Collaring Cinderella

by Isabella Starling

  I picked it up, then straightened up again in time to see a little old VW Beetle racing off the mansion grounds.

  “Ella!” I called out, but there was no way she could’ve seen or heard me. She was already out of earshot, going God knows where and driving much too fast.

  I stormed back to the party, now feeling every single guest’s eyes on me as I stood in front of Martha, my eyes burning with anger and my fists shaking. I was ready to kill the woman if she didn’t tell me where Ella had gone, I was so desperate for information. Where had I gone wrong? Had I moved too fast for my sweet, innocent little princess? I needed to fucking know.

  “What happened?” I barked at Martha, doing my best not to grab her by the shoulders and shake the information out of her. “What the fuck did you do to my girl? Where the fuck has she gone?”

  “She left,” she said, sounding pleased with herself. “The stupid girl finally came to her senses, thank God.”

  “What did you say to her?” I growled, feeling rage surging through my body. “Fucking tell me, right now, or I swear to fucking God…”

  “Simple as that,” she shrugged. “She didn’t want to stick around after I told her she’d be replaced within days.”

  “You told her what?” I was ready to kill the woman when I felt a strong hand on my shoulder, squeezing firmly.

  “What’s going on here?” my father cut in, his voice friendly but letting us both know this just wouldn’t do.

  Every party guest was staring now, and I felt their curious gazes to my core. But I didn’t give a shit anymore, didn’t care what any of them thought. All I wanted was to get answers, to find my girl and fucking take her away from her witch of a stepmother before it was too late. And I wasn’t going to waste any time doing it. But now that my father was getting involved, I felt my patience wearing thin, desperate to know what had taken place in the few minutes I’d spent away from Ella. Long enough to make her disappear on me, apparently.

  “I’m trying to find someone,” I replied coolly. “And Miss Monroe here isn’t being helpful at all.”

  “Your housekeeper?” Dad said, and I felt Martha’s mortified gaze burn into him. “What is she doing here in the first place?”

  “I don’t know,” my tone was bitter. “Why don’t you ask her.”

  Martha, now blushing fiercely and glaring at us, threw her hands in the air.

  “Ella this, Ella that,” she said angrily. “Why does it always have to be all about that stupid child? I’m sick of it!”

  I raised the collar in front of her eyes, feeling everyone watching me.

  “Because she lost this necklace,” I told her simply. “And I want it on her when I ask her to be my wife.”

  I heard every single guest gasp, and I felt my father’s eyes on me as I turned back to face Martha.

  “You better tell me where she went,” I said. “Or there will be hell to pay.”

  “Tell us where she is,” Dad chimed in. “Did she go home?”

  “How would I know?” Martha replied, sounding pleased with herself. “She drove off in that godawful VW Beetle of Edna’s.”

  My father cleared his throat before clapping me on the back.

  “We better go,” he told me, and I nodded, following him to a car waiting downstairs.

  My father didn’t seem as weak as he had been the last time I saw him, and we drove to the housekeeper’s house in silence, with him staring out the window and me silently contemplating what Ella was doing. I needed her. Every second I spent away from the girl felt like a fucking eternity, and I was desperate to get her back. I wasn’t going to rest until she was safe and with me again.

  “So, a girl,” Dad spoke up, and I looked at him quickly before shifting my eyes back outside.

  I couldn’t focus, couldn’t fucking think. The only thing on my mind was my sweet Ella.

  “She’s special, Dad,” I finally managed to get out. “She’s really fucking special.”

  “You love this girl?” Dad asked me, and I looked right into his eyes before nodding.

  “Yes, I do,” I said heatedly.

  “You’ll do anything for her?” Dad went on. “Anything at all?”

  “Anything in the world,” I confirmed.

  “Good,” he grinned at me, and I stared at him, surprised. “Then we better find her.”

  I was about to comment when the car came to a stop, and we both got out to find the housekeeper’s cottage deserted.

  “She’s obviously not here,” I growled, feeling those instincts kicking in once again.

