by M. S. Willis
Murmurs erupted throughout the space as she was led to the side of the room and placed facing a wall between two wooden posts. Shackles were placed around each wrist, the chains pulled tight so that her hands were stretched out above her. When she was secured in place, she heard the two men walk away, leaving her alone between the two posts.
“At her request, Ms. Hart will deliver the lashes.” Spoken without emotion, his father’s voice filled the room.
The rhythmic click of heels as Emily approached Maddy, Aaron’s eyes followed her every move, made note of every flex of her fingers around the whip, and every flutter of her hair as it was blown back by her movement. He would kill that woman the next chance he had. He would make it slow and superbly excruciating, tearing her apart piece by piece, limb by limb before finally ending her pathetic life.
Emily approached Maddy and allowed the length of the whip to unravel from her hand and drag along the floor. Finding her position, she pulled back her arm, used her wrist to flick the length of the cord behind her as she prepared for the strike. Just as her arm flexed with her intent to bring the whip forward, Aaron’s father called out. “Stop!”
Emily faltered on her heel at his sudden command. Pulling herself back into balance, she turned to him, her face overtaken by a loathsome scowl.
Locking eyes with Aaron, his father smiled, the purist form of malevolence dripping from his next words. “I’ve changed my mind, and I take back my agreement with Ms. Hart’s request. I believe it would be more fitting if you wielded the whip. After all, it was your hand that caused those marks across Ms. Hart’s back.” Ever the devil who could lead a man to his own destruction, his father assigned him with the cruelest torment off all … forcing him to torture the woman who’d buried herself within his very soul.
Aaron’s eyes dropped to the floor, a momentary lapse of strength as his father delivered the ultimate insult. Not only would Maddy have to endure the slicing pain of a whip, she’d have to do so at Aaron’s hands. Looking back into his father’s eyes, he smiled, imagined how the old man’s face would look when his neck was torn open by his blade. He refused to back down, to reveal even the smallest weakness. The woman tied to the wooden posts had the inner strength of an army; he’d be damned if he let her down. “Fine.”
Moving toward the posts, Emily’s face twisted into open hatred. Reaching her, he gave her no chance to hand the whip over, but took it from her still clenched hand causing her to lose her balance and fall. The room erupted in laughter as she looked up at him with red flames in her cheeks. Pushing herself back up, she brushed down her skirt and stood back from him. “Enjoy whipping your fucking whore.” Spitting in his face, she quickly walked back to the edge of the audience; her spite, an inferno behind the browns of her eyes.
He wanted to go to Maddy, to explain that he’d rather die than raise his hand to swing the whip; but to do so would be to fail her, to be weaker than a woman much smaller than him. Pulling his arm back, he swung out, dying inside when he heard the slap against her skin followed closely by her bloodcurdling scream. Her body trembled, her knees giving out instantly, he almost stopped when he saw her body buckle from the agony of the blow. Blood dripping in trails down her back, Aaron fought the urge to reach out to her. Raising his arm, steeling himself against the torment he shared with Maddy, he pulled the whip back again, bringing it forward for the strike; dying inside each time the leather hit her skin and she screamed.
When he reached a total of ten lashings, his body trembled with hers, his arm protesting the continued movement. He was fighting with all he had not to break down, his emotions too much against the fake mask that he wore. Reaching back for an eleventh strike, he was stopped by his father’s booming command.
“Enough!”
The mixture of relief and guilt a heavy weight on his shoulders; he dropped the bloodied whip to the floor, straightening his spine before turning to face his father.
A malicious grin, the father knowing what he’d just done to the son. Satisfaction in his voice, he commanded, “Retribution has been paid, now you may take your slave back to your quarters.”
The sound of Emily’s shrill scream grated against Aaron’s nerves. Spinning so that he could look in her direction, he watched as she pulled a blade from another man’s belt before running toward Maddy. Stepping in her way, he pulled his gun from his side, his sight directed between her eyes. “I wouldn’t take another step if I were you.”
