When Michelle is dealt the ultimate blow of being taken by a dark powerful stranger against her will, she didn’t know how to overcome the hurt inside. That is until Niche, her best friend, finds the stranger for her, ties him to a bed and tell Michelle to take what the stranger took from her – pride.
In his rage to get back at all the skanks in his life, his anger blinded him to the sweet innocent Michelle, but before he even made entry she had passed out. Escaping quietly, Anthony swore he would never hurt another again and to get revenge against those who really messed him up.
That is until he is knocked unconscious and then awakens to find out Michelle’s been bitten by the revenge bug and what he thought was a sweet and innocent girl, turns into a lustful hateful bitch, who he will kill – if he ever gets away!
Michelle looked up at Elise in pure frustration.
As the manager of Michelle's store, UniQuity, Elise was trying to explain how important making sure her daughter was all right during her labor was important. On top of that, Elise then explained that she would need a couple of days off to make sure the girl could handle the new baby because there was no man around. The words were like, “blah, blah, blah,” to Michelle. In her own frustration, she knew this was going to be one of the busiest holidays of the year, despite what Allen Greenspan said about the economy.
Elise spoke imploringly, ringing her thumbs in nervousness. "I thought I could wait the couple of weeks because she ain't due until Christmas, but she went to the hospital this morning and they said she was two centimeters. I gotta go check on her and stay by her side, Ms. Hamilton." She paused for a moment, and then said passionately, "I love my job, Ms. Hamilton. I need my job, and I don't mean to inconvenience anyone, especially you."
Michelle didn't want to understand. She wanted Elise to stay at the store and close, while she went home to catch up on the mountain of paperwork sitting on her desk. But this was a family thing and although Michelle didn't have a close family she concluded to herself, Elise was becoming a first time grandmother and this must be a momentous occasion for her and her daughter. Her own father stayed in Canada and just wanted to be left alone because Michelle reminded him too much of her mother, who died in a car crash when Michelle was eighteen. There were no siblings that she knew of. The cousins and other relatives were just too distance for her to relate to, but she had her best friend and business partner, Dominiche Quatermaine, who was like a brother to her. His nickname was Niche and although he had some issues he needed to work through from the past on his own, they enjoyed spending time together as friends and remained platonic because they enjoyed and respected their friendship.
Too upset with the inconvenience Elise was throwing her way suddenly and just really wanting to end this discussion, Michelle huffed, "Fine, Elise. Go on. I'll close up and work the store for the rest of the week."
"Thank you so much, Ms. Hamilton. I know day after tomorrow is going to be awful, but no one can tell when babies come," Elise said gratefully.
"Please leave before I change my mind." She rubbed her forehead to indicate her stress as she watched Elise hurry up and leave.
Michelle usually wasn’t so bitchy, but if it wasn’t one thing lately it was another and Michelle just didn’t need anything else to pile on top of the already too much to do list.
Amelia and Stephanie, Uniquity’s other employees, were left in the store and it was three hours until closing.
Michelle enjoyed her store. Ever since UniQuity opened this summer with the Fabulous line, which she had exclusively picked in Milan and New York, sales had been over expectation and hiring Elise had been a Godsend. The woman gave her a lot of free time to deal with store issues and the new fall line. It was good Michelle had just come back from New York, where she had been picking out the New Year line, but the mountain of paper work she had to tackle was still on her desk screaming for attention. With Elise taking off this week and Thanksgiving hitting them tomorrow, Michelle would never get to the paper work until after Christmas. This was the busy season and in two days everyone and their grandmother would be hitting the Northland Mall where her store was positioned.
It was a good position in the Metro Detroit area. Her store was located on the outskirts of the city; yet close enough to draw the urban residence - especially the young adults. Michelle had gotten a wonderful exclusive teen line from a new and upcoming design firm in New York and she sold it exclusively in Michigan. Sales had been off the charts in that area and the back room was filled with boxes, which needed to be unpacked, checked in, and tagged. Her Thanksgiving was shot, but she wasn't a holiday person anyway.
Chucking this all up as the life of a busy entrepreneur, she started closing procedures. An hour before she was to close, she finished the store's paperwork early and decided to cash out in the morning wanting the store to look good for her after-Thanksgiving crowd. She would drop the money in the bank when she went out to grab the afternoon lunch tomorrow. The bank’s drop box was on the other end of the mall, but Michelle didn’t feel like calling a guard to escort her down there right now.
Amelia and Stephanie finished quickly with the five customers left in the store and told them all to have pleasant evenings.
Amelia was a whiz at color coordinating and after counting her drawer down she finished her window displays, while Stephanie who was slower at counting finished her drawer count down.
Michelle was glad to lock up the store and leave, but before departing Amelia's company she let her know Elise couldn't help her with the tagging and she would also be needed to assist in opening the store Friday morning. She knew Amelia was a single mother with a son and was trying to get through her second year of college with only her mother's assistance that watched her son. Stephanie was lazy and told Michelle she already had plans. Michelle had a feeling that Stephanie would make excuses because the girl barely did enough to stay hired.
