The Businessman's Escort✔️(Wattpad version)

Plotting

Cruz

After speaking with Vincent, I left the beach house. I drove until I pulled into a curved driveway. Parking in front of a home, I got out of my SUV. I closed the door and walked up to the front door. I rang the doorbell, and the door opened as I entered the house with the door closing behind me.

"Well," the person asked me.

"He's fallen in love with her," I answered as his smile grew. "Joe, what if we are messing with something we should stay out of?" I asked him, wondering if what we were doing was ethical. Vincent trusted me.

"Cruz, I understand your reservations, but I assure you, these two need each other," Joe reminded me as I nodded. I followed him into the kitchen and took a seat at the counter as his wife walked in and kissed him.

Sensing we needed some privacy, she excused herself. Joe poured us each a cup of coffee and handed me a cup as he leaned on the countertop.

"Cruz, you're my little brother, and I know you're close to Vincent, but trust me. When they assigned me an unknown girl to guard, it was Lacey. She was only twenty and not even legal to drink alcohol. They groomed her under the pretenses of becoming a 'model.' I watched assholes maltreat her. I knew she didn't belong in this life," he explained.

"How do you deal with it?" I asked him.

"I don't. I'm there long enough to get Lacey out of there, then we can take them all down, including Rafe," he told me.

I looked at my older brother, hoping he's right. When he spoke of this assignment, I had my reservations.

"We have been watching Carter Foley for years. We could never tie her to human trafficking along with prostitution. She's smart, making sure nothing traced back to her. She's also dangerous. Lacey is an innocent girl who they brought into a business she should have never been in," he reasoned.

"You care about her," I commented as he looked at me.

"It would be like someone recruiting my daughter, then soliciting. The money keeps them because it's enticing, but it's not a life anyone should live."

"She captured Vincent's heart," I mentioned as he looked at me.

"Does this surprise you?" He asked me.

"No, because she is remarkable. From what Vincent has spoken about her, she never falters in the face of adversity," I answered.

"That doesn't surprise me. Lacey is a powerful person for everything she went through in her life. She grew up with an abusive alcoholic father. Her mother abandoned her. She lived in a homeless shelter while working several jobs to save money. The girl didn't even know how to read an actual book. Most girls like her end up on the streets hooked on drugs. She didn't," he reasoned as I listened to Joe speak of Lacey.

"Vincent's hoping she agrees to his fresh arrangement. I hope she agrees to it," I spoke.

"You are a true romantic at heart, aren't you?" He inquired.

"Nope, I'm hoping for a happy ending. I got to get going," I told him as I gulped my coffee. I stood and left the kitchen when I heard him say, "Hey, when are you going to find love and settle down?"

I turned to him. "And give up the single life?" I gave him a look as he chuckled. I turned back around and left his house. I walked to my car and got inside. Pulling away, I drove like I did countless times until I found myself out in front of an apartment building.

I got out of my car and walked up to the building door. I pressed a button; then, the door buzzed as I opened it. I walked into the building towards the elevators, stepping onto them. I pressed a button and rode it to a floor.

Once it reached the floor, the door opened, and I stepped out of it. I walked down the hallway and over to a door, knocking on it. It opened as the person reached out and yanked me inside.

The door closed shut.

Joe

Gretchen walked back into the kitchen and over to the cabinet, pulling out a cup. She poured herself a cup of coffee, then joined me.

"Cruz didn't stay long," she commented to me as she took a sip of her coffee.

"He has a recent date he didn't want to discuss," I replied to her.

"He realizes you're a detective and can find out anything you want, right?" She questioned me with a look. I chuckled.

"Cruz has always been private about his dating life. He's not one to boast and brag about the women in his life. That's why he and Vincent get along so well. Both are very private people," I explained to her.

"And this girl?" She looked at me with concern.

"Human trafficking has become a serious issue over the years. Most are selling girls into the sex trade, getting a pretty penny for them, and keeping them captive. You have the ones that make it seem glamorous. People like Carter Foley sickens me. She makes money off these girls' way more than she pays them. People like Lacey think they are rich. It's nothing compared to the empire Carter amassed," I explained to her.

She looked at me with that look of empathy. Human trafficking has become a serious issue over the years. People lay in wait as they study their victim's every move. While most taken by kidnapping, they lure some with the guise of a better life. The traffickers groomed and programmed the victims never to ask for help. The statistics on human trafficking are jaw-dropping.

Being in law enforcement, you see many situations, and it never gets easier. You're hoping you can save at least one even if you can't save them all.

Lacey was smart. Spending time with her, I helped her learn to do the math. When she understood that, she learned how to manage her money. It made her a better businesswoman. Rafe taught her to read. Unfortunately, that's the only extraordinary thing he taught her. I couldn't stand the bastard.

He was the type that was smug and played the game well. He claimed to be Lacey's friend when he knew she developed affections for him. He used it to his advantage, and I hated him for it. It's how they could keep her for so long.

When I had lunch with Cruz and mentioned Vincent's situation, I gave him Lacey's card with her cell number. I knew Carter would be furious, but I didn't care. Then when he had a meeting with her and offered the contract. We knew she would never agree to it, so we made sure she had no choice.

It killed me not knowing if she agreed to it since we had to sever all contact. When Cruz informed me she took the deal, I knew this was her chance. All we needed was a month to remove her out of business and away from Carter and Rafe.

I hope she agrees to Vincent's new agreement. She deserves to be happy, and he could provide that. We have two more weeks for this to happen. Whatever Vincent is planning, I hope he could pull it off not only for his sake but for hers.