by Hayley Smyth
Ella.
I'd always thought the black Purgatory uniform to be somewhat intimidating, with its blood-red P on the left-hand side, the huge belts the guards would wear home to all kinds of weapons, those heavy boots I'd seen the bottom of so many times. Still, as Jax strode towards me, nostrils flaring, my knees buckles, and once again, I found myself breathless, heart hammering against my ribcage.
I didn't know where to look. His eyes were always so brooding, the way he looked at me too intimate, and so I continued to stack chairs at the sides of the large room. The library was used for the auctions. It included a stage, lights you'd see on a film set hung above us, and thick red curtains.
Jax reached me, his smokey yet sweet aftershave filling my nostrils, his presence dominating all my thoughts.
“Hey, bird,” he smiled. “How are you feeling?”
I tried to return the smile, but my nerves made me look insane, I'm sure. “Yes. Fine. Just busy.” I stumbled over each word, the red from Marnie's earlier comment seeped down on to my chest. The last thing I needed to think of were Jax's...ahem.
“You look beautiful.” He lowered his voice, aware Marnie was more than likely trying to hear, but instead of hearing her pipe up, the door opened with a bang, and Jax spun round.
Oh, God, Marco. I'd almost forgot about him.
He stormed into the room, his face red with anger, and marched towards Jax and me. “Ella, come. You're wanted elsewhere.”
I went to step aside and follow him, but Jax's body moved in front of mine, and I bumped into his back.
“Where does she need to be? I'll take her there.” He growled, the men now almost nose to nose.
Oh, Jax, no, I thought.
Marco chuckled. “That's none of your goddamn business, Murdick.”
They stepped closer, guns pressing against one another, and in the distance, I saw Marnie stand.
“Well, she sure as fuck isn't going with you, I don't trust you one bit.”
“I don't give a fuck if you do or don't, I've got my orders, she's coming with me.” Marco was bulky but quick, he whipped his arm around Jax and grabbed hold of my upper arm, pulling me so I stumbled into him, yelping in pain at his grip.
Jax didn't waste no time, throwing caution and sanity to the wind. I watched as he reared back his fist and pushed it forward, connecting perfectly with Marco's nose. The noise was sickening, and it was so loud it almost hid the sound of his body hitting the floor.
Jax was a dead man.
Marco roared, a deafening noise, and was soon back on his feet, rushing towards Jax. I just managed to dart out of the way as the two men collided into the wall, a picture worth thousands smashing behind Jax.
Glass must have embedded into his skin, but he didn't stop. The pair grabbed at each others throat, fists flying as they sucker-punched one another. And all I could do was stand and watch, scared beyond scared for the man who'd promised to save my baby girl.
“You're fucking dead! Who do you think you are, huh?” Marco had hold of Jax's t-shirt, blood spilling down his nose, blood oozing from both of their lips. Marco slammed Jax once more against the now bare wall, where the picture once hung. “Fucking answer me, you piece of shit!”
Jax's chest heaved, I'd never seen a man so angry before. I should have been scared by the look on his face, but he'd just risked his life for me.
Jax smiled a bloody smile. “I'm Jax Murdoch, cunt, and I'm gonna be your worst fucking nightmare.”
Just as Jax prepared to make his final blow, the doors burst open once more and in stormed several of Vladimir's men, they ran towards the pair with my husband following behind, and each cocked their guns, the noise made my skin crawl. Marnie was nowhere to be seen.
“Enough!” My husband bellowed. “Move away from each other now, or I'll kill the fucking pair of you.” When Vladimir was angry, his accent grew heavier, and it was part of what made him so terrifying. Well, to me at least.
Marco refused to let go of Jax, holding him with white fists, blood everywhere.
“Marco, I've got a gun pointed right at your head, boy, now step the fuck away.”
Marco turned to face his boss but still clung to Jax. “You're fucking choosing him over me? The fuck kind of loyalty is that, boss?”
Vladimir sighed, folding his arms across his chest. “My boy, you are the one with your hands on a member of my team, are you not? So, again, and this is your last fucking warning, step away. Don't do something you'll regret.”
