by A. A. Dark
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh...but you do. This is a Whitlock phone. In the wrong hands, in my hands, do you know what I’m capable of?”
My jaw flexed repeatedly as possibilities came to mind. There were numbers programmed: Mateo’s, Bram’s. If she figured out she could hit the star key, plus a number, she could even reach the scouts. We were all interwoven in one way or another.
“There it is. You see.”
“I see nothing. I’m not worried.”
“No? You should be. They won’t come for you, you know. The men who were trailing you. They’re dead. All seven of them.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. No one was trailing me.”
She laughed as she attempted to break into the Whitlock phone. “Liar. What did you think they’d do, stop us from getting to you? Did you really think I was bluffing? I poisoned one of my men in front of you, yet you stayed here. You’re either extremely stupid, or over-confident.”
“Mistress, try this.”
My wrist was grabbed, and I jerked down my arm as one of the men tried to lift my hand. At our struggle, Everleigh handed over the phone to the other man and they both unlocked my fist to press my finger into the main button. The light illuminated the back of the screen and I let out a roar as he handed the phone back to her.
“You’re not going to get away with this. You’re going to be caught.”
“Maybe. But not today.”
Everleigh’s face drew in as she stared at the screen. Whatever she was seeing or thinking, I wasn’t sure. This morning, I’d deleted everything, just as I was trained to do, but my picture to Bram would be there. She’d see herself in the shot and put two and two together by the initials.
“Have you ever been to Louisiana, Travis?”
My body thrashed. Leaving meant death. It meant she’d escape again. If she was right, and she’d killed all the men, I would never stand a chance.
“New Orleans is nice, but out of everywhere in the world, you pick there to end me?” I threw my shoulder into the dark-skinned guard who kept digging his elbow into my ribs. “I guess that’s justice. Swamp, alligator-infested nothingness. I can see the appeal. You’ll give me some Cajun food before you take my life, right? I mean, it’s the least you could do.”
“The least I could do?” Her eyes shot up to me from the phone. “If I wasn’t going to send your face as a present to Bram, I’d make you eat it. It would hardly be what you deserve.”
“Harsh for someone who knows the ways of our world. You can’t escape the truth, even if you want to be bitter about why you were there in the first place.” I paused as her attention went back down. “You’re looking for something specific in my phone. What is it? Maybe I can help.”
Everleigh glared. “I don’t need your help. Is he still here?”
“Who?”
She glanced to and addressed the man to my left—the one I felt was in charge. He was calmer, more clearheaded. “You said his jet departed Athens days ago.”
“It did, Mistress. I was told he got on the plane.”
She turned to me. “But he didn’t, did he, Travis?”
“He did.”
The speed at which Everleigh shot between the two front seats had surprise setting in. I wasn’t even sure where she’d gotten the knife she now held to my throat as she straddled me.
“If all you’re going to do is lie, I have no use for your tongue. Shall I call him? We both know if I do, he’ll tell me the truth.”
Harder, the blade pushed into the skin, just shy of my pulse point. Warmth streamed toward the collar of my shirt, and I was fucked either way. If I lied, she would call. She would take my tongue right here and now. If I told the truth, she’d cover her tracks even better, and then I may lose more than my tongue.
“I see you’re having trouble deciding. Do you need my help making that mouth of yours move?”
The knife rotated closer to my jaw, and with the pain, my head leaned back. Deeper, my breaths came. My brain screamed to fight. To risk death to escape my own possible one. But what if Bram was following? What if I ruined our chance to capture her by taking matters into my own hands?
As if on cue, vibrations sounded. Everleigh’s head cocked to the side and she smiled. “Is that our Main Master, I wonder? Let’s see.”
She handed the knife to the man on our left and leaned back, reaching for the cell. From her expression, I knew it was him. She licked her lips, contemplation flashing over her face.
“Unlock it or I remove your finger so I stop having to ask.”
