by Alexa McLean
“I see...” My mind whirled trying to keep up with the chain of events. “Kidnapped.”
“Did they do anything to hurt you?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Still, let’s get you to the paramedics. They’ll make sure you’re okay.”
I nodded. He helped me along the way, supporting me with his body. It was only then that I realized my own fatigue. It felt like I had run a marathon. Every muscle in my body was sore and unresponsive.
Back at the house, police cruisers and ambulances surrounded the building. I was hoisted onto the back of an ambulance where they checked my vitals. “Do you remember what happened to you?” One paramedic asked.
“Not really. Once second, I was helping Tina –”
“Tina?” He interrupted.
“Mr. Butler’s ex-wife.”
“She was with me.”
“Where?”
“In some sort of mining shaft. I think she stayed there. Too concerned with collecting jade.” I shook my head.
The paramedic relayed the information to the officers.
“Any pain?”
“No.”
I sat there as they probed every inch of my body. “Where’s Roy?” I asked abruptly. I was worried about him. When he went after Larry, my stomach had tied itself into a knot. He was gunning to get himself killed and I feared the worst.
“They’ve brought him into custody.”
“Custody? Why?”
“Standard procedure. Our officers caught him fighting the intruder. They’ll probably write it off as self-defense but for now, they have to keep him in custody until things clear up.”
“I want to see him.”
“I suggest you rest first.”
I shook my head and rose to my feet. “No, I need to see him. Now.”
THE POLICE STATION was a deeply depressing place. With stone walls and a bleak interior, I shivered. Goosebumps rose along my arms. The hair on the back of my neck stood on edge.
“Um... I’m looking for Roy Butler...” I approached the front desk. It was so high that I was forced to stand on my tippy toes.
The woman sitting behind the counter looked up from her magazine, pressed her lips together, and shook her head. “You haven’t been here before, have you?”
“No...”
“Helpdesk is on the other side of the building.”
“Oh...” I dropped back down, ready to walk away but she stopped me.
“But, I’ll cut you some slack this time around. Just follow me.” She got up and started down a narrow hallway. I followed her, keeping close. The last thing I wanted to do was get lost in a place like this.
Soon, we arrived in a large room. Tucked in the corner was a cage-looking structure. Thirty or so men were trapped behind the large steel bars. And one of those men was Roy...
I spotted him sitting on a bench, head hanging low. At that moment, I couldn’t stop myself from rushing forward.
“Roy!”
He looked up and his eyes lit up the second he saw me. A bright smile flashed across his face, stretching from ear to ear. It made my heart skip a beat.
“Kylie! What are you doing here?”
“I heard you were taken into custody. I had to make sure you were okay.” He reached for my hands through the bars. Our fingers locked together. My chest tightened like I was just about to burst into tears but I held them back. I didn’t want to cry – not here at least. “Is there anything I can do to help?” I glanced at his situation. It didn’t look good. I wouldn’t want to be in that holding cell even if someone paid me a billion dollars.
“Yes.” He looked into my eyes before resting his hands on my cheeks. Gently, he rubbed his thumb against my skin. “I want you to go back to the house and get my bail money.”
“Bail money?” I asked.
“Yes. I want you to go into my safe. There should be enough there to get me out of this mess.”
“But, are you really sure you want to do that.”
He nodded. “I trust you.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I accused you of stealing from me. I didn’t know. I was just so scared of having you use me that I jumped the gun and I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me.”
“Roy...” I whispered. “Do you really mean that?”
“Yes. I know, deep down, that you’ve changed so I’m going to trust you. Do you think you can do that for me?”
“Yes.”
ABOUT AN HOUR LATER, I returned with the money. I’ll admit, it was a little tempting holding that big wad of cash in my hand. He probably wouldn’t have noticed if I snagged a couple of hundred from the stack but those days were gone. I wasn’t about to fall into my bad habits.
“Um, I know this isn’t the help desk but where would I go to bail someone out of jail.”
The woman behind the counter clicked her tongue together. “You must love whoever’s in there.”
I blushed at her words. Love.
After so many failed relationships, I didn’t think I would ever get to a point where I could love someone. And yet, I knew, deep in my heart, that was exactly what had happened. In a short amount of time, I had fallen in love with Roy Butler. Maybe I had loved him all along...
The woman brought me over to another desk where I was instructed to sign a million and one papers. Jeez, at this rate, my hand was bound to fall off.
“Alright. That should be it.”
“Thank God,” I said. “I thought that would never end.”
The guard chuckled. “Right this way.” We returned to the holding cell. There, the guard pulled out a large ring full of keys and sorted through them until he found the right one. When the door opened with a loud creak, he beckoned Roy to step forward.
As soon as he was outside the bars, he rushed forward and took me into his arms. He squeezed me so hard I thought I would snap clean in two.
Eventually, he eased his grip only to lean down and kiss my lips. I melted into his embrace, heart pumping fast. I tangled my fingers into his hair, pulling him close. I knew, in that instant, that I never wanted to let him go.
