The Lives We Lead (jaceyboo & Traveler)

"You're smart not to believe me," Antonio agreed with her. "But don't worry about Darren tonight. Like you said, you know too much about his business for him to get on your bad side, and I don't think he's ready to get rid of you yet. Just hang tight, stay cool about tonight, and let me worry about the details."

He walked over to where she was taking off her ear rings. His fingers brushed the hair away from her dainty ear as he looked at her in her mirror. They did make a nice looking couple, and for a moment he could almost imagine them together. Would it help his case to try to seduce Darren's girl? Or was it just a stupid idea, one that was bound to get them both hurt? Right now she was 'just' Darren's girl, but Antonio caught a glimpse of something else in her that drew him in. He found her not only attractive but also mysterious.

"I gotta go back." He withdrew his hand to leave, glancing back at her briefly before the door shut off his view of the pretty girl who had gotten too drunk that night.

Back at the club Darren was hanging out with his buddies, a few skimpy-dressed girls hanging around to catch any goodies that might be thrown their way. When he saw his newest toy walk back in he waved at Antonio. "Hey! Where the fuck you been?"

Antonio slid in beside him which meant that one of the girls had to slide further away. "Aubrey got sick. Some girl shit - I made sure she got home safe like you told me to."

"Oh, yeah. That's right." Darren grinned. "Hey, you wanna drink?" He was already way too deep into his drinks to notice how long it had been since he saw his girlfriend. "I gotta coupla gals here said they'd love to keep you company Hombre. You up for a good night?"

Tonio smiled. "I'm always up for a good night, Boss." He clinked his glass against Darren's but didn't take a sip. Instead he hung back and listened as Darren and a few of his other partners discussed business. Still, Antonio's mind drifted back to Aubrey. He hoped that she was alright in her place alone. He'd have to check on her, of course, but he didn't want her to get suspicious of him.

Aubrey nodded lightly as he spoke, the same look of fear and innocence in her eyes as she stared up at him. She sighed softly as he brushed her hair to the side, wanting nothing more than to just lean into him and let him hold her. For once, she didn't understand her own thoughts. Despite knowing that everything he had just said was made up bullshit, for whatever reason she didn't know, she still felt safe with him.

Again, she felt the same panic as when he had tried to leave the first time. She wanted him to stay, yet she didn't know why. What she did know though, was that he was different. Perhaps that was why she was drawn to him. He wasn't like the rest of them, and something about him seemed to offer her a sense of hope.

"Be safe.." she whispered as he left, her eyes staring at the now closed door for what felt like an eternity after he had shut it behind him.

"Snap out of it Aubrey.." she whispered to herself, shaking her head lightly as she made her way over to her bed. She shimmied out of her dress, pushing it onto the floor and bundling up under the covers without even bothering to change into anything else.

Her eyes were wide, even as she laid in the dark. Despite wanting to go home so badly, now that she was there, she felt trapped. She was tired, yet wide awake, her mind refusing to let her rest peacefully. All she could think about was Antonio, what he had said, why he had said it. If he didn't mean it, then what was his motive? What was it that drew her to him?

Those were the thoughts haunting her mind as she finally drifted to sleep, though the slumber that followed was a restless one at that.

Late the next morning Audrey got a call from Darren. He sounded happy and still drunk on the line.

"Hey BA-by! Pack your bags Angel - we're getting on a yacht and sailing down to Cuba! Yeah! I met me some good contacts, Babe and this is gonna be the trip of a lifetime. It'll set us up! I'm sending Antonio to pick you up, so get whatever you need, you know - makeup and that shit, and be ready for him."

Did I mention that he still sounded a little bit drunk?

About forty minutes later the doorman buzzed Aubrey's apartment. "Sorry to interrupt you, Ms Roman, but there's an Anthony Rico here to see you?" He didn't seem to notice or care that Aubrey's true last name hadn't been put on the lease. It was leased to her boyfriend, and so the doorman always called her Ms Roman.

