I was here, in what’s considered the most dangerous city in the United States. If it weren’t for Kim, there’s no way I’d go through all this trouble, traveling so far just to fetch her damn documents. Damn her scatterbrain for always forgetting important stuff and dragging me into her personal courier service.
Pulling my phone out of my bag, I dialed Kim’s number. I prayed she’d pick up quickly so that the incident that I won’t tell wouldn’t happen again like last time.
“Hey, Leanne, you here already?” she answered on the second ring.
“Now quickly tell me where to go?”
“Grab a cab. I’ll text you the address,” From the tone in which she spoke, I could tell that she was in a hurry for some reason.
“Pray to your God that I always remember that you are my best friend,” I said simply.
“I’ll text you, Leanne.” That was the last word before she unilaterally ended the call. Truly a person who understood gratitude.
Actually, Kim was not really the type of person who is very annoying. She just got sloppy sometimes. However, even though I get a bit annoyed with her sometimes, I still liked her. She was kind and caring, and sometimes acted like she’s my sister. A rich big sister.
But still, I knew whatever Kim was working on had to be important. And her successes always benefited me in one way or another. She was a hotshot reporter, the diamond of her company, and currently chasing a story that she claimed would solidify her reputation (at least in the journalism world).
A text popped up:
From: Kim
Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch. 315 Chestnut St, St. Louis..
I showed the address to the cab driver. He gave me a quick nod before starting the car. I silently wondered what kind of news would make Kim want to be sent all the way to this city.
From behind, I heard the sound of police sirens which made my ears a little disturbed. I suddenly looked for the source of the sound and found two police cars chasing a black car.
“Wow,” I muttered. “What’s going on?”
“That’s normal here,” the driver replied casually, clearly overhearing me.
I looked into the rearview mirror on top of the dashboard, and revealed the face of the driver who seemed to think that I was someone who didn’t know the customs of this place. To be fair, he wasn’t wrong.
I arrived at the hotel Kim had mentioned. “Nice choice,” I muttered to myself. This was one of the fanciest hotels I’d ever set foot in. The view was stunning, and the Gateway Arch was practically right next door.
Kim sent me her room number, and I strolled through the lobby, taking in the surroundings as if no one was waiting for my arrival.
I pressed the elevator, the doors opened and I was presented with the sight of a couple making out. They were so into it they didn’t even notice me. Or maybe they didn’t care. I didn’t know if it was just me or if the elevator I was riding felt like it’s taking forever to move. They were still doing their thing, making me deliberately clear my throat rather loudly.
Finally, they stopped. Whether it was because of me or because they ran out of air, I wasn’t sure. Just then, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened to my floor.
“Lovesick,” I quipped with a teasing tone as I passed them.
I had just stepped out of the elevator when someone suddenly shoved me against the wall. Before I could react, he kissed me, hard and unapologetically. With quick movements, the man also took off his black coat, leaving only a plain white t-shirt that clung snugly to his body. I tried to push him off, but he grabbed my wrists, pinning them behind me with a grip that made it impossible to fight back.
Who the hell was this guy, and what the hell was he doing? He kissed me frantically, his left hand rising to shield our faces. I really tried desperately not to open my mouth and let him in.
There were footsteps running past us. His left hand was binding my wrist and it was his right hand that was raised. Moments later, he stopped kisssing my lips, but remained where he was. A few moments later, he finally broke the kiss but didn’t move away. His eyes opened, and I found myself staring into deep, stormy gray irises. Before I could even process what had just happened, he bent down to pick up the documents I had dropped.
“Thank you.”
That was his first and last word before snatching back his black coat and running in the same direction he came from. He left me standing there like an idiot.
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the couple from the elevator staring at me.
“Lovesick,” they mocked before strutting away. Damn it—nothing stings more than having your own words thrown back at you.
I tried to ignore them, straightened my clothes that were a little messy due to that stranger’s actions. The scent of his perfume clung to the fabric.
