I’m done,” Ransom says suddenly, jerking me from my thoughts. He’s holding up his clean plate as though it needs to be inspected. “Can I get the gifts now?”He’s so excited that I’m starting to get a bad feeling about said gifts.Granny sighs. “Alright, alright. Go ahead.”The guy shoots back from the table like he’s just been shot out of a cannon. He rushes off and returns a few minutes later with all manner of shopping bags, which he sets right by my side. I’m so shocked that my fork drops from my hand.I have men watching your parents’ house,” Granny says softly. “They’re safe, but right now, it isn’t safe for you to be out and about, and it’s not okay for us to go to your place and get any of your things. Kidnapping you wasn’t my plan….” She gives Mike a dirty look that I fully second. “But now that it happened, you can’t go around wearing the same set of clothes, so I asked the boys to go out and get you the things you’d need. I laundered your clothing last night, so I knew your
When I hear something shatter in the kitchen, hear a round of cursing, then smell burning, my lips twitch. I’m vastly amused that Lancer was right about the burning. I feel even more exhausted after that long afternoon, and I still have to get through dinner…or maybe not if it’s hopefully been burned to a crisp. I know I certainly don’t owe anyone anything, but I guess my manners are too good to lock myself in my room for the night and not come back down. Or maybe it’s just too exhausting thinking about having to deal with the interruptions that would no doubt materialize, probably in the form of a banging on the door or the said door being taken off the hinges by an industrious granny who has been called back and won’t take no for an answer.I head upstairs to wash my face and hands since I could use a splash of cold water to revive me. I can’t remember the last time I ever felt so exhausted. I know that if I fell into bed right now, my body would buzz with everything I’ve learned ov
How so?” Mike’s frown digs deep trenches into his brow. I think it’s basic human nature and concern that causes me to want to reach over and smooth them away. “Living at home—if I could use that word because it wasn’t a home at all—was…it was…not fun. It was the opposite of fun. My father… well, I’d liken him to the devil, but that would be doing Satan a serious disservice. I don’t think the devil himself could be as bad as my father was. I saw him do terrible things to other people. Other men. But never women. Unless that woman was my mother, though he never hit her. He was too controlled for that. Instead, he controlled her in every other way possible. She was like a puppet, a zombie, doing what he wanted. She was strung out on prescription meds to make her biddable, but also probably because it was the only way she could survive getting through the day. I imagine she thought about killing herself just to escape. All the time. She never intervened in my father’s business, and to her
I watch as my words have the desired effect, and Sharon starts grinding her teeth. I also watch as she pulls back her arm and hurls the pickle at me. It hits me in the forehead, between the eyes, with a soggy, vinegary splat. I get some residual splash in my eyes and have to blink against the sting. I rub my left eye with my hand.“Ouch. That burns.” It’s half a deadpan and half the truth.“So will this,” Sharon growls before she stalks over and raises her knee, trying to angle it right at my groin.“Oh, hell no. That is not happening again. Bag me once; shame on me. Bag me twice…well, no. Just. No.”She slams into me, but I block any and all access to my junk by angling away and giving her my knee only. I grasp her wrists, angling them above her head to subdue her since she goes for my eyes, her fingers like claws after I cock block her. Mmm hrmmm. I’m not exactly sure that’s how you use that saying, but whatever. I use her momentum to twist her against the wall, and I trap her there
And nope, I’m not crouched down over here by the door, admiring his body. Which is, uh, so obviously a ten that it makes my mouth water and turns my nipples into diamond peaks. Damn it. It’s not my fault. His naked chest is just so potently beautiful that I can’t not notice. Also, it’s about as bright red as it gets. Gleaming, glistening, and drawing my attention hook, line, and sinker. My body is on the highest of red alerts alright, so maybe that’s also a good way to describe his chest and I realize I’m slowly sinking into a moment of madness, round two.“Manscaping?” I choke out just to say something. My eyes slingshot up to his face, away from the danger zone, which is pretty much everywhere below the neck.“I was, uh, I didn’t think body hair was attractive. I didn’t anticipate this happening, or I would have prepared before. Now it seems I’ve ruined everything.”He’s so miserable when he says it that it makes me smile, and then I feel like a royal jerk. “I’m not laughing at you,
Not Mike,” Ransom protests, and I wonder where he’s going with this and why he’s suddenly defending me. “He’s way too straight-laced for that. He lives, eats, and breathes hacking.” He goes off half-cocked, putting his hands on his hips and strutting around the room, imitating my deep voice even though his is already plenty deep enough. “Not dragging anyone into our life. That would be a straight-up liability, and it’s not fair to them, either. Love is for sissies. What’s a crush? I’m immune to any and all such nonsense.”“Oooooh! Has someone finally broken through those thick arse walls? Broached the barrier? The old seal sprung a leak? Burrowed into thy formerly impenetrable brain?” Lancer goads.Marcus stands back, puzzled. “Wait, is the wedding real? I thought it was fake.”“The wedding is real. The marriage is fake,” Atlas informs him.Then why’d he shave?”I let loose a warning noise as I swing my legs over the edge of the bed. “It’s official. I thoroughly and truly hate you all
