by Evie Harper
I’m about to ask Jake what the collection is when he opens the limo door and puts his hand on my head, more gently than I thought he would, directing me into the car.
As soon as the top half of my body is in the car I search for Sasha, and I see her anxiously waiting for me, obviously having watched me being walked over. I step into the car, and as soon as the door closes, the doors lock. I jump across the seats and hug my little sister. Thankful she is okay and unharmed; we cling to each other.
"Oh, Lily, I was so scared. I had no idea where you were, and no one would tell me anything. I woke up in a small room, and when I tried to get out the door, was locked. I screamed but no one answered until the plane landed. Then they told me you would meet me in this car. I thought they were tricking me, and I didn’t know what else to do, but when I saw you walking over, I was so relieved.”
I’m about to start answering her when she gasps.
“I'm going to kill them," she seethes.
Sash reaches up and gently touches my cheek. I flinch at the pain.
“Oh, Lil, what happened? Who did that to you?” she demands.
“I’m okay, and a man called Mick did this. Apparently, I was asking too many questions.”
“Lily,” Sasha’s voice quivers, “what are we going to do?” she asks. I can already hear the defeat in her voice.
She knows we’re outnumbered and overpowered. Any other time, I would lie and fix whatever situation we were in to protect my little sister, but I can’t. I need her to be ready, mentally and physically, for what we might have to go through at the hands of these kidnappers.
My eyes sting with tears that I won’t allow to fall. Rage and desperation surge through my blood like a torrent of forceful water, heating my body and clenching my fists. I don’t want to do this. I don’t want to tell my sister she may get hit, that she may get touched. Oh, God, someone, please save us.
“One of the men, Jake, just told me there are other girls where we’re going, Sash. Some of the things they’ve insinuated...” I try to say this as gently as I can. “The men are brutal, and wherever they are taking us, it's going to be bad." I squeeze her hand, staring at her face trying to gauge how she’s handling the information I just threw at her.
Tears start to fall from her eyes, and she whispers to me, "I heard men talking on the plane. I placed my ear to the door hoping to hear if you were out there with them, but all I heard were the men talking about you going into something called the collection. I have no idea what that is, and I’m worried what that means for us.” She looks to the floor, her face clearly telling me her thoughts have turned to a dark place and the situations we may face soon.
I grab Sash’s shoulders and turn her toward me, making sure she’s looking me straight in the eyes. I vehemently assure my sister, “Sash, it doesn't matter what it is. We won’t be staying there. I will find a way for us to escape."
Sasha’s eyes spark with life at my words and she agrees, "Yes, we will find a way out, or we’ll find someone to help us.”
I come up with an idea. “We need to figure out where we’re going. We need to look at what towns we pass. Look for names of any businesses that we could go to for help.” At my words, I look out the window and start observing what is around us. Both planes sit on the end of a long landing strip that is surrounded by jungle. I see one large white building where people must wait for their flights and ten or more hangers, but there’s no one around, except the men I recognise from the warehouse. I catch sight of Jake walking over to a large black 4WD. This is an airport. Where is everyone?
I look back at Sasha, who is also looking around, and I see my strong little sister start to lose it.
"What if it's in the middle of nowhere? What if there are too many guards? What if they kill—" She stops as sobs start to fall from her lips.
I pull her into my arms and rock my sister while she cries. Reassuring her with words that somehow I will find a way to free us.
***
Jake
I walk toward my ride when I hear Mick shout, "Jake!" Great what does the prick want now? I turn and see him walking over to me.
"Go with the sisters. Make sure they behave. You know what to do if they don't. Joey’s driving. The guys and I will be following, watching for tails."
He hands me the tranquiliser; the same drug we used on the girls in the warehouse. Insurance to get them quietly onto the planes, not wanting to risk people noticing two struggling girls. That’s not a problem here though. Marco owns everything. All he had to do was tell them he had a delivery, and the whole fucking town clears out.
