But before I could make it to the staircase, a man in a suit stepped up. He stopped in the middle of the corridor, and I frowned, coming to a quick halt as he lowered his sunglasses.
“Miss Sterling, I presume?” he spoke.
I blinked.
“Well, of course it’s you. We know who you are.”
“I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I don’t think we’ve met.”
“We’ve met,” he stated simply.
“Oh. Okay.” Freak. I started to walk around him, but he stopped me with his arm. I gasped and glanced up just as he looked down at me.
“Where are you off to?”
“I’m going out to the gazebo to meet Carlos.”
“You know, I think it’d be much better if you just tagged along with me.” His eyes darkened as he glared down at me. Then, he grabbed my arm, and my heart lurched in my chest.
“No!” I shouted. “I’m here with Carlos. If you’re security, you can ask him yourself. I’m not an intruder!”
The man gripped my arm tighter, rushing down the stairs with me at his side. “I got her,” he said, lifting the flap of his suit.
“Are you security?” I asked. “I was here all night with Carlos. Just go ask him yourself!”
“That won’t be necessary, Miss Sterling.” He pulled open the front door, and just as I started to scream Carlos’s name, the man stopped in his tracks, giving me an icy look. “Call for him, and it will only make things worse.”
I clamped my mouth shut. He continued walking again, gripping my wrist tighter. A black van appeared, and I felt my heart drop as we neared it. The doors slid open, and he shoved me inside. I whimpered as he forced me into the seat. He shut the door behind him and turned in my direction.
I stared at him with wide eyes, afraid of what was to come. Who was this man? What did he want? Was he kidnapping me? What the fuck was going on?
I looked up front at the two men in the front seat. Both had black suits on as well. The one in the passenger seat glanced at me and smiled. Wait a minute… I knew him. I knew this guy. He was the one on the elevator. He was the guy that asked about my sushi the day I wasn’t supposed to bring Carlos lunch.
Oh my God.
“Mya,” the man beside me spoke up, causing me to flinch. He smiled. “Don’t be so afraid. We aren’t going to harm you… that is, unless we have to.”
I shook my head, tears building in my eyes. “No. Please,” I begged.
“We know you don’t want to get hurt, but hanging around Carlos Montero any longer just might cause a little trouble.”
“H-how?”
He sighed, folding his sunglasses and sliding them into the pocket of his suit. “Listen, we know about your problems. We can’t allow this to go on any longer. Allowing this to continue for even another hour is a risk.”
“What do you mean a risk? What are you talking about?”
“Carlos likes you. We can tell.”
My heart smiled. I wanted to smile, but I didn’t. I still had no clue what was going on.
“But now, he has to get over you. Carlos is married. Did he mention that?”
“Yes, but he said it was only so he could become a citizen,” I said quickly.
The man laughed. “It’s not really that simple. See, Carlos has deeper issues. He’s made deals that he has to keep. He’s signed contracts that he can’t break. We have to be sure of that. With you around, he’s already breaking at least four contracts. You are a liability. You will only drag him down. Right now, he can’t afford dating. He can’t slack off. We need him focusing on his job. We don’t need him running around and sleeping with a girl he met in Key West.”
Key West? What? How did they know that’s where we met? As if he could read my mind, he continued. “Yes. We keep tabs on Montero. We’ve also been keeping tabs on you. We were okay with him sleeping with you once, but then he found you again, and… well… let’s just say that doesn’t sit well with us.”
“Carlos can live his own life,” I snapped.
“Carlos wouldn’t have a life if it weren’t for us,” the man bit back, nostrils flaring. He leaned in closer, narrowing his eyes. “I’m just going to cut to the chase. You’re going to leave Montero alone. You’re going to go back to the gazebo, tell him you have to get back to Chicago because your friend is sick, and then you’re going to go back to that hotel he’s been keeping you in, pack your shit, and get the hell out of here. Is that clear?”
I stared at him with wide, glistening eyes. “And if I don’t?” I dared.
