Pain bloomed in my abdomen and I fell to the ground, choking and coughing for air. I was barely aware of Roger wrapping his hands around me and picking me up, dragging me outside. My heels clicked a fierce staccato on the pavement and I struggled to stay upright. Breathing hurt incredibly badly and with every breath, new tears came to my eyes. As Roger dragged me along the pavement, I kept my head down. Even though I was already ashamed to be seen in front of my neighbors, this took it to a whole new level.
I heard the sound of a car door opening and before I knew it, Roger had tossed me inside the passenger seat. He picked up my feet and hauled them in the car. I tried to kick him but he reached in and put his hand on my breast.
“If you kick me, I’ll twist this off before you can scream,” Roger said in a menacing tone. Instantly, my feet dropped to the ground. Roger squeezed my breast through my blouse, making me cry out as pain racked through my abdomen. He shot me a wicked grin before closing the door and walking around to the driver’s side. I took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but as Roger pulled out of the apartment complex, I felt myself start to hyperventilate.
“Calm down, baby,” Roger said, his easy-going manner had apparently returned in a matter of seconds. “Calm down, we just gotta get in and get out, then you’ll be good. Got that?”
I nodded, trying not to show him how scared I really felt. “I’m fine,” I lied. “Just want to get this done with.”
“Who knows what kind of fun we’ll get up to in the future,” Roger said with a grin.
I felt sick to my stomach. “Can you pull over?”
Roger started laughing, a loud guffaw that filled the interior of the car. “What’chu wanna make me stop for, baby?” he asked loudly. “You gonna be sick?”
I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the seat, trying to breath normally. Finally, after a couple of torturous seconds, the wave of nausea passed. “Just keep going.”
Roger turned on the radio and hummed along as he drove the familiar roads to Tinder’s. I recognized all of the landmarks that I’d watched for on the bus, the different parts of town, the different signs. The giant statue of a bird that was on the corner by the shopping center. When we came into closer view, I felt the nausea return. I gripped the handle on the inside of the door, feeling my palms start to sweat.
Roger pulled into the parking lot of the shopping center and parked where he always did. When he pulled the key from the ignition, I reached to open the door but Roger grabbed my wrist, quick as a flash.
“Let’s get something straight here,” he said in a low voice. I was horrified to watch as he pulled a small, silver gun from one of his pockets. “If you try anything, and I mean anything, you’ll regret it. Got that? It won’t be you that I shoot, honey. It’ll be everyone else. You’ll be carted off to jail as an accessory to murder. That’s life, sweetheart. So don’t fuck this up.”
My heart jumped into my throat and my mouth was too dry to respond. All I could do was nod.
“Tell me you understand,” Roger said sweetly. “I need to know that you realize how important this is.”
“I understand that you’ll kill everyone if I don’t listen to you,” I said softly. A single tear escaped from my eyelid and rolled down my cheek; I wiped it away hastily before Roger could say anything. “I promise I’ll be good. I promise.”
Roger grinned, exposing his row of yellow teeth. “That’s what I thought, baby,” he said. “Now come on and give me some sugar!”
I winced as he leaned across the seat and pushed his cracked lips against my cheek. When he pulled away, I shoved the car door open and stumbled out onto the asphalt. My heels made me totter as Roger and I walked towards the store. Right as we got onto the sidewalk, Roger grabbed my hand.
“Baby, you look so beautiful today!” he said loudly. A couple behind us turned and stared. “What about giving me a kiss, just because you’re so happy to be mine?”
The staring couple tittered as I leaned in and gently kissed Roger on the lips, shuddering inwardly the whole time. Roger wrapped his arm around me and slid it down to my ass, squeezing firmly. I yelped and pulled away. Roger grinned.
“That’s more like it, baby,” he said quietly. As we entered the store, I reached down and grabbed Roger’s hand in my own.
“Show time,” Roger whispered in my ear. “Let’s do it right.”
Chapter Twenty Six
Roger hustled me inside before I could look twice at the couple who had been staring at us. He kept his hand firmly on my ass and gave me a little squeeze before pulling away.
“Remember how much you love me,” Roger said, grinning at me. He leaned in for a peck on the cheek and I felt my whole body stiffen. “Remember, baby, this is gon’ be fun.”
I smiled as he steered me towards the case featuring the most expensive engagement rings. There was a female employee behind the glass, and she smiled at us as we approached. She gave me a look of pity, and I wondered if she was thinking about how I slept with someone as sleazy-looking as Roger. Even in a suit and freshly shaven he still looked awful. He had the sick look of a junkie and he smelled like stale urine mixed with cologne. I shuddered at the thought of what it would be like to actually be with him.
“Hello,” the sales associate greeted us. “May I help you two out today?”
Roger turned to me and beamed. “You can start by telling my lady how pretty she is,” he said smoothly. “She always says that she’s ugly because she’s curvy! It’s terrible,” he said in a conspiratorial voice. Just listening to him made me sick. None of what he was saying was the truth, but I kept the smile plastered across my face without protesting. I knew he was doing this to punish me, and I couldn’t imagine how much worse it could get.
