Bent : The Dove Series: Book Two (The Dove Series Book One 2) Read online

  Twenty minutes later, we were served with bowls of soup and fresh baked bread. I’ll admit it was the best tomato basil soup I ever tasted. Normally, I hated tomato soup. But this…it warmed my insides.

  “Okay, off you go,” Jose ordered, ushering us back down to the basement.

  I was dog tired and my knees ached. Livy and I laid together, and I watched her fall asleep fairly quickly as I faced her. She looked angelic and peaceful and I hoped she would have good dreams even in this situation.

  Chapter Four

  DAMON

  Jose had appeared to have gone underground. If I couldn’t track down Jose Macias, I had to draw him out. My first meeting was with Jose’s arms dealer. Jose’s suppliers were easy to track down. So, all I had to do was take down his empire. He needed to feel the crippling effect once I started picking off his men one by one.

  “You ready, boss?” Matteo asked.

  “We’re all set?”

  “Yep, ready when you are,” Matteo responded while I buttoned the cuff of my blue dress shirt.

  When I met dangerous people, I dressed impeccably well with my expensive tailored suits. Securing my briefcase shut, I followed Matteo out to the SUV. We were on our way to meet an old friend of mine, Raphael. He was well known in the dark underworld of being a weapons dealer. And as of the last few years, I knew Jose exclusively used him as his supplier, but I was prepared to make an offer he couldn’t refuse.

  During the lengthy drive, I checked my glock to make sure it was loaded and secured it on my hip. Plus, Matteo was here if anything else went wrong.

  The SUV pulled into an abandoned warehouse where Raphael was already standing outside his blacked-out SUV waiting with his bodyguard.

  “It’s been a while, man,” Raphael said as he approached to shake my hand. “Looking to get some weapons? I didn’t think that was your thing.”

  “Nah. I’m actually trying to prevent someone else from getting his supply.”

  “Sounds like something I don’t want to be involved in,” he replied.

  “I’m prepared to pay you a monthly fee for the next six months if you only deal with me and not Jose.”

  Raphael cocked his head. “I’m listening.”

  I motioned for Matteo to bring the briefcase over. As he handed it to me, I moved nice and slow so they knew I wasn’t up to anything suspicious. “I’m just gonna open this and show you the cash.”

  We both moved to the hood of his vehicle so I could open the briefcase. “I’m prepared to pay you this exact amount every month for the next six months.”

  “Just for not doing business with Jose?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did he do to you?”

  “He stole my girl and he’s gonna pay. So, if you hear where he’s at, let me know. What do you say? Will you stop doing business with him?” I closed the briefcase while I waited for his response.

  Raphael rubbed his chin while he thought about it. “You know what. You got yourself a deal.” He held his hand out for me to shake, and I offered a firm grip.

  “Perfect. Nice doing business with you.” I handed him the briefcase and headed back to the SUV.

  “Let’s go,” I said to the guys with me.

  With one final nod to Raphael, we were on our way back to my house. The house that now seemed so empty without Kara there. It was weird because even though I barely knew her, I couldn’t remember what life was like before her. And I didn’t want to know what it felt like not to have her. I swallowed the hard lump in my throat. I had to figure out how to get her back. Especially before any irreparable damage was done. No matter what happened, Jose and his men were gonna die. And I would enjoy every minute of it. With his arms dealer working with me now, Jose wouldn’t be able to buy guns and ammo. And when you can’t buy guns and ammo, that’s a problem in his line of work.

  I’ll admit I wasn’t the nicest man on the planet and I’d done my share of fucked up shit. But Jose was just a little more ruthless and he didn’t apologize for it. People were scared of him. And in the end, money talked.

  Chapter Five

  KARA

  It was late in the day when a man came down, telling Livy and I to, “Come on.” We made our way up the stairs and Jose was waiting on us. “I have an event tonight, and I need you and Livy to decorate the room and make sure it is impeccable. All the stuff is already out. Just make it look nice.”

