Truth or Dare; The Dominator II (41 page)

We didn’t know if we’d bring her out of that. She was traumatized. Her trauma was from a combination of being Frost’s full-time slave for several months and that. He was very dark.

Surprisingly, she did come out of it and she became exemplary once she was in general population. How resilient she was is one of the reasons she was on the potential acquisition list. Jason caught wind and tried to purchase her.  We didn’t think that was a good idea. He repeatedly tried but we wouldn’t even let him visit Kruna. When your father requested a redhead for you we determined it would be in everyone’s best interests that it be Felicia. She would be out of bounds for Jason, who we’d hoped would stop being a thorn in our side. And we knew she was exemplary and would meet your needs. A win-win.

We are very sorry for this inconvenience. Had we known Frost would become a problem for you, we would have taken action sooner. If you’d like to turn him over to us, we would be happy to ensure the problem is no longer a Ferrano problem. Permanently.”

“I’ll be interrogating him today. I’ll either dispose of him myself or we’ll arrange for a transfer,” Dare said to the guy on the phone.

“We will leave that decision up to you. Let me know.”

We said our goodbyes and then I looked at him and his expression was cold, calculated. It didn’t sit well. It reminded me of myself.

Dare and I were heading back to the farm so I could pick up Tia. Tia and I had barely spoken in the past few days. She wrapped around me at night and it was a soothing balm for me but during the day I’d been wrapped up in this stuff and all my shit and she’d been keeping busy with my sisters. And I was pissed at her and she was digging in her heels with me so we’d yet to hash things out.

Lisa was gonna be spending hours each day with Oliver, my counselor, and he was trying to spend time with me, too, but I’d been dodging him with excuses so far. He was staying in the pool house. He’d be here a week or two and recommended I meet with him daily. He recommended that we send Lisa to a special retreat for intense therapy for a few weeks after he left but we weren’t sure about that.  He also recommended to me that Dare do the same for Angel but I hadn’t approached that subject with my brother yet.

When we got to the farm I waited in the jeep and Dare sent Tia out.

“Hey,” I said as she got in.

“Hey,” she replied.

I leaned over to kiss her and she leaned in and our lips touched.

“How is she?” I pulled out of the driveway.

Tia shrugged, “She didn’t really come out. She came down for a drink and I asked if she wanted to talk and she didn’t. She went back to bed. I checked on her a few times and she was either sleeping or looking out the window. I think she needs Dario. How is everything?”

I shrugged, “We probably won’t get out of this association any time soon, unfortunately. It’s gonna take time. We have to play their game for now. We might have to go to Thailand in another couple weeks for their partner summit. I don’t know yet.”

She made a face, “God, no.”

I shook my head, “Baby, let’s save this until we know what’s what.”

“If you think I’m going to be okay with you going to a sex slave resort…”

“Baby. Seriously. Not now. I’m fucking tired. Let’s go back to the house. I need to sleep.”

She folded her arms across her chest. Great. More fucking attitude.

We got back to the house. The place was quiet.  Sarah was in the yard with Luc and Tess and the kids and I didn’t see Lisa or Oliver. I grabbed Tia’s hand and pulled her up to the bedroom we were staying in.

I slammed the door, locked it and stalked her as she backed up, looking a little freaked out.

“So, we’re doing this now, are we?” she folded her arms across her chest and tried to look tough.

“I am not fucking happy about what you said to Lisa,” I said. Tia and I needed to iron shit out.

“I know. But it needed to be said.”

“That’s not an apology, Athena.”

“No. It’s not. It’s all out in the open now and we can all move on. You’ve been beating yourself up for this. Part of moving on, I think, is talking things out with those who were involved and impacted by what happened. You’re getting therapy. Lisa’s getting therapy. Your sisters don’t understand the full scope of what Lisa has been through so they need her truth, too. That’s next, I think.”

“Hey! You don’t fucking decide that shit.”

“I know. But that’s what I think.”

“Fuck.”

“I have a right to voice my opinion so that’s what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, well you already made a decision that wasn’t yours to make by telling Lisa about Pop so don’t you fucking dare cross that line by telling Lisa’s secret.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“But yet you did it to me…”

“You’re my husband. It’s our story, not just yours. I was there. I had your father’s gun to my temple. I saw him point his gun at you, too and I’ve watched you torment yourself every single day since. It’s our story, not just yours.” She had tears in her eyes.

I shook my head and ran my hands through my hair.

“I need to do something, Tommy. I need to help us move on. We can’t stay in this trap where you are angry at yourself and what happened and where you stop me from living because you’re afraid of more blowback.”

“You not happy with me.” I felt my gut twist.

“It’s not that.”

I felt sick. I sat on the floor in front of the door and leaned back against it. I pulled a knee up and let out a long breath.

“You could’ve had me from the start, you know? I would’ve been yours from the minute you tied that cherry stem into a knot. You could’ve had me and played your cards in such a way that you’d never have had to hurt me, you’d never have lost me. But you didn’t wanna court me. No, you had to claim me. I’m yours anyway, it was just a lot more painful and traumatizing of a journey this way. I know that this is who you are. And I love you. I don’t want anyone but you, all of your many layers and flavors. But I don’t want to keep living like
this
. I don’t want to live in fear,” her voice cracked and she whispered, “Fear of you strangling me in your sleep. Fear that I’ll have to watch you wake from nightmares every night because this is eating you up inside. Fear that I’ll have no choice but to run away from you if I want a normal life. Fear that I’ll never ever leave because I can’t imagine living without you so instead I’ll doom myself to being cooped up walking on eggshells because you’re in so much pain and won’t do anything about it.”

“I’m doing therapy, Tia. I’m trying, god damnit.”

