Controlling Circumstances Read online

  My breathing increases. My mouth begins to get dry. I lick my lips and look to the object of my desire. I reach my hands out and begin to rub my hands through his messy—but sexy—hair and pull him in for a kiss. I hear him groan.

  “You’re so ready for me,” Gabe growls as he slips a finger into my dampness. I can’t help but moan.

  “Yes!”

  “This is mine. I’ll protect it and you with my life.” Gabe thrusts a second finger in as he kisses from my lips to my ear and down my neck, heightening the pleasure I already feel.

  “Yes!” I feel lost to him, to his touch, to the pleasure his lips and hands are giving freely to me. I want more. I won’t ask, I won’t beg. He knows I’ll take what he’ll give. My body responds with a shiver and my hips move into his thrusts on their own. My body knows what it wants and seems to have no shame in showing Gabe. Thrust after thrust. Moan after groan. I can’t take it. I need more. “Please, Gabe.” Here I said I wouldn’t beg. I guess I was wrong.

  “You ready for more, babe?” Gabe groans as he slips his fingers free from my wet folds and begins to stroke himself. My eyes are instantly drawn to his erection. He’s so hard and large. We have had sex on several occasions, so I know how Gabe feels inside of me. I feel so aroused and I want him—now.

  I reach down to Gabe’s hand that is stroking his erection—a hint given to what I want. Gabe grabs my hand and places it on the vanity. “Keep it there!” he orders. He reaches up and grabs my other hand to repeat the action on the other side. Another shiver overcomes me. Gabe then takes ahold of both my hips and drives himself in. He thrusts balls deep inside of me and my head falls back and hits the mirror. I want to scream because it feels so good, but when I open my mouth only a deep, sated moan comes out. Gabe pulls my hips closer to his and grinds his pelvis against me. He pulls back slowly and says, “I love you Belle.”

  He thrusts hard again and again and again. Thrilling sensations swim through my body and my toes begin to curl. A tingling sensation begins in my stomach and my core begins to spasm around Gabe’s cock. He hits every sensitive spot possible and I love it.

  “Oh my fuck, Gabe.” I grip the vanity and close my eyes tight. What I want to do is wrap my arms and legs around him, but he tells me no. I’ll be a good girl, but only for him. It’s all for him. I love him. “I’m…I’m…Fuck… ahhhhhh” And the biggest orgasm I’ve ever had blows through me.

  Gabe thrusts once, twice, a third time and then directs me to wrap my legs around him. He swoops me up from the vanity which gives me no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck now. He turns immediately and slams me against the wall where he thrusts a few more times. “You will be mine until the end of time.” Gabe grunts then stills as he moans out his release and holds me up against the wall.

  He stands quietly, breathing heavy for a few minutes, just holding me while he is still inside of me. I can feel his and my own cum begin to ooze out around his slowly fading erection.

  I rub his back and kiss the side of his head. “Shall we shower now?” I whisper to him with a big smile on my face. I still feel high, feel the rush of the orgasm flowing through me, but I know we don’t have a lot of time before Mel and Jack get back with food.

  “Yeah,” Gabe mumbles. He steps back from the wall and pulls out from me. He slowly sets me on my feet. Gabe kisses my forehead before turning toward the shower and turning it on. Is our moment over?

  Gabe turns and reaches his hand out to me. I accept. As I walk towards him I feel a heat surge through me at the thought of the unknown. The connection we share, the feelings we explore on a daily basis is a wonder to me. It’s something I never expected to ever have.

  This man is it for me. He is him. He’s the one. Why I ever fought it, I’ll never know. Now we just need to get through this mess I’ve managed to get us in and maybe I—or shall I say we—will get a fairy tale ending.

  Gabe grasps ahold of my hand and pulls me into the shower under the hot water. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls our bodies tight together. We let the water just run over us. I look up to him and smile. “I love you, Gabe.”

