by Taylor Lee
Only when she was going under or coming out of her drugged state did she feel happy. That was when she heard Gabe. Heard him say “I’ll always come for you Ana, no matter where you are.” But the moments were fleeting quickly followed by the reality and she sunk to a deeper and deeper despair.
She looked around the room realizing she was in a bed. A comfortable one. The room was opulent in a garish way. It was Red everywhere. The lamps. The heavy embossed gold and scarlet wall coverings. The coverlet on her bed, even the pillow slips were red satin. A red velvet chaise was flanked by two ornate side chairs once again covered in a heavy fabric flocked with red and black swirls.
Given the excesses of the room, she shouldn’t have been surprised to see the large coppper-haired woman standing in the doorway. She shook her head to clear it assuming the woman would be gone when she opened her eyes, the way all the visions of the last days had disappeared.
“I’m glad to see you are awake, Ana,” the woman said. “I told them if they gave you any more of that poison you would be useless.”
Ana grasped the coverlet up under her chin. A small foolish attempt to protect herself.
The woman shook her head with a frown. “I’d tell you everything is going to be all right, Ana. But you and I both know that is a lie. The best we can hope for, honey, is that they get here in time and that the whole damned bunch of you don’t get killed in the process.”
Ana didn’t know what the woman was talking about. She struggled to ask her. But, her mouth was filled with cotton. Dry fuzzy cotton. It was in her brain too.
After several attempts to speak, she gave up, surprised at the tears stinging her eyes. She didn’t think she had moisture anywhere in her body.
The woman moved forward and poured her a glass of water from the pitcher by the bed.
“Here, honey, drink this. Knowing those cruel sons of bitches, you ain’t had a drop to drink in two days.”
Ana swallowed the water gratefully. But after three large swallows, her stomach rebelled. She gagged, then vomited spewing the water over the coverlet and on the woman’s fancy green satin dress.
She whispered, “I…I’m so sorry. Your dress.”
“Don’t worry, sugar, I got so damn any dresses, I don’t have wardrobes big enough to hold them all.”
Relieved that she could speak, Ana asked, “Who are you?”
The woman huffed out a dry laugh. “Honey, I stopped wondering that years ago. But people call me Maude, among other things,” she added with a saucy wink. “And, sugar, I’m the closest thing to a friend you have right now. I hope to hell by the end of the night, you’ll still think of me as a friend.”
At the knock on the door, Maude yelled out. “C’mon in. We haven’t got all day.”
Ana looked in wonder at the lovely blond woman in the doorway, Like Maude she wore a fancy satin dress but hers was midnight blue, a stunning accent to her bright blue eyes. Ana would have admired her further but her eyes caught on the garment she was carrying. To her shock she realized it was the red dress she had worn the night she met Gabe. The red dress with the slit she’d cut up the front. In her other hand, the lovely woman held Ana’s shoes, the four inch red satin shoes that Gabe had loved.
“Where, where did you get my clothes?” Ana asked in a shocked whisper.
“Seems like the fucker who’s organizing tonight’s event wanted you in the dress. My understanding is that your aunt was very obliging.”
Maude eyed the dress and grinned. The smile made her look ten years younger and not nearly so hard. “Damn, honey. No wonder Gabe fell for you. That body in this dress with that face? Hell, now I don’t feel so bad. How could he resist.”
Ana shoved down the sick feeling roiling in her stomach. She was afraid she might vomit again. Her voice was soft, shaky. “You know Gabe?”
“Honey, I know that heartbreaker and those rascally partners of his in ways you never knew existed. But, let’s put that aside. Just so you know, no matter how good a friend he is, if I let anything happen to you before he gets here neither you nor I will live to tell about it.”
Maude held out her hand motioning Ana to get out of bed. “C’mon, honey. Let’s get you cleaned up and looking pretty.” She grimaced. “Wish it wasn’t so, sugar, but you got a big night ahead of you.”
