Countered: A Dark Suspenseful Gothic Romance (The Rule of Lawes Series Book 2)

by Felicity Brandon

  “Do what you like, sir,” April spat. “You won’t make me compliant, whatever you do. You should know, I will never stay of my own free will, and just like Hannah, one day, I am going to get out of here, except you won’t catch me.”

  Fuller’s eyes widened at her assertions and emboldened, April rose to her knees as best she could in the cage, her hand clutching the bars.

  “And know this. When I get out of here, I am going to bring this whole sordid house of cards tumbling down around your ears, Fuller. You’ll see what happens to sick fucks like you when they’re locked up inside—when you’re the one behind bars.” April smashed her fist against the metal, ignoring the bloom of pain that sprung from the action, and instead, focused only on her racing heart and the look of disbelief on Fuller’s face.

  “Oh, April.” He shook his head as if he was disappointed, and a fresh surge of anger coursed through her.

  This prick had no right to be disappointed in her. She didn’t belong to him. April didn’t belong to anyone. She’s been single and happy enough—until she’d wandered unwittingly into his new world of pain.

  “Why do you always have to do things the hard way?”

  She glanced away from the question, her irritation threatening to expel itself in frustrated tears if she wasn’t careful, and that was the last thing she wanted. April had sworn to herself, she would never break down in front of any of these bastards again, and she was grimly resolved to adhere to her one rule.

  “There is no other way, Mr. Fuller.” She tilted her head to look into his face when she finally answered his query. “Because there is no other way.”

  Four

  Hannah

  The air was warm when Hannah stirred, but it had that dank quality to it, the kind that seemed to cling to her hair and get stuck in her throat. She knew where she was. There was no need for her eyes and ears to confirm the fact, Hannah already knew her worst nightmares had come true. She was back in the basement.

  Back in the cage.

  As if Hannah’s limbs needed to reinforce the notion, one foot kicked out, hitting the bars beyond her and jarring the remaining sleep from her head.

  “Hannah?”

  Her heart leapt at the sound of her name. How did anyone here know her name?

  “Yes.” Hannah pulled herself upright, ignoring the tenderness of her ass and covering her breasts out of instinct, although every woman she could see was as naked as she was. “Yes, I’m Hannah.”

  She peered from between the bars to find numerous pairs of eyes on her, but it was a short blonde haired woman across the room who seemed to have spoken. She reached forward, one hand clasping the bars.

  “Are you okay? We never had the chance to ask you before.”

  “I’m…” Hannah felt the heat of a blush climb to her cheeks at the question. It was a ridiculous reaction to a perfectly sane question, yet something about this absurd, humbling situation robbed her of the appropriate words.

  “It’s okay.” The blonde woman’s voice was soothing. “You’re among friends here. We’re all in the same situation. We’ve all been duped by the monsters upstairs.”

  Hannah offered her a small smile. She wanted to believe the blonde’s words—she could sure use some friends—but still, the last time she’d trusted a stranger, she’d ended up here. Her gaze ran down the line of cages on the opposite side of the room. They were all filled with smiling women, except the one directly adjacent hers, which was empty.

  “I’m Lucy.” The blonde continued, despite Hannah’s silence. “Why don’t we all introduce ourselves to Hannah.”

  “I’m Audra.” The voice came from somewhere to her right, though she couldn’t see its owner. Hannah listened in amazement as each woman took turns introducing herself. There must have been at least nine voices, a notion that both comforted and disturbed her.

  “H-how long have you all been here?” Hannah didn’t know why she asked, yet it was the first question at her lips. She keenly felt the biting sense of doom about the situation—all these women just stuck here, trapped by the sick fantasies of Lawes and Fuller.

  Fuck.

  “I was the first. I lost track of how long I’ve been here, but it’s definitely weeks. Maybe months.” Lucy’s voice was steely as though she’d had far too many hours to contemplate the idea. The knot of tension in Hannah twisted. “It was me, then came April.” Lucy gestured toward the empty cage beside her. Silence hung in the air like the enduring stench of damp that lurked in the basement.

