Jennifer lay there, cloaked in darkness in the arms of the man she had fallen for at the worst possible time in her life. How was she going to walk away from him again? She didn’t know, but it had to happen.

“Tell me,” Rourke said, and he didn’t sound like he would be taking no for an answer this time.

Jennifer hesitated. She was sorting through what she should and shouldn’t tell Rourke to protect him. Like Marcy, the less he knew, the safer he would be from Evan.

“Talk now, and don’t you fucking bullshit me, Jennifer. I want answers. You will give them to me in private, or we’ll go to Pastor Davis. He wouldn’t confirm it, but I get the feeling you’re in danger. Finding you in disguise twice, and now hiding in the church confirms it.”

“Oh man. We had sex in the church. I’m going to hell now for sure.” Jennifer hadn’t even thought about where she was when Rourke came at her with lust in his eyes. She was horrified by her behavior. First, the pastor’s pantry. Now, the church basement.

“We technically aren’t in the church,” Rourke stroked her back. “We’re in the kitchen, which is in a separate building that was attached to a hall years ago. I’m sorry. Kind of. I saw you, and I lost it.”

“We really aren’t in the church?”

“No, we aren’t, I promise,” Rourke tried to soothe her mortified soul. “Now stop stalling. I want to know what’s going on, and I want to know now. If you still won’t talk, and the pastor won’t open up, then I’ll march your ass to the police station. If you’re in hiding, there might be a missing person report. Someone must be looking for you. Family, friends, coworkers, someone has to be missing you. If so, the police will know.”

Jennifer snorted. “Nobody is looking for me. Nobody cares where I disappeared to.”

“I fucking care, Jennifer!” Rourke shouted and shook her a little. “I’ve been looking for you, but it’s hard to find a woman with no last name and no known address. You ran off on me, twice. It won’t happen again. I’ll tie you to this fucking bed if I have to.”

Rourke was making an effort to moderate his tone when he went on. Jennifer could tell he was trying not to frighten her. She wasn’t afraid of Rourke. She was scared for him.

“We’ll deal with you running from me later. That hasn’t been forgotten. For now, let's deal with whatever has you on the run. If you feel the need to disguise yourself, I’ll venture to guess you are in big trouble. I want the whole story. Now.” He spoke through gritted teeth, and he gave her another little shake at the end to reinforce the demand for information.

Jennifer couldn’t see any reason not to tell him the whole truth. He wasn’t going to let it go. She was sure he wasn’t going to let her go, either. It made Jennifer happier than she’d been in years to imagine that Rourke might want a relationship, but she was getting ahead of herself. She had a story to tell. It was easier to talk about what had happened to her in the dark with Rourke’s arms wrapped around her. As if he could protect her from the memories. So Jennifer snuggled in closer and began her sad tale.

“I’m a dancer,” she said, and Rourke stiffened. “No, not an exotic dancer. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

“Not as a profession, no, there’s nothing wrong with being an exotic dancer, if you aren’t my woman,” he returned.

His woman?

“Am I . . . yours?” She shouldn’t ask. It was way too soon. It wasn’t his fault she was already so far gone there was no hope for her.

Rourke lifted his head and looked at her. She couldn’t really see his face well since the lamp went out after the bed crashed into it, but she saw the gleam in his eyes and heard the surety in his voice.

“You. Are. Mine. Do you think I’d chase after a woman who isn’t mine? Do you really think I’ve ever hunted for a female before? I haven’t. Only you. Because you’re mine.” He punctuated the statement with a quick kiss and rested his head on the pillow again. “Continue.”

Jennifer smiled. He was so bossy. She didn’t mind it much, though. Her heart did a gold medal worthy flip in her chest. She was his. Jennifer couldn’t think of anything she’d rather be than Rourke’s woman.

“I’m not sure where I should start.”

“The very beginning. How did you end up in Vegas? Are you a native?” he asked.

“No, I’m a DC transplant via New York.”

“I sense a story there.”

“It’s a long story, but I’ll give you the abridged version just to get you up to speed.”

“Good idea. We’ll have plenty of time to tell each other all the little details later,” Rourke said. Jennifer was overwhelmed by the thought that they would have plenty of time together. She couldn’t form a reply. So she went back to her story.

