Little Doll (13 page)

I flinched at
both the cruel memory of Juan and of Aiden’s harsh verbal attack. He assessed the damage with softening eyes, a shadow of regret creasing his brow before continuing in a more empathetic manner, his voice soft and gentle, totally incongruous to the words coming out of his mouth.

“He
would continue until he saw you were broken enough in spirit for either Alexsonov or any other potential bidder.”

He ran a frustrated hand over his face. “
Alexsonov is an insidious, misogynistic piece of shit who gets off on destroying girls like you. He is violent, narcissistic and disturbed. Hector, who is far from the most humane of men, can barely even stand Alexsonov.

"
Secondly, I am nothing like the other 'fucked-up people in this place' and it would do you a world of good if you could remember that once in a while.

"
Thirdly, as far as your rights go, don’t for one second think that Hector, Juan or the two assholes outside your door give a shit about your ‘rights’.

"Y
ou are nothing to them except a piece of ass they can terrorize while they wait for the changeover.”

I stood breathless in front of Aiden
, the wind knocked clean out of me. My fisted hands became saturated with sweat, but a cold shiver ravaged my entire body. As the seconds passed, I was growing more faint, the world around me becoming nothing more than a sickening blur.

Aiden’s
willingness to voice the blunt and brutal truth unnerved me more than I had ever expected.

Alexsonov hated women.

He just used their bodies for his sick sexual fantasies and would quite happily beat the life out them. With shoulders slumping in defeat, my knees gave way. I collapsed on the carpet, my body shaking violently as I cried. Unlike the night before, I made no effort to disguise the degree of my mental and physical agony.

Aiden’s kneeled in front
of me, stilling my shoulders from their violent shaking. There was something about his touch that was addictively therapeutic. He was a drug with the power to make me feel out of this world, then once he left or deceived me, the euphoria wore off, followed by withdrawals and the need to touch him once more.

He pulled me to his chest
, engulfing me in his strong arms. I should have fought him, pushed him away and maintained my distance; after all, I still didn’t know what he had in store for me. But instead of doing those things, I let him hold me while I cried into his shoulder.

“I am sorry,”
he said simply, but there was no mistaking the sincerity.

“Why did you tell Hecto
r you will train me?” I asked quietly, my voice muffled by his now sodden shirt.

He heaved a heavy sigh
and remained painfully quiet for some time. I closed my swollen eyes and focused on the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest beneath my cheek. “Because…” his solemn voice awakened me from my thoughts. “… I don’t want Juan touching you, not again. It should never have happened in the first place.”

My body tensed
at the thought I was merely a prize in some sick competition. Aiden seemed to sense my change and offered more.

“Let
’s just say my intentions are nothing like Juan’s. I won’t hurt you, but I must warn you.”

He paused
, waiting for the go-ahead. I nodded against his shoulder and he continued.

"
Hector has extended the deadline for delivering his sale for another two weeks. He is going to want to see an improvement from you.”

I raised my head off his sho
ulder to meet his darkened eyes and looked at him hopefully.

“Then I won’t improve. He won’t sell or trade me if I am not ready.”

“If you don’t improve he will kill you
, it’s as simple as that.”

“So what then?” I laughed with mock amusement. “My future is already mapped out for me. Either I start learning how to be
perfectly compliant and pleasure a man like this Alexsonov or… I'm dead. As simple as that?”

Aiden didn’t respond
, his silence churning my stomach. The only movement came from the twitch in his jaw, just one of the few idiosyncrasies I had discovered about him when he was in a particular mood.

Anger
racked my body. Nothing of what Aiden was saying was helping in any way. He wasn’t justifying himself or explaining why he put on a show in the lounge. My eyes narrowed with spiteful suspicion.

“Why
, Aiden? Why is this happening to me? Why have you so gallantly offered to take Juan’s place as my ‘trainer’?” I asked cruelly.

He flinched at the insinuation
, yet remained silent.

“You could have released me by now if you cared so much. But look…” I gestured wild
ly around me. “I am still here.”

Frustrated
tears flowed freely down my cheeks. I watched with numb awareness as they fell onto the silk nightie, leaving behind dark blotches.

His eyes met mine, vi
ridian green challenging sapphire blue. “If you trust me, I can help you, but you have to be willing to show improvement if my plan is to work.”

“I don’t know if I can
, Aiden. I don’t know if I can do what you’re saying.”

My shoulders sagged as
I contemplated defeat.

His heavy
, exasperated sigh told me he was over the discussion.

“It
’s not up for consideration, Laila. It is what it is. I offered to train you so you wouldn’t become another one of Juan’s victims. That, you should be grateful of.”

Embarrassed by
Aiden’s sudden dismissive tone, I moved easily when he pushed me off his lap.

