Victor laughed, and for just that moment she saw the handsome young face of the man she had first been introduced to. It was a great pity he was a bastard.
“Fair enough, then. You’ll have your letter. However, I will be requiring your company and cooperation for the remainder of the night. Come morning, you are free to leave, letter and all.”
Phoebe swallowed hard at the thought of spending the night with him, not sure she could go through with it. It was one thing to tolerate a quick rutting around, but quite another for the torment to last hours. A cold shiver ran down her spine, her stomach tossing, ready to make her ill.
Taking a deep breath, she threw back the rest of her drink and then before her nerves got the better of her, said, “Fine. Write it.”
Chapter Fifty Eight
Exhausted, William looked forward to getting home and getting a good night’s sleep. He’d been up since five that morning, and it was now close to midnight. Though he was disappointed and frustrated that Seth had been charged, getting Mr. Xavier Brown’s testimony had been an amazing stroke of luck.
Finishing the last of his paperwork, he shrugged into his coat and grabbed his hat, then headed down the hall to hail himself a hansom.
“Sir! There ye are!” William spun at the sound of rapid footsteps heading towards him, and found Phoebe’s footman looking rather upset.
“Samuel, is it not?” The lad nodded in response. “Where’s your lady? Has she not gone?”
Samuel shook his head. “She bade me wait here for Mr. MacKay, since he’d gone to find the lady’s brother. I told her I could just leave ’im a note, but she wouldn’t hear of it, and I’m right worried ‘bout her being on her own.”
William got an awful niggling feeling in his gut. “Did she say where she was going?”
“Aye, she said she’d be going straight home, but truth of it is, I think she’s up to something.”
William sighed heavily. It seemed that sleep would have to wait. “I’ll pass by her home. If she is not there, I’ll go to the club to see if she went to help Mr. MacKay find her brother. I’ll need you to stay here however, on the off chance Mr. MacKay does return.”
“Thank ye, sir.”
William put his hat on with more force than was required and walked out into the cold, hoping with all his might that his gut was wrong.
Chapter Fifty Nine
The trade was a simple one. One whole night with Victor, and in exchange, he would drop the charges against Seth for attempted murder. Just one night, and Seth would be safe. Free of the hangman’s noose. If she did not make this sacrifice, she had no doubt Victor would wield all his influence to make Seth pay for his insult with his life. And if she did not go through with their bargain now, she knew Gavin would never let her out of his sight, for fear she might do exactly what she was about to do.
Though Phoebe desperately wanted another drink to help her down the road to oblivion, she felt a panic grip her when Victor handed her a large glass of Viridis rather than port. “Drink it or the deal is off.”
“How the hell did you get my herbal?” She had never sold any bottles of Viridis, reserving it all for her club.
“My dear, money always finds a way, does it not? Now drink it before I change my mind.”
She glared at him, and took the glass. “You truly are a bastard.”
He just laughed.
By the time she had finished, her head was swimming, and every nerve in her body was electrified with barely contained energy. When Victor stood before her, offering her his hand, she took a deep breath, steeled her resolve, and took it, letting him pull her out of the chair.
He led her to his spacious sleeping chamber, elegant though elaborately done. It completely suited him, the ostentatious prig. A roaring fire was still going near a small sitting area, and the four-poster bed loomed just beyond.
Phoebe heard the lock on the door click over, and she turned just in time to see Victor remove the key and place it well out of her reach on top of the tall armoire. She swallowed her rising panic, and tried to concentrate instead on the reason she was there— Seth.
Victor strode towards her, a gleam in his eyes and just a hint of a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pulled her close, his cheek brushing against hers, his beard rough against her face. Her heart pounded and her skin crawled with his touch.
“I do believe I am going to enjoy myself immensely, dear Phoebe.” When he kissed her, it took all she had to not push him away, and her hesitation was clear. Victor pulled away to look at her, his voice cold and stern when he spoke. “I just want to make myself clear. If you will not willingly play your role, I see little difficulty in forcing your hand. Our agreement included your cooperation, and if you do not comply fully, I’m afraid it will result in the cancellation of our contract. Am I making myself clear?”
