CHAPTER SEVEN
Seth
Present Day – Eleven Years Later
It was hot.
It was hot as fuck.
Fuck it was hot outside.
I always thought Vegas was called Sin City because of their motto: What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas. I knew that wasn’t the reason Vegas was referred to as Sin City, but a lot of shit goes down in Las Vegas that people don’t want to recall. They lose all their money, they hook-up with strangers, they drink until they black out or they pay for sex. But to me, it was called Sin City because the moment I stepped out of the airport, I walked into the Devil’s playground. It literally felt as though fire was burning in the wind and I was in the fucking shade.
How was I going to survive in Hell? I didn’t even know how long I’d be in the Lake of Fire. All I knew was Joss and the FBI needed my help with an undercover case she was on. Apparently, she’d requested me. Joss and I had both focused on our careers over the years, and while she went into the FBI, I’d worked my way up to detective.
The cab I grabbed at the airport pulled up to a two-story house, and after I grabbed my bag, I made my way to the door. I rang the doorbell, stood in the Netherworld for what felt like hours, and then my best friend, Joss, opened the door.
“Miss me?”
She squealed and rushed into my arms. “I’m so happy you’re here.”
We hugged for a moment and then pulled away. She still had a smile on her face. “Vegas looks good on you, kid.”
“I have so much to tell you. Get in here.” Joss waved me in. After she shut the door, a dude was coming down the stairs.
“Paul, this is Seth. Seth, this is—”
“Her fiancé,” he informed me and stuck out his hand.
I turned to Joss, shocked and not realizing I’d left Paul hanging. “Fiancé?”
He pulled Joss against his side and then kissed the top of her head. For as long as I’d known her, I’d never seen Joss with a guy. I’d only heard about her failed dates like she’d heard all about mine. For the past eleven years, no woman had felt right. It was as though a part of me was missing, and I searched, but only to come up short each time. I hadn’t even heard her voice since the night she drove away from me before I could explain the date I was on wasn’t real. I tried calling and texting Cat, but she never responded. Then one year turned into two, and two turned into five, and five turned into eleven.
“A lot has happened since I moved to Vegas,” Joss said with a smile.
“Apparently.” I laughed. “Well, let’s pop the champagne, and you two can tell me all about it before we dive into why I’m here.”
“So you’re the best friend this one has known almost her entire life?” Paul asked, nudging his elbow against Joss.
I nodded. “That would be me.”
“Well, it’s great to finally meet you. Do you like tequila? I’m more of a tequila man myself.” He chuckled.
“Yeah, anything really.”
“Do we have any tequila?” Paul asked Joss.
I wrinkled my brow and pointed to Joss. “You’re asking her?” I found it weird because I knew what alcohol was in my house. Granted I lived alone.
He rubbed the back of his neck. “I just moved in about an hour ago.”
“What? Really?” Moved in an hour ago? How long had they been engaged? “Does that explain the pictures on the floor by the door?”
Joss turned to a cabinet and pulled out a full bottle of Patrón. “Um—that kinda explains the pictures on the floor.” She laughed. “And I just bought a bottle this morning.”
“Okay. So explain.” I took a seat on a barstool at the kitchen island. “You two are really engaged?”
“Yeah, man.” Paul took the bottle from Joss and kissed the side of her head. “I got this, gorgeous.”
“Since when? I mean, you haven’t been in Vegas that long.” I watched Joss walk around the island as I spoke and then sit next to me. That was when I noticed the diamond on her finger.
“Since about an hour ago.” She smiled—again.
“What?” I asked, looking from her to Paul who was pouring us shots of the clear tequila.
“I know it’s confusing. I’m going to brief you.”
Paul gave me a weird look, and Joss turned to him. “Seth is a detective from D.C. I asked my boss to bring him on board because I trust him.”
“A cop?” Paul asked. “The FBI brings in cops to help with cases?”
“When they need them,” Joss clarified. “Maybe I should just start at the beginning.”
I chuckled. “Start somewhere. This shit ain’t makin’ sense, Jossie.” I didn’t expect to be briefed in front of her fiancé. Well, I didn’t expect her to be engaged either. And it wasn’t protocol to talk about a case in front of a civilian. Was Paul a civilian? He acted as though he knew nothing about cops or the FBI given his last question.
Joss grabbed a shot glass and threw back the tequila. No salt. No lime. Just straight tequila. Then she did it again with the glass Paul had slid in front of me. I stared in disbelief. This wasn’t the Joss I knew.
And then a thought occurred to me. Was she still undercover? Had she said yes to this guy but it wasn’t real? Wait. I’d called her Jossie. Was she going undercover as Joss or another name? Fuck, I needed to know all this before being thrown into Hell. My assignment was supposed to be given to me from her because I didn’t have time to be briefed. I got the call, packed and was on a plane in less than a day.
“Gorg—”
“It’s okay.” She took a deep breath and faced me. “Remember when I ran away at seventeen?”
I nodded and looked from her to Paul. That was a real life question. Paul slid another shot of the Patrón to me.
“I didn’t run away because I got into a fight with Cruella. I ran away because she sold my virginity. I was raped.”
“What?” I asked, causing the stool to skid on the hardwood floor as it scooted back. Growing up I’d always thought I would protect Joss no matter what. When someone said shit to her or Cat, I snapped. I was livid. But now, if this were true and she’d had her virtue stolen when she was seventeen …
I felt like a knife was in my heart, and I couldn’t breathe.
