Chapter 7: Another Option
1671 Words
Theo's POV
“If I do, you'll have to give me enough money to get out of here. I'm serious."
Riley stands up. I look at her for a moment. Her steps are steady and her blue-gray eyes are tinged with resolution.
She's a pretty girl, I think to myself. The kind of girl who immediately catches my eye as soon as she walks into a room. But she doesn't know it. From the way she moves and the way she wears her hair, she's probably not the type who has ever given much thought to her appearance.
She probably never had a chance to.
I shrug. “Money is no problem," I say.
I slowly reach out my hand to her. Riley hesitates for a minute. I watch her curse silently, but finally she shakes it. Surprisingly, her hands are soft, softer than I expected.
“There is only one condition," I say.
She immediately withdraws her hand and looks at me suspiciously. I know from her eyes that she is not used to trusting anyone. From what I've heard from her lips, she has good reason to.
“Two, in fact," she corrects herself.
“What are they?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.
“The first is that Hannah can't know anything about this."
Her sister, of course. The little girl's welfare always comes first for Riley.
“Of course," I take a sip from my glass. “Truth be told, I wasn't planning on letting anyone know about this event. If you know what I mean... theft and business don't exactly go hand in hand. At least not in the light of the public," I joke.
She is not amused by my words. Instead, she grimaces.
“What is your second request?" I ask curiously.
“No matter what happens, you're going to protect Hannah. If I agree to do... Whatever it is you want me to do, I will put her in danger. I can't allow my father to keep putting her at risk."
I nod without hesitation. Her younger sister's safety was just as much a part of my plans.
“You can take it for granted," I affirm.
“I want it written," she answers immediately. My smile grows wider.
“I usually put all my business in writing," I answer jokingly, but again, my words have no effect on her. “I want it in writing."
She lets go of my hand then. She breaks away from me and walks around the room. In her steps, I see the weight of the actions hanging over her. She is not going to regret agreeing, but no doubt, anxiety eats her up inside.
She takes a sip from her glass and her expression turns sour. She looks at me without understanding.
“What the hell is this?" she asks with a grimace.
“Sprite," I answer her and take a sip. “With lemon."
She grimaces.
“You weren't drinking alcohol?"
I deny with my face.
“I never drink in the middle of a negotiation. It clouds my senses. I just pretend that I do," I tap my nose as Riley analyzes my words. It takes her a moment to understand.
“You do it because..." she starts to say. I nod.
“Usually people have fewer inhibitions when they drink. But they also feel more confident if those who accompany them drink. They usually believe that, in that way, the opponent is more manipulable," I say.
“That's‒"
“Clever?" I cut her off with smugness in my voice.
“Indeed it is," she says and then sighs.
She looks tired. She brings a hand to her hair, dark and thick. She wears it short, shoulder-length, all straight and with locks that contour her thin, chiseled face.
“I need my things back from your men," she says and takes a step toward me.
“Of course," I reply, smoothly.
A slight tap on my watch, and in less than two seconds, Hugo and Boris enter the room.
“Sir?" Hugo asks, in his always neutral and thick tone of voice.
“Give the young lady her belongings back, please," I ask them.
Boris approaches her and hands her what little he had with him. A watch, her cell phone and her wallet.
Riley puts on the watch and adjusts her jacket.
“Good. I guess you'll call me when you need me..." she begins to say.
But I shake my head.
“Oh, you're not going anywhere," I say.
Her expression of surprise is almost funny. There's something extremely amusing about messing with this girl, she's expressive and can barely hide it.
“You can't keep me here."
The challenge in her voice is exceptional.
“In fact, I can," I affirm.
With a smile, I approach her, but instead, Riley takes a step back. She still doesn't trust me, but at some point, I'll need her to.
“But I don't plan to hold you back. You're just going to stay because it's for the best."
“What's best for who?" she asks, a disguised gasp of exasperation in her voice.
“The best thing for everyone." I go to the couch and take a seat. “According to what you told me, you had to deliver the money today to those gangsters. If you go back around your block, they'll be waiting for you, I assure you. And then you'll be in trouble."
She frowns. Anxiety is painted on her face.
“I'll manage somehow," she says.
“Will you? I'd love to see how you do it," I answer. “But, in order not to take any risk, I'd rather you stay."
“I can't leave my sister alone," she then says and I understand her train of thought.
“She is not alone. You said she was safe, which means you hid her in a place where those guys can't find her, right?"
Riley nods, but she's not convinced.
“I'll send Hugo for her. He'll bring her back to the hotel in a moment."
“She's with a friend," Riley replies immediately.
“Let me take care of it," I ask her nicely.
She looks at me not taking my word for it. I sigh. Her distrust is totally understandable at this point, but also totally infuriating.
“Look. Right now I need you to stay. Please. You may not understand, but a lot depends on you right now. I intend to keep my promise. I will immediately set out on my mission to take care of your sister."
She grimaces with her lips. I begin to understand that it is a characteristic gesture of hers. Much more than smiling.
“You can't just make us disappear," she says.
“Do you want to bet?" I smile.
She looks at me with anxiety and astonishment on her face.
“Anyway, I don't plan to disappear you. Just get you out of the way until the situation calms down a bit," I then point my chin towards her phone. “Call your sister, tell her everything is fine. Make up whatever excuse you think you can, but have her and your friend come with Hugo and Boris to the hotel."
Riley looks at her phone. She's not convinced, but by now, she must be weighing all the possibilities.
“How long will it be?" she asks.
“Just one night. I'll figure it all out by sunrise," I promise.
She doesn't seem very convinced about it, but takes a breath. She dials the number on her phone and for a moment remains tense. As soon as her sister answers the call, her expression changes.
Her voice becomes sweet, light. There is a different sparkle in her eyes and even her posture relaxes. For a moment, she doesn't seem the same.
After talking to the girl and another person, her friend, I guess, she locks the phone. As soon as she sees me, her expression becomes as bitter as before.
“They will come," she says.
“Good," I smile. “Thanks for agreeing."
“I don't have any other choice, do I?"
Her look gives me away what she's feeling. She must have long felt like a prisoner of the world she lives in.
“We always have a choice," I answer her seriously and she nods, but she is not convinced by my words. “Boris will get them. Hugo will take you to the room where they will stay."
“What do I tell them?" she then asks and looks around. “How do you want me to explain to them that we will spend the night in the best hotel in town?"
I shrug my shoulders.
“You can tell them that a friend invited you."
“If I had friends with this kind of money, do you think I would have the problems I have to begin with?"
I click my tongue in amusement and look at her with a raised eyebrow.
“A lover, then?" I joke.
She crosses her arms and looks at me seriously.
“No one would believe that," she affirms.
Her tone of voice makes it clear what she doesn't say. She doesn't think she's pretty enough for anyone to make such a gesture for her.
“You'll think of something," I say then with a shrug. “In the morning, Boris will come for you. We'll be able to close the technical basis of the deal. Until then... I hope you can get some rest, Miss Gray."
She's looking at me with a very unfriendly face. She doesn't like me calling her by her last name.
“Just Riley is better?" I joke.
She sighs.
“I guess I don't have a choice," she replies.
“Like I told you before, we always have a choice," I tell her.
She clicks her tongue.
“Yeah. Try one that, for a change, isn't a pain in the *ss."
- Writer
