Chapter Thirty-Two
Henri
SEPTEMBER
THE GAMES ALL BLURRED TOGETHER.
Topaz Torment pushed both our limits.
But we survived.
But then there was Moonstone Marks. Then Amber Lashes. Citrine Cuts, Opal Welts, and Quartz Scream.
On and on and on.
Victor had an endless amount of sick and twisted entertainment. On top of the porn put on every night and another treasure hunt he organised on the night of a full moon, he kept us all very busy.
Luckily, Ily and I had already discussed what we’d do if we had to play that particular game again. We didn’t speak as Victor chased the jewels out of his castle with a loaded pistol then gave the Masters permission to hunt.
Ily went straight to the recycling shed by the kitchens.
She took Mollie and Rachel with her.
Peter refused.
He preferred to run with the others, doing his best to put himself in danger over them.
As the silvery cast of the moon revealed Masters darting around in the dark, some getting lucky and catching unfortunate jewels, I stood guard on the threshold of the shed and protected my heart, a pregnant girl, and a friend.
The next day, Peter came to breakfast hobbling on feet that’d healed, covered in fresh bruises that had not.
My chest had grown tight.
I’d had the unbearable urge to leash him to me so no one else could hurt him.
By the end of September, Victor had to go away for a week on business, leaving our nights to ourselves once again.
I’d prepared to leave Ily alone—now that we weren’t forced to fuck in front of the man who pulled our strings, we didn’t have to put on a show.
But the first night Victor was gone, Ily broke into a run after dinner.
She darted into the gardens.
I’d caught her in the maze.
She’d cursed me.
I’d forced her to her knees.
She screamed as I fingered her.
And begged as I fucked her.
With no one watching our performance, we didn’t have to be so reckless or so feral.
We could’ve been sweet. Soft. Gentle.
But…Ily was right.
The longer we played these twisted games, the sicker we became.
We were lost.
Well and truly corrupted.
And I had no idea what would become of us if we kept doing this.
* * * * *
THE CURSE OF BLOOD & DARKNESS
by
Henri Mercer
I truly am my father’s son.
The things I’ve done to my jewel.
The things I want to do to my jewel.
I’ve drawn her blood, marked her, whipped her, flogged her, fucked her, and last night…I completely consumed her.
One rose quartz dildo in her ass.
One obsidian phallus in her pussy.
My hard cock in her mouth.
She looked fucking spectacular.
Skewered in three ways.
Teary eyed, body pleading, whimpering, and quivering.
The blackness doesn’t just welcome me anymore, it has become me.
I’m polluted by it.
Defiled by it.
I no longer fear the black because I am the black.
And she is my—
“Oh, I’m so happy to hear you used the gifts I gave you.” Victor reached around the back of the wingback where I sat in the library. His hands landed on my shoulders, giving me a quick massage.
Slamming the laptop closed, I spun in the chair and dislodged his hold. “Do you fucking mind?”
He smirked. “Still not ready to share your manuscript, mon ami?”
“I’ll share when and if I’m ever ready, Vic.”
“Fine. Fine.” He held up his hands and strolled around the library. The soaring shelves of literature wrapped us in paper motes and history. “I’ll let you keep writing your secrets. Just, I’m curious. Tell me, Henri. Tell me what she is…”
“What she is?”
“You said you’ve become the darkness. Which makes me so incredibly happy to hear. I admit you seem far more content these days. But…how do you see her? ‘And she is my…’?” He raised an eyebrow. “What were you going to write before I stupidly interrupted?”
Placing the laptop onto the side table complete with a figurine of a hedgehog, I shrugged. “Guess you’ll never know. That’s the price you pay for reading over my shoulder.”
“Spoilsport.” He chuckled and ran his fingers along one of the dust-free shelves.
My heart kicked as I flicked a look at a section of books where I’d planted one of Rachel’s and Mollie’s presents in the limited-edition shadows last month.
I hadn’t wanted to do it.