‘I learned to dance before I could walk, or so my mother always said. I danced all through school, and I went to a school for the arts in high school. I learned everything from ballet to hip-hop. Tap, modern, you name it, I’ll dance it.”

“That explains this body. You have this long, lean muscular form that drives me insane. The day I met you, I couldn’t keep my eyes off you. Then, I saw what you were hiding under that dress.” A shiver ran through his body. “Keep going or I’m not going to let you finish.” He sounded savage, and Jennifer loved it. She kissed his muscled chest and settled back into the story.

“My father indulged my ‘artsy side,’ as he liked to call it because it was good exercise and an appropriate activity for a young lady, but he insisted on top of the class grades. I had to earn the right to dance, and I did. I never got less than an A. When I entered my junior year of high school, and it was time put in college applications, Mom warned me I’d have a fight on my hands if I didn’t get into a business state of mind. My father is a lawyer. His father was a lawyer, and so was his father. My oldest brother was already in law school, and my other brother was about to start law school. He expected me to follow suit, Harvard followed by Harvard Law.”

“He needed all of you to be lawyers?” Rourke asked.

“Thank you,” she shook her head. Why couldn’t her father understand that wasn’t the life for Jennifer? “That was my point exactly. My brothers wanted to be lawyers. I didn’t, but Daddy didn’t care. He said I was too young to know what was good for me, and he believed it was his job as my father to guide me.

“I was accepted into every school I applied to, including Harvard. He was willing to let me go to another Ivy League college if I didn’t want to go to Harvard. That was his only concession. I couldn’t pick a school because I had no intention of going, so he picked one for me.

“When I graduated, he gave me the summer to come to my senses. I either needed to prepare to move to Cambridge or pack my things and leave his house by August. My mother pleaded with me. My brothers took turns trying to make me see the light of the family calling. I wanted nothing to do with it. I was eighteen, and I thought I had it all figured out.” She snorted at her own ignorance.

“You had a dream?” he asked.

“Of course, I was going to make it big on Broadway. I was going to roll into New York, and the world would fall at my feet. I didn’t understand why my father didn’t believe in me. He wanted me to have a real career, and dancing wasn’t good enough for his daughter. I was ordered to be present on the first day of classes at Harvard, or I wasn’t to ever darken his door again.”

“Wow,” Rourke whistled.

“As you can see, I didn’t go to Harvard. I just didn’t think college was for me. I wanted to be a dancer. He took my car keys and showed me the door the day I was supposed to leave for school. My mother cried and begged me to listen to Daddy. I didn’t.”

Jennifer was lost in the memory of the day she left her parent’s home. Her father was stern and unbending. He believed she would cave when he put her on the street with nothing but a backpack of her clothing. Her mother wept and begged her to listen to her father. Her mom tried to explain that Jennifer’s dad loved her so much and was only trying to put her on a solid path to a stable future. Her brothers stood by stoically, knowing there was nothing they could do to budge their father’s determination. It had become a war of wills. Daddy wouldn’t relent. Jennifer couldn’t be who he wanted her to be, and she didn’t understand why he couldn’t love her the way she was.

When the front door to Jennifer’s home closed behind her, the sound of the deadbolt being thrown into place made her heart pound, and she finally began to sweat. Jennifer was the spoiled daughter of a wealthy and respected family. She’d grown up in a world of country club socials, lady’s tea parties, upscale restaurants, private schools, and vacations abroad. She’d never been on a bus or a train, and she’d never had to walk anywhere. Her meals were prepared by a cook, and her house cleaned by maids. She had no idea what the real world was like, but she was about to learn.

There she stood, all alone for the first time with nowhere to go and no money. This was when she was supposed to run back to her daddy and admit he was right, she wasn’t ready to face the world alone. But she didn’t walk back up those steps and accept her pampered fate. Jennifer didn’t know yet exactly how lucky she was to have been born to the parents she had. She walked away with her spine as straight as the poles that lined the mirrored walls in a dance studio with tears in her eyes.

