by Dark,A. A.
“I have no power. Look at me. Look where I am.”
Jarrett slowed his pace, eyeing Eleven who stood in the doorway ahead. “You have Masters in high places who may wish to help you, am I right? Maybe ones who wanted you? Think.”
I nearly cringed. “Master Yahn wanted me, and I can’t help but think Master Kunken would at least listen if I called. But what could they do? They’re not Main Master. West will overrule anything they may do to try to help. Then, he’ll just punish me more.”
“You’re wrong and you know it. You know the new rules. Abbot told me what you requested to happen to your husband.” Jarrett glanced down but brought his eyes back up to Eleven. “Work your magic and you will be rewarded. At least until I can help you more. As for that one, stay away from him. Nothing good will come out of keeping his company, dearest Everleigh.”
I followed his line of vision, noticing how Eleven’s expression grew concerned as we approached.
“Why? Why is he here?”
Jarrett’s mouth opened, only to close. “He was Bram’s father’s slave. He and his twin sister. Just stay away from him. If it is true and Master Whitlock lives, you’ll be glad you did.”
Chapter 7
West
“What do you mean it can’t be done? I want the fucking body exhumed. I want Bram’s grave dug up and I want to see for myself whether or not the bastard’s remains are in there.”
“We’re talking about Bram Whitlock, here. You can’t go digging up his casket without good cause.”
“So find one! Or, you know what, I will. Fuck this, fuck him, and fuck you. That …motherfucker. He has to be alive. He has to.”
“Motherfucker? Bastard?” Master Kunken’s eyebrow rose even though a smile tugged at his lips. “Strong words for someone who was your best friend.”
“Best friend or not, Bram was an asshole. Not only to me but to everyone here. If he’s still alive and trying to play some sort of sick game, I’m going to put a stop to it. Tell me who wrote that poem? Tell me how the system is suddenly working? Explain why Everleigh has seen him? Tell me, dammit! There are one too many things that aren’t adding up. My wife may be crazy, but she’s not completely insane. She saw him. I know she did.”
A shrug drew in Master Kunken’s shoulders and he pushed his hands into his pockets. “Maybe she did see him. It does not mean he was really there. As for the poem and the scribbling throughout, I’ve talked to the guards. One admitted to seeing another mimic your wife’s handwriting as a sort of joke. The man responsible will pay. Concerning the actual poem ... If it was Bram, it doesn’t mean he still lives. Think about it. He was in love with your wife, was he not? Surely, he wouldn’t let her suffer through this abuse if he were truly alive?”
He wouldn’t. But what if he was? Had I thought I knew Bram? I didn’t.
“Abuse? She is getting off easily for her crimes against me. I am the husband. I am her Master. She should be dead right now. Besides, Bram wouldn’t save her if Whitlock hung in the balance. The only thing he knows is duty. He’d have Whitlock’s best interest in mind before hers.”
“I’m not so sure about that. If what you say is true and he is alive, I do believe he’d have killed you by now. Would he not? Did you not rape Mistress Harper on numerous occasions? Did you not lash and beat her? I knew Master Whitlock. I can’t see him holding back if the woman he loved was threatened. After all, it’s not like you’d be hard to kill. Especially now. Why isn’t he in this room slitting your throat? Torturing you for putting his poor Everleigh through hell? It’s not as though the guards would stop him.”
My eyes narrowed, angrily. “I am their Main Master. Not him. Not even if he returned. His reign is over. I rule Whitlock now. This place is mine.”
Silence filled my bedroom as Master Kunken began to pace. “It is true nothing like this has happened before, but he is Bram Whitlock. This fortress rightfully belongs to him. He will remove you from power, and given what you’ve done to your wife, I know for a fact he would kill you. Why he hasn’t yet only tells me you fear for nothing. Master Whitlock is dead. These … suspicions you have are unwarranted.”
