by D W Marshall
“That’s it—nice and easy,” the voyeur said.
I hesitated for just a moment. I couldn’t believe it was my life. There was no going back from what I was about to do. I eased myself down onto the attachment. It was even larger than I expected it to be. The length and width of it filled my sex entirely. I waited for further instructions.
“Nice and easy.”
I decided to move. Slowly and deliberately, I began to grind against the pony. Out of pure instinct, I brought one hand to my clitoris and began attacking it with deliberate and constant pressure, to help get lost in the feeling. Genesis told me that the easiest way was to forget about the men and give in to my body’s natural instincts. So I listened. My sex pulsated around the cock attachment as I allowed myself to grind deeper and harder, back and forth, and around. “Mmmm,” I moaned, unable to ignore the feeling.
“Yes,” the man said, startling me. He had moved until he was standing right next to me. He snatched me off and was inside of me before we even made it to the bed. I was both frightened and aroused at the same time. He came fast and loudly, yelling right into my ear.
“Flip over,” he commanded.
I was hoping he was done, but no such luck. I flipped over and he pulled me back onto my knees. The sting of his hand to my butt surprised me and I yelped.
“That’s it. Scream for me, Violet. Tell me how it feels.”
He relentlessly continued his spanking. I had never been hit before, ever. I wanted to cry, but I screamed out like he requested instead. Over and over he punished me, but not hard enough to hurt me or cause any real damage other than to my soul and pride…and my psyche. He slammed his cock back inside of me. He was rougher the second time. After only a few hard pounds, he came again. Boy, it doesn’t take much, I thought. After that, he passed out. The second I heard him start to snore, my walls came down and I wept for my new life. I curled in on myself and cried myself dry. I only stopped when Genesis gently shook me to tell me it was time to get ready for my next visitor.
11
The house is quiet. I have no idea what time it is. Our house is old and doesn’t have many windows, so it’s always dark inside. It’s early evening, that much I can tell. I go to the kitchen, flip on the light, and brew a single cup of black coffee. I take it like a real woman—no cream or sugar. The clock on the microwave says 6:30 p.m. I’m not even close to being hungry, but I know I’d better eat or I’ll end up with a migraine.
My mother, true to her nature, is probably at her gardening or photography club. I’m happy that she likes to keep busy because it means I get the house to myself. After Logan’s rejection, I need to be alone with my thoughts. My mother’s words from earlier replay in my head.
As long as you’re happy and he is good to you.
After raiding the fridge, I decide on cottage cheese and pineapple, my favorite combination of salty and sweet. I guess I’m hungrier than I thought I was because I demolish half the bowl before I make it to the table.
As sad as I am about Logan, I’m not that surprised by his reaction. The Chamber is a lot to take on. Knowing that your girlfriend was paid handsomely to be a sex slave for a year would be a giant pill to swallow for anyone. But what I can’t believe is that he is so noble that he would just have me donate the money. Not a chance. Like The Monster said on our first day in The Chamber, I just finished the highest paying job I never applied for. It doesn’t make it right, but there it is.
As long you’re happy and he is good to you.
Maybe he isn’t my Mr. Right, after all. Sometimes I wish Logan had left for New York like he planned. At least if he had moved on I wouldn’t have the glimmer of hope that I could recapture some of my old life. Hope can be a real nasty bitch.
Hope or no hope, I have to be grateful that I have been given a second chance at life. And I refuse to let another second of that go to waste—for anyone.
“Dining alone?” A familiar voice breaks through my silent thoughts. Every hair on my body raises and my skin cools, then warms and cools again.
“Don’t scream, pretty Violet. It’s much too late for all of that.”
He’s correct. I look down at my hands and they are bare. Gone are the trackers and panic buttons, because I placed them safely on my dresser. It’s just him and me. No cavalry is coming for me.
When he comes into view, dread fills me and my stomach drops to my feet. “Mason. What are you doing here?” My voice comes out shaky and weak.
