by Angela Foxxe
"Shouldn't be more than a couple of days, in the meantime, do some shopping, and enjoy the city."
CHAPTER TWO
Reign dumped the last of the load into the industrial dishwasher with a sigh. It'd been a long night. She'd been cleaning for the last hour, the longest part of her sixteen-hour day. Once she was done, the eighteen-year old could go home, sleep for four hours, and maybe, be on time for her appointment.
She wiped her forehead, her hand came away sticky with sweat. She ran her hands through her long black hair to reset her pony tail for the nth time. The restaurant was as clean as she could make it. If they wanted it cleaner, they could pay her overtime, as it was she was working for free just to finish up her responsibilities.
She texted her mom with one hand as she locked the door with the other.
Be home soon. Love.
Working late in west Seattle could be dangerous but she needed the job. Her parents were in too much debt to help her with school and since her dad technically made a lot of money, she couldn't get student loans.
However, the government failed to take in account that her dad's business required him to spend more time in India than in Seattle, leaving his wife, a native of Holland, and American daughter to live here virtually alone. He did make a lot of money, just not so much that there was anything left over for Reign to go to school.
Her phone buzzed her mom’s reply as she made her way to the bus stop. It was a half hour wait for the bus, then an hour ride home to Federal Way. She stifled a yawn as she walked quickly to the covered seats. It was freezing cold out, mid-January always was. She was faintly surprised that there was still no snow, but it would come soon enough.
Lost in thought, she didn't see the shadow she picked up, or notice the person at the bus stop who'd been at her table earlier that evening. She put her earbuds in and let the enchanting sound of a violin wash over her. She wasn't a prodigy, but she hoped to get into music school to play for a living.
"Hey."
Her eyes were closed, but she heard the voice over the music. Annoyed, she reached up and removed one earbud, "Can I help you?"
"When's the next bus?"
Reign glanced at the sign in full view of the stop with the arrival times and departures. She pointed with one hand while the other put her music back in.
She tried to get back into the sounds of the symphony when she realized he was still talking to her.
"I'm sorry, it’s been a long day, and I just want to listen to some music and go home," Reign said.
"Wow, you're a real bitch."
The sudden tone shift kicked in her alarms. The man went from feigning pleasant to angry in two seconds.
"I'm sorry," she forced a smile at him. She should have been more aware, he obviously was in a gang, eighteen or nineteen, big like a football player.
Suddenly, her eyes picked up movement. She casually smiled at him, reached up and removed her ear buds. He wasn't alone, with her music off she could hear at least two more behind her, and another two crossing the street toward her.
"Is that supposed to make it better, you disrespect me and just say you're sorry and smile? Fuck you, bitch, let me tell you what I think of you rich little whores coming down here to slum."
An arm grabbed her around the neck. She bit it, hard. The man hollered and let go, Reign didn't hesitate - she ran. The man in front of her reached for her, he got a piece of her purse, and she let it fall and kept running. Another managed to hit her shoulder, knocking her off balance, before a third wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Let me go!"
Her screams echoed down the street.
"Sure, bitch, but first were gonna have some fun with you. Struggle all you like, it ain't going to help."
The one holding her swung her around and dragged her. He was huge, at least two hundred and fifty pounds, a full hundred and twenty pounds heavier than her.
"Let me go," she kicked and punched, tried to bite him, but her angle was all wrong, one of the others slapped her so hard her vision blurred.
Tears fogged her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. This couldn't be happening, not to her. She didn't dress like a slut, she didn't drink at parties, and it’s those girls who get raped, not her.
One of the boys had his hand under her shirt already, the others opened the door to a van. She wanted to struggle, but her strength was gone from the tremendous blow laid on her.
The one holding her was trying to pull her skirt down, another pulled at her shirt.
Reign closed her eyes, face wet, she choked back sobs, this isn’t happening, oh god don’t let this happen, please save me.
"Who the fuck are y...."
The sound of flesh hitting the van snapped Reign’s eyes open. A man, was he a man? Huge, tall, but built like a boxer with a narrow waist and huge arms, he slammed the one from the bus stop into the van so hard the sheet metal collapsed. He grabbed the one with his hands under her shirt by the back of his neck, raised him high in the air with one hand and then slammed the kid into the pavement face first.
The one holding her grunted in pain and shock, then dropped her. She tried to follow what was happening, but it was so fast.
A woman, god what a beautiful woman, was with her, holding her, moving her away from the van.
"Who are you," Reign managed to stammer between mouthfuls of air as she gasped for breath.
Guttural screams of pain, followed by meaty thuds, echoed behind her.
The brown haired beauty led Reign to a dark colored Mustang, with its engine running and both doors open.
