WIFE FOR A PRICE

by Kathryn Thomas

  “You’re crazy, Evangeline,” he said and turned to Camille, who was whimpering again. It looked like she was feeling a mixture of emotions – most likely rage, fright, and relief.

  Devin didn’t waste any time to get her free. He unlocked her handcuffs and unexpectedly, Camille threw her arms around him and started crying again.

  Devin stroked Camille’s head and held her close.

  “I’m so sorry I put you through this Camille, it’ll be alright now, I promise,” he told her softly.

  She was crying on his shoulder, and her body shook. Devin finally had her in his arms and was relieved. Camille was safe, Evangeline was tied up, and he could now breathe.

  “Let me go!” Evangeline screamed, interrupting them. Devin didn’t turn to her and instead continued to stroke Camille’s head. She remained in his arms, still shaking from the experience.

  “Devin, I was so scared. I thought you were going to kill me. I thought she was going to kill me.”

  Devin gently kissed her cheeks. “I would never allow that to happen. I had to do this. I had to play along with her to make sure that I could get you out of here safely,” he said, and she pulled away from him but still clutched his arms. Camille nodded and wiped her cheeks. He could see where the handcuffs had bruised her wrists and he wanted to punch the wall. How could he have allowed this to happen? He had come so close to losing her. How could he have put her in this much danger?

  “I know that now, but I thought it was all over,” Camille said and finally smiled. “Are you still going to have to burn this place down?”

  He heard the strain in her voice. This was her life’s work, her investment, and her only source of income. He looked into her eyes and shook his head. “I’ll figure something out. No, I won’t burn this place down. Don’t worry,” he replied and stroked her cheek.

  Evangeline screamed again. Camille was free and looking at her with disgust.

  “So, what are we going to do about her?” Camille asked, turning to face Devin again.

  He grinned at her and nodded. “I have an idea.”

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Camille

  Devin had taped Evangeline’s mouth and was now dragging her by the shoulders. Camille stood in the center of the store watching him, still shaking and reeling from the events of the evening.

  She had come very close to losing her life and her store, and she thought she had lost Devin too - that he had betrayed her and wasn’t the man she thought he was. But once again, Devin had proven her wrong. He was more than the man she thought he was. As painful as it was to watch him kissing Evangeline, feeling her breasts, laughing with her… he had done all of that so he could protect Camille.

  “Camille?” Devin yelled, snapping her out of her thoughts. Evangeline was still struggling in his arms, but her mouth was taped, and her hands and feet were tied. She was going nowhere.

  “Do you have the keys to your car?” he asked, and she nodded. “Let’s go. Are you okay to go?”

  Camille nodded again and whipped around to go look for her car keys. She still wasn’t sure what Devin’s plan was, but she knew she could trust her life with him.

  She found the keys and followed Devin outside. He had now flung Evangeline over his shoulder and was carrying her towards Camille’s car parked outside the store.

  Camille pointed the clicker at the car to unlock the doors. Devin flung the back door open and shifted Evangeline in. There were still muffled protests and screams coming from Evangeline, but it was late now, nobody was around, and no cars had gone by either. Whatever Devin’s plan was, they could carry it out without being caught.

  “Wait, what about The Choppers?” Camille asked as Devin walked around the car towards her. “Didn’t you say they were following you?”

  Devin nodded and then smiled affectionately. “Yeah, but they’ll be looking for my bike, not for your car. At least not for a while and I plan on fixing all this before they catch on to what’s happening.” He placed a hand on Camille’s shoulder. She looked up at him, with all the emotions and turbulent events behind her now and she knew that she had never loved a man more before. This man had risked everything and was still risking everything for her safety.

  “I didn’t think she could do such a thing, Devin,” Camille said, biting down on her lip nervously. She still couldn’t believe what Evangeline had done.

  Devin touched her lips softly and ran a finger over them. “She’s more dangerous than you think. I know things about her that could get her in real trouble with the cops,” he said, and Camille’s eyes widened.

  “Things like what?” she asked, and Devin breathed in deeply.

  “Her gallery is a scam. She sells fakes, steals the authentic paintings, and uses the business to launder money.”

  Camille chewed on her lip. “How have the cops not caught her yet?” she asked as they stood beside the car while Evangeline struggled to get free inside. The car shook with her efforts.

  “She’s good at what she does. She uses aliases, and she has the support of The Choppers now, but what they don’t know is that she’s stealing money from them too,” Devin explained, and Camille shook her head in surprise.

  “That’s probably why she wants to keep you close to her. Because she knows you know all these things about her,” she said, and Devin pulled her close to him. She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes, only for a moment, to catch a breath. Devin was stroking her hair, and she felt like she could stay in his arms forever. She found herself smiling, despite everything that had happened.

  “Very soon, Camille, you won’t need to worry about all this. I promise I will make it go away,” he told her, and she looked up at him and smiled. She believed him; she believed that he could take care of it. She had no doubts.