Jennifer had reached the corner before her brothers caught up with her to try convincing her to reevaluate her choice to defy Daddy another shot. She couldn’t do it. There was no way she was going to give up on her dreams. Her brothers seemed to expect this outcome. They both gave her money. They handed over cash, and it looked like a lot of money to a person who’d never needed money.  She suddenly found herself with nothing, so the money was a big deal. Her brothers saved the day, or so she thought at the time. That money got her to New York and helped her pay for a tiny studio apartment the size of a postage stamp until she found a roommate and a job. Their father would be furious if he knew they’d aided and abetted her rebellion. If they hadn’t, she would probably have gone home within a day or two, willing or not. What other choice did she really have?

Sometimes at night when Jennifer was alone in bed, she’d think about that day and wonder what her life would be like now if she’d given in to her father wishes. It was a question she’d never know the answer to. She’d never seriously wished her life had gone the other way until the night she found herself Evan’s prisoner.

“So New York didn’t work out?” Rourke recalled Jennifer to her topic.

“No,” she shrugged. “I got a few gigs here and there, and I waited tables. I wasn’t thin enough to suit most directors. I’m too naturally curvy, and no matter how toned I am, I always have a booty.”

“What? There isn’t an ounce of fat on you anywhere! Your hips are fucking perfect! I can span your waist with my hands. I can’t imagine losing weight would be healthy for you,” Rourke practically snarled, indignant on her behalf. “That ass is enough to stop traffic.” Rourke rubbed a large hand over the booty in question.

Rourke’s approval made Jennifer feel somehow vindicated. He believed in her. He thought she was perfect. She did too, but it had taken her a long time to learn to love her curves. She had a womanly shape that was lean with muscle from a lifetime of dancing. She would never be the willowy, reed-thin woman and she didn’t want to be any longer.

“I’m glad you think so. Broadway didn’t agree to the degree needed to support me in New York. I’m not willowy enough. It’s hard to work so hard for something just to be told your ass is too fat for the costumes.” She tried to laugh it off, but it still hurt. She had starved herself to fit the image New York wanted, but it didn’t matter. It was all for nothing. She would never do that to herself again. She was healthy and strong, and that’s how she planned to stay. “I left New York when my roommate threw in the towel and went home. I couldn’t afford to live alone.”

“And you came to Vegas? Did you think about going home?”

“I thought about it, but I still wasn’t ready to give up on my dream. I’d learned to survive on my own. I’d worked for the first time and took care of my own needs. I wasn’t a helpless girl who needed her dad to tell her what to do to survive. If I went back, I’d spend the rest of my life scraping, bowing, and apologizing for being who I am, for having a dream that didn’t fit my father’s agenda. That was if he even let me in the house at all.

“So I took all the extra shifts I could get waiting tables and saved the money to cross the country to give Las Vegas a try. It was more of the same here at first. There are lots of dancers looking for jobs. I went on more auditions than I can count. Then, I got a part in a major show at the Winn. Landing that part was a dream come true for me. It wasn’t a significant role. I was a backup dancer, but I was doing what I love and making enough to survive, if not exactly thrive. I quit waiting tables and focused on my dancing.”

The memory of her life just before she met Evan brought a smile to Jennifer’s face and an ache in her heart. She had made it. She was working six days a week and paying the bills without a second job. She was saving for a car. She was making friends, and life was finally looking up for her.

“How long have you been here?” Rourke asked.

“I’ve been in Vegas for over a year now. This is where things start to go downhill for me.”

“I’m all ears. I’m still trying to figure out how you went from socialite to homeless.”

She giggled. “I was never a socialite. Maybe at home, I could have been with time. I was more of a debutante. A spoiled debutante, and I had no idea how blessed I was. I’ve been your average starving artist for a long time. That’s the story Pastor Davis told people who asked questions about me. I only had those three dresses. They’re expensive, and they make me stand out. They only had men’s clothes and none that I have the figure to hold up. So I wore my dresses when I needed to leave my cubby.”

She sobered. This was the hard part. As if the rest of the story didn’t suck enough. “Some men love to date the dancers. You’d be surprised how much attention we get.”

“No, I wouldn’t. I’ve seen you naked,” he hummed and kissed her quickly. She smiled. Rourke just made her happy. Being in his arms made this easier.

“Anyway,” she continued. “This one particular guy approached me at an after party. He asked me for a date.”

Rourke growled. Jennifer ignored it.

“I refused him. I was asked out frequently, along with many of the other girls. He was a handsome, wealthy man. He didn’t take no for a final answer, though. He came to the shows often and always found his way backstage. He turned on the charm and continued to pursue me. He was polite but ignored the other girls.

