Risking It All

by Ambrielle Kirk

“Go on, Julissa, let’s see who’s the crazy one,” he egged her on.

  Julissa turned to the next page and saw a picture of Quinton looking extremely handsome and sexy in a black blazer suit. It looked as though he were modeling for something. Then, she turned the page and there was Quinton again in another business suit, with glasses. He looked like one of those businessmen you see working Wall Street. But, Quinton didn’t wear glasses. Something was not right about these pictures. The way he seemed to be taunting himself in the pictures. There were several glossy pages torn from magazines of Quinton modeling boxers and briefs. All the pictures seemed to be current pictures of Quinton. Probably no more than three or four years earlier. Where had Michael gotten this stuff?

  The next picture was of Quinton surrounded by women in nothing but a pair of boxers, their hands were all over him, touching his chest and groping his penis. The next picture…same thing. He was standing in front of a woman who was seated in a chair and he appeared to be dancing with his enormous erection almost sticking out of his boxers. The woman before him had money between her teeth and was bending forward with it trying to add to all the other bills stuck in the seam of his boxer. Next, there was a photocopy of an advertisement, probably from a newspaper or magazine. It read: Ladies Only. Need an experienced male stripper for your next event? I specialize in bachelorette parties. Call me for scheduling and pricing. 555-4545. Q-pid.

  “Oh, my God.” Julissa dropped the folder and backed away from the bed.

  “Do you want him now, Julissa? You had no idea, did you?” Michael appeared to be teasing her.

  “You’re a fool. Why would you dig up other people’s business for?” Julissa turned away, not wanting to see anymore incriminating pictures on either her or Quinton.

  Michael’s hands jerked her back, snatched her bag off her shoulder and threw her against the headboard. “Where do you think you’re going?!”

  “Away from here!” Julissa tried to struggle free of his grip, but he held her tight.

  “Are you going to him?” he hissed

  “If I chose to, I will,” she spat.

  “What does he have on me, huh? If sex is the problem, we can work on it.” Suddenly, Michael’s voice was calm.

  “It’s more than sex, Michael. A relationship is never just about sex.”

  “What do you want from me then?”

  “Respect. And love. But it’s too late for us now.”

  “I have always loved you. Don’t you see that this is a test for us? This will only strengthen our relationship. It’s okay to the play the field and now you see that things outside of our relationship weren’t as rosy as they seemed. I’ve played the field, too, Julissa, but I always come back to you. Don’t go to him.”

  “What do you mean you’ve played the field?” Julissa stared at him. “Have you cheated on me?”

  “I don’t call it cheating. I call it playing the field. Do you think all those business trips I took over the years were for business only?”

  What? He had been cheating on her for years? “You disgust me,” she hissed.

  His hands were clutching her throat. “How will you repay me? I paid a hefty price for that investigator and those pictures.”

  “Then you’re an idiot because I could have told you myself that I was fucking him!” Suddenly, Julissa didn’t care what Michael did to her. It was time that she told him the truth, and suffer the consequences later.

  “An idiot? You little bitch.” Michael pulled her by the legs until she was spread in front of him. “If you wanted to get fucked like a slut, why didn’t you just say so?” He used his other hand to free himself from his slacks.

  “No!”

  “Is that what you told…what’s his name…Cupid?”

  “No, please…” Julissa pleaded. She struggled against his weight, but it was felt like she was a small rodent being swallowed up by a python.

  Michael’s cold fingertips had found her center and he was running them up and down her slit. “If this pussy wasn’t so good, I would throw your ass out with the stray dogs.”

  “Don’t do this, Michael.”

  “What? You don’t want to be fucked?” Michael stuck a finger in her pussy. “Well, that’s too bad, Julissa. Because guess what?” He leaned in and pressed his lips to her ear, and whispered, “I’m getting ready to fuck the shit out of you.”

