Page 3 of Redemption

I turn quickly, grabbing my gun as a manilla envelope is slid under the hotel room door. When I check the peep hole, no one is there. Carefully, I slide the contents of the envelope out on the bed. Acid burns my throat as I feel the contents of my stomach heaving. It’s grotesque pictures of girls. Bonded, gaged, and, drugged. Other pictures are of their discarded bodies. On a sticky note are the words “Courtesy of The Salvatore Syndicate.”

Did I even know Roque at all? The pictures conflict with the memory of how he cherished me when I was “Blue.” But in the back of mind I remember how capable he was as a teen and then the night on campus when that guy dared to break the rules on his and Johnny’s turf.

He’s total capable and I always knew it. Maybe that’s why I always ran every time I wanted to stay in the arms of my beloved monster.

I scoop up the contents and throw them back in the envelop. I’ve seen enough. Know enough. I don’t know what he is doing with Chloe. Maybe she’s just a way he can sleep at night. He might have saved one but how many others is he personally responsible for damning. Now I know how he reached the tip so quickly, how his fortune grew so exponentially. He probably has politicians in his pocket no doubt some may be involved in what I just looked at.

I carefully check the trash bins, then use glass cleaner to wipe my prints from any surfaces I might have touched. I travel with a pair of disposable gloves. All this time I was worried about Roque and now I need to add Jack Miller to the list. I have no idea how that man managed to dig up so much shit on me, but I curse the old families in Italy for giving him everything about my life there.

I exit the hotel, keeping my head down, briskly walking to the rail system. My arm is yanked back. I turn ready to scream. “Not so fast, Romina.”

I roll my eyes. “Agent Jackass. What a surprise.”

“We can do this either the hard or easy way. You decide.”

Glancing to my left then right, I notice he came with back up. Some are undercover with the tell of earpieces. Others blatantly stare at me in their designer knock-off suits. And I know in my gut my running days have come to an end. But I got caught by the wrong wolf.

Reluctantly, I let them lead me inside an SUV with darkly tinted windows. “Where are we going?”

“Scared,” Jack taunts.

“Of your cheap polyester suit.”

“Always so full of fire. I get why he’s so fascinated.”

I don’t answer. I turn my head out the window as my mind works fast just how I’m going to rescue myself from this colossal mess.

The car parks outside a nondescript building. I get out, ignoring his hand. They put me in a windowless room. Interrogation. On the table are pictures of me from LA to Vegas. I’ve been watched. Stalked. While my eye was on a different target, theirs was on me. I sigh, closing my eyes. I’m so fucked.

“Training call girls to drug unsuspecting clients so they can empty their wallets, steal hotel access cards and clear out their rooms? You also had a nice side business making counterfeit ID’s and helping clients “start over.” Or how about the time you seduced a dealer into stealing chips and replacing them with counterfeit ones?”

“I never slept with him.”

“You’ve been busy.”

I yawn. “Cut to the chase, Jack.”

He bangs his fist on the table. “One of the men your crew drugged ended up in cardiac arrest. He had asthma and low blood pressure.”

“He shouldn’t have called for a hooker then.”

“You think you’re so innocent… the poor victim who just wanted a normal life. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, sweetheart. You are everything your father hoped you’d be. A ruthless gangster.”

“I’m nothing like my father.” My father, I shudder in silence who left marks on my skin where no one would see.

“Hand me Salvatore on a platter. I need hard evidence that will stick. You’ll be given several USB recording devices, pens that double as cameras.”

“This is some real super spy shit, Jack.” He backhands me across the mouth. I taste the copper tang of my own blood.

“I own your life. Get used to it. All it will take is one phone call and you’ll never feel daylight again.”

He leaves the room coming back with an ice pack and a coffee. In his hands are more pictures. I don’t want to look but he forces me. I had my doubts Roque was involved in trafficking women to be sex slaves until I saw the evidence myself. There he was in a circle of men looking down at women on their knees wearing nothing but bras and panties with their arms bound behind their backs.

“Do you think you can do it? After all you’ve failed your whole life to fulfill your vow. My boss thinks you can’t. My money is on you though. I’ll give you four months to find something on him we can use. If you fail—”

“I won’t.”

“Good. And don’t think of running. I’m not as dumb as he is.” Jack presses a button and two people enter the room. One is wearing gloves and goggles while holding a long needle. “Tracer chip. It’ll sting for a second. It slides right under your skin.”

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