Rebel & Her Beast

by Queen Pen

  The tall skinnier one smiled nicely at me while the shorter stockier one grinned knowingly at me and said, “Ms. Rebel, have you forgotten the way to your room already?”

  “Who are you?” I glared at them, frustrated that they were ruining my great plan to escape.

  “I’m Cornelius and this is Luken. We’re Maddey’s homeboys.” The shorter one said. He looked like he was Cambodian and if I had to guess, I would say that he had even more tattoo’s than Maddey.

  The taller one looked like he was white, but I could tell he had a little bit of color in him. He had silky brown hair that was close cut and a beard. They were both intimidating because of their size, but Luken was smiling nicely at me, while Cornelius seemed kind of cocky. Still, it was enough for me to retire my plan of running.

  I raised my eyebrows at them. “Homeboys, huh?”

  “Yep. His A-one’s,” Cornelius chuckled.

  “He sent you to look after me, didn’t he?” I sulked.

  “Something like that,” Luken said.

  I shook my head and stomped through the door to my room and slammed the door in their face. I didn’t care if I was being rude. I just wanted to be left alone. I flopped down on the bed and rolled to my side. I was startled when I realized that Ms. Keddle and Chip were still in here. I sat up surprised, when I saw that the files had all been brought up and stacked on a desk in the corner that had a brand-new laptop sitting on top of it, still inside the box. I also hadn’t realized that my things had been brought up from my suite downstairs. My luggage sat in the corner along with my purse.

  “We’ll let you get settled in. I’ll be back in about an hour for lunch.” Ms. Keddle said.

  I was too drained to speak. I nodded my head and gave her a small wave. She smiled at me sympathetically and grabbed Chips hand.

  “Bye Rebel!” He yelled as his mom closed the door. I smiled a bit at his innocence and then laid back on the bed again, wondering how the hell I was going to get out of this hotel.

  After a few moments I was resigned to the fact that I might have to look at the case files to see if there was any way I could get his charges cleared so I could go back home. I dragged myself out of bed and over to the desk. I plopped down into the leather desk chair and stared at the unopened files, willing them to do my work for me.

  Normally, I loved a good challenge. It was why I was at the top of my class in school. I wouldn’t stop until I found the loophole and solved the case for my professors. This was different, though. Last night I may have been willing to help Maddey, but after seeing how he treated my father, I had no ambition to win this case for him, even if that meant my own life was at risk. Deep down, I knew that I was being stupid and that I needed to at least try.

  I sighed again as I opened the folder closest to me and began to read.

  Eight

  I

  was so engrossed in Maddey’s case that I hadn’t even heard Ms. Keddle come in with lunch. I was startled when she plopped a plate in front of me with a sandwich and a salad.

  “Eat up, child.” She smiled down at me kindly. I appreciated the fact that she wanted to take care of me, but the fact remained that I was a hostage here and she was doing nothing to help me.

  “I’m not hungry.” I said and then I was irritated that my stomach chose that moment to growl in protest.

  Ms. Keddle smiled at me as if she could read my mind, “I’ll leave it here, in case you change your mind.”

  She started to walk out the door and I said, “thank you. I appreciate the food but I’m really not hungry.”

  “Child, your stomach is saying another thing.”

  My face flushed red because she was right, I was hungry as hell, but I wasn’t going to back down. I didn’t want anything that was ultimately coming from Maddey. All I wanted to do was focus on getting out of here. I pushed the plate away from me and continued reading the files.

  “Suit yourself, but you know you can’t starve yourself for two and a half months.” She said as she walked out the door and closed it behind her.

  I pushed the sandwich further away from me and went back to the files.

  I was amazed that my father was able to maneuver no jail time this far for Maddey. The more I learned about the case, the more I realized that this was a dead cause. Dread coursed through my body because I was no longer sure about my future. I didn’t know what Maddey would do to me if I lost this case for him. My biggest fear was that he would kill me.

  I pushed that thought from my mind as I set the files aside and opened the box that held the brand-new computer. I slid the gold MacBook out of the box and pulled the plastic off. My heart skipped a beat as I realized how stupid it was of him to give me a computer. I could easily login to my Facebook account and contact Ryder or Noella to come and get me. I knew they could easily get me out of this mess. I opened the laptop, knowing it would take a few minutes for it to get set up.

  I was pleasantly surprised to see that there was a sticky note on the keyboard with a password. I was able to login without having to go through the gruesome set-up process, which made me smile. Even better. I can log right into Facebook and get the hell out of here. He computer was already logged into an Apple account and it wasn’t giving me the option to reset it to my own, but that was okay. I opened a window in Google Chrome and saw that it opened to a popular database for lawyers, but I ignored it as I typed navigated to Facebook. My heart dropped when the web browser read BLOCKED in bold letters.

  I tried several other sites and when a simple Google search came up with the same screen, I knew that Maddey wasn’t as stupid as I’d thought. I slammed the computer shut and closed my eyes. I willed myself to stay strong and not cry.

