The Heist
By
Sienna Mynx
Lee’s Girls Series – Volume One
Smashwords Edition
Copyright © 2011 by Sienna Mynx
ISBN: 978-1-61333-098-2
Cover art by Dara England
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~DEDICATION~
For my lovers of the darker side of romance, through the looking glass we go!
Chapter One
It was a little hole in the wall on the Westside of Chicago. If you passed it along your way, you would most likely miss it. Sasha pushed open the door to The Hamlet, a pool hall and bar. A haze of smoke swirled under the low, dimmed lights. The place smelled of beer and corn chips. She was certain this was the place. The low-key atmosphere didn’t fool her in the least. Pops made many drops—this was the one spot he never permitted her to enter. And Pops never gave a care about having his kids around a bar. Especially when he had that monkey on his back. It was Lee who Pops and Michelle warned her to stay away from. Through the years, Leith Sullivan was the only thing her sister and father agreed upon.
“You lost?”
Sasha turned, wide-eyed. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. She had to chill, be less jumpy. A tall ebony brother strolled over. The cream turtleneck he wore was a stark contrast against his dark skin. He towered over her with a Herculean build. How tall was he? Eight feet? Eyes black as night focused on her as if he could read her thoughts. She flashed him a sweet smile that usually stopped men in their tracks.
“I’m here to see Lee.”
The African Adonis paused. Confused, she felt the atmosphere charge as a silent hush filled the club. Her eyes cut around her, taking in every angle. The men at the bar turned their heads. The looks they fixed on her stalled her already skittish nerves. It was as if his name were blasphemous.
“Why?” the African snapped, now directly in front of her. She had to tilt her head back just to take him all in.
“I’m Sasha, Pops Dixon’s youngest daughter. Heard of me?”
Suddenly, the man’s demeanor changed. Instead of restrained irritation, he looked her over with renewed interest. “You’re one of Pops’ girls?”
“I’m looking for Lee. We have business to discuss,” she announced, now bolder from the respect her father’s name brought. The breaking of pool balls cracked behind her. The African’s piercing gaze swept past her and she turned to follow his stare. A man rose from his shot, his clear blue eyes leveled on her. He was different than the brutes at the bar and the giant in front of her. Much different. Could he be Lee? She’d seen Lee before, behind the tint of a limo glass, or through the crack of the door when she was forced into a room while Pops and Michelle, her older sister, worked. But never up close and personal. He was always such a mystery. Wow! He was so sexy.
Handsome and darkly dressed, he exuded an aura of power and wealth about him that made every man near him nothing but a shadow. His handsomeness was a consequence of his broad shoulders, muscular frame, and rugged features. Lee's hair was black and naturally wavy to the front but tapered low with long sideburns. What she found most appealing was his skin. A natural tan made his face and hands appear as smooth as butter cream. His brows lowered over those icy blue eyes of his, and they focused solely on her. Sasha had her talents and one of her greatest was her instinct. Sharp as a Ginsu blade, she was never wrong about a person; Pops always told her so. The penetrating stare fixed on her from across the pool table said he was someone of little patience. Then he spoke and proved it.
“Send her over, Abahti,” he said.
Sasha’s breath caught. She was right. It is Lee. There in the flesh was the person Michelle spoke of as if he were the devil. She said he fed Pops’ addiction for fast-living and high-stakes stealing. What she didn’t admit was that Lee fed hers, as well. Now Sasha was hoping he’d do the same for her.
Sasha shot the African an eye roll and sashayed toward Lee, putting just a hint of a sway in her hips so the hem of her skirt moved in a swirl over her legs. She concentrated on being poised, collected, and confident the way her sister’s alter ego Chocolat was when she entered a room. Pops told her to never let them see her sweat. Well, the way Lee observed her with a raised brow, she now appreciated the advice. The man was delicious and mysterious as hell. She liked that.
“Hi, I’m Sasha.” She extended her hand.
Lee dropped his gaze to her welcome then lifted it to her face. He leaned back in with his pool cue and aimed at the white ball. A scratch sent it in a slow roll to tap another. It dropped into the left side pocket.
Sasha lowered her hand, stung by the dismissal. “Um, can we talk? In private, please?”
“Your sister know you’re here?” he asked, rising and circling the pool table. Sasha was thrown off by the question. He not only knew her sister, but possibly the way she ruled and dictated every aspect of her life.
“My sister is wiping down counters and serving corn-beef hash. So I would say ‘no’.”
Lee cut his eyes up at her from the pool table, then made another shot, successfully sinking two more balls. Sasha chilled at the cool glare he gave her. This is bullshit, she thought. He was treating her like everyone in the industry did: invisible. She wasn’t going to put up with it.
“I really need to talk to you….”
“Go home,” Lee told her, making another shot. He sent an assortment of colored balls across the green.
“I have a proposition for you. Something that will make you the baddest in the game. The kind of job Pops would deliver.”
Lee stood upright. He tossed the pool stick across the table. He was dressed in a grey turtleneck and dark slacks. He pulled his sleeves up to his elbows. Sasha caught the bling on his wrist and pinky finger. Her gaze lingered on the diamond. A purple jewel, the most beautiful gem in the world. It gave her a rush. She loved diamonds, just like Pops.
Loved them….
Lee stopped in front of her. “You got balls, kid, coming in here after what your father pulled.”
Sasha sucked down a silent breath. Think, think, think, quick, say something. Lee let his malevolent gaze sweep her once more. The room vibrated with tension. Sasha’s heart began to hammer in her chest. She tried to think of the best response. What would Michelle say?
Lee’s scowl faded. “To hell with it. I’ll give you ten minutes,” he told her, then stormed off. Sasha realized she was supposed to follow. She caught up quickly, her long locks swaying around her shoulders, as the men in darker corners watched her silently.
