Sleight of Hand

by BJ Bentley

  I sat on the edge of the bed after breakfast and a shower, tossing the flash drive up in the air and catching it. I was trying to decide my best course of action. I didn’t think being upfront with Aleksander about the flash drive and what was on it was the wisest choice. It’s not like he was an upstanding citizen himself, and I didn’t know what he’d do with it. So, I decided to tuck it away for now, but I still had to figure out a way to get him to keep me around for awhile.

  “You should be in bed,” Aleksander said from the doorway just as I was making my way back toward the bed.

  “Heading there now. Nature called, you know?” I said as I made my way out of the bathroom. I felt Aleksander’s hands on my waist as I struggled to climb back into the enormous bed.

  Once I was situated against the headboard once more, Aleksander toed off his shoes and climbed in next to me.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Getting comfortable. You’ve got a story to tell, sparrow.”

  “Sparrow?” Was he giving me a nickname?

  He just shrugged. “Sing,” he commanded.

  Rolling my eyes, I began telling a version of the truth. “I may have pissed off someone who wouldn’t hesitate to kill me if he got his hands on me. Again,” I muttered as I looked away.

  “What did you steal?” he asked.

  “What makes you think I stole anything?” I asked with feigned offense.

  He merely arched one perfectly groomed eyebrow at me.

  “Whatever,” I mumbled. “Let’s just say it’s something he wants back. Like, really bad.”

  “Okay,” he nodded. “Who is he?”

  I chewed on the inside of my cheek instead of answering.

  Aleksander sighed. “Look, Bertie. You sought me out. You want my help. You’ve got to give me a reason.”

  Frustrated, I growled at him, “Look at me! You don’t think this is reason enough?” I demanded, waving a hand from my face to my torso indicating my injuries. “I came to you because I’m desperate, okay? I don’t expect to get something for nothing, but there are just some things…” I trailed off when I felt my throat start to tighten and tears pricked my eyes.

  He looked thoughtful for a moment before he said, “Okay.” He stood up from the bed and turned to face me. “But, you will tell me, eventually. I won’t stand for secrets, Roberta,” he said sternly. His eyes missed nothing, including my flinch. “I have to go out of town on business. You’ll stay here, in the condo.”

  I felt my eyes bug out of my head, but he held up a hand to halt my protest.

  “This building is secure. This condo even more so. And, you won’t be alone. Elaina, my cook, is here, as is Robert.”

  “Who’s Robert?”

  “Think of him as your bodyguard,” he said.

  When I looked at him uncertainly, he added, “You can trust him to keep you safe while I’m gone.”

  “Why can’t I just go with you? You’re probably going somewhere really glitzy, right? Like, Paris, or something?” Even I could hear the pathetic sound of begging in my voice.

  Aleksander’s lips twitched slightly. “You can’t go because you’re healing. You’re perfectly safe here. And, it’s Barcelona, for the record.”

  “Of course, it’s Barcelona.” I narrowed my eyes. “Couldn’t be somewhere not in my top five destinations in the whole world,” I said, my jealousy obvious.

  “I’ll take you to Barcelona another time,” he said with ease.

  Because men like him could just up and fly anywhere they wanted to at any time they wanted to. Must be nice to not know what it’s like to have to beg for scraps or worry if you were going to be raped or murdered while living on the streets. I could feel my thoughts going to that dark place and struggled to pull myself out. Aleksander was helping me, so I needed to shake off this bitterness and remember that things could be far worse than sitting in this immensely comfortable bed in this luxurious penthouse being cared for and protected by a wealthy and powerful man. When I was done kicking my own ass, I looked at Aleksander and nodded. “Okay.”

  He was suddenly in my face with his hands on the bed on either side of my hips. He leaned in close enough that his lips grazed mine. His eyes flared at my sharp intake of breath. “If you weren’t injured, I’d fuck you raw,” he growled. My eyes widened.

  “Wh- what?” I stammered. I knew he was attracted to me; I wasn’t blind. Or dumb. But his sudden change in mood threw me.