My head shook. “You’re right in the fact that he would try to kill me. He will. If you ask me, I think he’s incapable at the moment. Maybe he’s not strong enough yet. I saw his wounds. He was stabbed three times in the chest. One had to have punctured his heart. I fucking saw it. If he’s alive, he’s not well. At least not well enough to try to overthrow me.”
“Overthrow?”
“That’s right,” I snapped. “He may be Bram Whitlock, but there are Masters here who prefer my rule. They’ll stand by me. They’ll rise up if I refuse to step down. They want me as their Main Master, not him. He ruined this place. He damn near destroyed it with shutting everything down. I brought back the executions. The Cradle. Something you have been wanting for years. How’s the meat at such a tender age, Master? Tell me, what you prefer?”
Master Kunken’s eyes cut over, only to go back to the floor as he ate up the length of the long room.
“What I want is not of consequence. If Bram is alive, I have bigger problems than worrying about who will run this place or what changes you’ve made to Whitlock. He’ll barely notice those once he discovers …”
I groaned as I pushed to sit up higher against the headboard. “Discovers, what?”
Fat fingers rubbed over his forehead. “Nothing.”
“No, it’s fucking something. What the hell have you done? Why do I know nothing about what worries you? I am Main Master! I should know everything that happens concerning this place.”
Master Kunken stopped, but kept his head lowered. “There are many things you don’t know. You may be Main Master, but I rule the board. I hear everything—from slave accounts to behind the scenes with the guards. That gives me more power than you know.” He paused and I could tell he was debating on whether or not to spill his secret.
“Then you should be telling me so I know. That’s a big problem. Do you think you’re irreplaceable? You’re not. Far from it. I know Masters who would love to take your spot. Master Yahn, for one. Now, spit it out. You’ve obviously done something really bad. You need me to rule so let’s fucking hear it.”
Silence lasted for all of a few seconds before he let out a rumbling groan. “I have a scout in my pocket. A man who I have dealt with on occasion. He’s the one who took my niece.”
“And? You don’t think Bram knew that after the auction? I assure you he did. Why would that warrant so much of his attention?”
“Bram’s death gave me the perfect opportunity to have him collect someone special. Someone I’ve had my sights set on for quite a while. Someone I could have never of had if Bram lived.”
“Who?” My head cocked to the side and my heart was beginning to increase in rhythm. If Bram was the barrier between Master Kunken and his meal, the chances of me knowing this person were high. Very high.
“It doesn’t matter. It’s done. The boy has already been taken.”
“Boy?” Even as I ask, my stomach turned. I only knew of one boy connected to Bram and it had my teeth grinding together. I’d been there through the birth. Sat outside and watched as little Alvin was wheeled by. The toddler couldn’t be quite three years old yet. “You took his cousin? You took Melinda’s kid, didn’t you?”
“He doesn’t even associate with that side of the family. Why should it matter?” Master Kunken, exploded.
“That’s his cousin! His blood, you idiot. We were there for the birth. It matters. Did you not think I would notice when the auction rolled around? What the fuck were thinking! He’s not a Whitlock, but he’s close enough. His disappearance has probably made all kinds of headlines with his father being your rival. Jesus! You ignorant, greedy fool.”
“This coming from the man who killed his best friend?” Master Kunken’s finger rose as he pointed at me. “I know you were involved in Bram’s death. Deny it all you want, but I am no fool like you stated. Greedy, yes. I’ll a
dmit that. But so are you. We are all gluttonous bastards who lurk in this palace of perversions. Tell me, Main Master, what depths have you taken to win over the wickedness that whispers so prettily in your ear? What crimes and debaucheries have you undergone to get where you are today?”
A smile peeled back over my teeth and I bit my bottom lip through the evil and anger that swam ferociously within. Master Kunken was mine, now. Mine to control however I pleased. “More than you know. More than you could ever imagine. But let’s not focus on me. Let’s look at the facts. If Bram’s alive, he’s going to want both of us dead. We can’t let that happen. We have to stand together. We have to kill him for good this time. To know what we’re up against, I need you to work with me. I can’t leave this bed. You have to go to his grave. You have to be there when they exhume the body. We have to know the truth.”
