Page 64 of Reclaimed

My eyes flicked back to Ray who was holding a blindfold. “You’ll need to wear this the whole way, do you understand?” I swallowed hard and nodded. I couldn’t let myself get too upset now; I knew there must be worse things to come.

*

The longer the journey went on, the more uneasy I became. Ray and Mark barely spoke, only discussing the occasional directions, without real road names of course. Ray still didn’t trust me with any information that might give away where we were. He also didn’t take his hands off me. He’d never ignored me like this.

Only when we arrived, and he’d removed my blindfold, did he finally speak.

“You aren’t going to thank me for this.”

“What—”

“Don’t talk, just listen.”

I couldn’t help but panic. He seemed so serious that I knew I wasn’t going to like whatever this was. Had he got tired of waiting for me to accept my punishment? Maybe he was ready to carry it out regardless of what I wanted. What if he was leaving me with someone else? Would he let someone else hurt me?

“Promise me something.”

“O-okay.”

“Whatever happens out there, you’ll remember that I love you.”

“Master, you’re scaring me.” He pulled me tightly into his chest for a moment before opening the door and taking my hand. I’d only just stepped out when I heard someone yell my name. My head whipped around. None of what I’d imagined could have matched what I saw before me.

We were in a clearing in a wood. The two men who had brought me to Ray were standing in the middle and knelt on the ground in front of them was David. It took all my willpower not to run to him. He didn’t look injured in any way, but I knew the men were there as guards, and I knew they’d do anything Ray asked. I turned to Ray and grabbed fistfuls of his shirt.

“Master, please don’t hurt him, please, I’ll do anything you want, I’ll—”

“Callie!” The desperation in David’s voice broke my heart, but I had to tread carefully – I needed Ray to feel like he was still in control. If my actions angered him, I knew that would only put David in more danger. I didn’t turn to look at my fiancé; I kept my eyes fixed on Ray.

“You don’t need to do this, Master, please—”

“Callie, it’s not like that. We’re not here to hurt him; we’re here for you to make a choice.”

For a few moments I could only stare at him in stunned silence. Ray looked away.

“A… a choice between…”

“Who you want. Him or me. Once and for all.” He wouldn’t look at me. I took a couple of steps back, and when Ray didn’t try to stop me, I ran to David and threw my arms around him.

“Callie, I can’t believe… You’re alright, thank God you’re alright. When they said… I didn’t know what to believe.”

“I missed you.”

“Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

“I’m fine. Are you okay? What are you doing here?”

“They said I could see you again.”

“Is that all they said?”

“Yes, why? What else? What’s wrong?”

I couldn’t find words to tell him why we were both there. Ray’s voice cut across the clearing.

“You can both leave. If that’s what you want.” It was a test. It had to be. There was no way Ray would just let me walk away, after everything. I looked back at him. His face was hardened, cold in a way I hadn’t seen it since the night he’d caned me. To anyone else it would appear emotionless, but I could tell he was in turmoil. He really was letting me choose.

“Callie.” I turned back to David. “I think he means it, why else would he let me see you? After all this time? You can come back with me. We can get you to a doctor, okay? Then I’ll look after you. You’ll never be hurt again; I’ll make sure of it.” He made it sound so simple. I pictured us arriving back at his flat, how normal it would all feel, the way he’d hold me like I could shatter at any moment. I pictured the police, and everything they’d want to ask me. I saw, in flashes, the future David and I could have together, the kind of stability I would never be able to find with Ray. He would try so hard to look after me.

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