A knock sounded from the front door, and I took a quick look in the nearby mirror, making sure that I didn’t appear as frazzled as I felt. When I was ready, I took a deep breath and opened the door.
Caleb was on the other side, of course, and offered a warm smile.
“Hey. Good to see you.”
“Good to see you too,” I said. “Come on in.”
I stepped aside and he entered. Right away I could tell that something was off. Instead of his usual carefree, easy demeanor, Caleb seemed tense, anxious. I’d only known him for a short time, but even then it was plain that he had something on his mind.
“Something I can get you to drink?” I asked, coming off more formally than I would’ve liked. “Coffee? Tea?”
“Actually…you got anything harder? A beer, maybe?”
“Sure.”
A beer, something to drink. My first thought was that he did have something to say, and that whatever it was, it wouldn’t be easy. He needed a drink to loosen his nerves.
My heart beating faster, I opened the fridge and fished out a craft beer from a six pack I’d bought a long time ago but never got around to finishing.
Shit, might as well have one too.
I grabbed a beer for myself and handed his over. Caleb gestured to the couch and I followed him over, sitting down next to him as we opened our beers and took long sips.
He set his beer down on the coffee table and let out a long sigh.
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
And there it was. I did my best to play it cool, acting totally chill, like nothing was going on.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“It’s not easy to say. And…there’s a good chance you won’t want to ever see me again after I tell you what I’m going to.”
Without thinking I took his hand, squeezing it gently.
“It’s fine, Caleb. I’m here. You can tell me anything.”
He glanced over at me with those gorgeous greens before turning his gaze to the table in front of him.
If he was going to break it off, the best thing I could do would be to take it like a champ.
“Getting to know you has been one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I knew you were something special from the moment I laid eyes on you at the bar, but little did I know how amazing you were beyond just your beauty.
“Sierra… the last few days have been like nothing else. How I feel for you took me totally by surprise, and I almost don’t know how to handle it.”
I kept quiet, eager to see where he was going with this.
“But what we have…it’s all built on a lie.”
A what?
“What are you talking about, Caleb? What have you been lying about?”
“I’m not a businessman. At least, not in the way you were thinking. I don’t work as a middleman for restaurant equipment or whatever other bullshit I threw your way. The truth is that I’m a criminal. I’m a conman.”
I was stunned. For a moment I was certain one of his trademark big, cocky smiles would break out across his face and he’d laugh, followed by a “got you!” or something like that. But his features stayed serious.
“You’re a conman? What does that mean?”
I knew what “conning” meant, of course. But I needed details.
“I do confidence games. Meaning, I find a target—we call them ‘marks’—and win their trust. When I do, I string them along on some kind of money-making scheme, swindle them out of cash and leave before they even know what hit them.”
“That’s insane. Are you serious?”
“I’m serious. And there’s more to it. When I first started talking to you, I was planning on making you my next mark.”
I sat back, my eyes wide. I grabbed my beer and took a long sip. He was planning on screwing me out of money?
“Tell me more,” I said. “Explain it so that I can understand.”
He nodded and went on. “I could tell right away that you had money. And when you told me about your parents, I started putting together a plan about how I could gain your trust and swindle your parents out of some money.”
“I…I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything—just let me finish. But the more I got to know you, the more I realized there was no way I could do something like that to you. I’ve been in this life for a decade, ever since I was on my own. But I’ve been looking for a way out, for the right time. And being with you made me realize that this was it.”
I was flabbergasted. Caleb was a crook, a conman, a thief.
“That explains how you’re so good at reading people, how you’re so good at lying.”
He nodded. “Necessary skills in my line of work. But it eats away at you. I can’t live this life any longer.”
“Everything you told me is a lie? Everything?”
“Not everything. I did grow up in foster care with my brother, I did lose my parents at a young age, and I have done whatever I could to carve out a life for myself.”
“And all that shit about the restaurant, looking out for kids who aren’t as lucky as you?”
“That’s not a lie either. I meant it—it’s been a dream of mine for years. Really, I was surprised that I’d let something so personal slip with someone. Just one of the things that made me realize you were someone special. I never let anyone in like that.”
It was all so surreal. I’d fallen in love with a criminal liar.
“How do I know anything you’re saying is true? How do I know you actually care about me? What if this is all part of some…I don’t know, some bigger plan to trick me?”
He turned and took my hands, gazing deeply into my eyes.
“I might be a liar by trade, sure. But Sierra…I love you. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is how I feel, and I’ve never felt this way for anyone before. You have no reason to believe me, no reason to trust me. All I can do is tell the truth for once in my life and hope that I haven’t ruined one of the few real things I’ve ever been lucky enough to have.”
His words cut me right to the core. Despite everything, the look in his eyes made me believe that this was real honesty, coming straight from the heart.
