More excruciating hours passed before Carson saw what he was desperately waiting for…another picture of Lila. This time, Charles and the black guy were both up front as they drove through Ohio. He could see Lila propped up against the window in the back.
Is this Charles fucker so dense and stupid, he didn’t think I would pull in favors? Check traffic cameras?
Lucky for him, Charles underestimated him.
AFTER A long night of sitting in a cramped van, taking turns dozing off, Carson and the ground team finally saw some activity Wednesday morning as what looked to be production crew and “actors” showed up and entered the back of the building. Hours went by, then they caught a glimpse of Elon entering the warehouse on Wednesday afternoon.
That was their cue; the action was about to go down. Carson checked in with Ray, who was five minutes out with reams of paperwork and bullshit he’d pulled on Charles and Finder. Lack of permits was going to be the least of their problems, because the two young women Carson saw working in front of the webcams were definitely not a day over sixteen years old.
The whole scene made Carson sick to his stomach, and that was before he watched the dark SUV pull up, and saw Charles get out and proceed to start pulling Lila out of the backseat. Carson had to convince himself to remain in the van and stay on task. He wasn’t sure he could make it when Elon Finder replaced Sam Charles, dragging Lila into the warehouse by her hair without any regard for her safety.
Carson was ready to pounce even though he knew it wasn’t prudent. Lesson number one was always let the enemy get comfortable and drop their guard when doing a stakeout.
It was sheer bad luck that Lila’s husband, Elon, only hid behind a religious career, but in reality was in the middle of the underbelly of the porn industry, enabling him to find her even though she was aligned with others who were decent and good. The smug bastard actually thought he was going to get away with this.
Carson flexed his muscles, eyed his weapon, and blew out a long breath. Well, Finder fucking met his match in him, and he was in no mood to be decent or good.
Wednesday
SIENNA FELT someone pulling on her arm, jostling her awake.
Where am I? What happened?
She had to clear her head. It felt so heavy, and her whole body was limp and weak. She tried to remember why as she slowly opened her eyes.
Sam Charles took her. He injected her with something and kidnapped her from her home to make porn movies. She vaguely remembered being woken somewhere near a rest stop, allowed to use the bathroom with the door open, and then being injected again before being pushed back into the vehicle. In fact, she vaguely remembered more than one rest stop, and wondered how long she’d been held.
Her head was so foggy, and she couldn’t understand why Sam Charles only wanted her with all the money-hungry strippers in Vegas willing to do anything to be a star.
Then it hit her, sending the air right from her lungs. Somehow Elon was involved. His family wanted her for their movies.
His family thought they owned me.
They made movies? Porno flicks was what they wanted her for?
Charles had said something like that right before he stuck her with the needle the first time. Now his grubby hand was trying to awaken her. For what? To make porn for her in-laws?
That couldn’t be true. They were religious, faithful people with a deep belief in God. They owned a publishing house specializing in religious educational materials. They didn’t make porno movies. Their son had a screw loose, but not them.
Could this all be true?
Not knowing what to make of anything, and barely able to open her eyes to the light, Sienna took in her surroundings. She was in the back of an SUV, winding through the streets of Brooklyn. How did she get here? Had she been asleep all this time? It would have taken days to drive cross country. Her hand immediately went to pat her body, checking for her clothes being in the right place and making sure she wasn’t injured. Her mouth felt like something had died in it, and she would kill for a cup of hot tea.
Sam Charles was riding in the passenger seat while an enormous black guy she’d never seen before drove the SUV. Sam was trying to rouse her again as they pulled up in front of an abandoned warehouse. She shook her head, not wanting to get up and meet the fate in front of her.
Sienna’s mind might be cloudy, but she knew this wasn’t good. Not good at all. As the black guy parked the car, Sienna tried to come up with a quick plan, but her head was fuzzy and it was difficult to concentrate.
If nothing else, when Sam opened the door to get her out, she could kick and hit him in the family jewels. And if the black guy took his time walking around the car, she could do the same to him. But when the door opened, Sam wasn’t there for long. He was quickly replaced by someone else.
Sienna lifted her head and locked eyes with Elon. Standing tall in a black suit, his hair and beard trimmed short, the very image of a religious man, he said, “Hello, Lilach.”
She didn’t answer. Words screamed in her head, her body twitched with wanting to take action, but Sienna remained stock-still and silent. She couldn’t respond or make her way out as her worst nightmare came to life before her eyes.
When Elon grabbed her hair and pulled her toward the building, all the fight left Sienna. Instantly, she was a scared and timid Lila. She knew Elon was going to destroy her. She felt it deep in every bone in her body; she wasn’t making it out of this alive, and if she did, she would be a hollow shell of a person.
Either he was going to beat the living hell out of her, or this movie thing was for real and he would make her do whatever he wanted for the camera. The latter scenario was almost worse. Lurid visions ran through Lila’s mind.
Then, all of a sudden, Lila remembered Carson and how beautiful it had been when they finally came together as one and were intimate together. Fear like none other swept over her. Carson’s safety was the first thought that crossed her mind, but then something much more dark and sinister took over her thoughts.
