“He’s a good brother,” I said, simply to keep her talking.
“He is.” Her eyes were sad. “There were always so many people at our house. Usually men. They worked for my parents. Soldiers, they called them. Hell, they had weird titles for all of them. Names you hear in Mafia movies. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew what they did. Organized crime, my father liked to spout. The most profitable business on the planet.”
I smiled. Little did they know.
Braelyn huffed, took a sip of wine. “They were assholes is what they were. All of them. Not only the men who crudely looked at me when they were around. My parents, too. I didn’t understand it completely at the time, but they disgusted me. My mother … she was the worst. I think she believed she was in charge. Maybe she was. The men who worked for them sure didn’t have a problem with her and her rotating bedroom door. And my father didn’t seem to give a shit who was banging my mother. He had his own side pieces, some of them willing, others who looked as though they didn’t know their own names much less how they’d ended up beneath my father.”
Her turn of phrase surprised me. I’d gotten the impression Braelyn thought carefully before she spoke, kept most of her feelings to herself. I liked that she was so open, so blunt.
Braelyn shuddered, but, ignoring the strange urge to reach for her, I let her continue.
“No matter what they called themselves, at their core, my parents are just evil. There’s no disguising it, no dressing it up. I studied up on them as I got older, learned of the unspeakable things they did in their quest for power. Accusations, of course. Someone’s protecting them, maybe a lot of someones, because they’re still walking free. The one thing that’s never changed is they’re feared by many. Sometimes I think even the cops fear them.”
More like they had some in their pocket. It was common practice amongst those who engaged in organized crime.
“Why did Ransom take you away from there?” I knew there was something more to the story than it was simply a tense environment.
She looked up once again, but only briefly before she turned her attention back to the food she was once again shifting around on her plate. “At the time, he said he had to. Right after we left, I didn’t really think anything of it. Figured Ransom hated them as much as I did and didn’t want to live that life. It wasn’t until a couple of months after we left when I started having nightmares. Only, I don’t think they were figments of my imagination. I think they were memories.”
“Does Ransom know?”
She nodded. “Yeah. But I’ve never told him what they were about. Didn’t want him to worry. He’d already saved me. There was no need to add more stress to our already complicated lives. So I kept them to myself. The man who had haunted those nightmares couldn’t touch me. At least, I didn’t think he could.”
That revelation had me sitting up straight. “What man?”
Braelyn’s gaze moved over my face as she sipped her wine. I could tell she was trying to determine whether or not she wanted me to know. Wise move. Because what she told me next would likely alter the life of at least one man when I pinpointed where he was.
“His name’s Jimmy,” she finally said, her eyes going cold. “He’s the man I was running from last night. I don’t know his last name. Ransom probably does. My parents called him Kill Switch.” Her lip curled in obvious distaste. “He was always around, always lurking. He creeped me out. I can still remember the way he smelled. Like cigarettes and liquor. The fact that I can tells me he was around way too much.”
“Did he touch you?”
“You mean last night? Or ever?”
Anger bloomed. “Does it matter?”
“No, he didn’t. Not the way you mean.” Her eyes were wide now, raw honesty on her face. “Last night, he stalked me like prey. I think he was playing a game, and he didn’t expect me to have any moves to make.”
“What moves did you make?”
“He barged in. I ran to my room, climbed out the window.”
She said it so simply, but I remembered how scared she’d been when she arrived at TJ’s. After having trekked ten miles in the snow and ice. Barefoot.
“And when you were young?”
“He would brush up against me now and again.” Her eyes took on a faraway look, her brow furrowed, as though she was lost in the memory and didn’t like it. “I remember he would always put his hands on my shoulders, pulling me back against him, rubbing. Always rubbing. He tried to pretend he was my friend, but like I said, it was creepy. I remember thinking he was old. Older than Ransom by a few years.” She shivered, then shook her head as though dislodging the thoughts. “I think Jimmy was a big part of why Ransom got me away from there. They hated each other. Jimmy would threaten Ransom, promise to do horrible things if he tried to interfere.”
“Interfere in what?”
Braelyn shrugged. “Business, maybe. I don’t know. The last thing I remember about that house was the night Jimmy came into my room. He sat on the edge of the bed, told me he wanted to tell me a bedtime story. He was crazy. Like seriously insane, but I had learned to play the games the adults were playing. As long as I pretended I was interested in what they had to say, they usually left me alone.”
Usually. Did she even realize that was a key word?
“You were nine?” I asked for clarification even as I ground my molars together, knowing where this was going.
“Yes. The story…” Braelyn tightened the robe around her as though warding off a chill. “That night, Jimmy told me a story about a man who stumbled upon a little girl. He said she was sweet and kind and he wanted to protect her, to keep her safe. The only way she’d be safe was if he could keep her forever.” Her nose curled as she continued. “But she had to sleep in his bed with him … had to do whatever he told her to do, and most importantly, she had to hold on to him tightly or the bad people would get her. At the time, I wasn’t sure what he meant, but looking back on it, I realize he was a pervert. He would run his hand over my knee every so often, sliding higher until I would pull away, while he promised he would protect me if I would let him. I was terrified of him, but I pretended not to be. I’d seen Jimmy lose it, knew he wasn’t a nice guy.”