I told you the crying wolf thing was going to get you in trouble one day,” I say, trying to be playful, though my voice is still full of very real concern that is in no way an act.Mike grunts, but he does manage a small smile that I feel is just for me. And dang, if that smile doesn’t light up every corner of a world I didn’t know was so very, very dark before.“Are we ready to continue?” The frazzled JP, who I had forgotten about completely, finally steps back toward us. He snaps open his binder and winces like it’s going to trigger a second big fall.Mike grasps my hands again. Both of them. What do you know? It’s official. The storm of butterflies in my gut has turned into a full-on murder of crows. That’s what a group of crows is called, in case you didn’t know. A murder. Very, very interesting.I’m ready.” Mike squeezes my hand. The squeeze goes up through my arm and explodes to the rest of my body.I have to squeeze back. It’s just another instinct, and it’s polite, the right t
SharonHiding. Behind a computer.”“No. Not hiding. Sacrificing. You’re not a coward. I know that you know you’re facing this head-on. You don’t want justice for them; you want it for all the victims in the world and the many people out there who have been wronged and forced into a life they didn’t choose. You’re not just doing it for granny or yourself. You’re doing it for them. For the people that you don’t even know. That’s heroic. I think the brain, they say, is most impressionable before age twenty-two, so if you were going to go bad, then you’d have gone bad already. You chose the other path. It’s a harder path. The hardest. To be kind and good.”“You don’t think I’m kind and good. I kidnapped you.”Her eyes soften, and her plush lips part. Her tongue sweeps along her lower lip as she sighs. “You did. But I’ve forgiven you for that. It was a moment of insanity. I think we all have those. It might have been a bad decision, but it’s worked out now.”MikeBecause of Granny. And my b
Apparently, the guy was nomadic and had been on the run for a while. I couldn't help but wonder why he kept hiding and what had made him choose this luxurious hotel as his hideout.Several hours passed, and it appeared that the man didn't want to show himself. The air was thick with the scent of cigar smoke. I sat at the table with James, feeling anxious and uneasy. I couldn't help but feel like something was off about the situation.Suddenly, the door creaked open, and a strong-looking muscular guy entered the room. His serious expression and imposing figure sent shivers down my spine. He scanned the room before his eyes landed on us."My boss will see you now," he said in a gruff voice.I breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we were getting somewhere. I signaled to James that I would wait for him in the parking lot and stood up from the table, eager to get out and breathe some fresh air. However, as I exited the meeting room, my heart sank, and beads of sweat started to form around m
I'm good, Dad," I said, not wanting to talk about myself. “Well, thanks for your time.”I stood up to leave. Visits with my father had always been all business anyways. The man believed in nothing more than himself. I hurried down to the garage to find Richard.I watched Richard from afar. He looked more manly in the garage environment. He was fascinated by something in the car engine area, so I moved closer.As soon as Richard spotted me, he sighed.Laura," he said quietly, "go home."The words almost sounded like a warning, but I ignored him. I went even closer and looked around. It was quite dark in there for the middle of the morning. I got even closer.Richard closed the gap between us, his face dangerously set."Turn around," he ordered as he grabbed my hips and rested me face-first against the side of a car. His voice was suddenly deeper, and I rubbed my thighs together.He slipped a hand under my jacket."Laura, you really should go home now," Richard said as his hand kept get
The mansion had an eerie feel to it—as if there were secrets lurking around every corner. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were dead bodies hidden in the walls. It was unsettling, but I pushed those thoughts aside and continued on my way.As I reached the foyer, I saw James standing there, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He had a stern expression on his face. I had no desire at that moment to deal with the consequences of the previous night, but I continued towards him as he acknowledged me with a nod."Come to the back," his tone was firm, not that there had ever been a day that he was lenient. He took his difficult position very seriously.I followed him to the other end of the house where he opened a heavy metal door that led to a dark room. I could barely see what was inside, but I knew it had to be something important.He pulled out a large, heavy carton and placed it on a nearby table."You're delivering this," he said, pointing to the package. "It needs to be there at e
