I can feel him smirk against my skin. “I love the way you think. But … make no mistake… I will fuck you if I want to. Whenever. Wherever. Even in front of the girls if I have to, and I will use any tool in my possession to make you submit.”
He places pecks along my jawline and then forces me to turn my head toward him. “And you want to know why?”
He pauses, so I ask, “Why?”
The devilish smile on his face confuses me. It makes me want to slap him … And then kiss him. And then maybe kill him after. “Because I want you all to myself …”
His hand reaches for my pussy, and I’m helpless to stop him. Helpless against his advances on my body. Helpless … in my own arousal of him claiming me.
His hand finds its way to my panties underneath my skirt, and he pulls the lace aside to feel me. “I’ll let you in on a little secret. When I fingered Jordan, all I could think about was being inside you.”
Not one but two fingers.
Sliding up my pussy.
“I know you were watching me,” he whispers, thrusting his fingers into my body. “And you were wet for me then … as you are now.”
He’s right.
My thighs clench together, yet my entire body is melting into a puddle just from his touch. His voice. His presence. Everything.
“No.” I push away from him with the last bit of strength I have left.
“Yes,” he says, grinning. “Stop fighting it.”
“This is sick. This whole game is sick. Fucking girls like they’re your concubines?”
The vicious, lopsided smile on his face makes me hold my breath. “It’s the Wicked Bride Games, honey. Get used to it because it’s going to get much, much worse.”
11.
Accompanying Song: “Acid Rain” by Lorn
Naomi
That same night, Lauren’s dropped in front of our room.
We noticed the loud thud as her body hit the ground, and when we went to check, we found her lying in front of the door … unconscious.
Her body completely botched up.
Eyes red, face stained with blood.
Jordan and Asya gasped in shock.
Hyun even shed a tear.
Not me, though. I already knew what they’d done to her. Still, it wasn’t easy to witness yet again.
I don’t know who brought her or why or even how.
But somehow, I knew Max had something to do with it.
We dragged her inside and laid her on a soft mat, which is where she’s been resting the entire time.
We’ve been busy all night trying to keep her from fading. It’s morning now, and she’s finally waking up with a groan or two.
Latisha brings a bowl of lukewarm water to her and pats down her forehead and cheeks to brush away the blood. I grab a piece of cloth to wrap her scratched arm, so it’ll stop bleeding. She groans and squirms a lot, so I place my hand on her chest and keep her down.
“Don’t move so much; it’ll only hurt more,” I say.
“Fuck …” she whispers.
Tears stream down her face.
“Get some cold water. And a straw,” I tell Latisha, who nods and turns around.
“How is she?” Stacey asks.
“Not too well … but better than last night.” Honestly, I don’t know because I’m not a doctor, but I don’t want to give her more bad news. Besides, Lauren can hear what I say, and she’s been through enough already. I just hope we’re doing the right thing.
“Ugh … my head,” Lauren moans. “What happened to me?”
“You don’t remember? You’ve taken quite a beating,” I say, leaving out the nastier parts.
“No. All I remember is being dragged away from the dinner table. And then that foul dungeon.” She coughs. “It smelled awful in there. I think … I think it was me,” she adds after a while.
I pat her face with the wet cloth. “It’s okay.” I smile. “You might have thrown up from the pain.”
“No, it wasn’t that …”
“Just forget about it. I’m sure it was nothing.”
She touches her arm and flinches. “Why does everything hurt so much?”
“They beat you with a belt,” Jordan says.
I don’t remember telling her. Can she spot the marks that easily?
“What?” Lauren’s eyes widen.
“Calm down,” I shush her.
“Hyun, help me get her up,” I say.
Hyun’s standing in the corner, staring at us with tears in her eyes. I don’t think she stopped crying once last night.
“I can’t …” She’s shaking vigorously, so much so that I just ask Stacey instead. I don’t have time for wishy-washiness.
“Grab an arm and we’ll lift her up.”
Stacey does what I ask and pulls Lauren up, while Britt quickly shoves the couch closer to provide back support. Now, she’s finally sitting up.
“Here, drink something.” Latisha gives the glass to Lauren.
“Thanks …” She coughs again and then takes a sip through the straw.
It’s quiet for some time, and Lauren drinks and drinks until the glass is empty. Her eyes are blank; she’s staring into nothingness like she wants to disappear.
“What did they do to me?” she asks, specifically looking at me.
“I don’t …”
“Yes, you do.” She suddenly grabs my collar and pulls me closer. “I can see it in your eyes. The guilt.”
Another cough, this time with blood, spatters all over my face, and Britt and Stacey jump in to help Lauren stay upright and pat her down with the cloth.
Meanwhile, I’m just sitting here, baffled, trying to keep my composure.
“Get away from me!” She pushes the girls off her, and they immediately back off.
“You … you’re the reason this happened to me. If they’d given all the girls proper soup, maybe I wouldn’t have had to spill mine.”