I searched Kim’s room while still thinking about what happened. Who was he? What did he want? Why the hell did he kiss me? And... why was he such a damn good kisser? Focus, Leanne. Get it together. It’s crazy, I didn’t even know anything about him. Except for his voice, his eyes, and the scent of his perfume, I know nothing else.
Kim opened the door quickly. She didn’t even say a word, just snatched the documents from my hands.
“Oho ... I didn’t hear anything like ‘thank you, Leanne, you are the best’,” I quipped and sat down on the couch like I owned the place.
“Thank you, Leanne. I really am. You are the best person I have. But I don’t have much time right now. Please …,” she said as she checked the file I had brought.
“Fine, fine. Did I miss something?”
“Nope. Everything’s here. Perfect. Thanks again, Leanne. You can chill here or go explore. The password is as usual.” Kim grabbed her bag and hugged me. “Wait, something weird happened,” I said, stopping her.
“What?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at me.
“Why do you smell like men’s cologne?”
Damn!
***
Edited.
170125, Anne Joyce
After Kim's departure, which was a relief, I decided to wander around for a while. Good thing she was in such a hurry; she didn’t have time to dig into her earlier question. My quick lie about Pedro (our mutual friend) hugging me before his flight had worked. At least in her haste, Kim just believed what I said.It seemed like visiting fun places around here couldn't go wrong. I opened maps, searched for interesting places around here and found Columbus Square Park. Seven minutes away by car. Okay, not too far either. Kim is calling..."For God's sake, what is it again, Kim?" I said in an unusual tone. “I’m so sorry, Leanne… but I need your help again. I grabbed the wrong folder—”“Where is it?” I cut her off. “It’s on the shelf by the TV. I’m really sorry, Leanne,” she mumbled, her voice small.I sighed deeply. I could practically see her pouting like a scolded kid in a timeout. Add her baby-like Asian features—thanks to her dad being Chinese—and her guilt face was almost impossibl
“No, Isaac. I don’t think she knows who I am. She did it out of kindness.”That deep voice made me regain consciousness. I blinked slowly, only to discover that I was in an unfamiliar room dominated by gray and white. “No. I destroyed the CCTV and kept my gloves on.”I spotted a guy standing with his back to me. He was in jeans paired with a white shirt, its sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Even from here, I could see his toned arms and broad shoulders. Trying to pick up more of his conversation, I stayed as still as possible, ignoring the stinging pain in my shoulder. A thick blanket was tucked up to my neck, and while I was dying to toss it aside, I didn’t want Mr. Handsome over there to realize I was awake. “Let’s just say I’ll be unlucky if it comes to that. You know I always slip past the cops.”Wait—what? Cops? What’s he talking about? Oh no, what if I’m caught up in this? This is a literal nightmare. And what did he just say? “Always slip past the cops”? Does he have a history
“Calm down, there's a car following us,” he said. I canceled my intention to look back when he piped up again, “Don’t turn around! Just check the side mirror. I can’t drop you off at the hotel—they’d find you there.”"Who the hell are they? Why are they following us?" I asked, my voice shaking with panic. My heart was racing, and I was gasping for air like I’d just run a marathon."Relax! Just think of them as people who don’t like me,” he replied quickly. He steered the car into a fairly quiet lane. I saw from the rearview mirror that the black sedan was still following this car. "What the he—AHHH!" I screamed as a bullet smashed into the back window, the sharp sound of glass shattering cutting through the air."Unbuckle your seatbelt!" he ordered."For what?!""Drive the car!""I can’t drive with one hand!""Can you handle a gun?""What?! Hell no!""Then drive—"Crack!"Now!"With shaking hands, I unbuckled my seatbelt, and he did the same. We clumsily switched seats as the car swer
