14. Chapter 14
Chapter 14
Lili
When Victor leaves, I flop onto the bed and stare at the ceiling as I contemplate what a surreal few days it has been.
Seeing the man who tried to hurt me a year ago—kill me, it felt like—was worse than Victor kidnapping me. At least Victor made it clear fairly quickly that he wasn’t trying to kill me. Gracie went to make a phone call, so I’m alone for the time being.
A knock sounds and a timid voice speaks from through the door, interrupting my thought spiral. “It’s Grace. Can I come in?”
“Grace, come in,” I say with a smile.
The door opens, and she steps into the room. Her cute curls and sunny smile catch me off guard. I’ve always been attracted to women, but usually in a more subtle way.
“Do you prefer Grace over Gracie?” I ask as she shuts the door behind her.
“Usually. It’s better than my actual name, and Gracie started as a derogatory thing in school.”
I sit up on the bed. “May I ask what your real name is?”
She shakes her head. “I only tell people when I absolutely have to for legal documents and such.”
I grin and tap the side of my nose. “Good girl.”
Her cheeks flame red, and I wonder what I’ve stumbled into. Is she the kind of kinky that enjoys being called a good girl? Why does that turn me on? I find the term good girl a bit demeaning when it’s coming from a man. My bisexuality is not something I advertise. There was no way I could come out to my parents, but I experimented quietly, so no one found out. Once it became clear I would marry Phineas, I knew I would never be able to out myself. The son of a conservative mayor being married to a bisexual woman would never fly. Especially when both mother and son have their eye on the governor’s mansion and beyond.
Finn and I had a threesome once, but he got angry because I and the other woman had more fun with each other than we did with him.
The memory of Grace and Victor lying in bed with me flashes through my mind, and I bite the inside of my cheek to make the visual go away.
“I talked to Bellamy. Is there anything you need that she can get for you?”
The vision is shattered by Grace’s question, and I smile.
“If I’m going to be here for a while, I need my own body wash. I’ve got an allergy to the stuff in the bathroom.”
Grace runs a hand through her chin length curls. “Just tell me the name and I’ll text it to Bellamy.”
I give her the name of the expensive body wash I use, and she doesn’t bat an eye. She either has no idea how much it costs or is used to the owners of this club spending big dollars on things.
“I’m… sorry you have to stay here.”
I shake my head. “Don’t apologize for something you didn’t do.”
“I’m not apologizing,” she retorts. “Just saying I feel bad.”
I wave a hand. “I’ve simply traded one prison for another. At least this one has more interesting guards.”
She cocks her head to one side. “What do you mean?”
I pat the edge of the bed and shift to make room for her. “How much time do you have?”
She laughs and looks at the smartwatch. “Apparently all day. Bellamy will be here in three or four hours.”
“How long have you been part of the club?” I ask as she sits next to me.
“Since they opened, but I want to talk about you. What did you mean when you said being here was trading one prison for another?”
The answer isn’t complicated, but it’s not easy to talk about. Still, I want Grace to like me. Something tells me that is key to surviving this ordeal. “I mean, my marriage was arranged for me, and the man that I married is a monster. But he and his mother—who is also a monster—hold a lot of power. I’m trapped for all intents and purposes.”
“Is that why you have all those scars on your legs?”
I tuck a leg under me and prop a pillow up so I can lean against it. “Let’s just say that Phineas prefers to leave marks where no one else will see them.”
Grace winces, and I hope I’m not making her uncomfortable with my story. It’s one I’ve gotten used to, though I’ve never really told it out loud like this before.
“Tell me something you do like about your life,” she says.
“That’s a lovely question, Grace. I like the people that I get to help. I work for several really meaningful charities and try to do more than just go to fundraisers. My mother-in-law doesn’t always like it, but I like getting my hands dirty. And when the press catches wind of it, it’s usually a boost in the pools for her, so she goes along with it most of the time.”
