by A. A. Dark
“I have spent hours watching their skin bubble and boil. Being burned alive is one of the most agonizing ways to die, Mistress. And I happen to enjoy watching it happen.”
“Why is that, I wonder? What showed you this way? What happened to make you choose this life?”
A smile grew, and he adjusted the back, twisting and righting the setting to where it was. Moments passed. When I thought he wasn’t going to talk, he finally reached up, pulling at his collar. One button from his dress shirt gave way. Another. A third. I moved in, squinting as I suddenly saw what he’d wanted me to see. Burned flesh, woven and marred in thick scars covering the expanse over his upper chest. How far it went down, I wasn’t sure.
“You can cut a man’s toes. You can drown him, beat him, break his bones. Introduce him to fears and phobias he never knew existed. Even stick your fist into his stomach and poke around at his insides to make him scream, but fire is the truest test when measuring weakness. It is the only thing that goes beyond a person’s threshold and has the ability to break them. Didn’t break me, but it was one hell of a test. It showed me who I am. What I’m capable of enduring.”
The tug of his lips was followed by a wink. As he walked toward the giant, I took in Luke. Did he know? Did he have any idea what his brother had been through? And by whom? The government? Enemies? A contractor? My mind swam as Luke’s eyebrows drew together in question.
“Come, Mistress Harper. I promised you a good time. It wouldn’t be very polite for me to start without you.”
Luke stepped forward, but stopped as my hand lifted in warning. Gavin wasn’t paying attention to us. He only had eyes for the rapist...for a man I wanted to see suffer just as much as the Dragon wanted to set afire.
“Mmmm. Mm-mmph!”
The muffled moans drew me forward. Not because they appeared afraid, but because they weren’t. The giant man was beginning to thrash against his restraints. The sounds filled the night air, seeming to travel to places inside me that urged me even closer. Temptation. I kept feeling it in every part of my being. I didn’t get to finish Travis. For that, my need to kill only increased. This man, this giant, was a monster. He deserved to pay for what he’d done. And I wanted to participate in his torture. I needed to like I needed someone to take the reins and shake me awake. I was spiraling inside. I knew it. The slave inside me knew it. The Whitlock phone was in my purse and it hadn’t rung once since before Travis’s death. I couldn’t stand it. The more time, the worse I wanted to call Bram and see what was going on. To hear his voice.
“I like to think I’m pretty thorough with my interrogations. After all, you can say it’s my forte. I rarely ever come across someone I can’t make talk. And this crew was all too happy to turn on you, Ram. You’ve cost me four slaves on this trip alone. Four. Not to mention, you damaged goods I was responsible for. For that, I’ll burn you from the neck down. For my apologies to Mistress Harper, I give her your face.”
Fire shot out of the gun in a stream a lot bigger than before, and deep yells filled the air as Gavin’s arm extended toward the far side of Ram’s chest. Smoke began to rise in a thin spiral, and skin bubbled and darkened around the torch’s flame. Louder, deeper, the giant’s tone changed as his body began to fight the ropes holding him bound. He was appearing to try to twist and rock back and forth. Long, thick fingers bowed out, stretching to unimageable lengths as his face turned a deep red.
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
“Every time I smell scorching flesh, see it melting before me, I can feel it in the exact place I was burned. I can feel their pain. Feel the heat trace over my body as it travels across theirs.”
The flame went out, and my eyes narrowed as Master Draper turned toward me, handing me the torch gun.
“Why do it then? Doesn’t it hurt?”
“What some view as pain, others view as pleasure. Do you like pain, Mistress? Has it ever felt good for you?”
“Good?” I rapidly blinked, trying to block out the memories of me straddling and kissing my Master. I’d cut myself for Bram. He’d brought me popcorn. I had wanted him more than anything then. And the cuts had hurt, but I knew it was what he had wanted. In the moment while I bled for him, I had wanted it too. It felt good. Right. “I suppose there have been a few times.”
“Interesting.”
“Is it? It’s not something I go in search of. Besides,” my arm lifted, pointing the torch even with Ram’s cock, “I inflict pain now. Not the other way around.”
