In Love with the Rebel (Lost and Found Book 6) Read online

  In Love with the Rebel

  By Elizabeth Lennox

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  Copyright 2022

  ISBN13: 9781950451654

  All rights reserved

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Any duplication of this material, either electronic or any other format, either currently in use or a future invention, is strictly prohibited, unless you have the direct consent of the author.

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Staking a Claim

  Prologue

  “You are one sick bastard!” Marni Kline hissed, backing away from the naked man before her.

  “On your knees!” the man roared, pointing a pale, skinny finger towards the floor. His voice dropped as his fury mounted. “And get those clothes off!”

  Marni’s stomach roiled in disgust. Lifting her chin, she glared right back at him and shook her head slowly. “Not a chance. I’m not playing your weird games. This isn’t my thing.” She let her eyes flit over his too-thin, yet quite saggy, body contemptuously. “You’re just a kinky old man who likes to play sex games, huh?” She saw his face turn red as his anger mounted. “You think that, just because you’re in a position of power, that you can manipulate women!” She shook her head with revulsion. “I won’t play!”

  The man moved closer, his fury so intense, spittle sprayed halfway across the room as he warned, “You know the consequences if you don’t comply, little girl!”

  Marni tried not to react outwardly even as her knees trembled with the primal terror inside of her. “It was only a speeding ticket! You can’t send me to jail for a speeding ticket! This is absurd!”

  “On. Your. Knees!” he hissed, his bald head shining in the overhead light. It was actually broad daylight, but the windows in this house were painted black, so no exterior light illuminated the room.

  Marni backed away, terrified that he might hit her. Unfortunately, the jerk wasn’t saying what she needed to hear, so she couldn’t leave just yet. “Not going to happen. You’ll just have to send me to jail because I’m not playing your disgusting little games.”

  Technically, the man hadn’t incriminated himself yet. She knew what she needed him to say, but the creepy bastard knew the law too well. He was careful.

  Suddenly, his demeanor changed. He visibly banked his anger, although it still simmered in his eyes. But he appeared outwardly calm and in control. The man shifted and leaned back against the wall, crossing his skinny arms over his equally skinny chest, tilting his head as he contemplated her from head to toe. Then he said, “Little girl, you don’t understand the power I have in this game. It will be my way. You agreed to this.”

  Marni shook her head emphatically, her hand cutting through the air. “I didn’t agree to anything other than a conversation with you about a speeding ticket. That’s it! Then all of a sudden, I’m covered in a black hood and brought here to your kinky little sex den. You kidnapped me!” She looked around, trying to gain her bearings. “Where are we, anyway? This is ridiculous. How many other women have you done this to? How many women have you forced to play your kinky games?”

  The man shook his bald head. “Every woman who has joined me here has done so of their own free will. They all…appreciate…the games I play.” Marni noticed he didn’t say that the women “enjoyed” his games. Barely-there eyebrows lifted as he chuckled. “They all beg and walk away with what they want.” He lowered his voice. “What they need!”

  Marni shook her head, wondering if the women begged for mercy, the way she had. “You manipulate vulnerable women. This is not consensual! You are forcing women to…” she looked around, unable to control her sneer. “What? What do you make them do?”

  The man held his arms outward, obviously unconcerned with his nudity. “We play games. It is a consensual power exchange. There is nothing wrong with playing games, little girl.” His eyes hardened. “I am a very generous man when I get what I want. But my playmates have consequences when they don’t follow the rules.”

  Marni shook her head. “I am not a willing participant in this. This was supposed to be a simple conversation about a speeding ticket, you…freak!”

  He shrugged nonchalantly and recrossed his arms. “You may leave at any time.”

  Marni considered her options. Looking around, she could see only one exit and it was behind her. If there was another door, she couldn’t see it. She suspected that it would be safer and smarter to just get out of here rather than try to get the man to say the words that she could then take to the police. “I’m leaving. Don’t try to stop me!”

  The man shrugged and turned away, giving Marni a view of his saggy, pale butt. It was…horrifying!

  Not waiting any longer, she turned and rushed for the door. It was locked, but she was able to flip the dead bolt and get outside.

  Sunshine! Oh sweet heaven, sunshine! She breathed in the clean, fresh air, pulling the door closed behind her. The car that had brought her here was still in the driveway. A guy jumped out, looking surprised.

  “That was fast. Normally, his sessions last longer,” the man commented cheerfully, coming around to open the back door for her. “I’ll take you home.”

  Marni shook her head. “I’m not getting back in that car!” she whispered through numb lips. She swallowed hard, trying to rein in her terror. She’d been terrified ever since the guy had put a black hood over her head in the parking lot, back in the city.

  The guy looked startled. “But…?” He pointed weakly at the house, about to say something else.

  Marni didn’t wait to hear what he had to say. Instead, she took off running as if her life depended on it. She didn’t recognize the neighborhood, but she didn’t stop running even after a stitch formed in her side. Ignoring the pain, she ran until her knees were threatening to give out. Even then, she hurried over to the side of a house, out of view from the street, leaning against the wall as she worked to get her breath back.

