27001

Welcome to Whitlock
A.A. Dark



27001
A.A. Dark
Copyright © 2017 by A.A. Dark

ISBN:

All Rights Reserved

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is
strictly coincidental. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other
means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and is punishable by law. Please purchase only
authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted
materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.


Prologue
Charlee

We often wonder where our lives would have led if we would’ve made
other decisions—taken another path when we came to those dreaded forks in the
road. They say everything happened for a reason. Some believe our lives are
predestined, and perhaps they were. Maybe, when it threw me loop after loop of
tragedy, the universe knew I would take the most destructive route possible.
So, the days continued. Time: it twisted and twirled in an endless array of
simple choices. “Would you like sugar in your coffee? Why don’t you put in for
the new promotion? Wanna go back to my place, babe?” All different paths. All
molding us to who we became.
But who was I other than a washed-up never-was in the modeling
industry? I was a distinctive face with big blue eyes, not so perky tits, and an ass
that was impressive a good five years ago. I was what self-sabotage looked like.
I was a goddamn joke.
The city buzzed, and people passed in a collection of success and chaos.
Some were business professionals, others were bums who sat with their backs
against the grimy New York buildings with their Styrofoam cups, awaiting their
next dollar. For booze, food, or drugs, I didn’t know. I didn’t care. Every single
person I staggered by was at least one decision better than me. Why? Because
they had made the choice, while I wandered through the cluster of crowds in a
daze—in a mental meltdown, no doubt triggered from the drugs still in my
system from the night before.
Colors blurred all around, and for the first time in what felt like hours,
my feet came to a stop. Horns blasted in random locations from all around, and
humming from the voices made my head even fuzzier. A hot suit clipped my
shoulder as he yelled into his phone. His words died off as his eyes raked up and
down my body. Fuck me—oh yes, he would in a heartbeat. Yet, he kept walking,
glancing over his shoulder to take me in as the mysteries of the world crushed
any common sense I should have held.
Upheaval soared through my darkening thoughts, but confusion reigned
supreme. Still, I stayed rooted amass the surging people plowing into me. My
blonde hair blew to cover my eyes, and it was as though I were invisible. And
maybe I was. Was I even here—alive? Could the combination of the liquor and
cocaine have finished me off? I had popped a pill at some point. A triple stacked
gator promising a night of heated fucking with a stranger. Perhaps the mixture
chased my soul from my near-perfect body. And that’s what everyone thought,
didn’t they? That I was something of a prize? That I had it better than so many
others because of my genes? Genes. They were a curse to us all. They held first
impressions. They condemned us and made us targets. I had always been in the
light, standing out to people with bad intentions. Why wouldn’t I? It didn’t take
a neon sign to get predators to latch to pretty prey.
“Move it, lady!”
I stumbled at the collision, barely hearing the man wearing a watch that
cost more than my entire wardrobe. A hand wrapped around my waist, catching
and righting me as the pavement grew closer. But I didn’t see who saved me.
Their hold was firm through the slow motion of my mind. Safe, like a whisper of
security.
Heavily, my eyes blinked, and vomit burned the back of my throat. I was
tired. Lost. Tighter, fingers pushed into my stomach, and I let them. I was
walking again, letting this person lead me to a destination only he knew. And it
was a he. The rich aftershave fought through the smog and trash wafting through
the stifling street. I let the exotic scent engulf me, rooting deep into my mind as
if it, or he, were meant to stay with me forever. Yelling sounded, a tone hypnotic
and smooth. And we were getting into a cab. Dirty, but clean in appearance...like
me.
“Let me help you home. Where do you live?”
I turned, using strength I wasn’t sure I had to gaze into dark eyes. Black
eyes. But it wasn’t the pitch of their brown shade that darkened their depths.
Secrets. He had them. We all did, but his energy made thoughts come flooding
back into my mind. Intuition screamed for me to run—to leave this man’s side
right this instant and seek protection.
Forks. I always took the wrong path. And by the pull I felt to this
stranger, I knew this time wasn’t any different. The smart thing would have been
to get out of the cab and flee, but I stayed, gazing into his handsome features.
Searching this monster’s stare. Connecting with demons related to my own. The
tiny voice inside hinted of danger. It promised some sort of mistake, and I
accepted that. For the first time in hours, I made a choice. One, deep down, I was
sure I’d come to regret.
“Four-fourteen Freedom Drive.”



Chapter 1
Scout 14

Identity: most people held to it as their very existence. Your name made
you who you were. It littered your mail. It was what your friends and family
called you when they wanted your attention. It provided status in some cases.
When people knew your name, it gave you power of presence.
I was more interested in those who had no power. Who had no sense of
being or success in life. My job was the nameless. The pretty and misplaced. I
lurked through the streets, appearing normal so I could blend in with society. But
I wasn’t normal. I was a predator to the weak—a hunter amid the horde.
Most didn’t notice me—not until our eyes met. Life had a way of
keeping people occupied with their own daily activities, but I held something
inside that awakened them from the hypnotism of humanity. They saw within
me their greatest fears. Nightmares few could only imagine.
There was no hiding the deadness inside. It was like a beacon that cleared
the fog in my victim’s minds. They could always tell the difference in my
demeanor when we really looked at each other. But our final meetings never
lasted long. And their reaction of defense was delayed by their fight or flight
response. Even when it did dawn on them to react, they were never fast enough.
And they sure as hell couldn’t overpower me. My body was my life. It was my
weapon, and my own defense of survival. It was lethal in more ways than one. It
had to be in my line of work.
I was a scout for Whitlock—a killer if I had to be. A deliverer of
deranged fantasies and death. The Masters who eventually bought my chosen no
doubt killed them within the first year of their abduction. I knew this, and I
didn’t care. To have a conscience didn’t work in this field. I only saw my job as
two things: a means of existence, and fun. I had a job to do. Some beautiful,
broken woman to take from her worthless life. It was a skill I was good at. I even
got to sample the goods if I chose to. And it was all up to me how I wanted to
take them. Where I usually just plucked the women from their destruction, I did,
on rare occasion, take my time and fuck their bodies just as hard as I fucked with
their minds.
Virgins weren’t my field like it was with some of the others. My
specialty consisted of the unique—of women who went beyond the typical
beauty and stood out by a measurable degree. It was why I was so valuable to
my Main Master. It wasn’t easy finding a prize of that stature who could
disappear without an uproar. And society wouldn’t miss Charlee Renee Hillis.
Alcoholic. Occasional druggie. High school dropout. Magnet for the
deadbeat and one night stands. She was a train wreck of one drunken episode
after the next—a statistic early in her youth, but what did it matter now? She was
about to become the biggest statistic to date. She’d be gone to the outside world,
and what was held for her in Whitlock was yet to be seen. Maybe the auction
would be good to her. Maybe some Master would just beat and rape her, but let
her live. Doubtful, but it was known to happen. I didn’t care either way. All I
saw was my new toy. My new game.
“Thank you,” she mumbled. “For...helping me.”
Traffic brought us to a standstill, and I glanced at the driver, knowing he
didn’t give a shit for our blasé conversation.
“Don’t mention it. You don’t look well. How do you feel?”
Her lids closed and her fingers came to press against the side of her
forehead.
“I don’t know. A little sick, maybe? I think I partied too hard last night.”
That was the understatement of the century. She’d been incoherent, and
pretty much still was. It was eight in the morning, and she’d yet to go to sleep or
head home. She was wearing the same little black number she’d sported at every
club that let her and her so-called friends in. Which was almost every fucking
club. I had dropped thousands to get through some of their doors, and I’d almost
taken her then, just to save on the headache, but I couldn’t, not with her
surrounded by so many people. It was way too risky, and my loyalty was to
Whitlock. The Main Master, Bram Whitlock, was no one to mess with. He’d
snap his fingers and I’d be a speck of never-was. I thought by his supposed
murder I would get some leeway from the Main Master who took his place, but
West Harper, his former best friend, hadn’t been as smart as he’d thought. Bram
hadn’t been killed, and the wrath he brought upon his return was still underway
within the mountain housing the elusive fortress.
Guards were disposed of. Security was beefed up beyond
comprehension. You couldn’t get close to the place without Bram knowing. And
that was on the outside. The inside was worse. He watched every move through
surveillance. He killed the Masters who showed signs of rebellion against him.
And he searched to no avail for the slave who rose to the top of the ranks and
outsmarted him with her escape. He loved her, and it was her—twenty-four-six-
ninety—who held his damaged heart. I’d known the old Bram. He was a monster
before, but now he was the devil himself. To anger him would be a mistake—
one I wasn’t making.
“Do you smoke?” Twisting my mouth, I shook my head at the inebriated
beauty who could barely hold her eyes open. A frown took over Charlee’s face,
and she sighed, dazing back out the window. “I should quit,” she mumbled. “I
keep saying I’m going to, but I haven’t even tried.”
“It’s a bad habit. Luckily, one I’ve never had to deal with. How old are
you, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Twenty-one.”
“You’re still young. You have plenty of time to quit.” I angled myself
more toward her so I wouldn’t appear standoffish. “You’re very tall. Are you a
model or something? Basketball player?”
She laughed, but the frown returned as she yawned. “I used to model in
my teens. It didn’t go anywhere. Probably because I was too distracted by other
things to take it seriously.”
“Other things?”
“Yeah. Stupid things.”
“It’s not too late for that either, you know.”
She stayed quiet. Relief set in as she leaned against the door, staring at
the blurring scenery of old buildings. Even though I was good at small talk, I
detested it. What was the use when you already knew everything about the
person? It was a waste of my time. There were only a few things I longed for.
The luring. The stalking. The taking. The games.
Minutes went by as the traffic crawled along. I messed around on my
phone, making the disinterest noticeable in case the driver remembered either of
us. He wouldn’t recall attraction or appeal for her on my end. He probably
wouldn’t even remember what I looked like. I wasn’t a handsome man, but I
wasn’t unappealing either. I was slightly above average, if I wanted to be honest.
My build and height set me higher on the scale, and I was okay with that. But
my size wasn’t really showing with me slouching in his backseat in my
oversized suit. If anything, he probably thought I was overweight. Perception
was everything, and the farther from the truth he was, the better.
“Can I ask you a question?” She paused, waiting for me to look at her.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t get your name. I’m Charlee.”
My teeth clenched as her hand outstretched. Not because I had to
introduce myself, but because she had stated her name out loud. It wasn’t a
common name for a female. The driver, regardless of whether he was paying
close attention or not, would have picked up on it—even subconsciously.
“John Rodriguez.” A common name, but mind tricks. One that didn’t
even go with my ethnicity.
“Nice to meet you, John. Were you serious when you said it wasn’t too
late to start modeling again? I mean, do you really think I stand a chance? I’m
not really fit like I used to be. Or as pretty. I just...no one’s said that to me in a
long time. You surprised me by even insinuating you thought I was one.”
A smile tugged at the side of my lips. “I think, if you got your life
together, then absolutely. You have the look. You just have to want it bad
enough. You have to feel it here,” I said, patting against my heart.
Charlee’s brow drew in, and she turned back to the window. For the
longest moment, she didn’t speak. When she did finally turn to me again, her
eyes were clouded with tears. “I’ve always wanted it. Drive isn’t the issue. I am.
People think happiness is defined by the size of your clothes, by the money you
have, or by the attractiveness of your face. It’s all a lie. Sometimes, no amount
of inspiration or truths can erase the damage that’s been done. How do you find
joy in life when you don’t know what it is?
Blue eyes stared into mine, searching, looking for an answer that
wouldn’t immediately come to me. I hadn’t expected her to be so deep, and in
truth, I didn’t fucking know how to answer her.
“I’m sorry. I’m not normally so outspoken or morose. It’s just been a
really bad last few months—years,” she corrected.
“It’s okay. I think we all go through periods like that. Some longer than
others, but we always bounce back.” I smiled as thoughts of her beaten and
bloody eased into my mind. “No more worrying, Charlee. Something tells me
your life is about to change. Forever.”