This must be how a rabbit felt in a fox den.
Through a door detectable only by the few that knew it existed, she entered behind him and followed as he walked along an even darker entrance way. She was going into the heart of his lair with nothing more than her wits. He glanced back over his shoulder at her.
Sasha was both thrilled and terrified about what would happen next. Michelle would burst a blood vessel if she knew what her baby sister was up to. That didn’t matter. She was old enough, and determined to be something other than a schoolteacher’s assistant. She was destined for more.
Lee opened a door at the end of the hall and rays of light fell over her. Sasha felt a sense of relief that the darkness wasn’t permitted to follow her inside. The relief was fleeting. Once inside, her eyes soaked in the place. Leather furniture and a large desk decorated the modest office; the only thing of interest was the large safe to the right of the room.
“A Winchester,” she mumbled. “Perfect.”
Lee was at the bar to the far right—a bar that reached the wall and was fully stocked with everything Pops liked.
“I would offer you a drink, but you aren’t legal, are you?” he asked.
“I’ll be twenty-one in nine days!”
Lee looked at her and then to his whiskey. Taking down another glass, he poured her a shot. She held her breath as he approached, the amber liquid swirling in the glass. Lee held it out before her. Sasha accepted the drink. The amused glint in his eyes only added to her nervousness. Sasha hated alcohol, how could she not? Her father could never handle his drinking. But hey, she could put up a front, right? Besides, if she wanted Lee to seriously consider the offer it was time to pull up her big girl panties.
Tossing it back, Sasha gagged from the immediate burn, covering her mouth. Hell, she had seen Pops take shots plenty of times. The way Lee polished off his, you would think the stuff tasted like Kool-Aid. The acidic taste that torched her throat, which made her want to retch, said otherwise.
“Can I have another?” She stifled her cough with teary eyes and passed him the shot glass.
Lee chuckled. “I think you’ve had enough, for now.” He took the glass from her. “Okay, Sasha, why are you here, and why do I care?”
“Ice,” Sasha announced, a hand on the curve of her hip. “You like it, and I know how to get it.”
Lee smirked. “Really?”
“My father was the best in the business. Can you deny it?”
“He’s dead,” Lee said flatly.
“But his girls aren’t, and we know this business inside and out.”
“Your sister isn’t in the business anymore. She’s made that quite clear, um, what, three years ago?”
“We’ll get to her in a second. First, you need to understand the value I bring.”
Sasha stepped forward, now confident due to his silence. She opened her purse and removed the article clipping. She put it on the polished surface before him. “The Jesus Stones. They’re here. Pops talked about them all the time. Said it was your first job.”
Lee’s brow rose. “Careful, don’t speak of what you know nothing of.”
“I’m not. It’s a fact, right? Those stones are here.”
“In a lockup tighter than Fort Knox.”
“No, Lee, they are very much attainable, and I can tell you how.”
Lee’s gaze lingered on the clipping. Sasha saw the interest spark in his face. Slowly his gaze lifted to her face. “How old are you again?”
“Old enough. And talented.” She crossed her arms. “I can be very resourceful for you.”
“I’m listening.”
“Pops didn’t only teach Michelle the tricks of the trade. He taught me, too. We’re a team. Michelle is good at technique. She can get in and out of any place without being seen. Nothing is beyond her reach.”
“And what is your talent, Sasha?” he asked.
Sasha tossed her hair, smiling down at him. “Numbers. The first word I said out of my mouth as a baby was a number. There isn’t one code I can’t crack…no sequence I can’t break. Whatever mark Pops and Michelle caught, I was along for the ride to crack the safe.”
“That makes no sense. I’ve seen Pops and Chocolat work. You were never a player.”
“I was, you just didn’t know it. Pops didn’t share his tricks with anyone, any of you. I'm his baby-girl. He shared everything with me.”
Lee’s eyes narrowed.
“I mean, I know you and Pops were cool, it’s just that he and Michelle were always really protective over me, is all.” Sasha walked over to the eight-foot tall safe. “I can open it.”
Lee chuckled. “I doubt it, it’s a—”
“It’s a Winchester, model 8459 with a silver magnetic chrome locking sequence and two manual backup locks.” Sasha turned with her hands to her hips. “I can open it. Give me what I need and let me prove it. And after I open it, you start taking me seriously. Deal?”
He didn’t take the bait immediately. She knew he was a founding member of the Order. She understood all about the secret organization of crime lords. Once when Pops was drunk, he told her everything. She also believed Pops loved him, trusted him, more so than the other scumbags that used her father and spit him out. She couldn’t be wrong about Lee. She couldn’t be.
Lee pressed a button to the side of his desk. Abahti, the tall African, appeared.
“Give the lady what she needs. She’s going to open the safe for us.” Lee's tone was dry and disinterested. Abahti nodded and left. The silence that followed had her chewing her bottom lip nervously. “I didn’t tell him what I needed.”
“He knows,” Lee said.
She nodded and waited.
Abahti appeared. He dropped a small duffle at her feet. Sasha stood there, dumbfounded.
“Well?” Lee said.
“Um, okay.” Sasha checked the bag. Lee was right. There was more than what she needed. She blew out a deep breath. In the past Pops insisted that her skills remain sharp by practicing and she had done so a hundred times before she came in. It was evident how this would play out. There was only one problem: she hadn’t factored in having them both as an audience. This kind of work required concentration.
Her plan had better work; she should never make empty promises to the devil. Touching the cool steel surface, she used the tiny pin drill and unscrewed the plate over the digital timer. Carefully, she removed it and eyed the wires. None of them were colored, several were wrapped—it would be tricky. But Sasha loved tricky. She picked out a pair of tweezers and razor point scissors. With a steady hand, she lifted the trip wires and looked for the main line. At this point it was all instinct, that and the skill of a careful hand. She sniped, the timer blinked off. Sasha exhaled.
