“And much cleaner, too.” Lawes wandered toward her, tracing a line over the wet skin of her breast. “Do you have the bath sheet?”
Hannah’s gaze fluttered at the question, and wordlessly, she watched as Fuller sauntered away, returning a moment later with a large, off-white towel. Her head was muddled despite the sleep, unable to keep up with current events.
How the hell had any of this even happened?
One moment she’d been living her perfectly average life, and now, she was captive to two narcissistic dentists, hell-bent on keeping and training her—along with who knew how many other women. How long had they been doing this, and how many other hostages were they keeping in this awful place? Hannah’s tummy furled at the questions, recalling the long lines of cages she’d witnessed. There seemed to be so many of them, and that couldn’t be good. Evidently, Lawes and Fuller had been getting away with the abduction and torment of women for a long time, a fact that sent fresh terror coursing through her body. They were professionals at this—connoisseurs—which meant they would expect to keep getting away with it. They’d be bold and nonchalant in the face of their crimes without pity or remorse.
Fuller moved toward her, opening out the towel at his approach. “Let’s get you dry, Hannah.”
She blinked at him, trying to stop her jaw from chattering but failing miserably. He was on her then, those large hands working the coarse towel over the length of her body.
“Do you want to handle her?” Lawes appeared in her line of sight behind Fuller. “One of us should get back and help Matthew and Zander.”
Fuller glanced at his colleague. “Your call,” he replied. “Since you brought her in.”
Lawes grinned. “Very kind of you, but this was your idea. A work of genius, if I may say so—those letters have worked a treat.”
Fuller’s hand paused between her legs, and he turned to beam at Lawes. “They have been working well, haven’t they?”
Lawes nodded, his attention back on Hannah. “Right. That’s how you got in touch, isn’t it, Hannah—you received one of our letters?”
She pulled in a deep breath while Fuller’s hands dried the inside of her thighs.
“Y-yes, sir.”
Christ, it was so damn cold, the temperature seeming to numb her senses altogether.
“Marvelous.” Fuller nodded, clearly proud of his effort. “With very little effort on our part, we have wonderful patients like Miss Bowman wandering in, desperate for our attention.”
“Right.” Lawes folded his arms across his chest. “A couple more cages and we’ll officially be full.”
The two men exchanged excited glances.
“This is turning out so much better than even I’d envisioned,” murmured Fuller as the towel slid down to Hannah’s ankles. “And I guarantee our techniques will work.”
Lawes’ lips twitched. “Absolutely,” he agreed. “If I recall correctly, it was Hannah who suggested the need for the filling this afternoon, and I think even she’d have to agree that was a first.”
“Is it, Hannah?”
Both of their attention was back on her now, her nipples beading into painful knots even though Fuller had dried her breasts.
“Yes, Mr. Fuller, sir.”
“Well, that is interesting.” Fuller smiled at the news. “You’ve only been here a matter of hours, and already the prospect of treatment isn’t half so terrifying as it might have been.”
Hannah blinked at him. He had a point, but only because she was so freaking terrified of what else the two of them had on the agenda. Hannah hadn’t seen everything this bleak place had to hide, but she’d seen enough. This was a building designed to capture and hold women against their will, held in chains and detained, forced to pleasure the men, and eat from pet bowls. It was horrendous and degrading like something out of one of those dystopian novels she’d been forced to read as a teenager—except this was no novel, this was Hannah’s life. Her head fell at the thought.
It was her life, chained and humiliated as she was.
But she wasn’t beaten.
Twenty
The Filling
Released from the post, Hannah’s body crumpled to the ground, but she was collected by Lawes, throwing her nonchalantly over his shoulder. The strength of the man—of both men—was bewildering, yet it seemed to be something Hannah was accepting. They could pick her up, carry her, and confine her wherever they wanted—whenever they wanted. Her breath caught at that, the degrading reality reawakening the hurt in her head.