Frankly, I thought they were still wasting their time and playing with fire (literally), but…I was all in on our war, and if they wanted me to help plant useless bottles with homemade wicks and dodgy chemistry, I wouldn’t argue.
As long as I kept distracting Victor and gave him no reason to look at the security feed, they would go unnoticed. Even if the bombs didn’t go off, we could use the substances to splash over the carpets and curtains, adding fuel to the fires I intended to set on D-day.
“Do you celebrate Halloween, Henri?” Victor finally stopped pacing and faced me.
“Never. Why?”
“I’m hosting a soiree that night. Only intimate, of course. Nothing too grand. A few of my favourite guests is all. Luckily, events off my island detain many of my friends with their own families, and each year I host a special ceremony for the trusted few I actually like.”
“Sounds fun.” I smirked, ignoring the warning prickles down my spine.
“Oh, it is. Most enjoyable.” He smiled. “However, I’m undecided on a theme. Past years I’ve dabbled with witches and warlocks. The trope of vampire and maiden has been done far too often. As has the devil and his sacrifice. I want to do something different this year. Do you have any suggestions?”
Climbing to my feet, I snagged the laptop and tucked it under my arm. “None, sorry. I don’t really have the imagination for party events.”
“You have plenty of imagination, my friend.” Victor snickered. “I’ve only read a few paragraphs of your book, but I must say, I’m very intrigued to read more.”
I drifted toward the door.
I needed Ily.
Being in the library with Vic reminded me of our very first day here. The hope in her eyes as she asked if I was a cop. The heat in her skin as I spanked her with a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo.
My cock swelled.
I subtly rearranged it.
I’d intended to leave her in the jewel quarters for the afternoon, but fuck it.
I couldn’t relax unless she was near.
Victor followed me as I strode in black flip flops, jeans, and a grey cable-knit jumper through the archway and into the chilly stone corridor. “No suggestions at all? Come now. You’re far better at this than I am.”
“Told you.” I threw him a look. “Not a party planner.”
“I know. But…” He bumped his shoulder with mine as we walked toward the heart of his citadel. “How about Lycans and…something? Or fae and…?” He snickered. “Some sort of monster perhaps? We could order in some more toys to play with. Perhaps even put on a show?”
Fighting my reaction to get away from him, I forced myself to be friendly. Stopping as we entered the large airy foyer, I smiled. “Do you even need a theme? All your games are epic, Vic. You’re the one with the great imagination for this sort of stuff, not me. I mean…” I whistled under my breath. “Amethyst Anguish that we played last week? Fuck me, that was hot.”
“Oh you liked that, did you?” He tapped his nose with a conspiratorial smirk. “I must admit, I came up with that playing with one of my previous favourites about eight years ago. A beautiful little submissive called Skye. She was so timid, so shy. I think a part of me fell for her—I’m a sucker for the fragile. One night, she seemed a little…tired from our previous excursions, so I decided to be nice for once. I teased her with feathers, flower petals, that sort of thing. She slowly grew so relaxed and dreamy, she no longer even knew I was there.”
His eyes flashed. “I didn’t like that, of course. I wanted her to be aware I was the one giving her pleasure instead of drifting off. So…I hit her with a cane.” He laughed. “She came back to earth with a bang, let me tell you.”
I nodded along, eyes wide with fake respect and awe. “It was definitely a power trip. Ily did the same thing.”
“I was watching you while I played with Rachel. I did notice your little nightmare was a sobbing, soaking mess by the end of it.” He grinned. “What did you use again?”
“For soft, I used my fingertips. For hard, I used the tawse.”
“Ah, one of my favourites. Did you know that split leather strap was still used in classrooms when I was a boy? I got swatted a few times in my youth.”
I laughed. “I didn’t know what it was until that night.” Lowering my voice, making it seem as if I confided a secret, I added, “I loved that Ily’s anguish came from not knowing what I’d deliver. It was genius to blindfold and ear-plug the jewels before playing. Ily had no idea if my fingers would pet or the tawse would punish. It turned me the fuck on watching her body sway toward mine hoping for soft only to flinch when I chose pain instead.”
