“Don’t fear the darkness ahead, little lamb, for you are already in the monster's grasp.”

LUKE

She doesn’t snore. She’s restless. Tossing this way and that. The sheets are twisted across her torso and legs. Light pink buds peak on her bare breasts, and her simple cotton underwear skim her heart-shaped ass.

I swept through her life or (lack thereof) in a matter of hours. No friends or current boyfriend. Five measly phone calls to her father in the last year. Incoming and outgoing work related calls and one call to her “uncle Ray” who just so happens to be the son of a bitch who hand delivered me to Mortalcine. So many questions and no definitive answers.

The chair creeks when I rise. She stirs but doesn’t wake. It’s been a measly couple of weeks since I’ve been out and I’ve already gained back forty pounds. Another piece of proof the conditions they have subjected me to were torturous. I can give partial blame to the jaded woman before me.

Over the past weeks, I’ve learned a lot about Avery. She’s skittish but pretends not to be. She’s constantly Horney and feels guilty about it. She shoves anxiety pills down her throat when she’s in deep thought and her life is lonely and empty.

But answers to any of my questions, no.

not a one.

As I stand over her, the smell of strawberries makes me enraged, and a growl escapes me. I’ve made all the necessary arrangements. I’ll take her tonight. Oliver will be back soon with more information, but I’ve waited long enough. I brush her hair back while I whisper her name. Her eyebrows scrunch, but she’s still not awake. With her restlessness, I have no clue how she still manages to sleep like the dead. My hands graze across her breasts the way I’ve been wanting to, a moan is her only reaction. My length instantly becomes rigid.

I grasp her wrists and slam them above her head. I’m angry now, more at myself for my reaction. This rouses her and her mouth opens on a soundless scream. My hand covers the petal soft skin before she can react. Effortlessly, I pull her back to the front of my body. My hard-on coincidently grinds between her cheeks and she whimpers fearfully in my grasp. I have to command her to breathe.

“Listen closely because repeating myself will only make me angry. You don’t want to make me angry, do you, Avery?”

I feel her body stiffen at the use of her name, but she moves her head from side to side in answer.

“Good. That’s a smart girl. Now don’t get brave because that would be stupid, I’m packing more than just muscle... Understand?”

She nods her head, and I ease my grip. As she quickly kicks away from me. I palm my piece in warning.

Her breaths are jagged and quick as she realizes she’s naked from the waist up. Her small hands try to cover her chest but they fail, miserably. Ultimately, she crosses her arms, turning in on herself. Keeping her eyes on the floor she asks,

“What do you want from me?”

I let three years of pent up anger lace my voice. I want her to feel all the raw emotion behind the one paltry word.

“Everything.”

Finally, those grey eyes look up at me. My shades are on, but my scar is visible. I know what she’s going to ask, and I’m dying to tell her. I’m so eager to see the fear it ignites.

“Who are you?”

Stepping into the light, I smile fanatically.

“Luke Val Trien, what’s the matter Mrs. Conway? Don’t recognize me?”

Then she faints, right there, I almost don’t catch her in time. Leave it to her to take the joy out of the best part. I grab her glasses and pills off the nightstand and carry her to my car.

I don’t worry about her apartment, no one will look for her. As far as her boss is concerned, she’s out of the country indefinitely do to a family emergency.

I don’t shit where I eat, so the penthouse is out of the question. I take her out of town. To a small cabin I bought on a whim and never found a use for.

This last week I stacked it with food and more bondage paraphernalia I can shake a stick at. I’m a simple man, with simple tastes. I’ve had multiple partners sometimes at once, but I’ve never gained a fetish, especially for bondage. I love the feel of a woman’s curious and creative hands on my skin, so the idea is Opposing. Ah, but with Avery, it’s different. After my first purchase, the thought of her helpless and exposed had me buying them by the handfuls. Imagining her in many positions. Fuck. I rub my temples and adjust myself.

I’ve tied her wrists behind her in a double column tie, her ankles too. I fasten a gag just for effect. No one can hear her out here. When I lift her from the backseat, I realize she’s awake but pretending not to be. I place her on the chair, and she makes her head loll.

“Very convincing Avery, but stalling will just make it harder on you.”

She drops all pretenses snapping cold grey eyes at me in a defying glare that sends chills of excitement down my spine. It’s the hottest thing she could do. The resistance, defiance, heats my blood to a fever pitch. I chuckle coldly and it makes her waiver.

There’s that fear I’ve been waiting for. I grab another chair from the oval wooden table in the corner and place it in front of her sliding backwards in my seat with my face to hers as I rest my chin on my folded hands atop the back of the chair. She watches me, taking in my size and demeanor. She’s feeling so many emotions it’s hard to pin down a constant. I don’t break eye contact. It her who looks away first.

Using my index finger, I hook the gag tied to her mouth and give it a quick pull. It falls to her chin. I expect her to scream but she does nothing, not even look at me.

“Why aren’t you screaming?”

I assume she’s giving me the silent treatment.

“What’s the point? I’m guessing nobody can hear me.”

My head tilts to the side as I study her. I nod in agreement. We’re silent for an age. Her staring at the wall, me staring at her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you didn’t kill him.”

She’s looking at me now. I have to admit she’s an excellent actress. I’m sure there’s some truth in there, but not enough. I’ve watched her long enough to know when someone is living with guilt.

“All I saw was a bleeding man dying on the ground and you... your... the look on your face. Can you blame me? What would you think?... When I showed up, the other guy was gone.”

I narrow my eyes at her. Now how would she know there was someone else. Un-fucking-believable. So she helps her dad more than I thought. Why? He doesn’t give a fuck about her. Money?

“Are you going to kill me?... answer me, for Christ's sake! Ugh, doesn’t getting you out count for anything?”

“What?... what did you just say?”

She flinches at my tone, but I don’t stop. I’ve heard enough of her bullshit. I grip her chin. My hand is a vice. She tries pulling back but her head hits the padding.

“You’re hurting me!”

I let go, getting down in her face. I take off my shades and stare directly into her eyes. My condition has improved, but my irises are still definitively noticeable. She gasps, this close I can taste her. Strawberries.

“Your going to have to lie better than that, your daddy had no idea I was out.”

She flinches as if hit.

“Yeah, you didn’t think I was that dumb, did you? After all, I figured out it was you who put me in there. You, your father and your uncle. Why? Why did your dad want me gone so bad? And no more lies,”

She scoffs. She fucking scoffs the balls on this woman are unbelievable or she’s incredibly stupid.

“My dad has no idea I got you out. If he did, he’d have me locked up. And he had nothing to do with getting you arrested,  I came to hi,_”

I slam the chair down in a fit of rage. It explodes into several pieces. At least it shut her up.  I’ve heard enough of this bullshit.

I pick her up firefighter style as she screams and bangs her tied fists against my back. I tie her to the bed, five star, in the only room in the cabin away from me. I shut the door and pour a scotch at the table.
She screams, curses, threatens and calls me all sorts of names. I only answer back when she says.

“do you know who my father is?”

I tell her,

“yeah, he was my best customer. Now he’s just a dead man walking!”

I assure her I never lie, nor do I waste time Exaggerating.

That shuts her up.