My heart was pounding in my chest as I peered around the club and got lost in the ocean of greedy, lascivious faces. It was even more disorienting with the way that everyone was hiding behind a different mask, concealing their identity from me.I didn't know where I was, and I never thought my night would have ended like this. I swallowed hard and tried keeping my composure, flicking my hair and standing straight. I couldn't let them know that I was terrified. Suddenly, bursting from the crowd of rambling numbers came a high bid in the form of a creepy looking, overweight man in his fifties, wearing a suit that was ill-fit for his stature. "One hundred thousand!"I could tell that his lips were chapped from here and he fondled a cigar in between his fingers, licking the end of it in a salacious way. A shiver ran through me at the sight of him flirting with me through his cigar and drink.The crowd went silent and only a cough was heard to break it for a second. "One hundred
Ellis stepped into the room and shut the door behind himself. Something about the way he relaxed and strutted into the room like he owned the place made me feel calmer.At least he wasn't some stranger that I didn't know, but I was still nervous about whether he would really make me play with him.My heart began to race at the thought of what he had planned.Everything in this room was foreign to me as I looked around, making me feel a bit more unsettled.I watched him sit on the foot of the bed with his legs spread. He scanned my body up and down, taking in my lingerie, and chuckled."What's so funny?" I uttered, not able to meet his eyes.Ellis didn't answer me. He slipped off his suit coat and neatly folded it, setting it on the bed beside him. I could feel that his eyes were locked on mine, burning into my soul and settling into the pit of my stomach. I swallowed hard, as he reached up to loosen his crimson silk tie with one hand.Although I'd seen him a few times before, ev
I looked over at Ellis, who was driving through the streets of Manhattan. Going out to dinner with him seemed a bit unusual, but I was starving."Okay, I'll let you take me to dinner." I agreed with a flat tone and ever-so-slightly noticed the corner of his lips curl up as if he was pleased."Great, I know the perfect place."My phone went off and I pulled it from my clutch to see my mother's name. They must have stayed up waiting for me to return home.I brought the phone to my ear. "Hello?""Hello, dear. Is the concert over?" My mother's voice came through the phone laced with concern. "It's a bit late. Your father and I were worried about you."I completely forgot my parents would have been worrying about me. I quickly scrambled for a reply. "The concert was great! It was nice to have the night out."I knew lying to my parents was wrong. They'd be extremely disappointed if they ever found out. I chewed on my bottom lip, and noticed a smirk coming from Ellis' lips. He was focused on
Ellis drove me home, and I was pleasantly surprised how the evening turned out to be given where it had started. A small part of me felt like he wasn't the cold man I once thought, but I wasn't ready to investigate deeper. It was late and I had to get home.I blushed, thinking maybe I had a bit too much wine, and looked out the side window as we drew closer to my house. Suddenly, I heard Ellis release a 'hmm' sound as if he had noticed something unusual and then I turned my attention to the front window. Carl's BMW was parked down the street.A woman opened the passenger door and stepped out, and my heart dropped to the floor. It was my sister, Bethany.Carl suddenly burst from the driver's seat and began chasing her around the car teasingly. From the smiles on their faces, I could tell they were having a good time.Carl suddenly raced back around the car and caught the unsuspecting Bethany in his arms.He pinned her against the side of the car and ran his hand along h
**Olivia POVAs I turned the doorknob, hoping I could sneak in unnoticed, I was met with my parent's gaze focused right on the door. I quickly ran my hands through my hair and tried to make myself presentable."There you are," my father scolded as he was flipping through his newspaper. My mother added, "We were so worried about you," and she hurried up to me to give me a hug."I told you I was getting a bite to eat," I reasoned, but it didn't register. "Have you heard from your sister?" my mother questioned. The mere mention of Bethany sent a shiver down my spine. After what I'd witnessed, it was hard to believe she really was my sister anymore.I shook my head. "We hadn't been able to reach her for hours...." my mother remarked.I wonder why, I thought.... "I'm sure she's not far away," I muttered and began walking down the hallway away from the front door. My parents seemed to notice my unusual mood, but they didn't pry further.As I approached the staircas
**Olivia POVThe hostess at the Red Sea sat me in a corner booth. I was grateful for the privacy since my cheeks were burning from what I was about to do. As the owner, Jesse was bound to be around somewhere. When I saw him, I waved him over. "Olivia, back so soon?" Jesse asked, arching a single eyebrow at me. "Your Steak au Poivre was just so delicious last time, I wanted to try it again." I gave him the most convincing smile I could. "And I wanted to tell you personally how much I enjoy the Red Sea.""Is that so?" he asked. I swallowed hard. He didn't sound convinced but he nodded and gave me a warm smile."You're always welcome here," Jesse assured. "Thank