Chapter 2
Charlee

My head was spinning as I stood from the cab and grabbed John’s arm.
The hardness underneath the oversized dark suit had me staring up in surprise.
His biceps were big—a lot bigger than I had thought. It had me once again trying
to assess the man who wouldn’t look at me unless I was forcing conversation. I
had been afraid of him at first glance. Now, I was just confused. He seemed nice
enough, but even his inspiring attitude didn’t drown out the vibe I got when our
eyes met. I should have been scared, but I wasn’t, and I didn’t have to question
why. Danger had always been the biggest aphrodisiac to me. It drew me in like a
magnet I couldn’t resist.
“Have I thanked you? I can’t remember.”
“You did,” he said, leading me toward my building. “And I said it was no
problem.”
My arm tightened as I swayed. The world felt like it kept moving
underneath me, and the sickness intensified with each passing second.
“Step up.”
His voice was smooth and coaxing as his arm slid around my lower back
to help me up the five steps. My hand trembled as I reached up and slowly
punched in the code to get in my door. I could barely remember the numbers I’d
spent a year pushing in.
“I can probably get it from here. I—”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” he breathed out, leading me to the staircase. “You
can barely walk. You’d fall headlong down the stairs, and I’d be responsible for
that.”
Before I could protest, he swept his other arm under my knees and lifted
me like I was nothing. The shock rendered me speechless. He took each step
with a bounce, once again taking me by surprise. I wasn’t light, and my height
usually made things awkward. Not with John. He was a few inches taller than
my five-foot-ten frame, and he moved with an ease that had surrender setting in.
“Which apartment?” he asked, turning onto the second floor. My arm
was heavy as I pointed toward my door.
“The keys…” I trailed off, blinking through what I was going to say.
“My key.” I rose, wiggling in his arms. Thankfully, he put me down. I nearly
staggered, but righted myself as I realized my clutch wasn’t slung over my body
anymore. John lifted his arm, and I shook my head, confused as he held it up.
“You dropped it on the street when you almost fell. I forgot I shoved it in
my pocket when I was getting you in the cab.”
“Thank God. I thought I lost it. It wouldn’t be the first time,” I mumbled,
digging out my keys. When I opened my door, my nose crinkled at the smell.
Pizza and takeout boxes were strewn across the countertop and coffee table. My
place was a damn wreck, but I didn’t care as I kicked off my heels and leaned
against the doorframe.
“We’re not done. You’re not in bed yet.”
Pushing the door, John swept past me. My mouth opened, and fear tinged
through the numbing drunkenness. “Wait. John…?”
“Jesus. What is that smell?”
Ignoring me, he walked to the kitchen and dragged my trashcan toward
the mess. One by one, he dumped the containers, shaking his head. All I could
do was stare, but the unease vanished. Someone who was going to hurt me
wouldn’t be cleaning my house. He’d be attacking me. John gave no indication
that he was even attracted to me that way. There weren’t longing, lust-filled
stares. There was nothing but generosity. Yet...those eyes. They spoke of
something hidden within him. Or maybe it was the combination of narcotics in
my system.
I shut the door, easing deeper into my living room. I had weapons strewn
throughout, and although I didn’t think I’d need to get to one of them, just
knowing they were there put me at ease.
“You really don’t have to do that. I can take care of it later.”
There was a pause, and John’s stare cut up to me. Grabbing the Chinese
takeout box, he dropped it in the trash. The top tightened at his pull, and he lifted
the large black bag up to his shoulder.
“You probably could do it, but do I trust you’re going to anytime soon?
No. At least I can leave knowing you’re not going to be breathing in rotting
food. Now, off to the shower while I take this to the Dumpster. And no arguing.”
His voice was stern as he walked toward me, tugging open a window not a few
feet away. Without a single glance, he headed for the front door, pausing but not
looking back as he stood in the entrance. “Shower, Charlee.”
Regardless of the soft click of the door shutting, it reverberated through
me like a gunshot. I blinked through the confusion—through his orders that
seemed to comfort the loneliness—and found myself heading toward my room.
Clothes were strewn all over the floor, and a mountain of colors was
building near my closet. To make it worse, my bed was covered with just as
much. The sight had me heading into my adjoining bathroom and turning on the
faucet. Water poured down, and I stripped my clothes free, wanting to forget
about all of it—my life, my problems.
The spray sputtered, and cold droplets teased my fingertips as I started
the shower. I pulled the dark blue curtain shut and climbed in, letting the icy
temperature steal my breath. Standing would have hurried me through the
routine, but I didn’t have the mental or physical strength to want to speed things
along. Instead, I lay at the bottom of the tub. The alcohol and drugs were kicking
back in from my increased heart rate, and I let them as I closed my eyes and
tuned into the droplets beating against my skin. Each intensified my sense of
awareness. Even hours after popping the ecstasy pill, arousal soared. With each
second, I wasn’t Charlee anymore. I was whoever I wanted to be. I was happy.
Time blurred, and the water warmed. My body was relaxed and
humming in intoxication. In the back of my mind, I knew John was somewhere
in my house. The occasional vibration of his footsteps echoed through me,
tingling my skin. I felt everything. I was everything. Something daring and dark
triggered inside, and I let it fester as frightening scenes of him coming in and
forcing me to my bed danced in my head. Perhaps it was wrong, but within that,
my fucked-up brain whispered it was right.
I let my hand trail over my breast and down my stomach as my legs
spread to rest against each side. The footsteps continued, and my awareness of
every sound and sensation grew. Wetness met my fingertips as I traced the tips
of two digits over my folds. The slickness increased at my entrance, and I sucked
in air as I eased one inside.
Pressure from my palm over my clit sent my hips rocking, and I bit my
bottom lip, letting myself go higher amid the fantasies that shouldn’t have been
there. But they always were. My need for danger had always gotten me into
trouble. The one-night stands. The dark alleyway lovers I’d meet in the clubs. At
least this was safer, even if it wasn’t right.
Thump-thump-thump-thump.
My hand stilled and I opened my eyes wondering whether it was my
pounding pulse or John getting closer. Was he even still here? Perhaps he left
and it was my heartbeat, feeding these thoughts within me.
Nothing.
I yawned, turning on my side, and pushing away my need for release.
Wet hair from the spray stuck to my face, and I closed my eyes as my legs tried
to curl into my body. It made no difference how hard it was for me to fit in the
small space. Comfort wasn’t something I cared for at the moment—not when I
was basking in the renewed effects of my roll. That was exactly what the drugs
did for me. They came and went in waves. I was all about sex one moment, and
the next, I was content to just...be.
“You didn’t drown, did you?”
I didn’t bother to turn toward the voice. A smile came, regardless of
feeling nothing to bring it on. Nor did I feel fear that John was a few feet from
seeing me naked. I cared about nothing except how good I felt. Even the
sickness was temporarily gone.
“I haven’t drowned yet. Are you leaving?”
“When you’re in bed, asleep.”
Another yawn.
“I could probably sleep right here. The water is so welcoming and warm.
It’s like a blanket.”
He laughed under his breath and I felt his feet shift through the sudden
tingling in my body.
“It won’t be warm for long. Then you’ll wake up freezing and not so
happy.”
“Probably. Did you come to help me shower, too?”
Silence. And again, I was smiling.
But not for long.
Cold air rushed over my skin and I turned from the wall to lock stares
with dark eyes. John was towering above, his gaze never wavering. He didn’t
take in my body or make it obvious he wanted me. I knew nothing. Nothing at
all about what he was thinking.
“Stand up.”
A demand. One I followed through my foggy mind.
My legs trembled as I obeyed, and whether that was from the adrenaline
or exhaustion, I wasn’t sure. The cool air had my nipples tightening and my
elevated height had our eyes level. John shrugged off his jacket and I swallowed
hard at the white button up shirt that molded to his thin, muscular frame. He
suddenly looked even more like a stranger. The appeal and situation soared to
heights that left me shaking even more. Who was this man?
Over and over, the question repeated as he rolled up his sleeves to expose
tattoos covering the surface of his tanned skinned. Thick lines were etched on
each forearm, jagged, slicing this way and that. The abstract image almost
seemed to come alive as I tried to figure out what it was. My mind said I was
hallucinating, and maybe it was right, but I didn’t question the moving ink
slithering and squirming like snakes. It was the man who held me hostage within
myself. The handsomeness of his face and size of his powerful body was like
nothing I’d ever seen before. Was he the same person who had carried me up the
stairs and into my house?
I didn’t know.
“Wait.”
I blinked through the blurred memories of the taxi ride. Even through
him throwing away the trash. The face was the same, but he looked different and
I couldn’t figure out what it was.
“Shhh.”
John’s hand flattened on my upper stomach while the other came to
secure around my bicep. I was swaying. The only thing keeping me steady was
his hold—a hold I had to admit was continually flexing. The action was small,
but the significance was massive to the part of me that thrived under rough,
hands-on sex.
“Slow your breaths, Charlee. We wouldn’t want you to pass out, now
would we?”
I stiffened, even though my mind screamed, “Yes!” His touch circled
around my stomach, and came back up to glide over one of my small breasts.
My breath did slow then, but only because it got caught in my throat.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Someone has to wash you. You can’t do it yourself. You can’t do much
of anything right now.”
John was already looking into my eyes as I lifted my gaze. Despite being
truly curious, my body and mind betrayed me. My eyes rolled and my thighs
rubbed together at the pleasure of his touch. The volume of his voice had
dropped at the end as pressure squeezed my nipple. Then, it ended so fast, I
wondered if he’d done it at all. Warnings erupted, saying I needed to make him
leave. To kick him out and lock the door behind him. Instead, I moaned, closing
my eyes and resting the back of my head against the wall as he moved to my
other breast.
The soft friction against my skin sent a wildfire of heat spreading over
me. Surprise drew me from the darkness as he grabbed my hand and placed it
over the lather on my chest. Slowly, he sent it trailing down my stomach. I was
hesitant to meet his eyes, but the moment I did, I was back to that captive
feeling.
I let the soap lead me lower. John leaned in closer as he shifted to fit my
hand between my legs. The sensitivity and colliding emotions snapped my eyes
wide. My hand shot to his shoulder and I pulled myself into his body as he
worked his fingers with mine along my folds.
“Is this what you were doing before I walked in? You moan so sweetly,”
he whispered against my ear. “And loudly.”
Teeth tugged against the bottom of my ear and I held tighter as he led my
finger to my entrance. The width of his finger stretched me as he joined my
thrust, burying his digit.
I shook so badly, I could barely stand. When he had wrapped his other
arm around my lower back, I had no idea. Reality was blurring with fantasy, and
I felt so good, I didn’t want to know whether this was really happening or not.
Maybe I was still asleep at the bottom of the tub. Maybe I wasn’t even here right
now. It didn’t matter. I cared about nothing but chasing the ecstasy in my
system. It was overriding rationality, filling me—maybe even killing me.



Chapter 3
Scout 14

This was the Charlee I knew. The Charlee I had watched for weeks. She
was out of control, giving herself to random strangers like she was passing out
free candy. But that was about to change. She had no idea what she was in for
with me, and it all started now.
“Look at me.”
Her pussy clamped around our fingers as her head rose. Her eyelids were
heavy, and there was a flush in her cheeks as her head tried to stay upright.
“There we go.” The approval was in my tone as I continued to thrust my
finger with hers. “Almost there. Spread wider for me.” It took her a moment to
register my words, but she opened her legs, and I withdrew, moving her hand
aside as I plunged in two fingers.
Charlee’s body locked up and her hands flew to each of my shoulders. I
let my palm settle and teased her clit as I fucked her hard and good, just like she
liked. Each slap against her pussy had her crying out and moaning louder than
the next.
“Nope. Don’t you dare close your eyes. Right here,” I said, moving my
face closer to hers.
She needed to be ordered. Charlee was a follower, not a leader. She
needed direction. Soon, she’d have more than she bargained for.
“John. Please,” she gasped, gripping me like a vice as I drove my fingers
in deep. I had her so tightly around the waist, she wouldn’t have been able to
escape me even if she wanted to. I knew that, and I was guessing she did too,
somewhere in her intoxicated mind.
“Please, what? Please make you come? Please fuck you? Or do you even
know what you’re asking for?”
Confusion had Charlee blinking rapidly. Her body stiffened, but I only
held tighter as I continued to strike that fear she secretly longed for. My finger
swept across her clit, and she jerked against me. She was so fucking wet. My
cock was dying to be inside her.
“You and I…I think we’re going to be seeing a lot of each other.” I
sucked her lower lip into my mouth, biting against the flesh before moving back
so she couldn’t kiss me like she’d attempted to. It was all about building her up
in places she didn’t even know she was missing pieces from. And then she’d
see...
“Fuck.” A moan tore from her as I rubbed against her insides with each
descent in my thrust. The trembling in her legs was getting worse. I was
practically holding her up.
Water raced over her body, and I frowned at the drenched area of my
sleeve just above my elbow. She barely even seemed to realize I was moving as I
leaned over and turned off the water. I grabbed the towel hanging on the hook
and wrapped her in it so fast, she yelped as I threw her over my shoulder. The
bed was a goddamn mess. I rolled my eyes, leaning down to swipe my hand over
the mound of fucking clothes.
“When you wake up, you’re going to clean this room. Do you hear me?”
Dumping her on the empty spot, I watched her eyes flare as she bounced
against the mattress. She looked like a confused, cornered animal.
“What? Wait...I think…” Her head shook and her eyes rolled, but I didn’t
let her contemplate what the hell was going on or what I was saying. I jerked at
my belt and reached into my back pocket to pull out the condom I’d placed there
when I heard her moans from the shower. Charlee was starting to inch backward.
I quickly reached and spun her to her stomach. She was weak. That was obvious
with how she could barely stand in the shower. Now, she couldn’t escape me
when her mind clearly knew she should. Hell, she probably wouldn’t even
remember this. But I would.
“This isn’t right. Stop,” she managed, jerking at the comforter as she
tried to pull herself forward.
“Stop? We both know you don’t want that. Not really.”
I tore at the package, using one hand to pin against the middle of her
back while I slid the condom down my hard length. Weight pushed up against
my palm, and I reached for her hips, pulling her back so her legs where spread
on either side of mine. A sound escaped her lips, and she paused in her attempts
to get away as I began rubbing along her folds. She was still so wet—maybe
wetter now that I’d drawn out what she wanted more than anything.
“You’re afraid, but you can’t fight the drugs or desire, can you? Pity.
You’re probably going to wish you would have. I’m going to show why. Lesson
number one, Charlee. And listen closely. Listen so hard, this burns deep in your
brain. You’re going to regret it if you forget. This,” I said, easing my finger in
her channel, “no longer belongs to you. This is my property—my pussy. That’s
your one warning. You may not see me. You may not even really remember me
after today, but you will keep your fucking legs closed to all other men, or
they’re going to regret getting close to you.”
I eased my ring finger inside to join my middle finger, and slid my
forearm under her stomach as I lifted her ass higher. As I did, I traced over her
back entrance with my index finger, getting it wet.
“Lesson two. You let me catch you stumbling down the street incoherent
again, and I’ll remind you of the worst that can happen in a situation like that.
Like this,” I growled, plunging my other digit inside her ass. Charlee’s body
jolted and became rigid. She cried out, trying to scramble away, but my hold
around her waist made it impossible. When I began to thrust into her entrances
slowly, it only took a few seconds for her to loosen in my hold. Her breaths were
deepening, and her legs spread even wider. A smile pulled at the side of my lips,
but there was nothing happy about it.
“Last lesson comes soon.”
Withdrawing my fingers, I jerked my arm up to bring her pussy to the
head of my cock. Charlee was mumbling something, but I ignored her as I
inched into her channel. She was trying to push up on her arms, but stopped as I
smacked my hand over her ass.
“You’re such a fucking mess. Perfect, really. Do you know how perfect
you are?”
I slammed my cock into her, thrusting hard. Blonde hair swung loosely
as she lifted her head. Before I could knock her back down, her arms collapsed.
The opportunity and show of weakness left me fucking her with every ounce of
hatred I had bottled up inside.
“W-Wait. Wait. Stop!” The top part of her body thrashed with renewed
energy. She was coming to again, and I couldn’t have that yet.
“Lessons, baby. Remember those lessons.” With one blow to the back of
her head, she went limp. I dug my fingers into the sides of her ass, thrusting
faster, using her for exactly what she was—my possession. A good few minutes
went by. Cum shot from my cock as I stared at her unconscious frame.
“Lesson three.” I pulled out, flipping her to her back and withdrawing my
knife. When I grabbed her wrist and spun her closer, she didn’t so much as
budge. “Appearances are deceiving. Be careful who you trust. Especially,
yourself.”



Chapter 4
Charlee

Aching had me crying out and my eyes flying open. My jaw was
chattering so hard, I couldn’t stop the slamming of my teeth. With each move I
made, my head throbbed.
Water poured over me, ice cold, and it took all my strength to push from
the bottom of the tub to shut it off. Tightly, I hugged my bare chest, looking
around my empty bathroom. My mind searched itself and flashes of...something
came back. A man. A ... scary man?
I didn’t feel alone. Was I alone? How had I gotten here?
My legs shook while I stood, and I reached for my towel. It was hanging
right where it always was. I wrapped it around my body, cautiously walking to
the door. Fear had me easing it open. The apartment was silent. But shouldn’t it
be?
No ... there was someone. The man. A suit popped into my head, and
then eyes. Black eyes. Tattoos. They moved like snakes. He’d helped me out of
the shower, hadn’t he?
Moaning filled my ears and I groaned at the clips of me burying my face
in his neck as he fingered me. Yes, he’d taken me to the bed.
I stayed at the doorway to the bathroom, scanning over the comforter.
He’d cleared a section off, but my clothes were still there. Still spread out all
over the surface the exact way I had left it.
I shook my head in confusion and turned back to the large mirror over
the sink. A gasp tore from my throat and I raced forward, rubbing my fingers
over the number fourteen cut into my shoulder. It wasn’t but an inch long, but it
was there. Had I done that? Why couldn’t I remember? Nothing made sense.
“God.” I walked backwards, toward my room, unable to immediately
break my gaze from the wound that was no longer bleeding. My heart raced.
Tears streamed down my cheeks and a sob escaped as more memories came.
He’d fucked me. Or...I dreamed he had. And he was rough. I liked it, but I had
told him to stop, and he hadn’t. Then...pain and nothing.
Tightly, I held the towel between my breasts. I couldn’t stop turning in
circles as I tried to gather more of what happened.
 “Takeout.”
I staggered into the living room, crying even harder as the filth I knew all
too well faced me. Nothing was clean. Everything was the same. Even the door
was locked. Which meant, what? That I had imagined it all? That it was a
fantasy-trip gone bad? Something in that had me taking a deep breath.
“A bad dream. Yes.” I sniffled, wiping the wetness from my cheeks.
Despite the small ounce of relief, fear wouldn’t leave. It didn’t feel like a
nightmare. The memories were so real. And I’d never once had that happen with
the pills before. A slight hallucination, yes, but a full-blown episode like that?
Never.
Ringing had my eyes going to the coffee table where my clutch was. I
headed over, frowning at my work number on the caller ID. I couldn’t talk to
them now. No way I was coming in early.
I took in the time, jerking my head up in panic. When I tugged back the
blinds, more tears came. It couldn’t be after seven at night. It just couldn’t be.
The sun was almost setting. Had I slept all day in the shower?
The pruning on my fingers as I stared down in disbelief said yes, which
only added to my anxiety. Ringing, again. I jump at the sound, walking away
from the window as I pushed the button.
“I’m late,” I rushed out. “I know. I just woke up. I’m sick. I can’t come
in tonight.”
“Can’t come in?” Lawrence ground out. “I’m already down two.
Drinking isn’t a sickness, Charlee—unless it is. In that case, I’ll gladly cart your
ass over to the AA.”
A loud exhale left me while I rubbed over my face. “Fine. Give me
twenty minutes.”
“Hurry.”
The line went dead, and I hung up, tossing the phone to the sofa. I was
overreacting. It was the drugs. That’s all it was. My mind invented something
really fucked up and I ended up cutting a goddamn number into my shoulder.
Surely, it happened to people all the time. Maybe not the cutting, but the bad
drugs. I’d just steer clear of the pills for a while and this would go away.
Even as I tried to dismiss it, my hand came up to the back of my head. It
was tender, but that could have been from the way my head rested against the
tub for hours. Or maybe I had fallen and hit it at some point? It made sense. And
nothing was different in my apartment. There was no evidence of anyone ever
being here.
I headed back into my room. For the life of me, I couldn’t go near the
bed or stop looking at it. Grabbing some panties and a bra from the drawer, I slid
them on. There was an aching on the outsides of my entrance, which gave me
pause, but I ignored it, not wanting to think any more on the situation.
Continuing to contemplate wouldn’t help me. It would only feed the depression
that rested inside, and I couldn’t head down that road so quickly after a binge.
A pair of jeans rested on top of the dresser, and I pulled them on, then
grabbed my uniform shirt that was cut and braided up the back. It exposed a
good few inches of my stomach. For the first time ever, I wanted to wrap my
arms around my waist and try to hide the skin that showed. Instead, I slid on
some socks and my boots. I refused to look at my apartment as I grabbed my
purse and stuffed my phone inside. My keys were on the counter, and I picked
them up before heading out and locking the door behind me.
The Dizzy Dagger was only a few blocks away. I kept my pace fast,
weaving around the random people walking or just standing out in the street. The
closer I got to the strip, the more at ease I became.
“Charlee? Charlee!”
I slowed, coming to a stop just a few feet from the entrance of the bar. A
man with brown hair jogged across the street. I narrowed my eyes as I studied
his appearance. He was familiar, but not enough for me to remember where I
knew him from.
“Charlee, I thought that was you.”
Blue eyes took me in and he smiled, displaying perfect white teeth. He
was wearing a white t-shirt and faded jeans. They were torn at the knee, and
something about them triggered something.
“Dylan. We met last night at Hell-O’s.” His head cocked to the side as he
laughed. “You don’t remember me. It’s okay. We didn’t talk long. But you, I
remember.” He glanced at my shirt, then turned his attention to the bar. “You
work here?”
“Yes, and I’m late. I’m sorry I don’t remember you. I was kind of
messed up last night.”
“You’re telling me. You were falling all over the place. Spilled your beer
all over me, but that’s okay. I think you just wanted to get my shirt off.”
I groaned, shaking my head as the memories came flooding back. “That’s
right. I remember now. I’m so sorry. I’m never getting that drunk again. I’m so
embarrassed.”
“You shouldn’t be. You weren’t that bad,” he said, stepping in closer.
“You were having fun. Nothing wrong with that.”
Dylan stumbled to the side, barely catching himself as a man in a black
baseball cap clipped his shoulder—hard.
“Hey, bro, what the fuck is your problem?”
 The stranger came to a stop at the door of the Dizzy Dagger, holding still.
My heart jumped into my throat at the size of his shoulders. Slowly, he turned,
pinning both of us with a pair of bright green eyes. He had a square jaw and full
lips, and there was slight growth tinting his cheeks.
Even though he wasn’t anywhere near as tan as John had been, my eyes
shot down to his bare arms in search of tattoos. He looked...familiar, but it
wasn’t the stranger who had helped me home. It couldn’t have been. No tattoos.
Wrong skin color. Wrong eye color. But I knew that face, even if I couldn’t
really recall what the John from my visions looked like up close. Was I losing
my mind? Had the man who helped me on the sidewalk even come into my
home? Had he taken advantage of me in my inebriated state? What if he didn’t
exist at all?
“John?”
The anger tightening the man’s face softened as his eyes went from
Dylan to me.
“Not tonight. Unless you want me to be.”





