My sensual criminals
A new home

"I thought they caught you!" I gasp, feeling a rush of relief.

"We don't get caught, little girl," growls James, his hand still closed around my wrist. "Come on. Those mermaids aren't for us, but they might be if we stay." He drags me after him into the depths of Central Park.

"But it's illegal to walk through Central Park at night. They close the park after one in the morning, and rightly so because it's dangerous," I protest weakly.

James pauses momentarily.

"We're the criminals, honey," he growls with an amused expression on his face. "We're the ones people are hoping to avoid."

And, for some reason, that sends a shiver of pleasure down my spine. With a gasp, I stop because, suddenly, I see him for the first time. Under his arms, several frames wrapped in black cloth. "Ohhh," is my breathless gasp. "That must be it."

"It sure is," nods Jack. "Enough talk, princess. We need to get out of here." I shut up, knowing better. Jack is also carrying several squares, and they both have black velvet sacks slung over their shoulders. They look heavy because they are no doubt filled to the brim with my mother's jewelry. How nice. Satisfaction brings a macabre smile to my face.

Watching their dark shadows walk beside me, carrying the bounty, James and Jack look like old-fashioned thieves to me. Old world thieves, more akin to the pirates of Victorian London than modern thieves who do all their work online using fake avatars.

I follow them obediently, with James' hand closed tightly around mine. Jack follows in my footsteps and I feel the warmth of his body against my back. For such huge men, their steps are light and they move with agile grace. I guess they're in "criminal mode," if that makes sense. After all, when they were in my room, their steps were heavy and they breathed between grunts. It's the latter that I'm used to, and it's interesting to see them in their element. Besides, I know I'm safe. Even though we're walking through Central Park at night with millions of dollars of loot from my parents' house, I've never felt so at ease. Some junkie or hobo slips away as we approach. You can't hear anything and even the animals seem to hold their breath.

We've already passed the edge of the park. It's so dark that I can't even see the shapes anymore as we move deeper into the underbrush and tall trees that hide our forms from the starry night. But the men seem to know where they are going and I dutifully follow. Just as I wonder where we are headed, James stops and I bump gently against his hard, muscular back. The men stand still, listening, and I hold my breath.

"It's safe," James rasps as he crouches down. I can't see what he's doing, but there's a rusty crunch and then the squeak of metal dragged across a rough surface. His twin moves forward and then literally disappears. One moment Jack was a shadow and the next he was gone. What's going on?

My eyes strain in the darkness, but I can't see exactly what's happening. Suddenly, a splash from far away reaches my ears. My God, did the twins just locate a manhole leading to the water? How is that possible, right under Central Park? The Ninja Turtles come to mind, but that thought instantly disappears when James gently pushes me forward.

"Sit down and dangle your feet," he commands me in his deep, soft voice. I do as he tells me, guided down by the protection of his strong, large hands, and replace myself sitting on the edge of an open manhole. Shit, he was right.

"Hold on to my arm and I'll take you down," James continues. "Jack will catch you on the bottom." Though I hesitate, I dare not show it because I sense his urgency. We are fleeing a crime scene and I have to act quickly. Obediently, I clasp my hands around James' strong forearm, and my muscles tighten before I make myself descend. I am met with stale, still air and a smell that is totally new to me: earthy and musty, but also something else. It smells old, as if this place hasn't been aired out in centuries. I realize that my initial instinct was correct: this tunnel has been unused for so long that it must be a secret, known only to a select few.

There's a moment when I'm suspended in mid-air and my only connection to anything is my hands clinging to James' arm. But then I feel warm, calloused hands on my ankles, then on my calves and knees, then on my thighs, as they lower me toward Jack. When Jack's hands are on my waist, I let go of his brother's arm and Jack lifts me as if I weigh nothing, depositing me in the shallow puddle that seems to be at the bottom of this tunnel. Thank God, it wasn't a dip in a cavernous pool miles deep.

Jack says nothing, but keeps holding up his hand as James slowly passes him the loot. I don't actually see any of it, but I can hear the tension in his breathing, as well as some gentle rubbing and splashing. Then there's the sound of the manhole cover snapping back into place, high above us, and a louder splash as James expertly lands next to me.

A flashlight is switched on and, immediately, the tunnel is illuminated as the shadows move away from the bright beam of light. I see my lovers' faces for the first time since we left the attic and I take a deep breath before sighing in relief. "Are you okay, little girl?" asks James.

"Still not sorry?" adds Jack in a growl.

I shake my head. The feelings coursing through my body are many: excitement, adrenaline, nervousness, excitement and happiness. But no regrets. Not for a second, and they can see it in my eyes.

"Make way," I say with a tremulous smile. They smile and nod, and we start walking down the tunnel. As I watch our shadows pass along the dirt walls, I try to focus on the flashlight dancing ahead. I should be afraid. I know I should be wondering what the hell I'm doing. But none of that crosses my mind because I feel free for the first time in my life. I feel like I control my own destiny, and it's a destiny I've chosen to share with these two criminals, tough on the outside, but soft on the inside. My lovers are everything to me, and wherever they take me is where I want to be. Because Jack and James mean the world to me now, and despite the dank tunnel and impending danger, all I feel is adoration.