Sleight of Hand

by BJ Bentley

  Last night, after letting Aleksander fuck me for the last time, I waited for him to fall asleep before stealing all the cash out of his wallet along with one of his credit cards. I used the credit card to purchase four bus tickets, each to a different location. Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Los Angeles, and Albuquerque are all destinations located on major bus routes heading out of Las Vegas, and they all have minor stops in between. In theory, by the time he finds out I’m missing, I could be anywhere.

  I toe the bag of food I have stowed under my seat. Now that my adrenaline has dissipated, hunger starts to set in. I munch on a protein bar while I try to decide if I should get off at one of the smaller stops or head toward the city. On one hand, the city would be obvious, but on the other hand it would be easier to get lost in. Then again, the smaller towns are less likely to have much of a criminal element and therefore less likely for Aleksander to have contacts in them. But, strangers tend to stick out in smaller towns.

  The first stop on the route was only two hours from Las Vegas. Kingman, Arizona was way too close to even consider as a final destination. Flagstaff sounded like it might be a better option. Climbing back onto the bus after a bathroom break and a chance to stretch my legs, I settled back into my seat and was lulled to sleep by the tiny kicks against my back. I must have been more tired than I realized because when I woke up, Flagstaff was already in our rearview, and I had no option other than to continue on to Phoenix.

  It was just before one o’clock and the Phoenix sun was trying to melt me into a puddle of goo. My grumbling belly was reminding me that I needed to fill it with something other than a protein bar. I glanced around for somewhere to eat, not really caring what it was so long as it had air conditioning. Thinking I had to make my cash stretch as far as possible for now, I hoofed it to a burger joint I spotted on the corner.

  I was sucking down the last of my ice water when a young woman slid into the seat across from me. “Excuse me, but are you Maria?” she asked.

  My eyes darted around the restaurant. “Uhm, no. Sorry.” I offered her a small, fake smile.

  “Oh! I’m so sorry. I thought you were someone I knew,” she said with a blindingly bright, and seemingly genuine, smile.

  “Sorry,” I repeated as I slid to the edge of the booth to stand, but I was stalled by her hand on my forearm. I narrowed my eyes in her direction, and she pulled her hand back.

  “Oh, sorry,” she murmured. “I’m Samantha, by the way. It’s nice to meet you…,” she trailed off.

  “Bertie,” I filled in reluctantly.

  “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Bertie. Uhm, listen, I know we just met, but I could really use some company. Would you mind sitting here with me for a bit?”

  I pulled my lips in between my teeth. There was absolutely no reason for me to be rude to this girl, but I wasn’t exactly in town to make friends. Then again, I might need a place to sleep while I figured out what to do next. She might turn out to be a psychopath. Or she might turn out to be a Godsend. I rolled the dice. “Yeah, sure, I can stay for a bit.”

  I watched her shoulders relax as the tension I didn’t even realize she was holding seeped out. “Awesome,” she whispered and tapped something into her phone.

  I reclined as much as I could in the booth. “Are you going to get something to eat?” I asked since she suggested we hang out but hadn’t made a move to order anything.

  “Uh, yeah. I’ll just get something to drink. Be right back.” She strode right up to the counter, ordered nothing but a fountain drink, and then reclaimed her seat across from me. “So, you new in town?”

  “What makes you think I don’t live here?”

  She smiled. “Just a guess,” she said. “Your bags,” she added when I tilted my head in question.

  I shrugged. “Just passing through, actually. In fact, I need to find a place to stay for the night,” I hinted. “Got any recommendations?”

  I watched Samantha blink and then glance down at her phone when it buzzed in her hand. “Oh, um. Actually, I have a spare room. You’re more than welcome to stay with me.” Then she rushed to add, “I mean, I know we just met, but…” She shrugged. “If you’re short on cash or whatever.”

  “I appreciate that. Thanks.” I offered her a small smile.

