by Willow, Jo
I downed my wine for a little liquid courage and reached across the table. My hand had never looked smaller as I laid it on one of his saucepan sized fists.
“If this gets ugly, we’ll both have too much explaining to do. Let’s get out of here.”
His eyes shot to mine and I watched him calm himself down as my gaze never left his. He took three deep breaths and I felt his hands relax as he quickly nodded his head.
He stood as I hooked my purse over my shoulder. He reached for my hand and I placed it in his, hoping for a show of a united front. When I was on my feet and steady, he took his hand from mine and put his arm around my waist. We started to walk towards the door.
The ugliest one, who just happened to be the biggest, sidestepped into our path. He took a pull from his bottle of beer, and shot me a grin. Then his eyes met Tony’s. Tony was taller, but pound for pound, they were probably the same size. The difference was muscle mass. Tony was a fighter. Unibrow was a loser. I stood closer to the sure thing and tried not to tremble.
Tony’s grip on me tightened as Unibrow began to speak without the aid of a ventriloquist.
“You can go without her or leave in an ambulance. Your choice.”
I couldn’t help it. I started to laugh.
Let me take a moment to explain something. I’m notorious for a lot of things. My hair trigger temper, my big mouth, my uncanny ability to habitually do the one thing that will impact me in the worst way, and laughing inappropriately. My sister has a theory that encompasses all of the above. She labels them, “Stress Responses”. That’ll work for now.
Both Tony and Unibrow looked at me as if I’d just offered them toast and I kept on laughing, practically doubled over at this point. They waited patiently while I gained a little bit of control.
I wiped the tears from my eyes and set my sights on Unibrow.
“An ambulance? Seriously? That’s the best you’ve got?”
I motioned at Tony with my thumb and gave an unladylike snort of humor.
“Do you know who he is?”
I felt Tony’s grip tighten.
“He’s a heavyweight boxer. A fucking contender dude. If that doesn’t scare you, then take a look at my cast.”
Unibrow glanced down at my foot, confusion overtaking aggression for the moment.
“I got that kicking him in the nuts. I broke my foot. Then I broke his fucking nose once I had him down. Now you and your boyfriends over there...”
I gestured towards the neanderthals leaning against the bar watching us closely while they made no move to come to their buddy’s defense.
“...might get a shot or two in, but my money’s on my date. When he knocks one of you down, me and my cast will step in to assist. You ever been kicked in the gonads by a twenty pound piece of plaster coming at a high velocity by a pissed off female?”
Unibrow flinched and didn’t realize his free hand was now covering his jewels, his thumb hooked in his waistband. His color wasn’t quite olive green, but he was listening and weighing his odds.
I leaned towards him as if I was imparting secrets of great importance.
“Save face asshole. Reach out to shake Tony’s hand as if you know him. Then say goodbye and slap him on the back like you badass boys do, as we walk by. No one has to know that a woman in a Prada boot just threatened to kick your ass.”
Unibrow cleared his throat and thrust out his hand. Tony looked like he’d been kissed by a goat. He growled and shook the man’s hand. Unibrow growled back although he was smiling. He stepped aside as we moved to walk by and Tony got the obligatory slap on the back that I recommended.
He opened the door for me and as we stepped outside, he began leading me around the corner towards a newer Oldsmobuick sedan.
“That’s a new one.”
He pressed a button on a keyfob he held in his hand and the lights flashed on the sedan. He opened the passenger side door and without thinking I slid inside. Once he was in the driver’s seat and buckling up, I asked the question.
“What’s a new one?”
He turned on his blinker and slipped into traffic. My eyes stayed on him.
“I’ve never had a woman defend MY honor before. It’s usually the other way around.”
I grinned, raised my nose slightly up in the air and faced the front while buckling my belt.
“Maybe you’ve been hanging out with the wrong women Mr. Marconi.”
He grinned and patted my knee.
