by Quin Zayne
The room’s one door was on the other side of two examining tables, and she’d bet it was locked.
As though anticipating her urge to bolt, he blocked her way.
Dr. Laszlo stroked his goatee. “This wasn’t the plan, but I’ll improvise. Damon will be disappointed. Curiosity killed the cat, you know. Bad pussy.” He shook his head. Bright light created glare on the clear mask over his eyes. “It’s a shame. I’ve done my finest work on you. We had plans for so much more.” His watery eyes scanned her from hairline to toes. “There’s one possibility to save my work on you. One more thing to try.”
He grabbed her so fast, she froze.
He breath caught in her chest, and her body felt paralyzed.
He shoved her onto the operating table and strapped her legs down.
Mandy pummeled him and kicked, fighting to get her hands positioned to push him hard. His wiry strength and speed foxed her. He got the chest strap tightened, pinning her upper arms.
He slapped her so hard her ears rang. “Hold still. This isn’t a game. You could die if anything goes wrong.” He pulled a restraint from below the table and captured her hands. He secured her tightly. “I might kill you anyway.”
“Let me go. I’m not going to do anything to you. I won’t tell.” Not true, but she was desperate, and it was her only bargaining chip.
“You’re right. You won’t tell. If you’re the praying kind, pray now, because my skill is your only hope at staying alive.” He secured her feet.
Her face stung. She held still. She was too scared to play action hero. He hit her face.
A clanking, and he levered a metal hoop into place at the head of the table. He adjusted a gliding strut that stabilized it at her forehead. He tightened the hoop across her forehead.
Mandy screamed.
He slapped her so hard she tasted blood. “It would be easier to kill you right now. You may thank my devotion to science that you’re still breathing. It’s been a while since I’ve had an opportunity to practice lobotomy. Damon will be disappointed, but less so than if you die. You’ll still be useful for photo opportunities. In the press, we’ll let it be known you’re shy and private. You’ll never have to talk. As long as you hold still for the procedure, you’ll remain alive, in a sense.” His lips stretched wide, showing his canine teeth.
It was the most horrible smile she’d ever seen. “Don’t do this.”
“You should have listened to me, my beauty. I would have taken care of you.”
“Why are you doing this?” It all crashed in on her. The doctor hadn’t been helping her, he’d been reeling her in to trust him.
“I’m part of the dynasty, of course.”
“You’re related to Damon? You can’t be. He’d know.” She stared at him. “Are you disguised? Is your face a mask?”
“No, no. So dramatic, so imaginative. This is my face. I’m Fabian’s lover. That being public wouldn’t do in this dynasty, even in the 21st century, so our relationship is secret. It’s enough for you to know that after Damian, Fabian is next in line for the crown.” He laughed. “Not an actual crown, but you get the idea.”
“Fabian? Who the hell is Fabian? Damon never mentioned him.” Her belly clenched. Damon hadn’t mentioned much at all, when it came down to his crazy family and the succession. Wait. Someone who was a waste of space.
“Fabian is Damon’s younger and only brother. His only living sibling, in fact. Such a tragedy about Grace and Darla. They were raised like princesses.” His eyes snapped back to her. “Damon and Fabian hate each other. That’s why the lord of the manor speaks of himself as an only child.”
He’d lied to her.
“Why?” She was mesmerized, drawn in, in spite of not wanting to give Laszlo the satisfaction. At least while she kept him talking, he wasn’t trying to kill her. Or give her a freaking lobotomy. There was that.
“Damon’s a bit of a changeling as the family goes. A Karl with a conscience. He believes Fabian had something to do with the deaths—or disappearance, rather—of their sisters. Such a coincidence that they were lost at sea with the succession to king of the Karl empire looming.” He examined his nails, underlining the coldness of it all.
She thought it through. Her brain never took easily to dynasties. She looked at family trees and her eyes crossed. The sisters are dead, and Damon has to present his bride to become heir to the Karl empire. Except that this mad scientist, his younger brother’s secret lover, became part of Damon’s plan to groom her for his bride, and now—oh, shit.