  Gabe reaches a hand up and pushes a strand of loose hair behind my ear. He returns my smile and licks his lips. “And I love you, my sweet girl.” Gabe leans down and kisses my lips gently enough to feel the warmth of his touch.

  Twenty minutes later—after Gabe generously washed me from head to toe and I courageously did the same for him— we dress and sit on the couch as we wait for Jack and Mel.

  CHAPTER 22

  Belle

  JACK RETURNS TO THE APARTMENT carrying a large duffle bag on one shoulder and a large briefcase in his other hand.

  Mel follows with two boxes of pizza and backpack that probably carried her basic essentials.

  Bags are set by the couch and the pizza on the table.

  Gabe heads in Jack’s direction, and I head in the direction of food. Believe it or not, sex—and I mean good sex—brings on a good appetite.

  I grab the pizza and bring it to the kitchen. I open the cupboards and take out some plates. I set them on the counter. As I reach for the paper towels I shout out, “How many slices do you want, guys?”

  “We’re coming, babe,” Gabe calls back from the other room. I shrug to myself and plate two slices of pepperoni. Next I rip off a piece of paper towel and go back out to the living room.

  “Get it while its hot, guys.” I smile and curl up on the couch. Mel comes and sits beside me with her own plate of yummy deliciousness. The pizza smells so good. I can’t help but dig right in.

  As I take a bite, I hear my cell phone ding. I look around the room and spot it on the side table. I reach over and picked it just as Gabe shouts, “Don’t touch it.”

  I was just a little too late. I answer accidently and get the shock of my life.

  “You’re going to die tonight!” the voice tells me.

  I drop the phone. I drop my pizza. It feels like my heart stops right then. Gabe’s by my side instantly.

  “What is it?” Panic and worry are etched on his face and in his voice.

  I feel the blood drain. The color of my face pales as I look at Gabe. “I… I…”

  Gabe pulls me into a bear hug. “You’re safe, Belle. He won’t get to you. Jack and I have somewhat of a plan.”

  In my peripheral vision I can see Mel setting her plate on the table. Tears shimmer in her eyes. “This has to end now,” Mel says. “This is killing her and it’s hurting me as well. I can’t stand seeing this all going on.” Mel looks to me, Gabe and then to Jack. “What’s the plan?” She sniffles.

  “Let’s all eat something first, then Jack and I will lay it all out,” Gabe says before he lets me go to stand up. Gabe looks at me once more before he walks to the kitchen. Jack follows.

  Mel blows out a breath, picks up her plate and begins to eat her pizza. I pick up my plate and pizza from the floor and set it on table. I’m in no mood to eat now. There’s something about getting a death threat that deters your appetite.

  Gabe and Jack return to the room with plates loaded full of pizza. They sit in the empty chairs, eat and make small conversation. Gabe doesn’t seem too happy that I’m not eating, but tough shit for him. He’s not the one under a death threat. But then again I’m not about to tell him that. I just smile politely at him and listen as they all talk.

  When everyone finishes eating and the dishes are set aside, it’s time for the big talk.

  Jack brings around the briefcase and opens it up. He pulls out little bits of equipment that look like every day knick-knacks. I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion because I have no idea of what’s going on. Are we going to sell shit? Is this the hair brain scheme?

  Jack notices my confusion and decides to enlighten me. “These are cameras.” He smirks. “We plan to set these up around the apartment to monitor every room from several angles.” He looks from me to Mel.

  Mel speaks up first. My girl seems to be done with the tears for the moment and ready
to fight back. But she needs to know how. “Why do you need to monitor the rooms?” she asks.

  Gabe leans forward in his chair and looks from me to Mel. He clears his throat, licks his lips and looks back to me. “As much as I really hate this plan, Belle, Jack and I feel this is the best idea. You and Mel will be bait.”

  I don’t let Gabe finish his thought. He wants us to bait for that animal? How? Why? Is he trying to get us killed? He swore to me he was going to protect me and dangling me out there for the fucking wolf would guarantee my death. Ugh. “What?” I yell as I jump up from the couch. “You plan to dangle me like fresh meat for a wild animal? How dare you?” I’m outraged. I start to stomp out of the room when Gabe wraps his arm around my waist.

