Honey Page 3

  I began to untie.

  Hearing him exhale with relief, he whispered, “thank you.”

  Staring straight into my eyes, gazing deep into my soul, he

  lifted my whole body up with his. Placing me on to the floor,

  he began collecting his things like a man possessed.

  Furiously yelling, “I have no idea what this is, but be sure that

  you will all be hearing from my lawyer!”

  Sitting down on the bed, slumped, gazing over at Marcus,

  filling the doorway. It was obvious that he could see the

  despair in my eyes, I had been duped. Turning on me,

  Cynthia pointed and yelled “you were supposed to lure him

  here, tie him up and then leave.”

  Watching Quinn’s face exceed boiling point, he yelled, “what!

  So that you could try and rape me and keep me against my

  will? We went on one awful dinner date, as friends, over two

  years ago. Get over it, you can watch me, follow me, turn up at

  my home, but we have nothing. All you have is some dire

  infatuation, you don’t need a boyfriend, you need a shrink!”

  Hearing Marcus sternly demand from the doorway, “Honey, I

  think that it’s time to go.”

  Watching Quinn’s eyes fixated on me, I left, sure that this was

  far from the end.

  Chapter 4

  Tears of anger streamed down my face, the entire car journey

  home. In all of the years that I had been providing this

  service, this was the first time that I had been caught out and left to feel like a fool. Glancing over at me, taking his eyes off

  the road only momentarily. Removing his hand from the

  steering wheel, Marcus placed his hand on mine in a

  supportive manner, as he suggested “Domini, you followed

  protocol. You were thorough, everything checked out. It’s not

  your fault. You did nothing wrong.”

  Squeezing his hand of reassurance tightly, feeling his words

  lighten this god-awful feeling that had taken over me,

  curdling and churning in the pit of my stomach. With only

  enough strength and enthusiasm left to force out a half-

  hearted smile, sensing my mood slowly lifting. Retaining my

  gaze over at Marcus, all that I could think of right now, was

  how thankful that I was to have him with me. Because as

  always, he managed to keep my head in check.

  Watching the expression change on his entire face. Sure, that

  he was cooking up some kind of plan, to be revealed at any

  moment. Beaming from ear to ear, with a wicked gleam in his

  eye. Breaking his silence, he asked “so Dom, do you want to

  go and shoot some pool?”

  Nodding slowly, feeling a smile take over my whole face, I

  replied “hell yeah!”

  Climbing into the back of the car, sure that I couldn’t enter

  the bar dressed like this. Hearing Marcus call out “that’s my

  girl!”

  Tugging the flowery dress up over my head, tossing the court

  shoes across the seat. Taking a spare set of clothes from a

  holdall in the back, I wriggled into an old pair of ripped jeans

  and a tank top. Tying the laces of my heavy, sand nubuck

  boots. Scraping my long, dark, loose curled hair into a

  ponytail, it was at that precise moment, that I felt that I was

  ready to go.

  Inside the bar, setting up the pool table, I heard Charlie the owner, call over from behind the bar, “hey you lazy bums,

  aren’t you working tonight?”

  Unable to hide my grin, turning to face Marcus, taking my

  shot, I watched him swig his beer. Looking me dead set in the

  eyes, not losing focus, with a grin as big as mine, he replied,

  “no, not tonight, Dom’ needed the night off.”

  Hearing Charlie call back over, “and you brought her to this

  dump. A young couple like you, I’d have thought that you’d be

  out on the town.”

  Sure, that Charlie thought that we were some oddball couple.

  That lived within close proximity of the bar, in one of the

  most rough, undesirable areas, in the dark outskirts of our

  great city. Not the grand penthouse apartment that we

  shared, living separately. Almost roommates, in one of the

  most expensive, sought after, prestigious areas, surrounded

  by the fast-paced world of the elite.

  “She loves the place, she can’t stay away,” Marcus called back

  over to Charlie, his grin still evident to see. With a hint of

  boyish charm, glaring over at me, finally, he took his shot.

  Even though Charlie looked unconvinced, Marcus was right.

  Here slumming it, in this dark and dingy old bar, I felt relaxed

  and at ease. Marcus and I spent most of our days, in the heart

  of the city, surrounded by some of the most pretentious

  people known to man. But here, in one of the sketchiest

  neighbourhoods that I had ever come to know, it was a

  completely different world. The people here felt real, genuine,

  salt of the earth. And on the plus side, when you have your

  own personal bodyguard on hand, no one tends to bother you.

  No matter how tight your skinny jeans are, or how low your

  tank top falls, every time that you take a shot at the table.