I nod and walk over to the black limo. I don’t have to take orders from Mick. If it came down to it, it’s me who he would have to follow. But I don’t give a fuck who gives the orders. At the end of the day, they still have to be done. This life leaves your heart black. The less I’m responsible for, the better.
Before I get into the car, I need to remember why I’m here. I need to turn everything off and remember my end goal. I will not fail because of a girl who the old me may have fallen for years ago. She isn’t going to fuck up my plans. She’s just one of many, and I can get gorgeous pussy whenever I want. I shake out my arms and loosen up my neck to get in the frame of mind that has helped me all along— Indifference. I don’t fucking care about anyone or anything else, except what I want.
I get into the car and sit down, expecting to find two frightened and pissed off girls looking back at me, but instead, what I find sends a jolt to my chest. Lily is cradling her sister while she sobs into her chest. Lily speaks to her in hushed tones, but I can't hear what she’s saying.
The car starts, and neither girl shifts or seems to notice we are on the move.
A short time later, it seems Sasha has fallen asleep on Lily. Lily looks up and startles at seeing me. She narrows her eyes and scowls but says nothing.
I'm a sick fuck because I like her anger; it has my dick jumping. Everything she’s done for the last two weeks has turned me on, but seeing the fire in her eyes now, that sends me crazy. This woman has so many different alluring versions of herself. She’s intriguing. Just to look at her you would see a beautiful pure innocent woman, carefree with a fun-loving nature. But I’ve seen her turn her back to the world and crumble while she thinks no one’s looking. I’ve seen her break, yet every time, she pulls up all her strength from deep inside, turns around and smiles a big fucking grin. Now there’s fire in her eyes, gorgeous fucking fire like a wild animal standing in front of its prey, protecting it. She’s addictive to watch. Shit, stop going there.
I shake my head to chase away my thoughts and answer her scowl, "Lily." Jesus, I almost moan. Her name on my lips for the first time feels so fucking good. "I already warned you about that attitude when you leave this car."
She ignores me and looks out the window. I see her throat close in, and then expand a second later. Knowing that action is from her holding in her tears and trying to stay strong makes my chest ache again. I rub where the pain is and wish it would stop fucking happening around this woman.
I have plans, and even if I wanted to save them, it’s too late now. A lot of men would pay a large amount of money for beautiful, sun-kissed, Australian women with that innocent look. They ooze light, and knowing that light will soon be crushed under the weight of pain and fear, fucks with my head. I’ve seen it time and time again, but for some reason, looking at Lily, this time it feels different. She’s a fighter. I know that. I already know she won’t give up easily, not like the others.
The other girls started out strong, but by the time they got off the plane and into the car, they realised what was happening. Usually that’s when the begging would start, then hysterical crying. Then I would have to give them the needle to shut them up. I shake my head to stop the memories. There isn’t anything I can do for them now, and there definitely wasn’t anything I could do for them then.
After an hour on the road and complete silence from Lily, she is still h
olding a sleeping Sasha. I notice she is concentrating hard on looking out the window, sometimes muttering under her breath. We’ve passed a few towns and her fingers have risen one by one. Realisation dawns as I figure out what she’s doing.
"Lily.” My voice is penetrating as I demand her attention, and it works. She turns to listen. “That won't work. Whatever you’re trying to do with your fingers and counting the towns, it won't work."
Lily's eyes widen a bit, but not by much. She hides her obvious horror at being caught with a shrug. "I have no idea what you’re talking about," she lies, relaxing her fingers, but doesn’t put them down completely.
I sigh, feeling compelled to explain how impossible it is to escape. I want to give her some answers in the only way I can, which in this situation is ludicrous. I can't do shit to help her or her sister, and my answers will only back her into a corner and make her feel more trapped, but I still choose to fill her in.
