by Kim Jones
I didn’t care that I hated this man. I didn’t care what kind of sick, sadistic creature he was. At that moment, I loved him and respected him more than any man in the room. Anyone willing to give their life for someone they love, no matter what kind of person they were, deserved a show of respect.
“If Dallas is alive, you will do this for me. You will take her place and bring her back to her family. I deserve happiness, Logan deserves happiness, and so does Dallas. That doesn’t exist in this world as long as you are in it.” Maddie’s words were cold, but I could tell a little piece of her died as she walked up the stairs and out of the sights of a man she would never see again.
Chapter 15
DALLAS
“You are going to love your new home, Dallas,” Charlie said, his deep silky voice was so smooth that I almost believed him. I looked at him, sitting next to me, smiling like he had just won the lottery. I would not give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry, although I was dying on the inside. I was tired, sore and my bladder felt like it would bust any minute. If I told him I had to pee, then I would have to talk to him. Talking to him was something I didn’t want to do. I leaned forward in my seat, sticking my head toward the front of the car to speak to the man driving us.
“I need to use the bathroom, please,” I informed him nicely. Being a bitch would get me nowhere. Even though I wanted to claw their eyes out, I knew the safest route for me was to be kind and polite.
“You could have told me, Dallas. You know, eventually you are going to have to talk to me,” Charlie said, his voice so demanding that I turned to look at him.
“I need to use the bathroom,” I said with as much malice in my voice as possible.
“Please?”
I turned and looked out the window. I would rather eat glass than say please to the man next to me, but at this point I didn’t have a choice. It was either say please, or piss my pants.
“Please?” I asked, making eye contact with him once again. I would not let this man intimidate me.
“Jasper, please find us a nice hotel room for the night. Miss Knox has had a long day and I’m sure she would prefer a shower and a nice meal,” he said, slightly impressed by my obedience.
“Yes, sir. We will be there in fifteen minutes.”
We passed a sign that read “Gonzales ten miles” and for the first time since I had left Luke’s, I knew where I was. Gonzales, Texas was near San Antonio, which was about six hundred miles from home. Maybe I could earn Charlie’s trust, and then plan my escape. I couldn’t go back to Luke, or to my home, but at least I would be out from under him. It felt good to have a plan, even though I had no idea how I would execute it; at least it was a start.
We pulled into Belle Oaks Inn, a bed and breakfast located in the historic part of downtown Gonzales. Jasper went inside while Charlie and I stayed in the car. I tried to ignore Charlie as I looked out the window, admiring the old mansion, but every time he spoke, I felt compelled to turn and look at him.
“You are a smart girl, Dallas. Please don’t try anything stupid. I would hate to have to hurt you, or worse, hurt someone you love.” That was all he had to say. I knew he meant it. He would definitely hurt Luke or Maddie if I made any attempt to escape or cry out for help. This man was on a power trip and I wanted him to know that he had complete control over me. I could do this. I had to.
“I won’t. I promise,” I said honestly. Luke always knew when I was lying. He could read me like a book. This man had those same skills. He knew what I said was the truth, and it pleased him.
“Jasper will have some new clothes, freshly laundered for you in the morning. Tonight, you will have to make do with what you have. We will be staying in the Carriage House which is a private, three bedroom suite. I will send for dinner and we will dine together, then you can retire to your own room. I will make sure that you have everything you need.” Charlie’s eyes were almost kind as he spoke to me. I felt guilty for accepting his kindness so easily. It was almost like I had the same effect on him.
“Thank you,” I said, thinking if I acknowledged his kindness that it would somehow benefit me. Men like Charlie thought that if they did anything for someone, no matter what it was, that they should appreciate it. It didn’t matter that he had taken me against my will, or beaten my boyfriend to a bloody pulp and made him choose to give me up; by just letting me breathe, he felt like I was indebted to him.
