by C. J. Thomas
Alex angled her head to the side, lines of confusion crossing her face as she rapidly blinked.
“I couldn’t believe it either.”
Alex gasped, her hand flying over her mouth. “Oh, my God. Does she know?”
The crown of my head pulled toward the ceiling as I furrowed my brows. “Know what?”
“How we pushed our way into the business?”
My lips pursed as I gnawed on the inside of my cheek.
“Because if she ever found out, we’d both be screwed.”
“I can’t wait,” I said, rolling my eyes. It had been so long since I’d been fucked, I barely remembered what it felt like.
“No. Really, Kendra. I’m serious.”
“I’m serious,” I said, my voice cracking. I’d be digging my own grave. But her? She had Nash to protect her.
“Then think about it.” Alex leaped to the couch and sat right up against me. “I mean, what are the odds she’d take us. Two strangers off the street to work for her?”
“Two, amazingly beautiful women,” I corrected her.
“You don’t think it’s possible?” She got right up in my face as if I couldn’t see what it was she was thinking.
“Sure it’s possible,” I said, leaning my shoulder into hers. “But what does it have to do with anything?”
“What would you do if the Madam ever found out how you first came across her name?”
I hadn’t thought about it. It seemed irrelevant now. “There’s something I didn’t tell you,” I said cautiously.
Alex’s eyes widened as I felt the fear that quaked down her spine vibrate the cushions.
The side of my face scrunched and winced. “I stole the file the firm had on the Madam.”
“Kendra!” Alex pushed me away. “Why did you do that?”
“With you going to work for her, I thought I better know everything about who she was.”
Alex paced to the window, took a quick glance outside, then turned around and said, “Do you still have it?”
“Of course. Like I’d get rid of that.” I snorted a laugh.
“Is there anything revealing?”
My head shook automatically. “She’s pretty much a mystery.”
“Maybe that’s what this is about,” Alex said, staring at the envelope. “The Madam knows what you did, what we did, and whatever is inside that,” she pointed to the envelope, “is her way of hitting us back.”
My muscles twitched as I ran my sweaty palms down the tops of my thighs.
Alex looked at me. I looked at her, and our minds raced as we both thought the worst. Then, when my phone beeped with a text, we both jumped.
“Oh. My. God.” Alex breathed, her face going pale.
I picked it up off the coffee table and said, “Relax. It’s only Jerome.”
Alex fell back into the couch, closed her eyes, and let out a huge sigh of relief.
“But—” I showed her my screen, “—it’s the address of where I need to take it.”
11
Kendra
If I wasn’t so serious about seeing Kelly again, I would have totally opened the envelope just to cure my burning curiosity. But I needed the Madam to see him again so I couldn’t disobey her rules.
I hit the sidewalk, leaving Alex’s apartment in a hurry.
This stupid thing had taken over my life, I thought as I walked quickly down the street. Even though I wasn’t coming from my place, I still instructed my lift to pick me up two blocks away, not leaving anything to chance.
The Madam and Jerome made it very clear that I kept this confidential and not tell a soul what I was doing. They were clear instructions I could follow—with the exception of telling Alex—but it did little to settle my stomach. I hated the secrecy behind it all.
When I rounded the corner, I recognized his car right away. I put on the brakes and slowed my walk, looking around before deciding that it was only coincidence. “Now I’m going to have to call the cops,” I said, opening the door and sliding into the back seat.
He turned his head and gave me a worried look.
“I’m just playing. I wouldn’t do that.”
The same Uber driver from my last lift had managed to be the one to pick me up again. He locked gazes with me and I held it for a minute before smiling. Then he tipped his head back and laughed.
“But seriously, dude, you creepin’ on me isn’t very cool.”
“Do you not like me?” The lines across his brow deepened.
“I’m starting to,” I said with a straight face.
“This is only coincidence. I have many customers besides you. They all love me.”
“That’s good.” I pulled the belt across my shoulder and buckled myself in. “But you shouldn’t let it get to your head.”
He turned back around, faced front, and looked over his left shoulder for any oncoming cars. When it was clear, he pulled away from the curb and we were on our way.
“I promise to be quick.”
“Take your time. Being quick is not a quality any man should aspire to,” I said to an oblivious recipient.
Settling into my ride, knowing that I had at least a good fifteen minutes in this car, I pulled out my cell and stared at the screen lighting up. I had to double check the address, even though it was seared into the front of my mind. It matched what was on his GPS so we were all good there.
My hand dove back inside my tote, feeling for the envelope I knew was secured inside but I just needed to reassure myself that I still had it and hadn’t dropped it somewhere between Alex’s place and where I was picked up. After all the speculation Alex and I had done surrounding this stupid delivery, I was beyond nervous.
My fingers shook like I’d drank a gallon of coffee and I couldn’t sit still.
“You look nice.” His friendly eyes caught mine in the rearview mirror and I wondered if he did this with all his passengers.
“Are you hitting on me?” I quirked a brow.
He let out one of his famous boisterous laughs. “Just being friendly, is all.”
