I won't be desirable, nor will I strive to be. I'll play my part, but it doesn't mean a man will want the woman I've become - I'm suddenly emotionally deaf, branded, and unable to become a character of obedience.
I set my gaze upon Clara's. This, from all of us girls, is seen as disrespectful to The Boss, but I don't care. She took away the only hold she had over me. I don't have to obey her every whim. I will stare her down and disobey. This is not like it was before. This is like the beginning of a rebellion, and I want to see Clara Delvine try and stop the anarchy.
“I’m so pleased to see you dressed up for the occasion,” Clara admits, her lips pulled into a tight smile. “But you might find yourself with a chill in your new room.” She laughs when my eyes widen dramatically, and I feel the unease wash upon me. “I think it’s time to get you settled in.”
With that, Sam steps in and grabs me hard. He drags me behind Clara’s carefully placed trail, gaining distance with the door for the pit. I fight a little, but it does nothing but make him tighten his hold on me. Being dragged into the pit was not a dignified way to go. Sam didn’t care about how hard he manhandled me, nor did he care when he threw me against the wall. Clara didn’t argue as I fall against the wall until I’m a crumpled heap on the freezing floor. I hear chains and when I look around, Clara is holding a padlock and thick brass chain. I gulp, which only magnifies her smile. Sam grips onto me again, one hand pinching upon a pressure point in my shoulder as the other hand holds the loop to my collar. Clara quickly locks me onto the chain and Sam releases me.
No one says anything as they inhumanely begin to leave me behind.
I’m connected to the wall by a chain and I stupidly pull on it, hoping to somehow rip myself free from the concrete.
“This is your home now,” Clara declares happily, and I can hear absolute glee ooze with every word. She gives me a leery grin before standing up to smack Sam away from me. “Leave her,” Clara orders her minion harshly, and he heads for the open door. “I’m still not done for the state you left her neck in!”
I actually allow a small bubble of laughter escape as I watch her slap Sam across the back of the head. He immediately nurses the spot as the door is shut and locked. I’m not sure why they lock it, I’m chained to the damn wall for Christ’s sake! With that senseless thought, my laughter soon twists and turns into a small whimper. I want to remain strong, to keep my morale as high as I possibly can, but it’s difficult when I’m cast in total darkness with nothing more than my thoughts for company.
When I finally cave, it's only so I can slump against the wall. Despair is clawing at my soul and as much as I know I should ignore its harrowing cry, I want to fall into its darkness. I want to allow myself to succumb to it. This anguish is too much to fight again when I'm alone. In the darkness there are no distractions to the calls of depression. There is no way to stop yourself from listening to the earth shattering sound of your own heart cracking into pieces.
I'm thankful when there is a key suddenly pushed into the lock. I don't know what's on the other side, but anything is better than this derelict isolation. As the door opens, I can hear voices, and my nerves become alive. They all start to quiver under my skin, the cold sweat beads across my forehead as I know what’s to come. My gut instinct tells me, I’m about to be showcased in a way I never want.
“Meet the in-house pet!” Clara declares, turning the light on to the room.
I wince at the flood of lighting attacking my eyes, and I cover my eyes. I slowly blink away, trying to allow my eyes to adapt to the influx of brightness after total darkness. When I finally look up, there is the entire horde of Viper Girls, with a few newer faces and the bar staff. They’re all staring at me, Cassidy smirking away while Eli and Brianna just stare at me in utter horror.
I look away. This is total humiliation bestowed upon me, and I can’t hide away.
Clara’s heels click upon the concrete floor until she’s by my side. I’m forced to look up when she grabs at my hair, pulling it into a ball at the base of my skull. The pain heats across my skull in tiny prickling screams. “Bark, dog,” she orders and I refuse. Her hand tightens upon my hand my hair and I hiss out, but still disobey. She releases me, throwing me forward as she does so. “Apparently she’s shy.”
