The Client List

Chapter Four: Momma

I again took a step back, this time slapping his hand away from my face fiercely. My hand ached soon thereafter from having some sort of internal burn. He chuckled smugly and lit his cigar, concentrating on the embers as he flicked the flint and started a flame.

"What the hell are you talking about?" My throat managed to let out a rasping whisper, but it wasn't as menacing as I would have appreciated it to be. Who was this man? His teeth were coated in a thick layer of plaque, and every time he opened his mouth to take a drag from his cigar it made me want to vomit.

"You heard what I said," he smiled, "I'll need you to come with me." He grabbed for my shoulder but I winced, pulling it away before he could reach me. His smug grin turned into a look of anger and frustration. "Child, we can do this the easy way," he said, grabbing for my arm once again, "or the hard way." His fingers tightened. I kept my eyes on his, not letting myself let my guard down for even a moment. I couldn't let him know how scared and confused I was. I closed my eyes and furrowed my eyebrows, breathing deeply. I was surprised steam wasn't coming out of my ears. When I opened them, though, everything was different.

I stood in an empty office alone, staring at a single desk with two chairs - one on either side - and a large mirror that covered most of the wall. I took a step towards the mirror, cupping my hand over my eye to see if I could see anyone watching me from the other side. Nothing but my own reflection starred back. I heard the door handle behind me jiggle and I spun around, stepping behind the desk.

"Oakley Silus." The deep voice spoke. It wasn't the same as the other man with the bald head and bad hygiene. The door opened quickly and in came a younger looking man. He looked to be in his early thirties. He had jet black hair that was combed back, magnificent honey brown eyes, and a five o'clock shadow around his chin and jawline. He stood a few inches taller than me, and was skinny but well built. He wore a grey suit with a royal blue tie. "My name is Nero. It's a pleasure to meet you, disregarding the circumstances."

"I don't even know what the circumstances are." I folded my arms tightly in front of me, realizing I still had a hospital gown on. This man was gorgeous in every way, but I was pissed off. "And I'm God damn naked under this thing, so some clothes would be nice." He stood up straight and walked out the door, coming back in only moments later with an open cardboard box. He pushed it across the desk and I hesitantly looked inside. A dress. He walked back over to the door and looked back at me, "it's just a mirror. I'll come back in when you're finished." He closed the door softly.

After I put on the dress and sandals, I looked in the mirror. The dress went down to my knees and had long sleeves. The neckline was squared but low, and had a golden hemline. The rest of the dress was a deep rose red.

The door opened, making me jump. "Just me." It was the gorgeous man in the suit. "I suppose we should get on with this." I nodded and impatiently gestured for him to continue. "18 years ago, I was a friend of your mothers," my jaw tightened, I didn't want to hear about the bitch who let me go. "She was a beautiful woman, but very naive. I caught her doing some thing that she shouldn't have been doing, and she was going to pay for it." Did he kill my mother? "Oakley, your mother sold her soul to me only months before you were born. And by that, she chose to give up her first born child. To get a fresh start, she gave you up. The only part of the deal was that you had to be 18 before I came for you. She got pregnant at 17 with you, and I suppose she didn't quite understand what that meant."

"What DOES it mean?" My voice shook and my fingers trembled.

"It means I own you."

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[authors note] this chapter was a lot longer! Let me know what you think. What do you think Oakley is going to have to do for Nero!?