A slow moving trickle of sweat eased down her brow over her temple. Quickly she put in the ear-buds Abahti had supplied and the sensitive suction next to the large dial. It was a duo-form door and very close to an Omnibarrier locking system. To the front of it was a five-spoke wheel and the left of it a black and white dial, set to a one-tick timer she’d already disabled. If she hadn’t successfully disengage the trigger, only the master key would reopen it—not even dynamite could cut through it. What the hell was inside that would require such an investment? The Hope Diamond?
She looked back over her shoulder with a nervous smile.
Lee latched on to her hopeful stare, and the man he called Abahti stood behind him with his arms folded. “You ready, princess?” Lee asked.
She nodded. “I can, um, get it open in six to ten minutes if—”
“Do it in four,” Lee told her sharply.
Sasha sucked in a breath. “I…um…okay.”
He smirked and stuck the blunt of his cigar in his mouth. Checking his watch, he waited, then his eyes returned to hers. “Now.”
Sasha turned back to the safe. Her sweaty fingertips made the dial hard to grip and her thundering heartbeat sounded louder than the ticks she needed to catch. She heard Pops in her head.
Screw them before they screw you, kid, never let ‘em see you sweat.
Spinning the dial left, she caught three ticks; spinning it right, she caught sixteen ticks; spinning it left again, she caught twenty-three ticks. They all burned into her mind: 3-16-23. She worked the dial to zero as quickly as she could. She had one chance and if she missed a tick, it was over. Lee would never entertain her again.
“Time,” Lee announced, just as the dial fell upon twenty-three.
Sasha removed her hand and stared at the number. What if it was twenty-two or twenty-four? What if she had skipped a tick or over-counted? What if…?
“Open the safe,” ordered Lee.
“Why don’t you do the honors?” She stepped back. Lee rose and walked over, stopping in front of her. She winked, daring him to doubt her with her eyes. It was apparent that he liked the challenge, before he moved past her. Stepping to the safe, he spun the wheel then dropped the handle. It clicked, unbolted, opened.
Sasha nearly screamed out with joy, and when Lee cast his gaze back at her, clearly stunned, she played it for all it was worth. “Now can we discuss business?”
“Leave us,” Lee said to Abahti.
Sasha straightened her back. She stood proud, her chest heaved upward. “So what do you think of me? Better than Chocolat, huh?”
“I think I owe you an apology, Sasha. Apparently, Pops did have secrets, and you were one of them. I’m so sorry I missed that fact.”
“It’s okay,” she replied, stepping in close to him. She put her hand to his arm. “I’m always underestimated or ignored. But I had a feeling about you, Lee.”
“Did you?”
“Just maybe you’d be wise enough to see and appreciate talent no matter the packaging.”
He dipped his finger between the crease of her breasts then traced up the inside curve of her neck to her chin. He smiled down at her. “I think you’re packaged just fine, but be careful, little girl, I don’t play games.”
“I have no game, that’s the problem.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that. This little performance of yours was Oscar-worthy.”
Sasha wanted the life—the diamonds, the thrills, the money, the adventure. But Pops and her sister kept her insulated. Her talents were even concealed from Lee on jobs he bankrolled.
“Well,” she muttered nervously, putting distance between them. “I can share the plan with you.”
“Plan?” Lee asked.
“How we can get my sister back in for this, because you will need her, Lee, if you want to get those stones.” Sasha picked up the article. “The Jesus Stones. The biggest score yet.”
“You have an idea on how to bring Chocolat in?”
“It’s foolproof.”
“Interesting. This I want to hear.”
“Me!” Sasha announced, turning, her skirt lifting in a swirl around her thighs. She stopped and struck a pose for him.
Lee chuckled. “You? Tell me more.”
“Kidnap me, tell her I hit one of your casinos, and ran a tab of um...two-hundred-thousand or something. Put me up as the carrot, and I promise she’ll bite.”
“You’d do that to your sister?”
Sasha smile faded. “She’s my half-sister.”
“She’s your family; she’s wiping counters and slinging corn-beef hash to protect you from men like me.”
“Well, who asked her? I’m grown. I don’t need her protection! I’m sick of her dictating every aspect of my life! Besides, Pops would be alive if she—”
Hearing the irrational shrill in her voice, she stopped herself. Sasha sounded like a spoiled child. Sucking in a breath, she gulped down her anger. “Chocolat can get those stones. Michelle would never do it. What you have to do is use them both against each other. Michelle’s need to protect family, Chocolat’s love for the chase, the game. Turn her inside out, Lee. I’ve cased it; and it’s like the Paris job we did for Pops five years ago. She can do it, and she will do it if you use me.”
“Let’s have another drink,” Lee decided, returning to the bar.
Sasha nodded. Her gaze then returned to the rows of trays on display inside the safe. “What’s in there?”
“Look for yourself, you opened it,” he replied.
Surprised at the privilege, Sasha leaped at the chance. She stepped to the safe and removed a black tray, then walked over to his desk and put it down. Opening it, her breath caught in her throat. Diamonds the size of nickels were cut in different styles and strewn across the black tray.
“Oh God, these are beautiful.” She ran her fingers over them. “They’re the coldest pieces I’ve ever seen.”
Lee stepped up behind her. She shot upright from the light brush of him against her backside. Blushing, she tried to move away, but he brought the wine glass around for her and prevented her escape. Sasha, trapped between him and millions of dollars’ worth of diamonds, relaxed. She accepted the wine.
“You like that?”
“They’re beautiful. Not since Pops have I even been around so many.”
