Lost & Bound

by Tara Hart

  “Well you’re really going to love my next surprise then.”

  My interest is piqued. I watch in anticipation as Callum reaches into the bag and brings out a smaller white bag. He hands it to me with an adorable smile on his face. “Open it.”

  I crinkle the paper as I peek inside. My lips turn into a smile when I see its contents.

  “You brought me cheesy balls,” I say, using his term from days ago.

  He nods his head once. “I did.”

  I pop one straight into my mouth. It tastes like heaven and I’m surprised that they’re still slightly warm as if they’ve just been plucked from the oven.

  I chew on the bread eagerly and Callum smiles at me. “Good?”

  “Just like home,” I say as I hand him a ball to try.

  He takes a generous bite and chews enthusiastically. “Really good.”

  “I told you.”

  I take a large gulp of wine to wash down the bread. “Thank you, Callum,” I say after I swallow.

  I curl my legs underneath my body and dry the tears away from my eyes with the back of my hand.

  Callum’s eyes drift over my body, finally landing on my ankles. “What’s that?” He focuses on the fresh rope burns from last night.

  “It’s nothing,” I say, attempting to cover the skin with my hands.

  “It doesn’t look like nothing,” he says as he leans forward to get a closer look.

  His eyes go wide and I watch the realization cross his face. His father had hurt me one last time. The fresh wounds a reminder of how absurd our situation really is.

  I open my mouth, but the words come out as a whisper. “He can’t hurt me anymore.”

  I watch him fight with his emotions. He clenches his jaw as his finger traces along the skin of my ankle. The marks are subtle enough on my olive skin, but Callum noticed them instantly, just like the day we first met.

  “Leila.” I watch his face fight with emotion and then he stands, walking the length of the room.

  “Fuck,” he lets out, causing me to flinch. “I will fucking kill him,” he seethes through clenched teeth.

  I stand and walk over to where he is pacing. He meets my eyes, his gentle blue depths taking me in as if they can see my entire, tarnished soul.

  “He can’t hurt me anymore,” I repeat, this time the weight of my words causing my voice to crack.

  We stare at one another for a long, drawn out moment. I lick my lips slowly and Callum’s eyes flash to my mouth, watching my tongue linger on the corner of my lip. He wants me. He craves me as much as I crave him.

  I bring my hand between us and cup the side of his face. My thumb brushes against his cheek tenderly as I look into his eyes. I’m practically begging him to kiss me, my eyes trail to his lips, the lips I want to kiss.

  He swallows roughly. It’s the only sound in the room as I wait for him to speak.

  “Leila, we can’t…”

  They’re not the words I want to hear.

  “Why?” I don’t let him finish. I need to know why he can’t stand the thought of being with me, why he has to fight this so damn much.

  He shakes his head and squeezes his eyes closed, but doesn’t explain the fight that’s going on within.

  I’m going to cry. I can feel the tears threatening to fall at any moment. I can’t let Callum see me crying. Not over this. Not over the loss of a relationship that never existed.

  I move past him, walking toward my bed without looking back. I hear him talk behind me, his words carrying through to my ears even though I don’t want to hear them.

  “Because you’re going to think of him.”

  I turn around. The shock on my face obvious, his words cutting deeper than he ever intended.

  I take a few steps forward, closing the distance between us.

  “I’ve told you, you’re nothing like him.” I’ve never meant anything more in my life.

  “Leila, it isn’t that simple. When you’re with me, you’ll think of him. There’s no way around it.”

  I let out a sigh. “You know nothing about me, Callum. You know nothing about what I feel.”

  His eyes snap up to mine.

  “I know nothing about you?” he questions. “Then why does it feel like I know you better than anyone else?”

  His words startle me, but they’re not untrue.

  He studies my face. “What do you want me to say, Leila?” he keeps his voice low.

  I swallow roughly. “I want you to tell me the truth for once. The whole truth of what you’re feeling here.” I press my hand against his heart and I can feel it beating against my palm.

