He removes the brush and his mouth comes back. He sucks my clit so hard I think I'm going to faint from the sensation alone. The orgasm bubbles inside me, threatening to spill over the edge.
"You can't, can you?" he smirks from between my legs. "You need permission like a good little toy..."
"Give it to me," I plead. "Permission, please, let me, fuck Dexter, please!"
He laughs at me and continues to torture me with his tongue. He brings me to the brink of insanity. If he won't let me come now, I'm going to start sobbing. But just as I'm about to beg again, the magic words drop.
"Come for me, fucktoy."
I come apart for the first time in months, relishing in the sweet submission I can only experience with the boy who hates me. I scream out my release and it echoes in the empty Manor. I let him have it all, and I don't hold anything back as I allow my body to convulse with the release I've been holding back for so long.
Dex doesn't stop until my screams turn into soft little cries. That's when he pulls me into his arms. I probably look like a mess, but I'm past the point of caring. He takes care of me, and I let him. Firm, strong hands smooth my hair. A dark but soothing whisper tells me to rest, and he holds me as I drift to the first real sleep in a week.
Chapter Fourteen
Dexter
Pandora is slowly coming back. As hard as life has been these past few weeks, my toy is doing her best to please me by returning to her former state. But we've made no progress on the search for Lily Anna and Reign, and with every day that passes without good news, I see my toy give up a little more.
I've done everything in my power to make things better. To keep her busy. But she's a mother now, a mother without a baby, without a purpose. I can tell she's suffering and what hurts most is knowing I can't do anything to change that.
That day, the doorbell rings through the Manor. Pandora looks up from her book in the bed we share.
"Who's that?"
"No idea," I mutter, picking myself up from the bed. I button my shirt and I tell her I'll be back.
I go downstairs where Anders has already let in our visitor. My expression darkens when my eyes meet Emilian Oakes'.
"What are you doing here?" I bark at him. "We don't meet here. We meet in your office downtown. This is my home and you aren't welcome here."
We've met every other day to discuss the fruitless search for Lily Anna, but it was always in Oakes' office in Eden Falls.
"I came to talk to you," Emilian mutters. "Discuss some matters at hand. It couldn't wait. And don't be so ungrateful, Booth. I'm doing this for your benefit. Can we go to your office?"
I glare at him. I don't like the sight of him in my house, but I can't exactly kick him out either. After all, he's the one funding the search for Lily Anna and Reign.
"Fine, let's go." I lead the way up the stairs and into the office. Oakes takes a seat in front of my desk and I take the chair behind it, glaring at him. "Please tell me you have some good news about Lily Anna. Have you found her? Have you found Reign? Have you made any fucking progress at all?"
"No." He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, probably expecting me to lose it again. But I stay calm, though my nails dig into the palms of my hands with anger. That fucking bitch is still on the loose. "I came here to speak to you about something else, actually."
"More bad news?"
"No." He keeps shifting his position, which tells me he's nervous. Fucking good. "I... I wanted to tell you I'm giving you a dowry. If you still intend to marry Pandora, that is."
Pandora and I haven't discussed our plans at all, but Oakes doesn't need to know that. So I just stare him right in the eye and smirk as I say, "How mighty generous of you. Now that you've taken everything from me, you're going to give me some bullshit excuse for a wedding present?"
"I'm giving you your company back, Dexter," Oakes hisses, rendering me speechless. "And the house, and some other assets."
I do my best to keep my cool, watching the man with narrowed eyes. "I'm assuming there's a price I'll have to pay for all this."
He laughs. "Consider it a gift from me."
"Getting a guilty conscience now that you're getting older?"
"Maybe I've mistreated you a few times..." He shrugs.
"And you think giving me shit will make up for all the crap you did?" I grunt. I still remember the hits of the whip against my tender skin. Those are scars I'll bear for a lifetime, and they aren't just physical. "It'll take a lot more than that to fix your mistakes, old man."