Chapter 5
Scout 14

People laughed. Couples made out and danced. Men argued amongst
themselves. And for the life of me, I couldn’t keep the smile from my face.
Usually, the environment would have gotten under my skin, but tonight was
different. Charlee was a mess, constantly looking over her shoulder and jumping
at anyone who reached out and touched her. Was she questioning her sanity?
Wondering if the entire episode had been a dream? Hell, I knew she was.
I took a big drink, finishing off my beer. It was my third in the last hour,
but I was far from feeling the effects. I wanted her to come back. Each time she
took my order, she searched my face, and I knew a big part was because my
response on my name confused her. Our talks were small, but she tried to
prolong the conversation. I just wouldn’t give her much to go on. My disinterest
once again drew her in like a moth to a flame.
A good half hour went by as I watched her work the floor. She checked
the clock on the wall continually, and as time went by, I didn’t miss her sneaking
shots from behind the bar, which happened to be encouraged by another
waitress. Before long, a smile surfaced on her face as she seemed to loosen up. It
was exactly what I needed for my next game.
“Waitress!” I yelled over the music, motioning with my hand. Charlee’s
head shot around, and her happy demeanor fell a little as she headed over.
“Another beer?”
“You know it. Tell me…Charlee, isn’t it?” At her nod, I continued.
“Charlee, where’s the place to go if I’m looking to have fun.”
“You’re not having fun here?”
Her tone was teasing, and I cocked my head.
“Eh, it’s okay, but I was thinking of something a little more entertaining
than beer. You wouldn’t happen to know a place I could go that might supply
something like that?”
She paused, losing her smile as she realized I was hinting at drugs. “No. I
can’t help you there. Sorry. I’ll get your beer.”
I laughed even harder as she took off at a fast pace. The dance floor was
crowded, and I eyed a few couples swaying to the rock music. A large group of
older women was in the corner having a good time as they moved to the rhythm
as well. I leaned back, working my gaze and studying each one. A bright color
off to the side caught in my peripheral. It had me sitting up straighter. A young
girl was separated from the crowd. She was alone, and appeared to be upset.
Was she even old enough to get into the bar? I wasn’t sure. Long auburn hair
waved over her shoulders. And she had a round face with big, light colored eyes.
She was pretty—pretty enough for Whitlock. And the important part was so far,
she was by herself. That was all we’d need to do a quick grab and nab. It was the
traditional sense of how we took some, and she fit the bill.
I took out my phone, pulling up the text. My fingers sped through the
letters while I scanned the area for anyone who might have been associated with
her. From the way she sat in the far back by herself, almost appearing to hide, I
didn’t think we’d be interrupted with acquaintances.
14: There’s a red on the list, correct?
7: Yep. Redhead for blue.
Blue meant non-virgin. That could be fixed easy enough if she was one.
14: Possibly bagged a surprise. Dizzy Dagger.
7: On my way.
I placed my phone in my pocket while my gaze cut over to Charlee at the
bar. She was having a heated talk with some guy—a guy I didn’t recognize from
the weeks of watching her. I was standing before I could stop myself.
Sound died out and the killer in me zoned in on the only two people in
the bar I cared to focus on. With each step, my heart slowed. The man was
yelling and shoving his finger into her chest. Charlee didn’t look afraid; she
looked pissed. But that didn’t stop him from getting more in her face. Fool. No
one touched my property—Whitlock’s property.
“I’m tired of your excuses, Charlee. Do you think I like hearing from my
friends about how my ex has been all over every guy who shows her attention? I
told you to stay away from Barney’s and you said you would. Were you looking
to embarrass me? Is that what you were trying to do?”
I stopped at the bar just behind Charlee and breathed deeply through the
murderous rage encompassing my entire being. It took a lot to set me off, but
this wasn’t just anyone this man was assaulting and drawing attention to. This
was my chosen. Mine.
“It’s not like I planned to go, Drew. I’m sorry. The last thing I was
thinking about was you. I know you find that hard to imagine, but if you recall,
I’m the one who ended our relationship. And that finger better not touch me
again.”
“Or what? What are you going to do?”
 Charlee’s frame bumped into me. The man didn’t even seem to notice
my glare. He didn’t notice me at all.
“You know what? You’re out of here. Lawrence!”
“Oh, yeah, get me thrown out again. Real nice, bitch.”
A man pushed from the far side of the bar, stalking toward us as Charlee
crashed into me even harder at her ex’s shove. The man behind the bar’s anger
was evident as he raced in our direction. A radio rested on his belt, and he jerked
it up, yelling into it. Within seconds, a large man entered the room from the front
door area and barreled in our direction as well. But it was too late. My arm was
wrapped around Charlee’s stomach, and my body was enveloping her. I held
tightly as I surged forward, stepping within inches of the guy’s face, practically
sandwiching her between us. I didn’t have to say a word. My eyes held his,
projecting everything he needed to know. She was mine, and he was a dead man
for touching her. Step by step in his retreat, his shoulders cowered even more.
But I didn’t back down. I moved forward, taking me and Charlee even closer.
Confused terror etched into his expression as the bouncer grabbed his arm and
jerked him toward the door.
“Stay away from Barney’s! Charlee!”
“Are you okay? Jesus.” Lawrence flew to a stop in front of us and it took
me a moment to realize I still had her in a deadlock. The fury died out while I let
myself calm by knowing that piece of shit was going to be taken care of. Not
now, but definitely later tonight. I already fucked up by placing myself in a
situation I didn’t belong. It was too risky to follow him out. Within hours,
though, he’d be screaming for forgiveness.
“I’m okay. I…” Charlee searched my face, glancing at Lawrence, then
coming back to me. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. He was out of line.”
“You’re done for tonight,” her boss said, reaching for her shoulder. “You
don’t look well. Are you sure you’re okay? You’re really pale.”
“I’ll be fine. I just need some rest. I told you I wasn’t feeling well.”
“I can tell. Carter can walk you home. The door should be fine while he’s
gone, and Jerome can take care of any trouble.”
“Oh, no,” Charlee said, shaking her head. “By the time I get my things,
Drew will be long gone. I’ll make it home fine.”
“I’ll take her. She’ll be safe with me.”
“I’m sorry, who are you? Do you know each other?” Her boss’s brow
creased as he looked between us. Charlee’s mouth opened, only to close, and she
nodded at Lawrence. They headed to the bar, talking amongst each other quietly.
Charlee stripped off her apron, and grabbed her purse. The moment we got
outside, she stopped.
“Thank you for the offer to walk me home, but I’ll be fine. What you did
back there with Drew...I appreciate it.”
Charlee turned, leaving me standing there as she jogged across the road
and farther down the sidewalk. I took out my phone, letting her put distance
between us. When she reached the next block, I began to follow.
14: Taking care of my chosen. Grab a seat. Be back, shortly.
I stuffed the phone back in my pocket, and took in everything about
Charlee as she passed the businesses along the way. Her blonde hair blew back
at the wind and the swing of our arms were in sync as I found my speed
increasing. With every step, her hips swayed more than she probably realized.
She walked with purpose, but the way she kept her head down didn’t give that
impression to people. She could have been something in life. I knew that in my
gut. Now, it was too late.
In a swift jog, I made it to the opposite side of the street. Charlee was
already disappearing into her building, but I couldn’t leave yet. A good minute
went by, and one by one, lights began to flood her place. The silhouette of her
tall form paused in her bedroom. I watched as she pulled her shirt up over her
head. She was moving, stripping off more of her clothes.
And then she was gone.
I knew her routine like I knew my own. She’d shower, then put on a tiny
t-shirt and panties before pouring herself a glass of vodka. At that point, she’d
proceed to drink until she passed out. Little did she know, she wouldn’t be
consuming much tonight. I had a surprise in store for Charlee. She’d be lucky to
make it to her bed after she tasted the concoction in her beloved bottle.
Vibrations had me reaching into my pocket and pulling out my phone. I
scanned over the text and took one last at Charlee’s bedroom window. The buzz
of the nightlife increased as I headed back toward the bars and businesses. I
stayed in the shadows, feeling more like a stranger than my true self. I rarely
scrubbed away the tattoos or tanning lotion, or even lightened my hair enough to
match my natural color. And I never just wore jeans and a t-shirt, but here I was,
exposed as my real self for the first time in as long as I could remember.
“Twenty bucks, baby, and I’ll make your night.”
The touch brushing my arm had me slowing. I turned to face the exotic
looking woman who had been leaning against the building. She had dark hair,
light skin, and her rich chestnut eyes were almond shaped. She was wearing a
tight red dress and gaudy black heels with too-thick soles that screamed what she
was.
“Twenty bucks, huh?”
 “That’s right. Thirty and I’ll make your dreams come true.”
I smiled, reaching up to dig my fingers into her cheeks so the light would
reflect on her face.
“My dreams,” I repeated. “I’m not so sure about that, sugar. You see, I’m
about to pop the cherry on a strawberry just to hear her scream, then I’m going
to go back and finish myself off by fucking my old lady with blood still on my
dick. And I’ll get that for free. Beat that, and I’ll give you fifty bucks.”
“Asshole.”
She jerked her face free and continued to curse as she pushed by me. I
laughed, picking up my pace to the Dizzy Dagger.
It was going to be a good night. The red, the ex, and the chosen—they’d
all be mine.



Chapter 6
Charlee

Pace. That’s all I could do as I tuned into the warmth coating my
stomach while staring at the bottle so prettily displayed on the center of my bar. I
wanted to drink more. I wanted it so bad, I couldn’t stand it. I had a problem. It
didn’t take a genius to figure that out. The biggest question plaguing me was
what I was going to do about it.
I knew I would cave. By the twitching in my fingers and the weak walls
of my mind already crumbling under the pressure, it was a given. Despite that,
the truth was, I didn’t want this life. I was exhausted and tired of struggling and
living paycheck to paycheck with bills I could barely afford.
There were so many times I tried to find a better job, but without good
schooling, I was screwed. Modeling had always been a solution and it still was.
But I’d never make it if I continued the path I was on.
I had no one close to me. I was lonely…and destructive. The people I
tried to get close to always hurt me in one way or another. Seeing Drew only
emphasized my trust issues. He hadn’t been abusive at the beginning—quite the
opposite. I thought my life was finally taking a turn for the better when we met.
We got a place together. Our chemistry was through the roof. I even stopped
partying and drinking. But my job was the problem.
Drew had been jealous of the men who flirted and grabbed at me. With
both of us working at Barney’s, he saw everything. And what he failed to realize
was I had no control over these men. The verbal arguments increased over time.
With them, came the physical abuse. That’s when I had left. That’s also when
the drinking increased tenfold.
A ragged breath left me as stepped toward the counter. I stopped, running
my fingers through my hair as alternatives came. I could watch TV. I could read
a book. I used to read a lot. I could…
My head turned and I looked at my laptop sitting on the end table across
the room. My attention went back to the bottle. I groaned as I walked over and
grabbed a glass, pouring it a quarter of the way with vodka.
Both. I’d drink just a little while I figured out a way around the obstacles.
There had to be something I could do. I needed to change. And motivation. I
needed more of that, too.
Walking over, I grabbed my laptop and headed for the sofa. The need to
sip before I pulled up the search engine was there, but I pushed it away, letting
my small victory cement in the fact that I could do this. Small steps were better
than nothing. And this was the first time I was actually trying to better myself.
Modeling agencies flooded the page as I began to weed through my
options. The bold letters of my former agency glared back at me—mocked me. I
scrolled down, not even wanting to waste my time. I screwed up by pissing away
the amazing opportunity they’d given me, and I wouldn’t resort to going back so
they could assume I’d do it again. I needed a fresh start. A new me—one who
didn’t have raging reminders of how my past was littered with screw-ups.
I paused over Benson and Dean, clicking the link.
If I could only get an agent to take me seriously, they’d see I could
change. Most importantly, I could prove to myself I wasn’t who I had become.
And that was the greatest obstacle, wasn’t it? To rise above the stereotype I
viewed myself as and become what I dreamed?
I could do this. The more I read, and the more pictures of the models in
their gallery I viewed, the clearer it became that I had a chance. John had
thought so. Even if he hadn’t existed.
Grabbing the vodka, I took a big drink and crinkled my nose through the
swallow. Immediately, I pulled the glass back and looked at it before bringing it
back in to smell the contents. Was it bad? Something was different, but I wasn’t
sure what it was. It tasted fine, yet not.
“You’re losing it, Charlee. You’re seeing people and talking to yourself.
Jesus. Just drink the damn thing.”
I brought it back to my lips, taking an even bigger drink. The cringe drew
in my face, and I put the glass down on the table. There was a dry sourness that
came with the aftertaste. It had me clearing my throat so I wouldn’t gag.
I stood, walking over and grabbing my water from the counter. When I
returned to the sofa, I tried to wash it from my mouth, but I couldn’t get rid of
the nasty flavor coating my tongue. I tried to ignore it as I moved to the agents’
page and began reading the bios. Halfway through the second agent, the words
blurred and the room tilted. Sound went in and out as my pulse exploded in my
ears.
“No.W-what…?”
My voice deepened almost demonically in my ears and the laptop fell
from my knees while I struggled to stand. Forward, I swayed, crashing into the
coffee table with my shins. I knew I was falling to the side, but there was
nothing I could do about it. My body hit with a force that jolted my teeth. Air
trapped in my lungs and I fought to regain breath. Inch by inch, I clawed at the
carpet to make it to my room.
What was happening? My mind wouldn’t think, and my limbs were
getting heavier.
An eternity stretched out while sleep beckoned. One moment, I was at
my threshold. The next, I was on the bed. I had no idea how I’d gotten there, and
a swift moment of clarity had me crying out in fear. I was awake, but
unresponsive. I was here one moment and gone the next. Time passed while I
waited for the weird spell to run its course, but things only got worse. Flu-like
symptoms hit hard, leaving not only my muscles aching, but my actual bones
throbbing. I shook with chills and sweat covered every inch of me.
More time.
Then, out of nowhere, the physical torment stopped. Dark moments of
floating in an otherworldly abyss kicked in, and the dimness of my room
returned. I blinked the image in, sucking in massive gulps of air. It took
everything to lift my head and look around. Normal. Everything was fine.
Except me. I…
My pulse increased, growing louder within my head. Dread surfaced, and
I tried to roll over, but the heaviness was growing worse. I closed my eyes,
squeezing my lids tight. This wasn’t happening. This wasn’t right.
Deep laughter had my arms and legs jolting in surprise. Fear escalated
deep within and my eyes shot open. The white popcorned ceiling transitioned
into a deep red swirling with black faces. Their eyes were too wide and their
mouth stretched into a long oval as they screamed. They were being sucked into
what I could only process as molten lava. Hell? The yelling and groans grew in
volume as their arms broke free from the crimson and clawed at the surface.
Horror had me trying to sink deeper into my mattress. But I wasn’t just molding
into my bed, I was being pulled through it. Fingers broke through my skin,
clawing at my flesh and trying to tear it free.
My mouth opened, but a scream wouldn’t come as the distorted beings
wrapped around me. Pressure squeezed into my arms and encircled my thighs,
spreading them wide. My sight faded, and I knew I was hyperventilating.
Pitch black came.
Then...nothingness.



