Satin and Steel (6 page)

Rhee stood frozen in the center of her bedroom.
What do I tell Kate and Lisa?
Oh
God, they took my locket!
My mother’s ring!

Dax realized Rhee hadn’t followed him out of the room and sighed. He hoped she would learn to listen to him, and fast. Like it or not, Rhee was now an unwilling participant in his world, a dangerous world of drugs, guns, and violence. A young, innocent girl like her needed protection. The thugs had torn the place apart in a systematic way. He recognized the method beneath the madness. It had been a careful search. Whoever did this was definitely looking for something in particular. Dax wondered briefly what it was as he turned back to the girl.

Rhee had learned a long time ago to suppress her emotions, but the last few days had eroded her ability to keep up her mask. She stood silently, but her shoulders shook a little, sending a rivulet of pain shooting down her left arm. Tears fell like fat raindrops onto the carpet as she succumbed to the feeling that now she truly had nothing.

“My-my roommates…”

“Come on, little girl. We gotta go. I’ll take care of it-okay?” Rhee nodded dumbly and allowed him to lead her out of the place. He led her gently by her right arm back to the car and helped her in.

“Wince? I need you to call up our friend in the department. Have him send a black and white over to one-five-five Elm, number four. Yeah. Yeah. I’m bringing her over in about thirty. Thanks.”

Rhee huddled in the front seat, feeling helpless and afraid. She dashed tears from her eyes as she considered her options. She really had no one to go to. She glanced sidelong at Dax. She was totally at his mercy now. She wasn’t sure if she should be grateful or worried about that.

“Where are you taking me?” she hiccupped softly.

“Friend of mine. We need to get you some things to wear. Then, we need to have a conversation with my boss.” He looked over at her as she tried valiantly to compose herself.
Man, she looks so young, so innocent.
Dax sighed again. The kid truly had no idea what she had gotten herself into.

Two hours later, Rhee was wondering the same thing. Dax had taken her see his “friend,” who turned out to be a stripper, or a hooker…some kind of bimbo, anyway. The bleached blond fell all over Dax when she opened the door, giving him a lusty kiss on the mouth. Rhee had flushed uncomfortably at the woman’s display. At least she seemed to be genuinely nice. With her injected lips, enhanced breasts, and skimpy outfit, it was no wonder Dax’s friend was horrified by Rhee’s bedraggled appearance.

“Honey, you let Charisma fix you right up!”

Dax settled in the kitchen to make some calls, and Rhee saw how Charisma’s eyes followed him. A stab of something burned in her gut as she found herself wondering if the two of them had, well, done “it.” Rhee flushed as Dax’s eyes found hers while he continued his phone call, and he gave her a little wink. She turned away, embarrassed that he had caught her studying him, and allowed Charisma to lead her into the bathroom.

After a long, hot shower and access to some wonderfully feminine toiletries, Rhee had to admit that she felt a lot better. Shaving her legs and using an expensive shampoo eased her troubled mind, until she had to deal with Charisma’s idea of “fixing her up.” An hour later, Rhee had given up trying to dissuade Charisma from blowing out her hair until it was smooth and straight. She sat in a borrowed robe as Dax’s friend fussed over her like a mother hen. Rhee sighed as the other girl carefully applied makeup to her bruised cheek and collarbone.

“I have some bras from before my boob job, they should fit you. I never even wore half of these panties, either. I like to go commando,” Charisma explained as she tossed a variety of brightly colored lingerie on the bed. Most of it still had tags on it, and Rhee was grateful for that, even if she was a little taken aback by the colors and styles. Rhee never even bothered with makeup; she certainly didn’t wear pink lace thongs or push up bras!

I should be grateful that this stranger is willing to give me this stuff.
It’s this or nothing, right now,
Rhee told herself. Charisma made no move to leave the room, either. Rhee sighed, and slowly pulled the robe off with her good arm, revealing more bruises and marks. Charisma gasped.

“Oh, honey! What happened? I thought it was just your eye!” The woman stared intently at Rhee’s body, her tone begging for an explanation.

“Car crash,” Rhee lied, hoping she sounded convincing.

“Dear God! Your poor thing! Let me help you!”

