Chapter 1 1

"We need to find her now!" I yell and slam my fist against the table. "I expect to have the plan ready in two hours!""Yes boss," my men chorus and begin to talk with each other, organizing everything for the plan. Ever since she entered my life, my world has been flipped. My family has been torn apart and my business is being tarnished. The Cutler's name is being dragged through the mud. So much is happening at once from one girl's actions. I'll do anything to find her and give her what she deserves. After all, I'm Gage Cutler, leader of the New York Mafia. "We've hacked into her cellphone boss," one of my men tells me. "She's going to be at Divine tonight." Divine? That's a men's club. What is she going there for? I shake my head and tell my men to continue on with the plan. I rub my hand over my face, just wanting to relieve the stress that has been on weighing me down for weeks now. "Gage, your mom is on the phone," my second in command, Alex, says handing me a phone. "Hi mom," I say and I hear sniffles through the speaker. "What's wrong?""Can you come to the hospital please? Your brother was taken back for emergency surgery," mom cries. "I'm on my way," I say and hang up the phone. "Alex, make sure everyone is ready for the mission tonight. I still need you at the warehouse getting the shipment. I need everything to go smoothly tonight.""Don't worry about anything, we've got it covered," Alex says and I nod before I head down to the garage. Oh she's going to regret the day she ever messed with me. ************************************* Ashlynn's POV: "You've got the stage tonight Ash," my boss says as she walks through the dressing room. This job is a double whammy. You either get the stage, which means perverts stare at you while you dance, or you wait for the perverts, who can get grabby. Although, I do love dancing. "Yes ma'am," I reply and go over to my vanity. I set my make up bag down and look through my bag for an outfit for tonight. I decide on a simple pink lingerie set, it is one of the best for dancing. I slip on my six inch platform heels before I begin to do my hair and makeup. I work at Divine, which is a men's clubs in downtown New York. It's the only well paying job I can get right now. My family always said moving to New York was stupid, and I was never going to admit that they were right. In all honesty I don't care what my family thinks. They're all drunk bastards anyway. They have no emotions towards another. So anyway, I'm stuck being a stripper at a club for perverts to make some money, seeing as my business degree isn't even enough to get a job at Starbucks. "Dancers need to be ready to head on stage in ten!" The boss yells as she exits the dressing room. "You dancing tonight Ash?"  I look in the mirror to see Iris's face behind me. "Yeah, I'm glad it's Friday.""You're going to get hella tips tonight girl," she smirks and helps me curl the hair in the back. I thank her and she smiles in return. I'm definitely closest to Iris out of all the girls that work here. She helped me grab the ropes when I first started working here, and I couldn't be more grateful. Everyone we work with said that we could be sisters with our deep brow hair and hazel eyes. Although, her eyes are more blue while mine are more brown. I could only wish I was related to her because she's so beautiful, and I'm just average. The ten minutes go by quickly and boss has us getting ready to head on stage. I'll be towards the middle of the stage, which is the best spot to get tips. As much as being a stripper isn't an ideal job, I make hella good money. I can't complain there. "Alright, lets get this show rolling," I whisper to my self, fixing my outfit and hair before the music starts. As soon as the music starts we all walk on to stage and try to find the perfect place to start our dance. I've always start from the back and slowly move up to the stage. The men like the suspense in my opinion. But as I'm dancing and the men are cheering I can't help but feel uneasy. And it's not just from perverts staring. It's like a pit in my stomach and it's making me sick. But I get over it and continue dancing, enjoying the money that I was earning. Once the dance is over I head to the bathroom to freshen up. Right as I'm about to open the door to the bathroom I feel something placed over my mouth, it's like a washcloth or a towel. I'm not sure but whatever is on it smells horrible. I try to get the thing off my mouth but I've discovered my arms are being held to my sides tightly. I bring my leg up to stomp on the mans foot with my heel, but before I can bring it down a pair of hands grab my legs. I can feel myself being carried out the building at the same time I can feel myself losing consciousness. What the fuck is happening?

