by Alta Hensley
She nodded and locked eyes with mine. “I can do this, Roman. I will. If it means that we can live our lives together without this chain around our necks, then I will do it.”
And I would as well. I knew deep down that the initiation had to happen for us to ever be able to live a normal life. I didn’t want to have to fear for her life, or have to make deals to keep her safe. I had power in the brotherhood, and I wanted my wife to as well. It wouldn’t be easy, but I knew if any woman could pull through this, it would be my Cheri.
Chapter Ten
Cheri
I saw the black sedan waiting on the corner as I took a morning walk. I knew they would come, but that didn’t ease the fear I had. There was no way around the inevitable no matter how much I had hoped otherwise. If I wanted a life with Roman not cloaked in dark secrets, I needed to allow this initiation to happen. There was no escaping The Iron Colt Brotherhood in this new life of mine, so I might as well embrace all that it meant and required from me. But though my mind tried to be reasonable, my body, my heart, and my terrified soul screamed out against it.
I could run. Self-preservation kicked in as my eyes darted from side to side looking for an escape route. Yes, I could run… and I would be caught. Running from The Iron Colt Brotherhood only made things worse. I knew this.
Fuck. I knew this.
It was time for the initiation.
Lifting my chin, straightening my spine, and taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I approached the vehicle. In order to survive, I would need to face the monster head on. Maybe if I showed no fear, I could mask my terror with bravado. Charm and grace had worked wonders for me in the past, and there was always hope that those same attributes, when utilized correctly, could work again.
As I approached the driver’s side of the car, the tinted window lowered to reveal a man with a rigid jaw, dark eyes, and about two days’ growth of facial hair. I didn’t recognize him, but I didn’t need to in order to know he worked for The Iron Colt Brotherhood. I assumed people who looked cold and emotionless all worked for The Iron Colt Brotherhood. All employees seemed to be the same. No friends or family really. Loners. A past that made them not care about the future. I had seen enough at parties, heard enough stories about what they did, but seeing someone up close and personal… for me… was a different experience.
“Get in the car,” he ordered. His tone was flat, firm, and just like his appearance, void of life.
For a split second, the thought of running attacked all my senses again, but I pushed it to the deepest depth of my being, opened the back door, and climbed in. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. I kept hearing the words of my mother when I was a child telling me to never get into the car of strangers. Never speak to strangers. Never do what I was doing.
Before I could fasten my seatbelt, the car took off. “Where are we going?” I asked. My voice sounded foreign to my own ears. It quivered and sounded weak and helpless. I swallowed hard and tried to chase that cowardly woman away. I wasn’t her. I was a fighter. A powerful woman. A motherfucking queen. I had battle scars to prove it. “Did The Iron Colt Brotherhood send you?” I asked, willing myself to sound much stronger this time.
The man didn’t answer, but I saw his eyes look back at me in the rearview mirror. He diverted eye contact quickly, and it was then that panic set in. No one wanted to connect with a dead man walking. No, Roman would never allow them to hurt me. But what if he didn’t have the control I thought he did? What if they were far more powerful than Prince Roman? It was possible… and I could be walking toward my own death.
Make wise choices, my mother used to say.
I clearly didn’t listen.
I should have said no when Roman told me about the initiation. I should have been fine not knowing what was ever really going on. Why did I agree to this? Why? Staring out the window at the passing scenery, I wondered what would have been better.
Bile formed in the back of my throat as I watched us drive into the abyss, further and further into the bayou—out in the middle of nowhere. Someplace that no one would be able to hear the bullet shot through my head, or my cries for mercy as they tortured me first if I didn’t do exactly what they said as Roman had instructed me to do. We were driving so far out of the city that my body would never be found. My fate would be sealed.
Would Roman even be able to find me for a proper burial?
The car turned down a narrow dirt road, and my heart stopped. This was it. This emotionless man driving, who didn’t say a single word, planned to escort me to... to what? God, what was about to happen?
