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  The difference in the two agencies is ridiculous. Whereas Elegant Escorts is in a high-rise building in downtown Phoenix, Cartwright’s office is in the Encanto area. It’s an older section of Phoenix that’s seen better days. The office is next to a corner convenience store. It’s not the one my mom works at, thank God, but it’s the same chain.

  I head inside Cartwright’s office and try to keep the slimy feelings from making me puke. A secretary, who isn’t nearly as nice as Reanna, ignores me. I wait several minutes for any sign she knows I’m in front of her. The office is hot, though nothing like it is outside. I dread the types of clients I’ll get here. Not that it matters. I have no choice. Finally, I give up and speak. “Is Mr. Cartwright in?”

  The woman glares first and then stands and walks to Cartwright’s door. She sticks her head in and I hear a deep moan followed by, “Hold on a goddamn minute, woman, I’m getting my pipes serviced.”

  The woman watches whatever is happening in front of her, and I’m glad I can’t see it.

  “Right there, right there,” Cartwright’s deep voice commands until, “Awwrgh,” blares from the room. It’s the most awful sound I’ve ever heard and I’m barely successful at keeping down my toast. “What the fuck you want?” he shouts a minute later.

  “That chick is here. The one from two days ago. She wants to see you.”

  “Send her back,” he yells.

  I can’t believe this is happening or that this is the life I’ve been forced into. I walk past the secretary when she moves aside and stop dead in the doorway.

  A large naked man is curled up on the floor between Cartwright’s feet. He’s twice the size of Cartwright. Cartwright’s pants are pulled down to his knees and it doesn’t look like he has any intention of pulling them up just because I’m standing here. The sickening combination of sex and sour sweat permeates the air. They’ve been going at it on a small couch next to a large wooden desk that’s seen better days. So has the couch and God, after Cartwright’s examination of my body, he had me get dressed and sit on that very couch.

  “What the fuck do you want?” Cartwright demands as he stretches his neck and peers behind me. I look over my shoulder, but the secretary has gone back to her desk and no one is there.

  I straighten my spine and go for broke. “Umm, you said you would call me.”

  “Get the fuck out of here. You’re off limits. Gomez made that clear. I want nothing to do with him or Moon. If you come back,” he nods to the man on the floor, who is now staring at me with dark, deadly eyes, “I’ll have Trett take care of you. Go. Get the fuck out.”

  I stand there like an idiot. He’s a lunatic. I have no idea who Gomez or Moon are. What kind of a name is Moon anyway? “You’re serious?”

  “What don’t you understand about get the fuck out?” he yells and his ugly face goes apoplectic red.

  I’m desperate and this can’t be happening. “I need the money. I think you’ve confused me with someone else.” My hands shake as I hold my ground even with the death glares shooting at me. Cartwright stands and I inch back. I keep my eyes on his and refuse to look lower.

  “I’ll make this clear… Celina.”

  Fuck, he knows my real name and I only gave him Ce Ce.

  “Gomez said hands off and if I send you on a call, he’ll take care of me personally. I might not like him, but the last thing I’ll do is fuck with him. Now go.”

  I take another step back. “I don’t even know who Gomez is.” Shit, it comes out whiney, and I think I’m going to cry.

  Cartwright’s face turns from red to plum and he shouts, “Go talk to Moon’s fucking wife. You work for her. Not me.” He looks down. “Trett, take care of this bitch, but don’t leave any marks.”

  That’s all it takes. I turn and run through the front door and charge to my car. I don’t even take the time to turn on the air as I peel out of the parking lot. The tears start. Mak must be Moon’s wife. That means she knows I took another escort job with another agency. She made it clear that it was against her rules. She said that her service is discreet and clean. She sent me to a doctor for an exam and waited for the results before she officially gave me the job. Cartwright didn’t care. Mak also said that her employees and all clients would be protected with condoms. Blow jobs—covered or uncovered were my prerogative. She said if she ever heard a man stuck his cock inside my vagina or ass without a condom, I’d never get another client from her again. I also had to agree to monthly exams.

