14 Months 01: Halloween

"I can do this much at least," she complained.

"I'm not leaving you here until you are sitting," he indicated the toilet with a nod of his head and enjoyed her blush as she lowered her panties at the same time as she lowered herself to the seat. For a whore, she was quite shy about her body or maybe just her bathroom habits. "Do not get up until I come back for you, do you understand?" he asked.

"This is ridiculous," Sophie moaned.

"Ridiculous as it may seem, it's necessary so that you don't fall and get a nasty bump to that pretty head of yours," he admonished. "Promise me you will stay put until I return for you."

"Okay, fine, just go, please," she snapped irritably making him raise an eyebrow at her which she ignored and turned her face away.

Darius walked to the other door joining this room to his, the room they would share once she understood why she was here and signed the contract. He could still hear her if she got up and moved around, but he moved quickly regardless to gather some soft sleep shorts and a tank top from the small cache of clothes that he had already organised for her stay at this house. Then he returned to the bathroom to begin running the bath for her before re-joining her. He smiled down at her and bent to lift her again despite her protest of it not being necessary and took her to sit on the vanity bench next to the sink.

"There is quite a bit you don't remember from the club last night after your attacker was ejected. It will probably come back to you in time and knowing this, and because I would like to gain your trust, it is in my best interests to tell you the whole truth, as I know it. Will you promise to remain calm and remember that no harm will come to you here," he asked, looking into her eyes.

"This doesn't sound like something I want to hear," she said watching him take a packet of makeup removal pads from the drawer beside her legs. "Please let me do this," she said, reaching for the packet.

"If you like, although I don't mind doing it," he handed over the packet. "Cross your legs," he said and picked Sophie up spinning her around, so she was facing the mirror. He held back his chuckle at her widened eyes as she took in how dishevelled she looked for the first time that morning. She finger-combed her hair and set about removing the makeup from her face while he stood directly behind her, pressing his chest against her back as he prepared to tell her why she was here.

"I was brought up in the foster care system until I reached the age of thirteen when I was given a scholarship to a private academy. There I met the five men who would become my lifelong brothers. We own a transport company that spans the nation and is successful enough to make us very wealthy men in the public eye. Privately we also belong to an Alliance who have formed what could best be described as a private security company to protect our interest as well as the other members from anything that could harm our public persona's or businesses," he said by way of introduction.

"Okay," she said, furrowing her brow, thinking that none of what he said had anything to do with her.

"I will get to what happened last night, stay with me and you will discover everything that happened, happened for a reason. It was the Alliance that gave me the scholarship to the Academy as well as a mentor to guide me into manhood. Not every boy offered a scholarship makes it into the Alliance but for those that do it becomes a life long family and they give back the same way they were given a new start to a better life," he paused again as she stopped what she was doing and balled up the makeup pads looking for a bin in which to throw them.

"I'll need to have a shower to get it all off, but at least the raccoon eyes and scary joker mouth are gone," she shrugged.

"Let's get you out of this costume then and into the bath," he said, taking the opportunity to unzip her skirt. "No, I won't let you stand on your own to undress, there is no need to be shy with me. I will not touch you until you are recovered. I'm sure you've taken your clothes off in front of more than a few men at the club," he reminded her that he knew exactly how she made her living.

"I get paid for that," she snapped. She couldn't argue with his logic though so gritting her teeth she took off her blouse turning on the bench so she could let her skirt drop down her legs leaving her white school girl cottontails and bra in place. She tried to push past him so she could walk to the bath, but he remained immovable.

"And the rest, or do you need my assistance?" he asked.

