by Naomi West
I was his.
And he knew it.
Ford undid the bar between my ankles, unlocked me from the chain hanging from the ceiling, unshackled my wrists from behind my back, and took the nipples clamps from me. Even as he cleaned me up, wiped the sweat from my body, and helped me over to the couch to lay down, I felt so wonderfully sore and exhausted. I could feel him dripping down my thigh, could myself stretched and aching by the ways he’d used me.
“Ford,” I whispered as I lay on the couch with him standing over me, still glaring down.
“Don’t,” he growled. “Just don’t. Just remember, if you don’t agree to what the boss wants, there’s going to be more men than me down here, showing you what the rest of these toys are for. You understand that, don’t you? You understand I was rough, but they’re going to be even rougher. You know that, right?”
I nodded, wincing as my finger went up to my sore, aching nipple. I looked down at it and saw how bright red and inflamed it was.
“You need to apologize. And make it sincere. Or I’ll show them myself how much you like to be used. Next time it’ll be a real show. Get it? No games, Micah.”
A wave of revulsion rose up inside me. The thought of other men besides him being down here, of being used like that, it did nothing for me. Not like what Ford had opened up. I nodded again, this time more emphatically than before. “I understand, sir.”
He smiled with his eyes, but not his lips. “Good.”
And then he was gone, back upstairs to the rest of the Mansion. The door clicked shut behind him and the deadbolt fell into place. I was alone, with just memories of him filling my mind.
My stomach was a swirl of emotions as I curled up on the couch and closed my eyes to rest. Did I really care about Ford? Or was it just the great sex? This had been absolutely nothing like what I’d expected. But hopefully, the lash marks across my ass and thighs would be enough to convince Daddy Williams that I’d learned my lesson at Ford’s hand.
But what about Ford? He’d just used me, fucked me every way I’d ever imagined. And now what? He was probably going back for the finder’s fee, so he could pay Tambor back. I never should have taken the ring.
And then, as I lay there thinking, I realized Ford had betrayed me. What had he said earlier? That he’d thought he’d lost the ring, but hadn’t bothered to look for it because I’d dropped into his lap? He’d known from the beginning that he was going to betray me. He never had any intention of getting away from me.
I ground my teeth together, suddenly seething with exhausted, impotent rage. I was going to get out of here. But not because I wanted to run away with Ford. No, I was going to play nice with Daddy so I could get to Ford before he made off with the fee.
Even with my newfound rage, though, I could hardly keep my eyes open. I began to drift off to sleep, my body more thoroughly fucked than it ever had been. I’d dress as soon as I woke. But, for now, I needed the rest.
Chapter Sixteen
Ford
I’d never needed a shower more than right after stepping out of the dungeon. What kind of place had all those sex toys and devices? Don’t get me wrong, I definitely enjoyed stretching Micah, finding interesting ways to string her up, and introducing her to new ways of enjoying sex. And, I realized, it was definitely much more than sex with her. It was . . . something else.
But, Christ, who had that kind of shit in their fucking basement? I didn’t care if this place was a whorehouse or not, it just kinda made you wonder about what kind of people frequented it.
Micah, though, and the way I’d treated her while I was down in the room? I hadn’t used the strap on her nearly as much as she’d deserved for trying to steal from me. She just hadn’t seemed like she could handle as much as I threw at her. I’d had to make it look good for Williams, though, especially if he was filming down there.
I could tell she enjoyed it by the end, though. The way she’d melted into my arms, how her eyes had looked into mine, with complete trust and understanding. Would that trust last, though? Or was it just something induced by the sex, by the chains and cuffs that forced a slave to trust her dominant partner?
One part of me screamed that I needed to just work security. Needed to take the finder’s fee and run, leaving Micah to her fate. Sure, she was a hot piece of ass, and had a great outlook on life. And, yeah, she had the stars in her eyes, and seemed beautiful both inside and out, even if she had stolen my mother’s ring. But what could I do? Sure, I’d taken Daddy’s biggest guy and torn him a new one like it was nothing. But could I take all of them? Could I get her out?
No. Probably not. I might as well sell my car for cash and go up to the nearest roulette table and bet it all on double-zero. I figured the odds would be about the same.
“Well?” Williams asked as he came down the hall. “How’s our little girly? She gonna be more amenable to doing as she’s told?”
“I think she’s beginning to understand the gravity of her situation,” I said. “Made it very clear I was going to be the most gentle of her gentlemen suitors if she didn’t straighten up. And I wasn’t gentle.”
The fat fuck laughed, his hands on his belly, his head thrown so far back I could see a gold-capped molar. “And how about you?” he asked after calming down a little bit. “You reconsidered staying on for longer than just tonight? Or you still moving on?”
