Chapter 14
Z A R A
I had managed to slip out of Alejandro's grasps that night to take a shower and change into a fresh pair of pajamas.
I did cover Alejandro with a blanket before settling down in my own room.
"I let him–I let him touch me so intimately without putting up a fight... I really am worthless, aren't I?" A single tear slides down my cheek. After that day, I didn't see Alejandro for almost a week. He didn't even bother calling or texting to check up on me. It shouldn't bother me but it did, it slightly bothered me. I texted him a few days ago but received no response. But overall, I felt more relieved that I can wind down more instead of always being uptight and on edge.
On a better note. I found out the housekeeper's name and she speaks to me for more than a minute.
"Say, Charlotte, how long have you known Sir?" I ask as I eat breakfast.
"Boss hired me a couple of years back to tend to his home since he's a busy man. And now, I also tend to you, Ma'am," she answers.
"Please, call me Zara," I tell her for the hundredth time.
"Ma'am, you know I'm not allowed to move a finger without Boss' permission. That includes how I refer to you in his presence and when he's not around," she explains again.
I sigh, I know exactly what she's talking about. I wouldn't want her getting in trouble. "Do you know where he might be?" I ask quietly.
She shakes her head, "No, I wouldn't know, sorry. There are times he's gone for months. With his work, no one knows where or what he's up to most of the time."
I frown, I don't know why it's bothering me so much that I don't know where he is. Maybe I'm anxious about the thought of his presence in the house again. Who will he be when he's back? Evil? Gentle?
"Um, I think Frank may know something about Boss' whereabouts. If you're allowed, you may contact him to ask," she recommends. I'm sure he's watching through those creepy indoor security cameras, he has to be, right?
"Thank you, Charlotte!" I smile.
After Charlotte leaves, I check through my phone to see who's on my contact. If I'm allowed to contact Frank, his number would be on my phone. There are a couple of unfamiliar names in contacts, "Frank!" I say out loud when I find his name.
I send him a text: Hi, Frank! It's Zara. I was wondering if you know when Sir might be coming home? I contacted him a couple of days ago but received no response and was just wondering. Thank you!
A few minutes later, I receive a text.
It's from Alejandro.
Alejandro: miss me, my love?
My heart drops. One thing became clear, I was definitely anxious about his arrival, I must've mistaken it for missing him. I quickly think of what to reply with.
Zara: I was just wondering when you'd be back.
Alejandro: there's no need for you to be shy. It's quite alright to let me know that you're missing me.
This son of a—
Alejandro: I'll have Frank bring you to me tonight. I want you to meet a few people. Refrain from wearing your undergarments, unless you're eagerly desiring to be punished.
I gulp. I should've left it. I shouldn't have reached out to find out about his whereabouts.
Zara: Yes, Sir.
Alejandro: Good girl. I'll see you at 8:00 PM sharp.
I'm so stupid. I'm so stupid. I'm so stupid.
The underwear part was the only specific instruction he gave, which means I just need to wear pants that will make me feel the least uncomfortable.
• • •
Since there weren't any specific instructions for my outfit, I chose a grey top, black pants, and a black, long cardigan to cover up with. "It's chilly outside anyways," Fall is fast approaching as the trees that were just green last week are now slowly turning red.
The airiness underneath my pants is quite uncomfortable. I packed a pair of underwear in my purse, just in case but I really feel like dropping dead. This isn't only out of my comfort zone, it makes me feel anxious to the point of throwing up.
I wrap a reddish-brown scarf around my head, letting it glide down my shoulder.
"Front door open," the automated voice announces. That must be Frank.
"The car is waiting outside. Whenever you're ready, Ma'am," Frank says loudly.
Ma'am? Whatever happened to call me 'lady' Either way, I haven't seen him in a while.
I excitedly leave my room to greet him when my smile falters, "Frank... a-are you okay?"
His left eye is bruised up really badly with multiple injuries around his arms and face. The slashes across his skin look gruesome and almost deadly.
"I'm fine," he answers in his usual monotone.
"You don't look... fine," I choose my words carefully.
"It happens all the time on the job. It's nothing to concern yourself over," his eyes soften just slightly at my concern for him. "If you're ready, we should head out. Boss isn't fond of lateness."
As we drive through the busy streets of New York City, I finally ask Frank where we're headed.
"Boss' club," he answers.
"Club? As in nightclub?" I ask.
"No, I meant chess club," he says quite sarcastically.
I let out a short giggle, "I was hoping it'd be a chess club."
"Lady, it is a nightclub," he says to make sure I'm not confused.
"I'm glad you haven't forgotten the nickname you gave me," I laugh.
"Nickname?" He sounds confused.
"Lady–you always refer to me as 'lady'," my lips form into a small smile.
"I hadn't noticed," he mutters. "Is it offensive?"
"No, no!" I quickly say. "It's rather... humane in such an inhuman circumstance."
After about 20 minutes of driving, we finally stop in front of a building with a neon sign that says La Notte Drago.
The symbol on the sign resembles very closely the ring that Alejandro had gifted me, which is heavily sitting around my finger as a grim reminder of my reality.
"La Notte Drago?" The words sound underwhelming once I say them.
"It's pronounced La Notte Drago," Frank corrects me and says it with a much more accurate accent, which sounds way more beautiful. "It roughly translates to 'the night dragon' in Italian."
"Ah, makes sense, I guess," I shrug.
The building itself is nothing too flashy or grabbing too much attention. In fact, it doesn't look like much from the outside. However, there's an extremely long trail of people lined up to go inside.
Frank looks at his wristwatch and curses under his breath, "Fuck, I'm 15 minutes late."
He quickly gets out of the driver's side and runs around the car to open my door, "We're going to need to pick up our pace. Boss ain't going to be happy about this."
"It's only 15 minutes. We're not late for an appointment or anything," I mumble.
"Try explaining that to him before he pulls out a Glock," he says curtly.
I gulp, he's right. Alejandro's anything but understanding. He's extremely nitpicky about his instructions and how they're followed. Frank leads me to the door, where the intimidating bouncer is obviously confused about me.
"Who's this young lady, Frank?" He asks.
Frank leans in to whisper about my identity, I guess. And the bouncer's eyes immediately widen
.
"I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting, Ma'am," he slightly bows his head in apology. "I wasn't informed beforehand. Please, head inside and enjoy your night."
"No, no! It's okay! No need to apologize!" I feel a bit embarrassed. On top of this, I can feel the stares of everyone in line; some are confused, some are angry, and some are envious but none of the stares are any good. I don't blame them, from their perspective, this can be confusingly frustrating. They might've been in line for hours while I get a free pass even though I'm not here for the original purpose of being at a club.
"This way, lady," Frank asks me to follow him and stay close by. The place is large, you wouldn't guess it was this big from the outside. It's dark, with neon lights reflecting off of everyone and everything as deafening music blares from the speakers surrounding the whole place. Everyone looks like they're enjoying themselves, no one even glanced over at me, thankfully. With what I'm wearing, I could've attracted awkward looks from every single person in this room.
It could've been worst, I think to myself.
Frank leads me through the crowd, up a short number of stairs until we reach a door. It's a private room. He opens the door, where I'm greeted by an unsettling moment.
"I asked for you to be present by 8:00 PM," Alejandro's stern voice cuts through the stuffy air. "It's now 8:15 PM. I despise people who are unpunctual–does this call for another punishment?"
- - -