Grace smiles. “I love that answer. I was worried it was going to be something like fancy clothes or a nice house. It sounds like you’re actually a good person. I’m sorry again that you’ve been dragged into all of this.”
I sit forward and squeeze Grace’s thigh. “It’s not your fault. You shouldn’t apologize. If anyone needs to apologize, it’s Victor.”
“Speaking of,” I say with a wink. “Tell me about him. How long have you two known each other?”
Grace blushes and looks down at her lap. “I met him in high school. His parents sent him to the States from Mexico, and we ended up at the same school. We quickly became friends thanks to my clumsiness. I dropped a pencil and when I bent to pick it up, I fell, and he helped me up and made sure I got back to my class. I ended up with a scholarship to Yale but had to drop out early because… well that’s a story for another time. But he talked me into coming to Las Vegas with him and the others when they moved here after graduation to open this place.”
“What are you going to study? Creative writing, perhaps?”
Grace shakes her head with a smile. “I’ve thought about it. But I enjoy the way I write, and I don’t want some stuffy college professor telling me it’s wrong. I’m sure there are things I could learn, but I want it to stay fun. That’s why I’m studying to become a nurse.”
“I can see you in the medical field, Grace. You’re going to make an excellent nurse.”
“I thought I was supposed to be telling you about Victor,” she says, shifting uncomfortably.
I can’t help the laugh that escapes. “You don’t like talking about yourself very much, do you?”
She shrugs. “Victor is more interesting.”
I chuckle. “I’m not saying he’s not interesting, but give yourself some credit, Grace. You’ve got an interesting story, too.”
I can tell my observation makes her uncomfortable, so I change the subject to give her some relief. “Why does Victor work for the Pink Sapphire when you have this place? It seems like running the club and shop would be a full-time job.”
Her shoulders sag with relief to not be talking about herself anymore. “This place is definitely a lot of work. More like several full-time jobs. But everyone has a job somewhere else as cover.”
“Cover for illegal activities or just to keep the secret club a secret?”
“It’s a little of both, I suspect, but the rule is I don’t get involved in anything illegal. Or at least it was the rule until Victor brought you here.”
Grace makes a face, and I laugh. “It had to be quite a shock when he came barging in here with me, especially given my state of undress.”
The memory turns my laugh into a giggle, and Grace joins me.
“Shock was an understatement,” she says through laughter.
A knock startles us both and Grace looks at her watch. “It shouldn’t be Bellamy.”
A voice calls through the door. “Gracie? It’s Bellamy. I got done with my stuff early, so I decided to come now.”
Grace jumps up to answer the door, and I instantly like Bellamy when she enters the room.
“It sounds like you two are getting acquainted,” Bellamy says as she hands Grace a bag.
“That’s the body wash and a few other things I picked up.”
Grace passes me the bag and I smile when I find deodorant, shampoo, and three pairs of clean underwear.
“Bless you, Bellamy. Despite the strangeness of the circumstances, it’s lovely to meet you. It sounds like you have some interesting stories to share.”
Bellamy raises an eyebrow at Grace who shrugs. “I haven’t said anything.”
I raise a hand. “Apologies. No one has told me anything, but I met one of your husbands last night.”
“Owen mentioned that. I must say I’m not thrilled with everything that has happened as a result of your husband, but I’m interested in hearing your side of things.”
Is this some kind of covert interrogation? Sending in the wives and girlfriends to put me at ease so I’ll slip up and say something I shouldn’t?
As if she could read my mind, Bellamy laughs. “I’m not trying to put you on the spot. It must have been traumatic to be kidnapped by Victor. He’s the biggest asshole of all the guys.”
Grace snorts. “I’ve seen Owen give him a run for his money.”
Bellamy’s face goes red, and I wonder what that’s all about. I saw and heard nothing but love and devotion in Owen’s voice in the brief exchange about his wife.
Bellamy settles on the sofa and crosses her legs beneath her. “Tell me everything.”