24690

24690

Best Selling Author

Alaska Angelini

Writing as

A. A. Dark

24690

Best Selling Author

Alaska Angelini

Writing as

A. A Dark

Copyright © 2016 by A. A. Dark

ISBN:

All Rights Reserved

All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and is punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

Dedication

To Twisted Sisters. I love each and every one of you crazy bitches. Bring on the dark.

Prologue

Bram

Only in the darkest recesses of one’s mind will they ever find true freedom. To push the limits of what they’re capable of—to have their character revealed when there are no restraints to restrict the desires within—that is what defines who they are. But where there is a perpetrator, there is a victim. The actions and trials of both are not without consequence. For to know fear in its purest form was to live, and life was the greatest gift we were bestowed.

It took falling in love with a slave for me to open my eyes to what I’d been blinded to for so long. Power, money, and status in society … I’d been born with the world served to me on a silver platter. I had also been born to carry the vilest secret that existed amongst the wealthy and sadistic—Whitlock.

The subterranean fortress was like stepping into heaven and hell. For those looking for pleasure evoked from pain and death, the place was what dreams were made of. But dreams weren’t one-sided. For the slaves who were trapped inside, it was a nightmare so horrendous that most found ways to kill themselves to escape the torment within.

Slave Vicolette had attempted taking her own life once. The unsuccessful endeavor had fate casting her into my arms. I was a young man then, barely twenty-three at the time, and she was only fourteen. Even then, her beauty had woven a web around me. I watched her grow, and with her age, came such a deep rooted obsession that no matter how hard I tried to convince myself, I couldn’t deny my feelings. I loved her.

Emotions came in many forms, and love appeared in mass shades. Mine was as dark as it came, and the fixation just happened to develop where it didn’t belong. Slave Vicolette could never be mine, even if she were free of her master. My position allowed it, but I refused, and it wasn’t for her.
It was for me.

Whitlock was mine now, passed on to me after my father’s death. To be attached any more than I already was would be was condemning myself to a truth I also couldn’t deny. I was my father’s son. I harbored evil, just as every man who walked through our doors.

Love may have taken residence in my heart, but love killed. And here, she was safer with the monsters, than she was with the devil that tracked her every move. At least, for now. I wasn’t sure how much longer I could hold off.

I was always watching—
waiting
—murdering for who I knew I’d never escape—slave 24690.

Chapter 1

24690

“It wasn’t me. I didn’t do this. P-please!”

Fingers crushed onto my bloody bicep, slipping down to my elbow as the guard jerked against my fighting frame. My sobs made the words pouring from my mouth barely recognizable, but I continued to plead my innocence as more uniformed men stepped through the door of my small, luxury apartment inside Whitlock.

“Please, listen to me. I didn’t do this! I swear if you only—”

“You expect us to believe anything you say? You’re covered in your master’s blood and your eye is nearly swollen shut. I’d say you took matters into your own hands this time.”

Another guard stepped forward, reaching out toward me. I flung my free arm away, trying to use my weight to break the other’s hold. The angle put me facing my master’s dead body and I cried harder, reaching out toward him with everything I had. The slip of the guard’s grip left me surging right for the older man who had owned me since I was ten years of age. It should have given me comfort knowing he’d never be back to beat me again, but it didn’t. With his death might have well of come my own.

My knees hit the wood, hard, and I slid sideways through the massive amount of blood pooled and sprayed along the floor. Jagged wounds were shredded along his chest from the knife still sticking out of his left eye.
The same eye that he hit me in.
I cringed through the sight but didn’t hesitate to crawl back up to him. This felt like a dream. Was I still sleeping? I had to be because although my Master was mean to me on occasion, everyone loved him. Even I had grown to have feelings for him over the years. He didn’t always lash out. Where he had rage, he had tenderness. He loved me.
He was all I had
.

