26. Isabel
26
ISABEL
I wake up in a haze, the world spinning slowly around me as I try to open my eyes. My head is heavy, like I’m underwater, and my eyelids feel like they’re made of cement.
My vision blurs, and I think I might drift back to sleep, but the unfamiliar sensation of being restrained jolts me awake.
My arms and legs are pulled apart, stretched unnaturally wide. My body aches from the uncomfortable position, and I feel the cold, sharp bite of metal around my wrists and ankles. Panic claws at me, and I tug hard against the chains, a desperate surge of adrenaline coursing through me.
I can barely see, but I hear my breathing coming in quick, shallow gasps, my chest tightening as reality sinks in: I’m trapped.
I blink rapidly, my eyes still blurry from whatever they’ve done to me, and try to make sense of my surroundings. The room is dark, the faintest sliver of light coming from a low-hanging lamp in the corner.
Where am I ?
I call out, my voice hoarse and trembling. “ Help ... Help me!”
My voice bounces off the walls, but no one answers. I try again, my throat tight. “ Please !”
The sound of footsteps cuts through the silence. My pulse spikes, and I freeze.
The brothers appear from the shadows, their presence like a dark storm. Their figures loom over me, their faces half-hidden by their masquerade masks still in place. I can see the shape of Julian’s grin, the way his eyes gleam with something almost... playful.
Maxwell steps forward first, his usual smug smirk curling at the corner of his lips. He looks down at me, his gaze taking in my vulnerable state, and I feel a shudder run down my spine.
“ Nice try. We knew you’d try to escape, but you really thought you could get away from us?”
I clench my jaw, struggling again against the chains, feeling the burn in my muscles as I pull harder. “ What the hell did you do to me?” My voice shakes, the panic rising like a tidal wave in my chest. “ Did you drug me?”
Theodore steps up beside Maxwell . There’s no remorse in his eyes, just a strange satisfaction as he regards my disarray. “ Yes ,” he says flatly, his voice void of any apology.
I stop tugging at the chains for a moment, my breath catching in my throat. I can’t believe it. They drugged me.
Maxwell lets out a soft laugh, the sound unsettling in the silence. “ You’re in our world now, Starling ,” he says, and I hate how my stomach clenches at the sound of that name. “ You don’t get to run.”
The anger swells in me, sharp and hot. “ Go to hell,” I snap. “ You think this is over? You’re all a bunch of sick, twisted fucks. I’ll never stop fighting.”
Maxwell chuckles softly, then pulls out something from the leather pouch at his waist. It’s a small case holding several knives. He dangles it in front of me like a toy, letting the blades clink together as they settle in the case.
“ Thought we could have a little fun since you’re here, tied up and all.” Maxwell’s smile deepens. “ Let’s make this interesting.”
I watch in horror as he pulls one of the knives from the case. He steps closer, sending a ripple of dread through me. My chest tightens with fear as he gets closer, the knife hovering just inches from my skin.
“ I want to play a game.”
I gasp as he presses the cool edge of the weapon against my chest, just enough to make my heart pound in my throat. My breath comes faster as I try to force myself to remain still.
“ Behind you,” he continues, “there’s a nice, simple target. I’m going to throw these knives around you and try to hit it. If you stay still, you won’t get hurt. But if you move, well... that’s your problem, isn’t it?”
I can feel the blood drain from my face as his words sink in. My entire body tenses, the chains digging into my skin. I’m terrified of making a move, even a twitch, in case I’m the one who ends up as the target.
Tears start to roll down my cheeks before I can stop them. I hadn’t meant for them to come, but the sheer terror of what he’s about to do makes my body betray me. I try to blink them away, but they keep coming, one after another.
Maxwell leans close and licks a drop from my cheek, the motion disturbingly intimate. I shudder violently in response, and his lips curl into a satisfied grin as he pulls the knife back.
I try to choke down my fear, but the helplessness is suffocating.
Then , I feel the sharpness of the blade as Maxwell drags it along the fabric of my dress. He pulls the knife down slowly, cutting the gown open right in the middle of my chest.
