Page 59 of Enforcer

“I’m glad to see you happy, Dante,” he says, returning the conversation to Alyssa.

“For now.”

He sighs. “You think she hates this life that much? She leaped at the chance to be beside Brynne the way Slate told me.”

“Well, she’s got loyalty to Brynne. She bit off a bit more than she can chew, though. I think she’s only now realizing it.”

“Who could blame her, though? After the other night? Even I had a tough time after that.”

I have to agree with him. It was a lot.

“There’s something else. I can see it. What is it?”

I don’t normally like talking about my life and problems, but it would be nice to discuss them rather than let my thoughts drive me wild.

“She’s got these impenetrable fucking walls since her parents divorced. I get the sense it was not only messy but there was some abuse involved. Whether it was verbal or mental, I don't know. She’s lived with the idea that she’ll always be single. She doesn’t want to commit to anyone.”

“Ahh, now I’m getting the hesitation on your part. You, my friend, are a man of commitment.”

“Am not.”

He laughs. “Yeah? I’m sure you know how many one-night stands you’ve had.”

I open my mouth to argue, but I know how many I’ve had, so I keep my lips shut.

“I bet you can use one hand to count them, too,” he adds.

I cross my arms in defense, keeping my mouth shut.

“The man who loves too hard and falls too fast found the girl who refuses to fall.”

Fuck, he has us pegged.

“Can we keep our heads on what we’re doing, please?”

He throws his hands up. “Sorry. I forget you get touchy when you’re wrong.”

“Fuck off, Marco. Help me search the grounds.”

He pulls out his Glock 19 9mm, nodding at me for me to lead the way.

I push all thoughts of commitment and impenetrable fortresses around beautiful blonde women’s hearts from my head, focusing on watching every aspect of what’s in my path.

Once we’re inside, using a hole that we pried in the gate because someone changed our fucking locks, Marco and I go through the building and then out to the back, where the docks lead out into the bay.

There are two shipping containers here that weren’t here before, and I have a flashback to the night Slate and I spilled Ricci blood on this very soil before we rescued women from inside containers just like that.

“Goddamnit, not again,” Marco echoes my thoughts aloud.

“Be ready for anything,” I tell him, opening the first container.

The smell is unmistakable. Humans have been in here, and a lot of them.

But when Marco shines his light over the interior, there’s no one inside. Nothing but the buckets used for shit and piss remain.

The other one is the same.

Inside the guard shack, there’s no evidence left behind. Not even a scrap of paper with any information.

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