Seduced by the Loan Shark

  "I lost all of your money, Cass. I took the life insurance money Mom and Dad left us and I pissed it away. I screwed you over, Cass. I ruined things for you."

  "You didn't ruin anything for me. I'm fine. I have scholarships. I have a part-time job. I've learned to budget and to live on cash only. I don't have credit cards or loans. In a way, you probably saved me from a lifetime of consumer debt."

  "Maybe." He gritted his teeth. "But the look in your eyes when you realized what I'd done, that I'd lost all that money? When you realized how I'd betrayed you?" He touched his chest. "I'll never forget it, Cass. I'll never forget the disappointment."

  "It was three years ago, Ronnie. I've let it go."

  "Why?" He demanded. "How could you just let that go? How can you let everything I've done to you go?"

  "Because you're my brother and I love you," I answered honestly. "I love you, Ronnie. Even when you're screwing up left and right, I still love you."

  He let out a long, shaky sigh. Tears rode the curve of his swollen cheek. "I need help, Cass."

  "I know." I blinked and tears dripped onto my face. "But that's the first step, right? Admitting you need help?"

  He exhaled roughly. "Something like that."

  I squeezed his good hand. "We'll do it together, Ronnie. We'll figure this out and make it work."

  He inhaled a steadying breath. I plucked some tissues from the box on the rolling cart in the corner and dabbed at his wet cheeks and then mine. "So—who was the girl who called me?"

  He avoided my gaze. "She's just a friend."

  "A friend, huh?"

  "Yeah."

  I sensed he didn’t want to give details so I let it go. I pulled my phone from my purse and texted Hagen. He sent back a simple K in reply.

  I heard a nurse speaking to a police officer in the open corridor between the two rows of exam rooms. Apparently, this cop wasn't here for Ronnie. "Have the police been in to speak with you?"

  "Yeah."

  "And?"

  "And I'm not stupid," he said quickly. "I didn't say anything to them. A broken arm, some busted ribs and a messed up face are hell of a lot easier to recover from than the bullet I'd catch for snitching."

  "Ronnie…"

  "No, Cass! I'm serious. I'm not saying shit."

  "Okay. All right. It's your choice. I'll stand by it." I didn't like it but I understood why he wanted to keep quiet. It sickened me but it probably was safer for him to keep his mouth shut.

  He picked at the sheets for a few seconds. "It wasn't Hagen's crew."

  I wondered how hard it was for him to say that. "I know."

  He glanced at me. "How?"

  "He told me it wasn't his men and I believe him. Besides, he canceled your entire debt yesterday. You don't owe him anything anymore."

  "But I thought you said—"

  "I know," I interrupted. "I thought so too but he wasn't serious, apparently. He just wanted me to go out with him. He thought that using you as leverage was his best bet. I guess he was right."

  Ronnie looked uncomfortable. "I guess I should thank you."

  "Don't. It wasn't like that. In some weird, twisted way, I should probably thank you. I wouldn't have met him if you hadn't gotten in so deep"

  "You really like this guy?"

  I hesitated before telling Ronnie the truth. "Yes. I really like him. I think, maybe, he might be long-term."

  "Oh." Ronnie seemed uncertain how to process my information.

  "Yeah." I couldn't believe the awkward turn this conversation had taken.

  "So the date last night?"

  I gave him the look. "Do you really want all the details?"

  "God, no!" He looked aghast at the very thought. "I just—I mean—hell! Does he&you know…like…he treats you right?"

  "Yes. He's good to me, Ronnie. We had dinner. We went to an art gallery. We had some ice cream." I bit my lower lip and decided to be totally honest with him. "We went back to his place."

  He held up his hand. "Yeah, you can stop. I really don't want to hear anything else."

  I decided to stop tormenting him. More serious now, I added, "He's taking care of your debts, Ronnie. It's done. All of it. Today."

  He stared at me in disbelief. "I don't know what to say."

  "Thank you is probably a good start."

  "To you or him? Let's not bullshit one another. You're the reason he's helping me, Cass."

  I couldn't even begin to deny that. "I know, Ronnie."

