Prisoned Series Box Set

by Marni Mann

  “I’ve been waiting to hear from you all day, Mina. I really thought you would have called and told me everything. At least the things I need to know.”

  I should have called. It was part of my job. She was doing work for me that hadn’t ever been required of her before. Her tone told me she was struggling with trying to balance it all.

  I didn’t blame her. It was a lot.

  But the reality was, I was her boss. I could call her whenever the hell I wanted, whether it was first thing in the morning or the next goddamn day.

  And I was going to get in touch with her. I’d just needed a second.

  I couldn’t tell her that though.

  I could barely admit that to myself.

  “When we get off the phone,” I said, “I want you to notify the board and tell them I’ll be in tomorrow. We’ll go see them together.”

  “I’m surprised to hear that, honestly.”

  “I had a feeling you would be. See you soon, yerekha.”

  I left my cell on the counter and slid off my ring. The deer skull was the only tattoo I had. Because a ring always covered it, the ink tended to fade. Once a year, I would get it touched up. I was due for a touch-up now.

  I smiled at the thought and went into my bedroom to get dressed.

  Fifteen

  Tyler

  Five Years and Six Months Ago

  I untied the scarf from around my face and tucked myself into the corner of the limo. As soon as I got comfortable, I began to rub the balls of my feet. They were killing me. I had so many pairs of new heels, and none of them were kind. They were all so pretty; they raised me four inches and made my calves look so slim. But, by the end of the night, they were excruciating.

  It didn’t matter.

  I had made almost five thousand in commission tonight, and it was worth every bit of pain.

  Once that money was deposited into my account tomorrow morning, I’d have close to half a million dollars saved. That was what I had earned over the last several months, working five nights a week. Well, that was mostly true because, of course, I had spent some. I’d purchased a computer and a data package for my new smartphone. I now drove a Jeep Wrangler, the car I’d always dreamed of having. And Wynter and I had recently rented a storage unit since all of our clothes and accessories no longer fit in our dorm room.

  I felt the limo start to slow, and then it came to a complete stop. Even though I was unable to see out the windows, I knew how long it took to drive to my dorm and that we were parked a few blocks from my building. It was safer than pulling right up in front—less attention that way.

  As the driver opened my door, I slipped on my heels and took his hand, allowing him to help me step out.

  “Good night, Tyler,” he said.

  I tried to ignore the throbbing in my feet as I moved onto the sidewalk. “Night, Tom. See ya tomorrow.”

  I hobbled to my building and waved my campus ID in front of the card reader at the entrance. Once I heard the buzz, the lock unlatching, I went in and took the stairs to the second floor. The lights were off in our room, but I heard the TV as I walked in, and it gave just enough of a glow, so I could see where I was going. With Wynter in bed, I quietly placed my heels in front of my closet and wiggled out of my dress. I draped it over the back of the chair, adding to the pile that needed to be dry-cleaned.

  “Hey,” she whispered.

  I stood in my bra and panties, shivering from the cool air that came in through the cracked window. “I’m so sorry I woke you. I tried to be quiet.”

  “I wasn’t fully asleep; don’t worry. How’d you do tonight?”

  I flung my bra on the desk and threw on a T-shirt before I climbed into bed. “Ninety-seven thousand.”

  “Damn, girl. Was it something sparkly?”

  “An antique diamond bracelet. Not my style at all, not that it matters.”

  She laughed and stacked her pillows, so she could sit up. “Are you working tomorrow night?”

  “Yep.”

  “How about the night after?”

  “I’m off, but—”

  “We’re going out,” she said, interrupting me.

  “Out, out, you mean?”

  “Yes, out, out. I need a break from this place.”

  She needed a break?

  I wasn’t sure why. Classes took up our mornings, the afternoons were spent shopping or going to the spa, and The Achurdy dominated most of our evenings. It felt like we were never home.

