Chapter 2 - 2
I wasn’t sure why, but I expected her to freak the fuck out when I’d interrupted her. She seemed like the batshit crazy type.
I nodded, my eyes flying to the guard’s again. His gaze raked over me in a slow and deliberate manner, like he was trying to pinpoint whether I was worth it to him or not. Deciding that I apparently was, a grin stretched across his face.
“And who do we have here?” he asked, glancing over at my supposed mother.
Talissa looked at me with approval, glad that her newest captive was already bringing in attention. I knew how these things worked. The more interest, the more she could sell me for an outrageous rate. If there was one thing this bitch liked more than young guys, it was money.
“This is Aspen. She also happens to be my daughter, which means that it has to be approved by me before she can be used.” She gave him a pointed look to drive her point home.
He reeled back, a flash of disgust twisting his features before he schooled them again. Apparently even he couldn’t believe she’d subject her own child to this.
She giggled at his reaction, completely misunderstanding what had caused it in the first place. “Relax. You’ll get to break her in soon if that’s what you want. But it requires payment of some kind.”
His hungry eyes darted back to me. “Get me a wrist band or something then.” He laughed, the sound sending chills down my spine. “Because there’s no way I’m only fucking her once.”
My knees shook and I had to bite my tongue to refrain from shouting obscenities at him. He was hot before he opened his mouth.
“Anything for you, Jeremy.” She grinned and then turned to me. “Let’s go get you cleaned up.”
“I’ll take her,” Jeremy offered, making my heart stutter. What? No! Absolutely not! I wanted to shout all of these things. But if I showed any sign of fear or displeasure, they’d do it just to get a reaction from me.
Talissa thought about that for a moment. “Fine. But no penetration. She just got here. And I’m not done giving her a tour, so bring her back right after.”
“Will do, Boss.” He stepped forward, wrapping his soft fingers around my bicep. I glanced around the room, hoping someone might come to my rescue even though I knew they wouldn’t. Nobody even seemed concerned that one of the guards was about to lure me away. Then again, it probably happened frequently enough. My mind flashed back to Star and how brutally she was assaulted.
Jeremy tugged me across the room, and toward the exit. My heart was racing, fear sparking deep inside of me. He led me down a secluded hallway before stopping at a door.
A wicked grin captured his features, and I knew that this man had no intention of sparing me. He was evil. I could see it in his eyes and in the way he smiled.
There was a linen closet as soon as we entered, but it had a lock on it. At the end of the room was a bathtub with a toilet not far from it. It was an average bathroom with the necessary equipment. The door closed behind us, causing my breath to get lodged in my throat. My body was trembling with fear as the man pressed up against me from behind.
“Might want to get this off you,” he muttered, reaching for the bottom of my dress. He peeled it up over my head, and I knew I couldn’t do a thing to stop him. Not unless I wanted to meet the same fate as Star. Next, he unclasped my bra, letting it slide down my arms. Tears stung my eyes, panic tightening its grip around my chest. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt so useless. He did the same thing to my panties next until I was completely naked in front of him. “Goddamn,” he muttered in appreciation. He grabbed a handful of my ass, making me whimper.
He finally turned me around, his gaze raking down my breasts. He reached up, plucking my nipple between his fingers before he rolled it. A shudder rolled through me, and he smirked at the reaction.
“Get in the tub,” he ordered, dropping his hand to his side.
A breath of relief whooshed out of me, and I spun on my heels to do just that. I turned on the water, setting it to the right temperature before climbing inside. He sat on the toilet after grabbing a washcloth and placed it on the edge of the tub and watched me with an intensity I wanted no part of.
Once the tub was filled, I turned off the water and leaned my head back to get my hair wet. My eyes fluttered closed for a moment as the water rose to the sides of my face from how I was lying within the tub. It felt good, and for even the briefest of moments, I could pretend no one was in here with me.
Fingers wrapped around my throat, making me gasp out in alarm. My eyes snapped open, taking in his hungry blue ones. For a moment, I thought he was going to shove me beneath the surface. Maybe he had a drowning kink. What the fuck would I know.
“I’m going to fuck you,” he said, his eyes boring into mine.
My heart started racing again, fear slithering through my veins. “But Talissa?—”
“Fuck Talissa,” he growled. “All I have to do is pay her afterwards and she’ll forget all about it.”
“You’re sure?” I asked. I wasn’t genuinely concerned for him. In fact, it was quite the opposite. But I could play the small timid girl to get what I wanted. He wasn’t coming near me with that thing he called a dick. I’d bite it off before allowing that to happen.