Sophie glared at Darius. It wasn't like she had her phone or wallet or any way to get back to the club where she belonged if she stormed out, not that he would let her storm anywhere. He was holding her hostage here for the moment, and he was right, she had stripped for strangers many times what was one more. She snapped open the clasp to her bra and let it fall from her shoulders, staring at him and daring him to judge her as wanting, but when she looked up all she saw was the heated gaze of want in his eyes, and she shivered. He wanted her. The idea confused her given how she looked right now. She frowned, he said he wouldn't touch her and if he were a man of his word as he had assured her, he wouldn't, which made her feel bolder as she reached down and removed the cotton underwear. To her surprise, he held up the bin for her to deposit them in.

"You won't be wearing those or any part of that costume again," he told her simply at her expression. Then he picked her up and deposited her in the bath with a warning. "Do not fall asleep and drown on me while I continue the story of why you are here with me now." He handed her a basket of toiletries, including a loofah and several soft sponges before continuing his tale.

"Thank you, but just a minute before you start the story again," she said and slid down in the bath ducking her head under the water and running her fingers through her hair to soak it thoroughly. "Okay, go on," she said, wiping the water from her face.

"As well as scholarships and other philanthropic endeavours, the Alliance holds a contest each year. It's a bit antiquated, but the Alliance was formed in the late eighteen-hundreds, so it has become an annual tradition. Thirteen men nominate at the end of each year and at the beginning of the new year they are given monthly challenges to complete with their chosen partner," he said. "The point of this contest is to find an orphan who has suffered through hardship on their own and turned to prostitution or similar occupation and allow them to better their circumstances. The rewards can be great for the girl involved or they can reject what is offered and go back to the life they came from."

"You want me to be part of some contest?" Sophie asked as understanding dawned.

"I want you to let me finish telling you what you need to know before you ask any questions," he said firmly. "The Doctor you saw earlier, Susan was once in the same situation as you before she entered the contest. She earned enough money during her year with the Alliance to put herself through medical school and start the career she had only ever dreamed of when at school. Michelle was one of those who entered the contest but chose to return to what she knew best using her earnings to start her club and become a madam, dabbling in drugs and petty crime on the side until recently."

"Michelle from the club, Michelle?" Sophie couldn't help the question that came out of her mouth in a rush.

"We had been keeping an eye on her as we did for most of the contestants once they moved on with their lives and realised she was getting in very deep financially with a criminal element. Girls began to go missing, not many but now and then one would disappear, and the police do little for a missing prostitute who runs away from their pimp. A few months ago, Michelle reached out to someone she knew in the Alliance saying that she had a true orphan and that she would sell the girl to us for the contest," he said and paused waiting for her to fill in the blanks.

Sophie went white at the implications of what Darius was telling her and to distract herself she picked up the shampoo and began washing her hair. Her neck hurt, and she could only use her left hand because her right shoulder was so sore.

"I am assuming because I didn't witness it, but given the timeline, I can say with reasonable certainty that when that man was kicked out of the club last night, Michelle took advantage of the chaos and brought you down to her office to make sure you were alright or something like that but instead she took you to the backdoor where we were waiting. Here let me help you with that," Darius said and moved toward the head of the bath and wet his hands in the bathwater before massaging her scalp while washing the long strands of her multi-coloured hair.

"It's sore at the back, I can do it," Sophie flinched away from his hands, and he held her in place one hand moving to her shoulder to steady her as she slipped and almost fell to the side.

"Michelle had planned to sell you to me," he said bluntly. "Perhaps it was fortunate it was not one of her criminal friends like the other missing girls. Michelle tried to take the money, and you and she was dealt with. You saw part of that issue and became hysterical, so we gave you an anti-anxiety medication which made you sleep. It didn't mix well with whatever else you had taken last night which is why you slept so long and woke feeling like you had a hangover."

"I didn't take anything else. I rarely even take aspirin because my body doesn't like it," Sophie defended herself. "I usually tell people I'm allergic to anything stronger than basic paracetamol which settles me better than aspirin," she explained. "I guess I should be glad I woke up at all," she said remembering that Darius had been unhappy that she had slept for so long and wanting to put some extra guilt on him for accusing her of taking something else at the club when it was entirely his fault.

