Fatal Fugue (The Deadlier Sex Book 1) Read online

  Five seconds went by, and Esmerelda sat up, wondering why the cunnilingus had stopped.

  “Oh my god! What the fuck? Let him go! Let him go right now you… you bitch! I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you!” She screamed at Sasha, but Sasha didn’t move, hearing the life slowly burble out of Deputy Mason.

  At least he got to go out fucking. I might too, she thought, especially when the Latin woman pulled out a snub-nosed .38 from one of Mason’s drawers. She has no idea how to use it, Sasha decided as the woman fumbled to cock a hammer that didn’t need to be cocked. She pointed the gun at Sasha, only a few feet away. She was trembling and terrified.

  “Let him go you fucking crazy puta!”

  Okay, the dice are in my hand, fuck it, let ’em roll!

  “He will die tonight, you filthy cunt!” she spat at Esmerelda, her thick accent somehow making the words drip with even more menace. To her credit, Esmeralda responded like a badass.

  “No... you will die!” She pulled the trigger, and the room filled with a flash and a roar, and Esmerelda was flung back by the .357 mag round that had been chambered into the little gun. Then the deafening sound receded, and Sasha knew she was still alive.

  Mason was not though. His head was blown apart, brains and blood dripping down over her neck and head. Holy shit, the crazy bitch shot him instead of me. Well, there were only inches between them. Sasha shoulder rolled him off onto the floor, his body flopping violently on the ground with a thump. By now, Esmeralda was on her feet, trying to figure out what had happened, but then a dropkick from Sasha sent her flying into the drywall behind her where her head hit a corner and bounced forward. Sasha pried the gun from the now unconscious woman’s hands then shoved it deep into her mouth, undeterred by the teeth she was knocking out.

  “Someday, when I am in hell, we can relive this moment together. Until then….” Sasha pulled the trigger, her hands steady and her focus sharp as ever. The gun bucked in her hands, shattering Esmeralda's teeth as its payload blew out of the back of her skull. The woman was deader than a rat. Sasha stood, sticky blood, brains and gore all over her naked body. At last, she was free. Free for the first time since she’d come to the land of freedom. How ironic was that?

  Now I can start my new life, she thought as she stood there, shivering under the cooling wetness and bloodstains. A new life with none of this bullshit. But first… first she was going to right some wrongs. She had paid her way here and had still been turned into a slave. She intended to find every last person responsible for this treatment. If a girl wanted to be a whore, so be it, it was her damn body, but nobody, no one, should be a damn slave. Someone headed this operation, and that person was going to pay for every wrong done to Sasha and every rape she’d incurred by trusting these bastards.

  “I will kill them all,” she said to the blood stained room. Only silence answered.

  I will kill them all.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Alejandro led Hayley through his beautiful home, giving her the grand tour and history behind all the authentic decor. It was nostalgic, like a Mexican adobe villa. The plaster walls and variety of old country items warmed the interior and made it feel homey. Though it contained sleek and modern amenities, the house still held the air of a Mexican ranch. It was furnished with high-end couches, chairs and appliances, but the tile that covered the long counters and islands was traditional with its bright colors and imperfect surfaces. It was a remarkable blend of the old and the new and was kept immaculately clean considering the dusty outdoors.

  As they passed a large bay window, Hayley saw what looked like another, longer house off to the side and behind them. She wanted to question him about it, but she still hadn’t figured out if his welcome was genuine or if she should be terrified.

  Just keep on your toes.

  Alejandro pushed open a large door made of huge wood slats and bolted together with iron straps. It looked like it belonged in a castle.

  “Is this your room?”

  Alejandro hesitated then waved her in. “This is the guest room, for our most honored guests.” As soon as she entered, the door closed behind her. Alejandro backed against it.

  “There is no way out of this room, senorita.”

  A nervous flutter began in her stomach. “Should I be worried about escaping?”

