Did he want to socialize with other cops? Dina was nice enough. If Miller and his cronies showed up he’d leave. He didn’t need a confrontation, especially with a dirty cop. It was something to break up the boredom. He knew most of the women she hung out with. And none interested him. He’d have to attend to see if she’d surprise him. Lord knew his life had been empty this last month.
Decision made. He drove into the garage. Brigh jumped up on him as he opened the inner door to the house.
“That’s a good girl. Did you miss me?”
Jake rubbed his hands over Brigh’s coat, than scratched her behind her ears as she licked his face. He let Brigh out the back door and waited for her to complete her business. After filling Brigh’s food and water dishes he jumped into the shower to get ready for the party.
* * * *
Kyra woke with her head between her knees. Joe was holding it down. He’d parked the car on the side of the road. Please tell me it’s a nightmare. Did he say he wanted her to dispose of a body for him?
“Are you all right?”
“No, I’m not. Are you for real?” Her curls curtained her face as she turned toward Joe to gauge his answer.
“I’m afraid I am.”
His stare bored into her skull. What was she going to do? If she said no, would they kill her? They’d have to. Her other choice was to be on her knees with the dirty, disgusting man in the corner. It hit her hard. They’d picked him on purpose. They wanted her to get rid of their body, not do the man.
Her mind whirled around as she tried to come up with an alternative solution. Joe got back in the car and pulled out in traffic. He better be taking me back.
“There’s no choice number three?” she asked, with no hope.
“I’m afraid not.”
“You set it up this way on purpose. And that fat slob—not in this lifetime. You gave me only one real choice.”
“You have two choices.”
“Yeah. If I pick the man how many times do I have to do him?”
“Until he gets tired of you.”
He can’t be serious. Once would be too many times. Not that she’d even consider it.
“You’re saying this wipes out my debt one hundred percent? That I walk away with cash. How much cash?”
She had to try to reason through the craziness. More than anything, she wished for a miracle. One to end the calamity her life had become. With more money she’d be able to provide Trevor with some stability in his life.
“You get a clean slate and one hundred thousand dollars.”
A hundred grand? For that kind of money, who did she have to burn? The governor? “When do I have to give you my answer?”
“I want your answer now, but I’ll give you until Thursday night. We’ll meet at the casino for dinner in the Whale Room again. Afterward, we’ll take another ride to discuss all aspects of the deal.” He mentioned dinner, like that alone will sway me. Joe’s a freakin’ idiot.
She inhaled a couple of times to calm herself. He’d given her time. All she had to do was come up with a counter offer. Joe pulled into the casino parking garage and she realized she had a few minutes more to ask questions.
“Why me? I’m sure there are other people who owe you more money.”
“You don’t owe me anything. You owe my bosses. Why you? It’s obvious—you have a unique job. My bosses find that and your beauty an asset. Remember, you’re the one who put yourself in this position.
“You’re small potatoes to these guys, a pawn, but right at the moment, a necessary pawn. Either take care of their Whale or take care of their body. It’s your choice.” As he parked, she watched his hand as he reached into his jacket. He pulled out an envelope and handed it to her.
“What’s this?”
“I took up some of your time tonight. My bosses want to show their generosity.” Joe dropped a thick envelope with cash sticking out of it onto her lap.
Without a word, he disparaged my character. The bastard’s treating me like a hooker. It doesn’t matter if I performed or not. Well, now I understand how Joe and his employer regard me. And all because I gamble? With force, she jerked the envelope off her lap and threw it in his face. Her body quivered with anger as she got out of his car. With her head held high, she walked away without another word. She checked her emotions and forced back the tears until she reached the safety of her vehicle. Once inside the car, her eyes erupted and the river of tears flowed. How in God’s name did she save herself from this predicament?
You did this to yourself, Kyra. Joe’s cold, unforgiving words echoed in her head.
She sat there, parked in the garage for a long time, unable to stop tears and find her mad. She pounded her hands on the steering wheel as she cried some more. She started to hiccup as the tears ran dry. She put the key in the ignition, took a deep breath before she drove away. On the dark stretch of road, her mind played back Joe’s conversation. She knew her third choice was death. Right now it was her cleanest choice. One her son might be able to live with—and not know how low she’d sunk in life.
“I’m such a loser!” she screamed.
How’d I get this low? No pride, choice or self-esteem left. Forced now to give up total control over her life if she agreed to do what they asked. I only need one big win. One win, dear God.
The dashboard clock read eight o’clock. Too early to go home. The silence gave her time to mull over Joe’s words and the deal. More than anything she wanted a drink. Where did she go on a Tuesday night? Then it hit her. Dina’s party. She’d go, Lord knew she needed to get her mind off her problems for a while.
* * * *
Kyra knocked on the door. Dina swung it open. A big smile spread over her face as she hugged her before pulling her into the apartment. Dina was a work friend. They weren’t close, but she needed human contact tonight. Kyra looked around the room and smiled. The ratio of men to women were in the women’s favor. More men meant more choices.
“I’m glad you came,” Dina said in her sing-song voice.
“Me too. I needed a night out. Thanks for inviting me.”
“I’ll get you a drink and introduce you to some people.” She leaned in and whispered, “People as in men.” Dina winked. Her infectious giggle brightened Kyra’s mood.
Kyra rolled her eyes for effect. Dina had been trying to set her up since she heard about the divorce. She studied Dina. Long black hair, beautiful black eyes, high cheekbones to die for, full lips, and a nose a little too big for her face. Otherwise, she’d have been flawless. Gracefully, Dina glided back to the bar to get her drink. Kyra watched her every movement. Dina was graceful, while Kyra was clumsy.
“I’m good, Dina. I don’t need a man in my life right now. It’s too messed up.” Why didn’t Dina understand? She’d been divorced twice. Dina always had a boyfriend.
We each have our vices. Dina’s is men—mine’s the casino. She held a genuine affection for Dina. She didn’t have a mean bone in her body, plus she was a great admin.
Dina was one of those women who always needed a man around and wished it for her friends too. Kyra didn’t. In fact, since she’d found gambling, she’d lost interest in sex.
“Divorce is confusing. What do you want to drink?” Dina jumped from one subject to the next.
“I’ll have a rum and Coke with lemon.”
Dina mixed the