He sat back, smirking. “Then you’d better watch your back, Miss Sterling.”
My throat went dry. I wasn’t sure what else to say. Who were these men? It was almost like they controlled Carlos—like they were stalking him, watching him with hawk eyes every second of the day.
The man pulled open the door and stepped out. He folded his fingers in front of him and gestured towards the house while staring at me. “Go on. Don’t want him to come looking for you.”
I glanced at the two men in the front seat. The one in the passenger seat was smirking, but he was staring ahead. Was this some kind of sick, twisted game for them? Was this a joke?
Instead of asking, I climbed out of the van immediately. I started for the door, but the man caught my arm and murmured into my ear, “Be wise, Miss Sterling. We know you don’t want to stay away—that it seems almost impossible for you to stay away from him—but this is your life on the line, as well as his. Do anything wrong and things won’t look so good for either of you.”
He released me and hopped into the van as it pulled off. I watched them until they disappeared then hurried inside, slamming the door behind me. My heart was racing, but I ignored it and zoomed through the kitchen. Luckily, I spotted the gazebo and standing outside of it was Carlos. I opened the door, keeping my nerves in check as I shut it behind me. He was talking to someone, but when he heard the door shut, he glanced up, spotted me, and a soft smile appeared on his lips.
I wanted to smile back, I really did, but I couldn’t. For some reason, my face felt paralyzed, and he noticed because he excused himself from the man he was talking to and met me in the middle of the yard.
“Everything alright?” he asked.
I looked up at him, my eyes glossy. I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream. Shout. I wanted to ask him so many questions, but the words of that man only haunted me. I knew I couldn’t screw this up. I knew I had to go, and I had to go immediately.
But the unexpected happened. My hand lifted in the air and the palm of it slammed across his face. It happened faster than I could react. My eyes stung with tears; my body trembled violently. I’d hurt him, but he’d also hurt me. First, I see the picture of him with some woman who he clearly loved, and then I get snatched up and thrown into a van—threatened to stay away from him. Who the hell was this man? What the hell had I gotten myself into?
All the signs should’ve been clear to me. This was why he’d put a limit on us. He knew those men were watching. He knew, and he didn’t even tell me. Did he also know my life would be on the line? Those men… they weren’t kidding. Not one bit.
“Mya!” he barked, scowling. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”
“Fuck you,” I spat. I turned from him and rushed through the yard. Carlos called after me, but I didn’t look back. I heard the grass rustling behind me, so I ran. I pushed through the gate and rounded the house. Once I hit the driveway, I ran even faster. My line of sight was blurry. I could hardly see where I was going, but I continued forward.
I finally reached the front gates, but Carlos shouted, “Don’t let her out!” to the security guard. I yanked on the gates, grunting as I used all my strength, but the iron bars didn’t budge.
“Mya,” Carlos breathed, finally reaching me.
“What?!” I shouted, backing away. “What the hell do you want from me?”
He blinked quickly, stunned. “What do you mean what do I want? We’re spending the day together.
That’s what we arranged.”
“Yeah, well that was before I was snatched up and tossed into a van. That was before my life was threatened!”
“What?” he spat. “What are you talking about?”
“Those guys… those three guys in suits! They threatened me. One came into the house. He said if I didn’t leave you alone my life and yours would be in danger!”
“The men that you saw come to my office?” he asked quickly.
“Yes,” I whispered.
“They threatened you?” he asked, as if he were stunned.
“Yes, Carlos! What do they want? Why are they watching you, and why the hell are they watching me?”
He blinked and then looked over my shoulder. His eyes froze on something, and his face went bleak. I looked with him, and just as my eyes landed on the black van parked less than a yard away, my heart thundered. The doors of the van slid open, and the three men climbed out with guns in hand out as they marched our way.
“Oh God,” I whispered, backing away.
