Shades of Submission: Fifty by Fifty #1: Billionaire Romance Boxed Set

by Hunter, Adriana

  "Is there somewhere we can go?"

  He shook his head, as if just waking up from a stupor.

  "No."

  He grabbed her arm and propelled her through the club and into the front parking lot with everyone watching. She didn't like the way he was acting. He was treating her like a bag of trash he had to take out. She found herself fighting back tears. Again.

  "Mike!"

  A prospect ran up to them. She knew him from High School. He had a large red scar on his jaw. That's right. They called him Whiskey Beard.

  She felt Jack thrust her away from him toward Mike.

  "Drive her home. Make sure she gets inside and make sure she stays inside."

  Mike nodded and walked over to his car. He'd been behind the bar all night working so she wasn't afraid to get into the car with him. But she wanted to stay here. With Jack.

  "Wait- Jack- what's wrong? Did I do something? "He stared at her so coldly that she dropped her hand from where it had grasped his jacket. But she didn't give up. She couldn't.

  "When can I see you again?"

  "No repeat customers."

  She felt her stomach drop as she watched him grab a scantily dressed girl standing nearby and kiss her deeply. She turned away and followed Mike meekly to his car, feeling sick.

  Once again, she'd ruined everything.

  She just didn't know how.

  6

  Jack thrust the blond girl away from him as soon as he was inside the club. He stalked up to the bar and held out his hand. Without a word Donnie handed him the rest of the bottle of tequila. He pulled on it deeply, filled with self loathing.

  He'd almost taken her in a God Damn alleyway! Next to the trash. He'd treated her like trash.

  He closed his eyes, seeing her tear filled eyes as he'd thrust her toward Mike. Why should she care if a piece of garbage like him didn't want her? But she had cared. She'd cared enough to make her cry.

  Damn it.

  He had work to do in the morning, a lucrative custom job, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything in that moment.

  "Hey, I heard you hit that sweet piece of tail in the back! Way to go Viking!"

  He spun and saw Frankie K. The red haired son of a bitch was waiting for him to high five him.

  Jack's mind went blank. He saw everything that happened next through a haze of red. It was like he wasn't even there. In the back of his mind, he wished he wasn't.

  Him grabbing Frankie's hand. Him crushing his hand in his fist. Him pummeling the guy into the ground until someone pulled him off of him.

  Not someone. A bunch of guys. He'd find out later it'd been five guys who pulled him back.

  Frankie was screaming as he held his broken hand on the ground. Donnie pulled Jack away.

  "You better jam man."

  Jack almost laughed. As if that piece of shit crying on the floor mattered.

  As if anything mattered anymore.

  He picked up his fallen tequila bottle and stalked out of the bar to the back stairs and up onto the roof.

  **********

  Janet crawled back into her window, the frame biting painfully into her stomach. She didn't care though. She didn't care about anything.

  As soon as her feet hit the ground the light flicked on. Her mother sat on her bed while her father stood by the doorway. They'd been waiting for her.

  She wasn't even surprised. Nothing could surprise her at this point. Jack had kissed another girl in front of her. As if she meant nothing to him. As if she were replaceable.

  She stared numbly at her parents as they started to yell at her. She was a disappointment. That didn't surprise her. She was punished. Not surprising either. She was going to be locked in her bedroom until further notice. That last one she managed to respond to, rolling her eyes.

  "What if I have to go to the bathroom mom?"

  Her eyes widened as her mother held out a bucket.

  "You're joking."

  "No, I am not. This is for your own good. You will not be coming out until we can be sure you won't humiliate us again. We know where you've been going and with whom. "Janet's jaw dropped. She almost forgot about Jack for a moment. Almost.

  Her mother's cheeks were red with fury. So that's what she was worried about. Her good name. Give me a break. Janet's world titled as her father shook his head sadly.

  "Bikers Janet? Really?"

  They stood up and walked out of the room, shutting it behind them. She heard a dead bolt slide into place.

  "What if I need some water?"

  "There's a bottle on your desk."

  She turned to see a small bottle of water. How long would that last? How long did they plan to keep her in there???

  "What if there's a fire? Or would that solve all your problems?!?"

  All she heard was footsteps walking away from her. Leaving her alone.

  She glanced at the window and decided to make a run for it. Just as she reached it, her father slammed it shut in her face. She pressed her palms against the glass.

  "Don't do this dad! Please!"

  He ignored her, nailing the window into the frame. He was shutting her in there. Permanently.

  Janet sank onto the bed and wondered how she'd managed to ruin everything. She had nothing now. No school, no freedom, no Jack.

  The last one burned the most. She'd felt so alive in his arms. So desired. And she'd wanted him more than she'd ever wanted any man before. Who was she kidding? She'd never kissed anyone like Jack. She doubted she ever would again.

  She pressed her hand to her lips. She could still feel him touching her… she felt hot and cold all over, just thinking about it. But he'd made sure she understood she was disposable. One of many. He probably had a different girl every night. She curled into a ball as wracking sobs shook her body.

