Chapter 22

Jackson's reaction reminded me of this morning and his outburst. Only this time, shockingly, I got him to at least understand. I didn't expect I would be able to but I made a good lawyer. I stressed that it was only an idea that could be replaced if a better one came up. My argument though made Jackson realize that there might not be any other option.

Despite it being a crazy idea, I couldn't think of any other way to go in and not have people suspicious of us. There were cameras and surveillance up the ass there; they were careful so we needed to be even more careful. I also couldn't think of any other way to kidnap the guy that didn't include drawing attention and probably getting killed. It's not like we can wait for him to go home when the guy lives there. And a little reminder, this place was responsible in trying to find me. That was overwhelming and scary, yes, but it meant we needed to be cautious. We couldn't just go in shooting. We needed to go in and get out with no issue. Otherwise, there would be an army on us.

Downfalls did exist. The biggest one that Jackson pointed out after I explained all this was obvious: I would be walking into the eye of the storm. I knew that after he settled down, listened, and stopped freaking out that that would still be a huge red flag for him. So I made my plan more reasonable when I mentioned that he could go in with me if he wanted.

With all that, Jackson wasn't exactly mad. He knew where I was coming from. It didn't mean he was comfortable with it but he didn't flat shoot it down. His conclusion was that 'we'll think about it' and see what else comes up. We still had more thinking to do, more questions to ask Carter, and more opportunities for better ideas. However, different options didn't come.

After we filled up at the gas station, we knew we needed to talk and figure out what needed to be done. We drove around aimlessly until we pulled into an empty and small parking lot behind a church. It was out of the way, nobody was around, and the church blocked us perfectly from the road. The brush from crowded nature bordered the church too. It gave us enough confidence after Jackson pulled up along the back of the building and parked. We got out of the truck and enjoyed the sunny day from the bed of the truck. If only our objective was more innocent. It's kind of twisted we were discussing such things at a church.

We pulled down the tailgate, hopped in the bed of the truck, and sat down. It was amusing how we all sat facing each other, our backs against the truck walls. It did make it easier as we talked and passed around a map of the area that Carter drew for us. We were trying to come up with different strategies, different ways of getting in and doing this. All the while, Jackson and I didn't say a word about my idea. We both wanted to find a way that didn't involve me playing a prostitute.

Hours were spent in hard thought, pushing ourselves to come up with ideas. There were some good thoughts we all contributed but many of them had too many risks involved. Either that or too many variables that could fail us. One thing did start to become consistent and that was the idea of having the FBI involved.

"Why can't we call the FBI and have them take care of this? Wouldn't they welcome coming in and doing this on their own? We wouldn't need to be involved or in danger."

"They might," Jackson said from where he was sitting with his legs outstretched beside me. He was sitting against the left truck wall of the bed, facing Luke who was opposite of him. "Even though they screwed us over and lied, they are still interested in Reid. However, if they go in and do this, we wouldn't be able to kidnap this boss. They would have him and I doubt they would disclose information to us if they learned anything."

I raised an eyebrow from where I sat against the back window with my legs crossed. I knew that was a valid reason to not get the FBI involved. We wanted to kidnap the guy because we wanted to get answers. That's the whole point. But there was something I didn't understand. "I thought the FBI wasn't going to help us with this stuff but they at least supported us. They are behind us, cleaning up our mess, right?"

"Yes," Jackson said, nodding over to me now. "They are because they know the trail of men we left behind were after us. They are helping us in that way. However, they do not know that we are actually going after Reid. They don't know that we are trying to do the job they have been slacking on. They think we are running and that's why they are cleaning up our mess. The FBI is clearing us from blame and getting arrested," he paused, eyes falling to his lap as he continued. "They are not concerned with Reid like they used to be because they have other targets. Sure, if they knew the location of this base, they would go in and do it because that would be a huge lead for the FBI. But they would not give us Carter's boss. They wouldn't disclose any information to us because we are trying to do their job. And if they knew that, not only would we not get any information. They would stop cleaning up after us."

Though I never thought about that, it made perfect sense. I would have hoped they would be more accepting since we are trying to accomplish the same thing. They haven't found Reid so we are trying. But it made sense how they wouldn't appreciate us mingling with their business. Especially when I am supposed to be hiding from him.

"What about the police then?" Carter finally chirped in from where he sat near the end of the truck, still in cuffs. Being completely engulfed in this brainstorming session didn't stop me from finding Carter's participation weird and amusing.

