Chapter Four
L orelei leaned against Cross as they rode through the night. Her butt hurt from sitting on the bike for so long, but she wouldn’t complain. This man had killed for her. He’d stroked her bruises tenderly and watched over her as she slept. Right now, he was her entire world.
Finally, hours later, he pulled into the parking lot of a bar that advertised “Girls, Girls, Girls.” It looked closed, with the signage turned off and the parking lot empty. He parked behind the building and tapped her leg so she would dismount. Her knees were weak and she had to hold onto the backrest so she wouldn’t collapse on the ground.
When he dismounted the bike, he took off his helmet and propped his and hers on the seat. Then, as if they’d done this a hundred times before, he held out his hand and she slid hers into his. He led them up to the back door and knocked. A moment passed and he knocked again. Then they heard stomping, right before the door abruptly opened. A tall woman stood there, glaring down at them. She wore a skimpy nightgown that emphasized her large breasts and voluptuous hips. Her carrot-colored locks were piled on top of her head in a messy knot, and she clutched a tumbler filled with dark liquid. Lorelei shrank back from the angry frown on her face.
“Why in the ever-loving fuck, Aera Cross, are you pounding on my door at three in the morning?” the woman snapped.
“Jessica,” Cross greeted with an easy smile. “Nice to see you again.”
“You’re lucky you’re so cute,” she mumbled, then turned her gaze to look Lorelei up and down. “Did you bring me a new dancer?”
“Nope, need a place to hide.”
Jessica’s gaze narrowed. “From the law?”
“Hardly,” he scoffed. “We just need a day or so to rest up, then we’ll be out of your hair.”
“The last thing I need at my door is trouble, Cross.”
“You can’t be traced to anything,” he assured her.
She let out a big, dramatic sigh and shot Lorelei another look. “You two can take the spare room on one condition. I don’t want to hear any of your sex noises. Okay? I need my beauty sleep.”
Heat spread across Lorelei’s cheeks and she ducked her head. Cross was a handsome, sexy man. No way he’d ever want a nobody like her. No ass, small boobs, without hips to hold onto, she was brutally honest with herself that she was nothing special.
“Crude, Jessica,” Cross said as the older woman scooted to one side, allowing them to enter.
While holding onto her hand, Cross led her up a set of stairs where a door was left open. Lorelei glanced behind her as they entered the apartment, and Jessica threw her a wink. The heavy acrid smell of cigarettes clung to the interior, causing her to wrinkle her nose. It seemed Cross knew where to go, and led her down a short hallway, past a bathroom, to a bedroom.
“G’night, Jessica,” Cross called out and closed the door before the older woman could make a response. “You’ll get used to the smell.”
Her eyes widened. How did he know what she was thinking?
“You have a very expressive face,” he said. “You want a shower or just sleep?”
She folded her hands together as if praying and held it against the side of her face to signify sleeping.
“Yeah, me too,” he muttered.
Again, there was only one bed, and she felt bad that he had slept in a chair. So, she pointed to him and then pointed to the bed. He settled his hands on his hips.
“I’ll sleep in the bed if you sleep with me.”
Her mouth dropped open.
“And I meant sleep as in sleep,” he elaborated. “Get your mind out of the gutter.”
She pointed to herself and then rolled her eyes. Amusement lit up his eyes, but it didn’t reach his lips. Cross, she was quickly discovering, was one of those people who liked to keep things close to the vest. She bet he rarely ever smiled.
“Go use the restroom,” he instructed. “I’ll go after you.”
Slipping the duffel off, she left the room to go pee. After doing her business, she washed her hands, not bothering to look in the mirror. She was pretty sure she looked like death warmed over. Entering the bedroom again, she crawled onto the bed. Bone-weary, she closed her eyes, not caring if she slipped under the covers or not. A moment later, the bed dipped and she rolled toward Cross’s large body. He wrapped her up in his arms, and the next moment, cocooned in warmth, she was out.
****
T he nightmare found her again.
Hands reached for her, yanking her from her bed and tying up her arms. Gagging her to silence her screams. She was dragged away from her home and thrown onto a stage where she became one more girl sold to the highest bidder.
Only this time, the person holding her down was the man she killed, with the rod sticking out of his eye socket. The image burned through dreamland and jerked her awake. Lorelei sat up, heart pounding in her chest. It took a moment to realize she was safe. That she wasn’t locked in her cell, trying to hide from the ever-present stare of the camera lens.
Long shadows decorated each corner of the bedroom. Lorelei stretched as she remembered she and Cross had taken refuge with Jessica. She squinted to read the clock and realized she must have slept through the day because it was already early evening. Rising, she headed out of the bedroom, looking for Cross, but the apartment was empty. Needing to empty her bladder, she closed the door to the bathroom and saw a folded towel, washcloth, and new soap on the counter. A sticky-note rested on top letting her know she was free to use the shower.
