by J Marie
being such good friends, I was shocked I’d never seen him at the house before.
“Right on time,” he said as he got up and shook Darren’s hand, a friendly smile
on his face.
“As always,” Darren said.
“Miss Wilder, it’s nice to see you again,” Matt said, giving me a small nod.
“You as well,” I replied curtly, hoping that wasn’t against the rules. Wasn’t it
usually speak when spoken to and as little as possible?
“Shall we?” Matt said, gesturing toward the dining room.
Darren led me into the dining room, but as we got closure to the table, I noticed
there were only two place settings and a cushion on the floor next to one of the
chairs. I felt my heart skip a beat with rage as I realized who the damn cushion was
for. Darren confirmed my anger when he stood by the chair and pointed at the
floor, eyeing me with that challenging look of his. My lips formed a tight line as I
sunk my teeth into my tongue to force myself from verbally lashing out. This was
bullshit, and he was totally going to hear about it later.
Begrudgingly, I lowered myself to the pillow, glaring at Darren the whole way
down and sat back on my heels. He wore a smug little smile on his face as he
unbuttoned his jacket and took his seat in the chair next to me. He was so getting
the cold shoulder tonight. I couldn’t believe he was going to let me be degraded like
this. Just because this asshole treated his women like this didn’t mean I had to be
subjected to it. I could see the lesson in humility and Darren’s gracious generosity.
He might be a self-serving, sadistic, killer crime lord, but at least he let me sit at
the fucking dinner table.
Point made.
Darren and Matt began to engage in conversation, mostly about football for
some reason, and I had no interest in paying attention to that shit. It was quickly
forgotten when I looked across the way from under the table and saw a young
blonde kneeling on a similar cushion next to Matt. His poor little slave. But my eyes
nearly bulged out of my head while my heart stopped in its tracks when I suddenly
recognized the blonde. Kayla.
Holy fuck, she was alive! She was alive, and she was right in front of me, looking
right back at me as if she were looking at a ghost. I forced myself to quiet the
strangled noise that nearly left my mouth as I leaned forward. My body reached for
her, but the heavy palm that shot down to grip my shoulders abruptly stopped me.
My head snapped up to Darren to be met with a serious scowl, and a slow shake
of his head, a reminder that I was not to move or speak without his permission and
fucking that up would mean days in that fucking cage again. And I was not going
back there. But I couldn’t stop my eyes from burning with rage as I realized that
Darren had known the entire time where Kayla was and he never told me. Never
cared to share that his best friend was her new owner. I felt murder in my veins.
But instead of acting out, I released a slow, heavy breath and calmed my shit.
I felt my stomach knot up as I tried to catch my breath while relief and terror
came crumbling down my spine. I kept myself very still and just concentrated on
Kayla’s face, hoping to God she was okay, but if this Matthew Rainer was anything
like Darren, I knew she wasn’t.
“Are you okay?” I mouthed quietly to her, hoping she could see my movements
under the table.
She gave me a sad smile and just blinked. She was obviously terrified to move.
As dinner was served, I wondered if Kayla and I would be eating at all, but at this
point, I wasn’t interested in food. I wanted to crawl across the floor and hug her
until she was nothing but crushed bits in my arms. That was when Darren tapped
my shoulder, and I looked up at him with my stupidly sad doughy eyes. I couldn’t
contain them.
“Open your mouth,” he ordered, ignoring my small sign of distress. And then I
realized he held a fork with a small piece of meat on it. Reluctantly, I opened my
mouth, and he placed the fork inside. I wrapped my lips around the meat and
chewed. It was a pot roast, and the meat melted against my tongue as I swallowed. I
looked over to see that Kayla was receiving the same treatment.
Throughout the entire dinner, Darren continued to feed me until he was
satisfied I had enough, which was much more than I was capable. By the time
dinner was done, I had thought I would burst. I found it difficult to concentrate on
their conversation with my only interest being Kayla.
From what I could tell, they reminisced about old times. Apparently, they had
been friends since they were kids. They discussed sports, Daniel’s upcoming
firstborn, and a recent hunting trip Matt went on. That was it; nothing really
worthy of me listening to, and I had a feeling Darren had previously discussed
appropriate dinner conversations while I was present. Not a word of business.
Clever motherfucker.
And then, I suddenly felt it. The small pressure in my sinuses that threatened to
make an entrance in a room that was unwelcomed.
I had to sneeze.
I held it back as best I could, fighting the tickle with every ounce of strength I
possessed, but eventually, it came out. With more control than I thought possible, I
somehow managed to make it sound like the cutest sneeze anyone on the planet
had ever made.
The conversation went quiet after my sneeze, and I shrank into myself, hoping I
had not drawn too much attention. I dared an apologetic look up at Darren, and to
my surprise, he gave me the most tender smile as if that was the most adorable
thing he had ever heard. Thank God.