“All of the other dancers thought I was crazy to turn him down. He claimed to be a successful investment banker. I couldn’t figure out why he fixated on me. Looking back, I think it was the thrill of the chase or something. I turned him down, so I became a conquest.

“Eventually, the other girls convinced me that it couldn’t hurt to go out on a few dates with the guy to see if I like him or not. So the next time he approached me, I agreed to a date.”

“I hate him,” Rourke rumbled.

“You should. So do I.” Jennifer rubbed Rourke’s chest. “We went on a few dates, and Evan was really nice. He took me to nice places. He complimented my style, which is rather bohemian and I admit not fashionable, but it’s me. I like flowing skirts. I like to wear scarves on my head sometimes. I’m usually in ballet flat type shoes.”

“So you dress like a woman who grew up dancing in leotards and skirts. I get that. I bet it’s hot as hell. I’d be imagining tossing up your skirt all damn day,” Rourke groaned.

Jennifer laughed. “Yes, I guess I do dress like I’m on the way to dance class. Back to the story. I want to get it done. We’d been dating for a month when he picked me up after a show and took me to this club. It was a private club. I’m sure you know it. It’s called Hell.”

Rourke inhaled sharply. “Luc owns the hotel and casino and the club. That’s not easy to get to into unless you know somebody.”

“Yes, I met Luc that night when he had us tossed out on our asses because Evan, that’s his name, Evan MacGraff, had started a fight in a bar full of naked people.” She was glad it was dark because she blushed at the memory. “I was in shock. We’d never even had sex, and he had me in what amounted to a brothel. Then there was a fight, and I was literally shoved out into the alley on my ass.”

“Is that why you were so tense on Thanksgiving? You were afraid of Luc?”

“Yes. I’ve been through a lot. I’ve been in hiding from Evan. Luc wasn’t exactly friendly that night. I didn’t want my cover blown. Luc knows Evan. What if Luc recognized me and told Evan where to find me? They didn’t part on friendly terms, but I was still frightened.”

“Let me put your mind at ease on that score. Luc is a hard ass businessman. When it comes to The Inferno and Hell, he doesn’t take any shit. He took over the company from his father, and it wasn’t doing so well. He’s turned it around while fighting to gain the respect and loyalty of people who’d served his father for years. So he rules with an iron fist, but he’s a fair man. Luc is one of the good guys, and I’d trust him with my life. He’d never do anything to hurt a woman.

“If he tossed Evan out, it was for good reason. You were there, right? Hell is a club meant for shady characters and people with money to burn who don’t mind jumping rope with the line of morality.”

Jennifer couldn’t argue that. She’d seen things in the hour she was in Hell that had shocked her to her toes. She blushed again just remembering that night.

“My point is that if Evan got ejected, he was somehow stepping on Luc’s toes. He was either hurting someone or cutting in on Luc’s business. Just being an asshole wouldn’t be enough. Even starting a fight wouldn’t get his membership revoked. There are fights there every day. You’d be escorted out for the night until you cooled down, but that’s it. So something else was in the works.”

Jennifer just nodded. She’d have to take Rourke’s word for it. She knew Evan was up to no good, even if she didn’t know the details. Luc still scared the shit out of her. He didn’t frighten her as much as Evan did, but she would never want to be on Luc’s bad side.

“What changed exactly? This guy was Prince Charming. What happened?” Rourke asked.

Jennifer was truly glad it was dark for this part. Her heart started to pound just thinking of the way Evan took over her life. It happened so fast, and nothing she said seemed to matter to him in the least. He claimed her as his own, and that was that.

“It’s okay. I’m here. I promise you’re safe from him now. Just tell me everything so I know how to proceed.” Rourke hugged her tighter to him and stroked her back soothingly. “Trust me, Jennifer. I’m kind of a tough guy.”

“Even tough guys aren’t bulletproof, Rourke.” Tears filled Jennifer’s eyes. “Not even Navy SEALs are invincible.”

“Thankfully, neither are the criminals. I think I need to hear the rest of the story. What did this prick do that landed you in a storage room? Why did you run out on me twice?” Rourke asked without a hint of accusation. He wasn’t blaming her for disappearing on him. He just wanted to understand why she’d done it.