“Ah, Henri.” He patted my cheek. “If only I didn’t have a son on the way. It would’ve been an honour to have you as my heir.” He dropped his hand, his face almost wistful. “Tell you what…I’m not getting any younger. If I don’t live to educate my son in all the ways he will rule, would you be open to it?”
I froze. “Y-You want me to teach your son?”
“As his guardian…yes. His godfather if you will.” His eyes grew serious and tinged with sadness. “You have no one. I have no one. No one else I’d rather ask anyway. So…what do you say?”
A pang in my chest.
A complex mixture of loathing and…loss.
I was a monster’s bastard.
I’d been raised far different than most children.
I suffered the ramifications of that curse daily.
And the thought of Victor’s child going through what I did?
Becoming what I am…
Swallowing hard, I said, “You never told me. Did you do it?”
“Do what?” He quirked an eyebrow.
“Kill my brother.”
His face turned dark. “Alas, there have been minor complications, but I’ve been assured he’ll be dead within the month. Perhaps after our Halloween celebrations, we can go on a trip together? Just us? I can take you to one of my mines. I’ve had some renovations done to house merchandise to sell online.”
Nausea splashed onto my tongue. “You’ve started doing what your colleague suggested? The one from Vietnam?”
“I have.” He nodded. “It’s not as easy as I thought. There are still glitches and techniques I need to learn to get around the pesky flags of such large transactions. I’m even considering hosting my own shop on an encrypted network, but…it’s all very promising.”
Clapping his hands, he looked past me to his butler subtly trying to get his attention. “Oh dear, I’m late for a meeting. Have a think about the theme for Halloween, and you never answered me.” He caught my eyes. “Will you be godfather to my son?”
The thought of being responsible for Victor’s kid?
Agreeing to raise his offspring, even while I planned on killing him?
Even hypothetically agreeing to something like that felt like the biggest commitment of my life.
I rubbed my mouth, delaying one last time before adding yet another stain on my soul. “You’re so sure it’s a son, Vic. But…what if it’s a daughter?”
His mood instantly soured. “I’ve ordered an ultrasound for Dr Belford. Our surgery wasn’t equipped for birthing, but soon, it will be. She’ll tell me what it is in a month when the machine arrives.”
“And?” I needled. “If it’s a girl?”
His gaze turned deadly, his infamous temper appearing. “Then I guess I’ll be a hundred grand richer. I’ve heard rumours that’s what female babies fetch.”
The urge to be sick surged through me.
In a single sentence, he reminded me, all over again, that for all his friendliness and suavity, he was the vilest son of a bitch and deserved to die.
Laughing, I slapped him on the shoulder. “You truly are something, you know that?”
He grinned, but his eyes remained black. “Oh I know.” Striding toward his butler, he gave me a look over his shoulder. “And you’re exactly like me, Mercer, whether you can admit that yet or not. Ta-ra.”
* * * * *
Two weeks since Victor asked me to be his child’s godfather, and I still hadn’t shed the slimy shadow inside me.
I’d returned to my room and purged before I went to get Ily.
The nasty habit of throwing up had faded thanks to having Ily’s heart and support. But every now and again, the darkness in this place became too much. My system churned. My guts revolted. And I had no choice but to get it out of me before I either accepted what occurred here as normal or remembered everything about this place was repugnant.
And now it was another day.
Yet another night.
Sucking in deep lungfuls of cool air, I tipped my face to the stars.
I’d kicked off my shoes as I’d plucked Ily from where she’d kneeled by my feet during dinner and dragged her into the gardens. No one stopped me. No one even looked in my direction anymore.
I was merely one of them.
A Master who’d enjoyed a four-course dinner, watched a porno put on by trafficked slaves, and then dragged his jewel into the gardens for a fuck.
All in a day’s agenda on Victor’s island.
Ily didn’t speak beside me, sucking in her own breath.
