Disturbed

by Ashley Beale

  The man places my luggage on the bed before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.

  I sit on the bed next to it and sigh. I haven't allowed myself to go to the place of what if. It's hard not to though. I want to know what happened to Clarissa. I need to know! I need answers. I need to know that she is okay- or at least that she is going to be alright. I can't let anything happen to her, especially what happened to me last night.

  Several minutes later, the door opens and Roman comes inside. He looks at my luggage then around the room. "Will this be okay for you?"

  "Its fine," I tell him quickly before adding in more. "Where is she? What happened?"

  He moves my luggage to the floor and takes its place on the bed. This is the first time I haven't seen him looking completely professional. He looks like a basic guy going through a rough time, just in an expensive suit. "The stock market is a ploy. I mean, yes, we sell and trade stocks, but it’s a cover up."

  "A cover up for... selling drugs?"

  "That. Among other things."

  "What other things?"

  He sighs heavily. "I found Clarissa."

  I easily fall into his trap of changing subjects. "Where is she? Is she okay?"

  "Right now, she is... safe. I've done everything I can so far to keep anything from happening to her."

  "You stopped Blaise? How? Can we go get her?" I rise from the bed but Roman stops me.

  "Liv. Sit." I swallow hard before taking my seat again. The tone in his voice is a sure fact that we can't go get her. "It isn't that simple. Things are more out of hand than I've ever experienced. They won't harm her... yet. But they won't give her back either."

  "They? Who? I thought Blaise had her. Roman, this doesn't make sense!"

  Tears flow down my face. I don't want to cry right now. I want to be strong. I want to find Clarissa and save her. My emotions are in over drive, more so than normal.

  "When I said I was going to protect you, I wasn't talking about from Blaise. I was talking about from everyone else. His connections. Our connections. The people we work for and the people that work for us. I may run the business in which you see but I'm only a small source in a large company. Too many people are more powerful than I am."

  I whisper, "Everyone that was here that night." It makes sense now. "They don't own stocks with DRX, they... run this scandal. Don't they?"

  Roman looks at me solemnly. "They don't run it but they play a big hand in it all."

  "Did you call any of them? Maybe they can help?"

  He shakes his head. "I've called everyone I can call, Liv. The situation is in limbo. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to force some things to happen I didn't want to. Things will become a mess before they get better, but I can promise you without a doubt that we'll save her."

  "Like you promised to protect me." I can't help but be bitter. I'm honestly not angry with Roman right now, I'm just angry in general with the whole situation. I'm the angriest with myself. Especially for not listening to Clarissa or Roman from the start.

  Roman cringes at my words. "Liv, I know I didn't protect you from Blaise, and I'm sorry. I'm sorrier than you'll ever know. By letting you stay with him, I was saving you from what Clarissa is going through. From her fate. From what the other girls have endured. I kept my promise. You will never be taken by them or have the things happen to you that happen every day in this business."

  My face pales when what he is saying hits me. "Other girls? What happens to them?"

  "I need to go make a few more calls and get things set up. I'll be back when I have more answers."

  "You have the answers I need, Roman. Please," I cry out. "Please tell me."

  His jaw tightens as he looks away from me. I should have known I wouldn't get an answer from him. I never do.

  Just as he reaches the door, I tell him what I honestly think about him. "Even though you intimidate the hell out of me, Roman, I've always had a trust in you. I've believed in your for far too long. It's obvious that you're just out to torture me."

  He pauses for just a moment before exiting the door. He doesn't even have the guts to tell me any different. I wasn't lied to just by Blaise, I was also lied to by Roman. The two men I trusted the most aside from my dad proved to be nothing but worthless pieces of shit.

  I curl myself into a ball on the bed and let the tears fall freely. I have nowhere to go and no one I can trust. I've lost my best friend and I have no idea what is going to happen her. I can't go to the cops because finding out the little amount of things I just did, I know that I'm in way deeper than I had already imagined.

