Enduring the Storm

Chapter 3 The Lawyer

Brooke's POV

After wandering into my work to get the ok from my boss, with the help from this private investigator and his legal forms proving just that. I quickly follow this strange and oddly pushy man out of the strip club. He is on his phone talking about me faster than I very thought he would be. "I have her.. call everyone.. we will be there soon enough." He hangs up the call before leading me over to the motorcycle that he has.

He gets onto his bike as he says, "You can just follow me to the place. Stay close though." He says as I look down at the ground, feeling embarrassed about this realization that I can't even do that. "I.. can't." I say to him as he rolls his eyes at my embarrassment, making me even regret even saying anything. To top this moment off, he then has to look down on me like everyone else as he then spats, "And.. Why not? You better not be changing your mind."

I shake my head feeling the anger building within me by every word filled with attitude that comes from his mouth, then being spat at me. So I can't help the anger in my tone and probably words since he created this within me by being here and not leaving me alone, let alone leaving the attitude at home. I quickly point behind me to my car as I snap back at him. "You don't have to be an ash*le to me.. My car.. It broke down here last night.. So I obviously can't drive it to wherever you're planning on taking me." he lets out a deep breath, sounding even more annoyed with my words, before he takes his helmet off and shoves the hard helmet into my chest, causing me to groan out. My arms wrap around it automatically before I instantly try to hand it back.

I shake my head, not wanting to take it, nor ride with him. I don't even want to do this with him, let alone touch him. I wouldn't touch a rude, dehumanizing man like this with a ten-foot pole, but he does not like that response. "Come on.. seriously? I want to get my money." he snaps as I snap back. "So?" I watch his jaw clench as he glares daggers at me. "So.. I need to make sure you get to this place safe and sound before I can get paid. Now get on this bike of your own doing or I will make you." He snaps, losing all impatience with me. I barely want to do this with him so the more he pushes the more it makes me want to go right back to work.

Luckily for him, I am very curious about what is left to me and even why something would be left to me of all people. So I want to go only for those reasons. Curiosity somehow always gets the best of me. Once again, I feel pressure to my chest since he keeps pushing the helmet into it, just insisting with his eyes that I need to take it. My eyes roll automatically from his actions before I relieve his stress by readjusting the helmet in my hands and slipping it on my head.

He adjusts his body to make sure there is room for me on his bike, before I drape myself behind him on the back of it. He doesn't give me any warning before he takes off and starts our ride.. I panicked as I quickly wrapped my arms around him, just to hold on tight, hoping I don't fall off. For someone who needs to get me there in one piece, he really doesn't care if I get hurt or not on this drive. He speeds through each street, between each car and running through red lights and even stop signs. So, I guess he doesn't care that there are any traffic laws because he doesn't acknowledge them one bit.

We keep going until we drive out of the city, and I'm starting to get weary about him and his intentions at this rate because I have no idea where I am going. He keeps going until we get to this long driveway that is only surrounded by huge trees, not showing where we are headed at all. They are not even showing what is around this property because of the walls of trees that are intricately put up to ensure privacy on this property. It's somehow keeping the sounds out as well as if we are in some type of silent bubble. I keep looking around but don't see the city at all, no neighbors, not even scenery.. let alone recognize anything around, which is almost terrifying. It's as if we are in another world.

The only redeeming thing about all of this, that's making me feel slightly better. Is that the closer to the end of this driveway that we get, the more of a house I can see.. and it is beautiful. The trees thin out only slightly, exposing a bigger roundabout parking area in front of this house that is circling around this huge fountain. I know I have seen something similar to this sight in a movie, or maybe it was a hotel in the city that I was thinking of.. I'm not sure but all I know is that this is an extravagant property. I wonder how many people live here in this house? Well, now that I see it, I can tell that it's not a house I guess, but a mansion or hotel.. whatever you want to look at it as.

There are a couple of very expensive cars outside of it, I have only seen these types of cars in commercials or on display in the car dealership. And yet here they are parked one after the other, automatically showing the amount of money every person here already has, that they can easily dispose of without a second thought. My eyes keep bouncing all over the property, I feel that the place is growing the closer I get. How big is this place?