"There are still two more hours before we reach our destination, and we only have one more town to pass, then there will be no more. Where we are going, there is nothing but ocean, highways, and fields. If you try to run and are lucky enough to get away from the fenced and guarded house, you will be walking for days before you even reach the first town. And trust me when I tell you Marco owns every one of these towns we have passed.” I point to the outside world we are passing. “You will be found and held until someone comes and picks you up, and then you will be punished for running. And punishments for escaping are brutal.” I stress the last part.
Lily’s stunning eyes get glassy, but no tears fall. I can see it takes a great deal of her strength to do this. Fuck, am I still sitting here appreciating her courage, her strength to still look me in the eyes, after I just told her there is no hope for her and her sister?
Christ, I need to get away from this woman. She’s fucking with my head. I focus all my attention staring out the window and ignore Lily. I need to get the fuck away from her. I can't care about her. I have come too far to lose it now. Four long years I have worked to get where I am now, and I won't let two Australian girls ruin it for me.
CHAPTER FOUR
Bargains
Sasha wakes up, disorientated at first, she sits up and glances around the limo. I watch as she notices Jake. Her face falls, she hugs her middle, and the flicker of memories in her eyes breaks my heart.
Her tense shoulders turn toward me, and she whispers, “How long have I been sleeping?”
Softy, I reply, “I think about three hours, maybe a little less than that.”
Sasha tilts her head toward Jake, who is still staring out the window, ignoring us.
I shrug, unsure what to tell Sasha. I don’t want to tell her Jake laid it out for me and explained we have no hope of escape.
I start rubbing my temples, feeling a sliver of my sanity leave me, as again I’m left to tell my little sister that we are doomed. I have no idea what to do. I only know what people do in movies and books, but those ideas won’t work in real life or would get us killed.
I don’t care what happens to me. I just want to get my sister out of this situation.
Sash pulls my hands away from my head. “Lily, it’s all right. We will get through this together, okay?”
I nod with a tight-lipped, shaky smile. My beautiful, brave sister. I close my eyes and exhale, rebuilding my strength. I will be strong, for Sasha.
I glance over at Jake. He’s watching me, his hands clasped, arms resting on his thighs, eyes dilated and narrowed on me. A shiver runs through me as I endure his penetrating gaze. It’s as if he’s caressing my skin to find a way into my soul. Why does it seem like he sees straight through me? Why do I feel like I need to try harder to fool him? I don’t want him or anyone to see the real me, the weak me.
Being the big sister, I will always put my sister first. It’s what older siblings do. I can’t fail, so I push my insecurities and fears aside, doing what’s best for my sister, as I always have.
The car takes a turn, the first turn in a long time. I look out my window to see we’re heading up a long cement driveway to a huge, black iron fence with intricate damask designs. The car stops in front of the black iron gate with stone pillars.
My eyes widen, and a tremble goes through my body when I see men dressed all in black, walking along the iron fence.
They are carrying machine guns. Radios are attached to their thermal army jackets on their left shoulder, and all have on black gloves, pants, boots, and ski mask. All you can see are their eyes.
My heart drops to my stomach. Oh, God, it’s a fortress.
I turn my head, feeling pressure on my hand and realise Sasha is squeezing me tightly, almost painfully. Her face is pale and frozen with panic, mirroring my exact feelings.
Sweat coats my forehead. My stomach rolls, and I cover my mouth with my hand. I slump back into the seat as defeat slams into me and takes hold.
My eyes fall on Jake, and I notice him examining me with a strange look on his face, almost as if he’s sorry that he was right.
Our car drives through the gates and veers to the left. We drive around a big circle of beautifully clean-cut green grass. Straight through the circle of grass is the biggest house I have ever seen—no, not a house, a mansion. A massive building made of marble. A large old-fashioned house I’ve only even seen in movies. We drive all the way around until the car stops in front of the towering manor.
My head shakes back and forth, not wanting to believe what I’m seeing. “What is this?” My voice tremulous. “I need answers. I need to know what we’re about to walk into.” I direct my question at Jake, my eyes begging him to tell us something.
