Kiara felt like she was heading straight to a prisoner exchange that sunny Tuesday afternoon. A ring for a bag. Surprisingly, she was feeling more excited about it than scared. Their last encounter was interesting, to say the least. She had a blast seeing that bulked man caving to her, giving her phone back and getting nothing in return.
She was hoping to get that thrilling sensation again. It felt like those times in her childhood when she took her father's weapon from its not-carefully-enough hidden spot and just held it in her hands, hoping the man didn't wake up from his lazy Sunday naps.
They had agreed to meet in the same spot as last time, the small parking lot in front of the cute coffee shop. She grabbed a latte to go and sat at a bench to wait for him. Turning the ring around her finger, she thought back on the moment she found it in that cluttered drawer.
She had decided to bring the shinning object as it was made to be worn and was perfectly aware it would make him mad. Perhaps that was even one of her reasons to do it. The main reason, however, was her sadness in letting go of her prize. She always chose them based on instinct, relying solely on the connection she felt with the item at first sight. She just wanted to feel it against her skin a bit longer before letting go.
The Aston Martin parked in one of the vacant spots and Kiara checked the time on her phone. Seven o'clock on the dot. At least he was on time, and not one of those snobs who believed in the concept of 'fashionably late'.
He got out of the car without her bag and she began to tap her heels on the floor, wondering if he had a reason to leave it in the car. Maybe he didn't bring it at all. There was a real possibility that she would leave that parking lot empty-handed, but she would not let him go unscathed if that was the case.
“You are early” his tone was undecipherable, she couldn't even sense if being early stroke him positively or not.
“You are on time” She tried to give it back on the same tone, but it came out weird and she felt a bit stupid about her answer. Not the best start for her plan to show power.
“Where is it?”
She smiled. That was a good moment to get her leverage back. She extended her hand like a newly engaged bride showing off her big diamond ring to her friends. She paid close attention to his face, knowing he was determined to keep his emotions in check this time. It would only make it better when she saw him losing it.
To her utter frustration, not only did he not give in to anger, he began to smile mischievously like she was right where he wanted her to be. Fucking hell, what was that man thinking?
“Good, you are on the right state of mind to hear my offer”
“What?” Not only was she losing the battle, but she was also absolutely lost in the conversation.
“Come, I'll get a coffee so we can talk” She wanted to argue, but he strode off into the coffee shop and left her hanging much like she had done to him the day before.
The whole thing was beginning to feel awfully uncomfortable and Kiara thought about fleeing the scene. But then again, she really wanted that specific pair of fake lashes that were inside her bag and costed a small fortune considering her limited budget.
Once inside, he ordered a coffee and sat at a vacant table, dismissively motioning her to sit across from him. In clear opposition to what she first imagined, she was the one trying to control her rising anger. Did she really miss the mark that much on reading the man? She actually thought she could have some fun getting under his skin, but man, was she wrong.
“Where is my bag?” she crossed her arms, trying to get some answers from the man.
“In my car. You'll get it soon enough, provided you are a good girl” Good girl? That was an awful sugar-daddly talk, and she was not up for it. She knew her light skin was getting increasingly red with frustration, and she hated how he noticed.
“What the fuck?” The only thing that kept her from screaming those three was her irrevocable aversion to making a scene. She was so against calling unwanted public attention that sometimes she questioned why she had become an artist in the first place.
“Don't worry, you'll catch up in a moment. I have a deal for you”
“We already had a deal, your ring for my bag”
“Well, I was getting the worst end of that deal. See, I didn't steal your bag”
“What's the deal?” She gritted.
“I need a girlfriend to accompany me during a small family vacation” If she was lost before, now she was absolutely clueless.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“You will be that girlfriend. Fake girlfriend, at least. I believe you have enough acting skills to make do, considering your line of work”
“Are you insane?”
“No. You will do it” There it was again, that tone. She had to break that tone, no one should be allowed to order people around with that much confidence.
“Oh yeah? And what if I don't?”