  I would kill to have a night where I could lie in bed, eat pizza, and binge-watch bad reality TV. But, on the nights I didn’t work, I usually tried to get at least a little studying in. I was so behind in school, and I knew I’d have to cut back on my class load next semester. Fifteen credits were just too many with a full-time job.

  “Don’t kill me, but I have a paper to write and two tests to prep for.”

  She laughed. “Nice try, but you’re not getting out of this.” She moved, so her feet were dangling toward the floor, the TV shining over her bare legs. “We’re going to a fancy dinner and then to the club where we’re going to sip amazing cocktails and dance our asses off.”

  I couldn’t hide the worry in my voice. “Which club?”

  “Not one of our clubs. It’s one neither of us has been to before.”

  We often went out for dinner and caught a late movie or took painting classes where we’d bring our own bottle of wine, or we’d spend the evening with the other girls at one of their places. But, besides the night I had met Mina, Wynter and I had never gone to a club before.

  “I’m surprised you want to go dancing,” I admitted.

  “I miss it.”

  “It sounds like fun, but…” I pulled one of the pillows into my lap and hugged it. “If I ran into one of my marks, you don’t think he’d recognize me, do you?”

  The other girls had said they spent so much time in clubs, it wasn’t where they wanted to hang out during their nights off. But the reason I never suggested going to one with Wynter was that I feared I’d run into a mark, and I didn’t know what would happen if I did.

  “Have you been worried about that?” She slid off her bed and came over to mine, sitting between my feet with her legs crossed.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, girl, no wonder you’re always looking over your shoulder whenever we leave campus. You don’t have to do that anymore. Didn’t Mina tell you?”

  “She said the guys wouldn’t remember, but…I don’t know. They never see her face, so she has nothing to worry about. It’s our faces they see, and…” What was I so concerned about? That they’d hurt me? Ask for their gifts back? Try to have sex with me? All of it, I thought. “It just makes me nervous.”

  She lifted the blanket and wiggled underneath it, stretching her legs toward my arms. “I ran into a mark a few months ago. It was the first time that’d ever happened. We were both walking into the same coffee shop, and he held the door for me, stood in line behind me, and never knew it was me. After I paid, we looked at each other, and he didn’t say a thing, didn’t even act like he was trying to place me from somewhere. You have nothing to worry about.”

  “So, they don’t remember The Auction? That part makes sense. But what about the club? You know, when they first meet us.”

  “From what I’ve heard, that part is really blurry. They remember going there, probably meeting a girl, but the details are vague. Plus, the clubs are so dark, you can barely see a thing in there.” She squeezed my ankle, like she was trying to calm me. “Stop stressing, girl. Mina has been doing this for years, and she’s never had a problem. We’re completely safe.”

  Wynter was right; I didn’t have a reason to keep looking over my shoulder, and I had to stop stressing. If there had been an issue, the clubs would have been shut down, and The Auction wouldn’t exist anymore.

  I felt better, and I regretted not bringing this up sooner.

  “You haven’t said no to shaking your ass with me,” she said.

  �
��I’m not going to say no.”

  “So, you’re in?”

  I smiled, knowing she could see it from the light of the TV. “Yeah, I’m in.”

  “Tylerrr,” Wynter said, the cocktails causing every few of her words to drag out much longer than normal, “I haven’t had this much fun in, like, forever.”

  “Right?” I giggled.

  Her ass was pushing against mine, and my hand was linked with hers in the air, swinging to the beat of the music.

  “I haven’t been this drunk in…” I tried to remember. “Like, forever.”

  This was the first time I’d gotten to use the fake ID Mina had given me. All the underage girls had them. That was just another awesome perk of our job.

  We turned around and faced each other, now both of our arms in the air with our hips grinding in sync. I felt the ice hit the sides of the glass, and I hoped some of it would pour onto me. It was so hot up here, and I was covered in sweat.

  Wynter had chosen this spot—a narrow catwalk on the second floor of the club, the bridge crossing over the whole dance floor. It wasn’t just steamy; it was loud, too, and there was smoke floating around us that pumped from a machine below.

