by Stella Hart
I put the grinder down and untied Dwyer before dragging him to his feet and throwing him on the same table he’d had Celeste cuffed to just an hour ago.
“Help me tie him down,” I said, glancing at her.
“Yes, sir,” she murmured. Still my good girl. She sprang into action, using the ropes to tie Dwyer’s wrists around the metal cuff restraints, seeing as he wouldn’t fit in them.
He blubbered away on the table, begging for mercy. Just like they always did in the end. I picked up the grinder again, removed the guard, switched it on, then turned it on its side so that the blade was facing downwards. At the sight and sound of the whirring steel, he began to scream.
“Turn around. You don’t want to see this,” I shouted over to Celeste.
Her eyes snapped from Dwyer to me. “I do want to see it.” Her lips twisted in fury as she turned her gaze back to him. She was thirsting for the kill, no matter how gruesome and bloody.
That’s my girl.
Dwyer screamed again as I brought the grinder down on his chest. It sliced easily through the skin from just below his Adam’s apple to just above his navel before grinding sickeningly through the sternum bone beneath.
Celeste’s eyes never wavered from the scene as she watched Dwyer’s blood spray in every direction. He let out howl after unearthly howl, even after I turned the grinder off and put it down.
I reached down to the cut-open sternum and spread it apart, giving me access to his heart without having to break the ribs. Dwyer finally stopped screaming as shock set in. Instead he spluttered and moaned as I reached for his heart and pulled it out. “No….”
His heart kept beating on its own in my hands for a few seconds as his skin turned deathly white. Then the throbbing ceased and his eyes turned flat.
“Is he—” Celeste’s question trailed off before she could even ask it.
I nodded and dropped his heart next to him on the table. “He’s gone.”
“That was quick.”
I smiled. “Guess I told him the truth after all.”
She picked up something from one of the metal trays in the room—some sort of metal rod—and stepped over to Dwyer’s body. After dipping the rod in a pool of his blood, she raised it in the air and headed over to one of the walls. Then she slowly painted a macabre warning message on it, her eyes dark and stormy. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING.
“Perfect,” I said. I was so proud of her.
She threw the rod down and wiped her hands on her jacket. “What now?”
I smiled. “Now? We find the rest of the bastards.”
8
Celeste
The sound of dripping water woke me. I had been dreaming, something dark and chaotic, and it took me a moment to unravel my muddy thoughts and figure out where I was. Alex wasn’t in bed next to me. I was just starting to panic when I finally remembered.
We were in a motel, and he was in a different bed. The lone cash-accepting place that was vacant when we looked last night—in a different area than where his previous motel was, just in case—only had single beds in the one available room, so that was our only option. There was no way we’d both fit in a tiny, rickety single bed, so we were sleeping separately, much to my chagrin.
I missed sleeping with him.
We could wait, though. It would be worth it, biding our time while we figured out how to get rid of the rest of the Circle so that one day, we could be safe again and free to spend every night together in our own house. In our own big bed.
I padded into the bathroom, careful not to wake Alex. He needed rest. After he’d hunted me down yesterday, killed Dwyer, cleaned himself up, and found us a new safe place to stay, he’d spent the night shopping on my behalf. I couldn’t be seen, for obvious reasons, so he needed to buy me new clothes and things to disguise me the way he’d disguised himself when he needed to. A wig, makeup, colored contact lenses, fake glasses—all that jazz.
He also had to get us food and other supplies, and by the time he was done, I could tell how drained he was. I knew he hadn’t slept until he found me, and then he’d gone and done all that too.
He was always working so hard, doing everything he could to help and support me. All he’d ever asked of me was to listen to him and follow all the rules which kept me safe and protected. Until now, I’d failed him pretty miserably.
I still felt sick with regret at every second I’d spent doubting him in the past. I’d fought him at every turn, but he was a patient man, and he’d been there to clean up all my messes and save me again and again.
Now, he was getting exactly what he waited for all this time. I’d surrendered to him wholly, relinquished all control, finally let him take care of me and everything in my life. I was his forever, and I would follow him into the darkness no matter when and where it might be.
I showered, then wrapped myself in a towel and set about experimenting with my new disguise. The honey-blonde wig was annoying to fix on my head at first, but once I was used to it, I had to admit it looked quite decent. The color contrasted nicely with the hazel contact lenses, and once I’d finished brushing on some mascara, black eyeliner, bronzer and pink lipstick, I looked a lot different.
I tried not to think about my current situation as I did a twirl in front of the mirror. For a few seconds, I was someone else entirely. I wasn’t the girl who, only fourteen hours before, watched her man cut open another’s chest and tear his heart out before leaving it next to his corpse as a warning. I wasn’t the girl who was desperate to do it herself, forcing the light to fade from the eyes of everyone who ever threatened her. I wasn’t the girl who had an entire shadowy cabal after her.
No, right now I was just a girl playing dress-up.
“You look like a doll.”
I whirled around to see Alex watching me from the bathroom doorway. He was finally awake, and judging by the bulge in his pants, it wasn’t just his mind that had woken.