It didn’t take long for me to see something unexpected. A large manor loomed in the distance. Dark, gray, ominous, and it appeared as if the devil himself resided within the walls. It was so large that I wondered if it maybe was once a boarding school, or owned by some wealthy oil tycoon who had more money than even The Iron Colt Brotherhood. Though I was certain the mansion had once been a testament to the opulence of yesteryear, the structure now looked nearly abandoned cast against the setting sun. If it weren’t for the cars parked in the massive circular driveway, I would have thought the house completely deserted and haunted by all the spirits of murdered souls.
I was about to join those forgotten souls myself if I didn’t obey every command and follow every rule. Roman had warned me. Yes, he had warned me, but I had no idea how daunting all of that was until I sat here about to face it head on.
It was as if the manor was lost in time—once magnificent, but now eerily haunting. Large windows with a faint light emerging through the stained glass of the second floor gave the cold structure some signs of warmth and life. But then the sharp-pitched roof with the crumbling brick chimneys reminded me of the deathlike aura. Would my body be tortured and killed inside those walls? Was I staring at my own coffin?
When the car pulled up to the front entrance, I saw a man waiting outside wearing a black suit with a crisp white shirt unbuttoned at the neck. He was at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed, his huge figure looming in front of the manor. His hair was black, his eyes dark, and from the firmness of his expression, I was pretty sure that his inner being was even darker than his outer appearance.
The driver got out of the car, opened my door, and yanked me out of the vehicle. With a strong grip of my upper arm, my chauffeur half-dragged me to the waiting man since my feet could barely keep up with his speed and purpose. As we approached the steps, both men silently climbed their way to the front door and pulled me inside. Once we reached the foyer, I was shoved to the floor.
“Kneel,” the man who had been waiting for me said.
Too panicked to do anything else, I scrambled to my knees and did as he said while I quickly tried to scan my surroundings. A glorious staircase mastered the entire space with its intricately carved banister spiraling alongside the wooden steps. Original pocket doors concealed rooms on each side of me, and the scarred wooden floor beneath my knees countered the lavishness of the chandelier dangling over me.
“Cherise,” the man began as he stood in front of me with his arms remaining crossed at his chest. It was as if he was going to lecture me like a naughty schoolgirl rather than begin the initiation.
I didn’t respond, but looked up into his eyes instead. I swallowed hard and struggled to breathe. For a moment, I wondered if I would die of a heart attack before the man could do anything to me.
“I’m not one to fuck around. So, let’s just get to the point. You know why you are here, yes?”
I nodded and looked down at the floor. My nerves could no longer handle the severity that I saw in his eyes and on his face. I foolishly thought I could be brave and face this initiation head on, but the tears that fell and the need to beg to be let go and pretend none of this had ever happened almost erupted from the place I thought I had securely locked my fear away.
“The Iron Colt Brotherhood are not men to cross. Betrayal equals death. And in most cases, the most torturous, agonizing death you could ima
gine. They want to make their enemies pay with far more than just their lives.” He took one step toward me, and I flinched as if he had just punched me in the face. “But you know that. You know what could happen to you right now if you don’t listen and comply with every detail of this initiation.”
My mind ran rampant with all the ways this man and the brotherhood would make me pay if I did a single thing wrong. Every single horror movie I ever watched played back in my head. My ragged breath came out in gasps as my vision dimmed. My ears rang, and my body quivered.
The man reached for my chin and tilted my head back so I had to look up into his eyes. “I am one of the members of The Iron Colt Brotherhood.” He paused for a moment to give me time to absorb his words. “Your initiation has begun. There is no backing out no matter how much you plead for mercy.”
“Mercy?” There was a note of hysteria in my voice as I asked, “Are you going to kill me?”
“Death would be easy compared to what we plan to do to you.”
“Torture me?”
“In the most wicked of ways. Yes.”
I flinched when I heard the cries of a woman from another room in the manor. Staring up into this monster’s eyes, I asked, “Am I not the only one being initiated? How many are there?”
