Run (17 page)

It was the first of many lessons.

The last thing Dare wanted was to become a slave to his own desires, but where Aya was concerned, he feared there was nothing he could do about it.

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Aya thought she would have the afternoon to herself, but as she flopped on her bed and contemplated her conversation with Dare, the alert began to beep. “Miss Smith, may I come in?” a voice asked.

She sat up. The staff never bothered her and the voice didn’t sound familiar. “Uh, sure. Come in.”

A woman who didn’t look much older than her entered the room. “Miss. Smith, I’m Terra, from the Red Rouge salon and spa. I’m here to get you ready for your event tonight.”

“But, it’s not for several hours.”

“Great, that should give us plenty of time to get you ready.”

“I don’t understand. I’m going to some event tonight and I already know what I’m supposed to wear so I’m not sure why you’re here.”

Terra giggled as if she’d just heard the funniest joke. “Miss Smith, tonight isn’t just any event, it’s one of the biggest events of the year. Everyone who is of any importance will be there, celebrities and politicians, high ranking officials and of course, the very wealthy. You’re so lucky to get to go. I’d give my left arm to get an invite to the Sapphire Ball. I have a cousin who worked the ball as a server and she said it was everything you would imagine it would be.” She sighed. “Maybe one day.”

One would have to be completely cut off from society to not have heard of the Sapphire Ball. She knew that no cameras were allowed inside so only those who attended knew what went on and they were strongly discouraged from talking about it, from her understanding.

Going to the party was nothing she’d ever particularly aspired to but she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t a little bit curious about it. “So what exactly will you do that will take so long for me to get ready?”

“I’m trained in all things beauty and relaxation. I will be your personal beauty consultant today. We’re going to start off with a full body massage to get your muscles nice and loose.” Terra was behind her without warning and began to knead the back of Aya’s neck. “Wow, you’re pretty tense. I think, I’ll need to work on this area for a while.”

Before Aya could react, Terra had stopped and was slowly circling Aya and inspecting her with a discerning eye. “We’ll do a facial next.” Terra gripped Aya’s chin. “Your skin is really pretty. You’re pretty dark. Do you go in the sun a lot?”

If nothing else could be said for the loquacious woman, she was blunt. “Uh, no more than usual, I guess.”

“Ah, so it’s naturally like this? You’re lucky. You’ll still benefit from one of my facials. Your skin will positively glow when I’m finished. I see you look a bit skeptical, but I assure you, you’ll love it. Most of the clients who come into our salon usually have their treatments done by one of our beau-tometers but there’s nothing like the old fashioned way.”

“I’m sorry, I’m not sure I follow you. What’s a beau…”

“Beau-tometer. You haven’t been to a salon before?”

Aya shook her head, slightly embarrassed. Since she kept her hair shorn, Aya never saw the need to visit a salon. Besides, she preferred using any money she earned for more useful endeavors. She subconsciously ran her hand over her head. She hadn’t had a proper hair cut in a few months and now had a few inches of curls crowning her scalp. She could only imagine what a mess it must have looked.

Terra waved her hand dismissively. “It doesn’t matter. They’re just machines that do it all; hair styles, facials, and any other number of beauty treatments.”

“If you guys have machines to do everything, doesn’t that make your job unnecessary?”

“Of course not. Like I said, there’s nothing like the old fashioned way. Our high end clients pay more to have a more personal touch. What I do, a machine can do in minutes, sometimes seconds, but it doesn’t feel the same. The clients pay for that human contact. Me and my fellow beauty consultants are booked for months in advance.”

There was no way Terra’s services could have been procured as far in advance as she said, at least not for Aya. “I’m sure on the day of the Sapphire Ball, you’d be booked already. Did someone cancel on you?”

Terra burst out laughing as if Aya had told her the funniest joke. “Miss Smith, no one says no to Dare O’Shaughnessy.”

No truer statement had ever been spoken. She’d learned that the hard way.

Dare waited for Aya at the foot of the steps, and glanced at his watch. It was five minutes before he told her to be ready. It had been his intention to make her wait for him, but he’d been so anxious to see her in that dress, he could think of nothing else. He had a nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach. He’d never had to wait on anyone before, it was always the other way around. Yet here he was, as anxious as a child, waiting for a promised present.

He caressed the velvet box in his hand. After his confrontation with her in his weapons room, he’d thought of nothing else but that look of disappointment in her eyes when he had abruptly cut her off. He wished that he could take it back. The bitter taste of regret was something he wasn’t accustomed to. But he found himself experiencing many new emotions involving Aya.

The soft clicking against the marble staircase drew his attention. His breath caught in his throat as Aya descended the stairs. She was already a beautiful woman, but in that dress, she was a goddess. The outfit hugged her curves so lovingly that it seemed to fit like a second skin. The color suited her. Even if he wanted to, he couldn’t tear his gaze away from her. As she drew closer, he could see her wobble a bit.