  His reply was to nip at my bottom lip once. Twice. The third time, he bit down so hard he drew blood. I gasped and drew back, but he followed me. With my back against the headboard, I had nowhere to go. His tongue snaked out and laved the blood from my lip. “You can take the time that I’m away to heal. When I get back, I’ll show you exactly what I mean,” he said, the promise in his eyes as well as his words.

  Chapter 5

  Aleksander

  I boarded the chartered jet and made myself comfortable in one of the overstuffed leather seats. Once we were in the air, and I had a drink in my hand, I opened a financials report on my iPad. I was going to Barcelona under the premise of acquiring a small manufacturing plant, but the real draw was the arms operation that the manufacturing plant fronted for. That’s where the real money was. It was also where the real power was. In controlling the weapons, one could control nearly everything else.

  “Is there anything else I can get for you, Mr. Magnus?” came the seductive purr of the flight attendant.

  I glanced at her name tag. “Sure, Anna. My cock could use a good sucking,” I said bluntly. It didn’t phase her any. It was exactly what she was hoping to hear. I let her unfasten my belt and pants and pull my cock out. I had already been sporting a semi thanks to Bertie, and now Anna’s strokes brought me to a full hard on. I let her work my cock with her mouth for awhile, but I didn’t feel like I was anywhere near an orgasm. That is, until I closed my eyes and pictured black, curly hair and black eyes set in bronze skin. I imagined her plump lips wrapped around me and immediately shot my load down Anna’s throat. She slowly pulled me from her mouth, licking up any extra fluid along the way. “Thank you, Anna. That will be all,” I dismissed her. She looked at me agape, and when I waved her off, she stood with a huff of annoyance. “Actually, Anna…” She turned around with an expectant smile. “I need a refill,” I said, shaking the ice in my otherwise empty glass, but keeping my eyes on my tablet.

  “Of course, Mr. Magnus,” she said behind clenched teeth.

  I should have spent the rest of the flight pouring over the financial reports for both the manufacturing plant and the arms operation. Instead, I was daydreaming about the things I would do to Bertie when I got home. She was right to not expect something for nothing, as she said. I planned to have it all from her.

  Several hours later, I was checked into my hotel and making arrangements to meet with Alonso Reyes, a man who fancied himself a big player in the game, but who was truly outmatched when he agreed to meet with me. Reyes was a big fish in the small pond of Barcelona, but I was a big fish in a big pond. My reputation always preceded me. As the son of Erik Magnus, real estate developer and ponzi scheme mastermind, I’d taken my father’s tarnished reputation and shined it up bright. When he went to prison, the government seized most of his holdings, but what they couldn’t take was what he had taught me- the ins and outs of manipulating the market and how to use networking to your advantage. The only thing he couldn’t teach me was how to not get caught. Guess he never mastered that particular skill.

  So, the next day, as I sat at a table across from Reyes in a small, smoke-filled room, I started to get annoyed with the pompous ass. Reyes was cocky, narcissistic, and short-sighted. I’d rather this negotiation go smoothly, but if I had to stage a hostile takeover, I didn’t foresee any real obstacles. Reyes would be his own downfall.

  “What makes you think I’m willing to give up my little fortuna, Mr. Magnus?” Reyes asked snidely.

  “If you aren’t willing, then why did
you agree to this meeting?” My blood was boiling, but I remained calm on the outside.

  Reyes shrugged and chomped on his cigar. “Perhaps I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about, eh? The great Aleksander Magnus,” he said with derision. He made a show of looking me over. “You do not look so big and bad to me,” he chuckled, which prompted the two men flanking him to also chuckle.

  The chuckling stopped when I pulled out my gun and shot both of his guards between the eyes before swinging the barrel back to him.

  The sweat dripped down his face as he eyed me with shock. His face grew scarlet in anger as he barked, “What do you think you are doing? You come in here with no back-up! Even if you kill me, you think my men outside will let you leave here alive?”

  I tilted my head to the side. “What makes you think I came in here without back-up?” I asked just as the gunfire from outside punctuated my words. I watched as Reyes’s eyes darted to the door and then back to me. The second I saw him reach for his own weapon, I fired mine.

