“So the Owners pay?” Braelyn asked, her question directed at me.
“They do. And it’s not cheap.”
“Because you want to make money?”
“Because we don’t want to hand over a human possession to someone who might toss them aside,” Gideon countered, not bothering to hide his temper. “Think of a dog or a cat. Many shelters give them away for free, or for a few dollars to cover shots or whatnot. Which makes anyone able to get one. Who’s to say that person is going to take care of the animal? That they have the means to do so? That their desire to have a pet isn’t just a passing fancy? Just because they’ve got a twenty lying around to cover discount shots doesn’t mean that animal will get the proper care.”
I grinned to myself.
That was one of the reasons I liked Gideon. He understood on a level most didn’t. And though he was seeking a possession of his own, he considered all of those in residence his until they left the island. He was protective in that manner.
While he continued to explain that it cost money to house the possessions even for a short period of time, Gideon continued with the tour. Through the banquet hall, the conference areas, the entertainment spaces.
I watched Braelyn take it all in, saw the way she looked at the various fetish equipment—eye hooks in the walls and ceiling, St. Andrew’s cross in the library, spanking benches and other pieces of furniture throughout. After all, this wasn’t the Hilton. We catered to a specific clientele.
“While in our care, they receive room and board, medical treatment, and the like,” Gideon clarified. “And since we don’t charge the possessions for that, someone has to make up for it.”
Braelyn’s gaze held firmly with Gideon’s. “I see your point and I apologize if I offended you.”
“You didn’t, Miss Bishop.” Gideon’s eyes softened. “It’s me. I tend to get a little defensive.”
“Not a bad quality,” Braelyn noted, looking over at me. “How long do they stay here?”
“As long as it takes to find them a proper home.”
“And I assume whatever app or site you’ve built is how potential Owners find them?”
“That’s correct.”
Gideon stopped just inside the second-floor gym, where a female possession was currently strapped to a spanking bench, her ass a brilliant red from the leather-wrapped paddle being wielded by another of our trainers.
“That’s Zed Lynch,” Gideon told her. “He’s one of our temporary trainers.”
Braelyn’s full attention was on the way Zed smacked the possession’s ass a few more times before he leaned down and spoke right in her ear, his voice deep and strong, though the words were indistinguishable from this distance.
“Punishment,” Gideon said, clearly sensing Braelyn’s unspoken question.
Braelyn still didn’t look away when she asked, “Do they have a say in the matter? In who their Owner might be?”
“Yes. The possession has as much right to choose as the Owner. If they don’t feel it would be a good fit because they’re not attracted to the Owner or for some other reason, seems rather pointless to force the matter.”
“But you bring them here before they find someone?”
“Correct,” I answered. “We had issues in the beginning where possessions were misrepresenting themselves. Whether it be height, weight, age, or other distinguishing factors. Because Owners are the ones investing, I realized it only made sense that I vetted them first.”
“So they can’t lie?”
“Correct,” I answered with a nod. “The possessions are not permitted on the app until they’ve been acquired by us. It’s so we can ensure honesty on every level. Once they’ve been vetted and approved, each possession is instructed to sever ties to their previous life. I allow them to reside in a training facility and give them ninety days to do so. At that point, after I’ve verified they’ve paid off all their debts, quit their jobs in a respectable way, I bring them here.”
“Why? Why can’t they just up and walk away from their life? It wouldn’t matter, would it?”
“It all boils down to self-respect. These people haven’t fallen on hard times. They’re making a life change. If someone’s willing to shaft everyone else to get what they need, where are their loyalties? I’ll only work with people who respect themselves enough to make good on their promises.”
“What about family and friends? Do they sever ties with them, too?”
“For the most part, yes. But for these people, their desire to be owned by another is more important than those relationships they’re leaving behind. In many cases, those who come here don’t have much family left or they’re already estranged because of their … desires.” I glanced at Gideon. “I can take it from here.”
“Sure. I’m on my way to meet with Zion and Ransom shortly.” Gideon looked at Braelyn, extended his hand. “It was a pleasure to meet you. Feel free to let me know if you have any more questions.”
“Thank you,” she answered kindly, shaking his hand.
When Gideon left, I took Braelyn’s hand once more, led her out of the gym and down the hall to one of the lounge areas.
“The Owners’ Retreat is divided into sections,” I explained. “The main floor is reserved for guest check-in and concierge, the rest entirely recreational. The second, third, and fourth floors are split between guest quarters and those specified for the trainers and possessions. The trainers are divided, one on each floor, and with them, they keep the possessions they’re in charge of. We’ve got intake holds for new possessions, plus a fully equipped medical facility. The possessions also have their own common areas separate from the main spaces for downtime.”
“What do they do in their spare time?” she inquired, her gaze continuing to skim as we walked.
“Whatever they want. Read, watch television, play video games, go to the beach. We haven’t dehumanized them. They merely have responsibilities to others that come before all else.”
“How did Gideon come to be here?”
