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Post by Free on Sept 14, 2020 12:32:33 GMT -5
When she’d finished breakfast, showered and anything else she could think of to put off leaving, Desiree headed for the front door.
“Where are you goin?” Jase asked. He was sprawled across her cream colored couch with a book open in his lap. He was trying to play it off casually, but she could hear the tension in his voice.
“Some of us have to work.”
He laughed. “And we both know you’re not one one of those people.” He dropped the book onto the glass coffee table and moved toward her.
“Stay,” he said, slipping his arms around her waist. “I’ll make it worth your while,” he whispered, running his lips ever so lightly along her neck.
She gasped and then tried to play it off as a yawn. It’d been a long time...too long.
Jase was grinning like an idiot.
“You know you want to,” he sung.
“I thought you didn’t want to,” she said, pulling away from him.
Jase shrugged. “I’m not allowed to change my mind?”
“Nothing is going to happen to me at work,” she said. “There’s like a million people there.”
“Whoa! Hold up.” He said, holding his hands up in defense. “I never said I was worried. It’s amazing your staff can fit in here with that ego.”
“Another thing you love about me.” She kissed him on the cheek and hurried toward the door before she could change her mind. She was gonna be late enough as it was.
"Just thought I might be more fun than whatever's going on in your dad's prison!" he called out just before the door clicked shut.
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Post by Free on Sept 16, 2020 12:12:54 GMT -5
"I don't mean to alarm you, but it looks like we're been followed," Jacob said quietly from his spot in the driver's seat.
Desiree glanced up from her phone. Had she been right last night? Who would be following her? She wondered if maybe it was one of Jase's friends from last night. But they thought he'd disappeared, right?
"Drop me off as usual," she said.
"It's my duty to keep you safe. Perhaps we should make a quick stop–"
"No."
Jacob pulled up to Storm Towers and Desiree got out. She fought the urge to look behind her and see if anyone was still following her. The office had better security than her apartment building since they were often taking government contracts and her dad was big on protecting his assets.
She walked through the revolving front doors and headed toward the bathroom.
Inside, she sat in one of lounge chairs by the inner door. You had to walk through two doors for privacy to reach the bathroom, so she was confident the person following her wouldn’t see her, unless she was a woman.
She pulled her phone out of her purse and unlocked it, keeping an eye on the door. Should she text Jase? Would he know what to do?
She played with her phone for about as long as she thought it would take to use the bathroom and wash her hands, then stepped outside. She glanced casually around and spotted Jeff sitting on a bench out of traffic, reading the newspaper.
She marched up to him.
“Leave. They’re not going to let you upstairs anyway,” Desiree said.
“I have a job to do,” he said.
Desiree clenched her jaw. People did not tell her no and also get their next paycheck.
“I can call security, if that makes your job easier,” Desiree threatened.
He shrugged and stood. “I can wait outside.”
“Like hell you will. You will leave me alone. You will call Jase and tell him if he has one more person follow me, I will file a restraining order against all three of you.”
“I don’t work for you,” he said as he walked back toward the front doors.
Desiree gripped her phone until her fingers turned white. How dare he talk to her like that? If she had any sway with Jase, that guy was fired.
She sensed someone behind her, but before she could turn around, he looped his arm through hers like they were friends. He was tall and athletic with short hair and a serious face. He was wearing a light jacket, a hat with a broad rim and dark glasses.
“So good to see you again,” he said.
“Let go of my arm,” she said.
“Smile, Desiree. Act like we’re friends.” He was smiling at her, but his eyes held a warning. “Let’s go for a walk.”
“Why would I do that?” she asked. Who does this guy think he is?
“There’s a gun in my pocket and my hand’s on the trigger,” he said, still smiling.
Desiree had never understood why this particular threat worked in the movies.
“Do you have any idea what kind of security we have here?” she asked. “All I have to do is make the smallest scene and you’ll be spending the night in prison.”
"My boss was right, you have a lot a spunk," he said, laughing. “I wouldn’t do that, if I were you.” His smiled remained, but his grip on her arm tightened.
He was looking so intently at her, Desiree wondered what he knew that she didn’t.
“My employer is very interested in having a conversation with you,” he said. “All he wants to do is talk.”
Desiree didn't believe him. It seemed like an awful lot of trouble to go through to have breakfast with someone. She also didn't understand why he thought she was stupid enough to leave the security of her father's office building for the city streets and who knows where else.
“Have it your way he said,” he said. His grip on her arm loosened.
“Is everything alright, Ms. Storm?”
Desiree turned to see a security guard.
“Please have this man arrested,” she said.
The security guard looked around, a confusion in his features.
“Who?”
“What do you mean who? The man—” Desiree said, turning, but the only people around her looked like they worked here. The man who’d been holding her arm was gone. Her eyes jumped to the doors in time to catch him waving at her at exited the building. “He just ran outside.”
She told the security guard what the man had been wearing before he took off, but Desiree didn’t have much hope he’d catch the man who’d tried to kidnap her. Luckily for her, that’s what video cameras were for.
~
In the security office, reviewing the feed, Desiree couldn’t believe the man in the jacket had managed to enter the building, grab her arm and attempt to take her with him, all while barely showing up on camera (never his face) and looking friendly when he did. There was nothing in the footage to identify him or even prove his motive for being there. Even to her, it looked like he was trying to catch up with a old friend who was having a bad day.
