Please Let Me Be Ch. 18

Disclaimer: This world is based around criminal activity that includes murder, drugs, theft, and selling of people. I do not condone any of these activities and actually feel very strongly AGAINST all of them. Also, every character in this story is fictitious, any and all similarities are purely coincidental. Each and every character is also above the age of 18. Make sure to play safe and practice safe sex. Always get consent!

*****

"Knock Knock," Caleb's voice calls out from the open door to her bedroom.

Her roommates are off on duty up at the main floor, leaving Tessa blessedly alone. She needed the solitude of the room after the long day of work down in the basement. Now she can enjoy the memories of the night before, or was enjoying the memories until Caleb interrupted.

"What are you doing cooped up down here? This is your celebration break. You should be partying it up in one of the rooms set aside for the servers upstairs. No moping, only fun."

"He actually wants to see how drunk he can get all the girls on break and ask them to play strip poker with him." Jack says from behind Caleb.

Both men lean into the room and look at her side of the room with excitement.

"Are you going to join us? I'll keep us from the main hall." Jacks expression is cautious and he can't seem to make eye contact with her.

"I really just want to stay down here; relax, read a book, maybe take a nap."

"Boooooring," Caleb boos.

Tessa lifts a brow at that.

"You're friends with us, you can't be boring, you'll ruin out rep with the others."

A derisive snort makes its way from Tessa unbidden.

"Ouch, was that for saying we're friends or for saying you're being boring?"

"Both?" Tessa asks innocently.

"Double ouch!"

He earned a laugh from her at that. Caleb edges gingerly into the room like he's trying to sneak up on her but hasn't realized he's doing so straight in her line of sight. Tessa flicks a wary look from him to Jack and back. He flinched back from her gaze. Now she can't decide between annoyance at Jack or at Caleb. Caleb, though, has steadily grown closer and has his arms outstretched to either side.

"What are you doing?"

"Capturing you for alcohol and strip poker upstairs," he says from the side of his mouth, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Oh, hell no," Tessa pulls her legs up under her and crouches on the bed.

Caleb chuckles evilly and starts moving like a crab around the bed so she can't dart away from him on either side.

"We are not this good of friends," she hisses.

"That's easily fixed."

Tessa growls at him and risks a glance at Jack to beg for help but he's just winces and gives her an apologetic smile.

"Traitor," she says causing his smile to turn real.

"You should focus on your opponent," Caleb says haughtily before diving in and throwing her over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. He grunts under her weight adding insult to injury.

"Put me the fuck down before you throw out your back," she says holding onto him with a death grip.

I haven't been picked up this easily since Darrien got a bit gymnastic and he certainly never made the noises Caleb is making. The Caleb releases a heavy groan and she rethinks, Well, maybe, he did but I'm sure that was from the sex and not the weight.

She fixes a glare on Jack as he follows on Caleb's heels. He just raises a brow in dare.

"I hate you."

Both brows raise at that.

"I know you do, darlin'. Did you know the best orgasms come from hate sex?" Caleb asks with hokey southern twang.

Her eyes wide she smacks Caleb on the ass causing him to pause, resettle her, and speak. "Usually, I don't go for public play but if you keep spanking me I'll have to reevaluate."

"Oh god," Tessa groans, "please for the love of all things beautiful in the world just put me the fuck down."

"I love it when women get all sacrilegious and call me God."

"Is nothing sacred to you?"

"I can show you what's sacred."

"Tone down the horn dog, man." Jack interjects, seeing the defeated expression on Tessa's face.

"Can't help what I say when I have a beautiful woman on me."

"Please put me down before you collapse on a staircase and we both tumble down and crack our heads open."

"Don't be so dire, you're light as a feather and Jack there would catch you in any case."

"You are such a liar."

"And my pants are on fire 'cause I'm just that hot."

"I'm done talking with you."

"Just in time then cause we're here." Caleb answers putting her down finally at a door on the fourth floor that she's never entered but the guys told her is a secondary hall for smaller gatherings and a huge pain for them to clean.

Mentally exhausted from the last few minutes Tessa gives up and follows Caleb into the room with Jack on her heels. Never having been to a party before and only having seen what happens on the main floor she hadn't expected what she saw before her.

