Chapter 12
They were dressed for a more casual evening and at the restaurant on time, but Vargas was running late. They sat at the table, ordered drinks, and surveyed the other diners, but after awhile it seemed as if he would be a no-show.
Sam gave the restaurant a once-over before turning to Yvette. "He's not coming, and I have to wonder why."
"Maybe he had some trouble at one of his...establishments."
Sam shook his head. "That's what he has managers for. And managers for his managers." He took a sip of his drink. "No, we got stood up for a good reason, and I'm afraid I won't like what that reason is."
"Do you think he's figured us out and plans to kill us? Ambush us right here?" Yvette's eyes widened as she tried to keep the panic at bay.
"I'm not sure. I just know that right now, I'm thinking we should get back to the hotel and call room service." He raised his arm for the waiter's attention.
"Are you ready to order now, Sir?"
"No thanks. Our other party isn't showing, so we'd like to just settle up our tab here. Sorry."
"It's quite alright, Sir. I'll be back with your bill."
After they left the restaurant, on their short trip to the limousine, Sam watched carefully around them. Yvette clung to his arm as her head swiveled casually about, and they both breathed a little easier when they got into the vehicle.
"What happened, Sam?"
"He didn't show, Mike, and I'm feeling really uneasy about it." He glanced out the tinted window. "Take us back to the hotel. We're going to hunker down for the night and hope Vargas doesn't have something up his sleeve."
"I'll hang around the hotel just in case. You know how to get in touch with me if you need me."
"Thanks, Mike." As they got out of the limo at the hotel, Sam shoved a wad of bills into his hand. "Go get yourself a nice dinner, Mikey. On the agency." He laughed. "Pearce wanted me to flash around fifty grand. I'm afraid I'm getting a little behind, and I've got a feeling this operation is wrapping up soon."
Michael counted the bills and whistled. "Our tax dollars at work. Have a good night, Sam."
"You too, Mike."
They ordered room service and ate at the dining room table in shorts and casual shirts. It was a large table, but they took up only a corner of it, their knees touching underneath, arms butting up against each other, and occasionally their lips met. They tried to forget Vargas, the deal, and the risk they'd taken to get this far. Over dessert, they planned what they would do after the operation was over.
"Let's rent a cabin in the keys, take the kids, and just spend a week away from everything. I can certainly afford it with what they're paying me for this job," Sam said before planting a kiss on her lips.
"I'd just be happy if you told them they can shove off. No more work that involves temptation." She kissed him back.
"Unless you're by my side the entire time, and then there'd be a whole different kind of..." He was interrupted by a knock on the door. His eyes flew open and he looked at her.
"Who could that be?"
"I gave the manager instructions to leave us alone tonight. Not sure who it could be."
The knock became a pounding, and a voice on the other side was muffled. Sam's gaze grew uneasy, and he picked up his sidearm from a drawer as he made his way to the door. He motioned Yvette to hide in the bedroom, but she stood by with the gun he gave her shortly after they were married.
"Who is it?"
He heard crying on the other side of the door. Fearing that it might be a trap, he proceeded with caution. Slowly, he opened the door, his gun up and ready. He saw Bella standing before him, her hair a mess, makeup streaming down her face, and her dress in disarray. She looked up at Sam and he saw the makings of a serious black eye.
"Oh my god," he whispered as he gently took her arm and pulled her inside. After taking a cautious look around the small vestibule housing the elevator and a couch, he closed and locked the door after her.
"Bella!" Yvette rushed to her, and the devastated woman crumbled even more as Yvette reached out to her and took her in her arms. "S...Charles, get her an ice pack." She led Bella down the steps and the other woman slipped, nearly taking both of them down. But Yvette kept her upright and didn't stop until they were seated on the couch in the living area.
Sam retreated to the well-stocked bar and grabbed some ice, threw it into a towel, and met them at the couch. He crouched down to their level and held out the bundle. He would have just placed it on her eye himself, but he wasn't sure how she would react.
Yvette took it and gently pressed it to her eye. Bella winced and pulled back. Yvette gave the ice back to Sam as she said, "Oh dear, I think this is more than just a black eye." She carefully probed the eye socket. "That bastard," she whispered. "It feels as if her cheek is broken." She examined Bella's face more closely and discovered that her lips were swollen and bruised. "Bella, did Vargas do this to you?"
She nodded and reached out for the ice, which she took from Sam. "It hurts...but better than without it." She sniffled and swallowed, held the ice to the side of her face, and looked at Yvette with her good eye. "Is this...the price of...freedom?"
"I'm sorry, Bella. I never meant for this to happen!"
She shook her head. "'S okay. I did...what had to be done. You were right." She let out a long sigh. "None of it was worth losing myself." She looked down at the blood on her dress. "I left everything behind, and this is all I get out of it... a ruined dress."
"You have your life, Bella. That's worth a lot more than a stupid piece of clothing," Sam said with a smile and an assuring pat on her knee as he stood. "I'm going to call Mike. We need to get her to the hospital, and make sure that Vargas never touches her again." There was rage boiling under the controlled tone of his voice, and Bella detected it.
She looked up at him with wonder. "I can't believe you. Why...why are you helping me? You're a trader in flesh, just like him. What do you want from me?"
Sam knew that if he told her the truth, he risked blowing their cover. If this was some kind of elaborate trick on Vargas's part, if he said the wrong thing, he could be sealing his and Yvette's fate. "Maybe, but I'm not a heartless animal like your boss. Don't worry, we'll help you." He pulled out his phone. "Excuse me, I'll be right back." When he was behind closed doors in the bedroom, he called Michael. "Mike, it's me, Sam. Bella just showed up here, looks like Vargas used her as a punching bag. Eve thinks her cheek is broken. I need you to get her to the hospital, and I'm going to call Pearce to make sure she has protection once she's there."
"Sam, what if this is a trap?"
"I guess we'll find that out soon enough, won't we?" He heard a commotion outside the room. "Yeah, I guess we're gonna find out right now. Just get up here as soon as you can."
"Copy that."
Sam emerged from the bedroom to find the entrance door hanging by a hinge and Vargas stood in the middle of the suite with white hot anger in his eyes. His knuckles were scraped and bloody as he pointed at Bella.
"You can't run, Bella. You belong to me!" He strode across the floor, but Sam rushed in and blocked his way. Vargas pushed against Sam, but he wouldn't budge. "Charles! You know how valuable my property is!"
Sam looked down on the man and spoke slowly, trying to control his rising temper. "She's a free woman."
"I bought her. She's mine!"
Sam's blood was boiling as he pushed Vargas away. "I think you better just leave right now and hope that Bella doesn't decide to press charges."
"She wouldn't dare!" His eyes grew wider and angrier.
"Try me," she blurted out boldly.
Vargas yelled in rage and ran himself into Sam, taking them both down. The air rushed out of Sam as his body hit the floor, but he quickly recovered and delivered a good blow to the man's head. They struggled and punches flew while the women watched. Michael ran in through the open door, hesitated for a moment as he saw the fight, and then moved in with gun drawn. Vargas was on top of Sam and hit him hard with a right to the jaw, but Michael was there with his gun pressed up against Vargas's head.
"Stop, or I'll make you stop."
Vargas's eyes turned to the man with the gun. He put his hands up in the air. Sam worked his way out from under him, grabbed Vargas's arms, and held them behind his back. "Hey Mike, you got any cuffs?"
"Right here, Sam."
"Who...who are you people?"
Michael smiled. "We're your worst nightmare, Vargas."
