Page 38 of Unhinged

Matias and Thiago are greedy fuckers. However, they won’t want to agree to her deal in front of me because they think I’m loyal to Ileana. How wrong they are.

I see how Matias’s and Thiago’s eyes light up at the mention of money.

“Shut it, bitch,” Thiago says, bringing his hand down across her face, but not very hard. I know if he wanted to hurt her, he would have struck her much harder than that.

While I’m not keen on Thiago or Matias, they could prove to be the perfect allies later down the road. All they care about is money. And I doubt they give a rat’s ass about Ileana in reality, which means I could use them to my advantage. Get them on my side when the time is right.

I step forward and look at the four girls. “Imagine you’re a puppet, pulling against your strings in a struggle for freedom. But the more you resist, the tighter the strings become. The puppeteer, the master of your fate, could snap the strings any moment. If you submit and dance to their tune, the strings loosen. You can move with ease and grace, creating an illusion of freedom. So, is the puppet truly enslaved, or does it hold the power by yielding to the puppeteer’s touch?”

The same one who mentioned hacking looks at me. “You’re fucking crazy.”

I growl and grab her chin. “I’m not crazy. If you listen to what I’m saying, you’ll realize the errors of your ways.” I hit her then, knowing out of the four, she’s clearly going to get the most shit because she can’t keep her mouth shut. But I sense Matias likes that about her, which might be a blessing or a curse.

Alice has remained silent and still. Exactly like I coached her before we returned to the house.

Thiago steps forward. “So, puppet master, what’s next in your grand performance?” There’s heavy sarcasm lacing his words.

I don’t bother looking at him.

I keep my gaze on the girls, particularly Alice. “Next,” I say calmly, “we teach them how to dance.” The sinister undertone in my words isn’t lost, but I can tell Matias and Thiago are itching for a fight.

“Teach them?” Thiago scoffs, crossing his arms over his chest. “Since when did you become a dance instructor, Taren?”

I finally turn to them “I’m not talking about literal dancing, Thiago. It’s a metaphor for control, for owning their destiny within the boundaries we set. Do you understand now, or should I use smaller words?”

Matias chuckles a low, dangerous sound that echoes in the room. He’s enjoying the power play between the three of us.

Thiago uncrosses his arms.

“I’m saying,” I continue, “that we need to mold them into obedient pets if we’re going to get top dollar.” I hate saying it because Alice is not a pet. She’s my queen. My world.

Thiago clenches his jaw, a vein throbbing at his temple. “And what if they don’t want to be molded, Taren?” His words are a cold, challenging whisper.

I feel a twitch of discomfort, but my gaze remains steady. “Then they’ll learn what happens when they defy us. They’re here to serve a purpose.” My gaze lands on Alice again, and I soften my voice for her sake. “And they’ll be rewarded for their cooperation. If not...” I let the threat hang in the air, knowing everyone in the room understands its weight.

Matias cracks his knuckles, an unnerving smile playing on his lips. “Then I suppose we better start ‘teaching’ them.”

“How exactly do you propose we go about it?” Thiago asks.

“A task.” I turn my attention back to the girls. “All four of you on the bed,” I demand, glancing at the bed in the training room.

They look horrified, but none of them refuse. All of them get up and sit on the edge of the bed.

“Lie down with your heads on the pillows next to each other,” I demand.

They exchange nervous glances before doing as they’re told. Their fear is keeping them obedient for now.

“And play with yourselves until you climax.”

Matias and Thiago chuckle.

All four girls tense, looking at me with wide, horrified glances.

“You can’t be serious?” The mouthy girl says.

As expected, she’s the one that’s going to get into the most trouble. “Do you want us to hurt you and show you how serious we are?” I ask.

Thiago steps forward. “I’ll take and break her if you want, Hatter.” He sounds a little too eager and I glance at him to see the fire in his eyes. He likes her. Perhaps because of the promise of hacking for him personally or because he wants her the way I want Alice.

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