Captive

Chapter Five

"Sign here and here Miss Cavanagh." Her hand was shaking as she took the pen from the lawyer and carefully added her signature to the bottom of the document under the watchful gaze of the three men who surrounded her, their eyes fixed on her, making sure she completed the contract. As the black ink spilt from the pen and onto the expensive cream paper the contract was printed on her heart clenched inside of her chest, a physical pain that caused her to lift her hand and rub there uneasily. The pain in and of itself was not unusual; over the last ten years it was something she had become quite accustomed to experiencing but it didn't make it any less uncomfortable. She opened her handbag and reached inside for a small jar of pills, shaking a couple out into the palm of her hand and gratefully accepting the glass of water the lawyer passed across to her. "Are you alright?" he asked sympathetically. She smiled and nodded, then pushed the pills between her lips and gulped at the water to help her swallow them, rubbing her chest as she felt them go down.

The lawyer glanced behind her at the three men who were waiting, all of them watching her with unreadable expressions on their faces. He wasn't sure what to think of it all but his job was not to think; it was to make things happen and ensure that they happened to the letter of the law. That was why he got paid what he did; he was damn good at his job and had done several lots of work for the Hart Foundation over the years. This was the strangest assignment he had been given though; to write a contract which essentially bound Juliet Cavanagh to the Hart Foundation, practically giving them ownership of her. And she hadn't objected, had simply nodded as he read the clauses out loud to her and then accepted the pen he gave her to sign, albeit in a hand that shook like a leaf.

"Do you have any questions Miss Cavanagh?"

"No sir. It is all quite clear thank you." Her voice was soft, a little breathy and her English accent seemed very pronounced, cut glass and making him feel inferior with his broad New York drawl. She got slowly to her feet and turned to the three men, keeping her head bowed as she moved between them. The lawyer watched as they all left his office and then picked up his phone.

"It's done boss," he said. "She signed."

"No arguments?"

"None at all." There was a sigh of relief from the other end of the phone.

"Good work, Roscoe. I'll be in touch."

"Thank you sir. There is something you should know..." But the dial tone was already blaring in his ear. The lawyer shook his head and wondered what had led to that girl becoming the veritable captive of the Hart Foundation and more importantly the man he had just spoken to; the most dangerous man in Canada.

Juliet didn't look up as they left the office, just followed the three men blindly down to the waiting car where she climbed into the back seat and avoided the gaze of the blonde man who climbed in beside her and clamped a hand around her wrist. Tears pricked her eyes but she swallowed them; there was no point in crying. It wouldn't change anything. The other blonde climbed into the passenger seat while the muscular English man took the wheel. None of them spoke on the short journey from the town centre to the large house which was set within its own grounds, fenced off from the road with an electric gate which opened as their car approached. She watched as they passed through the gate and headed up the driveway, her eyes briefly flickering around the three men. Davey, the English man was from Leeds and of the men who were part of the Hart Foundation he was the one who intimidated her the least. He was warm and friendly generally and married to one of the Hart sisters. Brian, the man who held her wrist was something of a loose cannon and she didn't know how to read him. He'd never hurt her, even holding her wrist now his touch was light, but she had the sense he could if he wanted to. And Owen, who she'd known as a boy, who ranged from light hearted and good humoured to spiteful and cruel. She knew that Jim, who was also married to a Hart sister was most likely at the bar they owned in town. He was similar in personality to Brian but a little older and a little harder in nature. She didn't think she'd ever seen him smile and he intimidated her more than any of the others.