The Maestro's Butterfly (16 page)

Everyone waited nervously for his return. Miranda drummed on the arm of her front-row seat and finally turned to Gena, who sat beside her mending a tear in a costume.

“You look just like a Renoir with that lighting, Gena,” Miranda said. “Makes me wish I were a painter.”

Gena cast a brief sideways glance and smiled. “Didn’t Renoir paint peasants and lunatics?”

“I would never accuse anyone living with Claudio of being a peasant.”

Gena gave her a look of surprise before turning back to her work. Then she looked up and gave Miranda a brief smile.

After several moments, Miranda decided to get up and walk around, even venturing up on the stage.

“Claudio is going to have a fit if he sees you up here,” Adam said, sticking his finger into the collar of his tuxedo. “It is way too hot to be doing this mess today.”

Miranda laughed. “I’m sure it’ll be over soon.”

“No, it won’t. I have a good mind to go home, and let the shit fall where it may.”

“Isn’t that supposed to be the chips?”

“Not the way I see it. Hey, why don’t you do me a favor? Go back there and help him find those two so we can get this over with. I am about to die.”

Miranda nodded. “All right. But don’t blame me if he decides he wants a little something-something while I’m back there.”

That drew an unwilling chuckle from him, which sounded more like a hiccup.

116

117

“Heh. Just make it quick, or my death will be on your conscience. I was not made for this shit.”

“Such language,” Miranda said, and took Claudio’s path across the left.

In the dark corridors behind the stage, a cobweb tickled her face. Something creaked, and she turned, startled to see a thick, black cable hanging from the ceiling.

The shadows made it easy to fear what would happen if Claudio wasn’t happy to see her back there, so she crept as quietly as she could, and was too nervous to say anything when she found him leaning against the frame of an open door with his back to her. She could tell from his posture that his arms were crossed.

She stood as still as she could for many seconds. Finally, he uncrossed his arms and went inside. “Be careful of rats,” he said. Miranda crept closer and peeked around the door.

The costume room was a labyrinth of boxes and rolling racks full of bright clothing. Heart beating madly, Miranda followed him in as silently as she could and crouched behind a mountain of boxes to take in the scene playing out in the middle of the room.

“Monsieur,”
Maria said, leaning on a heavy table piled with colorful scraps of fabric. “You frightened us.”

“I’m going to do more than that if you don’t learn to stay upstairs where I need you,” he cooed. Maria leapt out of the way as he took the pale and willowy Autumn by the arm and pulled her to him, her red hair moving around her shoulders, her long skirt whirling around her calves. His costume reflected what little light there was in the room and gave him a phantasmagoric glow.

Autumn turned to Claudio. “Please
Monsieur
. I’m sorry. I didn’t—I just—please don’t punish me. Us.”

Miranda couldn’t see the expression on the girl’s face, but imagined it must be one of utter panic.

Claudio bowed his head to look at the girl. “My dear, frightened Autumn,” he 116

117

said. “It’s been a long day, and I’m very tense. Would you like to help me with that?”

He touched his fingertips to her chin. She glanced around nervously, and then nodded.

He grinned, and replaced his mask, bending her wispy frame over the heavy table.

Careful not to touch its dusty surface himself, he pulled up her skirt.

Miranda gasped as though she had been punched in the gut. She felt sick. Chloe had warned her that Claudio had plenty of sex with plenty of people. But as long as she didn’t actually witness it, she could pretend it wasn’t true. Seeing him make love to someone else, even someone who was frightened out of her wits, was a huge blow.

Miranda hung her head and breathed deeply, fighting the urge to gag as Autumn’s whimpers of fear became whimpers of pleasure.

Jealousy gave way to excitement as the soft, wet slapping of Claudio’s body against Autumn’s reached Miranda’s ears. She didn’t want this to excite her. She looked up and saw Maria moving over to him, unbuttoning her top with a wanton look in her eye, exposing her ample breasts to him, distracting him for a kiss, even as he grasped Autumn’s hips and moaned in pleasure.

With a resigned sigh, Miranda unbuttoned her jeans with a trembling hand.