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Post by Free on Sept 17, 2020 21:06:54 GMT -5
It’s hard to focus on work when someone just tried to kidnap you in the lobby. Desiree paced her office with the blinds drawn. Should she tell her dad? Jase. He might know what’s going on.
She rested her hands on her desk and looked around the room. There was no way they could get up here, right? She’d been so sure earlier, but that was before there was anything to be sure about.
She resumed pacing and called Jase.
“Change your mind about Jeff?” he asked.
“No.” She hesitated. Maybe this wasn’t the right time or the right way… What if he did something stupid like he had last night? She tried to pretend that wouldn’t be her problem, but the more time they spent together, the more it was starting to feel like it might be. “You tell him to stay away from me,” she growled.
“Give him a break, Sunshine. He was just following my orders. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me.”
“Oh, I am. Hire someone to invade my space again, and I’m filing a restraining order against the three of you.”
“I know.”
Desiree smirked. Apparently Mr.-I-don’t-work-for-you knew how to follow directions after all.
“Did you only call to lecture me? Because I’m getting this fantastic massage from Ava right now—”
“What are you doing with my chef?” Desiree’s grip on her phone tightened. “That is not part of her job. You should’ve asked Jacob.”
“I think you’re missing the point…” he said.
“I think you are. Stay away from my chef. You break her heart and I have to find a new one.”
“What are you talking about? Girls love me. I’m charming and a good listener–”
“That’s the problem isn’t it?” Desiree sighed. “Look, I don’t have time for this. You can get a massage from Jacob or no one. Leave Ava alone. Completely.”
“Whatever, Mom,” he said in a whiney voice.
“Jase, I’m serious. You follow my rules in my house or you find a new place to stay.” She hung up before he could argue with her and then sunk into her office chair.
She wondered briefly what Logan would do if she’d called him instead, but she couldn’t think about it too much because it hurt. She usually didn’t even let herself think his name.
She ended up calling her dad’s old bodyguard. There were few people she trusted and he was one of them.
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Post by Free on Sept 18, 2020 8:49:40 GMT -5
Jase was sprawled on the couch, flipping through tv channels when Desiree walked in.
Jase looked up when he heard her and smirked. “Oh, so Jeff’s not good enough for you, but—“
Desiree glared at him. The man that had followed her inside stood by the door and stayed there as she entered the apartment.
“Someone’s in bad—“
“Not in the mood, Jase,” she muttered as she threw her jacket onto a nearby chair and dropped down next to him. He put an arm around her. She gave him a look, but didn’t move away.
“I’m so glad you’re here! Do you have any idea how few things there are to do in this apartment?”
In spite of herself, Desiree laughed. “Yeah, nothing to do but watch tv, read, get a massage, play pool, go swimming, take a bath—“
Jase held up his hands.” Mmm...yes, as I said, nothing to do. Not since you took Ava off the table.”
Desiree sighed. They were not. Going to have. This conversation. Again.
“Would you like me to make you something?” Ava called from the kitchen.
Jase glanced over at her, then back at the tv. He looked like a kid pouting because his mom put him on timeout.
“I hope you appreciate the level of restraint I am showing. Ava is sexy,” he said, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.
“Yes, Ava!” she called. Desiree rolled her eyes and grabbed the remote from his hand.
“Are you in the mood for anything specific?” Ava asked.
"Well, I was thinking something spicy––" Jase said so only Desiree would hear him.
“No,” Desiree said as she flipped through some channels before throwing the remote on the coffee table and standing up.
She needed out. It was way too easy for them to find her here. No offense to Jase, but if they’d been bold enough to try and grab her at her father’s office building, there’s no reason they wouldn’t come back here too. And she wasn’t sure if his team would be able to stop them.
She walked back to her room for something to do. She’d wanted to pace her living room, but she didn’t want to deal with Jase’s questions. She paced her room, stopping occasionally to smooth a wrinkle from her comfort or stare at the clothing in her closet.
“Something’s up,” Jase said. He was leaning against the doorway, studying her. How long had he been standing there?
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” she said, crossing her arms.
He moved toward her and wrapped her in his arms. He bent down and whispered in her ear, “I’m great a great distraction,” he said, let his lips lightly brush her ear as he pulled away.
She pushed him away from her. It was a tempting offer, but she needed to think.
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Post by Free on Sept 18, 2020 19:10:30 GMT -5
“What does that mean?” Jase asked, studying her from his position on the bed. He’d just woken up, but she hadn’t been able to sleep. She’d been sitting there, staring into space, wondering how her life had gotten so complicated. Wondering if Logan was still thinking about her. Wondering if the guys would catch up to her. Wondering what they’d do when they did.
“What?” she asked, looking up.
“Your tattoo,” he said, pointing to her wrist.
“Nothing,” she said.
She hadn’t even realized she’d been running her fingers over it. On the inside of her wrist, it read, “"навсегда" (forever, for keeps) in curving script. It was an inside thing. Logan’s said, “"постоянно" (constantly, always, forever).
A long time ago, he’d said, “I’m keeping you forever, you know.” At the time she’d laughed, trying to hide how much she’d wanted it to be true. Now, it just seemed like a cruel joke. He’d meant the words at the time, but nobody can promise forever. I can’t.
“Dez?” Jase’s face held concern.
“I’m fine. Stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
“Looking at me like that.”
“Where am I supposed to be looking?” He laughed.
“Anywhere else.”
