Queen of Clubs Redone Pt. 01

He smirks. "Well, I can't wait."

He goes to leave. "Where are you going?"

"I..." He stops as he looks back at me.

"You still work for me, or don't you remember taking a job as my security advisor?" I ask with a smirk.

He bites his lip and walks back into the room. "I'm at your service. What would you like me to do?"

"First, change out of those awful clothes. You look like every other gringo that just got off the plane from America. Do you have any nice suits? If not, take my credit card and get yourself fitted. If you're my head security advisor, you must look the part. Also, you might as well get something to wear for our date while you're at it. Then we can find some time to discuss what you have in mind as far as our common enemy is concerned," I say as I toss my credit card at him.

He only laughs. "I can afford my own suits."

"Nonsense. I will hear none of it. Here's a card to the best tailor in the business. He will prevent you from looking like a buffoon. Just by looking at you, I can tell you have no sense of style."

He laughs. "Fair enough. I guess this is just a benefit of the job."

"Yes, and I like my dates to dress nice. Now hurry up. I'd like to have enough time to talk before things get busy."

After Jonathan leaves, I have James come in. "Talk to me, James. What is going on? You've been late several times, calling in a lot, even didn't show up one night."

"I'm sorry, it's just... I've been going through a lot and I just... I don't know. I promise it won't happen again," he says, shifting uncomfortably under my gaze.

"Okay, if you need to talk about anything, feel free to come to my office. You'll always have my ear. Just, there's not much I can do if you don't talk to me. We can work with you and figure something out, but not if you keep being late and calling in. I need people who are going to be here when they are scheduled here. If you need a different schedule, we can work with that. Okay?"

He nods. "Thank you. I completely understand. I will do my best to not do it again."

I nod. "Okay. I'm glad to hear it. Why don't you go see Erica and see what she has for you? Remember, you can talk to me at any time. I can't help you if I don't know what the problem is."

He nods. "Thank you."

Then he walks out.

Chapter 10: Raquel Zorita

Jonathan doesn't take long at the tailor, of course, I called ahead and told them exactly what to get him. Once he gets back, I decide to show him around and introduce him to everyone. We haven't done that since he started here.

We first find the little ditzy blonde, Aliya, as she scrambles to pick up papers on the ground. As predicted, Jonathan helps her like a gentleman. "Aliya, this is Jonathan Hall, my new security advisor. Jonathan, Aliya Pennington. She's my assistant."

He nods and smiles. "It's nice to meet you, Aliya."

He holds out his hand and Aliya fumbles with the stack of papers she's holding to shake it. Then she drops half of them and quickly adjusts her glasses and scrambles to pick them back up. "Sorry about this, I'm kind of a klutz."

"Kind of?" I laugh. "It's okay. We love Aliya. She's good at keeping everything organized."

We head out into the club itself where Erica looks as if she's about to rip James' head off. "Erica, James, how are things going?"

Erica glares at James before she turns to me. "Look who finally showed up? He's late, again! And he's hungover."

"James, we talked about this. If you continue to be late and call in, I'm not going to be able to help you," I say, looking down my nose at him.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Zorita. I just... I was celebrating a friend coming out. It won't happen again," he says as he puts his hands together as if he was praying. Praying won't help him if he continues to be late.

"You said that last time. Consider this your final warning. I'm not sure we can continue to do this. I consider you a good friend, James, but I have to hold you to the same rules as everyone else who works here. Being late has consequences," I say.

"I know and I'm sorry. It won't happen again, I swear," he says pleading as he bows his head.

"Okay. Now both of you, this is Jonathan Hall. He's my new security advisor. Jonathan, this is Erica Cox, the manager of the club. I assume you met her last night, and this is James Fresco, one of our waiters," I say.

He smiles and shakes Erica's hand first. "Nice to meet you, officially."

"It sure is," Erica says with a sly smile, batting her eyes at him as she holds onto his hand just a little longer than necessary. A pang of jealousy rises up in my chest, but I quickly suppress it. Erika is one of my closest friends and Jonathan isn't someone I should pursue. "If you need anything. Anything at all, just let me know."

Jonathan smiles and nods as Erica continues to shake his hand. She realizes what she's doing and quickly pulls away. James is no better. He's even a bigger flirt as he basically eye-fucks the man. "Yeah, if you need anything, feel free to talk to me."