Although Michelle had promised to only hire promising African-American college students, yet when no takers came to apply for the job except for Stephanie, Michelle hired Amanda who had approached her one night really needing a job and willing to work very hard to keep it. Amanda was white as they came with natural long thick blonde hair and the bluest of eyes, skinny with absolutely no figure going for herself except the few pounds she managed to keep on her waist and butt. Amanda always joked that it was the only thing from pregnancy that she didn’t mind keeping.
With the popularity of her boutique on the rise, Michelle had a feeling Amanda was worried that any day some promising black girl would walk in the store and Michelle would make cuts. With Amanda having the lowest seniority and the fact that she was white, it would be assumed that she would have to go.
Amelia, with her blue eyes dancing excitedly eagerly, agreed to help Michelle set up for the after-Thanksgiving crowd.
Getting home to her West Side of Detroit apartment, with three bedrooms and a nice private balcony, Michelle plopped down on the big red fluffy chair that Niche thought was the most tasteless thing he had ever laid eyes on. Michelle loved the chair even though it didn't go with her beige leather couch and two chairs, or the dark beige rug. It was comfortable and it seemed to ease her mind whenever she sat in it. Niche, who was the only other person who had keys to her place, often teased he would come when she wasn't there and throw the chair away. Michelle thought he was serious once when she went out of town and he told her he left the chair on the curb.
Checking her phone messages, she frowned as a soft spoken, but eloquent voice came on the recorder. “Hello, my name is Mrs. Kimberly Gates, and I’m trying to locate, Michelle, daughter to Harold Coleman of Canada. Your father said I would find you at this number and it is urgent that I speak with you. Please call me as soon as you get this message, no matter the hour.” She recited her number and name twice before hanging up.
Picking up the cordless receiver, Michelle dialed the number.
A deep growl came over the phone and Michelle had to hold the phone away from her ear to make sure she dialed the right number.
“Hello!” the voice growled again. “Who the hell is calling this late at night, playing on my phone?”
Michelle looked at the time and flushed. Of course the woman had not really meant one o’clock in the morning.
“I’m sorry to call so late, but the woman who called me said it was urgent,” she said quickly. “I’m looking for Ms. Gates.”
The growl corrected her. “It’s Mrs. Gates. She’s a happily married woman.”
Someone in the background giggled, “Jaelen, give me the phone!”
There was a brief pause before the soft eloquent voice came on the line. “Hello? Is this Michelle Coleman?”
“Well actually, after my mother’s death, I took on my mother’s last name too, so I go by the name Collins-Coleman,” Michelle explained.
“Then I know I have the right Michelle,” the woman said after breathing a sigh of relief.
“I apologize for the lateness in the hour. I know I shouldn’t be calling so late. Please tell your husband I’m sorry.”
“Oh no, please don’t worry about Jaelen. I don’t think it would matter what time you called, he’d always be in that mood,” Kimberly said laughing. “I could really care less what hour you called, I just wanted you to call. I’ve been searching for you the past few months and it’s proved quite frustrating. I take it your family is not very close.”
“No, ma’am. When my mother died, I lost touch with her relatives, and my dad was an only child. All my grandparents had died before I was ten, so I really have no family outside of my father.” Michelle couldn’t believe how comfortable this stranger had made her feel instantly.
“I’m not one to discuss a matter like this over the phone, so I would love to meet with you to have a short meeting.”
“Should I be worried about my father, Mrs. Gates?”
“Please call me Kimberly, and no this has nothing to do with your father. It’s a matter on your mother’s side of the family that’s very dear to me, but whenever you have the time, I can make arrangements to meet you.”
“Well, I’ll be busy working all day tomorrow-“
“On a holiday, Michelle?” Kimberly asked shocked.
“Unfortunately, yes, because I own a store in Northland.”
“Oh good, then I can come out Friday and meet with you. I know you’ll be busy, but an early afternoon meeting of ten minutes of your time could be arranged, can you? This matter is really important and time sensitive.”
Michelle knew that she would be very busy that day, but ten minutes would be fine. “That shouldn’t be a problem, ma’am…I mean Kimberly.”
“Good, I can’t wait to meet you.”
They said good night and hung up. Before Michelle became too comfortable in the gaudy chair, she got up and turned on her computer and then sat in the ergonomic computer chair.
Leaning her head back and closing her eyes, she relaxed before her computer came out of sleep mode and began to run the daily reports downloaded from the store's computer. Since she had done the countdown, she knew the totals and was glad to see it balanced out perfectly. After reviewing all issues she may have to address tomorrow, she answered all her e-mails, then took a shower. Tomorrow would be a longer day and the next day would be even worse. Yet, she knew she could handle it. She always had done things on her own without anyone helping her. Although Niche had loaned her the money to open up UniQuity, Michelle had worked very hard for her success as a boutique owner despite what other people, who she thought would be behind her, but weren’t. Instead, she received a lot of discouragement initially.
She sweated blood and tears for her business and loved every second of it. This was her year to shine and she was shining quite brightly in her business life. Her personal life was another matter.
