Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

TAVISH

I pace the bedroom for the millionth time. I've been in this room without clothes, food, or water or seeing another person since I woke up hours ago.

I'm not used to being alone anymore, especially not since Daddy brought me to Scotland. He and I were always together. From the time we woke until we went to bed, and then either he was cuddled up against my back, or I was draped over his big, broad chest.

If I close my eyes, I can hear his heartbeat thumping and his lungs filling and emptying with every breath. I can feel his fingers trace my spine, tickle that sexy button in the crook of my knee and play with the curls on my head. I can hear his voice as he reads aloud to me like a parent would a child.

Neither of us is into age play, but there are a few age-ish things we both like. He enjoys reading to me. I love cuddling up on his lap with my head on his shoulder. When I asked him about it, he said kink is fluid, and needs and desires change. I don't think either of us would ever want or need regression. But as someone who experienced very little in the way of parental love, the reading and cuddling filled a void I wouldn't have ever pointed to and said, "There. That's what's missing," but when Daddy came into my life, it was as natural as breathing.

Everything with Daddy was easy and natural.

I cover my mouth as a chuckle threatens, swallowing it down so that it cannot escape, and I admit to myself that not everything was easy and natural. Draven is a hard man. Demanding and bossy as fuck. His fixation on food and sleep drove me nuts, but once I gave in, I realized Daddy was right.

We won't ever tell him that.

If we ever get to tell him anything again at all, I don't care what we tell him. I'll tell him he's right every hour and even when he's not, if only I could be with him again.

The door opens and I spin around, my hands covering my junk so it's not flapping about like a fish out of water. My eyes widen and I step behind a chair, putting it between him and me.

Another person we don't know.

That's never a good thing around the Order.

Agreed.

"Hi. I'm Peyton. I was told to bring you some food and clothes."

Nodding, I say nothing, even though Samuel's not here. I've made that mistake before. He likes to have people spy on me and trick me into breaking the rules.

"Is there something you want in particular?"

Yep. He's one of the tricksters.

Sometimes they aren't spies. They're tattletales who want to get someone else in trouble, so they're rewarded. I can't blame them. I'm sure if the situation was reversed, I might do the same. For those who aren't owned, they want to be, and they'll do whatever they need to do to knock someone out of the spot so they can have it.

He looks at me curiously, and I shake my head. There's a bunch of shit I won't eat because of texture and most likely undiagnosed autism, but I'll deal with whatever he brings me. I'm not opening my mouth.

"Okay. I'll bring you some options," he says, handing me the clothes he's been holding.

I reach out gingerly, taking them from him. Drop my hands back in front of my crotch, I breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'll be right back."

He leaves after I nod at him. Hurrying, I pull on the clothes he brought me. They are not to my taste, but that's never been a concern of Samuel's. He dresses me when we're going to be around others to show me off. He's had me in booty shorts and platform boots and nothing else at an outdoor party in the dead of winter.

Tonight's outfit is of that same mindset. I'm going to be put on display. That means there are others on board. I mean, I know they probably are. The smaller boat I saw outside the bathroom window had several people on it, and I heard people talking, but they could have been all crew members or people coming to restock the boat.

These clothes mean the people who came in earlier are clients or friends here for a party. The only question is what role I've been cast in for the night.

I'll either be window dressing, and used for a "look, but don't touch" the show.

Or…

I'm the entertainment.

It's the or. You know it is.

I stand facing the door, waiting for Peyton to return with the food. I have a decision to make about that, too.

Eat or not to eat. That is the question.

I want to tell that asshole chit chatter in my head to shut up, but it will do no good. He's me, and I'm him. He's been with me for as long as I can remember. I don't know if I'm crazy or if everyone has that voice in their head that talks to them. Whether or not they do doesn't matter. I do and he's been suspiciously absent since Owen and the Order went kaboom . I want to stuff him back in the box he's been in since then, but who else am I going to talk to?

The door opens, and Peyton returns with a tray of food. He sets it down on the table, standing back with a smile on his face. I make no move toward the food, even though it smells so freaking good. Rumbles from my empty belly fill the air, but I ignore them. He stares at me and I stare back.

There's no freaking way I'm going to cower before him. That will give him power over me, and I've given enough of that up. I'm not surrendering any more to anyone else.

"Well, I hope you enjoy it," he says with a smirk before turning and leaving.