He stood up tall as I remained on my knees feeling
vulnerable from his reprimand. Each tear I shed was more of my self-respect abandoning me. I sat on the carpet at a loss for words.

“We will start soon,” Aiden announced in a business-like tone.

I couldn’t hold his gaze any longer
. He was really making me do this. Somewhere in this fucked-up new world I lived in, Aiden was of the belief he was helping me by keeping me away from Juan. Yet my so-called savior was planning on doing the same thing to me only to achieve the same outcome, and I was expected to be thankful.

I
didn’t hear or see him leaving until the door clicked closed.

Chapter Seventeen

Aiden

“What are you up to, puto?”

Juan’s
accusing voice reeked of suspicion as he waltzed through the open door and into my wing. I was standing at the office desk studying the documents and photos I had been sent of the recent action that caused the predicament I was now facing. Before he got too close, I slipped the file I had in my hand under other less important paperwork.

“Nothing at the moment. You?” I replied indifferently.

“You know what I mean, asshole. What was that show you put on last night?” He made no effort to disguise his contempt. “You honestly think you have what it takes?”

“Juan
, I don’t understand why it bothers you so much.”

“
I
don’t understand why you have taken an interest in something you couldn’t have cared less about.”

“
Change is good.”

Juan scoffed with disbelief. “Yes
, I can understand how maintaining security can be rather mundane. But, that was the hand you were dealt.”

“B
ecause I served as a marine? Somehow that makes me the only one capable of holding a gun? You go watch the fences and leave the girl to me.”

“Nice try
, but I am not falling for your diversion. Tell me why this girl and not the others.”

“You t
ell
me
something…” I turned to face him head on. “Did you fuck her because she needed to be broken in or because you wanted to be the first at the post?”

“Both!”
he smirked. “Does that bother you?” His question was a taunt to bait me.

“No
, doesn’t bother me,” I lied, denying him the reaction he wanted. “Although if you are trying to turn the girl off sex, you are doing a swell job. Whoever buys her will be thrilled by your training methods.”

Juan
’s obnoxious laugh filled the room as he folded his arms across his chest, widening his stance. “This is why you work in security, Aiden.” He strolled up to me and stood only inches from my face. I wasn’t intimidated by the sad sack of shit, but it was entertaining seeing him try. “A cunt is exactly that, puto. By force or consent.”

Fucking hell.

I was caught between disbelief and wanting to punch his other eye.

“You are a real piece of work
.”

“Does it really offend you what I get up to in my spare time or is it just because of this particular girl?”
Juan’s eyes narrowed with mock suspicion.

“I’m not in the habit of raping women, Juan, but it apparently seems to be a common sport of yours. You should be proud of your efforts.”

“Sarcasm ha
s always been your strong suit but you didn’t answer my question.”

“What do you want
, Juan?”

“I
want you to remember something.”

“Oh yeah
, what’s that?”

“While you are enjoying fucking
that bitch's tight pussy and teaching her how to suck cock, remember I was there first.”

Juan had this annoying habit of laughing at his own jokes. For some reason
, the fucker found himself particularly hilarious.

I was never one for peacocking, but right now required a slightly dif
ferent approach. “I am sure it won’t take her long to forget you, Juan. Now leave, I have important business to attend to.”

“Oh yeah, one more thing.”

“What?”

“You may run security, but I am watching you and so are my men. I don’t trust you
, Aiden. Something about this is off and I will find out what it is, mark my words.”

“Good to know, thanks for the talk.”

“You
will
fuck up, puto, and when you do, I will be waiting.”

Chapter Eighteen

Laila

Sophia quietly entered my room
two days later. After Aiden’s cold treatment and the nightmares of Juan, I spent my time in a coma-like-daze. My food was brought in by a maid, who seemed to carry a great deal of fear in her eyes she could not disguise. She never uttered a word to me when she dropped the silver tray of meals off every so often just inside my room, and I made no effort to talk to her. I barely functioned as a human being during this time and lying in bed, cocooned under the comforter, had left me feeling lethargic and with aching muscles.

Having not seen Sophia
since I blacked out during our impromptu performance, I eyed her cautiously as she sashayed about, laying out clothes and running the bath. I was relieved to see her body language contained no hint of resentment toward me for the danger I may of placed her in.

“
Get out of bed. It is time for you to get ready for tonight, senorita.”

She was still as rude as ever.

“Tonight?”

“Your training. Get up.”

The woman hated me and I knew why. I shouldn’t have cared, but with so much time on my own, I had to deal with a plaguing thought. “Sophia,” I called gently as I sat up against the headboard. She made no effort to acknowledge me. I wasn’t deterred.

“I am sorry if
my blacking out caused you harm the other night.”

