Prisoner (All of You Book 1) (12 page)

Chapter Seventeen

Lani

I sent Killian a text to ask him to lunch on Thursday, to get ready for what’s happening on Saturday.  He replied,
I’ll let you buy me lunch, and we’ll talk about Saturday.

So, I stop at the information desk, just like I used to do when I’d visit him for lunch.  They call upstairs to let him know I’m coming up.  I think two men in the lobby actually ran into each other staring at me.  I knock on his door, and when he opens it, his eyes grow wide.

He looks right at my breasts, and says, “I think you’re lost, I’m Killian Burke.”  He takes several moments for his eyes to roam over me.  When I don’t say anything, he looks upward.  “I’m sorry, miss…Holy Mother of God, Lani?  What in the heck are you wearing?  And what have you done to your gorgeous hair?”

“It’s my disguise for Saturday.  It was my dad’s idea.  Do you like it?”

“Jesus Christ, Lani, I don’t know what to say,” he tries not to look down past my neck, but he can’t stop himself.  “Jesus Christ!”

“You’re a good Irish Catholic boy, Killian, you shouldn’t be saying that,” I reprimand him with a smile.

“You make me forget that, and I almost want to propose to you all over again,” he says, flabbergasted.  He points at my breasts, and my shoes, then he covers his mouth.  “I mean, Jesus Christ, Lani.  I need to sit down.”

“Does this mean I can come with you Saturday?”  I ask hopefully.

“I don’t know, but I’m definitely taking you out for lunch.  I’ll buy, if you don’t mind me staring at your tits the entire time.” 

“Don’t you have a girlfriend?”  I say it sweetly, and bat my eyelashes. 

“I don’t fucking care,” he answers, as he shakes his head.  When we leave his office, after he’s calmed down, one guy gets off the elevator when we get on, and walks into the wall of the hallway staring at me.  “Yes, you’re definitely going,” he says, as the door closes and we’re both staring at him. 

“Yay!” I exclaim excitedly, and clap my hands.

All day Friday, I’m nervous.  I go to the nail place, and have my normally natural nails painted bright red to match the dress.  Then, I hang out at Dad’s after he gets off work, and we have steaks and baked potatoes, and watch a hockey game.  Well, he watches, and drinks beer.  Giving up beer and wine is going to be the worst part of this pregnancy.  When he asked what I wanted for dinner, and I told him I was craving steak, he laughed, and reminded me that I’m carrying a future SEAL.

He notices that I’m nervous, and he pats my hand.  “I have faith in Killian, and the FBI.  It will go off without a hitch, and everyone will be fine.”  He rubs the top of my head, messing up my newly blonde hair.  “I like it, and so will Tony.”

I wish I was that sure.

Tony

“Are you sure you don’t want a girl tomorrow night?” the guard asks me, and flicks another postcard through the hatch.

“Fuck, no,” I reply.  I don’t want anyone but Lani.

“Your loss,” he says. 

“Hey, there is one thing.”  I hurry before he closes the hatch.  I’m nervous, but I have to ask.  “I want to see the barber tomorrow.”

“I get it.  You want to look good in your coffin.  We’ll see.”  He laughs as he closes the hatch.

I pick up the card, and on the front is a painting of a boat.  The scent is familiar, but I can’t place it.  When I turn it over, she’s written,
My favorite.  I miss you, M.

I wish she would include a return address, but I’m sure she knows they’re watching.  One way or the other, I expect to see her soon.  I know she will try her hardest to get me out of here.  I know she will.

I lay the card on my pillow, and smell it as I close my eyes and try to drift off to sleep.  I know whatever happens tomorrow, I will need my rest.  I’ve trained as much as I can.  I’ve even gone outside a few times to jump rope, and do some calisthenics.  I smile as I think of her, lying on top of me on the mattress, on the floor.  I know I will see her again. 

