CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
ROCHELLE RETURNED SOMETIME after sunset. She showered and immediately began getting ready for the night. I watched as she braided extensions into her hair, studying her reflection in the mirror. Rochelle was gorgeous. She was tall and lean, sporting a naturally toned body, despite her lack of working out. Her dark skin was flawless, and her cheekbones were to die for. Her breasts were large enough to make me wonder if she had implants, and her brown eyes were big and bright.
Her smile lit up her entire face, giving off a glow of innocence. She looked like freaking Miss America. Yet there she was, nothing more than a prostitute. Only worse. She was stuck in this life with no choice in leaving, and had no idea that this wasn’t what she wanted.
“I always wanted to go to Europe,” she said, her eyes flicking to mine in the mirror.
“What?”
“Travel. I want to travel.” She picked up another hair extension. “Maybe you’re going about this being sold thing all wrong. You’ll get to see Europe. How cool is that?”
I balked at her reflection. My mouth opened and closed several times, like a fish out of water. “There is nothing cool about being sold,” I finally stammered. “I’m going to a family that buys humans for graduation presents.”
“Yeah, but it’s in Europe. You might end up in a castle, or next to the Eiffel Tower or something. There are tons of great places to shop in Paris.”
“Right. Never mind being a forced sex slave in a foreign country or anything,” I spat.
“You have such a bad attitude,” she said and fluffed her hair.
“Can we stop talking about this?” I asked, squeezing my eyes shut. I felt dizzy again. It was a warning that the feeling of floating above my body was coming. I didn’t want my mind to check out. I needed a plan. I needed to think.
“Whatever,” Rochelle said.
I retreated under the blanket, shaking. I hadn’t left Iowa in years, and had never even been out of the country. Then there was Jackson … I closed my eyes before I started crying. My stomach twisted, and my head spun. I reached under my pillow and ran my fingers over the worn cover of Gone with the Wind, focusing on the way the old book felt.
I heard Lily get up. She complained about how the humid weather instantly caused her naturally curly hair to frizz, while Rochelle helped with her makeup, promising to almost eliminate the signs of her bruised face. I stayed hidden under the covers until Lily and Rochelle stomped up the basement stairs, leaving for another night’s work.
A loud thud from upstairs made me jump. Nate shouted at someone, but no one replied. I held my breath and listened. He said something about a payment being late and threatened whomever he was talking to, but still no one fought back.
“He must be on the phone,” I whispered to myself. He wasn’t yelling at Jackson … for now. I sighed and spun around, heading to the shower. I washed quickly, not wanting to be in the icy water for any longer than was necessary. I put on a pair or grey leggings, a black t-shirt, and Jackson’s sweatshirt. I braided my hair and sat at the card table reading.
About an hour passed before an exterior door opened and closed. I looked up at the ceiling as if it would allow me to better hear what was going on. The distant hum of an engine came to life and gradually faded. Then the house fell silent.
I couldn’t help the apprehension I felt when someone unlocked the door. I set the book down, sliding the tray over top of it.
“Addie,” Jackson called from the landing. “It’s me. Come here,” he whispered.
I jumped up from the table, grabbing the book. I shoved it under my pillow and rushed to the stairs. He waved me up. My sock-covered feet didn’t make a sound as I jogged up the steps. Jackson grabbed my hand and guided me forward. He nervously looked around and shut the basement door.
He stepped close, locking his arms around me before he kissed me, his tongue opening my lips. He pressed against me so that my back pushed against the door. I wrapped my arms around him, my heart instantly fluttering. For a second, everything bad disappeared. Only Jackson existed. I breathed him in, feeling a warm tingle between my legs, which was a long forgotten but most welcome feeling. When Jackson finally pulled away, we were both breathless.
“Hello to you too,” I panted.
His hands ran down my arms and into my hands. He pulled me forward. “Rochelle got arrested.”
“Are you serious?” I asked.
He nodded and took a step forward. “Yeah. For prostitution. Nate just left. The new guy is still here though.” We sneaked through the dark kitchen. “He’s in Zane’s room. I think he’s watching porn,” he added quietly.
I felt a prickle of nerves when the stairs came into view. Moonlight gleamed on the polished wood. I tightened my hold on Jackson’s hand and followed him up to his room.
Since I had been less than aware the last time I was up here, I hadn’t noticed the lock on the outside of his door. It was the kind that could only be accessed from one side. I swallowed hard, not wanting to think about Jackson being locked in his room. At least it was better than the basement.
“What’s going to happen to Rochelle?” I asked once we were in the safety of Jackson’s room.