  I’m so totally fucked.

  I pull into a parking area at Encanto Park to think this through and try to control my tears so I can drive. I have little choice but to throw myself on Mak’s mercy. Not that she appeared to have much. She had kind eyes, though, and just maybe I can appeal to her softer side. I take deep breaths to calm myself. My blouse is plastered to my skin and I feel like I might pass out. I allow the cool air from the air conditioner to flow over my face until I feel normal again. I touch up my smeared makeup and splotchy red face. I place the car in drive and head to Elegant Escorts. I’ll beg on my knees if I need to.

  Chapter Nine

  Alex

  THE WORD FRUSTRATED DOESN’T begin to cover my fucking bad mood. Most of what 199Cal uncovered on Celina is a bunch of nothing. Then there’s one line on the page in front of me that turns me inside out.

  Name: Celina Joy Thomas

  DOB: 08/01/1991

  Age: 24

  Height: 5’7”

  Current Address: Information unknown

  Personal Information: Graduated Summa Cum Laude, State College, 2014

  Current Employment: Information unknown

  Previous Employment: Thrifty Joe’s Books and Music, Tempe (6 years)

  Parents: Alyce Rose and Charles Robert Thomas

  Mother: Works part time for U-Tote-Them

  Residential Address: 2601 East Caron Drive, Phoenix

  Father Current Residence: Desert Meadows In-Patient Care Facility

  *note: Father being transferred to a hospice facility within the next week

  Sibling(s): Brother – Lee Robert Thomas

  Residential Address: Information unknown

  *note: Brother has gang affiliation with Desert Crow MC (NFIA)

  *note: Brother’s juvenile record unavailable, no adult criminal record found

  Celina’s brother is with the DCMC and there’s no further information available. Why the fuck is he tied in with a white supremacist motorcycle club filled with mostly ex-cons? I have no doubt Celina’s problem is directly tied to her brother. The DCMC operates from a small town a hundred miles north of Phoenix called Peach City. The “City” part of the name is a joke. Roughly a thousand people call Peach City home. The MC’s gig is methamphetamine production and distribution. Moon watches them closely. They’re a small-time operation filled with white trash shit bags. They stay clear of Phoenix because the large local outlaw MC would tear them apart. DCMC are basically their rejects.

  No way can I bring the larger MC club into this. We keep our distance from them and they do the same. Two different worlds.

  Staring at the piece of paper fills me with anger. I change clothes in my apartment and head to the gym at the back of the house to let off steam. After turning on Pantera to put me in the right frame for a workout, I glove up and hit the speed bag. This is what I do when I need to think. I’m not sure if it’s the rat-tat-tat that syncs my brain or the steady controlled movement of my fists, but it usually helps. Not so much today. After a steady thirty minutes, I hit the treadmill and up the speed as high as I can take. My legs burn within fifteen minutes. Doesn’t matter, I’m not stopping until they go numb.

  Celina is fucking with my mind.

  With buckets of sweat dripping off me, I power down the treadmill, ready to hit the shower. The music suddenly stops blaring and I turn my head. Moon is watching me closely.

  “Something you want to talk about?” he asks. He’s not here to work out. He’s dressed in a suit and tie which is
his normal attire when he’s working. I wear a suit and tie for work too but I’m most at home in the cut off sweat pants and the running shoes I’m wearing now.

  He’s leaning against the door’s frame and I’m guessing he’s been standing there for quite some time.

  I pick up a towel and wipe my face to delay the conversation. I walk over to the weight bench and take a seat. “It’s the new escort,” I tell him.

  Very slowly, a rare smile splits Moon’s face. “I owe Madison a hundred dollar bill.”

  I can only shake my head. Women don’t get to me. But Celina has. “If you don’t mind if I take a quick shower first, I’d like a few minutes of your time.”

  “I’ll be upstairs in the library waiting.” He gives a chin lift and leaves the gym.