"Same end product," Luke said. "They wouldn't release any information to us if they arrested the boss and got him talking. Even as a cop, I wouldn't be able to find out anything because it's not like we can stick around. When that place goes down, we need to get out of town as fast as we can."

I nodded and smiled slightly, drawing Luke's attention when I spoke. "That is if the police were to do go in and do it, not us. What if we call them after we go in and grab the guy?"

"That would be the best option. By then, we'll have the boss. The cops can take care of everything else," Luke answered, echoing my thoughts.

It made the plan I didn't announce yet more powerful. Cops would add more security and reassurance to my plan for sure. If the cops are there when we grab Carter's boss, they could take care of business and potentially cut our enemies down substantially. It looked more and more like my idea was the way to go now. I didn't know how I was going to spring it on Luke.

After a while of more brainstorming with no success, meeting Jackson's eyes told me enough. We couldn't spend days thinking it over when we needed to get this over with quickly and he knew it. He didn't look happy but he gave me a small nod with closed eyes.

There was a long silence between us all from our clamor of poor suggestions before Jackson pushed for me to get it over with. "Albany has an idea," he muttered in a low voice. The note in his words grabbed Luke's attention.

His eyes grew more alert and found mine instantly. "What is it?"

"Well it sounds crazy," I started, scoffing under my breath. Meeting his cautious eyes, I sighed and continued. "There is more to it but essentially, I thought about going into that bar, dressed and disguised as a hooker, with Jackson. That's how we get up to Carter's boss to start."

"Are you fucking insane?" Luke belted out instantly, fire flaming in his eyes. It was as if he expected me to say something that extreme.

"No, haven't you watched the news?" I whispered under my breath, in a smartass voice. If he heard my words, he didn't care. Luke looked more angry, upset, and shocked than Jackson was to hear my plan. Great.

That's what led to Luke and me getting down from the bed of the truck. I needed to talk with him. This was a new level of danger in his eyes and I needed to reassure him as much as I could. Dwelling over this and worrying would become his favorite hobby if I couldn't stop it.

Wanting this conversation to be in private and away from Carter (who was laughing hysterically at my idea), we went into the empty church for a bit. It was cooler inside and took a moment for my eyes to adjust. The awkwardness between us though, I couldn't adjust to. It was present when we stepped into the large area from where we entered from the back of the church. We sat down in one of the pews next to each other, looking out to the waves of benches in front of us.

I didn't want to meet his tormented eyes when we shifted to face each other more. I lowered my head when I broke the silence, my words echoing in the high room. "I know that it sounds crazy and you don't want me to do it," I started.

"You have no idea," he sighed, almost in defeat. The sadness in his voice forced me to look up. His dipped brows covered his eyes, which were desperately looking for an answer in mine. "This is such a stupid idea and somehow, I'm not surprised," he said, laughing humorlessly.

I didn't feel right trying to justify my idea but I did anyway. I explained how it wasn't as bad as it sounds. All the while, Luke stared at the ground. When I finished and he looked back up, he didn't seem phased or persuaded.

"I don't doubt you could pull this off. I don't doubt your thought process. But... please tell me you understand how terrible this could be. You want to walk into a headquarters based around locating you. With cops coming, with Jackson beside you, that is still incredibly dangerous. I don't even want to think about that." He swallowed hard and looked back down.

Subconsciously, I moved closer to him on the long wooden bench and searched his strained expression. With how protective he was of me, I knew this would be hard. "You know we have been in more dangerous situations, right?"

"You don't need to convince me. I know this would work because I trust you. You showed me how strong you are, how smart you are, and skilled. It's.... We were always on the defense without a choice. I didn't think it would be this hard to accept but the idea of you going in and having a plan, it's scary."

"How is it scary? Because you have more time to think about the things that could go wrong?"

"In a way," he nodded, meeting my eyes with sympathy. "And I'm not used to... you being...." As he searched for the word, pursing his lips, I couldn't stop myself from smiling slightly.

I had a few guesses of what he was trying to say. "Me being what? Not as dependent on you?"

He scoffed softly under his breath and rolled his eyes, not wanting to admit it. "I guess."

I chuckled slightly too despite the heaviness of the conversation. "Well it's nice to know you thought I was oh so weak before," I teased.

