High Stakes: A Dark Romance

by Roxy Sinclaire

  “We need to meet up with Reese and Abi at some point this evening. Our flights aren’t until midnight, so we have some time to kill. The other two are already in the city somewhere, probably spending their share of the money on shopping.”

  “I’m not really in the mood for shopping,” I said. “I just want to go somewhere and relax. I’d suggest a spa, but I probably can’t go with this thing.” I motioned to the giant bandage on my arm. The wound was throbbing, but I didn’t want to complain, especially after the great lengths Josh took to get me safely out of Ben’s grasp.

  “What if we went to a hotel and just had a short nap?” he suggested. “We could grab some dinner later and then go to the airport.”

  “Only one problem,” I said. “We can’t use credit cards, or the police will be able to track our location.”

  He smiled, squeezing my hand. “I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but there are some places that let you use cash only. Welcome to my world. It’s grungy and sketchy here.”

  I wrinkled my nose at the thought of a hotel that could be rented by the hour, but I agreed to book a hotel room for the rest of the afternoon. The place we found near the airport was shabby, but it was at least clean.

  We were trying to use Josh’s phone as little as possible, in fear that the police would glean some information from its use. In the hotel’s business center, he stood behind me as I scrolled through headlines on the Internet.

  I spotted my name a few stories down and clicked on the link. The article had, more or less, the same information as the news broadcasted on the radio did. However, this story said that due to the amount of blood found on the scene, the case was being investigated as a homicide. Ben, the prime suspect in the case, was being held in jail.

  “How does it feel to be dead?” Josh whispered to me.

  “Creepy,” I answered. “Do you think that people really believe I’m dead?”

  “If the papers are reporting it that way, then probably.”

  I sat back in the chair, thinking about how my friends and family would react to the news. Obviously, people would be sad, but they all had lives of their own. They would get over it eventually. I felt guilty about any pain that my parents would feel about my death. They needed to know that I was doing well.

  “I’m going back to the room,” I said abruptly. “Can you ask the front desk for a plain envelope with postage?”

  “Sure,” he said, giving me a questioning look. I liked how Josh was already accepting my requests without needing an explanation.

  Back in the room, I carefully tore off a sheet of paper from the hotel’s notepad and ripped the letterhead from the rest of the paper.

  Everything is better now, I wrote. There’s no need to search for me. I love you, and I’m sorry for any trouble this has caused you.

  I folded the paper into thirds and tucked it into the envelope that Josh brought me. Then, I took out my pearl earrings and dropped them in and sealed it shut. I addressed the envelope to my parents and set it on the desk.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, rubbing my shoulders.

  “Yes.” I sighed. “I think so.”

  “Everything will be okay. I know it,” he said, pressing his face to the back of my head.

  “I think so too,” I said, turning around to kiss him.

  He held me in his arms for a moment, and we just swayed back and forth. His embrace was far more relaxing than any five-star spa I had ever been to.

  “So,” I said, pulling away, “should I do something about this hair?”

  He grabbed the box of dye from the bag and tossed it to me.

  “I’m going to need some help,” I said. “I don’t know if I can reach this arm around the back of my head without splitting the cut open.”

  His eyes opened wider. He was clearly not used to doing this kind of stuff.

  “I mean, I guess I’ll try,” he said. “Don’t get mad at me if I mess it up.”

  I was pretty bummed out about having to color my virgin hair with a box dye, but Josh’s presence made the experience so much better. I loved how serious he was when he helped touch up the places I couldn’t reach.

  After I waited the twenty minutes for it to permeate my hair, I hopped into the shower to rinse it out. The water trickling out of my hair and onto the shower floor looked purple, and I was scared that it would look that way on my head. I wasn’t the type of person who could pull off crazy hair colors.

  When the water ran clear, I dried myself off and stepped out of the shower in the scratchy white towel.

  “What do you think?” I asked Josh, shaking my hair like a dog.

  His mouth dropped open in surprise and then grew into a smile.

  “God, you’re sexy.”

  “Really? I don’t know how I feel about it yet.”

  “Come here,” he said, sitting down on the side of the bed.

  I approached him, wrapping my towel tighter around my chest. I started to get the tingly feeling I got whenever I wanted him to touch me.

  His knees straddled my legs, and he rested his hands on my hips. He had this look in his eyes that made me weak at the knees.

  “What?” I giggled as he moved my hips ever so slightly.

  “You know exactly what.” He grinned, slowly tugging at my towel.

  “Let me turn the lights off first.”

  “No. Leave them on. I want to see every part of you.”

  I dropped my towel on the floor, revealing my body, much to his delight. He hastily unbuttoned his jeans and pulled them down around his ankles. I grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up over his head, straddling him.

  He kissed my neck as I ran my hands through his short, thick hair. My hands found their way to his muscular back and broad shoulders. His skin was so smooth and tight against his hard muscles. I couldn’t stop touching him, exploring every part of his anatomy.

