Surrender: Keeping Her in the Dark Vol. 4 (8 page)

“Well sir, I’m sure you know new girls are so much fun to play with and break in. Once you have them trained you start to get that feeling again. That itch deep down that tells you, you ache for the battle, you yearn for the struggle, and you need to dominate,” I smiled and looked around the room at the other men watching me.

“Am I right?” I asked the group. They all gave their affirmative answers.

“Is it true you married your slave?” he asked me. The room fell quiet and again it became serious. I felt a slight bump under the table from Nasun. He told me to lie about this part. He told me to not admit to marrying Norah. But again I couldn’t lie. This man wasn’t stupid and he already knew I had indeed married her.

“Yes I did,” I was blunt and I held his gaze. I wasn’t going to let him think I was scared of him. Not for one second.

“You married the girl you bought from me two years ago, is that right?” he clarified. Again I agreed.

“Yes.” The room was so quiet all I could hear was my own heart beating in my eardrums.

“She must have been quite a girl,” he said.

“Yes. She is very special.” It was the truth. I felt another bump under the table.

“Who knows, maybe I had her myself?” I could feel the collar around my neck tightening. “I sample so much of the merchandise it would be hard to remember. But I do remember having a few girls taken in Paris about two years ago that I wanted to keep for myself.” He paused hoping to get a rise out of me. I didn’t give him the satisfaction.

“I really don’t know,” I shrugged. I really did know. Norah was a virgin when I bought her. I paid a lot of money be her first and only. He seemed to know I was lying about that. I could see the look on his face. But he didn’t call me on it.

“Well I’m very glad you were so pleased with your purchase, Mr. Hastings. And even more pleased that you have returned,” he paused and gazed around the room. “I value loyalty.”

He interlocked his fingers together and leaned on his elbows. It wasn’t the words that he said, but it was how he said it. Like again he knew something I didn’t know.

“Loyalty is worth more than money in my business, Mr. Hastings. Loyalty will make or break a relationship.” He stood up and walked to a small bar cart in the middle of the room. He poured himself what looked like brandy in a very large glass, then he slowly turned towards the table again.

“Do you like scotch, Mr. Hastings?” he was talking to me like he and I were the only people in the room. It was scotch not brandy. I never could identify liquor when it is kept in a crystal decanter.

“Yes I do.”

“Have you ever had 60 year old scotch?” he swished his glass around then held out a glass for me. I smelt it first and then took a sip.

“Now that is delicious,” I said. And it was. Usually scotch is aged for 12 to 25 years. The scotch I keep in my home was aged for about 30 years. This was the most magnificent tasting scotch that had ever graced my lips.

“Come with me out on the balcony, Mr. Hastings,” he gestured. “I think you and I are going to be very good friends. We walked toward the double doors at the other end of the room. They slowly opened and two very large men were standing on the other side. I swished my scotch around in my glass and followed him out of the room.

Chapter Five

Norah

“I can’t just sit around and do nothing!” I shouted. I moved papers around on my desk and knocked over a bottle of water. “Shit!” I shouted again. “Maybe if my desk was a little more organized I could find something!”

Kelly went to the sink and grabbed the roll of paper towels and started mopping up the water.

“Well you aren’t sitting around doing nothing, you’re trying to plan a fundraiser,” she said.

“Yes, which is so important right now! My husband is being entertained by human traffickers, while also trying to turn evidence over to the United Nations or the FBI or whoever wants these guys, and I’m trying to plan a dinner for 350 guests that are paying $1500 a seat to eat chicken and rice!” I sat down and ran my hands over my face.

“Norah, you can’t do anything about that now. This is his thing. He is a big boy. Worrying about him is just going to make things worse. Try to focus on work. He would want you to focus on work and not worry about him.” She grabbed a handful of papers off my desk and sat down in the chair to organize them.

“This isn’t even the worst part,” I went on like I hadn’t heard what she had just said. “The worst part is when this is over, it still isn’t over! He is going to come back here,….if he makes it back here, and then go right into his revenge plot for Nick. He won’t miss a beat. He will go right from one dangerous situation into another.” I started tapping my pen on the side of the desk. Kelly gave me an annoying look.

