“Unless you want our relationship to dramatically change, I think you need to leave,” I huffed.
“Norah, you aren’t going unless I take you, and that is final!” he yelled.
“Final?” I shouted back. “Correct me if I’m wrong, John, but you aren’t my father! The only man in my life that makes up rules that I have to follow isn’t here right now. So I am making up my own rules. And I say I am going!” I turned my back to him and started unbuttoning my shirt.
“Liam told me to keep an eye on you, to take care of you. How can I do those things if I am not even with you? This guy kidnapped you and now you’re getting in a car and going to some unknown place? That doesn’t make sense, Norah!” I had never heard John be this angry before. I turned back to face him with my shirt half unbuttoned. I was sure he could see my black bra, but I didn’t care.
“I know it doesn’t make sense. But right now, I can’t explain. I have some sort of,” I stumbled with my words a little, “plan in my head. Part of the plan is having dinner with him, getting him to trust me, getting him to want me again.”
“Then what?” he asked. “Because last I checked, Nick Meyers has never stopped wanting you,” he had taken a few steps toward me.
“Then,” I paused and looked down. “Then, I don’t know,” I looked back up. “I haven’t gotten that far in the plan yet,” I slapped my hands against my legs.
“Well maybe you should do us all a favor and clue us in to this brilliant plan you have cooking in your head, so those of us who are supposed to be protecting you can do that…protect you.” He walked out and slammed the door behind him.
I put on my dress and slipped on my shoes. I started pulling the curlers out of my hair when Kelly walked in the bathroom.
“I don’t need to hear it from you too,” I snapped.
“Oh, I have no intention of lecturing you,” she said.
“Thank goodness,” I exhaled. “Someone on my side.” I ran my fingers through the long curls and then sprayed my whole head with hair spray.
“Oh, I think you’re absolutely fucking nuts. But I have no intention of trying to convince you to stay here.” She gave me a wink and turned to walk out of the bathroom.
“Oh by the way,” she stopped and came back in the door. “Marcy had her baby today!” she exclaimed.
“What?” I shouted. I leaned up and looked at her in the mirror.
“Yeah. She went into labor last night and the little guy was born today around 1 o’clock, I think. Marcus went to the hospital to see her. She named him,” she patted her lip. “Gregory Mason….after his grandfather I think.” I started to say something but she stopped me.
“Don’t worry,” she held up her hands. “We sent flowers, a big stuffed monkey, some balloons and I plan to take her some food tomorrow morning,” she smiled at me. I was so thankful for Kelly.
I loved my business and the people that worked for me, but Tim couldn’t run things on his own, and Margaret just stressed herself out trying to handle everything. Kelly had jumped right in and become my assistant, another planner and overall catchall.
It was so great knowing my business was being taken care of while my head was all fuzzy worrying about Liam and trying to handle Nick.
“Thank you, Kelly. I don’t know what I would do without you,” I hugged her. “I’ll go see her tomorrow morning. We can go together and take her some food.” I rubbed her shoulders. “Liam will be so upset that he missed it,” I looked down.
“Don’t worry,” she said. “Between the Robert Palmer girls and Marcus, I think his office is being handled too. Will came back four days ago and Steve has been dazzling clients. He even landed a big account Liam has wanted for a while. Some kind of oil business, I think,” she scrunched her nose.
“Thank you, Kelly. I’m so sorry to dump all of this on you. But I’m going to need you to handle things for a little while longer. I hope to have….whatever it is I’m doing handled by next week,” I gulped, “And I hope Liam will be home by then too,” tears came to my eyes and I quickly wiped them away.
I walked around her and grabbed my credit card, what little cash I had on me, my ID, cell phone and some lipstick out of my big bag and put it in the little hand clutch.
“You look hot!” Kelly nodded her head up and down at me. “Nick won’t know what hit him,” she sucked in her teeth and made some sound I had never heard before.
