Chapter 18

The music throbbed through the club and I found myself swept up in its intoxicating rhythm. My body moving in sync with the beat. I danced without inhibitions and allowed the music to carry me away on a wave of euphoria.

Raising my hands in the air, I swayed my hips. Men and women alike danced around me, lost themselves in the music. I didn’t care if I was only feeding off their enthusiasm. No one would know. No one would see.

I spun and twirled with reckless abandon as the intensity of the music grew, driving me to new heights of exhilaration. Fake it until you make it, right? I laughed and danced with wild abandon, and soon, my cares and concerns were forgotten in the heat of the moment.

Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me, trying to make light touches between our bodies. I spun around and found myself face to face with a tall, handsome stranger. His eyes sparkled with admiration as he leaned in closer, his breath touching my ear.

“Mind if I join you?” he murmured, his voice silky.

“Depends,” I replied with a coy smile. He looked good. “Can you keep up?”

His lips curled into a smirk. “Oh, I think I can manage,”

I felt his hands on my hips as the music enveloped us in its pulsating beat. We moved together, our bodies swaying to the rhythm of the music. The man could dance. They said to be aware of a man who could dance. Caleb and Carl were good dancers, and I hadn’t been cautious. And look where it got me.

“So, what brings you to a place like this?” he asked over the pounding bass.

I shrugged, a playful smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “Just needed a night out,” I replied, my gaze locking with his. “What about you?”

His grin widened. “Same here. Thought I’d let loose and have a bit of fun.”

I laughed, the sound mingling with the music as we spun and twirled across the dance floor. “Well, you certainly seem to be succeeding,” I said, teasingly. Part of faking it. He definitely was a good catch. Tall with broad shoulders and a striking face. Hmmm. Strong arms. He was probably years older than me.

“I like to think so,” he replied, his hands guiding me effortlessly through the crowd.

“What’s your name?”

“Vito.”

“Nice name,”

He smirked, something in his eyes told me he was entertained. “Yours?”

“Amanda,” I said and giggled. The alcohol must be working. I didn’t care though. This man didn’t have to know my real name. He could have me once, and that was it.

Vito’s smirk widened, his eyes glinting darkly. “Amanda,” he repeated, testing the name on his tongue as if savoring its flavor. “I like it.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. The alcohol added an extra layer of boldness to my words. “Thanks,”

“Care for another drink?”

“Absolutely.”

“But only if you promise to keep up with me.”

“You’re on,” I said with a wink, matching his attitude.

“Back for more, I see?” the bartender said with a chuckle, pouring us both another round of drinks.

I grinned at him and clinked glasses with Vito in a silent toast. The warmth of the alcohol spread through me.

I watched him check his phone before pocketing it back. He leaned in closer, his voice low and intimate. “So, what’s the plan for tonight, Amanda?” he asked, his breath almost making me shudder.

“Well, I was thinking we could continue the party at my place,” I replied, smiling.

Am I really doing it?!

His grin widened as he nodded in agreement. “Sounds like a plan,” he said, his voice tinged with excitement. “But first, let’s make the most of tonight.”

I looked at him. I didn’t care if he was not Caleb or Carl. He could help me forget. At this time, all I wanted was to escape the pain and emptiness that had consumed me today, even if it was just for tonight.

But why was I scared? Fear gnawed at the edges of my mind. I knew I was only running away from my pain instead of facing it. I knew this was a mistake, but...for now, all that mattered was the fleeting sense of freedom even though my heart felt empty.

“Here, take this,” he handed me another shot.

With a smile, I accepted it, feeling the burn of the alcohol as it washed down my throat.

“My car or yours?” he asked.

“I don’t bring a car. I want the man to take me wherever he wants.” I giggled, but then, the room seemed to spin around me, the pulsating lights blurring around me.

Panic fluttered in the pit of my stomach as I struggled to regain my bearings. My heart pounded in my chest, a cold sweat breaking out across my skin as the world tilted dangerously around me.

Vito’s concerned voice cut through the haze of my thoughts, but his words sounded distant and muffled as if coming from underwater. I tried to focus on his face, but it seemed to swim before my eyes. I closed my eyes, feeling his arms around me.

“This is going to be a long, long night.” I heard him say.

Fear gripped me when I realized that something was terribly wrong. Was it the alcohol, or something else entirely?

I felt a surge of nausea rise in my throat, threatening to overwhelm me as I tried to push something, my head spinning uncontrollably.

I felt like screaming, but nothing really came out.

I fought to maintain control, but the darkness closed in around me, swallowing me whole. Desperately, I thrashed my body, but it was as if I hadn’t moved a bit. The world faded into blackness...no...

..

My head throbbed with a dull ache when consciousness returned to me. My limbs felt heavy as if weighed down by something heavy. Slowly, I became aware of my surroundings, the light filtering through the curtains.

What had happened last night?

Blinking my eyes open, I struggled to piece together the events of the previous night. Vague memories flashed through my mind. With a groan, I pushed myself upright, the sheets pooling around me as I sat up on the edge of the bed. I gasped sharply, realizing I was naked.

My head spun with dizziness, and I reached up to massage my temples, hoping to alleviate the throbbing pain that pulsed behind my eyes. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of my stomach. I was alone, naked.

Where was Vito? What had happened after I blacked out?

Did he touch me?

Had I been drugged? Abandoned? The questions made me feel lost and vulnerable. Was I human trafficked?

No! No! No!

Frantically, I scanned the room, my heart smashing in my ribcage as panic threatened to engulf me. Where had I left my phone? Where was my bag? The room felt foreign and unfamiliar. I was terrified.

With trembling hands, I began to rummage through the drawers and closets for clothes. My eyes fell upon a familiar shape nestled under the bed. With a sigh of relief, I reached out and grabbed my phone, clutching it tightly to my chest. My dress lay discarded on the other side of the bed, that was why I didn’t see it.

With a sense of overwhelming relief, I rushed to change.

My heart sank to my stomach, my fingers shaking with dread. The screen remained dark, my phone was dead!

“No, no, no,” how could this be happening? Without my phone, I was truly alone, with no way to call for help or reach out to anyone.

Panic gripped me, threatening to overwhelm my senses as I struggled to come to terms with my situation. What was I supposed to do now? I shouldn’t cry. Crying wouldn’t help me. Where the heck am I?

I stepped out of the room, and the silence greeted me. Holding my breath, I walked out into the hallway. The silence felt suffocating as if the very walls of the house were closing in around me. Every creak of the floorboards beneath my feet amplified the fear that gripped me. If Vito was a bad guy, he couldn’t be alone. He must be working with the others.

If I made it out of here alive, I would never trust a stranger with a pretty face.

The house was enormous. Goosebumps prickled along my arms as I thought that they could be downstairs. The door to the outside seemed so far to reach. And if I ran, somebody would see me. I couldn’t possibly outrun a man’s strides.

My heart raced in my chest, the beating pulse echoing in my ears like a drum. But still, with trembling hands, I reached out for the banister and descended the staircase as silently as I could.

As I reached the bottom of the stairs, a sense of foreboding washed over me when I heard voices. “She must be up right now,” that was Vito chuckling deeply. “I don’t like to screw a half-dead woman. I want my woman screaming for my cock when I’m deep inside her pussy.” He scoffed. “You can have her.”

Dread swallowed me whole. He sold me!