“Maybe I have Ms. Lincoln. Maybe I have.”
We were turning left on Boerum when it dawned on me that we were in Brooklyn. While I was getting my bearings, he pulled into a parking space at the Box House, a trendy and pricey hotel that I’d been to a couple of times in the past. The clients I visited there chose it because they had several rooms that resembled one bedroom apartments with full kitchens for extended stays.
He turned off the car and I reached for his arm before he could open his door.
“Tony, what are we doing here? I live in Manhattan.”
“I know where you live Mel’, I’ve been there before. Remember?”
He got out quickly and moved to my side of the car. He opened my door and held out his hand. Still dazed and confused, I placed my hand in his and he helped me out. He linked his fingers with mine and started leading me to the front door.
“You’re not answering the question bud’. Why are we at the Box House?”
He opened the lobby door for me and when I’d walked through, he took my hand once again and led me to the elevator, smiling at the desk clerk on the way. He pressed the elevator button and turned to face me, smiling.
“I still owe you that drink and conversation. I’m taking a huge leap of faith here Mel’. This is where I’m living for the time being. Nobody knows that but you and I’m trusting you with that. I’m trying to prove I’m worthy of being your friend. Friends trust one another. Right?”
The elevator door opened and he ushered me inside while I was still processing what he said. I paid no attention to which button he pushed, the whole thing was beginning to feel like an out-of-body experience. His demeanor remained calm and unthreatening, his hand warm and comforting as he held mine. He wasn’t sweating like he was nervous, or scowling like he was pissed. He just stood there holding my hand while a muzak version of an old Zepplin tune played in the background.
My alarm bells never chimed a note. I never once considered him dangerous because he wasn’t pressuring me in any way or saying anything that seemed off. He was trusting me with his current address and the only person I could see that impacting, was him. If I squealed, it was over for him and we both knew it. Besides, who holds a person prisoner in a hotel? I’d seen the movies, I knew how that worked. You rent a house in a shady neighborhood, locked your prisoner in a room, then mumbled some shit about rubbing lotion on it’s body. The Box House was a high end establishment. I was perfectly safe. Right?
He led me down the hall on whatever floor we were on, the doors spaced quite a distance apart. That told me we must have been on one of the upper floors, because I remembered the apartment-sized rooms were closer to the roof. He stopped in front of a door with a number seven on it written in calligraphy. He inserted an actual key and opened the door, smiling as he led me inside.
The place was huge. He led me down a short hallway and I noticed a staircase on my right. I was facing a wall of glass bricks, the natural light making the white leather sofas gleam. The floors were polished oak and throw pillows in tasteful colors broke up the white color scheme. On the other side of the staircase was a galley type kitchen with modern appliances. I was staring out the door when I noticed the terrace. It was snow covered, but I imagine it was breathtaking in the Spring. The view was of Manhattan.
I turned to look up the stairs and I heard him toss his keys on the counter.
“Wine? Beer? Soda?”
I looked over and he had his head in the fridge.
“I’d love a bottle of water if you
have it, thanks.”
“Fizzy or still?”
“Fizzy would be nice.”
I was walking towards the view, when I heard him putting ice in a glass behind me. A few minutes later, he was standing next to me with a glass of bubbling water over ice in one hand, a beer in the other. I took the glass from him and smiled.
“This place is incredible. I understand why you chose it. Nice view.”
“The master bedroom has floor to ceiling windows on one wall. The view is even nicer from up there. Especially at night. The city twinkles like stars.”
I looked up at him while I took a drink of my water. The bubbles tickled my nose and the bitterness of the carbonation reminded me of chewing an aspirin. His eyes were still on the view and it hit me that I was staring at a man that was more complex than I’d originally assumed. I’d labeled him based on the stories I’d been told and put him in a mental file titled, “Crazy Asshole”. He was anything but.
“Tony, this place must be costing you a fortune.”
