by J. E. Taylor
A low chuckle filled the amphitheater, and a form stepped out of the shadows behind Paige.
“Hello, Austin.”
Recognition set in with the speed of burning fuel. Austin tried to get to his feet, but the handcuffs kept him in place. He let out a roar, yanking at the metal keeping him from protecting Paige.
Hunter’s green eyes pierced out of the face of the man they had run into at Starbucks that morning. He grinned over Paige’s shoulder.
“Do you know what one of the punishments for witchcraft was in the early days?”
Austin’s gaze dropped to Paige’s feet as panic gripped every fiber. He only knew of the Salem witch trials when they burned the guilty, but Paige wasn’t standing on a bed of wood. A measure of relief flooded his muscles. He shook his head in answer, afraid of what his voice would sound like.
Hunter stepped to the side and yanked a sheet away from a nearby table. The blood froze in Austin’s veins. His table of toys in the shower paled in comparison. His toys were for pleasure, but what Hunter had laid out was meant for pain. Austin’s gaze shot to Paige. She stared at the array, and all the color in her face drained.
She shook her head, and the chains holding her in place started to rattle.
“Please, don’t hurt her,” Austin said, his voice shaking with both fear and anger.
“Oh, I’m not going to be the one who uses these things on her. These are the toys you are going to use on her when I’m finished.” He ran his fingers over the sharp sex toys, walking the length of the table until he reached a cat-o-nine tails.
Austin met Paige’s gaze, staring at the horror visible in her eyes. He imagined his held the same.
“You’re out of your fucking mind.”
Hunter picked up the whip and stepped behind Paige. “They used to flog the guilty,” he said.
Austin attempted to get to his feet, his eyes wide with the adrenaline that pumped in his veins. The whistle of leather through the air ended with Paige’s muffled scream.
“Stop!” he yelled before Hunter could strike again.
Hunter paused and stared at him from the edge of the darkness. “Do you want to take her place?”
“Yes,” Austin said without hesitation, and the cuffs unlatched.
“Strip off your shirt and then sit down again.”
Austin pulled his sweater off, leaving only his light cotton undershirt. When he peeled that off, Paige’s brow creased, like something was missing. For a moment, he almost laughed at her concern. She was looking for the necklace she had made him wear that morning, but it was safely tucked in his pocket. Besides, it certainly wasn’t bringing him all that good luck she had muttered about.
He lowered himself to the bench, and his arms moved of their own accord, right into the waiting cuffs. A low growl of anger passed through his lips at his inability to control his limbs, and his gaze traveled to the table before movement pulled it back center stage.
If he didn’t figure out a way to beat the mental hold Hunter had on him, the bastard was going to make him kill Paige. Truth hit and he locked his gaze on Paige’s as Hunter stepped behind him.
“Fifty lashes,” he said.
Austin had a moment to wonder if he’d live through this ordeal before the first of the strikes hit, bringing with it burning pain that pulled an unwanted yelp from his lips. Paige screamed behind the rag and pulled at the bindings holding her in place, but Austin clamped his teeth together, staring at her through blurred vision. After that first yelp, he refused to voice anything more than a groan of pain.
The silence seemed to infuriate Hunter more, so each subsequent hit came with more force. By the time he stopped, Austin’s back felt like someone had doused him in gasoline and set him on fire. Warm liquid trailed down his back, and he didn’t know if it was sweat or blood. He pondered how the hell he was able to remain conscious.
Hunter stepped in front of him with the whip dangling at his side, and Austin got a good look at the leather straps. Bile bubbled into the back of his throat at the bits of skin hanging from the straps as well as the healthy coating of blood.
“Bastard,” he whispered and raised his gaze to Hunter’s.
Hunter chuckled and dropped the weapon on the floor, and then stepped back onstage and circled behind Paige. Austin met her tear-stained gaze.
“He must really love you,” Hunter snarled. He snaked his hands around her, one cupping her breast and the other sliding into the front of her unzipped pants.
Paige cried out behind the rags in her mouth, but she didn’t try to fight him.
Rage filled every fiber of Austin’s body, dulling the pain in his back. “Don’t you dare touch her,” he yelled, but it was an empty threat and they both knew it.
“Oh, I’m going to do more than touch her,” Hunter said. “And you’re going to sit there and watch, just like you made me watch, and then I’ll let you fuck her with your choice of toys.”
“You’re insane,” Austin snarled.
“Maybe so, but you’ll get off on it. Just like you’re going to get off watching me fuck her.”
Austin glared at him, and then his gaze dropped to the movement his hand made in her pants. The fact her hips were moving in the same gentle rhythm made him want to scream. He shifted, pulling at the cuffs, but ended up wincing in pain instead. Fury filled him and he bellowed his anger.
“You mother fucker!”
“Let’s give him a show, baby,” Hunter said and slowly drew her pants down to her ankles.
When she stepped out of the fabric, Austin’s heart dropped into his stomach. His gaze jumped to hers and the pain reflected there didn’t make sense with her movements.
Hunter lifted her leg and secured it in a strap that dangled from her bound wrist. When he did the same with her other leg, Austin snarled. He had positioned her exactly the way Austin had in the shower when he videotaped her. And her pussy was in his direct line of sight.
