by Sarah Bailey
“So… you’re not mad or anything?”
“No.” I reached out, running my fingers through her dark hair. “I only need your submission in the bedroom.”
“Is that so?”
“Mmm, yes.”
Not that we could be getting up to anything right now. I was injured and we had to deal with the girls. Perhaps later when all of this was sorted out.
“We should probably see those women and make sure they’re okay.”
I stood up and put my hand out, helping her to her feet.
“You stay here a minute,” she said.
“Why?”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea if you go see them without a shirt on. I might know you don’t want to take advantage of them, but they don’t.”
I nodded. She made a valid point. I waited for her to go into the bedroom and bring me back a t-shirt before pulling it on. She took my bruised hand and walked out into the hall with me. We reached the cell. The two women stared at us with wide eyes, terror evident in them.
“Hello,” Avery said, letting go of my hand and stepping in. “I’m Avery, Aiden’s girlfriend. I promise we’re not going to harm you. We just want to keep you safe. I’m sorry Aiden put you in here.”
Neither of them said anything. Avery looked back at me for a moment, her eyebrow raised before turning towards the girls again.
“Can I ask what your names are?”
“Sophie and that’s Cora,” said the blonde one on the right.
“Okay, Sophie and Cora. Do you want to get cleaned up? I’m not sure you’ll fit in any of my clothes, but we can find you something to wear.”
Sophie, the blonde girl, nodded. Avery put her hand out to them. She got to her feet, pulling Cora up with her. She took the girls into the bathroom before stepping out and leaving them to it. I followed her into the bedroom.
“We’ll just have to give them something of yours for now,” she said. “They’re too tall for my clothes.”
I went over to my cupboard and pulled out a couple of t-shirts. It wasn’t like I couldn’t replace these. We could get them clothes tomorrow before we took them away from here. I handed them to Avery who took them back out into the hallway. She returned, sighing as she walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my back.
“We should probably feed them.”
“You’re right,” I replied, wrapping my arms around her. “Wait… I completely forgot to ask how it was at your parents. Did you find the paperwork?”
She stiffened in my hold.
“I did.”
“Avery…”
“I’m not going to say I enjoyed it. I shouldn’t have gone in the kitchen.”
I stroked her hair. Fuck. I really wish I’d been there for her instead of getting into a fight with Robert fucking Bassington.
“What happened?”
“I remembered everything from that day. There’s still a stain on the floor. I’m okay. It was just hard being there is all.”
“I’m sorry.”
She nuzzled her face on my chest.
“It’s fine. Honestly, I had to face it one day. It is what it is. It happened. There’s nothing either of us can do to change it. Yes, it sucked, but what they did is worse. I just don’t want to go back again. Too many memories.”
I kissed the top of her head. I wished she’d let me go with her, but I understood why she had to do it by herself. Avery was so strong. So fucking capable.
“Why don’t you go start making some food and I’ll call Chuck. We’ll talk about it properly later.”
She nodded, pulling away from me. She went up on her tiptoes and kissed me, wrapping her arms around my neck. When she pulled away, she smiled.
“You know, when I said you were a bad boy, I didn’t mean you should go around getting into fights and coming home black and blue.”
I snorted. This was not something I usually did. Yes, I’d had to rough up a few people in my time, but they rarely hit back. The idiot had brass fucking knuckles and that’s what caused the fucking cuts on my body. It was lucky I was bigger than him. Knocked the fucker right out after a couple of blows to the head. Then I’d managed to hurt myself further beating the crap out of Robert. He wouldn’t be going out for a while.
My parting words to him rang in my ears.
“You won’t fucking breathe a word of this to Chuck or I’ll be back to finish the job. And you fucking tell Rick if he ever takes Avery Daniels again, I will find him and I will fucking kill him. Do you fucking understand?”
Robert had nodded, barely able to see out of his two swollen eye sockets. Idiot. He shouldn’t have fucking laughed at me like I was some kind of joke. It was his own fucking fault. Arrogant prick thought he was safe. He had no idea who he was dealing with. I’d met him on a handful of occasions. He’d always sneered at me like I was a piece of dirt on his shoe. Didn’t matter that I was technically his friend’s son. He thought he was better than me. I’d given him a fucking wakeup call.
“I’ll try to keep that in mind.”
“Please do. I don’t want to patch you up again.”
“Mmm, I quite liked you nursing me back to health.”
She pulled away from me, shoving my chest. I winced and she immediately looked apologetic.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine. Go check on the girls and I’ll speak to Chuck.”
She nodded, giving me a smile before disappearing from the room.
I pulled my phone out. It was time I sorted this shit out and made sure we had time to hide the girls before he found out I’d taken them from Robert. If this didn’t work, we’d be in serious shit. As if we weren’t in enough already.
I had to fix this.
Fix it so I could keep Avery safe.
And then we were going to work out our next move.
Because Avery and I were in this together.
