Lie, page 9
She slept for thirteen hours.
I stayed on the couch the whole time, and when I had phone calls and other things to do, I stepped into the hallway and took care of it so I wouldn’t wake her. I didn’t sleep much because I was too upset by what I saw. That shit would probably give me nightmares, which was saying something, because nothing scared me.
I stepped into the hallway and spoke to Steel on the phone.
He asked me about what happened. “So, what was that about?”
“That’s a long story.” The hallway seemed to be deserted. “Remember that woman I told you about?”
“The one you want but doesn’t want you?”
“Yeah. She was in there, and I had to get her out…”
He was quiet for a bit. “Well, she’s gonna want you now,” he said with a chuckle.
After being beaten and god knows what else, that was the last thing on her mind. “I doubt it.”
“You literally saved her life. She owes you.”
“She doesn’t owe me a damn thing.” Even if she hadn’t begged me to save her, I wouldn’t have left her there. Even if it had resulted in a gunfight, I wouldn’t turn my back on her.
“You really like this woman.”
“I’m just disturbed by what I saw…”
“I can imagine. Need me to do anything?”
“Drop off my truck outside.”
“You got it.”
I’d promised Catalina something else, and since I was a man of my word, I would stick to it. “We have another problem.”
“Yeah?”
“We have to get the rest of the girls out of there.”
He was quiet as he considered what I’d just said. He probably had to make sure he heard me right because of the ramifications of such an insane request. “Why?”
I didn’t want to give the real answer because it made me sound like a pussy, but a real man told the truth. “Because she asked me to.”
“So what if she asked,” he snapped. “That’s impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible for me.” Would it be a pain? Would it cause problems? Yes. But I had to do it anyway.
“They are one of the biggest traffickers in the city. They have a lot of men and a lot of girls. Even if we tell them to shut down and they agree, we’re gonna lose so much money. The men aren’t gonna be okay with that shit.”
That was the biggest problem. “I know. But I’ll figure it out.”
“Heath, come on,” he said with a sigh. “If you want to get laid, just tell her you did it.”
She would never know if I kept my word or not, unless she physically went back there, but that would never happen. “You know I won’t do that.”
“Well, you’re going to cause a lot of problems. Vox has never made his hatred toward you a secret, and if you do this, he’s going to take advantage of the situation. He’ll try to take the throne from you.”
He’d always been a problem, even when Balto was in charge. But I wasn’t gonna let that man change my decision. “Then let him try.” I kept my word, and maybe it was a stupid promise to make to a woman who didn’t even want me, but I’d already done it. I couldn’t take it back. “Bring me a door too.”
Steel was confused by the change of subject. “What?”
“I’ll send you the measurements. I need the toughest door you can find.” I hung up.
Six
Catalina
For the first minute I was awake, I felt peace. Memories of the last few days hadn’t hit me just yet, and it felt like a regular day, the sunshine coming through my window and heating my sheets. I stretched out as I released a deep breath and woke up.
Then I remembered everything that happened.
Wasn’t a dream. Wasn’t a nightmare.
I sat up and looked at the time on my nightstand.
It was three in the afternoon.
Damn, how long had I been asleep? Over twelve hours?
I got out of bed and pulled on a pair of pajama shorts before I opened the bedroom door and tiptoed into the living room. I wasn’t sure if he was asleep, so I tried to stay quiet.
He sat in an armchair facing the window, the sunlight blanketing his entire body. His blue eyes were bright because of the sunlight, and he looked across the city like he was entertained by the view.
When I came closer, I walked normally so he would hear me approach. I noticed his hair was different, a little flatter than normal. “Did you take a shower?”
He still didn’t look at me. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” I looked down at the couch to examine it, and there was no sign that he’d been there at all. Then I looked at the front door, and instead of seeing the mahogany-colored door that had been there before, I saw a gray-green barrier that looked like it was made out of something stronger than wood. There were lots of heavy bolts along the side, making it intimidating. “You did this?”
He didn’t turn to see what I referred to. “No one will be able to get through that. Will have to come through a window, but I installed an alarm system, so that way won’t work either.” He rose from the armchair and took his time walking toward me. He purposely didn’t make eye contact with me, looking at the floor or the wall.
“Thank you…” I hadn’t even asked him to do that. Now I didn’t know what to say.
“Do you want me to stay?” His voice was so deep, slightly broken, like there was emotion bottled up inside him that he refused to release.
I wanted this enormous man to protect me every hour of the day. He was the only person strong enough to guard me from everything, to get me out of that basement just by raising his voice. I wanted him at my side forever, but I knew he had a life to live. He’d already done enough for me that I couldn’t ask for another minute of his time. “No.”
He moved to the door like he’d been dismissed.
“Wait.”
He sighed quietly, like the last thing he wanted to do was be in that apartment with me. He continued to look at the door and wouldn’t turn back to face me, to have a conversation like a normal person.
