by A. L Long
I tried to get passed them, but my efforts were worthless as Mr. Giant picked me up like a sack of potatoes. Screaming and hitting him, I cursed, “Let go of me, asshole.”
He didn’t care. His only reaction was a low and annoying laugh. Mr. Marlow must not have found it very funny; his voice came out sharply as he said, “Enough.”
The giant set me down, but still held onto my arms as Mr. Marlow placed his index finger under my chin so that I was looking directly into his evil eyes. “Why would you do that, my little pet? Do you enjoy being punished?”
I wasn’t sure what I was thinking, but I spit in his face, only to receive a slap across the cheek. “You will never get away with this, sicko,” I yelled as I tried once again to pull free.
“Take her upstairs and tie her to the bed face down,” he began as the ogre began leading me out of the room. “Oh, and make sure she is completely naked. I don’t want anything to get in the way for what I have planned for her.”
I had no idea what he had planned for me, but there was no way in hell that he was ever going to lay a hand on me. I needed to figure out a way to get out of this.
~****~
Maybe I should have thought twice about acting like I was sick. If I hadn’t been so stupid, I would be with the rest of the girls and not here. When Mr. Giant ripped my clothes off and tied me to the bed, he couldn’t have been more rough. I had never been more humiliated in my life from the way he stuck his tongue out and licked the side of my face after he had me secured to the bed. He even went so far as to slap my ass before he left.
As bad as it was for me, I kept thinking about how bad it was for those girls. I kept wondering what would happen to them. They were on their way to who knew where. Pulling on my restraints, I tried to break free, but the harder I pulled, the tighter they got. It was useless. Somehow I had to block out what was going to happen once that slimeball got a hold of me. Resting my head against the rough pillow, I tried to think of something else. The only thing that made me happy was thinking about Ash. As my mind began to wander, I thought about how it would be if I never signed that stupid contract. Would I still be in college or would I be one of those high school girls who ended up marrying whomever she could just in order to make it in this world? But most of all, I wondered if my life would have included Ash. Would we have ever met?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Ash
As we were heading back to the old mansion, I kept thinking about what we might find once we got there. The best scenario would be that the girls were still there and Juliette was safe. I had a funny feeling it was only wishful thinking on my part.
Even though Hawk was driving well over the speed limit, it was taking too long to get there. About the time that we got out of the city, Peter’s cell began going off. Moving to where he was sitting, I could see that it was Lou calling as he swiped his finger across the screen.
“Lou, please tell me that you have something good for us,” Peter hinted.
“Well, some bad and some good, I think,” Lou replied.
“Hit me with it,” Peter requested as he put the call on speaker. “I’ve got you on speaker so the guys can hear.”
“Well, another van pulled up. Black this time. About a dozen girls got in. From what I could tell, none of them were Juliette, which means she is still in the house,” Lou paused for a moment. “You might have your work cut out for you. They haven’t left yet, but there is a guy sitting inside, waiting for the driver, I suspect. I’m not sure how many more may be inside.”
Peter ran his hand through his short hair, contemplating what to do. The closest person to the mansion was Lou, and we were at least another ten to fifteen minutes out. Finally, he got back on the phone and said, “Here is the plan, Lou. When that van leaves, I want you to follow it. Call Mike and let him know exactly where you are. There is no reason for him and Josh to remain at the Collins Building. Let them know where you are. Hopefully they will be able to head off the van. Me and the other guys, I’m pretty confident, will be able to handle whomever is in the house. I will let our friends at the FBI know what is going on so they can assist you and help get those girls to safety. Be careful, Lou.”
The minute Peter hung up the phone, I knew that his decision to order Lou to stay with the van was because of me. It was very unlikely that Sebastian and Marlow would be going anywhere real soon. Looking over to him, I patted him on the shoulder and said, “Thanks, bro.”
With an understanding look, he yelled to Hawk from the back of the van, “Step on it, Hawk.”
“You got it, boss,” Hawk replied as he laid his foot on the gas.
~****~
The van must have taken off because Lou was nowhere in sight. To keep from being seen, Hawk parked the van down the road from where the drive to the rundown mansion was. As Peter went over the plan, all I wanted to do was to get to Juliette before it was too late. We had no idea what was in store for us once we got inside the house. I knew that having a plan was needed, but me getting to Juliette was the only plan I had.
Grabbing what we needed, we all slowly made our way to the old house. Aside from the dead trees that lined the drive, there wasn’t much with regard to coverage for us. The last thing we needed was to be seen or be open targets. Maneuvering though the trees, we finally made it to the mansion. There was no way to look inside given that all of the curtains were drawn, and going through the front door was out, unless we wanted to get caught before we even got inside. Peter signaled for us to proceed to the back of the house. He, Sly, and I went around the left side, while Hawk and Cop went around to the right.