"We called in a raid on the club, and the police went in and arrested everyone about an hour after we left. My people had already erased your working history and packed up your belongings so that you wouldn't be prosecuted along with the other girls who worked for Michelle. Even if you didn't believe me and wanted to go back, there is no club to return to now, and Michelle has disappeared," he said with an edge of finality to his voice.

Sophie was stunned. She had been sold to this man, brought to God-knows-where and told she had nowhere else to go. He began rinsing the shampoo from her hair as her mind worked feverishly. She had a little bit of money stashed away in the bank. She'd learned early on that nothing was safe from the other girls in her room. It wasn't nearly enough to make a new life somewhere, but it could get her out of town if she could find where they had put her belongings and find her phone and wallet.

"Sophie, I want you to be my partner for the challenge next year. By the end of that year, you will have enough money to start a new life anywhere you want, have the future you dreamed about as a little girl, or go back to the life you were living with more control over what you do and when," he said putting the reason she was here with him out in the open.

"Your partner? What would that entail exactly?" she asked, wondering if he had read her mind. Her mind continued to work furiously, not seeing that he had left her any choice but to accept his proposition. She was freaking out on in the inside but years of hiding from the people she feared made her stay silent and watchful. She wasn't sure how he would react if she started to panic and freak out. Even if she could run, not that she thought she would get far with her body feeling so sore and lethargic, where would she go if the club was gone? The thought of living on the streets again chilled her and shivered unconsciously.

"Are you cold?" Darius asked rinsing out the conditioner that he had been massaging into her hair. "Come we'll get you dry and dressed into something comfortable while I tell you what it would mean to be my partner in the contest," he said placing the jug on the side of the tub and helping her out of the tub and wrapping her in a towel before lifting her to the vanity bench again to dry her hair.

"Being my partner would mean becoming my girlfriend with everything that entails both in public and private. I would be the only man you would be intimate with during the time we are together. We will attend a monthly dinner with members of the Alliance together and compete in challenges set for us by the ruling council. In exchange, you will be given a sizeable monthly allowance and bonuses paid for any challenge we win. Over the year, we will discuss your future plans and how I can help you make them a reality," he explained. "We would both sign a contract agreeing to the terms, so there were no misunderstandings."

"So, you'll pay me to fuck only you for a year," she snarked.

"Let me be clear," he said in a stern voice. "I will pay you to watch that sassy mouth unless we are alone, like now, which is why you get a pass on that comment. I will pay you to be at my beck and call twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for a year. I'll pay you to look how I would like you to look and wear the wardrobe I provide. I'll pay you to put up with my friends and my work schedule, which invade my personal time more often than I would like. I'll pay you to compete in the challenges given by the Alliance. The fucking, as you put it so eloquently, and trust me there will be a lot of fucking, will be a bonus for both us," Darius said letting his mouth quirk up in a half-smile.

"And how much will you pay me to be available to you and only you, twenty-four hours a day?" she asked, keeping the snark in her voice. If he had taken away all of her other options, she was not going to make this easy for him.

"Ten thousand a month to start with, bonuses for winning challenges, and compensation for inconveniences due to my business or Alliance commitments," he answered easily. "There will be an out clause, and a payout figure should you choose to leave at any time during the year or should I choose to terminate the contract for a breach of the terms. For example, if you fuck anyone else without my approval, I would terminate the contract because that is a non-negotiable need of mine. You should think about what you want from this contract before we sit down to discuss it properly." He turned on the hairdryer and began to brush out the tangles in her hair as he dried it for her saving her having to answer him immediately.

Sophie considered the sum he quoted plus bonuses and wondered how hard she would have to work to make that in a month at the club and then tried to calculate the monthly expenses she would have to take from that. Even if she found a better place to work with a better clientele, she would still have to put up with the freaks and geeks who seemed to be the ones who liked her look. The decent looking normal-seeming guys always went for taller girls or bigger boobs or something that she didn't have. This guy wanted her. She had seen the heat in his eyes while he looked after her.

