“Oh!” she exclaimed, “How exciting! You’ll have to let me know if you find anything. I would just love to be one of those girls who chases around a food truck on Instagram. They always seem so chic.”
I fought back the urge to roll my eyes as I smiled back at her and slid the check across the counter. She looked down and her eyes grew wide. “Boy, you weren’t kidding. Are you sure? That seems like an awful lot of money to be carrying around.”
“Don’t worry, I can take care of myself. Is there going to be a problem? Unless I’ve done my books wrong, this shouldn’t make a big dent in my account.”
She sheepishly looked up my information on the computer and nodded her head. “No, you are right. You’ve done great business since you’ve opened. I would just hate to see you get robbed or something like that.”
I ground my teeth together. The hormones in my body were running wild and making my hand twitch. I wanted to smack the nosy smile from her face, but I knew that would cause a scene. Plus, according to all of Mary’s research, it was probably just hormones. Deep down, I knew that Patricia really was only looking out for my well-being. The plan had taken some time to put into motion, but today, I was going to make a run for it. I’d waited around for Peyton long enough.
I took a deep breath and put my hand on hers. “I promise it’s not a big deal, Patricia. I’ve been in this industry long before I ever moved here. Where I come from, cash is king. A seller will take my lower offer with cash in hand more often than he will wait around for a higher price he can get from someone who must get a loan.”
“Oh,” she said as her eyes lit up. “Wow, I guess I never thought of it that way.”
I exhaled slowly as I watched the danger pass. It was one thing to sweet-talk her into not sharing the gossip, but her elderly manager was another thing. That bitter woman always seemed to have a vendetta against me. If she knew, I wouldn’t make it past the front door without the whole town knowing the gossip of how I was pulling out big chunks of cash. It was a gamble, but one I had to take. I didn’t want to risk one of my guards picking up news that I’d been pulling out a steady flow of cash over the last twelve days or so.
“Can you keep this between us?” I added for safe measure. “I don’t want to get the whole town excited over the idea and then come back emptyhanded. That wouldn’t look too good for either of us.”
“Right,” she said as she carefully counted out the money into a discreet banking envelope. “Well, good luck. You’ll have to let me know if you find one. How exciting!”
I smiled and thanked her as she handed it to me and I swiftly tucked it into my purse. I had closed shop at five that night, like usual, then made it to the bank right before they closed a half hour later. Everything was going as planned. Now I needed to get home and pack up my things. My phone rang and I quickly answered it as I got into my car.
“Hey,” Said Mary in a chipper tone. “Are we still on for tonight?”
“Yep. I am going home to get a few things and then I’ll be over. We haven’t done a movie night in months. I need to just get drunk and forget about my problems.”
She laughed. “All right, I’ll see you in a few hours. I’m going to the liquor store now.”
“Great!” I happily said before hanging up.
My heart sank a little at the deception, but it was the only way. I’d watched my guards. Ever since they’d found out that I knew about them, they were less discreet. None of them ever approached me, but I could see them looking out for any dangers around me from a distance. The only time they ever took a break was when I was with Mary. They must have done a thorough background check on her before letting their guard down.
As soon as I parked my car at her house, they would disperse and do whatever it was that bodyguards did in their off time. Probably checking in with Kane or even Peyton. I hadn’t heard from him, and it broke my heart, but I pushed through. There was too much at stake for me to let my heart control what happened next.
I milled around inside my house for a while. I’d had my bag packed for almost a week now. The only thing that I’d needed was the opportunity and the money. Now I had both. After an hour, I gathered up my things and went through the house. I shut off each light, trying not to let my emotions take control as I realized I was leaving my home for the last time again. A new start would do me good, or at least that’s what I forced myself to believe.
I reached the front door. Carefully locking the door behind me, I made a mental note of the man on the motorcycle positioned down the road in a turnoff that I would pass to get to Mary’s house. There were normally two of them. As I drove away, I saw the other one waiting for me just as I pulled into Mary’s driveway downtown. The two men disappeared as I slipped into her house.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
I nodded. “Yeah. I just don’t feel very good. I thought it was just the baby at first, but now it’s starting to feel more like a cold.”
“Uh oh. Do you think you need to go see a doctor?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No. I think I just have a little flu. I don’t want to ruin our night, but I think I’m going to run to the store and grab something for my stomach.”
“Sure,” she said, a little concerned. “Just give me a few minutes to get dinner in the oven and I will come with you.”
“No!” I said adamantly. “You already have dinner started. Finish it up, and by the time I get back, we’ll be able to eat and gorge ourselves on monster movies all night.”
“All right,” she said, still sounding unsure. “If you say so.”
“I do,” I whispered. I couldn’t let myself get caught up in an emotional farewell. If I did, then she would know that something was wrong. I needed to make everything look like it was just me running out to the store. Once she expected me back, I would already have some distance between us.
“I will see you in a few. Do you need anything?” I asked, choking back the waterworks.
