28. Twenty-eight

Joey

The bed is empty when I first open my eyes and it takes a few minutes for me to sit up on the edge of the mattress. I rub the sleep from my eyes and follow the sound of the running shower.

The bathroom is filled with steam coming from the hot water running on the other side of the glass door. I step inside, quietly closing the door behind me. Carlos is facing the wall, lathering his body with the suds from the soap.

"Morning," I say, causing him to jump where he stands.

He spins around with large, round eyes. "Morning, Little One. Ready for the day?"

"More than I"ll ever be. Where"s Izzy?"

"Out putting up the first flag. Meeting an old friend for lunch."

"So it begins then." I rub my eyes. "I can"t believe I slept that long."

"I can after everything you"ve been through."

"When will I stop being so damn tired?"

He strokes my cheek with the bed of his thumb. "Everything will get better with time. You have Isaiah there to help you through it and he"s the best man for the job."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do I have you too?"

"If that"s what you want. It doesn"t have to be permanent. I don"t want either one of you to ever feel obligated to stay longer than you have to."

His lips twist. "I told you both what I wanted this morning."

"Remind me again."

"I said I wanted it all. You, Isaiah…us." He kisses my lips. "It"s too soon to tell what will happen in the future, but we"ll never know unless we give it a chance. Isaiah loves you and I love him. It"s possible I could fall for you too and in time maybe you could fall for me."

"I don"t think I need that much time," I say, pressing my forehead to his. "We can take it one day at a time and see where each one brings us." I smile, holding his face in my hands under the hot pouring water. Hopefully it will bring us to the same place it did yesterday and this morning.

We finish getting clean, taking turns washing each other"s bodies, both too tired to have our shower go beyond getting each other clean. My phone rings as I reach the guest room, still trying to get myself dry with the large, white towel that smells like Carlos. Everything in this house has his scent on it and soon it will have ours too. Isaiah"s voice comes on the other line when I answer the phone.

"Hola?"

"One step closer, Roo. The bait has been taken and I am being followed. Time for me to lead the asshole to the wrong house. He will soon wish he went the other way."

"Do you think it"s Veronica"s men?"

"We will know soon. Hopefully this one talks. The guy Mateo found at one of the family clubs this morning has failed to keep his mouth shut. Let"s see if we can get this one to sing."

"Be safe and come back home to me. To us."

"I always do. I"ll see you when I see you, Roo."

Carlos stands in the doorway of the guest room, with his head tilted. "Everything okay?"

"Not yet, but we may be getting closer."

"Until then how about we order some food?"

"I think I want to go to the mall."

His eyes narrow in on me. "I"m not sure that"s the best idea."

"Neither is keeping me cooped up in this house for too long. We can"t hide forever."

He straightens his back, tugging on the waistline of his pants. "You know what? You"re right. Let"s go shopping and maybe you should even take me to Veronica"s favorite store."

My lips curve up into a smile. "I think I"ll do just that."

"I was being sarcastic," he says furrowing his brows.

"I"ll meet you at the door in twenty minutes and you should probably wear something that doesn"t outline your cock."

He laughs, shaking his head. "You"re beginning to be a bigger pain in the ass than your husband."

"It is a favorite pastime of ours," I say with a wink.

"Mhm...listen, we eat then you get to go to one store and that"s it."

"One store is more than enough. I should find everything I need there."

"You now have fifteen minutes. Dress quickly, Little One."

I meet him in the living room a minute earlier than he asks me to. I"m dressed in a pair of dark jeans, a black shirt, and a navy sports coat. It's good to be back in my clothes again. As good as Carlos's clothes smell, I don"t need them falling off me in public. That"s a show which should only take place at home. There"s that word again, home.

"Looking like your own self again," Carlos says, tugging on his black leather jacket. Coming off like a wet dream with his white V-neck and perfectly fitted light blue jeans. Isaiah knew how to make any suit look good on any given day, but this particular look is made solely for Carlos. The casual wear fits his personality better and the comfort it offers him is apparent on his face. He's stiff in every suit he puts on, but in these clothes, he holds himself with more confidence.

"I could say the same about you."

"It is easier to move in these clothes than a thick, constricting suit."

"It"s even easier to move around with no clothes on at all," I say, running my hand down the center of his body.

He shoves my hand away, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Kanga. Let"s get this over with."

"It"s Roo."

"Come again?" he asks, pulling me out the door.

"The nickname Isaiah calls me. It"s Roo."

"Same difference," he says, making his way into the driver"s side.

I slide in right beside him, sitting up straight against the seat. "It"s weird going anywhere without my guards."

He scoffs. "I"m one person and I"ve done a hell of a lot better at keeping you safe than the last three combined. You don"t need a guard with me." The engine purrs as he starts the car.

