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

by Felicity Brandon

  Hot tears rained from her eyes as Lawes’ tongue swept inside her mouth, snaking behind her teeth and taking what he wanted. Just as he always did.

  Just like they all did.

  But the emotion wasn’t for the kiss. It wasn’t for Lawes at all.

  It was relief that she had survived that one small test intact. She hadn’t succumbed—even though she’d wanted to when the pain had seemed too much to handle, even though she’d been perilously close, and even though she’d broken her rule about tears—April got through. She’d survived.

  The caress of his tongue ended as abruptly as it had begun as Lawes rose to his feet. She hung there, panting for breath. Now that he was finally out of her personal space, her mind was reeling at what would transpire next.

  “The others will be back soon.” He wandered down the length of her body and wordlessly pushed against her shin as though she was merely an object he could play with at will. April began to spin in the direction the gesture had sent her, her body making a slow circle as it dangled from the straps. She watched as the markers of the room came and went—the entrance, the wooden stage and pillory, the large bay windows, the punishment closet—squeezing her eyes closed when Lawes spun her faster.

  “In the meantime, if you won’t tell me the truth, you can entertain me in other ways.”

  April pulled in a shaky breath. She might have survived this battle, but the war raged on.

  Ten

  Hannah

  Hannah’s mind was numb at the sight, but she couldn’t look away. A woman, her body laced in black leather straps, was dangling just feet away from the place she was crouched. Hannah looked on as Lawes turned back and started April’s body rotating. Round she went, her feet turning toward Hannah, only to be replaced by her head. She was bound as well as suspended, her wrists tied behind her back, and her ankles held together by dark ropes. Hannah inhaled, her gaze running along the length of the stricken woman. Her hair had been pulled back into a severe ponytail and appeared to be connected to the binds at her wrists. It must have been near impossible for her to look down at all, let alone away. Dark strands of hair fell loose around her face, and her eyes were half closed, yet as she neared her new audience, April’s gaze fell on Hannah.

  It probably took only seconds for her to pass back around toward the place Lawes was standing again, but in that time, Hannah looked into her eyes, and two things struck her about the other woman. The first was just how deep and beautiful those eyes were, mesmerizing like two oceans of emotion as they passed her unblinking. It was obvious from their teary quality there had been emotion released from them only recently. The second thing that dawned on Hannah while she waited on her hands and knees next to Fuller was she recognized April’s face. She knew her somehow. That thought jarred as she watched her body complete its next circuit.

  How did Hannah know the woman?

  It couldn’t be from outside in the normal world, could it? Surely, it would be incredible to know any of Lawes and Fuller’s other helpless victims personally? The woman’s eyes were closed on her second pass, but Hannah decided that wasn’t why she was familiar.

  So, what then? Hannah’s brow knitted. If not from elsewhere, she must know April from here—they must have already been introduced.

  “Wow.” Fuller’s delight was audible. “Isn’t she delightful? I didn’t get to truly appreciate her before I went to fetch Miss Bowman.”

  Fuller yanked the leash attached to Hannah’s collar as he stepped forward, coercing her to join him. She complied, not knowing what else to do, but she wanted to avert her eyes as April’s body spun around again. Whoever April was, she deserved that modicum of dignity—they all did—yet there was something strangely compelling about the sight. Hannah was certain the reality of the awful leather wasn’t so romanticized, but to see April suspended that way, it almost made her look weightless and graceful. For the briefest moment, a spike of envy erupted in Hannah, and her head fell forward with disgust.

  What the hell was happening to her if she could even contemplate jealously of April’s fate? April was a victim here, every bit as much as Hannah—maybe more since April had been forced to endure this captivity for far longer. April wouldn’t want this treatment, and neither should Hannah.

  “Yes, she is.” Lawes’ tone was curter than Hannah had anticipated, and fleetingly, her gaze flitted to him. “Though it seems she still has a lot to learn.”

  “Oh, dear.” Fuller sighed as he wandered nearer to April’s dangling form. “What happened, old friend?”

