by M. S. Willis
His voice was slow and assured when he smiled and responded, “You, my beautiful girl, are the only person who can succeed. Everybody is well aware of your status within the smaller networks. If any person can compete against Aaron Carmichael — it’s you.”
“What happens if I don’t kill him? No man has attempted to assassinate Aaron and survived. He enjoys his job too much, feeds off of it, from what I hear.”
He chuckled. “Then it appears you two have something in common.” The sudden transformation of his expression from jovial to stern was unnerving. “I suggest you succeed, Ms. Delacroix.” His hand flinched and the chain wrapped around her sister’s neck tightened. “Her life depends on it.”
She looked down into Honor’s face. She wasn’t in pain, but she was so heavily drugged that even if she had been horribly injured, she wouldn’t have been aware.
Hope’s hand twitched, her desire to snap his neck while shoving her blade deep inside him, overpowering the calm façade she wore. They’d not bothered to strip her of her weapons when she’d entered, realizing she wouldn’t act in a way that could kill her twin. Pacing, she continued rolling her blade in her hand, her other hand fisting in anticipation of a kill. Surveying the room, she noticed how the men stood about, guns drawn, booted feet held at shoulder width in postures intended for a fight. Her sister was barely able to hold herself in an upright and kneeling position on the floor — her body appeared frail, her spirit already broken. What had these men done to her? Hope could only assume the worst, but kept her expression bored and blank.
“You need something from me — that much is apparent. Why help you if you’ll only destroy her in the process? Each day she remains here could be her last. Your treatment of her is obvious.”
He mocked her when he smiled. “I believe you’ve just discovered your incentive to move quickly, Ms. Delacroix. The longer you take, the longer she is made to suffer. Once you accomplish your task, you are free to take her home. I have enough toys to keep me adequately entertained. I won’t miss giving up this one should you comply.”
Her eyes searched the room and she took note of the women that were chained or bound in some manner. Naked and obviously used, they were withdrawn — most likely drugged like her sister. “I can see that.”
“Although, I wouldn’t mind playing with twins. You don’t have to take her home immediately. She’s not much to play with, having broken so easily. I suspect you could be more suitable for a man of my tastes.”
A humorless laugh escaped her. Hope’s eyes leisurely looked over his body and she walked to him slowly, seductively, until she could feel the heat of his body roll across hers. It would be so easy to strike out, to hit him with one fatal blow, but his men outnumbered her and she knew better than to try. With her eyes locked to his, she ran her hand over his abdomen and chest, eventually following his shoulder to his bicep where she squeezed.
“You are strong, I’ll give you that.” She whispered to him so that only he could hear; the red stain to her lips brushing across his skin as she spoke. “But I doubt you can handle me.” She felt him tremble slightly at her touch.
His head rotated slowly until his mouth pressed against her ear. “Come back when you’ve killed Aaron and we’ll find out then just how well I can handle my toys.”
Wrapping itself tightly around her blade, her palm ignited in pain as it gripped the razor sharp edge. She wanted to bury the steel in his body, feel the resistance of his skin when she ripped it apart — but that wouldn’t save her sister.
“You can count on the fact that I’ll return when I’m finished, and then you and I will play.” Despite the disgust that prickled along her skin, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek before turning to exit the house.
“One more thing, Ms. Delacroix.”
She stopped, turning her head slightly so that she could hear what he had to say.
“There’s an Estate meeting in the ballroom this evening. I suggest you clear your calendar so that you may attend. If you fail, we’ll keep your sister alive — that is, until she can no longer serve our needs. I want to make sure you understand that fact. I hope it’ll act as additional incentive for your success.”
She blinked slowly at his words.
Stepping out of the house, Hope calmly shut the door behind her and stepped out into the shadowed woods that led to the mansion at the center of the compound.
Chapter Three
“Mr. Black, the decorator has arrived to tour the west wing. Shall I have one of the maids show her around?”
Xander looked up from the book he had laid out across the table. Pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, he opened his sapphire blue eyes to look at the face of a lower guard. “No.” Irritation saturated his exhaled breath. “She’s early, isn’t she?”
The guard shrugged his shoulders in response. Rolling his eyes, Xander waved him away, annoyed with the daily bullshit he had to endure in his position within The Estate. It had been two years since Joseph’s death — two years that they’d worked to destroy the habits and tastes for hedonism and depravity that had been built by Joseph’s insanity. However, progress was slow. There was no quick remedy to dismantling a network as extensive as the one in which they’d been raised. And for those two years, Xander had taken over running the staff within the building, keeping a tight hold and constant watch over every person who had access to Aaron and Maddy.
Standing up, he rolled his shoulders back and walked out into the stone floored hallways. Finally reaching the foyer, his eyes met with the petite woman who’d been hired to refurbish the west wing of the mansion that had sat barren and empty since Joseph was killed. Over the years, fabricated rumors and stories spread through the mansion of ghosts walking the wing, a belief that Joseph had never really left when his body had been burned.
It was bullshit. Complete lunacy that Xander had attempted to disregard until it became impossible to ignore the whispers in the hallways, the quick change of subject when he approached a group of men. Aaron found the rumors humorous, shrugging them off with no regard; but Xander felt that the time had come to put them to rest.
