by Vivian Wood
“If the army of photographers didn’t scare me off, I seriously doubt some ancient society can,” she said with a warm smile that I desperately needed to see at that moment. “Do we have to ask their permission to get married or something?”
“Yes,” I said flatly. “In a way. Everything about the brotherhood is surrounded by secrecy. Therefore, when I go to a meeting, gathering, event, and so forth, it is forbidden to discuss it with anyone who isn’t a member. Business deals conducted among the brotherhood are to be treated as highly classified. Nothing can be discussed outside the walls of the society… even with your spouse. Doing so could mean extreme consequences that could even lead to death for both the member and the spouse. By simply being married to me, you’re at risk. I would have to hide a lot from you, even lie and betray in order to protect you.”
Cheri’s eyes narrowed, and just as she was about to no doubt snap at me for something in the lines of her not accepting lies and betrayals, the waiter approached the table to ask us if we wanted any dessert. She declined, as did I, since clearly our minds were focused on something far more important.
When the waiter left, I said, “Which is something I don’t want to do with you. I don’t want to lie or keep you in the dark about anything. I want an open partnership, and frankly will want you by my side at any dinner, event, or fucked up gathering of the rich and powerful. You aren’t a delicate snowflake, and, therefore, I don’t want you treated as such.”
“Do you want me to become a member? Is that it?”
I shook my head. “I wish it were that simple. Because the society is so archaic with very old school beliefs, no woman can truly be a member. But women can marry into the brotherhood if they’re willing to be initiated. They have to earn their way in.”
“Initiated? What does that mean? Like a college hazing?”
“Far from it,” I said. “The initiation is unlike anything you could possibly imagine. It’s not easy, it will demand things from you that only the strong can survive, and it will change your life forever.”
“And you want me to do this initiation?”
I nodded. “I do. It’s the only way to keep you safe, to keep our future family safe, and to appease the brotherhood. I keep myself cloaked in the shadows of The Iron Colt Brotherhood normally. I don’t stand out, or attend many functions unless I absolutely have to. Unfortunately, getting married to you places both of us front and center for a short time. If we play by their rules, do exactly as they ask, earn their trust, I know that we can then go back into the shadows and not be involved.”
“So what do I have to do?” she asked, not seeming afraid at all. I didn’t know if I should be proud of her bravery or angry at her foolishness.
“Submission. Full surrender to The Iron Colt Brotherhood.”
“What the fuck does that mean?” she asked, her bravado morphing into a mix of curiosity and distaste.
“If you agree to the initiation, you’ll be picked up by an unknown member tomorrow and brought to a secret location. You’ll be expected to show that you are willing to give your body and soul to the society. You will be expected to earn their trust by showing them you can do whatever they ask no matter what it is. They will make you show your true submissive self and abandon the woman you once were. Their intent will be to break you in order to allow you to rebuild as an honorary member of the society. They’ll expect to see sacrifice, shame, humility, and complete abandon to all you once believed sacred. The initiation is about releasing every shield and boundary you once had.”
I was practically reciting the words of the brotherhood word for fucking word, and I hated doing it. I was not a man to be told what to do, but I also wasn’t going to put my future bride at risk.
I watched Cheri as she processed my words. I supposed it was a good sign that she didn’t just jump out of her seat and storm out of the restaurant. I couldn’t possibly imagine what was going through her mind.
“What do you mean by give my body? Will I be expected to have sex with them? Is this some sort of gang bang or something?” she asked.
“Fuck that. No way. I would never allow something like that to happen to you. You are mine, and mine only. Though, I have seen initiations where the participant isn’t allowed to choose her partners. My royal blood and lineage gives me some power to make some demands. The only person you will be fucking is me.”
“I’m not following you at all. Are you saying I have to fuck you to be initiated? Can’t you inform them that little deed has already occurred?” Her wicked smile was endearing. Even as we discussed some corrupt and immoral shit, she was able to keep a sense of humor.
“You will be going through much more than just fucking. It’s not that simple. It will push you further than you have ever been pushed. You think you know kink… after the initiation, you will see how pure your thoughts and actions were in comparison.”
“So sex? The initiation is about sex?”
“Yes, and no. You’ll be expected to go through days of sexual submission… but to me. And The Iron Colt Brotherhood will be observing to make sure it is done to their standards. They will be watching to see if you truly are prepared to enter this dark and twisted world.” I took a deep breath to make sure that my next words came out calm and collected. “And, Cheri… I will understand if you say no. I understand if you don’t want to go down this dark path. But I hope you do. It will all be worth it in the end. You will be my equal rather than a woman blinded to the shadows around her.”
“If I fuck you, and become your what… slave?”
“Maybe. If the brotherhood feels it so. But most likely you will be expected to have me dominate every inch of your body.” I took a sip of wine and then gave a tentative smile. “I do feel that I can make this entire process enjoyable for you.”
Her eyes widened. “So BDSM stuff? This sounds… crazy.”
“I know how it sounds. But this is my world. It’s not all galas, gowns and tiaras. My world is black, leather, chains, and danger. You need to know what you are getting yourself into if you truly want to be my bride.”