Chapter 7
Scout 14

Blood. It covered my hands, warm, sticky…red. I traced the laceration
on Charlee’s ex’s chest, pushing my fingertip to the first knuckle so I could feel
his flesh separate under my touch while he screamed. Slick smoothness from the
muscle enveloped the sides of my digit as I made it from one nipple and headed
back toward the other, stopping just over where his heart was.
“Did you ever love her? Did this thing speed up when she was close? Or
was it her pussy you wanted?”
“P-please. I s-swear, I’ll never get near her again. Fuck, please.”
Sweat covered Drew’s pale skin, and I pushed against the surface, feeling
the bone underneath.
“I know you’re never going near her again because you’re never going to
leave this room alive. Now answer my question. Did you ever love her?”
A long, drawn out cry left him as he struggled against the restraints
holding him from the ceiling, just like the redhead hanging a few feet behind me.
“No. She’s impossible to love. She’s yours. You said so yourself.
Charlee’s yours.”
“That’s right. She belongs to me. Not you. Not even to herself. Me.”
In slow strokes, I continued to trace the wound, shoving my finger deeper
inside of him while I thought through the mysteries of why my pull toward her
was getting stronger. He mumbled broken-up pleas under his breath, and his legs
gave out as he continued to try to stand. He was fading from my previous
wounds, and I was content with letting him bleed out.
“You know, when I saw you touch her, I could have killed you on the
spot. This is what you did, didn’t you?”
Tap. Tap. Tap.
With the words, I poked hard against the exposed breast bone, just as
he’d done to her chest as he yelled at her.
“Fuck! F—she’s yours! I…”
I buried my fingers in his hair, jerking his head back so he would look at
me. His heavy lids blinked and flew open as my hand lowered so I could enter
the gash I’d sliced into his lower stomach only minutes before.
 Muscle divided wider, and I bit into my lower lip, adding weight, forcing
my digit deeper than my knife had punctured. The slight pop of the splitting
meat couldn’t have been heard over his yells, but I felt it reverberate through my
hand as I laughed in his face. Sobbing from the girl behind me broke through,
but I didn’t give it thought, knowing Seven was waiting with her for me to
finish.
“You keep saying Charlee is mine. And you’re right. For that, I’m going
to let you in on a little secret. One she doesn’t even know.”
Drew’s lids narrowed and barely opened as I moved in closer to his face.
“I drug her, then I break into her apartment and fuck her. Right now,
she’s passed out because I laced her bottle with Cort. Her body is just lying there
limp, waiting for me to play with it. Do you want to know another secret?
All four of my fingers dug into his stomach while blood pooled in my
palm. Renewed strength from the pain left him yelling and pleading again. He
tried moving away, but I held steady while I waded through his stomach
contents. It was invigorating to know I literally held his life in my hands and
with every second, it was slipping further away. Heavy pants brushed over my
face while the bastard whimpered and groaned. And I couldn’t stop my lips from
peeling back to expose my teeth from the excitement his suffering gave me.
“I’m going to sell her as a sex slave. As bait to some rich, sadistic
motherfucker who wants to torture and kill her. And do you know what I’m
getting out of it? A hefty percentage of her auction price. Charlee is doomed, just
like you.
“N … no. No!”
“Oh, yes. And I’m afraid we’re out of time. You should have just left her
alone. I hope a dead woman was worth dying for.”
“Wait. Wait, pl...”
I pulled my knife free, not wasting my time as I angled the blade just
under his ear and slashed my hand across his throat. Blood poured like a faucet
at my feet, and blood curdling screams from behind me followed the gargling
and jerking from his body.
“Help! Help, please!”
“H-H-H-Help you?” I mocked, turning around to laugh. “Say it again.
Scream it, little one.”
“Help! Someone help me!”
Tears raced down pale cheeks, and Seven and I laughed louder as we
watched the redheaded girl pull against the cuffs.
“No one is going to help you,” Seven said, putting out his cigarette. “You
heard his chosen’s fate. That’s your fate, too, slave.”
 “No! Someone will come. Someone will find me.”
“Wrong,” I said, heading back toward them. “But let’s say you’re right
and someone miraculously comes for you. They’d die before they ever breached
the gate. You have no idea who we are or what you’re apart of now.”
“I’m not a part of anything, you sick fucks. Let me go! Help!”
I shook my head, slamming the back of my hand against her cheek. Red
hair flew to cover her already bruised cheek, and her legs buckled at the force. I
circled around, leaving a path of Drew’s blood over her bare hip as I put myself
behind her.
“You’re pretty, but you have a mouth…Shayla, was it? Stupid, little girl.
What were you thinking sneaking into that bar with a fake ID? Didn’t your
mommy and daddy warn you against the dangers of men like us?”
“P-Please. I won’t speak a word. I just want to go home. I’ll never sneak
out again, I promise. Just let me go home.”
“Oh, you’re going home, all right. But not the one you’re hoping for.”
Seven stepped in, burying his hand between her legs while she thrashed. “I’m
between chosen right now. I have at least a few weeks to spare. What do you say
you keep me company for a while?”
“No. Oh God, no! Help!”
A chuckle shook my chest as I wrapped my arm around her waist. Her
toes barely touched the ground. She kicked out against me as she tried to break
away, but it was no use.
“I won’t be long,” I said, glancing at Seven as I slid my finger into her
pussy from behind. When I hit the wall I half expected, my smile grew. Virgin.
“I’ll take my prize and let you have your fun.”
He squeezed her breast, locking his other hand in her hair as he nodded.
“Take what you want. You found her.”
I stretched her channel wide with another finger, and unbuttoned my
pants, freeing my cock.
“No, no, please. I’m begging you, please!”
“Keep begging. I like it.” I thrust my fingers, using her wetness and what
remained of Drew’s blood to pound into her entrance. Screams echoed from the
underground holding room, but I didn’t worry about anyone hearing. No one
would. It was impossible. The place was not only well guarded, but it was the
drop-off point for one of the many secret entrances to the underground highway
system leading to Whitlock.
“I’d love to stay and play, but I’m afraid I have a date.” Withdrawing my
fingers, I took the condom from Seven and slid it on so I could fit against her
entrance. Shayla’s body went wild, but with mine and Seven’s hold, she was
even more trapped than just in the cuffs.
Lifting her hips, I plunged my cock into her tight pussy, breaking through
the wall marking her virginity. Screams died off as she choked on an intake of
air. Coughing only lasted for a second before the shrieks continued again. I
didn’t thrust—I didn’t do anything but shut my eyes and tune in to the way her
channel spasmed and clutched around my cock in pain.
Sobs shook her body. Seven spoke, but I didn’t hear his words. Charlee.
She was the only thing I saw and heard. Her moans filled my ears, her body
rocking underneath me as she cried out for more. And she had wanted me before
I roughed her up and knocked her out. Something in that had me blinking away
the memories to see what was before me. I never wanted this girl; I wanted the
chosen—my chosen.
My dick was already softening at the sight of red hair. Sliding out, I
pulled off the condom and stepped away.
“I have to go. Don’t have too much fun.”
I zipped my pants, and stalked to the doorway, taking the stairs two at a
time. Too many thoughts came, and I pushed them away, focusing on getting
ready. The routine was easy enough. Tanner. The expensive fake tattoos. The
washout spray that darkened my hair. When I had the suit on, I couldn’t stop
looking at the transformation.
“Fourteen, you busy?”
I turned toward the door, taking in the weird expression on Scout Three’s
face. He was new, but our numbers had nothing to do with our rank. They stood
for things. Special skills and placement. There were four scouts in New York,
and three more in training. Someday, when I died or was replaced, there would
be another Scout Fourteen, scouring the streets, but he’d never be as good as me.
“I’m about to be. What is it?”
“Have you heard about the meeting?”
“What meeting?”
He crossed his arms over his wide chest as he leaned against the
doorframe.
“The Main Master is redirecting. Not much information is out, but we got
a message about an hour ago. We head for Whitlock in two days. He wants to
meet with us. All of us. There are scouts flying in from everywhere. A friend
called me from Seattle after he got the message. He’s leaving to Whitlock
tonight. I have a feeling this isn’t good.”
“Doesn’t sound like it,” I said, looking over. “I’ll be ready.”
I nodded him away, glancing back at my reflection.
Redirecting? Why the hell would Bram Whitlock be redirecting the
scouts? For what? What did that mean for Charlee? Would he not be taking her
after all? Was he changing direction in the way he was running the place and
deciding to do away with the scouts who were disposable? We had a job like
anyone else. It was all about the numbers and quality of our work. My quality
was top notch. I didn’t worry for me, but those who weren’t up to par would be
killed.
I grabbed my phone from the counter and headed through the compound.
The drive to Charlee’s was a blur. I meant to shake her up again and maybe I
still would, but if she wasn’t going to belong to Whitlock, what then? What if
they put me tailing another chosen or placed me in a new state? That was a
possibility.
“Fuck!”
Anger pushed against my insides as I turned off the sedan and stared
through her bedroom window from across the street. I had invested so much time
into this one. And she did something to me I couldn’t quite understand. Could I
go without having her to play games with? I could always get another disaster of
a woman, but it wouldn’t be her.
No.
If Whitlock wouldn’t have her, I’d figure out something. She was too
beautiful to be wasted. I’d get a place to use her as I wished. Or maybe I could
convince Mateo, the scout boss, to speak with the Main Master. If she was at
Whitlock, I had a way to get to her if I wanted. That’s why I was comfortable
with her going. Sure, she could die at the hands of her Master, but at least I could
find ways to see her before she did. And I would see her. I didn’t fear the
fucked-up richy-rich behind those fortress walls. Only one person scared me,
and that was Bram, himself.
I locked the doors of the car before jogging across the street. The code to
the front door was easy enough. I pulled a copy of her key from my pocket as I
bound up the stairs and approached her apartment. The hall was empty, but it
always was this late.
Silence met me as I unlocked the barrier and let myself in. The kitchen
light was on, but the others appeared off. A laptop lay open on the floor, and I
walked over, picking it up. At the swirl of my finger, the screen came to life and
my eyes narrowed as I scrolled through the page. Modeling agents. Benson and
Dean were well-known throughout the world. They only took the best. And
despite her problems, Charlee was the best.
My lips pressed together and shuffling had my head spinning toward her
room. I put the laptop down and headed in her direction, unbuttoning my jacket
and letting it fall to the floor behind me.
 “You awake, Charlee?”
I flipped on the light in time to see her curl into a ball in the corner of the
room. Her wide eyes peeked out from over her shoulder and her white tank top
stuck to her skin from sweat. Deep breaths and cries filled the air as her gaze
jetted over the ceiling in jerky movements.
“Oh, Alice, you’ve been chasing the rabbit again, haven’t you?” I began
undoing my shirt, smiling at the odd sense of joy I got from being close to her—
at fucking with her head again. She was going to be so confused when she woke
up in the morning. And I couldn’t wait to see the aftermath. “I’ve missed you.
Did you miss me?”
Charlee’s pressed herself more into the wall and shook her head wildly.
“No? That hurts my feelings. I’ve been doing nothing but thinking about
you all evening and this is what I get? That’s not very nice.”
“M-Make.” Her hands flew to her ears while she sobbed, burying her
face. “Stop. Stop!”
“I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean. Come give me a kiss and tell
me you’ve missed me. I’ve been at work all day. Don’t you want to hear how
things went?”
Charlee’s eyes reappeared, filled with confusion and tears as she stared at
me. I walked to the end of the bed and sat, patting my knee.
“Come on. Come sit and let me hold you. Did you drink too much again?
We really need to get you help, baby. You’re not well.”
“What? J-John? You’re…” She buried her fingers in her blonde hair and
pulled while mumbling senseless words. “Not real. T-This is not real.”
“Sure it is. I’m real to you. I’m everything you’ve ever wanted.
Everything you need. Come.”
At her hesitation, I sighed. “Don’t make me send whatever you see after
you. I can, you know. I’ll make them hurt you, Charlee. Is that what you want?”
“No! N-No. Please.”
As she pleaded, she tried crawling toward me. Her arms kept giving out,
even as she moved at a slow pace. At one point, she swayed and almost fell to
the side. When she got to my feet, I reached down and pulled her into my arms
to cuddle her.
“There we go. Shhh. Breathe. I’ve got you now.”
“What is this? What’s...happening to me?”
“Slow your breathing.”
Sniffling, Charlee turned her face into my chest as I began to rock her.
“You’re sick. You’re right, this is not real. Tomorrow, you will wake up and this
will be another dream. But for now, I can make it better. Do you want me to
make the bad things go away?”
Fingers dug into me, pulling at my shirt.
“You’re going to h-hurt me. You hurt me.”
“Wrong, baby. I’m going to make you feel good. Better than you’ve ever
felt in your entire shitty-ass life.”
I stood, carrying her with me as I moved to the top of the bed. When I
lowered to put her down, I could barely pry her hands free.
“Close your eyes and feel. That’s all you have to do.”
My fingers hooked into her panties, and something between a groan and
a sob left her as I pulled them off. She didn’t want me to continue, but I didn’t
care. I stripped off my clothes and settled on the bed, prying her legs apart as I
lay between them. The first lick over her smooth folds had Charlee’s entire body
jolting. Her head shook and she squeezed her lids tighter.
“This isn’t real.”
“But it seems real, doesn’t it?”
My tongue pushed into her entrance, thrusting deep while sounds left her
throat. What she was feeling was heightened more than any other drug on the
market. Her bad trip would soon reverse, and when it did, she’d do everything in
her power to keep it going. To keep me.
“Yes. But…”
“No, buts. You’ve never wanted anyone more than me. That’s why I’m
here. I can change your life in more ways than you can imagine. Let me show
you what real pleasure feels like. Love it, Charlee. Love this.”
I made a path up her slit, sucking against her clit. Instinct had Charlee’s
fingers burying into my hair, regardless that she barely had the strength to hold
onto it.
For minutes, I teased her, rubbing my face this way and that to cover my
skin with her juices. Her essence took me over, building the obsession I’d tried
so hard to ignore. Or maybe it was the drug seeping free of her that was fucking
with my mind.
I bit into her thighs just enough to make her cry out. And I put effort into
my actions, where I never had before. The drugs, the game? The wheels in my
head were turning. I was feeling things I hadn’t in so long, I wasn’t sure what to
think. Hell, I couldn’t think. Maybe I wanted Charlee to be different so she
didn’t blur together with the others. Perhaps, I was upping the stakes, even on
myself. But why? I didn’t know. Charlee would never be mine, despite how
much I viewed her that way. If the Main Master still wanted her, she’d belong to
another. Even if I did manage to sneak in a few fuck sessions here and there, it
didn’t leave me entitled to much.
 So many questions and inconsistencies came, but I didn’t care to let them
continue. The deal was done. All I had to do was deliver. Yet here I was, letting
my game become tinged with greed. And that was never a good thing. If I were
smart, I’d get up and leave her to deal with the rest of this trip alone. Or better
yet, take her to Whitlock and drop her off when I went to this meeting.
“I’m going to wake up now. Any minute.”
I laughed, tugging at her thigh with my teeth before sucking back against
it.
“I don’t want you to wake up. I want to stay here with you in this
dream.”
Even as I said it, I knew it was a mistake. But I couldn’t control my
words. Drugs. Yes, they were definitely in my system, too. And why wouldn’t
they be? Cort-Double Z was one of the most powerful drugs ever produced, and
it was only in the hands of a few...for now. Soon, it would flood the streets, and
when it did, the epidemic would be crippling to society.
“This feels real. It doesn’t feel like a dream.” She looked at me, studying
me with those damn blue eyes.
“Who cares what this is. It’s perfect. Now, stop talking.”
I rose, nibbling my way up her stomach. When I loomed above her, my
hand locked around her throat, holding...not squeezing. She didn’t fight me, but
fear was in her gaze. So was something else. The uncertainty of what it was left
my brain convincing me it was love or fate. It was a stupid realization, but on
Cort, it was the best thing in the world—something I had never experienced.
And I chased it, right to her lips.
My kiss was full of hunger. It only increased as she met my tongue with
just as much enthusiasm. Wetness coated the head of my cock as I reached
through her hair to grip both sides of her head. Tingling hummed over every
inch of me, vibrating me to the core, feeding the loneliness I tried to disregard.
And my need for love increased as I eased inside her pussy. Charlee’s legs
spread wider and she moaned while I withdrew and surged even deeper.
“I...love you. And you love me. We love each other, don’t we?”
I stilled, pulling up to look at her. There was a defensiveness that came
with her words. I had visions of striking her. Of beating her face so bloody, I’d
forget her and never have to look at it again. But the violence was so far away.
My chest ached, drowning out the hate I held inside. Love. God, love. It was
there.
And, as if the truth was clear, my breath caught in my throat. “Yes. I
think we do.” I thrust harder, letting the drug in her system taint me even more
with each passing second. Deep within, I knew it wasn’t real, but I couldn’t stop.
I didn’t want to. I wouldn’t be affected anywhere near as much, but the Cort was
taking its toll. More words left me, and with them, I slammed harder.
“Tell me again, Charlee. Fucking say it one more time.”
“I love you. I swear I do.”
I squeezed my hands into fists, causing her to cry out in pain. It was
sweet. Perfect, like her. As I angled her face up with a tug on her hair, I couldn’t
stop myself from diving to her neck so I could suck the salt from her skin. I
wanted to taste all of her. I wanted her in me so deep, she never left. There was a
chaotic frenzy speeding up my thoughts. Need. Love. Forever. Want. Mine.
Whitlock.
The last had a loud growl tearing from my throat. The protectiveness that
encompassed her came roaring through. My head shot up, and I plunged my
tongue into Charlee’s mouth, pushing my toes into the mattress as I forced every
inch of my dick in as deep as I could. Her spasms left her channel clutching
around me and it was pure heaven.
14. As she came and screamed my name, I stared at the scar I’d placed
on her shoulder—an action I couldn’t stop. I wanted my claim where everyone
could see it. Especially her new owner. He may have paid for her body, but I had
made it possible. That made her mine forever.
Harder, I thrust, fighting the lies wanting to spill from my lips as I soaked
every second into memory. I thought one thing, but another tried to come. It was
a battle—one I was losing with each beat of my heart. “I love you right now.
Come tomorrow, I may hate you for this. No…” I shook my head and clenched
my jaw as the words gutted me. “Fuck, this isn’t right. I do love you. But not
really.”
Tears clouded her eyes, and my heart tore in half, bleeding inside me
because of the fucking drugs. Horror had me groaning as I sat up, pulling her to
straddle me. I could barely catch my breath as I made her start riding my cock.
“I love you. Don’t cry. I do. I’m...fuck. Fuck. Jesus. Lies. All of it. Lies.”
The walls rippled in a white wave, turning into blood. Although I knew it
wasn’t real, I couldn’t stop the anxiety that came with the sight. My trip was
going downhill, and that wouldn’t be good if I fought what the Cort wanted me
to feel. I either gave in or it would win.
I closed my eyes and squeezed into Charlee’s hips as I moved her up and
down. The scent of her soap calmed my pulse. She was moaning again, pushing
her nails into the back of my biceps as she rested against me. She was weighed
down, where I wasn’t. But I would be if I continued to touch her much longer.
The thought had me moving her at a faster pace. There was no way I could let
this drag on for much longer. I’d ruin everything. And even with the drugs in my
system, I knew it wasn’t something I could afford.
“You hate me.” She paused through my thrust. “You love me.” Another
pause. “I love you, who is actually me. I don’t want to wake up. I don’t want you
to go. Which is stupid. You hurt me before, but I guess it was me who hurt
myself. I don’t want to wake up,” she repeated.
Rambling. It was slurring more toward the end. She was under more than
ever. She wasn’t even here right now. Perhaps I’d laced the vodka with too
much. Or maybe she had consumed more than I’d expected her to.
“I’ll come back. Every night that I can. Nothing could keep me away.
Not even you.”
Her arms drooped to her sides and I fell to my back, pulling her with me
as I pounded into her pussy. It didn’t take long for me to build. It felt way too
good to want to hold off any longer. My cock swelled, and her sounds, the way
her channel fit around me—everything climaxed until I couldn’t take it anymore.
I pulled out, moaning, as I stroked my length and came all over her ass.
Slow, deep breaths left her. She was asleep now. Probably had been
when she was rambling too. I didn’t care. I cleaned her up, trying my best to stay
steady and block out the hallucinations as I got dressed.
It wasn’t easy. Even though I couldn’t see the figures watching, I felt
their presence. It made it hard to focus. To move. But I knew better. I walked
over to where she was sprawled upside down on the bed and carried her to the
couch. Her eyes were closed and I wondered what she was dreaming about. She
kept whispering my name, even in sleep. Obviously, I was on her mind, but what
did that entail?
Fake love. It ruled me in the moment. That fucking swelling of my heart
increased, and for the life of me, I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to take Charlee
back to bed, curl up next to this junkie, and never part from her side. Damn, this
drug was good. Too good. A man could lose himself to a dream. Maybe I
already had.



