NALEDI’S POV
Good Job, Naledi. You did a good job.
I said in my heart as Luka escorted me out of his office with a big grin on his face. “The payment will be made tonight. Stay in touch.” I said when Marcus opened the door to my car.
“Most definitely. I look forward to having a beautiful relationship with you.”
“Business relationship. Careful, people might get the wrong idea.” I chastised him with a smile I didn’t mean.
“It wouldn’t be the first time now, would it?”
“Don’t remind me.” I entered into my car and with a curt nod, Marcus drove us out of the premises, while Luka watched until we were out of sight.
“Are you alright, My lady?” Marcus said from the driver’s seat but I didn’t utter a word.
As soon as we got to the house, I let myself out and fired swift orders. “Get Caellum on the line, meeting in ten.”
Korah opened her mouth to speak but I was long gone. I needed to get to my room. I needed to get out of sight. I pushed my door open and everything happened so fast.
Images from my past flickered into my mind like a storm, taking hold of me so powerfully, I couldn’t see anything else. I rushed to the bathroom, a second too late.
My lungs closed up as I struggled to breathe. I see myself locked in a tiny cell, naked and treated like a dog. Waiting for our owners. I see myself hung upside down, left with the rotting of my colleague who proved stubborn.
The morbid smell of death, rotting flesh and pain. I was there again, unable to move, chained and helpless. I crawled on the floor of my room as I heaved, chasing the demons away.
They were stronger than I was. Way too strong. It was a battlefield of the mind. It’s been a long time since I had my episodes. I thought I overcame them, buried them right where they were supposed to be. In the past.
But it felt like they were resurrected, and they were chasing after me like banshee. They had caught up to me. My breathing was increased and in that moment, a thought, a little thought, to end it all, to let the darkness in.
“Naledi!” A voice roared in my head, snapping me out of it. “Naledi! What’s going on?! What’s happening?”
I knew that voice. I knew it too well. It was Caellum. How was I hearing his voice in my head?
“Listen to me, listen to my voice, baby. Breathe. I want you to breathe. In and out, do you understand?”
I nodded my head, he couldn’t see me, but for some reason, he continued like he knew I was listening.
“In.”
I breathed in, the sweet feeling of oxygen filling my lungs.
“Out.”
My body responded to his voice. We continued that until my breathing evened and I was no longer a mess. I didn’t realise I wasn’t hearing his voice anymore as I laid on the cold floor, motionless and void.
A knock sounded on my door, and it flung open.
“My lady!” She rushed towards me, helping me off the floor.
“I’m alright. I slipped.” I say, trying to stand on my own.
If she knew what a blatant liar I was, she didn’t show it. She assisted me to the bed where I sat down in silence, letting me catch my breath in silence.
“Marcus reversed the shadow spell.” she said, “The Alpha is on the line and requesting to see you.”
I cleared my throat. “I’ll be down soon.”
My tone was clipped. I hated it when people saw this side of me. The vulnerable side. It was a side I thought I locked up years ago. Who would have known that frolicking with the devil would send all my efforts crashing down.
Korah understood me. She nodded and without a word, walked out of my room, muttering something along the lines of don’t be long. I revelled in my silence for a minute, and afterwards, made my way downstairs.
They heard me coming. There was no way they could be that silent. The air was tense, and their eyes fixated on me. Korah and Marcus.
“Naledi.” There was that voice again. Caellum. He was projected on the flat screen. A video chat.
“I’m fine.” That was my knee-jerk reaction. “I’m alright. Let’s talk business.”
“You were right about Luka. He trafficks women. The vermin has a stash of women and children locked up in his office, imprisoned and waiting for when they would be sold off to the highest bidder.”
“He’s crazy,” Korah said, her tone reflecting her anger.
“He sees women as a business. The most profitable business. One of the girls got raped while attempting to escape. She got pregnant and his crazy plan to kick off the child trafficking is en suite. What do we do?”
I hated the way I sounded. Broken. Weak. Both of those things I fought never to be after I escaped years ago.
“I need to be sure you can take on this before we make any decisions.” Caellum’s voice was firm, but somehow, I felt oddly comforted by it.
“Those women need to be rescued. I signed the papers with my blood. I am officially a partner to that evil. There’s no backing out now.”
My choice of words was enough to tell them I was not backing out. I was going to set those women free and make Luka regret being conceived. That was a promise.
“Marcus.” Caellum suddenly said and he got up.
“As soon as I dropped the Lady, I joined in listening to their conversation. I believe the women are hidden underground. I walked around the club and concentrated on the earth, but could rarely pick up on any human movement.”
“Why is that?”
“I have no idea,” Marcus replied, “I’d need to go there on my own, and make more findings.”
“Report back to me on that.” Caellum said, “Anything, anything at all, give me a call.”
I didn’t need to be told he was talking to me.