Jennifer couldn’t avoid it any longer. She had to trust Rourke to help her. Jennifer loved Rourke, and she wanted to protect him from this mess, but he wasn’t going to allow it. If she was going to have any chance at a normal life, she needed his help. Stacy Rourke was her only hope, not only to free her from Evan’s shadow, but also for real love. Because Jennifer didn’t think she would ever feel for another man what she felt for Rourke.

On a ragged sigh, Jennifer told Rourke the entire, sad sorry story starting with Evan abducting her. She told him about being hit and choked. Jennifer described the misery of using a bucket as a toilet and not having any tissue to use. She told him about the indignity of being dragged around by her hair and about being watched every time she showered or used the bathroom because she wasn’t trusted to be left alone. Jennifer related every little detail she could remember, even the embarrassing stuff. Jennifer wanted Rourke to know everything she’d been through, so he would understand why she’d felt the need to hide her identity and sneak away from him. He stopped her only a few times to ask questions.

“So after days of being starved and locked away, I decided pretending acceptance was my only chance of escape. If he began to trust me, I might have an opportunity to get away. I would just have to wait for an opportunity to present itself. So I was polite. I ate all of my meals with Evan, and I pretended to be interested in his conversation. I smiled. I chatted about bullshit. Things were going well, but he still didn’t trust me. My every move was watched. I thought it was all over when Evan tried to seduce me. He was tired of waiting.”

When she finally reached the part of the story when Evan began to expect physical proof of her commitment, Rourke’s body stiffened. She rubbed his chest comfortingly. She hated talking about it, but Rourke needed to know everything.

“I didn’t go that far in my pretense. Thankfully, Evan bought my story. It was farfetched, but he was so eager to believe I was the perfect woman that he bought it. Evan thought he’d eventually see the truth of the story. The situation was coming to a boil. I had to find a way out.” She was lost in memory; reliving her fear that Evan would decide he couldn’t wait any longer to consummate the relationship.

“What exactly was your story? Come on, babe, I’m dying over here,” Rourke urged her to go on. He was looking pinched and on the edge.

“I told him I was a virgin.” She smiled. Rourke’s eyebrows rose in disbelief. “I told Evan I’d been very sheltered by my family. I’m the only daughter of a wealthy lawyer and a southern lady. In my youth, I was kept busy with school, dancing, and other activities fit for a young lady.

“This was the first time I’d been out on my own. I hadn’t dated anyone since I came to town. This was all actually true except for the virgin part. My parents were protective. I was a busy young woman, and my mom watched me like a hawk. I haven't dated anyone in Vegas. I’ve been working nonstop,” she explained.

“And he believed you?” Rourke asked. “He must be blind as well as insane because you have a natural sensuality in the way you move and carry yourself that’s enough to drive a man crazy.” Rourke gave her a slow kiss to prove his point. They’d just finished making love, and he was ready to go again. Jennifer could feel his cock stiffen against her with their passionate embrace. Rourke broke the kiss reluctantly. When he spoke against her mouth, stopping to place a kiss there after every sentence, he stole her breath.  “Keep going, babe.” Kiss. “I want to hear the rest.” Kiss. “Before I love you again.” Kiss.

Jennifer’s entire being lit up under Rourke’s tender praise. He said he wanted to love her again. Love her. Rourke had said Jennifer was his woman, but that didn’t mean he loved her. Was she Rourke’s until he went back to the Navy? Or did he feel that she was his to protect since they were sleeping together? Again, that would only last until he returned to service.

Jennifer knew, to spite their short acquaintance, she was helplessly in love with Rourke. It happened to Jennifer just as her mother always said it would. When it’s right, you just know. You feel his presence in a place so deep in your soul, no other man could ever reach it. Jennifer hadn’t understood her mother’s explanation of what it was like when you find the person who is meant for you at the time. She didn’t get it until the day she met Rourke and had to walk away from him feeling like he’d stolen a piece of her that she’d never get back.

Was it possible that Rourke loved her, too? Rourke’s actions told her he might care for her, but Jennifer needed to hear the words. Could he really love her, or was this just Rourke’s hero complex kicking in. He was a SEAL. Maybe Rourke was just drawn to a damsel in distress. Jennifer didn’t know, and she was afraid to find out. Her heart and her future were hanging in the balance. She would hold on to the hope they could have a real life together a little longer.