  Marcus hadn’t always been my personal bodyguard, I met Marcus on my first day at my new job, at Hassel and Viola

  Models. Where he was already head of security. I have to

  confess, hand on heart, I instantly found Marcus visually

  appealing on our first encounter. Though we didn’t become

  friends until I was hired by his then girlfriend, to oust him as

  a cheat. It was just pure coincidence as I thought, that we

  worked together. It had to have happened at some time, to be

  hired to out someone close. Under the circumstances, with a

  huge conflict of interest, regrettably, I couldn’t take the case.

  Though I felt that I had an obligation to him, to come clean,

  explaining my out of hours side-line.

  Unsure what shocked him more, learning that his girlfriend

  had hired me, convinced that he was a cheat. Or my alternate

  line of work. Marcus soon became single, finding himself

  homeless, thrown out onto the street. Feeling somewhat

  responsible for their split, I offered to let him stay with me.

  When learning the structure of the honey trap business,

  concerned for my safety, he offered to tag along on my

  escapades. Jointly coming to the conclusion that we valued

  our growing friendship. Despite a physical attraction, we set

  the rule to never mix business with pleasure. Which

  progressed into something even greater between us. A deep

  feeling of admiration, commitment, understanding and trust.

  We both dated other people, with myself finding it hard to get

  past the second date minefield, feeling that relationships were

  just impossible. Marcus being my polar opposite, oozing

  confidence, he certainly didn’t have any issues in that

  department. Being a handsome guy and a perfect gentleman,

  he certainly had no problem attracting members of the

  opposite sex. For a guy, soon to be approaching 30, he was

  most definitely in great shape. Plus, being surrounded by hot

  models on a daily basis, really did help his cause.

  T
aking his final shot, before I beat his ass, to win the game.

  Marcus asked, “so do you think that’s the last that we are

  going to hear from Mr bigshot? Or do you think that he’s

  going to try and press charges.”

  Trying not to even think about it, still feeling the wounds that

  tonight had caused. I cleared every last ball from the table,

  standing upright only to grin over at him. Ignoring his initial

  question, I replied, “you know the rule, loser sets up the next

  game.”

  The following day, sat at work, debating the end of the whole

  honey trap side-line, deep in thought. Weighing up

  everything, I began wondering, what great lengths I would

  need to go to, to determine that each case had not been

  fabricated. Though sure that the case of Quinn and Cynthia

  was only a one in a million chance, never to be experienced

  again. Certain that I couldn’t bear to go through it all over

  again, new rules had to be set. Evidence had to be provided

  and when and only when that I was satisfied, then I would

  take the case.

  Consumed by my trail of thought, checking my personal

  emails, feeling a little apprehensive, I noticed that once again,

  my services were required. Calling Marcus into my office,

  filling him in on our latest case study, alarmed by his silence,

  I glared up at him.

  Shaking his head, he sighed heavily and spoke only to say,

  “I’m done, I’m not doing this anymore. Didn’t the Cynthia

  case teach you anything? Dom’, you are not invincible. You

  need to give this up before something happens and you can’t

  charm your way out of it.”

  Furious I stood, shaking my head with pure disappointment, I

  called over to him, “fine! I never asked for you to tag along in

  the first place. I am more than capable of doing this all by myself.”

  Folding my arms, slouching myself down on to my office

  chair, I turned away from him.

  Hearing him call out, “suit yourself.”

  Followed by the sound of my office door closing shut. Highly

  frustrated, feeling like I wanted to scream. I threw myself into

  playing super sleuth, finding out all that I could about my

  next case. The elusive businessman Jerry and his wife of 10

  years, the lovely Janine. Sure, that I was going to show

  Marcus, I didn’t need him, I had been doing all of this before

  him and I was more than capable of being a lone wolf.

  Days later, noticing Marcus in my mirror’s reflection, stood

  filling the dark space between the corridor and my room.

  Glaring at him, applying my eyeliner, sure that I still wasn’t

  speaking to him. Standing, pretending that he wasn’t even

  there, I began to straighten myself out; before my mirror.

  Hearing him call over to me, “reconsider.”

  Ignoring him once more, his voice became louder, “ignore me

  all you want, but you shouldn’t be going tonight.”

  Walking over to him, my face consumed with a deadly glare, I

  stood directly in front of him.

  Looking up at him, I asked “why?”

  Shaking his head, watching him almost buckle under

  pressure, he replied “I have a really bad feeling about all of

  this.”

  Exhaling deeply, ignoring his warning, I walked straight past

  him and towards the elevator doors.

  Hearing him call out, “at least let me take you.”

  Turning only to glare back at him, stubbornly I replied, “no thank you, I have my own cars and a drivers licence. I am

  more than capable of driving myself.”

  Chapter 5

  Arriving at the club, requested by Janine, handing the keys to

  my exclusive, two-seater sports car to the valet. Noticing his

  nerves consume him, crippled with fear. I found myself lost

  for words at his initial reaction, struggling to say something,

  anything to try and ease his mind. Feeling his plight, not

  wanting to add to his heightened anxiety. I knew just as he

  did, the car was worth more money than most would see in

  their entire lifetime.

