by L. C White
I narrow my eyes at her. “As simple as that?”
“Yes. They will not come to harm. We have our own girls to take care of. So do we have a deal?” she stares at my gaze.
“Yes,” I state resolutely, as the Commander slams his hands down on the table again.
Dina strolls toward me and holds out the note. “She’s being moved tomorrow. Gustave will have his men vacate the property at eleven pm tomorrow night. Trent has seven guards at the property, so you will have to figure a way to get through them. Remember, you need to be seen.”
I snatch the note from her fingers and unfold it to read. I run my thumb over the address, 5 Berkley Peaks CA, feeling just that bit closer to getting her back.
“Remember, you will only have a short timeframe to get this done,” she says.
“And what if we don’t?” the Commander asks, full of doubt.
“Oh, you will.” She gestures her head at Jimmy.
Jimmy walks Dina outside. I stare at the address as this flash of adrenalin rushes through my system. I squeeze the note in my hand and race out through the shutter door.
“Hold on,” I yell out before she has the chance to get into the truck.
Jimmy shuts the door of the driver’s side and starts up the engine, as I jog up to Dina.
“You said you’ve seen her. How was she?” I catch a breath, swallowing down.
She sighs, shaking her head. “She’s alive. But if she does get out of this, there’s not going to be much left of her to save.”
I frown, wanting more information. I need it, so when I’m pulling that trigger, I know I’m ridding Trent’s hold on her for good.
“What I do know, is that she’s going to need a hell of a lot more than rehabilitation.” She steps into the truck, and Jimmy drives away.
Chapter Twenty-One
Amber
I’ve scrubbed and scrubbed my dirty skin until it was red raw. I’ve sobbed out all the tears inside until there was none left. I’ve prayed, cursed, and even pulled at my own hair. I’m climbing the walls in this room; the room Trent raped me. It’s all I can see, smell, and hear. His satisfied face. His expensive cologne and my vomit. His lips grunting against my neck as he nipped my skin with his teeth. I grew used to his likes. I was willing to give him what he wanted. But what he did, was worse than strapping me into the rack. He took away the thought I could ever get away from him, because now he’s constantly crawling beneath my skin.
Jenny is stripping the bedsheets as I gaze out of the two hundred meter high window. It’s a pretty view of the city. There’s San Francisco Bay. The clear blues skyline. And the sun beaming off the tall skyscrapers. But it’s not the pleasant view I’m taking in. I’m looking down to the busy streets, contemplating whether jumping would be so hard to do after all.
“Friday,” Jenny calls out, but I blank out her voice. “You need to get dressed. Trent is taking you out.”
I turn, frowning, pulling the edges of the toweling robe together across my chest.
“Why?” is the first word I’ve spoken all day.
She looks down at the bed with a sigh, bringing up the dirty sheets in her arms.
“A change of location.” She drops the sheets in a huff and wiggles her fingers at me. “Come here Friday, let me look at your wrist.”
I bite my cheek and slowly make my way over to her. I don’t know why. I guess she’s the only one here I feel a connection to, after what Trent did to me. She tried to stop him. She has warned me. And I do need some support, even if it is from the woman who has helped Trent and his depraved needs.
She pulls the toweling robe up to the crease of my elbow, shaking her head at the deep scratch marks.
“Oh Friday.” She releases my arm and sits down on the edge of the bed. “This has gone too far now. Tuesday. Moving the girls. The goddamn Russians.”
“The Russians?”
“Yeah. For years Trent has been in business with them. I did advise against it. But as business expanded, requirements from both sides grew. Trent ships them his goods, and in return they ship theirs.”
“Goods… you mean girls?”
“And the drugs,” she says in a breath. “Now the Russians are over here sticking their nose into Trent’s business. They want to take a piece of the city, to run their own deals.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because Trent needs you. And because he needs you, he’s taking his eye off the ball. It would have been better if you never came back.”
