Since then, they’ve kept us in the dimly lit rooms, and even though I sleep, it’s not been restful. We haven’t been upstairs to the party venue again, and I wonder if they’re biding their time. Each time they tell us it’s "bedtime", we’re still fearful that some of the men who work here will walk into the room and do things to us.
Rolling over, I pull the sheet over my head, hoping to sleep, but my mind is racing. Each time I close my eyes, all I can see is JD. His smile, his eyes, and the way he would tell me things, just random things that would make me grin.
I think back to the last time I saw him. It feels like a lifetime ago, yet the image of him in my mind is still of my best friend. The boy who stole my heart without me realizing it. He took all of me, and he gave me all of him.
Now that his father is dead, I don’t know what that means for him. What would he do? He used to tell me New York held his heart, but with Cole Security based in Virginia, he’d have to move there if he worked for them. Surely.
The door squeaks open, and my eyes snap to the guard who I’ve come to call Mr. Gravel. I don’t know his name, but he’s here every day.
“You.” He points at me. “Tonight, you’ll be coming upstairs.” He throws an outfit onto my bed, then shuts the door behind him, leaving me in shock and fear.
I scoot up, tugging the sheet along with me. Picking up the item, I look at it. This time, it’s a soft pink sundress with ballet flats bound to the wire top of the hanger, which match the material.
I’m tired, exhausted from the stress of what’s happening to us. To me. I stand, undressing in the cold room, and drag on the soft material over my head. It fits me like a glove.
Once I’m ready, we follow Mr. Gravel through a hallway that reminds me of wealth. It reeks of money, privilege, and it makes my stomach curdle.
Inside the club, it’s busier than the first night we arrived, but this time, it’s slightly different. There are no couples, and I wonder if there’s a special party or if they’ve suddenly gotten an influx of single clients.
“Behave. Or else I will break each and every one of your bones.” The gravel in his threat has a lead weight dropping in my stomach.
We’re left to our own devices, and after the first few times, I’m getting used to being in here. But I’ll never get used to the way the men look at me. Even though the dress isn’t as tight as the last few times, tonight I feel even more exposed than normal. Perhaps it’s the innocence the dress portrays that makes me uncomfortable.
A few men stop to greet me, but none of them takes me to sit or to talk. My spine tingles, and I turn to see the boss who introduced himself as Christopher when I met him, but since I’ve been here, I haven’t seen him.
He’s dressed in a white suit and a black button-up. A silver tie glints from his neck, and his shoes are shiny-black leather. Everything about him screams danger and wealth.
His gaze lands on me within seconds, and a slow, evil smile crawls on his face. His mouth purses for a moment before he decides to make his way toward me.
“The special princess,” he remarks as he takes me in. His eyes rake their way up my curves to the neckline of my dress, which shows off my cleavage, and I want nothing more than to skulk away and hide. But if I wince or show him I’m uncomfortable, he’ll do something I’ll most probably regret.
“Hello,” I greet him, trying my hardest to keep my voice steady. There’s a darkness that follows him like a cloud, as if it knows he’s the devil and it likes him for it. He reaches out his hand, and when I don’t accept, a soft gasp comes from beside me.
“When I offer you something,” he speaks, keeping his gaze on me. “You will accept. In my home, there is no option. It is merely a yes. And I expect you to respect me.”
Tentatively, I slip my hand in his much larger one. He pulls me harshly, causing me to stumble into his solid frame. Muscles tense the moment my palm lands on his chest. The scent of cigars mingled with a harsh liquor fills my nostrils.
He leans in close, the warmth of his breath fanning over my ear. “Tonight, you’ll be mine. And when he walks in here,” he tells me, but I don’t know who he is. “I’ll be fucking your virgin pussy so hard you’ll never forget me.” The threat slithers into my ear and finds a home under my skin where goosebumps rise on every inch of my body. The tension I fought earlier is back, and it’s attacking me with a vengeance.