The car arrived at 7pm on the dot and John held up his hand to the driver and opened the door for me.
“Put this in your purse,” he handed a little black box.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s a stun gun. He gets out of line, you feel uncomfortable or hell even if you just want to, put it to his skin and push the button.” I kissed his cheek.
“Thank you,” I said. He wouldn’t look at me. “I’ll call you as soon as I am on the way home.”
Chapter Eight
Liam
I sat in the chair and looked at the man on the floor. The men either had left or were leaving the room. Amir and Salam had left my side and I sat alone. I think they wanted me to be alone with him.
There he was, a man I barely knew, a man that was trying to bring this human trafficking ring down from the inside, a man that…my mind went black. I couldn’t think. He was dead and I might very well be next.
I wasn’t sure what had happened. Had they made him? Did they know he was an agent? Did they know this whole time? That would certainly explain why they had kept him at arm’s length until now.
Were they going to kill me too? Did they know I was working with the UNDC? I didn’t know what to think. My thoughts were all over the place. I thought about this poor man lying on the floor and that he may very well have a family. Then I thought about Norah, Rosa and Gerald and my crazy English, Spanish, Irish, American family I had created on my own.
I always wanted to get a dog. I assumed one day I would get one. I wasn’t sure what kind, but I wanted one. Since meeting and marrying Norah, I wanted things I had never thought about before. A dog was one of them.
I don’t know why in that moment I chose to think about wanting a dog, but I did it anyway. My mind raced. I couldn’t stay clear on anything. I went from dogs, to Norah, to his family, to kids, back to the dog and back to Norah again. I kept seeing these images in my head.
All the while Nasun Bendi, if that was his real name, laid on the floor, badly beaten, fingers cut off, teeth pulled out and his throat slit from ear to ear.
I didn’t want this to be me. Ever. I made a vow to myself and whatever God was listening to me at that moment. I told myself if I got out of this with my life, I would change things. I didn’t want adventure if it included watching someone be tortured and murdered in front of my eyes. When this deal was done, I was done.
I heard a noise in the corner of the room that sounded like a throat clearing or maybe it was a cough. I didn’t know. I looked up and saw Rashad Salam walking toward me.
“I hope our business tonight didn’t turn you off from making another purchase from me, Mr. Hastings,” his voice was even toned. Like he had not just killed a man.
I cleared my throat and closed my eyes so I could try to get this image of Nasun out of my head. I kept blinking and then I stood to face him.
“Why?” My voice cracked a little, “What did he do?” I asked.
Rashad looked over at Nasun’s body on the floor like he was trash.
“He was working with the Feds,” he said coldly. “We found out about eight months ago, but we wanted to see how long he would stick around even though we weren’t giving him what he wanted,” he chuckled. He actually chuckled, then he took a cigar out of his pocket and lit it. Smoke encircled his head.
“We planned to kill him a few weeks ago because his company was no longer amusing to me and frankly it was harder to do business with him around,” he smiled. “But then he mentioned you, and we decided to keep him for a little longer,” he waved his hand for me to follow him.
> As we walked out of the room I looked back at Nasun on the floor and hoped my fate wasn’t going to be the same.
We walked to another room which was a big library. He made two glasses of brandy and handed me one. I took it from him and drank most of it down. He filled it again and I took a smaller sip this time.
“I want you to come to the auction, Mr. Hastings. I think you will enjoy yourself. I have many young girls to your liking. Some very young, barely out of high school and some a little older and a little more experienced. If another virgin is what you want we will have a few available for you.” He drank some of his drink.
I wondered if I should defend myself. Distance myself from Nasun. He had just told me Nasun was working with the Feds and I didn’t say anything. I was sure I should say something. He probably expected me to say something. I swirled my drink in my glass.
On the other hand, saying nothing also made a statement. If he asked I would answer, but saying nothing would keep him interested and possibly me alive. It also let him know I wasn’t very concerned.