He shrugged. “She’ll get released. Eventually. This isn’t the first time she’s been arrested, either.” Jackson pulled the covers back on his bed and moved the pillows so that they were straight against the headboard. “I don’t know how the legalities of it work. She’s usually home the next morning. I think Nate might pay someone off.”
I sat on the bed and tucked my feet under the covers. “When will they come home?”
“A few hours at least. Nate does the talking but I know Zane is there, waiting in the parking lot. He won’t leave until she’s out.”
“What’s up with them? Does Zane love her or something?”
“He has some sort of obsession with her, which isn’t love. He loves the way she loves him, if that makes sense. He can get her to do anything. She’ll fawn and fight over him just for a minute of his attention,” he explained.
“What a creep,” I mumbled. Unable to shake the chill, I looked around his room. It was just as I remembered it. As plain as possible, it housed only a bed and a dresser. There wasn’t a mirror above the dresser. If it weren’t for the boxes of books, the room would look like no one inhabited it. I got up and knelt down next to the books.
“You have an interesting variety,” I noted and picked up a large textbook about anatomy and physiology. Behind it was another heavy book entirely written in Spanish.
Jackson shrugged again. “Since I didn’t get to finish high school, I like to read whatever I can.”
“You don’t seem—” I started then stopped myself.
“Dumb?” he finished for me with a smile.
“That wasn’t what I was going to say,” I pointed out. “But no, you don’t.” I flipped through a calculus workbook, a little surprised to see answers to the problems. I peeked back into the first box. There were half a dozen Steven King novels, two well-known romance books that even I hadn’t read, and a ton of fantasy books. The second box had more textbooks and just as many fiction books. “I’m surprised you’re allowed to have books.”
“I was too. Nate says it keeps me quiet.” He sighed. “I want something new. But I shouldn’t complain, right? I’m happy I at least have those, even though I’ve had exactly those for the last five years.”
“You’re too good,” I said and stood up. I got into bed, snuggling close to Jackson. He enveloped me in his arms, rolling so that I rested on his chest. “How will we know when Nate and Zane come back?” I asked, trying my hardest to push the fear away and just enjoy being alone with Jackson while I could.
“I cracked the window,” he said. “We’ll hear the car coming down the driveway.”
The knot in my stomach lessened a bit. “And Lou?”
“He hasn’t bothered me …yet. I don’t think he will come in unless he hears us, but given that I can literally hear the ass-smacking from whatever shitty film he’s watching, I don’t think will be a problem.”
“Good,” I said and draped my leg over his.
Jackson pressed a kiss to the top of my head and ran his fingertips up and down my back. “I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” I whispered back and closed my eyes.
Jackson put his hands on my hips and flipped us over, resituating himself between my legs. He brushed a loose strand of hair out of my eyes before lightly kissing me, leaving me wanting more. I reach up and touched his face, running my hands back through his dark, wavy hair. A smile pulled up his lips.
“I’ve been a slave for over ten years, and I’d be a slave for ten more just to spend one more day with you,” he said quietly.
I shook my head. “Why does that sound like a goodbye?”
Instead of answering, Jackson kissed me just as passionately as he did at the top of the basement stairs. The warmth of desire began to burn red-hot. I turned my head to the side when he moved his lips to my neck. I slid my hands under his shirt.
“Are you sure?” he asked, not moving away.
“Yes,” I breathed. “You don’t have to ask me anymore.”
“Are you—” He cut off and flashed a small smile. He took his time removing my clothing, giving me soft, passionate kisses. I forgot about everything bad in the world. My body began to hum with pleasure as our love physically manifested.
The floor creaked. We both froze, hearts already beating fast. Jackson leaned up, his dark eyes focused on the door. Then we heard a toilet flush. Jackson took a deep breath and moved over top of me. Fear had instantly killed the mood, causing me to tremble. I took several steady breaths then curled my legs up, allowing Jackson to enter me.
I wasn’t scared of a flashback, but I wasn’t able to get the fear of getting caught out of my head. It took effort to concentrate on how Jackson felt, moving in and out of me. I was able to relax. I ran my hands over his biceps, feeling his tight muscles as he held himself over me. My fingertips brushed the little mound of scar tissue from the bullet wound. I closed my eyes. It was starting to feel good. Really good.
I wrapped my arms around Jackson’s torso, arching my back. He let out a moan and bent his head down to kiss me. I held on to Jackson and wrapped my legs around him, pulling him in. He buried his face into my neck, kissing me. A shiver made its way down my body and I opened my mouth, gasping in pleasure.
I pressed my lips together, not wanting to be heard. Jackson sped up his movements, and the bed creaked. We both froze. Panting, I put my hands on Jackson’s shoulders and looked at him.
“Do you want to finish?” I asked then internally winced. Way to kill the mood.
Jackson nodded. “If you do.”