Jasper returned and pulled the sleek SUV around to the back of the hotel. Out in the gardens sat a small white house that was surrounded by shrubs. I waited for Jasper to open the door, then slowly climbed out, standing a moment on my achy legs before taking an unassisted step towards the house. Charlie placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me down the sidewalk. He was unhurried and seemed concerned about the way I limped.
“You shouldn’t have been tied up for so long. That was my mistake. It won’t happen again, and I apologize.” I stopped at his words. Mr. I’ll-beat-her-within-an-inch-of-her-life was apologizing? That didn’t make very much sense.
“I’m okay. It was just a long ride. I’m sure I will be fine after some rest. This place is beautiful, thank you again,” I responded, once again showing him my appreciation. I wasn’t sure how long I could keep it up, but it seemed to be working. He smiled at me, and I knew he was thinking that everyone he helped should be as grateful as I was. I continued my walk towards the house, chanting to myself that I could do this. He acted just like Martin from the movie, Sleeping with the Enemy. I had always wished I was as good of an actress as Julia Roberts; now I had my chance to try.
We entered the small house and the smile I wore as we entered was the first real one that I’d had since this morning. I loved old houses packed with history and this one was no exception. The living room area was covered in gold framed pictures, antique furniture, candelabras and worn scattered rugs on the old hard wood floors. The kitchen to the right housed rugged wooden cabinets and what had to be original appliances. The small dining room sat to the left with a crystal chandelier dangling above the shiny mahogany table that was covered with a white, lace tablecloth.
“So, you do like it?” Charlie asked, smiling brightly at me.
“I love it. I have a passion for older homes with history. If it were mine, I wouldn’t change a thing. I might replace the windows to let more light in, but I would make sure that they were built to look like the original ones. You can tell that these have been updated,” I said, lost in the moment-pointing to the two windows that stretched across the wall in the living room.
“You are so beautiful when you smile.”
My body froze at his words, but I recovered by looking down at my feet shyly. I didn’t want him to get the impression that I was interested. In him. At all. He didn’t seem to notice my change in body language. Thank God.
“I’m really tired,” I said looking at him, hoping he was still on board with letting me have my own room.
“Yes, of course you are. Jasper,” he snapped, and Jasper appeared out of thin air before him. “Call Madeline at the front desk. Miss Knox will need some assistance tonight.” I shook my head, ready to object but he held up his hand. “Madeline will help you. This house only has the deep, claw-footed bath tubs and I won’t risk you falling and getting hurt. It would be inappropriate for me to assist you, or Jasper.” I almost sagged with relief at his words. It was hard to believe this was the same man that was responsible for everything that had happened today.
“Okay, if you think it is best, then please call her.” He beamed at me and waved his hand towards my room. Julia would have been proud.
Madeline was a tiny woman from the Philippines who spoke very little English. She wanted to do everything for me and after trying to tell her several times that I could undress myself, I heard Charlie’s voice through the door.
“Dallas, she is here to assist you. Let her.” His tone was not negotiable and I was too tired and had made too much progress with him to put up a fight now. I
didn’t answer him this time, but after a moment he said a few words in a foreign language that she understood, and she resumed undressing me. I felt like I had stepped back in time as I sank into the old tub and relaxed as Madeline began bathing me with small, gentle hands. Imaging I was a princess from the eighteen hundreds seemed to help ease my tension. My humility ceased to exist as I lay there trying not to fall asleep. It had been a hell of a day. For some reason, I kept thinking how nice a cigarette would be right now. I had never smoked in my life, but if by some chance I got out of this, that would be the first thing I did.
After I was bathed, my hair washed and Madeline had rubbed an awful rose scented lotion all over me, she grabbed her bag by the door and presented me with a simple satin night gown.
“For you,” she said smiling and pushing it towards me. It was not new, but looked clean and quite comfortable. I wasn’t too excited about how my nipples protruded out of the thin fabric that fell just below my knees, but I was afraid that it was something Charlie had chosen for me and I didn’t want to disappoint him.
“Thank you,” I said to her as she stood before me smiling like I had just made her whole day.