She quickly peeled off her clothes and turned the water to a temperature just above scalding. The heavenly hot water poured down her sore body. Easing the aches and pains. Once she washed her hair and was thoroughly clean, she exited the shower. Steam blanketed the air, so she grabbed her clothes and went back to the bedroom to dress. The cool air caused goose bumps to rise on her skin. In the duffel was a hairbrush and a few scrunchies, so she braided her wet hair and went in search of Cross.
Lorelei noticed another door at the bottom of the staircase and opened it. The chatter of voices drew her forward and she realized it led to some type of dressing room. She halted as she saw some women half-dressed, standing around in thongs with tassels on their nipples. A few others wore sheer robes that ended at the knees. One by one, they stopped talking and turned toward her with questioning looks on their faces.
“Who are you?” one asked, looking her up and down. “Hate to break it to you, kid, but men like a little meat on their bones.”
There were a few snickers.
“How old are you?” another woman asked. “Are you even legal to be in a strip bar?”
Lorelei touched her throat and shook her head.
One dancer cocked her head. “You can’t talk? Are you mute?”
She nodded and saw a few of their stares turn into pity.
“Are you a new dancer?”
She shook her head no, and she noticed a few stiff shoulders eased. One woman came forward and studied her, turning Lorelei’s head to get a clear look at her cheek.
“Did that man out there with Jessica do that to your face?” she asked.
Again, she shook her head no.
The woman released her. “Come here, let’s moisturize your skin to help that bruise. My name is Sweetie, by the way.”
Sweetie pushed her onto a chair in front of a mirror. Some of the other women came over to watch, and Lorelei felt like a bug under a microscope. It was almost intimidating to have all these scantily clad, beautiful women surrounding her.
Lorelei breathed a sigh of relief. Then, as if they were a collective hive, each woman started taking care of her. One took apart her braid, brushing the long strands out. Another used some kind of tonic on her face before applying a nice-smelling face lotion, being careful around the bruised cheek. Someone else moved her t-shirt a little off her shoulder.
“Sweetie, look at this.”
The woman leaned forward and Lorelei saw her eyes widen, before flashing back to study her.
“Are you sure that man didn’t hit you? You just say the word and we’ll take care of you.” Sweetie pointed to each girl. “Each of us has been down that path.”
Knowing these women, who didn’t know her, were ready to jump to her defense caused her heart to pound with gratitude. She’d just about given up on humanity, until Cross saved her. Lorelei mimed writing and someone handed Lorelei a small notebook and pen. She quickly gave a brief rundown on what happened, and why she was with Cross. Sweetie took the notebook and quickly read it before setting it aside.
“So, this man Cross saved you from ... what was the name of that place?”
“Noble Vale,” Lorelei wrote.
“Doesn’t sound very noble to me.” She smiled and patted her hand. “You’re safe now, okay? Those assholes are long gone. Now, let’s do a makeover. Every diamond in the rough needs to shine.”
Lorelei decided not to put up a fuss. These women were being kind to her in a way she’d never experienced. They didn’t even know her, and yet she felt they took her under their wings. Someone gently tugged her hair. Two women, including Sweetie, brushed makeup on her face. Nothing glaring, but a nice subtle tone. Her new friends talked and laughed around her, but Lorelei knew they weren’t laughing at her. Some of them would go out, do their set and return, taking turns rotating.
Then she looked in the mirror and saw someone she’d never met before. A beautiful woman that had lived under the service of her plainness. Her grey eyes now had depth from the eyeliner and mascara. Her hair was piled on her head in a stylish, yet messy bun. Tendrils trailed down her neck in silky waves.
She wrote, “I love this. Thank you all so much.”
Sweetie smiled and gave her a quick hug. That’s when Lorelei spotted Cross leaning in the doorway, watching her, with his arms folded across his muscular chest. She’d never seen a more handsome man, and butterflies danced through her belly each time their gazes met. She wanted to drown in the magic of his stare, but his green eyes kept a vault of secrets locked away behind them. It made her want to learn them all, to chase away the shadows clinging to him like a cloak.
One by one the women noticed he was watching, and they backed away. Lorelei stood from the chair and faced him, holding out her arms in a silent question. To know if he liked what he saw or if he didn’t. He didn’t answer verbally, but the one thing she was good at was reading people. A hungry look flashed over his face before it smoothed out once more. He was hiding behind his mask again, and she longed to rip it off. To find the man she had glimpsed every now and then since they’d met.
“Thank you, ladies,” he said. He held out his hand to her, and Lorelei went to him without hesitation. Their fingers entwined and she stared up at him, and he down at her. An electric current zapped between them, and she swore the ground trembled under their feet. “I didn’t think you could get any more beautiful, but clearly I was wrong.”
A happy flush warmed her cheeks.
“Hungry?”
