Chapter Three
Charity ordered some pasta dish while Dwayne settled on the herbed steak and potatoes. He came here often enough to know what he liked. She looked different. He’d noticed that about her when he saw her coming out of school. Her head was downcast, looking at the floor. She didn’t pay attention to anyone or anything. She’d also lost some weight as well, which he didn’t like.
At first, he was only going to see what was going on with her. What was wrong. One look and he knew he had to talk to her. The giggling schoolgirls held no appeal for him. When he’d been a schoolboy they’d not held much interest then, but he’d been young and wanting to get off, so he used the girls that threw themselves at him. Never did he give any of the girls he was with ideas that it would be forever.
Charity kept looking around the room as if she was waiting for someone or something to jump out at her.
“You don’t have to be afraid.”
“I know.” She ran fingers through her hair. “Sorry. You could tell that I was checking everything?”
“Kind of hard not to.”
“I find public places difficult at times. I never know who is watching me.”
“You change your routine?”
“All the time,” she said.
He tilted his head to the side, watching her. “I heard you were taking self-defense classes.”
She blew out a breath and laughed. “Yeah, for what good they’re doing me.”
“You don’t think they’re helping?”
“I don’t know what’s helping or not, to be honest. We’ve done some moves that are supposed to work, but I’m not convinced.” She nibbled her lip, and his gaze was drawn to that action.
“Want me to help you?”
“Help me?”
“Defend yourself. My ways won’t be entirely conventional, but it will help you out if you need it.”
She nodded, and he saw that sparkle back in her eye. “Yes. Please. I’d like that.”
The waiter interrupted, and he wanted to shoot the bastard for making the shine from her eyes dull just a little. When it came to Charity he was having a lot of murderous tendencies, and he had to keep it under control before Beast or Caleb grounded him. Not that it would help. If they took all of his weapons off him, he still had his hands. His father had taught him long ago that if you had strength then you were a weapon.
He’d honed those skills well over the years, and now he was unstoppable.
The nightmare of every man’s dreams.
“Will you teach me how to shoot a gun?” she asked, her cheeks a shade of red and the excitement clear in her eyes.
“Do you think you’re ready for that?”
“I know I can’t keep living like this, and everything they teach us is about running away. I’m not a fast runner and I can scream, sure, but what if no one comes running? I screamed my head off when I got taken, and there wasn’t anyone around.” She stabbed at her plate, twirling her spaghetti. “I don’t want to be taken again, or even have that risk.”
He nodded. “The stuff I’ll teach you is not conventional. I’m not going to tell you to dodge and run or even to scream. First, I’ll make sure you can handle yourself so that if you are taken by surprise, you don’t freak out.”
“I don’t want my parents to know.”
He raised a brow.
“They’re … worried.”
“They want to protect you. I can understand that.”
She groaned, and he smiled. He found her so charming. It was strange. She was eighteen years old, had her whole life ahead of her, and he couldn’t stand girls that age when he was that age. She wasn’t a girl though. Charity was very much a woman.
“You don’t have kids or a family.”
“I have cousins. Very close and I would do anything to protect them. When you love people, that’s what you do, no matter what. You take care of them. That’s all your parents are doing for you.”
“I want to stop seeing my therapist.”
“Then stop,” he said.
“You make it sound so easy, but it’s not.”
“How is it not? You either don’t go, cancel your appointment, or sit in complete silence.”
She stared at him for several minutes, her fork in her pasta, and she looked deep in thought. “Do you think I need to go?”
He laughed. “I don’t know, Charity. Do you need to go?”
“We’re not getting anywhere with this.”
“How do you feel when you look back on your ordeal?” he asked.
She licked her lips again. He was getting distracted by those lips. “I get angry.”
“Why are you angry?”
“Now you’re sounding like my therapist.”
“Answer the question.”
“I was helpless. I was scared. There’s no way I can put into words what I felt or what I feel. It just fucking happened. I couldn’t do anything about that.” She blew out a breath. “I don’t know. I feel like everything is happening all around me. People are moving on, but I’m standing still. I can’t move on.”
“And why do you think that is?”
“I don’t have a clue. Maybe, Mr. Therapist, you could tell me.”
He sliced into his steak, closing his eyes as the flavors coated his tongue. It really was a good, juicy, rare steak, which was the best kind.
“Okay, let’s put it to you another way,” she said. He waited as she took a sip of her water. “If you were in my position and those guys were doing that to you and everything happened the same, what would you feel like?”
“Simple.”
