“Why?”
“Because, you’ve been ordered not to. Don’t lose this privilege so soon after earning it.”
“I have so many questions, Ben.”
He curled his upper lip inward and I watched him shut down to my questions. He gestured with his fingers. “Give me your hand.”
Heat bloomed in my face, frustration at the lack of answers, irritation at my helplessness. I gave him my hand and my stomach sank as he reattached my cuffs to the ring at the collar.
“Other one,” he said.
My compliance frustrated me, but I didn’t know what else to do.
“Now tell me,” he said in a casual voice, “how confident are you that you can hack your father’s systems?”
“I don’t know his codes.”
“That’s not what I asked. Can you or can you not hack into your father’s systems? Xavier wants to know if you can crack his network the same way you cracked our security.”
I diverted with a question of my own. “Why did you call him Master Xavier before but only Xavier now?”
“Excuse me?” Ben’s brows lifted and his chin tucked in as he stepped back in surprise.
“Answer my question and I’ll answer yours.”
He huffed a low laugh. “Silly slave, that’s not how this works.” His finger flicked the dolphin dangling at my wrist. “It can be taken away before you even have a chance to see what you’ve earned.”
“Why won’t you answer me?”
“Because you haven’t earned it.”
“You know, that’s the first time you called me slave. I know why X does it, but…”
“What did you call him?” Ben turned on me, his face turning red.
“X.” I took a step back as Ben advanced on me.
“Do not disrespect Xavier like that. Ever. He’s a man to be admired.”
“Admired?” I huffed a laugh. “I’m sorry, but I disagree.”
“There are many things you don’t understand about Xavier.”
“Then tell me.”
“That is not my place, but I will give you this one warning. Do not cross Xavier. You won’t appreciate what happens. I’ll tell him of our conversation. You need to understand my loyalty to Xavier is beyond reproach.”
“I wasn’t questioning your loyalty. I was simply asking a question.”
“You disparaged his name. Xavier is your master. I suggest you don’t forget that.”
“And what is he to you?”
“My life is his.”
How did X instill such loyalty? I needed to understand the power he held over my guards. I ground my teeth together as Ben clammed up on me.
“Now, follow me.” He grabbed the end of the leash and led me out of the library.
“Where are you taking me?”
“You’re ordered not to speak,” Ben commanded.
“I take orders only from X.” I squared off my shoulders and jutted out my chin. No way was I going to let Ben boss me around, not if he wasn’t going to answer the simplest of questions.
I stumbled as Ben came to a sudden stop. His face turned a dark crimson as he turned dangerous eyes on me. “Perhaps I wasn’t clear about insulting your master.”
My jaw dropped as I realized my slip of tongue. “Ben, I’m sorry. It’s just something I say in my head.” Was he going to tell X? What was the punishment for disparaging X?
Ben yanked my collar and pulled me up on my toes. Heavy breaths surged out of his lungs, bathing me in fury. “I’m allowed to punish you, but for this weekend I’m playing the role of a buyer, so I cannot.” His breath pulsed onto my cheek. “Xavier is your master. Do not denigrate his name as you do your father. You have no idea what sort of man your master is.”
While my body shook with fear, I found my backbone and straightened it. My eyes narrowed. “I have a fair idea what sort of man Master Xavier is Ben.”
Ben released me. “You will call me Mr. Chambers from here on out, and you will refer to Mel as Mr. Abrams. You will never refer to your master by a letter again. Is that understood?”
I cocked my head, my voice taking on venomous tones of its own to match his. “And Chad and Bay? What roles are they playing this weekend?”
Ben took a step back. His body visibly shook and I could see the effort he took to control himself. Deep breaths moved in and out of his broad chest, and the muscles of his jaw clenched. “They are as they always were. Now answer my question. Do. You. Understand?” He grabbed my upper arm and pinched the tender flesh.
“Yes.” I yelped as his grip tightened. “Yes. Ben.” His fingers dug into my skin. I danced away from him, but he had me in his grip. I was certain I would bruise. “You’re hurting me.”
“Answer me,” he said through gritted teeth, “appropriately this time.”
“For the love of God!” I pulled away, but he yanked me against his chest.
His breath blew against my hair. “What is my name, slave?”
“Mr. Chambers!”
He released me and I stared at the red and purple handprint forming into a bruise. With a jerk on my chain, he took off down the stark white hallways that dominated X’s estate. No wonder I was constantly lost and disorientated.
“Now, we have a few hours before the evening demonstration,” Ben stated as he rushed me through the halls. “You can spend that time in your room, or doing something more interesting. Perhaps even answer some of your questions.”
The thought of returning to my room filled me with mind numbing boredom. All I would do would be to stew about my punishment, my father, and X. I had no idea what Ben had in mind, but it had to be better than sitting all alone with my thoughts.
“Like what?”
“Well, let’s start with your father.”
“I have no interest in my father.”
“Really?” Ben gave me a look which said he didn’t believe a word I said, but the truth was I didn’t care about my father. I wanted him out of my life.
“What if I told you what we have in mind will cause your father great harm?”
“Excuse me?”
