“Why the fuck are you here? I told you I wasn’t interested in your offer.”
He wandered over to a leather lazy boy, and his cordedarm muscles flexed as heleaned against the back of it. “Nice improvement over your old place.”
I felt like stabbing him with the knife I’d stolen from him last time. Reflexively,I snapped open and closed theengraved switchblade.
Sebastian stayed lounging in his position, his smile deepening. Part of me debated shoving him back outside, and taking my chances with the cops.
“Any chance you plan on giving that back?” he asked, nodding at the knife.
“Sure. Which artery would you like me to put it in?”
Sebastian opened his mouth,laughterin his eyes. Before he could speak, the sound of the front door handle jiggling echoed through the silent house. A moment later, the door clattered against the deadbolt.
Mylegs tensed, ready todashto my hiding place. But when therewereno further sounds from outside,I glared at Sebastian. He never went far without his men circling around. Was it them?
He silentlyshook his head. Not that I trusted him, but it made sense. Why would his guards randomly have access to the keys?
“Where is the deadbolt key?” Adeepvoice echoed outside the door.
With my free hand, I reached for my bag. Thankfully, I’d been prepared for this unlikely scenario. Everything I owned was in that bag, and I’d made sure to leave nothing out of place.
I nodded my head to the bedroom, internally groaning tomyself.Thankfully,he silently padded behind me. Once we reached the carpeted floor of the bedroom, I sprinted for the largewalk-in closetwhile hemoved at an agonizingly languid pace behind me.I hurriedly gestured towards the six footwidearmoire that was wedged into the back of the closet.I couldn’t believe I was seriously asking him to squeeze in with me. But I couldn’t afford to go further into debt by paying off the cops.
“There’s room behind the armoire. I made it into a hiding spot in case some dumb ass got me caught,” I said when he was finally close enough for me to whisper to.
Muffled cursingechoed outside. Maybethe manwouldn’t find the key to the deadbolt. Whoever he was.
Allowing the cursing to muffle the closing of the closet door, I began explaining my plan, “These walls are paper thin.”I cringed as Irememberedhow thin they were.For the last two days, I’dheardthe neighbors’ morning ‘calisthenics’.
I continued, “You’ll need to climb over that without anyone hearing you.”
I glanced down at his muscular legs straining against his tailored suit pants. The armoire was seven feet tall, but I begrudgingly admitted to myself that he’d be able to manage it.
I tensed my body, preparing myself to jump over the top.When I bent my knees to jump,his large handsgrasped mywaist. Was he seriously making a pass at me when I was moments away from getting caught? I turned towards him and raised an eyebrow at him.But he ignored my look and lifted me into his arms, bridal style. My right arm was pressed up against his rock-hard chestwhilehis muscular arms gripped me tightly. The physical sensation sent heat down to my lower body. I suppressed a moan building up inside me.
His warm hand caressed the back of my legs as he deadlifted my body towards the popcorn ceiling. The fact that I hadn’t kicked him in his smirking face probably had more to do with me not wanting to alert the neighbors of our presence.
That wastheonlyreason.
Chapter 7
When my butt was resting on the cracked top of the armoire, I stared down at him for a moment. His face held a tension that I’dnever seen before. It didn’t make sense, because as he’d said before,hedidn’t have to worry about the cops arresting him.
At the thought of having to deal with paying off the cops to erase their body cam footage and walk away, I snapped back into action, and swung my legs towards the back of the closet. Then I pressed my palmsinto thetop of the armoire. Feeling grateful I’d kept up my intensive workout routine even atderelicthouses withonly rotted furniture to lift, I lowered myself into the small gap behind the armoire.
“Found it!”the deep voice echoed from the other side of the house. Shit.
“Get in,” Iforced myself to whisper, even though I felt like screaming at him for being so slow.
When I didn’t hear him move, I pulled myself up so I couldglare at himover the top of the armoire. His eyes were glazed as he stared straight ahead at the dresser.
That annoying squeaking noise that I’d learned to associate with the front door echoed through the house.Sebastianstill hadn’t moved an inch.
“Please,” I whispered.
His jaw tightened, and he stared at the armoire for another moment. And all I could visualize was having to come up withenoughmoney to make this situation go away when the cops showed up.I’m sure Ray would respondreally wellto me askingto add to my loan.
Or maybe this was Sebastian’s plan? When the cops arrived, he could call in a favor for me.Then I’d be indebted to him, and be pressured into giving him the information about my father’s gang.
