* * *
Annabella
Each time John ran his hand down my side, my breath hitched. My heart was beating a mile a minute. We had made love a few times, but this seemed different. I needed him more than I need my next breath.
When the door to the bedroom had opened earlier, fear had washed over me until I saw John’s face in the moonlight. I didn’t know it was possible to fall for a man so quickly, but him coming when I needed him meant the world to me.
“I will be right back, Beautiful.” John jumped off the bed and dug through my suitcase. When he lay back down next to me, he had one of the scarfs I’d brought along. “Let me see your wrists.” When I held them out to him, he gently tied the scarf around them and placed my hands above my head. My heart felt like it was about to beat out of my chest. “Don’t move your hands. Each time you move, I will stop. If you keep your hands above your head, I will bring you to orgasm.”
He moved so he was kneeling between my legs. I wanted to reach out and run my hands down his chest, but I stopped myself and moved them behind my head instead. John’s mouth twitched. He knew how hard this was for me. I loved running my hands all over his body.
John pulled my tank top up my body and bunched it over my eyes. The tank top also kept my arms in place above my head. “Just feel, Beautiful.”
When John’s lips wrapped around my nipple, my body arched off the bed. It felt more intense than it had a few minutes ago when he’d had his lips on me. His hands worked my boy shorts down my body. Then he shifted, and his lips left my body. “God. Fucking beautiful.”
I didn’t have a chance to respond before his lips touched my clit.
“So wet,” he mumbled as he licked my pearl.
My body ached for more contact. I wanted him to slip inside me. I needed to feel him closer.
“Stay still,” he commanded.
I fought the urge to lift my hips for more friction. My body felt like it was on fire. It was so hard to stay still. A whimper left my mouth. John’s words from earlier rang in my head. He would stop if I moved my hands. But if I stayed still, he would give me an orgasm.
“Please.”
John bit down on my nub and slipped a finger into my velvety folds. The little bit of pain mixed with the pleasure from his tongue was enough to send me over the edge. My body arched, and I screamed out his name as he continued to lick and touch me.
“Perfect. You are so beautiful when you come.”
I could feel my face redden at his words. Whenever John talked about how beautiful I was, it felt genuine. I knew he meant it, unlike the rest of the world.
“I hope you’re comfortable, Beautiful. I’m not done yet and plan to spend some more time down here.” John positioned my knees over his wide shoulders and levered one arm under my butt. He leaned down and slowly licked my clit.
I couldn’t believe how close he had me to the edge again. Each time I was about to go over, he would pull back and kiss my inner thigh. Then when my body started to come back down, he would bring me back to the edge again.
“I can’t take any more, John. I need you.” I whimpered when I felt his tongue leave my body.
“You’ve been perfect, keeping your arms up.” John leaned forward, and I felt the scarf fall from my arms. He slowly worked the tank top the rest of the way up my arms. Then he leaned down and licked my lips before he pressed his to mine. The kiss was gentle and full of need.
I wrapped my legs around his waist and lifted my hips to get some relief. John pulled back farther. I could feel him smile against my lips. “Condom,” he said before he pulled away and grabbed his jeans off the floor. I had completely forgotten about everything except my need for him.
He ripped the wrapping with his teeth, and I watched as he sheathed himself. My fingers itched to reach out and grab his member. When he had the condom rolled down his length, he leaned over me and pressed his lips to mine.
John kept his eyes open as he gently pushed into me. He clenched his jaw, and I leaned forward and ran kisses down his neck. I was moaning and squirming by the time he was entirely inside of me. Then he stopped.
I tried to buck up against him to get him to move. “Please.”
“You feel so good,” John ground out before he leaned down and kissed my lips.
Once he started to move, I held on to him tightly. He began to thrust hard, and when he reached his hand between us and pinched my nub, my hips left the bed, and I screamed his name. John picked up the speed, and he wasn’t far behind me when I felt him let go. His body slumped, and he used his forearms to keep his weight off of me.
He leaned down and kissed my nose. “I will be right back.” John left the bed to dispose of the condom in the bathroom. His tight ass flexed with each step. I couldn’t believe how lucky I was. Maybe one day I would forgive Nate because being accused of his murder had brought me closer to John.
John slid into the bed next to me. “What are you thinking about, Beautiful?”
“I’m glad I got accused of murder.” John’s eyes widened. I couldn’t help but laugh and snuggle in closer. “I wouldn’t have found you if Nate didn’t cause all these issues.”
“I would rather have met you at Daisy’s party. I’m just glad I’m in your life. Now we need to figure out who is still after you.”
Tonight, I would lie in the arms of the man I was falling for, and tomorrow I would worry about who was trying to kill me.
16
Annabella
I lay in bed, not believing how lucky I was to have found someone who cared about me. John shifted beside me. I rolled over on my side to watch him sleep, but he was already up. His eyes were full of desire. When he went to give me a kiss, my phone rang on the nightstand.
I reached over to grab it and saw my manager’s name flashing across the screen. “Yes, Marcus,” I answered.
