Sir walked to the window, pulling back the curtain to look at the few who remained. “After buttering them up with food, I appealed to them as a husband concerned about his wife’s mental health. I explained that you were unable to make any statements at this time, but if they gave me their business cards and left immediately, I would call to invite each of them into the house when you were ready to speak.”
Sir turned to her. “That means anyone who remains here will be left standing on the sidewalk should you ever decide to make a statement. Otherwise, they will be trespassing.”
She stared at him in awe. “You’re brilliant!”
He shrugged. “I’m glad the harassment I’ve suffered from the press could serve some purpose.” Sir walked back to the bed and leaned down, kissing Brie gently on the lips.
“Naturally, all this ruckus woke up the children. So, fill up on your mother’s food and try to get some sleep. Know this, babygirl. I will do everything in my power to protect your recovery.”
Tears of gratitude filled her eyes as she watched Sir leave. Brie gingerly picked up the fork and took a small bite of her mom’s casserole.
While she chewed it, Brie suddenly shivered when the far-off song start up again, its dark melody echoing in her mind.
Inner Power
After several weeks and numerous therapy sessions with Dr. Reinstrum, Brie found she was still struggling.
The only thing that brought her any joy was watching her kids play. She spent hours on the floor, observing but without the energy to join them. When she heard her phone ring, she glanced at it listlessly and saw it was Lea. She let it continue to ring, not interested in talking to anyone.
Not even Lea.
Nothing seemed to matter anymore—not her friends, her films, or even her future.
Brie felt disconnected from the world as if a switch had been turned off, and all that remained was the shell of the person she once was. She didn’t recognize herself anymore.
Sir walked into the room to find her lying on the floor with her head propped up on a pillow, staring at the ceiling.
“Come, sit here with me,” he told her, walking to the couch and patting the spot beside him.
Brie pushed herself off the floor and sat down next to him, asking, “What’s this about, Sir?”
“I’ve noticed something that concerns me, and I care too much to ignore it any longer.”
She swallowed nervously, waiting for him to continue.
Caressing her cheek lightly, he explained, “Holloway intended to steal a part of you and claim it for his own.”
Brie nodded.
“In self-defense, you’ve distanced yourself from your submissive side, believing it is somehow tied to the perversity Holloway forced you to endure.” Sir smiled at her gently. “But that is not your truth, babygirl.”
With her bottom lip trembling, she whispered in desperation, “How do I get it back?”
Sir stood up and faced her. “When you are ready, Miss Bennett, you and I will scene together.”
Brie smiled the moment she heard her maiden name. It hinted to the beginning of her journey into BDSM, when she started at the Training Center.
“Although I am responsible for the scene, you will approve each tool I plan to use beforehand. I will also ask your permission whenever I switch to a new instrument during the scene. You will be in complete control.”
Brie nodded, warming up to the idea.
But Sir cautioned her. “I don’t want you to agree to our session until you are confident you are ready. The last thing we want is to set you back in any way.”
“Agreed, Sir.” She paused for a moment before asking, “Do you think it will work?”
“It may take time to rebuild the level of trust we once had, but Baron assures me it will work.”
She knew then that Sir had spoken to Baron, a Dominant who specialized in working with submissives who were victims of abuse. It renewed Brie’s hope even more.
Without that essential part of herself, it made sense that she felt completely lost. “I’m grateful to you, Sir.”
He looked down at her tenderly. “Why?”
“For anticipating my need and finding a way to fulfill it.”
He chuckled. “That’s my duty as your Dominant.”
Brie stood up and wrapped her arms around him, pressing her head against his chest. “The depth of your understanding and love astounds me.”
“I am a condor, and you are my chosen mate.”
The power behind his words humbled Brie. He had chosen her over all the other women he’d met, and his loyalty to her was unquestioned.
“I wish Mary could accept this kind of love,” she murmured. “It’s heartbreaking to think she chose that monster over Faelan…”
“I understand you are worried about Miss Wilson and want to assure you that Captain and Candy are devoted to her well-being. I have every confidence she will eventually recover from the trauma she’s suffered.”
Brie looked at him sadly, her voice trembling when she said, “The violent punishment she endured on my behalf will forever haunt me, Sir.”
“Brie,” he stated firmly, “Miss Wilson did not suffer because of anything you did or didn’t do. That responsibility lies squarely on Holloway’s shoulders. It had nothing to do with you.”
He cupped her chin and gazed into her eyes. “Surely you understand that.”
Swimming in guilt, Brie confessed, “If Mary hadn’t helped me with the documentary, none of this would have happened.” She lowered her eyes. “And if I had truly listened to her when she warned me how ruthless Holloway was, maybe…I would have been more cautious after I humiliated him in front of his peers.”
Tears fell down her cheeks when she told him, “Maybe I could have prevented Mary from becoming the primary focus in his revenge against me.”
Sir put his arms around her. “Miss Wilson chose to help you. You never asked her to get involved. That was a choice she’d made for her own reasons.”
“Mary can’t even look at me now, Sir. And I can’t blame her. Everything she suffered was because of Holloway’s hatred for me.”
“You know that’s not true. Holloway groomed her since she was a child. Whether or not you were in the picture, Holloway already had his claws in her. Based on what we witnessed at the compound, his perversity went far beyond you—or his need for revenge.”
She growled fiercely. “If I could, I would take it all back! I would never have filmed the original documentary and gotten involved with him.”
“Babygirl,” Sir stated calmly, “you are not listening to me. Whether you had filmed it or not, Mary’s future would have still been tied to Holloway. The outcome may have played out differently, but Holloway’s intentions toward her were never honorable.” His voice became dark when he added, “The man has no soul.”
Brie shuddered. “Mary and I experienced that firsthand…”
Sir enfolded her in his embrace and vowed, “If I ever come face to face with that man, regardless of where we meet, I will kill him with my bare hands.”
Brie was unprepared when the doorbell rang later that afternoon. She peeked outside to find Marquis Gray standing on the porch.