Chapter 14

"Scarlet!"

"Scarlet! Open your eyes! Oh god! Scarlet!"

I opened my eyes and saw Roy's terrified golden eyes peering into mine. His face was sweaty, his lip was cut, and blood flowed from his nose.

The Stamp Men were lying unconscious near the bed, and Singh and a few other men surrounded them.

Roy wiped the tears off my cheeks and hugged me hard.

The drumming of his heart competing with mine hit my ears, and the realization set in that I was saved in just the nick of time from being raped again.

I clutched his shirt and began to cry.

Grabbing his shirt, I let out all my fear and the horrors that ran through my veins.

"Singh, get these motherfuckers out of here. You know where to take them." Roy's voice broke a little. "And send Rosa and a doctor as well."

"No. No doctor, please," I said breaking away.

"But we have to tend to these wounds." He said, touching my lips and pulling back a bloody finger.

"I'll do it myself," I said.

"Scarlet—"

"I'll do it myself, Roy."

"Okay." He said and covered me with the bedsheet.

I got up and locked myself in the washroom and cried my heart out under the shower.

After what might be an hour, I peeped out to make sure if the room was empty.

Surprisingly, it was empty and clean, except for one figure that sat on the bed. Roy.

He was talking on his phone.

"How the fuck did it happen? How did they get to know where we were? There's a mole here, Singh, and you've got to find out who! In a week. Or else you're fired!"

"You fire guys like that?" I asked through the bathroom.

He looked at me and his eyes softened.

"I fire guys if they can't do their job. How are you feeling?" He asked.

I nodded in reply.

"Okay, I will stand out and let you get changed. Call me when you are done." He said and walked out of the room.

I ran and locked the room. I checked and rechecked every corner of the room before stepping out of the bathing gown.

I stood before the mirror to watch what mess I had become.

There were scars over my chest and waist, and my ass was alarming red. There was a cut, still crimson on my cheekbone.

My entire body pained as if I had done some heavy physical work.

Getting enough of my pieces, I turned away and saw a red silk gown on the bed, with lace straps and sleeves.

It was beautiful.

But instead, I walked to my small handbag and got out the t-shirt and pajamas I wore as my nightdress at Roy's house. I changed into the clothes, then got in my bed and tucked myself in.

"Scarlet, let me know when you are done." Roy's voice called, and I walked over to open the door.

He scanned me from top to bottom, and I saw a flash of disappointment before he subtly hid it with a small smile.

"It's time for dinner. You can go out in those clothes as well. No pressure." He winked.

I shook my head. "I don't want to go anywhere, please," I said and went back to my bed.

"No issue, we can always call for room service." He followed cheerfully and sat next to me.

He reached over to touch my cheek, and reflexively, I flinched.

My reaction brought ghosts of pain in his eyes.

There was a soft knock, and Rosa entered and hugged me.

"Are you alright?" She asked.

I nodded.

"Who were they?" She asked Roy.

"Stamp Men. They stamped me with 'Firecracker,'" I replied, wincing.

"You mean they work for Rover? But why would they attack you when you were with Roy. Like, you belong to him for a whole week, right?" She asked.

"That's what I was wondering," I said turning to Roy.

"Scarlet has quite a reputation in his business. I guess they just wanted to see how she is… if you know what I mean." He replied, picking at the cushion cover.

"You have a reputation?" Rosa asked disbelievingly.

"Thanks to him," I said beckoning to him.

"Wait … I don't understand—"

"I will explain everything. Later." Roy said.

"Wait." I interrupted. "One of them said I made a mistake running away from Rover. Why would he say that?" I asked Roy.

"Because Rover hasn't informed anyone that—"

"That you bought me?"

Roy rolled his eyes. " He hasn't informed anyone that he let me take you home. It's against the rules."

"Then why would he let you?" Enquired Rosa.

"Because I am his constant customer, and..."

"And?" I asked.

"A potential investor." He replied shamefully.

"You what?" Rosa shrieked.

I shifted away, away from him.

"But it was before I knew that he took the girls against their will. I was told that it consists of the women who deliberately want to get in the field and get paid for it."

"No woman "deliberately" enjoys sleeping with random guys daily. They do that under force and pressure. The pressure of money, or some other." I replied.

"No. Some women do enjoy it." He said, but he seemed like he knew such women.

"Yet now you know about his evil deeds and you are still invested in his business, buying one of his subjects for a week for your amusement." I challenged.

He got up shaking his head.

"Tell me Scarlet, when have I used you for my amusement? You would stay there naked and I wouldn't even touch you!" His voice rose.

"You kissed me," I spoke before I could stop myself and regretted it immediately. "And why the hell you didn't touch me? Am I untouchable or not sexy enough for you?"

