UnPlanned

by M. Piper

  “You love the girl, no?” he asks, grinning when I clench my fists at my side. “Marc!” my uncle bellows, laughing. Marc opens the door and I glance back at him. He’s stone faced, as always. “Marc, this kid thinks he loves Sully’s daughter!” My uncle roars in laughter. “Oh, poor Roman.” He ‘tsks’. “She’s just a play thing. Love doesn’t exist for people like you and me.”

  “I’m nothing like you,” I growl. “I’d never kidnap someone just for my financial gain!”

  “This is about way more than money, Roman.” He leans in close and flicks his knife open again. “I need the power that comes with it. And this…this girl? She’s all he has left in this world. Imagine the things I could get for her.” His black eyes sparkle and I notice his hand twitch. “She’ll be mine. You have a week. Then all bets are off,” he whispers, moving the knife across his throat, motioning like he’s slicing it open.

  I don’t bother fighting him. He’s never taken no for an answer before. I’m not sure why he would start now.

  I can’t just tell him no and walk away, either. I’m too deep.

  I need to figure out how to get her to safety without completely blowing my cover.

  I give my uncle a tight nod and he clasps me on the shoulder, thanking me for my loyalty to the ‘family’, but everything around me is a blur of motion and sound. My mind is unable to form anything coherent as I walk out of the building. Marc walks out with me, putting his hand on my shoulder. I shove him off and glare at him, ready to fight.

  “Listen, kid, you gotta get your head on straight. This is huge for us.” He’s prepping me like I’m about to go to bat for the team. This is way bigger than baseball! This is the life of the woman I love!

  I nod, taking a step away from him. I can’t fight Marc. He’s three times my size!

  “Hey, I gotta…I have to go,” I mumble.

  I don’t know where I’m going. I don’t have a car, so I just start walking. I’m sure my uncle has eyes on me at all times, but right now I just need to go.

  Somewhere.

  I can’t go to her house. My uncle will know I’m there and expect me to bring her in tonight. No, I need to be somewhere they’ll never expect me to take her. Somewhere they won’t be looking.

  If he’s been watching me, he knows I’ve been putting on a front for this girl. He knows I’d never bring her to my apartment.

  Fuck…there’s only one option.

  I make it home and knock on Jeannie’s door. I hear Abu barking from the other side and grin when she opens it. He licks my legs, excited to see me. I give him a half-ass pet and walk inside.

  “Can I use your phone, Jeannie?”

  “Sure,” she says, shuffling over to grab it for me. “Mind telling me what happened to yours?”

  I pause, contemplating what to tell her. I’ve never told her how I afford this place or the shitty food I eat. She knows I don’t have a lot, but if I tell her how I make my measly living she’ll be caught in my uncle’s crosshairs. I’m only asking because I feel like he may have my phone traced and know what I’m up to.

  Again, I have to lie.

  “Died,” I mumble. She narrows her eyes at me and nods, holding out her phone.

  “Thanks.” I take the phone out to the hallway and make sure there’s no one else around before dialing Scarlett’s number.

  “Hello?” She sounds confused.

  “Hey, babe. It’s Roman.” I can’t even wrap my head around the severity of the situation. Especially now that she’s going to find out the truth about me.

  “Hey, sexy,” she purrs. “We still on for tonight?”

  “I uh…” I stammer.

  “You better not be canceling on me. I need a good dinner.”

  “I just…something really important came up. Something huge. If I give you an address, can you meet there?”

  “What’s going on, Roman? What’s wrong? You sound like something’s wrong. Who’s number is this, anyway?” She’s full of questions, but I don’t answer any of them. I tell her I’ll shoot her the address and to come over as soon as she can. The faster we get the truth out of the way, the faster we can get to safety and figure this shit out with my uncle.

  It’s like I’m on autopilot for the next hour. After thanking Jeannie, I trudge across the hall with Abu and prepare myself for the breakup I know is about to happen.

  Chapter 4

  Outted

  The knock comes at my door exactly an hour after the phone call.