“You need to be on set. The director said if we stop anymore, you’ll be cut.”
John reached out to pull me back into bed. I quickly ducked and made my way to the bathroom. I didn’t want to be cut from the film. I knew they wouldn’t cut me because they didn’t have time to find anyone else. The director just needed someone to yell at, and it was me.
“I’m getting ready. I will be to set on time.”
My manager hadn’t handled the press or the director well. Instead of getting out and trying to clear my name, he’d stayed quiet. He hadn’t even called to see how I was doing. I’d called the producers of Last Love directly to let them know I had been accused of murder.
An hour later, I was back on set. I couldn’t help but feeling that someone was watching me. John stood next to my chair. His eyes were hidden behind his aviator glasses. I couldn’t help the groan I let out as Roxy, my assistant on set, headed our way.
“Annabella, I had your realtor scheduled to show up yesterday, and then you disappeared. You made me look bad.”
“Someone put seafood on the lunch menu, and I had an allergic reaction. Filming was canceled after lunch. It’s your job to make sure I have what I need, and you also have a list of my allergies. Why didn’t you let me know?”
The young girl rolled her eyes. “I don’t have time to check the lunch menu for you. Shouldn’t you check what’s in the food before you shovel it into your mouth?”
I glanced at John. He shook his head, and I could tell he was about to open his mouth. I decided to address the matter before he could. “Roxy, it seems the job of being my assistant on set is too hard. You’re fired. I don’t need your help anymore.”
“You can’t fire me.”
Director Paterson looked up from the script. “Actually, she can. You’re supposed to work for her.”
John motioned for security to come over. Two men in black shirts walked over and escorted the young girl out. My assistant’s job was to make mine easier on set. One of the main things she was in charge of was food. The job description stated she was to make sure no seafood was on set, and if there was, she was supposed to order
me a different lunch.
The rest of the morning passed with no more issues. John worked as my assistant for the rest of the day. He had water waiting for me when I finished a scene. When it came time to eat lunch, he had my favorite burger place bring in food. Well, he sent Gabriel to go grab our food.
I had two scenes left, and then I would be done filming the movie. I couldn’t wait to be done. Nothing but bad things had happened in my life since filming had started. The stage crew was working on getting the stage set for the next scene.
I hopped up from my chair. “I’m going to run to the bathroom.”
John got up from the chair next to me.
I put my hand on his arm. “Stay.” When it looked like he was about to protest, I said, “I’m running to the bathroom. It will be fine. I promise.”
He grabbed my arm and pulled me back into his then placed a kiss on my lips. “Five minutes.”
The bathroom was on the other side of the studio. It would take me almost five minutes to get there. But there was no point in arguing with the man. I turned and walked toward the back of the studio and waved at the two men working on the set.
My next scene would mostly be done in front of the green screen again. I was being pushed off a building in the next scene. I was going to have to climb up on the platform they’d built and fall off. The first time I’d done the stunt had been scary, but they had strapped me into a harness, and I’d fallen onto a soft mat.
I rounded the corner and came face-to-face with my manager. He stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Annabella, we need to talk.” The pudgy old man had been my manager since I’d gotten my first gig. Most movies came to me, so he didn’t have to do much except collect a check. It was probably time for me to find a more motivated manager.
I tried to step around him. “I need to go to the bathroom.”
“I didn’t want to do this. But she has so much power.”
“Who?” I asked, confused. Two seconds later, I felt the metal jab into my side.
“Don’t scream, bitch.”
With each step, I tried to struggle out of the person’s grasp. My hand shot up and tried to pry the fingers away from my mouth. The grip was so tight, I could feel my skin bruise under the pressure.
The emergency exit door flew open, and another man stood there. He was at least six feet tall, dressed in black, and wearing a black ski mask. He grabbed my free arm.
It was hard to fight back. I even tried to make my body limp, but the two men were strong and pulled me along. The bright sun blinded me for a second when I was shoved outside.
An Aston Martin Vantage sat with the trunk open outside the door. My capturer released his hand from my mouth for a second, and I used the opportunity to scream for help. The second man slapped me so hard across the face that my vision faded to black for a moment.
Within seconds, they shoved me into the trunk of the car and slammed it shut. I reached up and touched my cheek. It throbbed with pain. The car squealed out of the parking lot. With each turn and bump it made, my body was thrown against the side of the trunk. The warm California sun heated up the containment space, and sweat beaded down my face and back. I looked for some way to escape.
Even if I could find a way out of the car, it felt like it was speeding down the highway, farther and farther from the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. The car came to an abrupt stop, and I flew against the back. My forehead hit the metal arms of the trunk, and I felt blood trickle down my forehead.
Does John even know I’m gone yet? I wondered how far these men would make it with me before he could figure out what was going on. I shivered. A feeling of dread came over me.
The voices from inside the car were muffled. I strained to hear what they were saying. The two men started to argue, but with the music on, it was hard to understand them. Before I could figure it out, the car took off again, making my body fly against the side. The carpet skinned my elbows as I tried to stay in place.