  I got out of the chair and opened my suitcase. Inside were all of my clothes, just as I had packed them, and right on top was my blankey. Yes, I was a grown woman that had to sleep with a blankey every night. It started after I came home from Madame’s brothel. That first night, Ryder brought us all brand-new throw blankets, slippers, and robes to make us comfortable. She brought us a lot more, but that first night was a little hazy since I was coming out of a high. I always held onto that blanket. I cried tears of joy mixed with pain into this same blanket that night, amongst many other nights to follow. It was a source of comfort for me and all I could do was thank God that I was allowed this small token of relief this time around being held captive. I laid on the bed and stared at the wall. My eyes hurt and my throat was tight, but I refused to cry any more. I had been through worse in life and if those situations couldn’t break me, then neither would this one.

  I finally closed my eyes, and let sleep take over so that my mind could rest.

  I woke up out of my sleep with a shout. I was sweating profusely, and my breathing was erratic. I looked to the other side of the bed, reaching out for Ryder, who had always been there when my nightmares surfaced, only to find it empty. I closed my eyes for a moment to rid my mind of the images of various men, beating me and raping me. I breathed my way through the images of Lil Wolfe and his life-less eyes.

  Once I was sure that I was safe and that it was all a dream, I opened my eyes again and took in my surroundings. I could see the sun setting outside the window. Dread filled me once again as I remembered where I was. I rolled onto my back and sat up slowly, rubbing my temples, when I saw Maddey sitting in the chair right next to my bed.

  I screamed loudly and shuffled back on the bed, so that I was as far away from him as possible. “What the hell are you doing in here?” I cried.

  “I came to see how things were going.” He stated calmly.

  “How long have you been sitting there?” I asked, grabbing my blanket and covering myself. I was far from naked, but I felt like he was staring straight into my soul and it left me uncomfortable.

  “Bout an hour,” he shrugged.

  “And you didn’t think to wake me?” I asked incredulously.

  “You were having nightmares,” he stated matter of factly.


  I was thrown for a loop. This guy was avoiding my questions by turning things back around on me. I was surprised he wasn’t a lawyer himself, the way he played mind games.

  “Yes…I always have nightmares when I sleep,” I replied defensively.

  “About what?”

  “I’m not sharing that with you.” I said. He clenched his fists and his jaw started ticking. I was realizing that he did this any time he didn’t get what he wanted, but I didn’t care. My personal life was off limits and I gave him a look that said just as much.

  “I see you went over my case,” he nodded at the desk where there was a pile of papers scattered across it.

  I nodded, fidgeting with my blanket. I knew he wasn’t going to like what I had to say about it. “I did.”

  “And?” He cocked his head to the side.

  I sighed, “And…my father was right, Maddey. You’re going to have to serve some time for this.”

  I put it out there as bluntly as I could. There was no sugar coating this. It was a cut and dry case. He did the crime and now he has to do the time, it was that simple.

  His nostrils flared, “hell nah, Rebel. I ain’t going back to prison. You’re going to have to find another answer.”

  I shook my head at him, “Maddey, there is no other answer. Did you or did you not kill three innocent people right in the middle of the Las Vegas strip with dozens of witnesses?”

  He looked at me blankly before answering, “no,”

  I threw my hands in the air in frustration. “So, all those people are lying about what they saw?”

  “I didn’t say that, either.”

  We stared at each other for a moment before I said, “are you going to explain?”

  He sighed, which sounded more like a growl, and replied, “I did kill three people, but they were far from innocent. It was self-defense.”

  I stared at him with my mouth open in shock. Did he really think that would get him off? Self-defense had to be proven, beyond doubt, and by the statements that the witnesses gave, he wasn’t going to be able to prove anything.

  “Did they have weapons? Were they threatening you?” I asked him calmly, although I was sure my blood pressure was rising.

  “No.” He answered simply.

  I ran my hand down my face in frustration, “help me understand this, Maddey. Trust me, nobody wants to figure this out more than me, so that I can go home and put all of this behind me. I can’t do that until you let me go and you won’t let me go until I win this case for you, so, you have to tell me everything.”

  Maddey stood up. “I expect you at dinner in an hour. Ms. Keddle will come and help you get ready.”

  I was thrown off by the change of subject, “I won’t be there. I’m not here for any of that. I’m here to work this case for you so I can leave.”

  I clenched my fists as my face burned red. I didn’t know who he thought he was, but I wasn’t going to be fraternizing with him. I didn’t even want to speak to him unless it was about the case.

  He turned and walked towards the door. “Fine. Then you can fucking starve.”

  He slammed the door so hard that a picture frame that was hanging on the same wall fell and shattered across the floor. I couldn’t help but think that the broken picture frame depicted my life perfectly. Once a blank canvas, free to be anything it wanted to be. Painted into a beautiful piece of artwork, only to fall and shatter into a million pieces.

  Nine

  A few days had passed, and I hadn’t eaten a thing. I’d barely moved from the bed unless it was to shower, use the bathroom or change my clothes. My head was constantly pounding, and my stomach felt hollow. I had no energy. I hadn’t so much as peeped at the case files or thought about it since that first day here. I was upset. Mad that he wouldn’t tell me why he killed those people and I refused to help a murderer, who couldn’t even give me an explanation.

