I observed the driver and noticed he had on a formal black suit that was a size too big. The white shirt underneath his jacket was clearly a white beater and it had stains on it. His rich hickory skin was so ashy, I’m sure he could have started a fire by rubbing his hands together. The man’s hair was in an afro that was matted on the side – probably from sleeping on it. I shook my head. Either all his uniforms were at the wash, or his ass wasn’t paying attention in orientation about dress code.
Finally reaching the vehicle, I noticed the driver licking his lips as his eyes roamed down my body. I grimaced.
“My name is Jerome and I’ll be your driver, miss. Nice to see you again, Mr. Bruno.”
“Get in,” Bruno snapped, ignoring the man. I shot my head towards him and back at the driver. Yeah, no way.
“Now!” Bruno demanded, pushing me towards the backseat.
“Damn, you not going to at least open the door?”
Bruno yanked the door open before pushing me inside.
“Fuck boy,” I muttered under my breath as I settled in the backseat.
Rolling down the window, I took in the warm summer air and smiled. Since I lived in Dallas the majority of my life, I was use to the heat and the humidity. When I moved up north with my grandmother, it took a while for me to adjust to their type of summer.
“Roll the damn window up!” Bruno barked from the front seat.
I rolled my eyes and obliged. I couldn’t wait to get away from this Berenstain Bear looking asshole. I continued to stare out of the window, enjoying the city.Even with the window up, I could still hear the buzz of the streets. The honking horns as we steadily moved through traffic, the mixture of laughter and music as we passed a few restaurants. It was just after ten in the morning, the perfect time for brunch. I turned to my left as we passed Independence Hall, the ultimate tourist attraction.
I smiled as the memory of my grandma taking me there when we first moved in with her. I didn’t want to go because I hadn’t seen my mom for a few days. We had literally unpacked the last bag, and she was gone partying with her friends. I thought I was too boring for her because she would complain about how she needed more excitement in her life. So, when my grandma offered to take us to this historical site, I declined. I wanted us to go somewhere bold, fun, and entertaining so that my mom would stay around.
“I’m going to tell you something important and if you don’t remember anything else I say, please remember this. Do not go through your life trying to please anybody, do you understand me? People in this world don’t give a damn about nothing if it doesn’t have anything to do with them. Go after God’s heart, he’s the only person that won’t disappoint you as long as you keep your eyes on him.”
I sighed. As much as I loved my grandma, I didn’t understand how she could give me such advice when she was chasing after her daughter’s heart. Over the years, I witnessed my mom being self-centered and greedy, yet my grandma begged her to come home. She pleaded with her to do something better with her life and that she would be there to support her through it all. Even when she knew my mom wasn’t listening, she coughed up money or some type of presents whenever my mom asked or was mad at her.
I balled my hands on my lap as we began to slow in the car. A part of me wanted to be just like my mom - not giving a damn about anybody but myself. I could’veshrugged my shoulders and let my grandma figure out what to do about her daughter and the house, but who was I kidding? I could never be that heartless.
The car finally stopped, and I noticed that we arrived at an office building on the edge of the city. Not too far from downtown, but far enough to have decent parking and minimal traffic. The building was two stories and a deep navy color. If the sun wasn’t shimmering off the exterior, one would say the building was black. The parking lot was damn near full of cars and I couldn’t help but wonder what Mr. L did for a living. I mean, I knew that he ran multiple brothel houses and sold men and women overseas, but that doesn’t call for an entire office space.
“Head inside and the receptionist will tell you what to do next.” The driver instructed Bruno.
“Can y’all help with my bags?” I asked, looking between the pair. I shouldn’t even have to ask these grown ass men. I mean, they didn’t even bother to help me load the bags in the trunk and I had to sit in the backseat with them. At least they can carry them to the door for me or to the next vehicle I was going to be in.
“Get out the damn car and leave your bags here. After we meet with Mr. L, the driver will take you to your hotel.”
I opened my mouth to protest but thought against it. There really wasn’t a point to argue since I knew it wasn’t going to get me anywhere. Exhaling loudly, I yanked the door handle and scooted out of the car before slamming it in Bruno’s face. I stomped towards the entrance, not bothering to wait for him. As soon as I reached the door, I felt his hand grasping my elbow and spinning me around. I tried to pull away when he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to the side of the building.
“So, help me, Addison, if you come in here showing your ass, I’ll knock your teeth in.”
“You can’t touch me!”
“Oh, on the contrary, I can. As long as you stay pure, I can slap the shit out of you. And you know what the best part is? If you haven’t noticed, Mr. L doesn’t need to visibly see you every single day. Meaning, the bruises will be gone about the time you need to send your new owner a new picture of yourself.”
My breath caught in my throat as his hand circled around my throat. I started to move away when he began to squeeze. My eyes bulged and I thrashed underneath his tight grip. A slow menacing smile crept across his face causing my heart to race. Was this really happening? As much shit that I talked to Bruno, he’s never went this far. Yes, he’s threatened me before, but I thought I was untouchable. How naïve of me.
“Now, am I going to have any more problems with you?”
My head shook as tears began to well in my eyes. He removed his hand, causing me to gasp loudly for air. My heart pounded through my ears as I bent over resting my hands on my knees, trying to regulate my breathing. The realization that I was truly trapped stabbed me deep into my core. I mean, I knew I had a plan to try and run away, but since Bruno was so comfortable putting his hands on me, I’m sure he’d tell the others to do the same. Like he said, I didn’t physically see Mr. L and only had to send pictures when it was requested. Hell, even that, I had taken several pictures in advance so that I could just send them instead of dropping what I was doing to accommodate the perv’s request.
Bruno sniffed as he fixed his blazer. He snapped his fingers in my face and pointed towards the front door. I didn’t argue and did what I was instructed. I swallowed the lump attempting to form in my throat as I followed him up to the receptionist desk. Looking around, the space reminded me of any old office building. Off white walls with beige furniture were presented in the lobby area.A few plants that were obviously fake and collecting dust sat in the far corners while magazines from three years prior sat unopened on the lobby tables.
“Good afternoon, sir. How may I assist you?”
I glanced over Bruno’s shoulder to see a fairly young woman, probably in her early twenties, sitting behind the desk. She was gorgeous with her golden skin and long black hair that was pinned up into a bun. Her sharp green eyes looked Bruno over and there was no mistaking the lust.
“Hey Vickie, we have an appointment with the advisor to lease an office space.”