  “Take your clothes off, now.” Alejandro’s eyes were hard, his words cold as steel. It lacked the furious desire she expected from someone making such demands.

  “Hell no! I’m not here as a booty call for you, Alejandro.” She tried to sound tough, but then Alejandro pulled a large pistol from behind his back.

  “Take them off, now. This will be your last warning.”

  Hayley trembled then finally decided she just didn’t have the energy to fight him. If he was going to rape her, kill her, whatever, then so be it. After the shootout earlier, she was just… done. So she stripped. She didn’t do it slowly or sexily. She whipped her clothes off, tossing them into a pile. They were shredded and dirty from the previous struggle anyway and weren’t even hers. She didn’t bother to straighten her back or tighten her belly, those things she normally did automatically when in a romantic situation. Fuck him though.

  “Turn around in a circle.”

  Hayley put her hands on her hips. “Really?”

  A flick of the pistol, though, and she complied, twirling slowly in front of him. Then, as a bonus, she raised one leg and hopped in place, then the other, mocking him with her compliance.

  Alejandro looked satisfied. Hayley didn’t know why, but he did. He replaced his pistol and took a step toward her then lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes.

  “Sit down, Madame.”

  Hayley sat back on the bed, her eyes never leaving his. The defiance and venom that brimmed to their surface might have easily been mistaken for tears by a man not as smart as Alejandro. But he was not that kind of man.

  “What do you want?”

  “I would rather not use the gun, Madame, so do not lie to me.”

  “I, uh… okay.”

  “You are not wearing a wire, and I just received a text that your sidekick out there has no transmitting equipment on him either.”

  “Of course not. We’re not cops or something.”

  “Then tell me, Madame, what in the fucking hell are you doing here?” His voice had risen a notch. “Riding to my home. My home! In the middle of the damn night! Making all of my people come out on high alert to protect the house. Babbling about secrets that no one should be hearing out loud, secrets you know better than anyone, not me! There are bullet holes in that motorcycle, and there are most certainly people looking for you. You’re a mess. My kids are right down the goddamn hall, puta. What the fuck were you thinking?”

  “I—I—kids?”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? What the hell is wrong with you? Tell me the truth, and be careful, because these words may be your last.” He sat in a chair in the corner and held the gun up to remind her of its presence.

  Hayley took several deep breaths, centering herself. The truth was all she had. “Alejandro, something happened to me, something traumatic, and I have lost my memory.”

  “Bullshit.”

  “It’s not bullshit. I woke up two days ago, and I had killed a man in Texas. I have no memory of anything. This guy Jay found me, said we were close. I’m in danger. A bunch of guys with big guns came and tried to kill us tonight, and we barely escaped. And I just don’t know what to fucking do! I swear I don’t even remember you. Jay said you might be able to help me get to a safe house that I told you about a long time ago. I don’t remember anything though, so I don’t know. Can you help me?”

  Alejandro’s face softened a little. “This is pretty unbelievable, wouldn’t you say?”

  She sighed. “Yeah, I guess I would. But it’s all I have right now. Jay knew I had a friend named Alejandro and that you helped me before. That’s why he brought me here. I’m so sorry. I did not mean to cause your famil
y trouble. I really am sorry.”

  Alejandro nodded. “You must have been close to that gringo to tell him about me, Hayley,” he said, startling her by using her first name. “You’re in a lot of trouble in Vegas. It’s been all over the circuits. You are a prized possession, dead or alive.”

  She swallowed hard.

  “Can you tell me anything about it?”

  “I will tell you what I know, and that isn’t much.” Alejandro sat next to her on the bed. She felt oddly at ease next to him, even though she was naked. He felt… comfortable.

  “You are a slave trader, Hayley. You sell sex and women to bad men all over this country, and in truth, the world. The rumor is that you took payment for a big delivery then never produced the girls. This got some dangerous men very angry. Saudis, I believe, though I can’t be certain. So they came here to confront you about this problem because you have their money, you see. No goods, no money, no girls. That’s a dangerous game to play.”

