Aftermath Book Two Crash Series

Chapter Twenty-Two

Aria

            We stumbled back to the bar where we grabbed a few glasses of water as we let the night wind down and waited to see if Grace would do as our note requested. My gut told me she would be there yet at the same time a sense of dread was wrapped around my throat and chest. It was an easy leap to assume the dread originated from the guilt I was feeling at choosing to hide this.

            So I didn’t listen instead I ignored my instinct and continued my conversation with Tara until a fully clothed Grace pulled out the seat next to us. She didn’t make contact nor did she give off even a subtle vibe that she was there for us. She kept her tone low as she leaned over the bar top to talk to the male bartender.

            In the note we told her to meet us at the bar if she was willing to talk to us, I don’t necessarily +think this is the best place to discuss…like I said tons of cameras everywhere and we do not need to get this conversation on anyone else’s record but ours. But we had to weigh that with the known experience of the unknown and how someone reacts to it.

            If we had given her a different place to meet us, at a later time she would have too much time to get lost in her head. Too much opportunity is driven by fear and uncertainty to not show or let an associate know we slipped her something strange. Then we have a group of criminal men showing up to investigate before we ever got anything out of her.

            Ultimately, this was the best route for us to get any viable option to at least introduce ourselves and try to get her to see the reason. Tara and I both fell into an awkward few minutes of tense wonderment. What should we do? Do we talk to her when she hasn’t even looked in our direction? If we talk to her does she skitter away? If we don’t does she leave thinking we changed our minds? But the loudest question I had was creating a bigger uncertainty with greater stakes. Was someone listening? Watching in wait with suspicions of our agenda?

            I found it difficult to stay in character, I couldn’t keep my eyes squinted any longer as I tried scanning the area for any lingering looks or obvious cameras. Tara would try to create a conversation but her voice wobbled with doubt, clearly, we were feeding off each other’s anxieties and I couldn’t listen anyway. I had no ability to concentrate at that moment. Tara would bite her lip and tap the bar as I shuffled in my seat and contemplated what to do next.

            Grace chuckled at something the bartender said before she kissed his cheek. Pulling away from the bar she stood next to me as she pulled on her mustard yellow winter coat. Her arm stuck too far out knocking into my side as something dropped on my lap. She didn’t apologize or acknowledge her mistake so I played along.

            The moment she disappeared towards the front door I leaned towards Tara so we could both look at the note as I peeled it opened.

Our special packages are offered in the back rooms.

Past the front door towards the back offices.

Meet me in five minutes.

            “This is good right?” Tara asked with hesitation.

            Unease was thick in my blood but I was determined and we needed a lead and we needed information so what’s a little risk? I knew what we needed to do and suddenly that unease turned into anticipation and excitement.

            “It’s better than her saying no,” I whispered back.

            “Wyatt’s probably freaking.” I had the camera on again, I don’t know that I will ever go into any of these types of situations without a camera or at least a microphone so Wyatt can listen in. He might want to help but every time he lets me walk into any situation without him he’s putting his job and reputation at risk.

            “Definitely,” I agreed.

            We waited the full five minutes before we made our way to where she explained. The hall was lit with low lights and a few doors, at the end there was another branched off hallway. We made it to the third door on the left of the second hallway before we saw Grace standing in the doorway, she’s stripped to a new lingerie set, it’s crisscrossed and badass which made me blush.

            “Come on in Ladies.” She was leaning on the doorsill seductively as she waved us in. I had to rub the sweat from my palms on my shirt as I took in the room small, unexpected room. I’m not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t what was in front of me.

            The room was curved with white square tiles and red-lit lights. A bed sits to the side with sheer white curtains hanging from the ceiling giving it a sense of privacy in an already private room but it isn’t the main attraction. Oh no, there was all sorts of s*x equipment and a wall of toys. A curved chair had a table with an assortment of dildos displayed across it. I wondered who would ever willing to use an already used and maybe not clean dildo but then I reminded myself I’m not the type to find myself in this type of place so who am I to judge what the people that do chose to do inside.

            Still, my mind was blown at the sheer amount of choices.

            “There are no cameras in here. You have one minute to explain to me what the f**k you want before I press that button over there and have security lock you up.” Grace spit the words out the second she closed the door behind her. She had her hands on her hips as she looked towards us in expectation.