“He believed me at least enough to give me a little more time,” Jennifer continued before she found the nerve to ask if he actually loved her or if that was just pillow talk. “I told Evan I was saving myself for marriage. That pleased him to no end. He planned to marry me. He would be my first and only. It was the only thing I could think of to hold him off for a while. I couldn’t be sure it worked either. He wasn’t exactly the kind of man to put another person’s needs first. I smiled and tried to look happy about our impending nuptials. All I wanted to do was scratch out his eyes.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t try to marry you immediately.” Rourke kissed her neck, sending shivers over Jennifer’s body. 

“He wanted to. I acted like a total girl and cried because I wanted a real wedding and a honeymoon. Those were real tears, too. It wasn’t hard to dredge up real emotion when I was afraid he’d have a justice of the peace come do the deed right in his condominium. If we planned a wedding, I would have many chances to ask people for help, right? That was my thinking.

“He agreed to the honeymoon but not a wedding. He said we would get married on the honeymoon as a compromise, because he was feeling generous, and I was behaving myself. Briefly, I thought it would be a good thing if he brought an outsider in. I could refuse to marry Evan and beg for help.”

“What changed your mind?” Rourke asked.

“Evan has the cops in his pocket. That’s why I didn’t go straight to the police when I escaped. On two separate occasions, the police came to Evan’s apartment. One for a report of shots fired. I was there in the room when one of Evan’s ‘associates’ failed to produce funds that were due. One minute they were laughing and joking, the next Evan put a bullet in the man’s knee. I was in shock. It was just so surreal. I couldn’t believe I’d just seen a man be shot. Blood pouring the man’s leg. He was screaming. Evan continued speaking calmly about the payment he expected to be delivered within twenty-four hours. I was hunkered in the corner because Evan wouldn’t allow me to leave the room. I think he was demonstrating his power to make me understand there was no escape.”

“What did the cops do?” Rourke lifted his head to look down at her with unease. “Did they see you?”

“As soon as the knock came at the door, Tommy, that was my guard, herded me down the hall so I could hear without being seen. Then, Tommy leaned in to warn me with a whisper. He said, ‘Please don’t scream for help. This is a test. Even if they hear you, they won’t help. You aren’t getting out of this. None of us are, alive.’

“I believed Tommy. He was a young guy, and I could tell he felt sorry for me. He didn’t like his duty, but he did what he was told. Evan purposely let me stay close enough to be heard if I cried for help. I was also close enough to understand that the police wouldn’t help me.”

“I heard the whole conversation. The man was bleeding and apologizing for the mess. He’d been shot and he was apologizing for bleeding on the carpet. It was unbelievable. The cops greeted Evan like old friends, and they chatted for a minute as if there weren’t a man with a bullet hole in his leg sitting there while they shot the shit. The cops asked the victim if he wanted to file a complaint. He said no. It had been an accident. His own registered weapon had discharged. He shot himself accidentally while showing his friend, Evan, the new piece.

“They’re all in his pocket, Tommy told me. They’ll be paid well to file a false report, he explained to me. If he hadn’t warned me, I don’t know what would have happened to me. I was ready to scream my head off.”

“They just left? This is worse than I imagined. We’ll definitely need to get Luc involved. He has contacts in the department as well.” Rourke was thinking allowed.

“Luc has crooked cops in his pocket?” Jennifer was horrified.

“I wouldn’t call them crooked cops. He has friends that will let things slide as long as nobody gets hurt. There are some in the department who are aware of Hell. They have been since before Luc owned the place. They’re willing to let him operate in peace, for a fee. Some of the patrons roaming Hell didn’t pay for admission. Luc doesn’t pay them directly. He just doesn’t charge them for membership, and they get certain . . . free services,” Rourke explained.

Jennifer wasn’t even going to touch that. She’d seen people die. She’d seen a man shot. She has been abused and held hostage. No one would pay for those deaths and not even the police would help her in her time of need. If a few cops wanted free drinks and sexual favors in exchange for keeping quiet about a place where consenting adults went to enjoy themselves, Jennifer didn’t have a problem with that. Nobody was being hurt. Everyone was there of their own free will.

