He had taken her outside onto the balcony. And when she objected because the terrace light was on and there was no switch to turn it off, he had taken out his gun and pistol-whipped the fixture. Glass flew everywhere. In the dark, he brought her to her knees. He stood and gripped the balcony railing, staring out at the lights of the strip while she brought him to climax. She had cut her knees while doing it—not badly, but enough to warrant a few bandages. He didn’t like her in serious pain, but the scratches she had sustained for him were kind of sexy.

Afterward, he said it was her turn. Whatever she wanted.

“Why does it have to be you and then me?” She placed a bandage over a cut on her knee. Her voice wasn’t hostile, just curious. “Why can’t it be a we? Why can’t we compromise?”

“Sometimes we compromise,” he had told her. “Sometimes it’s a we. But I find it better if it’s a me and then you, because each one of us gets exactly what we want.” He looked at her. “There’s a twenty-four-hour pawnshop a couple of blocks away. It’s huge and has nice stuff. Let’s get you some bling to wear for the ceremony tomorrow.”

She was tired, but she agreed to go. The emporium was brightly lit and surprisingly busy even at midnight. The jewelry section was enormous. There were dozens upon dozens of diamond necklaces, bracelets, earrings—not the crown jewels, but good quality. She looked into the glass cases, and each time he suggested a piece, she shook her head. Finally, she announced that she didn’t want jewelry. Instead, she pointed to his wrist and said, “But I’ll take something like that.”

Meaning his Rolex.

He raised his eyebrows. Then he laughed. He wound up getting her a pre-owned, certified Tourneau Rolex Lady-Datejust automatic in yellow gold with diamond numbers. It set him back around twenty grand, which was cheap compared with his eighteen-karat gold, black-face Sky-Dweller, but it still qualified as the most expensive blow job he had ever received.

Into the duffel went the Chanel suit, along with her heels, shoes, ordinary street clothes, toothbrush, hairbrush, hair dryer, makeup, perfume, and any other sundry items. He worked until the closet, dresser, and bathroom had been purged of her belongings. Then it was the home stretch.

Her nightstand.