Madeleine Abducted (18 page)

“That’s
it
?!
” Her voice shrieked as she pushed herself up
before smoothing down her robe. Aaron turned around and immediately noticed how
the side of her face was red and creased from the wood grain of the table. “That’s
all you’re giving me
?!
It’s because of that whore, isn’t
it
?!
”

The
hairs on the back of his neck stood straight as he tightened his spine; every
muscle in his body painful and taut from her reference to Madeleine as a common
whore. His voice deepened and was dangerously quiet when he asked, “And what do
you know of my slave?”

She
swept her hand through the air while flippantly brushing off his anger. “Who
doesn’t know, Aaron? I don’t know why you sound so upset about it. So, you’ve
sunk to the level of using the bitches kept at your disposal? So what?” Swaggering
in his direction, her hands rubbed along her breasts as she attempted to entice
him. “However, I’ll be damned to come second to a low class fuck. Bitch has to
be pretty loose by now, given how often they are used by the members of The
Estate.”

She
approached him, invading his space and pressing the length of her body to his. Speaking
in a tone that should only be used by a child, she begged, “Please, baby, show
me what you do to your slave. Teach me what it’s like to be your whore.”

His
hand gripped into her hair, causing tears to burst from her eyes. Backing her
against a wall equipped with another set of chains, he turned her around and
raised her arms to lock her wrists above her head. Anger rolled off of his body
and it took everything in him not to reach for one of the available blades to
cut out her apathetic heart. How any woman could make light of the sexual abuse
of another was beyond him. However, his reaction was further enraged because it
was
his
captive she’d been
discussing.

“You
want to know what it feels like to be a whore
?!
“ Leaning
into her, he pressed his hand against the back of her head, shoving her skull
up against the unforgiving surface of the wall. Barely understandable, he
growled, “Let me fucking show you.”

Aaron
chose a cane from the wall and did not hesitate to swing it with enough force
to leave angry purple bruises across her skin. Over and over, he beat it across
her body causing her to howl out in pain before finally breaking into tears and
begging him to stop. An audible sigh of relief escaped her mouth when she heard
him drop the cane, not realizing he needed an instrument that would draw blood
from the skin. Grabbing a smaller whip he slapped it across the backs of her
thighs; small crimson streaks appearing before leaking along her legs. Her face
was an expression of pure terror as he continued his assault, so thoroughly
enraged that he lost himself to the violence. After also dropping the whip, he
instinctually grabbed one of the knives and moved to her, holding the dulled
blade to her cheek. The edge was not sharp enough for a clean execution, but it
was enough to sully the face of the bitch at his mercy.

He
held the blade to her skin so that it pressed sharply into her cheek, a line
formed where the steel sliced through flesh while he mocked her for her
cruelty. “You asked to be treated like a common whore, nothing more than an
object to be used and mistreated. I hope you enjoyed it, bitch, because I’ve
made sure you’ll never forget what it means to play that role.”

She
screamed out as he pulled the blade along her cheek, leaving a jagged cut that
would scar once it had healed. Emily’s beauty was the only thing she cherished
and he took it from her without pity; much like The Estate had taken
Maddy’s
freedom from her. Leaving Emily chained, Aaron
dropped the knife to the floor alongside the other tools he’d pulled from the
wall. Shutting the door behind him, he listened as Emily screamed out, “You
fucking bastard! I’ll have you killed for this.”

A
feral smile across his face, he closed the door behind him, not concerned with
the threats made by an unfeeling slut. Weaving through the halls and running
hurriedly down the stairs, Aaron found his way out of Emily’s house and into
his car to return home. Laughing as he drove off, he wondered what the doorman
would think when he found his lady left bloodied and shackled to a wall.

Maddy
sat at the dining table poking at her food as
Xander
stood behind her in his usual position at her back. She
huddled over the table, shamed by her nudity, but
Xander
had refused her clothes when he’d freed her, even taking the shirt off her body
that Aaron had used to position her head. Her body was covered in the scent of
shameful arousal when
Xander
had entered the room. His
eyes, blue as the Caribbean Sea, were filled with a combination of sympathy and
anger. He didn’t speak as he untied her, or when he led her to the bathroom. The
silence remained as he’d led her into the dining room to feed her.

It
didn’t matter, though. Even had
Xander
been an
excellent conversationalist,
Maddy
would have been a
weak participant. She was angry with Aaron for his behavior that morning, but
also angry with herself for having expected anything different. An enigma
hidden in a beautiful package, Aaron drew her in when he was considerate and
kind; but his ability to lash out in anger, to terrify her with no guilt for
his actions, that was the time when
Maddy
feared she
faced the true damaged spirit hidden within him.

Regardless
of the torment he’d inflicted on her body that morning, regardless of her shame
and her sorrow, the only words she could focus on were his last. She knew he
was off loving the body of some other woman. Jealousy creeping along her spine,
she stiffened each time the image of Aaron curled together with a woman in the
throes of passion haunted her mind. The emotions racing through her were
confusing. She wanted to hate him, wanted to vilify him and only remember that
he was the reason for her captivity, but yet … there was something about him. Not
easily seen, it was when she watched him in those few quiet moments they shared
;
his caution when treating her wounds, the minute hint of
reluctance in his eyes when he was on the brink of rage.