  I wiped the side of the glass over my face and then sucked down the last drop. It tasted like sour gummy candy, and it made my lips pucker.

  I loved it.

  I loved everything about tonight.

  “Girl, give me your ass.”

  I twirled, rubbing my butt into Wynter’s. Both of us were laughing so hard, I could actually hear her over the music. I set the glass down but not before scooping out a piece of the ice and running it over my neck. It melted to just a sliver and slipped down the top of my dress. As I reached for a second piece, the music changed. There were no words, just bass.

  “Can you feel that?” she asked.

  The speakers underneath us caused a vibration that traveled through my body. I felt it everywhere—even between my legs.

  “Oh my God, yes.”

  And I liked it. Probably a little too much.

  “It’s almost as good as my vibrator.”

  “Almost,” I agreed, giving her booty a push and turning toward her again. I knew how good her vibrator was because she had convinced me to buy the same one. “I wonder what it would feel like if we straddled the speaker.”

  “I fucking love the way you think.”

  My head tilted back as I laughed. But, when my stare returned to her, Wynter’s eyes were wide, and the expression on her face set off a strange alarm in my chest.

  Had she spotted a mark?

  “Wynter, what’s wrong?”

  “Can I help you?” she snapped.

  She wasn’t speaking to me but glaring at someone behind me. I twirled again, meeting the faces of two men, both standing fairly close to us. The grins on their mouths told me they liked what they saw.

  Wynter gripped my arm and pulled me next to her.

  “Looks like you could use some refills,” one of the guys said.

  “We’ll get them for you, just tell us what you want,” the other added.

  I couldn’t believe how hot they were. Both were at least six feet tall with styled hair spiked in the front, shaven faces, and charming smiles. And they had money. Their clothes hinted at that, but their watches screamed it. I knew the designers, how much in retail they were worth, and the amount they would sell for at The Auction.

  “We’re good,” Wynter said.

  I glanced down at my empty glass that had only a few ice cubes left. “I could use a refill. I don’t know the name of the drink, but—”

  “We’re good,” Wynter repeated, this time a little louder.

  My head tilted toward her. “Are you sure?”

  Her lids narrowed. “I’m sure.”

  She had suddenly turned grumpy, and I didn’t understand why. These cuties just wanted to buy us drinks. There wasn’t anything wrong with that. If she didn’t want one, that was fine, but it didn’t mean I had to turn down their offer, too.

  “How about something sweet?” I said to the guys. “Like a—”

  “She doesn’t want anything from you,” Wynter barked, interrupting me.

  The guys looked at each other. Then, one of them said, “Listen, if your friend wants a drink, I’ll go get her one. You don’t need to speak for her.”

  Wynter stood taller, squeezing my arm so tightly, I knew it was going to leave a bruise. “You listen, asshole. I told you, we’re good, so stop pushing. There are hundreds of other girls in this club, so go harass some of them, and leave us the fuck alone.”

  “Wow,” one of the guys said, putting his hand on my shoulder. “Your girl really needs to relax.”

  Wynter’s lip curled like she was about to snarl. “Get your hands off her before my four-inch heel stabs one of your balls.”

  He lifted his hand and put both palms in the air. “Psycho fucking bitch,” he said as he and his friend backed away.

  Whatever buzz had been flowing through me now completely disappeared.

  What the hell just happened?

  I’d never seen this side of Wynter. I couldn’t even recall a time when she had raised her voice. She was the happiest person I knew. So, to see that kind of venom in her eyes and hear the fury in her tone shocked me.

  Once the guys were out of sight, she released my arm and started dancing. She was smiling again. Laughing. Acting as though nothing had just gone down.

  “Wynter?”

  She reached for my fingers and held them in the air, pumping her body to the beat.

  “Wynter, stop.” I pulled my hand away and rested both palms on her shoulders to get her attention. “What the hell was that about?”

