by Cat Miller
“So after days of being starved and locked away, I decided pretending acceptance was my only chance of escape. If he began to trust me, I might have an opportunity to get away. I would just have to wait for an opportunity to present itself. So I was polite. I ate all of my meals with Evan, and I pretended to be interested in his conversation. I smiled. I chatted about bullshit. Things were going well, but he still didn’t trust me. My every move was watched. I thought it was all over when Evan tried to seduce me. He was tired of waiting.”
When she finally reached the part of the story when Evan began to expect physical proof of her commitment, Rourke’s body stiffened. She rubbed his chest comfortingly. She hated talking about it, but Rourke needed to know everything.
“I didn’t go that far in my pretense. Thankfully, Evan bought my story. It was farfetched, but he was so eager to believe I was the perfect woman that he bought it. Evan thought he’d eventually see the truth of the story. The situation was coming to a boil. I had to find a way out.” She was lost in memory; reliving her fear that Evan would decide he couldn’t wait any longer to consummate the relationship.
“What exactly was your story? Come on, babe, I’m dying over here,” Rourke urged her to go on. He was looking pinched and on the edge.
“I told him I was a virgin.” She smiled. Rourke’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. “I told Evan I’d been very sheltered by my family. I’m the only daughter of a wealthy lawyer and a southern lady. In my youth, I was kept busy with school, dancing, and other activities fit for a young lady.
“This was the first time I’d been out on my own. I hadn’t dated anyone since I came to town. This was all actually true except for the virgin part. My parents were protective. I was a busy young woman, and my mom watched me like a hawk. I haven't dated anyone in Vegas. I’ve been working nonstop,” she explained.
“And he believed you?” Rourke asked. “He must be blind as well as insane because you have a natural sensuality in the way you move and carry yourself that’s enough to drive a man crazy.” Rourke gave her a slow kiss to prove his point. They’d just finished making love, and he was ready to go again. Jennifer could feel his cock stiffen against her with their passionate embrace. Rourke broke the kiss reluctantly. When he spoke against her mouth, stopping to place a kiss there after every sentence, he stole her breath. “Keep going, babe.” Kiss. “I want to hear the rest.” Kiss. “Before I love you again.” Kiss.
Jennifer’s entire being lit up under Rourke’s tender praise. He said he wanted to love her again. Love her. Rourke had said Jennifer was his woman, but that didn’t mean he loved her. Was she Rourke’s until he went back to the Navy? Or did he feel that she was his to protect since they were sleeping together? Again, that would only last until he returned to service.
Jennifer knew, to spite their short acquaintance, she was helplessly in love with Rourke. It happened to Jennifer just as her mother always said it would. When it’s right, you just know. You feel his presence in a place so deep in your soul, no other man could ever reach it. Jennifer hadn’t understood her mother’s explanation of what it was like when you find the person who is meant for you at the time. She didn’t get it until the day she met Rourke and had to walk away from him feeling like he’d stolen a piece of her that she’d never get back.
Was it possible that Rourke loved her, too? Rourke’s actions told her he might care for her, but Jennifer needed to hear the words. Could he really love her, or was this just Rourke’s hero complex kicking in. He was a SEAL. Maybe Rourke was just drawn to a damsel in distress. Jennifer didn’t know, and she was afraid to find out. Her heart and her future were hanging in the balance. She would hold on to the hope they could have a real life together a little longer.
“He believed me at least enough to give me a little more time,” Jennifer continued before she found the nerve to ask if he actually loved her or if that was just pillow talk. “I told Evan I was saving myself for marriage. That pleased him to no end. He planned to marry me. He would be my first and only. It was the only thing I could think of to hold him off for a while. I couldn’t be sure it worked either. He wasn’t exactly the kind of man to put another person’s needs first. I smiled and tried to look happy about our impending nuptials. All I wanted to do was scratch out his eyes.”
“I’m surprised he didn’t try to marry you immediately.” Rourke kissed her neck, sending shivers over Jennifer’s body.
