by Mia Taylor
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Anna was dragged down the alley and shoved into the back seat of a car. She got a good kick in and the guy manhandling her fell partially out. He swore and dove in as the car took off. He landed on top of her and held her down with his greater weight as she heard cursing coming from the front of the car.
“Hold her idiot,” said the voice. Then she felt something round and metal against her temple and she froze.
“Stay quiet bitch or I will end you,” the rough voice of her attacker said hoarsely. She did.
The car jerked around turns and at one point it felt like the car had been hit. After another moment the ride smoothed out and right after that it came to a stop. They couldn’t be far from the Deli, she thought confused.
“What do you want?” she asked quietly.
“You’ll find out soon enough, now shut up,” said the voice pinning her down.
Then the car door opened and she was dragged out into another alley. The guy with the gun was a big, beefy, blond man in janitors clothing and the driver who she could now see, was a little guy in similar clothes. The big guy held a gun to her ribs and hustled her into an old rusted metal door that clanged behind them. They went down a dark stairwell into what looked like the bottom level of a warehouse. In the far corner there was a long table and a few chairs with a couple of cots. Was this their hide out? She wondered.
“Can you tell me what is going on now?” She asked. A man got up from one of the cots and looked at all of them angrily.
“What the hell is this?” He asked. He was a dark haired, good looking guy in a gray suite.
“That Navy Seal spotted us and he is the only one who was there yesterday when we did the job. He can finger us, and you. This is his girlfriend, we think, so we took a hostage,” the little man said.
The man in the suit walked over to her and she was pressed up against the big guy, feeling the gun in her ribs. She took a deep breath and put on her game face. It was like a performance, she told herself, just get through it. The man in the suit looked her over briefly and cursed.
“Do you have any idea what you have done?” He asked his crew.
“What are you talking about? All of us were made. We can hold that Mike guy off with her. We didn’t have any other choice,” the little man said.
“Oh really. No other choice than to kidnap New York’s most famous ballerina. Look at her! She is the one who danced at the Olympics last year, she is New York’s golden girl. Once our pictures are out, everyone in this city will lynch us if they see us and you say you had no choice!” He raged at them. Anna did not think her popularity was that strong, but went with it anyway.
“He is right you know. It would be better if you all just let me go. At least it will give you a head start,” she told them trying to sound reasonable. The man in the suit sneered at her.
“No chance now girl. We pulled off the perfect heist, except for your boyfriend. Everything would have gone smooth as shit through a goose except for him. Okay then, we can still make this work. As long as you weren’t followed I can get someone to get us out of town, and hopefully the country. For now, we sit tight. They don’t know where we are so we sit tight. Mark, go loose the car,” he ordered the man who had been driving, he turned and left quickly.
“She didn’t have a purse or anything?” He asked the remaining thug.
“Naw. She has nothing on her. We are clean there,” he answered and Anna had to keep from smiling. She had her phone and thanks to her loose blouse it could not be seen in her bra. They could find her with GPS, she realized, if she stayed calm she was going to get out of this.
“So what about me?” She asked.
“Don’t worry girl. When we leave we will leave you here. I want nothing to do with a murder charge, especially a celebrity,” he told her and walked her over to a chair and sat her down. He then turned to the big guy who was sticking his gun in his pants.
“Seriously, you don’t recognize her? She is on cereal boxes, television commercials, the newspaper. I guessed you don’t read, but how could you miss that. All you had to do was get back here without being seen and we would be good,” he said disgustedly and went over to the table and poured some coffee.
She was a little surprised they didn’t tie her up or anything. Then again, she didn’t see any rope around. The man offered her some coffee and she accepted. They obviously did not expect her to do anything stupid and she decided not to. Not yet anyway. Just wait, she told herself, an opportunity will present itself. So just be friendly and calm.
“So what exactly did you guys do anyway. I am assuming they already know back at Mikes work,” she said. The leader nodded.
