Chapter Five
“Nat, theater one is ready to be cleaned.” I shake my head as I get back to work. All the girls I work with understand my situation and help me stay hidden as much as possible. I was lucky the day I stumbled into the theater and ran into Jason. He knew I needed help and didn’t hesitate. Over the last few years, these people have protected and cared about me. If only they all knew the truth.
Jason is the only one I’ve ever trusted with the entire truth about my life. He knows my real name and has worked very hard to keep my story in the shadows. The girls who work here only know I live a rough life. They’ve never asked for more information about the situation, but I can tell the questions are on the tip of their tongues. I honestly don’t know how I would act if they ever asked though.
I push my little cart into the first theater and breathe a sigh of relief when I notice that nobody else is inside. When I’m alone to do my job, I feel more comfortable. It’s hard to be in a crowd when you’re trying to hide from the life you were dragged into. I wonder what the customers would think if they ever knew the truth about the cleaning lady.
I’m halfway through my shift when the door to my cleaning office opens. I look up hesitantly only to find Jason standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. I feel the tears slowly starting to bubble in my eyes, but I can’t dare to look up at him as he closes the door. I’m sure that Detective Martinez told him about my sister, but I don’t want to talk about it right now. It’s too bad I know Jason won’t let me off that easily.
“What happened last night?” he asks as he steps inside, closing the door behind him.
I sigh and shake my head. “I don’t know, Jason. She stopped by before close to tell me she had a date, and it would be late. She never came home, and I was worried, so I went to the police. Something told me she wasn’t okay, and I needed to follow that instinct.” I keep my eyes cast down toward the floor.
“Mar, you know you need to tell them the truth, right?” Jason steps up beside me and tilts my head to look up at him. “You need to tell them where she works. You also need to tell them where you came from. I’ll protect you with my life, but it might be time to finally tell someone what's happening. Hayley died because of your ‘parents’,” he uses air quotes to emphasize his point, “but you don’t have to.”
I shake my head as I try to look anywhere else. Unfortunately, Jason knows I will never disrespect him by looking away when he wants my full attention. He’s like the brother I never had. “I can’t,” I whisper. “Nobody can ever find out. If they even knew I went to the police, they would come after me next. Don’t you think Detective Martinez would go after them if he knew the truth?”
“That’s the point, Mar.” Jason closes his eyes for a brief moment, taking a deep breath. “I will help you for as long as you need me to, even if it’s for the rest of our lives, but you need to tell Seb the truth. He’ll be able to help you more than I ever can. I’m not totally on the inside. You refuse to let me talk to my brother for you, so I think Seb is the next best thing. He’s worried about you, and I think he may have a little soft spot for you. Tell him where Hayley works at the very least and see how he handles that. Hayley’s death deserves to be solved just as much as you deserve your life. Let him earn your trust.”
“He thinks my name is Natalia. How do you expect him to believe the truth when the first thing I told him was a lie?” I ask.
He brushes a stray hair out of my face before placing a gentle kiss to my forehead. “Trust me when I say Seb is a good man. Give him a chance before you count him out. He may surprise you.”
Taking one step away from Jason, I sigh loudly. “Nobody wants to help a liar.” I look around the small office space Jason cleared out just for me and feel the tears stinging my eyes. “I’ve only had two people in my life try to protect me. I don’t think he’s looking to be the third. I’m just his victim’s sister, Jason. He isn’t going to be my knight in shining armor. We don’t live in a fairytale world where the man comes from out of nowhere and saves the damsel in distress.”
“Maybe you should stop reading all of those books you love so much,” Jason teases.
“That’s not the point,” I retort. “All I’m saying is those men don’t exist in the real world. There has to be something in it for them.”
Jason leans back, crossing his arms over his chest once again. “What do I get out of helping you?”
“What?” I ask in a soft voice.
“You said real men only ever help if they get something in return. So, what do I get out of helping you?”
“That’s not -,” I begin before quickly clamping my lips shut again. “That’s not what I meant.”
“It’s what you said, though. So, what do I get in return?”
