by I. T. Lucas
Tessa rolled her eyes, but took it. “Thank you,” she said and then did something that shocked him. Stretching up on her toes, she kissed his cheek.
Fuck, it made him hard. That was the thing about abstinence. A kiss on the cheek would’ve done nothing for him a couple of weeks ago. Now it was making him hard.
Good thing Tessa seemed embarrassed by what she’d done and hurried ahead of him without looking back. Unable to take his eyes off her ass as he followed behind her, he knew that the situation in his pants didn’t improve. Unaware of the light swing of her hips, Tessa had a sexy walk.
Jackson hurried ahead of her and opened the door. “I hope you’re hungry,” he said as he closed it behind her.
“A little. What did you make for me?”
“Take a seat, get comfortable, and I’ll be right back.”
As Tessa sat down on one of the bar stools, Jackson ducked into the kitchen. He pulled out from the fridge the two sandwiches he’d prepared ahead of time, placed each on a plate and added coleslaw. There was no more potato salad left. Two glasses of orange juice joined the rest of the stuff on the tray.
“Your favorite.” He put the plate in front of her and then added the orange juice.
“Thank you,” she said in a tone that sounded a little choked up, and lifted her fork. But instead of taking a scoop from the coleslaw, she started pushing it around on her plate.
Jackson paused with his sandwich midair, waiting for her to take the first bite. “Eat. I waited to have dinner with you, and I’m hungry as hell.”
She cast him a sidelong glance, then lifted a minuscule amount of the salad and put it in her mouth.
If he weren’t as hungry, Jackson would’ve argued that it didn’t count. Instead, he attacked his triple-decker three kinds of meat sandwich, devouring it in record time. When he was done, Tessa was still pushing the coleslaw around on her plate.
Jackson wiped his mouth with a napkin and took a long gulp from his orange juice. “Why aren’t you eating?”
Without looking up, Tessa shrugged her narrow shoulders.
Jackson smelled tears.
Swiveling the bar stool she was sitting on, he forced her to face him. “What’s wrong?”
“I shouldn’t be doing this.”
“What? Eating?” He tried to go for humor.
She shook her head. “Coming here every day. Kissing you, turning you on. I shouldn’t have done it. It’s not fair to you.”
Damn it. She’d noticed his reaction and was back to that crap again. “Stop it. I have no expectations from you. That kiss was nice, and you’re an attractive girl. I couldn’t help my reaction. But I will never make a move on you, and I don’t expect you to make one on me. I’ll be happy if you do, and I won’t say no, but it’s entirely up to you.”
“I didn’t know guys like you existed,” she whispered.
“I’m nothing special, trust me. If it were Vlad or Gordon instead of me, they would’ve done the same. Most men are not monsters.”
She nodded. “I know. But very few are really nice, like you, and some are real monsters. The middle is made up of those who don’t care and are looking out only for themselves.”
He reached for her hands, and she let him clasp them. “Tell me about the monsters, Tessa.”
“Why would you want to hear that? What good would it do to you? You’re better off not knowing.”
“No, I’m not. My imagination is supplying me with one hell of a horror movie. What you’re going to tell me can’t be worse than that.”
She lifted her head and pinned him with the saddest eyes he’d ever seen. “It’s going to be way worse than anything you could’ve ever imagined.”
“Tell me.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I like it that you look at me and see an attractive girl and not a miserable wreck. I don’t want you to look at me with pity in your eyes.”
“I don’t, and I will not. I’ve known for a while now that something awful has happened to you. Did you catch me pitying you even once?”
She dropped her eyes again. “No. But you will if I tell you.”
He hooked a finger under her chin. “The only strong emotion I will feel is a murderous rage toward the monsters who harmed you. And if I ever find them I’ll make them pay.”
Damn. Getting all angry and aggressive in front of a human was a really stupid move. Jackson’s glands pulsated as they filled with venom and his fangs elongated. Doubtless his eyes were blazing too. He let go of Tessa’s chin and looked away, trying to get himself under control.
“I grew up in foster homes,” she started in barely a whisper. “Some were better than others, but the last one was bad. I was fifteen when I ran away, thinking there was something better out there. I should’ve stayed. The stuff that made me miserable in that foster home was nothing. They were strict and ran a household full of troubled kids like a military base. I shared a room with three other girls, but I had my own bed and my own box under it to store my things. Not that I had much. Just a few changes of hand-me-down clothes and my school books. I got into a fight with another girl and got punished even though it was her fault.”
Tessa shook her bowed head, her wavy hair hiding her face. “I was stupid. I still believed in the concept of fairness and felt wronged. So I packed a few things in my backpack and ran. I got as far as the train station. The monsters got me that same night. I think they lurk in places like train stations and central bus hubs, lying in wait for stupid runaway girls like me.”
Jackson wanted to just let Tessa talk, but he couldn’t help himself and growled, “Stop calling yourself stupid, please.”
She lifted her sad eyes. “If I were smart, I would’ve stayed. I should’ve been grateful to my foster parents for providing a roof over my head, food on the table, and a relatively safe place to come home to. So what if they had no love to give me? If I stayed, none of that would’ve happened to me.”