  This is it.

  I take a breath and glance in the mirror on the way to the door. I’ve changed. My new, fancy and expensive clothes have been exchanged for my everyday wear. I’m the man she met in the alley again and I feel like a tool.

  When the door swings open, I can’t place the look on her face. It breaks my heart doing this to her.

  “Roman?” Her eyebrows crease in confusion. “What…why?”

  “Come inside,” I manage, though I want to throw this whole plan out the window and tell her I’m just kidding around with her.

  “What is this place?” She looks around and I see the disgust in her eyes.

  “Uh… this is my place.” I say it so quietly I’m not sure she hears me. But when Abu comes running in from the bedroom and jumps up to her, the realization that he’s the dog from the alley clicks.

  My heart is aching from the look on her face right now.

  “I don’t…” She shakes her head and looks around the room. The ratty couch that I picked up off the curb one night. The wallpaper hanging off the wall because the landlord honestly doesn’t give a fuck about this place. The ceiling fan half hanging off the ceiling yet somehow still in working condition.

  “I’m sorry, Scarlett. If I’d told you the truth you would have never liked me.”

  Her eyes flash to mine, anger rising in them. “I would have never liked you?” she snaps. “Am I that type of person, Roman? The type to like someone because of how much money they have!?”

  “You said yourself you like a man that can take care of himself.”

  “Yeah! A man that’s not just with me to freeload off my dad’s fucking money! Not someone with all the riches. Fuck. You…you’ve been lying to me this entire time?”

  “I’m sorry,” I manage through a tight throat.

  “I don’t even know you,” she starts but I cut her off.

  “You do. I’m Roman South. My parents are both dead and all I have left is an uncle,” I tell her, scared she’s about to run. “Everything I’ve told you is the truth.” I pause and shake my head. “Everything but the money issue.”

  “I can’t be with a liar,” she whispers.

  As soon as the words fall from her lips my heart breaks. At the same time, my door flies open and Jeannie is standing there, her laundry in hand.

  “Ah, Roman,” she says, playing up the old lady card as she shuffles across the room. “I’m happy you haven’t left yet. Here’s my laundry for the week.” She grins and winks at me as she shoves her clothes in my arms. I’m almost grossed out, but one breath tells me these are super clean clothes. And I need to get the name of her laundry detergent because these smell amazing.

  “Who are you?” Scarlett demands, hands on her hips.

  “Oh!” Jeannie makes her way over to Scarlett and Scarlett’s eyes go wide when Jeannie takes her hand. “I’ve heard so much about you!”

  “Jeannie,” I mutter, but she waves me off.

  “Did you know this boy was going to come to your first date in rags?” she scoffs. “I lost a son a few years ago. I still had all his old clothes lying around, so I gave them to Roman.” She smiles and I notice Scarlett start to soften. “I told him to wear them to impress the girl. I guess he never told you that story because he was a little embarrassed. The boy has nothing to be embarrassed of, though. He’s a doll for doing my laundry every week since the stairs are hard on these old hips. And he brings me groceries and lets me dog sit whenever I want,” she says, smiling bright. “I’m luck
y to have him as a neighbor. This building feels a whole lot safer with him here.”

  She pats Scarlett’s hand gently and nods at me, thanking me again before leaving the room and taking Abu with her.

  “So uh…that’s my neighbor. The building crazy lady.” I laugh nervously.

  “You really do all that for her?” Scarlett asks and I nod.

  “She may have stretched it a bit. I’m really not that helpful.”

  “I think that’s sweet,” she whispers.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, Scarlett. I… hell, this isn’t really a place I like to brag about.”

  “It’s yours though. You’re doing this on your own…” She pauses and looks around. “I wouldn’t be able to do anything near this nice if my dad stopped paying for everything of mine.” She laughs.

  I shake my head and walk over to her, wrapping my arms around her.

  “Funny story, my dad’s had so many problems at the dealership that he may be forced to close,” she whispers softly. “We’d lose everything if he did that.”