  I wake up some time in the middle of the night. The fire place in the room is going and there is a tray of food placed on the table that's off to the side. I sit up and check my phone. Tricia is the only one who has contacted me to see if I'm feeling better and to see if I went home.

  I send her a text message to tell her that I did go home for a few days and that I'm feeling fine. It's all bullshit but I'm certainly not telling her the truth.

  Climbing out of the bed, I walk over to see what Roman has left me. I haven't ate anything in over twenty-four hours and I definitely need something in my stomach.

  I pull the cover off the hot plate. The smell of spaghetti and a meat sauce fill the air. My mouth actually waters at the site of food. I pull a breadstick out from the small wicker basket beside the plate before taking a seat in the chair. I eat as much as my stomach allows, which really doesn't happen to be much.

  Once I'm finished, I clean up the little mess I make. My medicine is also placed on the table with a note telling me I need take it as well as eat food. If I weren't so angry right now, it'd probably force me to smile some.

  I dig through my purse to find a hair tie and pile the hair on top of my head. This room bores me quickly, so I decide to go down and use the bathroom, since I actually know where that is. About the only thing in this house I do know. The house is dark and quiet on the walk to the bathroom. I listen cautiously but cannot hear a noise coming from any direction.

  Walking back into the den after I use the bathroom, I notice one of the doors are opened just a crack. I tip toe over to the door and peek my head inside. It’s a giant office. When I say giant, I mean massive.

  I sneak inside and slowly close the door behind me, making sure not to make any noise. I turn the light on and look around. The walls are surprisingly bare, and although there are many shelves and a twenty foot long desk, there are no picture frames or anything else. He has a brown leather couch with two matching oversized chairs on one side of the office with what looks to be his own personal bar, and the other side is full of filing cabinets.

  I walk over to those first and pull on the drawers. They're all locked. I walk over to the desk and attempt those drawers as well, which also happen to be locked. I run my hand along the underside of the desk to look for a key but can't find any. He must keep them in his pocket.

  The desk doesn't have much on it, except a few stacks of paper and a couple random office supplies. I look through the stack of papers quickly, trying to see if anything sticks out.

  It’s not until the last stack that I see a face I recognize.

  Taryn.

  How the fuck does he have a picture of my sister?

  I sort through the papers a little more. There are many facts about my sister. Locations she’s been this year, people she talks with and others she doesn't. Where she lives, her age, her family history. I feel sick to my stomach.

  I hold it in as I read through some. Two pages later is a picture of another girl with similar facts about her. Every two or three pages, same thing with different girl. They're all in their twenties, all have similar life styles with broken families. Nothing of this makes sense to me.

  "Liv, some of these girls... they... they had bloody faces. Bruises. Were skin and bones. They looked sick. Some of them, like the one of me..." Clarissa words stick out. Roman mentioned other girls. Something is happening to these girls and I'm go
ing to find out exactly what it is.

  Roman's house is bigger than it looks from the outside. It takes me almost a half hour just to find the kitchen. When I enter, a young male dressed in white smiles warmly at me. "Would you like me to cook you something this morning, Liv?"

  It takes me aback for a couple seconds that he knows my name, but I'm sure Roman must've informed his staff of my company in his home.

  I smile at the guy. "No thanks. I'm just going to make some toast or something."

  He stops me from walking any further into the kitchen. "It’s my pleasure. What would you like? I can do eggs and toast, or a muffin if you prefer. Some fruit, possibly?"

  It's obvious he not only is required to cook for me but he actually wants to. When he mentioned eggs and toast my stomach growled, so I know exactly what I'm ordering. "Eggs over easy please, toast with butter, and some strawberries if you honestly don't mind."

  "Coming right up." He opens the fridge to grab two eggs from inside and walks over to the industrial sized oven. I take a stool that is off to the side and watch as he prepares my food for me.