Hunter pulled the gag out of her mouth. “I want him to hear you moan like the slut we both know you are.”
“I hate you,” she whispered, but it lacked the conviction Austin expected.
Hunter laughed and his fingers began to work her clit. “You love this, don’t you,” he whispered in her ear and sent a knowing smile in Austin’s direction.
“Yes,” she gasped, and her mouth fell open in that familiar habit she had whenever she was horny and enjoying herself.
Austin’s chest squeezed with the betrayal, and he searched her eyes for an explanation. The horror that lay in her expression belied the quickening of her breath and the hardening of her nipples.
“This little slut likes to be the center of attention.” Hunter worked her nipples as effectively as her clit. “She’ll cum like a fucking geyser for me. Does she do that for you?”
“Fuck you,” Austin glared, fighting the urge to be turned on by her body.
Especially when the flush started in her neck. The panic in her eyes didn’t temper her reaction to what Hunter was doing, and the low halogens highlighted the building wetness on his fingertips. Austin could even smell her heat. His cock twitched at the spectacle, and he silently cursed his lack of self-control. He shifted, focusing on the pain in his back as opposed to the heat filling his cock.
“See, I told you he likes to watch,” Hunter said, punctuating his statement by sliding his finger inside her swollen pussy. When he pulled it out, it shined slick. “She’s dripping wet now.” He chuckled and continued to manipulate her with his fingers.
Austin stared at the slow finger fuck. He couldn’t move his gaze away from the juices dripping from Hunter’s hand, as if every plunge brought forth an orgasm, but that was just the beginning. His fingers manipulated her clit until she moaned and her head fell back. Cum sprayed around Hunter’s hand fuck, and he sped his motions until another cry ripped from her.
“He’s harder than I am,” Hunter said, and Paige’s gaze dropped to Austin’s lap.
Shamed heat filled his cheeks
, and when her gaze met his, he knew she was filled with the same mortification he felt. The only thing he could do was lift a single shoulder and wince in response.
“Think I should let him jerk off?”
Paige sent a glare over her shoulder, and for the first time since the curtain opened, Austin truly understood. Paige wasn’t in control of her actions beyond movement of her head, and that glare she sent was so full of hatred that Austin broke out into a cooling set of gooseflesh.
“Do you want to suck him dry before he fucks you into oblivion?”
Her gaze jumped to Austin’s and then dropped to his lap before meeting his gaze again. The slight nod was enough.
“Slut,” Hunter snarled in her ear, and he pulled his hands away.
The fact she made that annoyed squeak like she didn’t want him to stop rubbed the burn in the pit of his stomach even more. The chains holding her lowered her closer to the floor, and Hunter stepped to the side, turning her towards him. She stopped just as her mouth came even with his tented slacks.
“Show me what you want,” he said.
She glared up at him and winced.
Austin’s fists clenched when she leaned forward and put her mouth around the tip of his covered cock.
Hunter smiled and unzipped, freeing himself so Paige could suck it without the fabric.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” Austin asked.
She hummed as Hunter deep throated her.
“She knows how to blow like a whore, too,” he said, glancing in Austin’s direction. He remained still while Paige swallowed the length of him before sliding her lips to his tip.
Austin pulled against the cuffs, letting the sharp pain in his back drown the anguish filling his heart. Logically, he knew she wasn’t in control, but that didn’t lessen the fury at what he was seeing. What pissed him off even more was the hunger that sat alongside his wrath. All of this tickled his voyeuristic tendencies, and he hated the fact this little scenario turned him on.
“Swallow every last inch, bitch,” Hunter growled and pushed forward as his hands gripped the sides of her head. “Fuck, yeah,” he whispered. He moved his hips faster, fucking her mouth with bravado until he pushed his entire length into her mouth, gagging her while he groaned.
He held her in place, and Austin watched her swallow through the wet gags. After a few more slow thrusts, he stepped back and zipped his pants before turning towards Austin.
The ropes raised her back to the original height, and she hung her head, avoiding Austin’s gaze as her chest heaved.
“I hate you,” she gasped and glared up at Hunter. This time her voice carried the conviction it had lacked before.
“Well, baby, that makes us even.” He stepped away and waved his hand towards the table of toys. “Pick your poison,” he said to Austin.
Austin stared at the array of horns, all of which tapered to sharp points. From rhino to elephant tusks, the thought of sticking one of those inside Paige left his stomach turning. The unlatching of the cuffs startled him, but what followed shocked him even more. His body moved, ignoring the pain each step brought forth until he stood in front of the gruesome tool set.
“I will not hurt her,” he said through clenched teeth, and a pain shot through his head like someone planted an axe in his brain.
A shaking hand reached out, finding the thickest horn, caressing the smooth surface of one that would not only pierce her but would stretch her to the ripping point. One that would make her scream until she bled out. He fought against letting his hand close around the hard trunk.
