Wiped Clean

2. I'll call you whatever I please

Caia had never visited Luxe. She had only ever walked past, seeing the bright neon sign and the long line of patrons waiting to enter. During the day, with the sign dimmed, she could have walked straight past it and not known what was inside. But it wasn't the entrance Dan dragged them through. He walked them around the back, then up to a side door, before banging on it twice.

It was no surprise to see two goons on the other side, both built like houses and towering high above Caia. They led them through the club and to the end of a hall before one of them knocked.

A man in a suit opened the door. He looked like a regular forty-something corporate, upper class, upstanding member of society.

"Dan," the man said, "You're early." He gave Caia a once over, before turning.

They followed him around a corner where he knocked on another door.

A light, feminine voice called for them to enter.

Caia wasn't sure what she had expected of Annika, but the sight of her surprised her. She was tall, and wearing all black right down to the stiletto boots. Though one side of her head was shaved, the rest of her dark hair cascaded down her back and chest, revealing the large black-ink tattoo on the right side of her neck. Caia stared, narrowing her eyes as the image became clearer. It was an animal; a panther, she guessed, with a gaping jaw, teeth bared. Vicious and powerful.

Two men were in the room with her. Once sitting in a chair, the other towering over him.

"Good afternoon, Daniel," Annika said with a feline smirk. "I'll be with you in just a moment." She turned to the towering man. "Did he try and run?"

It became clearer as time went on that the man in the chair wasn't the same as the other two men. He was a mess. His eyes were red and puffy, his face graced with a few days' worth of stubble.

"Yep," said the tall man. "Then pissed himself like a coward."

A pleased smile lifted Annika's lips. She turned to the man and placed one finger beneath his chin. "You look like you've seen better days, Frank."

"Please," Frank pleaded. "I'll get you the money."

"That's what you said last time."

"I know," he said. "I'll get it. I swear."

Time slowed as Caia watched with horror. Her eyes followed Annika, who took slow, calculated steps back and forth in front of Frank. She held her hand out, and the brute of a man next to her handed her two nails, and a hammer.

Frank began to jerk against the restraints around his wrists. "Please. I'll get you the money."

"I know you will," Annika said, dragging the tip of one of the nails across the back of his hand. She pressed the point into his skin, smirking as he winced in fear.

A drop of blood emerged from Frank's hand, and Annika only smiled more. She gripped the hammer in her other hand, lifting it up.

Caia nearly screamed out loud as the hammer fell, landing with a crack.

Right beside Frank's hand.

Annika smiled. "You have one week. If you don't bring me my money, this nail will go in your eye." She glanced at her associate and gestured toward the door. "Get him out of here, Victor."

From beside her, Caia could feel Dan's fear. He was still, almost as if not wanting to draw attention to himself.

"Daniel," Annika said, smiling. "Do you have the money you owe me?"

"No, but I—"

"No?" Annika prowled toward him until he craned his neck back to look at her. "What do you mean, no?"

"With respect, Annika, I don't have the funds... right now. But—"

Annika gave Victor a nod, before he grabbed Dan by the shoulder and threw him into the chair.

Annika leant against the table with such a casual, relaxed posture, her arms folded over her chest. "Tell me a bit about yourself, Dan."

"What..." Dan blinked, glancing at Caia. "What do you want to know?"

"Tell me about your family and friends."

"I don't really have many," Dan admitted. Caia knew it was the truth.

"So there'd be no one to miss you if you were gone?"

"I don't have the money," Dan said in panic. "But I'm hoping we can negotiate."

Negotiate was likely a word Annika heard often. She smiled. "Go on."

It wasn't like Dan to be flustered. Whoever this woman was, she terrified him. "I've heard you have certain... interests." He turned to Caia, then to Annika, and said, "This is Caia. If she's your type, I thought maybe you could take her as a down payment to be... you know, like your slave or whatever it is, for two weeks."

Slave. Caia nearly grabbed the hammer from the desk to use on him herself. He had said nothing about her being a slave. Sex, was what he had said. Two weeks of sex, to spare her from the consequences of her refusing him.

"A slave?" Annika asked, her eyes landing on Caia. They poured over every inch of her, slowly sliding their way down, then back up. When their eyes met, a shiver ran down Caia's spine. Annika took four slow steps toward Caia, closing the gap between them. "You're very pretty."

For a moment, Caia's mouth refused to open. She was sure she was about to gag. "Thank you," she eventually said.

"And you consent to this?" Annika asked.

A glare from Dan had Caia hastening to answer. "Yes."

"To giving me anything I want? To doing anything?"

"Yes."

Annika smiled. "Make it a month, and we have a deal."

Caia shot a glare at Dan, who nodded. "Of course," he said. "A month."

Bastard.

"Consider this a twenty thousand dollar down payment. I expect the rest by the end of the month. If you don't pay up, I keep her until you do, and there will be consequences." Annika glanced toward the door. "Thank you, Daniel."

As he left, he stopped beside Caia. "Make her happy, Cai. Give her a month she'll never forget, or we'll both be in shit." Then he left her, with this viper of a woman, who looked at Caia as though she were prey.

"Caia, is it?"

"Yes."

Annika took slow steps, circling Caia. "And you truly consent to this?"

"Yes."

"Then I think you and I will enjoy getting to know one another." Annika held out her hand. "Give me your phone."

"You're not serious."

"I'm a very private person. I will not put my safety at risk by having a stranger in my house. One who could potentially share information with my enemies."

Caia reached into her back pocket and handed Anika her phone. Then, because she wasn't stupid, she reached into her duffle bag and handed over her laptop.

"Clever girl," Annika said.

"Don't call me—" Caia snapped her mouth shut before she could finish the rest of the sentence.

With one delicately placed finger below Caia's chin, Annika smiled and said, "I'll call you whatever I please. Now, be a good girl and come with me."