“Don’t want to admit your guilt, huh?” He chuckled, glancing at the three women surrounding him. His black-haired girlfriend, Miranda, smirked. “She begged for us to let her go but hasn’t said a word since.”
The quiet friend stood off to the side with her lips thinned and arms crossed as if she could deny what was happening. Her mousy brown hair was natural whereas her friends were bottled and bleached. Her face only had lip gloss and mascara instead of stain and rouge and her eyes…they were kind.
And terribly apologetic.
I ripped my attention from her as Harold stepped toward me. My heart started whirring while at the same time slammed to a stop. The conundrum of muscle turning supersonic as well as playing dead made me rub my chest where it lay.
“Ready for your lesson?” He cocked his head.
The nice girl shot forward, wringing her hands. “Look, this has gone on long enough. We’ve kept her in this alley for over half an hour. She’s been nothing but apologetic. I fully believe this was a first offense, and I doubt she’ll do it again.”
My eyes swooped to the kind reluctance of the girl fighting my battles for me even when I’d been at fault. She gave me a nervous smile, warming to her crusade. Moving toward her friend, she said, “Let her go, Miranda. We have better things to do than—”
“Better things than reminding this thief not to take what isn’t hers?” Miranda hissed. “I’m not going to be taken advantage of, Simone. No one takes what is mine.” She moved forward and stroked her boyfriend’s arm, looping her fingers with his. “Isn’t that right, baby?”
Her boyfriend, Alrik’s younger doppelganger, nodded importantly. “That’s right. Just ‘cause we look like easy, rich pickings for the likes of her doesn’t mean we have to put up with being robbed.”
“But we weren’t robbed—” Simone sighed impatiently. “We got back what was ours, minus Callie who’s already cancelled her credit cards while we were waiting for you. Please, Harold, let’s just go. Monique? Callie?” She glanced at her other friends who watched the battle play out.
Amazingly, Callie returned Simone’s smile. “I’m okay to go. Like you say, I have my cash, and my cards are cancelled. The bank is couriering new ones to me as we speak. I’m okay to call bygones, bygones.”
“Great!” Simone clapped her hands, backing toward the sunshine of the busy street where rich and middle class mingled in relaxing holiday vibes. “Let’s go swimming before the Versace party tonight.”
“Not so fast.” Miranda held up her finger. “I might consider forgetting this.…”
“You will! Great.” Simone beamed. “That’s so nice of you, Miranda.”
“If,” Miranda continued. “That little thief stands in front of me and apologises.”
I flinched as she directed her wrath at me. “Stand up, come here, tell me you’re sorry and you’ll never do it again, and I might consider telling Harold not to teach you a lesson.”
I didn’t move.
I didn’t take her up on her offer as I was an expert in these games.
Her friends didn’t know.
But I did.
Alrik toyed with me far too much for me to forget the sound of an empty invitation. He’d promise me clothes—dangling them in front of me, waiting for me to trust that this time, this time, he would finally let me touch and claim them.
Only for him to beat me stupid when I did.
He’d offer me fresh food, allowing the fragrances to make me drool after starving me for two days, coaxing me to hope that maybe, maybe, this was the time he showed mercy.
Only to dump the contents into a toilet when I reached out.
Miranda had the same cat-like meanness in her eyes.
The one that said…come here…I want to torment you, little mouse.
That nickname shot my thoughts to Elder where I suffered yet more agony.
Poor Simone with her heart as warm as the sunshine outside our dark alley brushed past Miranda with her hand outstretched to me. “Come on. You heard what she said. You’re free to go if you just say sorry. And I know you’re sorry. You’re white as a ghost.” She squatted in front of me, offering her hand, being so damn kind even after I’d inconvenienced her holiday by robbing them so callously. “I don’t know why you stole, but if you don’t have any money for food or if you’re lost or alone, I’ll gladly give you funds for whatever you need.”
Oh, my God.
No one had given me such a beautiful offer before. Even Elder’s generosity had come with a payment plan.
This girl…
A tear of utmost gratitude escaped my iron clad control. Unlike Miranda and her games, Simone was genuine in her proposition.
My voice shrugged off its self-imposed muteness. “You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met.”
She blushed self-consciously. “No, I’m not. Believe me. I just…there’s something about you. Come on. Say you’re sorry and then we can leave. I’ll go with you if you’d like. Oh, I know…you can come back to my hotel for lunch. My daddy will make sure you’re taken care of.”