Lani

Killian and I drive up in my convertible, much less conspicuous than the fed-mobile.  We’ve decided if we’re not in the right place, we’ll drive to the other spots, and keep driving around Mason County until we find it.  Thankfully his FBI task force is on alert, parked at a high school just across the county line.  The helicopters are in the air, and several less conspicuous cars are parked at the fast food restaurants near the prison and the jail.  Two cars will be parked near the abandoned warehouse, but not close enough for comfort, and those guys are dressed in plain clothes, like Killian, and will enter the make-shift arena after us. 

“I swear, even in street clothes you look like a fed,” I comment, even though I said I wouldn’t.  He’s wearing jeans, and a denim button down shirt.  “Stop right there.”

He’s standing at the driver’s side door of my car.  I undo several of the buttons of his shirt, showing his pecs.  I untuck one of the sides of his shirt, and push his brown hair off his forehead.  “You don’t look half bad,” I say with a nod when I’m finished.

“Well I can guaran-damn-tee you that no one is going to be looking at me,” he says as his brown eyes take in my dress for the thousandth time.  “If you’re wearing that gun you bought, and we get caught, I’ll shoot you with it myself.” 

There are now three armed men at the front of the building.  I’m suddenly nervous, and think about putting the gun back in the car.  “It’s just a small gun, they won’t find it.”  He’s given me a temporary, laminated ID badge, and I’ve got it hanging on a silver chain around my neck and tucked against my rib cage.  I’m also wearing five other silver chains in varying lengths, so I don’t think they’ll notice.

“If they find it, they’ll stop us.”  He says it with a big grin, because we’re already one hundred yards from the door.  I grab his hand, trying to look like a couple.  One of the armed men is watching us.  I crack and pop the gum I’m chewing, and flip my hair over my shoulder.  “Did you just flip your hair?”

“Shut up,” I grumble.  “See honey, I told you it was here,” I say in my best Chicago accent.  My mom’s family is from Chicago, I’ve been there enough times.

I smile up at him, and his eyes widen.  Tony, Tony, Tony, I remind myself.

“How did you hear about us,” one of the guards asks.  The other two are too busy looking at my tits.

“My cousin has a friend who works at the jail,” Killian lies smoothly. 

“What’s his name?”  He asks.  He looks at me, and I smile at him.  Then, his eyes travel over my face to my boobs.  Dressing like a bimbo is very effective.  Why haven’t I tried it before?  Oh, that’s right, I remind myself.  I wear pantsuits and finger fuck girls who dress like bimbos.

“De Santos?”  Killian asks.  The guard tears his eyes away from me.  “De Soto.”

“Yea,” the guard says.  “We gotta frisk ya.” 

“Are you gonna buy me dinner first?”  I ask, as I pop my gum.

“Maybe,” one of the other guards says with a smirk.  I smile at him, and raise my hands over my head.  He pats my waist, and my hips, then takes my purse.  There is a bundle of one hundred dollar bills inside.

“She wants to sit up front, so she can be real close to the action,” Killian explains.

“That can be arranged,” the guard says, and takes all of the cash except three of the bills, and hands it back to me.  “You’ll want to buy drinks.”

“Thanks, but I rarely buy my own drinks,” I purr.  “Maybe I’ll bet.  Who is your money on?”  Thank God he didn’t find the gun.

“Beast, he’s a monster.  He was injured, but he’s back, and the Roman guy doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Dude, did you see him last week?”  The first guard asks, as he’s patting down Killian.  “He literally stood there, picked the kid up off the ground, and held him there by his throat until he strangled him.”  The guard’s shoulders shake as he says it.  “And he looked into the kid’s eyes the entire time.  That’s stone cold.  A dude like that is scary.” 

Killian glances over at me wordlessly, but he doesn’t need to say what he’s thinking.  I already know.  He’s thinking maybe we shouldn’t save him.  Well, Killian Burke will leave without him over my dead body.

“Yea, but the Beast weighs like four hundred pounds.  Roman won’t pick him up!”

“Thanks,” Killian says when the guard is done, and finally leads us to the front row of the arena.  The contestants aren’t here yet, but the room is already half full of spectators.  He points toward a temporary bar in the back, and leaves to return to his post.

“Told ya they wouldn’t find it,” I gloat, with a huge grin.  But deep inside, yea, I was a little nervous.

