BenThe Rat & Parrot was a shitty hole-in-the-ground kind of pub in a bad neighborhood that I would never have gone to if my hand hadn’t been forced. The lighting was low, but it wasn’t for ambiance. When I stepped in through the doors, everyone looked at me. It was clear I was far from home. I was glad I hadn’t put on a suit, which I had considered for this meeting.Then again, Victor Brantley was nothing more than a piece of shit at the bottom of my shoe, as far as I was concerned. He hadn’t deserved a suit. And judging by his meeting spot of choice, I had been right. No one who kidnapped and killed people was worth respect, in my humble opinion.I had no idea where to find the guy. I had hoped he would stick out to me, but everyone in this joint looked like they had crawled out of the gutter. That had been the plan. At least half of the guys in the bar were people I’d paid to be there. Money could talk all kinds of languages.Someone at the bar lifted a hand in a wave to me. A pair
BenAs simple as that? The guy was one step down from being the Top Dog in the mafia. And judging by what he’d told me about my dad, he had been the Top Dog in the company for a long time. He had delusions of grandeur.“Make me pay, by all means,” I said. “Take it all out on me, take everything I have. But let Mila go. She has nothing to do with this, and she doesn’t deserve it.”“That’s the thing about life,” Victor said, turning with his back to the bar and leaning both elbows behind him. “It doesn’t matter who’s involved in this, there will always be collateral damage.”“Like my stepmom? And Uncle Dean?”Victor barked a laugh. “Uncle. Isn’t that cute? We all risk something by being involved with someone.”I thought about Mila. She had risked a lot to be with me. Jerrod, and now her life.“Sometimes, shit happens.”“That’s bullshit,” I said. I was getting angry again. I’d just about had enough of Victor and his games. “Shit does happen, but you’re making it happen.”“What can I say?
MilaI didn’t know how long I’d been in this basement, but I felt like it had been forever. I was getting weaker and weaker, and I was getting worried about the cut on my cheek. If it stayed untreated for much longer, it was going to create a scar, and I didn’t want to walk around with a reminder of what had happened to me on my face for the rest of my life.If I even made it out of here. It wouldn’t matter if there was a scar on my face if I was dead.No. I wouldn’t think like that. I had to stay positive that I would get out of here, that I would be able to look back on this, years from now and say, “I escaped.”I hadn’t eaten since I’d arrived. They’d brought me food once, but it hadn’t exactly been edible. After a while, when I hadn’t eaten it, they’d taken it away. And that had been it.My stomach rumbled as if to agree with what I was thinking.I was still on the floor, shivering from the cold and uncomfortable. Every now and then I got up and walked in small circles, stretching
Mila“We’re in New York.”My stomach turned. I felt dizzy. It was all too much to take in. I had been knocked out for long enough for them to bring me to New York all the way from Portland. Even if the whole city had been searching for me, they wouldn’t have been able to find me.“I have no idea what’s going on,” I said. I felt like I was going to cry again.“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart,” Ben said. He kept calling me that. “Let me take care of it.”A police officer came to talk to us. He asked me questions, and I told him everything I remembered. Afterward, Ben talked to him and gave him names. When he said things like “mafia” and owed debts, I felt dizzy. Who was this man? Why did I feel like I didn’t know him at all?“Come, Mila,” Ben said, using my name again for the first time since he’d found me in the basement. “Let’s get you to a hospital.”I shook my head. “I don’t want to go.”“Sweetheart, your cheek needs to be looked at.”“Okay, but I don’t want to stay overnight or an
BenWhen I woke up, Mila was in my bed. I didn’t think that was something that was going to happen again. She was still asleep, and I moved carefully not to wake her. She was lying so still that I checked to make sure she was still breathing. I knew I was being paranoid, but she had been through such a terrible ordeal, and it was my fault.The cut on her cheek had been patched up; her cheeks had a bit of color now that she had eaten. I pulled the covers up higher to be sure she was warm enough before I carefully slid out of bed.Waking up next to Mila was amazing. We hadn’t done anything last night – after her shower and a bit of food she had looked so tired I had offered the spare bedroom to her so that she could get some rest.“Can I sleep with you?” she’d asked. “I don’t want to be alone.”Of course, she hadn’t. So, I had led her to my room and gotten into bed with her, holding her until she fell asleep. Which had been almost instantly.Now that I was awake, and it was the light of
Ben“Of course,” I said. If there was anyone that understood what she meant, it was me. When Uncle Dean had died, so many people had come to offer their condolences, and I hadn’t wanted to talk to any one of them. I had wanted to lock myself away and be quiet for a few days.“I don’t want to impose,” Mila said. “I’ll only stay a few days.”I moved my hand to hers, slowly so I didn’t scare her. When she didn’t pull away, I gently put my hand over hers.“You can stay as long as you need.”She offered me a small smile before carrying on eating without saying anything.After breakfast, Mila showered again. When she emerged, again wearing my t-shirt and boxers, I offered her the clothes she had worn when I’d found her.“I washed them for you,” I said.Mila paled. “I really don’t want to wear them again.”Of course, they would remind her of everything.“Let’s go get you some new clothes, then,” I said.“What?”“We’ll go shopping.”She blinked at me with a confused face. “Now? Don’t you have
MilaAfter we were at the store, I was exhausted. It wasn’t that I couldn’t deal with walking around from one shop to the next. I had no idea why I felt so drained. But the last few days had been a lot to handle.“How about we get some takeaway and head back home?” Ben suggested.“And wine?” I asked.He looked unsure. “Is that a good idea with your concussion?”He was right, of course. But the idea of an escape was a great one. The dinner did sound fantastic, though, and I agreed to that. Even if I couldn’t have the wine just yet.We picked up Chinese on the way home. I hadn’t had Chinese in a long time, and I was excited about it. We put a movie on the monster television in Ben’s state-of-the-art living room. The surround sound made me feel like I was being submerged, which was exactly what I needed. We sat at the coffee table with our food instead of the dining table, and everything was perfect.Ben sat next to me on his plush carpet, and I was aware of how close he was. His cologne
MilaI was about halfway on my way to an orgasm when Ben pushed his fingers into my entrance instead. I cried out as he did. He started sliding his fingers in and out of me, slowly, letting me feel every last bit of movement. I squirmed on the carpet, giving over to the pleasure that was slowly erasing all the negative feelings I had been struggling with.“Pull up your shirt, baby,” Ben said in a low voice. “Let me look at you.”My heart constricted when he called me “baby.” But he was just caught up in the moment, I told myself. I did as he asked and pulled my shirt up over my head so that he could see me. I unclasped my bra so that I was naked in front of him. It was more than what he asked for, but I wanted him to see it all. My nipples were erect in the cold air, my body naked and on display for him.“You’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,” Ben said.I wanted to answer, but Ben dipped his head and closed his lips over my clit. I forgot what I’d wanted to say. He licked