Mesmerized

deceiving. 
    She walked forward seductively, never taken her eyes off his. She held her hand out to him. "You must be Henry." 
    He took her hand in his and kissed the top sending shivers down her spine. "And you are?"
    "Sandra." She gazed into his eyes and gently pulled back her hand as she sunk into the leather seat. 
    "Adam. You can leave us," he said without looking up. 
    The guard looked surprised. "Are you sure?"
    "Do not second guess me! Leave and close the door behind you."
    "Yes, Sir." He turned on his heel and left the room. 
    Sandra was a bit disappointed. Adam was a pleasure to look at. 
    "May I ask how you evaded my guards, and what you are doing in my home? Not that I would turn away the company of such a striking woman." His voice was deeper than she expected. 
    "Unfortunately Henry, I am not here for pleasure." 
    "What a shame." He folded his hands on top of the desk. "Well, what can I do for you?"
    "It seems you kidnapped my daughter not too long ago." She slowly crossed her legs and ran her fingers on the side of the chair caressing the worn leather. 
    "Your daughter?" He sounded surprised. 
    "Yes, she was with a boy named Jake. Apparently, you want something from him. You inadvertently stirred up more trouble than you know."
    He chuckled softly. "You are a pleasant surprise. I was rather bored until you walked in. I apologize for taking your daughter. It was not her we were after. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. There was no harm done to the child, and as you know, they managed to escape." He paused. "That's something I still can't figure out. How they could have gotten past my guards. Much like how did you get into my office?" 
    "It's hard to tell some women no." 
    "A truer statement has never been spoken. What exactly do you want from me? Are you here to kill me? Because that would be a shame. I would enjoy getting to know you better." 
    "Oh Henry, I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with you just yet." She laughed her throaty laugh—the one that drove men crazy. 
    Sandra leaned forward. Her hands placed firmly on the desk, she stared deeply into his eyes. "You will leave with me and tell the guards not to follow. You will not resist me."
    Henry stood up and waved his arm forward. "After you, my dear."
    She stood up and sauntered out of the room swaying her hips as she increased her stride. She didn't like the feel of the house and wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible. 
    Adam, the guard, met them in the main entryway. "Are we going out?" 
    "I'm going out. You and the rest of the guards will be staying here," Henry said firmly.
    "But sir, you never leave without an escort. We can follow discreetly behind."
    Henry raised his hand in a motion to stop the man from speaking any further. "Who pays you? And rather handsomely at that? Do not follow me." 
    Adam bowed his head like a child that had been reprimanded. 
    Sandra pushed the heavy double doors open. The brisk air was welcoming on her skin. She felt a rush of excitement as she led Henry to the waiting car. She hadn't realized how much she missed the thrill.
    Camille stuck her head out of the driver’s side window and frowned. "It's about time. I was about to throw some juju on that damn mansion and go in after you. There are some bad vibes coming from there."
    "Camille, this is Henry." Sandra said, sliding into the back seat with him. 
    Camille put the car into gear and pulled away from the house. “Wonderful to meet you, Henry.”
    Their captive watched his house slowly disappear behind them before he turned around and clapped his hands. Without the slightest hint of alarm, he asked, “So. Where are you taking me?"

Chapter Nineteen
     
     
     
    Lily paced the room like a caged animal ready to pounce. She wrung her hands together. "Where are they? What's taking so long?"
    "Calm down. Your mother knows what she's doing." 
    "Sure she does. She's probably having sex with the guy."
    Her father inhaled sharply. "That's enough, Lily. Your mother is risking her life to help you."
    Lily's face crumbled and she covered it with her hands. "Oh my God. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I'm just worried."
    Jake put his arm around her. She shrugged it off. "Not now."
    Jake walked away and sat on a metal chair, looking at the door. The bright fluorescent lights were bothering his eyes. Sandra had been gone so long he was also starting to get worried. If anything happened to Lily's mother he would never be