  Lawes expression hardened. “Nothing important.” Something about his tightening jaw gave Hannah the sense he was lying, playing down whatever had transpired between him and April, and her gaze darted back to the dark-haired woman’s face.

  That’s when it hit her—Hannah realized how she knew April. The face that passed just in front of her was the same one that had blinked at her through the bars of the cage that initial night in the basement. Hannah exhaled at the memory. It had been the first time she had woken up in the dreadful cage, confused and disorientated, and Hannah had called out, asking for help. That’s when Fuller had come marching down the steps, his whip in his hand, threatening to punish each and every one of the caged women until the noisy culprit had presented herself. April had sold her out, telling Fuller it had been Hannah who’d caused the disruption.

  Yes, it had been April!

  Hannah’s gaze drank in the lines of her naked body as it spun around again, and instinctively, she swallowed hard. Before she wandered into this dark, crazy world, Hannah had rarely even seen another woman naked, and now, it was almost natural . That’s what the standards of Lawes and Fuller’s insane morality had done to her already—normalized the women’s nudity to a point where she no longer questioned it, to the point where it would have been shocking to see a woman dressed. Raising her chin, she caught April’s eyes once more.

  April, the woman who’d betrayed her in the basement, was the same one Lucy and the others had been telling her about for half of the morning. The bold, high-spirted woman who gave them all hope—who never gave up. It had also been April whose attempted escape had gifted Hannah the chance to flee. Hannah recalled wanting to thank that woman, and now, here she was—suspended from some metal contraption at the whim of Lawes and Fuller.

  Just as Hannah was.

  “I handled it.” Lawes pressed his lips into a firm line, and Fuller laughed.

  “Oh, I’m sure you did. Come on, Hannah.” He yanked the leash, compelling Hannah forward until she was less than a foot from April’s rotating body. “We wanted to get you two ladies together before the others joined us.”

  As April’s face came into sight again, Lawes steadied her body, ensuring the two women were practically nose to nose.

  “I’m not sure you’ve been introduced properly.” He fisted April’s hair, drawing her head back into an even harder arch.

  April winced at the obvious hurt. “No, sir.” The words were said in little more than a hiss.

  “Then, allow me to do the honors,” Lawes replied, though his hand never eased the tension in April’s hair. “April, this is the lovely Hannah Bowman.” He paused, looking from the dangling woman to the one on the leash. “And Hannah, this is our resident Houdini, Ms. Page.”

  Hannah’s eyes widened. What the hell was she supposed to say to that?

  April blinked at her, the pain evident in her eyes. “We’ve met.”

  “We did?” Hannah’s response was immediate, and as April’s stare drilled into her, she forgot all about both of their nakedness or the abhorrent circumstances of their meeting. All that mattered was getting inside the head of the other woman—understanding April. “I don’t remember.”

  “Yes, you do.” April’s voice was raspy with emotion, the likely consequence of what Lawes was subjecting her to. “The night before last. I was the one who turned you in to Mr. Fuller when you wouldn’t be quiet.”

  Hannah smiled despite the
bleak situation. So, April did recall that encounter. She’d half expected April to bury it or deny it ever happened, but apparently, that wasn’t the other woman’s style. She seemed every ounce as bold as the women in the basement had described her—bold and fearless.

  “Oh, yes. That was you.” Hannah offered what she hoped was a forgiving smile. Whatever sense of disloyalty she had felt so keenly at the time was disregarded at this moment. Now that Hannah had witnessed the things April was forced to endure, she had a grudging respect for the woman. So, April had turned her over to Fuller that night, but as it turned out, Hannah had also tried to make a break for it then—another opportunity she would not have gained without April’s intervention.

  “Hi.”

  April chuckled at her reply, at least until Lawes’ fist tightened in her hair further, reducing the gesture to a grimace.

  “Lovely.” Fuller’s tone was sardonic. “And now our two troublemakers have officially met.” He glanced down at Hannah. “What do you think of Ms. Page’s punishment, Hannah?”

