by Remy Richard
“That’s why Lila’s afraid of tight spaces, you know. He mostly stayed away from her. I think he knew that no matter how much abuse I would take, I wouldn’t let him touch one hair on her head. It certainly wasn’t because he cared about her. But one night he was particularly mean and drunker than I’d ever seen him. My mom had died and for whatever reason he wasn’t taking it well. He came for me and, after a few punches, I hightailed it into the backyard to hide. He heard Lila crying in her room though and he dragged her out and pushed her into the linen closet. Locked her in there for hours. I was outside, and she was too terrified of him to call for help.”
He was silent for a moment, no doubt beating himself up for some perceived failure. “When I found her the next morning, she was curled up in a little ball and wouldn’t talk. I was so scared for her. I promised her then and there that I wouldn’t leave her alone with him again.”
Sabrina had to swallow past a knot of tears before she could speak. “Where is he now?”
Holden shook his head. “He crashed his car into a tree when I was a senior in high school. It wasn’t like he was contributing anything at that point anyway. I was making a little money on some under-the-table coding projects for startups and he had gotten laid off a year before. I was eighteen and almost two months from graduation. Then I was accepted to MIT, so we moved. Conner helped me create some false paperwork naming me Lila’s guardian, and I enrolled her in school there. We watched out for Lila and never told anyone.”
She moved her head slightly until she was able to press her lips to the bare skin of his chest. “Thank you for telling me.”
He sighed deeply and grasped her closer. “Now tell me something.”
Sabrina stiffened in his embrace. “Like what?”
“Something, anything. Tell me your real name,” he said.
She shook her head no and felt his disappointment almost immediately. And she didn’t want to disappoint him. After his confessions, she knew that she had to give a little. Quid pro quo.
“Mine’s not really a happy story either. You already know most of it. My parents were in the biz,” she said flippantly, trying to pretend like she was recounting someone else’s history. “We moved around all over the country and even in Canada and Mexico some. They were always this close to the next big score. When we got to Portland, it seemed to me like they were actually going to settle down. Of course, I was a teenager and all I wanted in the world was to stay in the same school for longer than four months.” She shrugged as if it didn’t matter.
“My dad got a job and my mom was actually paying a little bit of attention to me. And Portland is kind of a weird place anyway so I didn’t have so much trouble fitting in at school. Things looked good. At least until I came home from school one day and Mom and Dad were gone. No note, no nothing. Just gone. My best guess has always been that they were running a con and things got too hot to handle so they split. It would have been nice if they had taken me along, but I guess I was just excess baggage.”
Holden gripped her shoulder in a show of support, and Sabrina tried to convince herself that it didn’t make her feel better. She could stand on her own, and she needed to remember that.
“Like you, I didn’t tell anyone that my parents had left. But unlike you, I didn’t have any special skills to make money. At least not until Mike found me. He came to the apartment looking for my dad and found me. He figured out what was going on and honestly, he probably would have just left me there, but he had a con going that needed a daisy. So he recruited me. I had a natural talent for it and I had gotten rather addicted to eating at that point so I dropped out of school and worked with Mike. And I’ve been doing it ever since.”
She didn’t realize she was crying until Holden used the edge of her sheet to dry her face. Luckily he didn’t comment while she pulled herself together.
She took a deep breath and blew it out, looking at the ceiling. “You’re right about one thing, you know. I’m not happy being a con. I just don’t know what else to do.”
Holden drew her closer and rested his chin on her head. “I always wondered why my mom didn’t do something to get away from my father. If not for herself, then for me and Lila. She just gave up though. You didn’t give up. You’re strong and brilliant and resourceful. And I admire the hell out of you.”
She felt another round of tears welling up and couldn’t take it. “I aggravate the hell out of you too,” she said with a watery grin.
“Only sometimes,” he said, and she could hear the answering smile in his voice. “It’s less noticeable when you’re naked.”