She stopped, staggered back in her step, before turning to his father, a plea in her eyes. “She does not have the mark on her face, that is the worst scar of all!”
Amusement again in the shaking of his shoulders, his father faced Aaron when he asked, “What is it, exactly, that Ms. Hart said to you before you attacked?”
Aaron grinned, understanding creeping along his mind as he discovered the true depth to his father’s game. “She said she wanted to be treated like a slave; that she wanted to know how it felt to be a whore.” Keeping his voice steady, Aaron glanced at the confusion on Emily’s face as he repeated her words.
“And did you feel slighted by her words.”
“I did.”
Snapping his fingers, his father indicated for Emory and Vincent to take hold of Emily while he finished what he had to say. “It seems there is some additional retribution owed to my son for dishonoring his property. Given the words you used that upset him, I see nothing more fitting than to grant the request that you made.”
Only when Emily was firmly in the grasp of his father’s guards, did Aaron lower his gun. Emily’s face contorted in terror, her body falling from the weight of his father’s words. “No! Please, you can’t do this to me, I’m more than a common whore.”
Laughter erupted throughout the room, his father waited for the sudden noise to hush before continuing. “You forget Ms. Hart, The Estate does not benefit those that do not benefit The Estate. You’ve been living off the hard work of my members for years, spreading your legs for any man who was willing to open his wallet. However, my men have moved on from what you can offer, have found other ladies who would love to take your place.”
“No,” The one word barely understandable outside the force of her sobs. Aaron looked across the room and indicated for Xander to help him release Maddy as Emily was dragged and strapped to the wooden table in the front of the room. Once released, Xander gingerly took Maddy into his arms, trying not to touch the wounds on her back. Her light body sagged against him, her feet dragging across the stone as they removed her from the room. Once in the corridor, Aaron paused a moment to listen to Emily’s screams as she was made into the whore she’d asked to become. He walked away laughing, knowing full well that those screams would continue until every man in that room had been allowed his fill.
Chapter Twenty-Five
“Set her down face first on my bed, be careful not to brush anything across her wounds.” Aaron allowed Xander to carry Madeleine to the bed. Watching as Xander carefully laid down her unconscious body, he turned and hurried into the bathroom to get out his box of medical supplies. Hurrying back beside her, he flinched when he saw the jagged cuts that tore across her back, blood red rivers polluting the dove white perfection of her skin.
Kneeling down on the floor, he dared not sit on the mattress for fear of jostling her body. Even though she wouldn’t feel it while passed out cold, he still cared too much to risk causing her any more pain. Pulling the antibiotic cream from the box, he set up the jar near her on the bed, unrolled several strips of gauze and moved back to the bathroom to retrieve a damp cloth. When he returned to her, he noticed how her head turned slightly, her eyes squeezed tight as she started to gain consciousness. Kneeling by her side, he brushed his hand against her cheek, shushing her moans, praying she would fall back into the arms of slumber instead of awakening into pure agony. She settled as he whispered to her, appearing to find a place in her dreams, stilling enough so that he could tend to her wounds.
Slowly, he used the damp
cloth to remove the blood from her skin, flinching each time he noticed her brow furrow. After applying the ointment, he bandaged her back with butterfly bandages and gauze as best as he could, giving the ointment time to work its way into the cuts. He knew the wounds would need air, but at the moment he was more concerned with stopping the bleeding while protecting her against infection. After repacking his medical kit, he sat on the floor, his back and head leaned on the bed where her legs hung down; he waited for his angel to awaken.
Hours must have passed, the night sky an unforgiving black against the windows of the room, Maddy woke up in excruciating pain. As she tried to move, her leg kicked out landing against something solid, just before a hand reached up to keep her still. She jumped at the touch, not understanding whose hand had grabbed her. Aaron pushed up from the floor, wiped his hand across his face to chase away his exhaustion. Standing beside her, he placed his hands on her back, steadied her while whispering, “Don’t move, Maddy, you need to stay as still as possible, at least for tonight. The wounds are too fresh for you to be moving around. I’ve closed up the cuts as best I can, If you remain still, there’s a chance the scars won’t be too deep.”
