“Natasha,” I answer nervously.
“You let that bitch in my house?”
“No, Grey, I didn’t let her in the house. You can check the security footage. Never was she in the house.”
He rips the invitation and the envelope. The pieces float to the floor at his feet.
“Come here,” he says calmly.
I want to lock myself up in the bathroom, but I do as he says. We stand, facing each other. All of a sudden, Grey grabs me by the neck. I’m shocked by his immediate reaction, and I grab his wrists with both of my hands. Grey backs me up to the bed and pins me. He digs his knee into my crotch. I wouldn’t dare fight back. His reaction will be worse. I simply bear the assault.
“Why did you let that bitch in my house, Rachel? And don’t fucking lie to me.”
“She wasn’t,” I strain. “She wasn’t.”
Grey knows that woman wasn’t in the house. There are cameras at all the entrances, and they automatically start recording the moment anyone enters or leaves the house. That motherfucker just wants to put his hands on me. I hate him so much. I want to fight back, but he’ll kill me dead.
“Then how did you get the invitation?”
“When I was-” I can’t even finish. Everything is going dark, but then Grey releases his hold around my neck. I take quick gasping breaths.
“How did you get the invitation, Rachel?”
I’m still wheezing, trying to speak clearly. “When I…when I was leaving, she stopped me at the end of the driveway.”
“Did you tell her you were going?”
“No,” I hoarsely answer.
He backs up off of me and stands away from the bed. “I’m going to check the security footage after I drop you off. You better not be lying to me.”
I shake my head and say, “I’m not lying. I’m not.”
“Yeah, we’ll see, and I’ll be talking to that bitch later.” Grey adjusts his shirt and collar. “Clean up the paper and put on your coat. I want you in the car in five minutes.”
I’m up off the bed and on the floor in no time. My hands are shaking so bad that I end up dropping some of the pieces before I get to the garbage can in the bathroom. But I make sure every piece is cleaned up, and I doubly make sure that I make it to the car on time. I’m half expecting Grey to hit me again, but he doesn’t. He starts the car, and we take a long silent drive to Savannah.
Chapter Ten
When Grey and I arrive at Sam’s brownstone, he parks behind it in a little private alley. We get out at the same time. Grey goes to the back door and knocks. Footsteps are approaching, and soon the door opens, revealing a man wearing jeans and a white t-shirt under an apron. His brown hair is in a net. He walks away from the door, leaving it open.
Without a word said, Grey enters, closes the door once I’m inside, and he starts for the stairs. I follow him up the half lighted path to the second floor. The hallway is full of framed portraits of the Lewis clan: grandchildren, children, aunts, uncles, brothers, sisters, and cousins; all captured with backgrounds of dark hues. We stop at the first floor and head down a hallway towards a room on the left. Inside are several men, too many to count, and they are smoking cigars and laughing it up.
My heart sinks to the pit of my stomach. There’s no way Grey is expecting me to have sex with all of those men. I take two steps back when they see me, but Grey grabs my wrists with a hold that hurts badly. I get that look, the one where I better not embarrass him or he’ll kill me. I stand stark still, praying that my worst nightmare isn’t coming true.
“Mr. Lewis,” Grey says as he extends his hand. “How are you doing, sir?”
“Good!” Sam Lewis is a white man, who’s built like a quarterback. He’s tall and regal, with a loud laugh and a commanding presence. “Well, don’t you look lovely, Rachel.”
“Thank you,” I reply without looking at him.
“Come on with me,” Sam remarks. “Gentlemen, I will return shortly.”
Grey and Sam go back into the hallway and head up the steps. Grey is holding on to my wrists the entire time. We get to a closed door, and Sam knocks softly. A young man with enough pimples to dot a map and a devilish smile opens it.
“This here is Ryan,” Sam says to me. “He’s my stepson. Ryan, this is the lovely Rachel.”
I’m horrified. How old is this kid?
“Is this the girl?” Ryan asks. “Are you serious? I can have her?”
