Page 50 of His Property

I can tell which one of the men is Victor’s boss as soon as all three step into the basement. Two are dressed semi-casually and have their chests puffed out. One is huge with as broad of shoulders as I’ve seen, and the other is average build but still threatening.

The third man, the obvious boss, is in a black suit with a blood red tie. He carries himself with a sinister dominance that hints at his authority, but the thing that makes him most threatening is the scar that runs over his eye and stops at his cheek bone. His eyes are almost black, and his face is like stone.

He doesn’t look angry or disgusted like the other two men. He doesn’t show any emotion at all.

He looks from Victor, to me, to Gabi.

“Is this the famous Gabi?” the boss asks, gesturing our way and turning his head to Victor. “The one who doesn’t look like you’ve kept her locked in a basement?”

“Yes sir.” Victor nods, and while he tries to sound calm, he keeps fidgeting, and his Adam’s apple bobs.

The boss turns to one of the guys that came with him. “Take her upstairs, please.”

The large man walks over, and Gabi yelps when he takes her by the hand and jerks her off the bed. She crumples to the ground and groans.

“Fuckingeasy,” Victor grits, his glare trained on his boss instead of the large man.

“Get up,” Large Man growls to Gabi.

“I can’t, you asshole,” Gabi growls back, but her words are tinged with fear.

“She has MS,” the boss says, without any sign of care. “You need to carry her. Gently.”

The man lifts her and throws her over his shoulder, but I guess that’s gentle enough because the boss doesn’t say anything about it as Gabi is carried up the stairs and out of sight.

Victor’s boss scans the room and begins strolling around, his hands tucked into his pockets. “Well, I like your place.”

He walks to the bed, and I stiffen, but he doesn’t even look at me. He bends and looks at the cage underneath the bed, one that’s taught me what claustrophobia is. When he stands tall, our eyes meet, and I lower my head.

“The cage is a nice touch,” he goes on, monotone.

“Sir, I understand that this looks bad, but I can assure you, I haven’t broken any rules.”

“Hm,” Boss says, clearly unconvinced. He gestures to me without taking his eyes off Victor. “This must be your girlfriend, then. Is that what you’re telling me?”

Victor glances at me before going back to his boss. “No, but she’s very special to me. We share similar desires, and while I know this isn’t something everyone would understand, I—”

“Please don’t try to explain kink to me, Victor. I wouldn’t call myselfvanilla.”

Victor swallows and nods.

Boss waves Victor off. “I think I’m done talking to you.”

I’m staring at Victor through my lashes, but I feel Boss’s eyes on me.

“Stand up.”

I jump at the authority in the man’s tone, and I shoot off the bed like he’ll kill me for making him wait an extra second. He turns me to face him and lifts my chin.

“Better.” His lips lift into an odd smile, and I don’t know if he means it to be encouraging or if he’s looking forward to slitting my throat. He sticks out his hand. “Lorenzo Gruco.”

I stare at his hand and reluctantly take it, tensing when he squeezes, and then he lets me pull away. I turn my head to look at Victor, and Lorenzo takes my chin and brings me back to him.

“And you are?” he asks.

“Mae.”

“Mae what?”

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