Jasmine
“So, I asked, snuggling close to Wolf, did you talk to my landlord about the security door?
He stiffened beside me. I did.
But you didnt have to do that.
Yes, I did. He was a scumbag and was putting you in danger.
You did more than talk to him, didnt you?
What are you asking me?
Did you beat him up?
He was silent for a moment. Not exactly. I choked him to near unconsciousness.
Does that scare you? Wolf looked at me like he was searching for something. Like he expected me to be mad. It was the first time he ever seemed vulnerable..
No. I wasn’t. Knowing he choked Jackson out to make sure the door would get fixed just made me want him more.
Why not? Most women would be horrified.
Because you did it for me. You did it to protect me. I always wondered what it would be like to have someone to protect me. To have someone who cared.
And now you have that with me. And Im not going anywhere.
Wolfs words meant everything to me, but I still had to know more. So, youre not going to tell me anything about what you do?
No.
Youre a dangerous man, arent you?
Yes.
How dangerous?
Very.
Wolf, I dont know anything about you?
Everyone has secrets.
Not me. You know everything
Okay, what do you want to know?
Tell me about your family?
“My mother and father are both dead, and Im an only child. Grandparents are dead, too.”
“I’m sorry”
“I’m not.”
“Do you have any friends?”
“Well ….”
“Oh, so you do have a friend. Whats his name?”
“Fox.” I laughed. “Fox. Wolf, please tell me you dont have a friend named Hawk.”
“No, but he has a brother named Hunter.”
I rolled my eyes.
Is Fox your best friend? I was even more curious about his world now that I was determined to be a part of it.
I guess you could say that. Ive known him for a long time. We work together.
Work?
Jasmine dont?
Wolf people who love each other dont keep secrets?
Do you love me?
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
Im an investigator.
Is that why you were in the club?
Yes. And I dont want you working there anymore.
Why cant I work there?
Its dangerous.
And youre not going to tell me why?
Not yet.
When will you tell me?
After its over.
But I cant just quit. I have rent and bills. Besides, Angel got me that job on his word
Ill take care of it.
What.
You dont have to worry about money. Youre mine now.
Wolf, I hesitated. Id always relied on myself. Now, he was asking me to rely on him. Id never done that before. He clearly saw the doubt in my eyes. He cupped my face and looked at me..
“Jasmine, I will take care of you always. You are mine. No one will ever hurt you. You can work anywhere else you want, but not at Eclipse. Do you understand?”
His voice was so serious, and I could see the conviction in his eyes.
Okay, Ill stop working at the club.
Thank you. He kissed me.
I had never trusted anyone before, but I trusted him. He was dangerous, but I didnt care.
Promise me, if you see anyone suspicious or hear anything, youll tell me?
I promise. I curled up next to Wolf and fell into a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, Wolf insisted on driving me home. He walked me to my door and kissed me goodbye. I started packing up. I didnt think it would take long. I had so little, but I lost track of time and before I knew it Angel was knocking on my door.
Hey Jas, did you forget you have a shift tonight?
Oh shit, sorry. I didnt realize it was so late.
Angel stepped into my apartment and looked around. Jasmine, whats going on? Why are you packing?
Im moving and Im quitting Eclipse.
You what? Why?
Wolf doesnt want me to work there anymore.
Angel stared at me. He said that?
Yes. He told me to get a different job.
You just met this guy.
I know. Its just that were seeing each other, and hes a little protective.
A little? Did he put his hands on you?
No, he didnt. He just told me that I couldnt work at the club. Theres something shady going on there.
Jasmine, its a strip club of course theres some shit goin down.
I think this is bigger than the usual stuff Angel.
Youre serious about this guy?
Yes.
Jas, hes trouble.
I know. He told me he was. But I feel safe with him. He takes care of me.
Angel, I know hes not perfect. Hes dangerous, but hes taking care of me. Hes making sure Im safe.
Exactly Jasmine, hes dangerous. What happens if you want to leave him?
He wouldnt hurt me.
How do you know that? You cant just trust every guy you meet.
Hes different.
Angel shook his head. I just dont want you to get hurt.
Angel, I cant explain it. He makes me feel safe, and I havent had that ever. I love him.
Angel took a breath. Just be careful, okay? Dont do anything stupid.
I wont. Thank you for worrying about me. It means a lot.
Angel smiled. Alright, Im gonna head out. I still got a shift tonight.
