Underworld

Chapter Seven

Olivia

S oftness surrounds my pounding head while my eyes flutter open. A large room slowly comes into view and the feeling of soothing silk sheets cover me.

I am not at home in my bed so where the hell am I? The California King Bed I am laying on engulfs me and as I sit up, I realize I am in an ivory silk nightgown.

Huh. How did I get into this?

What happened last night?

I look around and notice a glass of orange juice and a bottle of over the counter pain killers lay on the nightstand with a note folded over so it can stand up that reads: Drink the juice and take 2 pills, it will help with the headache.

Where the hell am I?

The light outside hits the white-colored walls, hurting my eyes for a minute until they adjust. Thoughts of last night rush into me and my heart falls to my feet; was I bought last night? Did Dante drug me? Did he change me?

Oh God.

I feel down in my lady area, hoping I am not bleeding.

Thankfully, I realize I’m not sore and no blood is anywhere so I’m in the clear there.

Able to calm myself on that note, I grab the glass of juice and take two pills when a thought crosses my mind: Dante would not care enough about me to leave me juice and medicine.

Slowly getting up, I notice a housecoat laying on the edge of the bed.

Grabbing it, I slide myself into the arms of the coat and slip my feet into the house shoes by the bed. Both are huge and too big for my feet and body, but they will do for now.

Cautiously opening the door, I notice the house is quiet, other than what sounds like pots and pans banging around in the far distance.

Following the sound, I instantly find myself walking down a darkened hallway to a spiral staircase.

This house is gigantic and would make two of the one I grew up in.

Slowly making my way down the stairs, the pot and pan sounds get louder as I step off the final step.

A woman who looks old enough to be my grandmother, wearing an apron and her hair in a net, is in the kitchen cooking up something that smells . . . heavenly.

“Excuse me.” I ask walking closer to her.

The lady jumps and places a hand over her heart, she gives me a chuckle once she sees me, “Oh, Miss Olivia, I was not sure when you would get up. I am cooking your breakfast, Miss. Anything in particular you do not like?” she asks me.

I blink a few times trying to understand what is going on. “I’m sorry,” I start, “You are cooking for . . . for me?”

“Yes ma’am, Mr. Ricci is off to work and told me to cook for you today,” the lady replies, bending down to take a small glass out of the cabinets and then she smirks, “My apologies Miss. My name is Maria.” She pours a glass of milk and slides it over the counter toward me.

“Mr. Ricci will be home around lunch. I’ll have breakfast ready soon. Make yourself at home. You have clothes in the bathroom upstairs where you slept last night, and Mr. Ricci will explain everything when he arrives later.” She smiles and turns back to the cabinets.

I force a smile while grabbing the glass of milk turning with it in hand making my way back up the stairs to the bedroom, my heart pounding at an escalating rate.

Closing the door to the bedroom, I take a sip of my milk and set it down on the nightstand beside the orange juice.

Trying my best to relax, I close my eyes, trying to figure out what happened last night.

I am in the home of Mr. Ricci. Does that mean he bought me? Did he drug me? Did he change me?

What happened to me last night?

My eyes spring open. Gloria.

She is the last thing I remember. The way she grabbed on to my hand and said, ‘hang on to me, it is about to get loud . . .’

How did she know what was about to happen? She was on my fathers' arm before that, laughing and smiling; what game is she playing? Was she playing me or my father?

I find my footing as I make my way to the bathroom and notice there is a mobile rolling rack full of clothes that are my size.

Running my hands over them, they are every bit of something I would wear, but how did they get here?

My image in the mirror stops me in my tracks. My eyeliner and mascara have run down my cheeks, my eyes are puffy, and my lipstick is on the side of my left cheek.

Now I feel embarrassed that the woman downstairs saw me like this.

Lifting my right hand, I brush my fingers through my bird's nest of hair. It is frizzy and matted in places.

Slipping out of my clothes, I scan over my body. No bruises thankfully, but I am sore.

The white tiled walk-in shower is across from me, and I grab a washcloth from the basket on the counter.

Turning the shower on, I step inside and let whatever happened last night wash off of me and down the drain.

A tear escapes my eyes, wondering if my father is even regretting the words he spoke to me last night, or the auction he put me in.

I wonder if he has even thought about my well being this morning.

My life has officially changed, and I don’t know if I’ll survive it.

***

T HE SHOWER I TOOK THIS morning was much needed. I felt like a new woman after washing my hair and body.

I could not find a hair dryer, so I let my naturally curly hair air dry on its own. Whoever bought the clothes that were on the rack had excellent taste—not only in clothing, but underwear, too.

A cheeky black panty and bra set was hanging there as well. I’m curious how they were able to get the exact size I needed.

Did Ricci buy these for me? The thought may have crossed my mind once or twice.

Maria’s breakfast casserole she made was exquisite and for the remainder of the morning, I sat in the library of the house looking through old books.

Reading was always a pastime for me since I was home most of the time. Anything from old Victorian stories to those contemporary love stories were my jam.

