by Lily White
This display wasn’t intended for me to find a release and I was glad for that because I wouldn’t be able to with the agony I was feeling. I had no way of calming myself. I couldn’t breathe past what the men were doing to me and I felt dizzy and sick. My stomach rolled in my abdomen and I fought not to retch over Mr. Carlisle’s dick.
Holland was within feet of me and I cried even harder knowing he was being forced to watch what was happening. I knew he blamed himself for everything, and although he was placing the blame where it rightfully belonged, I couldn’t join him in the hatred he felt towards himself as a result of it.
That hatred, that absolute abhorrence and loathing I felt, was aimed directly at the man who had to add insult to both of our gut-wrenching injuries. I couldn’t see Aiden, but I had no doubt he stood back enjoying everything he was doing to both Holland and me, his merciless mind knowing no limits when it came to breaking a person’s spirit.
Gail finished before Kai, his cock twitching as he emptied himself into my mouth. I forced myself to swallow down the acrid taste. After tucking himself back in his pants, he didn’t bother to let Kai finish before he knelt down to let me look into his satisfied eyes.
Whispering so that no other person could hear him, he said, “I was going to give you to my piece of shit stepson, but thanks to him acting like a little bitch just now, it looks like I’ll be keeping you for myself.”
I glared into his bloodshot eyes that were tinged yellow with age. My body moved back and forth as Kai found his own release and I opened my mouth wide to scream in the old man’s face as loud as I possibly could. It wasn’t the only thing I wanted to do to him, but it was enough to get him to stand up and move away.
The room fell silent as Kai pulled himself from my body, the quiet only broken by a single man clapping slowly before being joined by the others.
“That was…” Aiden’s voice boomed out with joy apparent in his words. “…as extraordinary as it was bizarre. If I hadn’t seen it for myself, I would have never believed it was possible. You were right, Nathanial. I think you might have the rarest courtesan after all.”
The men applauded again and I rested my forehead against the leather bench beneath me, my body now shaking with the intensity of my sobs. I felt a feminine hand touch my thigh, moving to clean between my legs with a towel as a man moved around the bench releasing me from my shackles. He lifted me into a position where I straddled the leather and I cried out at the burning reminder of where Kai had just been.
The man cupped my cheek, pressing my head against his chest as he quietly shushed me. It was a tender moment, shown by a person I couldn’t identify and in an odd way, it soothed me. That comfort, however, was immediately lost when he released me and allowed me to look out at the crowd.
Holland was front and center to the stage, a look of horror in his emerald green eyes. I cried harder to look at him, our pain now a shared reminder of the disastrous circumstances and poor decisions that led to this exact moment. We’d both been foolish by allowing ourselves to believe there was any escape, that there was even the slight chance that either of us would be walking away from this with our bodies and minds intact.
Rebecca took my arm and helped me down from the bench. I expected her to escort me out just as Kai had been excused, but she held me in place on stage, supporting my weight with her arm when she realized that my legs would barely work to hold me up.
“Gentlemen, I’m going to need for you to retake your seats. Now that we’ve finished the entertainment for the evening, there is an unfortunate matter of business we must address.”
The men milled about the room, sitting back in their seats one by one until the room grew quiet once more. Anticipation of what Aiden would do next thrummed through the air, the effect feeling like an electrical charge against my skin.
After waiting for two other men to climb the stage and take their places by Mr. Carlisle, Aiden finally spoke. “It is with my deepest regret that I must bring to the attention of the society two members who have sought to deceive us with a blatant lack of respect for our rules.”
My heart was in my throat, every pulse painful and thick as it traveled through my veins. My tears hadn’t stopped from what’d been done to me already, but finally hearing that Aiden would reveal the agreement between Holland and his stepfather made me cry even harder. I knew what the consequence was of what they’d done and I didn’t think I’d be able to keep it together if they were found guilty of their deception.
“As you all know we have rules in place in the society, rules that we take very seriously or for which there are consequences if broken. Unfortunately, I’ve become aware of a rather major rule being broken as agreed upon and executed by Holland Strong and Gail Carlisle.”
I couldn’t breathe past my terror, couldn’t force my lungs to draw in the air I needed to remain conscious. The room spun around me and Rebecca held tighter to hold me upright. Looking in Holland’s direction, I saw the terror written into his expression. My heart fell to pieces, the empty void inside from where it had been growing like cancer through my chest.
“Gentlemen, if you’ll please secure Mr. Carlisle and escort him to the front of the stage where everybody can see him clearly.”
The old man fought against their hold, but was held in place much easier than Holland had been when he’d resisted being controlled.
“What the hell is going on here, Aiden?” Gail’s voice was filled with feigned surprise and indignation. “I haven’t broken any of the society’s rules, you lying son of a bitch!” He looked between Aiden and Holland, finally screaming at his stepson, “What have you done you useless fucking piece of shit? I knew you were a fuck up since the minute I fucking met you.”