"You know what I mean," he said, smiling slightly before looking down. "You have just become such a force." When he paused, his mouth moved like he was about to continue. I understood his hesitation when he finally kept speaking. "From the moment I met you, you were tough. Through all the shit that happened after I met you, you matured and became even stronger - and you still do. You are more independent, stronger, and it grows each day. It's so unbelievable to know how far you have come that it's hard to keep up. Especially when all I want to do is protect you. It's like a physical need to keep you safe." Luke's eyes finally found mine and there was more pain in them than I expected. It reminded me of everything Shannon told me but I knew that subject was for another time.

I voiced the first thing I thought. "Then I've done my job," I nodded, smiling sadly up to him. "Like I said, I wanted to make you proud. I want to keep making you proud and I plan to. Even if you're against me doing this, I'm doing it because I need to. I'm ready to make decisions like this. For me, for you, for this to be done. And of course it sounds retarded," I nodded. "There isn't anything I can do to make it sound any better but as you said, I'm stronger. I've learned from everything we have been through and have faith. I have a lot of faith."

I could see I managed to ease him more on the issue. Enough that his eyes turned lighter. "I know you have a lot of faith. You're the one that led me in here," he said in a serious voice, hiding his teasing smile as he gestured around us. "Which was shocking since you were traumatized with boredom the last time I saw you in a church."

I rolled my eyes and smiled slightly. "Oh shut up. Don't try to get all churchy-hopeful on me; you know what I meant. I'm just trying to get you on my side."

"What if I said it's... kind of working?" he admitted through a small smile.

"Hey, I'll take it," I said, shifting to cross my legs as I nodded. I sat back against the pew more and looked closer at him. It was clear he was still uneasy about it. It's not like I could change the fact that he wasn't use to me not 'depending' on him like before (which he deserved an ass kicking for saying that but I would let it slide).

He turned more towards me so he could look me straight on. Raising a hand, he glided it through his wavy brown strands. "It's going to eat at me. I can't tell you how much better I would feel if I went in with you instead of Jackson."

I nodded and shrugged. "Even if you were disguised, it would be more dangerous. If those workers know anybody's face more than mine, it's yours."

"I know but I'm still unsure about Jackson. More so now," he said in a quieter voice that peaked my attention. His eyes growing more guarded and going deeper in mine made me sit straighter again.

"What are you talking about?"

He moved closer to me, his leg pressed against mine. It allowed for him to speak in a softer voice. It was like he was afraid someone would hear us in this empty place. "Before breakfast this morning, I asked Francis to invite himself along. I wanted him to come to the station without Jackson knowing I put him up to it."

I didn't expect that. "What? Why?"

"I wanted him to do something for me while we were busy with Carter. That's why he needed to go out in the hall and 'keep watch' for us."

When he paused and didn't continue, waiting for me to respond, I groaned. "Well okay. Keep going," I said, anxious to know why Luke needed Francis with us this morning.

"Nobody knows anything about Jackson. I asked Francis to go locate his file and he had Ramper help him with it too. When I spoke with him before we left, he told me he couldn't find his name. Jackson Honeywell does not exist in our files."

This conversation took a wide turn real fast. How was that a big deal? I instantly had an explanation for his long lived skepticism of Jackson. I figured it would be clear by this point that he could trust him. "You know Jackson is involved with the FBI right? He's watched after many people and protected them. To do that, it's possible the FBI removed anything on him."

Luke nodded quickly before I was finished speaking. He clearly already thought about that. "Right, that would seem possible and can happen, no doubt. But do you remember what he did to buy that truck? He used a different name the FBI gave him so he couldn't be tracked."

I didn't see where he was going with this. Yes, Jackson used a fake name the FBI gave him to buy the truck. Nodding, I showed how that point benefited what I said instead. "Exactly. He used a fake name the FBI offered so nobody could find evidence of his real name. Which would have to be Jackson Honeywell." It was hard to comprehend that we went from talking about my plan to debating if the name Jackson Honeywell existed. That was the last of our worries. I guess I should say my worries.

He paused and shook his head, looking down. He took a deep breath and I could see him backtracking. I figured it would lead to him coming to his senses. However, when he looked back up and met my eyes, I could see the distress he had kept hidden over this. "I understand that this theory sounds as ridiculous as your idea of going into that bar as a hooker."

"It sounds more retarded," I added in under my breath.