Marco turned back to Jax, the time ticked by, and all I could hear was the rushing noise of my blood, my eyes trained on the floor, the red splattered across the wood.
“I'm fucking watching you, Murdoch,” Marco whispered before letting go, stepping back and holding up his hands.
Jax sagged forward, the glass embedded in his back now visible, and I couldn't contain the gasp.
“Ella, see to Jax's wounds. Marco, come with me, boy.”
My stomach dropped. Me? Play nurse to Jax? Oh boy.
It was a test. A screwed up test my husband had decided to try on me. That's the only reason I could imagine he'd want me to tend to Jax. He still must have genuinely believed I led Marco astray, teased a man to the point he had to act on his most primal instincts. Otherwise, it would have been Edith here seeing to this man and not me.
Jax sat sideways on the infirmary bed as I busied myself with finding the first aid kit. I'd no idea if he'd need stitching up, but the less time spent with his shirt off, the better.
I heard him groan as he tried to remove his shirt.
“Leave it on for now; I'll have to pull the biggest pieces out first,” I said, my voice quiet, shaky.
“What did he do to you, bird?” Jax asked as his hands gripped the edge of the bed, freezing my body in place by his words. “Every damn time you see him, you pale, paler than a fucking ghost, your entire body language changes when he's near.”
Swallowing, I placed the equipment I'd need to help Jax on the tray behind him. “Shuffle back, so the backs of your knees are touching the mattress,” I instructed, ignoring his question.
He did as he was told but wouldn't let me get away with it. “Tell me, bird.”
Sighing, I grabbed a large pair of tweezers and started pulling the first biggest shard of glass from his back.
“This is Purgatory, so take a wild guess.” I couldn't say the words out loud, not again.
With relative ease, the first piece of glass came out of his flesh, blood continuing to pour. I'd have to move quickly. Jax was silent as I hurried along, being as gentle as I could be; if he were in pain, I'd never have guessed.
My belly was in knots as I tried to speak, my mouth dry. “Can you take your shirt off, please? I'll um, need to clean these wounds and see if any need stitches.”
I looked at the back of his head and saw his ears move; he was smiling. “Sure.”
With bated breath, I tried not to watch as he lifted the black shirt over his head.
I tried and failed.
He was so beautiful. I'd never seen such muscles of a man before, with each movement his back flexed, his skin beautifully bronzed; I wanted to fix these cuts up quickly, every part of me was on fire with a feeling I'd never experienced before.
Was it need?
Want?
I had no idea.
With a gloved hand, I pressed a palm against his back, inspecting how deep each mark was. “Hmm, I'll clean them first, but I don't think you need stitches.”
“That's a shame," he said. "You've got the sweetest touch, darlin'.”
My face went beetroot, and I nearly choked on my saliva, damn this Murdoch and his stunning eyes, gruff voice, and beautiful skin. Damn him and the effect he had on me.
Pouring some saline solution on to a cotton pad, I began to clean each wound, dabbing them dry after with a sterile pad. There was one deeper cut, but hopefully just bandaging him up would do the job. I was hot, sweat pooled at the bottom of my back. My heart raced in no pa
rticular beat, and the room suddenly felt too small.
After another ten minutes or so, I finished cleaning him up and made the stupid mistake of moving around the bed to face him. He was still shirtless, and I'd noticed his lip still bleeding; there was also a nasty bruise forming on his cheek.
“You risked your life for me,” I whispered, blue eyes meeting black. “He could still kill you.”
Jax shrugged his shoulders and winced. “You're worth it.”
I frowned. “How do you know that?”
He smiled, lighting up his eyes. “I'm a good judge of character, I suppose. Why do you think so low of yourself? What have you done that makes you think you deserve this shit?”
I sat in the chair and placed my hands in my lap. Not even Marnie asked these questions, so why was I going to tell him? A man I hardly knew?
