The Sect

  What she didn’t know is that Gregory Mitchum had been corresponding with me for years. He’d never let me forget, and he would never leave me alone. His letters, texts, and calls became relentless throughout the years. When changing my phone number and address didn’t work, I learned to ignore and silence his attempts to correspond with me. Going to the authorities about his psychotic behavior was not a viable option. The elites had a special way of doing things. Disrupting their distorted concept of justice—throwing money at the issue—brought about dire social and financial consequences to the accuser and everyone he or she knew. I’d tried to take out a restraining order using a different name; it was rejected the moment the officer saw the Mitchum name.

  “Mom”—I regarded my mother, clinging tightly to her hand—“Reese isn’t feeling well. I really should go.”

  “Nonsense,” she balked, removing my hand from hers. “You two haven’t seen each other in years. Catch up.” She gave me a nod and disappeared into the crowd.

  Gregory’s cocky demeanor returned and sent revolting shocks up my spine. “You look gorgeous, Keaton,” he offered. “You really…grew into your shape. I’ve seen it from afar, but being able to be with you, close like this, I can really appreciate it.”

  The corners of my mouth turned down in disgust. Without a goodbye, I turned to leave. He caught my elbow, stopping me.

  I knew how to play the part and never make a scene. It was drilled into my head so often, the action was effortless, and sometimes it hindered me from what I should’ve done, run and make a scene.

  “Come with me. We should talk.” He pulled me, coercing my reluctant feet to follow him.

  Standing on the roof terrace, I looked out at the Potomac River, shoving back memories that made me want to cry.

  “I think about you so much it kills me, Keaton.” He firmed his hold on my wrists; his eyes softened and glazed over. “Why are you punishing me? I’ve apologized for four years. Do you know how much you’re hurting me by being this way? Stop being a bitch to me. It drives me fucking nuts when you ignore me.”

  As I closed my eyes, the tears began to spill down my cheeks.

  He shushed me, running his hand up my arm, causing a burning sensation that was far from pleasurable. “Don’t do that, angel. I love you; you know that. All I want to do is take care of you and for us to be together.”

  I receded from him, turning my back on him. “Why can’t you leave me alone?”

  He grabbed my shoulders, forcing me to turn around and held me tightly against his form. “I made a mistake. I know that. I know you’ve forgiven me. You could’ve reported me, but you didn’t.”

  “Because I believed you!” Sobbing, I lifted my gaze to his face. Rage and disgust became a brewing storm, ready to unleash on him at a moment’s notice. “I didn’t want to ruin my parents’ careers.”

  “You were smart to listen to me, but come on.” His hands slipped up to hold my head in a vice grip, preventing my retreat. “I got a little carried away one night, but with what we had? Don’t you think you’ve tortured me enough?”

  My body shook with anger and hatred. I found it hard to stare into the face of the monster who tainted my soul and devoured who I used to be. Subsequent to hollowing me out, he had returned to taunt me further. His words were outright lies. We had nothing. He was a jock I stupidly lusted over in high school. When he took me to my Cotillion, he treated me like a princess and I thought he was my prince charming. While there were times his explosive behavior made me question his nature, I pushed it aside and tried to see the best in him.

  On the day of my eighteenth birthday, the night of my graduation, I quickly discovered that there was nothing good about Gregory Mitchum.

  “In a few years,” he began, wearing a prideful smile, “I’m going to run for city council. I’m doing my time, working in a law firm, building up my contacts. I can take you to all the places you wanted to go. You don’t have to rely on your parents. Just stop…” He reached out to touch me. I backed away. In response, he lunged forward, forcing me into his arms. “…ignoring me.”

  Bile rose in my throat, choking me and making it difficult to speak.

  “You know I’ll never give up until you’re by my side. I love you.”

  “Love?” I questioned, my voice quiet and hoarse, expressing my incredulity toward what he considered as love. “Is that what you call what you did to me?”

  “I had to teach you a lesson. Lesson learned, right? It’s been too long, Keaton. I’m done waiting your anger out. I need you. I want you, and I’m going to have you.”

