by T. L Smith
“So, what type of work did you do?” he asks, taking a drag, then blowing the smoke out in shapes.
“I managed an online clothing boutique. Have done for quite a few years.”
“And you got fired?” he asks. “Why?”
“Because the company I chose was only interested in the bottom line. They didn’t care about anything. They paid me peanuts for my ability to actually work, and in the end, the bottom line was what mattered.” He nods as if he understands. “How long will you be staying at this event?” I ask, hoping to get some more answers than anyone else has given me.
He lays back on the sand, butts his cigarette out, then stares up at the stars. “It goes for a few days. Some leave early once they run out of money. I only stayed one day last time.” I lay back next to him, staring up at the stars. “How long are you staying?”
“Till I’m no longer needed,” I reply. It’s a guess at this point, or when Atlas decides to send me home.
Atlas. I can’t even think about him right now.
Because if I do, I’m afraid of what my mind will conjure up.
He played with my emotions, and I let him.
I. Let. Him.
That’s the completely fucked-up part of all this.
“You’re lost in your head,” Nicholas says, making me snap my attention back to him.
“Sorry. I have a lot on my mind, and a lot to work out.”
“Yes, the job. Well, if you’re interested when this is over, come visit me. I’m always looking for staff.”
“I may just hold you to that.”
“Nicholas.” We both look up as Benji stands above us with a drink in his hand. “You two look comfortable,” he says, offering me a smile.
“You two know each other?” Nicholas asks, sitting up.
Benji brings his drink to his lips and looks at me.
“We do, don’t we?” His eyes lock on me before he looks to Nicholas. “I need you to leave, so I can chat with Thea here.”
Nicholas stands and looks down at me. “I can walk you back?” he offers.
“It’s okay. Thank you anyway.”
Nicholas nods before he starts to walk away. I sit up as Benji walks over and takes the spot Nicholas was in. He puts his drink to his lips, then wipes his mouth on his sleeve before leaning on his arm as he looks at me. “You two look nothing alike,” he says while eyeing me. “But if I look hard enough, I guess I can see it. Maybe.” He looks away, breaking eye contact.
“Who?”
“Lucy.” He says her name as easily as I do. As if he knows her more so than anyone else. More than even me.
“You know Lucy?”
He nods. “And you, Theadora Fitzgerald, are her sister, and you’re here to work off her debt,” he states what I didn’t know was public knowledge.
“How do you know, Lucy?” I ask, confused. “And have you seen her? She rang me and told me to stay away from Atlas. But I can’t until I know she’s safe.” I shake my head, “Lucy is always putting herself in situations where she shouldn’t be, and I am always there to bail her out. It’s tiring being her sister.”
“I bet,” is all he replies as if he doesn’t care.
“Do you play as well?” I ask, changing the conversation. I am going to owe Atlas forever. I suck at making money. Am I meant to be a prostitute and sell myself? I don’t even know, because he sucks with his instructions.
“I used, too,” Benji says, throwing his glass. I look at it and shake my head. I’ll have to pick that up before I go to bed.
“So, why are you here,” I ask him.
“Same reason you are, sweetheart.” He smiles, looking at me, giving me his full attention.
“And why’s that?”
“To get my wife back.”
I instantly feel bad for him. “I’m sorry. Does he have your wife?”
Benji nods. “You know her, my wife.” He stands and looks down at me. “It’s your sister, so don’t fuck this up.” Then he turns and walks off, leaving me wide-eyed at his words.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Theadora
I stay on that beach for what feels like hours, the sun starts to rise by the time I finally move.
My sister is married.
That revelation is not something I expected to be hit with.
And how didn’t I know?
Isn’t that something you tell your sister, your only family you have left?
And why the fuck did Atlas take me if Lucy has a husband to pay her shit back?
My anger reaches a new boiling point.
Who the fuck does she think she is?
I’ve lost my job. Possibly my home, now that I am not there to look for work, and all because she is a selfish, inconsiderate bitch.
Our parents would be so proud of her.
Not.
Tearing off my heels, I start to make my way back to the cottage, even though I have no idea where the fuck I’m going. This place is beautiful, I will give it that much. The paths are lined with fairy lights and white sand. Palm trees are positioned everywhere, and the gardens are immaculate.
“Lost?” I look for the sound of that voice and watch as he emerges from the darkness like a true fucking viper. He’s still wearing that same singlet, and I want to tear it off of him and then scratch my nails down his chest in protest.
“No,” I lie, anger dripping from my voice.
“Seems you suck at lying.”
“Seems you suck at a lot of things, but let’s not go tit-for-tat, shall we?” I raise an eyebrow at him and walk past, hoping I’m going the way I’m meant to.
“Wrong way, Theadora.”
I flip him off and keep going. Hearing his chuckle behind me, I keep on walking the path that should eventually take me to my cottage. Hopefully. I walk for over ten minutes, and my outcome is I’m lost. Very lost.
Sitting down on the ground, I throw the heels somewhere out into the dark. I don’t care that they’re designer. Fuck them and fuck him.