Phoebe’s jaw tightened but she said nothing. He grabbed her face in one hand, his grip firm.
“Am I making myself clear?” He spoke through clenched teeth. “Say it.”
Swallowing her pride, she spat out the words. “Yes. You’ve made yourself clear.”
He released his grip, his calm demeanor returning. Without another word, he stripped her of her garments, taking a bit of her strength with each layer of clothing he removed. As she stood before him naked, Victor circled her, looking her up and down. She couldn’t help but close her eyes, her mind drifting to Seth, his name a mantra in her head.
She flinched at Victor’s breathy voice in her ear. “I must admit you’re even finer than I’d imagined.” He pressed his body up against hers from behind, grabbing a fistful of hair with one hand, the other dipping between her thighs, his mouth making its way up the side of her neck. She couldn’t help but squirm to try and get away from his touch, but doing so had her pressed against his hard cock, straining against the fabric of his trousers.
He covered her mouth with his as he continued his assault, his fingers plunging past her defenses, where the Viridis had made her wet to his touch. She was embarrassed and mortified that her body was betraying her, and for the first time cursed the day she developed the herbal.
When he finally let her go, she dropped to the floor, weak from his assault, with an aching need between her legs. She stole a glance over her shoulder and saw he was undressing, leaving her to wonder if her decision had been the right one to make.
He grabbed her by the arm, hauling her to her feet, as she tried to look away from his nakedness. She swallowed her fear as he pushed her towards the bed and adjusted her so that she still stood, but with her elbows and upper body propped on the mattress, her rear exposed.
Phoebe yelped when his leather belt snapped across her skin, her bottom stinging with pain. “Perhaps I should have warned you. You see, my dear, I do believe you’ve been taught little discipline throughout your life, and it’s time you got a lesson in respect.” He lashed her again and again, as Phoebe buried her head in the covers. “Of course, you need not subject yourself to any of this. After all, is that tinkerer of yours really worth your sacrifice?”
“Yes.” Seth was all she could think of.
“Very well then. Shall we continue?” He waited, brushing the strap gently over her throbbing cheeks. “Well? Say it Phoebe. Say ‘yes’.”
She squeezed her eyes shut. “Yes.” Her body clenched as he hit her again, a little lower this time so that he caught the very top of her thighs and everything in between.
“Are you still sure, Phoebe? Is he truly worth your suffering?”
She wished he would just shut the hell up and get on with it, for she would never give him the answer he sought. Another crack, same location. “Yes!” She spat out the words.
“I wouldn’t have thought it to look at him. Is he an extraordinary lover, Phoebe?”
Her mouth and temper got the better of her. “Better than you could ever dream of being.” The strap hit her so hard, she fell forward onto the bed, her cheeks throbbin
g like someone took a torch to them.
“Still haven’t learned any respect? That’s perfectly fine, my dear. It’s a long night and I do not tire easily.” His hand brushed across the swollen curve of her bottom, first one cheek, then the other, before his fingers found their way between her legs, where she was now dripping wet. “Well, my dear, it certainly seems that you’ve enjoyed yourself more than you’ve let on.”
She could not explain her body’s reaction to his indignities, and she had never been more mortified in all her life. His fingers slipped inside her with little difficulty, as she squeezed her eyes shut, a tear escaping, as she lay there helpless, her body reacting to his advances. He pinned her to the mattress with his other hand, the energy inside of her building as he slipped his fingers in and out, pressing and rubbing her swollen nub, pushing her closer and closer to the edge. With so much Viridis coursing through her body, it took every ounce of strength she had not to cry out.