  I groan and try to shake off the nerves of what I’m about to tell her.

  This is it.

  “Sit down. Please, Scarlett,” I say, tossing a clean blanket on the couch. “I have something I need to tell you.”

  I make sure all the windows in the place are closed and curtains are drawn before sitting next to her.

  “You’re not going to like what I’m about to say, but you will hear me out. And just remember…I love you. We’ll get through this.” I take her hand in mine, noticing the hesitation and slight tremor to her fingertips. I don’t have long before she bolts out of here and puts herself in more danger than she even knows.

  So I start in.

  And tell her everything.

  She’s going to hate me after this.

  “So that’s it. I’ve been working for him since I was old enough to walk the streets alone. It started with petty shit and has moved its way up.”

  “To cars,” she states, nodding and staring at the floor. I nod, but I can’t verbally say it. “My dad’s cars?” Her red rimmed eyes hit mine, and if I weren’t already sitting I’d be on my knees right now. I let out a puff of air and nod. She lets out this laugh, this tiny laugh before it grows into something more. “How fucking stupid do you think I am?” she shrieks, standing up. “This is all a ploy to get closer to my dad!”

  “No! Fuck!” Standing, I shove my hands in my hair and start to pace. “You have to believe me, Scarlett. That day in the alley…I was literally running away because I stole a bag of apples…but not for my dog. For me. Because I was fucking hungry and he really wasn’t going to sell them all before they went bad. I was fucking starving. I needed food. My uncle…he keeps me on a tight leash and the car thing started well before I met you.” I huff, feeling ready to pass out. She can’t leave me. Not now.

  Not ever.

  “You’ve been doing it still, though. Haven’t you? All those nights the past few weeks that I couldn’t hang out with you? I should have put two and two together,” she says, laughing harshly. “It was because you knew you were stealing from my father…big money…and from me.”

  “I didn’t want to. The minute I realized who you were…fuck, babe.” I sigh. “My uncle, he’s not a generous man. When you’re blood family, that’s all that matters to him. He doesn’t let people out of the organization. Not alive, anyway. I had two choices…keep doing it, or die.” I shrug and chance a look into her eyes. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper.

  She nods and grabs her purse. “I have to go.”

  “Wait!” I yell, rushing to the door to block her. “That’s not all.”

  “Please, just let me go, Roman.”

  “He wants you, Scarlett.” Her eyes go wide and she takes a step back, protecting herself from me. God, I feel like a total asshole. “He told me today I need to deliver you to him. He’s in it for the long run, but I told him to fuck off. Either way, my uncle doesn’t take no for an answer. He’s having me followed, that’s why I had you come here. He knows I would never bring you to a place like this,” I say, rolling my eyes. “So I brought you here. To tell you the truth. All of it. And I can only hope I can figure a way out of this before he gets his hands on you.”

  “Why me?” she whispers, shaking her head. “I’m no one.”

  “You’re your father’s daughter and my uncle is after the money and power it is to be Antonio Sullivan. You’re the only thing your father has left in this world. He’d give up anything for you. Everything for you.”

  She hisses and looks at me like this is all my fault.

  “Scarlett, you have to believe me. I wouldn’t tell you all this if I was planning on turning you over to him. He’ll never get his hands on you. I promise.”

  A tear slips down her cheek and she stares at me. I slowly step toward her and when my arms go around her she breaks down, her tears soaking my shirt.

  I feel horrible, and somewhat like this is my fault, but I know better. Like I said, my uncle is in it for the long run. Had it not been me that he was using to get Scarlett to him, he would have had one of his men do it and it would have ended poorly for everyone.

  “I have a plan,” she finally whispers. “I need to make a phone call.”

  Chapter 5

  The End of an Era

  “Will this really work?” I ask, eyeing the men starting to gather in their hiding spots.

