Skin Dive (6 page)
CHAPTER 3
Taye ached, and
for once, it had nothing to do with Gillie. His work on the docks was backbreaking and it left him little energy for other things. But he hadn’t come straight home from his shift even though he knew she had supper waiting. One of his coworkers had tipped him to somebody who might be able to hook them up with new documents.
for once, it had nothing to do with Gillie. His work on the docks was backbreaking and it left him little energy for other things. But he hadn’t come straight home from his shift even though he knew she had supper waiting. One of his coworkers had tipped him to somebody who might be able to hook them up with new documents.
That was why after eight hours spent loading containers of God knew what, he hopped a bus to the address Rodrigo had given him. The closest stop was three blocks away, and he fought the urge to pull—draw energy from an electrical source—as he walked down Cass Ave. He passed a number of bars and liquor stores before he found the right place. Taye stared up at the block building, the cement a faded, dirty gray. In the derelict bottom floor, he saw the remnants of a grocery store; they advertised fresh produce, but all the doors and windows had iron grills across them. Half of a red and white prescription sign hinted at a defunct pharmacy.
Shit, maybe Rodrigo sent me here to get rolled.
On the second floor, where he was supposed to go, all the windowpanes were intact, a good sign, he supposed. As he’d been instructed, he circled around back and rang the bell. The intercom crackled, and then an unfriendly male voice said, “What?”
“I’ve come for a consultation. Rodrigo sent me.”
“Fucking illegals,” the guy muttered. “You probably can’t afford me. But come up.”
The heavily reinforced door buzzed, indicating it had been unlocked. Taye went in before the forger changed his mind. A dark stairwell led up and he took the stairs at a slow jog. There were three doors: one to the left, one to the right, and one at the end of the hall. He was sure it had to be the latter because like downstairs, it was new and made of metal. A camera whirred, checking him out. And then:
“Take off your coat and boots.”
He did, showing he wasn’t armed.
“Leave them in the hall and come in.”
The second door unlocked and he stepped into the man’s office. He had a lot of computer equipment, more than Taye had expected. Not that he knew shit about this business. The dude was younger than he would’ve guessed, too, no more than twenty-one, also pasty, chubby, and unkempt. His sanctum smelled of ham and cheese Hot Pockets, and he kept his hands in his lap; Taye suspected he had a hidden gun trained on his gut.
“Did you bring cash?”
A wave of embarrassment crashed over him. “Not today. Rodrigo sent me over to talk to you about that.”
The other guy swore. “I knew it. I don’t take trades, I don’t take credit, and I don’t work on the installment plan.”
“I just need to know how much and what you need from us.”
“Us?”
“Two of us need papers.”
“Just passport? Or passport, driver’s license, and birth certificates?”
Honestly he hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Probably the whole package. How much will it run?”
“For two of you, six grand. When you can pay in full, I’ll need photos, the names you want to use, desired age, date of birth, and birthplace.”
“And how long will it take?”
“Seven to ten days.” He must’ve shown surprise because the guy added, “I have to find suitable documents and clone the RFID chips, if you want to pass immigration software checks. I can get you a fake ID in twenty-four, but I figure you want more than to get into a bar.”
“Yeah, we might need to travel.”
Somewhere she can have a real life.
“Thought as much. Come back when you’re ready to do business.”
As Taye left, he realized he’d never learned the guy’s name, but it didn’t matter. Probably better that way. Working as they were, it would take several months to save that much. They were living on around nine hundred bucks, which meant they could sock away eight hundred a month, if nothing went wrong. At that rate, it would take seven and a half months to save enough for the full package. With a faint sigh, he put on his jacket and boots.
Nobody messed with him on the way home. Maybe they read in his expression that he’d like nothing more than to fuck someone up. He covered the distance from the bus stop to the apartment in a weary fog. As he entered, he thought,
At least there are no bums asleep in the lobby today.
Though he’d never admit it, eagerness lent him speed. It had been a long-ass day, and he wanted to spend an hour or two with Gillie before she went to work.
At least there are no bums asleep in the lobby today.
Though he’d never admit it, eagerness lent him speed. It had been a long-ass day, and he wanted to spend an hour or two with Gillie before she went to work.
