“Will you excuse us for a minute, please?” I nodded at Mary. Liam’s hand felt too warm in mine but I dragged him behind me to the kitchen.
“Are you trying to be an ass? Oh, I forget that just comes naturally to you!” I snapped. He stepped close to me and put the wine glass down. “I’m not trying to be anything, Norah. But if you keep this up I will show you and everyone at this party what an ass I can be.” I pushed him back and against the table behind him. “This isn’t your show, Hastings! This is mine! You need to take a backseat tonight, just this once! Do you think you can manage that?”
“A backseat? I haven’t had a seat at all lately, Norah. You have shut me out. You leave before me, come home after dinner. I think I have seen you a few times in passing as I shower or you go for a run.”
“What about the midnight beating I took in the basement? Does that count as a passing?”
“You’re angry because you don’t control my schedule anymore, admit it! You’re angry that something else is more important than you at the moment.” I stopped to let him say something, but changed my mind and started up again. “And just to show me you still make all the decisions…that you still have the control in this relationship…you took me down to the basement and beat the shit out of me to prove it to me and yourself! Believe me I know what an ass you can be! My ass still feels it every time I sit down.” He smirked.
“So let’s be clear. You know your job is taking you away from me, you know I’m not happy and hate this new schedule and yet here you are working your little heart out to get a permanent gig so you can do this shit all the time. Did I get anything wrong?” He took a sip of his wine.
“Yes, I know you’re unhappy. And if that was unclear, the little ‘fuck me in front of the driver’ show cleared that right up for me. Thanks for that by the way.”
“So prancing around Rebecca’s wedding, giving me head in an open hallway and letting me get you off on a balcony full of people…that was all okay. But fucking you in the back of the limo that was inappropriate? That’s what you have a problem with?” He was actually laughing.
“Don’t give me that shit. You are a smart man and know the difference. We were both in the game we were playing in Texas. You humiliated me tonight! You knew I didn’t want to do it. You knew I was uncomfortable and you did it anyway.”
“Coming two times is a sign of being uncomfortable? Sorry I wasn’t clear on these rules you have, Norah.” I stepped closer to him and looked him right in the eye.
“Well then let me be perfectly clear on this. You humiliated me and you should be ashamed of yourself. You are a grown man but you need to grow up. I am angry, mad, and hurt more than I have ever been. I don’t want you here. I can’t even stand to look at you right now.” I stepped around him and he grabbed my arm. I braced myself for anything. When I turned to face him, his face had softened. His eyes were filled with water. “Norah, I’m so sorry,” he whispered. I yanked my arm away and went back to the party.
Chapter Ten
Liam
She was right. She was right about me and I knew it. I paced my study all day Sunday. I knew Norah was in the house but she stayed away from me. I had left the party after our fight and she had slept in her old room last night.
Why did I keep doing things like this? I treated Norah like a child when I didn’t get my way and I acted like a child when I didn’t get my way. Why did I always feel the need to flex my ownership of her whenever I felt it was in question? It was never in question by anyone but me. Norah freely let me do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. She freely admitted that she was mine and told me on many occasions how happy she was to be mine. I was the only one who ever questioned anything.
Before she left me, she knew what she wanted and I confused her feelings. I chased after her, and again she was firm in her feelings and I was the one who pushed her away. I finally thought I had put aside all my feelings of uncertainness after our separation. Being away from her for 4 months cleared my mind and made me realize how much I wanted her at any cost. Now here we were again, she was back in my house, under my control and I was more in love with her than ever. I felt like breathing was hard without her. I wanted her not just as my toy, but as my wife. My wife? Where did that come from?
I sat down on my couch and laid my head back on the head rest. Marriage wasn’t where I thought this relationship would end up. Almost a year after bringing Norah in my home as a slave and now I wanted her to be my wife. Could that work? I thought I wanted more than a submissive.
I thought a slave was what I wanted, but maybe what I really wanted and what I really needed was a partner. I couldn’t and didn’t want to imagine my life without her.
She was the woman I could see in my bed at night and walking our kids to the bus stop in the morning. It was time for me to stop acting like an ass. I wanted to dominate her and she had no problem with that. I wanted to control most of her decisions and she had no problem with that. I wanted to play with her in my basement and make sweet love to her in my bed and she never had a problem with that either. I was a caveman and she relished in it. Norah was the only woman that satisfied me in every way. I needed her with me as a partner, as my wife.
As I planned out my plan of attack, I just hoped that maybe in some small way I was everything she needed too.
Norah
We didn’t speak to each other at all on Sunday. He stayed in the study and I was happy not to have to look at him.
I went to work on Monday still pissed off. My office was a mess and it took me all morning to get it organized. When I went to lunch Liam texted me and asked me to be home at 6 o’clock because he had something he wanted to discuss with me. I rolled my eyes and flipped off my phone. After lunch I headed upstairs and saw a few bags of trash that had been left in the back. I kicked off my shoes and grabbed two big bags and headed out to the dumpsters. At the dumpster there were at least five other bags of trash sitting in the front. I started throwing them inside. I had managed to throw in three bags and leaned down for the fourth when I felt an arm around my waist, a bag over my head and I was yanked in a car.