  "Why is he doing this for you?"

  The answer came swiftly. "Because he wants me to be happy."

  "And are you?"

  I didn't even hesitate. "Yes."

  "This morning," he countered. "What about tomorrow and next week and next month? Do you really think this guy, this loan shark, can make you happy, Cass? Do you think he can be the man you need?"

  He asked all the questions I'd been asking myself. "I don't know," I admitted, "but there's no way to figure any of that out if I don't a take a chance. He's making changes in his life. Positive changes," I added.

  "Is he worth the risk?"

  I couldn't help myself. "You're the gambler. You tell me. What are my odds of happiness with Hagen?"

  He hissed dramatically and rubbed his chest, feigning an injury. "Ouch, Cass."

  "You walked right into that one, Ronnie."

  "Fair enough." A few seconds later, he added, "You want to open a book on your relationship? I'd give you to ten-to-one odds on six months. We could make it a small bet—"

  I glared at him. "Ronnie!"

  His swollen, busted lips curved in the tiniest, mischievous grin. "I'm joking, Cass. I'm done with betting."

  "I hope that's true, Ronnie. I really do."

  "It is. You'll see. I won't let you down this time."

  I'd heard that before but wasn't about to remind him how many times he'd failed. We sat in silence while we waited for the hospital to find an open room upstairs for his stay. Curious about his odds, I asked, "Ten-to-one against us making it to six months?"

  He gave a small shake of his head. "For."

  CHAPTER FIVE

  When I exited the hospital some time later, the first pale rays of sunlight painted the sky a soft shade of orange. I crossed the parking lot and found Hagen leaning against the hood of his car while he sipped a cup of coffee.

  "How is he?" Hagen reached for my hand as I drew near and pulled me into his embrace.

  "He'll be okay." I placed my cheek to his chest and inhaled his comforting scent. "They really beat the crap out of him."

  "He owed them a lot of money and he was counting cards in their establishment," Hagen replied matter-of-factly. "Every house has their own rules. I hate to be crass but he's just damn lucky they didn't take a pair of bolt cutters to his fingers."

  My gut rolled at the very idea of such a barbaric thing. As if sensing my discomfort, Hagen rubbed my back. "Sorry, Cassie. I shouldn't have said that."

  "From now one, let's make it a rule that you spare me all that gross stuff."

  He chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Deal."

  "Thanks."

  "I made those calls. His slate is clean now. This is his one chance, Cassie."

  I looped my arms around Hagen and hugged him. "Thank you."

  His lips brushed the top of my head. "Let's get you home."

  Feeling worn out, I nodded and let him walk me to the passenger door. As I slid into the seat, I noticed the two black SUVs parked nearby. The two men in the closest SUV I recognized as men who worked for Hagen. The two in the other I didn't. "Hagen?"

  He fastened his seat belt and turned the ignition. "Yeah, sweetheart?"

  "Should I be worried?"

  He followed my gaze to the SUV in question. "No, it's fine. You've got a good eye, though. I like that."

  "Who are they?"

  "Debt collectors." He eased out of the parking space. "I had a little chat with them and their boss. Your brother's account is settled."

  "Then
why are they waiting in the parking lot?" I watched Hagen's goons follow us but the other SUV remained parked in its slot.

  "You think your brother is the only past due bill in town?"

  "So what? They're just going to wait for some poor sap to come walking out of that hospital to ambush him? Shouldn't we call the police or something?"

  Hagen shot me a look of utter disbelief. "You want to call the cops on a couple of knee breakers working for the Albanians? Are you out of your damn mind?"

  "No but isn't it the right thing to do?"

  "The right thing to do and the safest thing to do aren't always the same thing, Cassie."

  "Hagen—"

  "Look, Cassie, those two? They don't need to use violence to get what's owed to their boss. Neither do my men, for that matter. There are plenty of others ways to convince someone to pay."

  "But you're reputation on the street—"

  "I know my reputation, Cassie." He glanced over at me as we idled at a red light. "I know it because I created it."

  Feeling completely thrown for a loop, I asked, "What do you mean?"