“If that’s all it is, then thank you.” I turned my attention to the world outside and stared out the window, thinking what, if anything, the Madam did have on me. Because I knew she had to have something. Something she could use as a bargaining chip to control me. Otherwise she wouldn’t have trusted me so quickly with adding me to her list of clients to date, or with delivering whatever highly classified material hid behind the seal of this packet.
My fingers drummed and I kept checking my phone for no reason.
“On your way to work?”
“Something like that,” I murmured.
It wasn’t like there was anything from my past she could use to manipulate me. But I wasn’t stupid. If I was the Madam I’d make sure to keep dirt on all my employees. Just in case. Sure, I had my closet full of secrets, but everything I could come up with wasn’t enough to bend me to her will.
Except for that, I nodded as the thought hit me. My attraction to Kelly.
The Madam knew I wanted him. No matter what words came flying out of my mouth, it was no secret that I needed to explore more of who he was. He’d gotten under my skin, inside my head, and soon, if I had my way, he’d be between my legs, too.
It didn’t matter what the Madam said about him. I could ignore her warnings and run off of instinct. My gut had gotten me this far in life, so why would I deny my own intuition now?
Kelly Black.
The name itself sparked a kind of darkness that only a woman like me would find completely irresistible. There was a mystery behind the man, and I couldn’t wait to brush off the dust that hid what rested beneath his many layers.
The pad of my thumb stroked over the ticking pulse in my wrist and I snapped my knees shut the moment I caught the driver staring. “You’re creepin’, dude.”
His eyes crinkled at the edges as he turned off the highway and headed into a part of town that always made me nervous.
“Are you sure
you know where you’re going?”
He tapped his GPS screen and said, “As long as this device does not lie, then I know where to go.”
“This doesn’t seem right,” I said in a barely audible tone I was sure only I could hear.
“Trust me.”
I hated those two words. Whenever someone said to trust them, I wanted to do the exact opposite. I mean, think about it. Why would anyone have to convince you to trust them? If they just did what they were supposed to do, then trust wouldn’t ever be an issue.
Today sucked. I fucking hated it. I didn’t want to be here, and I should have told Madam to shove it.
Time slowed to a crawl and my head spun as I just wanted this delivery to be done with.
I was so not myself and hated the feeling of being weak. That wasn’t who I was, but something was off and I couldn’t shake the feeling.
This was proving to be the longest ride of my life and I wondered if this was the most direct route to wherever I was going. It didn’t seem likely. Maybe he was lost and didn’t want to admit it. I didn’t know.
The further he drove, the more I convinced myself he was definitely lost. No one in their right mind came to this part of town unless they had any business in doing so. This was the area that always made nightly news. It was grimy and crime-ridden and had a reputation of being plain bad.
I held my breath and worked to smooth down the gooseflesh that managed to cover my entire arm.
We exchanged a few more glances, and as soon as we crossed over into greener pastures, I let out a heavy sigh of relief.
“You okay back there?” he asked.
“Fine,” I said, unable to look him in the eye.
It wasn’t like he would get paid any more by taking the longer route. Maybe he just liked my company as he couldn’t stop talking. Whatever.
“Ah, here we are,” he said, straightening the wheel as he turned onto a busier street.
I liked busy. I appreciated the chaos of being surrounded by engine rumbles, car horns, and all the comforting noises associated with a city. And, besides, this driver was really growing on me.
But that detour was weird. Or maybe that was just the story of my day.
He talked mostly to himself the rest of the ride and when we arrived he said, “Thanks for flying with Uber. We have now reached your destination.”
That made me smile as I gathered my belongings and opened the door. With one foot already on the ground outside, I paused and said, “Would you mind waiting for me? I shouldn’t be long.”
He must have seen the uncertainty on my face because he asked, “Shall I escort you to the door?”
I held his gaze for a moment before smiling. “Forget it.”
“It’s no problem.”
“I’ll be fine.”
“Are you sure?” He frowned.
“Yeah.” My other foot hit the ground.
There was concern in his eyes when I shut the door and I regretted saying anything at all. I’d be fine. This was just jitters talking. I didn’t know what had gotten into me, or why I was so out of character, but whatever it was, I knew that it was all because of this stupid envelope.
I watched him drive away and once he was out of sight, I turned and faced the building. It was simple without many windows. I turned and watched the stream of pedestrians flow across the street to my left. Having them there gave me a sense of comfort and strength I so desperately needed. Because where I stood now, it was deathly quiet.
My cell rang and I dove to retrieve it from deep within my tote. “Hello.”
The line was silent.
“Hello,” I said again.
Then whoever called hung up.
“Fucking asshole,” I mumbled.
Instead of putting my cell back inside the bag, I kept it in my hand, ready to call for help if I needed it. With the package sticking out the top of my tote, I took a deep breath and started heading for the door.
The sounds of my clicking heels hitting the pavement swirled around me and my senses were on high alert.