I didn’t want him in harms way, but I understood why he had to do this. Meeting with these dangerous men in Paris would finally put behind us the issue of him buying me. Maybe when this was all over, since the government officials would forgive him, he could find a way to forgive himself.

But the Nick situation wasn’t something I understood. I mean, I understood his cave man need to get revenge but it wasn’t necessary.

“I just wish this whole thing was over. I wish he could let it go. I wish there was something I could do to help while he was gone, so he didn’t have to deal with this,” I paused and leaned up.

“Oh no. I don’t like that look,” Kelly said.

“Wait,” I held up my hand.

“No. No waiting, Norah,” Kelly said and stood up. I stood up too.

“I can do something,” I said.

“I don’t like the way you say that,” she said.

“I can do something,” I repeated.

“No. No you can’t do anything. You should wait for him to get back and handle this together,” she paused. I started walking around my desk.

“I can do this without him. I can handle Nick myself,” I stopped in front of her.

“Ah, no. That isn’t a good idea at all. You want to handle the situation with a guy that kidnapped you? That isn’t a good idea at all!” She raised her voice a little.

“Nick won’t hurt me. He wants me. I can control him.”

“I don’t think so,” she said.

“This is a good idea,” I said.

“This is a horrible idea,” she replied. “But I have a feeling I am going to spend the next few weeks helping you get it done. Aren’t I?”

“That’s the spirit!” I shook her and smiled. “Ok, I need to find out where he’s hiding. He has to be around here somewhere. Call Liam’s office and get me a current list of his board members,” she nodded and walked out.

I jumped on my computer and started searching for any local sex clubs or places I thought Nick would hang out. He just purchased a new girl and he would want to show her off. I found a few clubs I thought he might like but not specific sex clubs.

Kelly came back in and handed me a list of the board members at Liam’s company. Of course Nick’s name was on it and it gave a local address and phone number. But I couldn’t’ just walk up to his house and ring the bell. I would have to be smoother than that.

I had Kelly hunt down any information she could find in New York and Florida about Nick Meyers. Those were two places I remembered being with him. I couldn’t remember what kind of business Liam had told me he was in.

“It might be construction or architecture or maybe lumber. I don’t know. Something with wood is all I remember.”

“Why is his business important?” she asked.

“Because, if I can find a business, maybe I can get his schedule or hangouts or where he likes to have dinner, from his secretary.”

“I don’t like the sound of this,” she said.

“I can show up. He will see me and he is so obnoxious and full of himself he won’t be able to not talk to me. He will have to say something.”

“Then what?” she asked. “What’s the big plan? So you find him, he talks to you, you talk to him, and then what? If you want to handle it, then how do you plan to exact revenge on him?” she asked.

“That’s a good question,” I said.

“Norah!” she shouted.

“I haven’t thought about it! I’ll figure it out as I go. I’m sure when I see his smug face again it will come to me,” I nodded confidently. “Now get me that information!”

I went back to work but I couldn’t stop thinking about Nick. Kelly was right. I had no idea what I was going to do once I got him in my sights. Liam wanted to kill him and I couldn’t do that. But what could I do. What did I think he deserved? He kidnapped me, treated me like a dog, whipped me, let other men whip me and would have raped me if Liam hadn’t shown up when he did. What does a man like that deserve?

A few hours later Kelly came back in my office.

“I found a Meyers’ Contracting Company in Buffalo New York. They work with NAM Lumber in Oregon and are owned and operated by one Nick Meyers.” She handed me a piece of paper with the address and a phone number.

“Thank you!” I picked up the phone and quickly dialed the number.

Later that night I was fixing my makeup in the back of my car when John’s eyes caught mine.

“Who are you meeting?” he asked.

“A client,” I said and ran my fingers through my hair.

“What kind of client?” he asked.

“The kind that pays,” I winked and got out of the car. I stood beside the door and wiggled my skirt down to my knee. Out of the corner of my eye I saw John rounding the car.

“How long are you going to be?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. I’m having drinks and maybe dinner. I’ll call you when I’m ready,” I looked over at him.

“How about I will be waiting right here all night,” he smiled. I nodded at him and walked inside.

