I let out a deep breath, “Thank you for always being here for me. Without you, I don’t think I would have survived this place. And as much as I hate to admit it, I really need you. I just wanted you to know that.”
I look up at him to find him staring at me with admiration and astonishment. A huge smile plasters across his face and he quickly strides toward me.
I ask, “What are you d—”
In that instant, his lips touch mine and he kisses me with the fierceness of passion and tenderness. His soft lips cascade over mine as his hands cup my face, only to pull me in closer to him. His tongue lightly brushes against mine and I hear a deep moan escape from under his breath. Our lips tangle and twirl for a few more seconds until he releases me. I open my eyes to find his eyes sizzling with adoration and desire. I open my mouth to speak but his finger presses against my lips, catching my words.
“Don’t, Raya. I know what you’re going to say. I know you still think of him. I’m not an idiot. I just needed you to know that you aren’t the only one wanting something you can’t have.”
And with that, he lets go of me and leaves me alone. I reach my fingers up to my lips and press against them. If I don’t count all of the times with Derrick and the auction nights, that was my first real kiss. Tears threaten to escape as I realize what my life has become. I’m twenty-five years old and just had my first true kiss. For some reason, I always thought that my first kiss would be Duke. My heart breaks as I remember our night in his Mustang, holding hands while he drove me home. We almost kissed that time, but I pulled away. Maybe if I had kissed him, things would be different now. Maybe I would have stayed in New York. Maybe we would be together right now.
As I think about the past and what-ifs with Duke, a loud knock bangs against my door, startling me. I look over to find Derrick glancing at my outfit of choice.
He smiles, “I like the new look, Angel. Makes it all more real. Don’t you think?”
I cuss under my breath. Ugh, he likes it. Fucking asshole.
He holds out his hand for me, “Your party is waiting for you. Come say hello to your clients.”
I inhale and exhale deeply, mentally preparing myself. I walk over to him and place my hand in his. I follow him out of the basement and up the stairs into the kitchen. Minutes later, he gives me my usual pill and I gladly take it. I need something to knock me the fuck out so I won’t remember.
For the next few hours, everything is a blur. Whatever Derrick gave me keeps everything at a slow pace. Apparently, the big hot shot client is a Senator and Derrick needed me at my best. I can tell this must be his first time in a place like this. He seems to be a little timid and shy. A few pulls of my hair and a few slaps on my ass is all the Senator really does. I may have slurred a few nasty lines here and there but I’m not working tonight. So, what do I do? I just lie there and let him do all the work.
After he finally gets the courage to get a little rougher with me, I hear a ruckus outside of the door. It sounds like people are shouting and yelling at each other. As the Senator continues to fondle me, I glance outside. It’s still dark out so people can’t be leaving, can they?
In a split second, I hear footsteps running up the stairs and shots being fired. The Senator jumps off of me and shouts, “What the fuck is going on?”
“I don’t know. Those were gun shots.”
The Senator quickly dresses and rushes to the door. He looks at me for a few seconds, about to say something, but instead he opens the door and rushes into the hall.
I put on my bra and skirt, jump off the bed, and rush into a corner, sinking to the floor. Shouting and gun shots continue to fire so I cover my ears with my hands. My body trembles in the corner as the shouting comes closer and closer to my room. My pounding heart beats against my chest and I look around the room to make sure it’s empty. Everything is blurry and spinning, an effect from the high. I shake my head trying to gain some composure and focus on my surroundings.
There is more yelling outside of my door and it sounds as though something slams against it. I jump as the loud noise rockets through my bones. My breathing is erratic as I await what’s on the other side of the door, threatening to get in. The door handle twists slowly until gun shots are fired and bullets rush past the wooden frame. I scream for my life, praying that I don’t get hit in the crossfire.
In that moment, West comes barreling into the room and finds me hiding in the corner.
He rushes to me and places his arms around me, “Are you okay?”
