by B. B. Hamel
“This is good,” she said.
“It’s the same thing I always make.”
“I know. But you did a good job this time.”
I laughed, pressing myself close to her. I felt so normal, so strangely normal, even though nothing about this situation was remotely normal.
“I think it’s extra good because you’re eating it in bed.”
“That’s a good point.”
“The same bed that you got fucked in last night until you could barely walk.”
“Also a good point. But I think I can walk just fine.”
“I haven’t seen evidence of that yet.”
“Just because I haven’t walked doesn’t mean I can’t.”
“I think you’re stalling. I think you’re unable to walk because I dominated you last night.”
“I have a tray in my lap. I can’t just get up.”
“More excuses.”
She laughed and flung a bit of egg at me. “Keep it up and I’ll make an even bigger mess.”
I grinned at her. “I don’t mind sleeping in eggs.”
“Gross.”
“They’re delicious.”
“You’re a big gross man.” She kissed my lips gently. “Now let me eat.”
I sat back and sipped my steaming coffee while she went back to eating. For the first time in maybe a long time, I felt like I was at peace, like my life was normal. For as long as I could remember, mornings were for nursing a hangover or for getting rid of whatever skank ass girl I brought home the night before. I never just sat in bed and enjoyed someone’s company like this, mostly because I never had someone that I wanted to be around.
I didn’t want that moment to end. I wanted to stay in bed with her, drinking coffee while she ate, just watching her and feeling right. I wanted to stay comfortable for the rest of my life just like this.
But that was a child’s dream. I knew life wasn’t really like that. I knew I couldn’t just lay in bed all day with this gorgeous girl, fucking and laughing and feeling free, not with the mafia out there. I wasn’t the kind of man that really wanted to slow down, anyway. I knew this moment had to end sooner or later, and I had to be okay with that. Otherwise, I was no better than every other pathetic asshole that couldn’t take life by the balls and own it.
As I sat there watching her, I suddenly heard a knock at the door. She looked at me, eyes wide.
“Up,” I ordered, leaping to action.
Peaceful moments like that are so rare and they end faster than you can even imagine.
She moved the tray aside, spilling her coffee. “Don’t worry, just move,” I said to her.
She quickly went around the bed and into her room. I grabbed her clothes from the living room and tossed them in at her. She quickly changed into her old dirty clothes and gave me the clean ones. Whoever was at the door knocked again, impatiently. I quickly kissed her on the lips before shutting the door and locking it.
My stomach hurt as soon as the bolt closed, trapping her in that room again. I hated locking her up but we had no other choice.
I went to the door, heart beating fast. I opened it up and Drago stood there, arms crossed, looking annoyed.
“What are you doing here?” I asked him.
“Gennaro sent me.” He stepped inside quickly. “He wants to see the girl.”
“What?”
“He wants to see the girl. We’re transporting her.”
“You fucking kidding me?”
“No, I’m not. Unfortunately.”
“It’s the middle of the morning. You want to just drag this girl outside?”
“Yes,” he said seriously. “It’s a mafia neighborhood. You know they won’t say anything.”
“Fuck,” I said.
“Come on, asshole. Get the girl. I don’t have all day for this shit.”
I paused, not sure what to do, but I knew I had no choice. If Gennaro wanted to see her, we had to go. I couldn’t avoid it and I knew this would happen sooner or later.
“Fine,” I said, and went into my bedroom. I grabbed the rope and a pillowcase then unlocked Jodie’s door. Drago barged into her room
“Get up,” he ordered.
She stood, eyes wide, glancing at me.
“Turn around,” I said to her.
She turned. Drago grabbed her wrists and roughly tied them behind her back. “Gennaro is going to like you,” he whispered in her ear then grinned at me. “Come on.” He roughly pushed her along, out of the door.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
Drago shoved her, nearly knocking her to the ground. I stepped up behind him and was about to make a move when Jodie caught my eye and shook her head slightly.
“We’re going to see your fucking owner,” Drago said. “Dante, cover her head.”
I pulled the pillowcase over her head.
“Let’s make this fast,” I said. “I don’t need to deal with this shit.”
“You think I want to?” Drago grinned at me. “Come on, bitch. Let’s go.”
He pushed Jodie along and I followed them. On our way out, I grabbed my gun from the kitchen counter, slipping it into my jeans, and then caught up with them as they went down the hall.
We marched toward the elevator, Jodie with a bag over her head, and anger welling up inside of me.
Chapter 21
Jodie
I could see light and shapes through the pillowcase, but nothing else. That bastard Drago kept shoving me along, barely guiding me, and I bashed my shins into corners at least twice.
They took me down the elevator and out front. I reflected that it was the first time I’d been outside since this all happened, but of course I couldn’t enjoy it. I was hustled down some pavement and into a car, shoved into the back seat, and then we were driving.
I couldn’t do a thing. I had seen the look on Dante’s face, and I knew what he wanted. If it were up to him, he would have killed Drago back there, but I stopped him. I knew he understood me when I shook my head at him and I knew that he’d respect my decision for whatever reason.