Yeah," I nodded as Richard pulled the car back onto the road."Are you married?" I blurted out, the words escaping my lips before I could even think twice. The car was quiet, aside from the sound of the engine humming. Anthony looked at me in shock, his eyes darting back and forth between me and the road ahead. For a moment, I thought that maybe I had caught him red-handed in some sort of scandalous affair, but then he spoke."No…" he said, his voice low and guarded, “but I was almost married."The way he said it made my heart ache for him. There was so much pain in his voice, so much hurt that he was clearly trying to hide. I could feel the tension in the car building like a rubber band stretched too tightly."She left," he added, his jaw clenching. I could see how much the memory hurt him, how much he must have been struggling to deal with the aftermath. I wondered what type of woman could have left someone like him. He seemed like the kind of person who would be an amazing partner,
I approached the bouncer, and he greeted me with a smile."Hi, Laura," he said, recognizing me from previous encounters. "It's been a long time," he smiled."I know, right?" I said and he parted the way for me to enter. I couldn't help but feel a sense of belonging. This was my favorite spot to unwind after a long day, and I always felt at home there.I took a deep breath and stepped inside, feeling the energy of the crowd wash over me. The club was bustling with people of all ages dressed in various styles. Some were dressed to impress, while others were dressed in more casual attire. The lighting was low, casting a sultry atmosphere over the scene.I made my way to the bar, scanning the crowd for familiar faces. As I ordered my drink, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around to see my best friend, Shirley, smiling broadly. She hugged me, almost squeezing the life out of me."You made it!" she said while spinning me around, grinning from ear to ear. We stopped for a moment to look
I dialed Mrs. Hamsburg number to ask if she could take in my daughter a little earlier today. It took her a few minutes to get back to me but the sweet soul agreed.Oh, Mrs. Hamsburg What would I do without you?"Go get your bags together while I talk to your teacher," I told Sonia, watching her hurriedly return to class.I approached her teacher and let her know the plan. She agreed and said I could take her out early.I watched my daughter wave at her friends and come to me.On the way, my daughter made us visit the cake shop, and we also had to pick up food. As we drove, my daughter chatted away. Then, I handed her to Mrs. Hamsburg , and she waved me off.A short hour later I was pulling up to the entrance of Laura’s gated community. I signaled to the security guard, and he nodded and let me enter. I pulled over in front of Laura's house and attempted to open the gate, but this time it was locked. Of course, it would be.I decided to buzz the intercom, hoping that Laura would hear i
I should have guessed from her demeanor that she was my boss’s daughter. She exuded a mean energy like her father. In fact, she carried so much of her father's aura, I was convinced I had just delivered a tool for her shady business, although I knew little about her career.I dialed James's number."Hi, James, it's Richard," I said when he answered. "I just delivered the package. Turns out it was for the boss's daughter."James didn't reply."You there?" I asked."Shit! Shut up. Hold on…" he replied through labored breathing. Why was he always so angry? He took his job way too seriously."Yes, I’ll hold," I sighed. I patiently held the phone to my ear while waiting for James to finish what he was doing.Clearly, I could sense some shady things were going on.All I wanted to do was notify them that I wasn't going to return to that place, and I was headed home.I pulled over to the side of the road and continued to wait for James to get back on the phone. It was almost 11 p.m., and I ha
The GPS beeped. I had arrived.The house was the largest and most imposing in the development, with black iron gates that seemed to tower above me. The driveway beyond was long and winding, flanked by lush gardens that seemed to have been sculpted by a master artist. I parked my car at the front gate and stepped out, the unease within me growing stronger as I made my way over to the intercom. I pressed the button and waited for someone to answer. While the intercom continued to ring, I noticed that the gate was slightly ajar, as if someone had left it open deliberately. I hesitated for a moment, then pushed it open and stepped inside.The grounds were even more magnificent up close, with fountains, statues, and intricate mosaics dotting the landscape. But something strange about the air made the entire estate seem to hold its breath, waiting for something to happen.I finally reached the front door, its heavy oak panels creaking as I pushed them open. Inside, the house was even more o
RICHIEI leaned against the hood of my car, surveying the scene in front of me. It was a busy night on the streets of the city, and I had been driving for hours. I was tired, but I couldn't go home yet. I had one more pickup to make.As I watched the people passing by, my eyes wandered to a woman walking down the street. She was beautiful, with long, dark hair and a confident stride. She caught my eye, and I couldn't look away.I watched as she passed a group of men hanging out on the corner. They leered at her, making suggestive comments and gestures. She tried to ignore them and continue on her way, but I could see the anger and frustration in her eyes.I felt a twinge of sympathy for her. I knew what it was like to be vulnerable and powerless in the face of danger. I had been there before and didn't want anyone else to experience that fear.I got out of my car and approached the men. They looked at me suspiciously, but I held up my hands in a gesture of peace."Hey, guys," I said, t