by LK Collins
Picking it up, it’s still connected. “Baby,” I choke out and am rewarded with her sweet voice.
“Micah?” she asks panicked. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” I lie, hitching myself up against the wall.
“What happened?” she asks.
“Moretti sent some of his men with a message. Are you okay?” I ask her.
“Yeah, I am,” she says. “How did he find you?”
“You got me, I slipped up somewhere.”
“Fuck, baby.”
“You’re probably right that it was when I called Tomas.”
“God, I’m so sorry,” she says. “What’s their message?”
I don’t even want to tell Nat or drag her into this. But they threatened her and her family too, so I know I have too. We have to do this together. “He wants fucking twenty million dollars in the next twenty days, or…” I can’t finish.
“Or what?” she whispers.
“They’ll kill us and…”
“And what?” she orders.
I hate to repeat what they’ve said. “They threatened everyone that’s our family.”
“Michelle?” she blurts out.
“Not directly, I’m hoping they still don’t know. But the threat has left us with no choice.”
“Jesus, Micah. Do they know where I am?”
“I’m sure they do.”
“I’m leaving now, I’m driving to Denver tonight.”
“What? No. It’s not safe for you to be on the road alone.”
“I can’t wait here like a sitting duck.”
“I agree. It’s smart to stick together, but you have obligations there. What about the Cohens?” I ask.
“I’ll handle them.”
“Are you sure? I can do this alone and send you somewhere remote.”
“Absolutely not, Micah, we’re doing this together. I will not risk being away from you now that they’ve found us.”
“Okay. I’ll send Rocco with the jet. Pack everything that means anything to you and drive to where you dropped me off at the airport. He’ll meet you.
“Okay, how long ’til I should meet him?”
“I’ll call you back.”
“Okay. I love you, Micah.”
“I love you too, baby. I’m sorry I didn’t stay away,” I tell her knowing that I’m the reason this happened.
“Don’t ever apologize for finding me – ever. Okay?”
“Okay.”
We hang up and I pull my pathetic ass off the floor. I’m on a mission to get Nat here safely. Locking my front door, not that it matters, I dial Rocco, and he answers on the first ring.
“Mr. Brown, how can I help you?”
“Can you head back to Seattle?”
“Sure, I’m still at the airport. I was just finishing up my post-flight inspection. How long ’til you’re here?” His question catches me by surprise, but I instantly know getting Natalene myself is what’s best.
“Twenty minutes?”
Looking at myself in the mirror, my face is fucked up. I splash some water on my cuts, and damn, it burns. Holding a towel against my skin to wipe some of the blood off, it’s red when I pull it away and it pisses me off. Tossing it to the floor, I stay focused, moving to my closet. Grabbing a hat, sunglasses, and a hoody, I throw them on before getting in my car and driving to meet Rocco.
I text Nat at a light, then drive as fast as I can. Twenty million dollars – fuck, that’s a lot of money. How am I going to be able to come up with that much? We only took five million from him, but knowing how well Nat and I work together, I know we’ll be able to figure something out. We have to. Our lives and the lives of those closest to us depend on it.
A text comes through my phone from Rocco. Flight plan cleared, ready when you are.
Flooring my car, I drive as fast as possible. I have to get to Natalene before Moretti’s men do.
Staring into my apartment, I look around it one last time. Even though this place has never felt like home, leaving it is surprisingly hard. But I have to, I have to get away and stay away while I’m still safe, so I move forward, knowing Micah will be waiting for me when I land in Denver. Driving to the airport, I do a mental run through of everything that I absolutely needed to handle in order to leave town. I called the Cohens and told them that my parents had an emergency and needed me back home. They more than understood and as much as it sucked lying to them, it was honestly better to leave the kids this way. If I’d had one final week with them, it would have made things worse, and probably would have put them at risk as well, which would’ve been completely unacceptable. I called my parents to tell them goodbye, before I embarked on a cruise with the Cohens. When they were surprised, I acted like I swore I had told them the last time we had talked. A fake cruise with the Cohens means no cell phone or email service for some time. It’ll let me get things figured out, because, I definitely couldn’t tell them that I’m back with Micah. Both of my parents hated him after he left me. Other than that, I wiped out my apartment, which was easy considering I’d always lived in a way that would allow me to run if needed. A text comes through my phone from Micah, Where are you?
Pulling up to a stoplight, I text him back, Just a few minutes away, everything still a go?
Yes, he sends me back.
Taking a deep breath, I make the last few turns before pulling into the back of the private airport. I park in the exact spot that I did with Micah and look around, then decide to text him. I’m here, should I just wait or go somewhere to meet him? A knock on my car window startles me before I hit send and I drop my phone. Looking up, I see Micah. He’s been badly beaten, but still smiles at me. My heart aches for him as he opens my door. I get out and hold him tightly. He winces from my grip and I loosen my hold.
“You came,” I whisper into his ear.
“Of course I did. The sooner I had you in my arms the better.”
