by Vi Carter
My heart pounds rapidly. Seeing him in the light is more frightening that I could have ever imagined. His wide shoulders fill the door frame. The black material he wears stretches across muscles and a huge frame. His large hands hang on either side of him. The black mask covers all of his face. Gold designs painted onto it doesn’t make the overall image gentle, it makes it look frightening.
So this is who bought me. Blue eyes burn into me as they roam my skin. There is nothing I can do to stop this, so I sit still and try not to think about anything.
“Put on your mask.”
I shiver as I pick it up and place it over my face. Turning back to him I inhale deeply. He steps deeper into my room filling up the space too much. The hairs rise on my arms as I wait for what will happen next. My mind is conjuring being forced onto the bed. I’m surprised and a little terrified when he leaves my room and tells me to follow him.
Each step I take towards the forest has me glancing back at the castle. The lights are distant beacons of safety. Each time I pause he slows down until I catch up. So far he hasn’t shown any signs of violence. But what the hell were we doing outside dressed like this? The warm air doesn’t stop the shivers that assault my body. Relief swims through me as I hear other voices near the tree line. Maybe it is a party.
A group of maybe fifteen people huddle together. Everyone wears masks. Most of the women were barely dressed while the men were fully clothed. This time I stop walking, dread pools itself in my runners and acts like lead.
“Cara.” He’s stops again, one large hand reaching out for me to come. I do slowly as I swallow the saliva that has pooled in my mouth. I don’t take his outstretched hand but walk to the group of people.
“Great everyone is here.” An elderly woman turns to all of us. The amount of flesh she is showing would make anyone blush. “Everyone is here now so we will start. Remember if you are in trouble, shout I’m Rich. We have two security members with us.” She points to someone to my left and then directly at my owner.
He’s security? I glance at him but he’s staring at the woman who’s still talking. “So for the newcomers, the rules are simple. All the women run into the forest and whichever man catches you gets to have you.”
The ground tilts and the space around me swims. A hand rests on my waist steadying me. “No.” The word isn’t heard as the women giggle and get ready to run.
“You need to run Cara or I’ll just take you here.” I hold my breath at his words. A horn blows in the distance. I’m watching everyone run, their squeals of joy and it’s all so distant.
“Run.” His word brushes my earlobe like a gunshot and I’m running for dear life.
Flashes of the other women pass me as I race past them. The sneakers made sense now. I run until I get a stitch in my side. Stopping at a large tree, I try to catch my breath. The face of a pig fills my vision and hands reach for me. I scream and back away from the seeking hands. I start to run again.
“That’s not fair, I got you.” The whine of the man’s voice has me running harder, glancing over my shoulder I check to see if he’s following. He’s not. Turning, I see a flash of black; my heart slams against my chest as he steps out in front of me. I skid to a stop and turn to run back. His breathing fills my ear as he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me back against him. I freeze. As his hard body pushes against mine, I feel the full extent of his excitement against my backside.
“You will enjoy this,” he whispers while moving us slowly back.
I’m shaking my head as my eyes roam the forest, searching for what, I wasn’t sure. Tightening my eyes closed, I pop them open, hoping this is a dream. I squeeze my body as his hand moves under the material.
“No, don’t.” I manage to get the words out as he moves both of us down towards the leaf-covered floor. He’s still behind me and we are both on our knees, twigs dig into every part of my body that touches the ground. My body feels like it’s on overdrive. The material of his clothes against my skin feels harsh. Each time he leans in, his mask rubs my face. His hand has made its way under the dress and he roams his fingers across my ass, his fingers pausing at my back entrance. I can hear the groans and squeals of people close by.
“Spit on my hand.”
I glance down at his hand in front of me. I stare at it, not sure if I heard him right. “What?”
“Spit Cara.” His words are right at my ear again. His large erection pushing between my ass as I release my saliva into his hand. A small shocked squeal leaves my lips as he rubs my saliva along my back entrance. The tip of his finger moves in and I pull away only to have him grip me around the waist and hold me, as he dips his finger in and out. My mind wants to flee to somewhere safe. I don’t want this, but each movement pulls me back. I can feel wetness grow between my legs and shame at feeling it burns my face.
“You’re so tight.” His words have me trying to move again but he pulls me back.
“Don’t fight me.” The warning is clear as he moves behind me. The sound of fabric being shifted has panic ripping through me. Pulling the dress up and throwing it across my back gives him full access to me. I squeeze my eyes tight as I wait for the pain. His cock brushes my back entrance and he groans as he pushes against it. Pulling back he moves up against me again, this time between my ass cheeks. Heat and wetness flood me again and the shame burns me as I bite my lip. The tip of his cock enters and pain mixes with pleasure, this time I can’t keep in the groan that slips from my lips.
“Enjoy it, Cara.” His hands hold my waist as he pushes harder before pulling back out.
“No,” I say even as my body betrays me. He dips in slightly again before pulling out, his fingers replace his cock, stretching me. I let out a gasp as he enters me again this time deeper, his movements grow faster. Biting my lip I keep in my own pleasure as he takes his cock out and slides it back in the entrance.