  “That bastard!” she whispered.

  When the pain in her lungs and side finally eased, she straightened and looked around. In the distance, she caught sight of the city. Highway seventeen was pretty close. She also noticed a series of apartment complexes several blocks away. She wasn’t in the best neighborhood, but definitely not the worst either, she thought.

  She breathed a small sigh of relief. “Hey, a silver lining to this miserable debacle,” she muttered to herself. Then she remembered the video and checked to make sure the hidden button camera and microphone were still attached to her shirt. “Thank goodness!”

  Marni reached behind her and pulled her cell phone out of the special pocket she’d sewn into her jeans specifically for today. The guy who had taken her to the house had grabbed her purse and taken her cell phone out. But Marni had anticipated that and had bought a cheap, burner phone, putting it into her purse so that the guy wouldn’t find her personal phone. Dialing, she called for a taxi, then fo
und a bench and waited, still glancing around to make sure she hadn’t been followed.

  Several hours later, Marni walked into the restaurant just in time to start her evening shift.

  “You’re late!” her boss called out.

  Marni waved and shook her head. “I’m right on time!” she yelled back, grabbing an apron and stepping behind the bar. Normally, she would have walked over to her boss and teased him, maybe rolled her eyes. But she still hadn’t recovered from her morning kidnapping. Reviewing what she’d gone through, her mind kept playing through the possible scenarios. She was lucky that she’d gotten out of that situation with only a nice bit of fuel for future nightmares. It could have been so much worse! “What’s going on?” she asked John, the other bartender that was working the night shift with her.

  John put down a freshly cleaned wine glass. “Slow start, but it’s Friday night, so it’ll pick up before long.” He poured a beer for one of the wait staff, setting it on the brown tray.

  John was right. An hour later, the pace picked up and it was a challenge to keep up with the orders. The bar area was packed and patrons were impatiently calling out orders, trying to be heard above the music. Marni loved the fast pace. Working hard, pouring drinks, and mixing cocktails for the high-end restaurant was a good job. It earned her an impressive amount of money, which she used to pay off her law school tuition. She’d finished her second semester a week ago, but she didn’t have quite enough money for the next semester.

  “Marni!” Jimmy Manugo called out, sliding onto a recently vacated bar stool.

  “Hey Jimmy,” she called out, dunking several glasses into the soapy water, then rinsing them and putting them on the rack to dry. She moved down the bar to Jimmy. “Everything okay?” she asked.

  Jimmy was her house mate and a good guy, if a bit flaky sometimes. She suspected that some of that flakiness was chemically induced, but Marni didn’t look too hard. She was adamantly opposed to drug use, but Jimmy’s rent was cheap and his house was located in a quiet neighborhood, which meant she had a place to sleep and study in peace. Those were her main requirements right now.

  “It’s all good,” he replied. “Can you get me a beer?”

  She nodded, but didn’t head over to the beer taps. “Absolutely. But I need cash first,” she warned him. “The last time, I started a tab for you and you left without paying.” She glared at him and he had the grace to blush, embarrassed. “I had to pay your bar tab. That’s coming out of my rent, by the way.”

  Jimmy chuckled as if it was all a great joke. “You’re a cold hearted woman, Marni,” he said. “And someday, my charm is going to break down those walls. You’ll fall madly in love with me and we’ll live happily ever after.”

  Marni chuckled, shaking her head. “Didn’t I hear moans coming from your bedroom last night?”

  “That was…” he paused, trying to remember the woman he’d brought home the previous night. The woman’s name eluded him and he waved a hand dismissively. “She meant nothing to me,” Jimmy assured her, but he also reached behind his back and pulled out his wallet. “Once you’re mine, I’ll be completely faithful. I promise.”

  “Jimmy, I couldn’t take you away from all the ladies,” she teased, grabbing a twenty dollar bill out of his wallet even as he tried to hand her a ten. “That wouldn’t be fair to them.”

  Johnny snickered, shaking his head. “I dare you to go home alone tonight, Jimmy,” she challenged, quickly mixed two fancy cocktails and handing them to the waiting patron without missing a beat.

  Jimmy snorted. “Right! Not gonna happen.” He turned hopeful eyes towards Marni. “Unless you’ll be waiting for me?”

  Marni shuddered. “Not a chance, Jimmy. I’m not your type.” Another couple called out an order and Marni swiftly began filling the order.

  “What’s my type?” he asked, sipping the beer that she slid over to him.

  “Stupid,” she replied without hesitation.

  Jimmy tilted his head, pursing his lips as he contemplated that accusation. Then he nodded. “Yeah. That’s true. I like to take care of my ladies.” He lifted his beer in a salute. “And you, my dear, don’t need help from anyone!”

  Marni smiled, but inwardly, her heart ached. Yes, she could take care of herself, but the thought of what she’d gone through today…she definitely could have used some help. She continued mixing and pouring, smiling and joking with the patrons and the bar staff, as she normally did. But in her head, she was working on a plan. She had to figure out how to get the video to the police so that awful judge pervert would back off. A speeding ticket wasn’t important. A speeding ticket wouldn’t destroy her plans for after law school. A jail sentence, though? That would seriously hurt her career in law. That ass was interfering with her life’s goal. He had to be stopped!

