You Will Be Mine(2)

My parents had always been rich, well-respected, churchgoing pillars of the community. They were also selfish and manipulative pieces of work. My childhood was a filled with memories of nothing but pain and anguish. Everything I did was a sin. Every thought I had was a sin.

They tried bringing me up to their standard of living, but I could never be moulded. From the time I was a little girl, I had possessed an independent streak, so it never worked. Even when my dad decided to beat some sense into me and my mother let him, I never once faltered. She would resort to reading passages from the Bible in an effort to excuse the level of abuse I was made to suffer.

That is what brought me to the point in my life where I was completely cut off from my past and sitting in a posh office, which was situated in an actual castle. It helped that I had a very rich auntie who was willing to aid me in setting it all up.

Trudy was a silent partner in this little venture, and although what we did was unconventional, we made lots of money doing it. At the end of the day, sex sells, and our rich clients were willing to pay top dollar for high-class girls. Sure, we have had our ups and downs, but there hasn’t been anything I couldn’t handle. For example, one situation I had to deal with resulted in me punching one of my clients.

Well, he had tried to rough up one of my girls. I didn’t care that he had paid us lots of money or that he was a VIP. The fact remained that he had tried to rough up my girl, and that was never going happen in my house. Not ever.

This was one of the reasons why I was sought after. I always had at least a few girls lined up, waiting to join my troops—but only the best would make it. Before joining, they would be tested and sent through rigorous checks before they could make the cut.

Our clients underwent the same process. We only served the best—for the best. People appreciated our high standards, and they loved us because of our discretion. If anyone ever asked, this was just a hotel, and the only shenanigans that took place were done behind closed doors. We were strict, confidential, and tolerated absolutely no nonsense.

I must admit, there was something quite rewarding about owning my own business. I knew mine was a little bit risqué, but I was still a businesswoman nonetheless. My girls were all well cared for and clean. They respected me and came to me for help when needed—which was what I was there for.

I had a house filled with the most cherished girls, and it was because I made damn sure of it. I cared for and respected every single one of them. I offered them a roof over their heads—if they had need of it—and food on the table whilst they were there. They never wanted for anything.

I had around forty girls on my books, and twelve of them lived with me in that grand castle of mine. God, would my parents flip if they ever saw me!

Everything here was kitted out like a royal hotel, and I was proud of it. So was my auntie. The only major problem I was having was Luca Belatoni. He was some hotshot who had recently moved nearby from New Jersey.

Oh was he bad news! He’d been trying—and failing—to send his little troops over here to demand money for his protection and discretion. I’d already told them a few times to go run and jump. The idiot who came for the last visit just smiled and said, “I shall pass along your request to Mr. Belatoni. No doubt, you will be hearing from him soon.”

Three days after that visit, I still hadn’t heard from him. Hopefully, he would leave me in peace, but something was telling me that it wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. I wasn’t going to give into bullying, though. I never had with my parents, and I never would with that arsehole.

“Clara?” Tammy’s head peaked around the door, interrupting my thoughts.

“Hi, Tammy. What can I do for you?”

Tammy shuffled her way through the door and took a seat opposite my desk. “I have a problem. I don’t think I can do this anymore. I’ve met someone.” Tammy looked down at her feet.

This would be the second girl in one month I’d lost—the second to have fallen in love. I wasn’t stupid. People could only be in this kind of game for so long. It still didn’t make it any easier when we lost one of them.

“I can’t say I’m not disappointed. You’re one of our best, Tammy.”

“I love you, Clara. You mean the world to me, and I’ve been trying my hardest to hold this job as long as I could, but the thing is… John’s asked me to marry him.”

Swinging in my seat a little, I took in everything she had said. “Does John know about what you do?”

Tammy looked down at her feet again. “No, and I don’t want him to know. I think it would cut him up pretty badly if he knew. That’s why I feel I can’t do it anymore. I want to settle down with John, and I can’t do that with a job like this.”