"I need answers," I whispered. I finally looked at him as he turned to face me. "Tell me what’s really going on."He lowered his head, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "I can't tell you. I'm sorry. And now I feel even worse because you've saved me twice.""Then you owe me," I said flatly and quickly. He looked at me with an expression I couldn’t quite read. "Give me an explanation.""Other than that.""I don't want anything else," I retorted, not to be outdone. "Then be prepared for disappointment." The young man replied softly and coldly. "But you promised me."He ruffled his hair and growled, "You've turned my two principles against me." The man let out a long breath. "Fine, just know I’m not some guy with a smooth, problem-free life. I’ve got people chasing me, ready to take me out. You happy now?""I'm not really surprised," I commented in a coldly pretentious tone. Although inwardly I was thinking about what he had done to put his life in danger. The faint sound of a car en
For a moment, Marco looked caught off guard. But it didn’t last long—he quickly masked it with that annoyingly calm expression of his. “You serious?”“Dead serious,” I shot back, confidence dripping from every word. “Kiss me.”Without any rush—like he did in the elevator earlier—Marco's left hand grabbed my waist to bring me closer, at the same time as his right hand cupped my cheek. I had already closed my eyes when those thin lips touched mine. He didn't do it hastily, gently and carefully as if I was the most fragile creature in the world. I squeezed his coat, trying to prevent Marco from ending the kiss quickly. He was still gently sucking on my lips, and I didn't want to let him go so soon. The reluctance to separate from him was driving me crazy and I wished that Marco would always be near me. His lips movement stopped. I opened my eyes and was greeted by his dark irises. A feeling of deja vu came over me. Marco pulled away from the hug, but not the catch on my cheek. He rubbed
Three days had passed since the incident and I had never once seen Marco again. However, the memory of him didn't want to leave my head, nor did the pain of the gunshot wound on my left shoulder.Thankfully, the shot only grazed the periphery of the shoulder, no deep tissue, no bones hit. That meant I didn’t need to go to a hospital, which saved me from having to answer awkward questions about how I got shot. And let’s face it, without me saying a word, any doctor would’ve guessed it had something to do with the cafeteria shootout. If that happened, the police would get involved. They’d interrogate me, Marco’s name would definitely come up, and the little “accident” I caused a few days ago would be dug up, too.I'm not safe. I've had almost two run-ins with the police in my day here. And both of them were related to Marco. According to what I heard at his house when he called Isaac, Marco is indeed a suspicious person. Ninety percent of me was convinced that Marco was a bad guy who was
"Marco?"He froze for a second. That mysterious look of his never seemed to fade. I swear he looked at my exposed waist for a good two seconds, then back at my face.“Leandra ....” His voice floated in the air.I smiled. He remembered me this time. My subconscious had the idea of getting into the elevator, but before my feet had even taken a step, MMy subconscious was already pushing me toward the elevator, but before I could take a step, Marco closed the distance, grabbed my hand, and pulled me out onto the balcony, away from the crowd partying inside."Hey..." I greeted awkwardly. "Didn’t think I’d see you again."What a lie. I spent three days just thinking about when I would see him again."How are you here?" he asked, not looking at me. Both of his hands were holding the bars of the balcony. His gaze wandered far into the unknown.I followed the position of his body. My face was hit by the cold night breeze. "This is a party for Kim's coworker. You know, the friend I called that t
I managed to get through the sex part just fine—at least for Fred—and thank God I didn’t screw things up by accidentally saying Marco’s name. If I had, I can’t even imagine how Fred would’ve felt.My reflection in the bathroom mirror showed someone more confident, fresher, and… happier. Sleeping with Fred helped me stop wallowing over what Marco did to me. It also made me feel less pathetic, like I’d proven to myself that I could kiss (and screw) someone right after Marco decided I was only worth kissing as a transactional debt—something for his gain. And definitely not an emotional gain. My cell phone rang from inside my bag. Absolutely it was Kim."Leanne, where are you?" I could hear her lowering her voice.I leaned against the edge of the bathroom counter. "I'm with someone, no need to worry.""Someone...? Oh...," I was one hundred percent sure she was holding back a giggle. "Alright, have fun!" And with that, she hung up. So unlike her. She’s usually the type to ask a million que
