AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I had to escape, and wound up in a bad place, filled with very bad people who wanted my boss dead for losing the supply and the entire operation.”
His hand slightly shook as he told her his story. She had no idea what he was talking about, but obviously it had affected him. She still didn’t know what he wanted with her.
“I don’t understand,” she said, and he gripped her by her shoulders and pressed his body against hers and the desk. She gasped.
His dark gray eyes bore into hers. His teeth were clenched and she could tell that this wasn’t the same man who had swept her off her feet and that she considered sleeping with tonight.
“I learned things there. While I was tortured and beaten, I learned a lot. Like how to get a confession out of someone. How to make someone assist me when I need them. I can be very persuasive.” He gripped her arm tightly and squeezed. She gasped, lifting her shoulder a little higher in hopes of easing the pain.
“You are going to help me. Your debt is not paid.”
“I owe two thousand dollars to Margliado. I was promised no interest. I don’t want anything to do with this place, Sergio, or anything else. I just want to be free.”
“Ahh, but you’re too valuable to be let free. You’re mine now, Adelina. You are going to help me with a few things that have become quite important to me and my sanity.”
She shook her head.
He grabbed her hard on her waist and gave her body a shake. “You are going to listen to me or the first people to die will be Kaitlin and Bryer.”
“No. Oh, God, no. What do you mean? Why are you doing this?” she asked as the tears hit her eyes.
“You are going to help me take The Phantom away from Jett and Flynn Greyson. You are going to sabotage their business so that when the health department comes in, they will find the place unsuitable for business. You are going to screw up their orders, cancel deliveries, and set them up for destruction. Ultimately, you are going to help me eliminate them.”
She shook her head. “No, I’m not. Who the hell are you?”
He grabbed her by her throat and yanked her forward. His evil eyes bore into hers. This was not the same man who courted her and made her imagine a committed relationship with a man who really cared. She was never so wrong about a person’s character.
He tightened his hold, and she instinctively grabbed onto his wrist. She was standing on her tiptoes. He towered over her. The strength in his hand was enough to crush her windpipe.
“You are going to help me and do everything I say, or the first to die will be Bryer and Kaitlin. Test me, Adelina, and see what happens.”
The tears stung her eyes, as he slowly took the pressure off his hold on her. She coughed as he stepped away.
The anger hit her belly, and combined with the fear she reacted. Badly.
“Fuck you, you lying bastard. I hate you.”
The hit to her gut was completely unexpected. He hadn’t smacked her or grabbed her hair. No. The bastard punched her in the gut. She nearly fell to the floor.
“Okay. I see that some of what I learned in Columbia might be needed right now.” She didn’t know what he meant. She wiped the tears from her eyes and tried to breathe. The pain in her stomach wasn’t nearly as bad as the fear she felt from Raymond’s words. What was he going to do? He mentioned being tortured.
He pulled off his dress jacket, and then undid his tie.
“Turn around and face the desk.” He ordered her. She shook her head as she gripped the wood. Adelina glanced toward the door. She could try to run, but then what? There were more than a dozen men out there ready to pounce or at minimum cop a feel. He walked toward the closet, opened the door. He pulled something from it just as she took a step toward the doorway.
“Don’t. The punishment will be worse.”
“Punishment?” She whispered as he slapped the long flat, wooden stick against his hand. It made a high-pitched snap and she thought it sounded like a whip.
“What are you going to do with that?”
“Improvise. Unfortunately, I don’t have my usual tools with me. This will have to do.”
She shook her head.
“You’re sick. I’m not going to let you hit me with that thing.”
He went to swing at her and she ducked but then he grabbed a hold of her, turned her body around, and pressed her over the desk. Her ribs hit the hard surface making her scream.
She tried to fight his hands as they tore the sweater from her body and then he yanked the zipper of her dress down.
“You fucking bastard. You’re going to rape me? How could you do this?”
“Oh, I’m not going to rape you, Adelina. I’m going to show you that you’re mine. When I want you, it will be in my bed, and you will not fight me.”
He jerked the material away from her body, so that her back was fully exposed.
He trailed his fingers up and down her spine. She tried to push upward but then he pressed his knee between her thighs and shoved his heavy body against hers.
“Take this punishment, and understand what it means.” He gently stroked her skin, from her shoulders to where the top of her thong panties lay flat against her skin.
“Why are you doing this? I trusted you.”
“No, you didn’t. If you trusted me, then you’d be in my bed right now, and I would be lost inside of you.”
He leaned down and pressed his mouth against her skin.
“I won’t leave any scars, but it will hurt. It’s meant to hurt, Adelina. It will be a reminder to where your loyalties must lie. If you’re not with me, then you will lose those who are closest to you.”
He stood up straight, and she didn’t dare move.
“You’re mine now, Adelina.”
“Oh!” She screamed as the first strike hit her back. She started to move when the second strike hit her. She screamed again, and began to turn when two more strikes hit her hard against her back. Tears poured from her eyes. It burned and the pain radiated against her flesh.
“Please stop. I’ll do anything you want. Please stop hurting me.”
She closed her eyes and waited for another strike from the hard, flat stick.
But it never came. Instead Raymond leaned over her and licked her earlobe before he whispered against her cheek. He kissed her mouth, plunged his tongue between her teeth until she couldn’t breathe and was forced to release her lips.
“You are mine. I have a plan, and you will follow it. Understood?”
She was shaking when she nodded her head and wondered how the hell she was going to get out of this. Why did this man want revenge on Flynn and Jett? How was she going to keep Kaitlin and Bryer alive?
* * * *
“What did you say?” Jett asked Cash and Zane when they showed up to their penthouse with Al, their main security guy.
“I saw it with my own eyes. Adelina was there for more than an hour.”
“And this means what? Maybe a coincidence? Did she meet that guy she’s dating, Raymond, there?” Jett asked.
Al looked at Cash. “Tell them everything. They have a right to know if Adelina is working against them,” Zane stated, and both Flynn and Jett just stared at him.
“I’m sorry. We watched and when she came out, she was moving slowly and walking funny.”
“Walking funny how? Like she was sitting too long?”
“I know what he means, and there’s no way she’s working for this guy, whoever he is.”
“The place is owned by Margliado. Sergio was there. She apparently went in to see him,” Al told them.
“Motherfucker. How could this be? How can she be involved?” Flynn asked aloud.
“She’s been here for two years. Two fucking years. Who is this asshole, Margliado?” Jett asked.
“We’re trying to get a face. What are you two going to do about Adelina?” Zane asked.
“We’re going to confront her. We need to know the truth. And we both know how to get the truth out of criminals,” Flynn stated very seriously before he walked out of the room.
* * * *
“What are we going to do?” Kaitlin asked Adelina. She cried while she placed the bags of ice on Adelina’s back. The sight of the bruised red lines made her feel sick. She was responsible for this mess. If she had never gotten involved with Margliado. Scratch that. If she had never fallen for fucking Chester, her sister wouldn’t be lying here in pain on the bed.
“What choice do I have? We know how men like this operate. They’ll kill you and Bryer. I have no choice.”
“But you can’t help them. You care so much for Flynn and Jett.”
“I’m not worried about me. I’m worried about you and Bryer. You’re both my responsibility. Let me rest a while. I have work tomorrow and I don’t know what Raymond expects me to do. Just leave me be. Please,” Adelina whispered, and Kaitlin felt her sister’s defeat. She slowly walked out of the room and closed the door behind her.