you," I said, nodding in return. "If there is anything I can do for you, personally, in regards to your meal, don't hesitate to ask," he assured me. His smile suggested a little more than what he offered and I reached for my water, taking a quick sip to avoid answering. "I will," I mustered, my voice cracking even w
The next night I was still puzzled over Ellis's interest in what I 'desired,' while I got dressed for a charity gala. My family, along with some of the richest entrepreneurs in the world, had been invited. My parents always supported children's charities because they'd adopted Bethany, so these galas were commonplace for us. The gala was a black and white affair. Every guest was to wear some variation of the two colors. My black gown was floor length with a slit on one side that showed off my leg when I walked. I fiddled with the elaborate black diamond choker around my neck that my mother had insisted that I wear this evening.When we walked into the ballroom, everyone stared at me and Bethany at the top of a massive, marble, staircase. It was like the party had stopped and erupted into conversation about us.We walked down and I overheard the guests talking about how pretty we were.I could tell that Bethany was enjoying the attention, her face bright with a beaming smile. I waved
Ellis opened the driver's door and I heard the locks click. He pulled open the back door and leaned in, offering me a hand. I bit my lower lip, heat coursing through me as the back of his hand brushed my exposed breast."Are you here to f*ck me for Bethany?" I asked, smirking.My heart raced a mile a minute. I only partially registered that I was naked down to my waist and I had no idea where my sister had gone.He frowned."No," he assured, "Come on, we're leaving." he said as he took my hand and helped me from the car.I stumbled from the car and clung to him. His citrus cologne overwhelmed me and made me run my fingers along his black button-down. Ellis' hands slid up my arms, sending shivers down into my aching thighs. It took me a moment to realize that he had put my dress back on.I ran my hand up to his neck where I let them linger up to his trimmed beard. I traced along his jawline, getting lost in how it felt against my skin. My body was on fire, pulsing with a delicious need
Ellis POVI sat in the executive chair in the office, getting work done as well as I could under the circumstances. Even with the new legal troubles, some things never changed. “And tell them if they don’t they will have to answer to me,” I said. “Got it,” my project manager, William, said, looking a little shaken. Handling contractors came with the job, and was mostly a matter of patience, and being commanding. Much the same as handling a child having a tantrum. I relaxed a little as the call went away, taking more of the immediate problems with it. There were other problems hanging over my head that I didn’t like to think about. A little annoyed and very tired I loosen my tie, which had come to feel like a noose. After the house arrest, theoretical as it might have been, I hardly wore one anymore.I felt Olivia’s absence in my chest, like a weight. One I tried to lighten with another drink. Sipping lightly from the tumbler of rum, careful not to get drunk. I wanted to be alert
**Olivia POVI woke up still groggy, the world going from a dark blur to a light blur. Everything that had happened slowly rearranged itself in my mind.Pain came back along with the memories, if in a reduced form. With a wince, my head turned just right, and I saw Ellis seated by the bed, where he’d always been before getting arrested and would always be if I had anything to say about it.Ellis looked troubled, something I rarely saw. He was always so capable and in control of himself if not the situation. I reached out to him instinctively, and Ellis took it tenderly.“Can you be here?”“Of course,” he said.“No, I mean your house arrest.”“That is taken care of. Even if it wasn’t, I think this counts as compassionate grounds.”I relaxed a little, letting out a breath. Then I remembered what happened with the baby.“How is she?” I asked.He squeezed my hand, letting me know something was wrong, no matter what he might say.“She will be fine,” he said, “I’ll take you to the NICU to se
**Olivia POVI’d always heard bad things about hospital food. Fortunately, this proved not to be true. Everything Amber brought was great. I started to feel stronger just from the diet alone.If it wasn’t for hospital policy, I probably could have walked on our twice daily outings onto the hospital grounds. The baby seemed better too, moving even more than before.I started to suspect Nurse Anderson might have cooked the meals at home and smuggled them onto the hospital plates.I was near the end of my bacon and eggs, when a familiar face peeked in through the door.“Mom!?” I asked, more delighted to see her than I had words to say.“Hey, baby.”Mom came over and gave me a kiss on the cheek, like she used to do when I was little and feeling sick.“Me or her?” I asked, patting my belly.“Both of you, really,” mom said with a rare smile.Mom put her hand on my belly and felt it as the baby moved again.“Hello, little one, it’s Grandma.”I was surprised to hear her use the term. Something
**Ellis POVI paced the hallway, resisting the urge to hit something. The control I showed in most situations was carefully built up over years. There were times I worried about Ken and his potential impulse control. Then again his mother was so patient and gentle, except when truly riled, it could be her genetics that might win out. I went to the door again, just to see if I could hear what was being said. The wood was too thick and all I could hear was muffled hums. “You know you could just go in right? You’re on the list.”Spinning on my heel, resisting the urge to yell in fright, I saw Nurse Anderson with a food tray. “I can’t actually.”