Zeke's Rule(11)

“No one deserves to be raped.”

She stayed silent.

“Let me see if I get this right, you were young when you met him, right? He wowed you with a car and a lifestyle that impressed you. You’d never seen a man with confidence before, and he just blew your little world apart. He was patient, caring, and sweet, until he took that cherry of yours. I’d say six months to a year, he started to change, ask you for favors. Before long, he was passing you around and getting money—earning off your ass. At first, you did it because you loved him, and then when you realized what was happening, you started to fight.”#p#分页标题#e#

“How did you know?”

“He’s a small time pimp. It’s how they work, and I’ve taken in a lot of women with the same story.”

“You’re a pimp as well.”

“Yes, but I don’t lure young women, girls really, by manipulating them. The women come to me, I protect them.”

“You don’t beat them?”

“Not if they’re loyal to me and accept my rules.”

“If they don’t?”

“They get punished.”

Alessandria looked toward the dance floor. “You have a busy life.”

“I do.”

“What are you going to do with me?”

“I want you to answer my questions honestly.”

“I’ll try.”

“Do you want this lifestyle, being with many men, servicing their needs, and getting paid for it?”

Alessandria shook her head, closing her eyes. Gerald had told her to be good and make money. She wasn’t allowed to spend any of the money she made; he wanted everything she earned.

“You’re not here of your own free will. Who sent you?”

“I can’t tell you; he’ll kill me.”

“Sweetheart, whoever you’re protecting is a fucking coward. A real man stands up. They don’t send a woman in to do a man’s job.”

His cell phone went off, and Alessandria tensed. With Gerald, when his cell phone went off, it meant she had to work. She hated phones.

“That was quick. Yes. Okay. Where. Okay. Fine. Payment will be on its way.” Zeke closed his phone, and turned back to her. “I know enough.”

Her eyes widened.

“You were taken from a small time pimp Gerald Book. He’s known for taking underage girls and putting them to work.”

“How?”

“I have many contacts. You were expected to work here for him, send him money, and when you were finished, you were going back to him.”

Alessandria nodded. God, that was the truth; her world, her life. “I can’t leave. He’ll hurt me.”

“I’m bigger than he’ll ever be. I’m hunting him down as we speak. I’ll be dealing with him. Until then, you’re coming to my house.”

“What? Gerald has a lot of friends. He’ll kill me. Please, put me to work.”

“No.” He released her chin and sat back behind his desk. “My word is final; and no matter how many friends Gerald has, I have a lot more.”

She watched as he typed something on his computer, and the printer off to the far right spilled out a piece of paper. Zeke took the paper, read through it, and folded it up before sliding it inside his jacket.

“Come on, it’s time for us to go.”

“Please,” she said, trying one final time to get him to listen. She’d never heard of Zeke before, but she’d felt Gerald’s wrath. He was a mean bastard if he wasn’t obeyed. She’d seen what he did to another woman who’d tried to get away. Alessandria had been forced to watch as he made all of his men use her. The woman had been held down as each man took turns with her. It didn’t matter that she screamed for help. The woman hadn’t lasted the night; after the final man took his pleasure for the third time, Gerald had walked up and slit her throat.

“Disobey me and I’ll make sure your death is a hundred times worse.”

Zeke took her arm and led her out of the club. Alessandria stayed quiet as men passed him. The respect each man had for him shocked her. Gerald didn’t have respect but fear. He was known for being unstable.#p#分页标题#e#

But despite knowing that, fearing that, she was going to find a way out, a way to escape.

The man holding her had respect as well as fear, and it showed. He was powerful. She didn’t want to hope that he’d save her, that her future would be saved because of him. Alessandria had hoped and prayed before, to no avail.

He led her out of the back of the club and placed her in the back of a car.

“Aren’t you going to cover my face?” she asked when the car started to move.