  I wait for his words, the untold truth that I’ve wanted to hear all along, but it doesn’t come. He remains mute, his gaze set on my face.

  I can’t handle being in a room with Callum if he doesn’t feel the same way. It hurts too much. I brush past him, my shoulder grazing his arm. Without warning, I feel his arm wrap around my middle, pulling me flush against his body, his hands resting on my hips as he gazes down upon me. My heart is pounding so fast that I can hear it rushing in my ears.

  He dips his head pausing just before our lips meet.

  This is what I want, what I’ve wanted for so long, but when I feel his lips on mine I am powerless. One gentle kiss that seems like so much and so little at the same time.

  He pulls away too soon. He keeps his arms wrapped around my middle and I can feel his warm breath hitting my bare shoulder. It’s the most erotic thing ever.

  I watch his eyes rake over my face and then settle on my lips as if he wants more. We both do.

  I stand on my toes and our lips meet again. I bring my hand up to his face and run my fingers along the soft skin of his cheek before wrapping them around his neck and drawing him in closer.

  His tongue peeks through his lips and enters my mouth, slowly, sensually, moving against my own tongue as they dance together to music neither of us can hear.

  He uses his hands to guide me backwards, one hand at the small of my back, while the other feels for the couch, laying me down on a bed of cushions. I prop my leg up, letting his body fall perfectly against my curves. I feel his hardness against my hip. Knowing I have this effect on him excites me.

  His lips travel down my neck, kissing his way up my jaw and then behind my ear. I could climax just from him kissing me there. His hips grind against my sex, rubbing me where I need him.

  He brings his lips back to mine and stops with a hairline distance between us. His eyes blink closed and I know something’s about to happen. He’s either going to rip the clothes from my body and have his way with me, or he’s going to stop. The way his thumb tenderly rubs against the apple of my cheek tells me it’s the latter.

  He reclines back, his head resting against the back of the sofa. “We should stop.”

  “Why?” I ask, hearing the desperation in my own voice. I need this. I need him.

  I can see it all over his face. He’s torn. He focuses on my hands, his fingers lacing together with mine in such a way that a man would with his girlfriend.

  “This will just complicate things,” he says. “This situation is already fucked up between you and I,” he signals between us. “This cannot happen.”

  I glance into his eyes and I know he doesn’t mean the words. He says them because it’s what he should say, but not for a moment do I believe them to be true.

  “I don’t care what you say,” I whisper. “It doesn’t stop the way I feel about you.”

  He nods his head. “I know.”

  “And the way you feel about me,” I add brazenly.

  He lets out a soft sigh, brushing his thumb against my cheek causing my whole face to warm. “I know that too.” He smiles slightly.

  He wraps an arm around me and I rest my head on his shoulder. I curl my legs underneath me, pulling a blanket to cover our bodies.

  “Close your eyes,” he says softly.

  He places a soft, feather light kiss on my forehead.

  �
�Don’t leave me,” I murmur with my eyes still closed.

  “I’m right here.” He settles back, resting his feet on the coffee table and letting out a soft yawn. It doesn’t take me long to drift off to sleep. I rest so peacefully that night and for once I don’t dream. In Callum’s company I feel safe. I feel content.

  But when I wake up, Callum is gone.

  Chapter 22

  Callum

  My foot bounces up and down as I wait in the dark alleyway behind Cruz’s hotel. The hotel I’m paying for, no less. My stomach rumbles and I realize I haven’t eaten all day. My nerves wouldn’t allow for it.

  I throw a piece of gum in my mouth to dispel some of my pent up nerves. I’ve been waiting for Cruz for over fifteen minutes and am relieved when he finally decides to show up.

  He opens the passenger door and gets in. He’s dressed in black with a black beanie covering his mass of unkempt hair. He takes one look at me and snorts.

  “I knew you’d have a nice car, pretty boy.”

  “It’s a rental,” I say in my best deadpan tone.