“Grab her! What the hell are you waiting for?” Torrance, the lead guard known as the high leader, stopped by the entrance, whispering something to three men beside him. I watched as all but two left: a dark skinned older guard and a younger one with blond hair. The moment the door shut, my pulse exploded. Torrance had short, dark hair, and his sharp features were handsome, but the look he held in his dark eyes was one I knew all too well. One I’d spent years hiding from within the halls of Whitlock. No one was to be trusted. Not the masters who lurked in the shadows, and sure as hell not the guards who were meant to enforce the laws within this fortress.

“No …”

Slowly, I crawled over my master’s body, trying to move away as they came closer. With how small the quarters were, there was nowhere left to go. If they got their hands on me, it was all over with. I wasn’t owned anymore. I was fair game. Their toy to do whatever they pleased. They’d beat me worse than I already was, and then they’d rape me. Something I hadn’t had to undergo for quite some time. I couldn’t bear experiencing that pain again. I couldn’t.

“We’ll shower her first.”

One order—a million evil thoughts reflected in their eyes.

I reached for the large black handle of the knife, feeling the contents of my master’s brain hold to the blade as I ripped it free. Pleasure had Torrance’s mouth pulled back into a slight smile. He didn’t say a word as he broke from the other two and his built frame began to circle around me.

“Stay away. Don’t come any closer.”

“Don’t be stupid, slave. You know better than this. Put down the knife and follow us into the restroom and you won’t get hurt.”

“You lie.” My voice cracked while I moved to counter the actions of the leader. The other two were inching closer by the second and panic had me slicing the blade down, toward them. “I said stay away!”

Still, they came, ignoring my threats as if I wouldn’t try to fillet them alive. They were so wrong. I had nothing else to lose. With my master murdered, it was to the White Room for me—the place where slaves went to pay for their crimes.
To die
. I couldn’t go there. I couldn’t be tortured until death for a criminal act I didn’t commit.

Torrance’s eyes flickered over to the blond. I quickly glanced over, slashing toward him as he stayed just out of reach. Adrenaline surged to an all-time high while I searched for a route that would allow me to escape. But there wasn’t any. Even if I managed to get through the door, more guards were outside.

“I didn’t do this,” I yelled, again. “I was asleep. I heard something. It woke me.”

“You’re telling us you slept through a gruesome murder? You’re going to have to do better than that.”

I threw something between a glare and a pleading look toward the leader as he seemed to slow in his approach.

“I swear. There’s pills in my master’s lockbox under the bed. He usually gives them to me after he …” on instinct, my free hand went to raise to my eye, but I stopped it, swinging the knife in the direction of the two guards as they shifted to get closer.

“I heard nothing,” I stressed. “The pills put me into a deep sleep. You have to believe me. If you’d only go look you’ll find them there. My master, he felt bad for what he did. He just wanted me to rest. To feel better.
I swear
…” The words got trapped in my throat from the sob that wanted to come. I could still see him leaning over me, kissing my split lip while he begged my forgiveness. He was so unlike the other master’s here. He was different.
He loved me.
He told me he did.

“So if you didn’t kill your master, who did? Who else would have the motive more than you?”

My mouth opened, only to close. “I don’t know. He didn’t mention anything to me. He has friends over sometimes, but … he’s liked by everyone I know.”

Dark brown eyes swept over my face, lowering to my body before he shrugged. “Are you so sure about that?” At my confused silence, he continued. “Say I believe you, or at least give you the benefit of the doubt. You’re still going to have to face the Whitlock Board. Do you really think they’re going to believe a worthless slut like you? You’re nothing, slave. You’re a used up waste of space. Even if they did find you innocent, no one is going to want to buy you again. Why would they when they could have a virgin?” He crossed his arms over his chest, glancing at the other guards before he turned back to me. “I’ll tell you what. I’m feeling pretty generous today. You’ve been here for a long time. Why don’t you do us all a favor?” He paused. “Go ahead,” he said, flicking his wrist. “Turn the knife around. Let’s see what you got.”

“What?”

“Don’t pretend you don’t want to leave this place. It’s okay, it’ll only hurt for a minute.”

My head shook as tears raced down my cheeks. “I wish to request a meeting with the Whitlock Board. I don’t want to kill my—”

Weight crashed into me from the side so hard that air exploded from my lungs as I connected with the floor. Even without oxygen, I scrambled to get the knife that was suddenly gone from my hand.