“I’ll take her up and warm her through.” He patted her backside with the statement, then they were moving again. His long strides cut through the outside space quickly, and they were inside, though from her upside-down position, Hannah couldn’t identify which part of the enormous house they paced through until they reached the treatment room. The sterile surroundings and the glaring lights announced their arrival into the room Hannah had assumed she’d dread the most, and instinctively, her pulse quickened.
She was unfettered when Lawes placed her back on her feet, but the intensity of his glare managed to pin her to the spot.
“Can you get into the chair?” His dark eyebrow rose. “Or will you need some help, Hannah?”
Hannah glanced pensively at the looming threat he referred to—the dentist’s chair—until yesterday, her greatest fear in the world. Hannah had never contemplated the loss of her liberty, her utter subjugation, or how the hell she would deal with the physical consequences of life under Fuller and Lawes’ regime. She’d never even imagined such a place could exist, yet standing there now, she knew better, and although her reflexes warned caution about climbing back into that chair, her head told her there were far worse implications if she refused. And those ramifications could await her in the coming days whether or not she complied with Lawes’ rules.
She recalled the awful obstacle course she’d witnessed and his promise she would have to participate. Hannah’s belly furled again, knotting until it hurt. This could not be her fate. However her body responded to their orders, Hannah hadn’t consented to this, and nor had any of the other women still chained downstairs.
“Hannah?”
She lifted her head at his clipped tone. “I can get in myself, Mr. Lawes, sir.”
Lawes eyed her skeptically. “Don’t disappoint me, young lady.”
Hannah wrung her hands in front of her, ashamed at his words, even though she hadn’t done a damn thing wrong—except believing the bullshit in the letter they’d sent and responding.
“I won’t, sir.” She barely whispered the words, waiting for the giant of a man to step aside.
Time seemed to lengthen inside the white room. Sunshine spilled in from the window behind her, lighting the floor around her bare feet and Lawes’ polished shoes, but still, he didn’t speak. The tension in Hannah’s limbs ratcheted up with every passing second, her heart hammering inside her chest as she awaited his verdict.
“Okay.” Just one word, yet it was enough to assuage some of her anxiety as Lawes took a step back. “In you get.”
Her gaze rose fleetingly to meet his green eyes, then her feet were moving, forcing her body onto the one place she’d sought to resist for so long. Odd that it now brought her something in the way of sanctuary. Whatever else transpired in this nightmare, that was no mean feat for someone as phobic of the dentist as Hannah. She settled back in the chair, stretching out against the cool plastic cover. The temperature didn’t worry her in here, but she suspected it was like Lawes had told her, they intentionally ramped up the heat to keep the patients warm. Her lips twitched at the notion of the women here being patients. They were captives, held against their will just as she was, though most of them likely didn’t have a disturbing reaction to the denigration and chains as Hannah had. Most of their responses were likely more normal.
“Very good.” Lawes smiled when she turned her head to regard him. “See how far you’ve come in such a short amount of time?”
Hannah fluttered her eyes at him. “Yes, Mr. Lawes.”
He seemed like any other regular dentist, gazing down at her. He donned his spotless uniform, his expression concerned while she met his gaze. In his own way, Lawes was strikingly handsome. Dark hair and green eyes met high cheekbones. Despite his years, the guy had model looks, the sort that would have made Hannah fantasize about him under normal circumstances. His skin was warm to the touch, his smile seemingly genuine, yet something was fundamentally wrong with Lawes and Fuller, and she assumed, all the men who operated here. How could they rationalize what was going on here—how did they justify it?
“You seem calm.” His stare drilled into her nudity, the intensity reminding Hannah of just how naked she was, while naturally, he loomed over her fully dressed. “Perhaps we can dispense with the restraints today?”
Hannah’s heart raced. Dispensing with the restraints sounded like a good idea—probably the best one she’d heard since she’d arrived at this damn place.
“Yes, please, sir.”
“Yes, I thought you’d like that notion, Hannah,” Lawes smiled. He leaned closer to her face. “I would like it, too. I want to trust you. Despite your infractions, you have impressed me.”
