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“Ivan, please. Let’s—” My knuckles meet the bridge of his nose while the second punch lands on his mouth, busting his lip.
“Not another word. Understood?” He nods. “Good.” When I turn back around, she’s standing but her eyes are not on us. Rather, she’s looking at a decent-sized banded water snake slithering toward a wet area not far from her. “It’s harmless and nonpoisonous.”
“Snake.”
“Sit down. It’s only passing through.” When she doesn’t, I pick up the animal gently and walk over to a bush farthest from her. There, I release it and return to take my seat at the table. “Now can you sit?” She does. Still terrified. “Your name?”
“Cindy.”
“All right, Cindy, let’s make this quick.” At her quick indrawn breath, I hold both hands up while maintaining some distance. She’s on the opposite side of the table and to the left, and I’m more than okay with that. “I’m not going to hurt you, but there are questions I need answered.”
“Then I can go?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.” She adjusts the suit jacket Israel gave her, closing it tighter around her front. The water and napkin are in front of her, unused. “Ask me anything.”
“How do you know Dalian Uriel?”
Her brows furrow and her fists close, yet I notice her hands shaking. “Who’s that?”
“That would be the unconscious man on the grass.”
“Pero like, that’s not the name he gave me or the agency. His I.D. reads Wilmer Santos.” Bingo. Only the natives use “pero like” instead of “but like” on everything. Just like irregardless and supposably. The lingo in South Florida is different, and most outside of the locals don’t know these idiosyncrasies. Are the words said and spelled incorrectly? Yes, but we understand, and that’s all that matters.
“Where do you work? And is Cindy your real name?”
“Craving Sugar, and yes.”
“And your last name?”
“It’s Johnson.”
“Cindy Johnson from Craving Sugar?”
“Yes, sir.” Grabbing the bottle of water, she twists the top and pours a little onto her fingers, then dabs her eyes while looking away. All that does is further smear her makeup, but she carries on like nothing and I don’t say anything either. The silence stretches for a few minutes before she releases a sigh and meets my eyes again. “At first, it was a sugar baby/sugar daddy dating website, but recently, they’ve expanded into escort services for those needing an event or weekend companion. Those short-term contracts make me the most money, and that’s how I ended up here.”
My fingers thrum on the wooden tabletop. “Is the company based in Miami?”
“Yes, but they take clients nationwide. I work in the Atlanta area. Born and raised there.”
“And you reside?”
“There as well.” Liar.
While I’ve heard of the website, her story is too convenient. I also haven’t forgotten how she insulted the waitress at the strip club, once again using terminology only Miami girls say. However, I don’t call her out on this. Instead, I’ll let the brunette walk and hang herself later.
“You’re free to go. Thank you for your assistance.” Standing, I point at one of the men who’s standing guard over Dalian. He jogs over at once. “Get her on a plane back to Atlanta. First-class, and make sure she’s compensated well for her trouble.”
“What’s going to happen to them?” Cindy moves toward me, calmer now. “Is this about a girl named Amberlyn?”
My head snaps in her direction, eyes narrowed. “How do you know that name?”
Cindy points a shaky finger at Uriel. “He spoke about her shortly after picking me up. Wanted me to wear a red wig, but I denied his request. And then—”
“Then what?” I snap and she jumps, yet a hand on my arm makes me pause.
“Let me talk to her, mi niño. I got it,” Mom says from beside me. “You handle those two, while we go get a coffee and something to eat.”
