Sinful Addictions Ch. 02-03

CHAPTER TWO

So here's the sad thing, I really didn't have anything important in my life that I couldn't simply drop and walk away. I had no plans to cancel, my apartment was locked down with a turn of the key and since I only have a few people I can actually call friend, there wasn't anyone to call and tell that I would be out of town. Actually, there was one person I had to tell and that was the man who called himself my boss. Because of events that I will tell you about later, I don't work because I have to but because if I didn't I would go nuts. I manage the Sacramento offices of Personal Protectors Plus, it's a bodyguard company for lack of a better explanation. High end security to personal bodyguards, we do it all.

I met Jeff Mooning, owner and operator of 3P, when I was in Argentina a couple of years ago. When I left South America, I ended up in Los Angeles, home of Jeff's head quarters. We tried doing the dating thing but decided we made better friends rather than um...others. I can't say lovers cause we were pretty damn good at that.

Early in our relationship I tried to convince Jeff that I could be a bodyguard. He got this wicked gleam in his eye and dragged me out onto the mats that lined the floor of his in-home gym. I thought I started out pretty well, most of my punches and kicks landed, though they didn't do any damage. Then Jeff did this upper body move where one minute I was standing and the next I was going over his shoulder and flat on my back. There I was, laid out, and Jeff's standing there laughing...at me. So when he offered me a hand up I did the only thing I could think. As soon as I was half way off the floor I threw all of my weight backwards and since Jeff hadn't been expecting it, plus he was still laughing, it brought him down too. I'm sure you can imagine what happened once I had him on the ground.

Any how, Jeff thought that that would be the end to it but I'm not so easily distracted. He was no match for my constant bitching; his words, not mine. He finally agreed to give me a chance as long as I learned enough self-defense moves...I made sure he wasn't the one to teach them to me or else I'd never have gotten off the mat...and I could properly use a gun. I got gypped though when he finally started handing out assignments to me. I ended up with the boring jobs like escorting rich old men to charity events and galas. Or, better yet, when we'd be hired by some visiting dignitary, instead of being in on the big stuff, I'd get stuck with driving their spoiled kids to the mall. I wanted to feel like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider...you know, smart, sexy and lethal...instead I felt like June Cleaver. The jobs were boring enough that I spent most of my time at the office helping with expense reports and assignment write-ups. I proved I was better management material than foot soldier, sigh.

It was seven by the time I walked into the office. Surprisingly I was the first one in, or so I thought. I came to an abrupt halt in the doorway to my office. Jeff sat behind my desk dressed in his standard attire of blue jeans and a black T-shirt. Jeff doesn't believe in spending money on clothes. His feet were rudely up on my desk so I knew that he was sporting black Nikes, though I could have guessed and been 99% correct. His sun bleached blond hair was short and neat. Periwinkle blue eyes stared out at me from a long, baby complexioned face. He had the slender yet muscled body of a swimmer, probably because he was a water baby at heart; swimming, surfing, boating, he did it all.

The shock of seeing him must have been written all over my face. "What the hell?" I stuttered.

"Well, good morning to you, too. I take it you don't remember that today is the first?"

"Shit, no." I slumped into one of my black leather guest chairs. The first, damn it, how could I have forgotten. Jeff flies up every month to review the books and I had completely spaced him out. Plus, now I had to tell him face to face that I was taking off for a few days. "This day needs to start all over again."

Jeff slid his feet to the floor, put the papers he'd been reading down and fixed his eyes on me. A small frown line crinkled in his forehead. Jeff didn't know everything in my past but he knew me well enough that he could tell something was a mist. "Spill it," he ordered.

I shifted uncomfortably; one of our greatest problems was how I mothered Tyler. I sighed heavily and stared with, "Ty called this morning."

Jeff leaned back, lacing his fingers behind his head, "And?"

