Page 11 of Steal Me (Rebel Hearts Heists 1)
Chapter 6
Stockholm Syndrome
Sloane
When Royce walks away, Blaine sits on the couch and looks at me almost as if he was about to apologize about this whole situation: about taking me, about River, maybe about robbing banks in the first place. While for some reason I can definitely see River doing illegal and reckless things, and even Royce because underneath his calm outer demeanor I can see a constant fire, I really struggle with how Blaine and Kayden fit into the picture.
Blaine looks like your typical Beverly Hills rich guy: handsome, successful, confident. Kayden is even harder to explain. Somehow I could imagine him directing a military operation, with his steely determination and that aura of sheer control. Obviously I’m not about to ask him why he was in that bank, wearing a mask and holding people at gunpoint. I know he wouldn’t tell me and I have more urgent things to worry about right now.
It seems that so far River is the only one who thinks that they should kill me, but like shock made me literally walk into the arms of a masked armed robber, what if the shock of their plan going wrong is clouding their understanding of this situation? For as much as the gorgeous and crazy running back makes my blood curdle with fear, at the same time I have to admit that he has a point. I’ve seen their faces, I know exactly who they are, so how can they ever be confident that I won’t give them away the minute they set me free? They really can’t let me go and they certainly can’t go back to campus without making a decision about me, right? They can’t keep me tied up in a basement forever either, can they? My eyes settle on Blaine’s Rolex while I consider my alternatives: even if they let me go, and it’s a big if, what am I gonna do? I can’t go back to school and to work as if nothing happened because for Pierce to show up at work, he must know exactly where I live. And I obviously can’t go back home. Either way my situation is impossible.
Raised voices coming from upstairs distract me from my grim thoughts and make Blaine turn his head and look up to the bedroom River stormed out of. “Whatever! You two are both blind! This can’t possibly end well for any of us! And don’t get all bent over backwards about me toying with miss big tits about allowing her to sit on the couch! She has to do as she’s told anyway, or are we a democracy now and does she get a say on shit?” My eyes flash down to my boobs, not that I would admit it, but he isn’t lying I have decent size tits. Not that I want the bastard talking about them or my body … but he isn’t lying.
Kaden responds angrily, “No she doesn’t get a say but being an asshole doesn’t improve the situation either!”
Royce is the voice of reason. “Ok, ok. Calm the fuck down. We’re all exhausted and this isn’t helping things. Let’s go to bed and tomorrow we can look at the situation with fresh minds and order Thanksgiving dinner while making a plan. But in the meantime, Rivs, stay put and don’t mess with Sloane.” Royce walks out of the room and is followed by Kaden after he says something to River, but I can’t make out what, since he lowers his voice.
“Sloane, go on, time to sleep.” Kaden offers me a big, slightly calloused hand and I take it, surprised once again by how warm and solid it feels as he pulls me to my feet and guides me toward the stairs.
“Get in.” He opens the door to what must be the master bedroom at one end of the upstairs foyer. I barely have time to take in the opulence of the room, with a huge California king size bed, the calming and yet classy decor all in whites, greys and dark woods, that he follows me in and locks the door with a deafening click. I turn to face him and he remains absolutely unperturbed when I ask him what he’s doing.
“If there are only four bedrooms and five of us, I’m ok to sleep on the couch.” Kaden chuckles, his dark blue eyes lit up from within by an amused glint. They’re a rich, dark blue and they pop against Kaden’s golden tan and in contrast with his light blond hair. I’ve always thought that Kaden looks like a fairytale prince.
“Sloane, despite the rest of us not being crazy lunatics like River, do you think that we’re completely stupid? Until we decide what to do with you, you’re to stay under constant surveillance by at least one of us. So tonight we’re bunking together.” He nods towards the only other door on the opposite side of the entrance. “You can go take a shower if you want. I’ll find you some clothes to sleep in.”
I feel his gaze follow me persistently as I enter the bathroom. The room is massive, all grey marble and stainless steel accents. There’s a huge tub with obvious jacuzzi jets and a walk in shower the size of my whole bedroom on campus. I look at the bathtub longingly, dreaming of soaking in there for a long time, letting the jets massage and soothe my tense body but opt for the shower instead. I’m really exhausted, I didn’t realize that until Kaden mentioned it. I don’t want to be too long and give him a reason to barge in or to get annoyed with me.
