Beneath Submission: (An Unbreakable Series) Romantic Suspense Read online

  Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Acknowledgement

  Prologue

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHPATER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  About the Author

  New Releases

  Contact Information

  Beneath

  Submission

  An Unbreakable Series

  A.L. Long

  Copyright © 2018 A.L. Long

  Beneath Submission (An Unbreakable Series)

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior consent of the author

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictionally, and any resemblance to any actual person, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Interior edited by H. Elaine Roughton

  Cover design by Elena Krishtop

  ASIN: B07GC8Q2V2

  Acknowledgment

  To my husband of many wonderful years, who is with me heart, body and soul through each word I write. If it weren’t for him my dream of writing would have never been fulfilled. I love you, sweetheart. And to my family, whom I also love dearly. Through their love and support, I can continue my passion for writing.

  To the many readers, who took a chance on me and purchased my books. I hope that I can continue to fill your hearts with the passion I have grown to love.

  Most of all I want to thank my incredible PA, Barbara Danks. I don’t know where I would be without her and to my wonderful Street Team (Athena Kelly, Lori Hammons, Kristen Ann Tanner, Marsha Black, Heather Swan, Sallie Ann, Andrea Miles Roads, Stacey Charran). You ladies have been a godsend.

  Prologue

  I had always wished that I knew more about my past other than what Mr. Colin had told me. If it hadn’t been for him, I might have ended up in foster care. Losing my parents at a very young age could have gone in a different direction if hadn’t it been for him. My life as it was, wasn’t so bad. As long as I did what I was told, he never punished me. If I never questioned Mr. Colin’s intent, I would be rewarded. My childhood was much different than other children, that I knew. I wasn’t allowed to play with dolls or dress up and have make believe tea parties like little girls should have. Instead, “discipline” was more important according to Mr. Colin, and if I wanted to make something of myself, I needed to focus on only that and nothing more.

  I wasn’t sure how keeping my eyes lowered when spoken to or crossing my hands over my lap when sitting or kneeling was ever going to help me get ahead, but I didn’t dare question it. It had to have been the “discipline” that Mr. Colin was trying to teach me.

  Looking back at my childhood, it really wasn’t so bad. I always had a warm bed and a roof over my head and the clothes that I was dressed in were always the best. About the only thing that was bad about living with Mr. Colin was the training he had put me through to prepare me for his meetings. At least that was what he called them. It only took one time of questioning him about them to know that I would end up getting punished if I ever questioned him again.

  While most girls were in school learning and enjoying the interaction with classmates, my time was spent learning the disciplines needed to receive top dollar for my services. Mr. Colin was always happy when a client offered more than the going rate. Sometimes when that happened, he would even do something extra special for me. I always loved leaving the large house to go to the park or out for an ice cream because I pleased him. Although it didn’t happen very often, I savored every moment by taking in the sights and learning everything about the park by asking a lot of questions. Sometimes Mr. Colin would get annoyed with me, so I had to stop. I knew that if I didn’t I would be going back to the house and I would be confined to my room. He hated it when I asked too many questions, especially when it had to do with my parents.

  I shouldn’t complain and should feel grateful, as Mr. Colin always stated. There were far more children who weren’t as fortunate as me. He was right as always. At least I was thankful that most of the men were nice enough, even though they were twice my age. As long as I did what they said, Mr. Colin would reward me with nice things. But if ever I refused, I knew it wouldn’t end well. Being raised in this lifestyle was all I knew. I wondered how it would be if my mom was still alive. There were so many things that I would have liked to know that only she would be able to share. Such things as how it felt to be truly in love and what the butterflies in your stomach meant. Or why the first time was always the hardest and why it was very painful and caused discomfort days later.

  When I was introduced into this lifestyle I realized there were so many things that Mr. Colin didn’t understand, especially what I felt like each time I serviced a client or how each time made me lose more and more of myself. It didn’t take long before everything around me became non-existent. It was then that I created an imaginary happy place that I could escape too. It was the only place where I felt free and happy.

  Even though I knew my special place would never exist for me in real life, it was still the one piece of happiness that I had. All that I ever wanted was to be in love and have a life filled with love and happiness. Something that I always dreamt of. Maybe someday my day would come. Maybe someday, my knight in shining armor would come to rescue me and love me for who I was instead of the amount of money I could make. Maybe someday.

