Pretty Lies

by Kitty Thomas

  “Nah, just… the way he is with you,” Shannon said.

  When the guys had started bringing girls here, Annette had been sure she wouldn’t be able to handle it. Not because Anton might show them attention—she’d moved past that—but because she thought they would be terrified victims. But that wasn’t what had happened. The girls here knew why they were here; they were total pervs and completely into it.

  It was actually nice having female companions who didn’t judge her. She could barely stand the judgment she still felt from Phyllis. When the older woman had thought her a helpless prisoner, she’d had pity for her, but now it was just a barely veiled contempt. Annette was tempted to be catty and think Phyllis was jealous, but she was just different. It wouldn’t have mattered if the former realtor was twenty and gorgeous; she was the type of person Annette had been trying to convince herself she was.

  It had taken the contrast of Phyllis to fully understand that lack of experience in kink wasn’t the same thing as lack of a kink.

  Annette glanced over at Shannon’s sandwich again. “God, I’m fucking hungry.”

  As if by magic, Gabe showed up with a plate of food and a lemonade and put it on the table beside her.

  “Anton is coming home early. He wanted to make sure you’d had lunch,” Gabe said.

  Annette tried not to ogle him. But he made it impossible not to. He was sporting reflective sunglasses that she could see herself in—not that she would bother looking at herself when she could look at him. He had a perfect golden tan and wore a pair of off-white swim trunks that only made the tan seem darker. His hair had become even more streaked by the sun.

  She thought she might be falling in love with Anton, but it didn’t mean she was immune to other eye candy. All the guys at the house were incredibly good looking. Even Lindsay, despite being a bit older, was fit and had a certain kind of power that older, more confident wealthy men often had—men who had settled into their power and money and wore it like a finely tailored suit without apology.

  Gabe had already turned around and wandered off to tease a couple of girls in the pool. Annette lowered her sunglasses slightly to ogle for another minute or so.

  Shannon laughed. “Have you slept with him?”

  “Who, Gabe? Only under direct supervision from my master.”

  “He doesn’t let you out of his sight?”

  Annette turned back to Shannon, a suspicion forming in her mind. She didn’t yet know Shannon well enough to know much of anything about her except that she’d enjoyed the other girl’s company in the short time she’d been at the house.

  “What do you mean?” Annette asked.

  “Nothing,” Shannon said, suddenly flustered.

  Annette was sure she knew what Shannon was getting at, but was just too shy to say it. “Anton lets me play with other girls without him here, though he really, really likes to watch.”

  Shannon blushed. “I think I’m going to get in the pool. Come with me?”

  “Let me eat first, then I will.”

  Shannon nodded and got up.

  “You’d better take your plate and glass back to the kitchen. They don’t like it if you don’t clean up after yourself,” Annette said.

  When Shannon had gone, Annette focused on her own lunch. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t eaten yet. It was pretty rare for her not to obey the call of the kitchen.

  Gabe had brought her a hot grilled sandwich with turkey and artichoke and spinach and tomatoes and some sort of dressing that Phyllis had made. Beside the sandwich was an apple that Annette knew had come off an apple tree on the property.

  She finished her lunch and took the plate and glass back in to the kitchen.

  “How’s your fantasy enslavement?” Phyllis said with some derision when Annette set the plate and glass in the sink.

  Annette had had about enough of this shit. She turned an icy glare on the other woman. “Look. I’m the queen bee around here. You know it, and I know it. Anton has become quite attached to me. If I told him the way you’re treating me, I’m sure there would be consequences, so why don’t you back off?”

  Phyllis snorted. “Sure. Queen bee. Such a stately position on your knees.” But despite the bravado, there was a touch of fear in her eyes.

  It felt good to finally confront the other woman. The judgmental looks and snide comments had gotten old three weeks ago.

  “Keep pushing,” Annette said. “We don’t have to be enemies, but we could be. You aren’t my only source of conversation in this house.”

