Fear

Chapter 17

Adam left the apartment, no doubt on his way to discover the name and address of my co-worker. John left shortly after, just before Bess returned from the kitchen. She seemed surprised that I had remained on the floor and not taken the sofa, although she was happy to reseat herself on it with a smirk. Grant came to the door with a face like thunder and barked Nigel's name. Nigel stood instantly, his head bowed.

Grant just crooked his finger then turned to the kitchen again. Nigel followed contritely. Luke's eyes followed him as he left the room. I heard raised voices from the kitchen, presumably Grant and Nigel. I could not understand the conversation, but it was clear that Grant was furious. I caught the final word from Nigel – "Talgen." The conversation had ended.

Nigel returned to the room and stood in front of Luke, his head bowed.

Luke raised an eyebrow. "And?" He asked.

Nigel coughed then croaked "Twenty."

Luke stood and walked outside. Nigel followed, head still bowed. Bess nodded. She seemed satisfied. Grant returned from the kitchen and scanned the room, then nodded to Bess.

"Deal with him when he returns. Be kind."

"Of course, Talgen." She acknowledged quietly. "It is more than sufficient."

I placed my empty mug on the floor and looked up at Grant. He appeared on edge, looking into the distance but not seeing anything. He remained like that until Luke returned then he watched Luke settle down against the wall again.

"It is done, Talgen." Luke said. Bess rose and left the room without a word. Grant looked down at me.

"Come."

It was a simple word. He was expressionless. I stood and followed him as he walked to the bedroom. He closed the door behind me and then sat on the bed, his head in his hands. He sighed heavily.

"Stay here. I don't wish you to see him."

"Why?" I sat down on the bed beside him.

"He's been disciplined. There are some things you should not see. Discipline is one of them. And Luke enjoys dealing it." Grant raised his head, his hands running over his cheeks.

"And you allowed it?"

He glanced at me. "I only set the number. Nigel had freedom to pick the punishment and the deliverer, not me. Luke would never have been my choice. He will not be lenient."

"Will Nigel be badly hurt?"

"Yes, but Bess will deal with him. He will heal."

"I did not expect you to be a cruel man." Grant looked as if I'd wounded him. He ran his fingers through his curls.

"I'm not. I hate it, but Nigel stepped well out of line, well past the boundaries. If any of them take a female, they make certain the girl receives the same amount of pleasure as they do, but it can only be one night. The memories should be good but vague and they should never supply their name. Those are the rules. Nigel not only gave her his name, he left her with a clear memory of the evening. He enjoys women, and they always enjoy him. He also remained visible. She pursued him, obviously hoping for more. Things got awkward and the police were called. She screamed rape. Nigel was placed under arrest. Mark sprung him, of course - Mark's very good with locks. Bess had to deal with the girl, her parents, several of their friends, and the police, distorting their memory of events. Nigel knew how close we were to succeeding, and he almost wrecked everything. He risked the mission, and ultimately, he risked your safety. It is unforgivable. I chose the quantity but Nigel chose his method of punishment and the person to administer it. He could have opted for an easier punishment from any of the others, but he chose the harshest of both. He won't die, but Luke will take him to the point of wishing he could. You don't need to see the result."