Jennifer went on with her story. She could tell Rourke struggled with his friend’s illegal business practices. She didn’t need to point out the obvious similarities between Luc and Evan.

“I assume if Evan had cops willing to look the other way, he would be able to find a justice of the peace to marry us and file the paperwork whether I agreed to it or not. He was putting off the wedding for a few weeks in respect of my innocence and his wish to have a willing wife, but he wasn’t happy about it. 

“He had some big transaction in the works that he couldn’t put off. I’m not positive, but I think it was a drug deal. He couldn’t leave until it was done. I was running out of time. I didn’t know exactly when the deal was going down. I think he liked keeping me on edge and off balance. Any day could be the day. There would be a private plane. The pilot and crew would be under Evan’s employ. He made sure I knew these little details. My chances for escape were growing smaller and smaller. There would be no help for me at the airport.

“Two weeks had passed when I finally saw my opportunity to escape. Evan took me everywhere with him, and his henchmen were always very close. He still didn’t trust me entirely, but he was starting to loosen up some. We would go to his office during the day and his condominium at night. Over the weekend, we went to his home out in Paradise. It’s a damn mansion with heavy security. I was always under guard.”

Jennifer didn’t tell Rourke about some of the indignities she’d endured. She didn’t think she could stomach admitting that she’s had to let Evan kiss her and touch her in ways that made her skin her crawl. Jennifer would never forget the unwanted caresses she’d submitted to during her time with Evan, but the memories were less excruciating now. Rourke’s passionate kisses and fervent loving had somehow diluted what was a sharp pain to a dull, manageable ache that would hopefully heal completely one day.

Evan didn’t take it as far as actual intercourse and he didn’t ask Jennifer to perform any acts on him. Jennifer acted surprised and skittish when he forced attention on her. Then he’d get himself off in front of her, sometimes on her. Evan enjoyed her purity. Evan liked scandalizing the innocence out of Jennifer.

Caught in dark thoughts, Jennifer’s mind had wandered. When she looked up, the questions were there in Rourke’s eyes, but he didn’t voice them, seeming to understand that Jennifer wasn’t ready for that conversation. Maybe she would tell him eventually. For now, the burden was hers to bear. She was already putting far too much baggage on the back of her new love.

“The day I got away, we were at Evan’s office. It was a Sunday, but he was expecting a shipment to come in that had him and his men on edge. I had the feeling this was the big one. Evan’s building had a docking bay for deliveries and storage on the ground floor in the rear. He had the entire building to himself, so there was no worry about anything being witnessed by outsiders. Every day he would have his driver take the car right inside the building and park. The rolling doors would be shut before I was allowed to exit the vehicle. I assumed it was so I wouldn’t be able to run or draw attention to myself. 

“This particular day, there was a delivery waiting for me when we entered Evan’s office. Evan ordered me a few new dresses, shoes, and more lingerie. I wasn’t sure if it was like a bribe, a reward for good behavior, or final preparations for the honeymoon because there was also a new overnight bag.

“Evan wanted me to try them on and model for him. He wanted me to change in front of him. Things were about to go somewhere beyond my ability to play act. There was no way I was going to let him really have me.” Jennifer again chose not to mention the liberties Evan had already taken. This day was different. Evan was frustrated and tense. She thought he might actually try to fuck her, and she wasn’t going to lay down for it.

Rourke rumbled an aggressive sound that Jennifer knew wasn’t directed at her, but it was frightening all the same. He was aware that she wasn’t giving him all the details.

“I knew the time was coming when he wasn’t going to wait for me to be ready for sex any longer. He was going to take what he wanted. Every day was like a game of chess with him. He would move, and I would react. I had to be amiable without being too receptive. This day, I could tell his patience was wearing thin. We were thankfully interrupted by one of his cronies just when I was looking for anything I could use as a weapon. They had a whispered conversation. Evan said he had to go meet with a client, but he’d be back for his show, so I needed to find my backbone and start acting like a woman. My time was definitely up.

“Evan left me in his office with Tommy to watch me. There was a phone in the room and a computer, so I knew he wouldn’t leave me alone. I was pacing the floor and scanning the room for anything I could use to defend myself. Tommy just watched me with a look of pity in his eyes. This was it, and we both knew it.

