Libertine Hotel
The Inquiry
sl south – Thank you so much for your glowing reviews and support! I am glad you're enjoying my little pieces of insanity, lol. I greatly appreciate the input! :D It was pretty awesome to wake up to three reviews! And now I have reason to keep plugging away at EOTS once I get past writer's block on it!
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Sterling guided Jade to his car, parked only a few spots away from her own. He wasn't about to let her drive, and then he'd have to send someone for his own car instead of hers. Biased as he was, he wasn't about to leave a five hundred thousand dollar car unattended. Jade continued to shake in stunned silence as she half curled up in his seat. Somehow, he'd get to the bottom of this; whether that meant Seymour was in his legal right, or Jade was legitimately being enslaved and systematically raped. As he sat in the driver's seat of his baby, a thought rushed into his head that made his stomach twist with disgust. He had been her first client; did that mean, technically, that he had...Sterling pushed away the thought as he triggered the ignition. No sense beating himself up now. All he could do was make this right, and hope that “right” didn't land Jade into permanent servitude of Joseph L. Seymour.
“We'll go to my place – you can shower and rest. I will see if I can sort this out. I will also stop by your mother's house, and make something up. Are you terribly forgetful with things sometimes? That would help.”
“I – I can be,” she replied, sniffing some sadness away as she stared out of her window, not able to turn to look at him more out of shame of her outburst than anything else. “Sometimes. Especially if I get excited. They're almost never home; dad's always off on business trips, and mom is a nurse at the hospital on night shift...just, please don't leave me alone...” Sterling glanced at her for a moment, as long as he dared while driving.
“Well, that makes it easier to make something up, then. And, I won't – at least not while you're awake. I'd already planned on making sure you were asleep before I came back there. Besides, you won't be alone – my cat will be there!” he smirked, turning on to the highway.
“You own a cat?” she asked, finally turning to face him for a moment, before looking out the front.
“I do. He's an old ornery bugger now, but he likes people. Has a thing for knocking over my coffee in the morning...Can't put it down for five seconds, or it's a puddle on the floor and there he sits, proud as ever, twitching his little tail with a broad smile on his face...” Jade giggled slightly, picturing a cocky cat perched on a counter with that feline grin they get. “There we go, that's better.” Jade gave him a broken but gentle smile. Sadness crept back in to her eyes, but she didn't cry.
“Thanks, Sterling. I'll be okay in time. Maybe if he winds up dead one morning and it's all over the news...”
“Wish upon a star,” he said, turning off the highway and onto a residential road that looked fairly reclused. They weren't too far from her own home by highway, she noted, and just minutes away from the hotel. “Maybe the stars will listen.”
Sterling pulled his silver bullet of a car up to a rather unbecoming but modern styled square home set a little farther away from the rest of the homes on the street, far at the back of the short cul-de-sac. He owned the largest property, and the smallest house – a kind of modesty that Jade had not expected from someone like Sterling. The home was perfectly square with all kinds of right angled pieces of wall jutting among large windows, and accents of white marble and stainless steel. It was well lit, and the front lawn, though manicured, was pretty bare, save for the low flowery bushes that lined the sidewalk. The massive windows let her see inside; there was an unfinished, vaulted ceiling of light wood, and the decor was quite masculine, with plenty of steel and glass with black, white, and red decoration everywhere else. His front door was black with some neat frosted glass panels. Had Jade been in a better mood, she more than likely would have commented on the size of the home compared to who he was, but then again, he didn't know she'd figured it out yet, and she wasn't in the mood for playful banter. He stepped out of the vehicle ahead of her, and beeped the car once she was out. Before they even got to the door, it opened for them; a tall, bulky, beefy looking man (even more beefy than Bruce, if that were even remotely possible) about the size of one of those super-strong men that haul trucks with their bare hands, had opened the door. The man was very tall, the sort that had to bend over to get through the door, and wore a fine-looking black suit and tie. He even had blackout shades on, and one of those cool looking ear-bugs the secret service used. He stood out of the way and silently held open the door, but seemed to stare momentarily at Jade.
“She's staying here for a while, Tank. She has full access to everything. If she needs you, you're going to listen.” Jade perked a brow at the name, but dared not say anything. Tank nodded, and offered her a slight bow. She looked at him for a moment as she stepped past, noting the holster on his side. Tank closed the door with himself on the outside this time, obviously guarding the entry point.
“Tank? Is his name seriously TANK?” she smirked, staring at the door where he'd vanished behind.