The other workers were line dancing to hip hop music thrumming from the far end of the room. Some people strayed at the edges to mingle or sat in the chairs lining the walls but otherwise every body she say was moving in sync with the others. It was mind boggling and mesmerizing to watch.

I want to do that.

"That looks like the face of a girl who wants to dance," Caleb stage whispered to her over the music.

"I don't know how to dance."

He pshawed and waved a hand at her in dismissal, "You don't have to know how to dance. The song lyrics tell you, just listen."

She was surprised to find that he was right. The sexy singers were telling people how to move.

"Do you want to try?"

She nodded, half prepared for when Caleb grinned at her and pulled her to the back row of dancers and lined her up. They started their movements and only a few moments in Tessa was having a blast. She'd never danced, never partied, never had fun. The Business had been all business for better lack of a word. Darrien had been amazing but sexual fun wasn't anything like this. Tessa moved ; she swung, stomped, rocked, and clapped along to music. Every thought she had fled her head and she just went along for the ride, grinning widely and laughing at Caleb's silly expressions and flirty eyebrow waggles. She forgot where she was and what her life was and just enjoyed herself.

Tessa didn't know how long they danced for but when Caleb drug her from the floor to a seat she was both energized and exhausted. She was also smiling like a loon and covered in sweat. Caleb stood in front of her, blocking her view of the dancers. They both fanned themselves and took deep breaths between laughs.

"You're an amazing dancer."

She just laughed at him and shook her head with a smile.

"You're stunning like this."

"Covered in sweat and physically exhausted?"

"Absolutely," he said with that under layer of sex.

"You're such a pervert."

"All the best people are, Dahling," he said with that silly faux souther accent of his, setting off another round of laughter from the both of them.

"Don't look now but I think you've gained an admirer or two," He said with a subtle nod towards the entrance.

She of course looked straight over there and froze like a deer in the headlights. Darrien?

"I said don't look. Sheesh," Caleb laughed and leaned further into her space. "No need to look at them when you have me in front of you, darlin'.

Darrien is here, he's up here with the staff? Why? Did something happen? Oh god, he knows I broke my promise. I shouldn't be here let alone dancing with men! Her mind whirred with worry.

Terra made a move to stand up and go to him but ended up stepping directly into Caleb who gripped her on the hips and swayed her to the music.

"Ready for more dancing or something else?"

She just gaped at him, still stunned with Darrien's appearance. Then she remembered, I'm not supposed to recognize him nor go to him. I have to pretend I don't know Darrien.

"Come on, let's get back to it," Caleb said far too close to her ear. His chest was plastered to hers and his hips were grinding something that felt suspiciously like an erection into her thigh.

Licking her lips, she tried to bring moisture back into her mouth so she could ask Caleb to bring her to the area where they had beverages when someone gripped her arm and ripped her from Caleb's hold.

She flinched back at the look of fury on Darrien's face even though it was pointed at Caleb and not her. She'd never seen someone look so deadly before.

"Da-" she started to call out his name but remembered his rule to pretend not to know him. Although, it may be past the point of no return.

Darrien sucker punched Caleb in the gut and when he folded over he kneed him in the stomach before elbowing his kidneys. He hit Caleb at the base of his head with the side of his palm and pulled him into the chair Tessa had vacated. Every movement had been whip fast and smooth as silk. Caleb looked ill and unconscious where he was slumped over. She worried over her sort-of-friend for a second before she realized that Darrien still looked like Death and he was coming towards her.

She took a shaky step back but couldn't run from Darrien. What'd he done had been ferocious but she couldn't look at him and not need him. This is my fault. I'm his. I deserve whatever he does to me even if I didn't do anything with Caleb or to spur him on.

"Are you okay? Did her hurt you? Has he-?" Darrien choked on those last words. She could barely hear him over the music and was mostly reading his lips as he was pressed to her, holding her face up to his.

She whispered his name, eyes fluttering shut as he leaned down the scant space between them and claimed her in a desperate and jealous kiss that made her heart throb painfully in her chest. When they broke apart she shook her head in answer to his question, "I'm sorry, I wasn't doing anything with him. We'd just been line dancing. I would never cheat on you. I swear, I had seen you and wanted to go to you and forgot how to move. I wasn't trying to do anything with Caleb, I promise."

