Page 80 of Mistress A-0002

“That’s good. Just like that. Lay down and let’s make you?—”

Before I knew what I was doing, my hand shot to her throat. The grip I had was locked in like cement. I squeezed, pulling her closer. Staring into terrified eyes that felt dangerous. They pulled and pleaded and all I wanted to suddenly do wasgouge them out. It didn’t make sense. Nothing about what was happening was right. Loop. I was in a fucking loop, but what did that mean?

“I want to leave.” I turned, dragging Vivia with me as I spun in a circle. My feet wouldn’t move. Had she said ‘glue’? My gaze snapped to her. “Why can’t I leave? I want to leave.”

A tear escaped and her mouth opened, but I was squeezing harder, not allowing her to talk.She couldn’t talk. I couldn’t let her speak but?—

“Loop.” Again, I spun, scanning Vivia’s room, dragging her small body with me. Her feet were scraping, trying to find footing in my panic. I should let her go. I should stop this right now. But I couldn’t. Loop. Loop. “I want to leave!”

The roar in her face had more tears escaping. Her face was turning a deep red and she was trying with everything she had to breathe out of her mouth. It was a sound that had my head spinning. One that had colors melting from my walls and the floor waving beneath my feet.

Ring.

Ring.

The shrill sound sent my body jolting at the sound. My living room came into view and with it…her. But not Melissa. Even knowing who she suddenly was didn’t change her back to the woman I knew resided behind the mask of Vivia.Death. Yes. She had said that I would see her as Vivia until I die. But I wasn’t the one who was dying tonight.

Ring.

Ring.

“Loop.” I repeated. “I don’t need a fucking loop now,do I.Let’s see who’s calling, shall we?”

I took a step, dragging her as she fought and clawed at my hand. No more glue. No more illusions as I stopped at the table and grabbed her phone. I hit the button, bringing it to my ear.

“Hello?”

A pause.

“Where’s Melissa? Who is this?”

My brow drew in as I nearly cut off all of her oxygen. Blood beaded against the top of my hands as she put all of her strength in trying to get free.

“The Main Master. Master Two-fifty-eight, is that you?”

“Oh.” Surprise. Guilt. “Main Master. Yes, it’s me. Adrian. Is Melissa okay? I know she had the trial this morning. I wanted to check in on her. She was very upset when I talked to her earlier.”

I eased my hand enough to allow the smallest amount of air to go flooding in. She gasped, making a gurgling sound as I began squeezing even harder. She was trying to sob. Trying to speak but it was nearly impossible with the pressure I held.

“Upset. Yeah. You could say she’s pretty upset. I’m just going to be blunt because I’m a little busy. Is he dead?”

“…I’m sorry?”

“Ron.Ronald, her husband. Did you kill him like she wanted?”

Silence.

“Come on Master, I don’t have all day.”

“I, ah, I mean, I heard he might have got in an accident or something when he was headed to their country home. Like maybe a car accident. …Off a cliff.”

I smiled, nodding as it mixed with the rage that was beginning to overpower me.

“Excellent. Thank you for calling, Mr. Bulvere. You have no idea how much you helped me out. Do me a favor. Head to the Gardens. I have a special treat for you.”

Hanging up, I didn’t give him time to respond. I tossed the phone down, glancing over to Nineteen who was blinking heavily. Blood was soaking his shoulder and shirt, and he still appeared out of it. There was a large lump and laceration whereshe’d broken the glass across the side of his forehead. I turned to Melissa, breathing through the eerie numbness as I walked us into the kitchen.

“We’re going to take this nice and slow.” I reached into my butcher’s block, pulling free a large knife. “No more tapping.” My next words were ones I knew she didn’t understand, but she didn’t have to. The power from my monotone voice kicked in immediately. It wasn’t enough to put her under, but it was enough to daze her as I let go and grabbed her hand, whacking down the blade to slice over three of her digits. The scream that followed was music to my soul as I jerked her other hand up, chopping across the entire top. Blood sprayed out and four fingers rolled from my countertop. The air caught in her lungs, and I latched back to her neck, pulling her to Nineteen. I grabbed the dangling radio from his uniform, hitting the button.