“Do you like me as a blonde?” I said coquettishly, teasing him. I took a step back so he could get a better view of my new look.
“I like you as anything,” he growled, stepping over to me and pulling me closer to him in one hard movement. He wrenched my towel away at the same time. “Especially like this,” he added, big hands coasting over my naked body. “Get in the shower, little doll. Show me who owns you.”
Goosebumps peppered my bare skin. The motel had central heating, but it was still cold with nothing on. “I already showered. And I don’t want to ruin the makeup. I only just did it.”
As I spoke, I dodged away from Alex and tried to pick up the towel to cover myself, but he stopped me, trapping my arm in his strong grip.
“You’ve liked having some power and control recently. I know that,” he said, his eyes dark and gleaming with lust. He moved closer again, backing me up against the sliding glass shower door. “But I also know you, and I know you like it better when you give it all to me.”
I shivered as he spoke. He was right. As much as I liked teasing him, displaying the power my body had over his, I liked it more when he grabbed me and took everything from me without asking. Like he owned me.
I suppose he did own me, in a way. I’d given myself to him, hadn’t I?
He gave himself to me just as much. Just as hard.
“Get in the shower,” he went on in a warning tone. “Don’t make me tell you again.”
“Yes, sir,” I replied breathlessly, my hands trembling.
I did as he commanded, stepping into the cubicle and turning the hot water on again. Alex’s breath hitched as he took his clothes off and joined me, eyes never leaving the curve of my breasts as the water cascaded over my skin, making me pink and warm.
He backed me right up against the tiled wall and kneed my legs apart, grinding his erection against me. Then his mouth crushed mine, and once more I was lost in the power of his embrace. He kissed me like it might be the last time, even though our life together had only just begun.
He pulled away a moment la
ter, leaving me gasping against the wall, my lips and tongue tingling. “Who do you belong to, fuck-doll?” he grunted against the shell of my ear. “Who can do whatever he wants to this body?”
He swiveled his hips against my pussy as he spoke. I moaned, my fingernails digging into his back as I clung to him. My body was all tightly-strung tension, and if Alex kept roughly grinding himself against me like this, I could come from that friction alone. But I knew it wouldn’t be enough to satisfy me. It wouldn’t be enough for Alex either. We both burned desperately for more, more, more....
“You,” I whispered. “You can do whatever you want to me.”
“And what should I do?” he said huskily.
“Fuck me.” I swallowed hard. “Use me to please yourself. I’m just a toy.”
It wasn’t like he would be the only one obtaining any pleasure from this. Letting him take me and use me like I was nothing more than an object which existed solely for his cock always made me come fast and hard. I loved it when he took over, loved it when he dominated me.
I’d never want it any other way.
Alex pinched one of my hard nipples. “This is mine.”
“Yes.”
He pinched the other one. “This too.” His hand wandered down to my pussy next, fingers stroking over my throbbing clit in fast circles. “And this. All mine.”
I nodded frantically. I’d missed this so much. “Yes. Please, sir, give—”
He shushed me, moving the hand to my lips instead. “I didn’t tell you to beg, did I?” he said sternly. “Get on your knees.”
I followed the order, sinking to my knees on the tiles. The water streamed over my face, wetting my wig and making my mascara run down my cheeks. I looked like a mess. A dirty little doll.
I looked up at Alex as he fisted his cock near my face. From down on my knees, he looked even bigger than usual. So purely male and powerful.
“Open wide,” he growled, before forcing himself between my lips. He didn’t give me any time to adjust. He grabbed the blonde wig and threaded his fingers through it, using it to keep my head still as he fucked my mouth in hard, urgent thrusts. All I could do was take it.
And god, did I love taking it.
I breathed deeply through my nose as I took him deeply in my mouth and throat, sucking and licking like my life depended on it. Alex’s gruff pants of pleasure made my core throb with hot anticipation. Simply pleasing him the way he wanted was enough to get me close to the edge; just one feather-light touch on my clit could probably make me explode.
I thought he would come in my mouth, but instead, he withdrew his cock and yanked me to my feet before spinning me around so that I was facing the tiled wall. “Arch your back,” he commanded, slapping me hard on the ass.
I yelped and did as he said, pressing my hands against the wall for stability. Alex’s hands coasted over me, two fingers easily slipping into my soaked pussy and another into my ass.
Seconds later, I felt the head of his cock against my entrance instead of the fingers. Then he shoved inside me in a rough, hard thrust. I cried out as he sank into me again and again, stretching me wide and filling my pussy with his thick cock.
One finger went back into my ass as he fucked my pussy, pumping in and out in the same rhythm. My moans turned into harsh grunts as he added another finger. I was so deliciously full, stretched beyond my limit.
“Every. Hole. Is. Mine,” Alex grunted, slowly drawing out each word. “Say it.”
“Yes,” I gasped. “They’re yours. Every one.”
“You need this.” He pushed harder and faster.
“Yes!” I moaned. “I need you….”
“Now you need to come,” he commanded.