The half-moon shone its silver light over us, painting her beautiful face in pearly luminance.
I wanted so fucking much to sink to the grass and just hug her. Kiss her. Whisper about our dreams. Be gentle and loving before I pinned her beneath me and delivered pleasure that drove us straight into hell.
But we did our best to never touch sweetly.
If I stroked her without thinking, I made sure I made her squeak for an audience.
If I caught myself staring at her with my heart in my fucking throat, I ensured I cursed her, demeaned her, and said things I didn’t mean so the cameras portrayed a Master who might have a soft spot for his jewel but definitely wasn’t a man in love.
“Do you want to take a stroll?” Ily finally asked after ten minutes of moon bathing.
I nodded and broke into a slow amble.
Soft grass tickled my toes. The dew already damp and cold.
Autumn colours transformed Victor’s gardens, turning greens into oranges and flowers into corpses.
We headed toward the battlement walls, following box hedges, drifting around fountains, and finding peace after a busy ballroom full of Masters and their jewels.
Fuck, I was exhausted.
I just wanted this over.
I wanted to go to sleep and not wake in a cold sweat fearing Ily had been stolen.
I wanted to write without fearing someone reading over my shoulder and have sex without someone watching.
But most of all, I wanted to get Ily safe.
I needed her back with her family so if I died sooner rather than later, I could rest peacefully, knowing she was far, far away from Victor and his horrors.
Two Masters and two jewels appeared to our left, striding quickly in our direction. The citadel glowed behind them. Arrow slits and windows glowed bright yellow, looking like a thousand judging eyes.
“Ah shit,” I muttered under my breath. “I have no desire to perform tonight. Let’s go into the maze.” Grabbing Ily’s hand, I cut across the courtyard where vines crawled up a trellis and a small sala waited for lovers. The familiar hum of energy and awareness sparked between us, making my heart pound faster.
I let her hand go the moment we entered the huge, manicured maze.
I didn’t know if Victor had cameras in here, but I wouldn’t risk it.
I would never risk Ily, even though my fingers craved hers and my heart hurt and my bones throbbed with madness.
Ily remained silent.
She huddled deeper into her beige jumper—the only warm thing she had—her nose pink with cold.
Left then right, right then left, we travelled deeper into the maze, heading toward the centre where another sala and a wishing well had been built. We’d spent enough time wandering that we’d learned the maze’s dead ends and tricks and often came in here to get away from the other Masters.
A month ago, I’d fucked Ily against one of the posts of the wishing well, putting on a show just in case. Our show had turned into truth, and I’d made her come hard enough to reward me with one of her G-spot orgasms.
My stomach clenched as we stepped into the centre of the maze.
“Should’ve brought a few drinks with us.” I smiled at my twin flame. “Gotten tipsy and enjoyed our own celebration.”
“What celebration?” Her adorable nose wrinkled.
“Our four-month anniversary is coming up.”
She cracked a smile all while her eyes pooled with sadness. “So it is.”
Stepping into her, I whispered, “I don’t know if I have the strength to last till Christmas.”
“Ugh, me either.” She pressed her forehead against my chest before stepping back. “But…we will.”
I sighed. “I know. We don’t have a choice.”
Her hands went to her jumper hem, her lashes flirting. “Want to put on another show for anyone watching?”
My cock twitched.
Despite the lifestyle of this place—full of daily sex and games of pain—I never lost the urge for more. Apart from the month where Victor was gone and I’d drowned beneath depression, I took Ily often. I fucked her every night because being inside her gave me just enough strength to survive another day.
“Fine.” I gave her a black smile. “Strip and lean over the picnic table.” Unbuckling my belt, I pulled the leather from the loops of my slacks. “Five strikes before I fuck you.”
She shuddered.
Her eyes glowed as bright as two suns.
Our chill vanished thanks to our blood burning.
“Yes, Master H.” Giving me a sinful smirk, she padded toward the table and went to lift her jumper only—
“Umm, before you play, can we talk?”
She spun around.
I fisted my belt.