  “And where is April?” Hannah could barely ask, but sensed it was important to find out. April had been the woman who’d caused the distraction yesterday, the one who’d enabled her to flee the practice, and even though Hannah hadn’t succeeded, she needed to look that woman in the eyes—to thank her.

  “In a whole heap of shit,” muttered another woman from further down the line.

  “Upstairs,” answered Lucy in a cutting tone. “Being punished for trying to escape. Just like you were, right?”

  Hannah shifted at the horrifying accuracy of Lucy’s words, her tender ass clenching out of instinct. She was right. Hannah’s backside had been pounded to within an inch of her life, and if it hadn’t been for Fuller, she knew Lawes would have continued. He’d have taken all his angst and anger out on her.

  Fuller.

  She swallowed as the image of the man sprung into her mind. Fuller hadn’t only saved her from being pulverized last night, he was also the one who suggested Lawes continue Hannah’s punishment today. And he’d been the one who’d torn the pleasure from her exhausted body once the others had been dismissed. He’d demanded her supplication, and like a fool, she had given it to him. Hannah inhaled at that realization. She’d conceded just to receive the release of that orgasm. A wave of shame washed over her when her gaze met Lucy’s again.

  “That’s right.” Her words were only a whisper. “That happened to me last night.”

  “The pillory?” It was one of the other women talking now, though, for the life of her, Hannah couldn’t remember what the brunette’s name was.

  “Yes. It was…” Her throat dried at the memory, both her ass and pussy tingling.

  “It’s okay,” Lucy interrupted her train of thought. “We’ve all been there. We all understand.”

  Hannah exhaled. She doubted all the other women in these crates had been brought to a mind-blowing orgasm by Fuller while trapped in the pillory, but then, she supposed, she didn’t know. Perhaps they had.

  Maybe this good cop, bad cop routine was normal in this world of abnormalities.

  “Will April be okay?” Hannah raised her chin and met Lucy’s gaze directly.

  Suddenly, she was filled with concern for this unknown woman. She hoped Lawes wasn’t taking his pent-up frustration out on her.

  Lucy laughed, a deep, cynical sound that poked at the swarming guilt inside Hannah. “April will be fine,” she told her. “She’s a stalwart. Lawes will never break her.”

  Hannah pressed her lips into a hard line, pausing for a moment, trying to find the right words. “I can’t believe this is happening to me.” Had they been the right words? Hannah wasn’t even sure.

  “I know,” another soft voice replied. “We all felt that way. At least at the beginning.”

  Hannah shook her head slowly, fighting back the tears. Pulling her legs into her body, she ignored her screaming ass and hugged herself.

  “What… what do they want with us?”

  Lucy’s laughter danced through the dark basement. “Isn’t it obvious yet?” Her gaze narrowed as she appraised Hannah. “They want a basement full of pets, Hannah.”

  Hannah gulped at Lucy’s stark tone, though deep down, her worst fears suspected she was right.

  “They want to keep us.”

  Five

  April

  “April, April, April…”

  Lawes sighed as he wandered a circuit around the bound woman. She was fettered in the middle of his office, the space in f
ront of the fire having been filled with an oversized rug before her arrival. Frankly, she supposed she should be grateful after all the trouble she’d caused them, but still, the hogtie position was becoming uncomfortable fast. Lawes had insisted on it, though. He was the harder of the two men.

  Lawes paused, turning to glance down at April, and for a second, she caught sight of the smirk which lit his face. Her long hair seemed to be a tangle of knots, and her face flushed as she struggled with the ropes at her wrists, but still, he stared. No doubt, he enjoyed watching her futile resistance. Lawes had dedicated many hours, training April the last few weeks, but no matter how many times he brought her to heel, she always found a route right back here, bound, by his feet, ready for more punishment.

