“Good evening, Elijah,” the girls said in unison.
Elijah smiled at them, standing back against the doorway and holding the door open, his arm extended out towards the hallway. “Shall we?”
The girls followed the arm, walking one by one into the dim hallway, the light from the candles lining the wall just barely casting a glow on the dusty, rotting floor that led to the stairwell that would take the girls to the outside world. Leah went first, the rest of the girls following behind her in a line, with Elijah at the tail end. The trap door was open, so once the girls had reached the final set of stairs, they found themselves back in the woods.
Gia shivered as gooseflesh erupted over her neck and upper chest, the chilled air hitting any area of exposed flesh. At least the sky is pretty tonight, Gia thought to herself as she turned her face upwards, taking in the full moon and bright stars. There was not a cloud in sight, and the brunette found herself able to see hundreds of glowing spots in the sky. Her favorite stars were the ones that gathered in groupings of three or more, as it reminded her of a story that her mother had told her once when she was a young child. Amelia had said that every time a star appears in the sky, it is the spirit of a good person who passed away. Gia had always imagined that these groupings were made up of good spirits, who were enjoying a social gathering in Heaven. She hoped to be one of these stars after she, too, had passed from this world. She would watch over her sisters and keep them safe, and enjoy conversations with people that she would never get the chance to meet while working for Leander. Who knew, maybe she would even talk with the sisters that she had lost over the years.
“Be careful,” Gia heard Elijah comment from her left. She turned to look, and saw Elijah standing near Hester. The girl was pushing herself up from the ground, her dark red braid now coated in dirt. She hastily ran her fingers over it, trying to get some of the dust away so that she would look presentable for the men that Leander spoke of. Her green dress was layered in dust, as well, the color now closer to grey than it was the pretty olive green it started out as. After a moment, Elijah decided to help, his hand lingering on her bodice as he turned to her. “You must be more careful of your movements, love,” he said, his voice soft. Hester gave him a small smile back before brushing off her skirt. He smiled back, kissing her lightly on the forehead.
Realization hit Gia, and she let out a small, “oh.” She had never realized before tonight that Elijah and Hester had fallen for one another. That was an extremely dangerous tryst to pursue, especially if Leander caught whiff of either of their feelings. They would both be killed before either had a chance to even say “Hallelujah.” Well, Leander may go easy on Hester, but Elijah? The leader would not be gentle with one of his men who blatantly disobeyed his strictest of orders. Gia quickly said a small prayer for both of their safety before turning back forward, watching out of the corner of her eyes as Hester continued to try and clear her dress.
Once the dust had settled back onto the road, Elijah pulled back and gave her another smile before he stepped back in front to continue to lead the group. The light-haired man was in his mid- thirties, which made transporting the girls to the clients much easier. To a passerby, it would appear that Elijah was simply a man escorting his young daughters back home after a long night of fun. No one would question a thing unless they knew one of the girls specifically.
“Good evening, sir,” a passing man, tipping his hat at Elijah a moment later. Elijah nodded back and mumbled a small How do you do? before turning back to glance at the girls, making sure that they were all still accounted for and safe. Once he was reassured, Elijah glanced around his surroundings his eyes casting quick circles as he made sure that he had not been followed by anyone other than his intended. When he saw the coast was clear, he walked the girls into a courtyard next to a gray stone building, guiding them into a moon-shape near the doorway.
“Alright, ladies, this is where I leave you,” Elijah commented as he straightened his cravat and waist coat. “I will be back within the week to gather you for Leander once again, unless I receive word that you will be gone longer than expected.” He walked towards a door in the side of the building, knocking out a pattern against the oak before he nodded his farewell towards the girls, his eyes lingering on Hester before walking away.
The girls waited silently in their line, unsure of if they were allowed to move without the command from their temporary leader. While it seemed unlikely that they would be in trouble for moving, they did not know what these men could be capable of, and there was not one of them who wanted to test it out and see their power. For all the girls knew, one step from one girl could lead to the death of all five.