She nodded and waved at her newfound friends. Cross led her down a set of stairs into the bar section of the building. The swarthy undertones were emphasized by a spotlight highlighting a woman twirling on the pole, her suggestive dancing making the men watching her hold up dollar bills. Music played over the speakers. Most of the men in the place dressed like Cross. Jeans, t-shirt, boots. None of them, however, invoked feelings of attraction. He fascinated her. Here was a man who, by the look of him, should send fear straight into her heart. Yet, he was gruff and rough, but also gentle. A walking contradiction.
He led her to the bar top and helped her sit on a stool before sitting next to her. Jessica winked as she placed a bowl of chili in front of her. She mouthed thank you before digging into the amazing-smelling food. The conversation between Cross and Jessica flowed over her, and it started her wondering how they knew each other. There was a familiarity between them that had her looking back and forth, as suspicion rose. The way they looked at each other. The way they leaned into one another. The smiles. The ease. It suddenly dawned on her that they were lovers. It was the only explanation for how comfortable they were with one another. Which had her thinking, was she in the way? Did she take him away from Jessica? If they were together, then how did he know about her?
The more Lorelei thought about it, she began to wonder how Cross knew where to rescue her from. How did he know about the sanatorium? Or her name? Or why he had a duffel bag filled with clothes that fit her? Perhaps she should’ve asked more questions. Maybe she should figure out where to go and let Cross get back to his life with Jessica. She sighed and rubbed her forehead.
“What’s wrong?”
She glanced up and saw Cross focused on her with Jessica down the other side of the bar serving patrons. Since she didn’t have anything to write with, she pointed at him then at Jessica and interlocked her fingers. A frown creased between his eyes, so she mouthed the word together.
“No,” he replied immediately. “Jessica and I are not together.”
Lorelei cocked an eyebrow.
“We fucked each other a couple of times, but it wasn’t serious. We were both horny and unattached so why not?”
Well, when he put it like that, she sounded silly. She had to remember that she and Cross were nothing more than acquaintances, and she had no business butting into his personal life. She mimed writing and he leaned over the bar, looking, before reaching for something. When he sat back down, he had a pen, an ordering pad, and a bottle beer.
Flipping it over, she wrote her question. “Why did you come for me?”
“I was hired to rescue you,” he answered, taking a drink and reading her next question. “Truthfully, your dad mistook me for the real person he hired to rescue you. As soon as he showed me your picture, however, that other bastard was out of luck. You were mine, especially once he told me about your gift.”
Lorelei blinked. There was too much to digest from that short paragraph, so she held up a hand as she focused on the most important thing he said.
“What did my dad look like?”
“Short and bald with extra weight.”
“My father was tall. Took care of himself. Full head of grey hair. That man you described was not my father.”
“Son of a bitch! I had a feeling that man was lying through his teeth.” Cross stared at her for a moment, head slightly cocked, the gears in his head turning. “He wanted you but was unable to get you out of Noble Vale, so he hired me to deliver you right into his fucking arms. Someone else working against Birsha?”
Short, bald, with extra weight sounded like her uncle. Under no circumstances could she go back to him.
“The man you describe sounds like my mother’s brother. He was the man who sold me to Birsha.”
Cross blinked in surprise. “Sold you? What the fuck? If he sold you, then why is he trying to get you back?”
“Good question.”
He went to cup her face, and habit made her jerk back thinking she was going to be struck.
“You don’t trust me,” he said, lowering his hand back down. “You don’t know if I’ll be as bad as the others but I’ll prove that you can trust me.”
Trust. Betrayed by her mother’s brother, Cross had no idea what he asked of her. The memory of that night made her heart bleed from the festering wound that never fully healed, and she had to forcefully push it from her mind because to dwell on it made her want to break down and cry. She already lost five years of her life to that useless emotion, so she now had to figure out what was next. Vengeance? Hiding? Self-reflection?
She shook her head to clear it. There was no reason to rehash the worst night of her life.
“What do you know about my ability?”
His eyes narrowed, as if getting ready to argue about the shift in topics, but he must have seen the plea in her own because he backed down and followed her lead.
“A few months ago, I came across a woman who had the ability to calm people with a touch and a suggestion. She used it on me several times. So, I’m aware there are people out there who have certain powerful gifts.”
There were others like her? “Can I meet her?”
“Maybe one day,” he replied. “She’s far from here. Let’s figure things out before we go on a vacation.”
Didn’t he realize that every day she spent out of her prison cell was a vacation? He leaned closer, and suddenly he was too close. His nearness caused her heart to pound and she couldn’t help but glance at his mouth. She’d never kissed a man, and wondered what it would feel like to kiss him.
“Stop looking at me like that,” he murmured softly. “Or I may just eat you up.”
She snapped her eyes up, meeting his gaze. He watched her. The muted light of the bar turned his green eyes dark and intense. His face, however, was a blank sheet. She was quickly learning all his nuances. A veritable expert at emotionless expressions, and it made her wish she could be just as stoic.