Chapter 36 Maya
Maya
From what I saw yesterday, wearing pants and a hoodie is a very real temptation. My skin has been crawling all day with the thought of the kind of men I’m going to have to deal with tonight. There’s no way in hell any one decent steps foot in that place.
I zip up my skirt and throw on a halter top.
It’s the only thing I have to wear that somewhat covers the marks my Hannibal Lecter man candy left all over me last night.
The obedience chair he strapped me to was the hottest thing I’ve ever experienced.
I couldn’t move, couldn’t see, and at one point he put headphones over my ears, blocking out my senses completely.
He hasn’t officially asked me to be his girlfriend. Not sure what we are, but it’s safe to assume it’s more than friends with benefits or fuck buddies. Everything is moving so fast, and I barely know him. It would be a lie to say I’m not scared shitless.
“Let’s go! We’ve got to get your tracking bracelet situated.” Ethan calls from the hallway.
Stuffing all my makeup and hair stuff back in the drawers, I have to chase the orange asshole around my room to wrestle my extra set of fake eyelashes from her. Who knew kittens could be so damn bad? I thought they were cute and cuddly.
I haven’t heard from Nick since this morning. He said he was going to be busy all day. I’m really not sure how he does what he does. We didn’t come in until after four in the morning. He had to be up for work at six.
“Now, Rivers! Nick will kill me if everything isn’t perfect before you go in there!” Ethan yells again.
I can’t help but smile. He really does care about me even if he’s off the deep end about most things. My therapist and her DSM-5 would have a heyday with him—not that my history is much better.
“Alright! What is it with you Ryker men? So damn impatient.” I stomp out to the foyer. I wish I’d thought earlier to make a drink and knock the edge off.
“Rivers—I’m going to assume that’s a rhetorical question, given your most current last name for all intents and purposes is also Ryker.” Ethan finishes packing all his equipment.
“But that’s not my real last name, or first name.” I refuse to go by Emily. Maya, cupcake, and Rivers suit me just fine.
“That might be true for the first name, just give it time and it will be for the last name.” He grins.
I choke on my spit, sputtering into a coughing fit. “Naw now. Don’t be funny,” I wheeze out.
“You were meant to be a part of this family, it just took you a while to get here.” He wraps one arm around my shoulders. “Let’s get this shit over with.”
He hands me a black pill as soon as we get in the car. From what little I saw yesterday, I wouldn’t be surprised if men were drugging women’s drinks in there. More alarmingly, I didn’t think the owner or the bartender would even care either.
Nick just called Ethan and said he’s running late. My stomach twists in knots. Apparently, Kaleb and Tito are headed to meet him and are running late. Nick and Lucas can handle themselves, but it still makes me nervous. I really want him here with me.
“He will be ok. He’ll be there way before it’s time for you to get off. We’ll send word to Liam when he gets there.” I’ll be walking on eggshells until then but at least I don’t have to wait all night to know he made it back safely.
Diamond Aces Casino is more elegant than I’ve ever noticed.
I guess because I’ve only been to Sapphire and not across the floor.
Black onyx-colored marble floors shine so bright they reflect the crystal chandeliers in the ceilings.
There’s no lingering smell of smoke or alcohol. In fact, the air smells clean.
Each table games’ dealer is wearing a tuxedo, and the cocktail waitresses are wearing the same style dresses and miniskirts with bowties for chokers. Each drink is in some sort of sparkling glassware. It must be shatterproof because I can only imagine the cleanup if one of them hit the floor.
Vade’s office is a deep maroon with a mahogany desk. Various degrees from Ivy League schools hang on the walls. I wonder what Nick’s office looks like.
The bracelet sits in the box on the desk. It’s a simple black nylon cord with a cupcake charm fastened to it. My heart swells, I know whose idea this was, and I wish he was here for me to tell him how much I love it.