“Still moving on.” I clenched my jaw a little. I really wanted away from this house, and particularly away from that basement door. I glanced around and saw all the workers still busy setting up the place for the party tonight. Briefly, I considered whether they’d heard Micah’s screams, or if the room was soundproofed. Soundproofed, I figured, since no one even gave me two looks. “Mind if we go somewhere else to talk about this, though? Somewhere more private?”
He laughed again. “Come on, hoss, you worried about the help thinking weird of you?”
I shook my head. “No. Just wanted to see if we could talk about what kind of fee we’re looking at.”
“Thought we already discussed that?”
“If I remember correctly, you said it’d be enough to cover my . . . debts, and a little extra? How much extra are we talking about? I need enough to get clear of town. This place ain’t been nothing but shit to me.”
He nodded. “Offer still stands, you know, for the security work.” He gave me a leering smile. “I’ll even throw Micah in for free. Looked like you two had some fun in there.”
I’d guessed right on the cameras.
“How about I give you enough to get Tambor permanently off your back, then I give you a healthy salary for as long as you wanna stay? And I’ll even throw a couple nights a week with Micah in for free.”
Was he seriously just throwing sex with Micah in as part of a fucking bonus package? Like having access to her was equivalent to a 401K or two weeks’ vacation? Immediately, I could feel the heat rising inside me, the outrage, the anger. I wanted to rip his head off his shoulders and go play soccer with it in the front yard, maybe get the rest of the staff in on the game. Something told me most of them would be interested in playing along, too.
Instead, I just clenched my jaw and balled my hands into tight fists. “I’m going to work security for you tonight,” I growled, taking a step forward.
Daddy Williams must have seen the anger in my eyes, because he took a step back right quick. “Now, come on, Ford. I was just joking about the Micah part.”
As I stood there, looking into those beady little eyes of his, those fat lips that made his face look so disgusting, a quiet voice whispered inside me and reminded me of how Micah made me feel. Of how her body felt so perfect next to mine, of how she’d screamed my name. Of how I actually did care about what happened to her. How I knew I’d never be the same man if I cut and ran with the money and left her behind with Daddy Williams and the endless stream of clients who’d be visiting her over the years, till she was strung out and worthless. Just another discarded whore in Nevada, another woman
who had no future, and nothing to show for her sordid past but a boatload of bad memories and a gargantuan therapy bill.
I stuffed that voice down, though. It didn’t matter how I felt. There was no way I was going to get her out of here. But, I realized, I might be able to still pull off the part of the plan Micah had originally tried to convince me with: a good old fashioned robbery. Williams might not have the money on hand right now, but he certainly would by the end of the night.
“One night,” I repeated. “That’s all. Then I’m gone. Agreed?”
Williams smiled, his lips curling up filthily. “You drive a hard bargain, Ford. But, yes sir, it’s agreed. Shake on it?”
I looked down at his extended hand, grasped it. “Now what?”
“Now, we get down to the details about the party that starts in just a few hours, that’s what. Still got plenty of planning, and a quarter of my security’s gotten its ass kicked in the last twenty-four hours.”
“Sorry about that, I guess.”
“Who knew you’d end up working for me by the end of it? I sure as hell didn’t, that’s for certain. Water under the bridge, I say. All just water under the bridge, Ford.”
And then we headed off to look over the rest of the Mansion, at all the special rooms Williams had set aside for the big event, to the ballroom where most of the customers, and the girls, would be.
The whole time, though, I wasn’t putting together just my plan for locking down the building and keeping it secure. I was thinking about how I’d make a grab for Williams’ cash.
Chapter Seventeen
Micah
Still naked on the leather couch, I awoke to the sound of the dungeon door creaking open at the top of the stairs. The staircase seemed to sag under the heavy footfalls that followed, and I realized it was Daddy coming down. Not Ford.
My body ached; my skin stung; my nipples felt like someone had set the sensitivity to their highest rating. I peeled myself off the couch as the heavy footsteps continued to make their way down, now accompanied by Williams’ heavy huffing and puffing as he quickly grew out of breath, grunting with each consecutive step. I found my clothes strewn across the floor and began to pull my skirt and top back on.
“Micah?” Daddy called. “You awake, girl?”
“Yeah,” I replied groggily as I pulled my top over my head. I hadn’t bothered with my underwear, just balled it up in my hand and held my bra in the other. “I’m awake, Daddy.”
He came into the room. “Given some thought to Ford’s little lesson?” he asked. “Hmm?”
I nodded, breathing deeply through my nose.
Of course, I’d thought about it. I’d thought about how willingly he’d given me up for the fee, how much the lash had stung when it crossed my thighs and butt, how much I’d begun to enjoy everything he did to my body. I couldn’t do anything but think about it.
But the idea of doing that with other men? Of letting them bend me, spank me, tie me up, hang me from the ceiling and fuck me every which way possible?
No way. No how. And that was that.