I was slammed on the floor board and someone straddled my body while they duct taped my wrists and ankles. I squirmed and tried to fight but it wasn’t worth it. I briefly relaxed thinking this might be some sick game Liam was playing with me. When I stopped moving I felt his breath on my face. I couldn’t see through the bag but I knew he was close. When his hand moved down my body, I started to panic again. I could smell his cologne. This wasn’t Liam. Liam didn’t have me. It was happening again. I was being kidnapped. I started to scream and duct tape was wrapped around the bag where my mouth was located muffling my cry. I was being kidnapped again and this time it was Nick Meyers that had me.
Liam
At 6:15 my pulse was about to beat right out of my neck. She never answered my text asking her to come home, but I knew she got it.
I paced back and forth and looked at the ring in the little box. I opened and closed it over and over. The ring was 5 carats and platinum. The center stone was a round 3 carat diamond with 1 carat diamonds on each side and antique platinum design in the band.
It looked like something my grandmother would have worn if it was 4 carats smaller. I knew Norah would say it was too big, but I wanted her to know that nothing was out of reach for her. I actually wanted to get her something bigger. But anything bigger was gaudy or impolite…and Norah was neither of those things.
7:00
7:30 I started to worry she was still too angry.
8:00 I called her cell phone and got her voice mail.
8:30 She was messing with me. She didn’t want me in control of her anymore and she was showing me.
9:00
9:30 If she wanted me to worry she had succeeded.
10:00 Proposing to her wasn’t on my mind anymore, trying not to ring her neck when she finally decided to come home was my main concern.
11:00 I called her cell phone again a
nd left a rather nasty message and went to bed.
I woke up Tuesday morning alone. Before I showered or even put a shirt on, I jumped up and went to her old room. She wasn’t there. I went down stairs to the study and the library. She wasn’t there either. I went to every room and she was nowhere to be found. I didn’t know what she was trying to pull, but she was pissing me off.
After I got ready for work I went to find John and found him in the kitchen joking with Trig and drinking coffee.
“Good Morning, Mr. Hastings.”
“Good Morning, everyone. John, where did you take Norah last night?” He creased his eyebrows at me. “I’m sorry sir. When I showed up to pick her up they said she was gone, so I assumed you had picked her up.”
“I would have called and told you if I picked her up, John.” I ran my hands through my hair. “Has she called you this morning? Is she going to work?” He didn’t answer.
“I can take you by there before work, Mr. Hastings,” Trig added to the conversation. “Good. Let’s go!”
Tim informed me Norah had been in her office most of the prior morning and even ate lunch at her desk. Kim informed me after she ate her lunch she went up to the banquet hall and started cleaning up trash.
“The last time I saw her she was going outside to the dumpsters,” Kim was making goo goo eyes at me. It was almost like she was happy that Norah had left me. I gave her my winning smile thinking it would get me more information. “Kim and Tim,” I pointed at them both. “That’s cute. Really cute.” Then Mary stepped in and gave me the most shocking news so far. She informed me she and Norah had a 4:00 meeting to review the party and discuss her promotion.
“Norah missed a meeting discussing her career? That doesn’t sound like her.”
***
“You’re not listening.” Will sat in my office trying to go over the budget report and tell me about the resort weekend he had with the McMillians. “You’re not listening, Liam. What’s going on? Why are you so side tracked?” I tapped my pen against the keyboard a few more times then stood up and walked to the window. As I shoved my hands in my pockets I told him my theory.
“Norah left me. We had a fight and she’s gone.” I lowered my head. “I did something really stupid….inconsiderate and immature. I acted like a bastard. I am a bastard. But it finally pushed her away. And she’s gone.” I felt Will walk up behind me. I turned to him and gave him a few more details. I told him how jealous I had become over her job and overall life without me. I told him I didn’t feel in control anymore and flexed my dominance in the wrong way.
“You haven’t lost control, Liam. You feel like you’re losing her. She has something that has nothing to do with you and it scares you. You think she doesn’t need you anymore. And you think when she realizes that she doesn’t need you, she’s gone. So you pushed her away first.” He patted me on the shoulder. “Check her credit cards, see if she charged an airline ticket or hotel room.”
I hadn’t thought about that, but it was a good idea. I went to the computer and pulled up the one credit card Norah had. The balance was zero. She had never used it…ever.
“She’s never used it?” Will asked. “I can’t believe it. Jane has maxed out 4 credit cards with very high limits. I can’t keep up,” he laughed. “Norah’s card doesn’t have a limit,” I stated. “No limit and she has never used it? What? She doesn’t like to shop?” I started tapping my pen again.
“I give her money and she has her own as well. When I tell her she needs a dress for an event, she buys it and nothing else. When I tell her to buy herself a present, she buys a book. She insisted she doesn’t need a credit card.” Will propped his feet on my desk.
