2 Years Ago
The new place gave me and the cats a lot to explore as I went about to putting everything into their new places and getting the cat things set up. The felines were happy about there being food and used their litter box right away after I set it up.
I called Boss's number and he must have been busy because he didn't pick up. I left him a message saying that everything was finished and that the J's were on their best behavior.
The rest of the evening that I wasn't unpacking or reading through my contracts or wondering about my implant really made me feel like my life suddenly picked up in a big way. I had never done this much in one day before.
It was a few hours after I had gone to sleep that my phone beeped with a message.
Read page seven, paragraph four of the contract. I was too tired to get up out of bed so I stayed asleep in bed until the rays of day shone through the large panel windows that acted as walls for most of the exterior of the apartment. The cats meowed for their breakfast until I climbed out of bed and fed them their kibble and some wet cat food.
I searched through my pile of new contracts with Boss, the club and the doctor's to find the one I needed to read. And after setting about to making some coffee and reaching for an orange I leaned against the counter and found the page in question.
Contractee will undergo a permanent visible symbol of membership to the club and will ensure that it is in a place deemed openly visible to all and cannot be mistaken for another Conglomerate's symbol. This must be done within two weeks of activation of membership.
Permanent.... symbol..........
A tattoo?!
I should have read the entire contract before signing. This is so stupid, though now that I think about it all of the J's from yesterday had a tattoo that had the groups symbol in it. I didn't think anything of it until now.
I sent a text back with two words.
Tattoo? Really? No sooner had it been sent, a text replied with,
Yes.
I swear this man was going to be the death of me.
---Later That Day---
I had just finished unpacking and organizing everything to my liking when my phone started to ring. I didn't really focus on who was calling until I answered,
"Yeah?"
"That's not a very nice way to address your boss." I froze and resisted the urge to retort back.
"I apologize Boss. What is it you need of me?" I could practically hear his smirk in his voice.
"Seeing as you had read the page instructed, I would like to get you in for the appointment within the next few days. Are you available?" I went back to setting up my television and thought on it.
"I have practice at the club tomorrow afternoon and the following day as well. I guess any time after five or six should be okay." A grunt was my response.
"I will be by tomorrow after your practice at the club to retrieve you. The appointment will be a few hours so make sure you have something to entertain you as I will be too busy with other matters to converse." Nerves sprang forth in me and I tried to ignore them but no matter what I did they just kept crawling under my flesh.
"Understood. Good night Boss."
"Good night my little song bird."
--- The Next Evening---
"Alright Darlin'. That's enough practicin' for one day. We're gonna open soon," Pam said over the mic and I nodded and started to clean up from the stage. A few girls were already coming in through the side door as I went to my dressing room to change and get ready for the tattoo appointment Boss had scheduled.
Only, I didn't expect him to be sitting on my couch in my room, a cellphone in his hand as it pressed against his cheek.
"Take it over to the meet point and take some men with you. This drop must happen and cannot raise suspicions of the police. If I hear about it from someone not you then the job will not be considered a success. That is all." Boss tapped his phone and the call was ended. Since I was still in my dress and my clothes that I needed to change into were on the couch next to him, including a bra that I had to take off because it would have shown in this dress.
"Once you are dressed we will leave," he said, motioning to my clothes and I swallowed as I reached for them and went to the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
"I didn't know you would be here or I would have put my things away." I removed the difficult dress and put the bra on first followed by the simple shirt that could come off from the front for ease of access during the tattoo process. I opted for leggings today as they would be more comfortable while waiting for hours and hours.
Finishing up with my sneakers I walked out and put the dress back on the rack next to the couch. I retrieved my purse and turned around just as Boss stood. He led me out of the club to his awaiting car and we climbed into the back. We were on our way when he pulled out a paper with a photo of a very pristine black and white wolf that looked to be crawling up something while snarling at whoever had seen it.
