nodded at him from across the table.

“Take your time.” He was leaning against the back of his chair as he patiently waited for her to start.

Khaye took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “As I said before, I followed Jamaica and Petroff back to the room she shared with Desiree. I saw them kissing and they entered the room. As I was about to enter my room which was directly connected to theirs, I saw Richard Karlsson.” She paused for a while and appeared to be thinking hard about what happened next. “I guess I entered my room in a hurry and immediately went to the connecting door to listen. I had seen Richard that same day earlier when I was hiding inside the girls’ closet. That time, I was surprised when Jamaica came in with Karlsson. I hid in that closet because I had no other choice.”

“What were you doing inside the closet before she came in?”

“I was ruining Desiree’s dresses. They left me in the airport earlier that day. It was some sort of payback.”

Marco tried to hide the smile of amusement and cleared his throat.

“What did you see inside that closet?”

Her face flushed. “They had sex.” She looked away from him and played with her hands. “And then they talked about the bag which I later found out to be the money. Then Karlsson left and Jamaica found me inside the closet. She was very angry but I told her I didn’t hear anything. I easily got out of that situation.”

Marco nodded and took every significant detail. “Let’s go back to the night you listened to Petroff, Karlsson and Jamaica.”

“It was just a mess,” Khaye said, shaking her head. Marco noted that she seemed calmer today. Maybe the days of letting her adapt to her situation helped. “There were a lot angry words thrown around. At first, they fought over Jamaica. Petroff said that Karlsson doesn’t own her and that it was her choice to be with him that night. Karlsson, I think, tried to have a go on Petroff but Jamaica stopped him, telling them both that they were not there to fight over their affairs. They were there for their work.” Khaye paused for a while and he waited. “By that time, I was not so eager to listen anymore. I really thought it was just another simple fight over an affair, but it turned out to be something else. I was confused for the remainder of their conversation. Petroff demanded for the money but Karlsson told him he had it. Petroff said Jamaica should have it and asked why he had it. He said he wasn’t able to deliver it to Jamaica because his brother was late for something.”

“Wait. But you said you saw the bag.”

Khaye nodded. “Karlsson lied. And Jamaica lied with him.”

Marco frowned. “You mean they had other plans for the money?”

“Let me finish first,” Khaye said, straightening in her seat. “So Petroff was angry again and this time, it was over the money. They talked about some client and a work I couldn’t understand. But he said he wanted the money in his room in the next hour or he’d tell Karlsson’s father. I don’t understand any of it even until now so I am just telling you everything I can remember from that night.” He nodded and she continued, “When Petroff left, Karlsson and Jamaica hurriedly made plans.”

“What plans?”

“I don’t know, but it seemed as if they were trying to run away with the money. He told her to get ready and take the money with her at the back of the hotel where a car was already waiting for them. But Jamaica insisted that she wanted to see Desiree for the last time and say goodbye.”

“What did Karlsson do?”

“He left. He said he’d wait for her and he gave her thirty minutes to say goodbye to her friend.”

“He left? So how the hell did she die?”

“One of them came back,” Khaye said.

“One of them? You mean you don’t know who?”

“All I know is that Jamaica willingly opened the door fifteen or twenty minutes or so after Karlsson left. I was lying in bed that time, too dazed from what I had heard earlier. I jumped back to the connecting door when I heard Jamaica scream followed by a loud thud.”

“You didn’t hear the whole thing?”

“I didn’t hear anything if a word was exchanged between them. I was in my bed, remember? The next thing I heard, Jamaica’s room was very quiet. I was already shaking with fear, trying to deny what might have happened. Then I heard someone moving things around. Then I heard the door open and close and there was complete silence from the other room.”

“Then what did you do?”

A tear fell from Khaye’s eyes at the memory of what happened next. Her hands shook on the table and she tried to stop it by clasping them together. “I opened the connecting door and peeked inside. And I saw her on the bed, facedown and motionless. There was so much blood. I didn’t even try to help her. Oh God, I didn’t even try to help her! I just ran out of there as fast as I could.” Khaye started shaking. “You see? I didn’t know who really killed her. I just heard things. I should have tried helping her. I should have done something—”

“Hey, it’s not your fault she’s dead. It is the killer’s,” Marco comforted, reaching out to cover her hands with his.

Khaye sniffed and pulled her hands away from his. She wiped the tears off her face and said, “That’s all that really happened. I don’t understand why anyone would even consider me a prime witness when I didn’t see anything. I don’t understand why Petroff would try to take me at all. I just fucking heard things I can barely understand myself! I just saw her body but I didn’t see how she ended up that way!”

“Don’t stress yourself over those things. With your help, we can narrow down our list. Now, we just have to look into the people who had motive.”

Khaye swallowed her tears and nodded. She didn’t care how the process worked. She just wanted to be alive.

“Now, can you tell me how you managed to make Petroff let you go after he kidnapped you?”

Khaye scoffed. “I already told you everything. Why not that?”

Marco smiled at her and crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back. “I’m listening.”

---

“We’re not even sure if they are what you think they are,” Theo said while they finished their breakfast.

Desiree tried to appear calm. “Then how do you suppose we prove my theory?”

“I don’t know. It’s your theory. You prove it.” He seemed too relaxed this morning and she almost regretted jumping in bed with him.

“You are not even serious about this.”

“I just don’t see any reason why we have to find out.” He took his time with his coffee before he continued saying, “Whether or not the twins are the package, it still boils down to one thing: we need to get it no matter what. Berkeley’s other clients cannot have them. That’s my greatest concern right now.”

“But they are kids, Theo. They need to be saved.”

“From Berkeley, yes, of course.”

“And your clients.”

His face hardened. “Let me get one thing straight, Desiree. I am here for one reason alone: ensure the safe delivery of the package. Whatever it is, or whoever they are as what you might think, is none of my business. I will make sure that Berkeley does not go through with his plan. Now, all you have to do is choose which side you work with. And if you choose to work with me, bear in mind that I mean business.”

She glared at Theo. “You are making me choose the lesser evil.”

He nodded. “Exactly.”

“Because your client is the fucking CIA and they mean no harm?” She laced her tone with as much sarcasm as she could.

“Yes.”

“And if I am wrong and the twins are not the packages?”

His answer was fast. “I’ll find a way to help them if that’s what you wish.”

Her brows lifted in surprise. “If that’s what I wish?” she said with a scoff.

The corner of his lips twitched. “You see what sex with me can do?” He replaced his coffee on the table and stood up. “It gives you some little privileges.”

“You just made me feel like a whore right there,” she snapped at him, crossing her arms over her chest to shake off the chill.

It seemed as if he ignored her words because he checked his watch and said, “Go get dressed. We have some detective works to do.” He sat on the couch and started tapping on his phone with a frown.

Desiree uncrossed her legs and stood up without a word, too angry at him and herself to even think about his plans. As she opened the closet to search for a dress, Theo murmured something she didn’t catch. “What?”

He looked up from his phone. “What what?”

“What did you say?” she snapped over her shoulder, her brows furrowed.

“I said you’re not a whore so stop dressing as one and choose a freaking decent dress.”

---

Khaye told him everything that happened the day Petroff had her kidnapped. She didn’t leave any detail out, claiming that she was a lot more focused that day than on the day of the murder.

“So he just let you go like that?”

Khaye nodded. “I don’t know why he even did that. I mean, if I were in his shoes and I killed someone and the only person who can tell everyone that I did it is right in front of me, I might do the opposite thing. If I am as evil as him, I will kill my witness and end things right there.”

Marco looked as if he was thinking the same thing. “But you should know that Petroff might also be trying to play with us. He is trying to raise some doubts, buy some time while he does something in the background. He knows you initially talked with us before he got his hands on you and he doesn’t trust that you told him everything. You could have lied to him and he wants you to think that he has your life in his hands. That way, he can control you to do something for him in the future.” He stood up and started pacing the small kitchen. “Petroff is someone who will make use of people as much as he can before he disposes of them. And you have quite a history together, remember?”

Khaye frowned. “What do you mean?”

He hesitated and shook his head. “Never mind.”

“He told you I slept with him, didn’t he?” she asked, her voice cold.

“He might have put it that way.”

Khaye scoffed. “That bastard paints every model like his whore.”

“I am not actually interested in that matter as of the moment,” Marco said, obviously uncomfortable. His eyes went to her shoulder and he changed the subject by asking, “How’s your wound?”

“It’s okay,” Khaye answered, still thinking about what else could Petroff have told Marco.

“Let me see,” he said, stepping closer.

She brushed his hand away. “It’s okay.”

“Do you have any idea how to take care of a bullet wound?” he challenged, raising both brows down at her.

“It doesn’t hurt.”

“Just let me check it.”

“I dress it every—”

“Don’t wait for me to strap you in that chair until I get a good look at that wound, Khaye,” he warned.

Her nose flared but she obliged by pulling the loose shirt down her bad shoulder until the dressed part was visible. She craned her neck away from Marco when he bent down to check the wound. She flinched when his hand touched her skin. He took a few seconds looking at the stitched wound.

“It’s a bit red. You’ll need to drink your antibiotics.”

“I know.” She turned her head at the same time he did and they both quickly moved away before their noses touched. A few awkward second passed before she cleared her throat and asked, “Are you done?”

He straightened and nodded. “Just complete your antibiotics and keep that wound clean.”

“I didn’t know you graduated med school,” she said with sarcasm.

“I just got my own share of wounds,” he answered. “Once that one heals, you’ll need some therapy and let’s hope by then that you’ll get it from a professional rather than me.” He walked to the sink and started attacking the dishes. “You can get some rest if you want to.”

“No more questioning?”

He shook his head. “None for now,” he replied.

Khaye shrugged her good shoulder and went inside her room. She didn’t know what else to do. Now that she told Marco everything he needed to know, all she had to do was wait.

XVI. Mission

“This is crazy, even for me,” Desiree muttered under her breath.

She and Theo were sitting side by side doing nothing. He was holding a copy of a Hardy Boys book he found lying around the play area. She was doing nothing but cross her legs and stare at the twins playing together away from the other kids.

Desiree had been hoping Berkeley would be around but he wasn’t. And so were the Chinese couple. Theo thought it was a good chance for them to spy on the kids to test her so-called theory.

“Then what else do you suggest?”

“Why not just call home and tell them everything? That way, they can send some kind of reinforcement.”

“It’s not that simple. You won’t understand.” He flipped a page and went silent, his brows furrowed on the book in his hand.

“Don’t tell me you are reading that.”

“Just keep your eyes on the twins.”

She was just about to do that but was startled when she realized the kids were already on their way toward her. “They’re coming toward me.”

“Then I don’t know you. Talk to them.”

But it seemed that the twins were more interested on the book in his hand than Desiree because they stopped right before Theo with so much curiosity on their faces. One of them looked at him with a frown while the other spoke, “That book is for kids.”

Theo did not look up from the book. “So?”

“Do you know how many titles that series has?” asked the other.

“No and I don’t think I want to know.”

“We can tell you each book published if you want to,” offered the other. Desiree kept her silence beside Theo.

“Why would I want to know that?” he asked, turning another page.

“If you want to read them all,” answered one of the twins.

“Uh-huh,” Theo just said.

“It’s a great day today, isn’t it?” Desiree finally asked with a smile. The twins turned toward her.

One of them nodded. “It’s a bit warmer today than yesterday.”

“And the other day,” added his brother.

“Last Monday, it was sunny,” the other said. “You were wearing a blue dress and gold bracelet.”

“That man,” his twin pointed at the beefy guy standing at one corner with his wife before he continued, “was wearing green, red and yellow stripes.”

Desiree lifted her brow. “Wow. You sure don’t miss a lot of things.”

“We can’t forget details,” they both answered at the same time.

“Did you come here to brag then?” she asked testily.

“Maybe,” they both answered. “Maybe not,” they added before walking away.

“Weird,” she whispered to herself as she watched them take off.

“They know too much,” Theo said.

“That’s why your client wants them.”

“I mean they know too much it is annoying.”

She shook her head and stood up. “I’ll go around and look for Berkeley. Who knows, he might have something for me.”

Theo looked up from the book and was about to say something.

“What?”

He shook his head. “Be back in half an hour.”

“I’ll try,” she snapped at him and stormed away before he could stop her.

---

“How’s the wound?” Marco asked the moment Khaye walked out of her room.

“Do you have news from Gian?” she asked, ignoring his question.

He just shook his head and nodded to a cup of coffee on the table. “Have some breakfast.” He walked to the small kitchen counter and crossed his arms over his chest. “And while you’re at it, I want to talk about my plans.”

“What plans?”

“On how to keep you safe from Petroff and his men.”

Khaye honestly didn’t want to talk about it. Suspecting her brother’s actions wasn’t even enough to keep her sane. “What do you have in mind?” she asked anyway.

He stared at her for a while, probably assessing her mood. “I know that we are both trying to deny Gian’s suspicious behavior, but we have to think of every possibility here.”

“Where are you going with this?”

“He is my friend and partner. I’ve known him for years. But if he is working for Petroff, I want you to know that I will not hesitate to take him in.”

“You can’t possibly expect me to just accept that,” she uttered, looking him straight in the eye. “He’s my brother and if he is working with the bad guys, he must have his reasons.”

“I don’t see any reasonable reason why he would do so.”

“Maybe he is a double agent of some kind.”

“That doesn’t justify why he is willing to put his own sister’s life in danger, does it?”

She was left speechless but shook her head. She had to have faith in her brother but if Marco continued talking like this, her will was waning. “Just don’t let me know what you plan to do if you end up proving he is among the bad guys. I don’t want to know.”

Marco nodded and leaned away from the counter. “I will try my best to watch his every move. I hope that we are wrong, but if we aren’t, I promise that you will not hear anything about it from me.”

“Then stop talking about it.”

“As of the moment, we are trying to locate Desiree.”

Her head snapped at the change of subject.

“Where do you think she can go?”

Khaye scoffed. “You think she is out walking the streets at this moment?”

“Quit the sarcasm, Khaye.”

“I am not being sarcastic. If Jamaica was doing some underground shit, then Desiree must have been dragged along with it too. The question is whether or not she was forced or not.”

“What do you think then? Tell me what you think.”

Her eyes wavered. “I don’t know. I honestly don’t know.”

“You know them better than I do.”

“I know them and I hated them both for years as well.”

He just stared at her before he spoke in a much calmer voice. “You mentioned that before.”

She nodded. “Because it’s true. We have always had this bitchy war since they started to make me their object of fun and tricks. They were harmless ones, yes, but you know women—we take things seriously.”

“But you know them. You know what they are capable of.”

“Yes, but not something as…as evil as this. Jamaica was a bitch, but she didn’t tell that guy about me when she found me inside the closet, did she? She could have done something but she kept her silence. And Desiree…I don’t think she’s even capable of hurting Jamaica. They were best friends.”

“Friends can be one’s worst enemy.”

“They were not like that. Jamaica said she wanted to say goodbye to Desiree, remember? When she talked with that Richard guy that night?”

“Maybe she did and Desiree didn’t like the news and she ended up killing her.”

“I didn’t hear Desiree that night.”

“But you saw her with another man. The same man who was with Karlsson on the footage the day they exited the hotel.”

Khaye gave off an empty laugh. “So this is how you guys brainstorm?”

He shrugged. “It depends.”

“I don’t know, Marco. Maybe Desiree is a victim here. She looked restless and nervous on that footage.”

“The hotel records gave us the identity of the guys she was with. His name is Theo Kane.”

Her jaw tightened. “They’re brothers.”

“We can’t know for certain. Those guys use different names and I don’t think they use their real ones that day.”

“Then it’s a dead end?”

He shook his head. “Of course not. We are currently compiling footages of traffic cameras from every angle of every street outside of that hotel. Sooner or later, we will find a link.”

“How will you do that?”

“There’s this thing we call technology, Khaye.”

Grabbing the now cold coffee from the table, she said, “Why are you even telling me all of this?”

“Because you are part of this case in one way or the other.”

“I don’t give a fuck about how you catch the killer. I know you are desperate to catch the Liaisons and Karlsson because of what they did to your father, but don’t—”

“Who told you about my father?” Marco’s voice had suddenly gone cold.

Khaye almost slapped herself. “I…I don’t know. I just sort of found out about it.”

“Did Gian tell you?”

She looked away and stood up. “I have to dress my wound. I’ll cook lunch.”

“My family history doesn’t have anything to do with this case.”

“You don’t have to explain anything. I understand.”

He didn’t answer and she opened her bedroom door. Closing it behind her, she leaned against the door with a sigh. Was Marco really as objective as he said he was?

---

Marco was gritting his teeth as he dialed Gian’s number.

“Why the hell did you tell your sister about my father?” he demanded before his partner could speak.

Gian didn’t answer.

“You don’t have the right.”

“I did it so she would trust you. I know my sister. She only started to open up to you when she learned about your history. It was the only thing I could think of at that time.”

He closed his eyes and gulped. He had to remain calm. “Where are we on the case?” he asked, changing the subject.“

“Uhh…well, we are still looking into the traffic cams. We’ve spotted the car cars they used when they got out of that hotel.”

“That’s all?”

“The tech also managed to find a match of the guy Karlsson was with that day.”

“Where?”

“We crossed-match his images in airports and we found a hit.”

Marco stopped pacing. “Where?”

There was a long silence from Gian’s end. “This case is fucking complicated, Marco. I think Desiree might be our killer.”

“Answer my question.”

“They went to Peru more than a week ago.”

“They?”

“She was with him, man. She was with him.”

“Send me the reports now.”

“I think you better see them for yourself.”

“I am not leaving Khaye alone in this house.”

“I’ll watch over her—”

“No,” he cut off. “Keep digging. Coordinate with the Peru airport. We need to know where Desiree is as soon as possible.”

“You think she might be our killer?”

He blinked. “Maybe. If she is still with that guy, then she can definitely tell us something.”

“What about Petroff?”

“What about Petroff?” he asked.

“I just want to know what you plan to do to him. Did Khaye tell you anything?”

“Let’s take this one step at a time. We have men watching Petroff’s every move. If he gets to Khaye one more time, then maybe we should seriously start thinking about who among us works for him.”

Gian was silent and Marco’s jaw tightened at the thought of his partner betraying them. “What did Khaye tell you?”

“I’ll tell you once you send me the reports.”

“Okay. I’ll send them right away.”

“And I want one from the shooting. We have to find out who tipped Petroff.”

“Okay.”

Marco went to his room and opened his computer. He had to learn how to handle Gian. His partner shouldn’t find out he was suspecting him. He stared blankly at the wall while waiting for the report. He had to keep things in order inside his head. One, he had to keep Khaye safe. Two, find Desiree and get as much answers. If she killed Jamaica, things would be better. Marco believed that finding her was the key to all these mysteries. Her involvement with Petroff and Karlsson or the entire Liaisons should be cleared once and for all. Petroff wouldn’t make such a move on Khaye or this case if any of them didn’t kill Jamaica. The murderer could be Petroff, Karlsson, the man Desiree was seen with, or it could be Desiree herself.

He closed his eyes and sighed. He had one more urgent thing to find out: where Gian stood in all this?

---

She couldn’t find Berkeley anywhere. Nor could she find the Chinese couple. The ship was humongous after all.

Desiree was about to give up when she spotted the twins once more. She frowned when they approached her. “Have you been following me?” she asked.

They just both shrugged. “Maybe,” said one of them.

“Why?”

“Bored,” they answered in unison.

She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. She pretended to think.

“What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking of a game the three of us can play…something that will be interesting for kids with special powers.” She whispered the last two words at them and they both smiled at her with excitement.

“What?” they asked.

She crunched her face and shook her head. “Never mind. It’s not that interesting.”

“Tell us!”

“Hmm…but this involves your brother,” she said conspiratorially.

Their faces remained blank but one of them asked, “Just tell us.”

For a few seconds, Desiree wanted to ask them their names but she thought better of it. If this thing didn’t turn out right, she didn’t want to have any personal connection with them. “I’m thinking about some sort of a mission game.”

“Okay, we’re listening.”

“Okay, so here’s the mission…” she started, bending down to speak to them in secret.

---

“Can you fucking repeat that?” Theo demanded on the phone.

“Petroff failed to kill the witness,” Richard uttered.

“The one who saw you with Jamaica?”

“Yes.”

His frown deepened. “And why would you want her dead?”

“She might know something about us, Theo. Are you fucking stupid?”

“You’re only making things more complicated.”

“She isn’t called a fucking prime witness for nothing.”

“Says who?”

“We have someone who reports things to us and she just started talking. Petroff should have killed her the moment he had his hands on her.”

“Why are you desperate to kill the witness?”

“Were you listening? She was at the other side of that fucking hotel room, Theo. She must have heard a lot.”

“Or maybe you mean she knows who really killed Jamaica.”

Richard fell silent. “Don’t you fucking suggest I did it, Theo.”

“Why would I?” he asked, his voice challenging.

“Fuck you. And fuck the bitch that’s with you because she’s the killer.”

“You know what? I am really starting to consider the fact that you killed Jamaica.”

“Don’t you fucking—”

“Then stop whatever plans you are making with Petroff!” he shouted. “That man is crazy, Richard. You know that. Put a leash on him before he blows us all off with his little games.”

“We have to keep the witness silent if we want to do—”

“Do whatever the hell you want then. You’ve killed a lot in the past, didn’t you? Killing Jamaica and another woman wouldn’t put a lot of dent on your record.”

“I didn’t kill Jamaica—”

“I don’t even fucking care if you did. Just do one thing for me, will you? Start thinking straight before you ruin us all. Petroff isn’t the right man to work with. Send me the details I asked for. I have enough problems here to even think about the one you just made back there.”

“Don’t talk to me that way—”

“You’re just a year older, Richard. Don’t make such a big fuss. Send me what I need.”

He threw his phone on the table and pinched the bridge of his nose. Richard kept making stupid moves since Jamaica died and he was bound to do more if he would keep on getting involved in the stupid investigation. His brother’s actions could lead to a chain of reactions that might eventually endanger his plans. He couldn’t have the police’s eyes on him at this rate.

He had been planning this for years and Richard and Petroff might blow it all off because of one fucking witness.

---

She returned to the cabin almost two hours later. Theo looked up from the book and asked, “What took you so long?”

“This ship is big. I lost my way quite a few times.”

“Did you find him?” he asked, uncrossing his legs. He didn’t look like he was in a good mood, she noted.

“No, but I found out the twins had been following me around.”

His brows lifted. “They were?”

She smiled. “And I formed some sort of a mission with them.”

“What?”

“I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Desiree.” His voice was full of warning.

“I said I’ll tell you about it later. For now, I want to get dinner. Are you coming or not?”

“They can be using you.”

“I said I’ll talk about it later. Are you coming or not?” she asked.

He stood up and walked with her out of the cabin. “You better not be outsmarted by those kids or we’ll both be dead,” he uttered under his breath.

Desiree pasted a contented smile on her lips. “I may not know a lot about kids, Theo, but I know a lot about being held captive.” His jaw tightened but he didn’t reply and simply walked ahead of her, his steps angry. She formed a gun with her fingers, focused it on the back of his head and shot an imaginary bullet. His lack of intense reactions was amusing her in some way. And she was starting to love the little freedom he was giving her.

XVIII. Milo Vernier

“Can you talk now?” Theo asked her, his tone impatient.

She took her time with her steak before she answered, “What do you want to know?”

He closed his eyes to control himself. He wanted to wring her neck but he knew that it would only make her make things harder for him. “Tell me what you planned with the twins,” he said under his breath.

“Ah, that.” She took more time with her wine this time. “Well, it is nothing of such great importance, but I was hoping it will help us once we dock.”

“What is it?”

She smiled and said, “I successfully managed to make them think we are playing a game.”

“What game?”

“A mission game.”

Theo waited until she was satisfied with the long silence.

“I told them that we should find out who their brother’s friends are on this ship.”

He looked at her drily. “They already know.”

Desiree flashed him a smile. “I know. And I know they are just trying to make me think that they don’t. And I know that they will reveal who their brother’s friends are in no time. That will make them think they are leading the mission game. And once they realize that, the real mission begins.”

He raised his brows and leaned closer. “What mission?”

“Mission two: know what their brother and his friends are planning to do.”

He thought about it and said, “Wouldn’t it be dangerous for them?”

“They are smart kids. And people usually underestimate kids, even the incredible ones. Berkeley has been around the twins for quite a long time now. He must have long taken down his guards around them.”

He just slowly nodded. “It is best if we know what he is planning with the Chinese but we still have to make plans of our own. We can’t trust this whole thing to a couple of kids.”

“I know. And Berkeley still thinks I am on his side, right?”

His face grew more serious. “Don’t make plans with that man on your own, Desiree.”

She sighed. “I might just do that.”

His eyes darted toward her. “What do you mean by that?”

“You told me that if I work with you on this one, you’ll tell me what you’re planning to do to me with Vernier.”

“I told you I’ll do that after all of this is over.”

“Well, the game has changed. I want to know now.”

“Why?”

“And why won’t you tell me? Will it make me change my mind?”

“No, not really.”

“Then tell me. You can’t expect me to let go of the chance to get out of this mess with you only to throw myself and be trapped in another mess.”

He thought about it. Desiree would not dare betray him now, would she? But what if she would?

He studied her eyes and she did not even flinch as she met his with conviction. Theo sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell you.”

“Now.”

“Later.”

“But—”

“After dinner.”

“Theo—”

“It’s going to be a long story. I don’t want my steak to go cold.”

Desiree met his eyes. “Later.”

“Yes.”

---

“They used aliases,” Gian informed Marco later that afternoon.

“It’s not a surprise.”

“They went by Mr. and Mrs. Cushko. Theodore and Ysabel Cushko to be precise.”

“And where did they go?”

“We lost track of them at Lima.”

“What are they doing in Lima?”

“We are not sure. As I said, we lost track of them. And considering the place, any potential technical trace of them will be nearly impossible. But we are still trying.”

Marco nodded and said, “Have you made arrangements with the airports? They may be back any time.”

“Yes, we did. All eyes are on them.”

“Keep me posted.”

A long pause reigned before Gian spoke. “I want to see Khaye.”

“She’s okay. That’s all you need to know for now.”

“Marco—”

“I’ll talk to you soon, okay? Keep me posted.” He didn’t wait for his partner’s reply and ended the call. He’d have to ask Khaye about her brother visiting before anything.

He walked out of his room and found her sitting on the couch, reading an old magazine. She readily threw it on the coffee table when she saw him. “I want to learn how to fight.”

Marco almost took a step back. “What?”

“I want to learn how to fight. To defend myself.”

“I’m here. It’s my job to—”

“I’m not suggesting anything bad, Marco, but there’s a possibility that I will find myself alone again. Or worse, you might be injured or something and I will be left to fend for both of us. I want to at least learn how to shoot and kick some ass.”

He frowned. “Didn’t Gian teach you anything?”

“We don’t teach each other anything.”

“Okay. Once your wound is all healed, we can do some practice shooting.” He started walking to the kitchen.

“Is he a good shot?”

“Who?”

“Gian.”

Marco stopped and turned to face her. She wasn’t trying to hide the fear on her face. “Yes. But he’s your brother. He wouldn’t hurt you.”

“We don’t know that.”

He didn’t answer and just stared at her, helpless to say anything.

“We don’t know how deep he is into this mess.”

“We don’t know if he’s even into the mess, Khaye.”

“But we still need to be careful. I don’t want to think he’s one of them, Marco. But every cell in my body is screaming to stay away from my own flesh and blood.”

Marco slowly nodded his head. “We’ll do what is safe and if you think you’ll feel safe by learning how to shoot and fight, I’ll teach you some tricks.”

She blinked and gave him an empty smile. “Thank you.”

He watched as she reached for the old magazine again. He could only imagine what she was feeling at the moment.

---

Khaye later found herself staring blankly at the ceiling of her room.

She worried about a lot of things.

Her brother was the greatest of them all.

What was he hiding from them? What was he planning?

Had he been working behind her back from the start?

She took a deep breath and sighed.

She didn’t want to trust Marco but now it seemed that he was all that was left.

Her hand went to her bandaged wound. She’d have to get better. She’d have to at least do something and make things right again.

Her life was waiting for her to come back and she wanted to be back. She wanted to forget everything and go back to what was her normal life.

Before she closed her eyes, she thought of Desiree and what she might be doing now. She thought of Jamaica. She thought of that night at the hotel. She thought of her brother, Petroff and Marco.

One great struggle and I am fucking alone, she thought to herself.

But Marco was there.

He’d help her, was her final thought before falling asleep.

---

“So?” Desiree asked hours later.

They were now lying on the bed, both of them naked under the sheets.

“Don’t think I didn’t notice you’ve been trying to buy some time, Theo.” She pushed away from him and climbed out of bed, dragging the sheet along with her to cover herself, leaving him with nothing but the pillow. He closed his eyes and sighed.

She picked up his boxers and shirt and threw it at him. “Dress up because I want to have a proper talk.”

Desiree did the same, picking up her dress. She kicked his trousers and other garments toward him for him and watched as he tidied them up on the bed. His hair was messy but his face looked fresher after their activity. She arched her brow as she sat on the seat in one corner of the cabin.

Theo jumped out of bed and poured himself some water. After gulping two glasses, he went back to the bed and sat up facing her. He looked her in the eye and asked, “Vernier is like the executive secretary of the organization.”

She kept her mouth shut as she waited for his next words. To keep her hands from reaching out to his tousled hair, she tidied her dress and sat up straight with shoulders squared. She meant business.

“He keeps the vital information of almost everyone in the org, including my father’s.” At his last word, his eyes went back to hers, expecting her to understand everything from that one statement.

Somehow, she did, but only after a while. When it finally dawned on her, her eyes widened and her mouth dropped. “You are planning to overthrow your own father?”

His face was serious but she saw a hint of desire in his eyes—desire for power. And it scared her. “You can put it that way,” he simply answered. “That’s why I need you to get everything you can from Vernier. It will be an easy task.”

“Theo, I am not suicidal. If I am, I’d be long dead by now.”

“You will not be in danger, Desiree.”

She stood up and started to pace the cabin in bare feet. “How do you plan to do it?”

He was following her movement from the bed and he smiled when she finally met his eyes. “I will lend you to him.”

She stopped, her whole body getting cold. Anger was fast to rise to her throat and she started for Theo, ready to pounce on him.

“He will not touch you, Desiree,” he uttered before she reached him.

“What do you mean?”

“He’s not capable. He’s old and he’s…well, nonfunctional if we should use a better word.”

“That still doesn’t change the fact that he can do something to me, you bastard!” she shouted. “Your brother—and you—never touched me before but you still managed to inflict a great deal of damage!

She saw him flinch but he quickly regained his composure. “It’s just going to be one night, Desiree. Just one night.”

“You expect me to find some fucking files that can destroy your father in just one fucking night?”

“No.” He reached out to grab her hand. She slapped it away but his grip tightened as he pulled her closer to him.

“Let me go.”

He trapped her between his thighs as he looked up at her. “Look at me.”

“Let me go.”

“Look at me and let me talk.”

She bent her head and looked him straight in the eye. “You fucking bastard,” she snapped.

“I’ll lend you to Vernier for a night—stop struggling and listen to me,” he said, tightening his grip around her legs and her wrist. “You go home with him and open the doors for me.”

Desiree froze and frowned. “What?”

Theo was wearing a smirk on his face. “I said, I lend you to him, you go home with him and open the doors for me.”

“That’s all?” her voice was full of doubt.

He pulled her down to sit on his lap as he said, “That’s all.”

“So you’ll be there.”

“I know where to find what I want. I just need you to distract him.”

She let the silence linger for a while. “How do you know he’ll be distracted?”

His hand ran up her thigh. “He was about ready to buy you at that auction, Desiree. Trust me, you’ll be a great distraction.”

She chewed on her lower lip as she tried to think. As she did so, his hand was already under the hem of her dress, pushing it up her hips.

“What do you think?” he asked, his mouth against her ear.

“What do I get in return?”

His lips trailed down her jaw to her chin, his breath washing over her skin. She caught her breath as his hand cupped one breast. “You’ll have me,” he answered before claiming her mouth.

Desiree thought that was enough for now. Having Theo would mean protection and power. It would mean her survival until the right time came—until she could find her way out.

A/N:

Sorry for such a very late update. I just came back from a vacation in Vietnam and Cambodia. The places were great and the food was fantastic, by the way! Anyway, the trip gave me a lot of inspiration to write more stories and finish this one. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I will try to update as soon as I can. I am looking forward to finish this work (the ending is already done in my head so you should expect that this work will definitely have a good one).

XIX. Into the Night

They were nearing the end of the cruise. They had an overnight stay in one of the docks near Chile two days ago and Desiree had hoped that Berkeley would approach her.

She couldn’t ask the twins about his specific activities. If she wanted to save their lives, she had to be careful. They bought her mission game pretty well. Of course, they bragged about finding out that the Chinese couple and Berkeley were friends and that they often talked at night time when they thought that twins were asleep.

She was sitting just a meter away from them inside the loud arcade of the ship. They were there to talk about their current mission.

“So?” she asked them under her breath. She was pretending to read the book Theo was reading the other day while the twins pretended to be immersed in Rubik’s cube which, with no doubt, they could solve even with eyes closed.

“Why is it that we always solve the mystery first?” asked the taller of the twins. She’d had always been stopping herself from asking their names. She couldn’t get attached to them, Theo had said.

“Because there’s two of you while there’s just one me,” she told them.

“Still, you’re older.”

“And you are always beside your brother. Of course, you’ll solve the mysteries first.”

“It’s not challenging enough.”

She took a deep breath to calm herself. Dealing with kids required a lot of patience, she thought, no matter how smart they were. “Don’t worry. We will get a more challenging mission after you give me your reports, sirs.” She gave them a salute and they both rolled their eyes. “I’m serious. And this time, I will win.”

The two kids straightened in their seats. “What is it?”

“First, reports on the mission.”

“You first.”

She pretended to think. “Uh, I didn’t find out much, really. I tried talking to your brother to know what he’s planning once we reach our destination but he wouldn’t talk to me.”

“That’s because he’s keeping it a secret,” whispered one of the twins.

Desiree widened her eyes in a pretend surprise. “Really?”

The two nodded their heads. “Because it is a very big secret.”

“Why?”

“We’re not telling that one,” said the other as he diverted his gaze from her. They didn’t know.

“But you know what will happen after we dock in Chile, right?”

They both nodded.

“And?”

They stared at each other conspiratorially and looked at her. “We’re going to ride a big chopper.”

“A really big one,” added the other.

Desiree blinked. “A chopper?”

They both nodded. “Yes. And they said we are going to have a very big adventure with the new friends.”

“I am not that excited though, honestly,” said the other, his face growing grim.

“Why?” asked Desiree.

He shrugged. “I don’t know. They don’t tell us a lot of things. I think we should know what they are planning, right?”

“And we are going to find out.”

“You mean you don’t know?” she asked.

“From the moment they took us out of that orphanage, we are blank.”

She wanted to ask where they were really from, but stopped herself. No attachments, she thought.

“Well, you don’t have to go with them if you don’t want to,” she said anyway.

“But where will we go?”

“I don’t know…somewhere you want to be.”

“I want to find my mother.”

“Our mother.”

She didn’t know how to answer that one so she cleared her throat and tried to think of a good one. “I know people who can help you.”

Their eyes lit up. And then their shoulders sagged. “But Mr. Ber—I mean, our brother said he will help us find her.”

“You already said too much,” said his twin. He turned to Desiree and asked, “We already won two out of two missions. What’s the next one? It better be good. This game is a total bore.”

“Okay,” she said, crossing her leg over the other as she pretended to think. “Here’s the next mission and you both have to be very careful. Though I know that I will win this one, I should still give you both a chance.”

“Just say it,” they chorused.

She leaned closer and started to whisper.

---

Khaye’s wound was healing. And she was getting bored.

Marco had left the house only once, leaving her alone, because of work. That was two days ago. And he had not left her side ever since.

Gian had called twice but Khaye refused to talk to him in both occasions.

“You should at least pretend that you are not thinking he’s one of the bad guys, Khaye,” Marco told her that afternoon.

“It’s not easy right now,” was all she said. They stared at each other for a while before she blinked and turned away. “I’ll need some time to wrap my head around it.”

“He wants to come here,” Marco said behind her.

“Did you tell him where we are?”

“He knows.”

“How?”

“I had to make a report two days ago. Of course, he knows.”

She faced him once again, the panic in her voice apparent as she asked, “What should I do?”

“Try to act normal. He’s your brother. He’ll notice if something is wrong.”

“But how can I do that when I fear his presence?”

“If he is working for Petroff, I don’t think he can easily harm you. He’s still your brother after all and he was genuinely concerned the last time I talked to him. I say we give him the benefit of the doubt but at the same time be cautious.”

She started to walk back to her room. “I’ll think about it.”

“He’s on his way.”

---

“What happened?” Theo asked the moment she entered the cabin.