Once she was done working, she didn’t bother to shut the computer off. Michelle adjourn to her bedroom, stripping down to nothing but the white lace panties. Laying her five-feet-two inch, dark caramel frame in the double king size bed in her room felt climatic all over. Being a pillow freak had its advantage in this bed, as each feathery soft pillow seemed to curve into her body immediately almost massaging the tensed muscles and relaxing her.
Closing her ovate chocolate brown eyes letting the long black eyelashes caress her soft high boned creamy brown cheeks, she smiled to herself at the luxury. If Niche's money had given her any pleasure, getting this bed was second and well worth the loan she needed to obtain this small luxury in life.
Niche was disgusted by the bed's flamboyancy and equally disgusted by the two thousand-dollar price tag for just the mattress and canopy frame. If money can buy a bed to make the most insomniac woman sleep it was well worth the price tag.
Her stomach growled, but she ignored the cries too tired to care. There was always the morning and a nice raisin bagel with strawberry cheesecake cream spread over the top of the warm toasted middle - her favorite morning treat.
Austin ducked even further down hearing footsteps approached the broom closet door. His heart was beating rapidly in fear knowing sooner of later someone would catch him and his father hiding where they shouldn't be.
His father, Anthony, had found the closet four days ago and keys just yesterday. It was a gold mine for the homeless. He felt Anthony's large strong hand rest on his shoulder to be still and relax. When the footsteps proceeded to walk away, Austin breath a sigh of relief, but he didn't dare speak until Anthony spoke.
Anthony's cool quiet deep voice said in a whisper, "Kid, I guess you can sleep now."
Austin nodded. "Thanks, Pop. Maybe tomorrow my mom will page you about the money and we won't have to be homeless no more."
"Anymore," Anthony corrected the twelve-year-old. "Maybe she will," he said hopefully, but he knew otherwise. As bad as Claudia was though, he didn't have the heart to tell Austin the truth about the deceitful lying bitch.
"Then you can find you another girlfriend, so you won't be so irritable cause you ain't had any sex." He chuckled.
Becoming tip-lipped – not wishing to discuss his personal sexual angst - Anthony loving rustled the boy's thick black hair. "You get some sleep, Kid."
Austin smiled some more to himself. Anthony didn't like to talk about past mistakes he had made as a young greedy man, which he felt he was paying for now at twenty-seven trying to take care of a twelve-year-old son.
Anthony just recently found out about Austin less than five years ago.
The scandal behind the whole mess had changed Anthony’s life completely. Yet, he couldn’t right the situation, so he did what was in his nature. He turned his back on the whole mess and pretended none of the people he had known in the past existed. His only contact was a pager than his father, before dying, insisted he carry around with him.
Then suddenly six months ago, Claudia decided to send Austin to his father without a way for Austin to come back home or return to boarding school. Anthony now had the unfortunate responsibility to take care of Austin because of his selfish mother "needing her space."
Austin didn't hate Claudia for kicking him out the house. Anthony knew the boy was highly intelligent and loved his mother very much. Yet, when he found out she also took the money Anthony’s father left for Austin and Claudia wouldn't give Anthony any money to support them, Austin began to dislike her greediness. Still, Anthony kept his opinions to himself about Claudia’s true nature.
With Anthony turning his back on his family and friends, he had started from the bottom of the bucket. With a child under the roof, paying bills had become difficult since he had no steady money coming in.
Two months ago, at least they had lived in an efficiency apartment in Detroit, until a crack head started a fire and burned the place down. When Anthony had turned his back on his past life choosing to become independent, or as his father preferred to say, "running the streets" since he was twenty-four, he had not planned on having the responsibility of being a father and he was still learning how to survive with a child the hard way.
An early graduate from Wayne State Law School, Anthony decided to leave his father's house in Royal Oak, Michigan and come to Detroit in hopes of trying to find himself. He left his small law practice in his ex-wife's hands because she also possessed a law degree and would be able to run the business without him.
Since childhood, Sharrisse Edmonds, Anthony’s ex-wife, had been infatuated with Anthony, but Anthony never gave her the time of day let alone his affections. He never regarded her in any way other than his father's best friend's daughter.
With his own life having so many ups and downs, he barely paid scant attention to Sharrisse.
His father, Merrick Dome, who had a one of a kind of handsome distinctiveness, and a large broad build, had never been faithful a day in his life, but Claudia Maria Blackwell managed to get Merrick to marry her. She made the mistake of actually falling in love with Merrick, fully knowing his unfaithfulness and his affairs outside of marriage were just too much for her heart and Merrick was never going to be true to just her.
To get revenge she seduced her stepson, fifteen-year-old Anthony, whose magnificent face and body were already too much to resist and unfortunately Claudia became pregnant from the affair. Merrick thought the child was his own and suddenly decided to stop his own affairs to become faithful to Claudia.
Anthony had been deposited on Merrick’s doorstep when he was six. His mother was pretty much “running around the world” on Merrick’s money that was paid to her just to keep her away from Michigan. Anthony had never had a real relationship with his father because all Merrick could ever see was a horrible mistake he had made with a horrible woman. So with Claudia’s pregnancy, Merrick used this as a way to connect to a child because he really didn’t consider Anthony a real son.
Four years passed and Claudia was able to keep the secret of her affair with Anthony concealed, along with the knowledge of the father of the child as well. She didn’t even tell Anthony.
