Page 4 of Empowered
So, we really are in Jaipur.At least now I knew for sure what city I was in. “Please let me go. I promise I won’t tell anyone about you,” I begged.
“Not even that dear mother of yours?” His mouth hitched up in a maniacal smile.
I stilled at the mention of my mother. My heart slammed in my chest and panic spread through my body.
“Ah, that’s right,” he said, grinning at my obvious terror. “I know all about her. The nurse in Seattle, Washington. I think the photo of her next to your bed is most endearing.”
How could he know about that photo? I thought back to my time in New York. “You broke into my apartment?” I remembered the time my door was unlocked and I thought I had just been careless, when he actually had one of his goons break in. Was that who was following me at the bar when I called Shyam to pick me up?
He ignored my question, but his smile said everything I needed to know. “What do you think Mummy would say hearing about the trouble her only daughter got herself mixed up with? Her baby girl, aiding and assisting drug dealers? How scandalous! Maybe I should bring her to India so you can explain it to her in person?”
“No, please. I’ll do anything, just please don’t touch her.” I clasped my hands together, praying that he would leave her alone.
He moved his finger to his upper lip, as if considering my plea. “I’m feeling generous today. I do have a position open for you on my team that I think you’d be perfect for.”
“What is it?” I asked, knowing it was anything but good.
“I want access to all of Shyam and Jai’s sales accounts,” he said evenly.
“I don’t really know how to get all of that for you,” I replied nervously. I didn’t. I had only ever dealt with tracking and facial-recognition software at Sethi Tech.
His eyes grew furious with rage. He grabbed me by my arms and yanked me close to him. “Don’t fuck with me, little girl!” he screamed at me. His face was so close to mine that I could feel his spit fly onto my skin. “I know you have technological permissions to all of their accounts.” He slapped me across my face, and I turned with the impact, my cheek stinging. I grasped my face with my hand to ease the pain, my eyes filling with tears.
He took a step backward and straightened his jacket, regaining his composure. “You’ll have to excuse me. I am passionate about my work. I’m sure you can see how great of help you could be to me, especially since I have been such a gracious host to you during your stay.” His eyes resumed their usual deceitful appearance, not showing any of the rage he had just unleashed on me. He truly was psychotic.
“As far as I see it, you are no longer employed by the Sethi brothers, so you may as well join the winning side. I want access to everything so I can reach out to my new clients that I have acquired and thank them for their patronage. Even your mother would appreciate her daughter working for the right side this time.”
He wanted information on all Shyam’s distributors so he could sabotage all their pending drug sales. This would completely destroy their business. It was essentially a hostile takeover in the criminal world. And he was using my mother as collateral.
I was too scared to answer him.
He glared at my lack of response. “I can see I’ve given you a lot to think about it. I’ll give you some time to consider my job, offer since I’m such a considerate man.”
He moved closer to me and tucked his nose into my neck, sniffing my skin. My stomach churned at his proximity. He brought his mouth to my ear. “Maybe we can get together and sign the contract in private. No need to make wifey over there jealous,” he said nodding his head over to Salena’s cell. He moved his grubby hands to my abdomen and slid them downward, toward my groin. I felt bile rise up my throat.
He pulled away from me with a grin on his face. “I will be back to hear your acceptance. Guard!” he called, signaling to be let out of the cell, then he turned back before exiting to strike one more arrow into my heart. “Your Mummy would be so proud of you.”
He strolled down the hall as the guard locked up the gate and then followed behind, leaving Salena and I alone in our cages in silence, for fear of our captor returning.
Chapter V
Amelia
Another period of sunlight shining through the skylight followed by overhead lights in the hallway cycled through. It was never truly dark, so my circadian clock was completely off, making it difficult to sleep during the “night.” Although, it was probably safer to stay awake—easier to see danger coming.
Salena had left with a guard a few hours earlier, so I took advantage of the privacy and changed into the clothes Tarun had left for me. It was a long top with matching harem-style pants, like what Salena wore, except it wasn’t adorned with embroidery. A matching white shawl was included in the pile. I had seen Salena wear hers around her shoulders and sometimes over her head when she appeared to be deep in thought in her cell.
She was allowed to leave her cell with the guards sometimes. I never asked where she went. She usually came back with a fresh change of clothes on and more bruises on her body. I sensed she was Tarun’s punching bag to vent his frustrations on.
Eventually, Salena returned, following a guard. He let her into her cell and left without paying me any attention.Thank God.My face still stung from Tarun’s slap and my stomach was bruised from being kicked days earlier. I didn’t want any more of their attention.
I waited to hear the dungeon door lock before I resumed pacing about my cell. My legs fell asleep often since I was sedentary now, so I wanted to keep my blood circulating by moving about. Though, the walking only slightly distracted me from Tarun’s threat on my mom’s life.
“How do you know Shyam?” Salena’s soft voice interrupted my focus on my steps.
I looked over to find her standing close to the bars of her cell so she wouldn’t have to talk loudly for me to hear her. I moved closer to my bars, grabbing them gently. “I work with him.”
I decided to spare her the details of our relationship. How could I tell her that I was in love with her ex-fiancé?
