by Melissa Jane
“Do you know how I can tell you wanted to fuck him?” he breathed heavily into my ear. When I didn’t answer, he continued, “Because your pussy is responding to my touch.”
Biting my bottom lip, I ignored his coercion, willing my body to do the same. But I was failing. The more Dominic increased the pressure on my clit, the more heated I became, an unfamiliar feeling starting to course through me. I was panting before it even happened, Dominic smiling against my cheek knowing he was claiming another part of me. Knowing how much I hated him, yet he was able to bring me to orgasm, something I’d never experienced before because he kept me under lock and key.
When the pressure became too much, I couldn’t bear it any longer. My traitorous body released what felt like a tidal wave of pleasure, my hips moving under Dominic while his hard cock pressed into me. I felt weak and delirious, hating myself for everything this man was able to do to me.
“That’s my girl,” he laughed, victorious before gripping my face. “You may fucking hate me, Lucy, but I will always have power over you.”
When Dominic left, I scrubbed myself clean of his touch, cried against the tiles, and avoided my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t want to see the person I’d become. I didn’t want to see the lost, damaged girl I knew would stare back at me.
Instead of sleeping, I found myself thinking of the night, before Dominic had me on the sofa. Xavier consumed my thoughts because he reminded me of those four words I’d heard almost eight years ago. Four words which belonged to a fifteen-year-old, baby-faced boy, who had a fierceness in his heart. But there was something about Xavier that had me sitting on my bedroom floor, head leaning against the bed and staring up at the full moon. His touch gave me butterflies, the way he looked at me with a sensual curiosity that sent my heart into flutter, the way his words touched a nerve deep within… the way his fingers lingered on mine when I was pulled from his lap. That sudden feeling of disconnection when our hold was broken.
I wanted to see him again. I wanted to clearly see his face without being hindered by drugs and see if the man behind the beard was more than just a memory.
A small smile played on my lips but it was melancholic. I wondered what Romeo had become. He always wanted to change the world. He detested injustice which is how he always found himself in trouble. I wondered what he looked like. Would he still have a baby face behind his smooth caramel skin?
Rising to my feet, I tore the comforter and pillow off the bed and set myself up in the closet. Tonight, I just wanted to be alone with my thoughts. I didn’t want Dominic privy to something I held so dear. I didn’t want him to tarnish my memories to the point I’d no longer be able to recognize them.
I tucked myself in and stared at the brilliant stars glued to the ceiling above. I dreamed of a day I would see Romeo again, but then the usual doubts reared their ugly head. Would he be disgusted in what I’d become? Would he say he wanted nothing to do with me after knowing everything I’d been through and seen? Would he be like Xavier and deal in illegal arms trading? Or had he proven to change the world, one injustice at a time? Had he ever loved? Did he have a beautiful wife in a beautiful house with a white picket fence? Were they both educated, college degrees hanging on the walls with healthy bank accounts? Did he have children who looked just like him?
I blinked the tears away and swallowed the lump in my throat.
Memories were bittersweet. They warmed my heart remembering how handsome he was when he smiled at me, and then broke my heart knowing that very smile could be given to someone else every day.
My swollen eyes grew heavy, the stars above beginning to fade. But while I struggled to hang on to the memories I so dearly wanted to cherish, one thing was clear.
It was time to plan my escape.
Chapter 13
NOW
Everyone was on edge.
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who noticed the personality change in Dominic. Like me, most the girls had experienced violence and sexual assault from him, and also like me, they knew any sudden shifts in behavior did not bode well for anyone. Then there were those who’d never been in his line of fire. The strong ones. The ones who would challenge his advances. Ones like Monique.
“Mon,” I said, approaching so she could see my face in the mirror. She smiled when she saw me while still expertly applying her lip liner. “Can I ask a favor?”
“Baby girl, anything for you.”
“Do you mind if I use your cell to make a quick phone call?”
Monique paused her application before turning to face me, crossing her long dark legs. She shook her head, eyes trying to make sense of the situation she knew I was trapped in. “He checks your recent calls now, too?”
