by Vivian Wood
“Cherise,” the man began as he stood in front of me with his arms remaining crossed at his chest. It was as if he was going to lecture me like a naughty schoolgirl rather than begin the initiation.
I didn’t respond, but looked up into his eyes instead. I swallowed hard and struggled to breathe. For a moment, I wondered if I would die of a heart attack before the man could do anything to me.
“I’m not one to fuck around. So, let’s just get to the point. You know why you are here, yes?”
I nodded and looked down at the floor. My nerves could no longer handle the severity that I saw in his eyes and on his face. I foolishly thought I could be brave and face this initiation head on, but the tears that fell and the need to beg to be let go and pretend none of this had ever happened almost erupted from the place I thought I had securely locked my fear away.
“The Iron Colt Brotherhood are not men to cross. Betrayal equals death. And in most cases, the most torturous, agonizing death you could imagine. They want to make their enemies pay with far more than just their lives.” He took one step toward me, and I flinched as if he had just punched me in the face. “But you know that. You know what could happen to you right now if you don’t listen and comply with every detail of this initiation.”
My mind ran rampant with all the ways this man and the brotherhood would make me pay if I did a single thing wrong. Every single horror movie I ever watched played back in my head. My ragged breath came out in gasps as my vision dimmed. My ears rang, and my body quivered.
The man reached for my chin and tilted my head back so I had to look up into his eyes. “I am one of the members of The Iron Colt Brotherhood.” He paused for a moment to give me time to absorb his words. “Your initiation has begun. There is no backing out no matter how much you plead for mercy.”
“Mercy?” There was a note of hysteria in my voice as I asked, “Are you going to kill me?”
“Death would be easy compared to what we plan to do to you.”
“Torture me?”
“In the most wicked of ways. Yes.”
I flinched when I heard the cries of a woman from another room in the manor. Staring up into this monster’s eyes, I asked, “Am I not the only one being initiated? How many are there?”
“The only person you should worry about, Cheri, is you. You will need all the strength and focus you can drum up in that shaking body of yours.”
The sob I had been struggling to hold back released. It was even louder as it was amplified by the barren walls of the entryway. My shoulders shook with the effort to hold back an even more desperate wail. I feared I’d no longer be able to wear the crown of the brave queen. I could already feel it breaking, chipping, being destroyed by my fear. I was so very scared, and all I could do was watch my tears fall to the floor before my knees.
“Don’t cry, sweet princess. Not yet.” The man bent down and caressed the back of my head, once again lifting my face so I was forced to look into his unforgettable eyes. He then took a handful of hair and yanked my head back hard. “Not until one of the brothers gives you something to cry about. And we will.” Tugging on my hair harder, he inched back and looked me square on, so close to my face that I could feel his breath on my lips. I could smell his manly scent of spice and control… if control had a scent. He was so close. I could almost feel him. I knew his touch wouldn’t be soft or gentle. There was nothing but raw power exuding from this man. “We most certainly will.”
Chapter Eleven
Cheri
I hadn’t noticed that the driver was still in the manor until the man nodded at him. “I’ll take it from here.” He looked down at me and gave a fiendish smile. “As soon as I go over the ground rules and have her broken in.”
When the front door closed, I adjusted my weight to relieve the pressure on my knees. The small movement was not a good idea, however. The man, who still had a handful of my hair in his grasp, jerked me up to a standing position. The sting on my scalp had me crying out, but I didn’t resist in any way.
“First rule in this manor,” he said between clenched teeth. “You do nothing without permission. Nothing at all. I don’t care if you are uncomfortable, in pain, or just in the mood to do something of your own free will. You won’t do anything without a direct order, or you will suffer the consequences.”
He paused and waited for some type of response from me. I couldn’t talk. I was so terrified all I could only stare and nod. What consequences? But I wasn’t about to ask that question out loud.
Still holding my hair, the man led me to the stairs. “You will be expected to pay your penance into our world. You will gain your freedom from this manor and officially be initiated into The Iron Colt Brotherhood by earning diamonds. The Iron Colt Brotherhood has sentenced you to one hundred diamonds owed. Once you pay those diamonds, you are free to go and will be an honorary member of The Iron Colt Brotherhood as long as you remain married to Prince Roman Cassian. Failure to earn them, or failure to earn them at a speed that The Iron Colt Brotherhood feels is appropriate will end in death. So, the choice really is up to you.”
“You want me to pay my membership with diamonds?” I tried to turn my head to look at the man in desperation but was rewarded with a sharp pull of my hair as he led me up the stairs. “I can do that. How much are the diamonds? I will pay you all whatever you feel is fair. Whatever you want, I will pay. I’ll find a way. I swear.”
No way could I afford even one diamond, let alone several, but if diamonds were all it would take to be initiated, I was sure Roman would help me out in that regard.
I stumbled up the stairs to try to keep up with his stride. In the corner of my eye, I could see the man smirk. “Oh, you will pay. You will definitely pay.”
When we reached the landing, I tried not to focus on the cries of women I could hear coming from other rooms down the long expansive hallway. My head spun as I was trying to process what this man was telling me. What else was expected? I didn’t quite understand. Diamonds?
