41. Brian

FORTY-ONE

brian

Electricity buzzes along the surface of my skin as I smile down with a maniacal evil clown grin at Julie, Gabe’s girl. Only that’s the problem. She isn’t Gabe’s girl. She wears no collar to protect her from me. She’s fair game—fresh innocent meat for me to play with.

I’ve got her strapped down to a metal chair in one of my cells.

I sent Mina off to do some recon. I don’t expect her to learn anything useful. We’ve hit a dead end with Dante without even the first clue about how to get close enough to remove him from the gene pool. But I sent her away because she might get in the way of… this. I know she wouldn’t approve. I’m being a very bad puppy right now.

I lean down closer and sniff Julie’s strawberries and cream shampoo. “I’ve waited so long for this,” I whisper against her hair. “Since you rebuffed our boy, Gabe, I’ve been waiting for the right moment to… fix you.”

You can’t do this. She’s broken like Mina was.

I squeeze my eyes shut to block out the stirrings of a long dead conscience. I’ve already taken all the baby birds under my wing that I’m going to. Mina. Aidan. No more strays. No more.

I shove away a memory of Julie playing Chopin upstairs on the piano. I will not be soft with her. I will not spare her my rage. If Gabe wanted to protect her he should have locked a collar around her throat like he had some fucking sense. He knows the rules. Too many people around here are starting to think I’m housebroken, and I need to remind them of the monster that lives below.

She glances over at the metal tray table where I’ve laid out all my tools on white parchment. Her eyes widen as she realizes my plans for torture.

I place a hand on her knee. “You’re trembling, Julie.”

Minutes pass as she seems to be trying to come to terms with her fate, or else coming up with a plan for bargaining. Sex in trade for being spared? I don’t think she’s got it in her. She’s far too sweet. If she can’t even give herself to Gabe—the nice one—she certainly would never let my hands sully her.

“Please… don’t do this… you can’t. G-Gabe is my master.”

I laugh. It’s not a mere chuckle but the maniacal cackles of a mad man. Does she think I’m an idiot? I should punish her even harder for lying to me. “Oh, that’s rich. Gabe is your master. I’ve seen no indication of that. You two don’t even talk anymore. But clearly you know that’s the only real protection from me—a collar around that pretty little throat that doesn’t have my name on it. It’s really the only deterrent I’ll listen to. But you knew that. That’s why you avoid me and try to stay in groups. It was a hell of a thing finding you alone with no witnesses around. Gabe is your master. That’s adorable.”

I pick up a metal nipple clamp and slowly and calmly start to unbutton her blouse. She seems dumbfounded that her attempt at magic words held no power over me. And I push back the voice in my head telling me not to hurt her, she’s too much like Mina. I can’t cross this line. But I can’t keep making exceptions. I can’t keep losing pieces of myself to Mina’s influence. I don’t even know who I am anymore.

Finally Julie begins to struggle, pulling at her bonds. Her eyes are wild, and I just can’t enjoy it like I usually do.

“Please! Please! Gabe is my master. I swear it.” Her shrill words come out on choked sobs as the tears I would usually savor move down her cheeks.

I work to keep a sort of sarcastic amusement on my face because I cannot betray that this is actually affecting me. What is wrong with me? I nearly murder Mina, but I’m not sure if I can bring myself to hurt Julie? Everything is upside down.

I put the clamp back on the tray. “All right. Let’s find out. You better pray he confirms your side of things. If he doesn’t, nothing will stop me from the sadistic nightmare I will rain down upon you. And it will only be worse for this lie insulting my intelligence. Given these facts, do you want to alter your story?”

She shakes her head frantically.

I pull a phone from my pocket and click on Gabe’s number from my contact list. “Gabe! It’s your friendly resident psychopath,” I say jovially.

“Yeah, you’re just a big fluffy marshmallow,” Gabe says.

I laugh. If only he knew. “Tell me, is Julie yours?”

“Your guess is as good as mine, man,” he says, sounding both bitter and noncommittal.

“You know what I mean. Is she your slave? She tells me you’re her master. She’s begging and pleading and swearing to it so I won’t hurt her. And I wanted to know if…”

“Don’t touch her. I’ll be there in five.”

“Okay, very well.” I end the call and put the phone on the metal table and sit back in the chair next to Julie’s bound form. “He’s coming down,” I inform her.

She lets out a slow shuddering breath. She’s shaken up, but not as badly as I am. Gabe may get us both out of this performance art.