“Tank is a code name. Only I know his real name; I pay for the best, and that means I get the best. He doesn't use his real name. He is on duty in the evenings through 6 am; after that, we're alone, but the daylight hours aren't the most dangerous.”
“Is he the cat?” Sterling laughed at the suggestion.
“No; Argent is probably in the cat room.” He pointed up a set of stairs to a nearby loft. Jade tentatively looked about, standing awkwardly in the middle of his entrance way. While the Living Room-Kitchen was open concept and breezy, Jade no longer felt safe – anywhere. It was as if she were expecting Seymour to jump out from any corner. “Do you want me to stay here for a while?”
Jade jumped slightly, and turned to eye the front door. She knew she'd be safe, but her every instinct was telling her NOOOOO! However, Jade knew she was only being like that because of her trauma – and she'd be fine. Plus, she knew Sterling wanted to get to the bottom of this.
“N-no, go ahead. I'll just have a shower, and...I dunno what else...” she said, waving a dismissing hand at him. Sterling frowned slightly at her less-than-convincing response, but he had a narrow window if he was going to make Seymour believe he was still at the hotel and hadn't seen anything. He stepped over to his stainless steel fridge, and snagged a piece of magnetized note paper, jotting down his cell phone number.
“Alright...Well, call immediately if you need anything. I'll tell Tank where I am going, but not why.” Jade gave him a brief expression that said 'thank you'. “I'll get to the bottom of this, I promise.”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
“Page Seymour. I have business.” Sterling said, his normally distant, cold, and prideful voice flowing out over the receptionist, who rolled her eyes, but did as she was told.
“Yeah, the sex toy guy is here. Says he has business.” she said, once the boss man had picked up. She then gave a brief 'Uh-huh' before hanging up the receiver. “He says come up.” Sterling didn't recognize her response and walked straight past Bruce, whom already had the door open for him. He found his way to the elevator, and took it to the correct floor, using his VIP key. The second receptionist smiled and waved, batting her eyes and pushing out her breasts slightly – as if that would ever attract him. He totally ignored her, and didn't even bother knocking on Seymour's door.
“Joe; I hope you got the last shipment? I got a call saying it may have been delayed.” he sat himself on the chair before the man's desk, making himself perfectly comfortable, in true Kingsley style.
“Yes, it did. Spare me, Sterling; you're not here on business about a toy shipment. What do you want?” Seymour replied, standing from his desk to stare out his floor-to-ceiling window.
“Straight to the point then, I suppose; where on earth did you get that Jade bitch? She fucks good. Not like the others.” Sterling hated using the language, but a public persona was a public persona and could not be broken.
“I can tell, you bought her twice. She came in asking for a job, so I gave her one.” Seymour guarded his words carefully.
“She doesn't strike me as the type so sign up. Pretty dense as they come, but quite the little prude. Scared of men, too. How DID you talk her in to this?” Sterling relaxed back into the chair, putting his shoes crossed up on Seymour's desk. Seymour glanced over his shoulder at Sterling, a cocky smirk on his face. Sterling had said enough; Seymour bought in to his attitude.
“I didn't even have to. She didn't even read the agreement. I just handed it to her, and she signed it because she thought I was just going to give her a job, sight unseen, with no resume or interview. I got her to sign the full disclosure! She's getting what's coming to her, stupid cunt.” Sterling gave his best laugh, though inside, he was trying very hard not to shove him through the window.
“No kidding. How much to buy her contract? I have a few things I'd like to do to her at home. I'd also like to have a copy of that glorious contract, if you would?” Seymour's eyes flashed dangerously with a tinge of mistrust before it went away.
“She isn't for sale, Sterling. That bitch has gotten me a load of orders already after I let slip that you bought her twice,” he sneered, greed plastering over his face, “and now I have her booked solid for six months. Not even you could pay to get time in edgewise.”
“What do you propose?”
“Well,” Sterling removed his feet from the desk, and stood. “I have her half the week, then she's yours...for say, $10 million?” Seymour let out a grand laugh.
“I'll make that off her in a month! I won't sign her time over for less than...fifty percent of Kingsley Toys.” Sterling tried not to cough in shock, and managed to only widen his eyes slightly.
“Twenty, and you still pay for supplies.” he countered, crossing his arms.
“Fourty, not a percent less! She's worth your whole company!” Seymour barked, getting a little edgy.
“I suppose. Send a lawyer to mine to set everything up. I'll take Monday through Thursday? Those are your slow days anyway. Financial only, you will have no say over my company whatsoever – and I will read the contract, unlike Jade.”