Chapter Twenty Three
Avery
Aiden and I ended up taking Sophie and Cora to Tina’s. She’d keep them safe for the time being. Until I gained full access to my inheritance, I only had a monthly allowance along with my salary from the company. It was more than enough to live on so we could at least set the girls up with funds. I didn’t like to think of it as compensation for what my family had done to them. They needed help after what they’d been through. Whatever they needed, we’d give it to them. Therapy. Medical care. Somewhere to live. All of it.
Now we’d rescued two girls, I wanted to find the rest. That meant working out where they were being housed. The biggest problem was they were being moved around all the time. Going from client to client. Whoever managed it all for my uncle, they were good at hiding their tracks and keeping everything under the radar. No matter what Aiden did, he couldn’t find out where they were.
I couldn’t imagine the pain they’d gone through. How much they’d suffered. Aiden and I might want to take down my family and their associates, but we also had a responsibility towards the girls too. We’d save them if it was the last thing we did.
Sophie and Cora had been with Rick’s friend for six months. They hadn’t wanted to tell me much about what he’d done to them. Aiden told me his name was Robert Bassington. I only knew a handful of my family’s associates and he wasn’t one of them. He was in his sixties according to Aiden. One of my grandfather’s old friends. We hoped if Robert didn’t say anything to my uncle about Aiden taking the girls, it would take him a while to discover they were gone.
When Aiden told Uncle Charlie about Robert being involved in my abduction, he’d completely lost his shit. Just as I predicted. Aiden had come into the kitchen and put the phone on speaker whilst I made food for the girls.
“That fucking cunt. I’m going to have his fucking head. How fucking dare he pull a stunt like this! I don’t care who he is, no one fucking messes with my fucking family. He knows how important she is to the company. To our fucking business arrangements. If y
ou hadn’t already beat the cunt up, I would be straight down there fucking decking him myself.”
“Don’t worry, he knows he fucked up. I made sure of it.”
“Oh, I believe you. Fucking hell. I can’t believe he would be so fucking stupid. I really don’t have time for this shit. I’ll deal with it at a later date. I’ve got enough on my plate without these bastards fucking about.”
“That’s what you have me for.”
“Thank you. Shit has just got crazier and crazier around here since Mitch died. Anyway, I’ll speak to you in a few days, must get on.”
At least he’d bought it for now. I was in no doubt when he found out Aiden had taken Sophie and Cora, things would be very different.
Aiden and I were sat in the living room. It was the weekend thankfully, so I finally had time to go through all the documents I’d brought home from my dad’s office. I was sat by the window with some of the paperwork spread out on the floor in front of me. Aiden was lounging on the sofa with the rest of it. The documents I’d thought he would find useful.
The legal jargon in my trust fund paperwork was giving me a headache.
“Why did he have to make this so complicated?” I complained, rubbing my forehead.
He peered over the back of the sofa at me.
“I told you, I’d go through it for you if you want.”
“No, it’s okay. I need to do this. If anything, I should really understand how he set this up since it’s my money. Not like I want it really, but if I can help the girls with it, then I will.”
“John said Frazier was in the office three more times last week.”
“Yeah, he spoke to Charlie a few times. He only came to see me once like I told you.”
It had been the same as last time he’d ambushed me. He wanted to know if I’d made up my mind about Tristan. I’d just stalled him again. I was pretty sure he’d be in every week until I gave him an answer. I still had no idea what the rush was.
“I wish he’d stay the fuck away from you.”
“Well, we can’t have everything we want. Did John find out anything else about where the girls are being kept?”
“Only that the person who manages the whole operation is known as ‘The Collector’. Stupid as fuck name if you ask me.”
I snorted. Whoever came up with that clearly thought a lot about themselves.
“He has to be careful though. Chuck is already getting a little suspicious about why he’s asking so many questions. It’s fucking lucky he’s so busy organising this birthday event for you or he’d have found out about Sophie and Cora.”
“Did Tina say how they are?”
“They’re doing okay. She’s going to move them out of London next week. She has a house near Truro in Cornwall. They can stay there for the time being. I think they’re just glad to be away from Robert.”
I was glad we’d managed to persuade Tina to take care of them. Aiden and I weren’t really equipped to be dealing with two abused, sex trafficked girls. I had a feeling they reminded him too much of his mother. He still hadn’t told me what happened the night she died, but I hadn’t pressed him either. It was something he needed to do in his own time.
I was well aware Rick had told me to find out, but quite frankly, he could get fucked. I wasn’t about to do anything the man said. He was dangerous. Still, I was also in no doubt he’d make good on his promise to see me again. I wondered how I’d feel when confronted with him face to face. Wondered what he’d tell me. He’d promised to divulge everything.
I looked over at Aiden. I was concerned about what Rick might say. What he might tell me about the man I loved. I wasn’t sure if I’d believe it anyway. Aiden had told me he’d done some bad things in his time. I mean he’d killed my parents, so it wasn’t like I didn’t know what he was capable of.
He wouldn’t ever physically hurt me. That was the one thing I was sure of. He loved and trusted me. He’d started to let me in and that meant everything. We’d overcome so many hurdles in the past few months since I’d gone back into the world.
