Page 66 of Unforgettable
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Rose
“You’re terrible,”I swat at Hannah laughing.
“It’s true, though! Master Gunner is hot as fuck.”
I quirk an eyebrow. “Not as hot as Master Slade.”
Hannah’s smile falls. “No, not as hot as my master.”
She says it so forlornly that I instantly feel guilty for teasing her. I pull her into a hug. She freezes in my arms for a second, then returns my embrace. Accepting the comfort I’m offering. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I didn’t think.”
“It’s okay. Really.”
“It’s not okay. What is his freakin’ problem anyway?”
Hannah pulls away and pats my arm. “He has his reasons. I’m going to go grab some more linens. I’ll be back.”
I distract myself from the Slade-Hannah conundrum by taking inventory of the next room. The whole recovery suite is a mess. It’s obvious that the rooms haven’t been properly stocked in weeks. Which is strange because Nancy is super anal about making sure everything runs smoothly. The clinic is her domain, and she runs a tight ship. I hope she’s okay.
I’m looking through the small fridge and cabinet that are filled with snacks for when a submissive goes through sub-drop. Sugar helps, so there are always snacks and juice on hand in every room.
“What are you doing here?”
I jump, holding my hand to my heart. “Holy shit, Nancy, you scared me half to death! Hannah and I were just helping out while you were out sick…” I let my words trail off because Nancy sure doesn’t look sick. “Are you better?”
“Yeah… better.” She laughs, but it sounds off.
“Well, that’s good.” I shut the cabinet and grab my clipboard. “Well, that’s all done!” I say cheerily trying to hide that something about Nancy being here is making me uncomfortable. “I’m going to go to the storeroom and get some things.”
I move to walk past Nancy, but she takes a step to the left, blocking my exit. The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. “Is there something wrong, Nancy?” I try to sound calm, but I’m not sure I pull it off.
She snorts. “You know. I really don’t understand what’s so special about you. Master Bennet fawns all over you like you’re a fucking goddess. You have Master Daniels and Master Slade wrapped around your little finger.” Nancy shoves me back into the room. “And then I find out that the only reason Nelson is interested in me is to get to you!”
“I don’t understand.”
“I don’t understand,” she mocks. “Of course you don’t understand, you stupid little girl! Master Bennett was supposed to be mine! Then you had to come all broken and needy and steal him away. The others didn’t bother me. They were temporary. He helped them and sent them on their way. I knew you were a problem the first time I saw him with you,” she rants. “He refused to leave your side. Even after Dr. Martinez sedated you, he didn’t leave.
“And then I finally find a good man, and I find out he wants you too!” she laughs bitterly. “I was so mad I wanted to kill him for using me. He explained everything, though.”
The door opens the rest of the way, and Nelson Grant—Mr. Perfect—steps into the room. “You’ve been a very bad girl, Tessa. It’s time for you to come home.”
Nancy looks up at him with adoration. “I told you I could get to her without any problem.”
“I thank you for that.” Nelson turns cold eyes on her and holds out a hand, beckoning her to join him. Blinded by whatever lies he fed her, she doesn’t see his intentions until it’s too late.
He pulls her against his body, her back to his front, then with one quick swipe, he slits her throat wide open. I stand frozen as I watch the smugness disappear from Nancy’s eyes as shock takes over. Her hands go to her neck, and she tries uselessly to staunch the blood flow. Dark red flows through her fingers, spilling onto the floor in a red river. It’s over in seconds. Once she’s limp in his arms, he flings her body to the side as carelessly as he would a piece of garbage.
He takes a step closer and another. My heart is pounding like a trapped thing in my chest, and I have to fight for every breath I take as panic sets in.
“Ah, there’s my girl. I’ve missed you. I think I’m going to have a little taste before I hand you over to Mr. Brown. You do remember Mr. Brown, don’t you?”
How could I ever forget the most sadistic of the men who frequented Red House? I don’t answer because it’s a rhetorical question. He knows I would never forget Mr. Brown. He’s the one who let Mr. Brown cut me, permanently scarring me so that I would always remember ‘our time together’ as he liked to call it.
“Mr. Brown has paid me a lot of money for you. It’s a rather tragic story. His personal slave recently died from an unfortunate accident, and he just hasn’t been able to find a suitable replacement. He was thrilled when I told him I located you.” Mr. Perfect reaches out to tuck a piece of hair behind my ear, and I flinch away. “Look at it this way, you wanted away from Red House… now you’ll never have to go back. Though, you might wish you were back with us after living with Mr. Brown. He likes to break his toys.”
“No!” I scream and shove him away from me. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t have been able to budge him, but he’s not used to me fighting back so I catch him off guard. He stumbles away, knocking over a chair.