“Well…”
He finished his bite and leaned forward. “I would be pissed that someone came and saved me and didn’t leave me one person to take care of myself. I’d need to see their blood pouring from their body to know I got the bastard good, but that’s me, Charity. I like killing. It’s what I do. Now, what about you? Do you wish you could have killed them?”
Tears were in her eyes. He saw them, and what was even more interesting, she didn’t look afraid or sick.
“I’m angry that I couldn’t fight back. That I was too afraid. I thought about hurting them so much. Of taking the guns and the knives they threatened me with and turning it on them, and just letting go.”
“You shouldn’t be worried about thinking like that.”
“Why? Because it’s natural? There’s nothing natural about what I wanted to do.”
“Isn’t it? It’s primal. Human survival. You can’t control what you wanted to do, Charity, any more than we can deny our basic nature.”
“What do you consider our basic nature?”
“We’re animals. The only difference is we’ve created a world that makes us all have to conform. We’re the kings of the jungle because we have guns and knives, but this isn’t how it’s supposed to be. Don’t be afraid of what you wanted to do. Accept it.”
“They’d have killed me.”
“Yes. You pissed them off, didn’t do as you were told; they’d have raped you, used you for a few weeks, then killed you. Obviously, death wouldn’t have been easy for you if you’d done all that stuff.” He leaned over the table. “Don’t cry.”
“Why can I talk to you about these things and no one else?”
“Because I don’t matter. Not really. I’m just a guy that saved you.”
“You do matter.”
He shrugged. “I’ve seen you at your worst. Sobbing on the floor. I don’t know. I guess you just don’t feel the need to hide shit from me. I don’t hide myself from you. I never will.”
“You’re honest.”
“That I am.”
He took a sip of his water, enjoying her company. She finished off her pasta and sat back with a sigh.
Dwayne watched as she sipped at her drink.
“Would you like dessert?”
“No. I’m full. I couldn’t eat another thing.”
He had the waiter bring him the check, and after he paid for their meal, he followed her out of the restaurant, noticing her full ass. At least she wasn’t losing too much weight.
“You need to start taking care of yourself.”
“Excuse me.”
“Not eating won’t help you. Don’t let the bastards win, Charity.” He leaned against her car, holding the door open for her. “I’ll meet you tomorrow. Come here.” He handed her a small card with an address on it. “Drive safely.”
****
Charity lied to her parents about where she was going the next day. She told them it was a date at the mall with a few friends and where she intended to meet some guy. There was no guy or any friends. Checking the address on the card, she stared up at an empty building. It was boarded up. She drove around the back where she saw Dwayne’s car.
His arms were folded, and he wasn’t wearing his normal business suit. Dark glasses covered his eyes, and he had this sexy smirk that made her think of things she really shouldn’t. At eighteen she was no stranger to desire. In fact, prior to her kidnapping she’d been very interested in and intrigued by sex. She just hadn’t found the right guy to explore what she wanted.
“You made it,” he said as she climbed out of the car.
“I don’t get it. This place doesn’t look like it has been used in years.”
“It’s the perfect disguise, don’t you think?”
There was no one around, and she guessed it was. “Do you come here to work out or something else?”
“I come here to train. I own it.”
“You own a useless warehouse.”
He held out his hand, and she took it without hesitation. With his other hand, he held a key, and she waited as he opened up the locks and typed in the security codes. Once they were inside, he locked the doors.
Should she be freaking out? Panicking?
Again, she felt safe. He made her that way, no one else.
He flicked the lights on, and the entire floor illuminated to showcase a huge gym.
“Why?” she asked.
“I don’t like company. This is where I come for peace and quiet, and to just do what I want.”
There were a couple of running machines, weights, and lots of other stuff she couldn’t think of.
“Come on.”
She wore a pair of shorts and a large shirt that ended at her knees.
He moved her away from all of the equipment to the back, which had mirrors all around and mats.
“You train people often?”
“Nope. Told you, never brought anyone here.”
“And you own it?”
“Yep. It’s a good investment.”
She looked around again. “How is this a good investment? I don’t get it. To make money you have to sell something.”
“I do.”
“You’re an escort?”
Dwayne laughed. “Damn, you’re funny. No, I kill people, Charity. You should know that.” He stood way too close, so that she struggled to think.
“Why am I not running away?”
“Because you’ve seen me kill bad men.”
“But … shouldn’t you get taken by the cops or something?”
He winked at her. “The first rule you need to learn about the world. It’s a bad fucking place filled with shit as fuck people.” She watched as he opened his wallet and pulled out several dollar notes. They looked like hundred-dollar bills. “Men, women, even children do crazy fucking shit for this.” He screwed it up and tossed it to the floor. “That talks.”