The lean man made quick time up to her room, and when the door was opened he smiled. "Darren sent me to pick you up. Do you have luggage I can carry?" He had spent a long night watching Darren get drunker and drunker, fondling the whores who offered themselves to anything with a dick, and making deals with shady low-lifes who had as much ambition as he did. One man had stood out, though. Hugo. He actually sounded intelligent, and when he found out who Darren was they set up a meeting for them south of the border for some dealing.

Of course, Darren was bringing his entourage and making a party out of it. He had enough muscle around him to feel safe, no matter where they were headed. Antonio was already trying to figure out how to make this work for his agency. They couldn't do anything for him if things went bad in Cuba. He would be on his own.

"Darren, I don't want t-" she started to say, but before she could finish her sentence, he had hung up. She sighed, tossing the phone onto her bed. She was tired, grouchy. The night before had left her in a strange mood, and she wasn't pleased with Darren. Firstly, he hadn't come home to her, and now, he was dragging her along to Cuba.. He knew that she didn't like to be involved with, or even be around him while he did business.

Aubrey was used to moments like this though, and she actually had several bags in her walk in closet that were pre packed, each designed for the different climate conditions of the places they traveled. She grabbed a bag that had more summery clothing. Short shorts, tank tops, sun dresses, skimpy bathing suits Darren had picked out.

When Antonio arrived, she was laying on her bed, clad in a skintight, light blue tube top and a pair of jean shorts. Her hair was still wet from her shower, a light curl to it since she hadn't taken the effort to blow dry it. She felt a tad awkward when he stepped into her room, unsure of what to do or say. All she could think about were the things that had been said the night before.

"In the corner." she said quietly, pointing to the red bag that sat in front of her closet. She eyed him carefully as he retrieved it, trying to think of something to say. There was a lot that she wanted to say, questions she needed to ask, yet her lips just couldn't seem to form any words.

Antonio looked tired. The night didn't end until about four that morning and he had things to do after hours to make arrangements for Darren. He had spent a lot of time trying to figure out who in the mobster's entourage could be turned State's Witness and who couldn't, and it seemed like there were more dead ends then leads.

He looked over what she was wearing and then he studied her expression. There was a guardedness to her that morning. "Are you feeling okay?" He picked up the bag and brought it over to her bed, setting it on the foot and then sitting down. He twisted slightly so that he could look at her.

"Listen... I'm sorry if I put you in an uncomfortable situation last night, you know - telling you all that." His eyes flicked down to the bed briefly before returning to her face. "I would never try to come between you and Darren. I don't want to mess up your world. I won't bring it up again, okay? I don't wanna make you feel worried that I'm going to try to get between you and your man."

Aubrey nodded lightly, keeping her gaze down so as not to look directly at him. It wasn't until he sat down on the bed that she finally looked up, though she remained where she laid on the bed, curled up in her pile of pillows.

"My worlds already messed up." she said with a light laugh, her fingers picking at a string that was hanging off of one of the pillows. "There's already more thats come between Darren and me than you could imagine." she added, glancing up at him once more. "I just..." she started to say, but couldn't seem to finish.

She was silent for a moment, sighing as she tried to find the words to say. "I just don't know what your motive is." she finally said, her eyes cast down once more. "Because I truthfully don't think it has to do with me, as nice as it would be to believe." she said with a light smile, though there was a pained look on her face.

"You're not like the rest of them. Your motives aren't the same, and I..I like that." she admitted, her cheeks flushing lightly. "I don't feel like you have bad intentions, and its refreshing." she told him, hesitating before allowing her eyes to meet his once again. "But it scares me." she added, her voice just above a whisper. "I'm scared for you."

Her breath seemed to catch at the last sentence. Had she really just said that?

He watched her pulling at the thread as she tried to explain her relationship to the mob boss. What was a girl like her doing with a crap guy like Darren? She was sensitive, thoughtful, hot... Antonio tried not to think about that part. The scary part was that she had some kind of crazy intuition about his motives that were spot on, and it also made him a little nervous. He knew that she could make or break his mission to bust her boyfriend. In doing so she could also decide if Antonio wound up feeding the sea creatures or got to see another sunrise.