He reached his hand down to the side of my face and drew my head to rest on his
thigh, petting my hair before returning to his conversation. It actually felt nice to
rest on something, so I just relaxed against him.
I also found it difficult not to squirm on the floor as the pressure in my legs was
becoming unbearable. I was not used to sitting like this for such a long period of
time while Kayla, on the other hand, was perfectly still, almost seeming
comfortable. I felt awful that she was obviously used to this. Bastard.
Once dinner was over, Darren helped me to my feet, and Matt did the same with
Kayla. The four of us walked into a parlor across from the dining room, and Darren
and Matt sat down on a long couch, while Kayla sat on her heels at Matt’s feet.
Darren pulled me to sit between his legs where he began to play with my hair.
“What are you drinking tonight?” Matt asked as he stepped toward the bar.
“Scotch,” Darren answered.
Matt began to pour the drink into a glass when he suddenly stopped and looked
up.
“Ya know what? I have an idea,” he said. “Let’s let the ladies enjoy the fresh air
in the backyard. We’ll be able to watch them from the window there, and we can
talk business.”
Darren’s hand then wrapped around my hair and gave it a slight slow tug. “Sure,
why not,” he finally said and released me.
“Kayla.” Matt nodded to her. She gracefully rose to her feet and stood just ahead
of where I was still sitting, waiting for me.
�
��Go,” Darren said, nudging me upward. I stood and took a single step before
Darren stopped me. He pulled out his phone, pressed some buttons, and then put it
away. “Okay, a hundred feet, Jaden. Understand?”
“Yes, Darren,” I said and headed off with Kayla, excitement jittering in my
nerves with every step, even as Clive and Owen moved to follow us.
When we were finally out the door and partially sheltered from Darren and
Matt’s eyes, Kayla and I embraced each other in a long tight hug, tears coming
down our faces like a much-needed rainstorm. My heart felt like it was going to
explode with relief, knowing she was right there in front of me, breathing and
whole, and that I hadn’t lost her. A small piece of hope found its way into the
crevices of my cracked heart.
“I thought I’d never see you again,” Kayla mumbled, her voice strained as she
rested her chin against my shoulder, her arms still wrapped tightly around me.
“I told you I’d find you, didn’t I?” I said, my voice becoming optimistic.
We pulled away to examine the other, our eyes both searching for signs of
distress or physical harm.
“Are you okay? Has he hurt you?” I asked her.
Kayla responded with another sad smile. “I’m … I’m okay,” she said hesitantly.
“I’m just so glad you’re here.”
“Me too. I pushed Darren for your whereabouts months ago, but he refused to
share anything.”
She shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m not surprised. I am surprised either of them
allowed this, though,” she said, gesturing between the two of us.
“Well, we should make the best of it while we still can,” I said, slinging my arm
over her shoulder and ushering her to the edge of the wooden porch and away from
the listening ears of my bodyguards. We sat down on the steps of the porch and
huddled close, leaning against the other for more than just physical support.
“How are you? Really?” I asked her.
“I’m … I’m fine. Really. I just try to take things one day at a time, try to keep
him as happy as I can.”
“So he does hurt you …” I accused.
She pursed her lips together and turned away. “Only if I don’t listen to him. But
… I’m getting better at it. I’m just glad to be alive.”
“Me too,” I said, pressing my lips together and turning my eyes to the sky. The
sun was beginning to set, spreading warm neon colors across the clouds.
“So he purchased you, huh? Saved the best for last?” Kayla asked, her voice
turning light.
“Yeah, I won Murphy’s lottery that day.”
“I’m not surprised,” she added. “I had a feeling it would be him.”
“Yeah, so much for getting the old fuck I was hoping I could kill and escape
from.”
“You don’t think that’s possible with him?”
I bit my lip, wondering how much I should divulge.
“This one is a tough safe to crack,” I said with a sigh. “It’s going to take more
than I’m capable of.”
Kayla bowed her with a nod, a sadness taking her over. I knew I was her last hope
in this. If I couldn’t escape Darren, then she likely didn’t have high chances of
escaping her fate with Rainer.
“I escaped him once,” I admitted softly, looking toward the clouds. “Started a
fire outside of my bedroom window as a distraction and took off on one of his
motorcycles while he was out of town.”
Kayla’s eyes widened. “Holy shit, Jaden! That’s incredible! I knew you were a
badass. But … obviously, it didn’t go so well.”
“No, not really. This thing has a GPS tracker in it so he can always find me,” I
said, gesturing to the collar around my throat. “Not to mention it’s a fucking shock
collar.”
“What a sadistic bastard,” she said angrily. “How did you bypass that?”
“Rubber shoe sole around my neck,” I said with a small laugh.
“Ha, good thinking.”