“The only person you should worry about, Cheri, is you. You will need all the strength and focus you can drum up in that shaking body of yours.”
The sob I had been struggling to hold back released. It was even louder as it was amplified by the barren walls of the entryway. My shoulders shook with the effort to hold back an even more desperate wail. I feared I’d no longer be able to wear the crown of the brave queen. I could already feel it breaking, chipping, being destroyed by my fear. I was so very scared, and all I could do was watch my tears fall to the floor before my knees.
“Don’t cry, sweet princess. Not yet.” The man bent down and caressed the back of my head, once again lifting my face so I was forced to look into his unforgettable eyes. He then took a handful of hair and yanked my head back hard. “Not until one of the brothers gives you something to cry about. And we will.” Tugging on my hair harder, he inched back and looked me square on, so close to my face that I could feel his breath on my lips. I could smell his manly scent of spice and control… if control had a scent. He was so close. I could almost feel him. I knew his touch wouldn’t be soft or gentle. There was nothing but raw power exuding from this man. “We most certainly will.”
Chapter Eleven
Cheri
I hadn’t noticed that the driver was still in the manor until the man nodded at him. “I’ll take it from here.” He looked down at me and gave a fiendish smile. “As soon as I go over the ground rules and have her broken in.”
When the front door closed, I adjusted my weight to relieve the pressure on my knees. The small movement was not a good idea, however. The man, who still had a handful of my hair in his grasp, jerked me up to a standing position. The sting on my scalp had me crying out, but I didn’t resist in any way.
“First rule in this manor,” he said between clenched teeth. “You do nothing without permission. Nothing at all. I don’t care if you are uncomfortable, in pain, or just in the mood to do something of your own free will. You won’t do anything without a direct order, or you will suffer the consequences.”
He paused and waited for some type of response from me. I couldn’t talk. I was so terrified all I could only stare and nod. What consequences? But I wasn’t about to ask that question out loud.
Still holding my hair, the man led me to the stairs. “You will be expected to pay your penance into our world. You will gain your freedom from this manor and officially be initiated into The Iron Colt Brotherhood by earning diamonds. The Iron Colt Brotherhood has sentenced you to one hundred diamonds owed. Once you pay those diamonds, you are free to go and will be an honorary member of The Iron Colt Brotherhood as long as you remain married to Prince Roman Cassian. Failure to earn them, or failure to earn them at a speed that The Iron Colt Brotherhood feels is appropriate will end in death. So, the choice really is up to you.”
“You want me to pay my membership with diamonds?” I tried to turn my head to look at the man in desperation but was rewarded with a sharp pull of my hair as he led me up the stairs. “I can do that. How much are the diamonds? I will pay you all whatever you feel is fair. Whatever you want, I will pay. I’ll find a way. I swear.”
No way could I afford even one diamond, let alone several, but if diamonds were all it would take to be initiated, I was sure Roman would help me out in that regard.
I stumbled up the stairs to try to keep up with his stride. In the corner of my eye, I could see the man smirk. “Oh, you will pay. You will definitely pay.”
When we reached the landing, I tried not to focus on the cries of women I could hear coming from other rooms down the long expansive hallway. My head spun as I was trying to process what this man was telling me. What else was expected? I didn’t quite understand. Diamonds?
“The Iron Colt Brotherhood created this manor for women exactly like you. Women who need guidance, structure, and a firm hand teaching them the way of our secret life. This manor is to break the old you, so that you can accept the new way of living. Royal blood does not run through your veins, so we must force the royal into you. Old money and lineage do not make up your bones, so we must shatter your current, and brittle ones, and then heal you to have the spine of The Iron Colt Brotherhood. We must feel that every woman in this manor is ready. And you are far from ready.” The man opened up a bedroom door and shoved me across the threshold while he remained in the hallway. “As long as you earn your hundred diamonds, you will come out of this alive. Your prince will be here soon. But remember… in this manor, your prince is dark, cruel, harsh, and unforgiving. In this manor, your prince is not your knight in shining armor.”