My breasts are now exposed to the cold air, and I flinch.
“ Let’s see how still you can stay now,” Maxwell says with a chuckle as he pulls back, the knife still in his hand.
He steps back as he prepares to throw the first knife. His eyes gleam with a sadistic thrill, his fingers tightening around the handle.
“ You ready?” he asks.
I can barely breathe as I force myself to stay as still as possible. The chains clink as I shift slightly, but I force myself to hold my position, knowing even the slightest movement could send one of those knives into me.
Everything goes quiet, and I hear nothing but the rapid beating of my heart in my ears, the soft rustle of Maxwell’s movements. Then , without warning, the first knife flies, cutting through the air with a whoosh.
It slams into the wall just behind me with a hard thud, sending a tremor through my body. I flinch, the sound like a gunshot to my ears, and I instinctively pull at the chains.
“ That was close,” Maxwell remarks with a chuckle, eyeing me with amusement.
As he circles around me, Theodore and Julian’s eyes are on me. They’re studying me, enjoying every second of this fucked up game. I can feel their gazes like a physical presence, invasive, predatory, making my skin prickle.
There’s a darkness in their eyes, hungry and possessive, and it makes my insides twist. The way they watch me, their hands twitching, fingers flexing like they want to do more, makes my skin burn under their stare.
Maxwell chuckles, his attention bouncing between me and his brothers. I can feel them shift in their seats. They almost seem... uncomfortable, squirming, like they’re trying to hold themselves back.
This is so fucked up.
I hate how it makes me feel, but I can’t ignore it. It makes my heart pound faster. The mix of tension, fear, and the arousal crawling under my skin makes my head spin.
The knife slices through the air again, a blur of silver, and I barely manage to keep still. It grazes my arm, a near miss that makes me flinch.
Every time I feel a blade whizzing past me, my heart stutters.
Maxwell’s voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. “ You’re doing so well, Starling . Don’t move, or I’ll make it worse.”
The laughter that bubbles up from his throat sends a chill through me. This is some sick, twisted display of power, and I’m nothing more than a target for their amusement. I feel the tears threatening to spill over again, but I bite my lip hard enough to taste blood.
Maxwell leans closer, so close, I can feel the heat of his breath against my cheek. His lips brush my ear as he whispers, “ How long do you think you can last, Isabel ? How long will it take before you beg for mercy?”
His eyes gleam with sadistic pleasure as he steps back, holding a knife loosely in his hand. I can see the muscles in his arm flex as he prepares to throw it.
He’s not playing anymore—he’s testing me.
Maxwell pauses for a long moment, as if he’s savoring the tension, enjoying my fear. Then , he lets the weapon fly.
I don’t even see it coming. I only feel the wind rush past me, the knife’s passage slicing through the air beside my face. The blade strikes the target a few inches away from my ear.
My heart is hammering in my chest, my body on the edge of breaking down.
“ Getting a little too close for comfort, huh?” Maxwell says, taunting me as the sweat collects on my skin.
I can barely hold my ground. I know I’m losing control, and I can’t stop myself from shaking.
The words he has been planting in my head finally take root. The fear overwhelms me, and I feel something crack inside. “ Please ,” I beg, my voice small but desperate. “ Please … stop. I can’t—please, I’ll do anything. Just stop.”
It’s utter desperation.
Maxwell’s gaze darkens, a twisted smile spreading across his face. “ Anything ?”
His fingers are suddenly on my skin, tracing the edge of my dress, pulling the fabric off my chest and ripping it apart.
The gown falls to the floor in pieces, and I’m left in nothing but my thong. The vulnerability stings like a slap, but I force myself to stay strong.
I can feel the brothers’ eyes on me, the way their gazes drag over me. The tension in the room grows tenfold.
Maxwell notices a dark spot on my panties. “ Well , well, looks like someone’s a little... worked up.”
I can feel the heat rise in my cheeks. My body’s reaction disgusts me, but I know it’s not lost on them.
“ Does she like this?” Maxwell asks, his eyes never leaving me as he turns to his brothers. “ You two sure seem to like the view.”