  I struggled only to have him hold me so tightly I couldn’t breathe.

  He leaned down with his ragged breath fluttering against my forehead. “I could fuck you on this terrace with or without your permission and not a damn person would stop me. Think about that, hmm?” The sinister quality to his voice returned in full force. He secured my wrists in one of his hands, pinning them behind my back. “Have you kept your pussy untouched and wet for me like I told you to?”

  “Stop it,” I whispered.

  He lifted the hem of my dress and touched the crux of my thighs. “Tell me if you’ve been a dirty fucking slut or my angel, Keaton. Tell me right fucking now before I lose my temper.”

  “Keaton, is everything all right?” Reese’s soothing voice became music to my ears.

  Biting into a frustrated smile, Gregory released me. “It’s not your business, man.”

  “She’s my fiancée,” Reese countered weakly, “and you shouldn’t touch her like that.”

  Cracking his neck, Gregory marched up to Reese with speed and purpose.

  Reese held up his hands, attempting to appear unassuming. “I don’t want any trouble. I just think you should leave her alone.”

  “What the fuck are you going to do about it?” Gregory’s flippancy shook what little was left of Reese’s confidence. “The way you’re almost pissing your pants, I’m pretty sure you won’t do much of shit. I could fuck Keaton in front of you—believe me”—he sucked the fingers that touched me earlier with a smirk—”she’s very wet for it—and you wouldn’t do a goddamn thing to stop me. Because you’re a pussy, aren’t you, boy?” Gregory shoved him in his chest, causing him to stumble back. “She’s not your fiancée. She’s not your anything because she’s mine.”

  “Leave him alone.” I swiftly walked over to Reese, offering to help him to stand. He balked at me, shaking his head and stood on his own.

  An abrupt slap on my ass made me jolt up in shock and disgust. “We’re not done, Keaton. I’ll see you around.” With a wink, he left the terrace.

  “Was that him?” Reese asked, his eyes cast down in embarrassment.

  “It…doesn’t matter. Can we go home?” I hugged my bare shoulders from the chilly night air. The sensation I felt when Gregory destroyed me returned. I was left vulnerable and unprotected.

  “Why did you just let him touch you like that, Keaton?” Reese asked, his voice raised. “Why didn’t you stop him or call for help?”

  “Because I—”

  “Don’t!” He held up his hand. “I’m beginning to realize you weren’t an innocent victim. That maybe you asked for what he did to you. You…were acting like his personal whore. It was disgusting to see.”

  “W-what?” The more I blinked, the less I could comprehend the acidic words he threw at me.

  Shaking his head with a disappointment that gutted me, he headed back inside, leaving me alone on the terrace.

  AWAKENING OUT of my heavily drugged state, I found myself in an uncomfortable position. My body was vertical and bound by the wrists. Leather cuffs bit into my skin, forcing the majority of my body weight to hang by my wrists. When I tried to move, the sound of metal grinding against metal rang inside my ears. My mobility was restricted to only a few centimeters.

  Leather cuffs surrounded my ankles, forcing my legs to remain apart. Naked. Vulnerable. My strength and modesty were stolen from me by way of leather st
rips and chains, binding me in place and putting my naked body on display for anyone to see.

  The discomfort inside my mouth made me grimace in pain. The side of my face felt tight and slightly plump. When I poked my tongue around, I found that two of my third molars on either side of my mouth were missing. My tongue was poked with the prickliness of self-dissolving stitches, closing the open wound.

  The moment the haze of tears cleared from my vision, a blinding white light was shone in my face, making me stir. A hand gripped the crown of my hair, forcing my neck to crane. Something metallic was shoved inside my mouth. The cold, bitter taste forced my pained jaw to crank open. “She’s healing quite nicely,” announced the stranger, obscured from my view by light blindness, as he removed the tool. “Make sure she remains on antibiotics for a few more days.”

  Taps of shoes echoed throughout the space, nearing me with a pace that was steady and purposeful. “And the other issue?” The smooth voice that held a hint of wickedness reverberated up my spine. It was unmistakable. Reven.