Looking around the room, it surprised me to see that it looked like any normal guestroom that would be in such an elegant manor of its day. I was expecting a prison or dungeon of some sort by the way I had been treated so far. Instead, a large canopied bed mastered the room with lush bedding and pillows. There was a floor-to-ceiling window draped with heavy velvet curtains. Antique furniture adorned the room and was even accentuated with a large oriental rug that covered most of the marred wooden floor. The room was lovely, elegant, and welcoming. Quite the opposite of what I was anticipating.
I turned and looked at the man, who stood by the door watching me examine the room. “How do I earn the diamonds?” I was almost too scared to ask the question in fear of what I would hear.
“By doing every single thing your prince says without protest. If you argue or put up a fight, he will still act out what he intended to do, but you won’t earn a credit for it.”
“Where is Roman now?” My voice cracked, and I thought I would have to run to the small bathroom I saw attached to the room and throw up.
“He’s in the manor.”
“When do I get to see him?”
The man took a step toward me. “You’ll see.” He reached into a leather holder on his belt and pulled out a knife. The silver of the blade glimmered beneath the light cast by a small chandelier above. “But it’s time we begin.” He took another menacing step toward me as my heart stopped. “Remove all your clothing.”
His command was accented by the scream of a woman in another room, as if I needed a reminder of what would come if I said no.
I reached for the top button of my blouse and slowly unbuttoned it. “Am I to be a whore to earn these diamonds?” I asked, staring him directly in the eyes. “So, I have to fuck all the brotherhood if you ask in order to be free—to earn the diamonds? Is that what I am understanding?” Roman had told me that wasn’t the case, but maybe he had been wrong.
The man closed the distance between us and placed the knife at the side of my neck right below my earlobe. “Fucking you would give you pleasure. And the last thing any of us plan on doing to you right now
is give you pleasure.” He ran the knife along my collarbone and down until it reached my fingertips holding the button of my blouse. He then forced the blade between the button and the fabric and started plucking the buttons right off, disrobing me his way.
I remained perfectly still. The knife was so close to my flesh that I worried the slightest move would have it slicing my skin instead of the blouse.
The man used the knife to cut through the thin band connecting my bra between my breasts. He paused and looked me directly in the eyes as the cool air kissed my now exposed nipples as he ripped the material of the bra off me.
He took a step back and said, “Now remove the rest of your clothes and stand naked before me. I will give you your first opportunity to earn a credit.” When I didn’t move right away, he raised one eyebrow and added, “You will be naked standing before me one way or the other. I’m giving you the opportunity to at least earn a credit toward your debt for the act. Your choice.”
Glancing at the knife in his hand, and then at the way his jaw clenched while he waited, I decided it best to do exactly as he commanded. At least for now. I had to regroup. Think everything through. I needed time to process, but I needed to be alive to do so. So, if all I had to do was stand naked before this complete stranger, then so be it. Trying to not overthink, or allow my pride to get in the way of my survival, I disrobed as fast as I could.
“Leave your panties on,” he instructed. “We will allow Prince Roman to take it from here.”
I froze at the sound of another pair of heavy footsteps approaching a few moments before his deep voice broke my spell of compliance.
“Yes, I’ll take it from here,” Roman said as he walked into the room, staring intently at me. “She’s mine.”
The man nodded and handed the knife to Roman, but he remained where he stood.
I wanted to run and hug him, cling to him, glue myself to his body as I begged for him to take me away from this manor of hell. I was scared and wanted him to make it all okay again. But he had warned me. He had told me this wouldn’t be easy. And he told me that the man I would see at the manor, would not be the boy I grew up with. That fact was obvious because though Roman stood in the room, staring at me nearly completely naked, he never once moved to cover me up from the eyes of the stranger. He never embraced me or offered to dry my tears. This man in the room was Prince Roman… but as I was told, he was now dark Prince Roman.
