Chapter 30
At the first scream of ‘GO,' Livy knew things were about to go down quickly. Her head whipped around to see De Jääger's reaction as the men he thought were hired servers and guards went on the offensive. She couldn’t help but smile, even as his fist tightened on the silver chain connected to her collar. She saw Bruiser lurch toward her as she stumbled off the side of the stage. Her last glimpse as she was dragged away was of Bruiser fighting with Anton. She called out to him, “Bruiser!” but he apparently didn’t hear her over the chaos erupting around them. The door of a storage room artfully concealed by bushes and trees slammed behind her, plunging them into murky blackness. Without turning on the lights, they hurried past several of the throne-like chairs and stacks of cushions that resembled the ones in the garden. At the back of the room, he took out the rod-like key and pushed it into an indention in the door. It swung open, and they stepped into one of the walk-in coolers attached to the kitchen. Her foot found a small puddle of icy water, and she slid, going down on her knees. "Ow."
The tension on the leash stopped De Jääger for a moment. Glancing back, he shook his head. "Now's not the time for shows of obedience and submission, Olivia. We have to get down to the playroom." He turned back and yanked the leash hard. She stumbled to her feet, losing one of the expensive, yellow leather shoes in the process.
De Jääger took the small square controller from his pocket, and Olivia felt her blood chill. "They aren't taking my treasures. I paid for them. I trained them. They are mine," he muttered. "I'll destroy them rather than see another possess what is mine." His thumb caressed the surface, and he clutched it in his fist. "Rana will bring the others. She'll make sure my treasures are safe. Where are Anton and Daan?" He looked at his closed fist then back at her as she rubbed her bruised shin and knees. "Be quiet, completely silent." He lifted his fist with the controller in it. "I'll see you dead before you leave me, Olivia. You are mine. Do you hear me? You belong to me. Mine. You have no control."
He cracked the door and peered out. Satisfied the coast was clear, he slammed the door wide open and ran through the kitchen to the hallway with Olivia stumbling along behind. She could hear a great deal of commotion coming from outside and glanced out the windows as they hurried past. She thought she saw River entering the dining room, but it flashed by too quickly. De Jääger pushed a door open and yanked her into the party room and down the stairs to the gym. In a moment, he had the playroom door open and was shoving her through. With a click, it was locked. De Jääger let out a sigh of relief and dropped into his throne.
Olivia knew the room was secure with no way in or out except for the one locked door. She continued to rub her shin as she tried to think of a way out of this mess. The guys may have rained hell down on the compound, but it would be up to her to get out of here. She glanced at De Jääger as he gently tapped the controller on the arm of the throne. His eyes were vacant as he mumbled to himself. It was obvious he had lost touch with reality. She knew desperate men took desperate actions. If she wanted to get out of this, it was going to be up to her.
Adopting a properly submissive stance, she lowered her eyes to his knees but kept her head up so that he could see the collar around her neck. She wanted to remind him that he had all the control, just like he told her time and time again. She kicked the remaining shoe off and slowly approached until she stood between the two cushions on the floor. Glancing at his hand, she saw he had stopped playing with it and now held it with his thumb over the button. She swallowed and cleared her throat.
"Thank you for saving me, Meester," she adopted the dulcet tones that Rana often used when talking to him. "I was frightened. I knew you would keep me safe."
His sharp intake of breath was followed by a slight easing of his thumb from the shiny surface. "You're thanking me?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes, Meester. I know you will take care of me. You'll protect me. You brought me here, to this place, your throne room, to keep me safe. Thank you, I'm very grateful." She kept her eyes down, mostly out of submission but also so that he would not see the revulsion she was sure was swimming in their depths.
"What are you trying to do, Olivia?" He placed the controller on the arm of the chair but still within easy reach of his fingers. "Don't toy with me." His finger hovered over the button, and she whimpered. She had to convince him she was honest. Time to put forth her best effort.
"I...I'm not toying with you. I only wanted to show my gratitude for what you have done. May... May I sit at your feet?"
"I rather you laid at my feet." De Jääger's finger pressed against the control and pain, burning, agonizing pain raced along her nerves. With a scream, Livy dropped to the floor as her muscles bunched and clenched. Gritting her teeth, she tried to draw a breath but couldn't get her lungs to work. The taste of blood filled her mouth, and she realized she had bitten her tongue. In her chest, her heart thumped wildly as adrenaline was dumped into her system. After a moment, he let her go, and she lay convulsing and panting on the cold, stone floor.
"There, much better. Do you still thank me for saving you?" His voice was low and even. "On your knees!"
She pulled herself to her knees. "T...t...thank you, Meester, for disciplining me." She swallowed and adopted a weak tone which wasn't that hard after the massive jolt he had given her nervous system. "How may I serve you?"
She could feel his eyes boring into her. He leaned forward and cupped her cheek in an almost tender manner. "Could it be you have seen your place?"