  “Still, you had to rent something so fancy?”

  I ignore his comments. I know he’s just trying to rile me up.

  “What took you so long?” I ask, not even attempting to mask my annoyance.

  “I was in the hotel lobby having a good luck beverage,” he says without apology.

  His lack of regard doesn’t surprise me.

  “How far from here?” he asks, lighting up a cigarette.

  “Twenty minutes.” I look at him out the corner of my eye. “Hey, put that out.”

  He chuckles and then takes in a drag, the smell of smoke instantly filling my nostrils. I snatch the cigarette from his mouth, crack the window and toss it outside.

  “Seriously, dude. You can’t wait until we’re there to light up again?”

  He lets out a throaty laugh. “Whatever you say, master.”

  He sighs as he reclines his seat back and settles in for the ride. “So, who’s the guy we’re breaking free?”

  Stay composed, Cal.

  “It’s not a guy,” I let out brusquely.

  “Oh a lady love then?” He smiles a toothy grin.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but she’s not my lover,” I bite out the words harsher than I intend.

  “Touchy.” Cruz holds his hands up as if surrendering.

  After last night I don’t know what Leila is to me anymore. I think about the kiss. The one kiss that told me this is much more than a friendship. She had fallen asleep in my arms. I watched her sleep for hours before I finally drifted off myself.

  I startled awake early in the morning. My arms were wrapped around her as she cuddled into my side. It felt comfortable. It felt right.

  But I knew I had to get out of there. I pressed a kiss to her forehead as I slipped out of her grasp. She murmured something without opening her eyes. I propped her head up with a cushion and draped an extra blanket over her body. Then I left.

  Cruz stirs in his seat bringing my attention back to him. “Where’s the money?” He turns searching for it in the backseat. “You have the money, don’t you?”

  I sigh. Eric and I worked this out days ago. How the night would go down and how we would hand over the money. Eric would wait at the roadside in his car a few miles from my father’s house. I would park next to him and show Cruz the cash. Cruz and I would walk the rest of the way to the house and once there he could trip the bracelet.

  Cruz would leave first. Eric would wait for him at the foot of the driveway, hand him the cash and drive him back to the hotel.

  Shortly after, I would leave the house with Leila. We’d walk through the woods to my car and she would be free.

  Free, I repeat the word to myself and my body starts to tingle.

  “Where’s the cash?” Cruz repeats. I enjoy watching him squirm.

  I wait a lengthy amount of time before responding. “Eric has it.”

  “Don’t even think about screwing me over, pretty boy,” Cruz grunts.

  I give him a sideways glance. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

  We pull up at Eric’s car. I kill the ignition and put on my beanie to match Cruz’s.

  “You guys took long enough.” Eric walks over to my window.

  “Sorry. Our friend here was late.” I gesture toward Cruz. “Apparently he was having a good luck beverage.”

  “It’s tradition,” Cruz pipes up.

  I roll my eyes, but no one notices in the darkness of the night. “Eric, can you show him the money?”

  I move to lock my car as Eric goes to the backseat of his and shows Cruz the wads of cash waiting in an inconspicuous backpack.

  Cruz returns to my side. “I checked the money, it’s legit,” he tells me.

  “No shit,” I bite out.

  “Well, let’s get this over with,” he says impatiently.

  I hold up my finger telling Cruz to wait. “Just give me a minute.”

  Walking over to Eric, I keep my voice low as I speak.

  “What’s up?” He can read me like a book. Just by looking at my face he knows what I’m about to say is serious.

  “Look,” I start, drawing in a deep breath through my nose. “If something happens…if you don’t hear from me, don’t come looking.”

  Eric throws his hands in the air. “Are you crazy, bro?”

  “I mean it.” I keep my voice stern, but low. “Do not come looking for me, it won’t end well for anyone if you do. You said it yourself, my father would fuck up your life if he knew you had anything to do with this.”

  Eric rubs a hand against his chin before conceding. “Okay, okay. Just be quick. Get in and get out.”

