Authors: Casey Elliot
*****
Adrian smiled, a small huff escaping his lips. He stood silently, and then moved to the door motioning for Scarlett to follow him. Scarlett’s heart leapt about, beating so fast that it wouldn’t surprise her if it beat right out of her chest. They didn’t speak, as they walked quickly down the hallway. Stopping suddenly, it was all Scarlett could do not to crash into him; a move that was not missed by Adrian. Lifting a small portrait off the wall, a small keypad was revealed that had been hidden only a moment ago.
“I need you to remember the code,” he said, as he slowly typed in a four digit number. There was a small grinding sound, and the door retracted back into the wall revealing a large stainless steel vault door. Pushing the green enter button, the vault door swung open and Adrian stepped inside with Scarlett close behind. As they entered the chamber, Scarlett’s eyes adjusted to the dim light and she could make out large steel chains with thick padlocks hanging from the wall.
Is this some kind of sex chamber?
Scarlett had never seen anything like this before. Part of her wanted to run before she got herself into something she couldn’t handle, but a large part of her was curious. Adrian stopped in the middle of the room, turning back toward Scarlett who had stopped a few steps behind him, her eyes wide as she looked about the room.
“I need you to chain me up,” his gravelly tone reverberating around the steel room. Scarlett looked up.
“Sorry?”
“I need you to chain me up.” Adrian didn’t make a move to touch her. Scarlett looked at him, his face was unreadable, but his eyes told another story. There was undeniable pain in his eyes and something that Scarlett couldn’t quite make out, something… primal.
“Umm, okay,” Scarlett said, hesitating before taking a step toward him. Adrian bent down and picked up a large thick chain and cuff, wrapping it around his wrist.
“You will need to lock it. Slide the two metal components together,” He said, as Scarlett took the chain from his hands and clasped it around his wrist. The chain engulfed his wrist, and it was so heavy that Scarlett was afraid she might drop it. Following his instructions, Scarlett chained his wrists and ankles to the wall. Stepping back, she watched him for a moment; he looked so vulnerable and very unlike the Adrian she had gotten to know over dinner.
“Recite the code for me,” he said suddenly. It was not the next instruction that Scarlett had been expecting.
“1482”
“I will need you to return at 6 A.M. and let me out.” Scarlett blanched. He wanted her to leave him like this?
“I will be here.”
“Thank you, Scarlett. The night is now yours to do with what you wish.”
“Will you be okay?” Scarlett asked. Adrian smiled sadly.
“Make sure you lock the door on the way out, and remember, do not return before 6 A.M.” Scarlett nodded and turned on her heel heading out of the vault and shutting it firmly behind her.
What on earth just happened?
Scarlett’s mind raced with memories of what had just happened, as she found her way back to her room, locking her bedroom door behind her.
*****
The sound of an alarm cut through the darkness and Scarlett opened her eyes. Switching on the bedroom lamp, Scarlett was amazed at how well she had slept, given the events of the night before. The bed was comfortable, unlike anything she had ever slept on before, and it was a far cry from the old saggy sofa she had been sleeping on for the past month. Throwing the covers back, Scarlett’s feet sank into the carpet, as she changed into a tracksuit and readied herself for the day.
Padding down the hallway, she came to the spot where she had left him the night before. The picture had been replaced, and Scarlett lifted it off the wall and punched in the code. The door slid open, and Scarlett slipped inside. It was here that the first strike of fear hit her;
what will I find?
As she entered the chamber, she gasped. Adrian lay slumped on the floor, he looked terrible, and his clothes lay in a shredded pile on the floor next to him. Adrian looked up, his eyes unfocussed, a thick five o’clock shadow on his face.
“Untie me,” he whispered, his voice hoarse. Scarlett moved quickly to undo the thick chains, averting her eyes from his naked form.
‘What happened,” she said, feeling his eyes burning into her body. Adrian shook his head, he was not going to reveal his secret to her. It would only bring her pain and suffering.
“Thank you,” he said, rising unsteadily to his feet once Scarlett had undone the last chain.