Reluctantly, I obeyed. Where I thought Everleigh would text back, she put it on speakerphone. Ringing sounded around us, and Bram answered almost immediately.
“Everleigh.”
“Bram. I’d ask how you’ve been, but from what I’ve seen, I wouldn’t say it’s very good. Are you enjoying the sun? It must feel great being outside of Whitlock’s confining walls.”
“Let him go, slave. You can’t keep killing my men.”
“I can if you keep sending them after me.”
“I let you go. I let you have your time. You have to come back now.”
“My time? What time? I haven’t been able to relax, more or less enjoy myself, thanks to you.”
“What did you expect? You weren’t supposed to leave to begin with. You know this.”
“I know only one thing: I saved your life while I was robbed of mine. I have endured the monsters. I have paid my price to you. You owe me this! I never had a choice!”
A growl left Bram, echoing through the interior as we headed farther from Athens.
“You still don’t have a choice. Do you think I asked for this? Do you think I asked to be the Master of this shit? We deal, slave. We suck it up, stop throwing childish fits, and we deal. You’re coming back to Whitlock one way or another. You know this. I know this. Don’t make it harder than it has to be.” He paused, taking deep breaths. “You asked Barclane for an apartment. You know I’ll never stop until I have you. In your heart, we both want this to end. Stop running, slave. Come back to me. Come home.”
Silence.
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Everleigh’s shoulders sagged as she glanced out the window toward the sun. “If I go back, I’ll never be able to leave again. I’ll be trapped there forever. I can’t live like that. I want to be free.”
“Slave, you’ll never be free. Neither of us will. I wish…” There was sorrow in our Main Master’s tone as he grew quiet. “I wish I could let you go, but I can’t. I’m bound by our laws. If I let you go, Whitlock will fall. Others will know and expect things of me. They’ll want their slaves to be free as well.”
Tears pooled in Everleigh’s eyes, spilling through a rage I didn’t see coming. “Coward. That’s not the real reason you hunt me. You can’t even say it, Bram Whitlock. You can’t even admit it’s your greed and pride that won’t allow you to set me free. You sit here after not speaking to me for months and feed me excuses instead of admitting the truth? Coward. Coward!”
Like a blur, Everleigh grabbed the knife, stabbing it right toward me. I could barely process what was happening before the blade pierced my shoulder. With a twist, she dug the metal into the meat, carving through my skin and muscle like a mad woman. A scream exploded from my throat and hands were suddenly holding me down, allowing her to pull free and stab me again, and again. Bram was yelling. I was yelling. But Everleigh...she was the loudest of us all.
Chapter 14
Layla
To submit was to eat. To submit meant prolonging my brother’s life. To submit killed me.
“Turn. Face the door.”
My eyes cut up to the wall with rage as I began to circle around. I was nude now, chained to the giant’s floor as he seemed to relish in demeaning me. When I stopped at the door, he grunted.
“Bend over and pull yourself apart. I want to see what I’m about to fuck.”
; Heat burned into my cheeks. I had only just gotten clean an hour ago. Now he was about to dirty me all over. I hated it. I’d never feel clean again.
“I said—”
He stopped as I lowered the top half of my body and gripped both sides of my ass, easing myself open for him to see. More, I let the hate project from my eyes as I glared at the floor.
“I took that first. I ruined that pussy for anyone else. The Dragon would have had you, but I spared you that. You should be thanking me.”
After seconds, the bed creaked. Before I could brace myself, he dipped down, jerking me up by my hair. Air wouldn’t come as his hand easily fitted around my throat and he squeezed, lifting me off the floor.
“I said you should be thanking me, slave.”
My hands shot to his wrist for support, but no matter how hard I tried to suck in air, it would barely come. Pressure intensified, only to ease. Panic had me kicking out against him, trying to scream through the closing of my throat.
“T…T-Thank...you.”