When Reign finally managed to pry her eyes open, to control the sobs that wracked her body, and wipe enough of the tears away, she was sitting in the back of the car. She thought the girl who was with her would get in, instead she said, "Stay here, you'll be safe," and closed the door. Her voice was so soft and sweet, but it had a low base to it that made it dangerous.
"Cara," the other roared, as he held one man a foot off of the ground, and slammed another into the side of the van. Cara half leaped, half slid over the hood of the car and took off like a shot. Reign could not believe how fast she moved.
She slammed into another man who was trying to run away, she rode him to the ground, knees in his back, hands full of his hair. He screamed in pain as her full weight came down on him. She smashed his face into the curb several times splintering teeth and bone. Reign watched in disbelief. Is she growling at him? I must be hearing things. Reign stared in disbelief. Is she growling at him? I must be hearing things.
The shock of being dragged off, the slap to the face, and the rescue, was just too much for Reign, shock won over and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep her eyes open.
The leather seat cushioned her fall as she collapsed.
The first thing she noticed was the comfortable bed. She'd never slept on such a soft luxurious bed before. The kind that molded itself to your curves, supported you, and left you floating in the air. Without thinking she stretched, a long slow stretch followed by an equally deep yawn.
She froze.
She wasn't in her bed and certainly not in her room. She could hear a shower running, and the soft sounds of two people whispering. The curtains were open and the Seattle skyline was covered in the pinks and oranges of dawn. She was downtown, facing the Needle. She wondered if she was in a hotel.
Then it came back, the pain, the shock, the attack, being saved, and it nearly overwhelmed her.
She took a deep breath, checked herself, she was okay, except for the right side of her face where a large purplish bruise had formed. She moved the brown silky sheets off of her, she was still dressed, but her shoes, socks, and jacket were neatly stacked on a chair next to the bed, along with her phone, purse and wallet. The purse was torn.
"Dammit, I liked that purse," she said under her breath.
The sounds from the shower got louder and she froze. The last thing she wanted to do was intrude on the people who saved her life, or find
out they were worse than her attackers.
Shit! Shit, my appointment! It was after eight, she was supposed to be at the lawyers’ office already. She frantically pulled on her shoes when she heard the breathy moan of a woman. She froze again. It got louder, followed by a man’s grunts.
Reign’s face flushed bright red at overhearing the private moments between them. Well, if I didn’t want to meet them before, I’d die of embarrassment if I met then now.
She finished her shoes, grabbed all her things, and headed for the door when the brown haired girl let out a low, long scream of pleasure, so thick that Reign’s ears burned red and her stomach knotted.
She paused at the door. She was desperate to leave, to run, but the good girl in her couldn't. I can’t not say thank you, she though.
She noticed the hotel scratch pad, with its name and address listed at the top. She scribbled a quick thank you, she didn't leave her name; there was no need.
Once out the door, it was just a minute to the packed lobby. She got a few strange looks from the vacationers, and the upscale business people who frequented the Weston. It certainly was one of Seattle's nicer hotels, and Reign fit in there as well as a wild dog. It took every ounce of self-control not to run for the door as soon as it was in sight.
Once outside she got her bearings. She pulled up the appointment on her phone, she had ten minutes to get there, and her phone told her it was a twenty minute walk.
She ran.
Four blocks and one rain storm later, she arrived at the Law Office of Campbell, Watts, and Willis, on the fifteenth floor of the Mercer building. Its decor, leather furniture, and certified copies of Rembrandts all made it a world class business lobby.
Currently, the waiting room was full of girls, all who were willing to be surrogates for couples who could not conceive, at least for the right price.
Each of them were dressed in their best, though if they could afford nice clothes, they wouldn’t be in need of the lucrative money surrogacy offered.
Reign burst through the door, clothes soaked and disheveled, her hair a complete mess. Under the wetness of the rain, she was sweating, and of course it'd been more than twenty four hours since she put on deodorant. One of the girls chuckled as she walked to the receptionist desk.
"Anna Reign, to see Naomi Willis?"
The receptionist smiled, handed Reign a form to fill out.
"The interviews are done in order of arrival dear, I'm afraid you'll be last, here's the key to the bathroom if you'd like to freshen up."
She said it with no sarcasm or judgment, perhaps a little pity.
One by one, the other girls were called in, each interview lasted about fifteen minutes, and the girls left smiling, each so sure they were going to get the job.
This would be Reign's fourth interview since she turned eighteen. It wasn't that she was eager to have a child, she just really needed the money. What surprised her the most was how competitive it was.
Most girls worked the husband, flirting with him, giving him the doe eyes, trying to sway him into wanting her to carry his child. Even though there was no sex involved, men still liked the idea of a woman carrying his baby.
