by Gia Star
“Oh, yeah?” A cold knot clenched my guts.
“I’ve had my eyes on her since she was a teenager, chico. She was sweet, gorgeous, and had this look to her. I knew when the time was right, she’d be the perfect addition.”
My lip curled in disgust. I wished I’d called anyone but him. Hearing the man I considered my father figure express his sexual desire for a then-teenage girl repulsed me. It was boorish, perverted… but it also meant that Antonio could never know Kara and I’d been together, much less that I’d taken her virginity.
Antonio allowed us to sleep with transports, after they arrived. All women were subjected to being used for pleasure, but Antonio’s women were off-limits. They were privately curated to serve his pleasure only.
Gruesome slabs of horror and regret washed over me as I realized how carefully I’d need to play this in order to preserve my life and avoid his wrath.
“I understand, tio.” I decided to switch the story up. “She wanted to see the Lowell Observatory. Afterwards, I took her out to eat. She’s got a little food poisoning today. I’m just waiting for her to recover. I don’t want to deliver her looking the way she does. But we’re not far at all.”
“Please give my regards to Miss Taylor, and let her know I am certainly excited to have her personal accent on my company.”
“Yes, tio. See you soon.”
I hung up, pissed. Hearing the feral manner in which Antonio’s voice husked when he said Kara’s name sent flares of jealousy through my body. Antonio’s civil words possessed an obvious yet unspoken hunger for Kara, and the thought of him touching her was causing rage to build inside of me.
It was only partial consolation to learn she was going to be in his private collection. Women appeared to be treated really well in his collection, however they never seemed happy. They appeared beaten of their personalities and into docile neutrality and submission.
My thoughts went back to watching Kara cross the stage at Embry-Riddle. She had major plans for her life, plans that would see her following in her father’s footsteps. Those dreams would come to an end the minute Antonio enforced his will on her.
Fear gripped me. How would Kara transform in Antonio’s hands? Would she lose the vibrancy of her loyalty, her passion, her desire to be more? Or would she willingly suppress and erase those big dreams and be happy she wasn’t a brothel whore?
Guilt ripped through me as I realized, no matter what, Kara would never get her life back. It had only been a couple of days, but it didn’t take much for me to realize Kara was special.
This had nothing to do with getting her pussy or taking her virginity. The world is rich with plenty of virgins and pussy, and all of those options would still be unmemorable, unremarkable next to Kara. She was driven, loyal, ambitious, and completely pure in heart and spirit.
She was everything I would be looking for… if I were allowed to look.
I realized, as our time was steady drawing to a close, that I was fucked. I didn’t want to share her. I didn’t want to give her up. And I damn sure didn’t want to give her over to Antonio, which meant surely losing her forever.
I was feeling something I had never felt for a woman, for the first time ever; deep caring and compassion.
I knew having feelings for her would fuck me up if I couldn’t get them under control. But it was too late. My desire for her was uncontrollable. Yet deep down inside, I realized, even if these feelings were controllable, I just wasn’t willing to make adjustments. I didn’t want to control them.
Kara
The urgent vibration from my cell phone roused me from my sleep. I opened my eyes and grabbed the phone.
“Hey.”
“Girl, are you okay?!” Maddie sounded frantic.
I sat up in alarm. “Yes, I’m fine. What’s wrong?”
“Where are you? You have to get away from him as fast as possible.”
“Who? Luke? Maddie we’re-“
“LISTEN to me. You’re in danger. Grave fucking danger.”
“What are you talking about?”
I noticed Luke wasn’t in the room. I guess he went to his room to shower and give me some privacy. I was thankful for that little detail because Maddie was losing her shit and I didn’t know what was about to come out of her mouth.
“Best Friend, you cannot stay with Antonio.”
“Maddie cut the drama. I’m almost there. What’s the problem?”