  Julissa rallied up all her strength and thrust her knee into Michael’s stomach as hard as she could. When she heard him grunt, she pushed him on the floor. She jumped off the bed and grabbed her bag from across the room, and then she began stuffing the incriminating pictures and evidence into the bag. “Now who’s fucked?”

  Michael looked at her, rocking back and forth, and grunting in pain as he clutched his stomach. “If you leave this house…” he started, and then he got up, one hand still pressed to his stomach.

  “I will be leaving and I won’t be back.”

  “Julissa…” The look on Michael’s face was of pain and sadness. However, he lurched forward again for her bag.

  She was quicker, as she stepped back. “If you touch me again, I will knee you somewhere else.”

  Michael’s eyes widened in what seemed like fury. “Well, you know what? You can go run to your male gigolo!” He tried to get up. “Look around you. Look at everything you had here. That fucking dress you have on. The Lexus in the driveway. When I met you, you were nothing. I made you! If you leave this house, don’t step foot back in it, you ungrateful bitch!”

  Julissa reached up and for the first time, she slapped Michael violently across his face, just like he’d slapped her. “Who’s the bitch now?”

  His mouth hung open, but he said nothing.

  She snatched the engagement ring off her finger and tossed it inside the briefcase on top of all the incriminating pictures. “We’re through.”

  Barefoot, she ran down the stairs and ran out of the door. She backed out of the driveway, knowing already where she was heading.

  **

  Julissa sat in the car, letting it run idle for several minutes, before she shut off the engine. She reached in the duffle bag beside her, gathered up what she’d taken of the folders, and got out of the car. She rang the doorbell and moments later his smiling face appeared at the door.

  “What took you so long, baby?”

  “Believe me…when you find out, you won’t be very happy.”

  Noticing her unsmiling face, Quinton erased the smile off his. He took her hands and gently pulled her inside. “What’s wrong?” He took her in his arms and kissed her forehead.

  “Michael’s known about us for a few days now.”

  “Tell me what happened.”

  “We had an argument. And I left.”

  Quinton led her further into the house. “There’s no furniture to sit on up here. Let’s go down in the basement.”

  When they were seated, Julissa let her tears fall and Quinton immediately hugged her to his chest. “He knew all along. He was following us and Christina…she told him…and I couldn’t convince him that it was over before you…and…”

  “Julissa…calm down…can we start from the beginning, please? I feel like you’re talking in circles.”

  “Christina told him about us sometime last week. He followed me around and he saw me come here. He was so mad,” Julissa used her cardigan to wipe her tears.

  “It’s okay. You were gonna tell him anyway. Everything is okay now. I’m here for you. Anything you need. I’m here. We’re together, now, that’s all that matters. Right?” Quinton whispered.

  “Right.”

  “I love you, Julissa, okay?”

  “I love you, too, Q.”

  “Come here.” Quinton reached for the sides of her face and she flinched. Seeing the pain in her face, he lifted her hair from her cheeks. She wasn’t sure what he saw, but his face became contorted, and then angry. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “What?”

  “Your face is puffy. Here.” He to
uched her cheek gently with his fingertips and watched as she squeezed her eyes closed. “Did he hit you?”

  Julissa bit her lips and didn’t say a word.

  “I can’t believe this!” Quinton stood up and started towards the stairs. “You stay here.”

  “Where are you going?” Julissa jumped up to follow him.

  “To exchange a few choice words with him. Perhaps that little wimp would like to take his anger out on someone similar to his own size.” Julissa had never seen Quinton so angry before.

  “No! Please, don’t go.” Julissa grabbed his arms.

  “Listen to me, baby,” Quinton said. He kissed her lightly on both cheeks. “You don’t deserve that. What kind of a man puts his hands on a woman? No woman deserves that no matter what she did. Do you hear me?”

  She nodded. “I know. But, he was so angry, because I was cheating on him with you.”

  “I don’t care what you did. He’s not supposed to hit you. Do me a favor and get cleaned up? I’ll be back.”

  “Please don’t go. I need you here with me.”

