Page 17 of Above All Else

For Amber.

Because there is no going back, no redoes.

Finding a parking space in the yard, I got out with my mask in hand and opened the back door. Dragging her off the back seat, I tossed her over my shoulder as though she were a stag, ready for slaughter, and fixed my mask over my face.

Laughter and screams filtered out of the vaulted cabin, the windows fifteen feet into the air, giving a full view of red and black silks hanging from the ceiling.

A burly man with a shining bald head and a tight black suit stood at the large black door, barring anyone from entering who didn’t get scanned.

I gave him a slight nod, bared the back of my neck, and he scanned it with a satisfying beep, the screen illuminating his face in a green hue.

“Enter.”

June’s weight shifted on my shoulder, her belly concave against me. I stepped into the vast mansion, the nightmares of my initiation coming back in full force.

Two men and a woman dangled from silks, their bodiesundulating and writhing in a macabre dance. Music ricocheted off the walls like unseen ghosts. Moonlight slashed through the large windows.

Ten years hasn’t changed it much.

“There you are. I was wondering when you’d join in.” Paul sauntered towards me with a drink, his hyena mask covering his face.

“I had to catch my prize first.” I patted June’s exposed ass, her silk negligee doing little to cover her.

“She looks delicious.”

My body tightened as I cringed beneath my mask.

You won’t ever touch her.

She’s mine.

I checked the time on my watch, straying away from the possession that took hold of me.

Ten P.M.

Right on time.

“You’re bleeding.” He tipped his head to the side and swiped a finger through the blood drying on my neck.

“She gave me a bit of a surprise, but I’ve got her.” June moaned, making my feet itch to move. “I’ll find her a room and catch up with you later.”

“You do that.” He slapped me on the back. “And Carter, do try to enjoy yourself. It’s not every day you get to take revenge without consequence.”

I arched an eyebrow beneath my mask and gave him a quick nod before turning on my heel and weaving through the crowd,heading towards the back of the cabin.

Now, where was that room?

I walked through the rows of doors and opened one, poking my head in. The room was a study in contrasts: dark-stained wood, shelves crammed with books both ancient and modern, and a large bearskin rug stretched across the floor, its head mounted like a grim trophy.

Slipknot played in the background, and a woman moaned as three men stood around her. I raised my brows, pulled myself out of the room, and shut the door.

Jesus.

June wiggled, her arms swinging against my ass as I moved faster through the way.

Two women stood outside the door, their clothes stripped from their bodies. The door beside them opened, and a man and a woman covered in a vibrant mix of paint stepped out. The naked women glanced at one another as I approached, took each other’s hand, and stepped into the orgy room.

Moans and cries of ecstasy escaped the open door, sharing their rapture with others before the door snuffed out the evidence.

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