I nod my head as he stands up, pulling me up with him. “Come on, we need to leave.”
“Where are we going?”
“Somewhere safe. I’m getting you out of here.”
Someone in a black combat uniform barges into the room, holding an AK47 Assault Rifle, and points it directly at West. Shit, SWAT is here!!
West holds up his hands in surrender, “Stop! I am Special Agent Westley and have been assigned to this unit as its operative.”
The SWAT member keeps his gun aimed at West, “Credentials. Now!”
West speaks a code of letters and numbers, which I have no idea how to interpret, but I guess it was the right one, because the SWAT guy exits the room.
West turns to me and I stare at him, completely shocked and taken aback by what just happened. My eyes grow wide as he looks at me, hinting not to say too much.
I finally speak, “You’re undercover?”
He nods his head, “Yes, for ten years now. The FBI got wind of Derrick and this ring and placed me here to keep an eye on him.”
I shake my head as I take in this new information, “I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything. No one can know.”
He grabs my hand and pulls me toward the door, “We need to leave now before they burn this place to the ground.”
I let him lead me toward the door, he carefully pulls it open, and we rush into the hall. The walls are covered in splatters of blood and the floor is littered with bodies. I see a few of Derrick’s men dead as we step over them, running toward the stairs to the exit.
I try my best to keep up with West but my body is sluggish. “Where’s Derrick?”
“I don’t know, that’s why we need to get out of here.”
We make our way down the final stretch through the halls to reach the staircase. As we turn the corner, we are stopped by a bloodied Derrick, pointing his pistol right at us.
He growls, “Where you going with her?”
West releases me and calmly approaches Derrick, “I was getting her out of here, just like you wanted. We were on our way to the safe house.”
Derrick glares at West, “You know the safe house was for me and her, not you. Leave us; I’ll take her from here.”
Derrick lays down his gun and starts to walk toward me but West stands in the way.
“Sir, I think it’s best if I accompany you; for extra protection.”
Derrick gazes at him with suspicion, “I’ve already decided. Now leave us.”
Derrick rushes to me and grabs my arm, pulling me further into the house. In an instant, West comes up behind us and yanks me out of Derrick’s grasp. Derrick spins around, only to be caught with West’s fist in his face. He immediately crashes into the wall behind him. West grabs my hand and we run for the exit, “Hurry, Raya!”
Moments later, a gun fires and West cries out in pain as he falls to the ground. I bend down next to him and a see stream of blood oozing from the side of his abdomen.
“No! West…no!”
I place my hands onto his wound to apply pressure. West’s breathing is erratic and his body begins to tremble. He coughs violently and blood begins to flow out of his mouth. Tears spill down my face and I cup his cheek in my hand. His lips tremble as if he’s trying to speak but the blood spill blocks his ability to talk.
I place my finger on my lips, “Shh, don’t talk. I’m here with you.”
He stares i
nto my eyes and reaches his hand up to my face, gently caressing it. A tear falls from his eyes as they begin to glisten away and fade into a lifeless state. His hand slowly slips off of my cheek and slumps onto the ground. I turn my head to find Derrick approaching us. A flare of anger and hatred boils inside me.
I race to Derrick screaming, “You fucking monster!”
I punch and hit him with all my might, hoping to cause as much damage as I can. I try and reach for the pistol in his grasp but he backhands my face and I fall to the ground. A swift kick to the side pummels into my body and I howl in agony. Derrick continues to kick me while I’m lying on the ground, kick after kick. I continue to howl and scream for help until he finally stops and picks me up off the floor.
My body screams in pain as he begins to drag me further into the house. A few seconds later, I hear a few men shouting at us to stop where we are. My head begins to spin as the overwhelming pain begins to flare up. With every move I make, I cry out in absolute torment. Everything begins to fade as my body becomes weak. I hear Derrick and the SWAT team yelling in the distance until a few gun shots are fired. My body spasms as a burning sting of pain shoots through me and blood spills out of my lower thigh. My heavy eyelids slowly close as everything around me becomes black and dims away into darkness as I fall to the ground.
