Page 6 of Broken

"That's ok, princess. On our way over here, I texted my personal shopper. She has kitted you out with things you should need in that closet over there. Also, in the bathroom you should find some supplies. So, you have nothing to worry about. I will leave you to it and see you at six," I say, letting my generous gesture sink in. I decide it's best to walk away before she over thinks things, like she is prone to, and then she will start asking questions. I want her to think I have done a nice thing, not to know I have studied her for a long time. I give her a big smile and turn to leave the room. But it’s not soon enough. She pulls me back and uses her tiny hand to grip my wrist. I quickly remove her hand with more force than I should given how her gaze snaps up to mine. I cover by taking her hand into mine again, making it look like a sweet gesture.

“How the hell do you know my size?” she screeches at me and I resist the urge to laugh at her stupidity. As if I would get into this unprepared. Instead, I just smile sweetly as I reply.

“My personal shopper called to your house as soon as we left to see your old clothes and take some measurements. I want to make sure you have everything you need. Just a nice gesture, nothing more,” I reply gently.

Before I let go of her hand, I gave it a small squeeze to say goodbye. Flashing her my best smile, I’m delighted to see that she smiles back. Her gorgeous eyes glow as they stare into mine. We’re standing so close together, I can feel the electricity rippling between our bodies. I don’t want to touch her, but I know that getting her to like me is part of the plan and so I lean in slowly, giving her time to prepare. I’m aiming for her plump red lips and she can see that. It’s almost like I can see the cogs turning in her brain as she considers what to do next. To my wonderment, she does not pull away. Instead, she turns her head to the side. I plant a tender kiss on her soft, delicate cheek and I try to ignore the wave of nausea that rolls over me. It’s not that she isn’t gorgeous, but she doesn’t need any more members of her fan club. But that’s exactly what I pretend I want to join. So, I smile at her and show that I’m not bothered by her actions, which gives me a small twitch from her lips as they transform into a minute smile. I turn to walk away, but give her a little cocky wink as I turn, just so that she truly starts to think I’m funny and playful.

As I’m leaving, I discreetly look around and check that the room meets my requirements. While it may seem superficially perfect to Ava, I have a slightly higher specification that goes beyond decor. The walls are both padded and soundproofed to ensure she cannot hurt herself or be heard. The windows are one way glass, so she can see out but nobody can see in. They are also bullet proof and cannot be broken. They can't be opened either. The paintings that adorn the walls hide cameras with in-depth imaging and microphone capabilities. Her every movement in the large room and bathroom will be monitored. The deluxe king-size bed has hidden restraints and handcuffs on all four corners. Ryder has taught me to be a planner and I would be stupid to think that she is going to bend to my will easily. There are going to be times where I need to teach Ava a lesson and restraints will most likely be necessary. I just hope she is a fast learner so we can really move the plan forward.

As I am walking out of the room, I close the door and press the button in my trouser pocket. This activates the lock on Ava's door. Unless she tries the door, she will never know that I can lock it, but there may come a time when I need to use it. It may look like Ava is in a cell, but it will not be for forever. She has all the comforts that she needs and as soon as she agrees to my demands, it will all change.

Chapter Six

Ava

“Oh God, Oh God.” I keep repeating those words to myself in a really quiet, whispered hush as I pace around this gorgeous excuse for a room. It feels like an absolute palace in just this one room and I cannot get over it. There’s a part of me that is freaking out about even being in a house as ornate and valuable as this. I suspect the amazing bathroom I have just been ogling is worth more money than my entire house, and probably Mrs. Santiago's place next door, too. I mean, this room is just so perfect. If I had been allowed to design my dream room, I think this one would fall pretty close.

I know that doesn't sound like a bad thing. If I am going to be living here for six months, at least I know I will be living in luxury. Shit, it's more than luxury, this is so out of luxury’s league and that’s what is creating the feeling of unease deep within my stomach.

I know the rumours about Grant Blakeman. I know who his father is and the type of business that they run. No, I don't mean the legal business that they present to the world, but the criminal underground business which deals in guns, drugs, and girls. Where I live, all you hear is street talk, and believe me, the Blakeman family doesn’t even try to hide their business. They don’t need to when they own the entire city. Knowing Grant is part of that kind of business is enough for me to already have feelings of disgust towards him, but I didn’t miss the thinly veiled threats that he threw towards my papa. It may not have been a direct threat, he may not have said the words, but I saw the way Vic had his hand against his gun the entire time he sat in my house. I feel sure that had Grant given the nod, he would have used it. So, when I first met him, my opinion of him couldn’t get any lower, but then he made me the offer.

