SEDUCTIVE: A Contemporary Romance Anthology Read online

  Two men marched into the bank, each of them carrying a large black tote. Both were dressed in dark clothing and wearing rubber masks. One was disguised as an old man, the other a baby. They thrust the manager aside. He hit the wall on the right, throwing his glasses askew.

  Mateo shoved her down and away from him.

  She instinctively put her hands out to protect herself, dropping her briefcase as she fell to her knees.

  Mateo aimed his handgun at the two men who were in the process of tugging large guns from their totes.

  “Police, put your weapons down.” Mateo’s voice was loud and forceful.

  Someone grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet. She tried to turn to see her assailant but he shoved a hard, metal object against her temple. She froze, not daring to move.

  “Drop the gun, hero, or I’ll shoot the woman,” a man’s voice shouted in her ear.

  She winced. This couldn’t be happening. One minute she’d been arguing with Mateo, and the next someone was holding a firearm to her head.

  Mateo cut his gaze in her direction as he aimed his weapon at the two would-be robbers near the entrance. He seemed controlled, confident, falling back on his police training.

  She tried to struggle against her attacker, but he held tight, jerking her back against his chest, trapping her in a vice-like grip.

  He aimed the gun at Mateo. “Stop moving or do you want me to put a bullet in your boyfriend? His breath warmed her ear when he spoke. The stench of his body odor mixed with the smell of rubber made a nauseating concoction. It took all her willpower not to gag.

  She heeded his warning and stilled, trying not to flinch, and resisted the urge to pull away. She didn’t want Mateo to die because of her.

  Once she quit fighting, her captor put the barrel against her head. “Do you want a dead girlfriend?” he snarled at Mateo.

  Mateo held one hand up in surrender as he lowered his pistol to the ground.

  Sophia’s heart thudded in her chest as she stared at the firearm lying on the floor. He wouldn’t have yielded his weapon if there was a possibility of getting out of this situation. That meant he had assessed their chances and considered it hopeless.

  “Smart choice.” The gunman propelled Sophia toward Mateo, who caught her and protectively tucked her close to his side.

  She straightened away from him, not because she didn’t want the comfort of his embrace, but because she didn’t want to hamper him. He might have to move fast to defend himself or the bank customers, and she refused to be in the way.

  The man who had threatened her wore a latex mask depicting an elderly woman, complete with a full head of white hair. It fitted his face perfectly and moved with his gestures. When he talked, the lips responded, as did the eyes and the cheeks. It had to be glued on. This wasn’t a cheap costume. This was a top-of-the-line Hollywood-quality product that looked real. Who were these guys that they could afford the kind of disguise that ran into the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars?

  He was the unisex person who’d been filling out forms in the lobby. The masked man had been waiting for his cohorts to arrive. He’d been prepared and ready.

  He positioned himself behind them. “I can shoot either of you in a second so don’t get any ideas.

  The thief who posed as a baby shoved the manager toward the front door, forcing him to lock it. He and the robber who masqueraded as an old man, wore cheaper disguises, their features distorted into terrifying caricatures.

  Baby gave a high-pitched hoot. “The bank is now closed for the weekend.”

  Ice trickled down Sophia’s spine. They were trapped.

  Old Man waved his weapon at the lineup of customers. “I want everyone to stand in the middle of the lobby.” He pointed his gun at the tellers. “You, too. All of you toss your phones onto the floor.”

  One by one, the customers and staff navigated the roped barriers and moved to the wide-open space in the middle of the foyer, throwing their devices in a neat pile on the way. They all had the same wide-eyed, blanched expression of disbelief.

  Sophia stepped forward, ready to join the others.

  “Not you.” Old Woman still stood behind them, weapon aimed at their heads. “You two stay where you are.” He raised his voice. “This is a bank robbery. We’re going to be here for a while. You will be tied. Do not resist. This is for your own safety. If you obey our instructions, you will be released unharmed.”

