Page 47 of Master A-0011

“It never rang.”

“Yes it did. You didn’t hear it? This is becoming a fucking habit with you.”

“I never heard it ring.”

Even though I answered, I didn’t turn to the Main Master. I was memorizing the missing meat. I was following the indentions my teeth had left behind.

“I thought maybe you had already killed him.” He let out a sound, trying to catch his breath. “Remind me to work on more cardio and not just weights.Fuck.”

“I’m keeping Quincy for Pearl. Otherwise, he’d have been my first.” The Main Master moved in front of me as I panted through the demons that urged me to keep going. I didn’t like distractions or interruptions. “What are you doing here, Elec? You gave them to me. We had a deal. I’m not going to lie…you interrupting is pissing me off even more. It’s really not the time.”

“You’ll get over it. This can’t wait.”

“You’re not taking them back, are you? Sissy is Pearl’s new slave. And this bitch. She allowed this to happen to Pearl.”

“Which led her to you,” he exploded. “You got her the exact way you needed. Had Pearl not been scarred, she wouldn’t have been the Pearl you wanted. God dammit, Ethan. I’m not taking them. Just…” His hand sliced through the air, and he bent down, jerking the gag from Quincy’s mouth. His face was already battered and swollen from the beating I’d given him not hours ago. He was crying, wiggling back and forth on my living room floor in the restraints.

“You admitted to killing Claudia. Why? Why did you really do it? And don’t give me this bullshit excuse of an affair like you told Ethan. My father’s no saint, but I don’t believe Claudia would have given him the time of day, even if he had wanted her.”

At the sobs and lack of response, Elec jerked him up, dragging him to sit against the wall.

“Answer me!Why did you kill Claudia.”

“I already s-said.”

Elec’s arm crossed over his body, and he swung, catching Quincy’s cheek with the back of his hand. The crack was so loud, it had Vicki and Sissy screaming louder in their gags.

“You have no idea what the fuck is happening here. You tell me right now.”

“I swear. I swe?—”

Whack!

Quincy’s head snapped to the side at the blow, and blood poured from his nose as he sobbed harder.

“A woman came to you.Red hair.I know three elite families with women having red hair. Who was it? Speak!”

Quincy’s head shook as mumbling left him, but Elec was already rearing back, striking him again.

“Answer me!Red hair. Who was it? Who told you to kill Claudia?”

“I-I…I don’t know! I mean, no. She had an affair.”

Elec’s head was shaking back and forth. The look in the Main Master’s crazed eyes was one I hadn’t seen before. He was holding to the collar area of Quincy’s shirt, shaking the man.

“I’m going to take you further underground, into my special room. You think what you’ve gone through so far is bad? I’m about to show you the true definition of pain. You’ll have no skin or muscle remaining by the time I finish with you. I’m going to burn it off, Quincy. I’m going to pump you so full of electricity that you’ll be the light guiding the way to hell.”

“Wait a minute,” I snapped. “You just said—You’re going to take him? You gave him to me.”

“Ethan, not right now.”

“What the hell is going on, Elec?”

Red built in the Main Master’s face as he spun on me, roaring not inches from my face.

“He knows about Vivia!He knows something.”

“Elec…. you killed Vivia. You did that. Everyone knows it. They found you covered in her blood. They found her right there with you.”