Page 52 of Brutal
I sit down on an empty chair in the living room, watching Brutal as he interacts with his guests. There are some people he greets more warmly than others, but for the most part, I don’t get the sense that he actually knows most of the partygoers. They introduce themselves, he smiles at them, and soon he’s off talking to the next person.
I’m exhausted just watching him.
I startle when a vaguely familiar looking Asian woman sits down on the ottoman across from me. She’s wearing a form-fitting, slinky dress, and her black hair has been styled in an updo.
I can see bruising around her throat beneath a light layer of makeup, but anyone who’s just glancing at her wouldn’t give it a second look.
“Hi,” she says without preamble. “I’m May. You’re Mimosa, right?”
I tense, but I don’t plan on letting anybody intimidate me. “I am. Do I know you?”
There’s a brittle edge to her smile. “We met briefly, a while back.” She gives me a pointed look. “Back when you didn’t know how to stop running your mouth.”
My eyes widen as I realize where I know her from. She’d been there at the club when I’d first been taken. We were from the same “cohort” of girls. Of course, May had been sent to work at the strip club, while I’d been relegated to the back rooms.
I give her a more thorough look. There’d be no way to guess that she’d once been a stripper, looking at her now.
“You seem to be doing all right,” I say cautiously. “Did you work your way out, or…”
Or is she here just as unwillingly as I am?
“You could say I worked my way out,” she says, her voice droll. She glances at the crowd, where another man with Asian features is watching us with brows raised. She makes a face at him, and he goes back to talking to Brutal. “Or that I’m working my way out. Kinda like you.”
“Sure,” I say without emotion. “Let’s go with that, then.”
I’m not working my way out at all. I’m stuck here, whether I want it or not.
May leans in, replying, “I know he’s a dick.” No one would be able to hear her, not over the din, but she still chooses her words carefully. “Like… I can’t even imagine what he’s doing to you. Chase didn’t want to come tonight, but he mentioned that Fuckface had a new girlfriend and I just…” She shrugs. “I wanted to see if you were like Savage’s pet.” Her face wrinkles in distaste.
It takes me a second to put things together. “That woman with the doctor. His fiancée?” I shrug. “And sure, he’s a lot. Nothing I haven’t been able to handle.”
That’s a small exaggeration, but I don’t know this woman. I’m not going to risk her tattling to Brutal’s friend and that somehow blowing up in my face.
She regards me for a moment, not seeming surprised that I’m being so reticent. “Yeah,” she says. “I ended up with a nice little whipping,” her low voice is heavy with sarcasm, “because of that little brat, so be careful with her. She likes to pretend she’s all sweet and innocent.”
I’d been woozy with pain when I’d met the woman, so I barely remember her. Mostly, I remember pitying her.
“She thinks the doctor loves her,” I say quietly. “That’s kind of sad.”
May makes a face. “Yeah, well. It gets complicated after a while.” She sighs. “Chase has been convinced he’s in love with me since the first time he saw me. And I…” Her eyes find the man in the crowd again, and they soften slightly. “Yeah. Complicated.” Shaking her head, she lets out a little laugh, almost sounding nervous. “No one expects you to fall for Brutal, and I doubt he’s even capable of love. No offense, but you’re fucked.”
“Gee, thanks.” I glance over to where Brutal is talking to May’s companion. Chase catches my eye and waves at us, then starts walking over. Brutal follows him, of course.
“Are you playing nice, Ah-May?” Chase asks.
“I always play nice,” she says. “Besides, she already has to deal with him.” She jabs a finger in Brutal’s direction. “I’m not gonna make it worse for her.” She flashes him an ugly smile. “Unlike some people.”
“What have you been talking about?” Brutal asks bluntly.
“I was warning her about Stef,” May says with a shrug. “I’m sure you don’t need an excuse to repeat what happened at the last party, but hey, no need to piss off Doctor Savage.”
Chase reaches out to squeeze May’s bare shoulder. “She apologized for that. You need to let it go. For everyone’s sake.” He turns his gaze on me. “Drake told me you two had fun with a cane.”
I paste a dead smile onto my lips. “Lots of fun. You should try it yourself.”
“Maybe I will,” May says.
I don’t miss the way she presses against Chase. For all her warnings about Savage’s girl, she seems to be utterly brainwashed, too, and I’m glad I didn’t trust her with anything.