AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Dag gave me an understanding nod, then asked, “Precious, who is ‘she’?”
“My mammy,” Elle cried. “I’m not supposed to speak of her.” As if that was the most painful request, she leaned into the tree and hugged it. “I’ve mentioned her three times, but you guys haven’t yelled at me for it.”
Pops whispered, “Mother of God, what a soul you delivered us.”
No matter how badly I wanted to gut those who had harmed my woman, I wanted her more. I stepped forward to be at her back, then I kissed her hair. My voice shook, but I managed, “You can continue to speak to us about your mammy anytime you want.”
Eventually, Elle released the tree. She asked me for a kiss, then we held hands all the way back to the truck. The cry must have helped her. She felt… calmer, like she had released part of her emotional storm.
Back on the road, Dad started handing out new cell phones. Noticing Elle’s reaction, he told her, “I assumed you wanted another since we tossed yours.”
Staring at the new phone in her hand, she admitted, “This was how I learned how sad my life was. People are addicted to phones. Mine provided knowledge that I was better without.”
That statement confusing me, I said, “I’m surprised you were even given a cell phone at all.”
Holding her new one, she exhaled. “I didn’t have one at first, of course. And, once I did, for the longest time, it lacked all the perks most have. My cell was very restricted. I could only call certain people—Lorenzo and security. It was only given to me when he was out of town, when he didn’t take me with him. He, uh, needed to hear my voice.”
Him leaving her alone, at all, surprised me. “He trusted you alone?”
“Oh, no. I was either locked in his bedroom, in a room on the boat, or escorted by armed men to where I was allowed to go. Not to mention, there were cameras everywhere.”
Dagger asked, “Is that how he treated all the trafficked girls?”
Her voice and body were solemn. “No. None were kept besides me.”
I watched as Pops pulled on his goatee in thought.
After a quiet moment, I asked Elle, “How old are you now?”
“From what I’ve been told, twenty-five.”
Pops asked, “You don’t know the year you were born?”
“No. There were no calendars or clocks in our room at Da’s.”
The truck went so quiet, I could hear the wheels under us gripping the road.
Pops shook his head. “Elle… living in such restricted conditions, how did you manage to ever own a club?”
Her voice went cold as she stared out a window. “As I got older, I smartened up and learned of my power.”
Shudders broke out over my body as I heard Elle’s attitude make an appearance. I could almost hear her past defiance as she said, “It soon became clear Lorenzo needed me more than I needed him. That made me angry. He had lied, convincing me I had nowhere else to go. Once I knew better, pleasing him was no longer a priority. Freedom was. Physically, it wasn’t an option, but mentally? I understood I could shut him out. With my mind. The more I pulled away, the more he offered. The more I denied his caring gestures, the more he chased. The more I hated him, the more he wanted me. My body wasn’t all he wanted, and I had already refused him my heart. So, he decided to force something else. Something that would trap me to him forever. In marriage, I would be promising God to give my soul to Lorenzo.” Her head lolled back in an exhausted manner. “Lorenzo already took all I had physically and destroyed my mental wellbeing. I wasn’t giving him my spirit, too.”
Spirit. That word we had shared punched me in my heart as I started understanding her even more.
Looking forward, she continued, “Even though I had been tricked into the proposal, Lorenzo bought me the club as an engagement gift.” She huffed a false laugh. “Can you imagine? A gift that included me busting my ass and never getting paid for it. Hence me getting some restrictions lifted off my phone. I needed internet for remodeling the building and taking care of certain business stuff.” Her tone deepened. “Not that I minded the work since it kept me extremely busy, but the knowledge the internet offered told me what I am—was… a slave.”
Vice asked, “Ever try to run?”
“No. I wanted to die by my own hands. Not by Lorenzo or the guards always following me around.”
Pops asked, “So, you ran his club?”
“Yep, along with a manager with a degree. Supposedly, I was the ‘owner,’ according to what Lorenzo spread around to the media.”
Light bulbs were going on in my head. “The pics Pops saw online. All this is making so much more sense now.”
Her nostrils flared. “At first, I tried to lie to myself and believe that Devil’s Cave was truly mine. But I no longer could when he was tired of me not being at his beck-and-call. To remind me of my place, he…” she blew out a shaky breath, “raped me in front of the whole security team.”
