Beyond the Past Read Free

She worked as an executive assistant to a CEO of a software company, and didn’t particularly like the job or her boss, but adored the paycheck. “Fine, but girl, I’m damn happy it’s Friday!”
    After pulling out a bottle of red wine from her Louis Vuitton bag, Rachel dropped the purse on the couch next to her coat. “Let’s drink up. I can’t wait to see what those bitches in Beverly Hills are up to.”
    Gabby laughed as they made their way into the kitchen. Rachel grabbed the wine opener out of the drawer and had the cork popped a moment later. Gabby pulled down two wine glasses, and Rachel poured.
    “This tastes good,” Rachel murmured after taking a sip.
    “It does,” Gabby agreed, and opened the refrigerator to pull out a vegetable tray and ranch dip.
    Rachel made a face, indicating her distaste. “I don’t want vegetables. Do you have any chips?”
    Gabby laughed and moved to the pantry. Rachel had one ‘free’ day per week from her diet, and apparently, it must be today. Gabby kept a bag of chips tucked away just in case.
    “That’s what I’m talking about,” her friend murmured, pouring more wine into her glass. “Let’s sit down.”
    They sat on the dark brown couch, and Gabby set the bag of chips and the container of dip on the coffee table. She shoved a chip in her mouth and reached for the remote.
    “Oh! Wait! Before we get started, I wanted to tell you I have a new client for you,” Rachel said.
    Gabby set down the remote and settled back into the couch. She always loved hearing about new business. “Who is it?”
    “You remember my friend Cherri, right?”
    Gabby nodded.
    “She’s got a new co-worker and he’s looking for a house. I told her all about you, and we’re meeting them tomorrow for drinks.”
    Gabby narrowed her gaze at her friend, not like the “he” part of that sentence. Rachel had been relentlessly trying to set her up on dates for the past two months, telling her nothing would put Lucas in her rearview mirror better than a good lay. Gabby wasn’t interested in getting involved with another man, but she was definitely interested in a potential new client.
    “What side of town is he looking on?”
    “I don’t know. I told her we could all meet tomorrow and get the details then.”
    “Okay.” She reached for the remote. It seemed innocent enough and not like Rachel had intended to set her up for a date.
    As they watched the housewives, she smiled. Yes, she’d just sold a house, but it would be nice to stay ahead of the bills. It had been a bit difficult since the military had cut off Lucas’s benefits, and she worked her butt off to keep afloat. Another sale would definitely put some extra cash in her pocket. She’d never have as much money as the women on TV, but it seemed things just might be picking up for her.

Chapter 4
    “I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Brody Teller whispered to Lucas as he gazed up at the starlit sky. “Something doesn’t feel right.”
    “Relax, man,” he said. “It’s the same shit we do all the time.”
    Lucas may have tried to calm Brody’s nerves, but the truth was, he felt it as well. He wiped sweat from his face, hating the damn humidity and simply wanting to be dry, for a change.
    As he studied the makeshift building in the middle of the Guatemalan jungle through his night vision goggles, he wondered what kind of horrors had taken place within it. Their source had said the building was used as storage for raw heroin, and possibly a stopover for human traffickers. He didn’t care much about the drugs, but the human trafficking really pissed him off because it usually meant women and girls being bought and traded. He didn’t understand cultures where the fairer sex got no respect.
    Something buzzed by his head, and he swatted it away. Man, he hated all the damn bugs and the stench of rotting plants. He couldn’t wait to finish this assignment and get the hell out this country.
    “Teller, you and Tate move in