“I don’t see any restriction around your throat. That’s good,” I commented.
She shook her head. “I don’t give Matt much trouble, and he has eyes
everywhere. Plus, you’re not the only one with a tracker. I’ve got a GPS chip in my
skin, too.”
“Gotta keep track of your merchandise,” I said sarcastically.
“Yeah, I guess,” she said with a smile.
“So what’s he like? What do you know about him?”
Kayla took a deep breath before releasing it through her nose.
“He does business with weapons. That’s about all I know. He’s gone a lot
because of it, which is nice. I feel like I can finally breathe then, so it’s not as bad as
I thought it would be. He’s just very … strict.”
“Strict how? Darren brought me here so I could experience the life of someone
less fortunate than me. Is that true?”
Kayla bit her lower lip like she was struggling with her answer.
“It doesn’t look like you’re even allowed on the damn furniture.”
“Only on special occasions,” she said sadly. Her voice shook as she continued. “I
sleep in a luxury dog bed, and if I fuck him well enough and he’s in the mood, only
then am I allowed to sleep in his bed.”
“Jesus.”
Kayla seemed like she was struggling to swallow. “This is the most clothing I’ve
worn in months,” she said, plucking at her little black dress. “Normally, if I’m
lucky, I get to wear lacy lingerie with crotchless panties, thigh-high stockings, and
heels. Otherwise, I wear nothing at all.”
Fucking hell.
“I’m locked away in Matt’s suite all day, and I don’t get to go out unless he lets
me, which is rare. He said he always wants to come home to his slave in his room.
It’s where I belong, he says.”
“Motherfucker,” I muttered under my breath.
“But it’s not all bad,” she said with a shrug. “Sometimes, he lets me have my
morning tea out here on the porch. Sometimes, I get to go on supervised walks
around the yard. Those are always nice.”
Like that was an improvement.
“What do you do in his suite all day?” I asked.
“Read,” she said. “He brings me books to read during the day and schools me on
them later to make sure I retained what I read.”
“What sort of books?”
“They’re always different. Sometimes, they’re on psychology, sometimes,
science or geography. Most of the time they’re sexual but always educational.”
So that was how he kept her mind intact. Had her brain stimulated and
distracted from the horrors of her life by reading.
I dared to push further, afraid of what I’d hear.
“And what happens if you’re not able to retain everything?”
“Then I’m punished,” she said softly, shrinking in to herself.
“How does he punish you, Kayla?”
She closed her eyes and turned her head away. “He hurts me. He hurts me badly.
If I do anything to upset him, if I’m ever disobedient, he’ll make me scream for the
rest of the day. And I’ll spend the rest of the night in my cage until I … beg for his
forgiveness.”
Fuck, not a cage, too.
“I tried escaping, too, once. Never again,” she murmured, shaking her head.
God, I
wanted to march back into that house and stomp on Rainer’s throat until
it was crushed under my heel. Sadistic motherfucker.
“I’m so sorry, Kayla,” I said, placing my hand against her back. I didn’t know
what else to do. She sniffled in response.
“So … what’s he like?” she asked me timidly.
I released a breath and curled into myself more than I already was. How to
describe Darren Davis?
“He’s …” I started but had trouble voicing the words. “He’s quite honestly my
worst nightmare. He’s cruel, sadistic, possessive, and very … very unforgiving.”
Kayla was silent for a moment as she nodded in understanding. “Does he hurt
you?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
She nodded in return. “I’m sorry, Jaden. I’m sorry it had to be him.”
I looked down at my lap and felt my chest cave in. “He’s hunting down Jason and
my mom and brothers. When I escaped, it was so I could get to a phone to warn
them to run because he was coming for them. They got away, but he found the rest
of my family. Killed my uncle and is holding the rest of them over my head if I fuck
up.”
“What? Why would he feel the need to go after your family?”
I shook my head. “He thought they were holding me back from accepting my life
with him. He thought if he severed the connections of my old life, I would move on
with the new since I would have nothing left to go back to if I ever got away.”
“That’s so fucked up!”
I nodded. “He’s so fucking diabolical. After I was able to warn Jason to tell my
family to disappear, Darren had some girl drugged and burned to be mistaken as my
dead body back home. I’ve been declared legally dead, Kayla. They had a funeral for
me and everything, and that fucker went! He surrounded himself with my grieving
family, and now, he’s having all of them watched. I guess he somehow decided
keeping them alive as leverage was him being merciful for me.”
“Oh, my God, Jaden. I’m so sorry. What a fucking asshole.”
I shook my head. “It’s okay. It doesn’t matter anyway. He may be scary as fuck,
but that’s not going to stop me from killing him.”
Kayla looked up at me as if I’d lost my mind. “You are?”
“One day, yes,” I said confidently. “I just have to bring his entire empire down