She shook her head. “Nope! I think we are good.”
“All right,” I said as I slipped out the door.
I got into my car and headed in the direction of the highway. I hated myself for leaving and even more for sneaking away in the middle of the night like that, but there wasn’t any other way. Once I reached a steady speed, I looked down and set the alarm on my phone. I’d have to call Mary in less than an hour and tell her I wasn’t coming back. Kane had people tracking my phone and calls, so once I placed that call, I would officially be on the run again. Word would spread, and before long, Collins would know that I didn’t have any more protection. I would be a fugitive again.
When It’s Over
Peyton
“What the hell do you mean you’ve lost her? Jesus, didn’t you say that she was going to her friend’s house?” I hissed at him.
“I’m sorry, we thought that she was in for the night. She just vanished.”
“What about her phone—can you trace it?”
“Yeah, but she tossed it in a dumpster outside of town at a gas station. That’s as far as we got. She paid in cash and went north.”
“Stay on it. I will meet you there in a little bit. Let me know if you come up with anything else,” I said sharply as I hung up the phone.
Shannon’s wide eyes met mine as I slapped my phone down on the counter. “Is everything okay?”
I shook my head. “No. Rosa has made a run for it. I knew I should have gone there first.”
“Hey,” she said softly. “You can’t blame yourself for this. You had no way of knowing the bosses would keep you until Collins was dealt with. It was stopping here first or there, and you made a call.”
“Thanks, Sis,” I said warmly.
I couldn’t believe how much she had changed since I had been gone. I was still kicking myself for what had happened. The bosses, after deciding that they wanted to bring down Collins, made me stay with them until the whole thing was over. No phone, no contact with the outside world. It had been
Kane and one of his contacts who had kept me updated on Shannon and Rosa, but there was nothing else I could do about it. Shannon was back to her old sweet self and it was all because of Kane.
I saw the same look pass between them that I’d first seen when they met. Now it was stronger. Kane broke the gaze and looked in my direction. “Do you want me to come with you?”
I shook my head. “No. I want you to stay here. Maybe I can get Mary to give me her new cell number. If that happens, then I need you to track it. Shannon, though . . . it might make her stop for a second if she sees you. Do you mind coming with me?”
“Of course not! I would do anything for her. She risked everything to get that man away from me and get me back safely. This is the least that I can do,” she said.
“Great, let’s hit the road then,” I said to her as I dialed another number in my phone. “Mary?”
“Who is this?” she asked.
“Peyton. Listen. I need you to give me Rosa’s new number.”
“Hell, no. You broke her heart. Why would I want to help you?”
“Because I think she might be in danger. Please, Mary, there isn’t any time for me to get into this with you right now. I couldn’t call her. I was literally trapped, okay? Please just give it to me.”
She paused. “What kind of danger did you get her into? She said she was going home because she didn’t feel good.”
“That may be true, but I need to talk to her. Please just trust me on this.”
“Fine,” she hissed. “But I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing it for her. You’d better treat her right this time or I will hunt you down myself.”
I chuckled. “I have no doubt that you would. Thank you, Mary.”
My phone lit up. She had already ended the call. Seconds later, a message came through with a phone number and I forwarded it to Kane. We were racing down the road heading through town in Kane’s car. Shannon was silent, but I knew there was something more she wanted to say.
“Go ahead already,” I muttered.
“Aren’t you going to call her and tell her what’s going on?”
I shook my head. “I’ve already lost her trust. If I call her, all it’s going to do is make her get rid of the phone, and I will miss any chance at tracking her. The only way she is going to listen is if I am right there in front of her.”
My phone started to vibrate and Shannon quickly looked at it. “Then we should get there fast. She is stopped at a motel about fifty miles from here.”
My hands were shaking as I knocked on the motel door. Shannon was waiting for me in the car. I saw the curtains rustle before the door unlocked and Rosa opened it, glaring at me with distrust.
“What do you want?” she hissed.
“Rosa, you don’t know how good it is to see you, darlin’,” I stammered.
“I don’t know how you found me, but I want nothing to do with you, okay? Just leave me alone and stop leading Collins right to me.”
“Oh, honey,” I whispered. “Collins is never coming after you again. One of the bosses’ men shot him dead yesterday. He’s at the bottom of the ocean by now.”
Her eyes grew wide. “What? You mean it’s really over?”
I nodded. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t get ahold of you. The bosses took my phone. I couldn’t risk them tracking it back to you if I tried to reach out another way, but it’s all over now. Collins is gone and they’ve let all of us go. We are finally free.”
“All of us?” she asked.
I grinned and stepped aside so she could look out into my car. Shannon waved and stepped out. It didn’t take long before they reached each other halfway and embraced in a way only true family could. In that moment, I knew what real joy was. Seeing the two of them together melted every part of my hardened heart. I gave them a little bit of space as they cried and whispered to each other. Part of me was dying to know what they were talking about but I knew it wasn’t my place. Rosa would tell me in her own time.