The door shuts behind him with a snick. I wait and then, sure enough, I hear the lock turn. Just as I thought. I hadn't even bothered to walk near the door because I knew it was locked. Samuel just got me back. He will not take any chances with me yet.

I walk toward the food. Peyton's smirk and chiding tone make me cautious, but it's almost guaranteed to be drugged. Especially if I'm the entertainment.

Another round of grumbling from my stomach takes the answer out of my hands. I reach for the chair and sit down. I smell everything, but I know from experience there will not be any way for me to know if there's something in it.

Picking up the fork, I spear a pineapple chunk, saving the cantaloupe in the bowl for last. Just the sight of it makes me want to smile. There's no way Peyton or anyone else would know how happy seeing those little orange pieces makes me.

Once all the fruit except the cantaloupe is gone, I pull the salad toward me. I hate rabbit food, but of all the other items on the tray, this is the only thing that's not uncooked. It would be difficult to hide a drug in the fruit and salad, but the fish with the sauce is probably where it's at. That, or the drink.

Glancing toward the door, and then around the room at all the places where there could be a camera, I bite my lips and I pick up the plate of fish and the drink. I rush to the bathroom, sitting the plate and cup down on the counter so I can shut the door, locking it quietly.

I turn on the water, then snatch up the washcloth I used earlier, setting it so the cup tilts enough that the liquid trickles into the sink. I grab the fork and smash the food, cutting it up so it looks like I've eaten some of it. Looking at the plate, I realize there's garlic in the sauce, and if I don't eat any of it, he'll know. I take a quick bite, letting it sit in my mouth for as long as I can, before spitting it into the toilet and scraping some of it off the plate into the toilet. As I flush it, I think about dumping the rest of it too, but I change my mind. Samuel knows I hate wet food.

I clean everything up and head back to the table, settling myself back at the table, and taking several bites of the salad. The desire to make Draven proud fuels my actions, even if he's not here. I may never see him again. If that's the case, I have to keep him alive in whatever way I can. This will be my way.

The door opens suddenly, and Samuel and the woman walk in. She looks like she's been laying in the sun all day. When she steps around Samuel, she trips and giggles, then staggers into the room.

Drunk or drugged.

I nod to myself while watching the show she puts on as she twirls through the room, gathering things up. At the door, she wiggles her fingers at me like she's trying to say hello or something equally stupid. I turn my attention back to my food, picking up the bowl of fruit.

Samuel comes to the table, looking over the tray. He asks, "Did you not like the fish?"

Bingo!

I shake my head and curl up my nose.

"Take a bite."

Swallowing a sigh and closing my eyes to hide the eye roll, I take a decent size bite. Then, another smaller one.

"A bite, not a nibble."

I scoop up more of the fish, trying to avoid the sauce as much as possible. Looking up at him, I pull the food from the tines with my gaze locked with his.

"Take a drink."

I do as I'm told because he's not above pouring it down my throat.

"Good."

He turns and goes into the bathroom with her, leaving me alone. I eat the rest of the salad and the veggies that don't have any of the sauce, touching them before eating the cantaloupe piece by piece.

With every second that passes, my body becomes buzzier and buzzier. My limbs loose yet energized. The colors and objects in my vision swim and dance before my eyes. My lips and face feel funny.

I'm aware of everything, but the drugs switched some things off. Inhibition and caution are gone. Considering the effects, he's spiked the food and drink with Special K and Ecstacy. It's a favorite of the guests and the members of the Order.

When the cantaloupe is gone, I stand up, and the limber, loosey-goosey feeling has me twisting and turning in circles with my arms over my head. There're floaty little spots above me, and I wanna catch them.

"Someone's ready to party."

I hear the person, but the floaty things are too pretty to look away from.

"Boy."

I turn toward the voice, and Samuel stands there with her, watching me.

I wonder what her name is?

Samuel nudges her toward the door, then pulls me to him, burying his tongue in my mouth and cupping my cock. He traces over it, and as much as I don't want it to; it hardens.

"That's the reaction I want from you."

He grabs my face, pressing down on the bruises already there, and I bite my cheek to keep from gasping. "You better be good to my friends tonight. I promised them a show."

He pushes me away from him, catching my hand. He pulls me behind him. The further we walk away from the bedroom, the louder things get. He stops, then pushes me into the room after her. I stumble a few steps, looking up to see if anyone is laughing at me.

I stop dead in the middle of the doorway as my heart drops to my feet. The scene in front of me is my worst fears come to life.