“Adrian please, what happened?” She was frightened, he could hear it in her voice. He moved toward the exit, but Scarlett did not follow him. She stood in the middle of the vault, her eyes taking in the scene in front of her. Adrian stopped and studied the beautiful woman who stood there concerned for him. He felt a stirring in the pit of his belly, something that he had not felt in a long time. Scarlett turned back toward him and, in two quick steps, Adrian had crossed the space between them, his lips crashing down on hers. Scarlett’s lips parted, allowing him to slide his tongue against hers. He tasted as good as she imagined he would have. Adrian’s large arm circled around her waist, holding her tight against him. There was a power in his arms that Scarlett had not expected, and the thought of his power both terrified and thrilled her. He moved, pinning her back against the wall, holding her arms above her head. His mouth moved from her lips, down her jaw and into her neck. Scarlett was captivated. There was something about Adrian that made her lose control; that brought out her primal nature. She struggled to regain her thoughts, the sensible ones that told her this was a bad idea and would bring her nothing but grief.
“Adrian,” she said gently, trying to push him away, but he was too strong. “Adrian!” Scarlett said sharply,
what are you doing, Scarlett. He’s your boss!
At the sound of her voice, Adrian stopped and stilled. It was as if both of them had been under a spell.
“I’m sorry,” Adrian said, releasing her arms and pushing himself away from her. “That will never happen again,” he vowed.
“It’s okay,” Scarlett reassured him, straightening her clothes and stepping across Adrian’s shredded clothes, and turning toward the door.
“It can’t happen again, Scarlett. I just… I just needed you for a moment. I needed to regain control.” Scarlett didn’t know what he meant, but she knew that there was no point in asking him. He was determined to keep his secrets to himself.
*****
Readying herself for breakfast, Scarlett felt restless. She had been living in Adrian’s house for three weeks now, and she had not had a chance to leave. She was enjoying her time with Adrian. He was never anything apart from gentlemanly, but he still refused to tell her why she needed to lock him away in the vault each night. Every morning was the same. Scarlett would enter the vault and find Adrian naked and exhausted. He would return to his room and reemerge at 8 A.M. sharp for breakfast, looking nothing like the man Scarlett saw only a few hours earlier.
“Good morning, Scarlett” Adrian said, as she appeared at the doorway of the sunroom. They had taken to having their breakfast here with the sun streaming through the windows. From here, they could overlook the garden and it reminded Scarlett of the wide open spaces of home.
“Good morning.” Scarlett replied with a smile, joining Adrian at the small table. Laid out in front of them were steaming plates of pancakes and bacon.
“Your favorite,” Adrian was an enigma to Scarlett. She couldn’t quite figure him out. Pulling out her chair, Scarlett settled down, as Adrian joined her. Piling his plate high with pancakes, Adrian turned his attention from Scarlett to his breakfast.
“Am I a prisoner here?” Scarlett said suddenly, her plate left untouched. She didn’t know where the impulse to even ask such a thing had come from, but the restlessness she felt would not leave. Adrian stopped in his tracks, his fork half way to his mouth laden with pancakes and bacon. He considered this for a moment before putting his fork down.
“That is absurd.”
“Is it? You require me to be at your beck and call at all times.”
“I require you to be here between the hours of 10 P.M. and 6 A.M. That is what we agreed too.”
“Dictated, you mean,” Scarlett said under her breath, but her words were not lost on Adrian.
“Do you not have everything you could ever want provided for you? Why has this suddenly become an issue?” Scarlett felt herself redden through anger and embarrassment.
“I would like to see my friends. I’m too young to be cooped up like a prisoner in some strange house.” Adrian sighed, but did not reply. Picking up his fork, he turned his attention back to breakfast, signaling the end of the conversation. Scarlett; however, was not satisfied. Her pancakes continued to sit untouched on her plate, as she stared out the window, her thoughts far away from the Carter mansion.
“Well, that was a delightful breakfast, but if you will excuse me, I have business to attend to.” Adrian said, dabbing the corner of his mouth with a fabric napkin and rising from the table. Scarlett turned to say something, but he was already gone. She felt bad. She had no right to speak to him like that. Adrian had been nothing but kind and generous to her over the past few weeks. The sound of her cell phone ringing brought her back into the present.
