Powerless (Power Series Book 1)

by Lauren Cooper

  “Listen, you obviously know what I do for a living” I start as I mean to go on. I’ve swallowed my fear, shrinking it down to miniscule size. “You know I can pay you, but listen to me when I say I will not do anything for that woman”

  Considering my reply for a second, he juts his clean-shaven chin up towards me, “Why?”

  “It doesn’t matter”

  “It does if I say so”

  “Who the hell are you anyway?” I demand.

  “The big bad wolf as far as you’re concerned”

  I huff in laughter before continuing.

  “Look, I don’t want this, and it’s clearly a fucking mess for you too. You want my money, fine ill pay you. But you agree to never come looking for me ever again”

  “Hmm” he makes the sound before running his thumb and pointer finger across his pointy chin.

  “What?”

  “I didn’t think tonight would go like this. However, in my line of work we need to make sure you’re going to keep your word. And we don’t do contracts” he smirks.

  “You have my word, I’ll get the money to you as soon as possible. You know people can’t get that type of cash out of the bank” I hiss. He stands, buttoning his suit jacket and in two long strides he’s beside me. I instantly stiffen, memories of being overcome by a man just like him overtake my mind, mingled with the painful ending and the pleasurable one from Liam. Grabbing my hair, he pulls hard enough that my neck is tight against the back of the wooden chair. My arms instinctively go up to where he’s grabbed me, I try in vein to pull his hands away. This isn’t how Liam held me, this is pain.

  “You will pay us, and your word isn’t good enough. But we have to make sure you won’t blab your mouth around your legal circle darling” he spits. Minty breath laced with a hint of Tabaco wafts over my face.

  “What do you want from me?” I almost whisper.

  “We’re just going to rough you up a little, just enough to scare your pretty self of defaulting on a payment” he slaps my cheek playfully before giving his goon another nod.

  “Wait!” I almost shout. Turning on his heel he faces me, cocking a manicured brow expectantly.

  “I can pay you in two instalments. It won’t take that long.” I lie, I have no idea where I’m going to get that type of cash.

  “Yeah? Make sure of that and you won’t have to endure this again. Thank your mother for being a good for nothing whore” he spits before turning and leaving. Fear sets in and I want to beg, plead with him to not do whatever it is he has planned.

  The big bald one, who hasn’t moved from his spot by the door comes and grabs me by my hair, increasing the stabbing pain in my skull. Throwing me out of the door, I nearly stumble across the gaps in the floorboards but manage to right myself by grabbing the wall, before he shoves me further down the hallway. Doors hang by their hinges, giving way to numerous other destroyed rooms. I wonder if this was once a family home, where children would laugh and play. Once inside the room I was in originally, he shoves me into the wall. All thoughts of happy children, and a pleasant childhood filter away. A small tear escapes me, flowing down my cheek in mourning for the wall I thought I’d epically built and how little it took to make it come crumbling down. I try and mentally prepare myself for the worse, but who knows what that could be?

  I will my mind to travel to better things, Becca’s wedding, the business, Liam. Fuck! Why didn’t you listen to him? All the possible what if’s travel around like carousel in my brain and I can’t help but be consumed by them. I hated Liam, I loved him, I loathed, and I craved him. But he didn’t need me as much as I needed him. I don’t even know if he’s looking for me, and why would he? Deep down I know everything’s over. I know that he won’t take me back, I don’t know what shape the business will be in when I get back. When I get back. IF. If I get back.

  With a swing of his arm out of the corner of my eye I see his fist flying towards me before the pain evaporates around my head. Each blow he delivers to me hurts like hell, but I trained myself to keep the pain inside years ago. The crunch of skin on skin beckons around the room, and I wince and cry out as quietly as I can, already understanding that men like him live off people’s pain. Vivid flash backs happen as I close my eyes, but the pain keeps me grounded, willing me back to the now. My eye starts to swell closed, and on deciding he’s done ruining my face, the next few blows land on my stomach. Curling over I stumble to the floor, crashing my face into the splintering wood. Smashing my lips together when he kicks my ribs into shards of bone to not let him know how much he’s hurting me. I try in vein to attack back, kicking my legs out with the hope that I’ll hit him somewhere special.

  My hands claw at nothing in an attempt to save an inch of my body left unbruised. Panic slithers its way around my chest, weaving its way around each broken rib. I’m sore and bruised. My mouth is full of acidic blood, and I pray that I haven’t lost any teeth. After what feels like an eternity the pain stops and everything goes deadly quiet.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Ikeep my eyes squeezed tight, regardless of the pain splintering across my face. If I open them, it will all be real. If I keep them closed I don’t have to face it. I don’t want to face it. Who the hell are these people? Images of case files I’ve read, studied and sometimes even used during my cases flutter like leaves in the wind. I remember one case that had flopped due to the involvement of the mob, but with no evidence we couldn’t pin it on anyone. Was this them? Where they the mob? It would be just my luck to get tied up in this shit. Is it so hard to want a peaceful, quiet life? I decide then, that if I get out of here to move as far away as possible from everything and anyone. I’ll live on a desert island with no connections to the outside world.