~~~
Gabe slipped in silently, a puff of air the only whisper of a soundfrom the balcony door. Dominic was at his desk, a scant three feet away. Gabe’s hand was at his hip close to the gun in his belt. In his other hand he held his favorite blade. The one he’d removed from the throats of more assholes than he could remember.
“You got here sooner than I expected, Gabriel.” Without turning around Dominic gestured to the chair at the side of his desk. “Please, sit down. Be my guest.”
Rounding the desk, Gabe saw the bottle of Bushmill’s and two glasses on the corner of Dominic’s desk. Gabe put his blade on the desk next to the glasses and sunk down in the overstuffed chair.
“Little early to be drinking isn’t it, Dominic? But, then given the day ahead of you, a good hard drunk may be just what you need,” Gabe said with a grin. Only the steel in his eyes betrayed his fury.
Dominic poured the amber liquid in each glass and pushed one over to Gabe. He picked up the other and raised it in a toast and took a healthy swallow, his only sign of strain. That and the slight sheen of sweat on his lip partially masked by his neatly trimmed mustache.
Not touching his glass, Gabe asked in a soft, threatening voice, “Where is she?
Dominic met his gaze. “That I don’t know. They came and got her earlier today. If it is any consolation, Gabriel, they might muss her up a bit. But I can assure you given the way this game will be played tonight, no one is going fuck her and shall we say, spoil the prize.”
Knowing that Dominic was his only source of information, Gabe held his anger in check.
“You’ve got three minute to tell me how you think the “game” will be played, Dominic. At the end of three minutes I will decide how much longer I’ll let you live. Just so you know. When I kill a snake I start with his tail. In your case, that would be your balls. One, then the other. And then your dick.”
Dominic choked on his whisky, “Really, Gabriel, this doesn’t have to be uncivilized…”
Gabe pulled out his pocket watch. “Two minutes and fifty seconds, Dominic.”
Dominic sighed. “Peter Harcourt came to me three weeks ago. He owes me hundreds of thousands of dollars. He offered me a “show” shall we say, if I would release his debts. He told me that he was in trouble with some unsavory fellows that you know, Gabriel. Red Regan’s gang. I don’t have to tell you they are the most vicious sons of bitches you’ll meet. In addition to killing people in unusual ways, they are known for their taste in women, especially Red. He has a penchant for virgins, the more exotic the better. The only things he likes better are games, wagers.
“Not to put too fine a point on it, Gabriel, but Peter offered him Miss Li and you.”
“Me?” Gabe barked, disbelieving. “Why the hell does he want with me?”
“Like everyone else who’s dabbled in the game, he knows that the Ace Angel is unbeatable. That and apparently he has scores to settle with your father. Red is nothing if not strategic. He gets Miss Li, takes you down and wounds your father in the process. Not bad for one game of poker wouldn’t you say?”
“What do you get out of it, Dominic?”
“What I always do, Gabriel. Money.”
Dominic took his time lighting his cigar. He offered one to Gabe, but Gabe refused. His gut was in such a turmoil he doubted he’d be able to inhale.
“This is where it get’s strange, Gabriel. Strange even for me and you know my taste for, shall we say, the unusual. Peter Harcourt proposed a game in which Red and six of his men play for the virgin. Excuse me, Miss Li. The winner takes her first. Knowing that his men would never take the chance of beating him, Red gets the privele of being first. The other men
depending on the card they drew, would take her in that order. Following the…how else can I say it…the gang rape, the men would vote on whose technique was the best and that individual would have her for the weekend. Because Red only fucks virgins, he would not participate in the voting.”
Gabe took a chance and gulped a big swig of whisky. One of two things would happen. He would spew it all over Dominic’s neat attire along with the breakfast he had two days ago, or perhaps, if the gods were with him it would calm his rage.
“One more time, Dominic. What do you get out of it?”