Aiden remained calm, standing with his hands held together behind his back as he watched the men drag Gail to the front of the stage. Once they had him in place, Aiden reached out with his hand and Rebecca released me to go to him. I fell down as soon as she was gone, the bones of my ass striking the wood so hard that the pain radiated up into my back.
“Claire, I’ll need you to get up and come over here as well. As you should already know, you are my star witness.”
He mocked me with the humor in his voice, already having made it clear in the past that if I ever went against his orders, he’d make sure that Holland paid the price for my insubordination.
I didn’t know what to do and I was frozen in my indecision. Only a few seconds were allowed to pass before the man who’d released me from the bench minutes before lifted me from the floor and walked me to stand at Aiden’s side.
“Three weeks ago, I received an order for a voluptuous red-haired woman with blue eyes and an hourglass figure. The order was given to me by Gail Carlisle with the express intent that she would be trained by me to become a courtesan in his care. When I ran it past the Master I was training, he jumped at the opportunity with the perfect woman in mind. It was the fact that Holland knew immediately a woman that would fit the bill that first concerned me. However, it wasn’t until I took over training Claire that the truth was revealed to me that I, and in turn, the entire society, had been deceived by both men. Claire, will you please tell the audience exactly what it was that you told me about the arrangement between Holland and his stepfather?”
The man who held me gripped tighter when my legs collapsed. It was only by his strength that I remained standing. I couldn’t force my eyes away from Holland and I prayed that he could see how being made to speak was tearing me apart inside.
With a faint voice, one that was destroyed by my sorrow and shame, I admitted, “Holland told me that he’d convinced a family member to order me. That I would be given to Holland and live as his courtesan once I left Aiden’s care.” My shoulders slumped with the weight of what I’d done, with the realization that as a result of my betrayal, Holland and his stepfather would be removed from the society and killed.
Surprised gasps sounded throughout the room followed by the deplorable
murmurs of men who were already making a decision as to Holland and Gail’s fate.
“You…You’re lying! The bitch is lying! I never intended to give the courtesan to another man!” Mr. Carlisle screamed from where he was held on the stage, but it did nothing to shake Aiden’s resolve.
I felt dead to the world in that moment; lost to everything that happened around me because the only thing I wanted to see or know at that moment was the look in Holland’s eyes. The expression on his face was a silent apology for what he’d caused, but mixed with that was forgiveness for what I had to do in return. His hand hadn’t been forced like mine, but we both played roles in the events that were happening now.
“Gail Carlisle just whispered to me on the bench that he was glad he no longer had to give me up to his stepson. If anybody is lying at this moment, it’s him.”
The entire room hushed at the strength in my voice when I admitted what he’d said. I turned to him and smiled, the spite I felt towards him written clearly in the last look I would ever give him. He was the bastard who’d doomed Holland to this fate, and in turn, had been responsible for everything that had been done to me. I would never feel guilty for his death because he was the biggest monster here, not only enslaving women for his use, but forcing his children to do so as well.
Gail sneered in response before spitting on the ground and screaming, “You stupid fucking whore! You’re lying!”
Aiden laughed as he reached out to pat me on the back softly. “Thank you, Claire. You’ll be rewarded for your honesty once this is all said and done. Anthony, you can take Claire off stage now. Keep her in the room. I want her to see what becomes of those who break the society rules.”
Anthony led me down the stage, practically carrying me as we descended the stairs.
“Gentlemen, you’ve heard the testimony of the courtesan. She has no reason to lie and nothing to gain by lying. I leave it in your hands to decide the innocence or guilt of the accused. As you all know, if they are found guilty, they will be removed as members of the society and subsequently silenced in order to preserve the anonymity of every man in the group.”
The society men deliberated amongst themselves before assigning one person to voice the decision of the group. The bastard physician, James, was chosen and with a voice rough with age he announced, “The society finds them guilty.”
Holland and Gail both struggled against the men that held them, but it was useless. My legs gave out again, but Anthony held strong, ensuring that I remained standing and had an unobstructed view.
The corner of Aiden’s lip twitched with humor and delight. The satisfaction he felt with their decision obvious in his expression. “Very well.” Reaching behind his back, he retrieved a pistol, raising it up to show it to the men. “Gail Carlisle you are banished from the society and as such, your wealth and any courtesans you own will be divvied up between the society members.”
“You can’t do this!” Carlisle screamed, but no person heard him. They ignored his pleas of innocence, having already decided his fate.
I braced myself for what was to come, knowing full well that Gail and Holland both would be executed in front of my eyes.
I felt like throwing up, like every disturbing emotion inside me had thickened into a soup that my body fought to expel in order to ease the pain. Anthony shushed me from where he stood, holding me with one arm while attempting to console me with the other. I couldn’t see past my tears, the burning pain in my eyes too much for me to keep them open against the swelling of my eyelids.
Aiden directed the gun at Gail, chuckling as the old man fought to break free. The two men that held him turned him to face Aiden. Almost as soon as Gail saw the gun, piss ran down his legs, leaving a wet trail on his trousers before pooling at his feet.
