A Dangerous Passion (COMPLETED)

Chapter 10

A month later..

Skylar's POV

When they found me on the streets, I thought I was finally safe.

I thought I'd be okay.

But God, I think this may just be worse.

Everyday I wake up at 4 am and go to work. I'll help prepare breakfast, doing most of it by myself since some maids don't even show up anymore. After I'm done preparing, I'll leave to serve and service Andrei for an hour which almost always results in me missing my breakfast then ending up having to listen to the other maids make comments on how I'm 'weird'. But saying "weird" is being nice to myself at this point.

It isn't as though he's going against my consent. He just wants my affection and to be around him.

I just don't understand why me? He acts as though he hates me every other second of the day.

I believe the last time I had a day off was when Andrei and his men were out on some sort of 'mission'. That was forever ago.

Since I seem to miss a lot of my breaks, I haven't been able to eat. Us maids will get the leftovers of what the men didn't eat, but I'm always too late for breakfast and at times lunch since I'm too busy trying to complete other jobs that others won't do anymore.

The only time I eat will always eat is supper. By that time I've completed pretty much all my chores and I'm not on supper duty so that helps a lot.

Currently, I'm hurriedly vacuuming the board room since there's a meeting happening here in less than half an hour. I was suppose to do this two hours ago but I was busy with the immense amounts of laundry with today being washing day.

As I push a chair out of the way for more access, I hear the click of the doorknob and a heavy, disappointed sigh.

I instantly turn off the vacuum and turn my head in the sigh's direction. I see Andrei with stacks of paper in his arms a disappointed, almost angry look on his brutally handsome face.

"I thought you were suppose to vacuum this, hmm." he checks his watch with a scrunched up face. "Two hours ago?"

I begin to pack the vacuum up as fast as I can, sweat beads beginning to align my hairline. "I'm so sorry," I apologize as I continue to wrap up the cord.

He sighs again. "Fuck, Skylar!" he curses as he stares out the small window carved into the door.

I peer up from my hurried wrapping and see dozens of tall, muscular men outside the door looking slightly impatient now.

Without warning, my arm is snatched up in an uncomfortably tight hold and I'm soon being pulled by quick feet to another door in the gigantic room. Andrei opens the door and I'm met with a tight space that holds the cleaning supplies for this room and extra water cups.

At first, I think he's going to put the vacuum back in that he was dragging with the other hand. But he shoves me in with no hesitation along with the vacuum which makes it ten times more uncomfortable.

I've never really been a tiny person. Well, not according to the maids, that is.

"You stay in here," he spits. "This meeting is an important 5 hours long. I hear you breathe or move a muscle, you're back out onto the streets, got it?"

"Okay," I reply with a shaky nod.

"Good."

He pushes the door shut which pushes me painfully into the already tight space.

If I'm lucky enough, I'll fall asleep, never wake up and he'll just somehow forget about me.

No, no. Don't think like that, Skylar. You don't want THIS life, you want another. You want to to escape.

"Come in, come in." Is what I hear next followed by the mumbling of conversations amongst the men.

Eventually, it sounds as though they've all taken their seats and are now being passed out papers.

"These here, gentlemen, are the numbers of girls we have in current custody," I hear Andrei announce followed by the ruffling of sheets and "hmms" from the other men in the room.

Girls? Do they mean the maids?

"Currently, they are being held in the fifth warehouse, also known as the safe house."

What the hell is he talking about?! I thought we all lived here in the house..

"You are all here today, offering up a safe job within your compounds. These women have been through hell and back and are looking to start a new. With your help, they could do just that."

"So," he says and I can envision him smirking at this very moment. "Let's begin, shall we?"

Andrei's POV

I flip open the first page of the meeting booklet I've prepared and stare down at the first woman's picture along with her informational summary. She looks like a hard worker, I'll start with her.

All the men flip to the page and the room in soon filled with pleased mumbling and humming.

"Here, we have Girl 3046 - Melissa Kelli. She's 23, a natural brunette and has hazel eyes. She was taken in Australia after a night out with friends as she was walking home. We found her in a human-trafficking centre and one of my men saved her. Anyone have a job for her?"

Some men nod with eyebrows raised, which likely indicates they have something for the girl.

"Next," I begin and skim over the informational bit again. "We have Girl 4017..."

3 hours later...

As I read out the next girls characteristics and history, my eyes peer over to the closet door that has been moving ever so slightly after each girl I announce. But an hour ago it stopped and I'm beginning to feel a bit worried. I've only got a few more to go 'till we head over to the warehouse, have them loaded into the vans.

I read out the last two girls characteristics then set my book down in front of me and wait until they've all written down their choices.

I get up from my seat, grabbing my jacket and head over to the door. "Now please follow me to the driveway. We have cars that will be taking us to the warehouse to pick up the girls."

But just as we all head to the door, I hear the squeal of the closet door echo throughout the massive room.

"No, wait!" I hear her scream.

My entire body tenses with anger and all I can see is red. Of course she had to ruin it. She's always fucking something up.

All the men turn around, including me and we stand there watching Skylar; visibly exhausted with sweat dripping down her, trying to catch a breath of fresh air.

"Who's she?" I hear a man a few feet from me mumble to another with a sly grin on her face.

My temper is rising dangerously.

She drops to her knees in pure exhaustion and clasps her hands together. "Please.." she begs and closes her eyes tightly. "Help me. I-I can't breathe.."

I quickly rush over to Skylar and catch her just before she falls face-flat on the floor.

I whip her around away from the staring men and look her dead in her beautiful, yet dull eyes. "Skylar? Skylar, can you hear me?"

She clutches to my shirt in desperation, breathing in heavily. "I-I am Claustrophobic," she sucks in another breath and breathes out steadily this time.

"Ivan," I say, looking towards him, but Skylar is still turned away from the men who are staring like the fucking creeps they are.

I should've thought harder about where those girls could go.

"Take them to the warehouse for the women. They are waiting. I'm going to stay here with Skylar." I say, holding her small body close to mine.

He simply nods and begins directing the men out of the room, leaving the two of us alone.

-Unedited.