Christ Almighty, the bastard was a pedophile. It was no wonder Ransom had taken Braelyn away from there. I suddenly had a new respect for the man.
“That night, Ransom came in while Jimmy was sitting there. Jimmy’s hand was on my leg and I thought Ransom was going to kill him. The two of them argued, shoved each other, then left my room. A couple of hours later, Ransom came back, woke me up. He had a bag with him, and he started stuffing my clothes into it. I didn’t ask questions, not even when he told me we were leaving. I just slipped on my shoes and followed him out of the house.”
“Your parents didn’t know about Jimmy? About what he was doing?”
Braelyn shrugged. “I’ve always wondered if they did, but Ransom wouldn’t tell me.” She took a sip of wine. “That night, we went out through the upstairs balcony, took the stairs down. Ransom guided me through the dense trees at the back of the property. He kept telling me I had to be quiet. My parents had dogs, vicious ones, but they never came. I think Ransom locked them up somewhere. Maybe he drugged them. I don’t know. We walked for what felt like days but was probably only minutes. He stopped when we got to an old beat-up truck. I’d never seen it before. I remember wondering if it would even drive.”
She smiled now, and some of the fear left her eyes.
“Ransom was twenty at the time. He had his entire life in front of him. He could’ve gotten away from them long before that night. He had stayed because of me. He stayed to protect me. Since then, he’s been mother, father, big brother, and best friend, taking care of me, making sure I have everything I need.” Braelyn downed half the glass of wine, seemed to shore herself up. “I’m not naive enough to think they simply let us vanish, Talon. But I’ve held out hope that they’d never find us. We’ve been hiding in plain sight. They’re not
that far away.”
“They are now,” I assured her. Far, far away.
“I know they’re the reason we’re here,” she continued, motioning with her hand at the area around us. “I know he went to you, asked for your help. By helping his friends, my brother shined a beacon on our identities, and he feels guilty, but he shouldn’t. If it’s meant to happen, it will. I truly believe that.” She looked out at the ocean. “I don’t know if our parents even care anymore. Not about us, anyway. About our transgressions against them, sure. We did the unthinkable, turning our backs on the family, and they can’t let that go. It undermines their authority. They have to feel powerful, and if it means taking us out to make a point, they won’t hesitate to do so.
“As for Jimmy…” She swallowed, continued. “I haven’t thought about him in years, but the minute I realized who he was, I knew I had to run. He called me doll face; that’s how I realized it was him. Not only was he there to take me, he was going to hurt me.”
I listened, careful to mask my expression, not wanting her to pick up on the anger slowly increasing in her defense.
“I don’t know how Ransom thinks this’ll help … being here.” Braelyn looked over at me.
“It will,” I promised. “You’re safe here.”
“For how long?” Her eyes implored me. “How long can we impose?”
“You’re not an imposition, Braelyn.”
She huffed a laugh. “Wait until we’ve invaded your space for a few days, then tell me that.”
Rather than argue, because I knew it wouldn’t do any good, I reached for Braelyn’s hand, brushed my thumb over her knuckles.
“You’re safe here,” I repeated. “Ransom’s safe here. And if you believe nothing else about me, believe that I can and will ensure nothing happens to either of you.”
Braelyn continued to stare into my eyes as though she was seeking the hidden secrets beneath. I wanted to tell her there weren’t any. I was an open book. It was how I lived my life.
But I figured actions spoke far louder than words, and I had every intention of showing her exactly who I was at my very core.
*
Braelyn
I wasn’t sure why talking about my parents always left me feeling both fragile and exhausted, but it did.
Granted, the only person who knew who my parents were and what they were capable of was Ransom. At least until now. Why I’d felt the need to spill my guts to Talon, I might never know. But from the moment I started talking, I found I couldn’t stop. And now that it was out there, I felt… Oddly, I felt better, if not a little worn out.
However, a girl could only spill so much in one day, which was why I decided to change the subject to something more interesting.
“What is it that Owned, Incorporated does, exactly?” I smiled and nodded when Talon offered to pour more wine. “Tiegan wasn’t all that forthcoming with details when she pretended to want to hire me.”
“It wasn’t pretend,” Talon said, adding more wine to my glass before setting the bottle back into the ice bucket. “There’s a job here if you want it.”
“Doing?”
His steel-gray eyes met mine. “At this point, pretty much anything you’d like.”
Confused but, at the same time, intrigued, I replied with, “I guess in order to make that decision, I’ll need to know what it is you do.”
His smile was slow and ridiculously sexy. “Why don’t we reserve the business discussions for tomorrow.”
“And tonight?”
“Tonight we’ll simply enjoy each other’s company.”
Because I still didn’t understand his relationship with his submissives, I figured now was a good time to bring them up.
Talon didn’t seem at all surprised when I mentioned them. “What would you like to know?”