"I know." For once, Oakes actually manages to look remorseful. "That's why I'm doing something else, to hopefully ease Pandora back into Eden Falls."
"And what might that be?"
The man's hands form fists and I stare at him as he struggles with his answer.
"I'm giving you Minnie," he finally mutters, every word seemingly harder to get out than the last. He rushes to finish the speech before I even get the chance to reply. "Not forever. Just for a while, until Pandora feels better."
"Isn't that nice," I mutter sarcastically. "Well, she'll be better off with us than she ever could be with you. When is she arriving?"
"Kelley will drive her over tonight." Oakes watches me with a scornful expression on his handsome but worry-lined face. "You could at least pretend to be grateful, Booth."
"To you?" I chuckle. "I'm not grateful at all, old man. You're the one who got us into this whole mess. If you weren't such a sick pervert, maybe Lily Anna wouldn't have to hide at all."
"Don't forget I'm the one who brought Pandora to Eden Falls," he hisses. "I'm the reason you're together now."
"No," I say resolutely, getting up from my seat and signaling this is the end of our conversation as I button up my blazer. "I'm the reason we're together. Because she loves me, you fucking dick."
He gets up too, not bothering with a reply because he probably knows I'm right.
Pandora appears in the doorway then. She's wearing a thin white dress that sweeps the floor, her expression wary as it meets her father's.
"What are you doing here?" she asks.
"Your father just dropped by with a nice surprise," I reply easily. "Minnie will be coming to live with us for a while."
"Minnie?" Her eyes light up. It's the first genuine excitement I've seen from her, and it pleases me Oakes has made the decision to allow Minnie to stay with us. "Oh, that's wonderful..."
"Make Kelley bring her here now," I tell Oakes, and he nods, surprised by Pandora's excited reaction. I knew Minnie and Pandora were close, but I never realized the maid's daughter was the only ally my toy has in this town. She needs her. Having Minnie at Booth Manor will be good for Pandora. "We don't want to wait any longer than necessary. I'll have Anders prepare a room for her."
"Fine," Oakes hisses. It's the best reaction I can hope to get out of the old man. He hates getting ordered around, just like I do. I was meant to give orders, not fucking follow them. "She'll be here soon."
Pandora and I walk her father out. She surprises me by helping Anders get Minnie's room ready, genuinely excited by seeing her old friend again. We even speak about hiring some more help soon to help the butler around the house.
I tell Pandora what her father has decided, and she seems relieved by the news. Even though I don't want to show it, I am, too. If it weren't for Emilian's decision, I'd be kicked out of the Manor and left penniless. And I can't risk that. Not now, when I still need to find Lily Anna and Reign.
Just like always, the thought of them makes my heart and head hurt. I force myself to stay busy with the preparations for Minnie's arrival. But it's all a poor excuse. I know all our thoughts are with the baby, not here, in Eden Falls. And even though I'm more determined than ever to find Lily Anna and our son, I also feel like we're looking for two needles in a haystack. She's just gone, without a fucking trace.
I'm getting frustrated, so I'm grateful for the distraction of the doorbell. Pandora practically races downstairs to greet Minnie.
The blonde girl
looks different than I remember her. She was always quiet but happy despite everything going on in her life. But today, her shoulders are slumped. Minnie looks defeated, and it instantly deflates Pandora as well. Still, the two girls seem excited to be in each other's company.
Anders sets up a table for afternoon tea, and the three of us sit down together to talk.
I notice Minnie's developed a new habit when she sits down and the sleeves of her uniform ride up. Her arms are covered in scratches. I know Pandora's noticed it too, even though Minnie did her best to hide it.
"Are you okay?" my toy asks, the concern plain in her voice as she takes the maid's hand.
"I'm fine." Minnie waves her other hand dismissively as if it's nothing. "Just... tired. I'm happy to be here though, Miss Pandora."
"I'm happy you're here, too." My toy beams. "It's going to make things so much better. But are you sure you're okay?"
"I haven't seen you in months," Minnie whispers. "A lot has happened since you first left Eden Falls, Miss Pandora."