Sam laughs. “She ain’t necessarily yours, boy. Can you tell he’s hornier than a toad fresh from a winter nap?”
“Yeah, he’s something,” Grey responds, shaking his head.
Those two must be out of their damn minds. I can’t believe that Grey is okay with this. Ryan looks like a child, no more than sixteen years old. I’ll be damned if I’m opening my legs to an underage boy. I try to walk away, but Grey pushes me against the wall. Sam and Ryan are stunned by Grey’s quick reaction.
“I’m not doing this! Let me go!” I yell.
Grey slaps me and points his finger in my face as a warning to stop.
“Alright now,” Sam says, grabbing Grey by the shoulder. “There’s no need for violence in here. If you’re worried about Ryan’s age, Rachel, don’t be. He’s older than he looks, I assure you. Tell Rachel how old you are, boy.”
“Twenty.” Ryan touches my hand. I snatch away from him.
“Bullshit,” I remark. There’s no way.
Grey grabs the back of my neck and moves me away from them. He slams me against another wall again and whispers in my ear, “I will cut you off at the fucking knees if you don’t go in that room. Try me, bitch, and I’ll kill you and your mother.”
“But-”
He grabs the front of my neck and squeezes. “WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST SAY! YOU THINK I’M PLAYING!”
“Fine,” I reply, glaring at him hatefully.
Grey doesn’t back off at first, but when he does, he hits the wall near my head.
“Get the fuck in there,” he remarks, “and you better do everything he says.”
I straighten my coat and do as I’m told. Sam closes the door behind me. Ryan looks me up and down. I turn away from him with my arms crossed. I’m so pissed I’m seeing fire. There’s no way this kid is twenty. I just don’t believe it.
All of a sudden, a bang comes from the door, startling me and Ryan. All I can think of is that Grey is trying to come in here and kill me. I’m trembling, scared absolutely shitless.
A young voice sounds off. “You better do her, or I’m going to tell everyone you’re gay!”
That wasn’t Sam, and it sure wasn’t Grey.
“Dumbass!” Ryan yells back. “Go away!”
This is some fucked up shit, for real. I wish I could just leave. I’m so angry to the point I can’t even see straight.
“Did you hear me?” Ryan says.
“No,” I say, looking over at him.
“How many times have you slept with my stepdad?”
“That’s none of your business.”
“Did you wear a condom each time?”
I turn away. Stupid motherfucker. Everyone in this house is crazy as hell.
“You want me to call your pimp?”
“He’s not my pimp!”
“Doesn’t matter. I can talk to him, tell him how you’re acting. I bet you’ll answer then.”
The little fucker. “Yes, I wore a condom.”
“I like black girls,” he says, taking another step towards me.
“Yeah, I bet you do. Look, don’t come any further. Just tell me the truth. Are you seriously twenty years old?”
“You want to see my driver’s license?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.”
Ryan goes over to his chaotic desk and pulls out his wallet from under a pizza box. He takes out his driver’s license and hands it to me. Sure enough, he’s twenty years old. I hand it back to him. Now that I feel halfway better, I relax…but only a little.
“You don’t want to t
ouch me, do you?” He tosses the wallet on the desk.
“Doesn’t matter what I want,” I reply dryly.
“Would you rather leave?”
“Yes, I would,” I answer.
I make a move for the door, but he blocks my path.
“I don’t want you to,” he says.
Just once I want to be cut a break, but it’s not going to happen tonight. Ryan’s hormones is getting the best of him. I might as well get ready for the inevitable.
“How old are you?” he says.
“Thirty-two.”
“You’re pretty hot for thirty-two.”
I don’t even thank him. His words are meaningless.
A crooked smile appears on his face. “If you weren’t a, you know what, would you go out with someone like me?”
He must set himself up for letdowns every single day. Why is he asking me a question like that?
“No,” I reply, “because if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t even be here.”
“Good point. So, what are you willing to do?” he asks.
