20
Kendra
My fingers drummed nervously on top of my thigh.
Visiting Emmanuel was the last thing I wanted to do. And what did Madam mean by not wanting Emmanuel to get the wrong idea about me? I tried to wrap my head around that for far longer than I should have but as soon as I glanced down at what I was wearing, I suddenly regretted not stopping back home first to change.
A new song changed over on the radio and Lucky’s head bounced to the reggae music. He had such a lively spirit I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. As soon as I’d taken my seat in the back, opposite of where he sat behind the wheel, he asked if he could listen to his favorite music—reggae. I happily agreed, knowing that it would leave me plenty of time to scramble through the thoughts swirling through my head.
My eyes were open but I couldn’t tell what was going on in the world outside. Lucky weaved his vehicle in and out of traffic until we left the heart of the city, exchanging it for the industrial area where I was instructed to make this next drop for Madam.
A hand fluttered to my neck. I played with the black diamond white gold necklace Kelly gave me as I stared at the cube shaped package sitting on top of my handbag.
Without having been told, I knew what it was—money. How much exactly, that was the question I wrestled with. But by the weight and size, I would have guessed it was easily mid-five figures.
The moment Lucky turned into the entrance he hit the brakes. “Are you sure this is it?”
“I’m sure,” I said, seeing his eyes flicker with concern when passing over the barbed-wired fence entrance with security cameras perched up on the roof.
With a great deal of hesitation, Lucky’s foot let up off the brake and the wheels began to roll once again. A shiver prickled my scalp and I hugged myself warm. The place was a mess, much more so than the last time, as litter blew across the pavement finally getting caught on a rust-pitted dumpster leaking something disgusting from the bottom corner.
Lucky kept glancing back at me in the mirror as if he could feel my unease growing.
A strange mixture of rotting garbage and motor oil filled the air and I couldn’t decide if the feeling hardening in the pit of my stomach was from the sight unfolding before my eyes, or if it was simply because I knew exactly what—and who—I was going to have to deal with today.
My last visit with Emmanuel didn’t exactly inspire me to want to ever come back. His appearance was only half the reason I thought of him as disgusting. He tried to flirt with me but it wasn’t flattering. He wasn’t my type and if I had to be honest, I was way out of his league.
When I turned my head forward, I caught Lucky’s eyes staring at the side of my head. I forced a smile, if only as a weak attempt to hide the bile rolling my insides over. “Watch it!” I screamed.
Lucky slammed on the brakes making the tires squeal. My entire body lurched forward as the sudden stop sent my heart racing. In a split second, we’d gone from nearly clipping the backside of a feral dog running in front of Lucky’s hood, to skidding to a complete stop.
We both stared at the dog as it scurried off into the shadows.
“Are you okay, Ms. Kendra?” Lucky turned to look at me with big round eyes.
The pulse in my neck ticked hard and fast as I held up a hand. “Yes, I’m fine.”
Lucky turned his focus back to where we saw the dog trot off. “I don’t know where he came from.”
“The dumpster,” I said, dropping my forehead into my hand. “He was licking something at the dumpster.”
“Oh, my. I’m sorry about that.” He shook his head, clearly disappointed in himself for not seeing the dog before I did.
“Its fine,” I said, pointing through the windscreen. “Park there. That’s where I need to go.”
Rubbing my temples, I worked to collect my thoughts before going into my meeting with Emmanuel. He wasn’t one I wanted to show weakness to. Madam was right, I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea about me. I was here on business. We weren’t friends and I didn’t have to stay and chat, pretending like we were.
Lucky kept both hands on the wheel as he drove slowly to the parking space I’d pointed to. I quickly recognized the same unmarked delivery truck backed into the loading dock as during my last visit. And the front metal door was propped open. A man stood staring back at Lucky and me, sucking on a cigarette.
“He doesn’t look friendly,” Lucky muttered in a low voice as he stared at the man smoking. “Are you sure this is where you wanted me to take you?”
“I’ll be fine.” I unbuckled myself and set my hand over Lucky’s right shoulder.
He blinked, barely recognizing my touch, and by the look on his face I knew that he too was having the same feelings as I was. Something didn’t feel right.
“You recognize that man?”
Lucky’s eyes narrowed, continuing to study the man. “I can’t remember.”
“Perhaps from the nightclub you take the girls to?”
“Yes. Maybe.” He turned his head to look over his shoulder at me. “But I can’t say for certain.”
Then the man flicked his cigarette butt, turned, and walked inside.
“Well, I guess that’s my cue.” Digging in my bag, I made sure that the envelope was securely tucked away before stepping outside.
Lucky turned to show me his pained face and without him actually saying anything, I knew that he was worried for me. But he didn’t have to be. I could take care of myself.
