Surrender To Me

DANTE

The more I try to understand, the more enigmatic she becomes. Is she lying to me or is she hiding something? It makes sense in a way if I am to go by the information I’ve gathered so far. She had broken up with her boyfriend like she said and even though he was begging her to reunite in texts; my people also saw him with several other women. Seems like he couldn’t handle a woman leaving him and had nothing with him regretting not being with him. Add to that, Jesse didn’t buy the explanation of moving in with a boyfriend and is constantly calling. That’s why I need Corina to convince her friend that she’s moved out.

“Jesse has been asking about you.”

“I thought you said you could convince her about my disappearance.”

“She’s been calling. I guess she wants to hear your voice.” I slide the phone towards her. “You need to call her.”

“And tell her what? That I’m being held hostage by her boss?”

“If you say that, there will be consequences.”

She gulps as my words sink in. Good. Be afraid. I take the phone, dial the number of her friend and I place it in the middle of the table with the speakerphone on. After four rings, Jesse answers. “Corina!”

She glances at me and then says in an overly cheery voice, “Hi!”

“Corina, where the hell are you?”

“I, um, with a friend.”

“Please. The only friend you have is me. Is something wrong? What did Dante want with you? I heard he was interrogating you. Something about money?”

She casts another weary glance at me. “Oh, no, it’s nothing like that at all. The thing is…”

“Is something happening between you two?”

“Uh…”

“I knew it. That’s why you’ve been cagey, haven’t you?”

“You found me out.” This time, her gaze has a more mischievous glint in it. “I’ve been seeing him for a short while now and uh, he sprang this surprise trip on me.”

That little bitch. I shake my head, asking her not to suggest what she’s suggesting, but she ignores me and continues, “He’s taking me out of the country and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“Wow. You’re so lucky. I could tell by the way he was looking at you. I knew there was something going on.”

“Nothing gets past you, Jesse.”

“I wish I was you. But from woman to woman; how good is he in bed? I heard he knows how to make a girl forget her name. That’s why you weren’t answering my calls?”

‘Cut the call.’ I mouth. The conversation has already gone longer than necessary.

Corina smiles. “He’s fine. Don’t believe the rumors. But, hey, I need to go. I thought I should give you a heads up.”

“When will you be coming back to work? You know, if you play your cards right, you know he could be your sugar daddy.”

‘Cut it.’ I mouth again. And finally Corina says, “I’m not sure when I will be back.” Her tone is shaky when she says those last three words, “But I have to go, okay? Dante is begging me to hang up.”

“Wow. Have a pleasant trip.”

“Love ya.” She cuts the call and her smile falters when she sees the rage that is no doubt painted all over my face.

“What the hell was that?”

“An excuse? Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“You were supposed to say you had gone on a trip with a boyfriend, not with me as your boyfriend.”

“Sorry, it wouldn’t be believable. Jesse knows I’m not seeing anyone. Why would I hide a normal boyfriend from her? But a boyfriend who’s also my boss, a potential gateway daddy, now that makes more sense, doesn’t it?”

“You said that, so I am tied to your disappearance?”

She pretends to be shocked. “Why would I or anyone implicate such an upstanding person as yourself in my eventual missing persons case? A law-abiding citizen who wouldn’t imprison women in his penthouse?”

I snatch the phone from the table and back into my pocket before she thinks of any thoughts. She’s a nuisance. Tying me to her is smart. Not only do I have to deal with her, if anything happens to her, I would have to deal with Jesse and who knows who else she tells too. Fuck.

“What does a gateway daddy mean, anyway?”

“You’ve never heard of that phrase? That’s a sugar daddy that could become a husband or set you up nicely with an apartment and such. A gateway out of the rat race, if you will.”

“And is that what you do? Constantly look for gateway daddies?”All text © NôvelD(r)a'ma.Org.

“If you gotta hustle, you gotta hustle.”

So she is that type of girl. I don’t know why I thought she’s different even despite everything I know about her. Stealing money. Working for Saccone. She is a hustler, as she says. Something about that puts a bitter taste in my mouth. It’s a surprise that I even fell for her. Still feel something for her. At least, whatever it is, it’s physical. It’s crazy that as I sit here thinking of all the ways to have my way with her, I have to remember she is a terrible person who shouldn’t be trusted. I still want to feel those lips against mine again. I want to take her in my arms, fuck her against the balustrade while the entire city watches.

“I warned you of consequences if you disobeyed me,” I say, as I try taking my mind off her delectable body and focus on her insolent character.

“But I didn’t. I convinced Jesse not to go to the police and now she probably thinks I’m having the time of my life. How

much better of an alibi do you want?”

She’s right. Still, “You’ll pay for it.”

“What are you going to do? Lock me up again. Put me in a gilded solitary confinement cage?”

“Actually, you’re coming with me.”

She almost chokes on her food and has to wash it down with fruit juice. “Where?”

“You’ll soon find out. Pack your bags.”

“No.”

“Are you defying me?” I lower my voice, stressing every word as I speak so she can tell I’m serious. Corina, however, leans back and nonchalantly crosses her arms. “I don’t know what’s happening here,” she says, her gaze scanning the terrace then coming back to me, “but I know you won’t kill me anytime soon. You’re holding me for some twisted reason of yours that has nothing to do with what you are

accusing me of. So yes, I am defying you.”

“Corina.”

She ignores my warning. “I kinda like this place, actually. I would rather stay here. You must tell me where otherwise

I’m not going. And ask nicely.”

“I don’t have time for this.”

She cocked her eyebrow and turned her gaze towards the city. Did she realize the trouble she’s putting me through? I have things to do, a lot of which were deals she had ruined with the information she sent to Saccone. I’m trying to clean up her mess while she’s refusing to budge like a stubborn toddler.

“Fine. If that’s the way you plan on doing it.” I walk over to her and snatch her up from the chair.

“What the f-” I throw her on my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and march back into the house to the shock of Vera and the disillusioned stares of Colin and Rob. As Corina is pummeling into my back with her fists, I say to Rob, “Get the chopper ready and tell the pilot we have another passenger to add on the list.” “Right on boss,” Rob says.

“Put me down!” Corina screams.

“Vera, pack Corina’s suitcase. Colin, bring me duct tape.”