  After a full afternoon of distraction provided by Samantha, I almost didn’t care if I never set foot in another shopping mall again. Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration, I highly doubt I’d ever give up shopping. But still. My feet were killing me, and I was starving. Samantha had wanted to go to some fancy restaurant for dinner, but I was neither dressed for, nor financially prepared for, anything other than cheap takeout.

  As for Samantha, well, she turned out to be pretty cool, actually. She was friendly and easy-going. She was a bit of a chatterbox, and although that was a little off-putting at first, it was really nice to talk to another woman. The only other real friend I had was Elaina, and I was depressed to think that I’d never see her again. I watched Samantha flip her long, light brown hair over her shoulder as she gushed about all the food choices in Phoenix before finally settling on the old stand-by, pizza. But not just any pizza. No, this was some secret family recipe passed down generations, and it was reputedly perfect. By the time we actually got around to eating it, I had to agree.

  I was amazed at the amount of food the incredibly slender Samantha could pack away, and once we were finished stuffing ourselves, we headed back to her apartment where she showed me to her spare room. Glancing around and taking it all in, it was a pretty swank place. It wasn’t Aleksander’s penthouse, obviously, but still a really nice apartment in a really nice part of town. I felt a stab of guilt that I had made a friend that I was likely going to have to steal from at some point before I left. No. I scratched that thought. I wouldn’t steal from Samantha. I’d pick a couple of random pockets before ditching town instead of doing that to her.

  Despite the fact that it was relatively early, I was exhausted. The past twenty-four hours had taken a toll on both my mind and body. “Hey, Sam! I’m gonna turn in!” I called.

  “Okay!” she called back. “Let me know if you need anything!”

  Right. “G’night!”

  “Night!”

  I washed up and performed my other nightly duties before peeling off my clothes and crawling into bed. I was out when my head hit the pillow. Which is why I never heard him coming.

  Chapter 17

  Bertie

  I woke with a start, but I couldn’t move. A large, warm hand was wrapped around my throat, squeezing just tight enough to give me a warning. I pulled in a breath to scream and got a whiff of the ocean.

  “You’re lucky I don’t tan your fucking hide,” Aleksander growled in my ear.

  It wasn’t until that moment that I realized just how much I craved his presence. How much my body craved his touch. “Hey, Sven,” I answered. I’ll never know why my go-to reaction to a threat was always to be flippant, even when I felt his hand tighten at my throat.

  “Spread your legs,” he ordered. It was dark in the room, but I heard the unmistakable sound of a zipper being lowered.

  “Aleksander…”

  “Do. Not. Speak.” The tightness in his voice alarmed me. He was barely holding onto his control, and there I was pushing his buttons. I felt his hand at my waist a moment before he latched onto my panties and ripped them clean off. “Spread.” When I hesitated, he spoke again. “What’s your job?”

  I tried to swallow, but his hand on my throat was getting tighter. “Aleks…,” I choked out and felt his grip loosen slightly. He gave me a quick warning squeeze because I hadn’t answered his question. “Obey,” I whispered and spread my legs for him.

  “Good girl.” He let go of my throat momentarily in order to climb between my legs. When he was in position, he slammed into me, causing me to cry out, and despite the discomfort of the invasion, my body melted at the ‘good girl’ I had earned. He wrapped his hand around my throat again and told me to hush. He
powered into me until I was in the precipice of an orgasm, and then he stopped.

  “You don’t come until I tell you to,” he growled.

  I could do nothing but nod mutely. His hand left my throat to trail down between my breasts to my stomach. His hand splayed over my belly. Neither of us moved or spoke for several moments, and then he started to gently stroke his thumb back and forth over my skin. “Wrap your legs around me, sparrow.” I did as I was told, and when he started to move again, it was less of a fucking and more of a lovemaking. He lowered his body so we were chest to chest. With is weight supported on is forearms, he wove his fingers through my hair and lowered his mouth to mine. “You made a grave mistake in leaving me, sparrow. But I’m going to rectify that,” he said softly and almost menacingly as he continued to move. This time, when he brought me to an orgasm, he let me have it, and he followed soon after.

