Page 3 of The Marriage Demand
Nightclubs had never been her thing.
The loud music, the people, and the lack of respect that seemed to happen.
Not to mention the drug taking, which she shouldn’t see, and also, the close-to-sex experiences some people seemed to enjoy having on the dance floor.
Again, not something she wanted to participate in.
Winnie looked at the scarcely clad women, and then down at her own clothes.
She wore a pair of white slacks that were perfectly pressed, along with a top that had a strap around her neck, leaving the top part of her back and shoulders exposed.
Again, this was white, and it had some kind of floral design.
Even the pants did.
Her hair had been left down.
She had pinned it up, but before they left, Elias had taken out the pins and ran his fingers through her hair.
The sensations that rushed through her body were insane.
She felt that pulse that just scorched her whole body.
The arousal took her completely by surprise.
Her body wouldn’t stop reacting to Elias.
She kept trying to tell herself it was pointless, that he was not interested in her.
They were married in name only, so that she could live.
He hadn’t killed her.
And yet, she couldn’t stop herself from wondering what it would be like for Elias to actually kiss her.
Not to press his lips to her forehead or even her hair, but to actually kiss her.
She tried not to think about it, because yearning for something she couldn’t have didn’t help at all.
She wanted him.
Did that make her a fool? An idiot?
They arrived at the bar, and she also never drank alcohol.
Again, too many bad memories of people who became entirely different with alcohol inside them.
Elias didn’t complain.
He ordered a straight-up juice for her and a whiskey for himself.
They stood at the bar, which was different as he usually took them to his office, or to his VIP section.
This was one of his many nightclubs.
He had several different clubs that catered to different things.
There was one designed for celebrities, and there were in fact big names who ventured into his club.
They paid to be protected, to have fun without the press being alerted.
Elias made that happen.
Then he had sex clubs as well as nightclubs, and she had been to most of them.
When they were at the sex clubs, she tried to spend most of her time staring at the floor.
This was just a standard nightclub—a good one, with heavy music, dancing, and an energy that was thriving, and considering it was a Saturday, that was rare.
“Come on,”
Elias said.
They left their drinks, and before she could complain, they were on the dance floor. She didn’t know how he managed to do it, but people moved out of the way for him. Even people that didn’t know him. It was like they knew there was a predator in their midst.
“Now, this is the kind of fun I like to have,” he said.
She couldn’t help but laugh as he pulled her in close. Winnie felt her heart start to race as she looked into his brown eyes. They were a slightly darker brown than hers, almost black in appearance.
She never knew what he was thinking, what was going on in that head of his, and she wanted to know absolutely everything. Words failed her.
They had talked over the years. Odd conversations but nothing concrete. He was a busy man, and she was grateful. He saved her and had given her a life she had never thought was possible.
It was strange, because she knew with all her heart she should fear him. She witnessed him kill people, and not in a nice way, or by accident. He’d been brutal, and in doing so, he saved her.
She loved him. And she wanted to be with him.
In the beginning of their marriage, she was happy she didn’t have to have sex. She had heard a lot of mixed views about sex. That it was painful for a woman. That men were pigs and didn’t know what to do. She had come to several conclusions. Sex the first time was going to be painful for the woman. Not for the man, but definitely for the woman. After the first time, providing the partner knew what he was doing, it could be very, very, very enjoyable for the woman.
Winnie couldn’t stop wondering what it would be like with Elias. She had a feeling he knew his way around women. With his hands on her hips, he pulled her close, as the heavy music had slowed down to a steady pulse, forcing couples to come together.
She was at a loss for words. How did she take that next step with Elias? What if he didn’t want to be with her?
“And is this what you find fun?”
Winnie asked.
He leaned in close with his lips almost touching her ear. She closed her eyes because that felt so good. What the hell was wrong with her? There were people all around them, and she was lost in a wave of pleasure.
“This is what I find fun. I love dancing and having fun this way.”