  I needed to find her, take care of her, make sure she was alright. I couldn’t stand being without her and not knowing where she was. I needed her next to me, where she belonged. Needed to taste her sweetness on my tongue every day for the rest of my fucking life.

  “I know someone who might be able to help,” Dad said, motioning for me to follow him.

  I went down the path, surprised by the sudden strength he was exhibiting as we walked a short way to another cottage. I remembered this one, and I had fond memories of the woman inside.

  Dad knocked on the door, and a few moments later, an attractive, slightly older woman, opened it.

  And then slammed it in our faces.

  “Edna!” Dad called out. “Please. This is about Rafe.”

  I watched, astonished, as the door opened again, and Edna peeked out, smiling wide when she saw me. She’d always loved me, had been spoiling me since I was a little boy. Since my own mother was always absent, Edna had taken on her role, and I always saw her as a mother figure. It had been years since she’d worked for us, but I’d made sure to give her a place to live and a generous pension to live on for the rest of her life. And after all, she was barely fifty—she had plenty of time to do whatever she missed out on when I was a kid.

  “You better come in,” she finally said, letting us pass through.

  Her house was tidy and adorable, and it made me grin with fond memories. I missed Edna, and I’d been a dick for not visiting her often enough. She’d made my childhood beautiful despite the lack of a mother and a father who was always away on business. I just didn’t understand what had caused her to shut the door in my dad’s face when she saw him on her doorstep. He had paid her to work for him for so many years… There was obviously a hidden grudge there, but I didn’t want to pry just yet.

  “Is this about Ella?” Edna asked, giving me a knowing look.

  “How did you know?” I asked, coming closer to give her a tight hug that she happily returned.

  “I knew right away,” she said simply. “The second she said she’d met someone… The way her eyes sparkled. I knew it was the right person, and I knew it was you, even though she didn’t tell me.”

  We exchanged a little smile before I stepped closer, desperately looking into her eyes.

  “I need to find her,” I said. “I don’t know where she is… she left the ball in a hurry, and I’m worried.”

  “She’s leaving,” Edna told me. “Leaving town. She’s going to catch the bus.”

  “Now?” I asked, feeling panic settle in. “Bus to where?”

  “She didn’t tell me,” Edna said. “But it’s one of the late-night ones.”

  “I have to go,” I replied breathlessly, rushing to the door.

  Only a moment later, I remembered my father, and turned around calling out, “Dad?”

  I seemed to have interrupted something. Dad and Edna were standing there, something between them passing without either of them saying a word. I understood then, finally understood what was taking place in front of me.

  “Never mind,” I grinned. “I’ll see you soon. Behave.”

  Dad smiled at me as I made my way out of the little cottage, giving instructions to the driver and settling back in my seat as we raced towards the bus station.

  I needed to get there in time. I needed to make sure she knew how I felt… And even if she turned me down, I had to tell her what Martha had fed her were lies, I tru
ly loved her, and I would do anything to keep her, make her mine completely. Whether she accepted it or not, I was going to spend the rest of my life convincing her of my love and devotion.

  We pulled up in front of the bus station what felt like hours later, but couldn’t have been longer than twenty minutes. I opened the door while the car was still moving, practically throwing myself out and racing towards the station.

  “Hey, hey, where are you going?” a man wearing a security vest stopped me. “Do you have a ticket?”

  I grabbed him by the vest and pulled him closer.

  “I will buy every fucking ticket available,” I snarled at him. “I will pay you whatever the fuck you want. Just help me find her.”

  “F-Find who?” he stammered. “Sir, you have to calm down… Tell me who you’re looking for.”

  “A girl,” I said desperately. “A woman. Blonde, petite, gorgeous. Ella Monroe. She… she’s beautiful. She’s gorgeous, you wouldn’t be able to forget her. Did you see her? Did you fucking see her?”

  “For the love of God, calm down,” the man said, trying to force himself out of my grasp. But I was holding on too tight, desperate to know what had happened. “I will help you, just let me go… We’ll find her together.”

