Ash: Jagged Edge Series #5

by A. L Long

  At first, I couldn’t comprehend what I was reading, then it began making sense. The fancy clothes, the secrets, and the Lincoln Town Car. The more I read, the more I thought, “What kind of trouble is she in?” I knew that this type of thing was out there, but for it to be so close to home, that was just unheard of. Placing the contract on the bed, I separated the pages and took a picture of them with my phone camera. This was way above my head, but maybe Peter would have some insight on this kind of thing.

  It was getting late, and I had searched every inch of Juliette’s house. I didn’t find anything else that would tell me more about her. Making sure that everything was put back the way I found it, I left her house, locking the door behind me. On the walk home, I couldn’t get that contract between her and Sebastian Collins out of my head. First thing in the morning, I would be heading to the shop to see what I could find out about him. My guess was that he was the same man that I saw in the Lincoln a few days ago and the same man that had my house bugged.

  ~****~

  The next morning when I woke up, I took a quick shower, grabbed a cup of coffee, and headed out. I didn’t want to waste any time getting to the shop. Driving by Juliette’s house, I decided to check one more time to see if she was home before I headed into the city. With my truck still running, I opened the door and walked over to the house. I pulled open the screen door and knocked on the door. I knew that it was a waste of time since I was just here less than five hours ago, but at least I tried.

  When I got to the shop, there was no one there. It was a perfect time to do some checking. Unlocking the door, I headed to the conference room and booted up the laptop that was sitting on the table. While I waited for it to come alive, I decided to make a pot of coffee. I knew that Peter and the guys would be coming in soon and would appreciate having coffee already made before they started their day.

  Pouring a cup, I headed back to the conference room and began my search regarding one Mr. Collins. There wasn’t very much about the man on the Internet except that he was deemed one of the most ruthless businessmen in New York and he had his hands into everything. He had an office building in Manhattan, which was known as the Collins Building.

  Thinking that there had to be more to this man than his business practices, I decided to call the one man who would know more about him, being a businessman himself. Pushing from the long table, I headed to Peter’s office to see if I could find the number of Rade Matheson in his Rolodex. We had done some work for him in the past and occasionally he still used Jagged Edge Security for his annual charity events.

  Flipping through the cards, I finally found his number. Taking my cell from my back pocket, I dialed his number, hoping that it wasn’t too early for him.

  “Matheson,” he greeted me.

  “Rade, hi. It’s Ash Jacobs with Jagged Edge Security,” I answered.

  “What can I do for you, Ash?” he asked in a serious voice.

  “Have you ever heard of a man named Sebastian Collins?”

  “I’ve had my share of dealings with the man. If you ask me, he is an arrogant bastard who likes to play by his own rules,” Rade offered.

  “What else do you know about him? Do you think he would be the kind of man that would hurt anyone?” I asked.

  “What is this about, Ash? I get the funny feeling that this might be more personal than just a friendly inquiry.”

  “You could say that. I found this contract between him and a friend. After reading it, it sounded like he pretty much owned her soul. I’m talking about Master and Slave shit.”

  “Sebastian Collins isn’t a man you want to mess with. He has been known to have a dark side. I would steer clear of him,” Rade suggested with a hint of concern in his tone.

  “I’m not so sure I can do that, but I will keep your suggestion in mind. Thanks for the information, Rade.”

  “Ash, one more thing.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Be extremely careful and watch your back,” he remarked.

  “Always am. Thanks, Rade.”

  Ending the call, I began thinking about what Rade said. Even though Rade had a dark side, I knew he was a good man. I also knew he was serious when he said to be careful. I had a funny feeling that Mr. Collins was a man that didn’t like to lose. I’d stake my life that he was the reason behind Juliette’s black eye.

  Walking to the kitchen to grab another cup of coffee, I heard the front door to the shop open. Peeking around the corner, I could see that it was Peter. Just the man I needed to talk to. Watching him head to his office, I grabbed another cup of coffee for him and made it the way he liked. Light and sweet. By the time I finished and got to Peter’s office, he was already sitting behind his desk getting ready for the day. Setting his coffee in front of him, I took a seat in one of the chairs in front of his desk.

  “You’re here early,” he commented, grabbing his coffee and taking a cautious sip.

  “Yeah, I had something that I needed to do,” I replied.

  “Well, you’ll be glad to know that my friend was able to get information on the sealed records for Juliette Daniels. Looks like she got into a bit of trouble when she was eighteen. Theft mostly, but it looks like there was a charge for trespassing and breaking and entering. She never did any time for it.”

  “Does it say anything about why her records were sealed?”

  “My guess is, because of her age and the offense. Anyway, that’s all there is,” Peter indicated.

  “Thanks for the info. Any news on the new mission?”

  “Should hear something today. Be ready.”

  “You know me. Always on standby,” I answered with a chuckle.