She knew he hated the artisan market, but that hadn’t stopped him from taking her. It was moments like this when she found it hard to hate him. He was one of the sweetest men she had ever known.
They danced through multiple songs, and she lost herself in his arms. When it came to upbeat ones, Elias was right there, swinging her around the dance floor, and she couldn’t stop laughing. At one point, she didn’t have much choice, and had to go to the bathroom.
He kissed the top of her head, and promised to get them some drinks.
Like always, one of his men stayed with him, and the other escorted her to the bathroom.
She cringed as he went straight ahead of the line.
She had no idea why there was always one for the ladies’ room.
He stood outside while she went in, quickly used the bathroom, and washed her hands.
She tried to rush, because she didn’t want to be seen as a bitch for taking her time when several women could have used the bathroom.
Next time, she made a mental note to go to Elias’s office, where he had a private bathroom.
Stepping out, she looked across the dance floor, then stopped. Elias was at the bar, with a woman.
The guard at her side was distracted by a woman, and Winnie found herself just staring at the blonde. There was no denying she was beautiful, with an amazing body, and such a serene smile. Men would walk over broken glass for this woman. Winnie just looked and … envied.
Winnie couldn’t quite see Elias’s reaction, but he’d also not sent the woman away. Was this his mistress? His current girlfriend? She had no idea. She was his wife, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have women all over the country to tend to his needs. He was a wealthy man, a scary man, and above all else, a very sexy man.
This was embarrassing. She felt that awful coiling in her gut.
The blonde reached out and put her polished nails on his arm. It was such a tender touch, a familiar one. One maybe only a lover would make?
She looked toward her guard. There was no way she could interrupt them. What if this woman knew who she was and judged her? What if she didn’t … add up … to this woman?
“I’m not feeling well. Can you take me home?”
Winnie said.
He went to look in Elias’s direction, but she grabbed his arm.
“Please, you can text Elias when we’re gone. I want to go home. I’m feeling a little sick.”
And then, she started to move toward the back door, which meant he would have no choice but to follow her. This way, no one stopped her on the way out, and she could get home.
She wanted to get home and cry, because there was no way she could ever compete with a woman who looked like the blonde. She had it all, as well as the confidence to back it up.
****
“You know, you’re looking a little lonely,”
Trish said.
“I can help you with that.”
Elias shrugged her hands off him. He had no doubt Trish wasn’t lonely. She had probably already had enough cocks inside her today.
Even though she was head of one of the brothels he owned, she didn’t need to fuck anymore to earn her place, but it didn’t stop her from doing it anyway. Like she had told him on more than one occasion, she loved cock, and was more than happy to help the girls out.
“Enough. Bozo, you got word on him?”
“Yes, one of the guys came in. He had a whole lot of cash, and his mouth was more than happy to run away with him. One of the girls is currently keeping him entertained as we speak. They have been taking turns all day long.”
“He brought that much cash?”
“At first, they were all happy to take his cash, but when he started talking about Bozo, they came and got me. I called you.”
Elias got to his feet and looked toward the bathroom with no sign of Winnie. What was taking her so long?
Just as he was about to leave, his cell phone vibrated. Clicking on the text, he saw one from his guard that had been with Winnie. She wasn’t feeling well, and he had taken her back to the apartment. Now he was pissed. Why had she gone to the guard? Why hadn’t she come to him? He didn’t have time to find the answers to his questions. Leaving the nightclub, he climbed into the back of his car, along with Trish. His own guard took the front seat.
“You know, you’re looking a little stressed, and I know exactly what to do to help you with that,”
Trish said.
“No.”
He grabbed her hand.
“You’re crossing a line, Trish. You may be loyal to me, and have earned your place, but I can have you out on your ass faster than you can bounce back. Stop throwing yourself at me.”
And with that, he was done. The drive was only twenty minutes, but he felt Trish’s anger. She was happy to be rejected without an audience, but now his guard had been present.