The associate looked flustered. “She’s very pretty,” she said automatically. “You’re gorgeous,” she repeated, facing me this time. I bowed my head.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. “Roger just gets so bothered when I put myself down!”
“Give me a kiss, baby,” Roger instructed.
“Right here?” I leaned away. “We’re in public!” I said in a loud whisper, swatting him on the arm, not nearly as hard as I would have liked to do. “Roger, no!”
He leaned in and pressed his foul, stinking mouth against mine. I shuddered in revulsion as he slipped his tongue into my mouth and pushed it around. When he finally pulled away, I wiped my hand with the back of my mouth.
“We’re very passionate,” Roger said. He leaned across the counter and batted his eyelashes at the sales associate. “Now, someone as gorgeous as you must have a special man in her life.”
“Oh,” the sales associate said, blushing. “I don’t know. Not right now. I broke up with my boyfriend a couple of weeks ago.”
Roger turned to me in mock surprise. “Baby, can you believe this gorgeous little thing doesn’t have a man?” He leaned forward and addressed the girl, “Now, if we weren’t getting married, we’d be taking you home with us for a little fun,” he said. “Isn’t that right, baby?”
My insides were burning with shame but I managed to giggle and look coy. “Of course,” I said, smiling at her in a way that I hoped wasn’t too creepy. “But honey, we are getting married,” I said, tapping Roger on the shoulder playfully. “And we’re here to look at rings!”
The sales associate seemed stunned into silence. “Oh, wow,” she said. “Congratulations, you two! That’s huge!”
“It is,” Roger said. “This little minx finally got me to settle down!” He winked. “Can you believe it? I’m almost forty, I never thought I’d meet the right one!”
“That’s so sweet,” the sales associate gushed. She was looking at Roger with hearts—rather, dollar signs—in her eyes. “Now, what kind of stone were we thinking?”
“Diamond,” I said. “Big, please. I love big jewelry.”
The sales associate nodded. She was practically salivating at the commission she could make on this. “Of course,” she said sm
oothly. “Let me know which tray you want to start with, and we’ll go from there. What ring size are you?”
“I don’t know,” I said, shrugging.
“That’s why we’re picking out a ring together,” Roger said smugly. “I want to be sure it fits on my darling’s finger the first time!”
The sales associate nodded. “You know, that is just so sweet,” she commented. “And so practical! I can’t tell you how disappointing it is to be proposed to with a ring that’s the wrong size.”
I giggled. “That must be embarrassing,” I said. “I’m so glad Roger here is being such a great boyfriend.”
Roger kicked me under the counter and I yelped. “I mean, fiancé,” I said, blushing. I turned around and gave Roger a quick glare. I knew that he hadn’t wanted me to use his real name, but it was the only thing about the situation that I could control.
The associate placed a glittering tray in front of me. Some of the diamonds were big, but mostly they looked like they were hovering around one karat.
“These are a little small,” I said sulkily. “I really want something gorgeous, like three karats. Do you have anything like that?”
The sales associate practically tripped over her feet. “Oh, yes,” she replied. “I’ll be right back. I’m just going over there,” she said, pointing towards the corner of the store. “We keep them in a special case, and I’ll need my manager’s key to pull the tray.”
“Thanks!” I chirped. As soon as she was gone, Roger grabbed me by the shoulder. His fingers dug painfully into my flesh and I cried out.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he hissed. “This wasn’t the plan!”
“I’m stalling, asshole,” I said under my breath. “Now get your hands off me! We don’t exactly look like we’re in love right now.”
Roger released my shoulder but not before squeezing me hard and making me cry out. “Behave,” he ordered under his breath. “What the fuck is taking that little cunt so long?”
“I don’t know,” I replied, glancing over. The girl was locked in an argument with the other sales associate. A chill of fear crawled down my spine when I realized that it was the guy I’d flirted with before, when I went to try on the necklaces. “Hey, it’s almost noon. I bet he’s telling her to go to lunch.”
The girl walked over with a pained expression pasted on her face. “I’m so sorry,” she said in the sweetest voice. “I actually have to take my break right now. My boss is so paranoid about getting sued,” she added. “I normally would stay, I promise, but I’m really getting kicked out.”
“That’s fine,” Roger said, smiling right back. “My woman and I can wait for you. We’ll just browse the store while you’re gone.”
The girl’s fake smile turned into a real one. “Oh my god,” she said. “Thank you so much! Wow, thank you! I’ll see you soon!”
“Have a good lunch,” Roger said. He smirked and slipped a hand down my back, squeezing my ass. I tensed up, but I was also getting used to his invasive touching. We watched as the girl walked to the back of the store and collected her things. She repeated our words to the male employee and then stuck out her tongue at him. On her way out of the store, she waved at Roger and grinned cheerily.
