“Help, I need somebody,

Help, not just anybody,

Help, you know I need someone help.

And now my life has changed in oh so many ways,

My independence seems to vanish in the haze.”

~ The Beatles

Help!

It was mid-afternoon when Jacqueline regained conscience, placing her hands over her eyes as she tried to clear the black spots that came over her vision. A nagging headache was thumping like an 808 drum. Turning on her side she tried to piece everything together that just happened in the last 12 hours.

Everything from her conversation with Katherine to the time that she was walked into a building…and within minutes the image of that prick James came to her.

Jacqueline shot up in an instant as everything became clear; her quick movement only caused her headache to worsen. She rubbed her temple while taking calming breaths having to keep herself in check from the growing hysteria that was building within her.

When she finally calmed herself she took in her surroundings.  There was no doubt that she was in a guestroom.

Her mind went back to the last statement that James said before she involuntarily black out.

“I was thinking about placing you in one of my brothels…but I have better plans for you”

She could feel her heartbeat thumping against her chest as she begun to shake all over. There was no way he took her to one of his brothels?

No, he said he had better plans for her.

But even that was nowhere near as comforting as being placed in a brothel…if anything it was worst.

What plans did he have?

Was she going to be some sex slave to him?

His answer might have been yes, but Jacqueline’s answer was a clear hell no.

Either way, she wasn’t going to be here long enough to find out the answer to that question.

It’s a wrap, she was going to find a way out before they even find out that she was awake.

Jumping out of bed, she rushed towards the door with the hope that the doors were unlocked. More than likely they had locked the doors in case she tried to leave like she was doing right now.

Grabbing hold of the handle she turned it and just like she thought the door was indeed locked from the outside.

“Damn!” placing her hands on her hips she began to pace.

It was a little habit of hers when she needed to think during any crisis and she was finding herself in one.

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“What are you going to do with the girl?” James looked at Ace.

 If there was anyone that he respected and held in high standards it was Ace.

When he sought advice it was Ace that he went to, but at this minute he wasn’t seeking it or asking for it.

“What I plan to do with her is my decision Ace,” he said while looking through the picture window.

To be honest he didn’t know what he was going to do with the amusing Jacqueline Marie Reed. His first thoughts were to simply place her in one of his exclusive brothels for his high paying clients.

But all that seem to change it was how she carried herself that intrigued him. Surrounded by people, who even if they didn’t know him or his reputation was afraid of him just by the way he carried himself.

But she wasn’t…she didn’t hesitate to look him in the eye or disregard his simple commands, her actions changed everything.

All he knew was that he wanted her for himself, after all her mother did sell her to him so he was obligated to do whatever he felt with her.

Whether it was the enjoyment of word play with her or the pure gratification of carnal pleasure of her body.

It was his business and no one else’s.

“I wonder how Roxy will react with another woman here?”

James couldn’t help but notice the amusement that was in Ace voice as he mentioned his girlfriend of five years.

There was no hiding how Ace felt about Roxanne…he hated her with everything within him and if James gave him the word Ace wouldn’t hesitate to kill her.

“Look the other way.”

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There was no way of getting out of here, the door… locked… the window…locked if she didn’t know any better she would mistaken this place as Fort Knox.

Frustrated, Jacqueline walked into the bathroom heading towards the sink she turned on the cold water. Splashing cool water on her heated face and cupping her hand so she could sip some of the water to quench her throat. She felt annoyance take over her in rapid motions. Everything she did was useless there was no way in getting out of here. Turning the water off, she looked at herself in the mirror making sure there wasn’t a scratch or bruise…when something caught her attention.

It was a window near the shower; it was small in demotion but wide enough for her to climb out of. She couldn’t help to think that this window could be locked as everything else in this room was. But then again…it could be unlocked after all who would think that she would try to climb out of a window.

Walking back into the room she noticed that there was a chair in the corner, grabbing hold of it she moved back into the bathroom.

Opening the shower door, she placed the chair close to the window looking out to see how high up she was, making sure she wouldn’t suffer a major injury. It was a good distance checking off one of her problems. Now all she needed to know was whether it was locked or not.

Sending out a quiet and quick prayer she grabbed the handle of the window and pushed up and the window open…

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Gazing out of the window, the city line, coastline, and valley was all wrapped up in one view. Being a man that never showed any form of vulnerability he made sure that everything in his life was secure.

So when James choose his house, he made sure that it was strategically place in area where he could see who was coming up on either side of the house and quick escape routes and cover from the valley below him.

So he could successfully say that he was a man that saw virtually everything that went on inside and outside of his home.

As James looked out inspecting his grounds like every afternoon he saw something that caught his attention. The sight before him made a small chuckle escape his lips and causing Ace to stand near him to see what could cause James to laugh.

Looking out the window was Jacqueline running towards the gate making sure that she didn’t step on any of the censers that were along the yard.