"My point is," he spoke a little louder than the breathy voice he was using. "It sounds crazy but I don't think it is. Hear me out is all I ask." When he paused and I didn't stop him, he continued. "So much has happened in these past days where it feels like we have been dealing with this for months. My opinion can't change that fast. I trust Jackson - to an extent. I can trust that he will protect you, and he will when he goes in that bar with you. That doesn't mean I'm not suspicious of him. After three years around him, you barely know anything about him. I know nothing about him. I had Francis check for a file because I believe he is hiding a lot. True, it's possible the FBI could be hiding his name from the database. But wouldn't it be logical for the FBI to give him a fake name to live under, like Jackson Honeywell? They changed your name to Morgan to protect you. If they wanted to make things safer, they would have changed his name. I can almost guarantee you they would do that, especially because this man has worked with several people in hiding. Living under a new name would be a given each time. I'm not saying that happened but it's very possible."

I sighed and licked my lips, considering his words. It made sense if he was right but it also made sense if he wasn't. It frustrated me that this would be one more thing that would bother me. "And if that's the case? Then what? He's still here to protect me and we can trust him to do that, bottom line."

"If you don't know his own name after three years, would you believe him on anything? Would you still be able to trust him even if he wants to protect you?" Luke said in a whisper lighter than his last. Besides making my heart jump, his green eyes close to mine asked for me to at least be opened minded. "Whenever you can, try talking to him. Try learning more about him, even if you don't believe what I just said. It could at least help us understand more about him."

I've tried finding out more about Jackson but I didn't put much of an effort in. He was a closed off person when it came to talking about personal stuff. I could respect that because I was exactly the same. It wouldn't hurt to try harder and it might work. We were opening up more than we have before, which was a good thing I guess. To actually think he was hiding something though... I couldn't dismiss that.

Luke was a very observant man and I couldn't ignore what he was saying. Whether I believed in his theory or not, it didn't mean I didn't trust what he said. If he went this far to find out more from his file, something must be up. I couldn't argue about Jackson being a mystery and I always wondered if he was hiding stuff. This validated it wasn't just my imagination. To go so far to say Jackson Honeywell wasn't his real name though.... I truly did not know what to think. I trusted Jackson but I knew Luke had to be on to something. How great would it be if we could actually focus on this? It's sad to think that this wasn't a priority at the moment when it could be serious.

I could go along with trying to talk to Jackson more since there wasn't much else we could do at the moment. "I'll do that. And since I will abide and respect your idea and do that--"

"Yes, I won't fight you on your stupid idea either," he said in an exaggerated sigh, cutting me off. He already knew where I was going with that.

I smirked up at him and his lighthearted eyes. "Thank you for not fighting me too much."

"You're not welcome," he said back, matching my same tone. His smile turned sincere after a moment of silence between us.

Thoughts wanted to invade my head. Of the plan, of what Luke said about Jackson, but his sweet eyes made my chest hurt. It was just last night that Shannon spilled everything to me and I was still taking that in. Sitting there in silence beside him, with those reminders of his pain coming back, I really wanted to bring it up. I wanted to talk about it but that was a highly emotional subject for us both.

The silence became too much. It brought back to the tension and awkwardness between us like a flip of the switch. It made us want to say something and Luke got to just before me. "When do you think we should go in?" he asked in a serious tone now.

Thinking of actually doing this, going in as a prostitute, and finding a way to Carter's boss, it frightened me, the reality of it. The reality of what my answer was scared me more. "Tonight."

***

It took a lot of preparation, particularly figuring out the small details. It meant paying for hotel room because we needed the space to plan and prepare. And boy did we! The rest of the morning into midafternoon was spent in the crammed hotel room, planning how we were going to do this. The one thing that became clear was that detail counted heavily. So much so that I don't even know how to explain everything we planned. Those small details counted on every level of what we were trying to accomplish. The details in our backstory, in selling that we are comfortable, the details in timing it, in the actual plan.... It was way more elaborate than I imagined.

By the time that part was done and we were trying to memorize the plan, we got to work on things that needed to be done. That's where looking the part came into play. Jackson did more than live up to it.

My pimp aged about ten years by the time he was ready. I was surprised by how much preparation Jackson pushed for in this department. He was hardcore insistent that he look unrecognizable for the role he was about to play. Since a part of our backstory was that he was my pimp (which yes was incredibly hilarious), I guess he wanted to sell it. I give him props for that. It was just a long process.