“It's all I've ever known. I was thirteen when my father sold me for drugs. That's all my parents ever wanted; they'd never wanted me. So, before coming here, I wasn't loved, and when I arrived at Purgatory, it just got a lot worse. I don't know softness, and I don't know what it feels like to be loved-” My sentence was cut short as Jax launched from the bed, placing both hands on the arms of the chair, leaning his face so close to mine.
Surprised, I jumped back. He was close. Too close. There was a strange tingling sensation between my legs, and I felt as though my body was malfunctioning.
His warm breath caressed my skin as he spoke. “Listen, bird, and listen good, okay?”
I nodded, chest rising and falling rapidly, hitting his with each intake.
“Forget what you've known, what you've felt before. I meant what I said to you. I'm going to find your daughter, and I'm going to be the man to show you all those things. I'll show you what a true fucking man is, Ella.”
I turned my head, overwhelmed by him, but his hands were soon cupping my face, his deep brown eyes boring into me, as though stripping away each layer to my soul. My breaths were audible between us, and he studied me.
“Jax, I'm not worth the risk.”
He smiled. “It's not a risk if I know I'll win.” And before I could counter-argue, his lips found mine.
The whole world stopped, throwing every rational and sane thought from my mind as he just rested his lips on mine. His thumbs were brushing the sides of my face. Oh, my. I had no idea what I should do, but I wanted more. For the first time in my life, I wanted to be kissed.
“Tell me to stop, bird, and I will. I promise.” His mouth said against mine.
I shook my head and pulled him closer. “Don't stop, please.” I urged.
Our lips crashed together this time, his tongue gently probing, working its way inside my mouth, my hands gripped on to his upper arms. Pressed into the chair, I couldn't move, I surrendered to him, and it was a moment I'll never forget. Our tongues danced a delicate dance, he tasted of cigarettes and whiskey, and it was a heady combination. My head was still held firmly in place as he kissed me some more, I'm not sure how long it lasted, but when he pulled away I felt bereft, and the need between my legs had grown stronger, to the point of almost being painful.
We were breathless, our foreheads pressed together, and for the first time in a long time - I felt hope.
Jax
I was officially a fucking idiot, that thought crossed my mind only briefly as I'd kissed her, was she worth the risk? Fuck yes. The adrenalin from fighting that prick, having her hands all over my wounded flesh, and then her telling me not to stop coursed through my veins. Her usually pale face was flushed, bright red curls framed around her perfect face, and those baby blues looked into mine with so must trust I thought I might burst.
I'd met many beautiful women. I'd dated a few, gotten close to a few, but none of them had impacted on me. I wanted to take Ella under my wings, my eagles wings, and protect my little dove. Although I knew this would be tricky if Vladimir treated her the way he usually did in front of me, how would I be able to protect her without getting my head blown off? I hadn't taken the time to figure this shit out, and right now, with her beneath me, I didn't fucking care for logistics.
“Shit, bird, you'll be the death of me.” I sighed.
She bolted upright, eyes wide like a deer.
I laughed. “Not like that,” I kissed Ella's forehead and sat back on the bed. “I was complimenting your kiss.”
“Really?” She asked, amazed.
I nodded, and we were quiet for a few.
She was the one to break the silence between us.
Standing, she smoothed down her dress and sighed. “I suppose I better go and find Vladimir.”
I tried not to snarl. “Yeah, I guess so. With any luck, Vlad's done me a favor and wiped that no good prick off the face of the earth.”
Quiet once more as she walked towards the door. She didn't want to leave me, and I didn't want her to go. I wanted to grab her hand, lie her on the bed, and tell her all the things she'd never heard before.
I didn't.
“I'll see you soon, Jax, be careful, okay?”
I replied with another nod, and she left.
Ella.
What did I do, when one wrong move, one ill-timed gaze ended all of our lives? I thought as I wandered through the mansion to find a Vladimir. He wasn't a stupid man, far from it, and as much as I hated to admit it, he could read me far better than most people. It would only be a matter of time before he realized that Jax was planning to tear him and his operation apart from the inside out.
All I could do now was hope and pray that Jax was smarter, that his family would help, and that my daughter would survive just a little longer until we could be reunited, her back in my arms where she belonged.
.