“Fuck off,” I ground out. I’m pissed that I’ve allowed this happen. I’m annoyed at my past self for ever allowing Clara Delvine to take advantage of me, I’m furious that I allowed Jace to get caught in this, and I’m incensed that everything I know is now Clara’s to do with what she likes.
“Or maybe not!” Clara claps her hands together but remains beside me. “Joely, here, came back out of her own choice, of course! She was presented with a bargain that she couldn’t give up on. Do or die as they say.” She walks toward the rest of the girls. “I’d like you all to welcome her back lovingly, but remember she is my viper dog. And remember, if you get down with the dogs, you will get up with fleas.”
I roll my eyes. She’s just spouting as much lunacy as she possibly can, but from the look of the fresh meat they believe it – like Luca once did. It’s like I’m disease-ridden and ready to bite. I’m the infected, and I’m the one everyone will have to stand away from until I’m announced back into the club – whenever that will be.
Reverting my gaze, I look amongst the girls, striving to see Luca lingering within the clan. All eyes are still on me, so why not put my eyes on as many of them? I’m getting near the left side and my hope dwindles until I catch her. She’s standing in the back, purposefully not look at me. Already I can see she’s been groomed to look the part, but I wonder if mentally she’s stable or if it’s all an elaborate facade. I don’t get a full glance at her, so there’s no way I can fully evaluate what’s become of her.
“I think we’ve stood around enough,” Clara breaks the awkward silence. “This, ladies, is how to really hit rock bottom.” Clara flicks her hand at me with utmost disgust, her face scrunching up as if she’s smelt something nasty. “This is what The Runaway Viper looks like.”
Well rather that then the dog, I suppose! I want to snicker at my inward voice striking up. It’s been a little quiet, but it finds a voice when I need it. I allow my head to lean forward as I try to stop myself from laughing and in doing so, Clara begins to empty to the room. I know I should be quivering in fear, but I can’t. I just don’t care anymore. I’ve been used, degraded, marked, exploited, and now branded. What else is there left to do? I’m not sure there is much worse, but knowing The Boss, she’ll know of a way. The look she tosses me over her shoulder tells me she has been awaiting this day for months. She’s got a plan, and it starts with the pit. My body braces for total blackness and I look up to get once last look at everyone.
My last look has me exchanging glances with Brianna, and I’m appalled at the state of her. She’s so gaunt and a shadow of herself. What sort of life did I allow them to fall in? I know I shouldn’t blame myself, but since my departure, it seems that Clara changed everything – her attitude, her mistreatment of us got worse, and the club is far worse than ever.
***
I’ve barely slept. With no heating, no comfort, and no idea of how to tell the time, I’ve been tossing and turning upon the cold floor as much as I possibly can. Being chained to a wall does not help that much either.
Plus I spent a lot of the time here staring into the blackened oblivion wondering about Jace. It wasn’t until the door was locked the final time that the enormity of his fate settled on top of my own. He was as caught up and victimized by this as I was. I may have been branded, violated and exploited by the club, but he was beaten and abducted because of my contract. We are far more entwined than anyone will ever be able to understand.
Rolling onto my side, I face the wall, allowing my chained leash slacken the most. I can’t tell how far from the wall I am, but I do just stare. It’s in this dark environment I see so many memories ignite and dance to life. For the most part I make myself focus more on the memo
ries that healed me and made me whole, and not the ones that tore me to shreds.
The moment the sound of a key in the lock resonates, I know it must be morning. I’m pretty sure I was left here all night long alone. I’m the uncared for one, the one who doesn’t need protection or comfort. I lost my rights to those the moment I allowed Jace to steal me away in the depths of one night.
But I can’t regret that night. Even if I’m here now, frozen to the core and for the most part, emotionally detached, I won’t ever show remorse for months of living in my own sun kissed nirvana. As I push myself up, I vow to myself to never allow anyone make me regret that choice decision of mine. As light bursts into the room, I reinforce the notion and admit it will be hard, but the decision is cast in stone. Clara may want me broken, but some parts of me are so impenetrable now, even she won’t win.