It was a lot and it had me questioning if it was worth all this work. He went above and beyond what he needed when it came to his disguise. It cost him a pretty penny but it paid off in his eyes - literally. He managed to acquire some trial colored contact lenses. Going from light brown to blue made a huge difference alone but that only scratched the surface. It took a while but he managed to find someone who would be able to help him make a mold of his face. Did I laugh at this idea? Absolutely. I will admit though that he transforming his face to look older was very interesting.

It was a good thing we got up super early because it seemed to take the remainder of the goddamn day to locate someone who could actually do this. I kept myself disguised in the rundown establishment we went to, watching intently when she made the mold of Jackson's face. From there, she then applied a thin clay-like material to any part of his mold he wished to use. He had her focus mostly on the chin, cheeks, and nose, making his artificial face look rounder with the clay on top of it. She then managed to sculpt detail into it, sculpt wrinkles and add some age to it. Then once that was over, she took the individual pieces from the mold that Jackson wished to use and pasted it to his face. With matching it to his skin color, she made the fake material blend in and look real. Seriously real too. By the end of it, it was amazing how it changed his appearance. I just hope all this nonsense was worth it for him because I knew that cost a ton of money.

It took more time to transform Jackson into that man than it took for me to transform into looking like a hooker. It made me question if that was a sign that I was a natural in the art of prostitution. Maybe when all is said and done, I'll have myself a career. Because it sure didn't take much time for me to look the part! Not only that, but I became fairly unrecognizable by the time I was done.

We went shopping for revealing and trashy clothes after Jackson was done. Was it awkward to do this with three men, one being a guy I had romantic history with and one we had heavily bound 24 hours ago? Did you guys even have to ask? Try imagining how weird it's going to be when they actually see me in this shit. Cringing each time I saw myself in the mirror... yeah I didn't want them to fucking see this. The only thing they saw on me so far were the blue contacts in my eyes that I got when Jackson found his.

I was standing in the bathroom of the hotel room, facing the long mirror in the brightly lit area. I wore the clothes we bought earlier but hadn't mentally readied myself to see it on. My gaze fell to my feet and worked up past the slick black and trashy high heels. It went well with the fishnet pantyhose that hugged my legs all the way up to my skirt, which by the way, made me want to rip them off. They were uncomfortable, made me want to pick at areas you shouldn't in public, and it was over the top. Then again, that was the point.

Don't think the trashiness-look stops there, oh no it does not! My thighs felt completely bare from how high the cheap skirt was resting on my hips. Or should I say squeezing my hips. It was tight enough to pass as a headband. And if that didn't say fuck me, the thin tank top I had on sure did! It was pink, tight, and hung lower than I've ever allowed on myself before, showing my cleavage like it was a prize. I took off my necklace and ring too, which made it so I didn't have any distractors. What didn't help my queasy stomach was the fact that the shirt revealed my stomach too quite a bit. My now blue eyes finally stopped at my face, which was covered in too much make-up.

I knew it was my plan but this made me want to regret it. If people enjoy wearing this stuff, good for fucking them. But in my eyes, I looked like my mother in some aspects: white trash and fake. I didn't really feel that slutty because this was all an act but it didn't mean I was comfortable. I didn't like showing this much skin - and it was a lot of skin. Too much skin for someone who isn't exactly confident or proud showing their body. I didn't want anybody seeing me and yet, I need to act comfortable. I have to be confident and will need to act it. So I better suck it up now and play my part.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the bathroom and tried walking naturally in the heels towards where the guys were. Luke sat on one bed, Jackson on the other, and Carter was cast to the floor sitting cross-legged. When their eyes fell on me, no matter how their reactions differed, all their eyes grew.

Carter instantly started laughing but his eyes raked over me several times with no shame. I guess it's better to get use to that now than at the bar. It still managed to creep me out the way he was looking at me so I didn't waste time shifting my attention to someone else. Jackson looked me over through his aged face and froze for a moment, shocked as he took me in. His eyes were critical and formally curious before he eventually cringed. Looking down, his expression turned more amusing at taking me in.

"What's so funny, old man?" I asked, squinting my eyes at him and trying to hide my smile. At least we could be joking about this like we have been all day. How couldn't we be? Look at us and the plan! It was a good distraction from worrying and dreading what we were about to do.