That just wasn’t the time to make his move. There are too many unknowns still at play in our situation and I couldn’t let Dante blow everything by attacking Drago out of anger. I was okay and I could handle some more. I wasn’t sure Dante could handle it, though.
Drago and Dante didn’t talk as we drove. I guessed we drove for maybe ten minutes before pulling over. Someone got out of the car then helped me out of the back, and I guessed it was Dante based on how gentle he was being. I almost wanted to tell him to push me around a little bit, but I knew he wouldn’t do it.
When I was finally on the sidewalk, I heard the car disappear. “I’ll get you through this,” Dante said softly.
“Don’t fight them,” I said.
“I can’t promise that.”
“Dante. Listen to me. Don’t fight them. This isn’t the time.”
“If they’re trying to take you, I’m going to fight.”
I chewed my lip and wished I could see him. I wanted to kiss him so badly, tell him everything was going to be okay, but I knew that was crazy. He was the one that wanted to comfort me, I could tell, but I wasn’t having any of it.
“If that’s the case, we’ll figure it out. But don’t do anything stupid. They’re going to maybe do horrible things to me, say some things, push me around. Keep it together.”
He grunted. “We’ll get through this. I promise.”
“I know we will. I trust you.”
“Good. Come on, I have you take you inside now.”
“Okay.”
He took my arm and led me down a concrete pathway. We ended up at a door, which he opened and gently moved me inside as he closed the door behind us.
I guessed we just went through a side door or maybe a back door, but I couldn’t really be sure. I could smell meat and hear some machines, so I guessed we were in some kind of grocery store, maybe a bodega, I couldn’t tell.
We walked throug
h another room and finally Dante stopped me. “Gennaro,” he said.
I heard a chair push back. “Ah,” he said. “I forgot what she looked like.” He laughed. “Take that bag off.”
Dante pulled it over my head. I blinked for a second before focusing on the scene in front of me.
We were in a back office. Gennaro was standing behind a desk, smiling at me appraisingly. I remembered him from the day my parents were killed, and anger and disgust welled up inside of me all over again. The room was lit by a single fluorescent overhead lamp, and there were books and papers piled all over. There was a small black and white television showing shots of what I assumed was the outside of the building we were in.
“Do you know why you’re here?” Gennaro asked me.
I shook my head.
He looked at Dante. “Drago didn’t say?”
“Typical Drago,” Dante replied.
“You’re getting some beauty shots, my dear,” Gennaro said, looking back at me.
“Beauty shots?” Dante asked.
“This shit is all run online these days, and you need good pictures to get customers. I decided it’s best to get those pictures now, before you’ve had a chance to really break her.” Gennaro laughed loudly.
I glanced at Dante. His face was tight and drawn, but he said nothing.
“Well, come on,” he said. He came around the desk then stopped. “Oh, Dante. The rope isn’t necessary in here.”
He nodded and untied me. When I was finished, Gennaro took my arm and led us out back into a larger back room. There were supplies and boxes all over, and I guessed we were in some kind of deli based on the stuff I was seeing.
Revulsion crept down my arm and spine. I hated that Gennaro was touching me, but I knew that I couldn’t do anything about it. I had to keep playing along or else things could get really bad. I had to pretend like Dante really had broken me and play the obedient sex slave.
Gennaro led us through another room and down a flight of stairs into the basement area. Set up along the back wall was a white background. A photographer was setting up his camera and testing the lights while a woman leafed through a rack of dresses.
“Jodie, this is Leanne, my wife,” Gennaro said. “She’ll take care of you.”
“Hi, sweetie,” Leanne said.
“What kind of pictures are we talking about here?” Dante asked Gennaro.
“Normal shit. Nothing pervy. We’ll put her in some hot dresses, make it real classy.”
He nodded, his face drawn. “They’ll eat that shit up. Just look at her. Don’t need to show too much.”
“You’re right,” Gennaro said, laughing. “She’s pretty gorgeous. You should be thanking me for handing her to you.”
“Sure,” Dante grunted.
“Go ahead, Jodie. Go get dressed.”
I nodded and walked over to Leanne. She was probably in her forties and definitely had the face of a smoker. She was way too done-up and wore clothes that revealed way too much. She looked like she should be the hooker, not me, but I didn’t have much say in that.
She picked out a dress and led me behind a screen where I put it on. The thing was tight, contoured to my body, with cutouts up along the sides. It showed off my ass and breasts, and I really felt like a whore wearing it.
“Come here,” Leanne said when it was on. She started to do my makeup, using way too much, but I didn’t say a word. When she was done, I looked at myself in a mirror, and nearly gagged at what I saw.
I looked like the sex slave they wanted me to be.
I turned away and gathered myself. Leanne put a hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t be nervous, honey,” she said. “You got a great figure. Guys will line up for it.”
I wanted to slap her stupid, disgusting face. How could a woman put another woman through this?
Instead I turned back around, nodded, and let her lead me in front of the camera.
Dante and Gennaro were standing off to the side. Drago had appeared along with a couple other guys I didn’t recognized. They were all staring at me with starving looks on their faces, all except Dante.
He just looked disgusted and angry.