“Aren’t you interested in how you came to belong to Xavier? Or why your father is here?”
I had all kinds of questions, but no one answered any of them. I’d given up looking for reasons why. I’d pretty much given up on everything and I didn’t like what that said about me. I hadn’t been raised to be submissive. What had happened to me?
I shouldn’t be eager to help whatever X and Ben had in mind, however, if it had anything to do with hurting my father I was all on board. I needed something to activate my brain and shut off the needy pieces of me.
“What do you have in mind?”
“Now, that’s my girl.”
Ben pulled out his phone and tapped out a text. With another series of twists and turns down a maze of hallways I had not yet travelled, Ben succeeded in getting me thoroughly lost in X’s home yet again. He led me into a nondescript room full of linens, bath towels and other toiletry items. A door led out from the other side of the maid’s closet. I could only wonder why he brought me to such a room, but he silenced my question with a finger raised to his lips.
“Wait here,” he said in a hushed whisper. He pulled out his phone and stared at the screen. After an agonizing wait, the screen glowed blue. Then, he led me to the door, opened it, and ushered me inside.
I gasped at the opulence on the other side of the utilitarian linen closet. A massive king size bed dominated the room. Red velvet drapes framed the ever-present plantation shutters. The drapes had been pulled back and the shutters opened. I gasped at the view of a patio garden full of lush green plants and blooming flowers. The delicate aroma filled the room with a heavenly fragrance. I couldn’t help but inhale. There was a fountain out there. The tapping of falling water soothed my nerves. This was a room for a king, and I briefly wondered if Ben had brought me to X’s quarters. That sent my insides tumbling about.
Wealth dripped from the crown moldings down
the walls, settled in the intricate details of the carved wooden furniture, and spilled across the floor. But this wasn’t X’s room.
At the foot of the bed, sat Z's signature luggage. I stopped in my tracks. Ben placed a hand on the small of my back and urged me toward the massive partners desk in the corner. Z’s briefcase rested on the stamped leather tabletop. Beside it, his black laptop had been plugged into a charging cored along with his other electronic accessories.
“We don’t have much time,” Ben said in a low whisper.
My eyes widened. “Much time for what? What exactly do you expect me to do?”
A chin bump in the direction of the laptop gave me a fair idea what the answer to that question might be, but there were a lot of things someone could do with a computer. Ben fished out a USB stick and handed it to me.
“If you can log on, all we need is to insert this.”
“What’s on the stick?” No way was that going to work.
“You don’t need to know.”
“Like hell.”
I lived and breathed computers, as did Z. Since I didn’t know the degree of sophistication X and his crew possessed, I didn’t trust what was on that USB drive or what security protocols it would trip once attached. The fact they relied on me to hack into Z's computer told me plenty about their competence.
“Z will detect that when he logs back onto his computer,” I said.
“It’s not staying.”
“Doesn’t matter. I helped Z upgrade his security. He’ll receive a notification of a new device. It’ll ping his cellphone and leave a trail. What is it you’re trying to do?”
With your help, I’ll bring him down. X’s words whispered in my head. What was going on here?
I wasn’t against doing something to hurt Z, but I needed more information. Specifically, what did X need off Z’s personal computer? But, I would help because while I had no idea what X’s agenda might be, I had one of my own. This presented an opportunity I couldn’t ignore. I could get a message out to my friends.
Ben and I traded stares. It was important I put up some degree of fight before giving in. My fingertips itched to begin, I was that eager to get at Z's system. Two hours wasn’t much time, but I only needed to write a few lines of code. And I didn’t need Z’s password to gain access to his laptop’s operating system. Ben didn’t need to know this. I wasn’t giving up all my tricks. At least not until Ben answered a few of my questions.
I didn’t think Z had remembered to shut me out after handing me into X’s eager hands. My father was a businessman, not a hacker, and he could be sloppy at times.
“I can’t give you details,” Ben said.
“Then I can’t help you.” My blood roared as it rushed past my ears. I was playing a dangerous game of chicken with Ben, one I needed to win. “Look, you don’t have to give specifics, but I need to know what you’re trying to access, or download. It matters in how I proceed, and Ben?”
“Yes?” His lips twisted in a frown.
“If you want my help, a little give and take. Master Xavier said I could help bring my father down. What did he mean? Why am I’m here?”
“In this room? That’s obvious. You have skills Xavier requires.”
“That’s not what I mean. Why am I here?” I made a more expansive gesture. “Why did he buy me?”
“I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out, and Xavier didn’t buy you. You were traded to settle a debt owed.”
“Figure what out?” I had been focused on the first part of what Ben said that it took a moment before the second half slammed into me. “My father planned what?”
“Xavier is many things, but unlike your father, he’s not a monster.”
“I have every reason to believe Xavier is just as bad as Z, if not worse.”
“No, you don’t.”
I gave him a look. Our conversation was going in circles.
“He kidnapped me and forced me to—”
“Forced is a relative term. He’s done nothing that you didn’t want.”
You need me to force you, Raven. You and I both know this. X’s words became more intrusive and insistent, repeating over and over in my head. I’ll do what I can to protect you.