“He was a potential Owner. While he tried numerous times, he didn’t find a possession that suited him. It was actually his request to be given the opportunity to spend more time with the possessions. After some careful consideration, I opted to give it a shot.”
“How long’s he been here?”
“Two years. I officially hired him a year and a half ago. Memphis has been here three months, Zed two. They can’t stay more than six.”
“Have either of them been successful?”
“No,” I told her, not bothering to mention that Memphis had been successful but not in the way she was thinking. Although he thought he was being sly, I was aware he had a secret tryst going with Tiegan.
“Is that another service you offer?” Braelyn asked.
“I don’t invite potential Owners to live here as a rule. I merely assess the situation as it arises and make my decisions accordingly. It’s a very fluid business we’ve got here. Try as you might, you can’t simply box people in. In my experience, it never works out well.”
“Do you pick from this pool? I mean, for your personal use?” she asked, grinning. “I’m sorry, but that still sounds weird.”
I liked that she was honest with her thoughts. “I have, yes. After the first three, I found it worked well for me.”
Braelyn paused in the library, glancing at the books on the wall. “Are many of the possessions gay?”
“Why would you ask that?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess, I figure … since yours are gay.”
I grinned. “What gives you that impression?”
Her eyes never met mine when she said, “It seems a safe assumption since … you know.”
“You know what they say about assumptions. We can test the theory if you’d like? The way we tested the theory on whether or not I was gay.”
Her breath hitched. “I thought you didn’t share them.”
“With you…” I pressed a kiss to her lips. “L
et’s just say I’m willing to make exceptions.”
When I licked her lower lip, Braelyn’s lips parted, a sigh escaping. It was then I realized she had both hands on my hips, as though she was using me to stabilize herself. I liked that she touched me without me having to give her permission, that she didn’t need me to give her orders. It spoke to the other side of me, the side that had longed for someone who would tempt me to go against my very nature, someone who could curb the needs of the man versus the needs of the Dominant.
I kissed her then. A gentle mating, my tongue sliding sensually against hers. She kissed me back, her fingers clutching more firmly at my hips, her neck straining as she sought more of what I was offering. She was so fucking sweet, but I had expected she would be.
I would’ve kissed her for eternity, but Braelyn was the one to pull back. She was breathing hard, her golden eyes glittering with lust but also uncertainty. I respected that. She knew so little about me, and what she did know, she didn’t understand.
But she would.
“So what now?” she asked.
“I figured you’d like to relax for a while. Maybe spend some time at the pools. Then, later tonight, I was hoping I could indulge you with dinner.”
“I’d like that,” she said, the words coming out on a soft whisper.
“I would, too.”
TWENTY
RANSOM
After my brief morning tour with Talon and a couple of hours spent going over details of the Owners coming to visit the island next week with Zion and Tiegan, I spent the majority of the afternoon getting familiar with the grounds. Now that I had, I felt far more comfortable knowing my way around and having a better understanding of which buildings functioned as what. That was the bodyguard in me, I figured. I didn’t like surprises, and being in a new place tended to cause unnecessary stress.
I was also lucky enough to talk to my sister, who’d evidently gotten a tour of her own. To my surprise, she’d been rather blasé about the whole thing. Why I thought she’d be rattled, I wasn’t sure. I should’ve known better. Braelyn was open-minded, something I’d tried to teach her growing up. That and she had a huge heart, always giving people the benefit of the doubt.
It hadn’t been until I’d asked her about Talon that she made an excuse to go back to her room. She probably didn’t realize it, but that had been an answer in itself. There was something going on between Braelyn and Talon. Part of me wanted to know what; the other wasn’t sure I could handle the truth. I trusted my sister, and I trusted Talon. Whatever was going on … it was for them to figure out.
At least, that was what I continued to tell myself.
After that, I’d returned to my villa. It hadn’t taken long before the silence began to grate, so I relocated to the main floor of the Owners’ Retreat, curious to watch the in-house possessions do their thing. They worked like a well-oiled machine, their chores clearly lined out for them. The place was spotless, almost obsessively so, which I took to mean they managed it well.
“You want to see what intake looks like?”
I glanced over, noticed Talon was approaching. I hadn’t heard him come in, which said I was getting too relaxed here.
“Intake?”
“We got a shipment delivered this morning.”
“Shipment?” I got to my feet. “Of … possessions?”
And if that didn’t sound weird.
“Three this time.”
Now, I’d heard and seen a lot of things in my life, but a shipment of people wasn’t something I was familiar with. Then again, this whole Owner/possession thing was new to me. But I wouldn’t deny I was interested in learning more about it.
“How often do they arrive?” I asked, falling into step with Talon.
“At minimum, once a month. I prefer they not send them one at a time, so they’re often held at one of the training facilities in the States until we’ve enough to warrant the cost associated with flying them here.”
“What happens to them once you’ve … taken possession?” I wasn’t sure whether that was the right way to phrase it or not.