In the beginning, he’d found it difficult to even be in a relationship with me, but now, he was learning to let go. His outlet was the bedroom. Whenever he needed it, I let him tie me up and fuck me without mercy. I loved submitting to him as much as he loved having control of me.
Outside of the bedroom, we were forming a partnership. One where we worked together to overcome issues inside and outside our relationship.
I turned the page, settling in to read the next clause when my heart almost came to a stop. There in black and white was the reason Frazier wanted me to marry Tristan. I read through the whole clause just to make sure, but I was right. This explained everything. Aiden had been so fucking right to get me to find the paperwork. It all fell into place.
“Aiden… I think I know why Frazier is being so insistent.”
He looked up, grey eyes narrowing.
“Why?”
“Come here and read this.”
He hauled himself up off the sofa, dropping the document he was holding on the coffee table. He walked around and stood before me. I handed him the document, pointing at Clause 6.2.8. I watched him read over it.
“Well shit,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
“He’s not going to stop pestering me, is he?”
“No… We have to do something about it.”
I stared up at him. A smile formed on his face.
“Did you have something in mind?”
He nodded, his eyes meeting mine. I saw the mischievous glint in them.
“Oh… I do. We just have to play him at his own fucking game.”
~~~
Six Weeks Later
I stood in front of the mirror, looking at myself in the dress I’d got for my birthday. Dark red with a deep v running down the centre of it. I traced the outline of the new ink on my left arm. Three weeks ago, Ben had tattooed Xochiquetzal there. She matched Aiden’s tattoos on his chest. She was absolutely stunning. I adored this piece. He’d spent a long time working out the details with me. Making sure we got it just right before he began inking it on my skin.
I turned my right wrist over. There sat a pair of black, highly detailed angel wings I’d designed myself. Aiden had got a matching tattoo on a free patch of skin on his stomach. Lastly, a flock of birds rested on my right shoulder. I loved all of them. Ben was so talented.
It had been nice spending time with him, Skye and baby Josh. Watching Aiden hold his nephew and tell him about when his dad and him had been in the army melted my heart. He’d told me he was crap with kids, but he’d been so good with Josh.
I wasn’t sure what might be said about me turning up to a company event with all this ink, but I didn’t care. Most of them knew about the A on my neck, so this wasn’t really any different. It was my body and there was nothing they could do about it.
I felt two hands around my waist. Aiden’s mischievous grin appeared in the mirror. Grey eyes burning with heat.
“You look absolutely fucking stunning, princess.”
“You can thank Gert. She made me buy it.”
He dropped a kiss on my shoulder. I’d put my hair up, securing it with pearl headed bobby pins. Make-up wasn’t exactly my favourite task in the world, but I’d given myself smoky eyes to complete the look.
“I wish I could walk in there with you on my arm. Show the world you’re mine.”
“Me too.”
I turned around placing my hands on his chest.
“Soon we’ll be able to tell them all. When this is over, we’ll have our future together. Just you and me.”
He smiled. Hell, did I love that smile. And those grey eyes which held so many emotions. I loved everything about this man. Even the darkest parts. He was mine and I was his. We’d made sure of that.
The past six weeks had been tough on both of us, but we’d meticulously planned everything down to the last detail. We were goin
g to take them down one by one. We knew what to do. Thinking about what would happen next pained me, but it was necessary.
“Mmm, you and me.”
He leant down, capturing my mouth in a slow, sensuous kiss which had my skin tingling and my body craving his. His hands ran down my back, tugging me closer to him. He trailed kisses along my jaw.
“Fuck do I want you,” he murmured.
“You’ll mess up my hair and make-up.”
“I don’t care.”
“Aiden…”
He bit down on my earlobe, his fingers tracing lines across my bare back. I shuddered, unable to help the small moan escaping from my lips.
“Let me fuck you before we both go to hell and back later.”
My ability to say no to him was shot to pieces. I couldn’t deny I wanted him inside me too. I needed it. Craved it. I felt him smile against my neck when I arched into him.
“Bend over for me, princess.”
He knew he’d won.
“Are you sure we have time?” I asked, pulling away from him.
“Get on the bed.”
He pointed at it, his tone leaving no room for disobedience. I walked over. I hadn’t put my heels on yet, so I was barefoot. I tugged up the floor length dress and knelt on the bed, placing my hands down. I looked back at him as he stalked over to me. He ran his hands over my behind.
“You know what it does to me when you bend over like this?”
“No… what?”
I knew, but I wanted to hear him say it. Having him tell me how much he wanted to fuck me always did things to me.
“My cock gets so fucking hard for you.”
He undid his belt. He was wearing the grey suit I loved so much. He had always been the most beautiful man I’d ever laid eyes on.
“Show me how much you want me, princess.”
I shifted, sitting up slightly so I could pull up my dress further. It bunched around my waist as I set my hands back down on the bed. I heard his low growl.
“Fuck. You’re such a naughty girl. Not wearing any underwear.”
The thing is, I’d known he’d want me before I left. So I decided not to put any on because I knew how much it’d drive him crazy.