“Are
you done eating?”

Maddy
jumped when
Xander
spoke, having
become accustomed to his silence over the previous few hours. Dropping her fork
on the plate, she pushed it aside, waited for
Xander
to take it from the table and give her his next command. After
Xander
had removed the dish and placed it in the sink, he
pulled out a chair next to where she sat, surprising her. Sitting down, he
rested his elbows against the table and looked at her, a question in his
expression.

“Do
you mind telling me what happened this morning?” The softness of his voice
astounded her. Usually vigilant in his lack of emotion, concerned seeped out in
his question, his hard mask removed for the briefest of moments. She sat
silently, her head looking down at the fine wood grain of the table. Not
knowing if she should reveal the events of the morning, she attempted to avoid
Xander’s
gaze by tracing the veins in the wood.

“Cricket,
you need to tell me. Aaron never leaves this place without telling me where
he’s going. This morning, he didn’t look like he was in a good place.” His hand
reached out to stop hers. “Talk to me,
Maddy
.”

At
first shocked by his use of her name, reluctance finally settled like a veil
over her heart. Eventually, she spoke up, not knowing how
Xander
would react. “I woke up before he did. I wanted to let him sleep, but I got
curious.” She peeked up at him through her lashes to see if she could determine
whether he’d already become angry. Finding nothing but a blank expression, she
continued. “I looked through his music, found a CD that was mine and I played
it.” Waiting for an angry reaction, she grew quiet again.

“What
did Aaron do when you played the music?”
Xander’s
voice was so foreign, like a counselor speaking to a
child,
he softly guided her through the details of her confession.

A
single tear ran from her eye when she thought of the events that followed. “I
became lost in the music … much like I do when I’m performing.” She sighed.
“When I opened my eyes, he was standing in front of me … shaking, he was so
mad. He … he threw me on the bed, tied me up, did things to me … ” The volume
of her voice trailed off on those last words, she was not able to admit to what
Aaron had done to her body.

Xander
nodded his head, but remained quiet for a few minutes as he
absorbed what she’d said. Finally reaching some inward conclusion, he asked,
“Did he violate you?”

“Does
it matter?

“It
does.”

“If
you mean, did he have sex with me, no … I wasn’t worthy of his … his … of him.”
She tried to repeat the vulgar words used by Aaron as he left, but her tongue
couldn’t quite form the sound. “He said he was leaving to go sleep with another
woman.”

Xander
groaned as he ran his hands over his face. He knew exactly
which woman Aaron would have gone to see and regretted not having stopped him. Emily
was like poison even to the most unscrupulous of men. Standing up, he reached
out to take
Maddy’s
hand. “Thank you for being honest
with me, Cricket. I’m sure that wasn’t an easy story for you to tell.”

Maddy
took
Xander’s
hand, oddly comforted
by his words. She followed behind him as he led her down the corridor to the
bathroom he’d taken her to when she’d first arrived. “You need to take a bath. I’m
sure Aaron will be on his way back soon enough. The woman I suspect he went to
see can only be tolerated for a short period of time.”

His
words had been meant to lighten her mood, but instead they weighed her down and
disturbed her. Before, it had only been a threat, but
Xander’s
words had served to confirm what Aaron had gone to do. Even more disturbing was
the fact that she cared.

As
Xander
drew the bath,
Maddy
thought she heard the front door open and slam close.
Xander
must have heard it as well, because he immediately looked up from the water and
held up a finger indicating for her to stay put. Having been left alone in the
bathroom,
Maddy
attempted to listen to what the two
men were saying, but was only met with the heavy sound of boots walking briskly
through the corridor.
Xander
opened the door and
reentered. Turning off the water, he turned to her. “Bath’s ready. Be sure to
wash up well. I trust that you won’t try anything crazy, especially right now. Aaron’s
not in a good mood.”

Maddy
nodded and climbed in the warm water, luxuriating in the way it
helped soothe her tired body. Once she’d gotten settled,
Xander
left the room and turned right toward Aaron’s bedroom. Knocking on the door,
Xander
didn’t wait for Aaron to answer before entering and
finding Aaron sitting on the bed holding the brown scarf he’d used earlier to
tie Madeleine to the posts.

“What
happened?”

Aaron
didn’t look up to acknowledge
Xander’s
question. His
shoulders weighted, his head roaring with conflicting emotions and thoughts,
Aaron just kept staring at the binds he used on
Maddy
.
“We may be hearing from Emily sometime soon, I left her in a … compromising … position.”
Wrapping the soft material over his hands, Aaron pulled it so tight, the once
pink skin turned red, outlined by white. By the time
Xander
spoke again, Aaron’s hand had started to feel like pins and needles from the
lack of blood flowing through it.

