Safe (Reckoning Book 1) Read online

  The walls are blue and lined with doors like a hotel. All of the rooms are labeled Private A, Private B, and so on down until we get to the end of the hall. The door at the end is labeled Boss. Vaughn pushes past me and knocks on the door three times then it buzzes. He turns the knob, opening the door to push me through then shuts it behind me so I am now alone in a room that is as dim as the hallway. I look around, to the left of the door are two black leather chairs and matching couch. A large coffee table sits in the middle of the furniture. Where am I? My eyes wander to the other side of the room to a dark wooden desk and then to the man standing on the other side of it. I guess I wasn't alone after all. He is on his phone, texting I think. He stays silent for what seems like hours then finally pockets his phone in his black dress pants and walks over towards me. He isn't wearing the suit coat and tie he was downstairs. He has the sleeves of his white shirt pushed halfway up his forearms and his collar unbuttoned flashing a bit of dark chest hair. He is even more striking if that is possible.

  “Forgive me I may have lost my temper down there. I didn't like that boy pawing at you on the dance floor.” Who is this guy?

  “Why would it be any of your business if someone had their ‘paws’ on me?” I retort in a somewhat rude tone. I mean why should I be nice? My evening has been interrupted by this man, devastatingly handsome yes, but arrogant. He moves forward so quick and in front of me so close I can feel the anger vibrating off of him.

  “This my MY club. That is MY dance floor and I get to decide who I want to have in MY establishment. If I don't want to see some boy groping a beautiful young woman I will show him the door.” Shit. I shrink back, closer toward the closed door I was forced through.

  “So this isn't about my ID?” I squeak. He takes a deep breath and seems to calm himself. Then gives me a slight smirk.

  “No this isn't about your ID, though I do not believe your name is Bethany Summers. You just don't strike me as a Bethany.” He lets out a deep chuckle that sends goosebumps running down my arms. It sounds sexy and evil at the same time. I really don't know how that is even possible.

  “Am I in trouble? I won't come back here again. I really don't go out much but my friend talked me into it since it is my birthday today…”

  “Your birthday?” He asks interrupting me.

  “Yes,” I whisper.

  “Well, happy birthday…”

  “Ellie, my friends call me Elle.”

  “Ellie beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Happy birthday Ellie.” There he goes with that word again.

  “Thank you,” I whisper to him.

  “No need to be shy I won't bite.” He smiles and caresses my cheek with the back of his hand. Then pulls away. “Now as I said before I may have lost my temper down there on the dance floor. I've been watching you since you got here tonight contemplating whether I should introduce myself, but when I saw you dancing with that boy I couldn't help it.” Has he been watching me all night? I really don't know how I should feel about that. “Now, how about I take you to dinner tomorrow? Apologize for ruining your birthday night by acting like a caveman.” He seems light and friendly now. Charismatic. So against my better judgment, I nod my head and say yes.

  He smiles again and claps his hands together rubbing them vigorously for a moment then grabs his phone. “Steve I need you up front to take two girls home. Yes. Make sure they are in their home before you leave. Good.” Pocketing his phone again he looks at me.

  “Thank you. But we can call a cab.”

  “No. Steve will bring you. Now...” He leans forward and caresses my lips with his own then pulls back. “Until tomorrow baby girl.” With that, he backs away and goes to open the door for me. I'm still a little stunned but turn to go out the door. Then remember that I didn't ask him his name.

  “Oh wait. What's your name?” he gives me a wide smile.

  “Avil.” The name gives me goosebumps. He shuts the door. Thankfully I am alone and don't have to deal with Vaughn. I walk back down the hallway getting to the elevator I realize that I'm not going to get anywhere because I am lacking a key card. Just when I am about to turn around and go ask Avil to take me downstairs the door dings. Opening up to another man in a suit. What is it with the suits? This man at least doesn't scare me as much as Vaughn did. He has salt and pepper hair wearing it in that classic men's cut. His face shows crows feet by his eyes and smile lines around his mouth.

  “Hello miss, I am Steve.” Oh, my ride home.

  “Elle.” I take his extended hand. “Nice to meet you.” I get into the elevator with him and we descend. When the doors open I expect to see the club again but instead I see a small underground parking garage.

  ”Wait we need to get my friend.”

  “Not to worry miss, she is in the car. This way.” He holds out his hand showing me which way to go. We walk up to a sleek black car with tinted windows. The back door flings open and Dawn comes out throwing her arms around me like we haven't seen each other in years.

  “I was so worried. What happened? Did he hurt you?” she pulls back and holds me at arms length checking me over. I just laugh at her dramatics.

  “I'm fine, he asked me out.”

  “Seriously?” she squeals hurting my ears in the process.

  “Yes, now let's go I will tell you all about it when we are home.”

  Now

  “How is everything progressing?” Avil asks the doctor.

  “Good, good. The baby is a little on the small side but that is to be expected considering her malnourished state.” He looks pointedly at Avil. Maybe I will get fed more than once a day now.

