The Choice

by Alice Ward

  Holding his gaze, I cocked my head like I was thinking about his proposition, and smiled a cold, practiced smile. “Since you put it that way, let me check my bag, make sure they stocked me up for the night.”

  “Mmm.” Jack cupped his erection and rubbed, turning my stomach again. “Don’t take too long, sweetheart.”

  I snapped open the bag and barely held back a gasp when I saw the tiny .22 pistol. Love for my friend gushed into my heart. I’d misjudged Brandy. She’d risked everything to give me a way out. Both Jewel and Jack had enough money to bury both me and Brandy in prison for the rest of our lives, but I had to take the chance that I could use what resources might still be available to me to change that. I had to get out. For them. All of them.

  “Come here and kneel in front of me, and I’ll show you what I want you to do,” Jack ordered, his patience gone. He unzipped his pants and pulled his rigid penis free. “Take my dick in your mouth.” He spread his legs as he played with himself.

  I wanted to laugh, had to bite my lip so I didn’t. If this man wasn’t set on raping me, it would be a riot. But my stomach rolled with nausea as I watched his wrinkled sausage fingers yank on his tiny erection.

  “Didn’t your wife just have a baby? What is he, like three months or something?” I asked as if I was making casual conversation, trying to ignore him cranking up his engine.

  “What the hell does that matter?” His face flushed red and he squirmed as he continued to pump on his micro dick.

  “Because I wonder how that can possibly be true with a dick that small.”

  “You fucking whore.” He stopped stroking and looked at me like I was insane.

  “Wrong, Jack.” I stuck my hand in the clutch and wrapped it around the gun. “I’m not a whore.” He lunged for my skirt and missed when I took a step back. “And if I don’t walk out of this room this instant, I’ll let everyone, your wife first, know what you do to women.” Then I pulled out the gun and pointed it right at him.

  His eyes bulged so big he looked like one of those ducks you got out of the quarter machines — just squeeze and their eyes popped out of their heads. “What the fuck!”

  I didn’t even blink. “Call the guard, Jack. Tell him to let me out.”

  He stared at me, weaving, clearly weighing his options, wondering if I’d pull the trigger or not. “And if I don’t?”

  “Then I get to see if your brain is as small as your dick. I don’t have much left to lose, now do I?” God, I had so much to lose, and I hadn’t even realized it.

  “Guard!”

  “Tell him I’m free to go back to my apartment.”

  The guard opened the door, expressionless, unable to see the gun I dropped to my side.

  Jack didn’t even bother to put away his pecker. “I’ve changed my mind about her. Send her back to her apartment.” The instant before I stepped away, he growled low in his throat, “If you contact my wife, your boyfriend’s business will suffer.”

  I didn’t bother answering his threat, but wondered what he’d done to Roman. Was it because of me?

  I walked casually down the hallway, the gun hidden in the folds of the cape. When I turned the corner, I pulled my hood up over my head, my hand still clutching the cool metal. Then I kept my head down and concentrated on not limping, praying I’d blend in enough with the other girls to make it out, if I had to walk all the way down the mountain.

  The dim theater still was teaming with life, Jewels having cocktails and chatting with their patrons. Some clients liked to pretend they were on a date. They’d take their Jewel to the pleasure rooms later in the evening as if they were a couple.

  I flattened myself against the curtain to the side of the stage and hid in the dark as I looked around for an escape route. Backstage was empty and pitch black except for the bright red exit sign in the corner. I didn’t breathe, just focused on getting to the small red sign.

  As soon as I was outside, I breathed deep of the cold mountain air. I thought about going back to apartment to get my stuff, but there wasn’t enough time. That would be the first place they’d look.

  I walked to the back of the property and into the woods, where the girls often went hiking on a pretty day. I could never join them, I’d have never made it far with my leg the way it was. But now I had to make it down the mountain.

  After taking only a few steps, I realized how impossible it was. I’d never make it. My leg was already pulsating.

