Afraid to Fall

by Nicole Douglas

  For that reason alone he remained outwardly unruffled. They seemed to buy his act and their conversation soon ceased, proving it was solely to determine where he stood; to get a rise out of him. Satisfied that he seemed to pass their test, he continued walking without another word.

  Just when Kyle began to wonder how far they were going to walk, they reached the very end of the hallway. He was astonished that he building was as big as it seemed to be. At the end of the hall was a huge archway with white crown molding that led to a brightly lit, clean room the size of an auditorium with vaulted ceilings. The shape and size of the room was nearly identical to the place they were taken in the van when they first arrived.

  This room, however, was highly decorated with marble floors, extravagant paintings in thick gold frames on the cream colored walls and a sparkling chandelier hanging low from the center of the ceiling. Kyle couldn't fathom how the rest of the facility was so dingy and dark if they were capable of maintaining this area so pristinely.

  Twelve white high-backed chairs lined the wall directly across from the entrance. In the center of the room underneath the chandelier sat a long oak dining table. Five chairs that matched the table sat along the length of each side. On each end sat one additional chair. Ten of the high-backed chairs along the wall were already occupied and as they reached them, the chubbier of his two escorts shoved Kyle into an empty chair on the very end.

  "Enjoy the show." One of the men whispered to him underneath his breath. Dread pooled in the pit of Kyle’s stomach. The two men made their way to the corner of the room and stood silently, their attendance barely noticeable.

  He glanced to his left down the row. The chair directly next to him was still empty. The next seat belonged to a young man, barely twenty years old if that, who was in a bright yellow dress shirt and black vest and matching dress pants. The boy sat whispering to an older man next to him. The resemblance was strong and Kyle realized it was none other than his father. Disgusted that a father would bring his son to such a sleazy place, he looked past them.

  The next two chairs seated men in gray and black three piece suits, likely in their mid-thirties, who looked similar enough that he suspected they could be brothers. Guessing this was some sick family gathering and unable to see any further down the row, Kyle looked straight ahead as the chatter continued.

  Minutes later, Rodriguez entered the room and sauntered to the only empty seat, right next to him. Out of the corner of his eye, Kyle watched as he lifted his wrist to look at his gold Rolex as if ‘the show’, as everyone so tastefully put it, was running late.

  "What time is this supposed to start?" Kyle asked conversationally. He made certain his tone remained impartial. He had convinced Rodriguez's men that he couldn't care less about the situation but he knew the man sitting next to him was by far the most important to convince. As if he already heard the news that there was trouble in paradise, Rodriguez smirked. He turned to Kyle and gave an appraising gaze.

  "Any minute now."

  Kyle nodded in response.

  "Excited?" Rodriguez asked, clearly just as amused as the others had been at the discord.

  "You bet." He replied in as slimy a voice as he could muster.

  Rodriguez gave him another assessing stare before nodding and looking ahead. Jessica was being led into the room through the archway clad in nothing but tiny see-through lingerie. She was beyond gorgeous. He knew it was a horrible time, but seeing her kicked his heart into overdrive. Her heels clinked on the marble floor with every tentative step she took. Kyle noticed that she had showered, her hair limp and slightly darkened from being wet. Her eyes were wide and darting around the room, taking in her surroundings.

  As the other men noticed her entrance they began speaking all at once, much louder than before. As modest as he knew she was, Kyle was positive all the perverse eyes on her, especially in her current outfit, was making her highly uncomfortable. Hell, it was making him highly uncomfortable. Especially when he heard some of the comments that were being made. He caught Rodriguez giving him one last sideways glance; a last attempt to catch a reaction from him.

  Slightly annoyed that these people thought he was stupid enough to blow his cover, Kyle pretended not to notice. He looked straight ahead and plastered a sneer on his face that said he liked what he saw. Satisfied again, Rodriguez turned the other way and began talking the boy and his father. Kyle couldn’t hear what they were saying over the eruption of jeering and shouting.

  Every now and then a shout rang louder than all the others and Kyle was able to make out the words. One of the older men was enthusiastically calling out what he planned to do to her if he won the bid. Hearing the filthy, repulsive thoughts these people had without losing his poise was difficult. He wanted nothing more than to get up and beat the shit out of every single person in the room. It took every shred of restraint he had not to do just that.

  Six Years Ago

  They walked up to the second story of the beach house and found the master bedroom. They had the place entirely to themselves for the weekend and Kyle was looking forward to spending a peaceful few days with Jessica at the beach. He sat on the edge of the king sized bed and peeled off his damp black socks. His dress pants were still soaked from the knee down after their spontaneous run into the ocean fully-clothed.

  The bottom of her dress was also dripping water on the floor and sending a chill across her skin as the vent blew cooled air down on her. She shivered and reached behind her to the zipper. The zinging sound got his attention. He looked up just in time to see her sliding each strap from her shoulders devastatingly slow and dropping the dress in a crumpled heap at her feet.