In one of the action movies I’d played in, they had put me in the back of the car. I had acted like I knew exactly where I would be when I came out by counting turns. In reality, I’d lost track of everything once we had turned left out of the studio parking lot.
It felt like I had been in the trunk for hours when the car finally came to a stop and I heard the two car doors open and close. I pulled my arm back, trying to get leverage so I could punch whoever opened the trunk. My only option was to try to get free and run.
The trunk door popped open, and I began kicking and punching. My hand collided with one of the kidnapper’s faces. He grunted and hit back. My head snapped when his fist connected with my jaw. A metallic taste filled my mouth. He grabbed me by the hair and dragged me out of the car. Then he threw me to the hard pavement and kicked my side. I felt my ribs crack when his foot connected.
“Stop,” someone yelled.
I opened my eyes to see a woman standing on the stairs. She was wearing an elegant red dress. Her brown hair was curled, and she wore lipstick that matched her ruby-red dress.
“Bring her into the house.”
The two men grabbed me under the arms and dragged me toward the house. I tried to get my feet under me and keep up, but my knees scraped along the cement. Each man had such a firm grip on my arms, it felt like they would break them in two.
I tried to remember where I had seen the woman before. Even the house I was dragged through seemed like something I had seen on TV before. But I couldn’t place the woman or the house. Maybe if my body wasn’t in so much pain, I could concentrate and figure out what was going on.
My vision went out for a second. When I came back, I was strapped to a chair in a large office. Old books lined the walls. A large dark oak desk sat in front of me, and the woman from earlier sat behind it.
“Nice of you to finally wake up, Annabella,” she said.
“Sorry that me being beaten took time out of your day.” I didn’t see the blow coming from the left until it was too late.
“Jeremy, stop hitting her. I need her awake for this. When I’m done, I don’t care what you do with her.”
“It seems you know my name, and I don’t know yours.”
Her cold glare sent a shiver of fear down my spine. The man who kept hitting me smiled. But it wasn’t a smile that put me at ease. It made me scared of what he would do to me.
“I guess it doesn’t matter if you know my name. You won’t live to tell anyone what I did. My name is Isabella.” The name and her face seemed so familiar, but I couldn’t get the fog to leave my brain.
When I looked back at the woman behind the desk, the picture above her caught my attention. Once I saw the man she stood next to in the photograph, it clicked into place who she was, but I still didn’t understand why she’d had me beaten. I would bet she was also behind the few attempts on my life.
“Wh-what do you want?” I asked.
“For being a dumb movie-star blonde, you sure do know how to escape death. But you aren’t going to live through today.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. When I ran my tongue across my teeth, I tasted blood. “Why are you trying to kill me?”
“Like you don’t know.” Her words were laced with hatred. “Did you think you could get money out of us?”
“Money? Why would I want your money?” I tried to raise my hand to protect myself from another blow to the face, but my hands wouldn’t move since they were tied to the chair. The impact hurt just as badly as the last one had. It was getting harder to keep my eyes open. One was already swollen shut from being punched.
“I know you didn’t ask for money yet. Maybe you’re planning on going to the media with the story.”
I squinted my one good eye, trying to figure out what the hell this woman was talking about. “I don’t need your money. I’m in the press enough. Why do you think I want or need anything from your people?”
I should’ve asked John to come to the bathroom with me. I could tell he’
d struggled with the decision to let me go alone. Now he would never forgive himself for my death. I knew it would be coming soon. The woman in front of me may have been liked by the public, but she looked crazy. She wouldn’t get her hands dirty. The men next to me would be the ones to kill me. I just wanted to know why I was about to die.
The woman stood, placed her hands on the wood desk, and leaned forward. “You don’t have to act dumb. Your lawyer confirmed you received the DNA test and the letter from us.”
I closed my eye and let my head fall back. Nate and I had done that crazy DNA test together. He’d wanted to help me find my birth father even though I wasn’t sure if I was ready. We’d done the test and had the results sent to his law office. I remembered seeing the test on the counter at the house, but I’d never thought anything about it.
“Are you saying that Governor Jackson is my father?”
“Like you didn’t know. You had your lawyer contact us for a meet and greet. Luckily, I intercepted the call before my do-gooder husband heard about it. He would want to do right by you. You know what this scandal will do to his career?”
Scandal. Career. This was all too much. “I don’t want anything.”
The woman huffed and threw up her hands. “I can’t take the chance. My husband plans to run against Zack Turner. I can’t have this scandal sitting out here if he plans to win.”
My time was running out. The woman really thought I would ruin her husband’s chance of running for president. It was only a matter of time before she would kill me.
She looked at the man next to me. “Take her away and make sure you kill her this time.”
The guy to my left punched me again, and this time, the room went dark. I was going to die.
17
John
“Did you happen to see Annabella on your way over here?” I asked Gabriel.
He shook his head. “No. There was no one back there, and most of the lights were off. Are you sure she went back that way?”
Hacker Salvation: White Hat Security, Book 7 Page 12