The two Masters and their jewels who I’d spied across the lawn, stepped into our sanctuary.
It took me a moment to recognise them.
I hadn’t seen them since Emerald Bruises when I’d interrupted their little game in the first cave.
“You.” I bared my teeth. “Just like you told me to fuck off that day, allow me to repeat the sentiment. Fuck off.”
The bald Master, Ben, if my memory served, held up his hands. “Give us three minutes. That’s all we ask.”
“It’s important,” the other one, Stewart maybe, muttered.
Ily shot a look at the two girls. A strawberry-blonde and an auburn beauty. Both jewels stared back with intensity.
Yet…they didn’t look like they wanted to run from their Masters.
They stayed by the men’s side, at ease and comfortable.
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they looked like a couple.
Like…me and Ily.
“What is it?” I threaded my belt back through the loops and did it tight. “Three minutes.”
Striding closer, the two men gave each other a glance then snapped their fingers. “Pen. Abby. If you’d be so kind.”
Without a word, the two jewels shifted to stand in front of their Masters. They dropped to their knees and reached for their Master’s trousers, unzipping them and—
“Whoa. What the hell? You tell me to stop, yet expect me to stand here while you get a fucking blowjob?”
“Have yours kneel too,” Ben ordered. “It’ll look like we’re enjoying a suck off.”
I struggled for words. “Leave.”
“Just…you’ll want to hear what we have to—”
“I said leave—”
“Ily.” The strawberry-blonde looked toward my jewel all while her hands fumbled into Ben’s pants and withdrew his cock. He wasn’t hard. His face was all business, not pleasure. “Please hear us out. It’s important.”
For a second, Ily didn’t move. Her gaze locked on the auburn girl as she exposed Stewart’s cock and hovered her mouth over him.
Neither of the girls sucked, though, rocking back and forth, faking it.
Scowling, I looked into the hedgerows.
“There’s a camera above and to my left,” Ben whispered. “It’s not infrared and will only show a grainy picture of three Masters getting sucked. Come on, Mercer. We don’t have all fucking night.”
Ily made the decision for me.
Marching into me, she dropped to her knees, unzipped my slacks, and went to pull me free.
I stopped her.
“Just…pretend.” I swallowed hard. “I don’t need my dick out.”
I’d lost any shyness I might’ve had about group fucking after living here for four months, but I didn’t want to be the only one hard in this little get together.
Ily slipped into the same sort of slow rock as the other jewels.
Having her mouth anywhere near that part of my anatomy made it really fucking hard to concentrate. Scrubbing my face with my hands, I glowered at the two men. “Go on then. Three minutes.”
“We’ll be fast,” Ben said. “We told you we’re not down with a lot of the shit that goes on here. We prefer to stick with Abigail and Penelope and do our own thing. We fly in for a weekend, fall a little more for these two, then fly home. But while we’re back in society, we really miss and worry about our girls.”
Stewart looked down at the auburn-haired girl, Pen, on her knees before him. He cupped her head with longing. “You asked us why we don’t buy flesh at home if we’re rich enough to party at Vic’s. The answer is, we’re watched. We said as much. In fact, the past month has been a total shit show with our board, but…we can’t keep doing this.”
“This being visiting our jewels and then having to leave them here,” Ben said. “Last time we visited, Abby had been whipped so badly by another Master, she spent most of my time in the recovery ward, and after what they told us about the Temple of Facets? We can’t…we’re not able to…w-we’re done.”
“Done?” I asked.
“We went to Victor and asked if we could buy Pen and Abby off him. We offered a decent price. Not as high as what you paid but generous all the same.”
“Let me guess. He didn’t take it?” I threaded my fingers through Ily’s sapphire-black hair, making it seem as if I held her in place.
“No. He said it wasn’t about the money. He’d love to accept. He’s a businessman, yada yada. He refused to let Pen and Abby off his island because they’d spill his secrets.”
“We assured him we would take responsibility,” Stewart rushed. “We wouldn’t let them tell anyone.”