  “Yes, sir,” I responded while looking down to the ground.

  Livy didn’t speak. We were directed to a room that resembled a ball room. It was a large room, and a large chandelier hung in the center. The room also had a white grand piano and my fingers longed to play it, but I wouldn’t do that in front of these men. There were numerous times when I wanted to play that one Damon had, but I didn’t. Maybe because I was pushing that part of me away. I had taken lessons as a kid and I was pretty good.

  There was floor length cut outs in the walls and I wasn’t quite sure what it was. Each one had sheer white curtains in them. I was curious but I didn’t ask. Maybe that was something I didn’t want to know.

  “Come on. I’ll show you what to do,” Livy stated.

  “What is the event tonight?”

  “It’s auction night.”

  My eyes grew wide. “Auction night?”

  “Yes. It’s where he auctions off the girls to the highest bidder.”

  My eyes grew wide. “Fuck.”

  I was in such shock I didn’t know how to process the information. I guess I knew what those floor length cut outs were, if I used my imagination. Bile rose in my throat as I thought about these women being treated like objects. It made me sick to my stomach. I was thankful I wasn’t on my knees today because they were sore from the previous day.

  Following Livy around, we arranged flower arrangements, added twinkle lights on the walls for a mood lighting effect. We hung huge red curtains on all the large windows.

  “I knew she would be useful,” I heard a familiar voice say from behind me. I didn’t need to look over my shoulder to know it was my father. He didn’t deserve my attention. I hated him for treating me like an object. “She’s a very good pianist, too,” he added.

  Livy looked at me, and I rolled my eyes. I was not playing the piano. Just no.

  “Is that so?” Jose said, rocking on his heels.

  “She’s took lessons as a kid and she’s quite good. She could have gone to Julliard Music School if she wanted to.”

  “Maybe I’ll have her be the entertainment tonight, then.”

  No, I couldn’t do that. I hadn’t played since high school. My father and Jose walked to another room as I was filled with rage.

  When we finished the room, the guard went to get Jose. Watching Jose as he returned to us, he held out a silver sequined dress and shoved it in my hands. “You’ll wear this tonight. Looks like you got yourself a gig.”

  “What?”

  “You’ll be playing the piano tonight.” He then looked to Livy, “Do something with her fucking hair.” And he rushed off.

  I stood frozen while holding the dress. Livy offered a little shove to get me to move to a private bathroom. “Sit,” she commanded. Sitting on the vanity chair, I looked in the mirror while she reached for a brush to run it through my hair. It was a tangled mess. “You have nice hair.”

  “Thank you. I dye it blonde. But I think once I get out of this place, I’ll go back to my natural dark hair color.”

  “Yeah, your roots are starting to show.”

  I didn’t recognize the girl staring back at me. I was starting to lose weight and my eyes looked different.

  “You’re lucky,” she added.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Jose likes you, which means he’ll keep you around longer than the rest of us.”

  “Don’t say that. I don’t know what I would do without you here with me.”

  She pulled my strands back and started to French braid my hair, letting the loose ends fall around my face. S
he took the curling iron and curled the pieces framing my face. She even used some makeup on my face to give it some color so I no longer looked pale.

  “Now the dress.” She held it open for me to step in it. Pulling it up, she zipped the back.

  “I can’t do this, Livy. I can’t.”

  Gripping both my shoulders, she looked into my eyes. “You will do this. And you will do it perfectly. You got this, Kara.”

  I breathed out a breath as I tried to calm my nerves. “You are gonna impress the hell out of them. Then you can tell me all about it later.” She winked.

  I still couldn’t wrap my head around how at ease Livy was with this situation.

  “Thank you.”

  She smiled in response. “For what it’s worth, you look beautiful.”

  “You done yet?” we heard through the door.