  "It's not all true, Cassie. It doesn't have to be. Yes, I've done some incredibly violent things. As a kid, I was ten kinds of screwed up and always looking for a fight. Later, in my early days loaning money, I had to be a hard ass to collect what was owed to me. It only takes a handful of incidents to build the right reputation. People start to talk and repeat and embellish those stories. It's all myth and shadows, Cassie."

  I stared at him as the light turned green and he pressed the accelerator. "So you're not…"

  "I'm no saint, honey. I'm certainly no monster either. But that bleeding heart of yours is going to get you into big trouble someday."

  "You mean like it did yesterday, in your office?"

  He frowned. "So now I'm trouble?"

  I grinned and teasingly said, "With a capital T.'"

  He smiled at me. "The same could be said for you. One look into those bright green eyes of yours and I was a goner. Now I'm down fifty grand."

  "Fifty grand!" I shouted the obscene number in absolute shock. My heart raced and my stomach pitched violently. "Hagen, please tell me you're exaggerating."

  "I'm exaggerating." He parroted the words in a flat tone.

  "You're lying." Mouth agape, I tried to wrap my head around the figure he'd quoted. It sickened me. "How?"

  "Interest, late fees…" He waved his hand. "It all adds up, Cassie."

  "Hagen, I had no idea Ronnie was in that kind of trouble. I never meant to put you in this position."

  He reached over and took my hand. "I offered knowing full well your brother was in deep shit. I said it earlier and I still mean it. This was my gift to you."

  "Fifty thousand is a gift?"

  He reached over and brushed his scarred knuckles across my cheek. "You're worth it."

  "You're crazy." I took his hand and kissed it. "You really are."

  "Crazy about you," he said with a laugh.

  I snorted with amusement. "You've known me a day. Let's see if you're still so crazy about me in a week."

  He chuckled. "What's wrong? Did Ronnie give us long-shot odds?"

  "Actually, he gave us damn good odds. Ten-to-one, we make it six months."

  "From a better gambler, I'd take that as a sign of confidence."

  "Hey!" I thumped his arm. "Be nice. That's my brother you're talking about."

  "Yeah, your brother, the worst gambler in the history of Houston," Hagen replied as he merged onto the interstate. "Bookies everywhere will be weeping that he's packing it in for good. I know how much interest I made off him over the last few years. When he paid, he was good for business."

  "Do you think he'll make it? I mean, you must see a lot of gamblers fall off the wagon."

  Hagen glanced at me. I saw the spark of sympathy in his dark eyes. "I'm not going to lie to you, Cassie. Most of them come back. Maybe not that first year but the second? They get stressed. They realize gambling wasn't the problem but a symptom of something else that was wrong in their lives. When they realize life isn't magically fixed, they come shuffling through those doors and ask to see the sports book or the ponies or an invite to a poker game."

  My gaze moved to the windshield. Cars whizzed by us on the interstate. My worst fears had been confirmed by Hagen. I had no doubt that Ronnie would go to the meetings and be vigilant—but for how long? How long could he stay away from the poker games and the races and the sports betting? How long after the bruises faded and his broken bones healed would he last?

  "He needs to make a clean break, Cassie." Hagen interrupted my troubled thoughts as he turned into my apartment complex. He pulled into one of the visitor parking spots near my building.

  "What?"

  "A clean break, sweetheart," he repeated and climbed out of the car. He walked around to my side and opened my door, offering me his hand to help me. "Your brother has got to get out of Houston once he's done with his program. He's got to get away from the temptation here. He needs to go somewhere quiet."

  "Where would he go?" Walking toward my building, I considered my paltry bank account. Ronnie didn't have a penny to his name. After paying Hagen the four grand yesterday, I had almost nothing to mine. "And how?"

  Hagen followed me up the stairs to my apartment door. "As to the where, I have no idea. Some place small would be my best guess. It can't be that hard to find a small town in Texas where a man can disappear and get a clean start."

  "No," I agreed as we entered my place.

  Hagen slipped his hand inside his suit jacket. "Here's your how."