Gently, I kiss his swollen lips. He kisses me back and then says, “Let’s get going, beautiful.” Looking around the lot to make sure no one is watching us, I pop open my trunk and unload the three suitcases that I brought with me.
Micah stares at me through his sunglasses and asks, “Your whole life fits in these three suitcases?”
I shake my head. “No, my whole life is standing in front of me. These are my just materialistic things.”
He kisses my forehead, taking two of my bags in his hands. I wheel one behind us as we walk to the plane. “Up you go,” he says gently, smacking my ass as I walk up the stairs to the small private plane. Inside there is a pilot in the cockpit and I wheel my bag next to the side that Micah has clearly been sitting in. Micah brings in my other bags then closes the door to the plane. “We’re ready, Rocco,” Micah says.
“10-4, prepare for departure, and welcome aboard, ma’am.”
I’m not sure what to say, so I just say, “Hi.” Micah sits next to me. “Who did you tell him that I was?”
“My girlfriend,” he says like it’s no big deal. I look at him with big eyes.
“He won’t say a word to anyone, don’t worry.”
“Can we talk about things?” I ask.
He shakes his head. I know right away that Rocco can be trusted, but not with too much information. Micah told me that this jet he owns with his business partners at the firm, so I’m sure he doesn’t want them to know that he owes someone a shit ton of money.
We are seated next to each other and he grabs my hand as the plane heads down the runway. He knows I hate flying – always have and always will – and the fact that this plane is small scares the shit out of me.
“Are you sure that it’s safe to stay here?” I ask Micah as he shows me around his house.
“We don’t have much of a choice. We need to be somewhere private to make a plan in order to get this money. A hotel doesn’t give us that security and the other home I own is in the mountains, so it’s too far for me to drive to work. And honestly I don’t think we need to worry ’til the tw
enty days are up if we can’t pay in full.”
“Are you going to continue to work?” I ask him.
“Absolutely, I have to keep making money.”
“Can you really make twenty million in twenty days?”
“No, but we’re going to need every cent from there that I can bring in.”
Heading back downstairs, I kick my shoes off and take a seat on his couch. His place it trashed from the break-in. There is still blood staining the floor and things knocked all over.
“So what’s the plan then?” I ask him, looking into his light eyes. He might be beaten, but his eyes are as loving as ever.
“I’ve been racking my brain, and I have around seven and a half, maybe eight million dollars in cash and assets that I can get liquid, if we sell everything. Cars, real estate, furniture…so we need about another twelve.”
“Jesus, that’s a lot of money.”
He wraps an arm around me and pulls me close. “It is, but it’s nothing that we can’t make happen, you know that.”
I begin to think about the life that we used to live, and it scares me to imagine doing those things again. But right now, we’re forced to go back to our old ways. Moretti might even want us to do this just to slip up and get caught so we rot in jail forever. “What do you have in mind then?” I ask nervously.
“Well, considering that we are only a two-person team and things are so different than they were ten years ago, I don’t think that we can start hitting places like we used to. So thinking outside the box, what would you do if you needed to come up with a ton of money fast?”
I think about his question for half of a second before answering. “I’d find the richest person in the state and hit them.”
“You still got it, baby.”
My hard cock throbs with every pump inside of Nat’s wet pussy. Her back is arched and her ass is firmly in the grasp of my hands. Losing myself inside of her in this moment is unreal. Every nerve is firing on all cylinders, filling me with pleasure. I’ve dreamt of doing this so many times over the years, but never thought that it would actually be my reality again, so I haven’t quite gotten used to it. Part of me is still afraid she’ll somehow vanish and I’ll be alone. Again.
She moans so beautifully as I pump my hips, her noises making my cock rock hard. My body is covered in sweat, and I tighten every muscle, holding on to my release, not wanting to let go, not yet.
“God, Micah, just like that,” she cries out in passion.
Milking my dick inside her, I reach around with one hand and begin to rub her pussy with strong pressure. She shoots upward so she’s kneeling but her back is against my chest and convulses in pleasure. I scoot down a little and fuck her vigorously. Taking her out of this world, I please her and pull out every last bit of her orgasm. My dick’s so hard knowing her pussy just came that I lose control, and my balls explode, releasing a violent burst. Tilting my head back, I grunt, giving her every last drop my cock can release. Gradually, my body stops reeling, but I continue to pump myself, ’til the pain of my injuries from being beaten hits me and I have to stop.
“What’s the matter?” Nat asks me.
“Nothing,” I lie. “I’m good.” Slowing down, I pull out of her and ease down on the bed.
She hovers over me and asks again, “You sure you’re okay?”
I kiss her lips and nod. She runs off to the bathroom. I can’t help but watch her ass jiggle on the way. The weight of what’s in store for us hits me suddenly and my body tingles with anxiety. I can’t imagine not having Nat here with me every day, especially when I just got her back.
She comes back and crawls into my bed. Opening my arms, I hold her to me and let out a deep breath. “Are you sure we can’t just run away?” she asks me.