The restaurant was Monroe’s. Liam and I had been here three times before. Nick’s secretary said he was having dinner here tonight.

“Mrs. Hastings, how are you?” the host came straight to me and kissed my cheeks. “Where is your husband? I haven’t seen you two in a long time. Anthony made a cream sauce last week that Mr. Hasting’s would have died for.” I flinched when he said ‘die for’.

He sat me at a two person table in the corner. Two hours, a basket of bread and three whiskey sours later, still no Nick.

“Would you like another drink, Mrs. Hastings?” my waiter asked me.

“Ah, no thank you, just the bill.”

“The bill has been taken care of by Roberto,” he nodded at me. I stood up, grabbed my wrap and walked to the door, thanking Roberto for taking care of my bill on my way out.

As I waited for John to pull the car up, my phone rang.

“Hello?” I said.

“Did you talk to him?” Kelly asked.

“That wasn’t what tonight was about. I just wanted to see him and then maybe I could form a plan,” I paused and turned my heel in the cement. “But he didn’t show, so it was pointless,” I huffed.

“Who didn’t show?” a male voice said behind me. I turned around and there he was in all his glory. Nick Meyers standing at his very tall height, with his blue eyes gleaming in the moonlight, looking dashing and debonair in his black suit.

“I’ve got to go,” I smiled in the phone and then put it back in my purse. “Well, well, well…who do we have here?” I shoved my hip out and cocked my head to the side.

He walked toward me and held out his hand. I held mine out too. He took it and kissed it lightly.

“How do you know Liam is not here and ready to run you over with his car?” I said.

“Because I’ve been watching you all night,” he smiled. “I know you’re alone, Norah,” his smile didn’t fall from his lips. “I take it Liam is the one that didn’t show up.” He cocked his head to the side. “Did your husband stand you up, Mrs. Hastings?” he asked. I lowered my eyes. “I would never do that, Norah.” I looked back up at him.

“I know,” I said. I blinked a few times and swallowed a few more times. I started to fidget with my hands and shuffle my feet.

“Mrs. Hastings,” John called from over my shoulder. “Are you ready to leave?” he shouted.

“Come inside, and have a drink with me,” Nick asked. I lowered my eyes again and looked over at John who didn’t look happy.

“Come on, one drink.” I looked back at him. “Please,” I almost started to believe this nice guy routine of his. Almost.

“Fine. One drink. But then I have to go,” I waved John away and walked back inside.

One glass of wine, two glasses of water and a bathroom break later Nick walked me back outside.

“I had a very nice evening, Norah. I hope to I see you again,” he said.

“You never answered my questions about the new girl,” I said as I tapped my foot.

“You’re right, I didn’t,” he gave me a cocky smile that reminded me of Liam.

“Well I won’t say I had a nice evening, but it was interesting, Mr. Meyers,” I held out my hand to him, he took it and gave it a light kiss. I gave him a slight smile.

“Mrs. Hastings,” John said. I looked over and he was now standing beside the car with the door open almost tapping his foot. I looked back at Nick.

“My ride is here. Good night,” I started to back away.

“Good night, Norah,” again with the cocky smile. I got in the car and John almost slammed the door.

“Do you have a problem?” I asked him when he got in the car.

“Yes I do,” he said as we pulled away. “And I think you know exactly what that problem is, Norah.”

“Yes, I know you hate him. I hate him too. Nick Meyers is a slimy weasel. But I can’t have my husband coming home from taking a human trafficking cartel down, just to go right back into harm’s way with Nick.” I crossed my arms and legs.

“Norah, this isn’t a game. Nick can be a dangerous man. You don’t need to dangle yourself in front of him like a carrot. Besides that, you don’t even have a plan, do you?” he was almost yelling.

“I’m the last person you need to tell about how dangerous Nick can be! I was the one who he tied up and left hanging by my wrists all night long! I am the one who he let other men beat with a whip, he made me crawl on my knees and wear a collar like a dog! If you think Liam is the only one that wants revenge on Nick, you’re wrong! I want to see him suffer, I want to see him in pain! But I don’t want my husband to be involved. This is my fight! And I will handle it!” I was yelling. I wasn’t holding back.