Opening my door, I firmly placed one heel on the ground, catching scent of the last remnants of the man’s tobacco smoke burning down to the filter. “Wish me luck.”
Lucky’s voice was drowned out in all the noise going on inside my own head. I was sure he wished me luck or said that he was there if I needed him. But I heard nothing.
Looking around, I pushed all the fear I felt boiling inside me to the side and blamed Kelly for my frayed confidence. He was the one to have left me when I needed a body to snuggle with. He was also the one to have first triggered my flashback to the time I was raped. If it hadn’t been for any of that, I wouldn’t be feeling as weak as I was now.
I was strong—not a fragile little girl who couldn’t fight off my assailant.
As soon I stepped inside the building, I pulled my sunglasses off my face, taking a moment to look around. My brows raised, surprised to see the entire layout had changed from the first time I had visited, barely a week ago. Men swarmed between boxes, cars, and motorcycles. When one of them whistled after seeing me I turned my head and smirked.
“Hey, gorgeous. I told you to wait for me at home,” a man said, getting the others around him to laugh.
Despite my heart pounding against my chest I remained calm, choosing to ignore it all. Holding my chin high, I found myself floating through the harassment in hopes of finding Emmanuel quickly so that I could get on with my day.
“As soon as I heard the men erupt, I had a suspicion it was because of you.” Emmanuel smiled with arms spread wide as he seemed to emerge out of nowhere.
I dodged his attempt at a kiss and I ducked my head to the chaos swirling around us. Whatever was happening here today, they were preparing for something big. Boxes, crates, and the general hustle of preparation buzzed in the air. “What happened to the beauty products?” I asked above the noise.
Emmanuel laughed, reaching his hand around to my lower back, nudging me forward as if he didn’t want to talk with me here. “All sold out.” He grinned.
With Emmanuel at my side, I tried to stay inconspicuous with my unrelenting observation but it proved impossible. Curiosity always got the best of me. Even when I knew it wasn’t any of my business. I was just dying to know what was going on. So when we passed a vehicle being torn apart, I turned to Emmanuel and said, “That’s too bad.”
Emmanuel flashed me a questioning look.
“I was hoping to get my hands on more of that perfume I had last time.”
His eyes drifted down to my chest as he smiled.
“Let’s talk in my office.” He winked. “Perhaps I have a bottle of what you’re looking for in there.”
Stepping out of the way of an oncoming forklift, Emmanuel opened the door to his office and was the first to step inside. I quickly followed and as I passed him, my vision tunneled.
Suddenly the room spun and I felt dizzy.
The smell.
His smell.
It was something I recognized. A smell that went straight to my head. I knew what it was—knew it so well that I wished I didn’t. It was a sweet woody smell that flooded my head with memories of him—my rapist. And just like that, I was once again thrust into the ring, running for my life.
I blinked.
Then I stumbled.
And when I turned to see Emmanuel, he had beady reptilian eyes.
I watched his tongue slither over his bottom lip as I fell back into the empty chair behind me. My palms heated and began to sweat. I knew that look he was giving me—the face of a predator searching for weakness in his prey. I shook my head and tightened my abs, preparing for a fight. Staring into his eyes was like staring into those of a lion.
Emmanuel shut the door and I jumped.
He chuckled.
My hand flew over my mouth as I gasped. Closing my eyes, I let out a heavy sigh telling myself, Get it together.
“Relax, Kendra.” Emmanuel’s hand smoothed down my bare upper arm as he passed, taking a seat behind his desk. “We’re friends here.”
I watched him thread his fingers together, resting his hands over his stomach. My mind was on overdrive and I knew that I’d overreacted to the smell of his cologne. But it sparked terror inside me and instinct took over. I hated that this terror I’d been feeling inside seemed to be following me wherever I went. I didn’t know what I could do to forget about what happened to me as a child and move on with my life.
But one thing was certain: If I kept experiencing triggers that reminded me of my traumatic experience, Alex’s idea of seeking professional help seemed more like something I had to do.
“Look, I don’t have much time, but,” I reached inside my handbag and pulled out the envelope, “here’s the gift from Madam.”
Emmanuel extended his arm across the desk and took the envelope from my hand. He squeezed it and lifted it to his nose, sniffing it. I thought it was a weird gesture but, then again, that was the adjective that defined him—weirdo.
“What’s the money for, anyway?”
He remained silent, keeping his eyes closed as if thinking of all the things he was going to do with whatever amount of money I knew was stuffed inside. Then, one by one, his lids opened and glared at me. “Madam said you might misbehave.”
My jaw dangled on its hinges. “Excuse me?”
“That’s right. I was warned about you.”
My thoughts recoiled back to Madam’s warning about Emmanuel. I didn’t know what kind of game she was playing but, clearly, she was telling two different stories depending on who she was talking to. “That’s funny,” I mused with an arched look.