Meeting at the back of the house, there was no other entrance inside except the back door. Deciding on how to gain entrance, Peter thought it would be better for him to enter first. Working the lock, I managed to get it open. As I turned the knob and slowly pushed open the door, it began to creak a little louder than we liked. Ready to take on any unexpected complications, we raised out weapons.
When we stepped through the door, we stepped into a room that looked a mud room more than anything else. It also looked like maybe this entrance hadn’t been used very much based on the clutter. Navigating through the mess, we came upon another door. Since Peter was in front, he slowly turned the handle and carefully pulled the door open. We all took a deep breath, hoping that this door was well oiled, allowing us entrance without giving off our location. As we walked through the door, the room we entered was the kitchen. Still, there was no sight of anyone around. Peter once again took the lead.
Reaching the swinging doors leading out of the kitchen, Peter took one side while I took the other. There was a round window at the top of the door, like you would see in an old restaurant. We rose to full height and looked for any signs of movement. Looking at each other, Peter whispered in a low voice, “There is no way this could be this simple.”
Nodding my head, I replied, “This is a big house. I’m sure they are here somewhere, Peter.”
Peter and I pushed open the door as we all stayed low, even as we passed the long dining table. Everything about this old mansion gave me the impression that Sebastian didn’t want to waste any time on the upkeep. The carpeting was worn and the wood could have used a good oiling. Even though it seemed to be fairly clean, it was old and definitely run down. We made it to the open entry. It was then that we heard a familiar voice.
“There is no need to treat her like some animal, Walter,” Sebastian’s voice sounded with animosity.
“She is no longer your property, therefore, no longer your concern,” Walter reminded him. “Now if you will excuse me, I need to do what I should have done a long time ago.”
Holding our positions, we waited until Walter was out of the room before we closed in on Sebastian. Since we didn’t hear any other voices, we were pretty sure that he was alone. With Peter’s go-ahead, we followed his direction, with Hawk and Cop sent to check out the rest of the house. Peter instructed Sly to stay where he was while he and I headed
in Sebastian’s direction.
When we got to the room, Sebastian was facing the window with the curtain fully drawn, I could see that he had a drink in his hand. I thought for sure we entered the room without him knowing, but when he said, “I knew you would eventually show up,” I found out I was wrong.
Unwilling to take any shit, I snarled, “Where the fuck is she?” as I began moving in on him.
“He has her upstairs, but you need to hurry. I think his plan is to kill her after he is finished with her,” Sebastian confessed, not moving from his spot.
With my gun drawn, I grabbed him by his suit collar and hissed, “You are going to show us where, you piece of shit.”
Shifting his body, we began moving out of the study and into the main entrance, where we began moving up the staircase. We met up with Sly, who followed us upstairs. Making our way down a long hallway, Sebastian stopped and pointed to a door. Handing him over to Peter, I held my gun high and slowly turned the doorknob. As Juliette came into view, I could see that she was tied to the bed, fully naked, with Marlow standing above her with a gun pointed at her head. Not thinking, I yelled, “Stop, you motherfucker.”
His gaze switched to mine and a contorted look of disgust crossed his face. “Well, well. It seems you are a little too late, Casanova. Come any closer and she’s dead.”
“Don’t do this, Marlow,” I seethed.
“Then I suggest you back off.”
There was no way that I could leave Juliette in the hands of this madman. I knew that If I had any chance to get her out of here safely, I needed to back down, or at least make him think I was going to. When I lowered my weapon, he began untying her. I watched his every move as he ordered, “Stand up, Slave, and for God’s sake cover yourself.
My temperature was boiling as I gazed over at Juliette as she pushed from the bed and wrapped the sheet around her body. “What the hell did he do to her?” I thought to myself as my hand tightened around the grip of my gun. Her hair was matted and her face was tear soaked, with her makeup smeared on her cheeks and under her eyes. If that wasn’t the worst, it was when she looked at me that I knew what he had done.
I wasn’t sure what happened, but just as I was about to raise my gun to kill this asshole, my gun was taken from me. Everything began moving in slow motion as Sebastian shouldered me, knocking me to the floor. The sound of my gun being fired filled the room as I set my sights on Juliette. Her body hunched to the floor and her hands moved to cover her head. Marlow raised his gun and fired. It was like I could see the bullet move through the air before it landed against Sebastian’s chest, sending him downward. Thinking of only protecting Juliette, I picked up my gun from where it had fallen to the floor and aimed it at Marlow. As I pulled the trigger, Marlow aimed his gun at Juliette. My heart began to race as I unloaded five more rounds.
Everything was no longer in slow motion. One of the bullets I shot off hit Marlow on the wrist, which sent his bullet upward. He was still standing, but not for long. His body began to crumble as I watched the blood ooze out of his head. When he hit the floor, I was up on my feet and by Juliette’s side. Her body was still crouched in a fetal position as I wrapped my arms around her. All I care about was protecting her. Lifting her in my arms, I carried her over to the bed and held her on my lap as I cradled her in my arms. Rocking her like a small child, I whispered the only words I knew she would understand. “I love you, Juliette. I will never leave you again.”