“The Iron Colt Brotherhood created this manor for women exactly like you. Women who need guidance, structure, and a firm hand teaching them the way of our secret life. This manor is to break the old you, so that you can accept the new way of living. Royal blood does not run through your veins, so we must force the royal into you. Old money and lineage do not make up your bones, so we must shatter your current, and brittle ones, and then heal you to have the spine of The Iron Colt Brotherhood. We must feel that every woman in this manor is ready. And you are far from ready.” The man opened up a bedroom door and shoved me across the threshold while he remained in the hallway. “As long as you earn your hundred diamonds, you will come out of this alive. Your prince will be here soon. But remember… in this manor, your prince is dark, cruel, harsh, and unforgiving. In this manor, your prince is not your knight in shining armor.”
Looking around the room, it surprised me to see that it looked like any normal guestroom that would be in such an elegant manor of its day. I was expecting a prison or dungeon of some sort by the way I had been treated so far. Instead, a large canopied bed mastered the room with lush bedding and pillows. There was a floor-to-ceiling window draped with heavy velvet curtains. Antique furniture adorned the room and was even accentuated with a large oriental rug that covered most of the marred wooden floor. The room was lovely, elegant, and welcoming. Quite the opposite of what I was anticipating.
I turned and looked at the man, who stood by the door watching me examine the room. “How do I earn the diamonds?” I was almost too scared to ask the question in fear of what I would hear.
“By doing every single thing your prince says without protest. If you argue or put up a fight, he will still act out what he intended to do, but you won’t earn a credit for it.”
“Where is Roman now?” My voice cracked, and I thought I would have to run to the small bathroom I saw attached to the room and throw up.
“He’s in the manor.”
“When do I get to se
e him?”
The man took a step toward me. “You’ll see.” He reached into a leather holder on his belt and pulled out a knife. The silver of the blade glimmered beneath the light cast by a small chandelier above. “But it’s time we begin.” He took another menacing step toward me as my heart stopped. “Remove all your clothing.”
His command was accented by the scream of a woman in another room, as if I needed a reminder of what would come if I said no.
I reached for the top button of my blouse and slowly unbuttoned it. “Am I to be a whore to earn these diamonds?” I asked, staring him directly in the eyes. “So, I have to fuck all the brotherhood if you ask in order to be free—to earn the diamonds? Is that what I am understanding?” Roman had told me that wasn’t the case, but maybe he had been wrong.
The man closed the distance between us and placed the knife at the side of my neck right below my earlobe. “Fucking you would give you pleasure. And the last thing any of us plan on doing to you right now is give you pleasure.” He ran the knife along my collarbone and down until it reached my fingertips holding the button of my blouse. He then forced the blade between the button and the fabric and started plucking the buttons right off, disrobing me his way.
I remained perfectly still. The knife was so close to my flesh that I worried the slightest move would have it slicing my skin instead of the blouse.
The man used the knife to cut through the thin band connecting my bra between my breasts. He paused and looked me directly in the eyes as the cool air kissed my now exposed nipples as he ripped the material of the bra off me.
He took a step back and said, “Now remove the rest of your clothes and stand naked before me. I will give you your first opportunity to earn a credit.” When I didn’t move right away, he raised one eyebrow and added, “You will be naked standing before me one way or the other. I’m giving you the opportunity to at least earn a credit toward your debt for the act. Your choice.”
Glancing at the knife in his hand, and then at the way his jaw clenched while he waited, I decided it best to do exactly as he commanded. At least for now. I had to regroup. Think everything through. I needed time to process, but I needed to be alive to do so. So, if all I had to do was stand naked before this complete stranger, then so be it. Trying to not overthink, or allow my pride to get in the way of my survival, I disrobed as fast as I could.
“Leave your panties on,” he instructed. “We will allow Prince Roman to take it from here.”
I froze at the sound of another pair of heavy footsteps approaching a few moments before his deep voice broke my spell of compliance.
“Yes, I’ll take it from here,” Roman said as he walked into the room, staring intently at me. “She’s mine.”
The man nodded and handed the knife to Roman, but he remained where he stood.
I wanted to run and hug him, cling to him, glue myself to his body as I begged for him to take me away from this manor of hell. I was scared and wanted him to make it all okay again. But he had warned me. He had told me this wouldn’t be easy. And he told me that the man I would see at the manor, would not be the boy I grew up with. That fact was obvious because though Roman stood in the room, staring at me nearly completely naked, he never once moved to cover me up from the eyes of the stranger. He never embraced me or offered to dry my tears. This man in the room was Prince Roman… but as I was told, he was now dark Prince Roman.
“I don’t understand what’s happening. What is going to happen to me?” My voice quivered as much as my body did. Fresh tears erupted and ran down my cheeks as I watched Roman, the cold expression on his face unfamiliar to me.
Roman closed the distance between us and put the knife under my chin so I had to look up into his brown eyes. He inhaled deeply. “The initiation begins, and you know what that means.”
I nodded every so slightly, scared of the knife under my chin.
“You understand what I must do? Who I must become?”