He quirked a brow and tilted his head.
“She had the same warning about you.”
Emmanuel dropped his chin and shook his head as he chuckled. “Deliver a message to Madam,” he said, lifting his gaze back to mine. “Tell her that if we sit on the eggs any longer, they’ll hatch.”
My eyes narrowed. “What the fuck does that mean?”
He lifted his index finger and wagged it at me. “Language. It’s not attractive on a beautiful lady.”
My brows pinched, wanting to rip off his paternal finger wagging its ugly head at me.
“Just tell her.” He stood. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, there are things I must be attending to.”
I showed him my palms, stood, and was eager to leave his shitty ass warehouse before I really did break down and begin hyperventilating. I hated it here and was beginning to hate Emmanuel even more.
Sit any longer and the eggs will hatch? What the fuck did that mean? Psychopath.
“What about the perfume?” I asked.
“Next time.” He nudged me back into the chaos.
Dodging more cat calls from his men, I flipped them the bird over my shoulder as Emmanuel escorted me to the exit. Without saying anything else I left, wondering if Madam purposely was trying to create mistrust between her associates or if it was just the feeling I had.
Lucky was standing with his arms folded across his chest, leaning against the hood of his car when I stepped outside. When he saw me coming, I nodded and he slid back behind the wheel, starting the engine. “I was starting to get worried,” he said as soon as I opened the back door.
“About me?”
He turned and smiled, watching me settle into the backseat. “Who else?”
“You’re such a sweetheart but I can take care of myself.”
Lucky tipped his head back and laughed. “I never doubted it.”
The ride back to my apartment went by in a flash. Once again I was oblivious to my surroundings, choosing instead to focus on the thoughts skidding between my ears. I thought about Madam and what exactly the money was for and if it was money earned from girls like me. Despite the dangers that came with knowing too much, I wanted more.
I began to think about the files I’d stolen on her and how maybe I had missed something inside them when I first went digging. Promising myself I’d check as soon as I got home, Lucky tried to make conversation but I mostly just nodded. Once he pulled over, letting me out on the same corner I always instructed him to, he wished me a good day and I did the same, leaving him free to find his next customer.
As I walked to my building, my senses were on overdrive. That same sweet woody scent intoxicated my brain. Faces I passed on the street shared similar features with the man in my nightmares. His smell, his face, and even the way he touched me haunted me like an old ghost who refused to go away.
Mr. Anderson lifted his head as soon as he saw me push through the front entrance to my building.
“Hey, Mr. Anderson, are you staying out of trouble?” I smiled as I passed him.
“I should ask you the same, though I probably wouldn’t want to hear your answer.” He laughed.
The elevator doors opened as soon as I arrived and I took the short lift up, anxiously waiting to research all that I had about Madam. Adrenaline pumped viciously through my veins all the way to my door. Taking my keys out, I unlocked the door, stepped inside, closed the door, and quickly turned the deadbolt back over. Leaning my back against the door, I inhaled a deep calming breath, then rushed to close the curtains.
It was silly to think someone was watching, as if knowing what it was I was going to do. But I didn’t want to take any chances. Pulling my hair back into a ponytail, I pulled out the files I had hidden away and began my search.
Over the next hour, I read, filed, and made notes on everything I thought might get me one step closer to solving who exactly the Madam was and what it was she was involving me in.
There was paperwork on the business entity, tax classifications, forms that legitimized a corporation in the eyes of the state and federal governments, among many other necessary but boring paperwork to make a business legit. Thinking that I had nothing new to go on, I flipped over one more file and that’s when I discovered it.
Peeling it away, I couldn’t believe I had missed it before.
One measly piece of paper was stuck to the back of another. Possibility surged through me as I hung on to hope, thinking that this could be it—my golden ticket to knowing exactly what it was I was doing.
Once free, I quickly scanned the document. It was an IRS audit with personal notes jotted down on the side. Through the chicken scratch I could read, Shell company for illegal escorting service?
Lifting my head, my mind raced.
I knew the Madam’s business probably wasn’t exactly legal, but if she set it up properly—with professional expertise—she could get away with having women like me date men like Kelly for her own profit.
My eyes dropped back to the form and I read more of the lawyer’s notes stating how the Madam’s business was a dating agency and set up as such, NOT an illegal escorting operation.
Okay, I nodded.
I went on reading, scanning to the very bottom, and my heart stopped when I saw the signed name—Kelly B.
Dropping the paper in my lap I leaned back, wondering what more the Madam was having Kelly do to make her operation look legit. And more importantly, what was in it for Kelly? My eyes closed as exhaustion took over and all I could hear was Kelly telling me, “It’s not what happens that matters. It’s how the story is told.”