Chapter 10

ChapterTen

Asher

Ella blinks at me as cum drips from her long dark lashes. She doesn’t say a word as I clip the collar with “slut” written boldly on it around her neck and fasten the metal leash.

Leashes break people down, and I’ve never cared if they enjoyed themselves. I was only interested in Celeste’s approval. The crueler I was with her new toys, the more she approved. Her praise was all that drove me.

Until Ella.

Now, I finally grasp how fucked up Celeste’s hold over me was.

Love doesn’t require you to construct acts of cruelty. Love is unconditional.

My hands shake as I recall Ella’s words. How she’s helped me break down the damage Celeste has done. Where Celeste stripped me of my humanity, Ella has done everything in her power to show me I’m not worthless.

I move closer, my lips at the shell of her ear. “When this is all over, I’ll buy you a pretty diamond choker. I promise to wipe all this away or die trying.”

Ella smiles at me. She reaches for my face and caresses my cheek. “I will hold nothing you do out there against you. I trust you.”

An ache I don’t recognize pierces my heart, but it doesn’t bring pain. It brings hope. “It’s going to be brutal, Ella.”

“I trust you. Please don’t worry. It’ll be okay.”

Her grace knows no bounds. I’m about to show her the ugliest parts of me, yet she’s still here, my willing victim, absolving me of the horrors I’m about to unleash.

Bending, I place a kiss on her forehead. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“Get in character, Asher,” Alaric barks, his tone annoyed and domineering.

I tug on Ella’s leash, forcing her to crawl on the floor behind me like an obedient dog. I saunter ahead, Ella trailing behind me while the guys form the tail end as we head to the dining room.

There Celeste sits, the evil queen perched on her throne. The second she sees us, she beams. I resist the habitual urge to feel good about her conniving recognition of my existence, a knee-jerk reaction I’ve been conditioned to bask in for most of my life. Picture her decapitated head as the centerpiece of this table.

“Good boy, River,” Celeste says. She tilts her head to get a better view of Ella, naked, with her face covered in cum. “Looks like you boys have already started your handiwork.”

I swallow the lump in my throat, hating the words I’m forced to utter. “The bitch was getting out of hand, so we had to put her in her place.” I tug at Ella’s leash, and she stumbles forward.

Celeste laughs and claps her hands like a giddy child. “Excellent. Benjamin and David will be so pleased.”

Three places are set beside hers. I know where she wants Ella. I sat in the same place many years ago. I tug Ella’s leash and guide her to the dog bowl.

“What’s this?” Ella asks.

“Why, it’s dinner, dear,” Celeste responds.

Bile rises in my throat at witnessing Ella like this. I’ll make it hurt when we kill Celeste. She’ll suffer for hours. What upsets me isn’t that Ella’s on a leash or forced to eat from the bowl. Truth be known, if it were only her and the three of us, it would be as hot as fuck. What upsets me is Celeste thinking she can tell someone who belongs to me what to do. Celeste has deluded herself that Ella is beneath her, and it makes me see red.

Ella doesn’t bother responding. She sits at my feet, waiting for me to pull out my chair and sit beside her. She seems too relaxed, and that puts me on edge. Celeste can’t suspect anything, not yet, not when we’re so close to getting rid of the decrepit bitch. Hopefully, Eden will come through and get the files we need. Once we have those, it’s game over.

“I’ve gotta go,” Alaric interjects.

Celeste and I turn to him, but his eyes are focused on whatever is blowing up his phone. “Shit is going down at the club. I need to take care of it.”

“Oh, Alaric. What we’re doing is important. Can’t it wait?”

Alaric looks directly at Celeste. “No, Mother, it can’t wait. Besides, I’m sure the three of you can take care of everything while I see to something important.”

Alaric doesn’t wait for her to answer. He storms off and takes the stairs on the ostentatious curved staircase three at a time. Celeste, not to be outdone, pounds her fist on the table. When that doesn’t get the response she wants, she stands and rushes after him.

Celeste doesn’t like it when Alaric turns her away. It’s fucked up. As far as I know, she’s never fucked Alaric, but I wouldn’t be shocked if she wants to.

Celeste collected a menagerie of children she could manipulate and fuck up to get what she wanted. At first, she was kind to me, giving me the maternal affection I needed. But soon, her motherly facade morphed into what she truly was—a predator who groomed children.

As soon as she leaves the room, I bend toward Ella. “Remember, this is an act, and we need to be brutal. You gotta act like you hate us, okay?” I swallow, choking on my next words. “It has to look like we’re raping you.”

Ella nods. “I know. Don’t worry. I’ll play my part like an Oscar-winning actress. There’s nothing I won’t do to bring that bitch down.”

The staff bring out plates of salad. The server glances at Ella’s naked form, and his face reddens before he focuses on me.

The first thing Celeste did was fire Charles’ staff when he died. Of course, she waited a few weeks to do so. She had to think about appearances. Celeste then brought in people she believed could be trusted. People who would remain loyal to her because she had files on them. If anyone dared to turn against her, Celeste could ruin their lives with a flick of a finger.

“She’s watching,” River murmurs, nodding toward the upstairs balcony overlooking the room. “Guess Alaric shut her down. That’ll make her pissed.”

I give River a subtle nod. “Feed her like a dog,” I tell the server, dropping my gaze to Ella. “Pour it into the bowl.”

The lanky man stares at me, dumbfounded by my order.

Ella screams as I grab her hair and tug it back violently. Guilt rushes through me, but I have to make this believable for Celeste.

I’ve gotta give the server credit. The man pours the salad into the bowl without blinking. Perhaps he’s used to insanity, or maybe he’s scared that the insane will make an example of him.

I bend and spit in Ella’s bowl before shoving her head into it. “Eat up, Pup. You better not leave anything in your bowl, or I’ll have to punish you.”

I gaze up at the balcony. Celeste is perched there, leaning on the railing, glaring at us. If the bitch wants a show, I’ll give her one. My chest fills with lead as I shove Ella’s face into the food and hold her there with my foot. I’ll have to grovel like a dog to make this up to her. I understand she’s a willing participant, but my gut churns at what I’m forced to do to her. I remind myself that this bullshit will be worth it once Celeste is taken care of.

I stare at my wrist marred by razor cuts, which form a jagged ladder all the way to my elbow. The marking started the first time Celeste touched me. The first cut wasn’t intentional. She made me shave my legs, one of the twisted things she forced me to do before taking me into the room with all the men and women. They didn’t want any body hair on their prizes. The first time I nicked my skin, the rush of visible blood relieved the pressure and made life a little more bearable.

I never knew my mother, never knew her love. She died in childbirth. In a twisted way, I was destined to be born in blood and conflict. My father threw himself into work, and I was passed from one nanny to the next until I was eight. That’s when he came home and introduced me to my new mommy.

Celeste was so beautiful, and she was kind to me. She paid attention to what I said and wanted to spend time with me. I’d never known anyone who was interested in me without being paid. But Celeste made me feel special and important, and because of her kindness, my father was more invested in getting to know me. To that eight-year-old boy, Celeste was a dream coming to fruition. Back then, I had no idea she wasn’t the happy ending in a fairytale. I didn’t know she was the villain. If it weren’t for River and Alaric, I would’ve killed myself long ago.

But now all I can think about is how cathartic it will be when I skin Celeste alive and revel in the anguished screams falling from her mouth.