Chapter 9: The After Party

Her world lay in ruins.

The police refused to let her change into proper clothing before arresting her with the others. They dragged her from Kyle’s side as paramedics attended to him before transporting him to the hospital. She sobbed, “Oh God, what have I done? It’s all my fault. Baby, I’m so sorry—I didn’t know...” until she realized the handcuffs were real. Her make-up was smeared, and her eyes bloodshot from tears during her mugshot. They changed her into a white jumpsuit before processing her. She saw Leilani, Sterling, and Damien in the crowded receiving area before being taken to another room, where she sat alone and waited for hours. Nobody came to check on her. She had drifted off to sleep at the small table with her head in her arms when the door clicked, startling her awake. She sat up quickly and wiped her runny nose and drool on her sleeve as her family attorney, Carlton Reeves, entered with a plain clothes detective.

“Mr ... Mr. Reeves,” she stammered, wiping her eyes with her clean sleeve. “Thank God! I’m so sorry about this.” She dabbed at her streaked eyeliner and sniffed miserably. “I must look awful.”

The stout, balding man set his briefcase on the table across from her and sat. “Your appearance is the least of our concerns, young lady,” he replied tersely. “You truly have a knack for getting into trouble.” He opened the briefcase and handed a stack of papers to the investigator.

She trembled at his words and was on the brink of tears. “What ... will happen to me?”

He sniffed as he accepted another stack of forms from the investigator and read them. “For now, it would seem ... nothing.” He signed a slip attached to the booking report and returned it to the officer. They were left alone with the door ajar. He turned back to his sullen client and removed his glasses, wiping them with a cloth. “What may come of this ... remains to be seen,” he added. “But for now, after reviewing statements and the lack of evidence to support initial suspicions, you will not be charged with solicitation or malicious deviance. Since Mr. Jennings was there apparently of his own free will—and he can’t suggest otherwise—there is no premise for kidnapping or unlawful imprisonment.” He replaced his glasses and gazed at her with a neutral expression. “That young man was severely damaged by your ... unprincipled excesses. It remains to be seen if he will seek damages or press charges.” The attorney closed his briefcase and secured the latches. “Not that he isn’t facing a mountain of his own troubles.”

She looked worried. “What do you mean?”

“Mr. Jenning’s violated his probation conditions. He tampered with and removed an ankle monitor and left his confinement area.” He slid the case off the table and set it on the floor. “It won’t help that he was found in a ... dubious circumstance.”

Siobhán hugged herself and shivered miserably outside Martin’s apartment door. He hadn’t responded to her texts and wouldn’t answer the doorbell. Defeated, she turned to go and stepped toward the elevator when the door opened behind her. She turned back and found him looking back at her with an unreadable expression. She trembled where she stood, and he made no effort to let her in.

“You look like crap,” he said. She found hope in his words.

“I ... I can’t return to my parent’s home.” Her voice quivered, and she sniffed miserably.

“You have your own house.”

She looked at her feet, trying to keep it together as her fleeting hope vanished. “Please? Martin? I know I ... I really fucked up,” she sobbed, looking back at him imploringly. “I deserve your punishment. I just can’t be alone right now. I’d rather bleed from your hatred than be by myself.”

There was a long pause as she waited for his final response. Her insecurities rose until she knew she was foolish for asking. No sane person would forgive her for what she had done, nor was she worthy of it. She looked up, and her heart sank at his cold expression. She had her answer.

She blinked away her tears and turned toward the elevator.

“Step through this doorway, and everything changes.”

She froze and caught her breath; she couldn’t believe her ears. She turned back and searched his face for deception. She sniffed loudly and nodded, wiping more tears away. “I—”

He cut her off, saying, “You have no choice in the conditions I will set going forward.” His tone was firm.

She hiccupped and felt hope flare within her. She nodded with more conviction. “I’ll do anything. I swear!”

He studied her face. “I require your complete and unquestioning obedience.”

She felt joy at his words and nodded again. Tears ran down her face as she looked back at him.

