Chapter 16
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
ELENA
I woke to exhaustion dragging me back to bed. I didn’t know why I was so exhausted. Well, actually I did. But I didn’t want to admit it. I’dbeen thinking about him all night.
Then I had a nightmare. It had been a long time since I dreamed about my childhood trauma.But the recent stress had brought up all the crap from the past. Sometimes I wondered if my subconscious mind was teasing me, testing to see how much I’d grown since I was thirteen.
Even now, as I lay awake in bed, the past came back to life fast and furious.
Fear surges in me as I grip the rope on the wobbly bridge for dear life. The bridge is the closest thing that will lead me back to the camp’s administration building.
“You should’ve gotten down on your knees, bitch.” JR2 smirks. I don’t know his real name. All the kids at the camp call him that. He’s only two years older than me, but he thinks he rules the campsite.
I hate him and his group of spoiled brats.
“ That would have been a privilege for you.”JR2 laughs while standing on the ground, shaking the bridge.
“No! Please stop!” I glance down at the river below me, and my legs wobble even more. The muscles and bones in my body melt into fear.
“You’re a filthy slut. Youdon’t belong here. My family sponsors this camp and your scholarship. You need to repay me by doing what I ask.” He grabs his crotch and then shakes the bridge even more.
Tears stream down my face. I wish I’d never come here.I didn’t know I could get dizzy from fear until today.
I want to crawl over the bridge to the other side, where it’s safe. Elliot’s probably looking for me.
“If you tell anyone about today, you’ll regret it.” With all his body weight, he swings the bridge back and forth. I think I’m going to puke.
The force sends the bridge into disarray, and my foot slips through the wooden planks. I topple onto the planks, losing my grip on the rope railing.
I shriek, but he laughs and points at me. Why is he so evil?
Then he takes out his phone and starts recording. I hate him so much. If I die, my ghost will haunt him forever.
Somehow part of my body slips through. But I grab the planks with my arm, holding on for my life. “Please stop!”
I’m going to die. I wet my pants as fear fully consumes me. The river below is going to swallow me.
He continues laughing at me. How can he be so cruel?
I don’t know how much longer I can hold on. He might shake me off the bridge. Is that what he wants? He wants me to die because I wouldn’t kneel and do ? —
“There she is!” Elliot rushes onto the bridge. “Elena! Hang on!”
JR2 tucks his phone away and steps away from the bridge. “Thank God you’re here! I was so scared for her!”
My phone buzzed, whipping me back to reality.
Elliot: Don’t forget today’s hair appointment!
Elena: It’s on my calendar.
Elliot: When do you start your new job again?
Elena: Monday.
Elliot: Your boss is sizzling hot, girl! He’s attracted to you.
Based on the event at my house, Orion was attracted to me.
Elena: How can you tell?
Elliot: From the way he wanted to murder me that day.
I recalled Orion’s agitation. But it wasn’t because of me. It was something else. Or someone else.
But Elliot’s assumption made me smile.
Elena: It wasn’t toward you. I think he’s just a moody guy.
Elliot: He was jealous. Do you have an outfit ready for work?
Elena: No. I’m just going to wear casual office attire.
Elliot: What if his office demands more business style?
Ugh. I had a pencil skirt and a suit, if that was what he wanted.
After texting for a few more minutes, I told Elliot I had to go. I stared at my closet and didn’t like any of the clothes I had. But they’d do. I didn’t want to waste money on a new wardrobe for a temporary job.
I had to know and sent him a text.
Elena: Hi! What’s the dress code for your company?
Orion: Wear whatever you want.
Elena: Really?
Orion. Yes.
Elena: T-shirt and jeans?
I teased .
Orion: If you want.
Elena: Okay. Thanks.
Orion: Did you see the car yet?
Shit. I’d forgotten about it after the horrible nightmare and my chat with Elliot. I rushed to the window.
“Holy shit!” I shouted with glee and horror.
Elena: You got me a Land Rover. Why? (Shock emoji)
Orion: Because it reminds me of you. Stylish but also practical.
I stared at the message as warmth bloomed in my chest. That SUV was out of my price range. I’d always wanted one, but couldn’t afford it. Did he know he was lending me a dream?
Elena: Thank you.
Orion: Don’t tell me to return it for something simpler.
How did he know I wanted to say that? There was no use arguing with him. If he provided his employees with a luxury car for work, then I should take advantage of it while I could.
Elena: I don’t start until Monday. Why deliver the car today?
Orion: So you have a car for transportation. Yours is dead.
The repair shop had told me the car wasn’t worth the repair, and I sold it to them so they could use it for parts. I guessed Orion already knew this. I was scheduled to work tonight at Let’s Ketchup and also had to go get my hair colored.
Elena: The timing is good. Thanks again.
I wanted to continue chatting with him, but he was probably busy. So was I. I turned my attention to organizing articles and images for Musepaper and familiarizing myself with Orion’s shared folder. Then it was time for my hair appointment. I got my purse and slid into the Land Rover. The inside was like a posh world that was so foreign to me. I’d never driven a luxury car. Did he just buy this one? I inhaled the scent of the new car. Maybe he had several new cars sitting in some garage for his employees.