  Aleksander

  She might not have realized it, but I just officially claimed this woman. As she curled into my side and drifted off to sleep, I finally allowed myself to let out my breath. I felt like I had been holding it for nearly twenty-four hours. When I woke up this morning and realized that she was gone-- and then found those pictures-- I was equal parts furious and terrified. I was furious that someone had the balls to make a threat against me and those who belonged to me, and I was furious that Bertie thought she had to protect us. That was my job. But, I was also terrified. Terrified that I had lost her, and it was in that moment that I realized I needed to make sure that she knew she belonged to me. That there was no escape.

  When I got the alert that my credit card had been used for four different bus tickets to four different destinations, I immediately called any and all contacts I had in those areas to be on the lookout for my wily minx. I got incredibly lucky that Samantha spotted her when she did and texted me. And then I got the phone call from Rafe. I finally knew what was on that flash drive, and that just added another layer of shit to our situation. I tightened my arm around my woman and thought about how this was going to go down. Chances were she’d fight me on it. I knew she and Elaina had bonded. If nothing else, she’d do what she thought she needed to in order to keep her safe. I just had to convince her that I was also someone to be feared. Someone scarier than the monsters she was so terrified of.

  I was wide awake at an early hour, and I couldn’t help but revel in the soft heat of Bertie’s body draped across my chest. My arm hung over her waist, and my hand gripped her hip possessively. I gave her a little squeeze. “Wake up, sparrow,” I said softly, and smiled slightly when all I got was a grunt in response. I gave her another moment to comply, and when she didn’t move, I gave her ass a hearty slap.

  “Ow!” Her glare was something to behold. Her eyes were hooded with sleep, but the spark in their depths let me know she was mighty displeased with me. That just made my smile grow bigger.

  “Let’s go, Roberta,” I said sternly. “Up, dressed, and ass in my car in twenty minutes.”

  “I can’t go with you. It’s too dangerous,” she said dully, looking down at her hands as she wrung her fingers.

  “You can go with me, and you will,” I insisted. I exhaled a frustrated breath. “Look at me, Roberta.” Her gaze lifted slowly until she met my eyes. “We’re going home,” I said definitively.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Aleksander.”

  “You don’t need to think; you only need to do what you’re told. Now, move.” I knew I was being a dick, and I didn’t care. I needed her to hear me. We weren’t safe here, so we needed to get back to Vegas as soon as possible. I stood to pull my pants on and felt her heat at my back.

  “Aleksander, please listen to me,” she pleaded. “I can’t go back with you.”

  I turned and gripped her chin between my thumb and forefinger. “Sweet sparrow, it’s adorable that you think you have a choice. Now, if you’re not in the car in,” I paused, “fifteen minutes of your own volition, I will carry your sweet ass out of here on my shoulder.” By the time I finished dressing, Bertie was washed up and pulling her clothes out of her bag.

  “You saw the pictures?” Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

  “Yeah, baby, I saw the pictures. I don’t want you to worry about it. Let me handle it.”

  “But what if--”

  “Roberta. Enough,” I cut her off. I had no patience for this discussion. “Get dressed. We’re leaving.” I walked out of the bedroom and down the hall to the living room where I saw Samantha doing a pre-caffeine zombie walk toward the kitchen.

  A few minutes later, she was pushing a fresh mug of coffee into my hands. “Thanks, Sam,” I muttered.

  “No prob, boss,” she mumbled back.

  “Boss?” Bertie asked. “You two know each other?” Her eyes narrowed on the both of us with suspicion.

  “Sorry,” Samantha whispered to Bertie guiltily.

  “Samantha works for me,” I admitted and waited for her reaction.

  Bertie swung an accusatory glare in Samantha’s direction. “I actually thought I made a friend.”

  “You did! You totally did! It’s just...you made a friend who happens to work for your...boyfriend?” Samantha pleaded her case with Bertie but directed that last bit to me. “Please don’t hate me, Bertie. I do genuinely like you, and I hope we can stay friends, even if you have to go back to Vegas.” Samantha bit her lip, looking contrite.