Lawes paused, glancing away from her for a moment, but then his gaze was right back on her. Each scintillating second seeming to pinion her to the chair every bit as powerfully as the straps had done the day before.
“I have a feeling about you, Hannah. I have from the first moment you walked through my door.”
Her lips parted to respond, but Hannah had no idea what she was supposed to say.
“Don’t speak.” His instruction sliced through her train of thought. “I just want to take this moment to enjoy the look of you. Of course, I relish the bondage, but there is nothing quite like seeing a beautiful woman there in all her glory without them. And to know she’s there by choice, not by command.”
She blinked up at his face. Hannah wasn’t sure she agreed with his assertion. She couldn’t say she was here by choice, but she did appreciate the sentiment.
“If you keep being my good girl, maybe we can have more time like this.”
Hannah nodded.
“Thank you, Hannah.” Lawes’ grinned at her just as the head of the chair began to tip back, sending her body into a more horizontal position. “I enjoyed this little talk.”
She heard the door open beyond her feet, but from this new position, Hannah couldn’t see who had just entered the room.
“Ah, there you are, Matthew.” Lawes’ solved the riddle for her. “I was wondering who was going to assist me with Miss Bowman.”
“Apologies, Mr. Lawes.” Matthew’s dulcet tone floated through the air, reminding Hannah of the young, attractive guy who’d first swept her into the place. “I just got word from Mr. Fuller, you were planning a treatment.”
She’d been drawn to him then, and after her initial ordeal, Hannah remembered hoping Matthew would be the one who saved her from the lunacy, yet as he swept into her line of sight, she accepted the truth. Matthew was in on this audacious plan, complicit and culpable.
“Yes.” Lawes’ reply came from behind her. “It seems that tooth is giving Hannah some issues, so it’s better we deal with it sooner rather than later.”
“Of course.”
The sound of metal instruments clanking filled the room, and Hannah inhaled. This was the part that usually sent her into a spin, the waiting game… the part where she knew the dental work was coming, but all she could do was lie there and accept her fate.
“Er, Mr. Lawes?” Matthew’s voice was inquisitive, and reflexively, Hannah lifted her neck at the unexpected tone. He stood there, watching her, a silver tray in his right hand as his attention shifted to Lawes.
“What is it, Matthew?” It appeared, Lawes’ patience was thinning.
“The patient appears to be unrestrained.” Matthew moved closer, his focus flitting back to Hannah’s face.
“That’s right,” agreed Lawes. “Hannah is calm and has promised to be a good girl. Haven’t you, Hannah?”
She inhaled at his direct appraisal, twisting her neck to see Lawes grinning down at her. From this angle, she could imagine him forcing his hard length between her lips as he’d done earlier, and the day before, right here in the chair. Even though the notion was senseless in her current predicament, Hannah couldn’t help but think about it.
“Yes, sir.” Hannah’s face flamed as she replied, the conflict between the angst and apprehension she should be feeling—and had been experiencing—warring with the explicit images now playing out in her head.
Hannah had been terrified when Lawes had taken control, but she’d also been electrified by him—by his touch, by his authority—and even now, she couldn’t quite reconcile the concepts in her head. How could an experience which was so clearly wrong be even vaguely alluring to her? Yet she knew it had been.
It still was.
As so many times in the past, the brutality of the truth was jarring.
“Head back now.” Lawes’ hand rested on her forehead, encouraging her neck muscles to cede.
“Do you think it’s a good idea?” Matthew’s voice was hesitant. “We usually restrain all patients, sir.”
Hannah caught sight of the stare Lawes shot in Matthew’s direction.
“I want to give Hannah this chance, thank you, Matthew.” Lawes’ tone was clipped. “And in the worst case, I think the two of us should be able to handle her.”
“Yes, of course.”
A weighted silence fell over the room, and Hannah’s gaze flitted between the two men as best she could.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Lawes.”
Lawes shook his head. “Let’s get on with this procedure, shall we?”