“Swear to this,” he demanded. When she opened her mouth, he pointed to the floor. “On your knees.”

She dropped to her knees as if her legs were knocked out from beneath her. “I ... I swear I will obey you from now on.” Her voice was unwavering as she swallowed and committed herself to him.

“You swear to submit to me fully without reservation?”

She sniffed again, “I swear.”

He remained quiet for nearly a minute, watching her tremble in the hallway on her knees, searching for any sign of her wavering resolve. She waited, sniffling, until he stepped back and held the door open. “You may enter on your hands and knees.”

She didn’t hesitate. Relief flooded her mind, washing away her fear and heartache. She placed her hands on the floor and crawled forward, never pausing as she entered his apartment with him standing over her. Once inside, she rested on her heels, and the door closed behind her with a click. He stepped around her, and she glanced up at him. A movement in the kitchen caught her eye, and she turned to...

“M ... Mom?” she exclaimed. Looking back at Martin, missing his furrowed brows, demanding, “What is she doing here?”

His backhand caught her off guard, and she cried out in pain and disbelief as she fell. Blinking away tears, she held her throbbing cheek and glanced up at him fearfully.

“You don’t get to speak,” he said harshly. “Nor will you question me.” He stepped forward to tower over her trembling form. “You will only obey.” He bent down. “If you fail, I will punish you. Do you understand?”

She took a shuddering breath and nodded. “Yes.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, sir.” She nearly whimpered.

“You will equally obey your mother.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Tell her.” He nodded toward the stern matriarch nearby, holding a glass of wine.

She blinked away her tears and looked at her mother. “Yes, Ma’am.”

“Get up.”

She scrambled to her feet, rubbing her stinging cheek. Vivian set her glass on the table and moved to Martin’s side, her heels clicking. She slipped her arm around his waist and regarded her daughter’s incredulous expression with a redolent smile.

Siobhán’s disbelief turned to shock when they kissed deeply. He wrapped his arms around her lower back, pulling her so her breasts flattened against his chest. “What the fuck?” she snapped. Outrage burned away her apprehension.

“What did I just say about speaking?” Martin released her mother and stepped forward, grabbing Siobhán’s blouse with both hands. He snarled in her face, shocking her back into despair. She cried out when he ripped the blouse apart and wrenched the fabric down her arms, leaving her exposed except for her bra. Vivian released the clasps between her shoulders, letting the elastic snap free. While he removed the bra, she knelt and pulled her elastic leggings down. He held her arms to steady her as she lifted her feet to free them from the material. Her panties were quickly removed, leaving her standing naked in the great room, hugging her breasts with a fearful expression. She demanded why they treated her this way and received another stinging slap.

Vivian approached a bureau and returned, twirling handcuffs with a smug expression. Her daughter stifled her scream as she grabbed her arms and pulled them behind her back. “What are you doing?” she cried, losing her composure and sobbing as the cuffs clicked around her wrists. “Why?”

Her mother’s sinister voice whispered in her ear, causing her to flinch. “You’re not doing very well, darling,” she murmured, reaching around to grasp her breasts. “Your mouth is going to cause you much pain.” She pinched her nipples, making the girl tear up and cry out.

“Get back on your knees, and don’t move!” Martin ordered, releasing her arm.

She did as instructed, slipping out of her mother’s grip as she awkwardly lowered herself to her knees. She was certain he would force her to give him head by how he stood over her. But he made no move to undo his fly. Her mother’s heels clicked around the great room, then grew closer, approaching from behind. Shock and pain erupted in her scalp as her hair was grabbed and yanked back. She cried out but couldn’t free herself from the hold. Her heart raced as she waited, wondering what was happening. Her answer came with the terrifying sound of electric clippers snapping to life and buzzing menacingly behind her head. She screamed in fear and tried to jerk away.

Another slap sent her reeling, but she was held firmly. Her eyes filled with tears from the pain in her scalp and the sting in her cheek.