I Can't Own You? (BOOK 1)

21 (NEW)

The next morning, a ding comes from my phone, I unlock it, thinking I have a text from work, but it's a mail notification from Hack Bait Diamond.

Subject: Faxed Check

Hello,

I have to report that all of the money is not able to be deducted from the card. The card is professionally encrypted and a limit blocker is active. Rest assured, there is an amount that can be withdrawn. I have written a check for $500; the fax is below. As you know, there are location hits, myself and my crew have cloaking tech to protect ourselves, but you shouldn't linger after withdrawing the money.

Until next time,
Hack Bait Diamond

I print out the check while Sam is asleep, snoring like a monster. Tiptoeing around, I go to my bag to store the check. My hands tie my untidy, blonde hair into a man bun. I switch over to my boy mode. No makeup, no additions.

At the mall, Sam and I grab things for our trip to Texas. The place is packed of course, full of kids and teens with their parents; since school sales are going on. As we walk, I check out dresses in Tiger Lilly, my love, my dream store. My fantasy is to buy every last dress in the shop.

Sexy cocktail dresses line the windows of the joint, in vibrant colors, and full of lace and bedazzle. I stop and point at one, which is all black, covered in rhinestones of the purest white I've ever seen. I turn to Sam. "Now, that's what I should've worn to prom."

At Macy's, I grab cut out jeans, size 7...shorts, blouses, crop tops, tank tops, and sandals from the layaway section. Sam picks up dark clothing. He doesn't like to experiment too much with color, so regular jeans and some white beaters, it is. "I'm done." He mumbles.

"Boy, it's warm in Texas, look for some capris and shorts."

"I've been skipping leg day." He retorts disgruntled. "I'll be fine I'll just cuff them."

What is with the bisexual gang and cuffing their pants??

I search for shorts in the size of 33 long in men, finding five; tan, gray, light blue, black, and dark red. I pick up some short sleeve button-ups and tanks as well. I hand them to Sam. "Try these on," I demand as I head to the girl's section. "Text me so I can judge." I ignore Sam's grumpiness and focus on bags, even though I have four already. This one is $60, purple, and has white flower designs in lace. I don't have any bags in purple tho. Hmm...should I get it? I do have that check, so fuck it, get it!

YOLO!

I receive a text.

SAM: I'm in the 3rd room.

I grab the bag before approaching the dressing rooms in the back.

Damn it, so only $500? That ain't shit! Why is there a block on the card if it can't be replaced? What sense does that make?? Unless it's a trap? Unless...James has knowledge of the hackers activity. But even if it's that, how can someone hunt you down without having your appearance?

Not James nor his crew knows how I look. I shrug smugly. Stop being scared, I'm safe. I stop at the dressing rooms threshold. "Umm, excuse me, could you watch my items? I'll be right back."

An employee stops stacking jeans, highly annoyed and tired. "Sure." His tone is one-note and he doesn't smile.

I leave the store, recalling that an ATM isn't too far away. I can use that to pay for the tickets...and the clothes. Food too. My stomach growls. I pace shiny, white floors of the mall, scanning each corner for the money machine, passing huge balconies that overlook the first floor, which floods with customers who resemble ants.

At the ATM, I insert the check and withdraw money. All of it, glancing around, a bit paranoid. Relax. It's fine. We'll be out of here soon...so we won't get discovered.

SAM: It doesn't look right 😐

I roll my eyes at the text.

Back in the store, I go to the dressing room. "Man child, what do you mean?"

"This." He points down at hairy legs, as I close the door behind me. Sam's overreacting, of course. His legs were fine, not too skinny; they were thick like his thighs.

"Stop nitpicking; you're getting them."

At the register, I add luggage duffle bags to the purchase and pay with the cash, feeling invincible. Try and catch me, bitches. I drop the receipt in my new bag. As we exit, I steer towards the escalators. "Let's get something to eat." Sam doesn't protest. He ran out of food at his place and requires substance, so his big ass is hungry. So am I. As we descend the moving stairs, I slyly let my fingers brush against his. "So I'll buy the plane tickets, gotta stop at Chase on the way home."

"Either you saved up money, or you're secretly escorting." Sam cracks, rendering me into tittering snorts.

We grab McDonald's, two Big Mac meals, sprite, and Oreo McFlurries, with added Reese's and extra Oreos. Should I tell him that I have the dirty money? No...he'd blow up in public. I'll let him know later when our fun time out is over. I'll tell him I snuck to do it because I didn't want to wake him up...

Or, I could tell the truth.

Say I did it because I was ready to live a different life. Yes, it's selfish, but I don't want to lie to him, not while things are going so well.

"So when do we leave?" Sam asks with a full mouth and an extended jaw of meat.

"There's a flight at 3:30; we can make that one; it'll give us time to pack." I munch on fries and cut up my burger like the classy queen I am, then pick up the pieces and eat. Compared to Sam, I ate like Belle, and he the Beast.

"A lot of time." He agrees.

Out of nowhere, hot intensity works my temples and my fingertips. What the hell? Sam doesn't notice as he stuffs his face and slurps his soda. Slowly, I eat, fretting over the slithers that invade the spots yet again. What is it...anxiety? My heart rate is okay, not too fast. So it's not that...I feel calm. I go on analyzing the peculiar event while eating...not really having an appetite anymore.