by Sandi Lynn
“You’re very beautiful,” I spoke.
“If you’re thinking about trying something, you better think twice,” she replied.
I silently laughed to myself. That fucking attitude. It was her all right. The second the doors shut, I placed my hand around her neck and pushed her up against the elevator wall.
“You have something of mine and I want it back!” I spoke through gritted teeth as I stared into her calm eyes.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
My grip around her tightened. “I think you do, Hannah.” I cocked my head.
“The name is Amy. You obviously have the wrong person.”
The elevator doors opened and I released her but quickly grabbed hold of her arm with a tight grip.
“Let go of me, you psychotic asshole!” She struggled to get away from me.
“This is what we’re going to do. We’re going to your apartment and you’re going to tell me exactly who you are.”
She turned her head, spit in my face, broke free from my grip, kneed me in the balls, and ran down the hallway.
“Fuck!” I grabbed my crotch and threw my head back.
I ran after her just as she made it inside her apartment, and as she tried to close the door, I pushed it harder and she fell back. Stepping inside, I closed the door and locked it.
“What do you want, Gabriel? You want to fuck me again?” she asked in anger as she crawled backwards on the floor away from me.
“No, sweetheart. I don’t. I want my watch back. As soon as I get it, I’ll leave.”
She took in a deep breath and got up from the floor. She appeared to have calmed down. I couldn’t stop staring at her long lean legs and her killer body as she took off her shoes.
Chapter 7
Kate
“Listen, I’m sorry about your watch,” I spoke as I took my shoes to my bedroom and threw them in the closet.
“Sorry? You’re sorry? Is that all you can say? I want my fucking watch back!” he shouted.
“I wish I could give it to you, but I can’t.”
“What do you mean you can’t?” he spoke through gritted teeth.
I went to leave the bedroom, and as I walked past him, he grabbed my arm.
“Again. What do you mean you can’t?”
“I sold it. Okay?”
He let go of my arm and placed his hands on his head.
“You sold it?” he spoke in a calm tone. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Someone you never should have trusted,” I replied as I walked out of the bedroom and into the kitchen for a glass of wine.
He didn’t follow me out of the bedroom and that concerned me. I needed him out of my apartment. As I was pouring a glass of wine, I heard all kinds of noises coming from the bedroom. When I ran to see what was going on, he was in the middle of ransacking my room. All my dresser drawers were opened and my lingerie and clothes were all over the floor.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I yelled when I found him in my closet grabbing the black leather briefcase I had hidden on a shelf behind my long dresses.
“What’s with all the wigs, Hannah?”
“Give me that!” I tried to grab the briefcase from his hand as he pushed me back and I fell against the closet door.
He threw it on the bed and opened it.
“What the fuck?” He turned his head and looked at me. “Hannah Greaves. Amy Frankel, Becca Wright, Thea Turner, Gizelle Carrington.” He rattled off each name as he threw my passports one by one on the bed. “Jenny Smith, Briana Holmes, Diana Vermander, Nicole Potts. My god. I can’t believe this.”
“I’m calling the police,” I spoke as I got up. “And I’m pressing charges against you for assault.”
“Go ahead. I won’t be the only one going to jail.” He glared at me as he sat down on the bed and folded his hands.
I stood there with my back up against the wall, plotting my next move. There had to be a way out of this. Suddenly, he jumped up from the bed and hastily walked to the hallway where I had my purse sitting on the table. I chased him and tried to grab it, but it was too late.
“You’re just a common little thief. Did you take all of this tonight?” His eyes narrowed at me as he dumped the contents of my purse on the floor.
I looked away as I stood there with my arms crossed.
“And Samuel?” he asked. “What were you hoping to get out of him? Did he give you that ring you’re wearing? Is that what you do? You find rich men, get them to fall in love with you, and then rip them off?” he shouted. “Answer me!”
I remained calm. I could get out of this situation because I was good. He wanted me once before and I knew he wouldn’t be able to resist me now. Walking over to him, I ran my finger down his chest.
“We can work this out,” I spoke in a seductive voice.
I leaned in and attempted to brush my lips against his, but he grabbed hold of both my arms and pushed me away.
“You bet we’re going to work this out. Pack a bag; you’re coming with me.”
“Excuse me? Where?”
“To my house.”
“You’re crazy. I’m not leaving with you.”
“One night. That’s all I ask.” His demeanor and tone of voice changed. “One night for thirty thousand dollars. If you agree to sleep with me, I will forget all of this and we’ll part ways and never see each other again.”
“Why?” I asked suspiciously.
“Because you look incredible in that dress, it’s a miracle that I’m seeing you again, and I never once stopped thinking about our encounter at the airport.”
He slowly walked towards me and ran the back of his hand down my cheek.
“I want you to stay with me for the night. It’s the least you can do to repay me for the watch you stole.”
“Then you can stay here at my place tonight,” I spoke.
“I’m more comfortable at my place. Plus, I have a couple things there I would like to try with you. After all, I need to make sure I get my thirty-thousand dollars’ worth.” He smirked.
I gulped. He was kinky and I found myself turned on. I hadn’t stopped thinking about him since that day and I couldn’t even say why.