            I took the lead, I stepped forward, and held out my hand in what I hoped to be a sign of respect and a good introduction. “Hey Grace, I just want to say thank you for giving us your time.” She left my hand hanging between us only giving it a scathing look. Every second that ticked by had me questioning whether she was as good of an option as we had thought.

            “Are you dense? Get to the point.” She scrunched her face up in irritation and shuffled her weight to her side, c*****g her hand on her hip as she waited. I felt Tara’s earlier anxieties start to bleed into irritation behind me.

            I dropped my hand as I pulled my shoulders back and tried to channel some of Mason’s CEO, bossman vibe. “My name is Aria Crawford.”

“Aria!” Tara squealed in the discomfort of my directness, cutting me off.  Grace made it clear she didn’t want to dance around so I cut to the chase. We we’re there it was then or never.

So I continued, “I’m looking for more information on Stasevich’s crew, which I know you’re involved with. I know you’re a single mom, working two jobs just to afford an apartment that’s barely big enough for the two of you driving in a beat-up piece of scrap metal that’s one pit hole away from retiring to a junkyard. You’re going to school to try and get out of all this, so let me know if my assumptions are wrong but I think you’d be willing to help me if there’s something lucrative on the table for you.”

            She’s was a tough cookie, she kept her face still and even, and her tone irritated and short. “You going to tell me what it is you’re offering?”

            It surprised me she didn’t ask how I knew so much or attempted to deny it all. “I’m opening my Bakery in two weeks. If you want a job I need dedicated employees that want to be treated with humanity and given a fair wage. I’m offering a full benefits package, PTO, and sick or family time. And I happen to know of an awesome apartment complex that will be looking for tenants for its grand re-opening next week. It’s a great opportunity for your family but I need guaranteed secrecy and a few answers.”

            Grace looked shocked and uncomfortable, her eyes were filling with tears and she was quick to make her way towards the corner of the room where she opened a discreet compartment and pulled out her clothes.   

            “You want to hire me? Knowing I’m a stripper? For a bakery?” She sounded displeased and still full of disbelief.

            “A job is a job. I don’t care what you did in the past or what you do on your own time, as long as you aren’t hurting anyone. I respect your hustle and your strength and I would love to help give you a little more freedom and a lot more choices. And what kid wouldn’t love hanging out with their mom in a bakery?”

            “Is this a joke?” She didn’t get fully dressed but she did cover up with her long shirt.

            “Do you know who Aria is?” Tara asked. The question made me uncomfortable so I turned to my side so I could send a glare in her direction.

            “No?” Grace looked me up and down with no sense of recognition.

            “You ever hear of the Mavericks? The owners of Dixie Inc?” Tara itched at her hairline in discomfort as Grace looked me up and down.

            “And you’re related to them?” Grace asked.

            “She’s engaged to Mason Maverick. She has access to more money than either of us could ever imagine and you know what we did all day today?” It was a rhetorical question so she didn’t stop for an answer. “I watched her bake five hundred and sixty-eight cupcakes that she hand-delivered to the soup kitchen herself. Like she does most days.

            “She just recently got kidnapped by her serial killer ex-boyfriend where she just made it out alive and she’s currently dressing up with itchy wigs and putting herself in dangerous situations so she can single-handedly take down the entirety of the Russian mob.”

            “Maybe we didn’t need to share all that.” I couldn’t help but play with my charm bracelet that I had tucked in my sleeve, but I was feeling uncomfortable with the reminders and the memories that tend to sneak in.

            Tara turned to me with a glare of her own, “She deserves to know what she’s getting herself into.”

            “Okay hold up! Hold up. You’re being serious? All of this? How do I know?”    

            “Meet us at Shirley’s Café tomorrow and I can prove it.” I kept my fingers crossed behind my back.

            “Fine.” And like that we had her, and I thought we were in the clear.

            Grace told us to go out the same way we came in so did only we weren’t expecting to see Stasevich himself walking in our direction surrounded by a few bodyguards and a fleet of women begging for his attention.

            I was shocked to see him as my nerves skyrocketed. Where was he all night? Does he know we’re here? Will he recognize me if he sees me? I’ve met the man before. He might.