“I told them to steal a gold watch from one of the passengers. Remember that Irish guy who hit on me the other day? It will be quite a challenge for them. It’s also going to be a good distraction so they will stop asking questions.”

“I wasn’t asking about the stupid mission you were going to give the twins. I was asking about what they told you.”

Desiree rolled her eyes and dropped on the bed. She closed her eyes and murmured, “They told me about the escape plan.”

Theo was immediately looming over her. “What?” He sounded pissed.

“They have prepared a chopper the moment we dock in Chile.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that the moment you walked in?” he asked incredulously.

“And why don’t you save your time and make plans now instead of nagging?” she asked dryly, keeping her eyes closed.

She heard his footsteps and the next thing she knew he was on the phone with Richard, making plans.

---

A knock on her door came and Khaye jumped on her feet.

“Khaye, it’s Gian,” her brother said from behind the door.

She kept her mouth shut.

“Hey, look, I need to talk to you,” he uttered, his voice low.

She clenched her fists and forced herself to walk to the door before Marco would do anything and force her to do the same thing. Opening the door, she took a deep breath and put a small smile on her lips. “Gian,” she greeted.

The tension was obvious between them. She knew that Gian was suddenly aware of it but they both pretended it was okay. They hadn’t seen each other in a while anyway.

“Can I come in?” her brother asked. Marco was standing in the middle of the living room, looking at them. He gave Khaye a small nod and she nodded at Gian in return. She stepped aside to let her brother pass and left the door open. Gian’s eyes hovered at the open doorway for a while but didn’t say anything. He carefully walked to the only chair in the room and sat down. “Look, I’m sorry that I haven’t gone to see you for the past couple of days. I’ve been very busy.”

The look on his eyes told her he was more than busy and fear started to rise up her gut once more. “It’s okay,” she managed to answer, rooted in her spot in the middle of the room.

“Can we talk? Just the two of us? Alone?” her brother asked in a whisper, his eyes darting to the door to check if Marco was listening. Khaye hoped he was but when she turned to look over her shoulder, the man wasn’t there.

She shook her head. “We can talk now,” she said.

“No. I meant talk somewhere else. Somewhere private.”

“Where?”

“I know a place near here.”

She started to panic and vigorously shook her head. “I don’t want to talk to you outside of this house.”

Gian’s face suddenly changed. He stood up and a flash of anger passed before his eyes before it disappeared. He took the few remaining steps between them and before Khaye could step away, he managed to grab her upper hand. He looked down on her and whispered, “Please don’t make this harder for me, Khaye. I really need to talk to you. Alone.”

He was desperate to get her alone. She couldn’t let him. If she wanted to live this through, she had to disobey her brother this time. She shook her head no. “I am not going with you anywhere. I don’t trust you.”

“Why?” he asked, his voice challenging and angry.

“You’re…you’re acting different. This is not you.”

“It is because I don’t know what to do anymore, Khaye. And that’s why I want to talk to you.”

“You know what to do. You have to find Desiree and find out the truth.” She met his gaze, willing him to change his mind, to think about what he was doing to her.

Her brother blinked and let her go rather too roughly. “Fuck. This is all so messed up.”

She frowned as tears welled in her eyes. “It doesn’t have to be. Just do what is right, Gian.”

He looked at her for a very long time. What flashed in his eyes before he turned to walk out the door scared her. Did her brother just look at her with disdain?

---

Desiree wasn’t really expecting it.

She was walking along one of the many corridors of the ship, wondering where the twins were and about Theo’s plans with Richard two days from now, when he suddenly jumped in front of her with his seductive smile.

“Oh, so you now decided to see me,” she said, feigning irritation.

Berkeley just continued to smile at her, admiring her from head to foot. “You know we can’t compromise our plans, my dear.”

She felt the cold rush through her spine but she ignored it. This was a crucial moment. “I don’t even know your plans.”

Berkeley reached down to grab her hand. He played with it and the next thing she knew, she was holding a small plastic wrap.

She frowned. “What is this?”

“Pills to make your husband fall asleep.”

“You want me to drug him?” she asked, trying to conceal her shock.

He nodded. “I don’t want him running after us while we escape with the packages.”

She forced a smile. “And how do we escape?”

Berkeley just smiled and leaned down until his lips was against her ear. She fought with all her might not to cringe. “You’ll know. Just give him the pills thirty minutes before we dock.”

“It will just make him sleep?”

“He’ll be so deep he will not even realize he is dying,” he uttered, sending chills throughout her system.

She nodded her head and Berkeley leaned away.

He looked into her eyes with a smile. “And the moment he is down, you tell me. I’ll be waiting outside the cabin door.”

Before she could ask why, he turned and quickly disappeared into another hallway.

Desiree looked down at the pills, lost in thought.

---

Khaye rushed out of her room the moment she heard Gian drive away.

Marco was just entering the house when she ran to him and grabbed him by the arm.

“Let’s go. Let’s disappear. Now, please, Marco, let’s go!” she was saying as tears streamed down her face.

Marco fought the urge to take her in his arms and calm her down. He grabbed one of her shoulders and forced her to listen to his words. “Hey, what is it? What did he tell you?”

“I’m scared. He is not the same anymore, Marco. Don’t think I am overreacting. I am not. It was not Gian I talked to. He suddenly changed. I don’t know how or why. I just fucking know he’s out to get me anytime!”

He wanted to be logical at that moment and be the stable mind between them, but he saw the desperation in Khaye and he found himself believing her fears. He couldn’t risk getting her trouble once more.

“Marco, please. I no longer feel safe here. Let’s just go. Let’s leave.”

“This is not a decision that we can easily make—”

“Then I’ll go. I don’t fucking need you anyway!” she screamed, turning away and running to her room.

He followed her in three strides. “Khaye, we have to make plans—”

“Yeah, make funeral plans because I’ll be dead by morning if I don’t leave this place!”

“Hey, calm down…”

“I am not calming down until I get as far away from here as possible! My own brother is out to kill me and I don’t know how he can even do that! I don’t what how much he gets from this, but I am pretty sure it’s enough for him to forget I’m his fucking sister!” She was already grabbing her things and throwing them inside her bag when Marco suddenly grabbed her hand and forced her to face him.

He looked into her eyes and said, “Okay. We’ll go. We’ll find a place and Gian doesn’t have to know where it is.”

“Until you make another stupid report,” she spat at him.

“I promise I will not tell anyone. Just fucking calm down and let me make plans.”

“I am not that eager to calm down right now, Marco.” A tear fell from her eye and she hastily wiped it away with the back of her hand.

“Just give me an hour to make plans. We can’t just drive off to nowhere. We have to make sure that we are not followed. In case you forgot, this case just got a lot more complicated, Khaye. If Gian is working with Petroff and if they have something to do with Jamaica’s death, then we really need to take extra careful steps.”

“I don’t care about the case anymore. I just want to be safe!”

“Okay, we’ll do that. I’ll keep you safe, okay? Just one hour. Then we’re gone.”

“One hour.”

He nodded and left her inside the room.

An hour later, the two of them were driving into the night.

XX. The Great Escape

Khaye was silent throughout the drive. She had blindly given Marco her trust. It may sound stupid, considering she couldn’t even trust her own brother. Despite that, she couldn’t do it herself. She had to have someone or she’d be a total wreck.

Her desperation to go back to her old life was eating her inside. But that had to wait. She had to wait until this mess was cleared. Jamaica’s death should be solved one way or the other. And Petroff should be taken care of once and for all. Her brother though was a different matter and that was the biggest struggle for her right now.

“Gian is the key to all this,” Marco said, breaking the deafening silence. A light drizzle was washing the windshield of his car and he turned on the wiper. She concentrated on the sound it made and lost herself following its movement with her eyes. “If we can talk to him, put some sense into him, we can solve everything.”

Khaye blinked and swallowed her fears. “He might have been working for Petroff for a long time.” She scoffed and added, “Looks like we have been working for the same man after all.”

“What do you mean?”

“Petroff was our boss, remember? When I was still walking down the runway—before I started running for my own fucking life.”

He didn’t answer and she was grateful for that. The life she had left behind was too precious that any word from him might only cause her to totally lose it.

“Where are we going?”

“Do you want to know?”

She hesitated. She wanted to know. But what good would it do? She decided to let it pass for now. “What are your plans next?”

Marco lifted his shoulders and dropped it with a frown. “I am still trying to figure that out. I still need to get in touch with the HQ if I want this thing to be over with. But I cannot compromise your safety at the same time.”

“If you take me to a well-hidden place, then you can just leave to do your job if you want to.”

“They might follow me on my way back,” he contradicted.

“Then we run away again. We’ll lose them again until we can solve this thing.”

“We?” He shook his head. “No, you are not getting yourself deeper into this mess.”

“We don’t even know where I belong in this mess, Marco. All we know is that they think I know who killed Jamaica. They think I know something. Which is not true! I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time and now I am hunted!”

“We’ll talk about this once we get to where we’re going. For now, I suggest you try getting some decent sleep.”

She didn’t answer. Sleep was out of the question. Instead, she turned her head to the side and watched the passing darkness outside the window.

---

Three days later, Berkeley approached her again.

“Well?” he asked under his breath.

“Well what?”

“Are we good? Do you have the pills?”

“Of course, I have the pills. I have one question though,” she said, looking over her shoulder to see if Theo was around. He wasn’t. He was probably in their cabin reading a book.

“What is it?”

“Have you talked to him?”

“Who?”

“My husband. “

Berkeley shook his head. “We are not due to have contact until we dock. And that is in…let’s see…about five hours?”

Her heart started to hammer again. Was she mad for doing this?

“Why are you asking?”

“Because I want to know if he’s being suspicious. Who knows, right?” she asked, her voice nervous.

Berkeley smiled at her. “Don’t lose your nerves, darling. If you just do what you have to do, we can all escape. You can escape him. And we will have all the money that comes with the packages. Just give him the drink with the pills and he’ll be eliminated.”

“And it will kill him?” she asked.

Berkeley just smiled and answered, “With a good amount, yes.”

Desiree swallowed and nodded. “Okay.”

“Be outside your cabin thirty minutes before we dock.”

She nodded and he walked away without another word.

---

“Where have you been?” Theo asked with a frown.

“Out for a walk. I met up with the twins. We’ve been playing some mission games, remember?”

“I thought you already ended those stupid games?”

Her eyes landed on him before she blinked and walked to the bed. “I’m too tired to explain.”

“Have they found out something else?”

“Nothing. I don’t want to push them too hard. Those kids are too perceptive. They will know something is wrong. I gave them some random mission like sending that stupid letter to one of the crew. They bought it and it had been keeping them busy for days.”

He just nodded.

“Are you okay?” he asked when she laid on her back, her eyes on the ceiling.

“I am just freaking afraid for the kids.” There was hesitation in her answer and he knew she was lying about something.

He decided to ignore it. “Has Berkeley approached you yet?”

He waited for her answer but none came. Instead, she jumped out of bed and briskly walked to the bathroom. “I’ll tell you about it later,” she said before she closed the door behind her.

---

Desiree couldn’t stay still. She had been pacing the room for some time now. They were due to dock in two hours. She had taken her time thinking about the things she was about to do inside the bathroom. While Theo was back on his phone inside the cabin earlier, making plans with Richard on the phone, she couldn’t help but wonder whether or not she was doing the right thing.

Now, Theo was in the bathroom, taking a shower. He was getting ready.

She wasn’t ready though but she knew she had to do this—for her and the twins.

Desiree jumped on her feet when a knock came on the cabin door.

“Room service,” a man’s voice said.

Clearing her throat, “It’s open,” she called out.

The door swung open and a man in red and blue uniform walked in with a smile. He was wheeling a cart inside the room. “Your coffee,” he said.

She looked at the nametag on his shirt and said, “Thank you, Jed.”

“No problem.”

She handed him the tip and he walked out of the room without a word.

“Who was that?” Theo asked from inside the bathroom.

“Room service,” she said. “Lunch is here.” She stared down at the chilled bottle of wine and the stainless cover of their supposed lunch.

“I’ll be out in a minute.”

She checked the bathroom door before she walked to her suitcase and fished out the pills. Her hands started shaking but she willed herself to do it.

One part of her mind told her not to do it. Another said it was only right. Before she changed her mind, Desiree dropped two pills on one empty glass and opened the wine. She immediately poured some to both glasses and waited.

Theo walked out of the bathroom fully clothed, ready to leave the ship. He fixed the cart with hungry eyes and said, “Good. I am starving.”

“I’m not, but I already helped myself with some wine if you don’t mind,” she said from the couch not far from the cart. She watched as Theo curiously looked at the glass of wine she had poured for him. Her heart was already pumping against her chest with anticipation. Theo shrugged and picked up the glass.

“Well, here’s to our last day,” he said, lifting the glass to his lips.

Desiree swallowed as she watched Theo take a big gulp.

It was now or never.

---

“They’re angry as hell, but they understand,” Marco shared over lunch.

“How about Gian?” she asked.

He shrugged. “He’s the angriest of all.”

“How about the case?”

Marco’s eyes wavered. They hadn’t had any progress in locating Desiree or the man she was with before she fled to Peru. But they were monitoring every entry and exit back in the country just in case. Apart from Gian, he had appointed a trusted member of their team to give him a full report on the investigation. As for him, he had become quite useless being remote and hidden five cities away with Jamaica.

“It has been days since we arrived here, Marco. We should do something other than wake up, eat and get to sleep.”

“Isn’t this what you wanted? To be far away and safe?”

“To be safe, yes. But to do nothing, no it’s not. I want us to do something.”

“In case you don’t know how these things go yet, Khaye,” he started, his voice losing its patience. “To do something means to risk your life. Again. We can’t do anything hiding in this fucking place.”

“Can’t we do our own investigation?”

He looked at her with disbelief. “You are one fucking messed up lady. One moment you want to pack up and leave and now you want to do a fucking investigation?”

Instead of stabbing him with her plastic knife, she remained calm and composed. “My wound is okay now. And I have dealt with my fucking messed up mind. I want to do something other than…this.”

Marco was partly relieved to hear that. He had been itching to get out and do something but Khaye was stopping him.

“Let me get this straight. So now you want to go out there and solve this thing on your own?”

She just stared at him for a while before she uttered, “Sort of.”

“What the hell do you mean, Khaye?”

She just shrugged. “I told you before I want to fight. I want to learn how to defend myself and you will have to teach me.”

“Once your wound is healed. But where are we getting at?”

“And once I am capable of protecting myself, you can go out and do your thing. That way, you’ll know that I can take care of myself. It is time for us to be prepared, Marco. It is not all the time that you will always be at my side, right?” There was something in her eyes when she asked that question and his gaze wavered for a second.

He blinked and nodded. “You want me to teach you a few tricks.”

“And some plan A, B and C in case someone attacks or follows me around. Some secret code or place I can do or go to if I find myself alone and in danger.”

He would be lying if he didn’t find that exciting. She had presented the idea and he wasn’t about to go all heroic by saying he wouldn’t leave her side. He was needed out there where he could do what he was best at—catching people and throwing them behind bars. “Okay,” he finally told Khaye with a nod.

She smiled and even looked excited. “When do we start?”

He looked at her with amusement. She sure did manage to sort out her messed up mind. “This very afternoon.”

---

Desiree almost regretted what she did as she kept herself from pacing in front of the closed cabin door. She had the urge to run back inside and call for help.

Berkeley arrived on time with a contented smile on his face. “You look like you’ve been through hell and back,” he said.

Desiree blinked and swallowed. “I did it. God, I can’t believe I just did it,” she uttered before she could stop herself.

Berkeley walked past her and opened the cabin door. Desiree didn’t dare look. “He’s there, okay? You don’t have to check,” she said.

“I have to make sure,” Berkeley answered before stepping inside the room. Left with no choice, Desiree followed him inside and her eyes landed on Theo’s motionless body on the floor. He had dropped right there, on the floor earlier. He didn’t even make it to the bed and she had not thought of touching him. The empty wine glass was on the cart a few feet away from him. Berkeley walked closer and nudged Theo’s shoulder with one foot. His chuckle rang around the cabin, sending a chill all over Desiree. “I honestly thought you wouldn’t be able to do it, sweetheart,” Berkeley said, facing her.

“Well, I did,” she snapped. “Can we go now? I don’t want anyone to see me here.”

“I am considering finishing him off, actually,” Berkeley said, looking down at Theo.

She swallowed. “You know the Liaisons are powerful people. If they find out that there has been a foul play, they will haunt us down. I don’t ever want them on my tail.”

“I don’t actually care if—” his words were cut off by the sudden sound of the fire alarm. “Fuck!” he cried out.

“What is it?” she asked in panic.

“They’ve set off the alarm too soon,” he said, walking to the door.

“Who?”

“The twins. Let’s go.”

Desiree didn’t know what to do. Should she go through with this? She looked down at Theo on the floor. She had no other choice.

She chose this.

---

There was some sort of controlled panic among the passengers, but it was not for long before someone started shouting and others followed suit.

The ship had not fully docked yet, but because of the urgency of the situation there was no other choice but to start evacuation.

Desiree knew, of course, that there was no fire but was still carried by the flow of people eager to get out of the ship, leaving all their belongings behind. The crew managed to make everyone follow their orders by letting the women, children and elderly get off the ship first.

Berkeley was obviously pissed off. He planned on being at the exit before the twins rang off the alarm. He had to drag Desiree along with him to find the twins.

One of them was about to open his mouth to say something when they finally found them but Berkeley was in a hurry to pay attention to them. They didn’t look worried like the other guests, but they were anxious about what would happen. Desiree took each of their hands in hers and said, “It’s okay, boys, we’re going to be alright.”

“Mothers and children first!” someone was shouting.

“Go,” Berkeley said to them. “I’ll be right behind you. Take them to the café right across the street outside the pier. Someone will be waiting for you there.”

A sound of police cars and ambulance could now be heard outside. Desiree thought of Theo for a second. She mentally shook her head and focused on what was happening. She couldn’t worry about him now, of all time.

She did this and she had to face it. Her grip tightened around the hands of the children and she carried them through the pool of people, fighting their way to the exit. Berkeley tried to tag along but a uniformed man stopped him, telling him to calmly wait because they would all eventually be able to get off the ship unharmed. “Mothers, children and elderly first!” he shouted. Some younger ladies shouted back angrily, talking about suing the shipping company the moment they get off.

“Don’t let go of my hand, okay?” she told the twins as they walked to the dock and off the ship.

“Where are we going? Are we going to the chopper?” asked one of them.

She didn’t answer. She was busy looking around. People were crowded everywhere, asking questions about their luggage and other important things left behind. Three fire trucks were at the ready but the confusion on the firefighters’ faces were apparent. They couldn’t find a smoke, much more a fire.

A passing thought crossed Desiree’s mind. She could run away with the twins now. Fuck off Berkeley, the Chinese, Theo and the Liaisons. Fuck off the CIA. Fuck everyone off.

“Well? Do you know where we are going?” one of the twins asked.

“Of course,” she told them with confidence as she guided them out of the pier.

Her heart started to hammer when a black van blocked their view of the café across the street. Its door opened and a voice said from inside, “Get in.”

Desiree hesitated. The twins seemed lost. She looked over her shoulder and she could see Berkeley looking over at them. She took a deep breath and walked closer to the van. “Get inside, kids.”

---

“Let’s go, go, go!” the voice shouted at someone and the van started moving. Along with it was Desiree’s heartbeat hammering against her chest, too loud she could hear it in her ears. She had to remind herself that she had to stay calm for the children.

The windows were covered and the kids were gripping at Desiree’s hands. The two of them were seated side by side with Desiree was facing them on the seat right across from theirs. The darkness was making them anxious.

No one talked after that and Desiree’s mind ran through a lot of possibilities during their short and fast ride.

“Shh…” she whispered to them when one of them asked if they were driving to where the chopper was. It was safer to not talk, she wanted to tell them.

The van finally came to a halt and Desiree took a deep breath.

There was complete silence for about five minutes. No one moved or made a sound, even the twins. It seemed as if they were all holding their breath.

And then the door opened and light burst inside.

“Fuck. You did not kill him,” Richard’s voice said from the passenger seat of the van.

Theo quickly jumped inside and sat beside Desiree. An ambulance was parked right beside their van and Jed the service boy from the ship was smiling at them from outside. Richard threw Theo a fat envelop which Theo threw to Jed in return before closing the door again.

“She didn’t kill me but she made it damn sure I almost was,” Theo whispered beside Desiree as the van started to drive away once again. “You did a great job,” he added for her to hear.

XXI. Practice Makes Perfect

They were driven to a private hangar where a plane was already waiting for them. Due to the incident back in the port, local authorities were suddenly busy, making it easier for them to leave the place without complicated procedures.

Desiree wouldn’t let go of the twins who seemed lost and confused. She had to tell them that Berkeley was coming until they boarded the private jet Richard rode to get where they were. The look Theo gave her when they finally settled and waited for the takeoff told her she better prepare the twins.

“It’s going to be alright.” She lied. She didn’t really know what would happen to the two of them, but at least they’d be in the hands of people she knew. Reassuring herself, she thought of what the kids would go through if she had let them go with Berkeley. They’d be sold to people who would use them for the worse. But how sure was she that the CIA wouldn’t do the same? She had heard stories of government agencies doing unspeakable things.

“They’ll be fine,” Theo whispered beside her. She didn’t reply. She could hardly believe anything right now.

Richard came back with signed papers. He looked at Desiree, his eyes bare of any emotion including hatred, before saying, “We’re good to go.”

He went to the back of the plane and strapped himself down.

In a matter of minutes, they the plane was flying them back home. For some reason, Desiree pictured Theo’s home by the cliff.

---

“Just point and shoot,” Marco said near Khaye’s ear. His one hand was holding both of hers forward while he stood behind her. She was holding the gun with shaking hands. “You have to be very calm, Khaye.”

“I’m trying to be calm, okay? Just shut up.”

“You asked for this.”

“Well, I’m trying!” The gun went off, making them both jump in surprise.

Marco quickly grabbed the gun away from her hands, locked it and stared at her. “We’ve been practicing for hours. You should be tired. Let’s continue tomorrow.”

Khaye squared her shoulders and met his gaze. “No. We don’t have much time. I want to learn this fast.”

He actually wanted to shake some sense into her. Though he liked this Khaye better, he wanted her safe. Being stubborn could only get her killed. “You cannot master this in just one afternoon. Don’t be too impatient. We’ll start again tomorrow morning.”

She pursed her lips and whirled around to storm back to his car.

“Women,” Marco grumbled as he followed her.

---

“How did you manage the fire alarm?” Richard asked when they were finally on air. The twins had fallen asleep and so did Desiree.

“I told Desiree to deliver a note to that crewman you saw earlier. His name is Jed, by the way. She then gave the twins another mission game to deliver the note which gave him directions on what to do that day.”

“That was a risky move. The twins could have been caught.”

“They took their mission games seriously. It was better than Berkeley or the Chinese catching one of us approach Jed.”

“And you trusted the bitch to give you the pills.”

“We didn’t know what pills Berkeley gave her so we swapped them with sleeping pills Jed took from one of the guests. I had to take it or we’d be found out.”

Richard threw Desiree’s sleeping form a disdainful look. “You shouldn’t trust her like this, Theo. She’ll be the death of you.”

“You trusted Jamaica, didn’t you?”

Richard’s jaw tightened. “Don’t ever mention her name again if you want your woman alive.”

“You still believe she killed her own friend?”

“Who else could it have been?”

“We have a lot of enemies, Richard. It could have been any one of them.”

“Or it could have been me, right?” his brother asked bitterly. “Has this bitch poisoned your mind now? You really think I killed Jamaica?”

Theo shook his head. “I don’t want to believe that you did, but I am inclined to think that way. Your desperation to get rid of the alleged witness to the murder doesn’t make sense.”

Richard impatiently scoffed. “If that woman witnessed who killed Jamaica, she also witnessed what transpired before that. She would have heard my argument with Petroff.”

“Speaking of which, tell me why you were having an argument in the first place.”

“He was with my woman.”

Theo looked at his brother for a long time. “Tell me what really happened that night, Richard. I want to know where you were that night. You disappeared for quite a while and the next thing I know Jamaica was found dead.”

His brother averted his gaze. “I don’t have to explain anything. I didn’t kill Jamaica.”

“What were you planning that night?”

“What makes you think I was planning anything other than doing our job?” his brother asked with disbelief.

“You wouldn’t be this desperate to kill the witness if she didn’t hear anything other than your jealous fight with Petroff.”

Richard turned away from him. “I wasn’t planning anything.”

Theo let it go for now. He’d have to be cautious around his brother. Richard was up to something and it might jeopardize his own plans.

---

Desiree woke up without the twins.

At first she didn’t realize where she was when she opened her eyes. Her body felt very tired all of a sudden. It took her a few seconds to remember what had transpired before she fell asleep.

“Good. You’re awake. We’re nearly home.” Theo’s voice was low beside her.

She almost jumped out of her seat. Looking out the window, she realized that they were inside a hangar. Her eyes scanned the plane. “Where are the twins?”

Theo gave off a sigh as he checked his watch. “They’ve been taken not five minutes ago.”

Her reaction was that of dread. She had the urge to smack Theo’s calm face with her fist. The only thing that kept her from doing so was the intense rage she felt inside—and the thought that she should have seen it coming.

This was the plan from the very beginning.

Her hands balled into a fist and Theo saw it. “You know this is going to happen.”

It took all her control to lean back against the seat and breath. “I know. But you should have at least allowed me to say goodbye.”

“I didn’t see any point in that.” He stood up and started for the door.

“They must have been very afraid and lost and confused.”

He stopped but did not turn his head. “But at least they’re safe now.”

“You mean at least you were able to do your job and got loads of money for it.”

Instead of striking back, he said, “We have to go.”

She took at least five more minutes before she stood up and followed after him. When she climbed inside the car, he was patiently waiting.

She slammed the car door shut and crossed her arms over her chest, looking straight head.

“You’re having a tantrum,” Theo noted as the driver started the car.

“You don’t know how much I want to hurt you right now. Physically. Literally.”

The sound of his low chuckle surprised her. She snapped her head at him and glared.

“And you have the nerve to laugh. Do you know how much trouble I went through just to make sure that those kids stay safe? You should have the decency to wake me up and tell me to fucking say goodbye!”

“Richard was in a hurry. He took them to our clients and he didn’t give a fuck about the state of your consciousness.”

No words were further exchanged between them after that. Desiree succumbed to the dreadful thoughts about the twins. She could very well imagine what they must be feeling right now and the sudden changes of the world around them. Somehow, in their amazing yet innocent minds, they had come to trust Berkeley. They were expecting to be reunited with their mother. They had trusted HER to take care of them and she failed them. She betrayed them from the very start and it was eating her inside.

---

Theo could only imagine what was running inside her mind. If there was anyone who could understand the fate of those twins, it was Desiree.

She knew what it was to be swept off into a completely different world in a moment. He understood her anger and the guilt she must be feeling. But it was not enough for him to ignore his job. She had to get used to these things if she wanted to survive. Her world had completely changed now and she should embrace it.

There was no turning back for her.

The car delivered them to his house in less than an hour. Desiree climbed out of the car in haste. Theo followed but took his time to leisurely walk to the front door where she was impatiently waiting.

“Sulking like this will not do you any good,” he said under his breath as he turned the key.

“Don’t talk to me right now, Theo.” She lifted her hand, showing him half an inch of space between her forefinger and thumb. “I am this close to regretting not betraying you.”

Amused, he stared at her as he swung the door open. She dropped her hand and walked inside. Closing the door behind him, he found her standing in the middle of his living room.

“What?” He walked past her.

“Where should I sleep?”

Her question took him by surprise. And then he frowned at her confused expression. “Where else?”

“I’m not sleeping with you.”

“Your box is still inside my room,” he offered with amusement.

He saw her swallow. Her chin lifted high. She squared her shoulders and walked to the direction of his room. “Of course. I almost forgot.”

He noted the sarcasm but chose to ignore it. He checked his watch when his bedroom door slammed shut. He’d give her time to deal with her tantrums, he thought, walking to his office.

He had plans to put into action. One of them was to deal with Milo Vernier.

And tomorrow, Desiree had to start rehearsing for her role.

---

Khaye was thrown on the ground on her back. Not the first time that night. She tried to cover the groan that escaped her lips as she tried to roll back and get up.

Marco was standing at her feet, looking down at her without a trace of sweat. He had easily thrown her in one swift move.

Gritting her teeth, Khaye stormed toward him, intending to throw him off his feet with her head against his stomach. Before she could even make contact, he had effortlessly whirled her around and trapping her in his strong arms. She tried to wriggle free but he was immovable.

“Don’t try to fight an opponent stronger than you,” he calmly said near her ear. “You should know that in most cases, you will have to run away.”

“That will not do me any good,” she said, stomping her heel into his foot.

His hold almost loosened by her sudden attack. “That was good, but not good enough.”

“Let me go,” she ordered through gritted teeth.

“If I am someone who intends to kill you, you cannot just say that and expect me to follow. By this time, you’re as good as dead.”

“Okay, okay, I get it. Now, let me go and let’s start again.” She was already panting and wanted to catch her breath.

They had been practicing some moves for two hours now. She had not gotten over her frustration from her shooting practice that afternoon and now he was beating her to a pulp without even breaking a sweat.

When his hold did not loosen, Khaye felt some kind of feeling stirring inside her. The adrenaline from her fall was gone and her body was reacting in a weird way now. As her breathing returned to normal, she began to feel something different.

And then suddenly she was aware of Marco’s heavy and restrained breathing behind her.

She gulped in anticipation.

His arms suddenly loosened around her but she did not step away. Neither did he.

“You better step away now, Khaye.”

Khaye blinked. “What if I don’t?” Another gulp of anticipation.

“We might end up doing something else if you don’t.”

Before her senses could take better of her, she turned around and faced him, their faces just an inch apart. “I’m open for that too,” she managed to say. “Because you and I both know that this weird tension between us should—” Her words were left unsaid because Marco suddenly crushed his mouth against hers.

As she gave in to the moment, Khaye thought that something might have turned out right after all.

rG3

XXII. Prior the Exchange

Marco finally managed to tear his mouth away from Khaye’s before anything further they’d both regret happened. It took all his willpower to step back, his breathing as heavy as hers.

“Let’s not make this any more complicated than it already is.” His voice was almost a snarl. He was too busy regaining control over his urges.

Khaye had a confused look on his face and he groaned.

“Stop that,” he snapped.

“Stop what?” she asked under her breath. Her eyes were glued to his.

“Looking at me like that.”

She blinked. “You started it.”

“Started what?”

“That…that kiss, of course.”

He groaned again and closed his eyes. “As I said, let’s not make this complicated—”

“Than it already is, I know,” she finished for him. “But just so you know, Marco…it already is.”

“Exactly my point.” He opened his eyes and was surprised to see her walking away.

“Exactly. It already is complicated.” She opened her bedroom door and added over her shoulder, “Your fucking logical restraints wouldn’t change anything.” Then the door slammed behind her, leaving Marco to gape in confusion and surprise. What the hell did she mean by that?

---

Theo hated the woman’s stubbornness. She wouldn’t get out of her box and insisted that it was way more comfortable in there than his bed.

For a brief moment he considered cuffing her to the bedpost again but finally gave up the idea. She couldn’t get away from the house without tripping the alarm and if she would ever be successful in doing so, she wouldn’t be able to get far before he could catch up with her.

A big part of him nagged inside his head, telling him he was getting soft. Blind trust wouldn’t do him good, he thought. But they had made a deal. She’d help him with his plans on Vernier and she could do whatever she wanted. He’d even let her go if she asked but there was no way he’d tell her that. What happened on the cruise was good enough proof to him that Desiree could be trusted. She could have betrayed him countless of times but she didn’t.

He slowly sat up in bed and looked down at her sleeping in her fucking box. He’d have to do something about this sleeping arrangement.

---

Khaye lay on her bed wide awake. She cursed Marco and his righteousness. Everything was going so well until he snapped back to his senses!

She tossed and turned, not able to get an ounce of sleep.

“Fuck it,” she uttered, jumping off the bed. She padded to her door, swung it open and stormed to his room. She deliberately forgot to knock and pushed his door open. The darkness inside blinded her but there was enough light from the moon outside for her to see him jump off his bed in alarm. She was heaving with a lot of pent up emotions while she stood in the middle of his room with her hands on her hips. “Just so you know, I can very well take care of myself after this is all over. If you are thinking that having sex with me will make it complicated afterwards, then you are mistaken because I am not planning to hang on to you like a crybaby. I will definitely do such a thing if that is what you are afraid of because I will not want someone who doesn’t want me back so fuck you and your—”

It only took him two steps to grab her face in both hands and claim her mouth, leaving the rest of her words unsaid. She felt his hunger and fed on that, finally relieved that she was successful, otherwise she would have made a complete fool of herself.

His hand went up to cradle her nape while the other pressed on her lower back, drawing her closer against his arousal. She pushed him toward the bed and it creaked heavily as they fell. Khaye smiled against his mouth but it soon disappeared as a great wave of sensation rushed through her.

Marco rolled her to her back until he was on top of her. He tore his mouth from her for a moment to say, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Her hands were busy with his buttons. “Consider it done.”

---

Desiree woke up with a start. She almost screamed when she found herself inside the box but immediately remembered why she was there and groaned. Of course, they were back. She suddenly missed the bed in the cabin of the cruise ship.

“If you’re awake, breakfast is ready,” Theo’s voice said from the bed.

“Why, thank you,” she uttered sarcastically. “You’re very much accommodating.”

“I didn’t force you to sleep there. Remember I offered the bed.”

She huffed, stood up and climbed out of the box without a word.

“Get ready after your meal. We’re going out,” he called after her as she stormed out the room.

She stopped and turned to face him. His hands were behind his head and he was looking at her with a grin on his face. “Where are we going?”

“I was called for an urgent meeting. Move fast. Everyone seems pissed underground.”

With underground, he meant the Liaisons. “You did your job. Why the hell would they be pissed?”

He did not answer. Instead, he jumped off his bed and walked toward her. “While you’re having your breakfast, let us talk about Vernier.”

She suddenly grew anxious. Was it possible to talk Theo out of it? She didn’t want to deal with Vernier at all.

Theo’s brow arched when she didn’t move. “Either you have your breakfast now or we’ll share a different meal in this very room instead.”

Desiree snarled and walked away to go to the kitchen. He followed close behind and she could almost sense his amusement. What the fuck happened to the bastard Theo?

“Milo Vernier, as I told you, keeps the most important records of the organization,” Theo was explaining five minutes later while Desiree finished her bacon and eggs. He was sitting across the table from her, his hands folded over his chest as he comfortably leaned against his seat.

“And you want those records.”

He nodded. “He doesn’t easily let anyone inside his house where he keeps his office.”

“So you will give me to him so I can get inside, open the doors for you and help you steal what you want. To destroy your father. Did I get that right?”

He fixed her a fake smile and nodded. “Exactly.”

“And why do you think Vernier would believe you’ll just hand me over to him when you spent millions to get me? He is not that stupid, is he?”

“I’m a businessman, Desiree. Of course, he’ll have to pay me.”

Her jaw tightened. “You’re going to sell me to him.”

“Lend is more like it. Don’t think for a second I’d let you go just yet.”

For some reason, his statement caused her heart to race.

“For how long?” she asked, her anxiety rushing back in.

“That depends,” he uttered, “on how long you can manage to completely erase his doubts.”

“Sex could do that.”

She caught the angry fire in his eyes before he managed to control it. “If that’s what it would take,” he snapped from across the table.

She dropped her fork and sighed. “Let’s get it fucking over with then. Go call the man and have your business talk while I get dressed. You have some pissed people waiting for you underground after all, right?”

Not much time later, Theo was driving them away from his house.

“Where’s your family?” he asked, surprising them both.

She arched an eyebrow at him. “Are you making small talks?”

He just shrugged.

She looked out the window and let the silence linger for a while. “I don’t have any waiting for me if that’s what you’re wondering about,” she finally uttered.

“But you must come from somewhere, right?”

Why the sudden interest in her history? “If you think I come with a bad childhood memory, you’re wrong. I had a perfectly normal life growing up.”

“Then what happened?”

“This is getting frustrating. I don’t have to tell you anything about my family.”

Again, another shrug from him.

“They both died in an accident leaving me with a large trust fund.”

“Explains the bratty behavior,” he uttered and received a stingy look from her in return.

“What about yours then? Has it always been this way for you?”

She saw his jaw clench but they both knew he started it so he shouldn’t expect to be able to get away from answering. “No, not really. Believe it or not, we had a perfectly normal childhood,” he finally answered, copying her words.

Desiree snorted. “Can’t imagine that…no, really, I can’t.”

To her great surprise, he chuckled. “Richard and I enjoyed normalcy once in our lives, Desiree.”

“You’re older, right?”

“Just by a year.”

She shifted in her seat so she was almost facing him. “Then how did you end up underground?”