The kiss continued, growing hotter and hotter. Neither one of us cared that we had an audience of inmates. All that mattered was that we were together again.
“Ahem.” The guard cleared his throat to get our attention.
We pulled away. My cheeks felt like they were on fire. “Right.”
“Am I free to go?” Roy asked.
“Yes. You’ll get a letter in the mail noting the date of your court appearance. You’ll be in big trouble if you decide to skip it. So, don’t do that.”
“Oh, trust me. I’ll be there. I want to see Larry’s face when he’s sentenced to jail.” He spoke with venom in his words. Roy wasn’t playing around.
In a way, I almost felt bad for Larry. He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the toolbox and his biggest mistake was messing with a billionaire that knows how to hold a grudge.
“But, we’re not going to worry about that right now.”
“Hmm?”
“I’m starving. Let’s eat!”
Chapter 16 (Roy)
“Where are we going?” Kylie looked over at me.
We were in the back of a cab, headed toward downtown. I wasn’t much of a fan of the city but since we were already here, we might as well take advantage of it.
“You’ll see,” I whispered as I ran my fingers through her hair. “Why don’t you rest a while before we get there?”
“I’m not tired.” She protested.
Still, I guided her head onto my chest. “I’m sorry about everything that happened. You shouldn’t have gotten dragged into this mess.”
“It happened. There’s nothing we can do about it now.”
“Still, I feel horrible.” I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her close. All I wanted to do was keep her safe from all the evil in the world. I wanted to keep her by my side until the end of time.
“I’m just glad you’re okay.” She rested
her hand on my thigh. “That’s all that matters.”
“You could have gotten hurt.”
“But, I didn’t.”
“I can’t believe he had you kidnapped.”
Kylie shook her head. “But, what I don’t understand is how he managed it.”
“Bribed some of my men.”
“How do you know that?”
“It has happened before. Hard to find reliable employees these days. People will betray you in a heartbeat so long as money is involved.”
She took my hand and squeezed it tightly. “I want you to know that I would never do that. I don’t want your money, Roy, all I want is you.”
At that moment, everything clicked. For once, my life felt like it made absolute sense. This was the woman of my dreams – the one I had been waiting for.
I took her face in my hands and kissed her. Our lips locked together, becoming one. Her sweet perfume wafted up to my nose. It was intoxicating. I kissed her harder, my tongue slipping into her mouth, tangling with hers.
“Mmm...” She moaned softly.
The sound alone was enough to turn me on. My member sprang to life and if we weren’t in the back of a taxi cab, I probably would have made a move.
“Ahem.” The driver cleared his throat to get our attention.
Kylie pushed away, cheeks red as tomatoes. God, she was adorable.
“We’re here.” He announced.
I reached into my wallet and handed him a substantial tip.
His brows rose along his forehead as he held the money in his hand. “Sir, this is too much.”
“No, it’s just enough,” I said with a wink before getting out of the car. I offered Kylie my hand.
“So, where are we?” She asked.
“My favorite place to eat.” I grinned.
She turned around and saw the local pizza parlor I was pointing to. “You know, I expected a five-star Italian restaurant or something but I’m not even mad. I haven’t had good pizza in a long, long time.”
“Oh, Mario’s is the best in town. They sell pizza by the slice and it’s only a buck.”
“Wow, that seems like quite the deal.”
“It is.” He laughed. “I usually end up paying a hundred for them because I think they’re that good.”
“The owner must love you.”
“Oh, he does.” I stepped forward and held the door for her. “After you.”
She smiled and that smile shot right through me. It pierced my soul. My knees knocked together as my legs turned to jelly. This woman was gorgeous. She was a goddess by all definitions of the word and she was here, with me.
Now, most people think that I could be with anyone and that’s true. Money can buy you a lot of things – even a partner – but I needed luck to find a woman like Kylie.
“Roy! I haven’t seen you in a while! How have you been, my boy?” A heavy-set man with a flour-covered apron around his waist walked up to me and slapped my back. He did it with such power that I went flying forward.
Kylie giggled.
“And, who’s this? You never bring any lady friends here.”
“She’s special,” I said as I wrapped my arms around her shoulder. “Today, I learned that she means a lot to me. Which is why I brought her here.”
Mario nodded his head. “Ah, I see. I see. You wanted her to try my world-famous pizza!”
“I did! I couldn’t possibly convince her to be my girlfriend without bringing her here first.”
“Once she takes a bite, she won’t be able to say no.” Maria laughed, the sound echoing through the entire restaurant. “Take a seat. Take a seat. I’ll have a fresh pie out in no time.”
I nodded. “Thanks, Mario. I owe you one.”
“I know you’ll pay the bill.”
Once we sat down at the table, Kylie looked at me with this curious expression on her face.
“What?”
“Did you mean that?”
I called over the waitress. “Did you want anything to drink?”
“Um, a soda is fine.”
“Make that two.”
“Roy.” She said once the woman was gone. “Did you mean that?”