“Hello?” she said, excepting the call.
“Hi Scarlett, how are you?” A grin spread across Scarlett’s face,
Finn.
“I missed you at the party the other night.”
“I’m good Finn, thanks. Sorry about that. I was working.”
“That’s a shame. I was really hoping to see you.” Scarlett’s heart thudded in her chest at Finn’s words.
“Really?”
“Of course. Hey, I was wondering if you were free tonight. Maybe we could go out for dinner and a movie.”
Was Finn asking me out?
Scarlett wanted to scream, but instead, she took a deep breath, trying to play it cool.
“Tonight? That sounds amazing. Let me see what I can do. I’ll call you back.” Surely, Adrian could let her have one night off. After all, he denied that she was his prisoner.
“Good. Talk later,” Finn said, disconnecting and leaving Scarlett feeling as if she was on cloud nine. Rising from the table, she turned toward the kitchen door. In the doorway, Adrian lounged against the doorframe, his body filling the entire space. He raised an eyebrow when he saw the grin on Scarlett’s face.
“Why don’t you invite him here?” Adrian said, before Scarlett had a chance to speak.
“Sorry?” Adrian nodded toward the phone in her hand.
“I couldn’t help but overhear you on the phone. I need you here, Scarlett, tonight at 10 P.M. What you do before or after that is up to you.” Scarlett reddened.
Was he listening in to my private phone calls
?
“You were listening to my phone call?”
“Not at all. I left my phone at the table.” Adrian said, nodding in the direction of the table. Scarlett turned her head to see that Adrian was telling the truth. His phone lay on the table where he had sat only minutes ago. “Upstairs in the attic, you will find a converted movie room. Invite him over. It’s yours for the evening.” Adrian didn’t give Scarlett a chance to respond and, as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone. Scarlett thought about it for a minute before calling Finn back. He seemed unperturbed by the arrangement, and they scheduled what Scarlett hoped would be the first of many dates.
*****
Scarlett sighed, looking at the clock for what felt like the hundredth time. On the screen in front of them,
The Matrix
played, at Finn’s request.
“This is a great place you have here,” Finn said, turning his attention from the movie to Scarlett.
“Thank you,” Scarlett smiled. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad after all despite Finn’s terrible taste in old movies.
“You know, expensive things are in the city for a struggling actor, so it’s cool we have somewhere like this where we can hang out.” Scarlett frowned, but Finn didn’t notice.
Is he insinuating he doesn’t want to spend money on a date
? Sighing, all Scarlett could think about was how she gave up an evening with Adrian for time with Finn. Nothing compared to the excitement she felt when she was with Adrian. She didn’t feel anything with Finn; her crush well and truly gone. Scarlett looked up at the clock again, but this time, her obvious disinterest in Finn was not lost on him. Reaching out, Finn cupped the back of her head, as his lips found hers. Scarlett was caught off guard, not expecting the sudden display of intimacy. Her lips parted, as she returned Finn’s kiss. There was no excitement, no spark. She tried to pull away from Finn, but he held her tight.
“Finn,” Scarlett said, finally fighting free of his grasp.
“Relax baby,” he whispered, kissing her firmly, his hands wandering up her skirt. Scarlett pushed his hands down off her body, trying to fight free from his grasp.
“Don’t be such a prude, Scarlett. What kind of girl invites a guy over to her house if she’s not going to put out?” Finn sneered. Scarlett was shocked at this outburst. This was not the guy that Scarlett had gotten to know over the past few months. He used his weight to push Scarlett further down on the sofa, and for the first time, Scarlett felt fear. Wrenching her hand out from under his grasp, she slapped him across the face. From downstairs, Scarlett heard a loud thump, her thoughts returning back toward Adrian, as she fought against Finn with a new found energy. The crashing continued down below, coming closer and closer with every second. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw something large and black bound into the room, her heart pounding with fear.
What on earth is that?
Scarlett thought, but Finn hadn’t noticed the intruder, as it bounded toward them. It was his screams that cut through the air, as the beast wrenched him off Scarlett and sent him flying across the room. It was the sound of his screams that was the last thing Scarlett would hear before her world went black.