It took less than a minute from when Elijah knocked on the door until a slight man pulled back the door and looked out, his dark blue waist coat straining against his chest as he held his binoculars in his hand, peering out into the courtyard. He turned his head side to side slowly, the apparatus panning across the girls. After a moment, he pulled his head back and stood back against the doorframe, ushering the girls into the building. “Come, come!” he called to them, beckoning them with his fingers. “Quickly, now! Hurry in!”
Gia lead the line, taking quick steps to the doorway, where the man was still frantically waving his hand towards them. She quickly curtsied at him before stepping into the hallway. He rolled his eyes, gesturing with his fingers that the girls were still too slow for his liking. Once all the girls were in, he swung the front door shut with a muttered, “Finally.” He circled them, his eyes scanning up and down the girls as he judged the quality of the product that he was transporting to the main chambers of the house. Gia kept her eyes on him nervously until he passed her. It was then that she noticed the regality of the home she was standing in.
Gia felt her eyes widen and her breath catch as she examined the hallway. There was a thick patterned carpet on the ground, shades of garnet and yellow ochre dancing and twirling around one another in shapes, lines, and paisley sections, mint green fleur de lis lining the hallway every few feet. The walls were the same dark gray stone as the outside, only upon the interior, large paintings of women in all sorts of positions hung upon the masonry. There was an oak table pressed against the wall, a small, iron candelabra resting upon its top, the dark red candles matching the garnet shawl that was being used as a table covering. Gia had never seen a hallway as beautiful as this one, and she had seen rooms and homes from every walk of life. It made her wonder just how wealthy these men she would be serving truly were.
“This way,” the hurried man pressed, quickly walking behind the girls and shooing them with his hands to a door at the end of the hallway. Once the girls were a few mere feet away from the door, the man ran to the front of the line, knocking three times before throwing the wood open and walking in, his arms bent and his fingers outstretched. “Our prospects have arrived!” he exclaimed before the man stood back, running his fingers through his silver hair as he held his arm out, pointing out to the girls where to go.
Gia, still at the head of the line, stepped into the room first, her legs trembling slightly beneath her pantalets. Her boots clicked against the wood floor that met the carpet at the doorway. It appeared that this room was a dining room, as there was a large birch table in the center of the room, another iron candelabra resting in the middle of it. Seated at the table was a group of five men, each one appearing far more wealthy than even Leander himself.
“Thank you, Asa,” a red-headed man said, nodding at the silver-haired man. Asa nodded back before scurrying out of the room, his coattails flapping behind him. The man turned to the girls, his viridian eyes flashing as his eyes scanned their bodies, settling uncomfortably on Gia. He licked his lips. “Well, hello there, beautiful,” he said, bowing his head slightly as he took in her faux-sophisticated appearance. He cocked an eyebrow and ran his tongue over his teeth.
Gia curtsied. “Good evening, sir,” she said in response, doing her best to avoid making eye contact with hi
m. She stared at the large, dark freckles on his nose instead, counting them out until the red-head finally looked away.
The man stood and made his way towards the girls. “My, my, my. What a lovely bunch dear Leander has brought for my men’s pleasure tonight. I could never have imagined a group this perfect when he said that he would give me only the best.” He circled the girls, taking each of them in individually. His eyes scanned their bodies appreciatively as he approached them, darting his tongue out to dampen his lips as he stared. He stopped a few feet away from where Gia was standing, turning to glance back at his men. “Before we begin, I daresay I should introduce each and every one of us, so you know who it is that you are serving. My name is Isaiah Foundling.”
Isaiah gestured to a man farthest away from the girls, with thick, dark brown hair and blue-grey eyes. “That there is Eldon Matthews.” He turned back to the girls, casting his eyes over them once again. His eyes landed on Minerva, a tall brunette with chocolate brown eyes. “Name?”
“Minerva, sir.”