  ~One~

  The Beginning

  “Tessa, we need to go. The last thing you want is to be late. Mr. Milford doesn’t applaud being late. For every minute you’re late, it costs me $500.” I heard Mr. Colin shout outside my bedroom door.

  I hated hearing the anger in his voice. Not because it was so loud, but because I knew his unhappiness with me would end up on my backside. Grabbing my tiny purse, which only had a few items inside, one being my prepaid cell phone, I opened the door to be greeted by an annoyed Mr. Colin. When he took hold of my arm, I knew that his grip would surely leave a mark just as it had every other time I was running behind to meet one of his clients.

  I never really cared for Mr. Milford. He was an older man with a big protruding stomach and a fat, bald head to match. Sometimes I wondered how often he shaved. His face always bore a good three day’s growth. When he would rub up against my cheek it felt like sandpaper, and I swore I could smell the scent of mothballs on his person. My guess was that it came from the c
lothes he wore; never once did they match. Mr. Colin said it wasn’t my place to criticize how a client looked or smelled. As long as I did what I was told, it would be well worth the reward. I remembered several times almost passing out because of the smell. It only took one time for me to learn how to hold my breath. When Mr. Colin got wind of what happened, he made it very clear what would happen to me if I ever disrespected one of his higher paying clients again.

  As he led me down the stairs, Mr. Colin’s grip got a little tighter on my arm. The way he was pulling at my arm, I thought for sure that I was going to fall given the four-inch heels I was wearing. Mr. Colin said it was very important to look professional when meeting a client. The last thing that he wanted was for me to look like a cheap prostitute. That was why I always wore the most expensive dresses and heels to match. Today, he had chosen a pink lacy dress with no room to wear a bra. Most of my dresses were that way. Other than the dress, the only item of clothing I had on was the matching garter and thong accompanied by silk stockings.

  As we got inside the car, I could feel my body begin to tense. It was always the same thing every time we left the house. I thought for sure that it would have gotten easier, but even after the twentieth time, I still tensed up. It was always worse when Mr. Milford requested my services. I guess it was because I knew what would be waiting for me once I was alone with him. He was never gentle, sometimes downright callous, when he had his way with me. I learned long ago to do as he asked to avoid what he felt was appropriate punishment for my defiant behavior.

  Mr. Milford always requested to be met at the Montage near Laguna Beach. It didn’t matter that it was over an hour away. It wasn’t like he would be taking advantage of the amenities that the hotel had to offer, which included the beachside pool. He always made sure to reserve the Catalina Suite, which had two bedrooms. Mr. Milford thought it was best that I spent the night, but always in a separate bed. There was no arguing on my part. It was bad enough that I had to service him, and the thought of sleeping with him with his soft, flabby body pressed to mine made my stomach turn.

  As we pulled up to the hotel, the valet stepped over to the car and opened the back door where Mr. Colin and I were seated. Simon, Mr. Colin’s right-hand man, was seated behind the wheel and kept his eyes straight ahead.

  With an overly friendly smile, the valet said, “Welcome to the Montage. Do you have any luggage that you need assistance with?”

  “The lady has a small bag in the trunk,” Mr. Colin stated arrogantly, as though the valet should have known that.

  Heading inside the hotel, the cool air of the lobby hit us, and the sweet scent of roses filled the air, coming from the beautiful flower arrangements placed throughout the area. I wasn’t sure what it was about this place, but I always loved coming here. It was the reason behind the visit that always made me cringe. Walking towards the row of elevators, we waited for one to arrive. Colin didn’t need to check in with the front desk to know which room Mr. Milford would be staying in. I, too, knew where he would be, waiting, clutching his glass of whiskey on the rocks like it was the Holy Grail. My only wish was that he would have had several before we arrived, making my time with him short and less painful. It would certainly give me more time to myself when he passed out on the bed.

  Reaching the upper floor where most of the suites were located, Mr. Colin ushered me off the elevator and guided me down the long hallway, placing his hand firmly on my lower back. I was beginning to hate the way he treated me, pushing me along like I was nothing more than an insignificant being with no feelings whatsoever. I knew that if I said anything to show my disapproval, it would only make him angry and end up badly for me.

  It wasn’t long before we were standing in front of the Catalina Suite, which was embossed on a gold plaque tastefully displayed on the cherry wood door. Knocking lightly, I knew that Mr. Milford was inside by the way he hacked and coughed on the other side. When the door flew open, a very unpleasant smell escaped the room, which caused me to raise my hand to cover my mouth and nose. Never had I smelled anything so rancid. Gaining some composure, I lifted my head and saw that Mr. Milford looked like he was on his death bed. His eyes were glazed over and his nose was as red as a fire truck. There was a reason for his hacking and coughing. He was sick, and by the looks of him, there was no way I could do anything that he requested.