“Mother died, the old man took us in when he found out his two boys suddenly became orphans.” There was something in his tone that told her it was the end of the story. She didn’t press on, making herself believe that his life story wasn’t important at all.

They drove in silence after that.

---

“All things considered, this is a good thing,” Khaye uttered sleepily.

Marco groaned in frustration not because of her but because of his lack of control. It shouldn’t have gone this far, he thought. “I should do something about that mouth of yours.”

“What’s wrong with my mouth? You were enjoying it not five minutes ago—”

He suddenly pinned her on her back, his hands on her wrists on both sides of her head. He slid her arms higher and she arched beneath him with a lazy smile and damn if his body didn’t react. “Why?” he asked, his head just inches away from hers. He had to at least wait for her answer before diving into her again.

“Why what?”

“Why is this a good thing?”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Do I have to remind you how we both enjoyed our previous activity or are you just dumb, Marco?” He looked at her with warning. She sighed. “This is a good thing because it gets rid of the stupid tension between us. Now we can work together and have sex if we want. If you just stop feeling so damned guilty over breaching some ethical rules, we might just both be able to do things better from here on.”

Marco blinked. She had a good point and he hated to admit it. “God, I hate your mouth,” he breathed out before he kissed her deeply, throwing away his ethical dilemmas because, as what she said, they might just be able to do things better with this newfound intimacy.

---

As Desiree waited for Theo inside the same lounge again, she wondered of his reasons for wanting to destroy his own father.

He said the man took him and his brother in when they were left alone without a mother. Despite the dangerous world they both ended up in, there was no denying that they had a better fate than others. But maybe that was the reason why he didn’t say more. Who knew what he and Richard went through when they first arrived underground? They could have suffered the same fate as hers.

Or maybe he was just borne to be as ruthless as the people around him. Maybe it was just as simple as wanting to gain more power over such a large and advantageous organization. They had the CIA as their clients for Christ’s sake!

The door opened and she almost groaned when Tatiana entered. The woman smiled when she spotted her. “You know, for some reason, I am glad to be bumping into you, Desiree.”

She lifted her brows at the beauty before her. “Really? And here I thought you might have some hidden desires to get rid of me.”

Tatiana looked offended. “Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know. Because of Theo?”

Tatiana broke into a laugh. “Theo and Richard are like brothers to me. I might have fancied both of them, Theo especially, once but I got over that.”

“And you’re married.”

The woman’s face turned sour for a second before she broke into a smile that did not reach her eyes. “And I am married.” She walked to where Desiree was and sat down beside her on the couch. “Do you think Theo will be okay?”

Desiree frowned. “Why wouldn’t he be?”

Tatiana shrugged. “The packages he delivered got stolen just a few hours after the clients claimed them. Mr. Hong isn’t so happy about it the last I heard.”

The color drained from Desiree’s face. “Do they know who took the tw—packages?” she carefully asked, trying hard to sound nonchalant.

“Who knows? This business has its competition, you know. Well, I hope he can save his ass. He was able to deliver the packages after all. The clients cannot very well demand for them now when they were the one who lost them in the first place.” The lady stood up and faced Desiree. “I forgot why I came here. We are having a party at our house tomorrow. Since I cannot wait for Theo to walk out of his father’s office alive, I figured I’ll just tell you so you can tell him yourself. You’ll be there, right?”

“What’s the party for?”

Tatiana winked at her as she walked backward to the door. “You’ll know tomorrow. Seven in the evening. Sharp. Dress casual. It’s just my father, some family and close friends who are coming.” She started to turn but not without adding, “And I am having this feeling we are going to be really close friends, Des.”

Desiree felt a chill from Tatiana’s choice of name to call her. Not because she was against the idea of the woman befriending her, but she was reminded of Jamaica. Guilt washed over her. It had been weeks since her friend crossed her mind. She shouldn’t forget, she told herself. Jamaica ended up dead because of the Liaisons.

Not five minutes after Tatiana closed the door, it opened and Theo came in, his face unreadable.

“How did it go?” Desiree asked.

“Good,” he answered, nearing her. He extended his hand and she took it. “Let’s go home for now. We have a lot of planning to do.”

Desiree frowned behind him as she let him lead her out of the room. “What happened to the twins, Theo?”

He stopped walking and faced her. “How did you know?” He didn’t look angry, merely curious.

“Tatiana told me. And she invited us to her party tomorrow. Her father will be there.”

That got his attention. “That’s good to know. We’ll be coming.”

“Not if you don’t tell me about the twins,” she challenged.

He let out a patient breath. “All I can tell you is that you have nothing to be worried about. I was told that they are in safer hands.”

She didn’t expect that and he knew it, thus the small tug on his lips. “What happened—”

“That’s the most I can tell you and it would be wise if you talk about this ever again. I don’t want to have the same fucking meeting I just had, Desiree, so let the matter rest.”

Blinking in surprise and gratitude, she nodded with a smile.

“Stop smiling.” He started to lead her down the hall again.

“I am just grateful—”

“Stop it or I’ll fucking change my mind.”

She kept her mouth shut, letting relief overwhelm her. As she stared at Theo’s back in amazement, starting to believe against her better judgment, that the man had a heart after all.

---

“So we’re going to the party. I assume you are going to talk to Vernier about your supposed business arrangement?” she asked once they were inside the car.

“No,” he simply answered.

“We’re not going to the party?”

“We are.”

“Stop talking riddles, Theo.”

He shot her a glance before he returned his eyes on the road. “The exchange happens tomorrow.”

Desiree gulped. “So there is no stopping it,” Theo heard her whisper and for a second he wished something could stop it.

If only there was. The pang of guilt he felt was understandable, but the unidentified fear that came with it caused him alarm.

XXIII. After the Exchange

Theo gulped the rest of his scotch and winced as the liquid bit its way down his throat. His gaze never left Desiree who was standing from the other side of the large patio. She had been dragged away by Tatiana who must have thought she could be friends with Desiree now that the woman was looking less intimidated with the reality of their world. Talking with another woman, Desiree looked wary despite the fake smile she plastered on her face as she stood beside Tatiana.

Before he decided to take her away from the group he sensed a presence beside him. He didn’t have to turn his head to see Vernier standing a foot away. “I’ll take her,” was all he said.

“I thought you would want to at least have a proper assessment,” Theo said under his breath, his eyes scanning the room for potential eavesdroppers. There were no more than fifteen people in the party and most of them were acquaintances of Tatiana’s husband, Geoffrey Yann.

Vernier let out a soft chuckle, one that Theo never got used to after years of being around the man. “She’s a fine piece. No assessment needed.”

He almost slammed his empty glass on the high table beside him before saying, “If you can wire me the money—”

“It’s already being done.”

Surprised, Theo’s eyebrows rose. He forced out a smile. “Good.”

Vernier ran an impatient hand through his graying hair. He looked pretty good for his age, Theo thought for a beat. The fine lines around his eyes and mouth would not have deterred women to willingly go home with him if he asked. Theo wanted drag Desiree out of the place as fast as he could. The man can be charming, but there had always been a spark of danger around him that Theo could never point out.

He saw Vernier check his watch and sigh. “Dinner will start in a few minutes if my son-in-law sticks to his schedule. She goes home with me right after.”

Theo blinked away the panic that rose up his gut. He gave a curt nod. “I’ll have to confirm the wire transaction first.” He started to walk away but stopped after a few steps. He turned to Vernier who had a small smile of satisfaction plastered over his face. “It’s just one night. Nothing more.”

A spark of excitement flashed across the man’s face. “One night is all I’ll need.”

---

Desiree saw Theo briskly walking toward them and she immediately excused herself, slightly glad to have the chance to walk away from the discussion of tablecloth fabrics. It was absurd how normal the conversation was considering the life these women were living in.

Theo’s familiar smell almost overwhelmed her senses, or it might have been just the two cocktails she drank earlier, she thought. His hand wrapped around her elbow as he guided her to a dark corner, away from the rest. Suddenly, she felt his urgency and her head started to clear.

“What is it?”

“He’s taking you home tonight.”

She felt blood rush down from her head in a matter of seconds. Her mouth opened and panic seeped in. Theo had told her the exchange would happen today, but it had not dawned on her until now.

“Calm down, Des,” he whispered above her, but the way he said it, the way the words rolled out of his mouth, only made her nerves go crazy.

Anger burst inside her. “How can I fucking calm down when I know I will be going home with that man?” he hissed at him.

His voice was calm as he said, “It’s going to be alright. We’ve talked this through. You know what to do if something goes wrong,” and it only ignited the anger inside her. Somehow, at the back of her mind, she had hoped that Theo would not let this happen. Surely there was another way to get to Vernier.

“Let go of me.”

“Des…”

Her jaw twitched. “Let go of me, Theo, or I’ll get the fuck out of here and you’ll have to find another woman to do your little project.”

His hand fell away from her elbow and she immediately stepped away from him.

Before another word was spoken, Geoffrey Yann announced that dinner was ready. Everyone started to file back inside the house, chattering like normal people. From the corner of her eye, she saw Vernier looking at her with hunger in his eyes.

“If I end up dead in his hands, Theo, I’ll make sure you will never forget about it,” she whispered beside him.

He remained silent beside her as they entered the house.

---

Marco and Khaye were intently looking at the video on his computer screen. Both barely decently dressed, they sat cross-legged on the bed. Any wall of boundaries had long crumbled down the ground.

“That’s her,” Khaye breathed out in disbelief. Her brows frowned. “Why does it seem like she’s doing this freely?”

Marco nodded in agreement. The video was taken from a private hanger in one of the airports he requested to be looked into. One of his trusted men sent it just half an hour ago. They hadn’t heard from Gian and neither wanted to talk about Khaye’s brother at the moment. Gian’s sketchy behavior would have to be dealt with out of bed, Marco thought.

“So she has now finally returned home,” Khaye said, her voice flat.

Marco turned to look at her. “You look disappointed. Why?”

She blinked. “It’s just that…I don’t want to believe she’s doing this freely.” Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a rush, she continued, “I don’t want to be disappointed again. I was hoping she had been kidnapped, forced into this mess.”

“Maybe she is,” he said with a shrug. “She doesn’t look happy right there,” he added, pointing at the screen. Desiree looked angry at the still shot of her climbing down the plane.

Khaye ran her hand through her face in frustration and leaned her forehead on his naked shoulder. “What if she did it? What if she and Jamaica were indeed part of this Liaison? What if she decided she wanted the money for herself and killed her friend? And then they found out about me and she’s among the people who want me dead?”

Marco’s chin touched his throat as he bent his head down to take a look at her face. “We won’t know the whole story until we have actual people to question and investigate on.”

“Then what the fuck are we going to do now?”

He sighed. “First, we find where Desiree is.”

He felt her stiffen beside him.

“And then we get to her and ask—or force—her to tell us what she knows. We can even work with her. We will never know until we can get to her.”

“You think that will work? Don’t get me wrong here, Marco,” she said, leaning away from him and looking him in the eye, “I want to believe she’s innocent and needs saving, but what if my fears are right? What if she’s one of them and we end up stepping into their trap?”

“Then what do you suggest we do, detective ?” he asked with raised brow.

She fell silent and moaned in frustration. She fell back on the bed, one arm over her eyes. She didn’t even bother to cover herself when the gray cover slid off one breast. Marco watched in fascination as she started to speak. “I suggest we run as far away from here as possible. Go to Africa—or Asia. I heard they have great countries with great culture there. I had always wanted to see more of the world. We can go and meditate in Myanmar. Fuck, we can give Buddhism a try, live in a temple and never see the rest of the world again.”

As her words registered in his mind, Marco started laughing until it grew and burst into a roll of laughter he had never had for days—or months, for that matter. He flipped his computer so it closed with a snapping sound and rolled on top of her, laughing in her throat.

“We’ll find Desiree and make her talk,” he said against her skin. Her hand was playing with the hair on his nape. “Trust me, we’ll find her and she will tell us everything. Then we’ll catch whoever killed Jamaica and close the case. You can then go back to your old life without fear,” he added with a more serious tone.

He waited for her to say something, his lips resting against the pulse in her throat, patiently waiting.

“What about Myanmar?” she finally asked.

Marco buried the sound of his laughter in her throat.

---

Apparently, Tatiana was pregnant.

She and Geoffrey announced the news just as dinner was being served. Congratulations were thrown at the couple but Desiree watched Tatiana’s smile waver as the evening went on. She caught her looking at her husband with longing and fear and Desiree could only guess what happened behind closed doors of the Yann residence.

Unlike the other strangers around the table, Desiree couldn’t bring herself to fake a smile. Tatiana didn’t look like she was excited about her new pregnant state because her husband was a douchebag who was more interested in talking about defending criminals after five seconds of announcing he was going to be a fucking father. Disappointment quickly replaced the excitement on Tatiana’s face and Desiree had the urge to go to her and comfort her.

But then, she needed some comforting of her own right now as well. Vernier’s eyes hovered at her a couple of times during dinner. Theo was totally silent, only dropping a word or two here and there if a question was directed at him by one of the guests.

When everyone was done and the last course was cleared from the table, Tatiana excused herself saying she needed to rest because of a headache. Her husband gathered his friends to his study when his wife left. The other guests said their goodbyes. After a while, Desiree found herself alone with Theo and Vernier.

Her concern for Tatiana flew out the windows and fear came back.

“I’ll pick her up tomorrow morning,” Theo said to Vernier, his voice low and flat. He didn’t even look at her. Her fists balled as she struggled to remain calm. A chill ran up her spine when she felt Vernier’s hand against the small of her back. Theo’s eyes flashed with anger for a second but that quickly disappeared. He checked his watch and again and said, “You have about eight hours,” to Vernier.

Desiree gulped. She wanted to claw on Theo’s face. She wanted to kick Vernier to that specific part of his anatomy so he could never walk again.

You know this is going to happen so why are you angry?

She didn’t want to answer that one because she knew the answer would only make her angrier.

Theo looked at her, his eyes unreadable. And then he turned and walked away, leaving her with Vernier. Just like that.

She was angry because Theo was acting cool. This was all business to him. This was all because he wanted something to be done.

“I promise you, Desiree, my dear, that this animosity will disappear very soon,” Vernier whispered in her ear. “Let’s go, sweetheart. It’s time to go home.”

---

“We will never get anything done if we stay in this bed,” Marco said hours later.

Khaye nodded against his chest.

“So we better talk about something serious that will make us want to jump out of here,” he added when she didn’t say anything.

“Like what?”

“Like Gian.”

That definitely did the trick. She pushed away from him, dragging the sheet along with her. “Have you heard from him?” She leaned across him over the sheet and reached for her shirt under the bed.

“He said he’s doing some investigation of his own,” Marco answered quietly, not moving an inch as she dressed. “Said he doesn’t trust anyone in the unit and he’ll get back to me with a full report.”

She scoffed. “I don’t know, Marco. I can’t trust him anymore. He’s not acting himself.”

“I believe we have already figured that one out.”

“I just think that talking more about it might change my mind, erase the doubt, you know. But that’s not happening.”

“Let’s do what we need to do. But we have to be careful where your brother is concerned. He might be telling the truth. He could be playing double agent for all we know. For now, I don’t see any signs that you might be in danger for as long as he is not around you. Let’s keep it that way for now. He does his thing while we do ours.”

She slowly nodded, slipping on her underwear. “We’ll find Desiree,” she uttered. “Right?” she asked when he didn’t answer.

His eyes held hers. “We will find her and solve this thing, Khaye.”

With a nod, she leaned down to plant a soft kiss on his nose. She climbed out of bed and padded her way to the door. “Let’s get dinner then we can make real plans. And I need to train more, in case you forgot about that.”

---

Desiree’s heart had been hammering against her chest as the driver drove them to Vernier’s home. She tried to calm her mind and remember everything Theo told her.

“You never expected this, have you?” Vernier asked beside her. He wasn’t touching her but she knew he wanted to and that was the scary part.

“I was hoping you would find it absurd to pay a lot to have me for one night.”

He chuckled. “Sweetheart, I only need just this one night.” The hairs on her nape stood up. Did Theo know this? Would he be nearby to do their plan? She couldn’t help but think that this was all happening too fast. Theo should have planned this thoroughly before he agreed to anything.

The phone Theo gave her earlier buzzed inside her purse. With shaking hands, she took it out as nonchalantly as she could. Vernier seemed to not mind.

Send the signal if you want out.

She typed a reply. Is it happening tonight?

No. You have to make him want to do this again.

He said he only needs this one night. What if this is the only chance? A big part of her was hoping it was true. She didn’t think she could do this again.

He WILL ask for more, trust me. Delete the messages. She did what he said without sending a reply. So they were sticking to the plan. She’d memorize every inch of Vernier’s house, go back to Theo the next morning, tell him everything and they wait for Vernier to call back for more.

Remember the signal, Des.

So he was concerned now? She almost scoffed the anger she felt. But she shouldn’t be angry. She had agreed to this. Theo had been honest to her from the beginning.

Calm the fuck down, Theo. I know the fucking signal, she replied before deleting the thread. Calm the fuck down, Desiree, she added to herself.

The car pulled to a stop and she immediately threw her phone back in her clutch. She hated Theo for throwing her in this awful situation and she hated herself for having been so stupid to agree.

“Now, cherry,” Vernier whispered near her ear, “you will not be needing your phone inside my house.” He grabbed her clutch before she could hang on to it and handed it to his driver. “Tonight, you’re mine.”

“But—”

The smile the crept up his lips made the hairs on her arms stand. “Theo will have to wait to get the rest of you tomorrow.”

What did he mean by that?

Before Desiree could process anything, the door opened. She stared out at the big house before her and gulped.

---

She’ll be okay, he told himself countless of times. He was in one of the exclusive underground bars in the city, not far from Vernier’s residence and he was on his third bottle of beer.

Vernier wouldn’t harm her. She’d be fine. They had a plan, a signal if things went wrong.

His phone was lying face up beside his hand. One message from her and he’d be at the door in five minutes.

There were only three people in the bar, including the bartender. He knew the drinker by name but both of them knew better than to interact. This was a place for people to do whatever they wanted with a great amount of secrecy.

“What are you doing here?” The voice asked beside him. He turned his head and found his brother sitting to his right.

“Waiting.”

“Where’s your bitch?”

“That’s why I’m waiting,” he answered, not intending to give details.

“So you let her roam around freely now, huh?” his brother asked as he waved for the bartender. The man behind the counter knew what everybody underground wanted and Richard’s glass of brandy arrived in seconds.

“And you haven’t loosened up to her yet,” Theo uttered dryly.

“Why the hell would I do anything than kill the bitch, Theo? She killed—”

“Do you really believe that?” He shot his brother a look.

Richard scoffed with disbelief. “I really find it amazing how you believe she didn’t.”

“Because a bigger part of me believes you might have something to do with Jamaica’s death.”

Richard’s eyes narrowed but he didn’t do anything he would normally do under other circumstances. “I didn’t kill her.”

Something in the way Richard said the words told Theo the man was at the verge of something. Desperation? Giving up? He couldn’t point it out.

He glanced at his phone. No message yet. He was just about to send Desiree a message when Richard started talking, the brandy in his hand now empty. “We were actually planning to go away.”

It took a moment before his brother’s words registered in his brain. “What the fuck do you mean?”

“Jam and I,” Richard said, staring at the air before him. “We were going to run off with the money.”

Theo blinked in disbelief. “Why the fuck are you telling me all of this now?” he uttered under his breath.

Richard ran his hands through his face as if to gain back his senses. “We’ve had enough, Theo. We wanted something new.” His brother’s voice was raw and new to him and his words almost threw Theo off his chair.

He gulped the rest of his beer and called for another one. “What the fuck, Richard.”

Richard finished his new glass of brandy in one gulp and restlessly ran his hands through his hair. It was then that Theo finally saw the real state of his brother. Richard looked like he hadn’t showered in days. Fuck, had he ever had a proper sleep?

When Richard turned to him, Theo saw the same scared brother who asked him if they were going to be okay when their mother died. “I was planning to have a life with her, Theo, so yes, I didn’t fucking kill her.”

The fact that Richard loved Jamaica was not a surprise, but that they wanted to run away together was a shock. Did they really think they could get away just like that? Theo mentally shook his head. After a while, Theo said, “I believe you.”

Richard laughed sarcastically. “What a relief.”

“So I am guessing you don’t know who killed her either.” He held up his hand as Richard started to open his mouth. “And I know you don’t really think Desiree did it as well. If the reports we got are right, I can assure you that she didn’t do it. I was fucking her when it happened.”

Richard didn’t look surprised. Theo’s mind wandered at the thought of his brother wanting to get away from this life. Now, that was the surprise. Of all people, Richard was the last one he thought would want out.

“While you were on that cruise, the old man came up with a decision to get rid of the witness,” Richard uttered after a while. When Theo didn’t offer a reaction, he continued, “Maybe he thinks I did it. Petroff is on it.”

“You have enough murder on your plate.” What he really wanted to ask his brother was, “How desperate are you to get out?” Instead, he checked his phone again.

Richard saw him and asked, “Where’s the bitch, anyway?”

“Vernier.”

His brother frowned, confused.

“He paid to be with her for eight hours.”

Richard blinked and played with his third glass of brandy, turning it around with one hand. “Does the bitch have a tattoo?”

“What a fucking kind of question is that?”

“Hey, I am just asking, you moron. I would never fuck the bitch if that’s what you’re thinking.”

Suddenly, it was Theo’s turn to be confused. “What the fuck are you getting at?”

“Answer my question first.”

“Yes, she does,” he snapped in answer, Desiree’s butterfly tattoo crossing his mind.

“Then get the fuck out of here.”

He looked at his brother incredulously.

Richard rolled his eyes at him. “You are such a naïve bastard, Theo. You’ve been around here as much as I have and you have no fucking idea?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he almost shouted, alarm starting to rise in his gut.

“Well, in case you haven’t heard yet, Vernier does like to keep trophies. Seen the collection myself one time and it scared the crap out of me. I never stepped inside that house again after that.” Seeing Theo’s face, Richard rushed on with disbelief on his face, saying, “Let’s just say he has a wall full of dried skin with tattoos and if you like to wait eight hours for a corpse after that psycho is done with her like all the others, then, by all means, feel free to sit here and—”

Theo didn’t hear the rest because he had already jumped off his seat with a curse.

XXIV. Tattoos on the Wall

Theo ran back up to the streets to get his car, his heart almost leaping out of his chest. Once on the road, he tried to call Desiree’s phone but there was not answer. “Fuck!”

He honked his way through the other vehicles, receiving shouts from pedestrians and drivers alike. In just under three minutes, he managed to escape the busy streets and was heading straight to Vernier’s residence.

His phone rang and he answered, “What?”

“In case you forgot, I decided to be your backup,” Richard’s voice said from the other end. “I’m right behind you.”

He threw his phone on the dashboard and stepped on the gas. At the rate of his anger, he didn’t think he needed backup. If Vernier touched one hair of Desiree’s hair, Theo will make it his job that the man would not live to see his grandchild born.

---

Desiree was shaking with fear. She couldn’t help it. She knew it was time for her to send Theo the signal but her phone was out of sight. And even if he hadn’t done anything yet, she would have sent the fucking signal anyway.

The moment they stepped inside his house, she knew right there and then that she was in the company of a crazy man. The shift he took was so sudden, so alarming. The gentle manner on his face and posture was completely gone now as he stared at her, looking her up and down.

“You know, I was half afraid Theo grew attached to you that he would not consider my offer. But alas, he is still the man I thought he is. Just like his old man,” he quietly said, his voice echoing around the big, dark and empty house. Heavy curtains blocked the moonlight from outside and the lamps from the corners around the place barely managed to help her do what she needed to do which was to escape. “I think you know that you will never leave this place again, don’t you?” The moment he asked the question, Desiree whirled around to run to the door but the man was fast to grab her hand and roughly pull her back. “Now, now…don’t make this difficult, Desiree, my dear. I am not going to do whatever you think I am going to do,” he said above her, his voice menacing and evil.

“Let go of me. Theo will hear of this and he is not very forgiving—”

His laughter boomed around the place. “Theo doesn’t care, my dear. Do you think that after giving him as much orgasm as he wants will make him do whatever it takes to save you? He’s a businessman. All he will care about when I am done with you is to be compensated for the damages.”

She felt blood draining down her face at his words. “You’re wrong. He is going to kill you if you as much as hurt me, you bastard!”

Vernier made a tsking sound against her ear. She leaned as far away from him as she could but that only made him grip her arm harder. Wincing in pain, she spat on his face. “You don’t have to get dirty, bitch,” he rasped against her ear. “I only need one thing from you and it is right…” his hand roughly ran through her thigh, “here,” he said.

“You are not going to get anything from me.” Her voice shook with rage and fear. In her mind, she was blaming Theo. He should have known better, made plans. He should have known he was dealing with a psychopath. But first, she had to survive and escape before she could wring Theo’s neck herself. She had to be calm and think of a way out. Find a weapon, impale Vernier whichever way she could and get away.

“You don’t have any idea what I want from you, do you? Why don’t I show you instead?” He pulled her away and into a dark corridor. This time, Desiree didn’t struggle. But she took her time to memorize the way, her eyes scanning for any possible exit. Vernier stopped at the farthest door to the right. The door was protected by a passcode and she watched as he punched six numbers. The hidden locking mechanism clicked and Vernier swung the door open.

Her breath was snatched out of her lungs when he swiftly pushed her inside. He left the door open and she wanted it to stay that way so she stayed quiet as her eyes adjusted to darkness. Vernier flicked on the switch and the room was suddenly filled with light.

There was an empty chair with straps on both arms sitting in the middle of the room. Her heart rammed harder against her chest and she forced herself to look away. Only the sight that greeted her was worse than what she tried to escape from. Before her was a white wall lined with black frames of the same size from wall to ceiling. “You are looking at my life’s work, my dear,” Vernier’s cold voice said behind her. Desiree’s knees weakened when she realized what she was looking at. “Years and years of searching, making transactions and hearing women scream…Aren’t they beautiful? The art of it is amazing, isn’t it?”

She wanted to throw up but it seemed that whatever contents she had inside her were frozen cold in horror. There was no denying why Vernier wanted her here now. She had something that he could add to his collection. Despite the disgusting display before her, she couldn’t help but stare at the different designs of tattoos on the wall—dragons, birds, words, names and every other imaginable ones. The skins were well-preserved that they looked like framed canvases.

She had forgotten how to breathe for a few seconds as she continued to stare and imagine her own butterfly tattoo in one of the frames.

Vernier’s fingers played with her short hair, tucking some behind her left ear as he said, “If you promise to be a good girl, I won’t have to kill you.”

Biting her tongue to stay quiet, Desiree stood very still, staring at the wall of tattoos but not really seeing. Her senses were too focused on Vernier’s fingers dangerously traveling across her shoulder blades, teasing the hem of her dress.

“In fact, some of them discovered something amazing in my process. Do you want to know?”

An angry whimper escaped her throat but she did not open her mouth.

His whisper was too close to her ear. “They discovered they enjoyed it. They liked the pain when I skinned them with my expert fingers.”

“I will never—”

“Wrong answer,” his voice uttered coldly and before she knew it, he was dragging her to the chair. “Don’t fight the inevitable, Desiree. Theo is not coming. He’s waiting to pick you up, isn’t he? Don’t disappoint him by fighting me. If you just stay still,” he pushed her to the chair, using his body to weigh her down and started strapping her right wrist, “you will only get away five inches skin shorter.”

She tried her best to shove him away with her free hand. He had pinned her legs in between his. She had underestimated the man. He was stronger than she had thought.

When her wrists were both finally strapped to the arms of the chair, the reality of the situation became clear. She could not get away from here even if she could fight. But she tried anyway. She shouted for help and kicked Vernier when he stepped away from her. He only chuckled, saying there was no one else in the house to help her.

He was strapping her left leg to the foot of the chair now and she tried to reach him with her right but failed. What she got from all her struggle was mockery.

She was frozen with fear when he finally stood before her with his hands on his hips. He looked like someone looking at a mound of clay he was about to sculp. The evil spark of excitement in his eyes was very clear as Desiree stared at him in anticipation. His eyes traveled down toward her thighs with hunger that she almost felt his gaze sweeping down her body. She squirmed in her seat. She was trapped.

Desiree discovered that things would get even worse when Vernier took the remaining steps forward and bent to his knees to crouch before her. His hands planted themselves on her knees and moved higher, taking the fabric of her dress with them.

His eyes widened when he saw the butterfly tattoo in her right inner thigh. “What a beautiful little thing,” he whispered, his voice filled with wonder and excitement. “I’ve never had a butterfly before.” He took a deep breath as if he finally found the missing piece of a puzzle. He ran his thumb over the butterfly tattoo saying, “The moment I saw this in that auction, I just knew I have to have this.”

“And it will stay where it is.” Theo’s voice from behind caused her head to whip around. She couldn’t even voice out the relief she felt. The tears just started crying, blurring her vision of him standing so relaxed in the doorway, his hands in his pockets.

The hand on her thigh froze. “Theo,” Vernier snarled before he pasted a smile on his face. He straightened and tilted his head to the right with a look of confusion. “I thought we agreed you pick her up at six?”

“And I thought we agreed I pick her up unharmed? From what I heard, you are not planning to do that,” Theo retorted calmly but Desiree could hear the hidden anger.

Vernier chuckled, stepping away from her. “There was no talk of such. We only talked about money, Theo. And I paid you in full. If you would please see yourself out of my house, I will be very glad to let this one pass. I prefer to enjoy the eight hours I paid for.”

Desiree held her breath, doubting for a second if Theo would fold. What he did was step forward, hands still inside his front pockets. He was still wearing the same clothes from the party. “Your money is being wired back to your account as we speak, plus thirty percent in apology for the failed…transaction,” he said, his voice full of power.

Vernier bared his teeth and started to storm toward Theo but another voice spoke up, “And if we don’t leave this house in five minutes with that bitch unharmed, Mr. Hong will be very glad to talk about your unique collection, Vernier.”

Richard. What is he doing here?

The old man laughed, looking at Theo and Richard in turn. “You think your father will care what I do on the sideline? Take a look underground, boys. Nothing will surprise the old man anymore.”

“Well, that might be true,” Richard said, not leaving his spot in the open doorway. He looked bored as if he would rather be elsewhere. Desiree met Theo’s gaze for a split second as Richard spoke. She gulped and nodded, understanding what his eyes told her. You’re safe now. “But,” Richard continued, “I think he will be interested to know about the owner of one of those.” Theo’s brother motioned his head toward the wall of tattoos. “I saw something familiar that one and only time you bragged about that wall.”

Vernier’s face went from the color of red to white in a matter of seconds. “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

By the look on Theo’s face he was also as lost as her, having no idea what Richard was talking about.

“If I remember, her name was Ceshiley. Beautiful, fun woman that one. I can’t think of any other woman who had amused our old man the way that one did.” Vernier’s nose was flaring with anger now as he stared at Richard. His fists formed into a ball beside him as he fought for control. “But she disappeared like a bubble just after Tatiana’s wedding.”

By that time, Theo looked like he understood everything and he cut in, nonchalantly speaking, “The old man looked for her. Ordered me to check out her place two days after the wedding.”

Richard nodded from the doorway, studying his nails dryly. “I was also forced to join the search. Checked everywhere but she was gone. We all thought she just sort of ran off to somewhere being a free-spirited woman that she was. I guess it was the only time I really saw Mr. Hong being…shall we say, for the lack of a better word… heartbroken.”

“But I do remember one thing that had always reminded me of her,” Theo added, now starting to walk toward Desiree. Vernier knew he was losing the game and it was showing on his face, thus the rage in his eyes.

“Ah, yes, the Big Dipper tattoo on her nape. Everyone was surprised to see that one at Tatiana’s wedding. Who would have thought she was a tattoo kind of girl. And I’m sure you were too, weren’t you, Milo?”

As Richard spoke, Theo had started to unstrap Desiree from the chair, starting with her wrists. When her hands were finally free, she threw herself at him, breathing in his scent as complete relief dawned on her. He continued on to free her legs as she hang on to his shoulders with shaking arms.

“I’m giving you five minutes to get the hell out of my house,” Vernier roared. “Get out!”

“My pleasure,” Richard said with a curt bow before turning around.

“I hope that next time we meet, Vernier, it will be under pleasant circumstances,” Theo said as he pulled Desiree out of the chair, holding her close to him. “If you will remove the Big Dipper tattoo from that wall, I’m sure our father will never have to know.”

Desiree was desperate to walk out of there because it was hard to gain control over her shaking limbs. Theo’s strong arm almost dragged her out of there with Vernier shouting after them, “My doors are still open for you, Desiree my dear. All you have to do is knock!”

She didn’t know the tears were still flowing and that she was sobbing until Theo stopped her outside Vernier’s house. His hands hurriedly wiped her tears and whispered, “Stop crying. You’re safe now. Des, do you hear me?” He shook her by her shoulders once. Her single nod caused more tears to fall. In desperation, she looked at Theo, the vision of him still blurred by her tears. “Let’s go.” Another car, Richard’s, was already pulling out of the driveway. Theo pulled her toward his, guided her head as she climbed in the passenger seat.

Desiree expected gunshots to follow them as they drove away. That did not happen.

---

The intensity of his fury could not be put into words. He gripped the steering wheel tightly until he could no longer concentrate. Hundreds of images of Desiree hurt in different ways ran through his mind before he reached Vernier’s home earlier. The effort it took to act calm when he found her strapped to a chair, just minutes away from being skinned alive, was even worse.

Richard’s car was long gone, driving away into the night and back to the city. The eerie silence inside the car was no help.

Without warning, Theo swerved the car to the side of the road until it screeched to a stop. Desiree almost flew to the dashboard if not for the seatbelt across her body.

“Theo, what’s happening? Why are we—”

“Are you hurt?” he snapped, his jaw clenched. She blinked, confused for a second and that infuriated him further. Her face was still wet with tears though she had stopped crying. “Did he hurt you?” he asked again.

Her eyes watered again as she shook her head. “No. No, I’m okay.”

He reached out a hand so his fingers lightly run down her cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know—” he stopped, clenched his jaw again and swallowed. “I didn’t know.” He wanted her to punch him, to blame him for what happened because he was very close to hanging himself at the very moment.

What she did instead was ask, “Why didn’t he come after us?”

Dumbfounded, Theo blinked a few times to digest her words. “He would not dare go against us. He knows we don’t attack without a plan. Only this time we did and he did not know that.”

A ball of tear dropped from one eye down to the hands tightly clasped together on her lap. She would not meet his eyes. Honestly, he believed it was better if she yelled or worse, demand that she be set free because at that moment he might just say yes to anything she wanted.

“Desiree—”

“I don’t want to talk right now, Theo,” she interrupted without batting an eye, her gaze focused on the dark road ahead.

Giving a curt nod, Theo drove his car toward home.

---

Khaye lay on the mat, heaving for breath. Her arms were spread wide to her sides as she closed her eyes. She was drenched her sweat but she felt like she had more energy to spare.

“We can stop now, Khaye,” Marco told her, picking up the glass of water from the table, his eyes on her.

“We can practice some more,” she breathed out, getting up with a grunt.

“Jesus, woman, you are learning to defend yourself not kill someone.”

“It is better to be prepared than sorry.” She was back on her feet, ready for more.

Marco just stared at her without moving a muscle. Finally, he shook his head. “You’ve had enough. Your wound is not even completely healed yet.”

“We just had sex and now you’re getting soft.”

He walked toward her with a grin. “No. It’s because I’m just awfully tired right now.” He leaned down to plant a kiss on her lips. “We’ve been quite busy earlier. It’s time to shower and get some sleep,” he said before turning around.

“Do you think it’s going to be alright?” she asked behind him.

Marco stopped but didn’t turn around. “Let’s keep our wits and try to be one step ahead of the game. I think we’ll come around alright by then.”

She absently nodded.

“Want to share a shower?” he asked over his shoulder, a smile creeping up his face.

“I’ll be right behind you,” she replied with a chuckle.

She rolled the mat on the floor and carried it back to her room. She heard Marco turn on the shower from the other side of the wall and she smiled. On her way out the door, she saw her phone and paused. The blue light flickered in the darkness, indicating a message. Her hands reached for it and before she changed her mind, opened the message.

We need to talk. Meet me at the park two days from now. PM. I’ll be waiting. Come alone.

Khaye swallowed. Her eyes went to the wall that separated her from Marco. Weighing everything, she decided to delete Gian’s message. There was no point telling Marco about it. She knew which park he was talking about. They had spent most of their childhood there and she was not going to taint the memories. She had no intention of walking into a possible trap just yet, even if it meant she could clear things out with Gian.

Her thoughts ran around Gian and what her brother was up to as she joined Marco in the shower. What was he working on? Everything about her that cared for him wanted him to be doing the right thing for the both of them, but she knew that what her brother was up to was far from that. She just knew it—her instinct was telling her so. She had been around him too long not to notice that he was up to no good.