"What are you even talking about?" Rosa intervened, and I realized what rubbish I was uttering.

"Why the hell did you even buy me, Roy, if you realized Rover's evils?" I finished.

"I had my reasons for all these things." He said and began walking out of the room.

"Rosa, you will stay here, with her, and your stuff will be delivered here. Singh will be out of your room, and order room service." Then he stopped at the threshold and turned to look at me.

"And you can rest assured, Scarlet Gill, I won't be kissing you anymore." He said and closed the door behind him.

*******

The entire next day, Rosa and I spent our day in our room, watching movies, ordering room services. Rosa enquired about Roy and Singh replied that he had gone for some business meeting.

Later in the evening, Roy checked upon and then went to his room.

Rosa went out for a stroll in the garden, which I anticipated because she couldn't stay in one place for too long. I was surprised she mustered to stay in for an entire day!

I heard Singh talk on the phone and lowered the volume of the T.V.

"...Yes sir, she has eaten and I checked on her just 10 minutes ago. She is fine. I think you should eat something too. Karl informed me you haven't eaten the entire day. Okay, sir. Sorry. Yes, I will keep an eye out."

Listening to the conversation, thoughts came rushing to me, the ones I had been having quite often these days.

Rover's rich. So is Roy. Rover said he loved me, yet he did what he did. As for Roy…. Well, he didn't touch me, when he definitely could have.

But didn't he say he was a regular customer at Hotel Magnificent? He had quite a reputation among Firecrackers. So he's….

But he didn't touch me. Why?

God, I was going crazy. I needed some answers.

I couldn't shake the fear that engulfed me whenever I thought of Roy. What if he turned out like Rover too? Or worse? But he's my only hope...

Shaking my head, I got up.

I opened my door and watched Singh's eyes widen.

"Take me to him," I said.

"But ma'am, he hasn't said anything about you meeting him."

"Yes. Because he doesn't know I am meeting him."

"Um…"

"So are you taking me to him or not?" I raised my eyebrows, enjoying being a badass.

"Ma'am, I am sorry, but I can't. Not without permission. Why don't you stay in for a minute and I will confirm it with him?"

"Listen, Singh! Either you take me to him now, or I will go search for him myself. If I went to look for him, the only way you can stop me is by touching me, and if Roy got to know about you touching me, you are fired. If I look for him myself while you stand here asking for permission and not come with me, you are fired. The choice is yours, Singh." I challenged and enjoyed it till the last moment.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Follow me, miss." He said and began walking.

"With pleasure."

He knocked on the door stationed at the end of the corridor.

"You don't like me very much, do you?" He asked looking straight at the door.

"Not a bit," I replied, following his gaze.

"Because I do my duty?" He asked.

"You stop me from going places." I nodded a little.

The door clicked open, and Roy emerged with ruffled hair. He gasped as his eyes fell on me, and weirdly, my heart skipped a beat.

"Thank you, Mr. Singh." I said, entering the room.

He curtsied hesitantly, and I closed the door.

"What are you doing here, Scarlet?"

I surveyed the cleanest room I had ever witnessed and walked over to the bed, where a diary with a blue cover laid.

I picked it up and caressed the velvet cover.

RUSTY SCAR was embossed in gold.

"Wow. I was looking for his books since you told me about poetry. I didn't know I would be lucky enough to catch hold of the original handwritten draft of the same."

"Scarlet, give me that." He said and proceeded towards me.

"Not right away." I said jumping on the bed.

"The universe has turned cruel today,

For I had touched the stars,

And they were snatched away from me.

Today, they came to taste her beauty,

But stole the remnants of her spark instead.

And there she sat, in the room far away,

My beauty, my star, My moonbeam.

My—"

"Enough!" Roy said, snatching away the diary.

"Let me read the entire piece!" I ordered.

"No." He hid it behind his back.

"I said, let me read it." I tried to reach over, but he successfully kept me at bay with one hand and protected the diary with the other.

"Fine!" I said and began to step down, but my feet got entangled in my dress and I tumbled.

Roy began to help me, but I lost my balance and dropped to the bed, taking him with me, finding myself in the middle of the bed and his arms.

Funny how cliche things get when I am around him!

"This is a stupid dress," I said.

By the way, I was talking about the red gown he left me yesterday.

"Funny how you could look breathtakingly gorgeous in stupid dresses." He said, looking into my eyes.

"You seem to have good choices."

"I do." He replied, tilting his head a little.

"Who is the beauty? Your beauty?" I asked, touching his cheek.

"I don't know if you want to know." He said.

"I wouldn't be asking if I didn't." I replied, caressing his beautiful skin.

"Then you shouldn't, because you already know."