We stare at each other as mixed emotions swirl around us.
“I’m a girl you kidnapped.” I hesitate. “I’m a girl who deserves more from her person.”
He drops his head in shame and regret fills me that I said that… but it had to be said.
It is what it is.
He smiles sadly. “Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.” I smile through my tears.
He silently leaves.
As if on autopilot, I walk over to the window and place my hands on the glass and wait for him to appear down on the street below.
He appears from the building and tears roll down my face as he gets into a cab and without hesitation, leaves my life.
That hurt.
* * *
What a crazy day. What a crazy, crazy day.
This morning after he left, I took the smallest of the yellow diamonds to three different jewelers and paid for valuation slips. It cost me five hundred dollars, but the valuations came in at over a million, so it was worth it. I then had to catch a cab an hour away to see a guy. I don’t know who he was, but apparently he is the only person who deals with these sorts of things. That’s code for he’s a shonky criminal.
After bartering with him for over an hour, we agreed on a cash price of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I got ripped off, but I need some money to get me through until I find a real buyer.
It gives me hope for what is to come, though. The other diamonds are nearly twice the size of that one. So my quarter of a million is now in my bank account and the other diamonds are in the safety deposit box.
Not a bad day’s work for a nice girl like me.
My mind goes to Stace. Beautiful Stace. He will be on his ship by now, and I get a vision of him in his work uniform that makes me smile.
I am in a cab on my way back to the hotel. I’m tired from my all night carnal activities, but know I won’t be able to sleep when I get back there.
The diamonds are weighing heavily on my conscience. What if he gets the blame?
He won’t, don’t worry, I keep telling myself.
I go over the night before I got off the boat. It was all such a blur. I thought he went to Chelsea and I fought with him. Then he had me checked out and I told him about my past. I didn’t even know I was getting off the boat until an hour before I actually did, and then he was in the room all morning.
A sickening thought comes to me.
I didn’t hide the guns that I had hidden under the bed.
I should have thrown them overboard. In annoyance, I glance out the window of the car.
Oh my God.
They are going to know that I was in the shipping containers. They are going to know I have the diamonds.
You fucking idiot!
I close my eyes as my blood starts to pump heavily through my bloodstream.
Fuck!
For the rest of the cab ride, I feel sick. Sick with worry over my stupid oversight.