As Marco helped her undress and kiss her under the warm shower, Khaye thought how much it would hurt her if Gian would do what she feared the most.

---

“You don’t have to keep sleeping there,” he said in the darkness. It was the first time he spoke after their short talk in the car.

“I have to.”

Desiree was aware that her short answers and deafening silence was starting to rub him the wrong way as he said, “It’s not because it’s fucking more comfortable, is it?”

“It’s because it reminds me that this is not where I am supposed to be,” she answered, the longest sentence she had said thus far. Her voice was laced with enough anger and fear that she was once again reminded of the events from earlier. “This way, I will be reminded that I am here because of you and that I still hate you for that. I hate you for being so stupid. I hate it that I trusted you enough to hand me over to that man. Didn’t you know what he was capable of? Or maybe you just didn’t fucking care.” Everything she had been trying to bury inside her, every thought and word she wanted to throw at him, suddenly seem to have burst inside and rolled out of her lips.

He did not answer and Desiree thought he was angry or fell asleep. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep in her wooden coffin, biting her lips to keep her mouth shut. She was only embarrassing herself. Maybe Vernier was right and Theo didn’t really care as much as she at least hoped he’d be.

“Come here,” his quiet, gentle voice said above her. She almost jumped out of her wooden box in surprise. The hammering in her chest continued and she clutched her chest.

“What the fuck, Theo! You scared the shit out of me!”

His hand reached for the hand on her chest and tugged. “Come here,” he repeated gently, his voice almost breaking.

“What?”

His hand blindly found her face in the darkness and his lips claimed hers, his gentlest kiss yet. “I’m sorry,” he whispered against her lips. “I’m sorry…”

A new batch of tears escaped her lips as she whimpered against his mouth, kissing him back. She was safe. He came for her and she was safe. Vernier was not going to her hurt.

“What are you doing?” she asked weakly when he took her in his arms and stood up.

“Taking you to bed.”

Her hand rested on his nape, caressing it without protest. He gently placed her on the bed where she sank in the mattress and quickly followed to lie on his side, half his body covering her. Theo’s lips trailed gentle, butterfly kisses across her lips, her jaw, down to her neck. She grasped a handful of his hair, desperate for him to go on. Though she hated the fact that she found safety in the arms of the man who brought her danger in the first place, Desiree couldn’t bring herself to push him away.

His hand found her breast and he followed it with his mouth, sucking on it through her shirt. Desiree’s body woke up, not an ounce of cell asleep. Her breathing became short as Theo worshiped her body with his hands and lips. The way he was doing it, the equal amount of gentle and rough, was not like anything he had done before. It was as if his mouth and hands wanted to erase everything Vernier instigated earlier.

It was different from the previous ones they had. This time there was no rush. There was just feeling and giving.

Her eyes watered when she realized he was doing it for her. Or so she thought. Or so she wanted it to be true.

She returned his touch and kisses in the same sensual manner.

When he finally entered her ever so slowly, tears streamed down her face. Theo buried his face in the junction of her neck and shoulder, his lips against her racing pulse whispering, “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry…” over and over again until she believed him. Her heart wrenched in wonder, like it had finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel. For the first time since Jamaica’s death, Desiree felt something close to being loved.

XXV. Mr. Hong

Khaye’s mind was full of apprehensions. It didn’t help with her shooting practice, though she tried her best to focus, and Marco had noticed it.

“What’s bothering you?” he asked, his brows furrowed into a frown. “You’re not thinking about this sexual thing going on between us and how wrong you were to jump into the sack with me, right?” he asked in jest.

She shook her head, eyes squinting against the sun. “No, I’m just thinking about Gian.” It was too late for her to take back her words and she mentally slapped herself for being too reckless. It had been two days since she received her brother’s text and she had been very careful around Marco. Sure, keeping such information from him would definitely piss him off, but it wouldn’t hurt if she didn’t go to the meeting, which was later that afternoon.

“What about him? I thought we already talked about this? We do our thing while we stay away from your brother. Did he contact you?”

For the first time, she didn’t like Marco’s cop instincts. She did her best to be convincing as she shook her head. “No, nothing like that.”

“Then?” he urged.

“Then I’m just bothered,” she snapped. “He’s my brother after all. And he’s in deep shit. And he wants me dead. Isn’t that enough for me to at least be bothered a few times each day?”

“Woah, hey, calm down. I didn’t mean anything bad. I was just asking.”

Khaye blinked and took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. It’s just the stress. Everything’s just quite fucked up right now.”

“Well, not everything. I rather like the moments in bed,” he said, wriggling his brows.

“I liked it better when you were playing Mr. Cold Guy who can’t flirt. It was more interesting.”

Marco just laughed and motioned his head toward the can of Coke twenty meters away. They were able to find a secluded area near the house they borrowed and had been practicing shooting since that morning. “It’s time for another round,” he said, stepping back to let her do her thing.

She had been practicing for three days now and Marco had said that she was getting better at it.

I’m not coming, she said to herself before she pointed the gun at the can twenty meters away and pulled the trigger.

---

In the two days that followed after her very short visit to Vernier’s residence, Desiree had been quite busy. Theo was often called underground for the two consecutive days and it was only necessary that she went with him.

But this time, her visit to the place had had developments. On the first day, Ms. Kane asked if she wanted to join her for coffee. Of course, there was a quaint café underground. This one though was located slightly closer above ground so the windows above offered light from the outside. The frequent noise of ignorant passersby gave off the feeling that they were in one of the cafes on the street. Which, was true since the building directly above them was a real café with real and normal customers. Only that they didn’t know another, much hidden, section was located underneath.

Ms. Kane did not talk about the Liaisons. She didn’t talk about the people they met underground or the other activities they did. What they talked about was their everyday normal life. Desiree, of course, could only listen and grasp as much as she could for there was nothing she could offer about her normal everyday as of the moment other than the amazing sex with Theo.

When Theo found her three hours later after three cups of latte, she wasn’t sure she wanted to leave just yet. Ms. Kane had proven to be a good company and her humor, much to Desiree’s surprise, fascinated her.

Theo allowed another hour to sit in that café with her and Ms. Kane, his brows furrowed. When the lady took off fifteen minutes after he sat down the table with them, Desiree asked him what happened.

“Nothing,” he had said, dismissing her question by calling the attention of the waiter. He ordered for a cup of Americano.

“Is it about Vernier?” she had asked. “Was that what the meeting was all about?”

He was already shaking his head even before she finished. “He would not bring that up anytime soon or in the future. He knows where he stands in my father’s organization.” He looked over his shoulder to see if anyone was within earshot. Then he returned his attention to her and a look of concern crossed his features. “He didn’t approach you by any chance, did he?”

Desiree shook her head, still shivering at the memory of Vernier’s malevolent face. She didn’t think she could face him again. “Then what is that sour look on your face about?” she had asked, changing the subject. “I know you always look that way, but I had gotten used to your softer features, Theo. Blame the sex, but I preferred the tamer look.”

He chuckled, a rare occurrence, but didn’t say anything.

She leaned forward and asked, “It’s not about the twins-” and stopped when he gave her a look. “Okay, I’ll pretend I don’t notice the dark look and quietly sip my coffee like the behaved captive that I am.” Her use of the word captive started another argument which he lost because, as what Desiree had put it, she was still a captive in all sense of the word.

They returned underground the next day but this time, it was not Ms. Kane who accompanied her while Theo went on a meeting with new clients. Tatiana had apparently been looking for her because they needed to go shopping.

“There’s this big party coming up in a few months and we really need to find-”

“Tatiana, the party is happening in a few months. There’s no need to rush,” she told the lady. She was not in the mood to go out shopping underground. “And plus, you’re pregnant. What if the dress doesn’t fit you by then?”

Tatiana’s face fell. “Oh. Yeah. Right. I forgot about that one detail.” The lady then proceeded to sit in one corner until Desiree rolled her eyes and sighed. “Okay, if you really want to go shopping, I guess I can go with you. We can buy something for the baby instead-”

“Really?” Tatiana asked with excitement, jumping to her feet. “Okay, let’s go.”

Desiree smiled and walked with the lady out of the lounge. Together, they went toward Ms. Kane’s shopping warehouse to kill some time.

---

Richard approached Theo with a knowing smile intended to mock him. “You really went that far to save her, Theo. Really, it was awesome to see you run out that bar and drive to Vernier’s residence like the fucking Flash himself.”

He looked over his shoulder to see their father talking with the new client. He pretended to be busy pouring a cup of coffee. “Keep your voice down.”

“Which makes me wonder,” Richard continued anyway, leaning against the wall to peer down at Theo, “if you give a fuck what happens to her, why did you make that stupid trade with Vernier?”

Theo fixed his brother a smoldering look but only got a curious frown in return. And when Theo kept his silence, Richard’s face started to brighten with realization and shock. “You are planning something, you bastard.”

“Keep your fucking voice down, Richie.” That surprised Richard more. It had been years since he called his brother that.

The mockery was gone and so was the smile. Richard was looking worried, concerned even, as he looked around to make sure that they had enough privacy. He leaned closer to Theo and grabbed his arm. “Are you planning something stupid, Theo?” he hissed under his breath. “You can’t be that stupid to fucking think you won’t get caught-”

“Says the man who had been planning to run away with his woman with a bag of cash,” he hissed back at his brother, looking over at their father nonchalantly.

Richard’s jaw tightened. “What are you planning to do?”

He studied Richard for a moment before answering, “I’m not telling if you won’t jump in to join.”

“What makes you think I’d want to be a part of this?”

He cocked an eyebrow at Richard. “You were planning to go away with Jamaica. That says a lot about your loyalty to this family of ours.”

Richard turned and stared at the back of their father’s head. “You’re thinking of destroying him.”

Theo didn’t answer. “As I said, I am not saying anything unless you jump in.” He was almost certain, confident even, that Richard would not say anything. Richard had done a lot of things in the past and his recent failed attempt to escape this life with Jamaica could be considered one of the most unforgivable ones in their father’s book. He wouldn’t spill any of Theo’s shit if he could help it.

“I am not crazy enough to do whatever you are planning, Theo. You better stop thinking about it.”

Instead of saying anything more, he just nodded, taking his cup of coffee with him out of the door.

---

When she and Tatiana arrived back at the lounge, Theo was already there waiting for her. He was holding a cup of coffee in his hand as they entered, chuckling about their impulsive shopping spree.

He raised his brows with amusement when he saw the bags in their hands. “I don’t remember any talks of shopping,” he said, crossing one leg over the other.

“I didn’t go shopping. Tatiana did,” Desiree said, lifting the bags in her hands. “These are all for the babies.”

He replaced his cup on the coffee table and stood up. “I had a long day, Des. Let’s go home.”

Desiree was surprised when she felt her shoulders drop. Tatiana was a good company and she had not been in the presence of another woman her age where she laughed. Not since Jamaica’s death.

“We’ll be back tomorrow,” he told her when she didn’t move.

“Okay, then,” she said, putting the bags near the door. “You take care of yourself and the baby, okay?” she told Tatiana. The lady gave her and Theo a peck each, her face flushed with excitement.

“I’ll be here tomorrow. I have appointments with some old clients so I guess I’ll just come find you then.”

Desiree nodded and walked out the door to follow Theo.

Once inside his car, she turned to him and asked, “Why did Tatiana marry Yann?”

He was driving again this time and his one hand reached out to play with her fingers, a habit he seemed to have developed just yesterday after their big fight at the cafe. “Business.”

She wasn’t surprised to hear that at all. “Do you think he hurts her? Like physically?”

His brows furrowed. “Why do you think that?”

She shrugged. “He’s not…well, I can say he’s not a good guy and I somehow worry that if he is hurting his wife, Tatiana’s pregnancy might be in trouble.”

Theo turned her hand so her palm faced upward and planted his own hand over it. He seemed to be thinking of the right answer before he said, “Yann knows Tatiana is dear to a lot of people underground. Her father is fucking Vernier in the first place. If he hurts a strand of her hair, he’d be dead. But then again,” he continued, looking her in the eye, “there are different ways to cause hurt.”

“Well, I can say he ignores her a lot.”

“That’s their problem, not ours. The price they have to pay for their bigger goals.”

She decided not to argue that one because it would only lead to a very heated discussion about wrong goals and their dirty, inhumane world underground. But after a few moments, a question popped in her head and she wasn’t able to stop herself before she spoke it, “Why do you want to take Mr. Hong down?”

Theo’s hand stilled over hers. He didn’t answer but he didn’t act like he didn’t hear her question either. He finally lifted his hand away from hers and Desiree just shrugged, turning her attention to the side of the road. She didn’t really need to know the answer, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t curious as hell.

---

Khaye had been pacing restlessly around her room after lunch. Gian hadn’t contacted her again but she was sure he was waiting for her in the park. She bit her lower lip. It was a risk but Gian was her brother. She needed to hear from his own mouth that he was betraying her.

He might be playing double agent. He might still be with the good guys. He might still be trusted. Nothing’s proven yet, said the big part of her brain.

But the one filled with fear was keeping her from walking out the door to meet her brother. And there was Marco. How would she explain to him where she was going without telling the truth?

An hour later, worry started to creep in. Gian could be in danger as well. He could be trapped into something like her. Maybe he needed her help with something? Without another thought, she walked out the door and grabbed her jacket. Marco was outside, sitting in front of his computer, when she announced, “Let’s go get some groceries. We need to restock.”

“We have enough-”

“I need toiletries, Marco,” she insisted.

He checked his watch and sighed. “Okay. I need some fresh air and a drive anyway.”

Khaye just nodded. She just needed to have a drive to the city then she’d be on her own.

---

They spent the afternoon cooking a late lunch. While Theo locked himself in his office to talk to some people on the phone and do a lot of other illegal activities, she snuggled in the comfort of his bed with a good book. She didn’t know how it happened but she just found herself being stirred from sleep by Theo’s mouth against her neck and his arm around her waist.

She moaned sleepily and turned to face him, snuggling into the crook of his neck. “I’m too sleepy to have sex right now, Theo,” she whispered groggily. She could feel her open book pressed at her back but too lazy to move it out of the way. His arm wormed its way under her neck, serving as pillow, while he slowly turned on his back. She wrapped one arm over his waist, intending to go back to sleep.

“He killed her,” he said somewhere above her.

“Hmmm?” she asked, still in the realm between sleep and wakefulness.

“Our father, Mr. Hong,” he answered, his voice low and calm.

“What about him?” she asked, snuggling closer. When he didn’t answer, she forced her eyes open and tilted her head to look at him. His eyes were closed, his forearm over his forehead. “What about Mr. Hong, Theo?”

“He killed her. That’s why I want to destroy him.” He opened his eyes to look at her. There was nothing in there that told her he was angry or furious. There was just nothing there and it was even scarier. “He killed our mother.”

XXVI. Alliances

She didn’t know how to react. All of a sudden she was fully awake, staring at him with eyes wide.

“It happened while she was waiting for me outside school. She usually parked her car just across the street. I was just about to run to her when I noticed that she was talking to someone. She looked stressed, arguing with the man. I thought it was just another guy from work who wanted to take her out.” A hint of a smile perked on his lips when he tore his eyes from her and stared at the ceiling. “She was a beauty, you know. And it was not unusual to find guys at our doorsteps. One thing she didn’t like was us witnessing her times with her boyfriends so I stayed back to wait until the guy walked away. But he didn’t. He urged her to get into his car parked just behind hers. She was hesitant but followed him anyway. Then they drove off.”

Desiree waited for the next words with anticipation, looking at Theo’s face as it hardened at the memory.

“That was the last I saw of her alive. She was found dead that very afternoon, just three blocks away from school.”

She spread her hands over his chest, the only way she knew she could give an ounce of comfort.

“I never linked her death with our father. He immediately took us in and introduced us to his world underground. For years, I never thought he had anything to do with it. Not until I saw Vernier.”

Desiree moved higher, resting on her elbows, and stared at him. “He is the man who was with her that day,” she said without question.

“I never forgot his face. And when I saw him two years after Mr. Hong took us in, I knew. I knew her death was planned.”

“Does Richard know?”

“God, no,” he said, taking his arm away from his forehead. “I never thought of telling him.”

Desiree thought for a long time before she spoke. “Your brother scares the crap out of me, Theo, but I think he can help you with your plans.”

“I am working on that.” He suddenly rolled on top of her and buried his face at the crook of her neck. “You don’t have to worry about my plans. It’s not your place.”

“Destroying your father means a lot to me.” His hands went still on her hips. “It means you can take over and if I helped you get there, I can have my prize.”

He pushed up to look down at her. “Your freedom.” She searched for any hint of anything on his face but there was none. Reading Theo had always been difficult and she doubted if she could ever master the art of it.

Nodding with a forced smile, she said, “My freedom.”

“You sure know how to ruin the mood,” he snapped, rolling off her and out of the bed in seconds.

She watched as he confidently walked to the bathroom door completely naked. Rolling on the bed to bury her face in the pillow, she let out a groan of frustration.

No, she was not entertaining any thoughts of hesitations.

I have to be free. I want to be free, she said to herself. I have a life waiting out there for me. I have to clear my name. I don’t belong here.

---

Theo was back to his old self the next day, his little tantrum forgotten.

He took her with him back underground and by this time, Desiree had gotten used to the different entrances they took, the hallways they passed by, and even the spacious lounge she had to stay in while waiting for his return.

“I can roam around, right?” she asked before he left.

“Of course. But you know by now you cannot go out up on the streets without me.”

She shrugged. “I have dismissed the idea a long time ago, Theo.”

He gave her a quick smile before walking out the door. Desiree sighed and looked around. Yeah, she definitely had to go around. She might just stumble on something interesting.

And she did, just after she turned into one of the many corridors to look for the café. Her heart skipped a beat when she came face to face with Mr. Hong and Petroff. She still couldn’t shake off the surprise when she saw Petroff. She had known him only as the big boss of her modeling world and it was only recently that she found out he was part of the Liaisons.

Both were smiling at her with recognition on their faces.

“Desiree, am I right?” asked Mr. Hong, his voice strong and sure.

“Yes, you’re right,” said Petroff, eyeing Desiree from head to foot. “You’re looking good, Desiree. I never thought this place would suit you.”

“Like Jamaica?” Her voice was filled with accusation as she forced a smile.

“Careful with your words, dear,” said Mr. Hong.

“Did I say something wrong?” she asked, feigning innocence.

Mr. Hong chuckled. “This girl has a lot of fire in her, Petroff. I like her. She must be giving Theo a hard time.”

The Russian just smiled, his eyes fixed on Desiree.

“I see you’re now free to roam around. Just make sure you don’t stray,” Mr. Hong added, stepping aside to let her pass.

“Yes. You don’t know what happens to people who go astray,” Petroff added meaningfully.

Desiree swallowed. “I know where I stand in this place, gentlemen. No need to remind me.”

Mr. Hong walked on and Petroff followed close behind. He looked over his shoulder at Desiree and the look he gave her sent chills down her spine.

When they finally disappeared into a door where Theo was probably in as well, Desiree leaned against the wall and caught her breath.

Petroff was the last person Jamaica was with the night she died. Could he be her friend’s murderer?

Jamaica had Richard’s protection. And if he didn’t kill her, it only meant one thing: no one was safe here. Those with power could easily make anyone disappear with just one word.

She couldn’t shake off the look Petroff gave her earlier. Fear came back and the will to escape this world became stronger.

---

Her hands were shaking as she unbuckled her seatbelt. They were outside the supermarket back in the city. And it was just a few blocks away from the park.

“I don’t know why you want to go here, but I just hope that whatever it is you want you find here. I don’t want to take such a big risk,” Marco uttered as they entered the supermarket.

“Don’t worry, I’ll buy in bulk,” she said under her breath. Talking louder might make her shaking voice audible. Marco nodded and grabbed a cart.

“You better,” he said, checking his watch. She took her own cart and wondered how she could lose Marco. A big part of her said she better just stay with him and leave the supermarket and go back to their hideout. But another part of her wanted to meet her brother.

Marco was not eager to leave her side at all. He went where she went. “Your cart is still empty. We better save time. You go get your stuff while I get mine,” she said, trying hard to sound casual as she grabbed a handful of tampons.

He looked around and he cringed. “Yeah, this is not really my lane. I’ll go grab the groceries.”

She watched until he was gone. Her heart began to hammer as she rolled her cart at the opposite direction. She made a sharp turn, leaving her cart in the next lane. Then she started jogging her way out of the supermarket.

She didn’t dare look back in fear that she would see Marco. She just ran with half her mind screaming she should get back where it was safe.

Khaye kept running anyway.

---

Desiree was silent during their ride. Theo had to go to another meeting underground which was located at the far end of the city.

“Where did you go underground?” Theo casually asked.

“Just everywhere,” she said. “I mean everywhere I am allowed.”

He frowned and stole her a look. “You don’t sound okay. You don’t look okay. What happened?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking.”

“About what?”

She shrugged. “I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

“Humor me.”

“I was thinking we should continue with the Vernier plan.”

He clenched his jaw and his hands tightened on the steering wheel. “No. I’ll find another way.”

“It’s the only way I can think of. Do you think Vernier will trust you to step inside his house again?”

“I’m sorry, but when did you begin to be an expert on this?” he snapped, his anger fueled by her desperate tone. When she didn’t answer, he asked, “Where is this coming from, Desiree?”

“I want to be free, Theo.”

“What?”

“I want to be free. I want to go back to my old life. I want to clear my fucking name! Everyone must think I killed Jamaica!”

“So you are going to risk everything by going to Vernier?” he almost bellowed.

“Yes! I want to do it because you promised me you will give me back my freedom if you get whatever you need from him.”

He almost wanted to stop the car and shake her to her senses, but he didn’t do it. Something must have happened earlier that had triggered this.

“He is still hoping I’ll go back. He will not push me away if I go there willingly. It can work. I go in there, buy some time and steal everything you need. Then I’ll try to escape or you rescue me before he skin me alive. If we can do it properly, it is a good plan.”

His hands balled into fists as they gripped the steering wheel. Was she this desperate to leave? After a few seconds Theo nodded in anger. “I’ll think about it.”

---

Desiree was left by Theo at the bar in a hurry. And it was not because he was late for the meeting. He was furious at her, which she couldn’t understand. She had expected him to accept her offer to go back to Vernier. It was the easiest way to get what he wanted.

She ordered a glass of wine to calm herself. If Theo was angry, she was she.

“Oh, look, the bitch finally found a bar,” Richard’s menacing voice said behind her. She looked over her shoulder at him and rolled her eyes.

“I was planning to have a very pleasant afternoon before I get to see your brother again. Seems that I was wrong.”

He took the seat beside her and looked her up and down. “You look okay considering what you went through at that house. I bet you pissed yourself back there,” he said with a chuckle. The bartender brought him his drink and when they were finally alone, he placed his tattooed hand under his chin as if in great thought and said, “He could have killed you, you know, if it wasn’t for me. I was the one who told Theo about that guy’s crazy collection and the moment he heard it, he rushed out of here to get to you.”

She raised her brows. “Oh, so I have you to thank for then. Thank you,” she uttered the last two words with sarcasm. “For someone who killed my best friend, what you did was more than enough.”

His eyes glinted with anger. “I didn’t kill Jamaica.”

“Well, neither did it and you fucking know it. You just want to find someone to blame. For all I know, you and Petroff did it. You were her lovers, weren’t you?”

She saw his jaw clench and she bit back a smile. The tattoos on his hands moved as they balled into fists. He was losing control. “I would never hurt Jam.”

“Well, then, if it wasn’t me or you, then who do you think would have done it? Petroff? He was with her before she died, wasn’t she?”

For a moment he looked like he wanted to accuse her again but they had been at it for a long time that the drama was finally wearing off. “He or Ms. Kane.”

That brought a frown on Desiree’s face. “Ms. Kane?”

Richard scoffed and brought his drink to his mouth. He gulped and winced at the effect before he uttered, “You call yourself Jam’s best friend yet there are a lot of things about her you don’t even fucking know.”

“It is because she didn’t trust me enough to tell me.”

“No, it is because she was wise enough to know she’d end up dead if she did.” He shrugged and chuckled. “But, alas, she did end up dead anyway.”

“Why would Ms. Kane want to kill her?”

Richard shrugged. “I don’t know. They had never been friends. They were even close to being enemies. And that lady did everything my father or Petroff wanted to happen. If she was ordered to kill her then she would have.”

“And you are not going to do anything about it?”

“Are you crazy? That woman holds more power than Theo and I combined. She has been here long enough to master the game.”

“You said she will do anything your father orders her to do. What if he ordered to kill Jamaica?”

Richard’s face darkened. “He didn’t have any reasons to do so. Jam had always done her job without accidents. She had a perfect score on his sheet.” But his eyes told her otherwise.

Desiree took that opportunity to say something. “Convince Theo to let me go back to Vernier’s house.”

Richard frowned. “Are you crazy? Why would you—” his voice trailed off as realization hit him.

“So you know about his plan.”

“Not all of it. But it is a very crazy plan,” he snapped under his breath, looking around the bar.

“But do you know the reason why he wants to do it?”

Richard scoffed. “Theo’s mind works in a very weird, complicated way. Whatever his reasons are, I don’t think they are enough to make me lift a finger to help him achieve it.”

It was Desiree’s turn to laugh. “You really don’t have any idea.”

His face turned even more serious. “What do you mean?”

She gulped down her wine and replaced the glass on the bar. Turning her head to face Richard she stated, “I am not the right person to ask that. You better ask Theo for the reason why he wants to overthrow his own father. And if you think it is about the power or the money, you are wrong.” She jumped off her chair before Richard could stop her and walked out of the bar to find a lounge.

---

She was gasping for air when she reached the park. Her feet led her to the spot that she had walked hundreds of times in the past, most of them during her childhood.

Her mind knew every exit so she was confident she could get away if things went out of hand.

Her eyes spotted him sitting at the very bench their father had occupied many times when they used to go here. His back was hunched and he was alone. She looked around to see if someone was hiding. Everything seemed normal. There were a few joggers, some children with their parents and even lovers walking around hand in hand.

Gian straightened when he saw her approach. His face was blank, one he would wear whenever he was in deep thought. The look of concern that flashed on his face before he pursed his lips gave her an assurance that he was still her brother after all. Maybe this talk might end up the way she had hoped for.

“You have to stay away from me,” he uttered even before reached him.

Khaye stopped, frozen in her spot.

“I can’t tell you everything, but I want you to know I am trying to make things better for you,” he added.

A part of her was glad that he was finally telling the truth. But what was he trying to tell her was the big question. “What are you into, Gian? Which side are you on?”

Gian stood up to stand a good distance away facing her. He pushed his hands deep in his coat pockets. “I don’t know where I stand right now, Khaye,” he said, his face full of accusation and it was directly pointed at her.

“You are blaming me for everything? Because you won’t be in this position if I didn’t call you? Because you won’t have to do whatever it is you are doing if it weren’t for me?” she asked, her eyes starting to water.

“Yes,” he answered. “But as your brother and as a family, I am asking you to disappear.”

She couldn’t believe it. “You want me to disappear? Why don’t you just fucking kill me then, huh? Come on, just fucking kill me!”

He just stared at her without showing any emotion. “I know that you know I am not capable of lying, Khaye. And for my sake and yours, I want you to disappear. Just do it.”

“Is that your only solution? Is that the only way you can help me? By forcing me to go away?”

He looked around to see if there was anyone around. When his eyes landed back on her he said, “Yes. It’s the only way I know.”

Khaye shook her head. “No. The case is still going on and the investigation is not over until we can prove who did it and if you think you can get away with it by making me disappear—”

“You know very well it is the only way you can ever be safe. I cannot even assure you will ever be safe again, dammit!” he almost shouted at her face as he walked closer.

“Well, then, I guess you will have to kill me now because I am not leaving everything behind just because—”

“I am risking a lot just by being here, Khaye. And I am doing this because I am your brother and I love you—”

“No, you don’t love me at all, Gian. You only love yourself!”

“You have to stay away from Marco,” he interjected in a voice filled with warning.

XXVII. Ms. Kane

Richard was leaning against the wall right across the door he just walked out from. Startled, Theo cocked his eyebrow with a smile. “Waiting for someone?”

Their father chose that moment to join them in the hall, Vernier and Petroff right behind him. “What are you boys doing here outside?” He spotted Richard and narrowed his eyes at his son. “Why weren’t you at the meeting?”

Five more men in exited the room and after a courteous nod to their father left to do whatever business they were tasked to do.

“I had errands to do,” Richard answered simply. Theo kept his suspicious remark to himself but his eyes never left his brother’s.

“I’ll go right ahead, gentlemen,” Vernier’s voice said from behind Mr. Hong and as he stepped into view to walk away, he threw both brother’s a condescending and menacing look. Theo almost rolled his eyes. The man was never a good sport.

“Don’t ever miss another meeting again, Richard.” Their father’s voice was full of warning.

Richard just nodded and both brothers watched their father and Petroff walk away to the same route Vernier took just seconds ago.

“I had a very interesting conversation with your bitch just half an hour ago.” Theo turned to face his brother. “I found her at the bar. I didn’t do anything if that’s what your scowl is all about,” Richard added, his hands up in the air as if in defense.

Theo just stared at his brother dryly. “And I assume you left her alive, right?”

Rolling his eyes, Richard uttered, “She actually left first with a very big cliffhanger in her wake.”

“What cliffhanger?”

“That’s why I am here.” Richard looked from left to right before pushing away from the wall. “She said to ask you the real reason why you are planning what you are planning.”

He clenched his jaw in anger. Desiree had no right to tell Richard anything.

“Theo, I am against your plans. As a matter of fact, I am against any plans that involve throwing our father off his seat.” Richard looked him in the eye. “But if you have something to tell me to change that, you better tell me now.”

He didn’t know if he could trust his brother. The years they had been in underground had dramatically changed the both of them, their relationship included. But looking at Richard’s eyes now he saw the same brother he had those years ago. Though he was younger by a year, he was the one who comforted Richard when their mother died. His brother was just a wreck. In fact, even if he wouldn’t admit it, he was the weaker one. They both knew that. Despite Richard’s crimes and violent tendencies, he was the weaker one. His plan to escape with Jamaica was proof enough.

But could he trust his own brother?

He snorted and actually had the audacity to chuckle at his brother’s face. Richard frowned, a hint of anger slowly showing in the surface.

Of course he could trust Richard with the truth if the truth concerned their mother. But there was one thing that made him hesitant to do so. “I am not sure if I can trust you not to act without thinking if I tell you,” he voiced out his thoughts.

Richard’s frown deepened. “Then don’t make me do something stupid without thinking, Theo. Tell me.”

He stared at his brother for a long time. Damn Desiree!

“Theo. I’m getting impatient here.”

“It’s mom.”

“Mom?”

Theo nodded and in just less than ten sentences he told his brother the truth.

---

Khaye was wearing a frown on her face when she reached the supermarket, deep in thought.

And she yelped in surprise when two hands grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her.

Alarmed, she looked up and saw Marco’s angry face just inches above her. “Where the fuck did you go?” he hissed.

“I…I…I just…” She swallowed and looked away. “I went to get some air.”

He looked at her incredulously. “Your life is in danger and you went to get some fucking air?”

She flinched. “I’m sorry. I know it wasn’t a very good idea—”

“It was a stupid idea, Khaye.”

Her mind was reeling with what to tell him. “I’ve been gone for just a few minutes! Can’t I fucking go to the park where I used to go to when I was a child and take some time for myself?!” She pushed him away and entered the supermarket. She intended to finish her shopping and go back to their hideout.

“Khaye!” he called after her.

She could hear his footsteps behind her but she kept walking.

Her mind was still reeling from Gian’s warning to stay away from Marco. She wanted a little distraction. And then they could go back to the house. Then she would consider her options and think.

---

While she waited for Theo inside the lounge near the bar, Desiree’s heart was ramming against her chest. He would surely be angry if Richard confronted him.

Shaking her head she forced her mind to think of something else. She’d face Theo and his rage later.

She focused her attention on Jamaica instead. Not a very pleasant subject, but one she had to remind herself every now and then. Her best friend didn’t just die. She had been murdered. And someone she knew did it to her.

There was no doubt that it was one of the people she had met underground.

And who were the people in the Liaisons that were also there at the hotel? Desiree thought hard, fingering a few strands of her short brown hair. She nipped at her lips.

There was Richard. He had a relationship with Jamaica and he was with her before she died.

Petroff was also there. And he was the last man she saw Jamaica went out of that bar for. But Richard had said that he left the hotel room just minutes before him.

Still, the two men could have gone back and killed her.

And there was Ms. Kane. Desiree couldn’t remember whether or not the lady was already at the hotel that night or not. But then, there were no cameras to prove that she arrived later rather than earlier.

Desiree closed her eyes. There was only one thing she was sure: she and Theo didn’t kill Jamaica. They were having sex in his bedroom when it happened. And he couldn’t have possibly sneaked out of the room, killed Jamaica and returned to her side naked while she was sleeping, could he?

Again, the fear of being considered a suspect in her best friend’s death overwhelmed her again. What was the police doing right now? Desiree realized she hadn’t watched or heard of any news about the murder lately. She could try, but it would not be of great help. The police would not spill anything important. Were they looking for her? If they were, would they handcuff and throw her in jail if she as much as appear anytime soon? Because that was what she wanted to do. She wanted to be free of the Liaisons so she could clear her name.

The door to the lounge opened. Thinking it was Theo, she began to open her mouth to defend herself.

But it wasn’t Theo.

“Desiree! What a marvelous surprise!” Ms. Kane said, closing the distance between them. Her arms were already stretched wide to embrace her.

Fighting any hesitation, she returned the short embrace.

“How have you been?” the lady asked, taking the seat opposite hers.

She returned to her seat and cleared her throat. What a perfect timing, she thought. “Oh, nothing new. I am waiting for Theo. And thinking while at it,” she hastily added.

“Thinking? What could you be thinking about?” The red-haired lady raised her brows in curiosity.

She waved her hand as if to indicate that it was nothing but said, “Oh, just who might have killed Jamaica.”

Ms. Kane’s face froze in a cold smile that almost sent a shiver through Desiree’s spine. And then it was gone. Just like that, her lips thinned into a line and one brow arched higher. “Jamaica. Yes. What a big loss that girl is.”

Desiree didn’t believe a word she said. She knew she shouldn’t be broaching the subject to the woman, but she took a liking to Ms. Kane and she wanted to at least be comforted with the thought that the lady wouldn’t have any reasons to kill Jamaica. Apparently, she was wrong. It was written all over Ms. Kane’s face. She hated Jamaica.

In all her years in the world of modeling, it was not easy to miss.

Ms. Kane was wise and clever after all because it didn’t take her a long time to realize what she was thinking. “I know she’s your friend, my dear,” she said with an empty smile. “But as much as I like you, I hated her.”

Anger rushed to Desiree’s ears.

“Oh, please don’t get me wrong. Jamaica was a very good asset. She did her job really well. But she did things that almost ruined the entire underground.” In her last statement, Ms. Kane did not even bother to hide the shaking fury in her voice. Desiree watched her try to compose herself but it didn’t work. The lady was beyond angry. She shot to her feet and uttered, “I suggest you keep your thoughts about Jamaica to yourself, Desiree, dear,” she said, her back turned to Desiree. “There are people here who didn’t like her. Still don’t, actually. It’s best you let her murder rest.” Kane’s head turned over her shoulder but her eyes didn’t look at Desiree. “She is worth better dead than alive, trust me.”

And before Desiree could jump to her feet and claw on her pretty face, she was gone.

---

Theo stormed inside the lounge and every step seemed as if he intended to make holes on the ground. And he knew Desiree realized that when she saw him because her face was already white and her eyes round with anxiety. She wasn’t afraid of him—she never was. And that angered him more.

“Why the fuck did you tell him anything?” he demanded.

Richard was right behind him, closing the door.

“Well…” she shrugged. “I just thought he should know.”

“This is not the best place to have this conversation,” Richard reminded him under his breath.

Desiree was already on her feet, walking to the door. “Are we leaving now? I would very much want to get the hell out of here.”

Theo grabbed her arm none too gently and turned. Richard had already opened the door for them, his face full of amusement.

“I know I should thank you, Desiree, but I don’t think you did the right—”

“Shut up, Richard,” Theo told him as he almost dragged Desiree along the corridor and toward the exit.

They reached his car in no time, Richard still hot on their heels. He opened the door for Desiree, pushing her inside the passenger seat, and slamming it beside her before circling around to seat behind the wheel. Before Theo could lock the doors, his brother had already jumped at the backseat.

“I told him because I know we need help with our plan!” Desiree gritted through her teeth even before Theo opened his mouth.

His eyes flashed in anger. “As much as I remember, Desiree, it is my plan.”

She snapped her head toward him, her eyes squarely meeting his anger. “Vernier would not open his doors if you come knocking, would he?”