“Then you’ll like this,” Lee told her in his husky whisper. It made the tiny hairs on the inside of her ear stand on end. Leaning in to reach over, he brushed his arm over the side of her breast, sending a current-like tickle through her. Sasha nervously downed big gulps of wine, while watching him roll back the velvet. Underneath was a diamond cluster necklace on a square-cut diamond bracket chain. It nearly blinded her.
“Now I know why they call it ‘bling’. I swear they’re actually sizzling. They’re so hawt!”
Lee lowered his wine. Reaching inside, he removed the necklace. “Turn around, princess.”
She grinned and turned for him, scooping up her hair. He brought the necklace up to her neck and fastened it. “Now it’s beautiful.” He ran a finger down her bare shoulder.
Sasha just stood there, warmed by the wine. It mixed in her bloodstream with the shot of whiskey and suddenly she felt loopy. Her eyes closed.
“You like it?”
“Yes, very much.” She swayed, fingering the stones.
“It’s yours.”
“What!” Her eyes shot open. She whirled, startled and splashed her wine onto his shirt. “Shit! I’m sorry!”
“It’s okay.” He took the glass from her hand. He brushed the wine off the front of his shirt.
“I’m such a klutz.” She blushed. “I should just go.”
“Hey, I said it was cool—look at me.”
Sasha did as she was told. He ran the back of his hand across her cheek. “You have no idea how rare you are. Just like that diamond, that’s why it’s yours.” He reached behind her and picked up some diamond bangles, putting them on her wrists. “And these as well.”
“It’s too much, I couldn’t.”
“Just say thank you.”
“Oh, um…okay. Thank you.”
“Not like that.” He dropped his hand to her neck, running his thumb down its center, clasping his fingers around its slender curve. He drew her to him and kissed her. Sasha’s eyes widened at the abruptness of his kiss. Her lashes fluttered then lowered when he licked her lips and tongue. She put her arms around his neck and followed his instruction. His tongue, one long swirl in her mouth, and the wine, left her head spinning. The liquor, mixed with the excitement, had complete control over her. Then his hand went to the tie around her neck and she came out of the spell. Lee wiped his mouth and shook his head.
“Maybe you should have one more glass of wine,” Lee said, stepping around her. But Sasha didn’t want it to stop, not after a kiss like that. “No… Lee…wait,” she protested.
He did.
Sasha lifted the glass of wine from his hand and swallowed the remainder down, quick and fast. Then she moved up against him, turning him to the desk. “How about we seal this deal properly?”
“You’re a little minx, aren’t you? Sexy little minx, you’re too young for my taste.” He made a gesture to stop her hand as it eased down his zipper. Sasha wouldn’t be turned away. Lee was the real deal. Sexy, rich, powerful—what girl would not want to be desired by him? Her fingers quickly worked the strap free of his belt buckle.
“I guess this is something I’ll have to prove as well.”
Sasha felt her adrenaline spike. It was wrong, her desire for this ruthless jewel smuggler. Still she wanted all of it. There was something enticing about the forbidden. The excitement, the glamour, and a bit of danger that thievery brought overruled her common sense. She went to her knees. She had his dick in her hands in seconds. It was poised inches from her mouth. Lee’s hand pressed her shoulder to push her off when she stroked him and it dropped away. His cock curved up thick, from the shaft to the purple smooth head. Sasha had never sucked a cock before, but this one made her mouth water. Her eyes darted up to his, and he stared down at her with baited breath as she eased her lips over his thickness. He grabbed the back of her head and thrust into her open mouth; she nearly gagged when the tip hit the back of her throat and his balls smacked her chin. It was deliriously exciting to have his smooth dick sliding over her tongue. She tried her best to keep her throat open as she reveled in applying varying degrees of pressure with her lips. Once the muscles in her jaw were used to the motion of his cock going in and out, she mastered it even better, using her tongue to lick whenever his withdrawal permitted only an inch to remain. She placed her hands on his hips to brace herself. The wave of lightheadedness swooped in on her harder. She gripped his muscled thighs. It must have been the wine.
She took hold of his shaft in one hand and pumped her jaws as she worked him in and out. He didn’t make a sound. Her head bobbed as she kept sucking, licking, slurping over his knob. She blinked up at him. Though her vision blurred and cleared, she could see the veins protrude in his neck as his head dropped back in pleasure. Still he didn’t make a sound. His hips jumped faster and his cock jerked. Lee was hers. Sasha sucked him harder, refusing to give up, ready to the pay the price. But he slipped from her mouth. She went to reach again and a dizzying wave went through her. Her vision clouded once more. She touched her head to shake it off. She reached for his cock to suck him once more, taking him half in.
“Stop.” Lee groaned. He pushed her off. The separation of her tongue and mouth from his cock caused a wet plop. She dropped back on her bent legs, panting as she tried to collect her bearings.
“Not too young, huh.” She chuckled. The mere thought of his cock inside her gave her strength to pursue him. “I got something even sweeter for you.” She tried to rise. That was her first mistake. Now the room spun, and it spun fast. As if she were caught in the center of a funnel cloud. Lee caught her by the arm when her legs gave out. “I...I...I...feel funny.”
Then blackness came as she was brought up into his arms. Trusting Leith Sullivan was her final mistake.
***
Lee lowered Sasha carefully to his bed. He kept an apartment lavishly decorated to the back of his office. He leaned in and kissed her between her brows. “Rest, princess. Lee will take care of everything.” He walked out of the room to find Abahti had returned. “Pay a visit to Chocolat. Tell her we have her sister. If she wants to see her again, she’ll meet with me.”
Abahti nodded.
Lee picked up the wine glass he laced with a tranquilizer. His dick still jumped from her sucking. He’d imagined several ways to pay back Pops for his treachery, but never this. Even he wasn’t enough of a bastard to envision this. He hoped the drunk fool was turning over in his grave. The irony of the gift handed to him was too sweet of an opportunity to pass on. There would be no turning back now. Lee set the glass behind the bar.