At my pull of the trigger, the screams rose to their loudest. The stench of burning hair was quickly followed by the muscle cooking under the temperature. Gavin’s lips pressed together, and I smiled as his brow drew in.
“What’s the matter? Are you feeling the burn? Is it good for you?”
“I think it’s a different type of burn.” He bit his bottom lip, stepping closer as I let go of the trigger. Deep inhales were broken with whimpers and pain-filled sobs, but I barely noticed as Master Draper closed the distance between us. Before he could say a word, I spun, heading to the table. My eyes met Luke’s, and I knew I was projecting my need to flee. With as nice as the Master was being, I wasn’t stupid. None of these men were safe. Not even the nice ones. They were usually the worst.
“I’m starving. Did you say dinner was ready?”
A soft laugh sounded as I put the gun on the table and sat in the cushioned chair.
“Are you done playing already? We’ve only just started.”
“If you forget, I just left a torture session. I haven’t eaten for hours, and I’m afraid I’m more tired than I realized.”
“Of course.” For the first time, his attention went to his brother. “Signal to Ralla. She’ll take care of it.”
Luke turned toward the grand foyer and gave a gesture. Gavin quickly came, taking a seat across from me. Two glasses were already on the table. One had red wine, and the other, a drink that looked all too familiar.
“Is that scotch?”
Pausing his hand from grabbing the amber liquid, Gavin threw me a curious look. “Yes. Do you drink it? I just assumed on the wine. I should have asked.”
“No, it’s fine. I used to drink scotch, but it’s been awhile.”
“Would you like some?”
Bram returned in my memories, suffocating my thoughts as if he owned them. He drank scotch all the time. He loved scotch. I had grown a fondness to it too at one point.
“Perhaps I will if it won’t be too much trouble.”
“No trouble at all. Why don’t you start on the wine while I go grab the decanter and a new glass.”
The Master stood, sweeping by Luke as he headed inside. The moment he disappeared, my guard headed over.
“I don’t like this. That...I don’t know that man. He is not my brother. Gavin wouldn’t have…” His hand waved toward Ram. I picked up the wine glass and took a big gulp, cringing at the sourness almost immediately. “Maybe there were times my brother had anger issues, but to openly burn a man out of pleasure, never. I want to go. I don’t like this. I don’t like him.”
Tingling had me licking my lips. The need to open up to Luke and tell him what I had learned was there, but the odd numbness on my tongue had me looking down at the glass.
“You saw your twins. We know they’re okay for the most part. Excuse yourself and let’s get off this godforsaken island. Nothing good will come from anything else. We have to go.”
My eyes snapped up as anger ruled me. “This island is no different than my home—a home you agreed to tie yourself to should I get caught. This,” I said, gesturing to the dark, “is paradise compared to where we will go. No sun, white walls—” I swayed, grabbing the table as the floor seemed to move beneath the chair I sat in.
“Mistress, what is it? Are you alright?”
“The drink,” I breathed out, pushing to stand. “The drink.”
Luke barely caught me as I fell forward, unable to catch myself. I was spinning. Falling. The tingling was spreading, movi
ng to my chin and along my jaw, all the way down to my throat. As Luke swooped me in his arm and rushed to the open French doors, his hand was pushing the hair out of my face.
“Talk to me. What do you feel. Is it poisoning?”
My lips opened, but nothing came. My limbs grew heavier with each breath, and I suddenly couldn’t move. I knew this feeling. And I knew what was coming. My heart exploded into rhythm, feeding the effects of the drug, making it stronger. West—Whitlock oil—the realization had my eyes flying open with surprising force. Despite being immobile, I knew my terror was shining through, especially when an all too familiar voice almost seemed to caress my skin.
“Slow your ass down. You’re not taking my slave anywhere. This is over. I want you to keep your hands where I can see them and bring her over to me.”
Luke jerked us to a stop. “You. You son of a bitch. She trusted you!”
