by Cat Miller
Jennifer was in shock. She stared at him wordlessly. Evan drove into the parking garage of a tall residential building. He parked and handed the key to the silent man in the front seat. Her gun-happy companion got out of the car and pulled Jennifer along with him. She looked around for help, but the garage was empty of people. There were only rows and rows of expensive cars.
Evan walked to the elevator, and Jennifer was towed behind him by the craggy thug. Inside the elevator, Jennifer looked frantically for a security camera, hoping to call out for help. If there was a camera, she couldn’t find it. The elevator slowed to a stop, and the doors slid open at the lobby level. A man stood there waiting to board, but he stepped back when Evan gave him a glare and shook his head. The man blinked in confusion but said nothing. He got the message and wasn’t getting on.
The doors were closing again when Jennifer shouted, “Help me! Please! He’s holding me against my will! Help!” She lunged for the opening and got one foot outside when Evan grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back in. The stunned face of the man in the lobby disappeared when the door slid shut.
“What did I say about obedience, Jenny?” Evan snarled.
Jennifer was slammed against the wall by her hair. “Fuck you!” she shouted in Evan’s face.
Evan struck her hard across the cheek with the back of his hand. Jennifer’s head snapped back and cracked against the wall. She was momentarily senseless. Her brain was scrambled. Her eye and cheekbone exploded with pain. Her legs gave out, and she slid down the wall. Never in her life had Jennifer been hit. She’d never even been spanked as a child.
“Look what you did!” Evan shouted. “Dammit!”
Jennifer felt herself being lifted and carried off the elevator. She shook her head trying to clear the fog, but it didn’t help. She was dazed.
“Go find our neighbor from the lobby and be sure he understands all is well. He better keep his mouth shut if he wants to keep it that way,” Evan told the craggy-faced thug.
Jennifer was still foggy when she was deposited on a large bed. Evan stood over her, looking like the father of an errant child with his hands on his hip.
“Why did you make me hit you, Jenny?” he asked with a disappointed shake of his head.
“You’re crazy,” Jennifer told Evan.
Evan’s lips pressed together into an unhappy line. “That may be so, but it changes nothing. You are mine.” He looked down her body with a possessive glint in his eyes. As his gaze traveled back up her body, Jennifer’s skin crawled. When he reached her face and saw the bruises forming from his assault, Evan growled and walked into the bathroom. She heard the sound of water running.
Jennifer leaped from the bed. There was no way she’d docilely accept this madness. She ran down the hall to the large living area. There were several more of Evan’s men standing around looking surprised when she burst into the room. The only way out was blocked by their presence. She looked around for a weapon of some sort to defend herself with, but there was nothing in sight.
Not willing to just give up, Jennifer sprinted toward the door. Maybe they would let her pass if they didn’t know why she was there. Jennifer was stopped in her tracks once more by a fist in her long gold hair. She screamed in pain when she was jerked backward off of her feet and fell to the floor. Evan had twisted his fingers in her hair and was dragging her back down the hall. Jennifer clutched his hand and lifted herself, trying to relieve the pain in her scalp. She screamed for help, but none of the men moved. She was on her own. Evan took her to a different room, this one smaller with no bathroom. He dropped her on the carpet and loomed over her.
“I can see you don’t yet appreciate your good fortune. I’m going to give you a comfortable life with all the money, clothes, and happiness you could ever want. All you have to do is obey me. It will be a good life, Jenny. No more dancing to pay the bills. No more scrounging for money. You will have a life of luxury with me. Do you understand?” He spoke to her like she was a confused child.
“You’re fucking crazy,” she whispered.
Evan’s nostril’s flared. He went to the door and called out. When one of his cronies appeared, Evan stepped into the hall. “Find a bucket and bring it back to me. Send Tommy to me as well.”
“Yes sir,” Jennifer heard the mumbled reply.
Evan stayed in the hall. Jennifer crawled to the side of the bed and sat up, leaning back against it for support. Her face was throbbing, her eye was swelling shut, and her scalp burned from being dragged by her hair. Jennifer’s heart was pounding in her chest. What was she going to do? How had this happened to her? She saw stories about missing people on the news and social media all the time. People just disappeared. Was she going to be just another story for people to scroll past while searching for more interesting news?
“This is your new post, Tommy. I’m trusting you with my greatest treasure. Do you understand me?” She heard Evan talking in the hall.
“Yes, Mr. MacGraff,” Tommy answered.
“Don’t touch her unless she tries to leave her room. Then, I expect you to safely bring her under control and send for me. You got that?”
“Yes, Mr. MacGraff,” Tommy repeated.
Another voice broke in, “Your bucket, Mr. MacGraff.”
Evan returned to Jennifer with an oval blue bucket in his hand. He dropped it in front of her on the floor with the opening down and sat on it like a stool. “You’re a woman with spirit and backbone. I can appreciate that, but you’ll learn quickly that I’m as hard a man as they come, Jenny. If you test me, I’ll snap that pretty fucking backbone.”
Evan clutched her jaw and jerked her face up to his so he could kiss her roughly. She fought him. Evan shoved her away from him and went to the door.