He shrugged and pushed himself off the bed and wandered into the bathroom.
Having Jase around had been nice at first. Her home wasn’t nearly as lonely with him here. It felt…fuller somehow, in a way it couldn’t no matter how many people she hired. But now, he was all up in her space, asking her questions she didn't want to answer and drudging up things she’d been trying to burry for months.
Like how everything was her fault.
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Post by Free on Sept 19, 2020 21:38:52 GMT -5
After several minutes of lying back on the bed, her mind wandering, the water turned off. Jase was done with his shower. She braced for impact. More questions she didn’t want to answer. More concerned glances. I mean since when did Jase get sensitive?
“Hey Dez, come ‘ere!” he called from the bathroom.
”I’m not helping you get your back!”
“Just get in here!”
She sighed heavily and vaulted off the bed. This had better be good.
Jase was leaning against the backrest of her jacuzzi tub, which was full of bubbles. He motioned for her to come over.
“What are you doing?” She leaned against the doorframe and crossed her arms.
“Well, it’s been a long week. Figured you needed to relax. I bet you can even get some of your people to bring us champagne.”
“Not happening, Jase.” Now that he had decided he was living her, things were way too complicated. “In fact, all of my guest rooms have lovely views—“
“Not that.” He paused. “I mean, unless you want to. I was just thinking maybe you could use a massage.”
“That’s what Jacob is for.”
He laughed. “Okay, you got me, Dez. Do what you want.” He leaned further back against the backrest and closed his eyes.
She thought about going back to her room. She rolled her eyes, let her clothes fall to the floor and climbed in so they were facing each other. She leaned back. The warm water felt good.
“There’s my girl!”
“Not your girl.”
Her grabbed her foot. Her eyes snapped open and she grabbed the side of the tub.
“Relax, Dez!” Jase said and he began massaging her foot.
She let go of the tub and pressed a couple buttons on the iPad attached to the wall next to her. There was one by Jase too, but he didn’t have the code.
A few minutes later, Ava walked in with a drink for each of them. Champagne for Jase and a whiskey sour for her. Ava's eyebrows raised slightly when she saw them, but she immediately returned to a neutral expression. Jase winked at Ava as she silently slide the tray on the edge of the tub. Ava blushed, but didn’t say anything before leaving, shutting the door behind her.
Desiree smirked. That’s why you don’t bang anyone on the staff. Makes things awkward. She leaned back and closed her eyes, letting Jase work the tension out of her feet.
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Post by Free on Sept 21, 2020 21:00:27 GMT -5
Desiree gazed blankly out at the people in the cubicles. Jase needed his own room. Badly. She smirked. Maybe I should have Ava tell him. It was nice in a way, having someone around, filling up some of the empty space. It was nice having someone there at night too. She’d never realized how lonely sleeping alone was. But…
But Jase wasn’t who she wanted to wake up next to. She’d been trying really hard to pretend the answer to that was “no one,” but she wasn’t sure how well she’d convinced herself of that just yet. She needed more time.
Having Jase there all the time was forcing her to realize things were different now and they always would be. This was her new life and she had to get used to it.
She sighed. Again. She didn’t want to get used to it. She wished there was a world in which thing–no.
“Hey, you wanna grab some lunch?” Desiree asked into her phone. “Great. I’ll see you there.”
~
Ace hugged her when she approached his table at the café. She breezed in with her usual long, quick strides, but had slowed down once she saw him. She didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath until he let go.
Her father’s bodyguard was sitting at nearby table, facing them.
“I…wasn’t sure…” he said, sitting down.
“I missed you, stupid.”
“I missed you too,” he said, beaming. “Just after¬–Well, anyway, I’m glad you called.”
Desiree was quiet. A hundred years had passed since she and Ace had been close. What do brothers and sisters talk about?
“So…Dad said something’s been going on with you lately?” he said, hesitantly. “I know it’s been a long time, but…I’m always here, if you need someone…to talk to…”
“Thanks,” she said quickly, then, “Tell me about your Harper.”
A goofy grin jumped to his face.
“Harper is amazing. Like…my whole world just…I–”
“She’s really got all twisted up.” Desiree laughed.
“She really does,” Ace said, laughing. “I feel so incredibly lucky. She’s this smart, gorgeous woman…and she picked me. She’s a journalist. And honestly? I might be a little biased, but the best stories in that show are hers.”
They ordered lunches.
“It’s funny because even though we went to the same university, it’s crazy we even met. I mean that school is huge. I was…okay, don’t laugh, but I was really into my frat and she was always studying in the library. I don’t even know if I could show you where the library is.” He laughed. “But she was in one of my classes and then she showed up to this party…and I just…I had to talk to her.”
“She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever seen and she always had the right answers in class. Always. I hadn’t seen her around anywhere and none of my friends knew her. I don’t even know how she got invited and honestly, I don’t care. I’m just glad she was there and wasn’t totally put off by my cheesy pick up line.”
“What did you say to her?” Desiree laughed.
Ace turned red and rubbed the back of his neck. “Nothing. I just a kid then.”
“You remember! Tell me.”
“Not gonna happen. Anyway, we just started talking and…I dunno. Things just clicked. For the first time, I didn’t care that she didn’t want to make out right then. My buddies gave me such crap for that.”
“I bet they did.”
“It was just nice, listening to her talk about the world. She sees it in a completely different way. It’s beautiful.”