“The training facility notifies me so I can do a check on their debts to ensure they’ve paid them off. Once they’ve gotten my final approval, they repeat all the blood tests and medical screening before they’re shipped here. Precaution, of course.”
Of course. I belonged to Dichotomy, so I understood the rigorous requirements when it came to safe sex. It only took one.
Talon headed down a long hallway leading toward the clinic I’d stayed in.
“They officially become possessions the moment they step onto the plane, which is also where they sign the contract. Once they do, they relinquish all their rights. From that point forward, their decisions belong solely to Owned, Incorporated until they’re placed. When they arrive, they’re delivered to the intake holds, secured, and monitored until I can check them in.”
“You, personally.”
“Yes.”
“I take it that means they don’t arrive if you’re not here.”
“Correct. Something you can imagine puts a kink in the process.”
I could see that. Everything relied on Talon’s availability, which, in my opinion, likely caused things to bottleneck if his schedule was full.
We stopped at the end of the corridor where there was a section of rooms. The doors were closed, blinds lifted on small windows allowing visibility inside.
I paused at the first window, peered in. The room wasn’t anything fancy. In fact, it wasn’t anything at all. The walls were white, as was the floor and the ceiling. A single fluorescent panel lit the space, highlighting the naked man—save for the dark brown blindfold covering his eyes—secured to the floor with dungeon irons shackling his ankles and wrists.
This particular male had a lean, compact body with skin the color of mocha. He had no hair on his head or his body, including between his legs.
When Talon stepped to the next room, I followed. This one housed a female with pale skin, a decent-sized rack tipped with pale pink nipples. She, too, was shackled to the floor, shaved bare from the neck down, her flame-red hair fanning out around her, an emerald-green blindfold covering her eyes.
The last room contained a white male with shaggy blond hair and a thin—almost too thin—physique. A royal-blue mask covered his face.
“The blindfold signifies eye color?” I guessed.
“It does.” Talon grinned. “Upon their arrival, they’re cataloged. Since they come to us with no names or other distinguishing information, we detail everything we can, right down to their most intimate measurements. Once we’ve got all the details, we enter it into the system, assign them a number, and microchip them.”
“Like an animal?”
“It’s only temporary,” he explained with a smirk. “The chip is removed prior to them leaving the island. It’s merely to ensure accuracy on our part. Plus, it’s a way for Dr. Tate to manage their health easily.”
Well, there you go.
“Is that something that’s made public? The information. For the Owners to see?”
“Absolutely. Every detail. For some Owners, information such as measurements is pertinent, which is why we’re very transparent when it comes to that.”
When Talon returned to the first room’s window, I did, as well.
I noticed Zed, one of the trainers, was inside, as was Cody, the submissive therapist I’d been introduced to. They were freeing the possession from the shackles and helping him onto a bed that had been wheeled inside.
“It takes about two hours to go through the checklist,” Talon informed me.
“Why so long?”
“We’re very thorough.” Talon smiled.
It was then I noticed Zed had his fist wrapped firmly around the male’s cock, stroking it firmly.
“For pleasure?” I asked.
“They’re timing how long it takes him to become fully erect. Throughout the intake process and the first week they’re here, they
’ll also time how long he can maintain the erection. Even how much he ejaculates.”
“Very thorough,” I muttered.
“They’ll take pictures to be added to the profile for the Owners.”
“I guess the possessions know what they’re in for, huh?”
“They’ve been informed repeatedly of every aspect before they sign on. These three were selected out of twenty-seven applicants. The qualification process is rigorous. Most are turned away because they don’t truly understand this is far more than simply being a submissive.”
“Does Cody always assist with intake?”
“Yes. Jasper and Jayda also assist, as do the trainers. If necessary, we’ll bring in a possession or two, as well.” Talon peered over at me. “Jasper’s in room three if you’d like to watch.”
I knew I should’ve shrugged it off like I didn’t care, but I couldn’t. Glancing over, I saw that room three was the room the female was in.
“I’ve got a conference call to take,” Talon said with a grin, “so I’ll leave you to it. Feel free to go in. They’ve all been made aware you’re here and you’re observing for the time being.”
I said nothing more to Talon before walking over to room three. Inside, the female was already laid out on the table. Gideon, the main trainer, was in the process of securing a fucking machine at the end of the bed while Jasper was taking measurements.
Curious as to what Jasper’s response would be, I stepped into the room. Both men looked my way but then went back to what they were doing without a word to me. I watched with detached interest as Gideon programmed something into the machine. A second later, he aligned the dildo with her pussy, and the robotic arm inched forward, pushing the silicone end into her slowly. Based on her soft moans, she was enjoying it, which I was surprised by. It seemed so clinical, I wasn’t sure how it would be all that stimulating.
“Room two’s waiting when you’re ready,” Gideon told Jasper. “You can send Jayda in to assist me with the rest.”
Jasper nodded, his eyes shifting to me as he headed for the door. I followed, stepping out into the hall with him.
Owned (Office Intrigue Book 8) Page 24