The walk into Cottontails threatens to overtake my nerves but I refuse to let it. This is just the diner in Whiskey Rivers with alcohol and strippers. Easy peasy. I hold my head high, my shoulders back, and walk with a purpose. It’s showtime.
Liam’s waiting inside the door when I arrive. He gives me a small nod, and I nod back. Somehow I’m going to have to figure out a way to thank everyone who’s gone out of their way to help me out over the last few months.
“Emily, glad to see you could make it,” Tony grumbles at me. “There’s a sink over there, go get a bucket and wipe these tables down.”
“Yessir.” The tables need more than wiping down. They need to be replaced. The smell of stale rags by the sink is overpowering. Don’t they launder their towels here? Gross.
I turn the hot water on, but it doesn’t heat up and there’s barely any soap. Just got to do the best I can with what I have to work with. I walk over to the tables and start wiping the first one down. Tony steps behind me, causing the hair on my neck to stand.
“Lean over that table and scrub it good.” He doesn’t care about how clean the tables are, he just wants to stare at my ass.
A few customers start trickling in. I grab a tray and make my way to their tables to start taking orders.
At some point during the night, the plan is to start asking the bartender about where girls around here can make some side money.
If he doesn’t know, I’m to ask Tony. My luck he will want me to blow him instead.
Once I deliver the drinks to the customers, I walk back to the bar to ask the bartender if there’s anything I should be doing when I’m not busy. But before I can ask, Tony peeps his head out from behind the curtain to the back and yells, “Emily, I have some paperwork for you to sign. Get in here.”
Liam nods when I walk by. I see him hold up three fingers by his belt loop.
That means I’ve got three minutes before he comes in to check on me.
Which is silly, because Ethan is watching the cameras and will see if anything happens.
It’s very doubtful I’m going to be in any danger on my first night.
I follow Tony through the dressing room where the girls are getting ready for the night and into his office. It’s a small room with a broken-down metal desk and filing cabinet and what looks to be a large walk-in safe in the corner.
“I need a copy of your driver’s license and social security card,” he mumbles while lighting a cigarette.
I rummage through my purse, but for some reason my nerves overcome me, and I drop it on the floor. As I start to bend over, the door closes behind me. I’m frozen in fear, even though every instinct I have is telling me to run.
A hand runs up my leg, over my hip, and grips me around my waist. “Bend over and touch your toes, I’ll show you where the monster goes,” a low, gruff voice growls in my ears. Alarm bells ring in my head, I don’t have to look to know who’s behind me.
“Daddy,” I choke through my constricted lungs and stumble when I try to stand. My fear spikes to dangerous levels. No, no, no, this isn’t possible. He’s supposed to be dead. I watched the house blow up. The news even reported that his body was found.
He was reported to be fucking cremated!
“Aren’t you going to turn around and give your dear old dad a kiss? I missed you.” He rubs my shoulder with his hand. Vomit rises in my throat, there’s no holding it back. I turn and wretch my guts up in the garbage can.
“Guess the feeling isn’t the same.” He and Tony both laugh.
Tears stream down my face. How many minutes until Liam comes to check on me? Surely Ethan’s made him aware there’s an issue. I just need to hang in there a few more seconds.
You know what? Fuck this, I’m making a run for it. I throw my arm back to punch Daddy in the balls, but he’s faster than me. He grabs my wrist then the back of my head and slams it into the desk.
My vision temporarily goes blank and when it returns, everything is fuzzy. There’s a throbbing in my rapidly swelling eye.
“Now, now, my love. I’m not here to hurt you.” Daddy leans over me, his weight pressing into my body and cutting off my air.
There’s a loud knock on the door, but when Daddy doesn’t open it, Liam breaks the door off the hinges. Tony pulls out a pistol with a silencer and shoots Liam in the head. Blood spatters spray the room.
A blood curdling scream escapes my lips. No! Not Liam, I beg to whatever entity is listening! His lifeless body slumps down the floor and my heart crumbles. He didn’t even know me, and now because of me, he lost his life.