“Deal. I don't care what you do with your vibrators.” Seymour's grin widened into a greedy, sickening grin – like the one he'd used when he raped Jade. He extended a hand to Sterling to shake on it, and they shook. This was not a sacrifice he was going to tell Jade he'd made. He was frustrated he couldn't free her of her contract entirely, but at least he guaranteed her 4 days off in a row – the only downside was, he now had to use her in advertisements, or Seymour would become suspicious. Seymour started rifling through the top drawer on his desk, and after a moment, flipped a stapled stack of papers in frobt of Sterling. It was Jade's contract – likely a copy. He inwardly sighed, snagged it, and headed towards the door. “You know,” Seymour spoke out, catching Sterling right as the door was about to close behind him. “You should come to The Lunchroom when it's open...there's more people there then, you know...”
The door clicked shut as Sterling thinned his eyes. He'd been spotted – but then, why did Seymour play along? Taking the stairs down instead, Sterling puzzled over Seymour's behaviour. Either he knew something was up and was playing along until he could manipulate either of them, or he was just oblivious and in it for money. Did he suspect Sterling's true intentions? What gain, besides riches, would Seymour obtain from this arrangement? Sterling slid into his car once again, and frowned. Fourty percent of profits was a hefty chunk, but it would hardly break the bank. He agreed to it namely because Jade had some time to just be herself and recover before having to survive another weekend.
“Which will make her last longer at the hotel before she loses her mind,” Sterling thought to himself as it dawned on him, “And now he's getting lifetime profits out of me for it.” Sterling pulled his car into his driveway and slammed his fist on his steering wheel. What was more merciful; losing one's mind faster, or having time to cope with a horrifying situation? He would order his entire team of lawyers and hire a private detective if he had to – this contract had a hole somewhere, and he would find it, and break it.
Sterling stalked towards his door with a deep-in-thought expression as Tank held it open for him. Why he felt so invested in Jade's welfare, he wasn't sure. He hadn't given a flying about any other woman he'd come across; why was this one so different?
“Pardon, sir;” Tank uncharacteristically spoke out. Sterling glanced up from his complicated brooding, and tipped his head, signaling that he was listening. “You look like your bank just defaulted, or something. Is everything alright?”
“I'm not sure Jade would want me to say anything;” he replied, lowering his voice and glancing inside. Tank took the cue, and ushered the door closed again. “She signed Seymour's contract without reading it,” he explained, waving the papers in his hand slightly. “He won't resell the contract, and became very defensive when I pried even the slightest. I managed to secure her Mondays to Thursdays off, but that's not what I was hoping for. I'll be getting my whole team of lawyers on this contract and see what I can do to break it.”
“If I may, why do you care so much? You've never brought a girl home, let alone care about her contract.”
“She's seventeen,” Sterling started, “And isn't voluntary. She didn't even realize what the hotel even was, I think. That's enough to bother anyone.”
“Obviously, it isn't bothering Joe Seymour.” Tank replied, reopening the door as Sterling walked towards it. “She's in your shower; or, was, last time I poked my head in the front door. Sterling nodded in acknowledgment, and placed the contract on the granite counter top, pulling out his cell phone. He plugged in a quick text to his head lawyer, letting him know they were going to have a priority project, and left his phone there on the counter. He then stepped towards his main bathroom, and spotted the door ajar just a bit. He knocked on it loudly and called her name.
“Yeah?” she replied, poking her head out of the shower curtain.
“I'm back; got a few things to tell you, once you're done...” within a few seconds, the shower turned off. Sterling smiled faintly, and gave her some space, stalking back to his living room to flop down on his leather lazy chair. No sooner did he sit down did Jade appear, sopping wet, and quickly redressed.
“Well?” she said, hope filling her eyes. “What did you tell mom?”
“Um,” Sterling started, taking a deep breath. “I haven't been there yet. I went to see Seymour.” Jade took a seat across from him, and tipped her head in curiosity.
“And?” He sighed, resting his head on a pair of fingers, propped up on the arms of his chair.
“I managed to guarantee you Monday through Thursday off while I have a team of lawyers tear apart that contract. It's not what I wanted, but it's better than nothing at all.” While it was better than she'd hoped for, Jade couldn't help but feel defeated. The long hot shower had washed away most of her built up stress, but she couldn't help but feel depressed again.
“Thank you...its not like he's going to let me just walk away, I suppose. Just so you know, I am grateful – I just can't be happy about this.” He nodded in agreement.
“With any luck, my lawyers will find a hole, and quickly. At the very least, you've got until Friday to relax. I uh, wasn't able to buy any more time, though...” Jade's eyes widened.
“I'm going to need some strong alcohol...or maybe some drugs.”