  He slid his hand under me, feeling the moisture accumulating because of him. He hoisted my pelvis closer to his so he could enter me. As I gyrated on top of him, he stimulated me with his fingers, sending waves of pleasure through my body. I wanted the pleasure to last longer, but I climaxed quickly and powerfully.

  “Sorry,” I said after he finished. “I think I came too quickly.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about, babe,” he said, giving me a light slap on the ass. “You should have told me to slow down.”

  “I couldn’t,” I said, kissing his neck.

  “Me neither,” he responded.

  I pulled back the sheets and crawled under the covers, still nude. Josh joined me, and we lay face to face, our limbs intertwined.

  “Can I ask you something, Amanda?” Josh said quietly.

  The request made me feel nervous, like being called to the principal’s office. I didn’t know what he was going to ask, and I was scared it wasn’t something I wanted to hear.

  “Sure, anything.”

  “What do you see in me?”

  I stuttered, “W–what do you mean?” I wasn’t sure what kind of answer he was looking for.

  “I mean, why would someone like you drop everything to run away with me? I can see how hard it is for you to leave your friends and family behind. You’re basically faking your own death to come to Rome with me. I was just wondering if you’re completely sure that this is what you want.”

  “You’re not getting cold feet, are you? Do you not want me to go with you?”

  “It’s not like that at all. If it weren’t for you, I’d just go to Miami or somewhere where I can continue doing my old schemes. I want to be with you so badly, and I know that we can only be together if we’re away from the rest of the world. I can’t help but feel like you deserve someone better.”

  “I like you because you’re effortlessly cool. You’ve made some mistakes in the past, but deep down, I know that you’re a good person. I think the fact that you have a little edge to you is one of the reasons I’m so attracted to you. Most importantly, you’re kind and sweet to
me. That’s something I’ve never really had before. I don’t care what you’ve done in your past. I just want someone who wants to have a future with me.”

  He nodded and looked away from me bashfully.

  “While we’re on the subject, why do you want to be with me? You’re gorgeous, and you know that you can have any girl you want. Why are you letting me come with you?”

  “All my life, I wanted to have money. I grew up with nothing and dreamed that someday, I would be able to afford the lifestyle I wanted. Then I meet you, someone who has more money than she knows what to do with, and you’d give it all up to have meaningful life experiences. I respect that so much. You’ve completely changed my mind about what I want out of life.”

  “Is that a good thing?” I asked.

  “Of course it is. Being with you has made me reevaluate what’s important to me. If I wanted to, I could drive the expensive cars and party every night and sleep with models. But that’s not important to me anymore. I want a beautiful life partner I can have meaningful conversations with and explore new worlds with. I need someone who can be nurturing when I need it and rational when I’m falling out of line. I know that you could make me a better person.”

  “But I’m so naïve and inexperienced in life. I’m a huge pushover, and I get discouraged easily. I’d slow you down.”

  “I’m flaky and a bit pushy. I’m classless and uneducated.”

  “I don’t care about those things,” I said.

  “I don’t care about your things. I’ll protect you and stand up for you when you need it.”

  “And I’ll keep you grounded and focused.”

  “We’d make a perfect team,” he said, rubbing the side of my arm. “What one of us lacks, the other can make up for. Together, we’re like one fully functional person.”

  I giggled, kissing him on the cheek. “I suppose we really need each other then. It would be irresponsible to go on living without each other.”

  “It would be downright disastrous to go on alone.”

  I opened my mouth to say something, but the words wouldn’t come out.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” I said, feeling my cheeks getting red.

  “What were you going to say?” he asked, brushing a lock of hair out of my face.

  “I don’t even remember.”

  “Say it,” he whispered, his eyes twinkling.

  I took a deep breath. “I think I’m in love with you.”

  I cringed the second the words left my mouth. I had never spoken those words to a guy before, and I was afraid that I had said them too soon. Actually, I knew I said them too soon. I had known Josh for less than a week.

  “Is that so?” he said, a wide smile forming.

  I nodded, feeling so silly for divulging my deepest feelings for someone I had known for mere days.

  Josh looked me right in the eyes. “I know I love you.”

  “Really?” I squeaked, my eyes suddenly feeling moist.

  “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. If a girl can make me turn my life completely around for the better, then I can be sure that she’s the one.”

  I felt giddy, like I had drunk half a bottle of champagne. Josh loved me and I loved him. It felt so freeing to be able to share something so personal with him. I felt relieved, and so thankful that our paths had crossed that day at the pool.

  “When are Reese and Abi stopping by the room?” I asked.

  He checked the time on his phone. “In a few hours. Why?”

  I rolled over on top of him and gave him a peck on the nose. “No reason,” I said coyly as I kissed my way down his torso. “I just want to make the most of our hotel room.”

  Chapter 24―Joshua

  For the rest of the afternoon, we made love and snuggled up in bed together. For a girl who was a virgin when I met her, she had a sexual appetite that was nearly insatiable.

  “Damn, girl,” I said after the third time together that day, “I can hardly keep up. Do you think you’ll be this into me when we’re living together? I’d hate for you to get tired of me.”

