Tony: Alvarez Security Series (27 page)

All thoughts of being angry flew out of her head as his kiss took on a life-force of its own. Tongues tangling, hands exploring, she allowed him to ravage her mouth in expectation of him ravaging other parts of her body.

His mind was going in the same direction, so he broke the kiss to scoop her up and toss her over his shoulder. She smacked his back but his hand came down hard on her ass, quieting her. He took the stairs two at a time, rubbing where he had spanked.

Giggling as she dangled over his shoulder, she could not help but give a little wave toward the camera as they disappeared up the stairs.

A
fter a late
morning round of amazing sex, Sherrie found herself driving to Betina’s house for another visit after Tony left to go back to work.

After an enthusiastic hug from Betina, they settled at the kitchen table. Her mother bustled around as though afraid to leave them alone, finally moving to the other room after serving them tea.

“How’s school?” she asked the young teen, hoping to put her at ease. Betina was always more relaxed when they saw each other without anyone else around.
Does her mother make her nervous?

“It’s fine. I’ve made up all of the work I missed when I was out for a few days before going to the foster home. My teachers told me my grades are back to where they should be.”

“I talked to your English teacher and your art teacher the other day. They have nothing but good things to say about you.”

Betina smiled shyly, the pride shining in her eyes as she tried to contain her pleasure at the compliment.

“In fact, your art teacher told me that if you keep up the good work, she thinks you could get a scholarship to an art college if you wanted.”

The girl’s eyes grew wide, shining with tears as she clutched Sherrie’s hand. “That would be such a dream.”

Giving her hand a squeeze, Sherrie asked if she had any new drawings. Nodding, Betina jumped up from the table and ran back to her room. Marcella came in from the living room, obviously having heard the conversation, and she asked, “Do you think she could go to college?”

“I don’t see why not. She can apply for financial aid and with scholarships, should be able to cover the costs. It would be a way for her to have a good paying job.”

Marcella seemed to waiver, her eyes darting toward the door. “She has a job with her step-father. She doesn’t have to go away to college for that.”

“But don’t you want more for Betina than to work all hours in the store or laundry?”

Before her mother could answer, the back door opened and Hernando strolled in. Seeing Sherrie, he plastered a smile on his face making a big production of kissing Marcella. “Hello, Ms. Mullins. Here to talk to our Betina?”

Our Betina, my ass.

Smiling back, just as insincerely, she said, “Yes. She’s just gone to show me some more of her artwork.”

Marcella turned toward Hernando saying, “Ms. Mullins and her art teacher think that Betina could go to college.”

“Bah, who needs college? I have no college and I manage three laundries and a grocery store,” he scoffed.

Choosing her words carefully, Sherrie acquiesced. “I agree that not everyone needs to go to college, but Betina could have the chance to choose whatever career she would like to have and not just work for hourly wages.”

She caught the steel glint in his eyes as he said, “There is nothing wrong with working for wages. My workers are well compensated and they are happy.”

Just then Betina walked back into the room, her art pad dangling in her hand, as her eyes moved between the three adults in the room.

“Don’t you agree, Betina? Working for me is a good thing. Who would need college?”

“Yes,” she answered meekly.

“There,” Hernando said, effectively closing the conversation.

“Well, Betina, let’s sit and go over some more questions I have…about school,” she added quickly, hoping to have a chance to continue her conversation alone.

Satisfied, Hernando and Marcella headed to the den, but Sherrie noticed that he sat in the chair nearest to the kitchen door, making it easy for him to hear their conversation. Keeping the questions light, she was disappointed to see the glow go out of Betina’s eyes. The excited teen, eager to consider college, was now sullen and giving short answers to Sherrie’s questions.

As the meeting came to a close, Betina seemed deep in thought before stealing a glance into the den to see Hernando and her mother watching TV. As the girl’s gaze moved back to Sherrie’s, she placed the art pad on the kitchen table and slowly pushed it toward her. Licking her lips nervously, she looked at Sherrie and said, “I want you to have this.”

“Oh, honey, I can’t take your drawings,” Sherrie protested.

Betina’s hand stayed firm, not allowing Sherrie to push the drawing back. “I
need
you to have them,” she said.

Sherrie considered Betina’s intent expression, feeling that she was trying to tell her something, but not knowing what it was.

“Okay,” she said slowly. “If you’re sure.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” Betina stated firmly. “My life, my world is in these drawings. I need you to understand that.”

The intense expression on the teen’s face had Sherrie’s heart pounding. Glancing down at the drawings, she wondered what she was supposed to understand.

“My world,” Betina repeated, her eyes pleading.

Hearing Hernando getting up from his chair, Betina jerked her hand back and Sherrie found herself sliding the pad into her oversized bag. Not knowing why she felt the need to hide it from him, it seemed important to keep him from knowing that Betina had shared anything of consequence.

Wanting to end on a positive note, Sherrie said, “Betina, your teachers mention that you are really kind to others also. You offer food money to some of the kids that don’t have lunch money and I saw you talking to some students about getting food at the grocery. It seems that you really look out for others and I’ll be sure to put that in my report.”

Betina’s eyes grew large as she licked her lips nervously. Hernando walked into the room, placing his hand on Betina’s shoulder, slightly squeezing.