  Rising to my feet, I said good-bye to Peter and headed to my truck. One thing I knew for sure, I needed to check out the Collins Building and have a little chat with Mr. Collins. Since Juliette wasn’t around to give me answers, maybe he could. Starting the engine, I looked in the review mirror to see Cop and Sly pulling in. I gave them a quick wave as I continued backing out.

  As I got closer to the city, I was glad that I lived in a small town. The traffic was unbearable as I turned on Madison Street and made my way to Seventh Avenue. Looking at the address that I had written down, I checked the huge buildings for the address until I spotted the one that had S. Collins Building in blue steel lettering on the front. While I drove down the street trying to find a place to park, a car pulled away from the curb. I pulled into the spot before anyone else had a chance to take it. Feeding the meter, I headed to the entrance.

  Not only was the traffic unbearable, but the number of pedestrians on the sidewalk was unbelievable. It was almost like fighting off a crowd of spectators at a crime scene. Fighting my way through the foot traffic, I finally reached the building and opened the door. I will never get used to the hustle and bustle of a big city. It seemed as though people were always in such a big hurry.

  Looking at the directory, I found that Mr. Collins’ office was located on the top floor. “Go figure,” I thought to myself. There were thirty-five floors to this building. As the elevator door opened, I just stood there. My body began to tense and I could feel the rapid beat of my heart. I knew I had two choices, either get on the elevator and ride it to the thirty-fifth floor or take the stairs. Unwilling to take my chances with the elevator, I chose to take the stairs. Finding the exit sign, I walked over to the door, opened it, and looked up as far as I could. Taking a deep breath, I began making my way up the stairs.

  Halfway up, I stopped a moment to take a breather. I was in the best shape I had ever been in, but climbing those stairs was definitely a workout. Catching my breath, I began climbing the remaining stairs. When I finally reached the top, I had to take another breather. Looking down at my watch, it had taken thirty minutes to make my way to Sebastian Collins’ floor; it was thirty minutes I didn’t have.

  Opening the door, I was greeted by a blonde that looked like she just stepped off the set of a triple-X movie. Stepping up to her desk, I cou
ldn’t help but notice the silicone breasts that were staring at me like they were ready to burst out of her blouse. Keeping my eyes focused on the wall behind her, I shot out, “I’m here to see Sebastian Collins.”

  “Name?” she asked, dragging out the word.

  “Ash Jacobs,” I answered.

  While she let the bastard know that I was here to see him, I took in my surroundings. It looked pretty impressive, but not as much as he would like to think. The paintings on the walls seemed to be originals and the quality of his furnishings appeared to be top of the line. Even though it screamed success and power, it didn’t impress me.

  Taking a seat on the plush leather couch, I took the most recent copy of Gentleman’s Quarterly from the small table and began skimming through the pages. I really wasn’t a fashion kind of guy, but it was either that or Better Housekeeping. Throwing the magazine on the small table, I ran my hands through my hair, a little annoyed that I had been kept waiting. Standing to my feet, I was just about to check with ‘Bambi’ to find out what was going on when a medium build man with jet black hair wearing a black pinstriped suit came walking down the hall. If I had to guess, it was Sebastian Collins.

  With his hand held out, he asked in an arrogant tone, “You must me Ash Jacobs?”

  I gave him a strong grip and said, “And you must be the ruthless businessman Sebastian Collins.”

  I don’t think he appreciated my sarcastic tone by the way he gave me a disgusted look as his jaw clenched and his eyes became a darker shade of brown. “No need for the harsh words, Mr. Jacobs.”

  Sidestepping from me, he raised his hand outward, signaling for me to proceed ahead of him. Walking down the hall, I heard his deep voice behind me. “Last door on the right.”

  Taking his instruction, I entered the office on the right. When I felt I was far enough inside the room and he was standing before me, I bluntly asked, “What is your relationship with Juliette Daniels?”

  Looking up at me with a raised brow, he said, “She is an employee of mine. Although, I’m not sure that is any business of yours.”

  “It is my business. Where have you taken her?” I hissed, stepping closer to him, getting a better look at his features.

  Sebastian walked away from me and towards a cart on the far end of the room which held a couple of decanters containing liquor and four matching crystal tumblers. Without looking at me, he asked in an icy tone, “Drink?”

  “No,” I snapped. “The only thing I want is answers. What did you do to her?”

  “Now, now, Mr. Jacobs. Don’t let your imagination get the best of you. Miss Daniels is on an assignment. She is currently out of town and won’t be back for a couple more days. I’m sure she will tell you all about it once she returns.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Juliette

  I had no idea that my little visit with Sebastian would cause me such pain. I also needed to remember that three shots of whiskey were my ultimate limit. Lying on the king-sized bed, feeling like my body had just been crucified, which technically it was, I thought about what he did to me and why I wasn’t strong enough to stop it. More than Sebastian, I hated Mr. Marlow. His definition of domination was inflicting as much pain as possible on a woman’s body. What I hated the most was that Sebastian knew exactly what kind of man he was and allowed him to do whatever he wanted to me.