He pulled on the edge of her sheet, and she laughed as she let him unravel her. He made no move to make love to her though. He just tossed the sheet off to the side of the bed and drew her down to lie with him.
She settled her head on his chest and listened to the comforting sound of his heart beating. Her head moved with every deep breath he took. She thought he had fallen asleep and was startled when he spoke again.
“If you won’t tell me what your real name is, what should I call you? I’m having trouble thinking of you as Sabrina now,” he said.
She considered his request for a second and then slowly answered. “Well, when Mike refers me for a job he calls me Bree, which is a nickname from my real name. So that’s why my alias is Sabrina this time around. It’s a suitable name that could be hooked up with Bree. So call me Bree.”
“Bree,” he said and in his deep voice it sounded better than she remembered. “I like it.”
“Me too,” she said softly and leaned up to kiss him.
“Let me tell you this, Bree, I don’t want to change you. I’m crazy about you just the way you are. But I do want to help you get what you want, whether or not I’m a part of it.”
Sabrina buried her face in his chest, sure that he could feel the tears landing on his skin. She must be more tired than she had realized, because she couldn’t seem to get control of her emotions. In fact, she just barely stopped herself from assuring him that whatever she wanted, he was at the heart of it.
She cleared her throat a few times before she could speak. “When I figure out what I want, you’ll be the first to know.”
He clasped her closer. “I hope so, Bree. I hope so.”
She stared into the darkness as he drifted off, fighting sleep herself. Too many thoughts slid through her mind and she couldn’t seem to grab any one to consider it fully. Logically, she knew that getting involved with Holden was stupid. Despite their similar upbringings, they were too different. They had made completely different sets of decisions that put them on opposing sides. He said he wanted her now, but what about later when the danger had passed and he was back in his everyday life? Would he be so accepting of her choices then?
She wasn’t sure. But his confessions had given her a glimmer of hope. And hope, she knew from experience, was the most dangerous con of all.
Chapter Fourteen
The next time Sabrina opened her eyes, it was to a bright beam of sunshine burning directly into them. She winced and rolled away, expecting to bump into Holden but almost falling off the side of the bed instead. Warily, she raised herself up on her elbows and peered around the room. She registered that it was empty of Holden and his laptop before she glanced at the clock. Ten thirty! The only time she slept so late was after a particularly difficult or long job. And apparently after a hot session of sex and soul baring with Holden.
She sighed and pushed off the remaining covers so that she could stand up. A fluffy white hotel robe was draped across the end of the bed and she slipped into it gratefully. No doubt Holden had left it out for her. She wondered briefly where he was until muffled noise from the other side of the door pointed her in the right direction.
Sabrina pressed her ear against the wood of the door and listened. It wasn’t just Holden in the sitting room. There were at least three distinct voices, possibly four. Holden and Lila for sure and one that she assumed to be Sam although his words
were few and far between. Great, it seemed like the gang was all gathered.
Sabrina grimaced at the thought of doing a walk of shame across the sitting room. At least she didn’t have to worry that Holden was trying to keep their association secret. Her walking out of his room in a bathrobe and the worst case of bed head ever seen by human eyes would let everyone know what had gone on the night before.
When a loud burst of laughter quickly followed up by shushing noises came through the door, she decided that it was time to put her big girl panties on and face the music. And she only wished a tiny bit that she actually had panties.
She pulled the belt on her robe more firmly and then quietly opened the door. Not quietly enough apparently. Every head in the place turned to face her. A quick scan of the faces showed that no one was outwardly upset about the situation. A man she had never seen before was grinning at her like a crazy person. Sam kept his face studiously clear and Lila was keeping her eyes from meeting Sabrina’s by staring at the ceiling but she had an amused smile on her face. And Holden—Holden was looking at her like he’d never tire of the view.
She took a deep breath and tried to hold it together. “Good morning,” she said, mustering up a banal smile.