He felt a surprised shock when her concern turned from being afraid to being afraid on his behalf. Was she being honest with him? He looked up at her and considered her words. Did she really care what happened to some asshole who just started working as Darren's muscle? Or was she a clever test put there by the boss himself?

"Aubrey, I already told you what brought me here. It doesn't hurt that I'm also making a lot of money being Darren's fists," he chuckled. This was the moment when he decided whether to bring her into his side of things or not. Was she going to turn witness on her boyfriend? Might she escape his sentence and this world? "I wanna be close to you but I know that as long as Darren's in the picture ain't no one getting close to his girl."

He slid his hand closer to hers and touched her fingertips with his, a soft, questioning gesture. "What if we could get rid of him? I'm not talking killing him or anything like that, but what if we could get him locked up for good, get you a new identity... start your life over? Would you be willing to risk all of this," he glanced around her apartment briefly, "for a chance to be free?"

Just as she had the night before, Aubrey found herself struggling with whether or not she should believe him. Did he really want to be close to her? And why? There was hesitation in her eyes, as well as fear and sadness. Antonio gave her hope, but he also scared the hell out of her. If Darren ever found out about the things he had said, the two of them would be wishing they had never so much as spoken to each other.

Her breath caught as his hand slid over hers, her eyes raising to meet his. They widened as he spoke, her mouth slightly agape. Her heart seemed to stop momentarily, her mind trying to piece together what he had just said. Almost as though the action was involuntary, she nodded lightly. She wanted to start over, more than anything.

Whether he knew it or not, it was something she had thought about more times than she could count. So many times she had thought that maybe she could just go to the police, tell them everything she knew, try to escape. But it wasn't that simple. She didn't have any kind of evidence, and though she truthfully didn't know how it all worked, she was smart enough to know that simply tattling on Darren wouldn't protect her from him. She knew well enough that the cops were onto Darren, yet they hadn't done anything about him. How would anything she said make a difference?

"How?" she asked after a moment, her eyes practically begging for answers. She shook her head lightly, closing her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, they were filled with tears. "I would do anything to get away from this..anything." she emphasized. "But its not that simple." she whispered, pulling her hand away as she sat up on the bed, leaning back against her headboard.

"You need proof..you need people on your side." she muttered, staring up at the ceiling. She almost seemed angry that he had even suggested it, thinking in her mind, that it simply wasn't possible.

He thought that she was going to tell him that he was crazy, or to threaten to call Darren and expose what he had said, but instead she sounded hopeful. Her eyes teared up and she looked at him like he had just shared with her the path of salvation.

He'd seen that look before in the eyes of a burka'd woman when his team came in and pushed out the terrorists who had been hiding in their home. Afterwards, it had been her own family who had stoned her to death for bringing shame on their name, by speaking out against those who had captured them and were using them as human shields. Yes, Antonio had seen that kind of hope in a woman's eyes - it was the kind of hope that knew there was either freedom or death in her future, but she also was willing to risk it all to know what freedom tasted like.

"You're right, Aubrey. We do need proof. I'll work on that." He stood up and shouldered the red bag.

"I left the life I had to come here," he said, looking at her teary eyes and feeling a pang of sympathy for her. That much was true; he had left his previous assignment for a chance to put down one of the bigger Florida distributors once and for all. "I'm going to do whatever it takes to make this happen. Just keep pretending like everything is normal and keep your eyes and ears open. If we can find out what he's up to, dates and places, or names, we can get what we need to wrangle you a witness protection deal. It might be the only way you'll ever be able to leave this life."

He extended his hand, palm-up, towards her and smiled. He curled his fingers twice in a 'come here' gesture, his smile widening until his cheeks dimpled in a charming, boyish way. "Nothing's ever simple. Right now we gotta catch a yacht to Cuba. Between you and me we'll figure something out. I know it."

Aubrey looked hesitant, but hopeful at the same time. Honestly, it seemed too good to be true, but at that point, what did she have to lose? She knew that it wouldn't be hard to get what he told her they needed, names, dates and places. That would be the easy part, yet the idea of freedom just seemed so unattainable.