He takes the seat across from me. “Oh, you know. Let’s just say that I was in the area.” He taps his fingers on the arm of the chair, his full attention on them, before he finally looks up at me. Are you breaking my trust, Dear Violet?”
I shake my head slowly.
“You shouldn’t be here.” I turn my head toward my room. The hallway is short, and my room is the first on the right. Even if he chased me, if I could just get to my devices, I could press the panic button.
“My mother will be home any minute.” A lie, but he doesn’t know that.
He laughs and smiles in a devilish way. “I’m afraid she’ll be delayed. Seems one of my employees is meeting with her and her gardening buddies about some charitable project that would be just what the community needs. He’ll have her tied up for hours.”
My throat goes dry knowing that anyone associated with him is talking to my mother.
“Don’t worry, she’s fine. My tastes don’t run past ladies in their early thirties. Though, she is quite beautiful.”
“Stay the hell away from her,” I say, adding strength to my voice.
He dismisses my words with a wave of his hand. “You’ve been running your mouth about me and my chamber.” His face is cold and emotionless.
I copy his expression and flatten mine in kind. Two can play at this game.
“You’re fucking insane.” I make sure the words come out low, slow, and steady. “I have done no such thing. But you do realize that you made it kind of difficult for me to keep one hundred percent quiet. It’s very hard to pull a disappearing-reappearing act. But trust me, I’ve never said anything specific, Mason. The last thing I want to do is go around blabbing about my year with you. So we’re good.” I sneer in disgust.
I jump up from the table, he follows suit, no doubt unsure of my plans. Will I dart to my room? Will I grab a knife and plunge it into his dead heart?
I grab a bottle of red wine from the cabinet, thankfully a twist top. I take down two glasses and set them and the bottle down on the table. I’m no fool, I can’t outrun him, or defend myself against him. I’ve only met with Taron and Tabitha at the gym one time. But if I survive this visit, and I plan to, I will give everything to training, in case there is a next time.
I fill both glasses. I immediately drain mine and fill it again. Facing The Monster requires courage that I haven’t fully developed.
“Lovely,” he says and picks up his glass. I notice he’s wearing black gloves as he takes a sip. No fingerprints. Is he going to kill me? I dismiss that thought, he isn’t a murderer. He sits back and watches me. I hope his aim is to just scare me into silence.
“I have to ask, what’s with the private bodyguards and training? Seems like you don’t trust me.” He smiles, and it travels all the way up to his cold eyes.
I scoff. “You think you’re the only monster on the playground? You know what the saying: luck favors the prepared. I plan to change my luck when it comes to monsters. Then again, here you are, threatening me and my mother. Seems like I would be right not to trust you.” I actually believed I’d be safe in my own house.
He laughs, but I see a hint of admiration in his black eyes.
He takes a long sip. “And what about your bank account? That’s another quandary. I have no access to it.” His lips curve at the edges, barley smiling.
I laugh again. “I might have been stupid enough to run alone at dawn and get kidnapped, but I certainly am smart enough to change the account over so you can’t take the money away at yo
ur will. After all, I did earn every fucking penny.”
“Very lovely, because I would hate to have to take you again. I promise, the next time won’t be so pleasant. Or maybe your best friend, Tabitha. The fun I could have with a beauty like that.”
The sound of her name on his tongue nearly breaks the resolve I’m faking. I grit my teeth and say, “That sounds like a threat you won’t have to carry out.” I let my eyes pierce his. I am trying to stare into the soul of this monster, though I doubt he has one. “But know this, if I ever find myself in your…company again, I won’t go or stay so willingly.” I will my eyelids to stay put. I can’t dare risk a blink.
“Wow. I’m impressed,” he says, clearly amused. “You were always so weak, so easy to break. I find the new you rather intriguing.”
