I put on a dress I bought a few weeks ago and haven’t ever worn yet. TJ doesn’t like it when I wear dresses and says I’m trying to whore myself out to other men. Men don’t typically come in my store unless they’re shopping for their wife or girlfriend. I’m not a homewrecker and don’t offer anything other than assistance if they’re looking for a specific book. Each transaction is strictly professional and TJ can’t accept thatbecause he’s the cheater and believes everyone else is depraved like him.
The dress is white with spaghetti straps and goes down to just above my knee. It’s light and today is supposed to be scorching hot. The sun is barely up and it’s already roasting in the bookstore. I’ll have to turn the air conditioning on so it’s comfortable when everyone gets in here for the day to shop or work. My hair is up in a messy bun because I want it off of my neck and it allows the necklace I wear daily to stand out. It’s a picture of Bhodi and I when we were younger. I also slide on the only ring I’ve ever worn onto my finger. It’s Bhodi’s class ring and I only take it off when I shower, wash my hands, or am doing dishes. They are my most treasured pieces in the world and I won’t ever let them go.
Heading back to the main floor of Fantasy Realm, I quickly pick up my mess from sleeping on the couch. The blankets are folded and exchanged for fresh ones while the table is moved back where it belongs. The second everything is cleaned up, I grab the register till from my office safe and make my way to the front counter. I double count it from the employee who closed last night and run the opening stuff for the register so I can compare numbers against the main report. As soon as that’s done, I open the safe under the counter and begin to count it. That’s when I hear the lock in the front door click open and my entire body goes rigid.
Heavy footsteps walk through the store and head for the counter I’m currently ducking behind as I count the safe. I reach up and hold my finger just above the button the security company installed if we ever need help. Not only will it alert the cops to something illegal happening in the store, but the security company will also be notified from what I’ve been told. I close the safe so it appears as if it’s actually closed and locked beforestanding to see who’s inside my store. I already know who it is because there’s only one person who would have a copy of the key—TJ. He’s made copies of all my keys and the one reason I will change the locks as soon as the store is closed for the day. The less he knows, the better I’ll be.
My eyes land on my ex and I take in his disgusting appearance. He’s wearing the same clothes from almost a week ago when I was last at the house. The tee-shirt is stained in several spots that I won’t even bother taking a guess what they’re from. His jeans have ripped even more and show more leg and part of his underwear than they did days ago. His normally styled hair is unkempt and all over the place as if he’s been running his finger through it on repeat. Or that he’s stuck his finger in an electrical outlet and now he can’t do anything with his hair. It’s longer than I’ve ever seen it before because he hasn’t bothered to get a haircut while I’ve been gone. Hell, it doesn’t smell like he’s bothered to shower at all. I can smell body odor, stale alcohol, and several different perfumes. The combination is more than enough to make me choke and throw up. I have to hold it back as he steps directly up to the counter without touching anything.
“So, this is where you’ve been hiding,” he says, smirking at me and looking my body up and down before the smirk disappears and he glares in my direction. “You don’t come home and now you’re whoring yourself out while in your bookstore? Is this what you do all fucking day long, Taleah?”
TJ’s face is bright red and the vein in his neck is protruding so much I can see his pulse racing. His eyes narrow more and more the longer he looks at me and his hands are clenched into fists at his side.
“Whatever I do is no longer your concern, TJ. We’re not together and I want nothing to do with you,” I state calmly, myfinger never leaving the area where the button is hidden under the counter. “I can wear what I want, stay where I want, and do whatever the hell I want to. You’ve been doing all of that regardless of whether we're together or not. Now that we’re broken up, I no longer need to give a fuck what you think about my actions.”
“You really are one stupid bitch, aren’t ya?” he questions me, stepping back and moving so he’s around the counter with me. His actions are fast, but I’m just slightly faster as I press the button a few times to ensure it goes off and everyone is alerted. “First you leave the house. I’m not really pissed about that. I haven’t had to listen to you bitch and moan about what I do and needing help. Now, you’ve really pushed me past my fucking limits, Tally. You’ve not only continuously called the cops on me, but you’ve cut me off financially. Who gave you the fucking right to take my money away?”
