Free Her Secret Betrayal by Jordan Bell

earlier today. Isn’t that weird? All the other stuff
they took, and they took the invitations.”
     
     

8
    ____________
     
    Telling Maris about what happened had gone
about as well as I imagined it would. She’d been upset, hung up the
phone, showed up at my apartment thirty minutes later, and made me
go over everything in detail. We’d discussed the possibility of a
potential real estate war, especially in light of the announcement
of Marcus’s company’s buy up. Unfortunately, most of what we knew
about real estate corruption we’d learned from movies.
    Then she’d said something funny that became
my nightmare for days.
    “Taking all the towels away and locking you
in the bathroom. Kara, that was personal. Against Sean, but against
you too.”
    After those words poisoned my brain, I
couldn’t shake them, or the feeling that I was being followed
everywhere I went. Walking to the library and eyes went with me.
Alone in the stacks and the feeling of another body just on the
other side overwhelmed me, though I never saw anyone.
    One afternoon someone had left a pile of
books on the desk I was working that day. I’d only stepped away a
moment to help someone and when I came back there were twelve books
piled haphazardly in front of my chair on the subject of bondage
and discipline. BDSM. Rope play. Non-consensual roleplay. Caning.
Slavery.
    I wasn’t stupid enough to believe in
coincidences. I collected them and put them back where they were
supposed to go, the whole time feeling eyes following my every move
and enjoying the fact I had to clean up after them to hide their
torment. After that, nowhere felt safe.
    Three nights after the burglaries, I walked
home alone from the subway station, my arms full of groceries. I
climbed the stairs, checked the mail, and was about to let myself
in when I felt the presence of someone behind me. A hand grabbed my
elbow and before I knew what was happening, I started screaming for
my life.
    The hand twisted me around and I dropped all
my grocery bags and prepared to run. It took precious moments to
recognize Marcus Giovanni’s handsome face, now cinched with
worry.
    “Whoa, whoa, Kara it’s me. It’s me. I
thought you heard me. I’m sorry if I scared you.”
    I blinked, uncomprehending, and reflexively
grabbed my racing heart. I took in the sight of him, his expensive
suit, his loose tie. He must have just left the office. My
billionaire playboy who’d been dodging my calls since the day after
I spent the first night with Sean. We’d never gone so long without
talking. I should have been worried, but secretly I was relieved to
not have to face him. Maybe, I’d thought, he’d gotten tired me and
moved on. That would have been convenient.
    “I…Marcus. I didn’t hear you. Guess I was a
little on edge.” I wiped my sweaty palms against my pants and then
bent to pick up my groceries. He collected several bags too,
ensuring that he had a reason to follow me inside.
    “Serves me right, sneaking up on a girl in
the dark. I wanted to see you. I’ve been a bit MIA lately.”
    “So I noticed.” I let us into my building,
nodded at Ms. Glass who’d certainly poked her head out when she
heard me screaming. He followed me up the stairs to my apartment. I
let us in, dropped the mail on the counter and then started putting
the groceries away. He helped.
    “Things have been busy. We’re moving forward
on some big development deals and I’ve been stuck every night at
work. Miss me?” He grinned playfully.
    “I’ve been trying to get ahold of you.” I
sucked my bottom lip between my teeth and ducked into the fridge.
When I straightened he was there, hands on my hips, pressing me
into the counter.
    “I’ve missed you.” He settled a series of
kisses on my jaw, which felt extraordinary and freaked me out. I
pressed my hands to his chest and urged him back, though he
resisted.
    “We need to talk, Marcus.”
    “We need to talk,” he repeated, his
sweetness evaporating