Since my reality was not my own, I found going into other worlds within the pages of my books was where I wanted to be.

I’m sitting on the love seat in the library reading over Jane Austin when a knock is sounded at the door, “Miss Olivia?” Maria’s voice is heard.

“I’m in here. Come in.” I reply.

The door creaks open and Maria spots me and smiles, “Someone loves to read.” she states.

“Mr. Ricci wanted to get rid of this library a little while ago but decided to keep it. I’m glad it is being used.”

I gasp, “Get rid of all of this?” I gesture to all the books that line the bookshelves on the walls. “Why on earth would he want to do that?”

Maria sighs, “Reminds him too much of his mother I presume. This was once her library.”

She clears her throat, “Well, look at me, blabbering too much. He will be home soon. Better not let him catch you in here. Lunch is almost done; why don’t we go to the kitchen and set the table?” She smiles at me but by her tone, I know she is not giving me much choice.

Quickly closing my book, I walk it back to the shelf, placing it where I had found it, noticing when I turn around, a picture of two beautiful women on a desk that sits up by the shelves next to the wall.

Taking a moment to glance at it, I wonder who the women are and hope they are not in this same hell as I am.

“Alright.” I finally say to Maria and walk behind her out of the doorway.

Once back in the dining area, Maria hands me plates to set the table with. I smile, relieved she is giving me something to do to keep my mind busy.

With Mr. Ricci returning home soon, my nerves are racing. Thankfully, knowing the man I met last night, at least I know he won’t be as much of an ass as Dante was.

Once I set the last plate down on the table for lunch, the front door opens, and a few men dressed in black suits walk in.

One is on a handheld radio and the others walk in like a bunch of Army Rangers ready for the next mission.

The last one is on the phone, but his voice makes my hair stand up on the back of my neck.

“I don’t give a shit what it takes. Get it done!” he sternly tells the person on the other end of the line.

He is even more handsome than I remember. The white mask he had on hid some of his features from me last night, but I would remember those eyes from anywhere at anytime.

“Maria,” he snaps, “I am starving. Hope you cooked something good.”

My heart sinks to my feet, the nice man I met last night has been replaced with this inconsiderate piece of shit.

His eyes meet mine and he places his phone in his pants pocket.

“Sit.” he orders me. “We need to talk.”

The men who came in the house with him all gather around, and Mr. Ricci looks their way. “Alone.”

They all nod and leave us alone in the dining area.

Maria walks in with a glass pitcher filled to the brim with tea and sets it down at the table before asking, “Anything else you would like, Sir?”

“No,” he replies short, “That will be all. You can take the rest of the day off.”

She eyes him and then me but nods, remembering her manners for her boss and replies, “As you wish, Sir. I’ll be back in the morning.”

Maria and all the men, one by one, make their way out the front door. When the last person leaves, shutting the door behind them, I think I may faint.

I was not expecting to be alone with him so soon.

Hayes

––––––––

I AM PISSED THAT LAST night did not go as planned. The job was simple, get in and get as many of them out as possible. I had hoped for more than three. And now, Frances is on to me.

To make matters worse, my dick twitched all night long laying in the bed beside an unconscious Olivia.

The fact that the woman was even in my bed was a no-no on my part. I knew better but my mind needed her close.

What was so important about her? I am still trying to figure that out but for now I wanted her within my sights.

So, I had my men run and get her some clothing. I changed her into a nightgown and sent her dress off to my dry cleaner.

Something my father would do for my mother but not a random ass woman he does not even know.

What infuriates me more now is the woman has been in my head all day. I could not get any work done for the fact of my mind was wondering what she was doing or if she was safe.

Dante’s eyes were on her which means he is going to be looking for her. There is a reason someone wanted Dante to have her, and my plan is to find out why.

I need her out of my house. Far enough away where I know she’s safe, and my dick won’t do anything stupid and fuck up this operation.

Her eyes are looking down at the table and I notice she is shaking some. Poor timid Doe.

She needs to toughen up if she is going to make it in this world.

“Look at me.” I order and her eyes gradually find mine. Those deep blue eyes stir something in my stomach. Taking a deep breath, I ask, “Do you remember anything about last night?”

She shakes her head, no.

I am about to ask her another question when she says, “Did you buy me?”

I smirk, not as timid as I thought she might be. There is some fight in this one. A hint of the woman I saw last night is in there.

Then my smirk falls, she thinks I’m one of them. One of Frances’ men.

“Why would you think I would do such a thing?” I ask her, my tone more clipped than earlier.

Her eyes go back to the plate in front of her and she shrugs, finally speaking, “I don’t know. You were there last night. I just assumed everyone who was in attendance was part of the buying party.”

I ignore her, stand from my seat, and walk over to the liquor bar on the back wall. Putting ice in a whiskey glass, I grab the bottle of scotch and fill it halfway. Olivia stays quiet but my mind is running a thousand miles a minute.

Making my way back to the table, her timid eyes find mine again as I take a seat and sip my scotch.

