The Innocent (The Protege #2)

by Gow, Kailin

  She cast her gaze to the floor. “I’d be punished.”

  Sebastian emerged from the music room with her sheets in hand. “Serena,” he commanded. “Look at me.”

  Keeping her head bowed down, she glanced at him. It was all over. Price would make sure she never saw him again.

  “Who is your master, Serena?” Price interjected. He took a step toward her. “Who is your master?”

  “You are, Master.”

  “No,” Sebastian shouted.

  Price snickered as he reached out to take Serena’s hand. His thumb ran over her skin in a way that was both soothing and menacing. He had the ability to hide a wealth of anger beneath a cool veneer. He could even smile rather sincerely, despite hatred of the worst kind.

  “Get away from her, Price.” Sebastian took a step toward them, but Price’s bodyguard blocked his path.

  “You only wish you had the control over her like I have. Do you know how much hard work I’ve put into her? Do you know how many nights, how many mornings, how many afternoons I’ve spent showing her what pleased me, and what displeased me?” He reached up to finger a strand of her hair. “She is my masterpiece.” He glanced at Sebastian. “Really, Sebastian. How feeble a man must you be to steal a man’s trained submissive. Surely you have the ability to train one of your own. If you need pointers, let me know. I’ll show you how I turned this lovely and innocent young woman into the sex slave men only dream of.”

  “You're a worthless pig who doesn’t deserve a minute in her company. Why else would you need to take advantage of her the way you do?”

  “Advantage? I think you have it all wrong, Seb. Serena was down and out in the worst possible way when I found her. She was a day away from dying of starvation. Hell, who knows? I probably saved her from a pimp who could have done much worst by her. I pulled her out of the gutter, fed her, dressed her properly and gave her life.”

  “You turned her into a slave who wasn’t allowed her own freedom.”

  “I turned her into the fantasy men would kill for. Look at her, Seb. She has become your fantasy come true, hasn’t she? All because of me. Being a man with the most challenging sexual needs, I trained her into a creature who can fulfill those needs, transforming herself into the very fantasy we desired. Isn’t she amazing? So intoxicating…I can’t blame you for falling hard for her. She is. That. Good. Now, you’ve had your fun with her for now, but the fun is over. My relationship with Serena is something you’ll never have and never understand.” He tugged on her arm. “Come, love. You need to be punished like never before.”

  Demure and submissive, she followed him without a fight.

  “Serena.” Sebastian threw a surprising punch into the bodyguard’s gut, sidestepped the grunting and bent over man, and reached out to grab Serena’s arm. With a fierce tug, he pulled her out of Price’s grasp. “Snap out of it, damn it. He has no business punishing you.” He pushed her behind him and stood between her and Price. “Do you really think I’m just going to stand by and watch you take her away to be punished? And punished for what? For living her life? She’s paid a hefty price for the help you claim to have given her. It’s time to cut your losses and let go.”

  “You're putting your nose in where it doesn’t belong, Mr. Sorensen.” He snapped his fingers at Serena and gestured for her to come to him. “She is mine, for life.”

  “She’s not a dog, Price.” He kept a firm hold of her arm.

  “She’s whatever I want her to be.” He tugged her out of his hold.

  “You don’t even have the decency to have a safe word for her.”

  The bodyguard had recovered from the surprise punch and came to stand menacingly behind Sebastian.

  Price chuckled and his maniacal laughter echoed down from the high ceilings, filling the air with his sinister sense of humor. “Serena has never needed a safe word… not with me.”

  “You’re a sadistic ass.”

  Leaning in close to Sebastian’s face, Price sneered. “I’m the best thing that ever happened to her, and she knows it. If I’m a sadistic ass, it’s because it’s what turns her on. Have you even thought of that?”

  Without warning, Sebastian punched Price in the nose.

  “Sebastian,” Serena cried out. “No.”