Guilt burnt her like a forest fire as she remembered all the times she'd spent with Caleb and Jack over the past few days. She hadn't done anything sexual but there had been tension and smiles and overt flirting on Caleb's part. Tessa wished she'd avoided them but they'd insinuated themselves into her schedule from the get go. She knew she was rambling and sounding panicked but she tried to push her heart into her eyes. Jack meant nothing in comparison to Darrien and Caleb even less.

"I trust you."

Those three little words were like brands to her skin. The guilt disappeared and his faith in her bolstered her own.

"I love you," She blurted, then made things worse, "Fuck!"

Darrien's eyes widened before he visibly shook off his surprise.

"You didn't hear that." She demanded, hoping to change reality out of sheer will power and stubbornness.

He smiled.

"Fuck."

"I l-" he started to say when Jack came running up and pulled her from Darrien's arms.

"Tessa!" He shouted at her in worry, his eyes roving over her and his hands following in panic before he turned and put her behind him and took an aggressive stance towards Darrien. She saw when he recognized Caleb's unconscious form and blanched because he took a small step back into her.

Tessa tried to go around him to get at Darrien but was distracted when Caleb gave a groan and promptly threw up all over the floor. Surprisingly, the party was still going full swing.

They must be used to fights and drunk people during their celebrations, she thought thankfully.

"Move."

She heard that command clearly over a lull in the music. Darrien was back to being dangerous.

"What did you do to Caleb?"

"Nothing he didn't deserve."

Tessa's brows rose at that but she kept her silence and was a little thankful Darrien hadn't seen that expression.

"Did he hurt you, Tessa?"

"No."

Not expecting that answer, Jack froze and turned a little towards her. He looked over his shoulder at her, leaving an opening for Darrien to take advantage of. Which he most definitely did. She didn't see the exact moves he made but the end result was Jack seated next to Caleb. He looked pale and dizzy but still conscious. Darrien had a handful of Jack's shirt and was using it to hold him in the seat.

"Darrien," she said, trying to get his attention and keep him from killing the guy who just wanted to protect her.

He sighed, glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and released Jack's shirt. Sadly, Jack did not know when to back out of a fight and tried to rise only to find that Darrien's foot in his chest. The blow knocked him back into the concrete wall with a thunk. Now he looks unconscious.

Darrien took her hand and guided her quickly from the room. His expensive clothes, lethal air, and venomous glares kept people from intercepting as they left.

It's bad that I find his violence hot, she thought airily as she went along with him. He's just so fast, every move is efficient, no energy wasted. I'd hate to fight him myself but what he did was almost pretty to watch.

Tessa snaps out of her daze when she catches on to where Darrien is leading her; toward the restricted section she wasn't able to sneak into.

"Darrien," she whispers desperately.

He doesn't say anything but flicks her a quelling look.

"It's not safe for us to be going this way; the cameras."

"Disabled on a loop,"

"The motion sensors?"

"Covered in a sensor film to keep them from reacting."

"Guards?"

"You have me."

At that she finally shuts up and hurries to keep up with him. The man knows how to eat up ground when he wants and despite all the physical activity of her recent days she's still a bit shaky from dancing. Tessa feels a newfound well of respect for Darrien's abilities. With how he took out Caleb and Jack earlier the guards will probably be easy pickings for him too.

She winces as she thinks over Caleb and Jack. They were just being themselves; flirty and protective. They certainly didn't deserve to be beaten into unconsciousness. Going back to working with them on the daily is going to make things super awkward. Her brain catches up with her feet to ask Darrien a question.

"Are you taking me back with you?"

He comes to an abrupt stop at that, pulling Tessa around to face him. His expression completely unreadable he leans into her. Tessa knows her eyes are wide but more from expectation than fear.

He's amazing, she thinks dazedly.

With a quick, bright smile he nips her nose playfully causing her to jerk back and scrunch her face at him with a grumble. His laughter rumbles through her and he pulls them back into their hurried walk towards danger.

