"It was as though I wasn't in control. I couldn't get the images out of my head. Of me. Of what he'd done to me. What he's going to do to me when I return." She swallowed. "I just hate him so much. I. I wanted to kill him. I'm not that kind of person. I. I have never hated anyone in my entire life. But. I. Just. Wanted. To. Hurt. Him. Worse than he hurt me. And that scares me. What have I become? I don't want to be like him."

"Sweetheart. Torture does that to a person. You'll be alright. You're strong. You are so not like him, it isn't even funny."

I wasn't sure that she'd be alright at all. I couldn't imagine what this woman was going to go through for the rest of her life. But the words seemed to make her feel a little better.

"You aren't mad at me? For falling apart in there?"

"Sheila. Honey. I honestly didn't think you'd go as far as you did. I was proud of you. For lasting as long as you did. If you hadn't fallen apart I would have been worried."

"I was trying to please you as well. I have to live with you for a while, after all."

"Yeah. He deserved it."

"He did. I know he did. I just wish that I was capable of hurting him a tenth of what he did to me. Before I break down and cry like a child."

"I'm not sure it would make you feel any better anymore. Hurting him."

"I know," she whispered quietly.

"Sheila. I have to go back there and deal with him."

"I know. Please don't make me go back in there. I'll do anything else you want."

"I wasn't going to let you back in, even if you begged me on your knees." She looked relieved. "Honey? I'm just going to tie you to this comfortable bed for a while. Until I fix him so he's out of our lives. Okay?"

Tears sprang into her eyes at the mention of tying her up.

"Okay. I suppose I don't mind. As long as I don't have to go in there. But you know you don't have to tie me up. I'll stay wherever you put me. I promise. You could lock me in a room or something. I hate being bound."

"I know, honey."

She closed her eyes. "But you like us bound up. Even if you're not around."

I smiled ruefully. She had to start getting used to this. "I'm sorry." And I still wasn't quite comfortable with her running around free without my supervision. Especially in this state. Hating masters and all. I really didn't know her yet.

"How do you want me? Spread-eagled?" She rolled and spread herself out, no shame in revealing herself. Bruises and all.

I picked up some soft rope and gently wound it around her outstretched wrists. I pulled them back to the bedposts individually and secured them. Not tight.

I touched her bare legs, indicating that she should close them. A surprised look crossed her face but she slid her ankles together. Expecting, if anything, I'd want her legs spread. I looped another length of rope around her slender ankles and lashed them together. I watched as she tested her bonds. Squirming a little trying to settle in a little more comfortably. Content that she wasn't wildly uncomfortable, even with the ropes holding her down.

She actually managed a smile. "This is actually a lot more comfortable than I'm used to. Thank you."

I kissed her bound wrist and rose to my feet. "I'll be back in a little while to release you. Okay?"

She nodded and I walked back to the room with Jane, Christi and Mayer.

Jane and Christi were kneeling quietly together by the sofa. About where they'd made love the night before, or so I judged.

Their eyes flicked over to me as I walked in but then returned to Mayer. He was unaware of my presence. But he was awake. Turned away from me. I leaned back against the doorjamb to watch.

"Please, ladies? I'll free you from him if you let me down. Can't you see that?"

Christi spoke softly. As though I wasn't even there. "You'll free us? You promise?"

"Please. Honest injun. Those things she said. Sheila. They just aren't true. We had some fun. She. She liked the stuff we did. It was all consentual. I swear it. She was into pain. And I liked to give some to her. But I swear. I didn't put those bruises on her. She's just trying to get in good with that ... master of yours."

"She fell down a flight of steps, right?"

"Yeah. Something like that. Listen. Between the three of us. If I'm free, we can handle him. How's he going to stop all three of us?"

"You don't know him very well. Do you?"

"We have to try. You like being his slave?"

"It's better than having our fingers and toes broken."

"Oh G.o.d. I'll let you free. I swear it. I didn't mean that."