  Speechless, I stared at the thick envelope he'd retrieved from his jacket pocket. It was the same one I'd left in his office yesterday. He pressed it into my hand. "Hagen, you can't…"

  "I can do whatever I want." Though his remark was arrogant, the kiss he placed upon my lips was sweet and gentle. "When it's time, you give that to Ronnie. Let him have his fresh start."

  "But this money is yours."

  He shook his head. "It was never mine. It was always yours."

  "Why are you being so nice to me?" The whispered words hung in the air between us.

  "I don't know," he admitted finally. "There's just something about you that makes me want to be good."

  His words stunned me. He looked so vulnerable as he spoke. I could see that he was just as scared as I was about embarking on this relationship.

  "I think that might the nicest thing a man has ever said to me." I caressed his face, the stubble on his cheeks rasping my fingertips. "You've really surprised me, you know that? You're nothing like I thought you would be."

  He cupped my backside and let his hand slide down the back of my thigh. "In a good way, I hope."

  "A very good way," I said, brushing my lips across his. My breath caught in my throat when his fingers glided under my skirt and along my inner thigh. "What are you doing?"

  "What does it feel like I'm doing?" He nuzzled his nose against mine.

  "It feels like you're trying to seduce me again."

  "Is it working?"

  "Yes." I smiled and kissed him. The envelope fell to the floor near my foot. I gasped as his fingertips found their way between my legs. He touched my hot flesh and stabbed his tongue between my lips. He tasted of coffee and sugar and cream. I moaned against his mouth and let him have his way with me.

  "I want you, Cassie."

  "Now?"

  "Always." He scooped me up, locked my front door and carried me to my bedroom. After he placed me on the bed, he climbed over me and shed his jacket. "What is it?"

  I frowned up at him. "What do you mean?"

  He unbuttoned his shirt. "You're here with me but you're also far away. What are you thinking about, Cassie?"

  I couldn't lie to him. "I'm thinking that I owe you an obscene amount of money. I know you said it was a gift but it's hard for me to have that kind of debt between us."

  Hagen dipped his head and captured my mouth in a sensua
l kiss that made my toes curl. "I told you. It's a gift. It's done."

  "Let me pay you back. Even if it's just half," I said, my tone pleading. "I'll get a second job but let me pay you something."

  He nibbled the curve of my throat and sucked hard on a sensitive patch that made me shiver. "I've got a better idea. Let's barter."

  "Barter?" I inhaled sharply as his hand moved between my thighs again.

  "I gave you something you needed. Now you give me what I want."

  I gazed up into his dark eyes. The spark of lust there left me shivering and needy. I wrapped my legs around Hagen's waist and rose up to meet his passionate kiss. "And what do you want from me?"

  Hagen plundered my mouth and penetrated me with those thick fingers of his all at the same time. Gasping, I arched my back and clutched his arms. He grinned sexily and nipped at my chin. "Everything, Cassie. I want it all—with you."

  Giggling and vibrating with desire, I answered him with a pleasured sigh. "I'm yours, Hagen. All yours…"

  The End.

  QUID PRO QUO EXCERPT

  "I need money, Greg."

  His gaze jumped from his laptop screen to my face. Surprise brightened his face. He blinked a few times. "How the hell did you get in here?"

  I flashed the house key he'd given me a few months ago. "I rang the doorbell, like, five times but you didn't answer."

  "Sorry." He sighed loudly, sat back and wiped a hand down his face "I've been mentally replaying the call from this afternoon and checking the transcripts."

  I stepped into his home office and noticed he still wore his all-black uniform. The harsh-looking material and military style lent an intimidating air to Greg. Apparently his latest SWAT shift hadn't gone well. I'd learned to recognize that haggard, pained look on his face as the one he often wore when calls went south. It wasn't an easy job, that's for sure.

  "Bad call?" I walked behind his desk and leaned back against it. I didn't miss the way his gaze zeroed in on my bare legs and the taut, slim-fitting cut of my too-short skirt.

  He didn't answer the question. Instead, he frowned and gestured to my skirt. "That's too short, Nez."