I Confess: An Anthology of Confessions

I Confess

An Anthology of Stories

By Candace Gold

Smashwords Edition Copyright © 2011 by Candace Gold

Smashwords Edition License Notes

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Original Copyright © 2009 by Candace Gold

All rights reserved. No parts of this publication may be reproduced in any material form, whether by printing, photo copying, scanning or otherwise without the written permission of the author, Candace Gold.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, places and events are from the author’s imagination and should not be confused with fact. Any resemblance to person’s living or dead, events or places is purely coincidental.

Unauthorized or restricted acts in relation to this publication may result in civil proceedings and/or criminal prosecution.

Visit Candace Gold at: http://www.candacegold.com

Warning: This e-book contains sexually explicit content which is only suitable for mature readers

Table of Contents

I Loved A Thief

I Hitched a Ride Into A Sex Slave Ring

Rogue In Blue

My Parents Paid Him To Marry Me

I Will Keep My Baby

Cruel Intentions

I LOVED A THIEF

By

Candace Gold

Will you be home for dinner tonight, Mark? I inquired, knowing all too well the answer I would receive. When I became Mrs. Lauren Brand, I didn’t intend to marry a workaholic.

I doubt it, Lauren. I’ve got to finish the plans for the building I’ve been working on.

Are you the only architect working for Thompson Newell? I slipped into my shoes and straightened my skirt.

What kind of stupid question is that? Mark ripped out the knot in his tie and began to redo it.

Is it, really?

Look, you know I’m doing this for our future. Why can’t you have patience and cut me some slack?

Slack? I’d already given him enough rope to span the globe. This was just a variation of the same argument we’d been having over and over again. It seemed that ever since Mark had joined Thompson Newell, he’d felt he had to prove himself. I hardly saw much of him, let alone spent any quality time with him. He was halfway out the door when he turned back. Oh, and Lauren…don’t forget to make the deposit at the bank.

I won’t. I’ll do it on my lunch hour.

That’s my girl, he replied, giving me a big smile. And I’ll try to get home as early as I can.

Too bad he’d missed the sarcasm in my voice. I gritted my teeth. I didn’t marry him just to be at his beck and call. And as far as him coming home early, it would be early for next week—if I was lucky. Why did I even bother asking? I went back into the bathroom to finish putting on my makeup. Whatever happened to the fairy tale marriage Mark and I once had? He’d meet me for lunch for a quickie and then we’d rush through dinner later on so we could make love again. Now, I couldn’t tell you the last time we actually made love. Oh, we’d have sex on occasion, but that hurried coupling wasn’t worth mentioning. I have no idea what happened to the man I fell in love with, the one who couldn’t keep his hands off of me. At that moment, I would have given anything to have him back.

I drove to work. There were times I found myself envying some of the girls I worked with, especially those who had children. They’d often talk about the things they did on the weekends with their families.

To me, family was a magic word. I wanted to start one of my own so badly. I never had any brothers or sisters to grow up with. My older sister died from a freak boating accident when I was two. Unfortunately, my parents were never the same after that. My mother went into depression. I guess she forgot that she still had another child who needed her love and care. My father, not knowing how to deal with her, split. His leaving pushed my mother over the edge. She slit her wrists and left me basically an orphan, for I never saw my father again.

I was adopted by a couple who weren’t able to have children of their own. They were loving parents, but I lost them on my sixteenth birthday when a drunken driver plowed into their car. I was placed in a foster home for the next two years. Mark lived next door to my foster parents. We fell in love and were married when I turned eighteen. He’s all the family I have in the entire world.

Earth to Lauren, Evelyn Reyes chanted. We worked together in the mailroom of a busy vitamin company.

Oh, sorry, Evelyn, I was lost in thought.

I could see that. What are you doing for lunch?

I have to stop at the bank, so I’ll probably pick up a sandwich at the deli.

Maybe I’ll tag along with you.

Sure. I can use the company.

Evelyn was my polar opposite, a short, slightly plump woman with the blackest hair and an endless smile. She was married and had three children. Her husband was a train conductor with steady hours. I envied her because she possessed everything I desired. I wondered if she realized how lucky she truly was.

***

I decided to drive to the bank first, hoping it wouldn’t be too busy. I hated to kill my entire lunch hour standing in line. Evelyn was not one to beat around the bush and asked me right out as soon as we got strapped into our seatbelts, What’s wrong? You haven’t been yourself lately.

It’s that obvious?

Uh-huh.

"It’s Mark and me. There doesn’t seem to be much of an us anymore."

He’s not cheating on you, is he? she asked.

No—at least I don’t think so. He’s a workaholic, spending all his time at the office. I haven’t even had dinner with him in weeks.

That’s not good. Every couple needs quality time together. It’s the glue that keeps a marriage together.

I know your next question. The answer is no. I can’t remember the last time we had meaningful sex.

No wonder you’re miserable. Have you spoken to him about any of this?

Yup. Says he’s doing it all for our future.

Great—if your marriage lasts that long.

I don’t know what to do.

Make a date with Mark.

What? I turned to look at her. Had I heard her correctly?

Pick a night and ask him out to dinner.