“You want a drink?  I mean, since you paid for the tickets.  Where did you get that wad of cash?” 

“Water,” I say.  “And, my parents are rich, remember?”

“Yea,” he replies with a nod, then makes his way toward the bar. 

I get the chance to look around at the crowd, which I couldn’t really do from the VIP section.  I catch an obviously foreign guy in a designer suit, with several other guys, checking me out.  I glance at him, and quickly look away.  He takes it as an invitation to join me.  He’s average looking, but he has the confidence that only money gives a man. 

He smiles at me, and says, with a very exotic accent, “Would you like to go to dinner with me tomorrow?”  When I open my mouth to say no, he continues, “In Paris?”

“Damn,” I say, before I can stop myself.  I mean, I know Doctor Dad is rich, and my mom’s parents have money, but are there really people who do that? 

“Or Rome, or New York?”  He continues.  “Do you need a drink?”

“I, um…”  I’m a little stunned, and have no idea what to say, so I blurt out, “My date is actually bringing me a water, because I’m pregnant.”

“For you, I could overlook that,” he grins, and stares at my tits.

“I’m flattered, really flattered, but I can’t.”  When Killian joins me, the man nods at him.

“You’re a very lucky man,” he says, and walks away.

Killian stares at me for several minutes, and I can’t even talk.  He hands me my water, and I take a sip.  Finally, I tell him.  “He wanted to take me to dinner, in Paris.” 

“I swear to God, Lani, if you’d dressed like that just once in the two years we were dating, I would have flown you to Las Vegas that night.”  I think he’s half serious.

“I hope Tony likes it,” I say, as I smooth the skirt and sit down.

“Where are you hiding it?” he asks as he sips his beer.  I already miss beer.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?”  I tease.  Hip hop music is playing in the back ground, and a woman begins to circulate around the front row.  As she’s talking to the foreign guy, I see that it’s Louise Drake, all dressed up.  “I have to go,” I say, and nod at her slightly, “to the bathroom.  Text me when she’s gone.”

I find it, and open the door, but three women are in there smoking pot.  I sigh, and walk toward the bar.  There’s another table beside it, and they’re taking bets.  Beast is the odds on favorite, at 4 to 1.  If I thought this fight was going to finish, I’d bet on Roman.  I stand in line for another bottle of water, which is ten dollars and not even sparkling.  Finally, Killian texts me, giving me the all clear.  As I’m walking back toward the cage, Louise Drake walks right past me, talking to a different obviously rich man.  Then I realize, he’s a fucking state senator.  She barely notices me.

I return to Killian, and notice the lights are getting low, and the room is filling up.  I touch the cage before I sit down.  I’m not the only one doing it.  Men have died here.  Tony will be here in minutes.  “I think I just saw a state senator.  This is going to be very bad,” I say.

“I can’t believe this is actually happening.  I think I just saw Batman,” he replies.

“Someone dressed up like Batman?”

“No, the actor who plays Batman,” he explains.

“The first one, or the second one, the new one, or the really bad one?”  I wonder aloud, because I’m basically so nervous I’m going to say anything.

“I don’t know,” he says.  “I’m just having a hard time believing we’re really here, that this is really happening.”

Loud rock music begins to play.  A spotlight shines toward one of the exits, and everyone stands up.  I try to look around, but we’re sitting at the wrong angle.  So I have to wait, as the crowd starts to scream.  I’m so nervous I really need to pee right now.  Then I see him.  Time literally stops for me.  His beard is shaved, and his black hair is short.  He’s being led, handcuffed, toward the ring.

“This is happening.  This is really happening,” Killian repeats several times.  I feel the exact same way.  “Breathe,” he says, when he looks over at me.  I exhale as the gate is opened ten feet in front of me.  I see Tony glance around the crowd, and his eyes rove around the front row and over me, stops momentarily, then sweeps past me.  The guard removes Tony’s cuffs, then closes the gate. Tony walks around the ring once, then stops right in front of me and hits the cage.  He glances down at me and his eyes narrow, then at Killian beside me.  He hits the cage again, then turns away.

“Fucking shit, he’s scary,” Killian states the obvious.