“Whatever you want.”
Ryan crosses his arms, thinking about his options. He’s just being ridiculous right now.
“So…so, if I want my pecker sucked, you’ll do it.”
“Yes.”
“What about intercourse?”
“I thought that’s why I was here.”
Ryan laughs nervously and stops suddenly. “Okay, where do you want to start?”
I roll my eyes and shake my head. “You can start by taking off your clothes.”
He’s butt naked and ready to go within seconds. I take off my jacket and place it on the bed post. His eyes widen when he sees what I have on, and his flaccid pink muscle responds accordingly. Ryan makes a gesture as if he wants to hug, and I let him. He sniffs my neck and kisses it gently.
“You smell so good,” he mumbles.
He steps back and moves his hands to the front of my bodice and starts squeezing my breasts.
“You’re so soft.”
Quickly, he unfastens the snaps on the front. The bodice falls to the floor. Ryan grabs my boobs and starts laughing.
“So fucking hot,” he says. “I can see why Sam likes fucking you. I got condoms in my drawer. Hold on a minute.”
He goes over to his computer desk and pulls out one. He’s so nervous that he can barely hold it in his hands. I take it from him and move over to the bed. There’s no way I’m letting this bumbling idiot get it wrong. He watches, mouth wide open, as I fit it on him perfectly. I stand up once I’m done and move him backwards.
“What are you doing?” he asks anxiously.
I take off my thongs and gently take both of his hands into mine. I lay back on the bed, and he climbs on top. Before he’s even inside of me, Ryan is already grinding, getting nowhere. I guide him in, and just like that, before one push, he releases. Thank goodness, it’s over.
“Did I do okay?” he pants.
“You did good,” I reply as nice as I can.
I push him off and get up.
“Where are you going?” he asks, leaning back on his elbows.
“I’m leaving.” I pick up my underwear.
“Sam said that he paid for you to stay all night with me. About a grand, right? And I’m not done, nowhere near done.”
Son of a damn bitch! So, this is why Grey dropped me off. If Andrew was here, I would already be out the door, and Grey knows it. He doesn’t want me to leave, and even if I could, I wouldn’t get far in my heels and heavy make-up. The cops will think I’m a call girl for sure and lock me up. Then they’ll contact Grey. I can’t call a cab. I don’t have money, and I better not show up at the house in one. Grey won’t pay the driver a penny. I can’t win for nothing in the world. I have to sleep with this pimple faced horny toad all night. Something has to change. I can’t keep doing this.
Chapter Eleven
I was in Ryan’s room all night, just as he wanted. In between his power naps, we had sex. Most of the episodes didn’t last long, but at the end of each one, he was satisfied. As for me, I didn’t sleep a wink. The boy stunk of sweat, pepperoni, and onions. I wasn’t comfortable, and I hated being in his bed. In the past, I’ve made the most out of having sex with johns. I ride those orgasm to the fullest since it’s the only way I can feel good. But this time, last night, being with Ryan wasn’t anything worth remembering. I didn’t even have a hint of an orgasm at all, just fake ones so Ryan can feel like the man he thinks he is. I’m just glad it’s over. I hope I never see him again.
Grey picked me up first thing this morning. I said nothing and neither did he, and soon as we got to the house, I got out, and he took off for work.
Now, that I’m inside the house, he locks the front door remotely. The red glaring light above the door knob is a clear indication that I’m not allowed to leave without Grey’s permission. He had an electronic doorknob installed on every door leading outside, including to the garage and garage door. That’s so he can keep track when I actually leave and come back. There’s also an alarm and monitoring system in the house. My every move is watched, except where the cameras aren’t pointed. Grey has a computer in the basement where he can access the account, see what codes were used to turn off the alarm, and to view the footage the cameras caught. He won’t tell me how to gain access to the footage and the alarm system account because it’s all about him having control. I don’t have a computer, anyway, and I don’t have access to the basement. Again, another form of control. On the days I visit Jack and my mom, Grey keeps track of me with the GPS in the car. He knows where I go and how long I’ve been at a location. The fucker is smart to the point of insane.