I turn on the radio to drown out the silence. It"s a long drive to the mall and I keep my eyes peeled on the road the whole time, searching for any suspicious cars. Every time someone drives too closely behind us or glances our way, I jolt up in my seat. Carlos rests his hand on my knee, smiling softly at me and I"m able to lean back into my seat again.

The mall is as crowded as the parking lot is full. I walk right beside Carlos the whole time, making sure a part of us is always touching. Then a warm hand wraps around mine and Carlos presses a kiss to my ear. "Easy does it, Little One. You"re okay."

I suck in a breath, hating how much I"m letting my paranoia get the better of me. I was never this fidgety before, not even after the abuse I'd experienced from my father or after several men had tried to have me killed, but something about that place stole something from me. I"ve never been so eager to get something back before. I left a part of me in that horrid place and I refuse to be connected to it any longer. "We have to kill them all. I want them all dead. I want that place destroyed. The whole fucking building."

He squeezes my hand. "All in good time. For now, how about we go shopping?"

I nod, letting him pull me through one of the passageways of the outdoor mall. The sun is slowly disappearing behind the clouds and the sky is gray above us. I close my eyes for a few seconds, taking in the earthy smell that permeates the air. Something about the combination of the scent and warmth of Carlos' hand calms me.

Carlos glances my way while pulling me through the shopping center. He smiles as if he can feel the tension falling off my body. "Feeling better?" Carlos asks, tickling my ear with his words coming off as low as a whisper.

I nod, smiling. "Yeah, I'm okay." I point to a store a few shops down, tugging him toward it. "Let"s go there."

"You don't want to eat in the food court first?"

"We can pick something up on the way back home, I'm sure Izzy will be hungry when he gets home. Then we can all eat together."

"If that's what you want. There's nothing wrong with eating twice either," he says as he enters the store closely behind me still holding my hand.

I pull him back beside me once we"re surrounded by several racks of lingerie. "This won't take long." I run my fingers through the lace panties laying on a table, grabbing a few different styles in various colors. Carlos watches me with attentive eyes and doesn't say anything the whole time I shop.

Once I have too much to carry and Carlos is having to catch things spilling from my hands, he guides me toward the fitting room. "I think you probably have one of everything in the store at this point," he says with a chuckle.

I roll my eyes, and hand my stuff to a saleswoman standing inside the fitting room. "I'd like to try these on please."

"Of course, right this way, sir," she asks with no judgment in her eyes. People are starting to be more accepting in places like this and she would be dumb to pass up on a customer with the amount of clothing I have in my hands.

The fitting room is spacious with a cushioned bench and large mirror. When the sales associate closes the door behind her, Carlos sits down and holds up a blue lace top. "I think this will be my favorite part of this whole shopping experience."

My pants slide down my body easily when I pop the button and shimmy my hips. I kick off my shoes and step out of my jeans while pulling off the rest of my clothes. "So you"re saying I should try the blue one first?"

"Or you can stay as you are," he says, yanking me toward him. His hands are warm as he grips my hips in a strong grasp. Before I can be overtaken by the heat escalating up my body, I push him away laughing.

"Pretty sure the point of coming into a fitting room is to try things on and it"s hard to do that with another person attached to me." I slip the blue ensemble over my head, straightening out the sheer material against my skin. I twirl around between Carlos and the mirror with my lips pursed together and my bottom half completely bare. "What do you think?"

"I think you forgot something," he says, holding up a pair of matching lace panties with the top part of his finger. "Allow me." He holds them up in front of him, low enough for me to step into. As soon as I slip my second leg inside, he slowly pulls them up my body and brushes my thighs with his fingers. "Yeah, the blue is definitely a keeper." He traces a line above the top part of my panties while licking his lips. "Maybe we should try on the rest at home." His fingers trail down the center of my body, lightly brushing over my hardening cock.

A knock on the fitting room door has us pulling apart. "Is everything working out okay?" the lady from before asks.

"We"re fine, thanks," Carlos responds after I take too long to say similar words. I relax where I stand when her footsteps become distant. My heart rate slows down as I rest my hand over my chest breathing in and out slowly the way I used to do when I was growing up in a home I had never felt safe in.

Carlos stands up and pulls me in his arms. "It"s okay, Little one. You"re okay. It was only the sales associate. I"m right here."

Inhaling his warm masculine scent, I bury my face into his chest. "I think I want to try the next one on now."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I say, slowly taking a step back. "I"m sure. I don"t want to go home yet. It"s nice being out again."

He releases a long sigh. "Okay, baby. We can stay a little longer."

The term of endearment has my heart fluttering in my chest. He sits back down, glancing up at me with a forced smile and wary eyes. I try on a few more things, posing each time and having to constantly swat Carlos" hands away. He pulls out his phone when I put on the pink lace romper with a deep v neckline and scallop trimming at the bottom. "Isaiah wants me to let you know this one"s his favorite."