She sighed, staring down at the bed for a moment before finally looking up at him, an unreadable look in her eye. She bit the inside of her lip as she stared at him, her eyes gazing over him as she tried yet again to read him. Finally, she looked away, taking a deep breath as she stood from the bed.

"If you say so." she whispered, offering a sad smile before walking past him and out of the room, a range of emotions flooding through her as she made her way out towards the waiting car. A part of her still felt as though none of this was real. How could it be? She felt, hopeful yet discouraged, excited but scared. She tried to push her thoughts and feelings aside, knowing that they wouldn't make a difference as to what would end up happening.

She was silent during the car ride, trying to gather herself and her thoughts before they arrived to the dock. The car was able to pull right up to where Darren's private yacht was docked, and before she had even fully gotten out of the vehicle, she could hear his booming voice. Her mind was somewhere else, but she tried not to let it show, knowing that she had to pull herself together and act right.

The yacht was something out of Cribs. It was three stories in height, the kind of thing that required a small crew to pilot it, and a license that entailed more than a simple one-hour course at the sheriff's department. Yes, Darren liked all of his things to be opulent, and the Cap'n Jack was no different. The drug dealer thought himself to be a rebel, a real Johnny Depp extraordinaire, and thus he named his ship after the drunk pirate and themed it after the movies. Rum was the drink of choice aboard the Jack, though there were plenty of other things to make the guests comfortable on their journey.

Darren saw the black SUV pull up and he grinned at Hugo. "The party can start now, Hombre. My Lady's finally arrived." This was greeted by knowing laughter as the other man raised his short glass in a toast.

The driver opened the door for Aubrey and reached in to assist her out. Antonio already had her bag slung over his shoulder. As their hands met he caught her gaze, and hidden from the view of the yacht he gave the mobster's girlfriend a wink of encouragement. "You can do this," he whispered. As he straightened and looked over at Darren he gave his boss his best 'Doing what you told me to' smile, a grin that looked at ease and carefree, as if the world was their oyster.

Antonio shut the door behind Aubrey and locked the car with his remote, following her to the dock and the prized ship.

"Hey Baby!" Darren's face broke into a wide smile. "I got the champagne chilling for you already." He reached out for her hand as she got to the yacht. "Darling I want you to meet Hugo." He looked over at the man beside him as if he was introducing her to the president of the country. "This man is going to be like a brother to me. He's our connection to the future, Babe." He put a hand on the thin, moustached stranger and then turned his eyes back to Aubrey.

"If this deal works out like we plan we're gonna hafta name our first born son after him!"

Hugo laughed thinly, his high pitched chortle sounding off. "Maybe not your first. Second maybe?" He snorted and took a drink of the scotch in his hand. His eyes roamed over Aubrey's breasts and her small waist, enjoying the eye candy that he was presented with. "Whoo - please tell me you have a single sister you can introduce me to."

Darren laughed. "This guy, such a kidder, huh? I love it." He took a long drink before directing them to go below decks. "The party'll start once we're outside the US waters, eh? We'll get out those good cigars and everything."

Antonio caught his boss's eye and nodded towards the stairway. "Okay with you if I put Miss Aubrey's bag in your room, Boss?"

"Look at this kid, eh? All that proper 'Miss' Aubrey and shit." Darren chuckled. "Of course! Me casa tu casa, si?" He turned back to Aubrey and put his hand on her waist, steering her towards the rear staircase where the party room was. "Now let's go relax and have a few drinks with our new friend. Today's gonna be a great day, Baby."

She took a deep breath as she stepped out of the car, pausing for a moment as she exchanged glances with Antonio. She nodded lightly as he spoke, offering a small smile before stepping around him and walking towards Darren. He was right, she could do this. At least thats what she tried to tell herself.

"Hi there." she greeted Darren with a smile, her demeanor having completely changed. Her hand slid into his as she placed a soft kiss on his cheek, a smile on her face as she turned to see the man referred to as Hugo.