  It’s funny…I thought telling her the truth would push her away from me. In reality, it made her closer. She understood the predicament I was in with my uncle and the minute she found out about the cars stolen from her father, she started figuring out a plan of attack. She didn’t get mad, not really. She was hurt, sure. I hurt her, but she was able to get past it quicker than I thought she could. “I love you,” she said that day. “You didn’t know me when you started. You’re not a bad guy, Roman. You were just dealt a shit hand.”

  Then she kissed me with reckless abandon, right there on my couch. In an apartment I never thought she’d know about.

  She knows me. All of me. And yet here she is, finishing this job with me.

  “It’ll work. They’re trained agents, Roman. They know what they’re doing.”

  The minute she got on the phone that night the wheels started to turn. I couldn’t use my phone for anything and I couldn’t leave my apartment for fear that my uncle’s men would see me. She left out the back door, but only after the building was secured. Turns out, telling her dad about the situation was the smartest thing I’ve ever done. That was a nerve-wracking conversation, but he’s using my testimony to finally grab my uncle. Her dad’s more than a car dealership owner. He’s also an ex-marine with contacts everywhere. This whole thing is a set-up for the Feds to get my uncle and I’m the bait.

  As long as everything goes well tonight, I’ll be scot-free for aiding in the capture of a criminal, and my uncle will finally be behind bars. Right where he deserves to be.

  “You stay here. I have to go meet my uncle.” I kiss her and walk away, leaving her to fend for herself is my uncle were to find her. I have to believe she’s smart enough not to get caught.

  “Marc,” I say, walking up to him. We always meet here. Just outside the gates of the house, three blocks down from the dealership. From here we each take a separate route to the dealer, before grabbing our assigned car. It doesn’t take long to disengage the locks and alarm systems, so let’s just hope everything goes smooth on both ends tonight.

  “Kid,” Marc says, eyeing the road as a car drives by.

  “Van coming tonight?” Usually he’s here by now. Waiting in a car a block down. I don’t see his car anywhere, though.

  Shit.

  Marc glances over at me and narrows his eyes.

  “Does it matter?” he grinds out.

  “Nah. Just wondering if he’s going soft on us,” I say, puffing my chest out, waiting for it. On cue, Marc grabs me by the collar and slams me against the fence. Hard.
/>
  “Don’t ever fucking talk about the boss that way. You got it?”

  I grin and huff when he lets me down.

  A black car glides by and pulls to a stop two houses away. A window rolls down, giving us the signal.

  I grin and start making my path to the dealership as laid out in the text earlier in the day.

  Scarlett’s waiting behind one of the corners on my way to the dealer. She pulls me in for a harsh kiss the minute I make it to her.

  “Fuck, I was so scared. That guy had you by the throat!”

  “Marc wouldn’t hurt me—” I freeze when I hear the gunfire.

  “Sh— ” she squeals but I stop her.

  I press my fingers to Scarlett’s lips and we tuck ourselves into our hiding spot. Voices begin yelling through the dark night and someone runs past us at full speed. Another gunshot, making her jump and whimper in my arms, goes off mere minutes after the first.

  After twenty minutes of silence, her phone buzzes in her pocket. She slides it out to see her dad’s number.

  “Answer it,” I tell her.

  “Hello?” she whispers into the speakerphone.

  “It’s done. You two can come home now.” Her father ends the call without another word.

  Happily Ever After

  So that’s how I got my girl. Lying and debauchery isn’t my style anymore. Since those events that brought us together, my thing has been more in the style of black leather and chains.

  “You remember your rule?” I growl, slapping her ass one more time.

  “No coming until you say I can.” She whimpers below me as I slide the steel plug into her ass.

  “Good fucking girl.” The menace in my voice even turns me on. Hell, this girl. I slam into her without warning and she pulls on the chains strapping her to the bed but only for affect. She really doesn’t want out.

  “Fuck!” she screams as I play with the plug, pushing it inside her one more notch as I fuck her senseless.

  “No coming, Scarlett,” I growl.

  “Oh fuck, please,” she whimpers, her entire body rigid.