  When he is finished, he places a tray down on the table beside me. "Do you want to eat in the dining area? I can bring your tray in there if you'd like."

  "Honestly, I'd rather eat here if that is okay. This house is huge and I feel too alone."

  He grins. "I know the feeling."

  "What is your name?" I ask before taking a bite of the eggs, which happen to be covered in butter and cheese. They melt in mouth and I nearly surrender the cook.

  "Noah."

  "Nice to meet you Noah. Thanks for the food."

  "You're more than welcome."

  Noah and I get lost in small conversation while I eat my food. It feels nice to forget the surreal reality that has taken over my life for even just a few minutes. When I finish, I tell him I'll be back sometime for more delicious food then I head towards my bedroom so I can get a shower in.

  My anxiety level rises the closer I come to the staircase. The last time I took a shower is when Blaise attacked me. The thought of being naked and vulnerable again brings on a cold sweat. Especially adding in the fact that I'm in Roman's home.

  Reaching the staircase I hear a soft melody playing off in the distance. I pause to listen. It sounds like a piano.

  I walk back down the hallway towards the sound. An echo from the piano comes from behind a closed door. I sit outside the door and get lost in the sweet harmony. Closing my eyes, I allow myself to get lost in the story being told only by sound. It’s a sad song, one filled with regret and heartache. A loss of love and friendship. It’s beautiful and elegant.

  It makes me wonder if Roman hires someone to play the piano for him, or if someone in the home plays in their spare time. I know he has plenty of workers. Some poor, lost soul got their heart shattered and instead of chasing their happiness, they play a song about their sadness.

  When the sound stops, I hurry to stand. I don't make it halfway down the hall before the door opens behind me. I didn't want to let the person playing the piano to be embarrassed by being heard in secret.

  "Liv," I hear Roman's voice.

  I turn quickly to face him. He is the one walking out of the room. "Do you play?" I ask. I can't picture someone like Roman playing such a heartfelt song.

  He smiles shyly. "So you were listening?"

  "Roman... that was beautiful." I almost forget I'm angry with him. Almost.

  He clears his throat, obviously embarrassed by my endearment. "I went to go talk with you but you weren't in your room. Do you have a moment?"

  I nod my head. He leads the way up to his den and down the hallway to where my room is, but instead of going in there, he walks past towards the end of the hallway. He opens the very last door and I enter behind him.

  If I thought the room I was staying in was large, I was wrong. This is most certainly the master suite. Also known as Roman's room. I feel a shiver fall down my spine just by the thought of being in here.

  "She is in Mexico already." His voice comes out exasperated.

  "Wait. What? Why is she in Mexico? I thought you said she was safe for now."

  "She is. For now. I need to get to her, Liv. I needed to tell you before I left. Stay here, where you're safe. My staff will take good care of you. I'll call you when I can."

  I stand my ground. "You're not leaving without me. I'm going with you. I need to save her."

  "It's not safe," he argues. "I can't promise I'll make it out alive, but I'm willing to do anything to save her. To make this right. I can't risk anything happening to you. Stay here, it isn't an option."

  "It is an option," I scream. "I'm going with you, Roman!"

  "No."

  He grabs the duffle bag on his bed and wraps it over his shoulders. "I'll be there in about ten hours. When I get there, I'll inform you. I'll inform you again when I find Clarissa. Once more when I bring her home."

  "And what if you don't make it, Roman?"

  "My staff knows what to do if that moment comes."

  "But I don't," I whimper. Tears pour down my face again. I haven't cried this much since my mother died.

  Her words whisper to me... "You protect yourself. You protect the ones you love. And you fight, Olive. Fight as hard as you can."

  Roman doesn't say a word. Instead, he walks past me towards the door. I stand tall, wiping the tears away. I'm going to be strong, not just for myself but for Clarissa. "If you don't bring me with you, I'm giving myself up to Blaise."

  "If Blaise still wanted you, he'd have you. This is his way of payback, torturing someone you love."