“Will you tell him of our good times when this is all over?” Victor teased her, his lips against her ear. “Will you tell him how you spent at my hand?” With that, he pushed her over the edge, and the orgasm tore through her. He only withdrew his fingers when she finally stilled, her heart racing as small shivers coursed through her body, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
His hands mercilessly gripped her hips, lifting her into the middle of the bed so that she was on hands and knees as he knelt behind her. “That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” He patted her aching bottom. “Do not worry yourself, my dear. Things will only get better.”
Phoebe heard him open the drawer to his nightstand, but had not the heart to look and see what he was doing. Once again she thought of Seth, thought of him being freed, and steeled her resolve anew with another dose of courage.
She felt the tip of his cock slide up against her, the smell of fragranced oil in the air. And though she was prepared to feel his hard length, she had not expected what came next. She let out a sound that was half-whimper, half-scream. His next thrust buried his cock so far within her that his balls hit her still throbbing flesh.
“My, my. It’s clear that your betrothed does not appreciate all you have to offer. Am I right, my dear? For I do believe this type of coupling is new to you, is it not?”
She could not answer him, her teeth clenched against the pain. He eased out of her before slowly thrusting back in, leaving her head dizzy with sensations that overwhelmed her completely.
“How very nice and tight. Tell me how nice it is, Phoebe.” When she still did not answer, he pounded into her again, holding nothing back, as she fought against a scream. “Tell me, Phoebe,” he breathed as she began to weep. “Say it. Tell me how nice it is.” Another deep merciless thrust.
Ashamed, she said the words, hoping for some reprieve. “It’s nice.” Hearing what he wanted, he eased his pace.
He was forcing her to talk, to hold up her end of the conversation, so she was forced to stay in the present rather than escape inside her head, forced to agree to whatever he dreamed up, or have it all be for naught.
Victor leaned over her, one arm across her chest to hold her still as he worked her, his other hand now dipping to the throbbing pulse between her legs. She squirmed, desperate to get away, but his muscular form kept her pinned to him.
Thanks to the Viridis, the sensations left her overcome. Small moans escaped from deep in her throat with each thrust, each bite, each touch, pushing her back to the edge once again. She thought of Seth, wondering how he would react to know her body’s reactions to Victor’s attentions— her body’s betrayal.
Victor’s thrusts quickened, the energy building not only for him but for her. When he finally jerked in his release, she felt herself slipping towards that miserable edge once more and fought it with every fiber of her being. But it was a battle she lost, weeping openly as the force of her orgasm shook her to the very core.
She lay dazed, his heavy body crushing her, her lungs barely able to catch a breath. He finally rolled off her and went to the privy to clean up, leaving her with his hot seed dripping down her leg.
Phoebe could do nothing but lay there, trapped in her thoughts, teetering on the edge of consciousness, wondering what else she would have to endure.
She did not have long to wonder.
He rolled her onto her back and climbed on top of her, parting her legs wide with his knees. Turning her face so she’d be forced to look at him, Victor slapped her lightly when her eyes drifted shut, the pain just enough to bring her out of her dazed stupor and back to the present.
“There, that’s better, is it not? I wouldn’t want you to miss out on any of the excitement.” But when he kissed her, the immediacy of having him face-to-face, his body atop hers, was more than she could endure, despite all she’d already been through. She struggled to get away, but his lips were hard on hers, his tongue thrusting into his mouth to take what she would not offer, his beard scraping her delicate skin
He entered her in one go, his hard length tearing and bruising. Her struggles were in vain, spurring him on as he mercilessly thrust into her, time and again, with all his might. “You’re mine, Phoebe. Every time that worthless tinkerer touches you, you’ll think of me. Every time he looks at you, he’ll think of me— think of me fucking you, taking you, think of how you spent like never before, and all at my doing. I am right, am I not?” He laughed. “Yes, I thought so. Say it, my dearest Phoebe. Tell me that you’re mine. My little whore.”
When she spoke, it was through gritted teeth. “You can take what you want, you bastard, and I’ll uphold my end of the bargain, but I will never be yours. Never!”