“For starters, how many do you have? The ones you were with last night weren’t the same from the plane. Are they all your submissives?”
No sooner were the words out than I realized I’d given myself away.
Another smile curved the corners of his incredibly seductive mouth.
Feeling my face flame, I took a sip of my wine, then another, waiting patiently for him to respond and hoping he would not call me on the fact I’d been watching them last night.
“Possessions,” he corrected.
Frowning, I waited for him to clarify.
He didn’t.
“Possessions? What does that mean?”
“It means they are not submissives; however, they do submit. But I do not cater to them, nor do I tend to them on an emotional level. They are my property.”
I snorted, because seriously? Was that really a thing? Why would someone want to belong to someone else and not get anything in return?
“You mean they’re your slaves?”
“No.” He took a drink of his wine, set the glass down. “My possessions came to me of their own free will. And they’ve consented to surrendering all control to me in every aspect of their lives.”
That sounded … complicated.
“And you have sex with them?”
“I do. I use them however I choose.”
Use? That seemed a harsh term.
“How many are there?”
“Seven.”
Wow.
I wasn’t even sure what to say to that.
“You met Auberon and Rolphe on the plane,” he explained, his voice smooth as silk. His eyes met mine and a slight smirk formed on his lips. “Last night, I was with Ari, Corvin, and Taurus.”
I didn’t respond, but I could feel my ears heating at the memory of what I’d witnessed them doing.
“Bram, Corvin’s twin, was the other one who delivered our meal. And Sim, the youngest of all my possessions, has been posted outside your door all day.”
Wow, again.
My head was spinning.
“I assume they serve everyone here? Tiegan and the others, too?”
His face sobered, his eyes going hard. “Absolutely not. I do not share them with anyone. They belong solely to me.”
There was so much conviction in his tone, I had to believe that was a steadfast rule. It made me wonder if it’d ever been broken or, at the least, compromised.
“Are you in love with all of them?”
“I’m not in love with any of them.”
“Why not?”
“Because they’re possessions. They’re here to serve me.”
“But they’re also people.”
“Technically, because of our agreement, they’re not.”
“They have names.”
“Those are descriptive words I use to refer to them when I need something.”
“When you need them to serve you? Like wash your clothes and deliver your meals?” The words came out laced with disbelief. “So they really are slaves?”
Talon sighed. “I assure you, they’re not. It’s their desire to serve me.”
Right. Like I would believe there was anyone who willingly wanted to serve someone else and what? Get to have sex as a bonus? No way.
Before I could launch another question, Talon held up his hand, his voice taking on a harsher tone when he said, “I assure you, it’ll all make more sense when I show you around tomorrow.”
I seriously doubted that, but I could play along. For now.
“Mind if I ask what your last name is?” I asked, changing the subject because clearly that was what he wanted.
“Talon.”
“So what’s your first name?”
“I have only one name.”
Only one? Okay. Hadn’t met a man with only one name before, but it wasn’t the weirdest thing, I figured. In fact, it seemed apropos considering all that I’d learned about him thus far. The man wasn’t simple by any stretch of the imagination, nor was he even close to being like anyone else I’d ever met.
“Why’d your parents name you that?”
“They didn’t.”
“Who did?”
Tal
on didn’t respond and I could see I was overstepping.
Despite the fact I felt he owed me some personal details, I opted to shift once again. “What do your possessions call you?”
“My possessions don’t speak to me.”
“Ever?” I blurted.
“Not unless I instruct them to.”
Well, hell. So what? They were like tables or dishes? Dragged out when necessary?
It was going to take some time and a lot of explanation for me to wrap my head around that, for sure.
“Are you gay?” I blurted because it was hanging on the tip of my tongue.
Once again, he looked amused. “Come here.”
“What?”
He crooked his finger and repeated what I could only decipher as a command.
It was like I had no control over my own body. I found myself pushing my chair back and getting to my feet, then placing my hand in his when he held it out.
The next thing I knew, I was sitting across his lap, my shoulder pressed to his chest, doing my best to hold the silk robe closed and hooking my ankles to keep my legs tightly shut since I happened to be naked beneath.
My breath hitched when his big hand curled against my neck, his thumb grazing my cheek, then over my bottom lip.
I could hardly breathe, staring into his eyes as my heart pounded rapidly, his hand sliding behind my neck, holding firmly yet gently. When his fingers urged my head toward his, I leaned in, my skin tingling with a mixture of excitement and desire.
“Considering how desperately I want you,” Talon whispered softly, his lips close to mine, “I think it’s safe to say I’m not gay.”
Bisexual then? Of course, I didn’t ask the question because I couldn’t form words. I was so caught up in his touch and the feel of his breath fanning my lips.
“And make no mistake, I want you, Braelyn,” he reiterated. “I have since the first night I met you.”
“Last night,” I managed.
“The first night.”
It took a second.
“Oh.” He was referring to the Halloween party I’d crashed. The first time I’d gone looking for my brother.
Holy crap.
When he licked my lower lip, all thought fled. My lips parted, a sigh escaping.
Owned (Office Intrigue Book 8) Page 17