  Celina

  RIGHT OUT OF THE gate, I’ve broken one of Mak’s golden rules and my niece will be the one to suffer the consequences. I’m desperate and hope that bravado will carry me through my conversation with Mak. Reanna gives me a questioning look when I walk in. I know my cool breezy outfit is wrinkled and sweaty now. No matter how high I blasted the car’s air conditioning, I roasted the entire way over here. Nerves and heat do not go together.

  “Are you okay?” Reanna asks.

  I’m not okay, and there are small black dots at the corner of my vision. I stumble and Reanna is up and around her desk before I fall. Her hands feel ice cold when she takes my arm.

  “Sit down, sweetie, your face is red and I think the heat is affecting you.”

  “Please, I need to see Mak.” I straighten to my full height and will the waves of dizziness away. I need to be strong and win the coming confrontation.

  She leads me to the small sitting area on the other side of the door and sits beside me.

  “Madison went to lunch with her husband and will be back shortly.” The tears I’ve held back flood my eyes and begin rolling down my cheeks. “Let me get you some cool water. The heat does this to me once a week, sweetie.”

  This isn’t heat. It’s pure mind-numbing desperation. I can’t breathe and I lean over and place my head between my knees. I hear voices but don’t look up. There is an ocean with crashing waves going on inside my head. A warm, rough hand clasps my upper arm.

  “I’m lifting you up and carrying you into Madison’s office.”

  I don’t recognize the deep voice, but it’s gentle and soothing. I’m lifted in strong arms. I don’t open my eyes, though the smell of the man holding me unclouds my senses somewhat. I’m reminded of Alex. This isn’t Alex, though, and a small part of me is unhappy that it isn’t him picking me up while I’m so down.

  I’m placed on the couch inside Mak’s office. I figure this out because we didn’t go far and it’s her voice that offers me water.

  “Here, Celina, you need to drink this.”

  I peel my eyes open and Mak’s face is about six inches from mine. She smiles and places a bottle of water in my hand after uncapping it. I’m leaning against the arm of the sofa and I bring the plastic to my lips. I take only a small sip and then put the cool container against my cheek.

  The man standing beside her is large, good looking, and fierce. Mak sees me looking at him and makes an introduction. “Celina, this is my husband, Moon.” Before I can say anything, she stands up, gives her husband a quick kiss on the lips and tells him, “I’ve got it from here. I’ll call you later.”

  His hand possessively cups her hip as he brings her in for another quick kiss. He lifts his head, gives me a nod, and walks out.

  “I’m so sorry,” I say before taking another sip of water.

  “Can you sit up?” she asks.

  The ocean sounds and black spots are gone. She takes the water from my hand and I sit up and drop my legs to the floor. “I’m so embarrassed. Just give me a moment and I’ll leave.”

  Her sigh is not a friendly sound. She walks to her office door and opens it. Before I can stand and rush out, a giant dog walks through the door. Mak places her hand out and he licks her fingers. “Two-dogs, sit.” He sits; his face is upturned and he’s watching Mak like she’s a large T-bone steak. She leaves him and walks to a chair next to the sofa. She pulls it out a bit and takes a seat. “Now you need to go through both of us in order to leave. You are going to drink the rest of your water and then tell me what the hell is going on. Drink.”

  At the final word, the dog gives a slight growl. I tip the bottle again and finish half of the water. I lift my eyes to Mak’s. She’s not smiling, but there is concern in her gaze. My lips tremble. “I can’t. It’s too dangerous for you and your family. I’m just so sorry I put you in this position. I broke the rules.” I take a deep breath so I can get the next words out. “I knew I was breaking them after I interviewed with you. I was desperate.” An almost hysterical giggle escapes me. “I’m still desperate. I’ll do anything. Take any client. Please.”

  The concern leaves her expression and a steely glint enters her eyes. “I’m an ex-cop, Celina, and I stress the ex-cop part. My husband is not exactly who you would call an upstanding citizen. You’re working for an escort service that I run. We both know what goes on here is a very thin line of what’s legal and what is not. I can take care of myself, and if I can’t handle something, my husband has a team of badasses who will. I’m not asking you again, but if it makes it easier, start with how you’re involved with the Desert Crows.”