He leaned in and softly brushed his lips against mine, nipping at my bottom lip and parting my lips with his tongue. My body was on fire and I wanted him inside me again.
“That’s a pretty expensive night,” I spoke breathlessly.
“I know it’ll be worth it. I’m a man and I have many needs. Needs I know you can fulfill. Like I said, I can’t seem to stop thinking about that day at the airport.” His hands ran up the back of my dress and grabbed hold of my ass. “You have to admit, we were good together.”
“Fine. But I leave in the morning,” I spoke as I ran my hand over the bulge in his pants.
“That’s fine. I’d want you to leave anyway.”
His tongue traveled to my neck and slid down to my cleavage. My lower half was on fire and I needed him to fan the flames.
“Now let’s go pack you a bag,” he spoke as he led me back into the bedroom.
This was my only way out. I would spend the night with him and then leave in the morning. Once I returned home, I would pack up everything and move out of New York. It was too risky to stay here any longer.
Chapter 8
Gabriel
I took the bag from her and held out my arm. She hooked hers around mine and we walked out of the building and climbed into the limo. Carl looked at me through the rearview mirror.
“Home, Carl.”
“Yes, sir.”
I reached over and grabbed hold of her hand, interlacing our fingers together and staring at the ring Samuel gave her. She looked over at me with a small smile. She was playing me, but in the end, she’d be the one to lose the game.
When Carl pulled the limo to the curb in front of my townhome, she leaned over me and stared at it through the window.
“Is this it?” she asked.
> “Yes. Is there a problem with it?”
“No. I just figured a man like you would be living in a penthouse in a high-rise luxury building.”
“I like my townhome. It’s cozy.” I smirked.
I opened the door and helped her out of the limo. Grabbing her bag, I held out my arm once again and walked her to the front door. Once we stepped inside, I let her look around.
“Wow. This is beautiful, Gabriel.”
“Thank you. Like I said, it’s cozy. Shall we go upstairs?” I held out my hand.
“Of course.” She smiled. “How many floors are in this house?”
“Six. My bedroom is on the fifth,” I lied.
My bedroom was the entire fourth floor and the fifth floor consisted of three guest bedrooms, each with their own adjoining bathroom. I led her to the room that was decorated in gray and plum colors.
“After you.” I held out my hand.
She walked into the bedroom and looked around. Setting her purse on the dresser, she spoke, “This seems awful small for a master bedroom.”
“I need to run downstairs and grab something. I’ll be right back.”
“Okay. I’m going to freshen up in the bathroom.” She smiled.
I set her bag down on the floor and grabbed her purse from the dresser. Walking out of the bedroom, I shut the door and locked it from the outside. Running down to Carl, I handed him her keys from her purse.
“Go back to her apartment and grab the briefcase that’s on her bed and bring it back to me.”
“Sir?” He cocked his head.
“No questions, Carl. I will be giving you a large cash bonus for doing this.”
I could hear the pounding on the door coming from the fifth floor. Rolling my eyes, I went back up and politely asked her to stop.
“Let me out of here, Gabriel!” she screamed.
“No can do, sweetheart. Your first mistake was stealing from me, and your second mistake was trusting me.” I smiled as I walked away.
Kate
I couldn’t believe this. He tricked me and I fucking fell for it. Damn it! I needed to get out of here. I pulled on the knob and continued to pound on the door, yelling obscenities. Walking over to the window, I lifted it up, but it stopped a few inches above the sill. Damn those fucking child safety windows. I could scream out the window with the hopes that the neighbors would hear me, but if they called the cops, I’d go to jail with him. He’d send them right to my apartment and they’d find all my fake passports. I was trapped in this beautifully decorated room with nothing but a TV for my entertainment. I was tired. So tired and exhausted by the events of the night. He couldn’t leave me in here. He’d be back in the morning to let me out. I knew he would. I decided to make the best of the situation I was in and take a hot bath in the oversized Jacuzzi tub to plan my next move.
Gabriel
The pounding and relentless yelling stopped. She called me every name in the book and then some. I sat on the couch with a bourbon in my hand. What was I going to do with her? I wanted my watch or the money back. This little con artist was going to learn that it wasn’t nice to steal from people. As I sat there sipping my drink, I wondered what she was doing. Why did I care? Was she crying? Doubted it. From what I could tell, she didn’t have a sensitive bone in her body. It was apparent she made a living by conning people and Samuel Coldwater was her latest victim. She was smart; incredibly smart, and it was a shame she wasted her intelligence by doing what she did. Actually, it made me sick.
Kate
Before climbing into the tub, I pulled off my wig and let down my long blonde hair. When I took out my colored contacts, my eyes returned to the blue color they were. I leaned over the sink and pulled off my latex prosthetic nose and set it on the counter. Looking in the mirror, I stared at my natural self. The men I dated never saw the real me. They only saw what I wanted them to see. But come tomorrow morning, I would reveal my true self to Gabriel. Wouldn’t he be surprised when he found out I wasn’t his type at all. Long brown wavy hair and rich chocolate eyes. It didn’t matter. He already hated me for what I’d done and I hated him for locking me up in this room like a prisoner.
