Ultimate Sin Read online

  “What’s the matter?” he asks.

  “I must clean it up myself, Mister Knight. I made the mess. It’s my fault.”

  “There are others who can do it just as well.” He folds his arms.

  “But I … like it.” I bite my lip.

  “You like to clean?” He cocks his head.

  “Yes. It feels … calming.” I shrug.

  “Interesting.” He picks up his cup and drinks some more tea.

  Amelia gets up from the floor. “Well, it ain’t perfect, but it’ll have to do.” She walks off with a wet towel, leaving me with a frustration I can’t place. Not perfect? It should be … for him.

  “Stop worrying,” Mister Knight says.

  I nod in obedience.

  “I understand now why you don’t want to tell me your name. You can’t remember, can you?”

  “It’s not that I can’t … I just …” I frown.

  “It’s all right. We’ll just give you a new name. How about Ava?”

  “Ava? It sounds … nice.” I smile at him, which I immediately regret.

  He smiles back, though. “You have such a pretty smile. You should smile more often.”

  His comment makes me smile even more.

  “Prepare for landing.” A voice resonates through the intercom.

  Amelia scurries back to pick up the teapot and cups. “Forgot these.” She laughs it off as if it’s no big deal and carries them to the back.

  “Put your seat belt on,” Mister Knight says.

  I do as instructed and wait for what happens next. The plane begins to dive, and the air resistance is causing it to shake. When I feel the panic rising, all I need to do is look at Mister Knight’s calm and assertive eyes to know that I’m safe.

  When the plane has landed, the man who took me in his car along with Mister Knight escorts me outside. We walk across the cold pavement of the airport only to step into the helicopter. The man who brought me to Mister Knight stays behind.

  “I will see you soon,” Mister Knight tells him, and they nod at each other.

  I sit down and buckle up again. The helicopter feels so small and moves violently as we go up into the air. Mister Knight can’t seem to take his eyes off me, though. His smirk makes him unbelievably handsome, unlike any other person I’ve ever met. His continued staring makes me blush as I rub my lips and hide my face yet again. I don’t know if I should say anything. Mister Knight told me I could speak without being fearful of reprimand, but I’ve never had approval before. I don’t know how to deal with it.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking,” he yells into the microphone.

  I take a quick glance out the window, seeing the deep forest up ahead. “It’s beautiful.”

  “Gifford Pinchot National Forest. A vast terrain with steep mountains, dangerous cliffs, and trees as far as the eye can see.”

  “Where is that?” I ask, hoping my question isn’t out of line.

  “Washington State.” A smile tugs at the corner of his lips. “It’s where my home is.”

  I listen to him, but my eyes can’t stop gazing outside at the magnificent view. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Such raw nature, unkempt. It’s a vast difference from where my Master lives.

  I frown, realizing that I’m so far away from home. I wonder what my Master wants from me, what I am to do out here. Why is this man taking me here? What is the purpose of this visit?

  “There.” Mister Knight suddenly points at a cottage in the middle of the forest, not far up ahead. It’s huge, from the looks of it, and made completely out of wood. At least, on the outside, it seems to blend quite well into the environment.

  “What is that?” I ask.

  “It’s my home.” His tongue quickly darts out to lick his lips. “And it’s also the place where you’ll be staying.”

  “You live in the forest?”

  “I not only live there,” he says, gazing out the window, as if he’s pining away, “I own it.”

  “The house?”

  He grins. “Everything.”

  My eyes slightly widen from that statement, although I shouldn’t be surprised. My Master has many, many rich friends.

  “The forest is mine, so I can do what I want with it.”

  “So you live here?” I clear my throat. When he doesn’t answer, I add, “I’m sorry if I’m asking too many questions, Mister Knight.”

  “There’s nothing to apologize for, Ava. You’re just curious, that’s all. But you will find out soon.” He smiles and then turns his head. I guess the conversation is over.

  Not soon after, the helicopter lands on a pad right next to his home. He jumps out of the helicopter, but when I get up, he holds out his hand. It takes me a second filled with hesitation to take him up on his offer. I grab him and immediately feel the warmth flowing from him to me. He’s strong but gentle as he helps me off, holding my hand as if I’m a delicate flower he has to protect.

  “Here we are,” he says.

  The helicopter man waves at him and he waves back. Then he’s off.

  “Come.” Mister Knight pulls me with him toward the house.

  “It’s … huge,” I mutter.

  “Mmmhmm, but there will be plenty of time for you to explore.” He takes out a special card and holds it to some kind of electronic device that turns green. The door makes a clicking noise. “You’ll be staying here for a while.” He pushes the door open, allowing me to peer inside.

  However, the question I feel I should ask is more important to me right now than looking around his home. “Mister Knight, can I ask you …”

  “Anything,” he says.

  I look up at him. “How long will I be staying here for?”

  “Does it matter?”

  My forehead creases. “My Master may be displeased if I stay here for too long.”

  He muffles a laugh and rubs his nose. “To be honest, I don’t really care what he thinks or feels.”

  My lips part, but I don’t know how to respond.