“That’s not my—”
“Yes, it is! You could’ve offered to share,” she yells right in my face. “Instead, you did nothing.” She directs her attention toward all the girls in the room. “All of you did nothing to save me. Nothing!”
“That’s not true …” I whisper. “I pleaded with Max; honestly, I did.”
She shakes her head, biting her lip as she fights the tears.
“It’s not us you should be mad at. It’s them,” Stacey says softly.
“Shut up. Just shut up,” Lauren cries out then she bursts into tears.
I do the only thing I can and pull her into my arms, holding her close to my beating heart, even though it’s cold as stone. At least she’ll have a human soul to cling to; unlike those brothers who used her like she wasn’t even alive.
I pat her head and let her cry onto my nightgown. I suppose it’s the least I can do after not giving her what she wanted during dinner … after seeing her suffer like that.
Maybe it is my fault, even if only a little.
It still hurts. Because I hate not being perfect.
“Did they hit her?” Britt asks softly.
I nod.
“Not just that … I remember … bits and pieces of pain … on my face and in my ass,” Lauren mumbles, sniffing.
“Oh, my god …” Britt smacks her hand against her mouth, shaking her head vehemently.
“Please, don’t,” Hyun whispers. “Please, just … no more.”
“This is what happened to Lauren,” I say. “You can’t deny it.”
“I can’t handle it,” Hyun says in broken English. “I just can’t. I don’t know why we’re still here. I don’t want this. Who does? Let’s just run. Let’s get out of here before it’s too late.”
“No,” I say abruptly.
“Yeah, I get Hyun’s point,” Jordan says.
“No, you can’t leave. Not now.” I try to point at Lauren, but it’s hard when I’m consoling her too.
“We can. If we do it together,” Stacey mumbles as she stares into the distance.
I’m trying to prevent Lauren from hearing, but it fails.
“I don’t wanna die,” she mewls.
“No one wants to die,” I answer. “And if we run, then Lauren is left to fend for herself. She can’t walk. She can barely sit up. We can’t carry her.”
“Maybe if we used a blanket?” Stacey suggests.
“No. That’s ridiculous. It won’t work. I don’t understand why you’re even thinking of this.” I sigh. “You want to leave? Fine. Leave. But I’m staying here.”
I hug Lauren tight as she wraps her arms around my body and weeps out her pain.
The other girls just stare with bitter and confused expressions. I’m certain none of them know what to do at this point, and neither do I. But continuing is better than quitting. We’ve already gotten this far, right?
“Be strong,” I whisper in Lauren’s ear. “You’ll make it through this.”
“I’m so fucking angry,” she says, and I can feel her muscles tense up against my body. “I just want to scream and hurt someone.”
“I know, and you’ll get your chance later. Just focus on surviving for now.”
“Surviving, for what? To marry one of them?” she yells. “I hate them. I fucking hate them. I could never marry a guy I don’t love.”
I shush her again and pull her closer so she can’t talk anymore. She needs to save her energy for healing. Maybe later, we can get her in the shower and clean her up. But for now, she needs to rest.
“What if we call the police?” Stacey says.
I roll my eyes. “That won’t work. They’ll never believe us. Max, Devon, and Anthony have them in their pocket; I just know it. I mean just look at their wealth. You don’t get that rich without bribing someone.”
Stacey nods slowly, frowning in annoyance.
“Besides, they already told our family and friends we were here on vacation, so calling them won’t work either.”
“It’s like they planned it all ahead,” Latisha muses.
For a second, I wish she didn’t know that tiny fact.
“I can’t do this anymore,” Hyun suddenly says.
And with those words, she turns around, twists the door handle, and walks out.
I guess sometimes the pressure gets too much, and those who are at the bottom of the food chain give up the fight. Natural selection.
***
Accompanying Song: “Are We Having A Party” by Cliff Martinez
Max
Day 8
All girls stand in a line in the hall again. All except the two who ran away.
Pity. I’d hoped they’d last a bit longer so they could keep my brothers busy while I focused on Naomi, but I guess these games became a little too much for them.
No matter—plenty of girls still left to enjoy.
Plenty who will eventually crack.
I lick my lips as I look at each of them in their beautiful gold dresses that we asked them to wear. Their thick-lined eyes and overdone makeup won’t hide the nervous eye movements. I can spot it from miles away. They’re waiting … waiting for us like good little dolls. Despite the fact that bruises still cover Lauren, she’s still here, staring blankly into space. Exactly as she should.
Don’t give up.
Even if only so my brothers can still pick someone other than Naomi.
Because by god … that woman is mine.
“So … are all of you ready for your next task?” I ask.
None of them reply. Only Naomi cocks her head—like she’s curious, but also like she’s taunting me. She’ll get her reward if she keeps this up.
I clear my throat. “One of you will follow us into that room.” I point at the room in the back, behind the stairs. It’s the room where I sat by the fire the other night, and none of the girls have seen it yet. I bet they’re wondering what the hell will go down there.
Oh … if only they knew.
