Saved by Submission (25 page)

“Nicky, what happened? Are you hurt?”

Her answer was hard to make out through the tears. “Not really. It’s just that…I had to dance for them, and then he made me sit… I had to…they were old and creepy, and I couldn’t stand it. I couldn’t bear their hands on me, M. And AJ told me I wasn’t working hard enough. He hit me, and then took me to this hotel room. There was a client there, and he said if I didn’t have sex with the guy, and make him happy he was going to…”

Megan could here Nicky break down on the other end of the phone. “I don’t even know if AJ knows I’m gone, but when he does, it won’t take him long to work out where I am. I know he’s going to come here…Jesus, M, I’m really scared. He’s a sick bastard. I’ve seen what he does to girls that don’t do what he says. What am I going to do? He knows where I used to work, so I can’t go there, he’s got people everywhere, out on the streets keeping track of the women. Oh God, M, I’m trapped.”

She was becoming hysterical, and Megan knew she had to do something, right now. “Nicky, I’m going to get you out of there. I’m only about four hours away, and if I leave right now, I can be with you by lunchtime. You can come here, with me. I’ve got somewhere you can stay for a while, okay?”

There was silence on the other end.

“Nicky, are you still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here. I’m so sorry, M. You were right you know; everything you said to me that day.”

“It’s alright, don’t worry, just sit tight, and I’ll be with you as soon as I can. And Nicky? Make sure the door is locked, and ram a chair up, under the door handle. If you hear anything, call the cops, do you understand?”

“I will. Megan, please hurry, okay?”

Megan gripped her cell. “I’m on my way.”

When she turned around, Rachel was standing by the front door, and by the expression on her face, she had obviously heard at least some of the conversation.

“Megan?”

Megan really didn’t want to explain all the details. She trusted Rachel, and she liked her a lot, but this was personal, and Rachel didn’t know about her past, at least not in any detail. “Look, Rachel, I have to go out of town today. It’s a bit of an emergency. If I leave now, I’ll be back before six, no problem. Is that okay?”

But whether it was or it wasn’t, Megan knew she had to go.

“Of course it is, but don’t you think you should call Jacob? He could go with you, and help. He’ll want to know, Megan.”

Megan ran her hand through her hair. “Last night, with Natalie and everything; it was so horrible. Everything is wonderful now; I can’t call him up with another crisis already. I can sort this out by myself, no problem. I’ll be back, with my friend, in just a few hours, and I can explain everything to him then.”

Rachel looked doubtful. “All you’re doing is picking up your friend, who’s in some sort of trouble, and bringing her back here, right?”

Megan nodded. “Yep, that’s all.”

“Promise me you’ll call him if there’s any problem at all.”

Megan grabbed her keys and headed off towards the apartment to change her clothes. “I will,” she called back.

* * * *

Half an hour later, Megan stopped for gas and had a look at the map that she had found in the glove box. She was doing well, and had called Nicky to let her know what time to expect her.

After she had paid for the gas with the very last of her money, she glanced down at her cell, and frowned. “Shit!” she said, aloud, frustrated at herself. Maybe Rachel was right. Jacob should know what was going on. Still, it was too late now. She’d just play it down, and tell him the bare minimum.

When she punched in the number, it went straight to voicemail. She told him not to worry, but Nicky had called and she was going to pick her up and bring her back, just for a few days. She hung up and pulled out of the gas station, and got back on the interstate, heading west.

* * * *

When Mat called into the kennels, to see his wife, he found her in the stock room, re-organizing some towels and dog shampoo, making everything was neat as a pin, to impress the powers that be, who were due to make an inspection of the kennels, in a couple of days’ time.

One look at her face, and he knew something wasn’t right. “What’s going on?” he asked, taking the box she was holding and putting it on the floor. “Where’s Megan?”

He knew his sub very well, and just by the way she glanced anywhere but his face told him she was hiding something. “Rachel?”

She recognized the tone, and sighed heavily. “It’s probably nothing, but I’m worried about her.”

