Spark

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