Heartbreak Me (Heartbreak Duet Book 1)

by T. L Smith

  One girl, another blonde, walks over to me. “Hey, I’m Ruby.” She offers me a shy smile with a wave of her hand.

  I have no idea if I should give her my real name or what. So decide to err on the side of caution and only give her my partial name. “Thea,” I tell her.

  “So, you are new. I have never seen you at one of these before.”

  “One of what?” I ask.

  The plane’s door opens, and a few girls start walking the stairs.

  “You know… Mr. Hyde’s functions. They are legendary, and the tips are worth every dirty thing you do. Trust me.” She winks as I follow her up the stairs.

  “What is it that you do?” I ask, confused.

  She laughs, and she fobs me off. “You’re funny… I like you.”

  I nod, unable to say or do anything else until we enter the plane, and when we do, a few guys are already seated in their seats. It’s a private plane, and one of the biggest I have ever seen. Each chair is like a private recliner, and the few men who are sitting on here stare at us with hungry eyes.

  “Ruby,” I say, leaning in.

  She smiles and turns to face me. “Yeah?”

  “Where are we going?”

  “You don’t know?” she asks with her eyebrows pinched together. “Like… really don’t know?”

  “No. Where are we going?”

  “Ladies and gentlemen...” Before she can answer I turn to that voice, it’s the girl with glasses. She eyes me longer than the rest when her eyes skim across everyone on board, and then she continues her speech, “Please be seated. You should reach your destination in an hour.”

  A few girls start walking over to sit near the guys, who, I might add, are all old. As I take the seat closest to the door, my legs start bouncing in agitation, and I bite my lip as I wait. No one talks to me, and Ruby is sitting on the lap of one of the old men as she blushes at something he says.

  The only person who seems to have a cell on them is Atlas’s girl with the glasses, even then she seems to not care about what everyone else around her is doing.

  When the plane finally comes to a stop, she walks past me, looking down, and gives a slight shake of her head before she walks off. A few people follow her, but I wait until the very last minute—now being the only one left on the plane.

  I don’t want to get off.

  I want to go far, far away, and never come back.

  When Lucy is safe, and I have done everything I can to help her, I will be doing just that. If she falls back into the same crowd, I won’t be rescuing her again.

  They won’t be able to find me to do so.

  Maybe I will run away to Tahiti and fall between the cracks.

  Live some sort of carefree life on a beach somewhere.

  When I can’t postpone this any longer, I know I have to get up and get off, but something is stopping me.

  My legs won’t move, and my head is screaming at me to do so, but I can’t. I literally cannot move a muscle. I do not know what awaits me on the outside of this plane, and quite frankly, I do not want to know. I want to go back to my house and never leave, remain safe where I was, not out here not knowing what’s going to happen next.

  I want to go home.

  “I see your instincts have finally kicked in.” My eyes search for that voice. He stands there dressed in ripped jeans and a white singlet. My head also wonders if it’s the same outfit he had on that night at my house. All his tattoos are visible, and I have to look up to his eyes before I get lost in his body.

  Amber soulless eyes greet me.

  “Your payment is due, Theadora.” He turns and walks off, but I hear his boots stop. “If you don’t get up and move, I’ll chop one of your sister’s fingers off.” Then he moves, and somehow, so do I. Fast. My feet catch up to him, and when I reach the handles that will help me down the stairs, I manage to look around. White sandy beaches greet me as the sun starts to set, with a crystal blue ocean surrounding us, and I wonder if there is an escape.

  When he reaches the bottom, he looks up at me. His eyes search my body—for what, I don’t know—before he walks over to his lady, whoever the fuck she is. He bends down and whispers in her ear before he continues to walk. The girl looks at me and walks to the end of the steps, waiting for me to take that final step down. When I do, she offers me her hand.

  “My name is Sydney. If you will follow me.”

  Sydney? Never would have guessed that name.

  She starts walking, and I follow. My hands shake at my sides as we walk past a pool that has floating candles and naked ladies surrounding it. “Now, you are to be on your best behavior. This is high stakes, and you will spend the next few days here.”

  My feet stop at her words. “Staying?” I ask with confusion.

  Sydney snaps to a stop and turns to face me. “Yes. You will be staying for the next few days, and there is literally no way you can escape. So, don’t piss off anyone.” Her heels tap when she starts walking again, and we step up to a grouping of small cabins, each one having a name on it. I see mine as she takes the stairs and stops, turning around once she unlocks the door and passes the keys to me.

  “I don’t understand why I’m here.”

  Sydney snaps her fingers. “You aren’t special to him anymore. You are here to do what your sister was meant to. So, please stop with the questions, because the answers will not come from me. Your first outfit is already laid on your bed, get dressed and get ready. I will be back to collect you in a few hours.” Sydney walks out as I look toward the door.

  Breaking down right now is probably not the best option.

  But it’s the only thing I have left.

  Shutting the door, I let the tears that have been wanting to fall, fall unabated.

  As I hold myself against the door, I hope and pray this is going to go quickly.

  Chapter Twenty

  Atlas

  “She has arrived.” Sydney takes a seat opposite me, but I already knew the minute arrived. “Fair warning, she’s crying.” Sydney flicks her hair behind her shoulder.

