Page 81 of Allison

Allison:I’ll text you when I land in Atlanta.

Not waiting for a reply, she places her phone into airplane mode, dropping it into her pocket. When the boarding announcement for her flights comes over the loudspeaker, she rises to board her flight. A sharp pain slices through her when a blunt object jams into her side. A hand clamps over her mouth before she can scream in pain.

“I knew you wouldn’t be a good girl,” Bruno croons in her ear, causing her nausea to return. “You like being naughty, don’t you? You wanted me to hunt you down and punish you. Did you really think running away, having a security system installed, and being close with those soldiers would save you?” Allison shakes her head, too terrified to speak. “Oh I think you did, but I told you I would come for you. Do not scream or many people will die, understand?” Allison nods. He drops his hand from her mouth.

Bruno begins to pull her down the concourse away from her flight. A large man follows along behind them. Allison’s heart is beating wildly. She does her best to make eye contact with the people they are meeting. She needs to let someone know she’s in trouble without alerting her captor, who has a handgun pressed into her side. She knows without a doubt, Bruno will kill her without blinking an eye, even if he wants to do unspeakable things to her before he ends her life. If it comes down to him being arrested or getting to have his fun first? He’d definitely kill her to get away.

Despite her desperate attempts, everyone they meet is too focused on themselves and where they need to go, instead of their surroundings. Not one person makes eye contact with her as she’s towed closer and closer to the entrance.How the hell did Bruno get a gun inside the airport? Does his boss really have the connections to make that happen?

The bright North Carolina sunshine blinds her when she’s forced outside. A stretch limo is waiting for them at the curb. A man in a suit with his arms crossed over his abdomen is standing by the back door. When they approach, he opens the back door, holding it open while Bruno forces her into the back. His lackey heads toward the trunk where she assumes he is putting her carryon.

Allison is in shock. She didn’t think Bruno and his boss would find her on the other side of the country. Looking up, she again hits her head as she’s shoved into the backseat of the limo. Blinding pain, sears through her head and Allison’s heart stutters in her chest… not the way Russell makes her heart flutter, but in utter fear. Boss, the masked-man, is waiting for her, but he isn’t wearing his mask this time.

“Hello, Ms. Simpson, we meet again,” the man croons. Allison’s stilled heart drops out her ass.

Masked-man in all his slimy glory is smirking at her as Allison scrambles inside in an effort to keep Bruno’s hands off her. Shifting her hips, Allison gets her butt onto the soft leather seat. She’s forced to slide closer to the Senator when Bruno climbs in behind her to sit next to her, again pressing the gun into her side. “Who are you?” she asks.

“You hurt my feelings, Ms. Simpson. I thought everyone knew me,” he drawls. She stares at him. He looks very familiar, but still no name is coming to her. “Oh, come now. Surely you didn’t hit your head that hard, did you?”

“I must have, because I have no idea who you are,”

“It’s a very profitable enterprise. I’m able to afford the lifestyle I want, sample the merchandise, and still appear to be an upstanding member of the community.” As the final words leave his mouth, Allison suddenly remembers who he is.

“You’re Senator Claymore!” He chuckles and gives her a nod.

“Give the girl a prize,” he gloats. “You are very clever, Ms. Simpson, too clever. Hence the reason for you being my guest.”

“Your guest? I’m not your guest, you sonofabitch. You’re kidnapping me, again!” His hand flies out with a sharp crack to her face. Allison cowers away from him, but that only gets her closer to Bruno. She’s sandwiched between them.

“You would do well to keep your mouth shut, Ms. Simpson, or you will find yourself, with those you’ve been searching for. I don’t think you want that to happen, do you?” She just stares at him, struggling to process that this man is involved in the sex trafficking ring. He is supposed to protect our rights, not take them away from the most vulnerable. How can he be involved in such heinous acts?

“Although, I think you would bring a nice price.” He tilts his head, considering her. “I have just the buyer for you, too, though he is away on business presently. Sadly, he could be gone for a few months. No matter, when I send him your photo, I’m sure he’ll be happy to pay for me to hold you for him.” Bruno shifts next to her.

“You’re a sick bastard!” she yells. The Senator just chuckles low in his throat.

“You haveno idea how much of a bastard I am,” Claymore grins at her. “I think I’ll break you in for the client. I usually prefer my playthings much younger, but you…you will be so much fun to break.” Bruno growls, leaning over her to glare at the Senator.

“She is mine,” Bruno asserts, pulling her closer to him.

“Not now!” Claymore bellows. “We will discuss this later. “Now, Ms. Simpson, I told you what would happen if you continued to look into things, you shouldn’t.” Tears well up in her eyes. Seeing this man in front of her is a death sentence. There is no way Allison and her baby will make it out of this alive. The masked man…Senator Claymore had told her his reach was far and wide, but she hadn’t believed him. Her body shakes with the reality of her situation. Allison looks around to see Bruno smirking at her, no doubt enjoying their victory and planning unimaginable horrors for her.

A sob escapes her.Why hadn’t she stayed in Jacksonville?Sure, seeing Russell had been painful. It ripped her heart to shreds every single time, but at least she’d have been alive to feel the hurt. Now, she’s never going to hold her baby, to see its precious little face, tiny fingers and toes. She’ll never see Russell again.

The limo pulls out into traffic and Allison sobs in earnest. “Oh, shut up!” Bruno yells, causing Allison to cringe, shrinking in on herself. She wraps her arms around her middle to protect her baby should he decide to hit her. “You will have plenty to cry about soon enough.”

“Now, now, Bruno,” Senator Claymore chastises. “I haven’t given you the green light, yet.” Allison lifts her head to look at him in shock and fear. “As I said before, I usually like my playthings younger, but I have to say she is glowing today, even in her fear, isn’t she?” His eyes roam over her from head to toes and back again. Allison’s skin crawls in disgust. Her nausea returning ten-fold.

Allison covers her mouth with her hand, taking slow deep breaths to keep from vomiting again, if there’s anything left. “Ohh what a lovely shade of green!” Allison stares at the Senator who has clearly lost what’s left of his sick, fucked-up mind.

“You said I could have her!” Bruno growls, leaning over her to glare at the Senator. “Don’t go back on your word. I have entirely too much on you, Senator.” Bruno lets his threat hang in the air.

“You don’t frighten me, Bruno,” Claymore scoffs with a sneer. “I’m untouchable. No one will believe a kidnapper/murderer-for-hire over me.” His glare at Bruno is almost palpable in the small space.

“You have only been untouchable because of me!” Bruno asserts, smacking his chest with the hand not holding the gun. “I have plenty of evidence to prove my accusations. You may think you are the boss in all of this depravity” —Bruno waves his hand in the air— “but I am really in charge, Henry.” Bruno draws out his name slowly as if it’s significant he knows the man’s name. “Everything has been because of me, my influence, my skills, and my contacts!” Bruno hits his chest punctuating each word.

“I have contingency plans for my contingency plans. Don’t underestimatemyreach, Senator. I allow you to do what you do, to be the hidden face of this organization because it profitsme. The moment you think to double cross me, to keep me fromMYplaything; I will crush you like the bug that you are. Do I make myself clear?”

Allison’s head swings back and forth between the two men.What is happening? Who is really running this operation?The Senator’s face has paled. His hands shake and sweat is beading on his skin. When he lifts his eyes from his phone to gaze at Bruno, Allison can see the fear in the man’s eyes and the defeat. The Senator isn’t the man in charge, not like he’d believed himself to be.

---