Damn Claudio for letting me see this,
she thought.
Damn him for exciting me with it.

She shoved her hands into her jeans and pressed hard against her own soft folds of flesh, opening her mouth and breathing deeply. It wasn’t enough. Knowing she could be in for a lot of trouble if she got caught, not to mention humiliation, she balanced on her knees and pulled the jeans and panties down, letting them bunch just under her soft bottom. Then she held herself up on one palm while using the other to frantically pleasure herself.

He’s fucking another woman,
she thought. Somehow, that sent a bolt of pleasure through her.

The next thing she knew, she was flat on the floor with a man’s hand clamped over her mouth, his weight pinning her in place. The hand smelled of cigarettes. Seth.

Her own hand was crushed painfully between her legs. Slowly, she tried to fill her 118

119

lungs.

She felt his fingers against her bare bottom as he used his free hand to position the head of his erection at her slick opening. He nudged her open, even as her body tried to fight him, then slid into her.

Maria’s voice came to her, husky and needy. “Claudio!” she said. “Fuck me. Not her.”

Miranda closed her eyes tight and trembled as Seth pumped her from behind.

Her tender parts pressed against her fingers.

“Claudio, please fuck me. I want you so bad. Please fuck me. She can’t please you like I can.”

Seth grunted in Miranda’s ear and slid in up to the hilt, pressing the thatch of hair at the base of his erection against her bare bottom, grinding into her so forcefully she felt his hard lower abdomen against her asshole. Her hand ached with the strength she had to use to rub herself the right way as Seth fucked her furiously.

When Miranda looked up again, she saw Claudio still thrusting into Autumn, making her moan, while Maria rubbed her breasts against his arm.

Soon all of the sensations and sounds became unimportant as Miranda spiraled toward orgasm, and then lay gasping on the floor as Seth pulled out and sprayed her with semen. It felt hot on her bare skin, but quickly cooled.

She zoned out, and lost track of Seth. The cessation of sex noises brought her back. She noticed he wasn’t there anymore. He had left her with her jeans down and covered in his come. She reached back and wiped as much as she could with her bare hand, and tried to scramble away as Claudio walked by. She was crouched and holding up her sticky hand when he smirked at her as he passed.

The girls were behind him. Autumn gave her a momentary smile full of uncertainty. Maria said, “Oh my God,” and laughed. “What’s she doing here?”

“I’m sure she will rejoin us in the auditorium when she cleans herself,” Claudio said. “Then she will explain everything.”

118

119

Miranda felt her cheeks warm in the backstage shadows. She stayed put, and listened to the sound of their retreating footsteps, wondering for the moment how she was ever going to live this down.

As she caught her breath, however, the anger began to return, and with it, thoughts of confrontation.

120

121

Miranda didn’t return to the auditorium, however. Instead, she detoured and went out the back door, slamming it loudly, and started walking across the parking lot.

She had no plan to go any particular place. She just walked.

A moment later, she heard Claudio call her name. “Miranda! Come here!” he said.

She ignored him, startled only seconds later by his hand on her arm, whirling her around to face him.

He took her by the shoulders. “Where do you think you’re going? Running away? Hmm?” He shook her. “Answer me. Are you so unhappy here that you run away?”

Her face crumpled. For a moment she seemed to have trouble breathing as the choking sobs clawed their way out. Then she tried to push him away. “Leave me alone.”

“You think I do this to hurt you? That everything is for your benefit?”

She stared at him for a moment, then pushed at him again. He let her go to see what she would do. She began to scream at him. “I don’t know why you do it! I don’t know anything. I don’t know why you brought me here, why you won’t let me leave.”

She looked up at him. Her eyes shimmered like jewels in the sparse light. “Why you fuck other women and don’t even try to hide it.”

“You knew from the beginning, how I live. From the beginning.”

“Whatever, Claudio. I am a big, fat idiot, and I really should just go. Let you get back to whatever it is you do with all these people, and just go on my merry way.”

He shook his head and reached out to caress her cheek. “You don’t want to leave,” he said.

