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  Mom begged my father many nights to leave her and carry on with his life. He stood by her refusing to give up. A man in his sixties working three jobs and trying to provide fell for a bad deal from someone he thought he could trust. He was wrong. Now they had a debt they couldn’t repay and somehow, someway, I was the tradeoff. What kind of monster did that?

  “Momma, I’m going to go and do the best I can in whatever Mr. Beacon asks of me.” My stomach rolled in revolt at the thoughts of what he may require of me. “And in return, he will pay for you to have the best medical care and clear the debts. Momma, this is a chance to save your life. I’m not running from that. I won’t. So don’t ask me to. Together we’re gonna get through this.”

  The doorbell rang reminding me of back in the day when the guillotine was being lowered, and I knew my time was done. The home I’d loved would now be a memory. My life was no longer my own.

  Embracing my mother, I swallowed down all of my emotions and prepared for the battle ahead. Stepping away from my mom, she sobbed and I hurt for her, but she was out of options. It was either this, or we all died. My father working himself to the bone didn’t help. My mother still couldn’t get the care she needed to survive. And I was the one who could fix it for them. I could put their life back on track. How could I not do everything possible for her? Them? For us all?

  “I’m so sorry.” Her voice was broken, and my heart hurt for her.

  “Enough, Mom. You get better. That’s the only job you have right now. He said I can call once a month, maybe more, so I expect you to answer each and every time telling me you’re getting better and better. That’s your job, and I’ll do mine.”

  She squeezed my hand. “When you’re a mother, your job is never done.” This crushed me inside, but all I could do was hope she’d be able to let this go and attend to her health.

  “Love you, Mom. I’ll be perfectly fine.” At least I hoped so, but I wasn’t about to tell her my fears.

  One thing at a time. One step at a time.

  Pulling away, I grabbed some Kleenexes from the box and began to wipe down my face then blot my eyes. Thank goodness for waterproof mascara. I wasn’t about to let this asshole of a man see me broken in the slightest. Getting dolled up wasn’t for Mr. Beacon. No, it was for me. A shield to not let my emotions show. He didn’t get to have those. None of his people could have them either. I would wear my makeup like armor, day in and day out until my time was done.

  He might have money, but that didn’t matter to me one bit. My hate for him ran deep. He wouldn’t see my pain, discomfort, or get any part of me inside.

  Grabbing my bag, I pulled out my compact and fixed the damage from the tears, blew my nose, and inside told myself you can do this. You will do this.

  With one last hug to my mother, I opened the door coming to terms with my future, hoping like hell my father would be here so I could tell him goodbye. That was the damn deal.

  A tall man with broad shoulders, black sunglasses, cropped hair and a suit stood there with his hands clasped in front of him. Bodyguard or driver. Which I didn’t have a clue. There was no doubt that he was here for me and this was not Mr. Beacon. No, he was the exact opposite of the man I’d now be living with. I knew very little about my warden, but what I did know was he was an older man … much older, the kind of older that meant he could be my grandfather.

  Stretching around him, the man I wanted to see was nowhere in sight. I had hoped he would be with them and since I didn’t see him, my temper got me with a clipped tone.

  “Where’s my father?”

  The man stared down at me. “He’ll be here once you’re gone.”

  My head shook. “This was not the deal. I want to know my father is safe and here before I get on a plane and leave him.” The deal was I would have a chance to say goodbye to both my parents, and I would get monthly contact with my parents; under supervision of course. There would be opportunities given to me to check in on other times as well, so I had hope for more contact and communication. All I had right now was hope that Charles would follow through on his end, and I was clinging to it by the tips of my nails.

  The driver man lifted up his right arm and talked into it like he was a secret service agent or something.

  “Scott, bring him now.”

  Yeah, I felt pissed, and if I didn’t get this part of the deal hammered out now, I wouldn’t know if my father got here safely for at least a month. If Beacon couldn’t keep his word on this, then frankly the whole damn deal was doomed along with my future and my family’s. And him testing that only made the anger grow.

  Not two minutes later another shiny black car pulled up. The driver, another man in a suit, got out and went around to the passenger side and opened the door.

  My father stepped out, and I felt the smile on my lips. He was haggard and looked tired as all get out. At least now he wouldn’t have to work so much and could be home with Mom. That was the positive in all of this. I would give myself to Mr. Beacon until his end of days, if that was what it took, and in return my mother’s medical care would be covered along with one hundred percent of their living expenses and all the debt they acquired. My father would be able to be here for my mother, and we had hope for a cure and long life ahead of us all.

  “Dad.” He walked past my driver guy, and I wrapped him up in my arms.

  “I’m so sorry, my baby girl. Please don’t do this,” he whispered. “Your mother was supposed to give you what we had.”

  Knowing my father, he didn’t want me to go off, but he and I both knew there was no choice. If I didn’t, they’d be run into the ground, dead, and there was no coming back from dead. I could endure anything if I still had my family.

  “I’ve got this, Daddy. Take care of Mom. I agreed to this, and I’m going to go through with it.” I told him the truth. Beacon approached me directly after my father refused the offer, not even bothering to ask me. Dad knew I’d say yes, and he didn’t want that for me. But my father owed him money, and this was my deal. I would see it through.