She sat there staring at me. Her emotionless face made it impossible to read her. I couldn’t tell if she was angry, offended, curious, or considering it all.
“The question is,” I said, “do you still want to marry me? Even if it means you going through this initiation to make that happen?”
The long pause had my heart beating so hard that I actually wondered if the room of diners could hear it. I wanted her desperately to say yes, but I also knew that the information I had just given her and the proposal of what would come next was enough to scare her right back to Costa Rica.
“Yes, I want to marry you,” she said softly. “But if I do this, will I be safe?”
I didn’t want to lie to her. I knew that the answer she wanted to hear was me to say of course she would be. But that was not the truth.
“You’ll be safe as long as you do as you are told. There is no backing down or changing your mind once you start. They’ll kill you before they let you go. But if you do everything asked of you, and you allow me to lead us toward the light, we will get out of the darkness. But you will have to have complete trust in me. I’ll get us through this as hard as it may be to believe it at times. I’m not going to lie to you and say this will be easy. I also wouldn’t ask you to do this if I didn’t think you were strong enough. Very few spouses can do what I’m asking of you. But I know you, Cheri. I know you wouldn’t want the same life most women in my circle live. You aren’t the type of woman who can simply sit on a board for some charity, attend fancy parties and smile. You’ll want more. You’ll want all of me and all of my life. You won’t want secrets. You don’t want to be the woman who has to be sent away when important business decisions are discussed.”
“That’s true,” she said. “I know that’s the life my mother led, and I don’t want that. She played dumb and just acted like she knew nothing. I’m assuming my father was a member of The Iron Col
t Brotherhood since I had heard them mentioned when I maybe shouldn’t have. I had heard stories, saw some at parties with their hired guards, and even at dinner at my house. Though my mother never acted like she knew a thing. My father protected her, and now I know why. But look where that put her. She’s weak, penniless, and delusional that all will be fine and someone will take care of her. I promised myself I never would be like her in that regard. I won’t be a weak, helpless and kept woman no matter if I marry a prince or not. So, if doing this initiation means I can marry you but still retain my strength and not just be arm candy to a prince, then yes, I want to go through with this. No matter how scary and daunting this sounds.”
A sense of relief and fear attacked me at once. I would do everything within my power to keep her safe, but I also knew how the brotherhood operated.
“They will kill you, Cherise, if you agree to this and then get cold feet. Once you open this door, there is no turning back. They will consider it an act of betrayal.”
She nodded slowly. “But they won’t kill me or hurt me as long as I act submissive and do as I am told. I can do this… if it means I can marry you but not eventually lose myself in the royal life… it will be worth it.”
“But I really want you to understand. It will be sexual. It will be depraved in more ways than you can imagine. It will also tap into your most forbidden and taboo desires. You will feel pleasure and pain, fear and ecstasy all bundled together. Your mind will scream that everything happening to you is wrong, but your body will overrule by knowing it’s right. I will be there. I will guide you, but this journey is yours.”
She nodded again. “So what happens next? When does this initiation happen?”
“You’ll be picked up tomorrow by someone who works for the brotherhood. I’m not sure when, or where, but it will happen. We are going to tell everyone that you and I are on an engagement trip. I have no idea how long we’ll be away for this initiation, so we will not give a date of our return. The media, our families and friends, will all just assume we are on a romantic trip.”
“And when will I see you?” she asked.
“I’ll be there. I don’t know all the details either. I don’t know everything that will happen, or what will be asked of you. But I assure you, that I will be there.”
“Okay. I’ll do it.”
“Cheri…” I began. “You need to take this seriously. The men in charge of the initiation can be cruel and without mercy. I will do everything within my power to protect you, but I can’t if you get mouthy, fight back, or try to run. The minute I tell The Iron Colt Brotherhood that you have accepted to be initiated, you will have to completely comply.”
“I understand that,” she said softly. “I knew that marrying you would come with some hidden ties. I knew this.”
“I also need to warn you,” I said in an even tone. “I am not going to be the Prince Roman you grew up with when we are among the brotherhood. You will see the devil inside me emerge. I need you to be prepared.”
She nodded and locked eyes with mine. “I can do this, Roman. I will. If it means that we can live our lives together without this chain around our necks, then I will do it.”
And I would as well. I knew deep down that the initiation had to happen for us to ever be able to live a normal life. I didn’t want to have to fear for her life, or have to make deals to keep her safe. I had power in the brotherhood, and I wanted my wife to as well. It wouldn’t be easy, but I knew if any woman could pull through this, it would be my Cheri.
Chapter Ten
Cheri
I saw the black sedan waiting on the corner as I took a morning walk. I knew they would come, but that didn’t ease the fear I had. There was no way around the inevitable no matter how much I had hoped otherwise. If I wanted a life with Roman not cloaked in dark secrets, I needed to allow this initiation to happen. There was no escaping The Iron Colt Brotherhood in this new life of mine, so I might as well embrace all that it meant and required from me. But though my mind tried to be reasonable, my body, my heart, and my terrified soul screamed out against it.