I know that his offer is not a regular way of dealing with people in their debt. They are a business that deals in cash. One where if you don’t pay, they provide you with a lot of incentive to go out to find it, and quickly. I’m not stupid, I have seen my papa gambling and coming home with unexplained cuts and bruises. I’ve also overheard rumours at the diner. So, I did my research to find out who exactly Papa is in debt with. I found anything about the Blakeman family I could. About how Alan rules with an iron fist, but that he always keeps people alive. Apparently, his motto is that ‘dead men can’t pay’. But that is the only way he draws the line, everything else is allowed. From what I have heard, I hope I never meet this disgusting excuse for a human being.

Whilst researching, I did find another strange anomaly which I have never been able to explain and no matter how many times I ask Papa, he just tells me not to meddle. But from what I can tell with his gambling habits, we should have been in this shit years ago. There's more money coming into our bank than is even possible and more going out than I can even comprehend. The money doesn’t add up and it makes me suspicious of my father's involvement with the Blakemans. Add these feelings together, combined with my skepticism over Grant’s offer, it all leaves me feeling incredibly on edge. I cannot get rid of the nagging feeling that this is too good to be true. Why me?

Grant says this offer is all about helping me out, but guys like him don't do that. He thinks I can't see the way he looks at me when he thinks I am not looking. I don't even need to be looking to know when his eyes are gazing over my body. I feel the most disgusting shiver go down my spine. My gut is telling me Grant is not the man he appears to be and his motives are not as honourable as he suggests. If this is the case, I need to think seriously about how far I am prepared to go to fix Papa's debt. First, I need to go have dinner with the devil in disguise and find out what he really wants from me.

Walking back into the bathroom that I would take home with me if I could, is such an amazing experience. I know it’s only a bathroom, but I seriously notice new little features every time I am in here. On the wall there is a heated towel rail with the towels all ready for me. There is even a gorgeous fluffy bathrobe waiting for when I get out. I decide to take advantage before I begin getting ready for dinner. I strip out of my clothes, ready for the shower. Looking into the mirror when I am fully naked always makes me smile. Don't get the wrong idea about me and think that I’m vain and love my body because honestly, I have the same insecurities every other woman has. I may be petite but I can see my curves; boobs that are a bit too big for my frame, patches of cellulite across my thighs and an arse that has got a bit more of a curve than it should. Even though I dance, run, or swim to keep fit, I like to eat. My papa is Mexican and they love their food. I have always been brought up the same way. So I have curves and sometimes I do feel insecure, but that is not why I admire my naked body. I smile because I have something that is just for me.

When I was seventeen, I realised that no matter how hard I worked, my life was never going to take the direction I wanted, and for a time, I resented my papa. I had always dreamed of following in my mum's footsteps and becoming a teacher, but that dream is a long way off. I realised that I had to do what was necessary, not what I wanted. There was a strange part of me that felt like my life would always be that way and I hated it. I wanted something for me that nobody could ever take away, something that when I looked at it, it would always remind me of my power and my independence.

So looking in the mirror now, I smile at the gorgeous, intricate tribal style tattoo that curves all the way around the right hand side of my body. It starts just above my right breast and curls around it before travelling over my rib cage and down past my hip to my upper thigh. Most people would not associate such a dark tribal tattoo with a woman, but for me, they would be wrong. I love it. When I went to the tattoo parlour, I wanted something that showed strength and the warrior who was hidden beneath my skin. It’s symbolic for me, I guess. I have always had to be strong since my mum passed, but there are a lot of times when I don't feel it. So seeing the ink on my side reminds me I am strong enough. I'm a warrior who can cope with anything. I love the fact that it is just for me. To the outside world, I just look like me. Unless they were to see me in my underwear or when I swim, they wouldn’t know. That’s why I swim at a pool outside of town because I don't want people I know to see it. I know that sounds kinda stupid, but my papa would definitely want to kill me. He made it very clear since I started asking in my early teens, that tattoos are forbidden in his house. So, I obey by keeping it covered. I will tell him one day I'm sure, but right now, he doesn't need to know.

When I have stopped ogling myself in the mirror, in a completely not big headed kinda way, I slip into the shower. It is the most amazing shower I have ever been in, with its rainfall style feature. It is big enough for a whole group of people and has so many buttons, it would take me hours to play with all the gadgets properly. I make a mental note to come and press all the buttons to find out what they do when I have the time. No point having a shower this amazing and not using it to its full capability.