I didn’t quite know how to answer, and eventually, I told the truth. “He forbids me from having a cell.”
She leaned forward and hissed. “He forbids you?” Monique’s eyes widened in horror. “Girl, I don’t know what he holds over you, but this shit is messed up.”
She had no idea, yet she had more idea than anyone, especially now that Blaze was dead.
Monique inched closer, eyes darting to each side confirming we were alone. “Did you hear?”
I shrugged. “Hear what?”
“Rumor has it that guy Dominic had beat up isn’t dead.”
My heart thudded painfully. “He’s not?”
She shook her head, raven-colored curls falling over her shoulders. “I’m not quite sure what his deal was coming in here and thinking he can wave a shotgun around like that.”
I felt instantly dizzy and flopped down on the sofa. Monique and the other girls would have no idea who Jonny was. They were never close enough to Blaze to know that was her boyfriend. They’d never bothered to ask what her real name was, otherwise they’d known the man waving the shotgun screaming out Nicole’s name was the man she loved and all he wanted to know was what had happened to his girl. And while everyone thought Jonny was batshit crazy, he had every right to be.
“Have you seen Blaze?” Monique asked.
A lump formed like hard cement in my throat.
No one knew.
No one knew that only a few nights ago, Blaze was killed right above their heads.
No one knew she’d been carried out in a body bag.
No one except Anton, Momma G, Dominic and myself.
“Are you okay?” she asked, taking my hand in hers.
“I’m fine,” I replied but the words sounded hoarse. “I just haven’t slept much.”
“I can tell. You’re pale even with makeup, and your eyes are bloodshot.”
Clearing my throat, I needed to get off this dangerous path. “Your cell… do you mind if—”
“Of course, take it! Anything to stick it to him for thinking he has power over you.” Monique swiveled back around and searched her handbag under the dresser before turning back to me. “Here,” she said, handing me her iPhone. “Pin is 2909. I’m ducking to the loo but take your time.” Monique squeezed my arm. “Just don’t get caught. I’m not sure what this mood is of his, but I’m fairly sure nothing good is going to come out of it.”
I could promise her it wouldn’t.
I watched as she left the room and closed the door behind her. Pulling the card from my bra, I entered Monique’s pin then keyed in the number. It took a few turns, my hands shaking with a fear I just couldn’t get a grip on. Finally, I put the cell to my ear and waited. I counted five rings before he answered.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Jason?”
There was a pause before he answered. “Yes?”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s Diamond. We met at the club a few nights ago and you gave me your card.”
“I remember. I’ve been waiting for your call.”
“Great. Look, um… some things have happened… some things, I… I’m ready to leave this place but I can’t do it alone. I really need to get out of here as soon as possible. Like tomorrow. Is your offer still available? Will
you help me?”
“Of course, I can. Here’s how it’ll work…”
~~~
“Morning, Roy.”
“Morning, Miss.” I returned his smile in the rearview mirror.
“Roy… I need to get some things from the store.”
He pulled away from the curb. “I could have gotten them for you like I always do.”
“I know, I just want to get a few personal items. You know… pick them myself, instead of having a man choose for me.”
“I understand, Miss. It’s not fun for me either.”
I bit my lip to stop the laugh. Roy was a good man and had no idea as to the type of relationship Dominic and I shared. From the driver’s seat, he’d only ever seen and heard things that wouldn’t strike him as odd for a relationship. Dominic made sure to never reveal too much with others around and since Roy was only my driver, he was blissfully ignorant to the control his boss had over me.
I held my hands tightly in my lap, an attempt to stop the persistent tremble. Nerves were kicking in and rightfully so. I was placing trust in someone I’d met only once, who promised me sanctuary. But there was a lot to do before I felt like I could finally take a deep breath and relax. Staring out the window, I watched the same scenery I saw every day pass by me, thankful that this could very well be the last time I saw it.
Twenty minutes later, Roy pulled into the car park and looked in the rearview. “Here we are, Lucy,” he said while opening his door.
“Wait,” I replied with an unsettling urgency. “Do you mind if I just go in? I’ve gotta use the bathroom before I bleed out.”