Jackson cupped her cheeks with his hands and thumbed her tears away. “You were a kid. Give yourself a break.”
She nodded, but he knew nothing had changed in her warped perception. Tessa still thought it had been her fault. “There were other girls in the place I woke up at. They drugged us and beat us. Obedience was rewarded with drugs, anything perceived as disobedience was punished with severe beatings. The monsters were masters at inflicting maximum pain without leaving any permanent marks or damages. After all, they still needed to sell us. Whoever bought us could do whatever he pleased to us. Including killing. We were presumed dead anyway.”
With a shaky hand, Tessa reached for the orange juice and took a long sip, then continued in the same monotone, flat voice. “The other girls warned me to obey everything immediately, but I didn’t listen. I tried to fight. The first time they only beat me up. The second time I didn’t do what I was told they broke each one of my fingers. One at a time over twenty-four hours. They gave me nothing for the pain, but put my broken fingers in splinters. I passed out a few times, but they revived me. I was supposed to learn my lesson, and I did. After that, I obeyed every command without thinking. No matter how degrading and how awful, I did it. The only thing I was grateful for was my virginity. They didn’t rape me because they could sell a virgin for more money. Some of the other girls weren’t as lucky. But it wasn’t as if they left me alone, they just used me in other ways.”
It was good that Tessa was still looking at the floor and not at him, because Jackson’s whole body shook with rage. Impotent rage was the worst kind. Neither he nor anyone else could change the past. Pressing his lips tightly together, he hid his fangs, which had by now elongated to their full size and were dripping venom into his throat.
“After three months they deemed me fully trained. I was sold at an auction and raped before he even got me to his home. I say it was rape, but I didn’t fight. All the fight had been beat out of me, and I was drugged. So I just lay there and let him do whatever he wanted. I was his slave for
over a year.
“What’s his name?” Jackson hissed.
“It doesn’t matter. He’s dead.”
“Who killed him?”
“That doesn’t matter either. I escaped that night.”
“Where did you go?”
“Eva found me and took me in. She and Nick and Sharon took turns helping me detox because I couldn’t go to rehab. I was sixteen and on the run. The dead guy’s family thought I was the one who killed him.”
“Did you?”
She chuckled and lifted her head, searching his face to see his reaction. “You sound like you hope I did.”
“Because I do.”
“I wish. But someone else did.”
“Who?”
Tessa shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. What’s done is done and he deserved to die.”
She was protecting someone, but that was fine. Whoever had freed her had Jackson’s everlasting gratitude, and so had Eva and her crew for taking Tessa in and helping her.
“True. If I knew who did it, I would shake that person’s hand and thank him.”
Taking in a deep breath through her mouth, Tessa released it slowly through her nose. “You were right. I feel better now. Thank you for listening.”
Jackson placed his hand over his beating heart. “Always and forever. I’m here for you.”
Tilting her head, Tessa looked into his eyes. “That sounded like a pledge.”
“It is.”
Chapter 42: Eva
“Do you have any questions?” the manager asked after introducing himself. A pleasant fellow, Peter was cut from the same cloth as the receptionist. Courteous and pleasant. Someone had done a fabulous job training the club employees. If not for the questionnaire, Eva would’ve doubted again her snitch’s information.
“I’m good for now.” Frankly, the thing had been so extensive and explicit that she was still recovering from the shock of going over it.
“Very well. Feel free to ask me anything during the tour, and if anything makes you uncomfortable, please tell me. This club caters to all sorts of tastes. You may wish to remain in the main area, or venture into the more exotic zones. It’s up to you.”
“I understand.”
The nice part was that not all of it was about kink, and nothing explicitly sexual was allowed in the main area, which was comprised of a large room with a full bar in the center, a cigar lounge in a covered patio outside, and plenty of love seats and intimate little enclaves for conversation and other things.
“Members are allowed to bring guests, for business or pleasure, with business conducted in the main room or out on the patio, and pleasure in one of the many places dedicated to it,” Peter explained.
There were private rooms, communal rooms for those who liked to watch or be watched or both, and of course various levels of kink areas. Private rooms could be used for whatever. They all came equipped with a large variety of sex toys and torture instruments.
“I think that’s as far as I go.” Eva had stopped the manager at the second level of public kink.
“Of course.” Peter led her outside the room and closed the doors behind him.
For the humans, the soundproofing would’ve been enough to block the disturbing sounds that had sent her running, but Eva wasn’t that lucky. The thuds and the screams that followed trailed her until she and Peter stepped back inside the main room. She’d read a little about it, even had a few fantasies, but to witness it done was too much. Anything that left red marks on the flesh or pulled screams of pain out of the victims repulsed her, and bondage was not something she could ever tolerate either.
So even though she marked BDSM as an interest on the questionnaire, Eva didn’t want to see any more. Luckily, she’d already spotted her mark at the beginning of the tour, sitting on the patio and wheeling and dealing with other scumbags while sucking on a thick cigar.
“Is it your first time in a club like this?” the manager asked.