  Livy and I quickly stepped out, and I was handed a pair of black stilettos. “Wear these,” Jose said while offering Livy a nod. While she disappeared down to the basement, I worked the heels on to my feet. I could barely walk in these, but I would make it work. “If you are a good girl, I’ll reward you with a hot meal after this.” He gestured me to the ballroom. “Don’t try anything funny or I’ll have to put a bullet between those pretty brown eyes.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He seemed to like my response. I’ll admit, I tried to be respectful without deeming him as my master. No man would ever be a master to me. Ever. I was done with that life. If I made it out of here alive.

  Chapter Six

  KARA

  Once I was seated at the piano, people started to fill in to the room and nerves swirled in my stomach. I couldn’t fuck this up. I had to make a good impression so Jose would keep me around. The longer I stayed, it would be easier for Damon to find me.

  “Go on, girl. Play,” Jose ordered with a light shove.

  Sitting down on the red bench, I looked down at the keys. My fingers lightly grazed them and a familiar song came to mind. Closing my eyes, I pictured being somewhere else. Anywhere was better than being here. I was losing myself in the music. It was one escape I enjoyed. When I played, I could feel it and it moved me.

  When I opened my eyes, I noticed that people started to surround the piano as I played. Everyone was dressed impeccably and I knew why Jose wanted me to wear this dress. I was astonished to see women accompanying their men. Maybe some weren’t here to bid on an innocent woman. Maybe they were investors or some sort of person that Jose worked with.

  Jose appeared, holding a drink in his hand.

  “Is this one up for bidding on?” a man questioned him.

  Jose chuckled. “Not yet.”

  Not yet. Not ever.

  I wished I was playing for Damon, but this experience would taint me playing in the future. I was losing myself just as I had when I previously played, so it was a lose-lose situation. Getting lost in the music was what playing was all about. And I wondered if I should have played professionally. Maybe I wouldn’t have been in this situation to begin with. But being a Daddy’s girl, and my mom not being around, I felt like I needed to be close to home. I had a job, paid my own bills, and bartended during my Dad’s card games. What a mistake that was. I could never go back to my old life again.

  I was starting the next song that came to mind, and it was faster paced than the previous one. I was surprised I remembered the songs I used to play since it had been a long time. Looking over toward Jose, he looked like he was pleased with my performance so far. He was impressed by me. Impressed I could play as well as my father had said. He had made sure I had the best of the best for my teacher.

  Women appeared in the floor length grooves of the wall. They were dressed in white, and looked almost angelic under the lighting. I felt sorry for them and I wanted to save them from whatever the future held. It gutted me to think about. Some looked stone faced and one or two were crying.

  High powered men and women bid on the helpless young women. If I knew who these people were, I would expose them if I made it out of here alive.

  It was another hour before the party died down and people started to leave, some with their new purchases, and I was thoroughly disgusted. I wanted to scream.

  Jose appeared next to me. “You did well, birdie.” His voice was sickening. “Head over to the kitchen to get something to eat.”

  “What should I do with this?” I pointed to the dress I was wearing.

  “Keep it. You might need it for another event.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  I bowed my head and exited the room to head for the kitchen. The stilts I was wearing made my feet hurt, so I couldn’t wait to get them off. When I entered the kitchen, it was empty except one guy was standing against the counter eating an apple. Nervously, I opened the fridge and found some leftover lasagna.

  I looked to the man eating the apple and asked, “Do you want me to make you some?”

  I figured if I was nice and for the most part obedient, maybe I wouldn’t draw attention to myself.

  “Sure.”

  I barely looked at him except out of the corner of my eye. Finding plates in a cupboard, I got to work making two plates of lasagna. I wondered just how loyal Jose’s men were. If one showed me a little morsel of hope, I might try to get them to help me get out of here. But then again, I’d be leaving all the others behind. I wanted to save as many as I could. So, leaving right now was out of the question.

  Once the first plate was heated, I passed it to the man.

  “Thanks. I’m Antonio, by the way.”

  I offered a slight smile as I got my plate ready. “Kara.”

  “Don’t tell the guys, but they are mostly dicks. I’ll try to make sure nothing bad happens to you.” I was shocked by his statement.