He smiled, his eyes trailing down my body and lingering on my breasts. “Oh, I’m sure.”
With his other hand, he reached beneath the surface of the water and ran his fingertips over my nipple. Repulsion coiled deep inside my stomach, and I couldn’t even hide my grimace. This wasn’t anything like working at the club. We had security guards there and rules. We got to choose to be there.
He hummed in approval, tweaking my nipple between two of his fingers. “You have some decent tits,” he commented. “Could be bigger, but they’re not bad.”
“You could find a girl with bigger ones,” I offered, trying to deter him from my body.
Jeremy laughed and shook his head. It sounded so casual, like we were merely talking about the weather or something just as trivial. “You realize where you are, right?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. “I’ve already fucked a shit ton of the women here. I’m itching for something…new.” His gaze raked over me appreciatively and he slowly started trailing his fingers down my stomach and toward my pussy.
Alarm bells resounded within my skull. I didn’t want him touching me at all. I wanted to know how Foster was doing, to see for myself if he was really okay or not. I needed to find a way to get out of here, even though I knew that probably wasn’t in the cards. Not with so many eyes on us at all times. This place seemed well protected if the several guards in the cafeteria were any indication of that.
Just as his hand reached my navel, the door swung open, slamming against the wall. A breath of relief whooshed out of me when Jeremy jerked his hand back, turning to glare at the intruder.
But I wasn’t at all prepared for who was standing in the doorway.
Michael.
Confusion snaked through me as I took in the former bartender standing a few feet away. His eyes roamed over me passively, like he wasn’t the least bit surprised to see me here.
“What the fuck do you want?” Jeremy snapped at him, returning his attention to me. Is fingertips danced along the surface of the water before he lowered his hand and cupped my pussy, making me jerk in surprise. A twisted smile curled the edges of his mouth.
“Talissa sent me,” Michael replied flatly. “She told me you weren’t to touch her yet. She has to be tested first and all that.”
Tested?
What the hell did that mean?
My heart was pounding furiously in my chest. Michal knew I was coming here. There was no other explanation. Why didn’t he warn me, or try to help me in some way? Betrayal settled deep in the pit of my stomach. I thought he was a friend.
Jeremy groaned, sliding his fingers along my crease. I trembled, fear sparking through my body in waves. I grabbed his wrist and shoved it away from me, bringing my knees up to hide myself the best I could. He scowled at me, and for a moment, he looked like he might hit me. But he turned to Michael instead.
“She a whore, or something?” he asked bitterly.
Michael shrugged. “High-end prostitute. All the guys were clean, though. Talissa made sure of it. But that doesn’t mean she didn’t fuck outside of work.”
Jeremy grimaced. “No pussy is worth losing a dick over.” He shot me a disgusted look. “Hurry the fuck up.”
He didn’t have to tell me twice. I quickly finished up, washing my hair and then my body. Both guys were watching me like I was the best form of entertainment around.
Michael unlocked a large cabinet near the door and peered inside before glancing over at Jeremy. “Red or black?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.
“Red. She’ll move into black after a week or two.”
Michael nodded and grabbed one of those skimpy little nightgowns all the other girls wore. My stomach twisted with unease. Black meant that there was a potential buyer. Considering I only just now stepped foot in this place, that meant she’d been trying to sell me when I worked for her at the club.
I pulled the drain, letting the water slip through the cracks as I pulled myself up on shaky legs. The cool air drifted over me, causing my nipples to harden of their own accord and a chill swept down my spine.
“Here,” Jeremy said, holding out a white towel.
I took it graciously, wrapping it around my body before stepping out onto the cold floor. I dried myself off the best I could, but my nerves were shot, making it a difficult feat. Michael approached me with the red nightgown, and I stared at it for a long moment, a sneer curling the corners of my mouth.
Michael released an annoyed sigh, drawing my gaze to his face. The bruising had faded a lot, and he looked more like his old self. But there was no sign of my old friend behind those eyes. Where they used to be easy-going and friendly, they were now hard and rotten. “Put the damn dress on, Aspen,” he growled in a low tone. “Talissa’s waiting on you.”
I needed to choose my battles. It wasn’t like people haven’t seen me in revealing clothing before, and it wasn’t like I was self-conscious. This just felt so dehumanizing on so many levels. I snatched the gown and tugged the thin fabric over my head. It was completely see-through and was light over my skin. It offered no support whatsoever and barely passed the apex of my thighs.