“Yes,” I said right away. I was getting close to coming. The buildup couldn’t end now. I moved my hands to cup Jackson’s face. I kissed him as we started again. My fingers tangled in his hair, my grip tightening more and more as I came closer and closer to coming.
Jackson’s breath came out in a huff. I pressed my mouth against his shoulder to muffle the moan that escaped my lips as I climaxed. I let go of Jackson’s hair, suddenly aware that I had been pulling it. I held onto him, breathing heavy as he finished.
Jackson rolled over, pulling me on top of him. He kissed the top of my head and held me against him for a minute before we got dressed. After using the bathroom, I cuddled back into Jackson’s arms.
“Why did you say ‘one more day?'” I asked, tracing my fingers over the contours of his bare shoulders.
“I was hoping you’d forget.”
“Not a chance.”
Jackson took a breath. “Nate and Zane are gone. This is as good a time as any for you to escape.”
I pushed myself up so I could look him in the eyes. “And you too, right?”
Jackson frowned. “I don’t know the codes right now. You’ll have to go through a window.”
“So?” I asked, feeling panic rising. “You can come with me.” I shook my head. “Windows are quiet anyway. By the time I get out and the alarm goes off, we can be long gone.”
“As soon as I unlock a window on the first floor, the alarm will go off. The only windows I have access to up here are straight drops. You could fall and hurt yourself, and then you wouldn't be able to run. And you’re forgetting that the ankle bracelet has a GPS tracker. Lou can go after you and find you. I have to distract him.”
“Jackson, no. Please!” My eyes filled with tears, and my palms began to sweat. I desperately shook my head. “No. I can’t leave you. I won’t leave you.”
“You can send help.”
“We both know that’s a load of shit,” I said. I blinked back tears. “You’ll be dead by then.”
“Adeline,” he whispered and reached up to caress my face. “That’s why I brought you up here. I wanted one more time with you. You’ve given me so much, more than I deserve. Now it’s my turn to give you a chance. You can have your life back, start over. You don’t need me.”
“I don’t want to start over without you.” My voice quivered as tears slid down my face. “I need you. I need your arms around me, holding me, keeping me together. I need your lips to press against mine, to hear your heart beating, to feel the heat of your skin. I need you.”
“You’ll find somebody else, someone who can give you a better life than I could.”
“Stop it!” I cried. “I don’t want anyone else. I want you! I love you, Jackson. No one else.”
“And I love you, Adeline. Enough to sacrifice myself for you. Please, Addie. Let me do this for you. Take this chance. My death will set you free.”
I pushed his hand away. “No. Do not tell me goodbye. It didn’t work last time, and it won’t work now. There has to be another way. There has to be. I won’t let you leave me.”
“If there is, I can’t think of it. Adeline, listen to me. You have to get out. You have to get help. You might not save me.” He pushed my hair over my shoulder. “But you’ll save so many others. Just think of all the girls Nate has now and all the girls he’ll have in the future. He has to be stopped.”
“You’re right,” I agreed, mad at him for being logical. My heart tore into ridged pieces just thinking about leaving him. Then something clicked. “Jackson!” I grabbed his arm. “You’ll pick up Rochelle and Lily again, right?”
“I’m sure I will someday, why?”
“That’s our key. That’s how we will both get out.”
“What are you getting at?”
“The next time you go out, get pulled over, steal from a gas station, I don’t know, just get police attention.”
“No, Addie, they will hurt—”
“No they won’t,” I interrupted. “Not severely at least. I’m too important to Nate right now. Monetarily that is.”
Jackson smiled slightly. “I think you’re right.” His smile widened. “You are right. Nate won’t let anything too bad happen to you. Still, there’s a risk to you.”
“It’s more than worth it, Jackson. If it gets us both out of here, a little pain is more than fine.”
He didn’t look convinced. His eyes scanned mine, and finally he said, “I’d rather see you in a small amount of pain than see you shipped off to the other side of the world. There is a cop parked at a gas station on the way to the truck stop. He’s there almost every Saturday night. I’ll speed past. In a matter of days, we will be free.” He wrapped his arms around me and planted a big kiss on my lips. “You’re a genius.”
“I don’t know about that,” I said and squeezed him back. My excitement started to morph into nerves. “Are we really doing this?”
“Yes,” he said.
“As much as I want to leave I’m scared,” I confessed. When the chains finally came off, we would be naked.
“It’ll work out,” he promised and lay back against the pillows. I yawned. “Get some sleep, Addie. I’ll listen for the car.”
“Okay,” I said, not needing much convincing. I rolled onto my side, getting comfortable. Jackson’s body curved around mine. Somehow, his presence kept the bad thoughts away, and I drifted to sleep in a matter of minutes.