Duke
I hit the speed button on the treadmill, roaring it faster and faster. My lungs burn in agony as I push through the final sprint. I race through the last mile as I gear my body into action. It’s been three days since Davis told me to back off and I haven’t heard anything since. My anxiety is through the roof, and honestly, all I want to do is go bust into Alder¸ grab Raya, and get the hell out of there.
The treadmill slows to a cooling pace as I casually relax my breathing to its normal rhythm. My heart continues to pound against my chest. Sweat drops bead down my face and I step off the treadmill, grabbing a towel to clean my face. I glance at the clock on the wall. It’s six o’clock in the morning. I should probably head back to my room, shower, and make my way to Derrick’s gym.
The minute I enter the hotel room, I hear both my cell phone and the room phone ringing in unison. I race to my cell phone and see Melanie is calling.
I pick up, “Hello?”
Her screech startles me, “Duke! Oh thank God you picked up!”
“Yeah, I’m here. What’s wrong?”
“You haven’t heard?”
“Heard what? I was downstairs in the gym.”
“Duke, they found her. She’s at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.”
“Wait, what? How did you find out?”
“Duke, it’s all over the news. Turn your T.V. on.”
I rush to turn on the television and find the local channel. There are of an underground prostitution ring that has been uncovered in Northern Chicago. The FBI successfully completed a raid which uncovered the ring, releasing twelve women. The site, also known as Alder Manor, was just one of the sites used to house the women. Multiple states have been linked to this ring, including parts of Michigan, Ohio, and even Texas.
“Duke, are you there?”
“Yeah, sorry. I was watching the report on the news.”
“Duke, they showed her face on the news; she’s listed as a Jane Doe. When I called you and you didn’t pick up, I panicked, so I hopped in a cab and went to the airport.”
I race to the shower and turn on the water, “Airport? Where are you?”
“My plane is about to take off. I’ll call you when I land. We can head to the hospital together. I should be there in a couple of hours.”
“Okay, be safe.”
I hang up the phone and jump into the shower. My mind races as I think about seeing Raya again. This is it. It’s time. What do I say? How will she act? Should I keep quiet? Will she even remember me? Thoughts continue to invade my mind as I clean away the sweat from my workout. As I exit the shower, I hear the room phone ringing again. I rush to it and answer.
“Hello?”
“It’s Davis. Where the hell have you been?”
“I was at the gym. I already heard the news.”
“So, you weren’t there, right?”
“No, I wasn’t, but at the way it looks, I wish I was so I’d be with her right now.”
“I called into the hospital and told them you were coming for her. Just leave your name at the front desk and they’ll take you to her.”
“Thanks, Davis.”
“You’re welcome, kid. And good luck. By the look of things, you’re going to need all of the luck you can get.”
Two hours later, Melanie and I enter the hospital and alert the receptionist that we are here to see Raya. She breathes a sigh of relief, telling us she’s happy someone has claimed her. She calls a nurse to come meet us at the reception and lead us to the fourth floor. A few minutes later, a bubbly nurse arrives and guides us to Raya’s room. As we follow her, Melanie reaches over and squeezes my hand. I wink at her and smile wide. For both of us, this is a time to be grateful and cherish life because we finally found her and we aren’t letting her go. No matter what she says or what she wants.
We ride the elevator to the fourth floor and turn left at the first corner. A few doors down, there’s a cop outside of someone’s room. It must be hers. A doctor notices us approaching and stops us.
“Hold on, who are you?”
The nurse responds, “Doctor, they are here for Jane Doe.”
He exhales, “What a relief. I’m Doctor Richard Hunter. I’m the attending physician for this floor. Poor Jane has been here for the past few days.”
Melanie speaks up, “Her name is Raya. What happened to her?”