“Good morning,” they all chorused back at her.
She pointed toward her room and started to sidle around the side of the seating arrangement. “I’m just going to get freshened up.”
Holden stood and intercepted her when she got to the dining table where he was working. He pulled her close for a kiss that was so short she didn’t even have time to reciprocate. But it warmed her heart anyway. It was a kiss that said ‘glad to see you here’ with little heat behind it. It was a kiss between two people who cared about each other.
Blushing, Sabrina ignored everyone’s eyes and scuttled into her room. After a few seconds of embarrassment, she pulled herself together. The sooner she got dressed and faced everyone, acting like there was nothing to see here, the sooner things could go back to normal. Or whatever normal passed for in her life these days.
Quickly she changed into another of the high-priced outfits that she had purchased the day before. She forewent a shower because her skin still smelled of Holden and she didn’t want to wash it off. Pathetic and she didn’t even care. A fast brush of her teeth and hair and she was ready to face the music. She surveyed her reflection in the mirror one last time and the face that greeted her was almost unfamiliar.
It was the face of happy woman. Rested and well-loved, her skin glowed and her eyes were bright. She didn’t need any make-up, sheer joy was doing all of the heavy lifting. She pointed a finger at her reflection. “Get it together,” she commanded sternly. But her reflection just grinned back at her. Hopeless idiot that she was.
This time when she opened the door, conversation continued. The guys were all talking in the seating area, looking at something that a dark-haired man was showing them. Lila stood by the counter pouring herself a cup of coffee. The sight of the dark brew made Sabrina’s mouth water. If anything could clear the cobwebs and make her concentrate, it was caffeine.
She gave Lila a small smile, a little nervous to see what the younger woman’s reactions would be, as she poured her own cup of coffee and doctored it with creamer and sugar.
Lila spoke first. “We ordered breakfast a while ago. There’s still plenty left on the cart by the door. Help yourself.”
“Thanks, I’m starving,” she said.
Lila’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “I guess you burned up a lot of energy last night.”
Both women stayed silent for a moment before bursting into laughter. The guys looked back at them and then rolled their eyes good naturedly. Finally they were able to get themselves under control.
Sabrina took a deep sip of her coffee and turned slightly toward Lila. “I’m sorry that I was in the way last night. Did you get to talk to Holden this morning?”
“Not really, but I didn’t need to. I was just looking for…a distraction.”
“A distraction from what?” Sabrina asked, eyebrows raised.
Lila hesitated for a moment before releasing a deep breath. “Let’s just say we can’t all be as lucky in love as you are.”
Sabrina felt her jaw drop open and rushed to correct her. “No, I’m not in love—” Too late she remembered that she was talking to Holden’s sister. “I mean, your brother is great but I’ve only known him for a few days and we’re so different. We can’t—-I can’t—” She broke off, not sure where she wanted the sentence to go or what she wanted to say.
Lila just gave her a look that seemed far wiser than her years. “If you say so.” She grinned at Sabrina’s sickly expression. “Don’t worry about it. I know I’m probably the last person you want to talk about this with.”
“Well, truth be told, you’re about the only person I do have to talk to.” She shrugged at Lila’s curious expression. “I’m not really the type of girl to have girlfriends, if you know what I mean.”
“I do. I don’t really have a ton of friends either. Mostly just Dylan and Conner. Who, even though I love them, aren’t exactly the most insightful of men when it comes to female emotions.” Lila pointed toward the dark-haired man Sabrina had noticed earlier. “That’s Conner, by the way. He’s Holden’s best friend.”
Sabrina smiled. “I’m sure Dylan would be crushed to hear you say that.”
“Oh, the three of them have been as thick as thieves forever,” Lila said before realizing her misstep. “No offense.”
“None taken,” Sabrina said with an easy wave. Remembering Holden’s story from the night before and how Conner had helped protect Holden and Lila, Sabrina was inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.