Tossing my head back, I laugh. "He hasn"t even seen the rest yet."

"Sometimes there"s no need and I have to agree with him. We will be taking one of those home in every color."

I laugh again and a loud bang has me jolting where I stand. "What was that?"

Someone screams and Carlos stands up with alarmed eyes, placing his hand on his gun. "Our cue to get the hell out of here, get your clothes on quickly and don"t come out until I say it"s safe to."

"You can"t be seriously thinking about leaving me here."

He cups my jaw with his fingers. "I"ll be back, I promise."

Carlos slips out of the fitting room before I can finish getting dressed. I pull my clothes over the romper, not having time to take it off first. There are a few gun shots and more sounds of distress. I stare at the shaking door, itching to shove it open. The person I was before would have ran out after Carlos the moment he left the fitting room. I wouldn"t have been standing on shaking legs with my pulse skyrocketing, waiting for someone to tell me it"s clear.

The person in the mirror hasn"t changed and I appear to be the same man I was two weeks ago. Desperately needing to be the man reflecting back on me, I turn around and shove the door open. I reach for my gun inside my vest with my eyes circling the dressing area.

All the noise is coming from outside, but I can"t see anything from where I am. I slowly move against the wall, not to stand out too much. The shop is empty except for the frightened lady huddled in a corner with her hands over her eyes, muttering something in Spanish. More of the store comes into view and Carlos is standing behind a man with a knife to his neck. Blood puddles around his shoes and there is a lifeless body laying a few inches away from him. "We need to go now," he says, glancing my way with sharp dark eyes.

I turn to the only clerk in the store and she peeks between her spread fingers. "What is happening?" she asks with shaking words.

"Is there a way out of here?" I ask, rushing to close and lock the shop"s doors. Men in security uniforms are heading our way and an alarm sounds up above as I pull the curtains down.

She nods with her lips trembling and points to a door in the back left corner. "There"s an exit through that door next to the break room. Please don"t hurt me."

I set a few hundred dollar bills on the counter. "For the outfit I"m wearing. Thank you for all your help."

I rush out the back door close behind Carlos. "Move," he yells, elbowing the man in the back. "You"re coming with us."

We walk out the emergency exit sounding off another alarm and everything seems normal in the parking lot. No one is running or screaming and there are fewer cars than before. The closer we get to the car, the louder the sirens become. Why here? Why would they come after us in a public place knowing the disturbance would alert cops?

Carlos shoves the man in the back seat and climbs in beside him, pointing a gun to his head. "You"re going to drive us home, Roo. Make sure there"s no one following us and if they do, they will be very sorry they ever did."

As I slide into the driver"s seat, putting the key in the ignition, a man jumps in front of my car with a gun in his hand. "Get the fuck out of the car with your hands up."

It takes me a few seconds to realize the man is wearing a cop uniform. I shake my head, shifting the gear to drive. "I"m staying right where I am," I scream through the glass.

He bangs his hand on the hood, shaking his gun at me. "I said get out of the car or there will be more problems waiting for you later."

Carlos rolls down the window just a sliver. "I think you should be the one to move if you don"t want me to put a bullet in this man"s head."

"Do what you want with him. He"s no concern of mine. Only you are."

"I"ve come too damn far to end up in a jail cell before receiving full justice," I say. "Get out of the way or I"ll run your ass over."

He grins. "I think it"s funny you think you"re going to jail. That would be much too good for you. I"m taking you two to a much worse place than that and once my boss has you, you will wish you were already dead."

Of course the cop works for Santana and my guess is the ones on their way now do as well. "I warned you," I yell before stepping off the brake and hitting the gas. The man jumps out of the way at the last minute and a few bullets hit the back window, shattering the glass.

I drive faster, and don"t look back until I"m out of the parking lot. We take a few backroads until we are the only car for miles and I pull onto the street that takes us back to Carlos" house, back to the place that is slowly feeling more like home each day I"m there. "There"s no one behind us, Little one. Keep going."

I don"t slow down until we are pulling into the garage. Carlos drags the man out of the car and shoves him inside the house. Isaiah still isn"t home and my stomach shifts at his absence.

"Where"s Isaiah?" Panic rises inside when I glance at the clock on the wall. It"s already four p.m. and Isaiah had promised to be back two hours ago. "He"s never late," I add.

"He"s probably on his way. I"m sure he"s fine." Carlos shoves the man on the floor face forward and sends a sharp kick in the side of the man"s stomach.

The man laughs into the wooden floor. "I highly doubt that. When was the last time you spoke with him? He"s probably choking on his own blood as we speak."

My skin burns hot and I inch closer to the man on the floor, crushing his fingers between my boot and the floor. He screams, slamming his face forward. "For your family"s sake, I hope you"re wrong." I wasn"t one to usually go after someone else"s family, but all morality went out the window the moment he threatened my husband.