  Old Man dug inside his tote bag and extracted a bundle of long black plastic strips. Baby stood near the exit, aiming his gun at the hostages. He seemed calm and focused. Sophia had no doubt he would shoot if necessary.

  Fifteen people crowded together in the center of the room. The group was mainly male. There were only four women including her. Two of them had gray hair, one a customer and one a cashier. The other young woman, the receptionist, had long brown hair and looked to be in her mid-twenties. She couldn’t stop crying. Her trembling hands and pale face, along with her quiet sobbing, revealed her tangible fear.

  The rest of the detainees represented a large slice of society. One gentleman looked quite elderly, and it took him a while to walk to the middle of the room. Six of the group were wearing overalls and most likely did some kind of manual labor. The rest, including the bank manager, wore business suits. Their shocked expressions reflected the trauma they undoubtedly felt.

  Old Woman continued to shout orders. “Baby, keep an eye out for the police. Old Man, search the cop and his girlfriend. Pat them down. They probably have other weapons and then use the zip ties. After they’re secure, do the same with the others.”

  Old Man’s hands traveled along Mateo’s arms and then his torso. When he reached Mateo’s right ankle, he stopped and tugged up his pant leg to reveal a combat knife.

  While Old Man and Old Woman were occupied with Mateo, Sophia pushed her smartwatch as far up her wrist as it would go. She tried to make her movements small and slow so they wouldn’t attract any attention. Then she tugged the sleeve of her jacket down so it covered most of her hand.

  Old Man secured Mateo’s wrists and pointed to the wall underneath the teller windows “Sit.”

  Mateo complied, taking one knee first, and then rolling to a seated position on the ground. He made it look easy but Sophia doubted she’d be able duplicate the feat without falling flat on her face.

  Old Man stood in front of her. Although his mask covered his face, she could see his eyes. He leered, and she imagined him licking his lips. She turned away as bile rose in her throat. He grabbed her breasts, kneading them.

  “No.” She stepped back, batting his hands away.

  Old Woman nudged Old man with his gun. “Cut that out. If you hurt her, I will kill you.”

  Old Man recoiled as if he’d been slapped, holding his hands in the air. “I was just playing around. Besides, I’ve always wanted to take a cop.”

  “She’s not a cop. She’s a defense attorney,” Mateo shouted from across the room. “You should treat her with respect. You’re gonna need her when this is over.”

  “A defense attorney, huh?” Old Woman snagged her briefcase from the floor and rifled through her belongings until he found her ID. “It says here you’re Sophia Reed and you’re a member of the Bar Association.”

  Sophia held her breath as Old Man continued his body check without molesting her. His hands were shaking as he groped her arms. He stopped at her elbows so he missed her watch.

  Old Man had just finished binding Sophia’s wrists when Old Woman said, “Keep her and the cop together. They could come in handy.”

  Old Man shoved Sophia toward the teller windows where Mateo sat. She eased herself down to one knee just as Mateo had earlier and then tipped to the side and fell on her butt. It wasn’t graceful, but it got the job done.

  Mateo shifted closer so his shoulder touched hers. He smiled and winked at her, providing her some much needed assurance.

  Old Woman walked to the center of the lobby. “Which one of you is
the bank manager?”

  The same portly man who had locked the front door raised a quivering hand. Old Woman led him behind the teller’s windows and then along a hallway to the right, presumably to open the safe.

  At the same time, Old man methodically worked his way through the hostages. It seemed to take hours, but the robbers didn’t appear to be in a hurry. Old Man was thorough and efficient which, for some reason, Sophia found creepy. The masks, the guns, and the palpable fear of the victims made the whole thing seem like a bizarre Halloween party that had gone terribly wrong.

  Mateo leaned back against the wall. “We might as well relax a little and save our energy.”