“Mean what?” I played innocent.
“That you wanted me to be your girlfriend?”
“Of course.”
Her cheeks reddened, the color traveling up to her ears.
The waitress returned with our drinks.
Kylie grabbed hers and took a sip, avoiding eye contact.
I took her other hand and gently ran my thumb against her skin. “Kylie, after everything that happened, I know that I care about you – deeply. I get that we’ve only spent a short time together but even in that short amount of time, I’ve grown fond of you. I wanted to get to know you better, to have adventures with you, to laugh with you.” I paused and gazed into those beautiful green eyes of her. “That is if you let me.”
She hesitated.
My heart tightened. I never really considered rejection as a possibility. I thought for sure she felt the same way about me that I felt about her.
“I’d like that but not right now. Let’s give it some time before we make it official.”
“So, I still have a chance?” I asked, raising an eyebrow in question.
“Yes, you still have a chance.”
“Good because I’m not going to stop until I make you mine.”
“Persistent, huh?” She grabbed a napkin and folded it in half diagonally.
“Of course, I always get what I want in the end.”
“And, you’re trying to say that you want me?”
“Yes.”
“Out of all the woman in the world, you want me?” She was still folding the napkin. I watched her nimble fingers until the paper transformed into a swam. “They say if you make a thousand of these your wish will come true.”
“How many have you made?”
“One.”
I laughed. “Looks like you have 999 more to go if you ever want to become Mrs. Butler.”
“Whoa, hold on there, buster. A second ago, we were talking about dating and now we’re talking about marriage? I’m sorry but I think you’re incredibly handsome and from what I’ve seen, incredibly smart, but I don’t want to rush into anything and then regret it later.”
Her response pleased me. Other women would have jumped at the opportunity but not Kylie. She was smart enough to test the waters beforehand.
Mario returned with our pizza. He placed it on the table and winked before leaving us be.
“Well, here’s the moment of truth!” I said as I grabbed a slice. As always, Mario had loaded on the cheese and melted it to absolute perfection. As I pulled it onto my plate, strings of cheese clung to the pie.
“That looks so good...” Kylie moaned as she just stared at it, looking like she was too scared to touch it.
“Well, go on, have a slice. It’s not going to magically disappear if you touch it.”
“I know. I know.” Finally, she grabbed a slice. I watched her as she took her first bite. Immediately, her eyes widened with surprise.
I smiled. I knew the feeling. Melty cheese combined with the perfect amount of spices and herbs. Plus, not to mention the irresistible thin crust that crunched with every bite.
She swallowed with a look of euphoria on her face. “Oh. My. God.”
“Good, huh?”
“More than good. That has to be the best pizza I’ve ever had in my entire life.”
“Told you.”
“SO, TELL ME, HOW DID you get into the jewelry business?” She asked.
We had finished our pizza and now we were just enjoying the parlor’s quiet atmosphere to get to know each other a little better.
“My mother used to own a little boutique. She handmade all of her jewelry but she didn’t have much success. My father was in charge of marketing but most of the time, he was just getting drunk at the local bar.”
“That’s horrible.”
“When I was ol
der, I started helping her. I didn’t like making the jewelry but I liked drawing them. I’d come up with new ideas and she’d make them.”
“I see.”
“Mhm. That’s how I started off.” It felt a little strange telling her my story. Most of the time, I’d explain my origins to a room full of people or during an interview but never in a personal one-on-one situation. “What about you?”
“Well, as you know, I’m a blogger by trade. Went to school and got my degree in English. Tried being a paralegal for a while but that was boring. Couldn’t stand it.”
I grinned, eyeing her up and down. “Although, I wouldn’t mind seeing you in a pantsuit. I bet you’d look fantastic.”
She rolled her eyes. “Never again. Those things are so suffocating.”
“Well, you can put one on and I can just rip it off.”
“Don’t even get me started. We’re in the middle of a pizza parlor.”
“It’s getting late. Why don’t we head home?” I pulled out my wallet and paid the bill. Before heading out the door, I waved at Mario through the kitchen window. “See you around, Mario!”
“Bye, Roy! Come again! And bring the girl!”
“Oh, I will.” I took Kylie’s hand. I was about to hail a taxi cab when I spotted a young man leaning against his bike. It had a beautiful black frame, chrome handlebars, and a sick paint job.
“What is it?”
“See that guy over there?” I pointed.
“The guy near the bike?”
“Mhm.”
“He just reminds me of my earlier days. When I was a teenager, I had a rebel period where I worked for a mechanic shop. Used to ride around on a bike just like that one. My mother hated it but I thought I was the coolest kid in town.”
“I’ve never been on a motorcycle before.”
Hearing her words, I knew I had to remedy that. No future girlfriend of mine was going to be a bike virgin. Without an ounce of hesitation, I walked up to the man and complimented his bike. “You’ve got a sick ride here.”
He smiled. “I do. Just got her from the shop.”
“How much did you pay for her?”
“A pretty penny.”
“Would you consider selling her off?”