  Avil takes the doctor by the elbow leading him away so I can't hear what they are saying. I take this moment to wipe the gel from my stomach as best I can with my crumpled up underwear and pull my dress back down over myself. Scooting my back up to the wall I catch the tail end of their private conversation with Avil saying something about being gone for a few days and if something were to happen he is to be contacted immediately. The doctor nods collecting his things and walks out the door rolling the ultrasound machine in front of him. Vaughn promptly follows him out. Leaving me in the room with the devil himself. He casually walks over to me with that smug smile on his face.

  “Not much longer to go now baby girl is there?” He clicks his tongue then sits on the edge of the bed. He is dressed in his usual dress pants and a white shirt sans tie this time, though. I really don't think I have seen him in anything other than a suit. “Now, you will have to behave yourself if you wish to remain in our son's life. I would very much like for you to return to my bed after this is all over. Not to mention I will want more children fallowing this one.” The audacity of this man.

  “After everything you have done, you think I will just come crawling back into your bed? You are crazy. I will behave myself for MY son but I will never NEVER be back in your bed willingly.” I say with my teeth gritted and every ounce of anger as I can possibly can. He stands up wraps his hands around my ankles pulling me towards him, then crawls on top of me, minding my protruding stomach. I struggle slightly then stop, it really isn't worth the struggle I will never win against him and could hurt my baby in the process. With his legs on either side of mine, he grabs my wrists in his hands and holds them above my head pinning me.

  “Suit yourself Ellie but just remember it is easier to be in bed with the enemy than fighting him. Keep your hands there I want one last fuck before you have this baby.” With that, he pushes up my dress and gazes down at me smiling. He hasn't touched me in months not since I thought I got away from him. He unclasps his dress pants and pulls the zipper down, settling in between my legs now. I clamp my eyes shut, thinking of a better place one where I am not being held captive by my child's father. I hear him pulling down his pants then spitting. Then he is pushing into me, slowly at least, thank god for that I am not prepared at all for the intrusion. The spitting must have been too wet his dick cause it goes in easier than it should. “Going to miss t
his nice tight pussy. Maybe I should have the Doc cut our son out of you so you don't stretch out.” Oh, my god, he is demented.

  “Please don't.” I plead and try my hardest not to cry, it doesn't work.

  “Give me your tears Ellie they are all mine remember that remember who owns you, owns this body of yours, owns what's growing inside you. You are MINE never forget that. I will do whatever I want whenever I want with you.” He says while slamming into me then finally finishes with one hard thrust while gripping my ass as hard as he can probably bruising me. “Open your eyes.” He commands. I almost don't do it but I really don't want to anger him more. So I open them slowly to see him staring down at me with those icy blue eyes I once found so captivating. “Good girl.” He leans down and captures my lips with his pushing his tongue into my mouth. I fight the urge to bite it off. Then he pulls away and out of me. I feel so dirty I will need to take another shower I really hope I have some hot water again. “See you in a few days baby girl. This has been wonderful.”

  With that, he tucks himself back in his pants and walks out the door locking it behind him. I lay there staring at the ceiling wondering how the hell I have wound up here in this hell.

  Hours later after trying to make out animals and faces with the texture on the ceiling above my bed. I finally get up and go to the bathroom so I can wash the dried come from between my legs. When I get out I wash my panties in the sink and hang them to dry with my towel. I pull my blue dress back on and braid my hair, this time, taking a strip of cloth from the plaid pants I was wearing before and tie it off. I'm exhausted from my crap of a day and seeing Avil again has gotten me so depressed that all I want to do is curl into a ball and die. I have to hold out hope that maybe just maybe one day my child and I will be safe from this man.

  I'm roused from sleep hearing a loud bang then plaster falls onto my face from the ceiling. It takes me a moment to wake and realize what is happening. We live in a place where small tremors aren't uncommon, hopefully, this one doesn't turn out to be more than that due to the fact I am underground. The crumbling continues but as I listen I think I hear something else. It sounds like explosions and... gunfire? What is going on? I go to the bathroom and crouch down in the shower hiding behind the curtain. I hear doors opening then Vaughn tears off my shower curtain causing the rings to fling across the room pinging every which way on the cement walls. When he spots me curled up in the bottom of the shower he grabs my arm and pulls me back out to the room. “We got to go now!” I pull away from him and shake my head. “Now bitch or so help me I will fucking shoot you right now damn the consequences!” That's when I hear shouting from the hall than a gunshot. I manage to pull myself out of his grip and get back into the bathroom. I don't have time to close the door and cover myself back up with the curtain that is now lying on the floor. I am in direct sight of the door but at the moment Vaughn is blocking that line of sight. I curl up and try to get as small as possible maybe just maybe I will get lucky and no one will see me.

  “Fucking bitch you killed us both!” Vaughn yells at me from the room right before three heavily armed men come into the room pointing their guns at Vaughn. They are all dressed in black and two of them are wearing balaclavas. “Where is he Vaughn? I know the motherfucker was here today!” The one in the middle shouts.

  “Not fucking here and you won't get to him either. You fucked up by coming here showing your face. You should have stayed dead Vin cause you sure as hell are now!”