I glanced up at Carlos, but his face was solid. Frozen. Then, I realized Carlos had no idea these men were a threat. It was obvious. It was all over his face. It was as if he trusted these men, but everything was now coming to light. It was all registering; whatever he hadn’t realized about them before was finally coming to.
These men weren’t his friends.
These men were dangerous.
“Carlos Montero.” One of the men sang his name, tapping his gun against the wrought-iron gate. “Let’s not make this difficult. Give us the girl, and we’ll pretend this never happened.”
His nostrils flared, but he didn’t dare say a word.
The men took it as a challenge, lifting their guns. I yelped, backing away.
“Ah… let’s not forget about Mommy and Sissy. We don’t want anything happening to them over a girl you’ve just met, do we?”
Carlos rushed towards the gates and yanked them open, throwing his fist into the man’s face. The man fell, but the other two rushed for Carlos, gripping his arms and shoving him back. “Get off me!” he barked, yanking away. Then, he looked at me, and for a moment, I caught the defeat in his eyes. But in a matter of seconds, it was gone. He blinked it away and said, “Don’t worry about her. She was just leaving. We’re done.”
My heart failed to beat. I wanted to say something, but all I could do was watch him turn his back to me and make his way back towards his house. I watched him until he disappeared, then I dropped my gaze, swiping at my tears.
“It was nice meeting you, Miss Sterling,” the man with the blue eyes said. He pulled himself together, and the trio made their way back to the van. Once they were inside, it skidded off, and this time I knew they were gone for good.
A black Lincoln pulled up to the gates, and realizing it was Isaac, I rushed towards the car and hopped in the backseat. I slammed the door shut behind me, still twisted and screwed inside about what just happened—still fucked up about what Carlos said about me. Don’t worry about her? We’re done? Only seconds ago he wanted me to stay a few hours longer.
Isaac pulled out and drove away, but before he could make the turn, I looked towards Carlos’s mansion. In his bedroom window, I saw the figure of the man I’d spent four incredible days with. He was there, right there, watching me leave.
I hated him. I hated this feeling, but I had to admit that this was supposed to end long ago. I wasn’t even supposed to be here. I agreed to the arrangement, and now it was settled. Now, it was done.
I had so many unanswered questions racking my brain, but I knew they would go unanswered because I would never see him again. I couldn’t see him again. Not after today. Not after he just tossed me away like I was a piece of trash.
But at least I figured a few things out about him. I found out he’s not the perfect man I thought he was, and that I was right about him having skulls, or entire skeletons, in his closet. He probably had more than he could count… and like a fool, I pretended he didn’t.
I wanted more, but I had to accept the fact that things between Carlos and me were over. After what’d just happened, I should’ve been grateful, but deep down, I was hurting.
Book 2 of the Control Series, Release Me, will be releasing February 10th, 2015.
Until then, enjoy this sneak peek of Release Me!
FEARS
“What the hell are you doing here?”
That question had haunted me for months after I’d been asked. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing. Well, actually I take that back. I knew exactly what I was doing. I had it all planned out, but I wasn’t sure why.
I thought after Terry had cheated on me that I’d be over him for good and that I’d no longer want anything to do with him. I was wrong. The truth was I wanted him more than ever. After only a week I began to miss him like crazy. I craved his touch, his voice… everything about him. I wanted him next to me every night, talking to me until the sun came up like we used to before he traveled to Spain and everything went to shit. I just wanted him back in my life. I was lonely and terrified of a future without him.
There I stood in the skimpiest dress I could find in my wardrobe. It was strapless, stopped just beneath my butt, and extremely tight. It was quite uncomfortable considering I’d gained a few pounds since our break up but as long as I could breathe in it I was fine. I didn’t care. I wanted to look hot for him. I wanted him to want me all over again. I wanted his eyes to sparkle while looking at me like they did when we’d first met.
I’d heard Terry was back in town through Bethany, his stepsister. Of course I pretended I didn’t care that he was back and she was happy to see I was trying to move on, but inside every single nerve in my body seemed to spark. I wanted to see him again. The lonely nights without him were killing me. It’d gotten so bad that I begged Claire to move in with me as soon as her lease was up.