During this time, Anthony fell in love - head over heels, out of his mind - with Clarissa, Claudia's daughter from another marriage that was just as old as Anthony. For three years, they dated and planned to be married behind everyone’s back. Clarissa and Anthony had planned on moving in a townhouse in the New Center Area of Detroit, since they were going to the same college. By twenty-four, Anthony just couldn't get enough of Clarissa and he knew he wanted to be with her forever.
His happiest moment with Clarrisa was when after her twenty-fourth birthday, during the summer right before they were to start college; he proposed marriage to her after they made love on the patio at his father's home. He was preparing to get a doctorate in law and she was just entering her masters program in Education.
Her big dark brown eyes became so wide at the diamond he presented her and she even cried as the words of love and eternal devotion poured so easily out of his mouth.
"Oh Anthony, you have made me the happiest woman in the world," her soft voice whispered passionately, and then kissed him like there was no tomorrow.
Accepting his proposal had made him the happiest man in the world and he thought nothing could break them up.
He was wrong because twenty-four hours later, when Claudia found out about the proposal, she went ballistic and told Clarrisa about their affair. She convinced Clarissa that Anthony had seduced Claudia and now was just putting another notch in his bed by seducing Clarissa.
It must have been then when Clarissa lost it, Anthony was sure of that now, but she deceptively kept it all together and continued to see Anthony despite Claudia's displeasure of them being together.
Clarissa decided to take revenge out on Anthony for what she believed the wrong he did to her mother, by leaving him standing alone at the alter in Ohio where they planned to elope. Later, he found out she had done it on purpose to hurt him and she told him he would never have her for as long as he lived because he was nothing but a lying incestuous rotten scum. Anthony had almost choked her, but he got over the murderous inclination and drunk himself into a stupor - keeping himself that way almost every night. He had surprised himself when he had gotten into doctorate program and kept his grades up despite the fact he couldn't go to bed without a bottle of Wild Irish Rose or something close to it in his hand.
Merrick still wanted his son married despite whom he suspected about Austin’s true paternity. Merrick offered Anthony a settlement if marriage was gained soon. His father had even suggested the marriage to Sharrisse, but Anthony was too busy traipsing around with everything and anything wanting nothing to do with settling down.
Merrick informed Sharrisse of his son's dwindling desire to carry on with his life sober and she took advantage of the situation along with the knowledge of the money Merrick had offered Anthony for marriage to get her hands on his father's money.
Anthony was well aware Merrick offered this money in order to get Anthony away from Claudia, who secretly still wanted Anthony.
Sharrisse had flown to his college dorm and made him even more intoxicated, then took him on a flight to Las Vegas and put a ring on his finger.
Anthony, in an intoxicated state of mind, agreed to the farce marriage because he was a greedy cold fool and just wanted to use the money to become rich and powerful. He would then show Clarissa what she would be missing, while he partied it up with Sharrisse, but after waking up in a Las Vegas hotel room fully clothed next to Sharrisse with the biggest hangover in the world, he decide his greediness would end that day. He would leave it all behind, start over without anyone and just stay alone because having it all made him miserable.
Anthony blamed everything on the gorgeous face and body, which graced his large frame. Anthony had inherited his mother's side of the family looks. Carmel flecks mixed in a pool of bluish green eyes, framed by long light brown lashes and a steel cut jaw. A dark buttery brown complexion with masculine features illuminated the power in his face and frame. Standing at six feet with a brawny build, the thick powerful arms and leg muscles were an addition he knew attracted women to him. He drew many an eye when he was all cleaned up, but sometimes too many eyes and his temper and vindictive personality made a lot of people despise him.
Losing count of the jobs he had maintained because he had worked in so many places in the past six month, Anthony had a hard time keeping friends or associates who didn't find him a threat to have him around their women. Anthony had made himself misanthropic, to others, except his son.
Yet, Anthony knew Austin loved his real father with every fiber of his being and wished for his father to be happy in life. Even before they realized the deepness of the bond they shared and thought they were only brothers, they got along very well. Austin was able to talk to Anthony about anything and felt closer to him than Merrick, who had raised him.
In return, Anthony adored the boy and wanted the best for his son, yet trying to obtain the money he needed all of a sudden by himself was difficult. He knew Austin wasn't use to this poverty and Anthony felt very ashamed and frustrated over his circumstances because he knew if things didn't look up soon, he and Austin would be living on the streets for the rest of their lives.
Anthony's stomach growled in protest bringing his mind back to the present as he stared down at his sleeping son. Wrapping his arms around his waist, he tightened and leaned over in pain hoping the sound didn't wake up Austin, who had fallen asleep hours ago while Anthony had been reminiscing about his life.
Anthony cursed his face for his troubles, which now included Austin. He was positive if he had inherited his father's gruff looks like Austin; he would not be in the situation he was in today.