Before she could answer, Luke popped in the room with a bottle of Gatorade. The fresh smile on his face made my heart flutter, but Maddie’s words had me on edge. I shot him a nervous smile.
“Antonio’s not going to take care of you, Kara. He’s not! You need to try and get back here as fast as possible. Where are you?”
Luke’s brow furrowed, indicating that he could hear Maddie freaking out on the other line. The question in his eyes met his lips. “She okay?” He whispered.
I nodded. “Maddie, let me call you back.” I hung up quickly, heart racing. “She’s good,” I told him. “Just really upset about something that happened.”
“You need a little more privacy?” He gestured his thumb toward the door, ready to turn. I breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn’t heard what she’d said. It would have made for an even more awkward situation.
“No. I’ll call her back a little later. Give her some time to calm down.”
Luke cocked his head and whistled. “Might be a while before that happens. She sounded pretty upset.” We shared a small lover’s smile as he sat next to me and twisted off the Gatorade cap. “Care for a drink, babe?”
Three or four days ago, the man sitting next to me on the bed was a stranger, hot yet intimidating. His serious demeanor and rugged presence scared the shit out of me and sent a slight chill down my spine. Today, he was my lover, my kindred partner in crime, calling me babe and pampering me with Gatorade and the most incredible experience of pleasure - and my panties were getting wet just at the thought of him.
Maddie would lose her shit if she knew how close Luke and I had become. Having sex wasn’t something you did with a stranger - and that’s exactly what she considered Luke. One thousand percent pure stranger danger. The fact that I’d chosen Luke to take my virginity and liked - no, loved it? Her perfectly flat-ironed hair would frizz in contempt.
I smirked ruefully at the thought. She didn’t understand that since the time I’d left Albuquerque, I’d become fully aware of the truth. I was no longer naive enough to believe that Antonio was a man of moral decency determined to assist those in need. He was the Devil personified, buying souls of the desperate to fulfill his larger, self-serving visions. This particular incarnation of Satan simply wore a million dollar smile, Latin charm, and fine suits tailored by luxury clothiers.
Maddie also had no idea how close Luke and I had grown. Now that I knew the risks Luke had taken against himself to delay my transition from free to enslaved, I felt a loyalty to protect him as much as possible. I couldn’t run away and leave him in the hands of certain death. Or worse.
Luke was chatting about something and I only half heard. My head was in the clouds, mulling over Maddie’s warnings. Her concerns were valid, very valid, but it was too late. I was already in too deep.
“You there?” Luke waved his hand in front of me, seeking my attention.
“Oh sorry.” I replied, absent-mindedly.
“You okay?” He brushed his thumb against my cheek, and I instinctively leaned into it. “Seems like something’s bothering you.”
“My head’s just in the clouds.” It sounded much better than, My best friend knows I’m going to become Antonio’s sex slave or worse, and she’s trying to get me to run away from you, but I can’t leave you to a fate worse than death if I escape.
“Does it have something to do with Maddie?” Luke gently pressed my shoulders, nudging me to lay back on the bed.
“Kara…?” He pressed me further when I didn’t answer.
I wanted to lie, but he was perceptive.
There wasn’t any use avoiding the truth with Luke. He would see right through me.
I lay on my side, turning to face him. He smelled like deodorant and body spray. The crisp new wifebeater allowed me to access his strong, muscular arms. His stubble was growing, and my pussy tingled at the idea of his beard scraping against my thighs as he explored me with his tongue again.
“She… knows Antonio’s not making me work at a casino.” Luke’s eyes darkened as he looked into mine, and I averted his gaze. “She’s always known he’s not what he’s cracked up to be, but she’s trying to get me to escape. She must have discovered something, or something must have happened since I left… because she’s freaking out.”
Luke’s eyes were steady. He gathered me against him, grabbed my hand, and kissed it.
“I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you enjoy yourself before you get to him.”
My heart melted and my body relaxed into his. A small sigh escaped me and I wondered why I had to meet a perfect man under the ugliest of imperfect circumstances.