Even I cringed at the crassness of my words. But I needed him to give me some space. “Do you need anything while I’m in there?”
“No thanks, Lucy. You go sort yourself out. I’ll be here.”
Giving his shoulder a squeeze, I slipped out of the backseat and entered the store. I could feel Roy watching, no doubt wondering if he’d done the right thing in letting me go by myself. He was under instruction to always follow me, Dominic alluding to simply being overprotective rather than be seen as my keeper. Navigating to the women’s sanitary aisle, I pretended to browse the products while casting a quick glance back outside. Roy was still watching, so without looking at what I grabbed, I moved to the counter and paid for the pack of pads. Collecting my change, I held the packet high enough over the shelves so Roy could see them through the window and pointed to the bathroom. Uncomfortable, he gave a small smile and turned away.
“Where’s the back exit?” I asked the attendant.
The pimply faced kid nodded in the direction. Bypassing the bathroom sign on the left, I pulled the exit door open. Hit by a blast of sunshine, I ran as fast as my shaky legs could take me. Cutting across the street and straight into the mall, running half its length before I saw the escalators to the bus terminal.
“Excuse me,” I said, breathless, squeezing past those blocking my path. Once in the terminal, I ran to the ticketing station. With two people in front, I grew anxious. Anxious that I’d be caught before I even made the first leg of my journey.
I spoke through the scratched glass when it was my turn. “Hi,” I greeted cautiously. “I’m… um… I’m Lucy.”
The attendant looked me square in the eyes, no doubt trying to figure out what made me so important that I had my own delivery. Her hand moved under the counter and returned with an envelope which she slid into the security tray.
“Thank you,” I said, clutching it as if it were my life source.
Opening the packet, I studied each ticket. I needed to get to platform F. F, Jason said, would then take me to Hide Street where I could catch the Greyhound bus to Arizona. Once I reached Arizona, there would be someone there to help get me established. I wasn’t given a name or a number but was reassured they’d know who I was. This wasn’t all for free. Everything came with a price, and that price would be to tell Vice everything I knew about the corrupt underbelly world of Dominic Salvatore.
Weaving through a crowd of people unloading from a bus, I saw platform F just ahead with the bus already waiting.
“Shit!” I murmured pushing my way through to the other side. When my path was clear, I took off at a sprint reaching the bus as the doors were closing. Using my flat palm, I smacked its side to get the driver’s attention. Stopping to let me in, I scanned my ticket, thanked the gentleman and walked down the aisle, gripping the headrests for balance while peering out the window. So far, I was safe.
Taking a seat next to a middle-aged woman wearing a housekeeping uniform, I inhaled deeply, feeling just how tight my muscles were. Here I was running away from a life I’d been forced to live for eight years and with the one handbag. It contained the contents of my entire life. A sad thought but I couldn’t remember a time where I had much more than I did now. I supposed the bright side was, I was on the path to freedom. I hadn’t wanted to do it this way. I wanted Vice to see me through the journey of getting me as far away as possible. But they had to take into account if any of Dominic’s men saw me with a detective their whole investigation would be blown.
A warm, soft hand slid over mine and instead of it startling me, I found its comfort. “Why does such a pretty girl like you look so scared?” the housekeeper asked in a thick accent. She reminded me so much of Mrs. Sanchez.
“I… um… just don’t want the monsters of the past following me into the future.”
She smiled, and I got a sense of both wisdom and empathy. “Only you will determine whether they can come back into your life.”
I looked away, feeling the tears well. “That’s the problem. I don’t think they ever truly left me.
~~~
Red letters spelling Hide Street ran across the digital board, and I stood to make my way to the front. As it was, Camilla, the housekeeper, had already gotten off two stops prior, and I held her gift to me in my hand.
“To keep you safe from the monsters you speak of,” she’d said while curling the necklace onto my palm. “Saint Nicolas, the saint for protection.”
I’d known her for all of one minute, yet she saw deep within my soul.