He then goes to shake James' hand and Erica isn't the only one who falling all over him. "Hi... I'm James. Oh wait, you knew that. I... I'm just going to go get started."

"Right..." I sigh as I wrap my arm around Jonathan's and lead him away. "Let's keep moving. Lots to do today."

I introduce Jon to the other waiting staff who are here today, Nicole Figueroa, who's talking to her sister, Carla, who's actually one of my hosts as they help set the tables of the restaurant. Then Alicia Indiano, a very bright and, if I'm honest, beautiful woman who's in her early twenties with almond-olive soft skin, and curly brown hair she currently has in an afro. She and Edmundo are rolling the silverware into those little linen clothes.

I take Jonathan back to the kitchen to meet Juan Laguna and his kitchen staff, who are busy at work preparing today's specials. "Juan, this is my new security advisor, Jonathan Hall. Jonathan, Juan Laguna, the head chef, and his food is absolutely amazing. A little on the spicy side, though."

"You say spicy, I say flavorful!" He says, kissing his fingers in a typical chef fashion.

"Right. Anyway, his pasta is amazing. He can cook anything. That's why we have such a diverse menu, everything from Italian to traditional Mexican food and it's all authentic," I say, full of pride.

"You are too kind. I should get back to work. Much to do," he says with a face as red as a tomato. He then pulls out his ladle and whacks it against his hand and rushes over to one of his helpers, cutting onions. "Carlos! I told you to dice it. We don't want long strings of onions. It makes it harder to eat and when you dice it, it allows the flavor to better seep in."

I only snort out a laugh as I lead Jonathan out of the kitchen and into the club. Alex, Lola, Janina, and Marcela are behind the bar today, preparing for tonight. I'm caught off guard when I see Alex talking to Rosa. That's the second time I've seen them together. I'm thinking Rosa might have a thing for him or the other way around.

"Hey, everyone, this is Jonathan Hall, my new Security Advisor. Jonathan, this is Lola Alcocer, Janina Marwah, and Marcela Rodriguez."

He gives them a wave as they take him in.

"Nice to meet Jonathan. Can I call ya Jon?" Marcela asks.

"Yeah, I don't mind," he says, with a shrug.

"Jon it is," she says with a snap of her fingers that turns into a thumbs up.

"Yes, nice to meet you," Lola and Janina say.

"And over here is Alex Yeppes, our other bartender, and he's talking to my younger sister, Rosa," I say as we walk over to them.

Alex's eyes go wide. "Oh right. I should probably get back to work. Sorry."

I give him a forced smile as he joins the rest at the bar and then heads to the back room. "Rosa, this is Jonathan Hall. He's my new security advisor."

"It is nice to meet you. Is today your first day? I haven't seen you around," Rosa says with a genuine smile as she shakes his hand.

"Yeah, kinda. Right?" he says.

"Yeah, his first official day," I say with air quotes.

"So, what advice do you have for the club's security?" she asks and I know exactly what she's doing. Rosa's always wanted to be more involved with the business and when I say business, I mean the Cartel business. Of course, Nina, Kamilla, and I all agree she's too young and innocent. We don't want her to get hurt. But she has this crazy notion that the cartel was a part of her parents' legacy and she needs to carry on that legacy. Even though we consider ourselves sisters, we have different parents.

"Well, I still need to gather more information and do an analysis of potential threats, places that could pose problems, and opportunities to improve. I already think we could implement more cameras. Just from what I can see from down here, I can already make out several blind spots where your camera's missing," he says, pointing over at corners and entrances. "I'm surprised you don't have cameras that point directly down. You'd be surprised at what you can see from a sky view angle. It's much easier to see pickpockets and people pocketing cash from those angles. Especially with a good camera that allows you to zoom with a clear picture."

"Great advice. I like him already," Rosa says. I swear, she's so much like Nina. There's no doubt she is a very bright girl. I just wish she would stop meddling. She looks up at me. "Raquel, I have been meaning to ask you something. Can we speak in private?"

"Sure, just give me a second and I'll meet you in my office,' I say. She nods and smiles. I already know what she wants as she walks off toward my office.

I introduced Jonathan to the rest of the staff, including the bouncers, and I'm pretty sure I saw a bit of shock on Jai's face. It's gone as fast as it came. That definitely gives weight to Jonathan's claims, but I will keep his advice and keep the man alive so I can feed him false information.