  She self-consciously folded her arms over her chest to cover as much of her solid black bra as she could. She shifted her weight from one slender leg to the other, waiting for Kyle's response. She looked so innocent, so vulnerable, standing in front of him.

  “You’re perfect.” He reassured, letting the awe he felt shine through in his voice. He forced his eyes not to wander down from hers until she smiled at his sincere compliment and finally let her tense arms fall to her side.

  The air was thick with building passion as she moved toward him and he stood up from the bed in the same instance. She unfastened each button of his shirt, never breaking eye contact. When she pushed the shirt from his shoulders, he shook out of it. She then reached down and unfastened the black leather belt that held up his dress pants. His breath caught when she worked to unbuttoned his pants.

  “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Jessie.” He whispered against her hair as she pushed his pants down from his hips and let them fall, giving her the option to back out even as he throbbed painfully with desire.

  He wanted her first time, their first time, to be special. She deserved nothing less than the absolute best. He knew how long she had been waiting and wanted her to be completely ready, even if that meant he didn’t get the relief tonight. He could wait forever if it meant doing right by her. Even if it damn near killed him. She turned her face into his neck and he suppressed a chill of yearning as her breath fanned his skin seductively.

  “I know.” She whispered, sweetly kissing the edge of his jaw.

  And at that, she slipped her fingers into the edge of his boxers and pulled them down. His heart raced as his erection sprung free and pressed against her belly. He halfway expected her to change her mind in that moment; to be afraid at how far she had taken things. But she surprised him once again by reaching for his hand and leading him to the bed. She unhooked her bra, threw it on the ground and lay back against the plush pillows.

  Kyle climbed in bed and was suddenly thankful he booked the beach house that weekend. He certainly didn't want them to be caught in a compromising position by her mother, or worse, her father. He kissed her, holding nothing back. His tongue grazed hers as he explored her willing mouth. Her soft moan vibrated underneath his lips and he nearly came undone. He shifted himself over her, nothing betw
een them except the thin fabric of her panties. She shifted her hips, urgently rubbing against him.

  “Make love to me.” She whispered breathily.

  He pulled her panties down her legs one-handed before returning to their kiss, settling between her legs as she grabbed his face between her hands gently. He forced himself to slow the kiss, tapping into every ounce of restraint he had. He refused to rush through this, even though his body begged for mercy. He eased himself lower, sliding inside of her wet heat with controlled movement.

  The tightness that surrounded him sent jolts of pleasure to every nerve ending he had. He lowered his face and softly kissed her, pausing his movements once he filled her so she could get used to the feel of him.

  “Am I hurting you?”

  “A little bit.” She admitted.

  “Do you want to stop?” He stilled, looking down at her face through the dark.

  “Definitely not.” As if to prove her eagerness she rocked her hips, inching him deeper inside of her. It was the only encouragement he needed. He let go of the last bit of self-discipline he had and allowed the tantalizing sensation to wash over him.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  "Turn around, baby, so we can see the rest of you." One man demanded, shouting above all the others to ensure she could hear. Jessica could feel her face heating up as the room full of men gawked at her.

  She froze and just wanted to run out of the room but knew she wouldn't make it very far if she tried. Then she would just be dragged back in here and cause an even bigger uproar. Seeing that she wasn't going to comply, the man who brought her into the room stepped forward and yanked her arm, turning her around roughly and causing her to nearly lose her balance in the five inch heels she wasn’t used to wearing. At this, the room broke out once again in unintelligible comments, all their voices mixing together.

  One was commenting that her ass wasn’t quite plump enough. Another said her voluptuous breasts made up for it. And yet another commented that he didn’t like blonds but she was sexy enough to make an exception. Humiliated, she felt the tears begin to sting her eyes. She felt as if she was cattle being auctioned off. They continued to shout out demands and criticisms of her body. She went into a trance, zoning out on her surroundings before she completely broke down.

  Her eyes settled on Kyle for the first time since she walked in. She had been evading his eyes, too afraid of what emptiness she would find there. He sat in his plush seat, legs splayed in a relaxed manner as he leaned slightly back, arms folded over his chest. His expression remained blank, seemingly unfazed by her current position.

  Despite them not being together, not even being friends, and even despite what he had told her only a few hours prior, she simply couldn't believe how he was acting. She couldn't help but feel deeply betrayed. That feeling of disloyalty doubled when she watched him turn to the man that commented on her not weighing enough and spoke.

  "Don't worry man, she hasn't been eating good this past week but she'll put it back on." This brought a grin from Alex who extended his arm to pat Kyle once on the shoulder in encouragement.

  She looked desperately at Kyle who was deliberately avoiding her eyes. Instead, he looked straight past her. His face was beginning to grow a 5 o'clock shadow. Another week without a razor and she was certain he would start to look like a caveman. Dirt covered his jeans and dried mud speckled his arms. He was a sharp contrast to the other men in the room, all wearing pricey suits. Even in the raggedy shirt he was given to wear, even when he was being a complete and total ass, he was still one of the most handsome men she had ever seen.

  What an idiot. She thought, reprimanding herself.