  And when I thought his words couldn’t confuse me anymore, he goes and breaks the norm, overwhelming me to the point of not knowing what to say.

  The hand that grips mine tightens. “You will not be going back to that place, Ava.” He places his other hand over mine, emphasizing his hold on me. “This is your home from now on.”

  “But why?” I swallow away the fear that rushes through my veins.

  He leans in closer and whispers delectably dark, promising words into my ear. “Because I am your master now.”

  2

  Ava

  Master.

  My new Master?

  He spoke the word, but is it true?

  How can it be?

  My lips tremble as I stumble backward into his home, his presence alone making my heart thrum. He holds his hands in the air as if he means me no harm, but he’s already broken me in half by saying that single word.

  Master.

  “Don’t be afraid.” He takes a step forward. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  I’m not afraid, but I am confused. “How can you be my Master? I already have a Master.”

  “DeLuca is not your master anymore. I am your master now.”

  “No! My Master wouldn’t abandon me.” I step farther back. I lied. I am scared. Scared of the consequences if his words are true.

  “Listen to me. I am your master now. I am not DeLuca. I won’t treat you badly.”

  I shake my head, still trying to cling to what I know. “Don’t speak ill words about my Master.”

  “He is not your master. Not anymore.”

  I quiver, trying to grasp a table, anything to hold onto. The ground feels like it’s being pulled out from underneath me, and I’m unfamiliar with it. “I don’t understand … why would he do this … how?”

  “He sold you to me.”

  My eyes shoot from left to right, trying to comprehend the situation. “I was bought?”

  He nods. “Don’t make me speak any more words abou
t it. I hate the very word.”

  “So you … you own me now?” I mutter.

  He nods slowly again. “You are mine, completely.”

  My first instinct is to run away.

  Except I can’t. He’s already closed the door, and I’m sure it’s locked tight.

  When in danger, a person always chooses one out of two things. Fight or flight. Flight isn’t possible, but am I capable of the other option?

  Without thinking about it, I grab the first object near me. A letter opener.

  “Don’t come closer!” I hold it up like a knife. Fear drives me now. Not fear of pain or punishment. I know what that’s like. But I don’t know what’s happening now … my fear is one I’ve never felt before. The fear of the unknown.

  Even when I point my weapon at him, he comes toward me, holding up his hands and lowering his face. “Don’t make any strange moves, Ava. You don’t want to make a mistake.”

  My hand is trembling as I defend myself against a man who has locked me in his home. A man I don’t even know. A man who tells me he is my new Master … a man who can literally break a woman with just one word.

  That one word … Master.

  It unravels me.

  “No …” I murmur, teardrops falling down my cheeks.

  Even as he steps closer, my weapon of choice remains in the air, but I do not hit him. Instead, I let him slip my fingers open and grasp it.

  I expect him to use it on me.

  I deserve no less.

  I threatened him. A Master … no, not just any Master … my new Master.

  If what he says is true, I broke the unbreakable vow.

  I must be punished.

  Closing my eyes, I await my sentence, hoping it will be swift and painful.

  But then the most peculiar thing happens.

  He hugs me.

  “Shh …”

  His words are simple, yet they crack open the thick wall built around my heart.

  “Don’t be upset. I’m not here to hurt you.” He holds me closer, his embrace warm and welcoming. It feels good. Better than anything I’ve ever felt. “I know you don’t trust me, and you have no reason to do so yet, but know that you are safe.” He caresses the back of my head, and my face instinctively dives into his chest as if to seek the comfort I do not deserve.

  I tried to hurt my Master.

  “Are you …” I can’t even get the doubt across my lips.

  “Yes, I am your new master. Whether or not you want to believe it doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that you are mine now, and I do not want you to even think about your old master for one more second. Do you understand?”

  I should be ashamed of myself.

  Respect is what drives me to slip away from his arms and sink to the floor. “Please, forgive me, Master.” I grab his boot and kiss it. “I am your humble servant. Have mercy.”

  He shakes his boot. “Don’t.” When I don’t respond and cling to his leg, he shouts, “Look at me!”

  I look up at him and witness the anger unfold. “Get up!”

  I scramble to my feet and stand in front of him, meek, like a lamb.

  He turns the letter opener around until the blade is pointing at me, and I lean back, frightened. “Do not ever do that again, do you understand?”

  I swallow away the fear. “Do what again … Master?”

  “Do not beg me for forgiveness when there is nothing to forgive.”

  “I’m sorry, Master.” I clear my throat.

  “Do not lick my boot like some sort of dog,” he continues.

  “I threatened you with a sharp object. It was not right for me to do.”

  “You were frightened, and rightfully so. Maybe I should’ve told you sooner.”

  My Master … doubts himself?

  “I am yours to do with as you please, including telling me something whenever you want to.”

  He sighs. “I make mistakes. Just like you. Just like any other human being.”

  “Oh, no, Master cannot be compared to any simple servant.”

  He swallows, his muscles tensing as if he needs to hold back. “You are not my servant.”

