“What kind of video?” I tried to keep my voice from shaking.
“Something to scare them into giving us the money. I haven’t ironed out those details yet.”
“So nothing has happened with you today?” I tried to confirm.
“Nope. I went to work early this morning to clean up from last night’s rave. I’ve been here since eight or so.”
Lies. If Abi saw him talking to the dirty cop, then it would have been later than that. This didn’t add up. My worst fears were confirmed—Ben was trying to screw us over somehow.
I made a little small talk and cracked a few jokes so Ben wouldn’t know that I was freaking out. When we hung up the phone, I had to brace myself up against the shack until my heart stopped pounding. We were in big trouble.
Chapter 16―Amanda
Josh walked down the stairs with a distraught look on his face. Immediately, I wanted to comfort him. I wanted to take away any pain he was possibly feeling.
“What’s going on? Is it Ben?”
He nodded.
“Have my parents sent the money?”
“Not yet.”
“You’re scaring me.”
“I really screwed things up, Amanda. I can’t help but think that if I had made different choices somewhere along the line, I wouldn’t be in this situation at all.”
“What’s done is done,” I said. “There’s nothing you can do now but move forward in the direction you want to go.”
Josh walked over to the couch and sat down beside me.
“Reese and I are pretty sure that Ben is trying to screw us over. He’s been talking to cops and just being very secretive and suspicious. We don’t trust him. Right now, we’re just waiting for the money to go through so we can leave.”
“You’re planning on escaping, but you’re waiting on the money?”
He scratched his head and looked up at me. I could tell he was extremely uncomfortable.
“The thing is, I don’t think we can afford to skip town and hide out without the cash. Ben gambled our savings away. I don’t think we’d make it out of the state without some extra help.”
I slouched back into the seat. Once again, I was being used for my family’s money.
“How much are you asking for?” I grumbled.
“Half a million,” he replied in a small voice.
“Well, they’re definitely good for that money, but once you start asking for that much, it’s not about the cost anymore.”
“How do you figure?”
“I’ve seen them drop that kind of money on more frivolous things than the wellbeing of their daughter. But it’s not about that, is it? It’s about the principle. They don’t want to give that kind of cash away to criminals, not without some sort of punishment. If you want my opinion, I bet the moment my dad heard the news, he called the police and told them to make sure you guys pay for what you did. He’s a tough guy, and he has a lot of power. I’d be afraid of him if I were you.”
I didn’t mean to scare Josh any more than he already was, but I wanted him to know what he was up against. My dad was a no-nonsense sort of guy. He had the means to ensure that Josh and his roommates would rot in prison. If he wanted to, he could absolutely destroy their lives.
“So you don’t think he’ll pay?”
I shrugged. “It’s hard to say. See, if my mom had it her way, you would have seen the money immediately. In her mind, money absolutely grows on trees. She would fork it over just so she doesn’t have to deal with the drama. She couldn’t care less about all the law and order stuff. But she likely told my dad, and he’s in charge of the financial decisions in our household.”
Josh buried his head in his hands. I was worried he was starting to crack under the pressure.
I gave a dry chuckle. “You guys should have really talked to me before you decided to kidnap me,” I said sarcastically. “I could have told you exactly what you needed to do.”
His head popped up. I knew what he was thinking.
“No,” I said firmly. “I’m not going to scam my own parents.”
“I don’t know what else to do,” he said. “I need to get you out of here before Ben decides to do something drastic. I can’t let you get hurt, but I also can’t go to prison. And after what you just told me, I definitely can’t go down for something I didn’t want to do in the first place.”
I felt conflicted. It felt extremely wrong to take money from my parents like this. They had already given me so much in my life, and I felt indebted to them.
On the other hand, this kind of money didn’t even put a dent in their bank account. In fact, if I could just get access to my account, I could probably make a good-size payment on the ransom myself. I would feel guilty if I coerced them to hand over the money, but eventually, I would get over it. It was only money.
I also felt weird about giving Josh, Reese, and Abi money to run away. I didn’t doubt that they could turn their lives around when Ben wasn’t around to control them. I didn’t like the idea of giving Josh a bunch of money just so I could go home and he could run out of my life. I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life wondering where my money took him.
Still, seeing him so unhappy made me feel worse. The money wasn’t a big deal to me, so maybe it would be worth it to see him smile again. I wanted him to be safe and happy, regardless of what he did to me.
It hardly seemed fair, though. He would use that money to go on to live an amazing, adventurous life, and I would have to return home to my boring life. As strange and scary as this trip had turned out to be, at least I felt somewhat alive. I had stepped outside of my comfort zone, and while it led to this mess, I could walk away with something to remember for the rest of my life.
“All right,” I said with a sigh. “I’d be willing to help you, but you’ll have to do what I tell you. Can you agree to that?”
“Anything you want.”