Glancing over to Luke, I measured his response. He stared at me with those wide eyes, shocked like Jackson - but not looking as amused. His eyebrows rose as he carefully looked me over, curious, but also as if he were confused. I knew it was a big difference for him to take in but it gave me the perfect chance to tease him. It also didn't hurt because I was trying to get used to looking this way.

I spoke in a dramatic voice, meeting his eyes. "Do I already have my first customer?"

He rolled his eyes, snapping out of the shock and scoffing. "It's just... very different," he said, leaving it at that. He almost looked a little upset over it, which I understood. I didn't like the idea of actually playing the part because I have self-respect. To have to throw that out, even just as an act, it's going to be hard. I know I am going to want to tear the throats out of every guy that looks at me in that bar. There was a reason I was taking this chance to try and be more lighthearted about it.

I didn't get much time to try to get used to it though at the hotel. We were out the door and in the truck by the time the sun was down; watching the time carefully was important. Luke drove the truck with Carter in the backseat. I was up front and next to Luke with Jackson behind me in back. No words were spoken as we drove and I could feel the air was thick from anticipation. My mind continued going over the very specific plan we had in our heads but it was hard. I was getting extremely nervous.

Halfway there, Jackson and I grabbed the mini wireless microphones that Luke managed to get for us. It couldn't be picked up by other equipment so it was good to use. Carter and Luke set up a system in the truck earlier so they will be able to hear us while we are inside.

My mind began to race as we got closer. The streets were lit up and but not too busy. The only place active was the one we were driving towards. It looked more like a short apartment building. The people crowding outside its doors said otherwise. The building was thriving with people but I paid closer attention to the building, especially when Luke pulled behind the structure on a small road.

The details we collected earlier were correct from what Carter said. Narrow alley-like road, three floor brick building, and warehouses around the area. More specifically, I focused on the wall of windows on the second floor.

Luke parked close against the building for now. He would drive off after me and Jackson get out but he will be back. I could only hope our ghetto ass idea would work better than it sounds. It's not like we were professionals with this type of stuff despite what we were about to do.

Forcing my fears away for a moment, I continued to look around. It was as Carter mentioned; nobody was back here. This little alley is not a main street. There are cameras, people watching, but not much focus was put on this area. We were still being watched though....

My heart in my throat, I tried evening my breath as I turned around and met Carter's eyes. I needed to remember everything and wanted one more reminder. "Your boss's name is Vic. Last name shouldn't be known," I said, asking for validation for the last time.

Carter nodded back in answer. "Yep, just Vic. And remember what I said about his likes and dislikes," he said, making me cringe. His boss apparently had a very interesting taste in women. This guy liked women who were aggressive. There would be no problem there folks. Bossman was in for a treat.

I kept thinking over all the other information and details Carter gave us. Not just from the lie detector or from talking about it while behind the church. The real details came when we started preparing. There was a lot to this.

I didn't realize until then that I've been lost in my own mind the past minute that I didn't clip on my microphone. At least we had a few minutes to spare. Looking down at myself, I tried figuring out where to put this. My asshole? This was only a little piece about as big as a quarter. It will interesting to see how Jackson is going to slip me a weapon and have me hide it when we are inside. He didn't have any issues at least. He tucked two guns into his somewhat gaudy suit and had a pocket knife. With the people at this place, it wasn't out of the ordinary for even customers to be armed, which I did not expect.

"You'll do great," Luke said in encouragement as I continually tried finding a spot on me for the mic. Meeting my eyes when I looked up to him, he gave me a tight smile, showing me as best as he could that he believed in me.

"Thanks," I said, looking back down. Sighing in frustration, I ended up clipping it to the hem of my little slut skirt, tucking it in so it couldn't be seen. However, upon looking up over to Luke again, his face was more than nervous. It could be because his eyes were more focused on looking over my revealing body, which at first made a blush run over me. Was he checking me out? I could have sworn a hint of desire was there.

Raising an eyebrow, eyes on him, I saw his expression slowly change in that one second he spent staring at me. Before his eyes came up and met mine, his jaw tightened and his body became tense. Unguarded at that moment, it looked as if he could have punched a wall.

He looked seriously upset and he didn't hide it when his eyes found mine. He couldn't have cared that I saw him looking at me when he lowered his eyebrows more, not hiding his tension. A long moment lingered there and it made me wish I could tell what he was thinking. Was he scared for me, pissed off that I was doing this, or that I was going in there with a bunch of creeps?