  Closing my eyes tightly, taking a deep breath and putting all

  of my trust in him. In sheer desperation, I asked “please look

  after her.”

  Heading in, making sure that everything was in place, set up

  ready, for when my subject was in clear sight. Taking a seat

  up at the bar, ordering a white wine spritzer, glancing around,

  only to scan the room. Head strong and sure, wanting tonight

  to go down like clockwork, just so that I could go home and

  gloat. Finally prove to Marcus that he was no longer needed, I

  was more than capable of working alone.

  Going over the particulars in my head, I felt someone seat

  them self-beside me. Not wanting to look, not wanting to

  attract any unwanted attention, I kept focus.

  Hearing a slightly familiar voice say, “I am sorry, but Jerry won’t be able to join us tonight. He’s in Maine, with his lovely

  wife Janine.”

  Turning to face Quinn, seated beside me. Knowing that once

  again in the space of days, despite my extensive research, I

  had been set up yet again. Catching Marcus appear in the

  corner of my eye, I stood, only to be summoned by Quinn to

  take a seat. Demanding that my “pit bull” as he called Marcus,

  to go and sit himself back in the corner, where he had

  originally been seated.

  “Or what?” I asked sternly, maintaining my nerve.

  Watching a smirk appear on Quinn’s face, he replied, “well,

  I’m glad that you asked. Let’s see, firstly there is kidnapping

  and holding someone against their will…”

  Knowing that he had no case against me, he had gladly

  adhered to my request, to join me at the hotel. Happily

  participating in whatever I had in mind. Gesturing to Marcus

  to stand down. Feeling extremely curious, to why he had gone

  to so much trouble. To hire me under a fake profile, conjuring

  a fake life, just in order to draw me out.

  Feeling silence fall, Quinn began to speak…

  He asked, “so your job is to tear couple’s apart?”

  Instantly jumping to my defence, I replied, “NO! My job is to

  out all of the cheating, lying, vindictive, sleaze balls out there.

  The guys that prey on a woman’s lack of self-worth,

  confidence and insecurities. Building her up, while secretly

  having their cake and eating every last goddamn bite.”

  Studying my entire face, curiously he suggested, “sounds

  personal?”

  He had no idea!

  Breaking the silence once more, Quinn spoke, “so, Ms Domini Stone. Only daughter of the highly exclusive socialites, Mr

  and Mrs Henry Stone. Wealthy creator and CEO of Stone

  enterprises… Please stop me, if I’m wrong… But aren’t you the

  ex-fiancée and childhood sweetheart of Baron Hessian? The

  shamed billionaire, exposed and degraded into handing over

  his entire share of his family business… The result of being

  caught in the act, so to speak, at one of his drug fuelled sex

  parties, by none other than his devoted bride to be… Must

  have hurt pretty bad…”

  �
��Why else would you resort to this secret life?… Ignited and

  fuelled by vengeance and revenge… I am sure that money is

  not a factor… I’m certain daddy’s allowance pays pretty well…

  Along with that cute little setup you have, over at the

  modelling agency… I bet it’s more than enough to pay for that

  picturesque penthouse overlooking the park, with live in

  security guard,” he concluded.

  I was pretty impressed, he had obviously done his homework.

  Catching my breath, I asked, “I see that you have gone to

  some great lengths, to get some pretty personal information

  on me. So Mr Hamilton, what do you want?”

  Smiling heavily, changing his tune, he replied, “a few

  moments of your time. A drink maybe. Even though it was

  you who single-handedly led me to that hotel room. You were

  only doing what you had been contracted to do, but when you

  saw my plight, you released me. Despite what you did

  initially, I believe I at least owe you a drink. A small token for

  freeing your captive.”

  Sure, that I had heard quite enough, overwhelmed at the

  knowledge that he had gained, concerning every last detail of

  my life, I stood to leave. Feeling him reach up and grab hold

  of my forearm, holding my composure, I demanded “let me go.”

  Only for him to lift both of his hands into the air, allowing me

  the freedom to leave. Feeling Marcus’s presence once more,

  following me close, he asked “what the hell was all that

  about?”

  Sighing heavily, shrugging my shoulders, I replied, “I have no

  idea.”

  Returning home, entering the lift from the underground

  garage. Marcus demanded “ring your father, I think that

  you’re going to need a lawyer, no one digs up that amount of

  information on someone, unless they are going to use it.”

  Feeling my head spin, taking off my heels, I demanded “no

  one is calling my father. I got myself into this mess and I am

  going to get myself out of it. It’s his word against ours, all that

  he can do is reveal my identity. The worst-case scenario

  being, no more catching the bad guys out.”

  Throwing my keys on to the sideboard, I heard Marcus say,

  “maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Dom’, you’ve had a good

  run. Maybe it’s time to call it a day.”