by Fawn Bailey
“Yes, you have to,” I nodded quickly. “I’ve got some money for you, some clothes… A place to go.”
“You’re amazing,” she whispered, swallowing the tears and pulling me into a hug.
For the next half hour, I helped her gather her things and gave her instructions to a make-believe place in Soho that she would never find because it didn’t exist. Instead, in its place, there was a brothel I knew my father frequented. A dodgy place run by the mob that I knew would get Harlow in a lot of fucking trouble, especially if she showed up announced in the middle of the night.
I didn’t give a shit about what happened to her, but I was sure sending her out in the middle of the night would garner some interesting results. And the next day, when my man arrived, his pretty little girl would be all gone, and he’d have no choice but to choose me instead.
Amber didn’t matter.
Harlow didn’t matter.
All I cared about was Thorn taking me back home, where I truly belonged.
“You’re going to be okay,” I lied to Harlow with a brave smile. “Just don’t come back here, under any circumstances.”
“Will you be okay?” she asked worriedly. Her face was pale and blotchy and she looked awful. It pleased me. “I’m so worried about you and Amber.”
“We’ll take care of ourselves,” I said. “We need to hide you, first. Call me when you get there, okay?”
She nodded, and I smiled, knowing the call would never come.
“Thank you so much,” she told me on the doorstep. “For all you’ve done… I’m so grateful.”
“You’re so welcome,” I said sweetly. “See you soon, darling.”
I shut the door, leaving her looking lost on the doorstep.
And then I giggled as loudly as I dared. Finally, my plan was set into motion.
Soon, I would be all his.
Chapter 17
Harlow
I stood in front of the closed door of Carina’s apartment, feeling more alone than ever.
Then, I took a deep breath, put Carina’s backpack on my shoulders, and made my way out of the apartment.
The air outside was cool but pleasant, and I walked down the street with no one else in sight. It was early - or late, however you wanted to look at it - and I was afraid. My heart was pounding, and I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to walk away from him once again. But I knew the main reason I was doing this wasn’t because of me. It was to keep my friends safe.
I couldn’t believe Thorn had threatened Carina. She was the innocent one in all of this, only wanting to help me and Amber get out alright. I hated him for it.
The sun wasn’t out yet as I walked through Belgravia. It was a rich neighborhood, one I had dreamed of living in but knowing full-well I probably never would. Ballerinas didn’t make much money. More than I had before Thorn took me, sure, but not by a whole lot.
I found the tube station a little way off from the neighborhood and bought myself a ticket. It felt so strange to be back in London, to be sitting on the tube with people who knew nothing about me or my problems.
It made me wonder about my life before Thorn. Had I really been happy?
Of course, I had my dreams, hopes, and desires, just like any other young girl. But was I truly satisfied with my life? Would getting a new role in a ballet really change my life that much? And without Thorn, would I have ended up unhappy, broken and alone?
I shook my head to get the thoughts out. The tube ride was taking ages, and I leaned back with a sigh as the ride slowly plowed forward. It was then that I got the feeling of being watched, like someone’s eyes were on me.
I turned my head to the side, but there was no one I knew there. Just regular passengers, people with jobs to go to, who already looked worn out by the week even though the day had barely just begun.
Yet the feeling wouldn’t go away.
It was so intense it made me switch seats, get up in the middle of the ride and stand behind a tall man with headphones in his ears so I wouldn’t be so vulnerable sitting down. But it wouldn’t go away.
I started shaking. I started hyperventilating. The fear set in like a living breathing thing, its fingers wrapping around my throat and squeezing my breaths out of me, just like Thorn used to do. I was afraid and alone, and I felt a panic attack coming on, knowing I had to get out of there. I needed to get off at the next station.
I was shaking as the tube came to a stop, practically running off when the doors opened. I felt like I was transported back in time to some day months and months ago when I was late to ballet practice and I felt like I was being followed. Now, the feeling was back with a vengeance.
I wasn’t far off from my destination, and I kept walking through the now busier streets towards the place I was supposed to be. My heart was pounding, my mind screaming one word at me repeatedly. Danger. Danger. Danger.
I was afraid, shaking as I made my way down the street, pushing past people I didn’t know and trying to keep my tears at bay as I kept on walking. I convinced myself I’d be okay as long as I kept moving, kept going forward, slowly trying to reach my destination where surely they’d take care of me, and where I would finally be safe.
Looking at the address Carina had given me again, I prayed for the first time in my life, but I didn’t know what I was asking for.
My heart, my head, and my feet hurt. I ached for him, to be taken into Thorn’s arms again and be reassured that he would take care of me, make sure nothing bad happened to me. That he would watch over me, make sure I was alright and make sure nobody would hurt me.
I entered a semi-delirious state as I walked down the street, still feeling like danger was a single step behind me. It was morning then, and there were so many people outside, but it didn’t make me feel any safer. In fact, I felt lost in the sea of strangers, their faces unknown to me and unkind, out to hurt me, out to get me. I was afraid.