“Yes, she’s a real sweetheart, isn’t she?” he said.

Sherrie kept the smile on her face while her mind was racing.
He’s not happy about something. What the hell did I say that he didn’t like?

“Yes,” she agreed. “It seems you are too with the offer of food.”

“No one should go hungry. Betina and I just help out some kids. No obligation of course. I’d hate for you to put something in your report that would give the grocery any undue publicity.”

His words were taut and his eyes were cold. Glancing back at Betina, Sherrie could see his fingers flexing into the girl’s shoulder.

“Of course. I understand,” she said with a forced smile that was beginning to hurt her cheeks.

“Ms. Mullins, can you stay for dinner?” he asked.

While his question was welcoming, his tone was not. Smiling, she shook her head saying,

“Thank you but I must be going. Betina, you’re hearing will be coming up soon and we’ll need to meet at least one more time before that.”

The girl nodded nervously and headed back to her room as Marcella showed Sherrie to the door. Walking back to her car she could feel eyes boring holes in the back of her. Climbing into the driver’s seat, she saw Hernando standing at the window. His expression chilled her.
I know something’s up. I just don’t know what. Yet…

*

Saturday dawned clear
and the freezing weather gave them a small break, with the high reaching the mid-forties. Tony had insisted that they could grill out for their party, but she had been sure that the cold winter would never allow for that.

“I told you so,” Tony teased, as he reached around her in the kitchen, seasoning the steaks and chicken.

“I don’t see how you stand being out there,” she exclaimed. “I hate the cold weather.”

“But babe, cold weather is what brought us together.”

She could not help but giggle at the reminder of their winter storm cabin adventures. “Well, you men can go grill outdoors in the cold while us women keep warm inside.”

The house soon began to fill up with their friends as Gabe, Jennifer, Shane, Annie, Matt, Lily, BJ, and Suzanne came in bearing platters of food. Jobe came by himself and said that Vinny was picking up his date.

The men headed out to the patio to begin the grilling. After a few minutes of small talk, Tony asked Shane and Matt if there was anything new they were working on.

Sharing a look, Matt admitted that they had been pulled into some missing children investigations.

“What’s that got to do with vice?” Jobe asked.

“Maybe nothing,” Shane answered. “But ever since the Department of Justice gave a presentation on Human Trafficking, vice is now looking into missing child cases, especially if teens are involved.”

“I hate to ask a stupid question, but isn’t that the same as smuggling kids across the borders?” Gabe asked.

“Nah. That’s human smuggling. Human trafficking is exploiting persons for sex or labor.” Seeing the looks of confusion, he continued. “Basically it’s luring someone into working for you, whether sex or just labor. You pay them shit and they are trapped.”

Shane picked up the explanation. “Could be sex or it could be working in someone’s sweatshop. Problem is that statistics show that there are a lot of kids and teens involved. Believe it or not, human trafficking is the fastest growing criminal industry in the world.”

“Jesus, fuck,” Tony growled. “We can’t even keep our kids safe.”

“Richland is a huge area for it, with the crossroads of three major Interstate highways. We are on a connection from New York to Miami,” Matt added. “So we are starting to patrol the bus stations and train stations.”

“And when the detectives working missing children cases think there might be a problem, they contact us,” Shane added. “We try to get the pictures up of the kids, so that the cops on the street will have something to look at.”

Matt added, “I’ve looked at those pictures so much in the last few weeks, I see them in my dreams.”

The men quieted as the back door opened and Sherrie poked her head out. “Hey sweetie, just checking on the grilling.”

“About another ten minutes, babe,” Tony called back.

“Vinny’s just pulled up,” she called. “I’ll send him out.”

A few minutes later, Vinny came out with his flavor of the day—a tall blonde with fake boobs showcased in a tight sweater, looking extremely out of place at the gathering. Vinny tried to convince her to go inside but she insisted that she wanted to stay with him. Frustrated, he went back inside with her to keep her from interfering with the men’s conversation, finally settling in the living room with a ballgame on the large screen TV.

Gabe shook his head saying, “I swear, even on my worst day I wasn’t as big a horndog as Vinny.”

The others laughed as Tony shook his head and said, “It seems like he goes for the same type every time. I can’t tell the difference between this girl and the last twenty women I’ve seen him with.”

Jobe moaned, “You all are married or,” looking at Tony, “almost married. I’m the one he drags along to his bar nights. Jesus, the women flock to him but I swear he only goes for bimbos. Any other woman there? Nope. Just the bimbos.”

“That way he doesn’t have to think. Or talk. Or anything other than buy them a drink, dance with them on the floor then take them back to their place and dance with them in their bed,” Shane added.

“Y’all have nice apartments. Does he ever take them to his place?” Matt asked.

“Oh no,” Gabe and Jobe said simultaneously. Jobe continued, “No way. He wants to get them off, get himself off and get the hell out of there. He’ll never bring someone back to his place.”

“Well, if he ever does end up with someone there, then send out the invitations ’cause he’ll be getting married,” Tony quipped as the others laughed.

*

While the men
grilled outside the women worked in the kitchen, side by side, moving seamlessly around each other as only friends can do.