  Hannah gasped at the question, her gaze rising north to Fuller’s expectant expression before flitting back to April’s awful predicament. How on earth was she supposed to answer that? She pulled in a trembling breath before resolving honesty was likely the best policy.

  “I’ve never seen anything like it, sir.”

  Fuller laughed. “I bet. This is a first even for us, but April looks marvelous, and I suspect this dramatic sight might become rather more frequent around these parts.”

  Anxiety furled in Hannah’s belly. She was sure Fuller’s words were a thinly veiled warning. Hadn’t he already told her as much before he’d dragged her into the room on her hands and knees? Lifting her head to take in the full extent of the metal, hoisting April into the air, Hannah held her breath. She couldn’t imagine being forced into a position like that—bound, suspended, and entirely at the mercy of whatever Lawes and Fuller wanted to do to her. Things were difficult enough already—yet looking at April, she’d have scarcely known there was any discomfort at all. Whether it was the pressure on her body from the evil-looking leather harnesses, the way her arms were tied behind her, or the obvious burden at her neck, only April’s eyes gave any clue of any distress. Either she was working damn hard not to let the discomfort show, or the woman was an outstanding actress by profession.

  “Clearly, we’ll need to keep a close eye on both of you going forward.” Lawes released April’s hair as he spoke, though the rope tying her tresses to the remainder of the bondage remained in place. “We don’t want either one of you giving the other any ideas, and equally, we don’t want you inspiring any similar stupidity in the others.”

  “Precisely.” Fuller tugged Hannah closer to his leg, and she scurried until she pressed up against his trouser leg. “It’s time for this insane, naughty behavior to stop, and it begins here. By the time we’re done putting on a show for all the other patients, none of you will ever contemplate running from us again.”

  Hannah caught sight of the way April’s gaze narrowed, and at that moment, she knew the raven-haired woman was thinking the exact same thing. The only thing more insane than what went on at this dental practice would be to stay and become accustomed to it.

  Eleven

  April

  April’s mind started to blur as if she’d had too many glasses of wine with dinner, but of course, April couldn’t even remember the last time she’d been allowed anything as indulgent as wine. These days, the only intoxication in April’s life was the pain, confinement, and long hours of frustrated fear. Lawes had promised her many orgasms in the past, dangling the temptation just out of reach, in much the same way she was dangling now, yet there was always a price. A cost April wasn’t prepared to pay—some new way to humiliate and denigrate her for his pleasure—always something she had to endure to earn that privilege. Naturally, she could never give in and relinquish—not even for the promise of the climax she knew would likely be earth-shattering. Sure, she wanted the hedonism—after days and weeks of torment and teasing, she wanted it more badly than she’d possibly ever wanted pleasure—but April couldn’t concede. Surrendering to Lawes’ will was tantamount to consent in her book, and consent was something she couldn’t give.

  Whatever happened, she wanted him to know she didn’t agree to this, and however her body reacted, she didn’t deserve it. What was happening in this huge Victorian property wasn’t right, and no number of orgasms could make a difference.

  April could not be bought with pleasure.

  The pressure at her shoulders and hips was starting to build, but worse of all was the constant ache at her neck. It got to the point, she yearned for Lawes’ hand to prop her chin up and compel her to meet his gaze. Anything to relieve the strain in her muscles and the endless pressure at her scalp. As though he sensed her thoughts, Lawes reached forward, releasing her ponytail from the ropes. April sighed with relief, but without its assistance, her head hung down, and that position only caused her to feel even giddier as the blood rushed to her fogged brain.

  She lost sight of the new girl, Hannah, though she thought she’d seen Fuller drag her away once the others arrived. From her limited view, it seemed they were led by the enigmatic Zander—a procession of nude, leashed women, being steered into the room to witness her denigration. There would have been a time when that would have troubled April beyond reason—the idea of being stripped and humiliated filling her with both revulsion and hot arousal—but now, there was only resignation. She barely had the energy to acknowledge the heat clawing at her core anymore, though it was still there like a living, breathing thing. The arousal was never too far away.