Chapter 2 2

Gage's POV: "No need to worry Gage, the boys got her and she's waiting in the basement," Alex tells me over the phone. I sigh in relief, happy knowing one thing is going right in my life. Right now I'm sitting in the waiting room of the hospital with my mom. Dad is at home with Jenna, my younger sister. She freaks out at hospitals, so it's best she stays home. My mom holding my hand tightly and I know she is freaking out. "I'm here momma," I tell her, tucking my phone in my pocket. "I just want him to be okay " Mom whispers and wipes her cheeks. "He's a Cutler," I smile at mom. "He is strong, he's a fighter.""It's just been a tiring few weeks," mom says with a small yawn. "Rest, I'll wake you when the doctor comes," I tell her. She lazily nods before she closes her eyes. A few hours passed and Alex is keeping me updated on everything happening back at the base. She is still asleep, but they've restrained her so she can't run when she wakes. Oh I can't wait to see her again. She's going to regret ever being born after she deals with me. Just then a doctor walks into the waiting room and announces, "Vincent Cutler." I shake my mom awake and she instantly sits up, eyes wide. I motion towards the doctor and she hurries towards him. The doctor and my mom talk briefly. The doctor is giving her a smile, and it looks to be a joyful one, and I can tell my mom is crying. So my guess is the surgery went well. I know nothing about anything medical, so it's pointless for the doctor to explain it to me using terminology that I don't understand. All I know is my younger brother is having heart troubles because of her. Mom is now walking towards me with a bright smile on her face, and she also has tears staining her cheeks. I stand up when she's closer and she wraps her arms around me in a tight hug. "He's going to be okay. My little Vince is okay," she mutters and I hug her tightly. "They were able to get him a heart transplant." My eyes widen at the words and I pull away from the hug. "He was having bad heart palpitations before surgery, so the doctors took him back for surgery. They realized if he didn't get a transplant soon, he'd die. Luckily they were able to get one from another hospital. Now your brother is healing.""That's amazing mom," I smile and she grabs my hand. "I'm so incredibly grateful," mom smiles. "You go back to work. I'll be fine here, I promise. I'll call you if I need anything.""Mom-""No arguing. Go," she says sternly, pushing me towards the exit. I chuckle at her before I say goodbye and head towards the base. Let the games begin. ************************** Ashlynn's POV: When I start to wake up everything is dark. I feel my eyelashes rub against something and I can only assume it's a blindfold. What the hell? I've definitely been kidnapped, and now I'm definitely going to die. I can feels my eyes start to water and I try to scream out, but that's when I realize I can't. There's a piece of cloth in my mouth and wrapped around my head, so these people gagged me too. I start to gain my senses back and realize my hands are tied behind my back and my legs are tied against something, which I'm assuming is the chair I'm sitting in. The rope is rough against my skin, and then I realize how cold I actually am. I know I'm still in the lingerie set that I worked in tonight. Wait, I don't know how long I've been unconscious, it could be hours or days. This time, I actually start to cry. Why me? Are these people human traffickers? Am I being sold to some man who wants me as a sex slave? Or am I going to be a prostitute for some pimp? I just want to go back home! I don't know why these people stole me from my work, there's literally thirty girls who work there each night, yet the chose the most average looking one. I start to tug at the ropes that are restraining me, but it's no use. I feel my ankles and wrists getting burned by the rough material. The gag in my mouth is making my sobs sound choked. I try to scream for help, but the gag muffles any noise I make. I jump when I hear a loud thud. I'm guessing it was the door, but I have no idea. I hear feet walking towards me and I try to get away, but the chair only scoots back slightly, and it tips over. Pain shoots through my back as the chair makes contact with the ground, sending waves of pain through me. A metal chair? In movies when this shit happens the chairs are wood and then I'd be able to escape. "Oh, little flower, you aren't getting away this time," a deep voice chuckles, jerking the chair upright, making the pain course through my body again. Wait, this time? I didn't even know there was a last time! I try to talk, trying to convince the guy he has the wrong girl, but it's only muffled noises. I hear some quiet noises in the back and I can only assume it's something to use on me. I begin to cry even harder and try to get out of the chair, but it's no use. The man's chuckle only grows louder and I hear a loud noise that sounds like metal scraping against metal. "You see little flower, you messed with the wrong family," the man whispers in my ear. I jump in my seat, just realizing how close he is to me know. "And now, you're going to pay for what you've done. No escaping this time." My cries only grow louder as I feel something cold touch my cheek. It's slowly moved until I feel a slight pressure right under my cheek bone. In one quick motion the object is swept across my cheek and I cry out in pain. I feel a wet substance begin to flow down my cheek. I only cry harder and fight against the ropes. He needs to know he has the wrong person. I'm not who he wants, I'm a simple, broken girl who lives in New York City. "You're cries are only encouragement to me," he says lowly. "The pain you feel, is nothing compared to what you've made my brother go through." What'd I do to his brother? That's right, nothing! I'm not the right girl and he doesn't realize that. I feel the cold pressure on my other cheek and I jerk my head to the other side, I'm not getting cut again. He growls when I do this and my body freezes. Okay, I shouldn't have done that. I've only made him angrier. "Listen, bitch," he seethes. "You deserve every bit of pain that's coming your way. You started this game, but you're not going to win." I shake my head trying to get some sort of message across. Maybe if he takes off the blindfold and gag I'd be able to tell him. But it's not like he's ever going to do that. My cries have stopped, only because I can feel myself ready to puke from my constant sobs. I've let my entire body just sag into the chair, knowing I'm stuck. There's no getting out. I'm getting hurt for something I didn't even do. How much crueler can my life get. "Boss, you have to stop," a new voice says, but it sounds far away. "They grabbed the wrong girl.""What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" The man who has been in the room yells. "This is another dancer at the club," the second voice says. "This girl isn't her. It's a dancer that we had mistaken for her.""Are you fucking serious!" The man yells and I feel the gag being ripped from my mouth and the blindfold from my eyes. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the light. "Do I have to fucking babysit grown men? They can't even find the right fucking girl?""I'll gather the men," the second man says, and I finally get a good look at the two men who've captured me. The man who is being calm in this situation has dark skin paired with short black hair. He looks insanely strong and I'm scared of just being in the same room as him. My eyes move to the man closest to me and he's twirling a knife in his hands. He has dirty blonde hair paired with a set of brown eyes. He looks even stronger than the man by the door. If these men weren't fucking kidnappers, I'd say they were both attractive. "Get some men down here to give this girl clothes. Take her to one of the rooms that has a bed," the first man says and throws the knife to the floor. "Have some of the women come and clean her up. I'll deal with this situation later." The two men leave and I'm alone in the room. I start to cry, but I don't let any noises leave my mouth. I don't get to leave, he's keeping me here. I'm terrified.