  Her words were lost in the pound and slap of skin on skin as Price lunged at Sebastian. The dapper, rich and elegantly dressed men fell to the floor, hitting one another like drunken bums. For an amused moment, the oversized bodyguard watched the men.

  “Stop it,” Serena cried as Price threw one punch after another.

  “Not until the bastard is dead on the floor,” Price said. “He stole my childhood, now he wants to steal what I’ve worked so hard to accomplish.”

  When Sebastian hit his head against the hardwood floor, Price put his hand to his throat and squeezed.

  Serena jumped on his back and tried to pull him off. “You're acting like a madman. Stop it, Price. I’m ready to leave Sebastian behind, if you’ll just stop hitting him.”

  “This is the man who took you away from me, Serena.” His face contorted into a mask of murderous hatred. With a solid blow, he whipped back his elbow and threw Serena off him.

  Tears filled her eyes as the two continued to fight. Sebastian reached up to wrap his fingers around Price’s neck. Face to face, the men stared each other down.

  Serena stood and knew no words would stop Price from avenging her disappearance. She’d seen him even angrier for lesser offences. Slow and deliberate, she walked to the door and tried a final ultimatum. “Stop now, Price, now. I’m ready to go and do whatever you want, but we have to leave now. Leave him alone and bring me to my punishment. I know how eager you must be to put me in my place.”

  He stopped for a brief moment and looked at her, his eyes pleased and his grin victorious. “Tempting, my love, and, yes, I am eager to put you in your place, but my hatred of Sebastian Sorensen goes much deeper than just this recent kidnapping.”

  Taking advantage of the distraction, Sebastian punched Price across the jaw, but before he could fight him off, Price’s bodyguard interceded and pinned Sebastian to the floor, keeping him from moving.

  “Really, Price. You can’t even fight your battles without having a heavyweight help you out. No wonder you take all your frustrations out on an innocent like Serena.”

  With a vicious grimace, Price turned to Sebastian and delivered a sound punch in the gut. “My God, I never knew just how much I hate you.”

  “Why? Because you can’t keep your submissive happy?”

  “My hatred started well before this. I’ve hated the Sorensens, every single one of them, since the early days.” He glanced at Sebastian. “You can’t even remember, can you? Remember me, Sorensen? Do you remember the kid you turned your shoulder to? The kid you mocked because he wasn’t up to your standards?”

  “I have no idea what you're talking about.”

  “Really? Boarding school… here in Switzerland? I was the fatherless kid who sat alone on father/son days. Surely you remember. While your father came to chat with you and spend the day with you, I sat alone with no one to visit me.”

  “That’s absurd. My father hardly ever came. He was far too busy making his millions. If he bothered to come to that private boarding school it was to pay for tuition or make other business connections. It sure wasn’t for me.”

  “He came nonetheless. You can’t deny that. He was your father and he came to spend time with you. I remember, because every time he came, it reminded me of what I didn’t have. He came to see you often enough for me to know him by name. I knew him the moment he stepped out of the car, and over time, I came to look forward to seeing him. Before long, I was counting the days and marking my calendar. I bumped into him, talked to him and got to know him.”

  Sebastian cocked a brow.

  “Ah, you didn’t know that part, did you? Yeah your father took me under his wing. Every once in a while he’d give me a bit of spending money. Other times he
gave me advice… business, love, life. He was just an endless pit of information. He became the father I never had, my mentor, but you wouldn’t have it, would you? The one and only time you spotted me talking to him, you made damn sure it was the last time. You couldn’t let him be there for me, not even a minute.”

  “Is that the reason behind all this idiotic hatred? The childish actions of a teen a decade ago? For crying out loud, Price, I barely ever saw my father. I already felt abandoned by him as it was. At that point I’d already chosen to go into music; not a very popular decision with my father. He was ready to disown me just for that.”

  “Save it, Sorensen. I’ve had it with you and your sorry ass family.”