  “And I’m sorry for getting you tangled in all this, Camille. You should never have been involved. I should have kept my distance. I haven’t been as careful as I should have been. I should have known what Evangeline was capable of,” Devin continued, and Camille lifted her forefinger and placed it on his lips to silence him.

  “Don’t say that, because that would mean that we couldn’t have been together. But we are, Devin. I want to be where you are, with you,” Camille said, and she felt him tighten his grip around her waist and pull her closer to his body. She could feel the warmth of his muscles and the strength of his embrace. He didn’t plan on letting her go.

  “So, you’re not afraid?” he whispered in her ear, and Camille shook her head.

  “Not anymore. Not when I’m with you,” she whispered back and felt his lips crush down onto hers. It was a hungry kiss; their bodies were pressed together as their mouths explored each other’s. His tongue thrust its way into her mouth while his hands traveled up her body. She clasped his biceps tightly as she felt her body sway with desire. She wanted him, right there and then. She remembered how good it felt to have him inside her.

  His fingers were now entangled in her hair as they continued to kiss. When he pulled away, his mouth traveled down her neck, leaving a trail of wetness on her skin. She knew he was thinking what she was - that it had been too long, too many things had happened, and they needed to fuck to get it all out. But she stopped him, right when he was about to slip his hand under her shirt.

  “We need to take care of her first,” Camille told him, with a newfound conviction in her voice.

  ***

  “Where are we going?” Camille asked Devin when they were sitting in the front seats. Devin was driving. He had started the engine with a roar and was turning the car around.

  “Somewhere she can’t escape from,” he said, without looking at her. Evangeline was still screaming in the back of the car, but her cries were muffled, and Camille had gotten used to her by now. Besides, the woman had tried to kill her, poison her with drugs, and force her to overdose. There was no way she was going to sympathize with her now.

  “Hand me my phone,” Devin instructed, and Camille reached for
his cell phone that was wedged in the pocket of his pants. He took it from her and dialed a number.

  “It’s me,” he spoke into the phone. Camille was looking at him intently, still not fully aware of his intentions. It seemed like he was talking to a friend or an accomplice.

  “I have Evangeline Fox with me,” Devin said and seemed to be waiting for the other person’s response.

  “I’m ready to make a statement against her now,” he then said, and Evangeline screeched. Camille now realized whom Devin was talking to. A cop.

  “I’ll gather the evidence and testify against her. And if you give me a few days I can get Jimmy Figueroa to testify against her too,” Devin said, and Evangeline continued to scream.

  Camille gulped and sat back in her seat.

  “I’m bringing her in. Make sure that you meet me at the doors. I don’t want to go in. I have business to take care of first. I’ll swing by tomorrow again with the statement.” Devin hung up the phone.

  “Was that the police?” Camille asked, and Devin clenched his jaw.

  “I didn’t want to have to do this,” he said loudly, more to Evangeline than to Camille. He was glaring at her tied up figure in the rearview mirror. Evangeline had started struggling more to get out, but her hands were tied, and Devin had done a good job of restraining her.

  “But you tried to kill Camille. You should have just left me alone, and none of this would have happened. You’re finished now, Evangeline,” Devin continued, taking a quick sharp turn. Camille shifted in her seat and clutched her thighs. She had never seen Devin so angry and intense.

  “I want to testify as well.” Camille was the one who spoke up, and Devin turned to look at her questioningly.

  “She had me handcuffed, she tried to poison me to death and then tried to burn my store down. I want to testify against her too. Make sure that she never gets out of prison,” Camille said quietly while Evangeline continued to scream at the back. Devin remained silent for a few moments and then nodded.

  “That is very brave of you,” he said as he made another sharp turn. He was driving fast to get them to the police station. He wanted to be rid of Evangeline, and Camille wanted to be alone with him as well.

  “Devin,” Camille said his name tentatively. She didn’t want to ask him, but she knew she had to. When he turned to her, she continued, “Have you been involved in crime too? Something they can arrest you for if you get involved in her case?”

  Devin breathed out and shook his head. “I told you, Camille, everything I do is legal. I own a security firm. I can’t say the same for my clients. I don’t get involved in what their business is, but my company has never done anything out of legal boundaries,” Devin said, and they both remained silent for a few seconds after. Camille was more relieved than ever. She didn’t know how she would react if Devin told her that he was just as much of a criminal as Evangeline.

  “And I’ll get immunity if I testify against her. The crimes and things that she has been involved in are much worse than anything I’ve done. She’s wanted by the Interpol for the thefts she’s committed in countries in Europe. She is much more precious to the cops than anything I’ve done,” he explained, and Camille placed a hand on his as he held onto the gear. He exchanged looks with her and smiled.

  “We’re okay, Camille. You’re okay. I’m not going to do anything stupid. I’m staying right here with you,” Devin added, and she nodded. She believed him.