Chapter 3 3

Ashlynn's POV: I want to go home. I want to curl up in my bed and go to sleep, knowing my life is wonderful the way it is. I don't want to have to fear that my life is being risked because I was kidnapped by a bunch of attractive psychos. I'm so scared. The last time I was this scared it was because my parents. Before I can even have the flashback of one of the most terrifying moments of my life, the large door swing open and two new men come inside. They have a knife and I immediately think they are going to hurt me, seeing as another man did not to long ago with the same weapon. I start to whimper and try to get out of the restraints but it's no use. The men just roll their eyes and go behind me, which makes me even more scared. In a moment I feel the pressure of the rope being dug into my skin gone, along with the same pressure on my ankles. I roll my wrists, happy to be able to move them again, but that chance is taken away when I feel cool metal wrap around my wrists. Handcuffs. I glance over my shoulder and see one of the men holding on to my arms tightly while the other leads the way out of the room. The man holding my arms shoved me and I trip over my feet. I just now realize my heels are gone. They were expensive too. Okay Ash, not the right time to complain about shoes. I regain my balance and try to keep up with the pace of the two men, which proves to be difficult because it's almost like they are running and not walking. But the journey eventually stops when we make it to another door and they push me inside. There's a small beaten down cot in the corner with a thin sheet on top and a flat object that I'm guessing is a pillow. A small toilet stands in the corner with a small bucket next to it. In the center of the room is a large container type thing that has bottles of soap next to it, I'm assuming it's like a bathtub. But in reality, it looks like a jail cell with a little extra space. The men undo the handcuffs and force me to sit on the bed. "Someone will be in here to clean your cheek and give you a change of clothes," he says with a very rough voice. "It's in your best interest to do as we say and not try to run," the other man says. I just nod in agreement, wanting this men to leave. The both stalk out of the room and close the door behind them. I hear a small click, which signals that they've locked the door. I mean, it's not like I would've tried to escape anyway. I value my life. Like right now I'm sitting on my bed until the new person comes to give me new clothes. I didn't know if I was allowed to move in the small cold room, but I didn't want to risk it. I curl my legs up to my chest and wrap my arms around them. I try my best to stay warm but it's hard when I have such minimal clothing on. The blanket that is on the bed, if you'd even call it that, is so thin that it feels as though there is nothing there. They may not kill me, but at this rate, I'll freeze to death. After about ten minutes I hear the door click and I keep my head up to see who walked in. A woman, who looked to be in her forties, comes in with a sad smile. She has some clothes in her hand, along with a towel. On top of the stack of clothes there was a small white container. My guess is a first aid kit. "Hi dear," the woman says in a soft tone. She looks way to nice to be with the rough looking men. "I'm Jill, I'm here to help you freshen up a bit." I just nod my head and wait for her next instruction. She sets the items she was carrying on the bed and notice that the shirt is long sleeved. Thank the lord for that. "Where am I?" I squeal out, realizing how sore my throat is. "I wish I could tell you," Jill says and she grabs my chin lightly. She turns to look at my cheek and lets out a small sigh. "You'll need a few stitches on the right cheek, but that's it. I have some numbing cream, but I have to clean the area first." I just nod my head and let her work on my cheek. She rubs a wet cloth against my cheek to wipe to blood off my face, and to make sure the cut doesn't get infected. She puts on a white cream and tells me it'll take a few minutes before it starts to work. She does hand me a small water bottle and I happily drink it. The cold liquid feels great on my sore throat. At least someone here has some compassion. I do let her know that my cheek is starting to go numb and she tells me she's going to stitch up the wound. I close my eyes so I don't have to see the needle, also so I won't freak out from the pain. After a bit she's finished with my stitches and tells me I have six, before she covers it with a piece of gauze. Luckily the pain was bearable, but I really wanted to cry. More for the fact that I've been kidnapped, but the pain would've given me an excuse. Once my cheek is taken care of she tells me to bathe in the tub that sits in the center of the room, and then to wear the clothes that's on my bed. I just nod and listen to what she's telling me to do. "I'll try my best to see you every day dear," Jill says. "By the way, what's your name?""Umm Ashlynn," I whisper. "I'll see you in the morning then Ashlynn," she says with a smile before she leaves the room. I wish she would've just taken me with her. Once I hear the door click I slowly stand up from the bed, a wave of dizziness coming over me. I fall back on the bed and a pain shoots through my back. I must've messed it up when I fell back in the chair. I push the pain away and grab the clothes and slowly make my way to the tub. I strip out of the lingerie, which I'm so grateful for because it was so uncomfortable. I set my clothes down next to the tub, both the clean and dirty, before I slip into the tub, careful to not get me bandage wet. I grab the bottle next to the tub and it's a small three-in one-bottle. I'm not sure how long the bottle is supposed to last so I use a minimal amount on my hair and body. After I take a quick bath I dry off with the small and rough towel before I slip on the new clothes. The shirt is black, but it's huge on me. It was probably made for a man, and here a twenty-three year old woman is wearing it. The pants aren't any better in regards to size. They are like