I think of Oakes then. He puts up a front of being a businessman, a father, a good man. But deep down he's nothing but a monster, and seeing Minnie so broken only serves to remind me of the fact. And yet I'm powerless to stop him. I've offered Belle, Minnie's mother, money to leave Eden Falls. Money for Minnie to work for me. But something keeps them there, at Oakes Estate, serving the man who's hurting them every day. I now realize staying with us will be a small reprimand for Minnie. But we all know she'll have to go back to the house of horrors soon enough... there's no escaping a man like Emilian Oakes.
I listen as the two girls catch up. Minnie seems calm but sad, but Pandora is visibly better because of her presence. I vow to make things easier for both of them. I'll do anything in my power to change things.
It's the first time I start to think about this fucked-up town and it's rituals that favor the rich.
If you have power in Eden Falls, you can have it all.
But if you don't, you're doomed to a life of being ordered around by those who have more than you.
And it's time that changed.
We show Minnie to her room later on, and she quietly retreats to it, leaving Pandora and me alone.
"I'm worried about her," Pandora says the moment the door closes. "She's hurting. How can we help her?"
"She'll be fine while she's here," I mutter. "But we need to get her out of that house for sure."
"I was thinking we could help her get into Prep," Pandora suggests. "If she attended classes there, it would be good for her future, and it would get her out of the Estate as well."
"You might be onto something there. I'll see what I can do."
She springs toward me, shocking me by enveloping me in a tight hug. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, toy." I pull back while still holding her in my arms so I can look at her face. "It's very sweet that you're trying to help her, Pandora."
"I feel responsible. Father wouldn't be able to pick on her as much if I was still in the house."
"We'll work together to get her away from him."
"That's what I want." She nods resolutely. "We can save her from him."
I nod, even though I don't necessarily agree.
Emilian Oakes is a man who always, always gets what he wants. I should know—I was exactly like him when Pandora came into my life.
I fucked whoever I wanted, and they were more than willing to let me take the prize between their legs.
I hurt everyone around me just because I could.
I used my power and influence to get what I wanted.
Maybe it's time someone put me in my place.
This town enables people to hurt others. It tells us to use the power we have over the mere mortals of Eden Falls and take what we want. But some day, maybe someone will come along who can change that.
As I watch my toy smiling, I wonder whether that person is her.
Whether she has it in her to change things and turn this town around.
Only time will tell...
Chapter Fifteen
Pandora
The morning we get the news about Brazen, Minnie and I are sitting in the Booth Manor powder room, flipping through books to distract ourselves from the sad reality of our lives.
Dexter walks into the room with a stormy expression and asks to speak to me. I look up from my book and narrow my eyes at him.
"Tell me here," I suggest. "I don't keep any secrets from Minnie."
He glances between the two of us. Minnie's eyes are wide and trusting, and for a split second, I regret my words. What if this is something Minnie shouldn't know? What if it could hurt her?
"It's Brazen," Dex mutters. "Something happened and I need to talk to you about it."
"B-Brazen?" Minnie repeats. She closes her book, her hand trembling as she puts it on the coffee table. "It's okay, Master Booth... You can say it in front of me."
An awkward silence lays on the room as Dex struggles with his answer. I know he doesn't want to hurt Minnie. His expression is troubled and I know this won't go over well, whatever it is. The last thing I want is for Minnie to get hurt, but she deserves to know the truth just like I do.
"Oakes has decided Brazen will marry," Dex finally spits out through gritted teeth. "Brazen is now engaged to Coco Rose."
"W-What?" I look over to Minnie. She looks frozen and her face is deathly pale. "Who told you?"
"Everyone knows." Dex rubs his chiseled jaw. "I'm sorry, Minnie."
The maid nods with a small smile, but it's painfully obvious she's breaking on the inside. I reach out for her but she turns away, showing me she doesn't want me comforting her. I pull back and allow her to pull herself together. But a moment later, a sob rips itself through Minnie's chest.