Was he part of this? Working with Sam Charles? Did he lure her in with his charms and leave her vulnerable to Sam coming to steal her?
Did their lovemaking mean nothing? Was it all an act?
It all made sense in her muddled mind. Carson didn’t stay over on their last evening together, leaving Sam Charles to know where to find her and that she’d be alone, ripe for the taking.
They weren’t making love, as she’d fooled herself into believing, or anything remotely close to it. It was a play on Carson’s part, even though it had felt so real. She’d never know real love.
This was her destiny.
Elon no longer needed to pull her inside the deserted warehouse. She had nowhere to escape to, nothing to believe in, no hope left. This was her destiny, and she went willingly with Elon.
Lila dragged her feet as she was led into the deserted, remote building in the center of the city she had run from seven long years ago, leading her to the only life she would know from now forward. A life in which she’d be humiliated, shamed, and shunned.
Inside what appeared to be a run-down warehouse from the outside, was anything but that. It was a completely renovated modern studio filled with expensive cameras and sound equipment that was in complete contradiction to the facade.
As Lila made her way slowly and painfully through the building, she saw many active scenes set up with live cams recording whatever raunchy sexual act the actors were performing. Lila lowered her gaze to the ground, unable to take in all the body parts and lewd acts on display. Ironic that she’d be embarrassed by them, since she was a stripper.
The warehouse was an epicenter of female debasement, broadcasting all that was happening to anyone with an Internet connection who would pay to watch.
As Elon continued to draw her deeper into the building, they walked through a darkened movie set, complete with a bed and a shower. A shudder ran through Lila as she became certain her future involved that bed of filth.
At the opposite side of where they entered was a door to an office, which Elon opened and shoved Lila inside, trapping her inside the room alone with him. In her mind, this was a worse fate than the looming scene she just witnessed.
Elon started right in, not allowing her a minute to breathe or take in her surroundings. “Well, well. Thought you’d get away from me, Lila? Or do you prefer Sienna now?”
He didn’t give her time to answer, not that she would have. He just clenched his fists and spat out, “It would have been a perfect cover, I’ll give you that. Except for the fact that I work in the industry. I know it’s a bit of a shock, but we couldn’t turn down this type of money.” Now pumping his fists open and closed, he rocked back and forth as rage, sheer excitement, or both propelled him.
Lila could tell he was holding back. Even so, she was silent with fear. No telling when his control would break.
Elon laughed, an evil sound that sent a chill running through her. “It’s made me laugh every day for the last seven years you were gone. Your parents were so upset you ran away from a nice, good family with money. Little did they know what we really do for all that ‘hard-earned cash.’ Of course, it started out legitimate with printing books and magazines, educational shit, but then the offers came for the nudie mags. Damn, those people who print that shit have deep pockets, and soon they were paying us an arm and a leg to shoot the scenes here.”
Lila, still stunned silent, braced herself against the wall she was leaning against. The thought crossed her mind to pray for someone to rescue her, but she pushed it away.
First of all, there was no way they would even know where she was. This whole scenario was so absurd, how would anyone even dream it up, let alone figure it out? Especially when no one really knew all the facts of her past. Sure, Asher knew some, but not enough to connect these crazy dots.
Furthermore, she’d do anything to keep Asher and Mike out of harm’s way. A few hours ago, she considered Carson to be part of that group. There was no way Lila even wanted her friends to find her and risk them getting in trouble with the law, or hurt. This was her fate, whether she fell for Carson or not. She always knew her past would come knocking on her door. She just never imagined she would fall for the guy who might have brought them right up the walkway.
Elon’s voice came booming through the office, pulling her from her line of thought.
“After my pretty little seemingly religious wife left me, I had time on my hands to work on bigger and better deals like film and webcams. Everyone thought I was occupied looking for you. Who knew my little cash cow would lead me right to you, Sienna?”
He leered at her, obviously enjoying rubbing it in how stupid and unaware she’d been. “About two years ago, we started looking for a few big headliners for our movies. Where better to look than Vegas? Right there before my fucking eyes was my wife. My fucking wife, Vegas adult entertainer of the year. Of course, you don’t look anything like the frumpy piece of shit I married. No, you dolled yourself up for all those men to whack off to—nose job, curves, hair like a seductress, sticking your tits in anyone’s face who will look. My fucking wife!”
As Elon trembled with emotion, she realized that he was losing what little control he had. He slammed his hand against a file cabinet, putting a dent in the steel, and she was certain her face was next.
“Good thing my partner, Sam, found you and was able to act so damn stupid in that cowboy hat, all your little protectors discredited him. Who’s the idiot now? I got you back lock, stock, and barrel. You’re fucking mine, and I plan for you to make good on that starting right now. I own Sienna Fucking Flower, and she’s going to do a private show for me. Come on, take your clothes off, babe, and show me what you got. Then we’ll put those luscious titties and ass on film and make millions.”