“Do you want me and the men to go grab her?”

“No lets see how far she gets…then grab her.”

There was no doubt that her stay was going to amusing…and somewhat aggravating.

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Jacqueline was on full sprint making sure that she didn’t set off the censers that seem to be everywhere. No one had yet to realize that she was no longer in the room and sprinting to freedom.

It seems too good to be true, but she was oh so close to getting away from here and that bastard James.

She was nearing the gate; slowing down her pace moving towards the gate she hadn’t even touched it when a wasp came out of nowhere.

“Move bee!” she waved her hand around frantically to get the damn thing away from her, but it seemed that the wasp was in on the plot to stop her escape.

“Move!” she hissed thinking she hit it, but it kept coming towards her like the freaking Terminator.

She backed up as she swatted at the bee again, she didn’t have time for this mess. The longer that she was playing along with this damn bee-wasp-assassin the more time there was for her to get discovered outside fighting off a damn bee—wasp-assassin-bug terminator.

Taking one last swat Jacqueline moved towards the gate; placing one foot in the opening of the gate she placed her other foot on the second opening.

Then next she pushed herself up, swinging one leg over the gate to the point that she was now straddling it she moved her other leg around when she felt something holding on to it.

She was caught and Jacqueline was on full survival mood. Keeping hold of the gate Jacqueline started kicking whoever was in the way.

“Somebody help!” she said screaming while kicking and holding on to the gate with everything in her.

“Get down here!” some man said.

“Let go of me!” she yelled kicking wildly as she felt the side of someone head connected with her foot.

“Damn!”

“Help somebody-somebody help! They’re trying to kill me!”  she felt herself being pulled. It was no use seeing how she had a death grip on the gate and her kicking wasn’t making it easy on Ace and the men that came to subdue her.

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James had thought that Ace and his men would have easily grabbed her up and brought her back into the house. After all it was three grown men against one tiny woman it couldn’t be hard right?

Wrong.

He should have known that she wasn’t going to give up without a fight. And from what he was seeing she was winning. He couldn’t help but to think that Ace has met his match especially when her foot hit the side of his head.

James couldn’t help but chuckle at that, he knew that it was taking everything in Ace not to retaliate.

But his amusement was dying down quickly…now he was annoyed seeing that they been out there for a good hour and a half. And how she was screaming like a wild banshee he didn’t need anybody hearing her and calling the police to investigate. That was the last thing he needed happening to him.

James strolled down the driveway, inspecting the yard making little notes for the gardener to handle when he comes next time. The commotion was becoming louder each step he took.

This was definitely the longest day in his twenty-eight years on this earth.

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Jacqueline moved her leg again to kick, but found that there was nothing; she was hoping that meant they were getting the idea to dodge. There was no way in hell she was going to give up without a fight she was determined to be on this gate till midnight if it came down to it.

As she moved she could feel something take hold of her midsection and without much of a hesitation pulled her down from the gate.

“Let go of me!” she yelled kicking and hitting whomever that had hold of her.

Telling by the grip that the person had on her he was extremely strong because there was no way she was going to break loose of his hold.

Before she could even react she was flung over the persons shoulder as if she was nothing but a sack of potatoes.

“I see you’ve woken up Jacqueline.”

She knew that voice very well it was that prick James.

She wiggled around, but there was no use since his hold on her was strong. Maybe she could kick him making him lose his balance causing him to drop her and her escaping.

As if he knew what she was planning James spoke up and shut all her plans down.

“If you kick me…” his voice was calm as he kept it short.

That was all that he needed to say for Jacqueline to be stiff in his arms; she knew that her little act would work only for his men but James.

That was a different story; his whole aura spelled dangerous in all caps and Jacqueline wasn’t even going to try anything with him…well not now at least.

She sighs loudly, letting him know she was not happy about this at all. This only causes James to smirk at her childishness.

Walking back into the house, it was clear to him that he was going to have to place her in a room where it was hard for her to escape. Opening the door to one of the guestrooms that was only five doors away from his room he dumped Jacqueline on the bed.

“After this little charade, don’t expect any dinner tonight,” he folded his arms as he stared down at her.

“I wasn’t expecting anything from you in the first place,” she glared at him.

“Really?” his eyebrow rose daringly at him.

She kept quiet as she crossed her arms and looked the other way.

“I’ll be taking your word for that,” it was the last thing that he said before he left out the room.

When Jacqueline heard the door close behind him she looked down at her hand…it was red as a bump started to show.

Throughout her little antics she had failed to notice that pain that her hand was going through from that bee-wasp-assassin-bug-terminator.

“Punk ass bee-wasp-assassin-bug-terminator,” she whispered as rubbed the sting. “I wouldn’t be surprised if James sent it after me.”

Tomorrow, come hell or high water, Jacqueline was going to find away out of here bee sting or not.