“Why? Is the door locked?” she asked, testing the knob. “Yes, but that is not the biggest problem.” “Oh, how so?” Nurse Anderson asked. “It was locked from the inside,” I said.“Yes, that is how it works.” “By someone else, on purpose I mean.” “Who?” “Some Fed, I think he said his name was Smiley.” “Agent Smiley?” Nurse An
**Olivia POV Ken came out of nowhere. The only warning of his arrival, an excited shout echoed down the hall. He still hadn’t got the hang of his ‘inside voice.’ Like a shot he was in the room, shattering the quiet solitude. I couldn’t have been happier. Kevin was more subtle, coming in behind and waiting to be beckoned before coming forward. There was something about hospitals that made him less than comfortable. “Mommy,” Ken cried, up on the bed like a shot. “Hey, baby,” I said, as he took me in a near-choking hug. “Hi,” Kevin said, quietly, keeping his wheelchair near the door.. “Get over here,” I said. Kevin came up beside the bed, not needing to be told twice. From my bed I hugged Ken and held Kevin’s hand tightly, tears started to roll with little choice. “Mommy?” Ken asked. “Happy tears, baby,” I said. “Oh.” The room felt smaller all of the sudden and all I wanted to do was go outside with my boys. Pressing the button to page her, Amber appeared in no
**Olivia POV Day came again even as I was sitting on the plane back to New York. It had been a dream, and Ellis was still there, looking deeply worried. “How are you doing?” he asked with a smile that once melted me. “Fine and only getting better. As soon as the doctor gives me the all clear I’m going home with Ken.” “Ken is at home,” Ellis said. “Not your home, my home,” I said. I could see the words cut deep, and almost felt sorry for him. Second thoughts were just coming up when the doctor came in, his expression grim.I instinctively reached for Ellis’s hand. Bad news no doubt on the horizon. “It can’t be that bad,” Ellis and I blurted at once. “It can actually,” the doctor said, looking at the chart. “How so?” Ellis butted in. It didn’t really concern him anymore, but he was the sort to think he needed to be the center of attention in any situation. He must have been a joy at funerals. “You are severely dehydrated, Mrs. Peterson. The amniotic fluid is mu
**Ellis POVI held her hand in the back of the ambulance, never letting her go again if I had anything to do about it. I had gotten far too close to losing her. “We’ll be there soon,” I said, minding the volume. She flinched at the smallest noise if it was unexpected. God only knew what the sick f*cks had done to her, and it was best not to think about it. Anytime I did, the urge to kill them rose. I didn't want to kill Carl, no matter how much of a f*ck up he was.No matter what he did he was still my son. People like us had other ways to deal with our kids when they got off the track. Military service was one popular option, as well as “career opportunities” in another country. Olivia stayed silent, her head lolling to the left before she closed her eyes. “Everyone is excited to see you again,’ I tried, “especially Ken and Kevin.”Olivia winched at the mention of their names. It was probably a touchy subject, after she’d been away for so long, not sure if she’d ever get ba
**Olivia POV“How are you doing, honey?” I asked, rubbing my belly. The baby didn’t move, but she could have been asleep. Apparently, they did that a lot. Resting up for the rest of their life. Bethany and Carl were down there for a few hours. Mostly quiet but with the occasional argument. Things shifted and I heard steps coming towards the attic. I held my breath hoping everything would be okay. I wasn’t sure I’d done the lock up right, and hoped they wouldn’t notice if they came back. It would be an obvious sign of what I’d done, and the punishment could be awful. There was no telling what Bethany might do. She could be merciful and just break my ankles. Or my wrists, to stop me from getting the lock picked again. It would make Ellis really mad, but it didn’t sound like they were planning to stay around, after everything. The clock clicked open, making me flinch and the baby move. I nearly cried to feel her again but had to hold it together. If we were going to get out of
**Olivia POVI felt a thrilling chill run over my body and the baby moved in response, celebrating in my womb. The door was open and we were close to freedom. I rubbed my belly, calming her down. I would need all my focus for the next part. Carl and Bethany could have been back at any time, and I had to be gone before then if there was going to be any chance of getting back to the boys and Ellis tonight. I cracked the door open slowly and I listened to the deafening silence. All was dark but I could just make out the staircase below the door. There was no light from below, so I had to try to get down blind. A little at a time, always sure to hold something, down I climbed. Getting one foot down on the stairs and then the other. Holding the sides of the steps in a death-grip, I finally reached solid ground. The floorboards down below creaking like the ones up above. There was another door at the base of the steps and my heart sank to think that I might have to work to pick another l