  “Yes, my colleague”—the light dimmed, leaving me with white spots across my vision—“was able to implant the IUD. Either way, her blood panels are clean.”

  IUD? They had a gynecologist examine me? Without my consent or knowledge? The violations I’d experienced since wrongly ignoring Jeff seemed to never end. Tears trickled down my cheeks as I kept my head bowed.

  The tightness at the back of my jaw made it hard to move my neck, much less my facial muscles. With my hair draped around my face, I tried to see through the clumped-together and wavy strands of my hair. The small windows at the height of the far wall poured just enough light in the otherwise dark room to reveal where I was.

  When I spotted the wall-mounted racks full of various torture devices, I closed my eyes and fought hard against a sob. Thoughts of being physically abused until I was either dead or broken pervaded my thoughts. My limbs shook with discomfort and the rush of fear made my breaths become irregular.

  I could die here, tonight, without a friend or a familiar face around. I would never see my parents before I took my last breaths. I was at the mercy of men who meant me harm. Men who wanted to use me for their depraved needs under the guise of a heretical doctrine I had yet to see.

  Reven dismissed the doctor who promptly left us alone.

  “Please…let me go.” My words were mumbled, my voice holding strongly to its normal, quiet tone. “My parents are looking for me and I know they miss me very much. I have money. My parents have money. They will give you anything you want if you take me home. I won’t say anything about you or this place, I’ll—”

  The taps resounded louder, pounding against the concrete with a thunderous anger. Reven’s hand was tangled in my hair, yanking my head back harshly. I felt the latent pain in my gums and jaw just a little bit more. He continued to pull my hair back until I pressed my lips together, promising my silence.

  He loosened his grip, allowing my head to drop back down. He stood before me in a black on black suit, his hair meticulously styled, his hazel eyes burning holes into me. “Everything on this land belongs to me. With all that I have, what makes you think I have any desire for material things when I want for nothing? I’ve told you what I wanted from you. Despite your more than comfortable accommodations, you have yet to give it to me.” His slow, long steps around my body made my heart race. Every inch of space between us was subtracted while he neared me. “You were lucky to be picked to live here. Instead of a grateful attitude, all I’ve received from you is selfish, unappreciative defiance.” He paced around my body for one final round. Stopping dead in front of me, he cast a scowl in my direction.

  His attention slipped over my nude body, reminding me of what I was blindingly aware of. Having my modesty stolen from me made it hard to hold his gaze. He pressed forward, increasing an invisible pressure of fear that draped my form. Gently, he placed his fingertips underneath my chin. Tilting my head up, he forced me to look into the dark vortex, his eyes. “No sin done against my name goes unpunished.” He turned on his heels and walked toward the wall, fingering the various torture instruments; whips, paddles, canes, crops, and floggers.

  “Please, Reven,” I pleaded, the projection of my voice failing me. “I’ll confess.”

  He bristled, taking a moment prior to swiveling around to regard me. A brow lifted in question; a lightness crossed his face, showing that he was pleased with me.

  I had simply played to his need to be looked upon as a man of divinity. It was a shot in the dark that illuminated the shadowed place in his desires. He paced toward me, his posture broad, his face remaining strong and unrelenting. “Do you fully grasp the concept of how confession works? You haven’t read The Doctrine. How could you know?”

  “Tell me how and I will,” I told him.

  “You confess your sin to me—only one needs to be said. One sin breeds one act of contrition. The nature of the act you will perform is solely at my discretion. Divulge your crimes and I’ll show you the path to deliverance.”

  My eyes drifted to the floor. I searched the recesses of my mind for what he wanted.

  Reaching forward, he braced the back of my head in his strong hand. “Delve beyond the surface. Deeper.” His fingers dug into the crown of my hair, his nails burrowed into the sensitive flesh of my scalp, forcing my neck to crane.

  Silence cut stagnantly through the air as his request went unfulfilled.