I inhaled deeply and blinked a few times, not being able to control the tears. I thought I could do this. I thought I was strong enough. But facing it made my stiff spine disappear.
“I love the way your tears smell against your cheeks.” He pressed the tip of the knife into my skin, forcing a gasp to break free from my closed lips. He then darted his tongue past his lips and licked a trail up my cheek, collecting my tears for his tasting. “These will not be the last of your tears,” he nearly growled as he then lowered the knife to the edge of my panties.
“Please,” I said softly. Another sob broke free. “I’ll do as you ask. I’m scared. Please don’t hurt me.”
Would he hurt me? My Roman wouldn’t… but this was a different man before me. This was Prince Roman, member of The Iron Colt Brotherhood, and he had an image to uphold.
The knife dipped below the waistband of my panties and rested against my mound. The coolness of the steel against my intimate skin had me gasp again as Roman brought his lips to my ear. “Stay still, Cheri. It would be a shame to scar this pussy of yours.”
“Please…”
I didn’t want to do this!
I wanted to leave!
I was a fool in thinking I could do an initiation like this.
I wanted out, but I also knew it was too late.
He tapped the metal of the knife against my clit, causing a surprising surge of sinful arousal. The twisted sense of desire while shaking in horror, due to my captive situation, weakened my knees. Beads of sweat formed on my upper lip as I focused on not collapsing to the floor, jamming the blade right through me.
“By the time I’m done with you, diamonds will be paid and your life will be changed forever. You will be part of The Iron Colt Brotherhood whether you like it or not for the rest of your life. But while you earn your diamonds, your life belongs to me. You belong to me. I will be your captor, your sir…” He paused for a moment and examined my body from head to toe. “Fuck that. For you. For you, my dear Cheri, I will be your master, your trainer, the keyholder to your cage, and you will be my kitty locked away in this manor—caging you in. My filthy, dirty, raw, wild kitty. Yes, The Iron Colt Brotherhood will like hearing you call me Master.” He gave a wicked smile, clearly pleased with his thoughts of what that would mean. “I will be the man who controls every single breath you take and move you make. You will call me Master, my wild kitty. Trust that your Master knows best, and you’ll survive this ordeal.”
He was serious. This man was fucking serious.
“Do you understand what I am saying, Cheri?”
I nodded, trying to stay as still as I could as the knife resting on my pussy reminded me how precarious my situation was.
“Answer me the proper way,” he said firmly.
Not sure what he meant exactly, I tried to guess and replied, “Yes, sir.”
“No, you do not call me sir. Not for you. That’s too common, and I know that you are far from common. You will call me Master, dirty girl. Say it.”
I swallowed hard and with wide eyes tried one last time to beg for mercy. “Please don’t do this. I know I said I could do this, but I’m scared. I’ll do whatever The Iron Colt Brotherhood wants me to do and say whatever they want me to say. I can keep secrets. I promise you that I will never betray them. We don’t need to do this. An initiation is not necessary.”
“But we do. All who marry a member of the brotherhood and want to truly be accepted must be initiated. You aren’t the first, and you won’t be the last.”
“Please,” I pleaded as fresh tears fell. “I beg you.”
“You aren’t begging yet. Trust me. But you will. When I’m done with you, you’ll be begging for more. You will beg for my cock to be inside of you. You will plead with those tears in your eyes for my tongue to go lower and deeper. You will beg, dirty girl. Trust me. You will beg.” He pressed the knife a little harder against my mound. “Now say it. Say yes, Master.”
“Yes, Master,” I whispered.
“Say it louder.” The knife went e
ven lower, rubbing my clit with the burn of seduction on its descent.
“Yes, Master!” I said louder as I tensed. It felt good—but was so fucking wrong.
“Say it again and look me in the eyes like a good girl.”
I opened my blurry tear-filled eyes wide and stared at him. “Yes, Master.”
“Very good,” Roman praised. “You just earned yourself a diamond.” He rubbed the knife up and down in a slow and sensual manner. He inhaled again, brought his lips to my ear, and whispered, “I smell you, dirty girl. I can smell those naughty juices of yours. I have a feeling we are going to have great fun earning your dues.”
I cried harder—more out of shame and humiliation this time rather than fear. The man who escorted me to the room was still standing there witnessing everything Roman was saying and doing to me. I couldn’t look at him, embarrassed that not only could he see me naked, but he was also witnessing me call Roman Master… and no doubt, he could see what it was doing to me. My body hungered for more, and I hated myself for it.
I was his. His.
I now had a Master.
There was nothing I could do. Nothing I could say. My cries grew louder and joined the screams from the other rooms. It was a symphony of misery. A chorus of terror. And as I looked at my new Master, I realized he would be the man orchestrating it all.
Chapter Twelve
Cheri
“So now we begin,” Roman said, removing the knife from my panties.
He raised the blade up to meet our eye level. Glancing at it, I could see it was coated with my signs of fucked-up lust and twisted sexual need. It glistened with sin. Roman was right. I was a dirty girl. Yes, filthy. So fucking wrong. I should be screaming. Demanding freedom. I should be fighting to escape, but instead I was nearly coming on a weapon used to kill.