Fingers dug into my hair from his free hand and air gushed into me as he loosened his hold. The kiss was hard, not even a kiss, but more weight against my lips. Fire boiled within, and before I could stop myself, my fists were swinging. The pop against his cheek sent me flying as he hit and threw me into the wall.
“Bitch. You’re going to learn to control that temper of yours or I’ll beat it into you.”
The kick to my stomach was so hard, the air was stolen from me. Pain streaked through my scalp at the lift, and I was hitting the floor again, smashing my head into the wood as he seemed to throw me through floor. The thud reverberated through my ears, sending a ringing so high, I cringed through the sound and pain. For the third time that night, I gagged. But I didn’t move. I lay still as he circled around me, waiting for my next show of rebellion.
“You had enough, or do you need more?”
“No more. No. More.”
My eyes closed and the sickness that churned within only grew as the new extended shackle came free from my ankle. I wasn’t sure what was worse. That fact that he was going to rape me—again—or what would come afterward. I could handle his using me. I could not, however, take his arms around me while he tried to sleep.
“Your brother works the decks now. He watches our door every opportunity he gets. I once caught him trying to sneak over, but it didn’t work out so well for him.”
We hit the hard mattress, and I didn’t care. Any news on my brother was a flicker of hope. Even if Aamir couldn’t rescue me, he was at least out of the cage…looking. Trying.
“Has he ever touched you here?”
The giant lowered, rubbing two of his digits across my slit. The realization of what he meant had me trying to scramble free.
“That’s sick. Of course he hasn’t.”
“Never? Not once?”
At my head shaking, he laughed. “You’re so offended by my mere asking. I wonder how you’ll take it when your new master orders him to fuck you.”
“That’s absurd. No one would do something like that.”
“Are you so naïve? I’ve been in this business longer than you’ve been bleeding out that cunt of yours. There’s only one reason siblings are taken. They’re too much of a risk otherwise. Your brother will fuck you, and I’m half-tempted to be the first to watch.”
The disgust that ate into me was so thick, I was sure I’d be sick. If the giant wanted it, he’d find a way to make it happen. But I couldn’t endure that. Aamir couldn’t either. We would never be the same. We’d never be able to look at each other again.
“Please, keep me here. Keep me for yourself.”
“You’d miss the opportunity to see your brother if it meant he’d fuck you?”
The glint in his light eyes had desperation soaring. My hand shot out to cup his cheek, but he slapped it away before I could so much as touch him.
“I’ll do anything. Anything you want. Just don’t get Aamir. Please, anything.”
“You’re going to find out real fast how your opinion doesn’t mean shit. It doesn’t matter what you want or what you say. My way is the only way. And I say we bring in your brother. I bet he’s dying to see you. Or maybe we all want to watch. Let’s take a trip downstairs. We’ll put it to a vote.”
A scream tore free as he scooped me up by the waist and headed for the door in wide strides. For all the times I fought the giant, I hit and tore into him with everything I had. When he continued, I dove for his thigh and sunk my teeth in as hard as I could. Blood flooded my mouth, but I didn’t let go. A roar filled the deck, but I only saw one thing: lights. Another boat was pulled up beside us.
“Ram, I said what the hell are ya’ doing?”
His large palm pushed against my forehead, and I unlatched, spitting the blood and gasping to catch my breath.
“Help me! Someone help me! Please!”
Laughter between two men sounded, and who I assumed was the captain came closer to us.
“Put that slave back in her cage and come help me look over this lot.”
“I—”
“Don’t you give me some excuse. You’ve been slacking in your duties. It’s the whole reason I stopped doing these damn foreign transports. Now, put her back and get your ass up here.”
Murder projected as he glared down at me. The giant didn’t say a word as he dragged me to the stairs. Before I could think to climb down, he didn’t give me a choice. Hands gripped my shoulders, pushing them with immense strength. The shove was so hard, my head hit the opening at my descent down the dark hole. Gravity became nonexistent. I fell in a shocked abyss, in slow motion, unable to stop myself from crashing into the boy climbing up. We hit hard, both connecting in a tangle of limbs before landing, sprawled out on the floor.