“Here’s my advice. Give her a few days. Let her cool down. She’s pissed. She’s hurt. Let her have some time to herself. Call her family and find out if she has reached out to them. Then just let it go. If you haven’t heard from her by Friday….I would start to worry.”
“I’m worried now.”
I went home after lunch because I couldn’t concentrate anymore. I looked through my phone and made the call I didn’t want to make.
“Hello, this is…” but before I could get my name out she started talking.
“Liam? Liam is that you? Is everything okay?”
“Lorraine?” I asked.
“No. This is Tiffany.” I could hear her pull her face away from the phone. “Damn, I thought this was my phone. But it doesn’t matter. What’s wrong?”
“Why do you assume something is wrong?” I asked.
“You wouldn’t be calling if something wasn’t wrong. What’s up?”
“When was the last time you talked to Norah?” I was anxious about her answer. “On Saturday. She was getting ready for the party, she was excited, happy, pumped.”
“That was the last time you heard from her? Saturday?”
“What’s going on, Liam?”
“I’m not sure. We had a disagreement. I haven’t…we haven’t…”
“She left you?” she asked.
“No. No. Of course not. Absolutely not. But the thing is….yes, well maybe…yes, she might have actually.”
“What did you do?” she sounded huffy. I didn’t like the accusation, assuming I was the one that had done something.
“I didn’t do anything. Well, I don’t want to talk about it. I just want to know where she is….and make this right. Please let me know if she calls you or her family?” It wasn’t really a question but I made it sound that way.
“Liam, does this have anything to do with…ya know?” she insinuated something but I wasn’t sure what. “With what?” I was curious. “She told me. I know about how you….met,” she was whispering now.
“What are you talking about?” I had no idea where she was going with this. “Norah told me about the auction, kidnapping and everything,” she let out a deep breath. I didn’t know what to say. Norah never told me she told Tiffany the truth about us.
“Ah, I didn’t…I mean, I had no idea…she never told me…” I didn’t know what to say.
“Don’t worry, Liam, you’re secret is safe with me. Norah explained how you didn’t know and helped her heal. It isn’t the best scenario for a relationship, but she said it worked. She told me she loved you, Liam. So I am asking if that past experience….situation has something to do with her disappearance.” I was lost when she brought this up. I didn’t want to answer questions about how Norah and I came together. “Why would that have anything to do with this?” I didn’t know how she put Norah’s leaving me together with me purchasing her from an illegal auction.
“I’m not trying to start anything with you, Liam. But is there a possibility that one of the thugs from the auction has come back for pay back?” I laughed. She had this whole mafia, motor cycle, street gang scenario playing out in her mind. In some way, by me being appalled by the auction, making Norah understand, give her freedom and falling in love with her, I had offended the crime boss and now he had taken my girl to teach me a lesson.
“First of all these were not thugs involved with this auction. These were very sick and demented men with a lot of money at their disposal. Second of all, this isn’t a game or television show, Tiffany, this is my life. I didn’t steal Norah from a rival gang and now they have come back to make me pay. I bought her, we worked through it, and it’s over. I haven’t seen or associated with anyone else from that auction since it happened.” That wasn’t completely true, since Will was my close friend and finance man.
“I wasn’t trying to offend you. I am just trying to think of something that could help.
“Norah is upset with me, Tiffany. She has temporarily left me over it. If she calls you or her family, please call me.” I pushed end on my phone. It was Tuesday, she had been gone for almost 24 hours.
Wednesday, she didn’t come home and I didn’t go to work.
Thursday, nothing new.
Friday, I sent all the staff home because I was snapping at them for no reason at all. T
he house was empty. And Norah had not made contact with me.
Saturday I went to her office and batted my eyes at Kim until she let me in her office. I went through the papers on her desk and found nothing but information on the party. Her password for her computer wasn’t hard to guess and I went through her appointments and emails. Nothing personal or out of the ordinary. I got my first clue when I opened the first drawer in her desk.
I found a book wrapped in a red bow, several crumpled cards and notes and a picture of some birds. When I read the cards my heart dropped. Nick Meyers? Norah was in contact with Nick Meyers? Why didn’t she tell me? How did he find her?
I picked up the book and saw it was her favorite. The hand written note on the inside made my skin crawl. One of the cards was from a florist. He was sending her flowers? What the fuck was going on? I stood up and slammed the drawer shut. I went back out to leave and stopped at Kim’s desk again when I saw Norah’s shoes.
“Where did you get those?” I pointed to them under her desk. “Oh, I found these upstairs in the banquet hall. They aren’t mine, and they don’t fit.” I bent over to pick them up. “They belong to Norah. Why would she take off her shoes? Why would she take off her shoes?” I asked twice maybe hoping to get an answer.
“She was upstairs picking up trash, maybe she took them off while she ran up and down the stairs.” I ran up the stairs and walked around the room hoping to get some answers. Kim followed me.
So I asked her the question I wasn’t sure I wanted an answer to. “Did a very tall man with dark blonde hair ever come to see her?”
Consumed Page 10