“My parents were murdered in front of me when I was five years old.”I froze. My chest tightened with a deep, restless thrum.“Parents?” I asked, confused. Wasn’t Thomas his father?He nodded, his fingers slowly unhooking mine from the suitcase handle. “You’ve always wanted to know who I really am, haven’t you?”I had already lost the moment I let him take my hand. I always lost when it came to him.Marco pulled me out of the closet, guiding me to the sofa. I didn’t resist. I just stared at him. “Explain,” I demanded, though my voice came out weaker than I intended.He leaned back, his gaze unfocused, like he was reaching for something buried deep in his past.Running a hand down his face, he let out a slow breath. “Thomas isn’t my biological father,” he said at last. “He… found me after my parents were murdered.”My eyes widened. I swallowed hard, too afraid to interrupt. His hands were clenched together on his lap, fingers locked so tightly it looked like he was trying to hold himse
I stood in front of Thomas’s office door, taking a deep breath before knocking softly.“Come in.”His deep voice came from inside, and I pushed the door open. I hadn’t realized how spacious his office was. Walls lined with bookshelves, a large window overlooking the mansion’s backyard. Thomas sat behind a massive wooden desk, his gaze full of authority as he watched me enter.I clasped my fingers together, trying to gather my courage. “Thomas … thank you,” I said, my voice softer than I intended. “I know this might not mean anything to you, but I truly appreciate it. And… I also want to apologize.”Thomas raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. “What are you apologizing for, Leandra?”I bit my lip, lowering my head. “For all of this. If I hadn’t been involved… Marco wouldn’t have gotten hurt.”Instead of getting angry, Thomas let out a small chuckle. “Sweetheart, this isn’t your fault.”I lifted my head, staring at him in doubt.He continued in a calm voice. “In fact, I’m prou
That afternoon, the news I had been waiting for finally arrived. A bodyguard entered my room with a serious expression, delivering the words that made my chest loosen with relief.“Marco has been rescued, Miss. He’s in the hospital now.”It felt like a huge weight had finally been lifted off my chest. My heart felt a little lighter, even though there were still so many uncertainties. Brigitte, who had been keeping me company earlier, had left about half an hour ago, probably on her own errands. I wanted to thank her, but it seemed like she preferred to leave without an emotional farewell.The bodyguard looked at me for a moment before offering, “Would you like me to take you to the hospital?”I nodded quickly. “Please.”My steps felt lighter as I walked out of the house, as if the burden that had been pressing down on me since this morning had suddenly lessened.Inside the car, I sat in silence, gazing out the window as the city buildings blurred past. The evening air felt a little wa
The room felt smaller than usual. I sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers laced together, trying to calm the relentless pounding in my chest after my conversation with Thomas. He had assigned guards to watch my every move. I wasn’t allowed to leave the house.A knock on the door. Once. Twice. Quick and impatient.I turned my head, but before I could say anything, the door swung open.Brigitte walked in like an unstoppable storm. Her steps were unhurried, but there was something about her presence that made the room feel darker. Her long blonde hair was slightly messy, with bangs partially covering her face. Thick black eyeliner made her eyes look even sharper. Her pale lips curled into a lazy smirk, and her faded band tee hugged her frame, paired with a short skirt and fishnet stockings.“Bonjour, chérie.” Her voice was low, almost teasing. “Thomas sent me,” she added, slamming the door shut with one smooth motion. She tossed her worn-out leather jacket over the nearest chair and the