Smiling, I let my eyes travel until I find the first girl.
“Britt.”
“What?” she stammers.
“Come with us,” I say, holding out my hand.
“Wait. Why aren’t you telling us what’s going to happen?” Latisha asks.
I smirk. “Are you that eager to find out?”
The moment I say this, she shuts her mouth again. Of course, she doesn’t have the balls to object.
None of them know what’s going to happen next, and judging from the way she’s trembling, Britt’s terrified of this very idea. Not knowing what comes next can sometimes be a blessing … or a curse.
“I … I …” she stammers, tears welling up in her eyes as she steps toward me.
“No,” Naomi suddenly interjects.
I frown as I watch her step forward and push Britt back. “I will go first.”
“Hmm … now, this is interesting,” Anthony says, smiling from ear to ear.
Motherfucker.
“You want to go first? When you don’t even know what will happen to you?” Anthony muses. “How brave of you.”
“Or maybe she just wants to get it over with,” Devon says with a laugh.
I don’t tell them what I’m thinking, but it’s neither of those two options. She’s only doing this so she can win. So she can be the first to do whatever’s necessary to get her hands on that prize … the marriage and the money.
“Thank you,” Britt mumbles to Naomi.
She only nods. Of course, she’s not doing it for Britt. Naomi isn’t empathic, even though I imagine her pretending to be just for the sake of staying alive and keeping the peace. After all, a vicious catfight is the last thing she wants when she knows she’s the top-ranked bitch in the house … and those girls have claws sharp as a razor.
I’ve experienced it firsthand with Lauren.
The stinging on my arms draws my attention. I pull up my sleeve slightly to check my skin, which has scratch marks all over it. Then I realize that I was talking and that Naomi was looking.
I quickly lower my sleeve again, but her fox eyes tell me she’s seen it.
Will she realize what I’ve done?
A brief smile is all I get before she grabs my hand and says, “Let’s go.”
I smile back. “All right. You’ll be our first.”
I lead the way, while Devon and Anthony follow us into the room underneath the stairs.
She looks around the room as I lock the door behind her and then stand in front of the table near the fireplace.
I beckon her to come closer.
She does so with calculated steps, not taking her eyes off me for even one second.
When she reaches me, I step aside.
“On the table are three objects,” I explain. “They represent my brothers and me. Choosing one means excluding the others. One of us will have you as their personal plaything for one day. Now … choose wisely.”
I wink at her, and as I pass her, I briefly caress her right shoulder.
I don’t do it without rhyme or reason.
It’s a clue.
And I hope she chooses right.
My brothers and I walk past her as we all stand behind the table and watch her gaze at the items in front of her. The first is a crop. The second one is a noose. The last one is a knife.
Her fingers slide along the table as she stops at each of the items, carefully examining them. She stops at the knife and gazes at it intently.
“Don’t even think about it … it’s blunt. And besides …” Anthony flashes his holstered gun, which she only briefly acknowledges, before returning to pacing around the table again.
Her steps slow down until she pauses.
Right in front of the noose.
Her fingers reach toward it. My heart momentarily stops beating.
When she touches it, Anthony calls it.
“Mine.”
With parted lips, she glances at me, but before she can say a word, Anthony has her by the wrist and drags her
out of the room.
I grind my teeth, grab the knife off the table, and throw it at the wall. “Fuck!”
“Jesus, she got you good, didn’t she?” Devon muses.
I smack my fist on the table. “Dammit. Why the fuck did she pick the wrong one?”
“We didn’t tell her which item belongs to who. Duh.”
“I know!” I run my fingers through my hair. “But she should’ve picked mine!”
“You just don’t like to share. Well, too bad, bro … this is how it goes. These are the rules.” He shrugs.
I shake my head and sigh out loud, feeling the tremors in my fist. “I’m going to kill him if he hurts her.”
“Who cares?” Devon throws his arm around my shoulder and pulls me along. “Let’s go get the next girl.”
12.
Accompanying Song: “The Demon Dance” by Cliff Martinez
Naomi
Anthony holds my hand as he guides me up the stairs. The girls downstairs all watch me as he leads me away from them, some of them scrunching up their faces in fear. They don’t know what comes next, but I do. One by one, they’ll be pulled aside and lured into that room to pick an object that belongs to one of the men.
I wonder if one of them will get more girls than the other. If they’ll become jealous of each other.
If so, then this is definitely a good game for me. I picked the right one to toy with Max.
I knew his item was the knife. It was obvious, judging from the way he was winking at me and then touching my shoulder. But today is not his day.
I also knew the whip meant pain, and since Devon liked handing it out, I already figured that one was his. The only one left was the noose … for Anthony.
I knew exactly who I was picking … and why.
I’m going to mess with Max’s mind. Just like he did with mine.
Make him crazy jealous. Make him think I’m going to die. And then … he’ll protect me from his brothers at all cost. Hell, he might even kill them for me.
Indecent Games Duet - Boxed Set Page 9