Chapter 8
Charlee

There was no other way to say it: I was sick. More than sick. I had finally
fell off the deep end. Not knowing the difference between reality and fantasy
was taking its toll. For hours, I looked between my laptop and the empty bottle
of vodka on my coffee table. It didn’t make sense. None of it did. I could have
sworn on my life I only had a little. That some weird flu took me on a life-
altering ride. But that wasn’t the case at all. I got wasted, had the most vivid,
fucked-up dream, and awoke in a place I shouldn’t have been.
I needed help. More importantly, this had to stop.
I stood from the couch, zeroing in on how stiff I was. My muscles ached.
My head was fuzzy and throbbing. And the sickness was at an all-time high. I
didn’t care; I couldn’t afford to at this point. There was no way I was going to let
this happen again.
This man I invented, he wasn’t a comfort, he was my demons. He made
it feel like it was okay to continue down this road. But I couldn’t. This turning
point was my fork. It was life or death—and I wasn’t ready to die. I wanted to
live. To try to find myself for the first time and be something. That would never
happen if I didn’t walk away from what was killing me.
I headed for the fridge, closing it just as fast. When I opened the freezer,
it was a slap to the face. There was no food. Nothing whatsoever a person could
get substance from. What stared back at me was the one thing that had always
held me down.
The cold glass burned my sensitive skin as I took the vodka and poured it
down the drain. Each second it left the bottle was a stab in the heart of my
addict. Twice, I stopped. Three times, I flipped it back over and proceeded to
watch the old me die.
The walk to the corner store was just as devastating. All the money I had
was from my tips from the previous night. Before now, the small amount would
have gone to vodka and the necessities: bread, sandwich meat, maybe a few cans
of soup. As I picked out the vegetables and healthy foods I wouldn’t have
dreamed of spending money on in a million years, the tears collected. They were
a mix between relief and fear of the unknown. I wouldn’t go back to drinking or
drugs. What my life would become scared me, but I had to do this. Had to. It
wasn’t a question of want, but need. I needed to live.
“Hey. Charlee, right?”
I gripped the bananas, nearly dropping them at the tone. I knew that
voice like I knew the man from my dreams. What I was expecting when I turned
wasn’t to see the same man who had protected me from Drew the night before. It
left me unable to speak as I stared at him.
“Wow, you don’t look well. Your boss wasn’t joking last night. You
really are sick. Here, let me help you with that.”
He took the basket I was carrying, pushing his palm against my forehead
as he did so.
“You. I’m sorry. I never got your name.”
“Couldn’t you just call me John?”
“John?”
My heart exploded.
“Yes, that’s what you called me before. I’m just messing with you. You
were close, though. It’s James.”
“James,” I repeated. “Yes, I’m…” I trailed off as I stared at him. Same
face. John’s face. But not his eyes. Or his dark hair. Or skin color. Bile burned
the back of my throat as my mind tried to make sense of it. But it couldn’t. My
brain felt fried, and I couldn’t accept that this wasn’t the same man.
“You’re not okay.” His voice was low as he led me to the side of the
open space.
“I swear you remind me of someone. Of John. You could be his twin.”
“I hope that’s a good thing. It would be a complete let down if it wasn’t.”
I reached out, taking my basket back. “Truthfully, I don’t know.”
As I began to walk away, he followed. There was a comfort in that, yet
not. I was so confused. I couldn’t deny the pull to this stranger. Maybe I wanted
him to be John. We shared something—something destructive and purely of my
own imagination—but there was a chemistry. A want he had of me that I loved.
Love, yes. I had told him I loved him.
“If you don’t know, then at least there’s hope.”
My eyes cut over and I stopped at the end of the long line. Only one
register was open and there were three people with full carts in front of me. I
turned back to James, unable to stop the words that came tumbling out.
“You’re not good for me. You were looking for drugs last night. I’m not
about that anymore. I’m getting my life together and shutting out anyone who
comes in the way of that. I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.”
“Drugs?” His mouth opened and his eyes widened. He gave a quick
shake of his head and laughed under his breath. “Wow...I think we had a
misunderstanding. I don’t do drugs. Never have, never will. I can’t afford to lose
my job. The fun I was referring to was shallow and wrong, and I disrespected
you by my drunken words. I was trying to hit on you and it came out completely
wrong. I’m so sorry you thought that. Or that I even spoke to you that way. I had
no right. When I entered that bar, I was already wasted. Can we please start
over?”
“Oh.” I let the memories flood in, wishing I would have paid more
attention to what he’d said. Maybe he was right. Maybe I had taken it in the
wrong context because that’s what fun was to me—had been to me.
“Charlee, I’m really a good guy. I promise. And I’d love to get to know
you better. If there’s one thing you can count on me for, it’s support. You
mentioned getting your life together and shutting out negative influences. That’s
what I’m doing right now, too.” He shrugged. “It’s why I was so drunk last
night. Life hasn’t been good lately, but I’m trying to make it better. It’s why I
risked talking to you. You’re way out of my league, obviously, but I thought,
what the hell? What more do I have to lose?”
Out of his league? Was he serious? I didn’t see it that way at all, but it
made me feel good. Good, like when John built me up…
“I’m sorry I read the situation so wrong. I don’t know what to
say.”
“Nothing. And don’t apologize.” He reached his hand out toward me.
“May I?”
Slowly, I handed over the basket. Even now, I still felt the sluggishness
of the vodka in my system, but having a friend would be nice. One that wasn’t a
figment of my imagination.
“Great selection,” he said, peering into the basket. “I love health food.
Would you be interested in dinner? We could head back and grab some steaks to
add to this salad stuff. It’s on me,” he offered, putting up his hand before I could
speak. “Dinner, a movie...friends. Nothing you have to be awkward about
whatsoever. If I make a move on you, you never have to speak to me again.”
“I don’t know.”
“Just give me a chance. Get to know me. I promise you won’t regret it.”

****

Dinner. A movie. James held to his word, sitting on the opposite end of
the sofa as we ate popcorn and laughed at the romantic comedy he chose. It was
unlike any night I’d had in months, and although it was nice, I couldn’t stop
myself from stealing glances at him. It didn’t matter that his appearance was
different. When I saw him, I felt John.
“What are thinking?” He narrowed his eyes, and I looked away. Heat
crept up my neck, quickly taking over every inch.
“Nothing.” I glanced back. “I think you gypped me out of popcorn. You
clearly gave yourself more.”
“You’ve barely even touched yours.” His laugh had me smiling, but I
returned my attention to the television. Minutes passed, and once again, I found
myself scanning his profile. My teeth sank into my bottom lip as I forced myself
back to the movie, but nothing I did made me focus on what was happening.
John. John. The name repeated, distracting me. An inferno rolled through my
body, and I shifted at the blurred image of him on top of me. He had taken away
the nightmare and replaced it with the best sex I could barely remember. But it
was good. Deep inside, I knew that. Love.
“What’s the woman’s name?”
“What?”
James’ head cocked to the side. “You have no idea the main character’s
name, do you?”
“Sure I do. It’s…uh…”
“I knew it.” He laughed, reaching forward and clicking off the television.
“Let’s talk. Tell me about yourself. I know the basics. You work at the Dizzy
Dagger. You’re attempting to get back into modeling. You grew up in North
Carolina. You’re an only child with no family close. What else can you tell me?”
I shook my head. “I told you everything over dinner. Your turn. Tell me
about yourself. Who is James?”
“Hmmm. That’s a hard one. He’s a lot of people.”
“How many people?”
“How much time do you have?”
We both laughed, and I reached forward, putting down my popcorn and
grabbing my water.
“As long as it takes. Tell me everything.”
Silence and contemplation. He was thinking something, and he wasn’t
sure whether to tell me.
“I’m a scout.”
“A scout?”
“Baseball scout. I go to high schools and colleges to seek out talent.
Pretty boring as I’ve lost all love for the sport. But whatever. It is what it is. Let
me see...I’m a Scorpio. I hate long walks on the beach. The sand irritates the hell
out of me. I prefer this much more. Staying in, watching movies, having real
conversation. I’m addicted to cupcakes. I like how they come in every flavor
under the sun. I think giving a woman flowers is overrated. They die. They only
symbolize an end. That’s why I only give them out when there’s a break up. It’s
like a parting gift. Oh,” he said, smiling, “I should probably mention family. My
parents have passed, but I have two brothers, Jerry and Peyton. Jerry is a lawyer,
and Peyton is an agent at Benson and Dean. I should probably tell him about
you. Although...I’m not sure that would be a wise move on my behalf. He might
try to steal you away. He is better looking.”
I gasped, not believing my luck. “Benson and Dean is the agency I was
looking at last night. I can’t believe this. Your brother is an agent there?
Seriously?”
“Honest to God. I’m actually taking a flight out to meet with him
tomorrow. It’s a family thing, out of state. When we get back in a few days,
would you like to meet him?”
My hand covered my mouth, and I could barely lower it to speak.
“I would love that. James...I...this is so bizarre. I’m sorry, I’m having a
hard time wrapping my mind around this. Good things never happen to me.
Meeting you…” I shook my head in disbelief. “You stepped in with Drew. You
offered to walk me home afterward. You paid for dinner. Now, this. I almost
can’t believe this is happening.” Was it happening? It all seemed so unreal. What
if I woke up again with another empty bottle? Or on the streets, passed out from
drugs?
“Your luck has just changed, Charlee. I promise.” Intensity radiated from
James’ eyes. Time seemed to slow as he moved in closer and took out his phone.
“I’m a scout. I know something great when I see it and I think you’re special.
You’re worth so much more than you know. I see that, and soon, so will
everyone else. Now, smile for the camera, baby. I’m about to change your
world.”