I sucked in my breath and recounted the short conversation from that morning. I didn't include my "dream", that was one of the things Jeff isn't privy to. When I was finished he was shaking his head at me. "Sasha," he began but I cut him off.

"I know, I know. Don't start okay."

"No it's not okay. When are you going to let that boy figure life out on his own? Damn it, Sasha, he needs to learn to take responsibility for his actions!" Jeff's voice had climbed up a notch and it vibrated with anger.

I made perfect eye contact and tried to keep my own anger in check. "Tyler is mine to protect and I can't...I can't," I emphasized, "turn my back on him. Besides it's not like were so busy here that I can't take I few days off. I know it's short notice but..." I trailed off, our eyes were still locked together and I watched as Jeff reeled in his emotions.

"You're already packed, aren't cha?"

I nodded, "I'm just trying to decide if I fly or drive."

Jeff blew out a puff of air, "Since I'm already here you can use my jet. I'll stay at your place and keep an eye on things here. But, Sasha..." he straightened in the chair, "if something goes down that you don't think you can handle I want you calling me. I care about you, and yes, Tyler too."

"Thanks Jeff, you're the best."

"I know, " he said, smiling.

"Oh, you aren't conceited at all." I joked.

"Said the pot to the kettle, " he quipped.

Unfortunately, I couldn't argue with that.

*

CHAPTER THREE

A knot sat in the middle of my stomach as the small jet flew over the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I was so up tight that I was damn tempted to take a shot of the twenty year old scotch that Jeff had in the mini bar. I didn't because I wanted all of my senses when I landed. I felt the plane begin it's decent into the Biggest Little City in the World. Like most kids, the minute Tyler was able to spread his wings and fly away he did, why he landed three hours and another state away from me I'll never know. I let him go, of course, even though it practically killed my to. It was nice to know, though, that I was still his safe harbor and that if he needed me he would call.

I tightened my grip on the arm rests and closed my eyes. I have no problem flying, it's the landing that scares the shit out of me, it might have something to do with hurling 132 miles an hour towards the earth. I'm happy to report that I didn't even screech when we hit the tarmac, though I was tempted to kiss dirt when I deplaned. Jeff is always thinking where I have a bad habit of leaping without looking, so it was nice to know Jeff had my back. A black Dodge Durango was waiting at the terminal for me.

I parked in a spot outside of Tyler's apartment building. His place over looked the street on the second floor and I had to climb a set of concrete slab steps to reach it. All the way here I had gripped the steering wheel in a white knuckled death hold. As I advanced towards his door my body twitched with anxiety. I was afraid of what I'd find when I got there.

Shit, the door was slightly ajar. My breathing was loud, like I had just run a marathon, and my pulse was beating out a drum solo in my ears. I gave my self a little shake and said out loud , "Come on, Sash, your acting like a girl." Oh, wait, I am a girl.

I leaned into the door to open it a little more than softly whispered, "Tyler." I waited a minute half expecting some bogeyman to come out and get me. My heart was in my throat, not a nice place for it to be. I swallowed dryly and gave the door a shove, sending in swinging into the wall. It bounced off with a thud and would have hit me if I hadn't stopped it with my foot. If that sound didn't send anybody running than the apartment was empty. The front door opens into the living room and I fully stepped into it and stopped.

Either my brother had turned into a slob or he'd been robbed. Papers and other objects were strewn around. The couch cushions were on the floor, some of them with long slashes torn into them, like some one had taken a knife to them. I called my brother's name again but wasn't surprised when it wasn't answered. I was alone, whether that was a good thing or a bad thing I wasn't sure. I stood rooted in the center of the chaos and took a deep breath, figure it out Sasha.

I circled the room with my eyes and stopped at the entertainment center. The T.V. and DVD player were there as was his stereo system. Okay, so it hadn't been a B and E. I moved into the kitchen and frowned. The kitchen was perfect, not a single thing looked out of place. I turned back around and stared at the mess in the other room. Slashed pillows, broken picture frames, papers littering the floor? Hum, the light bulb just went off over my head. Pissed girlfriend was what I was thinking. It looked like the act of an enraged person, something done for a personal reason. Jesus, are you telling me I've just stressed myself into five new grey hairs because Tyler fucked up his relationship with some woman. Great, just fucking great.