“And if he’s not there? If he’s alive?”
My eyes rose to the corner of the room where I knew a camera rested. “We find out where the hell he is and we end this once and for all. Jarrett, my new High Leader, is already searching through every room in this place. If he’s hiding out somewhere here, we’ll find him.”
A laugh filled the room and I couldn’t help but glare through my anger.
“You really think your new High Leader will tell you if he comes across Master Whitlock? You would be the fool, then. The majority of these guards will stand with Bram.”
“No. They will stand with me because if they don’t they’ll be impaled and put on display in City Center. They will not betray me.”
“You better pray they don’t. If they do, a hundred Masters at your side will make little difference to the force these hired killers will bring.”
“They’ll stick with me. Fear always overpowers loyalty. And you better believe they fear me.”
“Do you not think they were afraid of their previous Master?”
I laughed. “Of course they were. But they didn’t know true fear. I’ve shown it to them. I’ve introduced a whole new level of fucked-up inside this place. Ol’ man Whitlock may have had the executions, but he thought his guards were above being tortured or killed in City Center. They know the moment they betray me, they’ll be my new lawn decorations. Even Bram wouldn’t have gone that far.”
Master Kunken’s lips pursed. “We’ll see. We may very well be worrying over nothing. In the meantime, I’ll look into the body. You rest and heal. I’ll take care of it.”
“I want to see. If I can’t be there, I want live footage. I have to know for myself.”
“As you wish. Just so you know, before you see,” he said, gesturing to the laptop lying on the bed next to me, “I’m off to visit your wife. She’s requested council with me as leader of the board. You know what this means.”
I paused. My mind was spinning at what to do about Everleigh.
“And if I said I didn’t want you to see her?”
He laughed under his breath. “I would respect your wishes, but not follow them. You know how this works, Main Master. You may rule Whitlock, but I run the board. That doesn’t change. A crime has been committed. I’m doing my best to turn a blind eye, but not appearing at all will start rumors amongst the Masters. I can’t have that. Besides, I think I’d enjoy listening to her try to throw you under the bus. I suspect she’ll be willing to go far to beg for her freedom.
“Will you give it to her?”
He took a step back, dipping his head as he turned to walk to the door. “I haven’t decided yet. I guess we’ll see soon enough.”
The door shut and I grabbed the computer, putting it on my lap as I rested back against the propped-up pillows. The moment I turned up the volume, voices came through.
“How long are you going to keep up this silent treatment, Mistress?” Hesitation. “At least tell me what I did to upset you.”
Everleigh was resting on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Blood had dried, blotching over her face and arms as she rested almost completely still. If it wasn’t for the slow rise and fall of her chest, I would have assumed she was dead. Just the thought had my cock hardening.
“This is ridiculous. How many times have I saved you? I thought you were different. I thought you could help me.”
Everleigh blinked hard, turning to stare at the wall. “I know who you are, Eleven. I know who you belonged to.”
I pulled up the man’s room, making the dual screen so I could watch both of them. There was a sadness on his handsome face. He couldn’t have been older than his early twenties. Possibly younger than Everleigh, but not by much. His dark hair was on the longer side. The defined jawline was covered with slight growth, but there was a patchiness that told me he didn’t have to shave often. With his somewhat boyish features, I wracked my brain to figure out who he was. There was a familiar sense to him, yet not. If I’d seen him before, I couldn’t place him.
“Who told you? Was it was the guard carrying you?”
“He’s our new High Leader. His name is Jarrett.”
“And what did he say? I have a right to know so I can defend the truth if he lied.”
A loud exhale left Everleigh. “It doesn’t matter what he said. The fact is, I can’t talk to you. I can’t have anything to do with you. You may have saved my life, but I told you not to. From the beginning, I told you to leave me alone.”
“You can’t do this by yourself no matter how much you want. What are you so afraid of by letting me help you?”