This time I rush toward her without hesitation.
"I'm sorry, Minnie," Dex grunts.
"So you... really do like him?" I ask her softly. She looks up at me and her wide eyes brimming with tears are the only answer I need.
"I guess now nothing will happen after all," she whispers, and my heart threatens to shatter when the words leave her lips. "We can never be together."
I don't want to hurt her even more by telling her there was no chance for them, ever. There's no way Father would allow his only son to marry a girl like Minnie. After all she's just the maid's daughter...
I mentally chastise myself for thinking that way as a shiver passes down my spine. Eden Falls has rubbed off on me after all.
"Excuse me." Dex furrows his brows as he checks his buzzing phone. "I need to take this."
He leaves the room, and I'm grateful for the privacy I now have with Minnie.
"Oh, Minnie," I whisper. "I wish I could make things better."
She doesn't answer. I realize then she's tethering on the edge again. And I'm getting more and more afraid she won't just fall - she'll take the first step into the abyss and jump.
Dexter re-enters the room a while later, his expression troubled.
"You're getting a family visit, Pandora," he tells me.
"Oh?" I stand up. I don't want to see Father now, not after what he just did to Minnie.
"Brazen and Tianna will arrive shortly," Dex replies, smiling as he looks at Minnie. I can't help myself - I glance at the pretty blonde, too. She looks happy enough to burst. We all know the family visit is just a pretense so Brazen and Minnie can spend some precious time together, alone. Opportunities for that will be far and few between from now on.
I help Minnie get ready in a hurry, lending her one of my old dresses and pinning her hair in a pretty updo, with blonde tendrils framing her porcelain face. I try to reassure her, but before I can get the words out, the doorbell rings and we meet in the grand hall.
Brazen's posture stiffens when he sees Minnie, and the blonde squeezes my hand painfully.
I don't let go. The rest of us watch them expectantly, except for Tianna, whose gaze is fixed on her phone like always. Anders points us to the salon where he ser
ves tea and we take our seats, giving Brazen and Minnie as much privacy as possible. Tianna, Dex and I end up in one corner of the room while Minnie and Brazen sit in the other.
While we try to focus on our own conversations, we're all trying to overhear what Brazen and Minnie are saying to each other. I'm sitting facing them, so I can see what's happening, and I tune out of our conversation as I try to decipher my brother's actions.
Minnie's sitting as far away as possible, glancing fearfully at Brazen while he softly pleads with her to understand. The sight of it makes me feel sick and I force myself to look away. Instead, I focus on Tianna, smiling weakly at her as she stares up from her phone screen for a second.
"So, how's life back at the Estate?" I ask lamely.
"Why do you suddenly care?" she scoffs, returning to scrolling with her thumb. "It's not like you ever gave a shit, anyway."
"What do you mean?" I narrow my eyes at her.
"You just left," Tianna hisses. "You didn't give a shit about the ones you left behind."
"Like who?" I demand.
"Like Minnie. Brazen. Me." Only when she emphasizes the last word do I realize what's happening. "Do you even understand how hard it's been at home since you left? I'm the only daughter Father has now. If it's not Brazen he's ordering around, it's me. And at least Brazen is big enough to defend himself."
I stare at my petite, frail sister. For the first time I don't see her as a spoiled little Daddy's girl. She's strong in her own might, but she's also right - by running away I put more than just Minnie in the line of fire.
"I'm sorry," I mutter. "You're always welcome here, Tianna. Always."
"If he'll even let me leave the house," my sister scoffs.
"We'll make him." I look at Dex for support and his firm nod confirms my thoughts. "Any time it gets too much for you, Tianna, we're here for you."
"Thanks." She goes back to scrolling, but not before shooting me a glimpse of a thankful smile. Dex starts asking Tianna about school and I shift my attention back to the starcrossed lovers on the other side of the room just in time to see Brazen reach out for Minnie.
A Hurt So Sweet: Complete Dark Bully Romance Series Box Set: Elite of Eden Falls Prep Page 56