“You sound like an asshole.”
“You’re not impressed?”
“No.” She shook her head.
“Well, let’s get started. We’re going to work on surprise attacks.”
“Surprise attacks?”
“Yes. You weren’t expecting them to take you, so how about we start with that.”
She watched as he removed his sunglasses and moved toward the end of the room. He was ever so sexy to watch. She really liked his ass.
Every inch of him was rock-hard. Even his face looked ready for business. It made her wonder if he even knew how to have fun.
Do you?
Ignoring her own thoughts, she watched as he was distracted.
She couldn’t resist. Being as loud as she could, she let out a scream, watching as he suddenly spun, gun in his hand, tensed and ready. She released a giggle, not the least bit frightened about seeing him with a gun.
“What the fuck was that?” he asked.
“You said something about surprise. So, there you have it. Were you scared?”
He rolled his eyes. “What would you have done if I’d shot you?”
“You wouldn’t have.”
“How can you be so fucking sure?”
“Simple. You promised to protect me always. I believe you.”
“You should be scared when you see a gun.”
“Oh, I will. Just not with you, it would seem. Are you going to show me how to use a gun?”
“Would you like to know?” he asked.
“Yes. I think I really would. Can I buy myself a gun?”
“You’re way off from having a gun, buying a gun, until we get that mouth under control.”
“Stop worrying so much.”
“What happens when you blow your brains out?” he asked.
“That won’t happen.”
“It can and it has, so no guns to start with. Let’s just get your mouth under control. No screaming at me. It can also piss off the men so that they hurt you.”
She rolled her eyes. It was just so funny to watch him react, and it did also kind of thrill her as well. He cared enough to worry.
“Are you worried that someone is going to come in here, ruin it?”
“I’m not worried about that, but you can never be too careful in life. I’ve made a lot of enemies.”
She rubbed her hands together. “You have?”
“Yes. Now,” he moved closer to her. “I want you to attack me.”
“How does that work?” she asked.
“I want to know your strength and your weaknesses.”
“Oh.” She had to touch him. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Push me. Hit me.”
“No, I can’t do that.” She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling really uncomfortable.
“Charity, you’re not going to hurt me.”
“This isn’t about hurting you. I don’t want to do that. I like you.”
He tilted his head to the side, and she noticed he did that a lot when he was watching her. She hated it, especially as it made her feel like a bug under a microscope.
His hands were on her shoulder, and he gave her a little shove. It didn’t hurt, but she knew what he was doing.
“I’ve got to help you to become stronger. How am I going to do that if you’re not willing to attack?”
“You said it was all about surprise attacks. This is not a surprise. This is me attacking you. I don’t want to do that. Like, ever.”
He took a deep breath, and she knew she was pissing him off.
“Men will take advantage of your good nature.” He moved right up close, the look on his face scaring her. It was like he’d changed. The good guy was long gone, and in his place was someone she didn’t recognize. “They will use whatever means they can to hurt you.”
She cried out as he wrapped his fingers around her neck and suddenly she was pinned against the wall. His hold tightened just a little, and she tried to gasp.
Panicking, she gripped his arms.
“Don’t ever assume that men are your friends or women either, Charity. You can only take care of yourself. Only rely on yourself.”
He squeezed just a little tighter, and her air cut off.
Do what he wants.
She didn’t want to hurt him, but he was doing this to help her. Even as he held her neck, she wasn’t afraid of him. Not at all.
There was no other choice. Drawing her leg up, she kneed him in the scrotum, and watched as he loosened his hold and bent forward, cupping his balls. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. With his hands off her, she shoved him hard, and he fell back. Her heart was racing as she stared down at him. Hands on hips, she glared at him.
She wasn’t looking at him for long as he tripped her up and she fell on her back. Dwayne was on her, holding her hands above her head.
“You should fucking run. You leave the mats, you win. You don’t, you lose. It’s simple. I could do whatever the fuck I wanted to you right now.” He covered her mouth with his hand, which was so large it covered her nose and mouth. Her air supply was once again cut off. “You can see that. I can rape you, beat you, hurt you, and you’re so small that no one would ever know.”
His knee pressed against her core, and she was so startled she cried out just as his hand left her mouth. She didn’t pull away. Even as he continued to shock her with how fragile her safety was, she reacted to his touch.
No man or boy had ever made her ache before, but that was exactly what she was doing now, aching for him, desperate, hungry for more.
Dwayne was on his feet again. “Again. You’re going to learn to take care of yourself, Charity.”
She got to her feet and stared at him, unsure what to do. Her body was something foreign to her right now. She didn’t know what the hell to do.