She slapped against the wall and the guy’s head reared back.
“You say you hear so much down here. You don’t act like it. Is it a friend you really want? Have you not heard what I do to my friends? Have you not seen for yourself what I’m capable of?”
“You’re talking about the guard and skinning that girl. I saw you. I also heard about her. From what I was told, your sick husband made you do it.”
“No. He may have made me start, but at one point I was given the choice to stop. I continued. Do not for one second underestimate me and think I will not kill you if I get the itch to.”
“Try to make me fear you all you want. Try to push me away. It’s not going to work. I need you.”
Everleigh turned to her back, again, staring at the ceiling. “You need someone who would kill you if she thought it would benefit her? Why?”
“Because you’re going to become a Mistress again. The Master you called for is going to set you free.” He sat up, drawing his feet toward his ass as he rested his arms on his knees. His hands dangled down, but his fingers pulled in, flexing. “When you get out, you’ll have power. You’ll have status. I want you to get me out of here and make me your slave.”
“My slave!” Everleigh flew up, too, staring at the wall in what looked to be shock. “My husband would never allow me to have you as a slave. Even if I did have my own apartment, he still wouldn’t let me keep you. He’d,” she paused, glancing right at the camera before she swallowed hard. “He’d kill you, Eleven. He may kill you for even speaking to me. Don’t you see? Leave me alone. He hears us. He hears everything.”
“He can’t keep you from having a slave if you’re not with him. You’re a Mistress. And I promise not to touch you. I don’t like women. Not that way. You’d be safe with me. I’d protect you.”
“You want me to keep you? If so, be truthful with me. You belonged to the old Master Whitlock. You and your twin sister. Is that true?”
Eleven shut his eyes and I could see the raw emotion flash on his face. Although I knew of the boy, it was hard imaging the two were the same. How long had it been? Years …? Too many years.
“Yes. It’s true. I belonged to the older Master Whitlock.”
“Where is your sister?”
“Dead.”
“How?”
He took a deep breath, wiping a tear as it began to fall. “I killed her. He made me. If I wouldn’t have, he was going to extend her torture for weeks more. I couldn’t let her go through that so I drove the dagger into her heart and en
ded her life. I freed her.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not. It was for the best. I couldn’t bear to fuck her one more time. I couldn’t do that to either of us, again.”
“Jesus.” Everleigh, wiped her face, too, and I saw fresh tears escape almost immediately. She seemed to be taking it harder than him, and for reasons I didn’t quite understand. Was she seriously contemplating on keeping this man?
“How old were you when this happened? When you got here?”
“We were taken and sold when we were seven. I finally killed her when we were fourteen.”
The frame creaked as my wife stood and walked to the wall furthest from the bed. She was holding her hand over her mouth, trying to stop the sounds that I knew wanted to leave her from the crying. She was suddenly too emotional. Too affected by his story.
Dark hair extended above her head as she slid down the length of the wall to sit with her arms hugged around her shins. Slowly, she rocked, staring off into the white while she got control of herself. Moments went by before she began to speak again.
“How did you end up here? Was it for killing your sister?”
“No. She was just replaced with others. Others he made me fuck and kill. That was Master Whitlock’s thing. He enjoyed torturing me that way. It was his son, Master Bram Whitlock that sent me here when his father died. He hated me. Or hates …” He took a ragged breath and I could see the sudden focus on her face as she listened. “For years I watched the old man humiliate Bram on a daily basis. I was no one so therefore he didn’t mind degrading and beating his son in front of me. And such beatings. Perhaps he was trying to mold him into the Main Master this place needed, or maybe he enjoyed his son’s pain. Regardless, I think Bram had it worse than everyone. Especially me. I never understood it. Sure, I was made to fuck and kill, but Bram … he went through hell while I sat back and watched. It’s probably why he hates me so much. I got treated better than him and he was Master Whitlock’s own son.”
“What sort of things did Master Whitlock make Bram do?”