As I am washing my hair and lathering up my long black strands with the shampoo that was left for me on the side of the cubicle, I can't help but notice the gorgeous vanilla pod fragrance. It smells amazing and I can feel that smell trying to trigger a memory in the back of my mind. It’s so bloody annoying when you know, but just can't remember. Putting it to the back of my mind, I finish rinsing off the shampoo suds from my hair and make sure that it is completely clean, then reach down for the bottle that I didn't pay too much attention to before. The bottle is for a very expensive brand of shampoo that you typically only get in hairdressers. That’s when the memory comes flooding back. Last Christmas, Papa gave me a voucher for a cut and blow dry at a world famous salon. They have an exclusive waiting list and their prices are so expensive, they don't even advertise them. The salon is run by a world famous hairdresser who works primarily with celebrities. I was blown away when Papa presented me with the voucher. He said he won it in a bet and made sure he went for it, just for me. I remember going in and feeling like such an outsider. I mean, I don't exactly look like a troll, but I felt like one surrounded by so much beauty and wealth. The woman who did my hair, Lolita, was lovely, and never made me feel like an outsider, and oh my God, can that woman do hair. I look after my hair, it's kind of like my baby, but she made it so silky and smooth, I wanted to hug her. I think I even said that to her because I couldn't get over the shine. She said it was the shampoo that did it and she showed me the exact bottle I have in my hand. I smelt it and I remember the same vanilla pod scent infusing in my nose and I was addicted. I loved that it made my hair smell the same. I almost didn't want to wash my hair after because the smell would go away. Lolita offered me a discount on the bottle of shampoo, but when she told me the price, I almost fainted. A thousand pounds for a bottle of shampoo is excessive, no matter what the contents are, or who designed it. So, I politely declined, as I figured it was more important that me and Papa have a roof over our head than my hair smelling like vanilla. Obviously, Grant doesn't have that problem. I don't know why it bothers me so much that he bought me such an expensive shampoo, but it does. I have a weird feeling in my gut that something’s not right. I know there is no way he could possibly know that this is my dream shampoo, but combined with all the other little things in the room, I can't help the weird feeling. He only met me a couple of hours ago, his personal shopper could have got some of the clothes in that time, but could he have got all the other stuff too? I have a really bad feeling that Grant is lying to me and he knows a lot more about me from before we even met. Now I just need to find out why.

After drying, I get wrapped up in the most gorgeous soft robe that I wish I could stay in all night. But now I have a mission. I need to find out what Grant’s real agenda is because he is definitely not being open and honest with me. Dinner is the ideal place to do that, which is how I find myself standing in front of a wardrobe looking at clothes that would easily pay off all of my papa's debt and more if they were sold. The names on some of the tags are brands I have only ever dreamed of wearing. I’m not a massive fashion fan, and I most definitely am not a girly girl, but even I know these brands. I love my jeans and tees with comfy converse, but sometimes I like to put on a bit of make-up, wear a dress, and look nice. This, however, goes so far beyond that, it's unreal. As I am stroking the different fabrics and freaking out over which one I am going to wear, I see a note attached to one of the hangers. It reads 'I picked this out special. Wear it tonight. Grant x'.

I’m trying not to read too much into the note, but I get this weird creepy shiver going down my spine. I think this is supposed to be a kind gesture, but that’s not how it comes across. Does he think this is a date? I start to wonder if maybe he thinks I will sleep with him to clear my papa's debt. Would I? I want to keep my papa safe, but I think that might be a line I just cannot cross.

I pull the hanger out and looking down I see the most beautiful silk red dress. This is not the sort of dress you wear for a business dinner to discuss the terms of your agreement, as we said it would be. This is the sort of dress I would wear if I was trying to get laid. This is the dress you wear when you want a guy's eyes to pop when they see you and to imagine peeling it off you. If Grant wanted me to imagine his reaction to me in this dress, he really missed the mark because my thoughts are nowhere near him. Ryder, on the other hand, is standing front and centre in my imagination. I know my little crush is silly and nothing can ever happen, given he works for Grant and will soon be my colleague. That doesn't stop my mind from wandering and I feel sure that he will be in my thoughts the next time I alleviate the tingling he has caused between my legs.