“Evan hadn’t been gone for very long when I heard gunshots. First, there were only a couple of shots that Tommy didn’t react to at all. He must have been expecting something to go down. Then there were lots of gunshots echoing through the building from the floor below. Tommy ordered me to hide for my safety. He wanted me to get in the closet or curl up in one of the cabinets. Tommy ran off to investigate with a pistol in each hand.

“This was the chance I’d been waiting for, and it came not a minute too soon. It was the first time I’d been left alone. I knew I couldn’t go home if I got away, and I couldn’t go to the police. I had no money. I had nothing. I grabbed the designer bag Evan had just purchased for me and stuffed the new clothes inside of it. I rummaged through Evan’s desk and found a few dollars and some change.

“I ran to the stairwell that let out in the warehouse on the bottom floor. I couldn’t go to the first floor. I still hear random shots being fired on that level so I knew where Evan and his thugs would be. I wanted to steal a car or slip out the back unnoticed if I could get one of the rolling doors open.”

“There was a shootout in progress? What the fuck is this guy into?” Rourke asked rhetorically.

“Bad stuff. I made it unnoticed to the warehouse. Once inside, I found something that looked like a scene from a movie, but it was all too real. There were two men slumped over on their knees with holes blown through their heads. Pools of blood were spreading across the floor. There were chunks of gray matter and blood splattered around. I didn’t know them. They weren’t Evan’s men.” The horror of the sight choked Jennifer. This was an ordeal she wasn’t sure she would ever get over.

“You don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to, sweetheart.” Rourke rolled, so Jennifer was nearly on top of him with arms wrapped around her. “I get it. It was an execution gone wrong. You don’t need to rehash the bad stuff.” He was stroking her back to warm her up. Jennifer hadn’t realized she was shivering.

Jennifer shook off the memory of two men with dead eyes and went on, “The cars were locked, so stealing one was out, but the doors weren’t. I got one up just high enough for me to crawl under, and I ran like the devil was on my heels. For all I knew, he was. I got out of the deserted business park to the main road. I ran until I saw a bus coming. The money I took from Evan’s desk was enough for the fare with fifty cents to spare.

“I rode the bus downtown and got off on the strip. I thought it was the best place to get lost for a while. I was so paranoid. I was sure Evan was around every corner waiting for me. I was confident he was looking for me and even had the police searching for me. I felt like I had to keep moving. I was like a mad woman.”

“You’d been through a traumatic experience. You were in shock,” Rourke soothed Jennifer.

“That had to be it because looking back I don’t understand why I didn’t ask someone for help. I truly believed the police would hand me over to Evan. This is his town. I was sure everyone knew Evan, and they were all looking for me. It was ridiculous, but I wasn’t in my right mind.”

“How did you get here, to the church?” Rourke asked.

This was a memory Jennifer could almost smile over, “Pastor Davis found me stumbling through The Inferno. I literally walked into the man. I couldn’t even speak. I didn’t know what to say, anyway. I’d been wandering the strip for a few days, hiding in bathrooms, trying to blend in with the crowd. I was starving, exhausted, and out of my head. The pastor didn’t ask any questions. I didn’t even realize which casino I was in until we were leaving. I was horrified. What if Luc had seen me? What if he called Evan? I was so paranoid. Pastor Davis tucked me under his arm and brought me to the church.”

“That sounds like the pastor.” There was a smile in Rourke’s voice. “Luc told me he was having a chapel built in the casino. The pastor is helping him with the project.”

“The rest of the story you know. I was fed and given a safe place to stay. Pastor Davis and his wife know I’m hiding from a violent man who isn’t my husband. They know I’m afraid for my life and that I was abducted, but that’s about it. I thought the less they knew, the better.

“I’ve been hanging around here ever since. I help in the kitchen. I go to all the services. Most of the time, I hide in here.” She gestured around the room. “I read a lot. Mostly, I try to think of a way to get out of here. I feel like I’ve been here too long. My biggest fear is that Evan will find me and do something awful to the Davis’ for helping me. I’m leaving tonight. I have to move on.”

As much as Jennifer wanted to stay with Rourke, the retelling of her nightmare with Evan only drove home how dangerous being with her was for anyone. She was doing the right thing. Jennifer had to get out of Vegas and away from the people she cared about quickly now that Evan had nearly caught up with her. Jennifer knew she wasn't paranoid. Evan was still on her trail.