“Minerva. What a lovely name,” he commented, nodding. He held his hand out to her. When Minerva took his hand, Isaiah spun her around before gently shoving her towards Eldon. “You shall be in his company tonight.”
Next, Isaiah held both of his hands out to Hester and Leah. “You two, my darlings, are going to spend time with Rudolph and Stanley.” He turned them towards two young men. These men were identical in every aspect except for their eyes (one had green, the other blue), and looked to be no older than twenty, at the very latest. Both men smiled as Hester and Leah stepped towards them.
“Raymond is the man with black hair over there,” Isaiah commented, gesturing to a man who had his head down on the table. Raymond lifted his hand in a feeble wave, but did nothing else to acknowledge his introduction. “He enjoyed the meade a bit too in the early hours of this morning,” Isaiah stage-whispered loudly, snickering when Raymond let out a pained groan. Isaiah pulled Abigayle to himself for a moment before he spun her as well, keeping her hand in his as he pulled her over to the vacant chair next to the ill man. “Here you are, sweetheart.” He pushed her lightly into the chair before turning back to face Gia, his eyes alight with glee.
“Finally, the best for last.” Isaiah made his way back over to Gia, his eyes scanning her up and down once more. His eyes settled on her bust and waist, the well-fitting corset exemplifying her features more than any of the other girls’ corsets had, the boning highlighting her excellent curves. The man smiled at her predatorily. “And what would your name be, child?”
Gia felt her mouth go dry. “Georgiana Fletcher, sir. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” She curtsied, swallowing harshly to get rid of the desert in her throat. She forced a smile as Isaiah chuckled before bowing and taking Gia’s hand in his own, kissing her palm lightly.
“Enchanted, I’m sure,” Isaiah responded, making eye contact with Gia before he stood straight once more, turning back to his peers. “If anyone shall need me, do not come and get me unless my cries of ecstasy have been silenced.” The other men laughed. Isaiah bowed again to Gia, his hand outstretched, palm facing upwards as he peered at her through his lashes. “Shall we?”
Gia took the hand and followed the man out of the room, through the hallway, under an archway, and up two staircases to a large bedroom on the third floor. She was once again awed by the majestic nature of the room, the emerald bed larger than any she had ever seen before. The silk sheets reflected the flames of the candles that had been lit around the room, which Gia assumed were placed strategically for ambience, even though she was a mere prostitute. It was nothing that Gia had ever seen before. Sure, the brunette had had affairs with men of higher caliber (such as Owen), but she had never been with a man of the sheer amount of wealth that everything in Isaiah’s home was suggesting.
Isaiah wasted no time once the door was shut before standing behind Gia and running his hands over her dress, placing open-mouthed kisses along the side of her neck and licking along her collarbone. “You are such a beautiful flower,” he whispered, bunching up Gia’s skirt in his right hand. He took her ear lobe into his mouth, playing with it with his tongue. Gia cringed at the slimy feeling of his tongue. She tried not to be too obvious with her discomfort, knowing that Leander would not be happy if he found out that she was not the perfect love for this man.
Isaiah shifted to whisper, “Had you been one of your sisters, I would not bother with removing this beautiful dress from your body, but for you… I would like to take the time to enjoy this moment properly.” He raised the skirt higher, the fingers of his other hand fondling the fastenings of her dress between his thumb and index finger. Isaiah made quick work of the buttons before pulling the dress back, running the tips of his well-kept nails over her shoulders and down her arms, lacing his fingers with Gia’s as the top of the dress fell completely over her hips. He squeezed her hand lightly.
Once the dress was open, Isaiah helped Gia step out of the fabric. “No crinoline?” Isaiah asked, surprised.
Gia shook her head. “No, sir. Leander does not like us to wear crinolines. He says that it hinders access for our clients.”