He lets out a deep sigh, “Well, it’s not a light subject, but you’ll need to know eventually. Raya was brought to us with a gunshot wound and some internal bleeding. The surgery to stop the bleeding and remove the bullet was successful; however, there is some extensive damage to her that will take several months to heal properly.”
As he says all of this, anger, hatred, fear, and sadness sink into my heart and soul. Listening to the doctor describe her wounds and bodily injuries makes me absolutely sick. I want to throw up and punch someone all at the same time.
Melanie asks, “How bad are the injuries, doctor? I need an extensive report. I’m a nurse in New York so I understand what will need to be done.”
“Well, it seems as though she’s been the victim of sexual and physical abuse for the past five years now. After her surgery, we did an examination and we discovered she has some scarring on her cervix and in her anal canal. Her ribs are broken and she has a collapsed lung. If it doesn’t heal properly, we may need to have it removed and she will need a transplant. There’s also a history of broken bones all throughout her body. For instance, her wrists have been broken several times, all of which never fully healed. Her shoulder has been dislocated and her left ankle was fractured as well. She has a scar on her chest which looks like a stab wound. She’s also missing a few teeth and her face is bruised, but with time, that should clear up.
Melanie begins to cry and I wrap my arm around her. She looks at Dr. Hunter and asks quietly, “Were there any signs of pregnancy?”
My breath catches at her question. Pregnant? Could she have had a kid?
Dr. Hunter shakes his head, “No, we didn’t see any history of pregnancy; however, she did test positive for syphilis, so she’s receiving antibiotics for that as we speak. I’m not sure how long she’s been infected, but hopefully not too long before it could spread any further.”
I step up and shake his hand, “Thank you, Sir, for taking good care of her. Can we go see her now?”
“Yes, due to the pain, we’ve kept her asleep these past few days, so please be mindful of that. She will need both of you in order to get through this. What she went through is something that no one should have to experience. But sometimes, it’s the time after the terrors and traumas that take a toll on th
e victim. She will need therapy and counseling for several months. And I strongly recommend she be under close watch by someone at all times.”
“Yes, Sir. I don’t plan on leaving her side.”
The doctor leaves us and we walk to her door. The cop looks us up and down and scoots over so we can enter the room. I push the door open, letting Melanie enter the room first. As she sets her eyes on Raya, she immediately bursts into tears and I cradle her into me.
I glance at Raya and the first thing I notice is her bloodied and swollen face. Thoughts of pure hatred leak into my mind and my blood begins to boil. Her entire body is wrapped in bandages and casts while tubes are stuck in her nostrils. The beeping of the heart monitor is the only noise in the room. Even Melanie cries in complete silence.
I let go of Melanie and sit her on the bed, next to Raya. I walk up to Raya’s sleeping body and grab her hand. The moment our hands touch, a jolt of electricity flows through my body. I smile at the normalcy of it and rejoice. She’s here. She’s finally with me. I rub my hands along her forehead and bend down to kiss the top of her head.
I whisper in her ear, “I’m taking you back home with me. I promised to keep you safe and I won’t ever stop. I’ll do everything to protect you. Even if it’s from yourself.”
Duke
For the remainder of the night, we stay in her room, watching her rest. I ask the nurse to bring in a cot for Melanie and I decide to sleep in the chair. As Melanie instantly falls asleep, I drag to chair closer to the bed. I reach my hand out to grab Raya’s wrist and notice something drawn on it. Turning her hand over, I see a barcode tattooed onto her wrist. A pang of guilt hits me as I imagine the pain she must have felt while receiving this. I rub my finger along the tattoo and try to decipher the pattern of the numbers, but I’m too tired to think clearly.
I glance at her sweet face and reach my hand out to touch her head. Her hair is just as I remembered, soft and silky. My fingers comb through her long hair and I remember the first time I laid eyes on her. I’ll never forget the day that changed my life forever. Raya Winters utterly captivated my heart and she has me until it no longer beats.
Little Things Page 21