“Then what do you want to do? Why are you telling me all this?”
“Because I love you, Sierra. I want you, and I want to have a life with you. And I knew there was no other way to begin but by telling you the truth. If you don’t think you can be with a liar like me, I’ll understand. But at least I’ll know I was honest with the only woman I’ve ever loved.”
Tears formed in my eyes. There was a chance I was being duped, that this was all another con, another lie.
But deep down I knew it wasn’t.
“I love you, too.”
There it was. I loved him, and he loved me. A situation complicated beyond belief made as simple as those little words.
And there was nothing else to be said. Smiles broke out across our faces as we pulled one another close into a tight, deep kiss.
The moment our lips touched, I knew something had changed between us. There had always been passion and attraction, but having spoken the words, a new world had opened up. We weren’t simply a couple who cared about one another—we were a couple in love.
The kiss went on, as if we could pour ourselves into one another through only our touch. Without saying another word, we both rose from the couch. Caleb took my hand and led me over to the bed.
Outside the bedroom the sun was beginning to set, the sky brilliant with soft blues and brilliant oranges. When we’d both undressed, Caleb placed his hand on the small of my back and lifted me off my feet, setting my down on the bed and moving over top of me.
When he was above me, his eyes gazing down at me, he came in for another kiss.
“I love you,” he said. “So damn much.”
“And I love you. So damn much.”
We kissed more and more, until neither of us could resist what we wanted
. I took hold of his member and placed it between my legs, wrapping them around his hips. Caleb entered me slowly, filling me completely.
The words having been spoken, our bodies joined, I knew I’d made the right decision. Our relationship might’ve been built on lies, but at that moment there was nothing but truth between us.
He moved in me, his body tensing and flexing, our moans filling the air as both of us drew closer and closer to orgasm. When he finally released, I did along with him, the pleasure mixing with the love and filling me with sensations I’d never known before.
And then we were done, my body curled up against him the way we always had after making love.
Making love. The words were common, but there with Caleb I finally understood what they really meant.
There was silence for a time as we caught our breath.
Finally, I spoke.
“So what happens now?”
He said nothing, and it was obvious he was trying to find a way to answer the question.
“Whatever we want.”
“I know. But we can’t live a life with nothing but love. And I can’t be with a criminal.”
He nodded, as if he’d finally made a decision he’d been grappling with for some time.
“I’ll go straight. I don’t have much money right now, but if we’re careful, it could be enough to get started.”
He turned, gazing at me with intensity.
“I’ll take care of you, I promise that. You’re starting a new life, and I’m doing the same. We love one another, and I know together we can make something incredible.”
They were the words I wanted to hear.
We kissed. We were in love.
What else did we need?
Chapter 16
Caleb
That evening passed like something out of a dream. We spent the night making love, taking breaks to talk about our future, what it might hold for the two of us.
When we woke the next morning, we were so excited to start our life together that we could barely eat. I made a simple breakfast of eggs and toast, but we did nothing but talk.
There was still a lot to be done. I had to empty out my bank accounts, figure out how much money I had to work with for whatever was next. And I had to get in touch with Billy and let him know I was out of the game for good.
On top of that, Sierra had to find a job and pack up her belongings. The end of the month was approaching fast. It was time for her to earn a living without her dad’s support.
We both had to sort out our old lives before we could begin anew. It’d be work, but both of us were eager to get started.
“Okay,” she said, draining the last bit of her coffee. “We’ve got our day cut out for us.”
“That’s right. We both do what needs to be done, and then we can meet back here. We’ll stay at your place, and the first step will be finding a new apartment together.”
Together. I loved saying the word.
Sierra took my hand and squeezed it gently. It was clear she felt the same way.
Nothing to do but get started. I rose and she did too.
“See you tonight,” she said.
“I can’t wait.”
We kissed, and for a moment I considered taking her back to the bedroom.
“We’ll celebrate when we’ve done the hard stuff,” she said with a smile.
“Sounds like a plan.”
We kissed and I was off. The day was bright and sunny, the perfect weather for celebrating.
I still couldn’t believe it. I’d told the truth, and it had worked. Sierra hadn’t rejected me, cut me out of her life. If anything, what we had was stronger now.
After making the decision to start with the bank accounts, I began my day. As I did, I found myself thinking about what sort of life we might have together. Maybe I could actually start the restaurant, actually make my dream come true. Sierra could be a part of it, or she could start something of her own.
Maybe we’d get married. Maybe we’d have a family. I’d never thought about things like that before, always imagining that I’d be on my own. But now that Sierra was in my life, there was nothing I wanted more.
I checked at the first bank, clearing out one of the many accounts I’d opened under a fake name. There wasn’t much in there—only a little under a thousand dollars—but between it and the few other accounts, I knew there’d be enough to get us through the month and into a new apartment.