  “I could never get tired of you,” she said. “You’re easily the sexiest person I’ve ever known, and you’re great in bed. I’m more worried that you’ll get tired of me and want to hook up with hot Italian women.”

  “Not a chance,” I said, shaking my head. “It’s only you and me from here on out.”

  “I really don’t want to, but should we get dressed?” she asked. “Reese and Abi will be here in twenty minutes, and I don’t think they want to see us in the nude.”

  “You’d be surprised,” I joked. I got out of bed and took a quick shower. It would be a long flight, and I didn’t want Amanda to be disgusted with me. I wanted her to see the very best of me at this point in the relationship. I didn’t want to scare her off before she was mine for good.

  Amanda gave me a dirty look before getting into the clothes I picked out for her. The black velour bottoms hugged her curves and showed off her perfectly rounded butt. The maroon sweater hung past her hips, creating the opposite effect of the pants.

  “I look ridiculous,” she said, sliding her feet into a pair of sneakers.

  “You look cute. Besides, that’s the whole point of a disguise. You’re not going to stand out in a crowd wearing that. Besides, you’re going to be more comfortable. I’m willing to bet that you’ll thank me for picking out this outfit during hour ten of the flight when you’re trying to fall asleep.”

  “As long as you think I look cute, I suppose it’s not so bad,” she said, tying her hair back into a ponytail.

  After we got dressed, we heard a knock on the door and both jumped. We were expecting Reese and Abi, but we could never be too sure. The thought of being caught by the police made me feel on edge.

  I crept toward the door and looked through the peephole. Sure enough, I saw Reese and Abi standing impatiently outside the door. I opened the door quickly and ushered them inside before anyone could see us.

  “How was your day in the city?” I asked.

  “It was nice,” Reese said. “We did some shopping, but we started to get a little paranoid with all the people around, so we ended up at a movie theater. Enough about us, though. What happened to you guys? I’m almost a little surprised that you guys managed to make it out of there.”

  “Once I got your call, I sped home and got Amanda through the back door. We grabbed our stuff and hightailed it out of there.”

  “That’s it?” Abi asked. “We’ve been hearing reports of blood. Did something else happen?”

  I looked toward Amanda. I knew that I’d cut her because it would help us in the long run, but I hated admitting that I purposely caused her harm.

  “We had to frame Ben somehow,” she said, lifting her sleeve to reveal her bandage. “It was to ensure that they would test for my DNA. We had to leave quite a bit to cause some concern and motivate the police to arrest him.”

  “Oh, my gosh,” Abi said, clamping a hand to her mouth. “Are you okay?”

  “It looks a lot worse than it really is,” she said, giving a weak smile. Her arm was wrapped thick with gauze, but I could still see some red coming through the white bandage. It made my chest hurt to see her in pain. I knew she was being tough for everyone, and it did make me feel better.

  “Thanks for taking one for the team. Make sure Josh is extra nice to you. You deserve it,” Reese said, patting her on the back.

  “Don’t worry,” she said, giving me a wink, “he is.”

  Reese smiled at me. I never really took the time to get to know Reese, but in this moment, I wished we’d had more time to hang out. I had always dismissed him for being a dirtbag like Ben (and myself, if we’re being completely honest), but he was a nice guy who cared a lot about Abi. It was too late now, though. They were headed off to Amsterdam, and we would probably never see them again.

  “Here are your passports,” I said, handing the two little blue books to Abi and Reese. They le
afed through the pages, making sure everything looked legitimate.

  “These are great,” Reese said. “Are you sure they’ll work?”

  “For the price we paid for them, they absolutely should. Besides, I trust Ryan. I helped him out of a tight spot once, and that sort of thing creates loyalty between people.”

  He smiled. “Just like double-crossing your asshole friend makes you closer to everyone else involved. I’m going to miss you, Josh.”

  “I’ll miss you too,” I said, shaking his hand.

  “Amanda,” he said directly to her. “I can’t apologize enough for all of this. I hope you can forgive us all someday.”

  “You’re already forgiven,” she said. “I don’t hold anything against you. You did what you needed to do to get by, and my life has forever been changed for the better because of it.”

  This was all getting too sentimental for me. I don’t know if it was because I had spent all afternoon in bed with Amanda or because I was leaving familiar faces and places behind forever, but I was starting to get emotional.

  “Do you have the plane tickets?” I asked, changing the subject.

  Abi handed two slips of paper to me.

  “One for you, one for Luna,” he said, using my fake name.

  “You guys are really good at planning things under pressure,” Amanda said, looking amazed. “You should do this sort of thing for a living.”

  “Help criminals flee the country and frame their friends?” Reese asked. “Don’t put these kinds of ideas in my head, Amanda. We’re trying to get away from that sort of thing.”

  “Right,” she said, smiling. “Forget I said anything.”

  “What are you planning on doing when you get there?” Amanda asked.

  “I think I’m going to do some writing. I’ll have enough money to afford my unemployment, and I’m feeling particularly inspired at the moment.”

  “Hopefully,” Abi chimed in, “I can find work at an art museum, or maybe even run my own gallery. If we get desperate for work, there’s always the red-light district.”