Clearly being led by a different body part than my head, I give myself a mental shake because I need to get my head fully in the game if I am going to find out what Grant’s plan is. I'm guessing he is not going to come out and tell me straight away, so I will need to work for it. My number one aim is to pay off my papa's debt, but I also need to make sure I’m safe. I don't know if I’m capable of selling my body to pay off the debt, so I try not to think about what that would mean. After applying some make-up and doing my hair in a light curl, I finally go to get dressed. I look in the drawers for some underwear to wear underneath it and there is nothing like what I have ever worn before. My go to is normally boy shorts with a novelty picture on them. Today, I have on the most amazing pair of Harry Potter panties, but I took them off with my jeans. I could put them back on but given the silk material of this dress, I would have some major panty lines, which nobody wants. So instead, I pick up the tiniest, red thong that I know will match this dress so well. I decide not to wear a bra. I am lucky enough that the girls are not too big that they need to be controlled, and not too small that I don't have a cleavage. They are just right for this, and given the plunge in the neckline, there is no way a bra can be worn. When I slip the silk dress over my skin, I realise I have never felt so sexy. Then when I add the matching Louboutin heels, I’m in Heaven. I love this dress and I look so sensuous, it feels like such a shame to waste this on a dinner with Grant. But, maybe I can use it to my advantage, to get him to be honest with me. We will see. I just hope I get to see Ryder, then I won't have to imagine his reaction.

Chapter Seven

Ryder

I’m sitting downstairs like a fucking muppet just waiting for the penis to come back down from his tour of the house with Ava. I know he’s up to something and I have no idea what it is, which scares me. Grant always discusses his plans with me because he isn't smart enough to come up with them by himself. Well, technically he can, I just make sure they aren’t insane and that nobody is likely to die. But really, the more I have gotten to know him, the more I have come to realise that it's all an act, a persona he presents. The boss only trusts him with shitty little jobs because he thinks he is unpredictable, but I’ve realised that is far from the case. That is why I keep my eye on Grant, because he is more clever than he lets on and nobody knows the real him.

The boss assigned me this job two years ago to stay close to Grant because he is being trained to take over the company when the old man has had enough. The Blakeman crime family has ruled London for generations and the only reason nobody has ever challenged their rule is because everyone is scared of the Blakemans. So while one sits on the throne, they will have power. The problem is that Grant is the last descendant and he wouldn’t be anyone's first choice. Personally, I don't think the old man will ever leave, he loves it too much. But more than that, he doesn't trust handing everything over to his son. However, it would be a massive show of weakness and disrespect not to hand over the reigns to Grant. It is important that rivals do not see any cracks in our operation. So I have my orders and I’ve managed to calm Grant down, keep him in line, and ensure he follows the boss's orders, until today.

When we were sitting in Manny Delgado's house this morning, I had no idea how many things were going to go to shit. We were supposed to threaten him, ban him from gambling, and move on. Personally, I think the boss has a bit of a soft spot for Manny. They have some sort of a history, they knew each other a long time ago and Manny changed when he lost his wife to cancer. From then on, he has pissed his life and inheritance up the wall. Now, I know he has no way to pay back the massive debt that he owes, because our hacker Eli says he's blown all his cash.

Eli is our early-twenty year old hacker who we pay to do all our online dirty work. If you want to find something out, Eli is your guy. The kid has been working for Grant since he was only seventeen, but he is a whiz with a computer and I have seen him hack things that top level hackers can't even do. He makes my life easy so I love having him around, but at the same time, there's a part of me that feels sorry for him being stuck working for this business at such a young age. His skills are invaluable and he is most definitely irreplaceable, which makes him a very valuable asset. That means Eli is part of the firm until he gets nicked or he dies, a bit like me, I guess.

When the order came through to just warn Manny, I was shocked. Usually when Eli tells us they can't pay, there is no use for them. Like I said, I think the boss has a soft spot for Manny, but it can't be that big a spot because he isn't wiping the debt completely and we all know Manny will never be able to pay it off. Eventually, the order will come through that someone has to hurt Manny to let him know we don't take kindly to deals being broken. That person is Vic. He is one sadistic bastard and has no problem beating the shit out of someone or just shooting them. He is like a machine. If the order comes through, he doesn’t question it, he just does it. He doesn’t need to know why or what the person has done wrong. That is where we are very different. I will not get my hands dirty if I can help it. My main aim is to encourage Grant not to use violence and to be smart with his plans. Sitting in that room with Manny, I thought we had a plan. Then Ava came into the room.

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