  It’s almost as though you enjoy it. The small nagging voice in her head proffered the unhelpful suggestion, but April pushed it down as fast as it had surfaced.

  She did not enjoy this.

  Who could enjoy this?

  “What are we going to do with you?”

  April twisted her head as far as she could. Her hair had been drawn back into a severe ponytail by his ropes, which were currently connecting her tresses to the binds at her wrists and ankles. She squirmed on the rug, her breasts pressing into the fibers while she tried to work out how she was going to get away. Lawes’ expression conveyed a simple yet stark message, which could have saved her the time. The answer was simple.

  She wasn’t.

  “Let me go?”

  April flashed him a brief smile before the agony in her neck forced her head down to the rug… or as low as the ropes would allow. She laid there, strung up, exposed and helpless between the four of them, and not for the first time, there was absolutely nothing April could do about her predicament. She swallowed, focusing hard on the frustrated fear and ignoring any trace of arousal the bondage might be creating.

  April Page had always loved bondage and especially loved ropes. She had played with them consensually with past lovers on many occasions, and the reality was, however torrid the situation she found herself in with Lawes and Fuller, she could never bring herself to truly hate it. Sure, she loathed most of the things they did. She despised the way she was treated, gagged, and harnessed, yanked around on a leash and made to take meals from industrial, metal bowls like an animal. She detested those things and detested the men who forced them on her, but the bondage—the bondage was more complicated. Her head knew Lawes and Fuller had no right to bind her. They hadn’t asked for her permission, and she hadn’t consented, yet whenever she found herself trussed up in some ingenious way, April couldn’t ignore the thrum of desire the deed inspired, and when it was rope they used, well, it became difficult to think.

  “I think not, Ms. Page.”

  April twisted at the resonance of Fuller’s voice. He was sitting in his normal executive recliner, though the chair had been brought around to face the fire… and April.

  “How many times do we have to go through this?” Lawes’ feet began to move again, creating a new circuit of her bound body. “You’re hauled into line and watched for a period of time, yet the moment we take our eyes from you, you go and do something stupid like this!”

  Stupid? April wanted to snort at that. What was so stupid about wanting to be free of the fucking leashes and cages?

  “We go through it until she learns, Brandon.” Fuller’s tone was emphatic. “As many times as it takes. For as long as it takes.”

  Lawes exhaled. “I know.” He completed yet another circuit. “I know you’re right, but it infuriates me. Most of the women down there behave, but not you, April. What makes you so special?”

  Because I’m not going to accept your crap, Lawes.

  The thought swept through her mind, but she managed to keep it inside. Mouthing off at them wasn’t going to help her cause, and April was smart enough to know it.

  “Maybe because I am special, Mr. Lawes, sir?” She employed her sweetest voice, biting down on the smile that threatened to rise when the others burst into laughter.

  “Oh, really?” Lawes sounded utterly exasperated. “More special than Lucy, who seems to be able to conform, or our newest recruit, Hannah?”

  April pulled in ribbons of air through her nose, trying to avoid the irritating fibers of rug that wanted to attack her face.

  “All of our patients are special—in their own way.” There was Fuller’s calming influence again. “Some just require a little more of a hands-on approach before they accept the program. But we always knew that would be the case, didn’t we, Mr. Lawes?”

  “Hmmm.” Lawes sounded less convinced. “Yes, we did, though I have to say, I would have expected a greater level of compliance at this stage. April was our second patient—she should be setting a better example to the new arrivals.”

  Now, it was Fuller’s turn to sigh. “Agreed. And that is why you find yourself here, April and not back in the pillory, as is our standard penance in these cases. We think it’s time to make an example of you.”

  April shifted her head in Fuller’s direction, ignoring the surge of hurt as the rope tugged harder at her scalp. Something about Fuller’s words worried her. She expected Lawes to react with anger and bluster. The guy was all about bravado. It appeared to be the nature of the beast. But Fuller, on the other hand… Fuller was a different proposition. Still as twisted perhaps, but a calmer man—more considered—and when he spoke about making an example of her, it was time to listen. A fresh knot of nervous energy furled in her belly, and instinctively, April began to pull against the ropes at her limbs again.