“Her mistake,” Gavin said, nonchalantly. “She was naïve to think I’d let her come without some sort of consequence. You’re even stupider than I remember. I’m the Dragon. Yes, deadly, but what often gets overlooked is my loyalty. Dragons are faithful to a fault. Me and Master Whitlock go way back. We are the leaders of leaders. We, Main Masters, run this world. Sure, we’ve had our differences, but that doesn’t change who my allegiances are to. Mistress Harper is owned, Luke. She has broken the biggest law we hold to, and that, I cannot have.
Multiple footsteps approached. Although the elaborately decorated ceiling was blurry above, I didn’t have to see to know Master Draper and Bram were approaching.
“Hand her over and I won’t kill you. I should after the fucking mess you’ve allowed her to make, but you have my word nothing will come to you. Not from me. I’ll allow your brother to choose your fate.”
“He’s not my brother. I don’t know this motherfucker. You make me sick, Gavin. What did he give you? Money for turning your back on a woman who only cared for the condition of two kids she was trying to save? Money for their wellbeing!”
We were walking backwards. The room was moving again. I gasped, and my arm somehow twitched through the temporary paralysis.
“Give her to me! Tell him to hand her over before I take her myself. My generosity only goes so far, Master Draper. Brother or not, if he doesn’t bring me Everleigh, he’s not going to like what happens.”
“Luke, there’s nowhere for you to go. Give your Mistress to Master Whitlock.”
Darkness engulfed us as we stepped back outside. Again, my arm moved, followed by my leg. Searching for my voice brought me nothing. I could feel tears trailing down the sides of my face. So many conflictions crashed, battling each other through the fogginess of my mind.
“I want you to forgive me for what I have to do, Mistress. Forgive me.”
The words were whispered, and a sway to the side sent a whimper free as fire suddenly shot out over me. The bright blue flame split the night with the softest hiss, and I felt the Dragon come to life above me. I saw it within the device with each pull of the trigger from Luke.
“Get back! Go inside, or I swear I’ll burn her until you do. Get. Back!”
We moved farther to the edge and the movement send my head rolling. It gave me a view of Bram. The usually slicked back dark hair fell to the sides of his eyes, disheveled, just as he appeared to be as he stared right into my depths. The fear, the crazed horror in his expression...I’d never seen so much emotion within him before. I. Love. You. I. Love. You. He did love me. I could see it so clearly. As if the old Bram was back. As if the one who had died and taken my heart with him had finally returned.
“Everleigh, baby, fight the drugs. Tell this man to stop. Tell him to bring you to me. Tell him. Fight. I want us to go home. Together. Please. You have to speak before he does something that hurts you.”
“Shut up! If she wanted you in her life, she’d return on her own free will. She’s gotten into Whitlock before. Why the fuck would she want to return? She doesn’t want to be with you, Bram. She is not a slave! She’s not a prisoner or your punching bag.” Pain flashed over Bram’s face, followed by rage as Luke continued. “That’s right. She told me everything. She told me how you hit her in that White Room. Everleigh Harper is more of a woman than either of you will ever be men. She will never go back. Never. That’s not who she is. She will fight you. We will fight you, and we will win. We won’t stop until she is free for good. Even if that means people die or we sacrifice ourselves to get there. You have my word on that. Now, get back.”
The end was said through clenched teeth. I saw the torch turn toward me, but there was nothing I could do or say to put a stop to it. Even if I wanted to. What did I do? Love, war, morality—they sent the voices in my head screaming through their madness.
“You burn her, I swear to fucking God, I will spend the rest of my life making you pay for it.”
“Then you’re going to move. You’re going to get out of my way and you’re going to let us leave.”
“Over my dead body. The only way Everleigh is leaving this island is with me.”
Luke’s head shook and his cheek ticked as he glanced down at me. “Forgive me.”
Blinding blue raced right at me and a pain like nothing I had ever experienced sent my body bowing. My shoulder exploded in melting agony and my mind screamed, deafening in my ears, until the high pitch shot from my lips in way that sounded haunting and foreign.
“No!” Bram lunged, pulling out his knife. “You’re a dead man. You’re so fucking dead!”
The flame shot to Bram, only to hover closer to me. “Move. Away.”
