I drank water while Elaine sipped at coffee as the night carried on. The tension was palpable as we counted down the hours, even when we slipped into her friend’s bed and attempted some vague notion of sleep.
It sure as fuck didn’t come easy. I stared at the ceiling while she tossed and turned beside me, every sense on high alert. Only Trenton Alto knew I had keys to this place. I wondered if he’d conveniently forgotten about it, for now at least. Luckily, nobody came for us. The sun came up in the morning and the streets sounded out with car horns and voices, and we were still alive and breathing.
Elaine managed to climb on top to straddle me before we got out of bed. Her eyes were pools of tired beauty as she stared down at me, running her hands over my chest.
“I never thought I’d be sitting on top of Lucian Morelli in Jemma’s apartment at six a.m. in the morning.”
“Me neither,” I said.
She cast a glance over at the doorway. “Shall we turn on the TV, see what’s happening out there?”
I shook my head. “Most definitely not. Any news won’t be good news.”
“Good,” she said, lifting up on her knees and reaching for my hard cock. “My turn to fuck you.”
I couldn’t help but smile as she rode me tenderly… slowly… carefully... couldn’t help but fuck her back as she rode me. Couldn’t help squeezing her tits hard when she came.
“Fuck that’s nice,” she said, my cock still spurting inside her.
“So nice,” I said, stroking her pretty face.
“You look so out of place in here,” Elaine commented when I stepped back out, and there was a pretty little smirk on her face, even through the chaos and fear. “I mean you looked pretty out of place at the house, but this is a whole other league.”
“You’re virtually reading my mind now,” I said, and that smirk stayed bright on her.
“Maybe we really are star-crossed lovers after all. Our minds and hearts in perfect alignment.”
I was coming close to actually believing her.
11
Elaine
I was so nervous as we gathered our things ready to go. No, nervous doesn’t cut it. I was terrified.
I had a battered old suitcase of Jemma’s with her clothes inside and was dressed in a way I’d never been dressed before. I’d chosen as casual as I could, hoping it disguised me as well as humanly possible. I had a tight little t-shirt on with be the world’s best friend on it in scrawly script under a big loose green sweater, and faded jeans that fitted me just fine. Her sneakers were okay on my feet, besides being a little bit big. It would do okay. I hoped so anyway.
I appeared nothing like my usual self with my hair scraped up into one of her hair bands, and that was a good thing.
Lucian nodded his approval. “You make that look damn fine.”
“Thanks,” I said, then took a solid look at him. He was in by far the most casual combination he was able to muster from the clothes I’d packed for him. He was wearing some loose joggers with a sports sweater on over the top. Unfortunately, his head still looked very, very much like Lucian Morelli, the sculpted god.
I just hoped they’d let him on that plane without realizing.
“Just a few hours left,” he told me, but I already knew that. I was counting down every minute.
He gestured to the cash cases on the living room floor.
“Take what you want for your friend, just make sure we have plenty left for our airport deal.”
As soon as I opened the case, I realized that his idea of leaving some money for Jemma and my idea of leaving some money for Jemma were very, very different things. A couple of little bundles would easily be enough to make her faint in shock.
The letter I wrote for her brought a tear to my eye.
Be you, forever, because you are amazing. Just a shame I won’t be able to share that forever with you. You’ve been such an important friend to me. I’ll miss you for all time.
Love, Elaine.
P.S. use the money to save the planet if you want to, but use it to save your wardrobe, too.
Oh, and please at least allow yourself some little treats before you donate it all to charity.
P.P.S. I’ve included another little pile for Tristan, too. If you could please pass it on to him, I’d be grateful.
Lucian scanned my letter as I put it on the kitchen countertop along with the six bundles of cash.
“Wow,” I said as he reached into a cash case and pulled out another two bundles, placing them next to the others.
“I know these people mean a lot to you. I’m sure the money will mean a lot to them.”
I would have never expected the monster Morelli to be so generous. Even now, after all the shockers I’d witnessed from him, this was one of the biggest.
Clearly he could see that. He brushed it aside like it was nothing.
“We can’t take the cash anyway, Elaine. It’s hardly me being Mr. Compassionate.”
But it was.
Lucian sure was turning out to be Mr. Compassionate to me.
Slowly but surely the minutes ticked by. The afternoon matured until it was ripe for us to leave, and there we were, gathering our pitiful excuses for belongings ready to go.
I cast one last look around the place before we stepped out into the hallway, then I locked up behind us.
I kissed my fingers and pressed them to the door.
“See you later, Jemma,” I whispered, and then I followed Lucian down the corridor.
The street was pretty busy when we headed outside and began our walk. The taxi stand was a few blocks away and luckily we got there just fine without anyone shooting us too much of a glance—or actually shooting us.
The cab driver was barely interested in us when we slipped into the back seat.
“JFK Airport, please,” Lucian said and he gave us a nod.
“Sure.”
We didn’t speak in the cab, just stared out of the windows. My heart was thumping scared as NYC hustled and bustled outside. This was real. Definite. We really were on the run, and they really were coming after us from every direction.
Lucian directed the driver to one of the furthest parking lots from the airport hub, and handed him his fare with a grunt of thanks.
The driver didn’t even help us with our luggage, just popped the trunk for us to take them. He sped away without another word.
“Wesley Dale should be here soon,” Lucian told me, then checked his watch. “Next few minutes.”
“Is he the guy getting us out of here?”
“Yes. He’s the guy who should be getting us out of here, provided he hasn’t turned into too much of a pussy to go through with the deal.”
I couldn’t hold back the question. “And what if he is too much of a pussy to go through with the deal?”
Lucian’s face was deadpan.
“Then we’re fucked. Dead and buried.”
I nodded. “Okay, I just hope he isn’t a pussy, then.”
“So do I.”
Luckily Wesley Dale wasn’t too much of a pussy to go through with the deal. A black car pulled up ahead of us and reversed into a parking space up close.
“Here he is,” Lucian said, and closed the distance.
I watched the guy get out of the driver’s side and he looked… agitated. His eyes were roving all around before he pulled a little black briefcase from the passenger seat and placed it down on the hood.