Master B-1901 (Garden of the Gods #14)

Master B-1901

E motion. For my slave, it came and went. There were moments I thought she was more than a blank slate, and then there were times like this where days would go by and Allison was just as she’d been when I got her. Blank. Programmed. Routine. It was nice, and yet…sad. I liked her emotion some days. Other days I missed when she would reassure or have a real conversation with me. Sex…it happened, but only once since we’d returned from me destroying that crow. Even that was different. She was a robot again, fulfilling my every command without feeling them. I wasn’t sure what I thought about that. Not that I could think too much. There was only one woman on my mind, and I wanted to decimate her. Melissa was all I thought about, and it was driving me crazy.

“And that’s what you remember?”

My stare left Allison who was sitting on the far side of the room making another list. She did that a lot. List after list after list. And it was for all things. Groceries. Books. Towels. New Blankets. Maybe she needed something to do. Maybe even as a blank slate these walls were getting to her too.

“That’s it, Elec. I wish I could remember more . Stories. She says…Braddock, what story shall I tell you today? Or Braddock, what adventure should we go on today? It’s always the same, but she’s different when I see her. Sometimes she’s younger. Other times…older.”

“And you can’t remember the actual stories?”

“No. Will you tell me more of what the hell happened when Melissa came into my apartment since my own slave won’t. You said when I healed we could talk about it. I’ve healed enough. Why can’t I know? I know she wanted me to kill Allison.”

The Main Master’s lips tightened as he glanced in her direction.

“You remember that?”

“No, but I’m not stupid. I remember…” My hand flattened on my face as I closed my eyes. “I remember seeing Ally down, and I was hitting her. It’s such a blur. Barely even there. I hear…voices, but they’re not clear. I don’t know if it’s Melissa or not. I don’t care. We all know it is. I want this taken care of, Elec. I want her to pay for what she’s done to me.”

Back and forth his head shook.

“Brad, I wish she could. I wish—” He stopped, leaning forward to rest his forearms against his lower thighs, close to his knees. “What we know and what we can prove are two different things. Mistress Two is guarded by the Uppers. She’s favored. Whether that’s because of her skills or just status in our circle, it doesn’t matter. The truth is, I can’t do anything without solid evidence, and even then, it might be for nothing. They may very well let her get away with it.”

“Get away with it,” I exploded. “Get away with fucking up my mind? I’m a Pierce! Am I not part of this circle? Is there favoritism amongst us now? What she’s doing is beyond treason. She’s fucking ruined me, Elec. Do you hear me! Ruined. I can barely function. I can’t leave my goddamn apartment without fear she’ll be there to set off another episode. What about me? What about my life? Am I worth nothing? How can our circle function if there’s no accountability? It can’t.”

Silence. My slave shifted in my peripheral, drawing my attention as she began to talk.

“The rules don’t seem to apply to her. You’re not worth anything to Mistress Two, anyway. You’re in the way.” Allison glanced up from her list but quickly looked down as she wrote. “If I recall, Main Master, she wanted you to continue Braddock’s line without him. That was the entire reason she brought you in to that appointment. She wanted you to assess him. She thought you’d find him insane, and then she could get rid of him like she always planned to. She told me herself she’d gotten what she wanted out of him: money, death, and fun. He was nothing but a game. She destroyed his mind, exactly like she wanted. She’s sick. Are her motives not clear? Am I the only one able to see the entire picture? Or maybe we’re all affected.”

Only then did her stare jump up to meet the Main Master’s.

“She got you too?” He didn’t answer my question. “Elec?”

“Like I said, without evidence she’s untouchable. With it…maybe still. I’m working on it.”

“And if I kill her?”

Mine and Elec’s gaze jumped up to Allison, but it was the Main Master who gave a sharp shake.

“You know better than that, slave. I could have you locked up or put down for even saying that. Why would you feel it was okay to murder a Mistress?”

Angry light blue eyes peered up under thick lashes.

“Because she deserves it. Because she admitted the truth to me and she’s getting away with it. You and my Master are my priority, and both of your lives are in danger. What did she tell you when she left that hospital room? Enemy. She threatened you. ”

“I should have never messed with your programming, Allison. You think too freely, and you should have returned to your normal status at my order.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “I don’t even know what you mean. You think you did this to me because I can think? Because I feel? I do feel! I’m angry! I haven’t been the same since she got in here. It wasn’t you. She did this to me, Main Master. To all of us . What would have happened had I not walked in on the two of you? How far would she have gone? More than a kiss? How far has she gone? What has she made you do that you can’t even remember? I bet you’re just as clueless as my Master.”