Aubrey giggled lightly, acting completely unbothered by the way his eyes hungrily ran over her body. Truthfully, it disgusted her, but she was used to it. "No, sorry. I'm one of a kind." she told the man teasingly, leaning back against Darren and offering him a sly smile.

A sense of panic seemed to fill her when Darren began to lead her below deck, her eyes quickly darting towards Antonio. She was being petty, she knew. After all, nothing would happen to her, at least not in that particular moment. There was no denying that she was scared though, all things considered. If she somehow blew her cover, or did anything to lead Darren onto what she was doing, she would be finished, and it wouldn't make a difference whether Antonio was there or not.

As Darren pulled her along with her, she tried to shake off her nerves, laughing lightly as he spoke. She appeared to be relaxed, happy and without a worry, though her mind was all business as the three of them took their seats. She was practically on Darren's lap, her head resting back against him.

"So, what exactly is the deal thats gonna be making our future so bright?" she asked curiously, leaning forward to take the glass of champagne that had been placed in front of her. Taking a sip, she tilted her head back lightly, her eyes staring up at Darren.

Antonio grinned like he was a simple muscle tool and went to the rear subdeck where Darren's room was. His things were already there, strewn about like he expected maid service to pick up after him. Perhaps he did. The undercover cop closed the door behind him and set Aubrey's bag on the desk, then slipped his hand under the table to place a tiny bug under the top. With any luck he'd be able to pick up some evidence from their bedtime banter.

Once it was done he surveyed the room and then checked his hair, appearances were important to Darren, before going back up stairs to seek out his employer. He could hear laughter and voices coming from the rear of the yacht. Above them the crew and guards all seemed to be focused on their jobs. They were heading for Cuba, and it was a only about a six hour trip if they didn't get stopped. The trick was to not get stopped; it was illegal to go to Cuba without government permission.

"Oh baby," crooned Darren, "you don't have to worry bout what our plans are. You just be beautiful and enjoy yourself." He reached out and fondled her leg, sliding his hand up and down her thigh. "Besides you don't understand complicated stuff; it's not what women like you do." He smiled, self-important and smug, as Hugo chuckled.

The large man poured himself another tall drink and toasted the lovely lady on Darren's lap. "To business."

"To business." Agreed Aubrey's boyfriend. He took a long drink himself and smiled up at his pretty girl. "We'll be celebrating soon, baby. Then we can start thinking about what island you want to buy, hm?" He laughed loudly.

Antonio walked down the steps, trying to appear as if the scene didn't bother him. He took a position near the window and nodded at Darren. He stayed there while the men boasted and drank and slid their eyes over Aubrey's body. After about a half hour a few more women and men came down to the room and more alcohol was being passed around. Music came on and the girls began to dance, their bodies seductive in their swaying.

Aubrey was quiet as the atmosphere turned to a more lively one, the music getting louder as the drinks began to take affect on those who indulged in them. She remained perched on Darren's lap, her eyes scanning her surroundings as she made sure to listen closely to any conversation between him and Hugo. Nothing of much importance seemed to be uttered between the two though, their focus seeming to drift more towards the booze and the girls.

Perhaps this wouldn't be a simple task, not that she had expected it to be terribly easy. She found herself getting discouraged though, her mind trying to balance out different scenarios in her mind. Maybe she could get more out of him when they were alone, after he'd had a few more drinks. Or perhaps, she just needed to give up. Maybe it was just too hard of a task, not worth the risk.

She sighed softly, her internal battle unnoticed by those around her. Darren's eyes were feasted upon the dancing bodies as Aubrey stared up at him, not seeming to notice the way her eyes seemed to pick him apart.

Moments later, her eyes shifted to Antonio. She was torn. A part of her felt inclined to stay loyal to Darren, to do whatever it took to keep his interest, no matter how draining it would be. The other part of her clearly wanted something different, wanted the escape that Antonio had to offer. But would it really be worth it? Was it truthfully what she wanted?

She swallowed nervously, closing her eyes for a moment as she leaned back against Darren. It had been awhile since she had truly talked to him, or even been alone with him for that matter. Perhaps that would be the deciding factor. Being alone with Darren, no distractions or obstacles. Then, she could determine what she truly wanted; to be with him, or to destroy him.