“It’s not cheap, but I’m not hurting for money. It would’ve cost more to rent an apartment or a house because I would have had to sign a lease. I checked into it. I can check out of here tomorrow and no one would bat an eye. I’m renting by the month, so they cut me a deal.”
“Oh yeah. I’m sure it’s nice and cheap.”
He laughed and turned smiling eyes to mine.
I took another long drink from my glass and his smile grew bigger.
“I like you Mel’. If I’d met you in Boston, I think I would have taken a shot. You’re my kind of woman. You’ve got spunk and you’re not afraid to stand up to me.”
I drained the glass of any remaining liquid and he took it from me to place it on a side table.
“Now see, that’s where you’re wrong. You like submissive females. I know that much about you, Sir.”
I raised my eyebrows and put the emphasis on, “Sir”. He understood my insinuation and his eyes became hooded as he smiled.
“I like that word on your lips. I bet you’d make an interesting Sub. You’d keep your spirit and your fire and you’d be a hellion in bed.”
My vision blurred for a second and my head was getting fuzzy. This was odd. I felt like I was starting to lean a little towards the right, and Tony placed a protective arm around my waist, pulling me into his side.
He put his beer down and moved to stand in front of me. Both of his arms went around my waist and I began to get nervous for the first time. His lips went to my forehead and he took a deep breath. His grip tightened and he pulled me into his body.
That woozy feeling was getting worse and I felt like I had stepped off a carnival ride that had spun me for far too long. I couldn’t keep my balance and my limbs weighed a ton. I was fighting sleep with all the energy I had left.
His hands gripped my ass and my eyes shot up to his. That was absolutely the wrong move. His lips sealed over mine and my brain fought to keep him out and push him away. My arms were limp noodles at my side and if he released me, I’d hit the ground.
His tongue gained entry and stroked my own as he moaned. He started rocking his hips against mine and panic set in.
I heard my own slurred words and they sounded detached from my body as if another person was speaking them from a different room.
“Tony stop. What’s going on? What are you doing?”
His lips moved to my neck where he nipped and began to suck. I squirmed but I was a shell of my normal fighting self. He chuckled and squeezed my ass, pulling me tighter against his body.
“It’s called an eye for an eye Mel’. A Sloan has what’s mine, so I’m taking what belongs to a Sloan. Seems fair to me. Damn you smell good. I like how you feel in my arms too. I’m willing to bet that when you’re in my bed all hot and bothered, you’ll give as much as you take.”
When I felt my legs give way, he laughed. He bent at the waist and I felt him hoist me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I saw the staircase beneath his feet as he ascended to the upper level. The last thought I had before unconsciousness claimed me was, “That crazy asshole roofied me”.
Chapter Ten
I woke up with a splitting headache, totally nude. I was spread eagle, my limbs fastened to the bed with handcuffs. Was I afraid? Hell yes I was afraid. Oddly enough, my greatest fear was that Anton was going to kill me. If he didn’t, the rest of the family would be in line waiting for their chance to secure my demise.
The room was dark, so I’d been here awhile. Memories came back in bits and pieces until I turned my head and saw the view. Tony was right. The city twinkled like stars. Tony. I was in his penthouse apartment, naked in his bed. I couldn’t see my body or test my limbs. For the first time in my life, I was totally helpless. The feeling didn’t agree with me.
I felt the bed dip next to me and a large warm hand caressed my abdomen. This was so not good. I whimpered and I felt him smile. An evil presence will do that to you. I could feel his emotions rolling off of him in waves. He was smug and horny. I could smell his lust and his touch was bold. I had one defense left in my arsenal and I had to be careful how I used it. I couldn’t run or hide if I pissed him off.
“You’re finally awake. I was beginning to worry that I’d used too much. One pill is usually enough, but you’re feisty so I used two. How do you feel baby?”
His hand moved to my breast and he squeezed roughly, causing me to squirm. He held on tightly, his fingers pinching my nipple tightly. When I stopped squirming, his touch became gentle. I filed this away for future reference.