  My father clutched me tight just as the clearing of a throat came. “Ms. Mitchell, bags please?” The driver man’s voice had a small hitch in it, but still held confidence.

  Turning, I let go of my dad after kissing his cheek and grabbed my one bag.

  Yes. One single bag.

  Even being gone for over a year, I left almost everything with my parents, only taking a few clothes that I could wash and a few essentials, like pads and tampons. My period was going to come a lot during my time away. I was not about to let a man in his seventies provide my feminine essentials.

  In one year’s time, I would be allowed a visit with my parents. Each year I lasted with Mr. Beacon I would earn more time with my family. Until the end of his days and then I would get my life back. This was a job. I would remain focused on the end goal and not material things left behind.

  Handing him the case, he took it with ease, stepped to the side, lifted his arm and swooped it out into the black town car waiting in my parents’ drive.

  Going with him meant this was all real and not a dream. How many nights I wished it was a dream? That I would wake up and my mother would be healthy and parents out of debt. All of this was reality, and there was no way of any of that happening.

  “Love you both,” I called back to my parents. My dad had his arm slung around my mother’s shoulders as they both cried. I’d already fixed my makeup once. That was one too many times. So I turned and walked to the car, head held high.

  My mind was numb as I went through the motions. The car ride wasn’t long, and driver man didn’t engage me in meaningless conversation which I appreciated. This was all too much, and being alone to wrap my head around things was exactly what I needed. I needed those shields to be concrete and feet thick. This drive helped shore those up.

  We pulled into the airport, but instead of going into the main entrance with the other flyers, driver man took us around to the back and through a secure gate whe
re driver man had to show something to a security officer.

  The driver pulled right up to a small jet. A private jet that I hoped with everything inside of me that Mr. Beacon was not on. I knew it was a matter of time until I had to face the man who had ripped my family apart, but that didn’t mean I was truly ready.

  Time. That was what I needed more of. Time not in his presence.

  The driver stopped, got out of the car, and opened my door. Why it couldn’t just stay locked by some magical force, I did not know. That hope was very much dashed as I looked at the man in front of me. He was stoic, giving nothing away, even impatience for my slow movements.

  Stepping out, the driver grabbed my bag from the back and led me to the plane.

  I said nothing. There was nothing to say. The man was either on the plane or not, and I’d find that answer soon enough.

  Reaching for the rail, I climbed the seven steps into the plane where there was a young female flight attendant and young female pilot there waiting to greet me as I entered.

  They were just doing their jobs and didn’t deserve my anger poised at them. Therefore, I shook their hands and smiled at them, telling them thank you. The attendant held her arm out, and I turned the corner seeing that the open floor plan of the interior of the jet was empty.

  I let out a heavy breath. Thank goodness.

  “Please have a seat and buckle your belt, Ms. Mitchell. We’ll be taking off shortly.”

  She was nice, and I needed some nice at the moment. “Am I the only one on the plane?”

  She shook her head, and my stomach dropped.

  “The man who brought you here will also be on board.”

  Great, but I had to admit it was better than Mr. Beacon. I nodded with a, “thank you” and she took off. At least driver man, security detail, whatever his job description was didn’t seem to care to engage me in any sort of conversation. I wasn’t sure I could compose an answer if he asked me anything anyway. Fear of the unknown was getting to me.

  The inside of the plane was fairly large and open. Six plush seats that looked as if they lowered all the way down into beds were in the center. Small tables were by each, and everything was a creamy buttery yellow. Even the carpet was a tone darker but still buttery. It was plush; that was the only word that would come to my clouded mind. I’d never been in a private jet before, and while this was beautiful I could do without it forever.

  The driver man got on, stowed my bag, then took a seat in the back of the plane away from me. Definitely a bodyguard. Like I was going to jump out of a moving plane or something. If at any point in time, I do not follow through with Mr. Beacon’s requests, my parents were to pay all the medical costs, debts paid, and lose everything.

  I wouldn’t do that.

  No matter what the man did to me, I was determined to see this through.

  Lift off came all too soon, and I wished there was a rewind button and my life would go down a different path. That my mother wouldn’t be sick. That my father didn’t make a deal with the devil himself. All of it. Unfortunately, this was an impossibility.

  The entire flight my nerves battled, and my heart never stopped trying to thump out of my chest. I had never even flown before, and here I was on a private jet, alone. My thoughts ran wild. Being someone’s property was never in my cards or my life plan, so to speak. Alas, it was what was dealt to me. Even when the attendant asked me if I was hungry I turned her down, knowing if I ingested something I’d puke it up.

  Two hours maybe three, I wasn’t exactly sure, and we were touching down. The pilot was smooth, and I barely felt a thing.

  Knowing I was one step closer to meeting my “boss”, I felt my pulse quicken and my palms sweat. I was dizzy and felt like an elephant was dancing a Tango on my chest. Looking out the window, water was on the left side and land on the right. Palm trees littered everywhere. And as we stopped, the airport was super small. It seemed like only private planes came here because there were no commercial planes in sight.