“Where should we keep her, boss?” Abahti asked upon his return.
“Take her to one of the warehouses. Put the boys, Manny and Pitt, on her. Make sure you get pictures here before Chocolat arrives. Tell them both to handle her with care. She’s precious cargo.”
“Got it.”
Lee re-entered the room. Sasha slept with the diamonds sparkling on her neck and wrist. He removed each piece and forced them in his pocket. He emptied her purse for her cell phone, checked her ID and anything else to identify her. Satisfied, he turned and left. “Time to get this show on the road, princess.”
His actions could be perceived as cruel. In the past he would have never dared made this move. It was never Sasha Dixon that he wanted. No. Michelle was the beauty he could never claim as his own. Now it didn’t matter. His bitterness over Pops betrayal extinguished any flames of desire that burned in his barren heart. Lee planned to take back all that was robbed of him—love or whatever it was between he and Michelle would not stop him.
Chapter Two
Michelle stormed through the club. Others drank, laughed, and played cards, oblivious to her panic. In her hands was the manila envelope containing the photos of Sasha, unconscious, gagged, and tied to a chair. God help her, she was going to kill Lee with her bare hands. Marching over to the bar, she slammed her purse on top of it.
“Where is he?”
The bartender continued his conversation. Michelle grabbed the nearest glass and threw it at him. Just missing his head, it crashed and shattered into the mirrored wall. Silence fell over the bar. Several men stood, reaching for their guns.
“I said, ‘where the hell is he?’” she seethed.
“Chocolat… hello, beautiful. Lee’s expecting you,” Abahti answered from behind her. Michelle found his reflection in the bar mirror then turned around to face him. She knew of him, but they never dealt with each other directly. Pops made sure she was familiar with the men in Lee’s organization that ran his lower operations. “If one hair on my sister’s head is harmed, I’m killing you next.”
“I look forward to it.” Abahti smirked. “Now, come with me.”
She did, holding tightly to her purse and carrying the gun she planned to empty into Lee if he didn’t release her sister. Because she wasn’t leaving without Sasha….
***
Sasha jumped.
Air! I need air! She sucked in deep breaths. The dark cloth covering her face pressed into her gaping mouth and blew out when she exhaled. She tried to move, but couldn’t. I’m restrained? Shaking her wrists, she discovered they were chained. Bucking in the chair, she fought against the inconceivable. Why am I restrained?
Her head felt as if someone had hit her with a barbell. She ground her teeth under the crushing weight of the headache. Her throat was dry, her mouth stale. When she swallowed, there was a bitter aftertaste, something akin to lead. Where was she? Why was she tied up? Who had covered her face?
“Help,” she croaked out in a hoarse voice. Her plea barely rose above a whisper.
She jerked and bucked in the chair again, unable to do more with her arms tied down. “Hellllpppp!” She groaned once more. This was madness; she wasn’t supposed to be here. This wasn’t supposed to happen to her. She was Pops Dixon daughter. If her father were alive, Lee would have shown her more respect.
“Help!” she screamed, followed by an eruption of tears that soaked through the heavy cloth pressed into her face. It got sucked into her nostrils as she sobbed. Sasha dropped her head. Nothing made sense. Why was she tied up? Who, why? Then her memory returned, painful in its accuracy. Lee. This was Lee’s doing. She had been dumb enough to fall into his trap. He took full advantage of that stupidity. But this? Why this? It wasn’t even necessary, she was trying to help him, be his ally.
“It wasn’t necessary, damn it! Damn you! Damn you!” she said. This was it. She had finally screwed up beyond rescue. Michelle would never forgive her; Pops was in heaven turning his back on her at that very moment. She was so stupid. Sucking in deep breaths, caught in a cloud of claustrophobia under the stifling hood, she wheezed. “Let me go! Okay…okay…let me go! Help!” She screamed over and over until she was hoarse. Thrashing in the seat that refused to give, crying, shivering from the damp coolness all around her, she felt helpless. This was hell. Sasha was terrified.
***
Kumar leaned in to inspect his electronic equipment. It was time to upgrade, and that meant he had a blank check from Lee. Sniffing, eyes raw and itchy from lack of sleep, he was determined not to abuse that privilege, though the temptation was always there.
Then he heard a scream.
His head lifted. He had been there for over eight hours and not a sound was made in the direction of the closed door. Manny and Pitt lounged near a closed door since his arrival. The two goons ignored him and the helpless cry of terror. Still, Kumar was certain he heard it. Frowning, he listened. This time it came through clearly. He could tell it was a woman.
“Shit, they got someone in there,” Kumar mumbled under his breath.
The warehouse was stock-housed with his equipment, which was the only reason he frequented it. He knew Manny and Pitt were low-level guns doing small jobs for Lee, but he just never figured they would bring that dirty business there.
“Maybe you should check on her,” Pitt suggested.
“Maybe you should shut your fucking pie-hole!” Manny spat, twirling the toothpick in his mouth.
“What’s going on?” Kumar asked, rising.
“None of your business, geek, just keep playing with your toys.” Manny chuckled.
Kumar glared. He sat back down. Dropping his head and shaking it, he picked up his tools. Whoever it was, she wasn’t worth the headache. So he decided to continue his work. When that didn’t block the pitiful cries of the woman, he turned on his iPod and effectively muted the world.
***
“It’s been awhile…”
Michelle threw the photos of her sister at Lee. “Where is she?”
Lee plucked the glossies from his chest. He tossed them back upon his desk. Michelle considered the gun in her purse. I could kill him and take my chances. But to do so would be certain death for Sasha, though seeing Lee bleed would almost make it worth it.