  "Like my sister."

  Roman pauses and tilts his head towards me. "What about your sister?"

  "I'd like to know. Apparently both you and Blaise have some kind of infatuation with her."

  "Don't cross that line, Liv. You don't want to cross into that line."

  "What does she have to do with the two of you, Roman? What does Blaise want with her?"

  "Exactly what he wants with every other one of those girls, Liv. I told you I was protecting you, and I was. Taryn too. I'm sorry that I didn't know Clarissa was at risk, but you weren't talking with her, I thought she was safe. Her name was never brought up."

  Roman's face turns red. His stance becomes more adamant.

  My face drains of all color. "Brought up in what? What have I gotten us all into? I need to know."

  He steps in my direction, shaking his head back and forth. "No, Liv. No. You don't want to know."

  "It’s way more than drug deals, isn't it?" He nods his head slowly. I see the dare in his eyes. He dares me not to mutter another word, but the more I connect everything I've learned, the more it all makes sense. "You deal... women."

  His jaw ticks but he doesn't say a word.

  "How?" My word whimpers out. "How can you do that, Roman?"

  "It's not like that, Liv, I promise."

  "Enough with the fucking promises!" I throw my fists into his chest over and over. "How, Roman? How can you be part of this?"

  He allows me to continue punching at his chest until my body becomes so weak it gives up on me. I fall to the floor and wrap my arms around my legs, folding my body into itself. "You allow these girls to be raped and beat and sold." I peak up at him. "You're disgusting, Roman."

  "You don't understand," he whispers.

  "What don't I understand, Roman? How disturbed you truly are?"

  A tear actually falls from his eye. I'm sure it’s another ploy. Another trick. It’s obvious he is good at making me believe all his lies. "I was saving you," he whispers.

  "From being raped in Mexico? What is the difference between Mexico and the bathroom of my dorm?"

  His body starts to visibly shake. "He raped you, Liv?"

  "What does it concern you?"

  "Because I fucking love you, that’s what. And I'm going to fucking kill that mother fucker." Spit flies as he growls out his words. He is seething in anger.

  "Y
eah, well, I could never love someone like you."

  He stares at me for only a moment before he replies. "I'm going to save Clarissa. When I get back, I'll explain everything."

  "I won't be here."

  He doesn't listen. Roman walks out of the door, leaving me alone. This hopelessly lost girl crumbles into oblivion on his bedroom floor.

  ROMAN

  I wanted to sit there and explain everything to Liv. I just couldn't, not yet. Every minute wasted is another minute closer to a deadly fate for Clarissa. Although Liv is whom I truly want to save, I can't, not yet. Not until I have her best friend back.

  What she doesn’t realize is that I'm not part of this. Not really.

  When I was young, I watched my father and his best friend take turns with my mom. I saw things no child should ever have to envision. They didn't just rape her but they beat the shit out of her. I was forced to watch, being brainwashed by them at the far too young age of five. I was told that when I grew up, this was my destiny.

  My father started this underground sex shop with his friend Bill. They would trade and sell females of all ages. Some as young as eight. I swear I never saw a woman over the age of twenty either.

  Even at a young age and being told continuously that everything was alright, I knew it wasn't.

  I went to my mom and told her some of the things I saw. I wanted her opinion on it. She told me to mind my business, but when I was asleep that night, apparently she confronted my dad.

  He woke me up by pulling my ear, dragging me out of my bed. I was tied down to a chair and watched them torture my mom before shooting her dead.

  I knew right then if I didn't obey him, that these things would happen to me. Possibly worse.

  After that night, I did everything that was asked of me. Eventually my teen years approached, and dad trusted me more than he trusted Bill. At the age of twelve I was forced to shoot Bill while he was in the middle of raping this young woman.

  The feeling of revenge washed over me. It was euphoric. I knew then what I wanted to do when I got older. I wanted to take all these sick bastards down.