“Man, you are gone,” Desiree said, staring unbelieving at Ace.
“Yeah, don’t tell her that,” he said. “Though I’m pretty sure she already knows…. It’s just easy. We can talk about anything. She listens and doesn’t judge me when I do something stupid…which is usually.” He laughed again.
“You cannot stop smiling…”
“I know.” He laughed again. “Like I said, she’s incredible.”
~
Desiree wanted to go home after lunch, but found herself directing Jacob to just keep driving passed her father’s office. Listening to Ace talk about Harper made her heart ache. It was much harder to pretend when she wasn’t face-to-face with what she was missing out on.
Maybe Ace had it in him. Maybe Ace was like Dad, but Desiree knew, as much as she hated to admit it, she was more like her mom in the ways that mattered. That wasn’t something she could have. If she couldn’t do it for Logan, how could she possibly be that person for anyone else?
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Post by Free on Sept 22, 2020 19:20:44 GMT -5
Her father’s bodyguard’s name was Owen and he preferred the title Executive Protection Agent. He’d wanted to work with his team, but Desiree had insisted that he and Jacob would have to be sufficient. She knew he hadn’t been happy about it by his expression, but had agreed, if for no other reason, than as a favor to her father.
Own sat next to her in the second row of her Tesla X. Jacob was driving. The ride was quiet. She was lost in the thought and they were surveying the road.
“Jacob, on your right!” Owen declared.
Jacob slammed on the brakes just as a car appeared out of nowhere. It quickly changed course and hit the front end, pushing it partway off the road and into the edge of the sidewalk, pinning it.
Owen took off his seatbelt.
“Are you okay?” Owen’s first glance was at Desiree, then Jacob. It was hard to tell if Jacob been hurt, but from what she could see, he was okay. They hadn’t been hit that hard.
Owen shoved Desiree’s head down, while unbuckling her seatbelt as a few men approached the car from the one that had collided with theirs.
“Drive!” Owen yelled.
The tired squealed, but the car was pinned between the other SUV and the cement. Jacob couldn’t even pull it up on the sidewalk.
Desiree’s heart pounded as she dropped to the floor. She could hear Owen moving next to her. He was reaching for her door, but stopped.
Somewhere above her, glass shattered. She looked up to see a gloved hand pulling on the inside handle.
Owen shouted as wires dove into his chest. Hands grabbed Desiree. She kicked and fought, but they pulled her out of the car. In seconds, she was forced into a nearby SUV with heavily tinted windows. Someone put something over her head so she couldn’t see.
“Stay still,” a male voice commanded.
Her heart beat wildly in her chest. Her mind swirled in the million possibilities of what was next, none of them good. She could feel someone on either side of her.
The car started moving. This was it. They had her.
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Post by Free on Sept 22, 2020 21:20:13 GMT -5
The drive was long, but eventually the SUV came to a stop and hands grabbed Desiree, pulling out of the car and setting her down on concrete. She tried to listen, see if there were clues to her location, like people talk about on tv, but she could barely focus over the sound of her own heartbeat and the avalanche of images of her fate and the questions about what was coming next.
The next thing she knew, she was sitting in a surprisingly comfortable armchair and someone was removing whatever was on her head.
She was in a wood-paneled office. The chair was by the fire. Across from her was the man who dropped by her apartment the night Jase had been acting oddly. Across the room, two men stood by the door.
“Welcome, Ms. Storm,” the man said.
“Kidnapping is a federal offense,” she said, her tone surprising even for the amount of adrenaline coursing her veins. She couldn’t help but think the fact that he didn’t care if she knew who he was couldn’t be a good sign.
He laughed softly. “You didn’t exactly make things easy for me. I tried to invite you for a stroll in the park, but you declined.”
“Something told me you wanted to do a little more than talk.”
He moved toward her. It took everything in her not to flinch away as he stroked her cheek.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, moving to stoke the fire.
Desiree wasn’t sure whether to believe him, but she knew it was better to hold her cards, figure out what he wanted.
He sighed. He walked back to his chair and stood behind it, his arms resting on its back.
“Your father is powerful man, Ms. Storm,” he said after a long pause. “I’d hate to...upset him.”
Her face betrayed her surprised. Her father? What did he have to do with the mess Jase was in? She quickly returned it to neutral, hoping he hadn’t noticed.
“You will be my guest for the next 48-hours, then you are free to go.” He looked at her intently, his face serious. “You will not report this to the police when I do.”
“Like hell I won’t.”
“I have friends everywhere. There won’t even be a trial. And I’d really hate for something to happen to you.”
It felt like someone was trying to squeeze her heart out between two of her ribs. Who did this guy think he was?
“You underestimate me,” she said.
His lips twitched up, amused. “No Ms. Storm, it is you who underestimate me”
There was a long moment of silence as Desiree considered her options.
“That will be all, Ms. Storm.”
Desiree gripped the arm of her chair hard. No one talked to her like that. How dare he.
Turning to the men by the door, the man said, “Take her to her room.” Looking back at her, he said, “You can go anywhere on this floor and that floor, except this room. Do not go to the first floor, outside or any other floor and you’ll be perfectly safe.”
His voice dripped in honey, but his words were filled with poison.
Desiree looked around the room. The men grabbed her arms again, but she yanked herself free of them.
“I can walk.” She glared at them, daring them to touch her again, but knowing things would probably not end well for her if they did.