As I watch who’s coming to me this time, it’s Shads who enters, the large metal loop with all the keys to the club in his hand. He doesn’t talk, just comes over and unlocks the weighted padlock from my neck, invariably freeing me. He motions for me to stand, and I’m grateful he doesn’t choose to manhandle me. He’s always been one of my favorite guards, I’m just happy he hasn’t treated me with any less respect like the others have.
I rub around my neck, not realizing quite how heavy the lock was on my collar. My neck feels fragile right now, numb after having the dead weight trapped to such flimsy material. I roll my shoulders then my head and try to loosen the knots ravaging my muscles. I feel like I’ve been bound in iron, my body fighting for freedom but losing a sorry fight.
I work on the knot between my shoulder blades as we enter the main room and I stop as I find Clara sitting at a table with a cup of tea looking immaculate for whatever time of the morning it is. I presume it’s morning as I heard the club quiet down a while ago.
“You look a mess, so I’m guessing you didn’t sleep too well,” Clara mocks as I come out to stand before her in the empty club. I can sense Eli working behind the bar, but other than him it’s just Clara, Shads, and me. “We’re having a party tonight. It’s an impromptu celebration I wanted to throw to thank the lord for your sanity in coming home.”
I don’t want to get agitated, but I am. I’m a combination of so many negative forces that I fear I’ll explode if I speak up freely. I never found sanity in coming here, I never want to celebrate being here, but for Clara’s own madness, I’ll allow her to have this.
“You’re the cleaner for it,” she tells me, tossing me a hair band. “Tie your hair up and clean the room up. Now that my club is complete, I wanted to initiate the real start to the new running of the club.”
I raise an eyebrow to her as I speak, “New running?”
Clara cackles, throwing her head back a little. “Joely, Joely, Joely,” she begins and takes a few carefully calculated steps toward me. “This club is nothing like it was before. I won’t allow you to think it was. You will be thrown into the deep end almost from the first chance I have.”
“And that’s tonight?” I ask, regretting my voice for betraying me with a nervous tone.
“Yes,” she tells me curtly. “But the club needs a good clean first. I want to see my reflection in every surface when you’re done.”
She points over her shoulder to a table, and Shads brings forth the contents from it. I’m presented with a black bucket filled to the rim with multiple cleaning products, cloths, and rubber gloves. My brow furrows. Not in confusion, but how the hell I wound up being given the cleaner’s job.
“You’re my dog, Joely. Your first job is to clean this place. I might go easier on you in a few days, but I want you to suffer a little.” Her tone seeps with satisfaction at my torture. She’s gone past gleeful over this. “You’re at my beck and call, or someone will pay that darling husband of yours another visit.”
“Another?” I gasp out of sheer horror.
“Oh,” Clara giggles, “I ordered another little lesson. I think he got the idea when he was dropped off at the hospital.” She shrugs her shoulders at me. “We thought he needed to be checked out after my boys gave him another short lesson.”
And there’s my breaking point.
“You can’t do this!” I unleash a frenzy of catastrophic fury. “I handed myself over! It was me for him! That was the deal!” I go for her, but Shads intervenes and grabs me. He hauls me back, his large hands like vices gripping me and stopping me from allowing my entire aggression to shine bright. “You gave me a bargain! I handed myself in, you don’t get to hurt him anymore! Not when you have me!” The tears are streaming now, permissible and free. “You got what you wanted.”
“Joely,” Clara speaks calmly as she steps toward me. “I know you’re mine again, but you need to learn what that means. While you’re here, you’ll adhere to whatever I want from you.” She grabs my face harshly, imposing her supremacy, influencing me to stare only at her. “I might have you here, but I am far from having what I want.” Her fingers tighten their grasp, her nails digging into my skin. “I want you under my command, weak, docile, obedient. You’re nowhere near that.”
“What are you going to do?” I ask her, my jaw tightly clenched in her clutch, but I fight against her to grapple at my own inner strength. “Throw me back in the pit?” Oh wait, I live there now, don’t I?”
She tightens her grip furthermore, making me grunt in pain. “Don’t try me, dog. What I could do to you would have you begging for death.”
