“They ordered the hit on him. He discovered your uncle’s dealings, and being a detective for the sheriff’s department at the time, scared these guys and basically Dash, Carbanero, and LaCosta ordered the hit on him to send a message to your uncle. Carbanero has controlled him since. Until about six months ago. Through our investigation we questioned your uncle. Brought him in on grounds of falsifying tax documents for this club Borderhouse. He started to give up some information, but was concerned about his family’s safety. After he handed over some documents we needed, and was going to give us more, Carbanero and his men went after his daughter.”
“Melanie knows all this?” Tasha asked.
“No. Melanie has no idea what her father’s been involved in. You know your cousin. She’s hasn’t surrounded herself with the best people. Dash got James to seduce Melanie. She’s trapped now. Your cousin might have witnessed some of Dash’s, Carbanero’s, and LaCosta’s acts of violence or even murder.”
“Jesus.” Tasha ran her fingers through her hair.
“But recently, within the time frame of you getting pulled into the picture and our agent getting killed, your uncle Paul we believe sent us some documents anonymously. We just got some more this morning. He knows that Dash has you under his thumb. The man is very dangerous.”
“You don’t have to tell me that. I know he is. He’s a cockroach and has invaded my life entirely. I can’t go anywhere without him knowing. He threatens me every second, and tries to manipulate my mind. So you tell me my uncle knows, why hasn’t he contacted me?”
“He can’t. His phones are tapped, he’s under control of them now, and all we can do is wait to see what this deal is, and on your uncle’s call to give us the word to go in.”
“Dash killed my father, and you expect me to continue to stand by this man, let him touch me, control me, and destroy my life? You expect me to trust any of you and what you say?” she asked, feeling angry. She needed to be smart. She needed to think this through.
“But he hasn’t forced himself on you, has he?” Investigator Riker asked.
She looked at him. “He will. He’s getting aggressive. You know what? You need me. But I don’t trust you, any of you. You’ve basically let people die, allowed my cousin to be taken and abused by James and Dash, and now you’re letting these men take me. I need security. I need assurance that you can’t provide for me.”
“Tasha, don’t be crazy. You can trust us. We contacted you, didn’t we?”
“For your own selfish reasons. You’re desperate. You want to know what this meeting is about and you want me to find out. My father was a detective in the local sheriff’s department. There is one man there that I trust my life with. I want him aware of what’s going on. I won’t do a damn thing with Dash until I hear from Sheriff Jake McCurran. I expect that call by tonight. I have to have dinner with Dash and he expects me to be wearing something amazing.”
“Our agent has it covered,” Riker stated. A moment later, the woman, the clerk from the front walked in carrying a gorgeous red dress that would surly show off Tasha’s abundant breasts, and shapely figure.
“I told the gentleman up front that you were almost done and if this was an exceptional choice for your dinner date with their friend. They seemed pleased and calmer. She needs to get going.”
“I won’t do anything until I get that call. I’ll wait for you to contact me again,” Tasha said and then wiped her eyes, looked into the side mirror to make sure her makeup was okay, and then took the dress and heels from the clerk. She straightened out her shoulders and pretended confidence as she exited the room. But then Carlo and Ink came into view and Carlo was speaking into his cell phone.
He approached her. “Are you finished shopping?”
“No, I have some other things I need to take care of.”
“Dash expects you to behave in our absence. You’re to call him within the hour,” Carlo told her.
She swallowed hard. “I’ll call him.”
They both looked her over in a way she didn’t like at all. It gave her the creeps.
She went to purchase the dress and shoes, which were already paid for by Dash, and then headed out of the mall with a heavy heart, and a crazy series of thoughts going through her head. By the time she reached her car, thoughts of committing murder, of killing this Carbanero guy for killing her father, ruled her mind. The tears rolled down her cheeks as she put on the sunglasses.
Thirty minutes later, as she sat in her apartment ignoring the texts and calls from Serefina and Catalina, Dash called her.
“Hello?” She cleared her throat.
“You sound upset.”
She was silent a moment. This was the game, and since Dash had no idea that she was aware of what really was going on, she might as well ensure her own safety.
“I am upset.” She sniffled.
“You’re crying?”
“I’m sorry, Dash. Is that unacceptable to you? I’m not strong like you are. I’m feeling down and defeated okay. Can I call you back?”
“No. You can’t call me back. If I were there right now, I would take care of you, and hold you in my arms. You know I have your best interest at heart? You know that everything I do for you is to protect you so we can be happy, together?”
“I think so. I don’t know, really. I’m being emotional, I guess, with everything that’s going on.”
“What do you mean?”
“Meeting you, not being able to see my best friends, dealing with my mom’s illness and now the dangerous surgery. I can’t lose her, Dash. I lost my dad, you know?”
He was silent and she ground her teeth together.
“He died a few years ago in a car accident, right?”
“How did you…”
“Remember, I know everything about you. It’s what I do.”
“Your job, you mean?”
“My job is not your business.”
“It’s like that then? You know everything about me and expect me to trust you with my heart, my soul, even my life, and I get nothing but mystery and control from you?”
“Watch your tone, Tasha. Don’t test me. Don’t question me.”
“I’m tired, Dash. I think I need to lie down for a while.”
“There’s a reason for my call. I need to change the plans for tonight.”
Her heart hammered in her chest. Had he found out she met the agents? Was he going to kill her?
“I need to go out to AC just for two days. I’ll be back and we’ll have our dinner date and you’ll wear that gorgeous red dress.”
“You know about the dress, the color?”
“Of course. Now, just remember, you’re mine. I’ll give you the freedom to see your friends, but nothing more. No men at your apartment, friends or otherwise. I’ll be watching you.”
“And you?”
“And me what?” he replied, and she swallowed hard, hoping that she was pulling off assertive at the right time.
“Trust is something earned, and it goes both ways in a relationship. I take it that you’ll do the same? That there’ll be no other women, nothing for me to worry sick about while you’re gone?”
“If I was there right now, I would ensure you that you’re the only woman in my life from here on out. We’ll be together soon and making love to you, possessing that sexy body of yours will be the ultimate symbol of our trust and commitment. You got it?”
“Yes, Dash.”
“I’ll call you.”
She lay back down on the bed and curled up into a ball and cried. She let all the tears fall for all the crazy shit she learned today and in the last few weeks. Her father was murdered. That was the number-one detail that haunted her thoughts. She had an opportunity to bring justice to her family. She also needed to remain somewhat in charge and hoped that she made the right decision in having the investigators contact Jake. Deep down she figured that if she died by Dash’s hands, then at least Jake would be able to tell Serefina, her brothers, and all their friends the truth.
Her heart pounded inside her chest, causing a terrible pain. Her head throbbed. She felt defeated. She needed to talk with Serefina and play up this new role she was shoved into. She had to push aside her desires for Eddie, Tyler, and Lance as best she could and hope that when all this was over, and if she survived, that they wouldn’t hate her. It was all too much to bear as exhaustion overtook her.
Chapter 8
“You’re fucking falling for her, aren’t you?” James asked Dash as Dash prepared to leave the club and head out to AC in the limo with Carlo and Ink.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m not stupid. I can see how into her you are. She’s special. Hell, Dash, I could tell right away she was nothing like Mary Ann.”
“Don’t fucking mention that bitch’s name.”
Dash thought about Mary Ann and how she betrayed him by talking to the police.
“You’re taking your time with Tasha. Any other woman would be bent over your desk by now.”
“James, she’s not that kind of woman.” He stared at his best friend. “I’m keeping her.”