“Aaron, oh God, Aaron, it burns so bad!” Tears ran from her eyes as she spoke. “What happened after we left? All I remember is that horrible woman screaming, but I remember nothing that happened after that.” Her pain was apparent in the tone of her voice, the tears flowing freely from her eyes. Aaron soothed his hand down her hair while she adjusted to what must have felt like fire across the skin of her back.
“You passed out as we carried you back. I didn’t wake you, preferring that you sleep through the time it took me to tend to your wounds.” His voice shook with emotion, his concern for her becoming his greatest weakness. “Are you hungry or thirsty … why don’t I get you some water? Maybe you could take something to help you keep sleeping.”
Nodding her head, Maddy would accept anything he offered if it would deliver her back to delirium and away from the pain overtaking her body. Aaron traveled quickly across the room, going through both his closet and the bathroom, he returned to her with a pill in one hand and a glass of water in the other. Maddy moved as much as she could to take the glass from his hands. Aaron held her down, bringing the edge to her lips so she could drink. Returning the glass to the bathroom, Aaron turned on the stereo system as he passed; let the haunting sounds of Maddy’s songs fill the room as she fell to sleep. He sat down on the floor beside her, stroked his hand down the back of her leg attempting to sooth her back into sleep. Within minutes he heard her deep, even breathing and relaxed against the side of the bed. Closing his eyes, he kept a sentinel position at her side, a snake coiled to strike out at any person who tried to disturb her.
~ ~ ~
Morning light, the reds and pinks flitting past the edges of the curtains, Maddy’s eyes peaked open as she watched the dust swirl with the beams of light. She attempted to move, but was struck so suddenly with pain, she instantly remembered the events of the previous day. Instantly aware of her movement, Aaron opened his eyes as well, placed his hand on her leg to let her know that he was there beside her. Pushing up on his cramped legs, his muscles protested the movement. “Maddy, are you okay?”
Wiggling around on the bed, she let out a small cry as she tried to push herself over from her stomach. “No … I need to … ”
“What, what do you need? I’ll get it for you so you can stay still.”
A deep breath escaped her, her hair blowing out from the exhaled air. “I need to pee.”
Aaron didn’t mean to, but he chuckled at her statement. Her cheeks had become pink with her embarrassment of the request. Leaning down to her, he whispered, “Stay here, I’ll get a cup and hold it between your legs.”
“No!”
He chuckled again. “Fine. Let me help you up, try to keep your back as straight as possible.” Lifting her from the bed he watch her wince with the movement of her body. When he had her standing, he put his hands under her arms to steady her, keeping her upright with each step she took. Lowering her down onto the toilet, he stood above her, waiting for her to finish.
“I’m going to have to wipe you, Maddy. I don’t want you moving if you don’t have to.” He smiled when he saw the dejected look on her face about what he’d said, but instantly felt guilty for finding any sort of humor in the situation. When he was done cleaning her, he flushed the toilet and placed his arms under her to pick her up. Shaking her head, she tried to push him away.
“Just let me sit for a moment, please, just let the pain go down some before I have to move and make it worse. I don’t think I can handle anymore right now.” She sounded breathless, her heart beating erratically at the intensity of her pain.
Nodding in understanding, Aaron knelt down on the floor in front of her, his eyes holding hers as he gave her the time she needed. Sitting quietly, he watched her face, searching her eyes each time they opened briefly, grabbing her hand to comfort her when she flinched from the pain. Examining her wrist, he saw where the string wrapped around one had cut into her wrist from the shackles she’d worn the night before. Aaron instantly attempted to unwrap the string, but Maddy pulled her hand away, covering the string with her other hand. “What are you doing?”
“The string, it’s cut into your skin, I have to remove it.”