Chapter 9
Scout 14

“You’re kidding me, Fourteen. That’s your chosen? How the fuck did
you find her?”
I laughed at Ten as I slid my phone back in my pocket. “I have my ways.
Let’s just say we ran into each other. Literally. She was so fucking drunk, she
could barely stand. I almost took her that night, but I held out. And she’s fun to
fuck with, if you know what I mean.”
“Lucky bastard. You always find the best ones.”
“Sure do. Charlee’s a gem. A few more weeks, and she’ll be gracing the
auction block and making me a shitload of money.
“Weeks?”
“Yeah, weeks. Did you miss me saying she was fun? Besides, I have
time. The auction is still a ways away. She’ll be here before she’s needed.”
Ten rolled his eyes, shifting in his chair. “I hate virgins. I can’t wait to
move to the blue. Blue is where it’s at. I’m glad the Main Master opened more
slots. The more blue, the better.”
“Damn right. Did you see the one we dropped off when we got here?
Young redhead? She’s been providing quite the entertainment at the compound.
The guys couldn’t get enough.”
“Oh yeah. I saw her. I heard you found her, too. I don’t know how you
do it.”
“They don’t call me the best for nothing.”
I took a sip from my bottled water, and looked over toward the door as it
opened. The High Leader entered the meeting room along with the scout boss,
Mateo. The silence following their position in front of the tables had all of us
sitting straighter. We had been at Whitlock for days waiting to see what was
happening, and it finally seemed like we had our answer. What I hadn’t expected
was for the boss, Main Master Bram Whitlock, to come barging through our
door. He was beyond angry as he scanned our faces. His dark hair was a mess
compared to how well-groomed he usually was, and his blue eyes were
bloodshot.
“Thirty of you,” he said through clenched teeth, walking the length of the
tables, taking his time as he studied each of us. When he got to me, his lids
lowered even more, but he kept walking. “Half.” He paused, glancing over at his
High Leader and Mateo, who nodded.
“Here’s the deal.” He held up a picture of a woman with shoulder-length
black hair. She had big blue eyes, full lips, and a small, thin nose. She was
beautiful. My grade, beautiful. And I knew exactly who she was: Everleigh
Harper, former slave turned Mistress. She had been married to the corrupt
former Main Master, West Harper, but meant for Bram. She had gone crazy
before she escaped. Or so the rumors said.
“I have ten of the best men in the world searching for this woman. And
this woman,” he growled, shaking the picture, “is outsmarting them all.
Outsmarting me! I will not have it. I will not let her win. I want her found, and I
want her brought back. Twenty-four-six-ninety will not escape my clutches.
Whitlock is her home, and by God, she’ll fucking come back if I have to burn
the world down around her and pull her from the fucking ashes. Do I make
myself clear?”
“Yes, Main Master,” we all stated.
“Good. Because fifteen of you are being redirected to her case. Be
warned. She is not to be taken lightly. She is a killer. She’s the best manipulator
I have ever, and I mean ever, met. And she is not alone. She has hundreds of
millions of my money and her own bodyguards who are trained to protect.
They’re the best. We are the best. Do you see my fucking problem? The ones
who end up close to her disappear. And not just merely vanish. They do, but not
before she manages to send me their fucking face! Me! Here, at Whitlock!”
He raked a hand through his hair and stopped pacing to close his eyes
and take a deep breath.
“I want her found,” he said, calmer. “I’ll reward the one who captures
and brings her back to me alive more money than they could have dreamed. But
remember one thing. The most important thing: she’s mine. Do you understand
me? Mine. Let that be a warning. If you value your life, you’ll take it seriously.”
Blue eyes cut over to his High Leader, and both disappeared through the
door. It was only when Mateo shut the barrier that anyone spoke.
“Fuck that,” Seven said, shaking his head. “Don’t send me. I don’t want
anything to do with the war going on between those two. It’s a lose-lose
situation. I met Mistress Harper before she and West escaped. No. I don’t want
the job. She’s either going to kill me, or the Main Master will if I fuck up. I’d
like to live, thank you very much.”
“Me too,” another agreed. “I didn’t know her personally, but I watched
how all that shit went down, and you can count me out.”
 “You don’t have a choice in the matter. I’ve already decided who is
going and who is not.” Mateo grabbed a stack of folders and tossed them on the
table before some of the scouts. “You will search out slave twenty-four-six-
ninety, and you will bring her back. It’s not up for debate. You’ll do it or you
can spend the rest of your days in the White Room. Your choice.”
“The White Room?” Seven gasped. “You’d lock us up with the crazies
for refusing a suicide mission?”
“Refusing a direct order from your Main Master. And you bet your ass.”
Mateo turned, pointing at me. “You’ll head up the scouts in your district. And
you, and you,” he said, pointing down the row. “The remaining ones will
continue with your chosen. Any issue that comes up will be reverted to your
leader. Any questions?”
At the shake of heads, he spun and disappeared through the door.
Bickering and bitching sounded, but I ignored it, taking out my phone to see a
missed text.
Charlee: I got your message earlier. I’m doing great. I hope all is going
well with you.
I smiled, letting my fingers go to work.
Me: Sorry, my signal isn’t good here. I just saw your text. Things are
going. I wouldn’t say great. How did the job interview go?
I almost rolled my eyes. I told her I was going to get her seen by my
supposed brother. That she needed to hold off quitting the Dizzy Dagger, but she
seemed in a hurry to get away from that part of her life. And it’s not like I could
blame her since she started going holier-than-thou. But that was my fault. My
game was getting to her. The only positive I saw was the fact that she had put in
her notice, which meant covering my tracks would be easier.
Charlee: I thought it went okay. They said they would get back to me.
Me: I showed my brother your picture.
“Can you believe this? I knew things were getting bad, but did you see
the Main Master?” Ten asked, distracting me. “He looks like hell. I wonder how
long it’s been since he’s had any good sleep. Those dark circles under his eyes
have gotten worse since the last time I saw him.”
“Who knows,” I mumbled. “But it’s a good lesson. Never fall in love.
The love he has for that crazy bitch knows no bounds. She’s fucking him up, and
she’s not even here.”
“True.”
Charlee: Oh no. It was a horrible picture of me!
Me: It was not. He can’t wait to meet you. I told you, you’re special.
A good minute went by. Then, longer. I shifted in my chair, beginning to
feel impatience and jealousy spark. I hated not being where I could watch her.
The thought that some man was checking out what was mine or getting too close
sent my blood boiling. It had me bringing my phone back up.
Me: Where are you? You at home?
Charlee: No, I’m out with friends. I’m so glad he wants to meet.
My world stopped. Out? What the fuck happened with getting her life
together? I was gone for a few days and she fell off the wagon already?
Me: Oh. I thought you were done with that scene.
Charlee: Not like that. I just left the movies. I’m headed home now.
Again. Jealousy. It was getting worse by the second. Movies? Who the
fuck did she go with? A guy? It’s not like I could ask her. She’d pull back, and I
couldn’t afford that—not unless I wanted to end this now. Which was a
possibility. Charlee couldn’t get her life together and do it by excluding me.
Which almost appeared to be the case. I had mentioned going out to dinner at an
actual restaurant or to a movie and she shot me down. Rejection. It hit me like a
ton of bricks. She wanted me when she was high. Not sober? Fuck no. If she
couldn’t go out with me, she wasn’t going out with anyone else.
Me: I’ll let you go. Just text me when you get home so I know you made it
there safely.
Charlee: Will do.
I pushed from the table, heading for the door. White walls lined the
curved hallway and I followed it down, leaving the scout department. Fury
thrummed within, and my pulse exploded in a flurry of fast, raging beats. A
guard nodded to me at the entrance to Slave Row, and I walked in, scanning the
doors as I made it toward the blue area where the non-virgins were held. Anger
faded and I came to a stop as the Main Master broke through the door in front of
me.
“You. What the hell are you doing here?”
What was I doing here? Oh...yes. Looking for someone to beat down.
Which I couldn’t do now that the slaves were within Whitlock. They belonged to
Bram. To beat them would be messing with his merchandise, which I wasn’t
allowed to freely do. Unless, of course, I had a reason—which I didn’t.
“Main Master,” I said, bowing my head before bringing it back up. “I
was just checking out the competition. I’m always looking to step up my game
for you.”
Blue eyes narrowed as he approached. Even with the weight loss and
haggard appearance, he dominated over me. He was just as wide as my built
frame, and a good two inches taller. But size had nothing to do with how small
he made me feel. It was his aura. The energy projected a killer—a man I did not
want to face. Fear didn’t work well with me, but I knew my place. Especially
before him.
“I know you. You’re Fourteen.”
“Yes, Main Master.”
“Do you have a chosen, or are you in-between? I didn’t see you on my
list of scouts to search for twenty-four-six-ninety.”
Screaming echoed behind us from around the corner. I looked over my
shoulder, hearing a hard thunk. The screams ceased, only to return in a gargled
slur of pleas. A slave had been hit, and from the sounds of it, was choking on the
blood.
“I have a chosen.” I paused, feeling a weird flutter. The words almost
didn’t want to come. I didn’t want to tell him, but I knew it was who I was. I
didn’t have a choice. She was already in the system. “Her name is Charlee. I
think you’re going to be very, very happy with this one. There’s not many like
her, and I don’t ever say that. She may be the best I’ve scouted so far.”
“Charlee,” he said under his breath. “Does she have a file?”
“She does.” I reached in my pocket, withdrawing my phone. My hand
shook as I gazed down at it. Back and forth, my mind battled. “I have a picture
of her I took a few days ago.”
“Really? Let me see.”
More screaming came from behind us as I went into the pictures and
stared down at her smile. At my smile. We almost looked normal. Like...a
couple.
“This is her.”
Bram took the phone, narrowing his eyes. He looked from it to me, only
to return to the screen.
“You look a little too comfortable with this slave. Do we have a problem
here?”
“No, Main Master. Not at all.”
“Stats?”
I swallowed hard. “Five-foot-ten. One hundred and twenty pounds.
Blonde hair, blue eyes. She’s a model...or was.”
“Was?”
There was a warning in his voice. Anger, as if I were putting Whitlock at
risk.
“She used to be in her teens. Now, she’s an alcoholic and druggie. She
works at a bar but recently put in her notice. She can barely pay rent and has no
real friends. Charlee stays very isolated. She’s a fucking train wreck.”
“Perfect. This,” he said, holding up the phone, “this is good. This makes
me happy.”
“Please! Please!”
Scuffling sounded behind me and I turned as a guard pulled a slave
around the corner. Her chin length black hair was a mess and some of the strands
were stuck to the blood smeared across her cheek. Bram was around me before I
even knew he’d moved.
“What’s this?”
The guard froze, and the girl’s knees gave out, but he managed to hold
her up as she sobbed.
“She didn’t want to shower and tried to escape. Even attacked me when I
tried to force her in. She’s been fighting me the entire way.”
Bram’s hand shot out, squeezing into her face. For seconds, he didn’t
speak. He just stared down with rage that made me uneasy.
“You give my guard grief, slave? Do you not know your place? Have
you not learned where you are yet?”
“I want to go home. I—”
Sobs overtook her tiny form, and I was sure Bram and I saw the same
thing. The girl, she looked like Everleigh Harper. Not the features, but the build
and hair. Even the light eyes.
“This is your home now. This will be your home until you die. Do I
make myself clear?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head free of his grasp and spitting right in his
face. “No! Never! I’ll kill you. I’ll kill you all! I want to go home!”
Her arms flailed and her legs kicked out as she fought to break free of the
guard. She was screaming louder, tearing her nails into the man holding her and
our Main Master. A loud crack split the air as Bram reared back and struck her
across the face. The gush of air leaving her didn’t register right away. My mouth
parted, but I couldn’t wrap my head around what I was seeing.
The girl’s legs gave out, and Bram stepped back, pulling his knife free of
her stomach. But it wasn’t enough. He thrust once. Twice. Her lips were parted,
just like mine, and her eyes were wide and bulging with shock.
“Maybe you misunderstood, slave,” he growled in her face. “Until death.
Death,” he yelled. “No one leaves Whitlock. Ever.” The girl was struggling to
breath. She’d be dead in seconds, and he didn’t care. “Get rid of her,” he
snapped at the guard. “I can’t stand looking at her. I don’t need another
rebellious, stubborn...threatening me,” he trailed off, wiping the blood from his
blade along his black suit pants as he turned back to me. “No more like her. No
more who look like her. Do you understand me?”
I mouth moved but it took me a moment to speak. “Yes, Main Master.”
 If Bram Whitlock killed a slave for fighting, what about Charlee? She
might fight. No...she would definitely fight.
“Was there anything else you needed?”
“No, sir.”
He nodded, eying me eerily. Maybe he knew what I was thinking. Or
maybe he was just tired of looking at me, too. The Main Master had no patience
for anything these days. He was driven to find twenty-four-six-ninety, and I
knew he wouldn’t rest until Everleigh was in his clutches again. But it didn’t
help with her pushing his buttons either. If she was sending him faces of the men
tracking her, it was no wonder he was going crazy.
Bram disappeared, heading through the door the guard left from. I
brought my phone up, clicking the screen to see the picture of me and Charlee
again. I had been sure this was the way it had to be, but suddenly, I wasn’t sure
what I was going to do. My training, seeing the Main Master, it told me I needed
to push away anything I felt for her and just hand her over. And quick. But was
there another way? She was getting her life together. If she could see me as
James. If I could…
I took in her smile. How long I stared, I wasn’t sure. It wasn’t until my
phone pinged that I blinked the overwhelming thoughts away.
Charlee: I’m home. Are you busy? I’ve been thinking about you.
Me: Not busy at all. Bored, actually. I’ve been thinking of you too.

 Chapter 10
Charlee

The streets had always felt more like home than any place I had lived in.
The neon lights, the people...the excitement. Even out by myself, I never felt
alone. Watching the couples and families laugh as they held hands, leaving
restaurants or the nearby businesses, always provided comfort. Hope, that maybe
someday I would become lucky enough to have something relatively close to
what they were blessed with.
But not this evening.
I had left my apartment to drown out the sadness with glimpses of my
possible future, but no matter how many people I searched out, I couldn’t push
away the feeling of being watched.
The wind blew back my hair as I glanced over my shoulder, and I pushed
my hands deeper into the pockets of my half trench. The cool air was a
refreshing change from the stuffy confines of my spotless apartment, but chills
continuously crept up my spine.
I broke around the corner, planning to loop around the block—anything
to get out and attempt to clear my mind—but the sensations crawling over my
skin brought me to a stop just around the turn. I pressed my back into the
building, waiting. For what, I wasn’t sure. People came and went, and I studied
all of them. It wasn’t dark, but it would be soon. And the thought made me even
more afraid.
Minutes went by while I took everything in. Cars passed, and large
crowds of people raced through the crosswalk. No one stood out or appeared to
be looking at me in a way that heightened my suspicion.
I shook my head and headed back the way I came. Paranoia. It was
getting worse, and it had to be from the withdrawals, which were growing by the
day. I fought for relief. Every second, every minute, was a battle I had been
unprepared for. I found that out when I went to the movies with Barbara, a
former waitress I had met at Barney’s. Although we weren’t really friends, we
kept in touch. She was a partier—something I wasn’t anymore. Meeting up with
her that night had been a mistake. I knew that the moment I got a whiff of the
liquor on her breath. She had even tried to convince me we should hit the clubs
when the late movie ended.
 The constant hunger for my addictions were crippling. Especially with
the added pressure. But that was nothing compared to the mental need to escape.
She’d been so free, so gone from the alcohol in her system. Just the thought of
how much I physically wanted to fall back into my old habits made me sick. I
had left the moment the movie was over, and cried the entire way home. Cried,
like I wanted to do now.
I kept my head down as I continued glancing up at the pedestrians who
swept by. A man headed toward me and I soaked in his face for reasons that
made no sense. His brown eyes bore into me. His nose was slightly crooked, and
his chin almost seemed to mold into his neck. The fedora had distrust rising, but
instinct told me he was no one. Just a passerby checking out a tall blonde who
was probably throwing all sorts of red flags from her panicked, yet judgmental
face. I could feel my how tight my features were. I was on edge, ready for an
emotional meltdown any minute.
Loneliness had my heart aching, and the invisible weight on my back had
fear intensifying my emotions. My world was a mess. All I wanted was to have
some sort of normal and happy life. I knew I would get there eventually, and that
was the only thing making me fight these cravings.
My head jerked around at what felt like a hand brushing down my hair.
Air gushed from my lungs at the collision, and I crashed to a stop as arms
wrapped around my waist, steadying me.
“Whoa, there. Did you miss me so much?”
“J-James.” I righted myself, staring up at him, confused. “I didn’t see
you. Were you just…” I drew in my fingers and pointed my thumb over my
shoulder. “Were you just behind me?”
“No. I was walking right toward you. I just got back. You didn’t see
me?”
“No, I’m sorry.” My arms came up and I gave him a hug as I tried to
wrap my brain around how distant I was becoming with reality. It didn’t seem to
matter whether I was intoxicated or not. My mind was not functioning.
“I’m so happy you’re back. I didn’t know it would be so soon. Your text
this morning said you might be a few more days.”
He shrugged, smiling as he led me toward my building.
“Let’s say I had enough family time to last me another two years. That
was the longest week in history. I think texting you probably saved a few lives.
My family is not easy to get along with.”
I laughed, relating a little too well.
“Family can be hard to deal with sometimes. I haven’t talked to mine
since I left. Not like they care.” I paused, biting my tongue from going further.
“I’m glad I could help.”
“Did talking to me help you? How have you been, Charlee?”
The sincerity in his tone had me reaching out to hold his hand. He
immediately brought it to his lips, and the action nearly had my feet stalling. The
weird familiarity set in, and my anxiety lessened.
“Honestly, I would have been lost without you. Being able to reach out at
all times helped more than you know. Thank you.”
“No, thank you. You’re helping me too, remember? I think as long as we
stick together, everything will be okay for both of us.”
Coming to a stop outside my building’s door, he glanced around. “You
know, I’m not sure I want to go in yet. I’ve been cooped up for days. Can we
walk?”
“Of course.”
“Where did you just come from? You looked upset just before you ran
into me.”
James rotated his hand, and his fingers went from holding four of mine to
letting his digits slide between. In the form of hand-holding, it definitely felt
more intimate. My pulse picked up, and a weird fluttering tickled my stomach.
“I was just walking. I needed fresh air, too. I’ve barely left my apartment
since you went on your trip. I went to the movies with Barbara, but that’s it. And
that was only because I was restless. I find myself getting like that a lot now.”
“Charlee, I want to ask you something, and please be honest.”
“All right.”
“You mentioned you hadn’t been drinking. Have you truly not had one
drop of alcohol since I left?”
His eyes searched mine, and I shook my head, smiling as I turned my
gaze back ahead of us.
“Not one. Sometimes I think I’m dying. I’m shaky and sick. It’s been
horrible, but worth it.”
“I’m proud of you. I truly am.”
I found myself wrapping around the arm that held my hand and resting
my head on his shoulder. It didn’t matter that I barely knew this man. Four
words, simple words: I’m proud of you—they were like an electrical charge to
my failing heart. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had said that to me,
or if anyone ever had. Tears burned my eyes, but I kept them from falling as he
brought us to a stop and stroked my hair.
“Is it crazy that I feel like I’ve known you forever? I can’t explain it,
Charlee, but I’m so comfortable around you. Like I don’t have to pretend to be
someone I’m not.”
 “I feel the same way. I really do. It’s hard to explain, but you’re so
familiar to me.”
His hand moved from my hair to my face, and his lips pressed into my
forehead as his arm wrapped around me, pulling me up against his side. I wasn’t
sure how long or far we walked. Conversation was pointless, and we both
seemed to be content to just be in each other’s presence.
The sun set, and lights lit the city. People came and went, and voices died
out as we headed through the small corner park. Our hotdogs were long gone,
and I reached over, tossing my drink in the trashcan while we headed deeper
down the cement path.
“Hand over the cash or she gets it.”
A hand around my bicep jerked me to a stop, pulling me away from
James. Fear suffocated me as a barrel was shoved against my temple.
“Hey, hey. Whoa. Put down the gun. There’s no need for that.”
“Now!”
The man thrust the gun toward James, and a black sweatshirt was all I
saw before he brought it back it, shoving the metal into my skin with pressure
that had a small sound of pain leaving my mouth.
“Okay, okay. Just calm down.” James slowly lowered his hands and
surged forward before I could process the blur of speed. The explosive force of
his hand pushing me out of the way sent me flying to the side. Cement scorched
into my palms as I tried to catch myself.
James grasped the stranger’s wrist, and the gun fell as he twisted the
man’s limb and spun his around so James’ bicep was hooked under his neck. A
loud screamed cut through the night and a deep inhale was followed by more
sounds of pain.
“I think you broke my fucking wrist!”
“You’re right, and next it’ll be your arm or neck. Your choice.”
Another yell came from the gunman as James pulled up on the arm
wedged between them. I couldn’t see what he was doing, but the agony on the
man’s face increased through shuttering gasps.
“Arm or neck,” James growled, giving him a stiff shake.
“Please, man. Fuck!”
“James, please!” I stood, terrified by the deadness in his eyes. He
blinked, bringing his attention to me, and something I wasn’t sure of crossed
over his face. The man clawed at the long sleeve shirt as James curled into him,
cutting off his air as he drew his bicep tighter.
“James, please. Let’s go.”
Seconds went by, and the man went limp in his arms. For a moment, I
couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.
“Now, we leave,” he said, dropping the gunman’s body like it was
nothing. “Don’t worry, he’s not dead. Just unconscious. I took self-defense
classes. He wouldn’t have let us leave after that. Damnit. I never thought I’d use
them. Let’s get out of here before he comes to. I’ll call the cops and let them
know. Are you okay?”
He jerked me into his arms, hugging tightly before pulling me out of the
park at a fast pace.
“I’m o-okay.”
“Are you sure? I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I couldn’t think when I saw
that gun at your head. It’s amazing how everything just came back to me. It felt
so natural. I just...reacted.”
We came to a stop in front of a deli, and he pulled my hands up. Blood
was smeared on my palms and crimson beaded against my skin. He quickly took
out a handkerchief and patted it against them.
“Thank you,” I whispered, looking up at him. “You keep saving me.”
Lips crushed into mine while I felt myself melt into his arms. I barely
knew when he broke his lips from mine, but he didn’t let me go. He was on the
phone, talking quickly to whom I assumed was the cops. Tighter, he held, and
more my heart swelled. I closed my eyes, holding to him...for life...for security
against the rattling inside. I even held on for hope. James had been my rock in
the loneliness, and the one person I could count on. There was a peace in that.
Even if there was an uneasiness in how fast he moved, or the look he had had in
his eyes when he was choking the robber. I should have been terrified at the
glimpse I caught of him. I should have been distancing myself. The signs were
there, and my intuition knew better. He had secrets. But were they worth pushing
him away?