“Then why don’t you let me go?”
“It’s too late now. Your lover boy out there has gotten free. So now Trent is moving you to a secure location. Instead of dealing with business that could ruin us all, he’s more intent on finding your boyfriend, and killing him.”
“Oh god.” I cover my face with my hands.
“All you have to do is everything he asks, Friday. Don’t provoke him. He will kill not only this Dwayne, but you. Because if he can’t have you, no one can.”
The more I think about it, the angrier I get.
“Why… why me? Why does he want to possess me so much? There are girls here who would walk arm in arm with him. Do anything.”
She laughs sharply and stands up to gather the dirty sheets in her arms.
“I remember you coming into the house. Nervous timid little thing you were. Well that is why.” She walks to the door. “I told you, I’ve seen it before.”
“Jenny,” I call out and she stops to turn to me. “I won’t let him kill Dwayne.”
“Honey, your man is one of the most wanted in San Francisco now. I suggest you forget all about him.” She opens the door so I can see the back of the guard who’s standing outside. “I’ll bring you a pick me up, and I suggest you take it.” She closes the door on me.
***
Two perfect white lines wait to be inhaled on the dressing table, and I’ve been stood here for the last five minutes staring at them. Whether it’s because my taste as escalated to something stronger, or the fact Trent is on his way to collect me, but I’m thinking it’s not going to be enough. Dwayne is out there. He may be free for now, but Trent will see to it he’s found. All this not knowing and anxiety, is making it difficult to catch even a shallow breath.
I hear his voice. He’s talking to the guard outside the room. Now I’m bending over, and find myself ingesting the only thing that may get me through being in his presence, fast. Weak or not, I require all the help I can get.
My nostrils tingle and pulse as I drop the straw, then wipe my nose on the sleeve of my denim jacket. I’m hit by the tiny buzz, my mind closing off as Trent opens the door and waits for me.
“Friday… Come.” He gestures his head.
I hate him. I hate him with everything I have inside me. But it’s not enough for me to tell him, hit him, or fight him again. With my head down, I do exactly as I’m ordered to do. Pathetic.
***
I’m sitting in the back of a black chauffeur driven Bentley as Trent has a word in the driver’s ear. There’s a convoy of cars and guards behind, waiting to follow. The top floor of the hotel was empty. No girls, drugs, or randy men, just cleaners hoovering the carpets on the corridor. I don’t even know where the other girls are. I’m alone with him.
He takes a seat on the cream leather, closes the door, and adjusts his silk cream tie as the soundproof glass partition, which separates passenger and driver, rolls up.
I keep my eyes on the tinted window, knowing any second he’s going to start up a conversation with me.
The Bentley moves out onto the road, and I can feel his piercing blue gaze on the side of my face.
“Amber,” he says.
What the fuck. He’s calling me Amber now. Jenny was right, he’s lost his mind. Him calling me by my Christian name is not only bizarre, but it’s damn right scary. I have fearful goose pimples on the back of my neck. He can’t call me Amber, to him, it’s Friday.
“Amber,” he says again as I crin
ge. “Look at me.”
“Why?” I turn to him.
“I’m taking you to one of my more private homes. Just you and I. I think we need some time to reevaluate.”
“Reevaluate what?” I utter.
He sighs, sliding closer to me. “I’m sorry.”
He takes my hand in his, and again my pore swell with aversion. I want to yank it away, but I’m alone with him in this small space, and Jenny’s warning is in my mind. He’ll kill me, if I don’t play along with this.
“I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you.”
I’m really confused. He wants me to love him, but that will never happen. I can’t even love myself. The only one who has ever truly had my heart, is Dwayne. And the man holding my hand right now, is going to kill him.
“I don’t understand,” I say softly.
“For a long time I’ve been fighting my feelings for you. I know our relationship has been based on the business side of things. But I’m willing to forget that.”