I can’t help myself. I start laughing my ass off. The pure audacity of this stupid bastard is truly shocking. He’s done absolutely nothing to earn a single penny of money from me. I will be suing him to get it back in full since he’s such an entitled prick.
“The fuck you think is so funny?” he shouts, his rage coming out for the first time in a way that scares the hell out of me.
“What’s funny is you believing a penny of the money you spend is yours. It’s allmymoney and you have stolen so much of it from me over the years. Money I intend to get back before I finish with you. By the end of the day, you won’t have access to anything of mine any longer. TJ, you no longer have a place in my life and deserve every fucking horrible thing coming your way. I plan to press charges against you and get a restraining order to ensure you can never come near me again,” I state,my voice calm and steady as TJ takes slow, menacing steps toward me with his face turning from red to purple as his rage intensifies. I really shouldn’t be provoking him, but I’m so tired of his bullshit and I just want it to end.
“The only thing you’ll be doing is turning my cards back on, Tally. I’m done playing this bullshit game you have going on. You’re gonna come back home tonight and clean the fucking place because that’s your damn job. It’s a mess and you’ve been slacking. Walls need to be fixed and repainted, the entire house has been trashed, and the garbage is overflowing. Dishes have stacked up and I don’t think there’s a single one left to use. I want a hot meal on the table by the time I get back. For now, you’re gonna give me money. Every fucking penny you have,” TJ says as if he has the right to make demands of me.
“I’m not doing any of that, TJ. You wanna eat, make your own fucking food. Pick up your garbage and do some fucking dishes. You’re truly a lazy bitch if you can’t rinse shit off and load it in the dishwasher. It takes a few seconds for each dish and you’re done. I won’t be turning back on your cards or giving you any money. We. Are. Done,” I say very slowly so maybe the words will sink in this time. I highly doubt it, but I’m willing to try anything at this point just to get rid of him.
“I’m not fucking playing with you, Taleah,” TJ says before lunging at me and grabbing my throat. His hands are wrapped so tight I can’t get a finger under them to break his hold. “You’re gonna do every-fucking-thing I’ve said and whatever else I demand in order to make up for the shit you’ve been pulling lately. You’renotin control here, Taleah. No matter what you believe, I will always be in control of our relationship and everything that happens between us. You have no power and aren’t better than I am.”
“I’m better than you in every way,” I struggle to get out as TJ tightens his grip around my neck for several seconds. It’s long enough to cut off my breath completely. Black spots fill my vision and I can feel myself starting to pass out. Fear consumes me because this fucker is ready to kill me in order to get what he wants.
TJ lets go of my neck just before I completely lose consciousness. I collapse to the floor at his feet, gasping for air as tears fill my eyes and I can’t hold them back this time. They roll down my face and land on the carpet cradling my body and my arm as it lays at an odd angle beneath me. TJ doesn’t stop attacking me. He starts kicking and punching as hard as he can. I can’t even protect my head because one of my arms doesn’t want to work and the rest of me won’t cooperate with the silent commands I’m trying to give myself. Right now, I’m completely open and vulnerable to TJ’s attack. I can feel my skin splitting open with each new hit he lands. While I can’t open my eyes as I still struggle to breathe, I know TJ is no longer using his hands. He’s grabbed something to add to the damage he’s inflicting on me and the boots he’s wearing today are the steel-toe boots I bought him. I can’t remain conscious as the pain he’s inflicting takes a toll on me and becomes too overwhelming to deal with. As the blackness consumes me, the last face I see is my brother Bhodi.