"You wouldn't, say, kick us for bringing you the wrong drinks? Hang us upside down and use that electronic device on us before you let us go? You wouldn't whip our p.u.s.s.ies until we pa.s.sed out? Just a little fun before you freed us? Once he's out of the way?"

"Oh G.o.d. You believe her. That f.u.c.king little b.i.t.c.h. Fell down the stairs and I'm the f.u.c.king bad guy. s.h.i.t. You f.u.c.king little c.u.n.ts. You can't even see what is good for you. That I'm your only f.u.c.king chance to get out of this."

"Seems to me that you are offering us a chance to experience your brand of slavery. I believe her. And I think I'm better off with my current master. Thank you very much for the thoughts though."

"Jesus Christ! I don't f.u.c.king believe you. Both of you. You're just as stupid as that other c.u.n.t. You have to let me go."

"Let me get this straight." Christi looked like she was actually having fun with this. "We let you go. Right? And then our guy comes in. What? We all jump him? Then what?"

"We put the a.s.shole up here, where I am. Torture him until he agrees to send us back. Maybe kill him if we have to. We all get what we want."

"You certainly know about killing. Don't you? But ignoring that for a moment. Let's just a.s.sume for a second that this worked. That we managed to overpower him before he froze us all. Let's even a.s.sume that he lets us string him up. Let's even a.s.sume that we can torture him until he sends us back. What if I don't want to go back?"

"You don't want to go back? You like being a s.e.x slave? A c.u.n.t?"

"You don't have the right to call me a c.u.n.t, wh.o.r.e or a b.i.t.c.h. Only my master does. You really want another taste of the whip? And besides which. What's stopping you from having us help you overpower him and then take advantage of the situation. You are bigger than us. Right? So what? We help you restrain him. Maybe even have us help you torture him. Then you grab us. Not much we can do about it. Huh? And then what? Next thing we know you are taking out your pain on us? Us hanging naked like you are now? Legs spread? Screaming? You telling me that you don't want to get even with us too? Even if we didn't have a choice in hurting you? I've seen your eyes. They have that look in them now. Like you just want to hurt us unbearably and then f.u.c.k us."

"You want to be his slave? For the rest of your pathetic life?"

Christi thought about it. She took a breath. "It's not for the rest of my life. Unlike you, I believe him. He'll let us all go. Eventually. And not into a six foot deep hole in the ground. I'll survive. Despite what you might think, he isn't anything like you. Besides which. I don't have a choice."

"You have a choice. Let me help you."

"And if you fail?"

"I won't."

"I've seen what he's capable of. Jesus Christ, man. He's a h.e.l.l of a lot more imaginative than you. He doesn't leave us in agony for days, but believe me. If you'd ever been through one of his punishments, you don't want to go through another. No matter if you're not bruised, and you don't have broken bones. Believe me. It hurts enough. And if I helped you. And failed. As I know it would fail. It would make your punishments so far look like heaven."

Evan just hung his head. Sheila wasn't here. These girls were far too smart for his pathetic attempts at winning them over to his side. He was completely defeated.

"You stupid f.u.c.king b.i.t.c.h. I am going to enjoy you, you know. I am going to break every f.u.c.king one of your fingers and maybe a rib or two for good measure. And I will string you up here. Maybe by your broken thumbs. Let you have a good scream before I f.u.c.k the living s.h.i.t out of you."

Christi just remained on her bare knees. Her face impa.s.sive. Just as I'd ordered her. Jane was a little pale, but I was sure that I could see a flash of anger. But she too just knelt there quietly. Both girls knew that even if the a.s.shole got free that I'd intervene before he had a chance to lay a finger on their bodies. But still, the brutality of this man must have shaken them. It even shook me, and I was capable of some pretty brutal stuff myself.

I walked silently up behind him. I whispered into his ear.