“Open up, Hannah.” He tapped her gently on the shoulder and acting on instinct, Hannah’s lips parted while Lawes angled the hideous lamp over her mouth.
Time passed, ramping up Hannah’s natural anxiety as Lawes worked wordlessly. He numbed the area about to be drilled with the usual burst of cold air that never failed to make Hannah jump. One large, gloved hand shifted to her jaw, rubbing it in an almost tender way while he assessed what needed to be done. There was little interaction between Lawes and Matthew, save for what seemed absolutely necessary, and Hannah had the sense the younger man would be in trouble for his perceived insubordination. That was a thought that might have given her more satisfaction had she not been about to receive a damn filling, yet Hannah had to admit, there was something almost calming about the way Lawes was managing the situation.
The way he was managing her.
Even though he was masked, those green eyes seemed to speak to her, conveying some unspoken message which shouldn’t have been reassuring, but it was.
It’s okay, Hannah. She could practically hear the words resounding around her head. You’re doing well, little girl. Just stay right there, and this will all be over soon.
Hannah blinked at him, increasingly hypnotized by the strange allure of his gaze, and however it was working, she realized, it was working. She did seem calmer, less concerned as the whirring pitch of the drill approached her mouth. Even though she was naked and absurdly vulnerable, there was a part of her—however deluded—that totally bought into the illusion that Lawes gave a shit, that he cared, not just about her tooth, but her well-being in general. About her fear of the treatment—the reason she’d come here.
“Very good, Hannah.” Lawes winked at her when he handed the drill back to Matthew. “You are tremendous.”
She remained there with her mouth wide open, evidently unable to respond, and for all of that—for every ridiculous reason Hannah should have reacted with nothing but angst and disgust—a glimmer of pride bloomed in her chest at his words. Lawes was proud of her, of her behavior, her stoicism, and for some fucked-up reason, that sense of approval bolstered Hannah. She held her nerve when the drill went to work again, gripping onto the arms of the chair, but less inclined to j
ump and flee the way she would usually have wanted to. As Lawes had so wonderfully pointed out, it wasn’t the restraints keeping Hannah in place anymore, but the intensity in his eyes and the weight of his expectations—Hannah felt them keenly—she knew just what he expected. Lawes demanded her supplication, as he always did, but this time, he needed Hannah’s cooperation. She needed to remain still, to be brave, and to her utter surprise, she realized she was achieving those things. This was the most fortitude she’d showed since she was seven years old.
Then, just as she was almost in control of her fear, the drill nudged a nerve and a powerful surge of pain shot through Hannah’s mind. She jolted reflexively, her gaze widening as she processed the hurt.
“You’re okay, Hannah.” Lawes’ voice proffered a reassurance she didn’t share now that her tooth had begun to ache. “I’m nearly finished with the drill, but I need to remove a little more to have room to fill it properly.”
“Just hold still for me. Matthew, can you help us, please?”
She panted at his explanation, her fingers splayed as they grasped the arms of the chair. Oh God, he couldn’t seriously mean to drill further after jarring the nerve, could he? What was Lawes thinking? He should have given her a shot of pain relief before he started. Not that she wanted an awful fucking needle in her gum, but still, anything would be better than this nauseating anxiety.
“Of course, Mr. Lawes.” Matthew’s voice drifted over the panic, and a moment later, Hannah felt the warmth of his hands at her wrists. Her gaze darted from Lawes’ masked face to find Matthew’s. He was also wearing the full dental ensemble, his brown eyes sparkling at her while he held her down.
“Keep that mouth open,” Lawes tapped the side of her face gently as he reminded her. “Or do you need that lovely dental gag to help you again?”
Hannah shook her head at once. Literally, the last thing she wanted at this moment was to have that terrible gag shoved back inside her mouth while Lawes worked on her. She stretched her lips as wide as she could, shifting her gaze back to Lawes’ smile.
Captured: A Dark Suspenseful Gothic Romance (The Rule of Lawes Series Book 1) Page 14