I was standing outside Terry’s hotel on North State Street. It was a busy night downtown because it was the night before Christmas. All the last minute shoppers were scuttling about, rushing back and forth and in and out of all the small boutiques and stores of Chicago. I squeezed the present wrapped in green foil in my hands and smiled as I stared up at the hotel. Since I’d kicked him out and threw all of his clothes on his mom’s porch he was staying here for a while. His stepsister told me. We were still surprisingly close even though at first she hated my guts because he was four years older than me and thought he deserved better. She was older than him and very protective of him for a while.
It was cold out, and like an idiot the only thing I wore over my trashy dress was a black pea coat buttoned up to my chest and extremely high heels I could hardly walk in. But I felt this was necessary. I mean, he was staying in a hotel. We could make up and talk things through. I would forgive him for his mistakes because… well, because I just wanted him back in my life. I was tired of being alone.
With the thought of that I drew in a deep breath and marched forward. I wasn’t sure what room he was staying in so after asking the clerk at the desk, I was on my way up the elevator with the widest grin on my face. I shouldn’t have been so happy. Terry wasn’t innocent and I really didn’t know how he’d react to seeing me, but for some reason I figured he’d be happy to see my face. After all it was the night before Christmas. Who wasn’t happy on Christmas Eve?
I finally made it to floor seven. I walked out with my head held high and the present tight in my hands. Once I reached door 719, I shook my head, drew in a deep breath and exhaled, and then knocked. Footsteps started a moment later and then I heard Terry say, “Hold on. It could be housekeeping.”
A smile appeared on my face as I heard his voice. It made me tingle, that is until I heard a woman’s voice ask, “Why would housekeeping be here at ten o’ clock at night?”
My face stiffened and I wanted to bolt, but it was too late. Before I could make any sudden movements, the door swung open and Terry stared at me with his big grey eyes. His dress shirt was unbuttone
d, revealing his broad chest—the chest I used to love to sleep on—and his dress pants were unzipped, proving that he was about to get down to business.
I blinked rapidly, and all of a sudden my throat seemed to close in. I had so much I wanted to say, but at this moment, as he looked at me, I realized there was nothing I could say. I felt like a fool for being here.
“Mya,” Terry hissed. He glanced over his shoulder quickly then stepped out, making sure the doorstopper didn’t cause the door to shut completely. “Mya, what the hell are you doing here?” he asked as I took a step back.
“I—I…” I couldn’t help my stutter. What the hell was I supposed to say? Oh, I just showed up to forgive you and then make love with you… the perfect evening.
“Look, you gotta get the hell outta here? How did you even know where I was?”
“Bethany,” I said. I could say that. I wanted him to know his sister and I still talked from time to time—even more so since I found him in bed with another woman.
He shook his head. “You need to leave. I have company.”
I frowned, finally revealing some kind of emotion. “I see that but I came to talk to you.”
He gave me a dry laugh, running a hand through his hair. “Uh, I’m not sure if you can tell, but this isn’t the best time to talk.”
“Well, maybe we can talk tomorrow.”
“I’ll be with my family tomorrow. It’s Christmas, Mya.” After he said that the woman in his room called his name and then told him to hurry. Her voice was purposely seductive. I hated hearing it.
“I have to go,” he said.
“Okay,” I said. “Um… I bought you something. It’s a gift I promised I’d get you a while back. I finally saved enough for it.”
Terry shook his head. “Keep it, Mya. You need your money.”
“I need you,” I whispered before I even realized it.
His eyes stretched for a brief moment, and then he narrowed them. “Mya… what’s going on here?”
“I miss you, Terry. We can make this work,” I said, dropping the present and rushing towards him. I draped my arms around his neck and his back hit the wall. I started to strip out of my pea coat but he grunted and shoved me back, his grimace deep.
Control Me Page 13
