She felt like a prisoner being led to her own execution.
No! Brie would not allow his words to worm their way into her heart.
This man knew how to incite fear because he fed off it. But she would not let him steal her power. Struggling to her feet, she took a deep breath, drawing her strength.
This is not the end.
With more courage than she knew she possessed, Brie held up her head and walked out of the room to face the dark unknown.
Venom said nothing as he took her to visit the twins again.
Although she was angry at the girls for snitching on her, Brie understood why they’d done it. She suspected there were hidden cameras documenting their every move. If the girls hadn’t reported that she had spoken to them multiple times, Mary would still have been punished.
However, the twins would also have paid the price. The only way to survive in this environment was to obey.
Knowing that, Brie kept silent and lowered her head the entire time they meticulously cleaned her body. She was determined not to be the reason anyone was punished today.
Unlike before, the twins took considerable time styling her hair and applying makeup. She was not given a garment to wear. Instead, they left her naked but placed a strange collar around her neck.
The collar was blood-red and covered in black lettering Brie couldn’t read. The weight of it around her throat filled Brie with a sense of foreboding.
When the twins presented her to Venom, the girl held up her fist to indicate zero infractions. Venom glanced at Brie with disappointment, roughly pushing her forward.
She shivered, realizing the man was upset that he would not get to punish Mary further.
Brie faced the stairs, her scalp tingling as an overwhelming sense of dread coursed through her.
She couldn’t move.
She made a silent, fervent cry to Sir, begging him to rescue her.
Her bottom lip trembled as Venom forced her up the stairs and she silently made a promise to herself.
No matter what happens, I will not break. Holloway will never own my soul.
When Brie reached the top of the stairs, she was surprised to see the place was empty of people. But it was far from silent.
A violent storm swirled outside. The whole place echoed with the sound of the large raindrops pelting the glass panes. The lightning hit so close that the thunder shook the windows.
Brie’s heart dropped because it dashed any hope of rescue.
Venom shoved her forward, leading her to the large room. When they entered, Brie instantly noticed Mary wore the same blood-red collar that she wore.
Mary was tied to a chair in the center of the room. Her hands were bound behind her back and her ankles secured tightly to the legs of the chair.
Mary’s chin rested on her chest, her whole body radiating defeat. Brie had never seen anything more terrifying.
Glancing around the room, Brie noticed numerous film cameras stationed strategically to catch various angles, all pointing to the center of the room.
When she heard Holloway’s voice, she turned to see him speaking to five men dressed in expensive suits. They were seated comfortably in a row of overstuffed leather chairs.
Holloway smiled when he saw her. Brie didn’t miss the malicious glint in his eye when he stated, “Now, for an evening we will not forget.”
The five men nodded. All of them looked hungrily at Brie’s naked body as though they were predators ready for a feast.
Holloway folded his arms and asked with a cruel smile, “Songbird, are you ready to become famous?”
Brie looked back at Mary in fear, wanting to call out to her. But she remained silent, knowing Mary would be punished for it.
“Gentlemen, I am familiar with your particular tastes and have brought two slaves for your entertainment. There are no limits to tonight’s play. If either one of the slaves refuses, the other will die.”
Brie gasped in horror.
The sound of the five men’s obscene laughter would forever be burned in her heart.
“As host, I shall begin the evening with some harmless fun,” Holloway informed them.
Brie swallowed hard as she watched Holloway approach Mary while still addressing the men. “You all know this one is my prized possession. I’ve groomed her since she was a child to take the place of her whore of a mother.”
He lifted Mary’s chin and looked down at her beautiful face. Mary kept her gaze lowered while he spoke. “She is nearly perfect, but she has a rebellious streak that has yet to be eradicated. I plan to cure her of that tonight…one way or another.”
The men’s malicious laughter continued.
These people have no souls!
“You may not be aware of this, but she is an expert at fellatio. Better than any hooker I’ve ever had.”
The men grunted their approval.
Without warning, Holloway slapped Mary’s face with the same power behind it that he’d used on Brie at the theatre. The sound of the impact echoed through the room.
Brie immediately closed her eyes and retreated to her dream in the wildflower field. However, she couldn’t block out the horrible sound of him slapping Mary’s face while he verbally humiliated her in front of those men.
Brie had to force back the tears when it occurred to her that what he was doing was eerily similar to the abuse Mary suffered at the hands of her stepfather. She knew it was a calculated tactic on Holloway’s part.
He wanted to trigger Mary before the night even began!
The room suddenly lit up as lightning flashed nearby. Brie opened her eyes just as the thunder followed, making the windows rattle violently.
Unfazed by the storm raging outside, Holloway barked, “Look at me!”
She saw Mary obediently lift her head to meet his gaze. However, Mary did not disguise the hatred she felt as she glared up at him.
Holloway smiled, slapping her face again. “Ah, that rebellious streak raises its ugly head again. It will make tonight far more entertaining!”
Based on the erections straining their expensive pants, Brie could tell the men who were watching were turned on by the violence. However, they were not like the audience from the other night. These men were not playing with themselves like teenage boys. No, they were actively observing the scene with a detached excitement that felt inhuman.
Before leaving Mary’s side, Holloway slapped her face with such force that her neck snapped backward. Still, Mary remained silent, not giving him the satisfaction of her cries.
Brie held her breath when Holloway turned his gaze on her. “We’re off to a promising start but now it’s your turn, songbird.”
She prayed for strength as Holloway approached her, his eyes gleaming with predatory excitement.
Turning to face the men, he asked, “Isaac, would you like the honor of being next?”
An older man with a long gray beard and a robust frame stood up and straightened his jacket before approaching Brie.
He walked around her, studying her body like it was a piece of meat. “The skin is pristine,” he complimented Holloway.
“I was mindful of that during training,” Holloway replied. “An admirer of your work, I wanted you to have an untouched canvas.”
The man snorted in appreciation.
The aura the man radiated was one of pure brutality. Brie’s skin crawled just being near him. When he reached out to touch her, Brie instinctively shied away.
“Uh-uh-uh…” Holloway warned her, then glanced back at Mary.