WHEN NIGHT BREAKS

MEETING MR REYNOLDS

Her head snapped up to see a bare-chested man, muscled and lithe, looking to be in his late thirties with a pair of blue jeans riding low on his hips, saunter in from one of the rooms. The edge in his voice was palpable. It felt like someone hanging on a precipice and wouldn’t need much to be pushed over the edge and reap grievous consequences.

There was a curvy girl hanging onto his arm, her lipstick smudged and with a thoroughly washed-out appearance, yet couldn’t stop giggling. It looked like she was high on something. His untidy mass of brown hair made her almost shut her eyes to the mental images that ran through her mind of what he’d just done with the girl.

He had laser blue eyes that could literally cut through a timber. Emma felt the full effect of them as he speared her with a knowing look. He knew she was uncomfortable with his state of undress but could care less.

Colin saw an elegantly dressed lady most likely in her mid-twenties with striking features. Her pale blond hair was pulled back in a pony tail, some rich tresses had escaped to frame her oval face. Her skin was almost translucent, looking like it hadn’t tasted the sun in a good while. Brown eyes radiating chastity peered up at him from a pair of misshapen glasses hanging delicately on her nose. There was something else there, lurking in the corners of the eyes, something like fear and trust mixed up in different proportions.

What did she take him for? A messiah to rescue a damsel in distress? Why did she need to act like a scaredy rabbit with its savior nearby? He’d seen when Drago had brought her in, unconscious. He knew she was one of those cheap ladies who pretended to hold a high class in the society. He could just imagine what trouble she’d gotten herself into while working as an escort to one of those big- time CEOs. Maybe the wife found out and orchestrated her kidnap. She must be kind to have had her dumped in the brothel instead of eliminating her. Or it was just an off-day for the the hit-man. Favourably so.

“And what do we have here?” Colin mocked. Emma felt her hackles rise at his sour tone. He said ‘what’ like she was a thing to be acquired. This man that looked at her like a fish caught in the net was doing something funny to her. Her insides pooled with emotions foreign to her. She felt disgusted at her obvious attraction to a man who saw her as a thing.

“Mr Reynolds, this is your newest bounty” Miss M purred. Emma was amazed at the sudden change in her. The business-like, comported woman she’d fancied an ally had transformed to an air-headed blonde pandering to this man, chuckling with bright spots in her cheeks. She’d hastily returned to the dining room, her minions in tow. “Drago get her things into the car, Mr Reynolds would be leaving soon”

“Hold up, wait a minute. What did you just say?” It was all moving too fast for Emma. “Where am I going? I demand to be taken home this minute”

“You demand nothing pet. I call the shots here”, Colin declared. His voice slick and powerful. “…and I demand that you pick your things and get into the car this instant. I’m parked right outside and my driver is waiting”

Emma assessed the faces around her for some clues, wondering when someone would suddenly burst into peals of laughter and tell her it was all a prank. But they were all stone-faced, watching her like she was the real joke. Rachel had a sad look on her face as she watched her in pity.

“Miss M, do you really think she’s ready for this?” she muttered. “Maybe, he should take Princess instead”

“Princess is boring. Besides I need something more permanent” Colin said nonchalantly. “Besides this here is prettier”. They were discussing her like she was an item to be sold. Emma was gradually adjusting to her fate, so it didn’t come as a surprise when Miss M snapped at Rachel for trying to upset the balance and spoil an outstanding purchase.

“Mr Reynolds already paid for her, IN FULL” she emphasized, all the while glaring at Rachel”..and our customers get what they want. No cheating, remember?”

All became quiet on the Western Front. Everyone had got the message. Even the item. Whose existence as a living or non-living item was still in question, courtesy of Colin.

“Oh my God, this isn’t happening” Emma groaned, putting her head in her laps. Life was beautiful, if she forgot the fact that her step-mom hated her and her dad wanted their relationship kept secret. He’d handed over a branch of the company in Louisiana to her with the hopes that she’d stay as far away as possible from her step brothers and sisters. It gutted her that being the product of true love-her mum and dad in high school- could bring such pain and shame. Nonetheless, she did a good job of keeping her head above the water when she actually quadrupled the profits of the company. Her father was pleased with her performance, he’d got her a car and a mansion which she was desperate to return to just for a few moments of rest before she set a plan in motion to catch her kidnapper.

“Heads up pet” Colin ordered. “I have a proposition for you”.

“Can we be friends? And I promise to go easy on you”, he said in a silky tone.

Emma’s ears perked up. “What do you mean ‘go easy’?” she asked, curious.

Miss M’s lips twitched at her obvious innocence. Others had a myriad of emotions ranging from guilt to pity, playing on their faces.

Colin tucked his hands in his jeans, assuming a nonchalant pose, but in stark contrast to the feelings running through him. Her innocence posed a serious threat to him. He needed a target to smash, to conquer.

“Alright you have it then. Be my slave that I bought with a worthy price and you’ll remember this moment when I gave you a choice”, he said bitterly. This way was much better anyway. No mercy and no chance of anyone getting under his skin.