Chapter 39: The Hand You're Dealt

Ethan sequestered himself behind the doors of his office for two days and refused to let anyone inside, including Batista and Collins, which was unusual. He didn't have sex with any of his whores, which wasn't like him. Every now and then he would ask for some food to be brought to him, but beyond that no one saw him and mostly he sat behind his desk in his chair, facing the large window that covered the far wall of his office, as he smoked his cigars and drank his whiskey.

In another room of the ranch house Jordan was going insane from being held hostage. He wondered how long his father intended to keep him locked up. He was alone with nothing to occupy his time. There was no clock or television in the room and no reading material. Most of his time was spent ruminating, which only proved to make him angry and sullen. He went over and over in his mind some of the things he could have done to prevent this from happening, and thought a lot about Angel.

Angel sat alone in her room afraid that someone would enter her room at any moment and kill her for defying Ethan. She was on pins and needles. At the end of the second day of nothingness, Batista entered Angel's room carrying a tray of food. She was only allowed a sparse diet, but she hadn't been eating anything. Batista noticed her red rimmed eyes and his heart melted a little, "You need to eat something to keep up your strength."

"Bat, please tell me what's going to happen?" Angel pleaded.

Batista shook his head, "Ethan's been shut away in his office for a couple of days." He always kept her informed even when he wasn't supposed to because honestly he didn't see what harm it did. She was small and weak and didn't pose a threat to anyone as far as he could tell.

"When he orders me killed, will you do it?" Angel asked.

Her words upset him, "Don't talk like that; besides Angel, why would you want me to be the one?"

"It's just a matter of time before he orders it," Angel sniffed and then she looked down, "And I know you would be gentle with me, that's all," she said softly.

Batista didn't want to think about that. "Don't talk like that Angel." Batista took her in his arms and held her. "If it ever comes down to it I'll make sure you die quickly and painlessly, I promise."

Angel was relieved a little by his words. She loved the feel of his body as it pressed against her own and she was starved for human contact. She was so sexualized that she often wanted to have sex with Batista, Collins, or any number of men that were around. She found herself wanting to have sex with Batista often. She often found herself becoming aroused by him. She knew he would never have sex with her because he had made that clear from the very beginning. She and once tried to seduce him and he punished her for it. That was the only time he had ever hurt her aside from following Ethan's instructions.

Batista wished he could tell Angel that Jordan was still alive, but he knew he better not. He coaxed her to eat a couple of bites of fruit, and then he left her alone in her room.

Finally the morning of the third day, Ethan came back to life and left his office. He showered and asked his men to bring Jordan to his office. When Jordan entered Ethan's office he saw that his brothers were there at his father's side as usual along with numerous other thugs. He hadn't seen his brothers since the morning they briefly visited him three days earlier. Ethan involved his sons in almost everything he did, but his real confidants were Batista and Collins.

Jordan had been going stir crazy being alone and locked up, but during the time he had been held against his will his body had continued to heal and he was much stronger than he had been when he first arrived.

Ethan took out a cigar and lit it as he stood facing Jordan. "Love," he scoffed in irritation. "You say you love Angel."

"That's right," Jordan said, and he saw his brothers smirk.

"You were always too damn sensitive," Ethan observed. "That was your problem as a kid, and now it's your problem as a man." He paced back and forth, mostly turning his back to his son. "I've been thinking about a lot of things, since the last time we spoke." Jordan braced himself for the worst. "What are you willing to risk in order to get Angel back?" Ethan asked as he whirled around and glared at his son.

"I'd do anything." Jordan answered.

"How touching," Ethan snickered and Jordan's brothers followed their father's lead. "Well given your condition you're not fit to do much heavy lifting, so I'll make it easy on you. We're going to play a hand of poker and the winner will take all."

Jordan couldn't believe it, poker? His father was a world renowned poker player and he knew he didn't stand a chance against him. He wasn't sure what his father was up to and he didn't trust him. There had to be a hidden agenda somewhere, but what choice did he have? He wanted to try and get Angel back. "OK," Jordan nodded.

Ethan looked at Batista, "Bring in the whore in here and strip off all of her clothes." Jordan's heart leapt at the prospect of seeing Angel, but it bothered him that Ethan wanted her stripped of all her clothing.

When Batista stepped inside Angel's room and told her to strip off her clothes and follow him she did as she was told. She wanted to ask questions, but she could tell Batista was not in the mood and she figured she was probably going to her death so maybe it was just as well she didn't know. Batista gripped her firmly by the arm and as they entered Ethan's office she was stunned because there stood Jordan. "Oh my God, Jordan" she gasped and she attempted to rush over to him, but Batista held her firmly back. "You're alive," she cried and the tears ran down her face. She was relieved beyond words to see him standing there alive. He looked beat up and had a lot of bandages on his head, but she couldn't care less. He was alive.

"Angel," Jordan tried to reach her as well, but Collins and another man restrained him.

Ethan grinned wickedly, "This is a touching reunion." Everyone in the room snickered at his words. "Get a dealer," he commanded his son James who quickly went to retrieve a dealer.

Ethan puffed on his cigar and walked over and grabbed Angel by the arm, pulling her in all her nakedness into the center of the room. Jordan could see the welts on her naked body and he was disgusted, "What did you do to her?"

Ethan chuckled, "What should you care? It's nothing more than you've done yourself judging by the video footage Rico sent me." Ethan and his sons laughed heartily.