Michael smirked at me smugly and I had the overwhelming urge to punch him in the face. However, that wouldn’t bode well for me if I valued my life or my vagina. I grimaced, thinking back to Star. My chest tightened at the memory, knowing that it could just as easily be me.
“Put these on,” Michael said, grabbing a pair of flimsy sandals from the cabinet. “Let me know if they fit.”
Reluctantly, I placed the shoes on the floor and slipped my bare feet through them. Unsurprisingly, they fit. Talissa knew my shoe size, so I hadn’t really expected anything different. I wrapped my arms around myself, fear coursing through my veins. Was Collin okay, at least? He’d been waiting on the other side of the door for us. My stomach twisted with unease at the thought of something happening to him, too.
“Come on,” Jeremy barked, smacking my ass unnecessarily hard. I gasped out in surprise, but, willed myself to start moving.
Michael stayed behind to take care of my dirty clothes, and I obediently followed Jeremy back into the dining hall where Talissa was still waiting. It was vacant now, aside from a few guards lurking around. Talissa’s gaze roamed over me for a moment, before she turned her attention to the guard at my side.
“That will be all, Jeremy. Thank you.” She folded her arms in front of her, directing a pointed look in his direction to subtly dismiss him. He nodded and strolled across the room, vacating the dining hall. Once he was gone, she glanced at me again. “I’m sure you have a lot of questions.”
I swallowed thickly. I didn’t have that many questions. It was pretty obvious what was going on here. Women were brought here for slave work and to be sold.
“Follow me,” she continued.
I blew out a breath, casting a wary glance at the guards positioned along the wall. Their eyes were just as cold and distant as Jeremy and Michael’s had been. I suppose you had to be a heartless bastard to be in the line of work.
I followed her across the room, slipping through a pair of double doors on the opposite side of the entrance. My breath caught in my throat as my eyes ventured around the hallway. There were doors lined up on either side, giving it the illusion of a run-down motel.
“These are the rooms for the new girls.”
I sucked in a breath, attempting to calm my racing heart. “You told me you’d let me see Foster,” I reminded her.
A smile hooked the corners of her mouth. One that sent chills careening through me. If he was dead…
I grimaced, not even wanting to think about that. We might not have been the bestest of friends, but that didn’t mean I wanted to see him dead. He got shot because of me. It was impossible not to feel guilty about.
“Where do you think we’re headed?” she countered, arching an eyebrow. “The infirmary is just through those doors.” She pointed to another set of doors located at the end of the hall next to a staircase.
My heart started pounding violently in my chest and I couldn’t even focus on anything else. There had been a few other things I wanted to ask her, but none of it mattered anymore.
“He’s been well taken care of,” she continued, ushering me through the doors.
My lips parted in disbelief as I took in the hospital set-up that had to have costed thousands if not more. Beds were lined up on either side with equipment near them, the steady sound of a monitor beeping, permeated the room.
Relief whooshed out of me when my eyes landed on Foster, tucked into one of the beds. I hurried over to his bedside, frantically searching for his pulse with two of my fingers. The steady thrum that greeted me had me choking back a sob. I cupped his face between my hands, noting how warm his skin was against my fingers.
“He’s warm,” I pointed out.
Talissa shrugged, not at all worried about it. “He’s probably due for some pain meds soon.”
Foster’s dark lashes casted a shadow over his sharp cheekbones. He looked…peaceful. I hated that he got roped into this mess because of me. There was no telling what Talissa had in store for him. Did she plan on selling him, too? I hadn’t noticed any other guys lurking around aside from the guards. There was no doubt in my mind that he’d be used as leverage in order to keep me compliable. The thought was bitter in my mind.
The double doors opened again, but I didn’t bother turning around. I couldn’t take my eyes off him. The urge to kiss him was strong, but I didn’t want Talissa knowing that there was anything more between us than friendship. Not that there was…
I was just happy to see him alive.
“Here,” a familiar voice rang out, causing my entire body to go rigid. My breath caught in my throat.
It couldn’t be…
“Thank you,” Talissa replied to the stranger.
My curiosity got the better of me and I whirled around, surprise punching through my chest. No. No. No. No. I was hallucinating. That was the only realistic explanation, because…
It was impossible.
Her eyes fell on me, a soft smile curling the edges of her mouth. “Hi Aspen. It’s been a minute.”
I stumbled backwards, the world titling on its axes all around me. My legs hit the hospital bed as my eyes roamed over her, trying to process exactly what I was seeing. There was a scar on her neck going from one end to the other, the raised flesh still relatively red.
“Raven,” I huffed out.