When they broke apart and walked over to me, I couldn’t help but grin. Rosa was flushed but smiling as I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her into a warm embrace. She was my everything and I would never have to worry about losing her again.
“So, it’s really all over?” she whispered.
“I promise, darlin’, it’s nothing but smooth sailing from here on out.”
She blushed a deep red. “I wouldn’t say that. Being parents isn’t supposed to be easy. This one is already giving me a run for my money. I can’t seem to stop crying all the time.”
Shannon gasped. It took me a minute to catch on to what she was saying, but once I did, the color drained from my face. I was going to be a father. “Are you . . .?”
She nodded. “Yeah, I just found out a few weeks ago.”
“You mean, I’m going to be a . . .?”
“Yes, sir,” she said playfully.
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat growing. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I would find a woman whom I adored, someone to have my children and grow old with, but there I was, swinging her around in my arms as she laughed carelessly. I set her down carefully and gazed into her eyes. I didn’t need anything else in the world but to know that she was mine for the rest of our lives.
“I love you so much, Rosa,” I whispered to her.
She took my face in her hands and smiled. “And I love you, Peyton.”
Our lips found each other and we got lost in the warm embrace of our love. It had been too long since I had felt her flesh burning against my own. All at once, the desire that had been locked away for weeks came roaring from its cage and demanded to be sedated. I broke away from Rosa, struggling not to drag her into the hotel room without another word like some caveman. I quickly fished around in my pocket until I found my keys and tossed them to Shannon, who was standing off to the side in a state of shock.
“Can you drive yourself back to Kane? I bet he misses you already.”
She blushed. “I think I can find my own way. I take it you two will be riding home together?”
I grinned. “I think so. We might stay the night though.”
Without another word, I pulled Rosa into the hotel room and locked the door behind me. Something about knowing she was carrying my child was driving me to the brink of insanity. I carefully carried her to the bed and set her down. Tonight, I was going to take my time with my wonderful flower. I was going to show her just how much I missed every part of her sweet body, from her salty skin to her sweet nectar. Our love story was just getting started, and I was going to take my time making her my queen.
Guilt
Peyton
I slowly peeled away her clothing, her skin radiant as I kissed every part I exposed. She lay back against the bed and let me shower her in my sweet love. My throbbing cock begged to be freed, but I needed to know that no part of her was hurt after going so long without seeing her. She pulled her shirt over her head as I unsnapped her bra. Now I could see that her breasts were slightly larger. The nipples stood erect, just waiting for my lips to capture them. I didn’t wait as I flicked my tongue across one nipple while my fingers carefully rolled the other back and forth between them.
I could tell that she was sensitive to the touch, and I was gentle with her even though I was dying to mount her like a wild stallion. I trailed down her body, pulling her panties down past her knees and parting her legs to take in her sweet aroma. It was an aphrodisiac for me when I saw her glistening with moisture when I hadn’t even touched her yet. My tongue flicked into her wet body and she quivered in my arms. Her chest heaved up and down as I skillfully worked her body.
Even though I tried, I couldn’t stop myself from climbing up onto the bed just as she was about to climax. I knew that she wanted my cock. She was just as wild as I was. When our eyes met and she bit her lip seductively, I slid my long shaft into her tight form and shuddered with the sheer pleasure of her body, wet and hot, as it spread apart for my shaft. She wiggled back and
forth when I didn’t move right away, and I couldn’t help but let out a dark little laugh.
“You want it, don’t you, baby?” I asked her.
Rosa nodded her head. “I always want it. Pound me, Peyton. Long and hard. I want to scream out your name.”
I gave her what she wanted, thrusting my rigid cock into her shuddering frame and watching her chest suck in a sharp breath. Her eyes squeezed closed as she flexed her muscles on my dick. I pulled out of her slowly, and she started to breathe again right before I rammed into her once again. We played the game of cat and mouse for some time before I finally gave in and collapsed on top of her. She shuddered as I pounded my cock into her snug body. Her legs wrapped around my waist as we both rode our pleasure until the peak started to rise.
When our bodies could hold no more and sweet release crashed over us, I rolled her onto my chest. She bounced up and down on my shaft until there was nothing left of us and then collapsed onto me. I stroked her hair as we struggled to catch our breath together, the need now sedated, at least for a little while. She wiggled against me, slipping down to lie on the bed next to me while her arms stayed wrapped around my chest.
“I never want to let you go again,” she whispered.
“And you never have to, sweetheart. I’m sorry that you were left alone for so long,” I whispered.
“You don’t need to apologize. I know it wasn’t your fault. I should have trusted you and stayed in town, but I was so worried about Collins and what would happen to the baby if he’d already found you and was coming after me. I just let my mind get carried away.”
“Hush, now. You did what you thought was best to survive, and I won’t ever hold that against you, but it’s all over now. We don’t have to worry about Collins or anyone else coming after us.”
Dangerous Indulgence Page 11