I screamed when a black car from the front suddenly changed lanes and blocked our path. Marco’s arm instinctively shot out in front of my chest, holding me back as he slammed on the brakes.My heart stopped. Everything happened too fast—Marco’s quick movements, him grabbing something from the glove compartment, slipping it into his waistband.Then he looked at me, his voice low and apologetic.“I’m sorry, darling.”“W-what?” Panic surged through me as Marco unbuckled his seatbelt. “Where are you going? Marco, what—what are you doing?”Two men in black suits stepped out of the car that had cut our car off. They walked toward us, and Marco prepared to get out. “If you want to save me, don’t do anything reckless. Get out of here as fast as you can and find my father. Tell him not to pull out the lilies in his garden.”Before I could even process his words, Marco was already out of the car. He shouted something in a foreign language, and the two men grabbed him instantly. There was no tim
"Here we are ...." Marco said as he steered the car towards the park. I looked at him from where I was sitting. He looked back at me, a small smile on his lips."What place is this?" I asked, feeling quite curious.Marco's smile seemed to grow more enthusiastic. "It's my favorite place in the whole world. Want to come in?" he asked as he opened my door.I nodded, infected by his enthusiasm."Come on, then." He extended his hand to me, which I gladly took.I stared at him for quite a while, unconsciously showing him a hesitant face."Wonder what's wrong?" he asked.I shrugged my shoulders. "Nothing... it's just that I think the words "your favorite place" and "park" are not something that can be combined."My heart throbbed as he laughed very softly. "Trust me ...."As we walked towards the park, I started to feel my body warm up with excitement. It felt like I was stepping into a different world."Do you like it?" Marco asked, rubbing my hand with his thumb."Yeah... It's very peaceful
The sound of the curtains opening followed by the blinding light made my eyes flicker. "Rise and shine ...."I groaned, ignoring the voice as I rolled over, turning my back on the light.The bed I was sleeping on swayed gently, indicating that someone was on it. The blanket I had pulled over my body was now slowly unfurling. Someone pulled it until I felt a touch on my bare arm. "You really wanna waste the day off I promised you by just sleeping?""Do you have a bucket list of things to do today?" I asked, not quite clear due to yawning.He laughed lightly. "Yeah... I do," he said, and I was a hundred percent sure he was talking nonsense.I turned back around, facing him. He was staring at me. "So, what's the first thing on the agenda, Mr. 'I-Have-A-Plan'?""Take a bath together. How’s that for a great idea?" He didn't let me answer and immediately scooped me up off the bed. "Considering you only wake up when I’m already dressed."I smacked his chest, making him laugh. He carried me t
"Tell me what you imagined back then."It was an order, and instantly my body stiffened. "I was upset that you didn't kiss me at the party. I touched my lips, wondering if you didn't want to kiss them."“Demonstrate. Continue.”From my lips, my hand trailed down to my breasts, twisting my nipple between my fingers. I let out a soft moan, locking eyes with Marco through the mirror.“Does Marco not wanna touch these?” My fingers slid down to my waist, rubbing slow, teasing strokes. “I wanted your hands right here.” Then, biting my lip, I let my hand wander lower, fingers brushing over the heat between my legs. Marco let out a deep, guttural groan.“Does Marco not wanna fuck me here? Doesn’t he wanna sink his cock deep inside me?”I could already feel how wet I was—had been, since Marco had kissed me in his room. My fingers danced over my clit, the pleasure forcing my eyes shut as my breath hitched.That pissed Marco off.“Look at me, little bitch!”I opened my eyes, watching him move clo
"Marco ... I want to ask you something," I said, my voice soft. The man placed the book he was reading onto the sofa side table.Marco looked at me, his eyes filled with concern. "What is it, darling?"I took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to phrase my question. "Do I look like your mother?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.Marco looked surprised and confused. "Why do you ask?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.I felt my cheeks flush and I looked down. "Your father told me this morning," I said, my voice barely above a whisper."I will answer on one condition that you tell me the truth about why you want me so much, as you said a while ago," he said, his voice full of teasing."Alright," I agreed."My mother was beautiful, but you're more beautiful than her."I felt a warm feeling spread through my chest at his words. But I still wasn't satisfied. "But he said I remind you of your mother," I said, my voice conflicting. "He said you see her in me."Marco shrugged.