“I know…” Tears flooded my eyes. “I realize this is probably a big risk for you. You’ve taken so much time and extended this longer than it was supposed to be. I know we should have been in Vegas at least two or three days ago, but you’ve done so much for me…”
I crumpled into tears, unable to finish. I sobbed uncontrollably, overwhelmed by the realization that none of the things I worked hard for - my degree, my mother’s health, to continue my dad’s legacy - none of that would be more than a fantasy of a life once lived. The minute I went into Antonio’s organization, I would be trapped for life.
Luke said nothing. He simply wrapped his strong arms around me and held me close to him as I wailed. The heat from his body slowly spread over me, wrapping me in a cocoon of comfort.
When my mournful cries died down, he wiped my tears. Kissing my forehead, he said, “Baby, it’s nothing. Doing that for you is nothing. I’ve told you, you’re nothing like the women Antonio collects. You have a future.”
“Had,” I interjected sourly. “I had a future.”
Moments passed before either of us could speak.
“Look,” he said, caressing my shoulder. “I know it’s not much, but I did extend for one more night here with you. Let’s go out, do something special. Let me take you on a real date, and make love to you for one more night. Tomorrow…”
“I’ll hand myself over to Antonio, and accept my fate.” I sighed. “Whatever it is. Long casino hours. Brothel. Whatever. I can’t run forever.”
Luke’s hand slid down the small of my back. He pulled me closer to him. The swell of his erection made me swoon, even in the midst of despair. It was crazy. I’d only been having sex for two days and yet I was already insatiable.
“I can’t promise to save you,” he said. “I can’t promise everything will be okay either. I can’t make up beautiful lies to tell you something that sounds good just to comfort you.”
“I know.” I nodded in understanding.
“What I can tell you is that you’ve been worth every moment. You’re unforgettable. Even though I don’t like Antonio’s plans, I can at least promise this much: it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”
“No?”
“Definitely not great.” He scowled. “But you’re not going to be in a brothel. You won’t have to worry about being sold over and over to any man with large sums of money waiting for you.”
“What’s going to happen?” My heart beat wildly as I tried to figure out where this was going.
“Antonio’s adding you to his personal… collection.”
“The fuck? Personal collection?”
He nodded somberly and I demanded an explanation. That’s when he revealed Antonio’s private harem of women. I will be among the most exceptional women at the disposal of his organization, and would be solely awarded to his private pleasure for an indefinite period.
I gasped at the horror of this reality. From what I understood, I would be well taken care of, but I would lose all my privacy and personal freedom.
There would be no private calls to Maddie. I would never speak to my mother or Aunt Cori again. I could never visit my father’s grave and speak to him on his birthday or Father’s Day.
I would live under the ruthless thumb of a man who tricked me into accepting his help. My soul purpose will be to pleasure him however and whenever he wanted it. Yes, that was my fate along with the other women who were in his captivity.
My mouth dropped open at the shocking revelation, and then I became even more pissed.
“What a fucking dirtbag!” I hissed. “How the fuck has he gotten away with this? How does he continue to get away with these sideways deals?”
Luke’s remorseful expression pained me even further. He gave a partial shrug. “He’s just… always gotten away with this babe. For as long as I’ve known him. I don’t know the history of his legacy with the city, but he’s got enough ties to the Cartel that there’s really no getting around him. Whatever Antonio wants, he gets. That’s the bottom line.”
“Fuck him.” I spat defiantly. “I may be young, and I may have been tricked into giving away my freedom, selling myself to a man without a soul, but I’m not some girl he can own and control.”
“Babe, I know that, but you don’t want to go against him in any way.” Luke pleaded with his eyes. “He’s fucking vicious. The things I’ve seen…”
I propped myself up on one elbow. “I know that. Why do you think I had you take my virginity, Luke?”