Whack!

Lights blinded me as the blond guard reared back and struck my cheek. The next blow was only harder. The roar in my ears was constant as my wrist was grabbed and Torrance pulled my limp frame toward the restroom in the back.

Warmth ran from my nose, tickling my top lip, somehow snapping in my survival instinct. My legs shot out and I tried twisting to add resistance. Screams poured from my mouth, ending almost immediately as the dark skinned guard kicked into my stomach. Bile surged to the back of my throat and I gagged at the impact. The room was spinning, or I was. I wasn’t sure as I fought for breath.

“Turn on the water. Let’s get this bitch clean. We don’t have much time.”

The saturated white silk camisole top I wore was torn off and the matching shorts followed. Water echoed around me, drowned out for only moments as I screamed at the hand that squeezed into my breast.

“No! N—”

Whack!

“If you don’t shut the fuck up, I’m going to drown you. Do you fucking hear me?”

Torrance’s fingers pushed through my knotted hair, jerking back and forth before he pulled me to my feet and placed me in front of the ice cold water. Although my head remained immobile, I tried twisting and turning out of his hold.

“Billy,” he growled. “Keep the bitch still while I wash off this blood.”

“Get off of me! Get off!”

Louder, I yelled. Seeing the blond reach toward me, my nails tore into his bare forearms. A hiss left his mouth and I knew what was coming before his fist reared back to hit me. Pain exploded over my mouth and blood sprayed along the white shower wall only moments before the other side of my face was smashed against it. Vertigo gave me the effects of falling, but I remained erect while a muffled voice broke through the haze of my mind.

“Move. Fuck this. Good enough.”

Pressure pushed into the middle of my back and the water was suddenly off. How I was managing to stay upright was beyond me. Something told me one of them was closer now, holding me up. I couldn’t tell. I could barely see.

“Arch those hips. Come on.”

An arm was suddenly wrapped around my waist. It pulled up against my lower stomach making it almost impossible to get footing. The tip of my toe brushed against one of the combat boots and I blinked through the clarity, screaming as I tried twisting against the arms that felt all over me. One was barred over my shoulders while someone was squeezing my nipple. The arm around my waist tightened and I thrashed, yelling as pain locked up my entire body.

“Fuck, she’s tight. God dammit.”

The thrusts were brutal and fast. Air kept getting trapped in my throat. The screams that started out strong, grew raspier, and then silent through the force in which I yelled against the palm.

Torrance withdrew his cock, slamming back into me, laughing as I sobbed through the pain. “I think I might buy you. I could get you real cheap. Would you like to be mine, slave? You like this cock, don’t you?”

Again he pounded into me. Sounds went in and out as I tried to get my voice to project. Nothing left me that held the disgust I wanted Torrance to hear.

“I’m going to convince them you might not be guilty after all. Then I’m going to come back for you in that cell where you’ll be held. I’m going to—”

The hand over my mouth jerked back just as warmth gushed over my back. I collapsed to the bottom of the tub like dead weight, sliding on the crimson that flooded down on top of me. Torrance was hunched over above, his eyes bulging as a blade pulled out of the middle of his throat. The massive form of the guard dropped, hunching over the tub practically on top of me. But I didn’t see
him
. I saw nothing but perfect features: thin, straight nose, full lips, square jaw, and a pair of cobalt blue eyes that burned into mine. Whether it was forever or only a fraction of a minute that I held that stare, I’d never know.

“Mr. Whitlock … Main Master. I was just following orders. I was—”

“Get out.”

The words were directed at me. The harsh tone made me hesitate for only a few seconds before I tried pushing to stand. The blond rushed from the room and I barely managed to get to all-fours before a strong hand grabbed my bicep and pulled me free of the shower, dumping me on the floor. Mr. Whitlock stepped over me and
more blood
. It sprayed out in all directions as strike after strike he stabbed into the dark skinned guard.

I didn’t think. I clawed along the floor, sliding and scrambling to get away. Agonizing screams mingled with gargling until they faded into nothingness behind me. Until they died, just like I was going to.