Jake looks at me with what I guess is pity in his eyes. “Inside that house is a man named Marco.” He points to the front door. “He’s the boss. He will determine where you both go. Just keep your heads down and shut your mouths, and you’ll get your answers. Just remember one thing, you think it can’t get any worse; I’m telling you it can. Do. Not. push your luck with him. He’s not a man who likes disobedience, at all.”
I can’t breathe. I’m suffocating, and I need to get out of this car. A door opens and Jake exits the car quickly, and then closes the door. A clicking sound echoes through the car. Locks?
I try the door handle, my assumption right. We are locked in the car. “Damn it!” I bend to put my head between my legs trying to breathe.
“Lily, what are we going to do? They have guns. Every single one of them has guns!” Sasha ends on a hysterical yell.
Oh, Jesus, we’re both losing it. I focus on the carpet flooring, take four big breaths and sit up. Keeping my voice strong, I say, “I know. Escaping is going to be harder than we thought, but there will be a way. There has to be a way.”
Sasha turns her head to the side and bites her lip. I take her hand in mine and attempt to reassure her. “We can do this. We need to be strong, and we need to listen to what they tell us. I don’t know what they want with us.” My voice wobbles. “The only permanent thing they can do is kill us. Anything else we need to stay strong and endure, until we can escape.” My traitorous tears fall from my eyes as I tell my baby sister I can’t protect her.
Sasha’s eyes soften. “It’s okay, Lil.” She reaches up and wipes away my tears. “I understand. I’ll be strong. As long as you promise, you will be too. I need you.”
I drop my chin to my chest, and a sob rips from my mouth as my little sister forces herself to be brave for me. Why aren’t I strong enough to save her?
The door closest to Sasha opens, and someone grabs her. Our clasped hands are ripped apart. We both scream. My nails scratch down her legs as I try to keep her with me.
All of the sudden, hands are under my arms pulling me backwards. I lose my grip on Sasha. I twist my body to loosen whoever has me. But I’m still easily pulled out of the car.
My hair blows in my face, and goose bumps rise on my skin from the cold breeze. I smell salt and can hear waves crashing; we’re close to
the ocean. I survey the area around me, and then I see it, the sea. The mansion sits right on a cliff. Wonderful, another obstacle to getting out of this prison.
Mick has Sasha and begins walking her toward the house. She glances back at me while trying not to trip over her own feet to keep up with him. A hand grips my upper arm, and I glare at whoever is holding me. Realising it’s Jake, my blood boils. “You could have just asked us to get out of the freaking car.”
He smirks. How dare he!
“And if I had asked you to get out of the car, would you have done that for me?” No. No, I wouldn’t have. I would have sat there until someone had to rip us out. So what, they still could have asked. I choose not to answer him.
We walk up five marble steps and past four enormous pillars. We enter through the front door. To the right is a huge opulent sitting room with cream-coloured curtains, modern white leather lounges, and glass coffee tables. We keep going straight, following Mick and Sasha through the entry hall, where they turn left into a room.
Entering the room right after Mick and Sasha, a rich smoky smell hits my nose. Jake stops us in front of a large mahogany desk. On each side of the room, there are large bookcases filled with leather-bound books.
Behind the desk is a man with short, slightly wavy, black and pepper-coloured hair. He looks mid-fifties going by the wrinkles around his eyes and forehead. Clean shaven with a strong jaw, he’s wearing a black suit. It looks expensive. He has a silk handkerchief hanging out of the jacket pocket. He sits tall and confident. I guess this must be Marco.
Behind Marco to the left is a man standing in the corner. He’s leaning on the bookshelf looking relaxed, his eyes to the ground. He looks up, and I see it, the resemblance to Marco. The same strong jawline, almost identical eyes without the wrinkles, but you can see he’s tired. Similar hair, but his is all black, cut shorter on the sides, slightly longer on top with the waves. He wears a black long-sleeved cotton shirt, black dress pants, and dress shoes. He looks around thirty years old. Marco’s son perhaps?