He drops down to his knees in front of me and buries his nose between my legs, right at the apex of my thighs. My body jolts, and I swallow hard.
Maxwell takes a long sniff and hums in appreciation. “ Fuck , Starling ,” he growls, his face still pressed against me. His hands grab my ass cheeks, and his fingers dig into my skin, stirring something primal in me. I can’t deny it, no matter how much I want to.
He nips at my mound over the fabric, and the feeling sends a jolt of electricity through my body.
In one, swift movement, he rips my thong off, and I’m completely naked.
I gasp, the humiliation stifling, but I try to hold onto some sense of control, though it all crumbles once Maxwell leans in close again, and I feel the heat of his breath on my clit.
He sticks his tongue out, flat, and presses it to my throbbing center, and I shudder. My eyes reactively shut as I fall victim to the pleasure. Oh , God .
I’m in the most vulnerable position I’ve ever been in, yet I’ve somehow forgotten where I am when Maxwell lets his tongue circle my clit, sucking and nibbling after every turn.
He groans into my pussy when I let out a loud moan, mumbling words to himself I can barely hear. “ So damn good. Such a perfect pussy. And all fucking mine.”
His words send more pleasure coursing through my veins. “ Oh , fuck, Maxwell ,” I whimper.
When I open my eyes, Theodore and Julian are staring at me, their lips curving into dark smiles as they feed off my pleasure. My body responds to them, making me wetter, and Maxwell laps at my arousal like a man starved.
Julian approaches us, then his eyes tracing the outline of my exposed body. He kneels next to his brother and does the last thing I expect.
He joins Maxwell by putting his mouth right onto my entrance. Julian positions himself under me, allowing himself more space to dart his tongue in and out of my pussy while Maxwell continues to lap at my clit. The sensation is overwhelming, mind-blowing, and if I wasn’t still chained, I’d have fallen to the floor, knees weak.
When I look down, the view almost sends me into rapture.
Maxwell , sucking on my clit, and Julian , fucking me with his tongue.
“ Oh my fucking God ,” I wail, overcome with desire. I’m so fucking close, I can barely make a coherent thought.
Julian removes his tongue, and I immediately feel the void.
A few seconds later, Maxwell releases me too, and they exchange a look, something unspoken passing between them, like an electric current crackling in the air. For a moment, it’s as if the entire room disappears, and it’s just the two of them. Their eyes lock, neither of them saying a word.
Maxwell’s hand reaches up to cup Julian’s jaw, their faces mere inches apart. They’re so close, bodies touching.
Then , almost in slow motion, Maxwell leans in, his lips brushing against Julian .
Julian doesn’t pull away. Instead , he deepens the kiss, a deep hunger pulsing between them.
I can’t stop watching. I don’t want to. Their kiss, the way they come together—so fluid and natural—it’s almost too much. It’s not just the kiss itself, but the way it makes me feel. My chest tightens as I try to breathe, but the air feels thick.
I’m so fucking turned on.
After a few moments, they break apart, bringing their faces back to my center. At the same time, they put their mouths on my pussy.
Together , they lick my clit, their tongues tangling while bringing me closer and closer to the edge.
“ Holy shit,” I mutter, unable to process what I’m feeling. I’ve never experienced anything as electrifying in my life.
A mixture of groans and moans fill the air, my orgasm building by the second.
Unable to focus on anything but Maxwell and Julian bringing me to my climax, I close my eyes, reveling in the sensation of having the two brothers on their knees for me. The tension, the power—it all arouses me.
I grit my teeth, my fingers curling against the chains binding me. “ Fuck , fuck, fuck,” I chant, my orgasm begging to break free.
And I let it.
A scream rips from my throat when I come violently, my entire body convulsing as I let my inhibitions go. My body is consumed by them, the kiss, everything happening around me. It’s euphoric.
When I’ve finally come down from the high, a tear slips down my cheek, but it’s not from pain.
It’s from the sheer weight of everything I can’t control.
I hate them for doing this to me, for putting me in this position, but a small part of me is captivated.
And that terrifies me.