Lee was part of The Order. They ran the Underworld. Men—she believed there were eight—who lived by a code that every jewel thief in the world aspired to honor. Invisible to Interpol and the US law agencies, no one knew who all of these men were and how they connected. Pops did. Pops had known a lot of things. That was why she and Sasha had to leave whatever money he had left behind. A break had to be clean, no ties.
“You bastard,” she seethed. “After all my father has done for you, this is how you repay him? You swore you’d leave us alone. You swore it before he was cold in the ground! Now you kidnap my baby sister! How pathetic to go after her, just to get my attention. Even for you!”
“I never went after Sasha, Chocol....”
“Don’t call me that! Don’t you….” She clenched her teeth. Rage held of her. Sasha could be hurt, or worse. How had this happened? How could it have happened on her watch? “Listen to me. I don’t know what you think you can gain from this, but you know there’s no way in hell I’ll roll over and take it! And you knew Pops! He was your friend, Lee! What would he think of you now? You let my sister go and I’ll try hard to forget this ever happened.”
“But you know me, Chocolat,” Lee snapped. “It’s not my style to go after anyone, unless they come into my backyard first. Your father started this, sweetheart, and your sister stepped in it. She owes me over two hundred G’s. She’s been in my club, dropping your father’s name, and running up a tab.”
The news bulldozed Michelle. How could Sasha be so stupid? And with Lee of all people, after Pops had warned them both to stay away from him just before he died. He was once a friend to her father. He’d saved Pops; he’d done it many times. Pops said they saved each other. That was then, far removed from who Leith Sullivan was now. She was sure he had his motives; men like him always did. Once she misread his intentions, she’d be careful not to make that mistake again. She wasn’t that confused, love-starved girl anymore. It had to end. If Pops couldn’t find a way to escape the life of thievery then she would. His death would not be her curse. Lee had complete control over her father. He was mistaken if he thought the same would be for her. Kidnapping Sasha was the final straw.
“How long has she been doing this?”
“Does it matter?”
Michelle dropped into the chair behind her. “I told you, I’m clean. I haven’t done a job in nearly three years. I work at Cosmo’s Diner, for heaven’s sake. You know all of this, I know you do.”
“I’ve offered you work.”
“And I don’t want it! Can’t you see I’m trying to start a life here?”
“When that life intersects with mine, you just have to deal with it, Chocolat.”
Michelle shook her head. “I don’t have all the money, but I can raise it if you give me more time.”
“There’s another way.”
Michelle eyes held as he pulled out the drawer and removed a folded newspaper article. Lee tossed it across the desk to her. “I’m willing to cut your sister some slack, pay you half a mil, minus the debt your sister owes me, of course. And since I’m in a generous mood, I’ll let you go free and clear afterwards. One big score, all debts settled.”
“No,” Michelle answered dryly.
“You haven’t seen the job.”
“Damn it!”
Lee leaned forward. “Take a look. At the very least, face what you’re declining. You were born for this.”
His words chipped at her resolve. It was what Pops would say to her at twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen—each year, when she thought they had done their last job and he promised her a life without thieving. Each year, after the money they scored was lost in a card game or high roller’s poker room, each time she thought things would change.
“We can settle this another way—” she started.
“No, this is the only way. But if you are so determined to stay out of The Life, I’ll think of some creative ways for Sasha to work off her debt.”
Michelle rose. She held her purse tight again, considering the gun. She carried such raw hatred toward him it threatened her sensibility. For the life of her, she didn’t know what she’d ever seen in him. Starting back to the humiliation she suffered at sixteen when she foolishly thought a dangerous man like him was worthy of her. Lee rejected her crush. Michelle sobered up on the reality of the life of gangsters and thieves. It was a life she didn’t want. He just stared up at her, heartless and calculating, no compassion in his eyes.
She picked up the article and unfolded it. The Jesus Stones. Every smuggler in the world had tried their hand at them. The gems were now in Chicago, the city with the greediest smugglers of all. “Well hell, Lee!” She looked back up at him. “Why don’t you just have me walk right into prison and save us both the trouble?”
Lee chuckled.
“Even if we get them, the people responsible for this heist will be hunted by every police agency and religious sect in the world. No way in hell can I get close to these stones.”
He sat back in his chair. “You have seventy-two hours to present a plan.”
“A job like this takes months in planning, you know that! Plus, I haven’t even attempted anything close to this in years. What good am I to my sister if I’m in prison, or dead from the bullet of some hot-shot guard?”
Lee dipped back in his office chair. “Three days, Chocolat. I expect to see you in three days.”
Michelle pointed a finger at him. “Promise me, swear to me you won’t harm her. Swear it!”
“I swear. Three days and then I pay Sasha a personal visit. That’s my promise to you.”
Michelle stepped back, crumbling the article in her hands before dropping it and storming out. Once clear of him, she put her back against his office door and dropped her head in defeat. Anger kept tears from spilling, but fear for Sasha kept her from crumbling; she would make Lee pay for going after her family.
“Pops….what has Sasha done?”
***
Sasha heard the door open. Her head shot up. She was all cried and yelled out. It was suffocating under the black hood. She thought she would die from lack of air. “Hello? Lee? Is that you?”
The person closed the door. She worked her arms behind her back. “Please take the hood off. I’m terrified enough, please! Please!”
Sasha figured she had been hidden in some kind of warehouse near the docks, judging by the loud horns of passing barges that could be heard in the night. Neither of Lee’s hired goons had even thought to feed her. But she heard one of them mention who she was. Pops Dixon’s daughter.
Then the stranger spoke.
“You’re Pops’ little girl. I knew him. He was nice to me. He helped me get clean. I brought you some food,” he mumbled, the uncertainty in his voice making it waver.
“Who are you?” Sasha bucked in the chair. “Please, take off the hood…please.”
