Chapter 18

I went numb in my seat.

"H-how do you know? What if you are wrong? Rosa would never do that to me!" I said, but tears jammed my throat.

"I was working with Rover on the search party." She replied apologetically.

I couldn't believe it. But only Rosa knew about that cliff, or else there was no way Roy of Rover could have reached me, since it was on the outskirts of the city. Never had I mentioned to them any such thing.

Millie shook me to bring me out of my reverie.

"You are ready." She said. Metaphorically, no I wasn't.

I looked into the mirror and looked like a whore. Though I no longer meant whore in a negative way, not after arriving here. I was made into a slutty teacher, my face painted with thick makeup, and I was wearing a saree, whose blouse gave away too much of my cleavage and ended at my breast, leaving my entire mid-section bare.

I waited at the edge of the bed, looked around, and found the blue diary on the nightstand. I opened the last inked page of the book, which revealed the poetry I was reading the other day.

My beauty, my star, my moonbeam, a miracle.

My wings, which helped me fly

My map to myself, my faith in life."

I wiped away the tears and watched the door open. A part of me was hoping it would be Roy, but it was Rover instead.

"Oh my my. I haven't gotten to see you for a week, but Millie literally made you worth the wait." He said walking towards me. "Good job Millie." He said without even looking at her.

I closed my eyes. I couldn't bear to see him touching me.

"Hey, hey. Is everything okay?" He asked in a concerned tone, and just for a split second, I saw a reflection of the guy I thought Rover was.

"Yes," I replied coldly.

"Okay then, get the blindfold on her eyes, and then you can go, Millie." He said, still looking at me and my heart went wild.

She followed the order, and then I heard her leave, confining me to the dark alone here with Rover.

And at that moment, I gave up. I gave up on prayers. Because they were deceptive. You might think they were heard, but they just brought you out of the puddle to drop you in shit. I gave up on faith, I gave up on life.

I sensed a hand on my bare waist and I jumped. But guiltily, that touch was nostalgic and reminded me of something happy. The tears, without warning, began flooding my eyes, and I knew they would instigate rage in him.

Two hands held me firmly, and with a drumming heart, I waited for something to happen. The suspense in that dark was literally killing me.

My lips locked with a pair, and I melted in his arms, sobbing freely, kissing harder.

But then the reality set in, and I broke away, panting. I removed my blindfold and stared at the ground because I couldn't muster to look up at Roy.

"Scarlet." I heard his voice and felt somebody just snatched earth from under my feet, and I stepped back to fall on the bed.

"Call your clients 'Master' or 'Sir.' Act shy and don't look at them straight in the eyes. Most of the guys here are dominant, and they like submission." Millie's words from today's class echoed in my ear.

"Yes, master." I replied, getting up and wiping my tears and resorted to staring at the ground.

I saw his steps approaching and stopped just in front of my feet.

He touched my chin and raised my face to make my eyes meet his.

"Stop calling me master." He said.

"Would 'Sir' do?" I asked mechanically.

"Nope. Call me Roy." He said in his manly voice, but his eyes were soft and moist.

"As you say." I replied robotically.

"Please give me a chance to explain." He begged.

"I can't really stop you from doing anything to me." I said.

"Please don't talk like this." Now his eyes were glistening.

"Talk like what? I couldn't stop you from coming here. I couldn't stop you from buying me. I couldn't stop you from giving me hope again. I couldn't stop you from making me believe that life would get better. How would I stop you now?" I asked numbly.

Tears threatened to flow but didn't dare to without my consent.

He took my hands in his, made me sit on the bed, and crouched on the floor in front of me.

"That day," he began, "I gave you chloroform and then went out to talk to Rover. One of my guys distracted Millie, and Singh, dressed in clothes of Magnificent, came in carrying a trolley and hid you inside it. He carried you along with the basement, and put you in my car, and helped me get you out.

"I didn't buy you, Scarlet. I stole you. I took you to my home and let you rest because I knew my house was the only place Rover won't look for you. And he is crazy about you, in a sick lunatic way.

"But then I watched you unconscious and... I just never wanted to let you go. I wanted to keep you for myself. And I was afraid that if I tell you the truth, you might plan to go away. So I made this lie of telling you that I had bought you so that it seems okay if I made you stay.

"I deliberately came the other two days, to have sex, but to be cleared of Rover's suspects' list because I was there with you last time." He completed, and I didn't know when my tears went fearless as to fall on my cheeks without permission.

"I should have been honest with you. Yes, Rover is my brother. We have the same mother. And that's why I supported him in this business. Initially, I worked towards creating Garnet Ebony, and he went with opening his own hotel, Magnificent. He dreamed of opening something like that. But then he came up with the idea of "fun," and my mom and I both supported him. Because we thought he'd be assembling more women who liked having sex, having fun. Like mom. That's why both mom and I invested in it. But then I came to know that he forcibly brought women. That was crossing the line because mom was always careful about teaching us 'consent'.

"I am sorry, seriously. I should have told you." A tear betrayed his eyes as well.

I wiped it.

"I learned today that there are fifty women here, ten brought forcibly, and rest for money. Only five remain, solely for 'fun.' We don't have the freedom to talk about our personal lives, and we'd been given names that objectify us and list us in the menu. If women make genuine friends and open up to each other, they are punished."

"Godddddd…." He slumped on the ground. "For so long I've been trying to explain to him, but not anymore. He had legal permission to bring women with consent, and should not be forced beyond their will and capabilities, and must be free to leave. But that asshole ruined everything. Tomorrow morning, he'd be behind bars." He promised.

