by A. L Long
“Just your handsome self,” Chloe said in the most sultriest voice she could muster.
“See you then,” Rade said.
Everything about this woman made his skin crawl. He was headed out to grab something to eat, but instead he ended up at the corner tavern. A liquid lunch was in order.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
It was almost six when Rade left the bar. Drink after drink, he hoped he would soon feel the effects of the liquor he poured down his throat, but nothing. He didn’t want to feel anything. He contemplated canceling dinner with Chloe several times, but he knew he needed to go through with his plan in order to get rid of her forever.
Since his day was pretty much shot, he headed back to the penthouse. The only thing Rade could think about was Dylan. God, he missed her. Peeling off his clothing and changing into shorts, he decided to head to his gym. He had at least an hour to kill, and if nothing else, a few punches to his punching bag would relieve the tension building since this whole thing started.
An hour of hitting a lifeless punching bag proved to be useless. The only things he managed to gain were sore arms and bruised fists. He hated himself even more for what he had to do. He just hoped that his plan would work and he wouldn’t have to stoop even lower by having to sleep with Chloe. Just the thought made him sick. He barely made it to his bathroom before he lost it. Spilling all the contents of his stomach, which wasn’t much since he drank his lunch, Rade walked to the vanity and splashed cold water on his face. Looking in the mirror, he decided he looked like shit. Nothing could take away the pain he saw in his reflection. He tried to think of a different way to get the information he needed from Chloe, but nothing came to mind other than torturing it out of her, which sounded like a good idea, but in the end would only make things much worse for him. The last thing he needed was charges brought against him for assault.
Rade walked out of his apartment at seven-thirty with a bottle of his favorite wine. There was a vendor selling flowers just down the street from his building. He knew nothing would woe a woman more that a bouquet of flowers. He wanted to lay on the charm thickly, so he pulled in front of the display, went all out, and bought four dozen red roses. He had the flower lady wrap them together with a pretty pink ribbon. He even gave her an extra tip for the trouble.
Rade’s taxi pulled up to Chloe’s building with five minutes to spare. He debated on having Richard drive him, but he needed him on Evan since most of Peter’s men were in LA either protecting Dylan or watching Mr. Stewart, and he was in no condition to drive himself. When he walked into Chloe’s building, the security guard just nodded at him. Either Chloe told him she was expecting him or she added him to her approved guest list. Either way, Rade was happy that he didn’t have to wait for the security guard to call up to her apartment.
Chloe opened the door to the apartment wearing a skimpy nightgown. The garment was so thin that Rade could see the peak of her nipples pressing against the silky fabric. Rade was speechless.
“Wow,” he began. “You did say eight o’clock?”
“You’re right on time. I just wanted to be comfortable,” Chloe said as she leaned up against the door.
“Well, you certainly look comfortable,” Rade said with a fake smile.
“Are those for me?” Chloe asked as she looked at the red roses Rade was holding.
“Yes, I hope you like them,” Rade replied.
“They’re beautiful,” Chloe smiled. “Come in. I’ll put them in water.”
Rade could see that Chloe had everything ready. The table was set for two with candles flickering in the dimly lit dining room. He could also smell something good cooking.
“Dinner smells great. How about I pour us a glass of wine?” Rade suggested as he held up the wine bottle he was holding.
Chloe pulled two wine glasses from the cupboard and handed them to Rade. Rade peeled back the label while Chloe pulled out a drawer and placed a corkscrew on the counter. The scent of the wine filled the air as Rade popped the cork from the bottle. He carried the filled wine glasses to the table as Chloe brought the platter of food to the table. He couldn’t believe she cooked one of his favorite dishes, Shrimp Fra Diavolo. How did she even know what he liked? He left it in the back of his mind as sheer coincidence.
“This looks wonderful, baby. Did you know this is one of my favorite dishes?” Rade probed.
“I did… I mean I asked Richard. I wanted this evening to be perfect,” Chloe confessed.