Her mind froze on that thought. When was the last time anyone besides Michelle gave a damn about her let alone looked after her? She wouldn't have gotten sympathy from any of the girls, or Michelle if she caught a cold let alone feel as bad as she did when she woke up today and this guy had helped her bathe. If he wanted to fuck her, he had every opportunity today, shit she was sitting here in front of him in just a towel while he dried her hair and he wasn't treating her like an available whore. Michelle would never have cared as long as she kept working. An overwhelming sense of sadness came over her at the thought that Michelle would try to sell her. It seemed so unbelievable and she tried to remember what had happened to her the night before, but there was nothing.

Darius saw Sophie's shoulders rise and drop suddenly and turned off the hairdryer smoothing her hair back so he could see her face. Tears welled in her eyes, and he watched as one escaped to track down her cheek. Lifting his hand, he wiped the tear away, brushing his thumb over her cheek. It had been a lot for her to take in but he had to move quickly, not just for his own sanity but for the amount of work they would need to do before the first challenge meeting.

"It's been a long day, and you have a lot to think about," Darius said gently reaching for the clothes he had brought in with him. "Do you need me to help you dress?" he asked.

Sophie shook her head and took the tank top pulling it over her head. Then looked at the shorts and the lack of underwear.

"Underwear might be one of my terms of the agreement she snarked but pulled the shorts up her legs wiggling to the edge of the bench and allowing Darius to help her stand so she could pull them up properly before finally discarding the towel.

"Is that right? Perhaps we can negotiate terms tomorrow," he grinned at her, believing her words were a positive step in the right direction. He picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom where she had she had woken. The bed had been remade and turned down for her, and she sank into the cool crisp linen and soft mattress for a moment before sitting up again as Trent arrived at her door bearing food on the tray.

"How are you feeling now? You look much better," Trent chuckled.

"I would hope so," Sophie rolled her eyes at Trent as he placed the tray over her lap and lifted the lid on a dish of roast beef and vegetables. It had been so long since Sophie had eaten a meal that looked as good as this that she had her cutlery in her hands before a bread roll and butter were revealed on a side plate. "Thank you this looks amazing," Sophie said as she sliced a piece of roast pumpkin and popped it into her mouth savouring the taste.

"I wish I could take the credit, but we have a cook who prepares the meals here," Trent admitted. He turned to Darius who watched on approvingly and said quietly. "You've missed a couple of important calls. I've sent you an email with the details."

"Stay with Sophie while she eats," he said softly, then approached the bed. "I need to do a bit of work, but Trent will keep you company. He understands why you are here, so feel free to talk to him or Susan if she comes up," he reached out and stroked her hair with a smile then turned and left her.

Sophie watched him go and then turned to Trent, who had pulled up a chair and leaned back, looking relaxed. She looked down at the pyjamas she wore and took a breath. At least she didn't look like a total whore anymore, or maybe she did, she hunched her shoulders to help hide the fact she wasn't wearing a bra.

"I've never seen Darius quite like this," Trent volunteered as he watched her with interest.

"What do you mean?" Sophie frowned. "He's not normally bossy and demanding?"

"Hah!" Trent laughed. "I thought he seemed more relaxed with you, less bossy and demanding, happier even," he seemed to consider his words carefully as he spoke.

"That's not the word I would use for him," Sophie grumbled and pushed a piece of baked potato into her mouth.

"What word would you use?" Trent asked curiously.

"Bossy, demanding, intense," she shrugged. "Definitely Intense."

"He's a complicated guy," Trent admitted. "He can be all the things you mentioned, but he is also a man of his word. If he gives you his word on anything, you can guarantee he means it. He looks after the people who work for him and those he considers friends."

"So you're here to convince me to stay by telling me what a good employer he is?" Sophie snarked.