Austin flexed the muscles in his back and sharp pain rippled through every muscle, giving the strength to disobey the silent commands filling his head. With all his might, he turned away from the table empty-handed. He still didn’t have full control over his body, but he had successfully defied Hunter’s will. His hands clenched into fists as righteous fury filled his bones, giving him more power to resist the horrific images Hunter projected into his head.
“Whatever he makes you do, I want you to know I love you, Austin,” Paige said.
Hunter backhanded her, sending her head rocking to the side.
The sound of the slap echoed in Austin’s head, and the red mark on her cheek left by Hunter’s hand unlocked Austin from whatever hold Hunter had on him. He launched, breaching the distance in a flash. Anger controlled him, and his fist connected with Hunter’s throat before the bastard had a chance to defend himself.
Austin grabbed Hunter’s hair and yanked him down, slamming Hunter’s face as hard as he could into his knee. The crunch of breaking bones sent a rush of satisfaction through Austin. Hunter went down hard, and Austin turned his attention to Paige, freeing her legs and then her wrists. She collapsed in his arms.
The pain rippled across his back and he nearly dropped to his knees.
“We have to get out of here before he wakes up,” Austin whispered.
Paige regained her footing and found the clothing Hunter had tossed to the side. While she pulled her underwear and pants on, Austin slipped his t-shirt over his head. The scraping of fabric against his raw skin dropped him to a knee, but his shrieking survival instinct pushed him to his feet, grabbing his sweater and cell phone in the process.
“Jesus,” Paige’s whisper pulled his gaze over his shoulder. She stared at his back and then her gaze moved to his. Horror filled her features and she took his arm, leading him towards the far side of the dark room.
“You can’t go out there like that,” Paige said as they reached the far wall, her voice raw and shaking.
Austin reached for the wall, feeling his way in the dark until the egg-crate pattern gave way to smooth metal. “Help me with my sweater,” he said and handed it to her. “Just drape it over my shoulders, okay?”
“Okay,” she said.
He winced at the weight of the light fabric, but at least it would cover whatever blood was still seeping from his wounds.
Austin ran his hand down the door until it landed on a push bar. He said a little prayer and pushed. The door gave, allowing them to step out into the opposite side of the floor near the stairwell.
He didn’t take another glance over his shoulder, he just dragged her back to the hotel and bolted the door closed before leaning on it to catch his breath. The shakes that had gripped him after crossing half the distance had now taken hold of his entire form like an earthquake had settled in his core. He grabbed the doorframe to get control. It was all he could do to remain standing on his feet.
His stomach clenched and he nearly dropped to the ground, but the sounds of retching reached through his overwhelmed mind. Paige was leaning over the toilet, vomiting between sobs, and he stumbled to her side, dropping to his knees next to her.
He gently pulled her hair out of the way, letting her purge the vile contents of her stomach into the commode. When she finished and flushed the toilet, he pulled her into his lap and just held tight, unsure of how to react now that the numbness had finally settled in. It took away the raw burn in his stomach and the agony of his flogged back.
He stared into the distance, his eyes not focusing on anything in particular, and Paige curled up in his lap, holding him as tightly as a frightened child. He didn’t know how long they sat there like that, and the silence wrapped around them like a comforting blanket.
Anger roiled his stomach as unwanted images played across the space in front of him, each moment burned into his memory, creating a tornado of emotions. He would never understand how Paige could have loved that fucker. Not with everything he had seen since the first time that bastard had possessed him.
“I’m going to kill him,” Austin finally said, disrupting the quiet.
Paige lifted her head from under his chin. “You can’t,” she said and sniffled.
His jaw tightened and he nearly dumped her off his lap.
Her hand reached for his cheek, caressing his skin in a touch that thawed the dark chill that overtook him.
“He will kill
you if you go after him. He’s somehow harnessed black magick.”
He leaned into her palm and closed his eyes, dipping his forehead to hers.
“The only place we are safe is back in New Hampshire.”
A harsh laugh escaped his chest, and he opened his eyes. “Bullshit. He isn’t getting away with what he did. What he almost made me do...” He trailed off and met her gaze.
Her chin trembled. “How did you stop him?”
His eyebrows rose and he shrugged. “I wasn’t going to hurt you.”
“I had no control at all. I didn’t want him touching me but I couldn’t stop the way he made my body react.” Her head dropped to his chest as another sob bubbled up.
“Maybe a part of you wanted it,” he said and instantly regretted the words slipping from his lips. Paige yanked herself out of his arms, and she was on her feet and out of the bathroom before he could stop her.
He caught her fumbling with the locks at the door and pressed his hand over hers. She sent a glare in his direction.
“Paige, how come I was able to resist his commands and you weren’t?” he asked as softly as he could, keeping the accusation from his voice.
“I don’t know.”
“Are you sure?”
She spun and glared at him. “If you had been wearing the crystal I gave you, none of that would have happened,” she snarled in a way that surprised him.
He fell back a step and slipped his hand into his pocket.
“What does this have to do with what happened?” he asked, pulling the crystal out.
Her gaze dropped to the rock swinging from the chain, and her mouth opened a fraction, before her hand covered it. When her wide eyes returned to his, a shiver caught him off guard.
All color drained from her cheeks and she fell against the door, her features falling into that of defeat.