  “Belle, wait. Please,” Gabe pleads. “Please listen to the whole plan. Listen to what Jack and I have planned out.”

  I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I trust him, I do. I just don’t know what all Mike’s capable of. What if this so-called plan fails? What something happens me or to Mel? Will Gabe or Jack be able to live with themselves? I turn into Gabe’s arms and look up to him. “Okay, tell me.” I have to believe he’ll keep me safe. I need to believe Jack will keep Mel safe. If he doesn’t I’ll rip Jack’s nuts off and shove them down his throat. Ugh. I move to sit back on the couch. Gabe sits back in his chair.

  Between Jack and Gabe the plan’s explained. They hope to set Mike up with using us girls—well, mostly me—as bait. With the camera’s they plan to survey the apartment, as well as watch and record everything that happens. We just pray that Mike isn’t too many steps ahead of us. Hopefully, he’s not smarter than what he used to be. The men plan to leave us girls alone in the apartment and watch us via video on a laptop. Now that we have Gordon on our side, it’s a major bonus. As long as everything goes as planned, catching Mike in action and with our testimonies should put him back in jail. Hopefully, for a really long time.

  “Now, we just need to pick when we plan to follow through with this,” Gabe says. “We’ll never know when Mike plans to strike next and—”

  I interrupt Gabe by clearing my throat. “Uh, yeah we do.”

  Gabe turns to me with confusion clear on his face. “What do you mean, Belle?”

  I cross and uncross my legs, then shift my body on the couch and blow out a breath. “The phone call from earlier…it was Mike.”

  Gabe moves in front of me and kneels down. “What did he say?” He takes hold of my fidgeting hands.

  “He…uh…said I was going to die tonight,” I whisper and look away from him.

  Gabe reacts instantly. He lets go of my hands before he jumps up and yells. “Fuck!” He runs his hands down his face. As he begins to pace the room, he starts to grunt out orders to Jack. “Jack, we need to get the camera’s set up, now!”

  “On it!” Jack replies and gets up from his chair. He begins to strategically place the knick-knacks around the apartment.

  CHAPTER 23

  Belle

  IT’S EIGHT IN THE EVENING and the apartment has been wired to videotape from every possible angle. The men just left with hopes of being able to sneak in the back way to the bar and set up Wi-Fi to watch live feed of the video. Gabe told us to act as if nothing was going on, to act as if Mel and I are just having a girls’ night in, so Mel is popping popcorn in the kitchen and I’m now trying to decide on what to watch.

  “Want extra butter, chick?” Mel shouts from the kitchen.

  “Is that even a question?” I laugh as I shout back. I scroll through the Pay-Per-View list and see that there are a few movies that sound pretty good. I don’t know when Mike plans to show face—if he even plans to. I decide against having alcohol. My emotions are frazzled and I really could use a drink to help keep me calm, but alcohol could mess up my judgement, and I don’t want to ruin anything that could possibly happen tonight.

  Mel walks into the living room carrying a big bowl of delicious smelling popcorn with a smile on her face and comes to sit on the couch beside me. I know this situation doesn’t bode well for her, but she puts up a good front just like I do.

  “So what have you picked?” Mel tosses a few pieces of our snack in her mouth and looks to me.

  I’m so thankful to have Mel by my side and to have her as a friend. I know she’s doing this for me. Mel’s putting herself in harm’s way when she doesn’t need to. I look to her and just stare for a moment. My heart beats a little fast and my emotions swell as I look at my best friend. She’s always here when I need her. How I lucked out with such a person in my life, I’ll never know, but I’m thankful for sure. Tears begin to form in my eyes.

  Mel’s smile drops as I’m sure she notices my mood change. “Are you okay, Belle?” She sets the popcorn on the table and reaches for my hand. “Everything will work out you know. The guys will keep us safe.”