  Even as I considered my own predicament, I thought about my friend. There was no telling when someone would realize that Brandy had given me the gun. Shame washed over me. All this time I thought she was only looking out for herself and Jewel, and I hadn’t even considered all that these vile men had probably done to her. Who knew what they would do to her now.

  If rape was acceptable, what about murder? I thought of the Jewel who had been found with a suicide note. Had she really taken her own life?

  A sob tried to break out of my throat, and I swallowed it back. Tonight, I would get out of here and do everything in my power to help my friend and any Jewel who wanted to escape.

  Shaking as I finally started to feel the cold, I stuck my free hand back in my pocket and my hand closed around something. I gasped as I realized what it was — my phone. Yanking it out, I powered it on, intent on calling 911.

  I began to dial, then stopped to consider the ramifications. Janis and all the Jewels would be sent to jail for prostitution. I just couldn’t bring myself to throw that indignity on top of everything else.

  Tears marched down my face as I put my hand back in my pocket, and my fingers touched the cool, crisp edges of a business card with raised, embossed lettering.

  Roman.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Roman

  Irritation bubbled up in my gut when the phone rang.

  I looked down at my phone on the leather seat beside me and didn’t recognize the number. The driver had just taken the last turn before my driveway. Whatever the call was about, it could wait till morning.

  After letting the call go to voicemail, a ding alerted that the caller had left a message. With my family scattered all over the globe, there was no telling what time it was with any of them. Curiosity got the best of me, so I tapped the voicemail button.

  “Hi, I’m sorry to bother you,” a familiar husky voice said, breathless and frantic. “I… I’m from Jewel, it’s… the Butterfly.” Her voice was shaking, even though it sounded like she was making a great effort to remain calm.

  Something must have happened. Jack must have happened. Fuck.

  I didn’t bother to listen to the rest of the message. With fear clutching my guts into a tiny ball, I pressed the call button and she answered in less than one ring.

  I let out a silent breath. “Hi, It’s Roman. What can I do?” I forced myself to stay calm, even though it seemed like there was ice creeping throughout my limbs.

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t call you, but I didn’t know who else to reach out to,” she said so low I could barely hear her.

  “It’s okay. I’m here. I’m listening.” I needed her to calm down, but I felt my own anxiety peak as I tapped on the glass between the driver and me. The electric partition lowered. “Stop the car, please.”

  “The man you saw me with last night.” The words tripped out of her mouth at rocket speed.

  “Yes, Jack Marshall, I know him.” I was sure that after this conversation, knowing him was going to be more of a strain than ever.

  “They told me you wanted to see me again, so I went to the room and it was him. He was going to force me, and I just ran. I’m in the woods, but they’re going to find me sooner or later.” Having spoken the whole story in only one breath, she gasped for air and I could hear her feet moving through the dry leaves on the ground.

  “Where are you? I’m coming to get you.” I motioned Warren to turn around. “Go back to Jewel as fast as you can. I don’t care about the speed limit, I’ll pay whatever penalty. It’s an emergen
cy.”

  Warren understood and turned the car around, squealing tires. If I ever wondered what kind of pick up a Rolls Royce Ghost had, I was getting quite a performance. We were flying over the deserted mountain roads. I hoped my driver had experience racing and made a mental note to purchase him some driving gloves for Christmas, if only as a joke.

  “I’m still at the Jewel compound, in the woods behind the main building.” Her voice had settled some, and she seemed more composed.

  “I’m on my way, but stay on the phone with me. It’ll be another twenty minutes before I can get to you. If for some reason they find you or threaten you in any way while we’re on the phone, don’t hang up. I’ll call 911.” I kept my tone soft and reassuring.

  “No,” she whispered frantically. “You can’t call the police. Brandy, all the girls, they’ll all be arrested.”

  And all the men would buy their way out more than likely, including Jack. A wave of heat burned through my chest. “Okay, I understand. Now, tell me where I can find you.”