“Surprise for Mr. Charlie,” she whispered in her thick accent. My face fell at her words. She thought we were lovers, and he didn’t pick this. Good, I could take it off.
“No, no,” I said, trying to choose simple words to make her understand. I pointed at my hard nipples that were chilled from the cool temperature in the room and made a face that hopefully resembled fear to her. I just wanted her to nod in understanding. What I didn’t want, and really didn’t expect, was for her to blow hot air onto her palms and place them on my breasts. I stood in shock as she pressed her warm hands against me. My best guess was that she figured she could make them less hard by warming them. Of course, my stupid bi-curious body betrayed me and I found them hardening more from her touch. She didn’t seem to understand what was happening and must not have cared. She just shrugged her shoulders and said the words ‘you fine’ over and over, trying to convince me that it wasn’t a problem. I was certain that my face was red as a beet and I just wanted to get out of this room and away from her pretty little hands that I was beginning to notice looked perfect on her pretty little frame. Fucking Linda. I would blame this shit on her.
We walked out of the bathroom that adjoined what would be my bedroom for the night. Madeline carried my dirty clothes with her, and I didn’t care what she was planning to do with them, just as long as she left. My room had a full sized, gold framed bed covered in a floral bedspread and throw pillows. An old vanity table and a small night stand were the only other things in the tiny room. I couldn’t wait to lie down in the bed and lose myself in sleep, but Charlie and I had dinner plans.
In the dining room, lit candles and food covered the table in a beautiful spread. Food was the last thing on my mind, but Charlie was standing by the table waiting for me, so I had no choice but to go over and take a seat. Like a gentleman, he pulled the chair away from the table for me and laid the thick, cloth napkin in my lap once I was seated. His excessive niceness was starting to annoy me. Why was he acting like this?
“I hope your bath was enjoyable,” he said, smiling at me from the head of the table. He had seated me to his right which put me a little closer to him than I wanted to be. Julia Roberts. Julia Roberts.
“It was, thank you. Madeline was a huge help. It was nice having her there. Sometimes, I’m a little modest. That is the reason that I was uncomfortable at first. I didn’t mean to offend you by not accepting her services. I apologize.” I smiled warmly at him and waited for the crowd to cheer as I saw the pride dancing in his eyes. I was clearly acting as he thought I should.
“Please, eat up. I have decided that your behavior today has proven to be more than satisfactory. For that, I am going to give you something in return.” I almost jumped out of my seat at his words. He was going to let me call Luke, or maybe even see Luke. I couldn’t believe my luck! I was right! I had played his little game and now it would be used to my advantage. Tears burned the back of my eyes at the thought of hearing Luke’s voice. “Would you like to hear what it is?” I beamed at him, wearing a smile I knew had an effect on anyone who had ever encountered it.
“Yes, please.” The excitement in my voice must have been contagious, because Charlie laughed then looked at Jasper, who smiled also.
“Instead of taking you to your new home tomorrow, I have decided to take you to Mexico where I can show you off. I will buy you all the most exclusive, expensive bikinis the world has to offer. You can sunbathe, and drink piña coladas and just relax for a while. It’s a little generous, but I believe you have earned it.” I watched in disgust as he smiled at me, taking a bite of red meat and chasing it with a sip of wine.
“I don’t want to go to Mexico,” I said, my voice just above a whisper. Instantly the warmth seeped from his eyes and his voice became hard as he continued eating, taking bigger gulps of wine than necessary.
“Of course you do. It will be a new experience. One of many you will have while you are with me.”
“I have had experiences. In Mexico. I don’t want to go back,” I said, my shoulders now slouched and my excitement gone. I stared at him expectantly. Surely he didn’t think this was something I wanted.
“Dallas, you are being very unappreciative and I don’t like it. I have offered to take you to Mexico. It doesn’t matter why, or that you have been there before. Just my offering to take you should be enough. The correct way to respond to that would be to thank me and consider this a lesson that if you conduct yourself in a manner I find appropriate, you will be rewarded.”