Once I was done at the first bank, I decided to give Billy a call. The conversation wouldn’t be easy, but it had to happen. It might’ve been wishful thinking, but part of me hoped that going straight might set an example for him. Maybe we could both leave our criminal lives behind, start fresh. Maybe he’d find someone like I had.
But he didn’t answer my call. I sent him a text asking him to get in touch with me, but he didn’t respond.
No big deal. He’d get back to me, if only because he might think I’d changed my mind about his insane kidnapping plot. God, what a nightmare that would’ve been.
I went to the second bank, clearing out a little more money. After that was done, I stopped to grab a quick lunch. Over a roast beef sandwich, I called Billy again, still no answer. I followed this up with another text, and that too got no response.
On the way to the third bank, I decided to check in with Sierra, seeing if she’d had any luck finding any job leads. I gave her a call, and there was no answer. Just like with Billy, I sent a follow-up text that got no reply.
Something seemed off. I couldn’t tell if I was being paranoid, but Billy had always been quick to get back to me. It’d been hours, and I still hadn’t heard from him.
Same with Sierra. Sure, she had plenty to do, and likely could’ve been in the middle of a conversation with a prospective employer, but I still would’ve expected her to get back to me and check in.
After the last bank account was cleared out, I was beginning to get worried. I took out my phone as soon as I stepped out of the doors and saw that there was nothing from either Billy or Sierra.
Something was wrong. I had a sense for matters like that, and my gut was sending a message loud and clear.
I called Billy again, then again. When both calls went unanswered, I fired off a text.
“Where are you? Call me.”
I shoved my phone back into my pocket and started toward Sierra’s place. Without hearing from her, there was no way I’d be able to get into her apartment, but I couldn’t think of what else to do.
The moment I turned the corner to her building, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I took it out so quickly I nearly sent it flying through the air.
It was Billy. Finally.
“Where are you?” I answered, a sharp edge to my voice.
“Warehouse district.”
“What on earth are you doing there? Tell me you didn’t get wrapped up in some stupid plan.”
“Nah, I got a plan of my own going. One that’s going to get us both right where we need to be.”
My gut sank. I wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but there was no doubt in my mind that whatever it was, I wouldn’t like it.
I stopped in my tracks, the world seeming to come to a halt all around me.
“Billy, tell me what you did.”
He laughed. “Bro, I did exactly what I’ve been telling you I’ve been wanting to do.”
“Stop screwing around and speak plain. What did you do?”
There was silence. I could sense that even though he was putting forward a cocky, no-fucks-given front, he knew whatever he had to say wouldn’t make me happy.
“It’s the girl.”
“What about her?”
“Bro, I can’t talk about this over the phone. But I’ll just say I did what we’ve been talking about, and it’s all going according to plan.”
I knew what he meant.
He’d taken Sierra.
Rage rushed through me, but I had to be calm.
“Tell me where you are.
Right now.”
“All right, all right. I’m gonna text you the address right now. Get over here as soon as you can, bro.”
The line went dead, and seconds later a text came. Sure enough, it was for the old warehouse district just out of town.
I flagged down a cab and was soon on my way.
I couldn’t get there fast enough.
Chapter 17
Sierra
It had all happened so quickly. I’d left my apartment, planning on going for a walk to see if there were any “help wanted” signs posted at the stores nearby. I needed some money coming in, even if it was just temporary while I figured out what career I wanted to pursue. With my dad having planned my life out for me in the past, I’d never stopped to consider what would be fulfilling to me.
I didn’t manage to get even a block before a tall, handsome man with tattoo-covered arms, his face striking me as surprisingly similar to Caleb’s, flagged me down.
“Yo, you Caleb’s friend?”
“Yes. I know him. Who are you?”
He’d grinned. “I’m his brother, Billy. He told me to come find you.”
Panic had gripped me. “Why? Is something wrong?”
A serious expression formed on his face. “Uh, yeah. It’s…something went wrong. He tell you about his life? The real way he makes his money?”
I nodded. “He did. Why, what’s going on?”
“Someone from one of his old cons tracked him down. He had to get out of town, and fast.”
More panic. “Someone’s after him? Where did he go?”
“I can’t say out loud—no way to know who’s listening in, you know? But he’s in hiding right now, told me to find you at your apartment and bring you to him.” He stepped close, a grave expression on his face. “You might need to leave tonight. You ready for that?”
“I can’t just leave,” I protested. “I’d need to talk to my parents, my friends.”
“You can do all that later,” said Billy, shaking his head. “Right now we need to get outside of the city. Because the people after him won’t stop at just Caleb. They’re going to come for the people he cares about. If we don’t move now—”
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