“You need to find a way to speak directly to my mom. If my dad or the police catch on, she won’t comply. I also think you should ask for less money. She can’t get the half million from the bank without getting my dad’s permission first. For the right price, she’ll transfer it in a heartbeat. Also, you should try to prove that I’m okay.”
“So how much money do you think we should ask for?”
I did some quick calculations in my head. “How about two hundred thousand dollars? It’s a lot less than what you asked for originally, but it’s something that my mom would be able to transfer without causing too much of a scene.”
“I could settle for that,” he said. “I’ll have Reese make the call. Maybe we can even send Abi down to meet up with your mom to send her the message and get the money.”
I unclasped my delicate gold necklace and lowered it into Josh’s hand. “We’ll send this with her so she knows that I’m okay. I’d also like to write a letter to give to her, too.”
“How is this necklace going to assure her that you’re fine?”
I had never told this story to anyone before, but if there was anyone I wanted to be open with, it was Josh.
“When I was eighteen, there was this guy that I really liked. His name was Justin and he was my first love. He went to my private high school, but he wasn’t like the rest of the kids there. He came from a lower-middle-class family, but he was really smart and a good athlete, so he got a good scholarship to our school. As you could guess, my parents weren’t pleased about it.”
“Because he didn’t have money?”
“That, and because our potential union didn’t have any benefit to them. His parents didn’t have any influence in our town, so the connection between our parents was worthless. Meanwhile, there were other guys in my class that my mom preferred. My dad didn’t want me to date at all.”
I could see him wince a little when I described Justin to him. I was basically describing Josh.
“Justin asked me to be his girlfriend, and I was over the moon about it. Word traveled quickly, though, so my parents found
out a few days later. My dad and I had a big fight, and he basically told me that I could choose a boy like Justin and live a mediocre middle-class life, or choose someone within my own social circle and continue my way of life.”
“That’s kind of messed up,” Josh said.
“At that age, it absolutely was. I screamed and cried and couldn’t understand why my parents would say those things. I told them that I wasn’t going to end the relationship, and my dad said that if I didn’t, I would have to move out and I’d be cut off from their money. Obviously, I took the money because at that age, I wasn’t remotely ready to be on my own.”
“So you just broke up with the guy?”
“Yep. I was depressed about it for a while. That’s when my dad bought me that necklace as a way to make it up to me. It’s served as a reminder of sorts that my parents’ wishes come first.”
“Do you regret your decision?”
“I was eighteen and stupid. In my friend group, money was everything. At the time, Justin was upset, but he went on to get a PhD in mechanical engineering. He has a gorgeous wife, and they just had their first child this year. Things worked out well for him. So much time has passed that I don’t have feelings for him anymore. I just wonder how different my life would be if I would have told my parents to back off and let me live.”
“And sending the necklace back to your parents is going to convey that message—that they need to leave you alone and let you live your life?”
I nodded. Telling that story sent new thoughts and emotions through my mind. For the first time, I admitted to someone how oppressed I felt by my parents and their fortune. It felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I was an adult, and I should have been treated like one. I knew exactly what I needed to do next.
“I have one final condition for helping you guys out,” I said.
“What is it?”
“I’m coming with you.”
His face turned to stone. “You can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because we kidnapped you,” he sputtered. “We’re the ones who are guilty of a crime. You don’t have to run for the rest of your life. You have options.”
“It doesn’t feel like that to me,” I said, looking him square in the eye. “If you don’t want me to go with you because you don’t want me around, just say so. At this point, I don’t think you can really offend me.”
“Of course I want you to come with me,” he said. “But I don’t know why you would want to.”
“I don’t want to go home. Real or not, the time I spent with you was the best time of my life.”
“Apart from the terrible British accent, it was real.” He smiled. “I haven’t had that much fun in a long time.”
“So is it a deal? I’ll ensure we get the money, and you’ll get me a one-way plane ticket to wherever we decide to go?”
“Deal,” he said, extending his hand to shake.
I shook his strong hand and felt butterflies in my stomach when we touched. I didn’t remember the last time that I felt wanted by anyone, let alone a guy I liked.
I knew that I was crazy for doing this, but it just felt right. I trusted Josh with my life, and I knew that from this point on, he wouldn’t intentionally hurt me again.
“So,” he said, looking a little more relaxed, “where should we start our new life?”
Chapter 17―Joshua
After talking with Amanda, I felt a huge sense of relief. As much as I wanted to get out of Vegas, I had dreaded having to leave her behind. I didn’t know if we could make it for the long run, or if we’d even be romantically involved again, but I was willing to give it a shot.
It also felt good to know that she didn’t hate my guts either. If she was willing to hide out in another country with me for a while, she must like me a little bit.
Now that Amanda was in on the job, I didn’t have to go running out of the room every time I needed to make a phone call. I waited until Reese was due to be done working to call him.
“Reese,” I said excitedly, “she’s in.”
“That’s a relief. So she promised not to name us during the investigation?”
“No, I mean she’s actually in on this. She’s going to help us get the money, and then she’s going to come with us.”