Chapter Five
Master
SITTING IN A meeting at F.D. Security, I’m focused on what’s going on because we’re discussing upcoming installations, a few calls that have come in for bodyguard jobs, and continuing our job at Roger’s ranch. Every week, we all gather at the security company and go through all the calls we’ve gotten and divide the tasks so no one burns out doing one particular aspect of the job we’ve all taken on. None of us like the installations, but we’ve all done them and will continue to go to those jobs because people deserve to feel secure in their homes and places of work. I won’t ever turn down an installation or upgrade job because I’ve witnessed people in a vulnerable position where they lose the only place they previously felt safe. Their sanctuary turns into a nightmare and we want to prevent that from happening. We’re currently debating whether or not to remain on the ranch for extra peace of mind for those there getting help when the alarm sounds on all of our phones. I immediately pick mine up from the table in front of me and feel my entire body go tight. The alarm is for Fantasy Realm. It’s been triggered from the button under the front counter I made sure was included.
“I don’t give a fuck who comes with me, but I go inside first and that’s non-negotiable,” I state in a hard voice because this is personal for me.
Count happens to be here for the meeting today and he jumps out of his chair as fast as I do and races behind me as we leave F.D. Security and head for our bikes. I don’t take the time to put on my helmet as I start the engine and leave the parkinglot without seeing who’s following behind me. I push my limits as I ride through town, passing slow moving cars and running red lights after pausing the briefest second to ensure no one is driving through the intersection. I cut the time in half to get to the bookstore as I barely manage to get my kickstand down.
“I’m headin’ in the front door. I want someone on the back. Make sure you take out anyone who steps through the door that’s not a female. This shop is run by females only and no male employees are here,” I order before leaving the group of men with me and pulling the gun from the back of my jeans. Taking off the safety, I make my way inside carefully.
My eyes dart around the room and I don’t find anyone. I don’t even see Taleah until I get closer to the counter where the register sits open. Money litters the floor and I avoid stepping on it as I take measured steps closer to the counter in front of me. I don’t bother remaining on the customer side of it as I step to the end and that’s when my entire world shatters in the span of a heartbeat. Taleah is laying on the floor. Her body is covered in so much blood I can hardly see any of her skin. Taleah’s hair is a matted mess that covers her face. Her dress has been ripped enough to expose her lower body as my gaze turns a hazy red. Someone put their fucking hands on my Doll and violated her.
“Call for a fuckin’ ambulance! Now!” I yell, turning the safety back on before placing my gun back in the holster at the back of my jeans. I drop to my knees and don’t register the pain jolting my body as I let my hands hover over her body. “Taleah! Wake up, Doll!”
I plead and beg with her to wake up to no avail. When I brush the hair out of her face, I take in the dark bruises in the shapes of fingers surrounding her delicate neck. Her necklace has become tangled and rests tightly against her skin, but I don’t dare touch her more than I already have because I don’t knowthe true extent of the damage that’s been done to her. I refuse to make it even worse with a careless touch.
“Taleah!” I continue to scream as tears fall down my face and I feel a hand rest on my shoulder. I haven’t cried in almost eight years since I learned of Bhodi’s death. I don’t bother taking my attention from my girl to see who’s at my back. Her name continues to escape in tortured screams from me as I completely break down in ways I never thought possible. Pushing her away did absolutely nothing to limit the pain I’m feeling right now. If anything, it only made it worse because she hasn’t been in my life for almost eight years now. I could have prevented this from happening if I wasn’t a complete fuck-up years ago.
“You’re gonna have to move, Master. The ambulance is here and they’re gonna have to get to Taleah so they can help her,” Count says, his voice gentle as he leans closer to me because there are other people in the store now as I turn my attention from the girl I’m kneeling next to.
Fantasy Realm is now filled with cops, members of the club, and paramedics are rolling a gurney inside. No one gets close to me as I remain at Taleah’s side on the floor. After one more look at her, I finally get off the floor, but I don’t move far from her side. I’ll be watching every move the paramedics make so they don’t hurt her more than her current state. Count doesn’t leave my side. He knows I need him as one of the officers we’ve worked with in the past makes his way over to us.
“Master, do you know what happened here?” Officer Reynolds questions me as he holds his notebook in front of him while other officers walk carefully around the store to gather evidence.