“It’s alright, gentleman. See that Ms. Storm is comfortable during her stay.”
He dismissed them by returning to his desk. The men lead her out of the room, one ahead, one behind.
Once in her room, they left her alone. She locked the door even though they probably had a key and ran to the window. She pulled aside the heavy drapes, but there were bars on the windows.
She was trapped.
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Post by Free on Sept 23, 2020 14:23:52 GMT -5
Desiree paced the room. It was fairly lavish, but only half the size of her suite at her father’s estate. There was this feeling in her chest she couldn’t quite pinpoint, but it felt like she was about to vibrate apart from the inside.
The second she spotted the camera watching the living section of the suite, she immediately dropped into a chair. Of course he was having her watched.
She’d thought this whole mess was about Jase, but then he’d mentioned her dad. Was it possible her dad was wrapped up in this somehow? Was it even about Jase?
She couldn’t stay in the chair. She had to get out of here. She vaulted out of the chair, and entered the bedroom section, closing the door behind her. She looked around for cameras in there and the bathroom, but couldn’t find any. Finally, she was alone.
Never in her life had she felt more powerless.
She walked through the bathroom, into the walkin closet. She buried herself in some old coats in the near the back, next this wardrobe. She wrapped her arms around her knees and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks.
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Post by Free on Sept 23, 2020 21:54:52 GMT -5
Desiree unlocked the door and stepped into the hall. She’d been expecting the same men who’d escorted her here to be waiting outside the door, but there no one. The hallway was carpeted and the décor reminded her of an upscale hotel with dark paneled wood.
She balled up her fists to keep them from shaking. They would not see her fear.
Most of the doors were locked, but she found another room very similar to hers, also with bars on the windows. She wondered if there was anyone else being held prisoner here. She was surprised he hadn’t made any demands of her. He obviously knew who her father was, so he knew she was rich. He didn’t need to ask someone else for a ransom, he could ask her.
She was just leaving the elevator, when the gray haired man approached her.
“There you are, Ms. Storm.” He smiled. “Sorry I couldn’t be a better host, but things have been rather busy tonight. Are you hungry?”
“What do you want from me?”
He laughed. “Where are my manners? You can call me Cristo.” He extended his hand to her.
“What do you want?”
“How about some dinner? My chef will make something extra special for you.”
Desiree couldn’t tell if that was a genuine invitation or if his intention was to poison her.
“I’m not hungry.”
“Oh come now, it’s almost eight. You had lunch at what? 1:30?”
Desiree masked her surprised. He had been following her. Well, someone who worked for him, more likely.
“Well, if you’re sure, I guess I will dine alone.” He started off down the hall.
Desiree followed him. What else did she have to do? There were few people in world that scared, but there was something about the easy confidence in the way he delivered threats as though he were talking about the weather made her nervous. In her own home, maybe it wouldn’t have bothered her. But she was in his territory now. Everyone was playing by his rules.
She clenched her jaw. She was suddenly so angry. Angry at him for kidnapping her and trapping her here. Angry at Jase or her dad (it was hard to tell at this point who or what this was about) for getting her mixed up in this.
He led her to a formal dining room that looked like it was created to seat 16 people, but there were only two place settings. He pulled out a chair for her and she sat.
“How are things going with Storm Enterprises? I hear there’s going to be a merger,” he said.
Desiree tried to keep the surprise off her face. Mergers were kept secret until the ink dried on the contract. Knowing about them in advance could make you a lot of money. What else did he know?
“Stop the games,” she said. “I’m not an old friend visiting from out of town. You are keeping me here against my will.”
Someone brought them both a small serving of soup. The server disappeared as silently as he had arrived.
He was still smiling at her. What she wouldn’t give to wipe that smile off his face.
“Of course. You’re upset. Look, this was not my intention, alright? In fact, this actually has nothing to do with you at all. You are…what is that phrase? Collateral damage.”
“That makes me feel so much better,” she said sarcastically.
“Assuming all goes as planned, you should be back at home in a couple of days. Let’s move onto something lighter, shall we?”
“You want Vice.” She wasn’t sure if this man knew Jase’s real name and if he didn’t, she wasn’t going to be the one to tell him. “But what does my dad have to do with this?”
His smile faltered and he sighed. “Trust me when I tell you, the less you know, the better. But let me make one thing clear: if you weren’t Rayburn Storm’s daughter, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. His influence will only get you so far. Cooperate with me or there will be consequences.”
Desiree thought back to the dead concierge of her building. There was an edge in Cristo’s tone that made Desiree wonder if perhaps what he wasn’t saying was that if she was anyone else, the reason they wouldn’t be having this conversations is that she would be dead.
He picked up his spoon and sampled the soup. She watched him.
“It’s quite good. Try some.” When she didn’t join him, he added, “It’s not poisoned. If I’d wanted you dead, it would have been a lot less work than that accident. As long as you cooperate, you aren't in any danger."
She wanted to leave. Walk out of the room, down the hall, take the elevator to the ground floor and just walk out of the building. She wanted to find a phone and call the police, but the longer she was in this man’s presence, the more she was beginning to wonder how much the police could help her.
She picked up her spoon and tried the soup. He was right. It was good.
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Post by Free on Sept 24, 2020 16:34:49 GMT -5
Desiree woke up gasping for breath. It was still dark and something was right above her. When she moved her arms to push it away, she hit wood. Looking around, she realized she was under the bed. Her body ached from sleeping on the rug covering the hardwood.