“I never said I’ll stick to the same plan. You are not going back there—”

“I told you it is the only way you can get what you need!” she shouted at him.

From the corner of his eye he could see his brother was enjoying this.

“As I remember, Desiree,” he added, his tone sarcastic, “you were nearly pissing your dress the last time you were there!”

“Because you had the most stupid plan! You didn’t even know that man is a fucking psychopath! If you should have done your job more—”

“I was just five minutes away—”

“And if he—” she pointed at Richard, “—wasn’t there to tell you about Vernier’s fucked up mind, I would be dead by now!”

“Oh God, please, just stop, the two of you,” Richard groaned at the backseat. “You don’t have to fucking narrate everything that happened that night just because you think you are making the right blows against each other.”

“Shut up, Richard,” Theo uttered the same time Desiree snapped, “Then get the fuck out.”

“But I am with the bitch for once, Theo,” Richard said, ignoring them both.

“What?!” Theo and Desiree cried out but in two completely different manners.

Richard leaned forward so his head was between the two front seats. “If we can think this through like real geniuses that we are, what Desiree suggests can actually work. And you can’t deny that it is the most convenient.”

“I had been telling him that,” Desiree said under her breath, staring stonily at Theo.

“So what? You come knocking on his door and say you are willing to donate your fucking skin?” Theo shot at her.

“No, I am going to go back, knock on his door and say I forgot to take my phone—the one I was supposed to use to send you that stupid, useless signal—which he took away from me the last time I was there. Then he will think I went back for whatever sick, disgusting thing he does but too ashamed to tell him so, without me telling him so,” Desiree retorted, challenging him to challenge her logic.

“Now, that…” Richard said with awe, “…was quite hard to follow but now that I get it, it’s brilliant.”

Theo shot his brother a look. “I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

“You told me about how our mother died,” Richard said, his face back to the serious, dangerous one, “and that tells me you want me to help you with this plan. And I am in. And I say she’s—the bitch—is right. We don’t even have to make a complicated plan if we just let her go to Vernier willingly. We just have to be there at the right time. And we have to do it at the right time. It’s just all about the perfect timing, brother.”

Theo stared at Desiree. She lifted her chin in defiance and pride.

She was this desperate to get her end of their deal? Was her freedom worth that much she was willing to step back inside Vernier’s house?

“Fine,” he finally managed in a very cold voice. He started the car. “We follow her fucking plan.”

XXVIII. Secrets

It was hard to leave someone when that someone had always been, for quite some time, the constant in your life. And not just any constant—a constant source of safety, passion and even of a few laughs here and there.

For Khaye, Marco had become her walking life insurance. Not Gian, not the police though he was one, but just him.

And to even think of leaving, of walking away, would not only be risky but also stupid on her part. It would mean she’d be running away from what she had fought for in weeks.

What would he think?

“Stay away from Marco.”

That was all Gian said. He did not even have to explain because it was in his voice and it was full of warning and there was something in the way he said that made Khaye believe he would not hesitate to do the unthinkable.

Her brother didn’t do anything to her. He didn’t hurt her. He didn’t do anything she feared he would do when they met at the park one week ago. The sincerity in his voice and the way he looked at her was enough to convince her that he meant what he said: Stay away from Marco . Clearly, her brother only wanted her to be gone.

A big part of her was telling her to listen to her brother. She had known him the longest. They were family. That should account for something.

Marco. She had only known him for weeks, two months the most. Or maybe it was one. It was hard to think about time when one was running for her life. And in those weeks they had known each other they hadn’t actually reached anything.

Or maybe he did and he wasn’t telling her everything.

He would work on his computer which he would immediately close or casually turn away whenever she was in the room. Khaye realized that the only times she was allowed to come close to the thing was when he was willing to show her something. And those were only videos or footages of Desiree from weeks ago. Never had she seen anything else from then on.

She wanted to blame Gian for warning her about Marco. Because of him she had grown more restless and wary around the man, though the sex would help from time to time.

Staying would be more convenient, but leaving might save her life.

It took her one week to come up with a decision.

---

One week had passed since they all agreed that Desiree had to go back to Vernier.

And in that one week, Desiree spent more time with Richard than she could have imagined. There was no mention of Jamaica or whether he still thought she killed her best friend. For some reason, Desiree thought they had come to some sort of a truce.

Theo, on the other hand, had been distant. She shared his bed at night only because he chose to dispose of her box , but that was all. For almost seven days he did not touch her or said anything that she would consider a conversation. If they talked, it was because Richard was there and they were planning a risky mission.

It wasn’t as if there was a concrete plan at all. The more they thought about it, the plan was just as simple as get inside the Vernier residence and out—alive as much as possible. Vernier would have guards, of course. The last time Theo and Richard barged in the guards were shocked and intimidated by their presence. They couldn’t do the same thing now, could they? Vernier would have given his guards instructions after what happened.

Richard and Theo believed that it was the only problem they would have to face tomorrow evening.

Tomorrow.

Desiree couldn’t help but shiver at the thought.

She’d have to face Vernier again.

Tomorrow.

She wanted to tell someone about her worries. But who? Not Richard, of course. And surely not Theo. He would grab the chance to tell her their stupid plan wouldn’t succeed.

She couldn’t sleep in anticipation. No, it was not anticipation. She was feeling more than that.

Desiree was terrified.

She was lying on her side, her back turned to Theo. He was still angry at her and she could understand where he was coming from. After all her hysterics the last time he saved her from Vernier, she was defying everything she had felt and said that night. She wanted to go back and all because of their deal that she be freed.

They might fail. She might fail. Vernier could end up killing her before Theo and Richard could save her this time. Or she might not . They might succeed and the brothers could get whatever they wanted to gather from Vernier’s office. Either way, she’d be gone.

Gone.

Dead.

Or free.

She’d be away.

Fuck this, she said in her head and turned to face Theo. Her movement did not stir him from sleep and she hesitated. With the last bit of restraint, she climbed out of bed instead of jumping on him. She padded her way to the kitchen and looked out into the darkness behind the large kitchen windows as she drank a glass of water.

A small smile crept up her face as she remembered the first night she was here. She managed to escape and almost fell off the cliff. How easy things could have been if that happened, or if Mr. Hong did not arrive to stop her from taking her own life.

“What are you doing here?”

Desiree cried out in surprise, the empty glass almost jumped out of her hand.

She did not answer.

His hand took the glass from her and placed it on the counter before her. She felt his chest behind her head.

“What are you doing here?” he repeated, his voice husky from sleep.

“I was just thinking,” she murmured.

“Changing your mind?” His voice sounded hopeful.

She shook her head. “No. I’m thinking about the night your father found me at the edge of the cliff. I was about to jump, take my own life.” She turned to came face to face with his chest. Lifting her head, she met his dark eyes. He didn’t look angry. Maybe because he was still half-asleep. “I was thinking how things would have been easier if I just…if I did it.” She leaned her forehead against his chest and closed her eyes. His hands went to her shoulders and travelled to her waist, pulling her closer to him. His lack of words was making her tense. “I’m terrified, Theo.”

“We can always find another—”

“But I’m doing it. I’m terrified but I have to do it.” She lifted her face back up to him and looked him in the eye. “And then I’ll be gone.”

She expected him to get angry, to push her away like he did for days.

He did neither.

He just stared at her—really looked at her—as if memorizing her face. And the next thing she knew, he had lifted her off her feet and on the counter, almost tipping the empty glass behind her. His mouth followed right after, moving hungrily against hers. Her arms wound around his neck, her hands restless against his hair. He slid her closer against him before pulling her shirt over her head and sent it flying over to the sink.

Desiree felt like crying and she didn’t know why. Or maybe she did and she just didn’t want to entertain the thought. She let any logical sense slide away as Theo trailed his mouth down her throat to her collarbone and lower to her breast. She fought off the whimper stuck in her throat as he bent lower to give her tattoo a gentle, lingering kiss.

His touch promised it would stay there, that he would see to that. Desiree believed it.

---

“What are you working on?” Khaye asked Marco. Startled, he immediately closed his computer and faced her.

“Nothing. Just looking through the same reports from last week,” he said with a sigh. He looked at her and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

She swallowed. “I want to go away.”

His eyes narrowed further. “We just got here.” It was true. They had found another inhabited house yesterday.

“I mean really go away. Alone.”

Slowly, he stood up. She could see the anger behind his eyes. “What the fuck do you mean by that? You think that after your shooting and fighting lessons you can get away safe? Petroff’s men are everywhere for all we know. Your brother can be anywhere.”

“I don’t care. I just want to be alone and far away, Marco.”

He looked at her for a long time before a dry chuckle escaped his lips. “I am even surprised you that you at least have the decency to let me know instead of just running away in the middle of the night.”

Khaye swallowed. “I have actually thought of that. But it wouldn’t be fair to you. You have sacrificed a lot for me. You can be out there solving this murder faster but instead you’re stuck here with me. I don’t want that anymore.”

“What do you mean?”

“This thing can soon be considered a cold case, Marco. You know that better than I do. Don’t deny it. Your funds will run out and no one will care if Jamaica’s death will be left unsolved forever. She has no family to fight for her. Desiree is gone and you guys can’t even find her. And me? I am here, fearing for my life. And I am not even certain I should be. Let’s face it. Petroff won’t care what happens to me. He’s more powerful than that. He’s part of the Liaisons. They can cover up their crimes as easily as they can do them.” She tore her eyes away from him and stared out the window, looking at nothing in particular. “I want to be out there living my life. And I can’t do that if I am stuck here. Don’t get me wrong—I do like your company but it’s not in any way I would have wanted it to be. I don’t really care anymore. My brother had turned his back on me and—”

“What do you mean by that?”

She almost slapped herself for slipping her tongue. “Gian isn’t here, is he? Whatever he is doing—good or bad—he’s not here. He turned his back on his own sister. And as much as I need someone right now, I know that you shouldn’t be here as well.”

“Khaye—”

“No. You and I both know that you should be out there solving crimes. I am going to be okay. I will be very careful. And it’s not like someone will come after me again, right? No one has for the past weeks.” The more she talked, the more she was convinced that she had made the right choice. “If Petroff and his men see you back out there working, they would think you’ve disposed of me as the prime witness. And I am not even the best witness out there. I don’t know who killed her. I only heard things I shouldn’t have. I am not a very reliable witness and you know that.”

He just stared at her for a very long moment. And Khaye’s heart almost slumped with a tinge of disappointment when he finally spoke. “Where do you plan to go?”

---

Of course, it was always better to do it during the night.

Everyone agreed on that.

Theo was restless but he made sure that no one noticed that. They could fail. Desiree could fail.

“Can you fucking calm down?” Richard hissed at him. They were parked beside a dirt road near Vernier’s home. Richard thought it would be the perfect spot since it was rarely used or even seen because of the tall trees that hid it from sight. Only Vernier would know about the road and, if they were right, he wouldn’t even think someone was hiding in it.

Theo ignored his brother and checked his watch. He was about to ask the question when his own car drove past them, along the main road that led to Vernier’s front doors.

“She’s about time,” Richard said with a sigh. “Now, all we have to do is wait.” His brother hugged his arms around his car’s steering wheel and added, “—and pray she can last long before we can get in.”

---

The guard was where Richard and Theo had told her they’d be. And it took all her strength to stare at the man with raised eyebrows and demand that she see Vernier.

And the guard was clever—just like Richard and Theo told her. He did not let her leave his side while he radioed in on someone. Her heart began to hammer as she waited for the doors to open. What if Vernier didn’t want to have anything to do with her after all?

But before she could entertain the thought further, the man himself opened the doors, surprise still on his face, as if he didn’t believe a word when he was told that she was right outside waiting for him.

Desiree lifted her chin with a small hint of a smile as Vernier’s grin grew wider. “I must admit, Desiree, that I never thought you’d come to your senses though I had been wishing you would.”

“Well, I am here,” she said, glad that her voice did not shake. The guard beside her had stepped back and returned to his post in the driveway where she parked. Vernier’s eyes looked over at Theo’s car and she followed his gaze over her shoulder. “I stole it. Or demanded for it.”

“Are you telling me he just let you go here alone?” His voice was full of doubt. “Why don’t I believe that, I wonder?”

She shrugged. “Because he did. And because I lied to him.”

His eyes widened in surprise, waiting for her explanation.

She forced a smile. “In case you don’t know, Theo let me do whatever I want. I have him on a leash. In and out of bed, or course.”

Amusement crossed Vernier’s disgusting face and it took all her efforts not to sneer. “Really?”

“Of course, he won’t admit that to anyone. He’s too proud to do that. But don’t think it had been easy on my part as well. It took me almost two months to make him believe that he can trust me to go back to him every time I go away.”

“And what excuse did you tell him this time?”

“Oh, just the usual—dinner with Tatiana.”

“I don’t think making my daughter as an excuse will—”

“It made him say yes,” she cut in.

“And why are you here?” he finally asked. She knew he had been itching to ask that.

“I forgot my phone. I believe you still have it.”

He just looked at her for a moment before his eyes darkened and he smiled. “Yes, I believe I still have it.”

“Can we get inside so you can hand it back to me?”

There was a great deal of suspicion across Vernier’s face, but there was also the strong lust emanated by his eyes. And that gruesome lust was stronger than any remaining sensible considerations inside him. Desiree chose to hang on to that. She had to feed that itch and longing in his eyes—the longing to torture—until he could no longer think of anything else.

She decided to step forward until she was a foot away from him, letting him feel the heat of her skin. “And if you promise to keep me alive, I might consider being inflicted by a little bit of pain.” She looked into his eyes, thinking about her own desires so he could interpret them however he wanted. She thought of last night with Theo taking her with senseless passion on the kitchen counter; of his raspy breath moving along her thigh, kissing her tattoo as his lips moved upward; of the feel of his hair between her fingers as she urged him on. Desiree thought of everything Theo did to her and she knew Vernier saw the fire behind her eyes—only that he took it as his own.

And he led her inside his house.

XXIX. Jamaica De la Vega

Somehow Vernier had thought about the wrong things he had done the last time he took her to his house. And somehow he managed to come up with a different, calmer way to approach the situation.

It was with awe that Desiree could read his mind—his sick, repulsive mind. She could take that to her advantage now that she understood how his mind worked and what he was planning to do to her. The element of surprise was gone and her mind worked better that way. Every fiber in her being wanted to stay away from Vernier, but she had to fight the urge. She needed to stay alert and stick to the simple plan she, Theo and Richard came up with.

The first thing to do was make sure that the door was unlocked. And it was. Vernier, in his haste to get her alone, didn’t bother to lock it, too confident with the thought that he had guards around the place. The very same guards Richard had been watching and spying on for an entire week.

“Your phone is in my office,” Vernier said under his breath as he turned to look at her, brandy in hand.

Desiree cocked an eyebrow, tilting her head to the side. “Theo got me another one,” she said, lifting the small clutch bag in her hand. He understood what she meant. She wasn’t here for her phone. And he smiled—a very satisfied smile.

“I can’t believe that you are the same woman who walked in her the last time—”

She moved to walk up to him, her dress dancing along her knees. “I was just merely surprised,” she interrupted. “Who would have thought I would be subjected to such a horrible act?” She watched the fire in his eyes and sighed, lifting her shoulders. “But the more I thought about what you could have done to me, the pain you could have perfectly inflicted, the more I got restless. It took…days, perhaps, for me to finally admit it to myself.” She lifted her chin and let her words sink in before she continued, “I would love the pain. Theo gives it to me from time to time, but it’s not enough. It is never enough. I want more.” She blinked and forced herself to show the desire in her eyes. “I want my tattoo on that wall.”

Vernier opened his mouth but she stopped him with one finger against his lips.

“But I want to be alive to see it hanging on the wall.”

His eyebrows rose. “That can be arranged.”

Desiree decided to push it a little bit more. “And I want an entire wall just for myself.” She feigned disgust. “I can’t bear the thought of it being hanged among the others. I want an entire wall for myself,” she repeated the last statement with indignation.

Vernier grasped her wrist and started laughing. “My God, you are crazier than I expected.” She let out a gasp when he suddenly grabbed her by the arm and pushed her hard against him. “And I like it. Oh, I very much like it, Desiree.” She had feared he would kiss her and her act would be over because God knew how much she would find that repulsive. But she knew he wouldn’t do it. He was not that kind of man. His lust was for something else. “Your request will be granted. But first,” he said, stepping away from her, “let’s drink.”

She gulped. “Drink?”

He nodded, looking at her lips. “To ease your nerves. And it will help with the pain.”

Once again, her heart began to race faster until she could feel it in her throat. “I don’t think I’d want to delay this thing further,” she uttered, meeting his gaze. “Theo might wonder where I am and I don’t want to complicate things between you and him. You can’t imagine how much I want this.”

For a second she saw something flash before his eyes before he smiled. “Very well, then, I hope you can make yourself comfortable while I ready my room,” he finally said. He watched her from head to foot before he turned away.

Desiree blinked. Something must be wrong, she thought. Why would he leave her alone? Did he trust her that much? Had she convinced him well enough? She suddenly felt lost when she finally found herself alone in the middle of the dimly lit living room. Vernier’s footsteps against the hardwood floor were getting fainter.

Something’s wrong, she said to herself, gulping in anticipation. She must have said something wrong. It was that flash in his eyes that told her so.

Very slowly, Desiree started walking.

And then she heard it. It was just a small click but it echoed around the house like a gunshot.

She knew she had made a terrible mistake somewhere along her act even before she heard Vernier speak from the door he just locked. “You almost fooled me right there, my dear,” his cold voice said, loud enough for her to hear from where she was standing.

---

If there was one thing that felt right about the whole thing, it was taking Richard along for the ride. For many reasons than he would admit, his brother was better at doing the physical work. Considering it was the first time for the two of them to personally do this kind of work, Richard was proving that he had at least more experience on the field than he did.

Richard had watched the guards day and night for a week, studying their routine until he could recite them in his sleep. And the moment they had mastered how the guards rotated and exchanged shift, it was only a matter of time to formulate a plan on how to go around it.

And of course, Richard’s way was always the most convenient.

They had to use stealth and a little bit of force to do so, the two things Theo had never really mastered in his years underground. So, little brother that he was, he followed Richard on foot to take their plan into action.

It took around three things to make their plan work: One, memorize how the guards worked—done so without sweat; Two, acquire a tranquilizer gun—done so without question; Three, shoot the guards with the said tranquilizer gun—done so by Richard in just under one minute.

Once all three men were down, they ran to the front entrance of the house. Now, it was time for them to be careful—and fast. The guards would not stay down longer than they would hope. And Desiree might not live that long. Richard’s tattooed hand went to the knob and he frowned.

“What is it?” Theo whispered beside him.

“It’s locked.”

Theo cursed under his breath.

---

Desiree ran to out of the living room and into the hallway.

“Do you think I am that stupid as to believe you this time, Desiree?” Vernier’s unbelievably calm voice rang behind her. But she ran anyway. Theo and Richard would be here any minute. They had to be.

She pushed against the first door to the right and turned the knob. It was locked.

“Don’t make this difficult, Desiree. I want to ask you a few things and I don’t want to do that stalking you around my house.” Vernier’s voice was getting louder. She could hear her heartbeat against her ears. She ran to the next door and with shaking hands, found it open. She pushed herself inside and slammed the door behind her. And locked it.

She leaned against it and tried to catch her breath. She considered sending Theo the danger signal but that was too late. He and Richard would have taken the guards down by now and found the doors locked. They would now be on their way to take Plan B. She didn’t like Plan B.

She threw her clutch away to keep herself from calling Theo. That would give him and Richard away and she didn’t want that to happen because there was no Plan C. Plan B had to work.

Plan A would have been better. What had she done wrong? What had she said wrong? It should have worked!

A rap on the door caused her to jump to her feet.

“If you plan to stay inside my office for quite some time, you better open the door for me.” Vernier’s voice was still calm and cold from behind the door.

Desiree’s eyes widened as she looked around. She was inside his office. If it was under normal circumstances, she would have laughed at the fortunate incident. She was in the very room Theo and Richard wanted to invade.

“You know, I really want to know why you would want to be here. Makes me wonder…did Theo ask you? Hmm…maybe he did. But why?”

Desiree did not answer. She was desperate to get out of the room and stay at the same time.

And then the door suddenly flew open and Vernier was slowly walking toward her, his steps purposeful, his eyes filled with fury. She backed away to the center of the room. “I have a key,” he said, lifting his hand to show her his keys. But he was also holding something else and he pointed it at her.

Desiree’s knees wobbled as Vernier pointed his gun at her.

---

Theo didn’t know how stupidly simple it was to open the doors.

Richard went straight to the guard slumped in the middle of the driveway and patted the guy. In just a few seconds, he got the keys.

Theo watched with open mouth as his brother snickered, working the key into the lock.

“Trust me, it’s stupid we forgot they might have the keys,” his brother muttered under his breath. And before he opened the door, he looked at Theo and added, “But then, we’ve always managed to get people to do this thing for us so our little slip can be forgiven. Charge it to experience.”

“I don’t intend to have the same experience again. I rather like sitting behind a desk and wait for men to do it for me,” he answered before Richard opened the door a crack and peer inside. The house was too eerily silent that Theo feared for the worse.

---

“I want to find out who killed Jamaica,” Desiree said in desperation the only thought that came to her mind.

That stopped Vernier, but it didn’t make him lower the gun. He cocked his head to the right and asked, “What would make you think I have the answer.”

“Theo told me you work very closely with Mr. Hong than he does. For me, that means you know almost everything.” Her voice shook as she spoke. When would Richard and Theo arrive? Had they succeeded with the guards?

Vernier’s laughter brought her back to the present. And at the present, he was still aiming the gun at her. “Jamaica De la Vega should have known what was coming for her.”

“You had her killed.” It was not a question.

Vernier shook his head, clucking his tongue. “I am not in any authority to kill anyone involved underground. I was actually just waiting for Hong to give me the go but alas, someone was more impatient and did it themselves.”

“Someone from the underground?” she asked.

“If there is one thing you should know about your friend, Desiree, it is that she was not the person you—or any of us—had thought.”

“But she was my friend and someone killed her—”

Vernier was shaking her head even before she finished her sentence. “It was wrong of you to come here.” Still pointing the gun at her, he started to walk forward. She took more steps back until she hit the wall and she was trapped. With his free hand, Vernier grabbed her by the hair and threw her across the room with so much force that she crashed against the chair standing before his desk. She thought he had shot her because the pain was too intense as she dropped to the floor. But he didn’t do it.

“At least Jamaica was way cleverer than you,” Vernier sneered above her, the gun still pointing at her. “She knew what she was doing and she managed to fool us all for years until we caught up. You, on the other hand, are too impatient and too lousy with your lies to last you an hour.” She was crouched on the floor and he kicked her hard so she was on her back and facing him. The groan in her throat barely escaped because of the pain. “Do you know how I knew?”

She didn’t answer. She was focused on her breathing and staying alive.

“You refused my drink. You were impatient. You kept looking at the door as if you were looking for the best exit. It was the flicker of desperation in your eyes when you looked at me. It was that one-second of panic that gave you away.” He chuckled above her with a shake of his head. “You almost had me there, you know, when you talked about the pain and an entire wall for yourself. I almost believed you, you bitch!” He emphasized his last word by kicking her on her stomach one more time. He pointed the gun at her. “If you really wanted to know who killed your friend, you should not have come to me.”

The look on her eyes told her that he was going to kill her. He was too furious as he took one step back, ready to pull the trigger.

“I guess I’ll just have to skin you after I shoot you—”

Vernier wasn’t able to complete his statement. Desiree’s eyes widened and a scream escaped her throat when she saw the black spot between his eyes. And his eyes were frozen, dead as blood eased out of the spot. The gun landed with a thud on the floor beside her. Vernier swayed forward and backward twice before he finally fell facedown on the floor. He would have landed right on top of Desiree if Theo hadn’t grabbed her away just in time.

Her mouth was hanging open, frozen in shock as she tried to digest what had just happened. Richard was at the door, holding a gun.

Everything was a blur after that. She knew Richard and Theo almost ransacked Vernier’s office but she didn’t know how long they stayed there. The next thing she knew, Theo had driven her back to his home.

It was then that everything sank in.

---

The moment Desiree walked inside in haste until she reached the middle of his living room. And then she stopped. Her shoulders started to shake, her head bent down.

He wasn’t sure how to react. He didn’t expect her to break down like this and cry. After everything she’d been put through, never—not once—did she show any weakness like this one. But now, apparently, she had reached her limit.

He took a few careful steps toward her, still figuring out how to deal with this woman’s tears. He’d had a long line of lovers who cried buckets and he learned how to deal with each and every one of them—but not with Desiree. With her, he always found himself clueless and if he did something it was something that surprised him.

“Don’t touch me.” Her voice was raw and shaking. He heard the anger and the pain and for a brief moment he wanted to pull her in his arms and force her to just let him give her comfort until her tears died down. “You killed him.”

“Desiree, it had to happen,” he said in a voice he hoped was calm and soothing.

A whimper escaped from her and that undid him. He didn’t care what she’d do. He grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to turn around and face him. Her eyes were full of anger when they met his. She may be crying but she wasn’t hiding it either. Weak and brave at the same time. “It was either you or that man. We had to do it,” he explained, digging his fingers into her skin in hope that she would understand.

“You killed him,” she whispered again, her voice strong and shaking. But he could feel the anger ebbing away.

“Would you rather I would have let him kill you?” he demanded, shaking her shoulders. “He would have killed you without a second thought one way or the other. We did what we could to save you.”

More tears rolled down her eyes as she closed them.

“Stop crying, dammit!” He crushed her against him, cradling her head with one hand against his chest. “It’s over. You’re safe. You’re with me now.” He pulled her head gently away from him and cupped her face with his hands. He searched her eyes. “Did you hear me?” he asked. “Did you hear me?” He heard the desperation in his own voice. He wanted her to know that he meant it. He kissed her tear-stained lips and leaned back once more to look into her dark eyes. “You’re with me now. You’re safe.” He brought her head back against his chest and planted his lips on the top of her head. “You’re with me now.”

---

She lay sideways on the bed dressed in nothing but the large shirt he threw out his closet earlier. She had cleaned up and he had dressed the scratches she got from the incident.

Theo lay on the bed beside her, fully clothed. He said they needed to talk. In her opinion and experience, the bed was not the best conference table. They did not even get to the part where they had to discuss the agenda when his mouth came crushing against hers in a passionate kiss.

Moments later, they contented themselves with caressing each other’s arms as they fed the growing sexual tension. They waited patiently until it caught fire. Slowly, ever so slowly.

“You’re not afraid, are you?” he asked in a whisper. His gaze was intense and foreboding at the same time.

“Why would I be?” she retorted, unbuttoning the top of his shirt. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Despite everything that happened tonight, she had somehow survived. “I’m with you now.” Another button undone. She felt him let go of his breath and smiled inwardly. “You’re not afraid, are you?”

His hand was on her hips, giving it a gentle caress. “Only when you tend to disappear, I am.”

Desiree managed a weak smile. “Please, Theo, you and I both know…” Her hands continued with their work despite her inability to finish her sentence.

“You and I both know what?” he asked, sliding his hand down her leg and under the hem of her shirt.

“That I am going—”

He stopped her words by trapping her mouth with his. They were both breathless when he leaned away an inch, her shirt already up her waist and his hand between her thighs. “You talk too much,” he said with a lopsided grin. He leaned down to nip her ear, her neck down to her shoulder. She arched against his hand in response. She knew what he was trying to do. He was trying to take her mind away from what happened and what would happen. “You also move too much,” he whispered against her skin. Desiree felt the knot in her midriff tighten even more when he pushed her fully on her back and moved over her in a swift motion. His hand stayed where it was as his other brushed the stray of hair off her face, lingering lightly on her cheek after. He buried his face at the crook of her neck, trailing kisses all the way down. She felt sore from Vernier’s attacks earlier, but then it didn’t matter right now. Slowly, Theo had managed to erase the horrible image of Vernier’s lifeless body on the floor. And he managed to brush off the thoughts of leaving after tonight.

Her hands shook as she tried to blindly finish unbuttoning his shirt but gave up halfway. She heard his soft chuckle against her throat as her hands changed direction and came to mess with his hair and neck. She heard more than just the amusement in that sound. In his chuckle she heard the relief that they managed to end up alive. “I don’t care who moves too much as long as there’s motion,” she rasped in his ear as she pressed her hip against his hand. A hand came to rest on one breast over her shirt, making her even more restless.

“I guess I have to agree on that,” he answered, bending down to pay more attention on her parted mouth.

We’ll talk later, she silently said as she let go of all thoughts.

XXX. A Different Kind of Free

Desiree walked out of the bedroom after staring at the ceiling for what seemed like hours. Theo was gone when she woke up and she had enough time to think—or to gather enough resolve. Barefoot with dressed in nothing but Theo’s shirt, she padded her way to the kitchen where she found him talking on the phone, sitting in front of the table. Choosing that moment to position herself and prepare for the talk, she went ahead to grab a cup of coffee and sat across from him.

“I’ll be there in an hour,” he said to the phone with a frown.

“I assume that must be about last night.”

He nodded. “Our father wants us to report underground as soon as possible.”

She was not surprised that Vernier’s death had already circulated underground. And then she thought of Tatiana. What would she be feeling right now? Putting aside her worries, she looked at Theo. “Are you certain you and Richard will be fine?”

He nodded, his jaw set. “We took care of all possible surveillance before we left. And since Richard couldn’t trust other people to do the sweeping again, he did it himself.”

“Won’t the guards talk?”

Theo did not answer. He just sipped from his cup.

“Theo. Won’t the guards talk?”

She watched him swallow. “Richard took care of that last night when we left.”

Her eyes widened. “And you let him do that? Those men were only doing their job—”

“It would have been different if we did not end up killing Vernier, Des. But since we did we didn’t have much choice. It was that or…” he let his voice trail away to make his point.

Desiree shook her head in disbelief. “This is why I can’t stay here longer. Everything you guys do—”

“We try to avoid such things, Desiree. There are just days that we have no other choice.”

“Of course, you have a choice,” she bit out.

He just looked at her, his eyes distant again. “We need to talk.”

“Yes.” She blinked and squared her shoulders. “I did my part. You have everything you want. That means I can go now, right?”

He looked at her for a long time before he answered. “Of course.”

---

Marco watched as Khaye made her preparations. She packed what she could and called a friend from high school in a small town out of the city.

He didn’t like this at all. He had been through a lot because of her. And now she just wanted to leave?

But no matter how he thought about it, it was for the best. This way he could do whatever he had to do. And if she just stay put, he could always get to her. If she just behaved and stay away from everything she was not expected to be, he would be able to do his job.

Did Gian warn her? He wondered.

The two could have met and the only day he could think of was during her disappearance in the supermarket. Or if it was not that day, they could have easily called each other. He’d have to check Gian’s phone records.

“Are you sure this is what you want?” he asked her again.

“Yes. I’ll be fine, Marco. You’ll realize soon enough that I am right. If I just stay out of the spotlight and out of everyone I know, I’ll be fine.”

“But what about your life? You want to go back to—”

Her head snapped toward him. There was anger and bitterness in her eyes. “As you can see, that is not a very wise decision right now. At least I’d have something to do other than just being holed up in here. And you—you can do your job better.”

He just nodded. There was no use arguing. If he had to do something where she was concerned in the future, he’d know where to find her.

---

“Good,” she said, nodding her head. No one moved. Their eyes just remained locked, both seemingly afraid to do something.

“But where will you go, Des?”

She knew that whenever he called her that, he was trying to make her feel somehow emotionally attached to him. Theo was playing something and Desiree was afraid he might just win.

“I’ll go straight to the police and tell them I didn’t kill Jam.”

He cocked his head to the right. “Do you think they’ll believe you?”

“They should,” she shrugged. “They should because I didn’t do it. You know that.”

“But I won’t be there to tell them that. You know I can’t.”

“Then I’ll find another way. And I have my work—”

“Petroff is your boss,” he cut in.

Her spirit was feeling betrayed. “You’re cannot convince me to stay, Theo.”

“Yes, I will, Desiree, because,” he said, standing up, his voice firm and sure, “if you go out there, you’ll be as good as dead. Have you seen the news lately?”

She blinked. No, she didn’t.

“They think you did it. The police don’t even have to say anything and people had readily assumed that you did. Because you disappeared. You ran away.”

“I did not run—”

“That’s what everybody thinks you did. How do you suppose you can do convince everyone you are innocent if—”

“Then I’ll just not go back. I can go somewhere else. I can go to another state. I don’t have to be Desiree again. I can be—”

“And you know you won’t like that.”

She was angry now, but she found herself too tired to even raise her voice. She just sagged her shoulders and asked, “Why are you doing this, Theo? We had a deal.”

“And I’ll give you your freedom,” he said, sitting right back in his chair. “I will give you your freedom but I’m telling you, Desiree…once you go back, you’ll be on your own.”

“What are you trying to say?”

A smile that did not reach his eyes formed on his face as he leaned back with his arms crossed over his chest. “Stay for a few months while we try to figure everything out.”

“Theo, I need to—”

“You can do whatever the hell you want as long as you stay out of public eye. You can do pretty much everything you want both up and underground.”

“Why?” She didn’t have to elaborate because Theo wasn’t stupid and he knew what she was trying to ask.

“Because we have to make sure that you won’t be dragging our names with you if you fall. And that will surely happen if you go out there now. Sooner or later they will know where you’ve been and we can’t have that now. Richard and I have plans and we won’t be able to execute them if we’ll have people tailing us everywhere. Richard’s name is not even a mystery to them anymore. If you go out there,” he pointed with his finger, “you will be ruined. And we will be ruined even before we throw our old man out on the streets.”

Desiree remained silent, absorbing everything.

“If you stay here, we can try to solve Jamaica’s murder. Someone from underground must have wanted her dead. If you stay here just a bit longer, we can work your papers, cook up a good alibi for you, solve the murder and clear your name and…” he waved with his hand, “you can have your life back. You won’t be a suspect any longer, not if you have a killer to point or serve to the police. You won’t be subjected to any scandal because you will have the best alibi. And if you think you want a different life, we can give you that. We can fix you your papers, fly you to another country, get you a different job—you name it. All you have to do is just stay while we smooth things out for you,” he finished and quickly added, “and us.” His demeanor had changed because he was not smiling at her. The bastard knew he was winning.

“You can’t expect me to just say yes to that,” she snapped at him.

Theo stood up and walked toward her. His fingers went under her chin and lifted her face up. “You know I am right, Des.” He planted a soft, lingering kiss on her lips and stepped back. “Now, to exercise what I had just said, I will leave you here while I go underground to get to that emergency meeting. Feel free to do what you want or go anywhere,” he uttered, walking to his bedroom.

“What if I leave?”

“You’ll find my car parked outside. The keys are on the nightstand. Someone will pick me up in a few minutes so don’t worry about me. If you want to leave, take my car and leave it somewhere near any of the entrances underground.” He did not even turn around to look at her as he said that.

Fifteen minutes later, Theo was driven away by another car and Desiree found herself alone. And free.

---

“This is it,” Marco uttered, peering through the windshield and at the bus before them.

Khaye nodded. She slowly turned toward him and looked him in the eye. “If we ever have to meet again, don’t let me go.”

Marco just nodded, his jaw tightening as he stared back at her. Khaye hastily pasted a kiss on his mouth, leaned her forehead against his, her hand cupping the side of his face, and whispered, “I need to go now. Please be safe and solve this fucking thing.”

Marco grinned despite himself. “You know I’ll try my best.”

She just nodded and the next thing he knew she was on a bus with nothing but two large bags.

He stayed in the station for nearly an hour after the bus left, just staring into nothing and making up his mind.

When his thoughts had finally cleared, Marco took out his phone and dialed a number

---

Theo sat through the private family meeting without glancing at Richard. Their father was furious.

“Is something missing? From his place?” he finally asked.

“Yes. The files. Everything he has that I sent him has been copied.”

“The fuck—” Richard started to say, trying to look as angry as the old man. “How the hell did it even happen?”

“Where were you last night?” Mr. Hong asked Richard.

His brother was a very good actor and he did his part very well as he looked at his father dryly and pointed at Theo. “I was with him and his bitch, drinking our asses off.”

“You mean you were underground,” their father said.

“No, at home,” Theo answered.

“Yours or yours?” Mr. Hong looked at one to the other.

“His,” Richard pointed at Theo. “Are we being considered suspects? Come on, you can’t really be serious—”

“I know you didn’t do it,” their father cut in. “But I have to be sure. Who else can vouch for the two of you?”

Richard groaned. “You know he lives in God knows where. There were no neighbors. His bitch is surely a good witness,” he added with sarcasm.

“Can we just lay out the fact that we have as much to lose in Vernier’s death as you do?” Theo finally said, having had enough with his brother’s acting.

Mr. Hong grumbled under his breath.

“Those files are pretty much ours as well,” Theo said. “And if someone took them or copied them, we all need the right to know.”