Chapter Sixteen
Jax.
Benny was irritating me. His constant talking grating on my nerves, I guess I was on edge anyway, seeing as it was time.
We had all assembled in the library the morning of the auction, and I'd never seen Vladimir in such high spirits; this is what he did best. Snatched girls from their lives, stripped them both physically and emotionally, 'conditioned' them, and then sold them to the highest fucking bidder. This was what I never wanted to be a part of, and yet here I was, being told that it was Benny and me who were getting the girls washed and then marching them up to Marnie to be dressed and made up.
I felt sick to my goddamn stomach. Only Christ knows how Benny seemed unbothered by the whole thing. Perhaps he was just as sick and twisted as the Chro's? Who knew? I'd said only a few words to him.
“I am trusting you both,” Vladimir said. He was shirtless, wearing only cropped slacks, his hair a graying mess curling around his ears, tonight, however, he would transform into a completely different entity. He would become Vladimir Chrobak, kingpin, man to be feared, man to not upset. “To keep the girls under control, wash them, and keep a beady fucking eye on them. Any one of them gives you a problem, and you can snuff the bitch out. No-one ruins my auctions.”
“What if they all give us problems, sir?” Benny asked.
Vladimir grinned, showing ugly, discolored teeth. “They won't. Our conditioning is intensive; we've yet to be unable to break a girl. I say all this for precautions, Benjamin.”
Benny nodded, sitting back in his chair.
“Any questions, Jax? You've been quiet this morning.” All eyes looked my way as Vlad spoke, I half wanted to ask about Marco, and half wanted to ask whether he'd decided if I could see Amy. I decided against both.
“No, sir. All good here.”
“And how is your back today? Feeling strong enough to work?” He asked.
It'd take a hell of a lot more than broken glass to keep me down. “A little sore, sir, but nothing I can't cope with.”
Vladimir clapped his hands together and stood. “Well, gentlemen, we've a busy day ahead. Everyone knows what they're doing, yes?”
Each head around the table nodded.
“Good, in that case, I'll see you all tonight.”
Leaving the room, heavy keys Vlad had given me to the cells felt as though they weighed a lot more than they did.
Behind the swirling staircase, was a hidden one. One that led into the depths of Purgatory, where eight girls waited, one that led to the place where I'd never be the same man again once I'd emerged from it.
Fuck. Fuck!
“You okay, mate?” Benny placed a hand on my back, and I looked into green eyes. He was stocky and blond, reminding me of Carter if Carter had shorter hair.
I cracked my neck from side to side. “I just wanna get this over with,” I said through gritted teeth, my legs finally beginning the walk down the metal staircase where darkness waited for us. Benny followed close behind, and, thankfully, he had the sense to keep quiet.
The wailing. The gentle sobs. The panicked breaths were all I could hear as we slid open the heavy metal door to the cells. The girls knew what day it was, and they knew we were here for them.
Pulling a chain, I switched the lights on, fluorescent bulbs buzzed to life one by one, slowly revealing the vast open space. Similar to a prison, ten cells lined walls opposite each other, and in the middle of the room was a desk, two computers, and several filing cabinets. It wasn't a welcoming space at all, and just standing at the precipice had me feeling queasy.
“Right, let's just get this over with.” I declared, walking into the room, my boots, even though I wasn't stomping, created an eerie echo to which the girls' wails grew just a little louder. I found myself wondering if 'conditioned' girls would cry? Then shook my head, ridding me of any thoughts. I couldn't think my way through this - I had to do.
Approaching the first cell, Benny located the shower room at the far back and pointed this out to me.
I looked through the set of keys until I found the right one. “Ready?”
Benny nodded.
The lock opened with a loud thunk, and I remember trying to open the door without spooking the girl farther.
The first thing that hit me was the smell. Shit, piss, vomit, all mixed into a gruesome scent I'd never forget. And then the light from outside filtered into the cell, and we saw the first girl. A tiny Chinese thing huddled on the floor; knees pulled to her chest, her skin covered in healing wounds, dried blood, her hair tangled with sticky vomit. Jesus.