As she neared the bottom of the stairs, she missed the last step and fell forward. Dare barely made it in time to catch her. She gripped his forearms to hold herself steady. He clutched her tiny waist, clasping her to him. Her scent was inviting, a mixture of something citrusy and floral. Her curls glistened and her usually bare face was expertly made up but not overly done like most of the women of his acquaintance. She looked absolutely perfect. His heart began to thud and he couldn’t figure out what was happening to him and he wasn’t sure if he liked it.

She let out high pitched peal of nervous laughter. “I’m not really used to wearing heels. I’m not sure if I’ll make it through the night without breaking my neck.” Again, Aya released a nervous laugh.

Aya kept her head down as she spoke to him almost like she was afraid.

“Aya, look at me.” Slowly, she raised her head. Dare was once against struck by what he saw. “You look beautiful.” He wasn’t sure about these new feelings swirling within him but he couldn’t think beyond how much he wanted to forget about the damn ball, carry her back up the stairs, and fuck her over and over again.

“I…um, Terra is a miracle worker.”

Dare hated nothing more than false modesty. People who downplayed their attributes were often only fishing for compliments. Aya, on the other hand, was probably aware of her attractiveness yet it didn’t seem to matter to her, in fact, she seemed a little uncomfortable whenever she was complimented. It intrigued him.

“I have something for you.” Reluctantly, he released her and realized in his rush to catch her from falling, the box he had been holding had been dropped.

“Turn around.”

She furrowed her brow in confusion before doing as she was told. Dare retrieved the box from the floor and opened it. He took out the jewelry inside and discarded the box once again. He placed the jeweled choker around her and fastened it.

Aya touched the necklace. “Thank you.” Her response sounded automatic, like it was something she was supposed to say rather than what she wanted to say.

“They’re called fire gems. The rarest gems on the planet, only discovered about fifty years ago. They get their gold color from being buried so far underneath the Earth’s surface. Under certain lights, they glow like fire.”

“It’s very nice.” She didn’t sound particularly impressed and it annoyed him that she seemed so dismissive of a gift he’d picked out himself.

He’d never done this for anyone before. His first instinct was to rip them off but instead he retorted, “They are. They’re worth more than several entry fees in The Run. So I guess you could say, they’re worth more than you.”

Aya stiffened and he silently cursed himself. He didn’t know why he had to say that or why it would bother him in the first place. Not wanting to explore the whys and hows, he gripped her by the elbow and led her out the door.

Waiting outside for them was Ben. Dare wrapped his arm around Aya’s waist and held her close. The younger man blushed and immediately averted his eyes. Dare hadn’t followed through with firing him as he’d told Aya he would, because it suited him to have the other man around, watching Dare lay claim to Aya whenever he pleased. It was why he’d requested Ben to drive them to the ball instead of Steven.

Once they were inside the vehicle, Aya slid away from him, but he pulled her back until their hips touched.

Most times, Dare preferred silence as he was being driven but the silence within the vehicle was nearly deafening and uncomfortable. He could practically touch the tension emanating from Aya.

He broke the silence, unable to take her sullen silence any longer. “Have you ever heard of the Sapphire Ball?”

“Yes. I’m not as ignorant as you apparently think I am.”

“Ignorant is one thing I’ve never associated with you, Aya. Proud, stubborn, and tenacious are a few words that come to mind.”

She looked at him with a raised brow. “And?”

“And what?”

“I’m just waiting for you to insult me, again. That’s what you do. You compliment and then, insult me. But that’s how you get your kicks, isn’t it?”

Clearly she was irritated, it was most likely because of what he’d told her back at his house. Dare wasn’t sure why he’d said it. There was no need to, even if he did think it was true. “You’re making a lot of assumptions, Aya.”

She snorted. “Coming from you, that’s a laugh. All you do is make assumptions about a group of people of which you know nothing. But it doesn’t really matter because we’re all just Dregs and we don’t matter.”

“Okay, Aya.”

She frowned. “Okay?”

“Enlighten me. What assumptions have I made about a group of people who live in crime-ridden disgusting neighborhoods where people piss and shit on the streets? Where they beg for handouts and expect the people who have made something of themselves to help them out. Tell me where I’m wrong in my so called assumptions.”

Aya attempted to slide away from him, but he dug his fingers into her thigh to hold her against him.

“No you don’t. Tell me.”

“You’ve already made your mind up. There’s nothing to tell. You don’t want to hear about the people who work hard to support families and are paid a pittance for their back-breaking labor. You don’t want to know about how the people in my neighborhood look out for each other and when someone is in need, we’re there for each other.”