  Not a servant? I’ve never been told such a thing before. I do not understand, but he seems angry, so I won’t ask. I don’t want to upset my new Master. I’ve already crossed too many lines.

  “Come,” he says, placing his hand on the small of my back. “Let me show you around my home.”

  His touch makes my breathing ragged, but my heart calms when I look at his soft face. He’s so gentle with me, not at all what I’m used to from a Master. It makes me wonder why. However, the moment I lay my eyes on his home, I lose what ability I had left to speak.

  It’s magnificent.

  Wood lined the outside, but the inside looks metallic with a marble floor and red carpets scattered around seats. In the corner, a rocky formation invades the home as if it’s become a natural wall; as if the Earth gave birth to this very house.

  “This is the living room,” I hear him murmur behind me, but I’m too flabbergasted to pay attention.

  In the middle is a large, open area with white couches facing rows and rows of windows and a fireplace to the side. Behind the windows, I see a sparkling river with water gushing down the stream. The forest lies just beyond, a vast landscape filled with streams, trees, bushes, birds, and a mountaintop in the distance with a waterfall rushing down from a crevice.

  His hand lets go of me, and I instinctively walk toward the windows, drawn by the sheer beauty of the outside world. I wonder what it’s like to walk there. Out in the open. Free.

  “Do you like it?” he asks.

  I nod and glance over my shoulder. “It’s beautiful.”

  He stands beside me, gazing outside at the nature that surrounds us. “Have you ever seen something like this?”

  “Only on the television.”

  He glances at me sideways. “So you’ve never been there, in the flesh?”

  I shake my head. “My M—I was never taken outside before I was brought to you.” I swallow away the word I was about to speak.

  His brows twitch. “Hmm …”

  His humming gives me a chill.

  What does it mean?

  Is it something he knew or didn’t? Is he surprised? Angry? I wish I knew.

  When I look back at him, I notice my hand left a mark on the glass. I didn’t realize I’d been touching it the entire time. “Sorry, Master, I will clean this right away.”

  “I want you to look around the house first,” he immediately interjects as I turn around.

  “Oh … all right.” I fiddle with my fingers, unsure of what to do.

  He places a hand on my shoulder. “This place is where you’ll be staying from now on. I want you to get acquainted with your surroundings so you feel at home.”

  “Thank you, Master.”

  Whenever I say that word … Master, his nostrils flare and his eyes start to blaze. Does he hate the word? Or does he enjoy it too much? I can’t tell, which is frustrating. I want him to be happy with everything I do. I owe it to him after what I tried to do to him.

  He nudges me and pulls me from my brief thoughts. “C’mon, let’s take a walk.”

  ***

  Marcus

  She amazes me.

  The way she looks through the windows at the world outside as if it’s a painting from one of the greatest artists has me completely unwound.

  She touches my fridge and stereo, which automatically open at the sound of a voice. Her body flinches like a cat scared of something that moves. She’s fascinated by the technologically advanced gadgets scattered around my house, like the lights that switch on and off at the first detection of movement or my doors that open automatically. I use them for my convenience, but to her, they are the wonders of the world.

  Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought her scars run this deep. That she wouldn’t even recognize the simplest of technological advances, inventions that have been he
re for at least five years or longer.

  How deprived of reality was she really? What really went on in that house where she used to live?

  When I first laid my eyes on her, I knew she was damaged. I just didn’t realize to what extent.

  Every time she gazes at me, my heart cracks at its seams.

  She is pure yet so broken. How she looks at me and my home, with big, innocent eyes, tells me she’s inexperienced, yet she knows exactly how to behave around people. Like a puppet who mastered its own masters.

  She knows how to wind me around her fingers, but I won’t let her.

  I can’t.

  I must keep my goal in mind and focus solely on that. If I stray, all will have been for nothing.

  But this girl … what’s been done to her is wrong, yet I am participating in it in every way.

  I purchased her so I could take her away from that monster who trained her and used her as his own personal doll. I didn’t do it just for her … I did it for my own selfish, personal reasons. But when I look at her, all I see is her history and the pain she’s endured. Her life must have been a living hell, one even I can’t begin to comprehend.

  Which is why I must persist.

  Her soul has been split apart too many times. She’s practically beyond repair, but I will not give up.

  No matter the cost.

  Even if she hates me for it, I will teach her what it’s like to live again. How to be a human and feel again.

  I will show her freedom. One day.

  It’s the only thing I can do after dirtying my own soul for so long. I am black on the inside. Death is creeping up on me. It won’t be long before it comes to claim my life … And all I’ve done so far is ruin people.

  What I leave is a legacy of destruction.

  It’s what I do. Ruin people’s lives or worse … kill them.

  It’s what we all do. Our people. Our company. Our job is to defile. It’s how we live.

  And so, it makes me wonder … will I ever be able to do the right thing for once?

  Can I fix what’s already broken to begin with?

  Only I can be so arrogant as to proclaim I can help a girl who I purchased as if she’s really a fucking servant. But there’s no going back. She knows who owns her and I’ve already made the deal. She’s been trained to give up anything, and her willingness will be a goddamn test for me, one that I’m not sure I can pass.