Approaching the woman, he noticed how her entire body stilled in his presence. She appeared nervous and frightened. With her long brown hair, shorter stature and hourglass figure, she resembled Maddy. If he didn’t know already that Maddy was an only child, he wouldn’t have been surprised to find that they were sisters. He instantly felt warmth towards the woman, if for nothing more than her striking resemblance to the woman who had pulled Aaron from the depths of his darkness.
“Welcome to The Estate, Ms. … ?”
“Oh!” Her voice was at an unusually high octave and she cleared her throat quickly before continuing. “… I apologize, um, my name is Erica. ‘Ms.’ is reserved for women far older than me.”
A smile tugged at his lips and he nodded his understanding. “Of course, Erica. Thank you for coming on such short notice, our other decorator had an emergency and could not complete the job. We would have been in a bit of a bind if it hadn’t been for you.”
A blush spread over her cheeks. “Really, it was no problem. I was available.”
Xander offered his arm, and once Erica had accepted, he led her up the corridor to the ballroom. The doors groaned as they were opened and she tripped over the transition in the flooring.
Steadying her, Xander asked, “Are you okay?”
Her green eyes were wide when she looked up at him and he noticed how gold flecks added depth to the color. “I am. I … I apologize. I’m a bit nervous in your presence. Aaron and you are very well known throughout the city. I assumed another staff member would be showing me around.”
He attempted to appear genial. The last thing he needed was for this one to meet with an unfortunate accident like the previous three. Although, for the most part, the halls, apartments and common areas had been cleared, every once in a while a surprise was hidden beneath a rug or within a wall. Pictures and other evidence of the
activities within the corridors had been found. Typically, they were discovered in an area within which the decorator had not been permitted. Xander had to take action to prevent the information from causing any future issues.
“Yes, well, there are very specific instructions for your position. I like to ensure that you are completely aware of my expectations and rules. If any of them are broken once I’m confident that you know them, I won’t feel as bad for having to order your termination.” He smiled.
By the expression on her face, it was apparent she hadn’t missed the veiled threat. When they approached the door, his chest rubbed up against her back as he reached to open the door for her. She jumped in response.
Lowering his head close enough that his breath could brush across her cheek, he said, “I apologize, I didn’t mean to scare you.” Chuckling, he pulled away and motioned for her to walk into the wing. She stared at him before finally shaking herself of whatever emotion had overtaken her and walked forward, the sound of her heels clicking throughout the empty halls.
“I don’t have much time to give you the tour, so I will allow you to wander certain areas on your own. The commons areas and apartments down the first four hallways are yours to do with as you will. Any rooms beyond the fourth hallway and the master suite located at the end of the hall are strictly off limits.” His voice grew louder when he stressed those last words.
She turned to him, confusion furrowing her brow. “Why not complete the entire wing?”
His eyes locked to hers when he instructed, “Do not ask questions. Operate within the limits I’ve given you and do not break my rules. I’m certain you will not like the results.”
Shock was evident in her reaction, but eventually, she appeared to accept his conditions and he smiled in response. “Good. A guard will be waiting for you by the main doors to the ballroom. You have two hours to do whatever preliminary tasks you require. After that time, I’m afraid you will need to leave. If you have any questions, the guard can take you to a person who can assist.”
Reaching out, he took her shaky hands within his. “Please, try not to be nervous while in the mansion. I’m aware of the reputation of The Estate within the city and I can promise you, we are not as dangerous as some believe. As long as you comply with the rules set for you, there will be no problems.”
She smiled. He noticed how her eyes twinkled up at him, and he could feel how her pulse raced beneath her skin. “You have very pretty eyes, Erica.” Her uneasy smile brightened, her cheeks once again blushed red.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other matters to which I must attend.”
Pivoting on his heel, he walked quickly to exit the wing, knowing without having to look back that she continued staring at him as he left.
~ ~ ~
“Isn’t this the third decorator?”
“The fourth.”
Aaron’s head swiveled up to look at Xander from the papers splayed across the surface on his desk. Chuckling, he commented, “Do I even want to know what happened to the last one?”
“You don’t.”
Nodding his understanding, Aaron stood up from his desk to cross the room and exit into the living room of his suite. “It doesn’t matter. I trust that you have the staff under tight control. Regardless, we have far more pressing issues to handle. Specifically, tonight’s meeting.”
Sitting down in one of the wing-backed chairs by the desk, Xander settled in, exhausted already. “How in the hell did Joseph and Emory have time for dealing with the daily bullshit with this place and still have time to destroy so many lives?”
Aaron chuckled. “My father was a very intelligent man, Xander. Never forget that. I’m sure it was more than the two of them running the show. Unfortunately, they’ve all been killed, so we’ll have to work a little harder to catch up. Now, as I was saying, tonight’s meeting will be difficult. Regarding the unit causing problems within the network, I haven’t been able to precisely identify who it is. Have your sources come up with anything?”
Xander rubbed at his tired eyes. “No. But there are rumors that women are being brought onto the compound once again. We’ve visited each house on the compound and haven’t yet found anything.”