“What did they ever do to you?” I look back to find Sydney staring at where I threw the shoes. “I mean, they are Italian leather, not cheap.” She shakes her head.
“You can have them, I don’t fucking care.”
“I have them in three different colors.” She smiles. I haven’t seen her smile before. “Sir asked that I escort you back to your room, and told me that you must be lost.” I get up, brushing the sand off my gold dress.
“Do you all call him that?” I ask.
“Yes, he is our boss. What else would we call him?”
“His first name, possibly his last?”
Her eyebrows raise. “No. He prefers it this way. It’s showing him respect, and we respect him.”
I scoff at her as I walk closer. “I’m tired.”
She gives me a look of understanding. “Tomorrow’s plans don’t start until after lunch, so you have time to sleep.” Then she turns, and I start following.
“Am I meant to sleep with these men?” I ask her, cringing as I say it.
“Yes. If you feel comfortable with that.”
“Comfortable?” I ask while shaking my head. “I didn’t even agree to come here.”
“All the women are here out of their own choice. They choose to come and do whatever is necessary to give their chosen man pleasure. And in doing so, that man gives her money and looks after her. You may think we are whoring girls out, but most of these girls come from good backgrounds, and some, well some, are just addicted to sex and chose this as their outlet,” she explains.
“I’m neither,” I say back to her.
Her eyes zoom in on me through her glasses. “No. I guess you aren’t. But the men tip very well, and it will help with your debt.”
“It’s not even my damn debt.”
“You took it on. You agreed to it. So, yes, now it’s yours.”
“I had no choice.”
“There is always a choice, Theadora. Always.” She stops and waves to the cottage in front
of us, which I now recognize as mine.
“Will you at least tell me how much longer I am here for?”
“Tomorrow may be your last day if you haven’t gained the interest of any of the men.” She smiles and then walks off.
A knock on my door is all the notification I get telling me it’s time to get up. I hear it and look around for the rumple of clothes I threw around last night, finding the one with today’s tag on it. It’s a short pastel pink skirt with a cream-colored shirt that showcases a lot of cleavage, and a pair of wedges to match. Opening the door, I spot Ruby as she walks past with another girl at her side. When she sees me, she stops as the other girl continues.
“I tried to look for you last night.” Ruby smiles, then touches her chin and rubs.
“What happened?” I ask, reaching for her, but she brushes me off.
“It’s nothing. Please, don’t worry.”
“Is someone hurting you?”
“I feel okay. I’m embarrassed by it and would like to not talk about it.”
“Okay.” I nod, accepting her answer and not pressuring her for more.
“So, where did you go?”
“I went off with a guy named Nicholas.”
She grips my arm. “Tell me more. Was he good looking?” I look at her and see pure excitement.
“He was not what I expected.”
“They never are.” Ruby blushes as we make our way to the same room as last night, but today it looks completely different. The doors are open, and the flowers are vibrant today, which gives the room a brighter appearance.
Ruby squeezes my arm and walks straight to a guy I saw her with last night. He puts an arm around her and pulls her to his side.
“I see you came back.” I turn to that voice and smile.
“I guess I did.” Nicholas offers me a bottle of water, unopened, and I take it. “Thanks.”
“No problem. The games are about to start soon, feel like escaping again?” he asks, a hint of hope in his voice.
A part of me is screaming at me to say no. Stay. You need to stay here. But then I think this could be the one that pays off your debt. You could be free after this. But then when I look around the room and find Atlas in the middle of a conversation, I know otherwise. He isn’t going to let me go until he’s had his way. Whatever that may be.
“Yes. We won’t get in trouble?”
He chuckles and captures my wrist with tender fingers as we leave. “Trouble is my middle name.” He winks, making me smile at his words. “This island has more to do than gambling. Mr. Hyde has made this an island everyone wants to visit. It’s whispered about and wanted by many men.”
“For the women?” I ask.
“They are a huge bonus, not going to lie.”
We walk out, and when we get to the sandy beach, I release his hand and reach down, taking off my wedges, dropping them where we stand, and then putting my hand back in his before we start walking again.
“The women are beautiful, that’s for sure,” I say as we start walking.
“Not as beautiful as you.”
I blush at his words, then I spot some kayaks at the edge of the water and look to Nicholas.
“Do you like the water?” he asks. I nod. I love the water nearly as much as I love running—which I haven’t been able to do since I got here.
“I’m not really dressed for water, though.” I bite my lip as he pulls his shirt over his head and drops it.
He doesn’t have a dad bod, that’s for sure; he clearly works out. Nicholas already has on swim trunks, and he reaches for the kayak, pulling it half in the water. “I’m sure you will dry.” Nicholas looks to me, and before I can second guess myself, I pull my shirt off and shimmy my skirt down my legs. I’m in a black bra and matching panties, and when I look up at Nicholas, his eyes are already homed in on me.
I smirk at his reaction.
He coughs and looks away.
“This way, I will be fine.” I walk over and step in, and he pushes the kayak out before I feel him get in behind me. He takes us out on the water, and I sit back watching. The ocean waves are calming, and it helps ease my stress just a little bit.