Trembling took over my body as it whimpered, but I was still devoid of communication.
“Move!”
Blue hissed above, and the heat beginning to warm my bicep had the sounds increasing. Bram’s lips parted and a roar tore from his throat. I knew the moment I saw it in his eyes. Defeat.
“If you leave with her, I will make it my mission to make your death one that will echo through the world for eternity. There won’t be a soul who doesn’t hear the ruthlessness of how I’ll make you suffer. And you will pay for this. I put my life on it.”
“Your life means nothing to me. Hers does. Do what you have to do, but so will I. Scars, she can survive. You, Whitlock, she cannot.”
Hotter, I burned, until my legs were kicking out in random jerks. A sob rocked me and my arm bubbled under the nearing blaze. The smell of burnt skin and hair filled my lungs, sticking within my nostrils like tar. Each breath, I smelled myself burn alive, and there was nothing I could do about it.
“Fuck, get it away from her!”
“Then, move! Let us go!”
“I…can’t. Everleigh, please. Fight! Tell him! End this.”
But I couldn’t. Luke was walking closer to the door and men were parting as we neared. Bram looked like a caged animal, shifting, gripping his knife as if he were calculating ways to use it. But it was impossible without me getting burnt even worse.
“Everleigh. Slave!”
Light engulfed us, and Bram was suddenly gone from my line of vision. We were running, racing through hallways as Luke yelled out to my men and mumbled how sorry he was. The apologies I heard. But my men, they were nowhere to be found. Not in the room they’d last been seen at near the entrance, and not on the getaway plane when we finally arrived.
Chapter 20
Layla
Sleep wouldn’t come. Hours passed to the sound of my brother’s snores. The giant was gone. From what my Mistress said, he was probably ashes somewhere, blowing free in the wind. Free, like I would never be. I should have been happy at his death, and I was, but there was a void the entire events had caused. It blocked out hope. It numbed out joy or justice.
Creaking had me looking over from where I was crouched in the corner. Aamir yawned, but didn’t open his eyes as he curled more onto his side. Nausea returned, and my head bowed again, staring at the floor. Tears burned my eyes, and I hugged tighter to my legs as I let my chin rest against my k
nees. The need to rock came, and if it weren’t for balance, I would have basked in the sensation. As it was, I was still getting bouts of dizziness.
“Do you plan on avoiding me from now on? You couldn’t get any farther away from me than you are now.”
I didn’t look up as I squeezed tighter.
“Layla, please don’t turn on me. I know you’re disgusted. I’m sickened at myself too. I’m so fucking sick inside. God...talk to me. I can’t do this without you. I said I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, but I thought he would have killed you. He told me he was going to if I didn’t—I fucking tried not to do that to you. I fought him with everything I had, but there were so many of them. I’m begging you, look at me!”
My head lifted as I took a deep breath. “What do you want me to say? You raped me, Aamir. Me, your sister. Forced rape or not, I didn’t, nor would I ever, give you consent to do something like that. They could have held a gun to my head and said, ‘let your brother fuck you or you die,’ and I would choose death every time.”
“And if the roles were reversed? If I lay on a bed weak and out of it? What if they threatened my life? What if they told you to have sex with me or else they’d kill me? Would you do it to save my life?”
The answer choked me. It had me standing and turning my back to him as I clutched the bars.
“You know you would. You’d do anything to save me, because that’s who we are. We’re one, remember? Without each other, we are nothing. God, Layla, we’ve never been apart for anything. Where there’s one of us, there’s the other. You know what I speak is the truth. You also know deep inside that I had to. We can’t be apart. We can’t survive that way.”
The creaking returned, and I couldn’t help but flinch as Aamir’s hand settled on my shoulder. Even when he wrapped his arms around me, I continued to drawl into myself.
“Stop this. Hug me back. Don’t you see what this is doing to you? You’re giving these demons power. I’m your brother. I love you more than anyone ever will. I did something unforgivable. I know that. But I did it because I couldn’t bear to lose you. I promised I’d protect you, and at the time, it was the only way I could.”