Shaking her head in refusal, Maddy pulled her arm to her body, cradling the injured wrist. “I don’t care if it cuts my hand off completely, I never want it removed.” Pausing she appeared as if she thought of a far away place. “I always found freedom within music, Aaron, and then to be taken captive … to have it stripped from me … ” Looking deep into his eyes, she continued, “You gave that back to me when you gave me my instrument; somehow you knew. Do not take the freedom away, no matter how it injures me.” Her expression, a plea as she begged to keep something as simple as a bracelet fashioned from a broken cello string.
Seeing that she was becoming upset, that panic was settling into the lines of her face and the muscles of her body, Aaron backed off, nodded in understanding of her request. “Okay, I’ll treat and dress the wound under it, I’ll leave it, if that’s what you want.”
Finally, calming, Maddy was able to keep her eyes open longer, the deep-sea blue meeting his as she asked, “Did it work? Were they fooled?”
“Yes. Yes, my brave girl, they were. Emily ended up the ultimate victim in his game. My father was never concerned about what I did to her, he was just using her to get to you.” A dark part of him started to sneak out in those words, his anger resurfacing at the thought of what his father had done.
“Don’t let your anger control you now, Aaron. I can hear it in your voice. Hold onto it until a time where you can use it to finally end his life.” Still strong. Even with her back ripped apart and her nerves screaming out in agony, Maddy still remained strong.
Silence fell between them, Aaron’s voice only a soft whisper as he finally dared to breach it. “I’m sorry, Maddy. I’m sorry that I had to use that whip on you. If I could have traded places with you, I would have. I would have laid down my life not to have to do what I did.” Pain flickered across his face as he remembered what he’d been made to do, a pain so deep it only added to the darkness within him. For years, his father had been cruel, unjust, and had fashioned Aaron into the assassin for The Estate, had stripped from him the ability to love or to be loved.
Reaching down to cup his cheek in her hand, Maddy pulled his eyes to hers, let the serene blue wash over him, giving him back some parts of himself that his father had stripped away. “You did what I asked you to do. You remained true to what we hope to accomplish. No matter what happens, if I live or if I die, you can only help me find justice by eradicating the man who took me from my life.”
Aaron pushed up so that he and Maddy were face to face. “Let me help you back to bed. You can’t stay here forever, you need to lie down and rest.”
A shy smile, the expression on her face
one that reminded him of the woman who’d first been gifted to him, the one who’d dared to reveal herself during the quiet moments between them. “I don’t want to spend anymore time on that bed … ” Her cheeks heated from some inward thought. “ … Not in this condition, anyway.”
Her words reminded him of the events before the presentation, the words she’d said to him in the music room, the moment she’d given herself to him on the bed and the whispered conversation that occurred when they woke up. Sex had been a first for Maddy, a part of herself she’d given to him …. but his words … those had been a first for him, a part of himself he hadn’t even known existed. The memory of those moments brought back a request Maddy had made; one he’d denied her then, but one he wouldn’t refuse now.
“Let me take you to the bed so that I can redress your wounds; after that, I’ll take you somewhere else.”
Nodding her assent, Maddy tried to cover up her pain as he helped lift her into a standing position, but Aaron knew. Every flinch of her body, every wince that furrowed the perfection of her face; he knew she wanted to cry out, couldn’t understand why she wasn’t screaming, a warrior wrapped within the beautiful shell of a musician, a strength in her that no one could have suspected.
After laying her down on the bed, Aaron retrieved the supplies. Pulling the gauze from her back, he died a little more inside each time he revealed one of the deep cuts made by the whip, cursed himself for having been the one to inflict them. Her hands gripped the blankets by her head, her muscles clinching with each strip of gauze he removed.
When he finishing cleaning and redressing the wounds, he helped her into a standing position again, caught her as her knees weakened below her due to the pain. Tears streamed down her face and Aaron swore vengeance for each tear that escaped her eyes; pain for pain, that was a promise Aaron made to himself, to his father.