“This auction will be a little different,” he said. “I’m having a little party for my personal friends in a suite before, so we can all relax before we do business,” he raised his eyebrows to me.
I knew what ‘relax’ meant. He was going to have a little sex party before the big auction. I gave him a smile but inside I thought of what I might have to do at this party to not bring any suspicion to myself.
“I look forward to it,” I raised my glass and took another drink.
“Good. My driver will take you back to your room,” he nodded to the door which I took as an invitation to leave. I turned my back to start to walk toward the door.
“I remember her, Mr. Hastings,” he called from the other side of the room. I stopped walking. “Your wife,” he said as I turned to face him. “I remember her very well. One of my men got killed because he wanted to fuck her so bad.” He exhaled deeply, “Well we all did,” he said it like it was perfectly normal for a man to tell another man he wanted to fuck his wife.
“She was very special, very sexy. I saw her sitting all alone at this café and thought to myself, ‘I have to have this girl,” he wasn’t looking at me but more talking to the air. “I was so hoping she wasn’t a virgin so I could taste her before she made me a hell of a lot of money,” then he looked at me.
“Too bad I guess,” he said matter of factly. I wanted to snap his neck with my bare hands. I wanted to chop off his dick and shove it right down his throat. I wanted to tie him up and beat the ever living shit right out of him. How dare he speak about my wife like a common whore?
But instead I just shrugged my shoulders and said, “Yes, I suppose it is too bad,” I paused for dramatic effect, “for you,” I added.
I gave him a shit eating smile and turned to walk away.
His driver took me back to my hotel and I called Detective Shaw as soon as I got in my room.
“What the fuck have you gotten me into?” I screamed in the phone. “They killed him!” I shouted. “They beat the fuck out of him and then they killed him…right in front of me! I couldn’t do anything about it! I thought I was a dead man! I thought they were going to hang me up by my balls! This shit is out of control!” I was pacing the floor and had my hands on my hips.
I took a deep breath and kept panting.
“Hello?” Shaw said.
“I’m here you mother fucking wanker! Tell me what I should do because I don’t know anymore! If you think I am going back to hang out with these guys again, you have another thing coming!”
“Mr. Hastings,” he said calmly. “Please calm down. Yes, I know about Nasun. We heard it happen. We couldn’t do anything about it either. He knew this was a risk, we all did. It’s a shame. But maybe now you understand who you are playing ball with, Liam!”
“What do you want me to do?” I asked again.
“Do exactly what we talked about. Go to the party, fit in, play with some girls, spank them, or whatever it is you guys do, make them think you are one of them. Go to the auction and act interested in one of the girls. Buy one if you have to. Hopefully by then we will have your location, and enough information to bust it up.”
“Hopefully?” I shouted in the phone. “And what if you don’t? Am I expected to cheat on my wife and take this girl home? There has to be an end game, Shaw!”
“I expect you to do whatever you have to do to make them think you are a sick fuck just like them. When we get there, we get there!” The line went dead.
I collapsed on the bed and rubbed my face. All I could see was Nasun’s face in my head. I got up after an hour or so and took a shower.
I stood in the bathroom after my shower starring at my phone. I wanted to call Norah so bad but I knew I couldn’t. It would be dangerous for both me and her. Not to mention hearing her voice would make me want to leave this place and go straight to her.
Five more days and this would all be over.
Norah
The car pulled into a long driveway and a black iron gate opened as we got closer. Behind the gate was a long line of what looked like five townhouses. The car stopped in front of the 4th one in line and then the driver came around to open my door.
I stepped out and walked up to a pair of large double red doors. Before I could knock, the door opened and a man in a tuxedo was standing in the door way.
“Good Evening Miss Chandler, Mr. Meyers is waiting for you in the study.” He held out his hand and I walked inside. He offered to take my shoulder wrap and purse and I let him. I straightened out my dress and ran my hands through my hair.