  “I don’t know exactly what you do here and I don’t care,” I said to him, breaking the less than breathable dead air between us. “I just want to go home. If you return me to my parents, they will give you all the money—”

  Reven covered my mouth, shaking his head. “You’ve displeased me. You claimed you wanted to confess but hadn’t the slightest idea as to what you wanted to confess to. Not the best idea when you tried to desecrate something sacred.”

  I wasn’t aware someone else was in the room until that minute. Noah moved with stealth, making his presence known only when he wanted to be seen. He stepped out of the shadowed corner of the room and my entire body felt inundated with a cold shocking current. He strolled toward the board of instruments and grabbed a wooden paddle. His chin remained to his chest as he appeared to move in slow motion. The haunting look in his eye was terrifying.

  My body writhed against my restraints, bracing for the pain. Reven’s steely stare locked on my eyes, pulling me underneath his spell.

  The taps of Noah’s shoes echoed through the space with a haunting rhythm. They stopped just behind me and stilled for one too many minutes.

  My scream reverberated through the air before the loud, grotesque sound of my naked behind being abused by the large, smooth strip of wood resounded. The burn wrapped around my body, extending past something far beyond the point of impact. My whimper became a muffled cry into Reven’s hand.

  Reven scrutinized me, his face showed pleasure at the expense of my pain. “Again.”

  The force at which Noah hit me pushed me to the limits of my constraints. Tears involuntarily flooded down my cheeks. The reverberation of agony rifled up my spine, making movement impossible. I was flogged again, and this time, my scream was unrestrained. The agony coursed through every inch of my back, striking me hard in the most sensitive places.

  I closed my eyes, holding strong to my ways of coping. I had faced a much worse pain and to make it through, I focused on something else. My ability to shut my body down was further improved when I met Jeff.

  I knew the men before me thought they would break me with pain. But when the paddle hit me again, I kept my eyes closed, pretending as though I felt it with my scream, when I hardly did. My mind ascended to another place, remembering my last happy moment with Jeff. Internally I felt at peace. Externally I felt nothing.

  Reven’s palm slipped down my quivering lips, landing just below my chin, keeping it upright.

  “What do you want me to do?” My words were careful and precise. I knew better than to plea for fre
edom, yet I’d never beg him for a reprieve. While at times, survival often meant forgoing your pride, I wasn’t going to relinquish my strong-will. I would let them think their methods worked, but I would never internally fall into the trap.

  The corner of his mouth twisted up into a deviant smile. “It exalts me when you supplicate.” With a simple gesture—a short nod—I knew I had inadvertently satisfied him.

  From over my shoulder, I glimpsed at Noah. He reached up toward the ceiling, wrapping the free-hanging chain around his hand. He pulled down, causing my body to fall into a heap on the ground. My ankles remained tethered to the chains drilled into the floor, forcing my body to fall down with my knees spread.

  “I’m making an exception for your behavior,” Reven cooed, “open your mouth and show me that you deserve absolution.” He pinched my chin harshly between his thumb and index. “If you bite me again,” he warned, “you won’t have a single tooth left to chew with when Noah is done with you.”

  My hands shook, rattling the chains still attached to the D-ring of my cuffs. The idea of giving him oral sex left me feeling repugnant. The idea of anything of a sexual nature at all disgusted me. “I—I don’t know how to do this,” I stammered, pretending to be painfully shy. My admission was an outright lie. I had hoped that if I appealed to the role of an inexperienced virgin, my punishment would end; the punishing act of being forced to perform a sexual act on a man I’d grown to hate.

  Hope was the disease of the devil. Agreeing to one act to appease him probably wouldn’t have been enough. I only wanted something to bring me closer to freedom; a freedom that would allow me to escape and return to the place I abandoned.

  “I will teach you. Beyond your pain and your need to fight me, you will learn what it takes to be a productive inhabitant of The House of Rebirth. You will learn everything you need to know in due time.” Reven ran the back of his hand down the side of my face, specifically the side that was the most swollen. Sliding down his zipper, he unhooked the fastener to his slacks. Reaching down, he pulled out his fully erect cock.