“Why won’t you look at me?”
He turned my way slightly so I could see his expression, but he still didn’t make eye contact. He closed his eyes for a few seconds like he needed a moment to gather his emotions. “Because I can’t.”
When I understood how much it hurt him to see me in pain, I was speechless. If we’d never met, I might never have escaped that dungeon. I might even be dead right now…or worse. I moved until I was directly in front of him, close to his body.
He reluctantly lifted his gaze to look at my face, and when he did that, his expression hardened, his eyes looked pained, and he pressed his lips tightly together to suppress a grimace.
“It doesn’t hurt that much anymore.” It was difficult to look at myself in the mirror for the first time, to see the damage inflicted on my face. It would take at least a month for it to clear up. Right now, I wasn’t sure if makeup would be enough to hide it.
“That’s not what haunts me the most.”
I didn’t expect a man like him to care so deeply, especially when he went down there all the time to collect his money, money made off those women. He didn’t care about those other girls. Why did he care about me? “I’ll be fine. When I fall on my ass, doesn’t take me long to get up again.”
Emotion moved into his eyes, like he was both hurt and pleased by what I said. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
I was broken and damaged all the way down to my core, and it would take a while for me to bounce back. But I knew I would overcome it, not allow it to defeat me—with time. “You’re the one who saved me. If you hadn’t come down there…” I couldn’t finish the sentence because my silence implied so much. “I don’t even know how to thank you for what you did.” I moved closer to him and rested my hand on his arm. “Thank you.” I looked up into his gaze and felt my eyes water as so many emotions hit me at once. I’d survived something so horrific that words couldn’t describe it. But this man came to my rescue.
“You don’t need to thank me.” He pulled his arm away like he didn’t want me to touch him.
“And thank you for the food, the door, staying here so I could get some sleep…”
“You can call me if you need anything. I’ll be here in fifteen minutes.”
It was hard to believe, but this man had captured me and put me in a cage. It was hard to believe that he’d let me go and then we tried to resist our physical attraction to each other. And now he was in front of me, visibly moved by the pain I’d endured like he had a heart bigger than mine. “You’ll save those other girls…?” If he didn’t, I would have to ask Damien to do it, but I wasn’t sure if he would help. That wasn’t his arena.
“I’m a man of my word.” His blue eyes were more beautiful than they’d ever been, so clear, like words on a page. His jawline was covered in stubble, a deep shadow that matched the dark strands on his head. His shoulders were so broad and strong, and when his shirt was off earlier, I could see just how powerful he was.
“How long have you been going down there and collecting money?”
Shame moved into his eyes. “Awhile.”
He’d seen that scene many times, saw those naked girls in those iron cages, and he didn’t blink an eye until now. “Then why did you agree?” He could’ve vetoed my request. He could’ve told me it couldn’t be done.
He dropped his gaze for a few seconds before he took a deep breath and met my eyes again. “Because I feel differently about it now…” His eyes shifted slightly back and forth as they looked into mine, staring at me in a way he never had before. There was vulnerability, passion, and sympathy.
I didn’t know what to say to that. “Thank you.”
When there was nothing else to say, he prepared to leave. “You don’t need to be scared, not because of the door and the alarm system. Don’t be scared because no one is going to bother you again.”
“Because of you?” I whispered.
He nodded. “Always be aware of your surroundings. Always be careful. But something like that will never happen again. I promise. They know you’re off-limits.”
“Who’s they?”
He took a long time to answer. “The rest of them.”
So, there were more.
“Don’t let it change your spirit. Because you’re damn perfect the way you are.” He turned away and headed to the door.
I felt a pain in my chest the second he moved to depart. I felt like I was losing something special, and even though I could call him if I wanted to see him again, I still didn’t want him to leave. My opposition to our relationship hadn’t changed, and if anything, it increased because I wanted nothing to do with men in general right now. But I saw him differently. I saw him as the hero rather than the villain. I saw him as a man that any woman would be lucky to have. An emotional attachment had begun, and I knew it would always be there after what he’d done for me. So, I didn’t want him to walk away, didn’t want him to leave my side.
I grabbed his arm and gently pulled him back to me.
He turned his head to stare down at me, his expression guarded like he wanted to cover up every emotion he possessed. He prepared himself for the real world outside my door, prepared himself to be the Skull King once again.
I rose on my tiptoes and gripped his arms for balance as I leaned in and kissed him. I was probably undesirable with all these bruises. I wasn’t the beautiful woman I used to be. Now, I was a victim of abuse and assault. I wasn’t the strong and resilient woman that he remembered. I kissed him because I wanted to kiss him, to feel the strongest bond I’d ever felt with another person.
Instead of turning away or being disgusted by my appearance, he slid his hand under the fall of my hair and cupped the back of my head as he returned my affection as if all he wanted to do was share this kiss.
