The Criminals Series Book 2

CALEB

“Have you found anyone yet, or have you decided to stick with fucking prostitutes for the rest of your life?”

Ben, my best friend, looked over at me from the passenger seat of my Benz. We were driving to meet Miranda for lunch at some deli around the corner from her office.

She’d been raving for months about how good the food was, trying to convince me to come out there. Miranda’s persistence finally wore me down, getting me to agree on today.

“You know there’s nothing wrong with finding a real girlfriend,” he continued. “It’s been long enough.”

“I’m sick of whores, and I’m sick of constantly getting questioned and harassed by everyone that I always have a different girl on my arm when I go out.

“Everybody’s always nagging me, like you, for example, that it’s been long enough and I should start getting serious with someone. You know more than anyone that that can’t happen, so don’t bring it up again.

“The plan sticks: I find someone to fuck, go out in public with, and shut everyone’s mouth up for a few months. And then I find someone new to replace her.”

My response was decisive. Ben knew it and didn’t bring up the subject of a real relationship again. Given my past, he knew better to entertain the idea, but he did it anyway, only to tap into my anger.

I was not allowed to love. I wasn’t even sure I knew how to anymore, and I didn’t like being reminded of the fact.

“Well, have you at least found someone? You can answer that much,” Ben said, not realizing that it wasn’t easy to find somebody who met the necessary criteria.

“No. I need a woman who is desperate enough to agree to my terms and arrangement, and she needs to have a brain. She needs to be smart, presentable, believable, so no questions are asked.

“Women like that don’t just grow on trees.” I glanced at him.

“And nice tits,” he added, grinning, apparently amused with himself.

“And nice tits.” I repeated dryly. It was definitely a quality I was looking for, but not a priority.

We arrived at the deli, ending our conversation. Walking inside the little eatery, I spotted Miranda in her pantsuit, hair tied up, looking professional as she sat at a secluded table.

Her attention was locked in on her tablet. She was hard at work, even on her lunch break. That’s my baby sister: all work, no play. A common trait in our family.

I walked up and greeted her with my arms held out. “Hey, sis.”

“Glad you could finally make it.” Miranda scooted back from her chair and stood up to give me a hug, then turned to Ben, also welcoming him with a friendly embrace. “Let’s go get in line and order. I’m starved.”

“What do you recommend?” I asked as we made our way over to the counter.

“You two are both trying the chicken Chesapeake. It’s so freaking good,” she raved.

Ben and I let her order and each grabbed a bottle of water before heading back to our table to wait for our food.

Ten minutes later, our meal was ready and brought out to us. I took a bite into my sandwich, and it melted in my mouth. Quickly, I was salivating and craving another.

The crab dip on it was perfect. I could taste the mixture of cheeses, with quality meat that didn’t have that fishy taste like the cheaper brands some places used to cut costs. That shit made me wanna gag.

“Fuck, this is good,” I told Miranda after I’d digested it all down.

“You’re not kidding,” Ben said in a joyous surprise with his eyes widening. Neither one of us had expected it to be that good, considering how low key the deli was.

“Told you,” Miranda gloated with a smirk. She loved being right and rubbing things in our faces. She nodded toward the kitchen door, and that was when I saw her. “There goes the cook right there.”

I only saw the young woman for a second before she went back into the kitchen, but I immediately noticed how strikingly beautiful she was.

She was perfect, her body shaped like a dream, with creamy-beige skin and long black hair. Raw sexuality emanated off over her. It was her. She was the one I wanted.

I found out everything I could about this woman from Miranda. She was exactly what I’d been looking for, and even if she wasn’t, I was going to find a way to convince her to take the job.

Two weeks later, I told Miranda to give her my card because I was looking for some extra help with cooking and cleaning.

Then I got the call.