  I shake Eric’s hand and he gives me a half hug as he slaps me on the back. It doesn’t feel like a see-you-soon hug, it feels more like a goodbye. I walk away with an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. It’s just nerves, I tell myself.

  “Good luck, bro,” Eric shouts from behind us.

  “We won’t need it,” Cruz roars back.

  I almost tell him to shut up and not jinx this, but strangely I welcome his confidence. It settles me somewhat.

  The night is cool. It can’t be more than forty degrees. The breath from my mouth leaves rings of smoke in the air and my face prickles as it adjusts to the low temperature.

  As we set off through the woods I notice how still the night is. The only noise coming from insects in the bushes and the jingle of Cruz’s toolbox that sounds with every step. The sound irritates me almost as much as he does, but I know he’s my only hope at setting Leila free.

  I can see the driveway from where we walk. It mirrors the path we take through the endless abyss of trees, bushes and dirt. I used to play out here as a kid. Hide and seek, cops and robbers, the usual games kids play, but tonight the space feels creepy.

  I think about Leila and how she tried to escape once before. She made it to the first fence line, which is less than half a mile from the house. This was at least two years ago and she hadn’t seen the outside of the house since.

  I’d done some research over the past week. I sat in my car late at night to see if security was combing the area. There was no one on patrol, I was confident of this. The chances of getting caught tonight are slim, providing Cruz can remove the bracelet without incident.

  “How much further?” Cruz whines beside me.

  “Not too far.”

  “I’ll have to charge you for a new pair of boots,” he tells me. “You didn’t mention we’d be hiking.”

  “And the eight thousand won’t cover it?”

  Out the corner of my eye I see him smirk. “I should have made you pay ten.”

  My lip picks up at the side. “I would have paid ten,” I answer.

  He huffs as if out of breath. We’ve only walked half way to the house. I’d done this walk many times before, but never with the prolific energy I’m feeling now. I can’t wait to see Leila. I can’t wait to set her free.
/>   The twigs crunch under foot with every step I take. The bushes start to thin out, which means we are closing in on the house and getting further away from the safety of my car.

  Cruz lights up a cigarette as if his lungs weren’t struggling already.

  “How are we getting in the house?” He blows a smoke ring in my face. “I don’t have all my tools with me. You got that covered, pretty boy?”

  “I have a key.”

  “A key?” The surprise is clear in his voice. “That’s a bit of an anticlimax, isn’t it?”

  I sigh. “Please don’t ask any more questions,” I say, my patience wearing thin.

  The less he knows the better.

  “Hey, I’m not worried,” he tells me. “As long as I get the cash I don’t give a fuck what happens to you.”

  I scoff. “Charming.”

  When we reach the house, the porch light is the only glow in a sea of darkness. It runs on a timer and usually turns off around eleven. The house is otherwise dark, which is normal when my father’s out of town.

  Cruz flicks the cigarette butt to the ground and squashes it with the heel of his boot as I pull the keys from my pocket and unlock the door. Stepping into the house I take a quick look around. In the darkness it’s eerie, but it always has been.

  Cruz steps inside and whistles. “Fancy.”

  I latch the door and then set off down the hallway. “Follow me…and don’t touch anything.”

  He huffs as he trails behind me, his boots announcing our arrival before we reach the basement door. I knock once before I push the door open and descend the staircase. The light is on and Leila is standing at the foot of the stairs waiting for us. She is wearing yoga pants and a tight tank top. She looks amazing.

  “Fuck me,” Cruz lets out. “Who do we have here?”

  He instantly walks over to Leila. She stands up and Cruz does a half circle around her, his eyes raking up and down her body.

  “Hey,” I shout. “Don’t even think about it.”

  “Think about what?” he sneers. “I’m just admiring the view.” His eyes scour the room and then settle on Leila again. She offers me a smile before her attention turns to Cruz.

  “Hello.” She holds her hand out to him.