"Darren.." she whispered, tugging lightly at his shirt. She felt like an impatient child trying to get its parents attention, a hint of frustration in her eye as she tried to tear his focus away from the scantily clad women. She knew that this wasn't necessarily the right time or place, but she didn't want to wait. She couldn't. Even if she didn't get answers from him that night, she needed to at least know what side she was on, and this was the only way she knew how to do it.

"Come to bed with me." Her words were slow and soft as she finally caught his attention, though her eyes didn't have the same need for him as they used to, not that she imagined he would notice.

Antonio maintained a neutral expression as he stood guard. The criminals drank and partied, doing line after line of coke on the table and boasting about their past glories. The drugs on the yacht alone would be enough to put them away for a long time, but that wasn't enough. He needed them away for life.

In the meantime Darren was feeling like he and Hugo were practically brothers. They had so much in common that it never occurred to him that their similarities were more than a coincidence, but it did occur to his newest body guard. As the two leaders talked and joked, listening to the music and watching the girls dancing around the room like seductive sirens, they ignored Aubrey. She became a part of the couch, and so when she spoke to her boyfriend and asked him to go to bed with her he looked at her as if he had forgotten she was there.

"Bed? Baby..." he reached forward and picked up his glass. "The night is young!" He pulled her towards his lap and fondled her somewhat rudely. "Why don't you give us a little dance baby?"

Behind him Antonio tried not to look interested in what was going on. He glanced out of the window and watched the water pass by as he strained to listen to the conversation.

Darren's hand slipped under her shirt. "It's been a long time since I saw you dance. Maybe a little lap dance, capish? Something sexy for Daddy?"

It certainly wasn't the first time Darren had requested something of the sorts to her, but his words seemed to shatter her. Her breath caught, her body stiffening against him. In that moment, the reality of it all seemed to truly sink in.

There was a strong part of her that wanted him to go with her, to show her he loved her as he had done in the past. She couldn't recall the last time she had been alone with him, the last time he had touched her lovingly.

This was the final push that she needed, the confirmation she had been searching for. He was Darren, he wasn't going to change. He would continue on the path he was on, and he would only continue to destroy those that got in his way, as well as those who were close to him. People like Aubrey.

She seemed to be in a panic, unsure of what to do or say. She knew that for her sake, she needed to suck it up and go along with what he wanted, but she couldn't. She suddenly felt sick to her stomach, her head spinning a bit as his hands snaked up her shirt. All she felt for him in that moment was disgust, and she couldn't seem to hide it.

"Darren, please stop.." she whispered, her cheeks flushing as she felt Hugo's eyes on her. Gripping his hands and pushing them away, she hoped that Darren would be drunk enough not to get mad. "I..I need to step outside." she mumbled, quickly standing before he could react to her.

"What the fuck? What's gotten into you?" Darren looked at her like she had grown a new appendage. "You never tell me to stop!" He was about to get up and pull her back down when Antonio intervene.

"She looks sick, boss. Maybe it's that sea-sickness shit." He smiled apologetically, buying Aubrey time to get out the door. "You know how these bitches are. A little champagne, a bit of the ol' weed, and suddenly they're puking everywhere." He shrugged, handing Darren another drink. "Besides, you don't want her to puke all over that nice suit, do ya?"

"Damn it. She's ungrateful she is." He took a drink, somewhat distracted by one of the girls who was still dancing.

"Exactly." Antonio heard the footsteps go up the stairs.

The ship's owner looked after the fleeing girl. "I'll go make sure she's okay," Hugo offered. "Cindy here will take care of you, Mr. Darren Sir. Don't you worry about nothing."

Some of Darren's other boys were hanging out, touching the girls and drinking. A few sucked on joints and let the girls grind on them. The boss seemed to forget about his girlfriend as his large, future business partner began to head up the stairs towards where Aubrey went.

"Maybe I should check on her for you?" Offered Antonio.

"No, nah.. Hugo's got it. Sit down." Darren reached up and took a long drag on his own joint. "I want to talk to you."