“ Slave .”

Her lips trembled at his vicious tone.

“She’s hurting everyone she can, and she’s getting away with it.”

“Mistress Two won’t be able to by the time I’m finished. I only have one chance to nail her ass to the wall, or it’s me who will pay . I said stay out of it, and you both will.”

“And if we don’t?”

The Main Master’s head whipped to me.

“You’re speaking of treason.”

“She committed it first. After what she’s done, what’s one more blackout? One more mental fucking break that ends this for good?”

“ Enough ,” Elec hissed.

He glanced around the room, balling his fists.

“There is a time and a place for everything. Now is neither. Stick to your schedule. Keep your head down. Do nothing .” His intense eyes went back and forth between us. “Things are going to get worse before they get better. It’s a battle out there. Melissa is a war .”

One of my eyebrows rose. “If anyone knows about war, it’s me. We’ll buy our time, but I will not let this go. Melissa will pay.

“Trust me, I’m with you,” Elec said, lowering his voice, “but you have to let me take the lead in this, otherwise, you’re done, Brad. You’ll spend your days in Hell Row or dead, and I promise you, you don’t want that.”

“What I want is to stop—I want my fucking mind back. Is it all a lie? The military, prison, is it a fucking lie? I mean, I swear, it happened. Look at me .”

The Main Master’s shoulders dropped and drew in.

“I have to admit, I really began to believe it too. Brad.” He paused. “I don’t believe it was real. Until right before the Gardens opened, you were running your family’s businesses. You were on the boards. I talked with Georgie. She saw you last year in Chicago. You both went to lunch together. Once you came here, it would seem you really haven’t left.”

I pushed to my feet, feeling sick. Feeling panicked.

‘Wait. Just…wait. I have been here. If that’s my responsibility, who the fuck is running the companies?”

Silence.

“Elec, answer me. I know you know. ”

“Your board, for now, but I’ve been looking more into it and…you know a lot of the younger generations intern in our circle. They take different positions to learn different aspects of the industry. It’s nothing more than a week or two, here. An occasional weekend, there.”

“Yeah, so? What are you saying?”

Fingers interlaced but quickly separated as the Main Master stood and began to pace.

“It would seem Jett has spent the last few months?—”

“Whoa! Stop. Her son? Jett LaRoe?”

His hand rose as I stood.

“Calm, Brad.”

“She really is after what’s mine. She—” My fingers fisted in my hair. “She wasn’t lying. How is this okay, Elec! ”

“It’s bad, but Jett is the least of your concerns. He’s in trouble. He won’t be leaving the Gardens any time soon, if at all. Right now, we’re putting together the pieces. We need evidence. We need?—”

“ To take this up to who matters. The evidence is there. We take it to the Uppers. We go to them so we can lay out our case.”

“I already told you; s he controls them . They may not even know, but her influence is unmistakable. Without refutable facts, she wins.”

“Then death.”

“That’s treason,” Elec roared. “In that case, we all fall.” His tight grip locked on my shoulders as he stared me down, dropping his voice, but not losing the deep tone. “You have to trust me. You’re not the only one who’s pissed. Braddock, she’s been doing this to me too. I’ve told no one the details. I will tell no one, but you are not alone. I didn’t get it as bad as you did?—”

“That you know of.”

Elec paused, his face hardening. “Yes, that I know of, but we are not alone in wanting to fix this. We have others, but we do this right. Melissa has made her rounds, and all her evil deeds are coming to light. Our cases aren’t the only ones. Let’s do this by the book. Promise me you’ll wait this out. You won’t regret it. You have my word. You know I keep my word. One way or another, I will give you your justice.”

“You promise?”

“I swear it,” Elec said, pulling me in. “And if you let me, I’ll spend however long it takes to erase what she did and insert the truth. I can do that, Brad. If you can trust me, I’ll make you better again. I’ll make you better than you ever were. It is within my abilities. All I need you to do is say yes. We can even start now. We can start tonight.”