She hadn’t intended to fall asleep, but she figured if someone came into her room in the middle of the night, the extra time it took them to find her would give her an advantage. As it was, the mere act of opening the door to her suite would have been enough to wake her.
No one had disturbed her. As she crawled out from under the bed, she could see the gray light, the promise of sunrise. She collapsed onto the bed, exhausted. This time, even though she was trying, she couldn’t sleep. Cristo was a dangerous man. And in his house, he held all the cards.
She watched the color of the light coming through the windows in the living section of the suite change from gray to pink to gold to white. Someone brought her a breakfast tray, with apologies from Cristo about not being able to attend breakfast.
She thought about upending the whole thing and drenching the area rug in coffee. She recognized the designer. It was easily worth a million dollars. She stared at the door, gripping the mug in her hands.
What would he do? She sighed. Pissing off Cristo would be exceptionally stupid. If there was anything her dad had taught her about business, it was how to play the game. And right now, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
~
It was late afternoon when someone came to fetch her. Cristo met her just outside his office. The door was open behind him.
“I have good new for you,” he said slowly, still a man without hurry.
She waited. He was smiling at her, that same irritating smile as yesterday.
“It seems you were more valuable than I originally anticipated. You are free to go. Head to the elevator and someone will take you home.”
Her eyes went to the door. Through it, Jase had appeared toward the middle of the room. He was smiling and waving at her, like this was just a regular visit.
“What’s going to happen to Vice?” she asked.
“I would accept the ride, Ms. Storm.”
Desiree headed toward the elevator. Two men were waiting for her. Turns out their blindfold of choice was a silk pillowcase. Classy. They put it over her head, lead her down to a vehicle.
When the removed the silk pillowcase from her head, she was being shoved out of an SUV about a half a block from her apartment. She landed a little rough, but managed to keep her balance.
“What about my–” she called after them, but they were already driving away, “Purse.”
Owen was waiting for her when she got upstairs. He broke his own rules and embraced her the moment she walked through the door.
“Desiree, I’m so so–”
“It wasn’t your fault,” she said. “I should have let you use your team.”
Pulling back from him, she could see tears in his eyes.
“Still, I’d never have been able to forgive myself if–” he said.
“Does my dad know?”
Owen ran a hand through his hair. Not a good sign.
“When they took y–”
“Who is paying your salary right now? Him or me?”
“I was worried about you. I thought he could help.”
Desiree left him standing by the door and walking briskly into her room. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. This was hers. Everything here was hers.
Something was missing though. Wherever she went, she was always comforted by the thought that she was there by choice. She chose where she worked, when she got there and who was allowed to talk to her. And when she was home? There was this…indescribable feeling of…comforting power because no one had any say here. This was entirely hers.
Now, it feel like more of an illusion. Sure, everyone here had to do what she said, but what about the people out there?
Cristo may not have laid a hand on her, but he’d stolen something she wasn’t sure how she could get it back.
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Post by Free on Sept 26, 2020 22:23:23 GMT -5
“How did you convince my security team to not let me into the building?”
Desiree paused the show she’d been watching. It’d been about a week since she’d heard from him. She’d very seriously considered not answering, but found herself picking up the phone anyway. This whole mess was his fault and she wasn’t about to admit she’d missed him.
“You mean how did I convince Owen’s security team to not let you into my building?”
“…You own the building?” Jase sounded genuinely surprised.
“What do you want, Jase?” Desiree set her mug down on the coffee table.
“Let me up and I’ll tell you.”
“Tell me now.”
“No.”
Desiree gritted her teeth. He could be so stubborn sometimes.
“Okay, good night then,” she said.
“Desiree! God! I know I screwed up, okay? Royally. Just let me up.”
Desiree sighed, hung up and then texted the concierge. She pressed play on the remote, but now it was impossible to focus on it.
A few minutes later, someone knocked on her door. Apparently, Jase was feeling guilty. Jacob answered the door.
“Jase is here,” Even announced.
“She knows.” There was only some of the characteristic amusement in his voice.
Instead of vaulting over the couch as he had been known to do, he walked around it and dropped down next to her.
“First you don’t let me up, then no greeting? I’m hurt.” It looked like he was trying to play this whole thing off like a joke, but the laughter didn’t reach his eyes.
“Like I could hurt you.” They were the same words, the same banter as always, but there was a heaviness in the air that had never been there before.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“He kidnapped me, Jase. Right out of my own car. Destroyed my Tesla. Locked me in his house for some unknown period of time and was threating to kill me if I didn’t cooperate.”
“Why do you think I was there?”
Desiree was quiet for a moment. She didn’t know why he’d gone there. He’d been home free. He could jumped on a plane and been halfway around the world until things cooled off. But he hadn’t. Why?
“You sure took your time,” she said, finally.
“I had some things to work out first.”
“Like what?”
“You know I can’t tell you that.” He leaned back against the couch and closed his eyes. He rubbed his face with both hands. “There’s a lot about what I do I can’t talk about, but I promise I got there as soon I could. When Jacob…when you didn’t come home, I knew. And I immediately–”
Desiree clenched her jaw. “So you what…were waiting for him to kidnap me so you could swo–”
His eyes snapped open and he turned to face her.
“God Dez, no!” He sighed. “I told you, you were never really part of the plan. This is why I don’t have any close friends, actually. Because then they can’t be used as leverage.”