And, even as pissed as I was with Ford right then, I couldn’t ever imagine any other man sleeping with me after that. I knew they’d all pale in comparison, anyways, to how his strong hands had held me tight, the way he’d picked me up, light as a memory.
I couldn’t let Daddy know that, though. I needed to get out of here. Or else there’d be more than just Ford coming to teach me a lesson. And worse, too. Much worse.
“Yeah,” I said finally, turning back to him. “I understand. I do have one request, though.”
Daddy nodded and came around the couch to face me. “Ain’t sure you’re in a position to be making requests, but I’ll hear you out.”
“I don’t want to come down here again. Ever. I just . . . I can’t do that. I want you to promise me I’ll never end up in the dungeon again, unless I’m fine with it.”
He hissed, sucked air through his teeth. “Don’t know if I can promise that, little girl. You keep acting up, what am I to do with you? You wanna get shipped off like Kessa?”
“I won’t act up,” I said more fervently. “I promise. You have my word, Daddy.”
“Your word?” he asked with a laugh. “What’s that worth? You already told me you wasn’t gonna try and run away, and look what you did.”
“What can I do to show you I’m serious, then? You won’t accept my word, and I don’t have anything else I can give.”
“How about this?” he asked. “How about you agree to come to the party tonight? You get all dolled up like the rest of them girls. But you wear the costume I choose for you. And, then, I’ll promise you you won’t ever have to visit the dungeon again. Not unless you screw up, of course, or you agree to it.”
As he explained the deal, I quickly realized it was the best I was going to get from him. But what kind of costume was he going to make me wear? “Depends on—”
He held up a hand. “Uh-uh. No depending about it. Only way this works is if I get to choose the outfit for you, little girl.”
I sighed, frustrated. There was no telling what kind of outfit he’d make me wear. And with the kind of party he was throwing, which only certain girls were to attend, there was all sorts of chances that the attendees would get all kinds of the wrong idea. But what choice did I have? If I said no, he’d never trust me. And if he didn’t trust me, I’d be stuck down here like a party favor, tied up and used till I finally caved in.
“So what’s it going be? Extending your stay in the dungeon? Or coming on upstairs and wearing some outfit for a night?”
“What outfit?”
“Oh, a real special one. In or out, Micah? Which one do you want?”
I sighed again. “Fine,” I grudgingly accepted. “I’m in.”
At least, this way, I’d get one step closer to Ford. That bastard had sold me out. I didn’t care that all I could think about was getting back into his arms. I just wanted to get right behind him. So, I could plant a knife right between those broad shoulders of his.
Chapter Eighteen
Ford
Night in the desert comes late. The sun beats down on your head, trying to fry your brain and all your other goodies all day long. But when it’s gone, it’s gone, and a deep chill creeps in to replace the sun’s aggressive rays. The grounds around the Mansion were no different from anywhere else, either, and the coolness had already settled over the place by the time the party and auction had begun.
Despite it not being anywhere close to October, or Halloween, Daddy Williams had decided that tonight was going to be a masquerade ball, complete with costumes. Just by glancing around the ballroom mixer, it was pretty easy to decide who was a guest and who was there as part of the Mansion’s entertainment staff.
The guests were, of course, mostly men. Among the twenty or so men, expensive stage quality costumes were the rule. In just five minutes, I counted a cinema-quality Batman costume, a Roman centurion in actual metal armor, a Lex Luthor who looked like he’d bought a tailored suit for the part, and more, many more, that were equally over the top. Hell, some of them looked like they’d been in a special effects makeup chair all afternoon before showing up.
The entertainment staff were, of course, all women. Cheaper costumes, of course, because Daddy had never met a penny he couldn’t pinch till it cried uncle, but showing so much skin you’d wonder why they couldn’t have charged less for the outfits. One girl, a tall, beautiful blonde, might as well have just been wearing her underwear, since the red silk scarves they had her draped in covered less than the lingerie would have. Another, a beautiful black girl who’d eagerly draped herself over one client, was wearing even less. Just little pasties that just barely covered her dark nipples. All of Daddy’s girls wore masques, of course, the kind that covered just the eyes and the nose. Not that they’d do much to hide their identities. You could tell pretty quickly, though, that hiding them wasn’t the real intention.
As I made my way around the edges of
the throng, my eyes searched almost unconsciously for Micah. I glanced over the flesh of every ivory-skinned girl, immediately disappointed when I found their head of blonde or brown hair.
I was beginning to think Daddy Williams hadn’t let her out of the dungeon after all, that he’d kept her squirreled away. Maybe he hadn’t believed the authenticity of our little performance?
What did I care anyways? Now that the afterglow of our little session had faded, I’d begun to think that’s what all my feelings were to begin with. Afterglow. The fuzzy headed feeling you got from getting your rocks off in a beautiful woman. The sweet intoxication the feel of their skin produced as your hand ran over it, their smell, their taste.