I sighed at how vastly my life differed from his. Orion was too rich. I couldn’t comprehend his lifestyle.
I opened his email to get the address for the building location and punched it into the GPS system, preparing for Monday. The Land Rover drove like a dream as I turned into the packed parking lot of Salon Oasis. Elliot was efficient, transforming me with a trim and highlights that gave my hair a boost.
“Beautiful.” I stepped back and studied his artwork.
I smiled. “You never disappoint.”
With my new trim that added more layers to my long hair, I headed into Let’s Ketchup and used the bathroom to change into my restaurant T-shirt. It wasn’t so bad working multiple jobs. It allowed me to adjust to an unfamiliar state of mind. The chaos of a busy restaurant kept me on my toes and the stress of my career and financial issues away.
Bruce called in sick because he had to take his wife to the ER, so I offered to do delivery during my last hour of work. The day flew by, and I couldn’t wait to get home after this last drop-off. I pulled into a parking spot in front of the apartment building and rushed up the stairs, and rang the doorbell for Ed Nash.
An old man with a warm smile opened the door. “Elena, so good to see you.”
“Enjoy your food, Mr. Nash!”
“You want some?”
I laughed. “No thanks. I have dinner waiting for me at home. You have a great evening.”
I couldn’t believe he gave me a fifty-dollar tip, which was more than the cost of his meal. Grinning, I headed to my car, imagining the dinner and a hot bath waiting for me. It had been an exhausting day, and my shoulders and back begged for a bubble bath.
Someone bumped into me from behind, sending me into the side of a light pole.
“I’m sorry!” A man with a ponytail gripped my arm, preventing me from falling. “You okay?” He turned to his friend. “Yo! Watch your step!”
“It’s the damn uneven pavement. Sorry about that!” The guy with the red cap saluted me.
“Don’t worry about it.” I walked to my car and slid inside.
A second later, a knock sounded on my window, startling me. My heart raced at the sight of Orion. The man had gorgeous eyes that could switch me on instantly.
Why did I keep bumping into him?
He signaled for me to roll down the window.
Oops . I got distracted for a moment.
I pressed a button, and as the window slid down a whiff of his cologne slithered into my nose. Warmth churned in my stomach and the muscles in my inner thighs flexed. I’d never responded to any man like this. But then again, I’d never met anyone as mysterious or intense as him.
“Hi,” I said. “Thanks for lending me this car.”
“You’re welcome.” Orion crouched and studied me. “Are you missing anything?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
He waved a fifty-dollar bill in between his fingers. “Is this your tip?”
I gasped and checked my back pocket. The money was gone.I got out of the car. “I guess I dropped it.”
“You didn’t.” He handed it to me.
I furrowed my eyebrows. “Explain please.”
“The guy who bumped into you. He created a distraction while his friend extracted the money from your pocket. They’ve been watching you.”
And so were you.
But I kept that to myself.
“Gosh. I’ve never been robbed before. I guess that’s how professional thieves steal.”
His eyes twinkled as though he knew something I didn’t. He stood beside me, looking relaxed, like when he’d been at my house enjoying my sandwich.
“They’re amateurs.” A smirk slid onto his face. “You were busy and weren’t paying attention.” He turned to look at me, and I almost melted into a pool of goo in my seat. The high sexuality of this man was beyond anything I’d ever experienced. It made me yearn for the intimacy in a relationship.
“And you know that because . . .”
My stomach growled, and I slapped a hand over my stomach.
“Because I stole the money back for you. And I also got this.” He pulled out two wallets from his pocket.
“No way!” I grabbed one wallet, flipped it open, and recognized the guy on the driver’s license. “I can’t believe it.”
“Believe that I got your hard-earned money back?”
“More like I can’t believe I’m employed by a thief .”
I didn’t know why, but excitement thrummed through me. Orion had so many sides that fascinated me. There was something wrong with me to find theft interesting.
I considered him. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why steal?” I leaned in and whispered, “You’re filthy rich. You don’t need the money.”
His stomach growled, and an idea sparked. “I’ll treat you to dinner if you let me interview you.”
He arched an eyebrow. “What do you want to know?”
“I’ve always been fascinated by the art heists in history. I want to write an article for Musepaper, but I’ll keep your name out.”
Amusement gleamed in his eyes. “Okay. You pick aplace.”
“One more thing. I should have asked this before I agreed to work with you.” Though the money we’d agreed to was great, I didn’t want the job if I had to commit a crime. “The job you hired me for...does it require committing crimes?”
“No,” he said. “How many jobs do you have?”
I twisted my lips. “Three. Well, four if I include the freelance writing for a few magazines. But I’m cutting back on that.”
He shifted to stand in front of me, studying me. He wrapped a strand of hair around his fingers. “I like your new look.” Then he tipped up my chin. The contact sent a jolt through my body. “That’s a lot to manage.”
I shrugged. “You do what you have to do. Anyway, let me treat you to some comfort food.”
He got into the passenger seat, and I took him to Let’s Ketchup.