***
Kumar paused. One of the reasons Manny refused to even feed her or check on her was fear that she would see his face. And Pitt never did anything Manny wouldn’t do. Kumar couldn’t be led by that fear. He owed too much to Pops. So he did as she asked. He carefully eased the hood from her head. The terrified girl sucked in a deep breath. Her hair was a tangled mass; it hung in her face and eyes. She blew up out of her bottom lip, causing her locks to part, then she peered up at him. Kumar found her round, thickly-lashed, chocolate eyes captivating.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her bottom lip trembling. “I thought I was alone.”
“Are you hungry?” he asked, forcing himself to look away. He went to the Burger King bag he’d brought in then pulled out the burger and fries.
“Can you undo these chains? Please.”
“No, I don’t have the key.”
“Oh, please help me,” she cried weakly.
Kumar glanced back over his shoulder. “Hey, it’s going to be okay. Lee is a—”
“A monster! Can’t you see what he’s done to me? He’s crazy! You have to help me!”
“Calm down.”
“Noooooo! Help! Help! Help!”
Kumar dropped the food and rushed to her, throwing his hand over her mouth, forcing her head to snap back. He moved his face so close to hers their lashes brushed. He spoke in an even tone. “Don’t! If you keep screaming, then you’re going to force the men outside this door to come up with ways to keep you quiet. Do you want that?”
She shook her head from side to side. He nodded. “Good. Maybe I can talk to them about loosening the restraints. But you’re going to have to cooperate. Be smart about it!”
She nodded that she understood.
Kumar dropped his hand. “Look, I got a burger and fries for you. I can feed it to you.”
“Yes,” she agreed softly. “My stomach hurts. I think it's from the drugs he gave me.”
Was she trying to summon sympathy? He sensed her stare as he walked back to the table.
***
Sasha thought he looked to be from India. His skin was a richer shade of brown than her own. His blue-black hair was wound in tight, dark locks, tapered neatly around his face, cut low to his head. He was athletic, lean, and sinewy. His dark eyes and delicate features made him strikingly handsome. He turned and managed to smile. Sasha greatly appreciated his gentle manner at that moment.
Lee had used her and discarded her like trash. She’d played Lee's game and lost. Her only hope of salvation was this man. So she remained mute as he dragged a chair over to face her, then he straddled it and held the burger to her lips.
Sasha took a small bite and began to chew. Her eyes scanned her surroundings and found it to be an office. With cement floors and gray paneled walls, the entire room was dreary and dusty. It smelled of mildew, oil, and musk. Pipes hung above, some of them leaking into gooey puddles that had formed over time.
She swallowed before asking, “Where is this place?”
Kumar shoved the burger back under her nose. She took another bite. Chewing, she glanced at the fries. The stranger fed her a few. Talking with her mouth full, she tried to chew and smile through it. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Kumar Suresh.”
“My name is Sasha Dixon.”
“I know,” he replied, picking up a soda then giving her the straw. Sasha sipped obediently. Kumar continued to feed her as if it were the most natural thing between them. He did so in silence, with Sasha thinking of how she could use his friendship to her advantage. There had to be a way.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” she announced.
“You what?”
“The bathroom. I’ve been tied to this chair for hours. You just fed me. You gave me half a soda.”
He cursed under his breath. She guessed he couldn’t deal with the new development. “I told you I don’t have the key.”
“Well, what do these people expect me to do? I have to use the bathroom.”
He rose and folded up the burger paper. “Hold it,” he snapped.
“Whaaa?” She watched him pick up the soda as if he were about to take leave. “Wait! Don’t leave me like this! Please!”
He slammed out. Sasha panicked. “Kumar! Come back! Please!”
***
“There she is!” Cosmo grinned as Michelle pushed open the door to the diner. Jody and Corrine were on duty, helping him close up for the night. They were both clearing away the last traces of customers when she entered. Cosmo, a balding Italian man with a round belly, chubby face, and a big heart, sat in a booth counting out the money from the drawer.
Michelle turned over the “closed” sign, released the lock, and engaged it. How many times had she warned him to lock the door? Two stores on this block had been hit with nighttime robberies. Cosmo was old school. He felt his long-term presence in the community provided him some protective cover. Michelle knew better. The community had changed. These young thugs lived by no code and respected no one. They would shoot their own mother if she stood in the way of a shiny watch or new pair of sneakers.
“Hi, Cosmo.”
“Come, sit with me…help me make sense of this.”
She walked over, removing her coat, her heart still heavy and her mind reeling. Lee wanted a job done in less than a week, one that his enemies took years to plan. The ticking clock was the noose around Sasha’s neck. Picking up the credit card receipts, she began to tally. Cosmo’s gaze lifted at her in silence. “Something wrong?”
Michelle chewed on her bottom lip but held her tongue. His hand covered hers, and she finally met his concerned stare. “What is it?”
“Sasha.” She pulled her hands free and rubbed the ball of her palms into her weary eyes. “She’s been taken.”
“Taken?”
“Kidnapped. She’s been kidnapped.”
“What!” Cosmo roared. Michelle immediately regretted telling him. But she was so desperate and worried. “If it were my own life, Cosmo, I could handle it. But I swore to Pops I’d protect her. I can’t believe this is happening.”
“So it’s from Pops’ life, those gangsters he stole for? They’ve come after you?”
“More like Sasha went to them. She’s been gambling. Like Pops. Gambling and now she’s in deep.”
Cosmo rubbed his fat unshaved jaw. “Michelle, I got some cash.”
“No, you don’t have this kind of cash. Besides, he doesn’t want payment that way. He wants me.”