  She didn’t wait for a reply; instead, she went back outside to join Shannon in the pool.

  When she got out there, an argument was in full swing between Brian and Shannon.

  Shit. She tried to think if anyone had bothered to warn Shannon about Brian—that Brian was different. Of course no one had. The house had been too busy. Some of the guys put up with a little attitude as long as it was very limited. Not Brian.

  Annette had noticed a trend in the girls. Even though they didn’t act like traumatized hostages, they very often pushed buttons in their early days—like they were trying to feel out the boundaries to see what they could get away with. It almost seemed like they were testing the bars of their cage to make sure it was solid.

  One would think that upon learning that, yes, the bars were in fact solid, and there was no getting out that they’d panic and freak out and start crying or spiraling into depression, but without exception, they’d each become more serene in the face of confirmation of their lack of power.

  It was kind of nutty. Yet, at the same time, even with her own more fucked-up story, she understood. When Anton had made all the rules firm and rewards for obedience and punishments for disobedience, there had been a sort of comfort in knowing there was real consistency in his behavior. He wasn’t actually some abusive nutjob who would turn on you in a blink. She’d found herself feeling safe inside his twisted system of rules and protocols.

  And now, Shannon seemed to be having her run at this behavior. Except nobody bothered to tell Shannon that if she absolutely felt she must try this shit, that it needed to be with Gabe or Anton or Lindsay. Or one of the new trainers. Never ever with Brian.

  But it was too late, now. Annette hadn’t even caught any of the content of the conversation, just the anger.

  Annette’s heart began to pound in her chest as she noticed the terrifying darkness that fell over Brian’s features.

  “Get out of the pool, now!” Brian barked.

  “Please go easy on her. She’s new,” Annette heard herself say. She couldn’t believe she’d had the bravery to say those words. There might be a tenuous understanding between Anton and Brian about Annette’s place in the house, but she knew if she pushed him, he would hurt her.

  Brian rounded on Annette, the full force of the swirling black evil of his eyes boring holes into her soul. “Did I say you could speak to me, slut?”

  She took a step back. “N-no, Sir.”

  Brian looked back at Shannon in the pool. “GET OUT NOW!”

  There were four other people in the pool. They’d all moved to the edges as if hoping they’d fade just enough out of his line of sight to become invisible to him.

  Annette wasn’t sure what was wrong with Shannon’s survival instincts, but unbelievably, the girl said, “Fuck you.”

  Annette had had less fear for her sister’s life than she had for Shannon’s at this moment. Because despite the dangers Janette had faced, her sister hadn’t awakened whatever sick fucking thing lived just under the surface of Brian.

  Annette thought of him as the soulless one. And she was sure she meant this descriptor quite literally. Thinking back on her first punishment in the house when she hadn’t known if Anton was any safer than Brian, she now knew beyond any doubt that he was because if she begged him, Anton might show her mercy. Brian could only be moved to stop by a threat from Anton.

  Things were escalating, and the other guys were nowhere in sight. Though none of t
hem but Anton had committed to protecting any of the girls from Brian. And Anton only seemed interested in protecting her.

  She thought about trying to beg him again, but he’d probably push her into the pool and then go for Shannon anyway. She stood frozen as Brian calmly took off his socks and shoes, and then he went into the water after her. By this point Shannon seemed actually afraid of him. Too bad that instinct hadn’t kicked in before whatever had happened.

  “Apologize. Beg him!” Annette said, cringing at how shrill and terrified she sounded.

  Finally, whatever weird pride Shannon had, had finally vanished as she found herself backed to one corner of the pool. By this point everyone else had gotten out and was huddled shivering in the shade near the door. They were far enough away so they could flee and hide in their rooms but close enough they could keep watching this train wreck unfold.

  “Please, Sir, I’m sorry.”

  He laughed. “You should have tried this shit with Gabe. He would have punished you, but I will destroy you.”

  He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out of the pool kicking and screaming, then he swept her up into his arms and carried her into the house. Annette followed. She ran into Gabe in the hallway.

