Three days came and went and I had received no call from the flip phone. The silence was beginning to give me a false sense of hope that I was free from all this shit, but I knew better. I knew that by not hearing anything that I was utterly and royally fucked. But that didn't stop me from being in a better mood. I found Todd on Facebook and we ended up having another date. However, when we went to his apartment and had sex,he called his ex girlfriend's name out, so after that incident, we decided to stay friends until he was completely over her.
Lilah and I both decided to watch Gone With the Wind for the umpteenth time and talked about how pretty Scarlett's dresses were in the film. I told her that I thought Rhett Butler was handsome, but she scrunched her nose and called cooties. It was rightfully deserved, but I couldn't help but be offended.
My nights at home were even more peaceful. I didn't wait by the flip phone every night, praying that it wouldn't ring. Instead, I took hour long baths and went to bed early. It was like having a vacation after a decade of working. It was what my life should've been and not some misconstrued weave of murder and crime and my fucked up attraction towards Tom.
On the fourth day, I had run four miles and returned to my building. I opened the door to my place and in the center of it all was Tom and Harrison standing behind a bound and gagged Katy with a gun pressed to her head. There was blood dripping from her nose and her eyes were smeared with mascara from crying. I felt the need to throw up upon seeing the sight.
"I've given you one too many chances, Reese," Tom spoke calmly, but his demeanor told a different story. "When I call, you answer. If you don't answer, you die," he pressed the gun harder against Katy's temple and she let out a distorted cry. "I've let you off the hook with that sharp tongue of yours because I thought it was cute," he started, "But when it starts to not follow authority, I wanted to cut it out of you. Would I like you silent, Reese? Would I want to keep you around then?"
"What do you want, Tom?" my voice was wavering. I kept my eyes on Katy, trying to tell her it would be alright, but even I didn't know that. Tom was unpredictable, unreadable. I would think he's doing one thing, but he does the exact opposite. He was chaotic in his actions and now his chaos was affecting those around me. "You know what I want, Reese," he snapped, "Don't spoon feed me that bullshit." Harrison took the passport from his jacket and threw it on the floor right in front of Katy. "You either go to Vienna," Tom dug the gun deeper against Katy's temple, "Or you in your friend are caught in a tragic murder-suicide. You don't want her to die, do you? You don't want that for her." Subconsciously, I shook my head and whispered a no. "Good," he smiled, "Take the passport then."
I stared at the passport on my floor. Picking it up meant my demise, but keeping it on the floor meant Katy's. So this was what the silence had built up to. This was what he wanted, to make me think I was safe before destroying my oasis. This was my punishment, my life or Katy's.
"Pick up the passport, Reese," Tom warned, "I'm not asking again." My limbs were still. I couldn't move them if I tried. I felt a sob rise in the back of my throat, but I forced it down. I must keep my calm, I reassured myself, don't lose your shit. "One," Tom counted and took the safety off the gun. Upon hearing the familiar click, I rushed to the floor and picked up the passport, watching Tom's reaction. Katy closed her eyes in relief as she realized I saved her life and began crying.
Tom smiled, "Good. The world's back in order." He then pulled the trigger and I shrieked, shoving Tom away from Katy. But there was no shot, there was no ammo in the gun. He knew I would give in. I was dead either way. Tom turned to Harrison, "Take Katy back to her place and give her the lecture. We don't want her late for school." Harrison untied Katy and she rushed over and hugged me tightly and sobbed. "Shhh," I said, trying to comfort her, "It's alright. Everything's fine. You're safe now." The last sentence was bullshit, however. She wasn't going to be safe for as long as she knew me. She would always be collateral damage.
"Come on," Harrison broke the hug up and dragged her away from me. He gave me one last look before he left the apartment, leaving me with Tom. I turned to face him and there he was, counting his bullets. "I really should kill you for making a fool of me," he said as he put the clip and magazine back in the weapon and pointed it at me. I stared down the barrel of the gun, looking at the darkness that was contained within the tiny tube of metal. He had a right to shoot me. I broke our agreement after all, it was fair for him to break his side. If I died, I wouldn't have to be his indentured servant anymore. I could finally have the peace that I had for those three days. I could be free.
But as I looked at the man who held the gun, my thoughts began to change. I felt strange when the flip phone wouldn't ring, as if I had no purpose. Was I that close to worshipping this man and his organization? Was I really under his spell? I admit, when he offered to drive me home, my heart leapt a bit, but I figured it was from fear, but now I began to doubt myself. I couldn't possibly be attracted to Tom, after all the things he's done to me. He's threatened my life countless times, kidnapped and tortured me, and threatened my friend's life. Yet, why did I still want him?