Isaiah chuckled, moving his hand to the petticoat and swinging it playfully. “That would be true.” Isaiah bit down on Gia’s neck as he turned to her front, pulling her flush against his chest. He ran his fingers along the laces of the corset before he pressed his lips against Gia’s in a kiss, his fingers remaining behind the brunette’s back to get the corset ready for removal. Gia sighed into the kiss in relief as the corset fell away, her quickly-expanding lungs welcoming more room for them to do their job.
Soon, Isaiah had removed Gia’s petticoat, pantalets, and chemise. Her skin erupted into gooseflesh as Isaiah pushed Gia onto the bed and stepped several paces away, taking a moment to fully examine his purchase before he moved any more forward. “So beautiful,” he breathed. His tan trousers were tented considerably as his hungry eyes settled on the crux of Gia’s thighs before drifting up to her ample breasts, her nipples flushed and pointed in the chilled air. He quickly removed his own shirt, trousers, and undergarments before lunging onto the bed, attaching his lips to Gia’s left nipple, his hand drifting down her stomach and along her lips, lightly pulling on the hair and stretching her to take his girth.
As Isaiah worked Gia open, Gia disappeared off into her own world. It was a technique that she had learned early on in order to distract herself from what was occurring. She was simply an instrument for his pleasure and, after being used as one so many times, the brunette had found intercourse to be tedious and too much of an expense to waste any energy on paying attention to what was going on, and that letting her mind drift was much more of a euphoric experience. She began to think of her sisters, wondering how their experiences were going. Had they been awarded a more quick service, where their men got in and got out, without any fuss? Or were the men as interested in the girls as Isaiah had been in her? She wished that she had gotten the latter.
After a several minutes, Isaiah finished with a groan, filling Gia with wetness. She squirmed uncomfortably as the man collapsed on top of her, panting from the effort. He rested there for several moment until he caught his breath, at which time he finally removed himself from his purchase. Once Isaiah had moved off Gia’s legs, she began to sit up, preparing herself to get dressed once again and return back to any other task that Isaiah should want her to perform. However, she was surprised when Isaiah pulled her back down, mumbling, “No. I am paying to keep you for several days. You will sleep here.” He said nothing more until Gia shot him a shocked look, to which he sighed and continued, “I have work I need to be done, and for that, I need you to be fully competent. Sleep.” He placed a hand on Gia’s wrist, digging his nails into the skin to show that he meant business.
Gia nodded before placing her head back on the pillow. She had never slept in a bed this comfortable in her life, and she fell fast asleep within minutes, Isaiah still running his fin
gertips over her naked body as she rested.
***
When Gia awoke a few hours later, it was to Isaiah atop her once again, his hungry eyes boring into her face as he thrust between her thighs. She waited patiently for him to finish. Once Isaiah had, he pulled her up, pushing her off the bed. “Dress, slut,” he commented, pulling his own clothing back on. Gia did as she was asked, and followed Isaiah to the main level of the house and into the dining hall, where the other girls and the men were already waiting.
Isaiah went to the head of the table. He leaned in, splaying his fingers against the wood. “We shall be gone within the hour,” he said, nodding at his men. He turned to the women, looking each of them in the eyes. “Ladies, your job shall be simple. You are to observe from the shadows the families that we give you. If there is a girl in the family, tell Raymond. He has been instructed to record the names of any potential daughters to join Leander’s family. Everything else you see, you tell me. Every minor detail of these families’ day, who lives in the home, who you see during your watch, any dangers that may present themselves upon the property. You are to remain hidden. If anyone catches you, you are dead, either by me, or by the property owners.” He pulled a knife from his boot, holding it out in front of himself. He leaned in further, holding the knife so that it was pointed at the girls. “Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes, sir,” Gia and the rest of the girls responded shakily, the girls’ fear obvious. Isaiah nodded.
“Good.” He tapped the top of the table before turning and heading towards the door, his heavy steps echoing throughout the room. He turned around as he passed under the archway. His eyes glinted as he sneered and said again, “One hour.”
Saving Simona (Alone In The World Trilogy) Page 3
