Hope Restrained (Estate Series) by M.S. Willis

to the levers and lowered the position of the
chains so that her arms were held out to her sides instead of above her head
— still tight enough to restrain movement, but not as tortuous as the previous
position. Looking down, he noticed the puddle of blood that pooled beneath her,
the smooth surface disturbed each time a crimson drop fell. Her shoulder had
started bleeding again from the movement of her arm. Between the loss of blood,
lack of water and difficulty to breathe, it was obvious she was fighting to
remain conscious.
    “We’ll need to fix your shoulder.” He spoke slowly, noticing
that she only appeared to partially understand what he was saying, her head
rolled slightly atop her shoulders and he grew concerned. “I’ll return shortly.”
    Quickly exiting the room, he traveled the corridors in
search of Maddy and Aaron. Finding them in their quarters, he looked between
the concerned look on Maddy’s face and Aaron’s typical blank expression.
    His words were urgent. “We won’t get very far with her if we
don’t do something about her shoulder. She’s bleeding badly.”
    “Again?” Maddy’s voice interrupted his thoughts.
    Aaron immediately looked down at her, rage brushing across
the green of his eyes. “You were in there? What were you thinking?!”
    She spoke quietly when she confessed, “I know. Xander
explained her profession to me, but she was chained. There was no way she could
have hurt me.”
    Looking up at Xander, Aaron’s expression became murderous.
Stalking forward he stopped just inches from where Xander stood. Xander rolled
his shoulders back, not allowing Aaron to intimidate him. Aaron’s words were
spoken slowly, menacingly when he asked, “What the fuck do I care about her
injury? I’m sure it won’t be a problem once she’s ash! What does bother me,
however, is that you allowed Maddy anywhere near her!”
    Breathing out an annoyed sigh, Xander responded, “I went to
see if I could find any information on her from the files kept in Joseph’s
office. Maddy snuck in when I wasn’t in the room.” He glared at Aaron until
finally, Aaron backed down. “I found her name and some information regarding
her origins and network, but not much. She’s definitely the woman about which
you’d heard rumors. However, until now, she’d been careful to keep her
distance. I want to know why, now, she decides to attack. We need her to tell
us her purpose for being here. She may have been hired and now that she’s been
caught, I’m certain there will be more sent.”
    Aaron stepped back. “Who would be so stupid or mad to attack
us at our own compound?”
    “You said it earlier, Aaron. We would be the first targets
of any potential attacks. Lately, none of us have left the compound. Where else
would they have the chance?”
    When it didn’t appear that his argument had helped to sway
his friend, Xander continued to press on. “I need more time with her. She’s not
as easily broken as most. She’s all but demanded that I rape her and pain only
serves to turn her on.”
    A brow arched over the green of Aaron’s eye and he smirked. “That
would make your job more difficult, I imagine.”
    Xander’s resultant laughter was a short burst. “Yeah, she
reminds me of the bastard I grew up with, maybe you know him.”
    “Shit.” Aaron cursed under his breath and walked to the bar.
Grabbing the crystal decanter, he poured himself a glass of scotch, choking it
down quickly before pouring another. Maddy sat quietly on the couch, her
attention on the two men. When she finally spoke, they turned their faces
toward her.
    “It would take threatening a person she loved. But, even
then, she might be able to ignore something as loathsome as that if it serves
her purpose.” Looking directly at Aaron, she commented, “You were able to watch
your father almost rape me, you were able to whip me to the point where my skin
split open and you were able to kill indiscriminately in front of me …