“That’s true, besides, you can tell the press when they interview you and we are gone. We will be as famous as you are. The thieves who got away. I worked there until yesterday,” he began. Anna was wondering what happened to the driver and why he wasn’t back yet.
“I was in the tech side of security with some geek and your boyfriend. Your boyfriend saw me going in after shift when he left last night, he saw these other jokers too. It shouldn’t have mattered though. We transferred money from the financial group to an off shore account that cannot be traced or touched, and crashed the server. Nothing should have been known until Monday at least so I don’t know what the hell happened there. Like I said though, I can get us out of this,” he finished.
In Anna’s mind she thought the guy was way too optimistic about his chances. She finished her coffee and heard a clanking coming from the stair well. Then she heard the door slam, like when they had come in. The driver? She wondered. The big guy muttered, “about time” and started walking from where he was standing against the back wall. A shadow seemed to move over him and then Mike dropped from the rafters to his feet behind the man. Anna was stunned and could only watch in amazement.
When Mike landed his left arm went around the big guy’s throat and he twisted sideways, pulling the man’s gun out of his pants while holding him down and to his left. Mike did not appear to even notice the guys struggling, he just pointed the gun at the guy in the suit.
“Not a great plan Dan,” he told the man. His eyes flicked to Anna with a touch of relief.
“Hey honey,” he said conversationally. Then he looked back at Dan.
“Kyle had the computer back up first thing. You were the only one in last night when I left. Not hard to figure out. The cops should be here soon,” he said. The big guy slumped, limp and Mike dropped him without a glance. Dan was terrified.
“You killed him!” He said.
“No, this isn’t a war zone. He will wake up in a few minutes with the worst kind of head ache. How bad of a head ache do you want?” Mike asked, walking towards the man. Dan raise his hands in fear. Mike did something with the weapon and the clip dropped out. Mike then reversed his hold on the gun and hit Dan in the jaw. He dropped unconscious. Mike threw the gun over by the big guy. Anna was stunned. She felt like she had seen something from an action movie. Mike turned to her and she ran to him and he scooped her up swinging her around.
“Are you okay Annie, really okay?” He asked and she could hear the emotion in his voice.
“I am fine; they didn’t hurt me. That Dan guy recognized me and got all paranoid. He even got me coffee,” she said and suddenly her legs felt weak and she sagged. Her adrenaline left her.
“It’s ok honey, it is reaction to danger catching up to you. I am proud of you Annie. You held it together in time for us to find you. Nice job keeping your phone going,” he said with a hug and a kiss. She felt a glow from his love; him calling her honey was the sweetest sound she had ever heard. She was safe and her man had saved her.
********
Anna followed the bell hop down the richly appointed hallway to her suite. It had been a long day at the police office and Mike, somehow, had managed to get her a place to lay low. It happened to be the highest priced motel in the city and the press would not be getting in. She had no idea
how he had managed that and his friend who had driven her had said he had no idea. She knew he was lying, but had decided she would wait to talk to Mike. Mike was supposed to be waiting in the motel suite for her. Anna tipped the man as he opened the door for her and she went in.
The floor was covered in rose petals and the aroma was incredible, she loved roses. She followed the trail of flowers down the hallway, through the ante chamber and into the main room. Mike was standing next to a table with food and a few bottle of champagne chilling in silver buckets. She looked around and then back at him. He was grinning from ear to ear.
“Did Jay manage to get you away without any press problems?” He asked as he popped a cork on the champagne.
“He did but he wouldn’t tell me what is going on Mike. I am thinking you know,” she said going towards him and he poured a glass for them both. He was gorgeous, standing there looking smug. He handed her a glass and held it up in a toast.
“Of course, but first a toast to Anna Hart. The Prima Donna of the ballet who foiled a robbery,” he said. She giggled and they sipped.