  His confidence didn’t seem feigned. And the fact he was able to take their situation in stride irritated her. Violent men who had already threatened to kill them were holding them captive. She wanted to argue with him. If only because arguing would make her feel more in control than just sitting here waiting, but she knew he was right.

  She leant against the dark, rich wood molding that covered the lower half of the partition. It was not as comfortable as he made it appear. She couldn’t find a position where her spine wasn’t overextended because her hands were secured behind her and in the way. She fidgeted from one side to the other. Finally, she rested on her left side, facing Mateo, with her shoulder against the wall.

  Old Man pulled three small plastic bundles from his tote and unfolded them, revealing full-size backpacks. He busied himself emptying the cash drawers and stuffing the money into the packs. He hauled everything into the vault area out of sight.

  A few minutes later he returned, escorting the manager back to the lobby. He double-checked the front door, making sure it was locked, and then nodded to Baby. “I’ll be in the back with the boss. Call when the cops arrive.”

  Baby gave him a thumbs up. “Affirmative.”

  Sophia breathed a sigh of relief at his departure. For her, Old Man was the scariest criminal because of the sickening interest he had shown in her.

  She jumped as the sound of banging rang through the bank. “Do you think they’re raiding the safety deposit boxes?” she whispered. It was a stupid question because this was a robbery. Why would they go to all this trouble if they weren’t going to take all the valuables?

  Mateo’s lips grazed her ear. It was strange how comforting she found his touch, his scent, and his familiarity, when less than an hour ago she had been upset with him.

  “Thank God, this bank doesn’t have a security guard.”

  “I thought that would be a deterrent.”

  “No, statistics from the FBI show that when armed guards are present during robberies, violence escalates.”

  “Is that why you relinquished your gun?”

  “Yes, I should have never drawn my weapon in the first place. I guess it was instinct. Then I realized I was outgunned and that my actions were placing everyone in danger. Plus, this is different from most bank heists,” he murmured.

  “How?”

  “Normally, the perpetrators walk in, hand a note to the teller, and then walk out with whatever is in the cash drawer. They rarely result in hostage situations. These guys planned to take prisoners.” He looked at the ceiling. “Although I’m surprised they haven’t done anything to take out the cameras, and I’m not sure they really want the cash from the vault.”

  “They just took the manager back there. We can hear them smashing things. Of course, they want the money.”

  He tried to shrug, but could only move one shoulder. “Maybe, but how much are we talking about? People don’t carry that much cash anymore. Most of us use plastic, so how much could be in there? Fifty grand? A hundred? Maybe more, but probably less than a million. I think they want whatever is in the safety deposit boxes. Which brings up some other questions.”

  “Like what?”

  “The contents are left in secret. No one knows what’s in them, not even the bank staff. Police raids on banks in Spain and England have produced stolen art, illegal weapons, and in one case here in the States they found fake identities.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “How do they know there’s anything in there worth taking?”

  “Maybe they have a connection to the people who rent the boxes.”

  “Exactly.” He frowned. “Breaking into them takes time and so does a hostage negotiation. I’ll bet one of the tellers pressed the alarm under their desk, which is probably what they want. I don’t have a view of the street from here. Do you?”

  She arched her neck. The only window she could see was above the solid oak front door. It was just a thin strip of glass. The rest of the natural light came from skylights in the ceiling. “No.”

  “An officer has probably driven by. They might have even checked the doors.”

  “Which are locked. What’s their next move?”

  “Make contact. The police will need to call and make sure it’s not a false alarm.

  At that moment, the phone rang.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The phone had been ringing on and off for three hours, but the assholes hadn’t answered it. Mateo was convinced the bastards were stalling. Sirens wailed in the distance and then fell silent as they neared. The bright afternoon light had given way to dusk, and the strobe lights from the emergency vehicles reflected through the skylights.

  He closed his eyes, trying to envision what was happening outside. The Granite City-Elkhead County Police had probably secured the area. They would also be assembling the SWAT team. He had no doubt that, given enough time with no communication, the highly trained tactical unit would storm the building. The question was, how long would it take?