Claudia, the spiteful stingy bitch, had no intentions of sharing Merrick Dome's fortune with his legitimate son or even Austin, whom Merrick had loved even more than Anthony. Breaking up the engagement between Anthony and her daughter had been Claudia's true colors showing, but when she turned her own son, Austin, out at twelve just went to show how incredibly greedy she could be, Anthony knew he couldn’t take much more of the heathen. That clearly told everyone her true personality, but it seemed as if no one was alive to care or even want to be apart of helping Austin and Anthony.
Jasmine Bellini, a family and trust issue lawyer and also a good law school friend from Chicago, told him seven-hundred was needed to file the forms to get the process going to regain Austin's rightful inheritance. Anthony would file these himself and represent himself and Austin with his own savvy legal knowledge. He knew Claudia would only run to Jordan Stanford, her current lover, she was using and get his expensive attorneys to represent her and the fool would because Jordan couldn't tell the difference between a good piece of ass and getting involved in a matter he knew nothing about.
Anthony had five years of studying family law and knew exactly what to do. He wanted to make no mistakes when he went after Claudia and if he was to do this right, then he would get every red cent out of her hands, including the four million his father was fool enough to leave her with for Austin.
He was going crazy presently sacrificing all he had to give to Austin. With no money coming in, he was desperate. Tomorrow would be difficult because of the holidays, but hopefully Friday could be another day for looking through trash, hoping someone wanted help taking packages to their car, or even pray someone left half a plate at the food court.
Unfortunately, the days weren't getting any brighter. He would have to take this face on another journey and use it to his advantage - Getting money out of women. That seemed to be the only thing his face was good at. Very good when he used it to his advantage.
Closing his eyes he tried to go to sleep, but the rumbling in his stomach wouldn't go away. Reaching in his pocket deeply, he pulled out a toy water pistol that looked almost real. He had found it in garbage Dumpster, and decided to keep it just for safety. Maybe tomorrow he would find use for it.
Tomorrow would be another day.
Awaking early the next day, Michelle took her time to dress and fix her make up. Although she would just be doing a lot of tagging and set up, she just liked to look good for everything. It was in her nature. A long time ago, she made herself believe that if she always looked good, she would always feel good.
Looking in the mirror before proceeding down to the kitchen, she made sure her outfit looked nice on her. At a size ten, Michelle kept herself in shape. Three times a week she woke up to do her Donna Richards’ routine, loving the great hip-hop workout the sister put her through, but Michelle always paid back for it later that evening when she was dying to sit in a warm tub full of Warm Spirit Patchouli oil.
With her black hair graced with brown highlights to match her skin tone was drawn back in a tight French roll, the style accentuated her heart shaped face and slightly slanted eyes. During college a lot of people thought she had Oriental ancestors, but it was just the way her eyes were. She knew her maternal great grandmother was part Cherokee and Michelle’s strong nose and chin signified that.
Making her way to the kitchen, Michelle hurriedly made her favorite morning bagels, laying the strawberry cream cheese on extra thick. With a nice cup of coffee covered for the car, she was ready to go. It was an hour early, but she decided to head for the store and get started on the tagging. Amelia would meet her there at seven-thirty and help her finish. With it being one of the largest pre-Christmas holidays, Michelle was eager to turn a profit in her store, so she could head back to Paris and attend the New Year buying show, plus pay off Niche as soon as possible.
Even though they were friends this loan was business between them and she wanted to pay him off as soon as possible, just so she could have the store all to herself and feel independent, which she was so use to.
****
The hunger gnawed into his gut like a knife. Craving for food and Austin's own needs were driving Anthony insane. He waited in the dimness of the mall already memorizing the security guard rounds in his head from his stay inside the mall's broom closet for the past three days. Thinking back, he wondered in his old life would he be in this predicament if he had gone with his mother when he was fourteen? It was still a toss up after all these years. Would his mother have killed herself if he had gone with her?
Damn Claudia Blackwell and her greedy conniving ways. He would curse her until the day she died. Seething silently, his bluish-green liquid eyes caught sight of the dark tangerine outfit, and then he smelled strawberries. The sweetest smell to ever grace his nostrils in the past days. The hunger monster in his stomach grew worse, growling loudly from neglect.
UniQuity. He had seen her in that shop, which had opened around the way not to long ago inside the mall.
Ducking in the hall, Anthony waited until she passed, eyeing her beauty like a diamond in a window he wanted to own. Twitching his lip, he felt disgusted within himself at his lecherous thoughts. His monk-like state started a long time ago when he had wanted love in his life so desperately and he had made opened his heart to another woman only to have it stomped out with a crushing blow. The woman passing him reminded him of Clarissa Edmond. Anthony intently watched the woman switch those voluptuous hips down the short hallway.
Licking his dry lips in disgust and anger, he started toward her with only the intention of seeing her closer. But the more he watched her, the more angrier he became remembering Claudia and Clarissa, who dressed quite similar to her - professional and clean cut. She even wore her hair up in a tight French role. The look of untouchable exuded from every pore of her, yet a strange need drew him like a magnet to her. The hallway was quite dim and obviously she paid no mind to anything around her.
Clutching the pistol in his hand tighter, he started towards her, pulling the dark hood over his head before the camera had a chance to catch his face. Pulling dark sunglasses out his pocket, he got them on his face in time just as he crept behind her and pressed the gun into the spine of her back just as she arrived at the back door of her shop. She dropped her purse terrified. She had been about to go inside of the shop when he had surprised her.