  “I can meet you at the bungalows. They’re on the other side of the compound from where the theater is located. I can get there through the woods. They’re used for guests who spend the weekend. You’ll have to tell the guard at the gate that you’re here for ‘a weekend of domestic bliss,’ exactly those words and they’ll give you a blue-colored parking pass.”

  When I was finished with Jack Marshall, there wouldn’t be much left of him. Sweating, I opened the window for some air, closing my eyes as the icy breeze hit my face.

  “You can drive up to the bungalow. I’ll be behind bungalow eight — it’s the one at the top of the hill, the most secluded. I think we have several guests staying up there this weekend, so it shouldn’t raise any red flags if you’re driving on the compound.” She sounded more herself now, the sassy girl in a mask who’d rebuffed me unapologetically.

  “Okay, we’re driving there now,” I assured her.

  “I’m going to walk over there. It may take me a little while with the uneven ground.”

  “Take your time.” I wondered how well she could walk in the woods with her injured leg. “Can you make it? If you can’t, stay put and I’ll—”

  “I’ll make it, Roman.” This time her voice was loud and clear.

  I was frantic to get to her, and it amazed me that just the sound of her voice —sure and unafraid — made my cock stir. This sexy, amazing creature had reached out to me, hadn’t rebuffed me tonight like I’d been told. Relief surged through me followed by lightning bolts of desire at the mere idea of having her body in my presence. I tried to tame my thoughts, but it was nearly impossible.

  “This’ll all be over soon,” I said, wanting nothing more than to hold her in my arms and assure her I wouldn’t let anyone cause her harm.

  “Yes, it will most certainly.” She was obviously eluding to something other than her flight through the woods, and I determined right then to help her any way I could. Her breathing became more labored, suggesting the effort the walk was taking.

  “Can you make it to the bungalows?” I asked, concerned.

  “I’ll be fine.” But her voice cracked, and I suspected this was harder for her than she would ever let on.

  I kept talking just to take her mind off her struggle. “They told me you didn’t want to see me, that you were occupied. If I’d known this was going to happen, I never would have left the compound.”

  “Jack’s been offering to purchase me for a while. I kept refusing. I don’t take clients. I’m not a…” Her voice cracked at the end, squeezing my heart.

  “It’s okay, we don’t need to go over it. I know what an ass Jack is. He’s been my rival for years. I should’ve known when he challenged me tonight something was up. Do you mind if I ask you a question?” The muscles in my neck tightened, as I didn’t feel I had the right to ask, but I needed to know. I swallowed down the knot forming in my throat.

  She hesitated for a moment. “What would you like to know?”

  “Just your name, please.” Calling her Butterfly didn’t feel right, and truth be known, I was desperate to know her name.

  There was silence on the other end that stretched on. “I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you everything, but not yet. The battery on my phone is nearly dead.”

  “Good enough.” I exhaled and the tightness in my chest released some.

  We continued to speak to pass the time as my driver drove at breakneck speeds. She was calm and brave, and I was able to get to know a little more about her. She’d only been working at Jewel for a short time, and it was a friend of hers who’d gotten her the job after falling on hard times when her relationship ended. It was Brandy who she was worried about most, almost to the point of hysteria, even though the woman had apparently set her up.

  “You’re so completely shrouded in mystery. Will you tell me why?”

  She hesitated, her breathing becoming harder. “I didn’t want anyone knowing where I worked or who I was. I’ll fill you in on the rest later. You’ll be very surprised.” As she’d been last night, she was a delight, even while making her escape through the woods.

  I supposed Jewel would be an ideal place to hide and support yourself if you could stomach it. Within dark corners of high society, it was a coveted privilege to have a membership to Jewel, as the club was so exclusive and had such a long waiting list it was often years before someone was granted membership. That’s why patrons like Duk had to go through me, they rarely had an opportunity to get their own membership. Those of us who were members were allowed up to four guests per visit as long as we made reservations.

