Free Messy and Shattered by Mercy Cortez Page B

again.
    "I really don't know. Look Aimee, you're away from Rahul. For a while, at least. Be happy" I sat on the end of the bed and she still pulled on the cuff.
    "So we are going back then, I thought, maybe... maybe you had saved me." Her voice broke a little and I turned to look at her.
    "I am protecting you right now. Please , Aimee, just don't ask me any goddamn questions because I really don't have any fucking answers right now."

Chapter Twenty- Three - Jethro
    I watched the monitor and saw his blip flash, over and over. He was moving. Operatives had no idea we had a trace on them. We inject an RFID chip into their arm during the mandatory physical prior to joining, alongside the expected slew of immunisations for international jobs. It had been one of my problems when I went under cover. One of many. Draco seemed to be at a motel and I wasn't aware of the reasoning behind it. He may have the girl, he may not, but I needed to find out. That girl had to be at The Lights next week. We had managed to get some major investors in the sex trafficking industry to attend and we just had to hope one would want our gem. She had looked rather attractive on our background check; in fact, she had a hint of Gianna in her. I haven't had a day go by where I didn't think of Gianna, and I never will. I was told to see a shrink, but unless I’m forced to, I don't think I’ll talk about that incident – about her – ever again.
    I loved my work, loved being the 'good guy.' I really liked Draco; I had worked with him the past five years. He had a good head on his shoulders but I knew that this 'Aimee' wasn't like the others. He was losing it. I could see it in his eyes and I had a bad feeling that whatever he was in that motel for had something to do with the look in his eye when we met last. I remember when Draco first took this case. He had just come off a three year stint in a gang. He had to become a coke addict and dabbled in heroin to keep his cover, he looked a wreck every time I saw him but he pulled through and he got the job done and helped us stop billions of dollars’ worth of drugs from coming into the US. He never quivered, he did his job and he did it well. But we all have a breaking point.
    I looked at the map, taking note of the motel he was in and grabbing my keys. Looks like I was doing retrieval today.

Cha pter Twenty-Four - Aimee
    I stared into his back while he sat on the end of the bed. I needed to ask questions, I didn't understand. I looked at the cuffs, he had to let me out for one thing.
    "Draco, I need to use the toilet...I need my hands for that" I said it with a little urgency for effect and he grunted as he went to get up.
    “If you try anything , I will hurt you so bad, you’ll beg me to take you back to Rahul. Understood?”
    H e stared right into my eyes as he said it and although I wasn’t scared of Draco, he had a way about him that made you respect his threat.
    I just nodded and he pulled my wrist and dragged the bottom drawer of the cabinet open, pulling out the key to my handcuffs and unlocking them. I watched as the cuff came loose and just like in every bad cop movie I rubbed my wrist.
    I got up and he grabbed my hand. He gently brushed my knuckles and my breath struck a little in my throat.
    “Your bruises are healing, you’re looking good .” I felt my heart leap, but he didn’t need to know that.
    “Thanks. I’d look better if I was at home with my sister, but still, glad you can appreciate my bruised and damaged look. I have been working extra hard on it for you.”
    I dragged my hand away from his and scowled at him while he released a throaty laugh. I got to the bathroom door and looked back.
    “ By the way, you don’t look so bad yourself,” and I shut the door. I had a smile on my face until I looked in the mirror. All this time, I hadn’t been able to see myself. I hadn’t really thought about it, but maybe I was blocking it out. I looked over my cheeks and nose, down my