I frown at the man who saved me. The man who used me. The man who gave me drugs and raped me. At least when I was a submissive, I knew what to expect. This declaration of his, is frightening.
“What about Dwayne?” I use all my bravery to ask.
He releases my hand angrily, pushes his back into the seat, and runs his hand over his mouth, huffing.
“Why say his name; you know it riles me.”
My heart thumps and my face enflames. I gulp down as my throat grows narrower. I’m not looking into his eyes because I know what I’ll see. I’ll see the monster waking inside him. Trent’s love is a one way street, and he wants me to abide and agree. It’s still a master and submissive relationship, only on a darker level.
“Okay, swear to me, you’ll forget that man.”
“I… I can’t.”
I hear his deep breath and watch as his jaw grinds down. His hand shoots across to me and his fingers wrap around my chin. My body shudders with pain as he squeezes my jaw so tight, my teeth hurt.
“I’m… sorry,” I weep.
He lets me go, his face coming close to mine. His fingers run down my cheek and my tears roll over his hand. He smiles.
“You bring the worst out in me.” He leans and kisses my lips.
I close my eyes tightly as he draws away to return to his seat. I snivel as quiet as possible and turn back to the window.
“You’re going to love the house,” he says, like his personality has just flipped from fury to friendly.
I hum only. I’m not going to do a thing to aggravate him. But I’m not going to accept this psychopath either. I need to play along. I need to find a way to escape him, for good.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Amber
I can hear water rolling, and crashing waves over the shore of a private beach on which Trent’s home sits. It’s a modern sleek lined and glass one story luxury beach condo, set in the privacy of a small woodland area. There’s no one around for miles. It’s secluded and secure.
Trent’s guards organize themselves around the parameters of the house, as I stand facing the ocean with my eyes closed. The sound takes me back to the waterfall at Redwood Creek. It takes me back to Dwayne.
The gentle evening breeze blows my hair over my shoulders, as I cross my arms over my chest. I can sense him watching me. His eyes swallowing up my body and anxiety from behind. Even though this place is beautiful, there’s a dark feeling here. Like there’s tragedy waiting for me; the final place that will seal my fate with Trent.
“Amber,” he calls out, making my body shiver a little. “Come inside please.”
I lower my eyes as I turn to him, making my way up the white panel steps.
A table has been set for two in the large open-plan bright white contemporary space. But there is no privacy. Trent has guards walking around the circumference of the house. Posted outside every one of the four bedroom doors. The front and the back exits are covered at all times. And Jenny is in the kitchen, stirring what smells like a cheese sauce. I feel so uncomfortable. This could never be a home to me. It feels like I’m living with Peter Schofield all over again. I’m tense, and I’m too nervous to speak. Always thinking about the next violent outburst.
“Come, eat your dinner.” Trent pulls out one of the leather dining chairs as Jenny places a plate of food on the table.
Great, another dinner date in which I’ll be watched, scrutinized, and force fed if I stray out of line.
I sit down at the table before a plate of fillet steak and ravioli. Then my eyes and brainwaves spark with ideas and brave plans. I have a steak knife. It’s sharp enough to pierce through Trent’s rotten heart. But have I got the balls to go ahead and murder a man? I should have, after everything he’s done to me. He murdered Tuesday. He’s heartless and dangerous. But to force a knife through skin, flesh and bone, requires strength. And he’s taken that from me also.
“Aunt Jenifer, you can leave us,” Trent says as she places his dinner before him.
She straightens up, offering me a private look of worry, which makes my body tense. I’ve never seen her so on edge around Trent. It’s like she knows how he ticks, and she can sense something bad. I only wish I knew what to expect.
“Wine?” he asks, tearing the seal off a bottle of red, as my eyes follow Jenny to the door. “Amber,” he snaps for my attention.
My heart beats swiftly like the wings of a butterfly. I know I’m pale because I can feel the blood sinking from my head to whirl around my racing heart. I’m hot, sweating like I have a sudden fever. My fingertips are slick, and I have to wipe the palms of my hands up and down the fabric of my leggings several times.