"Yes, Meester. When those people started all that trouble, I realized they wanted to take my sisters and me away from you. I have nothing back there. I had a dead end job and couldn’t even afford a car to get me back and forth. Here, I am taken care of, pampered, given anything my heart desires. I wear beautiful, expensive clothes and enjoy the finest cuisine available." Her voice got stronger as she spoke. Daring to look up at him, she put every ounce of honesty she could into her eyes, knowing it was imperative that he believed her. She recalled every moment of how Rana had behaved and swallowed her hatred for this man. "Here, I have you, my owner ... my Meester. You have opened the world that I never knew existed. You have shown me pleasures that I didn't believe were possible." She inched forward just a bit and bent over, pressing her cheek to his knee. "After they're gone, I want to give myself to you. Please, will you take me? Please, will you be my first? Please, Meester, will you make me a woman fitting to wear your collar?"
He groaned and pulled her forward until she was snuggled in between his knees. Raising her face up, he cupped it with both hands. "See, my Olivia? I told you one day you would beg me to take you." He pressed his lips to her forehead. "Once these miscreants are gone, I will take you to my home in Amsterdam. There, I'll show you such exquisite things as to make your mind reel and your body ache."
She placed her hands on his knees as he spoke, his hands still cupping her face. She shivered from his words in revulsion, but he mistook it for desire and murmured, "Soon, my sweet. Very soon."
He tilted her face up toward his and leaned in as if to kiss her. At that moment, she snaked her hand out, slamming it against the side of the control and shoved it as hard as she could, hoping against hope that her actions wouldn't accidentally activate it. The small black box flew across the room and into the corner where it lay against the wall. Shock and surprise made De Jääger's eyes widen as he hissed at her. "You little bitch. Lies and deception!" He pulled his hand back to hit her.
Olivia leaped to her feet and raised her leg. Using every ounce of force she could, she brought the heel of her foot down onto his crotch. The scream of agony from the man's lips echoed in the small room. She smiled in triumph.
"Never again." She grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him off his throne. "You will never touch another woman again," she hissed as she kicked him in the groin again. As he screamed a second time, she kicked him in the ribs. She counted off for each offense as her blows rained on him unmercifully. "For me, my brother, my Aunt, and Bruiser. For every second I was in this hell hole and making them hurt and wonder what happened to me. This is for Catori," she hissed as she balled her fist and slammed it into his face. The satisfying crunch of his nose breaking made her smile. "This is for Rana, even though you have her brainwashed, she doesn't deserve this life." Olivia's fist slammed into the nose again, splattering blood across her stomach. She barely registered the pain to her knuckles. "For Mishi," she hissed. "You didn't break her, but you bent her. She's stronger than you." Another hard punch in the mouth and several teeth fell out, along with more blood.
She stood up and hurried over to the discarded shoe. Picking it up, she approached him and dropped to her knees. Tossing the silver chain over her shoulder, she leaned in until only a few inches separated them. Gripping the toe of the shoe in her hand, she raised it above her head. In one quick motion, she brought it down, burying the stiletto heel into his cheek. "For every woman who won't be going home. For their families and friends. For every time you turned that box to ten and watched another woman die." She was screaming now as the shoe flew in a bloody arch, spraying De Jääger's blood on the wall. He had long stopped moving, and she didn't know if he was still alive. At this point, she didn't care.
There was a noise behind her as the door opened. She heard a male voice say, "Jesus" followed by another's "Oh, sweet Mother of God." Tears mixed with the deep red blood of her tormentor ran down Olivia's cheeks as she continued to pound the shoe into his face over and over. "Never again. You'll … never ... touch ... another ... woman ... again!"
Bruiser, Cowboy, River, Railroad, and Hick stood dumbfounded as they watched Olivia swing a shoe into the hamburger meat that had once been Garritt De Jääger.
"Shouldn't we stop her?" River asked.
"Nah, let her have her fun," Cowboy replied. "I think she deserves it."
Bruiser winced as the sickening sound of the heel made another landing. Holstering his piece, he entered and knelt beside her. "Hey, sweetheart." He placed a hand carefully over hers to stop the next downward swing. "I think you got him."
She blinked and looked down at what was left of her tormentor. "Is he dead?" she asked in a shaky whisper.
Bruiser knew the answer but checked for a pulse anyway. "Yeah, honey. He's not going to hurt anyone ever again."
"Good." She dropped the shoe and looked at her hands. "I have blood on me."
In her shocked state, she hadn't realized she was still naked. "Here, let me get you covered," Bruiser murmured gently. He started to take his shirt off, but Railroad stopped him. "Yours is white. All that blood will soak through and remind her of this." He yanked his shirt off with one hand and gave it to Olivia.