  “You do look marvelous down there.” Lawes crouched down by her right shoulder, his grin widening. “Don’t you agree, gentlemen?”

  Murmurs of consensus rolled around the office, and April squeezed her eyes closed at the humiliating reality. It was one thing to be caged, at least that confinement afforded her a level of privacy. Like this, April was trussed up like a piece of meat—a piece of meat to be displayed and taunted. She exhaled, trying to push the frustration away, but the ropes grazing her flesh made that impossible. There was no ignoring the coarse fibers of the binds or the fact she could barely wiggle without inadvertently tugging one limb or another. It was downright mortifying.

  “She does,” agreed Fuller, and April could hear the smile on his face. “And that’s the point. Perhaps caged and leashed like the other pets is not the best place for Ms. Page.”

  Her muscles tensed at those words. April was beginning to feel as though this whole scene had been orchestrated—as though the men were setting her up for whatever was about to come next.

  “Perhaps not.” Lawes’ gaze pinioned her. “What did you have in mind, old friend?”

  “Well, you say you want April to serve as something of an example?”

  “Indeed, yes, I do.” Lawes reached forward and grazed one digit along the length of April’s calf.

  “Then I think I have the perfect plan.”

  Six

  Hannah

  Time protracted, stretching out in front of Hannah as if it, too, was an enemy. The conversation in the basement had dried up, the women apparently running out of things to say. The consensus was, the men were taking a long time over April’s punishment, and everyone agreed, that couldn’t be good.

  Not good for April, who was bearing the brunt of whatever heinous plan they’d concocted. Not good for any of them, crammed into the crates in the dank basement. It was impossible to get comfortable in the cage. It wasn’t large enough to stretch out, and there was nothing to rest against except the cold plastic floor or the hard metal bars. Her predicament was all the worse now that her ass had been colored by Lawes. It meant there was nowhere Hannah could go to relax. She was exhausted, disheartened, and despite everything that had transpired, her belly growled for food.

  Hannah inhaled, forcing her eyes closed, trying to rest. Who knew what was ahead. Maybe it was rounds of more penance in the pillory or the awful training yard she’d seen. Perhaps it
was something even worse, something she hadn’t seen. Tension knotted in her stomach, suppressing her appetite. Whatever happened, two things were certain. First, Hannah had to be prepared—she had to rest as much as possible and save her strength. The second thing that occurred to her as she hugged her legs into her body, she had to fight—no matter what. Whatever they did to her, however they wreaked havoc, Hannah could not give up. She had a life outside this dental freak show—every one of these women did—people who loved them, friends who missed them. They had jobs to return to, and God forbid, some of them might even have children who needed them.

  This couldn’t be their fate, and it sure as hell wasn’t going to be Hannah’s. She didn’t know how, and she didn’t know when, but somehow, she would get out. She’d get out and bring the full force of the police service with her. Her lips curled at the thought. Lawes and Fuller wouldn’t have a fucking clue what was coming at them.

  The sound of a door opening in the distance shook her from her thoughts. Hannah’s body straightened as much as the crate would allow, her throat drying when the sound of heavy footsteps broke the strained silence.

  One of them was coming down, and even though Hannah was desperate to get out of the confined space, her racing heart confirmed the anxiety which consumed her at the prospect. Who knew what would happen next.

  “Ladies.” The booming voice of Zander filled the space. “We know you’ve been stuck down here for a long time, and for that, we apologize. Unfortunately, two of your number decided it would be a good idea to try to leave, and as such, plans had to be changed at the last minute.”

  An unearthly silence fell as Zander paused, and Hannah’s heart threatened to leap into her throat.

  “We know you all need to feed and use the facilities, but first, you’re to be leashed and invited upstairs. There is something Mr. Lawes and Mr. Fuller would like you to see.”