19. Amorette #2
What I didn’t need was another failed attempt these men could rub in my face. Grey had been good-natured about it all so far, and he seemed to be keeping the brothers away. Still, I didn’t want to push him too far.
Scanning the contents in the closet, there were zero options I would choose for myself and probably none that would fit.
I was a Plain Jane kind of girl. I liked dark colors, mostly black and navy, and no frill dress suits.
Although, I did lean more toward skirts to avoid the hassle of having the pants hemmed.
I looked young. Very young, which I was sure was what got me abducted in the first place. Since graduating, I’d taken to dressing older than I was so bastards would take me more seriously in the courtroom.
Whoever this Mia was, she was flashy and sultry and about four or five sizes too large. I rubbed my eyebrow as I tried to get creative. I couldn’t go to the fight in pajamas. I also couldn’t go looking like a little kid playing dress up.
If I was able to make a run for it, I’d be that much easier to spot.
Wait. There were a few items stuffed in the very back of the closet I hadn’t checked yet. Using herculean effort, I shifted the clothes to the left to reach them. On the edges of the rack, I found a few dresses that weren’t necessarily my size but only about two sizes too large instead of several.
A deep red dress with a plunging neckline. Nope. A large chest was the one thing I did have, so that was out unless I wanted to flash everyone. The other was a slinky black wrap dress. It said cocktail party instead of fight club, but it was better than gray stretchy pants.
With a strange mixture of excitement and sobriety, I got ready until I was satisfied with my appearance.
From Mia’s stash, I was able to blow dry my hair and apply some mascara and red gloss.
I didn’t bother with anything else. Using other people’s cosmetics was never advisable. Grace would have a fit at me.
The wrap dress was perfect because I could tighten it around my waist until no one would know it wasn’t mine. Now, the only issue was shoes.
Grey was waiting for me in the living room in a pair of worn faded blue jeans and a fairly tight black t-shirt. The way his shoulders and biceps bulged under the thin fabric, he exuded a lethality I didn’t often come across in Virginia.
When he looked up, he did a double-take, then let out a slow wolf whistle.
“Damn, mamí . I was keeping you before, but now, I don’t think I’ll ever let you go.” He walked over and brushed his fingertips across my waist.
“Where are we going for the fight? Is it here or…” I glanced toward the door then down at my bare feet. “Actually, I need shoes first.”
He held up a finger and went to the front door, picking up a small duffel bag. When he came back, he set it on the coffee table and unzipped it. “One of the soldier’s kid sisters is about your size. See if these fit. If not, we might have to make a stop.”
I stepped closer and took in the various pairs of shoes piled together.
Sneakers, heels, flip flops. On the bottom, there was a pair of small red heels that would look nice with this dress.
They weren’t so ridiculous that I couldn't run in them if needed as well as being classy enough for the outfit.
They were half a size bigger than what I wore. Perfect. I’d take that over too small anyway. The couch cushion depressed under me as I sat to put them on. “So, where are we going?”
“We’re heading to a small town on the central coast of Venezuela.
It’s close enough to Caracas to draw the crowds but out of the way enough that we don’t have to be quite so cautious.
” He crossed his arms, waiting patiently for me to finish and stand up.
Then he offered his arm when I joined him in the middle of the living room.
I hesitated for a brief moment, then slid my hand through the crook of his elbow. Glancing at him out of the corner of my eye, I tried to get a read on what he was thinking. He was more distracted than the other times we spoke, though he still gave me most of his attention.
Grey seemed to be in a decent mood. Not overly pumped to go to work, but not dreading it either. The most puzzling aspect of his personality was how he treated me.
“These are fights only, right?” I hedged. He’d said they detested the trafficking part of the business, but I had to be sure of what I was walking into. I needed to be prepared for what I’d see.
“Fights only. I have some low-key meetings with security and my manager about the upcoming lineup. Then the fights,” he said as we entered the hallway. We didn’t pass anyone, but that wasn’t surprising since this was the residential part of the place.
“What am I expected to do?”
He smirked as he glanced down at me. “You’re to be my shadow.”
Shaking my head, I left the conversation alone. For whatever reason, he wasn’t as forthcoming as I had hoped, and I had a feeling needling him for specifics would only entertain him rather than giving me the answers I sought.
Pushing open the door to the common area, voices assaulted me. Lots of male voices. Men were coming and going, laughing and cutting up. It appeared to be some kind of break or shift change.
At least half of the men didn’t care at all that I was there. The other half cast me curious glances and stopped whatever they were doing. A few sent me lascivious grins while trailing their gazes down my body.
Grey strolled through and pretended we were the only two people in the place.
At the large glass doors, he swung it wide open with no thought at all.
But my steps faltered as I gulped down fresh, tropical air. My eyes watered as the sunlight warmed my skin. A watery laugh bubbled up my throat to hear birds singing in the trees.
I didn’t realize how much I missed the outdoors until this moment. How dull life had become inside the apartment, but out here, everything was vivid and sharp, assaulting my senses in the best way.
Absently, I realized the door clanked shut behind us, separating us from everyone else.
“You okay there?” Amusement laced Grey’s words, and I didn’t even care that he was laughing at me right then. I’d missed being outside so much, it actually hurt my heart to experience nature. But it was a good hurt.
“Yeah…” I breathed, sucking in another lungful of the salty air. “Yeah, for the first time this week, I think I am okay.” I’d already started to get comfortable with Grey, but out here? I almost saw myself ignoring the voice inside my head that screamed for me to return to the warehouse.
For the moment, I was selfish, pushing my guilt into the dark recesses of my mind to enjoy this one moment. Surprisingly, it worked.
Shaking his head with a half-smile curling his lips, he led me down the stairs and we walked down a path leading away from the building.
I glanced back to see where I had been for the last few weeks.
Somehow, as I took in the industrial building that was both modern and imposing, I didn't lose my footing.
“We’re taking a helicopter. It’s a couple hours' flight from here and the helicopter is easier than the jet. We only use that for long-distance trips or to shove status down someone’s throat,” Grey spoke as he guided me through a lush field with tall, wiry grasses.
He didn’t seem like a man who liked to talk. He had no trouble with it, but only to get a point across. So, was he telling me these details now to put me at ease? Was he even the kind of man who would do that?
My time with Grey confused me. His normalcy and kindness were starting to blur the lines of what I thought were once so black and white.
Through the grove of palm trees, the helicopter came into view. Someone milled about the outside, maybe checking it over before we left.
The man had disappeared on the other side as we got closer, and it wasn’t until we were within five yards that the man reappeared.
It was the smirk that caught my attention first. Then the bottomless black eyes.
“Hello, Little Love. Are you ready to have some fun?”