“I’m rich.” The shouts of someone in the distance breaks the cocoon of lust I’m feeling. I’m cold as he moves away from behind me and pulls my dress down.
“I’m rich.” The shouts don’t sound panicked so I stay where I am until he tells me to get up.
Blue eyes swimming with lust burn into me. “Run back to the house and don’t stop until you reach your room.”
I nod and turn but he stops me. A hand around my wrist. “This isn’t over.” His promise sends a shiver down my spine.
I’m running again and this time I want to run away from myself. What was I thinking? I shouldn’t have enjoyed that in any shape or form. Tears of shame blur my vision as I walk up to the back of the house.
Once in my room, I try not to look at myself in the full-length mirror. Twigs and leaves are stuck to my clothes. My cheeks flushed from my antics. Tears spill down my face and I hate what I see. I feel so dirty and cheap and I’m not even angry at him. I’m so angry I allowed myself to feel even a tiny bit of pleasure from it.
I need to wash the seediness off me. With no lock on my door, I push a chair under the handle and do the same at the bathroom door before stripping down and getting into the shower. I scrub my skin until it’s raw and allow all my shameful tears to fall while promising myself I would fight harder the next time. My core tightens at the idea of next time and I wonder what the hell is wrong with me. A bang on my door has me slamming myself against the shower tiles.
My heart pounds as I listen, but no more noise follows. I wait for another ten minutes before turning off the water and stepping out. Wrapping myself in the towel, I remove the chair from under the bathroom door and step out into my room. The chair I placed against the bedroom door is gone. Fear shoots through me as I glance around the room but I’m alone. His promise that this wasn’t over haunts me all night as I toss and turn while trying to find some sleep but it’s as elusive as my sanity is right now.
CHAPTER SIX
HIM
My face is sweaty behind the mask and I take ten deep breaths. “I’m rich.” The words echo through the forest and I focus on th
e female voice that cries for help. Removing the mask I follow the voice. “I’m rich.” It comes from my left and I see her. A woman in her early forties is sitting on the ground.
“What happened?” I ask while helping her up.
Why was she alone? “Did no one catch you?”
“Yes, I was caught, but Fredrick like every time comes too quick.” So I was alone when someone robbed my jewelry the same as last week.”
So this must have been the awkward person who Mary was referring to. Instead of asking her why she was wearing jewelry or why she wore it after being robbed last week, instead, I ask her did she get a look at who did it.
“He was young and blond and when he was running away, he displayed a limp.” The woman shivers now. The air has turned colder and if you aren’t active, you feel it.
“Which way did he run?”
She points off to the left.
I nod. “You go back to the house, I’ll take a look.”
She smiles and I watch her walk away. I wasn’t sure I believed her. She didn’t seem that worried about her jewelry, but I start walking in the direction she had pointed. Anything at all that would take my mind off Cara. I see movement up ahead, but it could be one of the other members. Slipping back on my mask, I want to give them the illusion of privacy. A leg clad in white jeans hangs out from behind a tree. I move as quietly as possible, first thinking I could slip by and secondly wondering what the hell he was thinking of wearing white jeans. The guy’s alone leaning against the tree holding a ring up to the light. The blond hair and youthful face has me grinning. She wasn’t lying.
He pulls the ring back when he notices me and stuffs it in his jeans pocket before rising. “What’s up, man?” He juts out his chin in my direction in greeting.
“Give me the jewelry back and this will go no further.”
“What are you going to do? Ring the Gardaí.” He grins and something in the way he smiles triggers a memory.
“Jake? Jake Harper,” I say his name as I slide the mask off my face.
He stares at me a moment before his grin turns into a full smile. “Gerald are you fucking kidding me.” He slaps my arm. “What the fuck are you doing out here? You’re not banging one of the oldies? You have no idea what I had to watch while waiting to snatch that geebags jewelry.”
I glance around me to make sure no one is overhearing this conversation. Jake Harper was trouble with a capital T. But during my childhood, he was the only good thing I had.
I grin. “I’m their security.”
He sniggers. “You must have some stories to tell.” He leans back. “Jesus it’s been so long.”
“Yeah, it has.”
“I heard you went to Australia.”
I had, but no matter where I ran, I couldn’t run fast enough. “Yeah, for a while and I came back. What about you? Besides robbing people.”
He laughs. “A little bit of this and a little bit of that.”
“Come on up to the house. We can chat.”
He narrows his eyes. “Are you sure man?”
“He’s dead.”
“Yeah, I know, but I just never thought I’d see you around this place again.” He shrugs.
“You going to get all sentimental on me?” I quiz and he grins. “I’ll also need the jewelry back.”
“Seriously?” he digs out the ring and places it in my open hand before we head back to the house. The moment it comes into view I think of Cara.
Instead of bringing Jake to the house I take him to the club. “I’ve got a few things to take care of, but why don’t you go ahead and enjoy yourself. It’s on me,” I tell him.
“You’re fucking with me?” He leans back staring at me like it’s his first time seeing me. “This is yours?”
“We’ll talk later.”