“Yes, please,” I utter, gripping the seat beneath the table with white knuckles.
He uncorks the wine bottle and stands up. He comes to stand over me and leans, pouring me half a glass of red wine. His thigh is pressing against my bicep, and all I can do is hold my breath and be as still as possible. If I flinch, gasp, or move in my seat, he’ll know I don’t want to be near him.
I release all the air from my lungs in one long outbreath, as he strolls back to his seat. I find my eyes on the steak knife again. It’s strange. I’m not the murdering type. But the knife is there, and it’s like some message from above: For once in your life Amber, defend yourself. Defend what you have with Dwayne, even if you suffer trying.
Trent slices into his steak and every sound makes me feel sick. The knife scraping through the tender meat on the plate. His lips moving and teeth chewing, remind me of the night he raped me, when he had his mouth against my neck. I once knew how to work him, but Dwayne changed that. I need to give him what he wants. I need to play along with this game of being a pretend happy couple. If it means I can smuggle this knife off the table, I have to do whatever it takes.
I pick up the silver knife and fork, and begin to cut into the steak. It’s sharp enough to cause fatal damage. I just need to work on the strength to go through with it.
I slide a small piece of steak into my mouth. It probably tastes very nice. But right now I taste nothing, because my mind is plotting a way to escape.
Trent goes very quiet. He’s watching me, confused as to why my appetite is all of a sudden larger than normal. Usually, I can manage a few small bites and that’s all. But now I’m eating with the façade I’m enjoying it greatly. When really, I’m eating it to survive.
“Well Amber, seems getting you away from the hotel has done wonders for your appetite,” he says, wiping his lips on a napkin. “Have to be careful though. Don’t want you getting podgy around the edges. Unless you’re carrying my baby of course.”
My knife and fork cease to slice and dice my food. I’m trying not to give off the vibe that his comment has fucked my head up completely. But it has. Is this why I’m here, because he wants to impregnate me and make a family? After everything that happened to me as a child, I’d rather die than have to bring a baby into this world with a Father like Trent.
I peer up
at him from under my brow, unable to contain my shock. He exhales and angles his head on me, and for the first time ever, he looks ill at ease.
“Because I do, Amber. I do want children,” he says as I continue to stare at him.
Oh god, this is so screwed up, and I don’t think I can continue to act as though I’m okay with this any longer. He’s said it now. He’s planted the seed. And if he crawls on top of my body tonight, he could be planting his seed in the literal sense also.
“I understand that this may come as a shock to you,” he says as my fingers grip the knife just that little bit tighter. “But you know I love you. And I think deep down, you love me too.”
What the fuck. I want to scream at him: no I don’t. I will never love an evil abusive vile man like you. But I remain quiet. I have the knife in my hand still, and the thought of using it, is the only salvation I have.
“You’ll need to get clean first, and that is why we are here. Think of this as your home. A place you can get clean and start looking after yourself.”
“I… I…” I silence, realizing there are no words for this, as I look down at the plate.
“Amber, take some time to think about how wonderful it would be,” he says in a gentle voice. “A family. A redemption for both of us.”
I can’t help but frown up at him, and from the sound of his breathing, his piercing gaze, he’s not happy with me.
I swallow down and whisper, “Sorry.”
“Okay, I understand these are future plans and a lot to take in.” He drops his napkin on his plate and stands up. “I want you to freshen up and change into something more appropriate.”
He turns his back for a second as he moves out from the table, so as quick as I can, I tuck the steak knife down the waistband of my leggings, flinching as it brushes against my belly.
“Come with me Amber.” He walks toward a black door.
I rise from the table; my body stiff, feeling the knife pressing into my hip. Subtly, I lie my hand over my vest to prevent the knife moving or dropping to the floor, walking in a rigid manner behind him.