“Okay, what happened, I mean how did you afford this place? I can’t afford it. My agent looked a little smug, but said you would explain everything” she told him. He had pulled something; she just knew it. He was the same adventurous spirit she had fallen for in high school alright.
“Well Anna, it is like this. My company offered a reward as soon as they knew the accounts had been emptied. It turns out that big companies do this, thinking the cops will catch the perps and thus not have to pay because cops can’t accept gifts. However, we caught the bad guys. Me, you and Kyle, without whom they never would have seen their money again. Kyle is a hell of a hacker by the way. I gave him your number as soon as those guys grabbed you and he immediately was able to track it. I am good, but he is world class,” he took a sip of the champagne and she did too, waiting for the rest.
“Anyway, your agent has announced that the three of us saved the day so we get the ten million dollars, and I was thinking…” she interrupted.
“Ten million dollars?” She was stunned.
“Oh yeah. Dan emptied hundreds of millions of dollars electronically and they wanted it back. So I was thinking, with your approval, we should put some of that towards a fund for homeless vets, after we take a cut that is. I have never been rich and would not mind trying it for a while,” he said and drained his glass. She followed suit. He looked at the crystal glass.
“I never liked champagne before. I guess if you get the good stuff it makes a difference,” he said casually grinning.
“Uh that is fine Mike, but I didn’t actually do anything, you and Kyle did it all,” Anna said. He shook his head and came towards her.
“You kept your phone hidden so Kyle could find you, and through that, the bad guys. Oh, and the cops wouldn’t mind if we gave some of the money to the policeman’s fund. I figured since the way I apprehended Dan and company was not quite by the book, it would be a good idea. They have already announced that New York Ballerina and her friends should get the money. There is no way the company can weasel out of it,” he said with some satisfaction.
There he was looking so cute again, Anna thought and grinned. She had no idea what life with him was going to be like, but she really wanted to find out. They embraced and kissed a moment.
“Hey, how did you arrange all of this?” She asked, still keeping her arms around his hard body.
“Oh I asked Maggie if she wouldn’t mind, so she got the roses and champagne from the motel. Kyle got the company to pay for rooms for the heroes, to keep us away from the press. Maggie and Kyle are down the hall; I think they hit it off. A geek like him with Maggie? I am thinking his life has never been so good,” he said with a laugh.
Anna couldn’t hold back anymore and jumped up to wrap her arms around his neck. He picked her up as she hoped and he carried her to the bedroom. The bed was beyond king sized and there was a bottle of champagne on the nightstand as well. Maggie had thought of everything. They kissed while they fell onto the bed and began undressing each other. Once again he treated her with care and passion. She wished she had been able to change clothes but would worry about it later as they began undressing each other. He worked her skirt off as she slid her top shoulder straps down her arms. He leaned into her body with his now naked one and she felt the electricity of arousal for him soar higher so she kissed him. His tongue entered her mouth as his hands caressed her breasts with an urgency matched by her own hands running over his strong body. She curved a leg over his hip and could feel his manhood swelling against her buttocks.
“Ah god Mike, oh you turn me on…inside and out…oh my man, my man…” she moaned huskily.
“Anna baby, yes, yes my baby!” He answered her in his desire. She felt his hand over her moist opening and gasped and stiffened when his fingers brushed her clit. She cried out in pleasure as his fingers entered her and caused her need for him to grow and fill her being, gasping and groaning with his every touch. Not much longer and they were both trembling and he lowered himself to between her spread legs. She had never been so ready for anything in her life and when he entered it started a wave of pleasure the throbbed with the movement of their hips until there was one final explosion of desire as he released his passion. Then, once again, they shared another perfect moment lying side by side.
“Oh darling, I am so looking forward to waking up this way, with you next to me. I never wanted that before. It has always been you for me. We got our second chance Annie,” he said and kissed her cheek. She snuggled in. They had indeed gotten a second chance and she had no intention of wasting it!
*****
THE END
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