  “I know what you’re doing, Lissa. But, if I ever see him, I promise you…I will not be able to keep my hands to myself.”

  “There’s something else that you need to know. You need to see it.” Julissa knelt down on the stairs and Quinton sat down next to her, pulling her into him.

  “What’s that?”

  Julissa handed him the folder. “These are the pictures that Michael had a private investigator take of you and me…together. He also pulled up some information on you.”

  Quinton gave her a knowing look and then opened the folder. As he looked through everything, there was no emotion on his face. He finally closed the folder and threw it on the floor.

  “Why didn’t you tell me, Q? Why didn’t you tell me that you’re a stripper?”

  “I was a stripper. I haven’t done that in years. He should have gotten the facts straight before he gave you this information. Yes, I was male stripper. That’s how I earned my money to pay off my student loans.”

  “But why would you keep that information from me? That’s a really important thing,” Julissa commented.

  “What does it matter? So, I also used to work at McDonald’s when I was in high school. I quit after three days, but I still worked there. Do I need to tell you that, too?”

  Julissa sighed. “You know what I mean.”

  “Look, like I said, those are pictures from two years ago. It looks like the investigator went on an old website I had and printed them off. So, I shook my ass for money to pay my college bills. Are you gonna hate me for that?”

  Julissa chuckled at the thought of him shaking his ass in front of a group of woman. She also remembered how much she enjoyed the male strippers at Christina’s party.

  “You think it’s funny?” Quinton had a straight face.

  “I think I could forgive you if I got a private show…for free, of course.”

  “I never work for free, baby. But your kisses will do.” Quinton kissed her lips.

  “I’ll hold you to that.” Julissa kissed him back.

  “Really, Julissa. I don’t want to hold anything back from you. You and I have been open with each other since the beginning. I want it to stay that way. Those things are in my past. Most of the other pictures were of me modeling. I do freelance modeling for some of the major magazines as well as print catalog. None of those things I am ashamed of. God gave me a body and good looks and it took me twenty one years to realize that. I was just working with what he gave me to better myself, to make a living for myself.”

  “You shouldn’t be ashamed, Q. I love you and that will never change, no matter what you need to do to live. You actually made a good living for yourself. You’re smart, you’re funny, you’re successful, and you’re sexy. And according to that investigator you have the net worth to prove it at $730,000.”

  “Actually, that’s incorrect. It’s now $600,000.”

  Julissa laughed. “Same difference.”

  “So I’m not as rich as you think…you still want me?”

  Julissa swatted at him, her cheeks growing warm in embarrassment. “I’ve always wanted you. Since the beginning.”

  “I love you, Julissa. I won’t ever stop loving you.”

  She smiled. “I love you, Quinton.” She felt safe with him.

  “This has been a hard day for you. You look very tired. Let’s take a nap, go to the spa at our favorite hotel, and have a nice dinner.”

  “You must have read my mind. I need some relaxation time.”

  They moved forward at the same time and their lips met in a kiss. His warm body embraced her and she relaxed in his arms. She was safe now. No man would ever hurt her again.

  “I should get cleaned up first,” she said when they came up for air. “Shower, then a nap.”

  “Where are your things? Do we need to arrange for movers to go get your belongings?”

  Julissa shook her head. “I’ll make arrangements later. I have a bag in the car.”

  Quinton stood up. “I’ll go get it. Just make yourself at home.” He smiled. “This is your home now.”

  She watched as he disappeared upstairs to main level. She was happier than she had ever been in a very long time. Everything was going to be alright.

  Julissa had risked it all, and now she had the man who she wanted to spend a lifetime with.

  THE END

  Sneak Peek: Wolf’s Haven (Caedmon Wolves, 1)

  Chapter One

  "Are you in…or are you out?"

  Tamara glared at her fiancé. The demanding expression on Brad’s face was the same exact look he gave her when he wanted something. Only this time, no physical force followed. After all, they were surrounded by his partners in crime. He wouldn't dare lift a hand to strike her around other people. Brad wanted no one to know how much of a coward he was.