  I’d never realized that there could be a dark side to the reasons Jewel kept the women who worked there so guarded. I’d thought it was for their own protection, but I now suspected there were things going on at Jewel that would make even a brothel look bad.

  “We’ve reached the gate,” I told her and set the phone on the seat beside me before waving my membership card at the guard. “I’m here for a weekend of domestic bliss.”

  “Welcome back, Mr. Wellington. Let me alert the staff that you’ve returned.” He knocked on the driver’s window and handed him a blue placard.

  Panic flared. Her absence had probably already been noted, so my return would definitely raise suspicions. I wasn’t sure if this was going to work, but I had to try.

  “No need to alert anyone, I know where I’m headed. I just stepped out to pick up a few things that even Jewel doesn’t keep in stock.” I punctuated this with a devilish smile, hoping he would catch on and think I was such a pervert I used toys that were rare and not found at Jewel.

  His eyes lit up with a wicked gleam. “I understand. Let us know if you should need anything, sir. I’ll be sure to have your vehicle license plate added to the extended stay list. Will you need accommodations for your driver?”

  “No, my driver will be exiting and entering as needed. He’s just dropping me off now. It would be so much easier if you could just leave the gate open for a few moments.” I pulled out a wad of cash and tucked it into his hand under the clipboard.

  The guard fisted the money and nodded. “I will make note of that. Have a good night, sir.” He pulled out an iPad and started tapping at the screen.

  Leaning back in my seat, I raised the window as if nothing out of the ordinary was happening. My insides, however, were a riot of stress. Who knew what he was tapping out.

  I just needed to get to her.

  As soon as we were a distance from the guard booth, I spoke to the driver. “We’re heading up the hill. Don’t stop for anyone if they flag us down or try to stop us, just keep going.” I was prepared for the worst.

  He nodded and drove with a steady hand on the wheel. I made another mental note to add a nice bonus to those driving gloves.

  I picked up the phone. “We’re through. Be there soon.”

  She didn’t answer, and I looked at the screen to find it black. Her battery must have died. At least I hoped that was all it was
.

  In the distance, I could see headlights flare up near the entrance of the club. I had to find her fast. We had driven halfway up the hill when the lights were rounding the corner at the bottom of the street. I could see the bungalows ahead, but knew we were most likely headed for a face-to-face altercation.

  The driver stopped the car at the end of the street in front of bungalow eight, and I jumped out. I watched the shadows, and tapped the redial button on my phone.

  Straight to voicemail. Damn.

  “It’s Roman,” I called, my heart thudding a staccato in my throat.

  I listened. Watched. Waited.

  But there was only silence.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Adara

  When my cell phone died, a sliver of my confidence died with it.

  I stayed hidden deep in the woods behind the bungalows until I saw what I hoped was Roman’s car come through the main gate, which was the only way on or off campus.

  It had taken a lot of effort to get here, as the wooded area off of the paved pathway was very rocky and steep. So my leg throbbed and threatened to give out under me when I moved again. But I hadn’t been able to risk being on any of the interconnected walkways that laced through Jewel’s buildings. While the wooded paths were designed to be discreet enough to give an illusion of seclusion, they were heavily monitored through a network of cameras mounted behind light posts along the way. I knew the cameras would be able to see anyone within a wide periphery, despite the dim lighting, so I stayed far away from them.

  As I limped into the tiny yard behind bungalow eight, I kept a lookout for cars driving around the compound. As I watched, I noticed flashlights bobbing around the perimeter of the theater. I wondered if we would be allowed out the gate. While it had only been about twenty minutes since I fled, they’d already launched a search.

  When I saw the black car stop at the top of the hill, I prayed it was Roman and not security.

  A great sense of relief made tears well up when a man with dark hair got out of the car. Roman. He was so tall, wrapped in a long wool coat and as handsome as I’d remembered. My heart swelled, and I had to remind myself that we still had to get past the security guards, and I may have put Roman in danger along with me. I didn’t know the lengths to which these people would go.