Hidden Riches

didn’t ask what he wanted. She was afraid she knew.
    “I watched you the other night, in the bedroom, when you took off your clothes.” His breath quickened as he slipped his free hand between her legs. “You had on black underwear. Lacy. I liked it.”
    She groaned, turning her head away as he rubbed through the wool of her slacks. Watched her. He’d watched her, was all she could think, repulsed.
    “You’re going to do that little striptease for me again,right after we take care of a little business.”
    “I—I have money,” she managed. She kept her teeth clenched, her eyes straight ahead as she fought to distance her mind from what he was doing to her body. “A few hundred in cash. I’ll give it to you.”
    “You’re going to give me all sorts of things. Does this one fasten in the front, too?” He toyed with her bra as she whimpered. “Oh, yeah, that’s just fine. What color is it?” When she didn’t answer, he pressed the barrel of the gun against her heart. “You want to answer me when I ask you a question.”
    “R-red.”
    “Panties, too?”
    A flush of shame rose up on her clammy skin. “Yes, yes, they’re red.”
    “You are a hot one.” He laughed, finding himself amazingly aroused by her trembling plea to stop. It was a bonus he hadn’t expected.
    “We’re going to have a real good time, baby, and nobody’ll get hurt. As long as you give me what I want. Say you understand.”
    “Yes.”
    “Yes, what?”
    She bit down on the terror. “Yes, I understand.”
    “Good. Real good. First, I want you to tell me where it is, then we’ll get down to the party.”
    Tears were shimmering in her eyes, burning them. She thought she’d been scared the night before with Jed. But that was nothing, nothing compared to the ice-edged horror that clawed through her now.
    And she was doing nothing but whimpering, shaking and waiting to be victimized. She forced her trembling chin to firm. She wasn’t helpless—wouldn’t be helpless. He might rape her, but she wouldn’t make it easy.
    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She didn’t have to fake the shudders, and hoped he thought she was completely beaten when she went limp against him. “Please,please don’t hurt me. I’ll give you whatever you want if you don’t hurt me.”
    “I don’t want to have to.” God, he felt hard as iron. Every time he slid the gun over her flesh, she quivered, and his blood sizzled. Those bleeding hearts who called rape a crime of violence were full of shit, he realized. It was about power. All about power.
    “You cooperate, and we’ll get on fine.” He slipped the barrel of the gun under the front hook of her bra, sliding it slowly up and down the valley between her breasts. “Now, I looked all through the place and couldn’t find it. You tell me where the picture is, and I’ll take the gun away.”
    “The picture?” Her frantic mind whirled. Cooperate, he’d said, and he’d take the gun away. So she’d cooperate. But she wouldn’t be powerless. “I’ll give you the picture, any picture you want. Please, move the gun. I can’t think when I’m so scared.”
    “Okay, baby.” DiCarlo nipped at her earlobe and lowered the gun. “That feel better?”
    “Yes.”
    “You didn’t say thank you,” he said, and teased her by bringing the gun back up her torso again.
    She shut her eyes. “Yes, thank you.”
    Satisfied that she recognized who was in charge, he moved the gun again. “Much better. Just tell me where it is, and I won’t hurt you.”
    “All right.” She cupped her left fist with her right hand. “I’ll tell you.” Using the force of both arms, she rammed her elbow into his stomach. He grunted with pain as he stumbled back. Dora heard a clatter behind her as she raced for the door.
    But her legs felt numb with fear. She fell into the hall, nearly lost her footing. She’d reached the rear door and was dragging at the locks when he caught her. She screamed then and, with survival her only thought, turned to claw at his face.
    Swearing, DiCarlo hooked an arm around her throat. “We’re not going to be able to be so nice now, are we?” Deliberately he cut off her air and began to pull her backward toward the dark apartment.
    They both heard footsteps pounding up the stairs. With one desperate swipe, DiCarlo smashed the fluted hall sconce and waited in the shadows.
    Jed came in low, weapon drawn.
    “Toss it down,” DiCarlo hissed, jerking on his arm to make