“But Vernier had a lot of enemies. You know that, don’t you?” Richard told their father. “It could be anyone of them.”

“I’ve set up a meeting with the others,” the old man said, waving both of them off. “I just wanted to make sure my own sons did not fucking do it.”

“I’ll try to snoop around, see if I can find out anything from the bar,” Richard said as he stood up and walked to the door.

“I’ll ask Kane. She might know something.”

“I already did and she is pointing her finger at Petroff.”

Theo just raised his brows and Richard laughed.

“That old hag hates Petroff. Of course she’d point at him,” Richard uttered.

“This is not a laughing matter, boys. What Vernier’s murderer took from him is nearly half of everything all our transactions and dirty secrets.”

Theo just nodded and turned to the door. Richard was the first to go out and he followed close behind. “Nearly half,” Richard muttered under his breath, just loud enough for Theo to hear. “Does this mean we have to fucking steal more?”

He did not answer. His mind was full of different things. One, where else did their father hide the rest of his files? Two, was Desiree still have home?

---

Desiree paced around Theo’s house, thinking and taking into consideration everything that he said that morning.

If she’d go now, she could go back home, call some friends or her agency. And then what? What would they say? They’d tell her to go to the police. Or she could go directly to the police. She’d tell them she didn’t do it and that she had been kidnapped and held captive against her will by a secret organization known as the Liaisons. And the next morning, she’d be dead. She was sure of that. If not Theo, Richard or Mr. Hong would personally pull the trigger. And Theo made it clear he would not lay a finger if she chose to go.

If she stayed and accepted Theo’s proposal, she could have the chance to catch Jamaica’s killer. And if that was not possible, she could just disappear without much difficulty. Theo had promised her that. He’d have her papers ready and she could go anywhere she wanted and start a new life.

She groaned when she finally gave up thinking about her choices. Before Theo gave her freedom back, she thought it would be simple. She never—not for a second—thought that she might be her own downfall if she returned to her old world.

Had she been gone that long? How could things have changed into this one, complicated mess? Her freedom was supposed to be simple. She’d walk out and return to her old world. It should have been that simple!

She looked at the clock. She had to make up her mind.

---

Khaye stepped down the bus. She looked around and she realized she felt…lost.

A car honked, catching her attention. An entire arm was poking out its window and waving at her.

She smiled and squared her shoulders, waving back to her old friend.

For now, she had to live on her own. For now, she had to forget about what she had left behind—forget about Jamaica’s murder, Gian’s betrayal and Marco’s absence.

For now, Khaye had to be strong and try to survive.

---

He gave her all the time that she could possibly need to think.

He went to the bar with Richard, had lunch and wasted more time joining another emergency meeting. He called up a client to meet up with him because he couldn’t do it tomorrow. He even fucking visited Tatiana to see how she was doing. The lady seemed okay with the fact that her father was dead. There was no big loss there. After that, he went to have dinner alone in one of the restaurants underground.

And when it was finally dark up on the streets and his watch read 8 o’clock, Theo told his driver to take him back home.

On the way, he was thinking what he’d do if she left. He’d take his car back, of course. And then what?

He shook his head. No…if she was gone, he couldn’t go after her or even near her. He wouldn’t make such a risk. He’d have to fly out of town and let things simmer down because surely she would not hesitate to tell the police about her abduction. It would make things difficult for everyone underground, but how long would it take until one of them would take the initiative and kill Desiree? Surely, she would not be as stupid as to drag the Liaisons’ names.

When they finally reached his home, Theo’s eyes only searched for one thing: his car.

And he started to smile.

XXXI. Life So Far

4 MONTHS LATER

Khaye threw her apron away, said her goodbyes to her coworkers and walked out of the diner in faded jeans, boots and green sweater.

She walked two blocks in silence, her mind empty of thoughts, and stopped outside the door of the bookstore and stepped inside. The young man behind the counter snapped his head up and his besotted smile crept up his face when he saw her. “I almost thought you won’t be dropping by,” he said.

“You thought wrong because I am almost done with my current reading. Has something arrived today?”

“Sadly, no. But we’ll have a new delivery tomorrow. How is the current read?”

She shrugged. “Haven’t figured out whether I like it or not and I am nearly done with two chapters to go.”

The young man winced. “That bad?”

“Not in the sense,” she said, walking away to her favorite row of shelves. “I think I’ll get another one full of action this time.”

“I don’t think we have some that would meet your high standards, but it’s your risk to take!”

Moments later, she walked out the bookstore and strolled the remaining three blocks to her apartment building.

She was almost run over by the kids playing outside the complex and she sighed. She finally reached her floor and as she turned the key to her door, she looked over her shoulder to survey the area. It had been a habit and so far it had worked.

Shutting the door, she locked all three bolts she had personally installed. Throwing her boots to the side and the plastic of new books on her second-hand sofa, she went to fix herself a cup. She carried it to her bedroom where she tucked herself in and opened her current read. Before she continued chapter 84, Khaye looked around her and smiled.

Who would have expected her life would turn out like this?

But it was life nonetheless. And there was still hope.

---

“What’s that?” Desiree asked over his shoulder.

“It’s a file I just found out yesterday.”

She frowned. “What do you mean? I thought you and Richard had already gone through all the files?”

His scrolled his computer and his frown deepened as well.

“Is that Jamaica?” Desiree asked, leaning closer to the screen.

Theo’s computer screen was suddenly filled with dozens of photos. And all of them were focused on one woman: Jamaica.

“Oh my God,” she gasped, straightening her back. “Were they spying on her?”

There were photos of her friend with Richard and other men. And there were others with her as well. It seemed that every part of Jamaica’s life had been monitored.

“Wait, what’s that?” she asked, grabbing Theo’s hand to stop him from scrolling.

“Stop it, Des,” he said, closing his computer. “I’ll print everything and then we’ll look at it together. I can’t concentrate with you breathing down on me.”

She gave him a look and said, “Then print them now. What are you waiting for?”

Theo just shook his head and opened his computer again. Desiree was already standing in front of the printer. As the papers filed out, she grabbed them and studied them.

“I told you about what Vernier said regarding Jam, right? He said she was not the person we all thought she was. Could this be the answer to that?”

“Let’s hope it is,” Theo said dryly. “And I am hoping it will print the name of the killer because I can’t have you running underground, questioning everyone you meet.” He looked up to meet her stinging look. “What? It’s a matter of time you’ll get caught. People are starting to notice.”

“Maybe I’m just too nosy,” she said with a shrug. “Try to tell them that next time.”

“It’s not like someone mentioned it in a verbal manner,” he murmured under his breath.

“I’m just doing what I think I should be doing while you and your brother do your own thing. You’ve been bent over the same files over and over again for months. It’s time you two work on Jamaica’s case seriously.”

“We are, but we’re doing it discreetly,” he said with a look that meant she should do the same.

“I should have just packed my bags months ago and left,” she said with a sigh a she waited for the rest of the papers.

Theo chuckled and she found it frustrating how genuine it sounded. “I’ve decided to stop counting how many times you said that line.”

She fell silent.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

She heard him sigh and he reached out to take her hand and pull her toward him. “What the fuck is wrong now?”

She almost told him she was losing her will to go away. She wanted to tell him she looked forward to going back to her old life far lesser than she had six—four months ago. “I’m just thinking about Tatiana, that’s all,” she lied.

His eyebrow arched in question. “What about her?”

“You know what I am talking about, Theo.” She rolled her eyes at him as she tried to brush off her innermost thoughts. “Her husband is nuts and she’s miserable. I just know it.”

“I don’t hear her complaining.”

“Men,” Desiree muttered before turning away to face the printer again. She picked up the papers and flipped through them one by one. “I had my suspicions, but now I think I just confirmed it.” She bit her lower lip in deep thought as she said it. Theo stood up from his chair and walked to stand beside her.

“What?”

“Jam was being spied on.”

“Given, of course,” he said with enough sarcasm.

She reached another page of photos and her eyes narrowed. “Do you know these men?”

He took the paper from her and studied the page. “I’ll need a clearer view,” he uttered and went back to his computer to find the same page. She watched as he looked at the photos closely.

“Fuck it, Jamaica,” he cursed.

“Excuse me?”

Theo faced her, looking dumbfounded. “It’s Jamaica.”

She was getting impatient. “I know we’re talking about her but about what?”

“She’s…she’d been working with other clients behind our back.”

“What?”

He turned his computer screen toward her. “Perhaps you remember our dear friend, Mr. Berkeley?”

---

Marco stormed inside the chief’s office without a warning. “What’s the meaning of this?” He waived the paper in the air.

“It means that we are assigning you to a different case—” the old man started but Marco cut him off by saying, “With all due respect, sir, but I already have a case I am working on and—”

“And so far it is going nowhere,” the chief said, his eyes and voice final.

“You’re closing the case?”

“You know better than anyone it is bound to happen.”

“But we have—”

“What do you have? Another sighting of De la Vega’s friend in a coffee shop? That was when? Two months ago? You don’t even have enough physical evidence to bring her in IF you find her. And where’s your prime witness?”

Marco fell silent. All he could do was grit his teeth. “It’s the Liaisons that is behind all this. I just know it.”

“I would like to hear what you think of it once you can present something that would be admissible in court. Otherwise, get back and work to something you can at least solve.” When he didn’t budge, the chief barked, “That’s an order, Morrison.”

Marco stormed out of the room and when he reached his desk, he saw Gian look up. “I was told the same thing,” his partner said and when he Marco’s furious gaze, he looked away.

He just fixed Gian a hard look and balled the paper in his hand.

---

“There is no more news about Jam’s murder.”

Theo turned to look at her. “And?”

“And I’m afraid they have left the case run cold,” she said, looking out the window of the car. “Someone has to pay for her death. Someone has to—”

“Des, we are doing what the cops are not capable of. They can’t go further because the murderer is underground—or so we think. They can’t go further because we made it sure that we left nothing behind when we left that hotel.”

“It’s been four months since we started to really look into her death, Theo.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning…” she sighed in frustration. “I don’t know. I am not even sure if I should be looking for her killer. She’s been living different lives when she was alive. Those photos of her taken with Berkeley were just two months before the actual exchange. Did she know about the twins then? I don’t want to believe that she would even consent to sell those kids to someone like Berkeley. Yet it was there…in those photos.”

“You’re upset.”

She let out a sarcastic laugh. “You’re very intuitive. I like it.”

He sighed. “I don’t think it matters to you what Jamaica had been doing outside the underground. For you she was your friend and you value your friendship. That’s the reason why you want to find her killer. And you want to clear your name. Don’t forget that.”

She wiped her face with her hands and groaned. “It has to be someone from underground. Someone must have tipped off your father and Vernier. Else they would not have suspected and started spying on her. Someone must have tipped them off. I bet you all that I have that it’s Kane. The woman still even hates the thought of Jam. Whatever Jam did to her must have been bad.”

Theo shook his head. “Unlike you and Richard, I don’t believe the lady did it. Yes, she could be mean when the opportunity rises, but I don’t see her killing Jamaica with her bare hands.”

“Then she must have ordered someone to do it. If she was the one who tipped your father and Vernier…”

“I say it’s Petroff.”

“I won’t disagree on that. It’s either him or Kane.”

“Or Richard.”

“Okay, I don’t like your brother at all, but I believe he loved Jam more than she must have loved him.”

“Maybe he found out she didn’t return the feeling and killed her.”

“You’re a disgusting brother, you know that?”

“And for someone who had been nearly killed by Richard twice , you are going a long way defending him.”

“It’s because I trust my instincts and my instincts say that Richard’s telling the truth. And admit it. You know it too. I’ve been around the two of you long enough to know when you are lying or not.”

“I never lied to you.”

Desiree scoffed. “Yeah, like you were telling the truth when you said you turned on the heater the other day.”

He closed his eyes, trying to remain calm. “I said I believe I turned it on.”

“Yeah, sure. And like last Saturday afternoon when you said you were with Richard the entire afternoon when in fact I was with Richard the entire afternoon. With Tatiana as witness,” and she quickly added.

He opened his mouth to say something and thought better of it.

“Who were you with, Theo?”

Shit.

“Who were you with? Just tell me if you were with someone else—”

“I was not with a woman if that’s what you’re trying to say.”

“I was not trying to ask that. Why? Were you?” She snapped at him.

“What? No, I wasn’t!“He did not bother to steal her a glance as he drove because that might just be the cause of his first vehicular accident.

“Then who were you with?”

“No one.”

She didn’t answer for some time. “Now I’m sure you were with someone.”

“Jesus, Des, I was with no one worth mentioning. I was out to do some errands.”

“Fine.”

“I wasn’t with another woman.”

“I believe you. Shut up.”

“God, I miss you handcuffed and gagged inside that fucking box.”

She turned to face him and the smile on her face told him she was not even that serious for the past few minutes. “Regretting not letting me go?”

All he could do was shake his head, glad that he didn’t have to tell her about what he did last Saturday afternoon.

---

Desiree knew Theo was doing something he wasn’t telling her. Of course, he would always be doing something without telling her, things that did not concern her at all, things that had to do with his work with the Liaisons.

But she knew when he was lying and he was lying right now. Whatever he did last Saturday afternoon, it had at least something to do with her or his plans against his father and she intended to find out.

They had reached the underground on time for his meeting and her for her coffee with Tatiana. “Theo, wait,” she said, stopping him when a thought popped in her head. He looked down at her with raised brows. “I just want to ask. Do they still have their eyes on Khaye?”

“Who?”

“The prime witness. Do they still have their eyes on her?”

“I don’t know. You better ask Richard.” And when he saw the look on her face, he took her arm and said, “Don’t do it, Des.”

“Do what?”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “I know what you are thinking. Don’t do it.”

“I’m just thinking—”

“I’m running late. We’ll talk about this later,” he said, his voice filled with warning. “Don’t do anything.” He kissed her on the mouth and left. “Don’t do it, Des! Don’t even think about it until we have the talk!” he said over his shoulder as he walked away.

“Then don’t be gone too long. I tend to get bored!” she called out as she turned to the right to find the café, her mind set on how she could find Khaye.

---

Marco stared outside the window of his car. It had started to get dark. Waiting was a tedious task for him no matter how much he tried to practice to be patient, but he did it anyway.

He almost jumped in his seat when he saw her walking out the building. She looked left and right as she pulled her coat closer, shielding her body from the cold. She was wearing a bonnet, a large scarf that almost covered half of her face. He would not have recognized her if not for the way she walked.

As turned to the left, walking away from where he was parked on the side of the road, he considered his options. A big part of him said he should leave her alone. She was starting a life.

He straightened in his seat and despite himself said, “I’m sorry, Khaye. It has to be done.”

XXXII. AWOL

Desiree went straight to Tatiana, gave the lady a peck and asked, “How are you feeling? How’s the baby?”

Her friend smiled. Funny how she now considered Tatiana a friend after everything that had happened to her—forced into this crazy world underground and nearly killed by her own father twice thought Tatiana would never know about that—and felt right about it. Tatiana just smiled and said, “My stupid husband did not come home last night. That means I am far more than alright, right?”

“If he doesn’t come home at all, now that would be far more than alright.” She didn’t know when she started to voice her dislike to her husband but Tatiana seemed to agree with her as well. What she never asked was why the lady wouldn’t leave the bastard. Theo had told her a lot of times that Tatiana was stronger than she thought and Desiree hang on to that. So far, Tatiana’s husband hadn’t been physical. As a matter of fact, he was just…absent.

“What do want to do today?” Tatiana asked.

She scrunched up her face. “I don’t know.” Actually, she knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to find Richard and have a proper talk about Jamaica. But that had to wait. For now, she really had nothing much to do.

“Why don’t we go up?” By up she meant out on the streets.

“You know I can’t go out there as often as I’d like,” she pointed out.

Tatiana’s shoulders sagged. “We can’t get sunlight here. You know I need that.”

Desiree sighed. “Fine. But no public places this time. I can’t risk being…detected.”

Her friend beamed at her. “Great.”

Before they finished their coffee and leave, Desiree sent Richard a message.

Where are you? I have to talk to you about Jam. Theo and I found something from the files.

“I think we need to go to that restaurant I talked to you about. They offer the best lunch,” Tatiana was saying and Desiree only smiled.

---

Khaye knew that someone was watching her. She didn’t see, but she could feel it.

She made a lot of mistakes at work because of it.

“What’s wrong with you?” asked her boss.

“It’s…it’s nothing. I don’t feel so good. Headache,” she lied.

The man just nodded and motioned with his head, “Better sleep it off. I can’t have more shattered plates around here.”

She nearly said no. She didn’t want to go. She’d rather stay here where it was safe.

“Well?” her boss urged.

“Okay. Thanks.” Slowly, she made her way to the back, taking off her apron. She grabbed her bag and nearly sprinted out of the diner, eager to go back in the safety of her small apartment.

Having walked one block, she sensed it again. Her heart started beating against her chest as she picked up her pace. The muscles in her legs started to ache but she kept the brisk walk. She didn’t want to start running because that would give her away.

Just a few more blocks, she chanted in her mind.

---

Tatiana and Desiree were just finishing her lunch when a familiar voice spoke behind them. “It’s so nice to bump into such beautiful ladies,” Richard said, taking the seat beside Desiree.

Tatiana smiled and Desiree forced one as well. She should have known he’d find her as soon as he could.

Ten minutes later, Tatiana was off to go home, leaving Desiree with Richard who promised to take her back to Theo after he was done with his coffee.

“Tell me,” he said to Desiree the moment Tatiana was out of the restaurant. His eyes were eager, anxious.

She looked at him pointedly. “I am not even sure I should tell you about this myself.”

He looked at her incredulously. “Then why the hell did you send me the text?”

“I was hoping Theo would tell you and he’s not around.”

Richard’s jaw tightened. “I did not come here just to get a fucking coffee and nothing from you.”

“Can’t we discuss this somewhere else? Someone can—”

“Just tell me.”

The finality in his voice told her she better tell him now. “Okay, fine. We saw some files hidden among the other files. Well, Theo found them—”

“I don’t fucking care where he found them. Tell me about them.”

“It’s Jamaica. Vernier had files of Jamaica doing transactions with other people who were not your clients. Competitions, even.”

He frowned. “Elaborate.”

“I’d rather give you an example,” she shot back. “Remember Berkeley?” When he nodded his head, she continued, “Well, she was spotted talking to him months before the cruise. And there were other photos of Berkeley meeting the Chinese guys from the cruise moments after his meeting with Jam.”

“That can mean anything but it can’t mean—”

“She was also seen fucking him days after.”

Desiree saw his face grow hotter as he ground his teeth to contain his anger.

“And they had the exchange right after,” she finished in a lower voice.

Richard smashed his fists against the table and stood up in one fluid motion that Desiree almost jumped off her seat. The next thing she knew, Richard was out the door.

---

“What the fuck were you thinking?!” Theo demanded moments after he picked her up from the restaurant.

“I never thought he’d react that way—”

“What the fuck, Des! He loved her! Of course he’s furious! Where the hell is he?”

“I don’t know—”

“Not a good answer.”

“Well, I don’t know!” she shot back. And in a much calmer voice, she added, “I just thought he should know. I don’t know, maybe I also wanted to see his reaction. I wanted to confirm that he didn’t kill her and it was obvious that he didn’t know about her betrayal and—”

“You still shouldn’t have done it alone. Now we don’t know what he might do. For all I know, he’s out in the streets looking for Berkeley! That will ruin everything!”

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled. “Did you try calling him?”

Theo took a deep breath and let it go very slowly. “I’ll do that later. Let’s go home for now.”

---

Khaye almost stumbled inside her apartment door in her haste to get inside. She scrambled with the locks and it was too late when she realized that something was wrong. The lock from the outside wasn’t working anymore.

“Don’t panic,” the familiar voice said from deep within the apartment.

Khaye jumped in surprise but didn’t run. “Marco,” she whispered.

“Hi, Khaye,” his voice said and this time it was getting near.

She pressed herself against the door, her hand blindly reaching out for the lights. She didn’t care if he was pointing a gun at her. She didn’t care if he was about to hurt her. Whatever it was he intended to do, she wanted to see. And so she switched on the lights.

Her eyes grew wider when she finally saw him standing in front of her.

---

Richard wouldn’t answer his phone. The only thing Theo got from him that assured their plans were not compromised was his brother’s text saying, “Don’t worry, I am not killing anyone.”

Much later, Desiree was lying in bed with Theo, both of them sated and calm. Make up sex didn’t always work for the two of them in the months they had been together, but sometimes it was worth it.

His finger was making circular motions on the tip of her shoulder, absently staring into space. She lifted her head from his chest to look at him and said, “Where were you last Saturday afternoon?”

The groan that escaped from his throat was not out of anger but something along the lines of here-we-go-again . “Why do you want to know?”

“I’m curious as hell, Theo. And don’t tell me you were with a client. You rarely meet a client outside the underground. And when you do, you don’t lie about it.”

His eyes momentarily closed before he lifted them to look at her. “I was with my assistant.”

“You don’t have an assistant.”

“I do. It’s just that it is a secret.”

“And why is it a secret?”

“Because I do something not related to the underground and they need someone to manage them.”

“You’re not—”

“No, I’m not doing what Jamaica did,” he cut in before she even finished. “I do business.”

“I don’t get it.”

“Real businesses.” And when he realized she was still as lost as she was at his last statement, he added, “Legal businesses.”

It took a while for her brain to wrap around the meaning of his words. “Oh. Oh…” she finally uttered and a smile slowly crept up her face.

He snorted. “You look pleased.”

“Well, I just never thought you have it in you.” When he looked offended, she quickly added, “I mean…I just never thought you’d think of doing something harder than what you do underground.”

He laughed. “Trust me, Des, what we do underground is way harder than anything.”

“Still, it’s something.”

“No one knows about this other than you.”

“I’m not telling, don’t worry. It’s not like I can go knock on your father’s door and announce that his younger son is doing something…well, legal.”

“It’s some sort of insurance.”

She nodded. “In case things crumble underground.”

There was a long gap of silence between them. They often had that moment and Desiree found it relaxing. To just lie there and think of nothing. She didn’t know about Theo, but she was usually just not thinking about anything when they were like that.

“Petroff is missing.”

She raised higher, bracing her hand on the bed. “Missing? Are you serious? Is it your father?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know. He wasn’t at the meeting yesterday. He wasn’t there earlier. He never answered any calls.”

“What are the possibilities?”

“There are a lot. Dead is on the top of the list.”

Her mouth hung open. “You can’t be serious. He’s practically your father’s right hand after Vernier—”

“And the old man is very angry right now because of it. Both of his big hands are gone. Vernier’s dead. A replacement is still on the way. Petroff is missing. Those are reasons enough to get really paranoid.”

“I can’t imagine what he must be thinking—”

“And I can’t imagine what Kane must be feeling right now,” he cut in.

“Kane? What about her?”

“She and Petroff have this thing, you know.”

“Not her. No, I don’t think so.” But her mind was already thinking otherwise. If Kane was having an affair with Petroff, she would have been pissed enough to kill Jamaica when she found out he was sleeping with her as well.

“Did I tell you he was the one who bought her at an auction?”

“What the fuck did you just say?” she asked, now fully seated on the bed, staring down at Theo like he had just announced he was the son of Zeus.

“I thought you knew. You’ve been around her long enough to know her history,” he said nonchalantly.

“And you thought it was not your business to tell me? You know I had been pinning for her killing Jamaica! This kind of information is crucial!”

“Hey, calm down,” he said, pulling her back down against him. “Kane had been Petroff’s partner for a long time before she became independent underground. There had always been other women and she was never blind to them. Some are still even close friends of hers. They had that kind of open relationship. And it is one of the reasons why our father kept her even after she and Petroff called it off, by then both had other partners. They worked really well together. There was never any grudge or resentment.” He locked his gaze into hers. “So, no, I still don’t have the same strong feeling as you that she did it.” She didn’t agree but kept it to herself. If Theo didn’t believe Kane did it, she’d make it a point to prove to him that he was either right or wrong.

“You don’t know how women deal with resentment. Most of the time, we show them. But if it is too strong, nearly evil, we can keep them a secret.”

His brows arched. “Should I be alarmed?”

Desiree let out a frustrated breath. “You’re frustrating.” Her lips started to trail kisses up his neck and she whispered, “And no, you shouldn’t be alarmed.” Crawling over him and straddling his hips, she brought her mouth over his and added with a smile, “For now.”

A8

XXXIII. Confessions

He was smiling.

He was fucking smiling at her.

No guns. No knives. No signs whatsoever that he wanted to strangle her. His hands were deep inside his front pockets and he was fucking smiling at her.

Khaye opened her mouth but that was it. She couldn’t bring herself to ask what he was doing here or how he sneaked inside her apartment.

He took one step forward, his smile turning into a frown of concern. “You look like you are…expecting something else, Khaye.”

“I…I just…” She couldn’t very well tell him that her brother warned her about him—to stay away from him. As far as he knew, she wanted to stay away. “Why are you here?” she asked instead.

The smile returned on his face as he slowly closed the distance between them. “I have news,” he said, his voice low, nearly a whisper.

Khaye held her breath. The fear that he was here to hurt her was still there, but it was slowly being replaced by the urge to pull him against her so they could do anything other than talk.

Finally, after a few breathless seconds, Marco was standing very close before her that his breath was brushing against her face.

“They’re closing the case, Khaye.” She wished he would touch her. She wished that he would do more than just stare at her lips.

“They are?” She didn’t know if she ought to be happy about it.

“It’s not what we want, but we can’t do anything about it.”

She didn’t answer. She didn’t feel like she should.

“That means one thing for you though,” he said, his face coming closer beside her head. His lips were almost brushing against her bonnet.

“What?” she asked in a shaky voice.

“You can go home,” he uttered. She started to shake her head no but he cut whatever protest she had in mind by saying, “Petroff has gone AWOL.”

“What?”

“Petroff. He’s gone. He’s just gone and—”

“That can mean anything, Marco. And what about Gian—”

“We haven’t really had enough evidence that your brother is a bad guy,” he said. “He hasn’t been doing anything malicious since you went away.”

That’s because he told me to go away. But she didn’t tell him that. “I don’t think, Marco. I don’t think I can go back.”

“You can.” His voice was intense beside her ear. His hands went to her waist, squeezing both sides to emphasize his point. “You can because I have a plan.”

Khaye’s breath caught as his hands found the hem of her sweater. His lips trailed to her cheek, lightly making contact.

“You go back and make it public. We’ll contact every media out there. They’ll make a sensation out of your story.”

“But I don’t want—”

“Let me finish,” he ordered, bringing his lips against hers, his skin causing a tingling sensation throughout her body as he spoke. “You’ll be a public figure. You’ll be in demand. And you’ll be safe.”

“I don’t—”

He stopped her words by roughly pushing her sweater higher, his hands hot against her skin. “Going public will give you the safety that you’ll need, Khaye. If you as much as disappear for more than three days, Petroff or anyone who is after will have the same amount of attention. We’ll make it sure that they will. And you know how much they will hate that.”

“It’s going to be crazy, Marco.”

“It’s better than this life.” He kissed her firmly. “Khaye, it will be better than this life you have here and you know it.”

She was near to tears. How she wanted to get out of the apartment and go back to her old life. But Marco’s plan was too risky, even for her. No one knew where Petroff might be. And she didn’t know what Gian would do.

“If Gian will as much as lift a finger in front of you, I’ll be there to kill him myself.”

She couldn’t talk to him if he was so close like this.

Her hand lifted to his chin as a tear rolled down her face. Everything in her was telling her she should believe him, yet there was also the risk that he might be doing this for some reasons only he knew.

“Just go back home with me. I’ll make sure you’ll be safe,” he whispered almost achingly.

But she knew her answer. She knew what she’d tell him after tonight.

---

Marco knew what he was doing was wrong. But he had to do it.

He brushed away whatever consequences would come his way later as he claimed her mouth, drawing in a sharp breath. He’d missed her this way, how her body felt against him, under his hands. He pinned her against the door. He pulled her sweater over her head, claiming her mouth the moment it reappeared. Her bonnet came off with her clothing.

“I need you,” he rasped against her mouth. His hands worked with the button of pants. “I need you to go home with me, Khaye.”

Her answer was only a whimper. She was lost in the moment and Marco smiled burying his face at the crook of her neck. He rubbed his hand against the soft fabric of her underwear and she was nearly undone.

He knew her answer even before the night was over.

Seduction wasn’t the best strategy in his book, but this time it was the strategy he enjoyed doing.

---

“Tatiana wants me to go to the auction today,” Desiree announced after breakfast. They were inside his room and he just started dressing to go back underground for another emergency meeting.

“Going to the auction is not a good idea,” he said, buttoning his shirt.

“Why?”

“It just isn’t.”

“In case you forgot, Theo, I had been there once. Remember? “

He looked up and stared at her dryly. “And as far as I can remember, you were not so eager to be there.” He began to put on his shoes. “Why do you want to go there anyway?”

“Because Kane will be there?”

He stopped what he was doing to look at her again. “All the more reason why you can’t go.”

“I’ve been to a lot of places and never—not once—did you tell me no.”

“Because now you have more reasons to suspect Kane after what I told you about her and however I tell you how ridiculous those reasons are, I know you will only put yourself in trouble by doing your investigation—which you can’t clearly do without rising suspicion or curiosity. And almost all of the most powerful people underground will be there. You have not been officially welcomed underground, Des. We can’t risk anything right now.”

“I’ll be with Tatiana and I won’t do anything—”

“No. Just give this day a pass for once, please. Don’t do anything reckless with the whole underground people present. And when I say whole underground people , I meant almost all.”

“I’m going and you can’t stop me,” she insisted, making her way to the closet and away from him. “It’s just a fucking auction. I may not even have the chance to see Kane. I’ll just go there to observe, nothing more. I’ll be very careful not to spill about your plans, don’t worry.”

“It’s not what I’m trying to say. I’m saying there will be men out there who could be far worse than Vernier.“Desiree almost shuddered at the memory.

She looked over her shoulder and shrugged. Turning her attention back to the dresses hanging before her, she said, “Well, I’m on my own now, right? I’m practically free from you. I did my end of our deal for my freedom four months ago so I am practically, really, on my own now. Well, except that I still live with you while we find the best way for me to go back to my life—and have sex with you every now and then, of course.” Honestly, she didn’t know why he was making a big deal out of the auction. True, she had never been to another underground gathering since four to five months ago, but she was aware what happened to such things and they could be as normal as anything in the normal world if she just watch her back. “I know how to take care of myself underground without compromising your plans, Theo. And it’s not like you really care for—”

“Of course, I care for you, dammit!” Theo roared from across the room.

Desiree turned in shock, not because he practically shouted, but because of the anger and intensity laced in his voice. She stood perplexed and stupefied in her spot when she saw his face.

She didn’t expect that from him. One moment they were just talking about the auction now he was angry because he cared for her.

“W—what?” she stammered.

“Don’t act like you don’t know,” he snapped, taking his phone in his hand. “Fine. If you really want to go, I won’t stop you. I’ll need to call Richard. You are not going to that stupid auction alone.”

“I’ll be with Tatiana and—”

“ Anyone could be there and there are a lot of people who wants you for a lot of reasons. They know you know too much already and with what had been going on underground, with Vernier and Petroff gone, who knows what might happen next? So shut the fuck up and don’t suggest anything stupid.“

“Theo, what did—”

“Again, Dess, you are not going alone. Tatiana can’t protect you. That’s final.” He already had his phone against his ear.

“You have feelings for me?” she asked in amazement.

For a moment he looked lost as he frowned at her.

“You said you care for me.”

“And I said, don’t act like you don’t know,” he snapped again. “Richard’s still not answering. I’ll take you but on one condition: you leave when I leave.”

“But I didn’t know. I didn’t know you have feelings for me.”

His frown deepened. “Will you get over that? I already told you I do.”

“But what kind?”

He looked at her incredulously. “What do you mean what kind?”

“Of feelings.”

His gaze wavered. “Go dress up or you’re staying here.”

“What kind, Theo?” she demanded.

He closed his eyes to contain his frustrations. “I don’t know. I don’t know a lot of feelings so don’t fucking ask.”

“But how can you say—”

“Are we going to talk about this right now?” he asked in disbelief.

“Well, I’m willing to talk about it. Are you?”

“No, I’m not because I hate to explain what I feel.”

“Even if it means I will never find out about it and I will be left wondering whether or not you sort of love me too? Okay, sure, fine.” She nodded her head as she said it and turned around. “I’ll go freaking dress up and pretend we didn’t have this conversation—”

“You love me?”

“I’m sorry, Theo, I am no longer willing to explain what I feel,” she said with a smile as she walked away from him.

“Desiree.” His voice was full of warning.

“We’ll be late and talking about feelings is such a great waste of time so why don’t—”

Her words were left in her throat when he suddenly grabbed her hand and whirled her around to face him. “You love me.” It was not a question and she saw a trace of a smile on his lips as he said it.

“ Sort of ,“ she corrected. “They can call it Stockholm syndrome or whatever, but I don’t know. Maybe that’s it, maybe not.” She stared back at his dark eyes and beamed. “And you sort of love me too.”

The corner of his mouth lifted higher as they gazed at each other for a while. He kissed her fully on the mouth before letting her go. “You didn’t just tell me that so I’ll let you go, didn’t you?”

“What the fuck are you—”

“Okay. Go dress up. And no bare back, Desiree, I’m warning you. And cover that fucking tattoo.”

She rolled her eyes and turned around. “God, I also sort of hate you,” she murmured under her breath.

“I sort of hate you too,” he answered back, this time his voice was laced with amusement.

As she decided on a dress, Desiree asked herself, “Did we just freaking confessed to each other?”

Well, it’s not like it would change anything, she thought. But something inside her thought otherwise.

---

“How did you find me?” Khaye asked.

Marco couldn’t tell her the truth. He couldn’t tell her that he had been tracing her movements from the moment she stepped on that bus.

“I found out Gian’s been monitoring your movements,” he said and hurriedly added, “But he had stopped two months ago. I don’t know why. Maybe he thought you are finally safe and out of the way. Whatever his reasons were, I believe he just wants you to be safe, Khaye.” It was not entirely a lie. It was true that Gian had been monitoring her as well, but he thought it would be good to let her believe his brother might not mean any harm.

She stared out the window of his car and he would give anything to know what she was thinking.

Of course, she agreed to go back to with him. But how willing was she? Would it cause him more problems or would his plans go smoothly as he wanted?

“I don’t know what to say to them. I don’t know if I can face it,” she said after a while.

“You mean the press?” She nodded and Marco shifted in his seat behind the wheel. “Well, we better talk about what you’ll tell them now.”

She turned to give him a curious look.

“They’re already waiting for you, Khaye. Right this very minute,” he said, turning the car to the direction that led to a hotel. “And they came here just for you,” he added.

---

Theo’s phone began to ring just as they were about to step out the door.

It was Richard.

“Right about fucking time,” he said to his brother.

“Check the news,” Richard ordered.

“Where the fuck are you?”

“Check the damn news!”

He turned to Desiree and said, “Turn on the news.”

With a curious look, she went back to the living room and grabbed the remote.

There, on the screen, was a woman sitting behind a table looking scared as she was bombarded by questions and flashes of cameras.

“Who the fuck—”

“That’s the fucking witness,” Richard answered at the same time Desiree uttered, “Khaye,” her voice barely a whisper and her face totally shocked.

“They must have taken her out of hiding now that Petroff is missing. This can get very bad, Theo, I’m telling you—” Richard was saying but Theo was no longer paying attention. He was looking at Desiree who looked like she was about to faint.

“We have to find her. I have to talk to her,” she uttered in desperation. And then she turned to him, her eyes begging. “She’s the only hope I have in clearing my name, Theo.”

“And now we can’t get to her because she has gone public. Petroff should have killed her the moment—”

“Shut the fuck up, Richard and don’t do anything stupid,” he interrupted firmly. He ended the call and walked toward Desiree to watch Khaye on the screen.

---

“Why did you disappear?” someone asked. Khaye did not flinch as the flashes continued. She stared at the great number of reporters before her, all hungry for every word that came out of her mouth.

“I had to be safe,” she answered, her voice back to normal now. She was actually feeling numb after just one minute of sitting in the middle of the conference hall. From the corner of her eye, she could see Marco standing alert with two other police guys who had already been in the hotel before they arrived.

“Do you know who killed Jamaica De la Vega?”

“I…I can’t answer that,” she uttered. She couldn’t say anything. If she told them no, they’d pack up their bags and the public security they would offer would be gone. If she said yes, she’d have more people coming after her.

“Where is Desiree?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did she do it?”

“I…I can’t answer that.”

“What happened the night of the murder?” a woman nearly shouted.

“Jamaica De la Vega died,” Khaye answered, her voice shaking. A tear fell from her eye as she stared hard at the woman. “She died and she didn’t deserve it. I can’t tell you everything you want to know because I am not privileged to do so. But whoever did it,” she said, blinking back tears, “whoever did it will have to pay.”