  “Stop him!” she said.

  Brian heard and called out over his shoulder, “Oh, you’re on my list next,” he said to Annette. “I’ve known Anton a lot longer than you have. Don’t be too sure he’ll protect you.”

  Gabe stared after Brian and Shannon as he disappeared around a corner heading toward the dungeons.

  “Well? Aren’t you going to do anything?”

  “What happened?”

  “I don’t know exactly. I just know there was an argument.”

  One of the other girls came out of the shadows, wrapped in a towel from the pool. “Shannon smarted off to him. It seemed like he was flirting with her or something, which was weird. But then… I don’t really know... it happened fast.”

  Gabe followed after Brian and Shannon down the stairs. Annette followed Gabe. By the time they’d gotten downstairs, Brian was already in a cell binding a sobbing Shannon to a St. Andrew’s Cross.

  “I think you should calm down,” Gabe said. “Punish her later when you’re calm.”

  “I don’t give a flying fuck what you think. Cigarette. Where’s my cigarette?”

  “You don’t smoke,” Gabe said, bewildered.

  Brian had lost his mind. It seemed like he wasn’t even fully aware they were there anymore. But then he seemed to notice them again. “OUT!”

  Annette didn’t have to be told twice. She scrambled out. Then Brian forced Gabe out and locked the cell door.

  “I’m getting another key,” Gabe said.

  Brian laughed and held up a large jingling key ring. “Nope. I have all the keys. Shannon’s a bad girl. I’m going to fix her.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Anton had been eager to get back to his pet all day. When he opened the front door, the house was deadly silent as if all its inhabitants had magically vanished. Now that they had so many girls and additional help for the house, he was used to arriving to chaos and noise. Something was wrong.

  As he moved through the house, it became apparent that there had in fact been chaos. Tables had been flipped in the cafeteria. Chairs had been thrown against walls, breaking through in some spots. In the kitchen, broken plates and cups were everywhere. It looked like there had been a riot.

  A tightness gripped his chest. Or some part of their security had failed. Had the feds been here? Had they raided the place and taken everyone into custody? If that was the case, why hadn’t they also hit Dome and taken him in? Maybe he’d just missed them. But even if they had been here, why throw dishes? It still didn’t answer the question of where the fuck everyone had gone.

  If it was the feds, Annette was probably safe, at least—unless Brian had gone on a rampage and started killing the assets. But no blood splattered the walls. There were no bullet holes in anything. Even if there had been a raid, surely there would be bullet holes. Or smoke bombs on the ground. Something.

  What in the hell had happened?

  “Hello?” he shouted.

  Footsteps pounded down the stairs in the main entry. It was Gabe, looking disheveled.

  “Where is everyone? Were we raided?” Anton had been so sure they’d all get away with this. He’d been so convinced by Brian’s security system and his confidence in being able to control all variables and his willingness to kill anyone that threatened them in any way.

  The blond shook his head. “No. You’d better come with me.”

  “Where is everyone?”

  “The house is on lockdown. All the girls are locked in their rooms, and the trainers and guards are upstairs monitoring the situation.”

  “What situation? Why is everything broken?”

  Gabe let out a heavy sigh. “You won’t like it.”

  “Tell me. Where’s Annette?”

  “She’s in one of the dungeons. We were waiting for you.”

  “What. Happened?” Anton was getting tired of this game. “Who did all this?”

  “Your girl,” Gabe said. “I wasn’t there for everything, but I’ve talked to everyone now and got a pretty clear picture of things. Shannon got an attitude with Brian. He hauled her to the dungeon and punished her. He went way too far. Lindsay stopped the bleeding and got her stitched up. Then Annette flipped out. She had some sort of breakdown. She wouldn’t stop screaming. She tore through the house and started throwing and breaking things and just… screaming. The other girls started panicking and joined in. It took some doing to get them all locked into their rooms.”

  Anton just stared at him, half convinced this must be some sort of prank.