  In the back of my mind, I was hoping that by starving myself, Ms. Keddle would convince him to let me go before I died. I knew I wasn’t looking too good because every time she came in here, she would beg me to eat or at least drink some water. I politely declined each time and her visits would end in her touching my forehead, as if that would tell her how bad my condition was, and then her shaking her head and walking out of the door.

  I was surprised when she walked in around lunch time without holding a food tray to try and convince me to eat. Instead, she was carrying a garment bag. She laid it across the couch that sat on the opposite side of the room My eyes followed her as she made her way to the windows and balcony. She pulled the drapes open and sunlight flooded into the room. I yelped and thrusted my head under the covers. The light was too much for my pounding head.

  A moment later, the blankets were snatched from me and I was exposed to the sunny room and Ms. Keddle’s stern face. “Get up, Rebel.”

  I groaned in response, but she wasn’t taking it. She pulled me by the arms, so I was sitting up and at eyelevel with her. “You have been wasting away for days. You haven’t eaten and you are literally killing yourself. Is he worth killing yourself for? Huh? Is he? This isn’t worth it, baby.” She shook her head sadly at me before continuing, “Mr. Madden wants you at dinner tonight, no excuses.”

  I groaned loudly again, but honestly; I had no energy to put up much more of a fight. I crossed my arms over my chest and stared at her. Not in a mean way, just as if to ask what now? She sighed and then pulled me fully off the bed. I followed her across the hall to the bathroom and noticed that Luken was posted up outside my room. Every time I came to the bathroom, either him or Cornelius were right there as a constant reminder that I was indeed being held hostage. He waved at me and I nodded back, too weak to do much else.

  Ms. Keddle closed the door behind us and turned to me, “let’s get you washed up. Get undressed while I run your bath water.”

  I did as I was told, my brain too foggy to protest. When she was finished, I slipped into the warm bubbly water and sighed. It felt good, I couldn’t lie. The warm water relaxed my muscles and eased my mind a bit. I sat back and closed my eyes, so I could shield them from the light. Ms. Keddle gently said, “I’ll be back shortly.” And then slipped out the door.

  My mind drifted to my father. I missed him so much and I knew he was worried about me. I just prayed that he didn’t do anything stupid, like try and come rescue me. I knew that Maddey didn’t care about my father and probably wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, just because of the disrespect alone. I knew that I needed to figure out a way to contact him, so that he wouldn’t worry so much. I decided that I needed to put my best foot forward at dinner. Maybe I would be able to earn some trust from him and get my phone back.

  Before long, Ms. Keddle was bustling back into the bathroom with a fluffy pink robe and slippers to match. “Time to get out. Put these on and meet me back in your room.”

  She slipped back out the door and I slowly got out of the water. I felt dizzy as I stood up and took a few moments to steady myself before stepping out of the tub. Food wasn’t sounding like such a bad idea right about now. I put the robe on and slid the slippers on my feet before brushing my teeth. I pulled the door open and Luken was still standing there, tapping away on his phone. He looked up when I stepped out of the bathroom and gave me a friendly nod of acknowledgement. I gave him a weak smile and continued to my room.

  Inside, Ms. Keddle had moved all of the case files and stacked them on the nightstand along with the laptop. The desk had transformed into a beauty station where she was standing, ready to make me beautiful. “Is all of this really necessary?” I asked

  “Yes, it’ll make you feel good to get all dolled up.” I could tell she wasn’t going to take no for an answer, so I plopped down in the desk chair and let her get to work.

  I was happy that she was willing to do all of the work. I didn’t have to lift a finger, which was good because I was too drained to do much, but sit there and listen to her talk. She told me all about Chip. He was five years old and a huge
whoopsie baby, but I could tell that he was her pride and joy. Her husband passed away a few years ago from a heart attack. Shortly after, she came to work for Maddey, starting out as a personal chef. She told me how Maddey looked at her as a motherly figure and started paying her more to do less work.

  “I think he felt bad for me. I’m not a spring chicken and having Chip to look after and work full time since his daddy passed away was really hard on me. Maddey changed my role to general assistant, when the hotels were built and gave me a huge promotion. I mostly just run a few errands here and there for him. Chip and I have our own suites a couple of floors down. He’s good to us.” She said as she applied some eyeshadow to my eyelids.

  “If he is so good to you, why does he make you call him Mr. Madden?” I huffed.

  I don’t know why that bothered me. Maybe it was because Ms. Keddle was older and seemed to do everything around here. Any man with a heart wouldn’t have this sweet old lady calling him Mr. Madden as if he was her superior.

  Ms. Keddle seemed thrown off as she stammered her reply, “well, he is still my boss. I have to show some respect.”

  I shrugged my shoulders and listened as she moved onto another topic entirely. It took her another hour or so, but when she was finally done, I couldn’t deny that she had done a phenomenal job. My brown hair was shiny with loose curls in a half up, half down updo style. She used soft golden colors for my makeup and a dark red for my lips. My blue-green eyes popped with the mink lashes she had applied, and my highlighter was on point, catching the light every time I turned my face.