He just laughed at her, a cold, evil laugh that sent a chill down her spine. “That, my dear, is where you are gravely mistaken, for the night is still young and you’re mine already.”
Chapter Sixty
William arrived at Phoebe’s home only to find she was not there. Martha had been asleep and had not seen Phoebe come home, what with her room being in the servant’s quarters. He assured a worried Martha he would send Phoebe home as soon as he managed to track her down.
Hailing another coach, he gave the driver the address for Viridis, hoping he would find her there, or in her brother’s quarters above the club. It was not a terribly long ride, though it felt like an eternity.
When William excited the coach, he heard voices and commotion drifting down the stairwell from Gabriel’s quarters, and took the steps two at a time. The door to the apartment was ajar and William walked through without knocking. Despite his dealings with death and bloodshed, the scene unfolding before him hit him hard. Two doctors were bent over Gabriel’s unconscious form, while Gavin stood to the side, covered in his friend’s blood. A quick look around the room told him Phoebe was not present.
“Inspector. I had nae been expecting ye, but I can tell ye, I’m right happy to see ye. I canna believe this. Phoebe’s going to be in a right state over it.” Gavin’s face was lined with worry and concern.
“Have the doctors given any indication to his condition?” William kept his voice low so as not to disturb the doctors working.
“He’s lost a fair amount of blood, and hasn’t remained conscious more than a moment at a time. I’d say it’s looking dire enough, though the doctors haven’t really taken the time to say otherwise. They’ll be moving him to one of their homes to sew the wound shut and tend to him as needed.”
As if on cue, a coachman knocked on the door to say the carriage had been pulled around to the door and was ready for them. William watched as they rolled Gabriel onto a thick quilt, his chest bare but for the thick bandage wrapped around his shoulder, covering a wound not far from his heart.
“Will you be going with them?” William asked. “There is something I need to discuss with you.”
“No, I’m afraid the coach willna fit us all, and I still need to tell poor Phoebe what’s happened. She’s still waiting to hear why her brother went missing.” He cursed under his breath, and Will
iam knew it would not be an easy conversation to have, made all the more difficult by the fact that Phoebe herself was missing. Gavin continued, “I’ll just be seeing him off, and then I’ll have a moment, if ye dinna mind waiting.”
Alone in the room with nothing but his anger, William searched for any evidence that may explain what happened here.
It was clear the door had not been forced open. The room showed some signs of a struggle—a broken vase, a plush chair shoved at an odd angle, but this could easily have happened as the doctors or Gavin rushed to Gabriel’s side.
The room was large and open, as the entry flowed into a sitting room, then to an office at the far end and a dining area to the right. The fireplace was located by the cluster of furnishings designed as the sitting room. Two glasses sat on the end tables. It appeared Gabriel may have been entertaining company at the time of the attack, or his guest was the attacker. Either way, William would love to know who that person was.
The desk was littered with ledgers and work from Viridis. As he shuffled through the paperwork, an unfinished work order for spirits caught his eye. William examined it closely, a surge of excitement now bolting through him. He couldn’t be sure, but thought the handwriting looked familiar. He folded the piece of paper and tucked it away in a pocket.
William turned just as Gavin entered the room. “They’ve taken him to Lord Grey’s home where they’ll tend to him. I dinna like leaving him alone, but I must tell Phoebe what’s happened.” Gavin ran a hand through his dark curls making him look a bit like a bear just awoken from its winter hibernation.
“Actually, that’s the reason I’ve come. I believe Lady Hughes may be missing.”
Chapter Sixty One
Phoebe had lost all sense of time, for it seemed her hell was destined to go on for an eternity. She did what was required of her but gave it no thought, just closed her eyes and blocked out as much as she could, retreating within herself. Indeed, it was as if she were not even within her own body, but instead floating away on a sea of darkness, her exhaustion allowing her some semblance of oblivion.
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