"Two things." He gasped and tried to spin to face me. "One. I have half a mind to personally break all your fingers for that. You should know better than to try and convince the girls to turn against me. They know better than that. You should too. They aren't as stupid as you, you know. Much as you might like to think so. Underneath those kneeling beauties is a person. And believe me, they ain't dumb. And number two. I don't recall giving you or anyone else permission to degrade them. If anyone is going to do that it's me. Got it? They are to be addressed as Christi and Jane. Lady if you prefer. Or better yet, Lady Christi and Lady Jane. Mistress would suffice, if you can't handle that. But under absolutely no circ.u.mstances will they be addressed as b.i.t.c.h, wh.o.r.e, c.u.n.t or any of your other very lovely names. Otherwise I might just have this uncontrollable urge to start breaking bones. Do we have an understanding? Mr. Mayer? Care to apologize to my lovely girls?"

He had turned pale. But his mouth returned to a grim line and he refused to say anything.

"You are a glutton for punishment. Aren't you? My G.o.d. I would have thought that you'd be tired of pain, by now." I casually reached up and grasped the index finger of his left hand. He struggled with the grip, but being bound wasn't about to break my hold.

Jane whispered to him. "I don't know why I'm helping him. I swear I don't." She raised her voice. "He'll do it you know. Same as you would have to us if you'd gotten the chance. He will break your finger. And keep breaking them until you do what he wants. I really would do what he says unless you particularly want to be in agony for the rest of your stay. Please." She whispered.

I felt his finger tense and he tried to pull it away.

"Last chance. The human finger is remarkably easy to break if you simply bend it backwards enough. You might even be able to resist it for a while. If you are strong enough. But believe me. I'll win."

He took a deep breath. "L-ladies? Oh G.o.d. I apologize."

"For what?" I asked him.

"For. For calling them. Degrading names."

"Degrading names? Like what?"

"Don't make me do this."

"Let me get this straight. You don't want to apologize to such beautiful women? Aren't they beautiful today? After their showers? And their make up? Perfect? Aren't they just radiant kneeling over there?"

"I. I don't know what the right answer is. Please."

I twisted the finger. He gasped at the increase in pressure on his trapped hand.

"Yes. Yes. They are beautiful."

"And what are we going to do with them?"

I could see the indecision flash across his features. Wanting to say that he wanted to break them. Destroy their beauty. Make them scream. He opened his mouth and then closed it.

"I. I'm going to apologize to them. For calling them c.u.n.ts. For calling them wh.o.r.es. For calling them b.i.t.c.hes. I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

It was perhaps the least sincere apology that I'd ever heard in my life. But it would have to do. I'd have to start breaking bones to hear a more sincere one. The girls looked happy though. That I'd finally stood up for them.

"I'm going to let you down now. But I want to get something straight. Right here. We are going to have a nice calm walk out to the backyard. Easy right? Now. Remember our little earlier encounter? Your earlier plan simply isn't going to work. I'll freeze you far before you have any possible chance to attack me. Or the girls. Remember Jane? When you tried to use her as a shield? Didn't work too well. Did it?" Confusion crossed his welted face. Didn't quite understand this freezing thing. "I wouldn't count on the girls helping you at all. Despite that sincere apology of yours. Now we can do this the hard way, or we can do this the easy way. The easy way involves you walking with your beautiful female escorts downstairs and allowing us to tie you much more comfortably to an oak out there. The alternative is that I stun you into unconsciously again with the electronic zapper you like so much, and then dragging you down the stairs and tying you to an oak anyway. You understand your options? Simple aren't they?"

"I'll walk."

"Now. I want to get another thing straight. For every time I have to freeze your sorry a.s.s along the way. For example if you, say, decide to attack Jane or Christi while you walk along. For every time I have to freeze you, I break a finger. Period. No deals. No last minute reprieves. I simply break a finger. After a while, you won't be able to attack anyone. And your stay here will be so much more painful. Do we understand one another?"

He slowly nodded.

"Jane. Get the handcuffs."

She rose to her bare feet and cradled a pair from the desk in her small hands.

I backed off, turning the gun in my hands over. Idly stroking the weapon. I saw Mayer's eyes on the gun as I stepped in front of him. Freezes he may not understand. But guns he did.