I stared at him, my mouth now hanging open. He was out of his fucking mind. When he dropped the silverware loudly on his plate, I jumped.
“What did you think you would be receiving? Tell me. Your eyes lit up like Christmas when I mentioned rewarding you, so there must be something that you were expecting. What was it?” I shook my head, unable to find words. He was growing angry and I knew he was capable of anything.
“Tell me,” he barked, banging his fist on the table.
“I-I thought you would let me call Luke,” I stuttered. My heart beat roughly in my chest awaiting his reaction.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Dallas. There is no point in giving any man false hope. He made his decision and it wasn’t you. He fought off four of my best men protecting that stupid piece of leather that he wore on his back. It took them a while to finally wear him down, and even then he refused to block the blows to his face, just so he could hold onto it.”
I wanted to throw up at his words. They tried to take Luke’s cut and he refused, that was why they had beaten him so badly. I was wondering what in the hell Charlie meant when he said that he made him fight for it.
“But, when he had the chance to save you, he didn’t. He chose another woman over you, Dallas. He didn’t even bat an eyelash when he said her name. I saved you, Dallas, from living a life playing second string to a bunch of other women. You are classy, sophisticated and mature. I want you by my side and you might not realize it today, tomorrow or even this year, but eventually, you will realize that he made the right choice. You belong here with me, not with a bunch of trashy bikers who will settle for a life driving beat up minivans and raising six bastard children, that will in turn continue their pathetic legacy. They are beneath us now. I have brought you out on top, and one day you will thank me for it.” He straightened in his chair, obviously talking about the club put him in a frenzy and he didn’t like it when he lost control. I didn’t like it when he spoke about the club like that. Julia Roberts could keep her fucking job.
“Let me tell you something, you pathetic, useless, egotistical, self-righteous, pompous son of a bitch,” I said rising from the table and glaring at him. This would probably not end well, but fuck it. At this point, I had nothing to lose. “I know about having money. I could buy this house and a hundred thousand more like it and not
put a dent in my accounts. I own over six hundred million dollars’ worth of property that range from Georgia to Louisiana and everywhere in between. I employ hundreds of people that respect and fear me so much that when I walk in a room, I can silence it with a single look. I don’t have to use physical force or violence to take what I want. I simply write a fucking check. Those trashy people you are referring to, just so happen to be my family. They have something you never will, and that’s me. I will never belong to you and we are not the same. I am human, you are a sick, sadistic being who is nothing more than a waste of air.” My fingernails dug into my palms as I clenched my fists. My shoulders rose and fell in a heavy rhythm as my breathing accelerated with every word. At some point during my speech, I had spit on his face and he now sat calmly, wiping it with his napkin. He was not at all fazed by my outburst and seemed just as calm as he had when I entered the room.
“I suggest you eat your food, Dallas. I understand that you are upset and I will consider forgiving you for your little temper tantrum due to the events you have dealt with today. I don’t care that you had money, although I would be lying if I said I was not disappointed in myself for not doing proper research on you. Whatever you had before, you don’t have now. Now, you have nothing, only me. You will become dependent on me. You will soon find comfort in my presence and when I am away from you, you will miss me. I am the only person that controls what happens to you.”
He was sitting casually in the dining room chair. His legs were crossed and his hands laid on his knees while his elbows rested on the arms of the chair. If looks could kill, he would have died a thousand deaths from my glare.
“Sit down, Dallas. Now.” His tone was so cold and demanding that even in my state of rage, my ass obediently sat in the chair. “I have built my reputation off of my word. There are people who have died for simply not trusting me. If I say I am going to do something, I follow thru. If I say I won’t do something, then you be assured, beyond a shadow of a doubt that I won’t. I gave my word to Luke that I wouldn’t hurt you. I gave my word that you would be safe, but don’t take advantage of that, Dallas. I never agreed to not hurt Luke. I will hurt him if that is what it takes to get your attention.” My angered faded, and the hard shield that I wore crumbled. Charlie was right. Anything I did would hurt Luke. I was in hell and there was nothing I could do about it.