Leaning against the wall, Aaron eyed his guard warily. “Who is performing the searches?”
“Jason’s unit and Patrick’s unit. I’m sure both men are very thorough. I’ve run a few searches myself — much to the chagrin of the unit leaders, I should add. They are not pleased with the changes we’ve made. Keeping them in check has been a full time job lately.”
“Well, they are criminals. I intend to announce some more changes tonight. I expect that whoever is the cause behind the recent rumors will be obviously distraught with my announcements. I want you to keep an eye open and note the reaction of the men in the room.”
Xander nodded. “We only have a short time before we need to be in there, is Cricket getting ready?”
Aaron shook his head in amusement. “She’s going to slaughter you one of these days for referring to her with that nickname. She’s in the back room. You should go get her. I need to go through some documents once more before starting tonight’s meeting.”
After standing from his chair, Xander quickly exited the room, crossed the living room and entered the corridor leading to Aaron and Maddy’s bedroom. “Cricket! It’s almost time for tonight’s meeting, are you dressed?”
Even though he’d seen her naked countless times when she’d been a slave, over the two years that they’d taken control of The Estate, he’d made it a habit of granting her modesty. Not that he minded. She’d become a little sister to him and he had no desire to see her naked.
“Xander! Come here please. I need your help.”
Entering the room, his eyes fell on her small frame as she reached around attempting to button the back of her dress. Her face was scrunched in concentration and he laughed at the sight of it. “Problems?”
Dramatically lowering her arms, Maddy scowled up at him to see the humor in his expression. “I understand that Aaron wants to shower me in everything luxurious, but does it have to be so hard to put on?”
Approaching her, Xander spun his finger indicating for her to turn around. His fingers worked quickly over the buttons until, finally, the red silk dress hung perfectly over her small frame. “Even if the dress is difficult, you look absolutely stunning wearing it. I’m not sure how Aaron handles parading you in front of the network.”
Smiling shyly, she responded, “He’d kill any man that touched me and they all know it. Sometimes I suspect he hopes for someone to make the attempt. I don’t condone the darkness in him Xander, but I believe it builds up when he hasn’t had an opportunity to feed it. He needs an outlet — one far darker than I can provide.”
Xander’s face softened in understanding. “He was the executioner for a long time, Cricket. It’s how he was raised. Some habits are difficult to let go, especially when they are enjoyable.” Grabbing her chin, he tilted her sorrowful face up. “But you are his light — eventually, you will drive out every shadowed corner that exists within him.”
Her blue eyes sparkled. “Thank you.” Shaking herself free of his hold, she added, “Now stop calling me Cricket.”
She turned to exit the door into the corridor and he chuckled behind her. “Never.”
Reaching the living room, Xander saw that Aaron stood by the front doors ready to leave for the ballroom. Aaron waited for Xander and Maddy to take their positions at his back.
“Maddy, I want you to remain close to me or Xander for the evening. I fear I’m about to upset a number of people. For your safety, I don’t want you to wander far.” Aaron looked back at her, his face soft despite the sternness of warning.
She smiled back at him, her cheeks highlighted in pink when she answered, “Of course — Master.”
Aaron’s lips twitched from a threatened smile before he turned to exit the room and move down the corridors.
As usual, when th
ey entered the ballroom, a hushed silence fell over the large group of men who were seated at tables throughout the space. Aaron nodded in the direction of the group acknowledging the men, and turned to climb the stairs to the stage. Maddy followed, her face directed downward, still mimicking the role that she’d been abducted to play. When they’d reached the top step, Maddy’s long dress bunched under her foot, tripping her. Aaron turned instantly, both he and Xander crouching down in their attempt to catch her. The sick crunch that sounded behind them preceded the floors of the stage shaking when the guard’s body hit the ground.
Instantly looking up, Xander noticed blood seeping from the man’s head. He turned to immediately look out over the audience. A black clothed figure moved rapidly within the shadows of the room and, without hesitation, Xander pushed up to chase him towards the doors of the west wing. Every other man froze in shock where they stood and the room was quiet except for the sounds of Xander’s boots thundering against the ground. His heart hammered against his chest — a mixture of rage and urgency. How the fuck did this guy get into the mansion?
The man disappeared through the doors just as Xander crossed the room, blowing past the closing doors before they latched closed. The rapid beat to his heavy steps echoed through the emptied halls, the figure still within his sights. When they reached the fifth hallway, the man he chased appeared confused, looking right and left, in search of the exit. He went left and Xander smiled knowing he’d chosen a dead end.
Rounding the corner, Xander slowed his pace, walking past each door, reaching out to ensure they were still locked. Behind him, he could hear as more men tore into the hallway, their steps beating against the ground in their haste. When Xander rounded the final corner, the bone of his jaw cracked with the force of the intruders fist. The man drew a gun, holding it to Xander’s head just as three blasts sounded from the interior of the corridor.
The man fell back, and Xander looked up, rubbing his jaw as his noticed the man reaching to cup his own shoulder. He pressed back against the wall where he’d fallen and a line of blood smeared down where he’d slid along the painted finish.