Aiden’s finger tightened on the trigger and he held the gun out steady in front of him for what felt like minutes. In truth, only seconds had passed, but the tension in the air stretched them out, making everything appear to occur in slow motion.
When he lowered his arm, the entire room fell still, every person confused as to why he didn’t fire.
“Actually, I think it would be more fitting a death for a man such as you, if it were performed by a woman. I think every man in this room will agree that you hate them as much as you love them.” Aiden smiled wickedly before handing the gun to Rebecca.
She wasted no time in lifting the weapon and pulling the trigger. The sound was deafening as it broke through the silence in the air and I screamed when Gail’s head exploded and his body dropped to the ground. Blood pooled instantly around him, mixing with the piss that had been there already. I gagged, finally bending over to throw up. Anthony stepped back, patting my back while holding my hair as I retched all over the floor.
Desperately, I attempted to breathe, gulping in air with lungs that revolted against the effort. Every part of my body hurt, everything inside of me grieving for what I knew would come next.
“Well, that made quite the mess, I’m not sure I wish to carry out the additional execution in this room.” Turning to the men that held Holland, Aiden looked directly at me before ordering, “Take Holland out back. However, make his death slow. You can be as cruel as you like because I don’t appreciate one of my own trainees attempting to deceive me.”
“No!” I screamed before I could stop myself and I looked over to see Aiden’s shoulders shake with his laughter.
My eyes darted to Holland and I watched as the men brought him up to his feet. I expected him to fight back, to refuse to allow himself to be dragged from the room. Instead what I saw were his shoulders rolling back and his chin tipped up in arrogance and pride as he was escorted from my view on the way to his death. They’d nearly cleared the door leading him out of the room before he finally looked back at me as a final goodbye.
I couldn’t push myself up from the floor, couldn’t find the strength to hold my torso upright, much less place weight on my trembling legs. Anthony continued kneeling behind me, softly patting my back as the room once again grew quiet.
“We’re done here tonight, gentlemen. Each of you is excused back to your lives and homes. I apologize that I had to leave the evening on such a violent and tragic end.” His eyes locked to mine when he added, “Anthony, please take Claire into the foyer. We’ll be sending her to live with her new owner tonight.”
Grabbing my arms, Anthony lifted me from the floor, practically dragging me backwards out of the room. I refused to look away from Aiden’s smug expression, refused to submit any longer to the beautiful face of a man that disguised the monster.
When we reached the foyer, James stood solemnly by the door, his medical bag held in his hands. As we approached, he reached into the bag and pulled out a syringe filled with a clear liquid. I shook my head in protest knowing that he intended to use it on me, but I was too weak physically to stop him.
The tip of the needle pinched my skin and the room instantly spun around me. Anthony laid me on the floor, stroking his hand softly over my hair as the entire room went black.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Claire
When I opened my eyes I felt like I was experiencing déjà vu. I could have been transported back in time and it wouldn’t have been much different than the place where I found myself when I woke.
It was a dark room, not as cold as the one in Aiden’s house, but still chilly against my naked skin. As had occurred only weeks before, I woke up to find myself chained down, my arms and legs outstretched from where they were attached to the head and foot of the wooden bed. The mattress was soft this time, not thin to a point where you could feel each individual spring cutting into your back the longer your weight remained on top of it. This room also had a window, which I felt was strange, considering the insidious intent of its use. How would the neighbors not hear me screaming? How did my captors know that I wouldn’t attempt to escape?
Like last time, I remained calm and I wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse that
the confusion of my waking didn’t exist like it did when I’d woken in Aiden’s house.
The situation was practically the same: I didn’t know where I was, I wasn’t sure who’d taken me and I had no idea the horror I would face now that they had me. This time, it was a heavier weight that sat on my chest because it carried with it the knowledge that there was no escape. Last time, I at least had hope that there was.
Breathing deeply, I settled the nerves inside me realizing that, at some point, I’d run out of tears to cry. There was no point to them anyway. I’d been ruined already and what was left was an empty shell of who I’d been before. Minutes or hours could have passed before any person entered the room and I secretly hoped that whoever had me would forget that I even existed. Maybe then I could wither and fade until there was nothing left of me at all.
After a while, the room brightened as the sun peeked over the horizon and within minutes the door to the room popped open with a light click of the metal lock releasing. I turned my head towards the wall, not really interested in seeing what monster had hold of me now. Steps sounded softly as a person crossed the room. I clenched my eyes tighter, not wanting to acknowledge that I was now stuck in this nightmare alone.
A hand shook my shoulder softly. “Are you awake?”
It was a low voice, smooth and kind. I recognized it, but the identity of the person who was speaking escaped me, as if I’d only heard the voice in a dream.
“The rate of your breathing has sped up. I can tell that you know I’m here.” Humor edged his words and I found the sound to be ominous and wrong. How can any happiness be found in this world and why did the man that now owned me sound so blissful to have me in his grasp.
Finally opening my eyes, I waited for them to focus before turning my head towards the man. I recognized him instantly, shaking away the cloudy soup that still wrapped my brain in an attempt to remember his name.