"Please don't hurt me," she whispered, frightened to death.
The sound of her fear gave him an ugly happiness Anthony wished he could cause on the others who had victimized him. Leaning close to her, he whispered, "Get inside."
Michelle opened the door, stepped over her purse and moved inside the store, giving him enough room to follow and let the door, closed leaving her purse out in the hallway.
She had a box in her other hand and a perfectly balance a cup of coffee on top of the lid.
"Where's your office?" he questioned, keeping his voice low.
"Over there." Slowing reaching over to the side, she flicked on the lights just to the office in the back of the store that was passed the storage area and she pointed to the right passed the dressing room, where they were by. Since they had come through the back entrance of the store, no one would notice he was holding her hostage because security or cameras did not patrol this area.
He nudged her in the direction she had pointed and patiently waited as she fumbled with the keys, and finally opened the door to the office. As she entered, her hand purposely lingered back and brushed his waist to size him up.
"Are there camera's in here?" he demanded to know.
"N-No. They haven't installed any in here yet," she said, very terrified for her life.
Anthony couldn't tell if she was lying or not, but he didn't care. Right now he was pondering what to do with her and what the hell was wrong with him. He knew the consequences if he went any further, but...no one would understand the stress that had led him to this point of his life.
"I can open the safe for you if you let me put down this box," she offered, when a moment of silence began to add up to minutes giving her a false sense that he really didn't want to hurt her.
"Hurry up," he ordered, looking over in the corner at the safe. "If I even see you go for your pockets at any time you'll be sorry." He pressed the muzzle harder in her back and she winced.
Michelle placed the box down carefully, so her coffee wouldn't drop. ‘Give them what they wanted,’ the video she had watched on "In Case You Are Robbed" about six years ago in college. Back then she thought it was a joke, but this was no joking matter. There was a gun pressed against her back ready to kill her!
Kneeling down in front of her safe, she didn't even try to look at her attacker. When her hand had brushed up against his waist, Michelle judged his size. Being in the business of dressing people, she was an expert about sizing people up with her eyes and hands. This man was about an extra large, yet quite toned. From the direction of his voice, he was about a head taller than her, making him about five feet eleven to six feet tall, she guessed. If she remained calm, she could easily describe him to the police as best as possible. Hopefully, she could get a look at his face when he wasn't paying attention. Michelle figured this moment would come after she gave him the money.
He stepped closer and she noted the outdated filthy Adidas and the pants were horrible. He wore a long black mackintosh fatigued and dirty. Going in the box she had set on her desk next to her coffee, he jammed the bagel into his mouth.
Michelle sighed a bit upset, then smiled to herself. There was gun aimed at her back, yet she was upset over a bagel. Well, considering she hadn't had dinner last night and she had been craving that bagel since last night. She had a right to be a bit upset,
"What's so damn funny?" he snapped.
The smile instantly disappeared as she picked up the bank bag out of the safe. Lowering her eyes not daring to make eye contact, Michelle shook her head as if to say nothing.
Angrily, he knocked the bag out her hand and grabbed her shoulders tightly. Suddenly, she felt light as air as he picked her up by gripping her shoulders and then jammed her back against the wall opposite the door. "You mocking me, bitch?" he sneered.
"N-No. I was...I-I w-w..." She couldn't breathe as terrified as she was and just shook her head frantically. 'Dear Lord save her please. Please!' she prayed to herself.
"Then what's so damn funny?"
"M-My bagel ... you ate. I like them a lot and I was really hungry." Lawd, did she have to sound so stupid before she died. "Please just take the money. It's everything, I swear. Everything!"
He lowered her to the ground and used the back of his dirty coat to wipe his mouth from the crumbs and the cheese. "Just like that? You think getting robbed is so damn easy. Just take the money and run."
She tried not to look disgusted by his proximity, but it was extremely hard because from the smell of him, she could tell he had not bath in a while. Keeping her face lowered, she tried to ignore the stench permeating the air from him.
He was very aware of her disgust in him and he slammed the safe door in anger. The bag was still lying on the floor, but he wanted more. Something to ease his damned soul. Something to drive those demons away. They owned his heart and soul and he would sacrifice this skank to them. Grabbing her by the neck, he drove her down until she lay flat on her back across the clean desk.
Holding on to the monolithic wrist of his, Michelle fought to move his arm, but it was like steel gripping her and just before she became limp, he eased up the pressure and rejoiced at her tears of fear.
"Is it still easy, skank?" he sneered, leaning close to her face.
His breath repulsed her, mixed with cream cheese. She prayed this would be over soon. Shaking her head reluctantly, she tried to relax under his loosened grip. Looking up into dark sunglasses, she could feel the demented look glaring down at her.
Terrified, she asked in a controlled shaky voice, "What do you want from me?"
Anthony smiled lecherously. "What do I want?"
"I will do anything, but you have to leave soon. The guard will be around and my cashier is coming-" she tried to inform him, before he cut her off by tightening the grip around her neck.
