London

When I woke up the following morning, my ass still hurt.

The cheeks were red and irritated, raw from the bite of his leather belt. The cream he put over the welts soothed the pain, but I knew the marks were there without even checking. I opened my eyes and turned over, expecting to see him beside me.

But he wasn’t there.

Sometimes he was up early, exercising before he showered and joined his crew downstairs. His schedule was never concrete, so I didn’t have a clue what he was doing. It’s not like he would tell me if I asked.

I kicked the covers aside then looked out the window, seeing the morning sunlight sprinkle across the castle. The place looked like a fairytale—even though it didn’t feel like one.

As if he knew I was awake, he walked through the door. “Good. You’re awake.”

“I hope that means you brought breakfast.”

He didn’t chuckle like he usually would, telling me he was in a particularly bad mood despite the action we got last night. I didn’t bother being embarrassed by it. I liked the things he did to me. It was stupid to keep fighting it—and lying about it. “Get dressed and come downstairs. You can have breakfast afterward.”

“Is this about that surprise you told me about?”

“Yes.” He grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt hanging in the closet and threw them on the bed. “But you probably aren’t going to want breakfast afterward.”

That didn’t sound good.

He approached the bed and grabbed my chin, directing my look toward him even though he already had my full attention. “Fifteen minutes. If you aren’t in the drawing room by then, I’ll drag you myself—by the hair.” He released me, a fiery look still in his eyes.

I wanted to run away again. Whatever was waiting for me downstairs was probably cruel.

“Alright?”

“Yes,” I answered immediately, hating myself for doing it.

“Yes, sir.” He had commanded me to address him that way countless times, but I couldn’t do it.

And I still couldn’t do it. I couldn’t bow to any man. I couldn’t kneel. I couldn’t surrender, not like that. He may backhand me or worse, but I still couldn’t bend to his will. It was an innate part of me, to be defiant whenever possible. He needed control, but I needed it too. We were two sides of the same coin. “I said yes.”

His brown eyes narrowed in irritation, but he didn’t threaten me with a punishment. Suddenly, a smile crept into his lips, sinister and terrifying. He stepped away and placed his hands in his pockets, somehow pleased by the exchange.

What was I missing?

He walked out, the cruel smile still on his lips. “Fifteen minutes, Lovely.”

After I got dressed, I walked downstairs and entered the drawing room with hesitance. I wasn’t sure what I was going to find there, but whatever it was, I couldn’t avoid it. I stepped inside and saw some of the men standing with their backs to the fire in the hearth, enjoying a drink and each other’s company. The others were spread around the room, smoking cigars and drinking scotch. I spotted Crewe in the center, sitting in an oversized red armchair that was made for a king.

Ariel leaned over a man on the floor, dabbing a towel against his neck.

That’s when I noticed the pool of blood on the hardwood floor—and the man who was bleeding.

“Joey?” I stifled a cry as I ran to his side, recognizing my brother immediately. His hair was much longer than the last time I saw him, and he looked pale like he hadn’t seen the light of day in weeks. “What are you doing to him?”

Ariel held a knife and stitches, obviously finished doing something to him.

Ariel ignored my question like it wasn’t important enough to answer.

Instantly, I snapped. I grabbed her by the wrist and yanked her down to the floor. Then I crawled on top of her and slammed my fist into her face. “Don’t touch my brother!” I raised my fist to hit her again when I was dragged off her body.

To my annoyance, Crewe kneeled in front of her and examined her face with concern. “Are you alright?” He noticed her bloody lip and pulled out a handkerchief. He kept his voice low, their interaction quiet.

Now I really hated Crewe.

“I’m fine.” Ariel pushed him off and got to her feet. “That cunt punches like a girl anyway.”

“Oh yeah?” I yanked myself free from the men. “Then let’s give it another go.”

Crewe raised his hand to silence me. “Enough.”

I returned to my knees on the floor and cupped Joey’s face. “Joe, it’s me.” I patted his chest gently, trying to get his attention.

He was in a confused daze, like he had just woken up from anesthesia. “London…?”

“Yes, it’s me,” I said with relief. “Are you okay?”

“I…” He tried to sit up but appeared too weak.

Crewe’s feet appeared on the other side of his body, his shoes shiny and his slacks crisp. “He’s out of it right now. Gave him a quick operation.”

“What kind of operation?” I looked up, the hatred pounding in my ears.

He pulled out a small black device before he kneeled down so we were at eye level. “Joseph tried to pull another stunt against me. I warned him not to do it, but just like his sister, he never listens. So I have to punish him too.”

“Maybe if you stopped trying to control everyone, this wouldn’t happen,” I hissed.

Crewe ignored the comment. “I’m merciful, so I wanted to give you the opportunity to say goodbye. I’ve inserted an EMP through his skull and at the underside of his brain. Once I hit this button, he’ll have an aneurism and die.”

My hands began to shake when I realized I was just seconds away from losing my brother. “I’ll give you the money, alright?” My hand automatically grabbed Joey’s chest. “Just leave him alone.”

“It’s not about the money.” Crewe played with the remote in his hand, gliding his fingers along the smooth box. “And you know it.”

“Just…please.” I didn’t know what else to say. I couldn’t reason with this man. He was too cruel, too evil.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m not going to pull the trigger. Joseph is going to do it.”

“What?”

“Yes. Because if he doesn’t kill himself…” Crewe reached behind his back and pulled out a loaded pistol. He cocked the gun before he pointed the barrel right between my eyes. “I’m going to kill you. So he has to choose. You or him.”