They arrived at the brothel, which from the outside looked like any other kind of house. There was a black door, a knocker, and no sign or insignia of the dark delights that could be found once someone entered. This was how he liked it. It was also how the men who visited liked it. His guard stayed in the car.
He stepped through the door, and the lights were down low, soft music played, and no other sounds could be heard. He followed Trish to the main security desk. Each room had a camera, and this helped the men he employed to keep the women safe to do their jobs. At the first sign of trouble, they were there, protecting the girls.
They had to interfere more than he would have liked. A lot of men liked to use violence to get what they wanted. He didn’t like that, and the men were paid to teach them some respect. The women wanted a safe working environment, and that was what they got.
Trish pointed at the camera in the corner.
He glanced at the man, who had a bald head but a long beard and mustache. He was completely naked and crying out in pleasure, as one of the women distracted him by sucking his cock.
“Turn the camera off,”
Elias said.
With that, he left the room and went straight to the one he needed to be in. As he entered slowly, the man didn’t even notice him at first.
“Fuck, yeah, darling, take it to the back of the throat. That’s how Daddy likes it. He’s going to give you all of his cream.”
Elias had heard all kinds of dirty talk, and this was no different. The woman in question started to moan. As for the man, he was actually tied to the wall, spread-eagled with nowhere to go.
The woman gave Elias a thumbs-up, allowing him to know she was aware of his presence. Elias waited.
And then he cleared his throat. The woman stopped sucking the man’s cock.
“What the fuck is this?” he asked.
She got to her feet and stepped away. Without another word, she left the room, and Elias looked at the man.
“Bozo Robins,”
he said.
“You’re going to tell me where he is.”
“Fuck you. I don’t have to do shit with you. Bozo owns these streets and if he hears you hurt one of his men, he is going to come and fuck you up.”
Elias looked at the tools that lined the walls, and he carefully picked up a cane. It was thin and kind of springy.
“He owns these streets?”
Elias asked.
“Yeah, and if you hurt me, he will come after you.”
“Does the name Elias Moore mean anything to you?” he asked.
The man seemed to pale, and then he drew the cane back and slapped it hard across the man’s thighs. This was not designed for pleasure. The man knew it, and screamed.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
he said.
“Look, man, I mean no disrespect. Bozo is—”
“You’re going to tell me where Bozo is,”
Elias said.
“And while you’re doing that, you can tell me how he is in control of my streets, and yet in hiding.”
“Please let me go,”
the man asked.
“Where did the money come from that you brought in here and flashed around? Paying my girls to give you pleasure?”
He had hit the man once with the cane, not too hard, but he already started to cry. His erection had gone flaccid as well.
“Please, I’ll do anything. Just let me go. I will tell Bozo to leave you alone. That he is fucking lying. Please, please, please.”
His pleas fell flat. Elias wasn’t interested in listening to him anymore. Using some of the sexual instruments, he started to hurt the man, torturing him. Considering the man begged for his life, he wasn’t interested in giving up Bozo’s whereabouts.
Elias’s patience had run thin. Winnie had left the nightclub because she didn’t feel well, and now he had to deal with this lowlife piece of trash, and it was starting to piss him off.
He did no more than remove the man’s cock, using a very blunt knife. Elias had no problem getting his hands dirty, and Bozo needed to be taken off the streets. No more women should be found dumped like trash. He wouldn’t allow that kind of filth on his streets.
The man begged and pleaded, and in the end, he finally revealed one of Bozo’s locations, but with a warning that he moved around a lot.
Elias was done, and finished the man. Stepping away from the carnage, he looked at the mess he made of the room, and then went to the man’s clothing. There was no identification on him, but there was a cell phone. By some miracle, it was not locked, and he checked through the man’s texts. He was a thief. And it looked like Bozo was looking for him. Someone had sent this man a warning that Bozo was on the warpath, had encountered Elias, and saved Bozo the trouble.
Of all the amazing odds.