The only thing I could think about was the day Alex was kidnapped and how that was what was going to happen to me right now. I’d walk inside this building and disappear. No one but the Uber driver, Alex, and the Madam knew where I was. And what did a driver care about anything more than a paycheck? I was just one client in a long list of many. My employer on the other hand…
My legs continued to carry me closer to the door as blood thrashed between my ears.
So many thoughts swirled around my head, my vision blurred. I had no idea what was waiting on the other side of the door I was heading straight for. It could be anything. The Madam could be setting me up. Just like Alex speculated. Maybe the Madam had had enough of my antics and she’d decided kidnapping me was her way of severing ties.
I felt the sweat on my palms for the first time when I reached for the door and opened it.
The air inside was stale and the lights were off. I held my breath and listened before saying, “Hello?”
“In the back,” a familiar-sounding male voice responded almost immediately, but my legs refused to move.
It all seemed so sketch. None of it felt right, and yet, here I was.
I thought about asking if I should come to him—whoever he was—but I already knew what the answer would be. “All right. Fuck it,” I said, taking the first step, thinking that this wasn’t what I signed up for. I much preferred the dates over this.
The place went quiet again and I couldn’t stop thinking that I was walking directly into an ambush. One foot in front of the other, I walked down the hallway that seemed to get narrower the further I moved to where I last heard his voice.
I glanced at the dark purple walls which were decorated with framed erotic pictures. It was strangely familiar but I knew I’d never been here. And when I came to the only open door, I peeked my head inside and nearly jumped out of my skin.
“Surprised to see me?”
12
Kelly
I didn’t know what she’d been told, but she looked scared. Then anger replaced her fear as I saw it flash across her eyes.
“You have something for me?” I asked.
“What’s going on here?” She looked around. “Is this some kind of sick joke?”
“The envelope.” I held my hand out, palm to the ceiling. “Give it to me.”
Her gaze narrowed as she looked me up and down. “I can’t be seeing you.”
The corners of my lips curled up. “The Madam tell you that?”
She nodded and her chin dipped to her chest.
“The envelope.” I pointed again and she dug around in her bag, pulling the package out and handing it to me. I twirled it between my fingers, seeing that it was still sealed, and handed it back. “Now, open it.”
Kendra hesitated a moment before taking it back, suspiciously eyeing me as if she was questioning whether or not she could trust me. “Did you set this up?”
My manhood thickened as I raked her over. She was practically spilling out of her tight tank that rode just a little off her tight jeans, exposing a sliver of her mid-section that I wanted to lick.
“Open it, and we’ll see.” I stepped forward, closing the gap that separated us.
She looked so delicious, I just couldn’t wait to have a taste. The Madam had to have orchestrated this and, if that was the case, I was happy to know she’d finally seen the light. None of her other clients could handle a woman like Kendra. They preferred the cultured women who kept her mouth shut, agreeing to all the stupid things they said.
Not me.
No, Kendra’s spunk was what initially caught my eye. It was what kept me hard when she was around and, besides, I didn’t want my woman to keep her mouth shut. Mouths were made to be opened, fucked, kissed, and maybe that was all the reason Madam needed to put Kendra here with me today. She knew I could break her and earn her submission.
Kendra peeled the tab back with her nail, exchanging glances be
tween me and the envelope. I watched carefully, thinking that my meeting with Emmanuel was totally worth it—the risk, the frustration, everything I needed to go through to have Kendra standing here in front of me as we both gritted our teeth in anticipation of what was hiding inside.
She flicked her gaze up at me and I licked my lips, watching.
My own curiosity kept me on edge and my heart pounded harder against my chest as she ripped the seal, finally opening the package and pulling out a single folded piece of paper. Her eyes darted across the paper, reading it. Then she looked up at me and said, “What the fuck, Kelly?”
My hand flew from my side as I pinched her cheeks between my fingers. “Careful how you talk to me.”
She flipped the paper over and shoved the note in my face.
I let her go and stole the paper from her hand. I recognized the letterhead and font within seconds of reading it, knowing exactly what it was. “Son of a bitch,” I mumbled. It was a date card. The Madam had actually done it. She’d handed Kendra over to me. “It appears the Madam listened to both our requests,” I said, spinning around to face Kendra.
“What do you mean both our requests?” She folded her arms and jutted out her hip, giving me an arched look.
I stepped close enough for me to hear her stop breathing. She gazed up at me as I hovered over her, saying, “You didn’t ask to be mine?”
Her shoulders drew up, causing her elbows to tuck into her sides. She watched my hand come to rest on her shoulders as I smoothed down the guilt tensing her muscles. She didn’t pull away and I swore I felt her melt into my palm as my desire seared into her skin. We were made for each other. I could feel it.
“I don’t request clients,” she said all snootily. “They request me.”
She said it with such certainty, but I knew it was a lie. Madam would have never placed her with me if she didn’t feel like she couldn’t stop the impending collision Kendra and I were both on. No, this was no accident. Kendra was a loose cannon who needed to be wrangled in, and I was the man to do just that.