  He needed to form a plan and help free the hostages, but there was very little he could do. He was unarmed and cuffed, leaving him all but useless. Hopefully an opportunity would arise that would allow him to protect the captives. But that didn’t seem likely since the robbers had ignored the phone, refusing to negotiate. The only thing that would help the police at this point was tactical information. Unfortunately, he had no way of contacting them. All he could do was wait.

  Sophia fidgeted beside him. “You’re a jerk.” She kept her voice low so as not to attract attention.

  He matched her tone. “So I’ve been told, but why do you think so?”

  She met his gaze, giving him a long pained look and then broke eye contact. “Being with you was a mistake.”

  She hadn’t answered his question, but he let it go. “You mean twelve years ago or yesterday?”

  “I was talking about our pheromone-induced relationship twelve years ago.” She wrinkled her pert little nose, suggesting he was just playing dumb. She wasn’t wrong. He didn’t want to talk about why they’d split up, especially while they were being held hostage. So far, she had shown remarkable strength of character. Most people would be too shook up to form a sentence let alone start in on their ex. He remembered her pulling away from him when he’d tried to protect her at the outset of the robbery. He couldn’t be sure, but he suspected she hadn’t wanted him to put himself between her and the scumbags. That was unexpected, and spoke not only to her independence but also her bravery.

  “I enjoy the pheromone-induced thing.” He grinned, knowing his answer would annoy her, but why he felt the need to antagonize her he couldn’t say.

  She shifted her gaze to the hardwood floor, her expression unreadable. “Forget it, and forget about last night, too.”

  “Do you blame me for that?” She should. He was the one who had slammed into her office. He had started it, which was something he, surprisingly, didn’t regret.

  “No, I’m mad at myself. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m not the kind of woman who can jump into bed with a man and not get emotionally involved.”

  He studied her, trying to figure out what was going on, but mind-reading had never been his specialty. He was able to sift through detailed evidence and bombard suspects with perceptive questions. Then he would read their body language and
know when they were lying. But he was deaf and blind when it came to his personal relationships. He had never ended an affair on good terms. It had always gotten ugly. “My ex-wife called me a jerk on steroids, which was a bit harsh considering she cheated on me.”

  “You were married?”

  “Not for long. It ended five years ago. I always blamed her.” Perhaps it was time to own up to his part in their separation. “To be honest, I’m not great at dividing my time. I get so caught up in a case, I can’t seem to think about anything else. I guess I neglected her.”

  “You are very focused. Did you go to marriage counseling?”

  “She never suggested it. I don’t think either of us wanted to do the work.” Sometime in the future, he wanted a family. What if he was unable to learn from his mistakes? Or worse, couldn’t let work go once he left the precinct?

  “It’s the silence that breaks the bond.” She spoke as though she understood, and maybe she did.

  He wondered if she had ever been married or had a long-term boyfriend. “What’s your story?”

  “I went out with this guy for three years. In the end, we split up and I moved to Granite City.”

  “No acrimony.”

  She gave a low chuckle. It was a harsh sound, full of bitterness. “He said I emasculated him. My success as an attorney reflected poorly on him, and he couldn’t bear to be around me.”

  “Did he have a name?”

  “Robert…Rob.”

  “Here’s what you need to do. Imagine you’re standing in front of good ol’ Rob. Now bend your knee and give him a good swift kick in the balls. Don’t worry. He’s not a man so he won’t need them. Only weak men are threatened by strong women. I see it all the time. I think Rob did you a favor by leaving.”

  She giggled, the sound warming his insides, making him realize how much he wanted to see her outside of work. Last night, they had savored each other physically, but he didn’t know anything of her life now. He really wanted to tease her and hear her laugh, and he didn’t want to wait another twelve years to do it. “Where do we go from here?”