As he stepped in, he smelled beef and rice. Too bad he couldn’t eat enough to do her cooking justice. She amazed him with what she could create out of the most basic ingredients. But his stomach hurt more than usual today; he’d been hiding the pain from Gillie from the first moment they met, determined to give her no reason to fear. He’d promised to see her safe and settled, and he would, no matter what.
“You’re home late.” She smiled, making it an observation instead of chastisement.
Gillie served a plate with plain rice covered with beef and vegetables. Some folks called the dish
picadillo
, others goulash. And he had no idea why he knew that.
picadillo
, others goulash. And he had no idea why he knew that.
He hung up his jacket and then filled her in.
“That’s a lot of money,” she said when he finished.
“We’ll be here awhile. The only alternative—”
“No. I don’t want you pulling.”
Taye didn’t tell her that his control was shaky, and they had been lucky thus far. If he ever fucked up, he’d do anything to minimize the harm to her. Even let them haul him back, if it came down to it.
Whatever it takes.
Whatever it takes.
He picked at his food until she went into the bathroom to get ready for work and then scraped most of the meal back into the pan. She enjoyed doing for him so much that he didn’t have the heart to ask her not to bother. And it made him feel good, even if he couldn’t enjoy it like a normal guy.
“Want me to walk you to work?” he asked.
“It’s still daylight. Plus I have my pepper spray and that alarm horn you got me.” The amusement in her voice said she thought he was overprotective.
But in this neighborhood, it was all he could do to let her go out alone. Ever. Each moment she was away from him, he suffered all the torments of the damned because life without Gillie Flynn wouldn’t be worth living. He wanted to lock her away in a tower like a princess, but that never worked out well. In stories, they always ran off with the first guy to spring them.
“I might stop in later for a drink.”
Shit, of course he would, after he got a little sleep; he’d gotten used to doing so in swing shifts. It was a good thing McGinty’s had a ninety-cent draft, or it’d take even longer for them to save enough for the ID packages. But Mick seemed to know he was there to keep an eye on Gillie more than drink, and he didn’t mind Taye nursing the same beer for hours.
“Then I’ll look for you when I take my break.”
Three hours after
she scrubbed up the vomit from the men’s room, Gillie went into the ladies to freshen up. There wasn’t a lot she could do before seeing Taye, but she did wash her hands twice with soap, run a comb through her red curls, and put on some lipstick. She had gotten smart about the gross cleaning jobs; now she wore an apron and took it off when she was done, so her McGinty’s shirt stayed relatively fresh.
she scrubbed up the vomit from the men’s room, Gillie went into the ladies to freshen up. There wasn’t a lot she could do before seeing Taye, but she did wash her hands twice with soap, run a comb through her red curls, and put on some lipstick. She had gotten smart about the gross cleaning jobs; now she wore an apron and took it off when she was done, so her McGinty’s shirt stayed relatively fresh.
She pushed the door open and scanned the room. The usual drunks occupied their usual stools. Mick smiled at her from behind the bar, acknowledging she was on break, and she nodded at him. Taye liked the cracked leather booth at the back, where he could sprawl and read while pretending he was going to finish his beer. In a busier pub, maybe people would’ve gotten on him about ordering more or moving on, but this tavern was never more than half full, even when the Tigers were playing. The game had been over for more than an hour, and afterward, people trickled out. It had to be close to midnight now.
When he glanced up from his book—an old Zane Grey somebody must’ve left behind—his welcoming smile made her weak in the knees. In a minute, Phyllis would bring out her usual burger and fries, but until then, she could sit and smile at him like neither of them had anyplace they’d rather be. Even if she knew better.
“Rough night?” he asked.
“No worse than usual.”
“I hate seeing you here.”
She knew that. “Things will get better. This is temporary.”
As the waitress approached, Gillie fell quiet, smiling in thanks. The other woman didn’t have to wait on her, but it was her way of saying thanks. Before she came on board, Phyllis had to do a lot of the cleaning herself.
“I keep telling myself that, too.”
“It would be worse if we weren’t together,” she said.
He studied her for a long moment in silence, and she feared he would lecture her about unreasonable expectations. And then he surprised her. “If I wasn’t with you, I wouldn’t bother.”
A frown creased her brow. “With what?”
“Anything.” That brought to mind questions but he changed the subject. “How is it you can work so hard and come out looking so beautiful?”