prison pants and I roll them so they stay up better. I use the towel to dry the ground where water has gotten before I go over to the cot. I wrap myself in the thin sheet and try to gain some warmth after the cold bath. Going to sleep is a struggle because of everything going through my head. I'm terrified that the men are going to come and torture me in my sleep, or worse kill me. The thought also comes in regards to my life. My whole life is changed from this point forward. This experience is going to haunt me forever, no matter what I do to ignore it. Which is just more shit to pile on to my shitty life. After what feels like hours exhausting takes over and I fall asleep. ============================ "Ashlynn Grace! Get your ass down here right now!" My mother yells. I cringe slightly, knowing what to expect when I hear that tone. I quickly get out of my small bed and run down to the kitchen, where my mom is waiting with an angry look on her face. "Why the hell is the house so dirty? I told you to clean today because we have guests coming over for dinner.""I just got home from school, I was about to come down to-" but I get cut off by a slap to my cheek. "You should've skipped school then. My reputation is more important than your education," she hisses and slaps me again. "Now get to cleaning, at this rate your dinner is slowly disappearing.""Yes mother," I say quietly while going to the closet to grab cleaning supplies. "She just started cleaning! Are you fucking kidding me?" A voice yells and I feel my eyes water up. That's my father. "Ashlynn! Once you are done you'll go straight to your room. No dinner tonight!" I reply with a yes sir before I get back to cleaning. I feel tears run down my cheeks and my dad keeps yelling about how pathetic and worthless I am. When I finished cleaning the kitchen I go to the living room and see my mom reading a book on the couch. "Pathetic piece of shit, how long does it take to clean!" She grumbles and stands up, throwing her book at me. The book comes in contact with my stomach and I let out a small huff. Mom comes over to me and slaps me once more, adding in more comments on how worthless I am before she pushes me down and kicks my stomach. Tears run down my face and I try to protect my body from the brutal kicks, but nothing works. Slowly I close my eyes and everything fades to black . ============================= I jerk up into a sitting position and realize I'm not at my parents house, I've been kidnapped and placed into a dingy room. God, my nightmares will never go away. My parents have literally left memories in my mind that will torment me for the rest of my life. And since I had the nightmare, there is no more sleeping tonight, so I just sit on the cot and slowly rick myself back and forth, letting the tears fall down my cheeks.

Chapter 4 4

Gage's POV: Bad news always follows good news in this family. My brother gets a heart transplant, which will surely improve his health, but I go to the base to discover that my men grabbed the wrong fucking girl! They had pictures and literally every piece of information they could ever need to know about her. Yet they grab a different girl. I don't care how alike they look, my men should be better than this. I storm towards my office, ignoring the looks my men are giving me as I exit the basement. The women who work for me have always been smarter. They know that if they look at me and I make eye contact with them, it will most likely not end well. My men on the other hand, they've always been too curious for their own good. I pass through the living room and stop. "Henry, Drake, move the girl to cell three. She'll be staying there for now." They instantly nod and hurry downstairs. I make my way to the maids quarters. It's a small room where the maids take their breaks. "Where's Jill?" I ask one of my maids who is sweeping the quarters. "She's doing laundry sir," the girl says in a soft voice. I just nod and head towards the laundry room. Luckily, it's not far so I quickly find Jill. "We have someone in cell three. I need you to clean her wounds and give her new clothes to wear.""I'll be there once I finish this load," she tells me and I nod. Jill was my nanny growing up, she was always there when my parents weren't.  She was only in her early twenties when she began working here, and I was only five or six. She's one of the few people I trust. She's like a second mom to me. "You'll be in charge of taking her food unless I've told you otherwise," I tell her and she nods her head. "Goodnight Jill.""Goodnight Gage, and please get some rest. You look exhausted," she says. I roll my eyes at her comment before I go towards my office. I slam the door shut once I finally get to my office and fall on to the leather couch. I wish that I could've led the plan tonight, then none of this shit would be happening. But, my brother is more important. I'll get her soon, and when I do, it'll be her worst nightmare. But I need to discover who the girl is downstairs first. All I know right now is that she's some look alike that works at the same club as her. That gives me an uneasy feeling, I need to know more about her as she is staying in the base. "Gage, get the fuck up," a voice says from the door. I peak through one eye and see Alex standing at the door. "I get that tonight went completely wrong, but we need to discuss what we're doing with the girl.""First, we figure out who she is. Second, she'll probably just end up working at the brothel," I tell him. "One step ahead of you," he stands and drops a folder on my chest. "Here's her files. There isn't much, but that's all that we could find.""Thanks," I mumble and sit up. I open the folder and scan over the short document. Ashlynn Grace Deters, twenty-three years old. She's from Peoria, Arizona but now lives in New York City. I read over the rest before I shut the folder and set in on the coffee table. "Set up a meeting tomorrow morning with the men who were involved with tonight's plan.""I'll be right on that," Alex says. He exits the room and I let out a deep groan. Why the fuck did they have to fuck this up so bad? I mean, now my