  “Not fucking today, though.” The guy in the middle ,Vin apparently, says then nods his head in a forward motion. Then the other two men flanking him go forward and grab Vaughn taking his weapon and making him kneel. That's when Vin notices me in the bathroom. The look on his face is one of shock then quickly transforms into anger.

  I get a good look at him. His hair is long pulled back into a knot and he has a short beard but I can still see that his face is severely scarred. Someone or something did a real number on him. His green eyes are beautiful and he has lines around his eyes maybe from scowling so much because this man looks like he rarely laughs. He is all around scary as hell but for the life of me I can't seem to be scared of him.

  “Who is she?” He says to Vaughn. Vaughn turns and looks at me and shrugs.

  “No one just some fucking whore who got knocked up.” One of the men in balaclavas comes into the bathroom and grabs me up off the floor by my arms.

  “Up you go darlin.” He is surprisingly soft when he handles me maybe it's because I am clearly pregnant or maybe he is actually human. I follow him out into the room locking eyes with Vin once more. He looks down at my swollen stomach and I see a look of… sadness? It's so fast then it's gone as soon as it appeared. He looks at me for a few more moments then turns back to Vaughn.

  “As much as I would love for you to give that bastard a message for me this will have to do. Loose ends aren’t really my thing.” With that Vin raises his gun and fires sending a bullet through Vaughn’s skull. Blood, brain, and bone spray all over my bed. Now normally when someone whitenesses a person getting their skull blown apart by a bullet their first reaction is to scream, I know this because this isn't the first this has happened in front of me. But this time having it be Vaughn I feel instant relief and then regret that his death was so quick.

  “Who are you?” Staring at what is left of Vaughn’s head I tell Vin as much.

  “He should have suffered more, he was an awful person,” I say quietly.

  “I have no doubt about that but we are crunched for time at the moment. Now answer me, who are you!”

  “Ellie” I squeak out.

  “Okay Ellie, why are you here? What are you to Avil?” I'm still looking down at Vaughn's lifeless body watching how the blood drips from what remains of his skull. “Hey! Answer me!” Vin snaps his fingers at me. Should I say what I am to Avil? What if they kill me and my child? He seems to have an issue with him.

  “I… I… I'm just a whore.” I Lie. He considers me for a moment then nods.

  “Get up you are coming with us.” I hesitate not quite sure what I should do. “That is unless you would like to stay. We have set explosives throughout the whole place and it will be leveled in about twenty minutes. Your choice.” I nod and start to walk forward when he grabs my hand in his. It's rough and calloused but at the same time comforting.

  “Let's go.” He leads me out of the room following the other two men at a fast pace. In the hallway I see the doctor laying dead on the floor. We make our way down the hall and past the room that I was in before they moved me, today was it? It seems like a lifetime ago. What is going to happen now? Did I trade one hell for another? One thing is for sure I am no longer in the control of Avil.

  Upstairs I see that we are in a large building, a warehouse maybe there are crates everywhere, old machinery and a couple of dead men who I am guessing worked for Avil. I don't recognize any of them, though. We get outside and I stop dead in my tracks. I'm outside. It's nighttime, cool air hits my face and I take in a deep breath. I almost feel free. Almost. Vin pauses almost as if he understands then tugs on my hand.

  “Let's get out of here.” We walk to a black truck and Vin puts me in the backseat. When his hand leaves mine I want it back immediately. He gets into the driver's seat and the other two get in the truck the one who took me from the shower in the front and the other in the back with me. That's when they take off their balaclavas. I don't see the man in the front as much but I can see his short blond hair and some stubble on his cheeks. The one next to me looks similar but with a buzz cut and clean shaven. They both look like they are related maybe. I lean my face on the cool window of the door as we drive off into the night. A loud explosion sounds behind us and I turn around in my seat to see my prison is up in flames. I take a deep breath and let it out. Everything will be okay. It will won't it?

  Then

  “You have to give me EVERY detail. I bet he is rich as hell. Girl, you got lucky. I told you going to that club was a good idea.�
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  Dawn still hasn't shut up about my encounter with Avil last night. Right now she is running around like a crazy cat lady trying to talk me into wearing every slutty dress she owns. We are both about the same shape and size except the four inches she has on my five two.

  “I'm not wearing a dress I already told you,” I tell her for maybe the fifth time.

  “You are not going in that!” She gestures to my ripped jeans and band tee shirt.

  “What's wrong with this?” I'm not really going like this I just want to poke the hive more.

  “You look homeless that's what's wrong with it!”

  I just laugh at her and walk to my closet to grab the clothes I picked out for the night. A pair of black leather looking leggings with a chiffon maroon top. This is dressy for me. I show her and she gives me a smile.

  “I was hoping that maybe I could borrow your ankle boots that match this shirt.” I say in an innocently sweet voice.

  “You little bitch. Yes, of course, you can borrow the damn things! Now we need to talk about hair and makeup.” She really doesn't know the meaning of ‘quit while you're ahead’.