  Swallowing, she bit the corners of her lips. She’d waited for this opportunity for months. The chance to be free of the conniving bastard and the controlling dangerous life that he’d tricked her to lead.

  Her plans were already in place. All she had to do was make one call and her contact would be waiting. She would be free from this life.

  "Yes, I'm in." Her voice came out on hoarse whisper.

  "A ride or die chick." One of Brad's friends chuckled. "What does a guy have to do to get one of those nowadays?"

  Brad grabbed the duffle bag at his feet and grinned. "It's an acquired skill."

  If they only knew. Brad Thatcher wasn't the man he portrayed himself to be. Over the last ten months, he'd turned to heavy drinking each night. Then the verbal abuse turned into something much worse. She had something to show for being so vulnerable. The bruises on her skin. Now, she feared for her life. This situation had gone too far.

  Tamara had never envisioned being with a man who seemed to thrive off her pain. He was never going to get better. Her counselor had warned her of this. She'd even ticked off the list of warning signs to watch for in his behavior. Throwing jealous tantrums if she so much as looked at another man. Trying to control her every move and keeping her under lock and key. Verbal insults escalating into gripping her in the fit of rebellious rages. One after the other, the signs became clearer. Brad was an abuser. Of women, drugs, and alcohol. Yet she stayed.

  Her heart pounded uncontrollably as she contemplated the consequences. If she failed this escape, there would be hell to pay and she just might lose with her life. The last time she threatened to leave him, he'd freaked out. She still had the marks on her neck to show for it.

  "I need to use the bathroom before we leave." Tamara looked to Brad for his approval.

  "Ah man. We don't have time for this." Brad's second sidekick yelled from the driver's side of the vehicle. "We have to be at the museum during the shift change-over."

  Brad and his crew made their living as thieves. It was fast, easy money. They were bandits who ran from the law and walked on the edge. Her fiancé had hidde
n his shady side job from her while they dated. He'd painted himself to be the picture perfect husband to be, but he was a fake. Her normal boring life had been turned upside down.

  It all started when he lost his job for money laundering. She stood by her man back then. Had even persuaded him to pursue other careers, but Brad had alternative motives. Things got out of hand, and soon her husband-to-be turned out to be the fiancé from hell. By the time she caught on, she was in too deep.

  "I need to go," she repeated in a harsher tone. She'd pay for acting out like this later.

  "You better hurry." Brad’s lips formed a taut line. He turned his attention back to his crew. "She's the only one who can fit through the vent."

  As Tamara walked off to the bathroom in the back of the warehouse, they discussed strategy among themselves. After locking the door behind her, she retrieved a small cell phone from the sleeve of her boot. Her fingers shook as she flipped the lid. Just before punching in the numbers she'd remembered by heart, she exhaled.

  Tamara paced the cramped space of the one stall bathroom, praying for Selene to pick up the phone. This was her only hope. Just when she thought her plans would backfire, her counselor answered the phone.

  "Hello."

  The voice sounded groggy on the other end. At nearly two hours before midnight, she expected this much. She only hoped that Selene could still help her. It had been a while since she’d last spoken with the counselor.

  "Selene," she whispered into the phone. "It's me. Tamara."

  There was a bunch a ruffling on the other end. "Tamara. I haven't heard from you in three months. What's wrong? What happened?"

  "I'm ready."

  "Give me your location."

  "About ten miles south of Blue Hills, Virginia. Near an industrial area."

  Outside the door, she heard the van engine start. Brad shouted her name.

  "Selene…I don't have much time," Tamara whispered into the phone with urgency.

  "Wait. Let me get my laptop.” There was some fumbling on the other end. “I think I know where you are. Industry Park. Near the city. Shoot! I’m getting you out of there.” The sound of fingers tapping furious at the keyboard flowed through the phone line. “You are to board the next train out of the Westbed station. A man in a red cap will be waiting with your ticket.”