She proceeded to tell Mat what she had overheard, and when she got to the part about putting a chair in front of the door, he frowned. “Rachel, what were you thinking? Do you really think that Jacob would be happy about her doing this? You should have at least called me, to tell me what was going on. ”

“I know. I’ve been worrying about it since she left. I’m sorry, Sir.”

He lifted her chin with his thumb and finger. “We’ll discuss this later. Right now, I’ve got to get hold of Jacob.”

After ten minutes of continual dialing and getting his voicemail, Jacob finally answered. Rachel could hear him swearing on the phone, from where she was standing.

The two men talked for a couple of minutes, and then Mat put down his cell. “He’s already on his way to Louisville. I figure the mood he’s in, and the way he drives, he might even get there before her.”

Chapter Fifteen

When Megan arrived at her old place, she parked quickly and ran up the steps to her apartment. She put her key in the lock, but found the door wouldn’t open.

“Shit,” she muttered, remembering the instructions she’d given Nicky to put a chair up under the handle. “Nicky, it’s me,” she called out, her heart pounding. “It’s okay, open the door, Nicky, its Megan.”

There was silence, and then she heard scraping, and someone pulling the bolt back. The door was thrown open, and Nicky appeared. She wasted no time, and pulled Megan by the arm, into the room, slamming the door, and bolting it, then replacing the chair.

Megan’s breath caught in her throat, when she saw the state her friend was in. Her face was pale and drawn, and she had lost weight, just in the short space of time they’d been apart. The most worrying thing, however, were the purple and black bruises on her arms, and the gash above her eye.

Nicky saw the anger on Megan’s face, and then began to cry.

Megan rushed to her friend, gathering her into a hug, and holding her while she wept. After a minute, she led Nicky to the couch and settled her back against the cushions. Then she rushed to the kitchen and got a bowl of warm water and a small towel.

It was all she could find to clean the wound on Nicky’s head, and she dabbed carefully, managing to clean most of the blood away.

“Are you hurt anywhere else?” Megan asked, wondering just how many times that bastard had abused her friend. Or had it been the “clients” that had hurt her. God, what a mess.

“Just some scrapes, nothing bad, and some more bruises on my legs.”

Megan stared at her friend. “How the hell did you get away?”

Nicky tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace. “The guy I was with at the hotel could see I was about to break down. I was crying and pleading with him not to touch me. I couldn’t believe it when he actually helped me to leave. I think he was probably scared out of his wits, being landed with a hysterical woman and just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. He didn’t want me in his car, but he gave me some money for a taxi, and promised he wouldn’t say anything to AJ.”

Megan sighed. “Well, there’s a first aid kit in the truck. I’ll go and get it, and then we’ll grab anything you want from here and be on our way.”

Nicky nodded, and laid her head back on the couch.

* * * *

Outside in the parking lot, AJ sat in his car, watching the young woman walk over to the truck that was parked a little way down from him. She rummaged around for a second, and then appeared with what looked like a first aid kit.

“Look who it is,’ he muttered to himself. He waited until she had gone back inside the building and then got out of the car, closing the door quietly. He didn’t want to attract any attention, and after he’d made sure there was no-one else around, he walked silently over to the swing doors and then made his way up the stairs.

* * * *

Megan dressed Nicky’s forehead properly, and then smiled at her. “I don’t think it needs stiches. Do you want to go and get it checked out, or shall we grab what you want and head out of town?”

“You know, the only thing I really want is the Betty Boop clock,” Nicky replied. “Isn’t that pathetic?”

Megan gave a sheepish grin. “Not really, seeing as I already took it and it’s at my new place.”

They both laughed. Then Nicky’s laughter turned to a shriek as the front door crashed open and hung, half off its hinges. There, in the doorway, was AJ.

“I don’t remember giving you permission to take time off for a family visit,” he sneered.

Nicky was frozen to the spot, her face white. Megan took one look at her friend and then stepped in front of her.

“She’s done, AJ. She doesn’t work for you anymore, so if I were you, I’d just turn around and walk away before I call the cops.” Megan sounded strong and confident, but her insides felt like jelly; standing there, confronting the bastard who had hurt her friend so badly.