men have kidnapped a random ass girl and she still isn't here. There's no way I'm getting a good nights sleep tonight. So instead of going to my bedroom, I decide to deal with all the paperwork that is sitting on my desk. Since my life has been quite hectic for weeks now, I'm slacking on my work, which I hate. But right now seems like the perfect time to catch up. Sleep is overrated anyway. For the next five hours I catch up on all the papers and documents that are on my desk. I glance over at the clock and it reads 4:13. Great, it's only four in the morning. I lock any documents that are important in the small safe I keep in my office before I head downstairs. I need a drink, preferably something strong. "Hello boss," one of the maids says as she continues to clean the floors. "What can I do for you?""Get me a glass and some vodka," I tell her. "I'll be in the sitting room." She nods and places the mop in the bucket before she hurries off. I go to the sitting room and make myself comfortable on the large chair. The only thing on my mind now is to create a new plan to find her. She can't get away from me that easily. "Here you are sir," the maid says as she sets a glass, small bucket of ice, and a bottle of vodka on the table next to me. I nod to let her know I appreciate what she's done before she hurries off once more. I make myself a glass and chug the liquid. It burns down my throat, but damn does it feel good. Finally, a chance to relax without being bothered. I begin to pour a second glass before I heard an ear piercing scream. Definitely from a woman, although I've known men to scream at that high of a pitch. So much for relaxation. I set my drink down and head back down to the basement. I drop my jacket and tie on the ground as I head downstairs, just wanting to get whatever I need to do over with. I roll my sleeves up to my elbows and undo the top button. A few of the men on guard nod their heads as I pass them, and I ask where the scream came from. "It was the girl we brought in earlier sir," one replies. "She's been quiet all night, this scream was out of the blue. She's alone in her room." I nod my head and go towards the end of the hall where she is staying. I grab the keys from the guard and open the door. The woman from earlier has changed into actual clothes that make her look smaller than she is. I flip the light switch on, causing a small buzzing noise to sound in the room. The lights take a moment to heat up, and that buzzing noise is just a side effect. I now get a better lock at her. She's sitting up and rocking back and forth. She looks like an insane asylum patient. Her brown hair is sticking up in every direction and I see tears fall down her cheeks. I move over towards her and when I stand next to the cot she jerks her head up. Her eyes are wide with fear and she holds her legs closer to her. She mutters things to herself but I cannot understand a word she is saying. Her eyes move from mine to stare at the wall and I'm just confused. What has happened in the few hours she's been down here? "Why did you scream?" I ask her. Her body shakes and she bites her lip. "Excuse me, answer the question.""Nightmare," she squeaks out. "They aren't here right? They are still away?""They? Who the fuck are you talking about?" I ask, getting even more confused by the second. "I can't see them, please keep them away," she cries and her body starts to tremble. "Go to sleep," I order her. "No one is here. You're alone. Now shut the fuck up and stop screaming. People are trying to sleep.""I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! Please don't hurt me! I'll listen, I swear!" She apologizes profusely and her nails are digging into her skin. She's really shaken up, and it's obviously not from the events that occurred just hours before. It's something different. I don't find the need to respond so I leave her room, Turing the light off as I shut the door. I lock it and give the keys back to the guard. "If she acts up again, you get me right away. Understand?""Yes boss," he says with a head nod. I continue walking and head back to the sitting room, grabbing my jacket and tie on my way. I'm going to need more than vodka tonight. I find one of my men as I'm walking back and tell them to call one of our brothels. I tell him to have a girl sent here within the next thirty minutes. He does as he's told and I grab the bottle of vodka before I go up to my room. Shit is getting even more complicated as the days pass. With that though I take a large swig of the liquor, wanting to feel the buzz it leaves behind.

Chapter 5 5

Ashlynn's POV: The only thing on my mind is my parents. I can't even sleep without them disturbing it. And they live hours and hours away from me. At least I think they do. I'm not sure where I'm at anymore. I glance up for the first time and look around the dark room, and I see two figures in the corner. I let a scream, fearing that they'll come towards me. It's my parents, I know it is. They are here to get back at me for leaving. They are going to hurt me again. I can't do that. I let out another scream and I bury my face in my knees. They have to leave. I can't face them, I'm terrified. I hear footsteps stomping and I jerk my head up. I stare at the wall and let the tears fall down my cheeks. They're here. They found me. I'm dead. I hear a loud buzzing echo around me and I know it's over. It's hard to see, the only thing I can see is a bright light. What is happening! I want to go home. The sound of footsteps only grows louder and the first this I see are a pair of black dress shoes next to the cot. My head jerks upwards and I see the man who kidnapped me. His eyebrows are furrowed and he looks mad. I start to say sorry, and I keep looking at the corner. They aren't there. Where'd they go? "Why did you scream?" The man asks, his voice is in a demanding tone. I feel my body start to shake. He is with my parents. That's why he hurt me earlier. He has to tell me where they are. "Excuse me, answer the question.""Nightmare," I squeak out. "They aren't here right? They are still away?""They? Who the fuck are you talking about?" He asks, obviously