  Why couldn’t she have chosen some jumped up pimp from a slum? My mother never done anything by halves. This was just the tip of the iceberg.

  Willing my mind to stay calm, hoping that by some saving grace I will walk away from here with only cuts and bruises and nothing more, I slowly open my eyes.

  Or at least I try to.

  Blinking a few times to clear the dancing swirls forming quickly over my already dark irises, I notice it’s dark. Only, I can’t tell if the room is dark or my eye is well and truly fucked.

  Hissing through clenched teeth, I sit up. Thankful for the wall behind me, holding me up. My shaky arms can barely hold my weight, but I manage through sheer will power. I didn’t entertain the thought of someone coming to find me, how the hell would they know where I was? I didn’t even know.

  The room isn’t dark anymore, my one good eye pinpointing the disgustingly yellow bulb swinging lightly on the ceiling.

  “Good Morning Sunshine” a snarl from the corner my bad eye is facing makes me snap my head that way. My neck groans in reluctance at the swift movement, but I ignore it.

  The slick one is sat in a chair, smoking another cigarette. The smoke billows around him, falling to nothing at the floor. My back instantly stiffens at his presence, images of previous victims of the mob flashing behind my swollen eyelid.

  Broken Bones. Teeth pulled. Raped. Decapitated. Drowned. Dead.

  Sucking in a shaky breath, I will myself to look at him.

  “What the hell do you want from me?” My throat burns as the words leave my mouth, and I swallow what little spittle I have in an attempt to soothe it.

  “I’ve already told you”

  “I said I’ll pay” I swallow past the coppery blood that’s coating my tongue and throat.

  “I know”

  So, What the Hell Do You Want I want to scream!

  “I haven’t had this much fun for a while, I’m not ready to stop just yet”

  Vomit pools in my stomach, my body aching with new pains. I’d give anything to have those sore muscles from countless rounds of sex with Liam instead of this.

  “Please…” my voice barely a whisper, but in this deathly silence I’m sure he heard me.

  A groan sounds from the doorway, turni
ng my fractured gaze that way I see the bald goon.

  “I love it when they beg” his deep voice does nothing to soothe me like Liam’s does, I would give anything just to hear his comforting tone right now.

  Mr. Slick huffs in laughter, before coming to his feet. Taking one last drag on his cigarette, he throws it to the floor. What I wouldn’t give to have a smoke right now. It’s been well over two years since I quit, but that rush. It’s ability to calm you when nothing else could. Stumping out the smoke with his shiny shoe, successfully quashing any hopes I had of taking a drag, along with any, where I thought I would get out of here okay, he comes closer.

  “Amelia, we’re only playing with you”

  “I don’t want to play” I hiss through clenched teeth. My hands aren’t bound, I’m free to launch an attack on him. He’s close enough, I’m sure I could get a few punches in and run. Run Where?

  “Don’t even think about it” Mr. Slick replies to my unspoken question with a cheery glint in his black eyes.

  “Fuck you” I spit on his shoes.

  Clutching a handful of my hair he tugs on it tightly. Strands of my hair pull away from the roots, and a searing pain shoots through my scalp. Tilting my head upwards and brining his other hand up to grab my chin roughly, he stares me dead in the eyes.

  “Do that again Amelia and see what happens” His grip on my face tightens and I can’t help the involuntary closure of my eyes. I want this to end, I want to go home.

  Dread suddenly fills me, when I recall the state on my flat. Will I ever see it again? They wouldn’t kill me if they expected money off me, right? Sucking in a breath I open my eyes. Meeting his deathly stare, I can’t help but wonder what this man has seen. Has he killed anyone? Obviously.

  “I’ll do whatever you want, I’ll pay you, I’ve already told you that. Please just let me go”

  He huffs in laughter before glancing at his man at the door and giving him a nod. I want to throw up so badly, even though I know nothing, but bile will come up with it. Minutes later I hear the clicking of shoes on the floor and his grip drops from my chin. I turn towards the door to see a woman I recognize but have never seen.

  Dressed in a designer dress, navy blue with pearls stitched into the shoulders. Her hair is pinned back into an Aubrey Hepburn style and diamond jewelry hugs her neck and ears. Slender legs give way to a tropical looking tan and sleek navy heels. My world stops spinning as I glance between her and the man clearly in charge of this shit show.

  He raises his arm, silently beckoning her towards him before pulling her in for an embrace and kissing her.

  Flicking a glance between me and the woman who looks like a polar opposite to the one I remember, he smirks. He fucking smirks at me, and I know my fate is sealed. I’m Powerless.

  That woman is my mother.

  To Be Continued….

  Author Note

  Thank you so very much for taking the time to read my book baby! If you could leave a review on Amazon, it would be very appreciated! Powerful (book 2) is coming soon!

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