Marco stepped forward, a sign that it was over. Their goal was met. She had gone public and they had given just enough information to the press to assure her safety. They’d want more and they would keep coming back.

She let Marco lead her to the back door of the conference room with more questions thrown at her direction.

---

Marco was satisfied.

This was Khaye’s first public appearance since her name as the primary witness was revealed. And he was certain that the press conference would soon reach the entire state, if not the entire country, in no time.

And he was sure that Desiree would be watching.

And she’d eventually come out.

And he would be waiting.

XXXIV. The Old and the New

“You can’t rush into this,” Theo told her. His phone kept ringing but he ignored it.

“Aren’t you going to go to the meeting?” she asked, her eyes on his phone. “I don’t think I want to go to the auction after all so I’ll just stay here.”

“That’s exactly what we are going to do. We stay here and plan this through.”

“Theo, you don’t have to miss the meeting—”

“And leave you here to think the most ridiculous plans?” he retorted.

“The underground must know about Khaye’s appearance by now and you have to be there to—”

“They are not going to touch her. She has gone public and I bet everything I have that it’s what they have planned this. Having people’s eyes on her will keep her alive.”

“I know that. But do they know that you guys also have people—”

“That’s why we need to plan this one out perfectly. My father will have people looking and watching. Not just Khaye but also anyone who might attempt to approach her. They don’t care who killed Jamaica. What they care about is how much Khaye knows about the underground.”

“We have to warn her—”

“There’s no cause for concern right now. She’s having the best protection right now.”

“But what if it fades? Surely the press will turn to the next big story out there and she will be left unguarded. She needs to—”

“As I said, we’ll plan this right,” he firmly said. “If she has valuable information that will help us catch Jamaica’s killer, she won’t give it right away. Remember, you went missing. And she is likely to think of you as a suspect just like everyone else. She may know the killer, she may not.”

Desiree took a shuddering breath. “Okay. Okay. We’ll do this the right way.”

“Patience, Des.”

She shot him a look. “I am being patient.”

“You want run out the door and find Khaye right now.”

“Fine. I’ll be patient.”

He nodded and picked up his phone. “I’ll call Richard. We’ll need to make sure he doesn’t go to her before you do.”

---

“Are you okay?” Marco asked her. They were driving back to the city, leaving behind the traces of any life she spent in the small town for four months. Everything she managed to collect was left behind. She sent her friend a message that she was going home. And she was. And she wasn’t sure what was waiting for her there.

“I’ve been worse,” she answered his question.

“It’s going to be alright, Khaye. You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

She just nodded.

“Where do you want to go home to?”

Her first instinct was to say she wanted to go where he was going home. But that would only mean they were in the same situation like four months ago.

If she was going to do this, she would do this right.

“My father’s home has been unoccupied for years. I can go back there. I still have some stuff left at the old place.”

“I’ll stay with you tonight.”

She shook her head. “No. I want to be alone tonight, Marco.” She said it rather too sharply. “Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow,” she added with a small smile.

“Sure. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

A long silence followed.

“Thank you. If I get through this, I owe it all to you.”

A weird look crossed his face but he quickly covered it with a smile. “You’ll get through this. And you’ll get your old life back.”

All she could do was nod.

---

Richard’s sources said that the murder case was about to get closed.

“Then why the hell would they let her go public?” asked Theo.

“Because that’s what she eventually has to do,” Desiree uttered quietly. She looked up and stared at the two brothers. “If she wants her life back, she has no other choice but to do it. And if this publicity offers protection, it was right for her to do it in such a grand manner.”

“What does the underground think?” Theo asked his brother.

“They’re not saying much. They all know that if they make a move, things can very well turn to our direction. Majority of the votes say that we just step back and watch. The woman might not know a lot about us. And it is obvious that she doesn’t know who the killer is. If she does, words would have leaked out already.”

“But she was there the night Jamaica died. She must know something,” Deisree insisted.

“And we’ll find out what in time,” Theo told her. “We have to know what she knows first.”

Richard was silent for a while, his face hesitant. But he finally couldn’t help it and he said, “They must have done it to bring you out,” he said to Desiree.

Her heart stopped beating for a moment. “What?”

“You are fucking missing, Desiree. They’ve been looking for you. This might be a ruse to make you come out.”

Theo was silent but he was clenching his jaw. Desiree knew he agreed with Richard.

“I will not come out unless I have strong evidence to clear my name. That’s why we need to get to Khaye.”

“We already talked about how we are going to do that.”

“Right. Wait for the commotion to subside. Wait until she gets back on track. Wait until what? One of the people underground—the killer—to strike again?”

“We understand your—” Richard started but Desiree shot to her feet and glared at him.

“You don’t understand. My friend has been murdered and the killer is out there. Don’t you guys fucking want to know who did it? It can be anyone you know underground!”

“Jamaica betrayed the organization,” Richard said stonily. “If I can speak for the majority of the people underground, I’ll say she should have seen it coming.” He looked angry and Desiree was certain that anger was directed toward Jamaica.

“Calm down, Des,” Theo told her. “We want this murder case over as much as you do. We can’t have the authorities looking into the organization.”

“But you are not going to stop that by killing Khaye. Not over my dead body.”

“We didn’t say that.”

“I didn’t say you will. I said the killer will.”

Theo closed his eyes to compose himself. “You’ve had a long day. We can’t do anything right now but wait for the perfect time to make our move.”

---

The very next day, Khaye received hundreds of messages from people all over the country wanting to get her for an interview.

The first person she contacted was her agent.

“Right about time, Khaye,” the man boomed into her ear. “Before you say anything, I want to ask: are you fucking alright?”

She smiled. “Yes. I guess I am alright. And alive.”

“Good. Because we have a lot to do right now.”

She groaned. She didn’t feel ready. But she could already see her life returning to normal. Not all of a sudden, but slowly. If she could get through this whole mess, she would be alright.

“I’m glad you finally picked up a phone to call me because I have a lot of things to say,” her agent said. “Should I go over there or are you going over here?”

She wasn’t ready to go out yet so she told him he should come to her father’s house.

“Stay safe and alive while I get there, honey.”

“Yes, Thomas. I will.”

As she waited for Thomas, she prepared herself some coffee and walked to stand in front of the window overlooking her father’s unkempt lawn. It was brave of her to do so. But she was getting bold. She survived a night without someone breaking into the house to kill her. She could very well survive the day standing in front of the window for everyone to see.

Thoughts of Jamaica floated in the air.

I’m sorry, she whispered. She couldn’t do a lot now, could she? The case was being closed. It would be what the people from the Liaisons wanted. And Petroff was gone. Whatever happened to him, Khaye hoped he stayed gone.

But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t be replaced by someone from the same organization.

Well, fuck them all, she thought. The Liaisons could all fuck themselves because Khaye was going to live her life the way she wanted.

If they wanted her gone because she might spill the truth about them, so be it.

She was going to live.

---

Marco faced his superior’s angry outbursts the very next morning.

“What the fuck were you thinking?!”

“I had to do it,” he said.

“The case is going to be closed. And now everyone is talking about it again because of you! Do you know how many calls we’ve received since you brought that girl in front of the press? And do you know how stupid we sounded because we couldn’t give them anything strong? What the fuck were you thinking?!”

She just clenched his jaw. “It was for her,” he said. It was not completely a lie. “She needs to get out in public anyway.”

“Well, fucking good for her!”

“Sir, if you don’t have anything to say, I should go back to my work. You gave me another assignment.”

The man looked like he was about to shoot Marco in the face but he grunted instead, a sign that their conversation was over.

“What the fuck were you thinking? Khaye was okay and safe where she was yesterday!” Gian hissed close to his ear the moment he stepped out of the chief’s door.

Marco stopped and stared at his partner. “Where were you when she was running for her life? And where were you when she was finally safe? Nowhere,” he bit out strongly. “You don’t have any say on this as far as I am concerned, Gian.” He pushed his way forward and stopped. “Or maybe you do if you think Khaye should stay…gone.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing.” And then he walked off.

“Whatever you are planning, you are making a big mistake, Marco.”

Marco kept walking. Petroff was gone and Gian wouldn’t be able to make a move without him if he was working with the Liaisons.

He couldn’t tell anyone about his plans.

He couldn’t tell anyone he was waiting for someone.

He checked his phone, reading a report. Khaye just called her agent and he was on his way to her house.

Then he checked his computer and his brows rose in surprise. It a series of photos from one of the men he hired to keep track on Richard Karlsson. And he was looking at Richard Karlsson himself. The first photo was of him getting inside a restaurant; and another exiting the same place; and another that of a woman outside the same door; and another of a car picking up the woman from the same place.

Marco thought he might not need to wait for Desiree to call Khaye after all.

---

One week later, Desiree was desperate.

It had just been made known that Kane would take over Petroff’s position. The man was considered dead by everyone.

“If she is the killer, she can get to Khaye without rousing suspicion,” she insisted to Theo. “Have you seen the papers? Have you checked online? Khaye’s face is everywhere. I just saw a fucking magazine with her on the cover! She’s back in the agency, Theo. Kane can get to her anytime.”

Theo took her hand and squeezed it. “We’ll get to Khaye just in time.”

“When?”

“I had someone get her number. But her phones could be tapped by the authorities. We have to be very careful.”

“I can speak to her. If she knows it’s me, she’ll talk to me.”

He was shaking his head. “No. You can’t go out there. Not yet. Not when all eyes are everywhere.”

She knew he was right. “I’ll trust you on this, Theo. But if you can give me any means to get in touch with her, I’ll find my own way.”

“I know. That’s why I am doing my fucking best, Des.”

She took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. “Okay. Okay. Just do it fast.”

---

“It feels like I am almost back to my old life,” Khaye told Marco that night. “It had just been one week since I came back and three days since I went back to work.”

“But?” he urged, looking at her in the darkness of her bedroom.

“But I also feel like I’m new. I don’t know. I don’t feel like my old self at times.”

“Maybe it is a good thing.”

She drew out a shaky breath. “Well, I sure hope it is a good thing,” she said, her voice growing sleepy.

They never talked about Jamaica. Khaye would still shake at the memories of the months before. Maybe she’d have to deal with that soon, but not now. And Marco was trying his best to let her deal with everything the way she thought how.

He drew her closer to him, their bodies cool from sweat. “You’re safe. You got your life back. You feel new. That’s a good thing,” he whispered against the top of her head.

She did not answer. She was falling asleep.

Marco looked down at her, deep in thought.

It had been one week. No call from Desiree yet. And no signs of Karlsson either.

He’d wait. He’d wait forever if he had to.

XXXV. A Direct Order

“Theo will kill me if he finds out about this,” Richard said under his breath, sliding the phone over the table with his tattooed hands.

“He doesn’t have to know…yet,” she uttered as she took the phone from him. “The call will be untraceable?”

He nodded, his face grim. “I don’t know why you are so desperate to get to that woman.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You now have this,” he said, waving his hand around the bar. “People underground are getting used to seeing you around. Sooner or later, you will be the next Ms. Kane—”

“I don’t want to be like her.”

“You liked her before you started to believe she killed Jamaica.”

“I didn’t like anyone before and I still don’t now.”

“Of course, you are lying,” he said with a sigh. “You can just leave whatever life you had up there. You can tell Theo to give you a new identity so you can do more things. Being a part of this world doesn’t have to restrain you from the things you love to do.”

“But I want my old self back.”

“Is it really that important that you prove your innocence? Will people actually care?”

“I care.”

He shrugged. “If you say so.”

“Don’t you want to know who killed Jamaica? Don’t you want to put the one who did it—”

“No, not anymore,” he interrupted. “After everything she did behind my back, I have doubts about everything else she did in front of me.”

He was hurt. It was all over his face. As much as she wanted to defend her friend, she couldn’t justify her actions. Jamaica never told her anything of her life underground. She had to be found dead for Desiree to find out about her secret life. Maybe Jamaica was not entirely as good as Desiree thought she was, but she was good to her. She had been her best friend for years. They had gone through a lot together. That could not have meant nothing to Jamaica, could it?

She looked away from Richard because she didn’t want to be reminded of what her friend did to the man. “I have to go. Thanks for this,” she said, throwing the phone inside her bag.

“Just make sure you tell Theo. Don’t do anything without telling him, Desiree. Because if you as much as betray my brother, you’ll have to face me again .”

Desiree could only nod. She knew Richard didn’t give empty threats.

She left him inside the bar and looked for Tatiana. And she found her friend in the usual café they frequented.

“You owe me big time, Des,” Tatiana said even before she sat down.

“I know. Did anyone suspect you?” she asked.

“Of course not. Because no one saw me do it.” She slipped a small piece of paper toward her. “You promised you’re going to be her godmother.”

Desiree smiled. “Yes, I’m going to be the best godmother of your child.”

“Why do you want her number anyway?”

“I need to tie some loose ends. Don’t tell Theo, okay?”

Her friend just nodded and shrugged.

“Did you have a hard time getting it?”

“No, not really. I just visited Kane in her new office, asked if she wanted to get some coffee. Not new between us, really. She had always been my coffee partner before you. Her secretary was out so I went out to her desk when Ms. Kane was immersed in a phone call. I found the files of the models and that’s it. Her number was there along with her address just like you said.”

Desiree nodded. “Good. Thank you so much.”

Tatiana waved her statement off with one hand. “Just don’t let me lie to Theo if he finds out and confronts me. Either you lie to him really good that he doesn’t find out or you tell him now.”

“I’ll tell him when it’s done. I just really need to talk to her.”

“If you say so.”

She spent the rest of the afternoon with Tatiana and waited until Theo was done with his transactions.

They went home with her secret all to herself.

---

She was getting used to her new life. Her old-new life.

It had been two weeks and so far, she was still alive.

They were yet to meet the new boss but Khaye was apprehensive about it. Petroff may have disappeared but it was not an assurance. The new boss could be just as bad.

There were still reporters hanging outside her new apartment complex. Marco tried to do something about it, but she had to remind him that it was his idea in the first place. She never talked about the murder with him, but she had to do it whenever she had to in front of the cameras or the reporters.

Gian had been trying to make contact and she had been ignoring his calls.

“Maybe you’ll have to talk to him,” Marco said the other night. “You eventually have to do it.”

“I’m not ready,” she had said. And he didn’t press her.

But that afternoon, as she was walking out of the building where she just had a shoot with some other models, her brother was already waiting for her.

She started to panic. She looked around and forced herself not to cry out for help because, really, he was just standing there.

“What are you doing here?” she asked, not moving any further out of the building.

“You have been avoiding my calls.”

“I don’t want to talk to you.”

“I told you to stay away, Khaye. I told you to stay away.”

“I heard you the first time. And no, you are wrong. I don’t have to stay away. I am completely safe now. Do you see anyone coming after me? Shooting me as I walk out of doors? Petroff is gone. He might be dead for all I know. And unless you work with the man, I don’t have any reasons to be alarmed,” she lied. There was still the new boss, she thought.

Her brother just stared at her with face blank as a sheet of paper. “If something happens to you, I will not be held responsible. I told you to go and stay away from Marco and you did both for just four fucking months. You don’t know what he’s capable of, Khaye.”

She wouldn’t be swayed by his empty threats. “Yes, I know. And I know he is a good guy and he will be there to protect me while my own brother refuses to do so.”

“You really believe that, do you?”

She held her head high and uttered, “Yes.”

Gian stared at her for a few quiet moments before he slowly nodded. And without another word, he turned around and left.

She let out a breath. She wasn’t sure until when she would have to hold her breath around Gian. Maybe until she was sure he wouldn’t do anything that would hurt her.

Maybe never.

---

Marco nearly had another chance to track Richard Karlsson again, but the man was an expert and the trail was lost.

He had sat in his desk thinking of ways on how to find him again and nearly gave up. He would have to be patient. The man would surely be careless again.

And there was still Desiree.

She would contact Khaye.

All he had to do was be there when they met.

---

Desiree found Theo inside his study. He was frowning at his computer, his fist under his chin.

“What are you frowning at?”

“It’s the files—”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s the files again?”

“I know I should be finding a way to contact Khaye, but someone is doing that for me at this very moment. We just need to wait for the perfect time. She will fly to another state in a week so we can go there and meet her ourselves.”

Desiree couldn’t wait another week but she didn’t tell him that. Instead, she reached out and closed his computer. “You need to rest,” she told him, stepping in front of him. He looked up at her with tired eyes. “You look like death.”

“If we want to blackmail every fucking government agencies who acquired our services, I have to double my efforts. And I need more files. What Vernier had wasn’t enough.”

She shrugged. “Then find more. I’m sure you will get to them in no time.”

“If Vernier’s replacement shows his face.”

“He hasn’t yet?”

He shook his head and closed his eyes. Desiree pulled his head to rest against her stomach, playing with his hair. Then she felt his lips moving over her silk nightgown, his hands on her thighs.

Desiree hitched up so she was now sitting on his desk and he rolled his chair closer toward her. “Tell me,” he murmured as his mouth covered the tip of one breast over the silk.

“Tell you what?” she breathlessly asked. He stood up as his mouth left a damp spot on her nightgown and traveled up to her collarbone.

“Your dreams.”

Desiree frowned. “My dreams?” she asked against his lips.

He kissed her for a long time before saying, “Yes. Tell me just for the fucking sake of telling me.”

Her hands started working on his belt as she spoke. “I want to work until I am old enough to retire.” His hands lifted her off the desk to bunch her nightgown to her waist. “And I want a quiet house by the lake. It will have a very large window overlooking the waters with a coffee table where I can stay for hours.” She had unbuttoned his pants and pushed it down his hips. “And a big bed where I can make love to a very hot man for hours long.”

His chuckle vibrated against her neck. “Will this man be someone you sort of love?”

“Hmmm…preferably, yes. And he will have to sort of love me in return.”

Theo pushed her on her back until he was bending over her. “That is probably the simplest dream I’ve ever heard.”

“I’m a very simple lady to please,” she retorted. She wrapped her legs around him, grinding her hips against his. His hands cupped her breasts, their breathing changing into heavy rasps.

His kiss came with a groan and their words turned to different sounds of fiery passion.

---

Theo was called by his father for an important meeting inside his office the next day. He left Desiree at the usual café she went to and met the old man in haste.

Her hands trembled at the thought of what she was about to do. She waited until her coffee arrived and took her time finishing her cup.

By this time, Theo would already be out somewhere in his father’s office. Those kinds of meetings took long, she thought.

Looking around, she checked if anyone was with her. And like most days, she was the only person there. The server was gone inside the kitchen.

With shaking hands, Desiree opened her bag and grabbed the phone Richard gave her the other day. Then she fetched the paper Tatiana handed over that same afternoon.

She punched the numbers, her fingers barely still, and brought the phone to her ear. She almost jumped when it connected and started to ring.

“Yes?” Khaye’s familiar voice answered.

---

“Close the door,” his father ordered.

If the man called you inside his office, it was something serious and it was something private.

“You must know by now that Petroff has been missing. Vernier died under questionable circumstances.”

He just nodded in his seat, his leg crossed over the other in an attempt to act cool.

“And just recently, I found out that someone had acquired a tranquilizer gun the day before Vernier died. The same gun incapacitated Vernier’s guards. And just yesterday I was informed that a traceable phone was placed in the hand of the same person.”

Theo’s heart began to hammer.

His father stared him in the eye and said, “Apparently, one of my sons have been killing off my best men behind my back.”

His brows lifted in feign shock. His mind was already running to different possibilities. “Are you sure about this?” he asked, forcing his voice to sound ridiculous.

The old man planted his hands firmly on his desk, his eyes boring into Theo’s. “I want you to kill your brother.”

XXXVI. Phone Calls and a Dead Brother

His father’s order was final.

He wanted to reason, to insist that an investigation be made, but he knew there was no talking the man out of it. And Theo knew better than to insist further because that would also mean he’d have to bring himself in.

Theo might have gotten used to witnessing the man order the death of many in the past, but to hear him order for the death of his own son as if Richard was as invaluable as the others—like their mother—made Theo’s blood boil.

But as much as he wanted to strangle the man with his bare hands, an opportunity that had come to him countless times in the past, he couldn’t very well do so without expecting the entire underground population to come out and do him the same honor.

He had to do this right. God help him he’d do this right—even if it meant losing Richard, his own fucking brother.

As he stormed out of the office, he sent Desiree a message to keep herself busy until that evening because he was stuck for a few hours. He would not dare tell her about the current situation. She was one to react before she thinks.

He stopped in the middle of an empty hallway, braced his hand against the wall, to compose himself.

I want you to kill your brother…

“Fuck,” he cursed, his jaw tightening in controlled fury as he dialed Richard’s number. “Where are you?” he asked his brother.

“At the bar, getting wasted as always.”

“Meet me outside the east exit in five minutes.”

“What? Why?”

“Just do it.”

The next person he dialed was the least wanted to come into contact with at the moment. Against better judgment, he did it anyway.

It rang three times before the call was answered. “Kane,” she answered.

---

“Khaye, it’s me, Desiree.” Khaye almost dropped her phone on the floor.

“Desiree?” She immediately closed her mouth, her eyes wandering around her apartment. Marco was in the kitchen fixing dinner. “How did—where are you?” she whispered, walking, almost running to her bedroom. She was not ready to tell Marco. She didn’t think she wanted to right now.

“I need to talk to you,” Desiree uttered from the other end just as Khaye said, “I need to see you.”

A long silence followed. Desiree’s end seemed silent so she must be hiding somewhere too.

“Are you…are you safe? Where have you been?” Khaye hurriedly asked, checking if her door was still locked. She could still hear Marco working in the kitchen.

“I’m safe. But I don’t think you are,” came Desiree’s reply.

Her brows furrowed into a frown. “What do you mean?”

“You may still be in danger. Please, Khaye, I can’t tell you everything over the phone but I promise to tell you what you need to know. Let’s meet. When is the soonest we can meet?”

“Are you working with them? Are you among the Liaisons?” Khaye hissed on the phone. She was not going to meet her without being sure.

“How did you—no, I am not. They—it’s a complicated thing. Let’s meet. Just tell me where.” She ran to the bath and locked herself inside, turning on the shower to muffle her voice. “I promise you, Khaye, I can help you. You’re in danger because you know something about them. They are not very happy right now. And I might also need your help,” Desiree was saying.

She had to think fast. Marco might barge in any moment. And Desiree might not be available for long.

Think, Khaye. Think! Is this safe? Will you trust her to be alone?

“Promise me you’ll come alone,” she finally said.

“I will. If you come alone”

“I will. I can’t tell you where over the phone. They might still be listening on my calls. But remember our first project together three years ago?”

“Yes, it was—”

“Don’t say it. Remember where we had the shoot?”

“Yes.”

“Meet me there at the same hour we did the shoot tomorrow. I’m sure you remember that day.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll meet you there.”

“Okay.”

“Des,” she said before hanging up, “be safe. And come alone.”

“Okay. See you.”

---

Marco sensed it even before she disappeared into her bedroom.

There was something about the call that unnerved Khaye.

She locked herself in her bedroom and he kept up with his work, his mind silently working.

His phone rang inside his pocket. After wiping his hands with the kitchen towel, he took it out and stared at the caller.

His eyes went to Khaye’s bedroom door.

He tapped the answer button and answered, “What is it, Gian?”

---

“Where the fuck are we going?” Richard asked.

“The old man wants us to meet a client,” Theo lied. He focused all of his attention on the road.

“Did you have a talk with Desiree?”

“No, why?”

“Nothing,” Richard said, looking out the window. “You better put a leash on her soon because that lady might just be your undoing. We have a plan here, Theo. We can’t do that if she keeps doing anything that pops in her head.”

“She’s being more careful,” was all he said.

“Who is this client?” Richard asked again.

“The one who gave us the Palazio project.” The Palazio project was one of their greatest projects of the year. Their client had paid hundreds of millions of dollars for just one transaction they managed to pull off with another contact in Syria.

Richard’s voice rose as he whistled a tune. “No wonder you’re meeting him in person.”

“Yes.”

“And why should I be there again?”

“Because you just need to be there. Old man’s order,” Theo said, barely opening his lips. “We’re almost there.” They had to be fast, he thought, because his brother was not stupid and he would eventually find out.

“Good. Because I need to go back to the bar. And you need to go to Desiree and make her talk.”

Theo ignored his curiosity. He had a job to do and he needed to focus.

Twenty minutes later, he veered his car into a dark, abandoned parking lot. Cans of beers and bottles of other liquors were everywhere. And as expected, the teens and the homeless who frequented the area had been disposed of accordingly.

“You know what I hate about meetings like this?” Richard murmured under his breath as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “They are exactly like the fucking movies. Only that in the movies, you can’t smell.”

Theo did not answer but climbed out of the car instead. Richard was already outside, looking around with caution.

“Are you sure this is a safe place?”

“Yes,” he said, leaning against the hood of his car.

“Hello, boys, good to see you,” came a woman’s voice from ten feet away.

“Kane?” Richard asked, his voice surprised. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Theo pushed himself away from his car and took a deep breath. He met his brother’s questioning look and said, “She’s here to kill you.”

---

Khaye paced around her room for almost ten minutes before she thought she had regained her composure. She went to the bathroom and quickly soaked her hair and wrapped it in a towel. She wiped her face and looked herself in the mirror, her hands shaking.

“I’m sorry, I just took a quick shower and—” she started to say when she finally walked out of her room, but Marco was already putting on his jacket. “Where are you going?”

“It’s about the new case I told you about,” he said, holstering his gun. “I’m needed at the office.” He walked toward her and kissed her mouth. “Dinner is ready. Don’t leave something for me. This might take the whole night.”

“But—” He stopped her with another kiss. “Lock the doors. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

Khaye blinked and nodded her head. “Careful,” she managed to say before he shut the door behind him.

That night, Khaye ate her dinner alone, thinking about tomorrow. She went to bed praying Desiree would be the answer to everything.

---

Desiree was reading Theo’s message when a voice spoke before her.

“Alone?” She looked up and saw Mr. Hong smiling down at her.

Her heart almost leaped out her chest but she smiled in return, now quite used to his presence but never to her body’s reaction which was to run far away. “Yes, as you can see.”

“You’re behaving well for quite a few months now, Desiree, I am impressed.”

“Well, I sort of adapt easily,” she said with a shrug. There was no way she would offer him a seat. He could leave faster just standing there.

“Where’s my son?”

“Richard? I don’t know. Theo? He said he’s off to deal with another business.”

A satisfied smile appeared on the old man’s face. “Good. I won’t be bothering you any further. I myself have a lot to look into. Be safe,” and added, “and behave.”

She did not find a need to answer to she just smiled, imagining how Theo would bring him down and praying he’d bring the man down hard.

Her mind went back to the meeting with Khaye the following day. She remembered the first shoot she had with Khaye, down to the very last minute. Almost everyone in their agency remembered because it was one hell of a day. There was the photographer who got really mad he threatened to everyone he’d sell all the ugly photos. There had been a lot of laughter and cheers after the horrible shoot, after the horrible weather. They celebrated that night, all of them models, for a job well done. It was one of the few moments they all considered their favorite.

Fear started to creep in when she realized that Khaye might bring someone from the police. But she asked Desiree to be alone herself.

She groaned in frustration. She wanted to keep her promise to go alone, but she wanted to have another plan if things went awry and she found herself taken in by the authorities. She could arrive earlier and watch from somewhere afar to see if Khaye went alone. Or she could tell Theo and tell him to get ready to save her. He would be angry she planned this without telling him, but he’d do it anyway.

Whichever way, she had to go. Khaye would be the answer to everything.

---

Kane lifted her gun and pointed it directly at Richard.

His brother stumbled backwards, throwing Theo an accusing look. “What the fuck is this about, Theo?”

“Just order from the old man,” he said, stepping back to let Kane do the work. “Be sure to make it a clean shot, Kane. I don’t want a lot of blood.”

The red head smiled, her eyes focused on Richard. “I am a very good shot, Theo. Don’t underestimate me, boy. Petroff trained me well.”

“Is this about Petroff?” Richard demanded. “It is, isn’t it? Because I don’t fucking know where he is!”

“This is not just about Petroff,” Theo said. “This is also about Vernier and the other things you carelessly did that caught the old man’s attention. He’s been watching out for you, Richard.”

Richard’s face contorted with rage and disbelief. “What the fuck are you talking about? You know—”

It was the moment Kane pulled the trigger and the shot rang out and echoed in the air. Richard slumped on the ground and Theo held himself until after he was sure that everything had been taped just the way he wanted it. He walked to his car and turned off the camera pointing through the windshield.

Kane was standing over Richard, her face painted with concern. Theo stood beside her and watched his brother gasp in pain, holding on to his bleeding leg and cursing Theo and Kane to hell.

“Is he going to be alright?”

Kane shrugged her shoulders and handed him her gun. “I’ve worked on worse. He’ll do.”

XXXVII. An Expected Meeting

Theo had her picked up because he was getting late. The driver was silent on the drive home, giving her enough time to think.

She cooked dinner and waited for him to get back home.

“Where have you been? You look worse than last night,” she said when he walked in.

“I’ve had a fucking long day, Des,” he said, coming toward her and bringing her close against him. He buried his face in her neck and just stood there for a moment.

“Theo, what happened?”

“I’m so fucking tired,” he murmured against her neck.

“Yeah, you already quite mentioned that but what happened?” she asked, pushing far enough to get a look at his face. She sniffed and crunched up her face. “Where have you been?”

“Went to kill my brother,” he uttered.

“What?”

“Richard. Went to kill him.”

She let out a dry chuckle. “What a very nice idea, but please, be serious.”

He finally pulled away from her but kept his hands on her shoulders. He looked at her, his eyes really tired. “I’m serious. The old man gave me the order. He thought Richard was involved in Petroff’s disappearance. And Vernier’s death—and he quite got that right. And he talked about the tranquilizer gun, which he also got right and a freaking untraceable phone which might also be true.” Desiree froze at the mention of the phone but kept her mouth shut. “And because he is crazy and he suddenly believes that one of his sons is planning something behind his back, he decided to bring him down. I was left with no choice. It was either I kill Richard or we both die.”

Desiree gaped at him in disbelief. “You wouldn’t do that.”

He let out a long breath and nodded. “Of course. I had to make someone do it.”

“What?!”

“So I called Kane.”

“Kane?”

“And drove Richard to an isolated parking lot just outside the city.”

Desiree shuddered away from him. “Don’t fucking tell me you killed your brother, Theo, because I don’t know what I’ll do to you if you—”

“Then Kane shot him in the leg,” he continued tiredly, turning around to walk to the couch where he dropped. “We recorded everything up to the time he dropped down on the ground.”

She was already shaking as she stared at him in horror.

“And Kane started her work the moment I explained to my wailing brother what has to happen. That he has to die.”

Desiree held her breath as she prepared herself.

“And then Kane did her magic and she took photos and the three of us drove to a dumpsite and had to pay the guys there a total of ten grand just to let us in and shoot a movie . Richard crawled into a body bag with his bloody leg. I threw the bag among all the garbage and turned off the camera on my dashboard. And then I had to get my brother out that stinking mountain again and drag him back to the car. Checked him into an inn, had to stitch his wound myself after pulling out the bullet, left him some money and drove back here.”

Desiree finally let breathed in relief but that did not stop her from storming toward him and attack with her hands. “You fucking bastard! You almost got me there!” she cried out.

He just chuckled dryly, catching her hands. “He’s gone, Des.” She froze, looking down at him. “Richard is practically dead. He’ll be out of the country tomorrow to God-knows-where and we won’t see him again. He’s practically dead.”

Desiree swallowed the lump in her throat. “Until you bring your father down,” she corrected, kneeling beside him. She held his face in her hands and whispered, “You’ll see him again.”

He did not answer and just let her kiss him. She unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it out of him, saying, “Let’s get you cleaned up because you stink. I’m serious. You stink,” she added when he just smiled. “And then we’ll feed you. And then sated,” she finished with a seductive smile.

“He said he’d take a very long vacation,” he whispered, smiling up at her.

“He deserves it.”

“He can finally get the normal life he’d been planning for after all. Funny, right?” he said with a scoff. He closed his eyes again and it was a moment later before he told her, “He said to tell you to always remember his last threat.”

Desiree’s eyes widened and her hands paused on his fly for a second before she slowly smiled.

If you as much as betray my brother, you’ll have to face me again.

“What did he say to you and when was this?” Theo asked.

Shaking her head, she said, “It’s nothing. I’m glad he’s fine.”

“And he also told me to go home and talk you into talking.”

Desiree peeled his pants off his legs and leaned down to plant another kiss on his lips. “We’ll talk later. For now, go get a shower.”

---

Theo was looking out the window of his office early the next day. Desiree was in the kitchen making breakfast. He wondered where his brother was now.

They shouldn’t risk getting caught when the evidence of Richard’s murder and death was still sitting on their father’s office table, waiting to be discovered by the old man himself. Richard said he’d make contact the moment he was safely away. How he would do that was a great mystery to Theo but he’d be looking forward to it.

Sitting back behind his desk, he scrolled through the files he had been studying for days. And then he checked the time. 9 o’clock.

It was time.

He picked up his phone and called Kane.

“And what services can I offer you this time, Theo, my dear?” she answered.

“I need to talk to Marco Morrison in five minutes.”

---

Desiree had a lot of things in her mind as she waited for the time.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Theo said as he drove.

“I was just wondering why Kane helped you.”

“With Richard?” She nodded and he answered, “I told you before that she had always been close to us, more like a mother. There was never one moment that she had let us down, even if it meant keeping some secrets from the old man.”

“Which can also mean—”

“I know where you are going with this, Des, and I am telling you Kane is clean. Well, not that clean but she’s…I just think she didn’t kill Jamaica.”

She didn’t answer. Of course, he was close to Kane. What else could he expect from him? But couldn’t he see? The woman’s ex-lover had been banging almost all women out there, Jamaica included. She cared a lot about him and Richard and based on what happened last night she was willing to do anything to protect them. And Richard had been betrayed by Jamaica—if that were ever true. And Kane hated Jamaica. If those were not reasons enough for the lady to kill her, Desiree would be willing to give up her search for Jam’s killer. No one in the organization had more reasons than Kane.

“I’ll be with the old man for at least an hour.”

“No problem. I can keep myself busy,” she lied, looking out the window. He might not like what she was about to do. No, he would definitely not like what she was about to do, she corrected.

“We need to have that talk Richard was talking about.”

“Yeah, later,” she said. “I’ll be at the east lounge.”

“Don’t—” he started to say but stopped himself. Desiree chuckled.

“Don’t do anything stupid?” she finished for him.

“I sound like a retard repeating that line over and over.”

“I’m getting used to it.” She gave him a wink and laughed when he nearly snarled.

---

Desiree waited for ten minutes before she went out the door of the east lounge.

She could now walk through the corridors without getting lost and she now knew which gates out of the underground had guards who had a crush on her.

Five minutes later, she was out on the streets in jeans, boots and a red coat. She hailed a cab and gave him the address of her destination.

She checked the time.

11 o’clock. Khaye would be there by around 1 in the afternoon. She’d have enough time to canvas the area. As the cab made its way through the city, Desiree took out her phone. She intended to send Theo a message but ended up calling him.

He answered on the second ring. “What’s wrong?” His voice was edged with worry.

“Nothing. I just called to say I left.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, this time a whisper. She forgot he was on a meeting, probably explaining to his father how he killed his own brother.

“I left the underground. I can’t just sit still and wait until Khaye is in danger, Theo.”

“Desiree, get back now.” His voice was full of warning. She could picture him standing and walking out his father’s office.

“I’ll be alright. I am planning to go to the site ahead of time to make sure she’s alone. I’ll be careful, Theo. You’ll know the moment I’m heading back. I just really need to see her.”

“You are not fucking going alone—”

“I’ll see you later,” she cut in and ended the call before he could shout every threat he could think of.

Her phone beeped a message from him not a few seconds longer.

Get back now.

I’ll take care of this. I’ll be fine. Desiree sighed and turned off the phone after sending her reply.

I have to do this, she convinced herself.

---

Khaye drove quietly to the site and she was surprised that she was calm about it. Maybe because she was meeting someone she knew. Or maybe she was done being afraid and apprehensive.

Glancing over at the clock of her car, she stepped on the gas. 12 o’clock. She had to be there before Desiree arrived.

She checked her phone. Marco hadn’t called yet. He must still be caught up in his latest case. It was good. Because she didn’t think she could trust anyone on this one. He’d only fuss over her stupidity if he truly cared for her. Or he would do what she feared the most if he didn’t.

For a moment she found herself lost in the many streets around the city. It had been three years since that unforgettable shoot. With a little GPS help, she managed to find the quiet street. She drove to another block and parked her car. She held her black coat close as the chilly wind greeted her, and looked around her. Everyone looked normal. Everyone looked busy. No signs that someone was following or watching her.