“That cunt thinks I’m actually going to give her a commission,” Roger spat. “Now, act fast.” He watched until she’d left the parking lot. When she was gone, I drifted to the other side of the store and pretended to look at some jeweled broaches under a glass case. The other person in the store checked his watch and sighed before walking out. In a matter of minutes, Roger and I were left alone with the male associate.
Roger pulled the gun out of his waistband and waved it around in the air. “Hey, you!” he called to the male associate. “Hurry up. Come on!”
The kid looked up from the screen of his smartphone. He had a finger in his nose and his eyes bulged out when they saw Roger. “Oh my god,” he said in a panicky, breathy voice. “Oh my god! What do I do?” I saw his eyes flickering downwards but Roger pointed the gun at the wall behind him and fired. Glass shattered and the kid dropped to his hands and knees, wailing loudly.
“Come the fuck on,” Roger said. “Get the fuck up. Come on!” He walked behind the counter and picked up the kid by the scruff of his neck, dragging him to his feet. The kid had his eyes screwed shut and he was whimpering loudly. The scene was surreal; I pinched myself on the arm to make sure I was really there. I felt sick to my stomach but my heart was pounding. In a way, it was actually kind of exciting. I shuddered as Roger got closer. I could tell the kid was really scared, and there was a strong scent of urine in the air.
“What do you want?” the kid wailed in a shaky voice. He collapsed to the ground and Roger reached down to grab him again. “Ouch!” the kid cried as Roger pulled his earlobe. “Let me go!”
“No,” Roger hissed. “Not until you help us. We want all the money in the safe in the back of the store and all of the most expensive jewelry.” He looked at me. “Go get those trays,” he said, pointing towards the back of the store. The expensive three karat trays gleamed unattended. “Bring them back!” he barked when I didn’t move as quickly as he wanted. “Now!”
His last command startled me into action. Quickly, I walked to the back of the store and grabbed the trays of jewelry. They were astoundingly beautiful, and I could only think about how I’d never see anything that lovely again. By the time I was back at Roger’s side, the kid was on his feet and shaking.
“Quick,” Roger ordered. The kid scrambled away and came back with a key. Roger jerked his head to the side, indicating for me to follow him, and we trailed the kid to the back of the store. He pushed a painting to the side and stuck the key in the lock, working it furiously.
“I can’t,” the kid whined. “It’s stuck!”
“You’re gonna be stuck if you don’t hurry the fuck up,” Roger hissed. “Come on!”
The kid trembled and pushed at the key in the lock, straining with all of his might. Finally, he grunted and heaved and the safe door swung open. I expected the inside would be filled with glittering diamonds and pieces of jewelry, but it was mostly plastic envelopes and cloth bags.
“Hurry up,” Roger ordered. He held a bag under the safe and the kid swept it from top to bottom. When the last plastic envelope had been collected, Roger turned to me and shoved the bag in my hands. “Go to the car,” he barked. “Now!”
I stumbled out of the store, clutching the bag to my chest. No one was looking at me, and I darted through the parking lot and climbed inside the passenger seat. Roger was right behind me, and he gunned the car out of the parking lot before I’d even had a chance to fasten my seatbelt.
I moaned and closed my eyes, leaning my head against the seat. My clothes were sticky with sweat and my damp hair was clinging to my forehead. I let out a long, low, shaky breath as Roger floored it in the direction of my apartment. Beside me, I could feel his excited energy radiating out in waves. Roger reached across the seat and grabbed my hand, shaking it in the air.
“We did it, baby,” he said smugly. “Can you believe we pulled that shit off?”
“I’m gonna be sick,” I said weakly, leaning against the door. The cool glass of the window felt good against my forehead. “I’m gonna die.”
I couldn’t believe that it was over, that he’d made me do it. The nausea waving through my body was only staved off by the fact that I wanted to melt into the seat. I knew that if I could have mustered the energy to look outside, I’d puke everywhere.
Never, never in my life had I been so disgusted with myself. Not when I was about to get evicted, not when Roger first told me he had the pictures, not even when Julia shamed me for being unsuccessful and lonely. Nothing compared to the feeling of knowing that I’d just thrown my life away. The store had cameras, I knew they’d find us. And furthermore, I was sure that the male associate would recognize me. After all, I’d spent almost an hour flirting with him last week, at Roger’s behest. If he didn�
��t recognize me, that meant he was an idiot.
I closed my eyes and put my head against the door, imagining a life in prison. I’d be held in some drab county jail until trial, which would be a blur for me. When I’d see photos of myself in jail, I’d think that I looked drugged. I could just imagine the circles under my eyes and my pale face as the judge read out my crimes. I knew that the court-appointed lawyer wouldn’t give a fuck about me, and she wouldn’t care that I looked like shit in court. When I looked out over the imaginary courtroom, I saw Julia crying and shaking her head. No, I wanted to tell her. No, it wasn’t me. I’m not like that!
Thief: Devil's Own MC Page 19