She
dismissed my concern with a cool tone.  “I do not know what you are talking about. Hurry up and get out of bed.”

“You warned me if I didn’t do what I was told, you would also suffer the consequences!” I had to mask the frustration I felt from her behavior. Was it so hard for this woman to just be nice and have a conversation with me that didn’t involve coercion and threats? “I just wanted to say sorry.”

“You have already said that,”
she spat as she turned furiously on the spot to face me.

My
annoyance at her response evaporated quickly when I saw the gash through her parted bangs.

“Who did that to you?”

My voice was shaking with rage. Though I didn’t see eye to eye with Sophia, I also knew her hardened and cool exterior was due to fear for her own life. She too was a prisoner here and I couldn’t blame the woman for looking out for her own hide.

Just as expected
, Sophia’s eyes hardened.

“It does not matter. Get up
, chica, before you cause more trouble for me.”

I flinched at her words, knowing she blamed me for what happened and I did feel bad, but I also knew if I had the option I wouldn’t be in this hell and I
couldn't be blamed for that.

***

Sophia led me down to a wing of the house I had not yet been through. There was nothing notably different to what I had already seen in other parts. Beautiful vases lined the halls and exquisite paintings of nudes and still life’s adorned the walls. As we descended some stairs, we came to white double doors. Sophia knocked twice gently and stood aside. Only moments later, the door opened and…
holy shit
!

My knees weakening as I took in the sight before me.
There, waiting expectantly, was a shirtless Aiden looking as sexy as sin. His finely toned muscles were on full display across his smooth, broad chest, his biceps carved to absolute perfection. I knew he was handsome, but I had never considered him to be so beautiful until now.

His black soft cotton pants hung loosely around the narrow
ness of his hips, leading me to think there was no possible way he could have been wearing underwear. A brown cuff made of at least eight stands of leather circled his wrist giving him a casual air I found so alluring.

Aiden smelled of freshly cut citrus
with a hint of spice and his slightly tousled dark hair was still damp from his shower. I had never seen him so relaxed or so… naked.

The corner
s of his mouth twitched as he attempted to appear unfazed by my reaction.

“Gracias
, Sophia,” he nodded to her and she took her cue to leave.

“Come in
, Laila,” he said and gestured into the room. His voice brought me crashing back to reality. I was here to learn, not gawk and drool.

Aiden’s room made my apartment in New York look like
shanty shack. It was massive. It wasn’t just a bedroom, but more a whole house within a mansion. The open plan floor space was welcoming and well decorated. A large bed, which looked to be king size, was positioned against the wall to the right of the entrance and was softly illuminated by matching lamps that looked more like abstract art pieces. A lounge area was established on a sunken level, complete with a large, angled sofa facing a massive flat screen television mounted on the wall. At least five computers sat on an oversized table in the opposite corner of the room, with paperwork scattered on the surface of the desk. A welcoming bar was the feature of the space and it looked well stocked, certainly more than was necessary for one person. On the walls hung large black and white photographs of intertwined nude bodies. They weren’t pornographic, but rather artistically shot, the stark shadow and light contrasts adding to the intense intimacy of the positions.

“Would you like something to drink?” Aiden asked gently
, his voice bringing me back to the situation. My eyes fell upon him for a split second before I directed my gaze to stare at anything that wasn’t a half-naked Adonis freaking look-a-like.
Damn it to hell if he could just put a shirt on!

I nodded
, and he turned toward the bar.

And just like that I was
caught in another moment of awe. Even the back of the man was enough to make my legs quake, but what stilled me was the stunning ink he wore. Covering the span of his shoulders, it took up half of his muscled back. The design was so intricate and precise in its every detail, I could have literally stared at it for hours. A large cross sat centre between Aiden’s shoulder blades, beaming rays of a sunrise haloing around it. On each shoulder, framing the centre images, sat two koi fish.

The tattoo boasted a stunning display of the grey spectrum, its intensity of light and dark only sucking me in further. I wanted to touch it, to trace my fingers around the lines. The fish
were almost life-like, the elaborate detail of the scales bordering on three dimensional.  It was possibly the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and he wore it almost too well. From what I had learned about the man already, Aiden wasn’t the type to be inked just for the hell of it. I knew what he wore was for a purpose. There was a story behind each element of the image and I wanted desperately to know.

L
ost in thought, I watched the rhythmic ripples of his muscles move the fish to life as he poured our drinks. He was too fast and, turning abruptly with a glass in each hand, he found me indecently staring. His eyes met mine. There was no mistaking the amusement on his face and he made no attempt to hide his satisfaction as the corners of his mouth twitched again. It was a trait I found endearing and sexy all at the same time. Leaning against the bar with controlled ease, he held my drink out to me. I walked toward him and, for the first time since entering his room, I became acutely aware of what I was wearing.