Her eyes must have widened as the implications became clear. Damon’s search for an intruder made more sense. Killing her was easier than murdering Damon himself. That meant—that crazy fake fiance story might be true.
“I see you’ve grasped the crux of the plan. Don’t worry dear. We won’t kill you.”
She didn’t believe him. The Karls didn’t have many moral limits, if any. Laszlo’s glinting eyes were the scariest things she’d seen outside of a nightmare. “Really?”
“Don’t worry, I’m simply going to take away your memory.”
She gulped. The man was a surgeon. He was skilled. She imagined Fabian was quite enhanced. She bore the signs of Laszlo’s skill all over her. He could do this. He could cut into her brain and leave her functioning but no longer herself.
Mandy wanted to crawl out of her skin.
“Look. I won’t tell.” She grinned. “I can be bought. The fact that I’m here proves that.”
He applauded lightly, beaming at her. “Wonderful. I can see what Damon sees in you. You have spirit. If it helps at all, I’m sorry these measures are necessary, but they are. Don’t worry. After we’re finished with you, you’ll come to in a private clinic in Geneva. All your expenses will be covered. I’m an honorable man.”
She tightened her lips, looking past his shoulder. Her mind struggled to grasp what they were doing. He didn’t seem to realize she knew they were probably out to destroy Damon’s chances of gaining the empire. It took all her will not to say ‘horse shit.’
“I see you don’t believe me. It would be easier, and cheaper, to kill you. We aren’t that kind of people.” He sighed. “I can’t promise Fabian had nothing to do with his sisters’ deaths, but I think better of him than that. If he was involved, it was his family conditioning coming into play, the way spies in movies awaken at a post-hypnotic command. His genes made him do it. Neither of us is going to take out an innocent, mercenary bystander.” He stroked her hair. “As I understand it, all you wanted was a million dollars. That’s little enough to ask in life.” He beamed.” If you cooperate, I need only perform a minor procedure to eliminate your recent memories. You could still have that million dollars—from us. Along with a clean slate. You see, we’re doing you a favor. You get to disappear, and you’ll be safe.”
“What about Damon?”
“He’ll be safe, too. His only interest to Fabian is as an obstacle to controlling the Karl empire. When Damon fails to produce his bride at the gala, Fabian will take his place as heir.”
“But, if Fabian is gay--”
“He’s bisexual, actually. So many people forget bisexuals exist. He won’t have any problem with the marrying a woman charade and producing offspring mandate. He’s already got a fiancee.”
“Oh.”
“Don’t look so deflated. Those of us who don’t fit the heterosexual mold passed as straight when necessary for centuries. The two of us have so many homes, it isn’t difficult to have private time together in locations where constant surveillance isn’t a way of life. I’m fond of this island. I’m going to ask Fabian to make an offer for it.” He stroked his chin.
She wanted to wring his neck.
He turned and snapped on a pair of gloves.
“Don’t worry. I’m just going to disable enough of your brain to ensure that you won’t do anything stupid. You’ll still be able to walk, eat, and manage your bodily functions. You might even be a decent fuck for our would-be king.” He
laughed.
“You bastard.” She clenched her teeth, testing her bonds. She couldn’t even touch him, the bonds were so tight.
“Stay very, very, still.”
A power-tool buzz filled the room. The fucker was going to drill her skull.
No fucking way. With her full force, she yanked her head up far enough to bite his arm ignoring the pain of the metal strap.
He screamed and dropped the drill.
She held on, tasting his blood. She bit harder. She was not going to let him get away.
Boots thudded across the lab.
“Franz, what’s going on here? Hey, what the hell are you doing to her?” Damon’s eyes took in the drill on the floor and her teeth fastened in the surgeon’s arm.
Mandy hoped he’d never hold a scalpel again. Jaws of a Rotweiler. She did not let go.
“She’s crazy. She—.”
“Shut up, Franz. Mandy, it’s alright now. I’m going to get you out of here.” He closed on Franz and punched him so hard the doctor slammed to the floor.
