“Meet me tomorrow at this address. If you think you can handle what I’ll show you, you’ll have yourself a job.” He stands and holds out a card to me. I take it and stand and shake his hand. He looks me over again, this time his eyes roaming my body from top to bottom.

He never said another word then he left. I stood there bewitched by him and his questions. Wondering what kind of job would require such information. Surely what Celcia said can’t all be true.

Woman don’t traffic men, do they?

I’ve heard stories of women been taken and sold into sex slavery, but never a man. Women are an easy capture, easy prey. Dominic seems to think the other way around.

****

I dress in shorts, runners and a blue tank top the next day. As I make my way downstairs, my mother shakes her head at me.

“What?” I harrumph at her, grabbing my bag from the kitchen table.

“Can you not cover them up?” She waves her hand in the direction of my body, at my tattoos. I give her the stink eye. You know the one, where you don’t want to insult your loved one, but what they just said you think is utterly ridiculous.

“I think they’re beautiful,” my father says coming up to stand next to me and wrapping a hand around my shoulders to pull me in for a hug. I’m such a daddy’s girl and I love it.

“She isn’t a man, Ryan, she’s a lady.” I know she means well, and I did almost give her a heart attack when I was twenty and came home from vacation covered in ink.

“No, she’s a strong independent woman, with beautiful words and roses covering her body. Just stop it now, Julie, leave her be.” My father gives me one last squeeze before he walks away, leaving me standing there facing my mother.

“You know I mean no disrespect, hunny. I love you. I just don’t understand this,” she says waving her hands at my arms that are covered in Celtic writing. I do cover up some around her, I have more than her eyes can currently see.

I walk over and kiss her cheek, I’m already running late. Dominic is expecting me in thirty minutes. He was flat on the phone, not providing many details. Told me where and when to meet him, and he said not to be late before he hung up on me. I wanted to ring him back and tell him off for hanging up, but that probably wouldn’t land me a job.

I arrive at a luxury house five minutes late and see two men standing on the front terrace. I guess they’re bodyguards. They look me over, from top to bottom assessing me. The taller one walks out to me and pats me down, he doesn’t say a word. The shorter one nods for me to enter the house. I give him a weird look, are they not allowed to talk?

I walk straight past the men and into a dimly lit entrance. Dominic is standing there waiting for me. He looks me over the same way he did at the restaurant, then his lip quirks up into a smile. I place my hand on my hip and raise my eyebrows, his quirk stops and he starts to walk off leaving me standing there.

“Follow,” he says softly, just loud enough for me to hear. I straighten my stance and follow him up the staircase stopping on the second level of the house. I look around and notice it’s all rooms up here. There are no paintings on the wall, and no photos. Just plain white walls. Downstairs was much the same, but it feels smaller and bearer up here.

“Ms. Nixon, are you sure you want this job?” Dominic asks with his hand on the doorknob looking at me. I’m still not one hundred percent sure what this job entails, but I’m not one to back down. I don’t question him either about how he knew my name. I just nod my head and wait to see what he has for me.

His lips do that quirk thing again, it reminds me of someone who wants to smile, but is trying to retain it inside. He opens the door and walks out of my sight. Following close behind him into the dark room, the first thing I see is a glass wall, one similar to what they have at police stations. I walk close to it, not paying attention to anything else. I feel like I have to see what’s on the other side of that glass.

What I see first is hard to believe, and I immediately step back. Dominic is right behind me and grabs hold of my waist, his fingers burn into my skin, and his grip tightens. But it’s hard to focus on anything else right now as my eyes are glued to the two people in front of me, who obviously can’t see me.

Thank you, thank you. If you’re reading this, you have finished, and probably wanting more of my girl Aria, don’t worry, she’s coming soon. Her book is next.

If you did love this book, or hell even hated it. Tell me. Preferably on Amazon if you could.

Reviews on that site mean so much to me, and all authors.

If you want to contact me, keep up to date on any of my stuff, hit me up. I am easy to talk to and I have a fan group if you want to join.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/354182828086717/

You’re probably wondering why I added love notes, and they are all different. Nobody loves the same, everyone is different. But love is love, right?

Now with the Thank You’s. This is probably the hardest part of the book. I always feel like I leave someone out, and if I do, I do not mean to.

My beta girls, Kayla, Kristy, Casey, Kristy-Leah and KC. Thankyou for all your feedback. It helps make my stories all pretty and shit…bahaha.

Kaylene, you always fit me in, even when I’m a pain in the ass and give you shit notice. I’m trying to improve, really I am.

My Hotties, you know who you are. Thanks for all your pimping.

My readers, you guys, rock my socks off.

My bloggers that take a chance on me and continue to support me. No one could see me if it wasn’t for you. So a massive thank you.

Jame’s, thanks for being my model for this book. Pssst…he has a FB page you should like.

Regina Photography, you worked your magic. Thanks, girl.

And this beautiful cover was made by the very talented Louisa, thank you so much, girl.

And last but not least, my fams. Who always support me and believe in me. Love you guys hard!