  Within minutes Devin had pulled into the parking lot of the police station. A cop in uniform came running towards the car as Devin jumped out and opened the back door. Camille held her breath as the cop pulled Evangeline out of the backseat. He had looked at Camille in the front but didn’t say anything; it was as though she didn’t exist.

  Back outside he snapped handcuffs on Evangeline’s already tied wrists.

  “You’ll need to cut her binds with scissors,” Devin said as the cop proceeded to pull the tape off Evangeline’s mouth. She screamed in full force the instant it was off.

  “He kidnapped me. That bitch in the car kidnapped me and Devin helped her. They should be the ones who are arrested!” she screamed as the cop held onto her tightly. She was still trying to wriggle free, and it seemed like she would punch Devin in the face if she did get free.

  “You can stop now, Evangeline. We all know the truth, drop the act. I hope I never have to see you again,” Devin spoke softly, with nearly a laugh in his voice. Then he got back in the car, kissed Camille on her cheek and drove away. Away from Evangeline and the police station. To Camille, it seemed like they were leaving their troubles behind. Even though she knew it wasn’t over yet.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven Devin

  He watched Camille until she walked into her apartment building and closed the door behind her. Then he waited until she appeared at her window and waved. He waved back and blew her a kiss. Then he was off again. Camille had let him borrow her car, which he needed since his bike was still at the comic bookstore.

  They both wanted to be alone with each other after Evangeline was dropped off at the police station. Devin would have given anything to spend the night in Camille’s arms, to be inside her, feel her warmth… but there was bigger fish to fry. He needed to take care of all loose ends before he could be with her in peace. And it needed to be done now. Evangeline was only one part of the problem. The Choppers were the other part and the ones who were much more dangerous.

  Devin drove in silence to The Choppers clubhouse, where he knew Figueroa would be. He knew he wasn’t being followed. They still hadn’t found out what he had done to Evangeline, where she was. There was a lot of explaining to do, especially now since Figueroa was obsessed with her.

  Devin arrived at the clubhouse and got out of the car. A few members of the club were sitting outside on their bikes, and they all grew silent when they saw Devin walking towards them.

  “Where’s Figueroa?” Devin growled, and one of them flung his can of beer away. Devin realized that this was the man he had punched at the beach when he was there with Camille.

  “What are you doing here?” the man asked, walking right up to Devin. Their faces were now only inches apart, but Devin didn’t back down.

  “Where’s Figueroa?” Devin repeated. “Your boss is going to be pissed if he finds out that you’ve kept me away from him. He’s waiting for me.” But the man was still up in his face.

  “He’s inside. Just let him through,” some other guy said from behind them. They glared at each other for a few more seconds with their nostrils flaring until the man stepped aside and Devin walked in towards the clubhouse. He squared his shoulders and clenched his jaws. This needed to be done right if he had to be successful. He was responsible for Camille, his dogs, and also his own club. This was going to be a sensitive mission, and he needed to handle it with care.

  Someone had already informed Figueroa of Devin’s presence because he found Figueroa sitting on a lavish leather chair near the reception area, surrounded by a group of bikers with their guns drawn. They didn’t seem to trust Devin, even though he was by himself and clearly defenseless in the middle of a rival club.

  “My men tell me that you haven’t done what I asked you to do.” Figueroa didn’t believe in formal greetings. He cut straight to the point, and this time he meant serious business.

  Devin smiled at Figueroa, trying to establish friendly terms but Figueroa seemed to have prepared for a battle. In his eyes, Devin had failed to prove his loyalty to their code of conduct, and he had to pay for it.

  “No, I haven’t burned the bookstore down,” he said and watched as Figueroa breathed in deeply, relaying his disappointment.

  “May I ask why? Or is that a useless question. Is the answer to that question the fact that you are indeed a snitch, or that you’re a pussy?” Figueroa asked, and one of the men behind him laughed.

  “I didn’t burn it down because I found Evangeline there and I didn’t think you’d want me to burn the place down with your girlfriend i
n there,” Devin said, standing his ground. The key was to not show any weakness. He could see that Figueroa was surprised by that revelation. Figueroa couldn’t seem to think of any reason why Evangeline would be there at Camille Griffin’ comic bookstore.

  “What was she doing there?” he asked, and Devin was the one who sighed this time. There was a lot of explaining to do, but he wasn’t quite prepared with a speech.

  “Because she had taken it upon herself to murder Camille Griffin. My girlfriend,” Devin explained, and he could sense the surprise in the room. The other men remained silent, but Figueroa sat forward in his seat, more surprised than all the rest. In his mind, Evangeline was undoubtedly a sophisticated and yet delicate little princess. Why would she try and commit such a violent act of crime?

  “You can’t be serious. Evangeline? Wanted to kill your girlfriend?” Figueroa asked, glaring at Devin. It was clear that there was still a part of Figueroa that didn’t want to believe what Devin was saying.