She carefully walked the one block to the old building. She reached the building but did not enter. Instead, she entered the alleyway that was almost left unseen to most passersby. All of a sudden she knew the way. A rat ran toward her direction and she jumped to her feet. She caught her breath and blew out the momentary panic.

Khaye walked deeper into the alleyway until she reached the emergency staircase that would lead her to the top of the building. It had already been pulled down and she frowned. Is she already here?

It didn’t matter, she thought, as she slowly and carefully climbed her way up the first flight. She had always been afraid of heights but today she didn’t feel an ounce of anything. She was anticipating the moment to finally meet Desiree—to clear things once and for all. To hell with Marco. To hell with Gian. To hell with the fucking Liaisons. She was doing this her way just like she should have done in the first place.

The building stood up to the fifth floor which didn’t house anything. There was nothing there but old concrete columns and dirty wide pane windows that stood from floor to ceiling. It had served no purpose other than be used as a great location for photo and movie shoots. It used to house the city’s homeless every night until the owner hired a guard to periodically check the area and clear it of unwanted persons if the need arises. For now, the guard was not around. Khaye and Desiree knew that because he was on duty down below where he had to guard the door of two stores.

Khaye had to catch her breath the moment she reached the top floor. The doorway was already open because, well, there was no door. She took a deep breath and stepped inside.

The place was empty and it was not dark. The light from the outside seeped through the dirty windows lining the front of the building, offering enough light inside.

And the three bulbs hanging on the ceiling were on.

The sound of her footsteps echoed throughout the floor. She could still hear the muffled sound of the traffic down below.

Six columns, three opposite of each other, lined in the center.

“Desiree?” she called out. Every cell in her body knew she was already here. “I know you’re here,” she tried again, her hands deep inside her coat pockets.

Then she appeared, taking one step from the farthest column to the right. Her face was nearly shadowed by the light from the window behind her.

But Khaye knew she was smiling as she said, “Hi, Khaye.”

Khaye’s first instinct was to look around and check if she was really alone.

“I came alone,” Desiree said without moving. “Did you?”

“Of course,” she answered right back, taking two steps forward, and then three more.

Desiree breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you came alone. I was afraid you’d bring the entire army with you.”

“You look different,” was all she said.

Desiree moved for the first time. She brought her hand to her hair that almost reached her shoulders. “It’s the hair.”

Khaye just nodded, slowly closing the distance between them. “I’m sorry but I don’t have much time.”

“I know. Me either.” Desiree looked around with a bitter smile pasted on her lips. Khaye could see her clearly now that she was just ten feet away from her. “Do you remember the first time we met here? You, me…Jam?”

“Yes.”

“I knew we were going to be best friends that day. We clicked right away. It was one of the most fun shoots I’ve had. We had the best night of our lives. Despite everything,” she added.

Khaye snorted. “Despite everything.”

Desiree slowly shook her head, in disbelief of the memories three years ago. “Funny how it didn’t turn out the way I thought it should be.”

“Yeah. You guys sort of had a big laugh on my account the day after that.”

Desiree chuckled. “Because it was funny at that time. And you have to admit…it still is.”

“Yeah?” Khaye asked, walking closer. “Leaving me in that bar, drunk and slumped inside the toilet until the next morning?”

Khaye saw Desiree’s face turn serious. “We were young and reckless back then, Khaye.”

She did not completely agree, but she didn’t say a word. She was young and reckless. They were young and evil. It took her almost an entire year to figure that out—one year of more pranks and being made fun of. But she learned to accept the fact that they would always be the way that they were. “Though it is good to reminisce on our short-lived friendship three years ago, we are not here to talk about that.”

Desiree nodded, straightening to full height. She took one step toward Khaye. “Yes. And I know that you might not consider me a friend, but we are in this together. The two of us have to get through this together, Khaye.”

She could hear the desperation in her voice, along with the fear. And she knew the feeling—God, how she knew the feeling.

“I need you to help me clear my name,” Desiree added, brushing her hair up and out of her face. “You must have seen people you might or not even know. You must have heard names, Khaye. The Liaisons are dangerous people. I’ve been around them for months and they are capable of anything, including hurting you but I can help you get the right protection that you need. Just…let’s just get through this together.” Khaye watched as Desiree struggled with the words. And with much more desperation on her face, Desiree looked at her, her eyes begging, “What did you witness that night, Khaye?”

“Des,” she said slowly, tilting her head to the side as if deep in thought. “I think the right question is: ‘What did I DO that night?’.” she uttered, pulling her right hand out of her coat pocket, the one that had been holding the gun.

XXXVIII. As Crazy as it Sounds

Desiree stood frozen in disbelief before Khaye. Confusion was another thing and it bugged every corner of her mind, the feeling of betrayal etching its way in.

“There were quite a lot of things that happened behind that hotel door, Desiree, but I bet you never thought of anything close to whatever you must be realizing right now, right?” Khaye smiled bitterly. “But don’t think I don’t understand your desperation…and the fear. I’ve been desperate to tie the loose ends for months. I’ve been afraid I’d get caught. I’ve been confused, been made a pawn of, been kidnapped by your people. But then, it all ends well. For me, that is,” she hastily added, her eyes boring into Desiree.

“Khaye…” was all she could muster. “You hate us that much?” She wanted to throw up. She suddenly felt sick.

Khaye slowly shook her head and started to move her hand conversationally, the gun moving along with it. Her face had completely changed into someone Desiree hardly recognized. But then, somehow, in the deepest part of her brain, Desiree knew it had always been there in the surface. They were just too naïve to see it.

“You know, I was really hoping we’d be friends. Do you know how happy I was when we first met here three years ago? And then there was Jam. She was bubbly and beautiful. All of us were. I couldn’t have felt anymore home anywhere else. But then you all turned Mean Girls on me. And I thought, well, why not? If that would make my friends happy. But you were never my friends, were you? The pranks kept coming. Until I had enough and decided to just do things my way. But,” she said, her smile back on her face, “that’s not enough reason for me to kill any of you. I’ve imagined doing that, but not to the point of taking action. So don’t think I killed Jamaica merely because I hated her or you.” Held the gun in both hands now and Desiree took another step back.

“This, Des, is merely self-preservation. Someone has to survive this one and it can’t be the two of us. I’ve been under your shadows in the years we’ve all worked together but I can no longer let you win this one. I started this, I’m gonna finish it.”

“Why? Khaye, what did you do?” She knew what Khaye did. But she needed to hear it. She needed to kill the time.

Khaye blinked, her hands steady. “That night happened.” She let out dry chuckle, the gun shaking with her laughter. “I discovered something about Jamaica. She wasn’t what we all thought she was, was she?” She tilted her head to the side to curiously look at her. “And maybe you too, but that doesn’t matter anymore. She found me hiding in your closet after thrashing your clothes, and I swear that I never planned to do anything other than ruin as much of your dresses as I could. She didn’t know I heard enough to realize she was doing more than what she should be doing. She let me go after she made me promise not to tell a soul. Of course, I did. I promised. She just fucked a guy and then a few hours later, she was about to fuck another—Petroff.”

Desiree watched Khaye shift her weight from one foot to the other, her face crunching up in disgust. “That guy was never good in bed, I tell you that. It wasn’t a surprise that she was fucking him, you know. I know I wasn’t. I followed her and Petroff, wanting to gather more evidence, you know, so I could use them in the future if I needed some favors. And the exciting thing happened.” Desiree almost shuddered, dreading what Khaye would say next. “The other guy, Richard, came inside her room and I heard them from my side. I was behind the connecting door, if you must know. They fought about Jamaica and then they fought about the money. And then Petroff left. And then Richard and Jamaica were talking about running away with the money. That must have been a lot of money for her to leave everything behind, right? So a thought popped in my head. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt if she left without it, you know. She had been making money on the sideline while we all worked our asses off out there on the runway. So when the Richard guy left, I came in through the connecting door.”

Desiree’s heart raced faster. She wanted Khaye to stop talking, yet she needed to hear everything. “Oh, don’t act so ridiculous, Des. You know where this story is leading to.” Khaye rolled her eyes before she continued, “You should have seen how shocked she was when she saw me. She demanded that I leave at once. But I knew enough to get her in trouble. I told her I want some of her money. She said no and I told her I want all or I’ll spread her sex video everywhere. If she wanted to go away with the Richard guy, she should pay for my silence. But do you know what she did?” She raised her brows in question, waiting for Desiree to utter a word of answer. When none came, Khaye smiled. “She laughed at me. The fucking bitch laughed at me. She pushed me to the wall, dug her finger into my chest and roared, saying that she tried to be nice to me, to save me from any trouble. I told her she wouldn’t be able to get rid of me because I would go run to Petroff and tell her about her plans with the other guy. Then she laughed some more.”

Desiree felt like she was watching a one-man show as Khaye waved the gun around, narrating everything that happened that night. “ Oh, you stupid, naïve, girl,’ she laughed at me , “ Khaye said, imitating Jamaica’s voice. “And then she told me she would rather jump off a cliff than run away with just a bag of money and a guy who was too stupid to fall in love with her. She said she was planning to ditch him, make a fool out of him. She’d go to his father, she said. She’d go and point everything she did to him.”

“No,” Desiree gasped out, shaking her head. Jamaica wouldn’t do that.

“And then she went crazy, saying everyone thought she was a fool but she knew better. ’ I know they’ve been following my every move,’ she said. She needed that man to fall into the trap that they had set up for her.”

Desiree stumbled back in shock and denial. “She wouldn’t do that.”

Khaye laughed out loud. “What do you think she was? A fucking saint? Come on, Desiree. You’ve been in her world. You know what they are capable of. And she told me that herself that very night. She told me the many ways she could make me suffer. She told me how she gave me a chance but blew it away. She’d show me real nightmare. She promised me that.” Squaring her shoulders, Khaye bored her eyes into Desiree’s wet ones. “But before she could do anything, I killed her.”

Khaye shrugged her shoulder as if she just announced she just went out for coffee. “Honestly, I couldn’t believe I did it. And so did Jamaica. She must have thought the worse I could do was thrash your clothes and videotape her sex life. I am more than what you all think I am. I do my job better. I could act better,” she said and then stopped. “Which I did pretty well for six months now,” she continued, her gaze never leaving hers. There was nothing there but pride and anger and a lot of other things Desiree couldn’t point out. “So that’s what happened. I stabbed her and watched the life come out of her before she got another chance to strike me. Which was what she was about to do. It was self-defense, really. I still dream about it every now and then, you know. Maybe I feel guilty? But who knows?” Her hands steadied, pointing the gun at her when Desiree moved. “And when I was sure she was dead, I crept back in my room, washed the blood off my hands and changed my dress. Then I waited for the right moment to run out of the room. I saw you, you know. You were with a guy. I wanted to call out to you, tell you that I accidentally killed her but then I thought I should just go on with my original plan. You would never believe me. No one would believe me if I said that. Because you all knew how much I hated both of you. So I called my brother. And that was the biggest mistake I did that night.”

Desiree knew she should keep Khaye talking until she could find a way out of this. She almost snorted pathetically when she heard Theo’s voice saying, “I told you to stay. You never listen,” inside her head.

“You know my brother, Gian, is a detective, right?” she asked Desiree. “And then his partner, Marco, came and everything was just a mess. I had to keep my mouth shut while I thought of a way out of what I did. It was my first time to kill someone, so please excuse me for that. And just as when they all thought I was just as much of a victim as I was a witness, Petroff went after me.” She laughed again. “He must have thought I would say anything about their stupid organization. The Liaisons have been a very big pain in my ass. They kidnapped me and tried to kill me. And then Gian started to change while the investigation was going on. And I knew he knew. The moment I saw him when I woke up after a gunshot wound, I knew he knew I did it. Marco then said that I need to stay away for a while. And that was good enough for me. Every fucking day I had to live with the fear that Gian would say something. But he didn’t—because he’s my fucking brother after all. I tried my best to follow the investigation through Marco, hoping that they would get to nowhere. I tried to stick to the truth as much as possible. I even tried to convince them you couldn’t have done. My act was perfectly working and I didn’t even have to lie that much. If only the Liaisons would stop pestering me!

“And then Gian had to choose the perfect moment suggest that I go away. He didn’t have it in him to arrest his own sister, but he also didn’t want me to stay with Marco. So I went away. I agreed with him about Marco. He might know the truth after all. He had been secretive and I didn’t know when he’d make his move if he knew. Then what I was hoping for happened. The Liaisons stopped their attacks. The case went cold. I was ready to go back. So I waited for Marco. And he came. And my life, surprisingly has become much better. Who would have thought, right? I became an instant star. Everyone now demands for my presence because I am the girl who survived a lot and came back.” Khaye was nearly breathless now. “And here I am.” She paused and repeated, “And here I am, ready to finally tie loose ends.”

“I don’t think killing me will tie any loose ends, Khaye,” she finally managed to say. “Killing me would mean another murder.”

Khaye was already shaking her head before Desiree finished. “No, no, no, Desiree. What do you think I am? Stupid?” The sudden wash of anger on Khaye’s face unnerved her. “Killing you would make my life quite perfect. Killing you would mean finding the killer. Because, really, who else could be the best suspect? It will be front page news, Des. Front page. Desiree killed Jamaica. Can you picture that?” Khaye gave her a smile that did not quite reach her eyes. “Desiree came out of hiding after learning that Khaye, the witness, had reappeared. So Desiree decided to kill the witness herself. Only that said witness had had a good training from her lover on self-defense and Desiree ended up dead instead. It’s way better than my version of the story, isn’t it?” Khaye smiled at her mockingly. “Way better.”

“You’re crazy.”

Khaye’s eyes blazed with fury once again. “Aren’t we all crazy? We all do crazy things for the things we want, Des. Only in my case, I don’t honestly have a choice. Maybe if I could return to that night six months ago, I might not kill Jamaica. But I did and I couldn’t change that and I have to live with that. What I am doing now is self-preservation, Des. There’s nothing more to it. I don’t hate you that much to want to kill you. But if you think that I went through all what I went through just to go to jail, think again.” Khaye’s eyes had watered and a tear ran down her face as she focused the gun on Desiree.

“Khaye, please…don’t—” Desiree’s breath was snatched out of her.

The impact was too strong that she didn’t realize Khaye had pulled the trigger until she fell on the floor.

“I’m sorry,” Khaye said, dropping the gun to the floor before Desiree heard her footsteps fade away, leaving Desiree alone.

XXXIX. All that Ends Badly

So this is what it feels like.

That one lingering thought struck Desiree like the bullet lodged inside her as she struggled for one more breath and as she did so, the pain was even worse than the last one. One short intake of oxygen was like doing a marathon with a shard of glass stuck in your sole. Every exhale was excruciating it was not comparable to anything she had known.

He’s coming. Keep breathing. He’s coming.

With the last ounce of strength she had left, she pushed herself to her back. Her eyes closed and she lost her breath once more. The veins in her throat engorged as she held the scream of pain. The breathing was getting shorter and she opened her eyes.

The faint sound of footsteps was disappearing though her mind knew they were coming nearer. The buzzing in her ears was barely audible now. The light on the ceiling was getting dimmer.

So this is what it feels like.

The episodes of that night and the days that followed up to this very moment flashed before her eyes.

It was all because of that night…

Desiree!

Desiree blinked. She thought she heard her name.

Theo?

He has to be here. He has to be here.

And then her eyes fluttered close.

---

Khaye jumped the few remaining feet off the ground, turned and started running all the way to the end of the alley. And she stopped short.

Marco was blocking her way. How did he find her? “Marco!” she said under her breath and then louder, “Marco! Oh my God! She tried to kill me! It’s Desiree!” She ran up toward him, grabbed the opening of his leather jacket and sank against him. She cried against his chest and she started to tremble. She shot Desiree after all. She did it. It was all over and she was going to be okay.

But Marco was standing so still against her. Her heart started to race. “It’s her. She had a gun and she pointed it at me. And then I don’t know what happened next but…” her voice faltered when she realized he was not holding her back. His hands were nowhere near her body to give comfort. She pushed away from his chest and looked up.

And then she knew. It was in his eyes.

She looked over his shoulder and saw Gian standing just a few feet away. Her brother was looking at her with regret and sadness, but his jaw was tight. Khaye almost let out a whimper of betrayal but even her throat seemed frozen in horror. This couldn’t be happening. Not now. Not after everything.

A man was running past them to the direction of the stairwell.

A siren could be heard from a distance.

It was all happening in slow motion and the realization hit her hard. Her hands fell away from Marco’s jacket and she stumbled back, her tears streaming down her face.

“It’s over, Khaye,” Gian quietly said behind Marco.

---

Theo felt like his lungs were burning, not because he ran all the way up to where she was, but because it was the fear that wrenched inside him as he kneeled beside her limp body on the ground. He brushed her red coat away.

Her entire abdomen was soaked with her own blood and he felt a tightening in his throat.

“Des,” was all he could utter as he clumsily found the entry of the bullet a few inches below her right ribcasge and pressed hard. “Des, hey, hey,” he hurried when her eyes started to blink rapidly. He roughly brushed her hair off her forehead. A tear ran down her eye as she struggled to keep them open. “Don’t go to sleep. Stay with me. Please, stay with me. Des, hey, don’t go to sleep, okay? Help is on the way. You’re going to make it. You’ll make it.” He was trying to convince himself more than her. She had to make it.

The paramedics arrived closely and Theo was brushed aside as they quickly loaded and carried her on a board. He wiped his bloody hands on his face to clear his mind.

And then he followed the men carrying Desiree, his jaw clenched tight.

As he carried himself out of that building, Theo was thinking that someone would have to pay for this.

---

Khaye was not saying anything and she held on for the next three days.

All they managed to gather so far were words that mostly translated to request for food and drinks.

Marco couldn’t even bring himself to force the words out of her mouth. Hell, he didn’t even fucking know how he felt or how he should feel.

“You know what happens to your brother now, right?” he asked her as he took the chair across from her and her attorney. He carefully laid the file folder on the table and opened it. “He’s going to spend some time in jail for what he did.” He peered at her, ignoring the attorney’s hard stare. Her expression remained blank. Marco took a very deep breath and sighed as he leaned against his chair. “I don’t even know how to fucking to this job anymore, Khaye. You’ve fooled us all, me the most of them all.”

Her eyes met his and Marco realized there was nothing there. And he felt the anger rise within him. He shouldn’t, not while he was at work, but he couldn’t fucking help it. Clenching his jaw he said, “We could have easily solved the murder if Gian did not erase all the evidence against you. They found traces of Jamaica’s blood in the sink of your hotel room and he erased the results from the files. They found a possible weapon under the bed and he wiped it clean. He disposed your bloody dress. He contacted you in secret and told you to run away. He confessed to all these three days ago and now he’s sitting in jail for your crime. And he did it all because he’s your brother. And you’re not feeling fucking anything. You are not showing fucking anything.”

Her throat moved but she remained silent.

Marco chuckled in disbelief. “The evidence we have gathered and the ones Gian hid are now being reassessed and filed accordingly. Since you are not talking and since your attorney believes it’s a wise decision,” he threw the man in question a glance, “I will no longer attempt to question you. Your case is being made ready for trial.”

He gathered his files from the table and stood up. Khaye remained motionless.

“You could have made it, Khaye,” he said, looking down at her. “But sadly, things will start to go badly for you.”

“You can’t speak to her that way,” her attorney warned.

I’ve been between her legs more times than you’ve been around her presence, he wanted to snap.

“You don’t even have to talk, Khaye,” Marco said instead, ignoring the other man’s protest. “The evidence and Desiree will do it for you.”

He got the reaction he wanted. She looked up to him in surprise and he smiled down at her. “You may have succeeded killing Jamaica with a letter opener, but you failed to kill her friend with a gun.” She opened her mouth to say something but thought better of it.

Marco had had enough. He left the room and muttered a prayer that he never had to see her again.

---

When Desiree opened her eyes, she saw what she was expecting. And he was sitting beside her bed, reading a book with his legs crossed.

“You told me it’s boring.” He did not look up from the page he was reading but reached out his hand to squeeze hers. “Theo, you said it’s boring.”

“Things picked up in the middle,” he murmured the answer, his lips barely moving.

Desiree sighed and looked around the room. She frowned when she saw a bunch of flowers and a basket of fruits sitting by the table. “Those are new.”

“What?” he asked absently.

“The flowers.”

“Kane dropped by while you were sleeping.”

“And the fruits?”

“Tatiana.”

“What did your father get me?”

This time he looked up, his face serious. “Nothing. And he is not allowed to visit.”

She feigned disappointment. “Bummer. I was hoping we could offer him poison.”

He smiled and closed the book. “Feeling better?”

“I am actually feeling bored. I want to go home.”

“The doctor said you need at least another day here.”

“Can’t we go today?”

“We have a hospital underground if you—”

“I’ll stay here another day,” she interrupted, making him grin at her widely. “I forgot to ask you one important detail.”

He leaned over to plant a quick kiss on her nose. “What?”

“How did you find me?”

“Marco Morrison, one of the detectives assigned to Jamaica’s case and the one keeping Khaye safe, has been keeping tabs on Khaye’s phone to keep an eye on her and to see if you ever contact her.”

She just nodded. She had more questions but she was too tired to ask them now.

She saw Theo checking his watch. “Do you have somewhere to go to?”

Theo shook his head. “I’m actually waiting for someone.”

And as if on cue, the door to her room opened and a black-haired stranger in a leather jacket came in. His eyes immediately landed on her and his hard expression softened as he came near. “I’m afraid we haven’t been introduced. I’m Detective Morrison. I handled Jamaica’s case.”

“Handled? Past tense?”

He shrugged. “It’s practically over now, right? Our department is on the process of handing the case over to the DA. Our job is almost done.”

She looked from him to Theo and back again to Detective Morrison. “You’re not here to question me?”

He threw her a smile and said, “I’ll take your statement after I have a talk with Mr. Karlsson.”

Desiree frowned. “Why?”

No one answered her. It was as if she was there one second and then not the next because the two men stood facing each other from both sides of her bed and it was clear that they would rather be anywhere else than be in the same room yet they both knew they had no choice.

“Shall we talk somewhere else?” Detective Morrison asked Theo.

“I don’t believe that anything we discuss will affect Desiree’s recovery,” Theo said. “And I am not leaving her here on her own. The last time I did, she nearly fucking died.”

Desiree winced but kept her mouth shut.

“And you being here will not rouse suspicions. You’re visiting an attempted murder victim related to the case you’re working on,” Theo wisely added.

“Fine,” Morrison said. “Where were we the last time before you got that call and my ex-partner confessed his sins?”

Desiree frowned in confusion. Theo turned to her and explained, “I asked Kane to get his number when I saw his name in one of Vernier’s files.” When she continued to frown at him, he explained further, “And he was the one I met up with the day you got shot. We were just starting to negotiate in the restaurant above the east entrance when you called. And while I was trying to locate you, his partner—”

“ Ex-partner ,“ Morrison corrected.

“—called, saying he wanted to talk.”

“He had started to keep tabs on his sister after she resurfaced and he realized she had gone off the radar,” Morrison explained further. “He managed to confess everything in three sentences.”

“And Khaye had gone off the radar, how did you—”

“I’ve installed a GPS device in her car, her boots, her bag,” Morrison answered her unfinished question. “Thought it was to keep her safe,” he added ironically.

Desiree turned her eyes back on Theo. “And why is his name in Vernier’s files?”

“My father was killed by the Liaisons,” Morrison answered grimly, his eyes darting to Theo, full of accusation.

“And you were meeting him because?” Her eyes were still on Theo.

“While we were studying Jamaica’s case, his name came up. It sounded familiar so I went back to review Vernier’s files. And I did what I do best: I came up with a very good plan that would hit two birds with one stone.”

“Your plans against the Liaisons and Jam’s murder,” she said with wonder.

“But you went and did it all wrong and nearly got killed,” Theo added with a shake of his head.

She just glared at him and turned to Gian. “And you agreed to meet him because?”

“The same reasons,” Morrison answered with a shrug. “You guys thought the murderer is within the organization. I thought it might be you or someone you know. Having some sort of a partnership with one of the members of the Liaisons would have greatly helped the case and at that time I was desperate to get to you and find out the truth. Second reason, well, I want to fucking blow up the entire Liaisons.”

Theo had been calmly standing beside her bed as Morrison explained his side to her. “And since the murder is now out of the picture, he came here to talk about the other matter.”

“Not to agree on everything you have in mind,” Morrison corrected, giving Theo a hard stare. “I am not—”

Theo’s hands were calmly tucked in the front pocket of his trousers and he slowly circled Desiree’s bed to face Morrison. “We have more than what you can give us, Morrison. We have the files and we intend to find more in the future.”

“We only need those files to put the Liaisons down—”

Theo interrupted by saying, “They are not enough. They barely cover everything of what the Liaisons did, do and will do. What we have in our hands right now are the things that the Liaisons DID—every project, every contact in the last thirty or fifty years. What we don’t have are the files on what the organization is doing now. I don’t have access to all of them and I can tell you that it will never be me despite me being Hong’s son.”

“If you have enough files to back up everything they did in the past, it will be enough to—”

“Please, don’t prove to me that I picked a moron, Morrison,” Theo said, his voice growing stronger. “You are impatient to get into this. I just told you we still don’t have in our hands the “DO Files” as I would call them. And we very well don’t have the “WILL DO Files” which can help us determine whether what we are doing will end up in our favor or not. We have to be three to ten steps ahead of them.“

Desiree lay on her bed, awed. She had never realized Theo had carefully studied the files. He never told her about the clusters. But she had been busy solving Jamaica’s death. And it was not as if she was really part of the planning in putting his father down.

Morrison, to her amazement, nodded. “Fine. And what role do I play in this?” he asked in a rather sarcastic tone.

Theo smiled and said, “I have read your file. What convinced me to pick you was the fact that you have a personal resentment to the Liaisons to begin with. You’ve managed to put yourself in almost all of the cases the organization was involved in. You’ve studied each and every one—you’re obsessed with them, even. You have contacts in different government agencies all over the country. And I am hoping you can make more outside because the Liaisons’ network spans the entire globe. What is your role in this, you ask?” He dug his hands deeper into his pockets. “Let’s just say that it’s your job to make the weapon outside while I help you find the pieces to do so from underground.” Theo’s eyes met Morrison’s dark ones. “It means, Morrison, that you will be my own liaison.”

---

Marco hardly believed what had just happened as he drove away from the hospital.

Him playing as a liaison between Theo Karlsson and the different agencies he wished to get in touch with was almost laughable. But he had to admit that it would not be easy. He knew the Liaisons well more than anyone in the taskforce, yes. And he had connections as well. But they would not be enough. He’d have to work harder.

He had demanded to see Richard Karlsson, only to be informed that the man had been killed by his own father, just like their mother. Their mother’s death, he sort of believed. Richard Karlsson’s on the other hand, he highly doubted. In his brother’s defense though, Theo said that Richard did not personally kill his father.

In his utter disbelief though was that he had readily agreed to Karlsson’s request that his and Desiree’s name would not, in any way, be mentioned anywhere by any authorities on any media. Desiree would eventually have to come out but it would be her story to tell and the police would not utter a word against it. If he, Karlsson, as much as saw her name mentioned in the same sentence as the murder case, their deal was over and he would never have another chance to get as close as he was to the Liaisons.

Out of nowhere, Marco found himself beginning to laugh as he rolled his car down the highway. He laughed out loud until he could feel tears forming behind his eyes.

Quite a number of faces flashed in his mind: his father, Gian, Khaye, Desiree, Richard and Theo Karlsson and all the others who had made a significant mark in his life.

His laughter died down into intermittent chuckles.

He was fucking going crazy but hell, yes, he was going to do this.

And he was going to go get drunk tonight.

He’d curse the Liaisons and picture the ways he’d make them crumble to dust. He’d curse Gian for his stupidity. He’d curse Khaye for using and manipulating him to the point he considered making her a permanent point in his life. He’d curse his own fucking good and honorable self because he could.

He’d get drunk tonight.

Alone.

XL. All that Starts Well

“I can’t let you go back,” he said, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

She stayed mum, staring up the ceiling. Her head was resting on his widespread arm and his fingers were playing with her hair.

“Des, did you hear me?”

“Yes,” she whispered back.

“I can’t let you go back.”

“I heard you.”

Another long silence.

“Do you want to go back?”

Did she have to make a decision now? It had only been a month since she got shot and though her wound had healed as hoped, she’d still get a mild wrenching feeling whenever she saw it. Everything still seemed fresh.

She tried to picture herself back in her old world. No crimes, no danger and definitely no more violence.

But there would be no Jamaica either. And whatever kind of person Jamaica was before she died, she and all her remaining secrets had died with her. For Desiree, Jamaica was a friend. She may have betrayed people—planned to betray more—but she was someone to her.

If Desiree decided to go back, there would just be spotlight and empty nights alone in her bed.

Had she grown fond of the thrill of the past couple of months? Should she be judged for it? Was it wrong for her to choose something out of norm? Was it wrong for her to admit that she was okay living like this for a while until Theo and Richard’s plan was over? Would she be okay with knowing they may not live long enough to see the possibility of that happening soon?

There was no question what she felt toward Theo. If it was anomalous for her to feel that way after being forcefully dragged into this mess, she was willing to accept that. In fact, if it were a sin, she was very much willing to forgive herself for that.

“Des, do you want to go back?” he asked again.

“Can you make that happen?”

“You know I can.” Of course. Jam’s killer was now behind bars and awaiting trial. Petroff was gone, probably dead. Kane, a weird woman who happened to like her, was now in-charge of the agency. Theo could definitely make it happen.

“Will it be normal again? Just like before?”

“If you want to. But it will prove to be a challenge at first, supposing you want to go back as your old self.” She’d have to face the many inquiries that would come her way, had to make up a really good cover story for her long disappearance. People would be at her door every minute of the day.

She kept quiet, considering everything.

“I won’t stop you. But I won’t stay either.” It wasn’t a threat. She knew Theo wouldn’t settle for just half her life. He’d want to be a part of it or nothing at all.

“What if we really can’t live together after all? What if we are only good like this? In bed?”

Theo kept his eyes focused on the ceiling as he said, “I always want to hear your laughter, the genuine one, so bad. In fact, I look forward to hearing it every now and then. I want to see the future you talked about happen and live it.” He let his words sink in and he added, “If seeing a hint of a future with you, bad or good, isn’t enough, I don’t know what else is.”

“That’s probably the most romantic thing you’ve said to me. Hang on, I need to digest it because it might be the last and only one I’ll get from you.”

Theo’s chuckle vibrated in his chest. “Take all the time that you need. You know I hate being romantic.”

Her laughter slowly died. “Can’t you do it with me? Leave? Just like Richard. We can disappear. We can go build that lake house I talked about. And I’m sure you remember the bed I mentioned,” she added teasingly.

“You know I can’t do that. Not yet.”

She nodded. Of course, he had made a promise to his brother. He wouldn’t rest until his father would crumble to the ground along with his empire.

“I stay or I leave,” she uttered. “Is there a third option?”

“I’m afraid there isn’t.”

She tilted her head to look at him. “What if there is?”

He frowned down at her. “What do you mean?”

Desiree smiled. “I’ve been thinking about something.”

1 YEAR LATER

Desiree walked into the classic restaurant, just an hour after she landed in France. She took off her sunglasses, looked past the gaping Frenchmen and found what she was looking for. She beamed widely as she sashayed her way across the hardwood flooring.

“Mr. Delacroix,” she greeted the tall, lanky man flirtatiously as he bent down to give each of her cheek a peck.

“Desiree, yes? Can I call you Desiree?” he asked as he pulled out a chair for her.

“Of course. I’m sure no one will mind.”

“Good, good. How was your flight?” He took the seat adjacent to hers. Someone started to pour a glass of wine for her.

“Tiring, but good. Is everything settled for the event?” she asked.

He did not answer immediately, his eyes wandering over her. She had dressed decently in a black, square neckline dress and white pumps. She had held her long black hair into a high bun. Other than that, Desiree couldn’t find any reason why Delacroix would have such intensity in his gaze. In her mind, she regretted not wearing the collared dress shirt and black slacks.

“The event, Mr. Delacroix?”

The man blinked. “Yes. Of course. You have forwarded the sequence of events last week, yes?”

She nodded.

“Then there are no worries, Desiree! I know this will be a success. You’ve organized ten events like this for us, I hear, yes?”

“Five,” she corrected with a smile.

“Then why the frown? Let’s be happy. This is going to be a blast.”

“I’ll just go through some details with you,” she insisted and instantly saw the disappoint wash over the man’s face. “Then we can be happy,” she added and got a smile in return.

One hour later, Desiree waited outside the restaurant as the valet stopped the car in front of her. She met him halfway.

“Have a great day, Mrs. Karlsson,” he said, dropping the key in her hand.

---

Desiree entered her hotel room without locking the door. She sat on her bed and waited, thinking about the event that came to a close thirty or so minutes ago, as she played with the gold band around her ring finger.

Reporters were present earlier and though she had left the modeling career since she returned, they were still a constant bother in her life. Maybe not as much as one year ago when she finally made her first public appearance after Jamaica’s murder, but still they’d manage to worm their way to her to dig up the memories of her friend. They’d always want to ask about Khaye and if she had visited the woman in prison. They’d ask if her months under witness protection changed her mind about her change of career.

“I’ve found a new passion,” she had simply answered one reporter earlier who asked the same question.

It had successfully veered the topic away from the fake story they had created one year ago and the reporter asked, “Where is Theo now?” Desiree had thought how Theo would hate being called by his first name, considering he despised the media attention the first time he was seen with her. He had grudgingly uttered one night that he’d prefer to be addressed only as ‘Mr. Karlsson’ or ‘husband’, but never Theo.

“Business.”

“Always the businessman,” the reporter had commented.

“Always the businessman.”

The sound of the door opening stirred her back to the present. She stood up and a small smile formed on her lips.

“Do you have it?” Theo asked, shutting the door behind him and dropping his travel bag outside the closet doors. “I had the worst flight imaginable. I’m sorry I missed your event.”

“Yes, I have it. The client will be waiting for you. And you are not sorry you missed the event. You hate the attention,” she answered, approaching him. She wound her arms around his neck and ran her lips across his jaw to his ear. Having assumed Jamaica’s role as a Walker for the Liaisons while working as an event manager for Kane’s growing empire, she discovered it had its perks and excitements. “Did you lock the door?”

“Yes,” he answered, resting his hands on her hips.

“I think we have lot of time for ourselves tonight,” she said against his mouth.

“I thought there’s going to be a party?” His hands bunched her dress above her waist. “And I thought we’re coming?”

“After you meet the client,” she reminded him with a sigh as his hands splayed over her bottom.

“After I meet the client.”

Two hours later, they were dressing up. “There’s a party at my father’s place tomorrow evening.”

“For what?”

“He’s finally going to let us meet his year-old secretary .”

Desiree stopped and stared at Theo.

He was smiling. “You think we can get to him?” she asked.

“We can try. Richard’s been doing some underground work. He said he stumbled into something promising.”

“The last time I talked to him he practically bragged into my face how he loves his lifelong vacation,” she said with a scoff.

“You know he won’t leave all the work to me. He’s not here but that doesn’t mean he’s given up. And so far he’s enjoying his newfound love-hate friendship with Morrison.”

“Who is this new secretary?” she asked as she stepped into her heels.

“Alfonse Delacroix.”

For the second time, she was stupefied. “French?”

He nodded.

“Lanky guy? Fake black hair?”

A frown formed on his face as he nodded.

Desiree sat on his lap, straddling him with excitement on her face. “Darling, I think we just hit jackpot.”

Author’s Note

I can’t remember when the idea for this story popped in my head, but I remember writing down the first chapter in the airport while waiting for my flight. By that time, I haven’t yet fully constructed the whole thing. I just thought I needed to start with the first chapter (and also because the flight was delayed for two hours). And the moment I typed the first few words, I knew this will be something different. And I guess it is. 

I have always wanted to try something bolder, step out of the comfort zone (not too far from it but still close) and because of that I learned a lot. Not only about my growing writing abilities but also about myself as a writer.

The characters in this story had somehow become a big part of my everyday wanderings, especially Theo. I just love him. I hope I gave them justice and I really pray that I can get back to this work and start editing, though I highly doubt it is going to happen soon. I very rarely proof-read and edit my works because I tend to WANT to edit everything once I get started and I don’t have the time for that. So please excuse any mistakes (technical or otherwise) you may have encountered.

As for you, my dear readers, I THANK YOU. I thank those who read not only my Fantasy and Romance works. I thank those who frequently commented and voted; those who patiently waited for updates; those who learned to love my characters and this story; those who gave their time to send me a simple–and sometimes gallant–gratitude for writing this work. I couldn’t have been equally inspired as I was while writing the whole thing if not for all of you. I would also like to congratulate those who managed to successfully guess the identity of the killer. Well done!

Anyway, I hope that you will continue to support me with my other stories as I will continue to do my best to learn more and improve with each and every new one.

THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Yours,

J.D. Ruiz

---

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