Reign couldn't do that, she wasn't trying to sell herself, and using sex to sell the surrogacy felt more like being a hooker than a surrogate. What she did need was the money, and she needed it fast.
If she were to get pregnant soon, she could deliver this year, and apply and pay for music school starting the following winter. That was the dream.
It was almost noon when the receptionist called Reign over.
"Miss Reign, they'll see you now."
"Thank you."
The receptionist had been genuinely nice to her, and she appreciated it. She took a deep breath, steadied her nerves, and plunged into the room. They are going to take one look at me and yell “Next,” she thought.
The double doors opened to a wide conference room with a large oaken desk. Reign’s breath caught in her throat. She didn't know his name, but the man from last night was there. He was even bigger than she'd guessed. He made the oak desk look like a play set. Dressed in a suit that fit him like a glove and did nothing to hide his impressive physique. Something about him made her knees weak and her lips tremble. Oh, god, he is just so perfect.
She swayed a little. Cara, the woman who was with him, half stood as if to catch her. In the light of day she was even prettier. Her long brown hair formed an elaborate braid that curled around her front and ended just below her waist. Her tan skin and bright blue eyes contrasted a white dress that molded to her figure like it was painted on. The neckline plunged low enough to show off the inside curves of her creamy bosom.
Cara genuinely smiled, "Are you okay? You left in a hurry this morning."
"Um..."
Reign wasn't sure what to say. She could mutter a thank you and leave right now, or she could run away as fast as possible. Her heart pounded in her chest and she couldn't speak.
Naomi glanced between the three of them and cleared her throat. "You three know each other?"
"Yeah," Richard responded, "well sort of, we bumped into her last night," Richard said in a deep voice that reminded Reign of a rock slide.
Reign still couldn't make her mouth work.
"You three may know each other, but Miss Reign is here for the surrogacy."
Cara's smile got even bigger, Richards eyes lit up, "Then you’re hired."
"What?" Naomi and Reign spoke at the same time.
"What are the odds of us, in a city of one million, bumping into you last night when you needed us too? It's not a coincidence, it’s destiny. What do you need to take the job?"
Reign was flabbergasted, so stunned she swayed. Cara was there, her soft hands guiding her into a chair.
Part of her mind wandered, but did not acknowledge the extraordinary something about these two.
"Thank you, Cara, and thank you both for last night, I'm sorry I ran out on you, but I was already late, and well, uh, I didn't want to interrupt you."
Her cheeks burned at the memory of the moaning from the bathroom.
"Polite, sweet, honest, and attractive, you're the whole package, don't you think, Richard?"
Richard smiled at her, it sent her heart pounding a new and made her stomach flip.
* * *
Richard’s vision clouded over and the voices in the room were indistinct at best. What he could see, clearly see, was the girl before him. He hadn't really seen her last night, Cara had carried her up to the hotel, and out of respect he hadn't been in the room when she tucked her in.
Now standing before him, she took his breath away. Long black hair, crystal green eyes, and a smile that lit up the whole room. He wanted to say something, to be clever, or funny, to hear her laugh. Nothing came to his mind.
Destiny was an important factor in the pack’s survival, and to find this girl, well, it had to be destiny. He took the file from Naomi and perused it while Cara spoke with her. The two seemed to get along, and Cara had a knack for getting people to open up and trust her. A knack she now put to good use. Another sign that he'd done the right thing in sparring her, and bringing her with him.
Reign’s file was perfect, she'd turned eighteen three months before, she was in perfect health, she had good genes, no defects or diseases. She loved music and was going to use the money to go to music school.
Destiny for the pack or for me? It had been a long time since Richard felt this way, if ever. Adult love was vastly different then the burning passion of youth, yet that was exactly what he felt. He had to get away from her, it was that or stalk her, and that probably wouldn't be healthy. The thought made him chuckle.
Cara turned to smile at him, she gave him a small nod which he returned.
"We want you, Ms. Reign. What do you think?" Richard said.
Reign smiled, she tried to hide her enthusiasm but failed, "Thank you, and you can just call me Reign; everyone does."
"I'm not done with my offer
yet," Naomi glanced up from her tablet, eyes narrowing.
Richard smiled at her, "It's okay, Naomi, I know what I'm doing. Reign, we will put you up in a loft here in the city, pay for all your medical bills, related and otherwise, a car service to drive you around, and also pay for all your supplies, food, clothes, utilities, rent, everything. And when the child is born, you can stay in the loft while you go to school, which we'll pay for as well. Is this acceptable?"
Richard enjoyed the play of emotions across the girl’s face. His eyes always seemed to rest on her lips, he couldn't pull himself away from her, he knew it was wrong, but still stared at her like a love struck pup.