  Reluctantly, I let him go, and he coughed and sputtered as his feet hit the ground once again.

  “I saw a girl like that,” he finally managed to say.

  “Where?” I snarled, ready to grab him once again.

  “Calm down,” he begged. “She was getting on the bus, the one a.m. one. But it just left… It left ten minutes ago.”

  “What destination?” I asked him roughly.

  “I can give you the route of the bus if you want to go after her.”

  “Yes,” I barked. “You will. You will do that right the fuck now.”

  “This girl,” he went on nervously. “Is she… is she dangerous?”

  “No,” I shook my head. “The only one in danger is everyone else if I don’t find her.”

  That lit a fire under his ass, and he left to find the papers. I sat down on the sidewalk, my head in my hands as I cursed out loud. I needed to get my hands on her, but most of all, I needed to know she was alright. Not knowing where she was made me feel sick to my gut, and I hated it. She could be anywhere, with anyone. Fuck, I’d really messed up. I should have never let her out of my sight. I’d never repeat that mistake again.

  Something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye, and I raised my head to look at it better.

  There was a scuffle going on in a side alley a little way off. I couldn’t really see what was going on, but I saw several guys laughing and cheering at something out of my sight.

  With a sigh, I got up, and headed directly there.

  At least I’d get to let off some steam if I caught them doing anything bad. I needed to fucking hurt someone.

  I heard a girlish scream, and my footsteps sped up.

  If they were hurting someone in that alley, I was going to fuck them up.

  “L OOK AT HER,” ONE OF them laughed out loud. “Look how fucking scared she is.”

  I was shivering, my arms wrapped around my body as if I could protect it from whatever they were planning on doing to me. I was terrified, my breaths coming out in desperate little gasps, my legs barely holding me up. I’d never experienced real fear like that, fear that reached all the way into my bones and made me whimper in front of the gang of guys who’d forced me into a corner.

  “Please,” I managed to get out, “please d-don’t h-hurt me.”

  “Hurt you?” The biggest guy laughed at me, approaching me menacingly and making me take a step back.

  But my back hit a wall and I knew I was utterly trapped, with absolutely nobody to help me. I wasn’t going to get out of this unscathed, and I knew it as well as they did. There were four guys in total, tall, broad-shouldered and covered in tattoos and piercings. I was terrified, not because of their appearance, but because only minutes later, one of them had grabbed me by the arm and dragged me into the alley, tossing me into it like I was a piece of meat. I was shaking so badly I thought I’d pass out any second, but I couldn’t let my body do it because I knew I’d get hurt the second I lost consciousness.

  “We are going to do so much more than hurt you,” he went on, approaching me slowly like a predator.

  I let out a little sob. This wasn’t like it had been with Rafe, and now, after sleeping with him, I knew how much they could hurt me. All the dirty, nasty things they could do to me if nobody came to my rescue. And I was so scared, knowing I’d never be able to stop them myself. One little girl against four huge, meaty bad men… I didn’t stand a chance in hell.

  “Please,” I begged one last time. “Just don’t do this. I’ll leave, I won’t tell anyone what happened.”

  “Nothing’s happened yet ,” one of them piped up. “But it’s about to, darling, and there’s no way you can fucking escape it.”

  “I’ll scream,” I threatened, but my eyes filled with fear as I saw a guy in the back toy with a knife, the blade glinting in the moonlight.

  The tallest one was suddenly so very close, and his hand reached out, fingers ready to wrap themselves around my throat. I felt the first tears fall, and the guys laughed at my helplessness but, too far gone to stop my sobs, I shut my eyes as tightly as I possibly could and prayed in my head to get them away from me, for someone, anyone, to notice what was going on and come save me.

  “Get. The fuck. Away. From. Her.”

  My eyes flew open and my heart soared as I watched someone approaching. A figure I would know anywhere, anytime, the broad shoulders encased in the jacket he’d been wearing at the party, but his mask off now, revealing every inch of his handsome face.

