Viktor pulled out a small recording device and placed it on the bar out of her reach. He continued to look through her bag. Next, he found her Lush black membership card. Ours had a silver line going down the center that was embedded with coding. Hers had two lines. It was clearly a fake. Soon we would have to find the hacker who made it, and handle him too.
She scowled. “What is he doing?”
I tilted my head to the side. “Did you know that the word no goes all the way back to Middle English?”
“I don’t care—”
“Long ago, people would say not now, not ever, or not for my entire life."
“I want my purse back.” Her bottom lip quivered.
“Eventually, people shortened the statement to a simple no.”
Viktor took out several memory cards that she must've used for the recording device. After that, he handed the purse to her, gathered the recorder, disks, and card, and then stepped back to my side.
Anger spread across that beautiful face.
I bet she had a hot temper. I could see it in her eyes. “What's your name?”
“No.”
I frowned. “No is an interesting name.”
She pointed at me. “No. You don't get to take my stuff and then have small talk with me.”
“I do.” I gestured to the bar and other parts of the lounge. “See. When you come to the North of Paradise, you enter the United States of Dima. Let's call it U.S.D. for short. Here, you jump when I say, speak when I require, and walk wherever I point. And here the word no is never spoken to me.”
“I want my recorder and memory cards back.”
I smirked. “Your recorder?"
“Yes.”
“So, you do know how to say yes?”
She scowled.
“That device and those cards are no longer yours. Let me tell you a secret.” I leaned all the way in and whispered in her ear. “They're now the property of the U.S.D.”
She edged back and crossed her arms in front of her, barely hiding that huge cleavage. “I don't want to, but if my stuff isn't given back to me. . .” Her bottom lip quivered. “I will call the police. However, I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.”
I raised my hand and snapped my fingers.
She jumped a little.
Viktor reached into his pocket and handed her his phone.
She didn't grab it. “What is that for?”
“Call the police.” I gave her a wicked smile. “However, as you’ve read in your membership agreement, Lush staff can confiscate recording devices at any time.”
She screwed her eyes at me.
“Oh. Wait.” I shook my head. “You didn’t read that because you’re trespassing on private property.”
She pressed her lips together.
To be nice, I stepped back. “Let me see the card, Viktor.”
He gave it to me.
I twisted the card around and appraised it. “This is good work. A high-end hacker.”
Did Cavemen Ted do this? Or did she find a hacker outside of Paradise?
I gave the card back to Viktor and then put my attention on her. “Who made it?”
She remained silent.
I dove my hands in my pockets. “A hacker on this level would cost large amounts of money. Additionally, to even have a high end hacker’s contact information suggests that you possess high-end connections.”
She was more than a typical reporter. I studied her. Real diamonds decorated her ears. The dress was designer as well as the purse.
She comes from money.
Surely, I'd gone to enough boarding schools with her type. Daddy's girl princesses with too much time on their hands. I’d enjoyed turning them into dick-hungry sluts.
She spoke, “Maybe, you're correct.”
“Tell me more.” I leaned my head to the side. “I love when I'm told that I'm correct.”
“I do have the money. And I have friends in high places.”
I gave her a wicked smile. “Does that mean that I should think carefully about disciplining you for sneaking into my club with a fake card?”
“People would miss me. A lot of high-level people.”
“Now I see.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You do?”
“You think that you're protected from me.”
Some confidence filled her eyes. “I'm protected from you in some ways.”
“You're not. I don't care about your connections. And I don't care about your money. However, I would love your number.”
She widened her eyes. “What?”
“The number to your phone.”
“I’m. . .dating somebody.”
“Who?”
“Does it matter?”
Not yet.
She quickly grabbed her purse.
I backed up some more.
She exhaled and walked around me.
I watched her leave. “You never told me your name.”
She hurried away, twisting those delicious hips. Her ass jiggled under the dress's tight fabric.
The line in my jaw twitched. The image of her naked and under me flashed in my head.
You like to say no. We’ll change that soon.
That one-word muttering had pushed her into dangerous territory with me. It was the reason why I had a weakness for black women. Especially, the strong, hot-blooded, and outspoken ones. Big personalities with no fear. And I enjoyed getting on their bad sides. Relished in dominating and showing them who was the true boss. Instantly, I yearned to make her submit.