"Shut your mouth," he derided. "You sicken me with your fancy clothes. Your prim and proper ways will get you no where," he hissed vehemently.
Michelle rudely wanted to add that his clothes were the ones sickening someone with the awful smell. Was water in his vocabulary? Yet, she didn't speak. She only pleaded with her chocolate deep eyes, hoping he didn't harm her.
His body leaned over hers, yet she felt nothing but fear, until his face started to tilt down. She could feel his eyes move over her body like a caress. Dear Lord, had she gone mad? He had on sunglasses for goodness sake. How could she possibly know where his eyes were going? This was insane!
Begging for her life again seemed to take her mind from her other depraved thoughts that were pouring through her head. Concentrating on the fear, tremors racked over her body. If his object is money, then she would give him all he would ever need. Michelle was willing to say anything to make him just go. "I've got more money in my purse...out in the hallway. On your way out, just take it. There's more money," she insisted.
"Still think it's easy, skank," he sneered, putting pressure on her chin forcing her to look up at him.
Remembering what he had done last time she beseeched him Michelle grabbed his coat pleading, "No...No. I don't. Please don't hurt me."
He snatched her wrists and yanked them above her head. Her breathing was erratic and unsteady as again the wave of panic hit her like water on the ocean crashing onto the beach. Using one arm to hold her wrist, his free hand pulled the gun out his pocket and placed the muzzle on her forehead. She closed her eyes wanting to scream, but fighting to die proudly.
His eyes didn't stay at her face. Again, they caressed her pert nose, small pink wet glossed lips, slim long neck, and down to her chest, voluptuous and jaunt at the same time. Why should this woman, who reminded him so much of Claudia and Clarissa; who disgusted him, also make him want to touch her? Soil her, defame her, and yet want her to enjoy it all at once? Maybe it was hunger talking or that monk-like state Anthony had taken on for too long. He didn't want to think why he was doing this to an innocent victim, because he was enjoying it so much.
With the muzzle of the gun, Anthony moved the tip slowly down her face, caressing the cold plastic-like steel against her neck. Obviously this had never happened to her before nor had she ever touched a gun before, because then she would have known it was false.
Michelle turned her face away and closed her eyes. He wanted to scare her, but she proudly would not beg anymore. Yet, she would not do anything to provoke him or to anger him again.
"What more do you want?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady, opening her eyes to look bravely into his face.
"I want your acquiesce," he sneered.
Her eyes darkened like rich dark chocolate, trying to decipher in her mind what was going on behind those sunglasses. "What do you mean, my acquiesce?"
The belittling smile he gave her was emasculating. "All of you," he jeered in a hissed timbre, leaning close to her not caring that she turned her face away trying not to feel his hot breath. "Go around thinking you're high and mighty. Skanks, you all are."
"Skanks?" Michelle had never heard of the word.
His frown was filled with disapproval. "Don't play innocent with me, skank."
"I'm not playing-" she winced, feeling the pain in her shoulder as he pulled up on her arms to make them go higher above her head. Michelle damned her pride and decided to beg, "Please just go. Money is all you wanted."
The gun came over to the other side of her face. She felt the pressure on her other cheek and allowed her face to move around until she was looking at him again.
"I thought money was all I wanted, but now I think I want more."
"What more could you want that I have?" she asked innocently.
"Prim and Proper again." This was not a compliment. "You skanks sit in bleach baths trying to clean yourselves from the scum of the world, cause you think the world's not good enough for you. You kick a man when he's down, then you make sure he never gets back up."
She wanted to speak, but hearing his disgust with "skanks," she decided against this action. He didn't see her, he saw demons and she must look like. Quickly thinking, she relaxed and pretended her best not to be repulsed by his touch. It encouraged him more when she showed her disgust.
He tore open her tangerine jacket. The buttons popped off like they had exploded from the fabric and landed on the floor around the office. She wanted to close her eyes in shame, her fear becoming greater every passing second, but she didn’t want him to know of her shame and he would know that if she looked away. Underneath her jacket, he could see the beautiful black laced, wired bra, accenting the fullness of her breast.
"Clean and pristine. You like keeping yourself that way. Untouchable, like a china doll; all beautiful on the outside and empty on the inside," he continued, with abhorrence still in his tone of voice.
If Michelle didn't think about the gun, she could concentrate on her breathing. Once she accomplished this, she decided not to act "prim and proper." "I don't intend to kick you when you're down, sir. I want to help you."
A cocky grin came to that face, but he was right to think 'why on earth would she want to help him?' which she assumed he was thinking, but with those dark glasses on, she really couldn’t tell, but the idea seemed obvious.
Quickly, she read his mind, "If I hurry up and give you what you want, then you can take the money and leave. I don't think doing this for you is easy. You're stealing from me, but my life is worth more than anything to me and sacrificing anything, except my life, for your happiness is what I can give you."
He knew what game she played. Give them what they wanted and usually the attacker let the victim go. Oh ho, she was good! The relaxed breathing, the eye contact, the acquiesce. She was giving him what he wanted, but he wanted more. Putting the gun down on the desk beside her head, he watched her relax even more thinking she was winning. Oh yes! The triumph in her eyes was amusing to him, but Anthony didn’t show his humor. ‘She actually thinks she was winning.’ He slowly trailed his free hand down the side, enjoying her gasps and shudders as his fingers enclosed over her flat stomach. "Life is more important, huh?"