Her heart gave a wayward thump. Maybe he offered the compliment as a distraction, but hell, it worked, mostly because she read the sincerity in his face. He usually tried to hide any hint of attraction, fearing she’d get the wrong idea about his intentions. Tonight he smiled at her with his heart in his eyes, and it thrilled her from head to toe.
“Just lucky I guess,” she said, breathless.
“I’m the lucky one. You could’ve gone off with anyone else.”
“I couldn’t. I don’t trust anyone else.”
Something fierce and stark flashed in his sea-hued eyes, but his lashes came down to veil the look. Instead, he studied her palm, flattened on the table. Taye took her hand and pressed a kiss to her fingertips. They were rough from the work she did; he didn’t appear to notice, but she noticed the contrast between her skin and the softness of his lips. She knew him well enough to take it as thanks for her faith in him—still, a pleasurable chill rolled through her. Daringly, she grazed his lower lip with her index finger. Phantom kiss.
Their eyes locked and held. Her breath accelerated. She felt the heat of his desire as if it were a hidden flame, burning him from the inside out. For the space of four heartbeats, he let her touch him. His lips moved in another kiss, and then he drew back. Not a sharp, sudden movement, but a retreat nonetheless.
“You won’t regret believing in me,” he said softly. “You should eat.”
Well, he was right about that. Manny’s food didn’t improve once it cooled off. Gillie ate half the burger and some of the fries, with extra ketchup, while he amused her with a story about the guy who had been trying to pick up Phyllis earlier. She listened with half an ear, appreciating his company.
“Was it the guy with the red and black plaid cap?”
Taye cocked a brow. “How’d you know?”
“Eh, Steve’s not picky. Phyllis, me . . . sometimes Mick if he’s
really
drunk.”
really
drunk.”
Instead of laughing, he took on a ferocious edge. “You promised to tell me if anyone bothered you in here.”
“He’s harmless.”
“What did he do?” The lines of tension beside his mouth alerted Gillie to the fact that this wasn’t just overprotectiveness kicking in.
“Tonight? Slapped me on the ass and told me I had the freshest buns in the bakery.”
A muscle ticked beside his jaw. “This has happened before?”
“Not that exact thing. Steve can be creative.” Egging him on might not be the best idea, but it was fun. “I’d better get back to work. My fifteen are almost up.”
As she stood, he did. He stepped into her space and cupped her face in his hands. To her astonishment, he bent and kissed her. Not a sisterly kiss. Not a friendly one. The heat of his mouth kindled a sweet blaze in her belly, and she parted for him. She might’ve done it wrong the first time, but she knew better now. His tongue brushed hers, once, twice, teasing glides that curled her toes. His lips lingered on hers deliciously, endlessly, until he nipped her lower lip as he pulled back. Dizzy euphoria filled her head—God, how she wanted him.
The few patrons in the bar, including Steve, were watching with varying degrees of interest. Taye put his hand on her shoulder and said to the room, conversationally, “I’ll kill the next guy who touches her.”
Her elation died. There had been a purpose behind the show; it didn’t mean he wanted her. It meant he didn’t want anyone else to mess with her—a fine distinction, and a bit dog in the manger. With a sigh, she went back to work.
Seven months in this place, seven months of endless temptation.
She shrugged.
Still better than the alternative.
CHAPTER 4She shrugged.
Still better than the alternative.
I twas a
beautiful day, dawning pink and silver. Sand crunched beneath his feet, along with sand dollars and miscellaneous seashells. The water shone a cool and brilliant blue. In the distance, a few fishermen had already gone out to cast their nets, but they were too far away to help Nico Margolis. Caleb Dunn jabbed the barrel of the Glock between his shoulder blades; if the twat had any mental capacity at all, he’d know he was being marched down to the beach to die. People didn’t come out here at gunpoint to chat about the weather.
beautiful day, dawning pink and silver. Sand crunched beneath his feet, along with sand dollars and miscellaneous seashells. The water shone a cool and brilliant blue. In the distance, a few fishermen had already gone out to cast their nets, but they were too far away to help Nico Margolis. Caleb Dunn jabbed the barrel of the Glock between his shoulder blades; if the twat had any mental capacity at all, he’d know he was being marched down to the beach to die. People didn’t come out here at gunpoint to chat about the weather.
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