Chapter 11
Scout 14

Was there anything more powerful than words—than the way each story,
confession, testimonial...each puzzle of perfectly fit sentences weaved a
seamless picture of perception?
Words had the ability to warp a person’s mind. With added pressure to
their thoughts, you could completely change their perspective. You could alter
lives for the best, or destroy their views or self-esteem for the worst. With
words...you could make anything possible.
I was a master of manipulation. A wizard for rerouting emotions. The
messiah of Charlee’s fate. She was eating out of the palm of my hand from the
lies I fed her, and I was sick enough to thrive in that. Life was perfect, and the
direction was completely up to me.
After my run-in with Bram Whitlock, the chameleon in me said any
decent man would have swept her away. That I should have protected her from
her bad fortune. Even after the robber in the park, possessiveness should have
made me want to keep her to myself even more. Perception. Sense of self. Most
would have been swayed by love. But I wasn’t most. The truth was, although I
did have feelings for Charlee, the only person I cared for was myself. She was
doomed no matter what her life held. Whitlock: her Master would surely kill her.
With me: she’d be even more of a slave—a Cort addict of my making. And here,
alone, without me in the picture, she’d destroy herself.
Charlee would never make her future as bright as she wished. She was
incapable of taking the right path. At some point, the spell she was under for a
healthy life would crumble. She’d cave, and her repeated alcoholic, druggy state
would probably be worse than ever. At that point, she was as good as dead.
It didn’t take a genius to know the odds of her walking away from her
habits the first time she tried weren’t in her favor. And sure, it could have
happened. But not for her. Not for Charlee. Internally, she was already broken.
Already doomed because of the way her mind was programmed. So that left me
with the obvious. Charlee would go to Whitlock, and me? I’d see her when I
could. I could live with that. After all, fondness wasn’t love. I knew I didn’t love
her more than I loved myself. It was the game I cherished. And the destruction
of her I adored.
Even now, as I followed her down the street to a new job interview, all I
could think about was drugging and raping her again. She’d been clean for a
while now, and the knowledge lit a fire inside me. I craved to knock her down.
To show her just what she’d been missing.
Ideas blossomed: a new chosen to play with. The want was there, but not
more than my need of Charlee. It was her. She projected all the things I had been
running from. She was a dream to a man like me. I would never have someone
like her in real life. Had she not been an addict and met me on her downtime
from doing shoots, clear-headed Charlee would have never of given me the time
of day. Deep down, I knew that. She was softened and reliant from her hard life.
It made her more accepting. Truth was, whether she knew it or not, she was
using me, and that wasn’t okay to the man within. Maybe it was why I wanted to
hurt her so much with a relapse. She’d continue to be mine if she stayed weak.
But it was all for nothing. Charlee wasn’t mine. She never would be. Time was
running out, and I had maybe one more chance before I had to turn her over—
one more chance to drown her for the contempt she brought out in me.
Charlee brushed back her blonde hair, and straightened as her hands ran
over the baby blue blouse and black pencil skirt. She paused outside the
department store, glancing around the crowd of people who quickly walked by. I
came to a stop, moving in toward the entrance of the big retailer next door.
Nervousness flickered over her face, and she adjusted the purse’s shoulder strap
before weaving around a woman exiting. The moment she disappeared inside, I
withdrew my phone, texting her.
Me: Hey, beautiful. Want to go for a drive a little later?
The reply was almost immediate.
Charlee: I was just about to text you. My new interview is in twenty
minutes. I thought I’d walk around the store and check it out. I’m so nervous!
Hmmm...where to?
Me: There’s a cute little town about three or so hours away. Mystic,
Connecticut. I think you’d like it. We can explore a little before dark. Maybe
grab some famous pizza before we head back.
Charlee: Adventure and pizza! Sounds fun. Let’s do it.
Me: Great. I’ll head toward downtown and pick you up.
Charlee: I can’t wait. I’ll let you know when I’m done.
I grinned at the smiley face, then shoved the phone in my pocket as I
headed across the street. I was parked a few blocks over, but there’d be no use
for my car for this next game.
A good hour went by before Charlee finally emerged from the double
doors. She checked her phone, frowning. Her head lowered, and I watched as
she began her long walk home. I stayed even on the other side of the road,
unable to contain my smile at the text she’d read from me. I explained how I got
called into work and I was sorry. That we’d have to reschedule.
Heat bore into my skin and sweat collected against my exposed forearms.
I had the suit’s sleeves pushed up to where my fake tattoos were exposed. And
as if she felt me, her head turned right in my direction, and she almost fell as her
feet tried to plant. The crowds were thick on both sides, and I weaved in and out
of people as she gaped at me and increased her speed. She kept doing a double-
take, as if she wasn’t sure it was really me—John.
I knew the moment she decided to confront me, but she was too late. Her
face shot where she thought I would be, but I was gone—hidden on the other
side of the alleyway where she couldn’t quite see me.
Charlee back stepped, stopping as her eyes frantically searched the area.
People crashed into her, and her hand came out, warding them off as she
searched the on-comers. She thought I was close. That I was coming to get her.
Panic was etched into her face. And then...she began to run. I watched until she
was too far down for me to see. Pride in myself swelled, and I basked in my
game.
Let her think she was losing her mind. Let her wonder whether she was
hallucinating or not. This part of me, this evil taker, would soon meet her again,
and when I did, she would wish she’d escaped my grasp and ran further away
than just her shitty apartment.






Chapter 12
Charlee

Withdraws. Maybe I knew it would be this bad. Maybe it was the entire
reason I tried not to think about quitting the drugs and alcohol. To say it was
hard keeping my distance from booze and narcotics was an understatement. I
threw up. I shook and went through cold sweats. The nausea was never-ending.
Just the thought of chugging down a bottle of vodka sent my heart pounding
against my chest. I was itchy. Itchy for destruction. Physically itchy to the point
that I wanted to tear into my skin just to try to stop the hallucinations. I was a
mess.
“Drink.”
James brushed the hair back from my face as he handed me a glass of
water. I was sitting in front of the toilet, still trying to catch my breath from the
dry heaves that didn’t result in me physically purging anything from my body.
Visions flashed of John on the street and I couldn’t stop wondering if I
was going crazy. What was worse, is I had thought it was James at first. At least,
until my brain clicked that he didn’t look like that. It made no sense. I hadn’t had
a drink in what felt like forever, but the sickness was still there. Still trying to
draw me back. I was shaken to the core. My doubts were trying to drown me,
and they were succeeding. Seeing James now was like letting a wolf inside my
home. Which was ridiculous. They weren’t the same person. So why was I was
having a tough time believing that?
“Thank you. For everything. You’ve been amazing. You really don’t
have to be here. I’m sure you’ve had a long day. The last thing you probably
want to do is babysit me. I’ll be fine.”
He threw me a look, then helped me stand, and took the water as I
brushed my teeth.
“You think I would leave you like this? You don’t know me very well.
I’m invested, or haven’t you noticed?”
I grinned, finishing up, and letting him wrap his arm around me as he led
me back to the sofa. He grabbed the throw blanket, the one he’d bought for me
days ago, and covered me up.
“Invested. Why? I’m a mess.”
“You’re a warrior. You’re in a battle and you’re winning. That’s
admirable.”
He kissed my cheek and placed the glass down on the coffee table.
Grabbing the remote, I turned on the television. The world news came on, but
not in the form of what I was expecting. It was a special.
The disappearances and deaths of the rich and famous doesn’t stop with
Senator Kunken. In the last few months, celebrities have perished at an alarming
rate. More so, now, than ever in history. Some from accidents, others from
natural causes. Several celebrities have disappeared all-together, leaving behind
no traces of their whereabouts.
As the world mourns, we ask ourselves: Why? How?
The next celebrity death we examine is that of billionaire heir and
lawyer, Bram Whitlock. He dazzled Hollywood with his guest appearances and
even worked closely with well-known charities. Where most considered him the
most eligible bachelor only a few months ago, his murder was one that left
authorities stumped and hearts across the world broken.
“Jesus,” I breathed out.
Crime scene footage nearly had me turning away. My hand flew to my
mouth and I shifted on the couch. A pair of legs stuck out from the beginning of
a hallway and the amount of blood was massive and gruesome. Crimson smears
stained the light-colored marble floor as if he had been dragged into the space,
and a large pool stopped just short of his designer dress shoes. When a picture of
his face flashed on the screen, I frowned, shaking my head. The man was beyond
handsome with his black, wavy hair, and bright blue eyes. He had smile that
would have stopped hearts. And probably had. Perfect jawline. “What a waste,” I
mumbled, under my breath.
“What is that supposed to mean?”
I turned to James. The anger was clear in his tone and I was taken aback
by the sudden spark of jealousy. “The man was clearly set in life. It’s just sad it
ended so tragically.”
“Bram Whitlock wasn’t who people thought he was. He was an asshole
when the cameras weren’t on him. Most celebrities aren’t as they appear. And
trust me, I’ve met more than you can imagine. They’re all high and mighty and
so out of touch with reality, it’s not even funny. They think the world revolves
around them. Like they’re some sort of God or something.”
“You knew him?” I glanced back at the TV as they showed more
pictures. The bitterness in James’ tone brought me back to him.
“I met Bram a few times. We weren’t friends or anything, but I knew a
side of him he didn’t show others. He was a monster, Charlee. His disappearance
from the outside world was a blessing.” He paused, frowning. “Or, maybe a
curse.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing.” Forcing a smile, he extended my legs and sat on the edge of
the sofa, level with my stomach. “I’m sorry about ruining our trip, earlier. I
didn’t expect work to call. I guess it was a good thing it happened before we
left.”
“It’s fine. I completely understand. I was starting to wonder if you even
had a job,” I laughed. “You’ve spent the last week with me without so much as a
call.”
His face hardened the smallest amount before he changed the subject.
“What would you like to eat for dinner? It’s on me. We can order takeout or I
can run down and grab something from the store. It’s up to you. What do you
think your stomach can handle? You need to eat. You haven’t had an appetite for
days.”
“Well.” I went over the options in my head, but no matter how hard I
tried to think of food, I couldn’t stop the weird feelings over his sudden change
in behavior. The jealousy. Bram wasn’t the first man he had been triggered by.
There had been a handful since his return and I couldn’t deny James was
somehow different. My heart liked the idea of him, but my mind wouldn’t stop
telling me something was seriously wrong.
I scanned his face—John’s face, minus the lighter skin tone and different
color eyes.
“Maybe just some rice?”
“Chinese, then? Excellent choice. I was thinking the same thing. You
want what you had the other night?”
“That would be great.”
James nodded and stood, walking over to the kitchen. We had a stack of
menus we’d collected over the days and I went back to thinking and pretending
to watch television while he got on his phone. When the conversation changed, it
pulled me from the segment. I turned toward him, noticing he had his back to me
and was speaking low.
“What sort of problem?” He paused. “Mm-hmm. Call me if you need
anything. I can be there in fifteen.”
He hung up, then turned and wiggled his phone. “Another scout. He’s
unsure of a player he’s chosen. It happens.”
“That’s nice he was calling you for help.”
A deep laugh had his chest shaking. “I’m the boss here in New York,
Charlee. He has to phone if there’s a problem. It’s what allows me to be with
you so much. My chosen are already locked in. I’m just riding the wave now,
waiting for the deals to close. I probably should have explained that before. I
promise I have a job,” he joked.
“Of course.” I blinked through the memories of how deep his tone had
been, but the suspicions only increased. “I’m impressed. Here I am, sitting with
a big-time bossman, and I didn’t even know it. Aren’t I lucky.”
He licked his lips and came to sit back down next to me. A seriousness
masked his features and my fake smile fell as I stared into his eyes—eyes that
haunted my dreams. Even though they weren’t dark brown like John’s, they had
the same emptiness. The same pull to something deep inside me. Reaching up,
he brushed back my hair as his other hand rose to my cheek.
“I think I’m the lucky one. Charlee …”
My lids lowered as James brushed his lips over mine. The connection
had my body sparking to life and there was only one person I saw emerging
from the recesses of my mind.
Hands gripped my hips, spinning me to straddle his waist as he sat on the
middle cushion of the couch. His power amazed me. He lifted me like I was
nothing …just as John had. The control he had as his arm wrapped around my
lower back and eased me into the hard bulge of his jeans was fluid and familiar.
It was as if we’d done this before despite that James had never really done more
than stolen a kiss here or there. My body fit perfectly against his and he knew
just how to hook me by sliding his fingers into my hair to hold me to his mouth.
“James.” I breathed against his lips, heavily, as they once again met
mine. Memories lit the darkness. Flashes of bright colors registered and scenes I
hadn’t remembered returned. I knew I should slow him down, but I couldn’t as I
tuned into what I was seeing. My hips rocked, moving against him as his fingers
fisted in my hair. He pulled back, gasping just as I did.
“Too fast. I don’t want to screw this up. Fuck.” His lips crushed into
mine as his other hand flattened at the small of my back. “God. Damnit.” I was
placed back on the couch as he moved to the other side, resting his head back
and closing his eyes. “I can’t rush this. We can’t. I want this to be real. I want
you better so we have a chance.” He lifted his head, meeting my stare. “Do you
understand what I’m saying?”
I broke our gaze, staring down at my hands … seeing nothing but John—
James. They were two, but to me they were one. I just wasn’t sure how that was
possible. I let the new memories repeat as I mumbled through my response. “I
think so.”
“No. You can’t think. You have to know. Do you know what I’m saying
to you?”
“You like me, and you want to make sure I’m not going to screw this up.
You think by rushing, I might slip back into drinking and drugs.”
Only then did I lift my eyes.
“You’re not going to fail. You’re going to beat this. And I’m not going to
put any more obstacles in your way. Moving to the next level could become a
problem for you. I’d rather keep you as a friend while you get better than have
something happen and it set you back. Your health is my top priority right now.”
Perfect words—perfect lies.
He leaned forward, trailing his hooked index finger down my cheek. I
grabbed his wrist, kissing the knuckle as I met his eyes head-on. Lies. Lies. What
felt like the truth circled around in my head. This was wrong. I had to be wrong.
James had been nothing but kind, so why would he pretend to be two different
people?
“You’re so amazing,” I forced out, unsure. “I don’t know what I would
do without you. You’ve been such a great friend.”
He smiled, taking the remote and pulling me in to lean against him.
While he clicked through the channels, I curled into his side and breathed in his
aftershave. The exotic scent—familiar. Just like everything else. Just like home.
Something in that was perfect. It also triggered my first meeting with John. The
sidewalk grew farther away as he pulled me up, and I knew his scent before I
ever saw him. It was the same. It was John’s without a shadow of a doubt in my
mind.
My eyes rose to James’ and I could hardly catch my breath. Something
told me I wasn’t imagining this. They were the same person and I wasn’t crazy. I
peered deep into his endless depths. Dark depths. Soulless depths. And I knew.