Jordan blushed, "What are you talking about? I would never hurt her like that."

"We saw you give her a good hard spanking and then fuck her," Joe laughed with amusement.

"We sure did," Joshua snorted, "Rico had a camera hidden in your bedroom."

Angel looked down in embarrassment, "Rico did most of this to me," she muttered.

Jordan's face grew dark.

Ethan puffed on his cigar, "Rico had some fun with her, so I hope you don't care that he also gave her a few diseases." The truth was Rico had not given her any diseases, but Jordan didn't know that and Ethan enjoyed to look of torment on Jordan's face.

All Jordan could think about was how much he couldn't stand not being able to touch her and comfort her. He was tormented by being in the same room with her and not being allowed to hold her in his arms. He didn't like it that Ethan stripped her naked. It somehow humiliated both of them.

James arrived with the poker dealer and Ethan instructed that a poker table be assembled and that he and Jordan be allowed to play a round of Texas hold 'em. He instructed that Angel be sat on a chair in the middle of the room as they played.

"Fate," Ethan scoffed, "Let's test this 'fate' theory of yours Jordan and see if you and Angel really are meant to be together. Let's see if it's in the cards." Once more everyone sniggered.

Jordan cringed, "You realize how unfair this is given your expertise at poker."

"Would you rather just forget the whole thing?" Ethan asked.

"No," Jordan answered quickly.

"It shouldn't matter whether or not I'm a better player. It's all up to fate isn't it?" Ethan chortled. "It's all dumb luck."

Ethan still knew how to get under Jordan's skin.

Joshua, Joseph, and James were amused by their father's behavior. They were certain Ethan would humiliate Jordan beyond belief and then probably take Angel away besides.

Jordan sat on one side of the table and Ethan on the other as the dealer shuffled the cards. "How do I know you're not cheating?" Jordan asked.

"Are you accusing me of being a cheater?" Ethan pretended to be offended. "If you don't trust me maybe we should just forget it."

Jordan realized that no matter what he said his father was determined to threaten to call the whole thing off, and so he figured out it was best not to keep protesting. He sat and waited as the cards were shuffled dealt. He and Ethan were dealt two cards each and Jordan slowly lifted his two cards and looked at them. He had been dealt the Jack of clubs and the ten of hearts. He looked at his father who puffed on his cigar and didn't bother looking at his two cards.

Ethan nodded, and the dealer dealt a card face up in the middle of the table. The first card was the ace of clubs. That card was no help to Jordan.

"Aren't you going to look at your cards?" Jordan asked Ethan.

"In good time," Ethan grinned and then he leaned back in his chair and continued puffing his cigar. "As you pointed out, you have very little chance of winning, so it can wait."

"I have the same chance you do," Jordan said with determination, "technically."

"Maybe," Ethan laughed. "But why leave it up to chance at all. Let's stop the game right now. I have an offer for you. How about your three brothers bang your whore on this table while you watch and then afterward you can walk out of here with her, no strings attached."

"You're a sick fuck!" Jordan attempted to stand up and lunge at his father who chuckled heartily at his reaction as Jordan was held back.

"Yes or no," Ethan smirked, "What's it going to be? After all, that would be a sure thing and we both know you're not really a poker player. Besides she's a whore and she's used to that."

"No!" Jordan said angrily.

Ethan grinned and nodded to the dealer who flipped over the next card, the queen of hearts.

Jordan cringed. So far he had nothing in his hand. Ethan looked at the queen of hearts, "One of my favorite cards," he sighed. "But you know you can't win, so how about this instead, your brothers and two of my men fuck her all at the same time right here and now and you watch the fireworks. Then you can take her out of here and marry her if you want," Ethan laughed heartily.

Jordan tightened his jaw. "You disgust me!"

"Is that a yes?" Ethan puffed on his cigar. Joe and Joshua chuckled.

"NO!" Jordan raged.

Ethan nodded and the dealer flipped over the next card. It turned out to be the ace of hearts. The middle of the table held better cards than Jordan had in his hand. Jordan still had his jack and ten. Ethan continued to keep his two initial cards face down and not look at them as if it gave him special pleasure.

"Two aces," Ethan mused, "And the queen of hearts. You don't stand a chance sonny boy. How about this, each of your brothers give your bride to be a good hard spanking and fucking, just like you did on that video, and then you can take her and walk out of here, with no hard feelings."

Jordan was sick of his father's antics. It made him sick to think of her being put through all of that after everything else she had been through. But he was becoming concerned because so far he was badly losing. "No!" He responded angrily.

Ethan nodded to the dealer who flipped over the fourth card, the nine of diamonds. "Two Aces; the queen of hearts; and the nine of diamonds," Ethan laughed.

Jordan was still losing miserably. Ethan seemed to enjoy the look of agony on Jordan's face. He paused as if to savor it. "Get the whip out," Ethan finally said and Collins went to the closet and took out the single tail whip. Ethan reached out and fingered the whip, holding it in his hand for effect. "Now this is how you really teach a woman to behave," he said with raised eyebrows. "You'll find it gets better results than a little hand spanking."

Jordan thought he might puke. Somewhere in all of this was a hidden implication that his father had used that whip on Angel numerous times.

"How about you learn how to use this on your bride-to-be? How about you learn how to be a man for once?" He laughed with amusement, as he fingered the whip. "You can give her fifty of the hardest you can give her. If you do that, and then fuck her right here in front of all of us, and I mean really fuck her! Then you can take her and leave."