  “You like her.” I smirk at Sydney, and her eyes narrow in on me. “She’s different…” She pauses. “Nothing like her sister, that’s for sure,” she spits out while shaking her head.

  “Yes, Lucy and Theadora are two completely different women,” I agree.

  “All the guests have arrived. How would you like to proceed with the girls?”

  Looking down at my paperwork, I say, “Bring the girls on the east side in first before you bring in the players.”

  “So, you want me to bring her in last?” She confirms what I don’t say.

  “Yes. And make sure she doesn’t freak out.” Sydney nods as she walks out, leaving me sitting in my office getting ready for tonight.

  Turning on the cameras, I find the one that’s in her cabin and switch it on. I see her sitting at her door with her head in her hands.

  I know, you are wondering why on earth would I put cameras in their rooms. Well, this isn’t your average holiday resort where rooms are free. No, this is my fucking resort, and whatever happens on it, I will know about.

  “Sir.” Garry walks in, clipboard in hand, as he looks up. “He’s requesting all blondes.”

  Of course, he is. Our highest paying customer usually gets what he wants.

  It’s the perk of having so much money.

  You get what you damn well want.

  “Zander always gets what he wants,” I tell him, looking back to the screen in front of me. Theadora is now standing, looking at the outfits laid on her bed. She scrunches her nose, and in one swift movement, throws them all to the floor.

  “So, I should tell Sydney she’s to only send blondes tonight?”

  “Yes, only blondes.”

  He nods as I look away from the screen to him.

  My operation always runs smoothly. I’ve built it that way. It’s away from authorities, and it is secluded. The only way to get here is via plane, and I will know the minute one come
s within one hundred miles of this place.

  My island is just that, mine. And to get an invite here, you either have to be a woman ready to do as I please, or a man ready to spend all his money.

  This is an island of pleasure. Nothing else. For both women and men. Some of my biggest gamblers have been women in the past, but I have found it’s easier to seduce a man into losing his money than it is to seduce a woman to lose hers.

  “Is he ready?”

  “Yes, almost. He’s drinking with a few girls already. He asked us to replace a redhead with a blonde, and once we did, he was happy.”

  Customer gets what a customer wants.

  They pay millions to spend a few days here, as well as playing in the casino with their own money. Rich people do not care how they spend their money, especially if they have a lot of it.

  And Zander has a lot. That’s what happens when you own half the aviation industry, invest in casinos around the world, and still want to dabble. He asked to buy what I have built, but that will never happen. This was my father’s idea, and even with the fuckhead criminal he is, it turned out pretty damn good for me.

  It’s the only good idea he’s ever had.

  “Get her ready too. I’m sure he will enjoy her company,” I say, looking back to the screen.

  She’s now walking around the room, opening every door, clearly now completely pissed off. And she doesn’t even know what is to come.

  I hear Garry walk out as she slides back to the floor, her hands pull at her long blonde hair, and she drops her head between her legs. This time it looks like it’s in frustration instead of grief.

  Remembering the way she tastes, moving is probably not a good idea.

  Because if I do, I may just want another.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Theadora

  Sydney knocks on my door, and luckily for her, I am ready. There is literally nothing else to do and nowhere to go. I could explore, but I don’t even know if I’m allowed to, and I need to stick to the rules to get off of this damn island.

  “You’re dressed.” I look down at the gold dress that was laid out for me to wear, and when I step out, I see Ruby smiling at me.

  “You look so beautiful. Are you excited?”

  I look to Sydney who raises her eyebrows as I step down from my little cottage.

  “No.” I smile, telling her the truth. “Should I be?”

  “Yes, you should be.” She’s wearing a gold dress as well. “You make so much money. Literally, this is all I need to do for work once every six months.” My eyes go wide at her words, so I turn back to look at Sydney.

  “You excited?” I ask Sydney. She turns her nose up at me and starts walking. It’s what I expected from her, but still, she could have at least given me a little more than that.

  “Oh, we don’t speak to the hostesses,” Ruby says, stepping closer to me. “They don’t like to make conversation with us. All they do is give orders,” she tells me.

  “So I have been figuring out,” I reply.

  Sydney looks back, and I catch a brief smile at her listening to my words.

  “You just wait. When you leave with all that cash, you will be smiling.”

  I doubt it. Because while I am here, I will be paying off a debt I had nothing to do with, and I’m also not out finding a job. Which is a real problem. I need to work. I am not lucky, like most of the people here. I have no one to support me, and no one will care if I died tomorrow.

  Fuck.

  I am the perfect candidate for shit like this.

  Things could go very wrong, and no one would come looking for me, because the only person who cares for me is a friend, and she has no idea where I am.

  I’m fucked.

  My heels bite at my ankles with each step. The gold dress rubs my skin in all the wrong places, and I want nothing more than to take it off and be in my own clothes. I don’t need to check the tag to know it’s a designer label.

  We enter a foyer that would make a king or queen delighted. Checked marble floors with high ceilings and white walls, white and black tableware with only one splash of color. Blue. People, well, I should say guys, stand around, and all eyes turn to us as we enter the room. Sydney steps to the side as we walk in.