  “You ratted me out, and you want to be friends?” Bertie said the words slowly as if she was trying to understand them herself.

  “You can’t be mad at her. She did exactly what she was supposed to do. You, on the other hand, are in serious trouble,” I said.

  “What?” she asked softly.

  “Oh, did you think last night was your punishment? Oh, baby, I was only getting started,” I promised. “Now, get in the car. We’ve wasted enough time.”

  Chapter 18

  Bertie

  The car ride back to Las Vegas was tense.

  “What does Samantha do? I asked. “You said she worked for you.”

  Aleksander nodded. “She’s an escort,” he said casually.

  “An escort?”

  “Mm-hmm.”

  “Escort?” I repeated. “Like, a prostitute?”

  “Roberta, I’m sure you’re well aware that not all my business ventures are legal,” he said as though he were speaking to a child. “Sam is just one of the many escorts in my employ.”

  “So, you’re a pimp,” I said with a fair amount of distaste.

  He sighed. “I really hate that term, you know. The women who work for me make a damn good living. They are here by choice. They are never forced into anything, and if a client gives them a hard time or abuses them in any way, they know that all they have to do is tell me, and I will rectify the situation.”

  I couldn’t throw stones. As far as I was concerned, every woman had the right to earn a living, and it was her body to do with as she pleased, so who was I to judge? Neither of us spoke much after that, and the only sound, besides that of the highway, was the radio set to a classic rock station. Aleksander drove while I dozed off and on in the passenger seat. We were almost home when I noticed a dark vehicle with tinted windows seemed to be following us. My hand tightened on the grip of the door as I turned my head to Aleksander.

  “I think that SUV is following us,” I said, my voice quavering.

  He glanced to the rearview mirror. “It is,” he said calmly and seemingly undisturbed by the prospect.

  “And? That’s it? Aren’t you going to try to lose them?”

  “Nope.”

  “What is wrong with you? Are you crazy?” Panic started to edge into my voice.

  “Relax, Roberta. It’s Robert. He’s been following us since we left Phoenix. As a matter of fact, when he heard you were missing,” he said pointedly, “he insisted on tagging along. He’s here to watch our backs.”

  I slumped back in my seat. “Oh, Bert. I knew you had a soft spot for me,” I whispered cheekil
y.

  I could have sworn I heard Aleksander mutter, “Minx,” but ignored him and slumped back in my seat.

  The last thirty minutes of the trip were entirely uneventful, and as soon as we were safely in the parking garage of Aleksander’s building, I leapt from the car and into Bert’s arms. “Bert! I’ve missed you!”

  “Then maybe you shouldn’t have run away,” he sassed back. He actually sassed me. This mighty mountain of dour man meat actually sassed me. Huh.

  “You know what, Bert? I think you like me. I think you like me AND you missed me. Admit it.” I poked him in the chest.

  “Not a chance,” he insisted, but I saw his lips twitch. I knew I had won him over.

  I turned to see Aleksander leaning against the side of his car with a scowl on his face. “What?”

  “Serious trouble,” he growled.

  Uh oh. I looked to Bert for help, but he refused to meet my eyes. Whatever. “Do you guys mind getting the bags? I really want to see Elaina.” I flipped a hand out casually as I began walking backward toward the elevator. Bert just shook his head and did what I asked, but Aleksander’s eyes tracked my every movement. Yeah, I had an idea I was in, as he said, serious trouble.

  Up in the penthouse, I found Elaina puttering around the kitchen. She whirled around to take me in when I cleared my throat. “Hey. You mad?”

  She thought about it. “I should be. But I think I’m more relieved than anything. You scared the shit out of us, you know.”

  “Yeah, I know. I’m sorry about that. I just thought-”

  She waved off my explanation. “Yes, I’m sure you had some misguided notion that, whatever you were doing, it was for the best, yes?”