Leaving the bus, I looked up and down the busy station platform and consulted the second ticket. Platform C would take me to Arizona and further away from Dominic. The countdown clock suspended from the high ceiling told me the Greyhound’s expected arrival. I had ten minutes to burn. Ten minutes of being vulnerable. Transport centers were surely places Dominic and his men would look first given I had no vehicle. Finding an alcove that would block views from all directions, I nestled in it and pulled my legs to my chest, hugging them tight.
“Almost there. Almost there. Almost there,” I said, repeating the mantra but it did little to stop the anxious butterflies. I felt the need to sink further into the depths of the alcove with each man who walked past. They ranged in appearance. Some smartly dressed wearing suit jackets, hands in pockets, and laptop bags hooked around their necks. Others dressed casually in jeans and sweaters. But my paranoia had them all looking the same. Sinister and predatory, like most of the men Dominic hired. Their narrowed eyes studied me, and I could feel their suspicion and scorn.
“Get a grip, Lucy. They’re not him,” I chided myself. Ten minutes passed agonizingly slow but when the Greyhound finally pulled up, I was first to hand over my ticket.
“No luggage?” the driver asked, eyeing my sparse belongings.
“No, just this,” I replied jumping on the bus and heading straight for the back. Closing my eyes, I sent a silent prayer to whoever could be listening. When the bus rumbled into action and pulled away from the curb, my heart began a dull thud. Where I should be overjoyed with the journey thus far, I knew every second that passed meant a possibility of being caught. Dominic Salvatore wasn’t stupid, and ensured he had eyes and ears everywhere. If it was easy to escape his grasp, I would have done it eight years ago. Only when I arrived in Arizona could I even contemplate relaxing.
With the bus a quarter full,
it was quiet enough for me to gather my thoughts. Closing the red curtain to avoid unwanted attention, I secured the necklace Camilla had given me around my neck. I didn’t so much believe in God or his Saints, but what I did believe in, I knew to be true. Romeo. I needed to feel his presence. As I ran my finger along the star’s edge, I smiled. Before I’d reached the front door this morning, having acted like it was just another morning getting ready for the club in front of the cameras, I ran back to the bedroom wardrobe and pulled the biggest glow-in-the-dark star off the ceiling.
The bus, which had been traveling well, came to a sudden stop causing everyone to slide forward in their seats. The star hit the seat in front and fell from my grasp.
“Shit!” I cursed, unable to see where it went. Sinking to my knees, I maneuvered awkwardly to run my hand along the floor. “Where are you?” Curious murmurs reached my ears from others on the bus, but I was preoccupied. Only when I touched the tip of the star and had it safely in my grasp, did I twist back up into my seat.
I wished I hadn’t.
Murmurs turned to hysteria, curious passengers standing to see out the front window. A frightened mother, five aisles ahead, picked up her little girl and moved quickly to the back.
“What’s happening?” I asked as she sat opposite me. When my question went ignored, I swallowed my fear and moved into the aisle into a sea of murmurs.
“What are they doing?”
“Who are these assholes?”
“Why us?”
“What do they want?”
The passengers who’d kept mostly to themselves were now firing off questions none of them would be able to answer.
“Driver!” a middle-aged woman yelled, her husband trying to keep her calm. “Do something.” He wasn’t about to do anything. Fear had gripped him and remained unresponsive.
I closed my eyes, touching the pendant around my neck which was supposed to keep me safe. “Please don’t let it be. Don’t let be.” A single tear rolled down my cheek, the little girl behind me sobbing into her mother’s shoulder. I made my way slowly to the front, gripping each seat for balance, knees weak with fear. I pushed past those blocking my way and when I saw what had their attention, the notion of escaping had been just that. An idea. It would never have worked. I stopped next to the driver, only a pane of glass separating me from them. An SUV with no plates sat parked in the middle of a lane that should be smooth flowing. Five formidable men, armed with rifles, awaited me. Wearing all black, they donned ski masks which covered half their face. Their narrowed, menacing stares were unwavering and were almost as frightening as their fingers already on the trigger. They watched my every breath, my chest rising and falling heavily as I struggled for air. Suddenly, the chain around my neck felt like it was strangling me.