“Then I'll have to send you to jail for stealing”
The was no force in the world that could prevent her jaw from dropping to the ground with his words. Was he serious? She was losing that sense of safety she had around him before, noticing for the first time how much power he had over her. He was stronger. Physically, socially, economically. She was nothing in comparison, and she knew his threat could be fulfilled if he really wanted to.
“You wouldn't do that”
“Try me”
“Why me? I just stole something from you”
“You won't dare do it again. I'll know if you do”
“I can't be your fake girlfriend! What the hell? I don't even know you”
“We have a month until the trip, we'll spend enough time together to get the details straight for my parents”
“That is not the fucking point! Why are you doing this to me?”
“I am doing it because I can” At that moment, enlightenment came upon Kiara's mind and she saw clearly for the first time since he began that crazy talk about fake girlfriend and jail.
It was an all-is-lost moment, and she saw clearly for the first time since the beginning of their conversation. She understood the cards that had been dealt with a clarity she didn't think was possible in such a stressful situation. It was either complying with his demands or going to jail.
She took out the ring and placed it on the table.
“Fine. Call in the cops.”
****
Author's Note: Thank you for reading my book! If you like it, please be sure to leave a review. If you want to know more about my books, follow me on facebook at @PixieAuriBooks
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The public defender assigned to handle Kiara’s case was sketchy, to say the least. She disliked him immediately but was unwilling to pay for a lawyer for something so petty, as the charge’s name suggested. It was not even considered a felony. It was classified as a misdemeanor, whatever the hell that meant. Those were the terms that shady lawyer was telling her non-stop for the last half an hour, making her head throb with a crushing headache. It was worsened by the fact she couldn’t speak her mind to the man, who insisted she called him Greg instead of Gregory. “Gregory,
“What now?” She demanded. Chris watched her turn around rolling her eyes and was glad to hear the annoyance in her voice. She was incredibly underdressed for a day in court but still had been more comfortable in that room than the four men in suits. He was utterly delighted when his move threw her off and hoped to leverage it now that the legal part was over. “We need to sort the payment out” He didn’t try to hide the amusement in his voice, and it did the trick. Her eyes squinted into thin lines and… did she bare her teeth? Oh god, that was perfect. He almost wished she would growl.
Kiara sat at her small kitchen table literally bumping her head into the wood. Several times. Why the hell did she agree to spend four days in a fucking island with loaded snobs she knew nothing about? Of course, she didn’t know exactly what she signed up for before she accepted his offer, but she knew it came from the guy who sent her to fucking jail and said yes anyway. And based on what? A hunch. Something so intangible and arbitrary she would
That woman was sent straight from hell to make his life miserable. She was progressively becoming his least favorite person to be around, earning several points at that race by causing him a hard-on in the middle of his favorite restaurant. This time, unfortunately, he couldn’t say it was entirely her fault. He asked her to dress nice, and she kind of did with that blue dress and heels, and then said he’d fuck her. It was not the first time he’d been so blunt, but it usually caused the woman to blush and change the subject. Not that incarnated devil. Oh no, she had to look him right in the eye and make the promise they neve
Kiara was, to put it in simple terms, dodging Chris. She did not want to go to his apartment, so during the following weeks, she craftily made him believe she was too busy. Luckily for her, his work actually seemed to be chaotic during that period. He had no idea how flexible her schedule was, but she wasn’t about to tell him she spent his only available hours binge-watching Netflix. Sooner than she expected, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving was there, and she saw herself preparing a small bag of clothes for the trip. A quick call to Michael was enough to clear her performances for the long weekend and she was ready to go. Against her
Kiara was not one to panic, so she didn't. Instead, she appointed Batman as her therapy dog during the flight. She was not completely new to flying, but private jets were way out of her league and it was throwing her off a bit. There was some comfort in knowing you will die with a bunch of other people on a commercial flight if something goes wrong. Flying private didn't give her that. Chris told her it would be just the two of them because his parents decided to fly earlier. He didn't get into the details, but she understood it had something to do with flying with the dog. Go figure. Either way, the flight was only three hours long and she could handle herself.
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