 Chapter 13
Scout 14

Was there morality in madness? Was there madness in morality? I
glanced into the living area, watching Charlee as she made our plates on the
coffee table. She took her time pouring the contents, trying to make everything
perfect. I smiled, stirring her drink in the kitchen. A special drink. My last game.
As the realization sank in, I contemplated the last few days. Aside from
my stunt earlier, I had let myself try to be the real me, the old me—Jonathan
James Kimble. I had tried to imagine if I’d never taken the dark, fucked up road
I had, would my life be something like what me and Charlee shared, minus my
evil?
It was an interesting thought. An even more interesting experiment since
I had once flirted with the idea of keeping her. It showed me what I knew to be
true and drove the truth in even more. I wasn’t normal. I never had been and I
never would be. After all, since a young age, I spent my days hunting women.
Fantasizing about smothering them and smashing in their skulls. The violent
tendencies followed me into my special ops career where I almost killed a
military contractor, overseas. Had I not been in so deep, I might have ended up
in the brig or worse. Instead, it landed me at the desk of a very high military
official who just happened to be a Master at Whitlock. I couldn’t ignore what I
held inside, then, and as I drugged the woman I worked hard to mentally build
up—that I had some sort of feelings for—I couldn’t ignore it now.
“Wow, I’m getting really tired. I’m probably going to go to bed pretty
soon.” She yawned, pausing in her actions. “Are you sure you don’t want any of
my fried rice? I really don’t mind.”
I narrowed my eyes, taking her hint for wanting me to leave soon, but
shook my head as I carried our drinks to the table.
“I think I have more than enough. If I eat everything I got, plus half of
what you ordered, I’d be lucky to move. Why don’t you take some of my
Mongolian beef? You really need to try to eat more.”
“More?” She laughed picking up her plate and placing it on her lap. “My
rice has beef, chicken, and shrimp. I’m not going to be able to make a dent on
this plate.”
“Try to eat as much as you can. I know you’re probably exhausted.
You’ve had a bad day. I won’t stay much longer. I have some things to take care
of from earlier, anyway.”
I placed down our drinks, and took my own plate so that I could sit next
to her. A cooking show was on. One I found was her favorite. For me, it was the
biggest bore I’d ever seen and only fed my irritation at her sudden change. What
the hell had happened? What had I missed? She was acting normal, but I didn’t
miss how she wanted me gone. She may have tried to cover it up, but I wasn’t
stupid. Charlee was not tired.
“Ooh, this is going to be good. Who do you think will win?”
I glanced to the TV, but peeked toward my oversized briefcase by the
front door. She thought it had to do with my work, and she was right. But she
had no idea the goodies resting in the black leather.
“Hmmm,” I glanced at the three contestants, shrugging. “Maybe the one
in the middle. Didn’t they have a good entrée?”
She yawned again. “Yes. I think they’ll win, too.”
We both started eating, all the while, I kept her in my peripheral. When
she finally reached for the glass, the side of my mouth ticked to smile. I put more
of my focus on the show. This time, Charlee wouldn’t be overcome with such a
hard episode. With the Cort deluded, she’d get hit hard at first, but not to the
point she had before. She’d feel. She’d drift between unconsciousness and sex.
And me, I would be free of the horrific hallucinations.
“Ewww, what is this?”
I laughed, turning back toward her. “It’s one of those lemonade stir-in
packets. I thought you’d want a break from water. You don’t like it? I thought it
tasted okay. Try it, again.”
Hesitantly, she brought it to her lips, sipping the contents. “It’s fine. I just
wasn’t expecting it is all.” She ran her tongue over her lips, swallowing
compulsively. A good minute went by while I kept her in the corner of my
vision. As if on cue, her body stiffened beside me.
“James? Oh, God, James.” Food spilled from the plate as she surged to
her feet and swayed to the side. I was already prepared, pulling her into me as
her legs locked and gave out.
“Shh. What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“I don’t…know. I…no…”
Deep breaths left her as her eyes widened, and she trembled in my arms.
“Something’s not right. I…” Again, her voice gave out. She was getting
heavier in my arms—dead weight, as I carried her to the room.
“Tell me what you feel. What can I do?”
I pulled back the blankets, lying her down, and covering her up.
Trembling took over and within moments her heart was pounding under my
palm. Groaning sounded while she tried to raise her arm, only for it to fall.
“Sick. I’m…cold. Tired.”
“I’m going to run down to the store and see if I can find some medicine.
I’ll be right back. Stay in bed and wait for me.”
I surged from her room, heading right for my briefcase. It wouldn’t be
long before she was out. Sounds continued to leave her, and I took my time
shuffling through the contents. Stripping down, I added the tanner. My skin
darkened under my touch, and I put all my energy into hearing every whimper as
I covered myself. Adding the spray to darken my hair was easy enough with the
mirror hanging on the wall. When I finally got to the tattoos, silence filled the
apartment. I stared at myself, seeing me—seeing him. John was the real me,
even if it wasn’t my real appearance. He held the personality I legally couldn’t.
He was my killer. My rapist, within. The devil who made me capable of horrific
things.
Minutes passed. Then, a half hour. Sounds continued, and only when I
was sure the drug had kicked in, did I head into her room. Charlee’s face was
flushed and she was covered in sweat, breathing heavily. It was almost as if she
felt my presence because I knew she hadn’t heard me enter.
“J-John?”
“I told you I’d be back. How much did you miss me?”
“I’m not drunk. I d-didn’t drink.”
She rolled in the bed, trying to move her limbs to climb off. I headed
over, flipping her to her back as I placed my nude body over hers.
“I’m in your mind. Not in a bottle, baby. You’ve missed me. I know you
have. Tell me. Let me hear it.”
“J-James?”
Her head turned to the side and I instantly brought it back so she had to
look at me.
“John. Not James. Don’t pretend you want him. You want me.”
“James!”
Pressure from her face pushed against my hold. I wrapped my hand
around her chin and jaw, hissing as I lowered closer to her lips. My heart was
racing. I was pissed, yet … I found it hard to get as mad when she provided me
the perfect opportunity to rough her up like I needed.
A smile tugged at the side of my mouth as I pulled the spaghetti strap
down on her tank top and squeezed into her breast. Charlee cried out and shifted
underneath me, but I ignored her as I bent down and sucked against her nipple.
Still she moved, stronger by the second. I rose in surprise, only to have pain
explode against the side of my head. I knew I was falling to the side, but I could
barely process it through the pain.
“Who are you? Who are you! Did you really think I’d let you drug me
again?” She drew back, sending fire racing down my arm at the hit. “I know
you’re pretending to be James … or you. This sick joke ends now. Do you hear
me? I’m done!”
Charlee reared back once again and the thick iron horse statue she kept
on her bedside table blurred down at me. I almost didn’t get my arm up in time.
Agony shot through my forearm and warmth ran down my face as I threw
myself forward, right at her. She managed to squeeze out of my grasp, but she
didn’t make it to the doorway before I was all over her.
Screams poured from her mouth, followed by words I could barely
decipher. My head was spinning. I was spinning, but my training didn’t fail me.
“Baby, you should have played stupid. You fucked up big time. Do you
know what you’ve done? Do you?”
I jerked her hair as I trapped her wrists at the small of her back with my
other hand. Her screams continued and although she didn’t get the full effects,
she was still weak and under the influence.
“I didn’t fuck up, you did. And you better leave now! Lawrence and
Jerome will be here any minute and when they find out what you’ve done,
you’re going to be in so much trouble. They’ve already called the cops, James.
They’re all coming.”
My head shot up to look toward the front door and I threw myself up,
dragging Charlee with me. Her legs flew out and she clawed at my wrists. I
didn’t have time for this shit. Jerking her up, I slammed my fist into her face.
Her legs gave out on impact, and I lowered her to the ground as I threw my
clothes on and shoved all of my things in the briefcase. My mind raced, going
through plans—going through what the fuck I needed to do.
And then it all stopped.
I paused, noticing Charlee’s phone on the kitchen counter. I blinked
through the realization, laughing under my breath.
“Fucking bitch. You lying, clever fucking bitch.”
Again, I laughed, grabbing an emergency syringe from my bag and
injecting the sedative into her. As I wrapped her body in the throw blanket, I
couldn’t stop from kissing her. Touching her. Even tasting her.
One by one, I went through each room, wiping down everything I could
for fingerprints. A good hour passed, and I turned off the lights, soaking our time
into my memory.
We’d never be back to this apartment. We’d never get to finish our game
or play on some fucked-up fantasy that I had a normal life. It was just the way
scouting went. Sometimes there wasn’t a defining end. There couldn’t be in this
game. It was something I had come to accept. Whitlock owned her. It had since I
had sent over her information. Charlee and I were over. At least, for now. Come
soon, she be just another number in the system. Just another blue amid the mass
of white veils covering the slaves up for action. She would hold nightmares, and
I’d be her biggest one.
If I had felt something for her, I didn’t anymore. I was focused. Back in
scout-mode. Emotions were gone and soon so would she. Just like the ones
before. Just like the ones who would come after. This was New York—the city
of dreams—the place where some dreams came to die.



Epilogue

Click.
Click.
Click.
The thick metal door opened and yelling from the guards filled the small
room as their voices echoed down the hall. Sobbing erupted around me and the
two girls I shared quarters with cowered into themselves, holding their stomachs
as they huddled together on one of the beds. I could barely see out of one eye. I
wasn’t stupid enough to race out like I wanted. Instead, I stood, bracing for what
was going to happen next.
Rape. Beatings. Even mild torture. The guards brought it all, destroying
us not only mentally, but physically. To fight gave them permission and I wasn’t
doing that again. The short time I had been here had been the worst of my life.
There were no words to describe the atmosphere of the place we were being
kept. And I knew there were a lot of us. The medical procedures, the being
prodded and tattooed. There were so many doors. So many halls. And I had no
idea where I was. Waking up here, it just didn’t make sense. If I hadn’t caught a
glimpse of James/John staring through the window of the cell, perhaps I would
have thought I had gone insane. But I knew he was behind this.
A tall man in a uniform appeared in the door-way. He was glaring as his
stare swept over each of us.
“Time for your tour. You’ll stay in line, and you won’t speak unless
spoken to. You will not try to run or else you will be struck down. You will
listen and you will follow orders from your Main Master. Do I make myself
clear?”
The sobbing increased, but the girls stood up next to me. They knew
better. Their bruising was fading. Like me, they learned fast not to disobey.
The guard approached, pulling down the top of their bright blue chiffon
dresses. When he eased mine down between my breast, I flinched. The small
tattoo of numbers was one I refused to look at.
“The whites are already in line. You’re to go to the very back. You two
first. Twenty-seven-double-O-one, you last.”
The girls pulled their scarves to cover their heads the way we were
instructed earlier in the day. I followed, trying to ignore the way my skin
crawled. The minute I stepped out of the threshold, a booming voice had me
looking over to the side. And at the sight … my heart stopped. My world
collapsed. And my life… it was over. Just like his. Piece by piece it all fit
together, but I couldn’t think it through. I couldn’t do anything but stare into
blue, piercing eyes. The eyes of a monster.
“Alright, slaves! This is your tour. You will listen or you will wish you
would have. I am Bram Whitlock, your Main Master. Tomorrow you will be
auctioned off, and I am here to tell you where you’re allowed to go. But let’s
make one thing clear…” He paused, turning right to me. “Do you have a
listening problem, slave? Did you forget how to follow orders?”
Bram Whitlock ate up the floor as he stalked in my direction. The pure
shock that I was looking at a dead man left me stumbling backwards to where I
was supposed to be lined up. Just as he approached, I threw myself in line.
Hate could have melted my face away for how much rage he aimed
toward me. “You’re dead,” I breathed out. “I saw you on the television. On the
news. You’re dead.”
Slowly, the hard lines of his face fell, and a smile pulled at the corner of
his lips as he reached forward and turned my face from side to side.
“You’re either really stupid or looking to become the one who’s dead.”
His hand gripped my shoulder and his thumb rubbed over the scar of the
number. “You’re Fourteen’s model. Who busted up your face?”
“I don’t…a guard. I don’t know his name. Fourteen?”
“Scout Fourteen. And I’ll find out.” His arm dropped and he stepped
back, pointing to a guard a few feet away. The floor shifted as it all fell together.
Of course. Scout Fourteen. “Pass the word. With this one: beat her, rape her, but
keep your damn hands off her face. She’s going to make me a lot of money.
Clear?”
“Yes, Main Master.”
The hardness returned and he threw me a look before he started walking.
Deep breaths left me. Terror had me trembling as he made his way to the front of
the line and knelt before a small boy who couldn’t have been more than two or
three years old. He wasn’t wearing white or blue like we were, but a miniature
black suit, just like the Main Master.
“Shall we show them our place, Alvin?”
He scooped the little dark-haired boy up to rest at his hip and with a
shout, the line began to move. White walls blurred, and the farther we got down,
the more I saw my end. The hall opened to an outside walkway and with it, a
world I could have never imagined. A large open area became visible and the
outside of the massive fortress I was being held inside of emerged. It’s white
stone walls wrapped around the giant structure of what I quickly realized was a
mountain. The opening at the top didn’t project sunshine, but rain and dark skies
as I stared up in stunned shock.
And perhaps from the silence, we were all beyond being able to
comprehend our new life. We were quiet, too taken aback for words. Too scared
to project our voices. We all looked on in fear as the man who held the small
child walked the length of the line, glaring at us.
“You will not escape this place. You will not have a happy life here. You
will never marry. You will never have children. You are slaves and the majority
of you will die within a matter of days. Some of you might be lucky to last a few
years, but don’t count on it. Eventually, you’re going to meet your death in this
place. I sure as hell have.” He paused, glancing right toward me. “Welcome to
Whitlock.”



The End

 Thank you for reading!
Share your thoughts and reactions with a review!

Amazon
Goodreads

About the Author

Alaska Angelini is a Best Selling Author of dark, twisted happily-ever-
afters. She currently resides in Wisconsin, but moves at the drop of a dime.
Check back in a few months and she's guaranteed to live somewhere new.
Obsessive, stalking, mega-alpha hero's/anti-heros are her thing. Throw in
some rope, cuffs, and a whip or two, and watch the magic begin.
If you're looking to connect with her to learn more, feel free to email her
at alaska_angelini@yahoo.com, or find her on Facebook. You can also stop by
her website http://www.alaskaangelini.com.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/alaskaangelini
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/alaskaangelini
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/alaskaangelini
Newletter: http://alaskaangelini.us9.list-manage1.com/subscribe?
u=bab41358f98da39a35c46dccb&id=19172fa88c


Other titles from this Author:

A.A. Dark- 24690
A.A Dark- White Out (24690-Book 2)
A.A Dark- Mad Girl (The Chronicles of Anna
Monroe)
Unbearable
SLADE: Captive to the Dark
BLAKE: Captive to the Dark
GAIGE: Captive to the Dark
LILY: Captive to the Dark, Special Edition 1
CHASE: Dark and Dangerous CCTD Set 2
Watch Me: Stalked
Rush
Dom Up: Devlin Black 1
Dom Fever: Devlin Black 2
This Dom: Devlin Black 3

Dark Paranormal lover? Check out Alaska’s other
reads …

Wolf (Wolf River 1) *Optioned for FILM!
Prey: Marko Delacroix 1
Blood Bound: Marko Delacroix 2
Lure: Marko Delacroix 3
Rule: Marko Delacroix 4
Reign: Marko Delacroix 5

Coming Soon!


Coming Soon from Alaska
Angelini!