by Imogen Wells
“You got this,” he whispers with a wink.
I didn’t realise how fucking nervous I would be, but I slap on my mask. The one that says I don’t give a fuck and have been wearing for years, until recently that is.
We are scanned and cleared, thank fuck, by the four burly doormen, and anyone with a phone deposits it with the scantily clad female who I met on my first night with Jasper. Thankfully, as I don’t have a phone, she doesn’t take much notice of me while the boys deposit theirs.
Inside, we find a booth, in fact it’s the same one Seb used the night of Dana’s birthday, and before Jay goes to grab us some drinks, we activate the bugs. Once I’m settled, I let my eyes drift casually around the room.
There are only a handful of women here, which doesn’t surprise me given what goes on at these events. I begin to feel a little disgusted at being here to witness it, but I just keep reminding myself of why.
Movement draws me away from the room as Jay places our drinks on the table and drops down in the seat beside Seb. He leans over to whisper in Seb’s ear, and whatever he says has Seb frowning and cursing.
“What’s going on?” But before anyone can answer, a couple approach our table. With the dim lighting, it takes me a minute to realise who the man is, and I jump from my seat to greet him.
“Marcus,” I shout, throwing my arms around him. As I release him, a voice beside me has every hair on my body standing to attention.
“Hey, Seb,” she purrs, and the sickly sweetness of it makes me want to throw up.
I step away from Marcus as Seb’s hand latches onto mine, and I realise he’s standing right behind me with tension pouring off him. I’m not sure who it’s aimed at more, Marcus or Vicki.
“You two know each other?” Marcus questions.
“Oh yes, very well,” Vicki says, and you’d have be deaf, dumb and blind not to hear the hidden meaning behind her words.
Feeling like I need to break some of the tension between Seb and Vicki, I say, “What are you doing here? I didn’t know you were back, Marcus.”
“Well, you know me, always on the move and looking for the next big thing. How’s your mum and dad?”
My smile drops a little at that, but it’s not for me to tell Marcus. “Yeah, they are fine. Working hard as usual.”
“That’s good. Some things never change, and others change in the blink of an eye. Guess it just depends on who fate and fortune are shining on. So, are you going to introduce me to your friends, Jamie?”
“Oh shit, yeah. Well, this is Jason.” They shake hands. “And this is Seb,” I say, hesitant to label us as we haven’t really talked about what we are. Marcus and Seb seem to eye each other before they too shake hands.
“It’s good to meet you both,” Marcus says as a small frown appears in his brow. Shaking it off, he turns to Vicki. “This is Vicki, but it seems you already know each other. What are the chances of that.”
Seb slips a hand around my waist, and I watch as Vicki’s face turns up in a sneer.
“No Chantelle tonight?” I ask Vicki, and then I watch the sneer turn to blatant loathing as she finally realises who I am.
“You’re that bitch from her work,” she blurts out. And I get a little kick of satisfaction as Seb and Marcus tell her to watch it, which has her blanching.
“Actually, I’m the bitch whose father pays her wages, so maybe you should watch your mouth.” I see a flash of anger cross Marcus’ face as he checks his watch. Whatever Vicki’s reply was going to be is cut off by him.
“Jamie, it’s been lovely to see you, but it would be good to have a proper catch up. I think we should all have dinner at mine next weekend, what do you say? I’ll talk to Dom and Louise. It will be just like old times.”
“That sounds great. It’s been too long, and I want to hear all about your travels.”
“Fantastic. I’ll send you the details. Good evening to you all.” And with that he disappears into the crowd with Vicki tagging along behind, and I can hear her whining in his ear.
“Well, that was fucking weird and awkward,” I say turning in Seb’s arms.
“I get the awkward, but why weird?” Jay asks as Seb throws him a vicious glare. “Unless you mean the fact that Vicki was on the arm of a man old enough to be her father? But even that’s not that weird. Looks like Marcus has shit loads of money, something Vicki is drawn to like a moth to a flame.”
“I get the impression Vicki isn’t short of money herself,” I retort, unable to hide my dislike for the girl.
