I look into the back of the loading truck. There are a dozen crates that usually take two men to lift, and at least fifty bags that need to be carried over. I look in the corner where the dolly is, but one of the wheels has popped off, and the other has a flat.
Bastard.
Guess I’m getting my workout in this morning.
I’ll start with the crates first. They are the hardest to move because no matter how strong I am, I can only lift one at a time. Then I can work on the bags which I can transport more quickly.
When I walk out of the truck, carrying one of the crates easily between my arms, I hear the gasps from the men around me.
I snicker. I just wish I could watch Wayne pissing his pants. Julian Reed isn’t going to be happy he has to pay me double wages.
Forty-five minutes later, I lift the last five bags, toss them over my shoulder and then start carrying them to the boat.
“Zeke,” Julian shouts from his car.
Thank God. I’m tired of dealing with Wayne.
I toss the last of the bags into the boat and then find Wayne’s gaze. “You owe me double.”
His face goes white in front of his boss.
And then I head over to Julian’s car.
Julian glares at Wayne. “He’s having you move cargo?”
I nod.
He shakes his head. “Sorry about him, he can’t recognize good talent when he sees it.”
I shrug. “I think he’s just threatened.”
He laughs. “Probably.”
“You have something better for me to do?”
“Get in,” he nods.
I climb into the backseat next to him. And then his driver starts driving as Julian presses the button for the partition to go up.
Julian is dressed in a sharp suit. He looks more like a banker than a drug dealer. I don’t understand the appeal of suits. I guess men wear them when they want to look powerful without having to put in the work to gain muscles. Muscles that automatically earn you respect from other men when you walk into the room.
“I think it’s time we put your skills to the test,” he says.
I nod. I like where this is going. If I can do something big enough to repay the debt I owe him, then I can get off this island. It’s beautiful, sure. But it’s not home.
Julian saved my life three months ago. He pulled me from the ocean before I nearly drowned. He brought me back to his mansion and flew in the best doctors to take care of me. He said the doctors at the local hospital couldn’t have saved me. And after driving by it a few times, I realized he was right. They couldn’t have saved my life. I was lucky he did. Julian knew if he saved me, I would owe him. I know he didn’t do it out of the goodness of his heart. He saw how large I was and took a chance that I would be able to pay him back in a way worth his time.
“What do you have in mind?” I ask. Please let it be something that earns me my freedom. I’m not really his captive. I’m not his slave. But I can’t leave in good conscience until I pay him back. It’s just the way I am. I’ve worked for him for two and a half months now. As soon as I healed, I got to work. He insisted on paying me for the work even though I said I would do the work for free. All the time, waiting for a moment when I knew I could finally leave, my conscience clear.
It’s taken all of my strength to stay. All I wanted to do was get on the first plane back to Miami. I had friends who depended on me. People I needed to protect. But I knew if I returned in the shape I was in, I would only get them all killed. Just like what happened before. I wasn’t as strong as I should have been. And it almost cost me my friends’ lives. It almost cost my life. I won’t put them in danger again. And I’m afraid if I don’t leave here with Julian’s good graces that I will be putting them in danger. I will be creating a new enemy.
So that’s why I’ve stayed mute about who I worked for before coming here. At first, I pretended I couldn’t even remember my life before. And I sure as hell won’t be telling Julian about my boss now. Even though this guy is small fries compared to the great Black empire.
“I have a deal that needs arranging. Wayne hasn’t been able to close it for me. And the timing isn’t good for me; my biggest client needs my attention. I can’t be seen courting another client at the same time. You understand, optics in this business are everything.”
“Of course,” I say.
“I need someone I can trust. Someone smart to go in my place. Someone who can close the deal. Ensure he chooses me to be his partner. That I’m the one he trusts to manage his shipment. Are you the guy to make that happen?”
He pulls a cigar out of his jacket and lights it. He doesn’t offer me one. He knows by now I won’t take it. I’ve been too focused on healing to take pleasure in any sort of vices. My lungs still burn when I breathe from taking in too much saltwater. I can’t add smoke inhalation to my list of injuries.
“I can be for the right price.”
He laughs. “I assumed you were a good negotiator. Name your price. Want ten percent of the deal?”
I shake my head, my eyes darkening, showing how serious I am. My lips thin, and my shoulders straighten, making me look more powerful. More dangerous. “If I do this, then my debt is clean. I owe you nothing. We are done. You are no longer my boss, and I’m no longer your employee. I’ve repaid you for saving my life.”
Julian’s lips twitch. He takes another drag of the cigar and then slowly exhales until the back of the car is filled with smoke.
My lungs ache as I inhale the smoke. My throat itches with the need to cough and remove the fumes. My eyes water, and will be red the rest of the day. But I don’t cough, scratch, or cower. I don’t show weakness.
Julian wants me to handle a drug deal with a man he is desperate to work with. He’s trusting me with this task. I can’t show him any weakness. He needs to know that no matter what, I will get the job done.
“Sure. You do the job; you owe me nothing. Although, I hope after you get a taste of working for me, and the money and bonuses that come with it, you will reconsider working for me on a long term basis.”
I don’t respond. I don’t want to lead him on and think that I will work for him. But I don’t want to insult him by saying there is no amount of money that could ever make me work for him. My boss is Enzo Black. He’s earned that right. He’s one of my best friends. I don’t want to work for anyone else.
“He’s a lucky man,” he says.
“Who?”
“Whoever you worked for before I found you. It’s obvious you risked your life for him. That you will do anything to return to work for him, even though you’ve been here for months, and he hasn’t even tried to find you.”
Because Enzo thinks I’m dead, and he has a woman he loves that he has to protect at all costs.
“I would love to have a man work for me with that kind of loyalty.”
You have to earn it. Show that even though you do some bad things, you are fair and honest and do the right thing when it really matters. You will sacrifice your life for mine just as I would mine for yours.
Julian will never be that kind of boss. He likes money and power too much. From what I’ve seen, he’s fair with how he treats his men. He pays them well for the jobs they do, but that’s as far as it goes. He’s not friends with his men. He doesn’t treat them like equals. And he thinks his life is more important than theirs.