Thank you so much for everyone following this story along. Hopefully I'm not dragging it out too long. Don't worry - they'll be getting together soon!

Sorry this chapter is short, when I saw the word count it seemed longer. I promise they'll get longer as the story progresses.

It was hard to write. You have to realize the pain that she's going through.

Thanks again to my pre-reader Caz and my Beta's Shiloh and Jasper's Destiny.

WARNING: There is graphic topics covered in this chapter.

RIDING THE RAILS

Chapter 10

NIGHTMARES

DISCLAIMER: Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight and its characters. I'm just taking them for a ride!

"Finish your drink first and give me a kiss." Bella heard. "Then go and make me some money, wife."

She could almost feel his hands as he pushed her away from the table. Then she heard grunts and laughter as a sea of faces swam before her hazy vision.

"NO! NO! NO!" she screamed as she woke in a sweat. Fuck, why me? Why can't I just get over it? she asked herself.

It was eight-thirty Saturday morning and Bella was still in bed. She didn't have the energy to move. The nightmare that had woken her up, memories of a horrible point in her previous life, would give her no rest. She sat back against the pillows, powerless to stop the memories that invaded her mind.

She exited the stage after her dance routine, looking around for her next "mark". Unfortunately, her gaze landed on a face she hated: "Rolls" Royce King. God, his parents were so fucking stupid when they chose that name. They must have thought a fancy name would ensure a successful man. Were they ever wrong about that…

Fuck! What is he doing here? she wondered. And who are those men with him? Bella had repeatedly told Royce that he couldn't be at the club when she was working. It wasn't that she was in love with him, but she didn't feel right when she stripped on stage or performed lap dances while he was present. He made her feel like a piece of meat on display with that look in his eyes. Plus, the manager of the club pretty much prohibited spouses to be in attendance.

She wondered why Jackson, the club manager, had let him in. Maybe it had something to do with the three men seated with him and the fact that he had brought in new customers.

Bella saw Royce wave her over and she approached his table hesitantly.

"Hello, Bella, dear," Royce greeted her when she reached the table. She fucking hated that term of endearment, especially from him.

"Royce," she replied with false sweetness, "what are you doing here? You know you aren't supposed to be here when I'm on duty."

"Well, dear," he said through clenched teeth, "I just wanted to show you off to my friends here." He gestured over to the three men sitting at the table.

"See, guys? Didn't I tell you she was a beauty and a spitfire?" He reached out and tweaked her right nipple, hard.

"What the fuck, Royce?" Bella screamed at him as she covered her chest. "Do you want me to get busted? You know you aren't supposed to touch the dancers!"

Royce snatched her wrist in a vice-like grip and hissed into her face, "Bitch, I can do whatever I want. I fucking own you! Remember that!" He threw her hand back at her. "Get dressed. I want you to entertain my friends. I've already ordered you a drink. A real drink."

Bella made her way back to the dressing room and put on an outfit that covered her as much as possible. Her instincts warned her that she needed to be on alert. Unfortunately, the time for modesty had passed, as she'd already walked up to Royce's table in nothing but a G-string and five-inch heels.

As she approached the table for the second time, she noticed that Royce and his companions were engrossed in photographs that lay on the table in front of them. As Bella got closer, she could see that some of the photos were of women. Suddenly, the photos were pulled from the table by the man that sat across from Royce before she could get a good look at them. Royce swiftly pulled Bella into the chair next to him and pushed a drink toward her.

"Here, I ordered you a Jack and Coke. Drink it," he all but snarled at her.

"Royce," she interjected. "You know I'm not supposed to drink while I'm working."

"I don't give a fuck about the rules. Drink your drink, now!" he snapped.

With a heavy sigh, Bella took a sip of her drink and almost choked on the strength of it.

"Holy shit! That's almost full booze. Um," she said as she started to get up, "I'm going to get some more Coke added to this."

Before she could leave the table, Royce grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her back into her seat. "No. You don't need to add anything. The drink is fine. You just haven't had anything to drink in a while."

Bella flinched as he squeezed again on her elbow. She remembered the last time that he'd done that and the mini vacation that had resulted from it. The jail time had sucked, but at least she'd been free of him for the time.

She continued to sip slowly on her drink, all the while observing Royce. She had no idea what he was up to and wanted to keep a clear head. Royce introduced her to his companions. She didn't recognize any of them from the group of friends Royce normally hung around with.

Curt was a large, red-headed man who was in serious need of breath mints. Oscar was a small Hispanic-looking man who continuously popped the gum in his mouth. The last man she was introduced to, James, made Bella's skin crawl. Occasionally she would glance over and see James staring at her. An alarm sounded in her head, warning her to steer clear of him. Of all of them, actually.

"Royce," Bella said nervously, hesitant to interrupt his conversation with Oscar. "I'm up to dance after the next two songs. I have to go get ready." Why couldn't I be next, she wished. Bella wanted to get away from the three strangers as soon as possible.

Royce looked over at her, smiled a lecherous smile, and nodded to her. "Sure, baby. Finish your drink first and give me a kiss," he demanded, in a manner that pretty much gave her no choice.

Bella leaned in to give him a quick, chaste kiss, but he turned it into something more aggressive. She pulled back and rubbed her swollen lips, and then picked up her drink with the intention of taking a sip, but Royce reached out, grabbed the bottom of the glass, and tipped it back until she'd finished the entire drink.

"Now," he bit her earlobe, hard, "go make me some fucking money, wife," he growled in her ear. A chill ran down Bella's spine at his tone.

As she stood to leave the table, she felt slightly wobbly. Wow, that drink really hit me, she thought. When she reached the dressing room, she felt flushed and a lot more relaxed. She put on one of her sexier outfits for her next performance and walked out to the stage to perform. Bella began to grind her body against the pole, her consciousness slipping away as she lost herself in the pulsating beat of the music.

BEEP

BEEP

An annoying, repetitive sound began to break through into her consciousness, pushing at the edges of the fog that filled her mind, pulling her slowly back to reality.

BEEP

BEEP

Bella tried to turn her head but could not find the strength to do so. She tried to raise her arm but found that it was too heavy for her to lift. She could hear voices but could not see the people they came from. Panic set in as she registered extreme pain in her abdomen and lower regions. She listened to the disembodied voices.

"Looks like more than one attacker by the samples that were taken. We're not sure of the extent of the damage. It's apparent she won't be able to—"

"Doctor, the officer brought in her information. Her emergency contact is Royce King. I'll go call him."

Bella moaned and whispered, "NO."

"Doctor, she's going into cardiac arrest! Grab the crash cart!"

BEEP

BEEP

BEEEEEEEEEEEEP

Well, what do you think? Sorry for the shortness of this chapter. Trying to get everything done in my RL. I will NEVER underestimate a professional writer again!