There was no response from the other side of the line.
“Are you there?”
“Y–yeah,” he stuttered. “I don’t think I understand.”
“It’s a long story, and I can fill you in on it later. The main point is, we can trust her, and she’s given us a much better plan.”
“Let’s act soon. There’s nothing in the bank account yet and I’m getting nervous.”
“Her dad isn’t going to pay. We need to go directly to her mom. Do you think Abi would be down to fly to Texas? She can take the cash out of Amanda’s purse to buy the tickets.”
“I’ll talk to her. When should she go?”
“Probably first thing tomorrow morning. Is there any chance you guys can stop by tonight? I think it’s best if we all meet in person to talk things through.”
“Yeah, as long as Ben doesn’t notice we’re gone.”
“Can you bring some paper and an envelope? Amanda wants to write a note to her mom.”
“Sure. I’ll wait until Abi’s shift is over, and then we can head over.”
“Cool,” I said. “See you then.”
“What did he say?” Amanda asked, twirling a strand of hair.
“They’ll be here later tonight,” I replied. “I think this could actually work.”
“Of course it will,” she said. “You have me on your side.”
I picked up the old blankets, folding them neatly and placing them next to the couch. I cleaned up as best as I could in anticipation of Reese and Abi’s arrival. I didn’t know when they’d show up, but I hoped that it would be soon. The longer I sat in that building, the more anxious I became.
“Can we really go anywhere we want to?” Amanda asked, turning to face me. She had a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.
“I suppose so. I imagine that Reese and Abi will want to go somewhere in Europe. You’d never guess, but he’s a pretty talented writer. I think Abi’s got a degree in Art History or something like that, too.”
“Really?” she asked. “That surprises me.”
“I know my fair share of dancers around here. A lot of them are girls trying to pay for college or moms making sure they can provide for their kids. Even Reese was accepted into a good writing program, but he had to drop out after a few semesters because he couldn’t pay tuition.”
“Have you ever left the country before?” she asked.
“Nope. I’ve always liked the idea of traveling, but I could never seem to make it work. Honestly, I’m kind of glad that I’m being forced into moving. Maybe I’ll finally have a chance at the life I always wanted.”
“Where do you see yourself living?”
“I couldn’t even begin to tell you. I haven’t seen enough of the world to know where I’d fit in. What about you?”
“Italy,” she said after some careful consideration. “Rome might be nice. Or maybe Milan. I’ve always had a dream of doing something in the fashion scene. I’d love to do some designing, or maybe open my own boutique.”
“I could help you with that,” I chimed in. “You can focus on the clothes, and I’ll help run the shop. We could make our own hours and not have to answer to anyone.”
Amanda smiled. “Do you think we could really do that?”
“I don’t see why not. We’ll have a good amount of money to invest into it. It will be a fresh start for both of us. I think we can do whatever we want.”
We sat quietly for a moment, both daydreaming about what our life could be like in Italy. I imagined us living in a small apartment above our shop, spending our days working and our nights drinking wine and making love. I knew it would take some time for her to regain her trust in me, but I would wait. I wondered if she t
hought about the same things.
“Plus,” I added, “we can eat as much pizza as we want.”
“I’m sold.” She giggled.
Once again, I got the sudden urge to kiss her. I didn’t know if this was the time or the place, but I wanted to hold her in my arms so badly. Every time I worked up the courage to do it, I was worried that I was going to ruin everything by coming on to her again. Finally, I made up my mind that I was going to lean into her, and if she followed, then I would know that it was time.
I slowly started to lean into her when the door swung open, letting hot, dry air into the room.
I jumped back, sliding to the opposite side of the couch like a teenager getting caught by his parents.
“Sorry,” Reese said, wiping his feet on the mat. “Did I interrupt something?”
“No,” I said quickly. “We were just talking about the plan.”
“Right,” he said curtly and handed Amanda a piece of paper, a pen, and an envelope. She knelt on the floor and starting drafting her letter to her mother on the coffee table.
“Abi’s flight leaves at seven tomorrow morning,” Reese said, looking over to a sullen looking Abi. “Thanks for the cash, Amanda.”
She nodded without looking up from her writing.
“Amanda is going to give you the letter and her necklace to give to her mom. We’re going to ask for half of our original demand so her mom will be more likely to hand it over.”
“That reminds me,” Reese said grimly. “I talked to Ben. He told me to call the parents tomorrow and demand a full million.”
“Are you going to do it?” I asked.
“I don’t know. If Ben’s around, I don’t have much of a choice. However, he specifically said that we should all limit our contact with each other.”
“What’s his reasoning for that?”
“I think it’s partially so we don’t catch on to what he’s doing. I also think it’s because he doesn’t want us to talk to each other. He must know that we’re not happy with this whole situation.”
“Maybe that will work in our favor. I’m paranoid that he’s going to show up here out of the blue and catch us in the act.”
High Stakes: A Dark Romance Page 10