Falling

4 | A Piece of White Paper

My hands had not stopped shaking.

After our... encounter, the one named Rodney escorted me out of the room. Alone.

Dante and the other men had left, but not before he expressed how powerful he was. The turmoil in my stomach never settled. My mind never stopped running.

I would have never signed that deal if it wasn't for my past being used as leverage. There is a reason I've kept it buried and refused to revisit it. Someone who I've never met before, never interacted with before, had the power to make me crumble in his large cold hands.

"We need to go. Follow me," said Rodney as he looked down at my trembling form. He had led us out of the room just moments before and now we were in the hallway between the men's bathroom and that door.

"Where is Tatum." I said in a quick breath. My mind in shambles, feeling like I just took 3 standardized tests. "Miss Tatum has been escorted home."

I lifted my eyes to this Rodney. Giving him a once over, tall and broad with clear blue eyes and shaggy blonde hair. He towered over me. Not nearly as tall and intimidating as Dante, but still a force to be reckoned with.

"So, she believed whatever lie you told and went home without a fight?" I found it hard to believe she would just up and leave after a strange man told her I went home.

"Miss Tatum understood that you had received a call for your long lost aunt. And understood you needed to return home." He said while scanning the club before us. "I assure you no harm came to her, she took some convincing, but she understood no less."

At this point I was losing patience with being here. With fighting against my control. The anxiety that consumed me just minutes before in that room, had never left. I needed to leave, go home, and break behind closed doors.

Aunt? Tatum never asked about my past, but she had gathered it wasn't pretty. And she has an idea that I don't have any real family left, but I've never actually told her. So I'm sure she didn't want to pry, thinking it was personal. Fuck.

"Just take me home." Came the words out of my mouth. I sounded crazy even to myself. Giving up too easily? How could I.

But only one could keep their control for so long, and mine was slipping.

My brain needed time to process what had just happened. What I had just seen and signed away to. The man that had ruined everything within hours.

I needed to think clearly. And I wasn't. Not right now, not here in this cloud of sensual dancing and flashing lights. I needed to leave.

"A car is waiting. Stay close behind."

As we shoved through the hordes of dancing bodies, I scanned the room hoping it had all been a big fat dream. Maybe Tatum was still sitting in the VIP section after flashing her tits for our fancy VIP booth. Maybe I had just gone to the bathroom and passed out for a second.

But as Rodney, placed his arm around my back to guide me to the awaiting black SUV out front, it was clear it was all too real.

We ushered into the back seat. Myself pushing to the far end of the big seat, and Rodney settling to the opposite end close to the now closed door. My eyes wandered to the window to my left and I let my forehead roll forward onto the cool glass.

"It is not all that bad Miss Rhodes. Dante is a good man. What you saw was a bad night" said Rodney to my right.

"A bad night? Your version of a bad night is beating a man to the blink of death," I was breathing heavy now.

"Did you ever consider why. Why Mr Brown had been in that altercation." He said inquisitively. He shot an eyebrow up when I moved my eyes to his.

"No. No I did not. I was too busy signing my silence in exchange for MY past staying in the past." I narrowed my eyes at the blonde. How dare he try and justify Dante's actions.

"Well, I assure you there was a reason. And as long as you keep your silence, and follow up on the deal, you will be fine." He said as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"You realize how fucked up that is right? I shouldn't have to do anything besides call the authorities and get that man arrested," rolling my eyes I trained them away from him back to the window to my left.

"You know—" he started but I interrupted "yes. I know he has more connections than I can count. I know I must remain silent. I know Rodney. I fucking know."

Tired. I was so tired. Tired of constantly being on guard and composed. Tired of talking to these men and just plain tired.

He left it at that and did not try to converse with me again. Turning his head to his own window, the conversation was over.

My hands slowed their shaking just a bit, and I used that to my advantage. Reaching for the clutch that somehow found its way back to me, I grabbed my phone. Checking the time it was around 1am.

Sighing I put it back in my clutch and watched as the scene flew by, just wanting to get home.

_________________

The car ride was longer then I would've liked. It seemed like I was forced to dwell longer. I'm just so tired.

When leaving the car, Rodney made sure to remind me of the deal and then he slammed the door and sped off.

My semi shaking hands turned the key of my apartment door. I stepped in, dropping both my clutch and key on the small table by the door and walked towards my room.

Starting with a small tear that had escaped onto my cheek, I felt my control completely fall. Curling up atop my bed, I let it out.

A continuous flow of tears left my eyes, and my body shook with the force of my sobs. I had worked so hard. So damn hard to be independent and non reliant. To escape my past, to find a new life. And the one night I allow myself to have fun, it goes south.

I must've curled up for what felt like hours. Although only being probably 30 minutes, it felt like hours.

Deep breaths. I took deep breaths, calming the rate of my heart. My hands had finally stopped shaking and the tears had dried. Getting up I forced myself to the bathroom in order to clean myself up.

After a shower and a change of clothes, I headed into my living room to turn off any lights and double check the lock on the front door.

On my coffee table was a piece of white paper.

"What..," I don't remember leaving anything here. Or Tatum for that matter. Confused, I picked it up and turned it over.

My eyes narrowed and hands clenched around the edges as I scanned the words;

"Life's too short to live it in a prison cell. It'd be a shame to throw it all away.

I look forward to our meeting this friday Miss Rhodes.

Don't fuck it up."

Son of a bitch.