  She was just glancing around, looking for the next customer. That’s when she saw the transaction happen. “Damn it, Jimmy!” she hissed under her breath. Jimmy handed a small packet to someone, then palmed the offered money in exchange.

  Jimmy was a drug dealer.

  Mentally, Marni sighed with exasperation. And yet, she’d suspected that he was into some sketchy stuff. The guy didn’t have a visible source of income, so Marni should have realized that he was selling drugs. She’d just hoped that he had some sort of inheritance or maybe his mother supported him somehow.

  Unfortunately, the extra money Jimmy always had made sense now. He owned the house outright and didn’t work. It wasn’t a huge house, just a two bedroom with one bathroom. But still, Jimmy didn’t work and yet, always had money.

  Berating herself for not putting it together before now, she considered her options. Phoenix wasn’t necessarily where she wanted to live for the rest of her life. It was great during the winters, but the summers…they were truly painful. Triple digit heat meant that one had to run errands during the mornings or evenings when the sun wasn’t at its hottest.

  “So, what ya gonna do?” she sang under her breath.

  “Huh?” Johnny asked as he reached for a bottle of scotch behind her.

  Marni sighed. “Nothing. Just trying to figure out my life.”

  Johnny didn’t seem overly interested, but she knew he was a good guy and, even better, easy to work with.

  She looked around, but everyone seemed to have drinks for the moment. The night was finally slowing down and they were cleaning up and restocking. There were still a handful of patrons, but the restaurant was closing soon, so it was time to prep the bar for the next shift.

  Unfortunately, by the time the overhead lights went on and the bar locked up, Marni still didn’t have any idea on what she was going to do with her life. Yesterday, she’d thought she had everything planned out. She’d finish law school, get a good job, and go back to her older sister, Maxine, to apologize for being such a bratty little sister so many years ago.

  Now…? She felt like a failure. She couldn’t even pay for a simple speeding ticket, her housemate was a drug dealer, and she had pissed off a very powerful man.

  She had to leave Phoenix, she thought. She had excellent grades, so Marni had confidence that she could get into a new law school. Maybe on the east coast? She wasn’t sure exactly where, but she decided that it was past time to explore a different climate.

  It was also time to get away from corrupt creeps! Maybe she could send the video to the man’s email, and hope it would make him back off. But that didn’t mean that the guy wasn’t still a concern. Having a legal career here in Arizona meant that she absolutely would run into him, sooner or later.

  Yes, the east coast sounded like a better plan. Getting far away from the creep made more sense.

  As soon as she got home that night, she packed her meager belongings into her duffle bag and dumped everything into the trunk of her Volkswagen Beetle that had definitely seen better days.

  She’d just tossed a pillow into the back seat when Jimmy pulled into the driveway. “What the hell?” Jimmy yelped as he slammed his car
door closed. “You can’t leave!”

  Marni turned to face him, leaning a hip against the door. For a long moment, she contemplated Jimmy’s long hair and scruffy beard. She suspected he thought it made him look hip and edgy. In reality, he just looked…sloppy and scruffy. Folding her arms over her stomach, she smiled easily at Jimmy as he stood on the grass in front of their house. “You’re a drug dealer, aren’t you Jimmy?” she asked softly, aware of the sleeping neighbors who surrounded them.

  Jimmy’s head whipped around, checking that no one was listening. “Shut up!” he yelled, then clapped his hands over his mouth. He took a deep breath and continued more quietly, “Don’t say things like that! What if the neighbors are awake?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Jimmy, Henrietta is nearly blind,” Marni pointed out, indicating to the house to the right. “And Barney sleeps about twenty hours a day and drinks the other four. If he’s awake, he’s watching TV at top volume. No one can hear us.” She shuffled her feet slightly. “Is it true? Do you sell drugs?”

  “No!” he snapped.

  She lifted a reddish-blond eyebrow high in disbelief. “Then how do you earn money? How did you pay for the new TV you bought last week and the gaming system you bought yesterday?”

  It was Jimmy’s turn to shuffle his feet. “I got some money from an aunt who died.”

  Shaking her head, Marni sighed. “You told me that you didn’t have any relatives other than your mother.”

  Jimmy wasn’t the sharpest crayon in the box, but he was sweet and funny. Unfortunately, he couldn’t think up a lie fast enough.

  “Fine! I might, maybe, sell a few chemical options to friends and acquaintances, just to make a little spending money.” He shuffled his feet again, looking down at the darkened sidewalk. “But that doesn’t impact you in any way.”

  Marni chuckled. “Jimmy, you know I’m going to law school.”

  He lifted his eyes in confusion. “What does that have to do with anything?”

  She leaned forward. “Law school, Jimmy! I’m studying the law! I can’t study the law, then allow someone to break it. I’ll jeopardize my ability to eventually become a lawyer! The bar association frowns upon wanna-be lawyers who ignore the law!”