by Sam Crescent
“What do you consider our basic nature?”
“We’re animals. The only difference is we’ve created a world that makes us all have to conform. We’re the kings of the jungle because we have guns and knives, but this isn’t how it’s supposed to be. Don’t be afraid of what you wanted to do. Accept it.”
“They’d have killed me.”
“Yes. You pissed them off, didn’t do as you were told; they’d have raped you, used you for a few weeks, then killed you. Obviously, death wouldn’t have been easy for you if you’d done all that stuff.” He leaned over the table. “Don’t cry.”
“Why can I talk to you about these things and no one else?”
“Because I don’t matter. Not really. I’m just a guy that saved you.”
“You do matter.”
He shrugged. “I’ve seen you at your worst. Sobbing on the floor. I don’t know. I guess you just don’t feel the need to hide shit from me. I don’t hide myself from you. I never will.”
“You’re honest.”
“That I am.”
He took a sip of his water, enjoying her company. She finished off her pasta and sat back with a sigh.
Dwayne watched as she sipped at her drink.
“Would you like dessert?”
“No. I’m full. I couldn’t eat another thing.”
He had the waiter bring him the check, and after he paid for their meal, he followed her out of the restaurant, noticing her full ass. At least she wasn’t losing too much weight.
“You need to start taking care of yourself.”
“Excuse me.”
“Not eating won’t help you. Don’t let the bastards win, Charity.” He leaned against her car, holding the door open for her. “I’ll meet you tomorrow. Come here.” He handed her a small card with an address on it. “Drive safely.”
****
Charity lied to her parents about where she was going the next day. She told them it was a date at the mall with a few friends and where she intended to meet some guy. There was no guy or any friends. Checking the address on the card, she stared up at an empty building. It was boarded up. She drove around the back where she saw Dwayne’s car.
His arms were folded, and he wasn’t wearing his normal business suit. Dark glasses covered his eyes, and he had this sexy smirk that made her think of things she really shouldn’t. At eighteen she was no stranger to desire. In fact, prior to her kidnapping she’d been very interested in and intrigued by sex. She just hadn’t found the right guy to explore what she wanted.
“You made it,” he said as she climbed out of the car.
“I don’t get it. This place doesn’t look like it has been used in years.”
“It’s the perfect disguise, don’t you think?”
There was no one around, and she guessed it was. “Do you come here to work out or something else?”
“I come here to train. I own it.”
“You own a useless warehouse.”
He held out his hand, and she took it without hesitation. With his other hand, he held a key, and she waited as he opened up the locks and typed in the security codes. Once they were inside, he locked the doors.
Should she be freaking out? Panicking?
Again, she felt safe. He made her that way, no one else.
He flicked the lights on, and the entire floor illuminated to showcase a huge gym.
“Why?” she asked.
“I don’t like company. This is where I come for peace and quiet, and to just do what I want.”
There were a couple of running machines, weights, and lots of other stuff she couldn’t think of.
“Come on.”
She wore a pair of shorts and a large shirt that ended at her knees.
He moved her away from all of the equipment to the back, which had mirrors all around and mats.
“You train people often?”
“Nope. Told you, never brought anyone here.”
“And you own it?”
“Yep. It’s a good investment.”
She looked around again. “How is this a good investment? I don’t get it. To make money you have to sell something.”
“I do.”
“You’re an escort?”
Dwayne laughed. “Damn, you’re funny. No, I kill people, Charity. You should know that.” He stood way too close, so that she struggled to think.
“Why am I not running away?”
“Because you’ve seen me kill bad men.”
“But … shouldn’t you get taken by the cops or something?”
He winked at her. “The first rule you need to learn about the world. It’s a bad fucking place filled with shit as fuck people.” She watched as he opened his wallet and pulled out several dollar notes. They looked like hundred-dollar bills. “Men, women, even children do crazy fucking shit for this.” He screwed it up and tossed it to the floor. “That talks.”
“You sound like an asshole.”
“You’re not impressed?”
“No.” She shook her head.
“Well, let’s get started. We’re going to work on surprise attacks.”
“Surprise attacks?”
“Yes. You weren’t expecting them to take you, so how about we start with that.”
She watched as he removed his sunglasses and moved toward the end of the room. He was ever so sexy to watch. She really liked his ass.
Every inch of him was rock-hard. Even his face looked ready for business. It made her wonder if he even knew how to have fun.
Do you?
Ignoring her own thoughts, she watched as he was distracted.
She couldn’t resist. Being as loud as she could, she let out a scream, watching as he suddenly spun, gun in his hand, tensed and ready. She released a giggle, not the least bit frightened about seeing him with a gun.
“What the fuck was that?” he asked.
“You said something about surprise. So, there you have it. Were you scared?”
He rolled his eyes. “What would you have done if I’d shot you?”
“You wouldn’t have.”
“How can you be so fucking sure?”