What if he says he can’t?

He won’t. Besides, what do you have to lose?

I’m willing to try anything at this point, I said as we walked into the bank, which was as busy as usual. Damn! Look at this place. It’s always so busy.

You’d think they were giving away money.

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your lunch.

Look at me. Do I look like I’m going to starve? Evelyn said, pointing to her ample figure.

I laughed. Somehow you always make me smile and feel better.

I’m glad. Hey look, the line is moving so maybe we’ll get to eat after all.

Suddenly a man wearing a ski mask and waving a gun appeared at the front of our line demanding the teller hand over all of her money. Before she finished filling the paper bag he’d handed her, a bank guard came into view. The guy in the mask freaked and shot him. Grabbing the bag, he snapped it shut and a split second later roughly pulled me in front of him.

Hey! Let her go, creep! Evelyn said, trying to pull me back.

The man pointed the gun in her face and said, Back off bitch, or I’ll spray your brains all over the place.

Evelyn didn’t need to be told twice. Meanwhile, I was shaking so hard, I thought I’d come apart at the seams. Menacing the crowd of people around us with the gun, the bank robber propelled me out of the bank using me as a shield. No one made a move to stop him.

The man held me so close to him I could smell his desperation. After watching him shoot the bank guard, I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill me if anyone made a suspicious move. But he shouldn’t be allowed to just haul me off somewhere. As much as I dreaded it, I wished somebody would try to stop him. As soon as he was free, I had a feeling that he intended to kill me, anyway.

Where are the police? I wondered. Surely, someone had hit a panic button while this was going down, I prayed as he dragged me towards the door. I could hardly believe this was really happening to me. One minute I was in line laughing with Evelyn and the next I was being dumped into a waiting van.

Take off! the man in the ski mask shouted as he slammed the door.

I heard the squeal of the tires and smelled the acrid odor of burning rubber as the driver peeled away from the curb. A police car pulled in front of the driver and ordered him to stop. When he didn’t, the police opened fire. The driver plowed right through the roadblock and headed for an industrial area where he eluded the pursuing police by driving into a garage. I didn’t know the driver was hurt until we stopped and the guy who’d abducted me rushed over to help him.

How bad is it, Joe? he asked.

Bad, the man replied and coughed up blood. His entire left side was blood-soaked and his face ashen. He looked real bad.

My abductor ripped off his ski mask to get a better look. I’d expected to see a guy with a squashed nose from years of fighting, knife scars, and cold, beady eyes to match his growl. However, the face I saw was far from that of a hardened criminal. Though the man was drenched with sweat from the woolen mask, he had the kind of face any woman would look twice at—handsome with a thin aquiline nose, full mouth, and beautiful eyes the color of a Robin’s egg.

Okay, take it easy, Joe. I’m going to get you out of the seat.

The man closed his eyes and moaned. The sound went right through me. I’m gonna die, ain’t I?

No. Calm down. It won’t hurt so much.

I don’t wanna die! he whined and began to cough from the exertion.

I told ya, you gotta stay quiet.

So ya don’t hear me die, is that it?

No, Joe. So nobody hears us in here. We can’t go out there now with the cops crawling all over.

The poor guy didn’t have a chance. It was obvious he was going to bleed to death right there in that van. And for what? A few dollars. What a waste. Then fear began to pervade my thoughts again—not that it had left me for a single moment. What would happen after the man died? Would the other guy eventually kill me because I saw his face? I had to make sure that I remained useful to him. But how?

I watched the man die. It was the most senseless death I’d ever witnessed—not that I go around witnessing death all the time. It’s just that life is so precious, why squander it for so little? I felt guilty that I could do nothing to help him.

What are you going to do with him?

The man had forgotten I was even there. What? What did you say?

Where are you going to put him? Does he have a family?

His blue eyes narrowed to icy slits. What’s it to you?

Nothing really, I said nervously.

I just thought he was entitled to some dignity with a funeral—

You some kind of bleeding heart? ’Cause if you are, I’ll waste you right here and now.

No, no. I’m not one of those, I said, waving my hands.

Good. Then sit down and shut your hole.

Ye…yeah, sure, I replied, remembering I was at the man’s mercy and there seemed to be very little evidence that he even had any.

I watched as he got out of the van and walked to a table in the back of the garage.

He returned to the van carrying a large canvas sack. Help me get him into the sack.

The thought of touching the dead man made me sick. He must have sensed that and said, Just hold the sack open.

Look, my husband must be worried about me. You don’t need me anymore, so why don’t you let me go?

Lady, are you nuts? The area outside must be overrun with cops. You’re not going anywhere.

Great. I was cooped up indefinitely with a man I knew virtually nothing about, except that he was a bank robber, and if the bank guard died, a murderer, as well. God only knew what else. And something told me I didn’t want to find out.

"Then is it all right if I use the Ladies’ Room—assuming there is one around here?"

There’s a toilet, but I’ll have to go with you. I don’t want you running off or hurting yourself.

I wasn’t used to an audience—especially one which included a man. Listen, I don’t want to sound demanding, but there are a couple of things I need when I use a bathroom.

He