“Did you undress me last night?” she asks.

Slowly swallowing my drink, I sit the glass down, and my dick twitches thinking of the way she looked last night. Her naked body just laying before me, her fresh skin glistening in the moonlight creeping in the window.

I could have had my way with her, and she wouldn’t have known until she woke this morning. Could have been a primal man and taken advantage of her like my dick wanted. All the other men last night would have.

Fortunately for her, I like my ladies willing and awake to watch the things my tongue and dick do to them. So no, I did not touch her in any of the places I wanted to.

A sinful grin crosses my face, “Olivia, if I had touched you anywhere other than changing your clothes last night, you would not be able to sit the way you are sitting right now.”

She gulps and her eyes bulge out of her head.

“Oh.” she whispers.

“Food’s getting cold.” I finally state. “Fix your plate and we can talk.”

She nods and reaches for the chicken and vegetables Maria had cooked up for lunch and I fill my plate as soon as she is done.

“Are you not one of them?” she asks after a moment of eating in silence, but this time, she seems more confident in her question.

“What do you think?”

“I think you were not supposed to be there last night. I think you were there for some other reason and I’m not sure why. Last thing I remember about last night is Gloria grabbing my hand and warning me that it was about to be loud. Then I woke up here. You were the only man in the room last night when I walked down the stairs that was not whistling and making a fuss. Dante grabbed my ass as soon as he had me next to him, but you placed my arm around yours.” She pauses, taking a sip of her water, “You seem different from those men.”

I lean back in my chair, amazed at this woman’s attention to detail. She may survive all of this after all. The scared little Doe I saw on the stairs last night has some fight in her.

How she was even in the auction baffles me. If someone would have grabbed her out in public, she surely would have put up a fight. Most of these men look for shy, defenseless women. Ones with low self-esteem and no fight left in them. Those women are easier to keep under their control.

But this woman, she is a lioness ready to be born.

I bite my lip to stifle my grin. “You are right. I was not invited last night. My name is Hayes Ricci, and I am The King of The Underworld. My father passed away not long ago, and he left all of this to me.” I gesture around at the house.

“My father and Frances Ashton, the man who was over the event last night, were enemies. My father was the leader over the drug trade and night clubs. My family wanted to keep things classy and never exploit women.”

I pause making sure she is listening. “Ashton and his family came into money and power the wrong way. They found that selling women and children brought more money than any trade known to man. So, they started trying to rival my family for power. My father wanted to shut down the sex trafficking ring Frances has had going for years. He succeeded for a while and almost had Ashton off his high horse, but died suddenly. I vowed to take over his mission and last night was one of my raids. You were one of the ones we saved.”

Olivia’s eyes are wide, and her face looks pale. “This has been going on for how long?”

I sit up, intrigued that she would care. “Before I was born. Ashton’s father started it and then when he died, Ashton took over.”

She nods, understanding. “What would have happened to me last night if Dante would have bought me?”

I shrug. “More than likely, you would have been used for his pleasure until you either gave him children that he and Ashton could sell, or he would have sold you back into the auction when he was done with you.”

Now I am certain she is about to throw up.

“You are safe now.” I assure her.

Her eyes widen. “Safe? I don’t feel safe at all, Mr. Ricci. They will come looking for me.”

“Call me Hayes.” I tell her in sternly, a little shocked at myself. I don’t let many people call me by that name who aren’t my kin or those closest to me.

“Okay, Hayes. How can I be so sure I am safe?” Her eyes lock on mine and it makes my heart rate accelerate. I need this woman away from me.

How on earth can a pair of eyes do the things to my emotions the way she is doing?

The feeling taking over my chest makes me angry.

I hit my fist on the table, and she jumps, “Don’t question me. I said you are safe.”

She looks at me wide-eyed. “Okay.”

The look of worry is still on her face. Taking a long-drawn-out breath, I decide to give her some clarification. “I have raided their auctions before, and they just look for the next woman to replace. I would say I am not worried about it but the fact that Dante and Ashton both knew I was there last night, and both had eyes on you, it may be best to stay on alert for awhile.”

Olivia looks like she is about to have an anxiety attack. “No. Mr. Ricci. They will be after me. Frances Ashton told me himself before the auction he wanted me to find Dante.”

I can tell she’s about to run. The little doe looks like she’s about to be gunned down by a hunter. “Ashton spoke to you?” I ask her curiously. “Why?”

She stills and says, “Um, I-I don’t know. He just told me Dante was on his list for me.”

Well, this just made things fucking worse.

Ashton knows who she is so there’s something to this and already had a man picked for her? This is fucking bad. I need to find out why she is such a big deal.

“Olivia, is there something you need to tell me?” I cock an eyebrow at her.

“N-No?” she shudders. “I don’t know why he would know who I am.”

I nod, watching her body language. It is obvious she is frightened.

But my God she cannot stay here.

I grab my phone out of my pocket to make a phone call. “I’m going to my office. Stay here. I’ll be back.” I order her and get up to make some phone calls.