Chapter Ten #2
“Since you’ll be with me for so long, you’ll likely come into contact with some of them.
” I admire how her eyes widen and light up as she soaks everything in.
“My father’s name is Jack Payne; his friends call him BlackJack.
I have a fraternal twin, Mathew Payne, who has been traveling the world with my father, closing deals for the family business.
You probably won’t see them much because of it. ”
London stares at a family portrait, and her brows furrow together. “And the others in the portrait?”
I make a vague hand gesture. “All you need to know is that my other two siblings aren’t here, so you won’t be running into them.”
That’s not a bad thing. My father can be… difficult to deal with. I respect him and admire all he’s done for the business and the family, but that doesn’t make him pleasant to be around.
“My father wants me to run the business,” I continue, “so for the past several years, I’ve been in charge of the House of Payne.”
“Are you the only one?” she asks.
I smile at her curiosity. She looks away as if she’d rather hide her question. It reveals at the very least she’s interested, but I’ll let her think she’s kept her secret.
“You’d love my sister, Olivia, but she’s away at boarding school in Paris. I think the two of you would get along. But for now, it’s just you and me.”
She looks worried at that, which amuses me. As if she’d be better off if it weren’t just us. My brother and father are just as ruthless as I am. Maybe her time here would be easier if Olivia were around. But if my father and brother were here…
“Do you miss them?” she asks as we enter the kitchen.
The kitchen is built to feed many people. Everything in here is black and gold with the most modern appliances with all their fancy electronic features. I head for the wine refrigerator and pull out a bottle of my favorite red.
Without asking, I pour London a glass. She looks at it suspiciously as I hand it to her.
“You are going to have to eat and drink when you visit the house,” I remind her, “so you’ll have to trust what I give you. Besides, I kidnapped you. I showed you I have control. If I wanted to drug you, I wouldn’t need to rely on wine to do it.”
I also would never stoop to drugging someone to get what I want.
I don’t need to.
I pour a glass for myself and sip it in front of her. It’s smooth perfection, exquisite in complementing the treat that is London. She reluctantly sips it, and a smile starts to form. I knew she’d like it.
“Well,” she asks, as I continue the tour. “Are you going to answer me?”
I sigh. “I miss my sister. She and I always had a strong bond. I’m glad she’s in Paris, studying what she loves. She adores the city, and I can’t blame her. I’d love to fly out for a visit sometime soon.”
This is the most I’ve talked about my family in a while.
I have no idea why I’m telling her any of this, but if it helps her feel better about our arrangement, I don’t mind.
It’s not like she can do anything with the information anyway.
“As for my father and brother…” I hesitate as I debate how much I should tell her. Do I lie to her? I can’t. I detest liars. “No. I don’t miss them.”
I lead her back out, and we pause as she looks at the family portrait on the wall. We all look intense and formidable. This is the kind of family you don’t want to mess with. The portrait clearly shows that.
“Why not?” she asks, turning to me. “I’d miss my father. Do you not have a good relationship?”
I think of all my father has put me through. I even think of Mathew. I would never miss my father. There was a time when I might’ve missed Mathew, but not anymore.
Mathew has jealousy issues because I was born ten minutes before him, making me the eldest. Because of that, my father has been grooming me to take over the family business, and I know my brother resents that.
He does everything he can to prove he should be the one to inherit everything instead. If I died, I doubt he would mourn.
It’s a shame. Just one more reason to have a burning resentment toward my father. He’s the reason why there is a distance between me and my brother. He’s pitted us against each other since birth, ruining any bond that might’ve existed.
I’m not even sure Mathew and I can even move past the deeply cultivated competitiveness our father has instilled in us.
“That’s none of your business,” I snap, turning to glare at her. She shrinks under my gaze.
I don’t like that London is making me think of the family’s dynamic, and I like it even less because of what it’s making me realize about my existence.
I know how fucked up our family is. All the money and power in the world won’t change that.
I don’t need London to remind me with an endless barrage of questions.
She’s not here to get a peek behind the mask.
London is here to satisfy an itch, and nothing else.
“Now, for the rest of the tour,” I continue. “The family residence is on the upper floors of the house. The main floor is part of our members club. You don’t need to concern yourself with that, but we do host an underground club that you’ll be spending most of your time in.”
“An underground club?” she asks.
“Let me take you to it. It’s easier to show you.”
I lead her to the elevator and deliberately stay silent the whole ride down. I want her to wonder where we’re going. I want pictures to form in her mind of what awaits. I know she’d never be able to imagine what’s down here, so I’m eager to see the surprise on her face.
The elevator stops, and I lead her out into the entrance. I’ve seen this all before, so I watch as she gasps and takes it in. The darkness, the lights, the noises. We haven’t even gotten into the stranger rooms, and she’s already surprised.
“What is this place?” she asks as I lead her deeper into the club.
I don’t answer at first. Instead, I watch her eyes go to the security guards, searching for a sense of safety as she recognizes celebrities, politicians, and influencers mingling with seedy underworld people.
She moves closer to me as we travel deeper into the darkness. Though I’ve scared her, part of her thinks I’ll protect her. Part of her already relies on me, even if she doesn’t know it.
I love it.
I already have my hooks in her, and it didn’t take much.
“This is a special club,” I explain once I sense she’s really seeing all of it. “Here, you’ll see people who have been cast out of the spotlight, alongside others who are still happily within it and come here in secret so they can stay in the public’s good graces.”
“These are people who society would deem as monsters if their desires were revealed. So, this is where they can indulge themselves with the things they lust for without having to worry about the shame that would follow if anyone found out.”
I pause and make a vague hand gesture to indicate the dark area around me.
“Senators with potential sex scandals come here with their mistresses or get with one of the club girls to avoid potential career disasters. CEOs and wealthy businessmen who can’t afford a scandal regarding their deviant sexual needs come here for privacy and security.
Celebrities who want to avoid the paparazzi and want complete sexual freedom are among our guests as well.
Think of anyone and any crazy desire, and you’ll find it here. We’ve seen it all.”
Her surprise grows as we walk through the club. I show her the various rooms with their devices and sexual toys. Her face grows paler as the truth becomes clearer.
“While you’re here, you’re to clean the rooms,” I explain. “You’ll attend to the members and do whatever is needed to make them feel comfortable. You’ll also do as I command. Everything I command. There will be no disobedience. You are mine while you are here, and you will do exactly as I say.”
She doesn’t respond. I’m not sure she’s capable of responding as we stop in front of a room with an open door.
The girl who tried so hard to flee in the woods a few weeks prior is now on the bed and getting pounded by a few men.
Despite her earlier protests, she’s clearly enjoying it.
It seems she’s found her place after all.
I turn to London as she stares at the young woman, her gaze fixed straight to the spot. One hand clutches her wrist as her doe eyes widen against her pale face.
“Do you understand your task?” I ask.
She’s in shock, but she nods, and that small imperceptible gesture sends another thrill through me.
Let the games begin, little kitten.