Rhee was subjected to the buxom blond’s fake nails tickling her thighs and breasts as she helped her get the tiny, lacy panties on and hook the borrowed bra.
This is goddam humiliating!
I can’t even dress myself and now I’m being felt up by a freaking porn star
.

The bra was just a little too big for Rhee’s petite frame, but Charisma adjusted the straps and made sure to use the last closure and it worked. Next, she pulled a pair of dark blue jeans and a gray cotton shirt with some sort of spooky drawing on it from the closet. Rhee endured a final humiliation as Charisma helped her pull the clothes on. The jeans were snug, but comfortable. The shirt was skintight, with a deep vee that made Rhee a little uneasy. She hated attracting attention to her body.

Looking in the mirror, she didn’t recognize the girl she saw reflected there. The styled hair, makeup, and tight-fitting clothes made her look like a sluttier foil of her former self. Rhee much preferred her casual, baggy clothing, but what could she do? She didn’t want to be rude, but she was at her limit. Rhee grimaced as Charisma produced a pair of black stilettos.

“There is no way I will be able to walk in those.”

“Sure you can, honey! It’s easy. Here, let me help-“

“No!”
This is the last straw!
Rhee yanked her foot away sharply and then felt immediately chastised by the other girl’s look of chagrin.

“It’s just-I hurt my back in the accident. Please, I appreciate your help so much, but I literally can’t walk in those. You understand, right?” Rhee tried to sound sincere. Part of what she said was true. She literally could not walk in those things. It would be torture for her and for anyone else she tripped onto. She already had a bum shoulder; she certainly didn’t need a twisted ankle too!

“Oh! I am so sorry. I have some boots…they have a heel but not so high, would these work?” Charisma held out a pair of tall black boots and a pair of socks. Rhee nodded gratefully. Those, she could handle.

“Why do you have all of this new stuff? Are you sure you want to let me borrow these things? They all seem so expensive.” Most everything in the girl’s wardrobe still boasted hefty price tags.

Charisma laughed. “Well, I guess you could say that I have a lot of boyfriends. They like to spoil me. I have about three pairs of these boots so don’t even worry about taking them. Besides, I owe Dax big time. It’s a small price to pay. You’re lucky he’s helping you. He’s got a lot of important friends.”

Rhee nodded, and thought again about calling the police to report her assault.
A little late for that
, she figured. Any trace evidence of her assault had been long since washed away. Besides, something told her that getting the cops involved would just waste her time. The fat, balding sergeant had all but told her to drop her search for her sister and to stay out of trouble. The local cops hadn’t done anything to help her find Mickey. Maybe Dax could.

Rhee followed Charisma back out into the living room, feeling slightly uncomfortable. With some surprise, she realized that she was a little nervous about Dax’s reaction to her appearance. Charisma poured Rhee a cup of coffee as Dax paced in the small yard, his back to them as he spoke to someone heatedly on his phone.

Rhee finally had the opportunity to take a long, unadulterated look at the man who had been so suddenly and forcefully injected into her life. Dax was tall and broad-shouldered, but he had narrow hips that were accented by his low-slung dark jeans. His hair was so blond it was almost white in the sun.
The guy looks like some kind of Norse god.
Rhee took the time to stare at him unabashed, until she found Charisma’s eyes on her. Rhee blushed and looked away, but Charisma only laughed softly.

“Sexy son of a bitch, isn’t he?”

“Er-I guess so,” Rhee stuttered
.
Sexy?
Do I really find this tattooed biker guy sexy?

“Yeah, all of us at the studio want to get under him, but he’s pretty loyal to his girlfriend.”

“Trish? She patched me up.”

“That one’s a real jealous piece of work, but there’s no way any gal could put a man like that on a leash,” Charisma licked her lips slowly as she looked Dax up and down. Rhee grinned.
I guess I’m not the only one affected by him.

Snapping his phone shut, Dax turned back to the house and stopped short. Charisma was chatting happily with a hot little number he barely recognized. He had to blink before he realized that the curvy, dark-haired piece was none other than the injured little bird he had been taking care of the past few days. Rhee smiled suddenly, unaware that he was watching, and her whole face lit up. Dax wondered what Charisma had said to elicit a grin like that from his traumatized charge.

“Ladies.” Rhee looked up at him shyly, her grin slipping into the barest hint of a smile. She had a little color in her cheeks, and Dax was pleased at how much healthier his little stowaway looked.

