WARNING: This is a dark book and should only be read by mature audiences. There is disturbing subject matter and themes. This teaser is unedited, so excuse spelling or grammatical errors.
Teaser:
Bowing his head
slightly, Xander responded, “She is so weak, Aaron. I wonder how she will survive.” Aaron was shocked at Xander’s
confession. Although he knew his best
friend and first guard was, at the core, a moral man, he’d never witnessed him
show concern for anyone’s safety but Aaron’s.
“She’ll survive;
but I’ll need to speak with daddy to
make sure of it.” Xander’s eyes widened
in response to Aaron’s statement, but he faithfully fell in step behind him
nonetheless. The two men traveled the
distance from Aaron’s apartment to the ballroom where he knew he would still
find his father, piss drunk and covered with whores. Now was the perfect opportunity to cement
another rule in this game. His father
wanted nothing more than to corrupt his son with his gift, but Aaron wanted to
publicly ensure that no one was to touch Madeleine besides himself. If he could get his father to agree to the
new condition in front of the members of the Estate, his father would have to
honor that condition, forbidding every man at the compound to touch that which
was Aaron’s.
Two men, both
dressed in black on black suits, moved to open the large, double doors so that
Aaron and Xander could pass through. A
grand entrance, the chaos of the room hushing quickly when the revelers noticed
who had returned to the party. As
expected, his father sat upon a would-be throne; one woman massaging his
shoulders while another had her head buried in his lap. His face showed no reaction to the bobbing of
her head, his shame at such public displays such as this, lost years
before. Eyes the color of steel moved to
look at Aaron; the father finally acknowledging the presence of the son.
“Aaron…” His
slurred words reverberated throughout the hushed silence of the room. “…So good
for you to return to the celebration of your
birth. I do hope you’ve
found…enjoyment…from your gift.”
Laughter, drowned in mockery and disdain rolled from his father’s lips;
his sloppy movement and slurred words making his inebriation blindingly
apparent. “What brings you back? I thought for sure you’d be riding her raw
this evening.” Another dark laugh. “Or, has it been so long that you’re all
dried up?”
Aaron waited for
the responsive shouts and jeers by the men in the room to simmer down before
answering. “I thank you for the gift, father, however, I have a condition I’d
like to request before I agree to use her as you require. You see, I prefer my dick not shrivel and
fall off my body, so I have a thing about not fucking whores who have been
passed around liberally.”
A perfect
eyebrow arched quizzically on his father’s brow. “And what, exactly, is it you’re requesting,
Aaron?” His father’s voice deepened as
he spoke. Aaron hoped that his father
believed he’d succeeded in finally corrupting him; however, he knew the man was
far too shrewd to believe that he had caved so easily. They’d been playing this game for too damn
long.
“I’m requesting
that the slave is mine, alone; that you order your men not to touch her while
she remains in my service.”
His father’s
hand grabbed the head, still bobbing in his lap, wrenching the woman back by
her hair and tossing her aside like nothing more than garbage. She’d cried out at his father’s actions, but
knew better than to move away. Crouching
at his feet, the woman remained motionless, waiting for when she would be made
to continue. Aaron kept his eyes trained
on those steel grey eyes of his father, not wanting to look down to see his
father’s unabashed display. Aaron’s
father took a moment before responding.
Suspiciously eyeing his son, he finally spoke. “I have to admit, I’m a little shocked by
your request. I thought for sure you
would have tossed her aside, refused my offering.”
Rolling his
shoulders back, Aaron carefully chose his words. Madeleine’s safety was at risk, he needed to
ensure she would be viewed as his. “I
assume, father, that you located this woman due to my interest in her. Perhaps, you had me followed the night of her
performance. Given that to be the case,
you know I was interested prior to your gifting of her to me. It would make no sense for me to turn her
away now.” He made sure his voice was
purposeful and strong, showing no signs of his desperate need for his father to
agree publicly to his request.
The frantic beat
of his heart echoed through Aaron’s ears as he waited for his father’s
response. White noise, a pulsing sound,
as the blood rushed through his head.
The silence of the room was only disturbed by the shuffle of feet, a
cough or the sound of a throat being cleared.
It was not only Aaron that waited, but the entire party, as well. Never before had these men seen Aaron take
part in the depravities of the Estate, in the cruel and sadistic actions of his
father. Yes, Aaron had killed, had taken
the lives of those who threatened the network that, over the years, had been
built by his father. However, Aaron had
acted only against other criminals, other people who’d committed enough evil of
their own, that the world would never rue their absence.
If it hadn’t
been for his father’s inebriation, Aaron knew his motives would have been
further explored. As it stood, his
father could barely remain sitting upright, much less have enough mental
function to see past Aaron’s intent. “And is it your request that she remain
untouched by all of the men in this room?
Is she a toy kept for your pleasure alone?”
Weighted was the
question his father asked; one intended to goad Aaron into a mistake. He knew his father was placing him in a position
to, once again, be reminded who ruled this network of criminals and thieves. If
Aaron gave the wrong answer, Madeleine would be dragged out here now so that
his father could show him who sat at the top of the Estate. “No, father. I am still well aware that nothing within
this compound shall be denied to you.
I’m simply requesting that all others be restricted from touching what
is mine.”
Silence, pregnant
with the anticipation of his father’s approval, was deafening against Aaron’s
thoughts. No man spoke, even the short coughs and cleared throats were absent as Aaron awaited his father’s
directive. Standing firm, his blue eyes
never looked away from the scrutiny of the steel grey.
“Well done, Aaron, it’s good to see you understand
who still sits at the top of this food chain.” Shifting in his seat while tucking himself back into his
pants, his father raised his hand and snapped, summoning forth Emory, his most
trusted man.
"There
will be a new decree that needs to be delivered as quickly as possible..."
Emory lowered his head, indicating that the decree would be made known.
"...No man shall touch Aaron's slave."
Relief
flooded Aaron's body as he fought to keep his stance firm, not wanting the drop
of his shoulders, or relaxation of his muscles to betray his feelings to the
group. That relief, however, was short lived.
"However,
although no man may touch the slave, it does not mean she can be hidden
away." He turned to Aaron, amusement evident in his dark gaze.
"She will be displayed when requested by me. It would be a shame for
your plaything to be kept, locked away from the enjoyment of the Estate."
Lowering his voice to a dangerously low level, he added, "Do not forget
that we are a community, my son. One in which, only one man is allowed selfishness."