  This wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. When I last spoke with Mr. Beacon, he told me I’d be staying in his home with him in California. I had no idea he lived on what looked like it could be an island. Only packing one swimsuit may not cut this trip. He left me with very little information, so I had been completely unsure of what was ahead of me.

  I just figured California would mean sun. That was all I had to go on.

  This place, though, was beautiful. Unbelievably beautiful. Something that had been in my dreams to see at some point in my life. A home on the beach. And here it was. There was no way to change the circumstances and I needed to make the best of it. The beach was going to become my new best friend. At least I could find some sort of escape for myself to survive this. Anything to stay as far away from Mr. Beacon as he’d allow.

  We exited the plane and moved to a waiting car, where driver man got into the driver’s seat, and we took off after he loaded my things.

  The scenery was breathtaking. White sand and crystal clear blue water on one side and houses that looked like mansions on the other. There were a few homes out on the water, though, and they looked like they could be my home away from home. They were like huts and had decks that led out to them, looking over the ocean. Palm leaf roofs were on top and very open to the outside.

  Sleeping here must be calming with the waves and the air so clean and crisp. While beautiful, I couldn’t help but think about the reason for my attendance. Not exactly a paradise for me.

  We didn’t discuss specifics on the phone, Mr. Beacon and I. Only that I’d stay a minimum of one year and do whatever was asked of me. Should my mother need further medical care and financial assistance then I would then continue my tenure with the man; my freedom would only come when my mother was healed or Mr. Beacon deceased.

  Upon his death, I would be provided for monetarily as if I were his widow. The only assertion I had was that Mr. Beacon would not take me as his wife, in that we would not be married. However, anything—and yes, he was clear that anything—he requested of me I was to freely give.

  There were some things I drew lines under, but that didn’t mean once with Mr. Beacon he’d follow through. I figured when the time came, I would face any obstacle.

  First and foremost, I had to agree to these conditions. There was no ‘pass go and collect two-hundred dollars, get out of jail free card’ here. Come what may, whatever it may be, I would take it head on.

  The driver kept going further out, past the huge homes, past the huts in the water, past what looked like everything, and then there was nothing but sand. Another twenty minutes later, we were pulling up to something out of a fancy movie. Those mansions on the way here and those huts—not a single one touched what was ahead of me. This home was both of those wrapped up into one. It even had a long deck that led out to a mini house in the water.

  Holy hell. This was where I’d be staying?

  This had to be some kind of joke. Or maybe the joke was on me, and Mr. Beacon wanted me far away from civilization. Away from prying eyes that may think his treatment of me was unfair.

  That thought sent a chill up my spine.

  “Ma’am, we’re here,” driver man said, putting the car in park, then getting out and coming to my side. My gut twisted into knots, and as much as I wanted to pull on the door so he couldn’t open it, I didn’t because that would be showing weakness. That promise about staying strong and not showing anything was one I would follow to the letter.

  You are strong. You’ve got this.

  The door opened, and the salty air felt wonderful on my skin. This appeared to be heaven. I was afraid it was going to far too soon become my hell.

  Next I’d be on one of those Criminal Minds shows were a serial killer came to an island and took everyone out. As long as that Derek Morgan would rescue me, that would be perfect. Even though he should be with Penelope, she’d have to share.

  Pull your shit together, Enissa! You are not on some damn television show or in some
book.

  The front door opened and all the air left my lungs, my feet stopping on their own accord.

  It was absolutely not Mr. Beacon standing in worn board shorts and a tee. No, this man was in a league of his own. He had hair so dark it should be bottled and sold on a drug store rack. It was wild and unruly, framing his chiseled face. He had tattoos in a tribal design that peeked out from under the sleeves of his white shirt, carrying all the way down his arms. He had a beard that wasn’t long and overdone, but rather neatly trimmed and still filled out more than peach fuzz. The definition of the muscles of his arms and legs were something that could be featured in a fitness magazine.

  The fact that he worked for Mr. Beacon, though, had me instantly hating him.

  Welcome to Hell, Enissa, even if it looked like Heaven, this was all a mirage.

  2

  Garrett

  Standing at the door of my private getaway, I studied the woman walking toward me. She was beautiful with that fifties bombshell body with curves for days, all tits and rounded ass. Brunette hair and in the light a splash of red that shown in the warm sunlight. It reached her mid-back with waves and split down the side. Plump lips that I’d bet a million bucks would light up her face if she smiled. A complete packaged rolled into beauty headed my direction.

  She was more than I expected.

  Which was important given how far off the path I had gone.

  Just a month ago I sat in the conference room with my brothers casually reviewing business. The very conference room we met in month after month to review our business transactions. After our usual meeting was over, I asked Dane to stand back. After all, Mr. Beacon requested his services, and I was merely to be a gateway. This meant Dane made the man’s radar. Dane didn’t make anyone’s watchlist. However, I didn’t plan on setting Dane up to take the job. When this was over, none of us would catch blowback, and no one outside of our circle would dare to enter again; I would make sure of it.