  Bertie

  The morning Aleksander left for Barcelona, I ate another huge breakfast, took an extra long shower, and dressed in some of the clothing that had been provided for me. The yoga pants and tank top weren’t exactly the height of fashion, but they were clean and comfortable, so I was good with that. Feeling stir crazy, and not wanting to see the inside of that bedroom for a moment longer than necessary, I decided to explore.

  Aleksander’s condo was really a two story penthouse. There was a lot of white and a lot of light thanks to the walls of floor-to-ceiling windows. The second floor was mostly bedrooms- a master and two guestrooms. There was also a locked door that piqued my curiosity, but I didn’t have the motivation to pick the lock at the moment, so I moved on. The master bedroom was open, so I helped myself to the space. The room was rather monochromatic. Dove gray walls, cream carpet, charcoal bedspread. The bathroom was large enough to accommodate an entire football team. My eyes widened at the sight of the large soaking tub and again at the multi-head rain shower. I forced myself to walk away before I left a puddle of drool on the marble floor. Or moved in there.

  Not really knowing what to expect, I took a breath and pulled the closet door open. “Oh, come on!” The closet was a walk-in, and it was at least thirty feet deep, if not more. It was also a good fifteen to twenty feet across. The walls were lined with suits by various designers but all high quality. The center of the room boasted a couple of glass-topped display cases filled with several watches, tie pins, and cufflinks. Shaking my head in wonder, I wandered down one side of the room, ghosting my fingertips over the fine material of the suits hanging there. Drawers were filled with things like socks and underwear and t-shirts. Shoes were lined up meticulously along the baseboard. The closet alone made my shoebox apartment seem like a roach motel. I was completely and utterly jealous. I also now knew where I could lift a couple of Rolexes should I get into a pinch.

  Most of the space on the lower level was an open floor plan. The furnishings were mostly clean lines. Nothing frilly or frou-frou about any of it. It was modern. Sleek. I took my time meandering through the apartment, one hand on my ribcage any time I felt a twinge. In addition to the living area, I located the kitchen/dining area, a couple of bathrooms, and a couple of doors which were locked. Well, didn’t that just have my curiosity piqued once again?

  I also found my new best friend. I sidled up to the giant standing guard at the elevator. “Hey there, big guy. What’s your name?”

  “Robert.”

  My eyes flared with childish glee. “Can I call you ‘Bert?’ Please let me call you ‘Bert,’” I practically begged.

  “No.”

  “No, but see, you have to! Because I’m Roberta, but I go by Bertie, and you are Robert and you can go by Bert, and we’ll be two peas in a pod!” I continued to tease him. A girl’s gotta get her kicks somehow, and I suspected that poking a little fun at this extremely serious-looking ape was going to be the height of my entertainment for the interim.

  He didn’t crack. Not even a lip twitch. Damn it.

  “Okay, see you later, Bert!” I called as I turned on a heel and ambled back toward the kitchen area. I wanted to meet this Elaina woman and thank her profusely for all the weight I was about to gain. Turning the corner, I was struck with the spicy aroma of fresh cinnamon, and my mouth began to water. “You must be Elaina,” I said to the woman standing at the sink.

  She turned to me with a smile. “And you must be Roberta.”

  “Bertie,” I corrected her. “Please.”

  “Bertie, then,” she said with a nod. “Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?”

  My hand moved to my stomach that was still full from breakfast. “No, not right now. What are you making?” I nodded toward the oven.

  “Oh, apple pie! It’s Mr. Magnus’s favorite,” she said with a wink.

  “Yeah, well, you best get on makin’ another, because I’m about to have that one there,” I pointed to the oven, “devoured before he makes it back.” I smiled. “Will it be done soon?”

  “It will, but it will still have to cool.”

  I hefted myself up onto a bar stool at the counter. “I’ll wait,” I assured her.

  “I thought you said you were still full from breakfast?” she asked with a knowing smile.

  “Is that a homemade apple pie?” I again indicated the oven.

  “Yes,” Elaina answered, barely swallowing her laughter.

  “There you have it,” I declared, giving her a wide-eyed look.