            “Fuck.” I groaned and tugged on Tara’s arm as I tried to turn us towards the other end of the hallway. However, because luck can never be on our side I twisted my ankle doing so and ended up knocking into Tara which pushed her into the wall and stopped everyone in their tracks.

            For a few seconds, the only sound I could hear was the rapid beat of my heartbeat as it echoed in my ears.  Everyone’s eyes were now on us. All the attention we tried avoiding all night was now focused squarely on us by a very dangerous man, the man we were just discussing taking down.

            Maybe there were cameras in there after all.

            “You ladies need a hand?” A gravel-filled voice sounded from down the hall it didn’t hold the accent I knew Stasevich had so I knew it wasn’t him.

            Tara giggled as I tried to rein in my growing panic. If this man figures out who I am and suspects what we're up to we’ll be trafficked sooner than we can even process we were drugged and shipped thousands of miles away. Or worse he would lock me up and use me as some sick toy for Edward to use and abuse.

            Brutal and horrific scenarios ran through my mind as Tara tried to save us. “Just drunk and spent. We haven’t had a night like tonight in so long right baby?”

            We righted ourselves and I made sure to stand at an angle and not look directly in their direction as I grabbed on to Tara and wobbled. “It’s been a long time. Is the room spinning or what?” I kept the words long and sloppy as I started towards the back of the hall, still going in the direction away from them and not where Grace told us to exit from.

            “There’s no exit that way.” Now that was Stasevich’s voice with a thick Russian accent.

            “Oh s**t! Sorry.” Tara laughed as we turned towards them. I stumbled along the hallway with my feet dragging on the ground and occasionally I would use the wall as “support”.

            My heart raced faster and faster the closer we got and I could feel a trail of sweat between my breasts and running down my back. Still, I was astonished he was there. Were we walking into a trap? Would they grab us the second we passed?

            My nerves got the best of me as I tried to stumble into the wall at the exact moment we should have crossed paths with them I moved too fast so I slammed into the wall in perfect time to catapult back and directly into Stasevich path. He didn’t bother helping me or even grabbing me for support. He looked at me like I was a bug he would take great pleasure in squishing until his eyes drew together and he took in my face for a few seconds too long.

            I knew my eyes had to of grown wide and my cheeks were probably red with embarrassment and nerves. Pushing away I was quick to sidestep him and shot down the hall. Tara was slightly ahead of me already so she doesn’t hesitate to pick up on my worried eyes and silent ques to get out of here as fast as possible.

            “You seem familiar.” He calls as I retreat and as soon as I pick up the pace and they realize what’s happening he sends one of the guys after us, “Come back here. Get them.”

            And that’s how we ended up here, running through a strip club with mobsters chasing us down with the promise of any number of different torturous lives to live if they catch us.

                        Reaching the end of this hall I quickly peeking around the corner I quickly scan the area before booking it across the hallway jerking on Tara’s wrist as we stay in the shadows trying to avoid any attention. There are bouncers security and cameras everywhere. We need a way out that isn’t the front door. Too bad the only way we know of is the front door.

            “He’s right behind us!” She whispers in a panic. The toe of her shoes shove into my heels making me cringe and suck my lips in through the pain I don’t have time for. A weighted iron ball rests in my stomach as my mind swirls.

            We ate up space in the hallway just making it to the doors to the offices with a clear view of the front door and the waiting bouncer standing there.

            “f**k!” I shout and tug on Tara’s hand harder. We can’t slow down but with every breath, we get closer to the guy ready to take us down at our only exit.

            “What do we do?” Tara shouts no longer caring if we draw attention, we have the attention already.

            “I don’t know.” We’re steps away from an angry-looking man. He’s an average-built man with his hair shaved low and his shirt on tight. Security is written in white across his chest on his black t-shirt and he smiles at us with a sick pleasure a second before a fist connects with his jaw, literally punching that smirk off his face and dropping him to the ground.

            “Move it the f**k on!” Wyatt shouts from the doorway as he waves us forward. He’s wearing a hoodie and keeps his head low hopefully avoiding all the cameras as we rush towards him. I jump over the now still body as I ignore the shouts from behind us and all three of us rush towards the running car.

            Wyatt has it pulled up next to the building, he put security shields on his plates before we came, and hopefully, it’s enough since we just barely make it out of there. I can see the shadows of the figures glaring at the back of the car as we speed out of there.

            I definitely just f****d up.