"What about your mole?" I asked him and he scoffed. "You didn't give two shits about that mole when you rejected Thackeray the first time," he cocked his head to the side, "Why the change?" "You say you should kill me, but how many times have I heard that? Dozens? Hundreds? If you didn't need something from me, I'd be dead already. My only use for you is Thackeray, that's it," I sighed and went to my kitchen to open the fridge and pour out a drink, seemingly unconcerned with the gun being pointed at me. Well, until he shot it and the bullet nicked my ear and hit the cupboard next to me.
Immediately I felt the stinging and I pressed my fingers against it lightly, feeling the blood spill out from the cut. "You're expendable, Reese," Tom said, lowering the gun, "Amusing, but expendable. Pack your bags and clean up the mess. If you're not out in twenty minutes, I'll aim for the head."
Tom looked at his watch as I walked to the car, suitcase in hand. "Eighteen minutes, I'm impressed," he said as he opened the trunk and loaded my suitcase in. "I would've been out shorter if I didn't have to patch up my ear," I muttered and opened the back door and sat down. Tom motioned for me to sit in the passenger side, but I didn't feel like being seduced at the moment.
We didn't speak on the way to the airport. Surprisingly, Tom turned on the radio and we both drowned out the silence with Top 40 Hits. I mindlessly hummed along to the few I knew, watching as the scenery outside changed from minute to minute. I rubbed my ear where it had been shot and winced at the stinging, but I didn't stop touching it. It was a small price to pay for my disobedience, the bigger one was yet to come.
If I was so expendable, why hadn't Tom killed me yet? He had given me numerous chances when I shouldn't have ever had one. He called me at a restaurant, he kidnapped my friend, he shot my ear, but I should've been dead in that grocery store weeks ago. If I'm so expendable, then why does he treat me like I'm not?
Tom pulled into a barren airport which snapped me out of my thoughts. "Where is everybody?" I asked, "This is an airport, right?" Tom turned the car off and opened my door, his disposition the calmest I had seen in recent times. "You really believe that we were going to fly commercial? Get a little class, Reese," he said as he closed my door and helped me with my suitcase. Outside of the plane stood Harrison, Jacob, and another man. Like Tom, they wore sunglasses, a suit, and a weapon on their waist. They were emotionless as I made my way up to the jet.
Though I had never flown in a private jet, I had seen the interior of one. Yet, I was still amazed by the vastness of it all. There were a few more men inside, typing on the laptops, making phone calls, or playing cards. Though I did not know them, they knew me and they all stopped what they were doing and waved. One sat up from the sofa and took my bag before I could even get the chance to thank him.
"Our section is a little up north if you keep walking," I heard Tom say behind me. "Our?" I questioned as he gave his bag to the same man. "Yes, our. You, Harrison, Jacob, and I," he clarified and started to make his way north, but I stood still. "Are you coming?" he asked. "I'm not an elite," I said and sat down next to a man who stopped typing to see how this would play out, "Shouldn't I be here with these fine gentlemen?"
Tom shrugged and left for the section, "Suit yourself, Reese." With him gone, the rest of the men resumed their activities as normal. For the first few minutes, I sat cross legged and scrolled through social media until I heard one of my many nicknames be called. I searched for the voice and saw a man in the back, beckoning for me. I stood up and made my way to the back and sat across from the man. "I'm Mark," he held his hand out and I shook it. "Andi," I replied, even though he already knew it.
Mark grabbed the cards from the table and began to shuffle them. "You know how to play?" he asked and I raised an eyebrow. "Play what?" "Poker," Mark said and I felt stupid. "Oh, of course," I laughed it off, "I'm so used to playing go-fish or old maid with kids, so I'm a little rusty." "Are you too rusty to bet on it?" He laid out a hundred dollar bill. I looked at it and yearned for it to be in my wallet. I pulled out a fifty and placed it on top of the bill, "Probably, but maybe I can still beat your ass."
Within an hour, our whole section was crowded around the table with cards in their hand and money they wanted to win. Those who lost our newfound tourney took bets on who would win and who would lose. It was probably the most hundred dollar bills I had ever seen in my life. Miraculously, I was still in and kicking ass. I had beaten Mark and took those hundred dollars for my keeping, but then I decided to add more money to my name. Now, I was competing for five thousand dollars against one of the men named Elliot.
It was the final play for the money and I had drawn my last cards. I didn't see anything good that I could win with, so I had to fold, wiping a fake tear as I did so. Elliot smiled and laid his cards down, "Straight flush, baby. Ha!" He began to take the money when I saw my cards again. "Holy shit, hold your horses there, buckaroo," I picked up my cards and showed them to everyone, "Your bitch has a royal flush!" Elliot's face paled as he now knew that the cash was mine and everyone in the section started hollering- those who bet on my victory cheered me on and those who bet on my loss booed me.