She backed away. “Get your hands
off
of me! I won’t be one of your whores!”

120

121

She slapped him as hard as she could across the cheek. His head moved just a little. His eyes narrowed. He raised his hand as if to backhand her, but didn’t. Instead, he took a step toward her.

“You lose the right to decide when you come to me.”

“I’ll scream if you come near me,” she said.

He ignored her words. “I’ve been very careful with you,” he said, taking her by the arm and leading her back to the theatre. “Shielding you. But you insist with your curiosity, so the time for that is over. You have now seen with your own eyes. Everyone here belongs to me, as you do. I will enjoy each of you in whatever way I please.”

At the back door, she stared at him in shock. “What kind of a man are you? I thought—”

“Yes, Miranda?”

“Maybe you were beginning to love me, and, something would change.”

He shook his head, his tone stern, and moved a stray lock of hair out of her face.

“There is one thing you will understand, Miranda. My dear. I am not your lover. I’m your master.” He paused to allow the idea to sink in, then continued. “You will obey me, and address me with respect, or you will face the consequences. It’s your choice.”

She shook her head, bunching her brow. “And now,” he said, “I am very, very hungry.”

As if she suddenly understood what was happening to her, Miranda tried to move past him but he caught her and wrestled her struggling body against the side of the building to drive his teeth deep into her throat as she cried his name. He fed until she went limp in his arms, her will gone, her eyes communicating nothing. When he had finished, he carried her inside the building and kicked shut the door. “You are property now, my dear,” he said. “It would be wise for you to remember that.”

122

123

Miranda sat in the front row with her head in her hands. She didn’t feel as groggy as she had the first few times Claudio had bitten her, but the deep bite plus the extreme emotions made her feel very separate from what was going on around her.

Adam’s voice came to her over all the others.

“I can take her home. I’m through here anyway, right?”

Home. That sounded nice. But he was talking about the estate. She shook her head. Someone put a hand on her shoulder.

“It’s okay.” The voice was Gena’s. “It’s okay. Adam’s going to take you to the house. I’ll talk to Claudio.”

“Why?” Miranda turned her head. It took all of her concentration to understand the other woman’s words, as if she were very drunk. “Why are you going to talk to Claudio?”

“Because he’s very angry,” Gena said. “You can be punished severely for much less than what you just did.”

Before she could respond, Adam crouched in front of her in his tuxedo. “You’re coming with me,” he said with a smile.

“But—” she said, without really knowing why.

“No buts,” Adam said. “Come on. Can you stand up?”

“She can stand,” Claudio said from the stage. Miranda looked up at him. “Stop treating her like an injured pup. Take her home. Lock her in my bedroom. I’ll deal with her tonight.”

With her anger gone, Miranda felt like crying. She didn’t want him to be angry at her. And, worse than that, she was afraid of what he was going to do to her.

“Adam?” she said.

“Come on,” he answered, pulling her to her feet. “Let’s get you to the car and 122

123

get you to the house.” He put his arm around her and let her lean on him.

She nodded.

Maria leaned against the high stage, watching with her arms crossed. “Hey,”

Adam said with a broad smile. “You and Autumn want to come? It’ll be good to get out of here for a while.”

Maria looked momentarily stunned, then uncrossed her arms and turned around to look up at Claudio. “Can we,
Monsieur?”

Claudio waved her away, and stalked over to Chloe, who was seated with her cello. Maria ran backstage.

Gena followed Adam and Miranda out, and stood talking to Adam by the driver’s side after he put Miranda in the car. Miranda opened her door to hear what they were saying.

“You won’t reconsider?” Gena asked.

Adam shook his head. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.”

Gena looked at him intently. He grinned and put his hand playfully on her head.

“Don’t worry.”

Maria and Autumn ran across the parking lot and scampered into the backseat, giggling and shushing each other. Gena looked at them, then turned back to Adam.

“Okay. I believe you. But you call and let me know you’re okay.”

He nodded. “It may take a while. He’s not going to be happy about me taking, well, three of his girls.”

A new heat filled Miranda’s stomach. Even in her semi-groggy condition, she understood that this was it.