“What did he make you do?”
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I’m not bleeding, right? That’s how you know it’s all good.” He gave her a big smile.
“It’s something bad, isn’t it?”
“Dez, you know I don’t talk about my work. With anyone. It’s safer that way. For me, for you–”
“No. You don’t get to decide that for me.” It wasn’t the same words that Cristo had used, but he was essentially saying the same thing and she was sick of people trying to tell her what was best for her like she was a child.
“Maybe not, but I get to decide that for me.” He was quiet for a moment. “Now, there’s this great party tonight and I’d love it if you’d go with me. I think we could both use some…distractions.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
She almost smiled. Almost. How could just be okay with everything that had happened? Was this just his life? So he was used to it? Or was it just easier to pretend things were fine? Like she’d been trying to do these past seven months and failing at. Epically. How much did she really know about Jase?
There was one thing that came to mind. Whenever she’d been in trouble (which was admittedly always his fault lately), he’d stood between her and the fire. He cared. And that scared her.
Jase grabbed one of her hands. “Say you’ll go to prom with me, Love?”
She laughed in spite of herself and pushed his hand away. It would be nice to get out and do something normal. Though the last party they’d attended hadn’t exactly gone as planned… And there was the whole thing about Cristo and whether or not things between him and Jase were actually smoothed over.
“What about Cristo?” she asked.
“He’ll leave you alone now. Don’t worry.” There was suddenly mischief in his expression. “It’s me you’ve got to worry about.” He winked at her.
It was hard not to worry. Never in her life had she felt so helpless than she had while she was his prisoner. She had no intention of returning. How could Jase be so sure? Would he lie about that to make her feel better?
She thought asking Jase if they could just stay in when she realized she was letting some guy she didn’t even know control her. Again.
“Let’s go,” she said, standing up and forcing a smile. Maybe if she pretended things were fine long enough, they would be.
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Post by Free on Sept 28, 2020 19:11:52 GMT -5
”You owe me an explanation,” Desiree said as they walked through the door. Her mind was still hazy from the party.
“Babe, no offense, but it is none of your business what Kelly and I do in our free time.” Jase beamed. He walked over to the living room bar and made himself a drink.
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Are you jealous?” He was looking at her now, his amusement leaping across the room.
“Why would I be jealous of some girl you’re going forget tomorrow?”
“Don’t be jealous, Sunshine. What Kelly and I shared was—”
“I could have you if I wanted you.” She followed him into the living room.
“Cocky. I like that.”
“I’m serious, Jase.”
“So am I. You were the most interesting woman at that party,” he said, walking toward her, drink in hand. “Confident. Intelligent. Knows what she wants. Mmm.”
She couldn’t focus on his words.
“You owe me an explanation about Cristo,” she said.
His smile faltered and he took a drink.
“He kidnapped me, Jase. Because of you. I was a prisoner in his house for a whole day. Do you have any idea what that was like for me?”
“I dunno. Maybe about as bad as me being trapped up here? I’m a bird, Sunshine. Meant to fly free,” he said.
She could have hit him for that.
“You chose to stay here! Uninvited, I might add.” She got quiet as she said, “I didn’t have a choice.”
“Are you saying you want me to leave?” His smile was gone.
“Damnit Jase! I want you tell me what the hell is going on!”
He sighed, took another sip of his drink, looked around the room and dropped onto the couch. He patted the seat next to him.
Desiree crossed her arms.
He rolled his eyes.
“So there’s no chance you’re gonna let this go?” he asked.
“None.”
He sighed again and took another drink. He played with the glass in his hand.
“I love my job. I’m not trapped in some office building all day. I set my own hours and nobody on this planet gets to tell me what to do because at the end of the day, I’m always holding a blackmail file with your name on it. I’ll ruin your life. Kill me or don’t, nothing’s gonna save you. Plus, I get to meet a lot of really interesting people and all of my meetings are at the nicest restaurants and most beautiful parks in the city,” he said.
“But in my line of work, you’re not always dealing with rich people who are bored with their real lives. It’s not all celebrities and politicians. Some of my clients are dangerous. That’s why I don’t have real friends or a girlfriend. Okay, not the only reason.” He laughed. As long as Desiree had known Jase, he’d never struck her as the girlfriend type.
“This,” he said, gesturing between the two of them, “Is the closest I’ve come to a relationship since maybe the beginning of college.” He was quiet for a long moment.
“You went to college?” she asked. It was rhetorical. He’d just said he did, but she didn’t know what to say. Her anger wasn’t holding like it usually did.
They never had serious conversations. One of the things she loved about Jase was that he kept things light. He was like a drug; you could pretend for a while that your life didn’t suck. She’d honestly never thought too hard about his life. She suddenly realize, especially in light of the last seven months, how lonely he must be. Where she’d always had Logan and their group of friends, he’d had no one. Like she did now.
She sat down next to him on the couch.
“Why?” she asked.
“Why what? You know I’m not a relationship—”
“Why did you break your rules?”
He shifted and looked away from her. “It doesn’t matter.” He sighed again. “What does matter is I hurt you. And I’m sorry. And I promise I was lining up everything Cristo wanted from the second Jacob got home until you saw me at his place.”
“So...what? He owns you now?”
Jase laughed. “Oh please. Nobody can own me. We just...came to...a mutual understanding.”
“You have something on him, don’t you?” Desiree said, smiling.
“Ooooh, not just something, lots of things.” Jase was smiling too.