Don’t ask me why but I feel this absurd urge to earn Kaden’s approval.
I shouldn’t feel this way, since he was the one who dragged me out of that bank and put me in this situation but I know he doesn’t have this effect only on me. I saw how Royce and Blaine respect him and River will at least listen to Kaden. He gets people to follow him with his calm voice and his attractive blue eyes. I strip quickly and clean up, letting the hot water wash away one of the weirdest and worst days of my life. I try not to close my eyes because I suspect that the minute I do, I’ll see Pierce’s cold gaze. A plan forms in my head: maybe I could tell Royce and Kaden about my situation and convince them to let me take one of their cars and swear that if they let me go, I’ll never give their secret away. If they understood my need to disappear, they’d see that reporting them goes against my interests.
I decide to broach the subject tomorrow, maybe at breakfast, when we’re all rested after today’s events. As I step out of the shower, I curse softly at the realization that I have no clothes, but feel relieved that I don’t have to walk out of the bathroom in just a towel and wrap my body in the softest bathrobe I’ve ever seen. I nearly scream in terror as I open the door and find Kaden standing right outside with a folded t-shirt and a pair of boxers in his hands.
I narrow my eyes at him. “Were you standing out here the whole time I was showering? Creepy!” I’m surprised by his calm reaction: my accusation would’ve definitely gotten a rise out of River, but Kaden smiles, amused by my flustered expression.
“I heard you turn the shower off and I wanted to be nice by giving you something to sleep in.” I take the clothes and I can’t keep my gaze from traveling down Kaden’s fit body. He’s wearing a thin blue t-shirt that matches the color of his eyes and dark blue boxer briefs that do nothing to hide his sculpted physique. I can see the chiseled muscles of his chest and abs from under the t-shirt and his trim waist and hips, his long, tanned legs covered in fine, light blond hair. I purposely avoid looking at his crotch: I don’t want him to see how his hotness affects me, which would no doubt be obvious if I turned bright red, or worse if I saw that I affected him at all … why am I even thinking about that?Come on Sloane.
I retreat back into the bathroom to change and my skin breaks into tiny goosebumps when I slip into his t-shirt and inhale the same clean scent I noticed when Kaden’s arm was wrapped around my waist, in the bank. Clean cotton and sunscreen.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I ask when I step back out of the bathroom and I see him lounging on the bed, reading from a tablet.
“I’m reading the news before bed?” He asks, amused.
“Ok then, I guess I’ll take the couch.” I step toward the couch near the full length windows but he reaches me with two strides and his hand closes around my wrist.
“No. I’ll take the couch. Sorry, I didn’t think. After all, that bed is big enough for three people to sleep in it without even touching. But the couch will be fine for me. Good night, Sloane.” His blue eyes stay on me for a long moment and when he walks away, toward the couch that faces the bed on the opposite wall, I can’t help but think that his back is as perfect as his front.
I don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but as I slip into the luxuriously soft sheets, I think that at least for tonight I’m safe with Kaden watching over me, even if my safety isn’t the reason why he’s sleeping just a few feet away from me.
???
Sloane
“Did you really think I wouldn’t find you, little bitch? I’ll always find you, Sloane. Because you’re mine. There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. You’re alive because I allow you to be. Is that clear?” I’m back at the bank, in the vault and Pierce found me. This time there is no one to scare him off or aim a gun at him, it's just he and I. He’s advancing toward me with that cold stare I know way too well and I retreat against the wall, pressing my back against its smooth surface and wishing it would swallow me whole to hide me from my ex-fiancé. He’s on me, his sickly sweet scent feeling suffocating: he’s always used way too much cologne.
“You’ll come back home with me and you’ll love me forever. Tell me how much you love me, Sloane. Tell me, little bitch!” He grabs my head by the back, pulling on my hair, like River did earlier but this is more violent. Where River’s grasp was a little rough but sensual, Pierce’s touch is violent and rather than a pleasant tingle it causes a searing pain that leaves me breathless. I try to scream but only a strangled noise comes out of my mouth and that makes him pull harder.
“Tell me that you love me or I swear to God ...” He pulls so hard that a feral, desperate, scream leaves my lips.