Mandy spat out a chunk of his arm. The surgeon lay still.
“Hang on, I’ve got you.” Damon’s eyes widened at the metal strap around her head. He squeezed her shoulder and unplugged the drill.
In the silence, she thought she heard his heart.
He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her mouth. “I am so sorry.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. He fumbled with the head strap and got it off her. He released the restraints and the body straps. Catching site of the brain in the jar, blood drained from his face.
“This is horrible. I didn’t know. Please believe me, I didn’t know.” He helped her to sit up, pulled off his linen jacket and helped her into it. “Hold on, I’ll get you something to rinse out your mouth.” He hurried to the sink, filled a beaker of water and added some hydrogen peroxide. Returning to her, he held a steel pan for her to spit out the water. “Good. You’re doing great. I’m going to lift you up okay? I want to get you out of here fast. I’m just going to signal security to deal with—that.” He nodded toward Laszlo. He pulled out his phone, pressed a button, and tucked it away. He slid his arms under her gently and cradled her to him.
She’d never guessed he had so much gentleness in him.
“He was going to—he was going to drill my skull. Lobotomize me.” The tears won her fight against them. Fuck being tough, this was a freaking nightmare.
“I’ve got you now, Mandy. It’s over now. You’re safe. My security team will get him off the island immediately.”
“He won’t be free to hurt anyone else, will he?”
“No way. I’ll send him where he can’t do any harm.”
“Good.” She didn’t want to know the details. She held the handkerchief to her face, expelling the mad doctor’s blood from her mouth. She wanted to wipe him out of her mind and never think of him again. Spent, she rested her face against Damon’s cheek. If he hadn’t come, she’d be dead, or brain-injured, beyond repair. More tears squeezed out. No longer worth it. No longer worth a million dollars. What the hell had she been thinking?
“I can’t—I can’t do this anymore. I’m glad you called me Mandy. I’m not Rose.”
“I know. It’s alright. We’ll talk tomorrow. For the rest of today, rest. There’s a good nurse at the island clinic, no connection to Laszlo. I’m going to ask her to take a look at you. Are you alright? I can fly you to the mainland to a doctor.”
“No doctor. I don’t want to go anywhere right now. I want to clean out my mouth, take a shower and go to bed with the doors locked.”
“Sounds like a good plan. I’ll have Analise watch over you for the evening, and post security guards outside the door and in the hidden passage.”
Mandy didn’t turn down the offer. She was going to leave a light on all night.
Damon opened the lab’s hidden door and rushed down the dark corridor to the panel that opened into her suite.
“I need mouthwash.”
“Right away.” He carried her into the bathroom of her suite, set her down, and pulled mouthwash out of the medicine cabinet. “Here you go. Anything else I can get you?”
“No. Nothing.” She shook her head, then stopped. Squeezing her eyes shut, she spoke softy. “Damon, Dr. Laszlo told me he’s Fabian’s lover. They planned to disqualify you so Fabian would become the heir.” It all sounded unreal, but it seemed important to let him know. She glanced at him in the mirror.
His eyes flashed, and he set his jaw. “Thanks for the heads-up. I’m going to clear my schedule. We’ll talk as much as you want tomorrow. I can take you back to San Francisco, move you to the mainland, all expenses paid of course, whatever you want. Don’t worry about a thing, Mandy.”
“Alright.” That was reassuring. “Excuse me.” She rinsed out her mouth, she couldn’t wait to get rid of Laszlo’s taste.
If Damon tried to manipulate her into staying, it would have freaked her out. She was tempted to ask what would happen. His letting her go meant—he was through with her. She hated the idea of his brother winning.
He gazed at her with a stricken look on his face. “Mandy, oh, Mandy. Do you want me to find another surgeon and—have your face put back?”
“No. this is my face now. I paid for this face.” She touched it.
He tilted his head. As her meaning reached him, he nodded. “Yes, you have. I’m sorrier than I can tell you. I hope you’ll allow me to attempt to make all of this up to you.”