“You seem a bit lost today,” he says. “Quiet.”
I turn back to look at him, and he’s watching me with thoughtfulness in his expression. “I just found out last night my sister is married, and she never bothered to tell me.”
“You close to her?”
I shrug. “I’m all she has, and I’m always saving her ass. So you’d think the least she could do would be to send a card telling me.”
“I’m an only child, so I would be no assistance in that matter.”
“Have you been married before?”
“No. And to be honest, it’s never appealed to me.”
“Maybe you are searching for the wrong women.” I smile.
“You? Do you want marriage?” he asks, throwing my question back at me.
“I thought I did. To be committed to someone and have someone love me unconditionally. But now, I don’t know. It’s a joke. There are too many people who end up in divorce. So what would be my luck finding my soul mate? To be honest, I have no idea. It seems a pipe dream to me.”
“I could see many men choosing to make you their priority. There is something special about you, and it’s not just your boobs,” he says, making me chuckle. “Though, from what I see, they look great.” I smile at his words as we turn around, and when we do, I look back to the shore and my body freezes. “Thea.”
“Yeah,” I say, biting my lip.
“Do you happen to be in some kind of trouble?” he asks in a hushed tone, even though they can’t hear us.
“Ummm… no.”
“Well, this will be twice I’ve been directed away from you.”
Atlas stands there on the bank, waiting until we get closer.
“Sir,” Nicholas says as he gets out. Nicholas offers me his hand, and when I pull up, I look to Atlas who’s staring at me. His eyes skim my body before he looks back at Nicholas. “Leave us,” he says.
Nicholas looks at me and rubs his hands through his hair as if he’s going to tell him no.
“It’s okay, I will hopefully see you later.”
“I doubt it,” Atlas says.
Nicholas leans in and kisses my cheek before he picks up his shirt and walks away while I stand there awkwardly. Looking for my clothes, I see he has them clutched in his hands, and he’s squeezing them. “You take your clothes off for everyone?” he asks with his head inclined.
“Give them back,” I say, holding out my hand.
“You like to get undressed for strangers, flirt with them?”
I throw my hands up in the air. “You have to be shitting me, right? Tell me you are joking right now?” I ask in disbelief. “You bring me to this island, for what?” I yell. “For what, Atlas?”
“You are right, you are nothing but a whore.” He throws my clothes at me. “Get dressed, you are leaving.”
“Why the fuck did you even bring me if you didn’t want me to seduce a man?” I pull my skirt up my legs and look at him. “Is this not the whole point of this island?” I huff.
A scream is heard and we both turn.
Atlas takes off before I can, and soon my feet are stomping behind to catch him as we reach the source of the scream.
My hands cover my mouth as I look down at Ruby, her eyes are black, and her legs are bruised. What the fuck! She wasn’t like that a few hours ago. I turn to Atlas who’s fast to move, and in two seconds, he has one of the guys up off his feet, and his hands go to his throat, then he throws him back as if he weighs nothing.
I try to stop him but know that’s a mistake, as his hands start punching, and soon the guy who hurt Ruby looks worse than her.
A lot worse.
Possibly not even breathing worse.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Atlas
Wiping the sweat from my brow, I turn back to Theadora and see her eyes are blown
wide in horror, her mouth unable to shut as she drops down to the ground where Ruby is lying.
“Ruby. Ruby, please, wake up.” Theadora shakes her, but she doesn’t move. Pulling out my cell, I call Sydney and inform her of the situation. When I hang up, I look down at Theadora who has tears running down her cheeks as she looks at Ruby.
“Is this what you promote? Is this what you wish would happen t-to m-me?” she chokes on the last words, her shirt now discarded in the sand, leaving her in just her black bra and skirt. I go to step forward, but she holds up her hands. “Go and get help. Don’t you dare touch me, you prick.”
I step back as our first aid nurse heads down.
Theadora doesn’t leave Ruby’s side as they assess her. A short time later, Ruby starts to open her eyes, and as she does, tears stream down her face. “It’s okay, Ruby, it’s going to be okay,” Theadora coos to her.
I look to the nurse who nods his head, then signals to the customer who’s unconscious next to me.
“Leave him.”
Theadora looks up at me with pure animosity in her eyes. If only she knew, she would detest me even more.
“You are going to be okay. But I would suggest someone stay with her overnight to make sure.”
“I will,” Theadora volunteers.
“You are leaving,” I tell her.
Theadora turns to me, her blue eyes angry and holding malice.
“Last night, Theadora,” I say.
She nods, standing, leaving her shirt discarded as she grips Ruby’s hand while she’s laid on a stretcher to be carried to her room.
“It’s not that bad,” Ruby says, trying to soothe Theadora.
“Bullshit! But I’m still coming.”
Ruby doesn’t smile, just closes her dark eyes as they carry her out of here.
“You are leaving tomorrow. No questions.”
“Why did you even bring me here, hotshot? Why the fuck did you bring me?”
Before any words can leave my mouth, a plane flies overhead and lands. We both turn to it, and when I watch her, I know right now Theadora’s going to hate me. Possibly more than she already does.