The coiled tension inside me unwound at his words, and I came so hard my legs nearly collapsed. My muscles clenched around Alex’s cock and fingers, pulsing wildly. He held me steady with his free hand, a deep animal groan spilling from his mouth as he came too, hot spurts marking me as his again.
He kept holding me up against the wall as we recovered, hot breath lingering near my right ear. “Christ, I missed this,” he growled as he finally slid out, saying exactly what I’d already been thinking.
“Me too.” Shakily, I turned to face him. “I won’t forget this time,” I added in a murmur.
His forehead creased as he looked down at me. “Forget what?”
“That I’m yours,” I replied softly, my face flushing at the memories of my defiance and rebellion. “I promise. I’ll never forget.”
“I know.” He pushed me back up against the wall again, lips hovering right above mine. “You won’t. Ever again.”
9
Celeste
I blow-dried the wig, fixed my streaked makeup and stepped out of the bathroom, a white towel wrapped around me again. Alex was sitting on a cracked faux leather armchair in the corner, holding a hard-bristled exfoliating brush. He must’ve bought it along with all of the other stuff he got last night.
When he saw me coming, he held it up. “For your back,” he said.
I shook my head. “It’s actually not hurting right now. But thank you,” I said with a grateful smile as I sorted through the bags of new clothing, hunting for a warm outfit.
He looked at me quizzically. “Really? I thought it might be bothering you, considering what you went through over the last couple of days.”
“I think watching Dwyer die, and even wanting to do it myself, made the pain go away for a while. Just like with the others.”
Alex nodded. “I see.” He stood and came over to me, his hand ghosting over my upper back. “One day it will be gone forever. No more pain.”
“I know.” I smiled. “As soon as we get rid of the Circle.”
He nodded and went back to the chair, picking up a laptop from his bed on the way. As he typed away on its keyboard, I dressed in blue jeans and a black top. Then I flopped down on the bed closest to the armchair. “Where are we going to start?” I asked.
Alex looked up from his screen and turned it to face me. “I’m already on it. I’m using Google Maps to create a zone for us to look through. With the street view thing, we can see a lot of the places, even far out of the city. I got you a tablet to use so we can both work on it.”
“Good idea.”
He gestured towards a red circle he’d drawn around part of the map. “I think to be safe, we should concentrate on a forty mile radius from the city outskirts. So anything within this circle. I’m also looking through all the land registries that are available to the public, searching for any places that might fit the description.”
I sighed. “It’s a shame there’s so many big old houses around.”
The city and its surrounds had a lot of estates and historic mansions from back in the days when steel was king and many industrialists made their fortunes in the area. Then there were also those built from new money. We really had our work cut out for us.
“It won’t take us as long if you remember something,” Alex said softly, staring at me with his brows drawn together.
I squirmed uncomfortably, embarrassed at my lack of help. He’d told me everything that my therapist passed on to him about the mansion, but it hadn’t jogged my memory at all. I still couldn’t remember what it looked like on the outside or where it might be.
“Sorry,” I said, looking down at my lap. “I remembered the ballroom, but that’s all.”
Alex shook his head. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. Don’t feel bad. Like I told you a while ago… memories are a tricky thing. It could come back at any time. Until then, this is our backup.” He nodded to the laptop again. “We’ve got two weeks. No need to stress yet.”
“I guess.”
I wished I could just hit myself in the head to shake the memories loose. It was like the information was on the tip of my brain instead of the tip of my tongue. I knew it was all in there somewhere, could feel it lurking deep within, but every time I tried to grasp it directly, it cleverly evaded me.
I found the tablet on the other bed and worked quietly, zooming in on street view images of estates within the red circle. I found some houses that matched Dr. Fitzgibbon’s description—three stories with light red brick on vast green properties way out of the city—but none had marble fountains anywhere on the grounds, and the sight of them didn’t provoke any sort of visceral reaction in me.
I’d know when the right one came along. I’d simply see it, and the memories would flood back and fall into sequence, turning from a messy blur into something clear and manageable.
Unfortunately, for now, the mansion seemed to be evading me just like the memories of it.
“Anything?” I glanced up at Alex, hoping he’d had more luck than me.
“Nothing yet.” He rubbed his jaw. “A big chunk of the property records aren’t actually available to the public, unless you have an exact name to put in the search function. I’m trying to get past that, but they don’t make it easy. Most government sites are like this; basically un-hackable unless you’re some sort of computer genius. I’m good, but I’m not that good.”
“Damn,” I said softly. Then I perked up. “Hey, I have an idea. I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before.”
“What?”
I tilted my head slightly to one side, resting my chin on one hand. “What if we go to my parents’ house? There’s some old photo albums there. We could go through them. There’s a chance my father might’ve taken some pictures outside the mansion, or near it. That might jog my memory. I mean, it’s a super long shot, but still... could be something.”
Alex furrowed his brows. “That might be worth a try,” he mused. “But we can’t go there during the day. The Circle are still looking for you. I’m betting they have someone keeping an eye on all your old haunts every so often, hoping you might try and sneak back in if you get desperate enough for shelter.”
I slumped back. “True. And if we go at night, they’ll see the lights from our flashlights through the windows. We can’t exactly look at photos in the dark.”