I’d completely underestimated this man. He was psychotic, insane. “You can’t do this…”

“I can, and I will.” He nudged Joseph hard in the side. “Did you hear that? You need to choose.”

“He’s totally out of it,” I snapped. “He can’t make a decision like this.”

“Well, he’ll have to.” Crewe looked down at my brother. “Now choose.”

Joseph opened his eyes and stared at the gun pointed right at my face. Then he glanced at the tracker.

I already knew who he was going to choose.

“What will it be?” Crewe pressed. “You or your sister?”

Joseph raised a shaky hand. “Give it to me…” He cleared his throat and tried to sit up, wanting to appear strong.

Crewe smiled before he handed the tracker over. “Just press the top button, and it’ll be over instantly.” He turned back to me, the gun still pointed at my face. “Watching your brother end his own life should be punishment enough for both of you.”

I turned red in the face because I was so angry. I let this man touch me, kiss me, and he was worse than the devil himself. Every day was worse than the previous one, and now I was going to lose the only family I had left in the world. “Crewe, please. I’ll do anything.”

“There’s nothing you can offer me,” he said coldly, holding the gun steady. “Hit the button already, Joseph. The rest of us have lives to live.”

“No.” I grabbed Joseph’s wrist and forced his hand down. “Crewe, there has to be something you want. I’ll give you anything in the world. Just don’t do this. Let my brother go. You’ve gotten enough revenge.”

“The only thing I want is something you’ve proven you can’t give.” He pressed the barrel against the skin between my eyes.

I didn’t have a clue what he was talking about. “What?”

“Obedience. Absolute obedience.”

That was something I could never give to anyone—until now. “You want me to obey you? If I do what you ask, you’ll let him live?” If that was the case, he was asking for a lot. My body and mind would no longer be my own. Like a dog, I’d have to bark at his command.

“The only way I’d let this asshole go is if you agree to give me your absolute devotion. When I tell you to do something, you do it. No questions asked. You’re my slave, my property. Your purpose is to listen to me, to hang on to every single word I say. When I ask you to sit, you sit. When I ask you to suck my cock, you do it and enjoy it. It’s a price too high for you to pay. I know you, London. You couldn’t handle it.”

No, I couldn’t. But I would make it happen to save my last family member. “I’ll do it, Crewe. Whatever you want.” I would let him break me, let him control me exactly the way he wanted. If he wanted to fuck me, he could fuck me.

Crewe finally lowered the gun, cocking his head to the side. “I don’t think you understand, London. I’ll still have this tracker. The second you fail to please me, I’ll hit that button. I’ll ask you to do stuff you despise—and act like you enjoy it. I’ve allowed you to get away with a lot since you came into my possession, but all those freedoms will be gone. Everything will be different.”

I did understand the cruelty he implied. I understood I would have to close off my mind and obey his every command. Listening to someone boss me around went against everything I believed in. But I had to do the right thing for my brother. I had to spare him. Eventually, he would figure out how to rescue me. And when he did, I would be free. This imprisonment was only temporary. I could do this.

Crewe continued to watch me with his mocha-colored eyes, the gun still raised. “Are you sure you can handle that?”

I nodded. “Just let him go.”

He finally lowered the gun. “Your spine is even harder than I realized.” He stood up and motioned to his men. “Get him out of here.”

The men moved to Joseph and gripped him by the arms. His body was limp because he was still out of it, unable to think or speak.

“Where are you taking him?” I demanded.

“Somewhere safe.” Crewe shoved the gun into the back of his slacks.

They carried Joseph’s body out of the drawing room and to the entryway. I was still terrified for his safety, unsure if he would really be okay. “How do I know you aren’t just going to kill him anyway?”

Crewe walked up to me, his face pressed close to mine. His hand moved to my cheek, his thumb brushing across the skin. He was tender with me despite being so inhumane just a moment ago. “I’m a man of my word, Lovely. If I say he’s safe, he’s safe.”

For some idiotic reason, I believed him. “Where?”

“They’ll drop him off in a hotel. When he wakes up, he can call his men.”

I closed my eyes in relief, needing to know my brother would be okay. I hadn’t seen him as often as I would’ve liked over the past few years, but we were still close. Once our parents died, we stopped being bickering siblings and turned into our own family. He was the one person I would do anything for without hesitation.

“For this plan to work, I need him alive.” Crewe continued to reassure me even though I didn’t voice my doubts. “I want him to know you’re my prisoner, sacrificing yourself so he may live. Everyone will fear me even more than they already do.”

That’s all he seemed to care about. Money was irrelevant. What he craved was absolute power.

He dropped his hand from my cheek, and his gaze turned cold. His emotions shifted dramatically, from one extreme to the next. His breathing picked up just the way it did when he whipped my ass until it was red. “Go to my quarters, dress yourself up, and take a knee on the hardwood floor. Wait for me.”

He issued his first command, and I had to obey. If I didn’t, all he had to do was hit the small button, and my brother would be dead. My spine shivered in rebuttal, but I kept my mouth shut. He watched me intently, waiting to see my response. I despised myself for cooperating, but I had to do it. I had to give this king what he wanted. “Yes.”

His hand moved to my neck, his fingers wrapping around my throat gently. He pressed his face close to mine, his lips just inches away. He stared at my mouth. “Yes, sir.”

Revulsion swept through me like a storm. My body internally writhed and burned in anguish. I had to submit to him, to give up my self-respect and perseverance. Despite the circumstance, I still judged myself for cooperating. I refused to let a man boss me around, but now I had to drop my principles—to survive. “Yes…sir.”