I nod my head, and she knows damn well why we can’t. “Are you ready to talk about our plan yet?” Nat asks me point blank. After doing some research last night and figuring out what the best course of action is, I’ve got an idea. Yes, Denver has some millionaires, but finding the right one is hard, and the one my gut is telling me to go with has a bad reputation. I’ve been stalling telling Nat because of that.
“His name is Prestwell Evans…” I stop talking and look down at her finger spinning her ring around and around it.
She senses my uncertainty and says, “We don’t have to do this.”
“No, unfortunately we do, baby. You’re not going to like what I’m proposing anymore than I do, but we really don’t have a choice at this point. We need this money to save ourselves and our family. Hell, if we can do this, our dream of seeing Michelle could come true.”
“Or we could both end up dead,” she mumbles.
“No, Nat, don’t think like that. I won’t let it happen.” Trying to think of another way out, I come up with nothing. We have to do it this way.
“Why don’t we take your eight million and run away? I’m serious. We can change our identities again and move to a remote island where Moretti will never find us.”
I squeeze her hand then say, “But that means we won’t ever know Michelle; if we can pull this off, we’ll have a chance at a life with her, a real life where we are no longer on the run.”
“Maybe. But can you really trust Moretti to not kill us when this is all said and done?”
“Nothing in this life is guaranteed, baby. We might not wake up tomorrow, but for me, the safety of our family and us is worth it. Plus, I have a plan for dealing with him at the end of all this that will hopefully give us the peace of mind that we need.”
She seems to get my point. There is nothing else in the world she wants more than a life with our daughter. As challenging as what lies ahead of us is, we have to do it and she knows that. “Okay, so tell me what you know about this Prestwell guy.”
“I’m gonna need a drink to do this,” I tell her and get up from the bed. She follows suit, dressing in whatever she can find on the floor. Heading into the kitchen, I grab a new bottle of Scotch from the bar cart and notice a small amount of splattered blood on the side. Taking a wet paper towel, I wipe it off, flashing back to Moretti’s men threatening me and how much worse it could have been. They could have just killed me, which is exactly what I thought they would do. Thankfully, they didn’t, and now my mind is only focused on the money and keeping Nat safe, so one day I can be able to do the same for Michelle.
“Here you go, baby,” I tell Nat passing her a glass of Scotch over ice. Holding it in one hand, she hugs me with her other and rests her head against my shoulder.
Taking a sip, I stare out the long windows that overlook the city in the distance. “Prestwell is a bit of a…dirtbag.” My heart is pounding hard, but I keep speaking, knowing he’s a good option for us to get the money. “He’s in the oil industry and has quite the reputation as a womanizer.”
“Why waste our time with him?” she asks me coolly.
“Because someone as cocky as he is might just put down his guard long enough to be our ticket to some quick cash. Especially if you don’t give into him right away.” I take another swig of whisky, the liquor burning my throat. “Just be a…tease.” Bile rises in the back of my throat from the thought of her teasing another man.
“Okay. When do we make our move?”
“There is a function in a few days that I think will be the perfect opportunity to get to know him.”
I kiss her gently on the forehead and can tell that she is being strong for me by playing along with things. I know how hard this is for her; it’s just as hard for me.
“What will I need to do at the function?” she asks me.
I don’t want to speak the words out loud, but I remember why we are doing this. If we can’t come up with the funds, we’re dead and the ones we love too. “You’re probably better at thinking about how to make it happen than I am. You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, and when you walk into any room, men become distracted by you. Play hard to get with him. Make him want you.”
“Okay, so ma
ke him want me. How do I steal the money? I can’t take it in cash; it’s too much.”
“You’ll need to clone his hard drive from his main computer; I need everything on it. Then I should be able to work some magic and get funds into an offshore account, or impersonate him and request an exception to process a wire as if he’s out of the country or something.”
“God, Micah,” she sighs in exasperation. “I just wish there was another way to get the money, like something we could remotely do from here.”
“I know, baby, so do I, but for now this is our only chance unless you can think of anything else?”
She shakes her head, and I know that this will work. It has to. Yes, it will be awkward for the both of us, but we’ll get through it.
My phone rings, pulling me back to reality, and I answer the incoming call from my realtor. “Hey, Louis.”
“Listen, I have some…good news and some not so good news.”
“Okay,” I say dryly, not wanting to hear the bad news.
“We got a contract on the Aspen property, but they are offering two point six million which is four hundred thousand below asking price. I know it’s a big discrepancy, but it’s a cash deal and they can close without an inspection or anything.”
Fuck. Four hundred grand is really going to hurt us. But we need the money and I asked Louis to work quickly, which he did. “Do you think you can get more?” I ask, since he just listed the property this morning.
“Possibly yes, but not for all cash with no inspection. I’d take the deal, Liam. On the other hand, the good news is I sold your Cabo timeshare for ten thousand over asking price to one of the agents in my office. He owed me a favor.”
I take a deep breath. Honestly, it’s not the news that I wanted, but part of this process is liquidating as much as I can. “Do you think it’s worth countering on Aspen at all?”
“In this fast-paced market I wouldn’t. I worry we’d lose the deal.”
