More Than Love

Chapter 8

I follow him to his car. The familiar black Range Rover is parked close to the entrance of the building. I walk over to the passenger's seat and get in the car.

When Liam gets in he tuns on the radio and another one of my favourite numbers plays. I don't say anything, but my heart warms at the gesture. Or maybe, probably, he just likes the music too and doesn't care at all about what I like.

'So,' I ask as we turn onto the road. 'where are we going?'

He doesn't move. 'Patience, little girl. Patience.' I mockingly repeat his stupid phrase and he smiles. One of those real and genuine smiles. One that I have not seen on his face before. Just the idea that I was the cause of that beautiful smile makes me smile in return.

During the fifteen minute car drive we sit in a comfortable silence. He comes to a stop at a huge building and parks his car in the parking lot. It looks an awful lot like an apartment block.

'Pray tell what we are doing here.' I ask as soon as my feet hit the asphalt of the parking area.

He just looks at me weird and walks to the entrance of the building. I quickly follow him inside.

'Do you like living here?' He asks as soon as we step into the elevator. 'In this city I mean.'

Confused I look up at him. 'Well, I guess. It's fine. I don't really care actually.' The only thing I actually like about this city is that it is so big. It reminds me of the fact that my life is only such a small part of everything that is going on in the world. That there is so much more than just me, and my problems.

'You will care. Trust me.' He responds. I have no clue what the fuck the guy is talking about.

We reach the highest floor of the apartment and I follow him into the penthouse. Liam walks straight to a set of double doors that lead to a large balcony.

'You are not planning on throwing me off of there do you?' I ask, only half joking.

He looks back at me. His eyes laughing. That joint has really allowed him to relax a little.
And something inside me tells me he doesn't do that a lot. Relaxing I mean. 'Still debating on that.'

'Great.' I say sarcastically but I follow him anyways. Something inside me just knows that he will probably not hurt me.

When I step onto the balcony I understand what he was talking about. We are at the twentieth floor and the view is amazing. You can oversee the entire city from here.

There are two chairs standing before the railing and Liam takes place in one of them. 'So what, do you own this penthouse or something?'

'Or something.' He says vaguely. 'I own the entire building. Just like the building I found you in the other day.'

Puzzle pieces are clicking together. I proceed to sit down also. When I sit I think about the clothes of his niece again.

'Can I ask you a question?' I ask him.

'Would you shut up if I say no?' I grin and shake my head. 'Proceed, little girl.'

'Why were there clothes for a young girl in your guest room?' I already knew the answer to that but I just wondered how Liam would react. I immediately regret asking it when I see the change of mood on his face. In a split second the relaxed Liam is gone, and the angry and annoyed one is back.

'That is none of your business.' He says through gritted teeth. I flinch at the unmistakable anger in his tone.

'Flynn said something about a niece, and-'

'And Flynn should shut his goddamn mouth sometime.' He stands up from his chair. 'And you have to leave.'

I shock I stand up too. 'What? Are you serious?'

He looks over at the city, at the ground, anywhere but mee. 'Yes, I am serious. Did you think you were special?' He scoffs. 'Well little girl, hate to break it to you. You are not.'

I can't believe my ears. Who the hell does this guy think he is. 'Fuck you!'

He lets out a humourless laugh. 'Yeah, I bet you'd like that, Little whore that you are.'

I am on the verge of leaving, but I am not the kind of person to shut her mouth and say nothing when she is treated poorly. So I continue. 'Well I am very sorry that mommy and daddy didn't hold you enough as a baby. But that is not a reason to act like such a selfish asshole.'

Apparently I struck a nerve. 'Shut up, stupid bitch. You know nothing about my parents!' He raises his hand, and for a second, I thought he was going to punch me.

'You stupid bitch!' John yells at me. I close my eyes and sink into the bed, trying to make myself smaller, but it doesn't work. 'He was one of our best paying customers, how the hell did you fuck this up?!'

The only sound I make is a soft whimper. He is definitely not satisfied with that.

'Tell me!' He screams out.

The customer he was talking about was a fifty-seven year old man named Drake that wanted to have sex for money. That is what happens here. Old disgusting men come in and pay John money so they can have sex with sixteen-year-old girls like me. But today Drake crossed a line.

I can handle the sex. You get used to it. You get used to zoning out so you don't feel anything at all. The first couple times where horrible. But as, against all knowledge in,  I started taking the pills John gave me, it stated to get better. Until eventually, I did not feel anything at all.

But Drake went too far today. He is the type who gets turned on by choking and hurting. He was not the first, but he was the first to punch me on the cheek and in the stomach.

Every single customer had hurt me. But with Drake it got so bad that even through the massive dose of the mystery pills I took, I could feel all the tremendous pain he was causing to my body. So I said no.

For the first time I tried to fight it. But that only backfired. Because the pain that Drake caused is nothing compared to the pain that John is going to cause right now.

'He was hurting me, John. That is why I said no.' I say, hating how my voice breaks in the middle of the sentence.

'Wrong answer.' A he says that he is taking off his belt. 'Take off your shirt and bend over.'

I try to zone out, but I can't. Ten times. That is how many times the buckle of his belt hits my back. But I do not cry.

It is when my face hits the pillow of my small and uncomfortable bed that the tears flow over my cheeks.

I turn back to reality when I hear a loud sigh coming from Liam. Tears prickle my eyes as I look Liam straight in the eye. That anger that is on full display is almost covering all of the pain and sadness that is behind it.

I want to feel sympathy, but I simply can't bring myself to that.

The way he had just treated me brings me back to my past. A past that I am desperately trying to forget.

I storm out of the room and call a cab. In the time that I am waiting I put Liam's name down on my mental list of things that hurt me and that I want to forget.

That list is getting way too long.