  “Thanks.” I sat at the little nook to eat while he continued to stand as he ate. He devoured it then exited the kitchen. He seemed different from the other men that worked for Jose. I just couldn’t pinpoint what it was. It surprised me how nice he was to me.

  After eating, I rinsed off the dishes and put them in the dishwasher. I didn’t want to give Jose any excuses to punish me. Sneaking a roll in my dress, I slipped down the stairs and it looked like most everyone was asleep. But I needed to get out of this dress before someone noticed.

  “You’re back,” Livy said lazily.

  “I brought you a roll.” I pulled it out of my dress. Jose should have at least let her have a meal because she helped me get ready. It was only fair.

  “Thanks.”

  “I’m going to change.”

  In the dimly lit, dingy bathroom, I changed back into the skimpy outfit Jose originally provided. All the other girls wore something similar. I folded the dress and exited the bathroom.

  “You think you’re so fucking special. You’re no one.” The girl practically spit in my face.

  “You better back the fuck up, bitch,” I told her as rage started to fill within me. I would not put up with bullies. I would stand up for myself. I didn’t know who she thought she was.

  “Whatever. Watch yourself,” she said.

  “No. You watch yourself.”

  “Go to bed, Sienna,” Livy spoke as she made her way over to us.

  Sienna made a face and walked away.

  “Don’t pay her any attention,” Livy told me.

  “Still, she better not come at me again.”

  Livy grabbed my hand and we walked back over to our sleeping area. I hid the dress under my pillow and the shoes were placed in a corner.

  Livy and I moved close to each other. We didn’t have much room to begin with, but we had our little spot in the far corner. As we settled in, Livy took my hand and slowly moved it down her body. I was shocked and didn’t know what to do.

  “What are you doing?”

  She whispered, “Please, Kara. I need some relief.”

  I’d never been with another woman before. But I had masturbated before so I knew what to do.

  “Okay,” I said.
>
  “It’s been a long time since someone touched me,” she whispered as she faced me.

  I rubbed her clit in a circular motion, then inserted a finger inside her, while she bit down on her lip, doing her best not to moan. I began rubbing her again with my finger still inside her. She gripped my wrist as she climaxed.

  Chapter Seven

  DAMON

  Sleeping had been pretty much nonexistent for me. I’d been trying to exercise all the resources available to find Kara. It was late in the night when I realized if he kidnapped Kara, how many other women was he holding?

  Kara couldn’t be far. But it didn’t mean Jose would try to get rid of her just to spite me. I had no idea what he had in store for her. So, I couldn’t even prepare for it ahead of time. Plenty of people had seen what Jose was capable of.

  He was dangerous.

  He was ruthless.

  And that alone would taint Kara forever, not to me, but in her own mind.

  Sitting up in bed, I looked over to my clock and it read three in the morning. No sleep was coming for me. Reaching over to my little bar, I poured some brandy in a crystal glass and downed it. I gritted my teeth thinking another man had my Dove and lord knows what he was doing to her. Bile rose in my throat. Tomorrow, I would take away Jose’s drug dealer.

  ***

  All I did was pace the floor until early morning. A knock came on my office door while I pondered other avenues to expose Jose.

  “Yes?”

  Susie entered with a tray of my favorite breakfast. Homemade muffins, bacon, and freshly squeezed orange juice.

  “Thank you, but I’m not hungry.”

  “You need to eat, Master. You need to keep your energy up. I know you’ll find her,” Susie said without mentioning Kara’s name.

  The guilt was still written on her face when she spoke of her. Most recently, I installed guns all around the house. Even in the kitchen, and Susie protested she didn’t like guns. I emphasized she needed to protect herself if it came to it, as well as the other staff members and anyone else. After some training, everyone was prepared. It was one thing I insisted on with Matteo’s help. He was a gun enthusiast. He was very knowledgeable when it came to guns. That was one reason I hired him for security.