She took it and started to wipe the blood off her bare stomach. Bruiser stopped her and tugged the shirt out of her hands. He pulled it over her head. It reached only to mid-thigh, but at least it covered her. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's get out of here. We'll get you cleaned up in a bit."
She nodded and stood, looking down at the dead man. She whispered, "You have no control." Together, they walked out of the room.
In the gym, the other three women stood huddled together with Toad and Finch standing nearby. Olivia saw them and immediately went to them. Standing there, covered in De Jääger's blood, she bit her lip, obviously unsure what to say to them. She settled for, "It's over. I killed him. He's gone."
Relief shone on all three of their faces. Mishi grabbed Olivia and pulled her into an embrace, squeezing tightly as all four of them cried. When no more tears would fall, Olivia took a step back but held Mishi and Catori's hands. Looking over her shoulder, she whispered. "I'm ready to go home now, Bruiser. I want to see Jayden and Auntie."
"I want to go home, too," Catori whispered in a raspy voice.
Olivia stopped and looked at her. "You can talk?"
Catori blushed. "I don't have to ask permission anymore. He..." she lifted her chin toward the playroom door, "told me never to speak unless I asked permission. If I asked permission, he would punish me for speaking without permission." She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. "I got used to never talking."
Her words must have reminded Olivia of the collar. She lifted her hands up and pulled at it. "Off. I want this off. Bruiser, take this thing off of me." She clawed at her neck until scratches appeared on the skin between the strands.
"Shhhh," Bruiser took her hands and pulled them away before she could cause more damage. "We'll get it off. Let's go upstairs and get you cleaned up. Then we'll get it off you."
She shook her head. "Now. I want it off now." She pulled her hands, trying to get them out of Bruisers.
"Let me see," Toad said quietly.
Olivia raised her chin even as she shook. "Off. Please, get this thing off me," she whispered.
After studying the device, he shook his head. "There's an indention, but the house key doesn't fit it. We'll have to take it off en route out of Suriname."
Olivia shook her head. "We can't. The sensors. If we get close to the wall, the collars will shock us. If we leave the area, they will kill us. Please get them off."
Bruiser cursed. "We are wasting time. Spread out and find that key. We need to get out of here before those guests call the Suriname authorities. De Jääger knew a lot of very influential people in the government. I rather not get caught here when they arrive."
Rana's voice broke the silence. "I think the key will be in his office. There's a safe in the floor under the window."
"Toad, you take Rana to the office and find that key. Railroad, go to the nest and watch our six. Cowboy, raise Digger and get us some transport the hell out of here. River, you and the others round up the captives and bring them down here. We'll leave them in the gym." Bruiser looked at the women. "We'll need to get you ladies something better to wear. It's going to take a while to get back to the states, and I'm sure you will want to be comfortable. Go with Cowboy. We'll meet in the party room when everyone is done."
Everyone dispersed, and Bruiser led Olivia back up the stairs. "Let's get you to your room and cleaned up."
She stopped dead in her tracks. "I don't want ever to see that room again. Please don't make me," she implored.
"Alright." He lifted his fist and spoke into the microphone. "Cowboy, ask one of the ladies to stop by Olivia's room and get her something comfortable to wear."
"Roger."
"Thank you for calling them, 'ladies.' I don't think they remember that they are," Olivia whispered. "I'm not sure I remember it myself."
The broken tone in her voice about brought him to his knees. "Honey, you will always be a lady to me. I don't care what others think. You are a lady. You are my lady, and if it takes the rest of my lifetime to convince you of that, then I'll gladly do it."
"But..."
"Shh, no buts. Olivia, what you've been through would break a lesser woman, but you've managed to survive. There are no words to tell you just how damn proud I am of you. I've loved you since the day you walked into Nat's living room on your leave. People talk about love at first sight, and I always thought it was some scam designed to sell romance novels to lonely housewives. It wasn't real." He slid his fingers through her hair. "You taught me differently. Instant love is real. Not only is it real, but it's the start of something so much deeper. What I felt that day is nothing in comparison to how I feel now." He stopped in the kitchen and gently lifted her up by the waist. He settled her on the counter. Taking a cloth, he ran it under the warm water and began to wash the blood from her face gently. "You sure you don't want to take a quick shower?"
She shook her head. "I just want to get the hell away from here as fast as I can."
"Okay." He continued to tenderly wash the evidence of De Jääger's death from her skin. "I'm proud of you."
"Me? Why?"
He gave her a half smile. "Look at what you've been through, and yet you didn't let him break you. Takes a hell of a lot of fortitude to do what you did. I'm so damned proud of you." He grinned at her wider.
She chuckled wryly. "It's all his fault," she murmured."He shouldn't have kept me strong by making me work out every day. Cocky bastard just thought he was making us toned and perfect. He was making us into weapons."
"Yeah? I thought you looked a little more ripped than I remembered. Forced exercises? Reminds me of PT every day."