Rade was speechless. He would need to talk to Richard about giving her even an ounce of information about him. The less she knew about him the better. Their meal was relatively quiet except for the moans that were coming from Chloe’s mouth every time she took a bite. Rade poured her another glass of wine as they continued to enjoy their dinner. That is, as she enjoyed it.
By the time dinner was done, Rade managed to get three glasses of wine down Chloe. Needless to say, she was feeling no pain. Rade was hoping that her tongue would get looser the more she drank. Chloe cleaned up the dishes while Rade went to the bathroom.
Safely inside the bathroom, Rade pulled his phone from his jacket and pushed record on the video feature. He only cared about getting a confession from Chloe. He stepped out of the bathroom to find Chloe sitting on the couch. She looked like she was ready to be ravished. The straps of her nightgown had fallen off her shoulders, exposing more of her fake breasts. Rade didn’t know what she thought her display was going to achieve, but he was no more turned on than he would be by a visit at the dentist.
Rade placed his suit jacket over the back of an armchair next to where she was sitting. He was careful to place it perfectly over the chair so that his phone would be able to pick up their conversation. Chloe refilled her glass with more wine. Rade’s glass was already full and sitting at the coffee table. Willing his feet to move, he slid in beside her, grabbing his wine glass from the table.
“Here’s to new beginnings,” he said as he tipped his glass to hers.
“New beginnings,” Chloe mimicked.
Rade took Chloe’s glass from her and placed their glasses on the coffee table. Looking at her, he cupped his hands around her face. Whispering softly, he said, “God, you're beautiful. How could I have ever walked away from you?” Chloe moaned softly as Rade placed his mouth over hers. Chloe deepened their kiss as she pulled him closer to her. Lowering her hand, she took his and guided it to her taut breast. If Rade could have pulled away from her he would have. As soon as he got what he needed from her, he would be out of there.
“Tell me how you did it, baby,” Rade asked, trailing kisses down her neck.
“Did what?” Chloe responded in a breathy voice.
“Got Dylan to follow you to the dungeon rooms at The Castle. It was pretty ingenious,” Rade explained, continuing to kiss her shoulders.
Rade could feel Chloe pull back from him. He needed to be more aggressive with her. Lifting her from the couch, he placed her on his lap. He wasn’t sure what was happening to him, but his body was beginning to get turned on at their foreplay even though his heart was with Dylan. He managed to capture her mouth again before she spoke. He had to let her feel like she was the only woman he wanted. He pressed his mouth harder against hers. She opened up to him, allowing him to slip his tongue between her lips. The taste of her was nothing like Dylan. All he could feel was hate and disgust for this woman. Pulling her hair so that her neck was cocked backwards, he removed his lips from hers and once again trailed kisses down her neck. She was back in motion. Her body began grinding in his lap as he felt the warmth of her pussy. He was getting harder and harder from her movements, along with more and more disgusted.
“Baby, you feel so good. I can’t wait to have you. No woman does to me what you do. If you hadn’t done what you did to Dylan, I would never have seen what I truly wanted,” Rade whispered.
“It was pretty spectacular. She had no clue what was going to happen to her,” Chloe bragged.
Chloe was getting wor
ked up. She wanted Rade so badly; she would do anything to have him back. Lowering her hands, she began unbuckling his belt. She could feel the erection he had. It was her that caused it. She knew it was a matter of time before he would come back to her. Undoing his zipper, she inched her hand under his boxers and grabbed a hold of his cock. All she could think about was how good it would feel to have him inside her again. Her nightgown was already pushed high on her waist. All she needed was to push her thong to the side and lower herself on him. Just when she thought he was hers, Rade’s phone began to buzz. The last thing that Chloe wanted was interruptions. Reaching for his jacket she pulled his phone from his pocket. When she looked down at the screen, it showed Dylan as the caller. She declined the call and looked back at Rade. What really got her pulse thumping was the video app that popped up.
“What the hell,” Chloe said as she looked down at his phone. She stopped the video player, and hit the small box at the top of the screen to play it back. There was no picture, but the sound was perfect. She heard everything. Rade tried to pull the phone from her hands. It was too late.