Sabrina glanced over her shoulder to where Conner was sitting with the other two men. She knew him the least of all, but he seemed like a nice, normal man. Maybe a little dorky, but who wasn’t in this group?
Lila followed her gaze and was silent for a moment. “For what it’s worth, I think you and Holden are really good together. In fact, I’ll go even further and say that I think you’re really good for him. Normally in this situation he’d be climbing the walls. You seem to keep him calm.”
She got her first lesson in girl talk then. It was much easier to hear the truth when she didn’t have to look Lila in the eye. With her gaze still on the other side of the room, Sabrina took a deep breath and decided to turn the tables on her new friend. “So tell me more about why you needed a distraction at two o’clock in the morning.”
It was Lila’s turn to stutter for a few seconds before she took a deep breath of her own. “Problems with Sam, as per usual.”
Sabrina considered her words for a moment before turning to face the younger woman. “I’d wondered what was going on between you two.” Lila looked at her sharply. “I’ve been a little preoccupied lately but even a blind person could see the sparks.”
Lila grabbed her hand excitedly, causing her to slosh her coffee. “I think it’s pretty obvious too. Sam disagrees though.” She sighed. “Since the day Holden hired him, I’ve felt something and I thought he did too, but every time I make a move he pushes me away. It’s driving me crazy.”
Sabrina cast about for some encouraging advice. “Well, maybe he doesn’t realize that you’re coming on to him. Guys can be dense sometimes, you know. Maybe you’re being too subtle.”
“Hmmm, you could be right.” Lila bit her lip as she considered her options. “Was that what happened with Holden?”
Sabrina could feel her face coloring as Lila giggled. “I mean, I don’t want the play by play or anything but it’s obvious that you got Holden to loosen up. That’s all I need to do with Sam. I’m sure of it.”
“Well, I wouldn’t exactly call your brother hesitant to make his move or anything.” Sabrina looked in Holden’s direction and watched as he smiled at the two of them chatting. She could all but feel his approval of her bonding with his sister. A flutter in her heart at the sight of his pleased
smile told her that she needed to nip things in the bud. For someone who had always been wary of relationships, she was collecting a lot of them in a hurry these days.
When she turned back to Lila, she found the younger woman watching her with a hopeful look, and knew that she wouldn’t be able to rebuff her request. No one had ever needed her opinion before, much less on the issue of her feminine wiles. She was one pillow fight away from having a slumber party and loving every minute.
“Come on, you two!” Conner called to them from the seating area where he was setting up some sort of game.
“One second,” Lila called before making a ‘hurry up’ motion to Sabrina.
Sabrina shrugged uncomfortably. “I don’t think I really did anything that momentous. I just wore some lingerie and kept on breathing. Your brother took it from there.”
“So you think if I got some sexy underwear that Sam would pay attention to me?” Lila asked.
Sabrina snuck another glance at the group of men on the other side of the room. She wasn’t surprised in the least to see Sam sneaking his own glances in their direction. “I think Sam’s already paying attention to you. Some sex appeal might be the best way to turn that attention in a more favorable direction.”
“Hmmm. You might be right. Do you think you could help me get some?”
Sabrina almost winced before nodding. “Sure, I could do that.” Great, somehow she’d been recruited to turn Holden’s little sister into some sort of femme fatale and all for the purpose of her seducing a man who was very unlikely to settle down. He was sure to love that.
At least Lila seemed happy. She was chattering about strategies to get Sam alone when Conner called to them again.
Sabrina could only give her a sickly smile and then peeled off to investigate the room service cart. True to Lila’s word, there was plenty of food left and Sabrina piled a plate high with eggs, bacon, fruit and toast. Hopefully, if she kept her mouth occupied, she wouldn’t be tempted to stick her foot in it. When she had filled her plate and gathered her coffee mug, Lila had already joined the rest of the group in the seating area so Sabrina followed suit.