  “Rafe!” I cried out, trying to get to him.

  But the tall guy stopped me in my tracks, his hand going out and holding me back, the first contact he’d made since I’d come into the alley. I sobbed, half with relief and half with pent-up fear because I was so scared of what the guys were going to do to Rafe now that he was this close. There was four of them, and he was all alone… Fear crawled in the pit of my stomach, and I sniffled miserably as the leader held me back.

  “What the fuck did I say?” Rafe snarled, coming closer and taking a slow, deep breath. “You touch her again, you fucking die.”

  The leader let go of me, and I took a deep breath, feeling the air go back in my lungs and crying out for Rafe to help me.

  “And who do you think you are?” the leader asked Rafe, stepping right up to him. “You think you can just–”

  Slam!

  Rafe punched him straight in the face, his fist connecting with the man’s jaw and knocking him out. He was on his butt a second later, hitting the ground hard, unconscious within seconds.

  “Rafe!” I called out. “Behind you!”

  Rafael turned around, and in a split second, another man landed on his ass. He’d been coming at him with a knife, but now the blade glistened on the ground, useless to the man Rafe had knocked out. He turned towards me and tossed me his phone, and I somehow managed to catch it in my trembling hands.

  “Call the police, princess,” Rafe said roughly. “And turn around, this is going to get fucking ugly.”

  There were still two guys left, and they looked pissed as hell as they approached Rafael. My fingers shook as I punched the three numbers into the phone’s screen, and started dialing.

  “911, what’s your emergency?” a detached voice asked at the other end of the line.

  “Help, please help,” I cried out. “At the bus station, the alley in front of it. There’s four of them, and they have a knife. Please hurry, they’re attacking me…”

  I turned my attention back to Rafael and felt fresh tears spring to my eyes as the two men jumped him, the phone in my hand long forgotten. I just felt scared, and not even for myself anymore. I was terrified for Rafe, needing him to come out of this unscathed, for him to be okay so he could make m
e his again.

  I wasn’t able to get on the bus, the overwhelming feeling of need overpowering every single one of my senses as I climbed the steps to board the vehicle. I couldn’t make myself leave, get away from it all, as hard as I tried. There was no way I could leave it all behind—not Edna, and especially not Rafael Goldwyn, the man who had told me he loved me as he filled me up, the man with the diamond collar he was so desperate to place around my throat. And I wanted it… I wanted everything he had to give, and then some. I wanted to belong to him completely, and I knew as I got off that bus that I had to get back to him, no matter what Martha said. Even if he turned me down, I needed him to know I loved him back. So much it hurt me to even think about it.

  “Come at me,” one of the remaining guys said, motioning for Rafael to approach.

  “Why?” my man laughed. “You too scared to come at me yourself?”

  The other guy snarled and threw himself at Rafe, and I heard a loud scream, realizing only moments later that it had come from me. But it didn’t matter, none of it did—not my fear or my panic, because Rafe tossed the guy over his shoulder as if he weighed nothing at all. The guy groaned, but Rafe was already past him, back to the other one who’d been laughing at him. Except now the man didn’t look too cheerful, his face etched with worry as Rafe advanced towards him.

  “Hey, man,” he said, raising his hands in front of him. “Calm the fuck down, okay?”

  “Why the hell is everyone telling me to calm down?” Rafe roared. “You were going to hurt her. You were going to fucking hurt her!”

  “N-no,” the guy stammered. “No, we wouldn’t…”

  “Don’t fucking lie,” Rafe snarled. “You wanted to touch her, but she’s not fucking yours to touch. Only I get to do that… you got that, you fucking piece of shit?”

  In seconds, he was on him, beating him into the ground. He slammed his fist into the man’s jaw over and over again, and I cried out, hearing sirens in the distance.

  “Rafe, Rafe please!” I cried out. “Stop it, come here, come to me…”

  He stopped punching and stumbled towards me. The leader lay unmoving on the floor and I heard car doors slamming. In moments, we were surrounded by policemen and shouting.