My knees give out and Daddy allows me to crumple to the floor next. I reach for the garbage can and throw up again while daddy rubs my back. The world is spinning and I might pass out. My chest is so tight, I literally don’t feel like I can breathe.
Ethan, Vade, Nick, and Lucas are probably on their way in here now. I sob harder. They can’t die for me. “What do you want from me?” I manage to choke out.
“Daddy’s come to take you home, baby girl. That man of yours doesn’t love you. He’s no good for you, sugar britches.” He strokes my face, causing me to vomit again.
“You don’t know that,” I sniffle. Neither do I.
“Come here and see for yourself.” He tries to help me to my feet.
I hesitate.
“Don’t worry about your other little friends outside. They’re safe. The building is locked down and they can’t get in at the moment.” He sits next to me and rubs my back. He’s never been this nice to me. There’s an ulterior motive here.
“Here, baby, take a seat.” He pulls up a chair and physically drags me into it then turns a computer screen my way. “Do you know why Nick wasn’t here to see you off on your first day of work?”
“He was going to meet Kaleb and Tito. They were running behind.” At least I hope that’s the case. My heart cracks open, what if he was set up and now he’s dead. Tears fall from my face. I lean forward, trying to bury my head in my hands.
“No, baby, Tito is dead. The night you left the gas on, you forgot to check my bedroom. Tito had just gotten into town and was passed out in there. When I woke up, I smelled the gas and ran out the back door.” He starts laughing hysterically like he’s the one who pulled off the perfect crime.
“I followed you through the woods. I thought you were going to get what you deserved in that river, but your meddling knight in a cherry-red Mustang came to your rescue, didn’t he? ”
He did, and now my heart is in a panic because he might need to be the one who needs saving. I thought I had planned the perfect murder/suicide. Joke’s on me, because Daddy’s still here and so am I. “But who is Nick going to meet?” I swallow hard, wondering if I really want to know the answer.
“He wasn’t going to meet anyone. He was still at his office banging his secretary. That’s why he was late.” His smile is sickening.
“Nick wouldn’t do that. He’s done with her.” Fear and adrenaline spike. She’s much prettier than me and knows him much better than I do. I have a sinking feeling in my gut that daddy is telling the truth.
“See for yourself.” He turns the laptop on the desk where I can see it. “This is live footage from his office.”
Sure enough. Right there plain as day is Nick with Sasha bent over his desk, fucking her from behind. I’m done.
My heart is shattered into a million pieces. Tears flood my eyes, I can’t keep looking at the screen, but I can’t look away. After everything he’s said to me and done to me, he never gave her up.
“You know us men are all cut from the same cloth, don’t you, sugarplum? That man was just going to use you and throw you away.” He leans over and cradles me in his arms, planting a sickening kiss on my cheek. “Come on, Daddy is going to take you to our new home.”
My legs have no strength left to stand. Everything in my head is begging God to take me.
The pain I feel in my chest is un-survivable.
I’m broken—shattered beyond repair. I just want to die.
How did I let myself get so caught up in all this?
I should’ve run when he gave me the chance. Uncontrollable sobs wrack my body.
I can’t stay here. “How am I going to get out of here without them seeing me?” I whisper.
“There’s an exit nobody knows about. Come on, baby, I’ve got you.” He pulls me to a standing position.
I stumble forward, catching myself on the desk. My eye lands on the tracking bracelet on my wrist, the little cupcake charm dangling back and forth, causing me to sob harder. I was beginning to think he might be the one for me.
That I meant as much to him as he said I did. I unfasten the clasp and throw it in the trash next to the desk. If he was using me, I don’t want any of them to find me. There are no happy endings for people like me.
I was always destined to end up poor white trash—just like my father. I used to dream about the day I would escape my fate, but dreams are merely illusions generated by a desperate mind.
You can’t dream your way out of your destiny.
NOT THE END!
Stay tuned for book two of the Unbreakable Series!
Illusions are easy to believe.
A Reflection never lies.