He’s already halfway in the door, his eyes bugging out of his head. He’s looking at the women and nods. “Okay.” He bobs his head to the music as he walks through the doors. Linda glances at me and I nod at Jake, she nods back and I leave her to take care of him.
***
I leave the ring in the drawer of my desk as I open my laptop to view the cameras. Her room is empty; I click over to the one in the bathroom that’s facing the shower. I can’t see her through the steamed glass but her outline is there as she washes herself. I watch her for a while until my door opens and Linda steps in.
“Was that Jake Harper you left in my hands?” Linda is never animated but right now there is a spark in her eyes that I hadn’t seen in a long time, but Jake had a habit of making people feel that way. Closing the laptop I grin at Linda.
“I found him in the forest robbing our clients.”
Linda’s laughter is quick, but she fights a grin.
“He called her a geebag.”
More laughter bubbles up Linda’s throat and it’s a weird sound. It’s been a long time since I heard her laughter. Her eyes dim like she knows laughing for her is weird.
“So what’s he doing?”
She sits down in the chair across from me. “I had to stop him from grinding himself on Wendy.” She’s fighting a smile again. “He’s trouble Gerald; you shouldn’t have brought him here.”
“He’s only having a little fun,” I say.
Linda shakes her head. “You know what I mean. I’m not talking about him being at the club. I’m talking about him being in our lives.”
She was right and I knew it. “Let him blow off some steam. We’ll have a chat and I’m sure he’ll disappear.”
Linda looks doubtful but rises, all the earlier happiness is gone, she was back to being her usual business self.
“I checked on Cara earlier.” She tilts her head and waits for me to speak, but I don’t.
“She had a chair under her bedroom door that I removed.”
She wants to ask what happened, but she won’t ask. When I continue to lean back in my chair, she changes the subject.
“We have a problem in the club. The reason I actually came here.”
I sit up now. “What is it?”
“It’s Wendy. She’s drinking on the job again.”
I sit forward and place my hands on the desk. “Take care of it.”
Linda pushes her seat back in towards the desk. “She won’t listen to me, but she might with you. She’s our best dancer.”
Cara will be. I keep that to myself.
“I’ll get changed.”
“I’ll keep Jake entertained.” She speaks as she walks away but I can hear some of the humor back in her voice.
***
I didn’t bother with a tie, only the suit and shirt. The club is alive tonight. I scan all the faces but don’t see Jake. He could be in the back. My focus is Wendy. Her red, fiery hair bounces up and down as she laughs while taking a sip of a drink. She’s with two clients; one holds her hand lightly, the other touches her leg. Her laughter and easy posture would suggest she is loving the attention, but the drink in her hand is saying otherwise. Normally I would fire anyone who was drinking on the job but there was always an exception and Wendy, in this case, was it.
I wait until one of the men leaves to use the bathroom before I step in.
“Excuse us just a moment.” I hold out my hand for Wendy to take and she eyes it wearily, but takes it. “I’ll have her back to you shortly.” The balding man doesn’t look happy as he sits back and drinks his half glass of whiskey.
“Let me get you another,” I say and he softens a bit. I stop by the bar.
“Another for the gentleman over there.” I nudge in their direction with my head. I’ve noticed that Wendy hasn’t released my hand. “Keep them refilled. It’s on the house.” That should keep them sweet for a while. We walk away leaving Simon to take care of the two men. Damien’s eyebrows raise slightly as we approach but the moment we pass he straightens and faces forward.
The noise of the club ceases as we enter the hallway and I check the doors to find a free room. The second on the left is empty and I take Wendy in.
“Is this where you take advantage of me?” she asks, dipping her head and looking at me from under her lashes.
“That depends.”
My answer surprises her and she narrows her eyes slightly. “Don’t tease me, Gerald.”
Her voice holds a vulnerability that I could use.
“I’m not. I’m worried about you.”
The stupid words have her laughing. I wasn’t worried about her. I was worried about my profits. A good thing she didn’t know they were mine.
“I am stressed and I could think of a few ways we could destress.” She walks towards me like there’s music playing, it’s slow and seductive. She doesn’t stop until her hands rest on my chest.
“You need to stop drinking,” I say while removing her hands from me. I don’t release her hands even as she tries to pull away.
“That’s none of your fucking business.”
I tighten my grip. “Linda knows you like me and she asked me to talk to you.” Each word is the truth, sometimes adding the truth in with lies helps. It just blurs everything until it all becomes truthful.
She pulls her hands again and this time I let her go. “God, she’s a nosy bitch.” The drink is giving her courage.
“Don’t let her hear you say that,” I say sitting on the bed.
Wendy bites her lip and takes a step towards me. “Okay, I’ll cut back.” She steps up to me and nudges my leg with hers. I widen mine and she steps in between them before sinking to the floor. “You need to do more than cut back,” I say.
She exhales loudly. “Fine, I’ll stop drinking at the club.” She reaches for the zipper of my trousers, but I stop her by taking her face in my hand, making her look at me.
“You need to give me your word Wendy.” I dip my head close to hers.
