Page 36

Chapter Thirty-One

RAELYN

“Holy shit! You have been staying here? I’d never leave!

” Ronnie’s mouth drops as we walk into the living room of Drew’s place.

She spins in circles as she tries to take it all in.

“This place is amazing! Oh my God! Look at this kitchen! I can’t cook, but I would fucking learn how to! Or at least burn everything trying.”

I smile as I watch her eyes widen and she touches every surface she can. She then walks over to the couch and throws herself across it. I let out a little laugh.

But my attention is pulled when someone clears their throat. My head snaps to Drew, who is not looking very amused at the moment. Shit.

Ronnie stops herself and sits up on the couch, suddenly looking uncomfortable.

“Do you have any idea how worried you had us?” Kayce jumps in. “How freaked out we were that something had happened?”

Cam rolls his eyes. “She was out partying all night. She doesn’t care. She was just out to get more dick. Because apparently all of yours wasn’t enough. It’s the slut in her.”

Ronnie gasps at Cam’s words. “Dude, Chad. What the fuck?” she comes to my defense.

“That’s just Cam being Cam,” I sigh, crossing my arms over my chest.

But Ronnie isn’t backing down. “Just look at her. Does she look like she was out patrolling for dick? No, she wasn’t.

And if you had listened to her and me talking on the way back here, she had seen me at the club the other day and came back to look for me.

So if anything, she was looking for pussy.

” Ronnie shrugs as I cough at her words.

I muffle a laugh, and Kayce does the same. He smiles at me. “I like her.”

“This is utterly ridiculous. The four of you can’t see it.

She remembers things. Send her back. You all just ran around like puppy dogs to find her.

She’s no longer needing any of your white knight abilities.

Send her back home and be done with this shit.

Fuck.” Cam runs a hand through his hair, and I watch him, suddenly seeing that it’s not anger fueling his rage.

It’s fear.

But why? What is he scared of? Does he think I am going to take them away from the game? Or is it that I was a stripper, and it’s a bad look on them?

“Rae,” Asher says softly, “we were just very worried something happened. With what happened at the club, your mental health was of concern to us. Not answering, well, it scared us.”

“Wait, what happened at the club?” Ronnie frowns, glancing between them and me.

“Nothing,” everyone but Cam says in unison.

She lets out a laugh. “Sure. ‘Nothing.’” She uses air quotes.

“Look, how did you even find me?” I ask them, narrowing my eyes.

“We tracked your phone,” Drew admits, and my mouth falls open in shock.

No words come out for a moment as I’m stunned at his honest and upfront confession. My eyes flit between them all, unable to process what I just heard.

“Why? Why would you do that?” I shake my head in disbelief.

“To keep you safe,” Tristan says without missing a beat.

“How? By keeping me locked up here? By keeping a leash on me?” I snap.

“That’s not what we were doing, angel.” Kayce steps forward, but I stand up with my fists curled, and it stops him in his tracks.

“No? Then what was it? Please, I would love to hear this.”

Drew sighs. “We were worried that if something happened to you, we wouldn’t be able to find you. After what happened at the practice stadium, we didn’t want to risk it.”

“So, you Big Brothered me? You couldn’t even talk to me about it?

Maybe, I don’t know, ask me about what you want to do and get my consent?

” I look at Ronnie, who is now biting her lip watching this all go down.

“You are always watching me, always keeping me locked up here…” I trail off my words and tilt my head to Ronnie for her to follow me.

“Wait, Raelyn, stop,” Asher pleads.

I turn on my heels and face them all. “No, I won’t stop.

Let me ask you all this question: What makes you any different than the monster who held me captive in that house?

He controlled everything I did.” I turn to Kayce in disgust. “What I ate and how much I ate.” Then I look at Drew.

“Kept me locked up and under his watch twenty-four-seven. So what? It’s a nicer house, so I should be thankful that I am now your captive? ”

I don’t give them a chance to answer; I walk back into my room with Ronnie trailing behind me. I slam the door and lock it, letting out a long, shaky breath before falling back on my bed.

“Are you okay?” Ronnie asks, her voice hesitant.

I don’t answer her for a moment, but then shake my head. “No. Not at all.”

“I’ve never seen you so vocal. Girl, I don’t know what these guys did to you, but you are like a whole different person.” She sits down on the bed next to me.

I blow out a breath. “It’s not the guys. This is me. I remember it all. I remember every fucking detail.” I run a hand down my face.

Her eyes widen. “Wait, really?”

I nod. “From my kidnapping to the dungeon of horrors. Though I don’t remember much of the house itself because he kept me pretty drugged.”

“You need to tell me what happened, Raelyn. Maybe we should go to the police.”

I shake my head. “No way. I just want to get home. Besides, they have an FBI friend who hasn’t done jack shit with anything. In fact, I haven’t heard from him in weeks at this point. So, it doesn’t matter.”

“Can I ask how you were kidnapped? Like what happened?” She frowns as she fidgets with her hands.