“You didn’t know? I think he was doing experiments here. When I entered the lab, he was putting that brain into the jar.”
“I swear I didn’t know.” He put his arm around her and squeezed her close. “I would never have allowed it, and I wouldn’t have allowed him to touch you. I realize my tastes are unusual, but they don’t run to committing harm—or killing anyone.” He ran his hand over his face. “A lobotomy. That’s insane.” He shook his head. “I’m not a Bluebeard. Although, I’ll admit, I hadn’t expected you to search the villa. Excuse me for spying on you. You’re lovely, and I wasn’t ready to—make a more direct approach.”
The corner of her mouth twitched, as close she could get to a smile. Damon was dealing with the horrific situation better than many men would. He was taking responsibility, and his ongoing nurturing touch bolstered her.
“I’ll consider the peeking included in my pay.”
He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“As part of our contract, you’ve had me under your control and surveillance here. I read the contract. It wasn’t any surprise you watched me. I expected cameras, not peeping, though.”
His face reddened. “Embarrassing to be caught.”
“Be embarrassed all you like. You’re still on the hook for the million dollars.”
“Oh. Of course.” He gave an uneasy laugh.
She never liked when anyone laughed about money. “You’ve got the money, haven’t you?”
“Yes, yes I do.” He drew himself up, then gave her a sheepish smile. “You’re entitled to every cent of your million.”
“Yes, I am.”
He brought her close against his chest in a tender embrace. “Get some rest. I’ll be right outside the door until Analise and the guards arrive.”
“You don’t have to—.”
“I want to. It’s too little, but I have a lot to make up to you, and I want to start right now.” He shut his eyes and shook his head. “I knew Franz could be obsessive, but I had no idea he was dangerous. I’m horrified.”
“Yeah, me too. I’m going to clean up now.”
“Right. Call me if you need anything.”
“Got it.” She just dismissed a billionaire. It felt good.
He nodded and left her alone. The panel clicked shut, and then the door to the main hall closed and locked behind him.
A chill went through her. She hoped he wouldn’t think she should be eliminated.
He seemed totally contrite, though. Not acting.
She gulped more mout
hwash and cleaned her mouth until it burned. Mad scientist was not a good flavor.
The luxurious multi-jet shower did its magic.
She felt like a new woman. Toweling off quickly, she could almost pretend nothing happened. She wrapped the plush robe around herself and padded to bed. She kept on the robe and threw off the sheet. That worked.
It took many long deep breaths before she felt anything near drowsiness. She left the light burning. No greeting the dark for her. Maybe not for a long time.
Tomorrow, she had to tell him where she wanted to go. It didn’t seem possible that it was all over now.
A distant seabird call reached her. She shuddered and held herself.
Mandy didn’t know what she wanted, but she couldn’t hate Damon.
Truth
A tap at the door stopped Mandy from drifting in flashbacks and uncertainty. From the moment she’d awakened, she’d struggled to decide what to say to Damon about where she wanted to go.
Her breath whooshed out. She was free, and she was about to be a millionaire. She could go anywhere.
“Yes?” She called, pulling the plush robe tighter around her body.
“It’s me. May I come in, Mandy?”
His humble tone disarmed her. Such a chameleon man.
“Yes.”
“Good morning.” He entered bearing a breakfast tray, filling the room with the tantalizing aromas of dark roasted local coffee and an omelet.
She hadn’t eaten the dinner Nicki brought, though she’d finally managed to have some soup before bed.
As he unfolded legs for the tray and set it on her lap, the fragrance of pineapple and mango reached her along with his intimate musk.
Damp strands of hair clung to his neck, and his open shirt revealed his strong chest all the way to his treasure trail. He adjusted her pillows and smiled.
Flustered, she poured coffee from the pot and took a fortifying sip. “This is wonderful, thank you.”
“This is the least I can do.” He stood back. “Please, eat.”
“You won’t join me?”
“My mind is racing so much, I don’t have an appetite.” His eyes took in her plush robe, returned promptly to her face.