Lila finally found her voice. “You’re not going to get away with this, Elon. I ran from you, and you know exactly why I did. Quite frankly, I did you a favor by not revealing the true reason. I never told anyone, I just wanted my peace. People are going to be looking for me.” She wished she could fade into the wall, close her eyes tight and disappear forever.
She really didn’t know who would be looking for her, but she had to try to scare Elon somehow. She hadn’t spent all these years trying to stay alive just to end up in a warehouse doing porn.
“No one is going to find you,” he spat out. “Your parents had some dumb shit rescue mission going that I just put an end to. They’d never dream you take your clothes off for money, have sex with men who pay you. It’s fucking ironic that the good little religious girl is nothing but a whore. One who is about to make me even richer. Now, strip!”
Lila trembled all over, from fear as well as fury. I’m not a whore.
She needed to accept this as her punishment for running away that dark night so many years ago. Elon was right—her parents would never imagine something like this. Her few friends in Vegas knew so little about her past, they’d never dream to look for her wherever she was at the moment. As for Carson, she had no clue whether he was good, bad, or where he fit into this nightmare. It didn’t matter anymore.
Even if he was one of the good ones, like she was fooled to believe, he wasn’t going to want her after he learned about her past. Nor would he want her after she was defiled, as she was about to be in any number of ways.
There was no paper trail of Lila or Sienna, zero clues, and it was pretty likely Carson was involved, no matter what she tried to tell herself.
Lila kept her face down but started to take her clothes off, accepting whatever was about to happen.
She had no other choice.
THE LAST thirty-six hours had been hell, and Carson felt the weight of the world on his shoulders while he waited. He needed to make sure Lila was safe, and then figure out how to tell her who he was and why he was really out west. And he hoped to do all this without severing his chances with the beautiful woman.
Did she feel the same about him? Or was he just a badly needed fling?
He didn’t have to time to question himself or Lila’s feelings. He knew how he felt and what he had to do. Unfortunately, time was standing still outside the warehouse. Inside it was a much different story, but he continued to wait outside with the rest of the ground team after Elon dragged Lila inside.
He could tell the asshole was manhandling her, and that severely strained the little patience he had left. Come on already, he thought. Clear the way for them to enter the building. Carson continued to pace the small interior of the van, desperate for some clue as to what was going on inside. This was the problem with getting emotionally involved in a case; you became a liability, and that was what he was. A big fucking liability who needed his woman back safe and sound.
Lila was in that building, and what the fuck were they doing with her?
The ground team, now multiplied by ten, was hidden and scattered all around the warehouse with a slight sight line into what was happening inside. Carson and Ray were running command from the van. Over the secure line, the team kept the two of them apprised of what was happening.
“Leading subject through building.”
“Webcam scenes still running. Confirmed, both women actors definitely appear to be minors.”
“Main subject looks to be fine. Walking on her own. Clearly absorbing all around her, confused but alert.”
“Finder and Charles now guiding subject beyond quiet movie sets to an office.”
“In office, door closed, sight line dark.”
LILA TOOK her clothes off as slowly as possible while silently counting backward from a hundred in an effort to remain calm. Despite already resolving herself to a very bad ending, a small part of Lila hoped someone would find her. For some reason, she couldn’t extinguish the little spark of hope.
Mike, Asher, Carson. Any one of them would be fine.
“Good girl. Now get down on your knees,” Elon commanded as she finished removing her clothes.
It was ironic to thin
k that only a few days before, she had found some sort of strength in stripping, taking her clothes off and dancing for a crowd. Now all Lila felt was naked, alone, and scared.
She had no other choice but to do as Elon said, so she lowered herself to a submissive position on her knees, surrendering any control she had left. She didn’t move fast enough, and Elon shoved her down the final few inches. The cold, hard floor sent a chill through her spine and her knees ached, but not nearly as much as her heart.
Elon tied her hands behind her and then blindfolded her, making the room go black for Lila. Perhaps this was for the best; she wanted to witness as little as possible. Lila tried to listen to what was happening, but only the worst, most evil and sordid thoughts ran through her mind, distracting her from the sounds in the room.
She took in a deep breath, but all she smelled was stale cologne and dirty, raunchy sweat. Then the door opened and she prayed Elon was leaving her alone, but that was only a pipe dream.
Lila heard what sounded like the footsteps of two more men enter the room. One smelled like he was greased up in coconut oil, and she couldn’t even allow herself to think why.
“Stan, take your camera to the far corner. Peter, position yourself in front of the whore,” Elon instructed.
Lila’s blood coursed through her veins at rapid speed. What was he going to make her do? On camera? With oil-slicked “Peter?” She shivered from the top of her head all the way down to her toes, an ice-cold sensation running through her spine, coating her insides and seeping out to her extremities, overwhelming her with dread.
Bile started to rise up her throat. Tears filled her eyes, and she pinched her eyelids tighter even though she was wearing a blindfold. She wanted, needed to close out whatever was happening, even more than the blindfold already did. The darkness of the blindfold wasn’t enough.
She started thinking about holding her breath in hopes of passing out, when she felt something making a path along her neck, stroking as it trailed down to her cleavage and back.
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