“He wanted to. I acted like a total girl and cried because I wanted a real wedding and a honeymoon. Those were real tears, too. It wasn’t hard to dredge up real emotion when I was afraid he’d have a justice of the peace come do the deed right in his condominium. If we planned a wedding, I would have many chances to ask people for help, right? That was my thinking.
“He agreed to the honeymoon but not a wedding. He said we would get married on the honeymoon as a compromise, because he was feeling generous, and I was behaving myself. Briefly, I thought it would be a good thing if he brought an outsider in. I could refuse to marry Evan and beg for help.”
“What changed your mind?” Rourke asked.
“Evan has the cops in his pocket. That’s why I didn’t go straight to the police when I escaped. On two separate occasions, the police came to Evan’s apartment. One for a report of shots fired. I was there in the room when one of Evan’s ‘associates’ failed to produce funds that were due. One minute they were laughing and joking, the next Evan put a bullet in the man’s knee. I was in shock. It was just so surreal. I couldn’t believe I’d just seen a man be shot. Blood pouring the man’s leg. He was screaming. Evan continued speaking calmly about the payment he expected to be delivered within twenty-four hours. I was hunkered in the corner because Evan wouldn’t allow me to leave the room. I think he was demonstrating his power to make me understand there was no escape.”
“What did the cops do?” Rourke lifted his head to look down at her with unease. “Did they see you?”
“As soon as the knock came at the door, Tommy, that was my guard, herded me down the hall so I could hear without being seen. Then, Tommy leaned in to warn me with a whisper. He said, ‘Please don’t scream for help. This is a test. Even if they hear you, they won’t help. You aren’t getting out of this. None of us are, alive.’
“I believed Tommy. He was a young guy, and I could tell he felt sorry for me. He didn’t like his duty, but he did what he was told. Evan purposely let me stay close enough to be heard if I cried for help. I was also close enough to understand that the police wouldn’t help me.”
“I heard the whole conversation. The man was bleeding and apologizing for the mess. He’d been shot and he was apologizing for bleeding on the carpet. It was unbelievable. The cops greeted Evan like old friends, and they chatted for a minute as if there weren’t a man with a bullet hole in his leg sitting there while they shot the shit. The cops asked the victim if he wanted to file a complaint. He said no. It had been an accident. His own registered weapon had discharged. He shot himself accidentally while showing his friend, Evan, the new piece.
“They’re all in his pocket, Tommy told me. They’ll be paid well to file a false report, he explained to me. If he hadn’t warned me, I don’t know what would have happened to me. I was ready to scream my head off.”
“They just left? This is worse than I imagined. We’ll definitely need to get Luc involved. He has contacts in the department as well.” Rourke was thinking allowed.
“Luc has crooked cops in his pocket?” Jennifer was horrified.
“I wouldn’t call them crooked cops. He has friends that will let things slide as long as nobody gets hurt. There are some in the department who are aware of Hell. They have been since before Luc owned the place. They’re willing to let him operate in peace, for a fee. Some of the patrons roaming Hell didn’t pay for admission. Luc doesn’t pay them directly. He just doesn’t charge them for membership, and they get certain . . . free services,” Rourke explained.
Jennifer wasn’t even going to
touch that. She’d seen people die. She’d seen a man shot. She has been abused and held hostage. No one would pay for those deaths and not even the police would help her in her time of need. If a few cops wanted free drinks and sexual favors in exchange for keeping quiet about a place where consenting adults went to enjoy themselves, Jennifer didn’t have a problem with that. Nobody was being hurt. Everyone was there of their own free will.
Jennifer went on with her story. She could tell Rourke struggled with his friend’s illegal business practices. She didn’t need to point out the obvious similarities between Luc and Evan.
“I assume if Evan had cops willing to look the other way, he would be able to find a justice of the peace to marry us and file the paperwork whether I agreed to it or not. He was putting off the wedding for a few weeks in respect of my innocence and his wish to have a willing wife, but he wasn’t happy about it.