"Jane. Get his wrists. Handcuff him behind his back. If he so much as breathes wrong or resists you in any way, let me know."

She nodded and a bit apprehensively approached him. Still unsure of letting this guy go. He was an unstable one, and I recognized it. That's why I backed away. Unfortunately that meant that the girls were going to have to put their delicate bodies on the line. If he moved fast enough, he might get at them before I could freeze him. Unlikely. But possible. Especially if my attention wandered for a moment. I was sure that Jane was glancing at her pretty toes and fingers as she approached. Hoping that they'd still be intact at the end of this.

She stood up on her toes and released his wrists. The knots had tightened somewhat as he struggled, but she worked at the knots patiently with her deep red nails. Eventually his hand fell from the ropes that had held him so long. He glanced at me, murder in his eyes, but he carefully placed his hand behind his back. Very non-threatening. I think he did like his digits after all. Jane released his right hand a little faster. He again glanced at me. Gauged his chances. Didn't like them and allowed Jane to cuff him. He stood on his still bound feet and glared at me.

"Aren't you going to let me at least dress?"

"What for? You'll be out of my sight. I won't have to look at your ugly a.s.s anyway."

He sighed and waited as Jane knelt and released his ankles from the ropes. All the ropes still dangled from the hooks, she'd released the knots holding his limbs.

"Christi? Jane? Take an arm. Remember. Any sign of trouble, sing out."

"Believe me. We will." Christi's face was showing some fright. She was concerned. This guy hadn't been this free in a long time and he was dangerous. I felt almost like I was leading Hannibal Lecter to the gas chamber or something; the fact that they were all naked sort of shattered the illusion.

Christi stepped over to him and took his right arm. Jane took the left.

Slowly, the man and the two flanking girls made their way out of the room. As they pa.s.sed the master bedroom, he glanced in. I'd made the mistake of leaving the door open. His eyes widened as he saw Sheila. Naked. Stretched out, tied to his bed.

He smirked and pulled free of Christi and Jane. The girls cried out as he broke free. He was smart enough not to make any overt threats.

"Mayer. Behave." I warned him calmly. Casually making the gun more visible. "Back to the girls."

He sneered with his battered face into the bedroom. Sheila had gone white upon seeing Mayer. Pulling weakly against the ropes holding her body. Mayer took a step towards the door and spoke.

"So. I get to see her one last time, huh? How do you like his ropes, c.u.n.t? Any better than mine? I'll be back for you. And those fingers and toes of yours."

He turned away from the doorway and allowed Christi and Jane to hold his arms again. They shuffled away from the doorway. As I pa.s.sed the door, I glanced in. Sheila was softly crying in her bonds. Keeping one eye on Mayer, I leaned in. "I'm sorry about that," I apologized to her. I closed the door. I hadn't foreseen the exchange.

The girls and Mayer had reached the stairs. If he was going to cause grief, this was the place to do it. He might try to throw the women down the stairs. Maybe throwing them down the stairs just to get back at me. Despite my words to the contrary, I suspect that he knew that I cared about the women more than I showed. I could see the hesitation in the girls demeanor. They didn't want to flank him down the stairs. They were just as aware of the waiting ambush as I was.

"You'll regret it if you try," I softly warned Mayer. Letting him know I was aware of the danger.

Christi and Jane took a deep breath and led the monster down the stairs. He calmly walked down, as though he was completely unaware of the girls apprehension. Though he was watching the nude females. Their legs. Their b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Probably wishing that he could get at the fingers lightly grasping his arms. He had to be aware of their tenseness.

We carefully walked him out through the kitchen. I thought that I saw him raise his eyebrows as he glanced into his living room and saw Amy, nude, listening to whatever it was she was listening to. He didn't make any comments. He'd probably already figured out that if I had three women, there was likely more.

His eyes widened as we led him outside. Polly and Gertrude, tied to separate trees. Frozen in place. Well, sort of frozen.