“This way, Miss,” he gestured over to another set of large double doors.
“Thank you,” I passed him and then turned back, “And it’s Mrs. Hastings,” I said.
“Very good, Ma’am,” he nodded and kinda bowed too, then he walked past me and opened the doors.
“Mrs. Hastings,” he announced.
Nick was standing next to a long book shelf. He turned around with a big smile on his face. He was wearing navy blue dress pants and a white button up shirt.
“Norah, you look lovely,” he said. “I’m so glad you came,” he walked toward me and leaned down to kiss my cheek.
“Ahh, thank you,” I hesitated a little. I looked down and ran my hands over my stomach and down the sides of my thighs. He touched my chin and forced me to look up at him. Again I fidgeted with my necklace which was a nervous habit of mine.
“Are you nervous?” he asked.
“A little.”
“Here have a drink,” he walked over to a small bar table and made me a gin and tonic. “Gin and tonic, right?” he asked. I nodded and took the glass from him. I took a long sip and then rolled my shoulders.
“Dinner will be ready in five minutes,” a lady in a maid outfit said.
“Then we will head to the dining room,” he put his hand to my lower back and gestured for me to move toward the door.
I sat at the dinner table while Nick texted with someone on his cell phone. It felt a lot like the first dinner Liam and I had together. It was interrupted by business and I sat alone looking around the room. But I wasn’t about to give Nick a blowjob like I had Liam.
He looked up from his phone and apologized.
“Norah, I apologize. There is a problem with one of my factories in Guam. I need to make a call. Please have a look around the first floor. This house is very beautiful. I’ll find you as soon as I am done,” he stood up and walked out of the room. I heard his footsteps going up stairs.
I walked around and found the kitchen with a few busy workers in it, a very large living room with a television at least 80 inches, a PlayStation, movie selection, and large leather couches and recliners. I found a bathroom and another room in the back of the house down a long hallway with a large cherry wood door only cracked open an inch.
My curiosity got the best of me so I pushed it open. The room was dark. The light from the hallway let me see what loo
ked like a trunk, a mattress on the floor with a blanket, and shackles hanging from the ceiling. I pushed the door open a little further and I heard a clanging sound. It sounded like chains against chains. I glanced to the other side of the room and saw a small cage. I felt for a light switch but couldn’t find one.
I stepped closer and then I saw her. She was inside the cage laying on her side. She was naked with shackles around her ankles. I couldn’t see her face but I was 100% sure this was Holly. This was the young girl Nick had purchased from the auction.
“Holly?” I whispered. She moved a little but not much. “Is your name Holly?” I asked again. Again she didn’t move. I started to step toward the cage but then she spoke.
“He’ll kill you if he finds you in here,” she said. I stopped moving. I looked up and saw hooks hanging from the ceiling. They looked like meat hooks. On the back wall was a large cabinet which I was sure held lots of scary toys.
“Norah?” I heard Nick’s voice from the other end of the hall. I walked backward keeping my eyes on this girl laying in a cage. I moved the door back to just a crack of an opening and ran down the hallway.
I saw another room with glass cabinets and walked inside it.
“There you are,” he said. “Enjoying my antique collection?” he asked. I didn’t think he suspected anything.
“Ah, yes, it’s beautiful. What’s that?” I pointed to what looked like an antique jewelry box.
“It was a jewelry box I bought from an auction about 5 years ago,” he chuckled at his own words. “It was one of the artifacts from the Titanic. They were able to restore it to its natural beauty. I saw it and had to have it,” he winked at me.
“Funny. I know the feeling,” of course I was referring to being in an auction myself and Liam having to have me and then trying to restore me as well.
“Dinner is ready,” again he put his hand on my back and lead me out of the room.
Dinner was quiet. We ate butternut squash soup with a cheese nioki, asparagus risotto and braised duck legs with an apple and ginger sauce.
Surrender: Keeping Her in the Dark Vol. 4 Page 9