“He had some big transaction in the works that he couldn’t put off. I’m not positive, but I think it was a drug deal. He couldn’t leave until it was done. I was running out of time. I didn’t know exactly when the deal was going down. I think he liked keeping me on edge and off balance. Any day could be the day. There would be a private plane. The pilot and crew would be under Evan’s employ. He made sure I knew these little details. My chances for escape were growing smaller and smaller. There would be no help for me at the airport.
“Two weeks had passed when I finally saw my opportunity to escape. Evan took me everywhere with him, and his henchmen were always very close. He still didn’t trust me entirely, but he was starting to loosen up some. We would go to his office during the day and his condominium at night. Over the weekend, we went to his home out in Paradise. It’s a damn mansion with heavy security. I was always under guard.”
Jennifer didn’t tell Rourke about some of the indignities she’d endured. She didn’t think she could stomach admitting that she’s had to let Evan kiss her and touch her in ways that made her skin her crawl. Jennifer would never forget the unwanted caresses she’d submitted to during her time with Evan, but the memories were less excruciating now. Rourke’s passionate kisses and fervent loving had somehow diluted what was a sharp pain to a dull, manageable ache that would hopefully heal completely one day.
Evan didn’t take it as far as actual intercourse and he didn’t ask Jennifer to perform any acts on him. Jennifer acted surprised and skittish when he forced attention on her. Then he’d get himself off in front of her, sometimes on her. Evan enjoyed her purity. Evan liked scandalizing the innocence out of Jennifer.
Caught in dark thoughts, Jennifer’s mind had wandered. When she looked up, the questions were there in Rourke’s eyes, but he didn’t voice them, seeming to understand that Jennifer wasn’t ready for that conversation. Maybe she would tell him eventually. For now, the burden was hers to bear. She was already putting far too much baggage on the back of her new love.
“The day I got away, we were at Evan’s office. It was a Sunday, but he was expecting a shipment to come in that had him and his men on edge. I had the feeling this was the big one. Evan’s building had a docking bay for deliveries and storage on the ground floor in the rear. He had the entire building to himself, so there was no worry about anything being witnessed by outsiders. Every day he would have his driver take the car right inside the building and park. The rolling doors would be shut before I was allowed to exit the vehicle. I assumed it was so I wouldn’t be able to run or draw attention to myself.
“This particular day, there was a delivery waiting for me when we entered Evan’s office. Evan ordered me a few new dresses, shoes, and more lingerie. I wasn’t sure if it was like a bribe, a reward for good behavior, or final preparations for the honeymoon because there was also a new overnight bag.
“Evan wanted me to try them on and model for him. He wanted me to change in front of him. Things were about to go somewhere beyond my ability to play act. There was no way I was going to let him really have me.” Jennifer again chose not to mention the liberties Evan had already taken. This day was different. Evan was frustrated and tense. She thought he might actually try to fuck her, and she wasn’t going to lay down for it.
Rourke rumbled an aggressive sound that Jennifer knew wasn’t directed at her, but it was frightening all the same. He was aware that she wasn’t giving him all the details.
“I knew the time was coming when he wasn’t going to wait for me to be ready for sex any longer. He was going to take what he wanted. Every day was like a game of chess with him. He would move, and I would react. I had to be amiable without being too receptive. This day, I could tell his patience was wearing thin. We were thankfully interrupted by one of his cronies just when I was looking for anything I could use as a weapon. They had a whispered conversation. Evan said he had to go meet with a client, but he’d be back for his show, so I needed to find my backbone and start acting like a woman. My time was definitely up.
“Evan left me in his office with Tommy to watch me. There was a phone in the room and a computer, so I knew he wouldn’t leave me alone. I was pacing the floor and scanning the room for anything I could use to defend myself. Tommy just watched me with a look of pity in his eyes. This was it, and we both knew it.