  “Well, your hatred is misplaced. I’ve done nothing to…”

  “I hate you for who you are, for what you are, for where you come from, for what you’ve had. You had it easy, didn’t you? The kid of a rich and powerful man who gave you everything you could possibly want. Meanwhile, I had to fight and lie and cheat and struggle my way up the ranks. You never even gave me a second glance. I was a second class citizen to you.”

  “You’re crazy, Price. You're just looking for any excuse to lash out.”

  “Yeah, just as crazy as your father was when he killed mine.”

  Sebastian’s eyes widened in shock. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  Crazed, Price wrapped both hands around Sebastian’s neck and choked him. “Your crazy ass father killed mine. While I was there admiring him, looking up to him, envying him and wanting him for my own father… all that time he knew what he’d done. No wonder he tried to weasel his way into my life. No wonder he tried to assuage his fucking guilty conscience. He knew he was the one who’d made an orphan of me. Did he really think I’d never find out? Did he really think that a few dollars here and there, and the occasional pat on the back would do the trick?” He pulled a small knife from his pocket, flicked it open and pulled back, aiming at Sebastian’s heart.

  Sebastian turned onto his side, a move that saved his life, but Price still managed to drive the small knife deep into Sebastian’s arm.

  Sebastian winced in pain.

  “I found out, Kaiser Sorensen,” Price shouted as he raised the bloodied knife into the air. “I found out what a hypocritical murderer you are. You killed my father. Now I’ll kill your son.”

  A sharp and crisp snap filled the air and Price cried out as he dropped his knife and brought his hand to his shoulder. “What the hell…?”

  Chapter 20

  Vengeance, fear and pent up anger from years of being submitted to every kind of punishment he could think of, Serena flicked her wrist with wicked intent. The long leather whip cracked the air again, the sharp snap echoing in the air. With lightning speed, the tip cut across Price’s shoulder.

  “Damn it, Serena. What the hell do you think you're doing with that thing?”

  “Get off him.”

  Ignoring her, Price reached for the fallen knife, raised his hand, and prepared to stab Sebastian again.

  Her supple wrist activated the long whip and slashed the knife from his hand. “I said, get off him. I’m serious, Price. I can whip the skin off your back, and I will if you don’t get off him.”

  “Did you not hear what I just said, Serena? This bastard’s father killed mine. I was just a kid, and Kaiser killed my father just like that.” He snapped his fingers. “You really think that’s the sort of thing a kid forgets? Forgives? Do you really think his bastard son deserves to live?”

  “If what you say is true, you need to confront Kaiser. Sebastian has nothing to do with it. He’s not responsible for what his father might have done.”

  Serena idly twirled the whip so that it danced at her feet.

  “Put the damn whip down, Serena. You're little more than a novice with such a powerful tool.”

  “Novice? Don’t you remember the very thorough training you gave me?”

  “It wasn’t that thorough. You could seriously hurt someone.”

  “You think?” She glared at him.

  “I mean it, Serena. Drop the damn whip now.”

  “I mean it, Price. Get off Sebastian, and get your goon off him, too.”

  “Damn it, Serena. I am your master and I order you to put that thing away.”

  Serena slapped the whip across the floor just inches from his leg. “You taught me well, Price. You taught me better than you think. Do you remember how many times I used a whip just like this on the men who enjoyed that erotic pinch of pain?” She cracked it again, landing it precisely, but painlessly on the heel of his shoe.

  Price muttered then gestured to his bodyguard who lifted his weight off Sebastian.

  “I kind of like the feel of this in my hand, Price.” She looked at him with new interest. “Why did you never allow me to use this on you? I think it could have been something new and exciting.”

  “It simply wasn’t the nature of our arrangement, Serena. You know that.”

  “Right. You dole out the pain, and I sit and bite it.”

  “I gave you just as much pleasure as pain. You enjoyed every moment of it. Admit it, Serena. I brought you to heights you’d never dreamed of.”