  After a heaping bowl of warm apple pie and vanilla ice cream (Elaina really knew how to treat a girl), I situated myself on the couch that was clearly chosen for its form over its function. The cushions, if they could even be called that, were less than cushy. My ass felt like it was sitting on a slab of concrete. “Ugh,” I grunted in frustration. Glancing around the room, I spotted a comfortable-looking chair shoved in one corner away from everything else. Testing it out, I discovered it was just as comfortable as it looked, so I attempted to drag and push it as best as I could without aggravating my ribs, but I failed miserably. My new best friend, Bert, took pity on me and placed there chair where I directed him. “Thanks, Bert.” A grunt was all I got in response. I shrugged. I’d win him over, eventually. I curled up in the chair and channel surfed until I dozed off.

  Chapter 6

  Bertie

  In the three weeks that Aleksander was gone, I spent the majority of my time lazing about. When cabin fever set in and I was ready to pull my hair out, Elaina suggested I spend some time by the pool.

  “What pool?” I asked Elaina.

  “The one on the roof, of course,” she replied, apparently surprised I wasn’t already aware of this pool’s existence.

  So, after Elaina found me a swimsuit somewhere (I didn’t ask questions I didn’t want to know the answers to), I alternated between a lounge chair and floating around in a pool that sat twenty stories high overlooking the city of Las Vegas. Real swimming wasn’t possible until my ribs started to feel better. One of those days I was nearly asleep in my lounger when Elaina magically appeared with a stack of glossy magazines in her hands. Everything from US Weekly to Essence to Vogue. I could have kissed her. “Oh, you beautiful creature, you. As soon as Aleksander gets back, I’m demanding that you get a raise,” I winked at her.

  Sitting by the pool, flipping through the pages of the newest Glamour, was how Aleksander found me. “Oh, hey, Sven. Welcome home.” I watched his eyes narrow in response to me calling him ‘Sven.’

  “Roberta.”

  “Touché,” I smirked. “How was Barcelona?” I asked, conversationally.

  “Magnífico,” he replied as he swept my legs aside so he could sit on the edge of my lounge chair. He placed his hands on either side of my hips and leaned in close.

  My gaze went to his mouth, and I was immediately reminded of the last time we saw each other. The way he kissed me. The way he bit me. My breath began to come in shallow pa
nts, and my breasts felt heavy. My mask slipped a little.

  “Let’s go to bed,” he said, his lips whispered over mine.

  “Wh- what?” I asked dazedly.

  The tip of his tongue darted out to taste me, ever so lightly, and I felt myself begin to lean toward him. “Bed, Bertie. Now,” he commanded as he stood up and extended a hand.

  I placed my hand in his. “Okay,” I breathed, which caused him to smile. I followed him down to the penthouse before I came to my senses. “Wait, what are we doing?”

  “Going to bed,” he answered impatiently.

  “But...together?” Don’t get me wrong, my body was ready and willing, but the part of my brain that was still functioning staged a protest. “Also, it’s the middle of the afternoon,” I felt the need to point out. We stopped walking when we got to his bedroom door, and he turned to me.

  “How are your ribs?”

  I blinked. “Uh, okay, I guess.”

  “Right. Come on.” He led me into his room and straight toward the four-poster bed. He sat and pulled me down with him before he continued. “Here’s the deal, Bertie. You need me, and I need to be inside you. So, we’re going to strike a deal. You get me and my protection, and I get to fuck you wherever, whenever, and however I want. Deal?”

  I was fairly certain my eyes were buggin’ out of my head. “You’re kidding,” I stated flatly.

  I watched as one corner of his mouth tipped up. “Little sparrow, I assure you, just the idea of me fucking you, is not a joke.”

  “Sounds a lot like blackmail,” I accused. If there was anything about this situation I was going to resent, it would be having my power stripped from me. He knew he had me. There was no way I was going to sacrifice myself to the men who were after me.

  Aleksander shrugged his shoulders. “Call it whatever the fuck you want. Those are the terms. Take it or leave it,” he added smugly. Bastard knew he had me.