“Evan hadn’t been gone for very long when I heard gunshots. First, there were only a couple of shots that Tommy didn’t react to at all. He must have been expecting something to go down. Then there were lots of gunshots echoing through the building from the floor below. Tommy ordered me to hide for my safety. He wanted me to get in the closet or curl up in one of the cabinets. Tommy ran off to investigate with a pistol in each hand.
“This was the chance I’d been waiting for, and it came not a minute too soon. It was the first time I’d been left alone. I knew I couldn’t go home if I got away, and I couldn’t go to the police. I had no money. I had nothing. I grabbed the designer bag Evan had just purchased for me and stuffed the new clothes inside of it. I rummaged through Evan’s desk and found a few dollars and some change.
“I ran to the stairwell that let out in the warehouse on the bottom floor. I couldn’t go to the first floor. I still hear random shots being fired on that level so I knew where Evan and his thugs would be. I wanted to steal a car or slip out the back unnoticed if I could get one of the rolling doors open.”
“There was a shootout in progress? What the fuck is this guy into?” Rourke asked rhetorically.
“Bad stuff. I made it unnoticed to the warehouse. Once inside, I found something that looked like a scene from a movie, but it was all too real. There were two men slumped over on their knees with holes blown through their heads. Pools of blood were spreading across the floor. There were chunks of gray matter and blood splattered around. I didn’t know them. They weren’t Evan’s men.” The horror of the sight choked Jennifer. This was an ordeal she wasn’t sure she would ever get over.
“You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to, sweetheart.” Rourke rolled, so Jennifer was nearly on top of him with arms wrapped around her. “I get it. It was an execution gone wrong. You don’t need to rehash the bad stuff.” He was stroking her back to warm her up. Jennifer hadn’t realized she was shivering.
Jennifer shook off the memory of two men with dead eyes and went on, “The cars were locked, so stealing one was out, but the doors weren’t. I got one up just high enough for me to crawl under, and I ran like the devil was on my heels. For all I knew, he was. I got out of the deserted business park to the main road. I ran until I saw a bus coming. The money I took from Evan’s desk was enough for the fare with fifty cents to spare.
“I rode the bus downtown and got off on the strip. I thought it was the best place to get lost for a while. I was so paranoid. I was sure Evan was around every corner waiting for me. I was confident he was looking for me and even had the police searching for me. I felt like I had to keep moving. I was like a mad woman.”
“You’d been through a traumatic experience. You were in shock,” Rourke soothed
Jennifer.
“That had to be it because looking back I don’t understand why I didn’t ask someone for help. I truly believed the police would hand me over to Evan. This is his town. I was sure everyone knew Evan, and they were all looking for me. It was ridiculous, but I wasn’t in my right mind.”
“How did you get here, to the church?” Rourke asked.
This was a memory Jennifer could almost smile over, “Pastor Davis found me stumbling through The Inferno. I literally walked into the man. I couldn’t even speak. I didn’t know what to say, anyway. I’d been wandering the strip for a few days, hiding in bathrooms, trying to blend in with the crowd. I was starving, exhausted, and out of my head. The pastor didn’t ask any questions. I didn’t even realize which casino I was in until we were leaving. I was horrified. What if Luc had seen me? What if he called Evan? I was so paranoid. Pastor Davis tucked me under his arm and brought me to the church.”
“That sounds like the pastor.” There was a smile in Rourke’s voice. “Luc told me he was having a chapel built in the casino. The pastor is helping him with the project.”
“The rest of the story you know. I was fed and given a safe place to stay. Pastor Davis and his wife know I’m hiding from a violent man who isn’t my husband. They know I’m afraid for my life and that I was abducted, but that’s about it. I thought the less they knew, the better.
“I’ve been hanging around here ever since. I help in the kitchen. I go to all the services. Most of the time, I hide in here.” She gestured around the room. “I read a lot. Mostly, I try to think of a way to get out of here. I feel like I’ve been here too long. My biggest fear is that Evan will find me and do something awful to the Davis’ for helping me. I’m leaving tonight. I have to move on.”