  “Yes. Of course you would see it that way, but you know very well our arrangement was one sided. Our arrangement was that you could do anything you liked and I had no say in the matter. I didn’t even have the security of a safe word. You know until Sebastian brought it up, I never even thought about it. I never questioned your authority, never questioned your decisions. I think I’ve learned something since I’ve been out here… since I’ve been away from you. You know, for the first time, I really think I can survive without you.”

  “You're being silly.”

  As she argued with him, she caught a vague movement at her right. In a matter of seconds, the big and bulky bodyguard lunged at her. She fell back, but kept a tight grip of the whip. When he reached out to grab her, she flicked her wrist in warning. He flashed her a silly, toothless grin and reached out again. Before he could get his hands on her, Serena slapped the whip in the air and brought the thin long tip around the huge neck of the bulky man. With a surprisingly powerful tug, she pulled the man off his feet.

  He landed on his back with a sickening thud and lay unconscious on the floor.

  Epilogue

  “The tables have turned, Price.” Serena lightly tapped the butt end of the whip into her open palm. The power of the whip was intoxicating. While she’d taken on the dominatrix role with Sebastian, this newfound power was something entirely different.

  She remembered all the various times Price had hurt her, humiliated her, brought her to her knees in the most demeaning ways. She licked her lips and enjoyed this new perspective on their relationship, this switch in roles.

  “I must admit,” she said as she eyed him, “there’s something tantalizing about standing here admiring the fine body you work so hard to keep up. Your muscular arms and sculpted shoulders. Your strong back, and, of course that big cock. Everything about you, Price; everything screams of power and strength. Everything screams intimidation and control. Yet here I am with the whip in my hand. There’s something exceptionally powerful about standing with a whip in my hand while you cower in fear of what I’ll do with this whip.”

  “You have no idea what you're doing, Serena. You can’t just take control like this.” Nude, he knelt on the floor at the foot of the bed in the downstairs guest bedroom of Sebastian’s chalet, his wrists anchored to the hardwood flooring with a length of chain.

  “I have to give you that… I might not have the hard and uncaring way about it as you did, but I’ll give it my best shot.”

  “Shouldn’t you be a little more concerned with your rich friend?”

  Sebastian had been awake and alert when his security team had arrived. Though he’d lost an impressive amount of blood, the medic in his team had assured her he was in no danger.

  “He’s in good hands and I think he’d be happy to se
e I’m taking such good care of you. Besides, I have a lifetime to spend with Sebastian. I’ll only have this one night to show you what it’s like to be on the other end of a bullwhip. I’ll show you what it’s like to feel pain, Price. So much pain you want to cry out.”

  She cracked the whip and it barely touched his hunched shoulder.

  “You don’t know what you're doing.”

  With soft and amused laughter, she cracked the whip again, leaving a painful looking gash on his back.

  Price hissed and glared up at her with eyes that were darker and harsher than she’d ever seen.

  “Wish you had a safe word now, don’t you?”

  “Serena stop this nonsense before you go too far.”

  “Give it a chance, Price. Maybe you’ll come to like it. Remember what you always told me? Pain is pleasure.” She brought the whip to his forearm and drew blood.

  He hunched down more, almost kissing the floor as he winched from the pain.

  “Feel the vulnerability of being weak and at the mercy of a woman, Price.” She idly cracked the whip at her side. “Look at me.”

  He stared at the floor.

  “Look at me!” She landed the cutting edge of the leather whip across his shoulders.

  Raising his head slightly, he looked at her. His jaw was clenched tight while he tried to veil the fear in his eyes.

  “What do you see?”

  He shrugged and shook his head.

  “Don’t you see it, Price? Look into my eyes. Don’t you see it?”

  Again, he shrugged.

  She knelt before him and bent down to whisper in his ear. “Freedom, Price. It’s freedom you see in my eyes. Freedom.”

  Price looked up and stared into her eyes, a confident and cocky stare. “It may be freedom, Serena. But in the end, you will see that you that despite having your freedom, you will still choose me.”

  The Master (Volume 3, The Protege)

  December 2013