She smiled at him and, for the first time, it reached her hazel eyes. "Yeah. But it wasn't like going through boot. His fitness regime was nothing compared to that."
"I hear you. Our instructor would work us until somebody puked. We caught on after the first two weeks. We drew straws each night to see who would 'take one for the team' the next day." He chuckled as he knelt down and washed her legs.
"Bruiser?"
"Yeah, honey?"
"Am I too damaged? "
He stood and wrinkled his brow. "What do you mean?"
She looked down at the floor, but he gently lifted her chin. "What do you mean ‘damaged’?"
She blew out a breath before lifting her eyes to meet his. "All this," she waved her hand around to indicate the room. "Everything that happened here. When my mom died, it messed me up bad for a while. I think this is going to be worse. I wonder if I'm too damaged to come back this time."
"No, I don't think you are too damaged. I know you feel broken right now, but you aren't. You are strong, stronger than you know. You are a survivor. You did what you had to do to survive. That's not being damaged. That's strength of a magnitude that most can never attain. Did this affect you? Yes. Will it change you? Hell, yes. Everything that we experience changes us. It's what we do with those experiences and changes that make the difference."
She thought for a moment. "I still want to go to school. I've wanted to become a trauma therapist since meeting Ara all those years ago. I want to help others as she helped me but I also want to make a difference. People need to know about the De Jäägers of this world. They need to know that trafficking is going on right under their noses. People disappear every day, and nobody ever knows what happens to them. They don't have a Bruiser, Cowboy or Finch looking for them. They just disappear. I want to do something about that."
"Then we will. Together." Bruiser smiled at her. Leaning in, he stopped a hair's breadth from her lips, uncertain if she would accept his kiss after all she had been through. His silent query was answered when she crossed the last of the distance and touched his lips shyly with hers.
They had shared kisses before, tender ones and even a few passionate ones. This one took his breath away. Sliding his hand to the nape of her neck, he pressed in closer, careful not be too harsh and scare her. Instead, her lips parted and granted him access. He groaned as he captured her mouth with his, teasing her gently with little flicks of his tongue and nips to her full plush lips. He felt her hand slide around his shoulder and her knees part. He stepped into her personal space and deepened the kiss, swiping her lips with his and plunging inside. A tiny moan escaped her as she pressed herself closer to him, clinging to him tightly. As he ended the kiss and pulled back, he saw her lashes were wet. It almost shattered him. Wiping them gently with his thumb, he asked, "Why the tears, love?"
"I was afraid you wouldn't want me. You know, after everything." She whispered so low he barely caught it.
Shaking his head, he lifted her chin until she looked into his eyes. "There is nothing... nothing that will ever make me not want you. When you disappeared, I thought I wouldn't be able to draw another breath. I thought at that moment, if the world ended, it would be okay with me because I didn't want to live if you weren’t with me. You are everything to me, Olivia Parker. You are my heart, my soul, my reason for getting up every day and for taking each breath. Please, don't doubt what you mean to me." He lifted one side of his mouth in a smirk. "I dragged six of my best friends thousands of miles to find you. Don't doubt me now."
The sound of a throat clearing brought Bruiser's attention back to the room. Cowboy stood in the doorway with the Mishi and Catori. He was looking at the ceiling while the women stared wide-eyed at Olivia. Muttering a curse under his breath, he took a step back as Olivia giggled.
"Digger has us an exit. We have three hours to get to the Afobaka airstrip. We need to leave ASAP to meet the plane."
Mishi squeezed by Cowboy and handed a bundle of clothes to Olivia. "I tried to find something you hadn't worn before," she muttered.
"This is fine. Thanks." Olivia smiled warmly. Hopping off the counter, she began to pull the shirt up.
"About face, Cowboy," Bruiser snapped. He was done with others seeing his woman naked.
Olivia dressed in a long sleeve tee shirt and workout pants. Hopping back up on the counter, she pulled on some yellow and white socks along with a pair of bright yellow sneakers. "I'm beginning to hate this color," she muttered. Standing again, she looked around. "Who's Digger?"
"The newest member of our team. We couldn't have found you without him."
"I look forward to meeting him," she said honestly.
"So do I," Bruiser answered.
The group entered the party room where the night had begun to find all of the team except Railroad waiting. Toad had the key to the collars in his hand.
"Thank God," Mishi muttered as Toad stepped up and unlocked the contraption. It fell from her throat and the girl almost sagged with relief. "Two years," she muttered as she rubbed her neck.
Toad removed the collars from Catori and Rana before turning to Olivia. He held out the key to Bruiser. "I thought you would want to do the honors."
"Absolutely," Bruiser agreed. Within moments, the device fell to the floor, and Olivia sobbed in relief.
Bruiser held her in his arms as he whispered to her, "It's ok, love. It's finally over."