Well, this day couldn't get any worse for her.
On the list of "most likely scenarios" Charlie may have come up with while she walked to the pawnshop, nothing about getting arrested by the police had made it. Yet, here she was, stuck in a jail cell, and waiting for the person who had gotten her arrested to identify her.
She pondered on the possibility of him being unable to identify her. Maybe he'd come down and see her and assume she wasn't the one, and that would be that...then again, that wasn't on her list of likely scenarios either, so, the possibilities of such a thing happening was pretty low. If she haunted him anywhere as much as thoughts of him haunted her, then he would for damn sure know what she looked like.
It had been roughly a week since their meeting, why she never thought he would get her arrested for taking his stuff, she would never know...then again, hadn't she taken other people's stuff and gotten away with it?
Other people who never got their privates inside you.
Her brain snidely reminded her. Yes, there was that little omission. She had stolen from others, but had never been seen by all of her past victims, how much more bedded by them.
Twice
Charlie groaned softly. How was she going to get herself out of this jam? She had been gone for over an hour now, she didn't expect Maris to go looking for her just yet. She had a thing for whiling away time on one errand or the other anyway, so, her friend would just assume she had found something to distract her. Perhaps it wasn't until evening came, that Maris would worry. How she was going to get herself out of this cell before then, was a mystery to her.
She definitely wouldn't be calling her best friend, nor could she call the foster mother she hadn't spoken to since she had quietly moved out.
Maybe she could appeal to the humanity of the man who had gotten her arrested...an involuntary scoff slipped past her lips at that thought.
Humanity? That man who had taken her like he owned every inch of her body, didn't strike her as someone whose humanity could be appealed to...then again, she hadn't taken him for someone who would have her arrested for his wrist watch. Unless...
"Charlotte Devin."
Charlie cringed slightly at the mention of her full name. She hadn't been called Charlotte since middle school, still she responded quickly, as she rushed forward, "Yes."
One of the police officers with a smug look approached her, "You've been bailed out. Charges have been dropped." He stated, as if it hurt him to speak those words.
Charlie's eyes grew wide in surprise. Had she guessed wrong about the man then? Had he gotten her arrested just to inconvenience her, rattle her a bit and then let her go?
"There's someone waiting for you at the reception." The officer continued as he stepped aside to allow her passage.
Charlie's brows furrowed, and her heart beat wildly in her chest. Was it him? Was he waiting for her? Why though? To let her know he had saved her? She followed the officer quietly, until they reached the reception.
The first person she noticed was a rather tall man...in fact, he was perhaps the tallest person in the room, but he wasn't the guy from the hotel. This guy was noticeably different; he was bulkier, and while some would call him handsome in a 'henchman' sort of way, he wasn't conventionally attractive with his buzzcut, strong jaw and large nose. He was also wider; built more like a linebacker. The man who had learnt every curve of her body and explored all of her erogenous zones was built like a quarterback.
Still, she followed the officer until she was standing in front of the linebacker, and when the officer told the man, "Here she is, Mr. Romanov." as if she were some prostitute brought to entertain him, Charlie felt even more confused.
What did this man want with her? She had never met him in her life.
He looked over her, as if sizing her up for...yes, the purpose of prostitution. While his expression gave away little, Charlie sensed she didn't meet his requirements. Hopefully, this meant he would let her go on with her life.
"Thank you officer, I'll take it from here."
The police officer smiled much in the same way a politician would smile at a top donor for his campaign, "Of course."
Charlie watched the officer walk away from them without another glance at her, disbelief blatant on her face. Had he just abandoned her with a stranger? Was that even allowed? Did the police oath of "serve and protect" end at the door of a suspected criminal?
"Charlotte Devin." The huge man spoke to her, an accent in his voice. An accent that sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place...but that was not the most bothersome thing about the words that had left his mouth.
"It's Charlie." She grumbled.
The man looked her over, this time, with the dismissiveness one would give a fly, "Come with me." He said, and then turned around and led her out of the building.
Charlie sensed he had not made a request, but an order. The repercussions of not following that order, could very well lead her back to the cell. Slowly, she followed the strange man, the entire time, wondering how this man knew her, and how she could get out of this latest bind. She had not thought she would leave the cell, only to be transferred to a strange man. Another occurrence that had not made her list of most likely scenarios.
