Seducing Celestine (15 page)

“Baby, don’t piss the man off.” There was both concern and admiration in Nick’s voice.

“Too late for that…” The phone was snatched from her hand.

“Listen, Swan,” snarled the man into the phone. “Her sister may not like her and I am beginning to understand why but I know you do so I suggest you get that fifty thousand together immediately unless you want to see your ladylove hurt.”

“You already have the other money. Why not leave her alone and flee while you can?”

“Because you can never have enough money, Swan. You have forty-eight hours to get it together.” He snapped the mobile phone off and looked down at Celestine, shaking his head in a mixture of anger and wonder. “You’re just plain annoying. I was thinking of having a little fun with you myself seeing as though you were so accommodating with Swan but now I wouldn’t fuck you if you begged me.” He tightened the ropes around her hands.

“Sticks and stones,” murmured a relieved Celestine under her breath. The ropes cut so tightly into her skin that she gasped with pain. But that fact that he did not want her body negated any pain she felt. Being annoying did pay off sometimes.

———

Twelve hours later Celestine was still wriggling around, trying to get into some sort of position of comfort on the hard wooden floor of the shack. In all that time she had remained rigidly awake. Her captor had only released the ropes three times to let her go to the disgusting bathroom in the shack. Each time she looked for her chance to escape but the bathroom offered none and there was no way she wanted to remain in that bathroom any longer that she had to.

“So, are you going to feed me, or what?” Celestine was not the slightest bit hungry. She just wanted to keep up the idle chatter that she knew annoyed her captor so much. She had to make sure no thoughts of sex crossed his disgusting mind. Twelve hours together had done nothing to improve relations between the oddly matched pair. He wanted Celestine to shut up and be quiet and Celestine, knowing this, perversely chose to do the opposite. She had worked out long ago his threats toward her were empty ones. Celestine was still hoping he may just let her go if he got frustrated enough with her. Only one thing concerned her and that was Julia and what she planned. She was the wild card in this setup.

“There’s no point letting me starve. No one is going to pay ransom money for a skeleton, you know.” She was doubtful Grace would pay regardless if she was skeletal or not. Grace would probably think she looked better with less flesh. Celestine could not imagine being able to scrape up five hundred dollars, let alone fifty thousand, to pay a ransom. In all honesty, Celestine could lay her hands on fifty dollars in a pinch. But she knew in her heart that Nick Swan would pay whatever amount was requested. He was just that sort of person—damn him. Like she could avoid loving him even if she tried. She had fantastic sex with a man who had a good heart and loving soul. Women all over the world would kill for that. Celestine just had to get the guts to say it.

“You have got some mouth on you.” Her captor shook his head in frustration.

“Celestine always talks back and she has always been annoying. It’s part of her personality,” came a very feminine voice Celestine knew only too well. Julia Bailey had come unnoticed into the house and now stood looking down in distaste at Celestine’s tired and rumpled form.

“Well, Julia Bailey! Fancy meeting you here. I don’t suppose you brought the money you owe me?” Celestine greeted her sarcastically as she took in the neat, pale blue linen pantsuit Julia was wearing. Celestine knew she looked like a bag lady compared to Julia. Not that she gave a rat’s ass about what her ex-roommate thought of her. “Is this your boyfriend?” She indicated the blond greasy guy.

“Your smart mouth will get you in trouble one day, Celestine. Oh wait, you’re already in trouble.” Julia smiled at her tartly. “So listen up, I’m in charge and you will do what I say.”

Celestine did not doubt for a second Julia was in command and not the blond man.

“So, Julia, why all this?” Celestine already knew the answer. It was greed. Good old-fashioned “I want something and I am going to get it at any cost” greed.

Julia laughed as she dragged a chair over to where Celestine sat on the floor.

“Well, the money of course, Celestine.” Julia sat down crossing her legs daintily as if at a tea party. “After seeing you at Caloundra, I did, I must admit, have one very small moment where I actually decided I had done you wrong and would give you back some of your money.”

“Well, hell, Julia, you must be slipping. This conscience thing is so unlike you.” Celestine was amazed that Julia even admitted she had thought about doing the right thing. Obviously she had quickly gotten over that urge when she realized the benefits of throwing in her lot with the blond man.

“Oh Celestine, I know you don’t believe it but you were good to me. You took me into your home at a time I needed help.” The look on Julia’s face clearly indicated she remembered a time that was not pleasant for her.