“And I don’t want you to stop trying. You’re barely trying, though, honey. I know you hate the therapy. You do one hour a week because that’s the minimum you can get away with. But I don’t think it’s enough. Oliver is here now. Spend more time with him. Don’t just give up and let the pain eat you up until you’re a shell of a man.”

I sighed. She walked over and sat beside me and put her head on my shoulder. I put an arm around her.

“I love you. I want to help you. Let me help you.”

“I love
you
, baby girl. And you are helping me. I wouldn’t even be here if it weren’t for you. I’d be dead or rotting in jail. Come here.” I put my arms around her and then we got up and I hiked her up so her legs were around my waist. I carried her to the bed and then I gently made love to her, slowly, showing every inch of her body my full attention. Then, after she was asleep I went down to the kitchen. I saw Oliver heading into the pool house so I grabbed two beers and knocked on the door to the pool house. Oliver seemed like the kinda guy you could sit and shoot the shit with and chatting with a couple beers might be a whole lot easier than sitting at the computer staring at the guy’s mug on my screen.

Dare

I found Angel in bed, staring off into space.

“How are you?” I asked her.

She shrugged.

“Angel, do you want to see him? This could bring you some closure.”

“Do
you
think I should see him?

“I don’t know. Maybe?”

“What’s going to happen to him?”

“I don’t know yet. I just had a talk with Joseph Lucas. I told him I hadn’t decided. I haven’t talked to Jason myself yet.”

She shuddered and then asked, “Where is he?”

“Here.”

“Here? Joseph Lucas is here?” she looked horrified.

“No, Jason’s here. He’s in a horse stall in the barn. I’ve got six guys watching him.

Her eyes widened.

“You wanna talk to him, it’s a one minute walk. You don’t, I go talk to him. From there I decide whether or not to turn him over to Kruna or I take him out myself.”

I knew my expression was hard and some guys would never tell their girl that this was something they’d do. But she needed to know who I was. At my core, I was a Ferrano and I would not allow anyone to fuck me over, to take what was mine, to threaten my life or the lives of people I loved. Whether this guy started out as a good guy, whether he was just dealing with the hand he was dealt, or was a serious bad apple, I’d have a conversation with him and then I’d make my decision. I’d let her have a conversation first, if that’s what she wanted to do.

“I’ll talk to him,” she said softly.

“Let’s go. Baby, you can’t tell him anything about me and Tommy wanting out. You can’t let on that…”

“I know, Master,” she winked at me, “I’ll be your good girl.”

I smiled and took her hand.

Angel

We walked hand-in-hand from the house to the barn, which was only on the other side of the driveway, and I saw that there were, indeed, men surrounding the barn.

Nino winked at me and opened the door and then I walked down a path with stalls on either side, down to the middle where another guard, a young and good-looking blond guy with a bit of a boy-next-door face smiled at me.

“Please don’t go,” I whispered to Dare as he led me closer.

“I won’t,” he said firmly. We approached the stall and I could see it was gated with a thick iron gate, unlike the other stalls that’d been traditional horse stalls.

I saw Jason sitting on an overturned milk crate in the back corner and when his eyes met mine, they were filled with pain. He looked the same though. In two years he hadn’t changed. Tall, dark, handsome, well-dressed. I hadn’t seen him in over a year but hadn’t looked him in the face in almost two.

“Angie!” he exclaimed, and then his expression dropped when he saw Dare at my back.

“Jase,” I said softly.

He got to his feet and moved to the gate and grabbed it. I stepped back and landed against Dare’s body. Dare’s arm curled around my belly and he gave me a little squeeze, kept holding on, gave me support.

Jase launched right in, “I’ve been trying to figure out how to get to you. He was a horrible bastard, Ang. It took time but I was trying to find a way to get you out all that time. I had to end his life so I could get you out. I had him poisoned. I figured it was a deserving death after what he did to us.”

I got a shudder from head to toe remembering the stench of death.

Jase continued, looking proud of himself,

“He had to pay, sweetie. But I think they suspected I had a hand in it because after Uncle Donovan died they wouldn’t let me on the premises and they watched me. I was heir to his shares but they kept me on a need-to-know basis.  I already tried to buy you, to get you out of there. But they blocked it and wouldn’t even let me see you. I got adamant about it, especially with what percentage of that place I own, and I think that’s one of the reasons they let you go to him,” he raised his chin at Dare, “So I’d give up. When I found out they sold you to Dario Ferrano, I figured I could save you, finally. I know of that family, I met his father many times. I didn’t mean for any of it to happen, Ang. I didn’t. I love you. You were supposed to be mine, not Uncle Donavan’s, no one else’s.” He gave Dare a dirty look.

“Jason…” I started but I started to choke up, “I’m good now. I have a Master and he’s good to me. You don’t have to rescue me. What’s done is done.”

“Well, clearly I failed again. I failed to keep you safe from Uncle Donavan and I failed to rescue you. And now I’ll probably pay with my life.”

I started to feel bad for him.

But then he said, “
I
was supposed to be your Master,” dejectedly and my blood ran cold, “Watching them break you?  I watched hours of footage of how they broke you over and over. I wanted to kill him. I wish I could’ve seen him die. He made me watch as he beat you, as he made you beg, as he fucked you and made you come. I wanted to fucking kill him because he stole that from me. I got him out of the way so I could take his place at Kruna with you. But fucking Chen, Lucas, Delgado, and the others? They fucking blocked me.”

I felt weak. I leaned against Dare, “Master, could we go, please?”

Dare turned me to face him and looked right into my eyes and answered, “Absolutely, my Angel.”

“Angie?” Jason called my name but I walked faster and faster and then I broke into a run and I ran back to the house and right upstairs and threw myself into the bed and wept.