My Masters' Nightmare Season 1, Episode 1 (9 page)

“
They ambushed me in my
hotel room,” I said. “I also woke up in a van. Have you seen other
women?”

“
Only once when a blonde
woman yelled at the guard to let her into my room. She marched up
to me and spat at me, telling me not to touch Alberto. But I don’t
want Alberto, I hate him. I hate him!” She looked down at her
hands, her nails bitten down low.

I moved my hand to her back. “He tried
to rape me too.”

She kept her gaze down, her hands now
shaking. “He didn’t try with me, he did. I don’t know how he could
be related to Jagger. I really don’t. He is such a cruel
man.”

“
Which is why we should
escape.”

She shook her head. “I can’t go, I
have Jagger, plus there’s no way out of here.”

“
You should at least try.
Don’t you have family you want to get back to?”

Her eyes saddened. “If I go I’d lose
Jagger, and I can’t do that, I need him.”

My thoughts went to the woman’s
father breaking down, and her husband’s tears. I wondered what
those men would think hearing this.
Betrayal
would be the word,
hurt
another one. I didn’t know how she
could fall in love with a man in less than two months and give up
another that she’d been with since high school. Jagger was
beautiful, but her husband was lovely, so sweet and his heartache
genuine.

I looked down at the gold band on her
finger. She was naked but for that. “But you have a wedding ring,”
I said.

Her face crumbled. “I love Adam, but
what I feel for Jagger is stronger. I’ve never felt like this for
anyone, never lived for another person like I live for
Jagger.”

I sighed. She had Stockholm syndrome.
She was lost, even more so that Jagger actually wanted to keep her,
though, I had no idea why he wanted me to watch them make love.
Probably to make me feel uncomfortable, which it did, the man
certainly an eyeful.

I talked with the woman longer,
getting as much information out of her as possible. She answered
all my questions, but kept reiterating that I wouldn’t be able to
escape, that I just needed to do as Jagger said, and hope that
Alberto didn’t come for me.

The thought of Alberto made me sick, what
he had almost done earlier still plaguing my mind. I looked down at
my bracelet, wishing that the tiny microphones inside could
transmit from long distances, but knowing that it was impossible,
especially with us being in a different country, wherever that
was.

After a few hours, Jagger returned. He
appeared twitchy, his eyes not settling on anything, while his
hands moved all over the place as though he was batting away
demons, but Honey didn’t seem to notice, the woman instead
squealing in delight. She jumped up and ran to him, giving him a
hug and a kiss. He kissed her back, then signaled at me with a wave
of his hand, like I was another of his demons that he wanted gone.
“Federico, take her out so I can be alone with Honey,” he said, to
the guard.

“
Where do you want
her?”

“
Her room. Once I’m done, she
can come back and keep my
amore
company.”

The guard indicated for me to follow
him. I got up without issue, my gaze flicking to Jagger as I headed
for the door.

“
Take that ring off, you’re mine
now,” he said to Honey.

She let go of him and pulled it off,
handing it over to him.

I rounded the corner and entered my
room, sick that she could throw away her husband’s love just like
that. I could never give my memory of Matt up for another man,
especially not one who had kidnapped me—it was obscene.

I sat down on my bed, watching as the
door closed, the sound of the bolt locking me in. I heard a happy
squeal come from the next room. I stood up and headed for the wall,
placing an ear to it. I heard muffled voices, but couldn’t
distinguish anything that was said.

I moved to the door, checking how solid it
was, then went into the windowless bathroom, hoping there would be
something in there that could help me escape. But there was nothing
of use, only a bath and a washbasin, not even a mirror that I could
break to use as a weapon.

I went back to the bed and lay
down, my mind going to Matt. I closed my eyes, bringing up an image
of him. He had been tall, much taller than Jagger, bulkier too, the
physique of an athlete, a man who loved to spend his time outdoors.
I smiled at the memory of his excitement when I had agreed to a
hike through Yellowstone. I had teased him, telling him he was like
a boy with the way he’d acted over it. He had picked me up and
thrown me on the bed, proving he was all man. And he
was
all man, the top
undercover agent in our department, the one person my boss said
would never fail. But Matt had failed, Frano D’Angelo shooting him
down in cold blood.

But
I
wouldn’t fail.

No

Matter

What.

7

I woke to the sound of the door
opening. I shot up in bed, only to be greeted by the
guard.

“
You’re going back to
Honey’s room,” he said.

I pushed off the bed and followed him
into the next room. Honey was sitting on the bed fully clothed, her
happy face the only thing lighting up the place. She was wearing a
pretty yellow sundress, while her long blonde hair was brushed and
lay loose over her shoulders. She looked sweet, the opposite to
Jagger’s explicit sensuality, the two opposing elements, nothing
alike.

“
Hello,” she
said.

I sat next to her, feeling self-conscious
about my nudity, even more so now she was clothed.

“
Are you alright?” she
asked, her expression turning to concern.

“
I want to go home,”
right after I kill
Frano.
But I
also wanted to learn more about Jagger, and whether he was really
being forced. The thought of torturing Frano to find out almost
made me smile.

“
I’ll ask Jagger if he can
help you too,” she said.

“
He won’t help, he hurt
me.”

“
Only because he was
forced.”

“
It didn’t feel that way
when he slapped me over and over again, then sliced my
foot.”

She frowned. “Frano would find out if
he didn’t do as he was told. I’ve seen bruises on him. Frano hurts
him. Alberto does too. He doesn’t have a choice, and it kills him
hurting us.”

I breathed out, wondering whether my
information on Jagger was incorrect. I’d never anticipated this,
didn’t expect Jagger to be anything other than a sadist pig, the
intel collected by my unit depicting him as a monster, not an abuse
victim forced to commit heinous crimes.

