The Billionaire's Vessel

Chapter 1

It was a cold night out in the streets of New York, the city seemed to always be shrouded by darkness and mystery, even on sunny, cloudless days like this one. It was almost as if it were trying to keep people from looking at itself too closely, to avoid being judged for its faults or flaws. I took in a deep breath, thinking, wondering, and plundering on the next step to take when I stopped in front of a bar and decided. Fuck it! I need a few drinks anyway.

Stepping into the bar, a young man with dark brown hair walked up to my side,  he smiled brightly, "Hi there! How may I help you?"

He had an accent, but he was so polite I couldn't help but smile back. "I'd have a couple drinks please."

"What would you like?"

"Bourbon?"

The barista nodded quickly, before grabbing some bottles, and passing them to me.

"Here you go."

I turned around and looked out of the window behind me, taking another long look at the city before turning back to the barista.

"Thank you"

After paying, I left the bar and headed down the street, walking away from the lights and noise, hoping to find somewhere where I could drown my sorrows in alcohol. After about thirty minutes, I found an abandoned building close to the park. The place wasn't very big, it seemed to be abandoned because no one ever came here, which suited my needs perfectly.

It's not like I had anywhere else to go. George took all that from me the moment he blamed me of theft and fired me from the block. My rent was expired and no matter how much I begged and wailed Hugward won't let me stay even another night.

A single tear dropped from my right eye as I realised just how hopeless I was. It wasn't the safest option, but it was the best I had now.

Entertaining the building, I tried my best to approach with caution, I just needed a couple hours of peace so I can silently down sorrows in the bottle of alcohol on my hand.

So what if I spent the last money I had on cheap alcohol?

I needed a break.

As climbed up the stairs leading up to the door, I heard something coming from inside the building. A loud thud and then a grunt. My heart skipped a beat, I stopped and listened carefully, trying to determine what caused the noise, but I couldn't make out any words. So I knocked gently, calling out, "Hello? Anyone here?"

Still hearing nothing I knocked again, louder this time, "Anyone there?"

"Who's there?!" I jumped slightly causing the bottle on my hand to fall and shatter on the floor as I hadn't noticed someone else was standing behind me. I escaped merely by a graze of the broken glass shards.

Looking up I centred my gaze on the man before me. He was short and buff, maybe about five foot six, with messy black hair and piercing dark eyes.

"I'm sorry," I started, "I didn't mean to intrude, I just wanted to know if anyone was here?"

He stared at me, seeming a bit suspicious, but still said nothing. He pulled me towards a dark room and immediately locked the door. My intuition telling me something was seriously wrong.

"So, tell me what you're doing here huh? Who sent you?" he asked as he locked the door.

"I ..I don't know what you're talking-"

Before I could finish speaking, he shoved me against the wall and pinned me with his body weight. He grabbed me by my shoulders, forcing me to stand on my tip toes so I would have to look him straight in the eye to maintain eye contact.

I shuddered, the pace of my breathing had escalated that very instant.

"You ain't the first girl to come in here. If you really wanna get outta here, you'll tell me everything I wanna know and give me whatever money's in your wallet. Otherwise, this can get real ugly real fast. And believe me honey, I know how to get dirty when I gotta." I gulped and nodded, giving him my wallet. "Good girl," he smirked, grabbed the wallet from my hand, threw it on the floor far from my reach and proceeded to pull a hand up and inside my dress.

My face went pale.

"W-what are you doing?" he spun me around with so much aggression so my face was against the cold hard wall and I could feel my lips go sore and my body shiver the moment he pulled my dress to the top revealing whatever I had left underneath. I whimpered along with the acceleration of my heartbeat.

"It has been long I got some action." I heard his scrawny voice behind me.

He started pulling at my underwear and I felt myself start to panic. I wanted to beg him not to touch me, but I was frozen. I couldn't move nor speak. But all too soon I was feeling cold metal on my hips. I tried to swallow my tears but they wouldn't come.

And then I started to wonder, how was it that I had gotten myself into this mess? what is it exactly that made me walk into this place knowing just how dangerous it is this late at night in New York.

I gulped. And just like the heavens had heard my cries we both froze at the sound of a strong masculine voice. "let the girl go."

Slowly I felt the metal on my thigh retract and my captor pulled away with a scowl. "I was having some fun, you don't gatta interrupt pretty boy."

I felt my limbs go weak and I fell flat on the ground trying to get a grip on myself, and that's when I looked up to identify the thankful intrusion of the other man.

"I don't pay you to harass young women Derick" despite the harshness of the other mans tone, his facial features maintained a cool exterior.

His manly frame stood tall and intimidating in a complete black suit with a white vest, he walked up to me and squatted down to my seated height. His sea blue eyes charming in every way that made my stomach churn, black hair ruffled in a disoriented yet good looking way and the sharpness of his jaw with the little black stubble around it had me seizing my breath a little too long.

"What is your name woman?"

I gulped hard. "C-Cassie."

"Cassie." he said the name like he was trying to taste it on his tongue. "Come with me Cassie."