I felt that combustive chemistry again, felt that shiver start at the top of my spine and move all the way down to the bottom. I took a deep breath because I felt more than I had before, felt something much deeper than lust. The kiss was short and simple, not a make-out session like we’d had against my car. But there was more action packed into those three seconds than there could be in three minutes.
I lowered my feet to the floor and stepped back, my hands sliding down his arms until our fingertips were the last things in contact. Then they broke apart, making me turn cold like midnight in the Arctic.
After a final look, he turned around and walked out of my apartment.
I didn’t leave my apartment for a long time.
It wasn’t just the fact that my face was swollen like a bruised peach; it was the fact that I had no interest in seeing other people. I’d be lying if I said I was over what happened. I was nowhere near over it.
I could still picture that basement so clearly in my mind. I still remembered exactly how it felt to be punched in the face like that. To be buck naked and afraid of being raped at any moment… There was no other suffering in the world like that.
Even if I was safe now, I wasn’t safe from my own memories, my own feelings.
While I’d been asleep that night, he must have put groceries in my cabinets because I had enough food to last me several months. There was more food in my apartment now than at any other time in my life, even when I had people over. My fridge was stocked with fresh meats, veggies, and dairy products, and my pantry was full of bread and snacks. Maybe he did that on purpose because he knew I wouldn’t want to leave the house for a long time.
I obviously couldn’t perform at the ballet, so I said I had a serious strain of the flu and I would be out for at least three weeks. When Anna texted me and asked me to hang out, I gave her the same excuse.
No one could see my face right now.
It was even hard for me to look in the mirror sometimes. It was hard to see the way that man had punched me, the way he’d physically marked me with his abuse. I wanted the bruises to fade so I would really feel clean of him.
I spent my time watching TV, eating, napping. It was lonely being isolated in the apartment like this, and since I wasn’t getting paid, I started to stress about paying my bills.
But instead of worrying about that, I should just be grateful that I was here. Those other girls might still be down there, so I shouldn’t complain about the lack of digits in my savings account.
I had just left the kitchen and walked to the living room when a white envelope slipped under my door. It was thick, like a wad of cash had been stuffed inside. There was only one person who would shove money under my door, so I quickly opened the door and saw him halfway down the hallway. “Hey.” I stared at his broad shoulders and muscled back, the way his red shirt fit him so snugly. His black jeans were tight on that strong ass and muscled thighs.
He stopped and slowly turned around, but he was visibly aggravated that he’d been caught.
I grabbed the envelope and broke through the tape holding it closed. Inside was an assortment of bills, adding up to at least five thousand euros. I stared at the cash before I looked at him down the hallway. “What’s this?” I held up the envelope.
He rubbed the back of his neck with irritation before he walked back down the hallway to me. He had a masculine stride, the way his shoulders shifted slightly with his movements, the way his heavy arms hardly moved. His blue eyes were on me, and he stopped on the threshold instead of inviting himself inside. Rather than looking at the cash, he looked at my face, gauging how much I’d healed since we last saw each other. “I know you aren’t working right now.”
“So?” I handed the money back to him.
He gently touched my wrist and pushed my hand back. “I don’t want it.”
“Well, I don’t want it either. I don’t need it. You already bought me a bunch of groceries, and that had to be hundreds of euros. You’ve done enough for me. You don’t owe me anything else.”
When he slid his hands into his pockets, it was clear he wasn’t going to take it. “It’s a gift. Keep it.”
“Look, I don’t need your charity…”
“If you wanna show your gratitude, you’ll take it.”
My hand shook as I held the envelope, and I knew he had me bested. I would be indebted to him for the rest of my life, so he could manipulate me into doing whatever he wanted. I lowered my hand and kept the cash.
He hadn’t smiled once since he’d rescued me. He used to make a lot of sarcastic remarks, give me a lot of boyish grins, but now he was stone-faced. “You’ve improved.”
I absent-mindedly touched my cheek, noticing the way I wasn’t so sensitive anymore. “I heal quickly…”
“Good.” He gave me a slight smile before he turned away.
I didn’t want to watch him go again. He gave me this money because he still wanted to take care of me even though I wasn’t his problem. “Heath?”
He turned back around and looked down at me.
“I think I’m gonna tell Damien what happened.”
“Do whatever you want. But I said I’ll take care of it.”
“That’s not what I meant…and you haven’t yet?” It’d been a week, and I’d hoped all the girls had been released days ago.
“It’s a lot more complicated than you understand.”
“Then make me understand.” I should only be kind to him after what he did for me, but I couldn’t stop the accusation from entering my tone. It was important to me that those women go free.
“Alright.” He nodded to my door so we wouldn’t continue this conversation in the hallway.
I walked inside first then tossed the money on the table.
He shut the door behind him. When he stepped closer to me, he slid his hands into his pockets. “The Skull King collects money from every underground business in the city. That’s why I was there in the first place.”
“I know that.”
“If I put a stop to their business, that means we stop getting paid. And we’re talking millions of euro here.”