I had forgotten
the attire Sophia laid out for me for my first training session. Now it was Aiden’s turn to appraise my appearance, making no effort to disguise his appreciation of the extremely short and breathlessly tight black mini dress. The cut of the neckline revealed my breasts more than I would ever allow myself to show and the high stiletto heels, while already hurting my feet, elegantly accentuated my legs. I was overdressed compared to his state of undress, but this is what he had apparently requested. It felt more like I was ready to hit the downtown Manhattan clubs rather than a training session in whatever it was I supposed to learn. I accepted the drink of amber liquid, ensuring my fingers did not touch his in the exchange.

“Salud
,” Aiden said, raising his glass to clink mine.

I was caught
, frozen in time by the intensity in his eyes that speared through mine. I didn’t say anything as he downed his drink in one flick of the wrist. Following suit, I kept my eyes on him until I emptied the glass. It took a few moments before the burn assaulted my throat and everything further beyond. I coughed as the air I breathed acted as fuel to what felt like a fire raging inside of me.

Aiden
chuckled gently as my face reddened and my eyes widened in horror.

“W-what was that
?” I asked, my voice sounding hoarse. “Acid?”

Taking my glass from me
, Aiden continued smiling as he poured us another. He looked so much younger and carefree when he smiled. I was horrified by the thought that in any other time or place, I would have entertained the thought of a relationship.

The burning had
barely subsided by the time Aiden turned back with more rocket fuel. He noticed my apprehension as I took the glass once again.

“You need it
. You are too tense,” he assured.

“I also need my
bodily organs in working order,” I said flatly, before he raised his glass one more time.

“It’
s better second time round.”

“I do
ubt that somehow.”

This time, we downed the drinks in unison.
I must have lost some feeling after the first drink because this one certainly lacked the overwhelming punch I felt earlier. Aiden had been right after all. My attention fell to the bottle on top of the bar. It was simply exquisite with its luscious curves yet such a shame it contained flesh eating, stomach intestine rotting liquid. 

“
AsomBroso El Platino,” Aiden stated.

“
Pardon?”

“The tequila”
He nodded to the bottle. “The best in Mexico.”

“
It looks like a bottle a genie lives in.”

Aiden’s smile stretched across his face
at my comment, an unmistakable twinkle in his eye. His disarming gaze remained on mine, a strange tension filling the air around us. The voice within my head called for sanity to break the connection, but I simply couldn’t look away. His eyes were gentle and engaging, yet his tense jaw line was telling a much darker story.

“Come sit down,”
he said, his tone turning cold and business like before he headed for the lounge. His quick personality change chilled me to the core. “Are you feeling relaxed?”

“Yes,”
I lied, but I couldn’t hide the trepidation in my voice. Despite feeling my muscles relax, courtesy of the tequila, a sense of unease still plagued me.

Aiden
strolled around the lounge behind me until he was out of sight. I could feel him close in the space, the air around us being sucked away. His warm hands came to rest on my shoulders and, just like he had two nights ago, he worked his thumbs in tantalizing circles over the taut muscles in my neck.

“Can I ask you something?”
I asked tentatively, deciding to throw caution to the wind.

There was a pause for the longest moment and I wondered if he had
even heard me.

“Sure.”

“I was wondering if you knew anything of Ethan’s whereabouts.”

Silence.

“I… um… just thought –”

“Don’t mention his name.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Don’t mention his name, don’t
even talk about him to anyone.”

Aiden’s hands abruptly fell away from
my shoulders, my heart rate quickening with his immediate hostility.

“I don’t –”

“Forget about your brother, Laila.”

Silence.

“Look, I’m sorry. The more you talk about him, the more rebellious you will seem. Do you understand that?”

I nodded,
even though I didn’t think it was the slightest bit fair.

“You nod your head, but you are not really hearing my words.”

“I just thought out of all the people in this house, you would understand my concern for him.”

Aiden rounded on me, his beautiful eyes
now a few shades darker. “You must understand
my
concern.”

He was pissed off and frustrated. I didn’t know how much
further I could push, so I just listened.

“I
have warned you already that your mouth will get you killed here, but you refuse to take heed. Hector and Juan do not care for you other than the money they will make from your sale. Ethan’s deceit is still a fresh wound with them and the more you meddle with it the more wrath you will feel. It’s as simple as that. Forget about him.”

I wanted to argue the point but I knew he wasn’t willing to listen.

Aiden studied me, his arms crossed over his chest, biceps muscles bulging. The telltale twitch in his jaw was back. I really had a knack for pissing him off.

“He isn’t coming back to save you, Laila. So stop wasting your time.”