I could run. Self-preservation kicked in as my eyes darted from side to side looking for an escape route. Yes, I could run… and I would be caught. Running from The Iron Colt Brotherhood only made things worse. I knew this.
Fuck. I knew this.
It was time for the initiation.
Lifting my chin, straightening my spine, and taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I approached the vehicle. In order to survive, I would need to face the monster head on. Maybe if I showed no fear, I could mask my terror with bravado. Charm and grace had worked wonders for me in the past, and there was always hope that those same attributes, when utilized correctly, could work again.
As I approached the driver’s side of the car, the tinted window lowered to reveal a man with a rigid jaw, dark eyes, and about two days’ growth of facial hair. I didn’t recognize him, but I didn’t need to in order to know he worked for The Iron Colt Brotherhood. I assumed people who looked cold and emotionless all worked for The Iron Colt Brotherhood. All employees seemed to be the same. No friends or family really. Loners. A past that made them not care about the future. I had seen enough at parties, heard enough stories about what they did, but seeing someone up close and personal… for me… was a different experience.
“Get in the car,” he ordered. His tone was flat, firm, and just like his appearance, void of life.
For a split second, the thought of running attacked all my senses again, but I pushed it to the deepest depth of my being, opened the back door, and climbed in. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. I kept hearing the words of my mother when I was a child telling me to never get into the car of strangers. Never speak to strangers. Never do what I was doing.
Before I could fasten my seatbelt, the car took off. “Where are we going?” I asked. My voice sounded foreign to my own ears. It quivered and sounded weak and helpless. I swallowed hard and tried to chase that cowardly woman away. I wasn’t her. I was a fighter. A powerful woman. A motherfucking queen. I had battle scars to prove it. “Did The Iron Colt Brotherhood send you?” I asked, willing myself to sound much stronger this time.
The man didn’t answer, but I saw his eyes look back at me in the rearview mirror. He diverted eye contact quickly, and it was then that panic set in. No one wanted to connect with a dead man walking. No, Roman would never allow them to hurt me. But what if he didn’t have the control I thought he did? What if they were far more powerful than Prince Roman? It was possible… and I could be walking toward my own death.
Make wise choices, my mother used to say.
I clearly didn’t listen.
I should have said no when Roman told me about the initiation. I should have been fine not knowing what was ever really going on. Why did I agree to this? Why? Staring out the window at the passing scenery, I wondered what would have been better.
Bile formed in the back of my throat as I watched us drive into the abyss, further and further into the bayou—out in the middle of nowhere. Someplace that no one would be able to hear the bullet shot through my head, or my cries for mercy as they tortured me first if I didn’t do exactly what they said as Roman had instructed me to do. We were driving so far out of the city that my body would never be found. My fate would be sealed.
Would Roman even be able to find me for a proper burial?
The car turned down a narrow dirt road, and my heart stopped. This was it. This emotionless man driving, who didn’t say a single word, planned to escort me to... to what? God, what was about to happen?
It didn’t take long for me to see something unexpected. A large manor loomed in the distance. Dark, gray, ominous, and it appeared as if the devil himself resided within the walls. It was so large that I wondered if it maybe was once a boarding school, or owned by some wealthy oil tycoon who had more money than even The Iron Colt Brotherhood. Though I was certain the mansion had once been a testament to the opulence of yesteryear,
the structure now looked nearly abandoned cast against the setting sun. If it weren’t for the cars parked in the massive circular driveway, I would have thought the house completely deserted and haunted by all the spirits of murdered souls.
I was about to join those forgotten souls myself if I didn’t obey every command and follow every rule. Roman had warned me. Yes, he had warned me, but I had no idea how daunting all of that was until I sat here about to face it head on.
It was as if the manor was lost in time—once magnificent, but now eerily haunting. Large windows with a faint light emerging through the stained glass of the second floor gave the cold structure some signs of warmth and life. But then the sharp-pitched roof with the crumbling brick chimneys reminded me of the deathlike aura. Would my body be tortured and killed inside those walls? Was I staring at my own coffin?
When the car pulled up to the front entrance, I saw a man waiting outside wearing a black suit with a crisp white shirt unbuttoned at the neck. He was at the bottom of the stairs, arms crossed, his huge figure looming in front of the manor. His hair was black, his eyes dark, and from the firmness of his expression, I was pretty sure that his inner being was even darker than his outer appearance.
The driver got out of the car, opened my door, and yanked me out of the vehicle. With a strong grip of my upper arm, my chauffeur half-dragged me to the waiting man since my feet could barely keep up with his speed and purpose. As we approached the steps, both men silently climbed their way to the front door and pulled me inside. Once we reached the foyer, I was shoved to the floor.
“Kneel,” the man who had been waiting for me said.
Too panicked to do anything else, I scrambled to my knees and did as he said while I quickly tried to scan my surroundings. A glorious staircase mastered the entire space with its intricately carved banister spiraling alongside the wooden steps. Original pocket doors concealed rooms on each side of me, and the scarred wooden floor beneath my knees countered the lavishness of the chandelier dangling over me.