Less than five minutes go by and I feel, rather than hear, Gabe. I didn’t bother to close and lock the door, so he’s just hovering in the doorway. And he is pissed.

But not at me, it appears.

Julie starts crying again, realizing she still might be in some real danger since Gabe doesn’t appear to be in a cuddly mood at the moment.

“Well, Gabe? Is she yours?”

He doesn’t even look at me. He’s too focused on her. I know they obviously aren’t together. I feel the tension radiating off both of them. This isn’t the scene of a couple reunited. It’s pure ambivalence.

I swivel my chair to study my tools. “Okay, well, until somebody learns how to use their words, I’m going to play.”

Julie flinches as I unbutton her shirt the rest of the way and pick up a small knife from the metal tray.

She panics and again begins to struggle. “Please,” she whimpers. Her plea is directed at Gabe. If only she knew… I’m probably more likely to show her more mercy than he is right now. The kindest trainer in the house is having a hard sharp break with morality, and I’ve suddenly grown a heart.

I use the knife to slice open the front of her bra, then I put it back on the table and pick up the clamp. “Do you know how I know you aren’t really his? I’ve known Gabe for a while now. If you were his, he never would have allowed you underwear.”

I watch both of their reactions. Gabe looks at her for another second, and then turns away. Well, that’s a plot twist I didn’t see coming. I swallow hard around the lump forming in my throat. There’s no way I can just let her walk out of here. Word will get around, and my entire fearful reputation will be destroyed in this house. I’m trying to think of something bad enough that I can do to keep the fear high, but mild enough not to completely break her.

“Master, please don’t leave me with him!”

There it is… the magic word. Gabe stops, his body going rigid. He turns slowly. “Brian, release my property.”

I put the clamp back down on the table and sigh. “If she’s your property, where’s her collar? How am I to know who is protected if they don’t have a collar?” I don’t know why I can’t drop it. Maybe I just want these two crazy kids to end up together. Maybe I’m a twisted romantic at heart.

“It’s being made,” Gabe says.

“If it’s not around her throat by the end of the week she’s fair game.”

“It will be.”

“If she’s your slave, why doesn’t she act like it? Why don’t I see any signs of it?”

“It’s new.”

Yeah. Like right now, new.

I start to unbuckle the straps binding her. “Hmmm, I’m still not convinced. Julie…”

Her gaze shifts to me. “Y-yes?”

“If you’re really his slave and he’s really your master, crawl over to him, kiss his boots like a proper slave, and thank him for his mercy.”

I should just let her go and not tempt fate, but I want her to have a good story to tell of how she narrowly escaped the monster in the dungeon. I watch as she follows my order.

“Thank you, Master,” she says gazing up at him from the floor.

“Stand up.” Gabe practically growls the words at her.

I don’t even know who he’s mad at. I just got him the one thing he’s wanted the whole time he’s been moping about this stalemate. So it better not be me.

She stands and he takes her top the rest of the way off. I raise a brow at this. Am I about to get a live show? Damn, boy. Didn’t know you had it in you. But much to my disappointment he only removes the bra and then puts her top back on.

I want to gloat about my correct assessment of his underwear rules, but I manage to keep this thought to myself.

“Brian is right about one thing. No underwear. Do you understand?”

I almost laugh out loud at this.

“Y-yes, Master.”

“Let’s go.” Gabe’s hand goes to her lower back as he guides her from the room.

“Oh Gabe?” I call after them.

“What is it?” Gabe says, his irritation clearly at the breaking point.

“You owe me a drink.”

“For what?”

“I think you know for what.”

He doesn’t reply. I should at some point have a conversation with him about his role in helping Mina chain me up in the dungeon, but that would only call attention to the fact that I was chained up in the dungeon. Maybe it’s best to let it go.

When they’re gone I pick up my cell and dial another number.

“Hello, who is this?”

“I sent you an email with a photograph of a woman. Did you get it?” I ask, not bothering to give him a name.

“I’m sorry I’m not taking commissions right now.”

“I think you will, Joseph. Or do you prefer the moniker, Quill?”

There’s a long pause on the other side of the line. And finally he says, “Who is this?”

“Someone who knows you aren’t dead, and that the entire art world would also love to know that little fact.”

“What do you want?” he says, his rage barely restrained.

“You know what I want. The instructions are in the email.”

“I do nudes, not pen and ink portraits. I’m not a street vendor. I’m a fucking artist.”

“You’re a fucking pretentious prick is what you are. Do the job, get paid, and keep your secrets. Or not. Your choice.”

I disconnect the call before he can reply.