My voice was hoarse and I cleared my throat.
“I have the mother of all headaches and I’m cold.”
He leaned over to the nightstand and retrieved something.
“I’ve got aspirin, open your mouth.”
I did as I was told and he dropped two tablets on my tongue. The bitterness confirmed what he’d said. He placed a straw to my lips and I drank deeply, sucking and swallowing to relieve my parched throat and to get the pills down. My neck was straining with the effort to raise up enough that I didn’t choke. When I finished swallowing, I turned my head and he returned the glass to the nightstand.
“I’m still cold.”
“Want me to warm you up?”
He stretched out on the bed next to me and I felt he was wearing sweatpants and no shirt. His feet were bare. He threw one of his legs over one of mine and moved his thigh against my groin while his lips moved from my shoulder to my neck. I stayed perfectly still and prayed that this was a nightmare and I’d wake up in my own bed next to Anton. I felt him stiffen against my thigh and I became rigid and still.
I felt his warm breath against my ear, he was panting and his hands were becoming more aggressive.
“It’s been too long for me Mel’. Much too long. When I was taking your clothes off it was everything I could do not to take you right then. I had no idea how hot you were under all those clothes.”
I had to stay calm. This was escalating and he could hurt me. He was trained to hurt people in all kinds of ways. The guy was a Dom and a boxer. Control was his thing. I had to play into it, as much as I was going to hate what I was about to do next.
I moaned and turned my head towards him, moving my hips against his thigh suggestively. He froze. I moved my tongue against his jaw and he pulled back until his head was just out of reach.
“You’re so big Tony, kiss me. Kiss me like you mean it.”
He hesitated for a moment, saying nothing. Then he lowered his lips to mine and I took his bottom lip between my teeth and tugged. I shoved my tongue in his mouth, stroking and tasting while I groaned and wiggled against him.
He pulled completely away from me and sat up on the side of the bed. He leaned over and touched something, and the immediate area became dimly lit. His eyes met mine and I saw hesitation, but the lust was gone. He looked skeptical.
“What are you playing at Melody? You’re no whore. What the fuck was that?”
; “I thought that you wanted me. Change your mind?”
His eyes scanned my body and I felt cheap and degraded. He lingered on my breasts and my hips. He licked his lips and his pupils dilated. I thrust my hips towards him and he scowled in distaste.
“I was going to rape you.”
“You can’t rape the willing baby.”
He stood and tore his hands through his hair. He looked down at me.
“Stop it! Stop trying to top me from the bottom Mel’. I’m in control here, not you. I call the shots. I decide when and how, not you. Understand?”
It was working. I had to stay strong and not gag on my next line. If I was reading him incorrectly, this would go horribly wrong and I couldn’t even cry rape.
“Shut up and fuck me already. You’ve got me worked up, take me!”
He reached out and slapped my breast with force. The sting almost made me cry out but I licked my lips instead.
“Oh I like that. Slap the other one. Do it. Now.”
He roared and stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind him.”
I slumped back against the bed, trying to calm my speeding heart. My strategy was working, but for how long? If it had truly been, “too long” for him, he’d cave at some point, just to get relief. The thought made my blood run cold and I started to tremble in fear.
I turned my head to take in the view of Manhattan. My borough. My home. My family was right over there and I had no way to reach them. Surely they were looking for me by now. Surely they suspected who had me. I could imagine Anton trying to reach me by phone and freaking out because his calls kept going to voicemail. They had to be searching for me. They had to be.
I felt the first hot tear as it pooled in my ear. Even if they were searching for me, they were assuming he’d be staying close enough to stalk Ayla with ease. They’d never suspect Brooklyn. Even if they did, was Tony traveling under his actual name or did he check in under a pseudonym? How the hell would they find me when they hadn’t managed to find him so far? How could I help them when I couldn’t even help myself?