Jeremy crossed to the table. There was a small duffel bag sitting there, and he opened it. His hands disappeared inside as he replied. “Well, your sister has been an excellent accomplice. She’s everything I could want in a partner. Stupid and greedy and easily cowed, with the right amount of pressure.”
“Dani, don’t listen to him,” Val begged. She shifted from foot to foot as she pled.
Dani ignored her. She focused on Jeremy, who pulled out a small vial of clear fluid. Dani’s stomach rolled. Who was that for? “What did she want from you? Money?”
A hypodermic needle came out next. Jeremy plunged it in and gauged the dose.
Lexi answered when Jeremy seemed too interested in his medication. “She wants you to sign over your house. Something about her making a bunch of money off of it. When Jeremy turned on her, she offered to split it with him.”
“I am not interested in money.” Jeremy turned. Dani stared at the needle like it was a snake coiled and ready to strike. “What I have in mind is so much more important. You see, Julian thinks of himself as a teacher. I was his student. He is going to find out today just how much I learned from him. Julian is merciless, you see. Do you know what his first act as CEO of the company his mother left him was?” He turned, and Dani tensed, waiting to feel that needle plunge in, maybe for the last time. Was that his plan? Would Julian get here and be confronted with her dead body?
“Please don’t.” Val squirmed as though she could shrink back.
Jeremy paid no attention to her. He stared at Dani. “No? Don’t follow the business world here in Willow Fuck? Pity. Julian’s first act was to begin a hostile takeover of a company his uncle owned. It was his uncle’s baby. He’d spent thirty years of his life building that company. Julian took it apart in a matter of days. I think his uncle is in a nursing home. The best of care, of course. Everything money could buy, except companionship and his dreams.”
“Why would he do that?” There had to be a reason. Julian was ruthless. She knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. But she hadn’t seen any true cruelty in him. He was concerned about the people around him. He’d taken such good care of her.
“I’m sure he’d tell you it was all a good investment, but I know the truth. You see, you have to study the things you love in life. I’ve made a comprehensive study of Julian Lodge. His uncle became young Julian’s guardian after his parents died. He didn’t have any time to spend on a child. He was too busy building his own company, software of some kind. He hired nannies, but he hired them off the street, without references of any kind. He paid them little, and he looked the other way when they abused their charge. When they left, he would simply bring in another one. Once, one walked away and Julian was left alone for weeks. I believe he was ten at the time. It was only when the gardener came that Julian was found. It wasn’t that there wasn’t the money for good help. His uncle had tens of thousands per month for Julian’s care. He simply preferred to use it on himself.”
How chaotic must his life have been? Dani’s heart bled for him. Even though her own childhood had been money poor, at least she’d had her mom. She’d worked most of the time, but she’d been there at night to tuck her in. Julian’s life had been a series of transient abusers.
“Don’t believe him, Dani. He’s making shit up,” Lexi said, shaking her head. “He doesn’t know anything. Julian would never have told him anything so personal.”
He struck and quickly. The needle was in Lexi’s arm before she could scream.
“Bastard.” Lexi’s eyes were glazing even as she said the words.
“Probably, though Mother claims not.” Jeremy sighed. “I really can’t have her yelling. You never know when the yokels will be listening in. I would have gagged her, but I’m afraid she bites. She’s just as much trouble as her mother. I’ll never understand the Dom who wants a willful slave.”
Dani couldn’t help it. “Because you were so well behaved? I heard what you did.”
His eyes lit up. “The Master…I mean, Julian spoke of me. Of course, he did. I was the best slave he ever had. The truth is he didn’t deserve me. I was far too good for him. And I’m right about his childhood. I lived with him, you know. I also worked in the building he owned. His secretary was given a cushy suite after her husband died. She was his final nanny, the one who stayed. He worships the ground she walks on. She keeps a diary. I read it. Mostly boring crap about her kids, but I found the volumes about Julian’s childhood to be illuminating.”
Dani didn’t doubt it. Nor did she doubt Julian would be horrified if he knew someone had read such intimate details of his life. “Why are we here? Why don’t you just go and find another Master? I’m sure there are many who want an obedient slave. Of course, they might not after you murder your former Dom.” Dani decided to try logic one last time. “Come on, Jeremy, you still have a chance to make this right. Julian isn’t here yet. You haven’t actually hurt anyone.”
“Speak for yourself. He slapped me.” Now Val sounded sullen.
Jeremy’s face hardened. “If you speak again, I’ll seriously consider setting my friend on you. You remember the other night. I bought more than one snake, Valerie. Would you like to meet the second one? I’m certain he’s antsy by now.”
“You tried to kill Finn.” The truth rushed into Dani’s consciousness.
Jeremy shrugged. “If it makes you feel better, I was trying to kill Julian. I saw him talking to this Finn person. I had Val point out his vehicle. I knew Julian would go home with him. I know that look in his eyes. However, I thought Julian would drive. He always has to be in control. How was I to know he would change his habits?”
It seemed to Dani that maybe Julian was changing a lot of his habits lately. She fell silent, using all of her concentration to stay on her toes.
“I feel sorry for you, really I do.” Jeremy continued on, obviously enjoying the sound of his own voice. Dani briefly wondered if Lexi wasn’t the lucky one. “Julian will make you fall in love with him. He’ll give you everything you need for a time, and then when you think it’s all going to work out, that you’ll be the one who can truly change him, that’s when he finds a new slave and cuts you loose. He might be kinder about it with you than he was with me. Perhaps he’ll find you a new Master as he did for many of his former slaves, but in the end, you’re just another in a long line of interchangeable bodies. You don’t matter. Not really.”
It wasn’t anything Dani hadn’t thought before. Just hours before, Julian had dismissed her for the simple act of having a different opinion. Was she fooling herself into thinking she was different? Would she end up like Jeremy if she stayed with Julian?
He stared down at Lexi’s unconscious form. “As for her, it’s truly better she ends here, too. I’ve been watching her for months. She’s filled with rage, so much rage and pain. She seems fine when she’s in public, but she’s not. Not even Lucas seems to reach her. I’ve often wondered what happened to her. They don’t have sex, you know.”
That was news to Dani, but she kept her mouth closed. Jeremy put the needle back in the bag and came out with another two sets of zip ties. Dani wondered if he’d gotten a special deal since he seemed to buy them in bulk. He carried them to the far side of the room along with one of the chairs. He placed it far from anything else and then attached a set to each arm of the chair, leaving the open end dangling, waiting for someone. Julian. He intended for Julian to sit in that chair.
Jeremy turned back to her. “I managed to get myself into Lucas’s house through his cleaning service. You just can’t trust the help these days. I set up cameras. Poor Lucas. He won’t fuck her no matter how much she begs. He’ll whip her, spank her, tie her up, and use a vibe on her, but he withholds his cock, and would you like to know why?” Jeremy laughed and shook his head. “She won’t tell him she loves him. Who would have guessed that Lucas Cameron would hold out for a declaration of love? Pity. He should have fucked her while he had the chance. Carpe diem and all that.”