“That depends on what I bring to the table. I offered them my country house outside the city for the game. That earned me a neat twenty-five thousand dollars. In addition, each man who draws a card for a go at Miss Li puts $25000 in the pot. I get my usual twenty five percent of that.”
Dominic hesitated, his first sign of stress since Gabe threatened him. He gave Gabe a weak smile. “And if I bring the big prize to the table, I double my money.”
“What’s the big prize, Dominic?”
“You.”
Gabe took one of the cigar’s from Dominic’s humidor and cut it with the elaborate cutter on the desk. After it was drawing well, he asked. “And Harcourt? Where does he fit in?”
“Assuming the game goes as planned and you are taken down, Peter will join the party. He prefers not to sit in on the poker nor does he want a shot at Miss Li. Apparently he only wants to watch.”
Gabe’s voice was like ice. “Are you playing this both ways, Dominic? You may as well tell me now and die relatively easy. If I find out you are double crossing me, I’ll skin you alive and them dismember you.”
Dominic shuddered.
“Hell, Angel, I always bet on the winner. Red is a flash in the pan. You, my friend, are my best draw. I make more money at the tables when you are here for one night than I do in an entire month. I’m being straight with you, Gabriel. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have had Maude send you the telegram.”
Gabe shoved a piece of paper in front of him.
“The address, Dominic.”
Dominic scribbled an address on the paper and handed it to Gabe.
Gabe stood and walked to the door of the balcony.
“See you tonight, Dominic. What time did you say?”
“I didn’t, but you should be there by nine.”
Gabe nodded and allowed a smile to cross his lips as he folded the paper and put it in his pocket.
“One more thing, Dominic. I hope you’re not too fond of your country place.”
Dominic flinched then regained his composure.
“Mere sticks and mortar, Gabriel. Nothing compared to friends, right?”
Gabe’s smile widened.
“See you at nine. And, Dominic? You’re not my friend”
~~
Chapter 34
.
Ana stared in the mirror. She didn’t recognize the person standing there. She …she looked like a whore. No, to be fair, she was beautiful. More than beautiful, stunning. But she didn’t look like her. Her eyes were wider, darker, their exotic shape emphasized. Her cheeks were flushed. She looked like she did the other morning after lying with Gabe. The women had put something shiny on her lips. They were full, puffy as though she had been kissed. Many times. Her hair hung in a shiny curtain down her back. The red bow tucked saucily behind one ear contrasted with her midnight black hair, and called attention to her bright red dress.
Dear God. What had she been thinking? Her aunt was right. The dress did look like it came from a brothel only more stylish, more outrageous if possible. Once again, the women had added touches that she would never have thought of. The same color they brushed on her cheeks they put on her chest. The tops of her breasts were clearly visible, strikingly so, calling attention to the firm full mounds below. They had done something to her nipples that made them harder, pointed. The way they looked after Gabe sucked on them. She blushed just thinking about it. And her legs. My God, if she moved just right, you could see the inside of her thigh. All of the women oohed and aahed over her shoes. Now looking at them in the mirror, she understood why. She’d always known her legs were pretty, but these shoes made them gorgeous.
When she turned to the women who had dressed her and primped her, they all clapped in delight. Ana couldn’t help but smile. Then she faced the reality of her situation and her stomach plunged in fear.
She turned to Maude. “Where…where am I going?”
It scared her when Maude looked away. Her response was evasive. “I’m not sure, sugar.”
Ana swallowed hard to get by the painful lump in her throat. “Will…will Gabe be there?” Her voice sounded small, frightened, the way she felt.
Maude gave a hearty sigh. “I sure as hell hope so, honey.”
A young man came to the door. His eyes widened and his cheeks flushed when he saw her. He bowed low. Stepping back to hold the door for her, he said, “Madam, your carriage is waiting.”