He didn't answer the question, she thinks rubbing her nose with her free hand and squinting her eyes at his back, right?

She lets her worries drop when they turn down a hall with two guards at the far end. The men perk up from their previous boredom. Most of the other staff gossip about the guards so she knows they'd much rather be downstairs at the celebration than watching a hallway for hours. Well, Darrien can clear up that boredom for you real quick.

"Halt, this area is restricted."

Darrien kept on walking towards the guards, his grip tightened on her wrist to the point of being uncomfortable.

"I need to talk to the Boss about one of his girls."

"What about?"

"Purchasing, of course."

"Let us check in to see if he's willing to see you."

One of the guards turns away to speak into his walkie in code. The other looks Tessa up and down, furrowing his brow in confusion.

"You sure you want this one?" The leering guard asks.

"Yes," Darrien's answer earns a shrug. Tessa can't help but fidget around in hopes of loosening Darrien's hand on her wrist. He loosens it just a bit and strokes along her pulse point before tightening back up again. Trust me, his gesture says. She runs her free fingers over his knuckles to let him know she understands. The entire non-verbal conversation was observed by the guard who now has a considering glint in his eyes that makes her blush.

Eventually an answer was given to the guard and they were waved into the next hallway. It was daunting to see the level of security they were going behind. She really hoped things worked out according to Darrien's plan. He always seemed to know the answer to things. Past another two heavily guarded men was a large, steel door that looked like it would better suit a bank than the hotel looking hallways.

The door opened onto a room decorated tastefully in slate grey and a pale wood. It looked open and airy and was absolutely dominated by the presence of the man she'd seen only the day before. The owner had somehow chosen furniture that was still large but just a shade too small for his bulk. Making it look so much like he was a giant set among mortals.

"What is this I hear that you want to buy one of our ladies?" He asked with humor not sparing a glance to Tessa.

"She's skilled, I was hoping that I could have her for personal use."

"Really, and what price are you expecting?"

"5 mil sounds reasonable."

At that proclamation the owner sat up slowly in his chair, leaning towards Darrien with interest. Tessa saw his brows rise and was starting to wonder if Darrien wasn't good at bargaining. The owner barked a laugh and slapped the table.

"Let's see this wonder! Maybe we can have her impart her wisdom on the others before we send her on her way."

Darrien pulled Tessa before him. She didn't want to look at the owner knowing full well that he might recognize her as the new employee that got away the day before. She'd told Darrien that someone had stopped her from sending the message but hadn't thought to say it was the owner and that he'd hinted at wanting to test her out.

"Oh? The new girl," The owner said with further interest. He stood up and moved around the table between them in swift steps that made her back up into Darrien's chest.

His height had her looking up at him. She knew her eyes were wide in fear but she was scared to force herself to relax under his purview. Being viewed for sale at the Business had been exciting, this was nerve wracking. He held her face up to his by her chin. Tessa knew Darrien was uneasy by the way his hand tightened on her wrist.

"I hadn't had the chance to test her out yet, such a pity. Would you be willing to allow me to sample her wares before purchase?"

Darrien's grip grew painful at that and an awkward silence followed. She knew he had put on his deadly look when the owner's hand twitched on her chin and he released her.

"Very well," he said stepping back, "it really is such a pity. I wonder if she was trained before we acquired her. She looked to be cleaning staff, strange that she would service you."

"Two skills for the price of one," Darrien joked.

The owners lips tilted up in a slimy smirk. With a last long look at Tessa he turned his back on them to go to his desk. At that moment things blurred at bit for Tessa. One second she was being held in front of Darrien and the next she was flat on her ass looking up at Darrien pressing into the owner from behind. Her brain worked to catch up and only made it when Darrien stepped away revealing a slim knife buried in the base of the owner's head. The owner, his body, slid forward and Darrien slowly lowered the weight onto the desk. The pose was unnatural but so was the knife.

Darrien stepped back after checking for a pulse and looking over the eyes. Tessa thanked her lucky stars that they were facing away from her. She hadn't moved and still wasn't sure she should make any sudden moves so soon after the violence she'd seen. Darrien must've been satisfied by what he found because he turned to her with a small smile.