"Be careful," he said in a softer voice, looking away from me and out the windshield. Biting his lip, he inhaled deeply through his nose before speaking louder. "Remember. 11:15 I want to call. Be where you need to be by then."

God yeah, so many things to remember. According to the clock that was illuminating next to the truck radio, it was 10:25. We wanted to be in by 10:30 and go from there by the flashy watch Jackson had on his wrist. Time would mean everything by the time Luke calls the cops from a phone he picked up today.

Taking a deep breath, Jackson and I stepped out of the truck and into the summer night air. The darkness didn't affect much when there were streetlights lining the main roads and lighting the perimeter. Turning around to shut my door, Jackson did the same thing. But not before Carter spoke humorously to Jackson. "Have fun old man," he said, laughing.

Jackson looked down blankly and slammed the door shut like me. Sighing deeply, meeting Luke's bright eyes through the window, he started the truck. A moment later, he and Carter drove off, leaving me and my pimp to do our job. What kept me from freaking out was the knowledge that they would be listening, they would call the cops by the time we leave, and they would be back in less than an hour.

Jackson and I tried getting into character (as queer as that sounds in this situation) when we started walking towards the front of the building. He became Frank the Pimp and I became Cindy, his Money Maker. I forced the image of confidence to the surface while Jackson worked with his image too. He was already tough and serious, which helped. His role went beyond that; he needed to show he had control over me and that he was possessive. He was also going to have to act more carefree if we really wanted to sell ourselves (no pun intended - towards me anyway). Overall though, we needed to act comfortable. If you're a pimp and coming here with one of your girls, you probably are used to situations like this. It was normal for prostitutes to be 'rented' here long-term but it generally means a negotiation between who controls her and the potential customer.

"You ready to get played with, little bitch?" he asked me in a louder and more obnoxious, intimidating voice. It was different for sure but effective.

Laughing under my breath, I responded, "If it means the right amount, I'll happily be anyone's dirty toy." I tried keeping the sarcasm out of that and it was hard to do - shut up - but maybe I could use that to my advantage. Being a smartass prostitute wouldn't be unbelievable but I did need to be submissive to Jackson no matter what. "I'll happily fuck anyone, anything, but if they don't give me what I deserve, I'll pull out my toys and show them what punishment means to me," I said in a lower voice to myself, studying the words. Tone sounded good at least.

"Imagine what I'll fucking do to you if you don't give me what I deserve, Cindy," Jackson growled pulling me to a stop before we rounded the building. No longer walking, he gripped both my bare arms and stared intensely into my eyes. Through our contacts, I could see him forcing his anger though. "You do whatever it takes to not disappoint me again. I'm giving you another chance." Jackson lifted a hand and gripped my chin, roughly moving closer to my face as he threatened me. "Understand whore?"

Damn. If he wasn't so close and gripping my arm, I would have applauded the man. I was half sold he meant it from how real it seemed. I wanted to almost laugh or say something very sarcastic back, but that's the last thing I should do. This was good practice and I did need to be especially submissive to him.

I gulped and nodded my head quickly. "Yes," I said staring up into his eyes with my worried ones. "I will. I know you picked me for this job for a reason and I'll take it seriously. Remember, he likes girls that are aggressive so it would be right to be a little forward and controlling," I said with a sheepish smile before looking down, acting scared.

"Never towards me though in your pathetic existence," he said in warning, dropping his hand from my chin. Still gripping my arm, he towed me along until I was walking at his side again.

Man, this would be interesting. Practice was pretty intense and I'd say it was helping. He validated it too as we were about to round the building. "You did good," he whispered down to me.

With each step after that, trying to mentally get ready, the entire thing became very daunting. Moving more along the side of the building, I stared up at the place, a soft breeze nipping at my skin. It was overwhelming - and that was something I couldn't avoid even as we were getting comfortable with our roles.

This place, this building, was dedicated to me. No matter how badass and cool that sounded, it was not. It made my chest heavy and stomach upset at how astonishing this was. At how scary this would be. This building was dedicated to me and all the workers made it their goal to find me. They've been after me for years and now here we are, about to go in on our own terms. It was insane and it made me that much more dedicated to do this. I've been dedicated all day to doing this and was ready to get it over with. It would only take an hour, that's all. I kept telling myself that as we got closer and more people were around us. It would only take an hour. As I knew though, and was about to learn again, a lot can happen in an hour that you just are not ready for.