I kept moving, the little piece of paper in my hands crumpled, the ink smudged from my sweaty hands. There were less and less people around as I made my way into a different neighborhood, checking the paper again to make sure I was following the path Carina had drawn for me. I was.
The panic attack I had felt coming on in the alley was now threatening to come out in full force. My breaths were shallow and panicked and I knew I had to stop, but I was so afraid a monster would jump from the shadows and attack me I tried to keep going at any cost. Finally, it became too much.
My palm gripped the brick wall of an unknown building, and I stumbled forward, trying desperately to catch my breath. I looked around, once again not finding anyone around me. I was alone… no one was out to get me, no one was following me. So why wouldn’t the feeling go away.
I saw an alleyway a little way off, and made my way there, wanting to get to a quiet spot to gather my thoughts. It was partially hidden from the main street, and I figured my panic would finally subside if my mind understood I was somewhere safe.
I opened the fence that led into the alley, checking yet again to see if there was anyone around. But there was no one in sight.
Walking down the alley, I pressed my back against the brick wall and shook with unexplained fear. The tears were really threatening to fall now, burning my eyes and making me want to run for my life even though it didn’t seem like I was in any kind of immediate danger.
Carina’s backpack slid off my shoulder in a moment of carelessness, and the money she’d given me fell on the ground, fanning all over the alleyway. I cursed out loud, kneeling and picking up the bills, clumsily shoving them back inside the bag.
Once I got everything, I straightened up again, the once again full bag resting by my feet. I let out a cry, the only one I’d allow myself, and turned around to walk out of the alleyway again.
When I bumped into a hard, unyielding chest, a scream escaped my throat, but his gloved hand was on my mouth before I could make a sound. My eyes flew up and my body flailed while my mind screamed. Not again. Please, not again.
And in the s
mallest corner of my mind, there was another thought making its way to the surface.
Please. Please let it be him. Let him take me back home. Let him forgive me.
“Rose,” he growled darkly, and I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to discern whether he was real or a mirage. “Fucking look at me.”
Once again, my eyes flew open. I stared up at him, eyes filled with tears.
Thorn, my Thorn. His palm over my mouth, his eyes thunderous as he towered over me.
“You ran,” he growled, and my whole body shook as we stared at one another. “You ran away from me, my little Rose. Why did you run?”
I couldn’t have answered even if I tried to. He knew the reasons. He knew I ached to dance, to be free. But I knew what the real question was there.
Hadn’t our connection been strong enough? The love we felt for one another, the crazy fucking attraction between us. Hadn’t all of it been enough for me to forgo a different life? To forget about everything else and commit myself to him, belong to him, be his property?
He moved his hand away from my mouth, but I wouldn’t have screamed anyway. In fact, a part of me felt relieved that he had found me. That he had come back for me, proving yet again how much he cared. In that moment I knew I could keep running, but he would also keep coming after me.
“There’s not a place in the world you can hide in from me,” he told me gently, confirming my thoughts. “Not a stone I’ll leave unturned if you fucking run again.”
He walked me back, my back hitting the brick wall as I yelped in pain and he grabbed my cheeks, the leather of his black gloves cold against my skin.
“Say you’re sorry,” he told me darkly. “Tell me you’re sorry for running away from me, Rose.”
“I…” I couldn’t get the words out.
But at that moment it became so very clear that I belonged to him completely, mind, body, and soul. I was his property, and I was as addicted to his special kind of torture as he was to mine.
“I’m sorry,” I managed, my words breathy and needing him to forgive me, to understand. “I’m sorry I ran.”
“You’re mine,” he growled angrily. “Don’t you fucking understand that by now, Harlow?”
My name on his lips felt like a treat, something I wasn’t given very often. I shook in his arms as he pulled me flush against him, his heart pounding above mine.
“Tell me you won’t run again,” he told me darkly, and I shivered under his touch. “Tell me this body is mine. Tell me you’ll do anything I fucking ask of you.”
“I… I will,” I whispered.
In the back of my mind, I wanted to hate myself for how powerless I was being. Yet hadn’t I known things would end like this since the very beginning?
“Beg,” he went on. “Beg me to punish you for what you’ve fucking done to us.”
“Punish me,” I begged breathlessly. “Please, Thorn.”
He slapped me, catching me by surprise as his hand left my cheek.
“M-Master,” I corrected myself. “Punish me, Master, please punish me.”
He held my throbbing cheek gently, stroking the skin with the utmost care. Then, he pulled me closer, his lips touching mine more gently than they ever had.
He didn’t kiss me, just showed me what I’d been willing to run away from. And soon, it became too much to bear, and I kissed him.
His lips were soft and angry, and I kissed him with desperation, realizing at that moment he didn’t have to come after me at all. In the end, I would have crawled back to him. There was no life for me without Thorn. There was no future without him in it.
I needed him just like I needed the air we both breathed. And it was time to stop running. It was time to accept I would do anything for the man in front of me, the man who kissed me like I belonged to him all along.