  Mr. Colin, at least, was smart enough to see that Milford was indeed ill and he was unwilling to take the chance of me getting whatever he had going on. Taking a step back, Mr. Colin covered his mouth and said frankly, “I think it is best that we reschedule this meeting. It appears that you are a little under the weather and as healthy as Tessa is, I can’t chance her catching whatever you have.

  “I’ve paid you good money for her services and I’ll be damned if I don’t get what I paid for.”

  My eyes shot open at the audacity of this man and the ill-regard for others. There was no way in hell I was going to let this man touch me. Before I could speak my mind, a younger man walked up to the door. He couldn’t have been any older than me, and even though he was kind of cute, he wasn’t part of the arrangement. Watching him scan my body up and down, I was certain that Mr. Milford had something else in mind.

  “I would like to introduce you to my son, Trent,” he said excitedly in between sniffles.

  “You were right, Father, she is absolutely gorgeous,” Trent confessed, showcasing a mischievous grin.

  “What is this about?” Mr. Colin asked sternly.

  “I don’t think it should really matter. I have already paid for Tessa’s service and it shouldn’t matter what it entails,” Mr. Milford responded.

  I had a pretty good idea what he was thinking, and I really didn’t want any part of it. What surprised me more was the fact that Mr. Colin finally stood up to him and did the right thing by refusing to allow Mr. Milford to follow through with his agenda.

  “That was not the arrangement. I will send you a full refund. If your son would like to obtain Tessa’s services, then he will need to go through the initial interview process just as you did.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Before we left the hotel there were several words exchanged between Mr. Colin and Mr. Milford. Although Trent didn’t voice his opinion, I could tell that he was not happy with Mr. Colin’s decision. The best part about the whole ordeal was that Mr. Milford swore he would rather jack off than obtain my services. On the flipside, even though it wasn’t my fault, I had a feeling that I would be paying for it one way or another.

  Pulling up to the house, I could feel the coldness begin to set in as we got out of the car. I never knew what to expect from Mr. Colin, but one thing was for sure, I knew exactly when he was unhappy, and as of right now, he was more than that. It was as clear as day as he ordered, “Go to your room, Tessa, and wait until I come to get you.”

  I was about to ask why, but when he looked at me with his searing dark eyes, my instinct kicked in and I did what I was told. There was only one reason that I would be sent to my room in that manner and that was to await my punishment.

  ~Two~

  Listening to my favorite mix of songs on my iPod, my eyes kept reverting back to my bedroom door waiting for Mr. Colin to enter. I had no idea what was in store for me as the minutes ticked away. When midnight rolled around, I knew that I would have to wait until tomorrow to see what my fate would be. I never knew that staring at a wooden door could be so exhausting. Pushing off my bed, I headed to the bathroom to clean up before snuggling deeper under my covers away from the outside world. It was something that I had done since I was a little girl. It was my escape, even as a grown woman, though I knew that it wouldn’t keep the bad from coming in.

  Slipping into my favorite nightgown, I pulled back the covers and hid beneath them, making sure that my body was covered from head to toe. I let my mind wander to the place I loved the most, which was filled with sunshine and daisies, when my eyes began to get heavy. I didn’t want to think about anything except the
place that made me the happiest. Even though I don’t remember my mom’s face, I always saw her in my dreams. She was a beautiful woman with kind eyes and blonde hair that had been pulled back in a stylish bun. She always wore the same dress, which was off-white with a flower print that moved in the warm breeze whenever she moved.

  The beginning of my dream always began with the two of us picking the daisies and placing them in a basket. Sometimes we would sit in the field together wishing on the petals as we tore them from the stem. My wish was always the same, that she would forever be with me and never leave. I never got the answer I needed before I woke up. It always ended too soon. Maybe this time I would.

  As I closed my eyes and began drifting off to sleep, I heard the door to my bedroom creak open. I knew that it had to have been Mr. Colin. Pretending to be asleep, I didn’t move a muscle and waited for him to leave. I couldn’t hold my position any longer when the covers were flung off my body. More than anything I was startled by the act, which had caught me off guard. What surprised me more than that was seeing Simon standing next to the bed.

  His voice was sharp and demanding as he said, “Colin wants you in the training room.”