“When you’re ready to behave like the lady I know you are, let me know. Until then, this is your world.” He gestured around the room. “You won’t have food or water until you apologize for your behavior. There is your toilet,” He pointed to the bucket. “We’ll talk again when you’re feeling more like your sweet self again. Tommy will be in the hall to assist you when you’re ready.” Evan closed the door behind him, and she listened to his footfalls retreat down the corridor after a quiet discussion with Tommy.
Jennifer went from trying to break it off with Evan to being imprisoned in his home within an hour. She stared at the door for a long time, while impotent rage built in Jennifer’s gut.
When Jennifer could no longer contain the fury bubbling in her chest. She exploded into action. She destroyed the room, ripping down the curtain rods, breaking the mirror in the empty closet, overturning everything she could move, and finally trying to shatter one of the windows with the metal curtain rod. The fucker wouldn’t break, though. Even if it had, she wouldn’t have been able to jump from that height. She stopped beating against the window when it dawned on her that someone on the ground below could be seriously injured or worse by the falling glass.
Frustration and fear boiled over until she was a quivering mess, crying on the floor of a room that looked like a tornado had blown through it.
It took days of starvation, humiliation, and tears for Jennifer to realize Evan would let her die before he let her go. He couldn’t just release her now, could he? The risk that she would go to the police and expose whatever operation he was running would be too great if he just let her walk away. If she wanted to survive, Jennifer was going to have to play Evan’s game.
Jennifer pulled herself together and opened the door to the hall where her wary young jailer, Tommy, looked back at her with pity in his eyes. She knew she looked awful with her hair tangled around her head. She still wore the wrinkled dress she’d arrived in, and her black eye and cheek were turning green.
Tommy looked sweet with that baby face, but she’d learned the he took his job very seriously when she tried to slip past him the night after Evan stuck her in her prison. Jennifer cracked the door to find Tommy dozing in his chair. She silently opened the door and crept in
to the darkness, only to find Tommy wasn’t a sound sleeper.
“Please don’t make me chase you, miss,” Tommy pleaded from behind Jennifer. “Just go back in your room.”
It was the dead of night, and Jennifer was hoping everyone else was gone. That would mean there was only Tommy between her and freedom if she could make it to the elevator. She was willing to take those odds. Jennifer ran. Tommy had caught her before she reached the end of the hall.
Jennifer fought like an animal. Tommy was much stronger than he looked. He had Jennifer in a headlock that she couldn’t break. She didn’t remember passing out or being dragged back to her prison. She did, however, remember coming to with Evan standing over her. He was looking around the wrecked room with disgust.
“Did he hurt you?” Evan asked. “Are you injured?”
Movement from the door caught her attention. Tommy stood there stiffly waiting for whatever punishment Evan might mete out if she was injured.
“No. I’m fine,” she said. Tommy seemed to relax. Evan left without another word. That was a few days ago. She’d had time to come up with a new plan.
“I’d like a shower and some clean clothes. Something to drink would be nice, too,” Jennifer told Tommy as meekly as she was able.
“I’ll call, Mr. MacGraff for you.” Tommy looked relieved. He touched the device plugged in his ear and spoke to someone on the other end. “Mr. MacGraff’s guest would like to talk to him. She’s requested a shower, clothes, and something to drink. Over.” Tommy listened to the response. “Copy,” he responded.
Tommy gave Jennifer a reluctant smile. “Mr. MacGraff is on the way.”
Jennifer didn’t know why Tommy was so damn relieved. He wasn’t starving in the same clothes for days and sitting in a room that smelled like urine. Tommy had apparently been allowed to sleep, eat, and shower at some point during her captivity. She went back into her prison and waited for the arrival of her nemesis, but Evan didn’t come. The craggy thug came to get her.
Jennifer was taken to a different room, where she was given food and water. Then, she was allowed to shower with the bathroom door open so her new warden could keep an eye on her. She was humiliated, but she was clean, and her belly was full.
Jennifer stared at herself in the full-length mirror in the vast empty closet. Evan sent her something to wear, so she would be decent when he came to talk her. He must not have wanted to see the results of his neglect.
She looked so much her mother in the couture dress and sky-high heels with her hair hanging in loose waves down her back. She swallowed back her tears. If this were going to work, Jennifer would need to control her anger and act like she was ready to be Evan’s dutiful mistress.
Evan walked up behind Jennifer and gripped her hips. He pulled her against his body and kissed her neck. Jennifer held herself still, fighting the urge to spin around and attack Even with her stiletto.
“You lasted longer than I thought you would, Jenny,” Evan said against her ear. “I don’t know if I should be proud of you for being such a strong woman or spank you for defying me for so long. I was beginning to worry about your health.”
She said nothing, just stood there in Evan’s embrace and prayed for the strength to do whatever she had to do, endure whatever he did to her until she found a way to escape. Evan spun her around, and Jennifer slowly looked up into his handsome face. He brushed tender fingers over her bruised face.
She once read that the devil was a beautiful creature. Lucifer was, after all, the most beautiful of God’s angels. Jennifer could believe it. Evan MacGraff was a gorgeous man, but he was evil to the bone.