The door opened, making both of us
look up. My heart stopped as two men entered the room with the
guard, one of them Alberto, the other resembling the photo I’d seen
of Frano: the new don of the D’Angelo family. He looked scruffier
than the image, the stubble on his face adding to it. But instead
of taking away from his looks, it gave him a more sensual
appearance, as though he’d just gotten out of bed and had thrown on
his clothes haphazardly, his mussed up hair adding to the sexual
aura surrounding him. But to me, he was an ugly monster, his
handsome mask unable to hide his black soul, something I would
destroy, making him look as foul as his nature.

He indicated at me. “What is she doing
in here?”

“
Jagger wanted Honey to
have some company,” the guard said, looking worried.

Frano’s gaze moved to Honey. “And why
is that slave in clothes?”

“
Jagger gave her
them.”

“
Alberto, undress her then
take her to the van.”

The guard stepped in front of Alberto.
“There’s been a misunderstanding, boss. Jagger is coming back for
Honey.” He cleared his throat, looking like he was regretting
getting in Alberto’s way. “He said you approved it, and that if
anyone touched her he would kill me.”

Frano puffed up his chest, looking as
though he was going to blow-up. “You answer to me, not him! And
I’ve approved nothing!” Frano indicated to Honey. “Strip her now
and take her to the van.”

Alberto smiled, his eyes fixed on
Honey. “Can I have some fun first?”

“
S
ì
,
just make it quick.”

Alberto shoved the guard aside and
headed for Honey, who scrambled across the bed, yelling: “You can’t
touch me, I’m Jagger’s!”

I remained still, wanting to help her,
but knowing I couldn’t without giving myself away, plus both the
guard and Frano were holding guns, one of them pointed at
me.

Alberto grabbed Honey, his big hand
ripping at her pretty dress. Honey screamed and hit out at him,
getting him in the face. Alberto punched her in the stomach, then
shoved her flat on the bed, punching her again. I closed my eyes,
the noises making me want to disappear.

A few seconds later, an ear-splitting
scream cut through the air, the sound making me open my eyes.
Alberto was on top of Honey, forcing himself inside of her, his
large body swamping hers. Unable to control myself, I jumped onto
his back, putting him in a chokehold, knowing it was the wrong
choice to make, but the only thing I could do.

Alberto swung around, knocking me to the
floor. Frano stormed over to me and grabbed me by the hair, yanking
me up. He pushed me onto the bed and placed his gun to my head as
Alberto climbed back onto Honey. My head was yanked into a position
where I could see everything, from Honey’s tear-stricken features
to Alberto’s cock entering her. I closed my eyes, sickened by the
sight, and also wishing I could shut the sounds out, the sobs from
Honey and Alberto’s grunts combining with the slapping of
bodies.

Frano pressed the gun
to my head harder.
“Open your eyes,” he said.

I shook my head.

“
Open your eyes or I will
shoot you!” he yelled.

I opened them, seeing Honey now
sobbing uncontrollably, her weak voice hopelessly begging for
Jagger to save her.

Frano placed his lips to my
ear. “This is what happens when Jagger doesn’t do as he’s told.
This woman is
not
his, neither are you, you both belong to me to do as I
please, and after Alberto finishes with that slave, she will be
shipped to Spain, earning me a lot of money. So, the next time you
think about attacking one of my men, I will allow Alberto to enter
you as he is doing to Jagger’s Honey. Is that clear enough,
slave?”

“
Yes.”

“
Good, because I’d much rather
fuck you than give you to an
animale
like Alberto.”

Alberto stilled on top of
Honey. “I’m not an
animale
.”

“
Oh, yes, you are,” Frano
laughed, the sound cruel, “so enjoy my gift, but don’t take too
long, because her flight is in a few hours.”

Alberto started up again, grunting as
he raped Honey, the woman no longer making a noise, her face a mask
of horror. I stared at the top of her head, not wanting to see any
of it, but unable to block it out: the sounds, Alberto’s movements,
all inches away from my face.

After what felt like an eternity,
Alberto finally pulled out of Honey, the man not wearing a condom.
He grabbed Honey by the hair and yanked her around, then picked her
up and carried her into the bathroom, the door closing behind them.
Honey’s screams started up again, making me want to disappear into
nothing.

Frano yanked me around to face him.
“Remember, you belong to me, not Jagger.” He leaned down, looking
like he was going to kiss me. I jerked my head to the side,
everything in me wanting to kill him, the pull on my hair barely
registering. He placed the gun to my temple, causing me to freeze,
then leaned down and kissed me, his lips parting mine, his tongue
thrusting inside. I wanted to bite it off, but remained still,
although it took all of my self-control to do so, my
self-preservation winning over my hatred for him.

He pulled back, his eyelids half-closed.
“You are mine to do as I please, so the next time you think about
defying me, think about what Alberto did to Honey and compare it to
what I did for you in the bath, then decide which you’d rather
have.” He pushed up and headed for the door.

The screaming stopped in the bathroom,
then the door opened. Alberto came out with an unconscious Honey in
his arms.

“
What did you do to her?!”
I yelled.

He looked at me as
though
he
couldn’t believe I had dared speak to him. “None of your
business,
puttana
.” He headed for the door with Honey, disappearing through
it.

The guard pulled the door shut
behind him, the bolt
sliding into place. I stared at it, totally
shocked at what I’d just witnessed, my mind returning to the
expression on Honey’s face as she was raped. I closed my eyes,
knowing I’d failed her, that the woman would be gone soon, nothing
she was receiving now wanted, nothing her choice, the woman lost to
her family and the man she loved.