Wait. Ill go with you.
I thought you were quitting?
I am but Im not just going to stop showing up. Im going to quit in person. Besides I left a couple of outfits in the dressing room.
Angel nodded. Alright, lets go.
I felt unusually nervous as I stepped into Eclipse. It was the same as always, but tonight was different. I was quitting.
I walked past the bar and through the crowd.
Vince was waiting for me, a smile on his face. Jasmine, did you forget you were on the schedule tonight? Why arent you dressed for your shift?
Vince, can we talk in your office?
He eyed me curiously. Sure.
He led me to his office, and we sat down. It was quiet. The loud music of the club muted.
Whats going on Jasmine? Finally, decide you want to dance and make some real money?
No, Vince. I dont want to dance. I fiddled with the hem of my shirt. I quit.
You what? Why?
Personal reasons. You can hire someone else.
What kind of personal reasons?
None of your business.
This is bullshit. Youre making a mistake. You dont even know what kind of money you can make here.
Its not about the money, Vince.
Its always about money. He sneered.
No, its not. Not for me.
Then, what is it? You have a better offer somewhere else?
No.
You got a boyfriend?
No.
He looked at me. Youre lying.
Vince, just forget it. Im leaving.
I got up and started for the door.
Vince got upped and grabbed me by the arm. Youre not going anywhere. Ive got plans for you.
Let me go, Vince.
No, youre going to make me a lot of money.
Fuck you. Let me go. I tried to pull away.
Vince wrapped his hand around my throat.
Stop it, I gasped, clawing at his hands.
I couldnt breathe, and I felt like I was going to pass out. I kicked him, trying to break his grip. I struggled against him, but he was too strong.
Stop it. I gasped again.
His face was inches from mine, and I saw the rage in his eyes. My vision blurred, and I felt myself losing consciousness.
The last thing I saw before everything went black was his nasty smirk.
When I woke up, I was in a dark room. I tried to move, but my hands were bound and so were my ankles I sat up on the cold concrete floor.. I struggled to remember what had happened, and then it came back to me.
Vince had attacked me, and now I was here, wherever here was. I struggled against the plastic cuffs that bound my wrists, but they wouldnt budge. I sat trying to figure out what to do.
My mind went to Wolf. He would be looking for me, I hoped. But what if he never found me? What if he wasnt able to?
I shook my head, pushing the thought away. I had to believe he would find me. I couldnt let myself think about the alternative.
I looked around the room, trying to get my bearings. It was empty except for a chair. There was a row of small dirty windows above me that way? too high to climb out of. I could see the sky outside. It was still night.
I needed to stay calm. I got into this. I could get out. I didnt know how much time I had. I looked around for something to help me. I saw some pieces of glass , probably from the windows. I inched toward them.
I wasnt sure what Vince had planned for me, but I knew it wasnt good. I focused on trying to free my hands. Maybe there was a way to escape.
I heard footsteps approaching and froze.
Looks like sleeping beauty is awake.
It was Vince. He came over and looked down at me.
What are you going to do to me?
Im going to sell you to the highest bidder. What happens from there ... He trailed off, shrugging casually like I was nothing. Like selling women was something he did every day. I had to move you up on the schedule. I had a few other girls I was going to ship for the auction but since you wanted to quit. I had to get you while I could. Doesnt matter. The buyer will be happy to have you early.
Fuck you.
Im not, but Im sure your new owner will. His words made my skin crawl. Nobody is going to come for you. So, you better just accept your new life.
Youre going to regret this.
He laughed. Nobody is going to miss a little miscellaneous bitch like you. By the time anyone reports you missing youll probably be dead.
There was a time when those words would have hurt because they would have been true, but now I knew this asshole was going to die. I struggled against the zip ties once more.
He smirked. Good luck with that. Youre not going anywhere.
Vinces phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out and read the message. The buyer is coming to see you. But you better hope he likes what he sees. He laughed and left the room. I heard Vinces voice outside the room, but I couldnt make out what he was saying. He was talking to someone, probably the sick freak who wanted to buy me.
I resumed inching to towards the shard of glass. I finally reached the pieces of glass. I leaned over until I could grab a piece. Gripping the glass between my thumb and index finger, I sawed frantically at the plastic zip ties around my wrist, praying it would be sharp enough to cut them. I was getting the fuck out of here, and Vince was going to die.