“You’re looking nice, Rhee. Feel better?”

Rhee nodded, feeling a pleasant hum somewhere in her tummy at his compliment.
Why do I care what he thinks?!
Rhee looked down nervously.

“Did you eat anything?”

Charisma jumped up. “I make a mean southwestern omelet.” She busied herself in the kitchen as Dax placed a pill on the table.

“You can take this after you eat. I can see how you’re holding that shoulder.”

Rhee nodded, somewhat startled by his acute perception. She wasn’t used to someone else, especially a man, thinking of her needs. Even Rhee herself hadn’t quite noticed the throbbing yet, or the protective way she held her arm to her chest. After a quick, but satisfying meal, she swallowed the painkiller and accepted a hug and a bag of clothes and toiletries from Charisma. She looked away as the other girl took the opportunity to press herself into Dax and kiss him goodbye a little longer than was necessary. Rhee blushed at Charisma’s sidelong wink before he helped her back into the large, black car. She dozed for a bit, and woke when the car came to a stop.

“Hey,” he said softly.

Rhee blinked. Every time she woke up she had to remind herself she wasn’t still dreaming. She looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. “Where are we?”

“This is where my club hangs out.”

“A warehouse?”

“It’s a little more than that,” Dax said, as he moved to help her out of the vehicle. At this point, Rhee knew better than to resist his help. He would just help her anyway. An electric tingle shot straight down Rhee’s spine as Dax’s large hands went around her waist to lift her down and she fought not to react.

“Listen, my crew’s president wants to talk to you about the night we picked you up. I’m pretty sure you didn’t see anything, am I right?”

“See anything? Like what?” she asked curiously, grateful for the distraction from her intense physical reaction to the man.

“That’s what I thought. Hawk can be a little intimidating but stand your ground and tell the truth. Then we’ll see about getting you some protection from whoever tore your place apart.”

Rhee fidgeted nervously. She hated confrontation, and she wasn’t at all comfortable with the idea of walking into what looked like an abandoned warehouse with a man she hardly knew. Her discomfort increased to full-blown panic when she set foot inside the place. It was crawling with hard-looking men. Images of being held down, groped, and beaten swirled in Rhee’s mind. She hesitated, falling behind Dax, her eyes darting back to the heavy metal door.

“Dax! Is this her? Our stowaway?”

A younger man with a shaved head walked up suddenly and Rhee’s heart began to race. A dull roaring began to pound behind her ears. As the strange man came closer, Rhee was unaware that she had pressed fearfully into Dax until his arm came around her waist. Rhee stiffened and tried to jerk away, but his arm tightened, keeping her close. The feel of his hip pressing into her side sent an unexpected shockwave through Rhee’s body, and she gasped at the feel of him.

“Steady there, little girl,” he said softly.

“Wince, back off man,” he told the other man sharply.

Wince stopped in his tracks. “Whoa, man. Just wanted to get a look at her. Is she alright?”

“Rhee, this is my buddy Wince. He comes on a little strong, but he’s harmless. He’s the one who found you that night, in the van.”

Rhee managed to look up, her cheeks dancing with heat. She hadn’t been in control of her reaction to the man who approached her or to the man who held her close, and it bothered her. A lot. Steeling herself, she regarded Wince. He was thin and dark, with an anxious smile on his face. “Hello,” she said softly.

“You’re really okay?”

It seemed like he really cared. Rhee nodded shyly. Then, the sound of more footsteps reached her ears. Three more men approached, and Rhee stiffened visibly. Dax’s arm flexed around her protectively as though he sensed her anxiety. Rhee felt another little tingle run down her spine as his scent hit her nostrils. He smelled of sandalwood, leather, and something else that was just raw male.

“Boys. This is Rhee. She’s got a bum shoulder and she’s probably a little freaked out right now. Keep your distance and maybe she won’t run screaming out of here. I’m gonna get her set up in my bunk. Then, I’ll meet with you about the next order coming in.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the others looking at her curiously. Dax ushered her down a corridor lined with doors. Rhee’s hands were shaking at this point, and her throat was very dry. Dax let them into the last door on the right and Rhee was surprised to see the furnishings inside. A small double bed, a dresser, and a reclining chair fit snugly into the small space.