“That’s not what I meant,” I whisper weakly. My voice starts to give way, and the tears fill my eyes. “You’re one in a million, Jason. That’s why I love you so much. You’re more like family to me than anyone else. You and Hayley were my family, but now she’s gone. Maybe this is God saying I deserve to be alone. Maybe this is where you leave me, too. I don’t know. What I can say is that I will work here for the rest of my life if that’s how I repay my debt to you because you already know I have nothing else to give. But this might be the part where you realize I have nothing special to offer, and you send me back to my parents. Let’s be honest, anybody can do my job.”
A soft knock comes from the office door before it slowly starts to crack open. “Natalia, it’s Detective Martinez, can we talk for a moment?”
“Yeah, sure, come in.” I wipe the tears from my eyes before turning to face him.
“I’ll give you two some privacy. Nat, we’re not done with this conversation. Also, tell him.” He looks at Detective Martinez and nods his head before walking out of the room completely, closing the door behind him.
Detective Martinez takes a confident step closer to me. “What do you need to tell me?”
“N-nothing. Jason is just being himself right now.” I close my eyes, hoping he buys what I’m saying and drops the conversation.
“So, he’s being an asshole?” he teases.
I gasp and hold my hand over my chest. “He’s never an asshole.” Detective Martinez tilts his head curiously until I start to laugh. “This time he really wasn’t being an asshole, just protective.”
“You guys are pretty close, aren’t you?” he asks.
I nod my head with a soft smile. “He’s like the brother I never had.”
“How long have you known each other?”
“Six years. I had never met him before the day I stumbled into the theater hoping for a job.” I answer honestly, assuming Jason told him earlier.
He watches my every move with dark eyes. “And you two have never been anything more?”
“Absolutely not!” I shout. “That’s kind of gross to even think about!”
His chest begins to shake as laughter bursts out of his mouth. “You might be the first woman to find him gross. I don’t think I can ever let him live this down.”
“Tease him, and I’ll kick your ass.” I narrow my eyes as he raises his hands in surrender.
“So, this is the real you?” He gestures his hand in my direction. “Fuerte, valiente y hermosa. Cualidades tan raras de encontrar en una sola mujer. Strong, brave, and beautiful. Such rare qualities to find in one woman.”
“?De qué querías hablar conmigo?” It means what did you want to talk with me about? His eyes open wide as I speak. “Were you not expecting me to speak spanish?”
“Just surprised is all. How long have you spoken it?” He leans against the same wall Jason was and crosses his arms over his chest just like he had. What the hell is going on?
I take a deep breath before speaking. “My whole life. I was adopted by the Suttons when I was six-years-old and brought to America.” Maybe if I give him little bits and pieces, he won’t be as upset when he finds out the truth.
“You weren’t born here or brought here legally, were you?” He closes his eyes for a second before locking them back on me.
I shake my head as I drop it. “No. I’m legal now, but I wasn’t when I was a child. I have all of my papers at my apartment if you would like to see them. I’m not afraid to be taken back home if that’s what this government decides, just as long as I get away from them.” I begin to panic as the words rush out of my mouth. Quit digging your hole deeper, Mariana! I internally smack myself.
“Hey, you’re not getting taken back home. Who are you trying to get away from, Natalia?” He takes a step closer to me, and my panic starts to sink deeper. “What’s going on? Are you feeling okay?”
“Stop!” I scream out. “Just stop! Please!” I begin to beg as the memories of being beaten by the hands of my adopted parents. “I didn’t tell anyone! I swear!”
“Natalia!” Detective Martinez shouts before I feel his strong arms wrap around my midsection. My legs give out as I begin to fall, but the detective's arms hold me upright. “Breathe for me, Hermosa.”
“I can’t tell you more. I.. I’m sorry. I.. I c-can’t.” I stutter as I sob into his arms.
He leans forward, pressing his lips to the side of my head. “Too late for that, Mariana. I already found out too much.” My heart drops into the pit of my stomach. How does he know my name? How does he know who I am?
Everything around me starts to haze as my world suddenly falls black. I hear Detective Martinez shouting my real name which only makes me fall deeper into the darkness. He knows the truth. He knows who I am. He knows it all.