Antonio tried to look like he was calm as he sat down. He had to play this to the end; nailing Darren was too big to lose his opportunity because he was showing too much interest in his mark's girlfriend. As much as he hated it, there was nothing he could do at the moment without blowing his cover.

Hugo was quick, despite his size. He ambled up the stairs and sought out Aubrey. He'd been looking at her all night and he wanted to know what it felt like to push himself up against her ass and feel her wrapped around him. He knew that girls like her were usually there for their men's pleasure, and tonight he was going to make her his.

Aubrey hurried up the stairs, ignoring Darren as she quickly scrambled off. A part of her felt like an idiot, knowing that she shouldn't have expected any different. The reality of her situation had finally sunk in, and she didn't know how to react to it. She knew in that moment, that she had to do anything and everything she could to help Antonio pin Darren, and the thought absolutely terrified her.

She took a deep breath as she made it up to the deck, a hint of relief in her eyes. Leaning against the railing, she allowed the cool breeze of the night calm her, closing her eyes as she took in a few breaths. She knew that she could't afford to keep acting this way, that for her own sake, she needed to pull herself together.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard someone else coming up the stairs. Automatically, she assumed it would be Antonio, knowing that Darren wouldn't have followed her. There was a look of surprise in her eyes though as she saw Hugo come up onto the deck.

There was a look of obvious discomfort on her face, her eyes quickly glancing down. She was unsure of what to say, not really certain as to why he had followed her in the first place.

"Um..tell Darren I'm sorry." she whispered. "I just..don't really feel well." she mumbled, hoping that perhaps Darren had just sent him to check on her, though the feeling in her gut made her wonder what other intentions he had.

He didn't remember if she had drank anything or not, but it didn't really matter. He liked a little fight in them. Besides, they were in international waters and her boyfriend was too deep in his drink to give a shit... Hugo smiled at her. "Darren wants me to tuck you in," he said around a mouthful of silver and gold teeth. "Let's go to your room."

His eyes roamed over her nice, soft curves and the tight lines of her body. She could have been a dancer. He'd have enjoyed letting her writhe on his lap anytime. He moved closer to her, using his size to intimidate her to move. With the door shut behind him it was likely that Darren wouldn't even hear her if she screamed.

The man in question leaned forward and poured a drink for his newest bodyguard. "What do you think, eh?" He nodded his head towards the door. "This guy's got connections, right?"

"I honestly wasn't listening, boss. It's your business." He picked up the glass and held it, not taking a drink. "I know that you're a smart man. That's why I work for you."

"That doesn't sound like something Darren would say." she told him with a laugh, trying not to act intimidated, though it would be clear to him how nervous his presence was making her. "I, um..I can manage." she added, her eyes quickly darting to the door as he moved closer to her.

Still leaning against the railing of the boat, she took a couple steps to the side, hoping that she could move around him. Her eyes moved from the door, to him, and back to the door again.

"I actually need to tell Darren something.." she mumbled, though she couldn't think of anything she could possibly say to him in that particular moment. As strong as her disgust was for him, she would rather be back in the room with him than alone with Hugo. "Its..really important." she added, knowing that she couldn't possibly sound believable.

Taking a deep breath, she took a step forward, her heart racing as she hoped to make it to the door without any protest from the large man standing before her.

Hugo moved to block her with his thick body. "No. You're not going nowhere but downstairs with me." He smiled at her and leaned in closer. "Unless you want your boyfriend to lose this deal. What do you think he'd do to you if you cost him half a mil?" His grin got cockier. "So if you want to keep those pretty tits he bought you, get down that front stairwell and show 'Uncle Hugo' how thankful you gonna be for all those nice things your man gonna be buying you with that money."

He reached out and caressed her breast. "Yeah... you and I gonna spend some time together."

Down the rear stairs, Darren continued to keep Antonio at bay with his questions. The girls in the room danced and offered up lap dances, which Antonio turned down. But soon Darren insisted that his 'new brother' relax and have some fun with the girls, and the undercover cop found himself uncomfortably sitting with a writhing, half-naked girl on his lap.