The next couple hours were a blur. The photographer directed me and I did my best to listen, bending over, pressing my breasts together, looking into the camera with a sultry expression. He didn’t make me strip at all, but I might as well have been naked. Leanne changed me into a few more outfits, each as bad the first one, finally ending with a tiny bra and matching panty set.
I felt exposed with all those male gazes on me, but I powered through. The men made a few lewd comments, but nothing too bad, probably because they were too afraid of Gennaro to risk messing up the photo shoot. Dante stayed in the corner, arms crossed, looking pissed as hell but not saying a word at least.
Picture after picture was snapped of me, mouth open, mouth closed, breasts together, ass out, bending over, every single angle. I felt like a piece of meat or something, and I knew that this was only a taste of what my life would be like as a real sex slave.
This was the easy part. If they really took me and forced me into this life, things would be much, much worse.
I wanted to wrap myself in Dante’s sheets and never come back out from underneath them. I wanted to stay hidden away in his bed for the rest of my life, but I kept on. I let the men stare at me, let them tell me what to do, let them take pictures of me. They were just pictures and they were just words.
They couldn’t destroy me.
I had to be strong. I really had no other choice. If I broke down now then everything would be lost and we’d have nothing to show for it.
Finally, the photographer looked at Gennaro. “I think we have it,” he said.
“Fine,” Gennaro said. “Boys, back upstairs, you fucking perverts.”
The other guys laughed and headed back up as Leanne took me back behind the screen. She gave me a more conservative pair of shorts and a t-shirt, smiling at me.
“Here sweetie. Your other stuff was filthy.”
“Oh,” I said. “Thanks.”
“Sure.” She smiled and then started packing up the clothing.
One tiny gesture of kindness didn’t make up for the fact that she was complicit in this.
When I was dressed, Gennaro came over and took me by the arm.
“You did great,” he said. “Real sexy. Gorgeous. Guys are going to love you, you know that? You have that cute and sexy look, very good girl, know what I mean?”
I didn’t respond. I was too busy watching Dante.
He was fuming.
He followed Gennaro and I back up the stairs and into the back storeroom. Gennaro released my arms and turned to Dante.
“You’re doing good, kid,” he said. “Keep this up. She’s real gorgeous and listens well.”
“She’s smart,” Dante said.
“Good. If she’s really smart, she’ll keep on listening. Now tie her up and get her out of here.” Gennaro grabbed the rope from his office, tossed it to Dante, then disappeared and shut the door behind him.
Dante took my arms and tied my hands behind my back, “Almost done,” he whispered in my ear just before he pulled the pillowcase over my head.
I felt disgusting, like there was a layer of dirt and grime over my skin. Dante called out for Drago, and ten minutes later we were back in the car, heading home.
I survived it. Barely, but I survived it. The memory of being paraded in front of that camera, half-naked and degraded was going to haunt me for the rest of my life, but at least I survived it. I was strong enough to get through that, which wasn’t something I knew about myself before.
Drago talked the whole ride back to Dante’s place about the photo shoot, but Dante never replied. If I didn’t have the bag over my head, I’m sure I would have seen total disgust and anger clear on Dante’s face. Instead, I had to listen to Drago talk about how he loved the way my tits looked in the second outfit, which made me want to vomit.
&n
bsp; Finally, we got back to Dante’s place. Dante didn’t let Drago come up with us as he led me back into the building. Once we were inside and in the elevator, Dante took the hood off my head.
“Dante,” I said.
He untied my hands then hugged me tight. I hugged him back, feeling so disgusting that it was impossible to explain.
“We’re almost home,” he said.
“I need to change.”
“Okay,” he said.
“That was disgusting,” I said. “That woman was disgusting. Those people. How could they do this to someone?”
“I don’t know,” he said, anger tense in his voice. “But that won’t ever happen to you again. I’m so fucking sorry that I didn’t kill them all.”
“It’s not your fault. I told you not to.”
“Never again. I’ll kill them or die before that happens again.”
“Okay,” I whispered. We reached his floor then Dante led me down the hall and into his apartment.
Immediately I went into the bathroom, shut the door, and locked it. I knew he wouldn’t like that, but I couldn’t have him in here with me. I turned on the shower, stripped down, and climbed in.
I dropped down onto the shower floor, letting the water rinse off me, as I sobbed.
I was so angry and disgusted with myself. I couldn’t believe I was in this position, that these men wanted to us me for sex against my will. That photo shoot was so gross, so horrendous, and I couldn’t even begin to explain to Dante how degraded and violated I felt.
I didn’t blame him. I couldn’t blame him. He didn’t know what was going to happen and I had convinced him to do nothing. That didn’t make it any better, of course. I still felt disgusting.
I sat on the shower floor, letting the water wash over me, as I cried hard into my hands.
Chapter 22
Dante
After listening to her cry in the shower for an hour, I knew I had no other choice.
I had to make a move, and I had to do it as soon as possible.
For the first time since she came into my life, I didn’t try anything on her. She came out of the shower eventually, but I could tell that she was still fragile even though she had a smile on her face. That smile was bullshit and totally for my own benefit. We got takeout Korean and watched old romantic comedies all night until she finally fell asleep next to me on the couch.