  Pushing from the bed, I went to the bathroom for a much needed soak. The minute I saw myself in the mirror, the tears began to fall. I didn’t even recognize my own body. I endured the blunt torture he put me through, but I had no clue that my body would look as though I had been used as a pin cushion. My nipples were a fire red with dark red bite marks circling the outer edge. There were also bruises trailing down the valley between my breasts all the way to my pelvic bone. As I touched the tip of my nipple with my finger, I noticed the dark rope burns around my wrist. Feeling humiliated, I dropped my gaze to the tile floor, only to notice the same burn marks around each ankle.

  I could no longer hold on to my strength. My body gave way and I fell to the floor as the memory of what happened sunk in. The tears spilled, with no desire to hold them back. I screamed with anger, knowing that everyone on the hotel floor could hear me. It was the only way I could escape the feeling of shame and outrage building inside me. All I wanted was to remove the dirt from my body. Turning the water on in the tub, I got it as hot as I could.

  When I stepped inside the enormous tub, I felt nothing. Not even the heat of the water burning my skin fazed me. No matter how hard I scrubbed, I couldn’t get rid of his scent. My skin began turning raw. With the heat of the water and the rubbing, it felt like my skin was on fire. I finally calmed and leaned my head back against the rim of the tub. Hearing only my breathing, I sunk lower in the water, until my head fell below the waterline. The only thing I wanted to do was close my eyes forever and never feel the way I did.

  ~****~

  Beep…, beep…, beep… I heard somewhere in the distance. At first I thought I might have been dreaming. Slowly opening my eyes, I realized that it wasn’t a dream at all. I was no longer in the hotel suite, but in a room that smelled like antiseptic. As my eyes began to focus, I knew I was in the hospital. The beeping sound got louder, and I looked to my right to see a heart monitor and some other monitor beside me. Pushing up to my elbows, I noticed that my body was no longer hurting.

  Just as I was about to get out of bed, a nurse entered my room. “No, no, Miss,” she warned. “You need to stay in bed.”

  She walked over to the side of the bed and helped cover me up again. Checking the IV drip to make sure it was still flowing properly, she looked over to me and asked, “Do you think you are up to talking to the police? They’ve been here for some time waiting to speak to you.”

  “I’m not sure why they would want to talk to me,” I replied.

  “Well, just like with all cases, the hospital has the authority to contact the police if they feel that a patient has been abused, and in your case they did.”

  Everything came back to me. The ropes, the whip, Mr. Marlow and his men. There was no way I would ever be able to tell the police what happened. Even though the evidence of abuse was all over my body, I had to figure out an explanation.

  When the nurse left and the two officers walked in, my head cleared and my story began coming together. Pushing to a sitting position, I looked at the officers and confessed, “You are wasting your time. Aside from waking up in the hospital, I can’t remember anything.”

  One of the officers pulled out a notepad and began thumbing through his notes. Clearing his voice, he said, “It appears that you were spotted on Madison Avenue leaving Cello’s pub and Grill.”

  “By whom?” I hissed, curious to know how they would know that.

  Flipping through the pages, he licked his thumb as he turned each page. Stopping, he replied, “Mr. Collins. He was the one who called 911. He pulled you from the tub. He thought maybe you might have fallen asleep, or worse, tried to commit suicide. He also thought that your wounds may have been self-inflicted.”

  I could have screamed. It was true that I wanted my life to end, but self-inflicted? They must have been crazy. The worst part of this whole thing was that I couldn’t say anything about what really happened.

  “I don’t remember any of that, but if Mr. Collins said that was what happened, then it must be so.” The best thing for me was to play dumb.

  “We will find out exactly what happened. A woman police officer will be in shortly to do a thorough examination with one of the nurses.”

  “And if I refuse?” I questioned.

  “I guess our other option would be to have a full psychiatric evaluation done,” the officer replied, giving me a smug look.

  I knew I wasn’t getting out of this. They would soon know what actually happened to me. There was no way I was going to be put in a nuthouse. It would be so much worse than the life I had now. The only thing I could do was to pray that Sebastian wouldn’t punish me for what
I had no control over. Rolling over to my side, I turned away from the officers. Both of them left the room full of themselves.

  A short time later, a nurse showed up with the woman police officer wanting to poke and prod at me to find out the real truth. Drawing the curtain, the officer introduced herself as Officer Hanes before she began cleaning under my fingernails. As the officer was doing her thing, the nurse began laying out some items on the small tray, which I assumed was some sort of rape kit. My breath hitched, which caused both of the women to look at me with concern.

  “Don’t worry. It is no different than getting a Pap smear, Miss Daniels. It is a little uncomfortable, but otherwise pretty painless,” the officer said.

  Having a swab shoved inside my vagina wasn’t the problem, it was what they would find that had me concerned. I was pretty sure that even though I saw Mr. Marlow sheath his stubby little cock, he pulled it off before he entered me. The only thing I could hope for was that the bath I took washed all the remnants of the assault away.