"No." I said and saw his face surprised.

"What do you mean—"

"I mean, we all will take our revenge." I decided.

"You sure you'll be—"

"Yes. But I'll need your help."

"Yes, anything. Tell me what to do." He sat upright.

"Right now, come here." I said pulling him by the collar and kissing him.

I had forgotten my lips existed until now.

He broke away to say, "Thank god you made a move. Because I was finding it impossible to keep myself from touching you anymore." He said, kissing me again, hard. "You look so beautiful—and sexy." He said kissing me again.

"Now now, let's spare our clothes from getting in between our wrestling bodies." I suggested.

"Definitely, ma'am." He said and got me out of the uncomfortable saree.

Then he lifted me in a swift move and dropped me on the bed, sandwiching me between him and the bed.

He kissed me passionately.

But I was just reminded of something and slipped out.

"Just a minute," I said running away.

Crazy In Love by Beyonce blared through the speakers.

'Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh, oh, no, no.'

"I learned that today in my sex class." I said to Roy, who was looking at me longingly, propping his head over his hand.

"That sounds sexy." He replied.

'You got me lookin' so crazy, my baby.'

I moved my body in dance moves and touched myself on my neck, chest, torso. Longing for his touch. Begging him to touch.

He lifted his head in amazement and hunger and sat at the edge of the bed.

I walked towards him, and he held me hastily around his arms and kissed me passionately, wildly.

'Baby, your love's got the best of me. Your love's got the best of me.'

He hastily opened my blouse and pulled off his t-shirt and belt, and helped him get his pants off.

"Why do you wear bras?" He asked irritatedly as he tried to get them off.

I clutched his hands to stop him, and he looked at me bewildered.

"These two," I said, pointing at my breasts, "are to be kept in cages, because if not, they will bring chaos and destruction to this world." I said scholarly.

"Then let's destroy the world." He said, unhooking my bra.

Then paying considerate kisses and sucking and biting to each of them, he kissed me again.

Then I turned, dropped him on the bed under me, and crouched over his body.

By the looks of his eyes, I knew I got him by surprise.

Pushing my hair to one side, I bent to kiss him like I meant it, letting my hands go wild with his hair. Then I kissed his neck, his chest, biting on his nipples like he did with mine, yet I doubted it did the same wonders to him that he did to me.

'You got me sprung, and I don't care who sees 'Cause, baby, you got me, you got me, oh you got me, you got me...'

I went downer and traced his waistline through my tongue and heard him gasp.

Then I pulled down his underwear and caressed his beauty with my hand, and watched him grab the hem of the pillow.

I traced it with my hands and then kissed the tip, then traced him again with my lips.

"Stop teasing me, Scarlet." He groaned and giggled.

I pinched him inside his thigh and, as he jumped, took him in my mouth to give him the pleasure that erection sought.

'I look and stare so deep in your eyes. I touch on you more and more every time.'

I heard him gasp and moan, calling out 'Oh Scarlet' in his sweet, sexy voice.

Then he wildly pulled him up and got himself inside me, uniting our bodies, our souls, making us a whole.

'When you leave, I'm begging you not to go.

Call your name two, three times in a row.

Such a funny thing for me to try to explain

How I'm feeling and my pride is the one to blame

'Cause I know I don't understand

Just how your love can do what no one else can

Got me looking so crazy right now, your love's Got me looking so crazy right now (your love)

Got me looking so crazy right now, your touch Got me looking so crazy right now (your touch)

Got me hoping you'll page me right now, your kiss Got me hoping you'll save me right now

Looking so crazy, your love's Got me looking, got me looking so crazy in love.'

******

He stayed there naked, entwined in each other's naked body. Roy rested his chin on my head and played with fingers, kissing my hand occasionally.

"Rosa gave me away. She told Rover where I was." I confessed.

He turned to look at me and clutched my hands reassuringly.

"Yes, I learned that yesterday. Rover told me everything."

"He doesn't seem like a shitty brother," I said.

"He isn't one. And he wasn't a shitty person. But time changed him, so I don't trust his future brotherhood either."

Then he got up and wore his clothes. We were running out of time. Time allowed to us by Rover!

"I might not be able to come tomorrow. Rosa has disappeared completely after she talked to Rover, so I have to search for her. But don't worry, I will send Singh." He finished, and I couldn't help raise my eyebrows.

"What? You do know they'll be putting me in closed walls in a slutty dress and would prefer him to touch me." I said sitting up.

"You'll be okay. I trust that guy with my life." He said, buckling his belt.

"I learned the hard way not to trust anyone blindly." I exhaled.

He made a sorry face and came to kiss me.

"You fought off my men and managed to run away. You have Rover and me entwined around your finger. You are practically a goddess. And Singh is quite talented in being a detective and has experience in secret operations. He'll help in brainstorming ideas with your revenge thing. And I want to say don't make this all very risky, but you being you, I better not. All I say is, we can still get him simply arrested."

"I know," I replied smiling.

"And here," he said, giving me a device with just a button. "Click this if you feel any kind of danger."

Then he leaned in to whisper, "I trust Singh with my life, not yours."

Then, kissing me again, he went for the door.

"By the way, you can keep the diary. Everything's written in it is about you anyway." He said pointing at the diary.

"Hey, Roy!" I called out.

I was done being betrayed by the people I love.

"If you see Rosa, tell her you and I had sex!"