Joss took another shot of the tequila and then proceeded to tell me the truth about her mother. I paced the entire time as I listened to her explain that not only was Tony her mom’s Daddy, but she’d learned that Tony was her brother’s father and they ran a prostitution and sex trafficking ring. Yes, they. Bryce was in on it, and it all came to a head when Joss went on a date with him and then arrested him. A date with her brother. Twisted shit, I know.
The entire time she spoke, I stared at her. What Joss was telling me was unreal. I mean, I’d had a hunch that Cruella was a hooker, and now I knew for sure. It also started to make sense the way Joss had acted when she came to live with me. It took her awhile to get back to the old Joss, and she wasn’t one-hundred percent when she’d left for Vegas—even twelve years later.
“So,” I started, trying to form a sentence, “you two?” My finger went back and forth between them.
Joss smiled at Paul. “We’re real.”
“Okay but …” I hesitated again. “You’ve only been here a few months.”
“She tried to leave me, but I didn’t let her.”
Paul’s words stung. To this day I wasn’t over Cat. I’d catch myself wondering how she was doing and if she was dating or even married. That was where my job came in handy and then, of course, Facebook. You can find out a lot about someone just by going to their profile on social media. Even if it’s set to private, their profile picture tells a story. And not once in the ten or so years that I’d been randomly checking out Cat’s page had I seen a picture with a dude. I wasn’t stupid. I knew she was dating. The guys had just never made profile pic status.
“There’s more you need to know.” Joss bit her lip. “My undercover assignment was to work for a company called Saddles & Racks. They’re an escort service.”
“Okay?”
“And Paul—”
“Let’s just say I know how to fuck,” he stated.
“Paul!” Joss snapped.
“What, gorgeous? It’s true. You know it’s true.”
I was confused. “Saddles & Racks is a prostitution—”
“No, no.” Joss shook her head. “It’s an escort service. Client’s don’t pay for sex, but it’s known that—”
“Basically if the date is going good, you might as well end it getting laid while getting paid for it. I mean, not paid for sex. Shit. You know what I mean.” Paul rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Look at me, running my mouth to a cop and FBI agent.”
“So let me get this straight.” I was trying to put all the pieces together. Apparently, Paul was involved somehow, but he didn’t know all the details. “You two met while you, Joss, were working undercover. You fell in love. Now you’re engaged, and I’m here to help bring down the man that your mother let sell your virginity. But the real kicker is that the boy who’s shitty ass you used to wipe is going to be an informant to help bring down his own father so he doesn’t have to do time?”
“And my mother killed herself.”
“Wow,” I breathed and finally sat back down. “This explains all the tequila you’re drinking. But it’s cool that Paul knows all this? No offense.”
Joss smiled and looked to Paul. “When I took my brother down, Paul was there. He ended up killing two of my brother’s men. But since I’m undercover, I’ve made the decision that Paul is going to be an informant too.”
I asked, “Paul killed two men?”
At the same time, Paul asked, “I am?”
“Yes, I’ll explain. I mean, two hours ago I didn’t think you’d be here, Paul. But having the two guys in the entire world who I trust the most in the same room has made me realize that for this plan to work, I need to fully trust my partners.”
I smiled. “Partners. Just like you’ve always wanted.”
“Yeah, but I never knew I’d be taking down my own brother’s father and the man I hate the most in the world.”
“Seems like the best person to take down.” I winked.
“How am I involved? I thought you just wanted me for my body,” Paul asked, and I rolled my eyes.
“Here’s the thing. Bryce had tabs on Andi—”
“Who’s Andi?” I asked.
“My undercover name.” I nodded, silently telling her to continue. “His Bottom, Jasmine, knows me as Andi. She knows he went to meet me for lunch. What she doesn’t know is he got popped by the FBI. The story he’s going to tell is there was a random robbery at the restaurant. Two of his men were shot and killed when they got in the way. I guess Bryce knows the owner. Anyway, he’ll tell Tony and whoever that he was arrested because when he was being questioned, a cop saw that he had a gun on him and he couldn’t provide a permit for the gun or a license to carry. Nothing to do with him being a pimp.”
“I still can’t get over that little Brycie Marquez is a pimp.”
“He goes by Martinez now. Tony changed his name to reflect him as a father once the shit hit the fan with me. I guess moving across country with a kid makes you plan to bring him in on the family business. And since it’s a family business, Bryce needed his birth father’s last name.”
“Crazy shit. When do we start? What’s my job?”
Joss smiled and looked to Paul. “This is where you come in.”
He perked up. “I’m intrigued.”
She turned back to me. “You’re going undercover as a buyer, and Paul is going to be your bodyguard.”
“What?” I laughed. “No offense again, but how is an ex-gigolo going to protect me?” Paul was a built dude, but that didn’t mean he knew how to fight or use a weapon. Killing two men could have been a mistake.
“I’m ex-Army,” Paul stated. “And no offense, but I’ve probably killed more people than you.”
“Boys,” Joss cut in. “No need to have a pissing contest over who’s killed the most men. The fact of the matter is you both know how to protect and serve. I also trust both of you with my life. So if you two can put your dicks away, you’ll realize my plan is solid.”
I’d never heard Joss talk like that before. Maybe this Paul guy was good for her—toughing her up. Whatever it was, she was right. We had other things to worry about.
I just hoped we’d all survive.