Desiree shoved his arm. “Why the hell did you wait so long to use it? Why not keep his ‘employees’ from giving you that black eye?”
“You don’t just outright blackmail a guy like Cristo and not end up in a body bag.” Jase laughed again. “There’s a finesse to it. And since I was planning on going on vacation - I totally deserve it - I didn’t think it was the right time. You gotta pick your battles.”
“You’re sure he’s gonna leave you alone now?” And me too?
“I’d stake my life on it.” Jase put an arm around her and leaned in. “Now, where did we land on me carrying you off to bed?”
Desiree forced the smile to stay where it was and hoped he couldn’t tell. It was one thing to hook up with a guy at a party she’d likely never see again. It was another entirely start something, real relationship or not, with Jase.
She couldn’t stop herself from thinking of Logan. She wasn’t ready to start anything, real or imaginary and she needed to remind herself why she’d left in the first place.
“I was thinking we could just watch a movie,” she said. She pushed him back against the couch away from her, but curled up next to him, resting her head on his shoulder, his arm still around her.
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Post by Free on Sept 29, 2020 17:15:00 GMT -5
~ 7 Months Earlier ~
Three days. It had taken her all of three days to find herself climbing out of some stranger’s bed and picking her dress up off the floor.
She’d watched him sleeping for a moment before heading for the door. Was it worth it?
It was still dark outside as she climbed into the car waiting for her, pulling her coat tighter in the November air.
She ran a finger over the tattoo on the inside of her wrist, wishing for the first time she could scrub it away because right now it was mocking her. She swallowed back tears of self-loathing as she watched the scenery whiz by.
Logan was asleep when she walked into their suite. She’d told him it was work party. She’d told him it was employees only, which was stupid because he was practically family.
She threw the dress in the trash. She never wanted to see it again. She climbed into bed, resting her head on his chest and wondering how much time she had left before he woke up and knew something was wrong.
He stirred a little, wrapping an arm around her before settling back to sleep.
The day they’d decided to date for real, she’d been happy. It felt like the thing they’d always been building to. Like the beginning of something great. Like he finally wholly hers, the thing she’d been wanting for longer than she could admit, even to herself. There was a photo on her phone from that day with their tattoos side by side, ridiculous grins on their faces.
The next day, however, she’d started to panic. She didn’t have any good examples of romantic love in her life. Not her parents. Not Logan’s. She’d never met his mom. The triples didn’t have stable families either, except Westley and it wasn’t like she went to their family dinners. No, she had one parent who’d abandoned the family altogether and another who’d abandoned her specifically in his quest to take over the business world. How could she ever be what she’d never seen?
Looking at Logan, she saw someone who was strong, yet gentle and kind. At least to her. He was the smartest, funniest person she knew. He was the one constant, stable thing in her life and she knew she was going to let him down. Or he was going to realize she wasn’t worth it too and leave. It was only a matter of time.
It was more than that though. It was like the pieces of her life were suddenly all planned out and she couldn’t breathe. She had the job at her father’s company she’d been training for since birth. She had Logan, the guy she’d known for the best part of her life... And now they were falling into this relationship that could only end in a life together or the loss of her best friend and both of those things sounded impossible.
It was too much. It was all too much. And she was suffocating.
She’d told Logan about the work party because she’d needed some time away to think. Jase had invited her to a party. She needed to let lose and try and shake off the crazy and she didn’t think she could do that with Logan there.
She’d gotten drunk and danced like she always did at these things, but it wasn’t working. There was this vice that was slowly tightening around her chest until she felt like she couldn’t breathe. Jase had long since disappeared on her when she found herself playing pool with some guy.
She’d challenged him. It was hard to remember exactly why. Pool wasn’t really her thing. The conversation was easy. She couldn’t remember exactly what he’d said that made her laugh, but it felt good. The attention felt good. He had no expectations of her, unless you counted the obvious, which she didn’t because you always have a choice, right?
There was relief somewhere in that conversation. She felt so much freer than she had the past few days that she didn’t stop him when he kissed her. No, she’d kissed him back.
At the time, Logan was a million miles away from that moment, but after? He was everywhere. And it’d only taken her three days to let him down.
She been trying to block out the conversation they’d had the next morning when Logan asked what was wrong. He saw right through her charade. He always did.
She’d gone to work without giving him an answer, buying time to figure out what to say. Ultimately, she’d ended up telling him that she wasn’t who he thought she was. You don’t know what I’m capable of. What I can’t give you. Even though they’d be best friends for what seemed like ever, in this new closeness, he was bound to see what every other person who’d been close to her had and leave too. She’d said that this - them - it wasn’t what she wanted. He’d called her out. She had to be lying.
It was like she could see his head spinning, trying to figure what had happened in only three days. She hadn’t told him about the real party or the guy. She couldn’t. She’d never broken his trust before. With the exception of her family secret, they didn’t lie to each other. They didn’t hide stuff. Not for long anyway. They never had. There was something about him that made her end up telling him the very last things she wanted to admit to anyone.
It had taken a lot more time and effort to push him away than she’d ever expected. So many people had already walked away so easily. Why was he trying so hard to stay?
She never figured that out because when she went after Brooklyn, that did it. She’d gone too far and he started to let go. Everyone did. It was a victory and the most painful loss of her entire life.[Apologies for the summary, but I don’t know how Logan would’ve responded to all that.]
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