“You bastard,” Chloe said with fury in her eyes. Grabbing the empty wine bottle from the coffee table, she smacked it across Rade’s head. Blood began pouring out from his temple. Chloe was so angry her temper took over. She pushed her body from his limp form and began pacing the floor. She needed a plan. The first thing she did was pick up Rade’s phone and erase the video. Next she found her own phone and contacted Alex. She needed his help.
“Alex, I need you to come to my apartment now,” Chloe huffed. “He knows it was us.”
Chloe didn’t wait for a response from Alex. She needed to think. She needed to restrain Rade before he woke up. Walking to her bedroom, she grabbed a pair of handcuffs from her closet and a gag ball she used to use on Alex. She also grabbed a red rope. Satisfied, she had what she needed, she trotted back to the living room and restrained him. How could she have been so stupid? He was only after her for information about that night. Chloe screamed at the top of her lungs. He was not going to get away with this. He would pay.
Alex arrived at her apartment fifteen minutes later. When Chloe opened the door, he was surprised to see Rade on her couch, restrained and unconscious. “What the fuck, Chloe?” Alex shrieked with surprise.
“I had to restrain him. I couldn’t let him get away with what he knows,” Chloe muttered.
“I need to think,” Alex said as he paced her floor. “We can’t leave him here. I know of a place we can take him. Get changed. We need to go.”
Chloe was changed into jeans and a t-shirt within minutes. Alex made sure the coast was clear as they headed down the elevator to the parking garage with Rade. They were both thankful that they didn’t run into anyone on the way down. Alex opened the trunk of Chloe’s car and placed Rade inside. This was the best place to keep him hidden out of sight and keep him incognizant of his surroundings.
Alex drove while Chloe tried to calm herself. She had always been in control, but kidnapping wasn’t something she had in mind. Alex reached their destination almost two hours later. It was an old rundown shack on the outskirts of a little town called Bethel. It looked as though no one lived in the house for some time.
“What's this place?” Chloe asked.
“It belonged to Mother. When she died, it was left to me. I haven’t been here in over ten years,” Alex confessed.
Alex pulled a key from his pocket and opened the door. The inside of the old house smelled musty. When Chloe walked in, she became nauseated. There was grime on the floor at least an inch thick. The wallpaper was yellowed and peeling at the corners. There was an old couch in the middle of the room with a wooden rocking chair to the right of it. The drapes hanging on the windows were torn and shredded. Chloe couldn’t even imagine anyone living in this hell hole. Chloe was so consumed by the interior that she didn’t hear Alex leaving until he came back with Rade slung over his shoulder.
“Grab that chair from the kitchen?’ Alex requested.
Chloe walked to the kitchen. It was more disgusting than the living area. There were old dishes still in the sink and roaches were crawling all over them trying to scrape up any morsel of food that may have been left behind. Chloe was afraid to touch anything. She spotted a dingy towel hanging on a towel rack. As soon as she grabbed for it, a mouse slithered across her boot. “Oh God,” she screamed as she watched it disappear behind a cupboard. “Forget about the towel,” she thought. Instead she pulled her jacket over her hand and grabbed a hold of the chair, rolling it to the living area, stopping when she got to the middle of the living area. She watched as Alex lowered Rade’s limp body onto the chair. With Rade’s feet already bound, Alex grabbed another piece of rope and wrapped it around his ankles. He then took the end of the rope, fishing it between Rade’s leg and under the chair, wrapping it through the handcuffs. Pulling the rope tighter, Rade’s ankles were brought back until his feet were off the floor. Alex needed to make sure that Rade wouldn’t be able to roll himself in the chair. The last thing he needed was for Rade to get away.
“Someone needs to stay with him until he wakes up,” Alex advised.
“I’m not staying in this petri dish,” Chloe barked.
“Then you will need to go back to town for supplies,” Alex demanded.