“Don’t get a hard-on, Mason. I’m sure by now you have found another delicate flower for your latest bouquet of Chambermaids. I graduated from Mason the Monster’s School of Hard Knocks. We made promises, and I have kept mine.” I lean forward, as close to him as the table will allow. I jab my finger into the table to even further impress my point.
“I refuse to look over my fucking shoulder for one more second of my life.” I don’t take my eyes from his. “Do we have an understanding?” I don’t blink. I don’t sweat. I’m pissed. No, I’m irate that he is sitting across the fucking table from me. His presence is a direct threat to me.
“If there is a next time, Mason, you’d better kill me, because I won’t be a gentle violet. Next time, I will be a fucking Venus flytrap, a thorny rose. I will be a weed in your garden.” As I threaten him, my voice stays calm and cool. It doesn’t shake or waver, because my very future depends on my performance. My anger drives me forward. I know this monster intimately. He respects strength.
He stands.
I stand.
“If that is all, then it was so lovely running into you, Mason.” I smile at him with affection like I’m seeing a dear old friend. I even embrace him warmly. No fear. This monster feeds off fear. I whisper in his ear, “Thank you for respecting my privacy and life. I will kindly return the favor.”
Mason laughs in surprise and awe. When we separate, he gazes upon me with respect in his eyes. He reminds me of a proud father. He kisses my forehead. “Dear, Brinley, I love the woman you have grown into. I’d like to think that your time with me had something to do with it.”
“You would be correct,” I admit.
“Good thing for you, love has softened my heart.”
I want to say that I don’t fucking care about his love or his dead heart, but I think better of it and keep my mouth shut. No need to poke the Monster.
“Good luck to you, Brinley,” he says, walking toward my front door. “No need to worry. I will not be calling on you again.”
“Nice to know, Mason,” I call after him. “But, I’ll keep training just the same.”
And just like that, he is gone.
12
I lock the deadbolt behind him and run like a mad woman to my room to press the jade stone on my bracelet. My legs wobble and shake under me and the world seems to tilt as my head spins. I slide down to the floor. It takes five whole minutes before I see bright lights in the driveway.
I get up on shaky legs and run to pull the door open. When Taron crosses the threshold, I collapse into his arms, then mercifully pass out.
When I come to, my mother, Taron, Tabitha, David, and Finn are staring down at me.
I try to sit up, but my head hurts like someone hit me with a blunt object.
“He was here,” I say.
“Who was here?” Taron asks.
“Mason. The guy who took me. He thinks I’ve been talking, and he knows I moved the money. He threatened to take me again, and Tabitha, and threatened Mom, too.”
“Fuck,” Tabitha says under her breath. She takes the empty spot on one side of me and Mom takes the other. We huddle in a tight ball.
“What else?” Taron’s voice is calm, but when I look into his eyes, they are hot with anger.
“I yelled at him and told him if he took me again I would fight him. I told him not to speak about Tabitha or my mother, and I told him I earned every penny of that money and I could move it any time I wanted. I poured him a glass of wine and sat across the table from him and never broke eye contact. Then the second he left I ran to my room and pushed the panic button. I held it together until you guys came, and…I guess I fainted.” My body feels aged and heavy, like it did my first night in The Chamber. I’m exhausted.
As soon as I’m done speaking, several things happen in quick succession.
Mom, Tabitha, and I are whisked off to an extravagant hotel. I imagine that it costs a fortune each night, but Taron says that it is for VIP guests and the highest discretion is taken. He explains that we will have their security as well as his.
The room is a four-bedroom mega-suite, with living room, a full chef’s kitchen, and its own private swimming pool and spa. Taron says he is getting it at a reduced price because of some favors from someone he protected. I give him Logan’s check and tell him that the second we can get to the bank we will reissue it to him to cover the expenses. If Logan doesn’t want it, I may as well put it to good use. Logan.
Mom, Tabitha, and I, along with Taron, David, and Finn are staying in this room.
While we are sequestered on a high floor with keyed elevator access and only one entry point, our house and Tabitha’s dorm room are being fitted with top-of-the-line security systems.