With that thought my anxiety fled the premises. I went back out to the landing and grabbed my black duffel from where I had first dropped it. I closed the door behind me and was happy to hear the lock engage in the striker plate. I picked up some of the disarray but left the majority of it for Tyler. After all that, my body was left feeling drained and tired, panic and stress will do that to you. I went into the bedroom and collapsed onto Ty's bed. I closed my eyes and tried very hard not to think about what my baby boy may have been doing on these sheets.

I awoke in darkness, feeling disoriented. I knew I wasn't in my own bedroom because of the rough feeling of the bed spread under my check. It took me a second to remember and when my mind finally caught up I bolted off of the bed. I sat listening for any signs of another person in the apartment but all was quiet. Shit, I got up and ventured into the kitchen hoping to find a note or something that let me know that Tyler had returned. To my surprise, cause yes I'm a pessimist, a note sat on the counter next to a half eaten pizza, cheese if you were wondering.

Sasha,

Had to run out for something. Come see me at work.

Love Tyler

P.S. By the way you snore.

I huffed at the snoring part, I do not. Also on the note was directions to some place called Sinful Addictions. I had a bad feeling that that was a strip club, I mean I knew he was tending bar but not where. Great! I grabbed a slice and shuffled into the bathroom and started the shower. I had raised Tyler to be strong and independent, to take care of himself and never depend on anyone to save him, well except me of course. But the world in general was against us and you had to learn to be on the defensive. You're probably thinking I sound cold hearted, and in some ways I can be, but I've learned that no matter how nice someone seems to be they can turn on you.

I stripped and stepped under the hot spray of water. I closed my eyes and leaned my forehead against the tile. What the hell was I doing here? Some how this was all connected to my "dream" of Tannon, but I couldn't follow where I was being lead to. I felt very lost and confused. I sighed heavily and got down to why I was in the shower in the first place. I scrubbed and washed and when I felt I was clean enough to be presentable, and the muscles in my back had unclenched from the heat, I stepped out and dried off.

Using a corner of a towel, I wiped off the steam from the mirror and looked myself in the face. I had always been told that I looked like my mother, and even though she had been a beautiful woman, to me it had seemed like an insult. My hair is black, not solid but highlighted with brown, my eyes dark green. In three months I'll be twenty-six years old but there are days when I felt that I have walked this earth for a hundred years, today being one of those days. I dropped the towel and stared at my body. Not bad, I thought, I'll never be a rail thin stick, and I for one am glad. Women should have curves, their thighs should touch, at least that's what I think. I twisted my hair into a banana clip and gelled the ends to bring out the curls. Makeup is way easy for me, a little gray eye shadow, wave a mascara wand towards my lashes and paint my lips with a glitter gloss and I was ready to go.

Oh what to wear, what to wear. I rummaged around in my duffel bag looking for something, anything. I'm bad when it comes to clothes, I have tons of them and never seem to have anything I want to put on; I'm the same way with shoes. I finally settled on a short black leather skirt and a white tank top with a blue butterfly in the middle of it. I added a pair of black sandaled high heels and my black duster and I was ready to walk out the door.

I dislike carrying a purse so I don't unless I have to. I can be kind of naughty about where I hide things on my person; for example, I took a couple of twenty dollar bills, wrapped them around my drivers license and stuck them in my bra cup. I know that sounds wrong, but this way my hands are free. The only problem was when you go to retrieve the items people look at you weird but I've been looked at like that for as long as I can remember, so it doesn't bother me. I grabbed my keys and cell phone, those can be clipped to the belt loops on my skirt so don't get any ideas, and headed for Sinful Addictions.