“Bet he didn’t believe that.” I snorted.
“Nope.” Ben sighed. “We already have the right of their nights. They spend every hour with us when we’re here, but…it’s not enough.”
“It’s not enough because you’re in love with them.” I studied each man carefully.
Both of them flinched. “Can you blame us?”
“Blame? No. Believe? Also no.”
“We have feelings, same as you.”
“I never came here intending to fuck a prisoner.”
“Yet you stayed, and that’s exactly what you’re doing.”
Rage crawled up my throat.
Ben cut through my temper. “Look, all we’re saying is…yes, we came here with unhonourable intentions. But we’ve seen too much. Witnessed too many atrocities. We came here for companionship and sex, but what we get is fear and abuse. Plus, we know what happens to jewels when they reach their use-by-date, and Pen and Abby—”
“We’re not getting any younger,” Penelope whispered over her Master’s flaccid cock. “I’ve never seen a jewel over the age of twenty-nine. I…next year I turn thirty and Abby the year after.”
Abigail kept rocking. “We’ve been helping with the Christmas presents. We…we told—”
“You what?” Ily hissed, swooping upright on her knees. “You told your Masters what we’re planning?”
Both girls slouched. “Yes, but…they’re trustworthy.”
Ily shot both men a horrified look. “Have you…are you…will you tell Victor?”
My right hand slipped into my pocket. My fingers curled around my switchblade, warm and heavy at the bottom.
It’d be easy to kill them.
Not so easy to explain away their bodies.
“You better keep talking,” I snarled. “Now.”
Ben nodded. “We only ever discuss Christmas in the shower. It wasn’t the girls’ fault. We caught them putting something under the bed of the rooms we use. Later that night, I investigated. I have a background in chemistry myself and figured it out without making a scene.” He flicked Stewart a look. “We asked our jewels for the truth, and we got it. We’ll admit we wondered if we could buy Victor’s favour by telling him. Perhaps he’d let us have Pen and Abby, after all. But we’d already offered money. What would information do that money couldn’t? And so…we figured—”
“That you’d help free them so you can trap them in your own houses?” I snapped.
“No.” Stewart stroked Pen’s cheek. “Even if we wanted to do that, we’d be caught eventually with how much we’re watched. The only way it will work is if our relationship is legitimate.”
“Legitimate?”
“Marriage,” Ben murmured.
“You…you agreed?” Ily asked, resuming her rocking but shooting the two jewels a look.
“We did.” Penelope nodded. “I was a foster kid and was taken when I was ten. I belonged to another before Victor traded me, so I have no one. And Abs…”
Abigail winced. “My brother accidentally killed my parents in a drunk-driving incident. My world ended, and I hit the road after their funeral. I was trafficked from a dirty motel where I spent the night. There’s no one waiting for me. We both have a clean slate. We could become completely different people.”
“That’s no reason to marry the men molesting you,” Ily whispered coldly.
“You can’t talk.” Abgail sniffed. “You’re in love with the man molesting you. Is it so hard to believe we are too?”
Ily wrinkled her nose. “But…”
“Out of all the Masters we’ve had, the moment Ben and Stewart started visiting, we could finally breathe. We could sleep without pain. We felt cherished and listened to and protected. We hate when they leave. We count the days until they’re back. They’ve offered us freedom as well as wealth. We want to take it.”
“No prenup,” Stewart muttered. “We’re loaded and lonely. If we can atone for participating in this place by giving everything we have to the two girls who love us regardless of how we met, then we’ll happily be penniless because we’re fucking miserable without them.”
Ily looked up my body, her fiercely intelligent gaze catching mine.
What do you think? She licked her lips.
I’d never been so thankful for the strange, eerie connection between us.
Not sure. I ran my thumb over her cheekbone.
Looking at Ben, Ily whispered, “Are you willing to help?”
“Of course. That’s why we’re here. We know you won’t trust us, but you need more Masters. And…” Ben shrugged. “We don’t just come on our own.”