“You’d be right. Her dad and Seb’s father are old friends, even wanted the—”
“Shut the fuck up, Jay!” Seb says through gritted teeth and with a look that tells me he’d like to knock him out right about now. “What did you mean weird?”
I ignore my need to ask what Jay was going to say and instead tell them about my dad and Marcus. “I don’t know. It’s just that as far as I know him and my dad fell out about a couple of years ago, then Marcus just upped and left. He came to see me before he left, to say goodbye. When I asked what was going on, he just said it was time for a change,” I say with a shrug.
“They been friends a long time?” Seb asks as we go to sit back down.
“Yeah, like since college. Apparently, Marcus was a ‘troubled teen’, always in trouble with the police and in and out of foster care. When dad went off to the army, Marcus did a stint inside, but I don’t remember what for, and when dad came back, Marcus had just got out and needed a job. Dad took him under his wing at the newspaper, helped him build it up. I have no idea what they fell out over, but let’s hope they can put their differences aside. Guess we’ll find out next weekend.” I take a huge mouthful of my drink, needing to rid myself of the uneasy feeling that’s sitting there like a dead weight.
Conversation moves to lighter topics, feeling like any other night out, and I almost forget why we are here. The only outward sign, if anyone was really paying attention, would be the fact we aren’t downing drinks like the majority of the crowd, which has grown considerably since we arrived.
Just before midnight, the atmosphere changes, becoming energised with anticipation. Conscious we are going to be moving upstairs soon, and not wanting to have any reason to be too far from Seb and Jay, I nip to the toilet.
I’m just drying my hands when the door opens, music and chatter drifts in from outside as Vicki steps into the room. Fucking wonderful.
She steps up beside me, certain she thinks it’s intimidating, but I don’t even acknowledge her presence. Not happy she’s being ignored, she pokes me with her bony little finger, and I slowly turn my head her way.
“Can I help you?” I say sweetly.
“You can’t have him. He’s mine,” she says with a sneer.
“I’m sorry, did I miss the part where we are still at school? And as for Seb, assuming that’s who you’re referring to, I don’t make his decisions for him. Hold on, did I misunderstand, were you talking about Marcus?”
“Don’t play the sweet and innocent game with me. You damn well know I’m talking about Seb, and you can’t have him.”
“Like I said, I don’t make his decisions for him.” And I push past her to the door. A little voice inside my head tries to push its way forward, but I shove it away.
“No, well that’s obvious seeing as he was in my bed last night,” she declares with satisfaction ringing in her voice. The niggling voice that was in my head a minute ago has vanished, and I laugh.
I even turn around and laugh directly at her. She sucks a breath in, no doubt wondering exactly how crazy I am, and her little shoulders go back in false bravado.
Getting my laughter back under control, I only have one thing to say, “That’s some imagination you have there, Vicki.”
“What are you talking about?” she calls after me as I leave.
The crowd has thinned out, and when I get back to our booth, Seb and Jay are waiting for me. I can still feel the smile on my face, and when Seb sees and asks w
hy, I just say later and kiss him before he can say anymore.
Thirty-Five
Seb
When Jamie returns from the toilet, she’s smiling about something, but she doesn’t tell me, instead she kisses me to shut me up, I’m sure. I will get it out of her later—In the bedroom.
Most of the crowd have already gone up to the VIP floor, so we make our way towards the door. The guard there watches as we approach, eyeing Jamie in particular, and my jaw tightens as trepidation swirls in my gut.
Jamie’s smile has been replaced by tight lips and low brows, but she lifts her chin as she slips her hand in the crook of my arm. Jay walks to the other side of her and leans down to whisper something in her ear, and her pursed lips loosen into a small, but strained, smile.
My eyes dart around the room, and I can almost feel the half dozen eyes I know are watching us, and I get the feeling we’ve been busted. We’re not going to be allowed up those stairs.