getting annoyed. "I can't see them, please keep them away," I cry and my sobs cause my body to tremble. "Go to sleep," He orders me. "No one is here. You're alone. Now shut the fuck up and stop screaming. People are trying to sleep.""I'm sorry. I'm so sorry! Please don't hurt me! I'll listen, I swear!" I apologize profusely and I feel a hurtful pinch on my arms. I can feel the man still staring at me but I can't get the courage to look at him. My body won't stop shaking and my fear never leaves. His shoes disappear from my sight and the light disappears. I quickly duck under the thin sheet I was given and try to hide. It's better than nothing. I'll do anything to stay away from my parents. I'd go to hell over seeing them again. *************************************** "Ashlynn, wake up dear," a soft voice says. A gentle hand is on my shoulder. I open my eyes to see the woman who helped me yesterday. I believe her name is Jill. I forgot. She gives me a smile and hands me a small plate with a water bottle. The plate has two pieces of bread, along with a few slices of an apple and cheese cubes. I hesitantly take it from her hands and she sits next to me on the bed. "Is everything alright? I know that your current situation isn't good by any means, but I was told you had a moment last night," Jill says and the night starts to come back to me. I feel fear just when I think of the nightmare I had, then I realize I went insane. My fear literally drove me mad and I had no idea what I was doing. "It was a nightmare, nothing more," I answer her and take a bite of the bread. "Thank you for the food." She nods her head and thankfully doesn't push me to answer her question. After eating the bite of bread I realize how hungry I actually am. I scarf down the bread, realizing that it's filling my stomach. Jill stays next to me and begins to check my bandage. She begins to pull out a new set of bandages and I let her work on the injury while I continue to eat my food. I finish all my food and Jill finishes my bandages. She takes the garbage and tells me she will return later. I just nod my head and stay sitting on the cot. The hours pass and I feel myself growing more fearful by the minute. First I have the terrifying memories from my parents, then I have the man who kidnapped me. Can my life get any worse? As if God was answering my question the door swung open and two men walked in. They order me to stand and I do so. I feel handcuffs lock around my wrist and then I'm being pushed out of the room once more. The cold concrete makes my feet feel like they are freezing but I can't go anything about it. I'm screwed and I can't escape. My life is an eternal damnation and nothing good will come from it. We arrive into a small room that has two chairs and a table in the corner that is covered by a thin sheet. The men force me into the chair and tie my wrists and ankles in a similar way they were tied last night. The force a gag into my mouth and tie it so tightly that my eyes begin to water. Once they've done their job they leave the room, leaving me alone once again. Minutes pass before someone walks into the room, and it's the same man who tortured me and found me after I screamed last night. He sits in the chair that is directly across from me and he looks exhausted. He has dark bags under his eyes and his clothes are messed up. "Ashlynn Grace Deters. Twenty three. Daughter of Tracy and Greg Deters. Originally from Peoria, Arizona but moved to New York to attend Hunter College, where you earned your business degree. You've been working at Divine for a year as a dancer. You have no family in the city and have been alone for five years," he says and my eyes widen. How has he discovered this stuff? I never let anyone know about my past, but here he is dropping my parents names. "Now, tell me everything you know about Iris Freedman." Iris? What does she have to do with this. "Iris? She's one of my coworkers," I choke out. "Keep talking," he demands. "I don't know-" He stands up abruptly, knocking down the chair he was sitting it. I cringe at the sound of the chair crashing to the floor and I keep my gaze down. He stands in front of me and grabs my chin roughly, forcing me to look at him. His eyes are dark and they look ready to kill. "I don't give a fuck about anything besides getting to know everything about Iris Freedman. Now, speak," he growls and my eyes start to tear up. You think at this point I wouldn't have any tears left. I begin to hiccup from holding back my cries and the man looks pissed. He goes over to that table that is covered and grabs something. It looks like a small dagger you'd see on television, except this one looks like one poke would cause me to bleed out. "Speak, or I'll do the same to your other cheek. Tell me about Iris Freedman.""I don't know much! She was my mentor at work but we never really hung out outside of club. She was very secretive. She did say that she was moving away soon but I have no idea where to!" I cry out, telling him any information about Iris that I know. I feel guilt run through me, knowing that I could be the reason Iris ends up in a similar situation that I'm in. "You have to known more cupcake," he says with a sickly, sweet smile. He rubs the flat part of the blade on my cheek and I jerk away from the cool metal. "Tell me everything.""I swear that's all I know! She often would be a private dancer at the club but I never knew who it was for. All we ever talked about was our awful job and how we hated being money makers for a bunch of perverts!" I exclaim, my crying only continuing. "Worthless," he spits out and puts the dagger right under my chin. He pushes my chin up with the knife and smirks at me. "I'll deal with you later. For know my men will take you back to your cell and you'll wait there. I haven't decided what I want to do with you yet." After that he drops the knife to the floor and leaves the room. The same two men who brought me to the room are now leading me back to my cell, where I'll be living until the kidnapper decides what to do with me. Thanks God for answering my earlier question. Life for me only gets worse.