Was that true? Protect me from whom? Z? Could any of what Ben said be true? I shook my head, trying to clear it and focus back on my argument.
“How can you say that? I didn’t choose this! I didn’t choose to be raped.”
I may get hard hurting you, but you like it, Raven. You’re fucking wet for me.
“Xavier has never, and would never, force you against your will,” Ben said.
“What about what happened in the library? He’s not a nice man. I don’t know what world you’re living in, but he beat me, forced me to…to…”
“He’s forced you to face a truth within you, something buried until he came along. And honestly, you helped him find truth in himself. You’re right about one thing. Master Xavier is not a nice man. He’ll do whatever it takes to get what he wants, but think about what he has done, and consider what he’s asking of you now.”
I fisted my hands on my hips. “He put bruises on my ass and welts on my skin. He forced me to my knees. I think that speaks enough to his character.”
“And the rest? Have you forgotten what happened in your room.”
“Where he practically raped me!”
“Where he specifically did not rape you. Little one, you can’t see the forest for the trees. Let go of your anger and open your mind. More is going on here than you know. Now, why do you think you’re here?”
I couldn’t admit the truth. I’d been here for weeks and yet X had barely touched me. The few times he had…I turned my back to Ben. I didn’t believe him. I couldn’t. Swiping tears from my face, I gestured to the laptop.
“I’m here to hack that.” Was this the truth? I was nothing other than a tool. Evidently, I was a tool positioned with expert care. How much planning had gone into this moment?
“You’re here because Xavier couldn’t bear what your father intended for his only daughter. Xavier saved you from a fate worse than death. That your presence here has turned into… something else, is merely an unintended, but welcomed, benefit. Now, you present an unprecedented opportunity, one Xavier won’t pass up on. I’m asking on his behalf, will you help us?”
My thoughts tumbled about, spiraling with the implications of everything Ben said, and those things he didn’t mention. It was too much to take in, and I needed to take a step back, regroup, and reorder my thoughts. Nothing made sense. My father, I understood. X? I had no idea what game he was playing at. For now, I would focus on what I could and take down the devil I knew.
As for X? I’d figure that out later.
“What do you need me to do?”
My face paled and my guts twisted. I was going to do this. USBs were good for only a few things: downloading programs or uploading files. I needed to know what X wanted before I could proceed. Ben guided me over to the desk and sat me down. I trembled as I stared at the computer. When he reached over my shoulder to open the laptop, I knocked his hand out of the way.
“Stop!”
“What?” He jerked back.
“You don’t know Z like I do. He has security on top of security and not all of it is high tech.”
I checked for his paranoid first layer of security, and arguably the most robust. It could be anything, but would appear innocuous to the untrained eye. For me, it didn’t take long to find the tiny down feather primed to fall the moment someone opened the lid. I took note of its position, every rotation of the feathers, and very carefully caught it as I opened the lid.
Z taught me that trick himself. Thank you, papa, you wretched man.
“Now, what is it that X is looking for? Files? A program? Access to Z’s accounts?”
Ben gave me a long hard stare. “Yes… to everything.” He handed me the USB. “This has a program that will grant remote access.”
“And trigge
r every security layer in place.” I brushed away the USB. “Give me a moment…”
I could ask more questions, but it was clear X didn’t trust me to be anything other than his tech monkey. He counted on my hatred for my father to help him. In this, X was right on track. What he didn’t know was what I planned next. I swiped the track pad and got to work.
Chapter Sixteen
Nearly two hours later, Ben dragged me through the white halls of X’s estate again. My back ached from hunching over the keys while writing lines of code into the operating system of Z’s laptop. I would have to show X what to do next, but all of Z’s business files would be open. I’d given X exclusive backdoor access to everything, and I inserted something for myself.
I gave up trying to keep track of the twists and turns. We passed through several open-air atriums. It seemed X liked to build around a series of courtyards surrounding inner gardens. I counted three such structures before Ben brought me to a large set of carved double doors. Despite all my misgivings, I couldn’t deny an anticipation growing inside of me.
X brought all the emotions boiling to the surface; anger, fear, disgust, confusion, interest, excitement, guilt, anxiety, and more simmered together and left me feeling wrung out. I was anticipatory, eager to see him again after the revelations of this afternoon. I was scared of the steel in his eyes and the predator within, but excited as well. His dominance had uncovered something within me, something I was only now beginning to accept. I approached the evening with cautious excitement, but steeled myself for the reality Z’s presence would bring. I didn’t know what I would find when Ben delivered me to X.
I gasped as Ben tugged me past erotic sculptures, getting only a glimpse of the men and women engaged in every imaginable sexual act. It would have been beautiful if not for the circumstances of my situation. I stumbled, neck craned as I looked at the doors, but Ben dragged me into a large chamber. After the stark white and gray walls, I wasn’t prepared for the crimson and black, or what awaited me inside that room.
“Come slave.” Ben was back in character, calling me slave and referring to X as Xavier rather than Master Xavier. Ben dragged me toward the center of the room taking very little care to be gentle with me.
She’s Mine: A Captive Romance Page 12
