Tsea (6 page)

Huffing loudly, I headed to the living room and grabbed my purse and shoes. “You know what? Thanks for breakfast, but I’ll head home now.”

My anger shot through my Belizean veins and lit my dark brown eyes with fire. Carlos Fuentes was the most insufferable man I had ever met. From the outside looking in, anyone could judge, but what Manuel and I had was not something that everyone could understand.

And yeah, maybe he did have a problem with faithfulness and commitment. No man was perfect! Heck, I’d seen enough “happily” married pastors, deacons, politicians, and regular old Joes stuffing bills into my panties to know that the ‘perfect’ man didn’t exist.

I wasn’t looking for a fairy tale love. Women that believed such things existed were probably the ones that had husbands visiting clubs like
Mickey’s
on the down low. Sure, Manuel had things he could work on but he’d never physically hurt me.

That was more than a lot of other girls in this business could say.

I stopped at the front door and glanced back. Apart from the large sofas, the white windows, and the television, I was alone in here. Tapping my foot against the floor, I waited a couple seconds incase Carlos was taking his sweet, slow time moving from the kitchen to the living room.

Nothing happened.

A little incensed that the annoying bartender hadn’t followed me to apologize, I stormed right back into the kitchen.

“Not that I care what you think,” – I pointed at his smug face. He glanced up from his breakfast with a bemused expression – “but Manuel loves me. Okay! And I love him!”

Carlos didn’t even flinch. “That man doesn’t respect or understand your value, Jade. And you know it. That’s not love, at least not on his part.”

“He understands my value just fine.” I barked. “He knows me better than anyone!”

“Does he?” Carlos stood and walked with determined steps toward me. His tall form seemed to fill the room. His black undershirt and gray sleeping pants did nothing to soften his impressive height or his fierce expression.

I backed up, treading slowly until my heels hit the wall.

Carlos advanced with care, “Does he know that you don’t like it when the guys try to proposition you after your sets? Or that you share your tips with girls who don’t make as much?”

I gaped, trying hard to ignore the appeal of his chocolate brown eyes and broad shoulders. “Are you… stalking me?”

“Please,” Carlos rolled his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Well, what am I supposed to think when you know so much?” I bit out, though my voice had lost a bit of its edge. He leaned down until our breaths were joining as one. My heart thumped against my ribcage like a jackhammer gone awry. I wanted to slap this man, but I also wanted to kiss him. The warring desires threatened to split me completely in half.

“You’re trying so hard to hide who you are, but I can see right through you, Jade Hunter. I told you the other night. I’ve got you figured out.”

“Yeah?” My eyes dipped to his lips before I forced them back to his eyes. “What am I going to do now?”

“Now?” He bit on his bottom lip in a seductive move that made me tremble.

I had suddenly lost my voice. All I could do was nod.

He dipped closer to my left ear. His deep voice rumbled over me as he spoke in a tone just above a whisper. “Now, you’re going to get that adorable butt of yours in my car. I’m going to drive you wherever you need to go
today
and
every
day until I’m sure you’re safe.” He drew back suddenly with only the promise of a kiss still singeing the air. I was left panting as if I’d run a marathon.

How dare Carlos tease me like that? Especially after my vehement declaration that I loved Manuel not two minutes before. Now I’d look like a woman who couldn’t stand by her man.

I glared at him, trying to cover how deeply he affected me with annoyance. “Are you always this bossy?”

“Only with the people I care about.”

I arched an eyebrow, glad that he’d said something I could exploit. “You care about me?”

There was no shame or hesitancy in his voice when he replied. “I do.” He might as well have said ‘
obviously
’
.

Took the fun right out of it.

“I’m capable of taking care of myself.”

“And I’m capable of taking care of you.” He swiped his keys from the table by the door. “Looks like we’re at an impasse.”

“Don’t you have anything else to do today?”

“Nope,” he stretched his arms over his head. “I’m completely free.”

“So no girlfriend that would be ticked off if she heard you were carting around a Mickey Girl?”

“Nope,” Carlos winked. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that you were fishing. If you wanted to know if I was single, you could have asked.” He led me out to the verandah and grinned.

“You’re full of it.” I sputtered, amazed that he’d managed to turn the conversation back to me and my totally non-existent interest in him.

“What exactly am I full of, Jade?”

Carlos was intentionally baiting me. I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a response.

He laughed. “Your lips might scrape the floor if you pout any harder.”

“Your head might explode if you can’t get a handle on that ego,” I flung my hair over my shoulder with one hand and gripped my purse with the other. “You’re so annoying.”

And he was.

His soulful brown eyes were completely irritating.

His rugged, good looks aggravated me so that I could barely breathe.

His touch, every touch, was the most vexing experience in the world.

Carlos placed his palm at the small of my back and guided me forward. A flash of awareness streaked down my spine. I felt like taking my brain out to the woodshed for a stern talking to. This was ridiculous! I loved Manuel. I’d spent two years with Manuel, pursuing Manuel, waiting for Manuel. Carlos meant nothing to me.

Right?

Stoker watched the couple. The girl had spent the night at the bartender’s place. He could only imagine the illicit affair that had occurred. Girls like Jade Hunter only knew lewdness and sexual immorality. He could only hope that the man’s soul had not been led astray by her lustful temptations.

The couple stood on the verandah, their heads ducked close together. Whatever the girl was saying appeared to amuse her partner for he smiled and seemed about ready to laugh. Were they two adults joined in matrimony, Stoker would applaud their union.