Her arm came around my shoulders and her head nuzzled in the crook of my neck. In a barely-there whisper, she said, “I love you too.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Juliette
Even though almost everything I owned got burned in the fire, Ash did everything he could to make his home mine too. It had been almost a month since Ash and the guys came to my rescue, and in the end, Sebastian Collins and Walter Marlow got what they deserved. I was glad to hear that Lou, Mike, and Josh were able to get to girls in time and prevent them from being taken out of the country. Who would have thought the man who kept me under his control for so long had been associated with the biggest human trafficking ring in North America? And to top it off, to have someone like Walter Marlow as his partner.
The hardest thing about this whole ordeal was telling my mom what had happened and what I had kept from her all these years. I thought for sure she would be angry with me, but instead she insisted on flying out here to see for herself that I was okay and that Ash was the right boy for me. I will never forget the look on her face when she finally met Ash. Calling him a boy was an understatement, she confessed after seeing him. Sometimes I think she wished she was twenty years younger.
Sitting on the deck soaking in the warmth of the sun in nothing more than a skimpy swimsuit and a t-shirt, I took a drink of my beer as I watched a handsome man walking up the steps towards me. God, he was perfect in so many ways. Sitting beside me, I handed him a beer that I had chilling in the cooler. Looking over to him, I gave him a smile and asked, “So what do you think, big guy?”
Taking a pull from his beer, he looked out in the distance and replied, “I think the next time your mom decides to come visit, we will put her up in a nice hotel. I couldn’t even look at you without her giving me that look.”
“What do you mean, ‘that look’?” I questioned
“The look that mothers give a man when they think the man’s intentions are less than honorable,” Ash explained.
I had to laugh at him. For one thing, my mom would never give him that kind of look, and for another, I saw the look she was giving him. It was a look of envy, not concern over his intentions with me. Standing to my feet, I bent over and kissed Ash on the lips before voicing my opinion. “You’re wrong, Mr. Jacobs. That look she was giving you was her approval, and maybe a little bit of jealousy that she isn’t younger.”
Before I could take another step, Ash pulled me to his level, causing my body to land on his lap. His lips fell upon mine and in a heated breath, he said, “I think we should test that theory.”
Without any effort, Ash had me in his arms and he carried me through the double doors. His lips were on mine and I couldn’t get enough of him. Making it to the bedroom, he gently placed me on the bed. He moved his hand under my t-shirt and gently began caressing my breasts through the thin material of my swim top. His touch sent electric currents through my body. Lowering his head, Ash began trailing soft kisses up my body. Easing the cup of my swimsuit aside, he caressed the swollen tips of my nipples with his tongue, while his hand slid down across my belly. Lifting his head from my pert nipple, his lips met mine and my arms wrapped around him to bring him closer. As our kiss deepened, he began lowering my bottoms down my legs. His finger dipped inside my channel, searching for the one spot that would send me soaring.
Breaking our kiss, he showered kisses along my jaw, down my neck, and over my shoulder. With his free hand, he pulled the string to my top and pulled it away, leaving my body ready to be adored. Once again, his mouth was on my sensitized bud, lapping and sucking it to a hard peak. I could feel my back lift from the bed as the sensations from all sides began to take over. Reeling in the feel of his touch, my body was begging for more. When his mouth lowered to my mound, I lost all control. My body began to pulsate as his tongue swirled lightly around my clit. When he inserted another finger inside me, my body unleashed, pouring out the pleasure inside. Slowly moving up my body, Ash placed his mouth over mine and dipped his tongue inside. Just the taste of my essence on his tongue had me undone. Before I could tell him “More” his jeans were off and his hard cock was inside me, giving me more of what I wanted. The air around me seemed to electrify, answering the rapid thud of my heart as he pushed deeper inside me. Unable to hold on any longer, I could feel my walls tighten around his thick girth and I soon let go, feeding his thirst.
Maybe it was everything that had happened over the past month or maybe it was the fact that I was finally in charge of my own destiny, but the emotions began to spill from
my eyes. Holding on to Ash as tight as I could, my mind felt like, for the first time, it was alive. Jumping from the bed and out of his arms, I decided I wanted to do something crazy. Standing before him in all my naked glory, I put my hands on my hips and commanded, “Get out of bed, we are going to walk down to that little pond and go skinny dipping.”
I could tell by the look on his face, he wasn’t too keen about my suggestion. Holding out my hand, I snapped my fingers, letting him know that I was serious about this. Finally, after contemplating whether or not I needed to be institutionalized, Ash placed his hand in mine and rose from the bed. Smiling at me as he put his jeans on, he took my naked body in his arms and said, “I think that I have fallen in love with a crazy woman.”
Slapping him on the shoulder, I replied, “Come on. It will be fun.”