  Men of all ages stand in front of us, some with drinks in their hands, others without.

  I scan the room, looking for Atlas but don’t see him.

  Stepping back, so I am next to Sydney, I turn to her. “What am I meant to be doing?” I ask her. She doesn’t reply, so I face her. “Sydney! What am I meant to be doing?”

  She turns to look at me. “You do whatever it is the client wants and needs,” she snaps. “Now go. You need to make more money than the rest of the girls here.” She gives me a little shove in the direction of where all the girls have gone, and I put one foot in front of the other, my heels clicking as I walk.

  One guy in particular stares at me, as if I’m the finest whiskey he’s ever seen, and I smile. It’s all I can manage to do. He isn’t old, maybe mid-thirties and good looking. He steps closer to me. “You must be new. I haven’t seen you before.”

  I look past him to Sydney who simply nods her head at me.

  “Yes, new,” I say, confirming his words. “What is it you’re drinking?” I already know the answer, but I reach out for it anyway and take a sip.

  He smiles when I hand it back. “Keep it. I’ll get another. But you won’t get in trouble, will you? Most of the women here do not drink.”

  Fuck! I forgot about that. Every time I have a drink, Atlas pulls it from my hand.

  “It was only a sip, something to take the edge off.” I smile up at him.

  He nods and turns away, gesturing for me to follow him. I look back to Sydney who gives a little shooing gesture and inclines her head to the guy I am with.

  “Is this your first time here?” I ask as we go to a corner of the room.

  He waves his hand at a seat, and then he takes the one closest to me. Our knees rub together as he sits.

  “No, second. But the first time I only played, as I didn’t want to lose concentration. I like to gamble,” he admits.

  “Don’t we all, in some way or another.” I smile.

  He smiles and seems pleased with my answer as he offers me his drink again. I don’t take it this time. Instead, I look around the room and spot Ruby straight away, standing between two guys, her hands are touching the one behind her as she looks up, interested in whatever the one in front of her is saying.

  “The girls can get real dirty,” my stranger says next to me.

  I turn to look at him. He has brown hair with a slight reddish tint. A suit worth God only knows how much, and what seems to be under that suit is a good body.

  “You like that?” I ask him.

  He pulls his ankle up to his knee and leans back, putting the whiskey to his lips. “As I said, I’ve never indulged before. Usually, my women are willing.”

  “And the women here aren’t?” I ask.

  He looks me over with his bright green eyes. “Something tells me you aren’t all that willing, though I could be wrong. You don’t indulge like the other women do, nor do you seem to care like they do.” He nods to where all the women are located who seem to be throwing themselves at the men. “You do know you could earn a lot of money from talking to someone other than me, right?” he asks.

  Fuck money.

  “I’m sure I’ll survive.” I offer him a smile, but he doesn’t take his eyes off me as he watches. “What do you do?” I try to change the subject.

  “Do you want to get out of here?” he asks.

  “Yes.”

  He stands, offers me his hand, and I place mine in it. The smile on my face is forced as we pass everyone else, including Sydney who gives me a look of approval as we walk out. I look back and see him—Atlas is standing in the corner, observing me.

  Turning around, we walk out the door, his hand staying in mine until the cold air hits our skin.

 
“You’re all wearing gold, and strangely all have blonde hair,” he points out.

  “Should I ask for your name, or is that not allowed?” I ask.

  He turns to look at me and smiles. “Nicholas.”

  “Nice to meet you, Nicholas. I’m, Thea. I would offer you my hand, but you are already holding it.”

  Nicholas picks up our joined hands as we walk closer to the ocean. “That I am. It’s a warm hand, if that counts for anything.”

  I giggle at his words and realize the smile on my lips isn’t false anymore. We stop when the sand gets too much under my heels. Nicholas lets go of my hand and, in one swift movement, picks me up and carries me like a bride farther down the beach.

  “You’re light.” He smiles as I wrap my hands around his neck, so he isn’t holding my whole weight.

  “It’s because I’m starving and haven’t eaten. But once I eat a block of chocolate, I’m sure you won’t be saying that.”

  He chuckles, and when we reach the water, Nicholas places me back on my feet.

  “Why are you here, Thea? If you don’t mind me asking?”

  I bite my lip and look out to the waves, the sky is dark, but stars are out, and the ocean looks endless in the darkness.

  I shrug. “The money, right?” I smile, placing my hands on the sand as I sit, and he does the same, sitting next to me. “I just lost my job. So this is it till I find what’s next.” It’s a half-truth, but that’s all I can give.

  “Losing a job can suck ass. It’s what made me start my own company. I have low concentration, and my mouth tends to speak its mind even when I know I shouldn’t. So that’s why I started my own chain of hotels. My parents were managers of hotels all my life, then I went into them. When they died, I had enough money to buy my first and haven’t stopped.”

  “That’s impressive.”

  Nicholas reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a packet of cigarettes, lighting one up. He offers me one, and I take it. I don’t usually smoke, but on the odd occasion when I’m really stressed and can’t run I will. Putting it between my lips, he lights it for me and does the same to his.