“I want your apology now, Jenny,” Evan smirked down at Jennifer as if she were a naughty child again. He was a sick fucker. She wanted to scratch out his eyes. She choked back the curses forming on her lips and instead gave Evan what he wanted.
“I’m sorry for being so ungrateful, Evan. I understand now that you’re only trying to give me a better life than I could ever achieve on my own. I hope you can forgive me.” The lie tasted like acid on her tongue. Jennifer drew on her years of training on the stage to keep a straight face and look as repentant as she possibly could. “I hope you’ll give me another chance.” She let her chin drop, and the shame she felt was no act. This would haunt her for the rest of her life if she ever got out of this hell.
“I’m sorry, too, for hitting you. Please don’t make me do it again.” Evan stroked Jennifer’s face.
Jennifer didn’t reply. The last thing she wanted was to be knocked around again for telling Evan to fuck off. She’d suffered a mild concussion the last time.
Evan lifted Jennifer’s chin and smiled. “That’s a good girl, Jenny. Now, why don’t we start over? What do you think?”
Jennifer nodded her agreement, too afraid of what she’d say if she opened her mouth.
Evan’s expression suddenly turned hot. He was looking at her mouth. Jennifer wanted to flee. She wanted to scream, and she was no longer so sure she could fake a relationship with Evan. He leaned in to kiss Jennifer, and she froze. Bile rose in her throat.
This man had struck her. He’d dragged her by her hair. He’d stolen her life. She didn’t want him touching her at all. Jennifer’s heart banged around in her chest while her brain screamed, NO! NO! NO!
Jennifer woke from the dream on a scream. She looked around at her little room and knew she was safe and no longer with Evan. It was just the dream. The bad memories slowly faded into the night. It was the same thing every night. She wished she could get one good night sleep without reliving her captivity. Just one dreamless night would be so wonderful.
* * *
Rourke gazed sightlessly through the massive security window in the elegantly appointed office that overlooked the pit of Hell, the main gaming room in Luc’s members only entertainment club. Luc had to step away to deal with a security issue, just as Rourke arrived for the meeting Luc had requested. It boggled Rourke that Luc had to deal with security at all. Luc was the CEO of the company. Didn’t he have other things to worry about? Or was he micromanaging?
Rourke was curious to hear what kind of proposal Luc had for him. There wasn’t anything Rourke could think of that he could help Luc with on a business level.
Luc returned looking harassed. He must have run his hands through his usually perfectly ordered hair because it was in disarray. He gave Rourke a weak smile and pulled off his suit jacket. Luc tossed the jacket over a chair and went straight to the sideboard to pour himself a few fingers of scotch. Rourke looked at his watch but didn’t comment on the fact that his friend was drinking the hard stuff at thirteen hundred hours.
Rourke didn’t interrupt Luc, who seemed to be ordering his thought. Luc sipped at the amber liquid in his glass and came to stand next to Rourke at the long security window. That was the good part of being close friends. You didn’t need to fill the silence. When Luc was ready, he’d tell Rourke what was on his mind. Rourke could wait. It was good just to be with Luc again.
They watched the patrons milling about the floor. The club seemed to be hopping, no matter the time of day. Some people were merely socializing. Others laughed and played at the tables. Still others were engaged in higher stakes games. Those were the tables with an audience standing by to witness the outcome. Big money was changing hands down there. Fortunes were won and lost every hour.
While they watched, a man who was trying to look inconspicuous left the group he’d been mingling with and approached one of the doors to the deeper levels of Hell. The Pit was the main floor. There were various other rooms hidden deeper in the club for patrons with the right clearance. Rourke didn’t know what you had to do to gain access to those areas, but he knew not everyone was welcome.
Mr. Inconspicuous shook hands with the Hell staffer in charge of the door and palmed him something. The exchange of money was plain as day. The staffer accepted the bribe and discreetly scanned his own card to allow the other man entry to the next level of Hell. Luc sighed. He went
to his monstrosity of a desk and collapsed into his high-backed leather chair.
“I need to hire a new chief of security. I need someone reliable and trustworthy to do the hiring and firing. I need someone to strong enough to enforce the rules. I need a professional, but they need to be understanding of our unique brand of justice here at Hell and The Inferno.
“What happened to the last chief?” Rourke asked.
“The old chief was one of my father’s men. I tried to give him a chance to adjust to the change of ownership, but he refused to get with the program. I had to cut him loose. I cannot allow some of my father’s old practices to continue. I’m not a fucking pimp. The money the girls make is their own. He was still demanding a percentage of the profits from the girls working on his shift. I’m not a drug dealer, either, and I won’t allow that in my house. He was letting dealers who gave him a cut sell inside.
There are rules here. They need to be enforced strictly and without mercy. Those people out there have money, and often times, they have power outside of these walls. They aren’t used to being told no. I need a man who can say no and back it up if a customer crosses the line.”
“Is that why I’m here? You need me to help you find someone qualified?” Rourke asked. “I have a lot of buddies who have separated from the military. I’m sure I can come up with a few excellent options for you to choose from, Luc. Give me a few days to track the guys down. I’ll put some feelers out right away for staffers as well. From what I can see, you need a more than a few good men.”