~~~
Ana had been in San Francisco a few times in her life, enough to know that the carriage was leaving the city. The fear that haunted her throughout the day became panic. She had never known terror, but she did now. Even when she thought Marty and James were going to attack her she felt nothing like this. Then she had options. She had none now.
As though an angel heard her anguished pleas, she remembered she did have options. She could choose not to give in to her fear. She could remember who she was. Master Han told her many times. Your size is only a disadvantage if you make it so. It is the size of your spirit that is the test. She remembered her father, all through the years, the racial slurs, the whispers behind his back. But he never gave in. He never lost his dignity. And finally she thought of Gabe. Strong, powerful and cunning. All those men believed in her. As they pulled up in front of a large impressive house nestled in the trees, Ana promised herself. No matter what happened tonight, she would leave with her dignity intact. No one could take it from her and she would never give it away.
The walk from the carriage to the house was a blur. She barely noted the winding stone path. The sound of music and men’s voices filtered through the cool night air. By the time they reached the steps to the entrance, she was calm, focused and far away. In the carriage she decided that she would escape to the canyons, to safety. And wait for Gabe to come and get her.
~~~
A tall Chinese man greeted her at the door. He introduced himself as Nancho indicating that he was Mr. Dominic’s butler. “Good evening, Miss Li. The gentlemen are waiting for you inside, but we will wait here for Mr. Dominic.”
The hallway was lined with exquisite paintings from traditional portraiture to avant guarde impressionism. From her study of art, she knew there was a small fortune hanging on the walls. She was so intent on the artwork she didn’t hear the man beside her speak.
She turned to see a small impeccably dressed man with a thin mustache and goatee. He looked familiar. “I beg your pardon. Did you speak to me?”
He nodded. “Yes, Ana, I did. I don’t know if you remember me. I was at your party the other night. I know your father. My friends call me Dominic.”
When Ana nodded but didn’t reply, Dominic said. “I couldn’t help but notice your interest in my paintings. Do you know art?”
“Yes, I do. If you know my father, you are aware that he has a significant collection, particularly of the Impressionists.”
She saw him looking at her with what seemed like regret. If she didn’t know better she would think he looked unhappy, not pleased to see her.
He shook his head. “I’m sorry my dear, but we need to go in and meet the other guests.”
She felt a flash of fear at his words and apologetic tone. She remembered her promise and raised her chin in the dignified gesture she had seen her father make all of her life.
Boisterous laughter and hearty male voices greeted her as she walked to the doorway of what looked like a game room. There was a poker table in t
he center and a serving bar on each end of the long room. Across from the poker table was a small elevated stage. Ana purposefully refused to make eye contact with any of the men standing in the center of the room. Instead she focused on the cadre of Chinese servants in front of each of the bars. Their familiar faces and mannerisms comforted her. They looked as dignified as her father. Their presence bolstered her courage. She had been so intent on her perusal that she only then became aware that the room was silent. All of the men in the room had stopped talking and every one of them was staring at her.
Ana lifted her chin and met each of their gazes without flinching.
A huge red haired man stepped forward. The copious amounts of gray peppering his hair and the web of deep lines on his face told his age. He was almost as tall as Gabe, but heavier, a protruding gut hanging over his belt. His once handsome face marked with bright red splotches pointed to a lifetime of heavy drinking and other excesses. His most remarkable feature was his eyes. If Ana hadn’t promised herself she wouldn’t be afraid, his eyes would have terrified her. She couldn’t remember when she had seen a colder, harder man. She instantly knew that she hated him.
“Well, well, well. If this isn’t a nice surprise. You’ve outdone yourself Dominic.”
The big man circled her then flipped his hand in a twisting motion. When she stood still, he practically shouted, “Turn, turn around! Let me see your ass.”
Ana was so startled she almost stumbled, but a tiny voice inside said, courage. Lifting her chin in the air she turned in a slow circle.
He roared. “I’ll be fucked. A haughty uppity little bitch. All the better. The kind who needs to be taught a lesson.”