  **********

  Kaylie stood outside Janet's front door and knocked. She hadn't heard from Jan in three days, since the night of the barbecue. She'd heard something happened after she'd left. Something between Janet and Jack.

  She couldn't help it, she was worried. Janet had always been a carefree girl, stubbornly ignoring the problems she faced at home. Lord knows she had enough of those. Her wealthy parents had put so much pressure on her to succeed as a classical dancer that it had nearly destroyed her. The accident had done more than finally end her ballet career once and for all. It'd made her invisible to her parents.

  Since then, Janet had been in a tailspin. Kaylie sighed and rang the buzzer. She dreaded this conversation. If Janet was hiding out because of Jack, she didn't know what to tell her. He was a complicated guy. Devlin had told her that Jack had his reasons for being so solitary, but he wouldn't tell her why. Either way, she didn't want her friend to be hurt any more than she was already.

  "Yes?"

  Janet's dad was at the door. He looked over his shoulder nervously.

  "You shouldn't be here Kaylie."

  "Who's there?"

  A shrill voice came from further inside the house. Janet's mother appeared in the doorway beside her dad. She looked crazed.

  "Get out of here you tramp! I know you're the one who took my daughter to that- that place!"

  Kaylie stepped backwards in shock. What was wrong with them? Where was her friend?

  "Where's Janet? I haven't heard from her in days."

  "That's because we took away her phone! You can tell that giant who keeps driving by to stay away!"

  "Giant?"

  They must mean Jack. He'd been driving by Janet's house? Since when?

  Kaylie wanted to get away from these horrible people as quickly as possible but she had to find out where her friend was. Thankfully Janet's mom disappeared back into the house.

  "Please Mr. Mahoney. Where is she?"

  He glanced over his shoulder and smiled apologetically.

  "She's in her room. But she'd not coming out any time soon. Sorry Kaylie."

  He closed the door in her face. Kaylie stood there wondering what the heck was
going on. She knew where Janet's room was. No one could stop her from peeking in the window.

  She snuck along the side of the house and stared aghast at the hastily nailed shut window frame. They were treating Jan like a criminal. Kaylie shuddered. She might have lost her dad early on, but he'd loved and protected her. So had her mom.

  Growing up she'd thought her well off friend had the best life. The big house, two parents… belatedly Kaylie realized how wrong she had been all those years.

  She knocked tentatively on the window. She tried to see into the room but it was hard without any lights on inside. Janet's face appeared in the window. There were circles under her pretty blue eyes.

  She looked awful.

  Janet held a finger to her lips signaling silence. Kaylie nodded and waited while Jan disappeared from the window. She was back after a few moments, holding up a piece of paper with hastily scribbled words.

  'Three days. No food or water.'

  Kaylie covered her mouth with her hand, horrified. Janet's head disappeared from sight for a moment. She reappeared in the window with a fresh piece of paper.

  'I need to get out of here.'

  Kaylie nodded and mouthed 'I'll be back later! Let me talk to Dev.'

  She wasn't sure if her friend understood her. She ran across the lawn, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. Dev would help her figure out what to do.

  **********

  Janet closed her eyes and tensed her body, ready to leap out of the way. She was holding her desk chair in the air, barely able to keep it up with her trembling arms. She was so weak from lack of food but she could do this.

  She had to do this.

  Her parents had left her in there for almost four days now. Four days without food or water. Janet was starting to think they weren't ever going to let her out. Tears stung her eyes. She'd always known her mother didn't really love her, but to do this to her? And her father, weak as he was, he'd cared a little bit. She'd thought he had anyway. Apparently she'd been wrong.

  Just like she'd been wrong about Jack.

  She'd thought he cared about her. More than just wanting to take her to bed. He'd acted so protective of her when those guys had stepped to her at the mall. But he'd just been doing what he did. He was like a medieval knight in that way. A hero who always did the right thing. It didn't mean he cared.

  Nobody cared about her.

  She swallowed back the sob that caught in her throat. No time for tears. She was on her own now, once and for all. She had to do this herself. She was strong. She's survived shin splints and bloody toes on a weekly basis when she was dancing. She'd survived the loss of her chance to be a prima ballerina… the one thing she loved doing most in the world, the thing that defined her. She'd taken on of one the Spawn's toe to toe for God's sake.

  She could do this.

  She knew Kaylie would try to help her but she didn't know how or when. No, Janet was on her own in this. What could Kaylie do anyway? She was no match for Janet's evil witch of a mother. She said a little prayer of thanks to God for giving her one true friend.

  Her only friend in the world.

  Then she swung the chair back over her head and threw it at the window.

  **********

  Jack woke up on the roof with the worst hangover he'd had in his life. No, wait, that was yesterday. Or the day before. Today was the worst hangover anyone had had, ever. In the God Damn history of man kind. He moaned and rolled over to a seated position. It was the fourth day of his bender.

  He picked up the empty tequila bottle and grimaced. He needed a cup of coffee. He needed a shower.

  "Jack man, you up there? Come down! We gotta talk to you."

  Dev was calling him. He stood unsteadily and headed to the roof hatch.