We get to the front as he finally stops us, but my stomach hasn't caught up yet. I slowly step off of the bike as my eyes stay glued to the huge house that I find myself standing frozen on its doorstep. I can't help but to take in the details of the carvings on the outside of the wooden doorway, along with each precisely carved statue that is placed around the entrance, looking as if they are put there to guard it. I don't feel any safer seeing them out there, but it makes me even more curious about what is inside since this is what the outside looks like.

The man walks up beside me as he pushes me with his arm that is extended behind my back. "Come on.. they are waiting." He spats this, sounding as if he is tired of waiting on me when I was the one waiting on him right now. "Are you sure you have the right place?" I ask him as he scoffs. "I'm good at my job.. I know what I am looking for and definitely know who is paying me.. Hiring a private investigator is not cheap, but these people did it.. and they did it for you, just so this meeting could take place.. Now, don't get cold feet on me." He states still pushing me as the doors opened, exposing a man who keeps opening them as if they were expecting us, and maybe they were, since I know he called someone, but I didn't know whom he sparked that short conversation with.

When we walked through the threshold, I'm in total shock since the inside seems so much bigger than the outside was portraying. I have never seen such a place. It looks ancient but preserved perfectly. I'm afraid to touch anything because I don't want to taint anything with my cheap hands that have never been able to afford anything more than a thrifted item.

"Come on.. hurry.. they are waiting." He says to me, still pushing me past the maids that are bowing slightly with confusion on their faces as they stare at me. They are probably just paid to bow like this around the guests of this place, but I bet they can tell with just one glance that I am nothing like the people they work for. I keep walking until we come to an abrupt stop, grabbing my attention. The large, dark wooden doors in front of us are closed so they stop us in our tracks. The man leans over me and knocks as the next set of humongous doors are opened without hesitation. I can smell the strong scent of wood that fills this next room, which makes sense because every bit of furniture looks like it was crafted from the same tree.

My eyes ping from one item to the next until I notice that this room has 5 other people in it. They all stare over at us as we enter, exposing that there are two people around my age, maybe a little younger. A woman that is slightly older than me, along with another woman who looked to be right around my mother's age if she was still alive.. Then a man behind the desk that seems to be separating the room in half. He looks like he must be the one running everything.

Everyone in here stops talking the instant we step foot into the room, so the dead silence fills the area as their eyes just stay glued onto me. I understand why, because I am nothing like them and stick out like a sore thumb.. But that doesn't take away the nervousness that I feel in this moment, it just increases it. Sucking in the air for my lungs is not helping, just making me want to turn and run away.. I am starting to regret coming here.

"So glad you could join us.. we have been anxiously awaiting your arrival.. please have a seat." The man behind the desk says this with so much excitement, staring over at me, as he extends his arm to show me the available chair. but I quickly notice that he is the only one that has any excitement in his tone or features for me. That is obvious by the looks on everyone's faces around me saying otherwise.

"Who the hell is that?" The girl that is maybe younger than me asks this with a distaste in her mouth as she glares daggers at me. "Now, now, Sylvania.. this is the girl I was telling you about.. be nice." The man states as if he is talking to his daughter. She huffs out while crossing her arms but luckily for me she shuts up, but that doesn't seem to stop the glaring. "What the hell is she wearing?" the guy that is also around my age and at her side says this right before they both glare at me. I feel more self-conscious about this comment as I make sure that my hoodie is still covering up my body as much as it can by pulling the bottom of it down to make it look almost the length of a short dress.

But the booty shorts I originally put on shows so much, that no matter how big this sweater is, I will still be showing some skin. Making me feel so exposed as if I am naked out here, when I know I am not. These people just look very conservative and probably would never be caught dead in my neck of the woods. So no wonder they look offended as if I am not meant to be here and I feel that same way, as if I am trespassing.

I swallow the nervous lump in my throat as the man behind the desk loudly states, demanding attention from everyone. "Ok everyone needs to stop this judgement.. we are all here for the same reasons. Besides I'm the lawyer here and the one entrusted to run everything.. So let's stop being rude and just take care of this." The room turns silent once more as my eyes continue to bounce around the room not trusting a single person in this place.