“Simple. You promised to protect me always. I believe you.”
“You should be scared when you see a gun.”
“Oh, I will. Just not with you, it would seem. Are you going to show me how to use a gun?”
“Would you like to know?” he asked.
“Yes. I think I really would. Can I buy myself a gun?”
“You’re way off from having a gun, buying a gun, until we get that mouth under control.”
“Stop worrying so much.”
“What happens when you blow your brains out?” he asked.
“That won’t happen.”
“It can and it has, so no guns to start with. Let’s just get your mouth under control. No screaming at me. It can also piss off the men so that they hurt you.”
She rolled her eyes. It was just so funny to watch him react, and it did also kind of thrill her as well. He cared enough to worry.
“Are you worried that someone is going to come in here, ruin it?”
“I’m not worried about that, but you can never be too careful in life. I’ve made a lot of enemies.”
She rubbed her hands together. “You have?”
“Yes. Now,” he moved closer to her. “I want you to attack me.”
“How does that work?” she asked.
“I want to know your strength and your weaknesses.”
“Oh.” She had to touch him. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Push me. Hit me.”
“No, I can’t do that.” She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling really uncomfortable.
“Charity, you’re not going to hurt me.”
“This isn’t about hurting you. I don’t want to do that. I like you.”
He tilted his head to the side, and she noticed he did that a lot when he was watching her. She hated it, especially as it made her feel like a bug under
a microscope.
His hands were on her shoulder, and he gave her a little shove. It didn’t hurt, but she knew what he was doing.
“I’ve got to help you to become stronger. How am I going to do that if you’re not willing to attack?”
“You said it was all about surprise attacks. This is not a surprise. This is me attacking you. I don’t want to do that. Like, ever.”
He took a deep breath, and she knew she was pissing him off.
“Men will take advantage of your good nature.” He moved right up close, the look on his face scaring her. It was like he’d changed. The good guy was long gone, and in his place was someone she didn’t recognize. “They will use whatever means they can to hurt you.”
She cried out as he wrapped his fingers around her neck and suddenly she was pinned against the wall. His hold tightened just a little, and she tried to gasp.
Panicking, she gripped his arms.
“Don’t ever assume that men are your friends or women either, Charity. You can only take care of yourself. Only rely on yourself.”
He squeezed just a little tighter, and her air cut off.
Do what he wants.
She didn’t want to hurt him, but he was doing this to help her. Even as he held her neck, she wasn’t afraid of him. Not at all.
There was no other choice. Drawing her leg up, she kneed him in the scrotum, and watched as he loosened his hold and bent forward, cupping his balls. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. With his hands off her, she shoved him hard, and he fell back. Her heart was racing as she stared down at him. Hands on hips, she glared at him.
She wasn’t looking at him for long as he tripped her up and she fell on her back. Dwayne was on her, holding her hands above her head.
“You should fucking run. You leave the mats, you win. You don’t, you lose. It’s simple. I could do whatever the fuck I wanted to you right now.” He covered her mouth with his hand, which was so large it covered her nose and mouth. Her air supply was once again cut off. “You can see that. I can rape you, beat you, hurt you, and you’re so small that no one would ever know.”
His knee pressed against her core, and she was so startled she cried out just as his hand left her mouth. She didn’t pull away. Even as he continued to shock her with how fragile her safety was, she reacted to his touch.
No man or boy had ever made her ache before, but that was exactly what she was doing now, aching for him, desperate, hungry for more.
Dwayne was on his feet again. “Again. You’re going to learn to take care of yourself, Charity.”
She got to her feet and stared at him, unsure what to do. Her body was something foreign to her right now. She didn’t know what the hell to do.
Chapter Four
One week later
Dwayne plunged his knife into the neck of the man who’d been selling Carson family secrets to their enemies. Beast and Caleb were both present as the interrogation had been going, but for some reason, they decided to stick around for what came next. He didn’t mind having an audience, but normally, they left him alone to deal with the kill and the clean-up.
When Dwayne pulled the blade out, the man’s head dropped to the side, and for a few seconds he stared, making sure he was dead.
With that done, he looked toward his two uncles.
“Anything else?”
“You’re leaving a trail of bodies everywhere you go,” Caleb said.
“No, I clean them up. It’s one of the reasons you guys love me.”
“William came to me,” Beast said, handing him a newspaper. “Out in the forest near your known dumping ground they’ve discovered a bunch of bodies. You’re either not burying them deep enough or with the flooding that has been going on, they’ve decided to pop up.”
Dwayne removed his rubber gloves and grabbed the paper. It had made headline news. That was a surprise, but as he glanced at the section of the woods, he shook his head. “This isn’t me.”
“Dwayne, we all know that’s where you go to bury a body.”
“Wrong. It’s not the only place I’ve buried bodies. I’ve not been to that forest in years. Whoever is doing this, it ain’t me.” He handed back the paper.