I felt tears slipping down my cheeks as we kissed, not sure whether I was mourning the loss of my independence, or celebrating finding the love of my life again. He kissed me angrily, like he was trying to teach me a lesson, but I melted into his kiss nonetheless, my legs weak as he held me in his arms and took from my body as if that could make what I’d done to him okay.
I finally understood why he was so angry. It wasn’t because of Amber, or because of my dancing. It was because I had abandoned him, choosing a mediocre life instead of a future with him - a future where he would spend the rest of his life giving me anything and everything I’d ever wanted.
He pulled away from my lips and looked deep into my eyes, and for the first time ever, I saw vulnerability in his eyes, and realized I was the one who’d put it there. And standing in that alley, I vowed to stay by his side no matter what.
Chapter 18
Thorn
I didn’t have to drag her out of that alley. She came with me willingly.
I put her in the car waiting down the street, neither Rose or the driver saying a word as the car started moving. She rested her head against my shoulder, and I stared out of the window trying to get my fucking mind in some kind of working order.
It was a small miracle that I had found her. But Carina had been underestimating me with the little games she was playing. I had eyes everywhere. The second Harlow was out of that apartment, the news reached me, and I followed her around the city until I saw how close to her breaking point my girl was.
On an impulse, I reached over to her, and she grabbed my hand like her lifeline as the car started driving us to our destination.
“Get on my lap,” I barked at her, and she climbed on top of me.
I was hard as fuck, but for once in my godforsaken life, I didn’t give a shit about my cock’s appetite. All I cared about was the woman on my lap, clutching me closely and holding on for dear life. She buried her face in my shoulder and the tears started to fall. I held her close to me.
She would be punished for what she’d done - of course - but now wasn’t the time to mention it. First, I needed to make sure I got her back safely, and at that moment, I knew she needed to be comforted, to be told everything would be just okay. So I held her trembling body close to mine and reveled in the scent of her skin and hair, in the way her arms clung to me and in the expression in her beautiful blue eyes that promised she would never run from me again.
The drive wasn’t fast but still felt too short the moment we came to a stop outside of Carina’s apartment. When she felt that the car had stopped, Harlow buried her face in my shoulder, refusing to look up and see where we were.
“Come on,” I told her, my voice gentler than I would have cared to admit. “We need to get out.”
She threw her arms around me and looked into my eyes with desperation I had never seen in her before. Despite everything I’d done to her, my Rose was independent, intent on leading her own life with my shackles around her limbs. And she was fiercely protective of her friends, which was why I knew this would hurt so much it might break her.
But it was a necessary evil. She’d run away from me, and now she would be finished. What she didn’t know was that this was just the first part of my plan. She would be broken by the time I was finished showing her what I was capable of.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered against my cheek, her lips desperate to find mine.
I couldn’t resist her. Never could. I let her kiss me because I needed it as badly as she did, and she melted into my embrace, clinging to me. Finally, I pulled away and half-carried her out of the car with me.
When she saw where we were, her face drained of the color.
“What are we doing here?” she asked softly, her voice full of fear.
“I’m sure you know,” I told her roughly, tugging on her arm and walking into the lobby of the building. “If not, you’re about to find out. Patience, my little Rose.”
She tugged on my hand again once we were in the elevator, and I looked into her terrified eyes.
“Don’t hurt them,” she begged me, her voice shaky, needing me to reassure her. “Don’t hurt my friends, Thorn. M-Master. Please don�
��t hurt them.”
I touched my fingers to her cheek, gently stroking her silken skin.
“You should know by now,” I told her softly. “The only one I’m interested in hurting is you.”
The elevator dinged when we reached the top floor, and I held her hand gently as I led her outside.
Her hand was shaking as I rang the doorbell, and I gave her a sweet smile and a peck on her cheek as we waited for someone to answer the door. Finally, it opened, and we came face to face with Carina.
“Hello,” she said, glancing from Harlow to me.
I could see her brain working, almost hear the wheels turning.
She was faced with a delicate situation now, and her best friend was about to find out Carina had played her to get what she wanted.
I had no interest in pitting the friends against one another, and I knew I’d have to keep up the ruse for a little while yet. But I would make it clear to Carina soon that I knew she’d attempted to get rid of Harlow. I knew where she’d wanted to send her. I’d taken the piece of paper from Harlow’s hands, recognizing the address on it right away.
There were other people who did the same things I did, but the symbol of the serpent always told our buyers our girls had entered into our world willingly. They wanted to be sold. They wanted a master. The place Carina had sent Harlow dealt with human trafficking too, but their girls weren’t there of their own volition.
I knew exactly how Carina had gotten the address. I knew her father well enough by then, knowing his tastes and desires.
He had attempted to get a girl from us before, and we’d declined, knowing the kind of person he was. Of course, that wasn’t the end of his path. He continued to search for a slave in more questionable establishments than my own. And the one where he finally succeeded was the very place Carina had dug up to send Harlow to.
“Hi,” I said in a cold voice. “I don’t believe we’ve met. You may call me Thorn.”
I shook her hand, her eyes darting between Harlow and me as she motioned for us to follow her inside.