  I have no idea how she got their name, and I don’t know if it’s relief or terror that makes me share my burden. I start with my ex-fiancé and tell the story from the beginning. There are tears and anger while I spill my guts. Mak places tissue in my hands at some point but never interrupts me. I’m exhausted when I finally finish.

  While talking, Mak moved to the sofa and took my hand. Now her arm goes around my shoulder as I sob into the tissue she handed me. “That baby won’t be staying with the DC. Fuck the money. We’ll pay it if we need to, but I have a feeling Moon won’t feel the same way. In his eyes, only the scum of the earth mess with children.” She gives me a squeeze before standing and walking to her desk. She returns with a small pad and a pen. “Write down the name of the hotel you’re staying at and your room number. Go back there and wait for my call. You are to go nowhere until you hear from me. Do you understand?”

  The words that leave my mouth are so stupid. “I can’t let you pay that kind of money.” My niece’s eyes flash in front of me. I can. I would do anything.

  “Exactly,” Madison says. She must see the emotion in my expression. “Getting her out safely is the priority. The rest is only details that we can work out later.” She grabs my hand and pulls a bit. There’s no dizziness when I stand. “Two-dogs, heel.” The dog marches to her side and sits at her leg. She smiles again. “He’s actually very gentle as long as you’re nonaggressive.” She pats his head. “Say hello,” she tells him. He gives a short low bark and I jump. It relieves the tension somewhat.

  “I don’t know what to say.” I don’t. I’m scared and hopeful at the same time. I’m also worried that something bad will happen.

  “I have a lot to do and the thing that will help the most is knowing you’re safe and staying out of this. I promise we’ll get your niece.”

  There’s only one thing I can say now. “Thank you.”

  She opens the door and a woman I was introduced to as Jess is waiting on the other side. She’s my height with very short dark hair and dark sunglasses. She must be some kind of body builder or something because her muscles are the bulging kind that are difficult for most women to obtain. Like the first time I met her, she doesn’t smile. Reanna is behind her desk again and she gives me a relieved smile as I head to the front office door. I look over my shoulder as Jess walks into Madison’s office and the door closes behind them.

  Muscle memory gets me from point A to point B because I have little knowledge of how I got back to my motel. I walk inside, kick off my sandals, pull back the comforter, and lie down. I want to be happy that someone is helping me, b
ut all I feel is numb. I don’t know if I made the right decision. Not that I had a choice. I’m so afraid of what could happen to Kiley. I’m worried and lonely and numb.

  I close my eyes and pray.

  Chapter Ten

  Alex

  MOON LISTENED TO EVERYTHING I had on Celina. There were no jokes about my feelings for her. He didn’t tease me that it was only one afternoon in a hotel room. It was like that when he met Madison. He knew there was something worth exploring, and I guess that’s how I feel about Celina. Who the hell really knows, though? What I do know is that after I spent time with Celina, I got the best night’s sleep I can remember having in a very long time. Images of her replaced the horrific images I usually suffer from.

  Moon knows the DC is bad news. It also means bad news for us if they aren’t handled carefully. We talked for more than an hour and then Moon left to take Madison to lunch. Marcus went with him. Marcus has been pulled from another detail to help Colby shadow Moon for the foreseeable future. With Moon’s aunt, Victor Corbin, and now the DC, Moon will have a man on him at all times. Rack is partnering with Jess whether Jess and Madison like it or not.

  I have a man who may be able to shed some light on Celina’s connection to the DC, and I’m meeting him this afternoon. I spend an hour talking to the guys on duty in the security room and basically kill time. The hardest part is not making a call to Madison’s office and scheduling an appointment with Celina.

  Jose is showing me where he thinks some cameras could be added inside the house, when my cell buzzes. Moon’s name shows on the screen.

  “Gomez,” I answer.

  “I just left Madison’s office and your lady was there. She wasn’t in too good of shape.”

  “Fuck.” Rage swallows me. If fucking Cartwright or his asshole sidekick touched her, I’ll kill them slower than I normally do.