  “What do you mean?”

  My brows pushed together, as I was astounded by her question. “I don’t recognize the person you just turned into. All they wanted was to buy us drinks, and you flipped out. Why?”

  “We’re not the kinda girls guys can buy drinks for.”

  That made no sense.

  And, no matter how hard I pushed on her shoulders, I couldn’t get her to stop moving and keep her eyes on me. So, I cinched her fingers between mine and dragged her over the bridge, leading her into a corner where the music was quieter and we were alone.

  “I’m not letting you go back out there until you explain this to me.”

  “I like this side of you,” she said, grinning. “All rough and demanding.”

  I cleared my throat. “Stop playing around. I’m serious.” My expression matched my words.

  “How do you not know by now?”

  I searched her eyes. They told me nothing.

  “Know what?”

  “That we’re not allowed to date. We’re not even allowed to have friends outside The Achurdy. The only reason I was allowed to be friends with you was because Mina was using me to recruit you.”

  We weren’t allowed to date?

  Or be friends with anyone who wasn’t in the organization?

  “They’re afraid we’ll get too comfortable, all lovey-dovey, forget about all the things we promised, all the vows we took, and spill all their secrets,” she continued.

  My eyes dropped to the floor. “But…”

  “You’ve never wondered why there aren’t any boys around us? Why I always bring you to places where it’s just us or the girls? Why you’ve never heard me say that I’m going out on a date?”

  How had I not picked up on that?

  “I’ve been so busy…” My voice trailed off.

  “You haven’t even had time to think about it. I know.”

  I crossed my arms around my stomach. The cocktails weren’t sitting well, and my belly was starting to ache. “You’re saying, we can’t date? Not ever?”

  “Not outsiders.” Her face was so serious, it caused me to quiver. “We can date the guys who work at The Auction—the deer, I mean. Or the women animals onstage—whatever you’re into.”

  The deer?

  That was our onl
y option?

  “I wish Mina had told the girls this when she hired them. She conveniently leaves that information out. I just figured you had caught on by now.”

  “You can’t tell anyone what you do, and you can’t ever talk about us to anyone outside The Achurdy. That makes it real hard to get close to anyone who’s not in the club,” Nix had said.

  “But you’re not telling me I can’t, right?” I had asked.

  “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” Mina had said.

  I was at the fucking bridge.

  “Wynter,” I said, squeezing her shoulders, trying to find my breath, “are you really saying I can never date? Never get married? Never have kids? Unless it’s with one of the deer from The Auction?”

  She waited a few seconds before she answered, “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

  Her words slapped me in the face. My whole body was now shaking. I couldn’t stand, couldn’t breathe.

  I found the nearest couch, and my ass fell against the seat. I bent over my knees, trying to fill my lungs with air, attempting to stop the panic attack threatening to take over my body.

  How did I let this happen? How did I not ask more questions before I let them mark me? How could I think this was so perfect? Didn’t I know that, in exchange for all this money, I would have to give something up? Why didn’t I find out what that something was?

  Wynter knelt in front of me, her hands on my knees to keep her balance.

  I slowly lifted my head and sucked in a breath. “What happens if I do it anyway? If I don’t listen and break that rule?”

  “They’ll kill you.”

  Whatever I had inhaled was no longer inside me. The air was gone. The cocktails were on their way up. Nothing I did would stop the trembling, the churning, the fear, and the dread shredding my core.

  “And, unless you want to die, I wouldn’t ask for an exception.”

  Sixteen

  Beard

  As Inmate #1504 walked to the entrance of the prison, I held his wrist, right above the metal handcuff. After only a few steps, he tripped over a rock, and one of his tennis shoes came off. It caused him to lose his balance, and he started to fall face-first. I caught him right before his chin hit the dirt. Not sure why I’d bothered. Within the next few days, he probably wouldn’t even have a chin left—at least not one that had any skin on it. Skin was usually the first to go. Limbs were second.