Suddenly, glass smashing to the ground and swearing breaks the tense air.
“For God’s sake, Elijah!” Clara bawls in fury. She tosses me aside forcefully and if it hadn’t been for Shads I wouldn’t have remained standing still. “Clean that up! I want this bar glistening, not broken!” With a ferocious fire, she stares to me. “Get to work!”
I obey this time. Shads releases me, and I go for the bucket and start emptying it. I’ll start in one corner and work my way across the room. Hearing that Jace was hurt again has my mind going into overdrive, and I have to protect him. Apparently what I’m doing isn’t enough so far, so I have to work harder than ever.
I decided to really put my all into this. I might not want to be here, but I need to make this as easy for myself as possible and if that means I scrub the floors for a few weeks, then so be it. I never realized how much food and drink really falls onto the floor while we’re entertaining the clients, but this is vile. I work my way across the room, now I’m farthest from the bar, hidden by a sea of table tops and toxic odors. I’ve been stuck under this table for far too long, ridding it of the alcoholic sticky patches, and I need a breather. I know I won’t get a break, but I need to at least gather some bearings. I’ve barely eaten in two days and now my head is feeling light from the cleaning fumes.
As I pull myself out from under the table, my head connects with the edge of the table, and I end up cowering with both arms wrapped around my head. If my headache wasn’t making its announcement loud enough, it is now! I hiss a little, back out a little and check I’m out enough before I fall backwards and just admit defeat for a moment.
“Jeez, Gilbert!” Eli comes flying out of nowhere. I see a towel in his hands and scowl assuming he saw my clumsy moment. “You need to watch out, girl.” He drops to my side and presses the towel to it. I immediately feel the icy goodness against my tiny bump and allow myself to sag. “You okay?”
I shrug and place my hands to my head to allow him to sit back on his heels. I haven’t seen him in months, and this was not the welcome back I wanted to have with him. I hang my head, begging myself not to cry, but it’s not so easy when you have the familiar comfort of a friend so close, but yet can’t take it.
“You shouldn’t be here,” I mumble, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “You might get into trouble.”
“I’m kept on a looser leash than you,” he quips about my new status and gives me a wicked grin. It makes me smile amongst my depressed emotions. “It was worth the shot.”
“Why did i
t have to go wrong?” I whisper to him and search him for all the answers I have. “Why did this have to come back?”
“This place is like a curse,” Eli tells me honestly, reaching out to wipe my tears. He leans in after that. “I went to the hospital after my shift. I heard they’d taken Jace there. He’s okay, if not a little black and blue.”
I feel my lip begin to tremble. Jace is hurt, and I can’t do anything to help. I feel so helpless.
“Jake was there. He’s a raving lunatic over this right now. He’s already looking into getting a membership here,” Eli says, striving to keep some shreds of optimism going. “And the good thing is that Clara has no idea what Jake looks like.”
I shake my head. “He was at the final party.”
“Not to her acknowledgement,” Eli counters, trying to lighten some hope within me. “So we need to get you back to the point you get some members and can have him.”
I know Eli is trying to form a plan, but I can’t think of it. “Will you tell him I’m sorry?” I ask Eli, consumed by the thought of Jace. “Tell him I understand if he never wants to come back for me.” I choke on a sob and realize just how broken I’ve become in such quick succession. The realizm of my own demise sickens me. I’m a weakling, and I’m disappointed in myself for it, but I can’t stop this downward spiral. “He deserves better than I can offer. He doesn’t deserve to be beaten because the woman he married is a screw up.”
“Stop that!” Eli hisses at me in disgust. “How dare you think about giving up? The Joely Gilbert I knew would never have given up on the man she loved for no one. He isn’t giving up on you, not in the slightest, so how dare you even think about it?” Eli groans out in protest. “The man I saw last night isn’t a man who’s going to let a beating deter him from the woman he loves and married. He isn’t giving up, so nor should you.”
The Runaway Viper (Viper #2) Page 12