Swallowing down my concerns, I shutter my emotions. I can do this. I’ve done it a hundred times before and this is no different. Only that little voice in the back of mind won’t shut up. This is different. You love her. She could get hurt. I slam the door in its face because that will never happen. I won’t fucking allow it.
Jay’s voice breaks me from my thoughts as he greets the guard and asks where Tank is tonight. I haven’t seen him all night and is a question I would’ve asked myself.
The guards face barely moves as he tells Jay that Tank is working the floor upstairs tonight. I detect a hint of jealousy about that, but who knows with this beefcake. His whole demeanour screams I’m a grumpy arsehole.
As we go to walk up the stairs, he stops us.
“You,” he says pointing to Jamie. “I need to search you before you can pass.”
I grit my teeth and am just about to knock this fucker’s out, but Jamie squeezes my arm, letting me know it’s okay. But it’s not fucking okay. I haven’t seen him search one other person that’s gone up those stairs, so what the fuck is going on.
Jamie releases my arm and steps forward, spreading her arms out to the side. The guard scans her face, down her neck, then runs a hand up each arm, across her shoulders before dropping them to below her arms and doing the same down her ribs, slowing down as they pass her breasts, and I watch as a smirk lifts the corner of his mouth. My hands curl into tight fists that are burning to damage this arsehole’s face, but I don’t. Instead, I remain still, quietly seething with rage until he’s finished, and if I hadn’t been concentrating so hard on his face and imagining it breaking under my fists, I would have missed the imperceptible nod of his head.
I don’t turn around even though I know someone important is watching from behind us and just gave permission for us to go upstairs. But I can’t help pausing as I pass him and say, “Touch what’s mine again and I’ll cut off your fucking hands.” His eyes widen as a snarl rips from him, but he doesn’t move toward me, instead he steps aside.
The whole floor has been transformed from the night of Dana’s birthday. Jamie doesn’t know, but I came up here that night and watched her from the shadows. Tonight though, this floor isn’t so much a club but something out of a fashion show with its catwalk that runs the length of the room. There are even chairs set out along each side, where the buyers can get a good look at the girls on sale.
From the corner of my eye, I can see Jamie’s nose scrunch up in disgust and hear her curse under her breath.
“You okay?” It’s a lame question because I know she’s not really and is putting on a brave face. I just hope she can keep it up when the girls come out.
“I’m fine.”
Those are two words no woman ever said and meant, but I don’t push it. Spotting some empty seats, I steer her that way, and we sit down just as the lights dim and several spotlights come on, lighting the catwalk.
A voice greeting everyone echoes around the room, and I take the opportunity to scan the floor and note there are guards at each door on this floor and more on the only other exit. Still no sign of Tank, and that’s a concern because if there’s anyone in this place who might be half decent it’s him.
A door at the end of the walkway opens and a guy leads a girl out. And that’s exactly what she is. Nothing more than eighteen, wearing only underwear, eyes half closed and barely able to stand. He walks her up the walkway toward us, and I feel Jamie tense beside me, but she keeps her eyes forward. Her hands are in her lap, twisting round and round each other, and I reach out and grab one, bringing it to rest on my thigh, slipping my fingers between hers.
We watch as she’s paraded up and down while these sick cunts place bid after bid on her, and I feel sick to my stomach and can’t imagine what Jamie must be feeling. Finally, the bids end when a guy across from us buys her for a measly couple of grand.
As the fourth girl is brought out, I recognise her immediately. I don’t know how, but Jamie knew too.
“That’s her, isn’t it?” I give a nod as we watch her walk unaided down the catwalk.
She looks in better shape than I feared, although she’s sporting a few bruises, and she doesn’t have the same glassy eyed look the other girls had. As the bids begin, a man a couple of seats along from us makes his bid, and as I look down the row, I realise it’s the bastard she was running from the night we first saw her.
Jamie’s eyes follow mine before she leans in and whispers, “Bid on her.” I jerk back from her like she slapped me. “You need her, right?” I nod. “So bid on her, Seb.”
“Fuck no!” I whisper shout, looking right at her with a deep scowl. I see the moment she makes the decision, and she keeps her eyes on mine as she shouts out her bid.