"This is the tattoo you want me to get? It's not really my style but it looks nice." Boss pulled out a cigarette and lit is as he lowered his window a bit to let the smoke out.
"Your back."
"My back? How big were you thinking of making this? I've never had a tattoo before let alone a big one." Without missing a beat.
"From shoulder to shoulder and the tail and feet will end just at your hip." I couldn't believe him. Not a single word was registering in my mind. This man not only has taken control of my life but now also wants to control my body.
"Is there any way to do an arm or leg or something?" The look he gave me just then made me stop talking. Of course not. It had to be the biggest most aggressive tattoo he could think of. And it was sure to hurt.
"As stated in the agreement, it must be in a very visible space as to not confuse you with other groups. Since you have a close connection with your friends I figured your back would be easy to hide from them but since most of your dresses for work have an open back it would be showing where the territory lines are blurred so no one messes with you. Simple and grand."
I could see the logic but this was going to hurt more than ever and I had been through beatings from my foster dad. There was little that feared me anymore but hours of constant pain... didn't sound at all like my cup of tea.
"I understand."
Once we had arrived the artist, a weasel looking man with black gloves asked me to remove my shirt and bra so he could put the stencil on my back and begin. He had me laying down so that my breast were pushed against the table and within minutes he began on the outline that he said would take a few hours along with some detail work to begin with. He was most certain that it wouldn't take just a single sitting and asked for me to come back in the following few days to finish up.
Hours later I didn't even bother with my bra but carefully put my shirt on, the pain causing me to twitch at any little pressure.
"You did well today Seraphine. Keep up the good work and it will all be worth it." I openly glared at him, not caring for formalities since I had just been under a needle for the past six hours. I was in no mood for niceties.
"Yeah yeah." Even though we were sitting in his car on the way to the apartment, I was leaning forward so that my back didn't touch a single thing. Even my shirt made my skin feel like it was on fire.
"Excuse me?" Like a wounded animal I snapped at him.
"Yes excuse you. You threaten my livelihood over something I didn't want to know, force me to move and start a career of singing and now force me to spend what will probably be eighteen hours if not twenty under a needle held by a creep that couldn't stop staring at my ass the whole time. So yes, excuse you." Since I was looking out the window at the passing street lights, I didn't see his change in demeanor so much as feel it.
I was suddenly yanked back against the seat by my hair as Boss held my head still with little effort, the seat digging into my back painfully. I yelped and tried as much as possible to move my back away from the seat but it was futile. Keeping it just away from the seat I held still and held onto the door for support.
Darkness was in his eyes as I met them and a snarl was planted on his lips.
"I have given you a new life most would dream of. A new and better home, job, way of life. Yet here you are barking at me as if I am the bad guy. Remember that you signed the contract. Remember that I made you into who you are. You are mine to do with as I see fit. If I want to make you live out of a van working as a street whore, that is what you will do. Instead I am setting you up to be a woman of class and standing. Take pleasure in what I have built for you you ungrateful sow." He released me with a shove and fixed his suit as he motioned for the driver to pull over. We were still a block or two from my building but he was in no mood to deal with me any longer.
"Same time tomorrow. A driver will pick you up outside the club and you will continue until that mark is done." Since the car was at a stop, I climbed out and held my purse to my chest. I trembled in pain and fear at just what I have been dragged into.
"Understood." The door was closed and the car sped off without even a single glance back to me. Hobbling home with a sore head, neck, and back I wept until I got into my building. The doorman downstairs as soon as he had seen me helped me to my floor and into my apartment before he returned to his post. My cats welcomed me back with purrs and meows that meant that they wanted attention and food.
"O-Okay my babies. I will feed you." I took my shirt off and walked around half naked as I continued to sob, the cats rubbing against my feet with happiness at their food. I did little more that night than flop into bed and remained there until the rays of day were high in the sky. I wanted nothing more than to wake up back in my old simple life but that wasn't going to happen. My back reminded me of that.