Before I head off to meet with Rosa, I introduce Jonathan to our coke sellers, Wilmer, Selena, and Aubrey. They pretend to be regular customers while pushing our product. The three of them are good at it too. They can sell a decent amount on a busy night.

I tell Jonathan to take a look around and do whatever he needs to in order to get a good feel for the club while I head back to my office.

Inside, Rosa relaxes on the couch with a cup of tea in hand. She stands up as soon as I walk in. "Raquel, please just listen. It's about time that I am included in the business. I'm far older than all of you were when you were starting the business, and I deserve to be a part of it. Both my parents were, and it's just as much their legacy as it is ours."

"Rosa, why do you want in so badly? Why can't you just stay out of it? Right now, you're innocent and the police have nothing to incriminate you with. But as soon as you get your hands dirty, then you'll have a target on your back. We want what's best for you."

She stomps her foot and crosses her arms against her chest like a little child. "And I'm not capable of deciding what's best for myself? You all act as if I'm some stupid child incapable of making decisions for myself. I'm legally an adult. Why can't I be a part of our parents' legacy? It's not fair."

"You are a part of our parents' legacy. In fact, you're the most important part. The work you do with the community puts us in a good light and shows that we're more than just drug dealers. Without you, we'd be hated by the community," I say.

"I know, but I want a bigger part. Just give me a chance and I'll prove to all of you that I can handle myself. Let me set up a trade. I know some people who totally want to buy some coke. It's good money."

"I don't know, Rosa. Let's talk to Nina and Kamilla about it. If they agree, then fine. I'll support you," I say, knowing full well Nina never will support it.

"You promise?" she asks, biting her lip as she gives me that stare that just melts my heart.

"Yes, I promise," I say.

"Okay, I'll hold you to it," she says before she gives me a hug.

"I know you will," I say with a chuckle. "So, you and Alex are getting a little closer."

"Ehh. He's nice and all, and he's a good friend, but I don't see him as anything more than just a friend," she says. I only shrug. "What's with you and the new guy? He's really hot."

My face goes red. "He's just a new employee, that's all. Nothing special. I swear."

She giggles. "Sure. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me."

I tighten my lips and narrow my eyes. Her smile only grows. "Well, I got to go. I'll talk to you later, sis."

"Just be patient, okay?" She nods and as she leaves, humming a tune. I head out to find Jonathan just as Nina and Kamilla come in, arguing.

"We'll talk about this in private," Nina says, cutting Kamilla off. She only glares at her.

"Ah, Nina, Kamilla, I want you to meet my new security advisor, Jonathan Hall," I say as I practically push him over to them. "Jonathan, these are my other sisters, Nina and Kamilla."

Jonathan extends a hand to them and Nina takes it with a brief shake, her annoyance not leaving her face as she pays him no attention. Kamilla eyes him with suspicion. "He's American?"

"Yes, and he has plenty of experience with security," I say.

"How do you know you can trust him? You can't trust any Americans," she says, and I let out a sigh. She, for whatever reason, has some preconceived notions that all Americans work for the DEA or whatever.

"I've done my homework. He's clean," I say.

She doesn't say anything, just eyes him. Nina just sighs. "Let's talk in private."

"Sure thing," I say as I lead the way to my office, giving Jonathan a nod.

Once inside, Nina goes off. "We need to squash whatever thoughts Rosa has on selling coke. I see she's already spoken to you about it."

"I don't see why it's such a big deal. She's older than we were when we started selling coke. Let her make her own decisions," Kamilla says.

"We should keep at least one of us innocent. As soon as she gets her hands dirty, she's now a target. We won't be able to protect her from the law then," she says.

"That is literally what I just told her," I say.

"She is old enough to make the decision for herself," Kamilla says.

"Although, for once, I agree with Kamilla." Even Kamilla is surprised at what I said. "As much as I don't want to see Rosa get hurt, she's an adult now, but that doesn't mean we have to let her be reckless."

Nina's eyes narrow at me as she folds one arm against her stomach and uses it to rest her elbow on while she rubs her chin. "What do you propose?"

"Why not just give her some minor job to make her feel included, but keep her away from most of the more incriminating work?" I say.

"Perhaps that could work. Perhaps. Let's discuss it with Salvador, Viviana, and Gustavo," Nina says.

