Free Betrayed by Marisa Michaels Page A

since Tracy’s birthday. Amidst the busy work schedule, Rick and Tracy squeezed in some pleasure time during the weekend. Today, Rick needed it desperately to keep himself from crumbling down in panic. Time had run out, and he still hadn’t gotten or saved enough money to return to the Green brothers. He should have given it all back today but he hadn’t. In the last weeks, he had made a dozen calls for money but it all went in vain. The interest rates were so high that Rick couldn’t think of any other means to collect it. He hadn’t told his fiancée about the Green brothers; he had lied to her. She thought the money was a loan from the bank, and they had their entire lives ahead to pay it back in installments. What if she found out?
    He turned back to Tracy who had her eyes fixed on the TV, watching the news. When she looked at him, he kissed her full and juicy lips making him hungry for more. Cupping her face, he kissed her with passion meeting her tongue which rolled into his mouth. She climbed on top of him as he got inside her for the third time. Her hair wild, Tracy pushed it over one side of her shoulder and bent down to kiss his chest as Rick ran his hands all over her. Just when she lifted her face and invited him to nuzzle between her mounds, the shrill ring of the phone interrupted them.
    “Le t it ring, baby,” she whispered and stretched herself over his face. After the initial hesitation, Rick gave in but when the phone rang again, he gently pushed her away and reached out to the bedside table. He screwed his eyes wide open, looked at the mobile screen and adrenaline rushed in. He hastily climbed out of bed, murmured something about a client and slid out of the bedroom. He swiped the screen and placed it on his ears.
    “Hello?”
    “You were supposed to come here this morning,” a raspy voice growled from the other end of the line.
    “Y- yes. I was about to call you. I just need a little more time. I’ll-”
    “You have until midnight. Bring it or prepare to face your worst nightmare.”
    The line went dead, and Rick began to hyperventilate and paced around in dismay. He couldn’t mortgage his house because it wasn’t his to begin with. They had rented it when they got engaged. He couldn’t ask his father because he had enough worry and debts on his head. He tried all the legal ways but had no luck. He mused on the option of coming clean with his fiancée and asking her to help him.
    “What ’s wrong, baby?”
    Tracy’s voice made him jump. He saw her by the doorway, holding the bedsp read to cover herself. She walked towards him and worry spread over her face when she saw his pale skin numbed with shock.
    “What is it, Rick?” she asked touching his shoulder. He moved past her and sat on the couch. Looking at her, he prepared himself.
    “Trace, I lied to you. I hadn’t gotten the money from the bank. I had gone to the Green brothers and borrowed money from them. They gave me ten months but I didn’t realize the interest rates would be so high. I tried to get the money to pay them back, I swear. I was supposed to pay them back today but I didn’t. They just called and told me I have until midnight - after which I’ll get into some big trouble,” Rick vented it all in a single breath.
    Afraid to look at her, he looked to his left, outside the window and waited. The neighborhood looked beautiful covered with a thin layer of snow. It was the first week of December, and the house opposite already had their Christmas lights up. His eyes then focused on Tracy’s motionless silhouette by the window.
    It took an entire minute for Tracy to process his run on words. When the truth finally clicked, blood surged within her. She snatched the clock from the mantelpiece and threw it over at Rick. It hit him on his arm, and he screamed.
    “What are you doing? I’m sorry, okay?” he cried out standing up, just avoiding a vase which smashed against the window, cracking it.
    “How could you be so