  Hayley nodded. “So this is all because someone didn’t get their women they wanted to enslave and rape?”

  A crinkle formed in Alejandro’s eyes, and he smiled. “Señora, you really don’t remember who you are at all. These women, they are not people to your clients, they are products. The products must be clean, healthy and ready to perform. You house a lot of women, ready for sex, ready for sale. If the order was big enough, you might be talking about millions of dollars you owe these Saudis.”

  “Do I have that kind of money?”

  “I’m sure you do. The Saudis are just the tip of the iceberg though.”

  She groaned.

  “Indeed. You have a lot of competition. A lot of very unsavory, cruel people who have been waiting a long time for you to slip so they can take control of the lion’s share of the sex business. I’m willing to bet that your Saudi clients and your competition are in collusion now. In short, you are fucked, right and good.”

  “Will you help us?”

  “I will help you, Hayley. Shower and sleep, and tomorrow morning I will send you on your way to safety with a vehicle and guns. You will go into hiding, in your so-called secret safe house you made me promise to never tell anyone about, and you will confront your demons. There are clothes, guns and all you need here to disappear, as you requested I keep ready at all times. You will tell no one where you have been or who you have seen. Do you understand me?”

  Hayley nodded somberly. “Thank you, Alejandro.”

  His mouth was a hard line. “Hayley, I would be careful about trusting that man you are with. I know his face. He is a killer for hire. He is dangerous and wasn’t always on your side, like he claims.”

  “Aren’t you dangerous too?”

  He let out a brief chuckle. “I am, but a family man now, chica. I live on my ranch, run a business, and take care of my children.”

  “What about their mother?” The question burned on her lips, but she felt she had to ask.

  He gave her a long look that was strange, unnerving almost, full of an intensity she could feel in the depths of her soul. He shook his head a little. “Their mother isn’t involved in their lives. It’s what she wanted.”

  With that, Alejandro left. Hayley watched him go then staggered, naked and exhausted, to an enormous shower. The filth of the day swirled down the drain mixed with blood from Jay’s wound and minor scrapes and cuts she’d received while on the run. The soap stung every bit of her skin, matching the stab of realization that her life was anything but honorable. She was the monster, not Jay, not Alejandro or those crazy gunmen trying to off her the moment she slipped up. She was the beast she feared the most, and it was no wonder she had run so far to forget who she was.

  But the steamy water only did so much. She scrubbed her body raw like it was the only way to slough off the past, with the stinging stroke of the sponge. Her body ached in all the wrong places, and she hadn’t even gotten another good fuck to relish as she nodded off the way she would’ve liked. Finishing up in the shower, she wrapped a large body towel around her bruised body. Wiping the mirror to contemplate her reflection, she didn’t see an innocent woman trying to run away from blood, death and darkness. No, there was someone else peering back at her, amused and waiting to resurface from her temporary slumber with a crazed cackle.

  I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. They all will pay for what they’ve done. I swear it.

  Hayley gasped, backing away and almost slipping on the wet tile floor. Glancing back at the mirror, all she found was her scared, wild eyes reflecting back this time. The murderous woman was gone, and there was no one else in the bathroom with her.

  I’m losing my damn mind!

  Who am I kidding? I’ve already lost it.

  Sliding into the large, comfortable yet unfamiliar bed, she wept into her wet tresses. The soft comforter warmed her body, but there was nothing and no one else there to ignite the cold within. Wiping the tears onto the pillow, she then reached over to turn off the one lamp illuminating the old Mexican decor. In the unquestioning darkness, she squeezed her eyes shut until sleep overtook her. She was tired. Tired of the violence, tired of herself.

