Surveillance Notes:

I have watched you closely. You’re discreet.I like that. Not much else to tell. You’re a woman of habit and aprofessional when it comes to your businesses, but behind closeddoors is where I suspect you’ll really shine.

Weekend 1:

Your physical exam was disturbing. Thoughyour physique is attractive, you bear the scars of a truemasochist. I must commend you, though, on hiding them well. Longsleeved-shirts, slacks and long skirts at all times…they should’vebeen tell-tale signs, yet I wasn’t prepared to see what I did. Butyour battle wounds will not dissuade me from my ultimate goal.Perhaps I can add some of my artwork to your canvas. Yes, I likethat idea very much.

With tears blinding your eyes and chokingyour voice, our journey has started with snap of leather and abang. Though I may seemingly be unmoved by your sobs, that couldn’tbe further from the truth. I am moved. Deeply.

Elsa sighed with relief. There was hope forVictor. She reached for her coffee to find it still too hot todrink and put it back down.

I am moved in a way that’s hard to describewithout sounding disturbed. Even now as I relive the pain that Iput you through, my cock hardens and my breathing quickens. Thereis no sinking anguish in accepting what I am. I accepted it longago. There is no refuting my blood line there’s no point in denyingwho I am. I can only add that I’m glad to have found a willingparticipant to allow me to experiment on.

Elsa’s wistfulness instantly vanished leavingher with an inexplicable sense of emptiness. She couldn’t andwouldn’t believe that he was truly a sadist. Not the kind thatenjoyed inflicting pain just for the sake of it. He hadn’tinflicted any pain on her. Not serious pain. Suddenly she becameconscious of a low tortured sob coming from her. She didn’t carewho he thought he was or where he came from.

She didn’t know for sure, but her feminineintuition was telling her that he hadn’t always been cruel. She hadseen little glimpses of his kindness and he had even admitted thathe loved before. What happened to that man? Who besides his motherhad hurt him so badly that he chose to hide behind Mr. Black toavoid further injury to his heart?

Her phone rang out loudly, startling her andcausing her to knock the coffee mug into her lap. The hot liquiddrenched her thighs and immediately scalded her. She stood andpulled the fabric of her skirt away from her skin.

The phone rang again. She was so engrossed intrying to relieve the scorching pain now setting in, she hadforgotten the reason it happened. Absentmindedly, she reached forthe phone and answered as she rushed to the restroom forrelief.

“This is Elsa,” she choked out, still cryingfrom the revelation about Victor and now the burns on herthighs.

“What’s wrong?” Victor’s stressed voiceboomed.

Elsa’s throat tightened. “I just burnedmyself. The phone startled me and I tipped my hot coffee over intomy lap…” she lifted her skirt to see blisters forming and sheshrieked when she placed a wet paper towel onto her legs.

“How bad is it?” There was a faint tremor inhis voice as though some emotion had touched him.

She frowned. Maybe he was enjoying that shehad hurt herself. “I can’t talk. It’s blistering and I need to takecare of this,” she cried.

“Go to the ER. Burns can become infectedeasily,” he ordered sternly.

“You’re overreacting. I’m not going to theER,” she hissed through her teeth as the pain and heat began tothrob.

“I mean it, Elsa.”

“I have to go,” she abruptly hung up to dealwith her wounds.

She walked quickly down the hall to the breakroom and retrieved several ice cubes from the refrigerator to tryand alleviate the intense pain, but it was pointless. Victor wasright.

*

As she lay in the emergency room bed withsalve and gauze dressings covering her wounds, she called hermother to let her know what had happened. She was alone in a newcity and she just needed some mommy medicine to make her feelbetter. When her mother answered, her raspy voice filled her withwarmth.

“Mom,” she began to cry. Her tears weren’tonly because of her injury, but because of that damned manuscriptand Mr. Black.

“What’s wrong, El?” her mother’s soothingvoice held a note of tension.

Where should she begin? She wanted to tellher mom everything from about how she had signed her freedom awayto a stranger, to how she had broken the law by breaking into anFBI’s agent’s house, to having fallen for him.

Instead, all that came out was, “I’m at thehospital. I burned myself.”

“Oh, baby…” her mom broke off. “Are you okay?Should I come out there?”

She shook her head as if her mom could seeher. “No, I just wanted to hear your voice.”

“You could hear it more often if you called,”she huffed.

“Please don’t lecture me, Mom. I know. I’vejust been avoiding hearing you tell me how immature it was for meto move here,” she sniffed.

“I don’t think it was immature. I think itwas a little rash, but you’ve always had a mind of your own. Andwhat do I know? Maybe it was a good idea to get away from thatson-of-a-bitch Patrick.”

Elsa smiled and wiped her tears away.

“I love you, El, and so does your brother.Even though I know he can be a real prick to you sometimes.”

She really did love her mom and her way withwords. “Nick the Prick. I like that. I’ll have to call him that thenext time I see him,” she laughed.

“Is there anything else wrong?” her momprobed.

How the hell did she do that? Her mom alwayshad a sixth sense about her. She could never get away with anythingwhen she was a teenager because of it.

Elsa hated to lie to her, but had no choice.The truth was just too ugly and bizarre.

“Nothing else is wrong.”

“I’ll be there on Tuesday,” her mother saidwith finality.

*

Three hours later, Elsa’s impatience wasgetting the best of her as she waited to be discharged from the ER.She flipped through the channels on the television in the room,wishing she was doing some reading instead, but the Chronicles ofMr. Black were at her office. It was probably better that way. Withthe drugs she was on, she might be prone to vivid nightmares if sheread any more.

Just as she closed her eyes for a quick nap,she felt hot hands on her face, pushing her hair back. Themedication had fully kicked in, making her drowsy, but she priedher eyes open to see Victor standing next to her bed. Too stunnedat seeing him, she lay motionless without saying anything.

“I’m glad to see you know how to followdirections,” he said in a low voice, soft and clear.

He leaned down close to her, looking down ather intensely as he lifted the sheet covering her legs to inspectthe damage.

Elsa stared into his dark and compellingeyes, wondering why he had come back to town when there were farmore important things than her that needed his attention. Her heartswelled at the romantic idea that he cared enough to show up untilhis typed words flashed in front of her sleepy eyes.

“Does it hurt?” his voice dropped in volumeas he touched her thigh.

She pressed her lips together in anger. “Doyou want it to hurt?”

Victor’s mouth twisted wryly and he quirkedan eyebrow at her questioningly. “Why would you ask that?”

Anxiety knotted in her stomach. “Because youtold me you like to cause pain.”

The line of his mouth tightened a fractionmore and his eyes darkened dangerously. “I never told youthat.”

She blinked long and hard and focused herfuzzy, medicated gaze. She had given away too much. “I’m prettysure you did,” she held her ground firmly.

As he chewed the corner of his lip, hestudied her face slowly as if waiting for her to break. “What Isaid was I like your tears.”