  I hold her hand in mine and wipe the tears that spill from my eyes. I need to get a grip, I know, but I need to tell her my feelings before anything happens. “I love you, Mel.”

  “Oh, sweetie. I love you, too.” Mel squeezes my hand.

  I smile as a few more tears leak and stream down my face. “You’re the best friend any girl can have. You’ve been by my side through so much, and I just want you to know that it means the world to me to have you in my life.” I lean forward and pull Mel into a hug. I squeeze her tight and can feel her body begin to tremble. Her emotions have probably let loose.

  “I think I’m the lucky one,” Mel mumbles against my neck.

  I pull back to wipe my tears and so does Mel. We both smile and sit back on the couch. “So how about that movie?” I ask.

  ***

  Gabe

  After we leave the girls, Jack and I walk around for a bit. We stop in a coffee shop and grab a cup to go before we walk a bit more. I want to try to show that we are not going back to the apartment in case anyone’s watching. I have a back entrance to the bar that I can get to from the street behind, so if we work it right we’ll be able to sneak in without being noticed.

  Once at the bar Jack gets down to it. He heads to my office and gets the laptop he knows I keep there for work and brings it back out. He sets it on the bar, opens it and turns it on. Then he pulls out an USB stick from his pocket. Soon the Wi-Fi is set up and we gain access to the live feed from upstairs.

  I lean against the bar top and watch as the screen brings up several feeds. Each room has at least two cameras, just at a different angle. Jack still taps at keys on the keyboard and as he does, I notice a red light in the corner of the screen come on. I’m so glad I closed the bar for the night. I don’t think I could focus on the task at hand with a busy bar to run, too.

  “What’s that light?” I ask him.

  “It means all feeds are recording,” Jack answers.

  I nod. “So anything that happens in the apartment will be seen and recorded?” I ask.

  “That’s the plan.” Jack says as he taps the last key and looks to me.

  I watch the monitor for a minute and nothing seems out of the ordinary. The girls are in the living room watching something on the television and it looks like they are snacking on something. Everything seems calm at the moment.

  I pull my cell out of my pocket and call Gordon. He’s in on the plan and so is his department. Gordon will meet us here at the bar. I wonder where he is.

  A knock at the back door sounds just as I start to dial. I pause and go to the back to let Gordon in.

  Gordon is dressed as if on the clock with badge and gun holstered at his waist. We head to the front of the bar. “Sorry I’m late,” Gordon says. “I wanted to make sure my men were set in case things went down.” He sits on a stool by Jack at the bar. “Anything yet?”

  Jack looks up from the computer and nods to Gordon. “Hey. No, nothing yet.”

  I grab stool and pull it around the bar to sit down across from the other men. “So I guess we just sit and wait?” I ask them.

  “We do,” Jack answers. “Now, are you going to ser
ve us beverages or what, man?” Jack looks to me with a smirk and nods toward the bottles of whiskey behind me.

  “None for me,” Gordon says. “On the job, remember? But I would take a soda or water.”

  I know Jack likes his whiskey neat, so I go about pouring him a glass. I grab a bottle of water for Gordon and one for myself. I want to stay clear-minded in case something does happen. Deep in my gut I know Mike will make his move tonight, and I want to be ready.

  With drinks in hand we sit on our stools. We all watch the monitor and wait.

  CHAPTER 24

  Belle

  I PICK A COMEDY TO WATCH with hopes to keep Mel and me both from thinking. I want us to relax and laugh a little. I think it’s working, with Channing and all his sexy glory acting as an undercover cop pretending to be a college student, but when I began to hear footsteps in the ceiling, the hairs on my arms stand on end. My muscles all tense up and I look to Mel.

  “Do you hear that?” I whisper. I see Mel is tense, too. Her whole body seems stiff and her eyes slowly wander around the room.

  “Yes,” she says back softly.

  “Okay, we’re supposed to remain calm, right? Fuck, how do we remain calm? Does Gabe have an attic?” Fear begins to creep in. All of my rational thoughts begin to slip.