“And naturally to pay me back you ripped me off.” Celestine had tried to help Julia. She had met her on the street, literally. Julia had one battered suitcase and was standing on the street, her face bruised and cut up after ending a relationship with a boyfriend who beat her. Celestine, on hearing that she had no place to live and having a soft heart despite all the protective walls she had put up since, allowed Julia to move in with her. It was a big mistake and it had got her to where she was now, sitting on a dirty floor with her hands and feet bound. So much for being nice and taking in strays. It was the mongrels that always turned ‘round and took a bite out of you when you were most vulnerable.

“It’s my nature, Celestine. You can’t change what you are,” Julia said softly, almost making Celestine believe for one second she was sorry about it. But it was only a second as Celestine knew better. “Anyway, after meeting up with you at Caloundra and having my conscience momentarily pricked, I went back to the house at Everton Park to see you. However, I ran into Lester at the house, looking for you.” Julia indicated the blond greasy man that had been Celestine’s unwanted companion for the last day or so. “After a few tense moments and some pertinent questions, Lester saw the advantages of me helping him to get the money.” Julia’s eyes roamed over Lester momentarily in disgust. Lester, in turn, seemed oblivious to her feelings toward him. “Who knew you would buy such a bomb and lead me to such money, Celestine?”

“So where did this money come from?”

“Lester and his partner robbed one of the banks at the Chermside shopping center.”

Celestine lived no more than fifteen minutes away from that shopping center and the car yard she bought the piece of crap from was two blocks down on Hamilton Road in the same suburb. It did not take a genius to realize Lester had stashed the money, waiting for the right time to collect it.

“What happened to Lester’s partner?” Was there a third crazy person she had to deal with?

“Lester killed him.”

“He tried to take all the money for himself,” Lester said angrily.

Okay, Lester was back on the most likely to kill list.

“So Lester here stashed the money in your car with every intention of retrieving it when it was safe.”

“Until I unwittingly purchased the rust bucket.” God, you had to love how life came together like that. “So, Lester,” said Celestine, turning to the blond man, thinking the name suited him perfectly. The name was creepy and so was he. “How did you know I had the car? Have you been following me since I bought it?”

“After the robbery my ex-partner Carl, may the devil torment his rotten soul, decided to stiff me out of the money. We were supposed to split the money in half and go our separate ways. But one night I found him sneaking out of our hideout. I followed him to the used car lot. I knew he was going to take all our money and leave me with nothing. When I found out what was going on, I dealt with Carl. However, the next day, before I could retrieve the cash, you were buying the car. I didn’t think anyone would be stupid enough to buy such a bomb, so I thought I had more time.”

“I wasn’t stupid,” said Celestine defensively. “I was desperate. There is a difference, you know.” Celestine ignored the “oh yeah?” look Lester shot at her. Celestine turned her attention to Julia thoughtfully. Was there any way to get through to the woman? The memory of Julia’s bruised and bloodied face, when she first met her, came to her mind. Julia had been through a lot of tough times herself. There must be some spark of goodness somewhere in the woman. “We used to be friends once, Julia.”

“We were never friends, Celestine. You were useful to me. Once the money dried up you were no longer of any use to me.”

The coldness in Julia voice chilled Celestine. It was all so cut and dried to Julia. Use, abuse and move on. There was no human decency left in her. Celestine felt incredibly naïve for taking her in as she did.

“I see, silly me for thinking we were friends.”

“We never were and yet you just did not get that until it was too late. I thought you were smarter, Celestine. But obviously you’re not.” Julia smiled at her suddenly. “I will say something for you, Celestine. That man of yours is something else. You know we watched him take you that night he fucked you on your knees. You should really have closed the curtains. And that cock! He’s enormous. I wouldn’t mind sliding down on him myself. In fact I nearly did after Lester hit him but you came along and ruined it.” Julia sighed at her missed opportunity. “I think we need to ring him again. I want to bring the time forward on this. He needs to know we are serious.”

Lester was pleased at this news.

“Thank God! She is annoying the hell out of me.”

Celestine arched her eyebrows at his tone. He was clearly a man on the edge. It could not just be from spending time with her, surely?

“We’ll give her lover only another twelve hours to get the money. When we call we talk quickly and get off the line. Swan may have already spoken to the police. We can’t risk the chance that his calls are probably being traced.”