“Of course, there are bad people lurking around. But what makes the bad people in my neighborhood any different from the bad ones in yours? That rat-face guy in The Run, he beat me up and for no other reason than the fact that he could. If his circumstances were different, he’d probably be a rapist or a murderer, if he already isn’t. So yes, I may be just a Dreg to you, but I do matter. And when you finally see fit to let me go, I’ll still be someone who matters whether you think I do or not.”

“You seem to have forgotten the rules of The Run, doll. You are mine until I say you’re not and if I want to keep you indefinitely, then that is my right. Don’t forget it and don’t bring it up again.”

Aya fell silent then. No more words were spoken for the rest of the ride to the ball.

Aya wasn’t sure if she wanted to scream or punch Dare. Just when she thought she could tolerate him outside of the bedroom, he said something to make her despise him again. That dig he’d made about her worth, however, cut deeper than anything he’d ever said to her. She was fully aware of how most of the Elite thought of people in the lower class but to hear it voiced in so many different ways was beginning to wear on her.

She was at the point where she didn’t care what he did to her anymore. The only thing that had kept her in line was the hope that he had followed through on making sure her uncle’s stay in prison was not hard. He hadn’t mentioned it since that first time and Aya was beginning to believe he’d lied. Whether it angered him or not, she would ask him about it. It was on the tip of the tongue to do just that when the car came to a halt.

Ben slid out and opened the door for them. She was grateful to see him. Aya had feared he had lost his job, but she was embarrassed to look him directly in the face because then she’d have to remember what he’d been forced to witness. Aya felt bad for him. She wanted to say something but didn’t want to get him in trouble.

Dare offered his arm to Aya, who dutifully took it. Outside of the castle-like building, there were hundreds of people waiting to get inside, all dressed in the most elaborate outfits Aya had ever seen. Some people were decked out in jewelry from head to toe while others were more simply garbed. There were others in actual costumes. One woman was dressed in an outfit that resembled a peacock. Everyone was dressed to suit themselves with no particular rhyme or reason but there was one thing she could tell they all had in common: money. Several of those people called out to Dare in an attempt to get his attention but he continued to pull her along to the front of the line as if he hadn’t heard them.

The doorman nodded at Dare with a smile as he walked past him without bothering to give his name. Even when all of the wealthy were assembled, Dare was still at the top of the mountain in terms of status. Inside the building, there were more beautiful ball gowns and people in costume. And the building itself was pure opulence. The walls were gilded with gold and silver.

The ballroom was another sight to behold. The ceiling sparkled with at least fifty chandeliers. A full orchestra played on the stage. Servers dressed in all white wearing colorful masks on their faces offered the guests delicacies and champagne. On another stage, dancers performed to the songs played by a cavalcade of drummers. The female dancers were topless and the male dancers were completely nude. On yet another stage, there were another set of dancers. This particular set was fully clothed and their movements more conservative than the other dance group.

The ball goers watched the shows, ate, conversed with each other, or danced in the center of the ballroom. Lights danced across the room, lighting up the room like a thousand rainbows. In each corner were eight foot ice sculptures of different animals. There were stations displaying all kinds of food, from meats, seafood to various vegetarian options. There was so much going on she didn’t know where to focus her attention.

“What do you think of it?” Dare cut into her thoughts.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s very grand.”

Just then, a server came by to offer them hors d’ oeuvres. Aya shook her head, feeling way too tense to eat. It felt like a very long time since she’d been around a lot more than a few people at a time. Dare waived the server off.

“Dare! You naughty boy!” A brunette sidled up to him and slipped her arm through the arm Aya wasn’t holding, completely ignoring her presence.

Dare’s expression remained passive as he gave the woman a brief nod. “Susan. You look well.”

Susan grinned, revealing capped teeth almost too large for her mouth. The dress she wore left nothing to the imagination. Though the gown was covered in tiny-jewels, the material was translucent. The clear outline of her nipples peaked through the thin material. A pair of crystal thongs was the only undergarment she wore underneath. It was clear the woman was very comfortable with her body from the way she moved. It was also quite apparent to Aya that Dare and the woman were familiar on an intimate level.

“Oh, this old rag?” She batted her eyelashes at him.

Aya felt like gagging at how obvious the woman was.

Dare slid his gaze along the length of Susan’s body. “I’m sure you’ve received plenty of compliments on how you look tonight. I’m not sure why you need another one from me.”

Seemingly unfazed by the coolness of Dare’s words, Susan rubbed her practically naked breasts against his arm. “Sometimes a girl wants to feel beautiful.” Susan glanced in Aya’s direction, and pursed her lips. Without lifting her gaze, she said, “I haven’t heard from you in weeks. It’s a shame we haven’t been in contact sooner. I would have been happy to be your escort to the Ball. You should have called me.”