“Are you lying?” Caleb asked.
He took a deep breath and looked toward his uncle. Caleb had always been on his case to be better, training him at the early hours of the morning, putting him through hell, and he fucking loved him for it. He wouldn’t be who he was today without his uncles, or his father for that matter. “No, I don’t lie.”
“This is serious, Dwayne,” Beast said.
“I’ve not fucking lied. Have you ever thought about it being the two of you in your old age going fucking senile?” he asked, glaring at the two.
Caleb stared at him for a couple of seconds and shrugged. “It’s not him.”
“Nope, it’s not.”
“Are you two being serious right now?”
“You’re right. You don’t lie.”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t have time for this. Do you two want to take over and do some actual work for a change?”
“Nope, you deal with it.” Beast patted his arm while Caleb winked at him. “It’s up to strapping young men like yourself to do this stuff. We know you didn’t do the body dumps, so we’re all good. There’s nothing that will come back to you.”
He watched them both leave, thankful they hadn’t lingered.
Putting his earbuds in, he got to work packaging the man. He had no intention of burning this body. This was a message to all their enemies.
Once it was perfectly wrapped, he lifted up the weight and carried it out to the bastard’s car. With gloves on his hands again, he drove the car to one of the other warehouses, got out, and left.
He whistled as he walked back to the warehouse where he’d been interrogating. Before he left for the day, he checked to make sure there was no evidence left lying around. Checking the time, he saw it was a little after eleven AM.
Charity would be waiting for him.
Just thinking about her made him smile.
Climbing into his own car, he drove the thirty minutes to see that the woman in question hadn’t left. She leaned against her vehicle, checking her watch.
“You’re late,” she said the moment he joined her.
“Or maybe you’re early.”
“It’s nearly lunchtime.”
“So. You got anywhere special to be?” he asked.
“I could. I have friends.”
“That are not hanging around with you anymore.”
“How do you even know they’re not hanging around with me anymore?”
“I was a schoolkid once. I knew someone who went through something like you did. Not on the same scale, but she was considered an outcast.” He chuckled. “She’s now my auntie.”
“Wait? What?”
“My tutor fell for my uncle. They’re married now, kids and all that. She’s my age. Had a rough time of it when she was younger, a little younger than you. Her father shot her, and she saw him kill her mother and then himself. For a long time, a lot of people gave her a wide berth. Clearly thought something was wrong with her. I know there was. There’s no way falling for my uncle is normal.”
He couldn’t believe he just admitted that to her.
When he discovered Hope and Beast were a thing, he hadn’t really cared. Yeah, it was a little weird, but again, he had his own life to live and he wasn’t about to tell two people not to be together.
Locking the door behind her, he made his way toward the workout mats. Pulling off his jacket, he removed his shirt and faced her wearing a vest and pants.
“Were you on business or something?” she asked.
“Yeah, why?”
“Your clothes.”
He glanced down at his clothes. There hadn’t been any blood on them. “What about them?”
“It’s nothing. Ignore me.”
Folding his arms, he watched as she removed her bag and then
turned to face him. Her back was ramrod straight, and neither of them spoke a word. Her hands were clenched at her sides, and he waited.
“Do I need to order you to attack me?” he asked. “Want me to make it easier for you?”
“I don’t … can’t you just show me how to defend myself?”
“Part of defending yourself is knowing how to attack.” He advanced on her, and instead of staying strong, she didn’t. She kept backing up until she hit the wall. He was about to wrap his hands around her neck, but she moved, avoiding him. She ducked under his arm.
Her reactions were so slow, but he’d show her in time. For now, he needed her to build her confidence.
“That makes no sense. Most of the time the people being attacked need to defend themselves because they’re vulnerable. They’re not prepared.”
“Everyone who is not used to being on guard will always get taken. Will always get hurt.”
“Have you taken classes in this before?” she asked, arms folded, looking rather stern. It was really cute.
“No.”
“What can you teach me that no one else can?” She gave him a pointed look.
Dwayne stepped up close to her. “I’m like every other person, but the difference is, I’m not going to teach you how to run away. I’m going to make sure you can take the man down and have plenty of time to get away.”
“How is that any different?”
“I’ve been doing this a long time. Unless you want to be taught how to kill, this is the next best option.”
“I don’t want to kill.”
“Are we going to have this conversation every time you come here? It’s taking up time, and I’ve got better things to do. If you just want to hang out, tell me. I’m not going to waste my time telling you this stuff if you’re not interested.”
“I am interested.”
“Good. Then stop moaning and either start fucking learning or go back home.”
She nodded, and he watched her square her shoulders. “I’m ready.”
“Today I’m going to attack you. It’s going to be random.” He moved toward his jacket and removed the blindfold he kept in the pocket. Holding it up, he gave her a wink.
“Kinky.”
“What do you know about kink?”