Page 99 of Balls to the Walls

“Just like you,” I laughed. “Isn’t it great?” I pulled the door open and strode down the hallway, eager to get back to a normal life. I wasn’t sure what that felt like since I’d never had anything normal in all my years, but I was excited to find out what it was all about.

“No, this is your job!” he urged. “What’s Cash going to do to me when he finds out you’re no longer his secret weapon? This is all going to come back on me. Just like it did with the suit!”

I stopped and turned back to him, curious about this story. “Speaking of which, you never finished telling me about Francesca. Did you sleep with her? How did you get married? Was it a sunset trip where the minister pronounced you husband and wife just as the sun was sinking into the ocean?”

“Not exactly.”

Man, I couldn’t wait to hear how it all ended. FNG had the best stories. “Well, don’t leave me in suspense! How was it?”

“It was…everything a guy dreams about. Aside from the threats that followed.”

“Ooh, tell me all about it.”

“She was a seductress…” he sighed. “The night was the best night of my life. Minus the night I married Honey,” he quickly corrected.

“Yeah,” I grinned. “So, you sealed the deal that night?”

The elevator dinged and we stepped inside. He slapped me on the shoulder as he stared off into space. I could almost envision it with him as he described it.

“It was magical. The moonlight filtered in through the cabin window and the gentle rocking of the boat really set the mood. Normally, I might get a little seasick with all the swaying, but with her, it felt as if none of that existed.”

I waited for him to give me more, but that was it. The elevator doors opened and he stepped off, leaving me hanging on his every word. I rushed after him, hoping he was going to divulge more. “And what happened?”

“I slept with her.”

“Yeah, I got that much. But what was it like? Was she kinky? Gentle? Did she lead or did you? And did the rocking of the boat make it easier or more difficult?”

“I can’t tell you that, especially now that I’m married.”

“I think that only applies to your current wife. Past marriages are totally on the table for discussion.”

“Not in this situation.” He stopped suddenly and gripped my shoulder hard as he pressed me against the wall. “If my current wife ever found out what it was like with my old wife, that would be a situation that could land me in a grave.”

“Ah, because of the father-in-law.”

“Exactly. He may be in Mexico, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have the reach to put me in the ground. So, anyway, back to Francesca, our time together was magical, if not short-lived.”

“Did you marry her also because you had to?”

He winced, clearly not liking the question. “It wasn’t a forced marriage on my part, but there was definitely some deception involved.”

40

FNG

A yacht.

Two weeks, 6 hours, 13 minutes, and 59 seconds since being rescued.

We laid on the deck,basking in the sun. I fed her grapes and champagne while she laughed at my stories. For two weeks, we were completely uninterrupted. The warm breeze from the ocean made it easy to forget about making it home. As long as I was with Francesca, I didn’t have to think about the responsibilities that were waiting for me. It was paradise.

But it wasn’t meant to last. No matter how much I tried to forget my old life, I knew it wouldn’t be long before it came back to haunt me. Her guards left us alone for the most part, only checking in with her in the morning and in the evening. I’d asked her why she had men watching her, but she would never really answer the question.

I got my answer two weeks after I first boarded the yacht when I woke with a gun in my side. I jerked awake, immediately reaching for Francesca, but she wasn’t there. I heard her scream from across the room and immediately slipped into my old ways. I slammed my palm against the gun, then kicked out at my attacker. My foot connected with his stomach and then with his face. He dropped to the ground, still conscious and ready to fight, but I was faster. I lept to my feet and grabbed his weapon, immediately turning it on him and putting a bullet in his head.

I swung the weapon around to the man holding Francesca. She looked panicked more than scared, which meant she might end up doing something stupid. I had to end this before it went any further.

“What do you want?”

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