The room wavered, going in and out. I wasn’t even sure I was breathing. Heat scorched the side of my forehead in that all-too-familiar throb, and from the wetness racing over my skin, I knew I was bleeding. Badly. Movement shifted from underneath, and I was rolled as whoever I hit climbed out from under my body. But I couldn’t see them. I couldn’t see anything as I submitted to what I wanted most: an escape.
****
“Is she waking? Layla, can you hear me?”
****
“God, Layla, please. Please wake up. Jessa, bring her closer. I can barely reach.”
Light flickered...and was gone.
****
“If you’re going to die, you might as well get used while you can. It’s almost better to fuck you this way. We all like your pussy,” the giant whispered. “We love it.”
The swaying from the thrusts broke through, but I wouldn’t let myself be awoken from the darkness. It was safer this way. It was better.
****
“She’s so pale. Aamir, I’m scared. He won’t take her again, will he? You’re not going to leave with them again, are you? What happened last night? You came in crying so hard.”
“I’ve never wanted to kill someone so much in my life. I’m going to kill him, Jessa. I swear I will.”
****
Voices hummed...I swayed. I awoke to feel my body being used, but I didn’t open my eyes. Cheers, moans, hot cum shooting all over me. Someone else taking their turn. I’d never wake again. I couldn’t bear it. Was it real, was it all a dream my mind had invented during my head injury? I didn’t know. I didn’t want to know.
Arms were wrapped around me now. Where Jessa used to give me comfort, I knew the moment I allowed myself to feel it, the emotion would be stripped away. Nothing was better. I’d be nothing. I’d feel nothing. I’d stay within my mind as the girl who existed before Athens. My father would look up from his newspaper, throwing me a smile, and my mother would be making our breakfast before Aamir and I headed to school. There, I would be free. Seeing their smiles and love when they were home made me happy. They adored us. Spoiled us, even if they did have to travel a lot for work. My mother had even cried before Aamir and I left. She hadn’t wanted us to
go so far away by ourselves, thought we were too young, and we’d laughed. Why hadn’t we listened?
“Layla, please wake up. Please. I need you to drink some water. I have bread.”
My stomach growled, but I only rolled over toward Jessa, ignoring the bandage on my forehead. How long had it been since I had been injured? Days? Yes.
“You can hear me. I know you can. Please.”
“Is she awake?”
“I don’t want to be,” I mumbled. “I want to go back to sleep.”
Pressure gripped my arm, only to disappear just as fast. At the silence, my eyes opened for the first time since I’d passed out. Aamir was sitting, holding on to his drawn-up legs. There was something different about his face. Or maybe it was his expression. I wasn’t sure as his head lowered to rest against his knees.
“I’m glad you’re awake. We were scared. We didn’t think you’d ever wake up again.”
“What is it?”
The dryness almost made it impossible to talk. I took a drink of the water Jessa handed over, choking immediately. Aamir lifted, but he didn’t look at me.
“It’s nothing. We were just scared. Terrified. I thought I lost you.”
Tears streamed down his cheek as he looked away. For hours, we didn’t talk. I nibbled on bread and disappeared into my thoughts as much as I could. And I did the most important thing I could think of: I ignored the voices, the moans...what I now knew had to be memories.
Chapter 15
Scout 5
Ring. Ring. The damn phone kept ringing. Out of all the torture I had ever endured, the ringing of the damn Whitlock phone had to have been the worst. Stab wounds I could do. Even jagged-ass fucking holes carved into my shoulder from the twisting and digging of the crazy bitch, Everleigh. But that goddamn cell. If it didn’t stop soon, I’d lose it. Chains or no chains, I’d find a way to smash that motherfucker to pieces.
“Answer! Pick up the fucking phone!”