She nodded finishing his sentence. "Than anything." Licking her lips that had suddenly gone dry, she started to concentrate on his hand that rested on her stomach. His pam was warm to feel and her fear was being encompassed by… ‘Breath, Michellle!’ she ordered herself. ‘He’s a homeless bum! He is enjoying the power too much over you!’
"You're willing to give me anything?" he questioned.
Closing her eyes, forcing herself to swallow, she nodded again. "I don't know w-what you're driving at, but I value my life greatly."
He dug his fingers into her skirt and with one swift yank tore away the tangerine silk skirt, the black-laced underwear, and pantyhose leaving her bare. Flushing in embarrassment, she pleaded again with her eyes.
"You won't mind giving me what I want." His hands went to his jacket as he threw it opened and began to undo his pants.
Tears of terrors welled in her eyes and she began to writhe in his grip. "Please, don't. Please, you can't!"
His pants dropped and he grabbed her thigh and hauled the firm leg over his shoulder.
"Nooo!" she beseeched him, trying to yank her wrist from his grip. Her hands were still over her head, and it didn’t even look he was using all his strength to hold her in place. Michelle forgot about her fear and she forgot that the gun was inches from her face. Getting away from him was all that she knew to do right now.
Suddenly he went still and seemed mesmerized by what he saw between her legs. Michelle steeled in embarrassment. She knew what he was looking at and tried to move her thighs to close her legs, but he pushed her thighs open wider.
Anthony completely forgot that he was supposed to be holding her down as he moved in for a closer look. He released her wrist, removed his glasses and encircled her thighs with his hands forcing her to keep them open to her exclusive aperture. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing between her legs.
Slowly his eyes came to meet hers and Michelle gasped amazed at his eye color. It was unusual for a black man to have that color eye. They were the color of tinged sea.
"It's a birthmark," she explained finding her voice at her own astonishment as his hands moved down to touch the white thatch of hair around her womanhood as if it would just wipe away. If she were any lighter than her mahogany skin tone, he would clearly see how flustered she was about now. No one, except her doctor, had looked at the albino thatch of hair on the left side of her womanhood or paid any attention to it so much. He seemed almost afraid to touch it.
"Is it real?" he asked.
She nodded with a faint, "Y-Yes."
He looked up at her, his eyes heating to a deep blue. The fear she held for him melted away and now a wave of passion hit her, accelerating her heartbeat like an out of control train plowing down the tracks at high speed. Breathlessly, she asked, "Are your eyes?"
He frowned not at all liking her boldness. His hand moved down to her softness and plied the thick moist lips apart. She winced as his finger moved into her like a snake. The horror returned to her body. She shuddered crying out. "No, don't! You can't,” she beseeched, reaching down to grasp his immovable wrist.
"You gave me your permission." He gripped her thighs pushing the tip of him close to the moistness.
Michelle sobbed in shame not wanting to even look at his own nakedness and knowing where he wanted to put himself. "Oh Jesus! Please! I promise I won't tell on you. Take the money. I don’t want this." She was shaking so badly in fear. She pushed at his chest as hard as she could, but it was like trying to push away a brick wall. He was immovable!
The anxiety she emitted and showed spurred him on and he could feel his demons rejoicing at knowing he was going to hurt her. Yes, she would feed their need for revenge. For satisfaction! For… He leaned over her ready to thrust in her.
Terror gripped her as she began to fight like a wild cat. From panic to raging horrification Michelle just wanted to not be there! Nothing like this had ever happened to her in her entire life! She was going to be raped! She was going to be brutally raped and he would then use the gun and kill her so she would never ever see the light of day again. Oh Lord! Oh Lord! Her mind screamed.
The tip of him pressed against her moist entrance. Michelle’s mind took over, as she conscious couldn’t face reality anymore. Her vision became a blur and then faded to blackness.
Anthony had not even made entry before she released the softest whisper from her lips.
“I’m not ready.”
Suddenly, her limpness caught him off guard. She had fainted. Straightening up his clothes, he took a step back to reevaluate everything. Running a frustrated hand through his head, he shook his head in shame. What the hell was wrong with him?
Quickly, he took a cloth out of his coat pocket and wiped the table where he would have left fingerprints. After picking up his glasses and water gun, he stepped over the bag of money and almost picked it up, then changed his mind.
Looking back at
the desk where she laid, he could feel his manhood twitch and those demons in
the back of his head were telling him to go finish the job. Closing his eyes in disgust, he forced
himself to turn away from her hoping he would never have to see her again and
hoping she would never tell.
Anthony was coming to his senses and, disgusted as he felt in his own self-control, he knew this was not a good idea. Using the cloth to open the door of the office, he picked up his pace to get out of there. Grabbing the purse on his way out, he ran down the hallway to get Austin out the broom closet. They could take the back door to get out of there and no one would be the wiser. People were already lining up around the store with it being the day after Thanksgiving and the father and son could easily blend into the crowd. No one would ever know.