  “Welcome, everyone.”

  April tried to lift her head at Lawes’ booming voice, but her agonized muscles soon put paid to that. She exhaled instead, trying to ignore her throbbing head as he went on.

  “We know you’ve all spent a lot of time caged, and for that, we apologize. The real culprits for your confinement, though, are here for you all to appraise.” Lawes shifted in April’s peripheral vision and reached for her right breast. Finding the bud, he pinched it hard, reawakening the hurt he’d invoked earlier.

  “First, it was April, then Hannah who caused the issues yesterday. They are the reason you have had to endure many more hours in your crates than usual, and as such, it only seemed fair you were all present at their punishments.”

  A woman gasped from somewhere to the right, though April was too exhausted to clarify who. She needn’t have concerned herself as Fuller elaborated on the matter for her.

  “That’s right.” His voice was softer than she remembered ever hearing it. “You as well, Hannah.”

  “But, Mr. Fuller.” Hannah sounded close to tears, the sound reverberating all the clearer now that the others were all still, and the footsteps and metal leashes were silent. “You punished me already. Last night?”

  “We did,” Fuller agreed. “But Mr. Lawes and I are agreed that to truly reinforce the point, you should also be penalized again.”

  “But, Mr. Fuller, I…” Hannah hesitated, evidently tripping over the words. “I thought… You said I.”

  “Oh, Hannah.”

  April could hear Fuller smiling, imagining his self-satisfied grin. Fury began to surface at his response, resonating throughout her weary limbs until her fingers balled behind her back.

  “No.” The word had left April’s lips before she’d even instructed it, and Lawes’ fingers paused their relentless torment of her chest.

  “What was that, April?” April could imagine his dark eyebrow rising with the query, even though she had no hope of lifting her head to see it.

  “No,” she repeated. “Hannah isn’t responsible. It was me. If I hadn’t have made a break for it, she wouldn’t have had the chance, Mr. Lawes.”

  “What is this, Mr. Fuller?” The sound of Lawes’ laughter danced around her body. “Honor among escapees?” His tone was, no doubt, intentionally sardonic. Fuller joi
ned him with a deep chuckle a moment later.

  “Indeed. Though perhaps, April does have a point, Mr. Lawes. Hannah has already been punished at the pillory, and she would never have been left unsupervised had you not been called to deal with April. Am I right?”

  April wanted to smile at that. Fuller had Lawes there. She didn’t know all the details of Hannah’s intrepid breakout, but she’d heard whispers between Zander and Matthew that Lawes was the one who had been in charge of Hannah at the time. That was why she was on the ground floor in the first place—he was supposed to have been concluding her treatment at the time.

  “You are.” Lawes' unimpressed voice made April’s lips curl all the more. “I was distracted by the games Ms. Page was playing.”

  “So, it seems unfair to make her pay twice.” April’s voice was quiet, but she had the sense everyone was listening to her now. She imagined the line of naked women on leashes between Zander and Matthew and the look of surprise on Hannah’s and Fuller’s faces.

  And gratitude.

  She hoped there was gratitude in Hannah’s eyes as well.

  Inhaling, she fought to compose herself.

  “When I was the one to blame.”

  A heavy silence fell over the large space. April’s head pounded as she swayed gently in the harnesses.

  “It’s not in my nature to revert once I’ve made a decision.” Lawes’ tone was characteristically firm, but nonetheless, April sensed a change of heart was in the offing. “But you both raise good points.”

  “Agreed.” That was Fuller again. “Miss Bowman can stay right here with a front seat view and see what awaits her if she defies us again, but in the meantime, the onus falls to Ms. Page.”

  “So be it.”

  Lawes stalked away, leaving her nipple strangely bereft as April tried to contend with all the competing aches and pains. His heavy footsteps returned from the direction of the punishment closet a moment or two later, and inwardly, she braced herself. Whatever he’d retrieved wouldn’t be good.