“This is unreal. I’m holed up in a room again,” I say to Tabitha, who is pacing the floor with me. At least this time I’m free. Well, sort of.
She stops gnawing on her finger. “This is fucked up, Bee. We can’t live like this forever. I refuse to be worried about being snatched off the street by some psycho.”
“Agreed,” Taron interrupts us before I can answer, clapping his hands to get our attention.
“Ladies. I have taken the liberty of bringing up some swimsuits from one of the hotel shops. I’ll return whatever you don’t want. We are going to relax and not think about this shit for the rest of the evening. We have all been under too much stress. My team is at work getting everything secure at your residences. We will begin training at my gym tomorrow.” He turns his attention to my mom.
“Mrs. Bishop, I’d like you to come to the gym to train as well.”
She only nods. Her eyes convey fear and worry. Then she throws her hands in the air.
“Whatever, but I’ll pass on the swimming. Show me to the nearest bottle of wine and my room. All this mess has my nerves worked up and I’m going to soak in one of those tubs I saw.”
Before she can say another word, David has put a bottle of wine in her hand and a glass. She walks up and wraps me in a tight embrace. “Honey, I love you and I thank the stars you’re safe. See you in the morning.”
I squeeze her back. “I love you, too. You’re turning in so early?”
“Who knows? Maybe I’ll grab some food later. Right now, I’ve got a date with this bottle of wine,” she says and disappears into her room. My heart aches for my mother. She has me back now, but she has to worry all over again.
Tabitha quickly makes her way to the suits and picks a lavender one. My stomach jolts and zigs at the thought of her in that color.
“Not that one,” I say.
She eyes me with a puzzled look on her face. “Just trust me,” I say. She selects a black and silver two-piece and I select a red one.
Tabitha and I change together in the bathroom, and for a moment, I pretend that we are on a lavish vacation and not hiding out from a monster.
“Are you gonna tell me what happened with Logan?” she asks.
I shake my head, mist immediately fills my eyes “I think we broke up, but I don’t really want to talk about it right now. Let’s just have a few drinks and soak in the pool.”
She gives me an earnest look and hugs me. “Understood.”
She drops it. I love
her for all the things that she is: strong, sweet, and funny, protective, and honest. I also love her for all the things that she is not: pushy, flighty, or judgmental. For a fleeting second, my mind wanders and I think about how she would have fared if she was taken instead of me. I’d like to think that she would have been strong enough to claw and fight and scratch her way out. But, in reality, I know she would have served her sentence the same as me. We weren’t given many options to execute high-level, movie-quality escape plans.
She pushes the bathroom door open and walks ahead of me. When she steps into the pool, a huge grin covers her face. “Ahh, it’s so warm,” she says as she sinks into the water.
The two of us have always favored bathtub-temperature pools over icy dips. I can remember countless arguments between Tabitha, Taron, and I growing up, because he wanted their backyard pool to be cool and refreshing. Then he would say, always sounding so much older than his actual age, that we wanted a 'warm lagoon.' Their parents always heated the pool somewhere in the middle for us.
I bypass the pool and go straight for the jacuzzi.
Satisfied with the temperature, I sink past my shoulders into the hot bubbly water and close my eyes. For the first time since Mason’s visit, I allow myself to relax, or at least I try to. But his face is all I see behind my closed eyes. He was inside of my house. My house. Tonight could have ended differently. It seems we underestimated him. We thought too small. I get it, Taron is not familiar with The Monster. How could he know the scope and depth of his insanity? All he knows is that I was taken off the street. I was surveilled while out and about in my daily life. I never mentioned that Flame, for example, was kidnapped from her own bed. Without being able to tell him more about my experience and details about Mason, of course he thought he’d done enough. He and I both know better now. Still, if he wanted to, Mason could have taken me back there, or worse. Even though I am proud of myself for standing up to him, he had the power tonight. He always has the fucking power.