  “I can take you to Annette, and you can get her side of the story. She’s going to have to be punished for this. Her behavior was just… so extreme. Even I can’t see just letting this kind of thing go. And it wasn’t like the rest of us were just letting Brian do what he did. He locked us out and had all the keys. We couldn’t get in, and it wasn’t like we could call a locksmith.”

  “Let me talk to Shannon first.”

  Gabe nodded and led Anton upstairs to the second floor where Shannon’s room was.

  “Come down to the dungeons when you’re done.” Gabe said, pressing a key into Anton’s hand.

  He unlocked the door to Shannon’s room. She was lying in bed, covered up, softly crying. Anton pulled a chair up to the side of the bed.

  “I want to talk about what happened today; sit up and talk to me.”

  She sat up, and he could see the bandages covering the top of her chest and her back.

  “What did he do?” Anton didn’t even bother asking what she had done. As far as he was concerned, there wasn’t a crime large enough to warrant this. Shannon had only been in the house a few days, and she’d been a great addition. She got along with everybody. He’d already been in conversations with some potential buyers.

  And now, here Brian was, damaging the merchandise.

  “Whip. Knife,” she whispered. It seemed like all she could say. But it was enough.

  Anton took a long, deep breath. He didn’t know Brian’s full history. Only Lindsay knew that. But over the years, Brian had let slip bits and pieces of his troubled past. There was a degree to which Anton was willing to let Brian’s behavior slide. But in this moment, he was a liability to the house.

  Could any of his security expertise or willingness to kill be worth having such a loose cannon on the premises?

  “Are you going to kill me?” she asked. Tears silently streamed down her cheeks.

  “Of course not. Why would I kill you?”

  “It’s going to scar. Badly. And Brian said...”

  “I don’t give a flying fuck what Brian said. Nobody is killing you.”

  “I-I can help around the house,” she said. “You have a spa, and I have spa experience. Waxing, massages, nails, hair. All of it. I could help.”

/>   Anton nodded.

  She jumped when he took her hand in his.

  “Shannon, I’m very sorry for this. This never should have happened. No one is going to hurt you. I will kill him first.”

  She looked hopeful for the first time, but she was haunted. Even beyond the physical scars, she would have deep psychological trauma. She would need the shrink. Possibly some drugs. Maybe just therapy. He didn’t know. This was a nightmare.

  “Are you moving okay?” he asked.

  “Y-yes, Sir. The doctor said he didn’t get anything too deep, and all the nerves are fine. It just hurts.”

  He was glad at least Lindsay had been at the house today and was able to act quickly. “I’m going to leave your door unlocked. You can come out when you’re ready. Maybe go down to the kitchen and have some hot tea.”

  She started bawling then. Somehow he thought her tears were about more than just what Brian had done. He stood in the doorway and waited a moment to see if she would say something else. Finally she did.

  “I thought I was going to have a different life. Now no one will want me.”

  “Hey. Stop that. It’s true we can’t place you with someone with the scars you’ll have, but that doesn’t mean nobody wants you. My girl likes you quite a lot, and I’ve seen the way you look at her. And the guys adore you. We aren’t locking you in a convent. It will work out. I promise.”

  “Okay. But what if he hurts me again?”

  “He won’t.”

  Anton went to the fitness room where he knew he’d find Brian. If he wasn’t playing video games, he was running on the treadmill. This would be a time he’d run.

  Anton marched up to him and pushed the red button on the machine slowing it to a stop. Brian glowered.

  “What the fuck?” Anton said.

  “It’s the fucking drugs. I told him. I fucking told the doc. I said these pills fuck me up. I know it was too far. Okay? I KNOW. Gabe already read me the riot act. It’s the goddamn drugs. I flushed them. I’m not taking them anymore. I can’t even think straight when I’m on them. She smarted off, and I just wanted to fucking kill her. I almost did. And it doesn’t help that she looks just like the witch. Like she could be her fucking goddamn daughter. FUCK.”