“Then I’d have to kill you.”

“Well, we wouldn’t want that.”

Seth still worked for the DCPD as a detective, so he knew I couldn’t talk about it. I eventually became a cop as well, but my heart was focused on special crimes and becoming a part of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I wanted … no, I needed to make a difference when it came to crimes against children. At first it was hard to stomach some of the cases I was assigned, but it fueled my fire.

“How was your date last night?” I asked, changing the subject.

“I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.”

“Please. You’d miss me too much.” I smirked.

“This is true.”

“So?” I prompted.

“The better question is, when are you going to go on a date?”

All right so this subject needed to change. “Oh shit, look at the time. I have a meeting.”

He laughed and I fought back my own. “You’re so full of shit.”

The truth was I hadn’t dated much in the last twelve years. The bigger truth was that I hadn’t slept with any of my boyfriends. Those boyfriends never lasted; none of them ever wanted to stick around. I was twenty-nine now and none of them wanted to wait until it got serious. When it got hot and heavy and I pulled away, they would say they understood and then wouldn’t see me anymore. Seth and I remained best friends over the years. I needed him as a friend and couldn’t lose him, so I didn’t want to jeopardize our friendship by starting a relationship. Plus, he never once acted as though he wanted more and I never mentioned it either. I wasn’t even attracted to him anymore. I saw him as a brother now. He was my family.

“Bye, jerk face!” I punched him in the arm as I walked by.

“Big baby!” he whined as he rubbed his arm and I laughed.

We’d had plans for lunch, but I was always running from my seventeenth birthday, even when it came to my best friend.

Later that afternoon I really did have a meeting. I sat at the mahogany table with my black, leather portfolio in front of me. I stared at my phone, checking my emails as everyone started to file in.

“We have a new case,” my boss, Eric, informed us. I opened my notepad. “In the United States alone, there are over thirty-five hundred sex trafficking cases reported each year. Worldwide on average about twenty-two hundred girls are kidnapped every single day and forced into the sex trade. They are beaten, raped and almost always killed. On average, a single girl will be raped six thousand times and only have a life expectancy of seven years until she is killed by her ring leader. The odds of her being rescued is one out of a hundred. Word on the street is that women are being taken for sex trafficking in Las Vegas. We don’t have all the details, but we need to find out who’s behind this and where the women are being sold to. My cousin runs an escort business in Vegas, so that’s where we’ll start.”

“Is this a legit escort business?” Ella asked.

Eric nodded. “I’ve run some checks on his business and he knows who I work for. The Green family reunion would be awkward if it weren’t.” We chuckled.

“What’s the business called?” Brent asked.

“Saddles & Racks.” We all stifled our laughs. “I know what you’re all thinking, but they’re paid for companionship only.”

I sat quietly as I listened to everyone chatter. I’d never been to Vegas and had no idea what was involved in an escort business, but I knew if it was anything like Tony’s business, sex was definitely involved.

“I need either Ella or Joselyn to go undercover and see if you can find out what’s going on.”

My hand immediately shot up.

“Perfect. Joss, you leave next week. We’ll get you a new identity and a place to live. You’ll be undercover until you have something.”

I nodded. I’d never been undercover, but this was my chance to finally make a difference or at least try to make a difference when it came to prostitution. Being in the thick of things was going to light my fire more. Since that night I was sold, I’d felt it was my duty to save them all. And if I was able to get one girl off the streets, then that was one girl who would have a better life.

During the week, I tied up loose ends and told Seth what I could about my new assignment. It wasn’t much. He knew I was going undercover, but he didn’t know where. I gave him Ella’s cell number in case anything happened while I was away; that was the only way to get information to me. The bureau also had me take a few lessons in self-defense while wearing high heels. At first I’d thought it was crazy until I realized it was hard to fight off an attacker in those things.

I tried not to think about what I was getting involved with. I knew if I thought about it, I would become nervous and start to freak out. I was going to be involved with girls who were being sold—just like I had been sold. I was lucky to get out, but now I was going back in. Hopefully to save as many girls as I could.

When the day finally came and I boarded my flight for Vegas. I didn’t board it as Joselyn Marquez.

I boarded it as Andi Middlebrooke.

Chapter Six

Paul

Throughout the week, I waited for that Andy guy to show. Delivery men showed up with his shit, but he had yet to arrive. What kind of guy couldn’t move his own stuff? I was already dreading meeting my new roommate. If he was some fancy motherfucker, we weren’t going to get along. Men needed to be manly. We were made to lift heavy stuff. God forbid we broke a nail.

I wasn’t sure if I needed to be home when this guy showed up or what, but I still had work to do. This afternoon I had a unique date. When I’d read the details in my back office on my phone, I’d laughed. Tanja had hired me for three hours to be a naked chef while she had a book club at her house. I wasn’t required to cook (thank God). She would have platters of food for me to serve.

Normally any date I would dress to impress, but since this one I’d be naked, I threw on a pair of grey cargo shorts and a maroon T-shirt before driving to the address provided. When I arrived, I was greeted with a bright smile.

“Howzit?” Tanja greeted.

I chuckled. “Hi.” I stepped forward and gave her a hug.

“Please come in.”

“Where’s your accent from?”

She smiled as she closed the door behind us. “I’m from South Africa.”

“No shit?” She nodded and I followed her toward what I guessed to be the kitchen. “What has you in Vegas?”

“My husband had a job opportunity and we took it. Better education for our children, too.”

I nodded. “So uh,” I rubbed the back of my neck, “does he know you hired me?”

She laughed and it was the first time I saw her dimples on each cheek—I had a thing for a woman’s smile. “It was his idea.”

I drew my head back, not expecting that answer. “Really?”

“He’s hoping this spices things up in the bedroom.”

“I see. So he wants you to get horny and fuck his brains out?”

“Pretty much.”

“I’m sure that can be arranged.”

“Perfect.” She bit her lip and a blush crept up her neck before she turned and started to put the food together.

I helped Tanja arrange the finger foods on platters, and just as we finished the doorbell rang. She smiled again and held up a black half apron. “You can change in the bathroom around the corner. Remember, only the apron. Nothing else.”

“I gotcha, sugar.”

Those ladies were feisty. I had no idea that women in book clubs were so horny. All they talked about was how my body compared to those of book boyfriends. What the hell was a book boyfriend?