“He can’t have you!” Cosmo slammed his meaty fist down on the dinner table. “You listen to me, you have options. Pops chose that life, but you made a different choice. Three years ago, you enrolled in school. You’ve done good, real good. We’re waiting to hear on medical school, right? No, not this. I made my own promises to Pops when you walked away from it. We’re calling the cops.”
“No, no.” She grabbed Cosmo’s wrists. “No, don’t. These men will kill her.”
“They may kill her anyway.”
Michelle drew back as the words she had refused to consider birthed a new fear. Sasha’s life hung in the balance, no matter what she chose to do.
***
The door opened and her head shot up. The room was dark. She’d been asleep but didn’t know for how long. A flashlight beam shone on her. Squinting in the light, she listened as someone approached. There had to be what, two or three of them? “Who is it?”
“Hello, princess,” a familiar voice coaxed.
“Lee?”
The visitor stepped in front of the beam. A tall, darkly clad figure. Then he lowered himself to eye level. The light fell over him from behind, giving faint definition to his handsome features.
“You asshole!” she spat out.
Lee smirked. “How’s my princess doing today?”
“How? I’m chained up, you jerk! This was never part of our deal.”
“Our deal was you’d be kidnapped and Chocolat would come to the rescue. It was your idea.”
“Not for real!” she squealed.
Lee’s voice hardened. “In this world, little girl, everything is real.”
Sasha drew back. “I wasn’t a little girl when you had your dick in my mouth!”
Lee rose. Towering over her, he offered some relief from the relentless beam of light. She no longer had to squint. However, his dark shadow felt as comforting as Satan’s wing pulling her in close. He was much scarier now that the balance of power had shifted between them. Who was she kidding? She never had the power to begin with.
“Chocolat has your message and she’s very upset.”
“Don’t hurt my sister! Don’t hurt her!”
“She has three days to come up with a plan to get my gemstones. I suggest that during your stay, you be careful who you share our agreement with. Not many people would take kindly to a woman who purposely sets up her own sister.”
“I didn’t mean for it to go down like this. I meant…I just wanted your attention. Not for her to go after it alone. You have to help her. Protect her. This isn’t her fault.”
“She’ll deliver. When she does, you better be ready to answer her questions. She doesn’t strike me as being the kind of woman who likes to be played with.”
Sasha’s bottom lip trembled, and her eyes pooled with tears as he walked away. “Lee?”
Lee stopped; though she couldn’t see him she sensed him. The light was in her face again. “Lee, can you please untie me? I can’t stand being chained down. For God’s sake, just untie me. Where could I go?”
“Take care of it,” he told someone and the light clipped off. The men all left.
“Lee!” She yelled after him as the door closed, shutting her in darkness. Sasha dropped her head and screamed until her vocal cords strained. “Leeeeeee!” She wept until she slumped over and fell back into a painfully uncomfortable sleep.
***
Michelle forced the door open. The turnkey always jammed the locks. Pops’ room, rented the last year of his life for $150 a month, was as he left it. She paid the tab faithfully. Sasha’s and her own grief after his death had shocked her. Keeping his room was something they both agreed upon. It was the only piece of him they could hang onto.
She entered the darkness, not bothering with the light. A heavy cloud of sadness descended upon her shoulders and weighted her steps. She paid for the room, yes, but she hadn’t returned since the funeral. With Sasha gone, and her life in Lee’s hands, Michelle couldn’t think of any other place to go.
***
“You want to talk about it?” Pops asked.
“No,” Michelle said, making the next turn. She couldn’t ever talk about it. Her heart and her pride suffered a tremendous blow. How could she share that with her Pops?
“Lee told me.”
Michelle swerved from her lane to the next until the car veered off the road into the dirt path. The vehicle pitched and then screeched to a halt in a cloud of dust. Pops didn’t seem the least moved by her reaction. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, all the suppressed emotion lodged in her throat preventing speech. The words were hard to form but she spoke them through clenched teeth. “What did he tell you?”
“That he found you in his bed, naked.” Pops looked over at her with concern. “Why, Chocolat? Why would you go to him?”
“Why? Did you just ask me why? What do I know of men and love? Huh, Pops? All I know is this. All I know is men like him. You swear that he’s the best in the business, and the most faithful friend. Why wouldn’t I give him a roll?”
Pops’ backhanded slap knocked her head back into the headrest. Her vision blurred and her nose dripped blood. Michelle touched her face in horror. Her father had never struck her. Never. He'd never even raised his voice to her or Sasha. She trembled at the anger and disappointment in his eyes. What right did he have to be upset?
“You listen to me.” He put a finger in her face. “You listen, because I’m only going to say this once, girl. You are no man’s whore. I didn’t raise you to be some skank like your mother. Or drunk like me. I gave you a hustle, a game of your own, to make you a survivor. You better than Leith Sullivan. You better than me. Do you understand?”
Michelle blinked back tears.
“Do you?” he yelled.
She nodded. “Yes, yes, Pops.”
He threw open the car door and got out. Michelle burst into tears. There was no room in her life for such irrational emotion, so the reaction hit her with more pain than she was accustomed to. She fell forward and cried, hard. She could do nothing to conceal her embarrassment. She didn’t turn to Lee to be his whore; she went to him to feel loved. How could she tell her father the reasons why when she could barely admit them to herself?
Opening the car door, she got out. Her legs felt stiff. Her face burned hot and so did her nose. Pops paced. He stopped and looked at her. He went to her. “Forgive me, Chocolat.” He brought her into his arms. “I will never hit you again, I swear it. I swear it.”
“I’m sorry, Pops.”
“No, no, you’re right. I did this to you. To you and Sasha. I'll find a way to make this all right. Just hang in there with me. Let me find our way out. Okay?”
She held onto him, the man who rescued her as a little girl from foster care. Who taught her to play cards when she was only six. Her blood and flesh. Pops was all she had. “Okay, okay, whatever you say, Pops.”