My eyes burn the side of her face as she turns to look at Natalia as she passes by again. I look over to Jay, hoping to see that he thinks Jamie’s lost her damn mind like I do, but the bastard just gives me a quirk of his brow and that ridiculous smirk.
Jamie continues to bid, and we aren’t talking small change, until eventually, it’s just her and the fucker along the row. When Jamie places her next bid, his head swings this way, and she turns, tilting her head as though daring him. He just watches her, and just when I think he’s going to bid the voice calls out, ‘sold to the redhead in row three’. His eyes turn dark, and rage rims then like the fires of hell, but Jamie just lifts her middle finger to him, kissing the tip.
Jay laughs, but me, I’m stunned and pissed she’d be so fucking stupid. What the hell was she thinking? I slap a fake as fuck smile on my face as people turn to look at us, but inside I’m seething with rage at her.
Jamie pulls her hand away as she gets up, while keeping a smile in place, and then she leans down, under the pretence of kissing me on the cheek, and says, “You can thank me later.” Then she edges her way out of the row with Jay following behind.
I don’t say a fucking word as she makes her way to the makeshift counter next to the bar, or as she makes payment, or even when we are lead through a door to where Natalia is waiting for her buyer.
When Natalia sees me and Jay, her eyes widen before she masks her surprise, turning to Jamie as she steps forward. The guard shoves Natalia forward, and Jamie catches her before turning to the guard.
“Watch it. I paid good money for her and don’t want her damaged before I get her home.”
The guard’s eyes flash with restrained anger, arms tense and folded across his chest, and he moves to step forward, but Jay and I move in front of Jamie and Natalia, blocking his view of them.
“Are you ready to leave, Miss?” says a voice I recognise from behind us.
I turn my body enough to be able to see Tank standing in the doorway and watch as Jamie takes in the formidable size of the man, swallowing thickly.
“Yes, I think we are done here.” She throws a look over her shoulder at the guard before strolling from the room behind Tank.
Tank leads us to another exit, returning mine and Jay’s phones, and as I shove the phone in my pocket, I feel s
omething attached to the back of it. I look to Tank who remains pokerfaced, and I give him a nod of thanks as he opens the door for us.
We descend a set of metal stairs at the back of the building that lead to the alleyway I heard Tank and Travis talking in and send a quick text to our driver. Just as we exit the alley, he’s pulling up alongside us.
I don’t give him the chance to get out and open the door, yanking it open and telling Jamie and Natalia to get in. Natalia passes Jamie to jump in the car while we have a stare off.
“Get in the fucking car, Jamie,” I demand. Thankfully, she does because I don’t know how much longer I can hold this anger in, and here is not the place for me to lose my shit.
I message Rick as we pull away, and he tells me to take her to the safe house we have here in the city, and he’ll see us there. There is no reprimand, but I don’t doubt there will be one when we get to the house.
I tell JB where to go, and to keep a look out for a tail in case someone from Tempest is following us.
Natalia sits opposite Jamie, as far into the side of the car as she can get, and although outwardly she seems okay, I can tell she has no idea what’s going to happen to her. I wish I could reassure her, but I’m more likely to terrify her right now.
There is a wild storm brewing inside me ready to tear up everything in its path. I don’t think I have every been so fucking angry with someone before or so fucking terrified. This fucking crazy woman sitting beside me has my body torn in two over what it wants to do with her. Half of me wants to throttle her, quite literally, and the other half wants to fuck her, and I can’t decide who’s going to win just yet.
Jay does what I couldn’t and talks quietly to Natalia, reassuring her that no harm will come to her. He takes his suit jacket off and offers it to her seeing as she’s still only in her underwear. And when she’s still not convinced, Jamie reaches forward, touching her lightly on the arm, and though she flinches, she doesn’t pull away. I listen as slowly she begins to talk to Jamie, telling her, her full name and age and where she’s from, but when Jamie asks her how she ended up at Tempest, she clams up instantly.