  When he got downstairs, a terrible feeling of foreboding came over him. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

  Kaylie and Dev stood in the back alley. She looked distraught. Hell, even Dev looked worried about something.

  "Man, you look like shit."

  Jack ignored him.

  "What is it?"

  Kaylie stepped forward nervously, as if she weren't sure she should be telling him something. He waited, watching her decide what to say. She swallowed and finally opened her mouth.

  "It's Janet."

  He said nothing, fully expecting her to tear into him for what had happened in the alley. What had almost happened. He almost laughed. He should have just taken her up against the wall. Then maybe she'd be out of his system by now.

  God knows the booze hadn't blotted her from his mind.

  "I don't know if there's anything going on with the two of you, or if you care about her but…"

  He looked at Dev over her shoulder to see if his friend was mad at him. How was he supposed to explain this fiasco to him? To anyone?

  "There isn't."

  Kaylie stared at him.

  "There isn't anything going on."

  "Okay. I just thought maybe you wanted to help her. After what happened at the mall. I know she likes you Jack."

  She did, did she? That was interesting. So they weren't there to yell at him after all.

  He stared at Kaylie with one eyebrow raised. Even that movement was painful in his recently inebriated state. Kaylie let out a deep breath.

  "I'm scared for her."

  "What?"

  He was prepared for her to tell him that Janet had gotten herself into trouble. Fine. He'd help her. He was prepared for her to tell him that Janet was angry at him and wouldn't come to the clubhouse. Even better. He was not prepared for what Kaylie said next.

  Not at all.

  "Her parents found out she's been hanging around the clubhouse. They-"

  "They what?"

  "They locked her in her room with no food or water. It's been three days at least-"

  "WHAT?"

  "She hasn't had any food or water in days. I don't even know if they care if she lives or dies at this point. I was going to call the police but Dev said-"

  He closed his eyes and felt the deepest rage he'd ever felt in his life. Then he climbed onto his bike, and rode.

  7

  Jack broke about fifty laws in the fifteen block ride to Janet's house. He was angrier than he'd ever been in his life. And that was saying something.

  He was off his bike and at the front door less than five minutes after Kaylie had told him what was happening. He banged his fist on the front door until a man in his early 50's opened it. He looked terrified when he saw Jack looming in the doorway.

  "Where's Janet?"

  "She's gone."

  A pinched face woman appeared behind him.

  "You're one of the biker scum that she's been hanging around with. Get out of here before I call the police!"

  A voice inside Jack screamed 'I'M NOT SCUM!' with tremendous force. God, he wanted to wring their necks. How could they be so stupid?

  How could they not take care of something so beautiful and precious?

  And fragile.

  Janet had convinced him she was tough, along with the rest of the world. But it wasn't true. She was strong in her way, that was true. She'd had to be. But there was a vulnerability about her he'd sensed and chosen to ignore. Now that he'd met her parents he had no doubt where that came from.

  They'd mistreated her. Endangered her. Ignored her cries for help. He felt sick to his stomach imagining her in her room, hungry and thirsty and alone.

  No. That was wrong.

  He was the one who left her alone when every fiber of his being had been telling him to take care of her, nurture her, protect her.

  Love her.

  He did something he rarely did. Something he rarely had to do. He made himself look deliberately intimidating, leaning forward to sneer at Mr. Mahoney.

  "Where is she?"

  Janet's mother stepped forward. She looked like his beautiful Janet, but distorted in a fun house mirror. She must have been gorgeous once. Before bitterness twisted her
features. No wonder Janet's dad was so whipped.

  "She ran away. Maybe if we're lucky she'll never come back."

  He pushed her out of the way and stalked into the house.

  "Show me her room."

  Her father eyed him warily and wisely decided to humor him. He led him down the hallway to a door with a massive deadbolt on the outside. Jack was horrified when he saw the size of that deadbolt. Janet was a girl, not a horse or a criminal. She hadn't stood a chance.

  He stepped inside the room and winced. It smelled horrible in here. He saw a bucket full of piss and shit in the corner. He closed his eyes. They'd left her alone with a bucket.

  This was his fault. All his fault. He's the one they didn't want her hanging around with. He should have left her alone to begin with. Or taken care of her. Not this bullshit waffling he'd been doing. Fighting himself every step of the way.

  Now she was the one paying the price.

  It wasn't right.

  "Get out."

  Her father was lifting the bucket when Jack snapped the order at him. He hesitated then awkwardly carried the offending container out of the room. Jack blew air out through his nose and looked around the room. He could hear them arguing out there. The woman wanted to call the police but the man was trying to convince her not to.

  No wonder she'd created her own world in here. The room looked like a sanctuary. Posters of far away places covered the walls, all interspersed with stunning photos of dancers. Slender girls with long legs and frilly costumes. None of them held a candle to her.

  A fabric scarf covered her lamp, lending the room an ethereal glow. He turned and saw her bed. It was a mess, with blankets and sheets everywhere. As if she'd tossed and turned on it. All alone.

  Except for his helmet.

  He moaned, realizing she'd been sleeping with it. He closed his eyes again, feeling a sharp sting of regret. He regretted everything he'd done since he met her.