  The funny part was that after meeting Alejandro—whose naked body now occupied her dreams in an oddly familiar way, filling her with sweet loving—she never even wondered what was happening to Jay.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Whoa, tell me that’s not for me.” Jay held up a hand when the beautiful Latina doctor named Jasmine held out a curved needle and thread. Sure he had a gash on the side of his eyebrow now from being manhandled and his cheek continued to throb and ooze with blood, but there was no way he needed stitches. She had already washed off the copious amount of clotted blood that had dripped down his brow and face. That had been torturous enough, and fresh blood was already seeping from the wounds.

  Okay, so maybe he did need stitches. Still, the needle looked like it was made for a horse’s hide.

  “Just don’t move or you’ll lose an eye, güero,” she snapped in a heavy accent. He nodded, afraid of her threat coming true. He was a badass and could chop up a body for disposal, but needles were not a strong point for him. It turned him into a wuss he didn’t care to be.

  And tattoo needles didn’t count.

  “Okay.”

  “This might sting a bit. Whatever you do, hold still.”

  He held his breath, focusing on the doctor’s pretty face as the needle entered his skin. She had shot him up with lidocaine at the site, and that had been hell to bear too, even though it had numbed the area well. The tugging and the constant clicking of the hemostat opening and closing along with the flash of the curved needle had his empty stomach in a flurry. He tried to think of something else while she worked.

  “So how do you know this Alejandro?” he asked. When moments passed and Jasmine didn’t answer, he figured she had to concentrate to work or didn’t want to answer.

  She stepped back, eyeing the wound to make sure the ends met. Then she broke the silence abruptly before starting on the gash on his cheek.

  “He helped me save my sister when she was kidnapped and brought to the states. I was a nurse back in Juarez, the murder capital of Mexico, and I helped a lot of criminals with gunshots, stabbings and other kinds of injuries for extra money. You take whatever you can get down there. My skills were in demand, and he helped me find her. In return, I work as a medic for him.”

  “I bet. That all you do for him?” He sniffed, and she glared at him, giving a hard tug at one last stitch. It stung and made his eyes water. “Ouch!”

  “I told you not to move. Now I have to redo the last stitch.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. You can never be sorry. Just do as you’re told.”

  “Yes, ma'am.” Jay smiled at her, amused. Her feistiness attracted him, and the slight blush on her tanned cheeks let him know she didn’t really care if he was moving or not and was enjoying the view too.

  He cleared his
throat. “So, Jasmine. You stay here because you owe him a debt?”

  The final click of the scissors she now held up told him she was done. She stepped back and admired her handiwork. Pleased, she replaced the tools back on the surgical tray sitting next to her and she grabbed a small packet, ripped it open and squeezed out an ointment before smearing it on his brow and cheek.

  “There. Done. I put antibiotic ointment on it so don’t touch it. In fact, I’ll put a bandage on it until you shower to keep it clean.” She slapped on two large bandages, still acting like she hadn’t heard him. She ripped off her gloves and was about to toss them away when he reached out and caught her wrist. The female guard, who’d been watching the entire thing off to one side, stepped forward. Jasmine waved her off.

  “It’s okay. I’m all right Carmen.” So that was the fine guard’s name with the luscious ass. Jay had to remember that for later. Jasmine lifted an eyebrow and motioned to her wrist. “Let go.”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  She sighed, tightening her lips. “I don’t owe anyone anything, anymore. I stay here out of choice. I live a good life here, and he pays me handsomely. Now, if you would kindly let me go, I’ll show you to your room.”

  He let go and winked at the guard, who narrowed her eyes at him. “Sounds good. I’m beat.”

  Jasmine led him out of the room, followed by Carmen. He hoped they would be joining him in the shower when they got to the room. His cock was already throbbing at the thought. Two fine Latina women to satisfy his every whim. Now that was customer service!

  “Here you go.” Jasmine showed him to a large room at the end of a hallway and out of sight from the other parts of the house. Jay walked in and examined the digs. A king-size bed with fluffy down pillows and comforter beckoned him to lie down and doze off. Lord knew he could. But first, a nice hot shower or soak in the tub would set his sore muscles right again.