Gabriel
I tossed and turned all night waiting for the pounding and screaming to start again, but it didn’t. She kept quiet. I was worried. Would she do something stupid? Nah. She was too strong of a woman to do that. She was plotting her escape. A woman like that wouldn’t just sit back and take what I’d done to her lightly. I grabbed the key to the room off my nightstand and went to check on her. I needed to be careful because she could be hiding behind the door waiting to hit me over the head with something and escape. We needed to talk.
After unlocking the door, I slowly opened it and stood in the doorway and stared at the woman who was sound asleep in bed. I smiled at how her long blonde hair lay over her shoulders as she slept soundly on her side. The sad part was that she was beautiful no matter what color her hair was.
I turned around and headed downstairs, leaving the door open so she could come down when she woke up. She’d try to leave, but I had the place secured so leaving wasn’t an option. I called Grace last night and told her not to come today. I first needed to assess this situation with Hannah or whatever her name was. Walking into the kitchen, I grabbed some eggs and vegetables from the fridge and began to cut them up for an omelet. As I was chopping away, my phone rang. It was my secretary, Lu, calling.
“What’s up, Lu?”
“Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Quinn, but you missed your meeting this morning.”
“Shit. I forgot about it. Reschedule for another time and I won’t be in the office today. If anything comes up, have Thaddeus handle it.”
“Yes, sir. Enjoy your day.”
“Thanks, Lu, you too.”
I went back to chopping the vegetables and heard a voice enter the kitchen.
“You do realize you left the door open, right?” she spoke.
“Yes. I know,” I replied as I looked up and stared at the beautiful woman with the long blonde wavy hair and blue eyes staring back at me. I gulped as my eyes raked over her from head to toe. She was wearing a nightshirt. Short sleeved, navy blue, and not long enough to cover her toned sexy legs. “Have a seat.”
“Why?” she asked as she stood there.
“Do you want breakfast or not?” I arched my brow.
“Coffee would be nice.”
“The Keurig is right there and the pods are next to it. Help yourself.”
“And the cups?”
“In the cabinet above.”
She walked over to the cabinet, made a cup of coffee, and began to walk out of the kitchen.
“Where do you think you’re going?” I asked.
“Upstairs to the lovely room you provided for me last night. You know. The same one where you’re holding me prisoner.”
“I told you to sit down.” I cracked the eggs in a bowl.
“I don’t care what you told me. I don’t want to sit anywhere near you.”
She was testing me. Seeing how far she could push me. Playing me.
“I said sit down!” I spoke in an authoritative tone. “We have some things to discuss.”
“Like you letting me go home?”
“I’m afraid I can’t do that just yet. Not until your debt to me is paid off.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” she snapped. “You can’t hold me here against my will. In case you didn’t know, Gabe, that’s called kidnapping.”
My blood started to boil at the fact that she once again called me Gabe. I hated that name and I wouldn’t stand for her calling me that.
“It’s Gabriel for the last time!” I shouted.
She snickered. “Someone has a deep-rooted issue.”
I inhaled a sharp breath.
“The omelets are almost ready. Please sit down.”
Chapter 9
Kate
I was hungry and his omelets did smell good, making the growling in my belly intensify. I
took a seat at the table in the kitchen as he placed an omelet on my plate and set it down in front of me.
“What? No toast to go with this fine omelet?” I asked.
“Do you want toast?” He cocked his head at me.
“Yes.” I smiled.
He huffed and took the bread from the cabinet and placed it in the toaster that sat on the white and black specked granite countertop.
“What do you like on your toast?” he asked.
“Nutella.”
He sighed. “I don’t have any Nutella. What else?”
“I only like Nutella.”
“Well, I’m sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart. I have peanut butter, jelly, or butter. Take your pick,” he spoke in an irritated tone.
“Forget it. I don’t want toast.” I silently smiled to myself.
The toaster popped and he took the two pieces out and threw them on my plate.
“Too bad. I already made it. Eat it dry, then. I really don’t give a damn.” He scowled.
He took his plate, sat down across from me, and began eating his omelet. Fuck, he was so sexy. It could be worse, right? One way or another, I was getting out of here today and leaving New York.
“So, Gabriel, do you have a last name?” I bravely asked.
“Do you have a first?” His brow raised at me.
“I have many first names.” I smirked.
“No shit. Judging by all those passports, you must have what? Twenty or so?”
“About.”
“Name?” he asked.
“What name do you want me to have?” I slyly smiled.
He slammed his fists down on the table and I flinched.
“Damn it! Why can’t you answer a simple question?” He got up from his seat and threw his plate in the sink.
He walked over to me, turned my chair around, and gripped my arms tightly with his hands. His face was mere inches from mine.
“You want to play games. Fine. I’m in. This is how it’s going to work. You stole thirty-thousand dollars from me and I want it back. Since you seem to con so many rich men, you must have a huge bank account or stashes of money hidden somewhere. Until I get paid, you don’t leave this house. I have a high-tech security system, which will remain on at all times. If you even think about opening a door or a window, it will go off and I’ll be alerted. I have security in front of the house and in the back. You try to step one foot out of this house, they will stop you.”