Unfortunately, she was a Jezebel, a harlot and a whore. He could not stomach the sight of her just as he could not fathom an ending more righteous than the plans he had in store.

The bartender would be a problem however.

He’d continue to watch her closely. She was
tsea,
soiled. It was fate that she meet her end by his hand.

My strange and growing attraction to the stubborn teacher pushed its way to the forefront as Carlos happily chauffeured me around that afternoon. It was hard to concentrate on anything else, even my group work. As I sat in the library, I kept reliving our deep conversations. The way he made me feel – both protected and in danger of losing my heart – was a conundrum that ran tracks through my mind.

Given that a crazy maniac was hacking people’s heads off, I would have preferred to ignore whatever unlabeled connections pulsed between us. At least until I could sort out what was real from what was imagined. It was possible that the stress of losing my friend… and Essence had rattled me. The fear of being next was messing with my head. I needed a break.

Sneaking out of my library and rounding the back was probably not my most mature moment. While darting across the quad, I saw Carlos’s vehicle in the parking lot. He was such a nice guy, despite his quirks. I knew I could depend on him but I just couldn’t deal right now. Without stopping, I ran straight for the bus stop and boarded a bus in victory. I knew exactly where to go.

Mickey’s
. It was my refuge when I was desperate.

The bus dropped me off and I walked the couple of blocks to the old shipping district. The abandoned warehouse seemed extra creepy in the waning light of the evening. The Caribbean sun sparkled over the blue horizon. Shading my eyes from the glare, I stepped through the back doors of
Mickey’s.
An hour of sunlight was still left. I was safe, as long as I got back to Carlos before nightfall.

Manuel’s car was here. I smiled. Finally, someone that I could tr-, well maybe I couldn’t
trust
him. Manuel was someone familiar. I’d take it. As my eyes acclimated to the dim interior of
Mickey’s
, I crossed through the lockers and stepped into the main hall. My pole stood tall and proud in the light straining through the shuttered windows. The place smelled like dust and Clorox.  I tried to block out the images of April that seemed ingrained in the floor.

“Manuel!” I yelled, a little freaked out.

“Jade?” He rushed out of his office and wrapped his arms around me. I returned the embrace, feeling a blanket of comfort as he squeezed me tight. “I was just about to call you.”

“You were?” I arched both eyebrows.

“Yes,” he chucked my chin. “You know you’re my number one, girl.”

I smiled at the reminder. “How are you holding up?”

He inhaled sharply and shook his head. “The media is all over this. I would like to get my hands on the idiot that called Channel Six.”

I frowned. “What about Essence’s family? Did anyone get in contact with them?”

“I don’t know,” Manuel led me to his office and lit up a cigarette. “The good news is I managed to spare
Mickey’s
from the limelight. The pop-up wasn’t registered, but it won’t take much for a reporter to link us with last night.”

“You’ve bounced back before, babe.” I nodded.

He grinned, his dark eyes glinting. “That’s why I need you, Jade. You’re always picking me up.” He set the cigarette down and advanced with hunger in his eyes. As Manuel began to kiss me, I tried to meet his passion but found that I couldn’t.

I pushed him away. “I’m sorry… I think I…”

“Jade!” Carlos’s voice interrupted my frazzled explanation.

“Is that the bartender?” Manuel frowned, pushing me aside to step out of his office. I followed on his heels. Carlos entered through the side door. When his eyes alighted on me, I saw relief blow across his expression like a wind.

“What are you doing here?” I inquired, stepping in front of Manuel.

“You weren’t answering your phone and I was worried when you didn’t come out of the library.”

“The library?” Manuel shot me a look. “This guy goes to your school now?”

“No, he was just helping me out today,” I replied.

Manuel placed a possessive arm around my waist and drew me into his chest. “Jade doesn’t need any help. She’s got me.”

“Oh,” Carlos stepped closer, “is that why you called her in to do a show when you knew there was a dangerous killer roaming around out there?”

Manuel’s face darkened. “She’s still alive, isn’t she?”

“She’s in danger! They’re all in danger, but you can’t see past your own greed to get Jade to somewhere safe.”

“She’s safe with me so pick another one!” Manuel walked threateningly toward the bartender. “I’ve seen the way you look at Jade. She’s not yours. She’s mine. You can have any other Mickey Girl, but Jade is off-limits.”

“Excuse me?” I arched an eyebrow.

Both men turned their heads to stare at me as if just realizing I was even in the room. “I’m not some plaything that you can
own
.”

“Jade,” Carlos stepped forward.

“No,” I cut him off with a wave of my hand. “You guys want a piece of meat to fight over? Go right ahead. Both of you can ‘choose another one’. I’m out.” I stalked out of
Mickey’s,
slamming the front door behind me.

Dusk was just descending on the city as I rounded the building and struck out for the highway. My feet pounded the pavement as I jogged. The sound of heavy footsteps resounded behind me and I frowned.

“Go away,” I ordered. I didn’t want to see Carlos or Manuel right now. Not after their pathetic display of ownership back there. I’d done many, many things that could be frowned upon, but I wouldn’t stand for becoming someone’s property.

Manuel wasn’t my pimp and Carlos sure wasn’t my white knight.

The footsteps persisted, drawing closer and closer as darkness shrouded the island. I whirled around, “I said go
aw-”
The rest of my words were muffled against a large hand. I felt the itchy material of a cloth against my nose before the world went dim and I fell limply into unconsciousness.