He laughed, pulling a knife from his jacket. “You don’t get to make the rules, bitch, I do. In fact, why don’t we all go for a ride downtown? With a little breaking in, you could do quite well. We’ll just have to get rid of that stuck up streak you have. It shouldn’t be difficult.”

Nicky stepped out from behind Megan. “Please AJ, just leave Megan out of this. I got scared, that’s all. I’m no good at doing…what you wanted. Can’t you just leave? We won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

“Stop whining,” he said, taking a step forward. “Just shut the fuck up and get moving.”

He strode over to Nicky, and putting the knife against her side, he grabbed her arm. Then he turned to Megan, the same sneer back in his voice. “On second thoughts, one of you is enough for now. Just watch your back, cunt, because when you least expect it, you’re going to find a knife pressed into your side, and then you can come and join your friend here and earn me some money.

Panicking, Megan took a step towards him. “Please, please don’t take her, she doesn’t want to…”

AJ swung his fist round, the knife losing contact with Nicky’s side just for a second as he hit Megan, sending her flying backwards.

Nicky screamed.

Suddenly a large fist connected with AJ’s jaw, and sent him sprawling across the room.

Jacob grabbed AJ by the throat until he was standing upright, and then he punched him again, this time in the stomach. Jacob stood still and watched AJ on all fours, gasping for breath. Then he calmly walked over to Nicky, took her hand and led her over to Megan.

Megan had picked herself up and was standing by the couch.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Jacob asked, his eyes traveling over her body, checking.

She nodded.

Then he returned to AJ, and stood over him, more than ready to take him down again, if necessary. He looked over his shoulder. “Take my cell out of my pocket, Megan, and call the police.”

Fifteen minutes later, AJ was in custody, and the three others were each giving their statements.

As far as the officer in charge was concerned, that was the end of it. AJ was known to them, and with their statements, and Nicky’s evidence, he would be off the streets for a long time.

After taking names and addresses, the officer turned to Nicky. “Would you like us to take you anywhere, Miss Thornton?”

She looked up at him. “The only place I really want to go is to my mom’s house. I can’t stay here.”

“We’ll take Nicky back home,” Jacob said to the cop. “That way, Megan can spend some time with her and she can work out what she wants to do next.”

The police officer glanced at Nicky and raised his eyebrows. “That okay with you?”

“Yes, thank you,” Nicky said, and smiled, shyly at Jacob.

After the police had left, Nicky went off to see if there was anything she wanted to take with her, and Megan and Jacob were left alone in the living room.

His voice filled the small room. “I spent hours on the road, imagining the worst possible scenarios, Megan.”

She nodded. “I’m so sorry, Sir,” she said, not caring if Nicky heard the title. “I thought I could handle it. I tried to call you, but all I got was voicemail. I thought I could be back by the evening, and then I could…”

Jacob interrupted her. “You thought you could get away with me never knowing where you’d been?”

Megan shook her head furiously. “No, I planned to tell you, honestly I did. It was just that, after last night, and the way I stormed off and everything; well, I didn’t think I should land all this on you. Not when we’d only sorted out the last crisis, a few hours before.”

Jacob put a finger under her chin. “Megan, it doesn’t matter how long it’s been, since the last upset. It doesn’t matter if they run, consistently, back to back. You tell me, and we sort it out.”

She nodded, Jacob’s finger going up and down with her chin. When he took it away, and cupped her cheek, his look was serious. “What I should be doing is putting you over my knee, and punishing you until you can’t sit down after worrying me like that. But, it’ll have to wait; now is not the time.” His expression softened. “I don’t know what I’d have done if anything had happened to you, little sub.”

She rubbed her cheek against his hand. “I truly am sorry for trying to do this on my own.”

Nicky walked back in, but took a step back when she saw them, together.

“Oh, I’m sorry; I’ll wait in the kitchen.”

Jacob took his hand away. “It’s fine, Nicky. Are you ready to leave?”

Nicky nodded. “Oh yeah, more than you’ll ever know. I just called my mom on your cell, and you’ll never guess, M. She’s been in rehab, I mean properly, this time; stayed the whole thirty days, and she’s going to a meeting, every single day. She cried when I told her I was coming home.”