“Nah, it won’t be a problem,” replied Lester confidently. “I’ve seen on television where you only talk for a couple of minutes and they don’t have time to trace the call.”

Both Celestine and Julia exchanged looks that were identical. Lester was clearly not smart and that was being polite, thought Celestine. She knew it must drive Julia insane to be involved with such a dipstick of an accomplice. Celestine smiled smugly at her ex-roommate.

“Fine, whatever, just make the call quick.” Julia looked annoyed that Celestine had guessed her thoughts about Lester. She watched him dial the number.

“You now only have twelve hours, Swan.”

“Let me talk to Celestine,” Nick demanded quietly. The only thing he was interested in was Celestine. All the money in the world could not replace her.

Celestine felt the phone shoved against her ear.

“Hi,” she said to Nick, feeling the ridiculous urge to cry when she heard his voice. That was so not like her. It was probably the rope burn making her want to cry and not that she wanted to see him again.

“Hi yourself.” Nick’s voice was soft with concern. “Are you okay? I am longing to see you, baby.”

The softness in Nick’s voice made Celestine swallow hard. The last thing she needed was for Julia to think she was weak.

“I’m as fine as I can be.” She had an overwhelming longing to see him and to be held by him.

“Do you know where you are?”

“Possibly the Sunshine Coast—owww,” Celestine yelped as Lester finally gave in and slapped her hard across the face, making her head spin and her teeth cut into her bottom lip.

“Stupid bitch!” Lester snapped after hitting her. He grabbed the phone from her.

“Baby! Are you okay?” Nick shouted frantically through the phone.

Celestine knew she had taken a huge chance on disclosing their whereabouts. But she was so over this greedy little game.

Julia snatched the phone impatiently away from her accomplice.

“We’ll see you in twelve hours. Have the money or she’s dead.”

Nick listened to the line go dead. He knew who owned that voice. He had heard it once before. It belonged to Julia Bailey.

———

“Grace, she’s your sister.” Nick was completely losing his patience. He had tracked down Celestine’s sister Grace Maxwell, thinking that maybe she would be interested in her sister’s welfare. But the only thing that seemed to concern Grace was the amount of money the kidnappers were demanding.

“I know but fifty thousand is a lot of money,” Grace Maxwell said, completely agitated by Nick’s tone. “I don’t know what to do.”

Nick was beginning to understand why Celestine had as little as possible to do with her sister. Grace Maxwell was either a complete and utter, uncaring bitch or she was an airhead who just didn’t understand what Nick was telling her. He had gone to the trouble of tracking her down through Tess. Tess had told her that she was a piece of work but Nick wanted to believe somewhere deep down inside she cared for Celestine. But the fact that Celestine, her younger sister, was in trouble did not seem to mean much to Grace. And the thought of spending fifty thousand dollars to free her sister seemed exorbitant to her. She sounded like someone who would probably spend that much on clothes in a month.

“Once again, Grace, I’m not asking you to pay it. I am telling you to be aware that Celestine is in danger and that these people know who you are.” Nick spoke to her almost as if she was a child. He had had enough. His duty was done. Nick would look after Celestine himself.

“I do care for Celestine.”

“You have a damned strange way of showing it, lady.”

“You don’t understand…” Grace’s voice trailed off as if she knew there was no way she could make this man understand her.

“No, I don’t and at this moment I am not even going to try to understand you. You’re not important to me, Grace.” Nick hung up the phone and rang his banker.

———

Celestine was pushed to the dirt floor of an old shed. They had to move locations because Celestine had given up their Sunshine Coast location. The Sunshine Coast covered a large and wildly diverse area and so that trying to find them it would be like trying to find the proverbial needle in a haystack. However, Julia intended on taking no chances. There was money involved, after all. So, they were now back in Brisbane, Everton Park to be precise, back in Celestine’s own backyard, literally. Her house at Everton Park had an old, dilapidated, tin shed out the back. It was somewhere that Celestine, and she was sure Julia, had never ventured inside of in her whole tenancy of the house. She had peeked in once when she moved in. However, the assorted spiders and cockroaches had been enough to stop her from venturing farther inside or utilizing the old shed. Celestine wasn’t scared of spiders but cockroaches were just plain repulsive so she had just developed the need not to have a use for the shed. So, it had sat in its festering state until now.