Chapter 6 6

Sitting alone in the dingy room has gave me a lot of time to think. I've accepted that my life is most likely over at this point in regards to my freedom. Even if I do survive, I have a feeling that they'll sell me or something like that. No one comes to see me, which I'm grateful for to an extent. I don't have to be manhandled by two guys who take me to another room so I can get screamed at. But at the same time Jill has been nothing but kind to me, which is weird considering my circumstances. She makes me feel a little safer when she's around, but that feeling disappears if she leaves. It makes me feel so vulnerable. Being alone also means being stuck with my dark thoughts. What if my family is here? What will they do after not seeing me for five years? They may not have been here physically but they've disrupted my sleep almost every night I've been away from them. I don't think I could handle seeing them again. I'd rather die than be tortured for not doing the smallest things. I can't do that again. I won't do that again. Hours pass and I'm getting tired. I don't know what time it is, but I don't want to fall asleep and get yelled at for doing so. Instead, I make my eyes as wide as they can and I start to stare at the wall, hoping to find a distraction from my thoughts. At this rate anything will do. Like imagining a life outside of this prison. Maybe I'd finally get a suitable job and I'd be able to move out of the bad part of town. At my new job I'd meet a guy and he'd be perfect for me. We'd go out on dates and have fun, but we'd be like any normal couple and have fights. But it'll all be worth it because we'd get married. We'd start a family. We'd grow old together in a beautiful home, maybe have a couple pets. But that's all fantasy. My life will never be like that, my life will never be good in any sense. The minutes of me staring at the wall feels like hours. No one comes. I don't move. I don't think I've ever stayed in one spot for this long in my life. I haven't even gone to the bathroom yet, but I'm also holding back on that for as long as I can. I don't want to be using it and then two men barge in here in the middle. That will be even more embarrassing than anything yet. I'm not sure the time still, but I'm starting to get really hungry. My stomach keeps making noises and it's hard to ignore when I've got nothing else to do. So now all my attention has gone to my loud stomach and it's making me hungrier. I should've saved some of the food. I was stupid to eat it all at once. For the first time in hours I hear voices outside my room. I sit up straighter and realize it's just some of the men that stand in the hall. I slowly get out of my cot, hoping I don't make too much noise as I walk towards the door. I lean my head against the thick piece of metal in an attempt to hear the men outside. "Switch.... boss.... girl.... food." I only hear a few words, but I only pay attention to the last word he says. Food. I smile slightly just at the thought that I may get more food. So I hurry back to my cot and just sit there. A few minutes pass and nothing comes, which dampens my mood that was hopeful for the first time since I got here. So I decide to quickly use the toilet. I manage to get done with everything, including scrubbing my hands in the small water bucket, without anyone walking in. If this is what my life has come to I'm going to go insane. They might as well send me to an asylum or clinic something like that. It's be one less thing for them to worry about anyway. I feel me being here is a waste of space. I can't give them anything they want, and I just sit in a room all day. More hours pass and this time, I begin to fall asleep. I can't keep my eyes open any longer and my body is ready to collapse. So I curl into a ball on the cot and begin to go to sleep. ============================ I'm finishing cleaning the bathroom when I hear the front door open. I cringe knowing that it's my parents coming home after their night out. I tuck away any cleaning supplies that could get in their way before I meet them downstairs. They are both wasted. My dad has buttons missing from his shirt and mom looks likes a zombie. They both are giggling at each other and whispering things. If they weren't drunk and the people I know them to be they'd look like a cute couple. "Oh, here's the bitch," mom snickers when they notice I'm in the same room. "Now that you're here, why don't you grab up some beers. Take them out to the back patio." I nod my head and go to the kitchen, grabbing two beers and popping the caps off. I hurry to the back patio and set the two beers on the table before I go back inside. My parents are both sitting on the couch glaring at me. "Where's the beer?" Dad snaps. "I was told to-""You were told to bring them to us," mom cuts me off. "Get. Them. Now." I hurry back outside and grab their beers and take it back to them. They both snatch the bottles out of my hands and mom takes a long sip. Dad takes a large drink before he jerks the bottle away from his mouth and spits the liquid out. "What kind of shit is this? It's not even cold!" He slurs and clutches the neck of the bottle. In one swift motion he hurls the bottle at me and it hits me square in the arm, a few shards of glass getting stuck in my skin. I hold back my tears by biting my lip and my parents just laugh. "Clean this shit up. Get me a new beer too. Make sure it's cold!" I just nod and go to the kitchen grabbing everything I need before I go back out to the living room. My dad gladly takes the bottle and him and my mom drink their beers happily while I clean his mess, all while having glass stuck in my arm. They don't care about me. They never have. And it shouldn't hurt anymore, but it does because my whole life I've craved their love and affection. Yet all I get is beer bottles thrown at me. "You're getting blood on the floor!" Mom yells and I turn my attention to my arm. Sure enough blood is dripping down and hitting the part of the floor I have yet to clean. "God how worthless can one girl be! I mean can she do anything right! Ugh, such a mistake!" Then you should've gotten rid of me when you had the chance, not after I've been living for sixteen years. I ignore her yelling and begin to clean the floor, and the blood that drips down my arm. I curl my arm up in an attempt to prevent the blood from hitting the floor, but one little drop seems to get away. I feel my parents staring at me but I'm too scared to look up at them. "You're to be cleaning the floor! Not making a bigger mess!" I hear my dad's voice boom. I cower down when I hear him get up from the couch. Before I realize it he pushed me and has kicked my injured arm. I cry out in pain and then I notice my mom has come to join. They both start kicking me while laughing. My body starts to shake from fear and pain. I close my eyes in an attempt to get the torture to stop. ========================== I sit up so quickly after waking from my nightmare that my head starts to hurt. Luckily I don't break off in one of my trances and I just sit in my cot, waiting for my headache to subside. I can't do anything about the nightmares and memories of my past. So I try my best to relax and ignore the memories that begin to form in my head.