“Is it that obvious? I thought I was ready for some of the stuff that’s going on in the other rooms, but I guess I’m more vanilla than spice.”
“No problem. As you can see, most of our members share your preferences. A beautiful woman like you will have no shortage of partners here.”
“How soon do I need to give you an answer?” The price of membership was staggering, but Eva had pretended it was nothing for her. The story she’d told the manager while touring was that she was recently divorced, had a large settlement from her rich ex, and was eager to party after years of unsatisfactory sex.
“You can enjoy the rest of the evening here, look around, get acquainted with the staff and the other patrons, and then decide if Allure is for you. If you need one more evening to look around it can be arranged. However, after these two complimentary visits, you’ll have to either purchase a membership or come as a guest of one of the members.”
“Of course. Thank you for your time.” She offered him her hand.
Instead of shaking it, he pulled out a white rubber bracelet from his pocket and slipped it on her wrist. “This is to identify you as a potential member and grants you free access to the bar. The drinks are on the house.”
“Much appreciated. You created a really classy establishment here.” Eva meant it. Doubtless, other sex clubs were nothing like this.
“Thank you. Have fun.” He waved his hand toward the bar.
“Oh, I will.”
As soon as the manager departed, Eva made her way to the bar and ordered a drink. Waiting, she sat with her back to the counter and looked across the room to the patio, checking her target was still there.
Confirming that he was, she let herself relax a little and look around.
“Here you go, ma’am.” The bartender put her Moscow Mule on the counter and added a small plate of nuts.
“Thank you.” Eva palmed the drink and went back to scanning the room out of sheer curiosity. The one thing common to everyone in there was wealth. From the designer clothes they were wearing to the perfectly done hairstyles, everything about them screamed money.
Eva’s eyes landed on a gorgeous woman in a blue dress and her much older companion. They were heading for the door which she and Peter had come back through, as another guide escorting a guest opened it from the other side.
For a moment, her heart skipped a beat—the guest looked a lot like the immortal who’d taken her virginity—eerily so. Similar height and body shape, even the coloring was identical, except for the eyes. Whereas her immortal’s eyes had been blue and smiling, this man’s eyes were so dark they were almost black. There was sharp intelligence in those eyes. And menace. A deadly combination if ever she’d seen one.
Cold dread slithering up her exposed back, Eva shivered.
That man was dangerous, and her instincts urged her to distance herself from him as soon and as far as possible.
She was about to hoof it out of there as the man and his guide passed her by and continued to the exit door. The man shook the guide’s offered hand, then turned around and looked straight at her.
Eva froze.
He must’ve felt her eyes on him.
Please don’t come near me, please don’t come near me… she prayed as he looked her over and smiled.
God must’ve heard her prayer. As the guide opened the door, the man thanked him again and stepped out. Eva collapsed back on her bar stool and emptied what was left of her drink. Her reaction didn’t make any sense. For nearly her entire adult life she’d been dealing with dangerous people, but she’d never felt anything like the fear that had gripped her because of one man’s dark, menacing eyes.
Come on, Eva. You act as if you’ve seen the devil. Shake it off. You have a job to do.
A quick glance confirmed that her mark was still sitting outside on the patio, chewing on his cigar.
Maybe she should buy a cigar to justify going out to the lounge. “Can you recommend a cigar for beginners?” she asked the bartender. “I love the smell but never tried one.
And I would like another one of these.” She pointed at her empty glass.
He pulled a couple of boxes from the huge humidor behind him. “Both aren’t strong but have a nice flavor.”
She chose the smaller one and paid for it. “Thank you,” she told the bartender and took her new drink and the cigar.
“Wait, don’t you want matches?”
“No, thank you.” Asking the scumbag to light her cigar was the perfect excuse to start her seduction.
She sauntered to where the mark and his friend were sitting. “Hello, gentlemen, mind if I join you?”
“Please,” the friend said, pointing at the third armchair next to the round table.
“Thank you.” She put her drink down and crossed her legs. “Hi, I’m Veronica.” Eva offered her hand to the friend first.
“Ricardo, a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Veronica.”
The name was as fake as hers. No one here gave their real ones. Eva tossed a few red locks behind her as she offered her hand to the scumbag. The red wig was top quality, and there was no chance she could accidentally dislodge it. A hurricane couldn’t snatch that thing. “And you are?”
“I’m James.”
“Nice to meet you, James.” She pulled the cigar from her purse. “I’ve never tried one of these before. Can either of you show me how it’s done?”
The one calling himself Ricardo cut the cigar for her and showed her how to light it.
She took a puff and choked.
“Gently,” Ricardo admonished. “Don’t inhale, just hold it in your mouth.”
She did, sucking on the cigar as if it was an entirely different thing and giving both gentlemen visible hard-ons.
There was a green rubber band around James’s wrist, indicating that he was a guest, not a member. Ricardo had none, which meant that he was. Eva wondered why someone like him would invite a scumbag like her mark to a club like this. The one calling himself James was a lowlife. Ricardo was sophisticated and obviously rich, but doubtless a scumbag as well. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been hanging out with James.