“About that,” he cut in. His eyes widened with fear as he spoke. “Antonio can’t ever know what happened between us. Whatever you do, I’m begging you, don’t ever tell him.”
“You’ve nothing to worry about. I’m not going to tell him. These past few days weren’t for him - or anyone. They were for us.”
“And they were amazing,” he agreed, his eyes melting with desire. “But you need him to think you haven’t been touched by me. Being in his collection is better than than being in the regular collection. Women there are subject to anyone’s lusts.”
“Have you taken advantage of them?”
He averted my gaze when I answered. “You don’t want to be in that group, Kara. Would he be pissed with us for what we’ve done? Yes, hell yes. But he wouldn’t kill me. He’d make an example out of us for everyone to see.”
He shuddered and shook his head. “It would kill me to see him hurt you, break you like he breaks the others.”
A twisted knot of dread attempted to form in my stomach, but it was suppressed by my anger. I hated myself for loving Luke’s words, kind and compassionate, not because he wasn’t sincere - God knows he was - but because the truth was I should have never been in this position. I only had myself to blame. I was being shameless and fearless for my mother, trying to save her, and it would cost me my life.
My rage went far beyond the boundaries of fear and consumed my spirit. It went beyond running away and attempting to hide from this vicious, villainous son of a bitch. It went far, far beyond any desire to save myself from a lifetime of haremhood.
Luke, on the other hand, looked more and more sick to his stomach with every passing moment. It was hard to ignore the torment in his expression. It was visceral.
But I had the perfect plan to cheer him up.
“Let’s do exactly as you suggest,” I said. “Let’s go out on an amazing date. Enjoy our last hurrah. And then I want you to take me. All of me.”
Complete surprise was etched on Luke’s face. “Take all you?”
“Yes.” I reached down and grabbed his package. His erection had gone soft in the exchange of emotions, but my lascivious language would put an end to that. “Let’s go get dressed up. I’ll buy a gorgeous outfit and get my makeup done.”
“And you?” I continued. “You’re going to buy something nice to wear too. Then you’ll take me out to dinner - a nice, expensive, romantic dinner - or at least the best that Flagstaff can prov
ide.”
Luke looked at me pensively, waiting for me to finish, but his cock was getting thicker by the minute. My mouth watered at the heavy feeling as it grew. I wanted to suck on him then and there, but I resisted. I needed to harness the power of delayed gratification.
“And after you treat me like a princess, you’re going to fuck me like a porn star.” I leaned forward until my lips nearly touched his and whispered, as sexily as I could muster, “In every hole.”
Luke
I adjusted the white David Donahue slim fit shirt in the mirror. My navy blue slacks and brown shoes were also fresh. My beard had grown past my comfort zone, but Kara seemed to like it, so I groomed it to fit the occasion. I could shave… when it no longer mattered.
I looked every bit the calm and collected man I knew myself to be, but inside? I was nervous. I’d never been on a real date. And if I had, whenever I had, it didn’t count anymore.
I’d never gotten dressed up to take a woman out. I’d never purchased new clothes, shoes, hair, and makeup for a woman. I never cared beyond getting her a quick meal, or tossing a text message or two in her direction. Once I realized it was easier to deal with one of Antonio’s more willing women, I could remove the facade of dating and get straight to the point.
My jaw tensed and I shivered when I thought of Kara. She brought to the surface memories of using Antonio’s captives for my pleasure, my deepest sin. My heart ached with regret, because I realized what it was now going to be like to have someone you loved being coerced against their will.
It wasn’t so much that we physically hurt these women. We just used their passive acceptance and service without considering who they were as… people. Kara was more than a pleasure-bearer. She was sweet, intelligent, kind, loyal, radiant…
“I’m ready.” Kara stood before me, wearing a gorgeous mint green dress with pink and purple flowers on it. “Do you like?”
My jaw dropped when I looked at her. We were standing in the middle of the department store, and she looked like she was fresh out of the catalogue.
