Daniel led Emma down the hallway, holding her arm tightly, still afraid that she might change her mind.

"Are you sure you want to do this? Really, really sure?" he asked repeatedly.

"Yeah, Danny, I want to do this for you. Now let go, I'm not gonna take off."

"OK," he said disarmingly, relaxing his hold. "But don't forget, I'm really counting on you."

When they got to the door Daniel reached over Emma's shoulder and opened it. As Emma's eyes slowly adjusted to the semi-darkness, she gasped, and Daniel felt her stiffen against him.

"Danny, what the hell is that?" she whispered.

"Aw, don't worry, Emma, that's just...

... Frank. You remember him, don't you? He's got some pretty wild tales of the times you spent together while I was in Freeport."

Emma was too shocked to resist as he guided her to a chair on one side of the darkened room, and forced her to sit. Her mouth worked silently as she just stared at Frank, the coal-black behemoth standing next to the bed, his stony features completely unreadable. Danny worked fast, kneeling behind the chair and attaching her wrists and ankles to it by means of electrical zip ties. He then stood and walked around in front of Emma, whose face was white as a sheet, her eyes wide.

"Danny, I... I don't... I mean."

"Emma. Emma. Just stop. I know all about the affair. In fact, I suspected at the time, it just took me some time to find out all the details..."

Danny's eyes lowered, and his body seemed to shake as he took a deep breath, then another. When he raised his gaze again, there was something cold in his eyes that made Emma flinch.

"Frank here told me all about it. When you called him two weeks ago, he called me. I paid him well to videotape the entire encounter. Do you know what I saw?"

"Oh God, Danny, no. No no no no. Listen, you have to listen..."

"No! I most certainly do not have to listen, you little slut! I saw you! I watched, and I heard everything you fucking said."

His voice turned cruel then, a nasally falsetto, as he mimicked her words.

"Oh Frank! You're so fucking big! God, I can't stand it! You're so incredible! I love how you fuck me! Don't ever stop! God, I bet Danny wishes he could fuck me this good..."

As he talked, his expression went from stern to angry, then to unstable. A twitch developed at the corner of his mouth, and his nostrils flared with each breath. He drew close to Emma, and reached one hand out to her cheek, caressing it softly. Then he exploded.

"Fucking whore!"

He drew his hand back and slapped her, hard, across the face. He clenched his fists as her tears started to flow, and turned his back to her. He looked at Frank and nodded once. Frank returned the nod and picked up the phone from the dresser. When Danny turned back to Emma, his voice was unnaturally soft, but even. He deliberately relaxed his hands and licked his lips before speaking.

"So, Emma, since you have decided that I'm not good enough for you, I decided that you needed something special for our anniversary."

There was a pounding on the door, and Frank went and opened it. Five black men of various sizes streamed in, each staring at Emma, whose eyes had gone so wide that they seemed to be bulging out of her head. Danny moved close to Emma and whispered, his eyes on hers.

"Happy Anniversary, honey. This is your present. Don't you like it? Of course... there is one more thing before the festivities get started..."

"Danny... please... I love you... please believe me... please..."