"What in the actual fuck is going on back here?" Tom rushed in and like my kindergartner's, a hush fell over the room. "We were uh... we were playing poker, sir," Mark answered and Tom looked at me. He pointed to me, "Were you apart of this?" I nodded while I quietly stuffed the cash in my wallet. "She beat our asses, sir," Elliot spoke and Mark glared at him. The situation was all to hilarious. I felt like I was in adult kindergarten.
Tom looked at all the men in the room. "All of you?" he asked, waving his finger around the room. There was a collective nod and murmur of yesses. He returned his gaze to me and beckoned me to come with him. Knowing I couldn't resist him this time, I sat up and followed him to his section of the jet.
"This is real childish of you if you're going to scold me for playing poker," I started, but I didn't finish the rest of my argument as I watched sit down and pull out a deck of cards. "You like gambling, Reese? Well, then how about we play a little strip poker?" He asked as he dealt the cards. "I...I don't think so," I stammered as I sat down, "I'd rather play with money."
"So, you would rather be in debt than be slightly embarrassed? It's only me, love," he gave a warm smile. It was a persuasive smile and I almost fell for it, but I felt the stares of Harrison and Jacob bore into my back. Tom must've read my thoughts or something because right then he called for Harrison and Jacob to go congregate with the rest of the men. "Not so shy now, are we?" He picked up his cards, "I won't try anything, I swear."
Slowly, I picked up my cards and muttered a string of curse words. He had to have rigged this, I thought as we played, look at that fucking smile, of course he did. I folded and he won the first game. He leant back as he waited for me to take off a layer. Raising my foot where he could see, I untied my shoe slowly and took it off. "Patience is a virtue, Reese," he said as he dealt more cards, "And I have a lot of it."
My luck picked up once I had taken both of my socks off. The first time I won, Tom took both of his shoes off, and then his socks went; so we were evenly matched. The next round, I had a two pair and was hoping to God that he wouldn't have any luck, but alas, he had a four of a kind. "I believe you're due for a layer, my dear," he said as I hesitated, thinking whether I should take off my shorts or my shirt. In the end, I chose my shorts. Now I sat in front of Tom, half naked. He watched me for a moment before he dealt the next round and picked up his cards a little too eagerly.
I won the next round to my disbelief and watched as his smile grew. He unbuttoned his shirt slowly, taking his time on each button. He took the dress shirt off and my first thought was that there was no undershirt. Though I had already known from his rolled up sleeves, his arms were lean and muscular. His chest wasnt as sculpted, but it was still very defined. Though he was sitting, I knew that there were abs on his toned stomach with a strong v-line. He was like a middle schooler's wet dream with his body. Shit, I was still head over heels for that kind of body.
"I said I wouldn't try anything, Reese, but you're making me reconsider it," he eyed me cautiously as I dealt the cards. "You're out of luck because I wasn't planning on trying anything," I picked up my cards resumed the game.
Tom was now in his boxers and there was only one layer left before I would win the whole game. It was an experience, really, watching him stand up, undo his belt and take off his dress pants. It was something straight out of Fifty Shades and I didn't mind it one bit. I knew the moment I won that I was going to pounce on him and I was afraid. I didn't want to win, but I didn't want to take the rest of my clothes off either.
There was a heavy tension around the room and I couldn't tell if I enjoyed it or not. Any moment now, Tom could lead me into the bathroom and we'd have sex from here to Vienna. The poker game was getting dangerous. It was making me think the unthinkable. It made me think maybe I wasn't as replaceable as I thought.
I looked at my cards and tried to figure out what I could do. I had a pair of twos and that could maybe garner a victory, but it was a low ranking hand. Tom would most likely have something higher and I would lose. I drew my cards and looked over them, I had nothing good. Sighing, I put my cards down, "I fold." Without breaking his poker face, Tom let his cards down and showed a higher hand. I rolled my eyes and began to take my shirt off when Tom stopped me. "Do it slowly," he said, "I'd like to enjoy this moment."
"Pervert," I retorted, but I did as I was told, taking my shirt off at the speed of a snail. I smiled when I heard him groan with distaste. Once my shirt was off, the atmosphere changed. I became aware of my stomach and how I slouched, so I sat up straighter, trying to decrease my belly rolls. Tom leaned in and pinched my bralette strap with his two fingers and rubbed his thumb against the material. "Lace," he said quietly before meeting my eyes, "I like it."
My glance switched from his eyes to his lips periodically and I saw his do the same. He leaned closer and I felt his lips ghost mine before he pulled away and started to shuffle the cards. "Put your clothes on and leave," he said, his voice losing all the playfulness from before. Though I was confused and slightly hurt, I did as he said and without a word.
Don't forget to vote, comment, that good stuff.
~Not edited~