"Fine," Kamilla says.

Chapter 11: Raquel Zorita

"Holden will have people following you and your partners. They'll also be monitoring the bank transactions they can trace. Not all of them, of course. At least the ones you have with the central bank," Jonathan tells me as we sit in my office.

"Well, thankfully, we only use those accounts for our legit businesses," I tell him. I do feel suspicious talking to him about our business. Especially when he could easily use the information against us.

He nods. "Their primary goal is to locate your greenhouses and manufacturing plants. They also will work to figure out how you're smuggling it into the US. Don't tell me this information. The less I know about it, the better for the both of us."

That gives some reassurance. "How will we draw him out and lure him into a trap without incriminating ourselves?"

"That's the million dollar question, now isn't it? Clearly, you'll have to use a big enough goose to make him want to chase after it. It would help if we could get moles into his operation. People you can put in your pocket. I'll get you a list of his staff and show you who might be susceptible to bribes or blackmail," he says.

"You know, for wanting to take down a man you consider corrupted, you sure walk a fine line to do so. What makes you so different from Clay Holden?" I ask, searching his eyes.

He pauses and leans in to meet my gaze. "I'm not an ethical man, but I'm a moral man. The laws in place by the various different governments of the countries I operate in are of little concern to me. I operate with a strict moral code that has been tempered with my own actions and guilt. Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire. I'll break the law if the ends justify the means. If bringing down monsters means I have to blackmail and bribe other people, then so be it. The thing that separates me from a man like Clay Holden is I'm not willing to use my power for my own selfish desires. I don't care about money and I certainly won't kill an innocent person to make a dollar. Nor would I ever rape a woman. Clay, on the other hand, can't say the same. He has a long list of sexual allegations. His bank is full of dirty blood money. Many have died to make him rich."

I nod. "I see. Maybe we can understand each other. You may find it hard to believe, but we share the same moral code. I may sell drugs, but I've never killed anyone who didn't deserve it. Nor would I ever hurt the innocent. And as far as what he has done, that is beyond despicable, and I hate men like him."

The door opens up and in walk Nina and Kamilla. I turn to Jonathan. "Will you give us a second?"

He nods, gets up, and walks out. Kamilla's eyes practically stab into his back. "I don't trust him. I ran a background check on him and he's got a lot of confidential files I couldn't access."

"Of course, he was with the military and worked for the US government. You don't think I ran my own background check? Besides, these are all things he was upfront with me about," I ask.

"He is American! He'll betray you as surely as water is wet," she says.

"Just because he's American doesn't make him any less trustworthy than anyone who was born here. There's no correlation between being American and being a treacherous swine. You can even test him if you want," I say.

"We shall see," Kamilla says, folding her arms against her oversized breasts. She got them a size larger than mine just to outdo me.

"That's enough, you too," Nina says, throwing ice at us with her eyes. "You two act like children sometimes. But testing him would be a good way to settle this. I've got a mole we can deal with. Let's see how he reacts to it."

"Fine, but that still proves nothing," Kamilla says.

"Why are you two here?" I ask.

"Have you not seen the news?" Nina asks.

I shrug. "I've been busy."

"Well, look at this," Kamilla says as she pulls up her phone and shows me a video. My eyes go wide. It's Raul Saavedra. I can't help but wince as he's covered in blood. His eye is completely swollen and he's missing a few teeth.

"Tell them the truth," a masked voice says.

"I did it. I did it. I'm an awful person. I purchased little boys in an underground human auction held by an organization known as the Exchange. The things I did to them... I'm a monster. I swear. Please don't kill me," he says, sobbing and spitting out blood. My jaw gaps.

I'm both disgusted with Raul and horrified at the implications of this video. Suddenly the video goes dark before a shadow of a man with pure white eyes that look all too familiar appears behind him and slices his head clean off. The figure is hard to see. Like a shadow. Like him. The man who killed the Serpents. Could it really be him? It couldn't be. But still, the message of this video is clear. I look up at Nina and Kamilla, meeting their eyes. "Someone is targeting the Exchange."

Chapter 12: Jonathan Hall

Raquel has me meet her at their mansion that resides on the beach that's built like an old fortress. As soon as I arrive, Raquel smiles at me as she brings me inside, but we hardly get any time to talk as Kamilla comes in and wants us to come with her.