“My memories have been jumbled up until now. At times, I saw my kidnapping in different places or with different people. It’s only recently that I can be sure that this was what happened.” I rub the back of my neck.

Ronnie sits there and stares at me for a moment. “Okay, so your brain was scrambled eggs for a bit. Confusing different parts of the memories. So, then what actually happened?”

I blow out a long breath. “I had just gotten off work. I was a stripper. That entire day, something felt off. But I’ve had those days before. Just usually meant there would probably be some creep who would try something at the club in a private room.”

The memories flood back as I talk to her, and I have to hold back my tears.

“Chanel, you got a private dance requested!”Jeff yells at me.

“I’m off for the night. Tell them to pick someone else.” I shoo him away.

“He is offering five times the normal rate.”

I stop dead in my tracks. “Wait, what? Are you serious?” Jeff nods his head, and I stick my black-raven wig back on. “Well, I could use the money. Guess I’m working some overtime tonight.”

“I knew you wouldn’t say no.” Jeff smiles.

Trey nods to me and leads me through the crowd. The odor from the cigarettes and the smell of sweat stink up this place. Smoke fills the room, and the lights flash all over as I follow Trey through the club.

When we reach the private rooms, Scott, another security guy, gives us both a nod and opens up the red curtain.

We stand outside room six. I take a few deep breaths. No matter how many times I do these, they are not my favorite. Many times, the clients get touchy feely. And the no touch rule still stands even in the private dance areas.

“I’ll be right outside. You have the clicker, right?” Trey asks me. The clicker is a little button that I have clipped inside my wig. It’s not noticeable, but it’s wirelessly connected or something to a red light outside the room.

Trey stands out there, and if there is anything that goes wrong, I press it, and the light will go off, letting him know I need his help.

“Thanks, Trey.”

With that, I walk into the room. The lights are dim, and music is already softly playing as the client waits. He sits on the couch, his arm draped lazily over the side. Just sitting there like he owns the place.

His black hair is slicked back, and his suit looks expensive. What the hell is he doing here in this hellhole of a place?

Well, I guess everyone needs to get their rocks off somehow.

But he’s paying me, so I couldn’t care less.

My music starts up, and I start dancing.

I’m about five feet away from him. Slowly, I roll my hips to the music, running my hands up and down my body, giving him my best seductive moves.

There is a pole close by, so I grab on to it and swing around it a couple of times before slowly and sensually walking closer toward him.

As I approach him, I can see the sharpness in his jaw. His eyes look black as night as he stares at me, studying my every move. A sinking feeling in my stomach starts.

He doesn’t look like he is enjoying this or that he was here to enjoy this.

Without warning, he holds up his hand and tells me to stop. I stand there, my arms at my sides, unsure of what to do. His eyes rake over me, and my stomach turns. Then he smiles, and his gaze just doesn’t leave mine. It makes me so fucking uncomfortable.

Then he waves me away. He dismisses me. Without a second thought, I rush to the door and immediately slam it shut behind me. I take off towars the dressing room with Trey behind me.

“Chanel, you okay? Hey, did something happen?” He places a hand on my back as we walk through the club and back to the dressing room.

When he gets me to my mirror, I let out a breath. “No. Nothing happened.”

His face twists in confusion. “Oh, then why did you run out of there if nothing happened?”

“Because nothing happened. He had me stop dancing and then just stared at me. It felt like he was eyeing me for hours. And then he waved his hand and dismissed me.”

Trey’s face scrunches. “That’s… weird. I’m gonna go see if he left. Then I will walk you to your car.”

I shake my head. “I’ll be fine walking to my car. I’m sure he got his rocks off in whatever weirdness that was. But thanks for checking to see if he left. Let me know, and then I’m headed home.”

I’m busy taking off the thirty-six layers of makeup when Jeff comes in with a white envelope. “Here. Your take from the private. Trey told me. I’ll make sure they don’t come back.”

“No worries. It was weird, but we work in a strip club. There is weirdness everywhere.” I stuff the envelope in my purse and open my little safe to grab my tips for the night. “See you tomorrow, Jeff.”

“See ya, girlie. Be careful getting home.”

I gather up my stuff and head out the back door, toward the alley. My car is right around the corner, and it keeps me from having to go through the crowd of people in the club to get out.

As I start my way down the alley, a van pulls in, slowing to a stop. I slow my walk, waiting for them to realize it’s a dead end so they’ll back out and leave.

But they don’t.

Instead, they flash their brights at me. I put up my hands to try to block the light. I see two figures get out of the van and start heading toward me.

My legs instantly turn back toward the door I came from in a sprint. My heart’s racing, and everything is moving in slow motion.

I never make it to the stairs. I never get a chance to scream. Hands grab me, a sharp poke in my neck has me taken aback, and a hood is thrown over my head.

Instantly, my legs become rubber. I start to lose control over my body. I can feel myself starting to fall, but then I realize I’m picked up and being thrown over a shoulder.

My body is tossed into the back of the van. The door slams shut behind me.

It’s the last thing I hear before my body gives in to the drugs, and my world turns black.