Chapter 7 7

As I'm staring at the wall I hear the door open. I can't bring myself to see who walked in. Being alone is my new life now. I don't want my hopes up when someone comes to drag me out of the room, only to be left alone in the end. The door closes with a loud click and feet make their way towards me. I close my eyes in an attempt to stop the temptation of looking to see who's here. Please just leave me alone. "Ashlynn, darling, here's some food," a soft voice says and I know it's Jill. I just nod my head and wait for her to leave. "I have to clean your bandage before I go." I don't give her any form on a response and she begins to clean the bandage. I keep my eyes closed as she goes through the process. After a few minutes Jill leaves the room and I open my eyes. It's the same meal as yesterday. But I got smart after yesterday, so I eat half the slice of bread. I take a few sips of my water before I put my meal under the cot. I glance over at the tub that's sitting in the center of my room and it's empty. They removed the water and have yet to replace it. I can already feel the dirt building up on my skin from laying in the disgusting bed nonstop. So I begin my daily routine, staring at the wall and blocking out any bad memories. ——> Days have passed. Jill only comes once a day to bring me food and clean my bandages. She said that my stitches will be removed soon. That's a bonus I guess, my skin is super dry from my bandage and hopefully getting it removed will help. I do have small stock pile of food and water under my bed. My appetite has shrunken from when I first arrived. It's obviously not healthy, but what if they decide to not bring me food everyday. Then I'm going to starve to death. I'd rather a death be quick and painless then of freaking starvation. I haven't been taken from my room in days. I wish I knew how long I've been here. Of course no one is probably looking. The only "friends" I had were the ones I worked with at the club. And my boss is probably pissed that I haven't shown up to work. So I'm never going to be found because no one is looking. Downsides of being a loner. If you ever get kidnapped, you're fucked. Each day I do hear snippets of conversations from the guards in the hallway. They've talked about their boss and how he's been in a bad mood. Also, that they are having to double their workload and they're pissed. I'd happily do their work if it meant I got to trade places with them. Big deal, you get to guard a door in a creepy hallway. And the person on the inside is a small female who stands at 5'5. So intimidating. "Open the door!" I jerk my head up at the loud voice from the hallway and I can tell they are walking towards my room. Great, so much for being alone. ************************************** Gage's POV: Two weeks. Two fucking weeks and we still haven't found her. How fucking hard is it to find a simple girl! Instead we've got a girl in one of our cells that is just taking up space. She literally has no information for us, so she stays locked in her room. She's useless just sitting downstairs. So, I decide what I want to do with her. "Alex, come with me," I tell my second in command. He stands from the table and follows me. "Where are we going exactly?" He asks. "Basement," I reply and Alex just nods. "Have you decided what you're doing with the girl?" He asks and I nod. "She'll be one of the maids during the week, and she'll be a dancer at the brothel on the weekends," I tell him. "She'll begin cleaning and everything will go from there. After a few weeks, I'll decide her position at the brothel.""Do you want me to inform Jill?" He asks. "Jill won't be in charge of training her. We'll have Tori do it," I tell him. "Get in contact with her and tell her to meet us in the sitting room." Alex grabs his phone and does as he's told. I continue walking downstairs to see the girl. I haven't seen her since our last encounter, which proved to be disappointing. She gave me no leads on where she could've gone. So instead of taking up space in my cell, little Ashlynn will work for me. Hopefully her craziness has subsided, I can't deal with her yelling and screaming at people that aren't there. As we walk through the basements halls screams echo from the rooms. We recently discovered one of my men was smuggling some of the shipments at the docks. It was taking millions off our revenue. Stupid piece of shit thought he wouldn't get caught. So much for that thought. My men who are guarding nod as we walk past and I just keep going forward, not acknowledging them. "Open the door!" I demand to my men who's guarding the girls door. He nods and swiftly puts the key in the lock, unlocking the door with a simple turn of his wrist. "Tori is waiting in the sitting room with the maids uniform," Alex informs me as we enter the room. The girl is sitting on her bed, staring at us as we walk in. Her hair is greasy and sticking up in every direction. There are dark bags under her eyes that I can see with the dim lighting in the room. Her small figure looks skinnier than the last time. She looks unstable, and that makes me question my choice. I can't have someone working for me when I can't expect what they're going to do. "Ashlynn, you'll be coming with us," I tell her and she just blinks. "I don't want to be a burden. You can just leave me here," she whispers and wraps her arms around herself. "You don't have a choice, you're coming with us," I growl and force her to stand. "Don't ever think of talking back to me unless I ask you a question, am I clear?""Yes sir," she squeaks out and avoids eye contact. I release her arm and she stumbles to regain her balance. I motion for Alex to cuff her before I direct her out of the room. She almost falls trying to keep up with my pace but I don't pay attention to closely. If she falls, she'll have to stand right back up. "You'll be working in this house as a maid. You'll have strict working hours and rules, and I expect each one of them to be followed. On weekends you'll be taken to the brothel and you'll be a dancer there. After a few weeks of adjusting to your new life style, you'll get a better idea of what you'll be doing for the rest of your life." She just nods her head as I lead her towards the sitting room. Tori is waiting with a set of clothes in her hands once we enter the sitting room. She bows her head in respect before she hands the clothes to Ashlynn. "Hi, I'm Tori. I'll be helping you for the next couple of weeks," Tori smiles at Ashlynn. Ashlynn just nods again and glances over at me. "Get her freshened up and to the maids quarters. She'll begin working tomorrow," I say and Tori nods, grabbing Ashlynn's hand. The two leave the room, leaving Alex and I by ourselves. "So you're forcing the girl to work for us forever then?" He confirms and I nod. "Any progress on the Freedman case?""No fucking breakthrough," I clench my teeth. "She disappeared off the earth. The men have been working nonstop on finding her. I can't afford for her to spread any information about us.""Vincent needs to get his ass back here," Alex says and sits on the chair. "I couldn't agree more," I say, sitting down in my chair. "Now, ring Jill to bring us some drinks. I'd like to have a little buzz before I go and question our old friend downstairs.""Whiskey or vodka?" He asks. "Surprise me," I reply with a smirk. Giving people what they deserve always brightens my day. And believe me when I say, Iris Freedman will get what she deserves.