“Fine. You need to give him this as soon as he wakes up,” Chloe said handing Alex a syringe. “We need to make sure he doesn’t remember anything.”
It was nearly midnight by the time Chloe got back to the city. She knew nothing would be open at this late hour. She would need to wait until morning in order to purchase what they needed. Pulling into her parking spot, the only thing she could think of was getting the stench off her body. When she got to her apartment, she noticed that Rade’s jacket was still splayed across the chair and his phone was on the coffee table. Picking up his jacket, she held it to her nose and drew in his scent.
Holding onto his jacket, she picked up his phone. Turning it on, she put in what she thought would be the security code. She was glad that Rade was so predictable. After two attempts, she managed to figure out the code to his phone. It was his brother’s birth date. After changing the code, she went to Dylan’s contact information. She was going to end this thing Rade had with her once and for all.
Dylan, I wanted to let you know that I will be leaving the States. I’m not sure how long I will be gone. I don’t want you to wait for my return. You deserve to be happy. Please forget about me. I will not be answering any calls or text messages from you. Take care.
“That should take care of her,” Chloe said to herself with a smile.
With Rade’s jacket in hand, Chloe headed to her room. She laid his suit jacket on the bed and began taking off her clothes. Fully naked, she slipped into the shower and scrubbed the filth from her body. With every swipe of her bath sponge, she imagined Rade’s hands on her. Even though things got out of hand, she had to admit it couldn’t have turned out better. Dylan was out of the picture. She had Rade to herself. It would be only a matter of time before he was hers again.
*****
Rade felt the pounding in his head as he slowly opened his eyes. The last thing he remembered was Chloe finding out he recorded their conversation. He fucked up. Taking in his surroundings, he could see he was no longer in Chloe’s apartment. The place looked pretty bad and it smelled like someone died. He tried to stand, but he was restrained. Pulling and tugging at his bindings, he knew it was useless. He could hear some commotion coming from somewhere behind him. It was hard for him to turn his head. The pounding was too much for him to bear. Whoever was behind him came into view. It was hard for Rade to make out the figure in the dark, but as soon as the man lit the gas lantern resting on the kitchen table, Rade knew exactly who it was.
“Alex Moreno, or should I call you David Wu? I should have known you’d have a part in this,” Rade said between gritted teeth. “Chloe must really have her claws in you, for you to be with her.”
“You don’t have the balls,” Rade began. “From what I understand you like your victims helpless. Just like you left Dylan.”
Alex had enough of this conversation. Walking up to Rade, he laid into him with a closed fist. He knew how to shut him up. Grabbing the drug Chloe left him, he jabbed it into Rade’s arm.
It was close to daylight and still no Chloe. Alex was beginning to get worried. With no running water or electricity, he decided to search the place and see if he could find wood or something to burn in the fireplace. Looking over at Rade, his eyes were directed right at him.
Lifting Rade’s chin, Alex said, “Don’t try anything stupid, asshole.”
Rade watched as Alex exited through the front door. His mind was fuzzy. He couldn’t think clearly. His head felt like it weighed a ton. Rade tried to loosen his bindings, but he had no strength. Whatever Alex gave him made him feel like he didn’t have a care in the world.
It was light outside when Alex returned from his outing. He was able to find some firewood that was kept in a small shed in the back of the house. Opening the door, he could see that his guest was still sitting pretty. Alex walked past him to the fireplace. The morning was chilly and a fire would take the chill off. Once the fire was going, Alex retreated to the kitchen to see what he could find. Most of the cupboards were bare. He got lucky when he opened the pantry door and saw a few canned goods remaining. Pressing the top on a few cans, he was glad to see they were still sealed.
“Let’s see. What would you like for breakfast? You have your choice of beans or beans. What was that? You’re not hungry. Oh, that’s too bad… just more for me,” Alex snickered.
“Come on, buddy boy, don’t be that way,” Rade pleaded. “I thought we were friends.
Alex had no clue what Rade was talking about. It must have been the drug kicking in. “Okay, if you promise to be a good boy, I’ll share with you,” Alex said.