I head for the bedroom, in hopes of talking to Russell. I’m hoping he’s at his restaurant today. I get the phone out of its hiding place and make the call.
“Hello.” Russell sounds like heaven. I can see him now. Bald headed, big gorgeous smile, sweet as can be, and handsome. We used to sneak off and just be into each other, loving one another. To this day, I don’t understand why he didn’t want to leave his wife. He always seemed so happy with me, and I know I would have been happy with him.
“Rachel, is that you?”
I come out of my daze and remark, “Yeah, it’s me. Why haven’t you called me?” I hate asking that question right off. Makes me sound desperate, which I am, but I have to know what’s going on with him.
“We’re not seeing each other anymore. That’s why I haven’t called.”
The background noise begins to fade. He must be going to a quieter spot.
“Still, you could have called me.”
“Rachel, what do you want?” Russell sounds impatient.
“Well, I was wondering how is everything. Are you still working on getting that TV show?”
“I finally landed it,” he says dryly.
“Congratulations. I’m so happy for you. Will you be judging?”
“Yeah, but I can’t say too much else about it.”
“That’s great, really.”
“Rachel, I’m kind of busy right now. Is there something specific you want to talk about?”
“Russell, I was just wondering.” I hesitate because I dread the answer. “Do you think I can see you soon?”
“Are you serious? After all this time you want to see me now?”
“Yes.”
“Rachel, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
My head is about to explode from anger. “Why not?”
“You told me that you didn’t want to see me anymore back in January. You told me that you wanted to concentrate on your marriage.”
“Things have changed.”
“Well, I’m concentrating on my career and my marriage now. I don’t have time for other women. My life is finally heading in the right direction, and I’m not going to leave my wife.”
“I never asked you to leave her. I only asked if I could see you again.”
Russell doesn’t respond. There’s something that�
�s changed in him.
“Our fling is over, Rachel.”
“It doesn’t have to be.”
“Hold on a minute.” Russell covers the phone. There’s complete silence, and then the line goes dead.
“Russell?”
I stare at the phone in disbelief. He hung up on me on purpose! I call him back, but he doesn’t answer. I call him back four more times. He still doesn’t pick up, and the line never goes to voicemail. I’m dying inside. Russell is supposed to save me from this life. My hope has dwindled to nothing. What am I going to do now?
Chapter Twelve
A very long hot shower is in order, and I stand under the water until it turns cold. I just want to get last night down the drain where it belongs. I feel somewhat better afterwards, but the heavy rock of sadness in my stomach makes me feel queasy.
I never expected my marriage to Grey to turn out like this. He’s relentlessly punishing me for a mistake I made months ago, and I don’t see an end in sight. I have to hook because if I walk out, I will leave with absolutely nothing, and Grey will kill my mother. Of course, she’s in Hawaii right now, but she has to come back home. I will not be able to protect her. Staying put, that’s what I’ll do, until I find a way out.
Standing in my bedroom, I think about the list of chores I have to do. It’s the same every day. Clean until I think Grey will be satisfied with it. That’s all I ever do, other than see after my mom, Jack, grocery shop, and sleep with johns. It’s maddening how much Grey stifles me. I wonder what it will take for me to just walk out. What movement on this planet will put fire in my ass and make me run the hell up out of here? As far as I can tell, there’s nothing that will make me leave, and it’s a damn shame.
The phone rings, bringing me out of my thoughts. I sit down on the bed and pick up the phone. Something falls on the floor from underneath the bedspread.
“Hello,” I say while staring down at a silver square wrapper. I know exactly what it is, and I’m not even mad.
“Your spaghetti is pretty good,” Jack remarks.
“You’re finally eating it.” I can’t help but to smile when I hear his voice.
Rachel (Women of Privilege Book 2) Page 4