“What do you mean?” I narrowed my eyes.
“We’re friendly with three guards.”
“What? How?”
Stewart winced. “I’m a smoker, you see. I loiter outside a lot, and when you loiter around guards, you inevitably start talking shit. ‘What’s it like working here? Do they enjoy their job?’ That kinda thing.” He sighed. “Turns out, they’re as much a prisoner as all the rest.”
“What are you saying?” I went deathly fucking still.
“They’re housed in barracks down Victor’s long driveway by his helipad. They have their own jewels that are kept separate. They also have care packages flown in. They have luxuries and are treated well but they can’t go online. They can’t visit family. The day they signed their contracts, Victor flew them here and refuses to let them leave. He keeps them obedient by reminding them that it’s better to be the one holding the gun than the one wearing the collar. Each one is mostly a millionaire with how much Vic pays them, but what good is money if you can’t spend it?”
“Why haven’t they revolted before now?”
“They haven’t dared. Money is far better than rape. But…a lot of them are sick of it. They came as young men who were only thinking about pussy and money, but they’re older now and wanting more.”
“You’re saying they’d be open to a coup?”
“The three I’m friendly with just want off this fucking island. So yes. If they could be assured we’d win, they’ll start hiding weapons around the place. There’s an armoury attached to the barracks. They have access to ammunition and a stack of other shit that would ensure success. Hopefully.”
My heart pounded.
I hated that the longer we talked, the more I wanted to believe them.
The more I needed to believe.
I hadn’t wanted to voice my fears, but the closer we crept toward December, the worse my panic grew. For all our plans, it would most likely be suicide.
The jewels were powerless. The cleaning staff mostly useless. The gardeners only less so with their spades and rakes. Even the knives that the kitchen staff gave us only worked if a Master didn’t electrify a jewel before they got close enough to stab.
We need guns.
We needed lots and lots of guns.
And these two bastards are offering them to us...
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I did my best to find that calm centre. I grounded myself. Sucked in a cleansing breath. Willed myself to spot any lies or traps.
Victor could’ve put them up to this.
He might be waiting to entrap me.
But…
What if their offer was real?
What if we had an actual fighting chance at doing this?
Ily broke through my thoughts, whispering to the girls, “Do you swear on the lives of every jewel in here that this is real? That you trust your Masters like I trust mine?”
Abby and Pen looked at each other and nodded. “We swear. You can trust them.”
“In that case…” Looking at me, she shrugged. “Your call.”
I studied the two couples.
I looked deep into their eyes and judged the flickerings of love I saw there.
And I made a decision.
One that I hoped wouldn’t kill us.
“Fine.”
Both men exhaled heavily. “Thank God.”
“On one condition.”
“Anything.” Ben nodded. “We’re not about to mess this up.”
“We don’t talk about this ever again. You don’t talk about this ever again. Tell the guards to leave weapons in as many places as possible and have them inform you of the locations, but that’s it. Do not do a damn thing to make Victor suspect. You’re aware as much as I am how smart and cunning he is.”
“Done.” Stewart balled his hands in Penelope’s hair. “Once the guns are in place, I’ll tell Pen, and she’ll tell the rest.”
“Good.”
“Pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen.” Ben grinned as if a weight had lifted off his shoulders. “And now for the finale.” His grin turned to a grimace, his hips jerked, his shoulders rolled. He faked the throes of an orgasm before tripping away from Abby and tucking himself away.
Without a word, he gave us all a look, snapped his fingers, and vanished into the dark with his jewel.
“Ho ho ho.” Stewart smiled, faking his own release before tapping Penelope on the head and shoving his unspent cock back home. “Let’s hope Santa doesn’t have us on his naughty list this Christmas.”
The night snatched him and his jewel as they disappeared into the maze.
I stood staring after them, hoping like fuck I’d made the right choice.
The sound of my zipper coming down jerked my gaze to Ily still on her knees. “What are you—?”
“You’re still hard.” Her eyes flashed. “And if I have my way, you won’t be faking anything.”