  His hollow eyes landed on hers as he scanned the room before blinking quickly and looking away, working his jaw and furrowing his brow. No one seemed to notice this minor slip except her. He covered it up almost immediately, relaxing his face and jaw. She was thankful she had been staring at him or she would have missed it as well. It was her only indication that he was more bothered than he was letting on.

  Kyle saw the vacant expression entwined with pain on Jessica’s face, causing his heart to pang with guilt. On one hand, he felt terrible for what his rejection was doing to her. On the other, he reminded himself why he was doing it. He had to keep up with the plan. He just hoped it worked and they both didn't get killed before he had the chance to tell her he didn't mean any of it.

  He focused his attention on listening to a man at the far end of the room that seemed to be growing increasingly interested in Jessica. Anxiety was boiling up inside him as he recognized the man's determination to out pay anyone else in the room. He pushed the feeling down and kept the look of cold detachment plastered on his face; fought to keep his body language relaxed. He had let his resolve falter for a split second and couldn’t afford to make the same mistake again.

  "Gentlemen, let's have lunch." Rodriguez interrupted the discussions cheerfully.

  This was directed to the bidders. Kyle, not quite sure what to do, remained seated when they all rose from their chairs. Rodriquez's dark eyes, tinged with annoyance, met his. Raising a questioning eyebrow, he waited for Kyle to stand. Once he complied with the silent demand, a small group of men he had yet to see in this compound scurried into the room dressed in black and white suits and began preparing the dining table. They arranged enough places to seat all the guests, plus two hostages.

  Things kept getting stranger and stranger.

  Rodriguez took the seat at the head of the table, like the king he seemed to think he was, and motioned for Kyle to sit at the last chair to the end, right next to him. He clearly wanted to keep him close. Kyle wondered if it was out of distrust or simply to torture him for entertainment. Based on the Oscar worthy performance he had been putting on, he assumed it was the latter.

  Rodriguez shot Jessica a harsher look and nodded to the seat directly across from Kyle. She looked even more confused by her invitation to the table than Kyle had been by his. She hesitantly pulled out the chair and took a seat, not thrilled to be sitting near any of them, much less right next to her uncongenial host.

  The other guests didn't seem to be having as much trouble finding a seat. They buzzed with excitement over the auction and what they speculated would be served for lunch, as if the two topics were as mundane as the weather. The servers who set up the table promptly wheeled in carts filled with plates of steaming roasted chicken, grilled vegetables and some type of seasoned rice. They gracefully began placing plates on the table in front of the guests.

  It seemed like a pretty extravagant meal for a bunch of degenerates in Kyle’s humble opinion but, then again, what did he know?

  Plates were set in front of him and Jessica simultaneously. He took a deep breath through his nose, his mouth watering at the delicious aroma. His stomach growled deeply, reminding him that it had been a long time since he had a real meal. He grabbed a fork and knife and began cutting his chicken, holding back from devouring the food like a starving animal.

  Jessica seemed to be showing the same self-control as she cut into her chicken. She finished the chicken first and then moved on to the vegetables. As Kyle predicted, she looked cautiously at the rice and decided against trying it. She hated rice and, even starving, he knew she wouldn’t touch it. He smiled to himself at her predictability. And to think she called him a picky eater the day before.

  It didn’t take long before he cleared off his entire plate and used the cloth napkin underneath his plate to wipe his face and hands clean. After finishing, he looked around and noticed the others were finishing their meals at a much slower pace, no doubt having eaten more recently than he and Jessica had.

  They sat quietly, not looking at one another across the table, while the others enjoyed their meals. It was hard to do considering they were directly across from each other. When Rodriguez finished half his chicken and a few bites of each side, he slid his chair back and stood.

  "Now for the bidding." He announced. "Let's start at eight
hundred thousand pesos."

  Several hands shot up. Kyle was glad he was done with his food because he likely would have choked at the abrupt change.

  "Nine hundred thousand."

  A few hands went down but four remained raised.

  "One million." The excitement was bubbling in his voice at the money he was about to make.

  Two hands went down, leaving two still in the bidding.

  "Two million." He went on, bumping it up a significant amount.

  One hand stayed up steadily. It belonged to one of the older men who had remained fairly quiet throughout the evening. Somehow, having barely spoke a word in the past several hours made him seem even more disturbing than the others. Knowing smiles spread across the mouths of both Rodriguez and the bidder.

  "Going once." Rodriguez boomed. "Going twice."

  He paused and it took every ounce of willpower Kyle had not to tap his bare foot nervously on the ground. He didn't know what was going to come after the bid was final and said a silent prayer that he would get the opportunity he had been waiting for.

  "Sold for two million pesos!"

  A noisy sob escaped her and his heart constricted in his chest, the sound bringing him physical and mental pain. She clutched the edge of her chair until her knuckles turned white, as if she were woozy and needed to hold herself up. At the risk of blowing his whole plan out of the water, he extended his leg, brushing his foot against hers beneath the table in an effort to comfort her. Her foot, and likely the rest of her, was trembling. He felt it against her warm skin and glossy patent heel.