“I’m
not worried about Emily. She’s a pretty face and a fast fuck, she has nothing
of value to offer The Estate, and therefore, she has no power. I am, however,
worried about you. Your mouse told me what happened this morning. Do you care to
discuss it?”
Xander’s
question was not asked easily,
there were times when Aaron spoke freely and others where the information was
so personal, Aaron became enraged if any person dared to inquire.

As
Aaron released the scarf from around his hand, a heavy sigh also escaped his
lips. “I treated her like a slave,
Xander
. There’s
nothing I can do to avoid it. If she fails when presented, they’ll toss her to
Emory or Vincent just to spite me. She’ll die horribly at the hands of either
of those jackals.” Pausing for a moment, Aaron gathered his thoughts. “If I
have to make her hate me in order to save her, I will, even if it destroys me
in the process. I only need to keep her alive until the alliance against my
father finally strikes. If we can take the bastard down, I’ll set her free.”

“It’ll
come back to you, Aaron. You can’t set her free. She’ll send the authorities.”
Xander’s
concern was apparent in the hurried nature of his
words.

Aaron
looked up at his lifelong friend. “The authorities are bought and paid for by
The Estate. I won’t go to jail,
Xander
. It doesn’t
matter either way. I’m not sure I’ll live for very long after I finally let her
go … ”

A
weighted silence fell between the two men. With reluctance in his tone,
Xander
finally responded, “Let’s get her trained, Aaron. We’re
running out of time.”

Throwing
down the scarf, Aaron watched as it fell, mimicking liquid chocolate spilling
down to puddle on the floor. Standing up on tired legs, he walked to his closet
to change into a fitted black t-shirt. When he returned to the bedroom,
Xander
had already left the room. He looked around the room
for a moment, in part, stalling the inevitable interaction he was about to have
with
Maddy
, but also in part, attempting to figure
out a way to introduce her reward for good behavior. When his eyes caught sight
of the CD case laid open on the floor near his stereo, an idea struck him. Quickly
moving to the other side of the room, he picked up the case and then reached
over to turn on the CD.

Once
the melancholy of the music weaved through the air, he strode out into the hall
in search of
Xander
. Finding him in the guest
bathroom, Aaron’s eyes couldn’t help but admire Madeleine while she laid in the
bath. His mind instantly traveled back to that morning; the shame that he felt
for his actions conflicting badly with the intense heat that grew like an
inferno throughout his body while in her presence. When he approached
Xander
, he leaned over, whispering his question so that
Madeleine would not overhear him. “Were you able to retrieve her instrument?”

Xander
nodded once in response.

“Please
place it in my bedroom, near the stereo. I want
Maddy
to see it when she enters the room.”

Without
a word,
Xander
left the bathroom to go carry out
Aaron’s order. The only sound left audible in the room was the light swirl of
water as
Maddy
moved about in the bath. Looking down
at the small woman as she bathed, Aaron remained stoic and controlled even
though, inside, he was anxious to get
Maddy
into his
room so he could discover if his idea would put even the barest hint of a smile
on her face. Neither person spoke as Aaron stood above her, but eventually
Maddy
lifted her hands from the water and the delightful
sound of laughter came from a face that Aaron swore was the most beautiful he’d
ever seen. Lifting her palms from the water, she held them up for him to
inspect
as another soft burst of laughter broke free from
her lips.

“I’ve
pruned.”

Fighting
back the quirk of his mouth, Aaron examined her hands as he witnessed her
become amused by such a simple thing. “It appears you have. Perhaps that means
you are ready to come out of the bath.”

Maddy
nodded, a shy smile appearing through the fullness of her
mouth. Her voice hesitant as she spoke,
Maddy
divulged the reason for her amusement. “When I was young, my uncle would always
pretend that he was upset when I pruned … ” Another soft chuckle, as the look
in her eyes suddenly appeared far away. “ …
he
teased
me by saying that it meant I’d grown old while in the tub, that the water had
somehow aged me.” Sorrow suddenly broke free on the lines of her face. “I
always got so scared that my life had gone by without me having been allowed to
live it.”

A
dagger to the heart, her words had penetrated Aaron’s resolve, pained him in
such a way that he had to actively pull back from taking the small woman in his
arms to comfort her. The irony of her words struck him, the foreshadowing of
events to come a sad realization revealed to them both at that moment. Stepping
away, he used the excuse of needing a towel to separate
himself
from the woman who was forcing herself into his very soul, adding a small spark
of light where only darkness had once existed.

Moving
back, Aaron indicated for
Maddy
to stand just before
he wrapped the large white towel around her body. He reached out to take her
hand and balance her as her small, delicate foot came over the side to step on
the floor. Once she’d been sufficiently dried, Aaron removed the towel and
chocked back a growl as his eyes surveyed the warm flush to her skin left over
from the heat of the bath. Aaron didn’t want to train her, couldn’t stand that
he had to subject her to more cruelty when all he wanted to do was pleasure her
small body, to run his hands and mouth along the pinkish tone to her skin.